Category Archives: From the Beginning

So long, farewell, auf wieder sehen, adieu….. It’s time for a Change!




*Warning: if you suffer from long post syndrome, please step away from this one, thank you*.

Before I start….
How many of you were actually reading the title with the Sound of Music melody in mind?
It’s ok, I will not tell a soul…

Okidoki…. Where to begin?

How does one find the words for a last post?

*Yep, this is my last post in Blogger*

Although I always will be grateful that Blogger has given me the platform to blab away, all for free,
it is time for a change.

How easy it was to start my blog 3 years ago….
Simply follow the instructions…
How foolish I was…

This little blog of mine was just a place where I could give my many dancing thoughts a home.
But it was the technical part that was giving me a headache!
Writing was simple, but how I had to put the pictures right in the middle or adjust the blog to have a fancier outfit? That was all new to me.
But I liked Blogger, still do. So I explored Blog Land where I have met so many friendly people. Genuine kind souls and uplifting women. And so many were living the same kind of crazy normal lifestyle we do!
So I am super glad I have started Daydream Living!
And what makes my smile grow even bigger, is that my blog does not have a gazillion readers, but the people who are reading it, for the most part they are still the same people since 2010!
I connected with strangers and made friends.

Still, I have two reasons for leaving Blogger.

*Numero uno:
Behind the scenes, I am planning and working on another project for a while now….

Yep, besides moving to a new country with one husband and two girls,
arranging our surprise legal signing in Amsterdam while living in Switzerland,
dealing with some big family problems back home,
cancelling our wedding in Amsterdam 2 months before the date,
and planning our wedding celebration for the last 11 months here in Dubai,
I thought, Why Not?
Let’s start something new!

Call me crazy.
But crazier things have happened to me and when a good idea pops into my head,
I smile and start taking notes. Cause the Universe has a plan, I believe this for real.
So why argue about timing, right?
I will talk about this new project soon, I promise.

So, since I like to keep my thoughts and projects all in the same household,
I have decided to move my blog to a WordPress hosted site of my own.

*Numero dos:
Daydream Living belongs to the Google family, which is one of my favourite families.
But…. (there is always a But….)
This little blog, my little corner in the world wide web, is something that is mine.
My words. My thoughts. My views and 98 % of the photo’s are mine as well.
And when me and my daughter came up with the word combination Daydream Living in 2010, there wasn’t another blog with the same name, (besides the one from a man and his airplane love who had closed down his site). Nowadays there are a couple sites with the same name and they are not mine, nor do I have anything to do with them or do I want to. But I can see how it confuses people.

I want it to really be mine.
Without having to think that it will be shutdown by Google, or due to someone’s trigger happy finger on a ‘delete’ button…. it has happened to other bloggers, just poof…
a whole blog, years of words and photo’s….. everything just gone….
I literally would cry.
Loud and Long.
With Snot dripping and believe me…
Not a pretty sight…
Nobody wants to see snot running from my nose, so to take matters into my own hands,
I contacted Brandi.

(Now, if this was a movie, the music would swell up and you would sit up straight).

Brandi Bernoskie.

She is the one who I begged asked for help, since my technical part is not working at will or randomly.
And she said Yes! I did a Happy Dance and she promised to hold my hand.
She did and she still does.

So, as of Monday next week, you can stop by for a drink or two at my old/new .com place:

This is what I learned in Thailand this summer: ‘same same, but different’.
That is the lovely part of this,  my name stays the same but you have to add ‘blog’ behind it.

With Brandi helping me along the new road in WordPress hosted country, my old/new blog still needs some decoration, some fresh & fruity Maureen words AND… hold on to your panties….
there might even be a photo of me on it…. I honestly don’t like seeing myself on photo’s so fingers crossed the photo’s work out fine.

I also have plenty to share about our 2 day wedding celebration from 2 weeks ago.
It was great! Twists and all!

I start over at the WP family as of this Monday, the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Yep, the crazy day some will say.
11 is the crazy number and guess which words have 11 letters in them?
English: crazynumber
Dutch: gekkengetal

So, that’s settled then. In both languages.

*Big virtual hugs to all my old readers!*

See you soon!

Maureen
xx

Starting on my own 
from 11/11/2013 on:

From me, To you

* Warning: this is a good old fashion long post again, just so you know….

Time
The beginning of August already, time flies again so fast!
What have I been up to all this time?

Well, there were some not so nice real life issues and some fun issues. Like I always say, my life feels like a roller coaster ride….
Up and Down we go. When it is the right time, I will share some more what’s going on behind the scene’s.

For those of you who are also on Instagram with me, you know a little where I have been.
But if you are not or new on this blog, here is a quick update and Welcome!
(Photo’s on the bottom, I’m typing with one finger on my phone so please bear this lay-out!)


Summer
Since my girls started their long 11 weeks Summer break from school half of June, we have divided our time between staying home in Dubai for the first 3 weeks, filling time with goodbye parties,
last minute birthday parties, all not simultaneously of course and some pj mornings.
Dubai is really hot and sticky in the Summer, so we stayed more inside then out.

Then we were off together with Sweetheart, to be with our families in Amsterdam.
In between we took the super speedy train to Paris for a great 5 day stay, together with his sister and her family. And one can’t go to Paris and not stop to visit Mickey & Friends, so we hopped to Eurodisney as well. We all really enjoyed this trip!

After this, another week filled to the top in Amsterdam for us girls while Sweetheart had to fly back and forth for work and then back home to Dubai for a short work/back home stop.
Are you still reading? Good!

After flying to Europe and flying back to the Middle East, our little foursome stepped on another plane, to Asia, for our FQTT.
(Family Quality Time Together), a.k.a. family holiday.

And that brings me to were we are now, in Thailand. The first time for all of us and it is a beautiful country with so many friendly people. By the way, we have seen more animals, small and big, in the last couple of days then in one year living in Dubai. We even have… wait for it… Rain!
Yep, real rain showers and we don’t care, since rain is scarce in Dubai.
Hot drops falling from the sky, beautiful!

Grateful
So why am I blogging in the middle of our FQTT, in the early hours on my iPhone?

Well, first, I have wifi now, so better make use of this. It can disappear any moment again.
Second, we have a hard time getting into this time zone, so the nights feel more as early evenings.

But most of all, I am grateful for my readers! For the people who come here to read my blog.
Some of you are reading along since I started in 2010. How cool is that!

In four days, on August 5th, I’m marking my third year of blogging, whoop whoop!!
3 years of sharing bits of my life with like minded people and making friends along the way. If you could see me now, a Grateful, happy, smiling Maureen here people!
So yes, I am a lucky girl to have such lovely people coming here still and some new faces as well.

I can see how many clicks there are on my blog, even though my blogging has been sooo slow these last couple of months. (I might have to chance my name to Snail Living or so).
Still, there are people hopping by to read. And my commenting system is sometimes not working and sometimes it does. No clue why or how, but for now it is not relevant.

Just seeing people still coming by to check, {what the heck happened to Maureen?! },
I’m really grateful about that!
So if you are one of my Daydream Living readers, Thank You So Much!
And know this, there are more posts coming!

Ok, time to make some much needed tea. Or better yet, go to sleep, it’s really late here now.
Enjoy the Summer or Winter, depending where you are.
I will chat soon some more but like I said before, change is coming.

Over and out, with a smile, from me to you,

Maureen
xx

** To see more photo’s please visit me on Instagram, @daydreamliving. **

An enormous gigantic….

….silence.

yes, that’s what I hear, entering my little blog.

An enormous gigantic silence….

But sometimes that is a good thing,
silence…
At least this one is.
It’s a good silence.

You see, there are times,
like these past weeks,
that, no matter what you promise yourself,
there just isn’t enough time in the day to sit down
and share what is going on here, behind the scenes….

Blogging on this lovely little corner of mine,
has taken a big step back.
but,
there are reasons for all this silence…

By the end of a full day, I stop and think of what to share here,
but I simply fall a sleep…

Our blank living room wall, waiting for the next step….
I can say this though…
I love to blog and will come back
in a not too long distance from today.

But behind the scenes, my daily life at the moment needs my full attention,
right here, right now…
All is well, most of the time, but focus is needed,
so when the dust is more settled, I will explain.
Like our blank living room wall, which is patiently waiting for a change,
change will come too for this little blog of mine,
yes it will…
And when it does, I hope you are here reading along,
because the old chatty Maureen is still here, no worries,
but if I could tape another 24 hours after the end of the week,
I would….
Take care, embrace these summer days with your loved ones
and I will shout when I am back.
Love,
Maureen
xx

The start of Summer

Hi everyone!

Quick Hello from me to you here in Blogland.

The weather here in Dubai is getting hotter everyday and the temps are not to take lightly.

We have passed the 40 celsius since last week. And this is nothing to what is coming in Summer…..

For me, besides planning for our wedding celebration in October and daily real life issues, I have a feeling of anticipation…

The start of something new and exciting is always a great feeling and soon I can share what my brain came up with this time! Hope you are still reading along.

So, for all of my readers who are still or again dealing with rain and cold, this Sunny photo is for you.

Hope it will brighten up your day!

In the mean time, you can follow more daily pictures on my Instagram @daydreamliving
or down below {see bottom of the blog}.

Have a good weekend!

Maureen
Xx

Sun umbrella / Parasol from Dutch brand Kitch Kitchen

the C for Change

And just like that!

It has been 3 weeks and 2 days since I wrote on my own little blog.
It feels like I left the house to buy some fresh bread and milk and came back three weeks later.
Totally not planned to stay away that long!
This reminds me of the time we literally did the unplanned,
‘we-are-going-on-holiday-and-never-come-back’ move.
Did I ever tell you that story already? 
How we moved to Switzerland from one day to another,
while being on holiday and me being 8 months pregnant? 
Mmmh, will have to share that story in another post.
It’s just how our life rolls.

Now, can you believe we are here in sunny Dubai already for eight whole months! 
And ask me how much time I spend in a gym….
I think about it daily, does that count?

In the mean time,
behind the scenes I am writing, just in drafts, just some thoughts….
Change is coming for my little blog.
My little corner, here in Blogland which I still love, but have neglected lately.
That has to change, so behind the scenes I’m working on it.
Hope you will be there when it is time for show and tell?

Speaking of change, I still haven’t showed you around our newest home.
I only have 2 Iphone pictures to share, showing the living room via the mirror in our hallway.
When I have my new computer, which can hold my many pictures without crashing,
I can start showing some more photo’s. Because this oldie is almost dying on me.

Our newest nest is another apartment and this time we didn’t choose the small size.

(in Switzerland we downsized half the size after 3 years, that’s also another story to share).
No, this time we ended up with a 250 square meter open floor plan apartment.
It’s light and modern with two great views and six (6!) areas where one can take a pee…
I know…. That’s the Dubai style, I guess….

Although in Texas we also had 4 toilets….
Our second home in Switzerland had one (1!) toilet and our family bathroom was so small,
that I could touch both sides of the walls when I opened my arms.
For real.

Okay….enough toilet talk…
(Although I still have an old post in draft about my toilet visit in Lyon, France, 
from two years ago. There they actually have a Toilet Store….)
See, so many things still to share here!

More importantly is that here we feel
At Home.

Although it’s funny that people are always surprised when they see how big this apartment is.
Somehow it is still in people’s mind, that apartment living equals small.
And small is not the norm here.
But let me tell you something….

It.doesn’t.matter.how.big.your.space.is.

Really, it doesn’t.
Home is literally where the heart is.
Not, home is how big your house is.

So we choose high rise apartment over big villa compound living. 
Beach strolls over garden lounge.
Noise and traffic over quiet and further out.
Tourists watching over neighbour watching.
Why?

Because after five quiet years in a small and pretty but oh so quiet village in Switzerland,
it was time for us city dwellers from Amsterdam to feel part of a city again. 
And if you know me personally or have been reading along for a while, 
you know that living near the sea was on my wish list.
Remember my guest post I wrote for Reverie Daydream? **

So we were very lucky to find this place.
Living between the sea and the desert,
I’m loving it!
Yes, the C for Change.
It’s my only constant factor in this expat life of ours.

See you soon,

Maureen
xx

** Click {here} to read my guest post for Reverie Daydream.