SEARCH

< Back Tzatziki Duration: 15 - 30 min Category: Food Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Link kopiëren Introduction MUNISA ELEPHANTI loves tzatziki! Description Ingredients 500ml Greek yogurt ½ cucumber 2 cloves of garlic Fresh chives Olive oil Ground black pepper Pinch of salt Let your yogurt drain in a damp cloth. Minimum of two hours, the longer you let the yogurt drain, the thicker the tzatziki will become. You can do this the evening before as well. Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds with a spoon. Grate the cucumber and sprinkle with salt. Just like the yogurt, let it drain for at least two hours (or the evening before). Mix the yogurt and cucumber together. Add the garlic using a garlic press. Add ground pepper and chop fresh chives to taste. Stir well, and finally, add a splash of olive oil to make the yogurt smooth. We love tzatziki! Click on the related content button if you like to know more about me! MUNISA ELEPHANTI says: enjoy! Related content Previous Next

< Back Eurovision Song Contest Duration: 120 - 240 min Category: Art Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Link kopiëren Introduction The Eurovision Song Contest began as a technical experiment in television broadcasting: the live, simultaneous, transnational broadcast that Europe has now been watching for nearly 70 years! Description My family loves Eurovision since I can remember. Together on the couch, snacks, blankets, and music. I really enjoy all the different cultures and people. So many differences or no difference at all? There’s music you’ll may not like but you’ll can also find music you didn’t knew you liked. Throughout the years Eurovision has evolved in many ways. Nowadays it’s a three-day event. With two Semi-Finals the first you unfortunately missed but no worries tomorrow (Thursday, 9th May, 21:00 CET) is the second Semi-Final with The Netherlands as one of the acts! Joost Klein will represent us this year with his song called “Europapa”. Joost said in interviews that he wants to be a connector for all Europeans. His father thought him that boundaries a made up by people itself, so he and his team create a world made up by themselves. I absolutely love this song and I really hope (and believe) it will be in the finale on Saturday, 11th May 2024, 21:00 CET! So, tune in this Saturday live from Malmö Arena in Sweden and click on the related button below to see the music video of Joost Klein performing “Europapa”. MUNISA ELEPHANTI gives EUROPAPA douze points! Unfortunately Joost Klein was disqualified. I'll get back to this topic once all information is clear. Related content Previous Next

< Back Mind Pictures Please Duration: 1 - 15 min Category: Body & Soul Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Link kopiëren Introduction With summer coming up we all need that special picture for our family or social media. What if you make a Mind picture this time?! Let me show you how! Description Having a picture of a moment you tressure can bring so much joy! Holding an old picture in your hand of your grandmother can bring you back to that moment when you were just a kid. Nowadays we can make pictures everywhere and every day. We don’t take the time to see what’s best. We just click and click. Afterwards we’ll pick one that’s the most ‘beautiful ‘one. MUNISA ELEPHANTI invites you to take one mind pictures this summer. Just ONE. You can click and send as many other pictures as possible for family, friends, and socials. Whether you’re enjoying a meal, sitting in the sand, swimming, or watching a sunset its all on you. Just look around at every detail. What do you see? Little birds? People laughing? A flower? What do you smell? Is it warm? Do you feel a breeze? Are you sitting in the sun? Maybe you are enjoying snow because you don’t like heat. Who is with you? A moment by yourself is also perfect. A mind picture doesn’t judge. The lighting is always perfect! You look perfect! Your hair, make-up, everything is amazing. That’s why mind pictures are so much fun! They can bring you back straight away. All because you used all your senses. You made a mindful picture that no one can take away from you. It will last forever in your mind. You can share your mind picture by telling them your experience and what you feel. People want to be in your mind picture because it sounds and feel like an amazing summer! MUNISA ELEPHANTI wishes you a happy NEW MOON and summer! On next FULL MOON I’ll share a personal mind picture. Fill in the contact form to be the first to be informed! Related content Previous Next

< Back Radio Nonnevot Duration: 15 - 30 min Category: Art Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Link kopiëren Introduction Next month in the South of the Netherlands Carnival is being celebrated in full swing. Description I absolutely love this period, dressing up with family and friends, painting your face, and of course, the music. Carnival (also known as “Vastelaovend”) is originally a Catholic folk festival and feast. "Carnival-like" celebrations were already held by the Romans, Egyptians, and Germans, similar to what we know today. The festival precedes the 40-day fasting period leading up to Easter. Music is an integral part of any folk celebration. It varies by region, but one of my favorite radio stations during this time is Radio Nonnevot. They play very local songs from Sittard, Limburg, so not everyone may understand the lyrics, but perhaps you can still enjoy the rhythm. Click on the related content button below to listen to Radio Nónnevot! MUNISA ELEPHANTI wishes you a lot of listening pleasure! Related content Previous Next

< Back Sahumo Ibiza Sage Duration: 1 - 15 min Category: Body & Soul Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Link kopiëren Introduction The sage I'm currently loving is from Sahumo Ibiza. Description It is crafted by twin sisters Analía and Susana, who operate from a small workshop in San Miguel, Ibiza. They handle everything themselves, from growing the plants to harvesting and collecting, all while maintaining respect for the environment. I encountered them at the Hippie Market in Las Dalias, but you can also purchase their products online. I adore the box of three Sahunitos Cleansers. The first is sage, which cleanses the environment and dispels negative energy. The second is rosemary, known for luck and protection; it clears the mind and boosts confidence. Last but not least, lavender, which attracts love, calms the mind, and improves sleep. A bay leaf is added for abundance, brightness, openness, and as a protector of spaces, objects, and people, combined with seasonal flowers. It's always a delight to begin your practice with these three!! There are various perspectives on how to cleanse a room. For me, the intention is the key to success. • Take a moment to hold the sage, rosemary, or lavender and feel what you need. Sense what serves you in letting go and attracting what you desire. • Then, open a window or door to allow the energy to flow through the space you wish to cleanse. • Light it with a candle and let it be. • Don't forget to cleanse yourself afterward. You can turn it into a ritual for daily, weekly, or monthly practice. You can align it with the new moon, full moon, or anything that guides you. I'd love to hear about your favorite cleansers, so let me know, or have you tried these from Sahumo?! Click on the related content button below to get you sage! MUNISA ELEPHANTI hopes you enjoy your cleansing practice! Related content Previous Next

< Back Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link MUNISA ELEPHANTI = LIFE It’s time to give you a look into my life and how I cope with living with a disability. But why did MUNISA ELEPHANTI start? In my early twenties a doctor told me it was likely I wouldn’t become older than 30 years. It was a smack in the face at the time. I can still get angry when I think about that moment and how unnecessary it was. In the end it also gave me the opportunity to take a good look at my life, my body, and my mind. It gave me many therapy sessions, retreats, mindfulness, meditation, singing bowl sessions and many more experiences that I did because of that horrifying news. There is a thin line between accepting your disability and the decline that comes with it. It’s also about the possibility of finding new resource to feel a bit better than I do now. A great therapeutic method is to creatively express myself in multiple ways. People that know me for a long time have seen some of the things I create. However, for a lot of years I destroyed my creations at a full moon to set myself free. Until an artist friend said to me: “you’re free. You’re allowed to keep it. It’s yours to keep or even share”. Now, I believe to create a space where everything comes together. A space where you can go to from anywhere as long as you have internet (LOL). A space to find a bit of peace, happiness but also a deeper story. A space called MUNISA ELEPHANTI. I was blessed to experience over a decade of extra time on this planet. I wanted to make most of this extra time. Creating MUNISA ELEPHANTI was one thing, but my health keeps surprising me. I went to see a doctor that really understood Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I contacted family and friends if they knew anyone that could help me by looking into my case. Unfortunately, in The Netherlands it wasn’t possible. A few weeks later I’m watching a young girl on YouTube called Bucketkris. She is traveling by herself in a wheelchair and having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She visited a doctor in Barcelona (Spain). I’ve heard of him before but on the video, I could see the streets and I knew I had to go to Barcelona to meet this doctor! It's a really weird feeling to go abroad for medical help. Partly because it’s an expensive trip. So, if I’m going to spend so much on research on my body, I must also spend time on my mental health during this trip. What better way to do so than to create MUNISA ELEPHANTI? Barcelona was a beautiful week. A week of questions to answer, and answers to question. It was the moment to set the path for MUNISA ELEPHANTI! Today is the start of the MUNISA ELEPHANTI website. On every FULL MOON you’ll find a story to inspire connection, humor and feel a bit of my life. Like MUNISA ELEPHANTI would say: “a bumpy road filled with tickles and laughter”! Be inspired by lifestyle themes such as music, food, and other recommendations every NEW MOON. Anything that can help you to clear your mind in a few minutes. The SUN ART page is still under construction. Please wait a little longer. The SUN RISE will show you the process of making my art. The SUN SET shows the result. Now it’s time. No more burning ideas or not sharing them with you. This is my life… from ME to YOU. It is wrapped in various ways. Hopefully we will bring you the tickles and laughter in a bumpy road! MUNISA ELEPHANTI is a community for all of YOU! Related content Previous Next

< Back Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link 12 Months of Summer The day starts as it goes and so does the weather. When I’m awake I need to lay down for at least an hour. There’s no control. I live by what is provided for me. MUNISA ELEPHANTI loves summer. It’s almost an addiction. The tempertures feels so much better on my body. I feel less pain and I am able to go outside more. Training outside in the water and seeing a blue sky is the best. That’s a millionaires life. People who only know me from the cold and wet weather are always shocked when they see me in good summer weather. It’s not that I don’t have bad days in summer, but its different if you take good care of yourself. So how do I manage that?! Over the years I’ve learned that it’s my body and my mind that make the dissision weather or not your able to join in in life. There’s no control. Let that go as fast as possible! I live by what is provided for me. Not in a way of people preparing food or anything for me, but what does the day give me. What can my body handle and how’s my mind feeling by that fact. Every morning when I wake up I forget that I have a disability. Yess people… every day I forget! But soon as I’m awake the body will let me know! Depending what I was hoping to do that day, my mind goes along. Regular appointments with people nearby you are a big difference to cancelling weddings, holidays, babyshowers, etc. However, it can blow up my mind and make me really sad. The day starts as it goes and so does the weather. When I’m awake I need to lay down for at least an hour. In summer time that’s my moment to lay in the sun and enjoy the sky, birds, butterfly or a tiny ants. I say my thanks for today. I’m grateful, no matter what. If you practice this long enough you’ll feel joy all over your body. I can’t stay to long in the sun if I want my skin to stay safe. It’s okay to go back inside or in the shade. With this time you helped your mind for at least an hour to be happy and calm. You’ll see the benefits when you need to cancel your events another time. If you’re going on a holiday this summer and you feel like you really need it this year, I invite to try to keep that happy feeling longer then last time. Keep summer in your heart and mind. It’s not only making pictures to show everybody where you have been. Make pictures of moments and places in your mind (mindpicture). So, when you’re feeling blue, or fed up with the bad weather, close you eyes and go back to your mindpicture. The big difference with a picture to show where you’ve been and a mindpicture is: a mindpicture has not only the visual of the place but (more importantly) the feeling, the sun on your skin, the wind in your hair, the food you ate, the people around you! So look around be thankfull be presend and make your mindpicture (click on the related content button below) to keep summer all year long! No closing picture this time. Let me describe a picture that only exists in my mind. There’s a slight breeze touching my skin and it blows my hair softly up and down. It’s warm outside so the breeze comforts me. The surface I’m walking on is rocky and it is easy to fall. My eyes concentrate on every step I take. My best friend holds my hand, so I won’t fall. I see beige, red and grey colors of stone. Green of threes and when I look up the sky is blue and there are falcons dancing in the sky. I hear people more and more as I walk closer to the end. Nobody saw the falcons but us. The sun is preparing to set so she shines her last colors of the day. The sky turns orange, yellow, purple and even a bit of pink. It disappears slowly behind a huge rock of love and makes her dive of the day into the sea. This is such a peaceful moment! I’ll will never forget this moment. This mind picture reminds me that I’m not alone and gives me 12 months of summer. The sun will set but she will also rise again tomorrow! MUNISA ELEPHANTI wishes you a happy summer filled with tickles and laughter! Related content Previous Next

< Back Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link A Pink FULL MOON and we love Pink! Pink often symbolizes love, compassion, and femininity. This FULL MOON is named pink because of the wildflowers (phlox from North America) that blossoms in spring. But their various names are based on cultures and regions. The Pink moon represents renewal, growth, and the arrival of spring. At MUNISA ELEPHANTI we’re in desperate need of spring. The need for dry and sunny weather could help the body to feel much better. Let’s go south! As traveling isn’t always that easy to accomplish, I travel in my mind. This time to Mexico! My uncle came back from a trip to Mexico when I was around 9 years old. That had a huge impact on my life. Beside the funny foods and tequila, he was explaining to my dad, he told me for the first time about Frida Kahlo! I immediately fell in love. To hear about a woman with a disability who was wearing a same kind of casquet a I had just weeks before. She was a painter an artist and had her own thoughts of life and wasn’t afraid to share her mind. Actually, all her paintings are a view inside her mind. The way she captures the feeling of pain and being lost or trapped into a body that doesn’t matches your hopes, believes, and dreams is incredible. I hope I can one day visit her old house to give my absolute honor and respect I have for her. As she would say: “¡Viva la Vida!” If you can’t go to Mexico, you bring Mexico to you! Two years ago I was really lucky because the paintings of Frida Kahlo visited The Netherlands at the Cobra Museum in Amstelveen and an exposition at the Drenths Museum. At the latter I could finally see my all-time favorite painting ‘The broken Column”. The painting is symbolic of the physical and emotional pain she endured throughout her life. Seeing this painting was amazing! I had tears of joy and sadness at the same time. Frida made very explicit paintings with blood and death. I can understand it’s not for everybody. However, the broken column has no blood. The column represents her spine. The nails piercing her skin suggest her constant pain she experienced. The suffering expression on her face is one of strength and resilience. Even writing about this moment makes me so happy. There are multiple ways to experience other countries and we all love to do some shopping! Especially for my service dog Vedrá (click on the related content button below), buying for her always makes me happy. I found a dog brand from Mexico named Tulum. They joined the “Tzotzil” Indian community to mix modern design with ancient artisan techniques. The “Tzotzil” are an indigenous Maya people of the central highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Every sale provides a sustainable and local employment. They also support a rescued dog foundation with animal health care, buying food or whatever the rescued animals need. That’s why MUNISA ELEPHANTI loves a brand like this! But how did I get it here in The Netherlands?! Well, my local animal shop is the first one in The Netherlands where you can buy Tulum from Mexico! Doesn’t Vedrá look lovely in it?! So, to end my day in Mexico. I’m going to make myself a nice Mexican diner. I’ll put on a Mexican playlist and watch Frida Kahlo the movie. My mind was in Mexico even though I couldn’t go, I was there. MUNISA ELEPHANTI wishes you a mind that travels from time to time for renewal, growth, and the arrival in you! Related content Previous Next

< Back Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Throwback To My Birthday & My Marriage Proposal It is a sunny (22°) Sunday on March 8, 2015, as I turn 32, and Lola (my first service dog) turns 9. I decide to keep my birthday small, mostly because no one can make it. There's a presentation of the parade film, vacations are booked, all understandable but still disappointing. Nevertheless, I had seen this coming and planned my birthday in a way that I would have a super day. On Saturday evening, I went to dinner with Vanessa and Luc at the Greek restaurant Daphne on the market in Sittard. Fortunately, Leroy could join after work. We laughed and discussed that I would like to get married... This was because my dear godson had the idea that it was time and it might happen. Just to be clear, I know absolutely nothing. Sunday morning at half past ten, mom and dad pick us up to go to the market in Liège. We pick up Vanessa, Luc, and the kids and continue the journey. It had been so long since we, as a family, had done something like this together, and the weather only adds to the joyous faces. The audience hasn't changed much over the years, but the stalls have evolved with the times. We score a few cute kaftans and have a drink on a square. There, I unwrap the gift Vanessa made for me, a wooden "F" with various Frida Kahlo photos. I also receive a pair of beautiful Frida earrings, and I am overjoyed. My parents had bought me a beautiful pair of glasses, but they hadn't arrived yet. My mother found that unfortunate, so she bought a card with music. It was a cheerful card with an elephant in a hot air balloon (including balloon sound) that promised a day full of surprises... I was curious. Leroy starts acting a bit strangely, but I have no idea why. He suggests driving to Visé and having Belgian fries with mayo. Delicious, sitting in the sun on a curb. That was a long time ago! My birthday party comes to an end. Mom and dad take us to Maastricht, where we have an overnight stay at Hotel Derlon. Leroy had gifted this stay for my birthday, and I loved it! When we check-in at Hotel Derlon at 2:00 PM, the receptionist (intern) asks when we want the champagne breakfast in the room. Leroy answers, "That was a surprise, honey, but how about 9:30?" What a great idea! I thought, "I know the surprise!" After bringing our bags upstairs, we head straight to the lobby for a drink. We try to find a spot so that we can eventually find a place on the OLV square. But there's the hotel owner, Benoit Wesly, and he beckons us over. Hours pass, and many glasses of wine later, Benoit gets up to do "something." When he returns, he tells us that he found it so enjoyable, and to wish me a happy birthday, he had a bottle of champagne brought to the room. Fantastic! I'm thrilled, and Leroy is too, though with a forced smile. He tries to contact the receptionist now, but the message apparently doesn't get through. We decide to take a walk first and have a drink by the water at... the sun hasn't set yet, but with all our chatter, we've missed some of it. It doesn't dampen the spirits because, despite the pain I've been feeling today, we're fully enjoying ourselves. As the sun begins to set, we decide to walk back to the room, hoping for a bottle of champagne in the room, while Leroy hopes for something later. On the room, there it is, a beautiful cooler with champagne. Leroy asks if we want to wait until after dinner. But that seemed strange to me. You don't leave champagne to "warm up." He opens the bottle, asks me to sit down because he wants to give me something else. The first thing that comes to my mind is, "Darling, more? I've already been so spoiled." He opens the safe (again) and takes out a wrapped box. Like the average woman, I can tell from boxes what kind of jewelry might be inside. So, this box was in the category of 'earrings.' A realistic option since I had also asked for earrings. But to my surprise, this earring box is a box from Jeweler Van Sloun?!? So, as I say "Van Sloun?!?" and look up, Leroy is on one knee. He tells me how important I am to him and that he wants to grow old with me. I complete him. With tears in my eyes, I say yes, of course! As we hug and give each other a kiss, Leroy wants to toast! So, we toast to our engagement! I exclaim, "I have to call my mother. Yes, really." Let's be honest; in the end, I'm still that little girl who likes to share everything with her mom! I absolutely did not expect it! Despite having already filled in the surprises in a different way, Leroy managed to keep it well hidden. Leroy had wisely planned to ask me after dinner, considering my eating problems. After the proposal, we went to eat on Vrijthof. But unfortunately, after a slice of Margherita pizza, I had to make everything disappear through the sewer again. Despite these odd practices, we walked around like a couple of love-struck teenagers. I couldn't stop looking at my beautiful ring. How beautiful and romantic! He really made one of the most beautiful days of my life! The next morning, he woke me up with: "Good morning, fiancée!" I immediately started crying again! I thought, "Oh yes, it's true! He proposed to me yesterday!" Related content Previous Next

< Back Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link I Can Buy Myself Flowers My adventure with a new assistance dog begins at the start of the full moon. My third assistance dog. Let's call her "Vedra" (I will come back to this in a later FULL MOON story, click on the related content button below). Everything I need in the form of an assistance dog will now come to fruition. With gratitude, I entered this adventure. With gratitude, I let go of my dearest second service dog (Louis). Knowing that he has ended up in the most wonderful family in Sittard. They are important to both Leroy and me, and they can give him the role he deserves. Louis is the happiest 'pensionado' there is. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't miss him terribly and often feel sad. Truly loving someone also means knowing when to let go in love. This feels a thousand times better than with Lola, who could enjoy her retirement for such a short time. Slowly we enter a waning moon. A period that stands for relaxation, peace, acceptance, wisdom, sharing, and above all, "let it be." Exactly that is what Vedra and I are doing. Just getting to know each other. Who are you? What do you like? What do you dislike? Do you feel safe? No judgment, just being. My trainer comes weekly to help me. She knows Vedra better than I do and has more than 30 years of experience. This gives me support in every request for assistance. That brings peace. In the last quarter of the moon, it is important to face conflicts. Will you do everything the same, or have you learned from the previous period? Vedra and I are doing incredibly well. We are slowly climbing the mountain of love. She is eager to learn and work. I am the one who is damaged and the one who doubts. I walk outside with Vedra by my side. I walk as if she is about to pull a sled at any moment. However, she walks like an alpaca beside me. Louis, in the end, was like a sled dog for me! The ashen moon is perhaps one of my favorite phases of the moon. All intentions have been fulfilled. Let's say, "new rounds and therefore new opportunities"! Life always teaches, even in a cycle of 28 days (let alone a quarter)! As Vedra gains more and more confidence in herself, her trainer and I give her confidence back 100 times! It is time to look at what we need together to grow into a top team! Yes! Finally, a new moon! The moment to reflect and rest. Where do Vedra and I want to be at the next new moon? We love a "normal" retrieve. But grabbing slippers on command is 'next level' and super cool! By the way, did you know that she can also close a door? We were practicing, and it was going well. The next day, the trainer came to continue with opening the door... When the postman rang the doorbell, Vedra and I were in the middle of training. Enthusiastically, she showed that she could close it... But not open it... ;((( Nooooo!!! There I was in my hallway in my kaftan. Thank god my phone was in my hands so I could call someone. Luckily, my sister was able to open the door (shout out to Wommie!!). It was a drama then, now I find it hilarious! It's already a young crescent moon again. Time really goes much faster looking back than looking forward! So nice to reflect each time among all the positive and negative things we experience in our lives. The experience of time always seems faster in hindsight than in the moment! That's why it's now extra important to dream wonderfully! Explore what the possibilities are. Especially within the always ready-made "no" (which is obvious when you have a disability). Now think big and make it concrete where possible! The first quarter of the moon is perhaps one of the toughest... After dreaming nicely, doubt immediately sets in again. Can I do it? Am I asking too much? Am I worth it?! "Yes" to everything! Especially now! Trust yourself and trust each other. You are not just doing something. You are building! "They didn't build Rome in one day, they say!?" At this moment too, my environment and the trainer are essential! So, we booked a flight to Ibiza to fly for the first time with Vedra. While the waxing moon still lets you celebrate a bit in doubt, it's important to stay on course! Your endurance is being tested now! Yes, we can! We make our first journey, our first flight. We enjoy everything together for the first time! First time sun, sea, beach, cava, tapas, and more! The only thought we manifest during this trip is: gratitude. I am grateful for Vedra in my life. Grateful for my husband, family, friends, the trainer, and you. I see it again! I can buy myself flowers thanks to Vedrá! Related content Previous Next