Californian fall • Gingerbread coffee • reading in bed •
on our walk • Thanksgiving table • crocheting •
Thanksgiving dinner • rolls • 1st of Advent •
Archives for November 2014
29: November Favorites
1.) It’s the time of the year where I bring out all the Vanilla candles. I just love the smell filling up our apartment!
2.) I’ve been using the Phonto app for a while and just love all the different features and different fonts! And the best part: it’s free! If you haven’t heard of it yet, you definitely need to check it out!
3.) I already mentioned it earlier this week, my beloved Gingerbread Coffee is back at Trader Joe’s. It really is one of my favorite things of the holiday season!
4.) Our apartment is cold and drafty in the winter (the fun of living in a old and quaint place! Ha!), so I really love my warm and fuzzy socks during the winter months to keep my feet comfortable and toasty. Well, besides our space heater and a warm blanket, of course.
5.) I am usually not a big fan of lip products in general, but when it gets colder outside, I definitely need a moisturizer and this one is hard to resist. Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream is smooth and delicious!
6.) If you don’t want to get addicted to potato chips, you don’t want to try Trader Joe’s Kettle cooked Olive Oil Potato Chips. Totally don’t recommend doing that, because OMG, they are so addicting!, but also so very good!
28: Friday Facts
I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday! J and I hung out at home for the most part, watched movies (+ Friends reruns!), went for an early afternoon walk and then started cooking our own little Thanksgiving feast! We roasted a hen with stuffing, made homemade mashed potatoes (heavenly!) and brussels sprouts. I’d say, dinner was a success…. it was delicious and we have plenty of leftovers that we’ll be nibbling on today! (No cooking, yay!).
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We usually boycott the whole shopping craziness on Black Friday, because I still don’t quite get how a holiday where you give thanks for what you have happens to coincide with the biggest consumer event of the year… but I’ll admit that I will be doing some online shopping today (and get some of the items on my Christmas list out of the way) and my goal is to preferably buy from small businesses this year.
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Speaking of which; if you’re still in need for some Christmas cards or other holiday items, today (and tomorrow) might be a good time to stop by our little shop FourHandsCreations and support small businesses this holiday season. We have some lovely items ready to ship, but are also open for custom orders, if you want to have something made just for you!
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We’re planning to stay in for the rest of the day, I’ll be crafting some more and probably overdose on Gingerbread coffee. If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow, send help (+ cookies!)
Have a great weekend!
27: Things I {am thankful for} Thursday
Today, I am thankful for…
… my love and best friend J, who swept me off my feet so many years ago and who gets me and still makes me smile every day.
… my supportive and loving family (only an ocean away). For my parents who raised me with love and patience and supported every step and decision that I made. For my sister, who is not only my sister, but my best friend, who I can call any time of the day and who always has my back. For my wonderful niece, two nephews and my godson. It’s such an honor to be an aunt to them and see them grow into wonderful human beings. For my cousin who feels like a little brother to me.
… for dear friends, both the ones in real life and all the lovely people I’ve met online (and who are only 5 minutes away on the Internet), the ones I’ve known for a long time and the ones I am just slowly getting to know. For friends near and far who lift me up and who calm me down, if needed, who listen and find the right words (or no words at all) in any given situation. For people that I connect with so deeply that they feel like the missing parts to my puzzle.
… for still having a job that I love after such a turbulent year in limbo, for a new supervisor that appreciates me and for co-workers that are fun to work with. For flexible work hours and projects that are fun and meaningful and challenge me in new ways.
… for visits home and quality time with the people that mean the world to me, even though I won’t be able to spend the holidays with them this year. For the time I was able to spend with them this summer and being able to be there for Greta’s first day of school.
… for a safe and cozy home and being able to afford rent and food and all necessities and still have a little left over.
… for good health, sweaty workouts and healthy food that sustains me.
… for technology and the way it has made it so much easier to keep in touch with people far, far away. For Skype and Facetime with family and friends in Germany. For my iPhone that makes me feel I have all the important people in my life in my pocket at all times.
… for the occasional handwritten card or letter in my mailbox. Those still make my day!
… for hot coffee, fresh bread, fuzzy socks, and warm blankets. For balls of yarn, stamps and paper. For good books, movies that make me think and laugh, and music that touches my heart. For long weekend, time to myself, and a good book and steaming pot of tea.
… for opportunities to learn and grow, even if it’s not always easy. For situations that test my patience and temper and that make me stronger in the long run. For ‘aha’-moments and the ability to move on, for challenges and accomplishments.
… for YOU. Yes, for every one of you who take time out of your busy days to stop by here in my little corner of the Internet to read my rants and stories. I am thankful for your encouraging comments and heart-felt “me, too’s”, for your friendship, support, and your kind words.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
26: Photo of the week: It’s back!
Hello friends! It’s time again for another ‘Foto der Woche‘ and even though this might be no photographic master piece, this is undoubtedly my Glücklichmacher #47:
Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Coffee (taken November 25, 2014)
I can’t tell you how excited I was when I finally (!) spotted my beloved Gingerbread coffee in the coffee aisle at Trader Joe’s this week. They only have it during the holiday season (which, I admit, makes sense, although I wouldn’t mind having access to this all year round!) and I had been impatiently waiting for it to show up on the shelves. I was temporarily scared that they had discontinued it or something, but had let a Trader Joe’s employee reassure me a couple of weeks ago that it was indeed coming to the stores soon!
If you haven’t tried it, you need to get your hands on this! I promise, it won’t disappoint…. in fact, don’t blame me, if you become slightly addicted. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
25: Christmas Card roll call
With Christmas only a month away (WHAT?) and the holidays fast approaching, it’s time for my annual Christmas cards roll call.
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know what this is all about. I love sending snail mail to people and would love to put a little smile on your face this holiday season.
All you have to do is fill out the form below and bam, you’ll receive a card from me in the mail in the next few weeks. I’ve been doing the Christmas card exchange (yes! I really wouldn’t be opposed if you sent me a card in the mail, too!) for a few years now and it’s basically just a little gesture to give back to each and every one of you lovely people that have been reading (or just started reading) my blog!
I think a handwritten note is one of the nicest things to do to let people know that you care about them and what better time of the year to put something in the mail than during the holiday season?
If you have received Christmas cards from me in previous years and your address hasn’t changed, please strongly consider filling out the form anyway, because it’ll help me get organized a little easier.
24: Sometimes…
Somtimes when my alarm goes off and when cold air is greeting me outside of the warm covers and it is still dark outside, all I want to do is I pull the blanket over my head and go back to sleep. It’s hibernation time for many animals. Why can’t we?
Sometimes I feel like deleting all the blogs in my Feedly reader and starting fresh. Just me? But then I don’t, because there are too many people that I come to love and appreciate too much. Maybe a clean up is in order!
Somtimes I am really impatient. Even though most people claim that ‘patient’ is one of the first adjectives that come to mind when they think of me. Yeah. I guess I am a patient person most of the time.
Sometimes it’s really hard not to cry about not spending Christmas with my family this year. I knew this was (possibly) coming and I’ve been trying to tell myself that it’s going to be ok, and hey, we can maybe get a real (small) Christmas tree this time and we’re going to make it a nice and cozy Christmas, and maybe even go somewhere where there is snow, or something, but deep inside, I’m crushed. Christmas is my most favorite time of the year, because I usually get it to spend with my family and this time I won’t and … meh.
Sometimes I wonder when I will finally feel like I am grown up. Don’t get me wrong, I am a grown-up. I feel competent to handle life and take care of myself and all, but I hardly ever feel I am finished growing up. Does that makes sense to anyone at all?
Sometimes I wish people would make fewer assumptions, be less judgmental and just be ok with the actual facts, however “surprising” they might be.
Sometimes I really need 48 hours in the day. In fact, I need this most of the time. I wouldn’t mind the weekends to be longer especially. I also have so many things I want to do and never get them all done.
Sometimes an afternoon cup of coffee is absolutely necessary to get me through the day.
Sometimes I just wished somebody would invent a teleportation device already. Please and thank you.
Sometimes I feel incredibly strong, capable and competent. And sometimes I don’t.
Your turn, fill in the blank. Sometimes I ______________________.
{inspired by the “Sometimes I…” posts by Mandy}
23: 2014 in pictures: week 47
fall • green been soup • tea time •
Greta • steel cut oats • one pot meal •
surprise mail • Thai food • Farmers Market •
22: The Causeway Classic
Today it was time for J and I to attend our obligatory annual football game – the Causeway Classic – again. It’s the annual Football Game between UC Davis (Aggies) and Sacramento State University (Hornets) and it’s named after the Yolo Causeway, which is a 3.2-mile long elevated highway over the Yolo Bypass floodplain that connects Davis and Sacramento.
Go Ags!
In case you don’t remember, J and I met at UC Davis and attending this local rivalry football game has become somewhat of a tradition for us. J took me to my first college football game during my exchange semester and since then, it has become a “must-go-to”-event of the year. We’re usually both not very much into football (baseball fans all the way over here!), but we make an exception for the Causeway Classic.
As most years, it was supposed to rain today, but we got really lucky. It rained last night and a little bit this morning, but when we headed out to the stadium around noon, the rain had stopped and over the course of the afternoon, the sun even came out for a little bit. It was actually quite nice.
My favorite part? The Marching bands! I find them fascinating and entertaining…. The UC Davis Marching Band is always fun, because they incorporate a lot of modern pop songs into their repertoire. Just listen! My favorites are the guys with the sousaphones.
The game was fun and exciting, because the score was close throughout most of the game. I was able to follow along and maybe finally am getting the hang of the rules a little bit (after all these years, ha!). Even though I work at Sac State campus, we always cheer for UCD, because it’s J’s alma mater (and a little bit mine, too). Davis has a pretty good record overall with 42 wins out of 61 games. However, today they were not so lucky and had to acknowledge defeat to the Sacramento State Hornets with a score of 30-41. Bummer!
But, we didn’t let this disappointing end to the game spoil the end of our day. It has also become a tradition for us to go and get Thai food after the game – and so we did and it was just what we needed after being outside for a few hours. Great end to a (n overall) great day!
How was your Saturday?
21: Things you wouldn’t know: even more German idioms
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that in the last two years during NaBloPoMo, I started a little series about German idioms. Idioms are awesome in every language and the more idioms you know in a foreign language, the closer you’ll get to perfecting your language skills.
J and I still have fun finding (and using and teaching each other!) new idioms both in English and German and since some of you have enjoyed these posts in the past, I thought I’d keep with the tradition and share with you even more German idioms. All of these are (as far as I know) still pretty standard to use. I use all of these (some more than others, just to make sure you’re not thinking that I am giving you outdated resources here!). I hope you enjoy them!
Find the first round of idioms here and the second round here.
“Ich könnte mir in den Arsch beißen.” I could bite myself in the ass. It means that you could kick yourself.
“Ich habe die Nase voll.” I have the nose full. This has nothing to do with having a stuffy nose, it simply means that you’re tired or sick of something.
“Hopfen und Malz ist verloren.” Hop and malt is lost. This expression is used to say that something is a lost cause. The idiom stems – surprise surprise! – from beer brewing. What would we Germans do without idioms that have a reference to beer? Exactly. When something in the brewing process went wrong, the ingredients were considered wasted and therefore the chance of getting a good beer was a lost cause.
“Da liegt der Hund begraben .” That’s where the dog is buried. I am not sure where this idiom came from, but the English equivalent is That’s the crux of the matter.
“Hier spielt die Musik.” Here is where the music is playing. I love this idiom and have heard it a lot. Teachers have often used it in school to get their students’ attention when they were distracted by something else. It means that here is where the action is or where you should pay attention.
“Einen (dicken) Hals haben / bekommen.” To have/get a (thick) neck. This is an expression of anger or general annoyance. Have you ever been so angry that you could feel your neck muscles tensing? That’s what this is describing. If you say, “ich habe einen (dicken) Hals”, you’re saying that someone or something really annoys you.
“Aus der Reihe tanzen”. To dance outside of the line. This can be used in a negative and positive way and it describes someone who stands out either by getting out of line or acting different from everyone else.
“Seinen Senf dazugeben.” To add your mustard. It means to put in your two cents. Don’t know why we have an obsession with food-related idioms, but there are many!
“Kopfkino”. Head cinema. This is what happens when the imagination runs wild and you involuntarily use your imagination to think of troubling or disgusting things in graphic detail.
“Bist du lebensmüde?” Are you life-tired? You use that if someone is doing something that is stupid and could possibly get them killed. It’s like asking “are you trying to kill yourself?”
Teach me an idiom! Or ask me for the translation of an English idiom in German!