Archives for August 2015

August Favorites

August 31, 2015 filed under: monthly favorites

1.) I mentioned this necklace before which was handmade in SoCal from upcycled surfboard resin. It’s so pretty!

2.) I’ve mentioned this one before, too, but it definitely deserves a spot in my monthly favorites’ list. I recently started listening to the “Money For The Rest Of Us“- podcast and it’s been very informative! If you ~~want~~ need to learn a little bit more how the economy and finances work (and when we’re honest, we all need to know at least the basics!), this podcast is a good place to start!

3.) Can’t say no to some Trader Joe’s Organic Midnight Moo, when the late night craving hits.

4.) It’s been still pretty hot here in Sacramento and nothing’s better than cooling off with a popsicle. Outshine Lemon fruit bars are currently my favorite. They’re so refreshing!

5.) I’ve been back to crafting and have fallen in love with those little ink pads. The Versa Magic dew drops come in such pretty colors and can be used for so many different purposes!

6.) Loved this month’s book that I received through the Postal Bookclub. I read Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell within 3 days! I haven’t been captured by a story like that in quite a while. I wish the ending would have been a bit different, but oh well.

Summer tales II – Carmel and Monterey

August 26, 2015 filed under: family, summer tales, travel, USA

I am recapping my family’s visit and our travel adventures from earlier this summer under the category “summer tales”.

On Monday (6/29), we set out on our adventure road trip. First stop: Monterey. We made it there in 3,5 hours which is not bad at all.

We checked into our motel, Comfort Inn Monterey by the Sea, had a snack and then drove to Carmel. We really only had this one afternoon set aside (what with our tight travel schedule), so we explored the town center for a little bit and admired the beautiful houses and art galleries.

Then we took the scenic drive to Carmel River State Beach. We had the opportunity to put our feet in the sand and enjoy the ocean. And then we got extra-lucky as a school of dolphins swam by. Greta and Tom were thrilled with excitement!

On we went on the 17-Mile Drive with an obligatory stop at Pebble Beach Golf Course, a visit to Pebble Beach Lodge and the coastal part of the golf course.

It was already 6 p.m. when we finally embarked on the 17-Mile drive up the coast. Of course we stopped here and there to enjoy the view and take pictures. Highlights included the Lone Cypress and Bird Rock.

Don’t think it’s easy to get a decent picture with one or both kids being goofy!

The art of the selfie :)

After we left the 170-Mile Drive, we continued along the coast to Cannery Row, where we had dinner at Bubba Gump’s.

Yeah, call it a tourist trap, but food is good and IF you have to go to Bubba Gump’s, you should do it in Monterey, the birthplace of this chain restaurant. Well, and you really have to go there at least once.
We were super-lucky as it was unusually empty on Cannery Row and we actually found a parking spot literally across from the restaurant and also got a table right away. That’s practically unheard of (but maybe that was because we were there on a weekday, who knows?).

My Dad and Dirk enjoyed “Surf’n’Turf”, the rest of us had shrimp in different variations and Tom had a kids’ hamburger. Food was delicious and we had a great night.
Jetlag, however, made itself known when Greta fell asleep on my lap around 8:30 p.m. and pretty soon after we headed back to the hotel.

You can find the previous post here.

Currently | August

August 23, 2015 filed under: currently

eating boiled potatoes with greek yogurt and chives and salads, mostly.

appreciating long catch-up phone calls with my sister and a dear friend over the weekend.

reading Respected by my friend Akirah.

looking forward to my first paycheck under my new contract!

working on getting my creative juices flowing again. I haven’t had the time or peace of mind in a while to be creative, but it has started to itch in my fingers.

shopping for a few items at Michaels.

watching the news and wondering if there aren’t any more important things to talk about than this clown running for president. They even call him a ‘politician’ now on his Wikipedia page. Come on, give me a break!

listening to Money For The Rest Of Us, ‘a personal finance podcast on money, how it works, how to invest it and how to live without worrying about it’. If you are one of the people who wants to learn more about finances, this is a good start. David Stein is easy to listen to and he puts complicated matters into digestible terms. Highly recommend.

feeling like the less I try to cram into my weekends, the more productive I actually am. Who knew?

splitting my time between the park and the gym right now. I can’t wait for cooler temperatures to arrive, so that I can run outdoors more again.

obsessing over the magnets that I ordered from getpicpack.com. They’re so awesome!

keeping in mind that everything will work out eventually.

Friday Facts

August 21, 2015 filed under: Friday Facts, Germany

Today is the last day of my first pay period at my new old job. In case you missed my (protected) post from last week, I finally left my contractor position and got my direct appointment with the government. It’s been a long time coming. I am still working in the same office with the same people on the same projects, only my “official” employer has changed. Working for the state had some perks I wasn’t previously aware of, but overall I am thankful that this job limbo is finally over.

* * *

My “balcony garden” is pathetic this year. The only plant I’ve managed to keep alive is my (third) basil plant. My tomato plants didn’t even make it to bearing any fruits (which is probably because our balcony inconveniently underwent some construction) and it basically ‘killed’ my gardening efforts. Oh well. Thank goodness for the Farmers Market!

* * *

One year ago today, I was in Germany celebrating my niece’s first day of school. I never blogged much about my time in Germany last year (I guess, I didn’t get around to it), but it was a much needed time to unplug and spend time with family. I can’t believe it’s been a year. Greta’s going to be 7 in October. Stop growing up so fast!

Happy Friday!

Summer tales II – Sacramento

August 19, 2015 filed under: family, summer tales, travel, USA

I am recapping my family’s visit and our travel adventures from earlier this summer under the category “summer tales”.

We spent Sunday (8/27) hanging out in Sacramento and keeping it low key.

Despite the fact that my parents had to vacate our bedroom and move into a hotel when my sister arrived (as I mentioned, we didn’t have enough space to put everybody up), we managed to host our family at our small apartment quite well. Everybody came over for breakfast on Sunday morning and if it hadn’t been for the warm temperatures in our dining room (there’s no AC), we could have quite cozily and comfortably enjoyed breakfast around our tiny dining room table.

We spent the morning watching some baseball (J was explaining the rules to my Dad and BIL) and hanging out in our air-conditioned living room before heading out to explore Oldtown in the early afternoon. It was a beautiful, but hot day here in the Central Valley.

We got to do some tourist-y stuff (like riding the carriage around Oldtown with the kids), we visited the old school house and enjoyed the views along the Sacramento River.

Aww, look! She wrote my name! With hearts around it!

In the afternoon, we headed back to my parents’ hotel and spent a couple of hours at the pool to cool down (and honestly we needed a place to let the kids run wild while everybody else was still trying to get over their jetlags).

For dinner, we took everybody out for pizza and wings at Chicago Fire and I think it’s safe to say that my BIL is hooked on hot wings now. Who could blame him?

You can find the previous post here.

Daily life: 9 of our favorites weekly meals (summer edition)

August 17, 2015 filed under: daily life, food, recipe

A few weeks ago, I shared our meal planning routine and this week I thought I’d finally share a few of the dinners that find their way into our meal-plan on a regular basis. We ate out a lot when my family was here (which was mostly due to a lot of traveling) and I am currently so over eating out and can’t wait to get back into our cooking routine.

This is a list of some of our summer meals, because it’s hot as hell here in the Central Valley, which means that in our apartment without central air, I am avoiding turning on the stove (let alone, the oven) as much as I can during the summer months.

+ Shredded chicken or ground turkey burritos. We add black beans, chilies, bell pepper, and some shredded cheese.

+ One pot pasta (adapted from this recipe. We skip the cream cheese, but add some olive oil, parmesan and fresh halved grape tomatoes when it’s cooked. It’s delicious!).

+ Salad with turkey-zucchini meatballs (adapted from Skinnytaste That the same recipe as for burgers, I just make them into small meatballs and serve them as a side. I also skip the garlic. The salad is a simple mix of lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.)

+ Vegetable quesadillas (adapted from this recipe. The only thing I do different is that I use a light cheese blend (mozzarella, monterey jack, and cheddar) and then prepare the quesadilla with one tortilla and fold it over. It makes less of a mess.)

+ Baguettes (Tuna for me, Ham for J). Not much to explain here: fresh baguette, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and whatever else you like.

+ Turkey Burgers (adapted from Skinnytaste. I skip the garlic, but sometimes add a little goat cheese for extra flavor. We usually serve a side of salad or tomatoes.)

+ Macaroni salad with Nürnberger sausages. (I make macaroni salad with a yogurt-based dressing and add peas and bologna. The Nürnberger sausages are from Trader Joe’s and remind me of home.

+ Caprese salad. That speaks for itself: tomatoes (I use either grape tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine), mozzarella, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pepper, salt. Done.

+ Big mixed salad (with chicken (optional)). We use lettuce, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, bell pepper, and whatever else is on hand. We sometimes add croutons. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette with a bit of goat cheese.

If we don’t feel like cooking, we either get take out (it happens) or we’ll have, what we like to call, a “German dinner”. Whole grain bread with tomatoes, cheese and onions or cold cuts with a side of grape tomatoes and/or (German) pickles, which honestly – if I solely made the decision – would happen much more frequently. Cooked meals are so overrated.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list. There are other meals that we rotate in, but those 9 are pretty much regulars on our meal plan during the summer months.

What are your go-to meals during the summer? Inspire me! I am always looking for new things to try!

This post is part of my ‘daily life‘ series where I talk about how we do things around here! Find the last post here.

August Link Love

August 15, 2015 filed under: link love

This is some good advice when you live and work out in a place where it’s hot (like Sacramento). 8 tips for exercising in the summer heat.

I don’t quite relate to all of this on a personal level, but there is some truth in this guy’s thoughts about our digital lives.

If you think any of those things, visit Germany and learn from experience.

My friend Lauren wrote a great post about women in the workplace. Has this happened to you or are you one of the ignorant guys who do this kind of stuff? Just stop!

Do your part to keep this country from becoming The United States of Sucking at Taking Vacations.

I think that this is in many ways true for me: How being non-confrontational has held me back in life.

7 things you should insist on no matter what people say. Yes, yes, yes.

12 amazing apps for bloggers. Did you know about all of these?

The most gracious responses to common (and rude) situations.

A little bit of smart budgeting advice if you’re having a problem with impulse shopping.

You’re a grown up, but do you feel like one? The answer to that would be ‘yes and no’.

Summer tales II – the one where my sister almost didn’t get here

August 12, 2015 filed under: family, summer tales, travel, USA

I am recapping my family’s visit and our travel adventures from earlier this summer under the category “summer tales”.

My sister, BIL + niece arrived on Saturday, June 27th… but not without a previous scare.

In the night from Friday to Saturday, my phone rang around 3 a.m. My display showed my BIL’s number. I was instantly awake, because all that was running through my head was “This can’t be. They’re supposed to be on the plane right now!”.

They were flying from Düsseldorf to Paris to Minneapolis to Sacramento. And they were supposed to be on the transatlantic flight at this point.

If you’re familiar with the process of obtaining a travel authorization to the US under the visa waiver program (most European countries are eligible) through ESTA (electronic system for travel authorization), then you know that all passport and travel information has to be entered electronically before you travel and you have to pay a fee.

How those travel authorizations are “approved” is still a mystery to me.

Because as it happens, my sister’s ESTA form was approved, but she was denied boarding the aircraft to the US in Paris because one of the numbers on the form didn’t match her passport number (= there was a typo in the application).

What’s the point of approving the travel authorization when passport numbers are not counter-checked and nobody notices a mistake until you’re trying to actually get on the US-bound plane?

So yeah, just picture my sister (BIL and niece) in Paris, being denied on the plane, being sent from one counter to the next to try find someone who can help them fix the error and get reapproved for travel, trying to get rebooked on a new flight (on the first day of summer break, mind you!) and completely freaking out over having to handle this all in a foreign language (English, not French. She never took French in school, damn it.)

To be honest, my sister sounded surprisingly calm on the phone when she informed me what was happening. I think, her being in a classroom with 30+ screaming kids every day pays off in other areas of her life! Ha!

My mind instantly went into planning mode, because not knowing when they would arrive meant that our whole road trip (which was supposed to start on Monday) could possibly delayed or completely disrupted, and I was frantically trying to figure out how we could modify our plans in case their arrival would be delayed more than 24 hours (which looked likely at the time).

But stop holding your breath, we got lucky, you guys. Really lucky.

They managed to have her resubmit the data to ESTA and were able to rebook the three of them on a flight to San Francisco (which landed only 30 minutes later than what their original arrival time in Sacramento would have been). Big deal!

The only downside was that we had to drive to San Francisco (2+ hours one way) to pick them up instead of conveniently picking them up at Sacramento Airport (which is only 15 minutes from where we live), but we were definitely able to handle that!

I was so, so happy and relieved when they were finally here. And basically without any family time lost!!!

Protected: I change by not changing at all (← name that song!)

August 10, 2015 filed under: career stuff, real life

Awkward & Awesome

August 6, 2015 filed under: awkward & awesome

This is a regular feature post on my blog. See the archives here.

AWKWARD

+ When your mailman doesn’t bother to ring the bell to deliver a (certified) letter on your day off (even though you were home all day!), you can’t go to the post office until the next day to pick it up and then they can’t even locate the letter that the mailman should have at least tried to deliver at your home in the first place. Classy, USPS, real classy!

+ I sat on the couch on Sunday afternoon and when I looked up and out the window, a huge
branch swirled and fell from the tree across the street into the middle of the street in that exact moment. It wasn’t even windy! Bizzare! I guess it’s another ‘side-effect’ of the drought.

+ It’s 95+F degrees outside and they’re freezing us out in my office. The HVAC is constantly blowing 64F degree cold air right above my head. Brrrrrrr.

AWESOME

+ I unexpectedly got to ~~see~~ hug Nilsa, a dear blog friend of mine, and it was the highlight of my weekend. She and her family traveled through my town this weekend and we got to hang out at the park + talk for a little while (and turn another URL into an IRL friendship)! Yay!

+ Sweet mail from sweet friends. ♥

+ Popsicles. That’s all.

+ Running again. I took a – more or less – forced break when my family was here, but it’s good to get back into a routine!

+ Long catch-up phone call with my bff from home this week. She had some news, I had some news. It was necessary.

+ Completely wiped our (four-year-old) DELL laptop last weekend and reinstalled everything. I am surprised how well that went and am stoked how much smoother it seems to run again (however, we had – and still have – a little trouble with slow browser performance on the laptop, mainly “resolving host” or “establishing secure connection” issues. It can’t be the Internet connection, because it’s working fine on all our other devices. Any ideas why that could be? I promise, I already consulted Google and have tried multiple things to resolve the issue – to no lasting avail. Any other suggestions are appreciated.)