1.) Barbara’s Morning Oat Crunch is my go-to cereal right now when it has to go quick in the morning. I usually try to stay away from packaged cereal these days, but this one is GMO-certified and has a fairly short ingredient list, which makes me feel better about it. Also: it’s yummy!

2.) My friend Susi was wearing this super-cute Target Merona Cardigan for our girl date at the beginning of the month and I asked her if it was ok if I’d get the same one for myself… because I love it. It’s soft and has cropped sleeves and will fit perfectly over any summer tank or tee.

3.) I was picking out some yarn for two new projects that I’ll be working on and I came across the Berroco Ultra Alcapa Fine yarn which is a blend between 50% wool, 20% alpaca (you know, the small llama look-alikes) and 30% nylon. It’s supereasy to work with and it feels great.

4.) One of the samples in my March Birchbox was the Michael Todd Pumpkin Face Mask. I had heard good things about the Michael Todd products before and was very happy I was finally able to try one of them. At first, the pumpkin mask (which smells … wait for it… like pumpkin and which is orange!) tingled a little bit (which I usually don’t enjoy on my face very much), but that went away quickly and I really like how soft and clean my skin felt after the 10 minutes of application. I really want to try some of the other products  asap.

5.) Pentel R.S.V.P. Fine ball point pens are my faaaavorite.

6.) I went to this local supermarket & deli last weekend and I performed a happy dance in the middle of the aisle when I spotted Schaller & Weber Teawurst in the refrigerated section. It’s my favorite meat spread and I was convinced for a very long time that there was no way to get it here in the US as the deli meat variety is really nothing compared to Germany’s, but this was a very pleasant surprise! Majorly overpriced, of course, but the hell with that.

1.)  Last month, “Parenthood” made it on my favorites’ list. This month, I am putting the other series on here that we’re currently watching: “Breaking Bad“. I must admit, it’s a little intense for me… I am constantly on the ‘edge of the couch’, but I am really enjoying the show. Have you watched it? Possibly finished it?

2.) Someone on Twitter recommended Trader Joe’s Coffee á Cocoa and naturally, I had to try it. I personally love the ‘mocha’ flavor and am really in love with this coffee. Unfortunately, J is not a big fan, so I have to save this for special occasions for me.

3.) I have a little bit of an obsession with Washi Tape lately, but please honestly tell me, who doesn’t? Washi tape is cute and versatile and I’ve been using it a lot with my Life planner. It’s just a fantastic addition to pretty much EVERYTHING.

4.) In an effort to move over to a little bit more natural (and environmentally friendly) skincare, I recently bought the Avalon Vitamin C Cleanser and the smell (think: fresh oranges!) alone is worth the purchase. A little bit goes a long way, it leaves my skin really soft and I also use it with my Clarisonic Mia2.

5.) J and I have been Thai food fans for a long time, but recently I especially enjoy the  Tom-Kha soup, a spicy hot soup made with coconut milk, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and chicken, and often contains straw, shiitake, or other mushrooms, as well as coriander leaves. It’s delicious. The only downside is that I have to pick out the coriander leaves, lemon grass and galangal pieces, because I just cannot eat them.

6.) I am not big into lip color in general, but I’ve recently been enjoying the Rimmel Stay Glossy lip gloss. It’s affordable, comes in a range of pretty colors and doesn’t dry out my lips at all. I actually keep it in my purse and re-apply occasionally during the day and that is something that has never happened before.

1.) As I mentioned on Twitter the other day… I think I fell down the rabbit hole that is “Parenthood“. As always, I am kind of late to the party (of yet another TV series that I haven’t watched when it first aired), but I am very intrigued and have already cried through the first 4 episodes. That bodes well for the rest of the (so far 5 seasons), right?

2.) My Erin Condren life planner! It finally arrived last week and I am so excited to get organized. I am one of the people who use every possible device on their fingertips to help stay organized and a paper planner is definitely part of the equation. Do you use a paper planner? Do you have a favorite?

3.) I am back to knitting (and crocheting). For some odd reason, I didn’t find much time during the pre-Christmas season to knit, but right after we came back, I started two new knitting/crocheting projects. It’s such a soothing activity for me to wind down after a long day. Do you knit/crochet?

4.) I bought some rosehip tea when I was in Germany. It reminds me of my childhood, because whenever we went on (overnight) school trips, they’d serve rosehip tea at the youth hostels where we were staying. Most people that I know dislike rosehip tea (for that very reason), but I like it. I get a nostalgic feeling when I drink it (and besides that, I think it’s yummy).

5.) I’ve been using this vitamin fluid from Alverde (a German line of natural cosmetics) for a while and I really love it. It has a really nice texture, soft and fast-absorbing, and I love (!) the smell. Anything with Sanddorn (seabuckthorn) usually smells really good (and promotes the regeneration of the skin).

6.) Since I am not a big fan of traditional oatmeal (especially the “instant” kind), I’ve been playing around with different grains (semolina, oat bran, rolled oats,…) the last few months, but I think I have found my favorite: steel cut oats. I am completely in love with its chewy, slightly nutty texture/flavor and it reminds me a lot of “rice pudding” when I eat it… which basically makes it “dessert for breakfast”, you know, with a healthy kick. (Favorite way to prepare this coming soon!)

1.) In case you haven’t noticed, I have a little obsession with stars and when I saw those pants at Target and on sale, I had to have them.

2.) It’s the time of the year where I crave a certain kind of German Christmas cookie (Spekulatius) and I am so thrilled that I don’t have to wait to go home for the holidays to have them, because Trader Joe’s has them now (Speculoos) as well. They look a little different, but they taste the same. Try them!

3.) I had been overdue for an upgrade on my phone for a while and a couple of weeks ago, I finally upgraded (as an early Christmas present ;)) and I am so happy with the new iPhone. It’s a serious upgrade from my old iPhone 4.

4.) I found this cute stark necklace on Etsy. Isn’t it lovely?

5.) 2013 has been a blessing in the friends’ department and when I saw this stamp, I knew I had to have it to send out more appreciation mail to my favorite people!

6.) Reibekuchen (potato pancakes) is one my favorite German dishes and every year when I go home for Christmas, I have to have them. Lots of them. They’re sold at the Christmas markets, but usually my Mom also makes them for me at home = the best!