A day in the life

In the middle of all the chaos that is my life, I find sanctuary in a little old thing called the 'Latte Macchiato'. This is me, right now, enjoying a break from the kids, the household and my children's book. Aaahhhhhh....pure bliss.

Notice something 'special' about this picture?

Gourmet Shopping

If you are passionate about cooking but lack the right ingredients you will enjoy Gourmondo's online gourmet service. With over 6,000 products to choose from, Gourmondo offers an easy alternative to (trying) to find the right ingredients from your local German grocer. This, as every expat knows, can be an extremely stressful situation.

One of several ingredients from Gourmondo's Jamie Oliver line

Exclusive Italian Truffel Set

Compared to the specialty stores in the Markthalle in Stuttgart, I cannot help but love their prices. In some instances, like my favorite salsa brand, La Costena, Gourmondo's price is 4,00 euro cheaper. A definite good find and a fun site to explore.

Ristorante Da Tafuro Italian dining in Ludwigsburg

Last night Kim and I were guests at the International Women's Club Stuttgart's monthly evening get-together.  We wined and dined at one of our favorite Ludwigsburg area italian resturant, Da Tafuro.

Kim and her husband are frequent guests of this lovely dining establishment and being just steps away from the Ludwigsburg Marktplatz, with friendly service, mouth-watering food and a chic-family atmosphere, I would be too!  (they live directly on the Markplatz)

We enjoyed the good company of some new and old friends while our beloved kiddies were enjoying some exclusive Papa time at home.  Life is good!

When was the last time you saw Coke served in a thick glass bottle?

Complimentary appetizers

Kim's spicy salad

Calzone

My Vegetale Pizza.  Fantastic veggies and I am an absolute convert to thin-crust pizza.

My mouth is watering now so that's enough for tonight!

Murses

They come in all shapes, sizes and colors and hang gently across our shoulder so we can easily access our favorite lipstick, money and cell phone. We anguish day after day about which bag to carry...all of our kids crap in, while trying to look cool, but also casual and practical. I know my reasons for carrying a purse, but what I really want to know is...what are men carrying in theirs? Man Bags (or murses as I like to call them) are on the rise in Ludwigsburg and literally everywhere. It's not a Satchel or a hip Messenger Bag, it's a purse and it's small. I mean really boys, is your chap stick, IPod and fingernail clippers really that necessary to drape around your shoulder?

You started with a simple wallet or money clip, broke out the Satchel or Messenger Bag and ended up with a Man Bag. Perhaps it is the age of the Kindle, where buying newspapers and gently folding them in your bag is a thing of the past and you need the extra space to store your gadgets, or maybe you actually like the feel of the bag and enjoy its effectiveness. Regardless of your reasoning, we women enjoy watching you trot by with your purse (immensely) and take pride in knowing a 'traditionally' women thing to do is catching on. So go ahead and strap on that purse or layer it with your favorite sweater because although a bit strange, the evolution of the Murse is intriguing and worth a good laugh...at least for us!!

Europe, 1966

My father is currently engaged in a massive yet rewarding project of scanning all of our family’s old slides into digital format. When I saw a selection of photo from my mother’s 1966 trip to Europe, I had to learn more. Here is our little interview, a peek into the past:

Mom, when did you take this trip and what promoted it?
After graduating from the university in 1966, I traveled with some school friends through Europe. Having spent virtually all my life on a farm near a small rural community in California, seeing Europe was a thrilling experience.

What countries did you visit?
We traveled for almost three months, starting in England and also visiting the Netherlands, France and Germany on our own. The most exciting portion of the trip was joining a student tour behind the “Iron Curtain.” This trip included seeing three cities in the Soviet Union, (Kiev, Moscow and Leningrad), Prague, Warsaw, and East and West Berlin. This was the most exciting part of the trip because we saw communities that were relatively unfamiliar.


Tell us about your impressions of Berlin.

Berlin was a divided city. While all the cities we visited on our tour were under Soviet domination, there was a profound sense of oppression in East Berlin. No one smiled. There were no dogs or cats. Buildings showed signs of gun shots and broken windows. Remember this was 20 years after the end of WWII, but it looked like little of the rubble was cleaned away. We took the train from East to West Berlin. Guards in the train station carefully scrutinized our passport when we prepared to go to the West. Guards with machine gun were in the rafters of the train station ready to stop anyone from bursting through the lines and boarding the train. Once the train was loaded, other guards with dogs checked the underside of the cars to be sure no one was hiding. We pulled out of the station, crossed no-man’s land, and entered another world. West Berlin was the image of prosperity. Historic buildings had been repaired, new buildings had been constructed. People walked in the park. Each of us on the tour commented that we felt as though a weight had been lifted from our shoulders. Years latter when The Wall fell, I cried in joy for the people who finally have their freedom. I still feel that way today.

In our family visit to Berlin in 2008 I was gratified to see the united city. No-mans-land is no more. The beautiful train station is filled with music and happy shoppers. The park can be enjoyed by all.

 

no man's land... area of the Wall between East and West Berlin

Dachau concentration camp

Edinbourgh, Scotland (love the cars!)

Kiev, Russia vending machine for water (using just 1 common cup!)

Moscow State University

Thanks Mom!

Kiss me once kiss me twice

Have you ever been caught in the one kiss, two kiss three kiss cheek banter with other fellow Americans or Europeans? I'm pretty certain I've locked lips turned cheeks and nodded politely several times or unknowingly misunderstood kissing signals by parting to soon or not staying long enough. I usually end up freaking out my American friends by slobbering on both sides of their faces while trying to rationalize with them that it's totally okay. Now habit, my German counterparts appreciate my puckered pout/lipstick stain greet and address me with tender touch-y touch-y responses.

I do, however, forget (quite often) the lovely 3 kiss greet from fellow Italian and Swiss chaps where, embarrassingly enough, I almost step back mid greet without follow through (as what happened to me today). The general pleasantries of the initial meet are a wonderful way to say hello and although strange for Americans, is quite normal for European folk.

Perhaps the trend borders on uncomfortable for American men when the friendly Italian man approaches with three kisses, a warm embrace and a long lasting man hold, but it is completely normal in Europe without any strange, questionable intentions or romantic tendencies. I adore friendly meet and greets and will continue to bless my American friends with the long lasting double kiss while showing genuine affection. As they say, 'a kiss, is a kiss, is a kiss'.

What's in my head today

Some people (mostly my husband) say I'm a very determined person. If I have something in my head you better believe I will accomplish it. In other words, there is no way of stopping me. I will learn it, work hard mastering it and once conquered move on to my next curiosity.

For some inexplicable reason, I find myself doing this a lot lately. I want to learn everything, reach personal goals and push my mental toughness to a new level. Whether it's running a 10K for the first time, as I did yesterday in Ludwigsburg (still cannot believe I actually did it!!!), learning a new language, becoming a better cook or becoming a better mother, I've developed this insane agenda in my head. Could this be my mid-life crisis at 35 or have I given up so much of my life by moving to a new country, becoming a wife and mother that I'm suddenly remembering (somewhere in the haze) that I'm also my own person!?! Well after much soul searching regarding this topic I discovered I am not alone. Through late night gab fests with my friends in the states I discovered two things about myself...I am normal and I am not alone in feeling a bit blah. We want to feel sexy, intelligent and fabulous for our husbands but feel they lose a little respect when all we do is complain about what isn't right. I'm pretty sure the complaining comes from the suffocation we feel managing the household, jobs and kids, but wouldn't it be great if we started doing things for ourselves on top of our daily routine? I realize it's all a balance anyway, so why not throw something out there that satisfies our being for a moment? Something that may even earn the respect from our partner?

I believe we will, in our own way, reach our own conclusion about our daily life and the meaning of it. Personally, I feel through all the verbal blabber and dialogue of the last 6-weeks I have reached my conclusion. My own ideas of 'tackling it all' stems from an inner need to want my kids to love me (of course), but most importantly that they want to be LIKE me when they grow up. I'm not trying to be perfect, just trying to be perfect for my kids.

Koziol design

The German design firm Koziol has recently caught my attention with their sleek and fun creations made with attention to the highest environmental standards.  The Koziol factory has been based in Odenwald, Germany since 1927.  It looks like it's only a bit more than an hours' drive from here and I would love to pay them a visit, although most likely after baby brother starts at Kindergarten (pre-school) in the fall so I can leisurely browse the collection!

In any case, these birds on a branch salt and pepper shaker would be perfect for fun parties and our patio........ (all Koziol items made of heavy duty, high grade plastic)

Love the clock too!

If you like these too, we found both of Koziol items and added them to our favorite things USA and Germany stores!

Totem Trees

Climb the tree of life with your kids as you cleverly create and recreate the whimsy of Totem Tree. This 'Time' awarded project recently found its way into our home and the girls just loved building the tree together. With hidden messages, cute birds and gorgeous foliage, our little tree bloomed into life. Needless to say, our 'family time' project resulted in two happy little girls and a relaxed mom (assembly wasn't too challenging :-0) Developed on recycled paper, Totem Tree is interchangeable with other Totems, so the kids can enjoy exploring time and time again.

For your little nature/animal lover, Totem also hosts a cute Spider, Rooster and Papillon line.

Waka Waka World Cup Fever!

Is this song as big in the States as it is here right now?  It's Shakira's Waka Waka, the official World Cup song.  My boys cannot get enough of it.  And it's so fun, you can't help but start to shake your booty a bit.  Enjoy!