December happenings

My Secret Santa arrived

The best thing, that happened so far this week, was that my Secret Santa package arrived. Who knows me, knows that I love surprises, and I honestly already forgot about it. I am thankful that San from the in between is mine organized this again.

Other than that life has been busy with work, getting ready for Christmas including sending out cards, wrapping presents, putting things on various piles to take along on our trip to see family in Germany and in general just make it through the last week of school. I can tell my kids need the break. There is one more concert for each child and then we can breath for two weeks. The only thing left to decide is if we take an Uber to the airport, park there or take public transit (I think it is coming down to Uber since parking for two weeks is not cheap either) and if we are doing a pre-christmas gift exchange at home or if we wait. I kind of like the idea of doing it before. That way I don’t have to pack any of our own presents (except a special one that the kids can use on the way). There will be enough things to bring back as is.
I maybe should be making a list of things I want to buy when we are there. I am curious, is there anything you would think a typical souvenir you would bring back with you? For us it’s mostly sweets (the Haribo selection at the supermarkets is insane), tea (herbal and fruit teas mostly), vitamin tablets that dissolve in water (I never understood why in Germany they sell for one Euro for a role of 20, whereas here you can pay $1 for one serving), mustard and maybe some salad dressing powder. The days where we brought back tooth paste and dried sauce packages are over mostly. I always found it interesting that my SIL will buy tooth paste in the US ever since she spend a year as an Au-pair in the country.

How are you doing with your holiday preparations or are you already right in the middle of it?

Holiday weekend recap

Adventskranz different this year

I had good intentions and uploaded the pictures on Monday – sigh. The weekend already feels very far away but here I still am.
I had a couple of things noted down on my calendar that we could have done. For one there was a German holiday market on Saturday and on Sunday the local art center had their holiday event. I ended up not going to either of them. With all the traveling that happened in November I was a little tired of doing anything really and wanted to straighten out what was left lying dormant at home. So instead of a fun outing I cleaned bathrooms and living/dining room and finally pulled out the holiday decorations.
In Germany traditionally you have an Adventskranz what is basically a wreath with wintry holiday decorations and four candles. Each of the four Sundays before Christmas Eve on more candle is lit so that you have all four burning on Christmas. I saw the above spiral on Instagram somewhere and liked the idea of having a new candle every day. I got some really nice smelling beeswax candles to go with it. No worries, it only is on under very close supervision.

Home sweet home

The wreath already went on our entrance door the week before but the decorations were added this weekend. One of my son’s friends is part of a boy scout group and they sell the wreath at the start of the holiday season.

Lebkuchen

We did bake some cookies on Sunday. It was good timing since my husband’s work had their Secret Santa on Monday and he needed to bring something homemade.

our little tree

On Sunday we went to get a small Christmas tree and I decorated it. It now officially feels like Christmas in our house. I was debating getting one this year since we will spend the holidays with family but in the end I was thinking that back in the day at my parents it was only up from the 24th until early January so we even get more time out of it as is.
Also up are the outside lights what was our Saturday afternoon project.
So all in all it was a very productive weekend spend with the family at home and I really needed that. I felt a little guilty not helping out at the German Christmas market but hopefully I can do it next year. I am planning on less travel then.
I did go to a German meet up in a cafe on Sunday morning what was lovely. I do need to speak a little more German outside the house as I am catching myself talking back in English to the kids when they talk to me in English. That’s what happens after 18 years in this country I suppose.

Are you already feeling a little festive?