My winter survival items. Random Thursday.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are enjoying your week. I am linking up with these lovely ladies for another Random Thursday.

And this is the topic.

Well, I am always cold in fall, winter and spring and sometimes even in summer so I have lots of winter survival items. Without them I would be completely lost.
... hot water bottles.
If you read my blog on a regular basis you already know how much I like and need hot water bottles. I usually make 2 or 3 in the evening to keep me warm. I think I start using them in early September and won't stop until April or May. I have a huge collection of hot water bottles and the first time I traveled to America David surprised me with one because he knows how much I need them.
... lots of tea.
I drink tea all year long but it is even more important in winter. There are so many wonderful teas and I love to try new flavors. Peppermint is my all time favorite but I also love all kinds of fruity teas, green tea, black tea....anything. I think I should definitely add a "tea time" to my daily routine. 
... a warm blanket.
I also have lots of warm blankets. Even one that you can wear like a coat. I don´t know how they are called but I brought it from Germany to America and the nice officer who unpacked all my stuff was a little confused to see such a huge blanket. But I need it. But I agree it might have been easier to just buy a new one in America. 
... David. 
Well he is my favorite hot water bottle. He is never cold and I don't need any hot water bottle when I cuddle with him. 

... gloves, scarves and hats. 
Also, I own a huge collection. My latest addition to that is a red scarf with foxes on it. I am in love and I could not resist. I never leave the house without a scarf because I really need a warm neck. And warm hands. I look like an idiot when I wear hats but I don't care as long as I can stay warm. 
... food that makes me feel good.
I love eating and you need to eat a lot in winter because you need all the energy you can get. At least I always tell myself that when I eat too much.  I love to eat lots of pasta and potatoes in fall and winter because they make you feel good and give you energy. I also eat lots of fruits and veggies. 
... books.
I love to cuddle up on the couch with a tea, a blanket, a hot water bottle and a book. Yesterday I started to read the new crime novel by Hakan Nesser and I love it. The days are so short now so you can't really go out for a hike or anything like that so it is great to spend the evening with a book. 
... movies and shows. 
David and I love to watch shows and movies and there is even more time for it in winter. We enjoy it a lot and it definitely makes the winter be a lot better when you can spend the time on the couch in your warm living room.
... warm socks. 
I can't even sleep without socks in winter. I always have cold feet, even in summer. So warm socks are a must. I have ridiculously warm socks that make your feet look like you are a hobbit but they make me feel good and that's all that matters to me. 
... my favorite hand cream and body lotion. 
My skin is so terrible. It is so dry and it even hurts in winter. It starts to bleed and so on. So I need lots of hand cream and body lotion. My favorites are Handy Gurugu hand cream and Sympathy for the skin body lotion by Lush.  They are wonderful, make my skin feel so much better and smell incredible. 

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What are your winter survival items? Do you like winter? What's your favorite season? Have a lovely day!

Ten On Tuesday. Let me entertain you.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope your week is going great! Last week I talked about my favorite movies and because I am a little addicted to my TV I decided that I have to talk about my ten all time favorite shows this week. 

I am linking up with lovely Lin from Linny's Vault.

1. Emergency Room.

I have to admit that I cried when I watched the last episode of this show. It was my companion for 15 years and it still makes me sad that there will never be a new episode of my all time favorite show. I watched every episode several times, I cried, I laughed, I got excited. This show is absolutely brilliant. I definitely recommend watching it. 

2. Friends. 

I once took a quiz and I think I am able to finish every quote of that show. I watched it so many times. Who is your favorite Friend? Mine is Chandler Bing. And Phoebe is wonderful too. They are all wonderful. Hach, I love them. 

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3. The Big Bang Theory.

 I just love the characters. Sheldon always makes me laugh and the Soft Kitty Song is epic. I hope this show will never stop. I can't understand why David does not love it as much as I do. 

4. Black Books.

It is kind of sad that there aren't more episodes of that show. Bernard Black and Mannie are such genius characters and I would love to work in their book store too. 

5. Breaking Bad.

I have never seen anything like that before. The idea of that show is so brilliant and I can't wait to see more episodes. It makes me sad that the show will be over soon but I will definitely watch the seasons over and over again. I miss Mike. 

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6. How I Met Your Mother.

Great story, great characters, great idea. I am glad they finally got rid of Victoria. She was so annoying. I hope I won't see her again. I think the last episodes of the show were not as great as the ones I saw before but I hope it will get better soon. 

7. Sex And The City.

Well I guess almost every girl loves that show. The characters are like your friends. I always watched that show with my best friends, we ordered pizza and ate lots of candy. 

8. Castle. 

I love crime shows. I love to see a dead body at the beginning of an episode and to follow Castle, Beckett, Esposito and Ryan solve the crime. It is so entertaining and awesome. Love it. The Mentalist is also one of my favorites. 

9. Six Feet Under. 

Fantastic show. The idea itself to create a show about a funeral home is totally brilliant and they absolutely got me with that. 

10. Freaks And Geeks. 

David and I discovered that show this year and we watched all the episodes in a couple of days. I don't understand why there aren't more. The cast is incredible and it is so much fun to watch.

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Okay, I have to admit that there are a lot more but these 10 first came into my mind. 
What shows do you enjoy to watch? How many times did you watch your favorite shows?
Have a lovely Tuesday!

Sunday Confessions. Face mask, brussel sprouts and dumb ways to die.

Hallo meine Lieben,

happy Sunday! I hope you are all having a fantastic and relaxed Sunday!
I am linking up with fantastic Alyx from Every Day Is A New Adventure for some confessions.






Confession #1.
I think it is a great idea to start the day with a face mask made of cocoa butter, spearmint oil, vanilla and rhassoul mud. Thank you Lush for making me feel so good so early in the morning. 

 Lush Cupcake face mask

Confession #2.
Sometimes the world seems to be a very dark place. I always try to stay positive though.
Confession #3.
I am totally addicted to this video and song.

Confession #4.
I am not the best brussel sprouts cook in the world. I have to admit it. I still have a lot to learm. Plus it really is a pain in the ass to get a whole bag of brussel sprouts ready to eat. 
Confession #5.
I am always scared that my house could burn down. I already feared that as a kid. One time I spent the night at my godfather's house and I woke up and thought my parents' house is burning. We had to call them to make sure that everything is alright.  When I leave the house I always check twice if the oven is turned off. 
What do you have to confess? Have a lovely day!

Random Thursday! In my German and American hometown...

Hallo meine Lieben!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all having a wonderful time! It's not just Thanksgiving but also time for some more randoms on a Thursday. I am linking up with these wonderful ladies.





The topic is fabulous as usual. See.

Well I decided to write about both of my hometowns. The German and the American one. 
My German hometown...
...is not even a real town. Only 700 people live there and everyone knows everyone. This means that on one hand I can just go into my neighbor's basement if I need some potatoes for dinner. But that also means that people talk. A lot. A lot of crap. Lots of people who live there are old and so they have nothing else to do than to spy on others. Very nice. Some people can be really grumpy but you just have to ignore that.  It was founded by the Romans.  There are no tourist attractions in my town but you can hike for hours in the woods. And the next town is a little more touristy.  There is no school in my town. I always had to drive to another town to go to school. The town has 5,99 square kilometers. Not very big. I have to say that my whole home state only has a population of 1.013.000 people. Tiny. Americans, you are allowed to laugh There is not even a store in my German hometown. We have a bakery and a hair stylist but that's it. We used to have a pub but it closed because the owner killed himself. I guess small villages can be depressing. There is a bus stop in my village. But only 3 buses stop there every day. You can't get your driving license in Germany before you turn 18 (well they changed that and now you can have it with 17) so my parents had to drive me everywhere. When I look out of my Dad's living room window I can see lots of trees, the sky and cows. It is very picturesque. You can probably sleep on some streets without getting hit by a car. People are friendly. But they also talk about you. On holidays people celebrate and get drunk. It is tradition. In July there is a festival called "bean festival" but you can't even eat beans there. People also like to celebrate carnival.  You can't really count on the local firemen because they are all just regular guys doing that as a hobby. When you wait for the real firemen you burn to death.  All in all it is a pretty cool place. 

                                                                                 the community center. 

                                                                                         the town.
My American hometown...
is a little bigger than my German hometown. The population is 17000 which is still teeny tiny compared to all the huge American cities. It was founded in 1805 which is like a baby town for German standards.  There are lots of stores in my hometown. Unfortunately there is no sidewalk to reach them. So I have to ride my bike or walk on the street most of the time which can be a little scary and dangerous.  People are not grumpy at all. I have never seen an unfriendly person there. Everybody starts a conversation with you even when you just wait in line at the post office.  There are many restaurants in my American hometown. Some even have vegetarian and vegan options. There is no restaurant in my German hometown but the pizza place in the next town delivers to my town.  Everybody drives. Nobody walks. I guess that's no surprise because it is too dangerous.  But there are some fantastic bike paths and hiking aread further away from town.  There is a river. There isn't even a pond in my German hometown.  Parking lots are huge.  We have a neighbor who never wears a shirt. All in all it is a pretty cool place.

A monument.

Where did you grow up? Do you like your hometown? What's special about it? Have a wonderful holiday!

Ten On Tuesday! Top Ten Movies.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I am in the mood to watch a movie so I thought it would be a nice idea to use this week´s Ten On Tuesday to make a list with my all time favorite movies. 
I am linking up with fabulous Lin from Linny's Vault.

1. The Boondock Saints

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This movie rocks. I can't enough of it. The MacManus brothers are awesome. I have to say that I heard so many bad things about the second movie that I haven't watched it yet because I thought it might make me sad. Makes no sense, I know. 

2. Lord Of The Rings

I don't know how many times I have watched the trilogy but it just never gets boring. It is an epic saga, I love the books and the movies.

3. Star Wars.

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Yoda is my hero. And who does not love the Ewoks. Can't get enough of these movies either. I have watched them countless times. Never read the books though. 

4. Earthlings

I'd say that's a must-watch movie for everybody. I know it hurts to watch it but it is important to not turn a blind eye on what's going on in the meat and fur and leather and egg and milk industry. 

5. Dirty Dancing

I am pretty sure that I watched the movie more than 50 times. And I still get goosebumps when Johnny and Baby dance the last dance of the season. 

6. Napoleon Dynamite

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I want to have a pet lama and name it Tina. This movie is brilliant. 

7. Before Sunrise

Before Sunrise, Before Sunset....now I can't wait for Before Midnight. This is a movie I love to watch on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea and some cookies. So good. 

8. Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis

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No other movie makes me laugh so much. And it never gets old. Best French movie ever. Okay, I like La Boum too. 

9. The Sword in the Stone

Favorite movie from my childhood and also my favorite Disney movie. Madame Mim is hilarious. And yeah, I want to have an owl called Archimedes (By the way, I always pronounce "owl" in the wrong way.).

10. Love Actually

I watch that movie at least once every Christmas season. It is fantastic. What more can I say. 

Okay, I have to admit that these are only the first ten movies that came to my mind. There are lots more great movies that aren't in my mind right now. 
What is your favborite movie?
Have a lovely day!

Sunday Confessions. Lush, rain worms and books.

Hallo meine Lieben,

it is time for confessions again. I hope you guys are all having a wonderful Sunday! I am linking up with fabulous Alxy from Every Day Is A New Adventure.





Confession #1.
I got a new body lotion which smells like banana and vanilla and the smell is so incredible that I would love to smell my skin the whole time. The body lotion is called "Sympathy for the skin" and you can buy it at the Lush store. It is definitely worth every cent. 
Confession #2.
I would love to buy all vegan products at the Lush store. I am addicted. 
Confession #3.
Every time I see a rain   worm on the street I carry it to a safe place. All animals have a place in my heart even if some people can't understand that.
Confession #4.
My pile of books I want to read is getting bigger and bigger. I really need some more time. I even read when I dry my hair.
Confession #5.
I really want to brush up my French. I like that language a lot but I forgot so much I learned at school. It is a shame. 
Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends!

Five things I use every day. Random Thursday.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all having a fabulous week! I am linking up for another Random Thursday with these fabulous ladies. 




The topic is pretty exciting and I can't wait to read all the other responses. 

I mean, there are things like my phone, my contact lenses, tooth brush, my laptop etc. that I use every day but I decided to show you some other things that I use on a daily basis.

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A good book. I read every single day. Even if it is just for a couple of minutes when I dry my hair every morning. But I can't go a day without reading. I would miss something. It is my way to relax and hide from the world. 

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My favorite hand cream. It is Handy Gurugu from Lush. I can only repeat myself but I love their product. I have lots of problems with my dry skin, especially in winter. And this cream makes my hands feel so smooth and healthy, it is incredible.

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A hot water bottle. What can I say? I always have cold feet so I need at least one when I go to bed. Most times I make 2 or 3. Crazy I know. I am so glad somebody invented this, I would love to thank that person!

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A mug.  I need my coffee in the morning and my tea in the evening. The coffee without sugar with some rice milk and the tea with lots of sugar. 

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A plate, a fork and a knife.  I love to eat. I need at least one warm meal a day. With vegetables and salad. Eating is a very relaxing thing for me. I enjoy cooking too. And I have to admit that we eat in front of the TV most of the time. 
What do you use on a daily basis? Have a fabulous day!

Ten On Tuesday! Keep calm and call Daryl.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all enjoying your week. I can't help myself but I just feel like sleeping and relaxing today. Sad that's not possible. But yeah, sleeping is a great thing to do. 

I am linking up with fabulous Lin from Linny's Vault for some random things I will share with you guys. 

1. The third season of Walking Dead is pretty awesome. I am so excited to see the next episode. Why do I have to wait that long? Do you guys watch that show? Who is your favorite character?

2. Daryl is a real hero. Definitely my favorite character. Except of the fact that he shoots animals. But I guess there are different rules during a zombie apocalypse.

3. Norman Reedus definitely picks out great roles. I mean Daryl and Murphy MacManus. Good job!

4. This is awesome.

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5. I bought some coconut rice drink today and I can't wait to try it. I am sure it tastes pretty great in my coffee. 

6. I can't wait to read the new books by Arnaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardottir this month. They will get published in a couple of days.

7. I really like to listen to 'Funny Little Frog' by Belle and Sebastian. You must love that song.

8. David created the expression 'pulling a Katrin' which basically means 'doing something really stupid that would never happen to anybody else'. Nice.

9. Best hand cream EVER. The smell is incredible. 

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10.  Who was your childhood hero? Mine were my parents of course but also this girl. She rocks. 

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Have a wonderful week, lovelies!

Sunday Confessions. I am a Tollpatsch.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday! I am linking up with fabulous Alyx from Every Day Is A New Adventure. Do you have anything to confess?

Confession #1.
I am really good at destroying things. I let them fall down, step on them etc. At the moment the screen of my laptop is broken which is really annoying. I can't even count how many plates or glasses I destroyed in my life so far.
Confession #2.
There are so many things I would like to do I just don't find the time.
Confession #3.
I don't like soft tooth brushes.
Confession #4.
I am currently addicted to veggie gummi bears.
Confession #5.
I like to watch crappy tv shows. Sometimes it is nice not to have to think.

What do you have to confess?  Have a wonderful Sunday!

Questions, questions, questions...

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you  are all having a wonderful weekend!
My friends Meg at You're Meaghan Me Crazy and Julie at CroChez Julie nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Such an honor! Thank you soooo much, girls. It really means a lot to me. I am so overwhelmed that people actually want to read what I have to say. So thank you so much! You rock!
I got nominated before, you can read about it here so I won't pass it along again but I really want to answer these girls' questions. 

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Here are Meg's questions.


1. What blog(s) or blogger(s) inspire you?

All my lovely friends who make me laugh, travel so much, live in a strange country, do some awesome crafts, show me their great pictures and entertain me so much. You guys mean a lot to me! Thank you!

2. What's the oldest memory you can remember?

Uh, I have such a bad memory. But I remember playing board games and eating cookies with my grandma. She was such a wonderful person. 

3. What is one of your fears and why?

Oh, I have a couple of fears. I am scared that something bad could happen to my loved ones. I guess everybody is scared of that. So except of that my biggest fear is deep water. And with "deep" I mean 2 meters. I have always been scared of water, I don't like swimming at all. I never do it. Last year I went rafting with David (not my idea) and I was scared to death. I even wrote my Dad and told him the night before that I might die the next day. It is terrible. I don't know why I have that fear, I never had a traumatic even or anything like that...

4. If you could have one wish right now what would it be?

To have more than just one. Stupid I know. 

5. Do you have any (fur) babies and if so, lets see some pics!

The cats, Lumpi and Tiger.

The bunnies, Findus and Tiffie.

And my Dad's cat Jerry. 

6. What's your favorite holiday?

Halloween. 

7. Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

There are so many in my life but David inspires me to do things I want to achieve, to be creative. He is great. My Mom is also a huge inspiration for me because she was such a wonderful person and I want to make her proud. 

8. Coffee or tea?

Both. Coffee in the morning and tea in the evening. 

9. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about fall?

I love the beautiful colors, lazy evenings on the couch, David's birthday and Halloween and I dislike that it is way too cold for me. 

10. Who's the most famous person you ever met?

I am from Germany and there are not that many famous people there. Haha. I haven't even met a famous person in America. I have met Metty from the Lilalaunebär when I was a child. That was a great event for me!

11. What's your favorite movie?

Oh, there are many. I love horror movies and crime stories but I also love The Boondock Saints, Napoleon Dynamite, Dirty Dancing, Star Wars, The Lord Of The Rings, School of Rock, Wayne's World, Dodgeball, Before Sunrise, From Dusk Til Dawn, Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis, Shaun of the Dead, Love Actually....and everybody should watch Earthlings. 


And here are Julie's questions.


1. What made you want to start blogging?

Hmm, I don't even know for sure. I loved to read blogs and thought about starting my own and at some point I just chose a design and started to write. 

2. Do you like to read? If so, who is your favorite author and why? If you don’t like to read, why is that?

I love reading. I guess most of you know that by now. I love all kinds of books, especially Scandinavian and Icelandic crime novels. My favorite authors are Henning Mankell, Arnaldur Indridason, Ake Edwardson, Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Hakan Nesser because their books make me want t stay up the whole night. 

3. What’s something you regret, and how would you change it if you could?

I try not to think about things like that. 

4. What are you looking forward to the most during the month of November?

Two new books from my favorite authors. Haha. 

5. What’s your sign, and do you believe in horoscopes?

Cancer. I don't believe in horoscopes that you can read in newspapers. That's just crap. But I would be interested in going to an astrologist and getting my own horoscope. Maybe that would make me believe. 

6. What are your three most favorite things to do?

Spending time with David, spending time with the animals and reading. 

7. What is your best childhood memory?

The pets I had as a child.

8. If you could have any super power, what would it be, and why? (yep. I totally just went for a classic.)

I would like to be invisible. 

9. What’s your favorite Crayola crayon name?

I am German so I did not even know that these colors have names.  I had some of them as a child though.
I googled it and my favorite is Unmellow Yellow. And Purple Mountain's Majesty. 

10. If you could be extremely good at any one thing, what would it be?

Being able to rescue every animal on this planet. 

11. What’s your life dream?

Rescuing every animal on this planet. 


Thanks again, girls! You are so wonderful!

Have a great weekend and feel free to answer these questions too!

Random Thursday. If I didn't have to work.

Hallo meine Lieben,

it is time for another Random Thursday with a fantastic topic. Thanks to these fabulous ladies. 




And this is the topic.

I think about this pretty much every day. It would be nice to have enough money to be able to do all the things that I really enjoy.  I think I could go on forever about this but here are a few of my ideas.
So......If I did not have to work......
.... I would live in a castle in Ireland with lots of rescued animals and would run my own animal sanctuary.

                                 

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.... I would buy a vacation home in Colorado because that's David's favorite place. 

... spend lots of quality time with my loved ones.  The furry and non-furry ones. 
... would buy a recording studio for David because I know that would make him happy.  He is such an amazing musician.    

... do a lot more arts and crafts.  And paint. 
... spend at least 4 hours every day reading. And write my own crime novel. 

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... relax a lot more and do only things that I really want to do. 
... travel the world.
What would you do if you did not have to work?

Ten On Tuesday. Baby, you can drive my car.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I am linking up with lovely Lin from Linny's Vault for some random things on Tuesday. I even have a topic for this week's post.

It is: Driving.

Why? I don't know. I just thought about driving today.

1. I try to avoid driving in the dark as much as I can because I can barely see. It is really bad and it is getting worse and worse. 

2. Worst case: Driving at night when it rains. I am totally blind then. 

3.  I prefer to drive a car with a stick. It just feels weird not to have to use both hands and feet. But on the other hand...an automatic car can be pretty relaxing.

4. David should be a race car driver. 

5. I yell at other drivers. A lot. 

6. I totally cried when my first car broke down. I just loved that car. It broke my heart when I had to get a new one. 

7. I already liked driving when I was a kid. 

8. It would be cool to live in a place where I can just go everywhere by bike. 

9. I had two car accidents in my life. It never was my fault. One time a guy damaged my car, stopped, saw me crying because of the shock and then asked me for directions and told me he was too late for an appointment. 

10. I am not worried about my own driving skills but I always worry about other drivers.

I hope you guys are having a wonderful week! And please always drive safe!
You rock!