So I think I can no longer say it's fall! It makes me sad to realise, that it's winter! Why can't I celebrate Christmas in shorts and t-shirt at a beach!? Well I guess I would have to move to Australia for that! I am sure that would be fun!! :)
So this cold season brings me a REALLY cold bedroom. I don't feel like heating in there, since I am only in there to sleep. So when I go to bed and get up I freeze! It's so cold in the mornings, I can see my breath! I am just really hoping this winter wont be as cold as last. We has -4 degrees Fahrenheit for quite a while. I NEVER had that before. I always imagine Russia being that cold, but German!? No, it's not supposed to be like this.
Our toilet would NOT flush! I about freaked out. I NEVER had this happen in Germany b4. I remember it from my aunts house in Wyoming though. Her toilet wouldn't just not flush, the water would not stop coming and the bathroom would flood. It's nasty and I never wanted that to happen in my apartment. Well my toilet actually cant flood but still. It was quite the experience. I went and bought one of these and I think I fixed it for now!! ;)
OK done with that!!
We have something called Christmas Markets which open in November and stay open until shortly before Christmas(only in bigger cities though, in small ones it's only on the weekends). So whenever you need something in town you smell roasted almonds, cookies, gingerbread and other food. I try not to have money on me otherwise I would have to spend it on candy. I just LOVE the strawberries covered in dark chocolate.. Hmm...
Some traditions I would like to do with my future kids:
*Advents Calender. That is something EVERY kid has here in Germany. Some parents buy them others like mine make them themselves. It's a cute way to count down the days to Christmas and to get a little something everyday!! :) (we normally had one piece of candy, a pencil, chap stick etc in there)
* Nikolaus is on the 6Th. I LOVE this tradition. On the 5Th of December the kids clean their boots and put them in front of their door. And then the parents fill it up with candy, a chocolate Santa, a little book or socks! This holiday especially rocked my world during the time I went horseback riding, I had some really tall boots with a lot of room for candy!! :)
* When I lived at home we ALWAYS had an Advents wreath. My mom often times made them herself and I would love to start that too. Basically on every Advent Sunday you light another candle and then on the 4Th you have all 4 candles lit! We normally do that in the afternoon. Over here you get together for cookies and cake in the afternoons (older people do this everyday all year round) as a family and have the candles on. My mom had her candles on everyday and we went through more than 4 candles with out wreath.
*Advents Calender. That is something EVERY kid has here in Germany. Some parents buy them others like mine make them themselves. It's a cute way to count down the days to Christmas and to get a little something everyday!! :) (we normally had one piece of candy, a pencil, chap stick etc in there)
* I like the idea of the Elf on the Shelf that hides in the house and watches the kids and then returns to Santa and tells him how the kids behaved!!
* Something I would LOVE to do when I have kids, is get them new pajamas and let them unwrap these on Christmas eve to sleep in. (in Germany you actually celebrate Christmas on the 24Th in the evening but I wouldn't mind changing that to the morning of the 25Th, I think that's fun for the kids.)
* I would love to bake as a family at the beginning of December.
* And a family tradition I want to keep going is hand made gifts. My parents made something different with us each year. Those gifts we gave to our grandparents, aunts and uncles. It was always fun. We made stationary with embossing, picture frames, painted vases (I still own some of those), Christmas tree ornaments, cookies and a lot more. I still make something for my grandma and aunts and uncles up till today. I think it's so much better than spending a lot of money on something no one needs. I spend little but make something they will enjoy for a while.
* I think it's important that kids understand the meaning of Christmas. I also thinks it's important for them to get some gifts to unwrap but I don't ever want to overdue it. I think there is no sense in letting a 4 year old unwrap 50 different gifts, it will take away from the meaning of each single present. I would rather have them open 3 presents and them to remember what they got for Christmas. We never got many gifts and I think that's totally fine, I still was excited for Christmas to come.
* Something we do over here and I missed out on it this year is Christmas in a Shoe Box. You take a shoe box and get stuff for a child in Africa. Last time we put in pencils, paper, some candy, socks etc. They ship those to Africa for kids to open who don't know what Christmas is.
* I also found something really neat on a blog. You get a new Christmas ornament for every year and write some of the special things that happened that year on a piece of paper that you attach to the ornament. That way you can remember all the special things that happened each year! (Check that out here, here and here!)
Sounds like a lot of traditions but I think they spread out really well. I would love to make December a special month for my kids, I actually want every month to be special but this month should be centered around family and I want my kids to know that there are other kids out there who don't have everything they do and that we can change Christmas for at least one family who wouldn't have anything without us. They should learn to help others and feel joy in helping. I would love for my future kids to learn some life lessons in the months of December.
I think the time around Christmas is a time we feel thankful. We count our blessings.. We look forward to the New Year and what might be ahead of us! I didn't always enjoy this time of year, but this year I really feel the spirit!!
OK this was long, sorry about that! I doubt anyone will read this to the end... But if you do, leave me a comment ;)
* I would love to bake as a family at the beginning of December.
* And a family tradition I want to keep going is hand made gifts. My parents made something different with us each year. Those gifts we gave to our grandparents, aunts and uncles. It was always fun. We made stationary with embossing, picture frames, painted vases (I still own some of those), Christmas tree ornaments, cookies and a lot more. I still make something for my grandma and aunts and uncles up till today. I think it's so much better than spending a lot of money on something no one needs. I spend little but make something they will enjoy for a while.
* I think it's important that kids understand the meaning of Christmas. I also thinks it's important for them to get some gifts to unwrap but I don't ever want to overdue it. I think there is no sense in letting a 4 year old unwrap 50 different gifts, it will take away from the meaning of each single present. I would rather have them open 3 presents and them to remember what they got for Christmas. We never got many gifts and I think that's totally fine, I still was excited for Christmas to come.
* Something we do over here and I missed out on it this year is Christmas in a Shoe Box. You take a shoe box and get stuff for a child in Africa. Last time we put in pencils, paper, some candy, socks etc. They ship those to Africa for kids to open who don't know what Christmas is.
* I also found something really neat on a blog. You get a new Christmas ornament for every year and write some of the special things that happened that year on a piece of paper that you attach to the ornament. That way you can remember all the special things that happened each year! (Check that out here, here and here!)
Sounds like a lot of traditions but I think they spread out really well. I would love to make December a special month for my kids, I actually want every month to be special but this month should be centered around family and I want my kids to know that there are other kids out there who don't have everything they do and that we can change Christmas for at least one family who wouldn't have anything without us. They should learn to help others and feel joy in helping. I would love for my future kids to learn some life lessons in the months of December.
I think the time around Christmas is a time we feel thankful. We count our blessings.. We look forward to the New Year and what might be ahead of us! I didn't always enjoy this time of year, but this year I really feel the spirit!!
OK this was long, sorry about that! I doubt anyone will read this to the end... But if you do, leave me a comment ;)
