I want to go to there

Shopping in Europe is different than in the US. I am not talking clothes shopping, but everyday shopping. There is not that one stop shop (or at least close to one shop stop as it can be) over here, more directly there is not a Target. It's sad for people to be deprived of the most fabulous shop on the planet, but what's hard is trying to explain to people that have never been there what it is. I like to say it's the everything I need and everything I think I need, but don't need store. Seriously what store can you pick up your milk, an Issac Mizrahi dress, blender and toilet paper all in one? You can't think of one, I know it. Then there is the sneaky part of Target. You know the one. It's where you walk in the store to get a toothbrush, toothpaste and tissues. $150 later you leave with some awesome things that were only $4.88 so you bought 7 of them (at that price you should have bought 20, but you have restraint, duh). Then you get home go through your purchases and wonder how in the world you spent $150. Target I miss you and your frivolous products that adorn my house.

The holiday time this has really hit home because Target is one of the best places to get wrapping paper, decorations, fun holiday kid clothes and cool things for around the house that you can't just find anywhere else. This year I was asked to make the centerpiece for the Christmas dinner here in the Netherlands (which is fun!), but after going to 5 different shops to get most of the items that I need, I realized that Target would have had everything I needed and more (not to mention about $20 cheaper). So Target this post is for you, Europe needs you to build. If you build it they will come, I promise. Those of you in the US, hug your Target person this holiday (What? You don't have a Target person? Weird.) and throw that super awesome towel warmer in your cart for me. I will be home soon!

Spoonful of Heaven

It's Christmas time and cookies, candies, pies and overindulgence abound. I'm on board. I have no problem shoving cookies and whatever other goodies they have here in the Netherlands in my face, but my true indulgence is hot chocolate. I am not talking that Swiss Miss crap you have in your cupboard, but milk stirred with delicious chocolate on the stove until it makes a hot and creamy chocolaty drink that boarders on full on chocolate bar in a mug.

Lucky me the other day I was given a chocolate gift called a Spoonful of Chocolate. It was the perfect cup of chocolate. It's a good thing that I didn't have another, because I would have had that immediately after the first one. It was that good. It is essentially just a high quality piece of dark or milk chocolate on a stick that melts into warm milk, but it's just so amazing and one of those things that I wish I had tried sooner. I immediately did some research and this amazing stick is strictly in NL right now, but have no fear there are a few options for those stateside.

There are lots of different ones out there, but quality in your chocolate makes for a rich and satisfying drink. There are several cheaper versions, but the Eclat chocolate on a stick would be my choice for purchase. While I have not had the stick from them I have had the chocolate before and I do approve. Now if you have a bit more time on your hands you can make them yourself. This recipe on the King Arthur Flour site for chocolate blocks looks delicious. The reviews are great and quite a few bloggers and test kitchens have given it the thumbs up too. I plan on trying these out this week. I think I might make this homemade marshmallow recipe then skewer them together to give as little gifts. Yum! Oh and if you make your own make sure to use good chocolate (really this will make the difference!).

Cheers!

Spoonful of Chocolate! Yum.

Running for your life

So it has been documented here that I do love the zombies. I've had a border line obsession with them for at least 10+ years, but it wasn't until I started working with my former boss that it went nuts. Needless to say I still am enamored by zombies and totally pissed that I packed my zombie t-shirt and most likely won't see it until Spring.

Cafe Press and totally worth the cost.

Awesome right?

Patrolling the Internet the other day I came across a zombie game that I think I may just have to pre-order. Is it insane? Yes. Will it make my butt look good? Actually it just might. The people behind this game are brilliant if only because this may be the only way to get me to run and be in shape and stuff. Who knew?

http://www.zombiesrungame.com/ and you can save 40% by pre-ordering. A better butt and 40% off, woo hoo Tuesday.

Wrapping presents and kitties

This weekend had a lovely mix of laziness and fun. Saturday we went to the Dusseldorf Christmas market where I sampled the traditional sausages and glühwein. Both were delicious. Purchases were slim from the market, but I did get a few things to put in stockings! Beside the market there were tons of shops. Everything from high end luxury to H&M had their doors wide open for the droves of people to shop their faces off until 7pm or some even later. I know most of you don't understand the huge deal that this was, because living in America we have the luxury of shops open at least that late (if not later) every day of the week normally and then during the holiday season some shops barely close before they open again. Here in Europe shops close at 5pm or 6pm most nights and have maybe one night that they are open until 7pm. So you can imagine the frenzy of 'late' night shopping near the market. It was nuts, but fun.

So now that I have presents the next step is wrapping. I used to be awful at it until a few years ago I came across this tutorial that really helped make my presents look so much better. I know this is super basic, but seriously it helped. Now I am much better.

I still lose my creativity about halfway through and then just start using stick on bows, but the first half are spectacular (or at least prettier).

When I was trying to find this video on YouTube I came across this and had to share. Flippycat as he is known has a whole series of videos with him, most including dominoes.

Then I found out Fippycat passed away. RIP Flippycat.

Glühwein & Awesome Gifts

So this weekend we are heading out to Germany to enjoy the Christmas market and to hopefully get some unique gifts. Oh and some glühwein. How else am I supposed to stay warm and cozy other than consuming a few hot cups of deliciously spiced wine? Exactly.

One of the things I do try and do each year at Christmas is to buy unique, handmade and interesting gifts. Things that are not necessarily available everywhere. This is part of the reason I am so excited to go to the market this weekend since that is the main draw. Well that and the glühwein and the sausage (totally can't forget that). So in that spirit I have combed through Etsy (as much as one can before they start making way too many self purchases) and just a few other sites to present a few fun ideas for gifts this season. So bundle up, make some glühwein (the recipe in the link says brandy optional, however it is not optional as far as I am concerned. Add it you will not be sorry. Promise) and check out some of the highlights of my gift romp through the Internet.

I love this! Plummy Wine Cork Wreath, Etsy

I know what you are thinking. You think you could make this. You totally could, but it would take some work, because this did not happen overnight. Besides drinking a TON of wine (Which I know for most of you is fine, but it needs to be bottle not box), there is a cleaning of the cork (which can be tricky) and then putting it all together which may  look easy, but I am sure is a lot harder that you think. So if you really have that much time to do that feel free, but I think I prefer to purchase this one. I think it would be the perfect gift for a wine lover or a non-traditionalist to add a small bit of the holiday without all the fuss.

Vintage Vanity Tray, Etsy

So while this may not be the exact style that you want for a gift, just by searching vanity tray on Etsy you come up with thousands of them. Glass, silver, porcelain, wood, the list goes on. These are great gifts (new or vintage) because they can be used for so many things. It could be on the bar for the bottles, in the kitchen for your spices, in the bathroom for perfumes or on the dresser for your jewelry. I have so many place this could go I might by one for myself. I have at least three people that I know that would love this or something similar.

How cool are these? Wooden Candle Holders, Etsy

Candles and candle holders are always great neutral gifts and these are just the right kind of interesting and different that I love. You could give them together or separate or who knows maybe even keep them for yourself! I would gift these to a nature lover or to anyone whose decor could use a little rustic addition.

14K Yellow Gold Branch ring, Olive Bungalow

I love these so much I am afraid to purchase it because it won't go to the intended recipient because I will keep for myself! This whole site has some incredibly interesting jewelry and is definitely worth the look around.

Wine Hurricane, Napa Style

I have been coveting these bottles for years and can imagine them adorning any one's mantle, front door or backyard. They range in price depending on size, but really are a fun and unexpected gift.

Happy shopping and let me know if you have a perfectly unique gift or web shop that you would like to share with me. I am always looking for new ideas and places to find them.

Reading YA doesn't make you dumb

I have always loved to read. ALWAYS. Ever since I could put two words together I have had a book next to my bed, in my purse and around the house. There are some books that I pick up and can't put down. You know the ones that you stay up until 4am in the morning in the middle of the week to finish. Then there are the ones that take forever to get past page 15.

The last book I couldn't put down was, The Help. It was a great read AND a good movie. But before that is was the Twilight series (I'm not even going to link to it because if you don't know what it is you seriously need to take off your pajama jeans and leave the house). I read through all four of the not so small books in a matter of days, during a work week. Yeah it was that captivating. Was it unsurpassed literature? No. Was it fun to read and did it make me want to keep turning the page? Yes.

I read everything and anything. I have fantasy, science, non-fiction, classics, popular fiction, historical fiction and even a few romance novels. I would read the phone book if that was all that was left. I had a whole stack of books that I have been trying to get through for the last few months resulting in me not allowing myself to buy any more books until the stack was completed. Since I have been only working part time-ish of late, I have had plenty of time to get my read on and finish that stack. So much so I found myself sitting at the airport last week with no paper books or virtual books to read in the Netherlands, but didn't know what I should get first. I wandered around the airport book store to get some ideas and decided on a lark to buy a young adult book, The Hunger Games that everyone is talking about.

I was a little embarrassed to purchases this since it was in the young adult section and I think it's safe to say I am no longer a young adult, but then I thought about all the crazy Twilight mom's out there and made the decision to not care what anyone else thought. Needless to say I read it all on the plane and then downloaded the other two books of the series onto my iPad upon arrival and I am just about done with the last one. Young adult books are fun to read and way better then when I was actually a young adult. (Well to be perfectly honest I was reading adult books when I was a young adult because all the YA books back then were so cheesy and I had already read them when I was under 12). So why the embarrassment over a book? Just because I am not reading the Steve Jobs (and seriously the cover of the book is starting to skeeve me out) or Walden (which I read years ago, but really wanted out about halfway through) doesn't make me any less aware of the world and who knows maybe I will end up reading them (again), but maybe I won't. That doesn't make me dumb. 

So where is this post going? Well I suggest reading the Hunger Games and to never feel stupid because you enjoy a book regardless of the genre. My guess is if there is a person looking down on you over your choice of book they are seriously depleting themselves of some good entertainment. Oh and my next book up is The Royal Stuarts (I have a serious addiction to the royals of Scotland and England), but that doesn't mean I am done with YA, Spoiled by the Fug Girls is on the list too!

Anyone have any suggestions for other books? I am needing to build up my stack again...

Jet Lagggggged & Whoopie Pies

So I have learned a valuable lesson in flying. I am just not able to fly to Europe and then go right into life without a wee little break in-between (like say a whole day to sleep and get acclimated). I landed on Friday and then we immediately started the weekend with kids, Sinterklaas and family. Usually no big deal, but let's just say this resulted with me on Sunday not being able to get out of bed or function in any useful way. Lesson learned and noted.

In other news I made these fantastic little pumpkin whoopie pies, from One Ordinary Day for Thanksgiving and failed to take any pictures of the final product. I was in the process of packing so it's a miracle they even were done, but oh my they were worth it! My friend Sabrina told me she doesn't really like pumpkin deserts, but I asked her to just take a bite and then she declared them delicious and wanted the recipe. My brother had an untold amount of them (he's 19 and a huge pumpkin pie fan so it wasn't a big shocker, but still it's good to know they don't suck) and my sister and mom were telling me how yummy they were too. So if you want something a little more unique to bring to holiday parties or dinners these are fun, portable and easy to do. They are even a great thing for kids to be a part of (especially the filling part. Messy, but totally fun).

I also really, really want to try this Creme Brûlée French Toast from smitten kitchen (not to mention about 800 other items). I found this on Pinterest which you all should get on if you haven't yet.

And in shameless family promotion, my mother is starting a a new business making baby shoes. Baby shoes you say, yes baby shoes. She is working on an Etsy site and I will of course pimp the heck out of it when it's up (not just because she is my mother, but these are amazing shoes and she is my mother), but in the meantime here is just a small sampling of what she offers. If you are interested in getting any shoes prior to the shop opening (ETA is still TBD) please feel free to email me and I will hook you up with her. She has been selling these like hotcakes so I am pretty sure it's not just me that thinks these are pretty cute and fantastic baby gifts!

Are they not super adorable?

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