I live in such a slippery place in my mind when it comes to feeling calm in my home. Part of the work for me is being mindful not to let my expectations for my home be unlivable, letting perfectionism keep me from just relaxing into our foxhole as savoring the people I share it…
Category: SIMPLE HOME LIVING
German Tidy Tips and How I Clean “Everything” with Three Ingredients
When I was moving from Texas to Germany, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeking. Maybe sanity is the best word for it. And you know what makes me feel sane? My ability to clean my own home myself, scrubbed to high Heaven, in less than two hours. Of course, it helps to have…
Germany House Tour: The Black Forest Flat
While I adored our handmade Christmas decorations this year, there’s something about getting the tree down and that helps me appreciate the spick and span feeling of the home back in order after all of the abundance. I thought it made for the perfect time to share a Germany House Tour – all 700 square…
Financial Love with The Money Witch
Truly, I am so rarely at a loss for words, but this is what I know the subject of money to do to me. Over the last years, I’ve gone on such a journey, cliche but true, through the realms of how women “like me” should approach finances, from overworking myself in a corner office…
Tips for Putting Up Peel and Stick Wallpaper
When we moved into the Black Forest Flat, we felt like we had finally found a habitable space with a gorgeous view that would rent to Americans with children and pets – yay! This little corner has been the media area with a built in for the TV, but we slid some things around and…
Handmade Christmas Decorations for our First Forest Christmas
We were at the pool this summer, and while we loafed around in the sun, Heidi turned to me and said “I want to wake up on Christmas in my own bed.” And, after moving from Texas to Germany last Christmas, I knew exactly why she felt that way. After traveling through four countries worth…
Fall Hygge from Etsy
As someone who has spent most of my life in Texas, there’s almost a thrill in the Wild West’s distaste for following seasonal weather. I’ve gone swimming on Thanksgiving and Easter, worn a t-shirt and watched it snow on Christmas Day. Be ready for anything and you’ll be fine is really how it’s done there,…
How to Make a German School Cone
I know and I cannot believe that we are thinking about Back to School again. I am never the one to start these conversations, as you can usually find me at the pool feeding my family sandwiches until 9:00 p.m. the day before The Big Day. As much as it pains me, I think our…
IKEA Erktorp Slipcovers and Other Ways to Fancy Up a Rental
When I first considered moving from Texas to Germany, I pictured us in a chateau with vintage wood beams on the ceiling, an upstairs and downstairs and sprawling backyard. Hey, it could happen. The German housing market continues to humble those of us who flock to her nature and care, but I’m here for the…
How to Make Grocery Store Flowers Look Nice
On Fridays in Dallas, my favorite thing was Markus walking in the door from the grocery store with two drinks for us from the coffee bar, a paper bag filled with supplies for his amazing nachos and a cello wrapped bouquet of flowers poking out of the top. They mean everything and brighten up the…