Cultural Difference No.269

source

There are many differences I've learned to live with since moving to Germany. The one that's currently ruling our lives is that Germans paint rented properties when they move out. It can be the difference between getting a deposit back or not and after our previous experiences, we don't want to risk it.

So it's a week of putting all that practice at the house to good use and getting our flat up to scratch.

It's funny - I remember learning about this German trait in sixth form and never thinking it would apply to me! Anyway, by the end of the week I'll be pouring a large G&T and planning never to hold a paintbrush again. It was worth buying a house just to know we won't have to paint next time!

A goodbye

Even though it's been spread over a month, this move seems to have progressed rather quickly which is good in a way because I tend to get over-emotional but I just wanted to take a moment to remember what our old flat meant to us in the style of Rachel Jeffcoat.

This is the living room where we've spent so many cosy evenings, enjoyed many game nights, received many guests. It's where our Christmas tree stood for the last three years, where we skyped with friends and family to share news big and small. From this room we saw birds and squirrels up close. This is the room I was sat in when labour started and the first room we brought our baby girl into.

In this kitchen we cooked so many meals together, tried lots of new recipes and learned to live gluten-free.

In this bathroom I discovered I was pregnant!

Here in this bedroom, we brought our 'practice baby' cat home and waited for him to come out of his cage and accept us. This is where he woke us up like Simon's cat many mornings. This is where Nico proposed, where I told him I was pregnant and where our sweet baby girl slept for her first weeks.

This is the office where we both brought work home.

This room started out as a guest room, and we had many people stay there, it became something of a storeroom for our ever shrinking kitchen, then a nursery for tomato plants before finally being the nursery for our little girl - the scene of night feeds and smiley mornings.

Finally, our balconies where plants grew, kebabs were barbecued, quiet time was enjoyed and storks were spotted overhead.

This is the first place we called 'ours', home to our family of two, then three, then four. It's a home I'll never forget but now it's on to new experiences and hopefully lots more wonderful memories like these.

Clearing Out

source

While I wish I had Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe, I don't have the space or the finances. I cleared out my wardrobe last year but have been thinking about doing it again for a long time.

I finally got around to it this week and probably got rid of about a quarter of it. Despite several previous attempts, there were things in there that I wore aged 18, and probably never again since. There were also plenty of things that didn't fit.

I tried to follow a few rules:

• out goes anything that doesn't fit.
• out goes anything to grubby/overwashed to wear any more.
• out goes anything I wouldn't wear any more

I have been on a spending diet when it comes to clothes ever since I moved to Germany so many of the clothes are older and I often forget what's in there. While I'm still a way off, I plan to keep cutting down until I can wear anything I put my hand on.  

Apart from the obvious space saving and time saving, there is something very therapeutic about a clearout. I am looking forward to much more clearing out.

Rainy Day Activities

This is the view from our flat this morning. I'm busy with my to do list anyway (as far as being indoors allows) but I thought I'd share some ideas for what to do when you're stuck inside.

• Play a board game or cards.
• Do a jigsaw.
• Ring a friend - I'll be catching up with my gran today.
• Write a letter.
• Get crafty! Painting, sewing, knitting...
• Have a hot bath.
• Experiment in the kitchen. Try to make something from your cupboard ingredients (saves shopping in the rain).
• Have a clearout - that wardrobe is still on my list.
• Read a good book.
• Watch a film.

The possibilities are endless. I'm off to get cracking!

Orchid Love

I'm not the best at keeping houseplants alive. The first time I bought an orchid, it went the same way as most of my other houseplants but then I heard some tips and this gift from Nico has been blooming ever since.

• Keep it on a windowsill (ours goes crazy on this north facing windowsill).
• Give it one shotglass of water once per week.

And that's it! There have been times when there were no flowers but I just stuck to those two rules and they came back. Try it - they're well worth it.

Our sewing corner

The rate of projects has slowed down around here while we settle in to parenthood. While we were in hospital the material for my next project was delivered so I am looking forward to diving into that soon.

In the meantime I thought I would show you how our sewing workshop is looking. The sewing machine is a W6 that I have been using for 18 months and am really happy with. The overlocker is new from the same company. Also, after four years of living without, we finally bought an ironing board - a sewing essential.

Since this photo was taken we have also bought some large boxes to store the machines and bigger materials when we don't need them and some plastic drawers on wheels for all the bits and bobs that are needed for sewing projects. It's looking good!

Finishing Touches

 Our Ikea delivery finally came yesterday which meant that we could put the finishing touches to the nursery and feel completely ready for the baby's arrival. Furniture building at 38 weeks was surprisingly okay - another reason I like Ikea so much.

Above you can see the easy chair, recommended by a colleague, for our nursing corner in our room. Should make the late night feeds a little more bearable!

Here is our cute little changing table. We headed straight out to our favourite baby store for the neutral changing mat. I love both new pieces of furniture, the wooden look really fits in and keeps a spacious feeling for the flat.

Nursery

As my mum is visiting, we took he opportunity to get the baby's room ready. We're still waiting for an Ikea delivery and the rest of the baby washing to dry but other than that, we are all set.

We are very lucky that Nico's family kept lots of baby things so we have lots. That crib is the one that both Nico and his mother slept in as babies. I think it's lovely to keep the tradition and love the neutral colours.

So, just a little reminder baby B, we are ready when you are!

Making Space

Last weekend we had quite a sort out.  It's on our radar that we have to start thinking about getting the nursery ready but it's still a bit early for my liking. In the meantime Nico has decided to use the room as a different kind of nursery...

 It looks a bit bare at the moment but soon  it will be full of tomatoes and chillis and cress...

It's good to know we have a healthy growing environment!

More Christmas Decorations!

 Following on from our tree, we decorated the whole flat last weekend and here are some more shots of our decorations.

 This is my new purchase for the year.  I love it!

 One thing about being part of a German family now - they buy us lovely gifts for different seasons (Christmas, Easter...) and we save them for the year after so it is like Christmas when we decorate and get to open all the new things we forgot about.  This Santa is one of them.  I love it.

Of course, out come the candles and the smoker man for the insence.  I love the smells of Christmas as well as how the flat looks.  We're feeling festive around here!

Christmas Decorations

At the weekend, we got all our Christmas decorations up and now that the cards are all sents and the presents are all bought, the stress is off and it's time to really enjoy it.  I love this season.  I love how cozy the flat feels with twinkling lights and lots of red everywhere.  As you can see, I'm not the only one enjoying it.  I'll share some more later this week.  Also, looking forward to several planned trips to the Christmas markets!!

Autumn Decorations

Our Halloween candles and our new little hedgehog friend who jumped into the trolley yesterday...

So I was a little early in all of my Autumn praise early this week but now it is definitely Autumn and today, I dug out our Autumn decorations to prove it.  We actually have fewer than I thought even with our Autumn wreath, new this year, which is now hanging in the window, but hey, we have only been in the flat for two Autumns so far, give us time!

Our Autumn kite (just waiting for the opportunity to crack out the real one)

The wreath, which has now been moved to the window.  P.S. All the leaves dropped off this little project so I had to resort to stapling them on!

New Expedit

Last week we finally got around to going to Ikea with the vouchers we received as a wedding present from my colleagues and ordering this Expedit bookcase.

We had run out of space in our Billy bookcases and were looking for something a little different.  I was a little worried that it may take up too much space of the room but because the bookcase is open it separates the room nicely without taking away from the space.  It has made the room feel more cozy ready for the new season too.

It isn't full yet but we're working on it. I love that we don't just have books in there.  It's a great space for my craft materials and our ornaments too.  Oh, and Pete loves it too, I think we need to keep one of those squares open for him as a permanent sitting spot!

The World is Our Oyster!

 Over the Summer, I visited my best friend in her new house and saw this amazing world map on her wall.  I had never seen anything like it before and couldn't believe what an amazing idea it was!  Of course, considering myself a citizen of the world, I had to run off and buy myself one at the first opportunity.

The principle is that you visit a new country and then scratch it off on the map (like a lotto scratchcard) until you have uncovered it all!  Of course, as a newlywed and considering that this huge map is going on display in our flat, I wanted to make it a rule that we only scratch off countries that we have visited together and I added a second rule that we have to have spent at least one night there - driving through France to get to the ferry does not count.

Of course, that means we have a pitiable tiny area of the map already scratched off - a whole five countries (cue debate on whether the UK counts as one or four)!  Anyway, number six will be coming off next month too and it just shows how much of a bright exciting future we have ahead of us!  Just like my friend's husband, I am now extra keen to visit Russia!

Wardrobe Clearout

It's strange but true that just a couple of weeks ago, someone with as many OCD characteristics as I have could lay claim to this wardrobe.  Finally sick of wading through crumpled up tops, to find something that fit and looked decent for work, I decided to do something about it.  I knew I couldn't cope with another winter of conducting that morning search in the dark!

Although I haven't bought all that many new clothes in the last three years, I have finally managed (thanks to my lovely, kind parents) to move all of my clothes with me to Germany and the result is the chaos you see above.  I have been three different dress sizes over the past ten years or so and my wardrobe still contained all of the evidence of this.

It took two days of sorting, but I finally weaned out everything that didn't fit (excepting a couple of sentimental items) and everything with a hole or other irreparable damage.  

I learnt two things about myself during this process:

1. I wear way too much black!

2. I'm a hoarder.

Both things to work on in future.

The wardrobe was already sorted into sections (tops, jumpers, bottoms, dresses, etc) and there was even space for my jewellery and toiletries but it was getting a little cramped.

I'm already benefiting from the new organisation on a morning as I know that whatever I lay my hands on will fit!  It's certainly sped things up, and along with some other adjustments to my daily routine with my new timetable, it's really helped me settle into the new school year.

Here's how it looks now:

I feel better just looking at it!

I'm hoping that an added benefit to this project will be a bit of financial relief in selling some of the undamaged clothes that just don't fit any more.  There are some pretty good pieces in there.  I'm ashamed to say that some had never even been worn.  

The cleared out clothes

I haven't decided what format the sale will take yet but I'm working on it and plan to put half the profits towards my debts and half towards some new, well fitting, brighter clothes!

Knives

Check out Nico's new knife rack.  If you weren't scared to break into our flat before, you would be now!!!

Latest Cushions

Before I headed off to London, I had a second attempt at making some cushion covers.  The fabric was brighter than I thought but I'm really pleased with the results - just to find them a suitable home now!

Time for something different next I think....

Goodbye Christmas

Yesterday, after the twelve days of Christmas, the decorations finally came down.  I wanted to show you how things looked at the end of the festive period with all our cards and the finished advent calendar. 

I mentioned the advent calendar back at the beginning of December but in case you missed it: Nico bought us an advent calendar with a difference this year.  Instead of chocolates, each day revealed a new card with the next installation of a story on one side and a relevant picture on the other.  You can see the finished product above.  Great idea.

We had so many cards that we also filled the bookcase:

It looks a little bare but it's nice, clean and tidy ready for this new year!

Christmas Here...

So on Saturday we put the tree up and I can't believe how great it looks.  It changes the whole room and with the candles we've had going makes the place so cozy!  

In the corner of the picture, you can see the amazing advent calendar that Nico bought me.  Instead of chocolate this year, there's a little bauble shaped card for each day and on one side there is part of the story and on the other side there is a picture of something from the story.  It continues every day - I look forward to it every day.

Something New - Power Tools!

My something new this week is using power tools!  When we bought the new handles for the wardrobes, we had no problems on the new wardrobe but the old one had much too small holes so we had to drill new ones.  I haven't drilled before and hate the responsibility but I had a good teacher and managed to do it!  It wasn't even as scary as I thought.  Now the new handles are all looking great!