Spring and Easter Home Decorating

We often hear the song "it's the most wonderful time of the year" whenever it is the winter and Christmas season, but SPRING can be considered the most wonderful time of the year too! 

Whenever I think of spring, I think of HOPE, and LIFE, and yes, EASTER! It is that time of the year when everything sprouts and springs back to life - birds singing, trees budding, flowers beginning to bloom. It is also that time of the year when everything seems painted in the soft hues of pastel colors and one is just in the mood to clean every corner and redecorate the house in all the glory of spring and easter!

Decorative pieces like vase, candle holders and candles, 
that when mixed and matched,
create a beautiful and romantic atmosphere.

When it comes to decors, one of my favorite go to stores is DEPOT. I just love their fresh ideas and trendy designs, and the endless possibilities of creative decorating that one can do by mixing and matching items. Plus, you can get lots of advice and decorating ideas in their blog "Schön bei Dir". Be it the living room, kitchen, dining table, bedroom, outdoor garden - you can find a lot of stuff to be inspired when you enter this store. They offer free brochures in-store that customers can take home, too so you can pre-select and organize your shopping list for when you drop by the next time. Their online shop allows you to shop 24/7 at the comfort of home.

DIY Idea: "A string of home-made bunting for festive occasions and everyday 'hygge'."
Photo from Sostrene Grene website. 

Another store that me and my daughter recently discovered is SOSTRENE GRENE. It is a Scandinavian chain of stores with headquarters in Denmark that provides its customers with a refined and innovative product range but still with a Nordic feeling to it. They always have something new every week, with some products available only at a limited period, so you will always be surprised each time you visit. The "DIY Corner" section of their website is something every craft-person must visit for those do-it-yourself ideas ranging from the simplest and easiest as making cardboard bugs with kids to more complicated projects like making a stunning lampshade. They don't have an online shop but the catalogues published monthly online are very helpful to plan ahead what you would like to purchase. If you love the feminine and Scandinavian touch like I do, then this store is a must visit. A visit at one of their stores is guaranteed to be a happy experience. :)

So if you want to liven up and redo your home decor for spring and easter, have a look at the assortment at these two stores mentioned. Wonderful surprises await you.

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Ready for Spring Cleaning 2014?

I know it is still too early for this since in the East Coast, it is way too cold and here in my part of the planet, the days are just beginning to get colder (which is kind of komisch since it is already January -- we have a very late Winter this season) but it is better to be prepared than sorry. Yep, I am referring to SPRING CLEANING. I know we are still in the middle of winter and I also know that Spring Cleaning will never be effortless... whoever said that it will be easy? But if you know how to organize and plan ahead on where you want to start, it will not be so stressful as you think. It could also be enjoyable for you too if you let it -- or perhaps you could turn it into a family tradition. Well, just saying...

I am actually looking forward to doing some Spring Cleaning myself since our basement storeroom is already full to the brim. It is high time we sort some stuff out and organize them. But I guess it will be impossible to do the spring cleaning since I will be away in warm and tropical Philippines come Spring. It would also be great if I can have commercial carpet cleaning toronto done to our living room carpet since it is already dirty. I do vacuum it every now and then but the stains are becoming more visible with each day. It also looked already worn out so either we have it cleaned professionally for it to look like new again or get a new one. Which would you choose doing?

And one more question: do you ever clean your beds, more so your mattresses? I would air the beds and vacuum it once in a while since we have a family member who is allergic to dust. But sometimes, I would forget all about it for so many reasons and would be guilty if I hear sneezes. If you are spring cleaning, consider mattress cleaning toronto. I think the bed is one of the places where we spend a great part of the day in, at least 8 hours if we don't sleep in, next to school or our workplace so don't you think it deserves the thorough cleaning it needs?

Make sure you have a checklist for spring cleaning. Where you want to start, the materials you will be needing, who is responsible for cleaning or organizing that area, and how long it should take. That way, you are able to optimize your time. Whether you work from the outside going in or inside going out, just make sure that you focus on that area. That way, you don't end up starting on many different things at once and never finishing anything. Good luck and have fun!

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Preparing Your Spring Garden

If there is a perfect time to prepare your spring garden, that would be now... when there is still some bit of warmth in the air and lots of sunshine, at least according to the weather forecast for the week. It doesn't matter how large your garden may be, if you have a backyard or just a balcony with pots. You can still create a spring garden bursting with the wonderful colors of tulips, crocusses, and hyacinths if you put your heart and mind into it.

So what should you take note of when preparing for your spring garden?

Good soil. Make sure you are planting on good soil. It must be loose and rich with nutrients. You can fertilize the soil yourself, compost is the best fertilizer there is. If you have a balcony garden, just make sure you replace the soil in your pots with fresh, garden soil. Most of the garden soil sold in garden centers are already with compost. 

Good seed. You need not be a gardener to grow your own spring garden. You just need good seed, ones that are easy to grow and easy to maintain, like the ones sold at YouGarden. If you are looking to buy seeds, look for those that have instructions in them, or better yet the "Tried and Tested" logo or something like that.

Good nutrition. Just like any other living organisms, seeds and plants need the proper nutrition to grow. They need water, carbon dioxide, and NPK (elementary nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) among others. Be sure to water the pots or your garden beds on a regular basis and follow instructions on whether they should be placed in the shade or exposed to sunlight. Now that you are preparing for your spring garden, watering need not be as frequent since seeds at this time are also in the "hibernating" period. Once a week will do. Be sure that you are not soaking the soil in water.

So there it is. Just be patient and come spring, your little bulbs of narcissi, tulips, crocusses and hyacinths will be blooming and bursting with colors.

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Dandelions

My daughter loves them a lot! They begin to bloom just about anywhere at the beginning of Spring and continues to do so until the summer. I actually didn't know until today that they are called dandelions since I only know their German name: Löwenzahn, which literally means "lion teeth". What is amazing about dandelions is that after it blooms, it produces seeds, each attached to a stem with white fluffy stems and turns into what the Germans call Pusteblume, because it when you blow on it, they scatter in the wind.

It is interesting to note that while many people see it as a pesky weed, herbalists see them as a valuable herb and medicine, and a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Many of its parts are edible, e.g. the leaves are used in salads to add flavor, roots are used in some coffee substitutes and the flowers are used to make wine.

And here is my little girl, picking up some dandelions. We were Berlin at that time and she picked these up, along with some Pusteblume while waiting for our turn for the boat tour around Berlin. This photo was taken at the park near the main train station.

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Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest 2012

It's raining, it's pouring... The first day of the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest 2012 began today with dark, cloudy skies, scattered rain showers during the day and a downpour in the evening. The  But they say rain promises good things. Perhaps it is true since weather forecasts for next week indicate that beginning Wednesday, there'll be more sun and it will be warmer. Gott sei dank!

Source: www.stuttgarter-fruehlingsfest.de
A snapshot showing the giant ferris wheel at Cannstatter Wasen. Shot taken at 23:21 this evening. 

The Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest is an annual spring festival now on its 74th year and is one of the most attended festivals here in Stuttgart. It takes places, as always, at Cannstatter Wasen in Bad Cannstatt and will run from the 21st of April until the 13th of May. Sometimes called the "small Wasen" because it is smaller than the Cannstatter Volksfest (Stuttgart's Beer Festival) in autumn, it offers fun for all ages with its multifarious rides, food and drinks.

For families, Wednesday is the best day to come because it's Family Day! Families can enjoy the rides and game booths at reduced  prices and there are many wonderful surprises that await children such as face painting, balloon art and more.

Other interesting scheduled events to take note of:

The International Hot Air Balloon Competition "Stuttgart Linde Open 2012"
Saturday, 12 May 2012 - from 6:00 PM

Musical Fireworks
Sunday, 13 May 2012 - from 9:45 PM

Entrance to the fair grounds is FREE. Just be sure to bring with you lots of loose change so you can enjoy the rides, the food and the drinks! Have fun at the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest!

Visit www.stuttgarter-fruehlingsfest.de (in German) to learn more.

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Spring Brings New Life

Spring is here... And I love how everything comes back to life again... The flowers begin to bloom, the trees begin to grow their leaves again, the birds begin to sing in the crisp, morning breeze, squirrels begin to scuttle from tree to tree again. Yes, everything is coming back to life. Perhaps that is why they call it SPRING... to spring back to life.

But Spring has another significant meaning. In the Christian tradition, it is also during Springtime when we celebrate Easter, the day of Jesus' resurrection from the death. He was crucified and died on the cross and on the third day He rose again. Such LOVE is so great so that all of us may be saved.

This Holy Week, may we reflect on how great God's love is for us. And may we find ourselves celebrating Easter in a meaningful way. Indeed, Spring and Easter is something to be very happy about. Because from it,  HOPE comes. As a certain Bern Williams puts it,

"The day the Lord created HOPE was probably the same day he created SPRING."

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Spring Is Here

I love the winter season... I love it most when it snows because everyhing is blanketed in white. I feel so blessed to have the chance to experience this season. I don't mind the chilly weather and the very cold nights, thanks to electric blankets that keep us warm at night.

But it is about time to say goodbye to winter. I know in the mountains, it is still very cold and people can still go on a ski trip but where we live, flowers are sprout from the ground and trees are beginning to grow back leaves. The birds begin to sing in the mornings and I have oberved that the days are stretching. It feels warmer, with temperatures going as high as 15°C. I am loving the fresh and crispy morning breeze. We can even take walks in the forest when the weather is fine, just like last weekend.

I feel sad that winter is now gone... But I am also celebrating the fact that spring is here! I can't wait to move forward, to initiate the plans that we have for this year, and hope that things will go as we expect them to. We are hopeful that things will turn out fine for us this year. It is time to move forward... it is SPRING!

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Easter Memories...

Easter is a much celebrated event here in my part of the planet. Not just in churches... I even got into the Easter spirit and decorated the house with spring and Easter decoration this year and I haven't found the time to put them away yet...

The Easter season is one of the most poopular events among children here, along with St. Martin's Day, Fasching or Carnival, and Christmas. I remeber my girl telling me excitedly what she did at the Kindergarten for their Easter celebration. That they went egg hunting and each child was allowed to choose among the many kids Easter baskets and fill it with the easter eggs that they find. That after collecting and finding all the eggs, they ate the eggs and that she ate all of her share. And she giggled. A few days after that, she wouldn't stop asking me to boil eggs so she could shell them herself.

Easter for me is like starting anew, starting fresh and I guess my little girl will come to understand it and appreciate it more as she grows bigger. Beyond the decorations that beautify are the symbols of new life and new beginning, which is what Easter really represents. And isn't it very good timing that Easter morning comes in Spring time,  when everything comes back to life again? An amazing fact....

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Spring Cleaning 2011

Spring is finally here and it is high time to do another general cleaning. Many call it Spring Cleaning. In German, they call it der Frühjahrsputz. Thanks to my hubby who bought me my newest toy, a vacuum cleaner, cleaning and dusting has become easier for me. Because he is allergic to dust, the house has to be vacuumed as regularly as we can. And I can do that with a breeze with my very nice vacuum cleaner. Haha! I am so boastful! :D

Cleaning has been an agony before vacuum cleaner arrived because I had to sweep the floor with a soft broom and wipe it and then sweep again. A very tasking chore that had my lower back screaming with pain I thought I would need to see a chiropractic technologist just to be sure that my spine and my back in general are still okay. I actually considered seeing one when the pains kept coming back. But my doctor did a very nice alternative treatment that it doesn't hurt so much anymore.

I am still doing my spring cleaning right now and I am on a short break thus, blogging about it. I hope all you guys are planning on doing a spring cleaning too. Keep your houses clean because "cleanliness is next to godliness".

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A Bright Sunshiny Day

I woke up today to the sound of my husband's guitar playing. I thought it was still early and found that it was already 7:30AM. I found him at the living room, all dressed up for work and playing his guitar and waiting for me to wake up before he leaves. You see, he doesn't like to leave for work without saying goodbye.

When he left, I went to the "office room" to check some emails and check out if there are online opps. Luckily, there are. So to get some more natural light into the room, I rolled up the blinds.

The sun was making its way up into the sky and the streams of sunlight were slowly making their presence known. It was really a nice sight to behold and so I took a few snaps. And I just knew that today is going to be a bright, sunshiny day. Perfect for walking Samantha to the kindergarten, hanging the laundry out to dry, and just bask in the sun. Sunshine just brings the cheer back into this depression-prone land. And just the thought that spring is just around the corner is definitely making me feel happy and all smiles!

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My Little Girl's First Horse Ride

I am quite proud of my little girl because she is brave and adventurous, never afraid to try new things. She also has a liking for animals and would love to hold and pet them any chance they get, from cats to dogs to geese to horses.

She got her first horse ride last Spring at the Spring Festival. Although it came with a price, it was nothing compared to the happiness and delight that you see on her face to be riding such a huge animal. I haven't ridden a horse myself and I am almost 31 years old and my little girl was able to ride it at 2 years old. She was even almost dressed to ride a horse at that time: jeans and boots and all, the only thing missing are equestrian helmets and her riding stick and she's as good as an equestrian.

One of my little wishes is to be able to ride a horse in the countryside. Perhaps when my little girl is older, we can learn how to ride a horse and go riding at the countryside. That would indeed be a perfect bonding activity for us.

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Dreaming of Spring!

It's a rather cold week this week. The weather forecast says that it's gonna snow the whole day and that it's going to be colder than the previous week. The cold feels so intense maybe because all of us in the house are not feeling well. My husband and I have the colds and my little has been sneezing and coughing for quite sometime now. Going out of the house is quite a task especially if you have to walk in the icy, cold weather and you could just feel as if your nose and ears freezing. It would indeed be a great comfort to come home to a warm home, and lie in a bed that has heated mattress pads, because it would be like you are nestled in a warm cocoon.

I have no choice but to drag myself out of bed today and move. I was already absent from my classes yesterday and I must attend my class today. I cannot allow my body to give in to the illness that has befallen me, otherwise my little girl will get sick too. Furthermore, I need to know from my classmates what I will prepare for our class Christmas party tomorrow. Even my husband, who has not been feeling well since yesterday, dragged himself to work today. 

So on my way to school today, to feel a little less cold and a little bit warmer, I will think of the chirping of the birds, I will imagine the snow melting and things coming to life again: plants and trees growing back their leaves, squirrels and rabbits coming out from their hibernation, the sun coming out and feeling warmer to the cheeks. Isn't it nice to experience the difficulties and the coldness of winter in order to better appreciate the next season that is to come?

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The Sun Smiles Down On Us

Finally, after weeks of chilly, cold and wet weather, the sun has finally smiled down on us. I can finally hang my laundry out our balcony to dry. I can walk around the house without feeling chills. I can once again lounge outside our balcony and watch the birds fly by and the clouds turn into different shapes. Even my daughter seems delighted at this weather too because that would mean she wouldn't have to wear lots of clothes. She gets fuzzy when I put on one shirt after another. Hehe!

Last Sunday after church in Schlossplatz, Stuttgart.

It was a perfect day but I was not feeling so well.

And did I already share the good news that we finally found a Kindergarten for my little one? I must have shared with you my worries about not getting a Kindergarten in time but the last Kindergarten that I visited last week accepted her. Although she is not yet 3 years old in September, the director took her in. God is really good! He has answered our prayers. Now all we need to do is fill in a few papers, prep Samantha for school and she is good to go.

Sigh! Just thinking about sending my baby off to school a few months from now brings tears to my eyes. My baby is really growing up so fast. If given the choice, I would have held on to her and looked after her until she is old enough. But alas, I had to decide if i also wanted to go back to school. Sniff! Sniff!

I know that it would also benefit Samantha if she is exposed to other children. I know that she will do well because she gets along easily with other children as she is deeply interested in them. I also know that she will learn a lot and will discovery many new things.

It's full speed ahead for us! And I just hope that the sun will continue to shine down on us....

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Finally, Some Tulips!

Remember my dismay and frustration when I lost my SD card? That's because it contained hundreds of my tulip photos from the spring garden. All my almost three hours of hard work trying to capture these beautiful flowers at their best vanished into thin air. It was a bitter joke actually...

A visit to Insel Mainau, another flower garden did not really make up for the lost photos in Keukenhof but the tulips were beautiful nonetheless. In the spring time, it come

Here's a few of my favorite shots:

This is a very HUGE and very OLD pine tree. I love how the branches seem
to spiral around it. Reminds of The HomeTree in the movie Avatar. :D


Let this hot-colored tulips brighten up your day!


Me and some more tulips!


This is my favorite photo. Tulips never cease to awe and inspire me.
Their beauty is just so graceful and they seem to reach up the sky.


The Italian Steps is a stair of flowers with spring water flowing from the top of the steps.
It was beautiful and cheerful with all the colorful mix of yelllows, oranges, and reds.


A view of the Italian Steps from below.

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The Netherlands Was Beautiful

I know this post is kind of late... but lots of things have kept me away from the blogging. I barely made it to my memes this week but I was able to post some. As they always say, better late than never. My two loves are now better, thank God! Thank you to all those sent well-wishes and gave their concern.

Hubby and Sam in our hotel room, all dressed up for an afternoon in Amsterdam.

As you may all know, we spent the Easter holidays in The Netherlands. It was a beautiful experience for the family, what with the old architecture, the windmills, the tulips, the fresh air and a whole new place to explore. Although the weather was not so good when we got there on a Saturday afternoon because it rained and it hailed, our accommodations made up for it. We chose to stay in Hotel Casino Sassenheim and the room was big, big enough to fit four people without cramming and there were two beds, one queen sized, the other single.

The family in Amsterdam. Amsterdam was an inspiring place...
everywhere you look is beautiful so that you'd want to capture it on canvas.
(That's the painter in me writing down her thoughts...)

Sunday morning, it rained too but weather forecasts promised better conditions so we opted to visit Amsterdam, which is about 30 minutes from our hotel. We didn't bring the car with us though because we were told firsthand that driving around Amsterdam is difficult and impractical. The tram, bicycles, cars and pedestrian all use the same street. The roads are narrow and the parking rates are way too expensive, at €5.00 (Php 300) per hour.

Monday, the weather was better and we visited the windmills in Zaanse Schans and the beautiful spring garden of Keukenhof. It was in Keukenhof where I was very much delighted, with all the tulips and other bulb flowers that I got to photograph. Sadly, I lost the SD card with all my flower photos. So much for all my effort. =( Oh well, we can always return. Will post photos later... Firefox is acting up again!

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TCP#32: Miss Potter

Welcome to my very late, April 6th edition of Tuesday Couch Potatoes! Boy, oh boy, I am such a lousy host! So much happened during the weekend and we got home from our trip last night at around 11:00P.M. I was so exhausted from the trip that I can't even move a muscle and had no energy to even turn on my computer. I was able to sleep for a few hours so here I am...

Anyway, our theme for this week is Easter / Spring Movies. I know you must all be wondering what to post for this week. Of course, you could post religious films like the Passion of the Christ. That is one great Easter film. Or you could go for the Easter bunnies... the remake of Alice in Wonderland perhaps? Then of course there are the movie features for the kids like the Winnie the Pooh's Easter Egg Hunt. And of course, there are the spring movies which are easier since you will only feature movies that came out during the spring season or movies that simply depict my favorite season: SPRING TIME!

And my pick: Miss Potter. Why Miss Potter? Because the movie is English (although Zelwegger is American) and is a biopic (or biographical film) of the children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, creator of the Peter Rabbit & Rabbits characters. I enjoyed watching her lifestory and of course, the animated sequences featuring the characters from her stories.

Here's a short synopsis from IMDb:

Thirty years old and single, Beatrix Potter lives in London with her social-climbing parents, who are exasperated that she has turned down any number of eligible young men. Her only real friends are the animals which since childhood she has lovingly drawn and made up stories about. She finally succeeds in selling a book of the stories, and it becomes Norman Warne's first project. He quickly falls in love with both the book and Beatrix and together they carefully arrange publication. This proves the first of many successes, offering her the possibility of escaping from both her parents' way of life and London.

How about you, what's your Easter/Spring Movie? Come share it with us here on TCP and enter your TCP link to the MckLinky below:



Thanks for joining us this week although I am very late in posting. I really do apologize! Next week, we will feature Julia Roberts movies so till next time. Take care Couchers and have a Happy TCP!

And oh, hope everyone had a great weekend.... Happy Easter to all!

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Spring Is Finally Here!

Being an expat here in Germany has allowed me to experience and witness the changing of the seasons. I basked in the hot summer sun, delighted in the golden hues of autumn, got chilled to the bone in winter and is now amazed as the earth springs to life!

We will be enjoying a temperature range of 11-20° this week with warm sunshine and a few rainshowers. Tulips and other blooms are already springing forth from the ground, giving the green fields a splash of color here and there.

Here's some photos from our neighborhood that I took, a sure sign that winter is history and spring is finally here!

I just love looking at the tiny blooms that has sprouted here and there. They surely add more life. Add the singing of the birds and everything seems so cheery and bright. What I love about spring? When we were still in Japan, we look forward to the sakuras. Here in Germany, we look forward to crocuses and tulips and chamomiles blooming, Easter celebration, and Spring Festivals.

Easter is coming soon and we are going on a roadtrip for the holidays... We will be off to see the beautiful tulips in the land of tulips itself, Holland! I am so excited! I'd better start doing my research now...

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