Feb 3, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

{Garden Life} Garden Planning Pinspiration

There have been some really useful things coming across my screen lately when it comes to planning your garden for spring — which I know will be just around the corner despite this wildly cold spell we are having here in Germany right now. Thinking of spring and seeing the tulips I planted indoors coming up while it’s about 0°F outside is really keeping me going…not to mention all the... read more

Feb 1, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

She’s growing up

Today is Mackenzie’s first day of preschool. How in the world did we get here so quickly? I know it might not seem like a bit deal to some, but to this mommy who has had her little girl around all the time for the past 3 years, it’s that first step toward her independence and moving out of the house. I actually never thought it would be so hard, and for the last few weeks, I have been holding... read more

Jan 30, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

Considering a new car again

Those reading NOH for a while know that Stefan’s car was stolen from in front of our house nearly one year ago. About a month later, when he was fed up with the inconvenient train schedules and the longer commute, Stefan started looking for a new car. He really wanted a 7-series to replace the one that was stolen, but there just weren’t any on the market in the price range we wanted. So he... read more

Jan 27, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

{Garden Life} The Organic Gardeners Handbook

Have you ever awakened one morning to find your plants covered in strange little black bumps? Or sprayed the aphids from your plants for the 100th time but still don’t seem to ever successfully be rid of them? Would you like to know how to once and for all deal with insects and diseases of all shapes and sizes on your plants with natural and organic methods without searching online for hours? How... read more

Jan 26, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

Things I Enjoy About Germany

There was quite a bit of discussion on Tuesday after I shared my “what I don’t like about Hessen” post…and apparently I got a lot of people thinking that I absolutely detest living here and should leave as soon as possible. Let me state for the record that although living over here has certainly had its ups and downs, I am happy living here and there are certainly some great perks... read more

Jan 25, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

Dear Mackenzie: Could you BE any cuter?

Dear Mackenzie, Wow. Thirty-eight months old and you definitely have the world on a string. You have gotten almost as many presents in the last month from two of your godfathers as you got at Christmas. So many people love you so very much — you are an extremely blessed little girl. One thing I learned in Florida is that “the birdie” (my hand making a bird-like head and me talking with a... read more

Jan 24, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

What’s wrong with Hessen

You may have noticed that in general, I try not to be a naysayer. I like to look at life as if the glass is half-full, and think positively so that good things happen. I fully believe that if you focus on the negative all the time, you are only going to produce more negativity. But our trip to Florida over Christmas really got me thinking about what a miserable place Hessen can be to live. I mean... read more

Jan 23, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

Using Evernote to organize recipes

Wow. We have had a seriously productive weekend around here. Actually, it was mostly a seriously productive Sunday because that is when things from David Allen’s book  Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity started to really click in our brains and lives…and when Stefan started implementing most of what he’s read so far. You see, I got the book and started reading,... read more

Jan 20, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

{Garden Life} Why Heirloom is Worth It

As you may recall, I recently went into a long dissertation about why heirloom seeds are important to our future when I was mentioned the Seed Savers Exchange. But if you’re not really sure what an heirloom seed or plant actually is, let me break it down for you. Heirloom seeds are those which have been passed down from generation to generation. They may be plants which have been growing in your... read more

Jan 19, 2012 Posted by Tiffany

The power of new windows

It now feels like forever ago that we had new windows installed in our house — and for a while there, we weren’t even sure if they would ever arrive. But let me just tell you that they are already making all the difference in the world, even though they aren’t 100% finished. About 3 weeks before we were supposed to leave for Florida, we got the go ahead from the Denkmalschutzamt (German... read more