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Christmas shopping around the Frankfurt / Taunus area
Traditionally, Christmas is a time for giving. And to me, giving isn’t just about what the recipient gets, it’s about where I purchase it and whether I can support local businesses or Fairtrade initiatives or other “worthwhile” causes the process. Living in a foreign...
Weihnachten is coming…
Even though the weather isn’t quite sure what it’s doing, the calendar confirms loud and clear that it’s nearly Christmas! Well…it’s nearly Advent, which here in Germany is when things start to get both cosy and exciting. There is so much that I love about...
11 November – one day, so many meanings
11 November is fast approaching, and this is a big day in Germany – but for different reasons than in Britain, for example. There are no poppies or remembrance day ceremonies honouring those who have died in conflict [*see below]. But there are two celebrations that...
Where to celebrate for a particularly happy birthday
For those of us with children – and/or those who are young at heart – once a year, the question arises of how to celebrate that very special day. Personally, I still like traditional parties at home, at least for younger children. Old favourites like pass the parcel,...
Doctor! Doctor…?
When you're not feeling well or even if you just need a check-up, there is nothing worse than not feeling understood. Struggling through a consultation in broken German can add a huge amount of stress to an already difficult situation. Here in the greater Frankfurt...
Where can I donate….?
I regularly read posts on social media asking where best to donate old clothes, shoes, toys, household items, electrical devices, furniture etc. So I thought it would be a good idea to collect all the suggestions I have seen and list them here for ease of reference....
You never know…
Today I spent the day updating my first aid knowledge. I have always believed that it's important to have the basic knowledge and skills to be able to react and help in an emergency, and my first course was as a teenager when I was a Girl Guide, but it had been a few...
Home & Happy – what does that actually mean and what do I aim to do?
I am currently running one of my “Home & Happy in Germany” courses at the prestigious Frankfurt International School, Oberursel. When I was devising the course, the questions of what is “home” and what makes us happy were, of course, at the forefront of my mind....
No food in the house? Supermarkets closed? Never fear, the REGIOMAT is here!
A vending machine for fresh ingredients and food? Yes!! The REGIOMAT (a combination of REGIOnal and autoMAT (the word for (dispensing) machine – like the Geldautomat is the cash machine) is an increasingly popular way for farmers to sell their produce directly to...
Der Herbst, der Herbst, der Herbst ist da…!
Autumn (aka Fall) is here (as the above children’s song title proclaims) and however you feel about temperatures dropping and the rain falling, it means we get to embrace the cosier and tastier sides of this beautifully colourful season. In Germany, in-season...