Well, well, well. It turns out that when you have more time on your hands, and you’re stuck at home a lot more than usual, you might turn to books more…because goodness knows I didn’t see many friends this year. I read 30 books this year (link opens in a new page), compared to the 18 I read last year. It was a fun escape from the long, mundane days we experienced throughout 2020. While I love reading book… Read More…
Top 10 Things to Do in Wernigerode, Germany
If a visit to Wernigerode, Germany, is not on your European bucket list, then stop what you’re and get it on there ASAP. I booked our trip on a whim, and I only wish we stayed longer, because there is so much to do in Wernigerode, especially if you have kids. Honestly, I had no idea how amazing Wernigerode, Germany, was before we visited. With travel restrictions popping up all over Germany because of Covid, we found ourselves stuck… Read More…
2021 Cravings Cookbook Challenge
We’re a big fan of cookbooks in this family, and love cooking out of them any chance we can. So when my husband said that we should cook our way through one entire cookbook* in 2021, I was all for it. *Yes, like Julie and Julia…only not since we’re not Julie and we’re not crazy enough to cook through that cookbook. We narrowed it down from our stash of cookbooks to three, which was easier said than done since… Read More…
Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Vicenza, Italy
If your family just got word that you’re getting stationed at Caserma Ederle and are moving to Vicenza, Italy, you’ve come to the right place. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill guide. You won’t discover what schools are the best, where you should live, or the best doctor. Instead, you’ll find things you want to know about like favorite day trips, radio stations, and all the yummy places to eat. Meet Michelle! This Duty Station Spotlight is brought to you… Read More…
The Best of the Best from 2020
Am I even be a blogger if I don’t share a “TOP 10” post before this year ended? Looking at this list below makes me pretty proud, because it’s a great mixture of several different topics: food, military life, parenthood, and travel. Earlier this year I was struggling to define this blog, thinking I needed to fit into a niche. But I don’t. I don’t want to only write about travel, and I don’t want to be a food… Read More…
End-of-the-Year Reader’s Survey
Three cheers to the end of this year! Is anyone else counting down to the end of 2020? Even though this year so many sweet spots, I’m really, really, really looking forward to 2021. This post will be short and sweet, and I’ll get right to the point: I’m thankful this year gave me more time to devote to my blog and newsletter*. I’ve been updating old posts with new photos and revamping copy, and working on content for… Read More…
You Know You’re a Military Family When…
We had some fun with this topic over in my Instagram stories, but I knew I wanted these answers to last longer than just 24 hours. The actual prompt was: Tell me you’re a military family without actually saying that you’re a military family. We’ve been a military family for just about 15 years, so we resonate with every single one of these; and more than a few made us actually laugh out loud. I hope you’ll find yourself… Read More…
Visiting Rapunzel’s Tower in Germany
Friends, we actually found Rapunzel’s actual tower in Germany…and it was just as exciting as it sounds. Our trip to Wernigerode was pretty spur of the moment, and I didn’t have time to fully figure out our plans before I booked our AirBnb, so I researched after we decided to go, which is totally unlike me. Thankfully, Wernigerode was a jackpot for visiting with kids. When we checked in, our AirBnb hosts told us about a “Fairytale Trail” you… Read More…
The Time We Tried All The German Christmas Treats
Starting in November the local stores start bringing out all of their German Christmas treats. Rows and rows of packaged cookies, chocolates, and other sweet snacks filled the first few aisles, and I’d walk by and gawk at everything. They all looked so festive, new, and different that I started bringing some of the delicious-looking German Christmas treats home with me on every shopping trip. I couldn’t help myself! It turns out that they accumulated into a decent little… Read More…
Visiting Schloss Wernigerode in Germany
My daughter spotted Schloss Wernigerode before anyone else did as we were driving into town. “Look, Mama,” she exclaimed from the backseat of the van, “There’s a castle on that mountain!” Low and behold, she was right. There was, indeed, a giant castle nestled on the hillside in front of us. Schloss Wernigerode is a site to see; my kids immediately decided it was Rapunzel’s castle (not her tower, of course), but her actual castle. And call me a… Read More…