Frohe Weihnachten!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday! I know we did... even though it will be our last Christmas in Germany :( Our Christmas festivities lasted over 2 days. Christmas Eve morning we let Rand open presents sent to him from our family back in the States. He enjoyed opening each present and playing with it before moving to the next. 

Do you like his Christmas pi's I made? I found this adorable fabric at Joann Fabrics while I was back in the States the other month. I knew Rand would love it because 1. It was red (his favorite color) 2. It had trains on it 3. Santa was driving the train! I unfortunately ran out of fabric so I appliquéd the train on a shirt he had. 

The rest of the day went on as normal but that evening we had a few friends over for Christmas Eve dinner. Rob's family has a tradition that on Christmas Eve we eat everyones favorite appetizer. So we served shrimp cocktail, taquitos, pizza bagels... things like that. I have to admit, we were not feeling to great the next day or two. The past few years we have been eating a very healthy and clean diet. Our bodies are not used to eating that kind of "junk" so thank you Plexus for helping us feel better so quick! 

The next morning Rand woke up and ran downstairs screaming "Presents!" and started opening one before Rob and I could even join him. Rob luckily was able to get him to stop half way through and wait till we were ready.

After a fun filled morning of opening presents and hearing Rand say "Oh WOW!" and "Cool!" I made some biscuits and gravy (again, not healthy at all and our bodies hated us for a couple days) and we enjoyed some breakfast while watching Rand play with his new toys.

A few hours later, we got dressed and took Rand outside for his last present. Rand was so excited! Seeing your child so happy and excited just did it for us. 

It was a wonderful Christmas! 

Sankt Wendel Weihnachtsmarkt

Rob is over going to a Weihnachtsmarkt... I know, he is crazy. So I went with one of my dear friends to the one in Sankt Wendel. We got there pretty late so finding was a bit hard. Sankt Wendel is made up of two markets; the Mittelaltermarkt (Medieval Market) and the Weihnachtsmarkt. At the Medieval Market you can enjoy jugglers, dancers, musicians, magic tricks acrobatics and puppet shows. The booths are filled with wonderful crafts and delicious foods. You will also enjoy the camels and seeing the "Wisemen" riding them around the market.

I was so excited to try baumstriezel for the first time!

The Weihnachtsmarkt in St Wendel has this fun little section called Zum Zwergenwald (dwarf forest). It is this section you will find many decorated little huts filled with fun little puppets enjoying everyday activities.  

Trippstadt Weihnachtsmarkt

Over the river and through the woods to a Weihnachtsmarkt we go! If you want to experience a different kind of Christmas market located in the center of the Palatinate Forest, you do not want to miss out on the Trippstadt Christmas Market. The woodland scenery was a nice change to the city ones we have been in the past. In the evening, a large number of torches and bonfires create a romantic atmosphere but we headed out early before it got dark. 

About 70 booths offer culinary delicacies (like horse meat), Glühwein, Christmas cookies, crafts and much more. Christmas trees and venison for the Christmas roast are available as well – fresh and guaranteed from the Palatinate Forest. The children can enjoy horseback riding and the carousel.  They also offer a fire show on Saturday evenings. We enjoyed listening to the brass ensemble while walking around the woods market. They say there is a lack of parking so encourage taking a bus (no. 170) from Kaiserslautern main station but we found PLENTY of parking. We parked on the street but could of parked right next to the market in the large parking lot across the street.

Address: Johanniskreuz 1, 67705 Trippstadt

Bernkastel- Kues Weihnachtsmarkt

A couple years ago we went to a wine fest in Bernkastel-Kues. The town was so beautiful and I was looking forward to going back for their Christmas Market. We had a Christmas party that evening so we headed out in the morning so we could spend a few hours there before heading back home.

We parked across the Moselle (or Mosel) River near a grocery store (Edeka) by the bahnhof. On our walk to the bridge, we noticed the Saturday morning farmer's market was still set up in front of the train station. 

Bernkastel-Kues is known for being in the center of the wine growing on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district. Like I said before, we visited for a wine fest a couple years ago but for this trip we were more interested in some glühwein and some rides for Rand to enjoy.  

Tourist-Information

Gestade 6

54470 Bernkastel-Kues

 

Düsseldorf Weihnachtsmarkt

After leaving our rental in Köln we headed over to Düsseldorf for their Christmas Market. We tried to get there right when it opened but ran a bit behind on schedule (had a rough night with Rand so our morning didn't go as smoothly as planned). We go there close to lunch time and the place was packed! 

Düsseldorf was... okay. We probably wouldn't have gone except for the fact it was so close to Köln. Rob and I are not city people and I didn't feel the charm that other small European cities get. This place was bursting with fashion stores and art and every once in a while came up to a pocket of visual appealing architecture.  

Köln Weihnachtsmarkt

I have been wanting to go to Köln for the past 2 years... ever since I saw pictures of the cathedral on Pinterest. We took a quick overnight trip to see Köln and hit up Düsseldorf too.

The city of Köln (or Cologne) has been around for over 2,000 years. The twin-spired Cologne Cathedral (Dom) is breathtaking. It took over 600 years to construct! You are able to climb up and get a view from one of the spires. This city is full of beautiful buildings and amazing museums. We are not museum people and we were mostly there to see the Dom and hit up the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market).

Köln's Weihnachtsmarkt is actually made up of 4 separate markets; the Cathedral Market, the Old Town Market, the Angel's Market in the City (Neumarkt) and the Harbour Market. You can walk to all of them but we opted for the Christmas Market Express. It was about 8€ each and takes you to each market and a bit of a tour guide through the city. 

DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater and skirt

It is that time of year... pull out your Ugly Christmas Sweater! 

Rob and I never really got into UCS but we got invited to a party this year where we had to wear one. I decided to just make our own since I am cheap like that, lol. I drew up a pattern and cut out felt to attach onto an old sweater of my husband's. He loved it so much that he wore it to work! 

 I saw on Pinterest a cute idea where you attach a ton of bows onto a skirt. I did not have a skirt I was willing to ruin so made my own simple elastic waistband skirt with red felt. I separated the bows  (I bought 3 bags of 45each) into two piles to make sure I had enough for each side of the skirt. I also separated the bigger ones from the smaller to make sure they were evenly spaced on the skirt. I kept the paper intact on the bottom of the bow and just hot glued them down so I can re-use the bows. After I glued them all down, I put the elastic in the skirt and voila! I have the perfect skirt to wear to a Christmas party! I had some extra bows so plan on making a little headband to match.

Haribo

This place is awesome! I mean talk about a kid in a candy store! On our way up to Köln we made a pitstop at the Haribo store. Surrounding the store you will see the factory and tons of Haribo trucks. I was so excited to get a cart full go Haribo for super cheap.

This place had all sorts of fun shaped candies that you will not find at your local grocery store. They sell the standard size of goldenbaren for .60-.70 euros. If you want them in bulk, they have boxes in the Kg's you can take. They sell pretty much everything in multiple quantities, from small bags, to large bags, to buckets, to gift packs. They also have a few isles where you can mix up your own bag. The back of the store has an isle of all sorts of novelty items like pillows, bedding, umbrellas, towels, kitchenware and much more. 

They even had a kid section! They have a little ride, a talking and moving Haribo Bear, an interactive video game and a movie about the history of Haribo. Rand was more interested in getting some "gummies", especially the red ones. Down one of the many isles were big bags of the separated colors of gummy bears. Rand was so excited to have a big bag of just red gummies. 

• Haribo
• Friesdorfer Str. 121
  53175 Bonn
  Germany
  
  
  Tips:
  -Make sure to grab a cart and a box to put all your stuff in or bring bags of your own
  -Bring cash
  -make a list, especially if you want to buy gifts for people
  
  

Weihnachtsmarkt Favorites

When I first went shopping in Germany, I as VERY overwhelmed! It took a a lot of guessing and iTranslate uses to finally feel comfortable. Going to a Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) is just as overwhelming. Not only is it large and packed full of people but its all in another language. Some people speak English but it is still nerve wrecking and intimidating trying to say " eine Krautschupfnudeln bitte" without sounding like an idiot. 

Christmas markets are full of amazing vendors selling yummy foods and treats, adorable Christmas trinkets and one of a kind items perfect to give as presents for the holidays. 

Here are some of my favorite things to get at a Weihnachtsmarkt. Now, at all Christmas markets sell these items but most do and be sure to try them out!

1. Weihnachtssterne/ Papierstern Lampenschirme (Star lantern)
You can not help but stare at the beautiful paper lanterns lit up around the vendor's stall. You can buy these anywhere from 5-15€. They can be lit by a light bulb or a small bundle of lights. 

2. Glühwein Becher (Glühwein mug)
Glühwein (or mulled wine) is always a favorite at every Weihnachtsmarkt. You can also get the kinderpunsch (the alcohol free version) which I actually like a lot better or the Eierpunsch (kind of like an eggnog). They are served in a special mug that is unique to each market. Many collect them or you can return to the vendor to get your deposit back. The deposit ranges between 1,50€-6€. 

3. Krautschupfnudeln is a harmonious blend of spaetzle, sauerkraut, speck (cured pork or bacon) and in some cases cheese. Whenever I see this amazing dish for sale, I run over and buy it. It is so amazing! I will have to master making it myself for when I move back to the States.
If you feel like you will not enjoy this feel, no worries! :) The market is packed full of amazing foods. I know you will find something delicious! 

4. Lebkuchen is a traditional German baked Christmas treat, somewhat resembling gingerbread. They are made into different shapes, ranging from circles to stars to squares. Some are plain or have chocolate or nuts on top.

5.  Gewürze (spices)
This year I was on the hunt for some fresh herbs and spices. Last year I bought some fresh ginger for my homemade gingerbread cookie recipe and it was a hit! I needed more ginger and wanted to get some other fresh ingredients for other recipes. Be sure to translate your list of spices into German before you leave the house. 
This year my list: ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, oregano, nutmeg, cayenne pepper (ngwer, Zimt, Kurkuma, Oregano, Muskatnuss, Cayennepfeffer) 

6. Räuchermann (incense smoke)
I started collecting these decorative incense burners a few years ago. Each figurine comes apart and holds a small incense cone. When lit, the smoke floats out of the figure’s mouth to make him look like he’s smoking. They are sold in many different styles and sizes. I like the more traditional ones best: craftsmen, miners, night watchmen but they do sell more modern ones like athletes and such.

7. Adventskranz (Advent wreath)
If you live near a blumen shop, I highly recommend ordering an advent wreath from them. That way you can pick out colors and support small, local businesses. If not, no worries :) You can buy one ready to go from a vendor at the Weihnachtsmarkt. One candle is lit on each Sunday in Decemeber, to represent the countdown to Christmas. Here is a bit more info on the Adventskranz. 

Weihnachtsbäume

This past week has been a little nuts in the Galey household! As soon as we got back from Italy, I had to build stock to sell for an upcoming craft bazaar the following weekend. My house looked like a fabric store blew up. The last thing on my mind was decorating for Christmas. As soon as I got home from the craft bazaar, I cleaned house and prepared for a Christmas tree. A friend reccomended a local Weihnachtsbäume farm in Steinwenden. 

They had a great selection and the prices were very reasonable. We picked a great tree and it only cost 25€! I also picked up some scraps for 4€ to make some wreaths. The owner was very sweet. She didn't know any english but we figured it all out, lol. She loved Rand. She kept offering him Ritter chocolates and Rand was chasing her around the property. 

When we paid for the tree, she offered us some Holiday schnapps and more chocolate for Rand.

Rand had a blast helping us carry in the tree and setting it up in the house. He kept hiding behind it and jumping out at us!

 All decorated for Christmas and even Rand got into the Christmas spirit and shared his interpretation of the Nativity story with Thomas the train and a dinosaur.