lundi 10 novembre 2014

10 things from France as Christmas presents / 10 idées cadeaux françaises pour Noël



Si vous voulez revenir de France avec des cadeaux typiques de mon pays, voici une liste de 10 objets qui changeront des habituels marques de mode et de luxe.
If you want to come back from France with typical gifts from my beloved country, here's a list of 10 things that will certainly change from the usual "mode & luxe" brands.

1/ Une nappe en tissu catalan ou tous autres produits de Les Toiles du Soleil. L'une des boutiques perpignanaises qui me manque le plus, c'est sans nul doute la Maison Quinta. Ils vendaient les créations de Les Toiles du Soleil. Heureusement, maintenant on peut aussi commander par internet!
A tablecloth in catalan fabric or any other product from Les Toiles du Soleil. One of the shops in Perpignan I miss the most is without any doubt Maison Quinta. They were selling the creation of Les Toiles du Soleil. However with the web, we can now order on line. Yeah!


Modèle Tsar, édition limitée. Les Toiles du Soleil





2/ Des bols en porcelaine blanche ou de couleurs... Vous pouvez en trouver dans les 4 boutiques parisiennes de La Vaissellerie.
Bowls in white porcelain or with colors. You can find some at La Vaissellerie. They has 4 shops in Paris.

La Vaisselerie, Paris.


3/ Un panier garni du Sud-Ouest. Deux possibilités: vous achetez un contenant dans une boutique de votre choix et vous faites vos emplettes chez un épicier près de votre lieu de séjour, ou alors vous achetez un panier garni déjà prêt à emporter. Dans les deux cas, vous avez l'embarras du choix quant aux délices à offrir: confit de canard, foie gras d'oie, pruneaux à l'Armagnac, pâtés aux cèpes ou aux truffes, châtaignes... 
A gift basket of products from the South-West of France. Two possibilities: you buy a "basket" in a shop and then you do a bit of shopping in a grocery store near your vacation place, or you buy one gift basket "to go". In both case, you are quite spoiled for choice with what to offer: duck confit, goose foie gras, prunes in Armagnac, terrine with ceps or truffles, chesnuts...



4/ Un CD ou DVD d'une comédie musicale francophone. Depuis une quinzaine d'années, les comédies musicales francophones se sont développées et leur qualité s'est améliorée. Selon les goûts de la personne à qui vous voulez offrir le DVD ou le CD, vous pouvez trouver des comédies mêlées d'aventures, des tragédies, ou encore des drames historiques. Vous avez ici quelques unes d'entre elles.
A CD or a DVD about a french musical. For around fifhteen years, the french musicals have been of better quality. Depending of the tastes of the one you wish to give the DVD or CD, you will find musicals like comedy/adventures, tragedy or historical drama. Here are a few of them.

Notre-Dame de Paris (une comédie musicale incontournable). Adaptation du roman de Victor Hugo.

Les Dix commandements. Adaptation de l'histoire de Moïse dans la Bible.

Le Roi Soleil. Adaptation de la biographie de Louis XIV, roi de France.

1789, les Amants de la Bastille. Fiction autour des événements menant à la Révolution française.

Roméo et Juliette, de la haine à l'amour. Adaptation de la pièce de théâtre de William Shakespeare.

Cléôpatre. Adaptation de la vie de Cléôpatre VII, dernière reine d'Egypte.

Mozart, l'Opéra Rock. Adaptation "rock" de la vie de Mozart.

Le Soldat Rose. Récit original (très bien pour les enfants).



5/ Un livre de paysages français (pour donner envie de passer des vacances dans une des régions de France) A book about french landscapes (to have the desire to come back later)
Decitre.fr

6/ Un livre de recettes françaises. Par exemple:
A french cook book. For example:
fnac.com
And on David Lebovitz's blog, you will find 5 reviews of french cook book written in english.



7/ Un santon... ou toute une crèche? De Provence ou Catalans, les santons sont des personnages indissociables des Noëls autour de la Méditerranée française. Sur le site la Crèche du Chêne, j'ai trouvé une carte recensant tous les santonniers français. Pratique non? Ci-après, trois exemples très différents de santons réalisées par des santonnières.
A santon... or a whole Christmas crib? From provence or Catalans, the santons are inseperable from the Christmas traditions near the Meditteranean Sea. On the website La Crèche du Chêne, I have found a map locating all the santons makers in France. Very useful! You will find below three very different examples of santons made by women santonniers.

Santons fabriqués en Catalogne du Nord / Santons made in North Catalogne: 
Dans le Vaucluse: Magali Mille-Montagard, La Crémade



8/ Un pull marinière. C'est le pull emblématique des matelots de la Marine Nationale française.
Armor-lux en fait pour femmes, hommes et enfants.
A marine pull. It's a iconic clothe of the Nationale Marine sailor. The french tailor Armor-lux makes them for men, women and children.



9/ De la moutarde et/ou de la mayonnaise de Dijon. LES marques françaises les plus connues sont Maille et Amora. Personnelement, je préfère celles faites par Maille. De nombreuses moutardes dé-li-cieuses sont proposées et j'adore leurs pots...
Mustard or mayonnaise from Dijon. THE most know brands are Amora and Maille. Personaly, I like better Maille. They have a wide choice of mustards de-li-cious and I love the jars!
Maille.com
10/ Un mélange de confiseries françaises: / A mix of french sweets: pastille de Vichy, violette de Toulouse et berlingot lyonnais, bêtise de Cambrai, caramel au beurre salé de Bretagne, calisson d'Aix, touron catalan, etc.
***§§§***

  festive family holiday hop and gift guide giveaway button.jpg

I've partnered with 30+ fabulous bloggers to bring you a special holiday series packed with crafts, activities, and festive family traditions. We've put together a phenomenal giveaway to help knock out your holiday shopping. From 11/3–11/17, you will have the opportunity to win 1 of 4 prize bundles for men, women, kids, and babies! The 4 prize bundles, valued at over $1,800, include gift certificates, toys, jewelry, and more!

For more informations, there's a page dedicated to this event!


samedi 8 novembre 2014

Martins Markt 2014



It's so strange for me to think that it has been already one year since our first festival in Oberursel. It was the Halloween rallye back then. This year, Martins Markt was following Halloween so we had 3 days of activities possible. I went on a hunt for the different spots where the kids could draw, make small ghosts, have some make up or eat treats on Friday the 31st in the afternoon. And Saturday the 1st of November, the four of us toured the historical market. Wandering between the booths and eating some bratwursts on this cold and foggy day was so great for me. It has a nostalgic feeling that swept me off my feet.

C'est étrange pour moi de voir qu'un an est déjà passé depuis notre première fête à Oberursel. C'était à l'époque le rallye d'Halloween. Cette année, le marché de la St Martin a suivi directement Halloween et nous avons donc eu 3 jours d'activités dans la ville. J'ai participé le Vendredi 31 dans l'après-midi à une chasse aux activités où les enfants pouvaient dessiner, fabriquer de petits fantômes, être maquillés ou encore manger des sucreries. Et le Samedi 1er novembre, tous les quatre nous avons fait le tour du marché historique. Déambuler entre les étals et manger une bratwurst en ce jour brumeux et froid fut un grand moment pour moi. Il y avait un je ne sais quoi de nostalgique qui m'a envoûté.

Foggy day! Not many people at 10am... well, the market has just opened!
Journée brumeuse! pas grand monde à 10h du matin... mais bon, le marché vient à peine de commencer!

Sir Longpepper: der Hüter der Gewürze (the Spices' keeper). Hans & Ingrid Wagner sell "Premium Gewürze" (fine spices) on historical markets in Germany. They are so kind and their products smell wonderful! Contact infos here.Sir Longpepper: der Hüter der Gewürze (le gardien des épices). hans et Ingrid Wagner vendent des Epices de première qualité sur les marchés historiques allemands. Ils sont d'une grande gentillesse et leurs produits sentent tellement bons! Pour les contacter, c'est ici.

Buy a wood sword and paint it with your favourite colors.
Achetez une épée en bois et peignez-la avec vos couleurs préférées.
Crossbow! / Tir à l'arbalète!

I have bought an ocarina for Gabriel and also a booklet with Christmas songs. The ocarinas are made in Hungary. The young woman on the picture is the tuner. She works with a potter in Budapest. If you want more infos about these ocarinas: hosen@t-email.hu  or  julia.kasa@gmail.com
J'ai acheté pour Gabriel un ocarina et un petit livret avec des chansons de Noël. Ils sont fabriqués en Hongrie. La jeune femme sur la photo est celle qui accorde les ocarinas. Elle travaille en collaboration avec un potier de Budapest. Si vous voulez plus d'infos: hosen@t-email.hu  ou  julia.kasa@gmail.com

mercredi 5 novembre 2014

Thanks Cards as Place Settings [Festive Family Holiday]

When we invite people to our home, for a festive occasion or just to be together for a few hours, we usually are happy to have them over. They are certainly grateful for the invitation and have perhaps brought some flowers, drink or even a dish, meanwhile we thank them to be our friends or family members. Why not let them go back home with a sweet reminder of their visit?

My mother-in-law makes each year for Christmas place settings for the guests. As the host, she spends time to write a menu and cook the dishes. She decorates the table, brings the presents under the tree during the night (we open them on Christmas morning) and prepares the small cards with the guests' names. I love them. They are colorful, with pictures or stickers about all things Christmasy and most importantly, she writes a personal note. She quotes the Scriptures and tells something kind to the recipient. The kids are always eager to look at their place setting. Of course, we have to make them wait to read the note right before we have lunch... It's part of the tradition!



As you can see, it's very easy to make during "family time": parents and children together, thinking about the people they like and creating simple and lovely thanks cards. It must be a quick, meaningful and fun activity. Don't try to imitate the professionals if you're not one... Draw your creative and time limits, so less stress and everyone will remember it in a positive way (and hopefully, you will be able to do it again!)

You will need:
Sheets of papers (A4) in the colors of your choice
Pencil
Ruler
Pens in the colors of your choice (like gold, silver, glossy, etc)
Pictures cut in Holiday Season magazines OR stickers OR masking /washi tape

  • Depending on the size you want for your cards, you will draw two or three columns. I choose to divide it in 3 columns and 5 rows. One piece for a small place setting, and two pieces for a bigger one.

  • Write a kind note inside the card or a famous quote / Scriptures quote.

  • On the front, decorate however you wish, but don't forget to leave some place to write the name of your guest on it! 


Here in Germany, they have many craft supplies quite "cheap", especially if you look in the discount supermarket such as PennyMarkt, Lidl or Aldi. It's even more difficult to not buy  some of their products when I go shopping for food than to find something you like! (I totally "indulge" myself on Monday... now I have all the children and I need for our Christmas and New Year's cards!)



Yeah, I already prepared some for the friends I will invite around Christmas time... So for the intended, you know you have to save one evening in December to come in our (very soon new) flat. And you will have to wait until then to know what is written on it! 


***§§§***

festive family holiday hop and gift guide giveaway button.jpg

Festive Family Holiday: Blog hop and Giveaway

I've partnered with 30+ fabulous bloggers to bring you a special holiday series packed with crafts, activities, and festive family traditions. We've put together a phenomenal giveaway to help knock out your holiday shopping. From 11/3–11/17, you will have the opportunity to win 1 of 4 prize bundles for men, women, kids, and babies! The 4 prize bundles, valued at over $1,800, include gift certificates, toys, jewelry, and more!


For more informations about these very special two weeks, 
go on the main page on Bare Foot on the Dashboard, the creator and host of this event.


Today's posts are about
Thankful Traditions

Family Thankfulness Jar from The Realistic Mama


You can also find all the posts on our Pinterest board:
festive family holiday gift guide giveaway $1800 in prizes.jpg


lundi 3 novembre 2014

Charitable Act: Shoe boxes filled with presents [Festive Family Holiday]

This year, one of my friend organized for our church ward to take part in one of the biggest charity Christmas project there is in Germany: Weihnachten im Schuhkarton. It means "Christmas in a shoe box" and targets children in need in East European countries.

What does it entail? Well... See for yourself:



1/ Grab a shoe box.

2/ Put some Chritsmas wrapping paper on the box. The top and the bottom must be wrapped separately. [Not easily done as you can see on the picture on the right top corner...]

3/ Then, you can choose if the box will be for a boy or a girl, and also the age target [picture on the right bottom].

4/ Fill the box with small presents: gloves and scarfs, winter thights, socks; teddy bears, plush toys, small puzzles, games; basic hygiene products such as tooth brush, toothpast, comb, elastic hairbands... There's some fordidden things to put in the packet like liquids (shampoo for example), toys needing battery, breakables, etc.

5/ You can add a Christmas card - home made or bought - and write a note for the kid who will receive your gift. And even if they do not understand your language, it seems that many children write back (you will have to be patient, it can take nearly a whole year). A woman who was in our ward the day we presented the project told us that she was from Düssedorf, that she did it last year and that she received a nice letter not too long ago. [I totally forgot to take a photo of my 3 cards]

6/ When you have filled your box, put the sticker on the top and use an elastic band or a ribbon to close it.

7/ Finally, gather your box and 6€, and bring them to one of the pick up point. (for me, it's my chapel...) The 6€ will cover the cost of the "delivery" and all the other requiered tasks (finding local associations that know the needs of the population, advertisement, stickers we have to stick on the boxes, etc)


I know that this concept of gifts in a shoe box is not only used in german speaking countries but also in many others. In fact, it comes from the USA and it works since 1990 (see informations here). Depending on where you live, the presents will be delivered in different countries (East Europa for Germany, Austria and Switzerland for example).
  • For USA, I have found the Operation Christmas Child organized by Samaritan's Purse International Relief.
  • For Australia and New Zealand, you can also prepare a box for Samaritan's Purse.
  • In the following countries, Operation Christmas Child is also present: Canada, Finland, Japan, Spain and UK / Ireland.
  • For UK, your can also help Smile International, an association doing the same thing for children in need in the whole world. For this year, it will be a bit late, but save the information for next year!

For me, Christmas time has always been a reminder of the value of giving and sharing, of Love and Service and of course of Jesus' example. Each year, my husband and I give something to an association. This year it will be Operation Christmas Child. And you, whichever the Holiday you hold dear to your heart, will you be generous with others?


***§§§***

festive family giveaway hop and gift guide giveaway.jpg

Festive Family Holiday: Blog hop and Giveaway

I've partnered with 30+ fabulous bloggers to bring you a special holiday series packed with crafts, activities, and festive family traditions. We've put together a phenomenal giveaway to help knock out your holiday shopping. From 11/3–11/17, you will have the opportunity to win 1 of 4 prize bundles for men, women, kids, and babies! The 4 prize bundles, valued at over $1,800, include gift certificates, toys, jewelry, and more!



For more informations about these very special two weeks, 
go on the main page on Bare Foot on the Dashboard, the creator and host of this event.


Today's posts are about
Sharing the Joy of the Season



You can also find all the posts on our Pinterest board:

festive family holiday gift guide giveaway $1800 in prizes.jpg

dimanche 2 novembre 2014

Champignons! / Mushrooms!


Voici quelques spécimens de champignons aperçus lors de mes promenades au mois d'octobre, à Schmitten et Oberursel. Comme la mycologie et moi ne sommes pas particulièrement amies, je les ai laissé bien tranquilles dans le sous-bois!

Here are some specimens of mushrooms I have seen during my October's strolls in the forest, in Oberursel and in Schmitten. As mycology and I are not particularly friends, I let them live peacefully in the undergrowth!

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