A Different Mother's Day

So far, today has been a great day! The Hubs brought me breakfast in bed, we have a short hike scheduled for later in the day, and phone calls to make to our loved ones later this evening.

You would never know this was Mother's Day except for the phone calls back home.

What I realized this morning, is that everyone has a different view of this day. Some of us live far away from our mothers, so phone calls will have to do. Some of us take our moms to lunch and celebrate in person. Some of us have kids of our own that pamper us today. And some of us don't have kids at all. Others of us have lost our moms. Some have lost their children. Some of us are adopted and don't know our birth mothers, and still others of us are searching for their forever family. Some of us are a combination of all these.

Today can bring love, laughter, despair, sadness… the whole spectrum of emotions.

My mom and I at Graceland a few years ago

You might know this already, but the Hubs and I don't have children. And likely never will. This wasn't our choice, but it is the path we're on. I'm lucky enough that my mom is still with me on this earth, but I feel for those who don't have that luxury. I can't imagine life without my mama.

So, I just want to say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to everyone I know, no matter what your situation. Get out there, enjoy today, and spoil yourself a little. Or let others spoil you instead! We're all at a different place in life, but we fit somewhere in that mix. You're not alone. Today is not just a day for those people with small children running around. It's for everyone, you included, in some way, shape, or form.

Much love, my friends! I hope you have an excellent day, and I'll be talking to you again soon!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Girls Night In!

Have you ever seen the movie Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah? If the answer is no, you should probably watch it. Especially if you like fluffy girl movies. Which I do.

Anyway! I thought this was a cute movie. I was watching it one night shortly after we moved to Germany, when I suddenly realized… 

… much of this movie takes place, and was filmed, only a few short hours away from where I'm currently living!! Do you know what this means???

I can go visit there! And I totally did. Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it soon. 

You probably think I'm nuts, but little things like this excite me. I got my friends all stirred up about it too, so they came with me. Before the trip, we decided to have a girls night in with food and wine, and a showing of the movie. 

Fun, yes? 

Meat and veggie platters

Cheese tray from around the world

Chocolate fondue and dippers! 

We piled our plates high, poured ourselves some wine, and snuggled down with fuzzy blankets to watch the show. Much of the movie takes place in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in the Czech Republic. We loved exploring this town, and I'm excited to share all the stories and pics with you! 

In the meantime, I'm passing along my chocolate fondue recipe to you, in case you'd like to host a Girls Night In yourself...

This recipe is super simple. In your electric fondue pot (if you're using a sterno candle, then do this in a double boiler first and transfer to your fondue pot), combine the following: 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 ounces milk chocolate chips, 2 cups heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons butter. Warm over low heat until melted and smooth. Then dip your favorite stuff into the chocolate, and enjoy! 

As always peeps, the standard recipe is below. And I've included a list of "dipper" suggestions too. Until next time, happy cooking! I'll be back soon with the details from our trip, so stay tuned.  

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Basic Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients:

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

16 ounces (2 cups) heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

If you’re using an electric fondue pot, turn the heat on low. Add all ingredients to the pot and stir until melted and smooth. Serve with your favorite dippers.

If you’re not using an electric fondue pot, melt the ingredients together in a double boiler. Once smooth, transfer to your fondue pot and keep warm with a sterno.

Dipper Suggestions: Marshmallows, pound cake, strawberries, bananas, graham crackers, pretzels, salty potato chips, cooked bacon, brownie bites, maraschino cherries, apple slices, pineapple, biscotti, soft caramels, meringue cookies

Dirndl Shopping

While I was sick, I missed out on a cool trip that our Hohenfels ACS took… trachten shopping! I know, you're wondering what that is, aren't you?

Me too. 

See, I missed the class! So I didn't get to find out all the cool history that goes along with these traditional outfits. And now I can't pass that info along to you either. 

Sigh.

What I do know is very little, but I'm happy to share that with you. Trachten refers to the traditional dress of many German-speaking peoples. The women's dress is called a dirndl, and the men's clothing is called lederhosen. These are worn to all of the festivals, including Oktoberfest. 

These are not costumes.

They are not for Halloween.

Do not forget this or you shall be shunned.

Seriously. 

Lucky for me, a few of my gal pals were going shopping later the next week, and I was better by then! So I managed to find and purchase my very own dirndl. I'll catch up on the history the next time the class rolls around. 

Trachten store in Regensburg

We picked a chain store called Moser to begin our shopping in. If you want to visit the same shop we did, here is the GPS address:

MOSER Trachten GmbH
Donaustaufer Strasse 172b
93059 Regensburg

We spent hours trying on dirndls, shirts, special bras, aprons, necklaces, shoes… a lot more goes into purchasing one of these than you think! Converting our American sizes was no easy feat, but we had an extremely helpful store clerk. The fit of your dress is extremely important. 

Here we are with our gear on: (pay no attention to socks, horses, etc. Haha)

Aren't we cute?! I can't wait to wear mine to a festival soon. 

Prices for these outfits range from about 100 Euros up to thousands of Euros. I'm not kidding. And that's just for the base. Usually, this price doesn't include the shirt, bra, shoes, socks (yep, there are special, decorative socks!), or jewelry. Or the purses. Or the special cardigans for winter. 

Like I said, this is not a Halloween costume. 

However. We were very lucky to have a secret tip to share. In the back of the store is an "outlet" section, with lots of discounted pieces. The trick is that this area remains locked unless you ask for the key. 

We totally asked for the key. And I got a great deal on my whole dress! 

I haven't taken the Hubs shopping yet, but I can't wait. Sadly, the men's clothing is just as expensive, if not more. I'll keep you updated as we go along, and I'll be sure to take pictures too. Until next time my friends, happy shopping! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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