Charity Work

(Didn't plan on keeping up te theme of the last post, but guess it's on my mind.)  Ever since our 4 month old labrador puppy died we have been wanting to do something in her memory.  We actually wanted the three of us to do charity work with animals but to be honest it's not been easy finding something where they allow a 6yr old to join.  The holidays rolled around and the planning was put on the back burner until the new year.

But the feeling hasn't gone away, this need to help.  As Sinterklaas (Dutch holiday) and Christmas passed, I was overwhelmed with access around us.  And I don't mean our home alone, I mean the packed stores, the list of presents you hear people received, the endless parties full of food and drinks.  It made me think of the less fortunate... it made me often think if them.  Here some many people are ticking off their wish list when so many people have nothing or are extremely struggling.  I again expressed to my husband how much I want to sign up somewhere to offer our time.  But when you sign both parents up you start dealing with babysitters and logistics.

Then I was talking to my mother-in-law and she was having the same feelings as me, and we have decided to start exploring our options.  We hope to at least volunteer one time a month and see where it goes from there.  She is collecting a list of local places we can volunteer, and I can't wait to sit down with her and finally pick something.  Less talk and more action!

Do any of you volunteer?  If so, what have you found to be the most beneficial?  And for those of you in the Eindhoven area, do you recommend a place to volunteer?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste! Salut!

:) Danica

Nature Helps

My head has been swirling lately, and to be honest the creativity has been temporarily sucked out of me.  Why?  My kindergartner (group 1) is having a hard time adjusting to full school days at her new school.  There are a lot of tears and stomach aches, and I don't mean just her.

As my husband took her to school this morning (trying anything to help), I wanted to just stay inside in my pajamas and give into the sadness.  But we all know that's not the answer.  So I turned to nature, it's beautiful, calming, refreshing, and above all it makes my dog happy.  And it's nice to see someone in the house happy. 

We went for a wonderfully long morning walk through farm land here in the middle of Eindhoven.  And I thought I'd share some of the pics I snapped along the way.

And if any of you have any tips on dealing with children & school separation anxiety please leave a comment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Primark - Eindhoven

So back in November the largest Primark in the Benelux opened in Eindhoven.  To be honest, I had never heard of Primark until then.  Turns out its a British/Irish clothing retailer that sells clothes and what not at ridiculously low prices.  Seems like a great store for a frugal shopper like myself, except I hated the hype behind it all and refused to step foot inside until last week.  From the day it opened it has been insanely busy.  During the opening there were lines up and down the street.  Weeks later there was security letting people in and out to help control the chaos.  And last week, over 6 months after the opening it was still packed!

If it wasn't for wanting an outfit for a theme park and not wanting to pay more than €10 I probably never would have gone into the department store.  See theoretically I didn't need an outfit for the theme park, but I knew the year before walking around in wet jean shorts after the log flume wasn't the most pleasant experience.  My main goal was a pair of board shorts or even thin shorts that would quickly dry, and luckily I found them within 5 minutes of being in the store.  Good thing, because the chaos around us was starting to get to me.  I don't mind a crowd, but swarms of mostly women frantically going through racks and stacks of clothes is more than anyone can take.  Being that the store was new to me and the sizing was based on UK sizes, I decided I should try on the shorts so that I wouldn't have to return to the store.  We fought our way to the back and my mouth fell open when I saw the line for the changing room looping around the jeans section.  It was 11am on a Wednesday!  O.k., there went trying it on, I was going to have to hope for the best and return them if needed.  When we reached the cash register I saw the line was nearly as long as for the changing rooms.  But there were at least 10 registers open, so there was hope.  (It's so busy they even have digital boards to let you know which register is open, never seen this at a department store!)  Once outside the store we took a breath of relief and both swore we would never go back.

That was until I realized the only shirt I had to match the shorts was white, and I wasn't looking for a wet t-shirt contest at the theme park.  Oh no, this meant we were going to have to go back!  So on a Thursday at 2:30pm we returned, and it was still packed.  Almost hard to believe!

Needless to say we survived.  Found shorts for €4 and a t-shirt for €3!  Was it worth the stress and chaos... I think so.  Will I go back... damn, probably.  With prices like that I am starting to understand why all around the center of Eindhoven I see people carrying the brown paper Primark bags!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Wordless Wednesday #88

Been a while, thought I'd throw this one out there!

Check my blog hop page for WW link-ups! 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Perks of Downtown

Downtown, the center, anyway you want to call it, it's where we live in Eindhoven.  Right smack in the middle of things, and we love it.  (If only we had a house & yard, but hey, can't have it all!)  This past weekend besides all of the World Cup action in town, there was the Guus Meeuwis concert.  He is an insanely popular Dutch singer/songwriter.  For three days parts of town were impossible to get to due to the roads around the PSV stadium being closed off for the concert.

Apparently my husband had tickets but decided to give them to a couple he knew would appreciate them more.  And he's right, it would have been fun but I know all of one song.  And the other couple had the night of their lives.  Even though we didn't go we were still able to enjoy the concert at home.  How?  I mentioned we lived in the center of town right... well the sound from the stadium echoed through town all the way to the terrace of our apartment.  We didn't spend long outside listening, but we did enjoy a couple numbers.  It was amazing, not because of the lone man singing on stage, it was the thousands of people singing along that made it so incredible.  It was a interesting moment, closing our eyes and taking in the sounds just ten minutes away.  These are some of the things we will miss once we sell our apartment, so it was nice taking in the moment.

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Feel Good Market

Yesterday we stumbled upon a fun new market here in Eindhoven.  It's called the Feel Good Market.  And honestly, the name is perfect.  As soon as we entered we felt it was right for us.  The music, the food, the people - we fit right in! 

(It's located in a renovated part of Eindhoven not far from the center, called Strijp-S.  Instead tearing down an old factory and industrial area, they have converted it to apartments, shops, restaurants, bars, skate park, and concert area.  Nice knowing they didn't just let it go to waste, considering all the years it sat abandoned.)

There were people spread all over a field, eating, drinking relaxing.  There was a great band playing, Rock 'n Roll Circus (Rolling Stones tribute band).  There was great food, ranging from organic everything to Middle Eastern, Argentinean, & Greek.  There was also lots of stands with vintage or hand made clothing, accessories, bags, pillows, you name it.  There was a bouncy house and huge pile of sand for the kids, and even our dog was welcome.

 

It was a great find and a great way to round off Father's Day.

 

The Feel Good Market is every 3rd Sunday of the month, so I'll be sure to put the next one on our calendar!  If you live in the area you really should check it out!

 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

BBQ in the park

A couple weekends ago my husband arranged a bbq in the park.  For some reason the moms panicked, it sounded like more effort than it was worth.  Were we really going to drag our charcoal grill to the park?  Is a bbq in the public park allowed?  What happens when the kids need to pee?  Can we really keep the food and drinks cold that long?  What about dishes, blankets, etc?  We came up with an immediate lists of why not to have a bbq.

But then as the week passed and the weekend neared, I started to change my mind.  I realized how ridiculous we were being, and even if it was a huge effort it would be worth it.  Hey, we only live once (trying to think about this more often). 

And you know what, it turned out to be great.  The kids played and played.  The Dads cooked, the Moms relaxed on the blankets & soaked up the sun.  And we even spoiled ourselves by bringing along music, between the Surface & a guitar we were set!  After all was said and done, one family walked home & the other biked.  And us, we loaded all the bbq supplies in our SUV, left it for the night, and walked home ourselves.  It was a great day!

The point of this post - enjoy life & stop making everything such a big deal!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Morning Drive

Nothing like an early morning drive on the empty streets of the city... that is unless you're driving yourself to the hospital.  I stupidly cut my leg open just before midnight and it was still bleeding this morning so off to the hospital I went.

See, when the dish washing cycle ends I always open the door, pull the racks partially out, and let them air dry.  My husband is always complaining that it's dangerous and someone might hurt themselves on it.  Well, it happened... luckily to me and not my daughter or husband.  Guess I learned my lesson!

It was the middle of the night and I didn't bother to turn the kitchen light on.  Next thing I know I tripped over the open dishwasher.  I tried my best not to fall on top of it, didn't want to break the door or myself, but my left leg didn't quite make it.  I ended up on top of the silverware holder.  Not really sure what cut my leg (a lovely jelly bean shaped gash), could have been the silverware holder itself or the two knives lying on the ground next to a small puddle of blood, yuck!  Nice discovery when I turned the light on!!!

 

My husband was out on the town with friends, so of course I called him home to help.  I don't handle these situations well and panicked, I could barely breath and was shaking.  He rushed home, wrapped me up, and sent me to bed.  Of course the pain and concern made it difficult to sleep.  And every time I checked the wound it was still bleeding.  And when daylight rolled around I knew I had to do something about it, the bleeding wasn't going to stop on its own.  Not wanting to wake up my daughter, I left the family in bed and drove myself to the hospital to get it checked out.  Turns out I needed 3 stitches, and probably should have gone a lot sooner.  And according to the doctor I'm going to have a nice little reminder, a "L" shaped scar on my thigh.

Needless to say I will not be leaving the dishwasher wide open for extended periods of time anymore.  I was also worried about it affecting my jogging, jeez I just started again, but the doctor said I can jog with stitches... not sure if I feel the same, we'll see. 

 

Like I mentioned I'm a complete wuss when it comes to this kind of stuff and almost puked while they were stitching me up.  Some how I managed to visit the hospital when there were no other patients in the waiting room, luckily because I can't handle that stuff either.  By the time I was supposed to leave I was light headed and shaky, and the nurse was afraid I was going to faint.  They let me gather myself in the waiting room with a cup of water before driving back home.  Did I mention the parking lot of this portion of the hospital is slanted, who's idea was that, let's make patients walk up and down a hill just to get treated!!!

Anyways, I'm back home but I wouldn't say I've had any time to rest yet... the beauty of being a parent!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

What's Happening?

If you're not interested in reading me grumbling about crime in our area then I would skip this post over...

What's happening?  When I first moved to The Netherlands over 10yrs ago it took me a long to get used to how safe it is was.  It was hard for me to comprehend that I could walk down the street alone at night... that I never had to consider locking the doors of the car as we drove... that the kids hanging on the corner were still harmless, just big mouths... and that if you got into a confrontation a gun wouldn't even come to mind.  But now, one of the major bonuses of living in The Netherlands is starting to change.  Sure, there was always crime in the big cities or petty crime here & there in the smaller ones.  But lately every time I open the local online news I'm reading of more and more serious crimes, ones comparable to where I came from in The States, ones that didn't used to be so abundant here in the past.  Within the past 2 months there have been at least 2 store robberies at gun point, one was even across the street from my child's elementary!  (And another in a town not so far away.)  Then this evening I open the news again, and 2 gas stations within 10 minutes of our apartment were held up at knife point, then there was a 3rd across town.  The Netherlands has so much to offer, a healthy living style, great health insurance for the children, clean streets & parks (of course all paid for by the extreme amount of tax people pay, but that's besides the point).  Crime seems to be on the rise, guns are starting to become more prevalent despite the strict laws.  And besides weapons, it seems like some of the people are changing or maybe the numbers of criminals are increasing... it seems as if they have less respect for the world around them.  I hope this isn't true.

In The States, I can barely watch the news, they often use scare tactics to get viewers or get people hooked waiting for the next update.  And it often seems like endless negative report after another.  Maybe that's what's happening here.  Maybe the crime was there all along and the media just never focused on it.  But now they are, and the scare tactics are working.  It makes me question the safety of Eindhoven, makes me wonder if it's still the right place for us.  Everywhere has its pluses and minuses, I guess I'm just surprised as to what is happening here, somewhere I didn't expect.  I try and tell myself no matter where you go in the world there is crime, just some places worse than others.  I enjoyed living with little concern about crime around us, but I guess that was naïve anyway. 

Sorry for the depressing post, and I promise I will get around to happy fun posts about our vacation to Florida.

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

The Graduates

A lot of people seem to be afraid of young hairdressers right out of school... I have a different view... I look at them as excited talent with a lot of new ideas and all the latest, trendy, & fresh training under their belt!  Who knows more about make-up  & hair than the teens / 20 yr olds who devote a lot of their spare time to it!  I know I invested a lot more time in that kind of stuff when I was younger.

Being said, I have found a salon in Eindhoven that supplies just this!  The Graduates!  Their entire system is based on upcoming hair dressers that are often rotated between 3 locations (Amsterdam, Utrecht, & Eindhoven).  These women are constantly learning (even though they already have their degrees), which means they always know what's popular in the market!  And the salon itself is hip, just like the people working there!  And an added bonus are the trend boards displayed around the salon.

 

When you walk in you get a personal consult in the "living room".  Then the hair dresser runs your combined ideas by her "coach".  After that she gets started, all the while giving in depth explanations of the products and maneuvers.  And just before she finishes the "coach" pops by to double check her work and add any beneficial commentary / ideas.

I've never been afraid to give a studying hairdresser a chance, remember my post from 2012 about my free hair cut (luckily it went well).  The women at The Graduates are very professional and if I didn't know better I wouldn't have realized they were fresh out of school.

So far I've been there 3 times, the first 2 times Jamie cut my hair, and this past time Marnie.  They both have different techniques and input but I must admit Marnie did a rockin' job and I hope she'll be there when my hair gets too long & out of control again.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with going to a trusted hairdresser with their own salon and a packed client list... but have you ever wondered when they last had time to attend a training or why the books lying around their shop are starting to turn yellow?  If you're in the Eindhoven area please give The Graduates a chance, you'll be impressed.  And we both get discounts if you give me a heads up (I have a promo card)!

Of course I threw in some pics for you... and obviously I'm happy with the result of the hair mask and cut!  Wish I could just recreate it at home, but she did give me some tips to help!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

School Vacation

This week the schools are out here, which means finding a way to entertain my 4yr old, all day.  And apparently she doesn't consider doing the laundry, vacuuming, or going to the grocery store entertainment, ha-ha!!!  I think I've done pretty well though - even though it's Thursday and I'm exhausted... she's still up watching a movie with her cousins.

Walking the dog in the woods has become part of our day, it really helps to pass a good chunk of time, keeps her moving, and entertained.  Who knew you could collect that many acorns?!  (Walking the dog in the woods is a usual activity for me but she is generally at school during that time.)

We've also gone to the public pool, which is one of the largest in the area with slides and all kinds of fun things.  This helped keep up with her swimming lessons, wear her down, and keep her entertained.  (As for me, I also had water aerobics that night and felt like a walking chlorine tablet by bedtime.)

There was also the playdate with an old friend from her preschool.  I must admit the weather is great here right now, so visiting the local farm, feeding the ducks, and the "gnome search" set-up in the herb garden was fun.  (Watching a man losing his shoe in the canal was just an added bonus!)

Then we had my nieces (9 & 12) over for the day and now they're spending the night.  We barely stopped... more than an hour in the woods collecting plants and what not, placing our collections in pots back home, hitting up the grocery store (putting them to work pushing the cart), visiting 2 different playgrounds, making endless messes around the house including them drawing all over themselves, and now a movie in bed.  (And oh yeah, I can still play a mean game of HORSE!)

The weeks not over, and there are more walks and even a bbq planned.  Who ever said vacations were for resting???

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Night of Firsts

Well, my husband has been on 4 trips this year already (America, Germany, Spain, & Hungary), and me, I haven't had a night on the town in ages.  That was until this past weekend!  My husband was in Budapest, my daughter at her aunt's, and I was home with the dog.  I had no intentions of sitting home alone so my mother-in-law (we're kindred spirits) and I decided to hit the town!

The 1st "first" :
I finally had the nerve and the event to wear my new skull shirt!  (Well, new, um, it was actually a Christmas present.)

 

The 2nd "first" :
Tried out a new Italian restaurant I've been eyeing down, Mi Dica.  Great atmosphere, good service, boring food, oh well!

The 3rd "first" :
Restaurants besides McDonald's are stepping into the 21st century... instead of a printed menu, the entire menu was on a mini iPad (possibly tablet, not sure, it was dark)!

The 4th "first" :
Finally dared play Black Jack at the casino.  It's much faster than roulette which I tend to play, but I think I can get into it!  (BTW, I love the casino!)

The 5th "first" :
After a night on the town, thought I'd kick back with a glass of merlot... that was until I launched the bottle off the counter while trying to open it... never had to clean up a mess like that before!

All in all, it was a good night, but I am definitely glad to have the family back home!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica 

Where To Now?

It's more than 2 weeks into 2014 and I've barely posted a thing.  Where to now?
Like a good little blogger, last year I did my best to maintain a schedule, 2 posts a week + a Wordless Wednesday.  And inevitably like most creative people the schedule seemed to suck the fun out of the idea behind my blog.

My blog is supposed to be random... I'm sure you read the description, right, ha-ha!

So, back to where it all started, I'll post when I have something worth saying.  I'll participate in WW when I have a worthy picture, not just something I found in my stock because it's Wednesday again

And you know, another reason I put off the 1st big post was because last years was so darn good, I wanted to raise the bar and instead my blogger brain shut off.

This year already seems quite busy, and I can only have so much on my plate.  I want to give 100% in everything I do, and that's not always possible.  Often if I can't give 100%, I give 0%... that's not really a solution either. 

Here's to doing what I can, trying to live in the moment, and taking each day for what it's worth... instead of just rushing on to the next activity and next day.

Oh yeah, and I'll eventually update my "Goals for 2014" (sidebar)... and yes, again 1/2 of them carried over from last year!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Winter Fun

Each year around Christmas we try and pick out two unusual activities to mark the holidays.  (Holidays = Christmas, New Year, & vacation from school & work... there's a lot to celebrate.)  Last year we went to the Winter Christmas Circus here in Eindhoven and to see Disney on Ice.

And since we enjoyed the circus so much, we were sure to book tickets again this year.  The "Kerst Winter Circus" is 3 hrs long, which is a lot to ask of little kids, but between the entertainment and bringing friends along the time flew by for our 4yr old.  My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed the acts this year... laughing at the clowns (David Shiner & Jose Michel Clowns) and in awe of some of the difficult acts (Oktay Novruzov & Andreis Jacobs Rigolo).  But the one that stuck out most in our mind were The Astronauts, I can only compare them to an amazing tight rope act but on a wheel, you really should just look them up!  Of course there was everything a circus needed... balancing acts, magicians, and acrobats.  If you're near the Eindhoven area, you really should think about attending when the winter circus rolls around again next year.

Besides a fun afternoon at the circus we spontaneously went to the Efteling.  It's a pretty famous theme park here in The Netherlands.  We have never been in the winter and we actually enjoyed it a lot more than the summer.  The cold, the extra activities like ice skating, and the early sunset added to the feel & mood of the day.  There was something for everyone, young & old!  It was insanely busy but since we went with such a large group we were able to entertain ourselves in all the lines.  The young kids loved the fairy tale woods & ice slide, the older kids loved the rides of course, and the parents enjoyed the train & water show (Aquanura) rounding off the night.  By the time we finally all made it home some time after 10PM we still had smiles plastered on our faces, it was worth the trip & money.  And considering when we woke up we had no idea we were going, it made it even more special.
 

As usual I've included a couple pics!  Did you do anything extra special this holiday season?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Wordless Wednesday #85

 

Check my blog hop page for WW link-ups! 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Wordless Wednesday #82

Check my sidebar for WW link ups or

pop by my blog hop page! 

Our curious camera compilation can also be found here...

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Skid Training

Not so long ago, after fish tailing around a curve in my car, I decided maybe it wasn't bad to finally take the skid training course offered by my old driving school, Leeuw.  The course was included in my package but at the time I didn't dare take the course, I didn't feel I had enough experience in a stick shift to willingly put myself in that situation.  After getting my license I mostly drove my husbands automatic and still didn't feel ready.  But now I've been in my own stick shift since the summer and like I said, I've had a couple scares and knew it was time to follow-up on the course.  It was great!  It was fun, it was informative, and I recommend skid / safety training to everyone!  The class was a mixture of enthusiastic teenage boys and older adults out for a day of fun & learning (think I was the only in my 30's).  I was shaking in the beginning, a combination of cold & nervousness/excitement but luckily that quickly went away!  It started out pretty basic, braking at 30kph & 60kph to see the difference in just how far you slide before the car comes to a complete stop.  When riding someones tail in traffic because you're late it's easy to forget just how long it actually takes a car to stop, it was a great reminder.  (Another reason to take the course.)  Then we moved on to braking on a wet road, you obviously slide even further, surprisingly farther.  Each time the tasks grew more complicated.  We worked together, 2-4 people in a car, I luckily had an 18yr old boy with me who listened well and was able to explain things to me just in case I didn't understand what they were asking of me in Dutch.  I could have used my own car, but I didn't want to risk damaging it, plus it was only €15 to borrow one from the school.  It took a while to get the feel of a different stick shift, but it eventually worked out.  After soaking the track and letting us practice braking, we moved on to avoiding obstacles.  There were two places the teacher could shoot up a wall of water and your job was to drive around the wall.  It was a lot of fun, and for the most part everyone in the class did their best to avoid the wall, only on occasion did someone plow through the middle of it.  It's amazing how much noise the ABS makes, not mention how bad the car shakes!  And the last 45 minutes of the class was learning how to keep you car from spinning in a circle, when it skids out on a wet road.  This was awesome, but only because it was on a safe track, not out on a busy road.  The first time around the instructor took everyone out and showed off, spinning us around... then it was our turn!  Obviously the point was not to spin, but everyone did.  The driver controlled the wheel and pedals & the passenger controlled the hand brake.  I'm sure the kid I was with would have liked me to have been better at the brake, but I did my best.  We each had about 6 chances to get it right, and shockingly enough by the last time I was able to keep the car from spinning.  We each earned a certificate (supposedly some insurance companies even give you discounts for this), and had a fun 3.5 hr course testing our reaction times & skills.  I did have to be careful driving home though, I felt like a stunt driver ready for a movie, but then all I had to do was remind myself just how serious driving is and the dangers that always surround us.  As usual I snapped some pics, but during the best stuff we were in the cars, should have thought to pull my camera out in the passenger seat when the wall of water shot up in front if us, oh well!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

GLOW 2013

We managed to see GLOW before it wrapped up on the 16th... some how schedules aligned and the weather fairly cooperated!  We were able to make it an extra special night by teaming up with friends & their kids and getting dinner reservations at the local soccer stadium.  What does soccer and GLOW have to do with each other?  Well, this year one of the light shows was presented at the PSV stadium, and because we ate there we were allowed to use special seats, avoiding the crowds, getting a private view, and we could watch the show repeatedly (the kids did)!  And we also fulfilled our daughters wish of visiting the inside of the stadium (the points are rolling in).
Besides the large soccer themed light show at the stadium, we were able to hit up 5 other displays before the kids collapsed.  The way the event route was set up this year not so many displays were located within child walking distance of our apartment.  So in order to see the group favorite at the end of the night we all hoped in my husbands SUV and drove to where the dragon/sea monster was situated.  There were quite a few attractions we would have liked to have seen but between the weather, distance, and hour, we had to end the night.  Needless to say the dinner and VIP show at the stadium pleased everyone enough it didn't matter.  As always I have pics for you, please excuse the quality, this year I only had my phone on me.  And don't forget to check out last year's post also (GLOW 2012).

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica