Wordless Wednesday #25

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Zooplus.nl

This blog is not only about random things that anyone in the world might find appealing, it's also for people here in The Netherlands (expats & Dutch).  So when I find something interesting that might help out a fellow resident of The Netherlands, I like to spread the word.  If I haven't mentioned it enough, I am an avid online shopper I despise actually going to the store.  I can conveniently sit behind my computer in my pajamas, sipping on coffee, and shop.  And whether you want to believe it or not, shopping online can often work out to be cheaper than physically going to a store. 

My latest find, you ask... an online pet supply shop, called Zooplus.nl!  I was in need of dog food, but then I remembered the last time I went to the store and had to lug the 15kg (33 lb) bag out to the car while keeping close tabs on my toddler.  I figured there had to be an easier way, plus my toddler had just come down with chicken pox and my husband was in Finland on business.  Then it clicked, there must be a store online.  Knowing the amount I would have paid at the store for the food and the trimming scissors I wanted, I went in search of a comparable deal.  Not only did I find something comparable, I found something cheaper!!!  The dog food was about the same price, but delivery was free (if you spend more then €20), that meant someone else would carry the bag to my front door.  The scissors were €10 cheaper, and on you first order you get 10% off, so I tagged a few other things on to my order.  Like doggy diapers, which were also cheaper.  And the shampoo was about the same price but hey why not buy it while getting a 10% discount and free delivery.  In the end I spent about €5 more than I would have if I had gone to Jumper, and received twice as much without the hassle.  And besides the 1st time customer discount you can also sign up for a savings plan, you pay a few euros and then with every order you 3% off, it'll pay for itself quickly!  So again, thank you online stores!  For anyone who finds this beneficial, you might also be interested in one of my older posts about groceries online.

Music Moments #3

My life is full of music moments, certain activities almost require that there is music involved.  For me those main moments are while driving, exercising, and writing.  But throughout the day music also fills our house, especially when my husbands home, his iPhone is always bolting out the latest tunes.  And when he's not home, well, there's a lot of kids music... Barney is a favorite with my tot!

 

What's the number one album blasting through our house at the moment :
 

It's Mumford & Sons latest album, Babel.  They can do no wrong!  I thought their last album couldn't be topped, but now there's Babel.  I'm sure you've all heard I Will Wait playing on the radio.  The banjo and mandolin keep your head bobbing and the songs are catchy and hard to get out of your head.  There's a great mixture between upbeat songs and slow ballads, all of which worth listening to.  And what's even better, it's music I can listen to with my toddler around and not worry about her repeating vulgar words or hearing adult only content.

 

What's playing in my car (o.k., my husbands car that I borrow occasionally) :
 

I have to admit, I still haven't taken Fun or Lana Del Rey off the USB stick.  But I also added Green Day's newest album, Uno.  When I added this album it reminded of how much I enjoyed their 1994 album Dookie.  It was one of those albums that accompanied my early teenage years.  As soon as I added it to my car playlist I realized I still remember all of the words.  The mind is a funny thing, I can't tell you what I did last weekend but I know all the words to Basket Case and When I Come Around 10 yrs later!

 

What's playing while I exercise :
 

Somehow I missed out on a genre of music called Dubstep.  When I finally realized I was interested in it, I coined my own term, techno-hip-hop.  My husband was embarrassed for me and after I said it to friends for the umpteenth time, he told me it was actually called Dubstep.  Immediately I hopped on the computer and looked around for a popular artist in this genre, and I found Datsik.  I wouldn't say this music is for everyone, but wow does it get you pumped up.  Something you need while working off the fat on the elliptical machine.  And on one of the rare occasions I ended up in a bar after 2AM, they were blasting this music and the crowd couldn't get enough.  I could have danced the rest of the night away (except I'm 31 yrs old and I knew the next day my toddler would come home from grandma's!)  I'm sure there are other great Dubstep artists out there, so if you know any, please let me know.

 

What's playing while I write :
 

Well, right now Mumford & Sons, but lately the Queen of the Damned soundtrack.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Queen of the Damned, it was a great vampire movie from 2002.  It also had a worthy rock music soundtrack.  Not just any rock, great music created with the help of Jonathan Davis from Korn!  I was working on a mythological story and the music was perfect to play in the background.  Once I played the album a couple times it dawned on me that I could also use it while exercising.  You can't compare it to Dubstep, except it does get your blood flowing... and... you really have to enjoy this type of music to get into it (I imagine a lot of people my age and over cringe at the sound of either!)

Well, that's it for this time... who knows what I'll be listening to next!  Do you have any suggestions?

Potting and Repotting

During the spring I planted a lot of different seeds & bulbs and waited for results... I've never been the handiest when it comes to plants.  Amazingly enough, nature worked its wonders and voila, I had flowers, veggies, & herbs!  I've written a couple posts about my progress, so I thought I'd give you another update.  The bulbs of gladioli didn't exactly work out, the leaves popped up but the flowers never did... apparently they needed a lot more sunlight than they were receiving.  The mismatched pots full of seeds did the same, lots of leaves (still pretty) but no flowers... maybe it was already too late in the season.  The basil my daughter and I planted took off, I was really impressed, they looked & smelled wonderful.  And the starter sets for tomatoes & carrots also sprouted.  But then the summer came as well as the puppy and needless to say the plants weren't getting the attention they needed.  Realizing the weather was changing and the cold was on the way I knew I should try and salvage what plants I did still have.  My toddler and I headed out to a large plant shop, Coppelmans in Valkenswaard (despite the buckets of rain that day).  I had a general idea of what plants I wanted to replace and which ones I wanted to repot and before I knew it I had racked up a decent bill!  The weather was too bad when we arrived home so we didn't actually get busy potting & repotting until the next morning, but boy did we have fun.  It always gets messy when dirt & a 3yr old are involved in a project.  It had been ages since I repotted a plant, so I took a big risk moving the basil.  But from what I've read they have to come inside for the winter and the container they were in was too large.  I lost one or two plants since the move, but the other 4-5 are doing great.  Since I had left the tomatoes & carrots in the starter pots there was little hope for them, but the tomato plants have seemed to shape up since their move... still not sure about the carrots though.  I filled the gaping hole where the basil had been with some kind of silver grayish plant, the sign said they'd hold up through the winter (and they matched my new grey, brown, & black wooden pots).  I yanked up the remnants of the gladioli, dumped out the other flowers from the mismatched pots, and then went to work on some type of pepper plant I purchased.  They add color, tying in the red & yellow from other decorations on the terrace, and they were pretty easy to put in their new pots.  As of now, I'm quite happy with the results, and hope everything holds up through the winter.  And also hoping I can find space for the ones the will not survive the cold somewhere in our already full apartment! 
(When I snapped the pictures the plants were still waiting for a good watering, since then they have found their places on shelves & tables around our terrace.)

Absentee Ballot

As you all know, it's election season again.  Whether you live in The US or abroad, like myself, it's still in your face.  I am not a fan of election season, the empty promises, the trash talking, the fake facts, etc., etc.  I'm also not a fan of the tension it creates between people.  But the tension comes from passion, so I should be happy people care so much about what happens to their country.  In my mind, unless you vote you don't have a right to complain.  Therefore, I have the right to complain because my husband and I mailed off our absentee ballots this week!  I don't vote for the smaller elections, I find it unfair because I don't follow all of the issues pertaining to Florida.  But I do vote in the general elections, for the larger issues.  As much as I would love to stand on my soap box and tell you what issues I find important and which direction I voted, I shall refrain.  As I've said before, this blog is supposed to be on the light hearted side and nothing can stir emotion quicker than talking politics (and religion).  Oh how I wish I could give you my opinion, on both subjects!  Luckily I can express my opinion in my life outside of this blog.  All I can say is my life as an expat wasn't easy when I first moved here and it wasn't always the transition of moving to another country, it was dealing with the backlash of how people other than Americans felt about American politics.  I filed my vote and now all I can do is wait.  Wait and see what the future holds in store for all of us, Americans, expats, and people across the globe.

Wordless Wednesday #24

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Aphrodite Workshop

Back in May I attended a women's workshop hosted by Maaike ter Haar.  She helps connect women from all nationalities by creating an open environment for discussions and finding your inner strength.  She uses the Greek goddesses as themes for the workshops, last time it was Artemis and this time the theme was Aphrodite.  During the workshop she asked a pretty general question... what is beauty?  At first it seems like an easy question, then you start to realize how complex beauty is.  Is it a person, inside or out?  Relationships?  Is it art?  Words?  Experiences?  All of the women attending the workshop (Dutch, Mexican, Peruvian, Irish, American, & Ukrainian) are mothers, so naturally we find beauty in our families.  But what was beyond that?  We're from all over the world, what is considered beautiful in my country can be quite different in theirs.  Age also plays a huge factor in what you find beautiful, obviously your vision of the world changes and matures.  It didn't take me long to realize I had generalized beauty into nature.  Nature that creates people, plants, animals, landscapes... to me there is nothing more beautiful than something created naturally.  Then I narrowed it down a little further, what is something I have found consistently beautiful throughout my 31 yrs.  It hit me, water, in all forms.  As a kid I had posters strewn across my room with the rainforest and the ocean, as a teen I had photos of beaches taped inside my armoire.  As an adult we have a large canvas picture of rocks and water hanging above our bed.  Then when Maaike asked the question about what is my dream or passion for the future, one of my answers was... I'd love to own a home on the water.  I can picture it, a large wooden porch overlooking a dark blue lake, trees lining the entire landscape.  I wouldn't say I'm in to horoscopes (well as a kid/teen I was), but I am a Cancer, and we do love water.  In this busy life we lead juggling work, relationships, and hobbies, I wonder how often we actually take the time to admire something beautiful.  What's beauty to you?  A well decorated home?  The happiness in your child's eyes?  A sparkling diamond ring?  Architecture?  Life?  Love?  All of the above, ha-ha? 

DDW

Just a quick note... from October 20th-28th Eindhoven is hosting Dutch Design Week!  Since it's an annual event and a couple of our friends participate I also wrote a post last October about the event.  It's a great way for students and businesses to promote themselves.  There are many venues ranging from furniture to film.  The exhibitions are open to everyone, so if you're in the Eindhoven area I recommend you stop into a few!

Be sure to check out these exhibits :

Willemijn de Wit

Kacper Holenderski