Pack up the kids and leave for a year

Many of you know that I choose a lot of the books I read, in the imperfect method of walking through the stacks at my local library, perusing the bookshelves and looking for the spine of some random book to catch my eye.  Here's one that caught my eye, and by the time I was done, I had let wet laundry sit in the washer for half a day, and I burned the night's pasta dinner...but I was determined to get to the end.  I like books that talk about peoples' experiences.....people who have done things I've never done....and probably won't get to do, because my life is at a different stage or path.  Who here hasn't at least fleetingly dreamed of selling everything and packing up the family, only to travel around the world for an ENTIRE year?  That's what this book is about.

We travel a lot.  We travel a lot with kids....up to now, kids from babies to preteens....so I caught myself either laughing, commiserating or wanting to say "I told you so", throughout the book.  I also caught myself writing down the names of some of these fabulous locations, in hopes that someday, I can make it out to some of the ones I had never heard of before.

The gist of the book, is this guy and his wife sell almost all of their wordly possessions to include their house and car and trek across the globe to a variety of locations with kids in tow.  Now, we're not talking backpacker-style....we're talking a suitcase and backpack for each including the baby (a mistake he found out later as they had way too much stuff)....and staying at some flea-bitten out-of-the-way places with some luxurious five star worthy palaces in between.  What an experience!

At one point, a hippo almost overturns their boat and really, hippos you should be more afraid of than almost any other animal...they can become that territorial and aggressive.  His daughter has surgery in Thailand (thumbs up for Thai healthcare).  He almost loses his daughter in a riptide in Australia, and the mother is beside herself with white-knuckle fear along the rim of an active volcano, holding her toddler on a leash....yes, a leash which they ended up ditching later as they were consistently getting laughed at by non-Americans or just given THAT look.  They also eat some of the most amazing food....Sardinia, here I come!...and pet everything from an ostrich to a baby elephant.

But I think the neatest thing about this family's journey and the book is seeing  the similarities to my life....reactions of the children to things......mistakes made while traveling....all things we have experienced, as we've also been to many of his European destinations he wrote about for the book.

Is it a literary masterpiece?  No, and it doesn't profess to be.  The author isn't skilled enough to make you "feel and smell" like you are really there....but, that's beside the point...I don't think I evoke that either when I write, but it's a very nice read that tells a good story, and even though the author has a little tiny bit of a chip on his shoulder, I still liked reading it.  I closed the book more enlightened than when I started, and that should be your goal with most books I think.

I'm already anxious to go back to the library and start walking the aisles again.  Before I end here, let me put in a plug for the USAREUR library system, which is what we have overseas here in Europe.  All the military libraries are connected in Germany, Italy and Belgium to name the bulk of where the libraries are physically located.  Substantial money is spent keeping up the collections and attaining new material.  At least one library or the other will have a slew of all the bestsellers, and even if your library doesn't carry it, we can use inter-library loan (ILL) to request that book.  We also have access to our accounts online, along with other databases, reviews and many other useful things.  Believe it or not, the libraries even rent out DVDs...and here on SHAPE, they have DVDs on both systems (as Europe and the US code their DVDs, so unless you have a DVD player that plays all regions, you can only play DVDs for the US market if you bought your player in the US and vice versa if you bought it over here).  They also have Wii, Playstation and DS games to include the Wii add-ons, like the surfboard or whatever it's called....all can be checked out.  We are also lucky here at SHAPE because Chievres also has a library, and you can return items to either library...they work closely together.

So that's my little plug for today....for this book and for our library system.  I'll see you all next year!  I'm taking a break to be with my family and hope to see and hear from you next year!  Wishing all my readers the best for 2011!.

Belgian Christmas Markets

Since our arrival here this past summer, I've heard at least a dozen times, "Christmas markets in Belgium are not like Christmas markets in Germany" or "to see a nice Christmas market, you gotta go to Cologne or Aachen".  Well, the season has finally arrived, and I L-O-V-E Christmas markets!  Of course we had to get our German fix and visited the wonderfully festive Cologne Christmas market, or should I say many of the Christmas markets scattered around the city.  But of course I had to visit our local markets as well.  I like to support home-grown, plus, I wanted to see how the Belgians celebrated.

All in all, Belgian markets are nice.....I'm still trying to figure out where or how exactly they fall short, because unfortunately, I keep comparing them to the German version.  For example, a large city like Mons only had about 50 booths downtown, mostly food and liquor....now, there is nothing wrong with that, I was just hoping to find more handcrafted local items.  There was a nice skating rink though and the atmosphere was very festive with piped-in Christmas music and a beautiful tree with lights.  The downtown vendors had also decorated very nicely, so I would recommend visiting there as a nice family outing.

Another local Christmas market we really liked was the large tent with about 100 vendors in the old Havre moated chateau.  The destroyed chateau is more in line with Halloween-viewing, but they did try to spruce it up a bit for a Christmas atmosphere, and the mood inside the tent was definitely festive.  Entry was one euro per person, which did go to benefit charity.  This market was a little different in that we saw many locally produced foodwares, but again, not so many crafts...unfortunately, quite a few "Made in China" booths as well.  We could've loaded up on all kinds of sausage, cheese and wines!  The kids also had their fill of frites (fries) and escargot (we saw a lot of these express stands at  many of the markets)....in fact, I talked to one vendor, who raises a farm of snails for his business and will even deliver to your home.  It was also nice to sit in the renovated restaurant in front of the roaring fire and enjoy some of the local goodies.  I am a recentconvert to the benefits of smoked garlic....no more regular garlic for me:-)

The other markets we visited have been a blur....nothing really stood out unfortunately....even the Brussels market is so-so, and the Belgians do a better job of showcasing some of their other festivals throughout the year.

But, with all that being said....get out there and enjoy the season!  Some of the markets continue through the end of December and even into January.  You can see some of the schedules here or read about the upcoming events in the Gazette (a magazine for the Brussels/Chievres garrisons), which also lists many of them.  Which market was your favorite?  Did anyone visit the Bruges or Antwerp markets?

Why in the world would I need TWO different passports??

As military dependents (and our spouses) being stationed overseas, we are required to have two US passports, that is if you are US citizens.  One is your official passport that the military pays for.  The other, is your tourist passport that you pay for.  They look exactly the same, except your official passport has a page in the back that quotes the SOFA statement.  So why are you supposed to carry both of them?  Let me explain.

I just recently got my tourist passport renewed overseas, and BTW it was $110 (yes, prices have gone up) .  Your post should have an office that processes both official/SOFA and tourist passports.  Turn around time off season is supposed to be two weeks.  In the summer, my childrens' tourist passports took two months to get back!  But don't worry, you don't have to give up your old one if you are overseas.  That is just if you are stateside and do not have a trip planned.  For peace of mind, I always start planning 6 months out in getting a new passport....especially if you like to cruise as some cruise lines "require" that your passport is still valid for six more months!

As for the rules of having a SOFA/official vs. tourist passport, you can blame the French on that one.  Travel restrictions used to be much more relaxed between the EU borders (and you're right, there are no border controls between EU countries)...BUT, if you get stopped and don't have the "correct" passport, you could get hassled.  The French had a tiff with the Americans a few years back, and they are the ones that started this "just tourist passport" thing in retaliation to something the Americans demanded from the French (and they didn't want to do)...or at least that is how the story goes.

In my last job as a tours manager and planner, we inevitably had a few problems and started requiring tourist passports for people who traveled with us...not many problems, but when it's you having the problem...then it's no longer statistics and is serious business!  Read this article for the specifics.  Technically, the SOFA/official passport is to show that you are allowed to stay in whatever country you are stationed in beyond the three month tourist timeframe (when no visa is required).  You can only stay three months in a country with a tourist passport.  I believe this is mandated by the host country, so it's possible that different countries may have different timeframes for staying without a visa.  So, yes, you may have no problem leaving a country, but it's the coming back that could be an issue.  Oh and for Russia, you definitely need to do visa paperwork in addition to your tourist passport, and it is worth it to go thru a reputable agency to get that done rather than to do it yourself.  I've gotten asked that question a few times as well so have thrown it out there.

I do know some Americans that carry both around when they travel.  I typically just take our tourist passports, as they seem to be the ones that most countries are looking for, when you get stopped.  When you arrive in a country, they don't know that you spent more than three months in the country you just left...at least this is how I see it.  The only time I personally ever had a problem was at the Frankfurt airport, coming back to Germany, after having left Germany back and forth a few times through the same airport in the weeks before.  I only had my tourist passport, and the customs agent was very curious and wanted to know everything about me, finally asking for my military ID card as "proof" of what I told him I was doing.  I think this would be the only time I would've needed my SOFA/official passport other than if the US ever had to do mass evacuations from Germany back to the US (such as in the case of world war), and they would obviously prioritize people with official passports over those just holding regular US tourist passports.

Do you carry both passports with you?

Opa-isms

My Opa

Do you remember back when you were a child and your grandma or grandpa used to have these sayings?  That they repeated over and over again to you?  So much so, that you find yourself able to repeat them from memory many years later?  My German opa used to have his theories and sayings, and in light of his birthday coming up, where he would've been 100, I thought I'd share some of them.  I think some of them are even true!

My favorites:

• Whenever someone in my family talked about traveling, he would ALWAYS say, "why would you want to go there?  The houses there stand next to each other just like they do here!"  I guess in a way he was correct.  People are people wherever you go, and even though things may look a little bit different, you'd be surprised at how much things can be the same.  I took this to mean that I should also take the time to enjoy my home, wherever that was at the time, and now I take the time to really find the hidden gems in my local area instead of always longing to go somewhere else.
• Always make sure your gas tank is half full.  You'll never, ever run out of gas.....how true!  I don't think I've ever run out of gas in my life.
• Don't drink cold stuff.  My opa used to heat up a pot of water and dunk his beer bottle into a warm water bath before drinking it.  He never drank anything cold in his life!  He always thought that all the stomach cancers and abundance of stomach problems of Americans were caused by cold drinks and ice, taking off the mucous layers in your digestive system, damaging it he used to say.  I have personally found no medical evidence of this....but you know, it does make sense.  I'll let you draw your own conclusion on this.  I guess this may explain why Europeans are not so fond of ice cubes and really cold drinks and have less instances of stomach issues and cancers?  Maybe?
• Drafts coming in windows can make you sick, and if you have wet hair, you'll get really sick.  I still remember driving around Germany in the summertime....with ALL the windows closed! This was before cars had air conditioning in Germany!  I can't believe I survived that without dying of heat stroke....either I was much hardier back then or Germany was not so hot in the summer before global warming turned European weather upside-down.
• Even though opa made the comment about traveling, it didn't stop him from being one of the first Germans to board a commercial flight to Italy, and just in time for his honeymoon in the era before WWII.  He was also the first man in his village to have a car after the war.  How did he do that when everyone else was broke?  He was always a master of wheeling and dealing.  He taught me (and mostly my mother) to always look two steps ahead in any business deal.  For example, he saw that after the war, everyone wanted...err...needed chocolate.  He saw the Jewish businessmen who were left in his part of Germany (with help from the Allies), had the supplies, so he struck a deal with them as a whole.  He knew they wanted tea, so he figured out how to collect and package it....sold it to them (because no one else was, and darn they wanted that tea)...bought the chocolate from them...and sold the chocolate at prices-to-make-a-profit to the average German.  The profits were so tidy over the long-run, that he was able to buy the first car in his little village after the war, and a Mercedes at that (he only mentioned later that the thing didn't have a floor...kind of like the Flinstones I'm thinking).  He got his business going again while everyone else was out of work and still scratching their heads!  His "two steps ahead" thinking also saved him from being killed on the Eastern Front....almost his entire unit was decimated, and he survived.  Obviously I'm not anywhere near that good in trying to always look ahead, but I like to think I at least TRY to do this myself in day-to-day life and make him a little bit proud!

Opa, I miss you and your humor too!  I miss how you used to reach up behind the doorframe and "find" a gumball for me.  My opa ran a candy &  liquor wholesaler (in other words, a little kid's dream), and my childhood visiting my grandparents was spent crawling up and down the big wooden shelves in the warehouse filled to capacity with cookies, candy, chocolate, coffee...and hard liquor, huh?  I guess the hard liquor was the "grown up candy" and used to sell REALLY well, hence the later addition of that.  I used to love feeling like a grown-up when you took me on your rounds, delivering and selling your wares to the local stores and restaurants....in the years before the superstore.   And every year, you made such a big deal of taking me to the fancy shoestore to get my new shoes....unfortunately, they were always the brown clunker Salamander brand and nothing fancy, but you made me feel special anyway in the process, as I was the center of attention (every child's second dream).

I miss you Opa and happy birthday!  I know you and Oma are looking down and watching over us this holiday season, and thank-you for all the wonderful opa-isms which I am now teaching my children!

When are the German Stores Ever Open on Sundays?

I recently received an email from a confused American in Germany.  Now don't make a joke...this is serious, as it involves shopping.  This certain lady asked why sometimes, she can drive through her town on a Sunday and all the stores are open, and everyone seems to be "in the know" except for her.  The next Sunday, she decides to try it too...and everything is closed again with imaginary tumbleweeds going thru there it's so quiet.  So what's the scoop with that?  Why are some stores open sometimes, and why are other stores open other than sometimes?

Let me try to explain....as you may know, the Germans have been VERY resistant through the years to open stores, as a general rule, on Sundays.  Believe it or not, it was like that in the US...many, many years ago, before it became the land of always 24 hours.  The Germans always believed that their society would be "ruined" if they started allowing stores to break that last bit of sacredness, by opening on Sunday....no, not for religious reasons, although that does sound pretty good.  I think it has something to do with the labor laws and compensation or something in that direction...or at least that is the official party line, so yes, there is some valid reasoning behind it.

At some point in the government, someone decided there is much more revenue to be had on Sunday and darn it, those politicians wanted to be able to go get that bottle of wine or whatever last minute item on Sunday not to mention fresh rolls Sunday morning.  It started slowly at first with gas stations and stores near major transit hubs being allowed to open on Sundays and holidays.  Then it progressed a bit to include a few more, in particular some bakeries and such.  Then someone came up with this literally translated "sell open Sundays" or "Verkauksoffener Sonntags".

Many city governments and even smaller localities will get with retailers in their city center (or town center) to enable this....it'll happen almost once a month.  And how do you find out about it?  You can either check your city newspaper or the municipality's or town's website (not the tourist one, but the one for residents).  Many stores will also announce it ahead of time in their own literature as well, so keep an eye out there.  There is also a German website that lists some of the dates by region and then by town.  I don't know how complete it is, but I do see plenty of listings there.

Now if I could only figure out the equivalent in French, cause I see many of the towns do it here, at least around the holidays!

Unbelievable suitcase stuffing

Now that many of us are getting ready to head out for the holidays, we have to think like never before about how to pack our stuff.....in particular when flying....all those new restrictions!  I think my mom did a pretty good job of showing me how to stuff things in my shoes and to use every available space....she even taught me to roll stuff before it became mainstream.  But this guy....is world's ahead of the rest of us....watch and learn Kemosabe...

Swapping the kids' clothes

I consider myself blessed that the boys have a cousin who wears designer clothes whose mother regularly sends us a box of goodies. I almost never buy them new clothes except for underwear and socks! But, wouldn't it be great, I thought, if you could connect with others in a safe environment and swap nice kids' clothes with almost no strings attached? Apparently, this idea has already been realized!  I have a guest blog entry today from a mom who started out this site where you can do just that!

Enter....thredUP....

thredUP is where America’s busiest parents exchange boxes of clothes that no longer fit their kids for stylish ones that will. We coordinate swaps among a group of your closest friends AND connect you with thousands of families nationwide and on bases overseas. There’s no bidding, no auctions, no rifling through consignment racks, and no cranky kids to drag all over town. All swaps are done online, with scheduled home pick-up and delivery in CONUS, post office delivery service OCONUS.

Finding reasonably priced new or gently used kids clothes can be impossible when you are focused on more important aspects of your move. In honor of Veteran’s Day this year, we have opened up our domestic kids clothing swap to military families living OCONUS at APO/FPO addresses.

At thredUP, we know that coordinating clothing swaps is hard – especially when your closest friends live all over the world! Getting parents together and getting all the sizes right is always a challenge. Tag sales are a ton of work, often for very little payoff.

So what can I do on thredUP?

Pick. Pay. Prepare and Send.
Pick a box of gently used clothes you’d love to receive for your child.
Pay for shipping.
Prepare and list a box of clothes your child has outgrown.
When someone picks your box, send it free of charge (we even have the Postal Service pick-up the box at your house in CONUS).

We manage the quality control and review process and take care of all the details to make sure you get a quality exchange.

“As a military wife, I'm forever in transition. As a military-wife-mom, I'm forever moving and looking for reasonably priced clothes for my children,” says Sara Gibb, Chief Military Mom and thredUP’s newest executive. “thredUP lets me exchange clothes that no longer fit my kids for great items that will, from anywhere in the country. Not only is it affordable and convenient, but the service allows me to stay connected with friends and family wherever the Navy says I call home.”

Military families can upgrade their FREE basic membership to any level of PRO Membership at a 33% discount. In addition, military families are given at least one additional pick per month (without the need to swap out a box!).

We are open to ALL parents, not only military! Currently over 36,000 members strong, thanks to our 1400+ military families we are also trading on over 140 bases in 11 countries. All families can also swap boxes of gently used toys – happy swapping!

It's gifts from the heart...and not the wallet...that count!

Have you been struggling with gift ideas for family and friends?  Have you been staring at the store displays, trying to figure out what to get Aunt Sally or Nephew Timmy?  It takes the fun out of the season, doesn't it, as you scramble to try to find something suitable for everyone on your list.  Especially in light of today's economy, we just don't need more stress.  I hate to admit it myself, but even I have gotten into letting it drag me down a bit, and for the first time this year, my one big change will be not sending out paper Christmas cards, except  maybe to our older relatives who do not do email or do anything else computer-related.  It's the thought that counts and not the money spent, so here are some ideas of how to spread the holiday wealth and cheer this season without digging too much in your pocketbook.

• Take the time to create a beautiful holiday family website, where you update your family and friends on what you have been up to all year.  Upload photos and even video to share.  You can even add some Christmas music.  You can do all this for FREE, as there are many free webhosting sites out there, as well as free Christmas music to download and play.  Most website editors have the ability to add music, and you don't need any real know-how to put it together.  In the interest of family security, I never use our addresses, work information, real names (use nicknames) or anything too identifying.  It can be done.  Also be sure to put a guestbook on the bottom to encourage entries.  We use the same web address every year, so family and friends always know where to find us!
• Those homemade mixes.  My local library is full of books that show you how to make the layered mixes for cookies, cakes, brownies and soups.  You can easily dress them up with ribbons, homemade tags and raffia.  I absolutely love getting them for Christmas and always save the recipe for later. 
• Homemade Christmas ornaments that are unique to the person or family you are giving it to.  Is the person a teacher?  How about a family that lives on a farm?  Get some ornament ideas here.
• Food.  Food can be more inexpensive than junk.  That's the great thing about being overseas.  My family loves getting a box of the different kinds of snacks, cookies and other goodies from Belgium and Germany.  At least you'll know good use will be made out of food instead of yet another gadget or piece of junk.  I used to collect old baskets from my local Goodwill throughout the year while we were in the US, just to make food baskets during the holidays.  Look, anything looks fantastic wrapped up in gift plastic wrap tied with a bow!
• Photos.  Do you have a great photo of the person you are gifting?  Perhaps a photo of them doing their favorite thing or with their favorite person or animal?  You can make your own picture frame to go with it or purchase a nice inexpensive one.  I saw some really unique ones at IKEA recently.
• Do you sew?  I still treasure the quilts, napkins and table runners I've gotten from friends who sew...amazing!  One quilt even has an appropriate poem for the season written on the back....something I will surely continue to treasure.
• Do you bake?  I love to get plates of Christmas cookies and goodies from neighbors.  I hope my neighbor is reading this.
• Holiday centerpieces.  Look, before you skip over this idea....I am artistically challenged when it comes to making stuff, and my house WAS full of centerpieces until I gave some away cause guests just had to have them!  Yes, I gave some away.  Get the kids to go out in the woods with you and collect chestnuts, pinecones, acorns...any kind of nuts, evergreenery and hard red berries.  Get an inexpensive cheap vase from the local dollar store.  Fill it up with this stuff...to add more color and smell, add dried sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks.  Fill it level and then put a tea light in the middle of it....just beautiful and festive!  If you can't find enough stuff to fill the glass vase, then put a drinking glass, upside-down in the middle to take up some of the space, and fill around it and on the tip....no one will ever know!  You can also try your hand at evergreen wreath making.  Again, many sites out there to google. I cheated this year and did not make my own (I have a wire form where you can just pile on the branches)...but bought a very nice and inexpensive one at our local yearly German Christmas market on SHAPE put on by the German spouses every year.  Almost every nationality hosts a Christmas market in December...yet another benefit to being stationed with NATO:-)
• A unique Christmas ornament from one of the many Christmas markets in the area.  A great thing about being overseas is that you can get some wonderfully nice ornaments for 1 to 2 euros each...I can guarantee your friends and family won't find these wonderful examples in the US.  Put them in a nice pretty recycled gift box and tie with a pretty bow.
• Buy expensive chocolates in bulk and divy them up into individual packages to give away.  I went to the Neuhaus Chocolate Factory outlet, one of the top chocolates produced in the world but typically very expensive.  Go to the outlet outside of Brussels and buy a few bulk boxes.  Since there is only one type of chocolate per box, you are going to have to mix them up later to get some variety.  I bought inexpensive giftbags, made my own Neuhaus sticker on the computer and mixed and matched the different kinds of chocolates into the bags tied with pretty ribbons.  Those little Chinese food containers work great too instead of the bags.  Be sure to wrap the giftbags very well in bubblewrap before sending them through the mail!  Also include some Neuhaus Chocolate brochures as well to complete authenticating the experience!  If you are not here where I am, check your own area.  There are many gourmet food factories and their stores scattered throughout the US.  
• A service or booklet of services.  This is something great for kids to give out.  They can color their booklet or homemade gift coupons to their liking, enhancing them with glitter and bubble gluepens....yarn or whatever....how about 1 hour of yard work?  Or a 20 minute massage for mom?  Kids, there are lots of ideas out there, and this is one of my favorite gifts...I'm telling you this as a mom.  You can even give this to an elderly neighbor and make her feel like she is not always expecting your help or asking for it.

Do you have any lowcost gift ideas to share?  Also be sure to read some of my previous gift ideas on this blog.

Please be sure to visit the Carnival of Personal Finance this week to read other great money-saving tips!

Cats and the Foil

The stupid cat....sometimes I just want to strangle him.  I opened my wallocker today (yes, we get issued those ugly Army wallockers overseas), took out a shirt, and it was COVERED in litter.  Come to find out, the little rat has been sneaking in there...okay, so I left the door open a few times....and making himself a cozy nest!  Yuck!!!!!  It doesn't help that the litter box is only about 20 feet from there....I wondered why a few kernels of litter would always be on the floor just outside the door....now I know why!!!!!!  After a week, I can now leave the door wide open, and he doesn't go in there at all....know how I trained him?

First, a little about our cat.  He is messy.  He does his litterbox thing and goes out....there's the first tracking of litter....then he goes back in and scratches, scratches and then scratches some more....I swear sometimes he is in there for 3 or 4 minutes scratching!!!!  I notice he is doing this more and more often as he gets older...reminds me of an old man with bad eyesight....so, there goes the second track of litter, which is now so entrenched between his toes, that he leaves a longer-than-usual-trail.  Even though our special cat litter carpet catches a whole heckuva lot of it....it's not enough, hence the trail.  You should see the obstacle course I set up, to make him walk the long way around the master bathtub...but that's fodder for another story.

I have found that most cats detest aluminum foil.  Our cat will not go near it....and after some online research, neither will alot of other cats.  So, if your cat is misbehaving, or if you want to train him to stay off of something, put a layer of tinfoil down.  I had to do this in my kids' sock drawers, my husband's underwear drawer and on a little pretty endtable I didn't want him on.  Before long, with or without the foil, he stayed off, and I kind of forgot about it....til now.

Now, my dad's cat...is a Siamese.  I think that says it all.  This loud and obnoxious cat (although sweet) will jump in a pan of water set out on a counter he is not supposed to jump onto.  Obviously, he jumps right on the aluminum foil too....and stare at you defiantly.  That may be a Siamese thing....I don't know.  So if you have a Siamese, this may not work.

Give it a try, and let me know how it works out?  What other unusual products have you used to keep your pets away from something you don't want them on or in?

Cologne Christmas Markets do not disappoint (and other tips to visit)

As I walked out the door of the main train station and looked up, the view of the Cathedral...just absolutely stops you in your tracks.  It has the distinction of having the largest facade of ANY cathedral in the world!  It is absolutely breathtaking!  It takes up your whole view!  Just beyond the steps, you can already see and smell the beginnings of the most famous and colorful Christmas market on the steps of the Dom (cathedral).  After I took in a huge whiff of roasted nuts, flammkuchen, glazed ham and even Brussels waffles, we made our way through the crowd, looking at all the booths of vendors, all neatly labeled with their wares lovingly displayed.  Only in Germany are things this organized!  We decided to do a one overnight trip to keep costs down and drove from Mons, Belgium, which is only 2-1/2 hours away in good weather.  Here's how we fared.

I always use booking.com and hostelworld.com in looking for lodging if I already don't have my own recommendations.  Even though I started looking two weeks out, the lodging close to downtown was overpriced (for my pocketbook), and I was also looking for a place where there would be cheap or free parking nearby...that narrowed the field considerably.  I decided to test out the four star Holiday Inn by Bonn/Koeln Airport.  I chose it because parking was included in the room rate, and the S-bahn (metro) station was only a 10 minute walk or 2 minute free shuttle ride from the hotel.  The hotel is right on the airport grounds and even offers special hotel rates where you can leave your car up to 15 days, so a great jumping-off point for your vacations that involve a flight.  Plus, there are lots of last minute and lowcost vacation packages leaving out of Cologne...and don't forget the lowcost carriers like German Wings.  Find these deals on lastminute.de or travelzoo.com.

So, we arrived Saturday morning, just before lunch.  Since our room wouldn't be ready for another hour, I had already mapped out my favorite German superstore nearby, the REAL....allowing us to load up on German Christmas goodies and just great German shopping....can you tell I've been missing Germany?

Once we settled into our room and changed into something warmer, we headed downtown.  One great thing about staying overnight, is that you get to really relax and enjoy the evening ambiance.  We made sure to do that, and I think we ate our way through at least every other stall at the Christmas markets, along with a visit to one of the more famous beer pubs in Cologne.  I say markets, because Cologne has SEVEN  Christmas markets.  We only made it to half of them in the two days....honestly, you do see a lot of repeats and the farther away you get from the Cathedral, the cheaper the items become.  But of course you knew that!  Same goes for souvenir shops and other such shopping.

Also be sure to visit the tourist bureau, which you will see to your right, after exiting the train station on the cathedral side.  It is the modern building with the big red "i" on it.  All city and town tourist bureaus are marked the same way.  The advantage of going to the tourist bureau, is that you can find out about special events.  We picked up free brochures on special exhibits and museums, as well as one detailing the locations, hours and prices (a few were not free) of the Christmas markets.  City maps cost 20 Euro cents, but that was fine by me...it was pretty detailed and also had the transit map included.  Tourist bureaus are also great for hotel reservations, IF you know ahead of time what price range you are willing to pay.  Some even track the local B&Bs.

More on the hotel....the hotel restaurant was very fancy and expensive, so we didn't indulge, but the room service was very reasonable with the biggest burger I've EVER seen in my life and fries costing only 10 euro.

All in all, a wonderful trip.  Since we were a few weeks early for the Cologne shopping Sundays, we window shopped on Sunday instead, enjoyed our morning in a local coffeehouse and then shopped at yet another Christmas market, which opened at noon.  I definitely recommend you take the time to head out to Cologne and enjoy.  FYI, if you are interested in crazy Karnival Season (like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and just as wild), make your lodging bookings NOW, before things fill up.  Of course, some of the lesser known Karneval events have already begun, but the BIG parade on Rose Monday is on 7 March 2011 this year.  Be sure to check out the latest Germany travel guide from your library and note the local must-see sights too before you go..the Chocolate Museum and Germanic-Roman Museum do come to mind.  Do you have any recommendations on Cologne?

Supercheap Trainfares are BACK (Germany, Austria & Switzerland)!

It looks like Lidl Germany is back at it again....supercheap train fares starting or ending in a German city for two adults (kids 14 and under go free, per adult)!  Now is your chance to take that train trip to Vienna or how about skiing in St. Moritz?  Or to see the beautiful Dresdener Frauenkirche (in Dresden of course) that was lovingly and painstakingly rebuilt just recently after its downfall from the fire bombing of Dresden....so many possibilities!  Even if you are not in Germany, you can still take advantage of this deal!  Read below for the scoop.

Go to Lidl Germany's website for the details.  Be sure to use Google Translate to read the fine print, but in summary:

• For two adults, one way, it costs a 79 euro flat rate (so if you are going back and forth, just double that)
• Travel must be between 3 Jan and 31 Mar 2011
• Children up to 14 can travel free, and not just parents but grandparents are covered too; just make sure you annotate them on your ticket
• You can book these tickets on line through Lidl's website SHORTLY (the link is not up yet) or you can call the phone # on their website
• You'll also get two seat reservation certificates

Even if you are NOT in Germany, you can still take advantage.  For example, my Benelux readers, how about driving to Cologne (about 2-1/2 hours from SHAPE) and staying a night at the Holiday Inn at the Bonn/Cologne Airport with instant train connections?  They have these special 100 euro Park & Go rooms that allow you free use of their shuttle and the ability to leave your car there while you travel.  Be creative!  Look under my travel links for hotel deals or check this link which I use all the time for my travels.  Be sure to come back soon, as I am working on more European travel deals and advice, as well as a "behind the scenes" interview with a European tourguide.  I might as well pass on what I have learned, considering this may be our last overseas tour for awhile:-(

Get your heartstrings tugged on NBC tonight

I cannot attest to the quality of this TV movie, but if you feel like having a tug at your heartstrings this holiday season regarding a military family, be sure to check it out.

Here is the blurb:

On Friday, December 3, P&G and Walmart will release “A Walk in My Shoes,” the third collaboration in their Family Movie Night series.

“A Walk in My Shoes” (airing on NBC) follows a military family who lost their Marine father/husband in Fallujah. Through the story, the audience is given a glimpse into the family’s life and learns that while extremely difficult, it’s their struggles and adversity that ultimately bring them closer together.

The Family Movie Night concept are the direct result of P&G and Walmart listening to parents – particularly moms – who said they said they wanted more entertainment that the whole family can enjoy together.

Here are the details:

Title - “A Walk in My Shoes”
Friday, December 3 at 8/7c on NBC

Thanks, and if anyone wants to provide feedback after the show, please post it below!

Never say, "I'm Bored".....

I used to entertain myself with a rock when I was little....and I'm not that old either.  Remember back in the 1970s and 1980s when we were kids (if applicable) when we played with whatever we could find and stayed out for hours running around in the neighborhood?  Then came Atari's Pong, and I still remember the delight in my eyes as my best friend and eye pinged and ponged back and forth on her black and white TV screen.  I think that was the beginning of the end in a way.  And now my kids tell me they're bored.....so here's what I told them (and myself).

I can honestly not remember myself being bored as a child....okay maybe as a teenager but not before.  So I asked myself why?  And why is it my kids were frequently plopping down wherever, releasing a big sigh...and here it comes out of their mouth....."I'm bored".  Why?  This is what I came up with...

• Because we overschedule our kids so much these days with a few sports, music lessons, church groups, pottery class and everything in between.
• Kids have all these activities handed to them on a platter that they never have to come up with anything on their own.
• Here we are thinking we are encouraging creativity by all these wonderful things, when we are in fact hindering it to an extent.
• We continue to feed this barrage of "instant activity" to our kids every year, like clockwork, all through their formative years.

 So what's my new strategy these days?

• I say, "Good, be bored" and walk away and back to whatever I was doing.  Do this enough times, and they will stop saying "I'm bored" to you.
• Another alternative, is to give them a chore to do whenever they say they're bored.  "Wonderful son, you asked just in time!  Please carry this laundry basket upstairs for me!"  After a few iterations of this, see how quickly can then find some activity on their own that will keep them entertained.
• I also like to tell stories of what I did when I was little...the kids actually ask for this stuff at bedtime.  I am hoping that gives them ideas that will eventually blossom on their own.  That was confirmed last week when my 11 year old built a fortress for his Army men in the garden...made out of readily-available chestnuts and mud....cool.

Try it sometime (actually, more than once...you need to make it repetitive and habit-forming) and see what happens.  Decide to drop at least one activity this year.  You'll also be amazed at the positive change in your child.  Please don't post below, and tell me what a genius your kid is now because you have developed their left or right brain....I am not saying to NOT expose them to different activities or opportunities....as with anything else, I am saying that life needs to be balanced.

Do you have any thoughts on the subject?  Do you think you agree or disagree?  Or do you have another interesting idea?

An Open Letter to AAFES Overseas

If I knew that someone at AAFES was going to read AND act on this letter, this is what I would write.

"Dear AAFES,

I have just come from my local PX in Belgium.  I live 30 minutes from the PX and do not travel there too often, but this is the fifth time in a month I have gone to the PX looking for simple paper to put in my computer printer.  This is the same HP printer that I used to try to buy ink for at the PX until I realized it would probably be weeks before I saw replacement ink for it.  Those shelves were routinely empty as well.  Back to the paper...keep in mind that the PX is the only local source of computer paper, as the local Belgian source only sells European-sized paper, which is about an inch or so longer than US computer paper.  This would create an extra step for me in using Belgian paper, as it would hang out of my binders either on the top or bottom, forcing me to cut that part off (I do like to be neat).

I see that your shelves were totally empty of ALL computer paper, the first four times I visited your facility.  The fifth time, there was a small ream of high quality thick HP paper, which costs almost twice what regular paper costs.  Since I had truly run out of paper at this point, I was forced to buy it or deal with the consequences of my children going on a homework strike.  I should've ordered it from the US you say?  Do you know how much paper weighs?  I guess this is also an option if I don't mind shelling out more money.

The truth is, I believe the PX should be overseas to support us....not make our lives more difficult or more expensive than shopping off-post on the economy or even through mail order.  I don't know who your overseas PX buyer is, but they apparently have not grasped that there are certain STAPLES that EVERYONE goes through in high volumes, printer paper being one of them....printer ink being another.  I won't even go into the other items that are routinely needed, as these are also items AAFES should be tracking for low quantities and should be ordering well ahead so the shelves are stocked.

If Walmart HQ can tell themselves how many bottles of water they have on the shelves of X stores right before Hurricane Katrina (and after I may add), then the PX should be able to handle the basic technology that would keep their stores stocked of staples.  If the stocker person who does the ordering has no clue what staples we need, what about a suggestion box in the front of every overseas PX, allowing customers to let AAFES know which staples they'd like to see on a regular basis?  It seems the commissary does a better job of this.  Maybe the PX guy can talk to the commissary guy and share notes.

Signed,
A Disgruntled AAFES Customer"

I for one would love to hear what AAFES has to say about this issue? I know having AAFES overseas is a privilege and not a right....I got that...but still.....your thoughts on this?

Just a glimpse into the life.....

I just finished a book I never would've chosen to read in my life.  Every once in awhile, I like to walk through my library's "new book" section....just to see what the library gods at my local library have ordered for our latest reading pleasure.  I neglected to mention that I DO like to read books that either detail an out-of-the-ordinary profession or activity....it just has to be something that I don't personally do or am familiar with.  Well, boy did I pick up something unusual this time around!

I can probably count on two...maybe three hands how many bars I've been to, in my life!  I know, I guess I am not as worldly as I want people to think I am.  Even while I was in Venice recently, I looked IN the window of the famous Harry's Bar and had my son pose in front of that window....but never went inside.  And to make things worse, if anyone in my extended family brings up anything about bars, I can already see my husband getting a smile on his face to yet again, share that awful story of what happened on a beach trip to Italy back when we were lieutenants...when I was introduced to some frothy peach...stuff...for lack of a better description.  The worst  is, I can't even remember, so I cannot deny or confirm anything he says....I can just be careful that he doesn't add anything every time he tells it...he is so fond of that story and relishes it every time (embelish...relish...)!

So, the latest book I grabbed is called Behind Bars by Ty Wenzel.  It's basically the story of a female bartender in New York City.....wow....I had no idea humans can be so transparent, funny, stupid or (insert your own adjective here)....AND that there is a real ritual that gets followed "at the bar"...and just the little stories she shares....kinda makes me feel thankful for what I have.  She also describes what happens to people of all walks of life and everything in between, when they feel.....lonely and forgotten.  How sad life can be for some people.  I also did not know how much money is to be made in bartending if you go with the right hotspot!  Second wow!  I guess you have to figure out  if your body and mind can take the abuse before you cash out from what Ty writes.  Read it...it's interesting....yes, it has some profanity and some other things you may not be comfortable with....her constant lighting up got on my nerves...who still smokes in bed?.....but it is eye-opening and interesting, and that's enough to get me reading something.

Do you have any similar book recommendations?  I'd love to hear about other books that detail a life that is so unlike my own!

I am thankful.....

It's always around Thanksgiving, where I take the time to actually write down what I am thankful for.  It's so easy throughout the year to complain about everything around us...and why me...and feeling a little sorry for yourself now and then....we get jealous of others (yes, we do)...and sometimes I think it's just human nature to go through these ugly cycles...you know, life has its ebbs and flows, and there isn't a person in world who is constantly up.  So, with that being said, I thought I'd focus on the positive today.....what am I thankful for?

I am thankful for:

• a healthy family
• a husband who is home for Thanksgiving and not deployed
• even though we don't have a day off here for Thanksgiving, I am looking forward to sharing Thanksgiving at work with our NATO allies (they look forward to that too); I am thankful for our international friends here, and how they have enriched our lives in just five short months
• Skype and the internet in general; it makes me feel connected to family back in the US...and keeps me on top of world events and happenings
• my husband having a job; I have friends in the US who have lost their jobs; I talked to someone getting out of the military last week with no clear plan...who would be crazy enough to get out now?  In this economy?
• being so close to so many new travel destinations....shopping in London or Paris for a day is easy....going to the Christmas Market in Cologne...even easier...or just going down to the local friterie stand and eating the best french fries on the planet
• my faith...and never wavering in what I believe in; also knowing that my mother is watching over me and my family
• being a very patient person, or maybe I just let things roll off me....I hear this all the time from my friends, so there must be an inkling of truth in there somewhere
• my friends who I'm able to stay in touch with through Facebook; it's a great tool for military families who move all over but want to try to stay connected to all those friends they made (and family too)....all in one place
• whoever invented Thanksgiving, as it is my favorite holiday of the year....yes, even before Christmas
• our stuff....BUT, I do remind myself it is just stuff, especially in light of friends who lost stuff in their basement from the last Belgian flood and many former neighbors in Stuttgart who lost EVERYTHING in a major household goods warehouse fire....be thankful for whatever you have, no matter how little or much

Take this weekend to reflect on how blessed you really are.  You are important.  You are destined for something great, just possibly not right at the momeny.  Regardless of what you have, be thankful for it, and take the time to pray for those who do not....those who may have hit a lowpoint in their lives.

See you next week, and what are you thankful for?

There are NO dumb questions.....

Questions, come one and come all!  Just like in school, where you were told there are no dumb questions, there are no dumb questions here either.  If you have any questions for me, please use the "Ask Military Wife" button in the left hand column.  Here's one I had only heard asked once before.  So, I got an email:

"I've just come over to Germany, and I don't understand why there are two flush buttons on my toilet? I'm afraid to ask anyone!"


Believe it or not, I don't know if the Germans invented this or someone else over here, as many Belgian toilets have two buttons too.  The answer is very simple....it's a water-saving feature.  You use the little button for "small jobs" and the bigger one for "larger jobs"....how neat is that?  Now not all toilets will have this, but at least you know what it is!  Also, some public toilets will not have a button at all, but a lever on the floor or underneat the seat (for your foot)....look for it if you don't see anything above the toilet.

Flying Ryanair for the first time?

At some point, I just had to blog about one of the low-cost airlines out there....when I googled Ryanair, I was surprised to not find any firsthand accounts?  Maybe I didn't google it correctly...but I still thought there would be loads of stories out there on passengers sharing their experiences.  Anyway, so here's my story, the good and the bad...  Follow me as I get on a Ryanair flight to Venice from Charleroi (Brussels South as they like to call it which isn't anywhere near Brussels).  Know how to plan ahead and how to avoid these mistakes that can put a real crimp into your nicely planned vacation.

While you are reading these tips, keep in mind that we are talking about a BUDGET airline....'nuf said.

• Get on Ryanair's email list.  You'll be forewarned of their "special" 5 euro fares all throughout Europe.  I sometimes hear people asking how they can fly so cheaply....well, it's not exactly 5 euros in the end, but it is cheap compared to the other mainstream airlines.  They can get you a better price because this is bare bones flying (hey, they even want to start charging to use the toilet and are working on "squatting type" seats to pack more into each plane).  You'll pay for any extra tangible items AND priorities.  For example, that 5 euro fare is going to go up if you don't take the very first flight out of the day (usually around 7 am) and the last flight back (such as 10 pm) or vice versa.  Ryanair can get away with cheaper pricing because they fly into "lesser" airports that are anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour from your actual destination AND they fly at off peak times.  You'll of course get charged for taxes, web check-in (which everyone has to do), priority boarding (if you don't want to be herded on like cattle and at least have some semblance of seats together) and an administration fee.  Also, because one of our flights was not the really early or late flight, the base price went up on one of our legs times three (there were three of us traveling).  So instead of what you think is going to be a straight 30 euro flight back and forth for three people, ends up being 260 Euros!  But, for me...that's still awfully cheap!
• Be sure to follow Ryanair's RIGID baggage carry on restrictions.  Know that a checked bag for each leg of your journey costs 30 euro per person....not worth it in my opinion for a short trip!  So, measure your carry-on bag wisely.  You can only take this ONE bag.  Your purse, laptop, backpack and whatever other bag you want to bring must fit inside of it.  It can also not weigh more than 10 kg.  More on this later.
• Within 10 days of your flight, you'll go online and print out your boarding pass for each passenger.  You'll need birthdate and passport information for each.  Keep this with you....lose it, and you'll pay 30 euro for each lost paper...I mean e-ticket!  See how this 30 euro keeps repeating itself?
• Non-EU (European Union) passengers are recommended to arrive 40 minutes before the flight leaves.  I arrived one hour before...no 1-1/2 hours before, as I had never flown out of Charleroi.  Try to trade drop-off and pick-up services with another military family flying out of there (obviously not at the same time).  If you can't, there is long-term parking....look for the sign "long term" which is right next to the parking garage.  It'll run you 55 euro for 5 days.  See rates here.  Don't park in the wrong lot or overpay!
• After arrival, at the larger airports, non-EU passengers and passengers checking in luggage must check in at the ticketing desks (in the front).  They may give you a more traditional boarding pass, or you'll keep your computer printed boarding pass which they will stamp (because they will check your passports).
• Then, it's into the security line.  You'll keep hearing announcements saying that boarding for flights leaving will close 30 minutes before departure, which is the signal for you to get through security and to not hang around in the check-in area.  They really do mean this, and I did see people turned away.  Make sure you read their policy if you miss your flight or better yet, get there EARLY and allow time for things that can go awry.
• A Ryanair agent will have you put your bag into a metal cage-like display to show it meets their baggage requirements.  I saw people manhandling that thing...the agent didn't care...as long as you can squeeze it in there, it's good.  We had one rolling backpack and two larg gymbags.  Gymbags and backpacks are great cause you can mold them into that stupid cage! There are also these displays scattered throughout the terminal, so be sure to test it out before the pressure of the people behind you watching you manhandle your bag causes you to sweat and stress unnecessarily.  Brought your lunch?  It better be in that bag?  Any purchases?  You will not go through until you put it in the bag.  Some of these displays also have a scale and will beep incessantly if you are overweight.  Try to balance out your weight among everyone's bags if you are traveling in a group.  Check it all out ahead of time.  Yes, I saw people having to do the walk of shame back through the line to the main check-in desk to check their bags...for 30 euros a pop....ouch.
• Once through that test, you'll go through routine security with the x-ray scanners.  Some personnel will make you take off belts....others, your shoes...some, nothing. Take your laptop and portable DVD players out to have them scanned separately.  Also take off coats, watches and large metal jewelry items if asked.  I almost always get beeped, as I refuse to take off one of my bracelets (in fact, I forgot how to take it off is the honest truth...and I won't admit it), so I get the personal search.  Gee, she went inside the band of my underwear this time...that was new.  Anyway, if you come early enough, you'll breeze through security.
• While waiting at your gate, you'll see two signs marking the two lines for boarding.  One is Priority.  This is the line you'll stand in if you paid extra for priority seating.  Even though your ticket will have a seat # on it, you won't get that particular seat.  This just means that your priority line is let on the plane before the rest of the folks who didn't pay for this privilege.  They stand in the other line.  As you get on the plane, the flight attendants will tell you which rows you can sit in and will try to guide you to the middle of the plane.  Sometimes you'll see folks all laid out at the beginning of the non-priority line waiting to board well before boarding time.  If you don't want to pay extra, let this be you so you'll be the first person getting on after priority boarding.  You can sit then wherever there's a free seat.
• Once on board, seats are pretty standard, although bare bones and probably less legroom (I'm tall and noticed this).  After all the traditional safety briefings are done, here comes the parade.  These flight attendants will go through the plane selling everything from drinks (no free sodas, drinks or peanuts) costing about 1,50 euro to phone calling cards to hot and cold sandwiches and other snacks costing anywhere from 3 to 7 euro, watches, perfumes...you name it.  I told my kids before they got on the plane they weren't getting anything and made sure to buy them a screwtop drink at the airport (which already was expensive enough, but what are you going to do when you can't take that stuff through security, and you're gonna get thirsty?).  We also carry plenty of snacks.
• Other than our plane leaving an hour late, which is UNHEARD of on your regular airline, I didn't notice it phasing any of the Ryanair personnel.  Our flight coming back from Venice left on-time though.  I have also heard that Ryanair flights can be canceled more often than your standard flights but have not experienced this myself.  Look what these passengers recently did who were three hours late.
• Immediately after landing you'll get a small treat by hearing the little ditty they play at the racetrack when the horses are called to race....yes, they really play that...everyone claps and you disembark.  Since this is the EU, you won't routinely deal with customs unless someone decides to pull your suspicious self aside....or maybe the dog smelled something on you...I don't know.

 Once you get the hang of this Ryanair thing, investigate blind bookings (google it).  Get sent real cheap to anywhere Ryanair flies...you just won't know where you are going until AFTER you've paid....be adventurous...it's like a gameshow...you can even narrow down the choices...of course, at a cost.  Try some of the other lowcost carriers in Europe.  Try being creative.  Have you heard of Wizz Air?  Try flying them through Budapest or Prague and then on to your final destination.  That may even be cheaper.  I'll leave you with a safety notice...even though these airlines are cheap, they are relatively safe..they are safter than your car, and all of them have a good safety record, so don't get worked up over that.  There are no reports of any of them skimping on safety that I have found.  I do wonder what will happen with airline travel once the "across the Atlantic" barrier has been breached by these lowcost airlines....something to think about?  Comments or your own recommendations?

I got my blog bling!

It finally arrived in the mail a few days ago...my blog bling.   I'm so happy to wear it...thanks Michelle!  What is blog bling you say?  Well, one of my favorite blogs is Steamy Kitchen....I saw Jaden's blog bling, and I wanted one too....but I didn't want to spend too much, which I know is a big surprise to my blog readers...anyway....so I chose one of my favorite shopping sites, Etsy, and found a crafter who could make one for me with my website address on it along with "vmw" (Veteran Military Wife).  There are a few doing this stamped metal jewelry (just use the search function).  I think they were originally intended to write all the name of your kids on and to wear proudly...I guess like a badge of honor?  Now, if only I could find a blog convention to wear it to....I guess they don't have those over here in Europe?  Here's an up close photo....please ignore the double chin I especially "crafted" for this photo and didn't notice til afterwards apparently.  Do you have blog bling?

Are we wimps for pain?

Hey, I don't take a Tylenol unless I have some kind of a shit-kicker headache...and I frown on drug use if I can help it, but sometimes, it's just the knowing that there is some possible pain relief waiting in the wings so to speak, that keeps me going sometimes.  I have been DREADING going to the dentist.  No, no check-up needed...those are the easy appointments.  I have a tooth that is being overly sensitive to the point of warm water making me hit the ceiling (and not just cold or hot water).  I dug in the back hallways of my brain and realized that about 10 years ago, I had a crown put on that tooth..or something....great.   I thought I could get a few more good years out of it.  So, I've been dreading it.  Yes, our on-post dentist will see you, and they do have dental sick call for dependents here, BUT for most folks, they will send you off post for the actual work...meaning, I will have to see a Belgian dentist to get it "fixed" if it needs "fixin".

Why am I being hesitant?  Because of the pain soothing alternatives, or should I say none!  I've come to find out that Europeans have a different sense of pain than Americans...they really do. Europeans EXPECT higher level tolerances for pain.  You see that in the kids at an early age on the playground, skinning knees and rolling off playground equipment with no safety features.  No parents come running when the little one falls....just a quick glance to assess the blood and look for any bent limbs from a distance, usually from the nearest bench.  European kids are conditioned growing up that pain can be a good thing and no one even hovers over them. 

I birthed two children in a German hospital.  I was told right away not to expect an epidural or any pain relief.  Their answer to pain relief is to sit in the warm water (if it's available) or to get an enema which will supposedly speed things up (I won't even go into that one).  I knew I had to do something as an American, so I ended up teaching myself the Bradley Method.  Honestly, it worked swimmingly, and I went through two babies...or should I say they went through me...with no pain pills, epidurals, shots or anything else...perfectly natural and no issues.  Okay, so I hurdled over that challenge but only thanks to Dr. Bradley.  And that's of course with almost picture perfect labors (and fast too)...no saying what I would've done with difficulties along the way!  I might've been telling a totally different tale here.

My former neighbor's teenage daughter had to get her wisdom teeth taken out...yes, they were impacted, meaning they had to be dug out.  The German dentist scheduled her to have all four done at once!  I swear, when I had them out as a teenager in the US, I was drugged during the procedure, had only two taken out at a time AND got some mind-alternating drugs for the recovery....both times.  Not so here.  You'll be lucky if they deaden the nerve right in the vicinity, and I have plenty of German relatives who choose NO pain relief when getting a cavity filled!  Back to the neighbor's daughter...yes, she did have pain relief during her procedure, but she was sent home with nothing...no pills, nothing and had trouble handling the pain.  Her cheeks were ballooned to chipmunk size, and she was so miserable, her mother went by the medical facility on-post, and they were able to prescribe her something to make her more comfortable.  They laughed...and said that this is the norm over here, and they typically give out drugs to those who've been to the German dentist.  I am hearing similar stories here in Belgium.

So, my question to you is this....do you think this gives Americans a low threshhold for tolerance of pain....and does it translate into tolerance of anything else?  I see little ones running around without coats and people biking somewhere before they would drive, like my neighbor lady who must be close to 80 but dutifully pedals her bike up and over the bridge in all kinds of weather.  This is certainly not the easy way...in fact, it's gotta be painful, right?.....are we too pampered as Americans?  Is this going to hurt us in the long run?  You know, survival of the strongest and stuff like that.  I read somewhere that our soldiers in WWII were such good fighters and fought long and hard because they had come from Depression-era life, and that this is what made them so strong, especially when the chips were down.  Any thoughts on this or am I way out there again?  I would just like to hear another opinion or have someone tell me I've been smoking dope or am otherwise unrealistic here.

New tire regulations for Germany (important)

I know that Americans used to debate whether it was required by law or not to have winter or all weather tires in Germany when the weather warrants it.  Well, now it has officially become law to the point of a police officer being able to stop your vehicle if you do not have winter or all weather tires and fining you and putting points on your license.  Also....

in addition to this 40 euros you'll pay, if you cause any kind of accident, you'll pay another 40 euros plus most likely be held at fault and be responsible for damages which could of course run into the hundreds or thousands.

So, ADAC Motorwelt, the ADAC monthly magazine, is recommending you put winter or all weather tires on your vehicle from October to Easter (Oktober bis Ostern, O to O to make it easy for Germans to remember).  Do remember that there are also other options for tire purchases in Germany besides the economy (very expensive) and the PX (expensive).  My favorite is Tirerack.com (good prices) where I recently purchased my all-weather tires, arriving here in just under a week.  Be sure to get it done before the mad rush at the local repair shop!

Latest search terms....

As any blogger worth their salt...you gotta see how people are getting to your blog.  Thank-you to all the blogs and other sites that mention Life Lessons!  One of these days, I'm going to have to write another post about the blogs I visit...there are some amazingly helpful ones out there...and just some darn funny ones too....would love to share them!  What always warms my heart....or just makes me smile...or what the heck?....are the search terms people google to get here.  Here are the top ones today, right at this very moment....
For the most part....they seem to be tracking....okay...I see that's a subject matter on my blog....but a few of these...makes me want to say......what in the.....?  Let me answer a few below that I don't think I answered on here anywhere

navy leave wife c section (Answer:  I unfortunately know nothing about the navy...sigh).

how to run household like the military (Answer:  I have no idea...and wouldn't want to.  Ever see the movie "The Great Santini" I think it's called?  It didn't work).

pcsing take clothes off hanger (Answer:  No, I recommend leaving them on there and having the movers put them in wardrobe boxes.  I had one move where they took our guest room closet and took everything off the hanger...it took me about THREE DAYS to straighten everything out and get it all on hangers again!)

will the military find wives a job at shape  (Answer:  No.  You are on your own in finding a job, although we have a good job assistance program at ACS, just like any other "Army post").  There aren't as many US citizen jobs as in Germany as an example.  I recommend you either try to get a job from stateside through DODEA - the schools, or the Dept of Defense or even contractor jobs....stop by ACS and use their job hunting resources to find what IS out there...or be persistent, volunteer EVERYWHERE and keep your ear to the ground to hear when someone is leaving).

toilets in belgium (Answer:  Yes, we have them.  For the most part, they are the same as in Germany...although the display shelf isn't quite as prominent.  Many toilets have TWO flush buttons, the smaller for "smaller jobs" and the larger one for "bigger jobs"....what a neat water-saving feature, huh?).

airfare navy spouse (Answer:  Not sure what this is asking?).

are there many black people at shape high school in belgium (Answer:  You'll find the  number of people from different races mirroring most military posts.  We also have a lot of darker skinned people from the Southern European countries too...I've even seen German soldiers nnd their families of color at the school).

pics of child rearing (Answer: For one millisecond I thought this said something else and was absolutely horrified!)

Free flight back to the US - COT Travel

So, I always knew that if you have back-to-back overseas tours...whether it's Germany/Germany, Germany/Belgium, Korea/Germany (seems to be a lot of that lately)...or whatever, you "earn" a free trip back to the US....to your military spouse's home of record.  This just means that the flight has a dollar amount attached to it, back to the home of record, and you can go anywhere in the US for free, as long as it's cheaper than that dollar amount (well, not free...the government pays for it).  If not, you pay out of pocket the amount ABOVE what you are authorized.  So why am I blogging about it?  One...what a pain in the rear to get the paperwork done (be persistent) and also just to let you know it's even available to you.  How do you know you are authorized this free travel for you, your military husband and the rest of your dependents, ie kids?


Look at your military spouse's orders assigning you to your new duty station.  There should be a line in there saying you, the dependents, are authorized COT (Consecutive Overseas Tour) travel.  If you PCSed (moved) from one overseas location to another, you are authorized this travel.  Once you've got those orders in hand, your military spouse then needs to take those orders to his personnel office to initiate the paperwork.  For us, that meant he had to go to three different offices...you know, NATO, no one knows who they really fall under administratively...which is sometimes different from who your boss is....then, when you nail that down, you can actually get the paperwork filled out and turned in.  Then you wait about three weeks and get notified that it came back approved.  My husband got his paperwork, which was indeed another set of orders approving COT travel, via email.

I printed the thing out, then went to our local SATO office...where you can book official and leisure travel.  For our area, it is located in an obscure location on Chievres, next to the PXextra, in a little hole-in-the-wall place.  The ladies in there can then check flights for you.  Our cap, per person, ended up being just over $1000, so we were limited....when did flights get so expensive?  I haven't been back to the US in four years....golly gee!  I almost had to go to Chicago to go back to the East Coast...but instead, ended up going through JFK, which I don't like either, to get to where I'm going.  Forget direct flights, even though my destination is a major East Coast hub...go figure...never just simple, is it?  BTW, SATO at Chievres told me they are now getting some nice last minute deals, so check their specials website.

So, the lady did say if I change my mind about wanting to go to Newark, she can get me through there....great, why would I ever choose to go through there...isn't JFK bad enough?  They don't actually ticket you...which will be an electronic ticket eventually...until the month you leave, so changes can be made up til then.  I know they have government rates and such available to them....but I would still think, when the seats are gone, they are gone....so reserving earlier would be better I would think.

Well, that's the first part of my adventure.  I'll have to blog about the second part...when we actually go....still a long ways off.  You have a year BTW to take advantage of this travel I was told (but I read that Congress upped the amount of time to take it to the full however many years of your second tour)!

FREE 24/7 Roadside Assistance in Belgium (& a word on travel cancellation insurance)

Here's a nifty little program I didn't know about when we moved here....glad I do now!  You see, we brought our ADAC Roadside Assistance with us in Germany.  We paid about 200 euro per year, and it covered us while we were there...you know, peace of mind.  Those ADAC yellow cars and tow trucks are angels in Germany should you ever have a breakdown, flat tire or run out of gas.  They'll even send someone to drive your kids home should you not be able to.  So, we moved to Belgium, and I double checked, and yes ADAC does cover you here too, even with a Belgian address, which in this case is our APO address, just like our APO address in Germany was on file.  BUT...and this was a big stickler for me.  ADAC has no offices in Belgium, so you'd have to call their Munich number for assistance.  I didn't get a warm fuzzy about that extra step.  I found out from the guy at the SHAPE gas station that Total Gas in Belgium has a FREE 24/7 roadside assistance program.  If you use Total gas, you can sign up for it.  It is very similar to ADAC and even covers you in many other European countries.  You knew I was going to investigate this, so here goes.


The guy who works at the Total gas station gave me a club card.  All I had to do was activate it online.  It will be tied to you and the license plate of your vehicle.  Both my husband and I got a card for each of our vehicles.

Go to Total's website and use Google Translate in a side window to see what the heck you are reading and doing.  You'll need your address, phone numbers and also the license plate number for your vehicle.  You can even register motorcycles which have different criteria for filling up.


Please make sure that when you go through the registration pages, do not go through Google Translate, as the registration won't go through.  Once your registration is complete and after you wait a few minutes, you'll get a confirmation email with your PIN number.  You will then be able to access your account online to see how many points you have added up. 

This is how it works.  Every three weeks, you MUST fill up at least 25 liters to receive free roadside assistance in that period and to be a member.  You should get an email every time you fill up to that amount or you'll get an email telling you when your assistance expires.  It will expire every three weeks, which means you need to put at least 25 liters of fuel into your vehicle every three weeks.  I hope I said that backwards and forwards enough times!

For example, if you fill up on the gas station on SHAPE, you'll probably be paying with your rationed fuel card that you purchased at the rationed items store across the street.  This holds true for any Total, as they are the supplier of our fuel ration cards here (it's Esso in Germany).  These fuel cards are heavily discounted from what the Belgians pay for their fuel.  No matter, you can use these as payment for the 25 liters you are going to put on your Total Card.

After you fuel up, take your receipt in to the cashier.  Hand them your Total Card.  They will then credit your account.  If you go home and check on your computer, you'll see some points added to your account.  There are other things you can do with those points, such a free gas, but I haven't investigated those goodies yet.

If at any time the service counter is closed, and you can't bring your receipts inside, collect them up and take them inside to the cashier and get them credited later.  You can do this at any Total gas station, but I recommend you take your receipts into the one you happen to be using.

Once you join, you'll also get an email of what phone # to call for assistance and other useful info, so use Google Translate if you need to and print it out and keep it in your car.

As a sidenote, there are also other roadside assistance programs out there.  I know that some of the agencies that offer car insurance both on and off post offer inexpensive roadside assistance programs.  Fortis Bank also has a roadside assistance program.

On a similar thread, if you travel a lot by air or do cruises or spend a lot of money on your travels, I would also look into travel cancellation insurance.  We have a cheap policy that covers up to I think it is 3,000 euro worth of travel that costs about 40 euro a year....something along those lines.  Most Europeans carry travel insurance that they renew once a year...it's not like in the States, where people only do it for cruises and weddings and such and pay per event...it's cheaper if you pay per year.  When I used to set up tours for the USO, I was astounded by how many would try to get a refund due to a family emergency or whatever reason, and if we already paid for hotel rooms or other fixed costs, they were SOL.  Very few had travel cancellation insurance.  Please check into it, as it is peace of mind too.  You typically have to file some kind of claim, and then get your money from the back end of the deal from the travel cancellation insurance company and not the original company that booked your travel.  Still, peace of mind that those thousands of Euros won't be lost if someone gets sick or has an emergency!

If anyone has any other similar insurance programs to add, and hey, I even invite the insurance companies overseas to post a link below.  When we moved to Belgium, we had no idea what the other car insurance options were, so stayed with USAA, which is more expensive here in Belgium due to them having to get their insurance through a third party here.  What are your recommendations?

Tired of cooking...that's me...solutions are here

I don't know if you're like me.  I'll go to our local library and check out half a dozen cookbooks with mouth watering pictures (cause those without just won't do).  I dutifully go home, mark the pages, buy the ingredients and then end up cooking  maybe....2-3 recipes per cookbook with mixed results.  Then, fresh out of motivation for the rest of the week, the dinner rut begins to rear its ugly head!  Family's hungry...always hungry (I have two boys plus hubby), so now what?  How about some easy "cheats" that look like you made a meal and put a lot of effort into it too?

Here are some ideas that have saved me and made my family belly-full happy:

• French bread (I LOVE Belgium for this as it is EVERYWHERE), roast chicken from the grocery store (they do that here too), raw cut-up celery and carrots (with choice of dips), olives (younger son lives on these) and a few rounds of cheese (we tried a wonderful light textured cheese from Brugge last week).
• Anything you can fry up on a raclette grill!  My kids love this thing and it's fun for company.  Get a few types of smoked sausages (even a few hotdogs will do)...cut that stuff up beforehand.  Also slice up peppers, onions and whatever vegetables taste great grilled.  I also have pre-cooked baked potatoes which will be sliced at the table.  Don't forget condiments and sauces and dressings for dipping.  Many stores now have raclette cheese, but we usually bring home a few different kinds too.  The gist is you layer a slice of potato and whatever cheese in your little tray and put it in the slot under the grill.  Up top you'll lay out sliced sausages, veggie slices and watch it sizzle and cause tongues to water.  What a fun dinner!  I sometimes make a few cold salads the day before to also go with this meal if we are having company.
• Boboli-type pizza, sauce (any spaghetti sauce will do), cheese, veggie and leftover lunchmeat toppings.  Kids get to make their own and will then be more inclined to eat their own creations!
• Deli meat platters, macaroni and potato salads from the deli.  Don't do this too often though, as they can be expensive.
• Breakfast for dinner.  We'll fry up some omelettes, and I always keep bacon and pre-cooked sausage in the freezer.  I will also slice up some potatoes and cook them in the microwave a few minutes before I pan fry them in butter and seasonings.
• If you just have pasta and whatever tomato sauce, add cream cheese (the flavored varieties work well) as you heat up the sauce.  It looks and tastes like a rich vodka sauce.
• Sandwiches for dinner.  Grab some fresh rolls before coming home along with some lunchmeats and cheeses.  Try different sauces.  I discovered Andoulous sauce here in Belgium and have been using that instead of mayo lately.  You can even use that great French bread again, layer it with meat and cheese and then put it under the broiler for a few minutes...hot, bubbly and crispy!
• Tortilla wraps in the microwave can be a real lifesaver.  Kids like these as snacks too.  What do you put in there?  You can add heated, mashed refried beans and cheese and serve with salsa or gaucamole or how about prepared chili or Sloppy Joe canned offerings?  We sometimes add whatever cut up veggies we have too.
• If you've got a bag of veggies and frozen chicken breasts or tenders in the freezer, you can put the frozen chicken in the oven after sprinkling whatever seasonings on there.  Once it starts to get light brown, it's done. Stir fry those frozen veggies with the cooked meat and throw in some soy sauce, Asian sesame oil and rice wine vinegar to taste.  Make your rice at the same time in a pot with water.  I boil my salted water (2x water vs. raw rice, so 2 cups of water and 1 cup rice).  I then put in the rice.  Put a lid on it and turn down to the lowest setting.  Set your timer for 15 min and serve with your stir fry.
• A big green salad with my homemade dressing and bias cut pieces of chicken nuggets...yes, chicken nuggets taste and look great in a green salad and it is different enough to make your dish..different.  I even served this once at a luncheon and everyone kept asking how I did the chicken....sssshhhh.

And those are my cheats.  Do you have any dinner meal cheats?