My best Christmas present - The Little House series

I couldn't be happier with my Christmas present this year! The complete Little House series!
I read a couple in German, but some of the books were impossible to find or way too expensive. Then I bought some of the original books in English. I liked the hardcover, but the quality of the paper is so bad. I cannot understand why Harper Collins doesn't print beautiful books like the Little House series on decent paper. 

Finally I decided that the Dutch (my first language) version was the best option for me. It is complete, has beautiful paper and the original Garth Williams drawings.
I LOVE THEM.
I am currently reading "The long winter" (I like reading about winter when it is cold outside).
All we need now is a little snow here in Luxembourg.

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Christmas at our house

December is one of my favorite months.

There have been so many beautiful 

moments to cherish this December.

^ The nutcracker ballet (girls only).

^ Christmas cookies (my best friend bakes

the best cookies).

 

^ Christmas decorations.

^ Lots of tea and hot chocolate.

 

^ A Christmas performance in which both

kids danced (and I cried).

^ A living christmas tree (because it doesn't drop its

needles) in an olive basket. 

These trees are rather small. 

When my husband brought it home, 

my daughter said: "Is that our christmas tree?"

And when my son came home a couple of days later,

he texted his girl friend: "We don't have a

christmas tree this year." And ten minutes

later: "We do have a tree, I just found it."

 (this was not meant to be a joke).

^ Christmas dinner.

^ Tiramisu (our favorite dessert).

   

^ I love to read about the "Little House" Christmases!

^ New warm PJs.

 

^ And lots and lots of games. 

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Christmas decorations

These cute little guys make me smile every year.

 

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This year's advent calendars

Somewhere in the beginning of November, I start looking for new advent calendars.

Picking a calendar for my children every year gives me so much joy. 

I chose the caroussel for my son and the red robin in the snow for my daughter. These calendars from Germany are so beautiful.

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Christmas market in Luxembourg-city

We paid a visit to the Christmas market in Luxembourg-city.
It is rather small, but really nice.

  
Don't you just love this giant Christmas pyramid?

Perhaps I should buy one of these nutcrackers.

 

We had some mulled wine and "Iertzenbulli mat Mettwurscht" (pea soup).

The guard in front of the "Palais grand-ducal". The kids found him very fascinating.

 It got me in the mood for Christmas!

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Christmas crafts with iron beads

Making crafts with the kids is fun.....

and making Christmas crafts is even more fun! 

This year we want to decorate our windows

with stars made from white iron beads.

They really turned out well. 

We are planning to make snowflakes next week.

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After Christmas blues

 That sweet joy of anticipation...

 

 

~

I am always filled with melancholy the week between Christmas and the New Year.

All the anticipation, the preparation...over too soon.

 

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Student life in Aachen

Our boys (22 and 20) both have a student flat in Aachen/Germany and we decided that Christmas time was the perfect time to visit them. We went to the wonderful Christmas market together and they took us to a really nice restaurant. We booked a hotel for the night so we could enjoy the evening together. The kids love to spend time with their brothers, even more so now that they are not living in Luxembourg most of the time anymore.

 

On the market there was a gentleman selling

 what looked like old, rusty screws,

 screw drivers and other tools.

Can you imagine that they were all

made of chocolate?! They looked very real.

 

"Lebkuchen" is a German holiday treat

similar to ginger bread and the shop

 windows all looked so inviting.

 

 

We had hot chocolate....

 

....and "Glühwein"

 

and we realized how proud we are

 of the caring, responsible young adults

these boys have become.

 



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Decorating for Christmas

Last year, same time my house looked like this.

I think you can imagine how happy I am

to decorate my home for Christmas this year.

 

 

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Cozy days before Christmas

 

 

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Christmas gifts

There was something for everyone.
Even the boys brought thoughtful gifts from Germany for all of us.

There were sweet little presents.....



.....and books for me.



And there were books for the children.



This one is called "One Winter's Day" in English. Highly recommended (preschool-grade 1)! It is a sweet, tender story about sharing and the pictures are really beautiful. The woolens are made of a feltlike fabric, so your child can really feel them.



In English "Little Beaver and the Echo". We didn't read the story yet, but the soft watercolor pictures are so sweet. I really love this book!
For preschool and grade 1.

And this is what I made for my best friend from the Czech Republic, a little basket filled with tasteful Christmas goodies from the Netherlands.

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