.SOMETIMES RAW.

“Victor and I have very different definitions of what constitutes a clean house. Victor’s definition involves absolutely everything perfectly in its place (except for the eight thousand wires and extension cords sticking out from every electronic device in our house, which are all apparently invisible to him). It also includes all of this happening magically, without him actually ever being involved in the cleaning at all (except for the one time when I ran into the living room because I thought I heard him doing whip-its, but turns out he was just spraying furniture polish”. 

I read Jenny Lawson’s latest book “Furiously Happy” and thought that I have to pick up her first book as well. You find the quote above sort of confusing and still wonder what “whip-its” are? You are not alone. The entire book is written like this. With footnotes explaining words she comes up with. I have read somewhere that Lawson is compared to David Sedaris but she is definitely not a Sedaris alternative. I love David Sedaris. 😀

Lawson is funny. No doubt and I did have to laugh at points. But her way of writing made me dizzy. She is jumping all over the place; explains this and that and comes back to another explanation – then throws in a word like  “Snausages”. She tells stories about her childhood, about her high school years and how she met her husband Victor. She also writes about a lot of arguments she has with him (like calling  him while driving around in her car being   lost and she thinks the GPS is haunting her so she did not take it). Say whaaaat? Yes, it is that bizarre. While reading her book I thought that she does have potential to be a comedian but it seems she is so disorganized and all over the place. She mentions her editor a lot who pointed out that she cannot write certain passages the way she did but Lawson still kept them as she wrote them. Okay, this is funny once. But more than that… not really! It just seems her stories don’t come together in a way.

Overall I would say that initially she is funny but then the stories get boring. It also seems that she just sat down, wrote something and published exactly that. And the entire book reads like that. Many times I thought, “No way, she actually did not just write this”. Also, to me it seemed that many chapters were just fillers. She filled pages with post-it notes to her husband.  This book should not be called a memoir – or mostly true memoir. She simply wrote about moments of her life all mixed up with no real guideline. She writes something like “OKAY, so you liked this because you are still around. Fuck but why are you still here? You want to know how I did this and that? Or do you want to fucking leave? It is up to you….” And this goes on and on. Horrible!

Footnotes are fine but footnotes and explanations all the time are irritating. Also, as mentioned earlier,  the editor’s tips on how Lawson should rewrite certain chapters. Over and over! Annoying! Do you know who The Bloggess aka Jenny Lawson is? Check out her blog here.  I have browsed through her website a couple of times so I am familiar with her writing style. To me it seems that she just copied and pasted her blog into a book. Lawson explains that she is crazy and she does just whatever she wants; which is fine.  Most of the time she writes something and then she has this urge to clarify instantly what she just said. If you would ask my husband he would tell you that I love to exaggerate.  Lawson does it so much that it was exhausting to read and finish this book. She writes that “I was attacked by a bear last night!” You think: “Holy shit, no way….. how could this happen?” But what she really meant was that “I saw a stray dog behind a tree.” I would love to hear your thoughts if you read Jenny Lawson’s book “Let’s pretend this never happened”. Feel free to share your opinion.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

Happy Halloween !!! Do you have some plans for today? Are you dressing up? Trick -or -Treating? My son and I will be hopefully spending the afternoon/evening with my friend and her sister + family. My son is not feeling too well still. He has a cold now after all the vaccination madness and is sneezing and coughing his way through the day. Poor little guy! I hope he feels better today. Whenever he is sick it is obviously also tougher for me. I am fighting the cold like a trooper so far. I hope I stay healthy. I will share some tips on getting yourself through the cold/flu season hopefully without getting sick. So far it works for me.

Have you read my recent post on my son’s birthday? If you have, you know that I bought him this toy because he was so in love with it. It turns out that this toy is made in hell! He takes this “fun driver” wherever we go and it is so loud and annoying. I am not allowing it in the car anymore while I am driving because it is too disturbing. It made me think the other day while this toy was blasting in the living room and I was barely able to keep my sanity, how people can create something like this! It must be made by someone who does not have kids and who does not know how annoying it is to have a toy this loud. My son does not have too many toys  and he is fine with it; simply because the pots, pans and bottle opener (“Mama loves wine!” – don’t all mom’s love alcohol?) in the kitchen are so much more interesting than anything else. This toy however; wow, insanity! No more words added or needed. On all the mothers out there: DO NOT under any circumstances get this toy for you kid(s). Unless  you want to have this nervous twitch in your right or left eye that only stops when the kid is in bed. I warned you! 🙂 

On the other hand, I have discovered this really awesome company, Melissa & Doug (one company in Wilton, Connecticut). They make wooden toys and much more and my son and I love it. For one reason it is great because these toys do not make any noise!  On their website you will find product information on what they use to create these toys; what type of “chemicals” (which are actually very good in comparison to plastic toys mentioned above) and where it was manufactured. I love that my son is still able to use his imagination while he plays with these toys and can build and re-build things. They also offer an Affiliate Program if you would like to review their products. I also want to mention that Melissa & Doug offer toys for children with special needs like, picky eaters, speech and language problems, toys to train cognitive skills as well as fine motor skills and many more. So do check out their website if you are searching for awesome toys for your child. I will share what we currently have and what my two-year old son plays with these days. 

Chuuuuuggington… chugga chugga chugga chugga… holy shit. So, yes, my son loves it. I hate it but who cares right?! 

I was always a big advocate on “Anti-TV for kids”. However, there is a time when I just turn a show on for him. Simple as that. Whenever I need to get something done, or need a moment to myself. So we discovered Chuggington. The creators of this show must work closely together with the person who invented the “Fun Driver”! Guess what? If your child is obsessed with Chuggington and you just cannot take it anymore, switch to Thomas and Friends. This is so much cooler and you won’t have the eye-twitch anymore. You can purchase the trains, train tracks and other fun parts! No more Chugga chugga Chugga shit! 😉 My sister Diana gave me this tip. Thank you! <3

Thank you for reading my blog. Let me know what kind of toys your children play with. 

Hello out there! A reader asked me recently if I could write a post on Coburg with insider tips so it would make his trip to my beloved hometown easier! Of course I can and I loved writing this article! 

I look outside the window and it is raining; it is cold and nasty and usually this is the time when I miss “home” the most. Home! What do I even consider home when I am  constantly traveling this beautiful planet with my family? Home is where my heart is, but my base is definitely in Coburg, Germany. I love this town because it has everything I need and a bit more. But to realize and appreciate all this I had to leave first. I moved to Munich and when this became boring I needed a new challenge and I ended up in New York City. 

If you ever want to spend a vacation in Bavaria/Germany with good food, Bratwurst and beer, read on. My initial thought to bombard you with history details but I will just send you to this page for that. I want to focus this post entirely on places to visit, attractions, accommodations, and of course food and restaurants. If you have questions feel free to send me an email! 

You arrived safely in Coburg and want to know what to do next? 

Where to stay: Some friends of mine stayed at hotel “Goldener Anker”  which is in close proximity to the market place and in walking distance to the main attractions and one of the best hotels in Coburg. Obviously I stay at my parents’ house so I don’t need accommodation 😉 You can trust my friends on this one! 

Information Center/Tourism: This page is very helpful to find your way around. Under Service&Info you can find maps to download, guides and calendars with current events. 

Places to visit: You want to see one of Germany’s largest castles? Visit the Fortress Coburg! 

The Fortress had been built in 1225 and Martin Luther spent approximately six months there while he translated the Bible into German. There are three museums you can visit that display great exhibits.You will see Martin Luther’s room from 1530, the Armory, old master paintings, an amazing collection of coins, prints and drawings, and the highlight – their collection of Venetian Glass (famous worldwide). Never miss the view from one of the towers to appreciate the lovely smooth hills of “Coburger Land”. Also, sure you explore the Hofgarten (the park and garden) surrounding the fortress. There are just beautiful paths to walk and explore and a huge playground for kids. See what is currently displayed at the museum here. If you are into castles you will love Coburg. There are just so many. Visit Ehrenburg Palace (a former Franciscan Monastery) or Castle Callenberg. Castle Rödental is so beautiful too. I spent a lot of time in that park with my son this spring and summer.

Things to do: What else is Coburg famous for? Well, according to my father it would be hand’s down: THE Coburg Christmas Market. Okay, he is right! It is the best thing to do in December and the Glühwein and Honey-wine (“Met”-debet) is just the best. You have a plethora of food, sweets, handcrafted thingies and attractions for kids. My family and I have tried several christmas markets but there is none like the one on Coburg. Trust me! 

If you visit Coburg in the summertime you can enjoy the Samba Festival in July. It is not a little dance party, cocktails and some naked skin! Coburg is actually referred to as “Europe’s Capital of Samba” and it is true!

When you are at the market place, try the world’s famous Coburger Bratwurst. 

It is also knows as “Coburger” and you can buy one of these right at the market place at a little stand that is there year-round. I am a vegetarian but I get myself a Bratwurst once in a while. Yep, that good! So what it this Bratwurst? It is a 10-inch sausage made from pork and beef. They put raw eggs in it as a binding agent and a lot of seasoning. Salt, nutmeg, pepper… you name it! The secret why it tastes to good is that it is grilled over a pine-cone fire. It is a tradition to get your Bratwurst at the market place at this one Bratwurst-Stand. 

After you visited the Castles, the Hofgarten, strolled around some more and had a Bratwurst, I think it is time for some reading. There are two places in Coburg to find great books, good coffee and cake and just browse. One is The SunnySide close to the market place. They serve awesome coffee, breakfast or snacks and have a great selection of books. It is a place to rest, think, have good conversations with Patrick, read and drink a cup! The other bookstore I want to mention is Riemann Buchhandlung.  This bookstore is literally at the market place and has a nice little café and a good assortment of books. Check both out for sure! 

What? You are hungry again? Okay, let’s go to this little café and have another cup of coffee and a sandwich that keeps you going until dinner. Café Sorgenfrei is famous for Latte Art by Benjamin Reimers and has nice brunch/lunch options. 

Now you walk around some more and explore all the stores Coburg has to offer before it is time for dinner. Walk all the little side-roads and paths and see the tiny stores that are so awesome! You should also take a walk to the Coburg State Theater. The theater is beautiful and a gem in Coburg. If you are into fairy tales, musicals, operas or ballets, this is the place to go to see a play. They offer a variety of shows and have an awesome program. Check out their website here. 

If you want to relax you definitely should go to Aquaria. This amazing pool in Coburg offers many ways for you to unwind and have a SPA day. Sauna, massages, fitness, and in the summertime an outdoor pool. If you are into sports or want to see a Volleyball or Handball game, Coburg has two great teams. My godmother said that I cannot send this article out without mentioning the Glass Museum in Rödental. She is right! Go check it out! 

For dinner I can recommend Tie Restaurant which is mostly vegetarian or vegan. They do have some meat-choices as well. Great food, great ambience. If you are into Tapas and more, check out Bar Celona.  My friend Sylvia recommended “Cosmo’s tapas & wine”. They are currently working on their website, so here is their Facebook link. 

Are you getting tired or are you up for a last drink before it is time to go back to the hotel? 

Check out Sonderbar! (Hey Judith!) Sonderbar has great food, cocktails, and usually live music; sometimes even during the week. This place is more of a Hipster place but great to end a day and have one more drink. I hope you enjoyed this little Coburg Insider Guide. Let me know if I forgot to mention something. Leave a comment below or send me an email through Contact! 

Thank you for reading my blog.