Summer Shoes

These sweet little shoes are headed my way and I don't intend to take them off for the rest of the summer.

photo from www.birkenstockusa.com

What's your go to summer shoe? What matters more to you when it's hot - style or comfort?

Endspurt

You know that immensely difficult last push through a long and arduous task, like say the school year if you're a teacher? Well, in German they actually have a word for it: Endspurt. It translates very well. In Switzerland, people will wish you a "good endspurt" much like you might wish someone a happy birthday.

I'm taking all the wishes for a good endspurt that I can get. These days, J and I are just SO tired! Really, we are seriously running out of steam.

Luckily when trying to push through an endspurt, there is a breakfast that is fast, easy as pie and gives you lots of energy right through lunchtime. Just the ticket. Thank you, oatmeal, for being so wonderful!

Traffic Jam

I probably have the most beautiful 15-minute-walk "commute" in the world. But like regular commutes, it has its drawbacks. Every once in a while, I'll be a little late to work due to running into these folks. It's okay. They make up for the setback in cuteness.

New Home

We could not be happier about our new apartment in Seefeld. It is definitively the most desirable neighborhood in Zürich and utterly impossible to get into - especially at an affordable price. One evening we were riding the bus to a party at a friend's house and I got to thinking about how I'd like to live in the city. As nice as Adliswil is, it's a suburb and I just don't do suburbs! I'm a city girl, through and through. I looked up at J and said, "You know what will happen? Someone we know will be moving and then we'll take over their apartment and it will just work out that way and we'll get an amazing place."

Less than three weeks later we got an urgent call at 10 pm from some friends. Their neighbor was moving and if we wanted to get this place we had to act fast. We viewed the apartment the following evening and got the application in the mail the following day. Things fell effortlessly into place from there.

I was a little shocked to discover the total non-existence of equal opportunity housing policies here in Switzerland and extremely shocked to see people's reactions. At work and among friends, we got everything from sincere congratulations - you'd think we'd just completed our doctorate - to jealousy and whispering of the not-so-subtle variety. Waiting to hear back about an apartment you really, really want is hard enough, but having to endure remarks like, "An affordable apartment in Seefeld? Do you even have a chance? What makes you think they would they choose you?" is horrible. You might be asking yourself right now, how does one respond to that? I'll tell you. With a confident smile and an enthusiastic "It's not advertised! Our friends recommended us. They've been in the building for six years. Isn't it great?!" Oh, it's fabulous, darling!

I can scarcely count the ways this move is going to be wonderful, but definitely near the top of the list is decor. I have missed the vintage charm of our beautiful apartments in Portland more than I can say and our new place has serious charm: Original parquet floors from 1865, a wood burning stove from the same era, tall old windows with deep window sills, wainscoting! Elements such as those deserve decor that is warm, a tad modern to off-set the historical feel and cozy. Here's what I've got in mind.

photos from ikea.com and pendelton-usa.com

With the exception of the striped wool throw, which J and I saw in Sunset Magazine and immediately became completely obsessed with, all of the furniture and decor come from IKEA. The coveted striped throw is from Oregon's own Pendelton Woolen Mills. And did I mention it's 100% pure Merino? {swoon!}

When brainstorming what's important to us in a living room, we both agreed that cozy is paramount, hence the high pile wool rug, the Pendelton throws and the comfy couch where you can really snuggle up. It's also extremely important to us that our television not be the focus of the room. In fact, we don't even want it to be visible, so the cupboard will keep it tucked away and out of sight when we are not watching a movie rental from iTunes. In order to add a little warmth to the top of the cabinet, I envision the blue pitcher vase on top and a stack of books. I just love an artfully selected stack of books. To keep things from being too drab or plain, the red lamp gives a punch of color! Finally, the sofa table with its gooey golden glow will keep the sofa away from the wall and create depth and dimension in the room without the couch feeling like it's just out in the middle of the room on its own. I think it's going to be delightful!

What are your top priorities when decorating? What does your ideal living room look and feel like? What sort of "living" does your living room cater to?

Capsule Coffee

I'm now the proud owner of a capsule coffee maker and it's my new best friend. They're prohibitively expensive new, but I found this used model from an American relocating back home. She was sad she couldn't take it with her.

That fancy shmancy red orb is the Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee maker and all the boxes are filled with little capsules that you put into the machine and then flip it on and presto! A fresh cappuccino or latte machiatto. Yum! J is such a sweetie and when we got home after picking it up, he automatically made space for it in the shelf above his beloved kettle. Joel is a purist and drinks French Press coffee and lots of tea. I'm not that sophisticated and I tend to run with the trends, so I'm a Dolce Gusto kind of gal. 

Here's a cappuccino in progress. It takes two capsules, first a milk capsule to make the frothed milk almost all the way to the top, then follow up with the espresso capsule to finish it off. Wow. The milk is actually foamy and delicious and this machine is so completely cool. I am in love!

Saturday Morning

Saturday morning is my favorite of all mornings. Friday nights we get a lot of sleep and then wake up on our own (no alarm!) and snuggle until we're ready to get out of bed. I'm especially happy this Saturday because it's raining and cloudy and inside feels so cozy and warm with a cup of strong coffee.

Today I tried a new recipe from my America's Test Kitchen Cook Book. I made the Cream Biscuits, which they promised would be fast at only 30 minutes start to finish and light. They were both. If I had taken them about just a few minutes earlier, they would have been a bit moister and chewier, but they were not the least bit dense or heavy. Overall very impressive, especially because I used Schär Gluten Free flour! Because I was on a roll, I also whipped together some pork breakfast sausages that I adapted from this recipe. I prefer the Hot version, but I up the sage and omit the MSG - of course! 

All in all, a pretty perfect morning if you ask me. What do you do on Saturdays? What are your weekend rituals?

Vision Boards

I thought the movie, "The Secret" was a crock. Some of the basic principles were good - positive attracts positive, negative attracts negative. But, unlike "What the Bleep Do We Know?" I found that "The Secret" focused mainly on attracting money and things and that is not all that inspiring.

Recently, I decided to give my goals definition and intention and thought I would make a vision board. In "The Secret" the vision boards are mainly composed of photos of gigantic houses, diamond rings that resemble flashlights and Hawaiian beach scenes. How do you represent "Organized, peaceful home" with a photo on a board? 

Because our lives are so visual, I still wanted to give the vision board a try. I think that having a picture collage reminder of the things I'm working toward and desire will not only keep my mood positive, but also focused on the path and on track. Making a vision board is easier said than done!

In the end, one of the best ways I've found to attract more positivity is through gratitude. Taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of the day to recall five things I'm grateful for is surprisingly powerful. What are you feeling thankful for? Make it a great day!

Arbonne

I wholeheartedly love cosmetics. I really can't think of a more gratifying way to spend money than on beauty products. Seriously. Having a bad day? Week? Month? Go get a makeover, buy yourself some shiny, good smelling beauty products and you'll feel amazing! 

To that end, I was very excited to get a package in the mail recently from my dear friend Amy. 

YAY!

Amy is an Independent Consultant with Arbonne and she sent me all sorts of goodies. 

OMG!

Just look at all that fabulous stuff! Sea Source Detox Spa bath salts, RE9 skin care sample set, make-up, protein powder -  and more!

Sometimes it can take me a while to try a new beauty product because I have such dry, sensitive skin. Trying something new always carries an element of risk with it. But Amy was in qualification to get a FREE white Mercedes Benz through Arbonne, so I thought to myself, "Hey, I need a moisturizer with sunscreen for the summer, I might as well support Amy and see if Arbonne has a nice one." WOW! Do they ever! 

Arbonne is amazing! Who knew?!

That is my new RE9 anti-aging moisturizer with sunscreen and next to it is an Arbonne lip polish. The moisturizer is lovely, anti-aging and contains no parabens or other crap. That is because, I learned from reading a bit about Arbonne, all of their products are pure.safe.beneficial. meaning they're sourced from natural ingredients that are good for you. Wow!

Last summer Amy gave me a tube of that very lip polish as a going away gift and I promptly fell in love with it! Then tragedy struck and I dropped it on hard tile floor and it broke. I've been missing it ever since. I must say that Arbonne's lip gloss is the absolute BEST lip gloss I've EVER used! It's glossy and has lots of shine, but it's not the least bit sticky. How is that possible, you ask? I have no idea. But it isn't. It's not sticky! Best of all, it's moisturizing (yes, moisturizing!), so I can put it onto bare lips and it feels good and looks great. Talk about a dream product! 

But it's not just a dream product, it turns out Arbonne is a dream brand!

photo from arbonne.com

That is the RE9 Advanced skin care set. It's the skin care line that my ahhhhmazing moisturizer with sunscreen is a part of and happily Amy sent me a sample of the whole line so I could try all the products out together. No joke, people, this stuff is incredible. I used the sample kit for seven days and seven nights and I couldn't believe the difference. Naturally, I ordered up the full-size kit on the spot. I had to! No really, I had to! How could I not when the word "blackhead" was quickly vanishing from my vocabulary?! 

I can't even begin to tell you how revolutionary this skin care line is. That must be what RE stands for - revolutionary. My skin is smoother than it's ever been. The RE9 seems to have pulled all the impurities and blackheads right out leaving behind invisible pores and total radiance. It's to die for. Best of all, you only need the tiniest amount to see results. The sample kit is only supposed to last three days and three nights, but I managed to get a whole week out of it. Amazing! I am counting down the days until my full size set arrives. 

So...are you curious about that FREE white Mercedes?! 

They did it! Amy and her team are now an Arbonne Region and I, for one, am so delighted for her. The Arbonne Opportunity is incredible! Seeing what this company has done not only personally for my skin (in just one week!) but the phenomenal ways that it has touched Amy's life, I will definitely be joining Arbonne as soon as I get back on US soil! In the meantime, I'm a total believer in Arbonne's incredible pure.safe.beneficial. line of products and will continue supporting the Amy Everett Region!

If you are interested in the Arbonne Opportunity or want to try some incredible Arbonne products on your own skin, visit Amy's Arbonne Website. She will be more than happy to introduce you to Arbonne products and the company. Trust me, you won't regret it!

Spring Has Sprung!

The weather in the Zurich area has been ridiculously gorgeous the past week or so. It honestly feels like summer and what could be better than a picnic lunch on a bench by the lakeside? Nothing, apparently, as that is what everyone and their dog is up to these days in Zurich! 

I'm so happy to see winter long gone and long spring days here. Warmth, light in the evenings, strolls with just a light sweater or wrap, the feeling of the sun on my face. It's glorious. As J said, it's a miracle every year to see the buds form and watch everything burst into life. I couldn't agree more. 

Best thing since sliced bread.

Today I received my first grocery delivery and it's safe to say I may never go to the store again. Last night all it took was a little time, a few clicks and today all of my groceries arrived on-time, lovingly packed and I didn't have to carry anything up two flights of stairs!

This being Switzerland, one of the payment options is to be sent a bill via email. I do have to say I love the level of trust when it comes to money in this country. 

It did take some time to select everything, about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. That's still less time than it would have taken to go to the store and I was at home in my slippers! Coop @ home has a 100 chf minimum for delivery and an 18 chf delivery fee. If you order more, the delivery fee drops and I paid only 13 chf. As J said, we probably saved 13 chf in impulse buys just by not being physically in the store. Very true! And really, those were some heavy items. Having them brought up the stairs right to our door is worth every cent (or rappen as they say here in Switzerland). 

I'm hooked. Only online grocery shopping for me. It really is the best thing to happen to the grocery store since sliced bread!

Woo Medicine

I am currently recovering from what is possibly the worst head cold I have ever suffered from. The doctor sent me to the pharmacy to get a few things. The first item was Triofan, a fabulous nasal spray with a decongestant in it. If it weren't for Triofan, I think it's very possible that I might never have slept again!

photo from topwell.ch

Triofan is your standard drug. It's a pharmaceutical with xylometazoline hydrochloride in it, which is why it works so rapidly and makes breathing so easy possible again. 

The doctor also told me to get something else: Weleda Doron Drops for Cough. 

photo from weleda.ch

These are definitely NOT a pharmaceutical. In fact, they fall into a category that many would describe as "woo." These drops are not a Homeopathic, but an anthroposophical medicine. If you have not heard of Anthroposophy, it was started by Rudolph Steiner, who also founded the Waldorf school movement. I definitely consider Steiner to be 100% woo and I'll admit that after doing my masters thesis on his Waldorf movement, I am not a big fan of his educational philosophies. This makes me a bit biased against anthroposophical medicine.

That said, I like that doctors prescribe this stuff here. As a first course, it's always better to pursue the over-the-counter nasal spray and drops route rather than to take antibiotics!  Initially, I was unbelievably impressed at how effective the drops were, in fact, I couldn't believe it. But that was before I had read the Triofan box and realized it had bona fide drugs in it. 

Now, I am not entirely convinced that the drops work. Here is why: I took the drops at the same time as I took the Triofan. My cough was caused by mucus dripping post-nasally into my lungs and then being coughed back up. Yuck. So when the Triofan cleared up the nose, Ahhhhh, naturally the cough went away too. 

The next time I have a cough I'm looking forward to taking some of these drops and seeing what happens. Given how acute my pain and misery were yesterday, I am very thankful for the Triofan and its drug content. 

Overall, I think Switzerland has a really good balance of western medicine and alternative therapies. Yes, many people consider homeopathy, naturopathy and acupuncture woo, but these therapies can and do work for a lot of conditions.  I am an especially sensitive person so holistic medicine really appeals to me as it investigates how the body is functioning as a whole and how a disruption in one area can have repercussions in other areas of the body.

That is not woo, it's just common sense!!

Happily, I have a supplement on my insurance that covers alternative therapies. As healthcare reform moves forward in the US, I hope that this is something that will become possible at home, too. I'm happy to pay a bit extra each month to have access to acupuncture, naturopathy, massage and so on. And in the end, it probably saves the insurance companies a lot of money. When people pursue preventative measures that are natural it's just plain cheaper than traditional western medicine that involves lots of costly pharmaceuticals and technology. 

So, bring on the woo - and the drugs! They can work together. 

Craving Home

I've been pretty homesick lately. Here are a few of the things that I crave, want, need and hate living without.

Mail Order 

I love getting things in the mail. Especially packages filled with clothes from J.Crew, stationery from Minted, frivolous lovelies from Kate Spade, lovely smelling geranium cleaning products from Mrs. Meyer's, kitchen gadgets and makeup from Macy's, and the list goes on and on. Best of all, when in America, these things come with manageable US price tags instead of prohibitively outrageous Swiss ones! 

Whole Foods

photo from wholefoods.com

It's such a treat to walk into Whole Foods and buy super fresh produce that doesn't go bad within 12 hours. I love the Panko Bread Crumbs in a little can. Organic stuff that is affordable! Essential oils, Bach Flower Remedies, local meats. I do miss Whole Foods, even if they are corporate. 

My Kitchen Appliances

photo from kitchenmixersreview.com

It's tough to bake a cake or make cookies without my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer that J and I got from my mom at my bridal shower. Other coveted items? Food processor and crock pot. I am not going to re-buy these things here. Mostly because I can't re-buy these things here. Do you know that a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer is more than $600 in Switzerland?  See for yourself. Ouch!

Top Loading Washers

photo from maytag.com

I know that front loading washers are more efficient, but I don't like them. After having a front loader for the past six months I firmly believe that top loaders get clothes cleaner (faster) and make fewer holes in them. 

Chipotle

This is probably my favorite food on the planet, and it's definitely my most missed food now that I'm in Switzerland. I am crazy for Chipotle's crispy barbacoa tacos with green tomatillo salsa, cheese, sour cream and lots of lettuce. And I always get a side of those delectable black beans, rice tossed with lime juice and finely chopped cilantro and roasted vegetables. Heaven in a little basket.

It's true that the grass is always greener! Living abroad really helps me to appreciate home like never before. I think that this time around will do it for me and when I return, I'll be happy and content to settle in and put down roots once and for all. Until then, I have learned a lot about Mexican cooking. Be on the lookout for a post about that soon!

Stretching Menus

My New Year's resolution is to stick to our monthly budget. I'm very good at making budgets thanks to the handy and intelligent Excel spreadsheet. And it does gives me such a great feeling of satisfaction to know that everything is accounted for and planned out. The problem is that once that fateful payday has occurred and I've made the requisite transfers to our savings account and US account to pay our student loans, then everything goes to pot. Somehow, we wind up spending more than I had planned, and along with the overspending seems to come a lot of wasted food. Why didn't I freeze that leftover chili? I completely forgot about those tender asparagus spears! Clunk, thud, it all goes in the garbage. Bad.

This weekend we're having one of our favorites: Roast Chicken. Typically, we only get two meals out of a roast chicken and then wind up wasting the rest because it becomes unappealing having sat in the fridge covered in saran wrap for too long. Not this chicken! It's a free range chicken from France and I intend to get every last Franc out of it.

Tonight we'll have the roast chicken with vegetables, same tomorrow. Then, I'm going to pull the rest of the chicken from the carcass and make Oriental Chicken Salad from Nourishing Traditions. 

Do you think I can get more from this chicken? Please send me your ideas! I hereby declare 2011 the year of waste not, want not. 

Darn It!

Martha Stewart has done it again.  In the January issue of Martha Stewart Living, the article entitled "A Stitch in Time" made me wish I had some holes in my sweaters to darn. Not only does the article encourage a lost idea (fixing rather than replacing!) but it does so with flair. Just look at the contrasting yarn darning the holes on that sweater.  It makes me giddy with delight!

From Martha Stewart Living January 2011, Number 206

Then what should happen, but last week I looked down only to notice a hole in one of my favorite J.Crew cardigans. No! My initial dismay quickly turned to delight when I realized I now had a chance to use Martha's fabulous darning idea. Yes! Immediately I knew that I wanted neon yellow or green (or both?) to darn my navy blue cardigan. Happily Purl Soho had exactly what I was after so while home for Christmas, I shall have a fun little project to tend to while chatting with my mom and drinking tea.  

Mettler Neon Thread $22.40
photo from Purl Soho

Looking forward, I want to have a knitwear first-aid kit like Martha's at the ready. Sewing and knitting are such relaxing enjoyable activities that it also makes a pleasurable task out of a disappointment. There's everything to love about that.

From Martha Stewart Living January 2011, Number 206

Wish

It's that time of year again.  Here is what I have on my wish list this Christmas.

Essie nail polish quartet from J.Crew.  These colors are so feminine and bright.  Perfect for winter parties.

No Size.  Color: Ballerina Clam Bake
click on photo for more info

Merino wool leggings from Icebreaker, to stay warm out in the snow.  Brrr!

Size: XS  Color: Blizzard
click on photo for more info

Merino camisoles from Icebreaker.  Indispensable.  

Size: XS  Color: Snow
click on photo for more info

UGG house shoes to keep my toes toasty while working with the kiddos.  I especially like the rubber sole because slippers make the most annoying noise.  

Size: 6  Color: Tobacco
click on photo for more info

Serious winter boots from Sorel.  With the Thinsulate, fleece lining and waterproof toes these are sure to be cozy on even the coldest Zurich days.  

Size: 6  Color: Black
click on photo for more info

An elegant wool coat from J.Crew, because the puffy down jacket is not always appropriate to the occasion.  This one has Thinsulate and comes in a petite.  Perfect.

Size: Petite 0 with Thinsulate  Color: Black
click on photo for more info

Staying warm is definitely this year's theme!

Progress

These days our kitchen is starting to feel more like the heart of our home.  We got a fabulous butcher block from IKEA and it looks great with all of our pots and pans and cookbooks on display.  There's no getting around the fact that the kitchen itself is very "Euro."  As in lots of tile and modern clean lines.  (Maybe too modern and clean?)  It's coming along, but hopefully I'll find even more ways to warm up all of that grey.  For now, it feels like progress in the right direction.  

Design Dilemma

Since arriving in Switzerland, decorating our apartment has not been priority number one.  First of all, we wanted to make sure we actually liked this place enough to stay before we invested in décor.  Secondly, consider that we live in the heart of Europe.  Spending money on traveling is way more fun, and really, more important when you have two weeks of vacation in October!  Finally, having a washer and dryer was more appealing than getting the décor in order when the weather was nice and we were spending the majority of our non-working hours outside.

With those ideals in mind, we bought a white slipcover for our (then red) couch, got a cheap, but cute rug and coffee table from IKEA and decided it was good enough.  

And it was for a while.

But now the push to do something about the interior has become relentless. The weather is changing rapidly and we're spending more and more time inside. It's getting darker and darker and we don't have any ceiling lighting - anywhere, in the entire apartment! The space is not functional. We don't have a place for wine glasses. I don't have a place to put my keys and purse when I come in the door. We have virtually zero counter space. Most of all, it just doesn't feel cozy! J is completely unfazed by our total lack of design and function, but I am quickly losing my mind.   

Decorating a space is usually my favorite part about moving to a new apartment.  But this time it's tricky.  We don't have a car and I really miss west elm.  I need some help!  

What can you share about your success in designing a functional small space?  And if you live in Switzerland, what are your favorite furniture and home décor stores?  

Maybe Baby

People the world over love English. This is especially true in Switzerland, where English is the default language. People on the French speaking side don't speak German and vice-versa. As for the Italian speakers, they don't bother with French or German! But everybody speaks English. And apparently, everybody loves it too. It's everywhere: on billboards and advertisements, on our Swisscom TV remote control, basically anywhere that is too small to cram four languages onto.

The only problem is that the English they use is often times absurdly ridiculous. Here is a fun example of really off the wall English. Let's just say that this cutesy, rhyming marketing approach for pregnancy tests sold in vending machines, would never fly in the English speaking world.

Yes, it rhymes.  That doesn't mean it's a good thing.

Maybe Baby is always placed next to the (much cheaper) condoms.

What ridiculous English have you seen?  Did it even remotely make sense?

Zurich Writer's Workshop

The operative word here, of course, is writer.  I like to think of myself as a writer and yet all I tend to write is this blog.  Last year in Portland, my friend Joy decided to start a writers' group.  I joined the group, went to the first meeting on a dark Fall night, and then, because I was so unbelievably busy, never attended the group again.  My plate wasn't full in Portland; it was overflowing.  As a result, nothing got the full attention it needed.  Not my teaching job, not the apartment building J and I managed, certainly not my marriage, not my social life and definitely not my hobbies.  I was constantly frazzled and forgetting things.  It genuinely bothered me that I was so busy I couldn't think straight and didn't have time to devote to the hobbies and people who bring me the most joy in life.  Even though it meant moving away from my wonderful friends, a huge factor in my decision to come to Zurich was my resolve to make writing a central focus in my life. I knew that moving here would mean my life was slower, less busy and simpler. In some ways that has turned out to be correct.  In others, not so much. But let's just say that lately I've been gathering plenty of writing material in my experiences at work.  

Remembering why I moved here is important right now.  

So here I am.  I have more time than I had in Portland, plenty of writing material, no idea how to get started and what should come along, but the first ever Zurich Writer's Workshop!  Coincidence?  I think not.  I will be delving into non-fiction/memoir work with author Susan Jane Gilman and eleven other fellow writers for an entire weekend October 1-3.  I was just emailed my homework assignments to complete before the workshop and I've never been so excited to get started.  I hope it will be a weekend of inspiration, good nuts and bolts to keep myself writing once it's over, and really good fondue.  Yes, we'll finish off the weekend with a literary fondue dinner including readings from the instructors.  How delightful!

What hobby do you make a priority in your life and how do you do it?!

The Appliance I Cannot Live Without

Last summer, my friend Kate and her boyfriend were visiting us in Portland.  As we washed all of the dishes by hand following a roast chicken dinner, she asked me a hypothetical question:  Would I rather have a dishwasher or a washer and dryer in my apartment?  

At the time, I answered washer and dryer without hesitation.  Then I continued to wash the dishes in a basin of soapy water, rinse them and delicately balance them on the overcrowded dish rack.  Yes, I thought that a washer and dryer were more desirable.  That was only because I had yet to experience adult life with a dishwasher...

Dishwasher bliss!

Now that I have lived the last month with a dishwasher, I will never be able to go back to handwashing!

So, what is the appliance you can't live without?  Or perhaps, if you're an expat too, the one you're missing the most right now.