Happy February! We are officially onto the 2nd month of 2026 and I feel like this year is already flying by! 2026 has proven itself that this year is already going to be a big one for my family and I, it’s been busy ya’ll, but we are getting by day by day. Here are a collection of some of my favorite links, new and old blogposts, unique finds, and more.
So, pull up a chair, grab your favorite tea or coffee, and take a peek at some of my faves for this newsletter!
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Lifestyle
Life in Germany
↠ Life lately: January was all about decluttering our home. Our basement has been an unorganized mess since we moved into our house in Germany six years ago. We finally had enough and decided it’s time to go through boxes we have not touched in years. We have made some progress, however, we have so much that we still need to go through and organize. If you have some organizing tips, please comment below and share! I could use all the help and tips please!
↠ Did you know it’s illegal to send or bring Kinder Eggs via mail or pack it in your suitcase to take back to the United States? When we first arrived to Germany, I had my kids try a true German Kinder Eggs. My kids love opening the plastic eggs wrapped in chocolate to find a toy inside the plastic egg, something we have not seen in the United States before. I wanted to send some to my niece and nephews, but then found out it’s illegal to do so in the U.S. You can be fined for this at the U.S. Customs. Find an article about that below. ↴↴
↠ Fasching is just around the corner here in Rhineland-Pfalz, the State of Germany we currently reside in. If you haven’t read up on our first Fasching adventure here in Germany,
here is my blog post about our first Fasching in Germany, find it here.
In just 4 days, the celebration begins, here are the names of the celebrations around Rhineland-Pfalz:
- Weiberfastnacht (Women’s Carnival) February 12, 2026
- Fastnachtssamstag (Carnival Saturday) February 14, 2026
- Fastnachtssontag (Shrove Sunday) February 15, 2026
- RosenMontag (Rose Monday) February 16, 2026
- Fastnacht (Carnival, also Fat Tuesday in America) February 17, 2026
- Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) February 18, 2026
↠ Helau! A few years ago, I attended the Mainz Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) Parade with a friend and it was an experience to remember. The parade includes lots of floats with political satire, bands, local dancers with traditional costumes, Schwellköpp (large head figures), and more. It was one of the most lively parades I have ever been to and a memorable experience! Throughout the parade, you can hear everyone yell the famed greeting “Helau!” This year’s celebration takes place 16 February 2026.
Here is my blog post on Mainz’ Rosenmontag Parade
For the Home
↠ Did you hear that Lüften is becoming a trend? The term I hear they are calling it is “house burping.” It has always been a thing, and a must in German homes. I’ve adopted this practice after moving to Germany and I love it. If you aren’t sure what Lüften is all about, this article shares what it means. See below ↴↴
- Read this article about Lüften and “burping” your home.
- Here is my IG reel for Luften: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4PsFNmMzvi/?igsh=MWk3c2h1dTBlaTI0
Travel
↠ My husband and I recently celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary and we opted to do an overnight stay at Metz, France. Metz, France is always a repeat favorite visit for us, this is actually the first time we have stayed overnight and I do not regret it. If there is one thing I need to say about Metz, I feel like it’s got the Paris vibe but not the extra showy frills like Paris does, but it certainly has the charms! For me, it’s the perfect quiet, charming French city getaway and still feel like you can hang out at cute cafes, good shopping, beautiful cathedral (with stained glass), Markets, and more.
I’m hoping to write a post soon about our stay and what to do in Metz, in the mean time enjoy these photos.
↠ Need some Spring Break trip ideas around Europe? Here is one idea to consider.
Roadtrip from Germany to Croatia (we actually hit up four countries for this trip).
- We totally did this the first Spring we were living in Germany. If you want our itinerary, here is where we went and how long we stayed. I’m hoping to curate a blog post one day soon on our actual trip.
- Day 1: Drove from Germany to Ljubljana, Slovenia and explored the city in one day and spent the night in the city.
- If you are interested in our Ljubljana, Slovenia adventure, here is my blog post. Spend One Day in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Day 2: Woke up extra early and drove straight to Plitvice Lakes Croatia as our first stop and arrived as soon as they opened to beat the crowds. Spent half the day at Plitvice Lakes and then drove to Zadar, Croatia and spent 2 nights there. Explored Zadar as soon we arrived and stayed inside the city.
- Day 3: Woke up early to explore Zadar’s market for half the morning, packed the car and left to head to Krka National Park. Afterwards, we drove to Split, Croatia and had enough daylight to have dinner in town and explore the city.
- Day 4: Explore Split
- Day 5: Leave Split, Croatia and drive to another country. We headed to Mostar, Bosnia for the day and explored this charming little town. Then we left and drove down to Dubrovnik, Croatia where we stayed a few nights there outside of the wall of the city.
- Day 6: explore Dubrovnik
- Day 7: Drive to Kotor, Montenegro and explore the city for the day. Then head back to Dubrovnik and enjoy the evening in town.
- Day 8: Explore more of Dubrovnik
- Day 9: Leave Dubrovnik and drive back to Ljubljana, Slovenia and stay the night there again. We explored the town one more time.
- Day 10: Drive from Ljubljana back to Germany
- Day 1: Drove from Germany to Ljubljana, Slovenia and explored the city in one day and spent the night in the city.
Style
↠ When we visited Metz, France, one of my favorite things to do is visit the French Pharmacy and stock up on some French pharmacy brands I love, especially since it is cheaper to purchase these items in France. Here are a few things I purchased from a few local pharmacies in Metz, France.
↠ Here is an article on some celebrity favorite French Brands to shop for that you don’t have to purchase in Paris or France.
Short, but sweet for this newsletter edition. Hopefully will have more to report in upcoming ones. Until next time friends! Bis zum nächsten Mal, Freunde!
