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5 Things I am Loving Right Now

November 22, 2013

This post was inspired by The Spoiled Mummy. I’ve been out of sorts lately. So much life is just happening, that I can barely keep up! The lack of sun (sunset at 4pm is not something I am used to) and my lack of sleep is not helping. (The earliest  appointment I could get for a specialist was for 20 January 2014. ACK.) Anyhoo, reading The Spoiled Mummy’s post on the  5 random things she is loving right now, inspired me to do the same.  Here are the 5 Random Things I am Loving Right Now…

Auerhahn Candle Snuffer

Auerhahn-Candle-Snuffer

Fall/winter is the time for lighting up candles to fight of the dark, and it’s really is the most elegant way to snuff a candle after a fabulous meal. German-made stainless steel items are absolutely beautiful and will last a life time. Auerhahn is a fabulous brand that is also part of the WMF Group. Their items are more matte and understated chic compared to WMF’s shiny finish. This was also the only brand I found that sold candle snuffers. I got this in Karstadt Department Store

 

MEXX down and feather puffer coat

Mexx-Down-Feather-coat

So warm yet slimming on my short curvy frame – still important even if I am freezing. I’ve been told that this 0-6 degree Celsius weather is not cold yet. But this is the first time in my life I’m experiencing Autumn and Winter so this is definitely cold for me. So I am really loving this really warm coat, which I got at a fantastic discount in Karstadt during their midseason sale. Right now I can just wear ordinary clothing, not even a sweater, and still feel warm. In winter I will have to find good quality thermal clothing to wear under. Does anyone know where I can get black angora thermal undies at a good price? I looked at Karstadt, but there was none.

EMUPenneshaw Earmuff and Gloves

EMU-penneshaw-gloves-earmuffs

Made with luxurious soft Australian premium merino wool and sheepskin, which also has Natural antimicrobacterial properties. This is so nice and warm. I am happy that my allergies aren’t flaring up either.  I also got them in the Karstadts mid-season sale. I think their 20% sale on all accessories is still on going + diplos get an extra 10% discount when you show your Diplomatic ID card at the counter. This is the best gloves that I could buy because I plan on only getting ONE. I prefer to get the best quality at a great price.

Germany’s efficient transport system: BVG

U-bahn-BVG

When the weather is cold, dark, windy and rainy, it’s not very pleasant to walk so I really appreciate it that here in Berlin in almost every corner I can take the bus or train home instead of walking in the cold. I never thought I’d be an U-Bahn/Bus ninja. haha! All my life I’ve lived in the Philippines where public transport can be difficult and I was used to driving through hours of traffic. In Indonesia, public transport was not a a great option either (Jakarta expats you know what I’m talking about?) and the traffic was even worse. But BVG’s buses, trains and trams are clean, usually on time (there are signs in the stations with a minute-by-minute countdown of arrival time), very easy to use and the Germans are wonderful companions on public transport. They are very conscious and respectful of personal space here so there is no pushing or standing too close. Germans are also very conscious of noise pollution, so (in my neighborhood at least) I don’t encounter any super loud, voice-projecting-cellphone-yammers or people who have conversations so loud that everyone aboard knows their life story after a few stops. I absolutely love how people all use earphones with their cellphones/iPhones (Do you also get annoyed when people play games without putting their phones/tabs on silent?). Talking is ALWAYS  done in modulated voices. These wonderful polite manners and strong sense of right and wrong make the use of public transport in Berlin a dream. I am still so amazed by this every time I get on a train or bus, that I almost always smile to myself in gratitude.

DiploDog’s cute fall/winter essentials

DiploDog-rain-coat
Diplo-Dog-TK-maxx-wool-sweater

We don’t really like dressing up DiploDog so much, but he does like it. He gets really excited when he gets to wear his T-shirt-pyjamas and when he wears his Halloween and Christmas Costumes. Normally though we don’t unless we can see that he is cold. Seeing how he gets wet during his morning walks, we decided to check out TK maxx for some good quality essentials – a raincoat (pictured on top of this post) and a sweater. What gave me the idea was seeing this great water-resistant dog jacket in Barbours. But I am not about to spend 50 € on a dog sweater. I don’t even usually spend as much on one article of clothing LOL! So at TK Maxx for a small fraction of the price we got 2 basic pieces for DiploDog. What do you think??  The knitted sweater is made with real wool, to keep him warm when it goes below zero. Right now he is still fine because of his thick fluffy fur. He is after all a German dog breed – perfectly outfitted for this climate!

BONUS ITEM: These cuties have been keeping me warm at home! Now I know why fluffy booties aren’t just for babies. =)

Wherever you are in the world right now, and whatever mood you are in, I’d love to hear about the things you are loving right now too! Drop me a line?

9 Comments · Diplo Picks, Diplo Style

Comments

  1. Mirella McCracken says

    November 22, 2013 at 8:38 PM

    Cute! Tyanks for sharing!
    Small tip: exercising help me sleep better!

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      November 22, 2013 at 8:48 PM

      Hi Mirella, thanks for the tip! I have bad bouts insomnia… something I’ve been battling ever since I was young. Even if I do more than 10,000 steps in a day, I can be exhausted yet unable to sleep till 5 am. Doesn’t that suck big time? I’ve tried almost everything really. I am trying to call another doctor, but the strange thing is nobody answers during work hours. I’ve encountered that with several doctors here. Have you experienced the same thing? I got his number from the booklet of doctors for diplomats. I hope next week somebody answers. Crossing my fingers!

      Reply
      • Mirella McCracken says

        November 26, 2013 at 8:13 PM

        🙁 sorry to hear that! I hope you will be able to see someone soon 🙁
        On the other hand, Great blog, keep up the good job!

        Reply
        • diplomaticwife says

          November 26, 2013 at 8:53 PM

          I hope so too! Thanks you for your kind words Mirella! =)

          Reply
  2. Deepa says

    November 23, 2013 at 10:48 PM

    If you can, get someone to send you Heattech thermals from Uniqlo (Singapore or Manila). They are seriously the best thermals I’ve ever used: great quality, not itchy or bulky, and are made from a special Japanese-developed fabric that traps your body heat. I ditched all my angora thermals after I discovered Heattech, but if you still want those kind, Marks & Spencer makes good ones.

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      November 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM

      Deeps, unfortunately there are no Marks & Spencer here in Germany. Maybe I should go back to Prague just to go shopping LOL! They even have Sephora there. =P I’ve been looking for someone to send me Uniqlo stuff! Hay!

      Reply
  3. Kaho says

    December 2, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    I’m loving the diplodog fashion! How funny that you are not keen on dressing him up, but he is!!! Usually it’s the other way around, no? He’s such a good poser, too.

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      December 2, 2013 at 6:05 PM

      You are so right Kaho! Usually it’s the other way around…but we read somewhere that it hinders the communication of dogs which is usually through their body so we try to avoid it. I am happy though that Diplo Dog likes to be dressed up because, when I do get the chance to dress him up, it’s SO much fun for me and I love how cute he looks!

      Hehehe is getting so used to being photographed and posing for the camera! The price of having a mommy blogger aye?!? =p Thanks for the sweet compliments honey!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. BERLIN INFO: Trip Budget says:
    January 21, 2014 at 9:59 PM

    […] here and you can inform them that you are a tourist and ask how you can get your items tax-free. An Auerhahn candle snuffer is so luxe, hard-to-find in the Philippines and easy to carry […]

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @dip I love Halloween because it’s super fun for @diplobaby. I love how his eyes light up. Before I was a parent, there was no reason to decorate.

Glad there is now a @gifi.ch near us with affordable HALLOWEEN DECOR & COSTUMES. 🧛‍♂️ 

I hope you enjoy seeing what they have in this short video! 👻 

It’s not lost on me how much plastic is used during Halloween, from the polyester costumes to the decor elements. 

ECO TIPS:

🎃 I usually slowly built up my Halloween decor. I buy 2-4 pieces each year

🎃 I take good care of them & store properly so I can reuse for years to come. It’s never singe use!

🎃 I also don’t throw away as much as possible. If there is damage, I repair.

🎃 If i dont use something anymore, I pass them on to others by selling it for a fraction of the price on Marketplace.

🎃 If it doesn’t sell, I pass them on the Pay it Forward Nyon group or place them in the donation pile in our dechetterie where others can take them.

🎃 if it’s not repairable, I take it apart so that the materials can be recycled.

🍭 As for TREATS, I hate the PLASTIC wrapped candy 🍬 so we usually give PAPER wrapped mini chocolate bars.

⛑️ HEALTH TIP:

If a piece of decor or costume SMELLS STRONGLY OF PLASTIC, DO NOT BUY IT! That’s toxic VOCs leaching into the air. It’s not good for you!

What about you? How do you try to have a sustainable Healthy-ish Halloween?🤪

I usually go in the same costume every year. Change is overrated lol. What about you? Do you know what your wearing this year?

#UDWinGeneva #udwholidays #udwhalloween
HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport? We are very lucky th HOW NEAR IS @geneveaeroport?

We are very lucky that the Geneva Airport is very near because it is located 4 km northwest of the city centre. It takes us less than 15mins by car & is easier to get to than airports outside the city.

BUT also means that many of the Geneva residents suffer from AIRCRAFT NOISE POLLUTION. 

In some parts of Geneva, like Vernier, Meyrin, Bellevue, Versoix, etc will have the airplane pass on top of you or very near you. This is something to consider when you are MOVING TO GENEVA & looking for a home.

When we were in @bioparcgeneve recently, it felt like airplane after airplane was going overhead every few mins. The poor animals were screaming each time.

A  report by the European Environment Agency(EEA) in 2017 said that 12% or 73,500 Geneva residents have their hearing disturbed by aircraft noise. Probably the figures have risen with the natural increase population & travel?

“The EEA describes noise as a pervasive pollutant that directly affects the health and well-being of humans and wildlife. Populations exposed to high noise levels can exhibit stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All of these can contribute to premature mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) reckons that humans exposed to noise levels above 40 decibels at night experience adverse health effects.

Across Europe it is estimated that noise contributed to at least 900,000 additional cases of hypertension in 2011.” - @le_news_ch 

DID YOU KNOW that owners of homes affected by the noise can request for soundproofing to be paid for by GVA? 

Check if your home meets the conditions for FREE SOUNDPROOFING c/o Genève Aéroport here:

https://www.gva.ch/en/Site/Geneve-Aeroport/Questions-Reponses-FAQ/Bruit#

SAVE or SHARE this now with someone you know who might be moving to Geneva or is already suffering from aircraft #noisepollution. 

#UDWinGeneva #UDWgenevagoodtoknow #expatingeneva #diplofamily #expatlife #genevaswitzerland #expatingeneva #filipinoingeneva #pinoyingeneva #movingtogeneva #movingtoswitzerland #movingtogeneva #genevaexpats #switzerlandexpatlife #geneva #genevaswitzerland
MERCADONA HAUL Whenever we go to Spain, we love t MERCADONA HAUL

Whenever we go to Spain, we love to go to @mercadona. It might be small but has a good affordable selection. It’s my thrifty Spanish MIL’s favorite.

We were so lucky that we had a @mercadona right beside our hotel Marina Badalona. Very convenient.
Our favorite things to bring home are:

☕️ frozen porras (bigger than churros)

🐑 baby lamb chops (the only lamb I eat coz it’s not malangsa & all you need to do is fry till crispy in olive oil with S&P) it’s called Chuletas Cabrito but TD calls it lechal 

🐽 chicharon or crispy pork rinds

🥔 Homemade potato chips. The best potato chips for me are from Spain. I don’t know how it’s so much yummier! The olive oil???

🎣 canned Sardines & tuna for me and Yaya B

TIPS:

🧊 For frozen items, we usually ask the hotel before we buy if they can put it in their freezer until we fly.

✍️ I usually bring different sizes ZIPLOCK BAGS, MASKING TAPE & MARKER when we travel so we can put everything in, label with our name and room number.

📸 then I take a photo so we can just show it to the staff and they can easily find it in their freezer.

✈️ When it’s time to pack, I placed our beach towels around the frozen packages coz I know they will SWEAT & I don’t want our other things to get wet 💦 

What  grocery do you usually like to shop for when in Spain? Where do you buy them?

#udwinbarcelona #udwinbadalona #udwtraveldiaries #udwtraveltips #udwtraveltip #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW C FREE GEAR RENTAL @boxup.app + OUTDOOR GYM at ISW Calisthenics Park 

📍Chem. des Tuileries 140, 1293 Bellevue

After the lovely BIOPARC we headed across to this chill park with ample PARKING that had so many things for kids & anyone who wants to move & work out:

⚽️ The kids wanted to kick around a football so we borrowed a ball from @boxup.app (they also have pumps, 🏓, 🏐, 🏀, etc) just download the app & turn on your Bluetooth & follow instructions! Return after 3hrs.

👟 Outdoor gym - this was a huge hit with the kids

⚽️ football - this too!

🏀 basketball court

🏓 Ping-pong 

🏐 Beach volleyball court

🤸🏻 Monkey bars

🛝 small playground

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon guys @lidia_otilia_botezatu! 
How lucky are we to have these beautiful, clean open spaces. And the free rental gear is AMAZING! so convenient.

This is in Geneva, about 15mins drive from where we live.

SAVE THIS on your list of PARKS to visit!

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. It’s not as close as the bioparc but bring earplugs/earphones if you are sensitive.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
BIOPARC GENÈVE Yesterday was a holiday in Switze BIOPARC GENÈVE

Yesterday was a holiday in Switzerland (except for Geneva). It was raining & miserable so I wanted to take @diplobaby out for a few hours. Thankfully midafternoon it stopped raining.

We met with our friends @lidia_otilia_botezatu in @bioparcgeneve and had a lovely time in this volunteer run zoo.

TIPS💡

🆓 It’s free for families on your FIRST visit!

🦢 you walk inside animal enclosures so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stepping on poop. We wore boots & happy we did

🅿️ there’s parking inside on wood chips, if it’s full there’s another pavement parking (free up to 4hrs) across the roundabout 

🦔 Do not feed or touch the animals no matter how cute they are

🗺️ There are 2 routes (purple & blue) and 1-1.5hrs #diplshould be enough 

❎ Park closes at 4pm

SAVE THIS NOW if your looking for a fun & not too you can do in well und2hrs. It’s nice that you can go inside unlike most zoos so it’s quite unique.

⚠️ WARNING

it’s in the airplane path so there will be loud noise from that. @diplobaby who is super noise sensitive did not mind as much as I thought he would because he was so entertained by the animals.

#udwingeneva #genevaswitzerland #genevaforkids #diplobaby #diplofamily #filipinotravelblogger #pinayblogger #diplowife #diplomatswife #filipinoabroad #tdwtraveldiaries #takekidseverywhere #travelblogger #travelvlogger #travelvloggerph #filipinoblogger #filipinablogger #filipinavlogger #filipinoineurope #welltraveledkids #expatwoman #pinayblogger #familytravelblog
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