Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everybody!

I hope you all had a few amazing days!

Since I don't know if I have any incoming right now and I don't yet have pictures of the last incomings (I got Christmas cards from India and Portugal, among others (the replies are on their way....)) I'm gonna keep this post short. I'll be back with my mailbox in about 10 days - we'll be gone skiing to France in a few days! I'm already looking forward to it. Do you ski?

Over here it's kind of warm - no snow here but instead about 10°C more or less. Nevertheless, Christmas still is a beautiful holiday. I love looking at our Christmas tree, this year it's decorated with golden ornaments and, like always, bee candles which smell wonderful. I'm looking at it right now :)

My Christmas actually already started a week ago - on Thursday my boyfriend and I had our personal Christmas at home in Saarbrücken. On Monday, I celebrated Christmas with my mother here at home (and we also went to a reading at night). Tomorrow I will celebrate Christmas again with my mother, my boyfriend, my older brother and his girlfriend, who arrive here today, my brother had to work on Christmas eve.

So, I was wondering - how do you decorate your Christmas tree? Also, do you use real candles?

I have to go now, I'm having another Christmas dinner at my boyfriends house - goose. What's a typical Christmas dinner for you?

All the best and take care please!

Alles Liebe und fröhliche Weihnachten,
Caddi

Just one more week....

... and it's my birthday and Christmas as well! I can't wait :)

Edited on December 23rd: Another Christmas Babe found me! Ashley is actually hosting a giveaway in honor of her birthday tomorrow, so you might want to hop over to her blog :)

4 things sunday # 9

This is a little challenge I'm doing each week. Every Sunday I decide on 4 simple little goals I'd like to achieve in the coming week. I'm not talking about graduating university or buying a house. These are little challenges, challenges I really can accomplish and which will help me to make my life just a tad more organized. Do you want to take part as well?


Here are my 4 things for this week:

* Finally finish my paper for Tuesday.
* Get the last Christmas presents and wrap them all.
* Gather everything I need to take to Berlin and skiing for the weeks until January 6th.
* Start reading a new book.

How did I do last week?

* Buy all the train tickets I'll need in the next weeks - at least the ones I already know about. *Not done yet.* I will do this as soon as I finish my paper!
* Get some more Christmas gifts. *Done!* I got some for my goddaughter and her mother, for my brother, his girlfriend and my mother and I already know what to get my father and and my boyfriend.
* Write more Christmas cards. *Done!* There are still some I still need to write though...
* Think about what to get my grandma for her 80th birthday. *Thought about it - but with little success :)*

What are your goals for next week? Leave a comment or write a post on your own blog and leave a link, I'd love to know!
 
Alles Liebe,
Caddi

PS: I'm so jealous of everybody who is already done with school! I currently have to focus on a paper which is due on Tuesday, but I will hopefully have time to catch up with all of you (e-mails as well as letters) as soon as I'm through with that... I can't wait!

4 things sunday # 8

This is a little challenge I'm doing each week. Every Sunday I decide on 4 simple little goals I'd like to achieve in the coming week. I'm not talking about graduating university or buying a house. These are little challenges, challenges I really can accomplish and which will help me to make my life just a tad more organized. Do you want to take part as well?


Here are my 4 things for this week:

* Buy all the train tickets I'll need in the next weeks - at least the ones I already know about.
* Get some more Christmas gifts.
* Write more Christmas cards.
* Think about what to get my grandma for her 80th birthday.

How did I do last week?

* Write three letters. *Almost Check!* I did send quite a few Christmas cards and have written letters to Laura and Steph and I'll write another one today - still have to decide which one :)
* Do a bit of research about the paper due on December 18th. *Check!* Luckily I put the word "bit" in there - because it was only a tiny bit of research I did. But I'll read lots of it today!
* Go to the Christmas market once. *Check!* Just a short visit though - but well, life is busy this time of the year, right?
* Continue with the photo-scrapbook I'm currently making. *Check!* Even though only a few pages :)

What are your goals for next week? Leave a comment or write a post on your own blog and leave a link, I'd love to know!

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Letters I love

Dear readers,
what kind of letters do you like?

I got some sweet letters last monday and I thought about the kind of letters I just love - so let me show you :)

I love letters which show that effort was put into making them pretty...

... which arrive in awesome airmail envelopes...

... and with lots of stamps...

... from places I only know very little about.

I love letters that take me to where the sender is and show me tidbits of their life...

...  are at least medium length...

... provoke thoughts and discussions... 

... are chatty and personal...

... and make me want to write back immediately!

So tell me,
what kind of letters do you love?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

4 things sunday # 7

This is a little challenge I'm doing each week. Every Sunday I decide on 4 simple little goals I'd like to achieve in the coming week. I'm not talking about graduating university or buying a house. These are little challenges, challenges I really can accomplish and which will help me to make my life just a tad more organized. Do you want to take part as well?


Here are my 4 things for this week:

* Write three letters.
* Do a bit of research about the paper due on December 18th.
* Go to the Christmas market once.
* Continue with the photo-scrapbook I'm currently making.

How did I do last week?

* Study for the two exams that are coming up. *Almost check!* I studied for the one on last Monday, today I need to study for the one I'm writing tomorow!
* Drink Glühwein on the Christmas market at least once. *Check!* Right on monday and then I ate a Crêpe again on the Christmas market last Thursday.
* Decorate our apartment for advent. *Check!* I went to the woods and got some nice stuff, put up candles, the Advent Calendar I made for my boyfriend (it looks lovely - the wrapping paper is golden and I hung it up with ivy)...
* Read at least 15 pages on the paper about atomic law. *No* - I didn't receive it yet. So there goes that.

What are your goals for next week? Leave a comment or write a post on your own blog and leave a link, I'd love to know!

Alles Liebe,
Caddi

Stats of the Month - November

Hello there!

Just in time on December 1st, here are my Stats of the Month!

In the past month I received (if I counted correctly...) 13 letters, 2 postcards and one small package, so a total of 16 snail mail items. Not too much, but given that probably some of my letters from last month took quite some time to arrive to Kenya or Uganda.... It's also quite good because that way I'm not that much behind with sending letters. Right now I only have two letters waiting for a response, and I just got them on thursday, so no need to hurry yet :) Yesterday we got notice that a package is waiting for us and I'll pick it up on Monday, there might be another Advent Calendar for my boyfriend and me - his mother usually sends them out to all her kids (and their partners). Lucky us.

I sent 14 letters, 4 postcards and 4 small packages, so a total of 22 snail mail items. The average amount of money spent on postage was a bit higher than normal - I spent 26,10 € on postage to send all these out. Of the sent items ten mailings were sent within Germany, quite a lot actually! I suddenly have three German penpals, one of whom writes quite frequently and am also communicating with my mother over mail more than before, so it all adds up.

How was your month? Do you plan on sending Christmas cards this December?

Alles Liebe,
Caddi