Our little "garden"

Today I want to share our little "garden" with you...

... of course its not really a garden, its more of a windowsill garden, but I am quite happy with it! I am not a big gardener anyway, so this size is just right for me ;) 

This year, we have two tomatoes on the one windowsill and some herbs on the other one. The tomatoes are getting bigger every day and every morning and go to the window to watch the progress :) 

Concerning the herbs, we have basil, parsley and borage and I cant wait to use them in the kitchen. 

I am glad that my husband is taking care of the herbs and the tomatoes since I am not that good with plants. I am better in the kitchen - so he is taking care of the herbs and tomatoes and I am making meals for him, using the homegrown ingredients. Thats quite a good deal, I think.

Actually, my husband is thinking about getting us a garden plot somewhere not too far from our flat, so that we can grow more of our own veggies (plus to have a place to spend quality time outside!) and I like this idea of a small garden plot somehwere. However, here in my city there are also plenty commnuity gardens where you can get a small piece of land to cultivate. I like all these different alternatives for urban gardening. I actually read on www.bauen.de that this idea of cultivating crops in the city is coming from the US but that it is getting more and more popular all around Germany - something I can definetly confirm when it comes to my city (on the picture below you can see one of the many community gardens in my city). 

Do you have a garden in the city? Or on your window sill? Or are you member in a community garden project? I would love to know! 

- sponsored post- 

Black Jeans

Black jeans can never be wrong...

... they fit with everything, they are easy to style, they are great for Summer and Winter and they are available in all sizes and shapes. I have three black jeans in my closet and I am very very happy that they do all three fit again, now, five weeks postpartum. Actually, the other day I realized that all trousers fit again and I enjoy wearing them again now after several months of maternity jeans. I may make a post of what I eat now that I am breastfeeding and one on what I did in these last few weeks to get my pre-pregnancy size back that fast (I did not do much - that I can already tell you now ;)).

So I am wearing my veeery old pair of jeans here, which I think, I bought from this shop called Cubus those days. We do not even have this shop here where I live now. Anyway, then I am wearing my new much much loved boots from H&M (I am actually happy about colder Spring weather these days, because it allows me to wear these pretty boots ;)) and a blouse which is also from H&M. My belt ist from the last huge sale at C&A where I got it for 2 euro or so. 

Apropos 2 euro - yesterday I went to the thriftstore around the corner and there was an everything-2-euro mega sale. I bought two blouses, two jeans, a vest and a coat and I cant wait to show you some outfits with these new-ins :) 

 

I hope you are all having a great week so far! If not, make sure to make the rhubarb cake from my last post - I promise it will brighten up your week ;)

Sending you all much love!

Favorite Summer Dishes Part II - Rhubarb Cake

Today I want to share another one of my favorite Summer dishes with you...

... rhubarb cake! Rhubarb is such a MUST in early Summer! I love to make rhubarb jam and to eat it with semolina pudding and I love to make rhubarb cakes. 

In the case of this post, my husband made the cake - and thats even better :)

There are plenty of recipes out there for rhubarb cake and this one is a vegan one of course. Its a mix of different recipes with a little bit of an individual extra :)

What you need:

250g flour (we used a dark spelt flour)
200g sugar
2 teaspoon natron
Some vanilla
Some lemon peel
Some salt
50ml oil
100ml plant based milk (soy milk or nut milk)
150g soy yoghurt
2 teaspoon vinegar

A little extra of brown sugar

and of course: rhubarb! 

Blend all ingredients together, fill into a cake tin (put some baking paper in the tin first to avoid sticking) and add small pieces of rhubarb on top. Feel free to add some pieces into the dough too, if you feel like :)
In the end, ad some brown sugar on top of the cake - this makes a really yummy sweet crust!

Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes at 200°C

How do you like rhubarb? Is it also one of your favorite Summer things to eat? And what is your favorite Summer cake :)?

Culottes and Stripes

How do you like Culottes?


I actually love them! 
I own this pair since a loooong time, long before culottes became in vogue again. I actually wore them nack in 2013 on my blog once, as you can see here

Well, anyway, I love culottes because they are super comfy, they look really cool and they are easy to style. And they are perfect for both almost-warm and really warm weather since they are somehow not too short but yet very wide so that the legs get plenty of air :) 

Next to the culottes I am wearing my Lands End top which I showed you in my last My Purchases Post. I really like this top and I wear it a lot now that it fit. Its made of a rather thick cotton fabric which I like for this not-yet-really-warm weather. And well, it has stripes and a pretty collar so how can I not love it? 

So, when thinking about it, this outfit is actually a two-favorite-pieces look! 

How do you like it? 

How is your weekend going? Are you having some nice plans? We have the weekend off (which means - NO guests for the first time in weeks!) so we basically spend plenty of time in bed and go for walks every now and then. The baby is doing really good and life with her is actually much more relaxed and easy than I thought :) 

Sending you all much love and wishing you a wonderful Pentecost!

The Ice Saints

There a few days in mid May which are called the Ice Saints...

... on these days, usually, the weather is getting pretty cold (around 10°C) compared to the average temperature in May. So this is my outfit for one of these cold days which we experienced last week. 



And well, I did it again - the other night when the baby was sleeping on my chest and I had my smartphone in my hands... I went on the H&M sale shop and ended up ordering lots of pretty things. 

I sent back most of it already (the pants do not fit... I guess it will take a little longer until I have my old size back) but I had to keep these amazing boots (seriously, I have been looking for those kinds of boots for so long and now they have been on sale and, really, I love them!) and the skirt I am wearing here (plus a few other pieces which I will show you sometime soon).  

Concerning the rest of the outfit - I am wearing a Hess Natur cashmere sweater and my second hand purse plus my maternity leggings (cause they are just too comfy to be worn only during pregnancy). 

Its been a while since I have been wearing this kind of midi skirts because I was not quite sure what to think of this lenght for a while. Before, I was always like either mini or maxi but now I like this inbetween (and I already think I should get more of them...). How do you like it? Do you have midi skirts?

By the way, the Ice Saints are over now and the weather is getting warmer again. So I will be back with more Spring like looks soon :)
Have a wonderful week all of you!
Sending much love!

Organic Body Lotion Favorites

Today I want to show you my favorite organic body lotions...

... since its the time of the year where we are going to show more skin, its even more important to take good care of our skin and in case you need a new body lotion, I have a few to recommend to you :)

The Radiance Body-Lotion from Burts Bees 

The body lotion is formulated with Royal Jelly, one of nature’s most nourishing substances (however, not vegan in case you care), and Mica, a light-reflecting mineral which enhances skin tone. The result is soft, shimmering skin. I love this little bit of a glow in Summer on my arms and legs.

The Rose Nurturing Body Cream from Dr. Hauschka 
This rich product absorbs quickly and supports the skin’s natural barrier function. It offers intensive care and protection and its even gentle enough for babies’ skin! I love to use it when I feel like my skin needs a little extra luxus and a little extra fat - like after I have been to the lake or the pool or after taking a bath. This one is a little expensive so thats why I use it with care ;) 

The Bodymilk from the Regenerating Care series from Lavera
This body milk is for challenged and dry skin, for noticeable firmness. Its also a rather rich body milk which I like to use after having spent some time at the lake or pool but I also use it on an everyday basis (its a little cheaper than the first two too so thats also why I use it more frequently).

The Regenerating Macadamia and Honey Body Cream from Love me Green
This body cream is for sensitive, stressed skin. It protects the skin by moisturizing the deepere layers of the skin and prevents skin aging.The cream makes the skin supple without being greasy so I like it for my every day use - even though it always feels like a special treat. The smell is amazing by the way ;)

Do you use any of these? If not, what are your favorite body lotions? Do you use different ones in Summer than you do in Winter? 
Let me know :)

Favorite Summer Dishes Part I - Quinoa and Green Asparagus

In the coming months, I am going to share some of my favorite Summer recipes with you...

... there are some foods I eat a lot more in Summer (since I try to eat mostly those veggies which are in season) and I have some favorite Summer foods. These, I am going to present here :)

Lets begin with one of my favorite May foods: GREEN ASPARAGUS! 
I LOVE green asparagus! Do you like it?

My favorite way to prepare green asparagus is to cut it into small pieces, put it in a pan and fry with fresh garlic and a soy sauce. Thats it! Super easy, and so so soooo good :)

I love to eat green asparagus with quinoa. I boil the quinoa with some herbs (chives, parsley, etc.) and I also add some soysauce in the end. I like it that simple and I think you should give it a try too :)

What are your favorite Summer dishes? I would love to know! And how do you prepare green asparagus? Please share your recipes with me!

I wish you all a wonderful sunny weekend!

On the Couch...

The other day we found this couch...

... and even though my outfit is really a basic one, I thought I better take some pictures there :)

I am wearing a second hand blouse and an Old Navy Jeans - actually we have been on our way to a construction market that day, to buy seeds and pots for our windowsill. I will share the results of this small project with you sometime soon :)

I hope you are all doing well! This week, my brother is here and we are busy going for walks with the baby and having a good time outside. The weather is really good and sunny and its wonderful to have lots of time to enjoy the baby and this Spring weather.
Sending you all much love! 

The story of how to give birth...

Today I want to share with you some thoughts on the whole topic of giving birth...

...there is a reason for why I am doing this post - I was not able to give birth the way I wanted to and it was not easy for me in the beginning to accept this. In the end I think its all good the way it went and maybe there are women out there who will experience the same as I did (or who already did) and for whom it will be helpful to read my thoughts on this. And since today is mothers day, I thought its a good day to share this story of mine :)

For me it was always very very important to give birth naturally. It was THE MOST important for me. There was nothing I was more afraid of than a c-section! My pregnancy went really well, as some of you know, so there was no reason to believe that I will need a c-section in the end. The baby was healthy, I was healthy and so I was getting all prepared to give natural birth - I took yoga classes to train the body parts I would need during delivery, I drank lots of rasberry leaf tea to prepare the uterus, I learned how to breath during delivery and I tried some meditation. I was all ready. 

And then I got to know that my baby did not want to turn its head downwards. It was in breech presentation since week 26 of my pregnancy and around week 34 the doctor told me that I should prepare myself for a possible c-section. I thought "NO WAY!" and I began a marathon to different mid wifes, hospitals and doctors... the midwifes tried to make my baby turn downwards with alternative methods, such as homeopathy and acupuncture, the doctors tried to turn my baby around from the outside and in the hospital I made a MRI scan to check if my basin was wide enough to deliver from breech presentation (it was not). It was stressful and exhausting and nothing helped! 

Some days I thought its stupid to make all of these efforts, because if my baby wants to turn, it will and if it does not want to it will not, and I should accept and respect her decision. But I also thought that if I would not try everything I could, I would regret it afterwards and I would reproach myself. 
  
Two weeks before the actual birth of my baby, there was no more doubt about that I would need a c-section - and I was frustrated! But in the end it turned out that this c-section was excatly what my baby wanted and that there was a reason for why it did not turn its head downwards; its umbilical cord was very short so it wasnt able to turn. If I would have tried to give natural birth, terrible things could have happend...I do not even want to think about all of what could have happend! So in the end it turned out that it was just right the way it went and there was a good reason for everything.

This whole story made me realize once again that we should trust in how things goes and that we should just accept things the way they go, instead of trying to make everything work the way WE think is the best.

Today, I am fine with the fact that I got a c-section and my baby is so happy, quiet and wonderful that I feel like she is okay with it too. I wrote about the whole process about how we tried to make her turn around and all the thoughts we had during this time, in her baby-diary (which I write for her since the beginning of pregnancy) so that later, when she is older and she asks why she was not born naturally, she will be able to understand. 

How do you think about the whole story of how to give birth? Can you understand that it was difficult for me to accept a c-section or do you think its fine to give birth this way?

Denim and Flowers

Happy Friday!

I hope you all had a wonderful week so far! Here, the weather is perfect and I went out on lots of walks with my baby girl.
Today my husband joined me and we took some pictures of me in my floral blazer from sheinside. Besides the blazer I am wearing my H&M chino pants and a denim shirt from my husband. My belly is still pretty big and I feel more comfortable in looser shirts so I just borrow his.

Even though I feel more comfortable in looser shirts, I am somehow really okay with my bigger belly. I am so grateful for what my body did during the last nine months so I think its completely fine to give it time to recover - I do not need my old body back in a few weeks and I will certainly not be one of these women who is restricting herself from anything (especially now that I am breastfeeding) just to get my former shape back. My body did so much for me and it still is now- its feeding my baby, so how come I can be anything but grateful!?  

Still I need to get used to style my bigger belly and also my bigger boobs - I never had a belly (nor boobs) before so its still a little weird to me. But its just another styling challenge I am willing to tackle :) 

How do you like this look? I am pretty much in love with the blazer - you can find it here - and I think I will get another pair (in brown) of these H&M ballerinas; they are so comfy and I think they are perfect for Spring. 

I wish all of you a wonderful weekend and sending you much love! 

In the woods

It's so absolutely awesome that I am able to go outside again...

... it was really difficult for me to stay inside for almost two weeks. However, I felt so weak and tired that I just wasnt able to go out. Since a week now, I feel a lot better and I am able to go for long walks every day. My husband and I try to go for walks together with our baby as often as we can - and when we do so, I take my camera with me to make some pictures for the blog :)

I am actually still wearing my maternity jeans here. My belly is still not gone completely since it takes some time until all the skin and the uterus forms back. I am wearing a rather old second hand blouse on top of my H&M maternity jeans.The bag I am caring with me here is one that I bought in Tanzania back in 2009. I dont use it much but that day I thought its time to give it a try again :)

The white flower that you can see in the background on these pictures, is actually wild garlic! We have soooo much of it in the woods around here. When you walk in the woods, it smells really strong but somehow good :)
In early April you will find a lot of people collecting the leaves to make pesto or salads with them. As soon as they start blooming you should no longer eat them but until then it tastes really good! I make a wild garlic pesto every year at least once :)

I hope you are having a wonderful week so far!? Enjoy the Spring weather!
Sending you all much love!