Moving Day

Fall is coming!  And so are more posts.  But not today.  Perhaps tomorrow.  Why?

Because, thank God!  We have a new flat!  Today is moving day.  It’s probably the easiest move we will have.  Ever.  We have the 10 or so bags we came with, some odds and ends in the fridge and pantry, a pack & play, a couple of bikes, two rugrats and that’s about it.

I am not sure what the internet situation is at the new place, but I hope to be back to posting tomorrow or Friday.  In the meantime, head over to Travelzoo, check out the Top 20, and leave a comment with your favorite deal.  I’m looking for recommendations – payday is tomorrow!

Simple Pleasures: Brownies

Though I live in Germany, I am undeniably an American.  And even if I try to hide that and blend in, T-Rex makes it pretty much impossible to do so.  “LOOK, Mama, what is THAT?!  What’s SHE doing?!”  I like the idea of introducing our boys to other cultures, but I still think it’s important to keep the positive elements of their own.  Like brownies.  Brownies are 100% American.

I’ve decided to post now and again about simple pleasures: things that are totally scrumptious that can be made easily from scratch.  In the US, I would stock up on brownie mix whenever it went on sale with coupons and could be had for pennies.  Box mixes do exist here (though mostly for cakes), but they are expensive and no European brand is going to rock it like Betty Crocker.

But, did you know that brownies can be easily made without a mix?  I was first introduced to from-scratch brownies while living in Russia.  I have always used the classic Hershey’s recipe (though I never use Hershey’s cocoa powder – shhhhh!).  I am no chef and certainly no Joy the Baker.  She has a fancy schmancy camera lens to take gorgeous photos and the ultimate luxury of baking in the morning with no little ones begging (in English at the top of their lungs), “Can I HAVE some of that?” I bake at night while visions of sugar plums dance in their little heads.

Cooks and wannabes alike, grab your cacao and get to baking a batch of these babies.

Gather your ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, baking powder, butter, and salt.

Boil water in a hot pot, pour in a cereal bowl, and place under mixing bowl containing cold butter. Voila! Melted butter without a microwave or extra pot to clean.

Boil more water and make tea to sip while waiting for butter to melt.

Mix dry ingredients. This cocoa powder is seriously dark and absolutely scrumptious.

Butter and flour your baking dish the old-fashioned way (PAM does not exist).

Pour sugar into melted butter. Try not to eat it all - you need it for the brownies, remember?

Add eggs and dry ingredients. Resist the urge to eat the batter. If you can't, look for a youtube video of someone with salmonella poisoning.

Smooth batter in the pan, and sip your tea while your house fills with visions of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Don't touch - perfectly cut brownies are done with a plastic knife after cooling completely. Or just grab a spoon and dig in.

Long for some smaller plates so your brownie doesn't look so lonely. Smear nutella on it because you're too lazy to make frosting.

Put the lonely brownie out of its misery. And have another one. And another. Until you run out of nutella or brownies, whichever comes first.

If you are lazy like me and don’t want to look up the Hershey’s recipe, I put my laziness aside for a minute and posted it here for you with my notes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  (omitted – none to be had around here)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa  (sorry Hershey’s, Aldi only carries their own brand)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts(optional)  (no nuts – we like our brownies smooth and smarmy)
• CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING(recipe follows)  (just keep some nutella in the house)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (that’s 180-ish for you Celsius brownie eaters). Grease 9-inch square baking pan (or an oval if you don’t have a square).

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.  (16 Brownies?  I think it’s more like 12 or 9 or less if you have Doc Sci cut them for you)

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Mishap: Rain, Rain, Go Away

I went out on Saturday with the intention of exploring and showing you the Farmer’s Markets here in my city.  I have heard that they happen every day of the week in different neighborhoods.  Saturday is the biggie though with a super-size-me market in the city center.

The problem?  Rain.  Not your typical Florida downpour, but slow and steady spit.  Sure we have umbrellas, water resistant jackets, and even a rain cover for the pram (okay it’s a stroller but everyone here calls them prams).  But these were no match for the spittle (except the rain cover which did hold up thank God).

We were soaked after the first market.  The second market did me in.  I was the unwilling host of a puddle party in my shoes.  If we had a paycheck in the bank, I would’ve forked over 30 euro for a pair of ugly rain boots I saw at a sidewalk sale.  Just so I could have dry feet.  Never underestimate the value of dry feet.  The comfort of your feet is somehow attached to your mood.  Drown the feet, and expect a flood of the uglies.

So we seriously need some rain gear, a la North Face or the like.  And I should never wear anything short of boots if it is even threatening to rain and less than 60 degrees.  Ugh.

However, I did manage to take some pictures of the Farmers’ Markets.  And of Doc Sci pushing a ridiculous looking contraption in an effort to keep two boys and a man dry.  I had an umbrella, but that did nothing for my feet.  Nope, I’m still not over my own stupidity.  Grrrr.

We were quite a sight - Screech lucked out and stayed dry.

My neighborhood Farmer’s Market definitely shivered in the shadow of the downtown giant.  The pictures aren’t even worth posting.  But I should note that both markets were full of flowers.

Loads and heaps of flowers.

Fresh and fragrant fruit, most was organic.

This garlic is dried; the garlic in the stores is fresh.

Mini peppers - maybe they would be good in the salsa I am planning to make?

Lots of nuts and mixes - no spices though.

Fresh apple juice.

Too many kilos of delicious squash!

I had never seen these before - Chinese lanterns http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_alkekengi.

The prices were rather high compared to stores.  Since we are thrifty around here and money is tight until pay day, I passed.  This time.  Nonetheless, I shall return.  With dry shoes.

Do you visit a local Farmer’s Market?  What kinds of things do you buy there?  Have you discovered any interesting wares for sale?  Any tips for quality, affordable rain gear? =)

Marvel: Bier Bike

It’s no secret that Germans like their beer.  They also like their bikes.  Someone is making a heap o’ euros on the idea of combining the two.

Last Saturday, we heard quite a ruckus outside our window.  Grown men singing.  Crazy loud.  This is not weird in and of itself, but our neighborhood is little-old-lady-whispering-hush quiet.  I gave Doc Sci the camera and some running shoes and sent him to track down the source of this madness.

Here’s what he saw…

Their website outlines strict rules for drinking and pedaling.  No public peeing.  No jumping off in traffic.  No howling at or mobbing women or passersby.  No more than 10 liters of beer per hour.  You can even rent the thing for bachelor parties.  In my city, it’s €100-130 for 2 hours depending on the day plus the cost of alcohol.  Split 10 or 14 ways, that’s not bad at all.

But be careful, if you are drunk or violating their above rules, the bier bike has to be returned immediately with a €200 administrative fee.  Yikes!

Would you like to try the bier bike?  (There are non-alcoholic tour options as well which is the family friendly way to go!)

Kindergarten

What do you do with an almost 3 year-old who has more energy than you can possibly drain (or tap into)?  Well, put him in kindergarten of course!  At least that’s what Germans do.  And we live in Germany.  So we are going to try it.  I think.

We visited two yesterday that had openings.  Apparently there can be long waiting lists to get in to kindergarten.  Unlike the US, kindergarten is all play and is for wee ones from 3 to 6 years old.  Both places we visited were not super convenient to our new flat.  Now we must decide.. put T-Rex in now or wait for an opening at a location closer to us?

While I clearly liked one kindergarten better than the other, I stumbled upon some interesting child-rearing philosophies here.  It seems that Germans believe that you should not interfere in the child’s development.  You are there should they have problems, questions, concerns, etc, but you should not tell them what to do.  Whoa.

For instance, the child can decide what activity they want to do (including going outside), put a magnet on a chart showing the different play stations, and then proceed there alone.  It kind of freaked me out a little bit that they let 3 year-olds go outside by themselves with no teacher.  To be fair, the yard was small, windows were plentiful, and the gate was locked.  Still.  I can be worst-case-scenario, and I’ve got plenty of those knocking around my brain at the moment.

I looked up German kindergartens on Wikipedia (because we all know that truth is spelled w.i.k.i.p.e.d.i.a.) and discovered something called a forest kindergarten.  Here’s how the wiki-know-it-all defines it: “A forest kindergarten can be described as a kindergarten “without a ceiling or walls”. The daycare staff and children spend their time outdoors, typically in a forest. A distinctive feature of forest kindergartens is the emphasis on play with toys that are fashioned out of objects that can be found in nature, rather than commercial toys. Despite these differences, forest kindergartens are meant to fulfill the same basic purpose as other nurseries, namely, to care for, stimulate, and educate young children.”

Both kindergartens we visited took their kids to the forest one day every week.  If the child wants to go.  Only if they want.  An optional forest field trip.  Huh.  I have a lot to learn about kindergarten.

Do you have little ones in pre-school or kindergarten?  Leave a comment and let me know what your school is like.  This is all n.e.w. to me!

Travelzoo Wednesday

Has another week already gone by?  With wee little ones the days can seem SO long.  Then you look up and too much time has passed.  But, good news!  It is Wednesday, and deals are calling my name.

I found out German institutions pay once per month.  As it is not the end of the month yet and we’ve had hefty moving costs, I can’t partake in anything unless I’m just reserving it with a credit card.  Sigh.

US Edition Top 20:

$89 — Orlando 4-Diamond Hotel incl. Holidays (Reg. $219) : Travelzoo went a bit wonky on me for a minute and this deal disappeared from the Top 20!  This is a Bohemian hotel which means it’s pretty sweet.  I used to work across from another hotel in their collection.  Seems like a great deal with extras!  Book by Oct 1.

$299 — Caribbean 5-Night Winter Cruise plus Credit : Another great winter cruise with Royal Caribbean.  Book by Sep 25 for a Jan 10 sailing.

$519 — Cabo All-Inclusive Beach Getaway: 4 Nights & Air : I’m not usually crazy about all-inclusive resorts.  But when I saw that kids stay and eat free, I had to add it to my faves for this week.  Airfare is from LA.

$1959 — South America: 13-Night, 4-Country Tour incl. Air : Here I am adding another deal that I wouldn’t usually pick.  I would rather do the exhausting research myself.  But this seems like a pretty awesome deal.  All airfare in South America is included (as well as airfare getting to and from the continent) as are hotels, transfers, breakfast, and lots of other extras.  If you want to sit back and let a pro do the planning, this is a deal for you!  Depart from Miami or New York (+$40).

$368 — Québec: Package at Famous ‘Ice Hotel,’ Save $200 : Of course, $368 is not my idea of a budget hotel.  But this is just too stinkin’ cool.  If you want to get your James Bond style on, book a room with extras at North America’s only ice hotel by Oct 6.

I’m not big into casinos but if you are, Travelzoo has a few deals for you.

UK Edition Top 20:

£29 — New Flights: Czech Republic ex London (Return) : I wasn’t crazy about any of the UK deals this week.  This one is pretty good but note that it is to Brno, not Praha.  And, sorry, but I have to note that it is on Wizz Air.  Seriously?  Wizz?  Are you kidding me?

Germany Edition Top 20:

From 299 € – Turkey: 1 All-Incl.-week in 5 *- Titanic Resort : This is a great price including flights and extras.  This seems like a rock bottom price to me which always raises is-this-too-good-to-be-true questions.

€ 225 – 1 week package holiday Malta in the 4 *- Riu Hotel : This one also seems pretty sweet but with different departure locations and some date restrictions.  It is possible to fly on Lufthansa with this deal though – which seems pretty amazing for the price.

99 € – flights to the Canaries for best price * : These flights are per person, each way.  But hello, they are to the Canary Islands!  I am not sure of hotel prices, so I cannot comment on the overall thriftiness of a vacation to the Canaries but the flight at least seems to be a steal.

Marvel: real,- SWEET

Last Friday, I went to the Walmart of Germany called real,-.  I had to take a tram to the suburbs, but it was worth it.  You may have noticed in my post about paying cash for groceries that I found cheddar cheese and unpopped popcorn.  I found them – and a lot more – at real,-.  Since we’re all about travel here, I’ll give you a quick (free!!) tour.

This place sold everything from bedding to tires, toys, bikes, appliances, sports gear, and food.  Doc Sci sent me there with only an hour to spend.  Uh, that was not enough to cover it, and I was most definitely late getting home.

The vacuums are super tiny and more expensive than I thought they’d be.  I didn’t see any uprights – they all were the drag behind you type.  I’m pretty sure you get a rinky dink floor attachment with it but you could double the price by buying a real spiffy, as-big-as-the-canister attachment.

Itty bitty vacuums - with souped up attachments sold separately.

And then there are the bags.  Miles and miles of vacuum bag options.  Who knew there were that many kinds of vacuums in Germany?

Vacuum bags

And because vacuums cost so much, people here use brooms/dustpans/mops.  As such, real,- had an entire aisle devoted to these mainstays.

Broom/Dustpan aisle

The irons (also pricey) came with these things called steam stations.  I could not figure out what in the world they were for.  Does anyone know?

Irons with steam stations

In case you are fond of all the mystery meat sold here and you would like to slice it just so, you can purchase your very own deli meat slicer.  No home is complete without one, dontchaknow.

Your own personal deli meat slicer

While there are many options for hot pots (that’s electric tea kettle for you Americans), I only saw one with variable temperature.  But who cares?  One exists!  I am married to a tea snob who has to make his green, white, and red tea at a certain temperature.  It’s kind of ridiculous, but now that I am used to it, I can’t drink anything but black or herbal tea when it’s made with boiling water.  It really does burn the tea.  In America, we had one of these.  Doc Sci will be glad to know there is a euro-substitute.

Variable-temp hot pot

A washing machine!  A CHEAP washing machine!  We have hookups in our new flat for a washer (we have a new flat!).  With all the bum cover washing I do, I think it is worth it.

Cheapo washer

My friend in Estonia alerted me to the fact that ziplocs are not a European kitchen staple.  She was right.  Everyone has reusable containers.  I even saw a banana-shaped banana container.  Well, because what else would you put in a banana-shaped container but a banana?

Containers galore

Yesterday, I enlightened you all to the world of PUKY bikes.  Here are the cheap knock-offs, some with pedals and some without.

Knock-off PUKY bikes

And now to the food.  Ahhhh I am hungry already.  The first aisle I came to was the chocolate aisle.  Yes, there is a whole aisle (with a display running down the middle so it’s really more than just one) devoted to just chocolate.  The picture below is of half of it.  I stood in the very middle to take the picture.

HALF of the chocolate aisle

The baby aisle wasn’t so impressive.  They carry the same as other stores, nothing too exciting.  What I did find hilarious, however, was that it was right next to the wine aisle.

The baby aisle.. right next to the wine aisle.

I posted earlier about how I could not find frozen chicken breast.  Not that our freezer is big enough to hold it, but still.  I found it!

Frozen chicken breast - pretty cheap too!

I have been a big fan of Stephanie O’Dea’s crockpot recipes.  I am going through withdrawls without my crock here.  I have seen some on ebay and might break down and buy one.  What does this have to do with the picture below?  Stephanie does gluten-free recipes.  I could not believe the huge selection of gluten-free products.

Huge selection of gluten-free products

Because real,- is SWEET, they had an American section.  I find it seriously silly what they carry.  What I want to know is, are these products here because the expats actually buy these things?  Or are these products here because that’s what Germans THINK Americans want to buy?  I’m totally okay without my Crisco, Pop-Tarts,  Hellmann’s, and Jolly Time.  Hershey’s Syrup?  Well, it would take a lot for this thrifty mama to pay €6 for it.

The American section

I found BEANS!!! The bags are tiny but I will have to live with that.  Beans are, as you know, the magical fruit.  Fruit I can live without, magic I cannot.

Beans!

And last, but not least, we have a TEARPAD sighting folks!  Well, I’m pretty sure it’s a tearpad.  I didn’t take one because I don’t eat mayo.  Not even one slimy slather.  I am picky, I know.  Thanks, real,-!  You have given me more hope that Germany will one day resort to couponing.

Tearpads!

Did you like the tour?  Would you like more (free!!) tours?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Flohmarkt

Saturday’s trip was a little one, a short walk and picnic in the Black Forest.  After all, we had FLOHMARKTs to go to!  And what, pray tell, is a Flohmarkt?

Google Translate tells me it is a flea market.  I don’t remember the last time I was at a flea market so I can’t attest to whether or not it really is like one.  But I’m pretty sure “flea market” isn’t entirely accurate.

Flohmarkt!

I happened to see a sign for the Saturday morning one while getting lost.  How is it that you find things when you get lost?  One of the mysteries of life, I suppose.  This one reminded me more of a yard sale.  We didn’t get anything.

Scouring for deals

While T-Rex and Screech were peacefully napping (ha if only that were true), I went out with my new friend to another money pit, er, I mean sale across town.  This flohmarkt reminded me more of a crazy kids consignment sale.  You had to pay to have a table inside, but people lined up all along the path outside hawking wares for free (fellow thrifty mamas!).  Gobs and gobs of moms were packed inside the gym.

Thank God for my new friend.  She gave me the scoop on what all I needed for boys in winter.  I haven’t the foggiest, snowiest, rainiest idea.  However, I am most excited about the fact that I got… drum roll please… a PUKY bike for T-Rex!

I love me a PUKY bike!

These things seriously rock.  They are little bikes with no pedals.  The kid just scoots along, using his feet, while learning balance and steering.  I love it because it means I don’t have to push 36lbs of boy on an already heavy stroller.

I also picked up a pair of what my friend calls rubber pants.  Yeah, yeah, snicker away.  But I’m a clean freak which makes me a BIG fan of such contraptions.  The playgrounds here are mostly sand.  I already cringe at the thought of having to clean up sandy toddlers and babies (with no vacuum..) but once you get the stuff wet, it’s even worse.  Of course, Germans would have a solution to such problem.  The kids put these jumper thingies on and they can dig, bury, and roll around to their heart’s content.

Dirt is no match for T-Rex in the rubber pants

In addition to the PUKY bike and pants, I got a winter stroller cover for the Screech man, two tubs of good ol’ wooden blocks, a humongo sleep bag (I have only seen these for newborns – all kids here wear them), and three German word books.  All that for about €38!  I KNEW there were deals to be had here!

Do you have a favorite consignment sale, garage sale, etc find?  Leave a comment, link, or shameless plug!

Cash Mon€y

My Neighborhood Aldi - everyone rides a bike!

Two months ago, I was the one ahead of you in the checkout line with 10 million coupons, saving 10 million dollars.  Okay, not really, but I was getting tons of stuff free, more than free, or practically free, thanks to Michelle and Jenny.  But here, no such luck exists.

I also used to pay for everything with a credit card.  We somehow managed to be responsible enough to pay it off every month and not carry any balance.  Then we would do a happy dance with all the “free” money we got back in rewards.  Because we have an American credit card, it costs us more to use a card than it does to use cash.  So I did something last week I have never done before: I picked a budget, tracked my spending, and stuck to it.

Lots of people do this all the time.  Just not me.  Ever.  I can’t remember ever paying cash for groceries in the US.  Crazy, huh?

Here’s what €50 bought me – for one week – for four people:

• French Baguette – 1
• Bread – 1 loaf
• Potato Chips – 1 bag
• Peanut Butter “Cheetos” – 1 bag
• Popcorn (unpopped) – 1/2 kilo
• Baking Soda – 1 teeny packet
• Yogurt – 1 kilo
• Milk – 2 liters
• Cheddar Cheese!!!! – 1 small bag
• Vegetable Oil – 1 liter
• Rice Milk – 2 liters
• Soy Yogurt – 1/2 kilo
• Breakfast Cereal – 1 big box
• Oats – 1/2 kilo
• Chicken Breast – 1/2 kilo
• Turkey Breast – 1/2 kilo
• Free-range Eggs – 10
• Turkey Lunch Meat – 1 pkg
• Sandwich cheese – 1 pkg
• Salad – 1 bag
• Organic Carrots – 1 kilo
• Nectarines – 1 kilo
• Onions – 1 kilo
• Bananas – 1 1/4 kilos
• Red Bell Peppers – 1/2 kilo
• Apples – 1 kilo
• Potatoes – 1 kilo
• Zucchini – 1.5 kilo
• Kiwi – 1
• Grape Juice – 1 liter
• Orange Juice – 1 liter
• Can of corn – 1
• Beef bouillon – 1 jar
• Walnuts – 1/4 kilo
• Pasta – 1 kilo
• Fruity Soda* – 1 liter
• Vanilla Coke* – 1 liter
• Granola Bars – 8 itty bitty ones
• Recycled Toilet Paper – 8 rolls

I went to six different stores, two of them twice, for a total of 8 grocery trips.  In a six day period (shops are closed on Sunday).  That is madness.  And so is recycled toilet paper.  I would like to know, is it from recycled paper?  Or is it really recycled toilet paper?  Actually, I don’t want to know.  Nope.  Not even one bit.

* – So here’s a quirk for you.  Almost all bottled drinks (glass or plastic) have a deposit that you have to pay on top of the price of the drink.  For instance the absolutely lusciously delicious made-with-real-bad-for-you-white-sugar Vanilla Coke cost 1 euro.  But, I had to pay 15 cents deposit in addition to the 1 euro.  When I am done sipping my ‘specially scrumptious sugar drink, I then take my empty coke bottle for a ride in my backpack back to the store and put it in a machine that only speaks German and hope I get a little coupon for 15 cents off my next purchase.  Nope, haven’t tried that yet.  I’ll save that adventure for another day.

How’s your grocery shopping?  Do you go to the store every day?  Every other day?  Once a week?  Less than that? If you use a cash system, leave a comment with any advice you have for us newbies.

Thrifty Travel Mama’s Workout

Doc Sci told me today I was getting skinny.  He’s nice like that.  I haven’t worked out in weeks.  Well, at least not in the traditional way!  Once upon a time, I was a runner.  I still might be; the jury’s still out.  Several years ago, we took a family vacation to Vail and went mountain biking.  We both agreed it was not our idea of a good time.  Ha – but here we are.  Biking everywhere.  Germany is very green.

If you’d like a little of the Thrifty Travel Mama’s skinniness to rub off, have a go at this workout…

Wake up.  Walk down 1 flight of stairs and shower.  Just because everyone else in Europe smells, you do not have to.

Eat a hearty breakfast of chocolate müesli or cereal or whatever.  Just make sure it includes chocolate.  Walk up one flight of stairs to get boys up.

After feeding boys, strap 25-lb Screech to your back and pick up a 10-lb bag of laundry and detergent.  Somehow manage to hold T-Rex’s hand and walk down 4 flights of stairs.  Remember these?

Stairs up to our flat

Walk down 1 more flight of stairs in the next building.  With Screech still on your back, do squats while loading laundry and detergent into machines.  Walk up 1 flight of stairs to ground level, then another 4 back up to the flat, then another 1 to put Screech down for morning nap.

Keep T-Rex quiet for 2 hours while Screech naps (this burns a lot more calories than you would think).  Remember laundry needs to go in dryer.  Silently (ha) slip out the door with T-Rex and run (literally) down 4 flights of stairs, across the lawn, and down 1 more flight.  Do your laundry thing, and then wearily walk up all those stairs with T-Rex who wants to turn on every light switch and investigate every speck of dust on the ground.

Walk up and down 1 flight of stairs to get Screech up.  Feed boys lunch.  Walk down 4 flights of stairs holding Screech on one hip and T-Rex’s hand.  While still holding Screech, drag stroller down 6 stairs and out front door.

Walk boys to the park.  Run around to tire out T-Rex, and pray he naps.  Wonder why you are the only people at the park.  Every day.

Push boys home on stroller.  Pull Screech + stroller up six stairs backwards.  Seat Screech on hip and try to corral T-Rex up 4 flights of stairs mid-two-year-old-hissy-fit-tantrum.  Up and down 1 flight of stairs to put boys to bed for afternoon nap.

Collapse.  Take a nap yourself.  Then eat more chocolate.  It really does make the world go ’round.  Wait, maybe that’s love.  No, it’s chocolate or else Valentine’s Day wouldn’t involve so much of the stuff.

Sneak off to get laundry sans boys while they are sleeping.  Up and down 4+1 flights of stairs.  Up and down 1 flight of stairs to get boys up from nap.  Ride your bike to the big American-style grocery store.  Because you are American and like big chains.  Little stores are sometimes just too, well, little.  Give yourself a talking-to about buying milk, vinegar, yogurt, potatoes, and onions all in the same trip.  Strap heavy groceries to your back.  Bike home.  Did I mention it is uphill both ways?  In the snow?

Make dinner amid chaos.  Eat dinner amid chaos.  For some extra special chaos, get boys socks, shoes, and jackets on.  Oh yes, you need those things too.

Go for an after-dinner-I-am-so-European walk.  Keep the whining contained while herding boys and husband up stairs for the last time.  Put boys to bed.  Eat more chocolate.  You need the calories.  Then eat ice cream because it’s cheap here.  Collapse and dream of a new flat with a LIFT and NO STAIRS!

What are your workout secrets?  Let’s hear ‘em!