These days our creative juices are really flowing at home. After three years, we finally decided to decorate our terrace. A bit. But we wanted to keep things as simple, cheap, and useful as possible.
I found my old maypole in the garden, and we came up with the idea to build a decorative ladder out of it. You can, for example, embellish it with hanging vases. Finally, we have a place for all our herbs!
Building a Decorative Ladder by yourself – DIY Tutorial
You don’t have a maypole or birch tree at home right now?! No Problem!
If you want to build a cheap decorative ladder, I recommend you to go into the forest and collect branches.
You will also need a string, a saw, and the hanging vases for decoration. Of course you can also decorate the ladder in other ways, e.g. with a chain of lights or candles.
What you need:
Branches
Cord
Saw
Hanging Vases
I bought our herbs for 0,99€ each at Lidl.
Cut your branches to the desired length
Put the branches on the ground and form the A-shape. So you can see where you connect the branches afterwards.
Now you can fix the ends with the string.
Try to fix all the branches relatively tight so that the ladder holds well!
Put up the ladder and decorate it!
My tip: Only get herbs when the ladder is in the shade or inside. Unfortunately, our herbs died after one week. However, we have now put beautiful plants on our ladder!
Easter Sunday is just around the corner. You’re still looking
for the perfect gift to surprise your loved ones?
But, wait, you can’t manage to get anything. The icing on
top, there’s no order service anymore! Well, I have a quick solution for you.
What do you need?
A pen, paper bags, a ribbon, and scissors.
1. Cut the rabbit ears into the paper bags.
2. Don’t open them yet, and try to draw a face as far down
as possible.
3. Now you can fill the bags. I have mine with chocolate
and homemade macarons. If you don’t have any sweets at home, you can also fill
your bag with a nice saying or a coupon. Moreover, you can paint some eggs and
fill the bag with them.
4. Now, tie the bag so that the ears stick out, and the bag
looks like an Easter bunny.
This year I have made a lot of bags. Even if we cannot visit our relatives because of Corona, we can still put a little something in front of the door so that nobody is alone! If you still need decoration ideas for your Easter table, please have a look here.
Colourful Easter eggs, sweet bunnies and lots of chocolate; I love Easter! It’s not
only because my birthday is in April, but also because the family gets together
again after Christmas.
Just so that your loved ones won’t forget the Easter brunch
at your place, I have prepared a small Easter decoration for the first time
this year. You can easily recreate it.
Do it
yourself Easter decoration
If exhaustive and expensive Easter decor is not up your
alley, then you’re at the right place. You can pull this beauty within a few minutes
before your family reunion. In any case, you’ll need white eggs, linen napkins
(would be an advantage!) and a magic marker.
First of all, you’ll need to boil the eggs for about 8-10
minutes. And if they‘re only for decoration, put them aside. Afterwards, you
can carefully paint a face on the eggs with the marker pen. Another idea is to
write the names of your guests on the eggs!
My eggs got a little flower wreath on the “head”
because we just had them in the garden. Maybe you will find a small wreath of
flowers on your next walk or in the garden. Just in case, take two or three
more with you, because it doesn’t always work out on the first try.
As soon as the eggs are painted, start folding the napkins!
Just fold the napkin to form a ribbon. Put this ribbon
around the egg and tie it at the top with a cord or ribbon. The two ends of the
napkin should look like rabbit ears.
That’s it for all deco lovers! If you still have time to buy napkins, you will find them here. I would choose their colour depending on the plates. Slight colour contrast actually works quite well. With white or beige dishes, I would use pink or green napkins for Easter. If you are also looking for a new set of dishes, I link you to my set here.
How do you like my table decoration for Easter? Have you already planned a decoration for the Easter holidays? If so, in which style and with which colors do you decorate this year?
Your best friend is getting married soon, and you want to make the hen or stag party unforgettable? Now the only question is where to go, right? I have some ideas for you on how to combine the bachelorette party with a city trip. After all, the choice is a huge one and, of course, you want to find the right destination for your Bachelor or Bachelorette. It works for either of them.
But before
you choose your favourite city, check which places are served by your airport
and if they offer a flight out on Friday afternoon and a flight back on Sunday.
You can easily check this on Google Flights. There you can also filter by
flight times.
Now, a few inspirations for you!
1. Budapest
Majestic buildings like in Paris and trendy pubs, vintage shops, and street art like in Berlin are no rarity in Budapest. On the contrary, some European capitals should beware of the modern Hungarian capital. Above all, you will get great value for your money here. Chic and modern hotels, restaurants, and bars at affordable prices are found in abundance.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should have a budget of about 300€.
Recommended travel time: October to April
2. Warsaw
Spectacular malls, hip bars and chic restaurants are around every corner in this iconic capital of Poland. Tall skyscrapers remind one of those in Manhattan. Whoever visits Warsaw for the first time will be surprised how cool and modern the Polish capital is. Especially at Christmas time, the traditional Polish cuisine and the Christmassy decorated streets invite you to a humid and happy weekend trip!
For a
weekend with flights (Ryanair), a nice Airbnb apartment, and complete catering
you should expect to spend about 250€.
Recommended travel time: November to February
3. Riga
Riga is a bargaining wonderland, even when you’re booking a flight for it! Ryanair and the airline AirBaltic will fly you from almost all German airports to the Capital of Culture. In Riga, you can live luxuriously and don’t have to worry about your wallet. In addition, you can always reach every place on foot. In springtime, the wonderful blossoming parks are a sight to behold. Here, you will also find very modern restaurants and bars. Karaoke bars are a MUST here!
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights) and complete catering you
should calculate the total expense to be about 300€.
Recommended travel time: November to May
4. Mallorca
Mallorca has, of course, many entertaining corners. You can fly to the Ballermann to celebrate for 48 hours just partying. Or you can go to Palma for shopping and party trip or to the quiet corners of Mallorca to relax with the group.
In the
mountains of Mallorca, you will find the most beautiful city on the whole
island. When you visit it, you will soon realize that Sóller is not only in my
eyes the most perfect city on the island. Because of the many small streets,
there is only some tourism ongoing during the main season.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should expect spending about 500€.
Recommended travel time: April to October
5. Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a classic for stag or hen parties! Here, you will definitely find lots of entertainment in a great setting. And to relax after a long night you can always go for a canal trip. From Cologne, for example, you can be there within 2-3 hours by car or even by train.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should have a budget of about 350€.
Recommended travel time: all year round
6. Dublin
Dublin has so much to offer that it is almost impossible to see all the sights within 2 days, but, for sure, you can see the most beautiful pubs within 2 days, and you will always have a bombastic atmosphere! Only 20 minutes away from Dublin, you are already right near the sea and can enjoy a great view.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should calculate a total cost of about 350€.
Recommended travel time: September-April
7. Munich
That Munich
is an expensive place is nothing new for many people. Nevertheless, one can
also get a lot out of a trip to Munich with a smaller budget, especially the
brewery culture invites to an entertaining party. Maybe you can have the
bachelor party at the Oktoberfest? Just don’t forget that many shops in Munich
close early on weekends.
For a weekend
with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you should
calculate an expense of about 350€.
Recommended travel time: all year round
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7scbysqgoS/
8. Milan
Milan is known to many for its noble design boutiques and as Italy’s fashion capital. But there is much more to discover here. Most importantly, you can fly with Ryanair to Bergamo for just under 10€ and from there, you can be in Milan within 40 minutes by bus for about 5€! A day in the student city of Bergamo is definitely worth it.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should have a budget of about 300€.
Recommended travel time: April-October
9. Paris
Paris, the city of love. For a more “stylish” stag/hen party, I recommend the capital of France. Maybe you could combine the city trip with a day trip to Disneyland?
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you
should not need more than 500€.
Recommended travel time: April-October
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8JQLQSoTeu/
10. Manchester
Besides the
English capital, London, Manchester is one of the most interesting places to
have a mind-blowing bachelor or bachelorette party. In the English city, there
is always something going on, and there is a lot to see. Maybe you are lucky,
and there is a big concert planned in the football stadium.
Ryanair
offers very cheap flights to Manchester.
For a
weekend with flights, a 4-star hotel (2 nights), and complete catering you’d
need about 350€.
Maybe it would be nice to see snow again this winter after
all? Or I could enjoy a tasty Kaiserschmarrn (pancake with raisins) instead of
being exposed to the dreary weather at home, right?
How’d you feel if I tell that you can go snowshoeing,
snowboarding, and skiing in a matter of minutes? But it gets even better with a
1530m high gondola right in front of the door. Lazing around and being pampered
is the dream that gets fulfilled here.
If it weren’t for the Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Carinzia with all its great offers, nothing would’ve been possible. The four-star hotel in Tröpolach is only a good 50 minutes’ drive from Klagenfurt airport at an altitude of 600 metres.
The Hotel
As soon as you arrive at the hotel, you have to admire the
modern and spacious reception hall. We were accommodated in a junior suite with
a view of the village. The room had the usual sleeping area and bathroom, but there
was also a spacious lounge and a walk-in closet.
From the first floor we could go directly to the ski and
snowboard rental, which is located in the hotel, and also had direct access to
the wellness area.
The wellness area is an exciting experience from both exterior
and interior with its floor to ceiling windows and a breathtaking panoramic
view of the mountains. In addition, you can enjoy the heated indoor and outdoor
pool and a variety of saunas with a separate pool area. Twice a day there is
even a free sauna infusion, to let the long ski day come to a relaxing end. And
if that’s not enough, you can also relax completely with a body massage.
For those who want to get even more exercise, the modern
cardio-fitness centre with yoga and workout room is a must.
Culinary Experience
I am a big fan of Austrian cuisine. With it, you could start
the day at a breakfast buffet! Everything that one could desire for a snack was
there along with a variety of egg dishes, porridge, fruits, muesli, and so much
more with it.
At dinner, you can look forward to a fusion of Carinzian
specialities: South Tyrolean delicacies and Mediterranean influences.
A Kaiserschmarrn is of course not missing from the buffet!
Outdoor Activities
Outside of the hotel, you shouldn’t be without Ulli and Marco from the Sportfabrik! Together with the hotel, they‘d created a unique program for us. Whether it was ski trips, snow yoga, snowmobile driving, helicopter flying or snowshoe hiking, everything was included.
The ski slopes are less than a minutes‘ walk from the hotel,
as well as the gondola.
From there, you have numerous downhill runs for every level
of experience. Ski passes and ski equipment are available at the hotel, of
course.
For the romantics among us, a carriage ride was also offered.
On this trip, I have experienced so much fun & action in 2 ½ days as I
haven’t for a long time.
Good to know
Try the Kaiserschmarrn on the Kofel Alm.
Dine at the “Bärenwirt” in Hermagor.
Après-Ski is a great way to celebrate at the Kristallalm!
You can celebrate until late at night in the bar “Zum Alois” right next to the hotel
The Klagenfurt airport is small and fine, but flies directly to Cologne, for example.
In the meantime, you can also travel to Villach by train from Bonn or Frankfurt at low cost, sometimes even for 29,90€!
Kofel AlmBärenwirtBedroom at our hotelSuite with the village view
I never thought that I could experience the beauty of two
unique cities in one place. 48 hours in Budapest felt like Paris and Berlin at
the same time. Majestic buildings like in Paris and hip pubs, vintage shops and
street art like in Berlin are no rarity in Budapest. Honestly, some European
capitals should beware of this modern Hungarian capital. The wide avenues, the
coffee house culture and the wonderful Danube entices one to take a city trip!
I’ve compiled, just for you, the best tips when in Budapest:
– Visit Fisherman’s
Bastion
Fisherman’s Bastion is located in the older part of Budapest,
also known as Buda. On one side of the Danube is Buda, and on the other side is
Pest. The Fisherman’s Bastion, however, cannot be overlooked by the sights of Pest!
From the seven fabulous white towers, you can take a
panoramic view of the whole city. This historical monument was my personal
highlight of the trip, as the place is simply picturesque. For unique pictures,
you should be there before the first tourist buses arrive at 9 am. Otherwise,
you can visit Fisherman’s Bastion 24 hours except for the towers, which close
at the 21st hour.
Many ways lead to the Fisherman’s Bastion, of course, but I recommend you to walk from the city to the castle hill if the weather is good.
– Cross Széchenyi
Chain Bridge
On the way to the Fisherman’s Bastion, you’ll definitely cross the Chain Bridge. On foot, you have the opportunity to make several stops, take a deep breath, and simply enjoy the view over the Danube.
– Danube River Cruise
Another highlight was the evening cruise over the Danube. A
boat trip there is best done in the evening after dusk. The illuminated
panorama can be especially enjoyed with a romantic glass of wine or even beer.
Usually, the 48h ticket costs between 8€ and 10€ per person. So, you could also take a day trip the next day with the same ticket.
– Discover the Third Biggest
Parliament Building in the World
The impressive parliament building in Budapest is definitely a must-watch. The gargantuan structure can be seen from far away. You can see it particularly well from the Fisherman’s Bastion or while on a tour of the Danube. Of course, you can also take a tour inside the third largest parliament in the world.
– On the Top of St.
Stephen’s Basilica
From the highest church of Budapest, 96 meters above, you can get a scenic, bird’s-eye view of the city for just 200 HUF. The domes inside the St. Stephen’s Basilica reminded me a little bit of the Vatican City in Rome.
– Watch the Sunset at
a Rooftop Bar
A very special and unique rooftop bar can be found on the
luxurious shopping street, Andrássy út, in the middle of the city centre. From
a transparent igloo, you can watch the sunset with a delicious drink in hand or
Swiss cheese fondue.
The 360 Bar really offers a 360-degree view of Budapest.
– Vintage Shopping in
Budapest
Almost everywhere in Budapest, you can find vintage design and second-hand shops. Many are located in the Jewish quarter. Be sure to check out Retrock and Szputnyik D20. Don’t forget (!) the shops are also open on Sundays.
– Explore the Jewish
Quarter
Speaking of the Jewish quarter, don’t just explore the vintage shops, but also the street art, trendy cafes, and delicious restaurants. It’s the place to be in for hipsters! The restaurant Mazel Tov or Twenty Six is remarkably delectable.
– Eat Local Food
I still remember eating the mouth-watering goulash dishes with pleasure. The hearty Hungarian cuisine is a MUST during your time in Budapest. Langos with garlic cream and cheese can be found on almost every corner. For the sweet hunger, I recommend Kürtőskalács – a chimney cake made from sweet yeast and then spun around a truncated cone-shaped baking material.
– Stay at Radisson Blu in Budapest
Right in the middle of it all, you’ll be staying at the newly renovated and modern Radisson Blu Béke Hotel. The main train station is only 300m away, and only 500m away is the famous Boulevard Andrássy with all the famous shops!
In the spacious rooms, we could relax wonderfully after a
long day in the city. The beds are super comfortable.
The Nespresso machine in the room and the extensive breakfast buffet are not the only things we can eat in the morning. My tip? An omelette with everything and cheese!
How to Get Around?
In Budapest, you can reach all the tourist hot spots on foot. So, you can see more, of course! If you need to go faster, I recommend the taxi app “Bolt” or the app “Lime” for the e-scooters.
