Five on Friday

Yay for Friday! 

Linking up with Natasha, Darci, Christina and April for a little Friday fun! Let's get to it!

{ONE}
We have been sticking to our goal and cooking lots! Two of our favorite meals this week...

Salmon is so delicious. We just put it in foil with some lemon, salt and pepper at 400 degrees for 20 min and voila! Then I serve with corn on the cob (cause we love it, you could do brown rice!) and broccoli. And then we also really liked Lettuce Burgers this week. Just normal burgers (lean meat) with  veggies, avocado and sauces. And if your Rob, a fried egg for a little kick. He loves it!

{TWO}

The planning has started! At the end of the season (before we head back to the states for a few months) we are headed on an Italian adventure! This is probably the trip I am most excited for. Gelato, pasta, beaches, beautiful history...what more could you ask for?! We are very excited and grateful for the opportunity. It is about 8 hours away from us...8 hours. That is basically nothing for a roadtrip in Texas:)

 

{THREE}

It has been a little bit of a tough week here. It's just been one of those weeks. I won't bore you with the details but you know just a crazy week. Robert and I are clinging to this beautiful verse...

 via

{FOUR}

I got this journal for Robert for his birthday back in August and we have had the best time with it! Every day you have a little space to share a snippet of your day and you do it for 5 years. So each year you can see what you did on that day the years before. We have really enjoyed this and know we will even more in the years to come. It would be a wonderful Valentines gift!

{FIVE}

Robert planned our date night last week and it was so fun! We had breakfast for dinner and he made a mini golf game for the apartment! It was a blast. So need an at home date idea? There ya go! He used cardboard to make the hole, ropes for the course and a broom for the putter! It really was one of the best dates ever (and very inexpensive!).

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Our weekend will consist of basketball, relaxing and some superbowl fun! Have a great day friends, so glad you stopped by!

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The Hills are Alive

The next part of our Girl's Adventure (see our Vienna stop here) was Salzburg, Austria! 

We just went for the afternoon/night to do something that I have been wanting to do ever since we moved here...The Sound of Music Tour!! I grew up watching Julie Andrews sing her heart out on those beautiful hills and when I found out lots of the movie was shot in Salzburg (not too far from Nuremberg)...I was so excited! And ellie and holli were just as excited so it worked out perfectly!

^^^The lake where the kids and Maira fell out of the boat^^^

 

 ^^^The path Maria ran and sang down^^^  

 

Stopped at some breath-taking sites! We were so mesmerized by God's beautiful creation.

 

^^^yes that is a man...in the lake...a freezing lake. he deserves a round of applause^^^

^^^The front of the Von Trapp house for filming. The real Von Trapp family actually lived in Salzburg as well, just not in this home.^^^ 

^^^Isn't that amazing?? Goshh...so beautiful^^^

^^^16 going on seventeen gazebo, too neat!^^^

There ya have it a short and sweet recap of a great afternoon! We had such a fun time on this tour and the little town of Salzburg is so cute! I would love to go back one day to stay the night and enjoy the quaint atmosphere. 

Ciao, Salzburg! Up next...Munich!

Guest Post- The Vanilla Tulip

How beautiful is this family?! 

I did a blog mentorship this past week with Ashley from The Vanilla Tulip. She is so sweet and so helpful, I learned more than I ever thought possible from her.  If you have never visited her blog...now is the time! It is so encouraging, inspirational and fun! AND today she is featuring a guest post from...me! 

Go checkout her blog and my guest post here!

Friday Fun

Well hello Friday! 

It has been a great week here in Nuremberg! Just every day life stuff with a few changes! 

My Five on Friday will explain...

{ONE}
Robert and I are in "get healthy" mode (along with everyone else:))! He obviously has workouts everyday and this week I finally got back into the swing of it! My goal: workout at least 4 days a week! I go to the gym and workout for an hour...about half cardio (eliptical, bike or treadmill) and the the other half weights (arms, legs, abs). But I need advice! What do you do to workout? I need something in there to mix it up! Any videos you have found online that are great?? Help!! I tried this one day and realized I am more out of shape than I thought :)...

 

via

I feel soo much better when I workout and am so confused to why I get in "ruts" where I stop. So here is to a healthier lifestyle!

{TWO}
Another change...Robert and I are trying to be more productive! That includes...working out, quiet times daily, being in the word together daily, cooking at home lots more and more reading instead of TV (sadly that is the hardest one!).

 NOT trying to fill our day with "busy" but just trying to be more productive and intentional with each day. It really makes a positive change when I try to be more productive and less lazy.

For my quiet time I am doing the Wife After God Devotional (loove it!) and then for my reading I am reading Happily Ever After: The Life-Changing Power of a Grateful Heart by Trista Sutter (yes the bachelorette) and it very good so far as well! So yay for another change...productivity! And this made me laugh...

 via

{THREE}

If you didn't see my post yesterday...you can now follow me on Blog Lovin'! If you don't know, Blog Lovin' is a site where you can follow all the blogs you love in one spot! So convenient and easy! I would LOVE for you to follow me! Just click on this link to follow Lew Party of Two!

You can also follow my blog by clicking on the blue "Join this site" button to the right (on my sidebar). Both very easy ways to follow the fun over here!

And (and this is the last "follow me" hoopla, promise)...I added social media buttons up top! Just click and you can follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Blog Lovin' (another way click to follow me there).

{FOUR}
Let's talk a little about a favorite product of mine! Before I left for Germany back in September, I wanted to get some good eye shadow that would last almost the whole time I am here. And I hit the jackpot! This little baby...

Y'all. It is the best! It is Naked by Urban Decay. A variety of beautiful colors and it lasts all day!

{FIVE}
The other day I posted Our Girl's Trip to Vienna, Austria! We went when my best friends visited and it was a blast! Go check out lots of pics and stories as well as our tips/tricks for Vienna!!

And there ya have it! A little fun for this Friday! Linked up with the fabulous Darci, Natasha, April and Christina!

Again, if you have any advice for a healthy lifestyle or even productivity, I would LOVE to hear! It would be great to have some more accountability and suggestions!

Thanks for visiting and do not forget to follow to stay updated on the happenings for us here in Germany!

Have a blessed and happy weekend, friends!

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You can now follow me on blog lovin'!  Blog Lovin' is such a neat site where you can follow all the blogs you love in one spot! Just go to this link to sign up and follow Lew Party of Two (and lots of other blogs!). So easy and fun!

You can also go to the side of my page to follow me...

 

Just click join this site! There ya go, easy peasy! Would love to have you follow the fun over here! Thanks, friends!

 

Adventures in Vienna, Austria

The view at the top of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. Isn't it breathtaking?!

When my best friends, Holli and Ellie, visited we went on a little roadtrip and one of our stops was Vienna, Austria! We spent a little over a day in this beautiful city, and had such a great time. It is a magnificient city full of history, art, fun shopping and lots of beauty!

  

Belvedere Palace (a summer residence, yeah this whole thing just for the summer), it is beautiful...

Next up Hofburg Palace...

^^^When in Vienna, you have to get Apfelstrudel^^^

^^^St. Stephen's Cathedral^^^

A few phone pictures...

^^^Exploring Vienna's downtown (Inner Stadt)^^^

We had such a fabulous time in Vienna! We by no means saw it all but we saw some of the main sites, beautiful sites,Vienna has to offer. It was a packed full day and a day of such fun spent with these these two! We put together a little list...think you want to go to Vienna?? This list should be very helpful!!

{Quick Tips}

-Buy the 24 hour public transportation card once you arrive in Vienna (just at one of the main stops). We used their Tram system while we were there with the 24 hour pass and it worked great. Very easy to figure out. Once you arrive at your hotel, ask the concierge about public transport and he/she will get you started!

- Our Hotel...Hotel Doppio Wien. And it was perfect! It is a business hotel on the outskirts of town, with public transport right down the street! It is very clean, nice, great service and reasonably priced! We highly recommend this place if you are looking for something budget friendly and do not mind not being in the heart of the city.

-Make sure and grab a map of Vienna, which will help very much with getting around. And use Google Maps! A trick I learned from my husband...while you have wifi, search the address you want to go to. Then as you start to walk and lose wifi, the route will still be pulled up! An easy way to find a site or restaurant!

{Morning}

 -First stop...Belvedere Palace. This palace, the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, consists of the Upper and Lower Belvedere. We bought admission for the Upper Belvedere. Basically, it was beautiful art gallery. So our suggestion: if you like art, see the Upper Belvedere! If that does not interest you, just go and see the Gardens, it is free! The gardens are beautiful and you get to see the outside of the palaces...to us, those two areas were the most beautiful anyway (that is where all our pictures are)!

-Next stop...Hofburg Palace (about a 15 minute walk from Belvedere) and in a busy and beautiful area. Now, Hofburg palace is huge. So our suggestion: buy the admission ticket to the Imperial Apartments. We absolutely loved this part. You get to see where Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth {Sisi}lived. It was so neat and very interesting. You also get to see the Imperial silver collection (way cool) and the Sisi museum, which personally was my favorite part. Do not miss out on the Hofburg Imperial Apartments!

{Afternoon}

-Now it is lunchtime! There are tons of yummy restaurants around Hofburg Palace. Our suggetion: Eat at either Cafe Mozart or Cafe Tirolerhof . Both are right by the palace and both offer famous Apfelstrudel. And it is a must to try Apfelstrudel in Austria!

-After a nice and relaxing lunch make your way to Vienna's Inner Stadt. This area is full of shopping, cafe's and Starbucks (if you are looking for wifi) and it so pretty! 

-Now it is time to see St. Stephen's Cathedral. A magnificent cathedral in the Inner Stadt. Go take a look inside and then buy an admission ticket to go up to the South Tower. Now beware, it is quite a few steps (takes about 10 minutes) and very narrow. Man those stairs were not my favorite, but once you get to the top...so worth it. You see such a beautiful view of Vienna.

{Evening}

-Now it is time to relax and enjoy the Inner Stadt and the beautiful area that it is! Stroll around, listen to the street performers and step inside all the fun shops!

-After all that walking and shopping you will now be ready for a delicious dinner! Hop on Tram 71 for Salm Brau restaurant! A great dining experience with traditional Austrian cuisine. Relax, reflect on your day and enjoy the atmosphere, some brew and Wiener Schnitzel!

And there you go! Our greatest tips for a great day in Vienna! Any questions, thoughts? Please comment!

Have a great day, friends!

Happy Friday!

What a week! We had such a fun week...it was the best having Robert's mom and brother here. We got to show them all around Nuremberg, eat tons of German food and play lots of card games. It was so wonderful to spend quality time with those two. They left this morning and we sure are going to miss them!

And now it is Friday! Which means...Five on Friday with the lovely Natasha, Darci, April, and Christina!

{ONE}
Our wedding was featured in Lubbock's The Wedding Connection magazine! I was so excited when they asked! It is such a fun magazine and so helpful for brides. So if you are in Lubbock pick up a copy of the December/January issue! And if not you can checkout the online version here!

{TWO}
Y'all. Have you seen Ellen's hidden camera pranks? It is hilarious. I cannot even tell you how much these videos make me laugh! She puts a bug in the ear of her guest and the celebrity has to say everything Ellen says. The Dennis Quaid ones are my favorites. Seriously, you will get the best laugh!

{THREE} 
This blogger had some great basic tips for how to better use your camera. I am trying to use my camera the best I can and take pictures that capture the moment as best as possible! I have been learning slowly but each day it gets better and I learn something new! Do any of you have a tutorial you have particularly loved/found helpful?? Any personal tips?? I would love input!
 
{FOUR}
How great does this homemade granola look?? Paired with strawberry yogurt and strawberries...it is pretty too! I think I will add this to my must-try recipe list!

{FIVE}
Lastly and most importantly...

 

Have a wonderful Friday friends! I have lots of fun posts including traveling, visitors and valentine's ideas coming up! Check back for lots of fun!

Happy Weekend!