family Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Everything's Famtastic

January 27, 2019February 3, 2025

Down Under Australia- The Good, the Not So Good and the Ugly

Just last week I posted about my Reverse Culture Shock in Australia where I talked about my (and most repatriates’) feelings of returning to my “home country”.

In a way it was a difficult post to write, as it required quite a lot of introspection and carefully-planned wording. Speaking about travelling and relocating and returning brings with it a rollercoaster of emotions and memories. Some great, some not so good and some painful. Not only for me, the writer, but I imagine also for a lot of readers who have been or are still going through a similar phase.

You know that saying “Home is where the Heart is”? But what if you have TWO homes?

January 13, 2019February 3, 2025

The Expat Returns for Christmas: How to Celebrate Christmas in Australia

Helloooooo!! It has been too long since I put up a proper post here on Everything’s Famtastic. I did briefly explain my reasons why here but basically, my family and I flew from Germany back to my native soil Australia for Christmas.

Now since I am talking about it, allow me to fill you in to what it’s like to celebrate Christmas in Australia (at least in my family) and what it’s like if you are a returning expat with a multicultural bilingual family to boot. *phew!* That was a long sentence 😉

pin, Pinterest, Christmas, Australia, Christmas in Australia, expat, insider story

I love Christmas time. And I especially love that our family has tried to include traditions from both the German side and the Australian side, no matter which country we happen to be celebrating in. Naturally the kids think it’s BRILLIANT that the Christmas celebrations never seem to end. German traditions, Australian traditions, immediate family, extended family, food, presents… Seriously, Christmas in our family of 5 can last several days.

Behind the Scenes of Celebrating Christmas in Australia!

Fun Fact #1: December in Australia is SUMMER.

Did I just say that?!?

January 9, 2019January 28, 2025

Back in the Game: To Australia and Back Again

Wowsers! It really has been a long time since I was here. I have been missing in action for a few weeks. Waay too long! But how nice is it to be back in the game, posting again?!? I really have missed it.

So why was I MIA for nearly a month? (Man, a month…). Do you remember just the other week many of us across the planet celebrated that little holiday called Christmas? Already seems like an eon ago, right?

Well, as you may know already, I am an expat. Specifically, I am an Australian living in Germany with my German Hubby and our 3 kids. And what do many expats scattered around the world do at special times of the year? Travel back home! I’ll give you a gold star if you can guess where we spent this past Christmas…

emu, wildlife, bird, Australia, Australian wildlife, expat life, travel — Say “G’day!” to the locals in Australia

December 5, 2018January 30, 2025

Mum’s the Taxi: 5 Tips to Stress Less & Leave the House on Time

Do you ever have those days when you feel like you have spent the whole time in the car driving here and there and everywhere? Sounds like a great title for a Dr Seuss book: “I’ll drive you here, I’ll drive you there, I’ll drive you everywhere!” Right?!? But not a great way to enjoy the afternoon.

parenting, getting organised, planning, pin, PInterest

Wednesdays are a PITA. My nemesis, if you will. You see, Wednesdays are the day when all 3 of my children need to be picked up and/or dropped off at least one place each, all with the most inconvenient spacing between appointments. It is not the only day of the week that we have plans, but it is the most heavily-booked.

Grab a cup of your favourite hot beverage (or alcoholic if you choose, LOL), get comfy and strap yourself in for the fun rollercoaster-ride of my afternoon (and some tips on how to organise days like this!)…

November 30, 2018January 28, 2025

How to Make Classic Calendars from Your Fantastic Photos

So, it’s already November, which means the clock is ticking towards December. Not ticking. Racing toward December. This of course means Christmas is coming, ready or not!

I am generally not prepared weeks in advance for the so-called silly season. But I AM determined to do things differently this year. That means getting organised with gifts. Or at least gift ideas…