Barcelona truly knows how to put on a lights show. Whether it’s a projection on a historic building or entire avenues dressed in sparkling decorations, each street has its own personality and every neighborhood tells a different story.

This past week, our daily routine was thrown completely off course by an unwelcome intruder—the flu. While the girls carried on with their usual Advent activities, I could only watch from the sidelines, cocooned in tissues and tea. Not exactly the role I prefer, but sometimes life hands you a “skip turn” card of its own.

This activity was intentionally planned for a Friday, as it is our official family movie night, complete with popcorn and all the little perks that come with it. It’s one of the traditions that excites the girls the most, and today was absolutely no exception.

I have to admit that when I came up with this activity, it was a bit of a selfish idea. They grow up so fast, and there are so many little things we forget about them. It’s always heart-warming when I stumble upon souvenirs from when they were smaller.

By today, we had already settled into our morning routine – first they open the Milka calendar, and then we move on to the activity calendar. They take turns, so fights are avoided, and for the third day we discovered that our task was to read a Christmas story – exciting for all three of us.

The activities are a surprise for me as well. When I started, I planned to write them on little pieces of paper and let the girls choose one blindly for each day. I kept the weekend and holiday ones separate, as those usually take longer.

As I mentioned in my Advent traditions article, this year we’re trying something new - an activity Advent calendar. Brilliant idea or total disaster? I’ll let you know at the end of the month.

Discover how we started our own family Advent calendar tradition and get 24 fun and simple Christmas activity ideas for kids. Perfect for a DIY activity-based Advent calendar!

During our apartment hunt in Barcelona, we visited quite a few places— each with its own little story. But there’s one my husband still teases me about, even two years later - the Carrer de Tuset episode.

Let’s be honest: we all love a good discount. And even though November bombards us with endless “unmissable” offers, the end of the month is still the best time to make meaningful purchases.

There is something very sentimental and sensitive (at least for me) about our first memories of Barcelona. Those first months in the temporary apartment in Poblenou felt almost like a honeymoon—minus the stress, of course.

Starting over in a new country sounds exciting — but what happens when the adventure comes with anxiety, loneliness, and unexpected grief? Here’s my story of rebuilding a life, one walk, one friendship, and one beach day at a time.

Kati is my life — my first baby and the joy of our home. I’m talking about my cat, Kati, an 11-year-old British Shorthair who had to come with us when we moved to Barcelona. After spending a blissful month at our friends’ house in Luxembourg, it was finally time for her to discover her new home.

I remember the day clearly. A new apartment popped up on Idealista early in the morning. My husband sent me the link, urging me to go check it out — even though I wasn’t convinced about the area. I called the agent (honestly, just to shut him up) and booked the first available slot.

Finding a home in a new country is never easy — but I never imagined that renting an apartment in Barcelona would be this challenging.

I had imagined that Barcelona would feel familiar. We’d been here before; the culture is Latin and warm. But visiting as a tourist is one thing — creating a new nest is another.

Nesting in Barcelona is a place where I get to be curious, creative, and connected. It’s a space to share my experiences as a mom, a marketer, and a newcomer (well, kind of!) to this endlessly inspiring city.