Every month, I'm rounding up the little joys that made these past weeks extra fun. Cozy, quirky, weird, and wonderful—because celebrating the good stuff (big or small) makes life better. I call them my monthly delights. Here are my March '25 delights.
How was March for you? Mine was a wild, beautiful contrast between pink & yellow, sweet & garlicky, plus lots of fun thrifting …
In This Post:
- 1. March 1st = Mărțișor (Spring Charm Day in Romania)
- 2. Pretty in Pink (and Yellow)
- 3. PETA Food Awards
- 4. Gürsoy: Sweet Roasted Hazelnut Spread (aka 'Giotto' in a Jar)
- 5. Wild Garlic Season — It’s On!
- 6. More Yumminess: Sweet Potato Salads & Chickpea Spread
- 7. Free Recipe eBook by Deliciously Ella
- 8. Meditative Moments: Cracking Walnuts
- 9. Thrifting: Armchair
- 10. Thrifting #2: Books
- 11. 28 Days Workout Challenge
- More Monthly Delights
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1. March 1st = Mărțișor (Spring Charm Day in Romania)
March begins with a special celebration in Romania: Mărțișor. Even though spring hasn't officially started yet, the very first day of March already feels like a promise – of longer days and lighter moods.
People greet each other with a cheerful Mărțișor fericit, and those who want to can pin a little red-and-white charm to their blouse. It’s a sweet tradition that brings people together and welcomes the season ahead. My family still celebrates it today — our chats are full of “Happy 1st of March!” wishes and cute photos of tiny Mărțișor charms. I wrote more about it here.
2. Pretty in Pink (and Yellow)
March had me fully under the spell of that slightly bonkers color combo: pink and yellow. Pure joy! Right outside my window, the wild cherry tree in my neighbor’s yard blooms every year in a soft pink explosion. And next to it is, in comparison, a modest-looking forsythia, bursting with yellow. When they bloom at the same time – wow. It’s a riot of color flirting dangerously with the edge of good taste.
Oh, and more yellow, not to forget the daffodils!
3. PETA Food Awards
At the end of January, PETA announced the Food Awards for Germany — but I only heard about it in March. It was so interesting to see which new vegan products made it onto their podium.
I was especially excited about the winners in the frozen meal (broccoli puff pastry pockets) and ready meal (burrito rolls) categories because I’ve been a longtime fan of the organic brands SOTO and MOIN.
4. Gürsoy: Sweet Roasted Hazelnut Spread (aka 'Giotto' in a Jar)
This spread honestly deserves an award of its own. Even though it’s not a brand-new product — it’s actually been around for years — I’ve been hunting for it forever after a Turkish influencer I follow raved about it.
The spread by a Turkish brand used to only be available at Turkish supermarkets... or so I thought, because despite my best efforts, I could never find it. But then, by pure chance, I spotted it at my local REWE. Boooaaah! This was the sweet food highlight of March.
If you’ve ever had Giotto — those little balls filled with roasted hazelnut cream and coated in chopped hazelnuts — and loved them, you’ll absolutely devour this spread.
Mine lasted about... two and a half days? I’m trying to be responsible and not buy it every week, but I will be gifting it to everyone I love because it’s just that good.
⚠️ If you're lucky enough to find the Gürsoy spread at a supermarket, double-check that it's vegan. The vegan and non-vegan versions are right next to each other at my REWE, looking identical, except for a small vegan label on the side.
And if you're curious to try it but don’t have a REWE nearby, you can always find it on German Amazon.
5. Wild Garlic Season — It’s On!
Early this year, and my heart (and stomach) couldn’t be happier. I spotted the first tender wild garlic leaves just a few days into March. Instant delight!
Around here, that can only mean one thing: our go-to wild garlic cream cheese spread. Silky, herby, garlicky spring dolloped onto a slice of bread.
If you’re curious about how to pick it (without accidentally grabbing something you shouldn’t!), I wrote a little guide on how to forage, store, and use wild garlic (aka bear garlic).
6. More Yumminess: Sweet Potato Salads & Chickpea Spread
March brought a whole lot of hearty food to the table beyond wild garlic dishes. First up: my German-inspired rustic chickpea spread, kissed with caraway. So simple, so good.
I also fell in love with roasted sweet potato salads. Right now, my favorites are the ones from The First Mess and Deliciously Ella.
7. Free Recipe eBook by Deliciously Ella
Speaking of Deliciously Ella, her team put together a free e-book to raise awareness about ultra-processed foods. It’s packed with info and includes 18 recipes! You can download it straight from their website.
Of course, I grabbed it immediately. I haven’t cooked anything yet, but just flipping through it is already so much fun. It’s always interesting to see which recipes I’m drawn to first: all the easy dinners, naturally. Like the Coconut Chickpea Curry (page 18), Fiery Noodles (page 20), and One-Pan Tomato & Gnocchi Bake (page 22).
8. Meditative Moments: Cracking Walnuts
I still had some walnuts from Romania, brought over by my parents last fall. Once shelled, walnuts go rancid pretty quickly, but if you keep them in their shells, they last forever, even up to a year; they might just get a little dry.
This March, I finally felt like cracking them open — and let me tell you, filling a jar takes a good 2–3 hours. But with a good podcast in the background, it turns into this slow, back-to-the-roots, almost meditative activity.
9. Thrifting: Armchair
For weeks, I’d been dreaming of a cozy reading chair for the empty corner in my living room. It had to be spacious enough for me to curl up with crossed legs, lost in a cookbook or photo album. I checked my go-to eco-friendly furniture store, Möbelum, but no luck. They didn’t have anything cat-friendly (i.e., with a removable, washable cover).
Then, on my way home from grocery shopping, something bright yellow caught my eye by the side of the road. I turned around, and to my surprise, there it was: an Ikea armchair, sitting right there on the curb in our neighborhood! A quick online search confirmed that Ikea even makes a cover for it — jackpot!
So, with my husband (thanks for jumping in on this spontaneous adventure!), we drove back. Luckily, the (previous) owners were outside and gave us the green light to take it. In Germany, you can’t just pick up things from the bulky waste (Sperrmüll) unless the owners give permission, otherwise, you risk a fine.
We brought the chair home, I gave it a thorough vacuuming, scrubbing, and disinfecting, then covered it (sadly not in bright yellow, since that color doesn’t come as a cover). It’s already been put to good use — reading (on the human side of the household) and napping (on the furry side). Also, the cats wasted no time in christening it “their way,” so the cover has already proven its worth. After a wash, it’s as good as new.
10. Thrifting #2: Books
Do you have free book swap shelves where you live?
I love stumbling upon those in unexpected spots. I'm always on the hunt, everywhere I go. Be it Italy, Brittany, or nearby cities like Heidelberg, Wiesloch, and even here in my hometown, Schwetzingen.
But I definitely didn’t expect to find (new) book swap shelves in the Edeka supermarket where I shop every week. You can imagine my delight. Here’s my haul – and I’ve already devoured Funny Story by Emily Henry, a light, fun summer read. I’m ALL about friendly, lovable characters, whether real or fictional.
11. 28 Days Workout Challenge
I set my mind to it. And I did it! On day 28, around 11 PM, I finished the last of the 28 sessions. Chackaaa! I’m so proud of myself, especially because I allowed full rest days whenever I really needed them. Still, my stubborn/competitive side won out: I made up for the missed sessions later by doubling up on other days. (Two workouts in a day — turns out, it’s doable!)
Honestly, your body can handle so much more than you think. And it feels so grateful when you move it.
If you're curious: I did the 28-Day Challenge by Growing Annanas on YouTube. I discovered her channel about a year ago and first tried her Beginner 14-Day Challenge — it really helped me get back into a workout routine. Highly recommend!
♥
Next up: Whimsical April! ☀️🌧
If you're in the mood to chat: What was special about your March?
Wishing you planty of sunny delights,
Ramona
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