Good PR

I don't know about you, but I do like a good recommendation, you kind of know you wont be let down (depending upon who's given the recommendation of course - would you trust a veggie to suggest a butchers?)

The last PR I had that didn't work out was Larissa (the mad Latvian cleaner from hell) and she started out OK, it was only after a while that the cracks started developing and the lunacy took an ever firmer grip.

Moving somewhere new, especially another country where even the language and the way they 'do things' are different from what you've been used to, and any personal recommendations are eagerly accepted. In this way I think I've managed to cover all bases.

Wine supplier - tick, Weinzeche suggested by my German teacher, have a great 'cellar' (except it's above ground) and the owner took on board my grape preferences and helped me find German wines to fit my palate.

Window cleaner - tick, Christiane passed this on to me because I am RUBBISH at cleaning windows, just don't see the point, especially with 2 kids and a dog who delight in leaving grubby marks on any glass within reach - and this is a modern German house, with lots of full height windows.

Beautician - tick, Rebecca's friend Metra has recently retrained and does the best pedicure I've ever had, she's so thorough! When I finally admit that autumn is here and pack away my sandals and put away my toes I shall be trying out her facials.

Eye doctor - tick, another Rebecca PR. You can just go to the optician for an eye test like in the UK but apparently it's not as thorough & I have funny eyes, so after putting it off for 3 years I went to the Augenarztin prior to getting new glasses.

Hairdresser - tick, yet again a Rebecca PR (in my defence, she's been here 1 year longer than me and has 1 child more and so has often 'been there & done that' first) I have short hair, as you can see in my pic. It's pretty much always been short apart from a little blip at Uni (I shudder when I think about that perm) and then again when I got my first job. And as anyone who has short hair will tell you, a good cut is everything. Short hair cut badly is 5-6 weeks of subsequent hell, at least with long hair you can tie it up, clip it back, but with short hair? Your only options are to become a hermit for a month, invest in hats or wear a wig. When we moved here my first priority was to find a decent hairdresser & eventually I did.
Justin at Carey & Carey is English (which is a HUGE bonus) but he also cuts like a dream and colours it perfectly too (I'm not ashamed to let the world and his dog know that my hair colour isn't natural - I'm hideously grey (thanks mom) without my 5 weekly top up)

Yoga - tick, Julie has introduced me to a new yoga class here in Kettwig that I shall be doing when everything gets back to its normal routine the week after next, it's only down the road and the lady who runs it is perfect (apart from the fact that she's a size 6 and as flexible as a pipe cleaner, but I'm not jealous - much)

One of the great things about good PR's is that it's great to pass them on yourself, but I really must remember to ask these various people for their business cards to make it easier for a forgetful person like me to recommend somewhere/one, I'll look so profficient when I can say "hang on, I think I've got their card here" as opposed to my usual "I know I've got their number in my phone somewhere, now did I store it under predicure or beautician or ...what's her name?"