Before you continue reading, I want to warn you: I am going to share my two favorite sample sales. And believe me, you absolutely do not want to miss these: all year round I save little by little to go all out at the end of the year during these sales. I will turn the saying around for this occasion and I consciously say: ’thank me now, hate me later’, because you will leave these events with an impossibly full bag. Why am I so sure of this? Because it’s about these two fantastic brands.

I do not hide the fact that I am an extreme fan of the Dutch designer brand Frenken (formerly Avelon). The designs and materials are so high-end yet extremely comfy that you would want to live in them. During my studies, my motto was more quantity rather than quality, but a few years ago I decided to spend my shopping budget on a few beautiful, quality pieces rather than bags full of clothes from the big fashion chains. And that’s how my love for this brand started years ago, and I buy a few key items every year that still grace my closet. And during this sample sale, the collection will go out the door with a 70 percent discount, so you can score high-end fashion for a very soft price. Frenken Sample Sale, December 1 from 9 AM to 5 PM, December 2 from 10 AM to 5 PM, and December 3 from 9 AM to 3 PM. Address: ’t Fijnhouttheater, Lootsstraat 39 Amsterdam.

The love for this next sample sale started when my best friend started working for Zoe Karssen. After purchasing my first tracksuit, a whole drawer full of delicious jogging items followed that are also super fashionable. So now, when I come on set in my jogging outfit, I don’t have to apologize for my look, and not even when I go out to dinner in the same clothes after a shooting day (by the way, I’m typing this in a lovely light blue variant of the same make). And in the meantime, the collection has expanded with a fantastic jeans collection, jackets, and leather items that I would wish for under my Christmas tree one by one. Hmm, maybe I should send Jon out tomorrow afternoon? Zoe Karssen Sample Sale, December 1 from 12 PM to 9 PM and December 2 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Address: Looiersgracht 60 Amsterdam.

After this weekend, I will be COMPLETELY broke, but I have enough gifts stocked up for my family and myself (note: besides all the holidays, I also have a birthday on December 23). And that’s a good thing, because in December there are still plenty of rehearsals for our new show ‘Female Rappers’ on the agenda. Yes, the undersigned is going to rap. We have already finished three songs with the help of music producer and mega talent Maask, but we are far from done. Last night we brainstormed about our rap names, which led to quite hilarious scenes. Don’t be surprised if you see me practicing my raps on the street soon (fun side story: when I once went over my lyrics in the train, the lady opposite me thought I had gone crazy. It turned out she knew a friend of mine who told me that this woman had confided in her that ‘that Carolien is not quite right’…). As soon as the premiere date is known, you will be the first to know!

Otis already has more stamps in his passport than the average Dutch person, and we are going to keep going for a while. Next week, there’s a trip to London planned, and in early January, my husband has to go to Curaçao for recordings, where he obviously cannot go without his family (the harsh reality is that he especially cannot go without Otis). But luckily, the little man is fine with flying and easily sleeps in a ‘strange’ bed. And after that, it will be a while before we travel again, because last weekend I came to the astonishing conclusion that he has already outgrown some winter items that he has only worn once. Naturally, those warm places are nice, but I would have shopped a bit differently for Otis if I had known about these trips earlier…