www.gap.com
GAP is everywhere, except Australia, so we had to check it out, especially for baby GAP and GAP kids, not too much to buy, but we did score a couple of items for Marley, and with 30% off GAP labelled items it was a bargain!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Gap
Gap
www.gap.com
GAP is everywhere, except Australia, so we had to check it out, especially for baby GAP and GAP kids, not too much to buy, but we did score a couple of items for Marley, and with 30% off GAP labelled items it was a bargain!
www.gap.com
GAP is everywhere, except Australia, so we had to check it out, especially for baby GAP and GAP kids, not too much to buy, but we did score a couple of items for Marley, and with 30% off GAP labelled items it was a bargain!
Red Veg
Red Veg
http://www.redveg.com/
Red Veg 95 Dean St
London, W1D 3TB, UK
0274373109
With Mark being a vegetarian Red Veg was a favourite of ours when we lived here, and we didn’t get back there on any of our previous visits, so we made a point of going… With good reason, the burgers are still amazing, the smoked chicory my favourite, the sprig of coriander tops it off perfectly… The only downside is the very small space, luckily it was rather quiet so we squeezed the pram in, but this wouldn’t work at a busy time!
http://www.redveg.com/
Red Veg 95 Dean St
London, W1D 3TB, UK
0274373109
With Mark being a vegetarian Red Veg was a favourite of ours when we lived here, and we didn’t get back there on any of our previous visits, so we made a point of going… With good reason, the burgers are still amazing, the smoked chicory my favourite, the sprig of coriander tops it off perfectly… The only downside is the very small space, luckily it was rather quiet so we squeezed the pram in, but this wouldn’t work at a busy time!
Carphone Warehouse
Carphone Warehouse
Oxford St
Talk Mobile
T Mobile
Got our sim card and our pay as you go internet with Talk mobile and T Mobile… Great service on both purchases for our whole stay in London… For £45 we got £10 on a new sim card for our mobile and a wireless modem and 3gig for our laptop… The man that served us was extremely helpful, making sure we understood all of our options and selling us the best possible service…
Oxford St
Talk Mobile
T Mobile
Got our sim card and our pay as you go internet with Talk mobile and T Mobile… Great service on both purchases for our whole stay in London… For £45 we got £10 on a new sim card for our mobile and a wireless modem and 3gig for our laptop… The man that served us was extremely helpful, making sure we understood all of our options and selling us the best possible service…
Nike town London
Nike town
Nike town London
www.nike.com
236 Oxford St London, W1,
United Kingdom
+44 27612 0800
We didn’t make the same mistakes this year as last year, what we liked, we bought… Not holding out for better goods in NYC, which was worthwhile as the stock in London was surprisingly much, much better then in NYC… I highly recommend shopping at the Oxford St Nike Town!!!
Nike town London
www.nike.com
236 Oxford St London, W1,
United Kingdom
+44 27612 0800
We didn’t make the same mistakes this year as last year, what we liked, we bought… Not holding out for better goods in NYC, which was worthwhile as the stock in London was surprisingly much, much better then in NYC… I highly recommend shopping at the Oxford St Nike Town!!!
Thursday 27th August
Thursday 27th August
Walked to Oxford St to make our way slowly to see Charlie to get some ink… We met Michelle on Oxford St and started browsing, not for long as the credit card came out and the real shopping began… We were looking for a wireless internet pay as you go and a pay as you go Sim card, we got these from Carphone Warehouse with Talk mobile and T Mobile, a good deal… Went a bit crazy in Nike town, as well as some other purchases along the way, before we knew it it was Marley’s feeding time so we looked for somewhere to sit and eat/drink/feed Marley, went to a new cafe with a name that escapes me... Food was lovely, as was the set up, such a big spacious café for such a busy area… Then onto Charlie’s new studio which isn’t officially open yet for our ink… Almost two hours later I was free, so I left Mark to get his while Michelle and I made our way to Soho Square where Chloe met us and we had a lovely hot chocolate, good conversation and eventually Mark joined us… We were starving and getting very tired so we grabbed some Red Veg, said goodbye to Michelle and Chloe and made our way back to the hotel…
Walked to Oxford St to make our way slowly to see Charlie to get some ink… We met Michelle on Oxford St and started browsing, not for long as the credit card came out and the real shopping began… We were looking for a wireless internet pay as you go and a pay as you go Sim card, we got these from Carphone Warehouse with Talk mobile and T Mobile, a good deal… Went a bit crazy in Nike town, as well as some other purchases along the way, before we knew it it was Marley’s feeding time so we looked for somewhere to sit and eat/drink/feed Marley, went to a new cafe with a name that escapes me... Food was lovely, as was the set up, such a big spacious café for such a busy area… Then onto Charlie’s new studio which isn’t officially open yet for our ink… Almost two hours later I was free, so I left Mark to get his while Michelle and I made our way to Soho Square where Chloe met us and we had a lovely hot chocolate, good conversation and eventually Mark joined us… We were starving and getting very tired so we grabbed some Red Veg, said goodbye to Michelle and Chloe and made our way back to the hotel…
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Grosvenor House Hoel London August 09
Grosvenor House
www.marriott.com.au/hotels/travel/longh-grosvenor-house-a-jw-marriott-hotel/
Park Lane
London
W1K 7TN
UK
44 207 496363
We got this room on www.priceline.com for £80 per night... Worth every penny! The rooms were beautiful and big enough for us, our luggage, pram and Marley’s cot... The bed was very cozy and comfortable… We were told we would have to ask for a kettle at this hotel, so we did and they brought a lovely tea tray with it, with a variety of teas and a tub of normal and decaf coffee… The bathroom was fine aside from the lack of hot water, I really missed my lovely super hot showers on this leg of the journey!
The staff were lovely, rooms made up impeccably, even Marley’s cot has her sleeping bag folded and put in with her toys, etc…
The location was perfect… A very short walk to Oxford Street and across the road from Hyde Park, perfect for us and for Marley… The tube, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Prêt, all of the amenities you would require were in short walking distance… A cheap cab ride from Soho and, it felt like, most places, at the end of long days of walking we would grab a cab back, which was a lovely relief!
www.marriott.com.au/hotels/travel/longh-grosvenor-house-a-jw-marriott-hotel/
Park Lane
London
W1K 7TN
UK
44 207 496363
We got this room on www.priceline.com for £80 per night... Worth every penny! The rooms were beautiful and big enough for us, our luggage, pram and Marley’s cot... The bed was very cozy and comfortable… We were told we would have to ask for a kettle at this hotel, so we did and they brought a lovely tea tray with it, with a variety of teas and a tub of normal and decaf coffee… The bathroom was fine aside from the lack of hot water, I really missed my lovely super hot showers on this leg of the journey!
The staff were lovely, rooms made up impeccably, even Marley’s cot has her sleeping bag folded and put in with her toys, etc…
The location was perfect… A very short walk to Oxford Street and across the road from Hyde Park, perfect for us and for Marley… The tube, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Prêt, all of the amenities you would require were in short walking distance… A cheap cab ride from Soho and, it felt like, most places, at the end of long days of walking we would grab a cab back, which was a lovely relief!
Wednesday 26th August
Wednesday 26th August
Michelle met us at the airport, we got a car, it took forever, then we got lost… Eventually we got to the Grosvenor Hotel... Just beautiful… Met Seka and went for a walk to get some supplies, this was a task with extreme delirious tiredness, Londoners can be so pushy!! Very soon after, fell sleep… In 42 hours I had slept 5, felt sea sick standing up!
Michelle met us at the airport, we got a car, it took forever, then we got lost… Eventually we got to the Grosvenor Hotel... Just beautiful… Met Seka and went for a walk to get some supplies, this was a task with extreme delirious tiredness, Londoners can be so pushy!! Very soon after, fell sleep… In 42 hours I had slept 5, felt sea sick standing up!
Singapore Airlines - August 09
Singapore Airlines
We always fly Singapore, its a wonderful airline, though we felt less impressed then usual with them… After taking the other flights around the world afterwards we are safely able to say that they are still the best... In the very least they are child friendly... There were mild stuff ups, including waiting until the last minute to priority board families and people with special needs, and Marks vegetarian meal… We always order special meals, Mark is a vegetarian and we like to eat together, you also get them first so you have eaten, and had your tray taken away by the time every one else is having theirs delivered.. The good news about the stuff up was that while they scrounged for something to give him we ate at different times, which with an infant it made much more sense to do… We got a bassinet on both flights which was helpful, apart from the ‘turbulence’ (quotation marks because there was no obvious turbulence) for the first five hours on the second flight which resulted in me having to hold Marley for 5 hours…
We always fly Singapore, its a wonderful airline, though we felt less impressed then usual with them… After taking the other flights around the world afterwards we are safely able to say that they are still the best... In the very least they are child friendly... There were mild stuff ups, including waiting until the last minute to priority board families and people with special needs, and Marks vegetarian meal… We always order special meals, Mark is a vegetarian and we like to eat together, you also get them first so you have eaten, and had your tray taken away by the time every one else is having theirs delivered.. The good news about the stuff up was that while they scrounged for something to give him we ate at different times, which with an infant it made much more sense to do… We got a bassinet on both flights which was helpful, apart from the ‘turbulence’ (quotation marks because there was no obvious turbulence) for the first five hours on the second flight which resulted in me having to hold Marley for 5 hours…
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer
After seeing the awful Twilight film I felt the need to explore the reason that so many people were into it, the obvious reason was that maybe the books were good? After some Facebook research of my peers I had decided that maybe I should give them a go? I had a long holiday coming up which always calls for some reading, so I went to K Mart to but them and found them on sale for $15 each, sorted...
I started the first one a few days before we left, thinking I would be a few chapters into it and hopefully addicted for our long haul flights... Addicted was right, it was finished in two days (which with a 5 month old was a task in itself)... Then onto the second which I finished at the end of the flight, and the next two in the week that followed... Two weeks, four addictive books... Needless to say I did enjoy them...
The story had all the elements required to keep you reading, good character development, some adventure, romance, and of course, bloodsuckers! The main character, Bella, I found annoying most of the time, just a bit too needy and pathetic, but on some level I could relate, when I was a teenager, my first love consumed me whole just as Edward consumed her... I suppose that all of the bits I found annoying could be excused because this book was written for teenagers, and now I am older, I know better ;)
I was hoping that the books would last my whole holiday and I could review them one by one, but reading them so close together they have just blurred together... The other thing that they inspired me to do was watch the film again, and I must say that its much better if you have read the book, it wasn't as snoozeworthy, even with the bad acting!
Tip: Immunisation
When you are visited by your maternal health nurse they give you all of the info for your local community immunisations... What they don't tell you is that you can go to your GP and have your baby immunised there... We didn't know this for Marley's first immunisation and went along to the community option, we were there for close to two hours, waiting to be served, then waiting for the oral immunisation then waiting for the injections... All the while you are around sniffly kids with your newborn, listening to all of the children cry when they get their needles, its a pretty horrible experience... On the other hand if you book in to be the first appointment of the day at your GP (to lessen exposure to randoms sickness) you are in and out in 15 minutes, without the build up and constant heartbreaking crying of other kids...
Tip: Bibs
If you have a dribbly baby, much like mine, you will find yourself with a store of bibs... I have found that the button up bibs are best as the velcro ones get stuck to other things in the washing machine, sometimes ruining other fabrics... As your baby gets older it is also easier to rip off velcro bibs, while button ups seem to stay on...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Target matenity bra
The Target maternity bra is not super supportive, but super comfy, great for bed (in those early months when you need to sleep with a bra on)… I do love these bras, for at home, wouldn't wear them out as they don't do your boobs any favours... Only downside is they only come in black and white...
Bonds maternity/breastfeeding singlets
Bonds singlets
These come in great colours and are very supportive… The downsides are that they don’t quite keep their shape and run a size too small… Having bought only one size bigger then my pre pregancy size coming out of hospital I had no chance of fitting into the ones I had bought, so maybe get one a couple sizes big for the initial start and then once you have lost some of the weight try the next desired size on? Like the Target ones the bra pops down which gives an amount of exposure but if you are wearing the singlet under a normal top then the top comes up, bra comes down and you cant see anything except what the baby has in its mouth... 8 months on I am still loving these singlets, highly recommend them...
These come in great colours and are very supportive… The downsides are that they don’t quite keep their shape and run a size too small… Having bought only one size bigger then my pre pregancy size coming out of hospital I had no chance of fitting into the ones I had bought, so maybe get one a couple sizes big for the initial start and then once you have lost some of the weight try the next desired size on? Like the Target ones the bra pops down which gives an amount of exposure but if you are wearing the singlet under a normal top then the top comes up, bra comes down and you cant see anything except what the baby has in its mouth... 8 months on I am still loving these singlets, highly recommend them...
Target breastfeeding singlets
Target singlets
In my experience there were two singlets for breast feeding available from Target, I have two of each...
Version 1
This singlet is just a plain singlet which has the fold down tabs with slits where your nipples can pop out to feed... This is the ultimate in discretion, but there is NO SUPPORT at all! How do they expect women carrying an extra kilo or so in boobs to waltz around with no support? I highly recommend not getting this one!
Version 2
The style of the outside of this singlet is the exact same as the other, but it has a built in bra, the supportive bra bit folds down which does allow an amount of exposure, but I recommend wearing these singlets under your normal top, so the top comes up, the bra come down and there is hardly any skin outside of what the baby needs... It also has the bra clip at the back so you can adjust the size of your bra between the usual three options as you change of the time you feed... I highly recommend this style on par with the bonds maternity singlet...
In my experience there were two singlets for breast feeding available from Target, I have two of each...
Version 1
This singlet is just a plain singlet which has the fold down tabs with slits where your nipples can pop out to feed... This is the ultimate in discretion, but there is NO SUPPORT at all! How do they expect women carrying an extra kilo or so in boobs to waltz around with no support? I highly recommend not getting this one!
Version 2
The style of the outside of this singlet is the exact same as the other, but it has a built in bra, the supportive bra bit folds down which does allow an amount of exposure, but I recommend wearing these singlets under your normal top, so the top comes up, the bra come down and there is hardly any skin outside of what the baby needs... It also has the bra clip at the back so you can adjust the size of your bra between the usual three options as you change of the time you feed... I highly recommend this style on par with the bonds maternity singlet...
Fifteen Restaurant Melbourne
Fifteen Restaurant Melbourne
http://www.fifteen.net/restaurants/fifteenmelbourne/Pages/default.aspx
Basement, 115-117 Collins St(Enter via George Pde)Melbourne, Victoria
Reservations:1300 799 415
It has become a bit of a tradition to come here for Marks birthday, for a few reasons... One is its nice to treat ourselves to a beautiful meal... Two, they do a lovely vegetarian option, and seeing as though Mark is a vegetarian that helps... Three, all profits go towards helping more young people get into the program...
A nice space, we were seated in the less cosy area this time, unfortunately the wood seats aren't comfortable enough for a two hour meal, they really should keep this seating for the express customers and give the more comfy seats to those eating the 6 course degustation menu...The service is always spectacular, it hasn't yet disappointed... Strangely they have changed the pricing structure so that the vegetarians price is the same as the meat eaters price which seems a bit rich to me, but more profits for the kids I guess?!? The cheese board went from being full the first time, to 5 or so cheeses last time down to one cheese this time... It does make sense as I'm sure everyone is always too full to eat it, but its a noticeable drop in cheese there!
Overall I did enjoy my meal and I am assured that Mark enjoyed his, though I was a little disappointed in a couple of the courses, we will be back next year!
Starter:
Cheese rice and tomato in a batter covered in salt with aioli - one of the best parts of the meal!!!
1st course vegetarian option:
Bread salad - there wasn't a vegetarian option on the menu for this course, we thought it might have been a bit of an afterthought...
1st course meat option:
Porchetta ‘di testa’ with Fifteens pickled vegetables
This was probably my least favourite course, not hot on uncooked meats...
2nd course:
Ribollita: a thick Tuscan bread soup with cavalo nero, cannellini beans and lashings of Oliveria's Fifteen olive oil
This was a hearty soup, but it lacked seasoning and really felt like something I could easily whip up at home...
3rd course vegetarian option:
Rotolo of baby spinach, baked ricotta, sliced mushrooms, marjoram and lemon with nutty brown butter, crispy sage and Parmigiano Reggiano
3rd Course meat option:
Tagliatelle with a rich beef shin ragout, rosemary and orange gremolata and Parmigiano Reggiano
The tagliatelle was lovely, the star of the show was the beef which melted in my mouth...
4th course meat option:
Slow roasted, crispy Berkshire pork belly with oozy parmesan polenta, jus and salsa verdi
This was by far the most outstanding pork belly I have ever had, not too fatty, the pork tore away and melted in my mouth, the crackle was perfect, the polenta complimented it all, just freaking divine!!!
4th course vegetarian option:
‘Torte di verdure mista’: ricotta and mixed seasonal vegetables in a rustic pastry case with crème fraiche and pangrattato
Orange sorbet to refresh the palate before dessert
5th course:
Orange and vanilla frangipani tart with mascarpone
On its own the tar was lovely, a little heavy but with the mascarpone it lightened it up, a delightful dessert!
6th course:
Goats cheese and fig chutney
It was supposed to be farmhouse cheddar but they were out of it
I was far too full to try this but Mark said that the strong cheese was good...
http://www.fifteen.net/restaurants/fifteenmelbourne/Pages/default.aspx
Basement, 115-117 Collins St(Enter via George Pde)Melbourne, Victoria
Reservations:1300 799 415
It has become a bit of a tradition to come here for Marks birthday, for a few reasons... One is its nice to treat ourselves to a beautiful meal... Two, they do a lovely vegetarian option, and seeing as though Mark is a vegetarian that helps... Three, all profits go towards helping more young people get into the program...
A nice space, we were seated in the less cosy area this time, unfortunately the wood seats aren't comfortable enough for a two hour meal, they really should keep this seating for the express customers and give the more comfy seats to those eating the 6 course degustation menu...The service is always spectacular, it hasn't yet disappointed... Strangely they have changed the pricing structure so that the vegetarians price is the same as the meat eaters price which seems a bit rich to me, but more profits for the kids I guess?!? The cheese board went from being full the first time, to 5 or so cheeses last time down to one cheese this time... It does make sense as I'm sure everyone is always too full to eat it, but its a noticeable drop in cheese there!
Overall I did enjoy my meal and I am assured that Mark enjoyed his, though I was a little disappointed in a couple of the courses, we will be back next year!
Starter:Cheese rice and tomato in a batter covered in salt with aioli - one of the best parts of the meal!!!
1st course vegetarian option:
Bread salad - there wasn't a vegetarian option on the menu for this course, we thought it might have been a bit of an afterthought...
1st course meat option:
Porchetta ‘di testa’ with Fifteens pickled vegetables
This was probably my least favourite course, not hot on uncooked meats...
2nd course:Ribollita: a thick Tuscan bread soup with cavalo nero, cannellini beans and lashings of Oliveria's Fifteen olive oil
This was a hearty soup, but it lacked seasoning and really felt like something I could easily whip up at home...
3rd course vegetarian option:
Rotolo of baby spinach, baked ricotta, sliced mushrooms, marjoram and lemon with nutty brown butter, crispy sage and Parmigiano Reggiano
3rd Course meat option:
Tagliatelle with a rich beef shin ragout, rosemary and orange gremolata and Parmigiano Reggiano
The tagliatelle was lovely, the star of the show was the beef which melted in my mouth...
4th course meat option:
Slow roasted, crispy Berkshire pork belly with oozy parmesan polenta, jus and salsa verdi
This was by far the most outstanding pork belly I have ever had, not too fatty, the pork tore away and melted in my mouth, the crackle was perfect, the polenta complimented it all, just freaking divine!!!
4th course vegetarian option:
‘Torte di verdure mista’: ricotta and mixed seasonal vegetables in a rustic pastry case with crème fraiche and pangrattato
Orange sorbet to refresh the palate before dessert
5th course:
Orange and vanilla frangipani tart with mascarpone
On its own the tar was lovely, a little heavy but with the mascarpone it lightened it up, a delightful dessert!
6th course:Goats cheese and fig chutney
It was supposed to be farmhouse cheddar but they were out of it
I was far too full to try this but Mark said that the strong cheese was good...
Whip It
Whip It was on my list to see immediately after going to check out the Victorian Roller Derby League a few months ago... Was a brilliant night, and if I was ten years younger maybe something I would want to do... In any case the film was great, a big like Bring It On with fishnet stockings... Not much, but a bit... Great performance by Ellen Page, and most of the cast, a good job on Drews first directing job... The story felt a bit off track at times, sometimes it didn't quite gel, but was still entertaining and I didn't check my watch once in around 2 hours...
Funny People
Went to this film with one expectation - to laugh - and spent the first half of the movie laughing... The second half of the movie was good, but almost a different film to the first, it was humorous, but a bit more character focused... I didn't mind that too much but it did make it feel a bit longer then it needed to be... In any case I definitely think that if you are into Judd Apatows films this one shouldn't be missed!Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tip: Clothes for the early days
When you bring your precious little bundle of joy home you will probably already have many many outfits , so before you get to that point keep in mind that in the very early days (sizes 0000 and 000) there is a good chance that you are going to be too tired to be changing your baby into tricky outfits... I highly recommend just buying a bunch of onesies, babygros, rompers, whatever you like to call them... They are easy to get on and off, easy to change nappies, just plain easy... I would save my cash for hot little outfits for when they are a little bit bigger and you aren't quite as tired...
Up the Duff - Kaz Cooke
Up the Duff - Kaz CookeFrom www.kazcooke.com
The new edition of Up the Duff is out now, with all the favourite features including week-by-week info on what's happening to you and the baby and Hermoine's hilarious pregnancy diary, plus new stuff for blokes, all the latest on medical tests including when to have them and why, what you need to know if you're trying to get pregnant and what to do if it's not happening, help with feelings about post-baby body image and sex, and all the latest medical and emotional help you need, including stacks of recommended websites, contacts and books on special issues.
This book was recommended by a friend... If you only buy one pregnancy book this should be it... The week by week low down is very user friendly and makes for good reading for both you and your partner... Humourous but factual, Mark read this to me once a week so we were both up to date with how my pregnancy was progressing...
Target gym get up
Target gym get up
A lifesaver for the ever growing belly as you continue to work out… The pack included everything for a work out session (maternity singlet, t shirt, leggings and belly band), and for a reasonable $60… The downside is that the quality isnt quite as good as expected, but they easily last one pregnancy which is still really good value in my opinion...
Note: Targets belly bands arent good quality in general, the pumpkin patch ones are great and keep their shape all the way through...
A lifesaver for the ever growing belly as you continue to work out… The pack included everything for a work out session (maternity singlet, t shirt, leggings and belly band), and for a reasonable $60… The downside is that the quality isnt quite as good as expected, but they easily last one pregnancy which is still really good value in my opinion...
Note: Targets belly bands arent good quality in general, the pumpkin patch ones are great and keep their shape all the way through...
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