One thing Brady and I have been missing are Eggo waffles. Our particular favorites are the blueberry and strawberry ones. I have looked high and low for my Eggos, but the closest thing I keep finding are potato waffles. In my search I did a little Googling and found a fellow Londoner who had written Eggo to find out why they didn't sell Eggos in the UK. Here's the response:
I was delighted to hear how much you enjoyed this product while you were abroad– it’s great that you had a chance to try it. We find that tastes tend to vary from country to country, and that a product that may be very popular abroad is less so in the UK. At the moment, I’m afraid we have no plans to introduce it in this country. But I’ve passed your comments on to my colleagues in our marketing department. They’re always reviewing our products from around the world to see if they might work in another market. Our customers’ views and opinions have a strong bearing on their decisions, so you never know!
I could use everyone's help by joining the Bring Eggos to the UK Facebook page!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Video from Greenwich Park
A bit long, but it highlights both Brady's counting skills and if you listen towards about the 50 second mark you will hear him being coached by a little old lady on how to get down the stairs!
Greenwich
Cory planned an outing for Saturday to Greenwich. Plans for the day included stops at the Royal Observatory for a toddler planetarium show, the National Maritime Museum and the Prime Meridian. For those of you who have forgotten elementary geography, the Prime Meridian is the spot where it is 0° longitude.
We allowed plenty of time to get from our flat to Greenwich and journey time was expected to be about an hour. As soon as we got on the train the conductor came over the speakers and notified us of 'serious' delays on the Jubilee line due to mechanical issues on a train earlier in the morning. I think both Cory and I are learning what it means to not be in control. Brady on several occasions said, "All done train, bye bye train!". He didn't want to be stuck waiting either. There really weren't any great options to switch lines and since a taxi would probably have cost about $50 USD we decided to wait it out and cross our fingers that we would make our 11am show on time. We ended up making it to the Royal Observatory about 10 minutes before our show so all turned out ok. Our love for public transport is definitely not quite where it needs to be yet for our year in the city and we find ourselves really missing our Honda Pilot.
The planetarium show at the Royal Observatory was a bit scary for Brady even though it was a show geared for kids 5 and under. It was a story about a teddy bear who was visited all the planets. I got some good cuddle time out of it though which is hard to come by these days so I was happy. After the show, Brady played in Greenwich Park. The views were absolutely stunning. Definitely the highlight of the trip.
We also took a picture of the famous Greenwich Mean time clock. We both were expecting more, but I guess it's just a clock and there's a spot in the park where it is 0° longitude, but it isn't even marked.
After the park we headed to a Mexican restaurant we had spotted close to the train. Cory thought it was good, but I was disappointed. First the chips and salsa were very tiny. This didn't surprise either of us too much as I think the US is the only country that believes in the 'bottom-less' concept, but the salsa cup was barely big enough to fit a chip inside it and I believe if you count there are 22 chips. We could have easily each eaten our own chips and salsa. I ordered tacos thinking how could you screw them up. They came out with shredded beef that had been stewed in a bbq/chili looking sauce. It was too spicy for me to eat. Take a look at the picture and tell me if you think it looks like taco meat? Cory got a chicken burrito and his was much better. I ordered Brady a bean and cheese quesadilla and I think I could have very well been the first person to place that order as they were a bit confused and had to check with the kitchen to see if it could be done. Turns out they could and his was decent.
We finished up looking at the boats and headed home. Tube journey was faster on the way back, but we had a new issue - see below. Brady had the best seat in the house sitting in his stroller and slept the whole way. Another nice Saturday adventure in the books!
We allowed plenty of time to get from our flat to Greenwich and journey time was expected to be about an hour. As soon as we got on the train the conductor came over the speakers and notified us of 'serious' delays on the Jubilee line due to mechanical issues on a train earlier in the morning. I think both Cory and I are learning what it means to not be in control. Brady on several occasions said, "All done train, bye bye train!". He didn't want to be stuck waiting either. There really weren't any great options to switch lines and since a taxi would probably have cost about $50 USD we decided to wait it out and cross our fingers that we would make our 11am show on time. We ended up making it to the Royal Observatory about 10 minutes before our show so all turned out ok. Our love for public transport is definitely not quite where it needs to be yet for our year in the city and we find ourselves really missing our Honda Pilot.
The planetarium show at the Royal Observatory was a bit scary for Brady even though it was a show geared for kids 5 and under. It was a story about a teddy bear who was visited all the planets. I got some good cuddle time out of it though which is hard to come by these days so I was happy. After the show, Brady played in Greenwich Park. The views were absolutely stunning. Definitely the highlight of the trip.
We also took a picture of the famous Greenwich Mean time clock. We both were expecting more, but I guess it's just a clock and there's a spot in the park where it is 0° longitude, but it isn't even marked.
After the park we headed to a Mexican restaurant we had spotted close to the train. Cory thought it was good, but I was disappointed. First the chips and salsa were very tiny. This didn't surprise either of us too much as I think the US is the only country that believes in the 'bottom-less' concept, but the salsa cup was barely big enough to fit a chip inside it and I believe if you count there are 22 chips. We could have easily each eaten our own chips and salsa. I ordered tacos thinking how could you screw them up. They came out with shredded beef that had been stewed in a bbq/chili looking sauce. It was too spicy for me to eat. Take a look at the picture and tell me if you think it looks like taco meat? Cory got a chicken burrito and his was much better. I ordered Brady a bean and cheese quesadilla and I think I could have very well been the first person to place that order as they were a bit confused and had to check with the kitchen to see if it could be done. Turns out they could and his was decent.
We still had the Maritime Museum to visit so we headed back to the park area after lunch. Not sure what we were expecting, but it basically had a bunch of boats. Old boats, new boats, sailing boats, work boats, toy boats you get the picture. Brady enjoyed looking at the boats, everything was 'Big Big Boat Mommy", "Big Boat Daddy". I was primarily interested in finding a Diet Coke at this point and was disappointed by the fact that they served Pepsi.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Online Grocery Shopping
Oh Target, how I miss you. For anyone who knows me well you'll understand the withdrawal I'm going through. Heck, anyone who is a regular Target shopper should appreciate the pain I'm going through. Shopping is now restricted to what I can carry with my own two arms, or in some cases my arms plus Cory's arms, plus storage space under the stroller. The biggest challenge so far has been changing our mentality to buying for a few days rather than the next two weeks. The other difficulty is many of the things we were used to buying just aren't available in our tiny grocery store. It's an adjustment, but is getting easier by the day.
If you're feeling sorry for us at this point, don't worry there is light at the end of the tunnel. We have discovered the WONDERFUL concept of grocery delivery services. Yes, you can peruse the shopping aisles on your laptop and have have it delivered the same day. Purchasing 2 cases of Diet Coke is no longer a daunting task.
Tonight we had our second grocery delivery since we arrived. I tried to get the Tesco guys to let me take their picture, but they thought I was crazy. I had to settle for a picture of the crates. As I unpacked I have realized that just as you have impulse purchases when you walk the aisles the same thing happens with online shopping. Did we really need the frozen spring rolls? Probably not. The other challenge has been getting used to the metric system. I ordered two HUGE containers of apple juice that require refrigeration. We don't exactly have the space to store two months worth of apple juice nor did I realize that they required immediate refrigeration. They looked really small in the picture and my experiences to date have been that everything is smaller in the UK. Not sure why the apple juice didn't follow the precedence that has been set. The paper towels are more what I expected. See below for the comparison between a half used roll of Bounty paper towels from the US versus the 'jumbo' new roll of paper towels in the UK.
As we get better at grocery shopping my next goal is to figure out coupons. I have signed up for reward cards everywhere I shop, but haven't figured out the coupon piece. They have to be out there, but I have yet to see anyone at my local Tesco break out a coupon filer.
If you're feeling sorry for us at this point, don't worry there is light at the end of the tunnel. We have discovered the WONDERFUL concept of grocery delivery services. Yes, you can peruse the shopping aisles on your laptop and have have it delivered the same day. Purchasing 2 cases of Diet Coke is no longer a daunting task.
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| Thank you Tesco delivery men |
Tonight we had our second grocery delivery since we arrived. I tried to get the Tesco guys to let me take their picture, but they thought I was crazy. I had to settle for a picture of the crates. As I unpacked I have realized that just as you have impulse purchases when you walk the aisles the same thing happens with online shopping. Did we really need the frozen spring rolls? Probably not. The other challenge has been getting used to the metric system. I ordered two HUGE containers of apple juice that require refrigeration. We don't exactly have the space to store two months worth of apple juice nor did I realize that they required immediate refrigeration. They looked really small in the picture and my experiences to date have been that everything is smaller in the UK. Not sure why the apple juice didn't follow the precedence that has been set. The paper towels are more what I expected. See below for the comparison between a half used roll of Bounty paper towels from the US versus the 'jumbo' new roll of paper towels in the UK.
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| Jumbo is not so Jumbo |
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Flat 89
We've had many requests to share pictures of our flat. While it's definitely much smaller and not exactly my taste in decor, we are happy with our place. I mean, I would love to live in the 15 million pound property that's across the street from our building, but we'll settle for the two bedroom, two bathroom flat.
Kitchen:
Living Area:
Master Bedroom:
Kari & Brady's Bathroom:
Kitchen:
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| Dishwasher is straight ahead, washing machine is on the left. |
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| The fridge is shorter than I am, but we do have a deep freeze. |
Living Area:
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| If you look closely you can see the rock, glass combo tables. |
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| Laptop bag storage couch and eating table. |
Brady's Bedroom:
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| The crib Brady won't sleep in anymore. |
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| Just a closet and dresser that I don't think was intended to be a dresser. |
Master Bedroom:
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| Not the most comfortable, but Brady enjoys jumping on it. |
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| Cory's bathroom |
Kari & Brady's Bathroom:
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| Look closely for the mauve palm tree tile decor. |
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| Towel warmer |
Saturday, September 18, 2010
First Visitors
On Thursday we had our first visitors from the US. Jeremy and Stacy Dubin were visiting London for a few days before heading to Italy for a week. We met up with them for dinner at a pub in Notting Hill that is connected to a Thai food restaurant. An odd combination in my opinion, but it's good food. We had a nice dinner, despite being reminded that on the food side we only had 1 hour to eat our meal even though there were 4 - 5 open tables. I nicely asked for a couple of minutes before we ordered and we literally had 3 different workers ask us for our order in a 5 minute span and each of them reminded us of the 1 hour limit. Too funny! I wish I would have thought to take a picture, but I didn't so a picture of the pub will have to suffice. Thanks Jeremy and Stacy for bringing us the Lawry's, garlic salt & Garrett's popcorn. Much appreciated!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Windsor Castle
On Sunday we ventured out to Windsor Castle. One exciting part of the journey was it was our first train ride out of the city. Cory did an excellent job using the self service ticket machine and we were on our way.
I really wish I could give everyone the historical background on Windsor Castle, but we opted out of the free audio headset tour. Honestly I admit I like seeing the castles, but I really don't care too much about who was born there and the history of the tapestries. Speaking of tapestries, we did learn one fun fact. Cory says "Wow, that is a really big rug." Museum staff member monitoring folks to make sure people don't cross the ropes, "Yes, it is the largest rug seamless rug in the world. Made in India." So there you go, Windsor Castle, largest rug in the world.
Another fact I can share is that the Queen does spend quite a bit of time at Windsor. Many dinners and functions are held at the castle. It is what is known as a 'working castle'. I was really excited to see the state 'apartments', but what I really wanted to see is where the Queen actually lives. I want to see her closet, know what shows she DVRs each week and look in her fridge. I think I'm going to submit a request to BBC to create a reality show similar to Cribs on MTV where we get to see inside the royal families houses, garages, etc. I really think the concept has great potential.
As for Brady, his favorite part of the Castle were the piles of leaves outside of the Castle. Cory and Brady played a fun game of dropping the leaves over the wall while we waited in line to see the state apartments and doll house.
For those of you disappointed in the lack of historical insight provided in this post, I'll point you to this fabulous link to learn all about Windsor Castle. I don't want to speak on behalf of the rest of the family and have everyone assume the Woods don't like history because that is not the case. Perhaps I'll ask Cory to take charge of castle posts in the future so that more historical relevance is provided.
One other thing worth mentioning is Windsor has great shops by the train. I could have spent more times browsing and look forward to the next 'castle' trip so I can maybe take another pass. Brady wasn't nearly as interested in shopping. I think he feel asleep in the first store.
More pictures from the day:
Another fact I can share is that the Queen does spend quite a bit of time at Windsor. Many dinners and functions are held at the castle. It is what is known as a 'working castle'. I was really excited to see the state 'apartments', but what I really wanted to see is where the Queen actually lives. I want to see her closet, know what shows she DVRs each week and look in her fridge. I think I'm going to submit a request to BBC to create a reality show similar to Cribs on MTV where we get to see inside the royal families houses, garages, etc. I really think the concept has great potential.
As for Brady, his favorite part of the Castle were the piles of leaves outside of the Castle. Cory and Brady played a fun game of dropping the leaves over the wall while we waited in line to see the state apartments and doll house.
For those of you disappointed in the lack of historical insight provided in this post, I'll point you to this fabulous link to learn all about Windsor Castle. I don't want to speak on behalf of the rest of the family and have everyone assume the Woods don't like history because that is not the case. Perhaps I'll ask Cory to take charge of castle posts in the future so that more historical relevance is provided.
One other thing worth mentioning is Windsor has great shops by the train. I could have spent more times browsing and look forward to the next 'castle' trip so I can maybe take another pass. Brady wasn't nearly as interested in shopping. I think he feel asleep in the first store.
More pictures from the day:
Monday, September 13, 2010
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