London New Year's Day Parade 2016

So now it's time to get caught up on my blogging!  I try to keep everything in chronological order but I've decided that's just not going to work.  So I'll be posting about the current year and filling in with prior year stuff as we go along.  We're going to be jumping all over the place.  It will be fun!  Let's start with day 1... New Year's Day 2016 and the London New Year's Day Parade. 

It just had to be done.

You'll notice I took little big blogging break during the month of December.
It was a good month, in spite of a canceled trip and the flu.
We enjoyed London during the holidays and spent Christmas in Norway.
We got to experience plenty of snow. We then rang in the New Year with the dearest friends.

It was a good month. But, as usual I'm ready to take down the tree and get back into a routine.

What better way to jump back into blogging for the new year

than with a recap of the previous year via a fast moving Flipagram.

Don't blink or you might miss something!

We ended the year mumbling that we didn't travel nearly as much as we wanted in 2014.

But, that's just silly really. 

2014 Travel

Southern Coast of Iceland

Newcastle, United Kingdom

Dunkirk & Gravelines, France

Bruges & Ghent, Belgium

Provence Trip with the Girls

Road Trip through England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Aachen, Germany

Majorca Island Break

Venice, Italy

Bergen and Oslo, Norway


I did get 2 new countries on my 50 by 50 list which leaves
21 months to get 14 more if I'm to meet that goal.  We'll see.

The year included another move within London to Sloane Square and two new jobs.

Of course, the highlight of the year was a trip home to Texas to see my daughter
Jessica married.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you're already in on what will be the absolute highlight of 2015.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes..."

Lots more to come on that note in the upcoming months you can be sure.

I still have several Venice posts and I have to finish up the road trip with my dad and brother.
I'm also eager to show you beautiful Norway.

In an effort to stave off the winter blues, we also already have a few trips
on the calendar for the next few months.

Thanks so much for sticking around even when I don't connect with you nearly as much as I want to!

Happy New Year!!
It's gonna be a great one.

What are you most looking forward to in 2015?
 

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Ideas for Valentine's Day in London

We're back from Iceland!  A can't wait to tell you all about it.  It was everything that we dreamed it would be.  We even saw the elusive Northern Lights on our last night.  (I actually got some photos.)  The Hidden People of Iceland took very good care of us.  But, they did extract a small payment for their hospitality.

As we were loading the car to head to the airport, Matthew fell on the ice.  (Do you see any irony here?) Unfortunately, he dislocated his kneecap.  Ouch!!  We made a quick stop at the local hospital so they could wrap it and we just made our flight home.  He is now on crutches and scheduled for physio.  Poor dear.

I'm not the best nursemaid, so send happy thoughts to my Sweetheart.  While I take care of him, unpack and do laundry, the lovely people at Refresh Accommodation have come up with some great ideas for those of you spending Valentine's Day in London.

Valentine’s deals in London that will make any sweetheart feel loved.

London is ideal for lovers on Valentine’s Day, providing a wealth of opportunities to show your romantic side. You could enjoy London’s breath-taking skyline together as the sun sets, sample Britain’s very best history and culture or cruise along the Thames while enjoying a romantic meal, the choice is yours.

Here are some Valentine’s deals in London that are really difficult to turn down:

The Medieval Banquet - Valentine’s Day Cinderella Ball

If a bit of fantasy or role play is your thing then the Medieval Banquet could be your ideal evening, featuring a fairyland of performances from spellbinding aerialists, juggling sorcerers, dancing muses and musical virtuosos.

With a Medieval four-course banquet included, providing exquisite food from a bygone age, together with opportunities to dress up in Middle Aged laced corsets and tunics while drinking from trinkets, this offers something completely different on Valentine’s Day - romance, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.

Tickets are £65 per person, including a welcome cocktail, four-course meal, unlimited wine and ale with dinner, dancing, DJ and midnight champagne send-off.

The Medieval Banquet Ivory House, St Katharine Docks, London E1W 1BP.

Bateaux London Valentine's Dinner Cruise

For something more traditional, you could try a delightful river cruise with Bateaux London, enjoying a four course meal and champagne while cruising along the Thames, gazing into each other’s eyes with London’s beautiful skyline providing the perfect backdrop. 

While aboard the Naticia you will enjoy a three-piece band and singer, providing ample opportunity for sensual after-dinner dancing.  With professional photographers on hand to capture your loving gazes and smiles, you will evoke memories of Jack and Rose in ‘Titanic’, without the unfortunate ending.

Tickets are £140 per person from Bateaux London.

Bateaux London, Embankment Pier, Victoria Embankment, London WC2N 6NU.

The London Eye

The London Eye is offering a range of romantic Valentine’s packages, allowing you to ascend  into London’s skyline while enjoying champagne, luxury chocolates and canapés. With your own capsule, you can float like love birds, gazing into the distance at your future together. 

To really show that you care, a private host can attend to all the entertainment while you concentrate on setting the scene. However for a really extravagant touch, you can hire an entire dining suite, which includes a delicious dinner, wine and a private musician.

Afterwards you can walk along the Thames, hand-in-hand, admiring the view as the sun sets.

Tickets from £22.50

London Eye, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB.

Chocolate making for two

For true chocolate lovers, what better way to spend Valentine’s Day than by making your very own? My Chocolate will give you the opportunity to design and create your own deliciously rich chocolates and truffles, decorating them with ganache, edible rose petals and golden sugar.

Along the way you will learn about the chocolate making processes from bean to box, sipping champagne while dipping fresh strawberries into a fondue of melted chocolate – a deliciously indulgent and fantastically romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day.

Tickets £165 per couple from My Chocolate; with various venues across London.

How will you be spending your Valentine's Day?

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This is a sponsored post and was written by Refresh Accommodation.

As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
 

Happy New Year!!

All of the blogs that I read are fervently wrapping up 2013

and kicking off 2014 with recaps, lists, resolutions, revamps and goals.

 I got nothin'.

I took lots of time off in December which I must admit I needed.

Only 10 posts after a whopping 23 in November.  Shameful.

Plus, we had a ridiculous amount of fun on New Year's Eve and I'm still recovering.

So, I'm just going to ease myself back into blogging slowly.

Here are some photos from our lovely Christmas in Folkestone with Matt's parents.

We celebrated for four days with food and drink.
Matt surprised me with a tripod and his parents gave me a Tassimo which I'm very excited about.

 

I promise I'll start picking up some steam as the days progress.

I have been editing photos like crazy and have some exciting posts planned for January.

 I'm also planning our next London Bloggers Afternoon Tea for the end of the month.

The first one was so much fun and I can't wait!

Please send me an email if you are interested in the details.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years Celebration.

Cheers to 2014!!

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Oh, Christmas Tree

I'm back!  It wasn't planned but apparently I needed to step away from the blog.

My post planner has been screaming at me for over week, but I use post-it notes for my planned post

and they all just took a little march forward in the calendar so that I could take a breather.

I love this blog, but sometimes you just need a break, AmIright?

 Now I'm back to squeeze in a few more posts before Christmas.

This is my second Christmas since we moved and I was a bit nervous about the whole month of December.

I had a bit of a wobble over Thanksgiving with a bout of the Expat Holiday Blues.

But, I've recovered quite nicely.  (Thank you for your sweet comments.)

I told Matthew the other day that I've discovered the key to getting through Christmas
when you are far from family and friends.
Lowered Expectations!

I say that with tongue in cheek, but there is some wisdom in there.

Last year I was desperately grasping for the perfect London Christmas.
I ordered a big honkin' Christmas tree but after opening just a few boxes of ornaments
I couldn't get any further.  That massive bare Christmas tree sat there all Christmas taunting me.

So, this year I decided to go a little easier on myself.  No expectations of the perfect London Christmas. 
Just play it all by ear and proceed cautiously.  And I have to say, it's going well.

And we have the cutest Christmas Tree ever.

On a chilly Sunday afternoon, we were both feeling a bit "meh."

"Want to go get a tree?"  "I don't care.  Do you?"

We decided to just get it done and headed over to Greenwich Park to pick up a tree.

I immediately spotted a perfectly shaped four foot spruce and decided that was the one.

They wrapped it up, we put in in the back seat and were home in thirty minutes.

No drama and we were both starting to perk up.

We weren't really sure if we would decorate it right away but the tree shopping seemed to perk us both up.

We put on Christmas Vacation which always makes me laugh like crazy.

Matt quickly got to work stringing the lights and I started getting out the ornaments.

I love ornaments.  I've been collecting them for years and each one holds a special memory.

I keep a basket on the bookshelf and we fill it up as we travel.

So, we started with our 2013 collection remembering all of the great trips we've taken this year. 

Then I started opening the boxes containing the ornaments from previous years.

My ornament collection was one thing that I insisted that we bring with us when we moved.

And I'm so proud.  I was able to open every single box this year and it made me so happy.

So many wonderful memories going all the way back to when I was a little girl.

And it felt so good to put Jessica's ornaments on the tree.

Even though we can't be together for Christmas, this is a family tree and she is a huge part of it.

In fact, there were so many ornaments that they all don't fit on our cute little tree.

I just put the overflow into bowls and baskets on the coffee table.

I wanted to have them all out this year to remind me of so many blessings.

 I love our little tree and the first thing I do in the morning is to turn on those lights.
There is just something about a real tree.

Last year I shared some tips for getting through the holidays far from home.

They really are helping me get through this year.

And I've added one more tip... lower your expectations.

But, in a good way.

What are your tips for getting through the holidays far from loved ones?

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Date Night & a Hotel Review

*I received one night complimentary accommodation from Holiday Inn Kensington Forum.

I can't believe that it's already November.  The year has just flown by.

All of the Christmas commercials are making me a bit crazy. 

With no Thanksgiving to slow the onslaught, London is already embracing Christmas mode.

This will be my second Christmas in the UK and I have to admit London does Christmas very well.

When you coat this bustling city with twinkly lights and a winter's chill, it can be pretty spectacular.

When we were invited to enjoy a Staycation with Holiday Inn Kensington Forum to experience London as she prepares for Christmas, we decided to make a date night of it.  

The Holiday Inn Kensington Forum has 900 rooms on 27 floors.  As we expected from Holiday Inn, we had a clean, air-conditioned room.  Our spacious, executive level room had a few extra amenities that you won't see in a standard room.  My favorite feature was the wall plugs... European, UK and US.  Having all three is very convenient.  

The staff was friendly and helpful.  There is a cafe featuring Starbucks coffee, a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a traditional pub for a nightcap.  I have to note that free Wi-Fi is only offered at the Holiday Inn if you are a member of their rewards club.

 But what really makes this an ideal choice for a London Christmas Staycation is the location. 

The hotel is located in the affluent district of Kensington in West London.

It's a great location for shopping, museums and dining.  Kensington is a gorgeous part of London. 

It also happens to be where Matthew's new job is located.  So we were eager to explore the area some more.

It's a short walk to the Natural History Museum where you can go ice skating.

For some of the best Christmas shopping in London, head over to Kensington High Street.

The Gloucester Road Tube Station is just two minutes away with good connections on the District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines.

There are also some really nice restaurants close by.
We visited a local cocktail bar and then had a lovely dinner.

And the best part?

We didn't have to spend an hour on the tube and bus to get home.

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*I received one night complimentary accommodation from Holiday Inn Kensington Forum for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are 100% my own.  

 As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sunset Walk on the Beach

Our next day in Portugal was spent much like the previous day, relaxing on the beach.

Lunch at the snack bar.

Afternoon glass of wine in the hotel.

A satisfying seafood dinner under the moonlight.

But the highlight of the weekend had to be the sunset walk on the beach with my love.

Promise

'From sunrise to sunset,
I want to watch it with you,
From sunrise to sunset,
I want to live it with you,
I want us to walk our sunsets together,
Love you forever.

Vizard Dhawan

Do you celebrate when the sun finally dips below the horizon?

Maybe with giddy applause?  Or a sweet kiss?

Do you strain your ears to hear the distant hiss of fire meeting water?

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I Spy Friday featuring Family & Friends

All I can really say today is TGIF.

This week was full of phone calls and emails with estate agents,

appointments to see several rental places, an offer that fell through,

and a mad scramble to jump through all of the hoops on a second offer.

The good news is that we have rented the cutest little place!

We will be moving in one month and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Today for I Spy Friday I have pictures from our past two weekends 

and it's all about family and friends. 

My wonderful in-laws came to London to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary!

They are delightful, extremely funny and smart.

Can you imagine 50 years?  It was a very special celebration.

Last Friday at 6pm, nine friends (and a dog) converged at St. Pancras Station to catch a train to Ramsgate for the weekend. We were loaded up with champagne and snacks for the 90 minute trip and the fun began immediately.

Food, drinks, fun and games was pretty much the theme for the weekend.

 

The house that we rented for the weekend was perfect.  Five bedrooms spread over several floors with lot of character and very comfortable.

  

Apparently both Van Gogh and Darwin spent time in this coastal village.  

After dropping off the bags and calling dibs on all of the rooms, we walked to a local pub for a fantastic dinner.  The Churchill Tavern was the perfect British Pub.

Great food and friendly service.

Saturday morning everyone slowly trickled downstairs to the kitchen and the massive dining table where we spent most of our time.  Sarah and Stephen treated us to a massive brunch featuring breakfast tacos and mimosas!  Made this Texas girl so happy.  Then we took an afternoon stroll along the waterfront.

 It was cold and windy, so we didn't explore too much.  Instead, we all traipsed off to the grocery store to load up on groceries for dinner and breakfast the next morning.

The whole group experience of shopping and cooking together was brilliant.

So much fun and we came up with quite a fantastic spread, steak, corn, mashed potatos, salads, fish, sausage and more.  We covered that huge table with food and drink.

We ended each night with a competitive round of Cranium which was a laugh riot.

This was an international crew, so the teams were the three Americans, the three Canadians, and then the Europeans (Brit, Scotsman & Swede).  

After Sunday brunch and another quick game of Cranium we caught the train, finished off all of the wine, beer, limoncello, vodka, Doritos and Texas Sheet Cake along the way back and reluctantly returned to the real world.

Alyn, Christoffer, Stephen, Matt

Rita, Sarah, Jill, Michelle and me (eyes closed & lookin' a hot mess)

and Dacia

It was such a fun, carefree, and relaxing weekend.

We are already planning our next trip. 

Thank you guys so much for a wonderful weekend of laughter and expat shenanigans!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

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