Month: December 2016

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2016 A Year in Pictures

#allyouneedislove

Like many people I’m eager to wrap up the whirlwind that was 2016 and welcome the end of what seemed to be a year that didn’t pull any punches. However, there were also many great moments that helped to make this year one I’ll never forget. I’m so grateful for the many opportunities my family and I had to explore and discover many new places and meet many new people around the world both through travel and this blog. Of course with my wanderlust spirit I’m already thinking about what amazing adventures 2017 will bring, but before I move on here is a look back at some of my favorite photos and moments from 2016!

January

A Girls Weekend in Capitola! Beaches, shopping, food and friends…Not a bad way to start off the year!

February

Quirky and fun was the theme of February’s quick trip to Seattle where we “pressed” our luck at both the Mystery Coke Machine and the Gum wall! An unexpected trip to New York was a nice surprise as was the Florence + Machine concert we were treated to! Can you find me in the crowd?

#tab

Gum Wall-0615

#837washington

March

March found us a new home! As bittersweet as moving is, we are making the most of our new surroundings with lots of surfing, becoming tourists in our own town and welcoming many visitors!

#sunset

April

I know what it means to miss New Orleans, which is why I do my best to get there at least once a year! 2016 was no different, and April found us making the most of our visit, enjoying all our favorite foods like beignets, bbq and snowballs, while wandering the French Quarter and discovering new neighborhoods. I’m already thinking about our next trip…

#frenchquarter

#beignets

May

Back in SoCal to sign up for new schools we found time to explore our new neighborhood!

#santamonicabeach

June

Embarking on a six week trip we spent June driving through Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England! It’s taken me months to sort through all the photos, and I’m still working on it. Represented here are The Cliffs of Moher, The Dark Hedges, Glasgow’s Street art, The Battlefields of Culloden in the Highlands, Edinburgh Castle, Hadrien’s Wall, and The Tower of London.

ireland cliffs of moher

#dark Hedges

#muralwalk

#cullodencottage

#edinburgh

#hadrianswall

#beefeater

July

Continuing our six week journey into July, we swapped the car for a train and set off for Belgium, The Netherlands, and France where we spent time in Brugge, Ghent, Amsterdam and Paris! Another fabulous three weeks of travel where we met up with friends, ate fabulous food and did our best to fit it all in. I’m still working on pulling together my notes on these amazing cities, and Brugge is next… Represented here are The Rozenhoedkaai View in Brugge, Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Amsterdam’s Canals at night, a view from the top of Notre Dame, and Marie Antoinette’s Petite Trianon at Versailles.

Bruges Canal

#gravensteencastle

#amsterdamnightcanal

#gargoyle

#petittrianon

August

Moving day! Evening walks to the beach at sunset were our reward for all that hard work unpacking. Thankfully, family and friends came down to help!

#momandme

September

Embracing our new beach life!

Los Angeles Surfing

October

Good things come to those who wait! Almost a full year after purchasing tickets to the Maroon 5 concert it was finally time to go in October! Auntie, Simon and I had a fabulous time!

#maroon5

November

In November we celebrated our first holiday in the new house, Thanksgiving! We also found time for a visit to one of my favorite castles. Sleeping Beauty Castle in the Magic Kingdom!

#sleepingbeautycastle

Decemember

This December, we’ve decided on a staycation. We’ve been day tripping to nearby towns and exploring more of what our new home has to offer. Hopefully this will keep my wanderlust at bay, that is until we work out our next adventure… Stay tuned…

Happy New Year!

#delmar

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Tourist in my own town a continuing series…

#hogwartscastle

Looking for things to do over the winter holidays I decided on a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and more specifically the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We had a wonderful time! However, you might be surprised to hear that none of us were all that excited, and I had to drag the kids. In fact it was only the promise of Butterbeer (which we had in Orlando four years ago) that got Simon excited…

#wizardingworldofharrypotter

Now I don’t mean to start off negative, but unlike the Orlando location , I remembered the SoCal park as a much smaller place in dire need of an update. The last time we’d visited (10 years ago) the attractions already seemed outdated and irrelevant. The movies they were showcasing… Terminator, Waterworld, Backdraft… were movies from my own youth, which meant nothing to Simon and honestly, you couldn’t have given me free tickets to go back. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case! Enter Minions, Jurassic World, and Harry Potter!

First Stop: Butterbeer!

#butterbeerkeg

So, our most recent  visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was largely driven by our desire for Butterbeer and as soon as we parked the car we made a beeline right for it! In my humble opinion Butterbeer is the only beverage in the world that might be worth a 3000 mile flight and was absolutely worth a one hour drive! Over the past four years, we’ve tasted many imitations in our attempt to find it, and while some have come close, they just weren’t Butterbeer.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Los Angeles

Hard to describe, Butterbeer is a delicious mix of flavors which could be butterscotch, marshmallow, cream soda and even shortbread, but one can’t really know exactly what it is, because the recipe is a secret! The creamy foam on top is my favorite part and cold is the most popular way to drink it, but you can also order it frozen and hot!

#butterbeerfoam

Arriving to the park at lunchtime, we decided to enjoy our Butterbeer while waiting in line for a table at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade Village.

#butterbeer

The line for the Three Broomsticks moves quickly and just like the other park attractions the ambiance inside the restaurant is perfect and immersive helping to make the wait time go by. The process is seamless from start to finish and once you order your food the friendly staff will find you a table. I wish more theme park restaurants would do this!

We enjoyed our food very much. I had the Sunday Roast, while the boys went safe with fish and chips. We decided to try hot Butterbeer, which I loved, and topped it all off with some Sticky Toffee Pudding! Now that we’d taken care of business it was time to explore Hogsmeade Village and some of the other attractions!

#hogwarts

#hogwartsHogwarts Castle is really impressive! One can almost believe it’s as real as any castle you might see traveling the world.

There are two ride attractions in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and while we all enjoyed The Flight of the Hippogriff, Simon rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey on his own. Elliot does meet the height requirement, but as soon as they buckled us into the seat restraints I panicked! Call it a mother’s intuition, but I knew he wasn’t going to like it and I pulled him off the ride just before we entered the tunnel. I’m so glad I did! Simon confirmed my fears and while many people might enjoy the very immersive 5 minute experience, which includes, darkness, Dementors, being shaken this way and that, and a squirt of water in the face, I knew my little guy would have been terrified!

#forbiddenjourney

My new theme park rule: If they tell me to lock up my purse and take off my glasses, it’s not the ride for me! That said, even if you don’t plan to ride,wandering through the castle is fabulous and there are many surprises to make you feel as though you’ve stepped inside the real Hogwarts! There is a cozy little room where Harry Potter movies are playing to keep littles and their keepers occupied while waiting for the riders.

Even on a rainy day Hogsmeade was crowded, so we weren’t able to do everything, but we really enjoyed wandering around the village and were able to pop into Honeydukes where we picked up a few treats before we set off to see what else Universal Studios had to offer…

One last stop at the Butterbeer cart before we set off for home, made our day complete!

Pin for later:

#pinme

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Oh Christmas Tree

#glitterholiday

#glitterholiday

I haven’t always celebrated Christmas, but I’ve always loved it! The twinkling lights, those annoyingly hard to unwrap, but oh so worth the trouble, miniature candy canes, hot cocoa with marshmallows, Christmas Carols, those stop motion holiday tv specials and the list goes on… But the thing I loved the most was, and still is, the Christmas Tree. We didn’t have a tree in my childhood home, but a highlight every season was visiting my neighbor’s homes and helping to hang their ornaments. I recall there being many homemade items and loved watching them unwrap and remember each one.

#ohchristmastree

Now years later I’ve built quite an ornament collection of my own, each with their own memory attached. Every year I look forward to opening up the boxes and taking out what I’ve come to think of as little treasures. Each one a precious reminder of some beloved character, far away place or special moment in our lives. Not only that, but many happy things have taken place around our Christmas tree, not the least of which was Tim’s proposal of marriage, but wait, before we get to that, there was another tree…

That First Christmas Tree

The first ornaments I purchased were for Tim, who I was dating at the time, he was having a party and mentioned that everyone should bring an ornament. I wasn’t exactly sure what to purchase, so decided on some silver snowflakes and a silver bell. The silver bell representing my favorite Christmas movie, It’s A Wonderful Life! A premonition maybe?

#everytimeabellrings

What I didn’t know was that the whole party was planned to impress me! I guess he’d been listening when I mentioned my love of Christmas Trees? When I arrived at the party I  saw that he’d decorated the most amazing tree I’d ever seen. It was the perfect shape and covered with lights, bows and sparkling ornaments. In my eyes It couldn’t have been more perfect!

I found out later that he’d gone out and purchased everything on the tree just for the party, and I only found out this year that he’d spent an entire paycheck on that first tree! Of course there was also mistletoe at that party and somehow we managed to find ourselves under it at the very same time… imagine that!

Now 18 or so trees later, we’ve still got those original silver snowflakes and the bell along with many of those first ornaments.

#ohchristmastree

Over the years I’ve continued to collect memories and ornaments in almost every major city we’ve visited: Raggedy Anne and Andy in Portland, Oregon were some of the first along with a Yellow Cab in New York City. I picked up Fleur-de-lis ornaments in Paris, Versailles and New Orleans. In Ireland I found a harp and in Scotland a Scottie, Nessie and a set of pipes!  Of course London has its place on the tree along with Victoria, Lisbon, Toledo, Rome, Glasgow, Kyoto, and Hawaii. Also just a few of our favorite characters making appearances are Hello Kitty, Spiderman, Captain America, and Spongebob.

Each year I go to the tree lot in the hopes of finding a replica of that first perfect tree. While I don’t always come home with my ideal tree I know that once I cover it with all of our treasures, old and new and surround it with the people I love, “this year’s” tree will be the most beautiful tree yet.

Here’s to finding your “perfect tree!”

Happy Holidays! xo

#ohchristmastree

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Three Days in London Family Style

around-london-4655

No matter how many days we allow for London, it’s never enough, and our most recent visit was no different. I’m not sure what I was thinking when planning our itinerary, but somehow we ended up with only three full days*. I did however manage to plan the visit over my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than time in my favorite city! As always, I was on a mission to see as many new things as we could while still fitting in some old favorites, and I think we did a pretty good job of making the most of our time.

#londonstreetart
Street art in London’s Chinatown

Arriving in the late afternoon after a long drive from York, and having had nothing to eat other than a light lunch during our stop in Nottingham, we were ready for an early dinner! Not in the mood for our usual wander, we decided on a repeat for dinner, Plum Valley in Chinatown. We’ve been here three times now and it never disappoints. Afterwards we walked around the neighborhood while eating our dessert, Tayaki, which are little fish shaped cakes filled with cream. Yum!

Day One

The Victoria & Albert Museum

#v&amuseum

Happy Birthday to me! Choosing our itinerary for the entire day with no objections from the peanut gallery was my birthday gift. I chose a museum and shopping! The Victoria & Albert Museum, or the V&A, was our first stop. I won’t lie and say the boys enjoyed the Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear exhibit, but as a lover of fashion I sure did! There are many things to see and do at the world’s leading museum of art and design and there was no way we would see it all in one visit, but we spent most of the morning trying.

#v&Amuseum

Carnaby Street

#carnabystreet

If like me, you’re a shopper, you’ll love Carnaby Street! Located in the West End, Carnaby Street is part of a larger collection of 13 streets lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The iconic Union Jack hanging high above and the fun vibe of the area make this a favorite shopping destination. I love wandering in and out of all the shops, many of which are one of a kind. Like many places in a city as old as London, Carnaby Street has a long history dating back to 1682! The place to be in the 60s, 80s and still to this day!

The boys loved this sweet shop
This way to the cash machine!

Covent Garden

#coventgarden

Another great London destination is Covent Garden located on the edge of the West End. We usually find ourselves here at least once every visit and with beautiful architecture, street performers, entertainment, theater, shopping, museums and more you can’t go wrong. There is always something to see or do!

Corinithia Hotel Cocoa

#corinthiacocoaWhile we don’t always stay at The Corinthia, we never pass up a chance for Corinthia cocoa in the lobby! A nice alternative to traditional tea, though they have that too, we’ve taken to sitting down in the Corinthia’s lovely lobby for a relaxing cup of cocoa at least once every visit and sometimes more…

“Tea” time fun!
Amazing Flower displays

Day Two

Crosstown Donuts

We stumbled across this yummy place, and loved it so much we found ourselves back the very next day. The cinnamon rolls were my favorite! Alas there are no photos, as we ate them up too quickly for pictures!

The Changing of the Guard

#changingoftheguard

In what turned out to be a very happy accident we got off at the wrong Underground stop just in time to see the Queen’s soldiers marching down the street on their way back from the Changing of the Guard! Super neat! Not one for standing around trying to see over the very tall person that always stands in front of me, we’d never even bothered to try and see the guard ceremony before. I highly recommend seeing it via happy accident!

The Royal Mews

#goldstatecoach

The Royal Mews is responsible for the transport of the Queen and other members of the royal family via horse drawn carriage and motor car. Unfortunately we just missed the guided tour, but found the 45 minute audio guide to be quite adequate and enjoyed moving along at our own pace. During the visit you’ll be able to view many of the carriages including the Scottish and Irish State coaches, the Diamond Jubilee Coach, and the Gold State Coach,  as well as motor cars, and even some of the Queens horses.

Camden Town

#camdenlock

Camden Town a popular North London neighborhood reminds me a lot of Venice Beach, California. Fun & quirky! Shops filled with everything imaginable line the streets, from mainstream brands to vintage treasures. Camden Market is a maze of wonderful stalls and shops filled to the brim with tasty treats, funky art, clothing, toys, housewares and so much more! Somehow this popular neighborhood has managed to keep it’s “off the beaten path” feel, while at the same time making itself completely accessible to everyone!

Leicester Square

As is often the case in London, it was quite a rainy day, and in the late afternoon when the rains came back with a vengeance we decided a movie in Leicester Square would be the perfect thing! Leicester Square is the heart of British Cinema, much like Hollywood in California, and many European movie premiers take place here. We’ve been to movies here before and we love the reserved seating, which has only recently come to America.

Dozo Sushi

#dozosushi

The perfect way to end our day, we had a delicious dinner at Dozo Sushi, in Soho, where both the food and service were excellent. The restaurant was packed and without a reservation we felt lucky to get a table.

#dozosushi

Day Three

The Houses of Parliament Tour

#westminsterpalace

Waking up on the last day of our visit to London, we had big plans! A tour of Westminster Palace and the Houses of Parliament was first on the list! I was pretty excited about finally getting a peek inside this historic and important place. While on the 90 minute tour you’ll be treated to 1000 years of history, modern politics, and amazing art and architecture. I absolutely loved this experience, our guide was so knowledgeable and funny and the interior spaces were so beautiful I was in awe of my surroundings the entire time.

The Borough Market

#marketporter

The sun was shinning bright, so after our amazing tour of Parliament  we set off for a walk along the River Thames and ended up at The Borough Market in Southwark. After exploring the stalls and vendors we grabbed lunch at the Market Porter, a famous Public House with an upstairs restaurant which overlooks the Market. We all enjoyed our food very much. For more information and even more photos of this awesome neighborhood check out 24 Hours In London!

London Bridge

#towerbridge

Taking advantage of the continued sunshine we decided to keeping walking along the river crossing the famous London Bridge where we stopped to take photos of Tower Bridge!

#londonbridge

The Tower of London

#toweroflondon

If you follow my blog, then you know that The Tower of London is probably one of my favorite places on earth and I can’t imagine a visit to London without stopping there! It’s absolutely on my must not miss list! A very family friendly place with ever changing exhibits I love that each time we go there is something new to see. This time we enjoyed the Crowns of the Past exhibit and the room replicas of the Medieval Palace dating back to the times of Edward I and Henry III.

Imli Street

#imlistreet

Just as we were exiting the Tower the sky opened up and we made a mad dash for a taxi back to our hotel. It was time to pack for our next destination, (Bruges!) but we did find time for a lovely, but spicy, Indian dinner at Imli Street in Soho.

Nadler Soho

#nadlersoho

During our visit we stated at the Nadler Soho, which was conveniently located and walking distance to many places.

*We did get one extra day just before our return trip to the United States, but more on that later…

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London: Houses of Parliament Tour

#westminsterpalace

#westminsterpalaceWaking up on the last day of our most recent visit to London, we had big plans! A tour of Westminster Palace and the Houses of Parliament! We’d walked by and photographed this iconic and historic building on many occasions, but we’d never been inside.

#parliamenttour
View of the London Eye and Big Ben from the security line

Embracing the idea that guided tours are a good thing and always up for visiting another palace I signed us up! I was pretty excited about finally getting a peek inside. In fact our visit to this historic and important place was a highlight of our entire six week adventure!

Houses of Parliament London

Guided tours of the Houses of Parliament are available on most Saturdays and on weekdays when Parliament is in recess. The tours are timed and I highly suggest arriving slightly before your scheduled time, as the check-in and security lines can be long. If you find yourselves with some time to spare before your tour you can enjoy a coffee in the onsite cafe and have a look around the gift shop.

#bigben

While on the 90 minute tour you’ll be treated to 1000 years of history, modern politics, and amazing art and architecture. Highlights include visiting both the Lord’s and Common’s Chambers, the Queen’s Robing Room and the Royal Gallery.

#westminsterhall

You’ll meet your guide in Westminster Hall, one of the few places photos are allowed, and proceed to walk quickly through the entire building, catching only glimpses of all the amazing art and ornate decor, before finally stopping at the other end where the tour will officially start. Don’t worry, you’ll be walking back at a much slower pace and will be able to enjoy the amazing artwork of kings, queens and politicians of past and present while you listen to your guide tell you their history.

#bigben

I absolutely loved this experience, our guide was so knowledgeable and funny and the interior spaces were so beautiful I was in awe of my surroundings the entire visit.  Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who loved this activity, all three of my boys loved it too!

Photo opportunities were very limited, but I managed to get in a few snaps!

Westminster Hall

St. Stephen’s Hall & New Dawn Stained Glass

The Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben

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London: Camden Town

London is by far my favorite city and though I’ve visited many wonderful cities and my wish list of yet to see places is long, I do believe I’d throw any of them over for a chance to go back to London. Just say when!

#camdenlockEven with multiple visits under my belt there is no shortage of interesting new places to see and explore. One such place was Camden Town a popular North London neighborhood I learned about while reading Dannii Jane’s blog, A Beautiful Thing. In hindsight I can’t believe this place wasn’t already on my radar! It’s right up my alley and reminds me a lot of Venice Beach, California. Fun & quirky!

#camdentown

The moment you get out of the Tube Station it’s clear this is a neighborhood unlike any other. Shops filled with everything imaginable line the streets, from mainstream brands to vintage treasures. Many of them have unique store fronts and are offering deep discounts and bargain prices.

#camdenmarket

Keep walking and you’ll come to Camden Market a maze of wonderful stalls and shops filled to the brim with tasty treats, funky art, clothing, toys, housewares and so much more! Somehow this popular neighborhood has managed to keep it’s “off the beaten path” feel, while at the same time making itself completely accessible to everyone!

A maze of shops
Used Books
Quirky Decor

Wandering the stalls we found many treasures, but with limited space in our carry on suitcases and three weeks of travel ahead of us we restricted ourselves to window shopping and picking up books at a lovely little used book shop, which would be perfect for our upcoming train travel to Belgium.

#camdenmarket

Our suitcases may have been full, but our bellies were empty and there’s always room for food! With many food options in the Market and communal seating in the center area, each of us was able to get the meal we wanted.

#poppies

Simon and I went for Poppies award winning fish and chips, while Elliot chose Chinese food and Tim got an Honest Burger. The item we were most excited about, after seeing photos on Dannii Jane’s blog, was the cocoa from Chin Chin Labs. The giant marshmallow did not disappoint and of course we had to try the nitro ice cream too!

#chinchinlabs

I absolutely loved our day out in Camden Town and it is definitely going on my London repeat list along with some of my other favorite places: The Tower of London, Southwark, and cocoa at the Corinthia Hotel!

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London: The Royal Mews

#diamondjubileecoach

#royalmewsLooking for a family friendly activity on a rainy London day? You might consider the Royal Mews located just next to Buckingham Palace! Having visited London a number of times over the years we’d already checked off many of the city’s main tourist attractions, and found ourselves unable to agree on an activity. I settled on the Royal Mews as we’d never been before, in fact, not exactly sure what a mews was, it hadn’t really ever been a contender.

#royalmews

#royalmews

I have to admit even with my love of all things royal, I still wasn’t sure I was all that interested in what seemed to be a stable of some sort, but Elliot loves animals, its part of Buckingham Palace and it would be something new. I’m so glad we went!

As I mentioned it was raining, so after ducking into Crosstown Doughnuts in SoHo for a quick bite we set off for the Royal Mews via the underground. In what turned out to be a very happy accident we got off at the wrong stop just in time to see the Queen’s soldiers marching down the street on their way back from the Changing of the Guard! Super neat!

#changingoftheguardNot one for parades or standing around trying to see over the very tall person that always stands in front of me in large crowds, we’d never even bothered to try and see the guard ceremony before, so another first! I highly recommend seeing it via happy accident!

#changingoftheguard

The Royal Mews is responsible for the transport of the Queen and other members of the royal family via horse drawn carriage and motor car. Unfortunately we just missed the guided tour, but found the 45 minute audio guide to be quite adequate and enjoyed moving along at our own pace. During the visit you’ll be able to view many of the carriages including the Scottish and Irish State coaches, the Diamond Jubilee Coach, and the Gold State Coach,  as well as motor cars, and even some of the Queens horses.

The Scottish State Coach

Built in 1830 the Scottish State Coach and is used only periodically. The Queen used it to carry her to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

#scottishstatecoach

The Irish State Coach

The Irish State Coach’s main use is to carry the monarch to the State Opening of Parliament.

London England

The Diamond Jubilee Coach

The Diamond Jubilee Coach was first used in 2014 to celebrate’s the Queen’s Diamond jubilee celebration. Not only is this a beautiful coach, but I was fascinated to learn that the coach is made from over 100 donated items from Britain’s historic sites, including 10 Downing Street, The Mary Rose (Henry VIII’s flagship), and a British lead musket ball from the Battle of Waterloo.

#diamond Jubilee Coach

The Gold State Coach

The Gold State Coach was commissioned in 1762 and has been used in every coronation since George IV. Due to its size and weight it requires 8 horses to pull it.

#royalmews

 

SAMSUNG CSC

Royal Motor Cars

All of the state and semi-state cars are painted claret and black.

About halfway along the tour you’ll find a lovely little children’s room where we stopped to do a craft and play a children’s game. During our visit we learned that the Queen names all the horses herself and that the employees both live and work at the Mews. Making it not just a place of work, but a community as well.

I highly recommend a visit to the Royal Mews we all really enjoyed ourselves, and of course seeing all those horse drawn carriages really appealed to me, I won’t lie I was digging the whole fairly tale thing…

Practical Information

#royalmewsgiftshop

The visit takes place both indoors and out, so jackets are a good idea, but is entirely sheltered from the weather making it a great option for a rainy day. Keep in mind there is airport style security, (it is part of Buckingham Palace after all) so the less stuff you bring with you the quicker you’ll get through security. There isn’t any food or drink allowed, or for sale, but there is a lovely gift shop at the end which I enjoyed quite a bit!

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An Afternoon in Nottingham England

#robinhoodstatueUnfamiliar with the Midlands of England and looking for a place to stop along the way between York and London we went with the one city name on the map that stood out from all the rest, Nottingham. Yes, that Nottingham, home of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men!

Nottingham, England

ALONG THE WAY FROM York to London

138 KM FROM York

#robinhoodnottinghamI was delighted to discover that there truly is a Sherwood Forest, A Nottingham Castle and even a Sherif of Nottingham! Sadly, heavy rain put us off from a visit to Sherwood Forest, but wanting to learn more we decided on a visit to the Castle where we also grabbed a bite to eat and picked up books about Robin Hood in the Castle gift shop. 

#nottinghamcastle

Though whether or not Robin Hood was a real person is up for debate, there is no doubt that the city of Nottingham and the surrounding areas have proudly taken this character to heart with many roads as well as other places bearing his name and that of other popular names related to his legend. We got a real kick out of seeing Maid Marian Way and Friar Lane on the GPS!

#nottinghamgps

Too rainy for anything more, we set out, and besides, London was calling!

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40,000 Problems… A Holiday Gift Guide

Wait! What? Who has 40,000 problems and what kind of gift guide is this anyway?

No, I’m not gifting you 40,000 problems, but now that I’ve got your attention…

I love to take photos, but I don’t love to delete them, and until recently that wasn’t a problem, until it was. A big one! Sitting in my hotel room in the middle of the trip of a lifetime the storage was full on both my phone and my computer and I was suddenly unable to upload anymore photos.

40000-problems-a-holiday-gift-guide-9773

What initially felt like memories too precious to delete now felt like 40,000 tedious problems that had to be sorted. Now! That was a few months ago, and I’ve now deleted thousands of photos, but I still have a long way to go.

40000-problems-a-holiday-gift-guide-9789

My love of snapping pictures hasn’t gone anywhere, so even though I’ve learned my lesson about hitting the delete button, new photos are added daily, making this a two steps forward one step back kind of thing.

So, how is this a gift guide?

Well, with all these photos their must be some worth keeping and sharing, right?

holiday-bannerOne solution to all these “problems” has been to find new ways to display and store my photos off the computer. In my quest to do so I’ve sent, displayed, framed, published and gifted photos. With as many photo companies to choose from as there are photos on my hard drive it can be hard to know which one to use.

Are you considering giving photos gifts this year? If so, here is what I hope is a helpful guide to some of what I’ve learned:

Consider Frames Instead of Flowers

#holidaygiftguide

Consider sending an enlarged photo of you and your loved one, or of a mutual favorite place instead of flowers when friends or loved ones are under the weather or for a holiday gift this year. Ordering beautifully framed prints from companies like Shutterfly can be very affordable, especially if you take advantage of promotions, and they will last forever.

#holidaygiftguide

For an even more budget friendly option there’s IKEA. Their frames come in all sizes and colors, some priced as low as $1.49, which you can use to frame photos you print yourself or have printed at your local drugstore. I personally use these to frame my son’s art and its great!

Teen Decor

#teendecorideas

Anyone whose ever tried knows teens are incredibly difficult to shop for, however, they love to take photos. Consider having some of their favorite snaps printed. Using an app called Mixtiles we chose some of my son’s favorite photos and had them enlarged and mounted on removable foam squares. The entire process is done on the phone, takes minutes and according to the FAQ the tiles can be rearranged as many as two dozen times each.

Snail Mail

#postcardfromlondon

Postcards: Looking for something a little lower budget? Everyone loves to receive snail mail (so long as it’s not a bill)! I’ve been using the LaLaLab app to send postcards to friends and family directly from my phone using photos I took myself and its super fun! It’s a great way to say thank you, I miss you, or just hello. What a nice surprise to open your mailbox and find a personalized postcard with photos from a recent visit or fun moment.

#2014holidaycard

Holiday cards: I love sending holiday cards every year and I love receiving them! Each one is like a little gift and I know many people feel the same. I never feel organized enough to hire someone and usually take my own photo. This year I tricked my boys and told them our photo shoot was just a practice session. I got the photos I needed in 15 minutes!! This year’s card is still under wraps, this one is from 2014.

#movingcardMoving cards: Don’t forget to send moving cards. I know its better to give than to receive, but… There are many great websites and designs to choose from and I usually go with the one having the best sale! This year I used Minted to print my holiday cards and Tiny Prints for our moving announcement.

Photo Books

#photobooksCreating an album of people or memories is the best way to get those files off your computer and they make wonderful gifts too. I’ve been trying out a number of different photo book companies in all different price ranges and skill levels. Here is some of what I’ve learned so far:

Mpix  – Premium Panoramic Photo Book starting at $49.99

This was the most expensive of the books, but with a linen hardcover and lay flat pages it’s also the nicest. I created the book on my computer and once I learned their system was really able to make the book my own, creating custom layouts and adding text. The quality of the paper and prints is excellent.

LaLaLab. – Photo Book $30.00

Offering a range of photo products the LaLaLab. app couldn’t be easier to use. Choose your product, choose  your photos, personalize, and purchase! That’s it! If you’re looking to edit, alter or add text this is not the app for you. While the book did come out nicely, I’m not sure it’s $30 quality.

Chatbooks – Custom Photo Book starting at $12

The cute compact size of these books is a definite plus, however I’m not sure it’s the right company for my needs. I ended up adding a lot of pages, which made it somewhat cost prohibitive. I found their app complicated and the end result less than what I was hoping for. Chatbooks offers a subscription service which would be the perfect gift for a teenager or grandparents who might not be so concerned with all the fine details.

Mosaic – Photo Book $20 plus shipping

Created from your phone and delivered in just 4 days, Mosaic couldn’t be simpler and makes a great gift, especially if you are short on time! Chose 20 photos, rearrange them if you’d like, choose the background color, review and press order. I used Mosaic to create a memento of a girls weekend to New Orleans.

With so many photos left to sort, I’ll be making more books in the future. I’m planning on trying out Apple’s new book formats, along with Blurb, Montage, Mixbook and the Mpix softcover version. Do you have too many photos on your computer? How do you manage them? Will you be giving photo gifts this holiday season? If so, which companies do you love?