What? Caravanning is cool again?

Last week we went back to France to spend a week in Normandy with some friends. We were hoping for some down time (hahaha with 2 kids, who am I kidding…). We got lucky as it did NOT rain the entire time and Stella got to enjoy the beach and the water (well really, she fell head first in it the first day). Anyway, during that week, I noticed a huge number of caravans and motorhomes out there. 

Many French, but also Dutch, British, Germans... Following on my thoughts on family vacations, I wonder if there is not something there. See, caravanning is interesting as it has very different images and perceptions. On the one hand, you would think about this:

Which is not necessary the coolest thing (though don’t you like my pose?). But on the other hand, there is this hippie grungy vibe to it as soon as you’re going a bit old school. 

Rock On!

I'm talking Absolute Freedom. It does sound romantic that you can do anything you want, at anytime. But I think that if I did it, me being me, I would put some planning into it. Probably set up one or two itineraries, with options in camping sites along the way and timeframe between each stop. As I am not that good of a driver (hello UK, other side of the road!), I would also get some insurance such as the one provided by the Caravan Club. I guess I’m not much of a hippie after all (Full disclosure: my friends used to nickname me Filofax…).
More seriously though, it seems more and more people are going for the caravan. I have several friends in France and in Germany who had fun getting an old one and pimping it up! Then they are on the road never sure where they will stop. It sounds pretty sweet to me, what a cool way to discover the country!

It is also tempting because it’s fun for the kids, and more importantly absolutely weather proof (you may know that the weather in Normandy is a joke…). My friends who go around caravanning have small kids and they like it better than camping because they feel they always have a safe place for the children.

I like the idea of making your home pretty much anywhere. I’ve been daydreaming about hitting the road ever since I re-read the Jack Kerouac book (then again there are not many children hanging out with Moriarty…).

I am not the only one wondering if caravanning is cool again. The Blightly Traveller has put together the 10 reasons why you should take a Caravan Holiday and some sounded quite relevant, such as you can bring your doggie along (had you thought of that?). 

Now I can tell you that I am just writing this entire article to find an excuse to share with you this wonderful pic of my dear husband of Dutch descent…

Helloooo 1994!

(for the record, I didn’t know him with THIS hair)

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Dressing up Nino

I am having so much fun dressing up my little man, I just had to share. I've received wonderful gifts from friends and family. The thing is Nino is growing so fast, the clothes I am showing today are already too small. I need to up my game to keep up with him!

This is a French ensemble by Verbaudet

This is his first grunge outfit (first of many many...)

This is another French coat, from Natalys. I gotta say the French do really cute baby clothes (but man are they pricy..).

Unfortunately, Chris also decided to get involved and dress his boy. To my biggest despair, this is what happened:

He looks as happy as me...

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Second hand is the new black 1

I am obviously done with my Dressing the Bump series. I loved it but I am also excited to move on to my next styling project: I am going to show you all the treasures I find in my charity shopping expeditions in London and elsewhere. I want to prove that you can have style without spending a fortune. I hope you will like the clothes, each piece made me so happy when I found it!

The first dress is from a beloved brand of mine: Brooklyn Industries. I've never found it anywhere out of New York City, so when I saw it in a Cancer Research UK shop on Upper Street, my heart jumped. I call it my Trucker dress! Did I mention that I paid 12£ for it?

And here I am wearing a Massimo Dutti linen top that I really liked. I found it in my Sue Ryder shop on Essex Road and I paid about 3£ for it!

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Britishette & mini Britishette 17

The sun is back and so are we. There just might be tiny Nino in his buggy on some of the B & mini B shots!

My Wayfarer are finally back into my bag!

Making a move, as a family!

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Family of 4 on the move

As Nino's passport finally arrived, we could take our first trip all together. We hopped on the Eurostar for my hometown. Having accomplished the impossible of packing for one week into only one suitcase, we jumped in a black cab at 7 in the morning.

Since Chris is travelling quite a bit to Paris, we were lucky enough to hang out in the business lounge before boarding the train. 

This way, I could pick up my bible and get Stella a couple of croissants! Then it was time to feed Nino and we realized we had forgotten all the bottles at home. So while Stella and I enjoyed the lounge, Chris spent his time negotiating with the Eurostar's security personnel to be allowed to run to Boots to buy new bottles. Good thing it worked...

Nino got quite comfortable in the giant chair and Stella made sure he had everything he needed!

I even got time to check on Britishette!

Then it was time to get on the train. We saw people in our seats with exactly the same seat numbers, but it's good they were there as we then understood we had gotten on the train to Brussels and not Paris - OOOPS! Get the luggage, get the kids, get out and back on the other train accross the platform...

We only had 2 tickets for the 4 of us. I had mentionned it before but basicallly, kids under 4 can travel without a ticket and sit on their parents' lap. I believe this might not apply if you travel alone with 2 kids (then you probably need a second seat).

So if you are lucky nobody sits next to you and you can enjoy all 4 seats. This happened to us for the first 20 minutes, but then in Ashford International, a group of 20 kids joined us and then it really was us 4 on 2 seats, like that:

It was a bit of sport but we made it work and had a good time! Well at least we were happy to get to Gare du Nord...

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London Walls 20

I love to turn around and see a graffitti staring at me! This old man is chilling on Essex Road.

Interesting theory of evolution on Caledonian Road...

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Dancing with Beyoncé

Monday night was my first real evening out since Nino was born. So something special was in order. I am more of a grunge fan, but I am also a girl's girl. So going to see Beyoncé at the O2 Arena was definitely a fantastic night.

Arriving at the O2 Arena

Now I am no Beyoncé expert, and didn't know most songs. BUT it was a fun evening! It was all about girl power, as I think 99% of the audience was female. Kind of reminded me of my Spice Girls days (sorry...)

The show was pretty cool as B has tremendous dancers with her (several of them French, just saying).

Seeing her busting these moves definitely got me in the mood to work towards getting my body back... I thought it was kind of cool how she incorporates indian and african dance moves in her choreographies.

Really I just wanted to hear "Crazy in Love" and "Single Ladies" as those are awesome party tunes. But you gotta give to Beyoncé: she can work a crowd all right! 

The day of the show, I saw this a few times on Twitter and it totally cracked me up:

(•_•)
<) )╯all the single ladies
/ \
(•_•)
\( (> all the single ladies
/ \
(•_•)
<) )╯oh oh oh
/ \

Merci chéri!

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It's a family vacation!

A few years back, holidays for Chris and I meant crazy cool destinations and serious trekking. I'm talking Mexico, Cambodia, Samoa, Japan, Belize, Tonga, Korea, etc. We would see awesome stuff, you know, like that:

Or that:

And then we had kids. I used to be one of those persons, convinced that nothing would change with the kids. I wasn't gonna have a buggy, I would always dress up no matter what, and we would continue to go to concerts as often as it pleased us. Well that was the plan anyway...

Now, if you saw me in my sweats, taking Stella to the nursery in her buggy, you would have a good laugh. I sure do. Reality caught up with me faster than I saw it coming...

Doesn't mean the fun is over. But some adjustments are definitely required. For the holidays, we still try to do our crazy thing once a year, but only if the grandparents willl take care of Stella (and now Nino) for a week. That's how we enjoyed Bali so much last November.

But with the kids, the fun is still there, just a different kind of fun. From my experience, the best vacations with kids are of two kinds:

-You can rent a house with your friends, who either have kids or would be quite tolerant of yours! 

We did it in Seattle and again in Tuscany. It's a very chill way to relax, because you have your own rhythm. The kids can nap easily (and so can I...) and you got all you need with you.

It's just not that funny to go to the restaurant with small kids, so you might as well enjoy a good old BBQ by the pool!

The other possibility is to go to a place that is totally family friendly, pretty much like a holiday camp. My friend Esme took her family to the Butlin's resort in Bognor Regis in Sussex last August and they really liked it. With the sun coming up, I have been looking around at places nearby for family May bank holiday breaks in the UK. As Nino is only 3 weeks old, I don't feel like flying just yet.

Somehow, I get an even bigger kick seeing Stella having a blast than say climbing Maya temples (I would not have believed that a couple years ago). I want to make her happy and show her different places and activities. If it involves any kind of sports, then Chris is on board, no matter what. 

So why not check out these cheap weekend breaks out of town? Grab a few friends and give it a shot. The Machu Pichu will still be there when the kids are older!

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Charity Shopping in style with the Octavia Foundation

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a Charity Shopping event organized by the Octavia Foundation. Given how I love charity shops in London, I was curious about this organization and very excited to discover their boutique on Brompton Road.

This is one address you don't want to miss on your next shoppping trip in London: right between Harrod's and the V&A Museum, the shop is right on the tourist path!

It is a charity shop, so the clothes, shoes and accessories are second hand, and therefore really really affordable. From Zara to Dior, to DVF or Gap, you will find something you love there, I'm pretty sure of it.

Gary Murphy, the manager of the store explained to me that all the clothes are from walk-in donations. Each items remains in the shop for 2 to 3 weeks, and then moves on to another of Octavia Foundation's charity shops.

The invite-only event was wonderful: we could buy amazing pieces and also talk to the Foundation's staff to learn more about their work. Oh and we could sip bubbly the whole time while shopping. Doesn't get much better now does it?

So what did I find? Well among other things, I got this lovely Sandro tunique (for 15£) and I splurged on a Louis Vuitton mini bag (55£). It was my first shopping trip since Nino was born after all!

I was extremely impressed by the friendliness of the Octavia Foundation staff who all went out of their way to make this event a pleasant experience. They were really enjoying themselves and were happy to see the evening a sucess. The event was attended by over 100 guests and raised more than 4,500£!

About the Octavia Foundation

The Octavia Foundation was named after Octavia Hill (1838-1912). Working with the poorer communities of London, she was a pioneer of social housing. The organization aims at improving the life of communities in London, focusing on four areas: young people and children, care for the elderly, employment and training, money and debt advisory.

One of the Foundation's projects is BASE: a cultural club for young people from age 7 to 21. Dance classes, screenings and other activities are organized and meals are provided. Computers with internet access are also available.

Another project is Prevent/Protect: this program aims at raising awareness of sexual health protection. Organized by young people, this project led to the production of a short film on sexual health and relationship issues. It is now providing training for volunteer sexual health workers.

For older people, the Octavia Foundation organizes outreach and befriending programmes. They also propose free gardening services. For young adults, the Foundation organizes paid building maintenance apprenticeships.

Discussing the Foundation with Director  Reena Mukherji

There are many more projects and services provided by the Octavia Foundation. You can find detailed information here. I am really glad that I learned so much about this organization. It made for a great evening: shopping for a really good cause and meeting a lot of passionate people. I can't wait to go back!

There will be another event of the same kind for the Fulham Road boutique on May 16th. Get in touch with the Foundation if you want to attend. I certainly will be there!

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I had a NHS baby - part 2: the delivery

I had my first baby in France two years ago and it was a really good experience. I stayed at the Hopital franco-britannique in Levallois-Perret. I was induced at 39 weeks, had an epidural, chose not to breastfeed and stayed in the Maternity for four days. It was a wonderful experience.

But in England, I didn't know what to expect. I had heard of mostly unpleasant experiences. Saturday morning, a day before I was to be induced, I felt that it was time to go to the hospital. We called the maternity from the cab to let them know, and the staff was very cool and said of course, we're waiting for you.
I went to the MFAU (Maternal Foetal Assessment Unit) where they confirmed that I was indeed 7 cm dilated and so ready to go ahead. They asked me once again if I wanted to go to the birth Center and have a natural birth or to the labour Ward to get an epidural.
I insisted that I wanted an epidural, so the ward it was. I was transferred there in a wheelchair and at about 12.30pm went into the birth room.
I was impressed as the room was big and light and had its own bathroom (didn't have that in France). I was welcomed by my two midwives, an Irish woman named Lucia, and a male Spanish student named Julio (not kidding). Turns out they were a great team and it was cool to spend the next 4 hours with them.
The aneasthesist eventually came to give me the epidural. She was young and very professional, and things got easier for me as the pain diminished greatly.
A couple of hours later, after a few pushes, Nino came into our life during a fairly easy and uneventful labor.

I said I didn't want to breastfeed and so they provided us with milk (we could even choose the brand!) and so Chris gave Nino his first feed. I liked that they didn't insist nor try to change my mind (they sort of had in France).

Another hour later, I was then transferred to a room. I had mentionned several times that I really wanted a private room. But I was told there was none available anymore so I had to share. I was a bit worried about that but really it was fine. I was in a room set for 4 mums. But you could actually pull a curtain all around you and have complete privacy. I basically never saw the other mums. I got lucky because there were only two of us in the room of 4. The only thing was, you can't see but you can definitely hear everyone else. So be aware...

As I knew I would stay for a very short time, I never went to a proper bathroom. There were toilets right off the room with a sink and it was reserved for us new moms. So I waited to be home to get a proper shower the next day.

Visiting hours were 9am to 9pm or something like that. But the husband can come and go as much as he wants. I sent Chris home at 10pm and he was back the next morning at 7am. I figured one of us should get a good night sleep. My night was as expected, never really left my bed, and Nino was with me the entire time. 

I changed him and fed him on my bed. As I am pretty private, it was fine by me.

Nino and I in our little cubicle!

Diner and breakfast the next morning were super basic, though they gave me a sheet with some choice (vegeterian options and stuff). But I had sent Chris to the nearby Sainsbury to load up on crackers and junkfood, just for fun.

Basic breakfast!

My blood pressure was checked several times, and nurses came to check on Nino and me, which was reassuring. They also came when I called them at 2am because Nino had vomitted a couple of times and I wanted to check he was all right (he was).

The next day, we both had to be examined by a midwife and a pediatrician in order to get discharged and allowed to go home. It took a while as there was a long waiting line to get checked, but Chris and I were in no hurry and just hang out in the cubicle. We didn't get to see a pediatrician, but the midwives decided that we were fine.

By 3pm, we got all the discharged paper. So pretty much 24h after giving birth, Chris, Nino and I were in a London black cab, on our way home!

Heading home!

I can imagine that it appears scary to be let go so soon. Once again, it was my second baby, not my first, so I had very little questions. I was not prepared like in France, nobody showed us how to change a baby or to bath him or anything. Then again, I didn't ask.

But the next day, on Monday, my community Midwife came at home to check on Nino and I. She was pleased with both of us. Another widwife came back on day 5 at home and she was again happy with how we were healing. Finally I went to the Community Center on day 10 to see the midwife for the last time. She was happy with my recovery and with Nino, especially as he had just passed his birth weight. She proposed to phone me next week for a follow up and I was happy to accept.

Next on will be the 8-weeks check for Nino and I, where we should both (and for the very first time) see a proper doctor! We'll see...Today Nino is 15 days and we're a happy family of 4!

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