Paris – Day 1
By Laurie | October 12, 2011
We have been back from Paris and London for a week, and I know some of you are eager to hear all about it. I plan on sharing a post and photos about each day of the trip, so it may take me a few weeks to finish up a recap of the whole trip. I hope you enjoy a little glimpse of our time in Europe, and that you feel a little of the magic I felt while there.
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I have been dreaming about going to Paris for over half my life, so when departure day finally arrived I was of course excited. It’s hard to describe because there is a lot of planning and saving that goes into taking a trip like this (at least for us), and even when you are actually dragging your bags through the airport and checking in to your flight it hardly seems like it is real.
My parents were nice enough to drive us to the airport and keep Brownie while we were gone (a well-deserved mini vacation for him too), so there was little stress or worry on that front. We had economy seats in the back of the plane, Dave on the window and me on the aisle. First class would have been nice for such a long flight, but those seats were not available by the time we finally took the plunge and booked them. |
The 9+ hour flight from DFW to CDG was painful due to a toddler who cried non-stop two rows in front of us. Her mother let her run up and down the aisles screaming the entire flight when she wasn’t screaming from their shared seat. I don’t think either of us got much sleep which was initially the plan since we were arriving in Paris at the beginning of their day. About an hour and a half before we landed, we were served croissants for breakfast which seemed fitting.
We arrived in Paris around 9:30 AM. The airport was smaller than I had pictured, and very simple compared to others I have been to. I was surprised that we did not have to fill out any forms or do anything other than present our passport to a man at a window who barely glanced while he chatted on the phone. Even more surprising were the soldiers (or guards) with machine guns who stood blocking certain areas of the airport.
After collecting our bag, we were out the door to the taxi stand. After presenting our driver with a piece of paper with the address of our hotel, we were immediately swept off in the direction of Rue Cler in the 7th. I looked around for a credit/debit card machine in the car, but did not see one. We asked the driver in French if he accepted cards about 10 minutes into the ride, and he said no (though I initially thought he said yes). Clearly the language barrier was already an issue! We started to get nervous, but enjoyed the ride looking at buildings and signs– recognizing IKEA and lots of billboards for Identité Secrète (Abduction in the US). We chuckled to ourselves because we had seen a sneak preview the week before at home.
| Our driver drove fast, honked and cursed. It felt a little bit like New York. I tried to brush up on my basic French language skills from high school and college in the months before we left (most of which are many years lost), and Dave picked up some basics too. We practiced a sentence he could use to indicate he was sorry about his poor French (that’s a nice way of saying it), and he took the opportunity to use it on our non English speaking driver who had quite the chuckle about it with us. If he was annoyed he hid it well. |  |
We drove by the Princess Diana memorial and the bridge where the accident had happened, and then the Eiffel Tower was in full sight from around some buildings and trees. Magical to see for the first time in person! After a few minutes he pulled us right up to the Relais Bosquet on rue du Champ de Mars. We confirmed again that nope—this taxi did not accept cards. I got out to ask about the nearest BNP ATM (Bank of America’s sister) and the helpful staff came to my rescue presenting me with a €50 bill and even came outside with me to settle the fare. He said, “Don’t worry, you are home now.” And from that moment I knew I was in already in love with Paris and the staff at this fabulous little hotel.
We took time to unpack our clothes and got acquainted with our room, the view, and free Wi-Fi before walking the short distance to the Eiffel Tower. I imagined a lot more people would be there, but we had no trouble walking right up to it and sitting down on a nearby bench to appreciate its massive size. We stayed for a little bit and just soaked in the fact that we there and had no agenda for the day before deciding it was time to grab some lunch.
We headed back toward Rue Cler to explore, and ended up enjoying some rotisserie chicken and fries (which are apparently served with everything in Europe) in a little cafe facing the very charming street. We sat there enjoying the surroundings and watching a cat crawl out of an apartment window and jump from awning to awning until he got tired and went back inside. After lunch we decided we were ready for a cat nap of our own, so we went back to the room for a few hours of much-needed sleep.
When we woke up I discovered I had forgotten to pack my makeup, so we mapped out our first metro trip to Sephora on the Champs-Elysees.
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I have to admit that I was nervous about figuring out the Metro, but it was easy to ask for/buy the carnet of (10) tickets and with the MetrO app (free by the way) it was simple. I cannot recommend this app enough whether you are first timer or regular user of the Metro or Tube. There is an Android version also. We used it in both Paris and London and simply got everywhere we wanted to go with no guess work. A few times we needed to pull up a Google map to get our barrings if our destination wasn’t right at the metro’s exit, but overall we emerged and voila!
I have never seen such a huge Sephora before, and I have to admit to feeling a little like a celebrity walking down the huge red carpet into the store with employees everywhere offering to assist and spray us with various yummy smelling fragrances. Ooh La La! |
We peeked into other shops and enjoyed strolling down the street. Louis Vuitton had a line outside, and as we approached they told us they were closed. I was quickly consoled by macaroons from Ladurée and forgot all my worries. We sat on a bench and enjoyed a few while enjoying a group of dancers battling and interacting with the audience that had surrounded them. We also observed a couple who kissed in the street for what must have been 15 minutes straight!
We slipped into a little Italian cafe and split a four cheese pizza for dinner (with stinky French cheese) and some wine. The profiteroles for desert were awesome. I accidentally left my macaroons hanging from my chair, and the waiter chased after us to return them.
We walked down to the Arc de Triomphe to take some pictures, and enjoyed watching the traffic go in circles around it as the sun set from a nearby bench. After a little while we walked back toward the metro and got our first glimpse of a twinkling Eiffel Tower.
Back at the hotel I laid in bed staring out the window onto the street with the top of the Eiffel Tower in the distance (short shaky video below), feeling the cool breeze on my face and loving every minute of my first perfect day in Paris.
Topics: Paris | 3 Comments »
My latest #breastcancer event
By Laurie | September 11, 2011
October is right around the corner. Of course it is breast cancer awareness month, but as you know I support and participate in activities all year. This summer we walked in the 2011 North Texas Race for the Cure, and October happens to be the month for Dallas’ event. If you are interested in making a donation toward my walk, here is my fundraising page for this event.
As always, I appreciate any support you can give– both monetarily and with encouragement.
Topics: 3 Day | 1 Comment »
Dannon Oikos Review #cleveryogurt
By Laurie | August 31, 2011
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I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.
For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. |
I am not a breakfast person. At all. Unless you count a Peppermint White Mocha. Which clearly I do. I really do try to make healthier choices more often than not, and yogurt is such an easy way to do that. I was really excited when Dannon introduced Oikos as a new option to my morning routine.
I am really picky about flavors and texture, but it appears Dannon kept it simple. I shopped for Oikos at my local Walmart, and there were four flavors to choose from– Plain, Traditional Strawberry, Fruit on the bottom Strawberry, and Honey. I bought one of each with a $5 gift card provided to me as part of this blogging series.
Dannon Oikos is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture. The Plain and Fruit on the Bottom varieties contain 0% fat, while the traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat. Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular low fat yogurts. The 0% varieties contain active yogurt cultures and range from 80 calories (Plain) to 130 calories (Fruit on the Bottom) per 5.3 oz. cup. Sounds like a no guilt breakfast or mid-morning snack to me!
I tried Honey on the bottom this morning, and actually the honey was everywhere except on the bottom- probably due to shifting while carrying it in my lunch bag. None-the-less I noshed on it while answering some e-mails. The texture reminded me of cream cheese and the taste of the yogurt itself was really bitter. The honey sweetened it, but it was really too sweet for my taste. On the plus side, it was a nutritious start to my day and definitely a step in the right direction for my goal to eat a healthy breakfast most weekday mornings. I am looking forward to trying strawberry tomorrow morning.
Have you given Dannon Oikos a shot? What did you think? Check out their website or Facebook page (facebook.com/oikos) for recipes (and occasional coupons).
Disclosure: As mentioned above, I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product. While I was provided with product information, compensation and a gift card to sample Oikos, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. I have not been paid to publish positive comments.
Topics: Nom Nom Nom | 1 Comment »
Walmart and Box Tops for Education Giveaway
By Laurie | August 31, 2011
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By now kids everywhere are back in school, and families are getting into the swing of morning routines again. Do you collect Box Tops for Education for your child’s school? Since 1996 they have helped America’s schools earn over $400 million. Growing up I had a bowl of cereal and a banana every morning before school. I definitely would have made a lot of money for my school back then!
Right now Walmart has over 70 participating products that each have 4 Box Tops. We have a fabulous brand new Walmart right up the street from us, and have been grocery shopping there ever since it opened. They carry many of my favorite brands including Betty Crocker, Nature Valley, and Ziploc. |
| Would you like to win a $25 Walmart gift card to purchase Box Tops for Education products for your child’s school? |  |
Simply browse their site and let me know which of the participating Box Tops for Education products is your family’s favorite (mandatory). To receive extra entries:
1) Follow me, @laurie_pooh, and @WalmartTwitter on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a Box Tops for Education prize pack from @Walmart and @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/WalmartBoxTops #myblogspark
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.
U.S. only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around September 5. You must leave a comment letting me know your favorite Box Tops for Education product, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!
Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Walmart and General Mills through MyBlogSpark. They provided me with information included in this post, a gift card, and an additional gift card for one winner.
Topics: Giveaways | 328 Comments »
Recycled Feelings
By Laurie | August 22, 2011
I am someone who hates to settle for mediocrity. The thought of simply meeting expectations makes me cringe. I have never understood people who don’t strive to exceed in their daily tasks or to go the extra mile, even if those tasks are mundane to begin with. I go above and beyond not because I want the recognition, but because I feel like it’s the right thing to do. I always thought that kind of work ethic would eventually be appreciated and rewarded in the long run. Obviously I don’t expect (or want) applause and pats on the back for every single thing I do, however I feel like I do make a lot of worthwhile contributions that often go without any type of acknowledgement at all. It is nice to be appreciated and not feel like your time, skills and life are ultimately being wasted.
I have come to the conclusion that I absolutely must be doing something wrong. Maybe I feel this way because I’m 33 and my life is nothing like I imagined it would be, despite trying. I have a pointless degree that has gotten me virtually nowhere, and I am surrounded by others who are negative (it’s unfortunately contagious by the way) and have taken stagnation to a whole new level than I have ever seen before. Still, I want more. I want to be successful, and most of all I want to be happy. I just don’t know how to get those things.
Not to be misunderstood, I am especially lucky and blessed with a wonderful family and caring friends. I think I am just in a profession and personal funk. Quarter life crisis maybe?
It’s funny because I remember feeling this way before (and fairy often these days), and looked back through my blog just now adter writing the above only to find this post where I said pretty much the same thing almost exactly a year ago.
Anyone else go through this? Is there a solution?
Topics: Daily Ramble | No Comments »
