Browsing Category: USA

Develop a kid’s inner scientist – A week in LA with a toddler

A week in LA with a toddler

LA has never been my favorite city. Maybe it’s because I grew up in NYC and there’s some east coast vs west coast rivalry ingrained in me. Maybe it’s because it’s a driving city instead of a walking city. Or maybe it’s that ridiculous pollution that meant I always got sick on every visit I made there. I’d been to LA numerous times for work, and while I had found parts that I liked about it, it simply wasn’t my favorite place.

But the hubster’s best friend is from Iceland (the same one who went with us to Knysna), and he gave us a list of cities where we could rendezvous, and LA was the one we could drive to that seems intriguing. So we agreed to a week in LA to hang out, catch up, and maybe take in some of the sights. Of course our almost 3-year-old was along for the ride. I searched every guide I could find on the internet, claiming to have the best places in LA for a toddler. We went to most of them. So now, here’s MY guide on the best things to do for a week in LA with a toddler. Continue Reading

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5 ways I’ve put my kid in danger in the car – You might have, too

5 ways I've put my kid in danger in the car - You might have, too

Two years ago, I joined up with #CarseatFullstop. I was inspired by Mandy’s passion for the project and wanted to help save a kid’s life. I figured that parents just didn’t know better. You know, like I obviously already did.

Harley always rode in a car seat. ALWAYS. But part of being in this campaign means that I’ve learned even more. I thought that I was always doing everything needed to keep Harley safe, but I was actually wrong. I’ve done a number of things that could have been catastrophic. I’m not telling you this as some form of guilty self-flagellation, but to hopefully help you to not make the same mistakes that I have. Continue Reading

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A year in the States – A year since we emigrated from SA

A year in the States - A year since we emigrated from SA

(Photo credit: LeeAnn Stromyer with LeeAnn K Photography // @Leeann_K_Photography)

A year ago, we left South Africa. One year ago, we got on a plane with 3 suitcases while 10 boxes were making their way to us on a slow boat. We had our essentials, leaving a country that was our home for about 10 years to make a new life in the States.

I can’t decide if a year is a long time or not. I suppose I have to stop saying that we are new in the country, or recently emigrated. Continue Reading

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How I’m using social media to build real friendships

How I'm using social media to build real friendships

I’ve talked before about how moving is hard and making friends takes time. Whether you’ve lived somewhere for a long time or you’re new in an area, forging new social connections can be scary, complicated and totally daunting. I know a lot of you appreciated my advice on how to grow meaningful connections, so I thought I’d share a little about how I’m using social media to build real friendships. Like, actual burgeoning connections and stuff.

To be honest, before we left for the States, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Facebook. It was just so cluttered with crap, and most of my day to day friends weren’t on there much. I preferred twitter, and I still do, for news, silly interactions and fun quips. I was trying to get into Instagram, and it’s still something I’m trying to do more of, but it just feels like a serious time sink for me. It feels like you have to be on Instagram ALL THE TIME to actually see anything worthwhile. But my social media game changed a lot by moving. Continue Reading

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WTF is Prime Day and How Can You Benefit From It?

WTF is Prime Day and How Can You Benefit From It?

So, you may or may not have noticed that I’m an Amazon Affiliate. Basically, that means that I sometimes post links to stuff on Amazon, and if you click them and buy the stuff I recommend, I get some money. Mostly, I suck at this. Like, I really suck at this. Some of you will click my links, but you usually don’t buy things. That’s okay, though, I don’t mind – I blog because I want to share this journey, not because I’m looking to get rich from your Amazon purchases.

Anyway, I got an email from Amazon recently, telling me that I should start punting Prime Day, complete with all kinds of cool links to share with you guys. But I had no idea what Prime Day was, so why would I tell you all about it? I went and did my homework, though, and now I can tell you what is Prime Day, and why you should care.

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are affiliate links below as the copy makes clear. If you click them and buy stuff, I could get money for it.) Continue Reading

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