16th Mar2012
0 Comm
07th Jan2012
Adapter Transformer
I found that Transformer I mentioned in How to Use a Blow Dryer in Tuscany. Here’s a pic:
I wasn’t kidding, right?! (It was actually bigger, but we took a bunch to use in our home.)
05th Jan2012
How to Use a Blow Dryer in Tuscany
I’m used to having our simple American two-holed electrical outlets for most things, and a three-hole outlet for others that require a ground. Well, as it turns out, there are a number of different types of electrical outlets in Italy. There are:
- -three holes (large)
- -three holes (small)
- -two holes (large)
- -two holes (small)
And you can expect that any particular appliance you purchase will have precisely the type of plug that does not fit the particular hole you need it to go into. Consequently, there is an entire aftermarket that has been created solely for electrical adapters. And this market for these adapters is ever-changing (which I don’t understand). But, I digress….
The particular adapter that we need in our home most often is the one that goes from two large plugs to three small plugs. So… off we went in search of these adapters only to learn that they are no longer made! Huh, what?! This means that in order to dry my hair after a shower I have to use three different adapters: 1.) two large plugs to three large plugs; 2.) three large plugs to two small plugs; and 3.) two small plugs to three small plugs.
I thought that this was atypical, but no, this is fairly common. We had to do the same thing to power our Christmas tree. And until you purchase all the different sizes of adapters, you will find yourself plugging and unplugging things and switching adapters so frequently that you’ll find yourself in a Rubik’s Cube game of adapters. My nephew actually connected so many together it looks as if he created, quite literally, a huge Transformer.
So, if you are travelling to our neck of the woods, I might suggest you purchase a variety of travel adapters or you might be sitting in your room with wet hair for quite some time (which might not be a bad thing depending on the view).
30th Dec2011
Our Flight To Italy
After a total travel time of about 18 hours, the Bucciarelli family set foot on Italian soil.
I couldn’t believe we made the trip relatively in check: one red-eyed husband, one disheveled mamma, one excited toddler, one sleepy baby, and one very patient cat! I know I’ve been an advocate of travelling with babies because it’s generally easy, but I’m reluctant to admit that on this particular journey, we were “THAT” family. You know the one… the one that everyone hates to be in line behind at the security check point, and the one that you pray you don’t sit next to on the 12-hour flight. Well, that was us!
Still, we seemed to have it together. We might have taken a bit longer to board and deplane (an entire shuttle bus was waiting for us as we deplaned in Florence), and Gemma might have woken up another sleeping toddler who then proceeded to cry for 3 hours, and our cat might have taken a poop on the small prop plane connecting us from Munich to Florence, but other than that, we did pretty good!
Tips that I might offer for any other family brave enough to travel across the world:
-Leave for the airport as early as you can.
Our flight was at 9:30pm and we left at 5:00pm. By the time we waiting in all the lines, paid the extra fees for our cat, Sixx, and made it through security, we had just enough time to grab a quick sandwich at the gate and then board. No joke.
-Bring lots of new toys for your toddler.
Of course, she was entertained by the airport and the planes, but once on board, you’ll be ever-so-thankful that you have
that new book, sticker album, or doll. Seriously, I can’t emphasize this one enough.
-Come prepared.
Always have extra diapers, wipes, and snacks that you know that your kid actually likes.
-Get the bassinet.
If you have a kid under 2, this is essential. You’ll be seated in the front row of a cabin as the bassinet hooks into the wall in front of you. Not only do
you get extra leg room, but it’s priceless to let your baby sleep stretched out and comfortable. Our newborn slept for almost the entire flight… no joke! Moreover, your toddler can’t kick the seat in front of you!
-Take a red eye if you can.
I know it’s harder on the parents, who may not get much sleep, but it’s definitely easier on the kids. And if you can keep them up a bit longer than usual, they’ll have an easier time adjusting to the time change.
-Breathe and/or laugh.
Things will go wrong. Kids will poop at the most inopportune times. They will scream and cry when the rest of the cabin is asleep. At one point, both girls were crying and all I could do was take a deep breath and wait it out. Later, in the bathroom at the terminal in Munich, a woman came up to me and said I handled the stress extraordinarily well. I must admit, I felt kind of proud… if I don’t say so myself.
25th Jul2011
New Momversation: Traveling with an Infant
Are you up for airline travel with an infant? Or are your strictly a road-tripper? Today, Jill (thefabmom.com), Ellen (babymeetscity.com), and I share our opinions and tips about traveling with infants.
Do you agree or disagree? What tips and tricks do you have for traveling with infants? Please leave a comment and also check out New Momversation to see what others have said!
07th Jan2011
Archived Posts Will Be Appearing Soon ~ Thank you for your patience.
I never fashioned myself a blogger, yet here I am! I am , however, one heck of a journal writer. It seems that I have tons to vent about and I’ve always turned to pen and paper. I know, in this age? It’s not that I’m opposed to technology—I use it constantly and I am a fan of quite a few blogs. But for my feelings, the pen has been my instrument of choice… until now.
As I looked back over some of my entries, I thought I would transfer them to this blog. In my year and a half as a mom I have learned so much and I realized, I have quite a bit to say about some of the topics that new moms must address. So, I’m putting my journal online, so to speak, because, I hope that my entries will help or ease the transition to new motherhood for at least one person. If one person reads this and my entries can help her with getting a passport for the little one, or freeze breast milk more successfully than I did, or if she feels better about not having that pre-baby body, or if someone simply says, “Oh thank goodness I’m not alone,” I’ll be one happy mamma.
In the About Me section, I note that this blog will be about raising a child between two cultures and two countries, but I think it’s going to be more than that. As I go back over my journal entries (yes, I actually titled them!), I found that I have written a lot about some very controversial and topical issues for new moms. Here is just a sampling of some of the forthcoming entries that I’ll be transferring to this blog (as time permits):
- Yes, I’m still fat. SO WHAT?
- Your Baby Can’t Read!
- Pet Peeve: Being told by my mother-in-law while she shakes her finger in a no-no pattern that the cookie I’m about to shove in my mouth is 130 calories
- Oh, Vaccinations
- Baby Needs A Passport
- 14 Hours on a Plane!
- Pet Peeve: skinny moms with newborns. What is this? Two thoughts come to mind…
- To Moby, To Ergo, To Sling, or To Stroller?
- I SO Have a Problem With Germs
- What I Ate While Breastfeeding
- My Milk Went Bad
- Co-Sleeping vs. Crib
- Breastfeeding Part 1: Fighting With the Nurse
- Breastfeeding Part 2: Nipple Shields?
- Breastfeeding Part 3: Oh, the Pain!
- Breastfeeding Part 4: To Pump or Not To Pump?
- Breastfeeding Part 5: OK, we got this.
- Breastfeeding Part 6: Stop Looking – It’s For Food People!!!!!
- Breastfeeding Part 7: Ph.D. Exams, Traveling, Stress, Food Poisoning, and 911
- Breastfeeding Part 8: Cultural Differences
- Breastfeeding Part 9: No One Tells You How to Wean
- Breastfeeding Part 10: What I’ve Learned
- Preschool Diaries – Worse Than Ph.D. Applications
- Bilingualism
- Mom’s Clubs
- Medieval Views on Sleep Training
- Traveling and Time Changes
- Croup, or 911 in the Middle of the Night
- If Your Baby’s Sick, Please Keep ‘Em Away From Mine!
- Routines, Routines, Routines!
- The Great Television Debate
- When in Rome…
- Disneyland Tips
