I realize that the logical thing would be to write about what I did and saw in Hong Kong in chronological order, but what I like most about blogging is the ability to share stuff that I’m really excited about whenever I want, and I’m really excited about what I saw on Day 4 in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong consists of a series of islands and Lantau is the largest and – aside from Disneyland Hong Kong and the international airport – the most undeveloped. It is in stark contrast and yet only a few minutes’ MTR ride away from the bustling Hong Kong metropolis. The mountainous terrain is rugged and wild with jungle-like natural forests while the coastline is dotted with tiny old-time picturesque fishing villages still in operation. We visited both.

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My dad turns 65 years young tomorrow. Not satisfied with
having a nice meal, or a celebratory drink, he has decided to shock the pants out of all of us and throw himself out of an airplane…though thankfully wearing a parachute.
My paternal Grandma had the brain disorder Alzheimer’s. I can only remember her with the disease and while my brother and I had a lot of fun when we were young, laughing about how she would call my dad by the wrong name, didn’t know who we were and would study the back of the table mat as if reading a really good book. It is only now that we are older we can see that it must have been very painful for my Dad to watch her deteriorate.
So, in order to raise awareness and money for the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK (or to try to avoid the disease in a very drastic way!) He is willingly going up into the skies tomorrow morning to launch himself out of said airplane.

Good luck Dad and Happy Birthday!
We are proud of you.

If anyone would like to donate please click here

Like most people I have a hard time looking at personal emails while at work, but a friend sent this link to me and I was as amazed as she said I would be. How can anyone be this talented?

Enjoy!: Kseniya Simonova

I recently returned from vacationing in Hong Kong and am ready to swoon about what a fantastic time I had:

The architecture!

The cultural sites!

The food!

The shopping!

And of course, the people! All truly amazing. Though, if you’d told me three or four months ago that you were going to Hong Kong I would’ve merely feigned polite enthusiasm. Due solely to my own naivety, Hong Kong was not even on my radar as a top vacation destination until the invitation to travel with a friend (and her parents who were born and raised in Hong Kong!) presented itself. The more I read up and heard firsthand from friends who’d visited, I realized this was truly an opportunity of a lifetime.

Before I go into the highlights of my trip, first things first: preparation and packing. I’m a bit of a Type-A planner and enjoy making lists and checking things off. A little peek at my list of to-dos for international travel:

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I just caught this piece on Elle (the UK version) about friendship bracelets. They are all the rage in Europe right now. These ones are beautiful – I have a soft spot for the Day Birger Mikkelsen one.

I still prefer the Bebe au Lait ones though. I love that our girls always have them on, it helps us feel connected. A very good friend of ours sent me these images of her kids wearing the bracelets – she says the kids are thrilled to match with Mom and Dads accessories.

Together, when apart…I love friendship bracelets!

No, not your American Express card. Your breast pump. Your electric breast pump. Because here’s what happened when I did…

My husband Jason and I were headed to New York for the weekend. We were leaving our 2-year-old son and 5-month-old nursing daughter in the capable hands of Susie, our life-saving baby sitter. I packed all the cute clothes I could fit into and headed for the airport. I felt so relaxed, sitting in the terminal, reading a magazine. We boarded our plane and took our seats. Then I remembered.

“Oh no! Jason, I forgot the pump.” Not just my pump. THE pump. The miraculous little machine that gathers those drops of gold to be frozen for baby. The pump that let mommy go out with her friends last Thursday night. The pump that gives a few extra hours of sleep when early-rising Dad takes a feeding. The pump that enables a nursing mom to take a weekend getaway to New York. THE pump. And we had just begun our six-hour flight.

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I was at my Sip and See: sip champagne and see the new baby.  Because she is my fourth child, a traditional baby shower complete with games and a gift registry was unnecessary.  In fact, I begged for the invitation to read “No Gifts Please,” but was ignored by my gracious hostesses.   And so I sat in a chair amidst a pile of gifts and began to add to my already vast collection of baby gear.

At this point in my parenting career, I’m ready to purge. I can’t wait until the baby outgrows the infant car seat, so I can FINALLY give it away. I can’t wait until she’s too big for the swing, so it can cease being part of my family room furniture. As I opened my gifts, I thought, “there can’t possibly be anything this baby needs.” How wrong I was.

So, here in reverse order is my top ten:  all new items that I discovered on this, my fourth and final child. How did I ever live without…

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Monday morning.

A challenging day for most of us.

With memories still fresh of sleeping in, fun and exciting activities, or even just relaxation, getting out of bed on Monday morning is especially tough. Most people, however, have developed their own special routines. Let’s take a look…

There seem to be two different philosophies regarding Monday morning routines. There is the “Start off with a bang” tactic, and then there is the “Ease into the week” approach.

The “start off with a bang” people tend to put a lot of energy in to their Mondays. They may start off with a workout or a written to-do list, or even a hearty breakfast. The goal is to start with a bang, and let that energy drive you throughout the week. There is no time to waste, no time to sit still. You have your list, and the goal is to act upon it with gusto.

Pros:

• Get a lot done quickly

Cons:

• Difficult to get going initially
• Sometimes the energy is hard to maintain throughout the day

On the other hand, you have the ease crowd. These are the folks who recognize that Monday is a day to get re-oriented and make baby steps to full productivity. You might take some time to reflect on what you’d like to do this week, or look to other sources for inspiration. Instead of insisting on knocking out the toughest tasks immediately, the ease in to the week crowd might spend some time on social media or news sites getting information or networking.

Pros:

• Less stressful

Cons:

• Easy to be unproductive
• Time can get away from you

Whatever routine more closely resembles your life, one thing you’ll probably have in common with the other routine is the consumption of some sort of caffeinated product. Or, maybe not. Whatever your Monday morning routine is, the most important thing is that it works for you, and you’re better off because of it. If you’re finding yourself having a hard time getting in to your week, maybe it’s time to examine how you work on Monday, and come up with a new routine…you’ll love yourself for it.

It was a fine gathering this morning as the Bebe au Lait staff gathered to eat some bagels, drink some coffee, talk about our holidays, and see who won the coveted employee of the month award. As the discussion continued on, we got on the topic of Bebe au Lait sightings.

You see, for Bebe au Lait employees, seeing a Bebe au Lait or Hooter Hiders product outside of work is an exciting experience–even beyond seeing a celebrity in person.

It all started when one of our employees mentioned seeing a mom using an Aero Hooter Hider in one of her college classes.

Others chimed in: “I once saw a mom using a Shrine Aqua at Stanford Shopping Center”. Then our founders mentioned seeing moms using Bebe au Lait covers in a local park. We laughed at the times when we’d so badly want to approach someone using our covers, but then our better judgement reminded us that we probably shouldn’t bother people during this very intimate and precious moment. Instead, we smile and feel proud of what we’ve done as a company and for the breastfeeding moms of the world.

To get a better perspective on where people are using us, we asked our Facebook fans where they’ve seen Bebe au Lait products. The answers were interesting: Cafes, restaurants, at the movies, at church, at family gatherings, even during parades! The blogs provided us with more insight: We’ve read about people using our nursing covers on planes and on vacation, at theme parks, at parties, and so many other places where moms want to be.

The big question on everyone’s mind is….Where do YOU see Bebe au Lait products? We’d love to know!

We are currently in Denmark with the family. The City has been buzzing with coverage of COP 15 ‘The Climate Summit’ and its been very interesting to listen to all the news broadcasts about the decisions being made (and not made) by so many world leaders all gathered in little Denmark.
On Friday, unlike a usual day at the office, Mr Obama kept us waiting. First we waited for hours to hear President Obama’s speech on Danish TV and then in the evening after seeing Eddie Izzard in Sweden we found the bridge between Sweden and Denmark closed for a short time while Obama’s plane took off from Kastrup airport.
Denmark has always been a very green place to live. To be honest, it was a bit of a culture shock for Ronnie and I, when we first arrived in the U.S to see how people lived; Tumble driers on constantly, air-conditioning pumping, huge cars. However, I think things have changed in the last few years. We, like most people we know are steadily becoming more conscious of how we live and how we consume – electricity, gas, products.

For most, this last year’s economic climate has only strengthened this. There is irony in that silver lining!