Posts Tagged ‘shopping’
Maybe it's the plethora of friends and family who have birthdays this month. Or perhaps it is something to do with the department stores here already putting up their holiday displays. Whatever it is, I have been thinking about gifts recently.
I love online shopping, and often I will start out looking for one thing, then get sidetracked as I notice another thing which would be perfect for so-and-so. Unfortunately so-and-so's birthday is 8 months away!
In the past I would have bookmarked the item, then been unable to find that bookmark again in 8 months time. Or I would remember the item, but not its name and would spend useless hours Googling for "you know, the perfect thing for so-and-so" before throwing my hands up in despair and sending them... an e-mail.
Then there's that other dilemma, when I'm asked what I want. Usually I can't think of anything sensible off the top of my head.
As my theme for NaBloPoMo, I am reflecting on thirty things I've learned during the past two years living in Egypt.
To me, shopping is a science. My goal is to find the best possible item that will meet the current and future foreseeable need.
If the item will be around a while, I expect it to pass a number of rigorous tests:
America is home to the savviest, most demanding and price sensitive consumers - and thus the very best shopping - on the planet. I am so glad that even though I do not live in the US at the moment, I can still shop there any time I want - online! Two items enable an overseas shopper to access the US market:
Happy shopping!!
To me, shopping is a science. My goal is to find the best possible item that will meet the current and future foreseeable need.
If the item will be around a while, I expect it to pass a number of rigorous tests:
- Does it do exactly what I want it to?
- Does it look good?
- Is it low-maintenance and easy to clean?
- Will it last as long as I need it to?
- Does anything about the item annoy me?
- If I am only seeing one option, is there a similar item from a competitor? Which of the competing items is better?
America is home to the savviest, most demanding and price sensitive consumers - and thus the very best shopping - on the planet. I am so glad that even though I do not live in the US at the moment, I can still shop there any time I want - online! Two items enable an overseas shopper to access the US market:
- US shipping address (required in most cases)
- US billing address (not as essential, but very helpful)
Happy shopping!!
Tags: shopping
Yea! My sister is feeling much better .
Last night before dropping off to sleep, Ben and I listened to and watched between three and five fireworks displays visible from our bedroom window. In England, unlike America, there are no laws restricting fireworks within city limits, and we fully enjoyed the show as Londoners exercised their freedom.
New things for Nikki in the new year... today for the first time she pointed to a picture of a cow and made a mooing sound! We asked her later on during a stroll through Kew Gardens with no cows in sight what sound a cow makes and she repeated her cute little moo.
Also, we have moved Nikki up to the next size in cloth diapers. At the end of 2007 we were having difficulty fastening her size small Ella's House hemp nappies . Now she has graduated to the smallest setting on the large size. The small size is set aside and ready for her little brother!
In further birth / after-birth preparation, I have done quite a bit of online shopping since we've arrived in England, and I think I'm finally done!
Birth Pool
Birth Pool in a Box Eco Regular with Pattern
Extra large and comfy clothes for hospital transfer (if needed) and after the birth
Yoga trousers
Long-sleeved t-shirt
Cloth diaper covers in prints suitable for a boy, and also larger size wraps for Nikki Nature Babies - aplix wrap
Tots Bots - Tots wrap - aplix fastening - with leg gussets
Baby carriers
Gauze Calin Bleu wrap in Chocolate
Mei Tai Baby adjustable carrier with
headrest
black straps
three interchangeable fabric panels
black floral brocade ,
stained glass dragonfly , and
cloisonne butterfly
Extra large and comfy clothes for hospital transfer (if needed) and after the birth
Yoga trousers
Long-sleeved t-shirt
Cloth diaper covers in prints suitable for a boy, and also larger size wraps for Nikki Nature Babies - aplix wrap
Tots Bots - Tots wrap - aplix fastening - with leg gussets
Baby carriers
Gauze Calin Bleu wrap in Chocolate
Mei Tai Baby adjustable carrier with
headrest
black straps
three interchangeable fabric panels
black floral brocade ,
stained glass dragonfly , and
cloisonne butterfly
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Our temporary home in Kew is everything we had hoped for: comfortable, spacious, and convenient. I am excited about attempting a home birth here, and I am sure my midwives will be as well when they come to visit me for my second UK antenatal check.
We are weighing up car rental versus public transport and taxis. Since we haven't rented a car yet, we decided to try shopping online for our groceries , which were delivered this evening for what I felt was a very reasonable £2.50. We mainly bought basic non-perishables like countertop cleaner, stain remover, paper towels, laundry detergent, Sudacrem and chamomile tea. Ben and I are also planning some massive cooking in order to have lots of meals frozen for when the baby arrives, and I think online shopping will be incredibly useful for recipes since I can just type in search terms rather than running from aisle to aisle in the store. For specialised whole foods or just fresh organic produce, Oliver's Whole Foods is just a few minutes walk away.
With groceries sorted, Nikki is settling in happily. On our first night here, she recognised the crib provided at the apartment, even though it is very different from her usual crib. She pointed to her new bed when she was ready to sleep and has had no trouble settling or sleeping in her new room. We are also pleased that the dining table is sturdy enough to handle Nikki's trusty Inglesina Fast Table Chair , allowing her to continue to join Ben and I at the table. I leave you with a picture of our lovely dining companion.
This is our last Egyptian weekend for a while, and we decided to make the most of it!
Friday morning we took our friend Lita and her daughter Reese to church. Then we went over to Mike and Ute's house and Ute showered me with warm clothes for Nikki - some of them hand-knitted by her mother, but too small now for little Roxanne. After that a late lunch at Cielo Lindo , a new smoke-free restaurant in Maadi, complete with play house, slide, and seesaw for the little ones. The gathering was in honour of Margarita's 2nd birthday and it was nice to catch up with friends both our and Nikki's age.
This morning began with an outdoor breakfast starting at 9am and lasting until the peach cobbler and chocolate cake were devoured at 1:30pm. American bacon, Turkish sausage, corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, hash browns, toast, and mushrooms. It was all cooked to perfection on the grill and in dutch ovens over coals. We were recreating the desert camp cookout experience in George and Despina's back garden - except we had comfortable chairs and a playground for the children.
In addition to cooking, Mike took some photos of Ben lowering Nikki so she could touch the grass, then lifting her up high to start all over again. Nikki is wearing a sweater knitted by Ute's mom.
After the breakfast feast we made our way to the Boulak fabric market for some blackout material to hang in Nikki's bedroom. I had been to the fabric market twice, first with a tour group and second with my friend Ramona - both times I was chatting in the car and didn't really notice how we got there. Fortunately with a Cairo map and Ben's magnificent driving skills, we found the market and secured a parking place. Once there, we pressed through crowds of people examining and haggling over fabric. Frequent hellos for our daughter, yells of 'mister,' 'madam,' 'what your country?' shrill whistles from the food vendors, and the hubbub of so many people jostling in such narrow alleys completed the experience. I negotiated for the blackout material, as well as a tiny pair of mittens for our son, a few silk scarves, and a car cover. Walking back to the car, I asked Ben what he thought of the fabric market. He replied, 'it's a fun place, once you've parked!'
After the breakfast feast we made our way to the Boulak fabric market for some blackout material to hang in Nikki's bedroom. I had been to the fabric market twice, first with a tour group and second with my friend Ramona - both times I was chatting in the car and didn't really notice how we got there. Fortunately with a Cairo map and Ben's magnificent driving skills, we found the market and secured a parking place. Once there, we pressed through crowds of people examining and haggling over fabric. Frequent hellos for our daughter, yells of 'mister,' 'madam,' 'what your country?' shrill whistles from the food vendors, and the hubbub of so many people jostling in such narrow alleys completed the experience. I negotiated for the blackout material, as well as a tiny pair of mittens for our son, a few silk scarves, and a car cover. Walking back to the car, I asked Ben what he thought of the fabric market. He replied, 'it's a fun place, once you've parked!'
Somewhere about six months into this second pregnancy, I have realised that I have a completely different list of helpful items this time around.
things that make my life easier
food that makes my life happier
Related post:
Favourite Pregnancy Things
- big purple ball - multipurpose Swiss ball good for rocking, as a portable footstool, and for Nikki entertainment
- Spanx maternity - like a bra for my bump, comfortably supports my lower back as well
- wedge cushion - fit-for-purpose pillow supports my bump perfectly as I sleep
- Claire's homecooked toddler meals - we had our inaugural week's worth of food delivered last week. Nikki enjoys the flavours and she's getting a great variety of fruit and veg in these little meals. Mix her regular protein-packed rice cereal in where appropriate, and I know she's getting what she needs to grow.
- Cinnabon delivery - for about 2USD/cinnamon roll, hot and fresh delivered to my door - I have recently been eating about three a week and justify it because aside from sugar inherent in Bran Flakes and whole wheat bread, this is my only sugary treat
- Lucille's - I am all about comfort foods this pregnancy - and that definitely includes a cheeseburger with a side of chili
- Rayeb - local equivalent of low-fat buttermilk . Plain milk here is fine on or in things, but all by itself the flavour just isn't what I grew up with, so recently I have been drinking at least half a litre of this very yummy buttermilk each day.
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Congratulations to Laura and Zach Wiedlocher on the birth of their firstborn son, Cedric, weighing in at 10 lb 9 oz and 22.5 inches. Mother and baby are doing well, and the proud papa is beaming!
Our friend Keith is visiting, along with several others who work with him. One of the ladies, Ramona, speaks Arabic very well and loves to shop. So I borrowed her for an afternoon to help me bargain for some heavy fabric to cover my outdoor furniture and protect it from sun, dust, and (very occasional) rain. We went to the Boulak fabric market, part of the Wekalat Al-Balah in downtown Cairo.
Shopping at an outdoor market is always exciting, and this was no exception. Ramona and I forged ahead into the alleyways crowded with fabric of every description. Nikki was in her pouch , on my front, so I could keep an eye on her, and, more importantly, on everyone else who would talk to her and poke and kiss her. At one point two men on two separate mopeds roared past, spotting us and yelling in English 'welcome for Egypt!'
Ramona and I browsed through headscarves, frilly dresses, and, yes, outdoor material. After a while Nikki's evening meal time came and I had to stop frequently to feed her. Hearing her cry, a man invited me into his galabeya stall, pulled up a stool, covered it with a plastic bag for cleanliness, and invited me to sit with my back to the street. While Nikki fed, I examined the merchandise up close and after a while Ramona joined me. She pointed out that the two shopkeepers had pulled mannequins in front of their shop and now stood in addition to the mannequins with their faces to the street, backs to me, and arms crossed, standing guard lest anyone try to observe Nikki nursing.
At last we got down to negotiating for some chocolate brown plastic-backed cotton material to cover my outdoor furniture. Thanks to Ramona's savvy bargaining, I paid just 11 Egyptian Pounds ($1.93 US Dollars) per metre for 34 metres of the fabric. It was a better price than either she or I expected. A fabric trader who worked for the shop asked me if I had a sister he could marry. I dashed his hopes by telling him that my sister is already married. But he recovered quickly and asked if there was any other relative or friend who would like a husband. I told him that my friends in America are already married. Still he persisted, and then asked if Nikki might marry him. Decidedly not. Fortunately a man came then to carry my material to the car and we were rescued from further عَرض بالزَّواج (proposals).
Our friend Keith is visiting, along with several others who work with him. One of the ladies, Ramona, speaks Arabic very well and loves to shop. So I borrowed her for an afternoon to help me bargain for some heavy fabric to cover my outdoor furniture and protect it from sun, dust, and (very occasional) rain. We went to the Boulak fabric market, part of the Wekalat Al-Balah in downtown Cairo.
Shopping at an outdoor market is always exciting, and this was no exception. Ramona and I forged ahead into the alleyways crowded with fabric of every description. Nikki was in her pouch , on my front, so I could keep an eye on her, and, more importantly, on everyone else who would talk to her and poke and kiss her. At one point two men on two separate mopeds roared past, spotting us and yelling in English 'welcome for Egypt!'
Ramona and I browsed through headscarves, frilly dresses, and, yes, outdoor material. After a while Nikki's evening meal time came and I had to stop frequently to feed her. Hearing her cry, a man invited me into his galabeya stall, pulled up a stool, covered it with a plastic bag for cleanliness, and invited me to sit with my back to the street. While Nikki fed, I examined the merchandise up close and after a while Ramona joined me. She pointed out that the two shopkeepers had pulled mannequins in front of their shop and now stood in addition to the mannequins with their faces to the street, backs to me, and arms crossed, standing guard lest anyone try to observe Nikki nursing.
At last we got down to negotiating for some chocolate brown plastic-backed cotton material to cover my outdoor furniture. Thanks to Ramona's savvy bargaining, I paid just 11 Egyptian Pounds ($1.93 US Dollars) per metre for 34 metres of the fabric. It was a better price than either she or I expected. A fabric trader who worked for the shop asked me if I had a sister he could marry. I dashed his hopes by telling him that my sister is already married. But he recovered quickly and asked if there was any other relative or friend who would like a husband. I told him that my friends in America are already married. Still he persisted, and then asked if Nikki might marry him. Decidedly not. Fortunately a man came then to carry my material to the car and we were rescued from further عَرض بالزَّواج (proposals).
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women's Bible study Today I took part in the women's cell group Ute invited me to join five weeks ago. I bumped into her at the bazaar on Friday, and she very kindly said that my place had been reserved. Of the three things I have been invited to for that time slot, 10-12 on Mondays, this is the one that tugs most on my heart. I was delighted to go along this morning.
Despina's villa is a twenty minute walk from my place. The air was cool and refreshing and traffic was light and meandering rather than thick and fast. I thought as I approached my destination that I should count how many taxis I have to turn down on a twenty minute walk, with a firm shake of the head or a 'la' (Arabic for 'no') to the more persistent who slow way down or even stop in the middle of the street rather than simply beeping their horn as they drive by.
We are studying Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul . The first hour was spent in warm up and ice breaker exercises. Then we broke for coffee and really got into discussion of the book during the second hour. I was able to keep Nikki entertained on my lap during the first hour. When we broke for snacks, Nikki did as well. She then slept for 15 minutes and woke up crying at having missed some of the action. So the rest of the time I walked with her, alternating shoulders, as I listened and took part in the discussion.
All this child care was a bit stressful with an audience. But fortunately these very caring women went out of their way to encourage and assure me that they are not at all disturbed by my baby or her needs. All are mothers except the youngest, who is a Mennonite training to be a teacher and working with a Cairo orphanage for a year. shopping I mentioned pursuits, plural. Barbara took me carpet shopping on Sunday. The place she took me is a government-run outlet for machine woven carpets of all shapes and sizes. Everything from traditional to modern to novelty to enormous carpet portraits of President Mubarak . We started out upstairs, where the slightly flawed 'seconds' are stacked. We looked for a time, then leaned over the railing to get someone to help us flip through the stacks. That's when Barbara and I saw it - though she was the first to mention it and therefore is credited with the discovery:
a square carpet in all the shades of a cloudless Cairo sky, from dawn through to midnight.
Here is Nikki on the rug, wearing the gorgeous cardigan Audrey crocheted for her:
We then found a matching rectangle rug, and Barbara helped me strike a deal with the salesman. She proceeded to acquire the perfect carpet for her sewing room and we made off with our bounty. She told me I can call her up any time and say, 'Barbara, what are we doing today?' I'm so blessed because I have been hoping to build relationships with godly women who have a bit more life and child-rearing experience than I do. Between the Bible study and Barbara, my cup overflows.
Despina's villa is a twenty minute walk from my place. The air was cool and refreshing and traffic was light and meandering rather than thick and fast. I thought as I approached my destination that I should count how many taxis I have to turn down on a twenty minute walk, with a firm shake of the head or a 'la' (Arabic for 'no') to the more persistent who slow way down or even stop in the middle of the street rather than simply beeping their horn as they drive by.
We are studying Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul . The first hour was spent in warm up and ice breaker exercises. Then we broke for coffee and really got into discussion of the book during the second hour. I was able to keep Nikki entertained on my lap during the first hour. When we broke for snacks, Nikki did as well. She then slept for 15 minutes and woke up crying at having missed some of the action. So the rest of the time I walked with her, alternating shoulders, as I listened and took part in the discussion.
All this child care was a bit stressful with an audience. But fortunately these very caring women went out of their way to encourage and assure me that they are not at all disturbed by my baby or her needs. All are mothers except the youngest, who is a Mennonite training to be a teacher and working with a Cairo orphanage for a year.
Here is Nikki on the rug, wearing the gorgeous cardigan Audrey crocheted for her:
We then found a matching rectangle rug, and Barbara helped me strike a deal with the salesman. She proceeded to acquire the perfect carpet for her sewing room and we made off with our bounty. She told me I can call her up any time and say, 'Barbara, what are we doing today?' I'm so blessed because I have been hoping to build relationships with godly women who have a bit more life and child-rearing experience than I do. Between the Bible study and Barbara, my cup overflows.
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You haven't heard from us in a while because we've been moving out of our temporary apartment and into our permanent flat. We are thankful to live in such a beautiful place. But don't take our word for it, come and see for yourself! Here is Calliani to lead you up to the, as yet unfurnished, penthouse guest room:
| spiral staircase | upper terrace | terrace view west |
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| islamic tile | bedroom view east | new bathroom |
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- The Maadi Women's Guild is holding a Christmas bazaar tomorrow. We have no idea what this involves, but we duly bought our advance tickets and look forward to checking it out.
- We also plan to begin purchasing furniture tomorrow. We've done a bit of shopping already and have some pretty good ideas of what we'll buy. At the party we received further suggestions on places to try locally, so we may do a few more comparisons before we purchase. We don't want to leave it too long, though. We're very eager to get our beautiful apartment furnished so we can start having guests around, returning the kind hospitality that has been extended to us.
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- happy Father’s Day!
- kiddo quotes
- city to surf
- band in a box
- month in review and September goals
- mourning
- kiddo quotes
- we’ll miss you, Grandpa
- Vi’s birthday breakfast
- celebrating Vi
- Aileen: Simply beautiful - I have never heard this song before but it is so touchingly beautiful, all the more so at the image of Ben with two of his children
- Poppa & Grammie: Happy Father's Day to you, Ben. So grateful that you are following your heavenly Father's leading in love with your children!
- Jen: Happy Father's Day, Ben! The video is great and you are amazing for multi-tasking so well!
