Four Days In London

In October, I went to Europe with my mother-in-law, three sister-in-laws (Mimi, Michelle, and Stephanie), and Brad (a family friend of the Snows and one of Michelle's best friend). So it was a girls trip... plus Brad. We were able to spend four days in London and four days in Paris, plus two days for traveling. This is going to be a journal type entry with lots of cell phone photos so feel free to skip this post. This is for my own memory.

We flew from Phoenix to L.A., L.A. to Houston, and then finally Houston to London. We got to London about 11 am on a Saturday, got our Oyster cards for the Tube, and went to Leicester Square to see if there were any shows we wanted to buy tickets for. We couldn't decide on anything so we put that idea back on the shelf. We then went to the British History Museum for several hours which was amazing. It's crazy how much history and artifacts can be housed in one place. I particularly liked the exhibit on Egyptian mummies. After we finished there, we went to Chinatown and had dumplings at Jen Cafe. After dinner we adventured to Covent Garden and watched several street performers. We grabbed some cookies and ice cream for dessert in the area that were absolutely delicious. To end the night, we watched Motown the Musical. That seems like a pretty random musical to see in London, but the tickets were cheap and it ended up being a fantastic musical. I loved every second of it! Well almost every second - I fell asleep for part of the first act because jet lag is a real thing.

The main attraction the next day was the Harry Potter Studios. We spent the majority of our day here and I think we all geeked out running around the studio. There was so much that went into the making of those movies and it was fun to learn some of the secrets to filming. For dinner, we ate the most fantastic Indian food on Brick Lane in the East End. Brick Lane is an interesting place where you basically barter for the price of your dinner. Luckily we had Cheri with us who always gets the best price when it comes to anything. We feasted at a bargain.

On Monday we started our day off at Hampton Court Palace. They provided a free audio tour that was about two hours. I honestly wish the audio tour was 3x longer. It provided so much information and it was all just fascinating. After Hampton Court, we went to Tower Bridge which is just a quick elevator ride to the top to walk from one end to the other. In the middle of the bridge are glass floors so you can see what's underneath you as you walk. Just fyi, Tower Bridge had the most affordable gift shop. I was able to get Taylor a toy double-decker bus for £2 and Olive the most adorable onesie for £10. Elsewhere they were 2-3x that cost. For dinner we ate at a gorgeous pub called The Counting House which used to be an old bank. We all either got the classic fish and chips or meat pies and then shared several puddings for dessert. That night we got to go on a walking Jack the Ripper tour which was so well done. I have heard the Jack the Ripper case told many times on various podcasts and documentaries, but I still learned some details I had never heard before.

Our final full day in London we were able to fit a lot in. We visited the Tower of London which is full of a wide range of history. It has been home to a menagerie of animals, been the prison of several well-known historical figures, saw the beheading of multiple queens, and boasts the claim that their are several ghosts still residing. We took a Beef Eater tour which was fantastic. They are able to feed you so much history in a short period of time and are also hilarious (mostly at the expense of Americans). I loved learning about the resident ravens that live on the grounds that the Beef Eater's tend to. I also loved finding the "graffiti" left by prisoners in the tower. Since they were there for several months/years with nothing else to do, the graffiti they carved into the walls is more like art. After the Tower of London, we took a boat cruise down the Thames to Westminster. I loved the Westminster Abbey. You could spend hours and hours reading all the monuments in there. Luckily you get an audio tour with entry otherwise I wouldn't have even known where to start. Once we all finished there, we went to the Churchill War Rooms which we thought would be a quick stop. It ended being a rather large museum with a long audio guide with it. It was quite interesting, but I think we were all a bit exhausted at this point. Just by chance we ate at a pub called Churchill Arms for dinner. Well actually we ate at the Thai Kitchen which was a restaurant located inside the pub. It was delicious. I wish I could go back for some more of their Pad Thai right now. Even after a long day, we wanted to end our final day in London doing something. So we headed to Harrods for some shopping. It was more gawking at the expensive clothing and drooling over the candy counters, but I did manage to find a good deal in a bookstore so I got the kids two adorable London books that have been a big hit (this one and this one if you're interested).

Sadly, these cell phone pictures don't do the trip justice and I didn't write enough down while we were there which has caused some of the memories to fade a bit. The days were filled with so much and that sort of starts to blend together if you don't take the time to sort through all the individual events. It took me far too long to write up this post and I still need to write up our days spent in Paris before more memories start to fade. I just know that everything I saw and experienced was amazing and beautiful and inspiring. And what made it all the better was the group of people I experienced it with.

Do Good By Shopping - Part 2

There's a lot of bad in the world. But for every bad thing, there is someone trying to bring about good and combat hate. YOU can be one of those people doing good. It can seem overwhelming when trying to figure out ways to help or what you can do to make an impact. Today I've compiled my second list of places that you can do good simply with your shopping powers. That's right, you can contribute to change just by shopping. And with the holiday season upon us, shopping for gifts is in full swing for a lot of us. So why not give back and do good just by buying gifts? If you'd like to see my first post with more great places to shop, click here. There's still a lot more places I'd like to add so I think I'll do a few more posts like this in the future.

+cuddle + kind sells ethically produced, hand-knit dolls that help feed children in need. Each doll is hand knit in Peru by talented artisans with premium cotton. Every doll purchased provides 10 meals. Shop here.

+MY SISTER's mission is to prevent sex trafficking, educate communities, empower the population, provide after-care for survivors and offer growth opportunities to at-risk women through the sales of statement-making, ethically-sourced apparel and accessories. Shop here. 

+Best Friends is an organization that finds animals safe, loving, forever homes and has become the largest animal sanctuary in the country. You can help fund their efforts by purchasing some of their goods. Shop here.

+Global Goods Partners is dedicated to ending poverty and promoting social justice by creating economic opportunities for women in some of the world’s poorest countries. They give technical assistance, product development, operational expertise, and small capacity building grants, empowering women to fund and solve the problems within their communities. Every product you purchase is made by these women, from home decor to children's apparel. Shop here.

+Sudara advocates for women enslaved in prostitution in India, restores their broken lives, and empowers them to live free. What started with just six women sewing in a single room has grown to over 150 women and girls employed by one of Sudara’s three sewing centers in India. Shop here.

+kidogo kidogo provides the life-changing tool of a mobile phone to low-income women in Tanzania. For every two phone cases purchased from their site, they provide one cell phone plus the additional resources needed to teach women how to use and benefit from the connection a mobile phone brings to them. Shop here.

+Mitscoots Outfitters gives clothing and gear to those in need all over the country. For every product purchased, they give an equal quality product such as a hat, beanie, gloves, or a scarf to those in need. They also partner with several organizations that specialize in taking individuals off the streets and into steady employment situations. Mitscoots employs the transitioning homeless to pack and ship every order. Shop here.

+I WILL BRING CHANGE exists to prevent human trafficking and support the rescue, restoration, and reintegration of survivors.All profits from the sale of their bracelets and other products are being invested into the goal of ending human trafficking. Shop here.

+Out of Print is dedicated to celebrating your favorite stories while promoting literacy in underserved communities. Each purchase helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need. It also supports the authors, publishers and artists who made these iconic works an integral part of our lives. Shop here.

Do you have a favorite organization to support? Do you know of other great companies helping those in need? Please leave them in the comments below and I'll add them to my next round-up of doing good by shopping!

Do Good By Shopping - Part 1

There's a lot of bad in the world. But for every bad thing, there is someone trying to bring about good and combat hate. YOU can be one of those people doing good. It can seem overwhelming when trying to figure out ways to help or what you can do to make an impact. Well today I've compiled a list of places that you can do good simply with your shopping powers. That's right, you can contribute to change just by shopping. And with the holiday season upon us, shopping for gifts is in full swing for a lot of us. So why not give back and do good just by buying gifts? Below is my first post on great companies to buy from not just during the holidays, but all year long. Next Monday I'll have another post filled with awesome companies that will hopefully inspire some gift buying. (Update: here's part 2!)

+Do you shop on Amazon? When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same items at the exact same prices, just with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support. You will be donating to a charity simply by shopping. Want more information on how it works? Click here.

+Preemptive Love Coalition is a global community of peacemakers who provide lifesaving heart surgeries for children, food and shelter for those persecuted by extremists, education for at-risk children, and small-business empowerment grants so people can put their own lives back together. Shop here.

+Imagine Goods partner with vulnerable and marginalized people around the world to make products that, in many cases, give them the first fair wages they've ever received. 90% of the makers of their products are survivors of trafficking, and the rest are vulnerable, marginalized, or disabled people who have been trained in a skill as a means of trafficking prevention. My favorite thing about their items is you can learn about the specific person who made it. Shop here.

+House of Light Goods provides empowered employment to single mothers in Primo Tapia, Mexico and helps bring positive change to vulnerable families and children at risk. House of Light Goods works in partnership with Casa de Luz Children’s Centre which provides a safe place for children to learn, play, be loved and cared for, and thrive. Their mothers are able to further their education, start their own businesses through a micro loan program, find suitable employment, begin a journey of healing, and be part of a supportive and encouraging community. All profits go back to Casa de Luz to provide nutritious meals, educational support, family counseling and other resources to impoverished families. Shop here.

+SheLift empowers girls with physical differences to improve self-acceptance and confidence through outdoor adventures and body-positive mentorship. SheLift provides experiences to young women with disabilities to help them live authentic lives and connect with others. SheLift aims to normalize differences while developing, challenging, and nurturing girls’ physical and emotional abilities. Shop here.

+The Loyal Workshop is where women trapped in sex slavery in Kolkata learn to make artisan, eco-friendly leather goods and find a new life. Every product purchased is part of a woman's journey to freedom. Shop here.

+Krochet Kids mission is to empower people to rise above poverty. Through their efforts, over 150 people in Uganda and Peru are working, receiving education, and being mentored toward a brighter future. This is another site where you can see who made the item your purchasing. Shop here.

+Trades of Hope give women all over the world an opportunity for a better life. Some women have been rescued from sex slavery. Others are raising handicapped children alone. Some are in war torn countries and others have AIDS. Trades of Hope gives them an opportunity to sell their artisan goods and empower them in their individual circumstances. Shop here.

+Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap and a month of clean water to a child in need for every product purchased. On top of that, their products are cruelty free, totally natural, and sustainably made. Shop here.

Do you have a favorite organization to support? Do you know of other great companies helping those in need? Please leave them in the comments below and I'll add them to subsequent round-ups of doing good by shopping! And don't forget to check out Part 2!