Empty Nest...

Moving my daughter to Paris last weekend.

So excited for her.

Time for my little birdie to leave the nest and try out her wings.

We really kinda said "goodbye" to a phase in my daughter's life .

Louise has spent some time away from home. Like during camps…or vacations. But this is going to be different. She’s in another country and will only be spending the holidays with us or vacation in the next 3 to 4 years.

Okay, here I am crying again. I am literally going to have to stop writing this blog. I am seriously embarrassing myself.

For those of you who have done this, you know how hard it is. For those of you who haven't, there's probably no way to explain it.

I think all the social media available makes it easier for parents today to see their children off to college. I'm sure I'll miss her but I know that we can text and call each other. 

Thank God!

All set!

All our bags are packed we are ready to go!

As you all know , Louise , my daughter is bound for Paris to study so we are going with her…stay for the weekend and just help her get settled in.

I am very glad that we were able to get the services of Trek Removals so most of her stuffed were shipped earlier so we will all meet them there…J

Hassle free and stress free…

Can’t write much now…but I’ll write about it next week. 

Happy weekend!

Stress Free!

All set to France!:-)

Once upon a time, I thought I was a master packer.

Several days before my daughter had to get on that plane to France, I thought differently.

My daughter’s bedroom looked like the aftermath of a tornado. The contents of her closet and drawers were in assorted piles on her bed and floor. In the middle of this mess were two empty suite cases.

"How is all this going to fit in there?"

Packing for college is a daunting task.

We made a list and organized the items needed, and then the process of packing is not so difficult.

Thanks to a dear lady who gave us suggestions and tips on how to do it likewise introduced us to a removal company that would help us with the college move…to FRANCE!

Now let me introduce you to the nitty-gritty of packing.

Make a List

Sort the items into basics and luxuries. This will help you pack the essential items first, and later purchase other items of your choice. Making a list will help you stay organized and keep on track of your purchases.

Budget Your Time 

( This is very important…!Believe me you don’t want to panic!)

Don’t leave packing to the last minute. Not only will leaving the packing to a few weeks before school stress you and your teen out, it will make your child even more nervous if they are not prepared. Whether your child is living in another state or just a few minutes from home, you don’t want to spend your last weeks with them running around in a frenzy trying to pack.

Cutting Costs

An important part of packing for college is minimizing expenses. Many items that you might buy can be found at home. Older siblings or cousins may have items that your child can use. Remember to take into consideration items that are less expensive for your child to buy once he/she is at school rather than purchasing unnecessary items beforehand such as food or school supplies (notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.)

Hire a Mover and Ship your stuff

If you live far away from your school, this is much easier than packing half a dozen suitcases.  Your things are waiting for you when you arrive on campus.

In our case, we have gotten the services of Trek Removals (www.trekremovals.com). What a relief. I checked their website and found out that they can help us move my daughter’s stuff to France! Sweet! It was cool because they have purpose-made packaging and have a range of boxes, cartons and protective packaging, suitable for a range of items.

So we are all set. We soon shall spend couple of days in France just to help Louise get settled in.

Remember!

Preparation is key to a quick, easy move. Best of luck getting your things packed!:-)

My Future Chef

Future Chef: Marie Louise Whyte

It is always interesting to hear what your children want to be when they grow up and how their ideas change over time, but Louise has had her future career lined up for a few years .

She wants to be a Chef.

She loves the idea of having her own business like a pastry shop, crafty café or a restaurant.

I know she was serious, when she started to plan where to do her training.  It didn’t came as a surprise when she asked if she could study in France.

I remember hearing her say that on one of our trips.

She loves Paris , the food , everything about it!

Louise loves to cook. Her dad calls her the kitchen ninja. His kitchen ninja. As a child , she would help me bake or cook…she loves the kitchen.  Growing up she has shown interests on checking some recipes , trying them out , watch this cooking shows on TV and yes…my daughter could definitely cook!

Here are some of my favorite : 

love the spaghetti with meatballs...

 croque madame

special breakfasts

and the muffins!

I always believe that it is so much better to do something that you love rather than just taking an easy option.

So , to France it is!

We will surely miss our Kitchen Ninja…our future Chef is all set to fulfilling her dreams!:-)

Chaos!

Packing for college is a little more stressful than I had originally anticipated.

My daughter goes like " Oh my gosh. What the heck am I supposed to pack for college?! ....I feel like I am packing all of my clothes.." 

Well...I have to keep reminding her it's impossible to get all her clothes "inside" the suitcases

My daughter is a clothes horse – no matter where we go and for how long, she always has the biggest, heaviest suitcase of us all!

Her room literally looks like a tornado flew around it! I'm excusing the mess she made.

"My daughter would see things, think about things, and then want to go look at them"

I know she's a bit overwhelmed by this "moving-to-college" thing. But she's very organised and definitely will be able to sort things out.

My husband and I both went to college here in Stratford so we never had the chance to do this.

This  part of a process — certainly  first time to the Whyte's  — of preparing for what hopefully results in a smooth transition from the comforts of home to the adventures of college.

Now I'd better start working on that checklist and check on the web for some much needed help....

Goodluck to us!:-)

College Packing...help?

My daughter going to college this year.

Yep , not somewhere near so she’s moving out for college.

I have some idea on what to bring with her but I just want to make sure that she will have ( as much as possible) everything that she needs.

Packing for college is not like packing for a sleepover. Another thing, my daughter is very sentimental (like mother , like daughter) so we need to pack just the things she needs…and not everything!!

i think we need to do a lot of cleaning...don't you think???

And this serves as a helpful reminder for us:

In the wise words of Cynthia Bell, a rising senior at Seton Hall University: “You aren’t going to Antarctica. You are going to college.”

I know it seems very early...but hey...it's better this way

so...help?anyone???

Thoughts on the 2012 Olympics!

The 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony was worth spending four and a half hours watching! I loved every single detail of it. (well too bad I wasn’t at the stadium…I was able to get a glimpse via live TV coverage! Thank you!)

Industrial Revolution

It showcased snapshots of English industrialization to the cheerful dances of doctors, nurses, and children; from the amazing collaboration of James Bond and Her Majesty to the great, recalling acts of Rowan Atkinson; from teenage athletes lighting the Olympic cauldron to Paul McCartney singing one of my favorite songs, Hey Jude, the ceremony was nothing short of spectacular. I love it!

Seven small sparks, one great flame

So in the end, the cauldron is not lit by a lone Olympian from the past, but by seven teenagers whose days of glory are surely yet to come. The torches ignite the copper petals; the petals in turn ignite the cauldron. It is a masterstroke, a dazzling end to a night of wonders and a glorious salute to the democratic spirit of Olympics; enshrining these games as a collective endeavor and a celebration of emerging talent.

And all at once the cauldron is blazing and the games have begun.

The parade of 204 nations swells to its finale with the arrival of Team GB. Sir Chris Hoy, the first ever cyclist to carry the flag, leads the athletes onto the field to the strain of David Bowie's Heroes.

Everyone is galvanized. Everyone is on their feet.

Great Britain won 19 gold medals in Beijing and finished an impressive fourth on the medals table. We shall be hoping to do even better this time around.

My family and I  look forward to watching the events! We’re not going there every day, but so far I have tickets for two days. In case it's really so much fun, I will try and get more tickets later on, but I also want to experience this whole thing with people from OTHER countries.:-)

Go TEAM GB!