Carte Noire Coffee Pods for Nespresso

Ok you guys. This is it. The last one. (Unless someone else wants to send us free coffee...)

A while ago (actually an embarrassingly long time ago- Sorry Carte Noire people), the people at Carte Noire asked if I'd be interested in trying their Nespresso-compatible pods. And of course, I said yes. You know how we feel about free coffee in the Ameringlish household. When I told Ross about this development he was super-jazzed. He told me that, back when he used to drink instant coffee, Carte Noire was his go-to.

I'd received coffee from other companies before, but I was not prepared for what arrived on our doorstep a few days later.

A gorgeous box with a golden ribbon containing 4 boxes of Carte Noire pods (Nos. 3, 5, 7, 9) and two little espresso glasses. Ross was so excited he ran out to meet me to tell me about it when I got home.

The pods were really nice. We felt like the quality and taste were excellent. I most enjoyed No. 5- the Delicat. The Carte Noire pods are sealed in individual sachets, so they have that amazing coffee smell when you open the packet. Mmmmm, coffee.

The fact that these pods are available in stores, fits the way we use non-Nespresso pods. We tend to only buy them when we are low and won't be near the Trafford Centre (where the Nespresso store is) soon. The price is right what you'd actually want to pay. Of all the pods I've reviewed, these are the ones that we've actually gone out and bought ourselves after our free ones were gone (two boxes in Tesco for £4- deal!). I think they'll replace other pods that we used for this purpose in the past- namely Whittard's. The Carte Noire ones are just way better.

The Carte Noire pods fit our machine perfectly and never stuck or slipped through. You should double check compatibility if you have a newer machine, as some aren't a good match.

As for the little glasses that were included in our box, Ross is in love. Sadly, one broke in the dishwasher on second washing- a fact that Boden said was nearly impossible when we contacted them about a replacement. So now that we are down to one, Ross jealously guards it. The glass is made with a vacuum seal and double walls. They look pretty and are able to regulate temperature of both cold and hot drinks. We'll seriously consider buying some more of these in larger sizes, so thanks for introducing us Carte Noire.

I shall leave you with these coffee* buddies:

*ok, so they're actually drinking tea. But it's really cute and fits with the post better if you pretend it's coffee. So go with it.

(Like I said, Carte Noire sent me a beautiful box with 4 boxes of pods and 2 espresso glasses, but all the opinions in the post are mine, all mine.)

Fine Coffee Club Nespresso Pods

Well, it's that time... time for another coffee pod review. I never imagined that when I wrote a post about our Nespresso machine, I'd get so many offers of free coffee! But I did. So there. Mmmmm... free coffee...

One of the super-nice companies that got in touch to let us try their product was the Fine Coffee Club. The folks at the Fine Coffee Club were nice enough to send me 5 different varieties to try.

These pods range in price from 19p to 23p each and come in packs of 10. (They guarantee at least 20% off the prices listed on the official Nespresso site!) As you can see, they come in the long tubes like actual Nespresso branded pods. I love this. Not because tubes are my thing, but because that means that the pods are not in the annoying and bulky foil pods that every other alternative pod comes in. The Fine Coffee Club pods are so much nicer to throw in the bowl by my Nespresso machine. I especially love that the colors are bright and fun. It sounds silly, but Nespresso branded pods all tend to be a bit samey in the color- they're all very classy looking jewel tones in shiny metal. Sometimes, I don't want to be classy. I want hot pink and purple and electric blue! It's the little things.

The pods are recyclable plastic- though you do have to open them up and dump the grounds. If we had a garden, I'd love to be able to use them for compost! The other added bonus of the tube packaging is that the pods will fit in our postbox when delivered. No bulky box means no postman ringing our buzzer while Linus is napping. Hurrah!

Ross really loved the Rwandan Single Source and the Lungo. I liked all of them- though I never tried the Lungo, as I always have a latte. Ross is a rebel and makes them mostly as lungos regardless of the designation of any given pod. Even with this devil-may-care lack of adherence to the rules of coffee, he still really enjoyed the Fine Coffee Club pods. 

In the interest of honesty, we did notice that these pods weren't a perfect fit for the Nespresso machine. Sometimes the pod would fall through, rather than sit in the proper position while we closed the lever thingie. (Lever thingie is the technical term.) When that happened, it was easy enough to retrieve the pod from the clear drawer thingie (also a technical term) and put it back in. So not a major problem, but you do have to use a careful technique for insertion. 

All in all, we really liked the coffee that Fine Coffee Club sent us. And I also enjoyed the interactions I had with their team. I get the feeling that you'd be on the receiving end of attentive and personable customer service if you placed an order. So far, this brand is our number one choice for Nespresso-compatible coffee pods.

And in closing, I'll share this adorable video of Ross and Linus performing their nightly ritual. (It has nothing to do with coffee, but it's too cute not to share.)

*Like I said, Fine Coffee Club provided me with 50 pods of their coffee. All opinion are my own (and my interpretation of Ross') and I wouldn't lie to you!

Gourmesso Coffee Pods

I've already talked about one company's Nespresso-compatible pods, and while I hadn't intended to become an official reviewer of alternatives for Nespresso machine pods, several companies have contacted me. And, well, free coffee is not to be denied.

The nice people at Gourmesso offered us some coffee to review and we said "Heck yes!" I was pleasantly surprised that the Gourmesso capsules addressed one of the problems that I'd expressed about another pod. Namely, the packets that the pods come sealed in are color-coded and labelled.

Copper Packet of Caramel Coffee

I can dump the pods (in their cheerfully coloured foil packets) into the bowl next to my Nespresso machine and am still able to tell which kind is which!

The other thing that I loved about Gourmesso is that they offer flavoured coffee. While I was pregnant with Linus, I really went of sweets. To say that I made up for that once he was born is an understatement. I realized that my sugar intake had gotten out of control and decided to make an effort to cut down on sugar in my diet. (In our house, that does NOT equal switching to artificial sweeteners.) I started by cutting down on sugar in my coffee. I used to have 2 sugars and milk. I very quickly weaned myself down and now enjoy my morning coffee with no sugar. I realized that my brain had become programmed to expect sweetness. I think if I had sugar in my coffee now, I'd be disgusted. 

I do like a flavoured coffee from time to time, but the only option is generally to add a syrup. That syrup is either laden with sugar or laced with artificial sweeteners. The flavoured Gourmesso coffee pods for the Nespresso machine let me have a nice treat without the added sugar. We tried both the caramel and vanilla and they were both excellent. As far as I know, Gourmesso is the only alternative pod that offers flavoured options. A definite win for Gourmesso.

Gourmesso capsules are compatible with all Nespresso machines and are available starting at just £0.21 per pod. They offer free shipping on orders over £40.

*I was provided with 2 boxes of Gourmesso coffee pods at no charge. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

A Different Option: Big Cup Little Cup Nespresso Pods

The other day Ross and I had a conversation.

Ross: People are talking about Gravity. Have we heard about it?
Me: Yes. It's with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in space. We watched her on The Daily Show the other day talking about it.
Ross: George Clooney?
Me: Yes. (pause and eye roll) No. Sandra Bullock.
Ross: (confidently) George Clooney is the one in the Nespresso Commercials.
Me: Yes. That is what he's primarily known for. (huge eye roll)

That's what Ross said.

The best ways to get Ross' attention are by relating something to coffee, British comedy from the first half of the 20th century, or Frasier. He's a unique snowflake.

All this to say that coffee is important in our house. You might remember when I told you about our coffee machine, the aforementioned Nespresso. We are still really happy with it more than 2 years later. Well the people at Big Cup Little Cup read that post and offered me the chance to try some of their coffee for free in exchange for reviewing their product.

Needless to say, I was super-excited to get my first product review offer. Who doesn't love free stuff!?! I knew Ross would be thrilled to. He replied "Free coffee is my second favorite kind of coffee!" Clearly, good coffee is in first place. With free AND good coffee taking a special place above the ranking system. It's very scientific.

Let me tell you a little bit about what Big Cup Little Cup has to offer. They are a smaller company that is trying to take on the might of Nestle and offer an alternative to discerning coffee drinkers with Nespresso machines. They are a UK-based company who offer 9 different varieties of coffee in pods that are guaranteed compatible with most Nespresso machines (check which ones here). They also offer free shipping on all orders over £50.

One of the boxes we were sent. And one of the pod packets.

 

We received two different varieties to try: Millers Yard Espresso (Little Cup) and Highwire (Big Cup). One thing I like is the simple labelling system. It tells you right on the box whether your coffee is meant to be made as a "Big Cup" or a "Little Cup". With the Nespresso pods, I can never remember which fancily named "flavour" should be made which way. BCLC makes it easy as I know just from looking at the box which button on our machine I should push- the one with the picture of the big cup or the little cup. It would be even better if packets the pods come in were marked too. I like to put my pods in a bowl next to the Nespresso machine and I couldn't do that because the two varieties were indistinguishable if they weren't in their boxes.

Now lets talk about the biggest advantage of BCLC pods. What is the best thing about coffee? I'll tell you. The smell. Mmmmmmm. Fresh grounds. Nespresso pods don't smell at all. Once you open the packet that a BCLC pod comes in you get a huge whiff of delicious coffee smell. So good.

Too bad there's not smell-a-vison.

 

I found the coffee to be on similar par with other non-Nespresso pods. BUT! But, Big Cup Little Cup offers more varieties and can be recycled pretty easily. You don't have to drop them off or arrange for a pick up like with the Nespresso pods. You can just take care of it yourself. You can even make use of the grounds for compost! The styles that we tried were both 10 strength (the strongest they offer). Ross and I both agreed that they tasted more like a filter coffee than an espresso-based drink. That was sort of nice as there's no real way to make a traditionally brewed coffee with Nespresso pods. It's always good to have options. I'd have to try some more BCLC varieties to see if this is common across all their styles, or unique to the ones we tried. We found the taste to be good and the price even less than the Nespresso-branded pods. In addition, the customer service was great. It felt like a real personal touch that you wouldn't get from a big company.

Cutest cup of coffee ever

If you're looking for alternative pods for your Nespresso machine, I'd encourage you to give Big Cup Little Cup a try! You can't have a Linus coffee mug though. That would just be creepy.

**Big Cup Little Cup provided us with 2 boxes of their pods to try in exchange for a review. They didn't compensate me in any other way. All of the opinions expressed are my own. No one tells me what to say, buddy.**

MVPs of 0-4 Months

Now that Linus has made it through the first 4 months of life, I thought I'd let y'all know what I consider to be our MVPs.  Ross and I made an effort to avoid the pull of "MUST.HAVE.ALL.THE.THINGZ!!!!" when it comes to baby gear and I'm proud to say that we've done a pretty darn good job.

There are so many items out there, but you really don't NEED that many things at all.   Here is my list of stuff that has been invaluable in Linus' first 4 months.

I already discussed my love of them in another post, so I won't go on about them...

The Boppy pillow and the GlamourMom nursing tank are both being put to use in this picture.  I use the Boppy for every feeding while at home and practically live in the nursing tanks.  Linus is also starting to enjoy using the Boppy to be propped up so he can be nosy.

The other big winner for us has been the Fisher Price Precious Planet Playtime Bouncer.  We have about 8 million pictures of Linus in this bouncy chair.  He slept in it a ton when he was a tiny newborn.  I think he liked that it was at angle and sort of hugged him.  Though he sleeps at night in his crib, he still naps in the bouncy chair (I know, I know... we need to transition to the crib...).  He loves to sit in this chair and we've definitely gotten good use out of it.

  

This product is hardly a must-have, but I love it nonetheless.  It's the one real splurge that I went for, but the ease of using it makes it worth it (in my opinion).  The BabySmart Cooshee Changing Pad is awesome.  It isn't available in the UK, so I contacted the company in the US.  They put me in touch with a supplier in the Czech Republic who worked to ship me one.  The foam material wipes clean easily and Linus strangely love being on it.  I don't know what it is, but he breaks into a huge smile whenever a put him down on it!

After bath time

Early days

The final product that we've used a ton isn't exactly a traditional baby product, but has been very useful.  I don't have a picture of it, but here's one from the Holland & Barrett website:

Do-it-all of the year!

This is the only product we've used on Linus' skin.  I use it to massage him every night before bed.  I also use it on any redness on his bottom and any little scratches he's given himself with his fingernails.  I've not had any problems that this stuff couldn't fix.  I also put it on his forehead and cheeks to help keep his sinuses clear when he's stuffy.  I even use it on my wrists when they're sore from carpal tunnel pain.  This stuff is miraculous, a great moisturiser, and it smells great!

And that's it.  Those are my top products for our first four months.

What products worked great for you?

Anything that came in handy as baby got bigger?

On Baby wearing

One of the items I most wanted in terms of baby gear was a baby carrier.  I think sometimes attachment parenting can be a little hippy dippy wackadoodle, but there are elements that I like. Mostly, the idea of having our baby close to me, but still having the use of both hands was very appealing. I'd read that it was a great way to calm babies. Also living in a third floor (2nd floor English style) flat meant that not having to haul our stroller around was a big plus too.

I did some research on the various available styles.  Ross had some strong opinions on carriers. Namely, he really didn't like the traditional style.

Like this

As he put it, he wouldn't want to be carried that way, so why would he carry the baby like that.  Add to this the fact that most of the people we would see wearing them looked incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. I can only assume they are wearing it incorrectly because the baby dangles down between their legs by their crotch, rather than up on the tummy.  

So I set out to find something different for us to use.  I knew friends that had tried the Moby and loved it, but was put off by tales of it being complicated.  I knew that we'd both be less likely to use something that was hard to use.  Eventually I found the Babasling.  I added it to our wishlist and hoped that it would be a good solution for us.  I didn't want to be one of those mommies that ended up with several discarded baby items before finding "the one".  I was so excited when my aunt and uncle purchased the sling for us and looked forward to using it.

One month photo shoot

Now that Linus is nearing 3 months old, I can say that this sling is easily one of our most used pieces of baby gear.  I LOVE using it for quick trips to the grocery store.  I walk to the store and then can carry the shopping home and up the stairs without wrestling a stroller too.  I've worn it around the house too when Linus is a bit fussy and I need to get things (like dishes, laundry, or even eating lunch) done.  I have worn it on longer trips too, but haven't quite figured out a great way to carry the diaper bag along with the baby in a sling as it's a bit awkward.  

One of the most fun side-effects of baby-wearing is one that I hadn't anticipated.  Other people LOVE it!  I get such reaction from people- of all ages- when I wear Linus.  People coo and smile at us when they see his little head sticking out.  They ask to peek in when he's nestled up sleeping.  It's a much bigger reaction than I get when we're out with the stroller.  Some of my mommy friends were complaining that people weren't oohing and aahing over their babies whilst out and about and I told them that slings were the way to go!  I don't know if it's the novelty of it (you don't see many people wearing babies here), or just that it's more visible than if the baby is nestled out of the way in a stroller.

Waiting for the tram, on the way to the Duck Race

I wore Linus when we went into town to see the Duck Race this year and I've never seen so many smiling faces.  Ross and I were joking that we should take pictures of people's reactions because it's just so much fun.  It's great to know that Linus brings a little bit of joy to the world at large- and not just to his two love-struck parents.  

I have so many people ask me about the sling- and not just mothers!  A man about my dad's age was totally fascinated by it the other day, asking me all kinds of questions about how it works, the safety, the comfort, etc.  I've turned into quite the Babasling Ambassador*!  

I'm looking forward to trying a few different positions as Linus gets older-especially the outward facing ones.  I'll be intrigued to see if it continues to be a good solution as he gets bigger and heavier.  For the time being it's great and I only get a sore back if I wear him for exceptionally long time periods or distances.  I'm so pleased that something I anticipated loving and using a lot has worked so well for us.  

I think my favorite reaction I've gotten so far was when I walked past some students getting out of class.  A young boy- about 12 or so- who should have been too cool to notice a little baby saw us.  He cracked a huge smile, and yelled out to me "That is well cute!"  (For my American readers, "well" is a British slang/slightly street way of saying "very, super, or totally".)  

Do you baby-wear?

What's your carrier of choice?

Have you ever had high hopes for a product?  Did it meet the expectation or let you down?

*Just to be clear, this is a made up/self-given title and Babasling do not know who I am.  My sling was purchased by my awesome Aunt and Uncle as a gift after we'd put it on our Amazon UK Wishlist.  I just am really happy with it, and like to share what works for us.

Breast feeding gear

I've already talked a little bit about our breastfeeding journey so far.  Things are still going well. (Though, just FYI, if you've got a bad latch and you know it you should pop the baby off and start over.  Don't just let him keep going because you're really tired and it doesn't hurt too badly.  Cause you'll wind up with a blister.  That will bleed.  Which means that the baby will spit up your blood.  Which is creepy and gross.  And his poo will turn black from all the extra iron.  Which is creepy and gross.  Just FYI.)

This post is to talk about the various accoutrements needed for breastfeeding.  Technically, you don't need anything.  I started out with 2 nursing tank tops that my mom sent over from Target.  But I've discovered there are a couple of things that do make nursing a LOT more pleasant.

The Boppy

The design we have. From Amazon UK.

I put a Boppy on our wish list, but no one got it for us.  (Well, actually, someone bought us the extra slipcover I'd put on the list thinking it was the whole pillow...)  I didn't purchase it right away because I'd heard mixed reviews as to it's usefulness.  We've made a concerted effort not to buy into the consumerism surrounding babies.  We don't want to waste money on items that are used a few times and then discarded as so many "must have" items inevitably are.  So for the first few weeks I was using a couple of throw pillows to help position Linus.  I quickly found that this wasn't working.  My back was sore from hunching over.  My wrists were inflamed from holding him up and supporting his head so often.  So when a friend gave us an Amazon gift card, I decided to put it to use for a Boppy.  I got the "naked" one since we already had a slip cover.  

The first time I used the Boppy it was a whole new world.  I didn't have to hold my body- or Linus'- in an awkward position.  I could even nurse hands free!  Hallelujah!  I've nursed out in public without the aid of the Boppy since then, but every time we've been home I've used my new best friend.  This was one purchase that I'd gladly make again.  I've heard from friends who prefer the My Breast Friend pillow (citing it's superiority for the well-endowed), but I'm super happy with my choice.

The Glamourmom Nursing Bra Full Bust Long Top

Super Awesome!

I mentioned that my mom had sent me a pair of nursing tanks from Target.  They work fine.  They have a little shelf bra and the front flips down for easy access, but they are definitely more around-the-house/sleepwear appropriate.  I knew they'd be fine for the early days and could tide me over until my milk came in and I'd settled to a more long-term size.  I didn't want to guess the size on something as important as a nursing bra, given that proper fit it key for avoiding plugged ducts and mastitis.

As I started researching options for nursing bras and tanks, I was shocked at the lack of options available in the UK!  There were shockingly few nursing bras available at brick and mortar stores and no nursing tanks.  Imagine my surprise when I went into Mamas & Papas (a leading baby/maternity store) and was told that only some of their stores carry nursing bras and that even they are being phased out- nursing bras would only be available online soon.  No wonder UK health workers lament the small number of women who breastfeed!  The stores certainly don't make it easy.  (Ok, I get that it's probably the other way around.  I'm sure stores don't stock because there is low demand... )  I expected that I would have a hard time finding a nursing bra given my large cup size, but I was certainly surprised at the dearth of availability even for smaller cups sizes.  In general the UK is much more friendly to the well-endowed with many brick and mortar stores carrying a wider range of sizes than their US counterparts, but when it comes to nursing bras that isn't the case.  

I went to my local specialty bra store (Love Your Fit in Bury) about a month after giving birth.  I wanted to get fitted for a nursing bra and figured that my breast size was pretty settled by that point.  They have great service and an awesome selection of bras in all sizes- though they do have to order things in sometimes.  One of the nice ladies measured me up (by eye, they don't use tape measures) and told me that I was a 34J.  Wha-what?  That sounds obscene.  I knew my boobs were big, but holy-ma-loly!  Sadly they only had one style of nursing bra available in that size and when I tried it on I knew it was a no-go.  It was cut so high I don't think I would have been able to wear it with anything but turtlenecks!  They were super nice and understanding about my not wanting to purchase and suggested that I try the internet.  

I took to Facebook to lament the lack of options for nursing bras/tanks available in the UK- especially for larger breasted women.  A few American friends chimed in with suggestions, but most of the options were not available in the UK.  One friend suggested the GlamourMom Full Bust Nursing Top, saying it was amazing.  I checked out the website and was thrilled to see that they had a link to a site for European customers.  I ordered one top in black to try and see if it was a good fit for me.  I corresponded with John from the company about the products.  I was wondering if it was sold in stores in my area so I could try it on first.  It wasn't, but John was so nice, friendly, and helpful!  He even offered to get me rush shipping the next day.  

Me in my GlamourMom tank top

This tank top is so awesome.  It is like an industrial strength tank top.  The built-in bra is a truly supportive, well-constructed bra- not just a flimsy shelf one.  It's got a good amount of length that is flattering and comfortable to a post-partum body and nice ruching near the cleavage that makes it look like "real" clothing instead of glorified underwear.  My favorite feature, however, is the way the cups are constructed.  It has the standard drop down flaps in the front, but there is a secondary layer inside that features a cut out for your nipple.  In the shelf-bra versions from Target that I have, when I flap down the front it's full exposure!  It's basically just a whole boob out in the open.  I'm not overly modest, but when your boob to baby's head ratio is like mine, the added coverage is a big help.  

I only have one of these tops so far, but I'm itching for more.  I find myself excited on days when I wear my GlamourMom top and saving it for days when I want to look nicer.  I cannot recommend this top highly enough.  They have other styles if you aren't so well endowed, but I can guarantee that this is one of the best solutions available for the well-endowed mama.*

*GlamourMom did not compensate me for singing their praises.  I just REALLY dig them.

And that's pretty much it for me and breastfeeding gear.  I'm low maintenance.  

What about you?  

Did you have lots of gear or keep is simple?

What were your favorite items?

Soap Nuts

alternate title:  You Wash Your Clothes with What?

In our quest to expose our child to as few chemicals as possible, I started looking into gentle detergents that weren't full of harsh ingredients.  Here in the UK, there are two major types of detergent "Bio" and "Non-Bio".  I don't really understand the difference.  I've asked a few people and none of them have been able to tell me either.  Just that "Non-bio" is less harsh, so should be used for babies.  (Here's a link from a leading detergent company explaining the difference.)

At any rate, I combed the aisle of the grocery store for the gentle, baby-safe options and was surprised that there doesn't seem to be a brand that market directly to that population.  I then broadened my search to onlines.  I found something that was very intriguing.  Ross has introduced me to plenty of natural alternatives for cleaning over the years, but he'd never heard of this one either.  We aren't hippies really, but we're all for using natural alternatives to chemical products if they work.  We thought this one was worth checking out, so we ordered our very own Soap Nuts for £5 (including shipping) from eBay.

A few days later, this muslin bag arrived in the mail.

It contained a plastic bag full of soap nuts and 2 small muslin drawstring bags.

The nuts themselves are about the size of  marbles and are slightly sticky.  Sorry for the flash in this picture, but it was the only way to capture the sheen on the nuts.  They have a little bit of an odor, but it's not really a bad smell... just sort of... nutty...

To use the soap nuts for laundry, you put 4-6 in one of the small muslin bags.

And then soak the bag in a cup of warm water for about 3 minutes.

This helps release the suds in the nuts a bit.  You can see some foamy bubbles around the edge of the cup in this picture.

Then you just toss the little bag in the washing machine on top of your clothes.  The same bag can be used for about 3 washes before the nuts are spent.  They take on a dried out shell look when that happens.  The shells can then be composted.  We don't have a composting facility, so into the trash they go.

I've used the soap nuts for the last several weeks and have been really pleased with how they clean our clothes.  They come out of the wash soft and clean smelling (though not perfumed... if you want to, you can apparently add essential oils to the washer, but I don't mind a lack of "smell").  I haven't washed anything that was super-duper dirty (just our regular washing) yet, but the soap nuts have done a good job.  I'll have to update y'all once I've tried this method with some dirty baby stuff and especially on cloth diapers.  I do still add bicarbonate of soda to our white loads to help make them nice and bright.  At our current rate of use (I probably do about 6 loads of laundry a week), I imagine the bag we bought for £5 will last for at least 4 months, probably more.  That seems like pretty good value to me!  

You can use soap nuts for other methods, as outlined on the website http://www.soapnuts.co.uk/

We tried to use them in the dishwasher and weren't very impressed, so for now we're sticking with chemicals to clean the dishes.  Perhaps if we made soap nuts liquid and used that we'd see better results, but that seemed like a lot of work.  

All in all, I'd give Soap Nuts a tentative, but strong thumbs up!  If you're looking for a method to clean without chemicals they're worth a shot.  

(Note:  We bought these little nuts on our own and no one paid or asked me to review them... just a little public service.)

What cleaning methods do you use?

Are you traditional or willing to try weird, natural stuff like us?

I was going to post something today...

but....

You guys!  I started reading HypnoBirthing:  The Mongan Method.

available from Amazon

I told you we ordered it... well it came today and it's totally fascinating!!  I just finished reading the section on why labour came to be seen as a scary/painful thing and it makes so much sense.  

So far, I'm seriously drinking the Koolaid.  I'll keep you posted.

Tough cookie or meanie?

On our recent trip to Blackpool, Ross booked our B&B after checking out online reviews.  One establishment had simply outstanding reviews.  It had perfect marks across the board on Trip Advisor.  We figured this was the place to stay!

In my post about the trip, I expressed my confusion as to the superlative nature of the reviews.  Let me explain.  It was  perfectly fine B&B.  It seemed on par with other B&Bs that I've seen.  It was fine.  The proprietors were very nice.  The location was good.  The bed was pretty uncomfortable.  It was a little dusty.  The towels were rough.  Nothing terribly wrong.  Just little things that made it fine and not great.  It was certainly not as nice at the B&B that we stayed at when we went to the Lake District for Ross' birthday last year.

After we left, Ross and I both wondered about the reviews we'd seen online.  Though we'd found the experience acceptable, and would even consider staying at this place again, we were baffled by why people had scored it with the highest marks across the board.  We probably would have still booked it with slightly lower (in our opinion, more accurate) reviews and would not have been left feeling a bit disappointed.  We resolved to post a balanced review.

Ross forwarded me the feedback form when it arrived in his email a few days later.  I endeavoured to leave the kind of review I would have found helpful.

I ended up with the following text:
A pleasant stay
This was a perfectly pleasant place to stay in a charming little town. The proprietors are very friendly, though the accommodations are nothing particularly special. Seems like a better place for a family stay than for a romantic couple's weekend.



I ranked them on several categories, on a scale of 1 to 6.  On most categories, I gave a 4.  On customer service a gave a 5.

I read the review to Ross for his agreement and approval before I hit submit.
A few days later, I received another email (forwarded from Ross).  It was from the owner of the B&B and she was asking about our rankings.  She apologized that we were disappointed with our stay.  She questioned my low ranking of "cleanliness" and "quality of food"- both of which I ranked 4 of 6.   She framed it as being interested in improving the B&B.

Now, to me, 4 of 6 means the equivalent of "good".  That's a good score to get from me!  5 would have been "very good" and 6 would have been "outstanding".  Those two rankings really mean something to me.  A rank of 6 is the equivalent of saying "I can't imagine anything better!" in my opinion.

Perhaps I'm just a tough cookie.  I know reviews are very important to businesses such as this, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give a rank that I can't stand behind.  I used to have a boss who was tough and when you got a high score on an employee evaluation it really meant something.  And that's how I view ranking systems like this.

Now I feel pressured to defend my rankings and opinions.  I'm finally composing my reply to the owners email and am going to strive to be helpful and kind (rather than defensive).

Are you a tough rater?
or do you hand out 5's and 6's like they're candy?
Have you ever felt pressured to defend a review after being contacted by a business?

Batman Live

This weekend, Ross and I had free tickets to see a dress rehearsal of a brand new show, scheduled for world premier next week.  Batman Live.

The show is an arena spectacle, so we figured we were in for big, cheesy, fun, frothy action.  We trekked to the MEN Arena and got our seats.  (As a side note, Texas arena food totally kicks British Arena food's butt!)
We figured it was an exciting concept- a family friendly arena version of a well loved comic book character.

MEN Arena

The arena was less than half full because it was a preview, but it was still full enough to have a good crowd feel, essential to a viewing experience for something like this.  We had great seats near the front, but not on the floor.  

Obligatory Meg & Ross self-portrait

The set looked impressive.  There were miniature Gotham City buildings and a very impressive screen across the back that showed all sorts of animation.

Blurry cell phone picture of the set, pre-show

The crowd, a good mix of adults and kid, was primed for a good time.  The two directors came out onto the stage with microphones and welcomed us to this open dress rehearsal.  The explained that, as it was a very technical show, there was a chance that the show would have to be stopped if something went wrong.  They said that the show would resume as quickly as possible.   We were excited!

The show started with an enactment of the death of Bruce Wayne's parents.  Then something happened for about 25 minutes (Lord knows what, neither Ross nor I can remember) before Batman even made an appearance!  That's right.  We timed it.  It took 30 minutes for Batman to take the stage.  He flew in to confront Catwoman mid cat burglary.  

During the fight, we experienced our first stoppage of the show.  Something had gone wrong with the flying rig.  They stopped the show for a few minutes while the sorted it out.  Being the nerd that I am, I would have really enjoyed if someone had come over the microphone and explained what went wrong.  Ah well...

The fight re-started and was much better.  Now, I thought, it's really going to take off.  Wrong.  Man, this show had a whole lotta stuff going on.  There were a whole host of villains (Catwoman, Penguin, The Riddler, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Sandman, and Poison Ivy) and bunch of background acrobats.  The story ended up being a very tenuous narrative about Robin's creation story and a bunch of villains taking over Arkham Asylum.

Now look.  I knew I wasn't going to a theatre performance.  I knew it would be a spectacle.  But for all the spectacular parts, the sum wasn't all that impressive.  There was either too much story or not enough.  I think loosely strung together vignettes with each of the villains would have been better.  A major flaw was that none of the performers seemed to "play out" enough to the crowd.  Especially the villains (with the possible exception of Harley) lacked the pizazz and charisma they should have been packing.  I mean, these are comic book villains.  This is when an actor should go big or go home.  Another fault, ironically pointed out by The Joker (though I don't think it was any sort of meta-commentary) was the lack of humour.  The Joker was referring to Batman himself, but the statement could just as easily have been attributed to the show as a whole.

At intermission, Ross and I found ourselves pondering whether to stay or go.  I made the case that we should stay, just to find out if the show could redeem itself.

The stage at intermission.

Alas, the second half fared about the same.  There were a few large scale numbers, but they weren't really that exciting.  The Batmobile made an appearance and was fairly impressive.  I think the straw that broke the camel's back for us was when Batman told the story of his parent's death to Robin.  The impressive backdrop screen showed an animated version of the event.  It was actually really cool.  Why oh why, did they bother opening the show with the exact same scene (less well-done) in live action at the beginning of the show?!!  It was pretty ridiculous and showed a real lack of writing aplomb.  

Ross and I were shocked at the applause and yells from the audience at the end.  We were even more surprised to see the tweets the show elicited.  Ross came across nothing but positive reviews which sung the praises of the production.  Really? 

In an effort to be constructive, I below outline our suggested changes:

1.  Revamp the story.  Ross and I are available to consult for a fee ;)  

2.  Get in a few comedians to play some of the villains.  Ross suggests Peter Kay for Penguin.

3.  Re-choreograph large fight/production numbers.  A good choreographer should be able to draw the viewer to the important bits of what's going on.  The current effect is a chaotic mess.  There's way to much going on in every corner, leaving the viewer confused and feeling like they don't know where to look.

4.  Consider the tone of the show.  Would it hurt to camp it up a bit in the style of the TV show?  That screen would be great for showing the "Boom!"s "ZOP!"s and other onomatopoeic words.  Maybe add a few musical numbers?  Just sayin'. 

Hopefully, by the time Batman Live comes to a city near you on it's world wide tour, they will have worked out the kinks and revealed the full potential of this show.  

Old Hollywood

I love old Hollywood musicals.  I mean, who doesn't?

Even Ross loves them!  (Ok, that's probably not fair since his taste in movies isn't exactly typical...)

He'll frequently scroll through the cable listings and record old movies that are showing late and night.  Then we'll watch them on the weekend while he's working on his laptop.  

Last weekend we watched Anchors Aweigh.

Dancing men!

It seemed like a sure winner from the description:  Gene Kelly!  Frank!  Singing!  Dancing!  Uniforms!

Man was it ever obvious that this movie had a big budget- and not in a good way.  It seemed that the narrative (and I use that term loosely) only existed in the most tenuous of states.  It was basically a string of bits.  Forget plot!  Let's have a woman singing in irritating trilly soprano.  In a Mexican restaurant!  Let's have Gene dance with a cartoon!  Ok- so that scene is a classic.  And some great dancing.  

With bonus Spanish subtitles!

I was even able to buy Frank as the shy guy with no game, asking for Gene's help with the ladies.  And though The Chairmas kept up with Gene admirably in one fun dance number (which I couldn't find online),  there's just no comparing the style and grace of Gene to anyone else.  It seemed unfair to ask Frank to even try it.  

So while I enjoyed a few of the scenes, if you're looking for a fun singing dancing men in uniform frolic with Frank and Gene, I'd say check out this one instead:

On The Town

It was released after Anchors Aweigh, which seems sort of like a first draft in comparison.  

Next up, let's talk Rodgers & Hammerstein.  I've got a soft spot for Oklahoma! as it was the musical my high school put on my senior year.  I served as dance captain for the production and as a featured dancer.  I was head slut in the dream ballet, thankyouverymuch.  So, when Ross noticed that Carousel was showing, he hit record.  We watched it a few weeks ago and OH! MY! LORD!  

Looks good, right?

It had many of the hallmarks of a classic R&H musical.  Big dance numbers!  Brightly coloured costumes!  Dated views on gender roles!  Surreal dream ballet! 

These things are not surprising in an musical.  What I was absolutely floored by, however, was that the main message seemed to be that "If a man really loves you, his hits feel like kisses."  That's the big romantic story of the film?  Seriously?!  Ok.  I probably could have forgiven this if there had at least been catchy songs, but as mentioned above I can't stand a trill-laden eardrum-bursting soprano.  So I guess, my point is, I'm fine with domestic abuse as long as there's a catchy soundtrack.

Ross and I were horrified as we watched.  Ross was utterly confused as he remembered his mum saying she loved the movie.  Then he did the math and figured out she was a 15 year old girl dating the bad boy across the street (hint: Ross' dad!).  Well, I guess we'll let it slide.

What old movie musicals do you love?

Have you seen anny particularly dated films that riled you up?

Life in a Day

This past weekend, Ross and I had free tickets to a screening of a movie.
We hadn't heard of the film before we went, so had little idea what to expect.  We figured it was a morning out to see a free movie.  What did we have to loose?

The poster

I mean, we'd looked it up on IMDB and seen the basic premise and a couple of reviews- which were very positive.  A documentary shot all on one day- July 24, 2010-showing life around the world.  I hadn't looked into it too closely, obviously, because when we sat down in the theatre and the film rolled, it popped up a familiar name.

Broadcast yourself

Oh great, I thought.  I've dragged myself to the movie theatre at 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday to see people getting hit in the crotch and falling over.  Or being sort of mean to kids.  Or something else stupid.

Boy was I wrong!  This movie was so good.  

It wove together some pretty interesting stuff that people sent in.  There was stuff that was obviously shot by professionals that made up a large part of the time, but there were little clips that were truly just some guy or girl or family filming their life.  It was surprisingly compelling.  Certainly interesting and surprisingly sad.   Even Ross really enjoyed it- and he doesn't like any movie that doesn't star Laurel and Hardy (I'm only slightly exaggerating).  The film covered a whole range of human emotion.  There were bits that were funny, sad, surprising, cute, heartbreaking, shocking and appalling.  I think I felt everything possible during the course of the movie.  

The most interesting thing about the movie was the overall arc that they took.  There didn't seem to be any obvious agenda that was pushed (like environmentalism or anti-war).  It touched on these subjects, but in a very even way that left things open to interpretation- which made it all the more interesting.  I won't say too much more in case you want to see it yourself. 

I highly recommend that you go see this movie.*  We'd even pay to see it again- and just might!  I know it's playing at The Corner House in Manchester next week, so check your local Art House Cinema.  According to IMDB, it's release date in the US is July 24, 2011.  It's gorgeously shot and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

Here's a trailer to whet your appetite:

Life in a Day

You can see other clips on the film's YouTube channel.

Do you like to fully research stuff before you see it or do you go in blind?

What's the last movie you saw that really moved you?

*The movie people don't know about my little old blog.  I just think this is a cool movie that you might not hear about otherwise.

Nespresso Nes-tasty

I realize after typing that out that it looks a little like Nespresso Nasty, but it isn't!
It's my lame attempt at saying (in a fun way?) that our new Nespresso machine makes tasty coffee.

Our old coffee maker has been limping along for awhile.  It's a Senseo that Ross bought a couple of years ago.

What our coffee machine looked like when it was new and shiny

The single cup style was great since it meant he didn't end up making or drinking whole pots of coffee on his own.  It had worked just fine, but in the last few months it started leaking whenever it brewed a cup.  I was sooo tired of my counter having a pool of brownish liquid seeping out from under the coffee maker all the time.  We kept an eye out for a new machine, but nothing was jumping out at us and we weren't desperate yet.

Then, as part of the Great Boiler Debacle of 2010-2011 (as yet unresolved.  Blechgh!), something tragic happened.  One evening, after one of the many (many, MANY!) plumbers had come to look at our boiler (and still not fix the problem), we heard a loud bang from the kitchen.  When we went to see what had happened, we saw that a board that was supposed to be attached to the top of our cabinet to camouflage the top of the boiler had fallen off and landed on our poor coffee maker.  So now, not only did it leak, it has a big chunk out of the top.  The search for a replacement became more intense.

The top of the cabinet where there used to be a plank of wood.

The giant crack in our old coffee machine.  Poor thing!

We really would have liked a Keurig.  I got my mom one for Christmas a few years ago and it is awesome!  It makes delicious coffee and is super-easy to use.  Unfortunately, it isn't available in the UK.

Wop wop

After some searching and research, we finally settled on the Nespresso Citiz w/ Milk.  Of the single cup makers, it seemed like the best option.  The pods that it uses are pretty reasonable and it had good reviews online.  I only wish I could have gotten it in red or black, rather than cream... sad face.  It's still very pretty, though.

Oooh Shiny!

This coffee maker is super-fancy.  I mean- for realz.  Like SUPER fancy.  It's got this little container that you put milk in and you can make lattes and cappuccinos.  Are you impressed?  I was.  It's got one attachment to froth the milk and another to just mix it.  The attachments attach magnetically to the thingie, which can make the milk either hot or cold.

The 2 attachments with the milk thingie (technical term) in the background.

The one on top makes foam and the one on bottom just froths is a little bit.

We've been trying out the different flavours that came with the machine.  They come in these adorable brightly coloured capsules.

I was a little overwhelmed the first time I used it because of it's aforementioned fanciness.  Once I read through the instructions and had one latte under my belt, my fears dissolved.  It's very easy to make a drink that is at least as good as one from your local coffee shop.

Here's how you use it to make a latte:

Make sure the water tank has enough in it and turn the machine on.  (Duh!)

The water tank is on the back of the machine.

Pop the capsule into the machine.

Close up.

Further away.

Once you've put on the appropriate attachment in place, pour your milk into the container and place it on the stand.

The little attachment sticks to a nub magnetically.

Put your coffee cup under the spout and press the "big cup" button on top of the machine.

Press the button on the milk container.

Go for milk!

Wait for the coffee to brew and the milk is mix and heat.

Fresh espresso.

Frothy, hot milk.

Pour the milk into the coffee mug.  Add your sugar and enjoy!

Self-portrait of enjoyment.

Overall:  While this machine is on the pricey side, you could definitely make it pay for itself by using it to replace expensive Starbucks runs.  I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of use.   Even though it looks a bit complicated, it isn't and it's certainly easier than an espresso machine with the metal arm to steam milk.  Ross, who like plain black coffee, has struggled a bit to find the right coffee flavour and make up.  I think we'll get some Americano capsules soon and that should solve that problem.  The capsules are available pretty reasonably on amazon.co.uk (48 capsules for £10.38) and you can get refillable capsules if you'd rather use your own blend of coffee than their pre-prepared ones.
Bottom line:  If you love lattes or cappuccinos then this machine will rock your world!

**The Nespresso people have no idea who I am.  They didn't sponsor this post or give me anything in return for it.  I just think our new coffee maker is really cool and wanted to share it with you.