2010 June — American Girl in Chelsea

A clever little diddy for your iphone…

June 30, 2010 by Christy Osborne 1 Comment

Do you ever have those moments where you think to yourself, “I wish I would have thought of that!” I do ALL the time. (It began when Juicy came out circa 2003- I mean why couldn’t I have thought of cute sweatpants!)

ANYWAYS, one of the perks of starting this little blog is that I’ve had some things sent to me to review for my American Girls- MoviePeg, is one of those things!

I was on a plane once, and because it was a short jump, we didn’t have a movie screen. I was prepared though and brought my iphone loaded with TV shows I wanted to watch. Well, in the process of trying to prop up my iphone so I could watch said shows, I knocked my drink all over me.

Enter the MoviePeg! If you don’t have an ipad yet (or have it with you) its the perfect little diddy to prop up your iphone to watch wherever you want to! You can also use it in the kitchen for following recipes, as a night stand for your alarm clock, or as a tripod for your camera. AND it’s only £4.99.

MoviePeg is available online, on Amazon.co.uk or at Liberty!

I wish I thought of that!

Cheers! xx

Filed Under: iphone, iphone stand, MoviePeg, Other Diddies, Practical Tid-Bits, Travel

Getting the mini’s a passport…

June 29, 2010 by Christy Osborne 2 Comments

Hey AG’s! One of the most complicated things about having a child abroad is figuring out how to get them a passport, social security, etc. Thankfully, if you know the right steps, and are on top of it, the process can be relatively painless. Here’s the low-down…

In order to get your child a US passport if they were born in the UK:

(1) Go to the city-hall and pick up the birth certificate. There are two types here, the long form and the short form. The short form is given to you for free, but you need to request and pay for the long form. This is the only one that the US embassy with accept. Additionally, AG would suggest getting multiple copies of the long form certificate as it is the one that will be asked for if you ever move back to the US.

(2) Book an appointment at the US embassy for a) a consular report of foreign birth application, b) a passport application and c) a SS number application. You can book all of these together on their website and do it in advance as there is a wait of at least a couple of months. You can get all of the applications and instructions off of the website as well. Folllow them exactly or they will turn down your application.

(3) Finally, you will need the following for your appointment:

1. Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad application form (Available online).

2. Original passport application form (Available online).

3. Original Social Security form (Available online).

4. Copy of child’s long-form birth certificate (Pick up at city hall)

5. Copy of parents’ official marriage certificate, the state certificate issued and sealed by the civil authorities.

6. Copy of parents’ divorce decrees, if applicable;

7. Copy of both parents’ passports.

8. A passport photo. (These are a tad difficult to capture for babies. We went to Snappy Snaps.)

9. Money! You will need to pay for the application, and to have the passport delivered by courier (unless you decide to bring a self-addressed and pre-paid envelope. I would suggest the courier.)

P.S. You may also need to get a visa for your child. If you or your partner’s company sponsored your visa, then it’s best to ask them.

Good luck AG’s!

Cheers! xx

Filed Under: How to get a US passport for baby born in London, Mummy and Me, passport for baby born in UK, passport for US baby abroad, Practical Tid-Bits, US Embassy

A tip for cruisin’ around Europe…

June 28, 2010 by Christy Osborne 1 Comment

A good friend of hubby and I recently recommended the rental car company Sixt. I was eager to try pretty much any rental car company after a disaster with Hertz last summer in Italy. The car that was given to us stalled out on each Tuscan hill we attempted to climb, creating a backlog of traffic, and two very frustrated American tourists. We thought we would be in great hands because our American Express card automatically guarantees us Hertz Gold Club, but to be honest, the whole experience was a nightmare.

So, here’s my tip for all you AG’s renting cars this summer. First off, book through Sixt. Second, book the cheapest automatic car available on the web. Most European destinations only have a handful of automatics, and these get sold out very quickly, so you are more likely to get an automatic upgrade. (We ended up in St Tropez with a lovely E-Class!) Finally, check in online. In some locations if you do the online check-in, you can simply pick up your keys at a kiosk, bypassing any long line of people.

Ok AG’s- get cruisin’. Whats your best travel tip?

{Photo via AskJdog}

Cheers! xx

Filed Under: Practical Tid-Bits, Rental Cars, Renting holiday cars, Sixt, St. Tropez, Travel, Tuscany

If you can’t make it to centre court this year…

June 25, 2010 by Christy Osborne Leave a Comment

This is my first summer in London not attending Wimbledon and we’re trying something new. Bluebird on the Kings Road has put up a GIANT screen and is showing all of the key matches, with a special champagne cocktail menu. I can’t wait to try the “Mixed Double,” stawberries, Pimms, and champagne!

Not only is it convenient, and civilized, but there is tons of shade (can’t say that about centre court). So you can drool over watch Roger, Andy, and Rafa, without sweating all your make-up off. Wimbledon runs from June 21-July 4, and Bluebird shows the matches every day at 1:00 PM. Just make sure you make a reservation if you want to watch the ladies’ or men’s finals (which begin at 2:00 PM).

Forget the hassle of getting to and from Wimbledon, enjoy your strawberries and cream in SW3!

{Photo via Foodepedia}

Cheers! xx

Filed Under: Bluebird, Eat and Drink, Entertainment, Pimms, Strawberries and Cream, Where to watch Wimbledon, Wimbledon

A little bit of 90210 in London..

June 24, 2010 by Christy Osborne Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t love mini-muffins?! I do, I do!

I’ve been dying to do a post on Beverly Hills Bakery (yes, they are located IN London) ever since we received a basket from them when I was in the hospital having Mini AG. This place is absolutely to-die-for-yummy!

We received the classic basket which included all sorts of little muffins including; double chocolate, lemon, blueberry, strawberry & white chocolate, carrot raisin, apple & cinnamon and raspberry! It also had chocolate chip, double chocolate and oatmeal raisin cookies. AND, they also included their famous double fudge brownies.

This Beverly Hills Bakery also do cakes, cupcakes, and adorable tins- perfect for sending for birthdays, congratulatory gifts, or just if you want to treat your friends to something totally delicious!!