• Travel

    Minneapolis, MN

    Stone Arch Bridge My first visit to an American city outside of the top 20. And depending on when you read this, Minneapolis is ranked in position 46. My draw to visit this city was a conference. And this is how I would summarise Minneapolis, a conference city. Located along the Mississippi River at mile marker 854. Which is also the location of the only naturally occurring water falls along the Mississippi River, the Saint Anthony Falls. This then meant I had the ability to see the Mississippi from (almost) both ends. Our trip to New Orleans in March means we saw the Mississippi from mile marker 90.3. To mix…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Presidential Letter

    Presidential Letter Whether or not you agree with the President of the United States, recieving a letter addressed to your new born is still a souvenier worth obtaining. However, there are a few restrictions. The letter needs to be requested within Baby’s first year. And only United State citizens are eligable for Presdiential letters. Each President has a different process of obtaining a Presidential Letter, so it is best to check the President’s website. An example of the content letter that we sent is below; Mrs <Mum’s name> and Mr <Dad’s name> are proud to welcome Ms <Baby’s name> to the world. Born in .  Please send <Baby’s name> greeting…

  • Food & Drink

    Baby Back Ribs

    Baby Back Ribs  1/5  4/5 Difficulty Rating Cuisine: Servings: Prep Time: Cook Time: Total Time:  American4-610 minutes2 hours2 hours Ingredients Ribs, 1 rack baby-back  Honey, 4 tbsp (or Syrup) Ginger, 1 knob Garlic, 6 cloves 5 Spice, 1/2 teaspoon White Vinegar, 1/8 Cup Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup Water, 1 cup Vegetable Oil Pepper (optional) Method Preheat an oven to 350° F (175° C), and preheat a Dutch Oven with a small amount of Vegetable Oil on the stove top. Add a light coat of pepper to the ribs. Finely chop the Garlic and Ginger, combined in a bowl with 5 Spice, White Vinegar, Soy Sauce and, Water. Sear the ribs in the hot…

  • Travel

    Toronto, ON

    Toronto Previously known as York, Toronto received it’s current name in 1834. We came to Toronto to catch up with friends, as well as to make our way to Niagara Falls. Toronto is a big sprawling city in need of better public transportation infrastructure. With the baby’s stroller we walked to all the sights, no not to Niagara. We probably could have caught a bus to get around, but didn’t want to waste time trying to sort out the routes and payments. The airport is a whole level of weird. If you can’t clear immigration via the automated computer, due to a weird visa or something, then it’s always slow.…

  • Travel

    Niagara Falls, ON

    Horseshoe Falls and American Falls We headed to Niagara Falls for the day from Downtown Toronto. The drive is approx. 90 minutes and 132 km drive away. We parked at Skylon Tower, 5200 Robinson St, and cost $10 for the day. To get to the falls we went down a level to the arcade and towards the south west corner and down the stairs, turning left on Murray St. At the corner of Murray St and Niagara Parkway is the Niagara Parks Welcome Center. Tickets to attractions can be pre-purchased here. Cross the Niagara Parkway and you be faced with the American Falls to the left, and the impressive Horseshoe…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Choosing Cloth Diapering System!

    So much cloth diapering products to choose~ Here is how to decide what to get! Our baby girl turned 5-months old! We have been trying out cloth diapering for the last three month. Personally the reason and motivation are quite obvious: I don’t have to keep buying disposables and there are no more plastic going to the landfill. However, the idea on what to use was not so forthcoming. We started researching the topic months before the baby was born. Suffice to say there are no shortage of blog posts, databases and YouTube videos online that gives detailed run-down on the terminologies and use of cloth diapers, as well as…

  • Food & Drink,  Travel

    The Food of New Orleans, LA

    Cochon Fried Alligator and Louisiana Cochon New Orleans is famous for its foods. Beignets, Jambalaya, Gumbo, P’boy, Crawfish Etouffee. While our stomachs are only a certain size, we tried to put a dint in the local seafood population. Day 1 Our first stop was Drago’s. Drago’s apparently invented the char grilled oyster. These were the best I had while we were visiting. As the oysters weren’t a meal we grabbed the Alligator Tacos and Seafood Gumbo to complete lunch. As this was a late lunch around 3pm, we got a table immediately. Annoyingly we lost internet on both of our phones, so just wondered aimlessly until we decided it was…

  • Travel

    New Orleans, LA

    Jackson Square Louisiana, so named after King Louis XIV, and New Orleans so named after the Duke of Orleans. New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The Louisiana Purchase occurred in 1803, where the USA bought Louisiana from the French. New Orleans is comprised of a number of districts, such as the French Quarter, The Garden District, Downtown and, the Arts Warehouse District, amongst others we didn’t manage to have time to explore. And despite popular portrayal in TV and movies, the Bayou isn’t behind the French Quarter. French Quarter The reason to visit the big easy. The French Quarter is thirteen blocks by seven…