NYC Q&A

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Since I am loving telling you so much about my little New York adventure last week I thought it might be fun to ask what it is you actually want to know and then just directly answer. I put it to twitter, with #LouInNYC and you asked so here are my answers!

(One of my little iPhone snaps from the high line. Have I mentioned that much? Haha)

What was one of the funniest moments to happen in New York?

This is easy. I was standing at Google during a break from the speeches we were listening to, talking to Dan, Phil and John Green. We were talking about a particular element of David Blaine's talk and I don't know what came over me but all of a sudden I did the most inappropriate hand gesture. As soon as I did it, I caught Dan's eye and knew it was all over. I apologised profusely through tears and laughter to John and Phil but it was too late, the giggles had set in and I was a mess!

What things should you pack to take on a long plane journey?

Every time I go on a plane I take pretty much the same things- passport, money, phone (loaded with good music to keep me happy), headphones, essential makeup & skincare and snacks. Snacks are important! This time though I also took my (for grown ups!) colouring/doodle book and pens. It was very soothing to just doodle about in it whilst I chatted to everyone. 

Weirdest thing a fan or friend gave to you for your birthday?

I wasn't really given a lot of gifts because the most important thing to me was time spent and experiences so my friends very kindly took me out for dinner and such but one gift that was really unusual was a song. 

Favourite food you ate in NYC?

Chinese noodles at Tao. OMG I need more. Now. 

If you could have taken one element of NYC home with you then what would it be?

The jetlag! I realise this sounds nuts but because my timings were all off, it was so so easy to wake up in the mornings and get going with the day! I wish it could be like that here!

What was having your birthday in NYC like?

Magical. 

How did you survive the busy city when you don't like change?

The first few hours were really overwhelming and I felt so out of my comfort zone. Then, after a while I got used to it and Maddie pointed out that you can't get lost because the streets are all in a grid system so that made me feel a lot more secure. 

What actually happened with the fans? I heard many things.

I've heard lots of things too so I'm happy to set the record straight. Nothing happened. I've seen a lot of rumours about me being mobbed or having a panic attack but that just didn't happen. In fact, I found the viewers I met in New York to be super chill, really gentle, none of them screamed or shouted at me and when one or two did, they quickly stopped and just smiled/waved. I stood and chatted easily and comfortably to them and really enjoyed our interactions. As far as I'm concerned, all positive experiences. 

Did you see any celebrities whilst you were there?

Mmmhmmmm. I met David Blaine, watched Snoop Dog talk and then DJ at a party, listened to talks from Wes Anderson and Mark Ronson and also saw Mark and Bruno Mars perform at Brandcast. Amazing! (Also yanno, I was sat in a room with the likes of John Green, Troye Sivan, Grace Helbig etc). 

Will you be doing a video on what you bought?

Sadly not because I did zero shopping. Cray cray!

Will you be going back this summer?

I'm definitely going back to the states this summer but I'm not sure yet if that includes New York. I'm going to Seattle next week to see Marie and then VidCon in California in July. 

What was the biggest cultural difference you noticed in NY compared to the UK?

I felt like people working in the service industry were a lot more friendly. I liked it. 

Was there a particular reason you found the intensity easier to deal with this time?

I think because I had Maddie my Manager there. Last time I had to be on control of everything myself and manage my own schedule and get myself to where I needed to be, but with Maddie there, things were a lot lot lot easier. I love that woman!

How did you find the helicopter flight and what was the favourite thing you did?

It was incredible. I love looking at things from up high and I also love roller coasters and thrill rides so this was right up my street. The city looked so shiny and beautiful. I actually cried for almost the entire trip because I loved it so very, very much. 

What one American shop would you bring to England?

Sephora. Please UK get a Sephora!

Was your hotel room nice?

So nice. We stayed at Dream Downtown. At first I was really freaked out by the weird mix of new and old (I vlogged about this), but eventually I acclimatised and loved it so much. The lobby in particular was gorgeous. I would have liked to have spent more time there I think. Snazzy hotel lobbies are my fave. I'm such a hotel addict. 

Thoughts on John Green's speech?

Wonderful. John Green is such an inspiration to me. I love how business minded he is, how smart he is and how whenever we see each other, we exchange tres funny stories about our kids, we have proper saddo parent moments and I love it. 

His speech made me think about a lot of things and feel really impressed by how much he's achieved. 

Did you get home sickness?

Yes. As soon as we left the airport and got on the little bus to go to the hotel I started to feel really upset and far from home. It helped a lot that my friends were there. I ended up just putting my headphones on and zoning out a bit to calm down. 

In my hotel room I let it take over a bit and got totally worked up, over messaged my friend about the decor and headed to Maddie's room for laptop time. 

Four hours later I was totally settled and happy as a clam. Usually it takes longer than that so a success I think. 

What did you think of the Google tablet?

I thought it was incredibly generous of them to give us one! I haven't had a proper play with it yet. Since I already have a tablet I'm thinking about giving it to a friend who doesn't have one. 

What was it like doing magic with David Blaine?

Basically amazing. I was so freaking excited when I realised he was in the room so to go up on stage with him was a bit mind blowing. I was not cool. I was a giddy mess. I loved it. 

What were some sights or experiences you weren't able to vlog?

Haha, there were a few sweet moments during the week that are just recorded in my memory. One thing I wished I'd filmed more of was the view from the Empire State Building but you know how it is, sometimes you just live the moment. 

What was your favourite outfit that you wore in NYC?

Without a shadow of a doubt the sequined holographic dress I wore on my birthday night. I felt like a futuristic princess! I looked on ASOS to actually buy another one to have as backup (yeah, that's how much I loved it), but it's sold out. Wahhh. 

Would you like to take Darcy there?

I think when she's a lot bigger I would but right now I'm just about managing to survive it myself!

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Thank you for all of your questions, I love answering the things you wanna know about. Next week I'm taking Darcy to see Marie in Seattle so maybe we could do this for that as well?

Toodlepip!

xx

Florida 2013 in Photos

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

It's been a long time coming but at last, I have edited the snaps I took during our family holiday to Florida a few weeks back. Considering my passion for photography, I took surprisingly few pictures because I chose to focus primarily on experiencing each moment (and, of course I filmed it too haha) so this is just a glimpse into all the fun. 

I would quite happily book another holiday and spend every minute taking pictures of every little detail the whole place was so amazing. I can absolutely see why families spend thousands of pounds every year to go.

Warning - not all the pictures are in order. Sorry!

This is my favourite picture from the entire batch so of course, this had to go first. Watching Darcy enjoy the day time parade was my absolute highlight of the trip. Seeing her face delight in all the familiar characters and watching her tiny hands wave and point in glee was just one of those moments that as a parent you treasure for always. She still talks about seeing 'Sinnerwella' and I still smile. 

Despite a decade age gap, me and my little sister (or Lister as I like to call her) are just as much friends as sisters and I love being on holiday with her. I hope we carry on doing things like this in years to come. This is us waiting for I think the ET ride, which Lister hated. She can watch the most scary films but put ET on and she's outta there!

Oh hai there that man I married. How charming you look in glasses.  

Darcy meeting Curious George and thinking he was the coolest thing ever. She went straight over and was happy to sit on his lap (with dolly and blankie too of course). 

Tina (Dad's partner) and Ben (Tina's son and so my step-brother) having a moment with George.  

I have no idea who this was meant to be but she was so sweet to Darcy (no pun intended) and totally rocked pink hair.  

After a day in Universal Studios (highlights including Darcy meeting Dora the Explorer, Matt enjoying the Transformers ride and me eating my weight in popcorn *drools*) we meandered out of the park and to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. If you ever have the opportunity to go, do. I'm not really a music person (I like it on the in the car and such but I couldn't tell you anything about who does what etc) but I thought the atmosphere was really good and the service was excellent. Also, I'm told it's a Christian British company- who knew? Not me!

What I love most about the above is the lady in pink living it up there. Haha. 

Be still my beating heart, it's Disney. Main street is MAGICAL.  

My little bug watching the Good Morning parade thingymajiggy.  

I could have spent all day just looking at things in main street. Every tiny detail was beautifully done and cared for. More time please! 

Matt took this from across the road as we watched Mickey and a few other characters come down on floats. Oh, and the random native american guy there. You might have noticed Darcy's costume change too. We forked out the $64 (whhaatt?!?!) to buy her the most beautiful Ariel dress and honestly, her reaction when we put it on her in the shop was worth $6400. She was THRILLED and pointed it out to us ALL DAY. What made it even more special was that all the disney cast members greeted her as 'Ariel' as we went round the park and really made Darcy feel amazing.  

Mosiac inside Cinderella's castle. Again, something to spend more time admiring in the future.  

I love this shot of Darcy, my Dad and Tina. She is a very well loved child.  

This is Hollie our new(ish) step-sister. Her and Tiyana are so close in age and get on perfectly so they were often in their own little world of searching out free wifi (seriously, they're obsessed) and going on rides.  

In America they have these cereal/snack bar things called 'Cliff Bars'. Next time I'm out there I'm stocking up because she bloomin' well loved them and they were the perfect treat to tide her over between main meals. Also, we told her they were biscuits so she thought she was getting lucky. Mwahaha.  

'The Kids' (who aren't really all kids) waiting for the parade. We guarded that scrap of pavement like crazies.  

Gargh I wanna squish all 4 of those sweet faces! 

Yeah, I know, super close up. I wanted to crop out all the other random people and I couldn't leave this picture out because LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY BOTH ARE. That is all.  

Darcy's most special moment. Cinderella looked right at us and waved. Darcy squealed. I die.  

 My most specials. 

Splash Mountain was shut and so the rest of our group went off to go on something else (I forget what). Top tip for you though, if you walk past the entrance to the ride, under the bridge there is a little kiddie play area in the shade which is a welcome break for tots who have been in the sun all day and a great place for parents to sit down and take a breather. Right round the corner (by the loos, benches and drinking fountains), there were Jesse and Woody meeting guests. It was well tucked away so the queue was small and it was a great way to spend an easy 30 minutes before we joined up with everyone. 

 I'd heard that if you shout, 'Andy's coming!' then the Toy Story characters drop to the ground and play dead. Not true anymore. They had to stop that for health and safety and the line is, 'they know Andy is at collage now so it isn't an issue anymore'. 

Waiting for the evening parade and fireworks display.  

Amazing. I took over 100 photos but didn't want to throw them all on here but seriously, it was the best fireworks and lights display I've ever seen. Darcy was enthralled, happy and ready for home. 

Being the science geeks we are, Nasa Kennedy Space Centre was our next day out. If you are into things like this, I'd really recommend making the drive and going out there. You can take a bus tour all round Cape Canaveral and drive right up to (and get out to photograph) the real launch pads, buildings the space craft are assembled in and listen to talks from retired astronauts.  

It's not a day for rides and popcorn but it's so interesting and I think it's important to know about the developments we are making in space exploration and to appreciate the work that NASA does. Also, the centre is a lot less busy than the theme parks so if you need a bit of chilled time, this is the place to go. It was one of my best days. 

This part is where I should be showing you pictures of our day at Seaworld. I recently put a snap up on Instagram of Darcy looking at a polar bear and the comments section went wild with debate over whether Seaworld is ethical. I have since done a little bit of research and have decided not to feature any Seaworld pictures and will not be returning to the park. I am glad they seek to provide a message of education and promote ways to protect the oceans but feel deeply sad for the way the whales were captured in the 80's and don't think it's right to keep wild animals in tanks. We don't visit zoos for this same reason. I'm not sorry I went there because if I hadn't have gone I wouldn't have had an opinion but I don't think I will be returning. 

Anyway, serious part done, Islands of Adventure!! 

Matt and is ultimate hero.  

Honeydukes in Hogwarts.  

A rare find- healthy food in a theme park. If you are travelling with littles and you want them to eat healthily (Darcy doesn't have pizza, burgers, chips etc which is mostly what was on the menu) then pack plenty of snacks/sandwiches and keep your eyes peeled for the fruit stands. The fruit we bought was fresh and cold and lovely.  

We on the other hand didn't eat so healthily. Churro after being soaked on a water ride anyone? 

Darcy feeling very daring in a flying fish.  

And then on a flying pink elephant.  

My little photographer back at the hotel. 

And then it was a few last shops (sweets are essential you know) and back to the airport.  

Darcy found a unique place to hang out whilst we waited to board, haha.

And that's that!

I want to write a whole post on Travelling with Toddlers in the New Year (December is fully booked with Vlogmas- eeep!) and of course there will be the Florida vlogs but for now, those are a selection of our snaps.

Ermigerhd that was the BEST holiday ever. I've been to America with my family many times over the years but due to the nature of my turbulent childhood family life, it was always with different mother figures or siblings and there were always rows or disagreements or horrible feelings. Living in a 'blended family' (I LOVE that term) can be really challenging and pose a lot of problems (as I have well experienced) but at last, after twenty years, I think our family is happy and peaceful and as it should be. I couldn't be more thankful for Tina, Ben and Hollie, especially as they arrived just as Darcy did and so Darcy will only ever know the good times and will never have tasted the bad. Long may it continue!!

I'd love to know your experiences of holidaying in large groups or with families, or with littles like Darcy! Tell me in the comments!

Toodlepip!

xx

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Los Angeles 2013

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

If you follow me on any of my social platforms (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr etc) you will no doubt know that this month I flew out to LA for 10 days to attend Vidcon and also to have some well deserved (ha) R&R with my friends in a house that we rented together.

Latest insta-snaps.

I took so many photos on my phone and vlogging camera and scattered them across the net as I shared them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr and I wanted somewhere central to have them all together.

Aside from a few that I am holding back for future instagrams, this is them. I mostly vlogged the experience (which you can check out on Sprinkle of Chatter) but I love a quick snap here and there.

If I went again (and wasn't filming it), I would take my big girl camera out and photograph everything to buggery, it was such a beautiful place. 

 Alfie and I make our pretty faces. 

For the lady who ends up with Joe- you are lucky. He is an absolute gem and was so lovely to me the whole trip. I want to squish him 24/7. 

My BFF Sully. 

 My real BFF Zoe. We're like peas in a pod- the petite pois and the broad bean ;) 

The gang. Can you tell who's who?

It was lovely to catch up with Kandee Johnson again after meeting her this Spring. She was such a doll and I loved being blonde hair twins. It's the simple things. 

You know those times when you want desperately to be cool? This was one of them. You know those times when you just come across as a babbling clutz? This was also one of them. *Sighs*

I have been watching Karen on YouTube for a little while now and admiring her creativity and enthusiasm and looking forward to potentially bumping into her at some point during my trip. Unfortunately, the point that I did bump into her was after one too many complimentary cocktails at a party and proceeded to rapidly say (very loudly) every single thing that was in my head, including, 'My husband and I can't NOT see the fedex arrow now!!!!'. -If you watch her videos, you'll get that joke. 

Basically, I think Karen's channel is BRILLIANT. I have learnt so much from her craft/tech tutorials and find her really entertaining to watch. I could go on and on all day but this isn't the time. Karen, if you do ever read this, it was such a pleasure to meet you and I hope one day to have a better (aka more sober) chat! Thank you for having a picture with me. NB- Drinking too much isn't cool. Always drink responsibly.

Tyler looking like the Don. 

My newest chum Nikki Phillippi. I've been a viewer of Nikki's channel for quite some time now and always admired her peppy personality and ability to make EVERYTHING interesting. Seriously, I've sat through 20 minute grocery hauls before haha. 

We met at Playlist and planned to film but time escaped us so this time we made fixed arrangements and a video will be with you very soon. Be excited, I am. 

Nikki and I had so much in common and instantly hit it off. I look forward to spending more time with her at future events. :)

 Louis and the LA Sunset. 

Guess who got lucky and was offered a ticket to see 1D open in LA? Yeah, you guessed it, ME! Joey, his friend and I had an absolute blast and if you stay tuned for the vlogs, you'll see how crazy things got. 

The view from the house we rented. Amazing. 

Too much fun was had in this pool. Ever ridden an inflatable whale? I have. 

Always time for a spot of shopping before you head to the airport.  

Golden light and 1960's structures. Be still my beating heart. 

Reading your beautiful letters at the departure gate. 

Naturally these pictures don't reflect all the special people I met or the amazing moments I had but they are a fun representative of my trip. 

Corny as this sounds, I learnt a lot this past fortnight. I learnt that whilst stepping out of your comfort zone is incredibly frightening (and can lead to secret sobbing in airport toilets) it usually results in good things. I learnt that going with the flow allows adventures to happen. I learnt that having no wifi can be extremely liberating and I learnt that I am stronger than I thought I was. I also learnt that the most interesting things in the world, no matter where you go are people. No matter what they do or where they come from they all have stories to share and they are worth listening to. 

LA, you were great. Let's do it again sometime. 

Would you like to hear more about the trip, LA or Vidcon? Leave a question and I'll do a follow up Q&A post. 

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Toodlepip!

xx