Happy Holidays

Although I have all gifts taken care of, one of the most important ones is missing, baby's. I am not having any "ahhh" moments lately, mostly because I can't seem to choose a gift that he goes crazy over. It could be that he is only 17 months old, but I am having a tough time. My husband is sorted, and is usually easy to shop for, since I usually go the electronics route. I also went that way for my M.I.L. since she is in serious need of technology!
I have the rest of today and Saturday to keep on looking. Fingers crossed.

I don't know about you guys, but I am also having a hell of a time keeping my baby's hands off the xmas tree. He has pulled out every single decoration he can reach. Right now it kind of looks bare on the bottom and full on the top!
Merry Christmas to everyone, and I hope that 2012 brings health and happiness, and most importantly peace to all.

M.I.A and Settembrini Café

I have been missing in action for the past month. Between a 2 week work trip, and a 2 week visit home, I have not had time to post.

I paid a visit to Settembrini café last weekend by accident. We thought we had booked at the restaurant but the lady who took the reservation failed to mention that. She also failed to remember that we booked for 4 plus a baby who needed his stroller to fit by the table or have a high chair provided. When we arrived, the waiter looked at us in horror when we placed the stroller by the table since it blocked the space they had to move around in. He looked at us in horror again when we asked for a high chair. He suggested we put the baby in our lap. Hmmm, it was obvious the guy has no idea what having a baby means. Anyway, other than that service was slow and inefficient, the menu was boring, and very limited, while the food was just acceptable.

I look forward to going back to the restaurant since the location is nice and the interior looked very cozy and perfect for a romantic dinner on a cold night, but I will not be going back to the café.
( By the way, the café used to be Giolitti).

Metamorfosi

I've been craving a dining experience lately, not just a restaurant where you are served good food. I wanted a new place, different menu, different atmosphere. So, off we went to Metamorfosi in Parioli in search of this dining experience, and all in all it was what I wanted. We went with the classic tasting menu of 5 courses for 70 euros, and added the wine tasting that went along with it for 30 euros. The tasting menu went like this:
amuse bouche        
raw red shrimp with avocado, wild oyster cream  (Gamberi rossi e avocado Crema di ostriche selvatiche)
65 degree egg with pancetta, parmesan foam  served with pasta chips  (Uovo 65° carbonara)
risotto with snail  and parsley (Risotto bianco  Lumache e prezzemolo)
almond crusted lamb  (Agnello croccante alle mandorle Melanzane e crema gelata al “gin-epro)
banana with armagnac in white chocolate foam  (Cioccolato, banane caramellate e Armagnac)

Like I said this was accompanied with the wine tasting that went something like this: prosecco for the first two courses, chardonnay for the risotto, artiginal beer for the lamb, and a sweet wine for dessert. I was a bit disappointed with the wine tasting since I had the idea that each course would be accompanied with a different wine, so that I would end up trying 5 different wines. Secondly, I do not like beer, and was not even asked if I wanted beer with my lamb or if I preferred a red wine (yes please)! Third, I found the dessert wine a little too strong for my dessert since the dessert was very delicate in taste.
The food on the other hand was quite good. I loved the red shrimp and avocado, liked the egg dish, which is a deconstructed carbonara, but found it to be a little too heavy. The risotto with snail was good, since I love the texture that snail adds, taste was good. Loved the lamb, although at this point I was starting to feel too full due to the heavier egg and risotto dishes, that I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked, and obviously the beer just brought things down further. It was however the most succulent lamb I have ever tasted, cooked perfectly, with the most perfect almond crust, served with an eggplant strip and a sorbet of juniper berry. Finally the dessert....I am the kind of person who thinks there is always room for dessert. Strangely enough this time I did not have a major sweet craving after my meal, and am not a fan of white chocolate. I was very surprised that this dessert was the right amount of sweet, did not have a strong white chocolate taste but a rather creamy foam instead that was heavenly, and then the banana and armagnac.
All in all, a lovely dining experience, friendly staff, even friendlier chef who came out to greet the diners and ask how everything went. The mood in this restaurant is relaxed, dim lighting, pretty silent but not in a stuffy way, in a relaxing way.

Mandaloun (Lebanese Restaurant)

It has been a while since my last post. I have had no inspiration to blog. BUT, I have been meaning to write a review of a new Lebanese restaurant that I visited recently. 
Mandaloun is part of an International chain, which in this case is a good thing. I am not a fan of Arabic restaurants in Rome, mainly because they are just not that good. Mandaloun however is pretty authentic Lebanese cuisine. You have all sorts of typical mezze, hot and cold, the ones that I liked most : hummus, baba ganoush, warak enab (stuffed vine leaves), kebbe, fatayer. The mixed grill of minced lamb kofta, meat kebab, and chicken kebab were good too. The mixed mezze and grill menu costs 29 euro a person and is for minimum of 2. 
Ambience - the interior is very bright and classic in style. No oriental decor, except for a few lamps here and there. There is no natural light since it is under street level. There are a few outdoor tables which is nice. 
Service is good, although our waitress was a little slow, and waited far too long to come get our order.
All in all, pretty good experience, will definitely be going back soon.


Update: I have been back to Mandaloun several times and have to also recommend the felafel, and also the roast lamb which came with a nice sauce and some spiced riced.


Mandaloun
Via di Porta Pinciana, 16/B
Roma
06 6482 4507

Sheraton Diana Majestic

Stayed here recently on a trip to Milan. The first pic is of the gardens where breakfast is served when the weather is nice, and drinks can be enjoyed at night. The pictures do not do the hotel justice. I have to say it was a nice hotel, clean and spacious room and bathroom, and very comfy bed. Although this is not the most modern hotel, the lobby and bar area are quite modern while the rooms have been recently refurbished, though classic but clean in style. Decent buffet breakfast served in gardens, but costs 27 euros if not included in room price! This hotel is about a 20 minute walk from the Duomo. 

NHOW

Stayed at this very hip and happening hotel while on a trip to Milan. The room was comfortable and the place was surprisingly quiet. It is a huge hotel, even though it doesn't feel like it. The location (Navigli) is a plus since it is quite trendy with many bars and restaurants around. Good breakfast buffet.

Holy chocolate orgasm !!

I had the most amazing pistachio ice cream last night at this Milan chocolate hot spot! This place is dessert heaven, all things chocolate. If its ice cream you're after, you pick your flavors, and before they scoop it on the cone they run the cone under the chocolate fountain of your choice (dark or white) and then top it off with the ice cream. What you are left with is an amazing chocolaty cone to devour, after the ice cream is gone. I am already planning a repeat trip before I go back home to Rome!!!!

www.cioccolatitaliani.it 

Can a girl just rant....

Picking up from a previous post about celebrities making their post baby bod reveal, well it has happened, Victoria Beckham has come out of her 2 month hiding and she is back to her size ZERO!!!! I can only imagine what her diet has been like, grape for breakfast, an almond for lunch, and a strawberry for dinner??

Anyhow, I have just about had it with the craziness going on in my palazzo. First it was the noisy family that moved in upstairs, walking around in heels, bouncing balls at all hours of the day. Last night as I was floating off to sleep, I hear major banging on the door a floor below us. Strange, who would be rude enough to do this at 12.30 am? I then hear the elevator, and I assume it's over but no, she went outside and started yelling out the persons name, once, twice, thrice, each time a little louder and longer. I thought to myself this just can't be f***ing happening. So I go to the living room, open the window and start reminding the weird signora (since she was about 50)  that it is 12.30am, some of us have kids, and if she is worried about this person who is not answering CALL THE POLICE.

I've had it with the noisiness of this city. I am not sure if it is the area where I live or what, but I am starting to look for a new place because between AMA and their 4am street cleaning (that goes on for 45 mins), crazy neighbors, and traffic noise, I am turning in to a sleep deprived nasty person.

Any noise horror stories out there to make me feel better? Do share.

Yes folks, they are back!

Well, I didn't get my wish, and everyone is back, and Rome is full again, and I probably will be circling like mad for a parking spot the next time I take the car. Anyhow, the other day we decided to take advantage of leaving work at a decent time, and having 30 mins before baby duties resume to have an aperitivo at Gusto. There were lots of empty tables outside and so we ordered our wine and filled up our plate from their well stocked buffet. I have to say most of the food was good, wine was ok. I had a wine called passerina, which I have never tried before. Price for 2, €20. 

Rome in August

How wonderful it is to be able to drive places without traffic. This is one of the perks of being in Rome this month. The bliss is about to come to an end in a few days, but I am really hoping that the crowds stay on holiday at least until the end of next week. Shops are open, some restaurants are open, yet there is a nice "calm" in the air. Maybe it's because we don't have to drive around in circles for an hour looking for a parking space close to home, or wait in long lines, or sit in traffic, or zig zag around people when walking on the pavement. The only thing that would complete this moment of peace is slightly cooler weather. The high today is supposed to be 39 C.  Considering the humidity factor, it will feel like 45 C, and that is just too much heat for this Rome girl to handle!

What is wrong with this picture?

It's the fact that Ivanka Trump gave birth just one month ago and here she is flaunting her post baby bod, which doesn't seem at all like she had a baby! I am so sick of seeing pictures of  celebrity moms 2 weeks after giving birth looking like it never happened. Why isn't anyone making a fuss about this? A lot was made of waif like models in magazines and on runways looking miserably thin and how they were terrible role models for young girls, and women in general . Everyday I am bombarded with images of actresses that seem like they starve themselves so that they can shed the baby weight in record time. Why am I taking this so personally? Well obviously because I am a mom who didn't find losing the baby weight to be so easy. My pre -baby weight was 54 kgs (119 lbs) and I gained 14 kgs (31 lbs) during my pregnancy, which is within the normal range. I ate whatever I wanted before, during, and after baby, so you could say that I didn't try to control my weight in any way until baby was 6 months old and I stopped breastfeeding. I was more "careful" but did not try to be extreme about my diet. The thing is, I thought it would be so easy to take the weight off, like it was before, just limit dessert, and carbs and voilà! Not so. It must be hormones or who knows what, but it was REALLY tough. The scale would not budge for months. It was stuck at this scary number, leaving me with about 8 kgs (18 lbs) to lose post baby. I then started running here and there, but really didn't have the time between a full time job and baby to be diligent about it. I followed a calorie controlled diet for about 2 months and that is finally when some of the weight started to shift. To make a long story short, 15 months after baby, I have 3 kgs (7 lbs) to go, to be back at my normal weight. It has been a struggle, but then again I didn't starve myself and exercise to death to fit into my jeans. I did however have to come to terms with the fact that whatever worked before, does not work now.  This brings me back to my initial point of the insanity of seeing pictures of stick thin actresses right after having a baby, and no one is up in arms about it. When will someone, anyone say something about this?

Gone fishing....

Buone vacanze a tutti!

Osteria Flaminio

It's really too bad that this place has terribly slow service, because otherwise it is quite a good restaurant. We sat inside even though there is outside seating. The menu is written on chalk boards throughout the restaurant. Interesting menu. We had calamari panzanella salad, a mixed seafood antipasto, mixed regular antipasto, cannoli with mozzarella and anchovy, and pata negra ham to start.  Spaghetti alle vongole, tender pork shoulder with potatoes, pork thigh, marinated grilled chicken followed. Dessert was millefoglie with chocolate, pistacchio cream in a crispy shell, and a type of ice cream sandwich. Excellent white wine.
The waiter warned us about the wait and even suggested that we order certain things over others in order to avoid an excessive wait, but honestly it seemed like the kitchen just couldn't get it together. I can understand waiting when a restaurant is full and it is peak dinner hour, however, we sat down at 10pm and the place was not even half full. The meal ended at 12.45 am, which is ridiculous. This is not a one off since our friends had been before and experienced the same wait. You be the judge, I however, will not be returning.

Giuda Ballerino

I had never heard of this restaurant, but found out that it had a Michelin star and so I was quite curious to try it out. I liked the fact that this restaurant is out of the way, it is on largo appio claudio. The outside seating during the Summer months is in a large piazza surrounded by apartment buildings, which really makes this place unique. We were with a large group of friends and had a tasting menu from the osteria, since the restaurant was not open that night. Our starters consisted of spiedini di Gamberi in pasta fillo con spuma di Mortadella ( shrimp wrapped in filo dough with Mortadella foam) Bocconcini di baccala in pastella ( fried cod ) and an assortment of  arancini (fried rice balls). Next came the pasta course which was Mezzi Paccheri alla Gricia con crema di zucchine romanesce e calamari croccanti (short pasta Gricia style with zucchini purée and crunchy calamari). To follow we had rabbit with olives, that I really didn't care for, maybe because I don't usually eat rabbit. To finish we had fried doughnuts with an orange sauce and nutella, and a deconstructed tiramisù. All in all it was a memorable meal for the occasion (we were celebrating a birthday) and for the new neighborhood. The food was good, but wasn't good enough to make a lasting impression. Definitely worth a try, especially since their prices are quite honest. 

Fregene Restaurants

A roundup of some of the restraurants I've been to, and what I think of them. I haven't gone into too much detail because I find most restaurants in Fregene to have more or less the same things. I only mention things that I find different, and focus on atmosphere since if you are going to make the trek to the beach, might as well be for a good cause!

San Giorgio - away from the beach, in the piazza of Maccarese you can find this restaurant. Nice atmosphere, good food, quite pricey. They have a large outdoor area.

St. Tropez  - I was really happy to find this 3 years ago since the food was good and a little different from the usual seafood you find everywhere. For example their polpette di cernia are amazing, and so is their sauté di cozze. Only problem is that their outdoor beachfront section is in serious need of a makeover. We are talking neon lights, so unromantic. Another con are their prices, quite high. The last time I remember we paid about 63 euros for a fish for two, which seemed a little exaggerated.  Beachfront.

Ondanomola - they opened the restaurant about 2 years ago, and it was excellent considering the quality and price. The atmosphere was beautiful, especially at night. The guy running it two years ago is not there anymore and I haven't been back since. The restaurant is still open for dinner. Beachfront.

La Scialuppa - very popular restaurant, interestingly decorated. This restaurants has its ups and downs over the years. Sometimes its good, sometimes its not. I don't find it to be more expensive than the rest, even though most people think it is. Beachfront.

Taverna del Pioniere - Oddly enough, this place has good meat, along with the usual seafood. Antipasto is the usual, nothing special, pasta is good. Secondi standard. Prices normal for Fregene. This restaurant is not near the beach.

L'Archetto - good place for pizza and seafood. Located internally, not by beach. Well known for their pizza dough balls drizzled with nutella. Heard their prices have increased recently.

Controvento - this is one of my favorites since it feels like you are eating right on the beach. It is on a raised, koisk type platform, and is open on all sides. Huge bar. Feels like you are in California. Good food. Prices like everywhere else, when I say this I mean on average 40 euro a person (this depends on how much wine is ordered).

Elen - small but cozy restaurant right behind the beach front. Elen has particular food since it is not the place for classic seafood dishes. Nice homemade seafood salad, calamari with beans, seafood soup. Their pastas are interesting - baccala (cod) with pinenuts, pesto, raisins and a take on gricia but with shrimp. Good crostatas and chocolate fondant for dessert. family run.

Calypso - this place is frequented by the locals since it is a no frills type of place. Good pizza, pasta, seafood in a family run atmosphere. The place is not by the beach, and has just 2 outside tables. The inside area is quite large with windows all round that are kept open during the Summer.

Fregene (Rome's wannabe St. Tropez)

Fregene holds a special place in my heart. For those of you not familiar with Rome, Fregene is a beach village about 40 minutes from Rome, not far from the airport. Its proximity to Rome, makes it an ideal place for people to commute during the Summer months, if one has property there or rents for the Summer. Prices are ridiculously high, which is why I make reference to St. Tropez, even though renting is not so expensive overthere! My love affair with Fregene began about 8 years ago when a friend took me to dinner. I then started going to the beach there, and continue to do so today. Fregene is also the place I fell in love with my husband, and the place where we spent several Summers. It was our place for summertime aperitivos and dinners by the shore and endless Summer fun. Today I look at it in a different way, since now we go there with baby. Our needs changed, and we no longer frequent the old kiosks and free beaches, but seek out beaches which offer a baby pool and a child friendly atmosphere. Having broken up with the "stabilamento" where we went last year, this year we are trying to find a new beach which we all like, and it has not been easy. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like the last place, named after a Brazilian city, was that great. It has a nice atmosphere, a salt-water pool, and friendly (ok, fake friendly) owners. Their gimmick was calling you by your first name, so it seemed like we were all old friends. The truth is, they made these dear friends pay big time for some of the silliest things. Other than rent the standard two sun chairs and umbrella, we often had lunch at the restaurant, many times with friends who would come visit us, we would spend money left, right, and center and not really worry about it. Often the bill would seem a little too high, and I would give the owner a piece of my mind about that, and in turn they would watch it a little more. Recently, after going back during the winter and paying heavily, and going back this Summer only to be charged for a baby's meal when all they did was boil the pasta I gave, seemed a little too much. This is considering we had spent the day at the beach, had lunch at the restaurant, and had 3 bottles of wine and 3 pizzas as an aperitivo when a few of our friends dropped by. This was the last straw, hence the break up.

We have visited two other places since:
Delfino - nice has a pool, umbrellas are spaced properly so you are not stuck to your neighbors. Restaurant is good and not bad value for money.
Capri - a lot bigger than Delfino, has two pools, a children's pool and an adult pool. Big play area for kids, good restaurant. Umbrellas very well spaced out.

A round up of Fregene restaurants and beaches to follow.

Summer, Summer, Summer time.....

It is starting to feel a lot like Summer here in Rome. The temperature is in the 30s (C) and we are only at the end of June! Last week the streets were a little emptier, and lots of people seemed to be away. I love that, since to me that is what Summer in the city is supposed to be like. I enjoy the ease at which you can do so much more since there are a lot less people around. The Summer is when Rome is a little less chaotic. I can't do all the things I love to do, like aperitivos at the beach, open air movies, free concerts, dinners al fresco, and on and on, because now we have a baby to worry about and take care of. We try to do as much as possible, and I have to say, it works.We were at the beach this weekend, and it was nice to be able to stay cool when it is boiling in the city.
Here's to the beginning of (my) beach season. May it last as long as it possibly can!

When friendships end

It didn't occur to me how often this has happened in my life until the other day when I started thinking about it. Friendships end often due to fights, and I have had my share of those, but there is another kind that really bugs the shit out of me. I hate it when you lose a friend and you have no idea why. You can sit there and guess at possible reasons, but it is the not knowing that makes it hard to move on. I have had my fair share of drama, and due to that drama, things change, and realtionships end, and I can accept it. I often think about these people, wonder how they are doing, think about how close we were at some point in our lives, and what a pity that we no longer speak. The ones that really make me angry though is the ones that just ended cold turkey. I had one such friend. He was like a brother to me, we were inseparable when we lived in the same country. People even thought there was something more going on between us, but nothing ever did. Did he have more than "friendly" feelings towards me, possibly, but he never said anything. I loved him like a brother. Long story short, I moved countries, he moved countries, we slowly spoke/emailed/messaged less and less. I got a life which he was not a part of , he got a life which I was not a part of. I forgot to mention that he was married and had kids even through the early parts of our friendship. After visiting me, something went wrong, we didn't have the best time, we bickered, but I thought that was normal. We used to bicker all the time. He was cold after that visit, he was clearly angry about something, but didn't share. He wasn't very good at talking about his feelings. I got sick and tired of the way he was treating me and his immaturity for not addressing the problem. He left it there, I left it there. We didn't speak again. He sent me a message about 10 months ago congratulating me on the baby, I never replied. I had no idea what to say. Am I sad?Not really. Most of the time I don't really think about it, but to me the person I used to know was someone else. The person who he has become, is someone I don't know, so in a way I lost someone and that makes me sad. We used to laugh a lot, we knew things about one another that no one else did, we used to have the best time together doing very little. He was my best friend. I wish him all the best in life, but will forever be offended at how he treated our friendship, and how he decided to end it.

4 kilos to go....

Just thought I would post an update on the weight issue. I am currently between 57.5-58.5 kgs, and this weight has been stable for at least 2 weeks now. I have to admit that I have kinda relaxed on the dieting front these past few weeks. Today I decided it was time to go back on the diet and be much more strict so that I can lose these last 4 kilos. The hardest thing for me to resist is bread and dessert, but I will try and be strong so that I can get as close as I can to my target. Wish me luck!

Istanbul

I visited Istanbul recently and absolutely loved the city. We didn't have time to see all the sights but did manage to do some sightseeing. The above is a shot of the blue mosque.  I highly recommend the Sunset bar and grill restaurant for a romantic outdoor dinner with the most amazing view of the city and Bosphorus. The food is International and very good. We also had lunch at the Grand Bazaar at Havuzlu, where we tried the typical Kebap. It found it to be ok, and if I was to go back I would try something else. Overall it was a nice city break, but I think Istanbul merits a minimum of 4 full days in order to see the sights and different areas of this amazing city. Be careful with taxis, I think one we took had a doctored meter since we were majorly overcharged. Also, it's quite normal for taxi drivers to smoke and I found that to be a bit annoying, especially since it makes me nauseous.

Heart attack on a plate

I was in Madrid recently and as usual that means going out to dinner and enjoying the many delicious items the city has to offer. Among those items is this fried egg and bacon on top of french fries, hence the title of this post!

I have to admit it is delicious and you can get this in many traditional Madrid restaurants.

I also had drinks in plaza Santa Ana where there are many outdoor bars and places to eat. Just off the plaza I spotted an American style bakery with cupcakes, didn't have a chance to try it out though!

It's been a while....

I've disappeared for a while, apologies for that. It has been quite a busy month.

I am having the hardest time dealing with noise lately. It seems that a decent night's sleep has become somewhat of a luxury. In the past two years, something has happened to my usually quiet neighborhood. I live in the center, but not campo di fiori type center. I think if you make a choice like that, you do it knowing full well you ain't gonna get much sleep. I on the other hand live in a quieter part of the center, but it is quiet no more. Construction noise has really been the cause of my distress lately. It started with the place above ours, which was renovated on and off from about 2005-2010. Finally, one fine day the owners moved in and what was left of our peace and quiet went out the window. Then the building across the street got rennovated, problem being the construction workers who unloaded their trucks at 6.30 every morning. Then it was the shop under our building, the courtyard in our builiding, the porter's flat in our building, it is just a never ending list. Cars, garbage trucks, loud music, loud people who don't think that people in the center deserve to sleep. I have reached my limit and asked my landlady to install better windows or kiss the monthly rent I pay goodbye. I hope for improvement from the new noise reducing windows, but am also looking around for new places just in case.

I can go on complaining about Rome, but will spare you all. I will now close my eyes and dream of being on a sandy beach, listening to the sounds of the waves. I am zen.

Let them eat cake!

I am trying to find a cake for my baby's upcoming birthday. My first instinct was to go to an American style bakery and see what they had to offer. I have to say that while I did like the types of cake decoration that they had to offer, I found their price for a birthday cake a bit exaggerated. My other option was a good Italian bakery, where I could either get a millefoglio or pan di spagna and some sort of cream cake. They would decorate the cake, but instead of it being multi layer, it would be a large rectangle. The price is about 40% less than the first bakery. I did sample the chocolate fudge cake at bakery no.1, and while it was good, I make a better chocolate fudge cake. The sponge was a bit on the dry side, and the icing was not smooth. I guess I should go back to bakery no.2 and try some of their cakes and then make a decision.
Stay tuned....

what to make of this blog

Every now and then I think about the point of blogging. Why are there so many bloggers in the world? Do all of us have something interesting to share? I am not sure of what it is that I have to say, or how I can enlighten the world with this blog. Well, let's be honest, I am not out to enlighten anyone, nor am I capable of such a huge task. However, I started this blog, and I want to get to a point where I am happy with it. I see other sites that share interesting news, new discoveries, restaurant reviews, and I know that I want to go in that direction as well, and be a little different at the same time. I want this to be a source of information for moms in Rome as well since I haven't come across many Rome based sites for moms. I know what my blog lacks, and one thing is photos, and so to make it more interesting, I will try and add that feature and see where it goes. Please give me suggestions, comments, or whatever.
On another note, I saw the movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro the other day, and I must say I really liked it. The subject of the movie was interesting, and thought provoking, since it is about mental potential. Well, I don't want to spoil it by saying anything else so I will leave it at that.

Rome earthquake prediction

So, I've been hearing from some friends that there is a prediction about the 11th or 12th of May, that Rome will be hit by a powerful earthquake. It is kind of scary because I am in no way prepared. I lived in California for a while, and was more prepared for this sort of thing while I was there. In Rome, honestly, where do you go?? The city is so green, that if you go outside, you risk having a tree crush you, if you stay indoors, the building will most likely collapse, especially if you live in the center like myself!
I hear many people will probably leave town. What do you make of all this hysteria??

60.3....

That is how many kilos I read on the scale this morning. It seems I have lost a grand total of 700grams since I started my CALORIE COUNTING diet, exactly 17 days ago! Is that even possible??? Something strange is going on in this post-baby body, and I don't think I have the patience to continue. I am watching my portions and making sure I eat no more than 1,600 calories a day, plus I run 2x a week, burning more than 700 calories in sport, and still this is what I am rewarded with.
On the Istanbul front, baby will be staying home in Rome. Now my only problem is loosing enough weight to fit in to one of the dresses I have.

Travelling with baby

We've been invited to a wedding in Istanbul....YAY, but there's a problem.....what to do with baby?
Well the obvious choice is to try and leave baby with family, here at home. The problem on the other hand is that no one really seems up for the challenge. If we plan on going to this wedding, we are going to have to take baby along. We are currently evaluating our plans.....

Travelling for work

I currently have reduced working hours due to "allattamento" or lactation, which allows me to leave work 2 hours early, until my baby is one year old. My problem is that once this period is over, and I resume normal work hours, I will also be expected to travel again. I put the thought off since it seemed so distant, but now that it is getting closer and closer, I am starting to panic. I don't know how I can possibly leave my baby for a whole week. Is that not traumatic for the baby? I think things like that should be eased into, should be done gradually. Unfortunately employers don't give a shit, and just want to get the work done no matter what. We'll see what happens, for now, I am in total panic mode.
In other news, my diet is moving forward, I have started counting calories since Friday, and am doing well so far. Desperation has led me here. I tried watching what I ate, and made moderate changes to no avail. I hope this second phase works since I have no clue what to do after that!!!
Any post baby diet stories out there??

To diet or not to diet, that is the problem

So I'm supposed to be on a diet. I hate that word. I'm supposed to watch what I eat so I can lose the baby weight I am having a hard time shifting! Having a four day weekend does not help. I tried to make healthy choices and limit my dessert intake to just one day a week. I stayed on track with the dessert, but there were two days where I could've made better food choices. I have not weighed myself, and will resist the desire to jump on the scale until the time is right...whenever that is. For now, my aim is to get into my pre-baby pants, muffin top and all!
Spring is definately in the air and I realize that I need to be a little more strict with my food intake if I am to don a bikini this Summer.
On another note, I decided to give baby a breakfast not too different from mine this weekend. I mixed some oatmeal with water and formula, and added a baby biscuit in the mix. The result was a grey blob of food that did not look appetizing but didn't taste too bad. Needless to say, baby was not a fan. He took a bite, made a face, took another bite, made another face, and then looked uninterested. I took that to mean that it was not such a hit.
I went to see a movie this weekend, The kids are all right. Was quite entertaining. I have lots of movies I want to see but I have to pick wisely since my free time is limited.
The Rome marathon took place on Sunday. I live in the center and don't understand why residents had to remove their cars from via del babuino for this marathon. There is a major shortage of parking space in the center, even when we can park on via del babuino, so the idea that we had to go elsewhere was beyond frustrating. I am getting fed up with this city that is becoming my biggest source of stress!
Well that is my rant for the day.

Stroller bable

What is up with the Bugaboo? For those who have no idea what a Bugaboo is, it is the baby stroller of the moment. It can be seen all over Rome, and all the hip and happening parents seem to have it. I was very close to purchasing it, when my very wise husband convinced me that the Inglesina was the way to go. I have to say, no regrets there! Firstly, the Bugaboo is way too bulky and big to fit into most elevators, and is a lot heavier too. I already hate folding up the Inglesina since it is easy, but not the easiest of things to fit into my little car. I would have to leave the house half an hour earlier to deal with the Bugaboo, I imagine.
Moving on, I am now looking for the appropriate car seat for baby since he is outgrowing the one we have. This is not easy. My car is not Isofix friendly, so must find something that can be used with seatbelts and Isofix for when we eventually get a new car.
Any advise on car seats? Please feel free to share.

Starting a blog

Starting a blog is a bit strange. I don't really know why I'm doing it, I don't know if anyone will ever read my blog, and I am not really sure I have anything interesting to post. I have some ideas on why I am doing it. Maybe it's a new way to connect with people, maybe it's because I have a place where I can say whatever I want. I guess I am still discovering the why.

Anyhow, I am off for the weekend tomorrow and I am sitting here making a list of all the baby things I have to take along. It's a long long list, one that makes me miss the good old days of just throwing something in a bag and getting on a plane. I would not trade what I have to go back to the old days, just want to be clear on that.

On another note, I am desperately trying to loose the baby weight. It's been 9.5 months since baby arrived. It has been very hard considering I've never had a weight problem or a problem losing weight. I have to say I have majorly cut out some things from my diet and the scale is not budging, so I decided not to weigh myself for the next few weeks and see what happens.

Sunny Sunday

The sun finally came out yesterday and we made the most of it by going to lunch at the beach. It's only 40 minutes away from the center of Rome. I wrapped baby up and we managed to eat outside! Baby had so many new things to look at and study, so we were able to eat without interuptions.
I often hear people say that Rome is not a child friendly city, and it's true, but every now and then I stumble upon something that surprises me. In villa borghese, near the kids cinema (Cinema dei piccoli) there is a ludoteca, a place where kids can read books, interact with other kids, and also do some arts and crafts. Next time the sun comes out, I will go check it out.

Customer service...or lack thereof!

A month back, I left my son's cardigan at the shop where it was purchased since the zipper was broken. This was quite an expensive cardigan, and for that reason I took it back to the shop. I totally forgot about this, and decided to pass by to see what was up, since I hadn't heard back from them. Surprise surprise, it was in exactly the same state, and exactly in the same place it was a month ago. Instead of apologizing and trying to make it up to me, the sales lady gave me excuses about her "sarta" (tailor) not being well, and her not knowing where to take the cardigan to get the zipper replaced! I told her there is no excuse for this kind of service and that being in the children's clothing business she should have known that a cardigan that has been sitting there for one month, probably doesn't fit anymore, since babies grow FAST. I walked out, and decided to do the only thing I could do, never go back again. I will also tell as many people as I can to shop elsewhere! The shop is called Calico Lion and it is on Via delle Vite in the Spagna area.