Paddington Bear collection now at Baby Gap
Okay, this may be the cutest little Baby Gap collection I’ve seen in a while! The line includes rain boots, toggle ponchos, hoodies with bear ears and some sweet graphic footed outfits.
Brits and New Year’s resolutions
89 percent of Brits have resolved to eat better in 2014.
What were the most popular New Year’s resolutions for Brits in 2014? A UK survey asked Brits this question and the results were as follows:
* 91% resolved to do more exercise
* 89% wanted to eat better
* 87% said they wanted to consume less alcohol
* 79% said they wanted to spend less money this year
* 11% said they want to stop smoking
* 4% want to learn how to play a musical instrument
How about you? What are your New Year’s resolutions and how have you done so far? I actually didn’t make any resolutions this year – and apparently I’m not alone. A CBS news poll found that 68 percent of Americans don’t do resolutions!
Fake London Underground signs
Wow. Someone has posted these fake London Underground signs on the Underground and they really are quite something!
Here are just a few…
See the rest of the Tube signs and try NOT to smile ….
“Sherlock” Season 3 – The Musical
I’ve made no secret of my adoration for the BBC show “Sherlock.” If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?!
In the meantime, for those who are caught up with Season 3, here’s a musical spoof that’s pretty spot on! (There are some *spoiler alerts* if you haven’t caught up, so watch at your own peril…)
No Pants Sunday
Rex Features via AP Images
Many London Underground riders went pantsless on Sunday as part of No Pants Subway Ride, which originated in New York City. Since pants mean underwear in the U.K., Brits were careful to clarify that trousers were optional, knickers weren’t. According to the group’s Facebook page, 250-300 people participated this year!
Sherlock at the Golden Globes
Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender at the Golden Globes
For four months now, we’ve been blissfully without our cable TV. Who needs it?! Not me. But rarely, very rarely, there are those nagging moments in life where I do miss it – and Sunday was one of those days when I realized that the Golden Globes were on and I couldn’t just watch.
As it turned out, most of the highlights were online anyway, and I’ve flipped through plenty of red carpet fashion from the night and watched every bizarre speech. The best picture I’ve seen is the one above – Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender just grooving at the Golden Globes.
Which reminds me – I’ve got to go catch up on watching “Sherlock.” I’ve just started watching the third season and am hooked. Now I am going back to the first season to watch from the beginning. If you haven’t seen “Sherlock” yet, it’s on Netflix and Hulu and is well worth a watch!
London’s futuristic new bike highway?
Check out SkyCycle, a proposal of a revolutionary network of traffic-free cycle routes in London, that could accommodate up to 12,000 riders an hour! What do you think? Amazing, right?
10 British insults Americans won’t understand
Last week, #americansvsbritish was trending on Twitter.com and I was amused by all of the posts.
One in particular I spotted was “10 British insults Americans won’t understand,” a list that was posted on BBC America. Their collection includes some of my favorites, including minger, chav and tosser. Check out the full list and their translations!
Get ready for “Downton Abbey”
Get ready for it … the fourth season of “Downton Abbey” starts Sunday on PBS.
Perfect time to catch up on the “emotional rollercoaster that is Downton Abbey” as told by Buzzfeed.com. Enjoy and have a good weekend!
New year, new pasta
Happy 2014 to you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday break!
We traveled down to Southern California to visit some of my family and friends before Christmas, enjoyed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day here at home, and then headed to Lake Tahoe for a few days of R&R with friends! It was sadly snow-free, but still splendidly beautiful! We were able to do some ice skating, tubing and sitting in front of a roaring fire drinking hot chocolate. Idyllic!
I decided to kick off the new year by cracking open some cookbooks and finding a new lunch recipe that the kids might enjoy: Nigella Lawson‘s Spaghetti with Marmite recipe sounded deviously simple so I gave it a try. “I haven’t as yet found a child who doesn’t like it,” she wrote in “Nigella Kitchen” and I was sold.
What a recipe! It is so savory and great! My son had three helpings! I had two! My daughter had one! And my husband, who hates Marmite, enjoyed a bowl and couldn’t detect Marmite in the flavor (although he did comment that the kitchen smelled a little Marmite-y). Try this recipe for a quick, no-nonsense pasta dish that kids (and grown-ups alike) will love!
Spaghetti with Marmite
Serves 4-6, depending on age and appetite
12 ounces dried spaghetti
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp Marmite, or more to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water
When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the Marmite and 1 tbsp of the pasta water, mixing thoroughly to dissolve. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water; then drain the pasta and pour the Marmite mixture over the drained spaghetti, adding a little reserved pasta water to amalgamate if required. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
BRITRISH.COM 