Giddy for Gidsy!

My absolute favorite thing about travel is meeting people who live in those destinations and if they take me somewhere they love to go... well I'll just be giddy from such luck!

That is why I thing Gidsy is PURE GENIUS!!!  Think Etsy but for Activities!!!!

I tell you a secret.  Once upon a time when I lived in NYC, I wanted to start a walking tour company.  Then I took a huge shotgun and shot myself in the foot about 38 times.  (Over thinking things like, nyc tourism activity permit, insurance, taxes, etc, etc, etc...)

Now for example, you're on your way to Amsterdam and you're walking around taking in the sites.  You come across one of the many picturesque canals and see lovely house boats.  You lean accross the bridge railing wistfully thinking... "Oh if I only knew someone who lived on such a boat, they could invite me over and I can see what it's like inside..."

Well GUESS WHAT!?  Few clicks on Gidsy and you're in!!!!  I myself have not used it yet, but the next time I'm going somewhere I can't wait to give this a try!  As for the house boat dinner, a total MUST quintessential Amsterdam.


Eat Dutch stew with houseboat crew! by Mark & Cynthia V. on Gidsy.com

Security declaimer: of course the jaded New Yorker in me is screaming not to go into any stranger's house as it could end in a bloody mess.... but I realize that it's a personal problem to work out privately with my team of psychologists so for now I tell the voice to shut it, and enjoy life ;)

Where would you take a tourist to in your town?

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I'm all about clever 'semi-DIY' stuff but this just made me go hmmm......

R U KIDDING me!? 850 Churros!!!?

(found via Messy Nessy Chic)

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Eat the furniture please.

 I saw this in a magazine, snapped a photo to remember to look it up...  How cute!?  A waffle maker with little furniture shapes!  A real "treat" for any home decor obsessed friend.  Or maybe your toddler who needs to play with their food before eating it.

source

Not sure if this is yet available for sale to the "general public" but this is definitely a fun way to surprise your guests with desert or a gift for that hard to shop for person who already has it all.  And now we can finally furnish the gingerbread house of the gingerbread man!

And guess what!?  Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

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Everyone needs a bit of Shakira in their life!

I'm a huge fan of Shakira. I've been a fan of hers since she had dark hair and thighs!

I just love this video, and not because I think girls should run around Barcelona in their bikini tops, but because of how it shows that a bit of a friendly wink and a spontaneous dance in the street can bring on the smiles and remind us to celebrate everyday. I think we should all strive to be little sunshines to those around us. Try to be friendly instead of prejudiced, try to give someone a smile instead of giving them a dirty look.



Go Shaki!!!

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hmm... that's outRAGEOUS! ;P

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.


• * Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.


• * Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.


• * Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.


• * Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.


• * Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

• * being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down


• * being spontaneous and free-spirited


• * being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.


• * being generous and trying to make the world a better place


• * having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures


• * having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine

• * not having enough time to do all the things I want


• * not completing things I start


• * not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career


• * having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies


• * feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

• * are action oriented and adventuresome


• * drum up excitement


• * prefer being with other children to being alone


• * finesse their way around adults


• * dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

• * are often enthusiastic and generous


• * want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life


• * may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

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We all need some Carmen!

We haven't done this in a bit, here is Carmen Miranda!

Now I can definitely say that one Carmen Miranda song a day keeps all doctors away!
We got two songs here so I guess this will fly us all the way into Friday.

Vito, listen carefully... remember at the amsterdamse party towards the end they played this exact melody! Oh... and we danced to it! AHA! So now you can't say that you don't dance to brazilian music, you were booming it and tchiking it real nicely as far as I recall!!!



And in color, why not~~




Ticiticita!!!

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Let's do the Wikipedia of our Day of birth...!?

This is educational so I like it. After all, we're all about education here... ehem... So thanks Cadiz, my buddy my pal, and a very sexy gal for bringing all this knowledge to my attention! :)

1. Go to Wikipedia and enter your birthday without the year: March 26

2. List three events that occurred that day:
1636 - Utrecht University is founded in The Netherlands. (Representing the Dutchie theme.)
1976 - Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.
1979 - Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, DC

3. List two important birthdays:
1896 - Rudolf Dassler, Founder of PUMA AG (d. 1974)
1962 - Paul de Leeuw, Dutch television host (Totally famous, I watch his show... I don't really understand it much but I laugh because he turns so red when something is funny.)

4. List one death:
1212 - King Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)

5. List one holiday or observance:
Prince Kuhio Day in Hawaii

So now I play tag? Hmm... why not have "Nae" do this exercise! :)

ps: don't worry the food game below is still going on...!

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Note to self: Kiss the cook!

Vito the chef cooked dinner the other day... super YUM!

Hahahah and you all thought I'm here only because of the beach! HA! NO! Vito COOKS!!!!

So we're going to play a game guess the ingredients!!! Now it may look easy, but you have to know a bit of Dutch history and culture to figure this one out completely.

I'll start you all off with:
1. Chicken -

What ELSE!???

Recipe will follow once you're all exhausted guessing...

As for me, I'm rushing out of the house to go to Amsterdam again today. I have an interesting apoitment... ;)

AND IT'S SUNNY! So mom don't worry I will take more pictures!

Update:
Nae had it right! but it's not fair she has a Dutch boyfriend! :)
Anyway the above recipe is indeed Bami. It's actually Indonesian but very popular in Holland. Why, because Indonesia used to be a Dutch colony.

Anyway how to prepare:

-a pack of asian vegetables
-4 chicken breasts
-seasonings, salt, peper, etc etc etc... (I know I'm soooo helpful but I watched Vito, he basically seasoned the chicken with EVERYTHING)
-2 eggs
-peanut sauce (I'm sure you can get that in any asian food store)
-thick noodles

Cook the noodles. While they're cooking, cut chicken into bite sized pieces, season it (with everything). Saute' in a deep pan in a bit of olive oil. Once allmost done, add to the same pan the asian vegetables continue to saute' untill vegetables are cooked. Once the noodles and chicken/vegetables are done, make an omlet (either in a separate pan or in that same pan and mix-- Vito made it separately and if you place it over the dish it helps keep bami warm! Like a natural cover, brilliant! :)

Add peanut sauce to the noodles and mix it all together! Serve, eat, get seconds mangia mangia!

tada!

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Relationships are all about COMPROMISE!

Well before we get to that statement we are going to play another super fun GAME called:

IS... MY... LUNCH... DUTCH!?

That's right people, this time it will be a multiple choice type thing

Is my lunch Dutch??
	Well did you pay for it yourself?
	Yes, it's Dutch because you're in Holland silly!
	Yes, because it's a sandwich
	Yes, because it's an open face sandwich
	Yes, because you clearly marked it with a Dutch flag!
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.

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Well all the answers could technically be correct... ;) but if it had anything to do with it being a sandwich then you are really really good!

Yes, lunches in Holland are mainly consisting of cold sandwiches. For New Yorkers a lunch consists of a SALAD (or if you go to my mom's house it will consist of: soup, ribs and potatoes, dessert, tea, and by the time you're done with all that it'll be time for dinner... so dinner will follow shortly.)

Anyway, the point is, if I am to become a normally functioning member of the Dutch society I must play ball! So that above was my LUNCH! My very DUTCH LUNCH!!! Seven grain bread, tuna salad, tomatoes, a cheese slice and to top it off an olive.

Quite yummy actually...

Now, this adjustment did not come without a compromise. You see, I usually eat a little sandwich for BREAKFAST. (Poppy seed bagel with lox spread can does a body good.) Anyway, since here I'll already be doing the sandwich thing for lunch I had to figure something out for breakfast...

Yes that is cereal you see! I used to eat cereal very rarely, we'll see if it sticks here.

Yeah, I think Holland and I are on the road to be great friends :)

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To bring or not to bring...? (Volume 2)

Yes, more dilemmas as to what to bring or what not to bring. So to help me decide, today we are going to play a very very exciting game called:

BRING IT! or LEAVE IT! ("recorded" cheers from the live studio audience please)

Today's contestant is....... DUCKY!!!!

A bit about ducky:

He is fabulous, fuzzy, pink, and he QUACKS! Kinda like Donald Duck!

He loves to travel, good food and relaxation.

Even though he is a bird he doesn't actually fly, unless his seat belt is fastened and he did not forget his Italian Dance Compilation CD!

He loves to sleep on 800 thread count sheets in the very best hotels. Yes he is a bit snobby, but its because he knows he is one of a kind...

(Accompanying photos were taken while on a Bachelorette trip for my friend Bernadetta to the lovely Santa Barbara, California) Ducky was the only "boy" among 10 girls!

Seems logical to bring him, but at the same time, will there be room for Ducky in my new fabulous life in the Netherlands?? (Not to mention... will I have room in my luggage?)

I mean, I will be mature and grown up and will not have time for duck games..?

Help me DECIDE!!! do I BRING IT? or do I LEAVE IT?

Should Ducky come to Netherlands with me?
	Bring it! He is pink and fab!!
	Leave it! You got Vito now!
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