London Archives - The Culture Mom

12Jan

Our Recent Visit to Family-Friendly London

Our recent visit to family-friendly London took us to spots we love, as well as spots we haven't yet been to. Every time we visit, which happens to be annually due to the fact that it's my husband's birth country, we see more and more of this historical, beautiful city and I leave loving it even more. I know that my kids are lucky to go as often as they do, and they surely don't appreciate it enough, but we manage to take advantage of our time there and soak in the sights whilst visiting family and friends. I've written about our time there again and Read More

31Dec

My Holiday Travel Journey (+ Tips for Better Photos)

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If you haven't noticed, I've been kind of quiet lately. Well, I haven't been idle, I've been away in the United Kingdom, visiting family and friends, and playing tourist. Having come here once a year for the last 15-20 years, I'm certainly not your typical visitor but each time is filled with new experiences and I record everything faithfully on Instagram as I am photograph crazed. It may because I was provided with a Samsung Galaxy Phone 4 zoom to bring along on the trip to take better photos and really learn the tricks of the trade. I was provided Read More

08Oct

Richard Curtis Film Review and Giveaway

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About Time is the latest film by writer and filmmaker Richard Curtis. If you loved his other films, which include Notting Hill, Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral, you will love this one. Curtis has a distinctive voice and style that weaves through his work, and this film is no exception. It's a small film with a big life lesson, and it had me raptured. The film revolves around 21 year-old, Tim (played by Domhnall Gleeson who lives with his eccentric, loving family in Cornwall, England. When he finds out from his dad (played by the fabulous Read More

18Sep

A Tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

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On our recent trip to London while exploring the city with the kids, I came to a realization that we were minutes from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and that in all the many times I've visited, I've never been. A Shakespeare fan since high school, I really wanted to visit the home of all his early works. One caveat: my kids were with me. Would they make it through the 45 minute tour? And I had my niece. It would be a daring feat, but I was determined to try. A bit of history about the theatre: It was up and running in 1599 and Shakespeare started to have Read More

27Jul

Tween Chatting Over at KidzVuz

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I just posted my first official post on a site called KidzVuz. If you don't know about it yet, you should. It's a completely safe, carefully monitored online destination for tweens to have their say and share their views. Tweens leave, watch, and comment on video reviews of the books, tech, movies, toys, celebs and tv shows they love. It's a place for tweens to have their say (including my son, Max, who will debut on the site this Sunday when he reviews a fabulous new book he's reading) and a place I want my kids to spend time Read More

11Apr

A “Zen” Family Stay at the Hempel Hotel in London

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Tucked away in the beautiful Notting Hill section of London lies a jewel of a hotel, and what you might find a surprisingly child-friendly place to stay. The Hempel is a breath of fresh air for any family wanting a bit of an escape from the excitement and business of London. Instead of staying in a typical London hotel and getting very little space for your money, The Hempel offers full-size apartments with plenty of space for everyone to spread out and relax after exploring the city. Best of all, it's located right next to Hyde Park and Notting Hill Read More

30Mar

Getting Ready to Spend Passover in London (w/ Matzo Pizza Recipe)

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This year Passover is going have a different meaning than it has over the last few years. We'll be with in London with my husband's family on our annual trip over. My kids will be with their first cousins, grandmother and aunts and uncles, and we'll be in another culture. Another culture we know very well, no less. But still, the Jewish life in Britain is very unique for me. First of all, my Jewish UK experience starts as soon as I board the plane tomorrow night. There will be a lot of black hats and Yiddish speakers, many of whom "daven" or Read More

23Jul

Two Great London Spots with Kids

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One of the best things about London (there are so many) is that all its museums are free. So, true, while London is not a cheap city, this is one of the many perks about it (others being its amazing architecture, theater, shopping, parks - shall I go on?). Not only are the museums are free, but they are some of the finest in the world. May they continue to be free so that everyone who lives and visits can continue to visit and explore each one. London's Science Museum is no exception - it is indeed magnificent.It was founded in 1857 as part of the Read More

22Jul

Our Visit to the London Museum of Jewish Life

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I'm very interested in Jewish life around the world, so on our recent visit to London when my kids and had just a few hours to do some exploring, I led them to the city's Jewish Museum called the London Museum of Jewish Life. Located in one of my favorite London neighborhoods, Camden, it was rather easy for us to get to from our hotel in Belsize Park in an old Victorian building. The museum was founded in 1983 as the Museum of the Jewish East End with the aim of rescuing and preserving the disappearing heritage of London's East End – the heartland of Read More

19Jul

Where I’ve Been Lately and Why I Travel with Kids

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I haven't been publishing many posts lately, if you haven't noticed. The reason being that I was away on holiday in Europe for nearly three weeks. We spent a few days with my sister-in-law and her family in London; we had my father-in-law's unveiling in Manchester; and we had my nephew's Bar Mitzvah all weekend, also in Manchester. However, we did manage to squeeze in extra time in London and a week in France, and I'll be writing a lot about our trip, particularly to Paris, in the coming week. It was really hard to blog while traveling, as much as I Read More