London Archives - One Hundred Dollars a Month

Provide Fresh Air and Vitamin D With Baby Cages

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By Mavis Butterfield on September 11, 2014 · 12 Comments

Holy Cats!! I almost didn’t believe it when I watched this video. It makes the back of my legs hurt just watching her put that baby into that cage {and then when the older child climbs in, I was sure it wouldn’t hold}. According to this article on treehugger.com, though, baby cages were all the rage in London in the 1930’s. People that didn’t have access to outdoor space took note out of the wildly popular parenting manual, The Care and Feeding of Children, and “aired out” their babies in cages suspended from their apartment windows.

Dr. Holt, the author of The Care and Feeding of Children, felt that kids do better when they are exposed to cooler temperatures. He suggested that allowing babies to acclimate to the weather in a “bonnet and light coat” for short periods {gradually working their way up to 5 hours a day} in the cages provided a defense against them getting sick. He even offered a temperature guideline for the nursery at night: Not below 65 degrees for the first 2-3 months, after that, drop as low as 55 degrees.

After a year of age, you can go between 45-50 degrees. {Ummm, obviously my kids have been spoiled, I could have saved a fortune over the years if I set our thermostat to 45!}

The idea is not all that crazy according to the same article, because years later, Dr. Spock {the childcare guru} agreed with the sentiment that children are healthier when exposed to the elements. Even I can totally get behind a little vitamin D and cool air, but jeez-o, I don’t know if I would trust the structural integrity of those cages?

What do you think, any apartment dwellers out there ready to trade in their playpens for a baby cage?

~Mavis

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Tips for Traveling Abroad – London

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By Mavis Butterfield on July 3, 2014 · 5 Comments

One Hundred Dollar a Month reader, Sandra, recently contacted me with the following question,

My friend and I are planning a trip to London in July 2015. I’ve never been abroad and have read all your tips for traveling! Thanks so much! My question is: when you go, do you purchase a tour package or do you plan your own vacation? Which do you think is the better deal? We are planning to stay about a week. If you DIY, can I ask about how much you budget for museums/tours/etc? Also, do you walk the city or bus or subway? Thanks sooooo much! We are super excited to go and are trying to plan our budget. Thanks Sandra.

I have never purchased a tour package BUT I was a loyal viewer of Rick Steves PBS Series Europe Through the Back Door and was able to glean a great deal on how to save money while traveling abroad from that show.

I don’t have a set budget for museums and tours. I typically try to find the tours and museums I know I want to hit, and then find a way to get discounted entrance fees, etc. I build my budget around the discounts. If it starts to add up to too much moolah, I scale back, cutting the least important stuff {to me} first.

Here’s a couple of ways I save when traveling abroad:

I use Trip Advisor to look up hotels and B&B’s. I like that they have reviews, and I can get an actual sense of the place. It’s a great place to start. I usually choose a hotel based on location. I want it to be centrally located to the activities I want, OR, I want it to be close to a subway.
If possible, walk. Cabs and car rentals REALLY add up. If you can’t walk, get to know public transport. Europe makes public transport a walk in the park–a very inexpensive walk in the park. Subways, buses, trains, etc. are a great way to save. Look into savings passes for public transport. Cities want tourists to use their transport system, and more often than not, they offer great discounts, if you look. If weather permits, you can also look into cheap bike rentals. You will be able to experience a lot more of the city than just walking. For more specifics, see how I get around London.
To eat on the cheap, hit outdoor markets and/or grocery stores. They will have prepared foods that are much cheaper than sit-down restaurants, and visiting the markets is pretty much an activity in itself. You can also stock up on snack foods that you can carry with you, instead of spending big bucks at the cafes.
Bed & Breakfasts offer both a clean place to stay AND a FULL breakfast {usually}. They can really be worth the price {which in Europe, is typically VERY affordable, as compared to the “trendy” B&B’s in America}, if you factor in the food.
Consider tour packages, IF you wanted to do everything in the package anyway. If the tours don’t really float your boat, but they offer discounted prices, you really aren’t making the most of your experience. If you only wanted to do 2-3 tours on the list, you may be cheaper to price them out separately anyway. Need some ideas? Check out 10 Things to Do in London.
Travel light. I know this doesn’t seem like an obvious money saving tip, but it is. The lighter you travel the more options you have. You can take an impromptu trip to the countryside by train without hesitation or complication, and it really limits your liability should you become a victim of theft.

Rick Steve’s website also has oodles of tips and tricks for saving money, beating the lines, and acclimating to the culture.

With a bit of planning, you’ll find saving money is a piece of cake. Any of my readers have any more tips for Sandra?

~Mavis

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10 Things to Do in London

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 20, 2014 · 11 Comments

As you know London is one of The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and my favorite places in the world. In fact we’d totally live there if we could. Everytime we go, we find something new to do, but we definitely have our list of favorites too.

Here are 10 things that will not disappoint if you are lucky enough to find yourself in London in the near future:

Harrods. Harrods is like the “IT” spot for department stores in London. It’s massive {the largest department store in Europe}, upscale, and even if you don’t plan on buying anything, it’s totally worth a quick stroll.
High Tea. Nothing says England like High Tea. There are tons of places in London to have afternoon tea, which one you choose really just depends on your tastes. Some are VERY upscale, while others are more traditional. Either way, save room for the assortment of scones, sandwiches, and desserts that accompany a hot cup of tea. It’s a must do, really, you know, when in Rome…
The Tube. The Tube is London’s underground subway. It can disperse you all over the city in minutes, and though it can be initially tricky to read the map, once you get the hang of it, you will want to trade in your car for a subscription to your favorite paper or magazine, and enjoy the stress free commute. As a tourist, it’s fun to see the totally eclectic crowd it attracts.
Natural History Museum. This place really deserves its own post. It’s The Girl’s favorite place in the world. It covers every aspect of natural history–from rocks to cavemen.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The Globe is a modern day reconstruction of Shakespeare’s original theatre. It is built only feet from the original theatre, and patterned to replicate the times. The cheap seats {for the commoners} are standing only at the base of the stage. The prices go up as your “social class” goes up. Book your tickets early, though, because the season fills up fast.
The changing of the guard. The changing of the guard in front of Buckingham Palace is FULL of history and pristine attention to ritual. If you have never seen it, it’s one of those must-do touristy experiences.
Hyde Park. Make sure you schedule a stroll through Hyde Park on your way to something at least. Not visiting it would be like not seeing Central Park on a visit to New York City. It’s iconic.
Billingsgate Market. Billingsgate Market is like Seattle’s Pike Place Market, only on crack. It’s where the locals go to get fresh off the boat seafood. And as a tourist, it’s a great place to go to get a real feel for the locals.
Tower of London. This is the mecca for British history. It’s where the Queen’s Jewels live. And, where many of England’s prisoners were held.
Trafalgar Square. This square is another iconic London location. It appears in the movies pretty often, in fact, in 2012 Tom Cruise and movie makers shut down the entire square to film Edge of Tomorrow. The square is named after the Battle of Trafalgar, which was an important victory for England over the Napoleonic Wars. It houses several statues and a huge fountain.

There is seriously so much to explore in London. These are just a glimpse. Any you would add?

~Mavis

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The History of Afternoon High Tea

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By Mavis Butterfield on February 28, 2014 · 12 Comments

One of our favorite things to do when we go to London is to find a new place to stop for afternoon tea. In case you’re like me and didn’t know the real history behind afternoon high tea… keep reading.

I always thought the term “high tea” meant that the day stopped, no matter where it was, for tea and a biscuit. I thought it meant white tablecloths and sophistication, but all it really means is dinner. Ha! For high tea, there is tea and a meat, and it is typically served later in the day–and here I’ve been associating it with “high” society. It is called high tea because it is taken at a higher table–the dinner table. High tea was reserved for the working class, who were not afforded the opportunity to stop in the middle of the workday. Who knew?

Afternoon tea, or “low tea”, is usually taken in the late afternoon. It is called low tea because you eat it on lower tables, such as a coffee table pulled next to a couch. Typically, it is served with a light meal or snack. Afternoon tea appears to have started with women.

Women were banned from coffeehouses, and used to serve an afternoon tea in their bedroom quarters to friends and neighbors {also women}. Of course, this probably only applies to aristocratic women and royalty, and served more of a social function than anything else. Afternoon tea bridged the gap between breakfast and dinner in a time when typically only two meals were served.

Today, it is much less likely that people have the time to stop everything for tea, regardless of what class they are–life is just too busy. But the Girl and I? In London, oh we stopped. 🙂

Every.Single.Day.

I LOVE London!!!

~Mavis

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