His - Living in America - Shopping Centres / Malls

When I lived in Australia it was possible to go to a shopping centre, park the car once, and get everything I need from one place. In America that is near impossible unless the Super Walmart happens to have everything you want in stock (which is rare as it seems like they are always out of at least one item that you want).

A typical shopping centre in Australia has a similar layout to malls in Australia, but they serve a different purpose. The main function of an American mall is mainly for discretionary spending including clothing, shoes, entertainment and restaurants. In Australia, a shopping centre serves the same purpose, but also fulfills everyday shopping needs as well. Read on as I explain how: 

Shopping trolleys at a mall? In Australia that is not unusual.

Supermarkets: Every shopping centre has at least one supermarket as an anchor store. As you enter the shopping centre you will see many people pushing their trolley full of groceries out to their car. Supermarkets in our part of America have their own building and parking lot and are not inside a mall.

Underground Parking: I am not a fan of grocery shopping at the best of times, but I really hate it when it is pouring down rain. This is not as big an issue in many shopping centres in Australia as most offer underground parking. Many shopping centres have built a couple of parking levels below the stores so patrons can park undercover and not get wet when it is raining outside. While this is convenient it can also be tricky to find a parking spot on a weekend when the weather is nasty outside.


One Stop Shopping: A trip to a shopping centre in Australia can truly be a one stop for all of your needs. In addition to supermarkets it is common to have a chemist store (which is the same thing as a drug store), a butcher store, a bakery, a Newsagent (similar to a Newsstand/book store that you find in most American airports), and a post office. Many of the larger centres also have at least one large discount department store such a K-Mart, Target or Big W (similar to Wal-Mart). Many of them still have travel agencies which is something I haven't seen in a U.S mall in many years. It really was set up that you could park once and then go from store to store and get everything you could possibly need which was always nice.

Source - The parking ticket machine at Charlestown Square in Australia.

In America if you needed to go to the post office, the grocery store and the drug store you would have to make at least two stops and they would probably be miles apart and on opposite sides of a busy road. Although I have greater choice and flexibility in store hours (most stores in Australia close by 9pm) in America, I do miss being able to stop at one place and getting all of my shopping needs done in one place. I don't go to the mall nearly as much in America as they really don't have the services that I require on most days. It would be great if they had supermarkets, butcher shops and post offices so I could have one stop shopping again but I don't think it will ever happen.

There are pros and cons for each. In Australia it is convenient to get all of your shopping done in one place, but it can be hard to find a parking spot on busy days and especially when it is raining. In America it is often easier to find a parking spot and the stores have better hours, but you have to make several stops if you have more than one store to visit. 

Which option appeals to you more?

His and Her Travel Review: Rainbow Sands Beach on Fraser Island, Australia

Mondays are World-Wide Travel Days on our blog. We love sharing all the places we have been and all the fun things we have experienced. Finding a "R" spot was a little tricky, but, lucky for us, we had one.

 

Rainbow Sands is a small section of sand dunes on Fraser Island in Australia. Fraser island is the world's largest sand island off the coast of Queensland, about 120 miles north of Brisbane. There are many things to see on the island and it is a unique experience. We booked a day tour so we could see all of the main sights in one day and it was definitely the best way to see the island. 

One of the stops was the Rainbow Sands and it was one of the highlights of the tour that I was most looking forward to. I have seen many different colours of sand on beaches around the world but I have never seen multiple colours in one small spot. It was really interesting to see all of the different colours that were piled up on the sand dunes. At first it looked like a regular cliff by the beach, but once I remembered that the island was all made from sand it made this formation even more impressive. I have no clue how all of these different colours of sand ended up in one place, but it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. We only spent a few minutes here before we headed off to our next stop on the tour, but it is something that I will never forget.

Fraser Island was a beautiful place! Sean's mum (hey hon - did you see I spelled it right?!?) really wanted to visit the Island and I didn't see the appeal. I tagged along, however, because I wasn't going to argue with a native. She was so very right about everything! The Rainbow Sands are massive, massive sand dunes that are a rainbow of colors. I have never seen anything like it. I have seen sand dunes before, but never ones that were craggy and so rock-like. And certainly never ones where the sand had turned colors. The pictures do not do it justice. Promise me - if you are ever in this part of the world - you will go to Fraser Island! You will not be sorry.

Below are some more photos of the Rainbow Sands:

Its impressive how high these sand cliffs rise above the beach!

Incredible height and cragginess. (Is that a word? It must be because there is no red squiggly line.) They look more like mountains than sand.

I don't understand how this sand can stack so high like this but my sandcastles always fell over when they were more than a few inches high.

As you got closer, you could see more clearly that it was sand. I reached out an touched a spot to be sure my eyes were not deceiving me. I expected hard rock, but found soft sand.

Some of the trees are even growing on the sand cliffs.

Have you ever been to Fraser Island or seen something similar to this in your travels?


Happy Traveling,

His and Her Recap: L-Q

Sundays are a day off for the Blogging Challenge - so we thought we would recap our letters of the week. If you missed any posts, this is a great chance to catch up.

 L - Lone Pine Sanctuary: Amanda shared about her experience at a wildlife park in Australia and what it was like to hold a koala.

 

 M - Matilda Translated: Sean translated one of Australia's most famous songs so its easier to understand as it has a lot of Australian slang in it.

N - Nibblers and other good food: When we are on the go and want a quick bite to eat these are some of our favourite places to get a quick meal.

 

O - On the Tube: Amanda's DVR is normally filled with many different shows. Come see what she is watching and recommending right now.

P - Puppy Talk:  Alex, our dog decided to hijack one of the computers while we were at work and decided to publish his very first blog post. Come check out what he has to say.

Q - Quilt in Progress: Sean is making his first quilt. Come check out the story behind it and what progress has been made so far.

We resume our A-Z challenge on Monday with the letter R. Which of this week's posts were your favourite?

His: Super Saturday Snapshots - Quilt in Progress!

Our A-Z Blogging Challenge continues. We hope you are enjoying these posts. In the beginning we worried that we wouldn't have anything to write about on "Q" day, but thankfully I got some sewing done and we have something to share.

Today we are linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy for Super Saturday Snapshots.

I recently started sewing late last year and blogged briefly about some of the projects that I have completed in a previous post(Click here to read that post.) I have had a lot of fun making dresses, drawstring bags and other projects but I am also working on my very first quilt. I got my interest in sewing because I wanted to start quilting and even though I started off with a fairly simple design the quilt took a lot longer than I expected. The quilt will a gift to my niece Bennett and is big enough that she will be able use it for a few years at least as it will fit on a toddler bed. Below are some photos from what I have done so far.

The first two squares being sewn together. Just 58 more squares to go!

Sewing another row to the front of the quilt.

I kept the quilting pattern simple as this was my first attempt. It is wavy lines with little leaves every so often.

I was hoping to have it completed by now but every step is taking far longer than I ever imagined. I have about half of the quilt done so far, so all I have left is to quilt the other half and sew on the border. I am also working on some other projects but I hope to have it done soon so I can share the pictures of the finished quilt soon. Have you ever made a quilt or wanted to?

 

(His and Her) Puppy Talk

P is for puppy!!! We love our puppy and we want to celebrate him on the blog today.

My parents have been writing this blog for a while now. I hear them talking about what to post and what to say and it all sounded interesting. I decided to highjack mom's computer and write my own post. This is gonna be fun!

 

This is Mom's favorite picture of me.

Hello! My name is Alex. I am a 12 year old beagle/lab mix. Mom and Dad got me from a local pound when I was around one year old. They celebrate my birthday in June - my "gotcha" day.

 

I love cuddling and snuggling with mommy and daddy!

My previous owners were not very nice to me so I have a few little issues. I am very nervous around strangers and I don't like to visit new places. I hate vacuum cleaners and mops/brooms. I am also very afraid of garbage bags. It makes Mom sad to think about what those evil people did to me. I've pretty much forgotten by now.

 

Surveying the outside world.

My favorite thing to do is play outside. I love to run around our backyard and talk (Dad calls it making a lot of noise) with the neighbor dogs. We stand on each side of the fence and just talk and talk. If Mom and Dad get annoyed, I have to come in. If I come the first time I am called I get a treat. Yummy!

 

My favorite way to sleep is with a blanket that I can scrunch up and use as a pillow.

My favorite treats are dried liver treats from the pet store. I will do just about anything for those. My other favorite foods might surprise you. I love Chick-Fil-A Waffle Fries. I will beg for the fries but walk away when they are eating the chicken. I also love the carrots that come in the Chinese food my mom orders. They are so yummy!

After dinner, I always lick out my dog food can. Don't worry, I've never cut myself. I just like getting all the little bits of juice out of the can before Dad throws it away.

My least favorite thing in the whole world is a bath. I make Mommy sad because she says I am pitiful when I get a bath. I don't know what that means but baths mean being wet and I don't like being wet. I also have to stay outside while I dry and sometimes I want to come inside. Maybe you guys could talk to my mom and dad and tell them that they should stop giving me baths? I would be forever grateful!


Do you have a dog? What kind? If you don't have a dog, I recommend going to the shelter to get one. My life was changed when Mom and Dad picked me. You could change another dog's life by choosing them.


Happy Dog Days,
Alex

Her On the Tube (What's filling up my DVR right now?)

O...O...O...Not a lot of words start with the letter O. Well, "on" starts with "o". I think I can do something with that!

I am a TV Lover. It's how I relax and the downtime I need after a long week. Since Sean shared his favorite Netflix shows here, I felt it was my turn to share what's filling up my DVR right now.

Here's what I am watching right now...

Source

Every day I record Gilmore Girls on ABC Family. I have seen all of the episodes so many times, but it doesn't matter. The wit and comedy cracks me up and it is perfect background noise while I check Facebook and read some blogs.

Source

Castle is a show that was introduced to me by a close friend. I had missed the first few seasons, but I started watching and fell in love. Thanks to TNT I have caught up and the new episodes are so good. I love Kate and Castle. I love all the supporting characters. I love their side stories, and the creativity of the crimes. If you aren't watching - you are missing out!

Source

HGTV has some really good shows, one of which is Love It or List It. (Love It or List It, Too is good also.) This is a show where homeowners work with a realtor and a designer to redo their own home and look for another. They must choose at the end whether to stay or go. I like the mix of design and house-search. I also love the interaction between the two "hosts" (the designer and the realtor) - they make the show fun!

Source

A new Food Network show has become a favorite. It's called Beat Bobby Flay. It is a half hour episode each week where an amateur chef tries to beat Bobby Flay in a cooking competition. It sounds easy, but the amateur chef gets to pick the dish they are going to make and Bobby doesn't know what it is in advance. He has lost a few times! Definitely check this one out!

Source

I have been a fan of Survivor since its 2nd season. I love the competition and the blindsides. I am really loving this season. The people who are competing this season are smart and calculating without being obnoxious. It's a nice change!

Source

Gordon Ramsey is hilarious and such a hard-nose. He does not take any grief from his staff. His high expectations must be met! The challenges are fun and I like watching all of the chefs try to win that amazing job.

Source

Another HGTV show that has become a favorite recently is Flip or Flop. Even Sean, who doesn't like watching TV shows (because of the commercials) will listen in when I watch this one. It follows a couple who flip houses for a living. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes they aren't. The couple is fun and it's interesting to watch the houses transform.

These shows are ones that I am waiting to start again. My fingers are crossed that it is soon!

Source

Top Chef is a chef competition show on Bravo. The chefs work hard at challenges and try to impress a panel of judges. I have watched every season/episode and I am never bored!

The spin-off, Top Chef Masters, is a great show also.

Source

I was introduced to Downton Abbey late last year. I checked out all the old seasons from the library and was caught up in just a few days. I fell in love. I need to watch this past season (waiting for the library to get that one too) and then I will be ready to join some friends for a night of tea, knitting, and an amazing show.

Source

Tim Gunn. Heidi Klum. Motivated contestants. Awesome challenges. Thank you, Mood! Project Runway is perfection! I look forward to each and every new season. 

The spin-offs, Under the Gunn and Project Runway All-Stars, are also winners in my book.


These shows are new, but my fingers are crossed that they are going to be all that I are hoping for:

Source

Kitchen Casino is a new show on Food Network where chefs compete in casino themed challenges. The first is slots (food combinations show up on a slot machine), the second is roulette (where the kitchens spin on a wheel and you don't know whose food you have to cook), and the third is poker (trade in that one ingredient card or not? maybe what you get will be worse??). I am really hoping this one is as good as it seems.

Source

This is another show that I had not heard of before the ladies I knit with started talking about it. It's a British show on PBS that shows the lives of nurses and midwives in the 1950s. I have not watched any of this season, but I am hopeful that I will love it as much as the girls say I will. It would be nice to have a fix when Downton Abbey is not showing any new episodes.

What are your favorite TV shows? I would love to find some more fun shows to fill up my DVR. 

Happy Watching,