Eating out in Beligum - It's an Entirely Different Experience

Traveling abroad is so exciting. So much is the similar to the US, but what's different can be confusing. Even in Europe, something as simple as eating out in a restaurant can be an awkward experience. After six years living in Brussels, I have a few dining tips to share. 

1. A Menu is not called a menu.  It's called Le Carte. Think "a la carte".
2. A menu (sometimes called Prix Fixe) is a fixed price meal deal. If you order the Menu, you get the whole meal including appetizer and dessert and sometimes drinks also. Here's an example from one of my favorite places Scheltema. These menus are sometimes listed on chalk boards outside. In this menu below, for one set price, you will get three courses: the gazpacho, the mussels with fries or grilled steak with bearnaise sauce and fries, and chocolate mousse for dessert. 
3. Dinner is late starting around 8pm.
4. Meals take a long time, around 3 hours if you have several courses. Expect to wait a lot; it's not bad service, it's just the way it works. Basically that table is yours for the night, so relax, with good company and lots of time to talk.
5. The english menu doesn't have the same items, so get both a regular menu and the english version to compare if you need.
6. Usually it's best to call for a reservation, even if you call on the way over to the restaurant.
7. For outdoor cafes, just sit down at an open table. At most places you do not have to ask. Remember sometimes it takes a long time to be served.
8. Entrees are appetizers, not main dishes like in the US.
9. The staff will not bring the check. You must flag down the waiter and ask for it. Ask for the "bill" not the "check" or in French..."l'addition s'il vous plaît"
10. No Tipping - It's included in the price of the meal. Do not tip, even if the receipt has a place for it.

View from Le ROY d'Espagne on the Grand Place in Brussels

Three Weeks of Limelight by Alcone - One Drop Wonder and Sotoks Update

Time for another interim review of Limelife by Alcone Sotoks and One Drop Wonder. I have been using these skin care products twice a day for three weeks. I applied Sotoks to the left side of my face and One Drop Wonder (Pomifera oil, also called hedge balls) to the right side.

Now it's only been three weeks, I don't feel that it has been long enough to make a final call on whether these work or not. I have read that it takes a month for your skin to adjust and replace skin cells. So I will continue this experiment for a while longer. But in the meantime, I wanted to share some interim results. In a previous post, I mentioned that I felt that things were improving much more than the pictures showed. I still sort of feel that way.

So let's look at my before and after photos. 

I have sensitive skin. Both products were excellent: no itching, stinging, or increased redness.
I have Rosacea Subtype 1. Neither product worked to alleviate redness or broken blood vessels. I do not have bumps or swelling so it is possible that Sotoks or One Drop Wonder may work for other subtypes.
The wrinkles between my eyes (furrow or 11) seem to be improving on the Sotoks side. I also think my neck wrinkles are improving, but I can't see any improvement in the photos.  
I think that Sotoks is working on the dark spot/blemish on my  upper cheek spot. However, all other dark spots seem unchanged.
The milia and other blemishes on my face have not changed.
My skin is well hydrated; I even stopped using other moisturizers because I didn't need them. I don't see a healthy glow, I look a bit greasier though.

Sotoks claims to:

1. Eliminate Dark Spots - Maybe 
2. Life Sagging Skin - Not long enough to tell
3. Smooth fine wrinkles -  Maybe
4. Hydrate - Definitely
5. Rebalance your skin cells - Unknown

One Drop Wonder claims to:

1. Reverse damage to your skin - Not wrinkles or blemishes
2. Restore moisture - Yes
3. Give you a gorgeous, healthy glow - Yes
4. Accelerates results of Sotoks - Not tested
5. Heals common skin issues, including rosacea - Not for me

It hasn't been long enough to make final review of the products. But, since the One Drop Wonder has done nothing for me, I will try to test it out in other ways, while continuing using it on my face. I am hopeful that Sotoks will continue working. I'll keep you updated:)

Follow my blog or my YouTube Channel for more skincare and makeup reviews of Limelife by Alcone products and Rosacea skin care ideas.

How We Potty Trained our Dog - Check out this Helpful Tracking Chart

So we got a puppy. After years of traveling and saying we don't have time for a dog, we realized that now, right now, we have time and most importantly we needed a dog. We are a family of five stubborn people, who each had an opinion on what dog would complete us.
Finally we met Korra, we all fell for her hard. She has been with us four months now.

Housebreaking and training a dog with three teenagers has been such a remarkable experience. I'm actually so happy we waited so we could do this together. Now to the point of this post. We created this training log that made an incredible difference in how we potty trained her and how we shared responsibility. So I wanted to share it with you.

This is it.  We marked it with #1 (pee), #2(poo), Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Walk.  We are crate training, so basically the dog was with someone all day long or in the crate. This chart helped keep track of when she was last out, or if she had eaten or needed a walk.  Soon a pattern emerged, so we knew exactly what to expect and when. Hope this is helpful:)

Here's a video where I explain how we used the chart.