Been a long time since the r... repatriation. (For those who thought I was introducing a little Led Zeppelin, my apologies. Gaze at Robert Plant for a while instead.) Meanwhile, I… Read More

Hi there. I have a LOT going on at the moment, most of which I can't talk about until the deal is sealed!Ooooh, I hear you say.In the meantime, I'm writing about my repatriation back to the… Read More

At the risk of sounding bah-humbug and party pooper-ish, it's quite liberating being in the UK on Valentine's Day. Nothing required at school, no last minute card-buying for distant relative… Read More

I was reading a thread the other day on the Two Fat Expats Facebook page, (which I highly recommend). It started with this photo, then immediately launched a flurry of "passport panic" stori… Read More

Happy New Year to everyone!Haven't blogged here for a while and was wondering whether to leave it and move on. But I can't. It'd be like leaving one of my children by the side of the road. C… Read More

Anyone who knows me will know how much I detest dislike the American Thanksgiving staple - the Green Bean Casserole. Words just can't.So of course I decided to blog about it again for Anglot… Read More

Was looking through some of my old posts for something and found this. Seems so long ago - Not even celebrating Thanksgiving this year.-------------------------------------Well, I've sold my… Read More

Been a bit of a busy time here in Repat world. First off - big news. I have a literary agent in the UK and we are pitching a new book! A departure from my usual US/UK stuff, but somethi… Read More

I'm not much one for spilling too much stuff on the blog or writing too much about members of my family. Not least because they'd all kill me.I'm making an exception this time though - for a… Read More

Did you know there's a right way to procrastinate? Me neither. I am a bit of a one for procrastination, even though I manage to give the impression that I'm a do-er. It works for me so I don… Read More

So, we're in. Almost settled. Well, it's a bit of a sliding scale really isn't it?I mean, almost everything is out of boxes, and the things we dragged all the way from the States last year a… Read More

So we've moved. Again. Bit of a SNAFU with the lease on the old property, but we were looking to move anyway, so...........You'd think after the massive downsizing I did last year, when I ga… Read More

There have been more than a few old school bloggers talking about getting back into it, recently. By old school bloggers I mean bloggers who still write posts, rather than post photos of thi… Read More

For years, one of my kids' entreaties to me has been "Oh mom, please don't write an e-mail." I'm not one of those complainers who sit around looking for things to ruffle her feathers, but I… Read More

I mean, talk about jinxing something. Everywhere you go in England, you see or hear "It's Coming Home" - a very foolhardy reference to World Cup victory, in my opinion. We haven't won i… Read More

So yes, it's bloody boiling where we are. I'm not saying that in the usual British "Ooh it's hot" way either. It's genuinely hot and has been for a while now. The temp round our way was 29 C… Read More

It's stories like this that I really missed when not living in the UK. Did you hear about the knicker revolt a few weeks ago in Colyton, Devon? No. Pop over to my column at Anglotopia a… Read More

Well, it seems we're moving again. Less than a year after the BIG MOVE, we seem to have sold our US house and bought one in the UK. (That's what I've been busy doing, in case anyone thinks I… Read More

Now that I'm back in the UK, I'm trying to learn all there is to know about British politics. Well, kind of. A vacuum of 27 years really doesn't help things here. Watching anything that cove… Read More

In the nine months since I moved from the US to the UK I've noticed a marked improvement in my stress levels. Oh sure, the move was hard work and very stressful; selling our US home and sett… Read More

When it all kicks off on Twitter, it’s interesting to watch the poor souls who are punching above their weight. Obviously, although tempting, one doesn’t feed the trolls, but it… Read More

I thought I'd left all this behind. Snow and cold, that is.Actually I'm not complaining. This so-called cold is not nice but it's positively balmy compared to what I've experienced in Chicag… Read More

Having spent so long in the USA, I'm now enjoying the words and phrases I can say with gay abandon - without getting strange or blank looks.And writing about it at Anglotopia, so pop over th… Read More

Been a while eh? I'd love to say I've been rushed off my feet doing exciting things but most of it's boring domestic stuff and that's mainly because the teeny dryer's on the blink. So now, n… Read More

So yes, we've been back in Blighty for six months, give or take. Thoughts?1. It's not that different when you're still doing the school run. Given that we came back to England every summer… Read More

So Dr. Ronny Jackson reported last week that Trump is in perfect health. Despite the fact that he looks like he’s about to explode (and that’s not just a fat/thin issue, btw), Do… Read More

After the total s***storm (excuse the French) that was 2017, I don't believe there's any point at all in making NY resolutions. I mean, we could all be blown to smithereens if Trump is allow… Read More

One of the lovely things about returning to the UK as a driver is the frequency with which other drivers let me in, out and through. In my particular part of the USA, to signal an intention… Read More

I've now been back in the UK for FIVE months. How did that happen, as they say. On the one hand, it seems like I've only been here five minutes, and on the other, it seems like an age. … Read More

A few weeks ago my maiden column for the web site "Anglotopia" launched. Anglotopia is a US based web site and blog for Anglophiles and I was talking about my recent repatriation, which… Read More

Don't usually do semi-political stuff but I've had it with women like Anne Robinson. As usual, I took pen to paper -  Read More

Wow - almost a month since I've blogged. What on earth have I been doing? Well, still blinkin' unpacking the house, for a start. Half a dozen cardboard boxes still in the garage, making… Read More

One of the great things about being back in the land where I grew up is being able to sing along to the radio. Having birthed kids in the 90s and early 00s, I missed out on a lot of music, u… Read More

I should start by making sure no one thinks I had a body to begin with. We're not talking pre and post Kardashian births here. However, I used to be fit and healthy, and now I'm not. I… Read More

They say pride comes before a fall and I should have seen it coming. I have just had a friend staying for a few days and she got hopelessly lost (or in her words "Where the hell am I?") on h… Read More

So we've been back in the UK for about 6 weeks now. Where did the time go? Most of our "stuff" arrived in under a month which is a bit different from the 8 week estimate we were given. We ha… Read More

So, the youngest (now 14, almost 6 feet and henceforth the new "Man-Child)" has been coming to England since he was born. He feels very comfortable here and it was because of his enthusiasm… Read More

So we've been back in the UK for almost a month already. Where did the time go? Most of our "Stuff" still hasn't arrived, so it's difficult to make the new house feel like home. I don't want… Read More

Anyone who knows me would not peg me as someone overly bothered about house and home. Yes, I like things clean and relatively organized but it’s not something I obsess about. Until now… Read More

I would say we were “established” in our new home, but that would be a big fat porky pie (lie). We are here with some of our things, and they’re mostly lying in various pil… Read More

I'm writing this sitting in an echo chamber of a family room. We gave the giant sectional/corner sofa to a young couple, the wife of which is a Brit I met in a Brit-in-Chicago Facebook group… Read More

I've blogged about this many times, but only when reflecting on my summer visits to the UK. Not knowing that the 50p I handed over in Tesco had been out of circulation for a few years, avoid… Read More

I'm sitting here in my Chicago house with the AC blasting. (Do I need to learn to say "air con" btw?) Anyhoo, as well as being ridiculously cold in the winter, Chicago gets pretty hot and st… Read More

As part of my American husband's visa application, we had to have accommodation set up at the time he applied rather than at the time of our arrival. (That is to say, it had to be all organi… Read More

Just took a little time off from writing about moving, to reflect on the Orange Man in the White House. Here's a piece on Huffington Post UK. Enjoy. Or cry Read More

I have kept diaries for years. As a child, whenever we went on holiday, my mother would give me (and I assume my siblings) a small notebook to record events and memories. I still have them g… Read More

So yes, it's all "go" in the Repat household. (Did you notice my banner?) With less than two months till our big move across the Pond, - it's complete chaos here, and I'm not just talking ab… Read More

I am usually one of the people who keeps things "for best" or "just in case". Give me a beautiful bar of soap and I probably won't use it. Not because I don't like it, but because well, it's… Read More

As part of preparing to move four thousand miles across the ocean after amassing stuff for 27 years here, I'm going through said stuff. I have all my cards from my 18th and 21st birthdays! C… Read More

So we're coming up to the "First 100 days" of the Trump regime. It's a traditional benchmark where new Prezzies and their Administrations stand back, take stock and let the people know what… Read More

Second only to figuring out how to ship the mutt to the UK without having to take out a mortgage, is how and when to ship my stuff and actually, what stuff to ship. If at all.The Ball &… Read More

One of the things many expats talk about is how the rules for meeting and greeting people vary from one country to another. Here in the American mid-west, everyone's into big hugs. You can m… Read More

I think I've gone the longest ever without posting on Expat Mum. And with good reason. I'm stressed to the hilt and rushed off my feet at the same time.See, we have decided to move to the UK… Read More

I've written about my crazy dreams before, but honestly, sometimes they really mess with my head. I have quite a lot going on at the moment so of course, that's the cue for everything I… Read More

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. (Rushes in, obviously tardy, very flustered.) Been a busy month with a lot of back issues thrown in. (Yes, it's back.)It's also been a very LONG month (less three… Read More

As you know, I don't normally review stuff on the blog. With what's usually going on in my life, or in the USA (cough, cough) I have enough material to blog every day if I wasn't the lazy ol… Read More

So I was a guest on Metro Radio last night, which is a popular radio station in the North East of England. Alan Robson hosts Night Owls and talks to listeners about anything and everything… Read More

Been a while since I posted. We've been a bit busy over here and I've been a bit demented. Can you blame me?Anyway, on a much lighter note, I came across something slightly hilarious when so… Read More

Over at my blog at the Huffington Post, I'm possibly over-sharing as to why I don't resolve to put down my phone in 2017. You may want to have a read. It could save your life some day! Read More

Yes, everyone's commenting on how awful 2016 has been - Brexit (if you were a Remainer), Trump (3/4 of the US didn't vote for him and the world stands horrified), the appalling refugee … Read More

A few years ago I was wondering what to do with the large collection of wine corks my son had amassed from years of his parents' consumption. Here's the post with some of the ideas.Like many… Read More

It's pretty hard, pretending that Trump isn't our next President despite gaining over 1.7 million votes less than Hillary Clinton and depite almost half the bloody country not even bothering… Read More

A little light-hearted post about the impact of the election on US/UK dialogue. Pop over to the blog at the Huffington Post UK to read it. Have a good weekend everyone. Winter's coming! Read More

So. What to say. What to do? It's taken me a while to get my head around the fact that our next President (I'm a dual citizen) is going to be a casino owner/builder/reality TV guy… Read More

Been a very busy, stressful time here.We still haven't had the election (next Tuesday folks, next Tuesday). Trump called Hillary Clinton a "nasty woman" in the last debate which sent all of… Read More

For some reason, even though I don't do a lot of reviews, I get a lot of requests from PR people. Some bloggers spend most of their time bagging free stuff and reviewing it. Some of them get… Read More

So it's been a bit chaotic on this side of the Pond, and I'm not just talking about politics. The disc I had operated on in April has only gone and herniated on the other side! I know!… Read More

I'm spring-boarding off the Very British Problems brand, which is excellent in case you haven't heard of it.  (It's on Amazon/Acorn if you haven't seen it.)Anyway, over a… Read More

So yes, we're still banging on about the election on this side of the Pond. Even more about the first Presidential debate that's scheduled for Monday. Experts are saying that it will be reco… Read More

As some of you know, there's quite the gap between my first two kids and the youngest. So, for my debut blog post at the Huffington Post, I decided to have some fun with it. Hope you enjoy Read More

I'm talking about clothes shopping. I loathe clothes shopping with a passion. Partly because I have pretty poor body confidence and always think everything looks awful on me. I know, I know… Read More

So yeah, I'm back to Trump - because the guy is just darn-tootin' great blog fodder. This week he's apoplectic on Obama's behalf because when the President arrived at the G20 Summit, he dise… Read More

There's been quite a bit of chatter about Courtney Cox's appearance, spurred on by an interview she gave where she talks about accepting ageing (do we have an alternative?) and deciding to s… Read More

To the horror of many (usually in the South of England and all over the USA) I was brought up with Black Pudding. It's almost better not to ask what's in it, but basically it's pig's blood a… Read More

Am I the only one who hates the end of summer? Every year, no matter where I am, how old I am or what's ahead, I feel almost depressed that another summer is coming to an end.It doesn't help… Read More

So I'm in England for my annual pilgrimage and feeling a bit like a foreigner once again. As many expats discover, with each year you're gone, your mother country becomes less and less famil… Read More

So I'm packing for a fairly long trip - which means major planning on my part. What (if any) parties am I going to? How much walking will I be doing? Do I have shoes to go with every pair of… Read More

If there was a competition for the country that's going the most bonkers, I'm pretty sure the USA would squeak through as the winner right now. Oh, I know it's all a bit crazy in post-Brexit… Read More

My latest post at the Expat Focus web site is about repatriation, but more specifically, I'm talking to a couple of Americans who have returned to the US after a fair stretch in England.&nbs&hell…Read More

Consider this a good deed, those of you in the UK. A sort of comedic relief from your post-referendum chaos. Actually, if you're reading this in the US, it's also a good deed because I'm rem… Read More

It's all gone a bit quiet on the other side of the Pond. After the initial "What the....?" few days, it seemed everyone sank into a combination of despair and panic. Even the Leave voters we… Read More

First off, I have been expat for too long to have had a vote in the EU referendum. Second, this is not a post about whether or not I agree with the result. Just the process - Imagine ot… Read More

So, we've been out a week and so far so good, (she says, immediately jinxing things). Ex Little Guy, (now just past his 13th birthday so need a new nickname), attended metal-working camp las… Read More

Well, here we are again. I swear this year went past in the blink of an eye. Yes folks in the UK, you might have just finished half term, but most of us here are already knee deep in the int… Read More

So, after the usual six months of cold, cold winter, summer is here. No warning, no "shoulder" season of jackets and no fleeces; just Wham! Summer.I have a decent collection of nice jackets… Read More

So yeah - it appears that the Donald has gained enough wins (to simplify a sometimes complicated process) to be the Republican candidate for the White House. I know.I mean, where to start.1… Read More

There are times when I identify with Americans or the USA and times when I want to distance myself. I'm writing about the latter over at my Expat Focus column is you want to take a look.Sigh… Read More

So it's end of the year for many college kids in the USA. (Colleges are not all on the same system so not everyone finishes at the same time.) The College Boy moved back on Saturday, and as… Read More

I came across this article today - by a mother who chooses not to help her kids up the slide ladder at the park. She wants them to give it a try first and requests - "Please do not lift my d… Read More

So - I have one more week left of my stiff-as-a-board back surgery recovery program. No bending or twisting, and no lifting of anything over about 8 pounds. Every day I have every intention… Read More

I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping at the moment. Actually I've always had trouble sleeping, which I'll expand on, but the current trouble is to do with the sciatic post-op ache which seem… Read More

So I'm post surgery and doing OK. Unfortunately I still have some sciatic pain which is disappointing but my doc says it's perfectly normal until everything settles down. Nowhere near what i… Read More

Phew! Glad that's over (see previous post for a catch up). According to the doc, the surgery was successful and the herniation sitting on my sciatic nerve was "large". I kept telling everyon… Read More

Thanks for all your well wishes. Not been able to blog much as sitting is probably the worse position for me, and for a writer, that's a challenge. Good job I'm not the major breadwinner eh?… Read More

Back/leg update - so after trialling (if that's a word. It isn't according to spellcheck) many pain meds and anti-inflammatories, it appears surgery is the only option left. I can't believe… Read More

If the letter I received yesterday is anything to go by, it appears paying exorbitant college fees isn't quite enough these days. No. Apparently if I'm to be considered a caring parent, I ne… Read More

My friend Lu over at Family Affairs and other Matters, has put together a handy tip list for hosting children and teen parties. She has three kids, now all big, and apparently has thrown 59… Read More

My friend Lu over at Family Affairs and other Matters, has put together a handy tip list for hosting children and teen parties. She has three kids, now all big, and apparently has thrown 59… Read More

I'm sure a shrink would have a field day with me, but I am on a diet of sorts at the moment - resisting the urge to "help" everyone. It's probably a combo of being the oldest child and femal… Read More

Still on the theme of smells (Old Spice in my last post), my bloggy mate Nickie O'Hara was talking about perfumes from the 80's recently. Just Google it for a laugh; there are so many lists… Read More