China Week 1

We have done so much stuff in the short time we have been here. I told my mom the other day that I think I could live here. They live in the city within walking distance of cute shopping areas, restaurants, and things to see. It also helps that they have a driver who is fantastic and loves them. They live in what I would consider an adult dorm. My mom and her friends just pop into each others apartments just like I used to do with my friends living in Chitwood :)

There is cheapppp shopping! I printed off all these necklaces from Stella and Dot, Loft, and other various places and took them to my moms jewelry girl. I have been eyeing a particular necklace for awhile from S&D but it costs $118! I printed that off and had it made for under $10! It seriously looks amazing. When I get on the other computer I will do an entire post of comparing/contrasting jewelry! SO fun and crazy :) We bought about 20 necklaces for roughly $200. I'm going to need more I think! Justin will be busy building me a new place to store all these jewels.

So back to the run down off week 1:

• The morning after we arrived my mom took me down to their pool/spa in the apartment. I got my first massage and just about died! I laughed. She rubbed my eyelids, inside my ears, my butt, pulled my hair, my chest, and my stomach. She then stretched my arms and legs in all kinds of funny ways! 
• My mom dropped me off at her nail salon so I could have a pedi/mani. They did a fantastic job and I enjoyed every minute of it. You have to pay for a foot massage so I sucked it up and paid the $3 for 30 minutes of heaven :) They also bring the hot water in this huge canteens which I thought was so strange. 
• You can get any restaurant delivered to your apartment here. Including McDonalds. So one night when my mom wasn't hungry and I wanted something I ordered it. The delivery man rides a scooter with a huge pack on his back that has everything separated by cold, hot, and drink. 
• We toured the Forbidden City. It was amazing. I wish Justin was here because he would have loved it. There were so many people and it was so huge! It's crazy to think that people lived inside those walls and just roamed around in there. Claire was such a trooper that day and sat in her stroller almost the entire way. I carried her so she could sleep and then put her back down so I could hike up some stairs with the tour guide to see a beautiful view of the FC from the top. We ate lunch at this real deal Chinese food restaurant and it was great! 
• We also toured the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. Again, they are huge places and it's hard to imagine the people who lived in them. Claire was great this day too. I have been very impressed with her cooperation :)

There are so many pictures so instead of putting them on here I will just tell you to go look at my facebook account. The first week was so fantastic! I can't wait to come back again and bring Justin with us!