Do they have Fruit Loops in France?

As I continue to pack and go about my normal American days I come across things I will miss or that I want to make sure and buy to take back to France.  


The other day we went to the Hyatt Hotel here in Jersey City Downtown for breakfast, a treat we give ourselves sometimes.  I mean, who can resist a hotel buffet breakfast, and the kids eat FREE! The restaurant looks over the Hudson River to Manhattan so it's also quite lovely sitting there.  


Anyhoo, we were munching on some Fruit Loops and I started to wonder if they had Fruit Loops in France.  Not that we eat them much, but it got me thinking.


Things I will miss.....

The playroom.

Such a great thing to have with two kids who need to get out and play with other kids -for free!  It's in my building so totally convenient and no need to pack up the kids for a trip to the park. We can literally take a trip down the hallway in our socks.  And it creates such a community with the families.

The dog parks.

Although the French love their dogs, they don't let them play together.  Strange if you ask me. So far I haven't found a dog park where the dogs get to run free and mingle.  Maybe I'll try to organize something for little Charlie.

24 hour shopping.

I love that the French are focused on family so the shops close in the evening and Sundays, but I'm used to going to the deli at 10pm when an ice cream craving kicks in. Better learn to stock up.

Ziplock bags.

I know, silly, but they're certainly VERY handy.

Understanding the product labels in the grocery/pharmacy stores.

You don't know what I've gone through just trying to find the right creamer for my coffee!! And forget about when I needed Baking Soda and Baking Powder for making carrot bread.  I'm afraid to make the bread cause I'm STILL not sure I have the right things!


Going on casting and auditions.


I love going out on my appointments.  I get to see all my friends and have a little catch up while we wait.  Sometime we even plan a coffee or diner visit in between appointments if we're not going on the same ones.  It's nice and I'll miss the built in social aspect of my "job".

Starbucks.

Ok, again, I know!  French coffee is super delicious and the culture is all about relaxing at the cafe drinking your coffee.  Which is wonderful. But I LOVE getting my big cup of coffee (with a sippy lid-child that I am) and walking to where ever it is I need to go, maybe that's just to sit in a park, while enjoying my coffee.  It's comforting to me to hold my cup and to leisurely drink it on the go.  I call it my adult bottle.  In France if I get a "cafe a emporter", it's a dixie cup of coffee, yummy as it is, with no lid.  Certainly not very portable and with one sip it's gone.  Just not the same.

ALTHOUGH...Starbucks is infiltrating the country, as much as they hate it, just not in Nice or the smaller towns.  I'd have to go all the way to Marseille to get it.  I like my Starbucks, but lets not go crazy.  Maybe that's a venture for me?  Is franchise owner in my future?  Hmmmm.  Free coffee is certainly an incentive!

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