The women courageously stood up against Ford. They stood up against the culture that said women didn’t deserve to earn as much as men. They stood up against the men who led the unions that were supposed to represent them but that didn’t because the men were afraid they would earn less of the women were paid more.

The women faced intense opposition but ultimately prevailed, changing the law in the United Kingdom and paving the way for generations of women who would follow in their footsteps.

I am also in the middle of reading Half The Sky for the third time. If you haven’t read this book, I want you to buy or borrow and read it now. It is one of the most challenging, heartbreaking, inspiring and important books I have ever read.

Story after story, the book is about how to change the world by empowering women.

And then today over lunch, my husband and I had a conversation about why women fight so much over the issue of mothers working outside the home or staying home with kids.

I was “busy at home” with my young children for the better part of the last decade. And now I’ve gone back to work. It often feels like I’ve switched teams. Subconsciously women associate more easily with other women who get it. For years I moaned about how hard it was to care for little children day in and day out….

To be continued!

I spend 8 hours a week commuting. Almost half of this is walking – or running if I am late to work or dinner.

I try to make the most productive use of the other 4 or so hours on the train: reading books or white papers, listening to podcasts, deleting junk email. Blogging.

But on Tuesday nights, I read the stylist. It’s a free magazine published weekly for women in London. It’s like my guilty pleasure – except I don’t really feel guilty about it. Fashion, food, funny writers: what’s not to love?

Tonight I even got a seat on the train.

Take that Tuesday. My only wish is that I could poor myself a glass of bubbly to celebrate that we are almost halfway through the work week.

All of that changed in World War One when a regiment of young men from Wimbledon was decimated. Boys that grew up playing cricket and rugby together, who studies together, who worshipped together. Great Britain sent them into battle together. They fought together and died together. The church and community lost a generation of young men.

My commute takes me through Clapham, where William Wilberforce gathered with other men and women who believed their faith in Jesus should influence their work in the marketplace and in politics. Together these Christians turned the tide against slavery in England – and encouraged countless other reforms protecting children and the poor from exploitation.

My journey takes me through Elephant and Castle, where Charles Spurgeon planted his first church.

A new generation of Christians are asking what does it mean to live missionally in the city. I am humbly aware as I ride the Northern line into a city that was absolutely transformed by the Gospel in history – but that is now of the most secular places in the world – that I have much to learn.

Going forward, this blog is going to be about exploring the stories of the Christians who transformed the nation and the world – and my reflections on what it looks like day to day to live intentionally in London.

But that’s going to have to wait.

Do you know what is totally inspiring me this week? It’s not the moms on the school run wearing Uniqlo + Orla Keily,  although this has become the unofficial mom-uniform in Wimbledon. It’s the primary school kids in their smart uniforms.

Fashion this fall has a lot in common with what most 7 year olds wear to school.

Hunter green cardis. Oversized blazers. Jumpers (aka sweaters) shades of purple and garnet. Pleated wool skirts worn with black tights or knee high socks. Oxford shirts. Little black mary janes.

It’s no wonder British women grow up with fashion sense. Little girls here wear ties to school. Neck ties. And they make it look so cute, I’m seriously considering stealing one of Mark’s skinny ties to wear with my new wool shorts, tights, heeled mary janes and a grey oxford for our date on this weekend.

I’m seriously contemplating doing a little back to school shopping myself. And holding my breath for my son to get a little bigger so I can borrow his clothes…

No that I want to look like I am wearing a school uniform. I’m just saying.

The kids are back to school.

The weather is changing. The mornings are crisp and cool. The afternoon sun is still warm, but the days are getting shorter. It’s time to pull out the wool sweaters and boots. And it’s time to bake homemade bread. To make soup. To gather friends and family and linger over apple cake and tea.

This fall will be a busy season for our family. I’m trying to plan weekday meals that are fast and easy. My two older boys eat dinner (which is lunch) at school.

The school meals here in London are actually amazing. As a mom who has worked in family nutrition, I happily feed them to our boys.  In the US, most school lunches involve french fries, pizza and chicken nuggets made in industrial food factories. Kids drink chocolate milk, soda and juice and snack on candy and chips from vending machines.

But here in London, schools take children’s nutrition seriously. The lunch menu could be practically be for a gourmet restaurant: think salmon and leek tarts, roast lamb, chicken masala. Most of the food is sourced locally. The fish is sustainable and wild. The chicken is fair trade. The beef and most of the vegetables are local. Lunch everyday includes a main dish that is rich in protein, a cooked vegetable, a salad, fruit, homemade bread and a dessert. The desserts are fruit and cheese, yogurt, pudding, apple crisp, or perhaps a bit of cake. The kids drink milk and water. For snack at school, they have fruit and milk. The chicken is roasted, not fried. And apparently the food is delicious. The boys come home eager to share what they enjoyed.

One of the brilliant things about this is that it makes my life easier. I don’t have to pack lunches. And even better, having great school dinners takes the pressure off what I cook at home. The kids do not come home from school starving. And knowing they have at least four or five servings of fruit and vegetables daily at school is lovely. Our “tea” (this is what the children’s evening meal is called) can be simple.

So Monday to Friday, I’m going to go with this plan. We’ll make lunch our main meal and keep dinner simple. On the weekends, we’ll spend more time cooking and eating as a family. And with friends.

So here’s the plan for our week.

Monday: Wholewheat spaghetti served with homemade sauce made with organic ground beef, green pepper, mushroom, carrot, tomato, garlic and herbs.

Tuesday: We’re having dinner out.

Wednesday: Homemade pizzas topped with tomato, basil, mozzerella and prosciutto.

Thursday: Curry chicken and vegetables on basmati rice.

Friday: Organic beef sliders on whole wheat “baps” aka buns. We’ll serve this with sweet potato fries and salad.

Saturday: Moroccan chicken thighs with couscous served with tomato, zucchini and spinach.

Sunday: White bean and kale soup with homemade bread.

Time to grocery shop online before I need to cook dinner!

When we spent three months as a family in Uganda last year, there were a lot of times we said This is Africa. For better or worse. The people were friendly and the sun warm and the food delicious. And the driving was insane and the toilets scary and the corruption everywhere.

Now I find myself saying This is London. Both about the good and the bad. Living here is amazing. I mean, this is London. The theatre, the commons, the fashion, the food. But this is London. There are things that drive me as an American absolutely bonkers. Why does it take two to three weeks for “next day delivery”? And why does it take like two months to get internet turned on when it’s already installed in our house? And why does everyone on the tube pretend no one else is on tube? Would it be so horrible to look someone in the eye and say hello? And then there’s the texting people who happen to be walking. Watching people walk while texting is hilarious. And a little scary. We’ve knocked more than a few hipsters over when they walked straight into our gigantic stroller.

But This is London. So I might as well make the most of it.

This was my long way to introduce my new blog series: London Finds. Life in this city is not short on inspiration. So I want to share a little of what I find with my readers. So here goes.

London Finds {week one}

Orla Kiely is an iconic British designer famous for her unique, colorful designs which are found on nearly everything in London. Think coffee cups, hand bags, pillows. Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing company (empire really) that offers great quality, inexpensive basics: merino sweaters, down jackets, oxford shirts, the best jeans under $50. Putting the two together? Brilliant.

Honestly, I just love these colors and patterns. They are fun and pretty while still feeling modern. I think this dress is really fun too. The contrasting collar is a big trend in London this fall. I would wear this dress with tights – maybe in a fun color – and boots and plenty of eyeliner. This line launched a week ago on London Fashion Night Out and since then I’ve seen at least one mum at school or in the park wearing Orla Kiely + Uniqlo every day.

Asher trying on a scarf at one of my new favorite stores, COS, the upmarket sister of H&M.

We try to make these special times with our children – one on one - a priority for a few reasons. As a bigger family, time alone with our kids is so special. Our house is often busy and loud, full of sounds of children playing. And sometimes arguing or complaining. I love that our kids have one another. With four siblings to play with, they are seldom lonely. But one of the biggest challenges with a house full of kids is finding time to connect with one of my children at a time. Going on a mommy date with Asher, Micah or Zephaniah is the perfect time to have a deeper conversation or to just enjoy how my little people are growing up.

Another we reason we do Mommy and Daddy Dates with our littles is to model the type of relationships we want them to have when they grow up. We want to teach the boys to honor and respect women. We want to teach our girls that they deserve to be cherished and protected. We want all our children to grow up knowing how to look someone in the eye, listen well, talk about their feelings. For Micah and Asher, going out without their younger siblings provides them an opportunity to enjoy things here in London that would be impossible with their little siblings who need strollers, naps and diapers. Our big boys put up with a lot – and are very helpful – with Zeph and Ella (and soon Lana). So I love giving them an opportunity to enjoy some of the freedom and responsibility that come along with getting a bit older.

Asher took this picture of me. Not bad!

Last week I took Asher with me to London’s Vogue Fashion Night Out. Fashion Night Out is what it sounds like – an evening to celebrate fashion. Thousands of people head towards the shops in West London on Bond, Oxford and Regent Street. The shops stay open late. There are are lots of glasses of champagne and cocktails. Stores bring in live music and djs.

Think lots of fun extras too: photoshoots in the front windows at H&M, hair styling inspired by the fall and winter 2012 runways, how-to tie a scarf lessons at Liberty. And of course shopping.

I wanted to go. Mark wanted to go to, but we didn’t have a babysitter. And I don’t really have any friends in London yet (working on that…I could really use a glass of wine with some girls). So why not make it a date with my favorite 7 year old?

I made the family a pot of soup. I took off my mom uniform of wideleg jeans, a button down and a pony tail. I curled my hair. I put on smokey eyeshadow, black skinny jeans, boots, and layers of Noonday jewelry. Asher ditched his school uniform for an oxford shirt, jeans and a studded belt.

My handsome date.

We took this picture in a mirror at All Saints.

And we were off.

We hopped on the train and enjoyed a long uninterupted conversation. Asher was excited for a party that would in his words be “crazy and awesome”. Our first stop in London was All Saints on Regent Street. The store was serving free cocktails and had a dj. It felt more like a club than a store – in a good way. Asher thought it was both awesome and a little overwhelming. I imagine being in a crowd when you are 4 feet tall is hard!

From there, we visited about a dozen other stores. We talked about fall fashion: what he liked, what he didn’t like, what people were wearing. It was fun. More than anything, I enjoyed the time to just be with my boy who is growing up so quickly.

At about 10 pm (late for a school night…I know…but this only happens once a year) we found our way to a train station. We bought some ice cream and chips (french fries) and hopped on the tube to make our way home. What a fun night.

Living in London is generally making me feel inspired about all things fashion and design. I’m planning to blog about the trends Londoners are embracing for the fall. But first, I have a house full of hungry kids and a hot shepherds pie ready to eat.

Most things about my life with four little children have become more difficult in London.

There is one thing that has become significantly easier: zipping up my pants.

Friends, this may be the ultimate diet. The one where you can eat all the chocolate and cheese you can afford {which might not be much…this is London}. And still wear skinny jeans. Without looking like an overstuffed sausage.

{Step One}Sell your car. Really. Instead of spending a few hours a day behind the wheel of a minivan – your rear nearly as soft as the seat it is resting on – walk. Skip. Hike. Or ride a bike. You may want to buy good shoes. Because your feet will hurt. But you can afford good shoes if you sell your car. Just think how much you will save when you are not buying gas?

{Step Two} Walk everywhere. Walk to school. Walk to work. Walk to the grocery store. Walk to the train station. Occasionaly you may want to run. Especially if it is raining. Sideways. And you left your coat and umbrella at home. Or your toddler has to pee. Or you are about to miss a train. I know. I may be crazy to even suggest this. But if you have to walk everywhere to do anything and everything, you will look better naked.

{Step Three}Carry heavy stuff. All the time. I mean really heavy stuff. When you walk home from shopping, you may find that your arms go numb carrying heavy bags. The best way to prevent numb arm syndrome is to do bicep curls with your bags. Repeat after me: I will have beautiful arms. I will have beautiful arms. I will have beautiful arms. Before long, you will look like a triathlete. For bonus points, carry heavy stuff up and down long flights of stairs. There is no easy way to carry a double jogging stroller up – or down – a long flight of stairs. You will feel the burn. Remember the skinny jeans.

{Step Four}Sell your microwave. Grocery stores in America have entire aisles stuffed with food-like substances in packages that require microwave-i-zation. Microwave popcorn. Microwave pizza-itos. Microwave cake. When you don’t own a microwave, you have to do something really revolutionary: cook. There is no way to make microwave cake-popcorn-pizza-itos on the stove. So you will have to cook real food if you want to eat. Real food is skinny jeans compatible. And sometimes you might be too tired after walking and carrying heavy stuff to actually cook. You might have to eat something like a piece of fruit instead of microwave-cake-in-a-cup…

{Step Five}Share your food with the hungry. Typically, this means sharing your food with your children who are ravenous because they no longer spend their days in car seats eating microwaved-itos-snacks. If you buy a sandwich, you might get to eat the crusts. Because five-year-olds hate crust. You may also get to eat tomatoes picked out of paella or mushrooms off of pizza. The only thing your children will not steal off your plate is salad. You can have as much salad as you want.

Simple, right? Just a few small lifestyle changes and you will look smokin’ hot in your skinnies…

{I hope you had a good laugh and enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If so, please share the fun on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter or link up on your Blog! Cheers!}

And remember to check out my friend Megan’s new blog, Out of Her Heart. Megan’s having a sweet giveaway this week. Go check it out and then come back and subscribe to my blog for a chance to win one something lovely!

• French bistro salad and baguette: A simple salad of spinach, arugula and green onions topped with fried bacon, a poached eggs and a mustard vineagrette. Mark and I ate this with a baguette and a bottle of white wine. This was delicious and so easy. Definitely going to be one of our favorites for a summer date night at home.
• Curried Chicken Pie: I sauteed chicken and onions with curry powder, added a bit of flour and milk to create a sauce, stirred in {a lot of} broccoli and baked with a little filo dough on top. The kids liked it. Asher said it would have been better with less broccoli. Yeah right kid. I served this with some steamed carrots topped with a bit of honey and cinnamon.
• Sausages, Mash and Peas: This was an easy, quick, British dinner. We grilled up some Free Range sausages, made mashed potatoes and steamed peas. The kids loved this. But it may have taken me 30 minutes to clean the grease off the hob…next time we’ll grill outside.
• Tortellini: The kids had a quick dinner of tortellini before the babysitter came on Friday night. Mark and I went to Curry Row for a much-needed date night! We ate Bangladeshi food that was terrific and then got lost on the train before making it home around midnight. When we got home, the kids were sleeping and the babysitter had done the dishes. She’s a keeper.
• Curry Salmon, Sweet Potato and Green Beans: This is my go-to salmon recipe. I mix a little curry, brown sugar and orange juice and brush on salmon and then bake in the oven at about 425 until just cooked through. If you are out of orange juice, any juice works. This time we used pineapple! I served with a simple sweet potato mash and steamed green beans.
• Summer Paella: This was my favorite new recipe! I marinated diced chicken and chorizo sausage in olive oil with paprika, garlic and chopped green onions. I sauteed this over high heat and then added turmeric and a diced red pepper. I added paella rice and stirred for a few minutes before adding fish stock. Close to the end of the cooking time I stirred in some shrimp and peas. And then garnished with tomato. Yum. This will be a new Brinton family standard when we have guests! Here’s a link to the recipe.
• Fish and Chips: Tonight we have family and town and we’re going to order in some fish and chips, hopefully with mushy peas and cider!
• Mini Burgers with Couscous Salad: On Tuesday, I’m making Greek inspired mini burgers. I will mix some feta cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano, garlic and onion in the mini burger patties. I’ll serve these with pita bread and hummous along with a simple salad made with couscous, cucumber, tomato and red onion.

I hope that provides a bit of inspiration! If you love these ideas, subscribe and share!!

This is for real.

Life in London is not some sort of experiment. It’s not a vacation. Or a short-term mission trip. We do not get to go home when life gets hard. This is home. This 100 year old house in this city of 10 million poeple is home.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading 7 by Jen Hatmaker. The book is the story of a wife and mum taking on a radical challenge to simplify her life. For seven months she looks at seven areas of her life and tries to do things differently. She cleans out her closet, spends less money, gives more, eats more simply. In month one, the author eats only seven foods. She whines about how boring it is to eat seven foods for a month. And at the end of the month, she goes back to more or less normal. Don’t get me wrong. I like the book.

But reading it when you’ve turned your life upside down…

I have days that I wish this was an experiment. On rainy days, I wish I had a minivan parked outside. Walking everywhere with four small children is exhausting. My feet hurt. Shoes that were comfortable for “running” errands in Seattle just do not cut it when the errands actually involve running – not driving – all over the city. I wish London was not so crazy expensive. I wish we could buy our kids ice cream on a sunny afternoon for less than $16.

I miss our family. I miss being able to have grandma and grandpa babysit once in a while. I miss our friends. I miss our church. I miss Target. I miss Costco baby wipes. I miss good old fashioned American customer service.

We’ve been in this city long enough that we’re feeling just how far it is from home.

Last spring I wrote the following:

Our family is in a season of radically simplifying our lives.

We are selling our house, our cars and half our stuff. We’re moving into a city where I can walk our kids to school and my husband can ride his bike to work.

We’ve realized that our lifestyle did not line up with our priorities. We are giving up the things that do not matter so we can give more to the people who do. We want to live simply so we can give generously of our time, our gifts and our money. For our family, this includes living more simply so we can adopt one more child.

And yes, this is more or less what we’ve done. We sold our house. We sold a lot of our stuff. We sold our cars. We moved to London. We left what we’re now realizing was a very comfortable life in Seattle.

And right now we’re deep in this “radically simplifying” business. And you know what? It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. We have given up, let go, said goodbye. We’ve been stripped of pretty much everything we took for granted in our old life. And nearly everything about our life here in London is out of our hands. We feel exposed. Vulnerable. At the end of our own strength.

And yet we are right where God has called us to be.

So we do not lose heart.

God is gracious. His forgiveness is very real. His strength is surpassing. He has planted us where he wants us to be and he is providing, even as he is pruning. This process is painful, but we are not crushed. He is stretching us beyond what we think we can handle, teaching us that our treasure was just in jars of clay. We are seeing in a new way that “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us,” (2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV).

What about you?

What circumstances have taken you out of your comfort zone?

Has God ever called you to radically change or simplify your life? Or to move overseas?

When you are at the end of your own strength, how have you experienced the presence of God?