books of the month: reading for dreamers and kids-at-heart

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Can I just say how wonderful the convenience of a Kindle is? I mean, I've had them for years, but I don't think I've ever appreciated digital books as much as I do living overseas. Not only is it easier than acquiring the hard copy, but I read three of the books on this list for free because of my Amazon Prime membership. This was a short month, but I still managed to pack it full of reading - in fact, even more than last month! I really loved most of what I read, which was a mix of inspiration, solid business advice, and parenting insight, with a little young adult fiction thrown in to lighten the mood...

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jin Sincero

Josh bought this book for me, as he had heard it recommended by several people and thought I would like it. I guess if you have low self-esteem and/or are new to this whole following your passion thing, you *might* like this book. For me, it was just too much and too little. I found the author's voice to be annoying, and the book repetitive and shallow. She seems to assume that the reader was incredibly self-deprecating, which is just not my thing. I'm guessing in an effort to be amusing or clever, she continuously flip-flopped on her choice of terms for certain things throughout the book (for example, The Universe, God, Source Energy, and Higher Power all used to refer to one spiritual guidance), which just seemed insincere and left me feeling disconnected. Since he hasn't read it himself, I guess I won't hold it against the hubby that this one was a bust... it's the thought that counts right?

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

This has literally been on my reading list basically since I started my photography business over six years ago... how does that even happen that it takes a person that long to get around to reading something? There's a reason that nearly every entrepreneur you talk to will tell you they've read this book. It's a treasure trove of sound business advice - basically defining the "secret sauce" of every successful person in history. What's even more amazing is that it was published in 1937 and is still relevant over 80 years later. I'll admit that it's a bit of an exhausting read due to the intensity, but I highly recommend it to any fellow entrepreneur out there. Here's one of my favorite takeaways...

"Most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the 'time to be right' to start doing something worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

Good. Stuff.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

I realize that I'm about 15+ years late to the party on this one, but after all that nonfiction and the intensity of the previous book, I needed some easy reading that I could get lost in. Since the Harry Potter books are free to read with my Amazon Prime membership, I thought I'd give 'em a go. I'm not exactly certain why I never got into them as a teen... I'm guessing it had something to do with the period from about 14 to 21 where I only read what was required of me in school. Even at 30 and having seen at least half the movies, these books are completely worthy of the hype. 

A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily Freeman

Because she's also from the Triad area of North Carolina and because the synopsis caught my interest, I bought this one and dove in. Long story short, it's about embracing your art and gifting the world your talent - whether that is painting or writing or teaching or cooking or mothering or building. You get the point - your "art" doesn't necessarily have to be art, as long as it makes you come alive. I've read sooo many of these types of books (and she frequently references one of my favorites, The War of Art), but I still thought this one was great. Her voice is unique, and the message inspiring. She also has a great blog, if you're into that. This... this spoke to my soul, y'all...

"You are the beloved. So be the loved. Receive your belovedness and then hand it out, receive grace and be gracious to others, remember you image-bearing identity and move into the world with a job to do. Show up as you are with what you've been given. And don't allow the voice of doubt and discouragement to hold you back."

The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Sandahl

After having checked out the French philosophy on parenting, I decided to move on to the Danes. Much like Bringing Up Bebe, it's written from the perspective of an American who finds herself suddenly submerged in this new culture. This was a really quick and simple read (a must for busy parents), and I found it interesting that we already seem to follow many of the Danish parenting "philosophies." It was a good reminder of the positive effects of teaching kids an overall "glass half full" way of thinking, while being realistic, open, and honest with them. I'm still not sure I subscribe to the full-on "hygge" culture of long, dedicated periods of time of extreme togetherness (as I think many Americans would agree), but overall, I think I can get on board with the happiest people on earth.

So, that's it! What about you? Have you read any of these, and if so, what did you think? What are you reading now? I've almost finished everything that I've already got on my Kindle, and I'm looking for something new!

15 months with Miles

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I can't believe we're already a quarter of the way through Miles's second year ... is it even possible that this one goes faster than the first??? I truly love this little man more and more every day. He has such a vibrant personality, is sweet as pure honey, and is just a really, really good child. We seriously hit the kiddie lottery with this one.

Here's a little update on what he's been up to for the last three months:

Knows lots of animal sounds: cow, horse, fish, chicken, bee, sheep, dog, cat, duck, mouse

Went through a brief picky phase, but is now into all kinds of foods - I credit this at least partially to implementing the meals-in-courses method in Bringing Up Bebé. Officially never wants our help at mealtimes and insists on using spoons and pouches himself. New things that he loves include artichokes, soba noodles, and pasta with truffle oil. Also, eats as much as a teenage boy.

Keeps us laughing all the time. For example, Josh was reading him a book with a chicken in it, and Miles said "mmmm" like he does when he's eating something yummy, but when I say he's having chicken for lunch, he makes a clucking sound. He's the best, y'all.

Walks, or more often, runs everywhere! This has unfortunately resulted in several falls, bumps on the head, and scratches to the face. I guess that's life with a boy.

Loves playing with his soccer ball, hugging Elmo, and swinging and sliding at the park.

Still obsessed with books - favorites right now are The Pout Pout Fish, all of his Sandra Boynton books, and a couple of random books (specifically Night Night Forest Friends and Bubbles, Bubbles) he's received through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Randomly bows (which he learned from the book Barnyard Dance) and loves doing Patty-Cake, especially the "mark it with a B." Will spin in circles to make himself dizzy and say "weeeeeee." Loves throwing and kicking his soccer ball around the house. Holds my phone up to his ear and say "hello?" and then proceed to have a "conversation." Basically will imitate anything we do.

Lets you know when he wants to go outside by trying to put his jacket on and get in his stroller. Enjoys being outdoors and especially loves going to the park to swing and slide.

Knows 15+ words (other than animal sounds): Dada, bye-bye, night-night, Bubba, cheese, banana, Mama, please, pout-pout, bubbles, eye, shoes, hat, bath, keys, Gigi, and more literally every day.

Has recently become obsessed with daddy after being a real mama's boy for the first year. Loves sitting in the rocker with him to read and seeing him off to work every morning. 

Is fascinated by the way things work - locks and latches (which he's learned to use from this toy), screw-on caps, door hinges, and anythings with working parts.

In the past three months, has traveled to Paris and Florence bringing his count up to a total of five countries.

Aside from some mean molars and a cold, is overall sleeping much better. Usually 9-11 hours completely through the night. Still takes two naps, but has started having a random one nap day from time to time.

And last but not least, we are officially completely weaned from nursing. Hallelujah!

We have so many fun adventures planned for the next few months, including a trip to North Carolina, Spain with friends, and visitors from the U.S., so I'm hoping this big boy who's always on the move handles the upcoming plane rides and roadtrips like a champ. If you have any tips for keeping a very active toddler entertained on a transatlantic flight, leave them in the comments below. I'm desperate for a meltdown free flight :)

Next update coming at you in another three months... I can only imagine what crazy things our Miles man will be up to by then!

christmas in paris: a family weekend in the city of love

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For a full list of what to eat, where to stay, and things to do in Paris based on our experience, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Since it's still the month of Valentine's (and I'm wayyy behind on documenting our travels), I figured what better time to share our December trip to the City of Love. Last fall, we decided that we'd only be going home for Miles's birthday and Thanksgiving, so we wanted to make Christmas extra special for just the three of us. Knowing that many things in Paris would still be open leading up to the holiday and seeing as it's less than three hours by rail, we booked our train tickets and started planning our stay in France's capital.

To be honest, Paris has never been way up there on my bucket list of places to travel - maybe it's the hype surrounding it or the stereotypes about the city and it's people or just the sheer size of the place. And Paris with a toddler? Let's just say my expectations were pretty low, BUT I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. We decided to forgo our travel stroller in favor of toting Miles around all weekend in the Ergo carrier. He hadn't been in it for awhile, but I was pleased to find that it was actually more comfortable now (at 13 months) than when he was much smaller. He napped in it like a pro facing inward, and when he woke up, I turned him facing outward so that he could take in everything. Restaurants were shockingly "kid-friendly" in that people didn't turn their noses up at us entering their establishment with a small child and both servers and patrons were extremely welcoming to both us and Miles (but there were still no high chairs anywhere we went... luckily, we had this bad boy with us). As for the food, Miles isn't too picky these days, but he took in most of his calories via bread and took a particular liking to brioche (but seriously, who wouldn't).

Josh had accumulated some hotel points from various work trips, so we decided to stay in the Mercure - Paris Opera Louvre instead of our usual airbnb. I was slightly concerned about the size of a Paris hotel with the little guy, but we were greeted with an incredibly roomy two-story suite (so we were able to put Miles to bed upstairs in a travel crib and hang out downstairs in the living area eating late-night macarons without having to worry about waking him up). As a side note, these very entertaining paintings (plus about five more) were in the stairwell of our hotel...

day 1: champs elysees and all things parisian

Once we arrived at Gare du Nord, I made it very clear that mission number one was to find the nearest legit looking bakery to get the butteriest croissant we could find. We peeked in the window at this little patissier and stepped inside to what can only be described as a pastry-filled heaven. Turns out, this was far and away the absolute best croissant and pain au chocolat we had the entire trip, beating the other highly recommended bakeries I found on various websites by a long shot. If you find yourself in Paris - listen to me closely - MAKE THE TRIP TO MR. FERRAND'S.

Once we got settled in at our hotel, we headed over to the Galeries Lafayette to check out the Christmas decorations. The window displays and the tree inside were absolutely gorgeous, but it was completely packed with people, so we stayed just long enough to pick up some macarons at Pierre Hermé and take a few photos.

We ate a fine-but-nothing-to-write-home-about late lunch at a brasserie on the way to the Champs Élysées, where we strolled along window shopping, checking out expensive cars, and getting more macarons at the famous Laduree. Note: if you've been to Times Square in New York City, this is the same sort of vibe (in other words, completely not my speed - this was my least favorite way that we spent our time).

day 2: cathedrals and versailles

The next day, we were up and at 'em early and took a cab to Eric Kayser where Miles thoroughly enjoyed a sugar brioche. After a quick bite, we hit up Paris's most famous cathedrals, Notre-Dame and Sainte Chapelle. Both are beautiful churches, though the stained glass in the latter is absolutely magnificent. Photos just don't do it justice.

We had a coach to catch near the Eiffel Tower in the afternoon to take us to Versailles, so we scouted online the night before for a lunch spot near our departure point and found Le Petit Cler, where I savored the a delectable croque madame on fresh sourdough with copious amount of cheese and the most perfect sunny-side up egg. Y'all - French food is EVERYTHING.

We took the Versailles Express to the palace (much cleaner and easier than trying to take the train) and spent several hours wandering the sprawling estate and surrounding grounds. We topped it all off with the richest and most chocolatey hot chocolate ever of all time from Angelina. 

Once we got back to the city, we were starving. We took a moment to marvel at the Eiffel Tower at night and after walking up and down Rue de Cler, settled on Le Roussillon for a late dinner, which ended up being quite delicious.

day 3: christmas eve in paris

On our last full day in the city, we knew we had to go the Louvre. I'd already been advised that the best way to see it was to hit up the highlights, as this museum is enormous and to be frank, not that interesting to someone who favors impressionist and expressionist works (gimme Van Gogh and Monet all day!). We only had time for one museum, but I hear that the the Musee de l'Orangerie and Musee d'Orsay are wonderful.

I believe Josh's exact words when I told him we had to make the lengthy trek to Jacques Genin were, "is it really worth it for a caramel?," and let me assure you that the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Not just any caramel, but the most delightful little square of butter (so. much. butter) and sugar I've ever tasted. My only regret is that we didn't buy more of them, and they don't ship.

By now, we were in dire need of a caffeine boost, so we found Cuillier right around the corner where we had the most delightful cinnamon crumb cake and pour-over coffee while Miles played on the floor with his toy cars and enjoyed bites of our treat. 

For our one and only "fancy" meal while in Paris, we had made reservations at Kaitleen, which from the looks of it, seemed kid-friendly enough. Most of the restaurants, including this one, had a fixed menu for Christmas Eve. It was only a short walk from our hotel, and we stepped inside to the cutest, coziest little restaurant, decked with tinsel and lights and playing classic holiday tunes. We were greeted by the owners with champagne and went on to enjoy a lovely four course meal, while Miles sat in a chair fitted with his travel seat chowing down on bites of veggies and cheerios.

The next morning, Christmas Day, we boarded the train back to Aachen to finish off our celebration at home, where Miles's loot from Santa included a new child-sized Ikea chair, these awesome magnetic blocks, and Bubba the giant gator :) 

If you'd like to check out some of the places we enjoyed in Paris, here's a complete list with a few additional details included:

where to stay in paris

Mercure Paris Opera Louvre: Convenient location and lovely views (with an elevator, to boot). If you're traveling as a family or just want a little extra room, book the suite.

what to eat in paris

Mr. Ferrands (93 Rue La Lafayette, 75010 Paris): This place is truly a hidden gem, as there's no website or listing on any of the major websites, but trust me when I say that it is the best pastry you'll have in Paris. I recommend the pain au chocolat.

Macarons: Our favorites were Pierre Hermé's (try the rose one for a truly unique and delightful flavor). We weren't wild about Laduree. It's also worth noting that Paris has a Pierre Marcolini shop (which is actually a Brussels chocolatier) - having had these before, I'd say they're a top contender for best macaron.

Maoz: After reading this post by David Lebovitz hailing this as his favorite falafel in Paris, I was sold. This is a cheap eat, and the buffet of toppings and sauces was fresh and abundant. We went to the location in the heart of the vibrant Latin Quarter, which only has a couple of seats, so be prepared to eat on the street if it's busy.

Jacques Genin: You're going to look at a map and this place is going to seem out of the way, but boy is it worth the trip. Easily the best caramels I've ever had in my life - buttery melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Definitely try the mango-passion and the original. Oh, and absolutely get more than you think you need.

Le Petit Cler: A quaint and charming place near the Eiffel Tower without the tourist trap vibe. Everything on the menu looked great, but you only need to know about one thing - the croque madame. Ham, cheese, and a perfect sunny side up egg, on a thin slice of Paris's famous Poilane sourdough, you won't regret it.

Cuillier: Josh and I have pretty much made it our personal mission to find the best cup of coffee everywhere we go, and I'm pretty sure we succeeded with Cuillier. Excellent pour-over coffee (with multiple processes available), and as a bonus, the atmosphere was not at all pretentious.

Le Rousillon: This one's also near the Eiffel Tour, and although less quaint and a bit more touristy, we were delighted with both the food and service. I had the rich and savory beef bourguignon, and Josh had a perfectly cooked pork chop. Miles, of course, chowed down on bread.

Angelina: We stopped in here at Versailles, which I'm sure was not quite the same ambiance as the main location in Paris. Regardless, the hot chocolate (if you can even call it that) was still amazing - this is more like a little well of the thickest, darkest, richest molten chocolate meant to slowly sipped and savored. 

Kaitleen: A quaint and cozy place for an outstanding, but affordable dinner. I recommend the beef carpaccio and the foie gras burger. The owners/chefs were so incredibly friendly, and you could tell they really valued their work. This place is tiny, so I'd recommend reservations.

what to do in paris

Eat: See above :)

The Louvre: I stand by my friends' recommendations to have a game plan and mostly focus on the highlights. If you've never been before, definitely do - the sheer size of the museum is absolutely amazing - but unless you're super into Greek and Roman antiquities and renaissance paintings, it may not be your jam. Bonus: if you're traveling with a small child and didn't bring a stroller (like us), you can use one of the museum's for free.

Palace of Versailles: If you're making this little trek out of the city, I highly recommend using the Versailles Express. The bus leaves from the docks near the Eiffel Tower and is just altogether a much nicer experience than I imagine the train would be (especially for traveling with a kid). The palace itself is massive and a bit overwhelming, but we felt that a half day was more than enough time to spend there. However, if you want to see the other residences on the property or if it's a nice day (it was cold and rainy while we were there) and you want to enjoy the gardens, I'd imagine a full day would be a better option.

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle: Notre Dame is free to go in, unless you want to go to the bell tower (we opted not to). You have to buy a ticket to go in Sainte Chapelle, but the stained glass inside is absolutely marvelous.

Explore the Latin Quarter: I wish we had had more time to spend in this area! It seemed like a neighborhood where I could just get lost perusing the chic little shops and sipping an afternoon drink at one of the cute cafes. There will definitely be a day dedicated to the Latin Quarter on my next trip to Paris.

So there you have it! If you're planning a trip, I hope this helps, and if you've been to Paris before, I'd love to know - what are your must dos/eats/sees?