36 Hours in Paris
After a whirlwind few days in Marseille for the Olympics, our travel plans shifted and we found ourselves with 36 unexpected hours in Paris. With a toddler, last-minute hotel points, and zero expectations, we squeezed in river views, croissants, Eiffel Tower sparkles, and just enough magic to fall in love with the city.
Paris 2024 Olympics in Marseilles
Join us for a family-friendly adventure to the 2024 Paris Olympics—without the Paris crowds. We spent three unforgettable days in Marseille attending Olympic sailing and football events, exploring charming Endoume, swimming with official Paris 2024 floats, and taking a 4x4 safari with Camargue Autrement to see flamingos, wild horses, and local wineries. This travel blog covers where we stayed, what we ate, and why Marseille was the perfect home base for our Olympic experience.
Sardegna: Tortolì + Costa Baunei
We had never done an all-inclusive resort before, but for our 4th of July long weekend, we wanted to go somewhere to park ourselves at the beach and not move or think about anything. I saw Arbatax Park Resort & Spa on Instagram months before and saved it, not thinking of a time we would actually go. I just saw the incredible blue water, the white beaches, and that they had an animal park for kids. This turned out to be the perfect summer holiday for us.
Lake Geneva: France + Switzerland
I tend to be a pendulum that swings between planning far in advance and planning about 2-4 weeks before a trip. It usually depends on what I can convince my partner to do, if we’re being honest. This trip was something we halfway planned months in advance (flights booked in December for an end of May trip). For probably 90% of our trips, we have let SkyScanner decide where we go. Because of our military-decided long weekends, we know for an entire fiscal year when we are going to have “free weekends” to travel. As we drove to Puglia for Christmas 2023, I got on SkyScanner and planned out our holidays for spring 2024. I found wildly affordable flights on EasyJet to Geneva for Memorial Day Weekend and booked them. Then came the fun part of planning what we would use the city of Geneva as our jumping off point for.
One Day in Annecy, France
Annecy was a spontaneous day trip and I am so glad that we did it. If you put me near water and mountains together, chances are you will see my entire personality change. We spent the day in Annecy on our way home from a weekend on Làc Leman (or Lake Geneva) in France and Switzerland. Annecy is absolutely stunning. It’s often called the Venice of the Alps because it is built on canals, but unlike Venice, here you will find incredible mountain views.
Montenegro: Bay of Kotor
This has been one of my absolute favorite trips. One of my best friends was born in Montenegro and to visit her home was really special. The beauty of this country cannot be overstated. Highly recommend a trip here!! It was a great balance of relaxation for us and fun for our toddler.
Ireland: County Kerry & County Cork
When my partner spontaneously got a few days off of work, we looked at Skyscanner, and found last minute cheap flights from Naples into Dublin. We had an absolutely fantastic trip exploring a bit of County Cork and a fair amount of County Kerry with our three year old. Here is how we spent our long weekend. The Dingle Peninsula is now one of our favorite places we have traveled to in all of Europe.
Scotland: Edinburgh
Planning a long weekend in Edinburgh with kids? This family-friendly travel guide covers everything you need to know—from where to stay and eat, to the best things to do with toddlers, including kid-approved attractions, walking tours, and rainy day activities. Perfect for a short winter getaway!
I Say No To Sharenting
For parents, there is pure power in saying, “There is no right way*. There is only what is right for your family.” This is what’s right for my family.
Exploring My Own Sober Curiousity
I have never been able to find the middle ground with drinking - it is all or nothing. So here I am, trying the nothing. And enjoying as many mocktails (or posed photos with my partner’s wine) as I can.
We Are Failing New Parents
How are you showing up for and loving the people in your life who are struggling with their mental health? How are you contributing to a culture that delineates what struggles are acceptable, palatable, and deserving of sympathy?
Honest Day As A SAHM
Most days, however, I still found myself looking around and asking, “Is this what other stay at home moms do? Does everyone else feel like they did…nothing?”
From Mythology to Motherhood: My Love Affair with Persephone
I thought I knew everything about her story - the daughter of Demeter and Zeus who was spirited away to the Underworld by Hades himself. Little did I know how reductive I was in my view of the woman whose presence was to become my most constant guide through not only motherhood but the cycles of life itself.
A Letter to My Postpartum Depression
Giving my postpartum depression a name has helped me separate the depression from myself and my identity…this is my letter to her as I work towards being able to say goodbye once and for all.
Medicated Motherhood
By taking care of myself before I did anything else, I spoke my son’s language. I showed him that I loved him, even before I was able to say or even feel it. Taking medication doesn’t make me a failure.
Discovering Purpose in Darkness
My goal is to be a safe place for new families, where their concerns, fears, goals, and needs are considered just as important as those of their baby.
Motherhood is Both/And
I choose to honor my struggles and my pain. I choose to remember the reality of those early (and not so early) days of motherhood. If I forget all of that, how will I be able to see how far I have come?
“I’m fine, thanks,” and Other Lies I Told Myself During Pregnancy
Like many people, I had preconceived notions of what pregnancy would be like. I expected some kind of otherworldly connection…But that never came.
London with Kids
We visited London when my son was 2.5 to meet up with one of our best friends who was stopping there on her way home to visit family in Germany. We all spent a few days together in London, then she went on to Germany while we stayed behind to head up to Oxford and finish a few “must sees” in England, before we joined her to continue our trip in Germany and the Netherlands. There are so many itineraries and “72 Hours In…” posts for London so I thought I would just share what we particularly loved with our toddler.