Ideas for how to take a trip to Paris and see “it all” with a kid.

Recently we returned from a family trip to Paris.  It was an amazing experience and it was made even more special because it was our first chance to show our little one how awesome Europe is!  I wanted to share a couple of kid-friendly ideas, hints and tricks that made our time more enjoyable.  Paris, we are totally, head-over-heels in love with you and cannot wait to return someday.  

Idea: Get the Paris Lib Pass.  It is totally worth it if you expect to see at least 3-5 of the major sights and their website is super easy to navigate.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower in Spring = Heaven! 

Day 1:

Go on the Eiffel Tower Tour.  (Yes, it's totally a necessary evil, but totally worth the NYC style pandemonium and waiting.)  Reserve your tickets online and schedule ahead to help with the lines and only go to the 2nd level if you are a little (or “OMG MAMA, WE ARE WAYYYYYY TOO HIGH UP IN THE AIR) afraid of heights. Also, do this activity first so that you don't spend the whole week with a little person asking "When do we get to go to the Eiffel Tower.....".  

Then after the Eiffel Tower, hop on the Double Decker Bus tour (comes with your Paris Lib Pass) and enjoy some sightseeing that is super fun for a little one.  Riding on the top of the bus allows the little ones to see much more without having to walk too much.  Being a tourist in Paris is a truly a marathon, not a sprint, my friends.

Hop off the Double Decker Bus tour to see Sacré Coeur.  It was awesome.  The little street that leads up to the church is hilariously funny and reminded us a little bit of Canal Street in NYC.  We climbed the stairs halfway, stopped and listened to the cutest old man quartet play some Parisian jazz and checked out the view.  Note: the stairs themselves are the coolest part of this experience for a kid.  Why do they love hopping up and down them so much?  It was a great way to enjoy a sunny afternoon with amazing views of the Paris skyline.  

Views from Sacré Coeur 

A crazy but amazingly delicious and memorable dinner if you are in the Place Vendome area is Le Soufflé.  Soufflé for everyone for every part of the meal.  It may seem decadent, but we were in Paris, after all. 

After Le Soufflé, head over to the Ferris Wheel in Jardin des Tuileries.  The view is amazing and it’s such a fun late night activity for a kid.  We loved seeing the city from above and having a little "pod" in the Ferris Wheel all to ourselves.  It was only “a tiny bit scary” to be up that high, according to the little lady.

Day 2:

Do less. 

One thing we noticed while traveling was that we didn’t have a concrete itinerary for each day and it made the trip SO MUCH more fun.  We slept in, we ate 3 hour long lunches and played games and drew pictures at the table.  We ate bread and cheese until our bellies were so full we thought we would never eat again and then walked down the street and ate ice cream.  That’s vacation done right, we say.

If you need more advice on how to enjoy Paris without overdoing it, we loved Abby Grace’s post here.

So, after a lazy morning and midday, what does one decide to do?  Visit the Louvre.  Ok, here’s the deal.  The Louvre is BIG.  Like too big for a kid to enjoy, but you can totally outsmart it two ways: 

1.     Because you have your museum pass so you are super chill about walking in and out quickly because it was already “paid for”.

2.     Just walk around Egyptian, see the old castle walls of the original building and then pick 2 more things to see.  Take the elevators and get a map and pretend to be on a treasure hunt.  People always see my photos and think that my little one totally loves museums but let’s be real here people, they can only handle so much.  So, make a tiny little plan, bribe them with croissants and then promise them that if they let you find the Mona Lisa you will take them to the playground later.  #parenting

After the Louvre, play in Tuileries Gardens.  Wander, take silly photos and smell the flowers.

Dinner idea: Chez Monsieur in the Place Vendome area was great.  DELICIOUS food, (we had the veal stew and the profiteroles), the service was amazing and so friendly, and they were completely ok with having a happy little tiny woman in the restaurant.  We noticed that as long as she wasn’t roaming freely and shouting, Parisians were totally down with our little woman joining them for fancy meals.

Day 3:

Play in Gardens once more and then hit up the Musee l’Orangerie.  AKA MY FAVORITE MUSEUM EVERRRRRR.  Omg it’s so good.  I almost cried.  Ok fine, I cried.   As a little girl, I was totally enamored with the work of Monet and read “Linnea in Monet’s Garden” all of the time so seeing this was literally a dream come true for me. 

Then switch to Airbnb.  (link to our AWESOME apartment here)

We decided to stay in two totally distinct areas in Paris to really try and soak up the “tourist” area and the smaller cobblestone street vibes of Le Marais.  I would recommend doing this for anyone who wants to really see the area and feel a bit more like you are living there instead of just visiting.  PS – Le Marais is 100% kid friendly. 

Eat crepes at Le Breizh in the afternoon.  Wait in the line if you must, it’s worth it.  Also, some people hit up the Picasso museum afterwards but we were being ultra lazy and just played in the playground and then wandered around instead.  Both are solid options. 

The best part of the Airbnb experience was that we arrived, got some groceries (bread, cheese, wine, salami, etc.) and stayed in and snuggled and watched movies.  It was a perfect part of the trip to take it easy and it made the day so much more low key.  Also, we washed our clothes in the tiniest washer ever and it was awesome.  *and hilarious*

Day 4:

Go to Ile de la Cite.  See Notre Dame (climbing is cool, I guess, but I personally think it’s overrated…don’t tell my family I wrote that.)

See more about traveling in Paris from a person who is even grumpier than me (Anthony Bourdain)

Notre Dame is gorgeous from the outside, has a sick playground and benches, and the views alone are breathtaking.  Also, the gardens. 

Go to Shakespeare and Co.  TRUST ME.  It was awesome, complete with a beautiful antique bookstore, modern bookstore, café and more.  We wandered the aisles and shipped for hours.  Also, there are ladders for climbing to get books and if your kid is into Beauty and the Beast that is literally their dream come true. 

Take a boat ride on the Seine (it’s part of your Paris Lib Pass, but we mixed up where to get picked up so just bought tickets…it was still worth it!) 

Dinner idea: Literally any sidewalk cafe in Le Marais.  We tried out Camille (thanks to a recommendation from my friend Lauren), and it was yummy traditional food and service and totally chill vibe.  Nice for a kid because they make pesto pasta which is literally her life.  The grownups ate escargot and totally grossed out the kid.  It was a good, giggly time had by all.

Day 5:

Try a café for breakfast.  Literally any of them in Le Marais are delicious.  Order a “menu” which consists of orange juice, coffee and a croissant.  Eat outside if you can, it’s so fun to people watch and enjoy the morning feeling like a local.  

Get a picnic at Eric Keyser and head to Versailles for a day of adventure!

Note: The RER (Paris Subway) map towards Versailles is a little cray.  Head towards Versailles and make sure 100% that you are actually going to Versailles.  Or just embrace the fact that you might get lost and make some cute old lady friends in the process.  Whatever floats your boat.

At Versailles, go QUICKLY thru the inside because it’s abysmally boring for kids.  Then play, play, play all day outside and frolic and picnic.  The best thing we did at Versailles was rent bikes.  A bicycle and a bicycle-built-for-two, to be exact.  It was so fun to pedal around the gardens and stop to see fun things like Marie Antionette’s pink castle, beautiful landscaped gardens and race one another through historical ruins. 

Dinner idea: Le Petit Chatelet next to Shakespeare and Co.  We decided to head back over to Ile de la Cite after Versailles and it’s so fun to see Pont Neuf’s street performers and musicians and Notre Dame at night.  Note: aforementioned "super awesome" playground.  Le Petit Chatelet is an experience!  We sat next to the fireplace where they prepared the meats and the waiter was a riot.  We know 0% French and muddled through in a hilarious fashion.  He was completely down for the adventure and we appreciated how funny he was about it all. 

Day 6:

Off to Marche des les Enfants Rouges.  Oldest street market in Paris and full of delicious and beautiful international food options.  We enjoyed some wine, lentil soup, and a charcuterie board and then indulged in some Moroccan sweets for dessert.  Also, there are flower markets and we wandered through a bit and literally smelled the roses until the flower man legit shoo-ed us away.

Please pass all of the cheese my way.  

Then, off to Luxembourg Gardens!  SO, beautiful and awesome for kids!  Rent a sailboat and enjoy a seat next to the pond. The playground situation is amazing here, but bring cash because you have to pay to play.  Also, there is a marionette show on Wednesdays and Sundays.  We spent the whole day just relaxing in the Gardens and wandering around. 

Day 7:

Headed home but not without eating more chocolate croissants and stopping for a proper breakfast send off at Frenchie Jr. on Rue du Nil in Le Marais.  It was absolutely delicious and the entire street had little gems along it.  Isn’t it just cruel when you find little treasures on the day you are leaving?

Then we got some baguettes from Eric Keyser to take on the airplane and headed to Dublin.

Paris Highlights:

• Crepes at Le Breizh in Le Marias
• Bike Ride in Versailles
• Seeing the Waterlilies at Musée l'Orangerie in Tuileries Gardens
• Dinners at Le Souffle and Chez Monsieur
• Picnic in the Park at Versailles
• Riding the Ferris Wheel in Tuileries Gardens
• Macarons at Laudureé
• Musicians on Pont Neuf
• Sacré Coeur Musicians
• Espresso breaks midday
• Croissants all day every day 

Parenting highlights:

• Watching your kid soak up a totally new culture
• Watching them make friends at the park despite language barriers
• Teaching her to people watch and sit at a café for hours. 
• Teaching her to draw or play something silly when they get “bored” while mom and dad drink wine
• Watching her eyes light up when the Eiffel Tower “twinkled” each night on the hour for 5 minutes
• Hearing her happy squeals as she rode on the bicycle with her best friend, Dad.  

Do you remember meeting your best friend(s)?   I giggled as I thought of writing about this because some friends just magically appear in our lives, while we meet others in the funniest (and often times most awkward) situations throughout our lives.

Take, for example, my little brother.  He came home from his first day of 3 year old nursery school with a new best friend: "the boy in the orange shirt".  Unfortunately, Benjamin (as we later came to know him) wore a different colored shirt the next day.  The story ended well with the kind teacher helping my brother find his "new best friend".

I have an "eclectic" group of best friends.  They are awesome.  

Katie is my lifeguard buddy who I met in a pool.  Literally, while swimming in the pool, we said to one another (I remember it as clear as day!), "we are friends".  That was the end of that.  How easy!  Our friendship has been easy (like having an awesome big sister that doesn't judge and literally reads my mind telepathically) ever since.

Bethan is the first friend I made in high school.  I don't remember exactly when it happened, but I do remember seeing her in a lot of my classes and one day striking up a conversation where we literally decided that we were not only best friends, but also sisters.  We decided that since we looked alike, we should be friends.  Period.  The antics began and they haven't stopped many years later!

Megan is one of the friends that I don't remember meeting very well.  She was in my homeroom freshman year and I remember loving and admiring her silliness from the beginning.  All of the sudden, I was telling people that we were friends, no questions asked.  That's exactly how she is.  We are friends, no matter what.  No questions asked.

Katie (not to be confused with Katie above) and Mo (short for Maureen) were a two-for-one friendship deal.  I had classes with both of them and remember thinking "gosh, those girls are cool, I wonder if they would be my friends?"  (Note: This is awfully embarrassing to admit.)  Well, it worked out fabulously and we became a little gang of not just 3 friends (yes, they allowed other people into their force field of friendship!), but 5 (see the two characters above).  We are the type of friends that will go to the beach together as old ladies and sit together in the tide with our drink coozies and giggle until sunset.  I love these girls like sisters.

So, the question is.... How did you meet your best friend (s)?  Do you remember?

Happy Tuesday,

M

On Sunday, I am headed to a baby shower for 3 ladies at work who are expecting.  Thinking of what they need and can actually use as new moms got me thinking of a post that I have been meaning to write for months!  Today, I am sharing 5 of the nicest and "not so nice" things that I have noticed people saying about newborn babies and their shell shocked, but love struck new mamas (and papas!).  

5 kind / awesome things to say to someone who just had a baby: 

1.  "Your baby is beautiful."

(end of story)  No matter how many times you hear it, it never gets old.  I like to call this comment "the classic".

2.  "You look beautiful."

(are you seeing a trend here yet?)  Just tell a woman that she makes it look good.  Even if she doesn't.  It feels nice! 

3.  "You guys make a good looking / cute / adorable kid."

This comment is great because it's not especially emotional or cheesy, but covers the "your baby is beautiful and so are you, mama" comments which I love so much.

4.  "Can I come over and clean your house / do your dishes / go shopping for you"?

The only thing I wanted to do after having our little one was hold her while she was sleeping and maybe even drift off to sleep too.  Visitors insisted on holding her, which was fine, but I felt like I should have first dibs.  Some wise friends and family members brought food (bonus points!), cleaned (double bonus!) and even went on errands for us.  Now, these are friends! 

5.  "You guys are doing a great job, you are naturals."

Sincere and kind.  You can't go wrong.  

5 comments to avoid:

1.  "Your baby looks just like your husband."

 Mine does.  Which means that she is adorably cute and has cheeks that you could pinch for days.  BUT, for some reason (9 months + hours of labor), I wanted to hear that she looked just a tiny bit like me.  Call me crazy, but I worked hard for that girl!  Just stick with comment #1 above, people! 

2.  "You are going to lose all of the baby weight in no time."

Please refrain from all body comments.  Don't tell me how pregnant (or not) that I look.  Just say that I am pretty even though I am 40 pounds overweight and in pain.  

3.  "How is the baby sleeping"?

Really people?  Have you ever heard of a newborn who sleeps well?  That's just cruel.  And the nights that she did sleep well, we were petrified to talk about them because of extreme superstition.

4.  "Are you breast feeding?"

Nope.  Just don't ask.  It's difficult and emotional and people get upset having to answer this one.  Avoid it, please.  See above for other ideas.

5.  "When are you going back to work?"

Ugh.  I just had a kid.  I want to stay at home and stare at her pretty little button nose for all eternity.  Don't make me think of reality.  Thanks.  

I can't wait for DC Flamenco week!  It looks like such an awesome event full of beautiful dancing and Spanish food.

And, at the National Gallery, there is an exhibition of Picasso's Drawings!  What a fun little Spanish day of adventure this could be!

Now all I can think about is sitting outside at a cafe drinking a cafecito and people watching.

Happy Monday.

M

Yesterday afternoon, the little beagle and I spent some quality time on the back deck.  Him sniffing, me reading a book (aka the best afternoon ever!) and I began thinking of the little life lessons that he has taught me in our 3 year relationship thus far. 1.  Enjoy the small, less noticeable moments

2.  Take it all in and take a deep breath (or in his case, lots of small sniffing breaths)

3.  Sit outside and turn off the laptop / cell phone / tv (he never needs them to be happy!)

4.  The joy of food (you should see this boy eat dinner, its quite a show!!)

Thanks Frank, for being great.

Love,

Your non-beagle Mom