Tips for Traveling to London/Paris with kids

September 18, 2018

After booking our 13 days (of wonderful-memories-waiting-for-us-in) London Adventure, I reached out to some friends who had traveled to London and asked for advice on packing and traveling tips. Thankful I did.. they were spot on and we were gratefully prepared. Hope that these tips will make your traveling easier!

1.  *Use smaller,  carry-on sized luggage…especially if you are using the Underground/public transportation. The sidewalks can be a bit hard to manage with luggage, and your younger kids will need sturdy rolling suitcases. Invest in the good stuff! Don’t worry about actually carrying it on, check it on the plane. Wrestling 3 suitcases down from the overheads and maneuvering in the tight aisles had no real benefit.. so we checked them.  But boy were we glad to have those smaller pieces when we were squeezing onto the underground!

2. Travel duffel bag(s) for extra purchases.  Totally worth it!  Make sure you buy a sturdy one (or more)… specifically reinforced zipper and sturdy material, allowing you to check without worry! We used these for clothes on the way home and packed all the breakables/bendables in one of the hard case carry-ons. Grabbed them at WalMart, looks alot like this  XL Travel Duffel Bag  Life saver!

3.  Handy Passport portfolio for all of your passports to stay together (don’t forget to make copies of your passport (even take a photo on your phones) and leave copy with someone in the States in case you need it. I found a zippered case with multiple slots and big enough to hold all 5 Passports at HomeGoods, but you can buy the same holder on Amazon here.

4. Ibuprofen or Tylenol..you will be walking a lot and it’s likely there will be tears from aching legs/feet and headaches from all the excitement.

5.  Walking shoes..comfortable and already broken in. However.. Londoners and Parisians really wear very stylish shoes. Even their tennis shoes are great looking! So go ahead and get something nice that won’t have you feeling shoe shame on your many underground rides. And, actually, a second pair of shoes is recommended to give your feet a change on a two week tour! Remember there is LOTS of walking in your future.

6. Lightweight backpack/purses make for easy travel.  My girls and I all have rope sling KAVU bags, and that allowed the 3 of us to help carry phones, keys, cards, pamphlets, money and water bottles, all while remaining hands-free. We saw many people toting the big backpacks, for large cameras, baby gear, etc. With all of the walking you’ll be doing… pack light and make it easy!

7. Extra phone charger packs…. you don’t want to lose service because you run out of battery.  We made sure each of our bags had a charger (grabbed a few cheap-o, lightweight ones for the girls at Target in the DollarSpot and we kept a larger one similar to this one on us too).  Getting stuck in London without access to our map app (try City Mapper the best!) would have been a disaster…we were hyper vigilant about our phones/batteries. Oh.. and bring an extra charging cord (or 2)… definitely cheaper to buy those in the states that abroad!

8.  If you are visiting in warmer weather, make sure to toss some chafing ointment in your bag. London is known for rain, which means your kids (and you) will likely get somewhat wet while sightseeing. Lots of walking + friction = misery.  Trust me.

9. Money- get $100 -$200 converted in U.S. airport before you depart. The exchange rate is costly, though we found the best deal in Windsor across from the Castle! Your credit cards and debit cards are accepted in most stores and restaurants. But,we visited the markets and allowed the kids to have some cash for souvenirs where we needed Pounds (England) and Euros (Paris). **Remember to always call your credit card company and your bank to let them know anytime you’re traveling internationally. You don’t want to be stuck in, say Ethiopia, and have your credit cards frozen for suspicion of theft….no, no you don’t.

10.  Extra Glasses/Contacts. This is not the time to miss out because you can’t see. And, you really don’t want to go looking for an optometrist while on vacation. Pack your extra pair of glasses/contacts and set that worry free!

11. Electrical Outlet adapters…a few different options because not all plugs are the same!  We brought 2 different ones, and only one worked in each flat. Which meant we spent time rotating cell phones through the night to make sure everyone had a full charge as well as the battery pack.  One of our flats came with adapters, which was super helpful! Make sure to ask.

12. If you are planning to pack light and use the washer/dryer combo in your flat, just know that these are the smallest machines you have ever seen. Definitely pack lightly, with layers, and many days of options. No need to bring your own suds..they won’t use Tide Pods.  You’ll find London and Parisian approved detergent at the neighborhood market.  A typical night for us was a load of laundry (two really) and all of the half-dried clothes laid around the flat for overnight drying. When in Rome…

13.  Headphones for the flights. This is probably a personal preference. My kids prefer headphones for longer use. You will be given disposable earbuds on most international flights, so no worries if you forget yours. But headphones really help with the noise and we find them to be more comfortable all-around. Ill-fitting earbuds for 8 hours on a plane…ouch.

 

*Let me add that along with a small, rolling, carry-on sized suitcase (which we checked) each kid had a carry-on bag with essentials like a travel pillow, socks for cold feet, headphones, easy snacks and chewing gum for the cabin pressure, book/magazine, chapstick, and one set of clean clothes (just in case).

 

 

 

 

Summer Fun in London

September 18, 2018

Over the summer we took our three kids, ages 8, 12, and 15, on a thirteen day adventure to London and Paris. Our first international travel with our family of five!  We had some set goals in mind, mainly Budget-friendly sightseeing (not always easy in London) and to live like the locals when possible. From previous travel experience, we knew that the latter was made easiest by staying in the neighborhoods, so we searched Airbnb and found accommodations that made our trip the most comfortable home(s) away from home! (If you want to check out the flats we rented, I’ve listed them here London Dreams Come True.) We also knew that we had two kids who were all about the adventure and one whose walking shoes were on a limited time frame, the plans had to be accommodating across the ages.

To help the budget we opted to stick with public transportation and made good use of the underground and buses, and LOTS of walking. Some advice I had gotten from a friend (and many of the blogs I found while researching our trip) was to pre-purchase the London Pass with Oyster Cards.  Oyster Cards are cards you use for transportation at the underground stations, bus stations and some train stations. We landed on Saturday morning and had our Oyster Cards in hand and ready to jump on the Underground to find our Airbnb.  Super convenient!

The London Pass was a great way to keep us focused on the highlights. Our first 5 days were in London, and so we decided that would be our London Pass days.. we bought the 3 Day package for all 5 of us. This cost us $725 USD, and included 25 (pounds) Oyster Cards for 2 adults and 2 older kids, thus giving us funds for using the underground (subway) and buses. Charges vary for children ages, so it pays to be younger in this case! Our plan was to start our London Pass adventure Sunday since the Pass began with the first engagement..meaning once we started using it we had 3 consecutive days to explore with it, after which it was void. We used Saturday to get acclimated in our flat, grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant and took the underground into Central London to visit the Borough Market. It was a great start to our vacay.

Making the most of our London Passes over the next 3 days:

I had worked out a great itinerary to cover a lot of ground using our London Pass. It didn’t take long for us to realize we wouldn’t be able to get it all in, so a quick shuffle of priorities and we made the most of it! Places we visited using our London Pass:

  • The Tower of London – The Queen’s Jewels, checking out the torture chamber + Royal zoo exhibit and the Beef Eater tour made this one of the kid’s faves!
  • The Tower Bridge(Fast Pass with the London Pass..no lines!)
  • The Shard – great views during the daytime, we Wenjoyed sitting at the windows and pointing out the areas we had been to.
  • The London Bridge Experience -(older kids, and they didn’t want to do it all..pretty creepy)
  • The HMS Belfast – (I took our youngest to tour this massive naval ship while the others were being scared *see above)
  • Westminster Abbey -(includes audio tour) Wow do the Brits know how to bury and honor their noble (whether through national reverence or monetary donations…the ‘noble’ are well remembered here!). Not quite the kids favorite stop, but a must-see if you’re in the area of course.
  • Windsor Castle – The Queen was HOME!  We were thrilled to see the flag flying high, a sign that the Queen was in residence.  Travel to the Castle is included with the pass, and after days spent with hours of walking we all enjoyed a nice train ride.  Also, you don’t have to wait in the VERY LONG LINE with the London Pass, and includes the audio guide! It is rumored that the Windsor Castle is the Queen’s favorite… it’s easy to see why!
  • Curzon Cinema in SOHO– We ended one of the days watching a new release (Isle of Dogs) in a dark, air conditioned vintage theater with the most plush seats.. the kids were super happy!

We missed doing these adventures (due to timing really):

  • Hop On/Off Bus- we waited for over 30 minutes in front of Buckingham Palace for a bus and it never showed. We decided to walk the area, and just gave up on the bus altogether.
  • Thames River Cruise Hop on/off-  this would have been a lovely way to see the river bank, but the cruises ended earlier than expected and we ran out of time.
  • Britt Movie Tours- this was the biggest disappointment for my kids. We were planning to split between the Harry Potter tour and the Sherlock Holmes tour, only to find out they run certain tours only on certain days, neither on the Tuesday I had planned for. Bummer. Next time!
  • Jason’s Canal Boat trip- the original plan was to walk from the train station after our Windsor Castle tour,  to the canal that Jason’ boat is located (called Little Venice… looks magical!) and take a ride over to Camden Market for lunch and shopping. However, the castle was so impressive and we all enjoyed the tour so much that we lingered in the town of Windsor and had lunch there…thus missing the ride altogether. It was worth it though…we really embraced a slower pace and truly soaked up all the Royal bliss!

Along the way things we saw that were free and made for good memories!

  • Millennium Bridge– Make sure to pay close attend to the surface of the bridge and you’ll find some pretty spectacular art painted right there on the bridge on top of discarded chewing gum. The gum art was started by a local artist, Ben Wilson and he has literally made trash into treasure. Lots of fun for the kids.
  • Tate Modern– located right by the Millenium Bridge, we didn’t go in but instead enjoyed the entertainers out front of the museum, much more my kids speed. However, if you get to go in make sure to check out the view from the top, catch a glimpse at Walhol and Picasso pieces. They do have a kid’s area for doodling and creating.
  • South Bank (River Walk)– I searched Google, Pinterest, blogs and anything I could get my hands on to understand the river bank. Mainly.. would there be good restaurants? Fun places for my kids to visit? Places to rest?  YES to all of those…but I didn’t have any idea until I was there how very populated and pedestrian friendly this area is. Carousels, benches, beautiful plazas, street food, restaurants, bars, museums…it’s all there!
  • The London Eye– We opted to not go up in one of the pods, and after seeing it in person we regretted that decision just a little. (We did enjoy the view from the Shard… it was amazing!!) We walked around the area, made use of the very clean facilities and all agree that next visit we’ll do the London Eye.
  • Buckingham Palace– located right behind Westminster….it’s a massive palace!  We walked the length of it, admired it and took several selfies street side. We didn’t go in… didn’t even inquire on how one would do that. We had already seen Windsor, so we felt our Royalty cup was overflowing.
  • Wagamama– If I left this out my family would disown me. We visited Wagamama atleast 3 times.. I’m sure it was more. Kids, vegan dad, tired mom…we all loved it!
  • Trafalgar Square– We wandered aimlessly in the SOHO area, and found our way through Little China, and landed at Trafalgar Square. Pics on the famous fountains and we even located Britain’s smallest police station (inside a light post..not even kidding).
  • Shakespeare’s Globe – we actually could have taken a tour and even seen a production here with our London Passes, but we settled for the walk-by. We did stop and read the plaque as well as peek over the gates to the moss covered circular rooftop. Definitely another very interesting spot we would like to revisit!
  • Paddington Station– our first trip on a train was from the Paddington Station. The kids, youngest especially, had a great time recognizing the station from the Paddington Bear movies.

Countless photo opportunities were around every corner! We actually saw a wedding party step out of a church on the river bank and my oldest asked ‘does everyone look like models here?!’.  The scene was very movie worthy.  Unfortunately, Big Ben was under construction with lots of scaffolding blocking the view. We were near the Houses of Parliament on several occasions.. no takers on venturing inside.  I had hoped to catch a ride in one of the iconic black taxis, but with 5 people we would need 2 taxis and that meant we were split up. No one else seemed worried over it, so we didn’t hail a taxi. But we did use the underground for every destination for our first 5 days in London (other than to Windsor, where we took the train from the Paddington Station). We felt safe, and the maps were very easy to navigate.

Some of our favorite memories using the London Pass:

 

London Dreams Come True

August 28, 2018

This past summer we checked off one of the boxes… international travel with the kids. And it was A-MAZING!  In April, I had been scrolling through Pinterest (the source of most of my project/cooking/travel inspirations) and found myself looking at London links when it hit me again.. we only had 3 promised summers as a family 5 to travel together.  With Kendall entering her Sophomore year of High School the clock was ticking.  After getting the go-ahead, I wasted no time. In the matter of a few weeks I had bought plane tickets, secured 3 different airbnb properties and ordered our London Passes. We were looking at 13 days in Europe, almost 2 whole weeks of travel.  With kids ages 8, 12, and 15.. we knew London was going to be the easiest starting point. From there we planned to visit Paris, return back to London for some day trips.  We had big dreams of covering lots of London…since we were there we figured let’s do it all!  It’s no surprise that we wanted to cover more than we did, but the reality was we just ran out of time. And energy. Not necessarily in that order.

A few things we knew from the start:

  1. We were not renting a car. Public transportation was abundant and with our City Mapper App (MUST HAVE!), we were going to live like a local.
  2. Live Like a Local- we needed safe neighborhoods that allowed us to walk (see #1) safely at night. And we needed nearby markets to grab groceries, etc.
  3. Use the London Pass – more about this later…but it really kept us on track with hitting the highlights and saved us some money too!
  4. Downtime- with an 8 year old in tow, and 13 days of touring, we knew that we had to offer some downtime to rest and recharge.
  5. Get the kids involved. Once our London Pass arrived we started talking about the things to do, places to visit, day trips available, etc… and allowed them a chance to make requests.

Our trip was hands down one of our favorite family experiences ever. I’ve had many people ask for the details, so I’ll do my best to give links and recommendations over the next several posts.

I’m pretty sure the most asked question is ‘where did you stay?’, right before they ask ‘how did your kids do on that long flight?’. A quick answer to the latter: my kids were perfectly happy on a flight that gave them their own screen w/ current movies, in a reclining chair and someone serving them food every few hours…LOVED it!   Regarding accommodations, as a family of 5 we know we can’t stay in a double-bed hotel room and walk away loving each other after 13 days. Well…at least this family can’t.  Sure, it would have been nice to stay in a hotel in London in the city central. With a valet, concierge and room service (dreamy). And if money were no object, and we could reserve 3 rooms connected..heck yes sign me up! But, again… just not for this family of 5. Along with needing enough beds for five and enough space to spread out, we knew that we wanted to experience life in London. We were definitely going as full-blown tourists (backpacks and maps!), but also we hoped to see what the locals do in their own ‘hoods. Airbnb was a natural choice to find our home(s) away from home.  We had a few strategies… find neighborhoods East of the airport, but West of Central London. Why?  Because I had read enough to understand that the underground (think train/subway…much nicer than anything in the States) had direct lines to Heathrow Airport. This was important since we were traveling 5 deep with luggage and no access to private transportation. After digging around we settled on West Kensington area, giving us a straight shot from Heathrow to Baron’s Court station and a short walk to our flat. Another strategy we used, that we learned many years ago when traveling with kids, make sure your last ‘stop’ (in this case the last 5 days of our trip) comes with plenty of personal space and lounging time.  Again, we are that family. We love each other, but we have our limits.

Arriving Saturday-Wednesday: We started in a 2 Bedroom Flat in West Kensington with a fold out couch, right in front of the the Queens Tennis Club in a quiet, pleasant area.  The accommodations were a great to kick off our London adventure, and Ty (our 8yr old) still says it was his favorite of all!  (He called the fold out couch before his sisters could..and it just so happened to be in front of the only t.v. … he was in heaven.) With only a 5 minute walk to two of the main underground lines, along with restaurants and markets within walking distance, made this the perfect location for us.  We landed at 10 am, finally to our flat around 1:30, where the owner’s nephew met us and showed us around the flat. We spent Saturday-Wednesday here and couldn’t have been happier!  A short underground ride to Central London (approx 20 mins) and we were off to a great start! We used both the Baron’s Court Station and the West Kensington Station for all of our transportation. Baron’s Court is closer to the flat, by only by an minute or two.

A few pics of the neighborhood around this flat… it was a great location for us!

 

 

 

Wednesday -Friday: We took the Eurostar Paris and stayed in the Opera District (Arrondisement 9).  Our flat here was beautiful and spacious and ‘all things Paris’ I was hoping for. The only drawback, we were there during the beginning of an unusually warm June and without A/C it was a tad warm. Thankfully there were fans available, and we were only here for 2 nights. Would we stay here again? YES!!  If we could have stayed elsewhere we would have tried for a place closer to the Eiffel Tower, toward Notre-Dame (those neighborhoods were lovely~ but all of it was truly!). We knew this was a quick trip, only one solid day of sight seeing, so being closer to the main sights would have been nice. But this flat and location worked well for us. Pretty sure I was the biggest fan of this place, there was history was in every crevice, board and molding. Can’t wait to go back! We walked almost non-stop here. The Metro was nearby, as were many bus stops. But being in Paris for such a short period, we didn’t want to be underground and didn’t want to wait for buses. And really, walking a Paris street is truly beautiful (says all my crew except for one 8 year old boy.)

Check out these interior pics of the beautiful floors and interiors doors/crown molding.. I just couldn’t love it more! The courtyard out the living room balcony window was lovely, as was the building across the street (view from our bedroom).

 

 

Friday-Wednesday: returned to London and finished in the spacious 3 bedroom, 2 story flat in West Kensington. Best perk, outside of the spacious updated flat…the location!  A short walk to the bus and underground. Kensington High Street and Notting Hill was a short bus ride away, and both areas were the best of iconic London beauty! We were all loving the area… and we really took the time to meandor the neighborhood and slow down our pace a bit. This was the favored flat for my girls and husband. And the courtyard area was pretty charming for me. We used the buses for most all of our transportation needs, they ran frequently and the stops were less than a 5 minute walk. Kensington Olympia Underground is less than a 5 minute walk from the flat, but it’s destinations are limited and the timing for departures not frequent. The Shepard’s Bush Underground is further away (more than 10 minutes with kids trailing), and from here many options for departure and connections are available…however it is VERY crowded. Buses were easier for us.

My favorite view out this flat was from the kitchen sink, looking onto the lush courtyard. Here’s a few pics from the flat, including the garden courtyard, the exterior and two of many the restaurants within walking distance.

 

So there you have it!  A quick look in the places we ‘lived’ in on our London and Paris adventure. We will most definitely go back and when we do we will use airbnb again! So easy, great hosts and really the best way to end the day!

More on our daily adventures, transportation,  best food finds and our favorite shopping soon! ~hollie ❤

 

 

Farmer’s Market with Friends

August 23, 2018

Once a month I get a chance to hang out with some of my favorite ladies I go to church with, and we have a Ladies Night Out! Each of us takes a turn hosting and this time around was my turn.  I remembered seeing an article about hosting your own Farmer’s Market with neighbors in a magazine and I thought it was a great idea. So, I suggested it and they jumped in!

We had a buffet of grilled meat and salad choices, as well as some sweet desserts, set out for dinner. The Farmer’s Market table was set up on my dining room table…and the items themselves made it feel authentic and beautiful!  From fresh baked muffins, to hand picked garden veggies we had a great selection!

Items brought:

  •   Canned Strawberry Jam
  •   Fresh Salsa
  •   Baked Muffins
  •   Long stemmed Sunflowers
  •   Garden picked veggies- peppers/zucchini/tomatoes/squash/cucumbers
  •   Peaches
  •   Candied Pecans
  •   Fresh Herbs, potted for the kitchen counter
  •   Small succulents
  •   Trail Mix

The Guidelines were simple:  Bring enough of your chosen item (either homemade/grown) by you or locally bought (we tried to make it easy!) to send each guest home with one (or more) of whatever you bring.

The fantastic friends who brought the fresh garden-picked items came with a great selection allowing us to pick and choose approx 6 pieces total! The candied pecans, which I made, were packaged in a small brown bag, sealed and easy to carry home. The sunflowers, after chosen, were placed in a zip lock bag covering only the wet paper towel she had secured around the end of the stem to keep it hydrated. I didn’t have anything ‘market-like’ for taking home their goods, we just used boxes I had on hand.  I’ll be on the lookout for something fun to use next time!

Since then I’ve thought of other great ideas for future Farmer’s Market items:

  • Fresh Baked Bread or Desserts (cookies/brownies?)
  • homemade soap
  • a bag with the produce needed to make a salsa with a recipe card
  • infused cooking oils
  • dried ingredients with a recipe included for soup
  • Canned tomatoes/beans/etc.

I really can’t wait to do this again!  It was such a fun night celebrating an abundant summer and equally as abundant friendships. ❤

~hollie

 

 

Mom-Life Revelation

August 21, 2018

Recently, I have been listening to more PodCasts.  Actually, that statement isn’t entirely true since the HONEST truth is that I just started listening to PodCasts a few months ago.  I’m clearly behind on my PodCast skills, with less than 20 Shows in my library (feel free to suggest your faves!).  My husband LOVES this version of ‘knowledge finds’… his vegan game is strong and he has hit the mother-load with his new PodCast buddies. I, on the other hand, started with Dax Shephard (Armchair Expert)… because I needed a good laugh. He is my MOST Favorite of all… and Arm Chair Expert is my much needed laugh-out-loud comic relief with great stories shared between Dax (& Monica) and his guests…I was so needing this in my life! I also listen to Oprah (she is my compass in most all things), Katie Couric (her story and perseverance won my heart many years ago), Rachel Hollis’ RISE PodCast (OMG I just saw her Made for More Movie/conference highlights…it was AMAZING!! Her book Girl, Wash Your Face should be in your hands ASAP), TED Talks (proof I don’t live under a rock), and others including a few travel guides,  Mom advice and a kid’s podcast, Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids (where we have uncovered How Animals Breathe Underwater, the fun of Mystery Sound Extravaganza!, and my son’s favorite: Animal Farts. Good times.) As you can see, I’m well on my way to uncovering lots of great advice, inspiration and fantastic trivial knowledge!

With all of that influx of fun and claimed facts, of heart wrenching interviews and  interviews with topics and descriptive language I can’t even roll through the drive-thru playing … I’ve stumbled upon a truth in my life that I think I knew was happening but had NO IDEA how to pinpoint it. You ever do that?  You KNOW something is changing, shifting, influencing, making one part stronger but a very important part that you can’t quite name is losing the battle? You hear it at night, tap-tap-tapping at your subconscious but you’re too focused on how the morning is going to play out or you’re making your list of righting today’s wrongs tomorrow, that you literally ignore that oh-so important tapping. And, to be honest, looking back I can see that there were times I reached in and recognized the need and took steps toward them. But, like most moms I stuffed that down and said ‘one day’.

I was married at 23, and earned a 4 year degree at a nearby university. Landed myself in a job I loved working with counselors and middle school kids, trying to bridge the gap. It was crap pay, as most all social service positions are, but so rewarding (as most social services employees claim)! Then, at age 30 we had our first daughter, and I found myself having a hard time going back to work. It didn’t take much for us to decide that I would stay home for 6 months…then we would assess. After 6 months I said “I think I want to wait until she’s a year old… all of the books I’ve read really stresses the importance of bonding the first year!” Now… two things should be noted here. 1.  I admire working moms… they seriously are SUPER Heroes in my book and after 15 years of mothering, I’ve not met a kid that I would say “his mama should have stayed home a year to get that extra bonding”. Nope. Not once. 2. I LOVED working. I never had a plan to stay home. My own mom worked long hours as a nurse, and I remember how proud our family was when she graduated with her RN Degree. It was always my intention to work outside of the home and be a great mom, too. This was a total mind shift that in reality I didn’t give much thought to… I just acted on my intuition(and post-baby emotions) and luckily my husband was on board. If anyone loved that baby as much as I did, it was her Dad and together we agreed I’d stay home and give this ‘Stay At Home Mom’ thing a shot.

I could go on and on about how that decision made my days long and hard, and some mornings I simply wanted to throw in the towel. But how I never missed a play, sporting event, or chance to volunteer in the classroom. You’ve heard it before, and it’s all true. There is no ‘better’ way to parent. It’s a crap shoot. You pick your path and hopefully it’s a great journey, but more than likely you’re spending a lot of time just plowing through to get through. And that’s OK. Really, it is.

Until.

Until you listen to Rachel Hollis tell you that YOU were made for MORE. And you swear she has just reached inside and tapped on your well-mannered, quiet, inner-self who took the hint years ago and has been in hibernation. And truthfully, it started before the movie, it started with a series of PodCasts that I was listening to and heard a word, The Word of my Inner Heart that has been pushed back for so long…the word that these fun, inspiring, motivating speakers I was listening to kept repeating.

Curiosity.

I have lost my curiosity. And it pains me to realize it. I recall telling my husband months ago that I was tired of change…I’m so OVER. IT! His new love of all things plant-based, new marathon shoes, meditation and self growth. What the heck dude?  We are growing 3 very active, opinionated, smart and loving kids in this house…we don’t get to do our thing. They are constantly changing the ‘plan’… and we go with it. It’s their time. Seriously. I needed him to quit the ‘stuff’ and get back on the path of plowing through. Together. I was drowning by myself.

With all candor, I would never have considered myself a highly curious person even before kids. Curiosity was for reporters digging deep into a story, scientists discovering life-saving meds, theologians, etc… my instinct is to believe curiosity is for those with lots of time and the internal need to discover. But as I really looked at the word and tried to figure out why it was indeed filling me with dread… I realized that curiosity lends itself to an open heart and mind, to seeking out alternatives and finding fun with creativity, and without curiosity there’s no discovery no matter how small. And that is a dangerous place to hang out. Often times mislabeled the Land of Contentment. This is not contentment. This is fear of turning over something else that you’ll have to clean up after.

Then I sunk into the deep well of regret… the truth that my life was so much like other struggling moms around the world.  When you have kids, and interruptions happen a dozen times a minute (for 15 years), well, honestly you decide that hanging on to curiosity is more trouble than it’s worth. Who has time? And you know what happened to the cat and all..

This is not to say that all moms are in this boat.  There are many excellent moms who are running their kids to STEM courses across town, themselves volunteering to share the research they’ve studied on to help encourage the flow of their brain-star’s potential, and others who have found a way to showcase their creative side all because they knew they had to feed their curiosity. These women are RockStars, and God bless them for understanding the importance of holding tight to their needs! But I know that I am not alone…there are moms like me who pushed that creative curiosity down so far that we don’t have any idea what it looks like anymore.

Like the stain on the stairs, or the dried experiment left in the backseat cup holder, I find myself rolling my eyes a lot in the name of curiosity. What creativity blossoms when my daughter gets curious with making different versions of slime? Who Cares?!  Seriously, the word slime makes me want to hurl something…because all I can think about is the freakin’ mess she’s about to make. (I’m pretty sure the stain is from slime, though her poker face isn’t giving her away.) I’ve dug deep into this world of mommin’, gave it everything I have to raise well balanced kids, with a house that is (somewhat) pulled together and basically released any personal ambition for their christian/academic/social success.

Oh. My. God. I am my worst nightmare. To save some face, I am not a helicopter parent. But I could seriously be one if I wasn’t so exhausted.

But not today. Today I am awake with the possibility that I have more to do, to explore, to discover. That I am in a battle with myself and if I’m not careful I just might win, and the curiosity will be pushed down further…and that would be devastating.

So here I am with the realization that something has to give.

And there it is, the gentle tap. Reminding me that being curious was a gift, not a nuisance. That my children are doing just fine and that it’s time to find something that gets me curious. That it’s time to wake up. That it’s time to find what more I’m made for.

Along with being a romantic, I’m also adverse to anything that smacks sappy with our current pop-culture lives. I want to be real clear, I know my job as a stay at home mom has been super beneficial to my family and certainly served my own needs too. So I don’t think I’m at all entitled to ‘more’. I’ve been blessed beyond belief, and watched my true heart’s desires come to fruition with a tribe of my own, including an adoption story and a house with a pool! I’ve also suffered with anxiety and deep sadness, depression, disappointments and failures. Life is no joke, down right hard. Mine has been easier than others I know, that I won’t argue with. But we all have a story, and mine is not always my favorite but it’s the one I would choose again and again.

I’m sure that this stirring in my heart is the beginning of a transition, a new season in my life. No worries, I’m not ready to drop everything to go find myself in Bali. But I am looking ahead to see what fun path I can embrace.

I think that’s called curiosity.

~hollie

 

^^Do yourself a favor, go grab the book shown above. Rachel Hollis’ Girl Wash Your Face is an honest conversation about personal goals, perspective and finding your truth. You can find an excerpt here. 

 

 

 

Spaghetti Squash …. from the Vegan’s Wife(y)

February 1, 2018

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Hello.

Welcome to my worst nightmare.

I’m a mom of 3 kids who all have different tastes and intolerances …and a husband who decided last summer that an all-plant based diet was his chosen path.

We were once a normal family… but then the CSA’s started showing up, Whole 30 lasted longer than 30 and our Ben & Jerry’s now shares a shelf with the meatless meatballs. Luckily, we all love veggies and so we have that going for us!  We do try to eat dinner together… ‘us’ with our salmon, rice and mixed veggies and ‘him’ with some concoction I can’t even explain (but looks beautiful!). Did I mention that he was our primary cook for most of our marriage.  Yep.  Poor kids.

I am not a vegan. I repeat…NOT A VEGAN.  I am a Vegan’s Wifey… I feel like adding the ‘y’ makes me sound cutesy and happy (see what the power of that little ‘y’ can do to a word…I’m going with it!). I’ll tell you that the first 6 months of my new status was not pretty…it was actually incredibly (yay for the ‘y’) awful (adding a ‘y’ here doesn’t work).

So if you, too, have a partner who abandoned you on the side of the cattle path and jumped the fence to greener Spinach pastures..you are not alone!

Here’s a recipe that makes us all happy, and has been around a while..but definitely one to keep in your recipe stack! And the best part…it didn’t leave behind a mess of dishes for cleanup! That’s what I’m talking about! Score!

1 jar tomato sauce (we love Newman’s Own Tomato Basil… #vegan)

1 medium pepper, diced into small pieces

1 medium onion, diced (small again)

garlic, minced approx 1 Tbspn

Olive Oil (approx 3 tbspns)

salt and pepper (to taste)

mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 Spaghetti Squash, halved and scooped out (not the easiest to cut.. for a quick tutorial  on cutting and scooping the squash out, check out this video from Eating Well. It also includes a quick microwave instruction which would work when short on time!)

  1. Preheat oven to 350. After squash is scooped out, rub the inside with olive oil (less than a tablespoon should do!) and season with salt and pepper. Place on an oven safe dish, face down. (I used parchment paper on a cookie sheet.) Bake for approx 45-50 minutes, uncovered.
  2. While the squash is doing it’s thing… saute onions and bell pepper in 2 Tbspns Olive Oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and mushrooms allowing to cook for about 1 minute (careful not to burn your garlic), then add the jar of tomato sauce.  Allow to simmer while the squash cooks.
  3. When squash is ready, remove from the oven and flip over. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash to pull the ‘spaghetti noodles’ free.  Top with the spaghetti sauce!

suggestions: hide some broccoli in your sauce.. that’ about the only way I can get my son to eat broccoli!

*recipe made 4 servings (we paired with a baked potato)

*the non-vegans added parm cheese to top off our spaghetti squash, and butter for our potatoes..didn’t want you to think we were that committed!

 

 

 

 

 

New York in 4 Days… Day #4

February 1, 2018

 

Our last day in New York was a short one, and we made it count by spending our time back in the Rockefeller Plaza where we took a Tour of NBC.  It was so great!!  The tour itself lasted a little over an hour, but it went by so fast that we really wanted it to last longer! My personal fave…seeing the Saturday Night Live set! I learned that all of the tickets for the NBC shows are actually free, but the likelihood of scoring SNL tix is less than 2%. Ouch. If you’re feeling lucky… there is a lottery once a year, I think in August?  Let me know if you land some seats … I’ll look for you!

Included in the ticket price was a fun video we made using one of the NBC mock-sets, centering around the upcoming Winter Olympics.  So Much FUN!! They emailed it to all of the participants as a keepsake… so cool!  We walked through the set of Live with Megyn Kelly and got to peek in at the control rooms where Jimmy Fallon’s show is recorded. Everything about this tour was excellent!

After our tour we had a chance to hang out and have lunch at Rockefeller Center and shop around. We popped in a few of the shops and in the end, settled for a quiet space at Starbucks where we could put our feet up and enjoyed a coffee. Once we scoped out our lunch options we grabbed a bite and then it was time to get on our bus and head to the airport.  A very short day compared to the last three days… but again, another great day in NYC!

With so much on our agenda, we were lucky to hit some pretty amazing highlights!  If I could go back, I’d do all of those places again and give myself a little more time at each. The 9/11 Memorial definitely needed more time. And the Met… I would dedicate most of a day there! I would have loved to walk around Little Italy and stayed longer at Ellis Island.  If I get a chance to go back I want to visit the Empire State Building, The Chrysler Tower (my middle loves ANNIE, so it’s a must if she’s with me!), Central Park (and find the location for Friends’ Central Perk!), and I would love to walk around the New York Public Library (that building is beautiful!). So much to see and do in NYC… it’s like around every corner is another great adventure (though some corners I wouldn’t dare look around…it’s a balance).  Can’t wait to go back!

Check out our NYC Adventures for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

 

Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup

January 23, 2018

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I’ve had this recipe pinned on my ‘Recipes to Try’ board.  (Confession: I have a slight obsession with Pinterest… and comfort food… )  Finally had a chance to make it last night and it was SO GOOD!  You can get the recipe found at The Recipe Critic’s site here… Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup.   I love how easy it was to toss together, and I actually used my crock pot, so it was even more appreciated at the end of the day!

I had a whole chicken on hand that I had baked the night before in preparation (rubbed with olive oil and dried Italian seasonings, 350 degrees 1 hr 15 mins), though I do LOVE that the recipe calls for a store bought Rotisserie chicken… such a time saver! Then, yesterday I was home around lunch time and had time to put it together, so I sauteed the onions and garlic as suggested, added those with the chicken, chicken broth, tomatoes (don’t drain!), cream, and beans. Threw it all in the crock pot. Set it on low and let it go for 5 hours.  About 30 minutes before dinner I threw in the tortellini and spinach, stirred it around and covered again. Dinner was ready by 5:30!

Jump over to The Recipe Critic’s site…she has some great recipes to jump start your New Year! After this batch of comfort yumminess.. maybe I need to pick something from her  Healthy Meal options next?

New York Day #3 ….hello sunshine!

January 22, 2018

A week ago I was in New York with my oldest’s choir/drama group from school and it was BITTER COLD!  Seriously…. COLD… but boy does sunshine make a difference!  We were armed for the cold weather and so very grateful to have the sun shine on us! Crazy, wonderful New York experiences were our goal… we scored!

Check out  Day #1 and Day #2 here. We knew Day #3 was going to be a good one with the rain clouds gone, tickets in hand for our second musical in 24 hours (what the what??) and plans for more shopping!  But first, we were invited to start our day with some Jesus-lovin’ folks and THAT was AWESOME!

  1.  The Brooklyn Tabernacle– When we pulled up we were a tad confused…wondering where the church was located… already dreading a cold/windy walk. To our surprise, it was right in front of us…not in a free standing building but right there nestled in the buildings housing a cafe and the Gap Outlet. We were so happy that our walk was short…and even more impressed upon entering. It really was a lovely sanctuary, full of beautiful art and smiling faces. The website describes this church as a “multicultural, non-denominational church in the heart of downtown Brooklyn”… with a congregation of about “10 thousand weekly”. We LOVED the energy and choir (A BIG Choir!!). It was a fantastic way to celebrate our Sunday! As we were leaving some of those 10 thousand were standing outside, in a line, waiting to get in.  The bitter cold wasn’t keeping them from the celebration going on inside… it was a great experience!
  2. Times Square– Once we crossed the bridge back into NYC, we headed to Times Square for a few hours of shopping and lunch. Because our hotel was right off of Times Square (Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central), we were familiar enough to head around the corner for lunch and ended up at The City Kitchen where all 8 of us were totally happy with our food!  If you are in the area…go! The vibe is great, and a bar seat overlooking the city streets below is truly New York tourist nostalgia! My kiddo (and her mama) wanted to try the tacos and so we chose to order at  Gabriella’s Taqueria and loved everything we ordered…rotisserie chicken, pollo asado, chips and salsa (and guacamole, duh)…we were hungry! It was the perfect stop for a great meal! Vegetarian and Vegan options too. Definitely one of my favorite food stops!
  3. Come From Away– GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stress it enough. Go!  It was not at all what I was expecting, yet everything it was described as (which I knew would be great!)..but it was SOOO MUCH MORE!  LOTS of talent, great music, humor, story telling at it’s best..there were a few F bombs and may have been some bras revealed… but seriously that didn’t distract from the honest, deeply moving atmosphere and story that was being shared. GO SEE THIS SHOW!!
  4. Ellen’s Stardust Diner– This trip was all about the teens and a trip to Ellen’s (now I know) was a must! We were entertained from beginning to end. The food is diner food, and I opted for a Chicken Caesar Salad…which was ok. I’d definitely go for a burger and fries next time. One of our servers was none other than the original Flotsam in the original cast of Broadway’s Little Mermaid musical. Lots of Broadway talent…all for the price of meal. Winning!
  5. One World Observatory – As promised from Day 1, we rescheduled our tour of the observatory and tonight was the BEST night to view the city..and beyond!  This was, again, so much more than I expected!  (this was the theme for almost every experience we had!) This is truly the best way to see the city lights, it is beautiful!!  And for additional $ you can rent an iPad that is interactive with your experience.. point it in the direction you want to know about and it will identify what you are looking at. Click on an icon, and you can learn more about that building/area. Pretty awesome stuff!! We didn’t splurge for this option..but we definitely will next time. So much to see! A perfect way to end another great day!

We headed back to the hotel, to pack up…tomorrow would be our last day and we would end it back in Nashville, in our own beds. We were ready! Before packing, I ran to Carlo’s Bakery with some other mamas to surprise my kids who were waiting for me at home with sweets from NYC. Cake Boss was one of our faves to watch, so they were excited to say they had a treat from Buddy’s bakery. And, seriously, I wanted to try a Lobster Tail… which did not disappoint. That extra sugar rush gave me just the boost I needed to pack up. Totally worth it!