The Luxembourg gardens were incredibly gorgeous. The trees were turning color but the sun was still warm enough to sit outside and the flowers were still in bloom. Always one of my favorite places to visit, this time did not disappoint.
Autumn in Paris
Thursday, November 16, 2017
The Luxembourg gardens were incredibly gorgeous. The trees were turning color but the sun was still warm enough to sit outside and the flowers were still in bloom. Always one of my favorite places to visit, this time did not disappoint.
Thursday, July 27, 2017

You already know about the 12 days we spent in Cabo and very soon we will be spending a week in North Eastern Oregon- one of our most favorite places on Earth. Soon after that trip we are headed back to France. This time we will visit not only Paris, but also Southern France in the towns of Arles (Provence) and Nice (French Riviera).

We haven’t traveled much since the arrival of the bébé. But, now we are blowing the dust off our suitcases and getting back on the airplane.
It’s always a tough decision to leave our children for any extended period of time. Of course we miss them like crazy and the logistics of caring for 5 children is complicated. Even with lots of family around to help it’s not easy. I would love to bring our kids with us, but most of the trips we have been able to take are relatively short and we move much too quickly for family travel. We usually are up early and out late. Walking 10-15 miles a day. There is little sleep involved.
So, in the next few weeks stay tuned! I’m bringing the blog along for all the preparations, travel, and fun. We also have some exciting things happening here on the homefront. And, if you have any questions be sure to leave a comment so I can answer them!
Monday, October 12, 2015
Staying in the 9th Arrondissement of Paris leads itself very naturally to a lot of shopping. It’s home to two of the most famous department stores along with Rue after Rue of shops. Here are a few of the places we visited this last trip.
This place was so cool. Who even knew Zara had a home store? Of course, the prices were cheaper in Paris then here!
One of the most famous department stores in Paris. The Galeries LaFayette is beautiful. This trip my Mom bought an exclusive perfume only available in Paris by the French brand Guerlain.
Not only a luxury beauty and fashion department store, the Galeries LaFayette also has an entire store (over 3 levels) devoted to food, grocery, dining, and cooking. It’s a must stop on my Paris itinerary.
Boulangerie’s specialize in the baking and selling of bread and they are very important to the French way of life. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have your own favorite boulangerie where you stop in daily to pick up a freshly baked warm baguette. This one has been voted best baguette several years running.
Patisseries are shops that bake and sell pastries and often bread as well.
One of my favorite chocolate and macaron shops in Montmartre. Everything is beautiful here.
Beautiful seafood markets
Affordable flower shops
Famous designers are abundant in Paris. I tried on a necklace here and pretended for a moment it was an option.
Champs-Elysées
Historically one of the most famous avenues in Paris, today it has some of the worlds most upscale shopping and the worlds busiest McDonalds. Probably not what Allied forces would have imagined when they marched down it in 1944 declaring victory over the Germans.
The lines to even get into some of the luxury stores are insane. It’s rumored that if you hang around you will be offered cash to go in and buy items for oversees shoppers who have maxed out their shopping limits.
One of the perks of shopping high end is sipping champagne while you browse. Maybe we didn’t look like serious shoppers, because we weren’t offered any, but with all these people it was hard to find a sales associate who wasn’t busy.
Stay tuned this week to see what we brought home.