Tag

popular

Browsing

Tips for Traveling with a Baby

TRAVELtipsWe recently got back from a 10 day trip to France and Russia, and when I tell people we brought our almost one year old, they’re shocked. Everyone wants to know how traveling with a baby went, and honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. I think that a sightseeing type of trip is probably easier with an infant (versus a beach), as she spent a lot of time snoozing in her stroller while we toured the city. We typically woke up, ate breakfast, walked a mile or two to a museum, church, site, etc. and she would nap while we were there, then we’d go to a park and she would play, then eat lunch, then another tourist activity (and nap), followed by another park then dinner and bedtime. Isla was very well behaved so long as we stuck to this routine! The hardest part of the vacation was definitely the flight to Paris (with a layover in Frankfurt), but I learned my lessons and the return trip was much better. I’m sharing some of my travel tips today so hopefully you don’t have to learn the hard way!


  • Rent an apartment versus staying in a hotel, if possible. If it’s more convenient to stay at the latter, then look for a hotel with a decent suite rate. We stayed in a suite at the Hotel Novotel St. Petersburg, which was so nice because we could put Isla down in her room, then spend the rest of the evening in our room and not worry about waking her up. I’ve also read that you can have them sleep in the bathroom, but that seems like a challenge to me. We rented an apartment with Airbnb in Paris, and had the best experience! Look for one with two rooms and a kitchen and ideally, a washing machine too (buy these Purex 3-in-1 sheets if you have one!)! Also, check to see if there is an elevator, and if not, how many stairs do you need to climb! I forgot to check, and we lucked out on only climbing two sets (which was still a lot!).

Isla’s Confetti-Filled First Birthday Party

First Birthday Confetti Theme Party Kids Houston Bright Colorful Modern Creative IdeasWe celebrated Isla’s first birthday on Saturday with a confetti-filled party at our house. I originally had another theme in mind, but when I saw this Stella McCartney Bell Party Dress on Instagram, I knew I had to change my plans. I immediately contacted Papellerie, the creative team behind our wedding stationery (see photos here), to see what sort of fun invitation they could think up. Needless to say, I am obsessed with how they turned out. Riley (our designer) did such an incredible job making my visions come to life. She is incredibly talented. We had custom confetti from The Confetti Bar inside each invitation – with little Isla confetti made by Meredith of Cake & Confetti. I love them!

The party went without a hitch, which I was so grateful for. We packed over 60 adults and 20 kids into our little one-story house and into the backyard (my prayers for sunshine worked!). Sasha and I were both on cloud nine after the party – there is no greater feeling than seeing all of our closest family and friends in one place!

A lot of work went into this party, and I want to say a special thanks to Meredith (mentioned above). She spent oodles of hours making a balloon arch, flowers, bubbles, confetti, signs, etc. and helping me set up on the Friday before. She is a force to be reckoned with, and I suggest that anyone in Houston who is planning a party contact her! Also, thank you to Riley for the invitations. You are amazing. Thank you to Leah Burke of The Monogram Shop, who met with me to brainstorm creative customization options for the party. We ordered our adorable frosted cups and beer koozies (both which were big hits!) from them, and I recommend anyone in the Houston-area stop by when planning a party. Last, but not least, thank you to my mom, who made both of the confetti cakes and also sewed the purple runner on our dining table in a matter of minutes on the Friday before the party. She puts Martha to shame!

I finally finished putting away all of the leftover confetti, favors, honeycomb balls, etc. yesterday, and I’m sad to see all of the bright colors leave our house. I wish that balloon arch was a permanent fixture around here! I already have Isla’s 2nd birthday party theme in my mind (yup, I’m insane!). Time to get pinning! xo

First Birthday Confetti Theme Party Kids Houston Bright Colorful Modern Creative Ideas First Birthday Confetti Theme Party Kids Houston Bright Colorful Modern Creative Ideas First Birthday Confetti Theme Party Kids Houston Bright Colorful Modern Creative Ideas

How to Plan The Most Amazing Vacation Ever

If you’ve been following along for awhile now or if you know me personally, you already understand that I’m pretty Type A. When we plan a vacation, this personality type becomes extremely apparent. Thankfully, this works for Sasha, and some people like to wander lackadaisically around new cities with no itinerary – I honestly cannot wrap my head around that, as I land with a printed agenda and have plans down to the minute as to what we’ll do and see. The most important thing for me (and others like me) to remember is that if something goes awry, just let it be. If we have ten things planned, but end up spending lots of time at one museum, it’s okay to let the other things not happen. But I do need plans just in case!

When we went to Turkey, Athens and Paris, I printed a book out that had our flight confirmations, passport info, and day-by-day itinerary. I’ve wiped out personal information, but you can get a good idea of the plans we had by reading it here. I created a very similar document/folder when we went to Bali last year for our honeymoon (see the custom map here). I think it’s very important to be well-prepared before you travel to a new city in order to absorb as much culture, sightseeing and delicious food as possible.

groupbaliPraying in the Tirta Empul Temple in Bali

We’re currently planning our trip to Paris and St. Petersburg in May. I spent almost four months living in Paris in 2009 and have been back twice since then, so planning that portion requires much less research. St. Petersburg is an exciting challenge, as we’ve both never been, don’t speak any Russian, and don’t have any friends who have visited before. Fortunately, my best friend’s boss is from St. Petersburg, so I’m going to ask her for advice once I’ve done more research, as well as use Tripply (more on that below).


1pickdestinationPicking your destination(s) is the most important step early on in the travel discussion. Perhaps you’ve got a bucket list of places that you’re dying to see (like me!), or maybe you’re open to any country. If you fall into the latter group, then it’s best to do some researching. Are you looking for a cultural experience? Or a relaxing beach getaway? Once you know what kind of vacation you’re interested in and have decided on a budget, I recommend scouring the following sites for city inspiration.

  • Entouriste: This travel photography site features jaw-dropping pictures from cities all around the world (all of the photos on this post are from Entouriste except the header and second photo!).
  • Atlas Obscura: This travel blog has an inspiring section called Places, which highlights cities and sites from all around the world and includes a bit of background and some photographs.
  • Conde Nast Traveller: I am obsessed with this site. You can browse destinations or get inspired by ‘Types of Trips’ – whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find on this site (to be referenced later on in the process too). Their travel guides are phenomenal too.
  • Trip Advisor: I am a huge Trip Advisor nerd. Like huge. I swear that you can plan the most incredible vacation by reading other people’s reviews. When you’re trying to pick a city or cities, I highly recommend looking at their Top Destinations in the World listings.

San Francisco Travel Guide

I was in San Francisco last weekend and on the flight there, I did a little math to figure out how many times I’ve visited the Bay Area in the past 3 years – nine! If that’s not an indication of how much I love San Francisco, I don’t know what is! We got married in Napa last July, so we made a couple of trips for planning, but most have been for fun. My sister-in-law and one of my best friends both work for Google in Mountain View, so I’ve always got a place to stay (and the best hosts!). If you haven’t been before, or if you want some of my tried-and-true suggestions, please reference the list of my favorite food, drink spots and activities below! Also, please offer any recommendations – I’ll be going back again soon (hopefully!), and always love to try new places.

Other San Francisco posts here. Pictures from this weekend below! Find a Google map with these locations here.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Favorite Restaurants/Drinks

  • The Plant (Various): Hands-down, one of my favorite restaurants in America – there are so many delicious vegetarian options that I rarely order the same thing twice (try them all!)
  • Radish (The Mission): The veggie burger is so unique and delicious – very nutty (add cheese!)
  • Mission Cheese (The Mission): A cheese and wine lovers dream
  • Dosa (Pacific Heights): The Indian food here is melt-in-your-mouth delicious – try the paneer masala dish
  • Zazie’s (Haight Ashbury): Holy cow – the line here is indicative of how good the food is – come early for breakfast!!
  • La Boulangerie (Various): Starbucks didn’t decide to use La Boulange baked goods for no reason! I live for the coffee + oatmeal in the humongous ceramic bowls
  • Tacolicious (Various): I wouldn’t normally recommend Mexican food this far from the border, but it’s worth it! Amazing guacamole and Marina Girl Salad (YUM)
  • Helmand Palace (Russian Hill): My first taste of Afghani food and I hope not my last! Be adventurous!
  • Kokkari (Financial District): Hands down, my favorite restaurant in SF – the baked feta appetizer is all you really need, but you’ll want and love everything else too
  • Sweet Maple (Pacific Heights): Famous for their bacon, this place has some amazing veggie/vegan options (great salads and oatmeal)
  • Millenium (Tenderloin): One of the best all-vegetarian restaurants I’ve ever been to… get a bunch of dishes amongst your table and share!
  • Reveille Coffee Co (Financial District and Mission Bay – my favorite location!): Modern, glass wall coffee shop with amazing drip coffee and the tastiest homemade granola you’ll ever try
  • Woods Polk Station (Russian Hill): Tiny little beer (and wine) bar with a selection of empanadas (the cheesy aroma will lure you in)
  • The Brick Yard (Cow Hollow): This yuppie bar has a great atmosphere and gets pretty darn crowded during happy hour
  • Rickhouse (Financial District): I’m obsessed with the front doors alone, but the entire bar (quiet lounge area upstairs) is really cool (with great cocktails!!)
  • Cultive (Cow Hollow): My favorite frozen yogurt in San Francisco – the flavors taste fresh and not artificial (or as anti-artificial as cookies ‘n cream froyo can be!)]
  • Souvla (Hayes Valley): A very simple Greek menu, but the most delicious meal and make sure to order the Greek frozen yogurt… seriously heaven on earth!
  • Smitten Ice Cream (Hayes Valley): The eclectic flavors taste a little different than what you may be used to, but I’d sample them all! Delicious.
  • House of Nanking (Chinatown): Get to this (rather) hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant in Chinatown early if you don’t want to stand in line outside! It’s that good! I got two tofu dishes and was in heaven – and stuffed!!
  • Greens (Marina): Ah, this vegetarian restaurant has my heart! The glass windows look out onto the Golden Gate Bridge, and Sasha (a carnivore) recently said the stuffed pepper was his favorite dish of our entire vacation!
  • Jane on Fillmore (Fillmore): This tiny cafe has a simple, but delicious menu, and is perfect for a ladies lunch.
  • The Mill (Fillmore): Amazing coffee spot near Alamo Square Park – gorgeous interior!

DSC_0398

Restaurants on My “Must Try” List

Betelnut, Umami Burger, Presidio Social Club, and Outerlands

DSC_0428

Favorite Activities

  • Mingle with the hipsters and sip on Ritual Coffee in the Mission or Reveille Coffee (various locations, but Mission Bay is the best/prettiest/offers more food – on this map)
  • Rent a GoCar and drive around the city in this baby-sized Smart Car
  • Grab San Francisco’s famous Blue Bottle at the iconic Ferry Building
  • Sip on New Orleans style iced coffee from Blue Fog Market
  • Act like a paparazzi in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Shop at boutiques on Union and Fillmore Streets and in Hayes Valley
  • Explore Chinatown
  • Smell the amazing bread being freshly made at Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Reminisce the greatness of Full House and sit in the park in Alamo Square (love the Painted Ladies!) – grab a coffee at The Mill beforehand!
  • Take pictures on and walk down Lombard Street
  • Go to the gorgeous sandy beaches of Point Reyes (where we took our engagement pictures)
  • Check out the redwood trees at Muir Woods
  • Go to Dolores Park to play, or if you’re getting coffee at Reveille in Mission Bay, then go to the Mission Bay Kid’s Park

DSC_0395

Activities on my “Must Do” List

DSC_0401

Other City Tours

ParisDurango (Colorado)AustinHoustonBaliWashington, DC

IMG_5674

Me (6.5 months preggo belly!) and Georgia