Tag Archives: traveling with kids

we heart nola

new-orleans-with-kids

 

Last month we made a last minute decision to tag along with my husband on a business trip to one of my favorite U.S. cities, and I’m so glad we did. I fell in love with New Orleans during a series of visits in my mid-twenties, and have been anxious to get back ever since. I was taken aback when a few people reacted negatively when I told them we were taking the kids, because apparently the only NOLA they know is the inebriated, late-night party version. While that can be fun (I recommend experiencing Mardi Gras once when you’re young, like I did), it is only a small piece of the picture. There is so much to love about the historic city: the people, the food, the music…distinctly American but often French-infused. In fact, I feel it’s the closest to France you can get in the states. New Orleans is celebrating it’s tricentennial (wow) this year, and has conveniently been named the #1 place to visit by The New York Times. I’m sharing our whirlwind 72 hour trip in it’s entirety – my favorite family-friendly spots, itinerary ideas, and tips…plan a visit, and bring the kids!

Continue reading →

our hudson valley getaway

Untitled-7

 

I had never heard of Copake Falls, New York before this trip. A modern Airbnb farmhouse is what brought us there – it was close enough to everything and aesthetically our vibe. The town itself is incredibly quaint and charming (I mean, just look at that church – it now serves as their historical society). With direct access to the Taconic State Park, it’s perfectly situated for nature lovers. While I wouldn’t describe us quite like that, we do love to bike as a family, and had every intention of doing so. However, after some issues with the house (long story) that robbed us all of sleep, we ended up lounging around, walking around town, and baking. Regardless, the quality time as a family was priceless.

 

Untitled-7

Untitled-8

 

The home is incredibly photogenic (part of why I chose it), and I enjoyed capturing it. When I’m not feeling required to create content, my creative juices flow freely. Unfortunately we had mostly dreary weather while there, and the home was a bit darker than portrayed on it’s listing. I had to get extra creative with my photography, and thankfully had my tripod with me to play around with long exposures. I don’t normally do that, so it was a great learning opportunity – I’m proud of what I shot and edited! The kids are almost always eager to be “models”, and are showing a lot of interest in photography themselves. I think it’s time to get them (kid-friendly) cameras for Christmas – thinking Polaroid, but recs are welcome!

Continue reading →

field trip blog feature

kids-canal-st-martin

 

I’m forever grateful for the blogging community, and the friends I’ve made along the way. Erin Austen Abbott is one of those friends, and while we’ve never met, our connection as mothers and small business owners is tangible. She recently launched a lifestyle blog focused on travel with kids in tow, and invited me to share our experience traveling with kids to Paris. It was the ultimate field trip for us of course, and I could wax poetic for days on this topic. Don’t worry, I narrowed it down to our favorites, including where to play, dine, shop and stay. Follow the link below…merci encore Erin!

city stories: paris

poconos perfection

Untitled-2

 

We’ve just returned from our summer vacation at what’s become a very special place for us. Pocono Pines is only two hours away from us in Philadelphia, and Lake Naomi beckoned us there for a third year in a row. Having practically grown up on a lake, it makes me giddy to have re-created a special family tradition in our own way. I have my friend Chanee Vijay to thank for introducing us to the community there, and for so generously sharing her home with us (which you can now rent). We’re always sad to leave, but this time we won’t have to wait a full year, as we’re planning to return in the winter for our first family ski adventure! It ought to be interesting, considering three of us have never skied before, gulp.

 

Untitled-2

Untitled-3

Untitled-2

 

The highlight for us this year was our family bike rides! With the kids not knowing how to ride just yet, we opted for a bike trailer to tow them, and they had so much fun. We rode to the beach every day, and pretty much used the bikes as our sole transportation…we were so proud of ourselves. Of course I had it easy – mr. fleurishing did the dirty work. With quite a few private beaches to choose from, we tried to visit a different one each day. We even went to the pool a few times, which is a feat for us – we’re not pool people. But having kids makes us pool people by default, and the smiles on their faces are worth it every time. Their smiles are always biggest however, at the lake. Hashtag proud mama.

 

Untitled-2

Continue reading →

a day in paris with kids

I’ve been saving this video for a while now–words cannot even express how much I/we treasure it. Last year, during our family trip, we had the good fortune of being in Paris at the same time as Jenner Brown. Having admired his work for years, I had reached out to him beforehand with my wish of capturing a day in Paris with Henry and Marie, and thankfully, he agreed to participate. I like to think that fate played a big part in everything aligning to make it a reality. Jenner joined us as we visited many kid-friendly places…we were a tad limited by the stamina of the kids at age two-and-a-half, otherwise we might have seen more that day. Regardless, we accomplished a lot and had so much fun while doing so. Sharing my love for Paris with my children has been one of my life’s greatest joys, and this video ensures those memories are treasured forever. I can’t think of a better way to commemorate our family trip (exactly one year ago).

a film by jenner brown