The 8 Most Helpful Thanksgiving Links
Is Thanksgiving really this week? For me, this has been the fastest November in history and I keep thinking I still have weeks to go.
This year for Thanksgiving, my sister Jordan, her husband Paul, and their three kids, will be joining us here in France. They’re four months in on a year long trip around the world and we’re so excited to see them!
We’ll also be modifying our usual menu a bit because we’re in France. We ordered mini-croissants and a Tarte Normande from our nearby bakery — they will replace our dinner rolls and apple pie. And we’re skipping cranberry sauce and corn. Why? Because we can’t find them here. : )
Are you hosting this year? Thinking about what dishes you’ll prepare? Here are 8 super helpful links to get you started:
… A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How are things going? We’ve got an exciting day ahead of us. We are closing on our French House today! (It’s the house with the stairs pictured here.) I can not wait to get to work on this house. It’s a really special place and I can’t wait to make it our home.
If you’re curious, I’ve been sharing all about the house on my Instagram stories (there’s even a highlight called French Home), and I’m working on shooting some photos so I can give you a tour here on the blog.
On a completely different topic, I know I haven’t mentioned it, but I’ve been watching the impeachment hearings as closely as I can over the last two weeks. I was emotional to realize that the strongest, best, most patriotic testimony has come from immigrants to our country — Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, diplomat Maria Yovanovitch, and Dr. Fiona Hill.
Did you get to hear Dr. Hill talk about her accent and how it would have held her back if she lived in England? Seeing these brave public servants is a beautiful testament to the potential of America, and a wonderful reminder of how important and valuable immigrants are to the fabric of our country. We should celebrate and welcome them.
And now, here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
…Living With Kids: Beccy Bingham
Beccy is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. (Full editorial disclosure: she’s my little sister.) Not only is she an amazing mom to two wonderful kids, you’ll see from this post that she is also an incredible designer and has a home full of stylish and well curated pieces.
She also runs an art market & maker fair a few times a year, and runs her own jewelry business where she hand makes all the pieces. I think you’ll really love getting to know her and taking a peak inside her gorgeous home. Welcome, Beccy!
…Market Day in France
Every Tuesday morning, next to the big church in the center of town, there’s an open market. The market happens all year long, rain or shine.
It includes produce vendors, cheesemongers, seafood sellers, butchers, and bakers. There are also booths that sell hot and ready-to-eat food (like a food truck without the truck). And depending on the weather, there’s also a section that sells mattress and trinkets and household goods.
Our rental house is right in the center of town, so the market is only 50 yards or so from our house. I don’t know if our life will ever be more convenient than it is right now.
Would you like a little tour of our market day?
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? Mine has been really domestic — it was full of stuff like laundry, mending a Christmas stocking, baking an apple crisp, organizing shelves. Stuff like that. How about you?
This weekend I want to tackle the last “moving in” tasks on my list, like hanging artwork in our bedrooms, and figuring out mounting hardware for our bedside lamps. Flora June also has a swim meet this weekend — her first here in France! We’re very curious to see how it compares to our swim meets in Oakland.
In other news: Oscar’s Eagle Scout paperwork was approved! Which means his Scout Leaders are now working to set up an Eagle Board of Review — which will be conducted via Skype or something similar. If Oscar passes the Board of Review, then it’s official: He will be an Eagle Scout.
It’s been a big week for headlines as well. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you.
…Parenting Advice
I read this parenting advice from Tom Hanks last night and I keep thinking about it:
“Somewhere along the line, I figured out, the only thing really, I think, eventually a parent can do is say I love you, there’s nothing you can do wrong, you cannot hurt my feelings, I hope you will forgive me on occasion, and what do you need me to do? You offer up that to them. I will do anything I can possibly do in order to keep you safe. That’s it. Offer that up and then just love them.”
…Cleaning Out Six Years of Storage
Today was Veterans Day in the U.S. and WWI Armistice Day in France. The kids didn’t have school and we decided it would fun to go through all the stuff we stored at our cottage when we moved away six years ago.
Oh my. It was a mess! We knew this already because when we spent the summer in France three years ago, and checked in on our stuff, it had already been invaded by field mice. That summer, we didn’t have the time or energy to deal with it — so we ignored it.
But now, we have a rental house with an attic for storage (and we’re purchasing another house that also has an attic for storage). Both are more secure than our rustic little cottage, so I felt confident about tackling the project.
…A Few Things
Hello friends. How are you? How was your week? Planning anything fun for the weekend? I hope we can keep it low-key at our house — my goal is to finish unpacking the office and setting up our bedroom. And if the weather is decent, I’d love to go out walking in the countryside with the kids. How about you?
I’ve got lots of good stuff this week, so I’m going to jump right in to the link list. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
…Mushroom Hunting in the French Countryside
The first rule of hunting mushrooms in the French countryside? Don’t ask any of the other mushroom hunters where they hunt mushrooms. I’m joking of course, but sort-of not. Everyone has favorite spots they’ve discovered and it’s considered rude to ask.
But if they invite you to come along on the hunt? Then you’re good to go. Ben Blair and I were invited by our friends Mark and Richard and Dominique — and we jumped at the chance.
…Living With Kids: Megan Malkin
One thing I love about taking a peek inside Megan’s house is that she included pictures from throughout the year. So in some we catch a glimpse of July 4th decor, and in others the space is dressed for the fall. (No matter what the season, her decor is lovely.)
Megan and her family (including 5 kids and lots of pets!) live a bit off the beaten path on some wide open (enviable) acres. And her home is filled with interesting pieces she curated and now sells in her own antique shop. I think you’ll love getting to look around. Welcome, Megan!
…Travel Report: Prague In October
While the trip is still fresh, I wanted to give a little report about our visit to Prague. I LOVED your recommendations — they informed our trip a ton. I’ve gathered my favorites from our visit here, and added lots of your tips as well. Also, I made a highlight on Instagram of our trip and I think you’ll find it helpful/informative.
The first thing I should mention is that the weather was really lovely — much better than we expected for the end of October. (I assume due to global warming?) So that really affected the kind of things we did. We stayed outdoors almost all day, and did a ton of walking. If the weather had been colder, I think we would have spent more time at indoor activities, like museums.
I’m going to jump right in with my favorites:
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? Are you happy to welcome November? Or are you already missing October?
Ours was a good week. We got back from Prague on Monday. Can you believe I took that photo above? The whole city is magical. I can’t wait to tell you about our favorite spots there.
Are you ready for the weekend? We’re having friends over for dinner tonight, and then going to a showing of Downton Abbey. School starts again on Monday, so I hope the kids get to enjoy every bit of the weekend. Also this weekend: It’s National Authors Day! So me and 7 of my author friends are hosting a little Giveaway on Instagram and the prize is a $200 Amazon Giftcard. Go see! It ends Monday at midnight EST.
One thing that’s giving me a baseline of stress at the moment is all the fires in California. It is an odd thing to read those headlines while knowing my two oldest kids are right there — classes cancelled, no electricity, breathing the smoky air. And of course, not just my kids, but so many people I love and care about. Both Ralph and Maude report they’re doing fine, but I suppose it will never not feel strange to be an ocean and a continent away from my kids.
But really, you’re here for the link list. And I’ve got a good one this week. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
…Living With Kids: Kimberly Garner
I can’t wait to show you Kimberly Garner’s breathtaking home on the San Juan Islands. The islands, if you haven’t heard of them, are sprinkled in the water between Washington state and Victoria Island, British Columbia — they are only accessible via ferry. In her interview, Kimberly also talks quite openly about her recent divorce and what that change has meant for her family dynamic. It’s honest and painful and heartwarming and I’m really grateful she chose to share her story. Welcome, Kimberly!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you doing? Did you have a good week? We’ve been traveling this week during the kids two-week school break (we’re currently in Prague), and will head home on Monday.
I just woke up (half of the kids are still sound asleep), and we haven’t made plans for the day yet, but the city is looking lovely out my window and I’m excited to go explore.
This coming Thursday, Oscar and Flora are hosting Halloween parties. They are so excited!! But it feels so abstract to me right now. Are we really heading into Halloween week? The holiday so different here that I’ve hardly given Halloween a thought. Usually we’re deep in to finishing costumes at this point, but this year, we haven’t even started. Feels so strange!
How are your Halloween plans coming along? Any brilliant/wonderful costumes this year? I want to hear. But first, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:
…Living With Kids: LeAnne Sofia
Today I get to introduce you to LeAnne Sofia and her family, who live on the Florida Coast. The first thing that you’ll notice is that LeAnne’s home is GORGEOUS. I literally gasped at some of the photos. So stylish and modern and full of light. It’s really stunning. But as you read LeAnne’s story you’ll fall even more in love. She speaks openly about her struggles with infertility, her miscarriage, and the eventual adoption of her son. She’s open and vulnerable and I’m so glad she decided to share. Welcome, LeAnne!
…Our First School Vacation!
It’s officially the first school vacation! In France, the school schedule is basically 7 weeks on, 2 weeks off. And our two weeks off started today!
When we lived here before, we would use these school breaks to travel around Europe — lots of road trips and cheap flights — and we hope to do the same thing this time around. It’s interesting, because we went all over the place but the younger three really don’t remember any of the traveling. So we could visit the same places — Switzerland, Amsterdam, London, Ireland, Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Norway, Belgium — and it would be as if it were their very first visit. I’m really, really, really happy that Oscar, Betty, and June will get this chance to travel now that they’re old enough to really enjoy it.
For our first school break, we were exploring options and possible places to visit, and I started looking at bargain European flights (with companies like EasyJet and RyanAir). On one of the sites, you could put in flexible travel dates, and then pick a budget (say, 50 euros per ticket), and it would show you a list of everywhere you could fly for that price during those dates.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Gosh I’ve missed interacting here over the last week. As you can probably guess, there’s been some big stuff happening at our house. Here’s a quick update:
1- We got the keys to our rental house last Wednesday, the 9th. And that night Ben Blair arrived home from his work trip to Chicago. That door above? That’s our front door for the next several months (at least).
2- The rental was empty, but pretty darn grime-y. So we spent the next several days cleaning it and prepping it for the arrival of our container full of household goods. This included figuring out appliances, because rental homes here don’t come with an oven, a fridge, a microwave, a dishwasher, or a washer/dryer.
…Living With Kids: Amanda Tanner
Amanda and her family live in Roswell, Georgia — a wildlife refuge in a suburb outside of Atlanta. She and her husband bought their home there a few years ago, after marrying and blending their families together. Amanda is a landscape artist, and when you see the gorgeous woods that surround her house you’ll understand how she finds inspiration for her work. Their house has a sense of old charm that you’ll just love, and art covers every wall. It must be a magical place to raise kids. Welcome, Amanda!
…How Do You Get a Visa to Move to Another Country?
Let’s talk about one of the practicalities of moving abroad — getting your visas!
I know this can be a confusing term because the first thing most Americans think of when they hear the word ‘visa’ is their credit card. But when referring to moving abroad — or even traveling abroad — a visa means official permission to enter and stay in another country.
…How Do You Get a Visa to Move to Another Country?Read More »
Living With Kids: Sophe Probst
I’ve loved getting to know Sophe through our email exchanges these last few weeks. She and her husband have made their home comfortable and stylish without feeling stuffy, and the house is also a home base for Sophe’s clothing and textile business. Their home has a clear emphasis on art and creativity — you know when a family has decided to use their living room as an arts and crafts room, that you are with a family who values creating beautiful things.
Sophe also shares, quite vulnerably, what it was like growing up with a mom with mental illness, and her own fears about being a parent. Welcome, Sophe!
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