What Ana Does

I want to come clean about my packing whoopsies and missed opportunities. Not because I feel guilty, because I really don't. Not at all. I did my best. And I'm feeling pretty proud of getting us here. But, as we've been unpacking and making this beautiful, old apartment ours, I keep finding things that (DOH!) I really should have packed. Or things I just plain overlooked. Things That I Forgot: My family enjoyed making fun of me for moving only a small selection of our silverware . Specifically the four, only four, forks that made the move. But, I remember specifically putting a bunch of silverware in the dishwasher the night before the movers arrived and that's where they stayed. Whoops! We picked up a set at IKEA. It's fine. I also didn't pack enough towels for the entire family. Nor did I pack enough of the girls' socks . And, while I did pack the fancy wine bottle opener we have, we didn't pack up a bottle opener . (We used a wrench from the

We spent five very nice days in Tenerife, and here's what I've got to say ... I am sick and tired of witnessing "the coldest/rainiest/snowiest winters on record" at each of the places we visit this year. The resort town in the south of Tenerife where we stayed had the coldest (low 50s) and rainiest week in a very, very long time. It hadn't rained here in about a year. And, yeah, for three days it rained and was chilly. Then we returned to Paris and there's a Siberian cold front coming through bringing some of the coldest weather Paris has ever experienced. And more snow. So, yeah, we seem to bring record-breaking weather wherever we go. The Views at the Resort Notice ... No One On the Beach But, on the bright side, we did get to see quiet a lot of the island and spend time together as a family. So the vacation wasn't a total waste. Not to mention I was finally able to introduce my little family to my extended family that lives on the islan

Paris is awfully grey and wet in the winter. This is something that I guess is well-known, but to experience it is something different altogether. When the sun does peek out, it's something you mention to others. Such as, "Hey, did you see that sun yesterday?!" The girls are off from school for the next week (as does most of Paris) so we're off to Tenerife to see the sun. And some family. And a pool. And the ocean. And maybe tour up the volcano. A bientot! Related posts: My favorite places in Tenerife to visit

The thing about Paris is I always felt there was something there for me. Like a treasure I need to uncover.  On our first trip to Paris in 2010 I was walking around near the Eiffel Tower and it struck me that this was a place I'd like to live. It wasn't until I left did I have this feeling that I left something behind or undone. To me there's a potential thing there. I blogged about our first Paris trip (Leah was 4, Alice was 2) in 2010. Read it here . And I was enthralled by everything I saw. I had a similar feeling after the first time I visited New York. Like deja vú. Something big was hiding from me in the streets of New York and I just had to have enough time to find it. I eventually worked in Midtown and Soho in my 20s and 30s and loved every minute of it. The energy of that city just keeps you striving and moving forward and up. And I felt like I found myself within those streets.  Paris feels the same way. With each trip back (and I've bee

View From the Dining Room Paris has so many beautiful neighborhoods and districts, it would have been impossible to choose one just out of a hat. Instead, we went the logical way, and picked the same district as the girls' school. Because of that, we live in the leafy 16th arrondissement in a neighborhood called Passy . It's an easy walking commute to the girls' schools, instead of a daily metro ride. Not that the metro isn't convenient, it's just crowded. And the girls, Leah in particular, could be more independent with just a walk. We stuck to the outskirts of the district, too, so that Dave would be closer to the highway and didn't have to deal with in-city driving. So, all in all, we're in just the right place for the daily life we were aiming for. Sure, we could have settled in the Paris suburbs, had a larger home, small garden and two cars ... but then what would have been the point of the move? We wanted that urban experience, and that's

Thanks to some terrible weather and a nasty case of tonsillitis, I've been watching a lot more Netflix than usual. Especially during the day, a habit I usually try to avoid. Want to know what I've been binging? Here are my favorites: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel   - Set in 1958 New York City, the story is about Mrs. Maisel, a perfect upper east side wife whose husband leaves her. She ends up having a comedic breakdown on stage in the Village and her life goes careening down a completely new path. It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the same as my beloved Gilmore Girls , so you know it's going to be quick-fire and hilarious. It's won a much-deserved Golden Globe. And the sets and costumes are sumptuous, they pull you right in. Outlander - I got fortunate with this one. I missed the last two episodes of the newest season before we moved and I thought I was out of luck. But lo and behold, it's available on Netflix so I got to catch

I had a quick errand up on the Champs-Élysées this week, so of course I headed down to the Tulieries garden and the Louvre -- because it's basically the reason I moved here. I love the Louvre. The Pyramid of the Louvre If you've never visited the Louvre, here's one thing you need to know ... it's too big to get in to one photo. I'm serious. In most photos, you get the I.M. Pei pyramid, or one of the towers. But, no, you have to get above it to see the whole thing. That's how massive it is. Click To Make Image Larger You feel almost swallowed up by it when you first approach it from the Tuileries gardens. It's overwhelming, and that's how it's meant to be. Total sensory overload. It was a gloomy, chilly and grey day on Tuesday when I was there. But made from some good photos, I think. I haven't picked a day to get in there and start wandering the Louvre collections. Will report back when I do. I fear that once I enter, I m

Looking for love in the pages of a book? I've got you covered. I love love! My preferred genre is anything to do with romance and falling in love. I watch romantic comedies and I read all kinds of romance novels -- from teen to fantasy to adult. As long as there's witty dialogue and people falling in love (kissing!), I'm in. Anyway, if you're looking for love, here are a few of my favorite lovey-dovey stories that I recommend for this Valentine's Day. Natural Born Charmer   (adult romance - contemporary)  by Susan Elizabeth Phillips  -  Find it here Widely-regarded as the queen of the romantic comedy (though she publishes less and less books these days), this title is my absolute favorite. Blue and Dean are so well-suited for each other and so flawed at the same time. Just One Day (YA romance) by Gayle Forman - Find it here A teen tour of Europe + a rogue Shakespeare production + an adorable, blonde Danish boy = one very romantic day in Paris. It's

This week we got 20cm (that's less then a foot) of snow dumped on us and more is expected in the next two weeks. For Paris, this is a bit of a novelty. According to my French tutor, they get "two snows" in February and usually it's a dusting and it's gone. She told this to me last week. This is not a dusting and it's here to stay. And more to come. And while everyone is outside photographing buildings and trees draped in white, and yes, it's very lovely and gives February a familiar look, as I'm used to midwestern winters -- I have to admit I was hoping to skip some of the snow and freezing cold weather this year. The temperature here is supposed to be similar to Virginia. And this is not Virginia weather. Add to that the once-in-a-decade event of Seine River flooding. And Parisians are going crazy. There's Usually a Park at the Bottom of These Stairs (gah!) We recently had an English lady over to give haircuts (we have yet to ent

Our landlord moved quickly on sending an electrician for the lights in our hallway and BAM! in one visit, in less than 15 minutes, he got them working. Hallway Set to Go! And they are so cool! Again, we got them from Ikea for a pretty sweet deal (25€/each + 5€ for each bulb). In fact, I'm thinking we'll definitely bring them back to the US with us and find homes for them in our house. Related posts: More about the Paris Apartment

I've found if we listen to music it the morning -- good music we can sing along to -- the mornings just flow much easier.  It may have something to do with music calming the savage soul. Or maybe it just keeps us from focusing on how sleepy we might be. We have an Amazon Echo in our kitchen for just such a task. When I get in there in the mornings, hit the lights, start my coffee and I say "Alexa, play the Morning playlist" and we start the day. Here's the current playlist (*changes frequently) Then Came the Morning by The Lone Bellow   -- This is just for me, really, as I'm usually the first in the kitchen.  Blackbird by the Beatles -- A super-chill song as the girls wander in searching for food (or a morning cuddle).   Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra -- Famous to the girls for kicking off the second Guardians of the Galaxy film, this usually helps their eyes pop open.  Heavenly by Harry Connick Jr. -- Somehow, this song dropped onto

This might be the first Super Bowl Dave has ever missed and ... according to ESPN highlights the morning ... it was one of the most exciting in history. Really?! The game started at 1am, so yeah, we completely missed it. But we caught up with highlights this morning. Super Bowl Monday Morning I watched a bit of JT's performance and the new movie trailers (really the only thing I care about) that were previewed. For me, not a bad way to Super Bowl ... and I didn't even eat a whole bowl of nachos. I guess this is how expats experience the Super Bowl.

If you were sitting with me right now, your ears would be ringing from the sound of construction on the roof and the hammer drill ripping up tile in the apartment downstairs. (I can now easily identify that awful sound thanks to this summer's fireplace project , when I had to use that machine for a few hours to pull up a small amount of tile from the hearth.) The apartment downstairs is being renovated. We got a peek of it when we had to walk through it to use the servant's entrance to see our gas meter. In the quick tromp through it, I noted the original moldings, the maze of small rooms, a stunning wooden armoire and the cool red and cream square tile on the kitchen floors. All very antique ... and very clear this apartment hasn't been touched in years. Example of red/cream tile that's so common in old French homes (from Manger )** Wires were lying around everywhere, because they're also "installing electricity as part of the renovation."