What Ana Does

You might not get a holiday card from us this year. Sorry. This Year's "New Year's" Holiday Card  I wasn't even planning to do holiday cards, because I wasn't going to cover the expense of doing them in Paris in late November, when I normally get them done. But... on Christmas Day I was clicking around Snapfish in a cookie-sugar-haze and found a 70% promo code. PLUS, they'll 2-day ship. So I ignored all the other activities in the house and created our annual card. But I only ordered a limited amount and decided NOT to kill myself and send them to the entire list. We're in the States for such a short time, so I'm only willing to commit a few hours to these suckers, not two days or a full week. Are holiday cards even still a thing? Especially in the age of Facebook and Instagram. The number of cards we received this year was much fewer than in previous years. And, sustainably-speaking, they are a large use of resources for something th...

As a kid, Christmas was full of magic -- gifts and family dinners and games and all those traditions we held to. As an adult in a Jewish family, I still wanted to offer this magic of the season to our girls. And to me, even as an adult, I was still awed by the magic that the Christmas season brings. Mostly, the gift of pulling all my sisters and brother -- with their growing families -- together under one roof to spend time together. There's magic to be found sitting around the dining room table, looking at those beloved faces and sharing stories and a glass of wine. And cookies. The house we bought and the 8-foot dining room table I found was influenced by the promise of these holidays spent together.  My Siblings, the Last Time We Were All Together ... 2013 So this year, we made sure to buy our flight home from Paris so we didn't miss out on that special family time. Unfortunately, the sisters and brother will not be coming together this year. They will be with th...

With the holidays fast approaching, I'm of course doing some online shopping, as I do every year (although with a lot less vigor considering our nomadic state and not seeing my siblings, boo). So, for your clicking pleasure, here's a round-up of really worthy gifts for the people on your list. Tentree is a company that plants 10 trees with every item you order. And my lucky number is 10. So. Win-win. Last year I ordered this sweatshirt from Wholesome Culture , another eco brand, and have it on steady rotation. 4Ocean sells bracelets for $20 and for each sold, they pull a pound of plastic out of the ocean. I got them for everyone in my family to thank them for putting up with my plastic reduction efforts this year and the sacrifices they make because "Mom won't buy it because it's wrapped in too much plastic." I love the journals from this small business called Letterfolk . They have pretty letterboards, too but the journals are beautifully made and you ...

In conjunction with the Berlin travel post, here's all the nitty-gritty details, in case you're planning a trip to Berlin (and it's an excellent, walkable, interesting city to visit) and want to follow some of our footsteps. Friday Arrive! We stayed at Art'otel in Mitte. It's a bit off the beaten track, as we wanted to be near where our temporary 2010 apartment was but it's a lovely hotel, our room was huge and the people were very friendly. It's equidistant from Alexanderplatz and Gendarmenmarkt, which had the big Christmas Markets   we most wanted to visit.  Our first meal was at Momotaro Tavern just under the TV Tower. Burgers and Asian dishes seems like a strange combination but the food was spectacular. The girls ate chicken burgers and I got a yummy pho!   The Christmas Market was just around the corner and was the largest we walked through. It had an ice skating rink (ring) in the center, too.  We walked back to the hotel because it was ...

Family Portrait 2010 In 2010, we lived in Berlin for 7 weeks for David's company and it was a fun, busy, crazy time with the kids being so young and still trying to see everything -- including a trip to Paris and Milan. (I wrote an entire blog while there and it's been hilarious to look back at all we did -- with a 2 and 4-year-old.) But the whole time we lived there, the residence were all lamenting that we'd miss the Christmas Markets -- everyone's favorite event in Berlin. We've been to Christmas Markets in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc. but the Berlin markets were supposed to be some of the best. The impassioned pleas stayed with us -- so we planned a trip to Berlin for this weekend. Not only did we want to explore those markets, but we also wanted to rediscover the neighborhood and things we became so familiar with when we lived there. I want to visit all those landmarks that we went to everyday. The Family This Weekend We flew out Fr...

When the Baguettes Are Warm! I'm just going to say it: Paris isn't a foodie destination. I know, CRAZY right?! But after traveling to a few other European cities, I'm struck by how limited the food options are here in Paris and now I can't unsee it. But first ... Yes, you can find French bistros on almost every corner, and some are fantastic and some are so-so (there's honestly no way to tell). So, if you're in the mood for an omelette, a salad or a cheese sandwich ( croque ) -- and have a few hours to tuck into a nice meal, because service will be traditionally slow -- than, you're all set. (Though, you can't sit outside on the sidewalk terrace unless you want to inhale second-hand smoke. Blah!) And YES if you just want a delicious baguette sandwich or a pastry, you are in the right city because they are everywhere, and usually delicious. The baguettes and butter here are the best in the world. No competition. (So, as a tourist, you'...

I'm not a negative person so this isn't a post I want to write, but it's part of this expat experience, so I feel obligated to whine a bit after 11 months of living in Paris. So excuse my bitchin'.  I posted about drizzle , the smokers and dog poo on the sidewalks when we first arrived ( read here ). Still very annoying. I've spotted young teens and even mamas walking their babies puffing away on a cigarette ... and I just want to scream. And vapers, yes I see you, and yes I'm very seriously grossed out by it. Yuck. Also, Paris is a large metropolitan city, so of course we've got your usual city issues: it's dirty, cars everywhere, our neighborhood drunk homeless guy, etc. We worked in New York City for a decade, so all things we are familiar with. But anyway ... there are a few more to items to add to this list: First,  motorcycled and motorized scooters (Vespa-like) are completely  lawless . They drive on sidewalks, up the wrong way on one...

From the GreenPeace Article:    Every Single Piece of Plastic Ever Made Still Exists! It's been bugging my logical brain lately that we buy plastic toothbrushes that are made out of a material that is, while very cheap, meant to last a very long time. As in 400 years or more. And doesn't decompose. Just think, every plastic toothbrush you've used in your lifetime is going to out live you and the next four or more generations. Your great-great-great-great grandchildren will have to deal with your toothbrush. How insane is that? Meanwhile, we're only going to use that toothbrush for a few months. It sort of boggles the mind. So, I've been buying bamboo toothbrushes, which will decompose in about a year. Most can be tossed into your backyard composter. This makes way more logical sense to me. I'm only going to use it for a very limited time, why do I need something like that to outlive me? Image Source: HumbleBrush And here's the best part: w...