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...