jacket | top c/o | shorts | boots
Hey there!! Happy August! We’ve been in major travel mode over here – a little time at the shore, a little time in Michigan, and now….our big trip. Mike and I are taking the boys to Europe for two weeks starting….tomorrow. Sane people would be busy getting together a vacation packing list… or actually packing. As routinely demonstrated, I am not one of those people.
But we have some major issues to discuss! Starting with….Instagram Stories. Also referred to as That Time Instagram So Cleverly Ripped Off Snapchat. Just when I had started getting into the swing of Snapchat (I’m @themomedit), Instagram fired a shot over the bow. There’s no butterfly crowns or Precious Moments eyes, but it is nice having everything in the same app.
So. What say you, readers? Do I Snap this trip or Insta-story it? Thoughts?
Secondly, message received loud and clear about the shopping boutique layouts. I will go back to having everything listed out. Thanks for the feedback!
Thirdly, I feel duty bound to mention that the plane in the background is not the plane we will be taking. The plane in the background is, however, a stolen Russian cold-war leftover that accidentally landed in my tiny little hometown almost a decade ago filled with four Ukrainians with expired visas. Oh, I’m serious. You can’t make this stuff up. It sits there still because…paperwork. I just can’t even.
This weekend is the final weekend for the epic Nordstrom Anniversary Sale #nsale. Prices go up on Aug 8th. If you are new to this party, all of our top picks (and a list of all dressing room selfie articles) can be found by clicking on that link. I just updated it with a loungewear/workout section as well.
I was interviewed for an article about sustainable shopping on ParentMap. If someone has found an source for second-hand boys pants that haven’t been completely trashed…I’m all ears.
My latest Kickstarter obsession? Paperblocks. Seriously good open-ended play possibilities, and would be amazing for travel. They’re pretty far from their Kickstarter goal (and the campaign ends in 5 days), but…you never know. I just supported them, fingers crossed.
If you read one thing this weekend, make it Bare Ladies. Luana Holloway’s perspective on aging is, quite simply, a gift. It’s so raw and real and the kind of thing you read with tears streaming down your face as you whisper yes. yes. yes.
Fillers and lifts are a deal breaker, a deal made with myself because although I mend lace dresses, plait baby hair & can recite The Folk of the Faraway tree by heart I still fancy myself as punk and I won’t give that up for fucking anything. – excerpt from Bare Ladies
Enjoy your last month of summer!! And if you have an tips or recommendations for Nantes, Normandy and Barcelona….let me know! We’re seriously over-the-moon about this trip. I’ll be posting trip highlights on social media, if anyone is interested. (@shanachristine on Instagram, @themomedit on Snapchat)
xo!
S
Hi Shana, I have been following you for years, before the big C and oddly enough, feel like we’re friends ( even though you don’t know me :). I too am from Northern Michigan (near Ludington) but destiny made me fall in love with a Spaniard 23 years ago and I have been living here ever since. So, to get to the point, I live in the most beautiful small city in Cataluña, Girona. It’s 30 minutes on the high speed train from Barcelona and would like to send an invitation for you to come and visit our beautiful little city. You can tell Mike they filmed some episodes of Game of Thrones here. My husband Miguel, my three children (Mickey, Sam and Matilda) and I would love to show you around. The invitation is open…
Sarah
Wow, Sarah!! Thank you! I’ll reach out via email….
Hi Shana! I’m new but have loved your #nsale recommendations! If you have seen The HBO series Band of Brothers, there is an amazing Band of Brothers tour in Normandy. The owner has lived there all his life and is a large collector of WWII memorabilia. You see a lot and he has lots of stories. The tour is small, only 6-8 people so it’s very personal. One of my all-time favorite travel memories. Enjoy your time there!
We are so insanely excited. Raines has been WWII obsessed for so long, this is like a dream come true. How is the Band of Brothers for an 8 year old? Too intense?
How fun! Hope you have a wonderful trip. I guess it might not be the season, but try to get oysters in Normandy if you can. Best ones I’ve had in my life, hands down.
Ooooo….WE WILL DO THAT. Thank you!
We spent a few days in Barcelona with our (then) 12 and 6-year-old two years ago. We traveled all over Spain and Barcelona was our favorite! The kids loved any kind of market, because we’d always let them pick something to try. The beach at Barceloneta was a big hit too – just have the discussion with your kids about possible nudity. We forgot to mention it, though the look on their little naive American eyes was priceless. Lots of cute little restuarants around there as well. They also loved the Museu de la Xocolata (Museum of Chocolate). Your ticket is a bar of chocolate! I wrote a post about our trip that highlights a few other things: http://justlikethenumber.com/2015/03/barcelona-spain-family-travel-europe/ Hope you have a wonderful time!
Love your blog post! Thank you!
Love and appreciate these quick scatterbrained (“…in the best way” Prince Hans) posts. Thank you! I cannot get enough of weird war stories and that plane is nuts! We currently have a Greek ship (not war related but still) anchored miles off the coast with full crew because the company defaulted on it’s lease so they’re auctioning it off on the courthouse steps… and there was the one time when some WW2 plane accidentally dropped a nuke off the coast here and they couldn’t find it until some Australians discovered it while scuba diving like three years ago!
I am envious of your European vacation and am sure you all will have a wonderful time. I have close in-laws in Austria and Italy and will get there at some point with my heard of boys.
And I vote IG because who has time for another app?
You get me, Chick. You just…get me. 🙂 xoxox
I nearly forgot… I have been shopping second hand boys clothes on Kidizen and in FB groups. I stick to Boden and Hanna Andersson and Crewcuts but it’s been great so far. Pants are always a downer with boys though. Never last long.
Ooh- I was just in Barcelona with my boys (9 and 6). Great time. They loved all the normal stuff (the iPad guides at Casa Batllo were a hit) but kid specifically:
The cable car up Montjuic, then walking down and stopping at playgrounds. Castle at the top is ok – they liked it but we saw more interesting castles in the rest of Spain.
Magic Fountains – at night they do a light show with the water in the fountains outside the Catalan art museum. Kind of cool.
The El Born neighborhood has some really interesting small shops (handmade, creative design stuff). That’s more for you than kids 😉 Gracia and Eixemple have more high end designer stuff.
Beach of course
Food markets – the big boqueria off the Ramblas, but also the smaller Santa Caterina market in El Born
Our favorite church to visit on a trip that got kind of churched-out was hands down Santa Maria Del Mar. Not as obviously spectacular as some others but more beautiful and simple. I guess.
WOW. I’m literally vibrating with excitement. Thank you for this!!
Check your city’s parents of multiples organization for semi-annual consignment sales. At least here they’re an awesome source for high-end, never- or barely-worn items. (You don’t have to have multiples – they are typically open to the public for part of the day.)
In Northern France, check out the town of St Malo. It’s super cute and still surrounded by ramparts that you can walk around (b/c PIRATES). Mont St Michel is also a stunning sight, but little boys might not think it’s cool. Will you be in Paris at all? If you’re just outside, visit the castle of Fontainebleu. It’s the one that Versailles was modeled after, but very few people go visit so you can get up close and personal to it and not be worried about losing the kiddos in the mass of people. ENJOY!
Isn’t that the town from All The Light They Cannot See?????
Secondhand kids clothes: totspot and now poshmark are great apps for buying and selling used kids clothes. Ask lots of questions and don’t be afraid to ask for more pictures. I have had a lot of luck and the prices are much more reasonable than thredup.
I live in Paris! Feel free to contact me if you come this way and have any questions; I’d be happy to help after all the advice I’ve taken from you over the years. As for Nantes, they have a beautiful bike route that goes along the Loire river – you can follow it through the Loire valley with its chateaux to the east or if you have more time to the ocean to the west (I think – perhaps they are still working on it). I’m not sure where you will be in Normandy, but Bayeux with its tapestry of the 1066 Battle of Hastings is cool. And in another direction Saint Malo is a lot of fun for all ages. Plus, spa!
I think posting snap stories on Instagram is the way to go. I personally haven’t checked SnapChat as much now. Have fun on your trip!
Have fun in Europe!! Its amazing to see all the old cities and monuments, it makes you realize how young of a country we are.
http://www.ebatotes.com
Not sure if you’ll get down to Ile de Re when you are in Nantes, but if you do, it’s such a magical place. We spent a long weekend there, biking around the island, eating oysters and drinking white wine. Such a picturesque place!
Have so much fun! What an exciting adventure for the boys!
Great post as per usej (I am ever trying to find a good spelling for the short, slang form of “usual”?!)
Your trip sounds brilliant. I spent time in Barcalona and all I can say is explore by foot, eat copious amount of gelato, take an afternoon and do the “hop on hop off” bus (good way to see it all without wasting precious exploring time!!
I am team Instagram Stories all the way…but that’s because I’ve never bothered with SnapChat!
Happy August yourself!!
Xo
Oh Barcelona! You may never want to come back. We did a really fun dessert crawl there. Casa Colomina (candy), Granja La Pallaresa (churros con chocolate), and Fargas (legit chocolate). Have the best, best time!
I cannot wait to see you what you find in Barcelona — it is a dream destination for me! I really enjoy your blog for all the things, life, fashion, and beautiful photography! Have a fantastic trip!
We took our two kids ( ages 6 and 4 and a half) to Spain in June! Not to oversell it, but it was the best vacation ever. Seriously. Barcelona: we hit the Sant Sebastian beach, El Born area (the Picasso Museum had a lot of nudity so I wouldn’t recommend it for a 4 year old boy, based on personal experience 🙂 and of course the kids loved playing in the Park Guell. Try El Nacional restaurant in the Exiemple area – kid-friendly (ie loud) and the food was fantastic. There is a guy who had a bubble-maker in front of the Barcelona Cathedral which made for some GORGEOUS photos. Have a blast!!! ps – I vote for Instagram.