I haven’t shared this with you yet because we left for Switzerland the following day, but I had the privilege of meeting one of my favourite bloggers on the Internet – Ameena from Fancy That, Fancy This. Only this time, she came with her daughter Maya! So of course I had to bring Juliet.
My little pre-teen in my favourite place in Paris: The Champs Elysées.
I don’t care that it’s touristy; it’s such a spacious and happy place to be! And it contains one of the best café-shops ever: Ladurée.
You all know Ladurée by now, right? You know it for the little boxes of macarons in all the flavours?
Well, would you like to have a peek inside the restaurant?
We were seated upstairs where there are lots of intimate rooms
decorated as somebody’s library (which, at one time it probably was).
Everything was perfection.
I had the café Viennois. And the cream that came with it had lemon zest in it. I die.
I also had this perfect pastry (I was pretty sure it was made with almond flour and not with gluten, but I confess I did not ask).
The girls had hot chocolate and an éclair, and I’m not even sure there was any milk in their hot chocolate. I think they just melted a chocolate bar – that’s how thick it was!
Ameena is not super tempted by desserts so she had an herbal tea – a tisane in French.
Yes, the pictures are blurry. The lighting was not conducive to pictures, unfortunately.
But we had an amazing time together. Now that our girls are fast friends, we are sure to meet up again on their next visit!
* * * * *
In the title, I talked about Moms and Kids. And yes, I had so much fun going into Paris with my daughter, just the two of us. But there is more to that title because I want to mention two books. One for moms, one for kids.
The first is How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane by Johanna Stein.
“Looking for the perfect book to help you survive childbirth and parenting with your sanity intact?”
Look elsewhere!
This book is relentlessly funny. Seriously.
It was no wonder he’d gotten turned on – I was wearing my third-most flattering yoga pants and a T-shirt/sports-bra combo that squishes my breasts together into one long, ready-for-anything uniboob.
Bikini Lady looks so intensely into my eyes, so deeply into my being, that she makes contact with my dead ancestors and shames them for having contributed to my gene pool.
… saying things like “Ah-ma-gad! I am literally gussshhhing! I’m storing the excess in our freezer – looks like we’ll be drinking breast milk with our coffee for the next twenty years!” I smiled with empathy while imagining punching them in their overflowing gazongas.
You may think these are the highlights, but I pretty much just flipped to a few pages and grabbed a random passage and that’s what I got. The whole book is like that. You can buy it here. And you can follow Johanna pretty much anywhere. (Virtually, of course). Details on her website.
* * * * *
That was the mom part. Now for the kid part. I want to tell you about this totally cute kid’s book by Janina Rossiter, who is a fellow expat with me here in France. Tovi the Penguin Goes Camping!
This is Gabriel reading it to William.
This book has adorable pictures and simple text with a surprise element that will delight your children. And this is only the beginning – Janina has a Tovi the Penguin series, and you can learn more about it on her website and follow her on Facebook. And if you hurry, you can come up with the title for Tovi the Penguin’s new adventure on her FB page!
And of course, don’t forget to buy the book here!
I offered to do both of these book reviews for free without being asked, but I was generously given a copy of each book by the author. Thanks guys! You make me and my kids very happy.
As does Ladurée.
All the times I’ve been to Paris, and I’ve never once been to Laduree. I hang my head in shame.
That first book you reviewed sounds like I’d like it a lot. 🙂
Andrea recently posted…Remembering
It’s because we have to experience Ladurée together for the first time!
Ooh, Laduree. I did go back there on my own to buy macarons. Also stood on the corner outside to take pictures of the place, hah!
Next time, you and me, Laduree.
Those books sound like awesome reads, thank you for introducing them!
Alison recently posted…Vaccinations: Taking A Stand
Yes. There WILL be a next time, and we will get just girl time. Of course that means your husband will be handling not two, but FOUR! gah!
Jennie! such a sweet post about the Tovi the penguin book! Your two boys seem to enjoy it! Love the picture. x
I’m glad I could tell more people about your books. I wish you every success!
Love this recap Jennie…seeing these pictures brings back fantastic memories of a too-short trip!
I hope that we make it an annual thing, either in Paris or maybe you’ll come see us in NYC. 🙂
I am intrigued by that book…I feel like there are so many funny parenting books now. I wish I’d known back when I had a colicky infant on my hands and was desperately in need of a laugh!!
Ameena recently posted…last few days in London
That would be fun. 🙂 Yes, it’s when we have a colicky infant on our hands that we most particularly need a good laugh.
I read the first chapter of How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane in the bookstore one day and I was laughing so hard, people were staring. I made note to buy it on Amazon, but then she ended up giving out some digital copies after BlogHer. Can’t wait to read it.
Also, you should know that Zoe has memorized Happy People Everywhere. She loves reading it and feels so accomplished doing it on her own. 🙂
Leigh Ann recently posted…some stuff
That gives me such a boost that Zoe likes my book. Thank you! I’m glad you got a copy of Joanne’s book. It’s so good.
This has nothing to do with the post at hand but I just read your About page. “I battle depression and I am filled with hope”. Beautiful and…me too! A perfect description of life with kids.
Carolyn recently posted…No Bake Chocolate Brownie Energy Bites
Thank you Carolyn – for your visit and your encouragement. AND the low carb weekend was a huge success thanks to you. I ended up making the coconut chicken with lime, the macaron and ganache pie, the chocolate chip coconut cookies … what else. Oh yes, the turtle cashew pie. Huge success! 😀
I want a copy of each other those books.
And a cup of hot melted chocolate, please.
(Oh yes. And an afternoon with you at Laudree. Is this asking too much? Sigh.)
XO
julie gardner recently posted…Provisional
What’s the flight from CA to Paris? Just a tiny jaunt, isn’t it? 😉
OMG – with a name like mine – I MUST check out the children’s book – how awesome! My four boys would love it! It looks like you had a blast with the girls – how fun!!!!
Tove M Stakkestad recently posted…Pen > Paper > Heart: Letter to my Eleven Year Old Daughter
Isn’t that so funny? I’m guessing your’s is pronounced just like Tovi too, isn’t it? 🙂