Category Archives: henry et marie

disneyland paris

disneyland-paris

mickey-ears

 

If you find yourself in France with children, you simply can’t miss Disneyland Paris! Located only 20 miles from the center of Paris, it makes for a fabulous day trip with the kids. With my brother and family joining us at our apartment a day earlier, we all hopped on the metro early Sunday morning, transferred to the RER, and found ourselves at the gates by opening time. It was an epic and exhausting day, but well worth the effort…the time with our family was worth the ticket price alone. Henry and Marie really earned those ears – they were troopers. Click through to see our adventures!

 

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french is beautiful

fleurishing-famille-paris

 

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of  a child. There are seven million.”

Walt Streightiff

i

Were we really in Paris with our children, only a month ago?! It feels like it was a all a dream. I’m so thankful to have moments like these documented, thanks to my friend Ashley Ludaescher (still so many more incredible photos to share). Navigating a foreign country with children, especially toddlers, is challenging for sure. Speaking the language (even at a basic level) really makes things easier, and more enjoyable. Carrie Anne James was kind enough to include me in the development of her French for Paris course, and I’m honored to have inspired the “traveling with kids” bonus lesson. I think it goes without saying that I personally relied heavily on that portion of the program during our trip!

Since this was my first time traveling with my children to France, I wanted to be prepared with the proper terminology. Full disclosure – I didn’t know the word for stroller. There were many times when I found myself using phrases that were new to me, such as “excusez moi, est-ce que les pousettes sont permises?” (excuse me, are strollers allowed?). I located diapers, requested mild cheese, even spoke with other parents, in French – and it felt great. Do you have to speak French in order to travel there with your children? No – but I highly recommend it. You will get more respect, better treatment, and yes, even the elusive smile, from the Parisians. Henry et Marie even garnered a tickle or two (or three).

* french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here *

coiffeur bonton

henryatbonton

coiffeur-bonton

 

Yes, that’s right – I’m the obnoxious Mom talking about how her child got a haircut in Paris. I can’t even say that for myself! Ever since I first discovered the coiffeur inside the flagship Bonton, I knew that I had to make it happen. I waited until we arrived, and then called for an appointment. They accept walk-ins, but I wasn’t going to chance it (plus, that’s just not my style). My friend Ashley Ludaescher kindly met us there to capture the moment and hang out (we’re a fun bunch). Monsieur Franck (pictured above) was very welcoming, and immediately made us all feel at ease. After all, a haircut at Bonton can be a little intimidating! Henry not only felt comfortable, but he enjoyed himself – click through for more!

 

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merci shop

gap-kids-little-city-guides-paris

 

I’ve teamed up with GapKids to share some of my favorite spots to visit with children in Paris, and the next stop on the (#littlecityguides) tour is Merci! Situated in the Marais (one of my favorite neighborhoods), you enter the shop through a beautiful courtyard, where their cherry red, vintage Fiat happily greets you. Henry + Marie lit up over the fun little car, giggling + “beep-beeping” their way around, putting on quite an entertaining show for customers. We were so lucky to have such gorgeous (sunny) weather during our trip, but with a chill still in the air, light coats were needed. What’s more perfect for Paris than a classic trench? It was one of the first pieces I packed, along with Henry’s handsome jean jacket.

 

merci-shop-fiat

gap-kids-trenchcoat

henryandfiat

 

After the fun in the courtyard, we had all worked up an appetite for the delicious food that awaited us inside. Merci happens to have not one, but three cafés – each featuring different decor + food. I always find myself in the Used Book Café, and I was so eager to introduce the kids to my favorite treat there – the soft-boiled eggs. Lined with over 10,000 colorful used books, you could easily spend hours there, curled up with a (new-to-you) book, hot tea, and a delicious scone. That’s not going to happen if you’re a parent of course (ha), but your experience can be enjoyable nonetheless. They are welcoming to children and families, and our server was very kind + attentive. To my delight, the kids really loved their first experience with soft-boiled eggs, and after a brief tutorial, handled (and ate) them like pros – a toddler miracle!

 

used-book-cafe-merci-paris

henryatmerci

marieatmerci

 

Here are their outfit details…Marie is wearing the classic trench (check out the adorable new print one), along with the 1969 black legging jeans. We bought her shiny red shoes that morning – such a happy coincidence!  Henry is wearing the denim jacket + 1969 black wash skinny jeans, along with shoes we bought that morning (at one of my favorite children’s boutiques). Many thanks to GapKids for outfitting Henry + Marie and letting us share our adventures…merci mille fois!

 

Merci | 111 boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris

jardin des plantes

jardin-des-plantes-with-kids

jardin-des-plantes-kids

 

The Jardin des Plantes is a magical place, and seeing it for the first time with my family was extra special. It’s a fairly formal garden (as many French ones are), so we were inspired to dress up for the occasion, with the help of GapKids. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with them to share some of my favorite spots to visit with children in Paris, over the next few weeks. They’ll be traveling around the globe this summer with the cutest little ones – follow along each week as they highlight a new destination (#littlecityguides). Today, I hope to transport you to the “garden of Paris”…le sigh.

 

marie-in-gap

marieinjardin

henry-in-jardin

 

Dating back to 1626, le Jardin is the main botanical garden in Paris, and you can find many children frolicking there on any given day. Most of Henry + Marie’s favorite places in Paris were – no surprise – open spaces where they could run free and explore. The Jardin des Plantes is expansive, with wide (sandy) paths and magical spots for children to discover. The blooms are most glorious in the spring, and we were so lucky to witness it. In addition to the gardens, there are four museums on the grounds, as well as the second oldest zoological garden in the world, initially founded to house animals from the royal menagerie at Versailles. You could easily make an entire day of your visit, but we opted for a sunset stroll.

 

jardin-des-plantes

 

These two are constantly MELTING ME!! They hugged for a few minutes in front of this gorgeous bush – I’m just so thankful I managed to capture it…these moments are everything. It’s very hard (as a proud maman) not to post every single photo I took, but I’ll spare you the rest- I’m sure this much cuteness will more than suffice. By the way – Marie is wearing the plaid eyelet flutter dress + starry ballet flats, and Henry is rocking the linen-cotton shirt + dressy trousers. Many thanks to GapKids for outfitting Henry + Marie and letting us share our adventures…merci mille fois!

 

henry-et-marie-for-gap-kids

 

Jardin des Plantes | 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris