La Ville Lumière

Paris. The city of lights. The city of love. The place that captured my heart.

When we knew Scotland was going to be our new home last year, the husband and I talked about where we would love to go while we were in Europe. Flying is super cheap once you've actually crossed the Atlantic and we want to make the most of it. Rome was on the top of the list. So was Reykjavik. London, Madrid, Dublin, and Paris were a few others. But knowing what our budget would be, the priority became Paris. And I will say, if you get one shot at Europe, make sure that Paris is one of your stops. What made Paris extra special was that we got to celebrate our 4-year anniversary in this beautiful city. It may or may not have added a layer of gold to the entire trip. 

I wish I had my reaction on camera when I got into the city. The hubby said it made his day. We took the metro from the airport into the city center, and when we emerged from the station, I was in heaven. The architecture, the limestone buildings, the layout of the city, everything was of beauty and brightness. It immediately captured my heart and put me in a state of wonder. 

After we found our home for the next several days, we walked across the city to an event we were attending (if you're ever in Paris in May, I highly recommend going to their Taste of Paris festival). But what really did me in was when we walked toward a beautiful bridge after the event. As we got closer to the bridge, I suddenly could see the Eiffel Tower. It was all lit up and shining bright. I was in awe. It was such a beautiful sight, a stunning piece of architecture standing tall and proud for everyone to see. Magic... that's what it was. 

Over the next several days, we covered Paris. And when I say we covered Paris, I literally mean we pretty much covered the entire inner circle that makes up the city of Paris. We hit up all the tourist stops, the parks, and cafes. We attended events in town and sat on random benches. We ate pastries by the Seine and indulged in an anniversary steak. We taste-tested many macaroons and sipped a variety of lattes. We were exhausted, but in the best possibly way. 

Wine by the Seine. Yes please

One of the best happy little accidents (and became one of our favorite parts about Paris) was that a high school friend of mine happened to be there the exact time that we were there! She was with her mom and sister, a family I knew all too well. We were able to line things up to enjoy a bottle (or two) on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. We laid out a blanket and talked about the last decade of our life. It was fulfilling and marvelous. Obviously most people can't have this experience, but man, what a sweet sweet memory we have in such an stunning place. 

If you're drooling over the idea of exploring Paris, perfect! I've done my job! To make everyone's life easier in the planning process, I'll add our favorite things we did while we were there. Hopefully this makes it easier to plan a trip of your own. 

All the Touristy Things

There are things in Paris that EVERYONE does. Guess what? There's a reason everyone does those things. I'm all about having a unique and exciting experience when you travel, but to pass up the staples, I think you're missing out. 


Eiffel Tower. Like I mentioned before, this is a must. You don't necessarily have to pay the money to go to the upper levels, but go enjoy it up close. Take photos from the lawn. See it during the day and at night. It's a magnificent piece of architecture and should be seen up close and personal. 

Notre Dame. We visited during a church service, which if you don't plan on staying for the service, I'd recommend going in at a different time. Mostly because I don't believe in disrupting a holy gathering with people staring, whispering, taking photos, all that jazz. That being said, it's a stunning church filled with lovely pane glass windows and arches for days. It makes you stop and pause to consume it's intensity. 

My favorite part of the Louvre

The Louvre. Be prepared for exhaustion to set in on this one. Know going in that you will not see it all. It's impossible. You could spend your entire vacation there and maybe see it, but you'll be too dead to enjoy it. I read somewhere that even artists can't handle being there for more than a few hours. It's too much to consume and take in. It all starts to blend together and makes you delirious. Before you go, pick out a few things you'd like to see, and then take in some of the other random art you find along the way. 

Arc de Triomphe. This. Is. So. Big. I never really realized how big this monument is. It's definitely worth a stop. The detail in the this monstrous landmark is remarkable. 

Wall of Love. The wall is more of an obscure place, and by obscure I mean it's not near any of the other monuments. More off the beaten path. But it seems like many people know about the wall. It's a beautiful blue-tiled wall completely filled with the words "I love you" written in dozens and dozens of different languages. It's beautiful and a great photo opportunity. 

Wall of Love with my love

Food

We may not have had "traditional French food" but I think there's more to the food in Paris than that. So here are the things that we couldn't get more of. 

La Bossue with all it's delightful treats

La Bossue. We cannot give this place more praise. It's off the beaten path a bit (near the 9th and 17th arrondissement) but it was fairly close to to where we were renting our Airbnb. But because it's off the beaten path, does not mean it's unknown. This place is packed, and for good reason. It's a very quaint little place chock full of baked goods (think fresh madeleines, scones, cakes, croissants) and delightful coffee. 

Sacree Fleur. If you love steak (and wine!), check out this great spot. Near the 18th arrondissement, this place is reservation only and you must call no earlier than two weeks beforehand. They even have a red wine that a vineyard created specifically for this restaurant. I don't even like red wine and I loved this one. Obviously this small place has more than steaks, but I highly recommend what their known for. 

Pierre Hermes. It feels wrong to go to Paris and not eat a macaroon or ten. We just happened to stumble on Pierre's shop first and picked out four that sounded drool-worthy. Oh my wow. I didn't know I liked macaroons, but here I am, a newly converted fan. They have fun flavors like pistachio, black currant, jasmine flower, as well as more traditional chocolate, coffee and salted-butter caramel. The chocolate was by far my favorite, but some of the other ones were good as well. Which leads us to...

Ladurees. Now there's a great debate on who makes the better macaroon -- Pierre Hermes or Ladurees. Ladurees had a beautiful building right on the Champs Elysees. They have much more than macaroons, but this is what people go for. The line was out the door and I have a feeling that this is a normal day for them. I would say there are more traditional flavors here (raspberry, vanilla, chocolate hazelnut) but plenty of flavors to choose from. Both the hubby and I agreed, Pierre Hermes hit it out of the park. But that doesn't mean you can't taste test the two of them. I mean you are in Paris after all. If nothing else, go just to take a gander and this beautiful building. 

Those were our top highlights, but I promise you, there are plenty more delicious places than what I listed. Traipse around the city, or use an app to help find the perfect place to dine. 

Final Thoughts 

My favorite travel companion

Hit up the parks. There is more to Paris than the traditional tourist pit stops. We chose to map out a path that hit up all the highlights the city had to offer. My husband's favorite stops by far were the parks. Specifically Parc Monceau and Parc Buttes Chaumont. Both were special in their own ways. Parc Monceau has beautiful scultptures and ponds, while Buttes Chaumont has a picturesque view from Temple Sybille, along with waterfalls and a suspension bridge within the park. You can spend time walking around or sit on a bench and take in the sites and smells of that around you. 

View from the Eiffel Tower

Walk, walk, walk. What made our trip so special was the walking we chose to do. While we did take the metro to get to some destinations, we enjoyed the sites and the sounds of the city by walking everywhere. I ogled at the gorgeous architecture, smirked at all the people with baguettes, sighed as I took in the smell of flowers, and became twitterpated with the Parisian culture. Metros are helpful, but it takes away the magic and the spark that Paris has to offer. 

And finally, just go where the wind takes you. Stay longer than normal at a cafe, peruse little markets, stop at whatever restaurant tickles your fancy. You can't (and shouldn't) schedule everything. Be a little spontaneous to really get into the culture. You won't regret it. 


Always, 
A

Breaking the Busy Cycle

"I'm too busy"

I think I've uttered those words all summer long. It's probably common for most people. School's out, people are taking vacations, seeing family and friends, drinking up all that glorious good weather. It makes sense. And for me, we have just moved back from Scotland, started a new job that takes up a lot of my day, trying to touch base with our many many friends, taking vacations, figuring out a workout schedule that coincides with the rest of my life, oh, and yes, trying to find time to blog.

Now, none of those things are bad. I'm so happy to be home and working at a job that challenges me and lets me use my talents. And we have so many friends and family that we love and care about and want to spend quality time with. Working out is important for my mental and physical health, and blogging... well blogging is something I'm passionate about.

Just a glimpse into our summer

Even though these are all "good" things... can it be too much? Can too much good actually be bad?

I've noticed throughout the summer that each week feels more and more exhausting than the last. Work takes up so much time that I really have to choose if I'm going to work out, or see people. And whatever I choose, I have very few hours left before I should go to bed. For my lovely readers, you'll have noticed I haven't blogged all summer long (basically taking a hiatus to regroup) because there is no time to blog. There is no time to read, write, pray, etc. etc. Which to me means, I'm overbooked. I think the "good" busy has turned into a "bad" busy.

In Minnesota, once the State Fair wraps up, it's fall. We don't care what the rest of the country says. Fall has to be a time we look at our busy summer lives and drill down on getting back into things. Structure has to be restored. So how do we take our wonderfully hectic lives, and make it into something that's still fun, but more controlled? I can't say I'm an expert at this. In fact, the suggestions I'm about to make, are things I'm going to try this year to find a peaceful balance of rest and busy.

Say No

This has got to be one of the hardest tasks for me. Someone wants to have dinner with us? My nieces and nephews have been asking to see us? There's a great happy hour at a taco bar? It's someone's birthday at work? There's a group of people camping for the weekend? All summer I've filled up all of my free time saying yes. And there were some days where I felt bad about it, knowing that I wanted to make that barbell class or needed to grocery shop or make dinner. But it gets pushed to the wayside. But if saying yes is killing you, it's time to say no.

The scary part is, these are only the things I remembered to add to the calendar! 

You can't do it all. You can't be there for everyone all the time. You can't schedule your life out like I did this past August (here's a glimpse into what MY summer looked like. I might be insane). And some things we did weren't even scheduled on that calendar. If anyone else's schedule looks like mine, you may need help!


Maybe your goal this month should be, say "no" to one person. Reschedule. Find another time to see them. Hey, if they like you enough, it won't be a big deal. Especially if you come up with an alternative time to do something. But know that your mental/physical wellbeing requires rest.

Calendar Prep

So many Instagrammers and Bloggers and Pinterest posts are about meal-prepping on Sundays so your week is figured out. While I have yet to master that (Sundays are my weekend too, I want to keep doing things!), it's a great way for people to utilize their time and be ready for the week ahead.

This should be the same for your calendar.

Why shouldn't we plan our week out? If we can do it with food, we can do it with the rest of our life. Here's my advice: On Sunday, take a look at your week. Schedule your workouts or things for your kids that are a must. Let's face it, there are going to be events that you have a commitment to. Then, if time permits, schedule one or two things where you get to see people.

Your schedule may change and you may see someone or do something last minute, but you'll have the freedom to do that because you haven't over-committed yourself. Case in point: we celebrated my niece's birthday over Labor Day weekend. Because of our insane August, we decided to not schedule too much where we'd be running from one thing to the next. When her birthday party was wrapping up, we noticed how hot and sunny it was. This is the perfect combination for some boating. Because of our flexibility in our schedule, we were able to have my family out on the boat and took the kids tubing. It was an unscheduled event that worked.

And make sure to schedule rest. It seems funny to have to block out time to "rest", but as I have seen throughout the summer, my times of rest and relaxation were quickly filled with other activities. That's what I feel so dead. That's why I feel like I can't recharge. Just like your phone needs to be plugged in, we need to be reenergized by rest. It's hard to do. But you will thank yourself later if you allow this to take place. Start by scheduling a time once a week to rest. I think you'll be amazed how great you feel. Take the time to pray, read, paint, or whatever thing helps you relax and that boosts your overall wellbeing.

Revisit 

Give yourself a few weeks of saying no and scheduling your calendar with both fun and rest. After that time, sit down and think about how this time period has worked for you. It's important to modify if things still feel hectic or if you don't feel fulfilled. Do you still feel stressed out about the amount of stuff there is on your calendar? Cut more out. Do you find yourself feeling bored and unmotivated, using television or games on your phone to fill up your "rest" time. Add a few more events to your week. 

It's hard to know what the right balance is. I think that's why it's great to look at your schedule week to week so you can adjust as you go. And you have to be prepared for some weeks to feel overwhelmingly busy (Susie has three nights of basketball practice AND a scrimmage? There are three weddings this weekend?!) Those types of situations are hard to avoid, but if you know ahead of time that that week will be busier than normal, make sure to give yourself even more time for rest the following week. 

Where to Save Time

Okay. So now you know what you need to do, but you may still feel that your calendar is still too busy. My schedule feels never-ending because even if I take out the busyness of friends and events, there's still the laundry list of, well, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, making food, picking up something from Target (aka my drug of choice location), etc. etc. Everyone has their own list of things that have to get done weekly. 

Grocery shop online. This has been a lifesaver for me. I cannot reiterate this enough. At first I thought this was the lazy way to shop, but really, you're saving time by not wandering aisle after aisle and waiting in a checkout line. I've only done it once, but I plan to do it more in the future. 

Meal Prep. I am terrible at this, but I think it helps in the long run. Find a day (weeknight or weekend) where you can sit down and plan out meals. Once you've done that, and done your online grocery shopping, you can prep as much as you can for your breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Cut up those veggies and the meat. Mix things together so they can be thrown in the crockpot/oven when needed. This is especially helpful if you and your spouse don't get home until later in the evening. 

Limit Kid's Activities. While my husband and I don't have kids yet, we know from our many friends, they end up running from one event to the next for their kids. The more children you have, the harder it is to get them where they need to be. One couple we know allows their kids to be in one activity. The kids have to choose what they care most about and then do that, whether it's softball, soccer, dance, etc. Some of those might be more time consuming, but then your life is not overrun seven days a week. I promise, it'll make a difference. 

Shop Online. There is something that is nice about going to a mall and trying things on before you bring it home. I don't meander shop, I get in and get out. But getting to the mall feels harder and harder these days. I nannied for a family a few years back, and the mom online shopped. She had two boys that could care less about going to the store. On top of that, she worked hard at her job and spent extra time seeing friends, working out, and attending as many school activities as possible. She was the definition of busy, but did a great job at it. I hope to be her some day. 

With that busy of a schedule, she bought things online and tried it in the comfort of her home. So many companies offer free shipping that it doesn't cost you anything extra to do it this way. Not having to get to a mall between the hours of 10-6pm makes it so much easier. Granted, you really have to know styles you like and what is flattering on you, but this could end up saving you a lot of time. Plus, you don't have to pack the kids in the car and bring them all to the mall. It's a win-win. 

There are dozens of other suggestions to make your schedule work for you. Don't feel overwhelmed on trimming your schedule by making 100 changes at once, try one or two things and you'll notice a difference right away. Good luck to those that try this out, I hope it works! If you have any other suggestions, please share. I'm always looking for ways to not live such a chaotic life. 

Always, 
A 

The Race That Dreams Are Made Of

I know, I know. I’ve been absent. And you’d think my first post after my hiatus would be about the enormous move we made from Scotland back to our homeland. Or the fact that my new favorite city is Paris. I promise those posts are in the works. Along with dozens of other posts that I’m dying to write. But today is more of an ode to the city we left behind. 

When we had first moved to Scotland, one of my friends had brought up to me that there was a half marathon every May in Edinburgh. It intrigued me solely because it meant friends were willing to come visit and run the race with me. I immediately signed up. Unfortunately, do to… well… life, no one else could do the race. Kind of a bummer. But I knew I still wanted to run. 

Flash forward a few months later and I find out that we’re going to be able to move back to Minnesota. In May! I was able to acquire a job in my field and my husband’s classes were wrapping up mid-April. Our lease was up at the end of the month and really, there were no other loose ends to tie up. Except for the race. It was happening within the last three days of living in this beautiful city. Instead of scrapping it, I chose to run it. Even if it meant that our timeline for leaving would feel incredibly hectic. 

Let me tell you: I’m not sure if it was the weather, the energy, the views of the city, the fact that we were leaving so soon, or a mixture of all of it, but it’s one of my favorite races of all time. High praise. 

The race started us near the main campus of the University of Edinburgh, wound us around to Princes Street, down the Royal Mile, past Arthur’s Seat, down to Portobello beach and ended us in Musselburgh. That’s where we’ve spent the last nine months living. I can’t tell you how many days I’d walk up and down Princes Street. Or how I used the Royal Mile to get to my gym. Or how we found ourselves on nice days visiting Aurther’s Seat and the surrounding area. Or the time we walked all the way to the beach even though it was January. It was a run through my memories that we had made. It was something incredibly special. This race kind of sealed up my journey in Scotland. 

There were a few other reasons it quickly became my favorite race. One being I hit a PB! Not only did I hit a PB, but I shaved off eight minutes off my time! What! Who does that? This girl. Right here. I’d like to thank the downward slope and the incredibly cloudy, cool day that made running a breeze. The other highlight was the fact that I ran continuously for nine miles. My last half I could only make it to seven before I needed a break. This race I felt like I could have run a few more if my knees didn’t feel shot from constant decline towards the ocean. Yep, definitely hobbled for a good 24-36 hours post-race.  

While I may never get the opportunity to run this race again, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. I think sometimes we get stuck in the idea that races are too hard, too far, too scary, etc. etc. The list goes on as to why we shouldn’t do them. Believe me, after the Lake Minnetonka Half I told myself I’d never ever run another half. And here I am, two under my belt and ready to sign up for my next race. There’s something empowering being able to finish a race, whether it’s a 5k or a marathon. Whether you walk, run or something in between. It’s something YOU did by yourself. No one helped you. 

Added my latest medal and bib to the collection! 

I can tell you, after I finished this race, being sore in my knees but feeling pretty good overall, nothing made me smile more than receiving my race bling (Ooo shiny medals!) and having the volunteer tell me “nice job!” They are right, I did a nice job. Even if I didn’t complete the race in the time I wanted, or I walked when I shouldn’t have, or whatever excuse you got. Think about how many people DON’T take on the challenge of a race. And if you can do this, what else can you do? 

That might be why I run. The high of knowing that my body can do something so amazing, like propel myself forward for hours. And knowing that I can tackle an obstacle such as this, and come out swinging. 

What is it that you do that makes you feel invincible? Something that keeps propelling you forward? 

If you feel incredibly motivated to run a race now, check out my blog post about finding your perfect race! 

Always, 
A