Time for another Traveling With Kids post over on creative parenting site Classic Play. This time I delve deep into why Amsterdam is my favourite city to travel to as a family. I fell in love with this city as a carefree 20 year old (wink wink) and I love it even more as a traveling mama. Read about all my favourite sites, bites and things to do with kids in this fantastic city here.
Many many thanks to my super talented bloggy pals Deepa, Judith and Giova for helping out with this post!
After a summer hiatus Urban Jungle Bloggers is back online today and I couldn’t be happier. I love seeing my FB and Pinterest feeds inundated with fresh green-inspired images full of lush plant life.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not an expert plant keeper. My heart is in the right place but my mind is, as usual, elsewhere. I love all the green loveliness that fills the rooms of my home but for some reason I just sometimes forget that they need care and water. Luckily, I’m not like this with my three kids.
So after a summer of coming and going my poor plants were all looking a little….brown. And dry. But I’ve made a promise to myself and the plants to take better care of them. Play them music. Dust their leaves. Oh, and maybe give the a little something to drink more often. In any case, even after a few days of love they’re already starting to look a lot livelier and happy.
Today’s UJB theme is Back To School: Plants on the Workplace. I shot a few images of where I’ve been working lately. Whether it be on the computer writing or editing photos, sewing or crafting with my girls.
I don’t have any succulents or house plants per se where I work but I love having fresh herbs surrounding me. It’s amazing what a brush of a hand over a rosemary or thyme plant can do to your concentration and energy levels. The smell is like a jolt of caffeine (for me at least).
I also always make sure to have a fresh mint plant. Sometimes I throw a few leaves in my teapot or rub them in between my fingers. The smell of fresh mint is one of my all time favourite scents and, again, so energizing.
And because I’m a colour lover I always include a little vase of fresh flowers. Usually in my coveted Gokuri Peach Juice can that I got out of a vending machine at a train station in Kyoto, Japan. Oh and tea. There’s always tea on my workplace. As you can see in the photo on this particlur day I was in a detox tea mood (to counteract an overdose of sugar the day before).
When I break out the sewing machine things start to get a little messy and crowded on my workspace. Which I have to admit I kind of love (except the little pieces of thread that get wedged in my computer keyboard).
Can’t wait to check out the other UJB images for this month. If you’re interested you can visit their brand new website, their FB page and their Pinterest page. Many thanks to Judith and Igor for such a cool initiative.
Despite the sadness of losing my children’s only great-grandfather this past week I can’t help but feel so grateful for the time we all had together. We have been so fortunate to know and spend time with this amazingly dynamic man who put family in the centre of his life. His enthusiasm for everything from art to travel to the goings-on of his very large immediate family was contagious (as well as his famous giggle). We’ll miss him dearly but have many lovely memories to remember him by.
Some images that made me smile despite the sad news this week:
The best reading corner in the house on a sunny day. Also perfect or a sun-spot nap.
Last days of summer hats and dresses.
Trying to paint a kitchen with a large clumsy cat in the middle of it all actually makes it much more fun. For me at least.
I run into Idyllic little scenes such as this every single day. I love living in Italia.
Have a great week!
Gratefully Grateful
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I’m going to be honest up front here and say that September is not my favourite month. After the summer holidays and being with my kids day in and day out I always find September and back-to-school such a lonely time of year.
I need to re-adjust to being solo for the most part of my days. I need to re-adjust to having an empty and hauntingly silent (and tidy) house. I need to re-adjust to having time for myself and doing groceries and errands without three chatty kids with me.
In the end I just plain miss my kids during the 10 months of school each year. I even offered to home-school them at a certain point but was politely told that it was never going to happen.
But I know in a few short weeks I’ll have my life more organised, lots of activities scheduled, projects lined up and my feet back firmly on the ground.
Anyone else out there feel the same way around this time of year?
Here are a few images from our summer vacation. Even if we had record breaking bad weather it really was a great one.
Evidence that my daughter is a lover of stripes. Just like her Mama.
*taken in Albissola Marina, Liguria*
So grateful that we can arrive at the Meditteranean in less than two hours. My kids spent our days there body surfing in the warm water, eating gelato and foccacia and doing crosswords under the parasol with their Mama.
I will always and forever love geraniums. Amen.
Bikes in a charming courtyard in the centre of Milan.
Lovely memories of eating at this little wine bar at a local lake. Their cheese plate served with champagne jelly is life changing.
Wishing you all a lovely week ahead.
Gratefully Grateful
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About
Jillian in Italy Interview by Classic Play!
Jillian In Italy interview on Pret A Voyager
Embroidery With Kids
Father's Day Origami Garland
Miniature Bulletin Boards
Surprise Activity Garland
Italian Crostata Recipe
Snail Mail Booklets
Doily Fairy Lights
Jan Fabre Exhibit With Kids
Japanese Handicrafts
Miniature Waffle Cookies
Jillian In Italy 
