As I mentioned in a previous post, 2020 has not been a great reading year for me. But while I didn’t read very much for myself, I did read a ton to my toddler. I’ve rounded up our favorite finds of the year. My toddler likes us to read mostly picture books at this point. We still sometimes read board books, but his interest is more with picture books now, so you’ll see that reflected …
Category: Family
Sognefjord in a Nutshell & Flam, Norway
When traveling to Norway, everyone asks if you’re going to see the fjords. So when planning our trip, I researched all different ways to visit them. Eventually, I settled on the Sognefjord in a Nutshell tour for a few reasons. 1) We could take it roundtrip from Bergen, which easily fit into our itinerary. 2) We could experience the fjord from the water via a ferry and Norway’s countryside via a scenic railway journey. The …
Bergen, Norway
After our stay in Copenhagen, we took a short flight to Bergen, Norway. Norway is such a huge and beautiful country and we absolutely need to go back and see more of it! I truly had such a hard time deciding what cities we should visit and could have planned a month-long trip. We rented this gorgeous Airbnb in Bergen. It was a family home, which showed in the attention to detail for kids. There …
Copenhagen, Denmark
Well folks, we did it! Our first international trip with baby! Or I guess now that he’s almost 14 months, I have to say big boy! *tears* For our first international vacation as a family of three, we headed to Copenhagen and then Norway. We took a red eye flight from New York to Amsterdam, had a short layover and then flew into Copenhagen. Little O did SO well on his first international flight. The …
Travel with Baby
Andrew and I have done a couple trips with baby O at this point, and we’ve already learned a few things about how traveling with a baby is different from our before-kids days. Before kids: Rent a car and drive everywhere. After kids: Fly when you can. We still do a good bit of driving, but we often fly when it will save time. Since we don’t own a car, flying can sometimes equal the …
Rockport, Massachusetts
After our stay in Boston, Andrew, baby O and I drove out to Rockport for a few days at the shore. Andrew used to visit Cape Ann as a kid, so coming back to this area was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for him. Where we stayed: We rented a home right in historic Bearskin Neck at the heart of Rockport. This two-bedroom cottage has views of the ocean from the second floor and …
Boston
For Memorial Day weekend, Andrew, baby O and I traveled to Boston for 4 nights followed by 4 nights in Rockport. (I’ll share more about Rockport in a separate post.) I went to Boston once with my family in high school when I was touring colleges, but it was a one-night stay, so I had never really experienced the city. I have to say, I really loved it! New England vibes, plenty of seafood, easily …
My Favorite Book on Pregnancy and Motherhood: “Like a Mother”
I didn’t consider myself a person who would like reading parenting and pregnancy books. But the concept of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy caught my attention. Author Angela Garbes is a journalist who found herself questioning much of the conventional—and often contradictory—wisdom doled out about pregnancy and postpartum care, so she decided to investigate the latest studies and speak to both researchers and mothers around the world on the …
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Traveling at 26 Weeks Pregnant
Andrew and I decided to take a weeklong babymoon to Italy this April. I’m going to write separate posts about each of the destinations we visited—Naples, Pompeii & Herculaneum, Positano and Matera—but first I wanted to share a little bit about our decision on when to go, and also my fears and worries beforehand and how things panned out in real life. I want to preface this by saying this is just my personal experience. …
Our Christmas Tree & Traditions
Just like our yearly trip to Wightman’s Farm for pumpkin picking and hay rides, cutting down a Christmas tree is another holiday tradition I share with my husband, his brother, our sister-in-law and their kids. We rent a minivan and drive out to Algers Tree Farm in New Jersey, where each family chops down a Christmas tree, and we make an effort to snap a holiday picture for Christmas cards. This year’s tree just fits in …
Caitlin Kenney Smith 