IDEA175: Amanda Blakely's 5 Favorite Ways to Live Like You're Traveling with Kids! [Toronto]

To live like you're traveling everyday takes determination, planning and lots of inspiration. Having two kids, I know, requires double the planning and double the inspiration since you're thinking how to take the whole family on a 'tour'. Luckily kids happen to be naturals at this whole adventure thing and ANYTHING you do as a family is hysterically exciting even a supermarket run! Bless their little hearts. I however, am not so easily amused and so I'm always on the lookout for travel loving parents that instil a sense of wonder in their kids and live like they're traveling as a family! One such role model is Amanda Blakely of Petits Genoux. Amanda together with her handsome boys recently took us on a virtual weekend getaway to her town Toronto, Canada.  

Meet your Toronto Neighbor, Amanda! 

• • •

As a seasoned traveler, my wanderlust runs deep (from backpacking to business travel, I have circled the globe numerous times). Now as a mother of two, I am passionate about cultivating and passing along this love of travel to my children by placing an importance on collecting experiences, not things. Our first son, Atticus, was conceived in Australia and when my husband and I found out we were expecting, we hatched a master plan to spend a paternity leave traveling Central and South America with our new babe. It was an unbelievable experience to have as new parents.

We had the opportunity to expose Atticus to new cultures, cuisines and customs, while we got to practice this whole parenting thing together as a team (in some foreign lands no less). Fast forward almost four years and we've added another little boy to our growing clan and have been on many more adventures together. Some of our most treasured memories have been made while on the road as a family. BUT, for obvious reasons a nomadic lifestyle is not realistic for most families. So we're excited to share with you some of our favourite ways to live like we're traveling { as a family } in our own city. 

Traveling does not mean you must stray far from home or spend a ton of cash. To me, living like I'm traveling is about celebrating each day (wherever I might be - home or abroad) and approaching it with an adventurous heart and an open mind.

To our family, it means trying out a different park on the weekend, visiting a new coffee shop or a pop-up market. Allow yourself to be awed, surprised or humbled by what you uncover. It only takes a shift in perspective to walk the same road we have already walked a thousand times to really look up and notice the beauty that lies before us. Like most families, we spend a ton of time at our local parks, but sometimes you just need to break out of the routine and do something else equally kid-friendly. Toronto has the friendliest firefighters who always welcome little visitors to the station if they aren't out on a rescue. Here we are on one of our recent visits with @babybrainorganics.

• • •

1 - Get out of the city. -  A Toronto tradition every Fall is to visit a local farm.

Not only is it the perfect opportunity to take in the colourful vistas of autumn (red, yellow and burnt umber leaves as far as the eye can see) but Ontario has an abundance of agriculture and with the harvest comes a bounty of delicious fruit and vegetables. We picked up a pumpkin and a bunch of apples to bake a galette on our recent visit to Whittamores farm.

2 - Explore the many neighborhoods of Toronto

We like to visit all the ethnic Burroughs for authentic treats (from little India to little Italy). But this little storefront belongs to Mean Bao Queen West outpost and is the home of our favorite Pulled Pork Bao.

3 - Attending a book reading and supporting a local or visiting author is a great way to feel like a tourist in your own town. 

Check Now Toronto for listings of readings (or other such events) from week to week. Here we are at my friend Lindsay Mattick's launch of #FindingWinnie last weekend. On Instagram: @LindsayMattick and Photo by @textstyles

4 - Jump on the bandwagon and become a sports fan. 

For the first time in over 20 years our hometown baseball team Blue Jays are making us proud. Visit a pub or try and get your hands on a ticket to witness history in the making as the Jays attempt (again) to win the World Series.

5 - Visit a new coffee shop and watch the world go by... 

(for the 5 glorious minutes it takes your kid to eat his bribe muffin) while you feel like you're a backpacker again.

• • •

Thanks Amanda and family for letting us hang out (virtually) for the weekend! And a special thank you to the handsome guys Archer and Atticus!! 

Get more everyday ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling 

IDEA148: Travel Like a Local & Swap Homes with a Global Neighbor

We recently wrote about vacation rental Kid & Coe homes with "fully stocked" kids rooms, and how it's really important to feel relaxed as a family when you travel. We now would like to introduce house swapping! A truly "my casa is your casa" way of travel. 

When our second son was born, it sort of struck us that in a few years when both kids are over 2 years old we will be paying for FOUR people every time we fly! Hmm... we pondered that for a minute or 60. Right, so there goes 3K out the window before we even REACH our destination. Then there is accommodation for 2+2, food and entertainment. Let's just say, I'm doing breathing exercises right now to ward off a panic attack. Enter: house swapping. You exchange homes (and possibly cars) for your vacation with someone else. Much more economical, not to mention being able to stay in a fully stocked functional home. 

Having someone you don't know stay in your house is a scary concept at first, but think about it, the other person is probably just as nervous as you are to leave all THEIR stuff. In a way, it is comforting that mutual trust is required. Imagine switching houses with friends? Or how about good friends of your friends? Less scary right? Well, the companies we found make house swapping a bit more warm and familiar for us with their concierge services. They all have a yearly membership fee, and with some for an additional fee they can actually help to match you with another swapper.      

 • • •

1 - HomeExchange.com $135/year (95.40 Euro)
This company was featured in the movie "The Holiday" and has been around since 1992. They have a huge variety of destinations and homes. A customer service rep comes on to chat with you as soon as you get on the site so it makes it friendly and easy to get started.    

 • • •

2 - Intervac.com 
These guys have been around since 1953! Year membership costs $110 (79Euro) and includes personal assistance from a local representative. Intervac has representatives in many countries that I imagine you can bug with all kinds of questions and hand-holding requests. They also have options for discounted rentals if someone is making their second home available.  

 • • •

3 - lovehomeswap.com 
The cost of membership is $200/year (144 Euro), and premium concierge service will run you about $360/year (264 Euro). It includes many extras like: consultation and matching, personal key exchange, flight and restaurant bookings, airport lounge entrance, and city guides. Yes, it's expensive but I personally believe that this price will encourage only those very serious about doing an exchange to participate. 

 • • •

4 - knok.com (top image)
Knok is a new house swapping site focusing on families. It has a feel of being in a club. With a price tag of around 500 Euro/year for a "Weekend tripper" option and a 1,300 Euro/year for a "Vacation tripper" option, it's indeed an expensive club. What's different about this is when you sign up and pay your fee you can immediately book either a 4 day weekend or an 8 day vacation. You "unlock" more days if you make your home available for stays when you're not there, thus making house swapping a bit more flexible since you don't necessary have to wait to match up with a family that wants to go on holiday exactly when you do. Also an upfront fee like these will probably ensure you're dealing with other families that are very serious about this form or travel. Another interesting feature is a user sourced guide of kid friendly places and things to do, and it is free. 

 • • •

5 - behomm.com 
Behomm is a special exchange place for creative people. These are homes where people, how shall I delicately put this, with heightened design sensibilities, like art directors, photographers, artists, designers, architects would feel right at home. I know this is exactly the kind of home exchange our very own, creative director, Mu-Hsien would enjoy! Her home is indeed Architecture Digest worthy.  

This isn't for everyone, you have to be a person who really feels comfortable trusting your own instinct and ability to assess another person without having met them. I've hired people over skype and they've turned out to be great choices so I do feel like I could be comfortable in this situation. I think if you can organize this experience to make yourself feel confident, imagine the benefits! You get to live in a REAL, actual house of someone in the country you're visiting! In a real neighborhood where other "normal" people live. This is the ultimate, "live like a local experience." I imagine it's also a chance to potentially make interesting new friends.   

I'm inspired! Hey, perhaps the next generation of this travel experience is to swap not only your house and car but your friends too! Come stay at my home and my friends will take you out!

{ To get more of a feel for what house swapping entails take a look at Magan's of Mapping Magan, interview with someone who has been house swapping for 6 years now. }

• • •   LESSONS LEARNED #57   • • •

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is by posting a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For More ways Live Like You're Traveling follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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IDEA126: Travel Like a Local and Stay in a Family Friendly Kid & Coe Home

Sometimes you come across a company and you just want to scream "YES!!! This is exactly what I've been dreaming about!". Well here is a fabulous new find for traveling with kids. (Thanks BozAround for the introduction!) Kid & Coe are taking "apartment" stay to the next level specializing in places with children's rooms equipped with toys and other child friendly extras. I don't know about you but when we travel we bring a suitcase for ourselves, a suitcase for the child (we have yet to travel with our new baby Vin, but he is only 3 weeks old) AND a suitcase with toys, not to mention a stroller. Staying at Kid & Coe place will surely help to eliminate the toy suitcase at least. 

Improving travel logistics is only one of the benefits, what we really love about this idea is how you can experience a destination while living like a local family! You know we here at OTSP are all about immersion travel. Eating like locals, or rather with locals, and now you can live like a local too. I for one can't wait to try this out. I told Vito last year that I thought it would be fun to celebrate Christmas in Iceland with the whole family. He thought it was a rather strange idea considering Iceland is a cold and dark place in the middle of winter. I however envision cozy strolls along the shopping street during the Christmas presents rush and having hot chocolates at the adorable cafes. Of course going for a family dip in the pools. Going on sled rides... the list goes on as I think there is plenty of family fun to be had in the wintry Iceland. By the way, each Kid&Coe apartment comes with a guide of kid friendly activities from a local scout. Perfection!

• • • 
[ The Hrisateigur Residence, Iceland ]

At the end of a fun filled day you want to come "home" and have a refrigerator available for the inevitable snacks and milk bottles, you want comfortable room to "stow" your kids away for a night of sweet dreams and TRUST me you want a comfortable living room with a TV and somewhere to perch your over-sized glass of red wine for an evening of relaxation. Vito and I call it the "happy moment", when we sit down on the couch alone after tucking in our oldest into bed promptly at 8pm. Yes it's a bit different traveling with a toddler because unlike a baby who will happily snooze through thumping samba music in his stroller while his parents sip caipirinas at a swanky South Beach, Miami lounge, a toddler needs a real bed and preferably a night light with star shapes. (Prince!) Thus unless you want to be sitting in the dark starting at 8pm you need a place with a living room.  

• • • 

Kid&Coe's accommodations look so adorable that I can just imagine having a sweet little Christmas dinner at the "borrowed home" and pretending we're an Icelandic family! Would you just check out this residence of 5 bedrooms! Three adorable children's rooms fully stocked with toys, shelves of books and plastic dinosaurs!!! Also check out the huge bathtub! I can definitely see a "happy moment" happening in one of those! 

There is only one issue remains to be settled... WHEN ARE WE GOING!? 

• • •     LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

For happy travels make sure your child
and YOU have plenty of toys.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For more ways Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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IDEA119 : Bake the Easiest Lemon Tart Just Like the One in Normandy, France

Let me tell you a story about my search for the perfect lemon tart recipe. It all started last summer in Normandy, France where we went on a family vacation. My dad and brother joined from New York, Vito's mom and brother with his girlfriend made us a merry little group of eight. We stayed in a lovely town by the sea called Saint Aubin sur Mer, where time didn't hurry, tourists were not many, yet there were plenty of things to do and see. It was a delicious week of family bonding, discovering the sites and of course eating as many pain au chocolate for breakfast as humanly possible (well, maybe this last one was just my personal achievement).

We stayed at a camping (Cote de Nacre) a ten minute walk from the seaside promenade lined with sunny colored villas, happy little cafes and restaurants. Our mornings consisted of sightseeing, and afternoons in the pool or at the beach and of course no day went by without promenading up and down by the sea.

Walking from Cote de Nacre camping to the beach. 

Pastel villas along the promenade in Saint Aubin sur Mer. (Mo has just two settings, run or sit.) 

But back to the lemon tart...  as you can imagine a family of eight including one 1.5 year old boy and one 13 year old boy there is always someone ready for a snack (or a 5 course meal).

Dinner on the promenade.

On one such occasion we stopped at a cozy cafe with cream colored furniture, nautical prints and walls lined with book shelves giving you a feeling of a sea side day lounge. Lemon tart was the first thing we saw on the chalk board menu and that was enough of a suggestion for all us to order a round. The tart was incredible! The lemony filling was creamy with sweet and tart flavors in perfect harmony. The crust, a wonderful companion, perfectly yummy yet not trying to compete jealously with the filling for attention. The tart was so delicious that we immediately ordered seconds nervous that the cafe might not have enough! Thankfully they did, so there was no need for violence. And since that moment I've been looking for a recipe that will reunite me with my perfect lemon tart...

My brother reclining after the lemon tart and Nutella crape. 

Until finally! I have come across this recipe on Julia's blog.  She in turn found it in a newspaper article about a German illustrator who lived in Lisbon for a while. This illustrator upon tasting this tart at a rowdy summer backyard party asked the cousin of her neighbor, a certain Anita, for the recipe. She then illustrated the recipe which Julia transcribes on her blog. (In English thankfully.) 

So there! A recipe found via our global neighbor Julia, from literally someone's actual neighbor (well cousin of said neighbor) has made its way to me in The Netherlands! AND! What has set off this world wind recipe search? Why a visit to a little seaside town in France called Saint Aubin sur Mer... Now tell me we are not all connected. :)

• • • 

If you are like me and have been searching for an easy way to make lemon tart feel free to raise your hopes high.  Real high! This tart does not require intimidating baking thermometers, high scores on your math tests to perform calculations involving heat, altitude, timing, and egg yolk temperaments. There are two, JUST TWO ingredients for the filling. Condensed milk and juice of 2 lemons, ok 3 if you count lemon zest. That's it!!! The crust? The easiest ever, and you don't even have to have your butter at room temperature. I hate it when recipes call for that, when I want to bake, I must bake right then and there before inspiration leaves me and I can't wait for princess butter to arrive at room temperature. (Excuse me, I'm an Aries, it's a biological fact that I can't wait for stuff.) 

Now I'm not a baker and trust me when I say, you can't do this recipe wrong. I did have to look up how to beat egg yolks stiff on youtube because I wasn't 100% sure of the right way to do it. I know my grandma did it by hand with a fork but after 2 minutes (ok 15 seconds) I gave up and looked it up on youtube.  Here is the video, listen to the nice Italian lady all the way to the end, that's when she tells you how to make your egg whites really stiff.  

Lemon Tart 
Recipe: on Julia's blog.
 

Saint Aubin sur Mer, Normandy, France.
Stay at: Camping Cote de Nacre  (Groups)

Eat at: Wherever speaks to you on the promenade, however for dinner you should make a reservation, and of course lemon tart and other deserts at Aux Bains des Mots.

To do: Visit the town of Cabourg on market day and eat lunch on the promenade, bring your swim suits for when the inevitable desire strikes for a dip in the sea.  Normandy is also the land of apple brandy, do visit Château du Breui, a Calvados distillery and a historical manor house. 

Sight see: Saint Aubin sur Mer is a great base for discovering Normany. Not to miss  Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial. Visit the UNESCO heritage site, the medieval monastery Le Mont Saint Michel.  

Take home: a bottle of Calvados. Hemingway would have approved.  

Now, what have we conclude from all this madness? 

• • •    LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

You might find your lemon tart exactly where
you didn't think to look for it.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin on Pinterest! ~ For more ways to Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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