celebrating joyful living every day. and dachshunds.
Bonjour! As Due Day for le bébé approaches - just four short weeks from today - I've been thinking about packing my hospital bag for labor and delivery (and how L'Husband can support me). Today's post shares some resources and tips as well as my own hospital packing list. (Since I've seen every episode of… Continue reading Hospital Packing List for Due Day
Bonjour! I'm sharing this a week later than intended, but I was making rather merry at home last week while on staycation with L'Husband and Le Chien. Better late than never, right? Le wink. Something about the end of the year makes me nostalgic, from that back-to-school feeling that starts in September (even though I’m… Continue reading 2021 Blog Year in Review
Bonjour! To celebrate many things - namely, being young and being alive - L’Husband and I recently spent the night in Chicago. In addition to the large, real concerns of the pandemic, political turmoil, and social strife (le sigh), it’s been a busy year for ma famille, from selling a home in Vermont to purchasing… Continue reading Christmas in Chicago
Bonjour! As we approach the end of August, yards are starting to look a little crispy and gardens a little shaggy. But many flowers are still blooming and the trees still have leaves, so I try to enjoy what splendor of the summer season remains. I come from a long matrilineal line of green thumbs… Continue reading Late Summer Garden
Bonjour! I’m finally getting back into a writing groove after a busy month settling into a new home in a new state after a whirlwind of house hunting. (Check out our road trip from Vermont to Illinois here and here! I even flew on an actual airplane!) And I’m going to level with you, dear… Continue reading A Dachshund Explores a New House
Bonjour! Y'all, it has just been forever since I wrote anything for Joie de Vivre! In the last month, L'Husband started a new job, we drove halfway across the country with Le Chien, and we moved into our new home in Illinois. It's been a lot of unpacking, organizing, cleaning, decorating, and yard work .… Continue reading Camping Out in a New House
Bonjour! After more than a year holed up at home, L’Husband and I venturing forth and driving from Vermont to Illinois. A recent post recapped some of the highlights of Day One of the drive from Vermont to Pennsylvania. Today's post continues the fun and covers Day Two of the drive from Pennsylvania to our destination of… Continue reading Road Trip, Day 2: Pennsylvania to Illinois
"Friendship is better because friends help you move, they drive you to the airport. Boyfriends just . . . Love you and marry you." - Leslie Knope, Parks & Recreation Bonjour! I hope this post finds you safe healthy during this time of coronavirus. I am adjusting to the new normal of working from home, cooking… Continue reading Moving into a New Home, with Dachshund
"He who would travel happily must travel light." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Bonjour! I love to travel and enjoy planning trips, organizing what I will need to take, and sharing what I've learned about the process (through beaucoup de trial and error) over the years. As 2019 draws to a close, I'm beginning to think… Continue reading Ultimate Travel Packing List
"Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets." - Oscar Wilde Bonjour! After a brief break from blogging while Ma Famille and I relocated from Illinois to Vermont, I am ready to get back to writing! I'm thinking about 2020 travel plans - which hopefully includes trips to London and Tokyo - and want to share… Continue reading Two International Travel Tips
"When you figure out your suitcase, you figure out your life." - Diane von Furstenberg Bonjour! This weekend, I am visiting Mes Parents in Vermont. They recently retired from central Illinois to Middlebury and I haven’t seen their new cottage yet. The bad news is that L'Husband and Le Chien can’t join me on this… Continue reading How to Pack for a Long Weekend
Joie de Vivre 