Wolfgang Mozart and The Sound of Music are some of the first things I thought of when we decided we wanted to visit Salzburg. I, however, had no idea at how beautiful the city would be too.

I loved seeing all the history, and walking the same streets that Mozart walked down… what a surreal experience to look at a building, and see a street and know that the famous musician that I studied and learned about all through elementary, middle and even high school once walked down the same streets I was currently standing on. I tried to explain to Nolan my five-year-old, that one day soon he will learn about Mozart, and that he can quietly raise his hand and tell his music teacher that he saw the house that Mozart was born in and walked down the very streets that he did too!  How many children in an American elementary school can say that!! I read some facts about Mozart to Nolan, and even played him Mozart music in the car! I try my very hardest to make every trip some sort of an educational fun trip! 

Next on my list was The Mirabell Gardens! I love looking at Pinterest while driving to our next location, I always have a vision of what I want to do, and then somewhere along the road (literally), I change them! The Mirabell Gardens was one of those times. We were driving from Garmisch and I kept seeing all these beautiful pictures of this garden! I kept reading about how you must stop and see it. I also read it had a HUGE metal slide for the children/ adults and from that moment I was sold! 

When we arrived at the gardens it looked like something out of a movie…maybe the movie The Sound of Music… Funny because of parts of the movie were shot there!! It was beautiful, and it was literally right in the middle of the city! We walked around the gardens for over an hour. We also found the BIG metal slide! Nolan and Tyler had a blast going down that slide! The first time down I held my breath for Nolan but the 2,3,4th time it was much better. I did make Heath sit on the sidelines for that one, Heath was NOT HAPPY! 

I took so many pictures in the garden, that I could fill my blog up with all of them! If you visit Salzburg bring your camera!!! 

We then headed out closer to the river! I love taking pictures of cities near the rivers that run through the town if possible. I feel as if most big cities in Europe have a nice river close to the city that makes a GREAT picture to hang on the wall, and Salzburg didn’t disappoint! 

As I was taking this picture I noticed the tents across the river… If you know anything about me you know I love markets!! I also love buying custom art, antiques, etc so I convinced Tyler to take me over there to shop! This brings me to a really good point, make sure if you are running low on cash to start looking early for an ATM! I couldn’t find an ATM to save my life, it took me a good 30 mins of wandering the city to finally find one. When we arrived at the market it was HUGE I ended up getting a watercolor 8×10 of the city for 10 euro! 

We then head to our hotel room for the night! It was a GREAT location, and had a WONDERFUL view of the city! The boys had a blast roaming the hills, and rolling around in the dirt and loving life! I enjoyed my glass of wine and camera. We stayed at Hotel Berghof Dachsteinblick it was a great hotel, with great food, and a play area for the children too! 

As you can see the boys enjoyed all the room! 

The next morning we thought it would be a GREAT idea to head to the Zoo! The McAnallys love a good aquarium and zoo you’ll see a trend in the topics of animals over the next couple of blog posts 😉 

The Salzburg Zoo was very surprising! It’s a zoo built into the side of a mountain… I know crazy but it works because there’s little to no escape for the animals. Which is a good thing, because they had a TON of animals. Lions, Tigers, Rinos, bears you name it! Very Very surprised! 

We were so close to this bear it was CRAZY! The only big thing protecting us from the bear was the depth of the water! So cool.

His bear roomie was hilarious! He was putting on a show and was very social. 

I’d also like to mention that dogs are allowed in almost every zoo in Europe. I’m not sure why America hasn’t caught on to this concept but it seems to work well in Europe. 

I feel like we did a lot in a 24-hour time frame! Our children had a BLAST! I had a BLAST. I hope this blog post helped a little stay tuned for our next stop in Vienna, Austria! 

AMAZON CLOTHING FOR THE WIN! 

I love easy! Who doesn’t love easy? Shopping with children…NOT so EASY!  Read below and you’ll find out why I’m screaming AMAZON CLOTHING FOR THE WIN!!! 

One day I was procrastinating….  and was on Facebook… and then magic happened, I had a newsfeed FULL of Amazon clothing in BEAUTIFUL photoshoots (thanks to a couple of wonderful Photographer Facebook groups)!! The one thing in life that stresses me out the most is clothing shopping for family pictures! (Yes I know I use to be a family photographer…but still) I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Amazon! I mean what other websites will deliver to your house in 48 hours, or in some cities in a couple hours! Talk about convenience! As an added bonus you don’t even have to take the kids or husband out of the house! (Mommy win). 

I’ll be honest I buy almost everything off Amazon right down to my T.P, but I NEVER thought to buy clothing from Amazon. I guess it’s because I’ve been burned! Let’s be honest for one minute, we’ve all had that one burn from an online store, where you purchase what you think will be “The Perfect Outfit” only to get an outfit that will fit your toddler perfectly! Amazon, for the most part, is okay I’ve never really had a huge Opps off Amazon but I have had my fair share of foreign websites, where I think I’m getting a killer deal only to realize the joke is on me.

No worries friends! I’ve done all the research for you! I have gathered some amazing photographers, and their pictures to prove to you that you too can look GREAT in a photo shoot, date night, or even at work and never leave your house to go shopping! (Winning!!) 

Before we get started all these amazing pictures belong to a photographer, all you have to do is click on the image and you will be directed to their website. Please make sure you take some time to show them some love and visit their sites! 

Below all the images is a link to the item in the picture. Enjoy!! I hope this helps your online shopping experience! 

Clothing For Mom: 

 Melansay Beautiful Bow Tie Summer Beach Chiffon High Waist Maxi Skirt

{The sizing is based on the length of the skirt, not the normal size}

 Babyonline® Sexy Lady’s Deep V-neck Sequins Top Chiffon Long Prom Dress Ball Gown

Women’s Summer Chiffon Mopping Floor Length Big Hem Solid Beach Maxi Skirt

 Milumia Women’s Button Up Split Floral Print Flowy Party Maxi Dress

 Milumia Women’s Boho Deep V Neck Floral Chiffon Wrap Split Long Dress

 Maternity White Gowns Split Front Photography Dress for Photo Shoot

 Missord Women’s Sleeveless Bra Mermaid Party Dress

 JL Store Maternity Chiffon Gown Split Front Maxi Photography Dress for Photo Shoot

{This entire outfit is Amazon}

Shymay Women’s Shapewear Panties Seamless Tummy Tucker Firm Control Hi-Waist Brief

iHeartRaves Open-Front Sheer Chiffon Maxi Skirt, Summer Beachwear Cover Up for the Pool, Raves, Clubs, or Festivals 

Lace Top: FPT Womens Waist Length Long Sleeve Lace Mock Neck Top BLACK MEDIUM

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014KN8JL4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 Simplee Apparel Women’s Sleeveless Backless Satin Strappy Maxi Dress Pajamas 

         Lisong Women Knee Length Bowknot Layered Tulle Party Prom Skirt 8 US Nude

If you love the numbers this mommy owned business sells them Magnolia Bloom (Note: these are not the EXACT balloons in the image, they are very similar)

 R.Vivimos Women Summer Deep V Neck Long Dresses

Let’s be honest, I say I’m going shopping for myself and ONLY myself and somehow I find myself over in the children’s department!  (ALWAYS! It’s like I’m a magnet for cute kid clothing) So Below you’re find everything for your kiddos too! Enjoy!

For The Littles: 

Bow Dream Flower Girl’s Dress Vintage Lace Peach 6

 G284 Gino Giovanni Baby Boys Vintage Knickers Outfit Suspenders Set (Medium/6-12 Months, Natural)

Baby Girl Dress, Toddler Pleated Tutu Skirt Children Sleeveless Princess Dress Black 98(24-36 Month)

 Bow Dream Flower Girl’s Dress Lace Ivory 4T

I really hope you enjoyed this fun blog post! Please feel free to message me if you have any questions!! 

Thank You, 

Brittany McAnally 

If you love the boy’s shirts we Brand Rep for Pineapple Pancake Kids: https://www.etsy.com/shop/pineapplepancakekids

When we first moved to Slovenia in December one thing that Tyler and I noticed right off the bat were Slovenian’s have the most well-behaved children and dogs! I’m not even kidding, I had to search hard one day to see a screaming child. After many days of realizing that my children were the only children that were screaming, not listening, and or a total train wreck. I set out to figure out what they were doing right and what I was doing wrong. Below you will find what I’ve concluded on my research. 

1. They aren’t helicoptering parents AT ALL! You will see children as young as 2 on bikes on the sidewalk right beside the road, feet in front of their parents. They let their children learn through experience, and they teach them as they make the mistakes not before they make the mistakes. (Make sense?) All of Nolan’s friends at school ride their bikes to school, right along side of their parents. I was AMAZED as I can barely get Nolan to walk beside me much less ride his bike on the street right behind me. Tyler and I decided to give the Slovenian way a try and decided to let Nolan ride his bike all the way to the City Center which is about a 10-minute bike ride, and you have to ride your bike on the street and cross a crosswalk to get there. To our surprise he did ok, we had to get on to him about not paying attention, or not keeping up with us, but all in all, he did really well. 
2. They will leave their children behind in a second if they are throwing a fit! This my friends are keys to get a well-behaved child and it WORKS! Now I’ve been doing this for years however, I’ve been doing it all wrong I would always ignore the behavior and walk away and then turn around and stand there waiting. Now what I do when Nolan throws a fit is I don’t even bat an eye I just turn around and leave him there screaming and carrying on as tho nothing is happening! Works like a charm, he eventually stops screaming and realizes that I could care less if he’s throwing a fit. Works like MAGIC! 
3. My child can put on his shoes, dress himself, and wash his own dishes! Yep at Nolan’s school, they make them do everything! If they don’t do it, they let them sit there and figure it out on their own. Yes, I’m sure he was frustrated in the very beginning, however now he can do it without any help! 
4. They are VERY HONEST during our Parent Teacher Conferences they don’t sugar coat ANYTHING they will tell you like it is. I feel like in The United States teachers are too worried about upsetting the parents, NOPE not in Slovenia. They laid it out step by step, on what we as parents needed to do in order to get Nolan to where he needed to be, they told us what he struggled with, and they told us how they would suggest we fix it. It was definitely VERY HONEST and it was a BIG change from the sugar coating PTA meetings I’ve had in the past but it was REALLY REALLY good I felt that Tyler and I left there with a plan on what we could do at home to help Nolan be the best that he could be at school. 
5. They let kids be kids- I recently took Nolan to a birthday party, and they had no theme, it was in a field in the park, and all the children had to play with were sticks and they had the time of their lives! 5 months ago if you were to tell me I’d be at a party with nothing but sticks to play with, I may have died. However Nolan, Heath, and I survived and I had the best 2.5 hours of peace and quite, and was able to talk to my mom friends without any of my kiddos running up to me every 2 seconds needing something. 
6. I’ve learned to bring a shovel, and bucket EVERYWHERE I go! I started noticing other moms in Slovenia doing this, and I realized all the children gravitated towards that one child with the bucket and shovel. I started bringing buckets and shovels for the boys to play with while I sit outside and sip on coffee, and it entertains them and allows them to make friends rather quickly! 
7. I’ve learned my children LOVE toast! Toast in Slovenia is kinda like a grilled cheese sandwich with meat, and not fried but toasted. It’s a popular food for kiddos and all the restaurants and coffee shops have them! 
8. I’ve learned to slow down in life. Let the kids get dirty, let them make mistakes, let them figure life out on their own. 
9. Vrtec (kindergarten in Slovenia) has it figured out! Nolan has been to MANY and I mean MANY preschools and he’s never been as happy as he is at his Slovene school. We recently gave him the option to attend the American International School and he cried and begged us not to switch schools. So we’ve decided to keep him in Slovene school and transition him to American Kindergarten when we return home. I think he loves the fact that they take field trips every Tuesday, and Thursday and they walk the city center and take hiking trips in the city park through all the trails. The teachers told me that they can walk as much as 7kms in one day! I think he loves the freedom and responsibility that his teachers give him. (I’ll also add I’ve never once signed a permission slip and I think it’s AWESOME! Why because I trust his school and his teachers and I know he’s being taken care of no matter where they are in a day!) 
10. I love that children are allowed to be children! Last month it rained soooooo much! Tyler sent me a text that week and said guess who’s outside playing in the rain?? I said, Nolan! He said yep and he looks like he’s having a BLAST! The teachers at his school let them play outside in the snow, in the rain, in the sun. Doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe, and guess what! All the kids are HAPPY!

It’s funny that I wrote this draft on parenting in Slovenia over two weeks ago, and then this last week Slovenia was rated the number one place to raise children and I could not agree more! I’m so PROUD of this little country and putting itself on the map for the cleanest place in Europe, and the BEST country to raise children!

It’s truly amazing that a country with only 2 million people can do so much! 

Oh Podgorica! I had very high hopes for you, but you came up a tad short. 

I’ve heard so many stories about how beautiful the Montenegran coast is, and well I thought the capital city would have something to offer… and well I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong we tried, and we tried VERY HARD! 

We stayed at an AMAZING hotel, Hotel Aurel I didn’t want to leave! The staff was sooo friendly, the room was HUGE, and the day spa was amazing and CHEAP! I had a full body massage for 25 euro, you can barely get your nails painted in The United States for $25 dollars much less a full body massage for under $200 dollars! 

The restaurant at the hotel was another huge bonus, restaurants in the city are hard to find. We found lots and lots of places to sip on coffee, but it was very hard to actually find a place in the city that had food for a meal. So the hotel was a huge win! Not to mention the food was AMAZING, if you wanted something that was not listed on the menu all you had to do was pull up the receipe and they would cook it for you. (huge plus when traveling with picky eaters). 

When we arrived at Hotel Aurel we were handed an informational paper with things to do in the city (not much ha). The thing that caught Nolan’s eye was lifesize Tranformers, made by a twenty two year old Podgorica man. He made all the lifesize Tranformers out of car parts from his families junk yard. Nolan was so EXCITED that’s all he could talk about. So we headed out to the city to find the Transformers… and well they had just left to “defend” the city of Milan, Italy, we barely missed them. So lucky for Nolan Milan, Italy is only 2.5 hours from Ljublijana, Slovenia so we are planning a birthday getaway to Milan in August for his birthday.  Stay tuned for that post. 

After walking around the city for a hour looking for any signs of Transformers, and being directed by many locals to every corner the Tranformers were once at, we finally talked to a tourist office that told us that they had moved to Milan. We were also asked by everyone why we were in Podgorica haha We said that we were on vacation and heard great things about the city and they all laughed, and said some vacation go to the coast! Well Well.. 

This is the only picture I took while we were in Podgorica, it was for my friend’s daughter who is studying about the world. She sent us Flat Stanley to take pictures with while we traveled Europe. Nolan enjoyed bringing the little guy out to take pictures with. 

This picture was taken in the city center with lots and lots of coffee shops to sip on some coffee. 

I’m hoping to visit the coast soon! 

It’s not a secret I LOVE Bosnia! I LOVE Bosnia so much I’m always trying to figure out ways to get back to Bosnia. So when I found out that we would be traveling by Mostar, Bosnia on our way to Podgorica, Montenegro I suggested to Ty that we take a slight detour and visit Mostar the home to the famous bridge Stari Most (Old Bridge) . It was so worth the detour for many reasons! (I’ll get to that in a minute!) 

When we arrived in Mostar it was your typical Bosnian town. We found parking very easy since it’s off season (Bonus for kids not in school yet) We all got out of the car and headed straight for the Stari Most. The water was BEAUTIFUL it was that blue/ teal color, you could even see the bottom of the water too! 

Below is the view from the bridge looking  to the right of the image is where I took the bridge picture, I think it’s equally as beautiful. The walk up the bridge to take this pictures was TRICKY the Old Bridge was made for looks and beauty, not for ease of walking over a river. Poor Heath couldn’t even walk over the bridge I had to carry him, and Nolan kept tripping. We looked like a HOT mess trying to walk over the bridge not once but twice! 

This is what the view looks like walking up the bridge. I HIGHLY suggest you wear flat shoes, tennis shoes would have been GREAT, my poor TOMS made the bridge soooo slippy I felt like I was ice skating. Nolan, and Tyler both had their hiking shoes on and still had issues with slipping. I don’t recommend this bridge if you are pregnant, over the age 70, a toddler, or if you plan on babywearing. Babywearing would be a very very bad idea trust me! 

Once over the Old Bridge, it’s Markets and more markets! One of the reasons Bosnia is my favorite! I love all the textiles, and tea sets you can purchase for soooo cheap! If you know me I love unique and cheap and Bosnia is full of all of these things. I would get lost for days in these markets if Tyler would let me! I have learned that Tyler doesn’t mind the old markets of Eastern Europe tho for the simple fact that he gets lots and lots of language practice with the locals! 

After walking around the markets, and the bridge. We all decided it was time to eat. When walking to the bridge earlier in the day we saw a restaurant on the water/ by a waterfall. We thought that would be a GREAT location to relax and eat. The boys thought it was great, and the food was amazing. Below is a picture of the waterfall we sat right next too. I failed to grab the name of the hotel/ restaurant. (Fail I’m sorry!) 

After lunch, we got back in the car and headed to Podgorica, Montenegro….  

When I think about a 3rd world country and what I think the roads would look like. I think of our drive leaving Mostar, Bosnia, heading to Podgorica, Montenegro. One word WOW! Holy Moly, never would I have thought a “main road” would look and be in the condition these roads were in. 

Below are a couple of pictures that I took on our drive to Montenegro. 

I grew up in Tennessee where cows are on every corner (in a fence) What I have not seen in my life is “Happy Cows” that are free to go anywhere they want. 

I originally thought it was a sign…until…

We saw 16 cows on the road in an 80km radius  (Crazy Crazy) Below is a picture of what the houses and the roads looked liked. I really tried to get the best picture that would paint the best picture of BAD ROADS/ but it was hard. 

Sadly this is what most the buildings and homes looked like on our 4-hour drive to Podgorica, Montenegro. What’s even worse is I realize that the houses that looked abandoned probably aren’t even abandoned. I’ve also never been so grateful for Tyler being able to speak the language too, I’m not exactly sure what we would have done if we had a flat tire… I said I wanted an adventure and boy did I get one! The backroads of Montenegro and Bosnia are no joke.

If you must drive in Bosnia for long periods of time I suggest that you pack food, water, blankets (if winter), flashlights, and make sure you have supplies for a flat tire! We did not see a gas station for miles, and when we did see gas stations most of them barely had a bottle of water to buy. It’s truly an eye-opening experience living in The United States for 29 years and then moving to Europe and seeing how the rest of the world functions. I honestly can say now that I’ve been living in a bubble for sooooo long and I’m so grateful for this experience as it’s opened my eyes so much to the bigger picture of life. 

Stay tuned for my blog posts on Montenegro and Serbia!