Hello! I’ve been super silent as this move from Slovenia, back to The United States has been hard! I’m super use to moving… this is my 8th move in 8 years, but what about killed me this time was the amount of time our stuff took to get to Slovenia (74 days) we got our stuff and our home in Slovenia felt like home FINALLY!  Just to pack it all back up and send it back to The United States for it to take another 105 days to get back to Monterey. You don’t realize how exhausting moving is until you’ve done two large moves in 11 months. 

Tyler and I made the best decision to move back to Monterey! The best way I can describe it is it feels like we are moving home. Yes I know we aren’t from California, and Tennessee will forever and always be home! But moving back to a place that we don’t have to break out the GPS to find the nearest Target is a blessing! 

We were also smart in choosing to move back to La Mesa (military housing), we knew our children would have instant friends in the neighborhood and would have plenty of places to play. What we didn’t know was that we would have the BEST neighbors EVER! Our neighbors are seriously the BEST! They met us one day and the next day they were inviting us over for dinner, giving us a place to sit (we didn’t have a couch at the time, and sitting on a couch vs the floor is something very special) We have truly been blessed to have such great neighbors that have turned into lifelong friends! I’ll be sharing a house tour very soon! I have lots of friends that are moving to Monterey and are very curious what housing styles look like in La Mesa! (So stay tuned!) 

Below is a little bit of an update on the kiddos

Nolan, I’ll be completely honest, this move has been the hardest for Nolan. He’s a very resilient child, but he LOVED his British School and he loved his teacher Mrs. Williams so much that transitioning to a new school, new teacher, new friends, moving back to The United States, all while starting “real school” for the first time was A LOT for a 5-year old!  He had a rough time adjusting the first couple of weeks, but I think now we are back on track! He loves his new teacher (She’s truly AMAZING) and he really enjoys all the new friends that he’s met this year too. I’m excited to see him bloom in Monterey! 

Heath has no idea what’s going on, that’s a BIG BONUS to only being 3. When we leave Monterey I know he’ll know what’s going on, 4 was the year that Nolan started grasping the concept of moving and saying goodbye to friends. Heath has also started Full-Time Pre School and LOVES his teacher, I think he thinks she hung the moon too! He’s so excited to walk to class in the morning, and they always have such fun activities set up for the kiddos. Heath is also talking so much more now too! 

Clarence (our dog!) We have him back!!! If you didn’t already know Clarence went to live with Tyler’s Dad and Step-mom while we lived in Slovenia, and they took GREAT care of him! He’s still out very lazy, well-behaved pup we left! 

Tyler just finished his first quarter at NPS (Naval Postgraduate School) Can you believe we have been in Monterey for almost 4 months?! Tyler and I have both adjusted really really well to living in The United States, but for fun, I have listed below the things that we both have decided we missed about Slovenia. 

Things we miss about Slovenia

1. Coffee! OMG, The United States coffee is really not that good at all. 
2. I miss child-friendly restaurants with playgrounds! My favorite thing to do in Slovenia was to get coffee and let heath and Nolan play while I sat in peace and drank my coffee. 
3. The fresh food! I miss all the fresh food 
4. Biking, I miss being able to hop on my bike and ride it into the city with Heath on the back! 
5. I miss the landscape! I miss seeing snow-capped mountains in my backyard.
6. I miss my friends! I miss the close-knit community we had in Slovenia. 
7. I miss Zara! I know we have a Zara in CA too but it was literally right up the road from my house in Slovenia haha 
8. I miss walking…I miss just being able to walk to the bakery at the corner. You can’t walk anywhere here…unless you walk around the neighborhood. 
9. Going back to coffee, but I miss a coffee shop on every corner, and I like the idea that you have to sit down and drink your coffee. 

Things I was happy to see in The United States 

1. TARGET! OMG, I missed that store like crazy! 
2. I was happy to be able to understand everyone again. 
3. Driving I like being able to turn right on red! 
4. I missed stores like Marshalls, HomeGoods, Home Depot, and Costco! These are stores that you can’t find in Slovenia and I missed them a lot! 
5. I like the being able to work again! 
6. It’s a lot easier here to shop for food when you can read all the labels! 
7. I missed American cleaning products.

We are all so happy to be back in The United States, however, we are all looking forward to starting our next adventure in Europe! (We should know around Christmas time this year where we are heading!) 

When we travel with our children we try to do things that are educational, and fun with our children. Tyler loves to go to museums and tends to do these things while the children are napping during the day. During the day while the children are up we try to do things as a family that we would all enjoy! Budapest, Hungary made this very very easy! 

Budapest, Hungary has been the one place in Europe next to Spain that I really really really wanted to visit! Sadly we were unable to make it to Spain this year, but we made it to Hungary and I was very excited to have visited one of my top 2, so I’m leaving Europe a happy lady! 

We arrived in Budapest late in the afternoon, we decided to check in to our hotel and then leave to go explore. I remember walking down the streets of Budapest in amazement of the architecture everywhere! The Hungarians know how to build buildings! 

Our first stop was the Budapest market if you’ve read any of my blogs you know I have a love for markets…any kind of market. The Budapest market is called The Great Market Hall (It’s HUGE) make sure when you go tho to have cash, nowhere in that building accepted cards, I would also say bringing a stroller is possible but the elevator only goes down to the basement and not up to the second and third floors. (We ended up carrying Heath and the stroller up the stairs.) Not hard at all if you have two people, very hard if you are all alone with no help.

After the market, we had a long walk back to our hotel room. We decided to walk along the river and watch the sunset. The next morning we decided to head to the Budapest zoo. Before we even moved to Slovenia I was on Pinterest researching places to visit in Europe and Budapest zoo kept popping up! One of the most popular places and I’d have to say prettiest building in the zoo is the Elephant house. 

The Ceiling of the Elephant House. This is where the elephants live in the zoo…. AMAZING Right! 

This is the walk area of the Elephant House… I’m pretty sure I would be AOK living with the elephants at the zoo… Tyler had to drag me out of this building, I wanted to take pictures of EVERYTHING! 

An interesting fact about the Budapest Zoo is that during World War II the zoo and all the animals were almost completely destroyed. From the 2,000 species of animals, only 15 survived the war. 

Next stop we walked out of the zoo and walked towards the square of heroes It’s one of the most popular squares in Budapest and features statues of the countries most noted leaders. 

We then just decided to walk around and explore the park right beside these two tourist attractions. We stumbled upon a castle, one of my favorite castles!  It was BEAUTIFUL 

To learn more about this castle click here: Castle Vajdahunyad

After a fun-filled day, the boys were soooo sleepy! So Tyler and I decided to head back to the hotel to let the boys rest, and then head out one more time that night before heading out in the morning. 

We’ve learned that we have to pace ourselves and not expect a lot out of our 5 and 2-year-old. They get sleepy and hungry quick and if we don’t find a happy medium no one is happy, so we’ve learned to let them lead and do what we can with them. 

That night I had to see the Parliment building! I mean the first thing you think of when you think of Budapest is the Parliment building. The architecture is something like nothing you’ll EVER find in The United States and it was NOTHING like anything I had ever seen before. (I fell in LOVE) 

This image was actually taken on top of the hill at the Fishermans Bastion Budapest TOP attraction with views to die for! Not to mention it’s BEAUTIFUL! I wish I would have gotten a good picture of the Fisherman’s Bastion but I was losing light FAST and I had to have pictures of the Parliment building. 

If Budapest is not on your list it needs to be! It’s one of my favorite places on food, and if  you’re looking for an adventure Budapest is not a bad place to visit! Please let me know if you have any questions

Taking a break from everyday life can be good for the whole family — but what if it doesn’t feel like a break? What if you come back from your holiday needing another one?

You can’t control everything, but you can boost your chances of actually getting a breather by packing some key essentials. From speeding up travel times to keeping an eye on kids who like to wander, we’ve got you covered.

(Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash)

Essential travel documents

You’d be surprised how many people forget their documents — don’t be one of them! Take a quiet moment a day or so before you leave to triple-check you them, then pack them in your hand luggage. Knowing you have what you need will stop you from stressing out so and the check-in process will be quicker, which is always a bonus when you’re traveling with children.

What you need for a staycation:

• Driving license
• Train/bus tickets
• Booking details for your hotel/holiday home/campsite
• Travel insurance details

What you need for a holiday abroad:

• Passports
• Visas (if necessary)
• Train/coach/plane tickets
• Travel insurance details
• Proof of vaccinations (if you had to get them)
• Copies of prescriptions
• Proof of your relationship to your child (if you have a different surname)
• Booking details for your hotel/holiday home/campsite

A child locator

Yes, this is a tracker, and it will save you heaps of hassle. You attach one half of the wearable GPS locator to your child, keep the other half, and monitor their whereabouts should they stray from you, or if they’re old enough to have a little independence. Most trackers will alert you if the device is removed, and some even allow two-way calling, allowing you to reassure your child if need be (and keep your own peace of mind, too).

(Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash)

An enormous bag for everyday essentials

A longer packing list is inevitable when you have children, so buy a lightweight bag which has room for everything you’ll need throughout the day.

What to take:

• Drinks and snacks
• Hats
• SPF (no matter what the weather, especially important in sunnier climates)
• Insect repellent
• A small first aid kit with plasters, antiseptic cream, diarrhea treatment, and painkillers for adults and children. If you’re going abroad, check if any medications are prohibited before you pack them.

Whether you prefer a backpack or a shoulder bag, make sure it’s secure in order to avoid attracting the attention of thieves and pickpockets.

Seasonal clothes and shoes that fit

Whether you need swimwear for the beach and/or pool, outdoor clothes for camping, or warm layers for skiing, check that everything fits your child before it goes in the suitcase, just in case they’ve had a growth spurt. If your accommodation has laundry facilities then you’ll be able to pack fewer items, saving you valuable suitcase space.

Entertainment

Keeping little ones occupied can feel like a full-time job in itself, especially when they’re getting used to unfamiliar surroundings and are more likely to act up. Having some favorite books and games to hand is a good way to calm them down and help them feel more settled — you could even bring a favorite toy or blanket (just remember to keep them in your hand luggage and take them with you after traveling!)

• Beach holiday? Don’t forget buckets and spades!
• Spending time by the pool? Pack armbands and pool inflatables so your child can stay safe as they splash around.
• Sleeping under canvas? Outdoor games like football will be fun for everyone. (Make sure your campsite allows ball games first.)

It can feel like there’s a lot to think about pre-holiday but keep this guide handy and you’ll be ready before you know it. Happy traveling!

Writing credit-   Dan Greene sir.jordan.greene@gmail.com

We made a quick stop in Bratislava, Slovakia on our way from Vienna, Austria to Budapest, Hungary. We were told not to stay the night in Bratislava as it was a small, boring town! I wish now I would not have listened to them, and I wish we would have stayed the night! I did not expect to fall in love with this city, and enjoy myself as much as I did! 

We didn’t get to stay in Bratislava very long at all only 2 hours, and I didn’t get to see half the things I wish I could have seen. We walked around Old Town and looked for the unique sculptures that I had read so much about while researching the town. 

This statue below is one of the most popular in the city, I had to wait in line to take a picture of it! 

This statue looked sad and looked as if he had a story to tell.  I could have roamed around Bratislava all day taking pictures if my children would have allowed! 

Old Town Hall was BEAUTIFUL! I walked past it and immediately turned around and had to have a picture. 

Nolan enjoyed the old school bike that you could sit on and take a picture! He somehow climbed all the way up there himself too! 

I wish we would have stayed the night in Bratislava, however, I’m sure we will visit again soon! 

Stay tuned for our next visit is my all time favorite! Budapest, Hungary!! 

Last month we were lucky enough to travel to Vienna, Austria. I honestly wasn’t too excited to visit Vienna, I’m not the type of “traveler” that enjoys seeing things that every American comes to Europe to see. (Make sense?) I like to be the person telling the stories of the “unknown land” I guess that’s one reason why I loved Bosnia so much, it’s not a big American tourist spot, and it makes telling my traveler stories that much better. 

We arrived in Vienna, after a short 3-hour drive from Salzburg. It was a quick and easy drive when we arrived Tyler and I were SHOCKED at how large Vienna is. It’s HUGE! I guess I had it in my mind that it wasn’t much bigger than Ljublijana since people I’ve spoken with compared it to the “look” of Ljubljana, and I guess somehow I also imagined the same size as Ljubljana which is not the case at all! 

We arrived in the afternoon and decided that we would explore the city, the boys had been riding in the car all day and needed to get out and get some fresh air. From our hotel, we could walk to Prater Amusement Park. If you’ve ever looked up about Vienna, Prater is one of the first attractions that pop up, because it’s HUGE, and sooooooo much fun!!! The boys, including Tyler had a BLAST! They rode rides till they were sick! It was a great place to run off energy and have lots of fun! You pay for the ride too, which was great and almost all rides were about 2 Euro The bigger rides were around 4 Euro, cheap fun! 

The next day we woke up and went to the Haus Des Meeres. Haus Des Meeres is a huge indoor aquarium and reptile zoo. This place is on my short list of favorite zoos and we’ve been to a lot of zoos!  I’m almost positive that this zoo has almost every kind of snake on earth! I was so surprised at how many snakes they had. Another thing that took us by surprise was they have a room full of monkeys that are just running free! The boys thought this was the coolest thing on earth! You aren’t supposed to touch them however they are super friendly and seek attention big time! 

The aquarium had lots of cute details, if you look at the picture above the monkey is standing on a tube, that tube goes all the way around the aquarium and it’s a HUGE ant farm! You can see the little ants carrying leaves if you look very closely! 

Here’s a better ant picture

The boys were a big fan of the water tunnels, they had two crawl through tunnels and one big tunnel that you walk through. Heath’s face says it all!!! 

Next stop lunch on the roof of the aquarium! What an AMAZING view! Great place to take pictures too!

We then decided to hop over to the big market in Vienna! I love going to the city markets, it’s the best place to learn about the culture, find unique items and to people watch! I’ll also add this market had the BEST sushi! It’s very hard to find good sushi in Europe, at least to my liking and Vienna’s sushi was AMAZING and so many choices at that! 

The market is called Naschmarket it has tons of restaurants, produce, spices, and beer! It’s a great place to hang out, and eat! I highly recommend visiting. 

That’s about all we could squeeze into our one day in Vienna, Austria stay tuned for our next stop Bratislava, Slovakia. You’re going to want to read about that city, it’s one of my new favorites!!

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!