It’s easy to see why people make such a fuss about The Olde Bell Inn—all rush matting, pewter pitchers, colorful Welsh woolen blankets, local high-backed chairs handcrafted in nearby High Wycombe, and a flock of sheepskin throws tossed in every direction. Plus, it’s only 45 minutes from central London. With a makeover by Ilse Crawford (the […]
During a recent trip to Italy, we met some Italian friends in Orvieto for an evening stroll and dinner. With our two little boys in tow, they took us straight to Bottega Michelangeli. Stretched across a series of storefronts on a narrow cobblestone side street, the five-generation wood atelier specializes in beautifully designed, hand-crafted wooden […]
Every year (I do Christmas, but it could just as easily be birthdays or anything else), I write and hand-bind a story for my two boys–about my two boys, Cass and Ollie. Cleverly disguised as Casper and Olivier (two fictional characters we’ve invented for bedtime story capers), these two tenacious brothers, who also happen to […]
I was looking through my new copy of Elle Decoration and came across Evil Robot Designs–two English guys that create these super cool lamps, and will also do commissions from your kid’s old, junky toys. I thought it was such a cute idea! There’s probably figure out a way to do it yourself. Or even […]
I took a nap with Cass yesterday. I know these days are numbered. He turned five last month, and unless he’s beat, his naps are shorter than a wink. It’s that quick breath between real naps and the extended, full, busy afternoons of a kid. When experiences are more important than rest. I fade in […]
Last year we stayed in the 19th-century Farmhouse, and despite our magical experience there, this year we decided to try the Grandparents’ house, perfectly situated on a stone bluff overlooking the most beautiful stretch of sand beach I’ve ever seen. The evergreen trees come right up to the natural grass and granite border. The extended […]
On an 15-plus-hour family road trip, there’s usually only one requirement for on-the-way lodging: a pool. We decided to forgo our number-one priority on the way to Maine this year and try out The Kaaterskill–a big, red barn rescued by New York City painter Allen Hirsch and converted into a six-room lodge on rolling meadow–farmland […]
My husband has a joke that I start planning every trip the minute we embark on the current one. And true to the cliche, it’s funny because it’s true. I have a running list of all the places I want to go. And with kids, that planning urge feels even more intense–there are so many […]
Over spring break, my co-founder-in-crime and sister-in-law Kelly and I pulled out of Detroit (where it was snowing in mid-April) to embark on an epic design road trip to New Orleans for our blog Designtripper. Our mission: Uncover great architecture and design in unexpected places, with stops in Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, and rural Alabama along […]
Kelly Flamos and Colin McEwen were ready to buy a giant, raw loft in a up-and-coming (read: gritty) neighborhood in Cleveland when they found out she was pregnant. So they did what any nervously expecting couple would do: They opted for a fantastic bungalow on a super family-friendly street in Lakewood–just a few blocks from […]
It’s so hard to know when you’re looking at photos online if a rental house is in fact appropriate for a family. I can assure you that this Tuscan farmhouse–infinity pool (floaties in the closet inside), endless acres for running wild and all–is a dream for families. Especially if your family appreciates good food that […]
Whenever we go to New York City (last year, I took my then three- and one-year-olds during spring break), we always choose to stay in a house or apartment. New York hotels are notoriously small and anyone with kids can attest to the inconveniences of hotel stays with small children: having to sit perfectly still […]
