THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME MOM SHOPPING GOING ON HERE

July 11, 2012

Sales season has arrived! And one the best places to go for good shopping is in the near city of Annecy in France. It's just 30 minutes from Geneva and besides of the good brands and bargains you can get in here, it's absolutely a gorgeous city.
People have been asking me which are my favorite French brands for children clothes. Here there are some:
Tartine et Chocolat (preppy and french elegance)
Cyrillus (very chic and preppy)
Grain de Blé (cheap and chic)
Petit Bateau (comfy and stylish)
Interdit de me gronder (stylish... love their tennis collection)
Catimini (not really a fan though, too colorful for my taste)
After a exhausting shopping day we took the children for some ice-cream and playtime... btw André has really with luck with girls  ;)

SCHOOL MATTERS

June 11, 2012

André is finishing school next week! To celebrate this year's memories, challenges and accomplishments, he and his classmates had an end of school trip to the Vivarium of Geneva.
We're so looking forward to start the vacations soon!
The region around Geneva is world famous for the finest private schools that for decades attracted the children of kings, celebrities, diplomats and presidents. Geneva has 289 private schools, that means the highest number of international schools per inhabitant of Europe!
However, Geneva's public school are also exceptional and among the highest level in the world. Probably, this is because of the high quality of the private schools that set the bar high for the whole educative system. Whether public or private, all Geneva's schools have a multicultural level for the high percentage of foreigners in the city.
Public schools in Geneva are free, and are pretty small, compared to schools elsewhere. The children have a lunch break to go to take it at home, as it is Swiss tradition, but in some schools is possible to take it at the school at reasonable prices (as André does).

FLOWERS FOR BREAKFAST

May 28, 2012

A good friend of mine invited us over for a brunch, so André wanted to bring her some flowers. We were in the task to collect some beautiful flowers when suddenly a back window opened in front of us and my hubby scared the hell of André. We were laughing long time about this.

I decided to add to the flores a quickly scrapbook card with this picture.

Switzerland is not just cows, clocks and chocolates, it's also a paradise of flowers. You can find beautiful flowers blooming everywhere. The national flower is the Edelweiss, which grows high in the Alps.  This little silvery and hairy flower is the national symbol and a real alpine celebrity. You can find it to market all kind of Swiss product, but its real origins come from the Himalayas.

MOMMY MAKEOVER

April 28, 2012

It was the birthday of "abu" (grandma), but she was away having fun in a Cruise around the Scandinavian countries.  Adrien sent her this sweet postcard in Spanish.

That day we went to visit daddy's plastic surgery center and then to an outdoor cafe, taking advantage of the sunny weather. I hope we'll have more days full of sunshine to warm our hearts.

I guess people think that because my hubby is a plastic surgeon I should look better. The truth is, as any other mom, I have to diet and exercise as a regular basis, because there is a little detail missing: he's a SWISS plastic surgeon. That means, he likes a woman to look natural, so doesn't want that I look like the cliché "plastic surgeon's wife". 

It's not a secret that pregnancies, childbirths and breastfeeding are hard for any woman's body. Would you consider a Mommy Makeover to restore your pre-pregnancy body? A Mommy Makeover is one or several esthetic procedures custom designed to solve this needs. According with my hubby, it's better to wait a year after breastfeeding to give the body the time to recover. Also, be aware that surgery is not a solution for overweight.  Plastic surgery removes fat that won't responde to diet or exercise. Having saying that, the most common Mommy Makeover's procedures are the following:

Breast: could be a lift, a reduction, or an augmentation (to restaure lost volumen).

Tummy: Abdominoplasty or Liposuction. Liposuction can also work for other areas.

With any surgery, you need someone to assist you with the children because bending and lifting are restricted during the post-op recovery period. I guess then, that is the real reason why I'm still in the wait list! 

For more tips, check his facebook page.

GERMAN CRUSADE

April 12, 2012

Spring break is a great time for family bonding. We went to the south of Germany with the children, and despite the cold weather, we enjoyed this spring break getaway and even did some shopping.  I'm starting to realize that any country in the world is cheaper than Switzerland.

CHOCOLATE BUNNY

March 26, 2012

Spring has sprung and Easter break is coming soon. André had a celebration at his school before Easter. This time of the year is a big deal in Switzerland and you can see chocolate bunnies and eggs EVERY WHERE.  Nobody can compete with the Swiss when it comes with Easter chocolates consumption. The Swiss eat 12 kilos of chocolate per person, per year, and Easter chocolate consumption starts even in February... Oh My...
Having said that, of course my son was pretty excited with the day ahead, while we were waiting for the school bus to arrive. 

I forgot my camera so I took these pictures with my iPhone. Because of the bad quality, I used this filter of Pho.To to actually make more interesting the pictures and give them a vintage chocolate touch  ;)

LA VITA E BELLA!

March 7, 2012

Oh yes, life is beautiful in Italy!! We went four days to Bergamo in order to accompany my hubby to a Plastic Surgery Congress there. Adrien and I spent our days strolling the beautiful city of Bergamo and the nights all the family had dinner together in lovely restaurants. The last day we visited my cousins that live there before to heading back to Geneva.

I have a deep love for Italian food!  Each time that I happen to travel to this country, I look forward to eating as much as possible and discover new places for the best pizza, gelato, tiramisu and pasta.
Searching the Internet for good restaurants in Bergamo, I found this list of the Top 10 Italian Food Blogs. I know that I'll come back with extra killos, but I'm sure it will be all worth.
BTW, my favorite Italian restaurant in Geneva is Les Tilleuls, located in the street of the same name. Great quality-price-service-children friendly for Geneva's standards... if you know what I mean  ;)
I'm going to stop this post now because my mouth is watering and my stomach growls!

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS

December 26, 2011

So this is the first Christmas for Adrien!! And as Celine Dion says, the young and the old had fun... actually a lot of fun! Relatives came to Switzerland for the holidays and all the cousins gathered together for the first time, so we're welcoming a entirely month full of excitement and happiness.
We had Christmas dinner in my in-laws' place. Santa Claus came personally and brought loads of gifts, but for my children, cousins were the best presents under the tree  :)
A very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012!!

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

November 25, 2011

After the Rain, a spa in Geneva is launching a Children's Spa! Could you believe it? We'll have to wait a little bit because it's for children aged 7 to 17. They have massages for kids, manicures, chocolate baths and treatments specially developed and designed for children. The name of the treatments are truly appropriate, such as: The Little Prince (a light back and leg massage with almond oil), Thousand and One Nights (a sparking bath with beverage and a candy chest included), Snow White (a pearl and silk facial), Charly and the Chocolate Factory (a chocolate bath accompanied by a chocolate fondue with marshmallows), etc.
They say they want to teach kids to be aware and treat better their own bodies. I like the idea that the products they use are adapted to children as well. Along with the spa treatments, the children receive candy cotton, strawberry milk, everything sounds delicious and fun!!
In the meantime, we're going to a birthday party with a Batman theme. It's the first birthday party for Adrien!! 

SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR

November 16, 2011

We took the children for a visit to the Vivarium of Geneva where they found alligators, serpents, frogs, and all kind of amphibians. Maybe it's not the best place for girls, but boys love it!! Oh boys!
The best part? I found out it's possible to make a birthday party there for children over 6 years old. I can't way that my boys grow up enough to throw a Swamp Birthday Party  ;)

PALEOADVENTURES

November 3, 2011

What would be better for a dino-crazed kid that a dinosaur dig? Balexert, the biggest shopping mall in Geneva organized a Dinosaur Exposition with fossils and dino-dig for children. It was fun and educational!

SUPERANDRE

September 30, 2011

Having a new baby while studying a master degree in IOMBA (International Organizations MBA of the University of Geneva), made it really difficult for me to take everyday pics of André's outfits. I feel sorry that I missed to capture so many important moments during this year.
Anyway, he's thrilled to be the older brother of baby Adrien so far! I feel really proud of him, he loves his baby brother and is never jealous. What a blessing! Mashallah!
Now that he's 4 years old, here there are a few pics of his 3th year that I didn't include in last posts. In the first picture, he's wearing his 6-pack Superman costume  ;)

GREAT-GRANDFATHER BIRTHDAY

September 11, 2011

Adrien's great-grandfather, Otti, turned 96th years old. He's being around for almost a century now! Many of the family members got together to celebrate in a restaurant around Geneva's lake and then we went to our home to share the birthday cake. It was a day filled with nice memories for everybody  :)

BLOWING IN THE WIND

What a windy day! The weather in Geneva has changed abruptly and the sun hid in Adrien's first outing.  Never mind, we went out for lunch with my in-laws to Lacustre Restaurant in Bellevue, beside the lake and just a couple of blocks from home. We were celebrating Adrien's first week!

André's outfit reflects the ambiance; gray as the sky.

BUNDLE OF JOY

All this time we were wondering and wondering... who is this person coming/growing/turning/floating/swimming deep, deep inside. I felt like everything was growing rounder and wider and weider, and I was in the middle of it all wondering who in the world he will turn out to be. And now the secret is out! 

Welcome Adrien Daniel!

Here there are some pictures of his first week of life. André has turned out to be the sweetest big brother ever. He loves his little bro and is not at all jealous of him... what a blessing!

GO GREEN OR GO HOME

"We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children". 

Native American Proverb.

Switzerland is indeed one of the countries where we've lived that care more about the environment. The results are visible: green everywhere. Then, what a better look to play at the entrance of our house in Geneva that wear green to blend with the surroundings?

BLUE ATTITUDE

Again blue? Well, nothing beats the summer season as a nautical style.  Also, blue is sooo boyish!  We went for a check-up to the hospital and André spent a couple of hours into the daycare of the hospital. Then, we went to do several courses and, finally, we visited my husband's grandfather.  What a busy day for my huge belly!

STRIPE! STRIKE!

When a mom has a busy schedule needs to dress her children in a confortable way to tote them around town.  My choice for one of those busy days?... stripes. Now, let's go to the infinite and beyond!  ;)

This week there was the 7th Geneva Marathon.  This day the city stops to watch thousands of people running this marathon.  The Geneva Marathon has a new car-free course through 10 communes (kind of neighborhoods), which ends at  the famous Jardin Anglais, one of the main touristic points of the city, and the heart of the bay.  This course has a unique landscape, between the Jura mountains and the high Alpine peaks.
In addition to the healthy and fitness reasons to go for a run, you'd support a good cause: the Geneva Marathon supports UNICEF, who get 5% of the registration fees.  The donations to Unicef will pay, among other things, for water pumps in developing countries, giving thousands of people access to clean water.
There are several categories, going from professional, children, elderly, handicapped, etc. Unfortunately, they don't have a categorie for pregnant women yet, so let's do it next year!  ;)

COLOR-POP

How to electrify a Spring day? Slip into some hot-hued clothes! High-voltage shades make more active and attractive the day. The weather has been kind of cold in Geneva, and I didn't want that André gets a cold again. Usually colds are worst to survive for moms than for children.

André's best moments: 2-3 years (4th -and last- part)

knight costume during l'Escalade, a local swiss celebration

This is the last part of this edition about my favorite moments when my son André was younger, from 2 - 3 years old... not far behind. He's now 3 1/2. All this retrospective brought to me great souvenirs. Children do grow up so fast, don't they?