Meanwhile, we have been in Italy for a week and I could get used to this life here! The whole day revolves around eating, playing with the little one, soaking up some sun, and oh yes: even more eating. Of course, we also make trips to the beach and the lovely villages nearby. Although that is quite a new challenge with a child, the accompanying stroller, and bags. Jon had to work on the first day and mom thought she could just take the baby into the village alone... It all started in the parking lot, where the parking spaces were so narrow that I couldn't possibly lift Otis plus high chair out of the car, only to have the same problem on the way back: I quickly raced the car out of the parking space, got Otis into the car while I couldn't get the seat out of the reclining position and therefore couldn't secure him, meanwhile four cars were honking because I was blocking the road, then I drove slowly with the loose high chair a bit further to fiddle with the chair, where I actually found the right position and could secure the little one safely only to find out later that I had forgotten to pay for the parking ticket AND had no cash on me... Completely exhausted, I came home to tell Jon that this was a bit too ambitious on my own and that he shouldn't leave my side for the rest of the vacation.

The next day we made another excursion attempt and not to the least location. If you're heading towards the Côte d’Azur, a visit to beach club La Cigale is an absolute must! The sea view is truly enchanting and we got the best spot in the restaurant. Proud that Otis behaved exemplary, we sat down at the table to prepare for a very culinary lunch. But the moment I was greedily looking at the menu, Mr. started crying... I immediately panicked, apologizing while looking around in the fancy establishment, with sweat on my forehead. In my arms, I tried to soothe Otis, while Jon remained very calm and composed and spoke to me very sternly: ‘Just relax sweetheart, it's a baby and they cry sometimes. That's not a problem at all and most people here have experienced the same.’ Of course, he is absolutely right and no one is going to complain after a minute if it can be quieter. After five minutes on daddy's lap, he was completely calmed down and spent the whole afternoon happily chirping in his stroller. Jon always knows how to calm me down in any situation. Where would I be without my dear man?

Such a first vacation with a baby naturally calls for more travel luggage. Read: the perfect moment to seize for some travel shopping! And I also have the right to treat myself to a ‘small’ baby gift, right? I had my eye on the Keepall Bandoulière for a while, and when I saw the ‘My LV World Tour’ limited collection, I had to strike: this edition can be fully personalized with patches from different countries, cool pictures, and old LV logos. The result: this beautiful travel bag with the greatest pride being the patch with ‘Otis Karthaus’ on it. So even when I travel alone in the future, I will always have a little bit of Otis with me.

Although you could picture me in a summer outfit and flip-flops over the past few days, I can't help but sniff around the new winter collections already. Now I have a few favorite brands that I focus on every season, but at the top of the list is definitely the new collection from the Dutch brand Frenken. The materials they use feel so luxurious and comfortable that I can already look forward to that first cold autumn day. I have my eye on this beautiful set, so the saving has begun! Did I just spend my entire budget on a travel bag?! Oh dear, that means an extra paper route in the coming months...