A laid-back, family-friendly rustic mountain retreat in the middle of a long Ukrainian winter? Yes, please!

In late February, after seven months of suburban Kyiv city life, we made our way to Voevodyno, a family-friendly resort in the fresh air of the Carpathian Mountains. It was the break we needed.

Lviv . . . the most beautiful, romantic, full-of-personality little town in Ukraine there ever was. Not that I've been to that many towns in Ukraine quite yet, but I imagine that this is the best one (shhhhhh, don't tell Kyiv). It's quaint, historic, lively, full of stunning architecture, offers unique restaurants and fantastic parks . . . and we barely even scratched the surface. Like barely even scratched the surface.

It’s February, and in the northern hemisphere, winter is most definitely here!

One of our favorite winter getaways to date was to the Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras in Strbske Pleso, Slovakia. It was a magical weekend full of luxury, adventure, delicious food, and snow . . . lots of snow! Here is a little preview of all that the Kempinski, and its unique surroundings, have to offer.

During an intense gym session, my friend Paulina and I made a promise to each other. We were going to Norway (neither of us had ever been). We were going to hike (and push ourselves). We were going to do it on a budget (Norway is expensive). We were going to do all of the planning ourselves (because . . . budget).

Sometimes you need a good challenge. Sometimes you need a great escape. Sometimes you need both.

2020 was a year of finding silver linings. One of ours? The choice to stay in Kyiv for the holidays and enjoy a Ukrainian Christmas season. Not only do the Ukrainians put on a beautiful Christmas celebration, they also celebrate Orthodox Christmas on January 7, which means we were able to enjoy the lights, markets, and festivities for several weeks.

What if I told you there is luxury property rental site that is made exclusively for families? What if I told you that it offers home stays for families all over the world? What if I told you that the site is beautifully laid-out and provides the exact information that families are looking for?

Friends, meet Kid & Coe. Kid & Coe, meet friends. Listen up. Your life is about to change.

Although many of us are facing lockdown and/or travel restrictions, it’s never too early to plan for travel in 2021. The pent-up demand for travel is off-the-charts, so when people can move freely, there will be a boom. Do you know where you want to go? Do the kids have any special requests? I’m going to lay out a few of my top choices, in hopes to inspire you to plan some of your own (and let’s be real . . . to hold me accountable to actually plan, too).

In August, we traveled internationally during COVID-19 with our four kiddos, one big, loveable Golden Retriever, and about 1,000,000 bags. If a similar trip is on the horizon for you, here's our story and my tips for how to make the trip as safe as possible, and (hopefully) less stressful.

Newport, RI.

Holy moly.

We had the absolute best year in Newport, Rhode Island (2018-2019). Being from Florida, I was not sure what to expect of New England in general, but man — I was impressed. From the people to the coastline, lighthouses, and small town vibe, we loved Newport. In fact, we loved it enough to consider buying a forever home there. Like, seriously. And we’re still looking. So don’t get any ideas and steal our dreamhouse. Okay? Thanks

Travel aficionados and dear friends: it’s been a minute. Just shy of two years worth of a minute, but who’s counting? A new family member, a domestic move, an international move, and . . . a worldwide pandemic, but hey, what can I say. We are back! And I hope you are all here for it.

We just returned from one of our favorite spots in Zakopane, entry point to Poland's stunning Tatra mountains. On the first night of our four-day stay, my 7-year old asked, "can we stay for two months?" My kids absolutely adore the Tatras, not only for all for all of the beauty and fun winter and summer-time activities it has to offer, but also because of our choice of lodging - the Tatra Chalet. With multiple trips to the Tatras under our belts over the last few years, I want to shout from the mountaintops (and I could, literally, if I was there right.now) what makes our vacation time there so fantastic, so that others can find the same joy and respite in this spectacular place.

I'm guilty of it. 

Whenever a long weekend comes around, I check Google Flights for cheap tickets from Krakow to another close-by European destination. After all, you can get from Krakow to Stockholm direct in under 2 hours for under $50/person round-trip. And when we were looking for a place to spend our fall break, we settled on Italy because flights to Bologna were only $75/person round-trip. Stupid cheap airfares, short flights - and just like that, you are in eating the most amazing kannelbular (cinnamon rolls) in Sweden or dancing in the medieval squares of Tuscan hill-top towns. We did this for our first two years in Krakow - nearly every break the kids had, we jetted off to another country. And it was fantastic.

Back to Tuscany . . . 

After the first part of our week which included visiting the picturesque, tall-towered town of San Gimignano, biking the medieval city walls of Lucca, and running free on the lawn in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we geared up for another three fabulous Italian towns: Siena, Florence, and Pienza.

Romantic hilltop towns. Medieval town squares. Vineyards as far as the eye can see. Farm-to-table restaurants. Italian wine. Pecorino cheese. Olive groves. Ahh, Tuscany. 

We just returned from a wonderful week in this paradise. We explored seven towns in seven days, ate fabulous food, and ran free in the most beautiful town squares. We visited family farms, saw saffron-picking and cheese-making in progress. We explored old fortresses and cycled along ancient city walls. We ate gelato every.single.day. The kids filled their pockets with olives, wine corks, acorns, and fall leaves. After all, it's the simple memories that are sometimes the most treasured ones.

After a perfect family beach vacation to Mallorca in 2016, we found it hard to consider anything else but going back in 2017. Hundreds of stunning beaches, beautiful landscapes, crystal clear water . . . you can read all about that here. 

And then my husband threw a wrench in things, "how about we try some place new?" 

What? Did I just hear that right? I was so set on going back to Mallorcan perfection, that I hadn't even given thought to some other beach locale. We looked at our options, and ultimately we decided to throw caution to the wind and try some place new.

I could give you a dozen good reasons to visit Ireland. That's easy. It's not hard to convince anyone to travel to a land of such magical beauty, where the Guinness and whiskey flow, the castles are stunning, the coastline is rich and varied, and the bacon is even better than normal. And I know what you're thinking. How can bacon taste better? But believe me, in Ireland it is better.

If you are looking for a family vacation mecca in the middle of the Med, look no farther than Mallorca. We would go every single year if we could. With stunning scenery, a dramatic coastline, secret coves and shallow, clear water, Mallorca is the perfect family vacation, particularly if you have young children.

Venice . . . ahh, Venice. The mere mention of the name of the city evokes a certain je ne sais quoi. Magic, romance, glamour, exclusivity. It is the perfect place for a honeymoon, a marriage proposal, a trip back in time, a romantic get-away. But Venice as a family destination? A place to visit with kids? Blasphemy!

Except not.

If you loved to travel pre-kids, you probably got a big shock the first time you traveled with kids. Goodbye vacation, hello stressful multi-tasking of the whereabouts, safety, and happiness of little people amidst canceled flights, busy airports, and a foreign place where you don’t speak the language.