One Week in Paris, France - Part One

A week in Paris, Part one

Money – if we paid 10 euros for a meal, that meant about $14 US – per person of course. 10 euros for a "plat du jour" would be a really good find – appetizer, entrée, drink, and dessert. Most places were from 16 to 19 euros for a "plat du jour" or "prix fixe."

You will need euros the minute you land in France, so have about:

40 – shuttle from airport to hotel or to the Etoile for two people

12 – lunch (for one)

12 – dinner (for one)

10 – tips

5 – internet café unless your hotel guarantees you internet access

5 – metro tickets

Total for first day: 84 or 85 Euros – so just make it an even 100 euros (buy these before you leave) (85 euros translates to about $118 US) Here in the U.S., it can take about 3 business days for your bank to obtain your paper euros, so plan ahead.

Actually, add 20 euros if there are two of you who would like to eat (and who doesn’t?).

The ATM machines in airports often charge a hefty transaction fee for the exchange.

If you arrive on a Sunday, as we did, be prepared to find very few places open, sigh.

Bank of America is a good choice, because they are a partner of BNP ParisBas. As far as I know, when you withdraw euros from one of their ATM machines (and they are all over the place), they charge you a 1% transaction fee - but I'll confirm that and update with a future blog. We were allowed to withdraw 400 euros daily from the ATM. Yes, there is a limit as to how much you can take out. Maybe your limit will be higher than ours. The one we used the most was the BNP on the Champs Elysee near the George V Metro stop.

There were many places that took Mastercard and VISA but not American Express cards. Watch out – you will probably be paying extra fees for using your credit card to pay for purchases, meals, or hotels, and the cashier is not about to disclose any of that to you as a general rule.


Bon Voyage!

Go to Fodors for free travel answers

If you want some great, up-to-date travel advice, sign up for the forum on www.fodors.com

It's free - just post your question and you'll probably get some good answers within hours.

Going overseas? Buy an international calling card - cheap!

How to Choose Movie Rentals Kids can Watch too

Do you want to know exactly what's in the movie, in other words, the language, the violence, and other negative elements?
Before you add something to your queue or go to Blockbuster, visit this site:

www.kids-in-mind.com

Movie ratings that actually work. I must admit, I have a hard time reading the "violent scenes" they include but this site will tell you EXACTLY what you can expect in each movie! I like to know what profanity I will encounter, and this site always tells me what I need to know.

Other good sites to check are:

www.dove.org
and
www.crosswalk.com (click on movies)

Another site would be that of Michael Medved for some good reviews - I think!:

www.michaelmedved.townhall.com

Go Green for Life with Green Smoothies

I have just finished reading Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko www.rawfamily.com
It has totally changed my attitude toward diet and nutrition.
I now have a Vitamix blender, and consume green smoothies daily. I can already see the difference in my hair and nails after just one week. My sugar cravings has lessened and I have more energy. I never thought I would eat kale or dandelion greens, but here I am loving it!

Use honey and fruit with your green smoothies, and your children will love them too. So much calcium, potassium, and all the good stuff your body needs! Yum.

Flying overseas this summer?

If you go to Europe this summer, be aware that vendors will now add on a 3% charge to your bill when you use your credit cards like VISA www.fodors.com

Also, if you plan to wear a mask on the plane, make sure it is at least N95 particulate to be effective. Check with the cdc website before you pack...

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/

A great game to play with children on a plane is Monopoly (or so many others) on your laptop -

http://www.boardgamecentral.com/games/monopoly.html

The Magic of Musikgarten - just one example

Tom, age 18 months, joined my youngest class just 4 weeks ago. I'm told he does not talk much at all yet, only some isolated words. I was also told he is extremely shy. On his first visit, he stayed outside in the hall and pretty much cried for 30 minutes. His second class, he did not cry, but he stood by the door, facing the door the whole time. His third class he came with his grandma June and sat next to her, but did not participate, he observed - no crying this time. Today, his fourth class, as we sang "Baa baa black sheep," he began to clap. For 3 songs after that one, he continued to clap in time with the rhythm. At one point, he went over to 1 yr old Heather and handed her an egg shaker. After using our scarves for "Peek a boo," he came and neatly put his scarf in my scarf bag. When we sang "Coming 'round the mountain," he distinctly sang "Toot, toot" when we did, as well as some other words that we adults did not fully understand. June's eyes filled up with tears of joy, as did mine. What a moment! This is just one example of why I LOVE Musikgarten. When we sing and dance to the right kind of music, we are speaking their language and magic moments really do happen. - Susan

One Finger Touch

When our son was 2, naturally he wanted to touch everything in sight. His dad, Curt, did not want to stifle his curiosity, but he also wanted to protect Curtis and delicate items from a dangerous consequence. He told Curtis he could touch ANYTHING with just one finger, lightly, but that he would need special permission to touch anything with more than just one finger. When Curtis would get close to a breakable item, reaching out his little hand to grab it, Dad would remind him in his deep voice, "one finger touch, Curtis." After about 8 times of this exercise, Curtis got it. In stores, in the houses of friends, in our house, everywhere, Curtis would touch something (not fire) with one finger, and no harm came to the object, nor to our 2 year old. Of course use your common sense here - we did not let him get near a fan, fire, danger, etc. But the one finger touch solved a multitude of challenges!