PARIS in MIND: Tea-Time

Ever since watching the movie Midnight in Paris, I've been with Paris in mind! I've always dreamed of going to Europe, since I was a very little girl. Most children in Brazil dream of going to Disney World, but not me! I dreamed of going to Italy! 

Yes...not Paris. In fact I was never too fond of the French language. Always found it too snobbish, with their little pouted lips and its very pompous styles! 

Oh, but how I loved the Italian language! It exudes passion, its tones flow up and down like a beautiful dance. So by age 6 I asked my mom to put me in Italian classes, so I could learn the language and one day go to Italy-my ultimate dream as a child! But as most things in my childhood years, I would be extremely passionate about things only for a season, soon to be replaced by another extreme passion. So there went my fluency in Italian as well as my future in Europe.

I've never been to Europe, but never lose hope of someday going! Just waiting for that perfect moment in life where all things align-money, time & opportunity!

After marrying a lover of the French language, I've become a lot more fond of it. And after watching Midnight in Paris, I'm completely in love with their beautiful city! City of lights as they call it. 

So it turns out that while being with Paris in mind, I go visit a local library with my daughter and they happened to have a "friends of the library sale"...lo and behold, there I find a book called Paris in Mind, waiting just for me to arrive! I do believe in fate like that, even with the little things of life. I didn't even check to see what the book was about, I just knew it was meant for me :)

As a hard working stay-at-home mother, I knew I needed some well deserved break, listening to some French music on Pandora and sipping on some nice hot tea! If you know me well, you know I'm totally in love with tea, especially my tea-times! So I put little one down for a nap, and was looking forward to my quiet, alone time with Paris! 
 

 I got this tea box and tea set as a gift from a friend of mine that knows just how much I love tea and all tea related things! This is one of my favorite tea sets. This Tea Forte teas are quite good, and if you're a tea lover you should definitely try them. Mighty Leaf are awesome too!!!

When you're a parent, rare are the things you can actually plan and follow through with them! The other day I read a quote on a baby magazine that goes something like this: 

"If you want to get your child's attention, just sit down and look very comfortable!"

And that is the truth! As soon as I sat down, got myself comfortable and began my journey through Paris, little one started crying and crying and crying...with no signs of stopping! So there I go, pick her up, bring her down, give her a special occasion only "toy" (a Wilton's box of 101 plastic cookie cutters)-that usually works like magic to keep her entertained for long periods of time...than I sit down, get comfortable again...and yes, there comes little one pointing to the tea cup and saying " água, água, água"! To her everything you drink is " água" (water in Portuguese). I tell her it's not água, it's "chá", and so much was her determination to get what she wanted, that she doesn't even take a second to learn a new word! She quickly starts pointing and saying, "chá, chá, chá, chá" with her own little twist. Since it was chamomile caffeine-free, I decided to let her try it out. And to my surprise she kept coming back for more and more, until I put in a little tea cup for her, and she got REALLY into it!

So much for my time in Paris and my relaxing tea-time! Turned out to be a tea-party between little one and I :)

Well...Paris, until next time! ;)