Things to do with (or without) a baby in Belgium: Sample the world’s best beer – West Vleteren

March 1, 2015March 2, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

According to my calendar it is March. Yes! And with our adopted adult family member, Uncle Johan, in tow, we made like adventurers and headed (finally!) to the beer holy grail, West Vleteren. You may not necessarily consider this to be a family destination per say but I would dispute that as long as you have a begrudging sober driver in tow and a willingness to head to the middle of nowhere to take part in a one of a kind Belgian experience.

I leave it to the fabulous Alison of Cheeseweb to explain the background here. Suffice to say, this is a very exclusive trappist beer than is scarcer than hen’s teeth outside of Belgium. A friend in Sweden recently reported seeing it on a menu for almost 60 EUR a bottle. Ouch.

So after a 90 minute drive, we arrived in said middle of nowhere. We wondered if it would be crowded on a Sunday but we were one of maybe 20 people in the whole of the In de Vrede cafe. Following Alison’s suggestions we tried the sandwich and ice cream a la maison. There were indeed fabulous! We also sampled the three beers on offer. 🙂 The cafe was bigger than expected and beautiful. They did have a terrace and small playground. I can imagine it is a very nice place on long summer days or even crisp fall evenings. On our early spring morning the terrace was closed. :p

After lunch we walked around a bit and stepped in to the Pilgrimage Room at the Sint Sixtus Abbey. Truly an austere space and gave you a small slice of the monastic simplicity that rules the house.

If your littles can survive a bit of a drive, I think it is a great destination to get out of town. Out-of-town visitors are sure to enjoy the experience. Without a doubt West Vleteren is a must for any Brussels experience bucket list. Happy Drinking!

Bababoo Ballerina turns three – WOW

February 23, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

Ballerina birthday party - coming up! — Ballerina birthday party – coming up!

It is truly incredible to see this amazing preschooler walking around the house. She has big feet, loves to jump and sing and has seriously strong opinions about her hair style. My daughter is growing up! The original inspiration and often documented subject of Life of Bear and Dragon, bababoo is turning into a kid and downright awesome person right before my very eyes.

We celebrated the big #3 this weekend and now I am happy to share some at home snaps with you. 🙂

Thank you for your sweet hugs and kisses my sugar bean. I can’t wait to get started on this next year (already dubbed the year of “why”, if you know what I mean). Let’s see what beautiful adventures we can have together.

Taking time to chill with little brother

Sweet hug or attempt to gain control over the iPad? You decide.

Sorry...when are my friends arriving? — Sorry…when are my friends arriving?

First look: Sweet summer rain family session

February 4, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

Summer rain blog-2 — Sweet summer kisses

Today I have a throwback for you. All the way back to the green and lush summer. It was a warm day, though a bit overcast with light showers. Classic Brussels. Set in one of my favorite parks, Parc de Tervuren which was once the hunting lodge (aka stunning side castle) of the Duke of Brabant. Here you will find fishing and duck ponds, long tree lined lanes and the soon-to-reopen Royal Museum for Central Africa.

On this particular day, I had the pleasure to work with a lovely British family including little girls Seren and Fion. One thing that I love about working with kids is how much fun you have just messing around! Dancing, running, playing with feathers. These girls were a blast and absolutely gorgous in their matching dresses and bows. What a lovely day and a sweet reminder that long summer days are just around the corner. Enjoy!

Things to do with a kid in Brussels: Climb, roll and race at Planet Kid’s

February 1, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

Its cold, its dark but somehow these kids still demand to be entertained. The nerve! Why don’t they want to curl up with tea and a good book or the latest Oscar contender and wait for longer days like me?

Now placed under these unreasonable demands we were forced to look further afield. Sunday indoor play options are next to non-existent but one recommendation caught my eye. Acting on a tip from Nicola Tunks (among others) we decided to give Planet Kids a chance.

Located out in Sterrebeek, Planet Kids is housed in an unassuming white building that resembles an old farm house. Being a dreary winter Sunday, it was packed to the gills with marauding kids and merry makers. There is an indoor and outdoor section. The outdoor seemed to be dominated by a go-cart track (mental note for a couple of years and more degrees from now). Indoor had a really cool indoor labyrinth that is sure to challenge your little person. Climbing, rolling, swinging, you name it. The labyrinth areas were organized by age but we found that the one for the little ones was still dominated by less than gentle older kids. You can join your kids in the up to 4 year play area but after that they are on their own!

One big feature of Planet Kids is that you can bring the family, let them play, and relax and enjoy a coffee or beer in the open area cafe. Many seemed to be taking this approach. There is also a special area for birthday parties and while we were there, an extended Happy Birthday tune was celebrated.

Although a separate playground for babies is advertised, it was pretty basic and definitely not a destination for those who can’t yet enjoy the climbing maze.

The prognosis? A solid weekend destination for 3 – 4 year olds and super awesome one for 5+. If you go with your little one, make sure to stay close to make sure they don’t get overwhelmed by the big kids. For your long winter Sundays, this is definitely an option. A challenging place to take some pictures but I gave it a try! Climb on.

Share the love and win a FREE photo session!

January 30, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

Hey there stuck insiders. To bring a little cheer to these grey days, I decided to launch our first ever promotion. Check out our Facebook page here. Like Bear & Dragon Photography and share the promotion photo there (same as the above) in order to register to win. Already a fan? Just share the photo and you will be registered as well.

Winner to be announced on Valentine’s Day!

First Look: I Love San Francisco engagement session

January 18, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

My little sister is growing up. Crazy but true story, she is even getting married! When I heard that Lauren and her long-term love, Ben (aka Uncle Ben) were getting hitched, I knew I needed to get my butt to California and take some engagement photos. Having missed this opportunity myself when I was still young and unwrinkled (cough, cough), I wanted to make sure they made some love-filled memories to reflect back on one day and to be admired on their save-the-dates and at the wedding itself.

Throughout a bright and romantic morning exploring Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, I found myself getting a little tearful (happy tears) just to be close to the special love these two share. And now I can share it with you to. A bright spot on a soft grey Sunday.

On the love note, I am excited to launch a new offering for engagement and wedding photography packages. More to come soon on the blog and website.

Here’s to love, youth and magic. Enjoy!

Being with you is like walking on a very clear day

Happy birthday (merry christmas) to my little man! aka the bunny sessions

December 18, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

xander xmas blog-2 — Happy birthday bunny rabbit

Its better late than never, no? Second baby guilt was setting in over a month after Babatwo’s first birthday came and went and still no photo session. Sorry little man! So I took a pause from my business editing schedule (you know who you are) and had a blast with my little man playing with some Christmas goodies, laughing and carrying on like we do.

Ah my little man, you are such a big personality. Like momma in so many ways and sure to be a driving force in our family. Love you more than words bunny rabbit!

First look: Sea of leaves mini session

November 23, 2014November 23, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

Is it already time to get nostalgic about fall? Winter is closing in and with it all the good cheer, rosy cheeks and holiday treats we love in late November/early December. I am especially excited about this Christmas as it will be the first in which bababoo is actually aware of what is happening. Also the first that I can use the lightly veiled threat “Santa only brings presents to little girls who eat all their vegetables”. Yes!

Before we step into our red, white and sparkles. I wanted to share some of the beautiful pictures from the recent “Sea of Leaves” mini sessions held in Parc Cinquantiaire on one of the most gorgeous fall days of the year. Seriously, I am afraid I am using up all my good weather karma in one go. But hey, it feels good. 🙂

The fall mini sessions were such a hit that I am definitely planning more. The ingredients will remain the same: 30 minute sessions at a great price, a very special seasonal location and beautiful family photos. Send me a note or leave a comment if you want to get on the mailing list.

Without further ado, enjoy!

Out of the box: A little something special for the holidays

November 13, 2014November 13, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

From time to time I get special requests that are out of my typical assignments. One of my favorites would have to be the special session I held with Chou & Chou nursing covers. Such a fun day with babies, models, sets and snacks all orchestrated by the lovely and talented Pam Chou. We had a blast and love the pictures that are now up on her website.

Christmas is just around the corner so if you know any nursing momma’s or mommas-to-be then I would definitely check out these beautiful nursing covers. Chic, versatile, and soft, they will save you from that less than glamorous “sitting under a tent” feeling when you are nursing out and about. So give some love to a fellow Brussels mom and entrepreneur!