Things to do with a toddler or baby in Brussels: Stroll through the forest at the Rouge Cloitre

August 22, 2014June 7, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

You can feel it, can’t you. The air is a little cooler. The forest a little quieter. And somehow the light has more gold in it than before. I just can’t help but fall in love all over again. Fall is coming.

We are making the most of our last summer days. Out and about, long walks, picking berries. I just can’t believe that my little Bababoo is starting school in a matter of days. Where does it all go?

Enough musing and on to the topic of this post! If you find yourself taking a drive down Avenue Tervuren, look for a sign on the right side of the road for the Rouge Cloiture. Located in the Forêt de Soignes, the Rouge Cloiture is one of our favorite places to get away. When we say, let’s go for a walk in the forest, this is where we mean. But the Rouge Cloiture is much more than just a beautiful forest. After a while, you emerge to find the Abbey which was founded in 1367. Lots of beautiful buildings and an art gallery but more often we are there to pet the muscular working horses, to take coffee and cake on the weekends or to just walk around the grounds. A perfect step away from passing time. It is truly a wonderful way to spend the day. To get you in the mood, I wanted to share a few snaps from a recent wander.

In Bear & Dragon news, things are already getting very busy for the fall. It seems I am not the only one who loves Autumn colors! I am planning a series of mini photo session in a location soon to be finalized. On hand will be gorgeous portrait and family photo set ups, great light and of course brilliant red, gold and green fall trees. Drop me a note at bearanddragonphotography@gmail.com to get on an early list. October weekend spots are already getting scarce!

My sister, myself

June 9, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

When the Bear received a reward to do two weeks of volunteering in Nepal, I wondered if I would survive on my own with the littles for that long. Thankfully it was little sister to the rescue as Lauren swooped in from San Francisco to lend a hand and meet Babatwo. Hallelujah! We had the most wonderful time. So many laughs, new memories, late night card games and sisterly love. I miss her tremendously and each day after she left reminded me of some kind of post break up mourning. “Oh, this is the last of the pasta we made together” and “Hmm, last time I was in this park, Lauren was there with me”. Oi, the bittersweetness of it all.

Of course I made everyone get a little dressed up for some memory making with the big camera. What better backdrop than a lawn of blooming lavender and the European Commission building at Berlaymont. Bonus shots at our favorite park. Miss you Laurenee and love you to pieces!

Things to do with a baby or toddler in Brussels: Sip, shop and play at Haricot Magique

June 4, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

Somehow when I started maternity leave I envisioned myself frequenting cafes, sipping coffee and chatting with a friend while our little ones snoozed nearby. Much to my surprise, there is somewhat a lack of chic and yummy momma cafes. In Brussels? Really?! Strange! A while back I heard about Haricot Magique (Magic Bean) but it took me until now to make my way to Schaerbeek to check it out.

What a lovely place. Just as I imagined only better! It is as though they made a check list of all the ingredients that go into a great momming lunch and made it happen. You need a nice, fun place for kids to play while you sup? Check. Fresh healthy food (baby and adult) and free trade coffee? Sure. A bright bathroom with changing table, potty and real towels? Check, check, check. We had such a nice time here! I also learned that they have lots of fun sounding workshops, book readings, etc. We will be sure to check one soon. Maybe Introduction to Music on Saturday!

If you are in the vicinity of Parc Josephat, stop in! You won’t regret it. Cheers.

Where: Avenue Louis Bertrand 22, 1030 Bruxelles

When: Monday – Saturday, 9:30 – 18:00

Super Dad

June 1, 2014February 8, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

This morning I turned the page on my calendar and there it was, a mere 15 days away, Father’s Day! Why are dads SO difficult to shop for? On our possibilities list are a tie, a nice scotch, shaving kits, this amazing drawing replicator…you know, man things. I am not sure where we will land but while I have pappa on the brain, I would like to present some of the handsome and sweet pappas that have graced the halls of Bear & Dragon Studio. Cheers to all the pappas!

Things to do with a toddler or kid in Brussels: Choo Choo on the steam engine at Parc du Bempt

May 18, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

Holy blazes, spring is back on! One of our favorite things about Brussels is how many fun things are going on all the time. There are always a number of festivals, kid events, races, etc. This weekend we hit the Festival du Pain (bread) in the Schuman roundabout. It was delicious!

Now we turn to a summer activity that is more of a perennial than a flash in the pan. Thanks to the tip from Brussels Life, we decided to check out the little steam engines in Parc du Bempt. It is a bit of a long haul to Forest but fairly convenient if you take Tram 82 almost straight there. It is just past the Abbaye de Forest, which is also worth a visit. Parc du Bempt is a lovely green space with some ponds, area to play and some play structures but the real highlight is definitely the steam engines.

Three choo choos run along a super cute track for about a five minute ride. If your little one is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine, this is for you, big time. Buy a ticket for 2 EUR and jump on. Tickets are technically for 3 year olds and up but Bababoo is on the tall side and her parents have a flexible sense of truth so away we went.

Zoe had a blast and we took the edge off with some ice cream from the garage. Beer and wine also on offer if you are so inclined. 🙂

Hope you check it out!

Where: Parc du Bempt. If you need a GPS try Chaussée de Neerstalle 323B, 1190 Forest

When: Every weekend from 26 April to 5 October 2014 from 2pm until 6pm (only Sundays during July, August and September)

How much: From 1€

In celebration of momma

May 8, 2014May 8, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

Is it almost Mother’s Day in your country? In the US and many others, this Sunday is a day to celebrate the wonderfulness that is the momma or mommas in your life. Usually this means sleeping in, breakfast in bed, special cards or a present and maybe even something sweet.

One thing I hear from almost all my momma clients is “I am always behind the camera. There are almost no pictures of me and my kids!”. I hear you momma, it is the same here. What could be a better way to capture this moment than a photo session with your little ones. I know I am going to be putting the big camera in the hands of the Bear and hoping for the best. If you are a hint dropper, its not too late. Hope to see you in the studio, great outdoors or your home soon. For some inspiration, I present some sweet, hardworking ladies of the mom persuasion. 🙂

Things to do with a toddler or kid in Brussels: Check out the Natural History Museum

May 7, 2014July 8, 2015 | lifeofbearanddragon

Let’s face it, the gorgeous weather couldn’t last forever! This week is forecasted to be rainy, grey and dreary. That rules out parks so we turned our gaze inside to see what kinds of adventures we could find.

I have walked by the Brussels Natural History Museum aka The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences many a time on the way to Place Boniface. While the big dinosaur mural was appealing, I was not sure if bababoo was quite ready to enjoy it. Now that she is a couple of months past two and a firm animal lover, the time seemed right to check it out. Also somehow the word dinosaur made it into her vocabulary recently. Helloo Peppa Pig…anyhow!

Very accessible by bus, driving (there are two parking lots) or walking of course, the museum is immediately welcoming. Truly it is gorgeous, bright, well laid out and clearly the product of a lot of imaginative science-minded people. Pressed for time, we went straight for the baby animals exhibition. Who can resist baby animals? Once you get past the fact that they are stuffed, you can really appreciate the care that went into the displays and interactive sections. There are videos, games, and activities. You can try to crawl through a maze with a turtle shell balancing little eggs, build a nest out of Styrofoam noodles and try to locate you spirit animal mother by following her scent. So cool! We could have spent much longer but lunch and nap time beckoned.

Walking out we past the halls for dinosaurs (one of the best collections in Europe), mammals, biodiversity and more. I want to go back! Definitely a recommend for the 2ish+ set.

Where: Rue Vautier 29 – 1000 Brussels

When:

Tuesday – Friday 9.30 – 17.00
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 – 18.00
School holidays (Tuesday – Sunday)
10.00 – 18.00
Closed on Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May and 25 Dec

How much: The cost for adults is 7.50 EUR and for kids under five it is free.

This is Easter

April 23, 2014April 23, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We did! After a long week alone with the kiddos while the Bear traveled, I was thrilled to have everyone back in place for a long weekend. We had a fun time splitting Swedish and American Easter traditions. For the Swedish side we had a Sandwich Cake and spent the afternoon at an IKEA. For the American side we colored eggs, baked a Banana Cream Pie and ate too much. No dressing up here. Most time was spent in pajamas. Babatwo took his first bites (pumpkin). You get the idea.

This is Easter. Last week while driving (driving!) along, I heard from the back seat, “This is Momma. This is babatwo. This is Bababoo”. What?! Bababoo’s first sentences. While she has lots of nouns and verbs, it was somehow so striking to hear a full sentence. So in honor of that sentiment, this is Easter. Enjoy.

OK, as long as he doesn't eat MY food — OK, as long as he doesn’t eat MY food

Things to do with a family in Brussels: Blue bells are ringing!

April 13, 2014April 13, 2014 | lifeofbearanddragon

Everything's coming up bluebells (thank you iPhone) — Everything’s coming up bluebells (thank you iPhone)

We got a car. Woot! That means even more fun things to do with little ones and families in and around Brussels. After four years of carlessness, we have a full roster of unseen awesome things and today we checked one off the list, taking in the bluebells at Hallerbos. After doing some reading, I was not holding my breathe on catching them this late in April. With the early spring, I assumed we missed them. I was very happily wrong!

Located about 15 minutes outside of Brussels, Hallerbos is a beautiful forest tucked between small, typical Belgian villages. When you are there, it is impossible to guess you are just minutes from a thriving metropolis. Lots of parking along a country road and several route options depending on the length of your little person’s legs also would be suitable for prams. We had such a fabulous time looking at the blue bells that carpet the forest floor. You can’t help feeling that there is some magic in the air. We played with sticks, looked at bugs and generally took in the outdoorsy-ness of it all. It made me realize that no matter how much time we spend in parks, it is no replacement for the real thing and I have sworn to get my citified kids out in the wilderness much more.

I would say the flowers have no more than a week left in them so get thee to Hallerbos and enjoy the magic show.

Life of Bear and Dragon

A beautiful adventure in Brussels

Brussels