Je T'aime... Maybe?

A while back, I met up with fellow expat-author-living-in-Paris Lily Heise, who penned Je T'Aime, Me Neither. We had a fab afternoon filled with quite a few drinks and lots of laughs, and wrote about it on our blogs (along with some tips for going out in the Marais).

Now, two years later (how has it been THAT long?!?) she and I are back: Lily with her new book and me to tell you how much I loved it!

A Birthday + Global Living Magazine

My daughter just celebrated her 2-year birthday, which means it's roughly the 2-year birthday of my second memoir, Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer, as well! I'd written most of the book while on bed rest and wrapped it up while I was in the hospital after delivering her.

And now, to celebrate (though I'm sure they didn't realize it at the time!), Global Living Magazine has released their Summer 2016 issue, which includes a review of Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer in their Expat Bookshelf section:

Vicki Lesage leaves you guessing about nothing. If you want to know what it's like to give birth to and raise young children in France as an expat, this book will give it to you straight.

Vicki, an Amazon best-selling author, lives in Paris with her French husband and two children, a boy and a girl, and hilariously recounts what life is like for a new mother navigating the cobblestone streets in the City of Light. Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer is an honest yet delightful memoir of a former party girl who reaches more for baby bottles than champagne flutes nowadays.

Filled with pregnancy humor, insights into French healthcare and childcare (yes, the kids eat amazing food in daycare in Paris…), dealing with relatives who live far away, French maternity leave, managing "baby brain" in a non-English-speaking country, obtaining dual citizenship for a newborn, and apartment hunting for an expanding family, anyone raising a family abroad (or thinking about it) can get something from this book.

- Global Living Magazine, www.globallivingmagazine.com

Thanks for the review!

Parisian Waiting Rooms: Classier Than My Apartment

Parisian doctor's offices are usually in the same building as residential apartments. In fact, the offices themselves often are converted apartments. The first few times I encountered this I found it bizarre (I go into this in more detail in my book, Confessions of a Paris Potty Trainer) but once you get used to it, you can appreciate their charm.

Crown molding, hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows - these are features most of us wish we had in our own houses!

Here are a few snaps of some Parisian waiting rooms:

My dentist's office is more posh than my apartment

A Story About Stories

Remember back when I used to write stories instead of just doing giveaways all the time? Me neither!

Photo credit: Mamalode

But this month I'm back on one of my favorite sites, Mamalode, with a story about stories. How meta.

It's called "One Walk, Two Interpretations" and is about how I feel rushed in the morning taking Leo to school, with all the horns honking and bustling construction sites, while to him it's an amazing world full of wonder. I like his version better.

Check out the full story here: One Walk, Two Interpretations