Guest Blog – The Oaxacaborn Blog

Hello from Finland! My name is Sari and I write a blog called MrsAgatha. I’m 32 years old and a mother, a wife and also a step mom. My blog is mainly about kids fashion and my son who is 4½ years old.

Lovely Gina invited me to write a guest post here on my little boy’s style and I’m so happy to be here on Oaxacaborn today! Thank you Gina for the invite!

A guest post about little boys clothing by Mrs Agatha from Finland My son loves cars, animals and everything that has color green in it (he’s obsessed with this color!), he eats almost anything and is always very happy to try new things. I’m a lucky person to have this kid as my son since he’s one of the funniest, cutest and happiest kids I know (and yes, I might be a bit biased).

I love to buy clothes for him. He might have too many clothes but I always think that better too much than too little, don’t you agree! I can choose all his clothes since he doesn’t mind what he’s wearing and this is one of the things I love about him (just kidding, although it’s great to pick his clothes since if he was the one choosing, his clothes would be all green and have cars on them)! ;)

Our whole family dresses mostly in dark colors and we love clothes that have bit of ‘rock’ in them. So also my son’s wardrobe is full of black/dark grey clothes but there are also some ‘real’ colors! I’m not the one who plays with different kinds of accessories or believes in layering, I just choose him a shirt and a pair of pants and that’s it. Might be boring but I believe that with easy choices he is more comfortable to move around and do whatever he wants and it’s his personality that makes the outfit not the clothes! :)
A guest post about little boys clothing by Mrs Agatha from Finland
My favorite brands are Mini Rodini, Bobo Choses, Yporqué, Minti and Munster Kids. All of these brands have very unique designs and prints and these are the things that I look for in his clothes.

Here are some photos of the kiddo wearing our favorite things. Some of the photos are over 2 years old so his appearance is a bit different in those compared to the newer ones. You can also see me in some of the pictures!
Continue reading “LITTLE STYLE :: Finnish Blogger MrsAgatha Guest Posts on Little Boy Style” →

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: San Antonio with Amanda: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

July 10, 2012July 5, 2022 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Most of the recent Summer Vacation Tour stops have been outside of the U.S. Today, though, Amanda of teamespinoza.com is taking us on a thoroughly American tour of San Antonio, Texas. (P.S., Amanda? You’re a natural at this travel writing stuff!)

AMANDA from SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

A little more about Amanda

My husband and I want to be citizens of the world and travel the globe with our 3 young children. However, my heart will always belong to Texas. I grew up near Houston, TX, but now I have lived in San Antonio, TX for 14 years. This is where most of my family lives and where I have made lifelong friends. Let me tell you about where I hang my hat (or where I would if I wore a hat).
Continue reading “TRAVEL :: San Antonio with Amanda: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour” →

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: London with Kate of Burp Boutique: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

June 18, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Not only is Kate going to share her excellent tour of London today, but she’s also going to introduce you to her online shop. If you have little ones, I encourage you to check it out…very unique items!

KATE HAYDEN-ELLIS from LONDON

A little more about Kate
I am 35 and a mum to 2 year old Evie Violet. I own and run my own business from home, www.burpboutique.com, which is a cool kids online shop for 0-3 year olds. I have chosen London as the location as it’s my hometown and one of the best cities in the world! :D
Top 5 Things to Love about London
Kate’s top five things to love about London

I completely love the view walking over the Hungerford Bridges. You get to see the amazing buildings running along the river. From the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin and the new Shard, the Southbank centre the Tower of London, the juxtaposition of new and old
architecture is sublime.
There is just sooooo much to do in London. You are completely spoilt for choice weather it be food, theatre,
cabaret, comedy, music, it’s all going on. And lots of it!
There are some fabulous festivals in London. Victoria Park in Hackney hosts several very cool events like Lovebox
or Field Day. So if you want that festival feeling for a day you can.
Getting a boat down the Thames is brilliant!
There are some really awe inspiring markets in London. Spitalfields and Brick Lane are hugely popular and very bohemian as is Portobello Road. From antiques to flowers, to handmade belts, clothes, and art it’s all there.

Top 5 Things to Love about London

Top Five Things to Love about London

Shop online at Burp! Boutique, and be sure to check out Kate’s blog as well. You can find Burp! Boutique on Facebook, or chat with Kate on Twitter @BurpBoutique.

This post is a part of the Summer Vacation Tour, a virtual travel series hosted here on Oaxacaborn.com. To ‘travel’ to other locations while I’m taking a brief break from blogging, click here. (Want to be featured in the future? Email me!)

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: Costa Rica with Tico♥Tina: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

June 14, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

You are fantastic, readers — thank you for the great feedback on the travel series so far! Keep the comments, tweets and shares coming. I appreciate every single one!

Today we’re leaving Europe briefly to virtually travel to Latin America. Our guest blogger has a lot to say on the topic, especially when it comes to Costa Rica…

TINA in COSTA RICA

Tico♥Tina - Top 5 Things to Love About Costa Rica

A little more about Tina
My husband is half Tico (Costa Rican), and grew up there until he was 20 years old, when he came to the States and promptly met me! :) Our love story is, of course, a long one with many ups and downs, but we eventually made it! And now we’re a passionately creative multicultural family who believes everyone should live an adventure. We’re on a mission to inspire people to go after their dreams, and we’re sharing our crazy journey on our blog, hoping to encourage others along the way.

Being self-employed and location independent has allowed part of our journey to be Costa Rica, where we have spent two of our winters so far on some pretty great “workations”. I wanted to feature Costa Rica because I hope to someday have dual citizenship there! My husband is already a citizen of both Costa Rica and the United States, and on our trip this past winter we went through the process to make our kids dual citizens as well. So now I am the only one in our little family who isn’t Costa Rican, and I can’t wait to change that :)

Tina’s top five things to love about Costa Rica

Why is Costa Rica a completely awesome and amazing country?

It’s so DIVERSE! You can go to the mountains, the beach, volcanoes, or the jungle all within a couple hours of each other. There is a compelling mix of extravagant luxury and extreme poverty that constantly confounds and fascinates your senses.
It is BEAUTIFUL. Insanely, breathtakingly, amazingly beautiful. God really pulled out all the stops when he created Costa Rica :)
The FOOD. We live for garden season here in the States, so being able to go to the feria (farmers’ market) with its huge smorgasboard of fresh fruits and vegetables every Saturday is one of the highlights of living in Costa Rica!
The pace of LIFE is so refreshing compared to the insanity of living in the US. I don’t really quite know what it is, because it’s not like Costa Ricans aren’t busy, but somehow it’s so much easier to relax there. Just the fact that they tend to have a coffee break every afternoon? Yeah, that :)
It’s SEXY. Seriously … sorry, I don’t know how else to say it :)

Tico♥Tina - Top 5 Things to Love About Costa Rica

Feel free to come visit us at Tico♥Tina and follow our myriad adventures!
blog | shop | everything else

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: Paris with Igor: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

June 11, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Today’s famed destination is brought to you by the man behind the Happy Interior Blog — take it away, Igor!

IGOR in PARIS

A little more about Igor
My name is Igor and I am the blogger of Happy Interior Blog. I was born and raised in Austria to Serbian parents and after a few detours in Athens, Greece, Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany, I landed in Munich, Germany where I’ve worked and lived for the past five years. I am an interior design lover and a passionate traveler – and one of my favorite and most frequented destinations is Paris, the French capital. Especially during the past three years I’ve been returning frequently to the City of Lights predominately out of a special reason – love. Apart from this very emotional reason I am lucky enough to have a good bunch of friends in Paris and find myself rather at home in this beautiful city.

Igor of Happy Interior Blog shares Top 5 Things to Love about Paris - Virtual Travel Igor’s top five things to love about Paris

My love & my friends.
The Parisian lifestyle. There is always time for a coffee in one of the many street side cafés.
The yummy food. Nothing beats a fresh baguette, French cheese and a bottle of red wine in Paris.
The Haussmannian architecture. Paris bursts with some of the most beautiful buildings around. Nothing compares to a typical Paris street lined with Haussmannian buildings and cute little shops and cafés.
The sparkling Eiffel Tower. No matter how cliché and touristic this is, it still enchants me every time I behold this spectacular sight.

Top 5 Things to Love about Paris - Virtual Travel - Photo of Bicycle and Theatre de L'Atelier

Eiffel Tower - Top 5 Things to Love about Paris - Virtual Travel Series

Cafe sign in Paris - Top 5 Things to Love about Paris - Virtual Travel Series

Flower Shop in Paris - Top 5 Things to Love about Paris - Virtual Travel Series

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos and tour, Igor! Readers, be sure to check out the Happy Interior Blog, where Igor blogs “everything that inspires [him] for a happy home”. You can also like Happy Interior Blog on Facebook, or chat with Igor on Twitter @IgorJosif.

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: France with Natalia: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

June 8, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

In between a trip to Switzerland, packing up her place in France, and moving back to California for the summer, my sweet friend Natalia somehow found time to write a post for this series!

NATALIA in FRANCE

A little more about Natalia
My name is Natalia and I grew up in sunny California. After college I married my favorite man in the world and he whisked me off to France where he plays basketball. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but sometimes it’s fun to make it out to be oh-so-romantic! I chose to write about France because with all the ups and downs, I love the country and if I wasn’t attached to my family back home (and I could learn this stinkin language fluently!) I would consider staying.

Natalia’s top five things to love about France

It’s beautiful. Oh so beautiful. The cities are picturesque and old and fabulous and the country is green and gorgeous and spacious. Coming from the greater Los Angeles area where all you see is city, I love it!
The history. I am a huge history nerd. I love anything with a story behind it. In France, as in most of Europe, there is a ton of history! It is so amazing to learn about something and then go to where it took place!
The lifestyle. The French seemed more laid back, the love to take breaks and relax. They understand the importance of vacation. It is refreshing coming from America where everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere! It’s nice, but then in a sense when you need something done and they’re always on vacation, it stinks!
Location. I absolutely love that we are pretty central Europe. I have been able to travel and see quite a few other places on the cheap!
Pastries. Duh! You thought I was going to leave them out, didn’t you? They are fabulous. And if you find a boulangerie (bakery) that makes a good baguette, oh man they are to die for! Oh and the choux – oh my goodness, I could have one every day!

Since I am doing a whole country it was kinda hard to narrow it down to just five photos! We have Cannes, Eze (all in the south), Parc Tête d’Or in Lyon, St. Etienne (where we live), and Paris — because you have to include Paris in France!

Beach in Cannes - Virtual Travel Tour - 5 Reasons to Visit France Beach in Cannes

Eze, France - Visit France - Top 5 Things About France Eze in Southern France

Parc Tete d'or - France - Five Best Things about France Parc Tête d’Or in Lyon

St Etienne - Virtual Travel Series - 5 things to love about France St Etienne

Paris France - Top 5 Reasons to Visit France Paris

Want to read more about Natalia’s life in France? Check out Ma Nouvelle Mode, where she blogs with her friend Christie about fashion, beauty, travel, and much more. You can also like Ma Nouvelle Mode on Facebook, or chat with Natalia on Twitter @MaNouvelleMode.

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: Frankfurt, Germany with Alyx: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour:

June 5, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Today’s virtual travel destination is Frankfurt, Germany. Alyx is a Nebraska girl who blogs (very humorously, I might add) at Every Day is a New Adventure, and she’s going to take us on a little tour!

ALYX in FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Hello, Oaxacaborn readers! I am so excited [and honored] to be here with you guys!

A quick introduction: I’m Alyx, and I currently live in Germany and blog over here.

I’m so happy that Gina asked me to share what I love about Frankfurt with you, because believe me – there’s quite a bit! I’m going to share my top 5 favorite things about the city in a minute, but first I just wanted to tell you why I’m here!

I’m actually teaching English in a tiny town about 45 minutes outside of Frankfurt, but I visit frequently and lived there a couple years ago while I was doing an internship. Germany is one of my favorite places in the world, and I’ve grown quite attached to Frankfurt because it is where I have spent a majority of my time in the country.

So, without further ado, my Five Frankfurt Favorites:

I love the Main River so much. There are biking/running paths that run right next to it, and there are always people sitting on the grassy banks during the spring and summer. It’s just such a fun, relaxing, and beautiful place.

Most of Frankfurt was leveled during WWII, but the Altstadt (German for “old town”) makes you feel like you’re back in old Germany. It’s amazing, because it’s a five minute walk from the super busy Zeil, which is Frankfurt’s main shopping area (and obviously a very modern area). It almost feels like you’re leaving one world and entering another.

Okay, so I sort of feel like I’m cheating with this one because you can get it everywhere in Germany, but the most delicious Spaghetti Eis I have ever had has been in Frankfurt. My favorite Eiscafe is actually right in the Altstadt, so it’s a win-win.

The nice thing about Frankfurt is that, even though it’s a very industrialized city, there are still plenty of places where you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life and relax for a bit. Just realize that, in the winter, the parks are not going to as beautiful as they will be in the summer (as the picture above shows).

I really love climbing to the top of some of Frankfurt’s tallest buildings and looking out over the city. It’s beautiful in a way that is different from most German cities, and I think that’s one of the reasons I like it so much. The building this picture was taken from is actually pretty small compared to many of the skyscrapers in the city, but still offered a pretty good view.

So there you have it – my five favorite things about Frankfurt! If you have any questions for me about expat living, Germany, German, or just life in general, pop on over! I’d love to meet you!
—
This post is a part of the Summer Vacation Tour, a virtual travel series hosted here on Oaxacaborn.com. To ‘travel’ to other locations while I’m taking a brief break from blogging, click here. (Want to be featured in the future? Email me!)

Guest Blog, Summer Vacation Tour, Travel/Moving

TRAVEL :: Dallas, Texas with Corrie: A Stop on the Summer Vacation Tour

June 2, 2012November 1, 2012 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It’s always fun to receive new email from readers I haven’t corresponded with before. When I put up the call for submissions for this virtual travel tour, Corrie emailed me with a glimpse into her perspective on Dallas, Texas.

CORRIE FROM DALLAS, TEXAS, USA

A little more about Corrie
I am a missionary kid who feels misplaced here! I lived in the suburbs for the past few years and tried almost everything to get out, but just felt God saying “stay”. Something I don’t do easily, especially when my surroundings aren’t as amazing as the ones I have lived in in the past :) My husband and I decided to move downtown and have been THRILLED to find that Dallas actually DOES have fun events, amazing restaurants, and outdoor activities. I decided to blog about each of my discoveries in hopes to encourage the ones who were as discouraged as I was or also those who may be visiting and feel like a fish out of water.

Corries top five things to love about Dallas
I am growing to love this location for the…