How we planned (or didn't plan) and what we took...

Someone asked me the other day how we planned for our trip. Aside from trolling the internet, we took the books listed below...and yet we still forgot what was closed what days..oh well, I blame jet lag.

• Frommer's Paris Day by Day
• Knopf MapGuide: Paris
• Rick Steves' Paris 2009

Truth be told, I read through the Rick Steves book before we left and then used it if I needed to find more information that the basics.

The Frommer's book was great for specific topics like shopping etc. but the best part was the map that came with the book. It was water/tear proof and was almost constantly used to figure out where we were.

The Knopf book was thin enough to bring along with my bag (more on my PacSafe bag in a second). It has flip out maps for each general geographical locations (i.e. Le Marais, Saint Germain, Latin Quarter etc.) and provided suggestions on where to eat, sleep, shop and must see sights.

I searched for a long time to find a bag for my stuff to carry with me. I didn't like the idea of carrying a knapsack due to pickpockets nor did I want to carry my normal purse. I wanted to take my new super zoom camera (a FZ28). I debated for a long time whether I wanted to carry a bigger camera bag (such as a Crumpler bag) or carry a reasonably sized secure bag and then carry a smaller camera bag inside the outer bag.

In fairness, Paris is prone to pickpockets and perhaps the odd snatch and grab but most tourists oriented areas are heavily patroled by police on roller blades and bikes. That being said, I didn't want a bag that screamed I have an expensive camera either, so a Crumpler or larger LowePro was out.

I discovered my CitySafe 200 PacSafe bag through a lot of internet searching. I opted for the larger purse like bag as I usually carry everything including the kitchen sink.

I also purchased a smaller camera bag to go inside my PacSafe (an Olympus Nylon Ultra Zoom Case) and lined the bottom of the camera bag with a divider from my LowePro bag to absorb any heavy knocks from the bottom. Maybe this was a bit much but it worked well.

We did pack light but took duffel bags just in case we found something extra big to bring home.

Pack light, dear!

So we begin to pack for the big trip.

My husband kept reminding me that we were only going for 9 days (8 nights) so pack light. Pack light? I need options, my dear man!

My husband would look like he just walked out of a J Crew catalog if he wore a paper sack so he never has to worry about looking good. Me on the other hand, I have to work at it.

I grew up on a farm, not knowing many stores other than Zellers and Kmart until I hit high school. It wasn't until I found Reitmans (well into my 20s) that I actually found a store that fit my body type for a decent price. Unfortunately for me, there isn't a Reitmans in Kansas.

There really isn't many shopping options in Kansas but that's for another blog.

What was I to do? I again raided my closet and selected the nicest looking cotton tees I owned and praying that I might find something else in Paris. Hell, a French paper bag might well have been nicer than my current options.

I desperately didn't want to repeat my honeymoon experience. When we arrived in Mexico, we got upgraded to a very chic hotel, where you had to dress in something other than a bathing suit for dinner. I didn't bring much of that type of clothing, so I had to get creative.

So I packed my Mommy jeans and cotton tees along with a nice pair of pants. Since I'm a SAHP, there isn't much cause to get all dolled up, save for the once a year company Christmas party when I magically turn into a paperbag princess from a haggard looking mommy. I really need to work on my self esteem.

So my mommy jeans went to Paris...

When I was a kid, there was a TV movie, Mrs. Harris goes to Paris, about a cleaning lady (played by Angela Lansbery) who saved up her whole life so she could go to Paris and buy a beautiful couture gown.

Well, I'm no Angela Lansbury nor have I saved up my whole life for a couture gown but I did go to Paris and I did take my mommy jeans.

I agnonized for months about what to wear on the flight over to Paris and what to wear in Paris so I didn't scream North American tourist. I never once worried about what to wear on the flight home because my mommy uniform would work just fine.

Living in the Midwest, style isn't something I worry too much about. I can get by quite comfortably with my Kmart jeans and my Target tees (which I have in a rainbow of colours based on the season). I try to dress it up a little with a scarf here or there but frankly, I tend to stand out if I go beyond basic mommy style.

So you can see my panic when for my Mother's Day gift (and several future birthday and Christmas gifts), my loving husband presented me with an offer to take me to Paris.

Paris. Yes, Paris. I lived for 30 years in Canada and as such learned to speak reasonably decent Parisian french so communicating wasn't going to be an issue. I had also worked for the Cdn government so I had had the opporunity to further my second language skills so really, I wasn't concerned about making the French's ears bleed with really bad attempts at speaking French.

No, my main concern was what was I going to wear? I shopped endlessly to find something to cover my very curvy size 14/16 figure, knowing full well that those sizes were about three Parisian ladies combined.

About a week before we left, I gave up and raided my closet. I had kept several pairs of pants that HAD fit before I had had my daughter. I kept thinking as many ladies do (rather hopelessly ignorantly I might add) that I would one day fit back into my pre-baby pants...yeah, no.

I went through my pants selection and got rid of about seven pairs of jeans. Don't worry, I have them all ready to drop off at the nearest second hand store to someone else to enjoy.

When the raiding and pillaging was complete, I was left with four pairs of jeans that fit reasonably. By reasonably, I mean there was a little muffin top and the paunch didn't look super bad. Okay, these would have suffice...ready or not Paris, here come my Mommy jeans!