How To Rent A Great Apartment In Paris

Image via Guest Apartment Servies

Renting an apartment in Paris is a smart if you will be there for an extended period of time or want the flexibility of cooking your own meals and doing laundry. You can usually get more space for a better price than you would pay for a hotel room.

Finding a vacation rental apartment in Paris is not easy. I have stayed in gorgeous ones and ones that are great in photos, awful in person. Here are a few questions you should ask an apartment service before committing to a rental:

• What is your cancellation policy?
• Do you charge for electricity? 
• Do you offer maid services? 
• Do you have air conditioning?  Many don't.  If it's a hot summer, you will suffer.
• What time can I get into the apartment?
• What happens if I lose the keys? 
• Do you have an emergency service if something breaks?
• Do you allow children?  Some don't.
• Will you offer an apartment walk thru to show me how to use the unfamiliar Parisian appliances?
• Will you provide concierge services: help with side trips, reservations, etc?
• Are the photos online a fair representation of the apartment? (During our November 2014 stay the photos did not accurately represent the apartment. It was awful).
• When were the photos taken. 

We decided to go the rental route for our 10-day Paris trip in June 2013.  I am an avowed hotel lover.  I love the romance, nostalgia and luxury of a classic hotel.  That luxury doesn't come cheaply, particularly in Paris, so we opted for the space and practicality of an apartment.

I ask friends who had rented apartments in Paris.  They suggested all the usual suspects: VRBO, AirBNB, Homeaway, Haven in Paris, etc.  I consulted Travel and Leisure magazine's awards issue and saw they suggested Guest Apartment Services for Paris apartments.

After much research, wrangling and debate, we decided to go with Guest Apartment Services. I like the gorgeous and hip options Haven in Paris offered but Guest Apartment Services fit our location and pricing needs better.

We settled on their Narcisse apartment, a classic 700-square foot beauty on the Ile St. Louis. A great location, a gorgeous space at about $250, give or take, a night for a 10-day trip.  Done!

Approximately two weeks before our trip, we received an email from Christophe, one of Guest Apartment Services owners, who informed us that there would be renovation work on the building during our stay.  There would be scaffolding surrounding the structure and noise from 8am until 5pm every day.  Not great if you have a baby.

View of Snowdrops entry and dining room. It REALLY does look like this!/Image via Guest Apartment Services

He offered us an "upgrade" to Snowdrop, a sleek, contemporary 754-square foot unit right across from Notre Dame, located in an apartment building at 19 Quai de Montebello. We hemmed and hawed.  We didn't know the neighborhood as well and, according to the map, it looked to be right on a busy street overlooking the Seine River.  We worried about the noise keeping us awake at night.

We stuck with it because, as I learned, summertime apartments in Paris are a tough get.

So how was it?

Wondering about day trips from Paris? How does Champagne sound? Here's how to get to Champagne.

How to Get Started With Your Hula Hoop

Hula hooping is great exercise.  Really.  The folks in the 50's were on to something.

Hula hooping is not just a retro 50's phenomenon.  It can change your ab game.  It strengthens your abdominal muscles, particularly your obliques, creating a natural corset effect that can create your slimmest stomach ever.  It also works your legs and can be a decent cardiovascular workout if you do it a high intensity for an extended period of time.

I came out of the hula hoop closet last month with my Empower Cardio Core Fitness Hoop but some of you are still struggling to get the hang of it.  Admittedly trying to learn how to hoop isn't automatically easy.  It takes practice.

Here's how to start hooping using a weighted hula hoop:

• Don't gyrate your hips in the direction of the hoop.  That is mistake #1. 
• Stand with one foot in front of the other, maybe your "dominant" foot when beginning. 
• Once you give the hoop that first "turn" around your waist, start rocking your weight from one foot to the other.  No jumping, just think of a pumping & rocking motion.
• Keep it going.  That's it! 
• Still need help?  Here's a video. 

Again, practice.  One direction will be easier than the other.  Clockwise was initially easier for me but I focused on getting stronger going counter clockwise and now I'm pretty good both directions.

The great thing about hooping is that you can do it any time of day.  I do it while brushing my teeth for two minutes with my electronic toothbrush (kinda weird but whatever).  Or if I can't get to the gym, I hoop for 30 minutes for a cardio/core workout.  I probably do it for at least five minutes six days a week.

I'm obsessed. 

*Remember: flat abs start in the kitchen.  No amount of hooping, cardio, ab work or spinning will give you a flat stomach if you're eating too much crap every day.  A quality, balanced diet is key.  I'm a huge fan of the Mediterranean diet approach to eating.

Get Your Weighted Hoop Here: 

How the NFL's New Bag Policy Will Affect You

Once upon time you couldn't attend a game at Cowboys AT&T Stadium without seeing a bombshell bagsnob rocking a Birkin.   

Hermes Birkin

Attending a Thursday night affair at MetLife Stadium to watch the Giants?  Then you would see the entire Fall handbag line from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Celine and more.

No more, my fancy NFL-loving friends! (of which there are many, btw).

The league has instituted a new policy limiting the size of handbags and purses you can bring into ANY NFL stadium in effort make the games a safer experience.   

When going to a Cowboys game in Arlington, you can bring a clutch purse that is 5.5" "tall" by 8.5" "wide".  TIP: Use a folded piece of copy paper as a guide.  You can also bring a clear plastic tote bag or 1-gallon resealable bag.  Ugh. 

The Cowboys website offers a good infographic explaining what can be brought into AT&T Stadium.  The league has an extensive FAQ page on its site, as well. 

AT&T Stadium Handbag & Purse Policy

The policy is already drawing the ire of loyal fans.  

Jeannette DeVader told me on Facebook that her first run-in with the policy wasn't so great. 

Paris With Toddlers: Tips For Parents and Kids To Enjoy Their Trip

When anyone asks why I would take my 20-month old daughter to Paris, I counter with "Why not?"

Paris is an outstanding city for babies and kids.  We went for the first time with Jordan when she was 13 months old in November 2012 and again this past June when she was 20-months.

Visiting the city with a child is magical.  The pictures alone make it worthwhile.

More than anything, a well-behaved child speaks a universal language.  That baby's smile can melt any cold-hearted Parisian's heart like butter on a warm baguette.  The French LOVE babies and kids.

Here are a few tips for enjoying the city with your little one:

Jordan with a new friend at Luxembourg Gardens

Parks parks parks galore. 

The Parisian parks are wonderful.  Families don't have huge yards, so the parks are a big deal. Between 3-4pm is the witching hour when the parks fill up with either families or nannies and their charges.  The parks will be packed.

Luxembourg Gardens, Parc Monceau, the park next to Les Halles, Places des Vosges, the Palais Royal promenade, Parc de Bercy.  Any of them are great. They are also opportunities for your little one to connect with other French kiddos. You will find the language barrier to be nonexistent. Kids have their own language - fun.

The Tuileries is the park in front of the Louvre.  We didn't hit any museums while we were there. Instead, we opted to take in the city itself as one big museum.  The green space in front of the Louvre is outstanding.  It fills with people who like to enjoy the extended summer daylight hours well into the evenings. We ended up running into people we had met a few times.  Be careful, though, some of those street vendors use the labyrinth hedges as urinals.  Keep to the open space.

Carousels

You must take your little one for a carousel ride while you're in Paris. We ride carousel at the Trocadero (in front of the Eiffel Tower) & Parc Monceau. Here is a complete guide to Paris carousels.

Palais Royal

Palais Royal is a great spot to visit for both parents and kids.  Located in the 1st, it offers a slew of restaurants (we visited Muscade a few times).  It not only has long shopping corridors where you can stroll and let your kids can run, there is also a huge green space.  While you are eating (and drinking) lunch, your kids, again, can play and burn off some energy.

Eating

Jordan at Maxim's

Make sure they eat well - a breeze in Paris.  Restaurant owners and chefs delight in watching a child eat.  At Maxim's they treated Jordan like a queen.   Sure, we paid the price for it but it was an experience we'll never forget.

Get that bread!  We broke a few of our diet rules while on the trip.  We let Jordan snack and eat a lot of bread.  It worked for us if she was hungry and cranky and couldn't find anything on a menu to eat.

We love Le Poilane and Eric Kayser.  Although, the worst bread in Paris is better than many of the best bakeries in Texas.

RELATED: 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant Review

Visit the farmers markets.  Every neighborhood has one.  Stock up on produce.  You won't be disappointed.

Our standby, kid-approved dining options: Cafe Breizh, L'Eboulliant, the bar at La Duree on the Champs Elysèes and  the food hall at Le Bon Marche (good for picnics items). 

A Few Other Details

The view from our apartment across from Notre Dame!

Consider renting an apartment.  We had a spot across from Notre Dame and it was perfect.  It was less expensive and much larger than any hotel option we could find.  We could eat a quality breakfast in the morning.  Jordan could watch Dora before we went out the door for the day.  We had space for all of our stuff.  It was perfect.  We used Guest Apartment Services.  They were wonderful.

RELATED: How To Rent A Great Apartment In Paris

The Paris zoo.  My husband took Jordan here while I was exploring Bercy Village.  She loved it. 

If your child is young enough, use that stroller!  We took Jordan everywhere in our stroller.  She was able to sleep in it while we were walking.  It was compact enough to fit in restaurants and nestle under tables.  We would typically arrive to lunch around 1pm while she was sleeping.  We would slip the stroller under the table just like a chair.  It worked in just about every spot.

RELATED: The stroller that saved our lives in Paris.

Practice circus contortionist-like flexibility.  Your itineraries will probably change based on your little one's temperament.  Embrace it.  It's part of the adventure.  You never know who you might meet or where a day in Paris will take you. 

The New York Times recently offered some suggestions for Paris with Kids.  It has solid, highbrow ideas like kid-friendly museums to visit.  It's a good read.

Visit the Paris Section of My Blog

Coming Out of the Fitness Closet: Yes, I am a Hula Hooper

I love this hoop!

I posted this picture of me hula hooping with a weighted hula hoop to my Facebook page and Instagram feed.

You laughed, you snarked and, as a dear friend from high school, said "You really want the guys at The Ticket to see this?"
 
I don't care.  

Why?  

Because I am convinced hula hooping is a fun, low impact way to tone your core and legs. 

Tuesday morning, I was pressed for time but still wanted to get my blood pumping before an 11:30am meeting.  The babysitter didn't come until 10am.  I didn't want to pack up everything and run to the gym, blah blah blah.  So I decided to break out the weighted hoop that had been collecting dust underneath my bed. 

Using a weighted hula hoop, think two pounds, I worked the green monster for about 35 minutes.  It was an outstanding, low-impact option that had me sweating.  I wasn't able to do it nonstop, as I kept messing up.  I also performed the gyrations both clockwise and counterclockwise and found out I am much more adept at doing it clockwise than "to the left." 

This was a great "do what you can" exercise option.  I was able to squeeze in a solid workout while watching TV at the house.  I didn't even have to brush my teeth.  My 21-month old daughter, Jordan, got a kick out of watching me gyrate like a crazy lady.  I like that she sees exercise as a fun, playful thing.  She's already into doing downward dog with me when I practice yoga.

Beyond that, it was a WORKOUT.  Twenty-four hours later, my obliques and quads are sore.  The good sore which is a testament to a workout done well.

Don't believe me about the benefits of hula hooping?  Check out this recent review of it in Health Magazine: 

Start with the basic moves until you feel comfortable, then step up to more advanced ones, mixing and matching for your own personal head-to-toe tone-up. Do any combination of moves for 30 minutes (you’ll burn 150 to 250 calories per workout) three times a week for four weeks and you’ll lose 3 to 6 inches all over your body.

Here are the specifics: 

• I used the Empower Cardio Core Fitness Hoop.  It's a two-pound weighted hoop that I bought at Target for $29.99. 
• There is some super-easy assembly required and it also comes with workout suggestions.  
• Learn how to get started with your weighted hoop here.  
• Still struggling?  Watch this video. 
• I did a few of the suggested "toning exercises" such as the "Windshield Wiper" and "Cross Chop with Lunge". 

If you're looking for a fun, alternative workout, this is a great one to incorporate into your overall routine.  

And just because I'm all for self-deprecating humor....here's another pic: 

 
There are some different versions of weighted hoops.  Here are three that I have tried, including the one I own:

When it Comes to Exercise What the Heck Should You Do?

The Seven Minute Workout stole headlines last month.  (It is kind of awesome)

Courtesy: Wallsave.com

Then this Sunday's New York Times said it's all about four minutes.

Here's a quick excerpt from the story: 

Half began a supervised exercise program that reiterated the Norwegian researchers’ former routine. After briefly warming up, these volunteers ran on a treadmill at 90 percent of their maximal heart rate — a tiring pace, says Dr. Tjonna, at which “you cannot talk in full sentences, but can use single words” — for four four-minute intervals, with three minutes of slow walking between, followed by a brief cool-down. The entire session was repeated three times a week for 10 weeks.

The second group, however, completed only one four-minute strenuous run. They, too, exercised three times a week for 10 weeks.

At the end of the program, the men had increased their maximal oxygen uptake, or endurance capacity, by an average of 10 percent or more, with no significant differences in the gains between the two groups.

What about 30 minutes of exercise a day most days of the week?  Isn't that what doctors tell you to do?

 
Crossfit gyms and spinning studios are the 2013 version of the cupcake craze.  They're popping up everywhere from urban street corners to the burbs.

There's pilates, barre burn classes and boxing studios.  The options are endless.  Suggestions as to how much and when you should exercise are more confusing than a Kardashian family tree. 

So what should you do?  Here's my take culled over 25 years of exercising, playing sports, gaining weight, losing weight and keeping it off for more than a decade.

Why Traveling to Paris with a Baby is Just Like Getting a Full-Frontal Neck Tattoo

"You're doing what!?!?!"

I imagine that's how my boss would respond if I told her I was shaving my head, getting a full frontal neck tattoo and going on TV sporting the new look.

That's also the response both friends and strangers give me when I tell them my husband and I are taking our 20-month old daughter to Paris on Sunday.  It's actually the second time we have taken her across the pond.  While it's a challenge, the joy of spending time with her far outweighs the stress of the plane ride and unexpected "surprises" we might encounter along the way.

Jordan on the carousel at the Trocadero

There are a few reasons she's going with us:

• I rarely get to spend time with her so when I am not working, caring for her is fun and actually feels like a holiday. 
• A cute bébé is a wonderful conversation starter.  Last time we were there Jordan charmed the gruffest Parisians, which is a bit of an unfair stereotype.  (More on that here)
• She travels for free in our lap until she's two.  Okay, she only travels free domestically, we pay taxes on international travel, but it's still a pretty good deal.  We're taking advantage of this as long as we can. 

All that aside, having THE screaming baby on a plane can be an arse-whip of epic proportions.  Her first flight was to Cabo San Lucas which she handled like a champ.  She's also done LA twice and New Orleans.  Here are a few tips to handle travel with a little one.   

Sleep
We place a premium on sleep above all else.  Jordan was sleeping through the night at six weeks old and hasn't wavered from that.  A well-rested baby produces a happy baby and sane parents.

Jordan asleep on the plane

When traveling to a different time zone, we start adjusting her sleep schedule about a week prior.  For example, when Jordan went to LA, we started keeping her up about 30 minutes later each night a week out until she was on the Pacific time zone.  Ultimately, two days before we left for LA, she was going to bed at 10pm and waking up at 10am.  This was a tough adjustment for us but saved us during the trip.  Coming back to Dallas, she had an easier time falling asleep at her normal 8pm. 

As we prepare for Paris, which is currently seven hours ahead of us, she is going to sleep earlier.  This week, we have been putting her down between 6:30-8pm.   This is a little more difficult as the sun is still setting but the process of "winding down" earlier is effective.

On the Plane
No real secrets here: plenty of diapers, a change of clothes and a good attitude.  She has been a good flyer in the past but I know she's going to cry.  She is done using a pacifier but we are debating bringing it for the airplane ride.   We will also bring an iPad loaded with plenty of games, Dora the Explorer and Bubble Guppies episodes.  

We also have this little survival kit that includes meals for the plane and lavender oil which we will rub on her feet to help her sleep.

Once There
A good stroller is key.  We like the Joovy Groove Umbrella stroller because it's mobile and easily collapsible.  It's also one in which she can nap when we recline it.  This is huge.  We found out while we were out exploring the city, she would take her naps in the stroller.  We would simply put a rain cover over it and she was good to catch a few ZZZZ's. 

Jordan napping in her stroller at the Louvre

While Jordan pretty much eats when we eat, we were flexible with her meals.  We dreamed of lavish lunches and dinners in bistros and brasseries but we usually ended up eating lunch in the park which was fine.  It was just easier.  Having picnics turned out to be fun and a change from our typical routine. 

Picnic in the park

Most restaurants didn't even high chairs but, again, patience and a smile went a long way.  If she went crazy during a meal, we took her out of the establishment and tried to calm her down.  She's a bit more cantankerous now, so undoubtedly, this will be a test. 

Charming the owner of L'Epigramme on the Left Bank

The Takeaway
It won't be perfect and there will be meltdowns.   Mentally preparing for that is half the battle.

Breaking the perfume bottle!

There is no real formula for success for the unpredictable adventure of traveling with a little one.  Part of the joy is changing diapers in the park, breaking a perfume bottle at Hermes, making new friends at a playground and charming the elderly French nounou who has seen it all.  All things we did, btw.

Making friends at the park

Preparation, flexibility and a good attitude WILL help you and the family enjoy the trip and come away from it with memories that will last a lifetime. 

Find More Stories About Paris on TheGinaMiller.com:

• 5 Observations About Paris
• My Paris Travel Tips Video
• 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant Review
• How To Rent A Great Apartment In Paris
• The Best Paris Restaurants Right Now (4/2015)
• Paris Travel Tips
• Paris Travel Tips | VIDEO
• French women DO get fat.  Just not many of them....
• Here are the details on the stroller that saved our lives as well as an account of our first family trip to Paris.
• Think Parisians are rude?  I disagree.  They're actually extremely polite. Read this.