In 1994, Disney’s EPCOT kicked off a modest garden-themed event that now, 30 years later, has turned into one of the most sought after annual events at Disney.  EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival (which the event was eventually named) is hosted from late February to late May. And during this time, guests visiting EPCOT will have the opportunity to not only ride well-known attractions like Test Track and Soarin’, but they will also have the chance to see amazing topiaries, gardens and flower displays all around the park.  The festival also offers 20+ specialty ..read more

To all the pets we love and those who love us back, thank you for all the joy you bring us each and every day! The post Happy National Pet Day! appeared first on Bistro Chic ..read more

Staying healthy and maintaining my fitness level are important goals for me, even when I’m away from home. So it’s no surprise that I’m a big fan of exercising and staying active while on vacation. This doesn’t always mean HIIT workouts and hardcore runs, although my vacations somehow always seem to include these! Even small bursts of movement on your vacation can be beneficial. They will not only help you maintain your fitness goals but they can also help you stay energized throughout your trip. The key is to know how to  sneak in these mini workouts throughout your day. So if you ..read more

Several years ago, I was pining for my first trip to France. At the time, I had already been to Europe a couple of times, but never managed to make my way to France. With two small children and limited funds, my husband and I started looking at alternative locations that would give us a French feel but would be easier logistically for the kids and for our budget. A friend suggested I try the Quebec area of Canada, given its strong French heritage and European ambience, as well as the more convenient (ie. drivable) travel distance than Europe. This travel “dupe” or duplicate, ended up being on ..read more

Signs are everywhere; yet they are easy to miss.  For instance, I just arrived back from vacation to find a brand new stop sign on a heavily trafficked street that I have crossed thousands of times. I literally would have missed the sign if not for the car in front of me stopping.  While the stop sign is needed in order to force speeding cars to slow down, the act of stopping at that one spot seemed awkward, even out of place. When you think about it, vacations are a little like that stop sign. They can feel a bit awkward at first, but they are a much needed reminder to slow down an ..read more

I’m so fortunate to be back in one of my favorite vacation places – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Although I’ve visited Hilton Head many times, today I discovered The French Bakery, an adorable (albeit expensive) French coffee shop and cafe in the Shelter Cove area of the island. Don’t be fooled by the size of the cafe. While on the smaller side, the cafe has an extensive breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, including omelettes, quiche, salads, sandwiches, French toast and more. Seriously, there were so many good choices on the menu, it was hard for me to decide! I landed on a French favo ..read more

Hello Everyone! It’s finally Island Time which means I get to enjoy some much needed sun and sand along with a few mimosas and mai tais. Wish you were here to celebrate. See you all soon, Jennifer The post It’s Island Time, Finally! appeared first on Bistro Chic ..read more

Happy French Language Day!  It’s no secret that I’ve had a love affair with the French culture and language for many years. Although I studied Spanish for 8 years in high school and college, French always seemed more romantic and mysterious than any other language. So after college and grad school I decided to take a conversational French class at a nearby community college, in preparation for my first trip to France. The class not only helped me learn everyday, helpful phrases to use while traveling (and it did come in handy!), it also opened my eyes to French culture and lifestyle.&nbs ..read more

Happy almost St. Patrick’s Day from Chicago! For the first time ever, we ventured into city on the day of the famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Chicago. Although we purposely missed the parade, we did get to see the Chicago River shining bright green in all its glory as well as the many festively dressed spectators lining the streets everywhere we went. And because I spent most of the day walking nearly 15,000+ steps, shoulder to shoulder, with what seemed like a million of my closet friends, I’m a little too tired to give you an exact play by play. So please, enjoy the photos and ..read more

It’s no surprise that where you live can impact your quality of life. But can the actual city you choose to reside in really influence your happiness?  It very well could. New findings from WalletHub identified the happiest cities in the U.S, along with characteristics that may influence happiness. To help identify the happiest cities, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities in the U.S. across 3 key categories of characteristics: 1) Emotional and physical well being – life satisfaction, physical health, depression rate, etc 2) Income and employment – income, job secur ..read more