Laura W. shares with us her thoughts about her home and family life and being a mother. She currently lives with her husband and son Cole (almost 2) in Geneva, Switzerland.

List three words to describe your home:

colorful, comfortable and friendly.

What is your favorite room, and why?

We usually gravitate to the living room, or Cole’s room.

What is your favorite item and why?

My French press. I love a good cafe au lait!

What is your favorite color in your house (for paint, and/or accessories, upholstery)?

I am always attracted to the blues, mostly turquoise and that lovely ‘tiffany’ blue. It seems soothing yet practical since my turquoise couch hides all manner of spills!

Describe your evening and/or morning routine.

Grocery Shopping is a daily occurrence here in Europe so we visit the store and the bakery most mornings. I walk everywhere or take the bus and Cole and I use those outings for spotting “diggers,” or other construction equipment which seems to fascinate him. He has his favorite ladies at the store which he calls his “friends” so I think he enjoys visiting them each day.

In the evening Cole is usually in the kitchen with me while I cook dinner. He has his own pots and pans that he bangs about with happily. When Daddy comes home there is some giggling and wrestling and happy squeals which makes my heart swell every night. Then we all sit down to dinner as a family at the dining room table. After dinner Cole has his bath with his Father, while I clean up from the day. Then playtime with Mommy and/or Daddy followed by brushing of the teeth and then story time with Daddy. I will go in to sing songs, one that my Father sang to me when I was young and Cole loves.  Roy and I then have our much needed couple time to relax and have a glass of wine!

What is in your fridge?

Organic milk, Organic Apples, and Agave Syrup, which I use for baking and Cole’s pancakes every morning.

Do you recognize anything about your aesthetic style that reminds you of your mother’s home or your grandmother’s home? (or other close relative)?

My mother has exquisite taste, and has turned it into a flourishing design business, so I always aspire to have her knack for mixing prints, color combos, and creating an overall feel in a room. The similarities in our homes is a confidence. I have gorgeous antique rugs and furniture from living in India that I have juxtaposed with the more modern aesthetic here in Geneva. It has created an eclectic, unique, and warm environment that I am quite proud of. And so is my mom.

What do you pack for lunch for your child? Snacks?

Cole is not quite two, so he is still home with me, and we aren’t in the lunch packing stage yet. But we are out and about most afternoons so I make sure I have snacks with me at all times. I am quite strict about limiting Cole’s sugar and we have an organic house, so I bake most days using my Agave Syrup. Cole snacks on organic banana or pumpkin muffins I have made, or organic crackers. He also loves good whole grain bread, or rice cakes, and raisins and bananas.  His ultimate treat is a pain au chocolate, which we are lucky here in Geneva is made with whole grain bread and the BEST chocolate.

Your child’s favorite activity, craft, and/or game?

Cole loves to be read to, and we do a lot of that at our house. But we also have craft day every friday.  We usually do something pertaining to an upcoming holiday, but the craft could be as simple as collecting leaves to glitter or just some finger painting. My favorite craft we did recently, that turned out so cute, was when we painted the bottom of Cole’s feet with white paint and then had him step on black construction paper. It created adorable ghosts which we decorated with glitter eyes and hung around the house for Halloween. Not only was it fascinating for him to see his little feet become ghosts, but now I have some adorable reminders of his little two year old feet to see every Halloween.

What has being a parent taught you?

You can never have enough patience, and that control is a facade.

Where do you live?  How long have you lived there? How many children do you have? Where did you grow up?

We live in Geneva, Switzerland in an apartment on the third floor of an incredibly cool, old building. We have one son, Cole, who is almost two. I grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and had the typical middle class upbringing of growing up in the same house with loving and attentive parents. Sports and friends and vacations to the beach are my fondest memories.

I moved to NY after graduating College and began my gypsy existence. I live quite differently now than I did growing up. My husband works in the foreign service and we move every two to three years. We have lived in New Delhi, India and Geneva, Switzerland. I find what is important to me now is to have Cole feel a sense of community with his extended family. We Skype both sets of Grandparents daily, and go through photo albums pointing out all of his “people”. Trying to establish normalcy and routine, which I think kids thrive on, is difficult with our lifestyle, but it is important for me and for Cole and my Husband as well. I am proud of the fact that my child will have a global footprint, but I want him to feel a sense of security in his broader family as well.