Whilst I was wandering through the White House a few weeks ago, marveling at the beautiful and creative Christmas decorations, I felt an immense sense of pride. Pride that this is our nation’s home, built and rebuilt after fire and war.

As a mom, I know it's hard to find great books about girl power for young women to read (you may recall the recent firestorm over the latest Barbie/engineering book. Enough said.). So when I find great ones, I am elated.

Do you like time travel? I do, too. And Doctor Who seasons are never long enough. I remember reading time travel books when I was young, and thinking - this is one of the most magical concepts, EVER!

Remember when your mom, uncle, gramma, or older sibling read books to you when you were small? It was a magical time – maybe at bedtime, or maybe during the afternoon on a stormy day when you couldn’t go play outside (or head outside to read in a tree, as I did). Books and family – two of my very favorite things.

It is rare, when traveling, to find THE perfect restaurant. You know what I mean – we do the research (urbanspoon, yelp, chowhound), look at maps, try to figure out where you’re staying and what’s around there. But you still never know about service, food quality, location, and if it will fit your family.

We found a home. When we were invited to the White House for the Summit on Study Abroad and Global Citizenship this past week, we knew we'd need a home base.

You know when you've found a kindred travel spirit, you can't get enough of sharing experiences? And you talk all night, and then over coffee for breakfast, barely stopping and gleaning each other's knowledge for new places to go, things to see, dishes to try...

The Netherlands – a place of beauty and great food! But I’m guessing that you’re not familiar with the cuisine of the southern Netherlands. If you’re driving the southern Netherlands, you’ve a great culinary adventure in front of you.

Have you ever read a book that grabbed you by the heart and never let go? Such is the case with All the Broken Things, a novel written by Canadian author Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer.

Do you love to share history and culture with your kids through stories? Me, too (in fact, that's the way I love to learn!). We love to read about different cultures, people, times, events - these small things, put together, bring the world alive to us.