We've arrived in Rome, tips from our 3 Day Potty Party, the scrambled eggs I can't stop eating, and a new August playlist.

Plus, a bit of This & That.

Rome…Our New Home

We've finally landed in Rome. It's very hot and humid, and we've spent the last week in our new apartment trying to unpack, get furniture, and set up our life, all while the kids go bananas from being stuck inside for hours on end. But, even with all of this chaos and disarray, I feel so grateful and happy that Rome is where we've arrived. There is something about this city that just feels right. I wake up each morning, take a deep breath, and peer out our big glass windows at the bright blue sky as golden sunlight dances through each room. As far as the eye can see, beautiful pastel-colored buildings line the streets and it feels like they are wrapping their arms around us, letting us know it will all be ok. Even in the stillness of August, when everyone has fled to the seaside, the city feels full of life, always beckoning you to get outside and explore. A warmth vibrates through it, both in color and energy, that has me feeling very excited about this new season ahead of settling in and getting to know this magical place much more. x

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Bruno's 3 Day Potty Party

It’s a Potty Party!

There's nothing fun about potty training, and it's something, even after having done it with Costa and Paolo, I still dreaded having to do with Bruno. But, as I kept reminding myself, as the date to train Bruno quickly approached, the reward of being done with diapers is always worth the inconvenience of potty training. With the older boys, we potty-trained before they turned two years old as they both attended a no-diaper preschool in Los Angeles, and we wanted them to be somewhat prepared for that first day of school. With Bruno, we waited longer for no other reason than his Italian preschool allowed diapers, and we honestly didn't feel like dealing with it on top of everything else we've been trying to manage. But, now the time has come to get it done, as he will be starting a no-diaper school in September here in Rome. So, even in the chaos of moving into the apartment, unpacking, and trying to set up life in a new city, we had to start potty training this week so he would have a few weeks to practice and get used to it all. We've always used our version of the "Potty Party" method for each of our boys, but you can watch tons of videos where people document their process and show the steps they follow. Here is how we did it this time around:

THE PROCESS:

• A 3-day potty training method where you get rid of the diapers cold turkey (no pull-ups to transition) and spend three consecutive days at home doing repetitious potty training so they can get the hang of it quickly.

• Side note: Many people wait until their child starts showing interest in the toilet or telling them they have to go to the bathroom, but we've always potty trained our children because we had to for preschool. Do whatever works for you!

THE PREP

• Start the conversation with your child. For a week before potty training, we began talking to Bruno each day about how he would start going to the bathroom on the toilet like his brothers and Mom and Dad and how we would soon say goodbye to our diapers and start wearing underwear.

• Order underwear. We ordered 12 pairs of cotton briefs with Bruno's favorites on them (dinosaurs, sharks, and trucks), and when they arrived, we had Bruno unwrap them to get him excited about wearing them at his potty party.

• Potty Training Toilet Seat - Rather than getting a small plastic toilet (which is just another thing to clean and will be something I then have to retrain him out of), we've always opted for using a toilet training seat and a small stool so the child can get up to the toilet on their own. This is the one we bought years ago and have used for all of our kids.