Kickstarter

Traveling with kids
Is like Nutella on bread—
Sticky wonderment
~~~

I didn’t have time to watch the video; what’s your project in a nutshell? 
Apéritifs & Sippy Cups: A European Adventure Guide for Families will be a full-length book sharing our family’s style of travel, explaining the philosophies and quirks that result in the best family memories, and demystifying the process of planning an international trip… with small children. Turin with toddlers? You bet! Paris with preschoolers? Oui oui!

(But you really should watch the video.)

Why not call your book a travel guide like normal people?
Travel guides already cover everything you could hope to know (plus some things you’d rather not) about lodging, dining, and sightseeing in foreign countries. However, the purpose of this book is different. Beyond the fact that other authors have already done a great job covering the whats of travel—Rick Steve, I’m looking at you!—my passion is to share the whys and hows. Part story-telling and part practical advice, this book will give young families a foundation for planning their own unique itineraries.

(If you are interested in our family’s personal recommendations on tourist attractions and lodgings, pledge at least $25 to get access to this exclusive content online!)

Why did you choose the title “Apéritifs & Sippy Cups”?
An apéritif is basically the European version of Happy Hour—finger foods and a beverage enjoyed before dinner. Different countries offer different variations, but it’s always a welcome opportunity for adults to socialize and unwind before the evening. In our years of traveling the continent, we’ve discovered that kids totally dig it too; what could be better than International Snack Time? In titling the book “Apéritifs & Sippy Cups,” I’m drawing on the charm of these uniquely European traditions while inviting even the youngest children along to experience them.  

What’s driving you to write this book?
In the four years since our second daughter was born, our family has traveled together throughout eleven European countries. Even with a tight budget, we’ve spent every summer (and countless weekends in between) exploring the Old World and tracking down adventures as a family. Often, other parents respond to our travel stories with “We could never do that;” this book is me answering “Yes, of course you can!” Far from making world travel impossible, young children enhance it in ways we adults have forgotten to imagine—wide-eyed amazement over details we wouldn’t have noticed, shrieks of laughter over circumstances that cause us stress, and bodily functions at inappropriate times to keep things lively. I’m thrilled for the chance to put the delight, the excitement, and the true possibility of European travel with kids into book form, and my hope is that it will provide the motivation other families are waiting for. 

Why are you asking for $10,000? I thought an author's only expense was a daily coffee fund!
My morning cappuccinos are essential, yes, but so are groceries and school supplies and toothpaste. $10,000 is the minimum I need to replace my current income for the winter and spring so that I can work full-time on finishing the book. It’s as simple as that.

If I am able to raise the full amount by Christmas Eve, I will dedicate my working hours from January through May 2012 to writing like a madwoman and getting this book ready for its commercial debut. My goal is to have Apéritifs & Sippy Cups available in e-book format in time for next summer’s vacation planning, though if you pledge at least $10, you will receive a copy even earlier!

Why should I contribute?
Your pledges are absolutely essential to making this book possible. Pre-order pledges start at $10—less than a pepperoni pizza!—but but I’d encourage you to check out some of the other rewards as well. For $25 and up, for example, you’ll also receive insider access including details on our favorite destinations. For $50 and up, you’ll get a blog entry dedicated to your traveler’s tales, and starting at $250, you’ll get personal hang-out time with us.

Beyond getting you a pretty cool book in the end, your contribution also says that you believe in what we are doing as a family, raising our daughters with open minds to the world around them. It also says that you support the artistic vision of this book and are looking forward to seeing what one poor, globetrotting mama can do with five months and a hoard of travel stories. (For additional persuasion, check out 7 Reasons to Pre-Order Our Apéritifs & Sippy Cups Book on our website.)

Even if you aren’t able to contribute anything right now, I truly appreciate your taking the time to check out this project, and I ask that you’d help us to spread the word—share this link, talk Apéritifs & Sippy Cups up around the water cooler, and assure your bleary-eyed friends that their days of expeditions and enchantment are far from over.

Adventures await!

http://aperitifsandsippycups.com
contact@aperitifsandsippycups.com

Video acknowledgments:
Song: “Wild Horse of Stony Point” by Black Twig Pickers
Longhorn photo by David Berkowitz
Filming, editing, and near-constant spousal reassuring by Dan Bassett