After a very, very long year, I am thrilled to say we have both of our  girls back from university. Our eldest, Madeline, attends Edinburgh and youngest, Cameron, attends York which are both in the UK. I have peace knowing they are only 2.5 hours away from each other  while abroad, but my mummy heart still misses them terribly when they are away.

Now that they are back home, we have quite the summer ahead of us. They will both be working in town, but during our off time we are looking forward to making some beautiful memories.

Mac now has a a handsome wooden motor yacht docked in Jersey City with a killer view of NYC and the girls love to take rides in the dingy and see the city from the water.

I just booked Kusama: Cosmic Nature at the New York Botanical Gardens, and highly recommend that you see her documentary before going. We plan to visit the new Little Island park in NYC. They have a full concert series, and an amphitheater overlooking the water. Here are some more local ideas.

It saddens me that the girls have not been able to travel while studying, so we are wrapping up the summer with a trip to Venice and Florence which is a dream come true for me!

Any must-see spots in Venice and Florence to add to our itinerary? All recommendations welcome! What are you looking forward to doing with your family this summer?