A rainy afternoon in Montmartre.

I'm in Paris this week, and I've been looking forward to bringing you some tips and fresh ideas from the streets of the city. But as I sat down to think about what to share with you, I found my thoughts going in a bit different direction than I expected. 

Here are five lessons I've been learning, big and small, in the last five years of travel, and especially from Paris. 

Cooking while traveling can be a tough endeavor. You lose most of the control you usually have at home: who knows how the oven will work, who knows where the local grocery store is... and on. And on. These egg bakes are a good solution to a healthy, delicious breakfast while traveling. The ingredients are basic and easy to track down, and they're infinitely adaptable so you can toss in a little of whatever vegetables or cheese you have on hand. 

After spending two years cooking and recipe testing in his 1950s kitchen, cookbook author Chris Reynolds knew the time was right to redo his kitchen. As he tells us, it was "while baking, at least, three recipes a day" that he was able to plan out his perfect kitchen — something timeless, free of gimmicks or trendy finishes.

Two years ago I stumbled onto the description of an intriguing summer cocktail: a shot of Campari topped with IPA, served with ice and a twist of lemon. One bitter sip was all it took; I was hooked on what has since become my favorite simple summer apéritif. Have you tried it?

Recently, I shared a recipe for making easy cabbage kimchi, which is a staple at my house. The first kimchi I ever fell in love with, though, was oi sobaegi kimchi, or stuffed cucumber kimchi. I think of this as "gateway kimchi" — it's lightly fermented (or not at all), so it isn't as pungent as many other kimchis, and it has crisp texture that any pickle lover should appreciate. 

Kids know how to party! Check out the latest festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy's Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.

• Owen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party
• Ruby's Pink Backyard Party
• Raj's Nature Party
• Hazel's Princess Party
• Finley's Lion Party

While Hillary and Michael love the original built-ins in their rental Chicago kitchen, it's not a perfect space: "For starters, we need a better lighting set-up," says Michael in this recent Apartment Therapy tour. "And the pantry has never been fully organized." But we still think it's a sweet kitchen, clearly well-used and lived-in!

Q: I bought a soft granola bar and I want to find a recipe so I can make my own. The bar wasn't baked and it had no rolled oats. It had lots of different seeds. I tasted honey and peanut butter. It was soft, but held together well. It was so great.

Sent by Laura

Wine of the Week: 2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Oakville Fumé Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, California
Price: $32

Yesterday, June 18^th 2013 would have been Robert Mondavi’s 100^th birthday. Happy Birthday Bob! Therefore it is only fitting that my wine of the week, the 2011 Robert Mondavi Winery Oakville Fumé Blanc, pays tribute to the man who dedicated his life to putting California, and especially the Napa Valley on the map of the greatest wine regions of the world.

It's that time of year: berry season. In Seattle, we had early local strawberries, and raspberries and blackberries have been gracing grocery store shelves for a while now. Along with berry season comes decision time: which basket to choose? Thankfully, there's reason enough to grab all three this week.