Heavy/HGTV
HGTV’s Dave and Jenny Marrs in Italy in 2023
While HGTV stars Jenny and Dave Marrs spend an extended summer vacation in Europe with their five kids, the couple has a big goal of learning to speak Italian. So they’ve enrolled in an “immersive Italian language school” while there, Jenny shared via Instagram on July 21, 2024.
Jenny shared with her followers, “It’s so challenging but we are making progress!! As our instructor advises often —-> ‘Piano, Piano.’ Which is one of my favorite Italian phrases that I think applies to so many things in life. Interpreted: ‘slowly, slowly’ or ‘little by little’ 🤍”
When a fan asked on July 25 how their classes were going, Jenny replied, “School is going well. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and, while it’s challenging, it’s a really good challenge. Always learning ❤️👏”
Spending their weekday mornings in school and doing homework most days is one of numerous decisions the “Fixer to Fabulous” stars have made during their latest family trip that have impressed fans and led to lots of questions about how they juggle it all.
In social media posts and her Instagram stories, Jenny has been forthcoming about details of their vacation, from facing her fear of heights as they ziplined in Switzerland to answering questions about affording and managing travel with a family of seven.
Jenny Marrs Says They’ve Settled into a ‘Rhythm’ in Italy That She Loves
While Jenny and Dave walk to their Italian classes each weekday morning, their kids — who range in age from five to 14 — stay back at the Airbnb they rented in Tuscany. Having traveled there many times over the last two decades, including spending lots of time there filming their 2023 spin-off, “Fixer to Fabulous: Italiano,” the Marrs have become friends with many locals.
When a fan asked Jenny what their kids do while she and Dave are in school, she posted in her Stories on July 21, “We have friends locally who are watching them for us. They mostly sleep + watch movies because it’s been so hot here! We are in school for a few hours each morning only.”
In her Instagram Stories, Jenny has shared images of workbooks she and Dave fill out for homework, and views of the age-old steps they climb to get up to their classroom each day.
In one Story on June 24, Jenny posted a photo of Dave waiting at cafe counter full of pastries and fresh tomatoes.
Over the photo, she wrote, “Our days have started to fall into a rhythm and I love it. Our time here is coming to a close and I’m getting sad! First, we have a friend watch the kids then we head to our favorite bar (here a bar is where you have a coffee) and have a pastry + cappuccino before (school).”
Jenny Marrs Says She Loves Planning Affordable Travel for Her Family: ‘All Worth It’
Though the Marrs are TV stars, traveling overseas with five kids can get expensive and overwhelming — but Jenny has told fans that she’s figured out lots of ways to keep the kids engaged and to make their trips affordable.
When a fan told her that she was inspired to take her own kids on trips, even when they’re young, Jenny replied in her Stories on July 21, “Yay! I love this! Whenever we traveled when the kids were really little, people told us not to because wouldn’t remember it. But, the best advice I got was: it’s their only childhood and it’s my only motherhood. I WILL remember every moment and it’s all worth it.”
In response to fans asking for tips on affording overseas travel with kids, Jenny posted a Story that same day in which she explained, “We save miles and use credit cards that earn miles for business expenses. I always purchase flights with miles (flights are the most expensive thing for us). And we often fly into one airport and out of another because it’s cheaper (I search several airport and date options and am flexible with dates for cheapest fares).”
Jenny then said the cost of living “is quite low when we shop at the grocery store and eat at home often,” adding that they always rent Airbnb homes because they’re cheaper, offer multiple bedrooms and a kitchen for cooking, and she can do laundry.
With so many questions rolling in throughout their trip, Jenny assured fans in her Stories that she’ll share her itineraries and other tips once they’re back home in Arkansas.
“I love planning trips,” she wrote. “It brings me so much joy.”
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. Based in Minneapolis, she has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, columnist and publicist, interviewing and working with a wide range of celebrities over the years, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. More about Liv Lane
