Meet Lulu LaRue

Lulu LaRue was born as the embodiment of adventure and culture, seen through the eyes of a brave little girl and her best friend, a very polite but overly sensitive T. rex dinosaur named Dash. Their adventures take them around the world, locking eyes with the Mona Lisa in Paris, indulging in high tea in London, traipsing through tea plantations in Sri Lanka, slurping ramen noodles in Hong Kong and going back centuries in time to ancient Athens. In each country, Lulu and Dash learn to navigate new cultures and customs while experiencing the beauty in diversity and delighting in the company of their newly found friends over a cozy cuppa tea.

Drawing from their real-life travel experiences, The Adventures of Lulu LaRue and her Dinosaur Too is currently under development as a children's book series, but in the meantime you can follow their adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

Lulu was born with a passport in one hand
and a cup of earl grey in the other.

Inspired by her tenacious, tea-loving daughter Elliot, Melissa Lee Alexander created Lulu LaRue (named for her own imaginary childhood friend) to share the magic of traveling the world and encourage other families with young children to take adventures of their own.

Epic 5 mile hike from Haukland Beach to Uttakleiv Beach followed by an inaugural sauna experience for Elliot and Monroe! 📍 Lofoten Islands, Norway 🇳🇴
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." @dollyparton Sage advice from one of our fierce female faves. I think about this a lot when we travel. Getting there isn't always easy with 3 little travelistas i
Sitting on top of the world, literally and figuratively 🌍😂 📍 Lofoten Islands, Arctic Circle
Last getaway before school starts back! Three flights, a rental car, and a ferry ride later, we found our slice of heaven above the Arctic Circle...the Lofoten Islands! 📍 Lofoten Islands, Norway 🇳🇴
 

Follow our real-life adventures

Instagram | Facebook

A journey of the heart

The girl who inspired Lulu LaRue, Elliot Grace, was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). At just three days old, she had her first open-heart surgery, followed by her second five months later, and her third at only two and a half years old. Elliot’s strength through recovery and passion for life and travel remind us to live every day to the fullest and to always keep exploring, but we know it’s not an opportunity that all children with congenital heart defects have. We’ve made it our mission to continue raising funds and awareness for CHDs to help those impacted by it, and hope you’ll join us in our support of the amazing charities and organizations fighting this disease.

 

Did you know…

  • Congenital heart defects are the most common cause of infant death due to birth defects.

  • 25% of babies born with a complex CHD will not see their 1st birthday.

  • Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect in the United States. Nearly one of every 110 babies is born with a CHD.

  • Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with a congenital heart defect. This equates to one child every 15 minutes.

 

Our favorite heart charities:

Cortney Gives BAK
Led by a heart warrior who lives with half-a-heart, The Cortney Gives BAK Foundation is dedicated to funding congenital heart defect (CHD) research from all over the country. Donate to Elliot’s team HERE.

Children’s Heart Foundation
The Children's Heart Foundation is the country's leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect (CHD) research. 

Benderson Family Heart Center
The Boston Children's Benderson Family Heart Center treats the full spectrum of heart disorders, including the rarest and most complex congenital heart defects. Their incredible team provided care for all three of Elliot’s open heart surgeries.