J’adore le français

I seem to be stuck in a Francophile phase at the moment, and it’s come about through a few things.

First, I came across this interesting article about French parenting (and why it’s superior) last year.  A few months ago I remembered it and got a few books out of the library on the same subject: French kids eat everything, by Karen Le Billon; and Why French children don’t talk back, by Catherine Crawford.  One thing I found really interesting was that in France there is no snacking between meals!

Second, I watched a lot of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares episodes at the start of the year, and also read his autobiography.  He spent a number of years training in French restaurants, and it really got me interested in French food and cooking.

Third, now that I’ve lost weight and feel better about how I look, I’ve become interested in fashion again – and of course French women are renowned for their great style.  I found this fabulous blog by Jennifer Scott who spent six months in Paris as an exchange student, and am also hoping to get her book out of the library when I’m next in Christchurch.  She talks about a basic wardrobe of 10 items, and my first thought was, “But everyone will notice you’re just wearing the same clothes all the time!”  Well apparently, that’s ok!  Also, the 10 items doesn’t include accessories (or other special clothes) so you can wear the same basics yet still change the look.

There are other books I want to read too, in particular Parisian Chic and Paris Street Style which I think are both available at the library here or in Chch.

I’m planning to go through my wardrobe again during my winter holiday, getting it down to ten items is a bit too extreme for me at the moment but I do want to build some kind of a capsule wardrobe and have everything coordinated – I’ll let you know how it goes!

What are your thoughts on French food or lifestyle?

P.S. Sorry about all the links and no pictures!

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