Photo by PhotoMIX Company from Pexels. Life doesn't always unfold exactly the way you want it to, no matter how positive you've been thinking and how well you've been planning. Sometimes you think you're focusing on the right things, but subconsciously you might have been focusing on what you don't want, because you've been worried about a certain scenario. And then you might experience that part of that "worst case" scenario is what you end up experiencing in your life, and NOT the things you believe you've been planning for. This might set you back for a while and make you depressed, but I'm telling you: When these kind of things happen, the best you can do is to try and focus on how you can change the situation for the better, - make the best out of it. As the saying goes: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" This is something I have experienced more than once in my own life, and I'm actually going through a period like that right now. I've been a positive person most of my life and have learned not to worry too much. It took a while, though, before I understood the connection between my thoughts and emotions and what unfolded in my life, but when I did, I managed to correct my course and have better experiences on a general basis. This is how I finally managed to get rid of a more or less constant migraine after a few very destressing years, and also managed to improve my day-to-day situation on so many levels. However: There are things in life that have been harder to keep out of mind than others, and harder to avoid worrying about. This has especially been the case with my health, and right now I'm going through a stressful time because of my eyes, or to be exact: One of my eyes. I've got a macula hole on my left eye, and will be submitted to hospital tomorrow for an eye operation. I'm not too concerned about the operation itself, because I will be sleeping during the procedure, but I'm kind of worried and stressed out about the first 3 days especially and also the first 3-4 weeks after the operation. But I'll do my best not to worry. This, too, shall pass... I've been struggling with this problem for a year now, and it has highly affected my ability to work online etc, so I've experienced a real set-back in my plans for an online business. At times I've been really depressed about it. I have no idea what the future will bring and how much I'll be able to do with my online business plans for the next few months. I might have to reconsider everything. But I won't give up quite yet. I've decided to "make lemonade" - try to find a new way of doing things. And I will succeed. I just might have to change my plans. I might have to take a completely different direction. But I'm trusting that it will be fine in the end. I'll focus on the possibilities, not the problems. I'll slow down and seek guidance from my inner self and from the Universe / God, and I'm sure I'll find the way. I actually quite like lemons. So I'll make lemonade ... Stay tuned and see what happens! And if life has given you some lemons, too, - let's make lemonade together! Everything will turn out fine! We might just have to change direction... À bientôt!
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Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels I'm passionate about living with intention, about living simply. I find that having a higher awareness around the way I want to live, has improved my life significantly. A simpler life equals a better life, the way I see it. Let me rule out one misconception right away: By simple I don't necessarily mean minimalistic. Yes, I'm definitly pro decluttering and getting rid of things you don't really need, but I don't mean that you have to strip down your home to a bare minimum to live a simple life. I'm definitly in favor of having things around you that bring you joy and also add to the quality of your life in different ways. This can be things like books, films, plants, board games, beautiful china, soft cushions... whatever brings joy to YOU. Having more things around you doesn't mean that your home needs to be a mess. There are beautiful ways you can organize your things so that each item has its own place and also gets the attention it deserves. You can do this either by displaying each item in a way that makes it stand out, or by keeping it stored away most of the time and just take it out on special occasions, which will give it a very special value. When I grew up, we had in my childhood home a beautiful blue glass bowl with gold details on it. This bowl only came out on special occasions, like Christmas or certain anniversaries. It became an item that all of us siblings really cherished (we are 6), and when our parents had died and we were dividing some things between us, this bowl was high up on everybody's "wish list", I think. Of course, only one of us could actually have it, and I was not that one, but it was OK. There were other cherished items, too, so we made sure that we all got one thing that we considered special, - one thing that we wanted to keep in remberance of our parents and of a happy childhood. We all had different memories and different favorites, so that was fine. On that note, I might also add that I myself have always been of the opinion that if anyone is going to envy me something, I'd rather not have it. No matter how dear a thing might be to me, it's definitly not worth falling out over! Picture from ebay - only meant as illustration. The mentioned bowl didn't look exactly like this. This was just an example of how one beloved item can really get that extra attention and love that it probably deserves. Things are mostly made for either a practical purpose or for pleasure - and sometimes both - and I believe that the things you surround yourself with should have at least one of those meanings to you. If they don't, you should get rid of them. Don't keep anything just because you got it as a present or don't have the "heart" to dispose of it. Ask yourself: Do I need this? Do I like this thing? Does it give me a good feeling to look at it? If your answer to all these questions is NO, then you know what to do. You don't necessarily need to throw it in the garbage bin, - you can give it away or try to sell it. Some items may be of high value and can bring in some cash, which is always good. I'll come back to how you can simplify your surroundings in a future article, and I'll tell you especially about how you can successfully do it the French way. But living a simpler life isn't just about things. It's just as much - if not more - about simplifying your daily tasks. It's about getting more time to do the things you enjoy, and ditching what you don't really want to spend time on. Very often we end up saying yes to things that other people suggest, even if we'd rather do something else. Why? Well, sometimes it's simply out of politeness or because we're afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Other times it's because we feel obliged to. We also might feel that other people's needs are so much more important than our own, - which is of course total crap! The result is often that we feel completely overwhelmed and exhausted by all the things we feel that we "should" be doing. If you're a person who keeps letting other people dictate your agenda: Stop doing that! Start practicing the word NO a bit more often! And you don't even have to give any reason why you're saying no. It's your right to decide how you want to spend your own time. It's really nobody's business. If you'd rather spend an evening in your bathtub with a good book instead of going out with your colleagues, then you should do that. Picture by cottonbro from Pexels.
I suggest that you start right now and think about how you can create a better life for yourself. What can you do right now to take that first step towards simplifying your life and getting rid of stress and overwhelm? One thing that can help you is to sign up for my FREE 5-day email course, which will really kick-start you in the right direction. Another option is to read some of my previous articles on the subject, like "Why being a people pleaser prevents you from living the good life that you could have" and other articles in the category Intentional Living (see menu of categories on the right). Whatever you decide: I'll definitly be writing a lot more about this in future articles, and I'm also working on an upcoming book - La Vie Adorable Blueprint - which I'll be giving away 50 FREE copies of when it's finished. If you want to be among the ones who get a FREE copy of the book sent in the mail, you can sign up for it here. I hope you enjoyed this article, and that you'll share it with someone you know who might enjoy it, too. À bientôt! Even if you can't travel to France right now, you can Frenchify your life right where you are. I love to start my day with a touch of France! Here's how I Frenchified my breakfast today: I prepared a mini-baguette that I got from my local supermarket, and ate it with some cheese and a few grapes from a Le Creuset plate. I also made myself a café au lait, and then made sure I had a view to La Tour Eiffel (on my table). I also surrounded myself with a magazine about French interiors and some books about Provence, like Peter Mayle's book "A Year in Provence". This was all it took to get me in the right mood of joie de vivre that I love! The French do NOT eat croissants and sweet pastry for breakfast every day, but of course this is also a way to Frenchify your breakfast, but maybe only in the weekends. You can either make your own croissants by following this recipe, or maybe you can get some from your local baker or grocery store. (Please note that the recipe I've linked to is not an affiliate link, so I get no commission for sharing it with you. You're of course free to look up other recipes on the internet, which I'm sure you'll find plenty of.) Fresh croissants with some delicious jam - preferrably some jam from Bonne Maman. Picture by Daria Shevstova from Pexels. Picture by cottonbro from Pexels.
Picture by Yan from Pexels.
So you're in this situation where you've been bending backwards to create a new life for yourself. For example: Maybe you've done everything imaginable to start an online business. You've been working really hard to create content, post on social media, be consistent, and you've been positive like hell and really believed in yourself. You've created lots of opt-ins and free stuff to build your email-list and an audience that would eventually buy your great digital products or physical products or whatever it is that you're going for. But nothing happens. No response. No list. No audience. Which again means no business. You just want to say "F*** it all!" and quit. And I don't blame you. And now I'll be completely honest with you: All the things I've described above is my own experience exactly. I've spent years doing all those things, and for what? Nothing. Or at least so it seems. Not a single penny has landed in my bank account for years, except for the few dollars that I myself and my close family have spent on "buying" my own products just to see if things worked as they should with my web-store! For years I've had no real response from people who has read my blog or listened to my (few and not so consistent) video broadcasts. So I don't really know if anyone actually reads what I write or listens to what I'm trying to communicate, or is even remotely interested in what I offer. No wonder I find myself wanting to give up half of the time, don't you agree? So what keeps me going? Good question! I've been asking myself the same thing on a regular basis! The answer? It's not all about the money. It's about living a good life. And even if the money hasn't yet come pouring in quite the way I'd like it to, I'm still improving my life day by day. I'm working on myself every day, to learn more, become a better version of myself in every way, upgrade my personal standard, set boundaries, do the things that make me happy, take care of my health and wellbeing, connect with (and surround myself with) people that lift me up and support and love me, and I simply do everything possible to live with intention. I'm intentionally trying every day to make room for what is important and ditch what is not. So I keep going, no matter what. Because I believe in my mission. I live what I preach! Even if I still haven't earned the money I need to really get to the next level. Yet. But I know I'll get there. Just tag along and you'll see. Because the principles I teach are simple, and they do work - if you follow them. And here's my main message for today: The most important thing is not all the things you're DOING. It's your MINDSET. If you really want that independent life where you work with what you love, when you want and from where you want, and make a solid income from it, an income that will make you financially free, - or (business or not) if you want to create a life for yourself that is completely and unapologetically on your own terms, and to live with intention.... Work on your mindset first. Because here's the thing: No matter if I cannot yet show you incredible wealth and success as a result of my online business (because I'm not quite there yet), I'm here to tell you that what I've just (very honestly) shared with you, is not a proof of failure, either! Because I believe that my life is improving every day, and with great personal success. The reason I'm not able to "show you the money" quite yet, as a proof of my own professional success, - is because I have actually done a few things wrong in the past when it comes to my online presence, and the most important ones are: 1) I haven't been clear enough on what my message actually is 2) I haven't been clear enough on who my audience is 3) I haven't been consistent enough, not visible enough 4) I've been doubting myself a lot, like whether or not I have something to say that is important to other people... ... and I could probably go on, but I'll just stop there, because this isn't really an article about how to create an online business, and I don't really want to focus on my mistakes, but on what you should do to have personal success. (I might come back to things related to professional success in later articles, though, as I move along with my own business.) So if you've already done a lot to move in the direction of your dreams, but you haven't gotten any visible results yet: Hang in there! Here are 3 steps that can change your situation (and this goes for both personal and professional success): 1) Stop DOING so much! :) Instead: Focus on just a few things every day. Make them easy and doable. Don't set yourself up for failure. 2) Stop over-thinking and trying to figure out HOW you can best succeed. Do what feels right for you and makes you happy, and have an open mind to people around you. Someone might open an unexpeted door for you with incredible opportunities, or help you with something you've been wondering how to cope with. 3) Set a POSITIVE INTENTION for every day, and then GO WITH THE FLOW! This may seem too simple, but why make it complicated? That's what we very often tend to do, and I believe that might be the reason why you haven't seen any results so far in your struggles to create a new and better life for yourself. So I suggest you try to follow these 3 steps for the next couple of weeks and see where that leads you. And I'd love to hear from you about that, so feel free to send me a note! I've written a lot about mindset and how your thoughts create your reality in other articles on my blog, so why not take some time now to read more about that or listen to this episode of "What If....? If you liked this article and want to learn more about Intentional Living, check out my new course: Kick-start your new life in 5 days! I also hope you'll follow my blog and / or leave a comment below to let me know what you think of it. À bientôt! Screenshot from The List's YouTube video "Why The Duke of Hastings of Bridgerton looks so familiar" You've probably heard by now: Netflix has had great success with its new series "Bridgerton", set in Regency London of the late 18th -/ early 19th centuries. And the name on every lady's lips, both in the series and in real life, is "The Duke of Hastings" or "Simon Bassett", played by 31 year old Regé-Jean Page. I was one of many who was looking forward to the release of the series on December 25th, but I didn't start watching it until just after New Year, and quite frankly: To begin with I didn't really think I would like it, because the opening scenes didn't quite catch me, so I was considering whether or not I should stop watching altogether. But then the Duke of Hastings entered the scene, and any thought of quitting the series was swiftly cast aside. I just knew immediately that I wanted more. Was this just a shallow decision on my behalf, made on the grounds of his dazzling looks? Well, I must admit that his dazzling looks had a great deal to do with it. But can you blame me? I mean: Tall, dark and handsome is never wrong, is it? However: I'm actually not at all shallow, and good looks is just something that initially makes me find a man interesting. There has to be more to the equation than that for a man to keep my interest over a long period of time. So what was it about the Duke of Hastings that made me binge-watch the whole of Season 1 of "Bridgerton" in one sitting? Well, first of all, let me just say that I'm a huge fan of British period dramas, so the whole setting was already great. But "Bridgerton" is also very different from other dramas in this genre because of the fact that in it, racially diverse characters populate all classes of British society, including the highest echelons. And the most eligible bachelor of all is a black man: The Duke of Hastings. This is something that highly appeals to me with this series, and it makes it a drama that I find very appropriate for this time and space that we find ourselves in. The actor portraying The Duke of Hastings, Regé-Jean Page, said it very well in an interview with NPR's Ailsa Chang (quote): "I think it's incredibly important that when we are indulging ourselves in these kind of great, big Cinderella fantasies, that everyone gets to see themselves as worthy of status and glamour and love and redemption. And being the protagonist in these stories and being the protagonist in these settings where you can see yourself as rich, attractive and admirable is important for absolutely everyone." But what about the charachter himself, The Duke of Hastings - what is it that makes him so attractive to us women? Well, apart from the fact that "he is a tall, dark, handsome, brooding, thoroughly broken man who is struggling with issues of legacy and pride and trauma, and in that way fits pretty well into the archetype of (...) the stoic, brooding Clint Eastwood type (...), very kind of Darcy, Heathcliff... all these men who are hugely emotionally stunted..." (again quoted from Regé-Jean Page), - he's also (as Ailsa Chang pointed out in the podcast interview) quite different from other Regency-era romantic leads. What perhaps ultimately makes him a modern character, is that even though he's a man struggling with his demons, he seems vulnerable. That's something I personally find highly attractive in a man, and quite frankly: I believe most women do. The Duke of Hastings is struggling to relate with Daphne, the woman who eventually becomes his wife. But he manages to figure out how to (I quote the actor) "open the doors in himself that make him worthy of love and capable of giving love to her", - and that, ladies, is - I believe - the whole clue to a successful relationship: Opening up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable with the other person and really trying to understand who they are and who you are. Women have generally been better at this than most men, but - thank God! - this seems to have changed in the last century, and men are picking up on this more and more and are beginning to understand that masculinity isn't all about being strong and never showing any feelings, but that showing vulnerability is actually a strength. Regé-Jean Page said it so beautifully in the interview, when asked what he most of all wants audiences to learn from The Duke of Hastings: "That here is always a place to listen and evolve and grow; that there is more than one type of strength; that a lot of the time, exerting strength and dominance - which Simon, I think, starts from - can in fact be what's holding you back, what's making you weaker. And I think that figuring out how to open the doors in yourself that make you worthy of love and capable of giving love is that ongoing conversation that I was most interested in exploring." Well, I must say: He did it well. I don't think I'm alone in falling completely in love with the Duke of Hastings. Showing vulnerability, combined with his manners, his show of respect for her, his ability to have intellectual and honest conversations with her, his way of conducting himself, and his classy way of dressing, his immaculate taste ... it all made the "package" complete. But what absolutely cracked me up was this: I just adored the way he discretely talked to Daphne about things that helped her discover her own sexuality in a way that would take away any feel of shame that she might have around it and help her see it as a completely natural thing. This really melted my heart, especially since I could personally relate to what she might think and feel about these matters. I grew up in a religious family and ... well, I had similar thoughts of shame and guilt around exploring my own sexuality when I was very young, so I absolutly loved the way the Duke of Hastings addressed this. Just take a look at this scene from the series: And to be absolutely honest: His way of gently and passionately making love to Daphne and making her feel like the most important and desirable woman on earth, - that alone was something that made him a highly desirable man. So what can men of today learn from the Duke of Hastings? Exactly those things that I've mentioned in this article, and then some. Need a recap? Well, here you have it - my very special "Golden list" of attractive traits in a man: Vulnerability The ability to open up to recieving and giving love on a deep level Good manners Good taste / showing interest in grooming yourself and looking good without "showing off" Discretion Respect for her as a woman and as a human being Welcoming the fact that she's different from you as a man and therefor also someone you can learn new and valuable things from The ability to have intellectual and honest conversations with a woman and being fully present in the moment and not easily distracted by other things Tenderness & intimacy Making a woman feel like she's the one, - the one you adore and desire and love above anyone else on this planet Hard to live up to? Well, any man who at least TRIES to be some of these things to a woman, will be considered highly attractive and desirable, - at least in MY book. --------- I hope you enjoyed this article and found it valuable. If so, I can inform you that I'll be writing more in the near future on both manners, etiquette and what I regard as attractive traits in both men and women, - among other things. So stay tuned! And if you haven't already watched "Bridgerton", I suggest you do! À bientôt! Happy New Year, my friend! I want to share my intentions for this new year with you, and I hope it will inspire you to make your own declaration for 2021. These are my intentions for this year: I will continue to design my life the way I want it and move in the direction of my dreams. I will think thoughts of prosperity and success and let go of all fear, worries and negativity. I will savor every moment and keep decluttering my life in every way, which means getting rid of the things/beliefs etc that no longer serve me, and make room for more of what is important to me. I will make sure to incorporate more activity in my daily routines, in order to get enough exercise on a regular basis and get a leaner and stronger body. I will eat proper, healthy and nutrituous food and use quality produce to prepare my meals. I will do more of what makes me happy. I will manage my money in a good and sensible manner. I will find more ways to do work that can help others and at the same time enable me to use my creativity and create financial freedom for myself. I will love fiercly. I will meet life with full presence and power. I will reclaim my agenda. I will defeat my demons. I will advance with abandon. I will practice joy and gratitude. I will amplify love. I will inspire greatness. I will slow down and stop stressing. --------------- I hope you liked this post. If it inspired you to make your own declaration for 2021, or if you'd like to have a shorter version of it that I have created for you, you can get a printable version by following the link below. I've called it THE FEMALE LIFE DESIGNER'S MANIFESTO Picture by Olya Kobruseva via Pexels Christmas is soon upon us, and if you’re in need of some gift inspiration, I’m here to help. Whether you’re buying a gift for a Francophile or simply wanting to buy gifts like the French, I have the gift guide for you. Keep in mind that some of these gifts can be a bit pricy, but there are gifts for every budget on it. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be luxurious! And, a little tip: never discuss the price of a gift. The French find it both uncouth and uncivilised, and I think we should stop focusing on the price of gifts. You should never feel like you have to spend more than you can afford, or that a gift isn’t nice enough if it was cheap. It’s the though that counts! So, without further ado, let’s dive into some tips for cadeaux your Francophile friends will enjoy (and for anyone really, there are some lovely gift ideas on this list)! 1. French food Picture by Leah Kelly via Pexels Even though you maybe aren’t currently in France, you can still find French food items in many shops, and especially if you go to a specialty shop. Suggestions for French food items to gift are French cheese (some suggestions are Brie, Saint Agur or Saint Albray), French macaroons, Madeleines or some luxurious French chocolate that will make the receiver say “Oh la la!” 2. A cheeseboard If you have a Francophile friend, why not help them Frenchify their dinner parties? A French dinner party rarely ends without getting the cheese out. So, what’s more perfect than giving them a cheeseboard? You can find cheeseboards in all shapes and sizes at any price level. If you want to splurge you can include a set of cheese knives or some cheese to go with the board. Picture by RODNAE Productions via Pexels 3. French wine, liquor or champagne Picture by Sabel Blanco via Pexels Continuing the “food-theme” we move onto French alcohol. If you want to give someone alcohol you should always look into two things in advance: 1) do they actually consume alcohol? 2) Do they have any preferences? Once you know that it’s safe to get them alcohol as a gift, you can look for a nice French wine, some French liquor, or, if you really want to splurge: Champagne from Champagne. 4. French perfume or cologne Picture by Valeria Boltneva via Pexels If you know the persons taste in scents, a French perfume or cologne is a great gift. From Chanel to Jean Paul Gaultier, there are a lot to choose from. Some classic French perfumes include Chanel n°5 and Miss Dior. If you need more ideas, have a look at this list of The most Iconic French Perfumes Of All Time. For colognes Dior Homme, Dior Eau Sauvage or Jean Paul Gaultier La Male would be a good choice for a French classic. 5. French make-up Picture by Romina BM via Pexels It’s something about those French brands … By Terry, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Lancôme … just the names ooze luxury and class. Most of us will never be able to afford a classic Chanel bag, so the next best thing is their makeup. A nice lipstick or nail polish is a small, but luxurious gift most women will appreciate. 6. A subscription to a French magazine Picture by me If we can’t be in France, we can dream of it, can’t we? So, why not give your Francophile friend a magazine subscription? This is a gift that keeps on giving, since the recipient will get a new magazine at regular intervals. Some classics to choose from are Marie Claire, Vouge and Elle. If you want something more “outside the box”, there are plenty of others to choose from, like Télérama (which covers TV, music, cinema and more) or LiRE (which covers books and literature). ("French Cottage" in the picture above is published by Victoria Magazine / Victoria Classics.) To find subscriptions available in your country, you can visit Unipress who (according to them) deliver 650 different magazines to more than 190 countries. 7. French lessons If your friend is a Francophile, but doesn’t know the language very well, it could be nice to gift them some French lessons. If there aren’t any classes available in your local area, you can gift them a subscription to a language learning service like Babbel or Duolingo. 8. Crêpe Pan (and a wooden batter spreader) Crêpes are a French dessert classic – but you can also make them with a savoury filling. The sweet ones are called crêpes sucrées, while the savoury galettes are called crêpes salées. A proper crêpe pan will be a perfect gift for Francophiles and French expats alike! And you have plenty of options. You can buy anything from the easy to use non-stick ones to electric griddles. Just remember to also get them a wooden batter spreader so they can get a professional finish to their crêpes! 9. Books Picture from amazon.com - photographer unknown Whether you choose to get something by a classic poet or a more contemporary book, books are a nice gift for just about anyone. Try to find something in their favourite genre, but if you don’t know any of their favourites, a book about French food or French lifestyle is a safe choice. One example is the book Bright Lights Paris: Shop, Dine & Live...Parisian Style. 10. A classic piece of clothing Picture from amazon.com - product picture for VTGDR (link in article) If you want to gift someone a piece of clothing, choose classic pieces and neutral colours. Pieces like these will never go out of style and is therefore a safe and sustainable choice. Classic pieces can include: a Breton stripe top, a black jumper, some nice wool gloves, or a scarf. If you’re buying for a man in your life a nice wool tie is also a stylish option. Whenever you are looking for clothing, remember that natural fibres like wool, linen and cotton are best. They are more breathable to wear and keep better. In addition, they do not release microplastics in the wash. 11. Candles or a reed diffuser Picture from amazon.com - product picture (link in article) A scented candle or reed diffuser can be a nice touch in any home, and can help you relax. It’s no secret that a high-end candle can be expensive, but it is a really nice gift. Among the high-end brands, Diptyque might be the most famous of them all. They are known for quality and beautiful designs. Another well-known high-end brand is Ladurée. However, there are (luckily) many budget friendly candles and reed diffusers to be found. Some of these even produce candles that are good dupes for Diptyques scents. Some brands to look for are Brooklyn Candle Studio, Tussie Mussie and Maison Marie Louise. An alternative to scented candles is a reed diffuser. These create a long lasting scent in your home. One advantage the reed diffuser holds is that you can leave it wherever you want, and don’t have to keep an eye on it like you have to do with a burning candle. Many candle brands carry both candles and reed diffusers. Reed diffusers are generally easy to find, but some nice ones to mention are the ones from The White Company and the Danish brand Meraki. 12. Something for the bath or shower Picture by me I think most people would like to receive a nice quality bath or shower product. Most of us don’t splurge on these items in our everyday life, but there is nothing like a good spa-like product. It can elevate any mundane Monday morning shower. Some brand suggestions are Le Petit Marseillais, Durance or Bioderma. Another well know brand is Yves Rocher. 13. Savon de Marseille Savon de Marseille is a soap with long traditions. It has been produced in Marseille for around 600 years. Traditionally it was made by mixing sea water from the Mediterranean Sea, olive oil and alkaline ash from sea plants. The mixture was heated for several days before it was poured into molds. Today there are two main varieties: one made with olive oil and one made with palm oil (or a mix of palm and coconut oil). Savon de Marseille is often used for washing delicate garments like wool and silk. It’s also used as a hand soap, but then mostly in it’s liquid form. 14. Christmas ornaments from Paris Picture from amazon.com - product picture (link in article) You can find many Christmas ornaments shaped like famous landmarks from Paris. These can be really beautiful on any three, and will remind the receiver of one of their favourite places in the world. You can find ornaments like Arc de Triumph or the tour Eiffel in the online shop Christmas Company or on Amazon. 15. Tea Product picture from mariagefreres.com (link in article)
For the tea lovers in your life, this is a great gift. Teas from the famous Mariage Freres will always be popular. This tea company sells everything from Darjeeling to Earl Grey and different fruit and herbal teas. ---------- I hope you found this article valuable! Feel free to comment below and also share the article with someone else who might be interested. And if you're interested in reading more articles related to France, check out the French Lifestyle and Everything French categories in the menu bar of my blog. Picture by Moose photos via Pexels French women are experts on how to look effortless and chic. To them, it seems almost second nature. Today, I’ll dive into how you can create a simple, yet elegant makeup look. And: the best thing about it is that if you use makeup already, you will probably have all the items it takes to make a French makeup look. Less is more In almost all instances you can “frenchify” your life by thinking “less is more”. What I mean by this is that French women have tuned in on what is important to them and removed everything that’s unimportant. French women use makeup to enhance their features, not hide them away or alter them in any big way. That’s why you will rarely see a woman with full contour and smokey eyes on the streets of Paris. It’s all about looking like the best version of yourself, not turning into someone else. So let’s dive into what makes French makeup so effortless and “I woke up like this” chic. 8 steps to create a French makeup look Picture by Andrea Piaquadio via Pexels It all starts with skincare To make the most out of your canvas, you should always prep it. French women prep their skin by taking care of it. If you need some tips on how to best take care of your skin, you can read my article on French skincare. And if you just want to jump right in: always let a moisturizer be the first step in your makeup routine. Skip the foundation Remember, less is more. French makeup is all about discretion. So you won’t see French women wear a ton of foundation. What they’ll do is dab a little concealer on, or maybe use a BB-cream. A BB-cream is perfect for a French makeup look as it is a three-in-one product. A BB-cream will moisturize, give you light coverage and, most importantly, has SPF. French makeup is basically there to enhance. The idea is that no one should notice the makeup before they notice the woman. A hint of blush French women love to glow and accentuate their healthy skin. In order to get this look, you need a good blush. However, it should never be too bright. You can brighten up the face by applying a touch of rose or pink coloured blush to the apples of your cheeks. Cream blushes are more popular because they are easier to blend to get a natural look. Tip: to make your look even fresher and more sunkissed, you can throw a little bit of bronzer into the mix. Just be careful to not use too much. Keep your brows full Picture by Andrea Piacuadio via Pexels You’ll find no perfectly sculpted brows in a French makeup look. Rather, the brows will be kept full, and never overly filled in. The French look is all about looking clean and groomed, but not overly polished. Stay away from eyebrow pencils and pomades. Keep it simple with some eyebrow mascara. For a natural brow, apply the mascara in short upward strokes. Make sure to follow the natural curve of your eyebrows. Just a touch of mascara If you want a French makeup look, you should keep your eye makeup simple. Give your lashes a good curl, treat them with a good lash conditioner and add just a hint of mascara. Skip the eyeliner and focus your attention on a good mascara that will give your eyes dimension. Natural eyeshadows Picture by Andrea Piacuadio via Pexels Most French women will not wear a lot of eye shadow on an everyday basis, but if you want to add some colour to your eyes, go for neutral tones. To achieve a French makeup look you should dab on a minimal amount. It does not have to look perfect, but it should be well blended with no sharp edges. The signature red lip To go with the very simple eye makeup you can add the staple of any French makeup look “la pièce de résistance” if you wish: the bold red lip. The red lip can be worn with any outfit, whether it is a t-shirt and jeans or an evening gown. The red lip will add drama where you need it. Just remember that the french will most often wear this bold colour with the rest of the makeup being very minimal. When you wear a red lip, nothing should steal attention away from it. Picture by Milena Hasvil via Pexels
Focus on one feature If you want one simple piece of advice you can take away from this, it is to keep it simple. Focus on one feature at the time. If you wear a red lipstick, make everything else discrete. If you wear a bold eye makeup look, keep the lips natural. Focusing on one feature at the time will make your face look brighter and fresher. Keep it relaxed Casual makeup application has become a popular trend which emphasizes French women’s relaxed approach to makeup. The point of this type of application is to make it less perfect and more lived in. Do a smokey eye by blending out your eyeliner with your finger or use your fingertip to apply lipstick by dabbing it on (only with clean hands of course!) This helps you achieve a more natural less polished look. Just like French women! -------- Did you like this article? Then you might also like my article on French skincare. I'd love to hear from you, so if you want to leave a comment below, I'll be thrilled! Also feel free to share this article with anyone else who might be interested in it. Picture by Jessica Lewis via Pexels Every year I hear many people complain about how stressed out they feel before Christmas. Even though most people enjoy the holiday itself, many of us seem to stress around to get everything prepared in time. So, today I want to talk to you about how you can make your December stress free. 1. PLAN AHEAD OF TIME I know we’re only in November, but time flies, and December is just around the corner. I know there are always lots of things we want to do, and feel like we have to do before Christmas arrives, and I think the best way we can tackle this is by planning. That’s all well and good, but what should you plan? I suggest sitting down with a nice hot beverage, and make a list. What is it that you need to get done? I have some suggestions for common things, so let’s look at the categories together: Picture by Dana Tentis via Pexels Cleaning your house or apartment If you live in an apartment you’re kind of lucky – there are fewer spaces for you to clean. But if you have a house, there is more to do. I know my ex mother in law would clean the walls and ceilings for Christmas, but unless you feel it is really necessary to do this, I suggest you skip it! However, there are a few cleaning tasks you probably want to do: cleaning the windows, vacuuming and washing the floors, washing the bathroom and dusting. You might feel stressed out about all the cleaning you need to do before Christmas, but realize this: you most likely have a regular schedule for most of these tasks. The only extra activity is cleaning the windows, which you probably do a little less often. And maybe washing the floors, which you might do less frequently than vacuuming. To make it easy for you to plan your cleaning, get my FREE downloadable list! Picture by Cottonbro via Pexels So, sit down and check your calendar: When is Christmas this year? I mean: What day does it fall on? If you have a regular cleaning schedule where you vacuum, do the dusting and wash your bathroom on a Friday and Christmas falls on a Thursday, you simply follow your normal routine up until the week of Christmas. So you’ll do your regular cleaning the Friday before, then again on Wednesday, right before Christmas. Then you wash your floors on that same Wednesday. As for the windows, I suggest washing them one or two weeks before Christmas. Plan your baking & cooking Picture by Kaboompics via Pexels The next point of planning I want to talk about is baking and cooking. Do you have a habit of making cookies for Christmas? Or do you have any special meals you like to cook? Well, plan it ahead of time. I've made it easy for you by creating this FREE downloadable and printable Christmas baking plan. In Norway we have a tradition that says you should bake 7 different sorts of Christmas cookies. And that’s a lot of baking if you’re going to follow tradition. With our modern lives it may be hard to fit this in between everything else that’s going on. So, before December knocks on our door, I like to plan when I’m going to bake my cookies. Sometimes I like to make several types of cookies in one day, to reduce the number of baking days. But then I always make sure that if one cookie is particularly laborious to make, the other ones are easy to make. On Christmas we also like to serve traditional food for our lunch and dinners. These meals often take a lot of time to prepare, and there may be several operations happening in the kitchen at the same time. To reduce the amount of stress, I like to see if there is anything I can make ahead of time and just reheat it when the day arrives. With a lot of dishes, they even taste better when they’re reheated! Picture by Daria Shevstova via Pexels One thing that comes to mind is gravy, but many desserts can also be made ahead of time and frozen. Plan your Gifts Picture by Olya Kobruseva via Pexels We all love gifts, don’t we? But at Christmas, you often have so many people you need to think of that it becomes stressful to find a gift for everyone. So, start now, and make a list of everyone you plan to give a gift. This takes away the stress of being afraid you’ve forgotten someone. You're more than welcome to use my FREE downloadable list if you want to. When you’ve made your list, start looking for gifts. Some people are easy to give gifts to, but if you’re uncertain of what to give, ask people what they want (or need)! And, for people who have everything they need and then some, you can give edible gifts. Some chocolate or a bottle of wine (if they drink alcohol) is always appreciated, as it is a gift they can use. I know this next idea is a little late to do it this year, but I know people who start buying gifts in January! Talk about being ahead of the game! But I guess it’s because a lot of things are on sale in January, so you could save a lot of money if you buy most of your Christmas presents then. However, I would only do this if I absolutely KNOW that this is a gift that the person will like a year from now. Picture by fotografierende via Pexels If you want ALL my FREE downloadable Christmas planners, you can get them in one bundle here. 2. REDUCE WHAT YOU'RE COMMITTING TO DO As always with intentional living, I should mention that to make your December stress free, you might want to reduce the amount of things you’re doing. Don’t overdo the cleaning For some reason we have this feeling that we have to clean in excessive amounts before Christmas, even though most of us have regular cleaning schedules we follow throughout the year that are more than enough to keep our homes clean and tidy. But for some odd reason a lot of us feel a need to clean in bizarre places before Christmas, like the bottom of the drawers in our dressers... I mean ... come on! It doesn’t hurt if people understand that we actually sit, breathe and live in our houses! There’s no need to exaggerate! So: If you feel stressed out about cleaning, reduce what you clean. As I mentioned, I don’t see the point in washing my walls and ceiling, so I don’t do that. And no one dies if there’s a little dust in a corner. Really, I promise it will be fine! Keeping to your normal cleaning routine can help make your December stress free. Picture by Cottonbro via Pexels Keep the baking to what you will actually eat Another thing you can reduce is the amount of cooking and baking you’re doing. Is there a cookie you make every Christmas that no one really eats? Or is it simply too many cookies to manage eating them all before they go stale? Well, reduce the amount! As I mentioned, there is a tradition of baking 7 different types of cookies for Christmas in Norway. But for the most of us, it’ll be too many to consume (and to have time to bake them all). I know that even though I like baking, some years it’s only achievable to bake maybe 2 or 3 types of Christmas cookies. And that’s fine! Christmas will come anyways. And when I understand that I will only have time to bake a certain amount, I prioritize what I bake. So I only bake our favorites. If you absolutely want a certain kind of cookie but don’t have the time to bake, there are a few options: One option is to buy the cookies you want. Most stores sell the classics, so you can get your hands on them without baking. Another alternative is to arrange a cookie-swap with friends and family. If you only have time to bake 1 type of cookie but have 4 friends or family members who are also baking, you can arrange for everyone to bake something different and swap. So, you’ll have 5 types of cookies from the effort of making 1! Another tip (as mentioned above) is to reduce the recipe, so you have a more manageable amount to eat. Gifts and advent calendars Picture by Torsten Dettlaff via Pexels As much as we all love gifts, we also appreciate good food and good company. And we could all do well to focus more on that. Not only do most people have what they need, it’s also better for the environment to reduce the amount of stuff we give each other. So rather than stressing about finding physical gifts for people, gift them time. This time could be something you do for them (like cleaning, baking or helping them with something) or an activity they can do (or that you can do together). I also know that a lot of parents (myself included) love making advent calendars for their children. However, a lot of the time these calendars are filled with trinkets that are fun right there and then but are soon forgotten about or broken. It can also be a bit stressful to go around finding 24 (or 25) little gifts and wrap them all. I prefer filling the advent calendar with a combination of things they need (like socks, notebooks etc), some candy (but not every day!), and then things like face masks, nail polish and other beauty products (for my girl), Christmas decorations for their room, snack bars, small candles, etc. You're welcome to use this downloadable FREE Advent Calendar Gift Plan if you want to! Alternative advent calendars: -A Christmas book: find a book with 24 (or 25) chapters, so that they can read a chapter a day (or you can read to them before bed). This shifts the focus towards spending more time together. -Reversed advent calendar: with this one, your child gets a packet of 24 (or 25) bows or ribbons at the first day of December. The bows will be used to mark a toy or a piece of clothing they no longer use, and can part with. Mark one item every day. Collect the toys and clothes and donate them so they can go to someone in need. For younger children you can tell them that the toys are taken to the North pole so Santa can “fix them up” and give them to other children. In return, Santa will bring some new toys for them for Christmas (make sure to not promise that Santa will replace everything they give away, though!) For older children it’s nice to explain that not everyone is as fortunate as they are. It’s nice for them to learn about the joy of giving, and most children who are old enough to understand will be happy to be able to help someone else. Picture by Skitterphoto via Pexels -Activity calendar: instead of getting things in their calendar every day, you can give them an activity each day. This may sound like a lot of effort, but this can be activities you’ve already planned for, and activities that don’t take too long to do. For example: you can wrap a cookie cutter for the day when you’ve planned baking cookies. Another gift can be hot chocolate after dinner, a round of cards or staying up 15 minutes longer to read an extra story at bedtime. Your imagination is the limit! 3. MAKE YOUR OWN TRADITIONS I find that stress is often caused by things we’ve committed to do, but don’t really want to do. In order to make December stress free, I want to suggest to you that you make your own traditions. You might think this is counterproductive, adding more things to what you do, but hear me out. What I mean, is that sometimes we follow traditions simply because they’re traditions and because that’s how we’ve always done things. I’m here to tell you that if there are traditions that you have, that you are committed to only because they’re traditions, it’s okay to cut them out. For example: If you don’t enjoy participating in the "Secret Santa" tradition at work because you find it stressful to try and find a gift for a colleague that you might not even know very well, it’s okay to opt out of it. You can make your own traditions Instead of following old traditions that don’t suit your lifestyle and don’t mean much to you, create your own. Maybe instead of exchanging gifts with your friends you want to arrange an informal lunch at your house? (You could even order the food!) Or maybe there are things that you want to add to your routine to slow down? Some activities can release stress even if they’re an addition to what you usually do. Spending time with your loved ones is one of such activities. Or maybe there is something you’ve always wanted to do before Christmas that you never got around to? Maybe there's a certain Christmas movie you want to watch, or maybe you want to go to the ballet to see the Nutcracker performed. Or maybe you just want to do something simple to add more “hygge”, like lighting a candle every night while you drink a cup of tea, or get up 15 minutes earlier each morning to take a little extra time with your breakfast. These are all things you can do to make December stress free for yourself. Picture by Olya Danilevich via Pexels
I hope this article has inspired you to really think about what you spend your time and money on this December, and hope the things I’ve covered are things that are really meaningful to YOU. If not, it’s okay to cut something out and add something else in order to make YOUR December stress free. And remember: My FREE downloadable and printable Christmas planners can make it even easier for you, so I suggest you get them right now! À bientôt! Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels French women always seem to have great skin, don’t they? Well, there’s a reason for that: they do skincare … well … the French way. French skincare is different to skincare in America, or even in different European countries. So, if you want great skin, try simplifying your skincare routine by adopting French skincare. HOW IS FRENCH SKINCARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TYPE OF SKIN CARE? Well, for a start: French skincare is more relaxed and intentional. It’s also quite minimal. Typically, a French skincare routine will have 3 steps. The key factors are a mild cleanser, a toner and a good moisturizer. You can compare that to an average skincare routine in other countries (where you’ll often find recommendations for doing an elaborate routine both in the morning AND evening). A typical skincare routine in other countries may look something like this: Do not mistake the relaxed attitude for indifference In a French skincare routine you know what each step does. And a French woman will certainly not freak out over a pimple. She’ll simply let it run it’s course, because there are more important things in life. I think we can all learn something from French women here. It’s our imperfections that make us who we are, and honestly, we should all learn to love those imperfections! However, this relaxed attitude must not be mistaken for not caring for their skin. It’s just that the focus is different. A simple, yet effective routine leaves time to enjoy other aspects of life. Like a good cup of coffee in the morning. French skincare is just as much about prevention and having good skin in the future as it is about having good skin right now. Additional steps to the basic routine In addition to the 3 key steps, a French woman will use a gentle exfoliant once or twice a week. There is no need to use it more often, and your skin needs to rest. If you exfoliate too often, your skin will be stripped of it’s natural barrier and you might end up with dry skin that breaks out. In addition to a simple routine, French women tend to start getting facials at quite a young age. Typically, they’ll get a facial maybe once a month. Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels How can I replicate a French skincare routine at home? 1. Reduce the number of products. First, go through your products. Most likely you’ll do well to reduce the amount of products you use. You especially need to get rid of any harsh cleansers or exfoliants. Any soapy cleansers are no use in a French skincare routine, as soap can disturb your skin’s pH balance and strips away natural bacteria (that are good for your skin). Instead, opt for mild cleansers that remove makeup gently. 2. Stick to your products Another thing French women do, is they stick to the same products. They find some products that work for their skin, whether that’s oily, dry or normal skin. And you should too! When you buy products, buy with intention. And when you find something that works for you, stick with it! You may change between a lighter and heavier moisturizer depending on the season, but other than that, your skin will thank you for not overloading it with new products all the time. That way you save your money and you save your skin. 3. Buy few, but high-quality skin products As I touched upon just now, you want to buy only a few products. But the products you buy should be high quality. So stay away from the superstore value pack moisturizer and do like French women: go to the pharmacy. French women don’t buy their skincare products just anywhere. They prefer buying them at the pharmacy, where they can also get expert help to find the best products for their skin. When you’re shopping for new products, you should never be afraid to ask for help. How you can benefit from a French skincare routine If you struggle with your skin, I think you could definitely benefit from simplifying your routine and adopt French skincare! Less is more, and with an effortless routine you can enjoy the rest of your day with less stress. If you choose to adopt a French skincare routine, I also think you’ll find that you slowly will get a more relaxed relationship to your skin. --------------- I hope this blog post has been of value to you. If you liked it, you might also be interested in my article about 12 Ways You Can Become Slim & Chic Like A French Woman Without Even Breaking A Sweat. If you enjoyed this blog post, feel free to leave a comment below and also share it with someone else who might enjoy it, too! À bientôt! |
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