ThatFrenchGirl, Author at Thoughts From a French Girl

Food

30/07/2021

My Avocado Sandwich

Like most people I love sandwiches, I love them so much that I am perfectly happy to have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Today I am sharing my lovely avocado sandwich on whole-wheat bread. Be sure to tell me how much you enjoyed it in the comments below! My avocado sandwich 1 small avocado1 small lemon or lime (juice half or two teaspoons) add to taste1 TBSP good jarred pesto1-2 small radishes thinly sliced1 small sweet pickle sliced thinlycheese of your choice-I chose Emmental cheese2 slices of whole wheat bread2 TBSP veganase or your favo[...]

Motherhood

28/07/2021

French girl Picks: Self Care for Mom

My top realistic 10 tips for mom self care Let's face it, being a mom is a lot of work. Regardless of what type of mom you are, stay at home, helicopter, relaxed or working, you face daily challenges that are unique to your family. And I know, it is difficult to find time for yourself, taking time to "reboot" is mentally beneficial not only to you but also to your entire family. You feel better, and you feel like a better parent/spouse. Here I will give you my top 10 self-care tips for moms to help take care of themselves – each tip only takes 5[...]

Motherhood

27/07/2021

Ideas for Family night

Like many of you during quarantine, I had to come up with clever ways to not only entertain my rather rambunctious five, now six, year old but I also had to be creative with family night. Now I am very aware that having spent so much time together some of us are either sick of each other or are in desperate need of getting outdoors. This is what led me to create my perfect list of family night activities. What should you do together, now that quarantine is over? Gone are the days where we would sit around the coffee or dinner table and play a great game o[...]

Motherhood

27/07/2021

My tips for Sleep training your child

So many of us love to sleep with our babies. When we first receive them we don't want to let go, the smell, the sweet way the baby cuddles into your chest, you're hooked. The one piece of advice I give all new moms is this, "Your baby is a master manipulator." I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is the whole truth. When I had my first son, I wanted to be near him all the time but my mom's arm's length parenting had stuck in me. From the start, he slept in his own bed, and in his own room. He only slept with me when he wasn't feeling very well and that w[...]

Food

27/07/2021

My Go-to Dairy Alternatives

A few years ago I was a vegetarian, who dabbled a little in vegan. I felt it was the best choice for me for many reasons, reasons which I will get into another time. After the birth of my first son I have had issues with dairy, so every now and then I reach for dairy alternatives. I know that some people, my husband included, think I should just grab a pill to help me with my sensitivity but I personally don't want to do that since my sensitivity is not that alarming. When I use the dairy alternatives, I really do notice a difference. Especially when it comes[...]

Decor

26/07/2021

Restoring Project Part 1

When we decided to move to France a few years ago, one of the things we were most excited about was getting old items and restoring them. Now I must confess I am not a natural DIY'er. In fact, I am very bad at it. However, I put in a lot of effort. I practice, because like Joanna Gaines once said, you learn and your practice. Ok, she may have not have said that exactly that but trust me it was something like that. So when I found this lovely cabinet tucked away in a storage unit of an antique dealer, I decided to put my amateur skills to the test. I think i[...]

LifeStyle

22/07/2021

French Girl Picks: Walking

When I lived in Oregon everyone and their mother walked or ran, no matter the weather. Which I found to be inspiring. I used to run like crazy in NOLA (New Orleans), but as I've gotten older I realized that running was causing damage to my hips and knees. Since moving to France I have done more walking than I have ever done in my entire life. Even when I was younger before I started driving. I have also climbed more stairs than I ever thought possible. Before moving I discovered I was doing something seriously wrong with the way I was eating and exercising.[...]

French Girl Picks, LifeStyle

20/07/2021

French Girl Picks: My Summer List

It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of summer. There are reasons why I am not a fan, the biggest being the heat. I am not happy when I am hot, I turn into a giant baby! I don't like to sweat, and I really don't like tanning. This is hilarious because I tan like a golden goddess. Thanks to my mother who is naturally brown, I have a yellow hue to my skin tone. When I sit in the sun, for just a few minutes my skin turns a soft warm brown. Another thing that is going to make you roll your eyes, is my hair. Somehow I get these natural blonde highlights tha[...]

Travel

19/07/2021

Travel Diaries: Maintenon

Despite being so big, this sweet chateau is romantic and cosy! When I stepped on the TER bound for Maintenon I didn't know what I was going to encounter. Based on what I knew historically about Madame Francoise, I figured I would see a lot of Catholic religious items and a very quiet colorless decor. Why? Again, based on what I have read about her being a deeply pious woman. Walking just a short distance from the gare I was pleasantly greeted with forests, the sound of babbling water, and whistling trees waving softly in the wind. Instantly I fell in[...]

Decor

16/07/2021

How I created My Version of a French Country House

As many of you know I recently moved to a small rural town in France. While I loved my home in the States, it lacked direction and just that sense of comfort that home gives you. The reason I failed so hard at creating a cosy environment was that I had no direction. Until now! I began my process by looking for what spoke to me. As I have mentioned in the past I love Washington and Oregon. I love the magic and the weather. (just everything). Sadly, aside from "Twin Peaks", "Grey's Anatomy", IZombie, and Kramer, my only reference for warmth was Twilight. Oh[...]