We can’t all wake up in France, but we can add a little French joie de vivre to our mornings. Try a few of these French rituals and say Bonjour to your day!
5 Ways to Say Bonjour to the Morning
1) Enjoy a petit dejeuner – The French are known for eating light breakfasts. In fact, they consider breakfast to be a petit dejeuner or a “little lunch”. To add a little French twist to your breakfast, forgo your typical cold cereal or bacon and eggs and opt for yogurt and/or a few small slices of a French baguette smeared with butter or preserves. Add a piece of fresh fruit, a big glass of water, and a cafe au lait, espresso, or latte, and voila! Your petit dejeuner is served.
2) Walk or bike to work – Many French, especially those who live in major metropolitan areas like Paris, will walk or bike to work. If the weather or your commute makes this impossible, try taking a walk at lunch.
3) Dress the part – As Mireille Guiliano says, “French women dress to take out the garbage”, so why should you throw on any old thing to wear at work? Choose a flattering outfit and complete your look with a French fashion staple – the accessory! Try a chunky necklace, a bangle bracelet, or a long skinny scarf for fun.
4) Get your French face on – French women tend to wear minimal makeup and what they do wear is understated. Go easy on the makeup – play up your the best (or one) feature of the your face and then go light on the rest of your face. As always, you can’t go wrong with a great shade of lip color!
5) Say it with flowers – The French love fresh flowers whether they are received as a gift or purchased on their own. Buy a fresh flower(s) on your way to work and display it on your desk. It will help remind you of the simple pleasures in life.
Ciao!
@bistrochic
Fantastic post today!
Even though you know all the French “rules” sometimes you need a review in quick do-able bites.
My breakfasts have been similar : 7 am French bread, butter, jam, coffee, 1 cup full cream milk. However by 10 am I am utterly beside myself with hunger. What is the secret? If French women don’t snack and wait for lunch (12 noon) then how on earth do they hold on? I have to eat something at around 10ish, but feel dreadful not being able to hold on until lunch time.
Roxie
Bonjour Roxie – I used to have problems snacking between breakfast and lunch until I started eating a little more at breakfast, especially yogurt which has protein to keep you full longer. If I still feel like snacking, I can usually hold off by drinking tea or very cold ice water. If all else fails, I’ll eat lunch a little early!