Jixiao's Buns on the Seine

My iPhone kindly shared these photos with me today and pointed out that this was two years ago. It's so hard for me to believe that it's been a year and a half since we lived in France. At the same time, it almost seems like a dream. Did we really do that? 

See Paris Like a Local in the 4th, 5th, and 12th Arrondissements of Paris

A friend of mine recently reached out about visiting Paris and when I asked where he and his wife were planning to stay, I just couldn't restrain myself and wrote a lengthy e-mail with recommendations of more restaurants and places to visit than one could possibly have time to see in one weekend. You are now the beneficiary of that email. Make sure to put everything in google maps so you can potentially pop in if you're in the area. Most of these are located in the 4th, 5th, and 12th Arrondissements of Paris. Enjoy!


A Must-Visit Old World Restaurant in the Heart of Paris

Back in February of 2020, before the pandemic had taken hold of the world, my husband and I were lucky enough to go out on a very charming date with a newborn in tow. I had heard about Le Quincy somewhere on the interwebs and had put it on my Paris bucket list a year or two before we finally visited (and I'm so glad we went when we did!). This quaint restaurant is located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, just a few streets away from the colorful Rue Cremieux. Walking inside suddenly transports you from the streets of Paris to an old-world French countryside home.


Coffee in Paris: Lou Lou

Where to Get Donuts in Paris

Last year, for the 4th of July, my family and I did the most American thing we could think to do in Paris: We went out for gourmet donuts to the ONLY place, in the entire city, that has decent donuts. I'm not being overly dramatic.  And if anyone knows of another decent donut shop; please, oh, please, oh, please do tell!

Coffee in Paris: Café FouFou

Foufou- I'm thinking: pink! sparkly! fluffy! Surely not good coffee, but actually yes!

Falafel

ohmygoodness.  It's so cold today, and I'm already yearning for those endlessly sunny summer days...it's going to be a long winter for me.

Parc Monceau



This past Saturday was a very slow day for us. We stayed in our pajamas through the afternoon and finally decided we should get out of the house around 3pm.  Our kids need to eat dinner and go to bed early, so there wasn't time left in the day for us to do much. In the end, we decided to go to Parc Monceau.

Ice Cream in Paris

Let me tell you about the best ice cream I've had in Paris.  But before that let me tell you that I'm trying to act like a "real blogger" by watermarking my photos.  You have no idea how old and inept doing such a simple task made me feel.  I searched youtube for "how to turn text into a photoshop brush," and was taught by a boy who sounded no older than 8 how to accomplish said searched thing. So here they are!  My horribly watermarked pictures! haha!


First Trip to Paris

Since we arrived in September, my husband and I have entertained a number of visitors.  I feel like we’re still tourists in the city we’ve been living in for almost 10 months- having kids makes it difficult to get out and discover things, who knew? But we’ve come up with a Parisian tour, and if it’s your first time coming to Paris, I highly recommend you hit up these spots- even if they are basic.


The Secret {French} Garden


One day my husband was talking to a man from Oregon who has been living in Paris for many years now. They started talking about gardens in and around Paris, and he told my husband about a special place that few people seem to know about. 

Coffee in Paris: La Compagnie du Café

I never make it to Montmartre, but I'm so glad that my husband and I ventured there a few mornings ago. Not only can you get a good coffee, but you can get an education in interior design and parisian style.

Coffee in Paris: Café Kitsuné


Palais Royale

Palais Royale is a less visited garden compared to the Tuileries or Luxembourg and is apparently the place where you're more likely to find locals hanging out.

Coffee in Paris: Café Mericourt


Café Mericourt serves good specialty coffee, including filtered coffee {pour over} which is apparently a sign that experts are serving your cup a joe.  It's a fairly roomy cafe with plenty of greenery to satisfy the bohemian heart, but their main draw is their groovy brunch menu.

Coffee in Paris: Hexagone Café


Hexagone Café is a specialty coffee shop and a torréfacteur (coffee roaster). I walked to Hexagone by myself (a super special treat) on a Sunday.  The coffee was good, but honestly my favorite thing about the experience was that it was open!  Most of Paris seems to shut down on Sundays.

Coffee in Paris: Le Peloton Café

Le Peloton Café is located close to the Seine with plenty of shopping around.  The most distinctive aspect of this shop is their English-ness. The menu is in English and everyone (employees and customers alike) seem to speak English.  If you're tired of racking your brain to put together a simple French sentence then this is your haven, my friend.

They serve coutume coffee (as seen HERE) and pull their shots on a Marzocco (if that matters to you). The coffee is so good. I haven't tried them yet, but their waffles are well touted on instagram. Make sure you bring cash.

Coffee in Paris: Boot Café

Coffee in Paris: Coutume