Les soldes d'hiver.

Les soldes are finally here.

In France, we only have sales twice a year - from mid January to mid February and again in the summer. So when les soldes begin, it is like Christmas all over again: the stores are clustered with eager shoppers and every other person in the street is walking around with a bag full of goodies. Although the deals get more interesting as the weeks go by, the best bargains are for the early shoppers. In fact, I have to confess that in the past, I have even taken a day off work just to go shopping on the first day of les soldes.

Now, as a busy working mama, my days of shopping after work are over; and I have a rule not to go near the main shopping areas on Saturdays because I cannot cope with the crowds and queues. Instead, I will be visiting my favourite, more quiet little local shops this weekend. And as for L., I bought all his goodies on line today and got the bestest bargains. God bless the Internet.

image ©Mlle Bé

Homemade Nutella.

Just when you thought you had absorbed enough calories during the holidays, here's a delicious recipe for homemade Nutella, miam! I think I am going to give it a try when we get home to Paris later this week.

Hope you are all enjoying the end of year festivities. I am finding it so relaxing to be off work and spend time en famille, albeit the fact the three of us had an awful flu last week (good thing L. won't remember his first Christmas in the end!) and are only now feeling better.

A bientôt.

{via Unstitched}