What I Put In My Bag For The Holidays

 Hi Friends :)

When the summer holidays arrive we all do the same thing: we pack our luggages;

But every year,  it's the same thing: we don't know what to bring

I usually start with a base from pinterest.

For this year, I used this one:

Then I just adapted it at my needs (We are going on holiday for almost 3 weeks)

Also we are going by car to our destination, so that means I can bring more things 😂

Everyday clothes:

 t-shirt / tank top x 7

dresses x 3

shorts x 3 

1 legging

1 jean

2 long sleeves top

pair of socks x 8

panties x 8

bras x 8

Shoes:

baskets

flat sandals 

flip flop 

wedge sandals

For the beach:

swimsuits (2 bikinis and 1 one piece)

beach dress

beach pillow

towels

beach bag

cap

sunglasses

book / magazine

sunshade

sun cream (face + body)

Toilet bag:

toothbrush

toothpaste

perfume

makeup remover

makeup

scrunchie

moisturizer / serum / eye cream

face wash

nail clipper

q-tip

after sun cream

tampons

hair brush

electronics:

camera

computer

chargers (for camera / computer / smart watch / phone)

earphone

And then it's basically just stuff because it's a renting house and not a hotel 🏡

 my pillow Emma 

bandages 

disinfectant

hand wash for laundry

french press coffee maker + coffee 

some jewellery

car paperwork

wallet

water bottle

bikes ( so we can go around without taking the car)

bike rack

some groceries

cooler

And that's it :)

2022... the year of projects 🏡

🏡 Hi Friends :) 🏡

So Jérôme and I started this year kinda on a bad foot. We were supposed to have (to rent) a flat in Juvisy sur Orge. Our flat. That we saw being built as it was new. That we thought we could start a family in.... But let's just say that it wasn't meant to be as things got bad with the owner... So we had to let go of this project.

To get us back on our feet, we decided to look for a house that will belong to us. That we will be the owners of.

But we didn't really know what was our budget or anything about "the steps of becoming an owner"

To make it short, we found in February a new real estate program in Boissise le Roi (77) called Les Villas d'Orgenoy and that was suiting the budget our bank advised us.

We were at first thrilled about this project and started visualizing ourselves in this future house. However, it was only a 2 bedrooms one, with no garage and only a small backyard. Also, it's a terraced house (on one side only as we are at the end of a line of houses)

As time went by and this project was becoming serious (we were about to ask for a loan to our bank and sign the paperwork)...

...In April, we decided to take a stand back and think. What was it that we really wanted?

Jérôme wanted a backyard to be able to grow our own veggies

I wanted at least 3 bedrooms (one for us, one for our first child and one to make my office as I work most of the week in home office) and 2 bathrooms (one upstairs and one downstairs). 

At that moment, this real estate program was all that we could afford as a house....

But then...

...Right behind where we actually live, in Ballancourt, there is an empty field. That has been abandoned for over 10 years.

And just when we were about to conclude with the house at Boissise Le Roi, a new real estate program launched in this field.

The houses offered there are everything we were looking for:

- it's in our budget

- it has 3 bedrooms

- 2 bathrooms (one with a shower downstairs and one with a bath upstairs)

- a garage

- a large backyard (bigger than for the other house)

also, big bonus, it is in the list of cities we wanted to live in (because yes, Boissise Le Roi was outside our wished living zone) --> near our friends and family and close to school we know (I went to middle school and high school there)

actual plans of the house:

SO...in May, we decided to switch project and drop off the one with Les villas d'Orgenoy to start paperwork for our new program:

Le domaine de Saussay

Let's just say that we didn't thought that getting a loan will be that hard... Basically what happened is May 13th, we signed a reservation contract.

We had to wait for everything to be approved by the notary before starting to look for the loan.

Therefore, we only started to look at banks and gather all the requested documents in July.

We are now August 23rd and today, we got the news that our loan request has been approved!!! 😁😁 (after many plot twist with the bank)

some articles about why it's so hard to get a loan in France at the moment:

L’envol des taux d’intérêt des prêts immobiliers pourrait se maintenir en France

Immobilier : pourquoi près d’une demande de prêt sur deux est refusée en France

Immobilier : 45 % des prêts sont refusés à cause du taux d'usure, les professionnels s'inquiètent

We are currently (this week) filling in all the paperwork needed to finalize the loan demand. We just hope to be done before we go on holiday at the end of this week (September 2nd)

We are now very excited to sign the official notarial deed beginning of October, after our holidays.

Then we will be able to call this house officially ours

  I will update you once I got some more news and I can't wait to share with you how we plan on decorating the house 😊

Favorite Skincare Products - Summer 2022 edition

 Hi Friends :)

So generally in the beauty community how it works is you do a monthly favorite post / video and then at the end of the year instead of December favorite you do a "best of the year".

 I think it's interesting and I like to know about the youtubeur / blogger I follow what their "holy grail" products are month to month and then in December, to know what they've been using as the winners of the year, the ones that really stood out .

So that's kind of what I feel this post and the future ones like that will be but I want to do a seasonal one and then in December, I will also pick out my personal favorite products of the year

Are you ready?  Here we go! Those are my Summer Top 5 Skincare Items (in no particular order)

1) Re-Boost, healthy glow tinted gel-cream by My Clarins

50 ml, 26€ at sephora

This one is a recent discovery made by accident. But a  pleasant one. I basically ordered during the sales some discovery boxes on Sephora.

With the recent heatwaves, I ended up replacing my CC-cream/ foundation by this cream because I don't feel like wearing heavy stuff on my face when it's hot outside.

I really like this because it's like applying a nice / healthy tan on your face. It's really soft and leave your skin nice like a moisturizer. Also, I feel like this provide some kind of coverage. Not like a foundation or a concealer but more like it evens you skin and hides a bit some marks (but not pimples nor stretches) but more like an eraser of fatigue and stress

2) Advance généfic eye cream by Lancôme (the new formula)

15 ml , 52 € at sephora

This eye cream is quite recent (came out in April 2021)  and I must admit that I immediately was attracted and curious about it. And lucky me, I was able to find it for a low price on Vinted (some girls that work at Séphora and got it for free was selling it and was nice enough to really lower the price). And I must say that I'm super duper happy about it. I love the cooling effect when you apply it on your eyes and I can immediately see the de-puffing effect. I usually apply it at night before going to bed and it does it's magic during my sleep. In the morning I found myself with nice, healthy, moisture eyes and with no bags or dark circles!

3) Lancôme advanced généfic sérum youth activator

available from 20ml (42€) to 115 ml (184€)

This one is definitely my must have! I've been using this serum for the past year now and I will not change it. I tried different other ones but always come back to this Lancôme one. I just love how easy and nice it feels when you apply it and I don't know if this is because there are some sparkles in it but I always feels like I'm glowing when I apply it (usually in the evening). Also, since using this serum, Iv'e noticed that I get less spots/pimples (usually get some during my period) and I feel less oily so that must be that something is right with this product.

4) Garancia Diabolique Tomate / water cream

30 ml, 35 € at sephora

I got this cream at first last summer in a parapharmacy during our holidays and I just fell in love with it. I use it only in summer and apply it in the morning when I stay at home but still want my face to be moisturize and with a nice tint. At first, I found it really funny because it's like applying some tomato extract on you face as it gets a bit red and it's very watery. It's basically like applying a very humid tomato sauce on your face. But then after 5 mins, the red comes down and you end up with just a nice color on your face. However I don't recommend using this if you already tend to get red marks on your face or if you're naturally red skined. Also this does not provide any coverage, not like the Re boost cream by Clarins. 

5) Pure Color Envy Lip Repair Potion by Estée Lauder

not sold anymore...

This one was in a Christmas gift box and I actually really liked it for the summer days when you want your lips to look cute but you're to lazy to apply a lipstick or it's too hot and you don't want your lips to dry up.

It's basically like putting on a lipgloss as it's giving you some shine and color. However, it's also super moisturizing as it's a lip potion. The pink / glowy color can suit any carnation which is awesome. Also, no transfer when you go out for a drink or while you sleep 

And here you have my 5 favorite skincare product for this summer 2022!

A weekaway in Normandie

 Hi Friends :)

In May 2022, Jérôme and I went on a little weekaway in Normandie

We were staying at the Pierre et Vacances Houlgate

While we were there, we enjoyed visiting the cities around Houlgate (Cabourg, Villers sur mer, Dives sur mer) 

but also the most beautiful village in France (Beuvron en Auge)

We also went to some cider houses to discover the process of making cider (and do a lot of tastings 😅)

And of course, Normandie being the region of farms, we had to visit one and befriend all the animals

It was a really nice few days away from work and all the little things of life

We were in our bubble.

I can't wait for our next little adventure which should be Summer 2022

 

All the little animals in our backyard

 Hi Friends :)

So... we live in a city that is like a small village in the middle of France even though we are very close to Paris

We love it

We often encounter some animal visit (adding to the animal we already have at home)

Here's some photos I took from them

Introducing Mr Squirrel who lives with us all year long

 Mrs Cutie Birdie who visit us in Winter

Mr and Mrs Green Budgie who often comes in Spring

Mr  Great Spotted Woodpecker who comes and go along the year

Mr Hedgehog who only visited us twice so far

And of course, we cannot forget our Mr Monoi

2021 .... a bigger challenge than 2020

 Hi Friends :)

2021 was kinda a difficult year for me... both physically and mentally

It basically made me regret 2020... and its lockdowns

The year started with me getting the diagnosis of fibromyalgia

"Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals."

 I was therefore put on sick leave from mid-January until March.

In March, I came back to work but in therapeuthic half-time

My days were basically displayed in work in the morning and treatment in the hospital in the afternoon.

In May I went in my family in Lorraine as I haven't since them since 2019..

Little did I know things will get worse...

My grandad passed away June 15th 2021... I am very happy that I was able to see him in May but also very sad and devastated.

He went in heaven to rejoin the love of his life, my grandma Yvette, who passed at the same date in 2013.

Rest in Peace, Robert Louis PEDRAZZINI

After that, I went into depression and was back again on sick leave until mid August.

September 2021: We went on Holiday with Jérome to cheer me up a bit. We decided to stay in France this year.

We enjoyed 10 days at the Pierre et Vacances of Moliets and Maa.

We also visited for the first time for me, Biarritz and Bayonne.

On our way back to Paris, we stopped in Jérôme's family near Nérac 

This getaway of 3 weeks in total helped a lot with my mental health and my depression but I was not cured.... Of course, grief doen't go away easily

The end of the year was meant to be a happy time as Jérôme and I will soon have our own place... but again 2021 was not going to let me be happy as things started to get messed up... But that's a story for beginning of 2022

To end this on a positive note, we got snow for the end of the year!