I don’t know about you, but I feel like I am crumbling sometimes. The fatigue of everyday life as a busy expat mum who is struggling to study the French language and trying to get her head above water in a foreign land is quiet a lot. I am not including the everyday issues we all face, be it family, relationships, work and global concerns that impact our community and ourselves.

So how do I deal with this fatigation? The answer is so simple you will not believe me. Drum roll please… self-care. So what does self-care mean anyway and why do I need it?

To me self-care is a compassionate act that is done to you by you that brings you joy and rest. This is NOT being selfish. This is being self-nourishing and self-loving so you can continue being that super mum / person, the glue that holds the family, that one person everyone calls for when they need your magical powers in their lives.

Self-care could be 5 min a day or the whole day. YOU set the slot and activity that YOU feel YOU require. Self-care could be painting your toenails, a walk in the park, treating yourself to a latté and THAT cake, seeing a therapist, a lovely afternoon nap or even just a quiet meditation time. It is a pause in your hectic day. And in that pause you look inwardly and cultivate yourself.

Think about what brings a smile to your face? What makes your soul at ease? Have you been curious about trying something? Is there something that you have being ignoring to do for yourself?  Once you have an idea, start it and maintain it.

This blog resulted from a self-care routine I gave myself when I moved to Paris.  This blog  is a place  where I share my love of cooking and exploring my new home with you all.

I love food ! I love to eat !  What I love more is cooking for others. I used this passion to aid me settling into a new country with a new culture and language. It was very hard for me to uproot from London where I grew up and worked. I held on to memories and desperately wanted to go back, which was not achievable. What was is bringing a taste of home, Bingo ! Recreating mums cooking and other dishes that brought me comfort and instant good memories was my key to my self-care routine. I got to know Paris by exploring its amazing cafés and since I am in the gastronomical city though its restaurants as well.  You will find my recommendations in the tabs above and future blogs.

Add whatever self-care routine you see fit. There is only one you. Look after it and all of its differences and layers.

But first please go and eat something good, or even cook it !