The Naptime Chef

Today I am deviating a little from all things food and travel to give you my French pharmacy picks. For many years I’ve read that French pharmacies are the best place on Earth to buy beauty products. They carry entire lines of French-made skin care that can’t be found stateside. These jars of lotions and potions are touted to be as terrifically effective as Le Mer (which I’ve only sampled because I can’t afford a whole jar), but can be purchased at drugstore prices.  Before we went to Paris I researched favorite products on Goop, Design Mom, and the The New York Times so I could build a good shopping list. Once we arrived the three of us hit Citypharma Du Four to pick up some of our own. Here are my top product picks:

Citypharma Du Four: There are pharmacies all over Paris and most of them carry these products. However, Citypharma is known for having the best prices and selection. It is also a mob scene that requires sharp elbows and a quick hand for nabbing bottles before they end up in someone else’s basket. They have a strict no photography policy so I didn’t even try to take a sneaky picture with my iPhone. There are security guards everywhere! It is right across from Café de Flore and is not to be missed. However, if you do, just look for a pharmacie with an electric green cross anywhere in the city and you should be able to find all of these products.

Sanoflore Véritable Eau Florale Bleuet Messicole Bio: This organic cornflower water is mostly intended for tired eyes but I’ve found that it works well for many applications. So far I’ve used it to refresh sunburnt skin, treat my own swollen eyelid, and soothe a small sunburn on the back of my neck. This line also has toners made from other flowers known for their natural healing properties, like rose and lavender. It is highly concentrated so one bottle should last for a few months.

Biafine: This plant-based cream started as a burn and rash treatment but people use it for all sorts of moisturizing needs. Recently I used it to treat my daughter’s skinned knee and soothe a little burn on my hand from the oven. I also used it on my dry elbows and chapped lips. It effectively treated everything and has earned a permanent spot in my first aid kit. Note: This cream is very thick and a little bit goes a long way.

I don’t post a lot of smoothie recipes in this space because mostly they confound me. What the proper ratio of vegetables to liquid? How much sugar is too much? How do I properly “superfood” my beverage without overdoing it? Lucky for me, my friend Jenna Helwig has finally written a Smoothie-licious: Power-Packed Smoothies and Juices the Whole Family Will Love, a cookbook I can identify with. The recipes are amazing and accessible! That means, smoothie novices like me don’t find them intimidating in the least. In fact, they look downright delicious. Today Jenna stopped by to talk all things Smoothies and share a copy of her book to give away!

If I could shop in one city for the rest of my life it would be Paris. (Sorry, New York, but it’s true!) Like many women, I’ve always loved French style and prefer French clothes for my children when I can afford them. There is something about the timeless tailored look in classic colors like navy, white, and creams that appeals to me. When I was in Paris with my mother and daughter last month here were some of our favorite spots to shop:

Petit Bateau: This is one of my all time favorite clothing lines. I nearly cried when the Boston and New York stores closed! Their navy, yellow, and white color palate never goes out of style and works well for both boys and girls. Lucky for me, there are plenty of Petit Beteau stores in Paris. I stumbled upon one in nearly every neighborhood. I got a few great pieces for my kids and stocked up on their fuzzy onesies for baby gifts.

The French Pharmacies: I am going to write a separate post about this because I researched French pharmacies before our trip and was quickly sucked into the cult of French beauty products when I arrived. I’ll never bother with an expensive make-up counter again. French pharmacy beauty products are where it’s at!! I followed the Goop guide and a few others and found some real gems. (Note: Pharmacies are all over Paris. The famous Citypharma branch was my favorite.)

Bonton: If there is one DO NOT MISS store for kids, this is it. We didn’t even go to the giant one in the Marais but I won’t miss it next time! I shopped at the one on rue de Grenelle and it was so fabulous we stayed for nearly an hour. The style is a mix of French classic and Euro pop. It reminded me of the Benetton stores of my youth. In addition to clothes there were all kinds of fun books, games, jewelry, accessories, and more. My daughter and I were in heaven.

It is rhubarb season and I am hear with a great rhubarb syrup recipe for you. It is more like a condiment in the sense that you can use it for all sorts of things. The blushing pink syrup is ideal for stirring into seltzer to make spritzers, adding to prosecco, drizzling over yogurts and ice creams, and much, much more. The recipe is incredibly simple to make during naptime, or just about anytime, and will make your whole kitchen smell like the sweetest fruit farm you’ve ever visited. Pick up some rhubarb at the market today and get cracking. You’ll have a whole summer of deliciousness to look forward to.

p.s. Don’t forget more of my favorite rhubarb recipes!

Cedar grilling planks for summer cookouts. (via Food52, $20)

A cool dart set for the basement bar. (via Best Made Co, $122)

A candle just for him. (via MCMC Fragrances, $48)

A rugged casual belt for summer weekends. (via JMcLaughlin, $40)

Get him geared up for summer with a watermelon tap kit. (via Terrain, $24)

The ultimate summer shirt. (via The Reed Shop, $39)

This utility tote is perfect for garden tools and boat gear. (via Artifact Bag Co., $175)

A 3-month subscription to Mantry, a cool men’s artisan food product company, (via Mantry.com, $225 and up)

A fun book to read over and over. (via Uncommon Goods, $13)

This card in case you, like me, put your dad through the ringer once upon a time…(via Emily McDowell, $4.50)

p.s. – Previous Father’s Day gift ideas.

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France with my mother and daughter. Three generations together in Europe for a week of sightseeing and fun. We’d been planning it for almost a year and we could’ve pinched ourselves we were so excited when the trip actually came to be.

For this trip I thought I’d write a few posts about things we did and saw in specific categories like sightseeing, shopping, etc. Traveling with three generations, the youngest being 7 years old, meant strategizing on everything from meal times, to playground breaks, and museum waits. It all worked out well and we had a marvelous time. Hopefully my recaps, as well as a few tips, will help you on your future trip to Paris, as well!

Paris is a very kid-friendly city. Never once were we scorned for bringing a child into a restaurant, shop, or museum. My daughter was well behaved but she is still a child at the end of the day. We focused on places she could chat, walk, observe, and eat without fear of being scolded. It wasn’t hard at all. Since she is still young and just learning about art and cultures we stuck to smaller, more manageable museums and sights. (I’ll save the Mona Lisa for another time!) Each day we picked one thing to make a big impression and then moved on to a meal and playground break. We also purchased the Paris Pass before we left and that helped immensely with museum entries. The lines were still long, but they went faster since we’d pre-purchased our tickets. Here are 10 cultural sights we saw, and loved, and I’d highly recommend to anyone to traveling to Paris with a child, or without:

1) Musée de l’Orangerie: This is a tiny museum located at a corner of the Tuileries next to the Place Vendôme. We first tried to go on Sunday afternoon but the entry line with the Paris Pass was too long. This was because the museum is so small and they only let so many people in at a time. Plus, as with every museum now, there is a metal detector and security like an airport, which slows down lines. The second time we went we arrived at 9am on a weekday and it was perfect. We walked right in and spent ample time enjoying Monet’s Water Lilies. Downstairs we found more impressionists and were easily able to navigate the bright space without my daughter getting bored or overwrought by long walks or stair climbing.

2) Tuileries Garden: I mentioned playground breaks above because we made at least one or two each day. Letting kids run around is, I think, an essential part of traveling with them. After a morning museum visit my daughter relished the chance to race around with other kids. Even though there was a language barrier she seemed to have no trouble making new friends! Play really is a universal language. The Tuileries had a really cool playground, trampoline park(!), and pond for sailing toy boats. The toy boats, we think, only come out on the weekends and they were so much fun. For 3 Euros my daughter pushed one around a fountain pond for 30 minutes while my Mom rest in the sun. Naturally, after each playground romp we went to find an ice cream cone. (More on the French ice cream in another post!)

3) Palace of Versailles: My daughter has declared this her favorite sight of the trip. What’s not to love about seeing a grand palace once occupied by royalty?! No Disney here! Getting to Versailles was a snap on the Metro. We arrived at 9am as the gates opened and the entry line only took 15 minutes. Our Paris Pass ensured that we were ushered right in (through security and metal detectors, of course) and the walk through the palace was easy and fascinating. I gave my daughter my iPhone to use for photos and she’d taken approximately 438 by the time we were done. There were 10 shots alone of the “secret” door Marie Antoinette used to flee the angry mob on October 6, 1789. The gardens were just being planted when we were there so we didn’t get to see them in all their glory, but the views of the grounds were breathtaking.

Biscoff Baked Donut Holes for National Donut Day!

S’more Popsicles…mmm….

Lemony Pasta with Peas…perfect for summer!

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cheescake…delish!

Salted Caramel Millionaire Shortbread