French Mommy?

I know the questions will be coming... so here I will head them off. No, I am not French. The reason for the title of this blog is that I live French. What does this mean? That I incorporate the French lifestyle into my daily life and thus, into my daughter's upbringing. As my husband says, my heart is French.

For more than 20 years I have been traveling regularly to various parts of France. While I have not perfected the language by any means, I have an interest in learning and mastering it some day. I could move to France tomorrow and be very comfortable living there in virtually any small town, though preferably in Provence. I understand many of the French systems and thoroughly enjoy the daily life.

French mommy is based on my daughter and the fact that I've already introduced her to France and French things. We just returned from her first trip to Provence a couple of weeks ago and her second trip to France will be in October to Paris. I dressed her in Petit Bateau, Clayeux and Catimini clothing her first year and several of her toys are from Moulin Roty and other fantastic French manufacturers. Some of her favorite books are French. I use French ingredients in her food as I do with most of the meals I make and always trying to incorporate the freshest ingredients from local producers and markets. Additionally, we make life at home in a manner not unlike the French lifestyle, taking time for the things that are important, decorating with elegance yet simplicity and keeping an eye toward recycling old elements to make them new again.

If you were to join us for dinner, you would immediately notice a theme at the dining table. It is usually dressed with a jacquard tablecloth or Provencal placemats for more casual affairs. There is a salt cellar filled with Fleur de Sel Camargue, small dishes filled with Caviar d'Aubergine and Tapenade. The glassware is bee or fleur de lis embossed, spreading utensils and Steak Knives are from Laguiole. Bread is offered in a cloth, tied basket and French towels are utilized for handling hot dishes and wiping up spills. The wine is usually French as well and my fine china is a mixture of Gien (French) and Spode (English). This is not to say it was always this way. These are just things that have accumulated over the years and by this date, my table is set with items that mostly originated in France.

So while I am not a French mommy in the literal sense, I am most certainly one at heart.