January Favorites ‘25
a month of exploring and finding my way in Paris
One month in Paris?! Sometimes it just feels like a fever dream but I’m feeling more grateful every day. I know I keep saying that, but I’ve noticed that shifting my perspective has helped me feel a bit more at home. I’m excited to share more with you and if you ever have any special requests — I’m all ears.
Last month I asked y’all for feedback on this newsletter format and y’all voted to incorporate R.E.P.O.R.T.S into my favorites. You can now expect that from here on out — I’m still figuring out a good system so bear with me as I make changes. If you prefer just to go over the monthly favorites, I got you — scroll to the bottom!
Before I proceed, I want to acknowledge how heavy life feels. The last week has felt like a lifetime in comparison to the previous few weeks. I have had many conversations with friends and one thing I keep going back to is that we need to give ourselves grace while we figure out how we can and want to show up for others. I hope you show yourself and strangers kindness and compassion as we continue to navigate this seemingly endless stream of heavy news.
I don’t want to pretend that Paris is all glitter and gold, so for some less exciting news — we just moved into our second Airbnb, which was equally exciting but also deflating. We were hoping we’d have an apartment by now, but the supply of apartments on the market in comparison to last year is much lower than anticipated. We had also lost out on an apartment we loved that we had applied to — adding to our general sense of disappointment. We’ve adjusted our expectations and expanded our search area. We’re doing our best to feel hopeful that we will find the one in February. Fingers crossed!
On a more positive note, we’ve doubled (and some) the size of our Airbnb and have a proper dining table and kitchen to enjoy our meals at. We were living in 270 sq feet for the last month. It was cozy to say the least, but we’re excited to have a slightly larger space and no longer having to climb 7 flights of stairs!!
Reading
If you need some time to escape the deluge of news which inspires a feeling of existential dread, I recommend Gossip Time. It sucks you right in. I don’t typically follow celebrity news (read: gossip) but this one has me locked in.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, my favorite article I read this week was Your phone is why you don't feel sexy and it was one of those articles where I wanted to highlight everything. TLDR — it talks about why our phones were once a promise to stay connected but have only become a weapon to make us feel and be more disconnected with ourselves and the world.
Eating and Taste Testing
Surprisingly a lot of cookies — specifically a lot of chocolate chip and sea salt variations. I have yet to meet one I do not like, but I am definitely earmarking my favorites.
We’ve been bad our first month here and have been indulging in a sweet treat almost every day. I’m at the point where I think I deserve one because I left the house or just because I’m walking by a patisserie. It’s a terrible habit — I am often pointing to a sweet treat while we’re out and my husband takes that as a cue that we should get it (I mean, yes, but where is the self control I can usually count on from my husband?!). For context, in Austin we would get a sweet treat maybe every other week or so. February goal: cut back on walking by boulangeries. Stay tuned.
Perusing, Paris & Proud Of
Perusing — A few weeks ago, I came across Dionne Reve (a few pieces I was hoping to see in person and try on were this necklace, bracelet, and ring) and it so happened to be stocked in a shop nearby. I went in to see what was available in store and I was blown away with the variety of designers that were showcased. A few pictures below of my favorites.
Paris — For my birthday, my husband and I popped on over to the Grand Palais to check out the Dolce & Gabbana Exhibition. It was breathtaking. I do not follow a lot of “haute couture” houses, so I was not sure what to expect.
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I walked through the entire exhibition in awe. I am now firmly of the mindset that clothing can be an art form — Dolce & Gabbana’s exhibition was that good. It gave me a newfound appreciation for clothing as a creative medium — something I knew, but the amount of thought that went into creating these collections was truly inspiring. It makes me want to interview a designer/founder of a clothing line. Anyone have a connection and want to make an intro?!
Proud Of — I’m proud of hitting the 500 reader mark!! To some it’s just a number, but to me, there is a unique individual behind every single subscription. 500 of y’all?! I’m geeking out. I am so proud of this space we’ve created and can’t wait to share more with y’all. It can be hard to feel accomplished when you try to exist in spaces that are often turned into algorithmic metrics, but I’m proud of trying. Thank you for being here!
Obsessing Over
Arencia Cleanser — This is magic in a bottle. My face hasn’t felt softer post exfoliation on initial use before. It comes in three scents, but none felt overpowering to me. We went with Candeula, but I was told they were all functionally the same, just different scents. I wish I could find this in a larger container because I would love to use it as a full body exfoliator.
PS — last month I mentioned this mask and how soft it was and I still stand by that! Korres provides outstanding hydration.
Recommending To You
To lean into a hobby (or just finding time for yourself!!) that doesn’t require a screen. I was recently telling my husband how I wished I had packed one of my coloring books with me instead of putting it in the “shipment” box. I didn’t think it was super imperative and space was precious, but now I know that a mental escape through coloring during stressful times helps to seriously raise my serotonin levels.
I’ve secured a coloring book I had eyed during the pandemic and purchased it here! I’m sure you’ve seen it somewhere on the internet, but here is my most recent coloring book and how I’m escaping the world for 30 mins on occasion.
Treating Myself To
Hydrafacial — When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I knew I wanted an experience. As I was researching the neighborhood, I came across a highly rated facial studio that offered Hydrafacials. The last time I had a Hydrafacial was a few weeks before our wedding (almost 2 years ago!). I very much had splurged on skin maintenance leading up to the wedding and my skin was looking its best. If you have the opportunity to get one, I highly recommend it. The facialist showed me the murky water after the procedure and it was wild to see what came out of my face, especially for someone who is religious about their skincare routine.
Slow mornings. I think the biggest luxury I am living right now is being able to wake up with no alarm clock, work out if I choose and turn to my husband and ask “what do you want to do this morning?” before he clocks in for work. Some days that means going to see the latest exhibition at the Grand Palais, going to a coffee shop we’ve come to enjoy or walking an extra 10 mins to our favorite grocery store (yes, we have a favorite now! Also, will you believe me when I tell you that it’s an all organic store and if you provide your zip code and name you get 3% off every time you shop?! You mean to tell me that a credit card account and promising your first born child isn’t required?!). Feeling incredibly grateful to be living and leaning into a slower pace of life.
Monthly Favorites
Arencia Cleanser
I’ve already mentioned this above, but for some added context, I picked this up a few weeks ago after going to a Korean beauty store here in Paris. We went looking to restock our sunscreen favorites since the order I had placed in November didn’t arrive in time for our move. While we were there, I asked for an exfoliator recommendation and the owner recommended this brand. She proceeded to show us pictures of her using it the night before and then instructed us to touch her face. I remarked how soft it was but didn’t think much of it, considering there must be other skincare factors at play. Well, I was shocked when I was left with the same softness immediately after the first use.
Santa Maria Novella Diffuser
The first weekend in our Airbnb, we were eager to make it feel a little more like home. We were excited to cook again (my husband’s the chef — I’m just a taste tester!), have a living room and just have a space to ourselves. For context, we haven’t had a semblance of a home or being alone in a “normal” life setting since August of last year. Without access to any of our home things, we thought picking up a new candle might set the tone. We bopped from store to store in Le Marais trying to find something we like until we stopped in at Santa Maria Novella. There were several scents we enjoyed and as we asked about what the candles were made of and narrowed it down to one, a diffuser was suggested as an alternative. It ended up being exactly what we were looking for!
Crossbody Purse
I haven’t taken this off (another color on sale here and here) since my husband gifted it to me at Christmas. Let’s rewind — I initially saw this online while browsing for crossbody bags during a random sale at Galerie Lafayette on our previous visit to Paris. Unfortunately, when I went to try it, the sale had ended and I refused to pay full price when I knew it had been on sale a day prior. I held out for holiday sales and we got lucky and found it for about 60% off! I wanted something that could fit my film cameras while having some space for my wallet, phone, keys and then some. It’s been my go to purse when leaving the house for a day of errands or just to wander around town.
Quick Train Rides to Brittany
Last weekend, we took a train out to Brittany to visit friends and family. A drive that would take almost 4 hours in a car only took us 2 hours door to door by train. One of the delights of living in Paris, and generally throughout all of Europe is the access to good public transportation. I love the idea of being able to pull out my book, or work on an article idea I’ve been ruminating without having to be constricted to a car or plane.
Working Out Again
At the beginning of January, I officially crossed my post-op threshold to work out again. I’ve been slowly leaning back into it, incorporating pilates, calisthenics, stretching, and doing what feels good. Two apps that I have on heavy rotation are FORM and Down Dog. FORM has a combination of strength and pilates options and the workouts are often just 30 minutes but trust me when I say they are a mighty tough 30 minutes. Down Dog is something I downloaded during the Pandemic and I use it exclusively for stretching but you can find a variety of yoga methods, focus on certain body parts and even customize your routine based on the amount of time you have. If I’m not mistaken, the subscription gives you access to their strength and pilates programs as well. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get some movement in at home.
Another Year Around the Sun
Celebrating another year and my first birthday in Paris. I am so grateful I got to ring in another year in this beautiful city. I’m not going to lie — it was a bit hard to be away from family and friends. I was in a slump as it neared, but thankfully my luteal phase only lasts one week and we’re back babyyy!
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I cannot stress this enough — each and every one of you makes this newsletter so incredibly fun. Your comments and discourse are what make my world go round. Thank you so much for being here.
xx Ofelia
Disclaimer: some links are affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small percentage from a sale. As always, anything that is linked are things I either own, recommend or would purchase myself.
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This was such a comforting read! I’m loving these Paris updates and anecdotes. Also, congrats on 500! All the Above is one of my favourite reads, and I know you’ll continue to have more success. Xx
Dunno how to explain it but this one was très, très cozy!