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Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Lessons from Madame Chic, Part 1




This week, I start a "Book Club/Review/Countdown" to Jennifer L. Scott's new book, Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic, schedule to be released on October 27, 2015.  The first book on my Countdown list is Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris
I first discovered Lessons from Madame Chic in the Fall of 2012.  I already had an extensive library of Francophile books and was admittedly hesitant to read a book on French style by an American author.  Jennifer did not disappoint.  Her book was well organized with pages and pages of inspiration. She flawlessly intersperses her stories of living in Paris while telling the secrets that give the Parisians their much coveted "Je ne sais quoi."


Lessons from Madame Chic is broken into three sections:
Part 1: Diet and Exercise
Part 2: Style and Beauty
Part 3: How to Live Well


 In "Book Club" style, I will post on my takeaways from each 'Part' that speaks to my current life situations.

Chapter 1" Snacking Is So Not Chic"
While I kicked the habit of snacking quite a while ago (thanks, Mireille Guiliano with French Women Don't Get Fat), I admit that there are still vices that loom over my eating habits.  The two biggest I struggle go somewhat hand in hand: "Never eat on the go," and "Make dining well a priority."  While it is easy to blame eating on the go on living in America, there is still a certain amount of responsibility I need to assume on planning better in order to avoid the drive-throughs. 
As stated above, I believe "Make dining well a priority" goes hand-in-hand with not eating on the go.  While there are certainly times when a home-cooked meal is unable to happen, there is still something to be said about sitting down at a set table to enjoy your food.  There have been plenty a night when our pizza arrived and my husband and I devoured it while standing over the island.  The routine of sitting down and eating on real dishes can nourishes our souls as well as our bodies.  Slowing down to make this a priority can also cause you to eat fewer slices of that pizza as it gives you a chance to feel full as well.

Chapter 2 "Deprive Yourself Not"
Continuing on from bad habits of quickly scarfing down food, Jennifer introduces "The delicacy technique," and encourages readers to eat everything as if it were a delicacy: taking the time to appreciate the presentation, allowing the anticipation to build, savoring small bites, and reflecting on the taste are all ways one would enjoy a great delicacy.  She suggests employing this technique when you find yourself forgetting to pay attention or eating too quickly.
In this chapter, Jennifer also tells the story of how she learned the importance of presentation through making a strawberry tart.  After being corrected by  "Madame Chic" to not simply dump the bowl of strawberries on top of the tart but to rather artfully arrange them, Jennifer learned that "No occasions too small to live well."  What really spoke to me was "That perfect little strawberry tart wasn't made for a party or to impress guests.  It was made for her family on a weeknight." 
This chapter concluded with a reminder about the importance of a breakfast ritual.  While I've got the ritual of my morning coffee down, I sometimes neglect the importance of nutritious food along side it.  What chapters 1 & 2 really got me thinking about was, "What am I teaching my children?"  I know what needs to be done and what our priorities should be, so why do I let these important habits and rituals slide by?  Why do I let busyness and activities take these things away from me?  I am determined to take them back!



Chapter 3 "Exercise Is a Part of Life, Not a Chore"
I remember the first time I read this chapter several years ago and Madame Chic's phrase "One mustn't be lazy" stuck with me.  This response was to Jennifer questioning the need to walk in the freezing weather during Madame Chic's daily market shopping.  When I read that response, I was quite taken aback- it's not like she was referencing sitting on the sofa and ordering take out as lazy (which is what comes to my mind at the word).  She was saying that it could actually be considered  laziness to want to avoid walking in the cold.  Her attitude about exercise was to embrace it in daily activities rather than dreading it.


I hope you've enjoyed this detailed glimpse into Part 1 of Lessons from Madame Chic.  Have you read the book?  I'd love to know if you are reading it along with me and your thoughts on these chapters!  Please comment below :)