What have I learned from my personal Madame Chic?

madame chic lifestyle blog from under the blanket

Taking part in the student exchange was undoubtedly one of the greatest adventures of my life. It was 2006, before Paris was even in absolute fashion. When I announced that I was looking for an au-pair job, I didn't know that living with a Parisian family in the XNUMXth arrondissement of Paris would change my life so much.

Today I will share with you 5 ways to organize home life, thanks to which we live a nicer and better life.

 

1. Everyday luxury

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My Madame Chic taught me how to get a dose of luxury every day. Although huge bouquets of live cut flowers are undoubtedly a manifestation of true luxury, almost everyone can afford a few, literally a few flowers. In order for them not to look modest, it is enough to match them with an equally small vase, because strength lies in the right proportions. And each table will gain charm and ... a luxurious look.

 

2. Sets

My Madame Chic taught me how to complete everyday items, and buy new ones in sets and use them like that. This applies, for example, to textiles such as bed linen, towels, cloths, decorative items such as candlesticks, vases. So when I buy new pillowcases for the living room, I either complete them with the already owned pillowcases and blankets, or buy a new full color set. I do not pull out towels in 5 colors for the whole family so that they will not get confused, but I choose the colors so that they match each other. I no longer find myself shopping for single towels, cloths or underlays, I prefer to wait, save and buy a set, and if I do not want the towels to be wrong, I buy sets that differ in color by a ton or two (I love Home & You stores in this respect). I also put them together in sets and we use them in sets. If I buy dishcloths, I also choose more than one dish cloth, in the same style I choose a kitchen hand towel or even an apron and baking gloves, and sometimes also table mats in the dining room. Thanks to this, there is a consistent design at home, and I do not catch promotions and shopping in the style of a pillowcase for PLN 10 or a towel for PLN 15, because I know well that shopping must be carefully considered.

3. Notebook

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My Madame Chic taught me that there must be a notebook in the kitchen. And in it I write every thing that ends in the kitchen or at home. Thanks to this, every household member who goes to the store knows what is missing in the house. Because good shopping organization is the key. An innovation that I introduced to the system is taking photos of the list and storing it on the phone so that you can have it with you or send it easily.

4. Preparation

Who among us does not like hotel breakfasts? Thanks to the evening preparations, we can treat ourselves to morning luxury. Every minute in the morning is worth its weight in gold, so it's worth preparing everything we use in the morning. And not only will it be clothes for the morning, but a cup for morning coffee placed on a tray, on a cotton napkin, next to a plate and fork. Exposing your favorite breakfast cereals, preparing a glass of water and lemon next to it, supplements or putting in a clean coffee filter. Thanks to this, we can feel really special in the morning. And so my Madame Chic taught me to prepare the kitchen for a wonderful morning every evening.

5. Escalator? Elevator? No thanks!

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My Madame Chic taught me… to walk! 15 minutes to the store? Just in time for a wonderful walk. There are no vacancies? They are always at the end of the parking lot, and we steal those few precious moments just for ourselves from a busy day. Anything closer than a quarter of an hour from home? It is not profitable to leave the car, since you can walk, meet people, move around, breathe, obligatorily with a smile on your face, throwing kind glances left and right. You can read about how I deal with motivation to walk here.

I don't remember all these teachings on a daily basis, so I'd like to remember a lot more of them, just let me know that you like the topic, and I'm happy to remind you of more such curiosities, and maybe I'll tell you about the eccentricities that the French think about us . Au revoir!

8 comments
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  • 03.01.2016

    I would like more such advice! For me, the discovery is ... completing.

  • MaminyBlog
    Reply
    02.01.2016

    Golden tips. I have been able to apply to them since the previous year and I must admit that it is much better to live in such an organized home :). Sometimes I just forget about completing, because while in a new house / apartment it is easy to choose items in this way, it is difficult to change the habits of tenants in a family home.

  • 01.01.2016

    You perfectly integrated this post into my first New Year's coffee 🙂
    When it comes to completing - I always buy individual pieces and as a result nothing ever fits. I guess I'll follow your advice.
    I usually clean the kitchen and other rooms in the evening… I love order. It doesn't always work out, but it's nice to get up and see the perfect order 🙂

  • 31.12.2015

    Great post! I think the last point would be very useful to all of us 🙂 Less rush, more face-to-face encounters with real people 🙂

  • Marta
    Reply
    31.12.2015

    I have to learn how to complete, because when it comes to textiles, I am crazy about buying anything "because it's beautiful" 🙂 I start to put it aside for a beautiful, expensive, large set of pots! Yes, completing is a word that I forgot when arranging my house and you can see it everywhere 😉 Thanks! A very helpful hint.

    • 31.12.2015

      I am very happy - and the best way to complete the completion is ... cleaning! I packed all the towels and tea towels that do not fit the whole thing, unnecessary pillowcases, or those that I do not want to show off, I have packed and given to those in need, I have made a list of what I need to keep the sets and that is what I look for in stores. And when I see a miracle for PLN 5, I always check in my head, is it really on the list? Do I really miss it? It relieved our house of unnecessary lumber and… wallet, because here it is 5 zlotys, 15 zlotys there and it makes a decent sum. Good luck!

  • 31.12.2015

    I have to work on your point No. 4 but otherwise I think I'm doing pretty good 🙂 🙂

  • 30.12.2015

    My daughter taught me the evening preparations 😀 In the evening I clean up the house and prepare breakfast for the next day (e.g. porridge ingredients, which is enough to pour the milk). Thanks to this I get up without hesitation, because that's all I have to do today. The notebook is always with us on the windowsill, because I love to make letters and generally there is something to write in every corner. 😀 I also complete the whole set (curtains, pillow cases, blankets, tablecloths and cloths) so that my open space is consistent and aesthetic. And I came to everyday luxury alone, because it made my mother angry that I couldn't drink from a beautiful cup or nice plates, because they are for some occasion. As a result, I can count these opportunities on the fingers of one hand. In my home I don't have dishes that I don't use and it's nice to drink coffee in a golden cup in the morning, even though I don't look so royal 😀 This is my synonym for luxury 😀 Flowers were a reward for me for throwing sweets 😀 I buy another instead of sweets bouquet 😀