Staycation: A Parisian Day at Home
One thing about us that you definitely should know, is that we LOVE to travel! Our family goes on major trips and adventures each year - it’s a huge part of our life.
We can’t wait to provide you all with extensive travel guides for your U.S and international journeys — but we thought what better way to bring some travel guides to you than to start with some themed staycations that you can do from the comfort of your own home!
First on our list? Paris, duh!! A few summers ago we spent over a week in the city of romance, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we’d go back in a heart beat! So, read along for a Parisian-perfect day at home that you can enjoy on your own, with a friend, or with the whole family!
You can find our general itinerary below, however we also put together a downloadable/printable guide for you to make it easier! This guide includes everything from our grocery list to links to everything we used!
Start your day with breakfast of course!
Breakfast in France is not the most popular or important meal of the day… so, if that hunger is hitting you in the AM, enjoy some croissants with butter and jam, fresh squeezed (it has to be fresh squeezed!!!) orange juice, and a cafe au lait or hot tea. We picked up these goodies from our local super market.
Then take a journey through some of Paris’s most iconic museums and monuments and enjoy these famous art collections from the comfort of your own couch! Stream to your TV, or just enjoy on your phones or tablets. Museums definitely aren’t for everyone, but my sister and I made it our mission to hit as many as possible in our Paris trip last year. I have to say, my personal favorite was Monet’s Water Lillies in the Musée de l’Orangerie.
Once the afternoon hits, and you are ready to continue your adventure, throw yourself a picnic for lunch!
Mind you, the french don’t really eat a true lunch - and if they do it’s closer to 3-5pm since dinner tends to be much later!
Get your favorite blanket and either head to the yard, or if that isn’t possible the middle of the living room works just as well!
Pack your picnic bag - complete with a baguette, your favorite cheese, some fresh fruit, and a bottle of rosé (Perrier does the trick for the little ones!).
If you want to take your picnic to the next level, enjoy some classic Parisian café music and spend some extra time outside. Grab a book, lay in the sun, go for a bike ride, take a walk around the neighborhood, etc. Enjoy our Spotify playlist below!
This should take you right into dinner.
Like I said earlier, the French eat dinner much later than we do - think 8-9pm on the early side! Obviously you don’t have to wait that long, but for the true effect - go for it! For our dinner we went all out and had the most delicious roasted chicken prepared from Thomas Keller’s recipe. It was amazing. Dinner of course would not be complete without the best French wines! We asked our friends at our local wine store, The Wine List, to surprise us with their favorite white and red of the moment, and needless to say it did not disappoint!
Dessert:
The French are known for their amazing desserts. We picked up some macarons (our personal favorite) from a local cafe, and enjoyed them after our meal as we prepped for our last activity of the day!
Movie night! There are so many great movies filmed in Paris - so we wanted to put together a few options for every age range!
Ratatouille - for the little ones
Hugo - for the older kids
Midnight in Paris - for the young adults
Amelie - for the grown-ups
We hope you all enjoyed! If you decide to have your own Paris staycation - make sure to take pictures and tag us!
