3 things to smile about #3

Well, hasn't it been a while since my last post here my lovelies? That's summer for you: time slows down, you start fiddling with your new home, visiting places and people, and before you know it you realise it's nearly over. And all those lovely posts you'd planned just got totally side-tracked. So, now it's time to catch up and get back in the swing of things before we're all back in school. And what better way to ease my way back in than to talk about some of the nice things that made me smile recently?

Doesn't that just make you instantly happy, hey? Works a charm for me every time.

Next, Anthropologie. I get serious home furnishing cravings every time I go. Fortunately I don't go too often. But seriously, how cute are those initial hangers and door knobs? For me it's a great source of inspiration, and I find visiting the main store on Regent St ever so relaxing.

Another foodie one I'm afraid! Not only are those Maitre Choux eclairs perfect for IG photos, but they also taste super nice. Don't get me wrong, they are pricy, but well worth a little detour if you're in South Ken. Yummy!

my little coconut box

True to tradition, I'm a little late in introducing July's little box. But lo and behold, here it is at last! This one is a serious contender for the top favourite box so far since I started my subscription in January. My little Coconut box carries its theme all the way through, and it's been a real pleasure to discover each of the items, as they're all super tropical and perfect for holidays. I do wonder what's in store for the rest of the year, and can't wait to review and rate all 12 boxes!

First let's talk beauty products: all three are perfect to put into your holiday bag, and this is exactly what I'll do with the after-sun spray from My Little Beauty. So, yes - Mr Peony, the toddler and I have booked ourselves another sunny holiday and it is just the kind of product I need to take with me. I think on that note, the hand gel would also come in handy, but I don't think it will make it till then! As usual, I should say how impressed I am with the pretty packaging from My Little Beauty, it's always really nice and sleek. My least favourite item in the whole box is the Yves Rocher coconut perfume. Frankly, anything Yves Rocher just reminds me of my childhood, it's the kind of shop both my grand-mothers would go to, and just not my cup of tea.

The lifestyle goodies were sooooo cute this month! First we had a siouperb thin golden bracelet from Stella & Dot. This, again, is THE accessory to fit a lovely tan for when you go out for drinks at the beach bar after a lazy day in the sun. Or in my case, for when you get ready for a city date night with your hubby! Anyway, needless to say, this one's been adopted and added to my accessories collection quicker than you can say "pronto".
The next thing is something I've never owned before: a passport holder. Mine says "Let's get lost" but I saw a couple of different versions over on social media. I just love the whole tropical theme this month, and can't wait to put all my goodies to good use on my next tropical holiday.
To finish the lot off, of course, we had our lovely light-hearted magazine and a top illustration from Kanako, I just love it. And a little dry il sample for those summer skins. Now that I have a growing collection of boxes I am starting to wonder what to do with them. Any ideas?

French goodies

Whenever I go back to France there are certain things I always like to bring back with me. Nothing is really essential, but with my super sweet tooth it's nice to find some Poulain cooking chocolate to bake with, for example. This time was no exception, and I went over the top indulged once more. Sadly, this is not all of the sweet loot, but since I intend for it to last into the Autumn, I figure it's best to pretend the rest doesn't exist. Hopefully it will stay hidden in the back of the cupboard for a couple of months.

Onto the bathroom goodies. I have been a fan of Bourjois shower gels for years, they're nicely fragranced and not too overpowering. My favourite is by far "deshabillez-moi" but it's not available evrywhere, so this time I got different ones.
The hair oil is a new one for me, but I felt like my hair needed a bit of a break, as the water is very hard where my parents live. It works a treat, and I'll definitely be using it regularly.
My bedside table doesn't have much from France apart from the tissues. The packaging was just too cute to leave them behind in the supermarket.
What about you, what are your favourite goodies to bring back from your travels?

holiday?

Holidays back home in countryside France don't always feel like a holiday, I think I might have mentionned it here or there already. This year after some soul-searching and many discussions with my better half I decided to spend only a week. And that turned out perfectly for both the Toddler and I. We had great weather as well, which always helps, because the Internet is soooo slow and the shops soooo far there's really not much else to do but use the pool and get a bit of a tan (oh, and eat, of course!).
On to the question of home again then. As an expat of many years now, I feel like the UK is now my one and only home. Of course, back home will also always be that, but say, for example, I cannot use the Secu anymore (French equivalent of NHS) and here is where I work, pay taxes, live and bring my baby up. So when relatives "back home" ask me if, by now, I've gotten used to living in England, I am not sure how to respond or make them understand. Like....yeah, silly, HERE is where I feel like a foreigner now!
Anyway, enough with the rant. This is the holidays, and now that I am back home to the UK, I intend to make the absolute most of it. Top of my list since the weekend has been to make a list of summer goals, and I think I have something good to work from. Stay tuned, more coming soon if I stick to my schedule. Which I fully intend to do ;)

my little summer box

"Girls just wanna have sun". If you opened your June box without beaming out a big smile,  hats off. June really should be all about the sun and summer but here in the UK it's been pretty dire. That might be why I have lagged behind in my monthly review of the Summer Box. Well, that and having a perfectly awful time (can we say that?) dealing with other silly worries but let's not tarnish the happy place that is this blog ;)

So, Summer it was for June. On the beauty side, first, some eye glitter glue. I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what it really does, how to use it, and don't intend to use it anytime soon. This might actually be the first box item I will throw away / give out. I guess it's just not my thing anymore, been there, done that, kinda thing.
Next we were treated to a Ciate nail varnish, which I proceeded to try on straight away, and I loved it instantly. Mine came in an off-red colour, slighltly orange and perfect for the season. The next goodie was My Little Beauty's beach hair spray. A light coconutty spray to get you that bit closer to looking like a surfer girl. Unfortunately My Little Box didn't provide the secret recipe to actually having the perfect surfer body to accompany the hair. Shame, hey?

On the lifestyle goodies side, we have a Bikini swinsuit pouch. I can see this being practical when you have a wet costume to carry around, or simply just to have a spare bikini if you need a quick change. Then there is a summery white vest with a season-appropriate message: "girls just wanna have sun" - ideal was hanging around in the sun. So, sun, please hurry up and come and shine on our corner of the world!
On top of that we had a super lucky month with an extra goodie - Aqua Fizz iced tea from Kusmi. The brand needs no introduction, their teas are gorgeous, and I can't wait to try this one. Hopefully we will have a nice hot weekend this week, perfect for a BBQ, fruit slald and some refreshing berry and hibiscus iced tea!

Not long now until the next box arrives - I can't wait for the July instalment. And the holidays, of course. I am definitely counting the days now, even if the summer will be fairly quiet.