Things I am loving this month

Hello and happy last weekend of October. 

With the weather getting cooler in the second part of the month, I felt more and more attracted  to all things cosy and like danish would say "hygge" so I've naturally been drawn by all objects and places that could recreate that atmosphere for me.

In particular a couple of Sundays ago I was extremely tired after doing work every weekend for this month ( not a very sustainable idea for sure) and I had just taught two morning yoga classes after a couple of sleepless nights. I was off but I didn't want to go back home straight away because my apartment was pretty messy and not very cosy ( I was in the middle of a big autumn clean up ) so I found myself browsing in a huge bookshop close to home.

I didn't have the brain space to look at any books, so I wondered at the gifts and stationary section and I ended up buying myself a kit for knitting. I know not the first thing you would think to get in a book shop! 

By the time I got back home it had started to rain and was pretty cold, so a perfect day for initiating myself to this activity. I will show you my "creations" once I get the hang of it ;-)

This experience made me want to start a new kind of monthly blog post to share a simple collection of the things that stole my attention and heart during the current month. I've always loved reading this kind of posts in other blogs because I really enjoy the freshness and simplicity of it and I'm always super curious to discover new cool stuff in all domains!

So here you have it : 

1. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

I had shared it in my latest newsletter already and I'm finally finished this lovely book. It's a light read and very inspiring, especially for women. We have the tendency to give and give all the time, so being able to sit back and receive it's an art we have to learn, including the ability to ask for help ( I'm the first one guilty for wanting to do it all by myself , and it's not a clever solution ) . plus it's a super fun book !

2. Daughters of Destiny Documentary

I absolutely loved watching this one hour long documentary about a school in India dedicated to give an excellent education and upbringing to the poorest children coming from the "untouchable" families.  It's still shocking to see how such a system is still engrained in the culture , and mid-blowing what these lucky kids will be able to do that will transform their lives and the ones of their families.

3. KNITTING ! 

 As I shared in the little story above, I'm having a knitting obsession and I'm kind of expecting my excitement to fade away when I'll realize it takes much longer than I think to make a scarf, but until then I'm happy ;-) and absolutely coveting everything on this website, doesn't it look amazing ? If you know any blogs about "knitting for dummies" or interesting resources, I'm all ears !

4. HOT CHOCOLATE ( with a healthy twist ) 
 

I made this recipe from Mango and Salt blog ( in french) and was divine! I am not a coffee drinker at all, and I mostly drink tea or herbal teas, but when I want something indulgent I love hot chocolate and that's what I order most times when I'm in a coffee shop when all my friends are sipping a coffee ;-) 

5. Jazzy and lounge music

I'm listening to this one on repeat and I use it in my yoga classes as well. And in general loving anything cosy and vintage at the moment. 

6. SOUPS

I love soups and warm food all year long, and in particular in autumn and winter of course. This pink soup from Deliciously Ella was super yummy and simple to make. 

7. CALM AND PEACEFUL PLACES IN PARIS

On the same Sunday I fell for knitting, did some online research for places in Paris which are cosy and calm. I wasn't thinking about cafes, but more about cultural centres or places where you can just go and hung out, without having to order food, buy something or visit an exhibition. 

Simply chill out with a book and preferably at a reasonable price or for free.

But my online search turned out more tricky than I thought and I didn't find specific references, am I the only person looking for these kind of places ahah?

At the end I got some ideas in the browsing, so I'm going to share my finds during the next month on social media and put them together here in case you find yourself in Paris with my same craving ! 

At the end I simply found myself spending quite some time in Parc Monceau, which is an amazing park just 15 minutes walk from my place, a must-visit if you pass by Paris. The beauty of Autumn is that parks are much quieter and the colors of the season makes them magical. And since it's colder you're obliged to walk around since you cannot stay on a bench for too long, which makes it also a nice physical activity ;-) 


8. OUTLANDER

This TV-series is the perfect mix of romance, historical setting that feels really authentic and adventure. I'm still at Season 2 but catching up quickly ! 

Here you have it :-) 

What are you favorite things from October ? Share them below, I'd love to get inspired ! 

 

Alessia Gandolfolifestyle, things I am loving, books, documentaries, food, drinks