A Chic Paris Lockdown – Day 28 – More Chocolate, Please.

In Fiona Ferris’s book, 30 Chic Days, Fiona calls Day 28, “Think of Your Home As If It Were A Boutique Hotel.” She gives a collection of really good ideas to get us up and moving to keep our space in a lovely condition.  Fiona’s idea is that when our personal space is tidy and clean, we feel happier, more relaxed and can engage with life in a more positive way.

I do agree with her. A lot, in fact. You wouldn’t be able to deduce that, however, from the state of my apartment today. Yes, my lovely, chic Paris apartment (that I share with my husband and our two teen-agers) looks (to quote a favorite meme) more like the phrase “There appears to have been a struggle” than the phrase, “Aesthetic boutique hotel.” Damp laundry is draped over the furniture (our European combination washer-dryer is not feeling the “dryer” part of it’s name.) Crumbs are decorating the kitchen floor. (Dark slate tile floor and light-colored baguette crumbs – it’s a study in contrasts.) The entryway is strewn in down puffy jackets, kids shoes, empty Amazon boxes, a soccer ball and a football. (Coat closets are a rare and elusive thing here in the City of Light.) And, to be honest, my motivation to begin what will be a herculean task is pretty low. 

French President Macron announced last night that the Lockdown will continue at least another month. Sigh. I’m trying to be mentally resilient and optimistic and, and, what else? Oh, yeah, positively focused. I’m feeling so mentally resilient that I just slipped into my son’s room and rifled through his left-over Easter chocolate. (Marks&Spencer Triple Belgian Chocolate Chunk Cookies – Yum!)

I did have a spurt of energy this morning. Encouraged by Fiona’s advice to do just one task if you notice the task and have a few minutes (don’t let perfectionism block you – just do it (to quote Nike).) I cleared the round table in the sitting room of wandering, homeless pieces of paper.  I keep my laptop on that table so there were a good many piles of papers with random thoughts, numbers and shopping list items scrawled on them. I had a video conference coming up in just a minute so I just went through one pile after another at top speed. Almost all of it went into the recycle bag and, presto, the table looked much nicer by the time the Zoom event started. (No one else could see it but I could and that’s all that mattered.)

After the video conference was lunch and that’s when my (admittedly lack-luster) tidy-up motivation completely deserted the apartment. I declare that the round table paper purge this morning is the “tidy-up” success of Day 28. Tomorrow is another day. (And all the rest of that hot mess will still be laying there staring at me in the morning.)

I will spend the next little while – before it’s time to start dinner – sitting by the window admiring the beautiful green space across the street (which someone ELSE keeps tidy.)  And maybe I’ll have another cookie…