Bonne Fete Nationale!

To those of us celebrating outside of France, we may be celebrating France's national holiday with an exclamation of Happy Bastille Day, but within the borders of France, as I have been reminded more than a few times, it is Bonne Fete Nationale or Le Quatorze Juillet! Whatever you prefer to utter, it is a day of celebrations for Francophiles, and while TSLL entire premise when it comes to living simply luxuriously draws much inspiration from the French way of life, today I have lined up 24 ideas for you to celebrate July 14th in your own way.

The above vineyards in Provence take me back to my trip in 2018, and oh, how I long to return. Soon, I reassure myself, soon. But whether we have the opportunity to stand on the terra firma of France at the moment or pay homage from afar, we can absolutely partake in the annual celebration.

I am looking forward to even more deeply celebrating today's events in the simple activities that fill my day: a sipping of French thé in the morning, watching the 17th stage of Le Tour de France, making herbed gougeres for apéro time in the evening and bringing them with me to gather with a dear friend who grew up in Belgium at her home here in Bend to dine in celebration of today being Le Quatorze Juillet. Parfait!

Now to the list with many links for further exploration on many of the items shared.

1.Watch Le Tour de France

Vicariously travel throughout the countryside of France for three weeks as the annual cycling event takes place. Watch on Peacock (ad-free, $9.99/mo or with ads, $4.99/mo) if you live in the states, and for all other international viewers, read this detailed post on VeloNews for exactly where to stream for your country. Peacock also offers the option to watch the international broadcast rather than NBC's broadcast which I flip back and forth from every other day from time to time.

2. Plan and then shop for a favorite French meal (check out TSLL's many French-inspired recipes here)

3. Don't forget the cheese and salad course (before dessert and after the main entrée)

4. Play a game (or two) of pétanque

(this game was being played in Paris just outside of the window of Hôtel Particulier Montmartre near Sacre Couer)

5. Gather with fellow Francophiles for a French meal beginning with apéro time

6. Pack a picnic and go somewhere amongst Mother Nature (don't forget to pack the wine and bistro wine glasses - sturdy, but lovely)

7. Visit a local farmers' market, and be sure to bring your market tote

8. Begin the day with a fresh baguette picked up at your local bakery

9. Une croissant s'il vous plait!, pair with cafe au lait or hot cup of thé

~explore how to make your own croissants here in episode #6, Season 2 of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show.

10. Select a bottle of wine from your favorite French region or the next region of France you hope to visit as inspiration to bring your next trip to fruition

~explore Châteauneuf du Pape wines (I pick mine up at both Trader Joes - they carry one varietal at a great price for this vineyard, as well as my local wine shop for more varietals and vintages)

11. Seek out French thé and sip a hot cup in the morning to begin the day - pair with your croissant perhaps? :)

12. Cook a classic soufflé au fromage avec fresh herbs

13. Organize a cheese and wine gathering

14. Watch a French cozy mystery series

~explore the latest This & That weekly post which includes additional Francophile Finds, including more French television shows I recommend.

15. Look around your home and discover how you can add a touch of France to your sanctuary, or yet another touch :)

16. Shop and purchase French lingerie to update your lingerie capsule wardrobe

~Chantelle is one of the French brands I highly recommend for high quality everyday lingerie (and they are currently in the middle of their annual summer sale). As shared on this podcast episode Aubade is a quality French lingerie brand I also shop.

17. Make a Clafoutis Aux Cerises with the cherries just now ready to harvest!

18. Conclude the evening by watching a favorite French film

19. Listen to TSLL's Escape to France playlist - over an hour of French music to enjoy

20. Prefer lyric-free music? Listen to TSLL's French Jazz Cafe playlist

21. Make a simple French crêpe for dessert - Lemon and Brown Butter Sweet Crêpe

22. Speaking of crêpes, make a Buckwheat crêpe (or galette) with prosciutto, gruyére and egg

23. Read a French book to explore further the French culture

~Explore all of TSLL's Francophile Finds for books here.

24. Add a French cookbook to your kitchen library - add one each year to further inspire your culinary journey into French cooking

~Explore all of TSLL's recommended cookbooks here.

25. Fall asleep enveloped in French linen sheets

***EXTRA**** Mark your calendars for the 2nd full week in August as each year TSLL celebrates all things French during the Annual TSLL French Week here on the blog. (explore all posts and giveaways shared in previous French Weeks here on the blog)

~Explore becoming a TOP Tier Member of TSLL Community to not only enjoy ad-free reading blog-wide, but also be able to enter all the giveaways presented during the Annual French Week (and access to exclusive content - tours of TSLL's home), as well as be able to curate a library of your favorite blog posts.

Of course there is much French-Inspired content to peruse and explore on TSLL, so be sure to find all of the French-themed posts here, French-themed podcast episodes here, and TSLL's Best Selling book in the category of France Travel The Road to Le Papillon: Daily Meditations on True Contentment, as well as TSLL's 1st book (with an entire chapter dedicated to French-Inspired Living and France Travel and 2nd book. Thank you for stopping by and santé!

Petit Plaisir

~Délicieux, the film

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #334

~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | YouTube | Spotify | Amazon Music