"4 Course" dinner in 30 Minutes

Tips for creating a "4 course" dinner in 30 minutes

Now, let me first start off saying that in a way, this claim of a 4 course meal in 30 minutes is a bit of a cheat as most Francophile dinners are simple and light. This is a sample meal that we make every one to two weeks on the busy nights with lots of activities or if the hubs is working late.

These pictures were taken in real time and show the start and finished product. 

Whats for dinner?

1. Avocado Capresse Salad
2. Eggs Coquette with Soldiers
3. Salad with homemade vinaigrette
4. Pears with Yogurt

How do I do this?

Start by putting a dash of cream (milk, heavy cream, half and half...anything creamy) in the bottom of each ramekin. Then crack eggs on top. My kids usually get one egg while adults will typically get two. Then I add herbs and spices... we usually add Rosemary (because it is my favorite herb) salt, pepper, some sort of creamy, melty cheese and mustard... .(trust me, mustard and eggs is heavenly!!) Top with a splash of cream if you want then in the oven on a baking sheet or dish to contain the ramekins at 375F.

These are some of my favorite salts to "elevate" any portion of my meal

While the eggs are cooking, slice bread and put in toaster.

While bread is toasting prep the first course,  combine chopped avocado, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese with balsamic vinegar, and a splash of olive oil. Add a dash of salt and put on the table with a serving utensil.

Next whisk together a dab of mustard, red wine vinegar, a dash of sugar, and a splash of olive oil in the bottom of a bowl that will fit everyones salad serving... after the dressing is made, top with the salad greens but do NOT mix it. Put salad tongs in the bowl and add to the table.

   

Toast should be done by now so grab the toast in cut into small strips. Place on small plate and again put on the table.

Check on the eggs in the oven.. if you or your children are timid about runny yolk (Side Note - it is not a guaranteed night on the toilet if you eat raw eggs, it is a small risk but eggs can and have been consumed raw for ages... Americans seem to be afraid for some reason, runny yolks are a rich, creamy, ambrosia... try it!) you can puncture the yolk and replace in the oven. The eggs will take around 20/30 min depending on your preference on how hard or soft you like them.

Look at you! We have the first 3 courses finished... now for dessert. In individual small bowls or ramekins, put a bit of yogurt in with your fruit of choice. Place on a tray off to the side on the table.

Next, fill everyones drinks and place on the table.

Got my wine!

Have the kids help "dress" the table with placemats, table cloth, dishes, utensils and napkins.

Dinner is just about all ready and you can see my middle one putting forks and plates on the table.

Pull the eggs from the oven and plate and take to the table. Fill a pitcher of water and place on the table while everyone is gathering for dinner. Say grace.

Clock reads 6:36 - 2 minutes to spare!

Great! Now how do I serve this?

Everyone must taste. Sometimes we feel rushed by our kids so we now have the rule that once the parents OR everyone has finished their "course" then the group can move on together to the next course. Think of it like a train, or tickets. Taking a bite will get you a ticket to the next part of the meal.

*TIP* The thing to remember here is not to turn the single taste into a fight, or worse, begin the 3 more bites game. Put it in front of them. Tell them to taste it, and change the subject. Talk about anything. Unicorns, a trip, the laundry, the weather... anything! Remind stubborn stragglers (Sutton haha) when you are getting close to being done, and that they will keep everyone from getting to the next course. Remember that you are teaching their tastebuds to be "grown up" and they need to try everything. "YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE IT BUT YOU DO HAVE TO TRY IT".

First up is the capresse salad. Put a serving on each plate. Once complete, put each ramekin on each person's plate. After the eggs are plated, add the soldiers as an accompaniment. Once this course is complete, toss the dressing resting on the bottom of the bowl to evenly distribute your dressing. Serve the salad. *Use your pitcher of water to refill cups as needed.* Once everyone has had their fill of all of the courses, serve the dessert of the yogurt and fruit.

If your kids or you are hungry after, finish the remnants of the previous courses before getting seconds. This is important to showing the children that they can't just take a bite of everything then get extras and fill up on their favorite foods. If they are truly that hungry they will finish all of the portions if they really want that extra yummy food. Try very hard not to get into fights, focus on other things and the kids will eat. I promise!

Bon Chance Mon Ami!

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Mealtime/ Food Prep

Hello Everyone!

I thought I would show you how I do our meal prepping and what I attribute to my success with getting good foods in my kids.

I know that time is so hard to come by. We all struggle with "Time Management right"? I don't know how many people told me I need to work on time management only to see them fail at the same tasks... the truth is.. we are being asked to do too much.

Right right.. but how do you not let it effect your kids and families mealtimes?
PREP
I know its old to say... prepare, prep, plan ahead. It sucks to be an adult but its the truth.

One issue that I had while making healthy meals for our kids, was that I would be too lazy to prep and make the veggies for each meal. I would avoid giving my kids fresh fruit because it would have to be washed, cut and dried... I know, all this makes me sound like the laziest person alive but I found a solution!

MASON JARS!

I know right? What can't you use these cute buggers for now a days? Pinterest is LOADED with crafts and uses for them. Heck there is even a diagram on how to make a mason jar salad for when you prep your lunches for work...

Here is my version of the Mason Jars to be used for our Francophile Mealtime overhaul.

So what I do is prep my veggies and fruits for each week based off my meal plan (see the post below about our meal plan chart)
EXAMPLES
-To make our carrots for my carrot salad, I put in my matchstick carrots, raisins, some mustard and our balsamic vinegar.
-To make our fancy pickles, I chop the cucumbers and put them in a jar with some balsamic vinegar. (noticing a pattern? my kids & husband LOVE vinegar... its a guaranteed way to get them to eat something)

From there I set up a work station to load the veggie and fruit in each jar. I have cute little chalkboard stickers on top for me to write the date it was made. (again.. chalkboard and Pinterest... who would have thought?)

The best part is that these are loaded in my fridge at eye level along with my salad greens and eggs. I put these good foods where I can see them and the clear glass of the mason jars not only allow me to see whats inside but also makes serving and eating it more enticing and easy.

So what do you think? Something that might make eating the Francophile way a bit more easy. Let me know in the comments below and as always...
Bon Chance Mon Ami!

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Update

Hello readers!

It's been a while since my last post but its for a good reason, I swear!
Kinda a big deal...

Check it out!
www.calliopepresence.com

Yeah you know, just made a business, website, launched our brand plus all of our clients brands in about 2 months. Its a blast and I wouldn't change it for the world.

But let me get back to the point....
Mealtimes... so hows it going at the MacG house?

Well, to say that things are beautiful, my children are angels, my husband is a sex god and my kids eat everything wouldn't be far from reality except that it isn't entirely true.

Is my husband amazing? Absolutely!
Are my kids angels? When they sleep!
Are all things beautiful? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Are my kids eating everything? Nope, but we are making progress!

Our family had a trip to Disney planned for the better part of a year. There was so much prep that went into it. From setting a babysitter to travel with us, to bookings, to work, etc it was a production. All of this time, effort and stress would pay off right? It had to! Its the happiest place on earth! Well, as soon as we got there, Kenz got a stomach bug which then passed to my husband and Sutton. My strongest memory of the weekend was screaming to the 61,000+ people to "MOVE! DIARRHEA!" as I whisked my screaming 3 year old, (I mean 2 year old bc they are still free) to the bathroom so conveniently located .5 miles away.

I thought the weekend was a wash. That we shouldn't have even bothered to come yet alone wake up that morning.

We attempted to salvage the trip the following morning (before the puking started) and go to Epcot. Being a europhile/ francophile my dearest husband booked a lunch at the french cafe. It was so nice, all of these french baguettes, french waiters, french food... heaven!
I ordered the most binding food available and splurged on a cheese plate with exotic French cheeses.

Not only were my kids in horrible moods, sick, tired and starving, I was about to serve them goat cheese, sheep cheese, blue cheese, brie (actually a favorite of theirs) a hard nutty cheese and some pate. I braced for the tantrum, screams, cries and looks from the waiters thinking "Look at those Americans! They can't appreciate a good meal. hon hon hon!"

But guess what? The tantrums never came! The screams never sounded and the kids ate happily ALL THE CHEESE!!!! ALL THE CHEESE! I was so proud (and emotionally exhausted) that I started to cry. Then, when a lady was celebrating her birthday alone at the restaurant I really lost it. It was bad. Like a ugly, sad, snot- sobbing type of a cry. but... my kids ate the cheese! And despite the cards being staked against us, we had a lovely lunch!

This Disney experience is just a few of the past few weeks of adventurous eating. My Sutton ate a whole half of a cucumber dipped in hummus while I prepped some fruit. Kenzington asked for seconds of asparagus at dinner and didn't want more fruit so she had room for more of the veggie. We went out for sushi and the kids both tasted and didn't cry about a sushi roll. And the list continues...

This isn't to gloat, comment how amazing my family is, how I have it right and blah blah blah! But it is to simply say.. keep trying... its working for me. I am no one special.

Anyone out there trying some of the francophile inspired mealtime rules and methods? If so, I want to hear about your experience. Leave me a note below!

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HWDI - Mealtime Rule "Eating is Education"

So, I am not quite sure if I understood this concept before reading the Francophile parenting books.

I mean honestly... we (as adults) know what we like to eat and what we don't... right?
For instance, I HATE goat cheese... seriously.. I remember asking a friend (who shall remain nameless) what kind of cheese was on a salad at a wedding. She told me "Parmesan" BULL*****! that crap was nasty, stinky goat cheese and I will never believe or trust her pallet again! haha but I digress.

We know what we like to eat. We are humans with choices and brains and souls... why can't people just leave us alone when we say that we don't like to eat something?

"Geez mom.... this tastes like crap!"

Well, believe it or not... EATING IS EDUCATION... YOUR TASTEBUDS CAN BE TAUGHT.

Education hua? That's stuff with lesson plans, trained teachers, and academics; most certainly not an teaching your body what tastes good.... right?

Now this idea is new to me. While my childhood had wonderful parents with excellent intentions and goals when it came to eating and mealtime habits,  we were never taught that its ok not to like something. We were not given the hopefulness and encouragement that we would like it.. only the insistence that we finish our plates (ps - I have yet to learn to love my mothers Brunswick Stew) Love ya mom =D

But its true guys! Eating is education, you can teach yourself (blame it on the tastebuds if you have acceptance issues) to like new foods.

"French Kids Eat Everything" by Le Billon highlights a food critic who wanted to test this food theory (and made it fact BTW).  He disliked about 5 foods (granted his list was much smaller than most) and set out on a year journey. His goal was to taste and try these foods; prepared different ways and by master chefs who would specialize in the particular food. The man (again blessed with a job to allow a grown adult to go on a food pilgrimage) was able to reduce his 5 foods of distaste to only 1! It WORKED!

But still I was skeptical. I hate lots of foods and I am stubborn. Like otherworldly stubborn, but I am also otherworldly curious... (its a serious condition really.... I leads to reading at all hours of the night, googling random questions about how and why socks are lost in the dryer *theory about an alternate universe was my fav* to the ancient aliens commentators)

So I gave it a shot. My first enemy to turn friend was TOMATOES.
Pretty sad right? One of the most common and universal fruits/ veggies on the planet.

So I tried those little suckers in a bunch of different ways. Different kids in different dishes. (Now, at this time I liked cooked tomatoes in sauces or other dishes but raw ones... yuck) But while I was trying to put on a brave face for Sutton and Kenzington; I actually figured out my problem. It was the texture and the first bite. That first bite tasted like a battery. But I discovered that if I got through that first bite the dish and the tomatoes actually tasted great. I actually trained my tastebuds to like tomatoes (or at least make them less offensive) I started eating them more often and no longer pulled them from dishes or sandwiches. That is not to say that I would willingly put them on my plate or taste 5 kinds at the local farmers market, but I wasn't avoiding them at all costs anymore... and to me that is victory.

(Side note - much like any other training... of your muscles, brain etc... your tastebuds also need to be given a variety and challenged on a regular basis.. otherwise... plateau.)

So big question.... how do I help challenge my kids tastebuds? How to I turn eating from a ritual of nutrition and comfort into something that is done to better the eating experience?

With Variety

Make different dishes each week. Change ingredients up. Make meals a different experience each night.

This is Kenzington eating Spinach leaves... this is a big deal for us. Granted they are covered in a raspberry balsamic (her fav.) she's eating it. The biggest achievement this past month was an adult sized portion of asparagus... wish I had gotten a picture of that. 

If you couple this philosophy of "eating as education" with our francophile inspired mealtime habits of being happy about food, talking about the flavors and textures, no distractions etc.... your kids and even you will learn how to like foods. Instead of saying that they should eat more.. say "its ok, your body will learn to like it I promise, next time ok?" The encouragement factor... to enjoy the foods we eat rather than eat everything off our plate or to get the perfectly balanced meal is whats important.

Well... guess I'm off to try goat cheese again.. wish me luck and of course...
- Bon Chance Mon Ami!

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"If there is no blood, don't get up"

ok, no, I am not channeling True Blood, advocating for corporal punishment or encouraging total neglect.

All I am saying is.... "If there is no blood, don't get up"
Now, if you choose to take this literally (which I must admit I have not) you could possibly end up with some seriously independent, self sufficient, perhaps emotionally stunted but sincerely bruised children.
Or, if you take it as "I am not going to get up unless I am really, REALLY, really needed" it can help in your implementation of francophile inspired parenting.

Meaning, little Suzy needs help moving a toy (that she can safely move on her own) and is screaming for you to help. Don't. Let her learn to troubleshoot and figure out her own problems. I promise if Suzy really needs you she will get your attention (they always do right?) Will there be some yelling at first? Absolutely! Will there maybe be some bruises? Yep

Exhibit A - Sutton one night after I told her not to go in the puddle of Kenzington's water on the floor. She busted her lip, and yes there was blood so I did ABSOLUTELY get up. 

But I was still channeling the francophile wisdom. I didn't rush to the puddle of water as if it was some radioactive spill that would cause my child to grow another head. I handled it calmly (as spilt anything really should) and told my child calmly that she needed to stay away. She understood. She looked right at it, then me, then the puddle again and walked straight into that floor. But it was the start of her learning that "Mumma is in control. Mumma will help me and warn me but I need to listen. Mumma will pick me up when I fall and will love me no matter what." yep, all of that was learned from a fat lip.

Hopefully the more you work at it the better you and your kids will get. What should start to happen is you and your child will be able to identify true emergencies and true situations in which they need your help.

This rule is difficult. It's hard to say "no" to your kids when you know that you can easily help them, especially if you can get yourself away from a possible meltdown in public, or even help them get a good grade on a project. (Come on, we all know them... those parents who did all the work for their kids and now their children have Phd's in some field without actually doing any work.) You laugh? I know a few.

Even though life is crazy, unstructured, improbable, and full of wonderful and awful surprises, your job as a parent (or at least how I define mine) is to love, (not enable) nurture, (not hoover) educate (not learn it for them) and teach them how to be an adult. Those manners include everything from how to behave in public to learning what constitutes as a massive, run through the doors screaming MOMMY type-of-a-moment.

Crawford in "French Twist" really does a great job of explaining more of these awesome francophile parenting wisdoms. Check out her book if you want to know more.

I still will encourage you to try it and give it a shot. Take a breather and have your children come to you with their problems rather than yelling through the house. Let me know how its going and what you would change.
- Bon Chance Mon Ami

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"You don't have to like it but you do have to try it"

So, I thought I would talk about how our meals work. What do we say? How is the food served?

So first off, we do serve our meals as prescribed in the Francophile parenting books. I think Druckerman's book "Bringing up Bebe" does a great job (sometimes in painful detail) about how they serve their food. Depending on the meal, we serve each part in "courses" (now I realize this sounds uber pretentious but I promise it's not. Especially if you think of the courses as "education courses".) Each course is a chance to discuss the food, talk about it, ask if it was prepared differently than the last time, how does it taste and most importantly to slow down!

This is how we eat our meals:

(of course we can't always do this ie. if we are eating out or if a casserole that has everything in it etc)

BREAKFAST

1st course- Carb/protein 

2nd course- Fruit

LUNCH

1st course- vegetable 

2nd course- protein*

3rd course- cheese*

4th course- fruit*

GOUTER

Healthy snack (or this is when we eat dessert)

DINNER

1st course- vegetable

2nd course- protein/carb

3rd course- fruit

(4th course- only in special cases do we eat a dessert at this time of day, and if my husband and I want one, we wait till the kids are asleep but that's not healthy either haha)

* at the lunch meal, sometimes we make a sandwich that has cheese on it and I make a judgement call if it's enough cheese for the meal. Also, I am sometimes lazy and serve the fruit and cheese course together. My husband and I are huge wine, cheese, and fruit dinner people and my kids usually eat the cheese so quick it's more time efficient to just serve them together.

PS- my meal plan has each course on the far left with abrivations of the above. It helps me keep my meals ordered and it is also beneficial for meal planning and not being wasteful. Feel free to print it out (below) and try it for a while. Let me know how it goes. 

We serve the first course on the plates (then we put the next courses to their plates as we eat our way to each course) I usually place the next courses in front of me (if George is working) or around the table family style if he's home. 

This is what a typical breakfast looks like for us. (Minus the princess crowns but hey! It was fun!) 

As you can see: the girls are in their chairs, I have my meal ready, (this particular morning I was having eggs instead of the bagel because I eat low carb) we usually eat the same things.

The girls eat their portion of the bagel first, then once they are finished with it or have had enough they can ask for the fruit (strawberries in the mason jar= food keeps longer and I am more inclined to eat it if it looks cute! again I am an aesthetic snob)

If they don't at least taste the bagel they don't "unlock" or they haven't received their "key" for the next course. (If you want, you could turn this into a really cute game/ visual to help reaffirm the steps, like hand each kid a ticket or key after they taste each course to then pass to the next course.) Again, constantly saying "you don't have to like it but you do have to try it". 

We go through each meal like this. It's a blast to talk about the food and if there is ever any resistance, we treat it as nonchalantly as possible. Food shouldn't ever cause a fight but rather drive a good conversation. 

One thing that we have hand to change with the method is to not keep giving the kids (letting them fill up on) the one course they like.

This was our problem: 

Me- "kenz, taste your spinach, it is bright and fresh"

Kenz- "no momma"

Me- "remember you don't have to like it...."

Kenz- "but you do have to try it.. But I don't want to"

Me- "that's fine kenz, but you will be very hungry because if you don't taste the spinach, you won't unlock the Mac n cheese"

-kenz tastes it, makes an out-of-body sound and one of those Beyoncé performance grimaces

Kenz- "all done!"

- I put her portion of the Mac n cheese on her plate, then few minutes later, 

Kenz- " all done! may I have the grapes."

Me- "sure! Here you go"

- give her an appropriate amount of grapes and she finishes them

Kenz- "all done! I want more grapes and Mac n cheese"

- AND I give her more.... Bah! Why? She hasn't eaten all of her spinach yet but she did taste it so she was keeping to the rules. Man, I got played by a 2 year old! And often. It's not my proudest confession. 

Soultion: We had to become more mindful and purposeful with their (and our) portions. This isn't only to guarantee that they are getting the appropriate amounts of each food group but also a plate that is manageable to clear. 

So our new rule was- if you wanted more of any course (1-4), you had to finish all of the courses first and clear your plate. (Parents-try this yourself and tell me if you go back for a dinner roll, all I know is that my own rule stopped me)

Does this work every time? Nope. There are still some days we barely make it to the fruit course with more than a taste of my yummy coconut chicken but a finished portion of kenz' fancy pickles (balsamic cucumbers in my trusty mason jars) Will she be hungry? You bet! And you known what? She catches up and she eats better the next day (or sometimes a few days after). 

So give it a shot. Tell me what challenges you have and what successes also. Remember "you don't have to like it but you do have to try it"

-Bon Chance Mon Ami

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"To bed, to bed, to bed I said"

Ok, now this isn't a Francophile mainstay saying like "you are the chief" tends to be, but rather a adaptation of our style, family influence, and a touch of Francophile essence. 

"To bed, to bed, to bed I said" is actually a silly rhyme my brother Derek would yell/ singsong when he was babysitting me. For some reason, he has always made up silly nonsense that at times is quite brilliant or profound, but most often just random. This one for some reason has stuck. I love it because its playful, firm, and still gives you the authority. (Ps-Derek's ability has been past down, my husband and Kenzington have mastered the art. Currently her favorite adaptation is making up words to "twinkle twinkle little star" for cleaning up.. "Clean up clean up little girls... We made a big big big mess!")

Ok but to explain why I would desire to have a firm bedtime routine is a whole other side-note. I am a self proclaimed "sleep dictator". I tend to be unyielding, consistent, and firm in reference to bedtimes. Again, all of this has stemmed from reading. I have read quite a few baby sleeping books and have once again omitted things I didn't like, and adapted others to our lifestyle. Bed in our house is a 5 minute max event (15 if its a bath night) that involves changing, reading or talking for a few minutes, cleaning up and saying good night. The only time that bedtime took longer was when I would feed Sutton a night bottle/nurse. We put the girls in their bed (they sleep in the same room and go to bed at the same time) say good night, turn off the light and close the door. There isn't fighting, whining, getting up for water, the bathroom or any of that. They know that they will be in there until tomorrow morning when it's time to wake up. Kenzington can read a book (that we give her) she isn't allowed to get out of bed and Sutton (who is still in a crib) obviously can't get out of her bed but she at times points and signs "please" that she wants a book as well. In the morning, when its time for the girls to get up we go and get them. Most mornings they are up and happy in their beds before we go in. If they have to wait 45 minutes or 5 minutes from the time they wake up to the time we come in to get them it's ok. They actually wait patiently. Reading, talking, playing and sometimes even catching a few extra minutes of sleep.

*This is actually a pic of the girls playing in a hotel bed. They don't sleep in the same bed but this is a super cute example of how happy they are about sleep. Haha 

They wake up happy and I have a consistent time frame at night that I can sleep, have a glass of wine or beer with my husband, and even get showered and ready to go before I have to be on kiddo watch. Which makes me the best mom that I can be. I am unapologetic about my time to sleep, hubby time, and time to distress. When my kids are up, they have my attention, patience, worry and energy. There is NOTHING wrong with getting some time for yourself.  Mommas who can do it with 4 hours of sleep are superheroes but there is a way to get some sleep back. ( And please know there is no glory in fatigue. It sucks, you feel like crap and others suffer, not just you). The best part is that sleep can be consistent, guaranteed 98% of the time (growth spurts, teething, and bad dreams not included) and for everyone in the family! 

"What mom? This sleep thing is a breeze!" Kenzington at bedtime

Now, I am not saying that this is easy for all parents or their kids. It was hard to let the girls as babies work themselves to sleep verses having (or quite frankly wanting desperately) to rock them to sleep. But one unifying factor for my style of parenting is how will this enable or disable them in 4 months, when they are 6, or 18 years old? While I wanted to rock them to sleep each and every night, let the new baby smell transfer to my clothes, watch them breathe every tiny breath, but I had to believe that if it became a habit it would hinder and disable them in the long run. That is not to say that I didn't indulge in a few stolen moments of watching and holding them but I was always aware if they or more importantly if I was becoming dependent and if the cuddle session was becoming a habit. I remember those moments fondly and do not feel like I "missed out". 

One of daddy's cuddle moments

One of my (mumma) cuddle sessions

"Bringing up Bebe" by Druckerman and "French Twist" by Crawford both discuss a method termed "Le Pause". No, that is not a French word or voodoo magic. It's a play on words that means... RELAX.  Take a beat. Pause, wait and see if your baby can comfort themselves. If they can, great! They will get better and better at it. If they can't, you go in and help. But you have to wait and pause. 

Our sleep training is again an adaptation. Our simple rules are:

1. Sleep training starts when baby is down to one feeding at night (in a 12hr night time stretch) which is usually between 3-6 months. From my readings, if you sleep train after 6 months you will have to let the baby do far more crying than if you do it while they are younger (ie. Ferber)

2. Baby goes to bed groggy but not asleep

3. Sleep training takes place in a separate space so baby, siblings, and most importantly parents can get used to not waking/reacting to every whimper.

4. Le Pause- wait if the baby wakes up, 5 min minimum to see if they need you to help. If baby needs help, don't pick them up, try a dummy (if you use pacifiers) or whispering, rubbing their face, their back etc, if all other attempts fail then pick them up but don't let them fall asleep, get them calm and then put them back in the crib/bed. Key is no eye contact and try not to talk to them. "Shhhh" doesn't count as talking. Haha

5. If the crying starts to escalate (even within the 5 minute minimum wait period) then go in and help with the above mentioned methods. 

6. Sleep period is 12 hours from start to finish. In the morning, if baby wakes up let them wait and sit until its time to get up. If they cry, use the methods above. 

* if you are nursing, you still should wake up to pump at least until your body gets used to the longer stretches. The bonus of the pumped milk is you might get a feeding for a date night or extra drink from those sessions. 

So there you have it. Our Francophile Inspired sleep training method that has worked on both my babies. Both girls slept through the night (12 hrs) at 12 weeks. There were still some rough nights that followed but they got better at it and so have we. We have gotten better at Le pause and they have maintained their enthusiasm with our bed routine. Usually happily skipping "to bed, to bed, to bed I said!"  

This is a fb post when Kenzington was 3months old and sleeping 12 hours. Yes I'm gloating, haha that wine, book and bath time was epic! 

Happy sutton at 12 weeks old after her first night of 12 hours all by herself!

Leave a comment below about how you sleep trained or if "to bed, to bed, to bed I said" has helped you gain some night time sanity. 

- Bon Chance Mon Ami!

* PLEASE NOTE- my children are happy and healthy. Everything that I did was discussed with our dr and I consulted numerous friends and family members who also did variations of this method. My babies are not damaged (haha that I can tell so far, and if they are, it's certainly not from sleep training)  so please play nice and don't judge. Because I don't. Promise.  

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