Author: Diane Garey

It’s been a great summer for Shopping for Happiness. I mean, I’ve personally had a great summer (though between work, family trips and weekends dedicated to buying a dog, I haven’t been posting as much as I’d like). But my blog had a good summer too, catching the eye of several journalists who thought its messages about mindful spending and self-care would resonate with their readers. Looking to find a really special designer piece while in Paris? Look no further than Lorette & Jasmin, an alluring consignment store (dépôt vente in French) in the heart of the chic 16th arrondissement. At Paris Perfect, we also have a host of guided shopping tours for those that want a more expert-led option

It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s already time to start planning your Paris trip to take advantage of the amazing winter sales (or soldes in French) from January 10th to February 20th, 2018. Snag the latest French fashion must-have items, statement accessories, and stylish homewares with steep discounts of up to 70% off the original prices.

Looking to bring home some of the finest French beauty products but don’t want to break the bank? Then you have to visit City Pharma, the only discount parapharmacy in Paris. A parapharmacy is a wonderful hybrid: a regular pharmacy, beauty and homeopathy store, all rolled into one. It’s where French women buy the bulk of their fabulous hair and skin care products

As much as I love hostels and other forms of cheap accommodation, there is something nice about the luxuriousness of a hotel: the clean room, comfy bed, desk, iron, strong shower, and bottled soap for the taking (errr…I mean borrowing). They are quiet, relaxing, and a respite from the world.But luxury comes at a price. Hotels certainly aren’t cheap, and I hate spending money on a room I am only going to be in for a few hours. After all, it’s just a place to sleep (and take soap). It’s why I mostly avoid hotels — I don’t think they are a good use of money.

A few years ago, I was traveling to conferences and other work-related events a lot and staying in a bunch of hotels. I decided to see which hotel booking sites came back with the cheapest results.

Well, the complete opposite of the previous results. Back in 2014, Booking.com was terrible, TravelPony showed promise, and Agoda was only good in Asia.I found the best deals and largest variety in all the destinations I searched for on Booking. For example, in my September search in Paris, it listed over 2,300 results, including 250 2 star listings and 750 star listings (and it told me the place was over 60% booked when I searched). Agoda still had the best results in Asia (it returned 2,900 results in Bangkok compared to 2,500 for Booking) but had definitely expanded their listings around the world – it roughly tied Booking in Paris, Buenos Aires, and Sydney for overall listings, though they had fewer budget listings than Booking.There are a lot of hotel websites and I’ve tried many over the last few years as I’ve started to book hotels more and more, but this test just proved  If you’re booking a big-name, global-brand hotel (think Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, etc.), book directly with that hotel. They often have the best deals on their website, but if you find a better deal elsewhere, they’ll match it. The big benefit to direct bookings at these global hotel chains is that you only earn loyalty points and status when you book directly, so if you love points, don’t book their rooms elsewhere.

Beer cheese soup was made for soft pretzels. I know it, you know it, and these twisty knots of soft fluffy bread with the chunky salt know it.

And that is my job today: to give you the pretzels you need to complete the beer cheese soup set. Soft, excessively fluffy, basic delicious pretzels. You know I take this job very seriously.

Here’s a Soft Pretzel Perks Recap. They are:

Simple and straightforward.
Domestic goals.
Make-able with just a bowl and a wooden spoon.
Seriously. Just use a wooden spoon.
Soft, fluffy, pillowy.
Adaptable to your favorite shapes, flavors, etc.
Highly dip-able.
Yummy.

Here’s a quick rundown of the process.

Morbi pellentesque gravida vehicula. Nunc ullamcorper rutrum nunc, non consectetur ante egestas non. Donec elementum est at velit accumsan, nec accumsan neque porta.

This soup itself comes together fairly quickly. But I feel it’s my job to be honest with you and the honest truth is that if I were still a teacher instead of a professional food eater