Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

This is a slightly shorter version of Dimanche because admittedly, I was not up on the news this past week. January was a rough month for a bunch of reasons and as a result, I ended up tuning out a lot toward the end.

On Friday I woke up, looked at my phone, and realized that it was February 1. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The past month was over and a new one was beginning. Even more than at the beginning of the year, it felt like it was the perfect opportunity to start over. I vowed to take it easy this weekend and spend lots of time with people I care about.

Luckily, this weekend delivered the perfect weather to recharge my proverbial batteries. The cold front moved out temporarily and so I headed to the park yesterday to read. Today as I write this post, I’m sitting at one of my favorite coffee shops in St. Louis, Blueprint Coffee. They’ve opened all the doors to let the air in. I’m wearing flip flops, which might seem like overkill but it feels really good. If I try really hard, I can almost believe that it’s already spring.

This next month will bring its own challenges but I keep going back to the saying that you can’t take care of anyone else until you’ve taken care of yourself. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, or even just annoyed at the extreme winter weather, I’d urge you to take a step back and do things to relax. It’s paradoxically the easiest and hardest thing to do, but if you can manage it, you’ll be happy you did.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

In case you missed it, the St. Louis food scene is on fire right now. I love this story in the Chicago Tribune about the city’s best restaurants and bars. Anyone who is suffering through Chicago’s polar vortex should come down to St. Louis to eat, drink, and be merry. It’s a great escape.

Speaking of great St. Louis food and drinks… Everyone should head over to Blueprint Coffee on Watson. The coffee shop is the second location in St. Louis for Blueprint. It’s my favorite place to get a cappuccino. Today I got the spiced citrus cappuccino and sat near the open doors to enjoy the beautiful weather. 

Things are heating up with the anti-Macron French protestors. Some of the protestors, who are known as “gilets jaunes,” or yellow vests, have decided to run for public office to continue their opposition of President Macron’s policies. Now, a “a battle for the soul of the gilets jaunes is on the cards,” writes journalist Pauline Bock in this piece in The Guardian. The protestors will have to define themselves to carry their movement forward.

On a lighter note… This spiced mocha latte at Kaldi’s is one of the best coffee drinks I’ve enjoyed lately. I got it a week ago at Kayak’s, a cute coffee shop near Washington University in St. Louis, right before the cold front came through town. I’d highly recommend it as a morning coffee or anytime treat.

If you’re look for the best brownie recipe, I have one for you. I discovered this recipe on Broma Bakery, one of my favorite new food blogs, and I’m going to keep it on permanent rotation. Thick, chewy, slightly sweet, and rich, these brownies are ones to love. Read more about them and get a link to the recipe in my latest blog post!

Even reading about the polar vortex stresses me out but I found some reprieve in this story. If I’m going to hear about arctic temperatures on repeat, cute dogs in winter gear better be involved. Check out this piece from the Chicago Tribune for your cute dog fix.

Last but certainly not least, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with the Threshold line at Target. I’m still in the process of decorating my new apartment and I always find great Threshold items. I got this bath rug yesterday and it’s so soft and pretty.

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started.