Jane Bertch

Two weeks to the day from book launch and I’m back in Paris as of this morning. My whirlwind visit to the US already seems like ages ago! I cannot even begin to explain what a fabulous time I had seeing old friends, connecting with new friends, and exchanging on all things Paris! Just a small fraction of so many memories thanks to the WAC, @the_book_stall with Karl of @poshchicagoshop , an amazing afternoon at @petitechoubistro with @marthahoover_ , a lovely visit to @bookends_and_beginnings with @lizbchicago , a morning with the fabulous ladies of @daytimechicagotv spending time with @fox32chicago , visiting with @afdechicago for a lovely chat with @ninabwinston , siting side by side with @doriegreenspan at the beautiful @rizzolibookstore and gracious ladies at @lesdamesny and @ninabwinston for hosting their version of a Parisian Salon! Needless to say, I could spend my days out and about with all of you…. Maybe I just will. Thank you to each and everyone that has supported up close and from a far! . . . . . . @lacuisineparis #thefrenchingredient #bookish #booktok #bookstagram #booklover #athor #authorscommunity #authorsofinstagram #writer

I’ll never say that speaking French has come easy to me… but I’ve learned to love the complexity of it. One of the challenges for me is that I have found it to be a very contextual language with plenty of nuances. And then every once in while, I’ll come across a word that has an air of familiarity, and in some ways it means something similar. But then I realize it really doesn’t. Like ‘Souvenir’. In English, it’s a memento—a keepsake from a special moment or place. But in French, it means memory, often a deep and profound one. This subtle difference got me thinking: What are the souvenirs I want to create (rather than collect) this year? What moments will stay with me long after 2025 ends? I actually explored this idea in the latest issue of Prompts from Paris. What souvenirs—memories or milestones—are you hoping to create this year? Maybe you are still cultivating them in your Jardin Secret (Secret Garden) - but when the time is right, I hope you bring them into the light. Things grow when you shine light on them✨✨ #FrenchLanguage #WordsMatter #Souvenirs #LearningFrench #Memories #PromptsFromParis #Inspiration #journal #journalinspiration #learningfrench #journalprompts #lifeinparis

I searched for a photo from twenty years ago, but alas—those were the days before iPhones, Instagram, or even the idea of capturing life on a telephone! So, here’s the oldest ‘Paris’ photo I could find on my phone, circa 2012. This January marks something special (leave it to my mom to remind me): I left the US a quarter of a century ago (yes, it does sound better than 25 years) and have spent 20 of those years calling France home. WOW. Seeing those words in black and white still stops me in my tracks. This Sunday in Paris, I took a quiet moment to reflect on the journey—how much has transformed and how much remains the same. It feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once. Standing here taking this photo of the Eiffel Tower (which could have been taken 50 years ago or today), I can’t help but think about time’s strange dance. In another 20 years, someone might stand right here too, and snap the same image despite all the changes, the constants, and the stories unfolding. Here’s to growth, to roots in unexpected places, and to the magic of standing still just long enough to appreciate the view. Bon dimanche mes amis.

What if you had a group of fabulous, like-minded women to share and grow with - and all in the magic of Paris? This March, join me in Paris for three days dedicated and focused on YOU. Filled with personal and professional growth, transformation, and reinvention. Link in profile, DM with your questions! Waiting for you in Paris March 11th - 13th. . . . . #womenretreats #womeninbusiness #personaltransformation #selfcare #womensupportingwomen #womenempowerment #womanempowerment #womeninhospitality

You know in France we don’t usually say Happy New Year until it arrives. Well, it’s officially 2025 in Paris! Wishing all of you a Bonne Année 2025 - this will be your best year yet! Here’s to a new year overflowing with miracles, sprinkled with a bit of magic, and plenty of beautiful memories.

I’d love to know if you have any New Year rituals? I’ve become fascinated with rituals…. especially those related to the New Year. Even though I say I am not superstitious, I find myself having a set routine to welcome the new year, including what I eat! My family always believed in eating fish for ‘smooth sailing’, greens for ‘greenbacks,’ and peas for ‘pennies’… Black eyed peas were always the preference, but they can be hard to get ahold of here. My fallback is lentils…thanks to an Italian friend who told me this was her family tradition. My Spanish friends taught me to eat 12 grapes at midnight. The biggest challenge I have is staying up that late, and now I have a stress-induced grape-eating frenzy because, according to my friend, you should eat a grape for every strike of the clock (add to that the extra work of de-seeding them beforehand since seedless grapes aren’t sold widely) And recently someone told me I should eat pork - supposedly symbolic of the Pig’s constant move forward. So, beyond writing out my resolutions, writing things I want to leave behind and things I want to take into the new year, I now have a menu of ‘must eat.’ I guess spending the New Year eating and reflecting isn’t such a bad way to start. And do you think it all works? I guess I don’t need to know. Maybe it’s my little belief in magic? Maybe belief in faith? Who knows. But I am sure not going to risk doing otherwise. Above all, I’m happy to believe in a little magic for all of us as we start a new year!

No matter where I go, I have a little bit of Chicago with me. Joyeuses Fêtes to all! What ever you celebrate today, wishing you a safe and wonderful one!

“You have to enjoy life. Always be surrounded by people that you like, people who have a nice conversation. There are so many positive things to think about.” 🥂✨ - Sophia Loren 📍 @lacuisineparis 🎶 JGB Playlist: “Holiday” @madonna #JustGettingBetter #HappyHolidays

And friends - here we are, the last journal prompt of 2024! One week from today, we will be approaching the end of the year. This prompt, for me, is perhaps the most challenging - but the most important - because it’s going to require a little daydreaming. Jules Renard said it best, “La rêverie est le clair de lune de la pensée.” - A daydream is the moonlight of thoughts. They say, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive,’… so I am asking for good things for all of us. I‘ll be spending the next week daydreaming about what I really want out of 2025. I’ll also be thinking about what my ideal day will look and feel like. From the moment I awake to the people and experiences that will be a part of my day to how it will end. Getting clear is always the hardest part - but I believe when you are, the rest falls into place. Enjoy a beautiful ‘fin d’année,’ my friends - and happy daydreaming! .. . . . #journaling #journalinspiration #frenchquotes #journalprompts #journalprompt #2025goals #inspiration #personaltransformation

It’s Winter Solstice - a day I have come to love! Four lessons I learned about ‘winter’ (and life) thanks to a French Farmer. Winter means different things to different people, but I feel like it gets a bad rap. Winter is a beautiful period. I think the things I learned are particularly important if you are in your mature years and have looked at your life as seasons, with the later years being the ‘winter.’. Winter is not the ending, it’s a crucial part of a cycle - and perhaps one of the most important periods. This is the time when you nourish yourself so you are ready to plant seeds (ideas) in the year to come. According to a wonderful farmer I know, the Winter is: ✅ Time to reflect upon and enjoy the fruits of the year: farmers will do a year review of production. How did it go? What were the highs? What were the lows? ✅ Time to nourish and regenerate: the soil they plant in during the year gets a needed time to rest, rebuild and reset for the coming spring. ✅ Time to decide if there will be a pivot next year: a field of corn one year may show up as a field of Sun Flowers the next….and that is perfectly fine. ✅ Time for planning: farmers use this period to collect seeds to use in the spring, plan yield maps for the year ahead, and forecast what type of harvest they hope for in the following year. Winter is not the end, it’s a beautiful preparation for a new beginning. Happy Winter Solstice to all! .. . . . . . #lifelesson #lifelessonslearned #lifelessons101 #lifeinfrance #frenchstyle

I hope in your preparation for 2025, you are doing a review of 2024. Sometimes I forget all the things that have happened, and frankly, some years just have melted in to each other. But I must say that as I do my wrap-up/review of 2024 – it has been quiet a year! I am reminded of this thanks to the photos in my phone (do you do this?) And while most of the photos in my phone are food related, there are marked differences….magical moments I got to talk about my book, whether it be a podcast, and in person event, a virtual meet up, a coffee with a friend! It is the most touching reminder that I could not have done this alone. So many people have been so generously kind to support me in so many aways. Each and every activity/event was thanks to the wonderful people and small businesses that put their arms around me. It’s also such a beautiful reminder of the power of community and that 2024 has truly brought so many amazing people in to my life – including you if you are reading this post. And yes, one of my most surreal moments was a full circle one….I grew up watching Bozo the Clown, and even attended a show in person as a child! 40 years later I found myself in the same studio, this time on camera thanks to my friend @lizbchicago My list of people to thank is longer than this post can even allow for - but I’m eternally grateful for them.

Two weeks to go, friends! And that means it is time for Journal Prompt 2! Today is all about getting our focus ready for 2025. What will a successful 2025 look like for you, and most importantly, what actions or steps can you take now to prepare for that success? It could be just the act of journaling and getting clear - and that is so important! Or maybe you are already clear - so it could be identifying specific actions to move you closer: like identifying that contact you need, sending that email you need, identifying that self-care routine you want. Any little step you take gets you closer to the goal. On thing that would make 2025 successful to me was to finally have a podcast. So the action I decided to take was to start now, where I am - as imperfect as it may be. This for me was the best way to ensure GenerateHER, my new podcast, found its way in to 2025! AND it’s here - please give it a listen and let me know what you think. Link in profile. Just a reminder of the importance of community. Nothing I’ve done of value has been alone. Thanks to the wonderful @neshapai who put me in touch with the fabulous @hivecast.fm …. and voilà. I’m forever grateful for these two ladies! . . . . . . #womeninbusiness #womeninbiz #personaltransformation #selfimprovement #womenmasterminds #2025goals #podcast #podcastersofinstagram #podcasting #journaling #journalinspiration #journalprompts