We are frequently asked two questions to which there are no simple answers: "Which bon bon flavor do people like best?" and "Which bon bon is the best-seller?" Because all of our bon bons are so delicious, there is no stand-out favorite. Our best-seller (by far!) is the Bon Bon Sampler, which is an assortment of all seven flavors of our hand-dipped chocolate confections. As to specific favorites? We can only tell you our own: I like Coconut best (Cookies ‘n Crème runs a close second for me); Pascal’s favorite flavor is Café au Lait (with Coconut in second place). When the staff at Focus on the Coast came to a South ‘n France Bon Bon Party, they took their own informal poll. Here are the results:   

Focus favorite Bon Bons
Kelly W.: Café Au Lait and Pistachio
Krista: Coconut
Jess: Café Au Lait and Coconut
Brook: Coconut
Tessa: Coconut and Café Au Lait
Laurel: Café Au Lait
Abi: Coconut
Kelly M.: Café Au Lait
Kristi: Coconut and Pistachio

Can I just say that I have a new favorite treat? If I could have a chocolate chip cookie dough bon bon every day, I would be a very happy man; Absolutely delicious!!

My favorite is definitely the chocolate chip cookie dough bon bon!

Oh my God! These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bon Bons are complete joy. You cannot eat just one. Better than scooping cookie dough out of the tub - I gotta have more!

Then there’s Chris, who commented on this bon bon photo shown in our MySpace photo gallery: 

I’d like to see a picture of the Pistachio ones, but only if it doesn’t get in the way of you making them. They are definitely the best ones; Coconut is a somewhat close second, but not close enough to cause confusion.

Speaking of confusion, see why we can’t tell you which flavor is everyone’s favorite? Go ahead-  try them for yourselves - and join in the discussion! Maybe one day we’ll get to the bottom of which one bon bon flavor is "everyone’s favorite" and "our bestseller". 

In a recent post I told you how I came to read French Women Don’t Sleep Alone. Perhaps you might want to know what I actually thought of the book. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess my initial skepticism. Although I had committed to reading it, I thought that the book wouldn’t apply to me. First, I already know quite a bit about the French. Second, I’m a happily married woman who sleeps double in a king-sized bed (I’d much rather a queen-sized bed… but that’s an entirely different blog entry). What could I possibly learn from French Women Don’t Sleep Alone? Turns out, a lot.

If you sleep alone, if you sleep single in a double bed, if you sleep with others, heck, even if you’re an insomniac, you can (and should) read this book! Because here’s the scoop: that scintillating, provocative title is just the kind of thing this book has to teach you. The reason French women don’t sleep alone is because they know how to be provocative, mysterious, sexy, and downright coquettish. Not only did they invent the term "coquette" (what we call a "flirt" or a "tease"), they make sure that these skills are passed down from generation to generation. That’s how author Jamie Cat Callan got interested in the subject. Jamie’s grandmother was French, and Jamie was intrigued by her seductive and mysterious ways. Jamie set off for Paris, where she interviewed hundreds of French women (and some men) too, so that she could finally crack the code. Here are some of the things Jamie discovered:

French women don’t date; you’ll be surprised at how they meet men!
French women invest in nice, matching lingerie and they wear it every day.  I’ve always envied French women for this and I’ve never been able to pull it off with the same panache. One tip that Jamie gives was a major “"aha!" moment for me. 
French women "seduce" everyone they meet.  Everyone – men (married, single, young, old), other women, babies, dogs. You’ll learn the art of French seduction is very different from what you might think.
French women do "sexy" with very little makeup, a small wardrobe, no diets and limited workouts. So what on earth are they doing? You’d be surprised to learn that it involves book clubs, reading glasses, and eating!

Just like the French women she writes about, Jamie Cat Callan’s book is smart, seductive and full of surprises.  You’ll find recipes, poetry, quotes, beauty tips, funny anecdotes and outrageous suggestions. Want to know how to have firmer breasts? Jamie will tell you the French secret. Want to know the French woman’s equivalent of eating an entire bag of potato chips? You won’t believe it! (And you might just hate them for it… I think I do!)

If this post has piqued your interest about Jamie’s book, it simply means that I did indeed learn a thing or two about how to capture someone’s attention, how to seduce them with an air of intrigue and mystery, and how to – as Jamie says – express my inner French girl! What are you waiting for? Buy this book and no matter whom you do or don’t sleep with, you’ll have more fun everywhere – from the bookstore to the boardroom to the bedroom!

Even though this past weekend was all about fathers, we’re still celebrating mothers here at South ‘n France!  After all, there wouldn’t be fathers without mothers, n’est-ce pas?  Last year, we inaugurated the Bon Bon Mom of the Year Contest. Fabulous Mom Debbie Bost was the first Mom to enter our Bon Bon Mom Hall of Fame.  As the first reigning Bon Bon Mom, Debbie enjoyed lots of swag, including a year’s supply of bon bons!  This Mother’s Day we decided to spread the wealth. We offered 8-Piece Bon Bon Samplers to 12 different deserving mothers – one great Mom for every month in the year! We’d like to introduce some of these outstanding mothers to you:

Without my mom, I could not be thriving as a single mom! We call her "Gran" and she lives 2 hours away in a little town called Newport, very close to Beaufort. She is willing to drive here and spend the night when I need help with childcare and she takes the kids anytime she can at her house - even as long as a week if I need a break! She works 20 hours a week at the local church and all hours are on a volunteer basis. She is truly an amazing person with a lot to give! – Lisa Puttbach

I come from a military family where we must have moved every 6 months to a year. When I was young I didn’t appreciate how well my mother made sure my older brother and I always had consistency in our "home" no matter where we lived. Sometimes we would still be living out of boxes, in a new town with very few friends yet, but Mom always made sure dinner time was family time. By keeping us all close and involved in community sports and activities she made sure we became connected in each new town. Because she was always supporting us and encouraging us in every new neighborhood and in each new school we felt safe because we always knew we had our "rock". Looking back at those times, they could have been scary, but with Mom’s dedication to us they are memories of fun and adventure… she’s always been our biggest cheerleader! Thanks for letting me brag about my mom, she deserves it! – Heather Tompkins

My mom, Mazle Memory, will be celebrating her 81st birthday in August. My dad passed away when she was 36. She was left with 6 children ages, 16,14,12,11, 4 and 2, and a very small ($10,000) life insurance policy. She never remarried and raised us alone while working full time. We are all productive adults with children of our own now. Mom is a very special woman who is my hero. She was Mom and Dad to us and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame! – Vera M. Walker

My mom is always there for me and my three kids. When I was pregnant with my third child, instead of retiring in southern NJ like she had planned, she moved here to Wilmington to be closer to us. After being a stay-at-home mom for 5 years, I had the opportunity to go back to work part-time at UNC-W and there is no way this would have been possible without my mother’s help. She does so many things on a weekly basis to make my children feel special, everything from giving them M&M’s when she sees them, taking them on sleep-overs, taking them out to eat to their favorite restaurants and paying for special camps and lessons that help them grow and learn. Since I was a little girl my mother has supported and cared for me and now she is caring for and supporting not only me, but my three children as well.  Not sure what I would do without my mom. – Jennifer M. Grob

My mom is just AWESOME! I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as her, sacrifice as much as she did and still be as loving and unconditional as she is. Imagine working in a HOT kitchen and preparing meals for hundreds of people every day and only make $500.00 US dollars a month. She did that for me! All I have to say is that my mom is the most special person, most respectable person and the most loving person I have ever known in my life! – Ana Dawson (Photo of Ana Dawson with her Mom, Ana Maria Gomes)

About 5 years ago my father was diagnosed with a rare disease and my mother, Lou Souders, is his primary caregiver. She spends her days trying to make him as comfortable as possible, meeting his every need, handling all of the household duties as well as medical duties. In the past two months, she made 4 visits to the hospital with him, while he had 2 surgeries, and she slept in a folding chair for 3 nights to be by his side. Not only is my mother an outstanding wife, but she is also a fabulous grandmother to her 6 grandchildren. She always manages to send cards for every holiday, gift boxes, presents, and also makes calls to them all. Her 2 grandchildren here, McKenzie and Harrison, love to go over and visit. She always keeps their favorite snacks on hand, as well as a closet full of toys and games. 

So we have established what a terrific wife and grandmother she is, but she is a superb mother too. I feel that we grew up in a "Beaver Cleaver" style. I loved my childhood. Mom made clothes for my sister and me, made hand-sewn Halloween costumes, homemade birthday cakes, endless crafts, homemade doll house, and on and on. She has always been there for my brother, sister and me. Whenever any of us are going through hard times she forgets about herself and focuses on our problems. She is a rock for everyone.  Please consider my mother for this special award as she really deserves some recognition for herself. – Laurie Wierse
 

A man who keeps a diary pays,
Due toll to many tedious days;
But life becomes eventful - then,
His busy hand forgets the pen.
-William Allingham (Irish Poet. 1824-1889)

It’s been a month or so since I posted my last blog entry. This blog is the closest I’ve ever come to keeping a regular diary or journal, though there have been quite a few times when I tried mightily. For example, whenever I traveled to Paris as a student, I thought it was my duty to keep a journal. That is what French students do, n’est-ce pas? They while away the hours in Parisian cafés writing down their innermost thoughts while nursing a $6 café au lait. At least that’s what I thought they did when I was 21. I still remember the opening scene of my adventures in Paris quite vividly:

I had just spent a few days in the French countryside with my French family, prior to beginning my grand Parisian adventure. Upon my arrival in France I learned that my luggage had been lost by the airlines, so I was traveling with just an oversized carry-on suitcase. I was taking the TGV train from the Vendée back to Paris where I would officially begin my year at the University of Paris X, also known as Nanterre. For the train ride into the city, I had cobbled together what I thought was a suitably Parisian-chic look from the contents of my carry-on. I wore a black mini-skirt, pleated like the plaid ones private school girls wear, dark black tights, black ballerina flats, and a black turtleneck (it was a bit too warm for a turtleneck, but I didn’t care!). I wore an oversized men’s cream-colored button-down shirt over my turtleneck, tied in a knot at the waist. My ensemble was completed by a hat, a cream-colored felt bowler trimmed in black velvet. The side of the hat sported a large cream-colored silk rose with just a hint of black velvet and tulle peeking out from behind it. As for my accessories? I remember only two. A journal and a French fountain pen.  

Feeling like a mysterious and intriguing foreign traveler, I settled into my seat on the TGV and wrote about my hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Oscar Wilde once said: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train." I thought I was doing one better, by writing in my journal on the train! As the year went by, that infamous year of cabarets and dating Pascal and doing more living than I had in my previous twenty years combined, my journal was cast aside. I only made sporadic entries, believing that I was too busy living my grand adventure to take the time to write about it.

There hasn’t been any romantic transatlantic adventure for me lately; these days I’ve just been busy with "stuff". Mostly, the stuff that clutters up one’s routine life – car trouble (not once, not twice, but three times in two weeks!) a leaky pipe in the bathroom, carpet cleaning (it was long overdue!); workouts at the gym (I will get in shape – I will!); work; and a few paltry attempts at having a balanced social life.  Speaking of balance, I guess I’ve been looking for it with my blog as well. This summer, I’m planning on writing in this online "diary" a little less, and living a little more with the hope that just like Oscar Wilde, I’ll have plenty of sensational material for those days when I do blog.