The holidays in Paris, France

Two years ago this Christmas, J.J. and I were packing up our first house in the Sunshine State, living with dear friends for a week, and moving cross-country to Montana. To add to the crazy, we had planned a trip to London and Paris for the holidays before we knew we'd be moving. Chaotic, yes, but so fun, absolutely. We spent an afternoon planning our trip in J.J.'s office using Not for Tourists Guide to London and one of my favorite bloggers, Lauren from Aspiring Kennedy. All of her recommendations we used, we loved!

If you've never been to Paris, you should definitely book your tickets and go! We've fallen in love with the pastel colored skies of Paris. We found that the time between Christmas and New Year's was a good time to visit, but with the early sunset, it's cold and gets dark early. Maybe that's why we didn't find it too crowded. Below are some of our favorites from our December holiday in Paris!

Stay

Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center

17 Boulevard Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France

Clean, quiet, updated hotel with well lit streets and close to a metro line. The only downside was having to use two train lines to get to hot spots in Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower.

See

Luxembourg Garden - the sun was out and Parisians were soaking it in, winter coats and all. We loved walking through the garden grounds and can imagine in the spring it'd be even more beautiful.

Notre - Dame de Paris - situated next to the Seine, this is a beautiful cathedral inside and out. It's also a fun place to sit with a crêpe and people watch.

Sacré-Cœur - enjoy the gorgeous pastel Paris sky and stunning views from this Basilica and from there, walk through the Montmartre district.

Walk from the Louvre Museum up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Around Christmas, they have a lot of different markets with things to buy and eat. Lots of tourists in this area.

Eiffel Tower - if it's nice out, sit on the lawn and take in the view. Or if it's freezing, snap a photo and head to a great bistro!

Eats

Le Petite Cler - This small bistro sits on one of the cutest streets in Paris, is absolutely delicious, super busy, and so good that we went back twice.

Café Constant - The atmosphere in this restaurant was cozy French. The wait staff was friendly, the chicken perfected, and the lighting dim.

Le Camion - We found this fast/casual burger place via Anthony Bourdain. They have both a food truck and restaurant space. Delicious burgers and fries...one of J.J.'s favorites.

Angelina Paris - we went for their famous hot chocolate with a dollop of fresh whipped cream! It's more of a dessert than a drink and definitely something to share.

And if you're tourist tired, grab a baguette, a bottle of wine, and some cheese and call it an early night in. You're still in Paris and eating some of the best food in the world!

Nine years ago, J.J. took me on my first trip to Europe, and lucky for me, Paris was our last stop. Being newly introduced to this mesmerizing city, we of course headed straight for the Eiffel Tower. While sitting on the lawn with tourists from all over the world, eating their baskets of fresh baguettes and drinking their French wine, we knew Paris was worth all the hype.