Into the Fridge 🤪
Olivia Yokubonis on banana pancakes and running along the Seine
Olivia Yokubonis 🤪
Olivia is a digital marketing strategist and content creator. She currently lives in Paris, France after moving from the US six months ago. Olivia truly radiates joy, so I have a feeling you’ll leave this a little happier than when you started.
What is your fridge philosophy?
Since moving to a new country, it’s been an adjustment learning how to grocery shop again. My fridge philosophy is to keep it simple, so I have been LOVING meal delivery services like Hello Fresh that make it easy for me but provide classic French meals!
Your fridge is always always always stocked with ____.
San Pellegrino and Ginger Beer
Top 5 condiments, go.
CRISPY CHILI OIL
Tabasco Sauce
Spicy Mayonnaise
Wholegrain Mustard
Nutella (it counts)
Fine, I’ll open it up to pantry too. Let’s hear your favorite snacks / pantry staples:
I always have oats, chia seeds, and flax seeds in my pantry. I also seem to always have what the little french kids eat for goûter, their 4pm snack, which is usually a chocolate wafer of some kind.
A meal that’s on heavy rotation these days:
Banana oat pancakes: You take 2 ripe bananas, 2 eggs, 1.5c of oats, 0.5c of milk and a dash of cinnamon, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract, blend it all together in a blender and you’ve got the fluffiest pancake mix made from scratch. I probably make these 3 times per week.
Let’s go a little deeper…
What’s the mantra you keep coming back to?
“Take the next best step forward.” Sometimes we forget that as long as we are going in the right direction, we will get to our destination, and that things become clearer the closer we get.
What products / practices are part of your regular mental wellness habits?
I am a skincare junkie and living in Paris is like a mecca for me. Taking my time in the morning and the evening to prep or unwind is one of my favorite practices for my mental health.
If you’re ever visiting France, my top 3 products are A313, Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum, and Cicabiafine!
And your physical?
Running with my dog on the Seine has been a favorite lately. It’s pretty easy to get 10k+ steps a day when you live in a city, and to offset those sore legs, I love using my Theragun and the Bend app!
What do you think is the most underrated part of wellness?
That it doesn’t have to cost a thing, and that it doesn’t have to be your whole personality. I think we have this belief that we need to have the latest and greatest to live a life full of wellness.
Same with the idea that we have to be “that girl” who manages to do two workouts and drink three green juices before the rest of us get out of bed. There is simplicity in wellness, and if it’s putting you in debt or making you feel like you have to compete, maybe it’s not wellness.
.…and overrated?
Performative wellness. I am so over the Instagram wellness girlies who paint a picture of perfection. Wellness ≠ perfection. It’s human and messy and something to make your own!
Picture this: you wake up one morning and feel like shit. What’s your next move:
I wake up and immediately go into a “no phone” zone.
I put on some jazz music and do my skincare routine.
Then I grab a book or my journal, and I make sure I eat a high protein breakfast because my mom always said it makes you feel better.
I also try to really take control of my negative thoughts and not necessarily replace them with a positive thought - because who wants toxic positivity - but more so a fact, or the truth behind the thought.
Give us your ride or die wellness products:
A tongue scraper, hypochlorous acid, Carmex, Kick Ass Immune, Trace Mineral Drops, and my adaptogenic mushroom pills.
One thing you do everyday that makes you the most YOU version of yourself:
It may be funny, but I wear the same jewelry every day. It makes me feel like the best version of myself!
Whose taste inspires you?!
My roommate’s! She is the sous chef at a famous restaurant here in Paris, and she inspires me to approach food with more curiosity and excitement!
Big thank you to Olivia for showing us the beauty of her Parisian life. Her warmth is contagious, so follow her on Instagram for a regular dose. Her fridge favorites + more are here.
Feel free to leave a comment or respond to this email with questions you want asked, people you want featured, or anything else that’s on your mind. Don’t be shy, I love hearing from you. I’ll see you with a review soon!
Olivia’s videos are some of my favourite on the internet - delighted to see her featured here!
I like reading about your life in Paris!