This week I took the kids to the Australian Open, it’s always such a fun school holiday activity so I thought I’d share some tips from the day!

If you can take a backpack, it’ll keep you as hands free as possible. Pack sunscreen, hats, water bottles & cups, kids bathers, and snacks. Wear comfortable clothing & shoes.

It’s the easiest to get the train in, it’s only a short walk from Flinders Street station.

Download the AO APP before you head in- it has the full schedule as well instant updates.

We spent most of the day at the AO BALLPARK as there was so much for the kids to do and all FREE!

There are so delicious, healthy food options, lots of taps to refill your bottles and plenty of opportunities to cool off.

There were sunscreen stations, plenty of toilets, and even a quiet zone if you needed it.

The kids had the best day!!!!

We just spent a beautiful 48 hours in Marysville and surrounds and wanted to share our itinerary with you.

We booked two nights at the Marysville caravan park in a deluxe two bedroom cabin! It was very modern and was right on the river. This was around $200 a night. https://www.marysvilleholidaypark.com.au

The location of the caravan was perfect. It was only a 2 minute walk to the pub!

We left Melbourne at 4pm, just after school and before peak hour traffic. It took about two hours to drive there. We quickly checked in then walked next door the the pub for dinner. The Duck Inn was a cute pub, it had a open fire, mulled wine, and delicious food. I’d highly recommended.

For breakfast we had take away coffee & pastries from the local bakery, before hiring our snow gear and heading up the mountain. Hiring gear was very easy & quick to do. You can do it in Marysville or on the mountain. From Marysville it’s an easy 25 minute drive to Lake Mountain You need to prebook your entry to the mountain, it’s around $55 per car.

Lake Mountain is perfect for families, lots of snow play, tobogganing, ski lessons, and a great cafe for lunch! It’s all very close to each other and easy to walk around. It’s perfect for those, like us, they aren’t snow bunnies.

We spent around 3 hours on the mountain.

We got back to the cabin around 2:30pm, we changed out of our wet clothes, then the kids had a play. At 3pm we headed to the most amazing lolly shop in town, highly recommend a visit!

Andrew and I then convinced the girls to go to the pub to relax for a few hours before an early dinner. The food at The Duck Inn is great, and they have a kids menu!

After a big day we retired for an early night. The next morning we checked out at 10am and headed to Steavenson Falls

It’s a quick 8 minute drive from town, followed by a flat 5 minute walk to the most beautiful waterfall.

We left Marysville at 11am, and decided to stop at a winery on the way home for lunch. We ended up at Rochford which was fantastic. The meal was delicious and they had a great kids menu. Finally we headed home, arriving back to Melbourne by 3:30pm.

It really feels like now is a good time to do those jobs at home you have been putting off. For me it was our sad, unused courtyard.

Here is what it looked like BEFORE:

It’s a small space, but it’s the centre of the home, and due to all our windows it’s a space that can be seen from many rooms in the house.

It is currently bare, it just has our large BBQ (Andrew’s pride and joy). It’s an area that really needed some love. Because no one in our home is very ‘handy’ I wanted to improve the area with furniture, plants, and cushions. The project needed to be quick and easy and easily achieved over a weekend.

The only negative about the courtyard space is it gets lots of sun all day so all the plants I have previously put in the space have died quickly. This is why I decided to go with fake plants for the area.

Everything I used to create my new space I purchased from bunnings. I could have easily done this from the comfort of my own home, simply by heading online to Bunnings.com.au, creating my Wishlist then ordering these items to be delivered straight to my home. You can also head in store, where the staff have been maintaining the strictest hygiene practices and ensuring all customers maintain the correct social distance.

I went in store but ultimately chose most of the items that were on my Wishlist. It was an easy process. I chose to have my items delivered to my home the very next day, for the bargain price of $40. The other option was hiring a Ute through Bunnings which cost $25 an hour ($200 deposit).

Here is the final result. I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out! I have linked all the items I used to create this look below:

These are the items I used to create the look:

• I try to get to the gym 4-5 times a week. I do a mixture of cardio, pilates, and weights. 

1/2 cup Chia seeds

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

I can coconut milk

4 dessert spoons real maple syrup

(Raspberries, Blueberries and roasted almonds optional, to serve).

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, then leave in fridge overnight.

It makes four servings and lasts for a week in the fridge.

Serve with fresh berries (can use frozen in winter) and crunchy roasted almonds.

Enjoy!

This blog was kindly sponsored by the @whatmine_app

Anyone that has children knows they are messy little creatures. I spent so much of my day cleaning up after their constant mess. If there is a product out there that can make my life as a busy Mum any easier I’m all for it.

The lovely people at Godfreys have gifted me one of their new Wertheim Evolution Stick Vacuums to trial and so far, it has been amazing. I have never had a stick vacuum before and I can tell you they are a game changer.

The top three messiest areas for my kids would be, the kitchen, especially after meal times, the car, where so many snacks are consumed, and the bedroom where my eldest child likes to do her craft.

Having a fully charged vacuum just sitting there waiting to be used has been fantastic. It comes with a charging dock, which is so easy as when you have finished cleaning you simply stand your handspike in the charging dock. The dock also includes a spare battery.

The Wertheim Evolution is the ultimate Stick Vacuum and comes complete with a powerful Power Head which is ideal for both the carpet and floorboards that we have in our home.

The other plus is it is very quiet, so I can easily use the vacuum whilst my youngest naps. It also comes with a mini motorised pet brush which is great for us as we have a small dog. The machine is so easy to use, and cleans almost any surface.

Other key features include:

• Up to 25 minutes run time on one battery
• Easy conversion to Handstick or a Handvac from Stickvac
• HEPA Filtration to trap allergen triggers
• It comes with so many accessories- upholstery, 3-1 cleaning tool.

Honestly I don’t know how my family survived with out this machine for so long. It’s definitely a welcome addition to our family.

To find out more click HERE

For the last few years my sister and I have owned an investment property in Balwyn, it’s a great little unit in a fantastic location.

When our property manager informed us our last, unreliable tenant had moved out we decided it was time to update the property.

Initially we were just going to do the bathroom and started getting some initial quotes. I was feeling lost, I didn’t want to do any of the work myself, but I wanted it to be done well and to a high standard. I first heard of Property Revive when someone contacted me via my Instagram page recommending their services. From my first phone call with Felicity I knew it was going to be a great match. Felicity’s company Property Revive specialises I’m updating investment properties, either for better rental return/tenants or prepping for sale.

We first met at the property to walk through and see what needed updating.

We decided to not only completely redo the bathroom, but the entire property! This included new flooring throughout, fresh paint throughout, new blinds, light fittings, as well as putting in some new appliances and a general tidy up.

To be honest from there I just let Felicity and her team do their thing. With two small kids and living on the other side of town the last thing I wanted to do was to constantly be worrying about the property.

The update took approximately 4 weeks (it was done over Christmas/New Year) and the results blew me away!

To begin with here is the bathroom BEFORE: 

And the bathroom AFTER:

In the bathroom Felicity completely gutted it as there was water damage and the floor needed to be replaced.

The master bedroom before:

And the master bedroom AFTER:

Here Felicity remover the carpet, revealing these gorgeous floorboards which she stained and polished using a matt, water based finish with a chocolate direct stain.

The kitchen BEFORE:

The kitchen AFTER:

Here Felicity replaced the floor, painted and did a general tidy up. We replaced the dishwasher.

Entry way BEFORE:

And AFTER:

Finally the lounge room.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So much lighter and brighter.

The project was completed to an extremely high standard and came in nearly $2000 under budget. The property was previously rented out before renovation for $370 per week and is now on the market for $460-$480 per week.

Felicity and her team at PROPERTY REVIVE can also work out a depreciation schedule for you so it makes claiming back the works at tax time very easy.

I’m so glad I found Felicity and her team at PROPERTY REVIVE. I would highly recommend her services. To get in contact with Felicity click HERE

For more information visit her FACEBOOK SITE

This November we went on our fourth trip to Fiji (our third with the kids). It is, and will always be our favourite place for a relaxed family holiday.

The week before we left we went into holiday lock down. No childcare, no play dates, nothing. I did not want to risk one of us getting sick before a big trip!

For this trip we decided to not pack a pram, as we were staying at small island resorts. I didn’t think we would need it and both girls can capably walk.

Luckily we were gifted a TRUNKI before we left and it came in handy when moving about the airport.

Gem (our four year old) claimed the trunki as hers, and confidently rode it through the airport with me pulling along the strap.

The thing I liked best about the Trunki was I used it to store all the girls things to keep them occupied on the plane, keeping my bag free of all their kiddy items. It also fits perfectly under the seat in front during the flight.

Castaway Island

We spent the first week at Castaway Island which is simply stunning. The beach is the nicest I’ve ever seen, and perfect for little kids like mine that can’t swim as it’s nice and shallow.

Accommodation wise we had a beachfront villa but in retrospect I think I’d be happy with any of the villas available as we spent most of the day on the main beach. The pools looked great but we never swam in them.

The kids spent a little time in kids club, it’s from 3 years of age so we got a nanny for Rose (2) when she attended. Nannies are $10 FJD per hour and you pay them directly with cash. The babysat for us at night when we had dinner and the girls slept.

The food at Castaway was ok, above average. It was a buffet for the kids at every meal (they had some a la carte options too), and we had a la cart for lunch and dinner from one of they three restaurants.

I liked that you could get lunch take away and eat it on the beach or in your room.

We got the meal plan so we didn’t stress about the cost of eating.

Drinks are expensive at Castaway, so if you’re prepared perhaps bring your own.

I did love the beach bar however, and enjoyed a few cocktails on the beach while watching the girls play.

VOMO

It was our second visit to Vomo and what can I say, it’s my favourite place in Fiji. Not cheap but it includes basically everything.

The island is beautiful, the accommodation modern and comfortable, and the staff are lovely.

The kids club there is fantastic. It’s air conditioned and has great facilities including a movie room. The kids also ate both lunch and dinner in the kids club. The kids club in Vomo is from four years old. Rose had a nanny, Millie, for most of the day. It was $15 FJD per hour.

The sunset adults only bar is lovely and they now do meals there twice a week. They are also building an adults only infinitely pool.

The spa at Vomo is the best massage I’ve ever had. I booked three massages on this trip and each one I feel asleep! So relaxing.

The food this time around was sensational, we loved every single meal! I honestly can’t fault it, we are big on food so this really made our trip. The kids food (all al a carte, was delicious too).

The highlight of our trip was booking little Vomo for a private beach picnic. We had a lovely day collecting shells and eating lobster.

We booked our holiday through Belinda Hackett who was a fantastic travel agent and I’d highly recommend her!

I might be biased as I’ve literally grown up eating this Christmas pudding, but I do think it’s the best! It is my Nana’s recipe and she has been making it for 40 years.

I wouldn’t say it’s the quickest or easiest recipe but it’s definitely worth the time it takes to prepare. I usually aim to have it cooked by September/October, then leave it on the fridge until Christmas Day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups Raisins

1 1/4 cups Sultanas

1 1/2 cups Currants

1/3 cup chopped mixed peel

1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds

1 small apple

1/2 orange

1 cup SR Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

125g butter

3 cups white breadcrumbs

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup brandy or milk (approximately)

Prepared the dried fruit by removing the seeds and finely chopping the raisins. Combine in a bowl with almonds and the mixed peel (I add glacé cherries sometimes too).

Peel and grate the Apple, grate the rind and remove the juice from half an orange. Add to the dried fruit and toss well.

Sift flour, salt and spices into a basin, and lightly rub in the butter.

Add the breadcrumbs, brown sugar, and the dried fruit mix.

Beat the eggs into a froth, add the brandy (or milk), then add to the mixture and stir well.

Turn into a large greased basin, approximately seven- cup capacity. Do not fill to the top- allow for rising.

Cover with a circle of greased paper and then double thickness of aluminium foil.

Put it in a saucepan of boiling water, allowing the water to come halfway up the basin. Cover the saucepan with a lid and boil for six hours. Keep adding boiling water to replace the water which has boiled away.

When cooked, remove the cover and paper, allow surface to dry out. Replace with new paper and foil, put the lid back on and store in the refrigerator.

Reheat in the same way as originally cooked, boil for two-three hours before serving!

ENJOY 😘

So it’s no secret that we just renovated our home and I’m completely obsessed with ever part of it. Unfortunately part of making our home bigger was that we lost a lot of outdoor space. We used to have lots of lawn, but now its been reduced to a few small patches at the front and rear.

The grass in our backyard before:

If you watch my stories you will see we got rid of our big lawn mower (too big to store and didn’t need it) and I decided I would take on mowing duties and bought a hand mower. Well the hand mower was terrible to use and it took me nearly an hour to mow the small patch pictured above. In the end we resorted to using scissors to cut the lawn and I know a few of you found this to be very funny!

When the good people over at RYOBI heard my plight they decided to send me a brand new RYOBI ONE+ cordless line trimmer. RYOBI has a big focus on supporting women in doing DIY around the house and therefore create products that make it easy to do so. And wow was this machine is not only easy to use but super easy to set up too. I love it.

So last weekend I took the beautiful RYOBI ONE+ cordless line trimmer out of the box and gave it a whirl. It was incredible. It cut the grass with ease and I was done in about five minutes. It was really fun to use to.

The thing I liked best about the RYOBI ONE+ cordless line trimmer is that its battery operated so you don’t need to worry about petrol which was a huge pain with our previous mower. You just plug the battery in to recharge it. Once it’s charger you just pop it into the back of the RYOBI ONE+ cordless line trimmer. Very user friendly. RYOBI is also so confident in their ONE+ tools, they back them all with a 6 year replacement warranty.

Here is the battery charging:

The grass after:

Some more BEFORE & AFTERS:

Thank you so much to RYOBI for sending me something I needed and love using. I also applaud you for encouraging women to be more active in DIY projects. RYOBI has over 70 tools in the ONE+ range so there is a tool to suit and DIY project that you might have.

RYOBI tools can be exclusively purchased through Bunnings Australia and New Zealand.

For more information click here to visit their website 

A few weeks ago I attended to bloggers brunch in Sydney where I got to meet with some amazing brands, including Medela. Whilst talking to the beautiful ladies on the Medela stand I got the opportunity to reflect on my own breastfeeding journey. Medela were proudly showcasing the most beautiful artworks created by students for Medela depicting what ‘Mother’s Milk Means’ to them. Firstly I wanted to share with you my favourite art piece:

This picture resonates with me as it is such an accurate description of how breastfeeding felt to me. For nine months my body grew my baby on the inside and for six months my body grew my baby on the outside. We were one.

Lets now talk about my breastfeeding experience with little Gemima Grace. Before having children I was determined that I would breastfeed. I didn’t have a back up plan and bottles and formula were not part of my ‘prepare for baby’ shopping list.

I had Gem at term, she was a big baby and came out hungry. Little did I know (I found out 10 weeks later) that I had retained placenta ( which required surgery) so my body didn’t naturally start lactating. The first three days of Gemima’s life she screamed for food and I had nothing to give her. On the third day the nurses started getting me to express/pump using the hospital grade Medela machine. This was my first experience with Medela. We also started toping Gem up with formula as even with all the pumping I still wasn’t producing any milk and I did not want to leave my baby hungry (thank god for formula). I was using the Medela machine every three hours everyday so I called my husband to organise one for home. He rushed off to baby bunting to buy the Medela Swing (it’s THE BEST) breast pump on the market so it would be ready for me when I got home.

After a week in hospital I took my baby home and kept up the breastfeeding, bottle feeding formula then expressed milk, then expressing regime every three hours for two weeks. Slowly over this time my milk increased and by week three I was finally able to just breastfeed, no bottle, no top ups,  just pure breasty goodness.

So for me the Medela breast pump meant I could continue my breastfeeding journey as I had always wanted. This meant the world to me as breastfeeding was important to me. I continued my breastfeeding journey until a Gemima was 14 months. Was it hard work? Yes, it sure was but so worth it in the end.

Medela supports women and communities in many ways. Their breastpumps really are the best of the market. They have an amazing recourses available to women and a blog you can join here that sends you regular information and support for your breastfeeding journey.

So what are my top tips to support women to breastfeed?

1) Be informed, there are lots of free information and help out there.

2) Be open with others about your breastfeeding journey, it’s normally to find it hard.

3) Be kind to yourself, breastfeeding sometimes isn’t easy.

Bec xx