December 30, 2014

Need to Diet and Happy New Year!

Oh wow! How did you guys pull up for Christmas? I feel like I'm still rolling around from all the yummy food that I have consumed in 8 days. Yes! You heard correctly; I didn't stop eating for 8 whole full days. Best 8 days of my life.

Christmas dinner with my immediate family is always fun as I get to be a kid again and play games with my nieces. As they get older and find their own personalities and become more independent, I find myself still treating them like little toddlers. Soon we'll be clubbing together! LOL....NEVER! Not for me anyway.

Every year I spend Christmas day with my extended family and this year was the alternate year where many of my relatives spend Christmas with their partners and/or in-laws so it was a small crowd but was still consisting of 30+ people. You can only imagine how many people we have for Christmas when everyone is here in Sydney together. Christmas has always been big for me and it's not just family, we have many very close family friends who join us because they don't have family here in Sydney so it's a big celebration.

Even though it was a "smaller" crowd this year it meant that I really got a chance to spend some quality time with my aunties and uncles who love to tell stories of when we were younger and all the trouble we use to get up to - these are the moment I cherish and laugh at the most, especially when I find things out about my brothers!

Over the next few days I had friends over for dinner and catch-ups and in my proud cook-off moment I successfully made a triple chocolate mud cake with salted caramel chocolate pieces and topped with chocolate butter-cream and my ultimate "move over Kylie Kwong" moment was my PEKING ROAST DUCK! Totally made from scratch and all made by me. I'm still so proud of this that if heads really did grow in size then mine was massive!


Doesn't look sexy but it was amazing
The rich triple chocolate mud cake with salt caramel chocolate pieces and topped with chocolate butter-cream.
The amazing roast duck was accompanied with steam fish, asian greens and brown rice.
Dinner on another night serving slow roast lamb, mash potato, honey carrots & broccolini with butter & toasted hazelnuts.
My final (for now) indulgence day of eating, the 8th day, was dinner at Le Pelican in Surry Hills (Shop 2, 411 Bourke Street, Pelican Private Hotel). This was the first time I've been there and what a lovely cute little place it is. The restaurant has in-door seating and through the back has more seating in their lovely cute outdoor courtyard. It is French bistro combining fresh local seasonal produce to create classic and new favourites.

For entree I had a couple of fresh Wapengo lake organic oysters with lemon and shallot dressing and the pork and duck foie gras pâté with cornichon and onion jam served with a crusty warm baguette which is absolutely amazing. For main, I had the special, roasted pigeon; can't remember what it came with but it was tasty and tender. To finish it all off I squeezed in a couple of scoops of ice cream: chocolate and olive oil sorbet.

It was the first time I've tried  olive oil sorbet and it seriously did tasty of olive oil including the oily texture in  your mouth. You could only eat a couple of spoonfuls at a time and then it just gets too oily so I would recommend having it with something else as it needs to accompany another dessert. Being the lover of food and all things sweet, I then proceeded to try everyone elses dessert: Baked fruit soufflé with chocolate ice cream, strawberry and rhubard meringue with lemon gel and olive oil sorbet, chocolate fondant and thyme ice cream and the cheese plate that consisted of Ossau Iraty, Buche d’Affinois and Fourme d’Ambert.

Olive oil sorbet and chocolate ice cream.
So, that was my final day of indulgence eating. I have since gone back to eating healthy (as much as possible) and have started walking and swimming again to lose (what feels like) 100kgs I have gained in these 8 days! Meh, it's Christmas and I've enjoyed every moment of it; I love the fact that food brings people together.

As I draw towards the last couple of days of 2014 I wish you all a fabulous New Year and and awesome 2015 and beyond. I hope you all have a great time whatever it is you're doing and stay safe. I also look forward to sharing more of my journey and moments with you in the new year so do come back!

What are your plans for New Years? Will you be securing a spot for the fireworks in Sydney?

Love,
Jo xo

December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas ….. Keep Dreaming and Sparkling


Firstly, wishing all my family, friends and followers a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful time wherever you are and with those that are important to you.

WOW! Another 12 months have past and here I am writing a Christmas post. For me it's been a hectic, fun and an eventful year. I have personally experienced and learnt many new things. One of my biggest achievements of this year is moving into my place and decorating it in my style and personality (this never seems to stop) and I've been falling in love with what I've done each day. I'm proud that everything I own is mine and no-one can take it away from me. 

Another achievement that I'll point out and really never thought about ever doing is starting this blog and becoming an official blogger. It is been both inspiring and personal for me; a place where I can share and write about my thoughts, my experiences, my reviews around Sydney, my travels and my journey in life. I wouldn't have been able to achieve this without the help of my beautiful friend, Camielle, who has a blog of her own - Gen-Y Mum. If it wasn't for her guidance, advice and IT help, I wouldn't have got this off the ground. To Cam: Thank you!

The world has experienced many events in the last 12 months and in Australia, especially my own city, Sydney, we have recently been faced with not-so-nice events but events that I believe has brought us closer and made us stronger. Although these events have happened, I believe that there is always a positive to come from it. We may not see it straight away but in time we'll know. 

Reflecting on 2014…hmmm… like I've mentioned above, I've had a couple of achievements that I'm really proud of and many special moments with friends and family. However, I am ready to say goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015. So with this in mind, I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my family (and the extension of my family) tomorrow and eating myself silly (which pretty much began a couple of days ago). I'm also looking forward to spending the following days with friends celebrating the end of 2014 and brining in 2015.

Have a fabulous Christmas and thank you all for following on my journey this far…… 

Jo xo


December 20, 2014

Thank you InBloom Town Hall

I want to share a lovely gesture I experienced on Wednesday by InBloom Florist in Town Hall (train station), Sydney. They so kindly demonstrated the strength and compassion us Sydney-siders have. 

A few of us from work decided to walk down to Martin Place to place some flowers in memory of the Sydney siege and to pay our respect. After walking around to two nearly sold-out florist we finally came across InBloom in Town Hall. 

They themself didn't have much left either but they did have what we were looking for so we decided to grab what we needed - two bunches and three pink long stem roses. While standing in line to pay for the flowers I noticed a sign saying (something along the lines of) "If you're purchasing flowers to place at Martin Place, let us know as it will be 50% off".

WOW! Was my first thought. We got to the front of the line to purchase the flowers and I commented to the florist "what a lovely gesture that you're doing and I comend you for being so kind". She was so lovely and said "we're experiencing a valentines day peak of customers and we didn't feel that we should be profiting from this situation".

It's just a beautiful thought and support this small business was providing and something I really wanted to share with those who read my blog. It's these kindness that shouldn't go unnoticed and they deserve the spotlight. 

To InBloom florist - thank you for your kindness and support. You have provided from the bottom of your heart and your generosity will be returned. 

If you frequent or travel through town hall station you'll find InBloom florist through the tunnel, on the way out towards George Street. Be sure to stop by and get yourself some beautiful flowers. 

Jo xo

December 18, 2014

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

EEEEEEKKKKKKKKK......!

I would have to say that I'm a pretty good organiser and planner and most years I have been really good when it comes to Christmas present shopping. I have always been one to plan early and have everything purchased, wrapped and waiting nicely under the Christmas tree.

Photo Credit: DIY Network
This year.....well, this year has completely been thrown out of the window. I'm not sure why and I'm not really sure how, but I have left most of my Christmas shopping until the very last minute. I've been stressing about the types of presents to buy, where to buy it, who I'm buying for and if it will be well received! Not a cool position to be in.

However, on the plus side (and there always is a plus side to everything), once I had decided what I was getting everyone, all the items suddenly were on sale. BOOM! Not a bad outcome for leaving it till the last minute. Might have to leave all my Christmas shopping till the end.

Only 7 days until it's Christmas. I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my immediate family as well as my extended family. I'm also very excited to be celebrating Christmas with friends just before and just after Christmas Day and this year I have many of them coming over to my place to celebrate the mini holiday. It will also get me back into the kitchen to cook up a feast which I haven't really done in a while.

I've always loved having people over my place and cooking up a feast of something yummy to enjoy as I love bringing people together over food and drinks. It's a great social catch up and it's always a fabulous laugh. Plus I just like to feed people!

What are your plans for Christmas? Have you finished your shopping or still going? Are you a last minute planner? If you're hosting Christmas, what will be your specialty on the day?

Jo xo

December 15, 2014

Sydney Siege….WHY?

Today is Monday 15th December 2014. It should just be a normal Monday where we all suffer the typical "mondayitis". However, this Monday of 2014, just 10 days away from Christmas, Sydney is faced with a siege. As Sydney-siders went about their day and made their way to work, me included, at 9.45am we were faced with the news that a gun man had taken staff and customer's hostage in the city's Lindt Cafe in Martin Place.

What has happened? Why is this happening in my city? 

I'm not someone who watches the news a lot, but today, I've been glued to the television and any updated reports via the internet to understand and see what is happening. My office was in semi-lock down and we were advised to stay in doors; work at this stage pretty much was non-existent as everyone was concerned with the event going on. 

My thoughts and my heart goes out to the hostages, I don't think I can even imagine what is going through their minds or even how they are feeling. I pray that you all get out of there safely and very soon.

As I am faced with today's news I am reminded that life is precious. It's too precious to be stressing about the minor things such as shopping for Christmas presents. It's 10 days away from Christmas, we should be thinking about what is important. I know for me, it's about spending time with my family and friends and being grateful for what I have. 

We still need to continue living life and we shouldn't given into fear. No-one knows what will happen, when or how but you have to keep living and stopping every so often to remember what is important. Remember to enjoy life and spend quality time with those who are important to you; work isn't everything in life.

Stay safe and strong Sydney. 

Jo xo

December 11, 2014

River Cafe....London Calling!

Just thinking about the topic to write this blog about The River Cafe, located in Hammersmith London UK, takes me to a happy place where I can smell the amazing food, remember the taste of the wines, recall the modern design of the restaurant and the impeccable friendly service. Why wouldn't anyone be happy knowing that this restaurant brings back such great memories. 
 
I've been lucky to visit London a few times and even had the privilege to live there in my early 20's to experience the backpackers lifestyle (a separate blog about that!). Each time I've visited London, I've been treated to lunch and/or dinner at The River Cafe, the exact restaurant where chef Jamie Oliver was originally founded (according to my sources). The River Cafe specialises in authentic Italian cuisine with many of the produces being flown in directly from Italy; you can't get anymore authentic than that!
 
The River Cafe was founded and owned by chefs Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray (until her death in 2010). Lady Ruth Rogers still owns and runs the restaurant with the amazing help of her staff and together they maintain the quality and sophistication that shines through the restaurant. 
 
Ever changing menu
So, like I said, when I think of The River Cafe and about the food, I seriously have fond memories and salivate at the thought of having the chance of eating there again. The food there is by far, the most amazing Italian feast I have ever had outside of Italy (although, I must disclaim that I haven't been to Italy, yet, so I would have to state "best I've had to date"). The pasta melts in your mouth and each time I've eaten there the consistency and the quality is at it's finest and not once had I had a bad meal. 

What I love so much about the restaurant is that many of the ingredients (such as the meats and seasonal vegetables) for the dishes are brought fresh daily and for example, if they can only get five quality fish then that is all they will have and once it's sold out then it's sold out! Due to this, it means that their menu changes daily and they keep within the seasons to ensure that you're eating in season fresh quality food. 
 
When entering the restaurant to be seated you walk pass clean lined white table clothed tables and throughout the restaurant there are splashes of bright colours and this flows through the shirts of the managers. This to me keeps the restaurant fresh, virbrant and modern and really appealing to the eyes; and you haven't even sat down to order yet! The main eye catching object is the huge wood-fire oven taking prime place in the open kitchen and a really massive (the only true big word I can use to describe this) projection clock on the back wall - impressive and stylish.
 
Photo Credit: Fluid Network UK
The customer service is impeccable with all staff knowing exactly what their role is and which tables they are responsible for. The best part about the service is that if you ask any questions about the menu to the staff (regardless of position, i.e. waiters, receptionist or drink staff) they are able to explain the ins and outs of the menu in detail from what the dish is, what ingredients have been used and how it taste. Amazed by their knowledge of the menu, considering that it changes daily, I was inquisitive to understand how they knew so much in such a short amount of time and it blew my mind to find out. 
 
Ruth Rogers and (the late) Rose Gray ensured that all their staff, not just the chefs and kitchen staff, are able to know and taste all the food that would be available on their menu by involving everyone with the preparation of the food. On one of my visits I was honoured to have witness the time between lunch and dinner where I saw first hand all staff coming together to prepare the food, from chopping vegetables, peeling vegetables to tasting the dishes and sitting with the head chefs to discuss the menu and all the ingredients that go into making the final dish. I've not known many restaurants to do that with their staff and I felt that this really involved everyone and provided all the staff with an ownership and an empowerment to do their jobs really well as they are able to attend to a customer straight away without having to go to the kitchen to ask questions.
 
Reading a few reviews through the internet via sites such as TripAdvisor, many customers rate the food high but state that it is a little pricey. To a degree I would have to agree when you initially scan the menu, however, knowing that they will only provide the  freshest ingredients and the service provided, the price is well worth the experience there. The food is out of this world, cooked perfectly and presented tastefully; it sure keeps bringing me back here and the first place I'd recommend to anyone going to London. 
 


 
If you have been to The River Cafe, please let me know what your thoughts and experience was and did you love it as much as me? If you haven't been, I encourage and highly recommend that you go and experience a mouth-watering meal. Anyone who wants to take me there again, I totally allow you to fly me to London anytime!

Jo xo

December 03, 2014

Grateful

What a week it has been and it's only Wednesday hump day! Today the nation (and the world) said their farewells, goodbyes and celebrated the life of a young cricket star, Phillip Hughes, who left way too young and too soon. I'm not a cricket fanatic but a life lost is still a life lost and I've come to notice that it's harder for people to accept when the life is young and strong. He truly died doing what he loved, playing cricket.

His story and the events have been all over the media and countless tributes are seen on my Facebook and Instagram. One special mention goes out to a beautiful friend of mine who personally knew Phillip Hughes and my heart goes out to her at this time and today. In the last two years she has lost two ex-loves to the other side and to see her (through Facebook) go through it again, is heartbreaking; however, her strength and positiveness is admirable.  

This week is my first week back to work from my break in Fiji and well it's clear that even a week or so away, nothing really changes (work wise). However, it was great to have some time away from the hectic routine to recharge. Although, there has been many changes at work and I feel that more changes are to come. As much as change is positive, change can be hard to accept straight away especially when there isn't clarity for the future (at this stage).

Today, more change occurred, which is what we have been experiencing since we had a new CEO start. Change is a given when a new leader is appointed and personally I believed we needed change or at least a shake up to the business. However, I must admit, today's change hit home to me a little more; today we were advised that another senior leader has decided to pursue their career direction outside of our company and a particular department of our company is downsizing, which means a few people will no longer have jobs.

Christmas is just around the corner and with these recent events, it has got me thinking about "being grateful". I understand that changes have to happen in a business and I understand that restructures occur but what I don't and I don't think I'll ever really understand is that you're dealing with people's livelihood and their future. What hits home for me with people loosing their jobs is that Christmas is only three weeks away, some have moved their lives (and family) to Sydney, some are the main breadwinners for their family and some will find it difficult to find work around this time of the year. 

These recent events have reminded me of how grateful I am. I'm alive to see another day and I have a job to go to tomorrow and a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in tonight. Every morning I walk to work and I walk pass many homeless people, and as we get closer to Christmas, I think about how lucky I am and what more I can do to help others.

As many people are frantically shopping for Christmas presents and awaiting the launch of new stores to open, I request that you take a moment out of your lives to just be grateful for what you already have in your life and give a moment to those that don't.

Jo xo

November 29, 2014

St. Jude's Cafe

Back into the grind of Sydney weekends with the sun shining and my morning Saturday routine of attending Eveleigh Farmers Market for my weekly "small shop", I met my friend for a morning walk and a lovely brunch. We made our way towards Reuben Hills in Surry Hills to have a morning coffee (since I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet) and wow, there was a massive line for a table! So, we decided to grab an ice latte to take away and continue our walk through Surry Hills along Bourke Street towards Redfern.

Along Bourke Street in Redfern we came across St. Jude's Cafe (Corner Thurlow & Bourke Streets) and managed to acquire a table straight away. Instantly, the friendliness of the staff made me feel so welcome and confident that I made a good choice to come in. I've walked and driven pass St. Jude's many times but hadn't had an opportunity to try them out until today.



From the moment we sat down all the staff members were quick to ensure that we were comfortable, taken care of, water provided and made sure that the specials of the day were told to us. The cafe is a quirky decor with vintage dolls and framed photos of saints and all around the walls are orange butterflies. They then gave us some time to have a look through the menu and decide on what we wanted. Oh, boy, did everything look good on the menu; it was a hard decision. The only thing that we both knew was that we definitely wanted brunch, so breakfast style food - but WHAT? 


After looking around at other people's food like food stalkers we finally decided on both ordering the pumpkin and sweet corn fritters with a soft poached egg and a side of salad. Absolutely amazing! The sweetness of the corn mixed with the puree of the pumpkin and various spices made my taste buds dance around. To be honest, I haven't had fritters for a while so, to have it again and for it to be soooooo tasty, it sure made my morning brunch well worth it and the walk there sweet. It was a very decent serving size and filling and at the same time I just couldn't stop and wanted more. 


I will definitely be coming back to try other items from the menu as stalking the other customer's dishes, sure made me want more and gave me food envy. I totally recommend going there for brunch and even lunch (the menu looked good) and to top it off, the customer service is top-notch.

Have you been to St. Jude's? If so, let me know what your thoughts of the cafe are and what did you have? Also, any recommendations of what I should try next?

Jo xo


November 26, 2014

My Fiji Break

Oh, it is so good to be back home and sleeping in my own bed. Don't get me wrong, I loved my little break in Fiji but home is where my heart is and as much as I love to travel and see the world, every time I go away, I am reminded of how much I love Sydney.

My last post about Fiji, "Bula from Fiji", I wrote about my first three days there, so click on the link and have a read, if you haven't already. In that same post I mentioned that we had booked a day trip to a private island, Schooner Island to be exact, through Rosie Holiday with a company called Whale's Tale Cruise. It was a full day trip where a bus came and picked us up at 9am sharp (no Bula time) from our resort and drove us to Port Denarau where the sail boat awaited us.

Looking up at the ship
Initially we were advised that the day trip could take a maximum of 60 people (way too many in my mind), but as luck would have it, we had about 25 people, including two kids, on this day trip. It made for a good number of people and everyone on board were really lovely and friendly with most of us getting along by the end of the day and having a good laugh and a dance on the sail boat.

The great thing about booking our day trip with Whale's Tale Cruise is that they are the only boat going to Schooner Island and the staff on the boat provide personal service for each customer throughout the whole day. We aboard the sail boat to a lovely continental champagne breakfast as the staff prepared the boat to head off. It takes approximately an hour and a half to get to Schooner Island so we enjoyed our breakfast and champagne, the company of the other people on the boat and the scenery of clear blue ocean waters and the surrounding Fijian islands. 

We arrived at Schooner Island with options to chill out on the island or take part in some activities. I chose the guided snorkel; we head out into the water with our guide, Antone, who takes us through some amazing parts where the corals are glistening, the fish are aplenty and very colourful (yes, we found nemo!) and there are many things to see and touch such as star fish and sea cucumbers. Antone, had some bread with him (that he kept in a bag) and put some in my hand and the next thing I knew, I had all these amazing fish eating out of my hand and swimming around me……it was awesome!  

We had a nice BBQ lunch on the island all together and had the option of spending the rest of the afternoon chilling on the island, more snorkelling or hand line fishing. I ended going back out snorkelling to another section and another crew member had joined us; with a long metal rod! During the whole time I thought that he was in search for a particular fish for their dinner, but to my surprise when I got back to land, he was in search of an octopus! Yes, an octopus! I'm glad they told me when we reached land as I believe I would have freaked and swam in the opposite direction faster than Ian Thorpe!

Schooner Island from the sail boat
On Schooner Island
Washed up coral

The time in Fiji was spent relaxing, recharging, swimming in the pool, little tanning, taking part in the trivia and bingo (I won a game!) and reading. I managed to get through two books and by the last day there, I had no book to read. Lucky for my iPad and the internet, I spent my day surfing the internet working out my next holiday destination and when in the year is the perfect time to go. Oh, I love to travel and it's been a while so back on the travel wagon to explore places I haven't been, seen or experienced. So exciting!

One of the books I read….totally recommend reading it.
My overall summary of Fiji….. It's a great place to go visit for a short break, 5 days or so and that's it; especially if you're just there with a friend as there isn't much to do in Fiji. Getting to Fiji is relatively cheap but once you're there it can get expensive with food and day trips. Suggest to eat at Port Denauar as there are more variety and the cost is so much cheaper. However, I would say that Fiji is a perfect place for families to go to as they really do cater for kids and there is so much to do with kids during the day.

It was a perfect little trip to recharge, relax and refocus what I want to do next year with regards to travel. It was amazing to get away from the hectic life of everyday work and to not think about the reality and just enjoy the slower pace of life where time and day doesn't matter. 

Sunsets here are amazing!
Thank you Fiji! 

Jo xo

PS - Yes, as mentioned in my previous post "Bula from Fiji", China's President, Xi Jinping, was staying at our resort. It was hectic, there were scanner machines, lots of local and Chinese security, local police and his entire entourage including his cook and butler!

November 21, 2014

Bula From Fiji!

Bula! Day 3 here in Fiji and it's been an amazing relaxing time here. The weather has been shining down on us everyday ranging in around the 30's with a nice cool ocean breeze. The friendly "bula" (hello in Fijian) from staff and the locals puts a smile on your face every moment and it's times like this you realize that some time away to relax and recharge is needed. 

Above the clouds on the way to Fiji
In my last post, Packing for an Island Holiday, I blogged about how my girlfriend and I decided to come to Fiji to get away from the hectic Sydney lifestyle to relax, take in the glorious sun and recharge. So, here we are, day three of our lovely island trip. 

We've literally spent the last three days sitting by the pool, reading our books, eating and drinking - thinking hasn't really been required other than what day trip we want to do or what to eat. Simple! We're resorting it and staying at the Sheraton Fiji Resort on Denarau Island. The bonus with staying at the Sheraton Fiji Resort is that it's also connected to Sheraton Denarau Villas and The Westin Denarau Island Resort, all lined up next to each other, which means that we can use all the facilities at each of these resorts and charge anything back to our room. Makes it so easy and convenient; we don't have to carry cash around and we get an array of facilities to use such as the different restaurants, spas, gym and pools. 

These resorts are on Denarau Island which is a little island attached to the mainland and is dotted with many resorts so you do have the options of going to the other resorts for lunch and dinner. Most of of these restaurants are pricey and fine dining which is lovely but some nights I just want something simple, casual and light; we'll have to check out the options at the port marina tomorrow. 

Flights and accommodation with breakfast included is pretty cheap for Australians to get to Fiji but you do have to budget quite a bit for lunches and dinners here. These places are great for families though; kids are everywhere (I thought they would be at school at the moment ?!?). For young families these resorts are great as they cater for children from kids clubs to kids under 12 are free for accommodation (probably because they are sleeping in your room!) and they also eat free, so not a bad deal. 



I've previously have been to Fiji but headed straight out to the islands and I still recommend heading to the islands if you want crystal clear water and beach time. These resorts on the mainland don't have great beaches so you spend more time around the resort pools. Although the pools are pretty amazing. 

We've made friends with the resort activities staff who insist in calling us "sisters" - not sure why when we're clearly different nationalities! But, hey, when in Fiji, just go with it. Today, we joined in on the trivia and surprisingly came third! I guess I was surprised that I knew a majority of the questions; doesn't happen often so I'm happy! There are a few activities to do here such as frog jumping races, cocktail tasting, volleyball competition, paddle boarding and swimming (of course!) or there is just laying around the various pools and reading - this has been my routine; it's been tough! 

Reading time by one of the many pools
At night there isn't much to do other than have dinner. We've been going to the resort bar in the evening for cocktails and enjoying the music by the local band. They are amazing, singing local songs, chart topping songs, oldies and international songs; no joke, they've sung in Mandarin! 

Sunsets are amazing here…..
Looking forward to our day trip tomorrow to a private island, with 60 other people (totally private huh?!?). It should be fun, can't wait to get in the water to snorkel and explore under the beautiful waters. 

Jo xo

PS: I think the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, is staying here for the next couple of nights; either that or there is a whole heap of Chinese officials and security guards for the fun of it. 

November 16, 2014

Packing for an Island Holiday

A little semi spontaneous holiday has been booked! YAY! One of my best girlfriend and I decided that we needed a relaxing holiday in the sun. A holiday where "thinking" wasn't totally required and a holiday where we could just de-stress, relax, get some much needed sun (they say vitamin D is a necessity right?!), read our books and just simply recharge from our busy lives in Sydney.

So, from that, we have booked tickets to head to Fiji in three days! Yep, in three days! And in the next three days I need to get a pedicure, find mini toiletries, find my locks for my suitcase, locate Fijian dollars, and work two more days and that in itself has a whole heap of organising and finalisation. It's funny how the days leading up to a holiday you find yourself running around trying to get things done as well as catching up with friends. 



I wanted to share this post with you about what to pack for an island holiday as well as for the plane to make your journey a little easier. There are many blogs about what to pack and what to bring when you have kids but this one doesn't involve kids, it just involves you as the traveller. If you're anything like me then you'll also be an over packer! 

I admit that I end up re-packing my suitcase and carry on a few times before leaving for the airport. I think it's because I think that I need everything such as my entire wardrobe and my entire shoe collection but clearly for an island holiday I don't think I'll be needing my stilettos or high-waisted disco pants, but they will be considered. 

Firstly, it's an island holiday that we're going on so generally we don't need to pack that many clothes and nor will we require winter clothing as the weather in Fiji will be around 30 degrees- BLISS. Secondly, the length of the trip; we're only going for a week so taking 20 pair of underwear may be a little extreme, however, I do recommend packing a couple of spares for "just in case" - situations such as you have to stay a couple of extra nights because of flight delays (kind of hope that happens to us).

I've been sitting here thinking about what to pack into the suitcase and I've decided that I won't be taking much but the main items I will be taking are:

~ two bikini sets (maybe even three)
~ two summer dresses, these will be great for dinners
~ three pairs of denim shorts (can never have enough denim)
~ two skirts
~ a few singlets and t-shirts
~ board shorts, great for paddle boarding and kayaking 
~ kaftan, great for wearing around the beach to go to the bar 
~ couple of gym gear
~ a nice pair of sandals and a pair of thongs (aka flip flops)

Then you'll need to think about toiletry items especially if you have sensitive skin, like I do, then you'll want to ensure that you have the products that are suited for you. We'll be staying at the Sheraton so I'm going to save luggage space by not taking shampoo and conditioner as generally these are provided by the hotel but I will be taking my own body wash, toothpaste, body cream, face wash and cream. Do you pack anything in particular?

Next, you have to think about your carry on and what you're going to pack into that. There are a few items to think about and before you know it, you have a mini suitcase as a carry on but there are items I would suggest going in your carry on rather that in your check-in suitcase.

MONEY AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTATIONS
Always, always, always keep all your money (including the foreign dollars) and important documentations such as your passport, flight details, accommodation and transfer details with you. Any other items of value should also be in your carry on or on you such as jewellery and credit cards. Unfortunately, there are still dishonest people so be smart and ensure that these items are will you at all times. Depending on the country you're going to it might be worth getting a money belt (I used one while travelling around South East Asia and Europe). 



ELECTRONIC ITEMS
I certainly will be carrying on my laptop, iPad and iPhone with me, including all the charges. If you have a camera or any other fragile item, these should also be carried on with you. This will ensure that these items don't get accidently damaged by baggage handlers. 



MEDICATIONS
If you have any medications or medications that you need to take regularly you should pack for about three days worth. "Why three days worth?" It's purely a guide but it's just in case your suitcase gets delayed or lost; you don't want to be in trouble or in another country trying to find your medication.

TOILETRIES AND A SPARE CHANGE OF CLOTHES 
Although you have packed toiletries into your suitcase, it's good to have some mini (approved liquid sizes) toiletries in your carry on such as face wipes, mini toothpaste, mini body cream and even a change of clothes. "Why a change of clothes?" Well, if your checked-in suitcase is delayed or lost then you'll have a least a days worth of items with you to refresh and then go out and purchase more items if your suitcase will take a few days to arrive. 

OTHER ITEMS TO KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE
Flying can be exciting - exciting because you're about to journey to another country to relax and experience the culture. However, flying can also be long and boring so having some comfort items can make it a lot easier for you. If you have an iPad or laptop, think about loading some movies or shows onto it so that you can pass time by watching movies or shows that you like and/or take a good book with you and even some magazines so you catch up on the goss around the world. 


Pack some healthy snacks; most airlines will provide snacks during the flight however, these are usually biscuits and sweets which you don't want to be loading yourself up on. You can pack some vegetable chips, fruit like a banana or an apple, carrot sticks and mixed nuts are great to have on hand. 

I hope you found some of these points useful. Let me know what other items you pack or have found useful as part of your travels. Now it's time for me to get packing (or re-packing) and prepare for my trip! 


Keep you eyes posted on the blog as I'll be sharing my fun and journey from Fiji - Bula!

Jo xo

November 13, 2014

42 Days Till Christmas!

OH. EMM. GEEE. Can you believe it?! There are 42 days left until Christmas! Well, according to an Instagram post I saw this morning. As I get older and around this time each year, I've notice myself saying "I can't believe the year has come around so quickly!" Then the next thing you know it's New Years Eve and you're celebrating the new year. 


Are you even prepared for Christmas? Have you started planning the day and where you're going to be, what presents to buy, who is hosting Christmas and how much food you're going to consume in the one day and the days to follow on from that from all the left overs! 

I have recently found myself thinking about presents. Thinking about what presents to buy my family and friends as well as budgeting for these presents. For me around this time of year, all my bills such as insurances are due at the same time so having the "spare" money for presents is a slight squeeze for me. I find myself having to budget more tightly so that I have enough money to get everyone a little something something as well as living day to day with such necessities as food.


The hardest people to buy for at this present moment are my three beautiful and hilarious nieces. They are girls who have just reached the double digits in age (Oh, where has the time gone?) and I still find myself finding gifts that are a little too young for them or things I just don't know if they'll really like. I was thinking of getting them watches, but I know dad had recently bought them watches when he was overseas and they were just "meh". Even dad has been forced to given them money for their birthdays so that they can get something that they want or save it towards something bigger. 

Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated. If you're a parent, aunty or uncle who are buying gifts for kids, let me know what you're planning on getting. Share your ideas with me and everyone else who may be struggling.  At this stage I'm leaning towards Smiggle. Not only are they great for kids of all ages (even me as I secretly love stationery!) but they are a great back-up for gifts and every kid loves them.

Hmmmm back to working out how to fund all these presents. A lesson I've long taught myself with regards to budgeting and ensuring that I can still live day-to-day and week-to-week is:

  • making a list of all the people you have to purchase a gift for (combining couples gift also helps) 
  • setting aside a maximum amount you'll spend on each gift 
  • roughly penciling in the type of gift you'll get them, as this will save you walking around the shops forever trying to find something.

Then finally, and this only works if you start this planning now, is working out how many weeks you have until Christmas and buying one or two gifts each week so that you're not blowing your weekly budget and overspending. Below are some rules I've given myself when buying Christmas gifts and something that you can use or just keep at the back of your mind:
  • I don't believe that you have to spend a lot of money on gifts for Christmas as you're buying for more people at the same time and I believe that Christmas is about spending quality time with family and friends
  • If there are gifts that you need to send overseas or interstate, plan to purchase those gifts first so that you can send them in time for them to receive the gifts just before Christmas 
  • If sending gifts via the post, remember to also budget for postage cost
  • Keep your receipts just in case a gift you buy such as clothing can be exchanged if the size is incorrect.
These are just some tips from me that I've learnt over the years when Christmas shopping and something that I thought I would share with you. Do you have your own tips and plans when purchasing Christmas presents for friends and family? Do you set a budget for yourself or do you just go all out? Do you find yourself doing all the Christmas shopping at the very last minute?

Share your Christmas story with me as I've love to hear about it and any tips that you may have so that I can learn something new myself. 

Happy Christmas shopping!

Jo xo

November 12, 2014

Sculptures by the Sea 2014

Last weekend was the final weekend for the famous Scupltures by the Sea for 2014. I had lunch with some old work colleagues last Saturday at The Shed in Queens Park; a fabulous little cafe perfect for those with children as it's right next to a children's playground - a win/win for all! 

After lunch, one of my girlfriends, from lunch, and I decided to head down to Bondi to check out Sculptures by the Sea, the pop-up The Grounds by the Sea and most importantly, have a lovely catch up. I drove there and as luck would have it, managed to find unlimited free parking - Jo 1, Waverly Council 0! We gently strolled down to Marks Park where majority of the sculptures were and where The Grounds by the Sea was constructed especially for this event. 



Given that we'd just had lunch we decided to check out all the scupltures first and then head back for a shake (something yum to look forward to after the walk). It was a very busy afternoon; so many people had come to see the scupltures and I would assume it because: 
1. it's a popular free event
2. the weather was pretty good
3. it was the final weekend.

Either way, there was a lot of people walking along the beautiful coast, to admire the stunning and unusual art. We casually strolled along looking at each of the sculptures deciding on which ones we liked, which ones we didn't like so much of and what some of them meant. Maybe we should have taken one of the brochures to read about them, but that would have taken the fun out of making up our own stories of what we believed the scupltures mean. Don't you do that?



Half way through the walk we decided to take a seat on the cliff's edge and take in the stunning view of the ocean. It's moment like this that reminds me of how much I love living in Sydney. I've been lucky enough to live overseas in the UK and have travelled extensively but there is something about Sydney that brings me back. It's probably because it's home for me and it's where my family is but it's also the lifestyle that we are privileged to have here. Things like, but not limited to:
~ being close to the beaches
~ a harbour city 
~ the outdoor lifestyle 
~ the amazing food and the different cruisines
~ the weather
~ the various cultures. 



We sat there on the edge for a little while catching up and chatting about why we love our home, how we're both looking forward to the summer months, general life and plans for a holiday trip in the future. It was lovely! We then continued our walk to see the rest of the sculptures ending up at Tamarama beach admiring the giant frypan and the cool snakes and ladder sculpture, which was my friend's favourite. 





We headed back to take a look at The Grounds by the Sea and get an ice cold shake. An awesome little set up at a stunning location; it's a shame that they couldn't stay for the summer months. The staff were friendly, the menu was fabulous and the entire concept was oozing coolness! Well done to The Grounds….Hope to see more pop-ups throughout Sydney (*hint hint*). 



Did you get a chance to see Sculptures by the Sea this year? If so, what did you think? What was your favourite sculpture? 

Jo xo