Merry christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone . Cannot believe yet another year has flown by and my posts in the blogging world have been extremely limited . I am hoping now that I have begun maternity leave for baby number 2 I will have more time ... yep .. 2 kids under 2 and more time dont really go in one sentence but always up for a challenge . Hope you enjoy some of our Christmas pics - we put up a tree / rode the Myer Christmas train which Sebastian loved and Seb even got to feed a reindeer well an Ikea version . Was great to see Christmas through a 2 .5 year old this year as the concept finally became more reality . We still didn't get the sitting on Santa's knee photo but we did get one of him sitting in front progress from a screaming photo last year ... Hope to keep you more up todate on 2011 discoveries , challenges and even some crafting . Hope everyone had a great Christmas and stay posted .

Time goes on .

I cannot believe that my last post was in May so much has happened and there is so much happening . On the count down to Christmas Have already put the Christmas Tree up and beginning to make the house look festive some photos to follow very soon .
This is only a very quick update and promise to return over the weekend with a much needed update .

4 day weekend

How I wish every week is a 4 day weekend with friends , family and good times . I know I haven't written in some time , however two special occasions occurred this weekend and I could not let either go by without a mention . A very close friend's wedding in the Yarra Valley a beautiful setting for a beautiful day . I think the photos speak for themselves . The other was Mr T 's Birthday . Whilst with the wedding festives and many km travelled the cake was a day late - better late then never . Our Little boy helped bake it for his dad and could not wait for the cake to cool before he had a piece .....

flat packed car

Love this idea of a flat packed toy car - what an amazing idea created by Joyride by Per Brolund unfortunatley only in concept at this stage but when it does become avaliable it will be the first on the list of must have items .

Artist in the making

One of our favorite things to do is paint . I love it have done since I was a little girl and now I think it is great that Sebastian Loves it . I have included some photos of some of his master pieces in the making . I have also included a photo from Jan Eleni which shows a clever way to display these masterpieces - I am so excited now all i need is some more paintings to create our very own original college of paintings . The last painting of an African women is a very special painting that we had done by sebastians Ouma who visited us last year from south Africa . She is an incredibly talented artist - we feel lucky to have one of her masterpieces in our home . enjoy the viewing .

seminyak

O.k so sorry on the hold up on the last of the posting about our trip to Bali . Last stop was Seminyak more for the benefits of Restaurants , pampering and a little shopping . As you can see from the photos we had a great time here are some great places to visit and things to do whilst stayinging Seminyak
1.we stayed at villa Lumbung great villa style accommodation with a great pool for the kids would definatley recommend .
2.La Lucciola - great place to catch an early dinner watch the sunset - this place has great views / food and also high chairs .
3. Get a massage and pedicure we had these in our hotel whilst our son slept we took turn it was bliss .
4. Grocer and grind - great little delicatessen for an early dinner great place to get some treats from home and also a great place for kids highchairs / kids menu and toys would really recommend this place .
5. Pandora Ristorante Italiano - on jin Petitenget rd great place to take kids for an Italian feast have a great outdoor area and good food.


these are just a few . We also took a drive down to Jimbaran for beautiful ocean views .
I hope everyone loves this post and it inspires people to get out there and travel with kids a great experience to see the world through there eyes definatley recommend . Enjoy .

bali oasis

So we finally did it!! We have now convinced ourselves that we can still do it TRAVEL ,with a child/ infant ... It was liberating and we enjoyed every minute sharing one of our big loves with our son . We met travelling and it has been a big part in our lives so far . I hope that you enjoy this post as much as we did discovering Ubud.
Ubud is a remarkable place in the middle of the island of Bali. For more than a century, it has been the island's preeminent centre for fine arts, dance and music. Ubud is arguably the best place to use as a base if you're visiting Bali; if you're looking for culture, comfort, nature and inspiration. Ubud is surrounded by most of the things that bring people to Bali -- scenic rice fields, small villages, art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces.
Another surprise was our trip co-insidered with one of Bali’s big holidays. We watched the beginning of an Ogoh ogoh parades. The aim is to confuse the bad spirits of the island. At the end of the processions, the effigies are burned in big fires.
Nyepi follows the next day. Bali's new year is marked by a day of silence when people stay inside their homes and in our case a hotel. Part of the tradition of this is intended to confuse any remaining bad spirit, making them think that the island is deserted and they too, should leave.Bali in its entirety is deadly silent for the whole day.There is no traffic, no work, and no entertainment, and no lights illuminate the night. It really was a day of rest and weird to hear the bustling street noises in complete silence for a whole day.

Our favourite things to do in ubud include :
1. Ubuds monkey forest
2. Wonder the many streets and find cute alleyway resturants
3.Greenfields hotel
4. the new year street parade
5. shopping

Enjoy .

Great end to a great day

Ever had one of those days that is filled with so much fun and laughter that you really have to pinch yourself to see if it is real . I know it sounds cliche and corny .To be honest this is a new found happiness and the big secret is SLEEP ! I cannot tell you what a difference a sleeping baby has made to our weekend and family time .Seb is literally jumping from the ceiling and I even have had the energy to try a new recipe one I have been wanting to cook for a long time Beef San Choy bau - yes it was delicious and whats more my toughest critic ( a 20 month old little boy ) gobbled all his up and wanted more . Defiantly one for the family menu.

The Great Saturday

a special room

It has been a while sine I last posted back at work enjoying the last of the summer days at the beach which has been so much fun . Sebastian has loved the beach and so have we. So I know that many people blog about there kids rooms I really wanted to get some snapshots before my baby is all grown up and into a bed which will now only be a matter of months . So for all to few my sons bedroom . Which as you will see n some painting still needs to be done . So I guess to show the real progress I also need to show a before shot of what the bedroom used to look like . I hope you enjoy as much as I have creating the room for our special boy.

Cubby house first project for the new year .

We have been pondering cubby houses for some time now . We have debated buying a kit , making one from scratch and also getting my parents at Christmas involved on the project. After a few false starts the project has finally begun .Above is the first of many inspiration photos that we have looked at and debated the pros and cons. However after a few differences of opinion , we came up with our own cubby version suitable and safe to meet the playing needs of our 19 month old boy . Other ideas thrown around where tree houses as we have two large trees in the backyard perfect for a tree house but we both finally agreed on safety and practicality . So above are the first photos of a cubby in the making ....We first built the frame and then attached the flooring and the roof stay tuned for more finished photos to come - enjoy .

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010 . Happy New Year to everyone . Hoping that 2010 will be a year of family , friends, travel and creative endeavors. New Years Day was celebrated as a family day - we called in to see some friends new house and of course a day at the zoo . Giraffes seemed to be the favorites along with the monkeys . We got a few strange stairs at my sons overexcited shrieks when the giraffes came out for feeding time . A great day to start the new year . 2010 promises to be a good year - bring it on !