A chambray shirt is a blogger staple, and is on so many 'wardrobe essential' lists. I've never found the perfect one for me, but I do love the chambray dress and maxi skirt I have. Pairing something chambray with a printed kimono makes an easy autumn outfit.
Another warmer than expected autumn day! I actually managed to spend some time in the pool in morning, before the rain and a storm blew in in the evening. While it was a little frustrating having summer continue well into autumn, it's been good to take advantage of the heat and get in more pool time before it's too cold!
I had the chance to use my new Tesalate towel too, you might have seen my review of my first Tsalate towel on the blog before. This time around I enjoyed its absorbency features more than its sand-repelling features! Especially after a rather rigorous paddling session from the boys, who thought it was too cold to join me for a swim in the pool but had fun splashing on the sidelines.
While I had a relaxed morning, it was a busier afternoon getting groceries and doing my eye test. So funny chatting to the optician as last time I was there I was very heavily pregnant with Baby Boy, we were amazed how quickly things change. Luckily no new glasses needed for me!
It's not the first time I've worn this dress with a kimono. I love the way prints look against the blue chambray dress, it's a nice combination. It was a good layer to have when it did start getting cooler in the evening too.
(This video is from 2012! I've filmed an updated Balenciaga collection video that will be on my YouTube channel soon, so subscribe to my channel if you don't want to miss that!)
A slightly more autumnal outfit here! I added the kimono and the Converse as we were running a few more errands and going to playgroup. The playground is mostly in the shade and can be cooler in the mornings so I thought the extra layers and cosier shoes would be useful! Of course by the time we left playgroup I was wishing I'd stuck with my trusty Havaianas, it turned into another really warm day.
I do find this chambray maxi skirt tricky to layer with sometimes, as it is a fuller skirt. Usually it's better to pair more fitted pieces with it, but I wanted comfortable loose layers so picked this slouchy grey tee and then added another voluminous piece with the kimono on top. Thought it turned out okay though, the perfect relaxed outfit for a relaxed morning.
We stopped at the opshop, spent time at playgroup and picked up some groceries (that I'd forgotten to get on the previous day!). The highlight of the boys' day was definitely the huge bag of toys we got from the opshop for $4 - plenty of trains to keep them happy!
If the latest 'must have' item doesn't work for you or your wardrobe, try finding something similar to get the look instead. For a popular fabric like chambray or velvet, you can find a piece that fits a need in your wardrobe. A chambray shirt may be a classic, but I wear dresses and skirts more often than shirts! Much like denim, a chambray piece is a perfect backdrop for a colourful printed kimono, as I've worn in both outfits here.
I love the dresses I have in my wardrobe, but sometimes I like to try different things with them. This dress below is the perfect casual dress, I've worn it to Bondi beach and I love it as a beach cover-up. It's so easy to make the dress work in other ways too though. Below I'm wearing it as a top in two different ways, one for the office and the other for a day of errands.
After a few days signed off sick from work, my voice still wasn't fully back, but I could kind of hold a conversation, so I headed into the office. This was a mistake and I should have stayed home. I ended up getting told to go home by two different bosses. By lunch time I took their advice, called it quits and went home.
While I felt horrible, my outfit was designed to make me feel better, with the colourful and cheerful magenta Balenciaga day bag as a pop of colour with all of the black. The jersey blazer and skirt look a bit 'suit-like' in an attempt to project an air of professionalism with all my coughs and wheezes! Despite having a horrible day and feeling too exhausted to do anything other than order takeaway for dinner, I did like this outfit. It's a shame I wasn't well enough to enjoy it, ha!
Feeling much better, I wore the dress again as a top a few days afterwards. Instead of layering a pencil skirt over the top, I just bundled it up and partially tucked it into my denim shorts, which have been on heavy repeat lately. As the weather is getting cooler here in Brisbane, the longer sleeves from the dress worked nicely with the slightly longer length of the bermuda shorts.
Added the Converse as it was a bit of a showery day and as much as I love my trusty Havaianas that you'll see in most of my outfit photos, I don't like them in the rain much! The Converse were much easier for running around chasing after the boys as we attempted to achieve multiple things in one morning.
Try rewear your favourite dress differently by layering and wearing it as a top. For shorter dresses, you can add a pencil skirt over the top to instantly make them a work-appropriate length. If the dress is a light soft fabric like this viscose one, scrunch it up and tuck it into a pair of shorts for a different casual summer look.
It's officially autumn now in Australia, but I'm calling this post 'swing dresses for summer' as I wore these dresses in the summer heat just a few weeks ago to work from home. The mustard dress and the navy dress both look great with my blue Balenciaga day bag too.
I'm a fan of splurging on accessories and saving on clothes - as you can see from both of these bargain dresses, which are less than 2% of the cost of the bag as they are both under $30!
With the statement bell sleeves, this dress isn't a practical choice for being around the boys all day, with all the spills you have to clean up and food you have to prepare! It did feel a little over-dressed to work from home, but hubby and I had an appointment in the evening so I took advantage of the babysitting offered by the grandparents had the chance to dress up a little.
This was one of those days where it started out so promisingly. I won't go into it, but I was so upset after the appointment and it just added more stress to an already stressful week. I was glad when the day was over, even though the week didn't improve after that.
At least I felt good in this outfit - the mustard yellow of this dress is such a lovely shade and the blue Balenciaga day bag looks great against it. This was also the first photo I took with my new tripod! I upgraded the tripod I was using for blog photos to something a little lighter and more portable than the one I'd borrowed from my Dad.
Another easy swing dress for another work from home day! Also had to take baby boy to a specialist appointment in the afternoon. Luckily I had my mum helping to entertain the eldest while we were in the appointment. As I'd been carrying my Balenciaga day bag a lot, I kept it on this day too. I like the two blues together, the navy blue of the dress looks so nice with the tempete (blue/grey) colour of the bag.
As rain was forecast, I went with the closed in shoes just in case. It didn't rain and turned out to be another hot and humid day. Did majorly storm that evening though. Luckily, this long sleeve dress is quite light. It's viscose, so despite the long sleeves and length, it was wonderfully cool to wear.
Swing dresses are perfect for a hot day. The loose, relaxed shape helps counteract the hot sticky feeling you get when the humidity is high, and the swing hem can catch the breeze quite nicely and help keep you cool. Linking up with Lizzie In Lace, Fabulous Friday, Style Wise.
Continuing the 30 wears challenge is one of my goals for this year, but at the same time I want to make sure I'm wearing as much of my wardrobe as possible. It's a balancing act between rewearing pieces that are close to the 30 wears number, and not neglecting the other pieces in my wardrobe that aren't. I'd noticed I hadn't worn any of my camis at all this summer, so it was time to pull them out again! Camis look great work to the office with some textured pencil skirts and a blazer.
Id' planned this outfit in advance the weekend before. Usually I plan my outfits the evening before, to help me get ready faster in the mornings. I was feeling a bit stressed on Sunday night though before a big Monday so decided to play in my wardrobe a bit to relax, and pulled this together. I've worn orange and blue together before, but this is the first time I've paired this blue lace pencil skirt with peach. I really liked this combination of colours.
Wasn't entirely sure that the cami untucked looked as good as I thought though - I preferred it without the blazer. The spaghetti straps on the cami mean a coverup was required at work, but I didn't check the blazer addition before I left the house. I think tucking in the cami would have looked better. Otherwise, I really liked this outfit. Perfect for a hot day as I took the jacket off whenever I was outside and had it to keep me warm in the aircon at my desk.
Another day in the office, another opportunity to wear a cami and textured pencil skirt. After not being too sure about the untucked top above, I tucked the cami into the skirt this time, and I preferred this look.
I continue to be impressed by how well this mesh layer skirt is holding up, coming up to having it 6 years now. It has only been worn 13 times in that period though. It's not the first time I've paired it with this white ruffle cami, I love the combination so it makes sense I'd repeat it. This time, instead of the grey cardigan I wore it with the black blazer.
Kept the blue Balenciaga bag with this, I like blue and pink together and I thought that the necklace tied it in nicely. There was a style challenge on Instagram too and I thought the colour of the day was blue, but I was a day early and it was supposed to be green. I enjoyed the blue accessories anyway.
A cami is one of those pieces that you can wear for work or weekend! If your office dress code means spaghetti straps aren't an option, you can go for one with thicker straps, or cover up with a blazer. Adding a blazer to anything is my favourite way to make it ready for a business casual office.
When we arrived home from Sydney, it was cold and wet, not the kind of days I feel most motivated for outfit wise. There was also the added 'frump factor'. Maybe because we stayed in the centre of the city, maybe because we frequently walked past restaurants and people celebrating, but everyone in Sydney just looked so put-together and glamorous. I came away from the trip feeling a bit frumpy and very mumsy after having a toddler strapped to me in the carrieralmost every day.
I slipped back into a simple outfit formula for work that I've relied on many times in the past - colourful pants and ankle boots. Minimal thinking required, perfect when feeling uninspired. If you follow me on instagram you'll know I stuck with my pants rut for a few days until the weather warmed up and I pulled out one of my favourite dresses to change things up a bit!
I've contemplated letting these jeans go a few times, as when it comes to colourful jeans I'll usually go for my red or purple pair and these are a bit neglected. But they manage to be jeans that don't look like traditional denim and so work nicely for the office in the middle of the week. Not that blue jeans aren't worn during the week in my office, just that I try to keep them to casual Friday. A habit I had back when I worked 5 days a week.
I did wonder if cuffing these and adding the ankle boots made them look more like the jeans that they are, but it was cold and wet and since I don't have rainboots, ankle boots were the best way to go. I was grateful for these as I walked around in the rain. The brown Balenciaga day bag matches the Chelsea ankle boots quite nicely too I thought.
The star print shirt is a thrifted favourite - it has a nice relaxed fit so it's really comfortable (and I've worn it casually before) but the buttons make it formal enough for work. I find printed shirts great work to weekend pieces!
As you can see, in my rushed and frazzled state this morning I even forgot my usual final swipe of lippie before walking out the door. I spent a bit of time deliberating what necklace to wear, before deciding just to go with a scarf instead as it was easier. This colourful one stood out so I threw it on and quickly took photos before heading to work. Ended up keeping it on in the office to combat the office air conditioning which managed to be even colder than outside!
Picked the burgundy pants for a bit of colour to try and give my mood a boost, and the black henley shirt and ankle boots go with everything.
Just like the outfit above, I've worn these burgundy pants casually too. They are my favourite for work outfits though. I've unsuccessfully tried a few times to get these in other colours, but I've rarely found non-denim pants at Jeanswest since I bought these years ago.
In a rush or an outfit rut and feeling the cold? Colourful pants and a black shirt is a quick and easy office outfit to keep you warm on a rainy day. Add ankle boots, a trench and even a scarf if it's really chilly.
In October we took the boys on their first flight down to Sydney for a few days. I'm sharing what we did and things to see in Sydney if you're travelling with toddlers. If you want to skip that, I've included my regular outfits too.
Toddler T is 3, and Baby Boy is 19 months. Both are good walkers. We took a travel stroller and I had my Ergobaby carrier. The stroller was great for carrying the baby bag, layers to wear and food and snacks for the boys but we didn't think Sydney was very stroller friendly. Sydney had daylight savings time but it was only an hour different from Brisbane so we stuck to Brisbane time as normal.
I was looking forward to this day the most! I didn't have a lot of space as we packed light, mostly taking extra clothes for the boys. I still prioritised so while I wore the same Converse every day, I had room for a change of bag and instead of my Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere I swapped out to this magenta Balenciaga day bag for our morning at the aquarium and spending the afternoon with my bestie. She has a magenta Balenciaga bag too so I had to wear this for the occasion!
Did wish I'd packed another jacket, as it was an overcast and colder day and this purple cardigan was the warmest piece I'd packed.
We landed in Sydney in the afternoon, and it was off to where we were staying for nap time. I will not be sharing the name of the place we stayed as it was the worst place I have ever stayed and if there had been other options available I would have demanded a refund and moved out.
After failed nap time for Toddler T, I took him with me on my bloggy date with Rachel from a Nesting Nomad. It was great to catch up with her again, after meeting her in Brisbane a while back. I followed Google Maps but failed to realise the route resulted in walking up a very long hill to get to the meeting point. Only slightly late. Sorry again Rachel!
We walked through Hyde Park to let Toddler T run around a bit, then met up with Hubby and Baby Boy once he'd woken up. We went for a walk around Paddy's markets and through Chinatown before going to Darling Harbour.
Tip: Darling Harbour playground is perfect for toddlers.
The boys had the chance to run around and play to expend some energy after sitting still on the flight. Lots of lovely restaurants nearby for dinner options too, although we went back to where we were staying and ordered takeout!
Day Two
A cold and dull day, it was supposed to rain so we headed to the aquarium as we suspected we might. We hadn't bought our tickets in advance, not wanting to tie ourselves down to anything much with two toddlers.
Tip: Buy your aquarium ticket in advance. The line to purchase was extremely slow.
The aquarium was worth the wait though, the boys loved it. Despite it being perfect indoors weather and a weekend, there was plenty of space for the boys to run around from exhibit to exhibit as it wasn't too crowded. There were roving staff members in a few rooms presenting and talking about things to see, as well as lots of helpful educational information near each tank. Made it easy to explain to the boys what they were seeing, even though they were a little young to read for themselves.
Tip: Take toddlers to the bathroom before you enter. The bathrooms are at the end of the aquarium which is not what you want to discover halfway round.
After the aquarium, we attempted to head over the Pyrmont bridge to get to the shopping centre for lunch. I have fond memories of walking along the bridge on holiday as a kid, back when the monorail was still there! So difficult to do with a stroller though. We'd walked past the lift a few times before we found it, and then getting the lift down into the shopping centre on the other side of the harbour involved getting out on the top floor, walking through the shopping centre, getting another lift down then walking back to go to where we wanted to eat for lunch. On our way back we just walked around the harbour in the cold rather than attempt the silly lift system again.
As the boys napped, my bestie arrived and I snuck out leaving hubby and the boys to rest as we went to the Lindt Cafe for some chocolate and a catch up. It might have just been the company, but it was easily one of my favourite meals in Sydney, as we shared the 'dome of decadence' between 3 of us.
Tip: Lindt Cafe might be a little too chocolate filled to be a good option with a toddler, but they do takeaway!
After an amazing afternoon catching up, it was dinner time and we just headed to the nearest McDonalds for a fuss-free meal, perfect for toddlers!
Day Three
The day Toddler T was looking forward to most - a trip to the zoo and a ride on a Sydney Ferry!
After a slight detour into the Rocks, we eventually made our way to Circular Quay and had the chance to take photos with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Tip: The Rocks is NOT stroller friendly, don't even try it. Or you'll end up stuck looking down on the harbour realising the only way down is a very long flight of stairs with a stroller. Thanks again Google Maps!
I expected some excitement from the toddlers about the landmarks we'd been pointing out in books for weeks, but it was of course all about the boats! There was a big cruise liner docked while we were there which was exciting to see.
After buying our tickets we hopped on the ferry to go to Taronga Zoo. It's a short trip, just enough time for the toddlers to enjoy being on a boat and you to point out and take photos of all the landmarks before you arrive at the zoo.
Tip: You don't need to travel round all of Circular Quay to get landmark photos with toddlers - just hop on the Manly ferry and take photos from the boat!
When we arrived at the zoo, as we had bought our tickets in advance we were able to take the gondola up over the animals to the very top, with amazing views of the harbour. Of course it was the animals you fly over that the boys enjoyed more than the view! Tip: buy your zoo ticket in advance, even if just at the ferry terminal. It gives you the ability to take a gondola up to the top of the hill and work your way down.
Starting at the top of the zoo made getting around with the stroller very easy, no need to push up any hills. While we didn't see all the animals (we skipped the aquatic section after the aquarium the day before, and the line for the tiger experience was too long for a toddler's attention span) the boys had a great time running around and getting up close with the animals we did see.
We had lunch at 'The Fish Stop' which does have non-seafood options, and was less busy than the central 'Food Market' although it does have less choices. It was so easy to get food and then sit in one of the many picnic areas right next to it, with incredible views of the Sydney city and the harbour.
Tip: Grab a bite to eat at 'The Fish Stop' or bring a picnic and sit back on the lawns for an amazing view out over the harbour!
While the monkeys were the favourite animal of the day (and it was incredible watching one of them mesmerised by my teething necklace!) there were so many to choose from. There was a lovely playground in the farm animal section. Although it was geared towards older kids the boys really enjoyed playing there for a break from animal-watching.
The walk back to the ferry was a really nice downhill stretch, and while you do have to go through a gift shop as you exit the big shark tank and presentation that was on around the sharks meant the boys were nicely distracted as we left, souvenir free. If only that had been the case at the aquarium, ha!
Once we got back to Sydney, we headed to Helm Bar for dinner. I'd looked up a few places online for food and Helm bar was highly recommended, but seemed like a noisy party bar every time we passed it before. Having no luck finding anywhere else open on a Sunday night in our price range, we went there as it was listed as wheelchair accessible. While there's no easy way to get a stroller up the stairs to the bar, there is a lovely beer garden you can sit in and order food and drinks. It was perfect for families.
Food was so well priced, especially for Sydney, and the boys loved their kids meal. I'm still sad we tried it on the last night so I couldn't go back for another schnitzel burger - definitely will be next time I'm in Sydney!
Day Four
This was our travel day, we didn't do much other than pack up, prepare another lunchbox full of snacks for the plane trip home, and make our way to the airport.
Top Tips for Travelling With Toddlers
Have transport options
The toddlers can walk, and we had the stroller and Ergo Baby carrier for babywearing so there were options when the boys didn't want to walk any more.
Be flexible
We had a general list of the sights we wanted to see but didn't buy any tickets in advance so that our days could change if necessary, and we weren't feeling rushed as we didn't try to do too much each day. One activity or outing is fine, and just wing it for the rest of the day.
Pack snacks
This works for the plane flight too, but when you're in a new place you might not know how far away the next kid-friendly place to eat is, so having snacks with you for the toddlers and yourself comes in helpful.
Take lots of photos
The only regret I had in Sydney was that I didn't take a lot of photos (a few hundred over the 4 days instead of my usual couple of hundred I take a day when something exciting is going on!).
Would we do it again?
Not until the boys are bigger and the stroller isn't needed - it was a real pain trying to fit the stroller in places - even though we packed a small umbrella travel stroller instead of our usual big one. Sydney definitely felt a lot more cramped and less stroller friendly than Brisbane.
Unlike the outfit above, I actually found it too warm to wear the cardigan on this day and wished I hadn't brought it! We took the boys to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House at last (our third day in Sydney...) and hopped on the Manly Ferry over to Taronga Zoo.
The benefit of wearing the Ergo Baby carrier in the back carry position (you can just see Baby Boy's little foot peeking out in the pic!) is that it's easy to wear a cross body bag, and my Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere was perfect for keeping my camera close by for walking around the zoo.
