I've shared before that one of my secrets to getting out the door to work on time despite having two kids is to lay out my outfits the night before. It saves so much time in the mornings!
I'd actually had these outfits planned out for a week before I wore them. With sickness hitting the boys and a late night hospital dash, my week was thrown off and I ended up taking some time off. Thankfully everyone is better. I only made it into the office once that week, so I decided to wear a mood boosting dress instead on the only day I made it in, and saved these outfits for the next week. It was nice to finally wear them!
It's not the first time I've worn this peplum tank tucked into a skirt, but I think this is my favourite way of wearing it. I'd been looking for a plain black top to wear with this skirt when I saw this top and realised it would be perfect if I hid the peplum under the pleats. As I'd managed to catch what the boys had and wasn't feeling the best, I added a colourful statement necklace. A trick I often use to try draw attention away from my tired eyes! With all of the black, I felt that the loud statement necklace and printed skirt worked nicely together, although I wasn't sure at first when thinking up what to wear. I really liked the gold mouse flats with this too.
Despite not feeling 100%, and wishing a few times I'd been contagious enough to get the day off work, I did love this outfit and felt happy with it. A little more energy and voice would have been good though, ha!
I was so excited to wear this outfit a few days after the one above, as it was my last day in the office before a few weeks leave. However I was in a bit of a rush and grabbed this black blazer from the front of my wardrobe instead of the cream one I'd originally planned.
Instead of a plain black top like I had above, I picked my space dye black tee. I thought it was a subtle enough print that it wouldn't compete with the leaf print of the skirt. With the same blazer, similar skirt, statement necklace, Louis Vuitton neverfull, Marc Jacobs flats though...this looks incredibly similar to the outfit above. It's the same outfit formula, I just forgot to change up the jacket to make it look a little more different.
Loved this outfit as much as the top one, but for my last day before leave I think I was going to be happy no matter what I wore! Did have a mad last few hours trying to fit everything in and get everything done before I left, but otherwise it was a good day. This skirt always makes me feel good, even though being silk it doesn't get worn much at all around the toddlers! Perfect for the office.
A neutral like black is a nice choice to wear with a colourful printed skirt. The black tops and blazer work so well in these outfits as the skirts both have black in them too. Picking a colour from the print on the skirt and wearing that on top is another good way to go if you don't have any neutral tops that work. Linking up with Mix It Monday, Confident Twosday, On Trend, Turning Heads, Trend Spin, Style Sessions.
A good fail-safe wardrobe option for me is a grey tee. With all of the printed pieces in my wardrobe, grey tees are staple pieces I can always pull out when I'm not sure what to wear with something. With brightly coloured printed maxi skirts like the ones I'm wearing before, a grey tee is a simple choice.
I realised I hadn't worn this grey tee for a while and decided to give it a last wear. When I'm not sure about something in my wardrobe or it's been so long between wears, 'the last wear' lets me find out if I still love something and it deserves to stay, or if it needs to leave my wardrobe. I had such mixed opinions about this when I wore it though! Wasn't too happy with it in the photos, but it is so soft, comfortable and I felt great in it all day. It's staying in my wardrobe for now.
I want to try it with something other than this maxi skirt - as I've mentioned before it's a slightly too long thrift find that I just roll up and wear higher on my waist so it's a lot of bulk together with a slouchy tee. I will need to get this skirt tailored, I'm sure it's a keeper now!
Wore this to run a few errands with the boys. I've worn yellow and red together before, and again I really liked the combination. I think the mustard yellow micro Regan bag works nicely with the bright red of the maxi skirt.
Hat: Big W bow detail sunhat Tee: Spectrum basic v-neck tee in grey marl Bikini: Kiargo 'Captains Bridge' striped bikini Skirt: thrifted tribal print maxi skirt Shoes: slim gold Havaianas Bag: Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull
Why I wore it:
Wore this for a much-needed relaxing beach day the week before Christmas. My first weekend after finishing up at work for the Christmas break, so some sun was just what was needed. I'd attempted no-heat curls the night before by plaiting my hair, but as you might have seen on Insta stories it didn't work too well! I ended up throwing my very frizzy and not at all curly hair up into a messy bun and hiding it under my sun hat at the beach. I got the chance to try out my new Tesalate towel at the beach too! They kindly sent me one, the 'this is love' towel.
Tesalate towels are 'sand free', and I was surprised to find that this claim is actually true! I tried to take a video showing how easy it was to flick the sand off the towel, but with my hands full with two toddlers it didn't happen. Trust me, it is sand free. No sand sticks to it, even wet sand. It washed well too.
The only downside is that after we went to the kid's water play area and sat down on the grass to dry off, it accumulated a few leaves on the underside of the towel. So it's good for not taking a bunch of sand home with you, but watch out for leaves and twigs!
I picked the grey tee to wear as I wanted something easy to throw on over my bikini, it was perfect. And my Louis Vuitton neverfull is frequently selected as my beach bag. It's nice to have a big bag to throw everything in when it doesn't fit in the baby bag which is filled with all the usual things plus towels for everyone! (That's another bonus of the Tesalate towel, it folds up so small!).
If you have a printed skirt you're not sure what to pair it with, try a grey tee. It's a classic neutral that goes with everything. Perfect for a casual relaxed day at the beach, or a busy morning running errands.
Thanks to my friend who gave me the idea for this post! I take photos every day, and you can always see on Instagram what I'm wearing, but for my blog posts I like to try group my outfits together into a similar theme. When my friend told me she had to snap up a similar piece to my floral dress, I realised it would be a good theme for a post.
Both of the outfits below feature long sleeve dresses for summer. I've included where to find similar pieces under $50 too.
We had a planned day out at Seaworld, and it was supposed to be a warm day, but we woke up to it being cold and wet in Brisbane. I decided instead of sandals to wear my Converse to keep my feet warm. I regretted that decision when we got to Seaworld, it turned into a glorious sunny day! This dress is a loose, swing style so it's perfect for not overheating, but socks and shoes was a bit much for my feet! Very comfortable for a day walking around at Seaworld though.
The boys had a blast going on all the kids rides. Toddler T even went on his first roller coaster (after settling for the kid's coaster despite him asking many times to go on the big rides). It was so sweet to see him so excited - he dragged all of us on it with him and kept wanting to go on again and again.
It's the second time I've worn this dress, and I do a purchase review with everything after I wear it twice. My usual rule is to wear something twice in the month I buy it, but with this dress it took over a month to arrive and got here right at the end of October so there wasn't enough days left to wear it then! I did manage to squeeze in this second wear by November though. I'm just very behind with blogging.
When the dress arrived I was unsure if the quality was worth the $28.93 I paid for it given all of the threads it had coming off of it. It also arrived crushed, so I had to spend a while ironing it before I could wear it, and I hate ironing. The more I wore it though, the more it grew on me. And I was thrilled to find after that first wear that when you wash it and leave it to air dry (as I do with most of my clothes) it actually has a nice crinkled texture you can see here - no ironing required! This dress is definitely a winner, even if I will have to spend time cutting loose threads off as they appear! I'm looking forward to wearing this more over summer, and it will layer up beautifully in autumn and winter too.
Not as fun of a day when I wore this, no theme park trip! I just did the daycare dropoff and pickup and worked from home in between. A nice comfortable dress like this was just what I needed.
I don't often wear this dress with the sleeves down like this - it has little tabs so I can roll up the sleeves and keep them in place and that's my preferred way to wear it. For something different though, I thought I'd leave the sleeves down.
Despite a dress being an easy and quick outfit option, I did spend a few minutes in the morning worrying about what necklace to wear. Tried on a few but none of them looked quite right so I settled on this one. A compliment from Ruth on Instagram made me happy as I hadn't been loving the combo, I was pleased to see someone liked it.
Long sleeves in summer has the benefit of extra sun protection, and if you pick light fabrics, they are still very breathable despite the heat. Cotton, viscose (the blue dress), rayon (the floral dress) or linen are good options. You can also roll the sleeves up too if you find them too warm. Light long sleeve dresses also work perfectly for bikini cover ups at the beach.
Want a Long Sleeve Dress to Wear On Christmas Day?
There's still time to order and get your purchase before next week!
You know I love my handbags (and probably have a few too many!). If you are wondering what to buy for someone on your list who is equally handbag-obsessed, this is the gift guide for you! You don't always need to splurge on a bag to please a bag lover, there are lots of wallet-friendly buys to suit any taste or budget.
Prefer to skip the gift guide as you're only here for outfits? Check out my previous post, showing 30 ways to wear a floral kimono. This will be my last gift guide for the year, the blog will be back to normal posts on Monday.
Handbag Fan Stocking Fillers Under $50
There are so many cute little gifts you can get under $50. For someone who already has an enviable handbag collection, why not get them something to accessorise the bags they already have? There are so many nice bag charms around, or maybe a makeup bag or clutch to organise the contents of their bag. Books related to bags or their favourite designer are a lovely idea too! Some stores, like Shopbop, do gift cards so you can gift them $50 towards the bag of their choice.
Handbag Related Gift Ideas on a Budget: Under $100
If you're spending up to $100, you have a lot more options. You might not be able to get a bag off their Christmas wishlist, but you can get a few small leather goods from their favourite brand. Think card holders, wallets, and maybe even a clutch. Again, a gift card is a good option at this price point if you know they are saving for the bag of their dreams.
Handbag Lover Gift Ideas Under $500
There are a lot more bags available to buy when you have a bigger budget, and for under $500 you can get them the bag of their dreams from so many designers, and perhaps a clutch or small bag from the more expensive luxury brands. Sites like Yoox and The Outnet have off-season bags at reduced prices to fit your budget. Pre-loved and vintage is another good way to go, if you're buying from a reputable place like Fashionphile or Vestiaire Collective where authenticity is guaranteed.
Splurge-Worthy Handbags Over $500
Admittedly this is out of the budget for most people, but if you're splurging on someone special (mum / sister / wife / girlfriend) you can't go wrong with a classic neutral bag from their favourite designer. If they've been dropping a lot of hints too you might know the exact style and colour you should get.
I hope this gift guide has given you some ideas for the handbag-lover on your list! It's not too late to order most of these and have them delivered in time for Christmas - no matter where you are in the world. If you're curious, this is the bag at the top of my wishlist! (Under $500 too!) Do you have anything handbag related on your Christmas list?
I've been on a bit of a shorts buying binge this spring! I've been slowly swapping out some of my current shorts and selling or donating them to make room for some more of these cute relaxed fit soft shorts. I'm not really sure if they have a proper name, 'relaxed fit soft shorts' seems a bit long. I do know that they are insanely comfortable and perfect for Brisbane's heat though. They look great with this floral print kimono too.
Ordinarily I wouldn't wear voluminous pieces with a kimono, I don't always like the results, but I loved the relaxed vibe of both these outfits. Perfect for playgroup.
With the warmer weather, I have been so excited to wear these blue printed shorts again. I know from my personal stylist session that they aren't the best style for me, because post-babies my waist isn't the narrowest part of my body and these shorts highlight that. But I really don't care, I love them anyway. So much so that I went and bought a couple more in a similar style!
I'm surprised that these have only been worn 16 times so far, nowhere near 30 wears but I'm aiming to reach that goal with them this spring/summer!
I usually pair these shorts with stripes if I'm wearing another print, but decided to go with the neutral metallic tank and add the floral print kimono for something different. Partly also because I'm trying to hit 30 wears with this kimono this season. I really liked this combination, nice and comfortable for a warm day at playgroup with the boys. I've worn the tank and shorts together before too.
Back when we had our failed shopping trip that ended up with x-rays, I'd seen these shorts in Jeanswest and considered them but figured they were a little too expensive and I didn't love them enough to go try them on. I hadn't been able to get them out of my head since then though, and even tried going back in store to buy them. They didn't have my size and again something came up with the boys and I couldn't get to the store that did have my size.
So when I saw these shorts in the 40% off sale I had to get them! Was so pleased to discover them as it's been a while since I last saw them. While the shorts are already a relaxed fit, I thought of pairing them with this black tee right away. I really liked the combination, and the floral kimono added a little extra colour to the outfit. I was really inspired by loving the first outfit so much.
It's got a bit much going on, with the voluminous pieces together, and the mix of prints and embroidery, but I really liked this outfit. So insanely comfortable, and such an easy outfit after our big day out the day before.
How You Can Wear It: Relaxed fit, soft shorts are perfect for hot days. light and airy, and still great coverage when running around with two toddlers, without having to worry about things riding up. You don't have to stick to neutrals if you have a pair of printed shorts either, a kimono is a fun layer that doesn't make you overheat in the sun.
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.
