Combining two of my loves together for some colourful summer outfits: soft shorts and mustard yellow. Buying these shorts at the start of summer was such a good idea!
Wore this for Australia day, so I had to go with the green necklace to have a bit of green and gold with the mustard tank. I've worn this tank and necklace together before too. It was something a little different for Australia Day, as we usually try host a BBQ but skipped it this year. We went to the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery Of Modern Art before having lunch in the city. I was hopeful we might get to see some more of the exhibition but our main goal was to see The Obliteration Room in the kid's area. You get given a sheet of stickers, walk into a white room and get to stick the stickers wherever you want. Toddler heaven!
The boys are always trying to stick stickers everywhere at home, so I thought they'd enjoy being given free reign and leaving their imprint on a fun work of art. As you can see from the Instagram photo, it was near the end of the exhibition so there wasn't much white left, but it was still a lot of fun. They had an incredible time and although I didn't get to see other bits of the exhibition I'd wanted to, it was so much fun seeing how much they enjoyed the room.
I'd thought of wearing a monochromatic outfit as it would look great in photos, but wanted to wear my mustard tank more. I did feel a little regret when I watched a lady in a black and white dress posing in front of a professional grade camera and realised her shots would look beautiful! But I was happy and comfortable in this outfit, nice for a hot day out in the city. I did dress the boys in white shirts and they looked especially cute in all the photos. Of course I regretted that outfit choice later too when they had ice cream... 😂
I shared this on Instagram for Australia day but I'd worn it a few days before, I just hadn't gotten around to sharing it then. It was a busy day, with the daycare runs, my usual working from home, and then a specialist appointment for the little one. The stress of a busy day and of trying to find and get to a new location on time was quickly forgotten when we stopped to buy milk on the way home and I picked myself up a well-earned tub of Ben and Jerry's!
Given how high I had to wear these shorts to disguise the mum-tum though, probably could have skipped the ice cream. Still ate and enjoyed it though!
The necklace is gold and the chain on the mini MAC is silver, and the aquamarine doesn't match anything else I'm wearing, but I really liked this outfit. I think the colours all worked so nicely together despite not matching, and it was perfect for a hot summer day.
Soft shorts are the best for a hot and humid day. A plain tank is always a good basic to wear with them, especially if they have a print or embroidery as these ones do. Another benefit to a basic tank is that you can be a little more adventurous with your necklace and pick a bolder statement piece if you want.
Continuing the feeling of being so behind with blogging, two more maxi dress outfits I wore before Christmas! I actually ended up wearing these both on the same day - one during the day for my local ABA Christmas party, and the other in the evening for my office Christmas party.
As you can tell, my office Christmas party had a theme, ha! I'd been looking forward to the party this year. Last December I was on maternity leave, and although my boss invited me to the Christmas party it was when I was in hospital with Baby Boy so I had to turn it down.
It was a bittersweet night. It was wonderful catching up with colleagues outside of work, especially those that have moved teams while was on leave and I no longer get to work closely with. I loved getting to have a good chat again! However it was so sad too as inevitably discussion turned to last year's party, which I missed because of the hospital stay. Made me really miss my boys, and I couldn't wait to get home to them.
There was one funny moment where a colleague said I should have come along to the party last year anyway, and I had to explain that as I was Baby Boy's food source (breastfeeding) I couldn't leave him. While this beautiful pink maxi dress is a nursing dress, we don't need that feature now. Worked perfectly with the floral lei to tie in with the party theme, and I even wore my frangipani necklace (and a few other ones).
This vintage Chanel bag is one of my treasured pieces, and the cross body strap came in handy to allow me to hold food and drinks. I even wore wedges for a bit of extra height (although I regretted it a little when I got home, so used to flats now!).
This was what I wore during the day - we had our local Australian Breastfeeding Association Christmas party, where we play a sneaky secret santa. Everyone brings a gift under $10, we all draw a number, then the person with number 1 unwraps a gift. The next person can pick another gift to unwrap, or steal the first one. Lots of people involved their toddlers and asked their opinion so they got in on the game too, so much fun. Toddler T had a great time! We enjoyed making the brownies with the kit we won too.
As expected though, all the time with toddlers and yummy morning tea and presents everywhere, my dress looked a little worse for wear so I was glad I'd planned a different dress to wear in the evening!
This was the perfect Christmas party outfit though, dressy but casual at the same time. Maxi dresses work for so many dress codes! Last year I went in shorts and tee, anything goes really. I did feel a little over dressed for my afternoon dentist appointment, with the embellished dress and bag strap, but my dentist ended up complimenting me on it so at least it made her smile! :)
Maxi dresses are a great option for a busy mum - they are grab and go outfits! You can accessorise them with layers of delicate necklaces, or stick with a practical teething necklace for time with toddlers. Quilted bags look great with them, and a cross body option allows you to go hands free. Maxi dresses work for many different dress codes as they can be as formal or casual as you want. Nice to wear in the summer heat too.
Skipping a few outfits I still haven't shared from December to post my Christmas outfits before we get too far away from Christmas day! I've linked to a few of the Christmas day photos I shared too, in case you missed them on social media.
For Christmas Eve, we traditionally do crafts, make and decorate cookies, listen to Christmas songs, and just relax and enjoy spending time together while wearing our Christmas tees. Christmas day was a busy one, we had both sets of grandparents in Brisbane so we split the day between them both. Different activities means two different outfits.
As Christmas eve was on a Sunday, we took advantage of the special Christmas service at our local church in the morning, before heading down the coast in the afternoon to spend time with my family.
As you might have seen from my overshare on Insta stories, we all wore our Christmas tees, made and decorated cookies, did some craft, ate a lot of good food and watched Polar Express with the boys for the first time. They loved it!
I often wear this tee with shorts to beat the heat (even while pregnant!) but decided to be a little different this year and wear with a skirt instead. Thanks to everyone who voted on Instagram to help me pick, I went with this red skirt over the chambray one I was also considering. Red and green are perfect Christmas colours!
Instead of putting the boys down for a now much needed and overdue nap, we hopped into the car to drive to my parents and thankfully they slept a little then.
Another Christmas tree, more presents to be exchanged and so much good food, we a delicious Christmas dinner there. A storm hit in the evening so when it briefly stopped we headed home, perfect timing as once we were home again we got hit with a second storm.
With traveling, unwrapping presents, playing with toys and lots of food, I went with a classic maxi dress. It's my go to for Christmas day as we all like to get dressed up for it in my family. Hubby's family is much more casual, but a maxi dress is perfect for both places. With 36 degree heat too (97 fahrenheit) this light dress was all I could stand to wear.
Although it's been a while since I've bought a new dress for Christmas, I was happy to shop my wardrobe and pick out an existing maxi dress. My bestie gave me this one, and it never fails to get compliments. Added lots of gold and rose gold accessories to compliment the peach ombre maxi dress and colourful yellow Balenciaga envelope clutch.
Formal or casual, however you dress to celebrate Christmas, comfort is key. With all of the good food you want something non-restrictive, so an empire waist maxi dress or elasticated maxi skirt is a good idea. Perfect for when the aircon gets too cold as it covers your legs, but loose enough to catch the breeze and keep you cool when it's a hot and humid day. You can wear a maxi in winter too, although snow might make it a little harder!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas last week and you're having a great start to 2018!
The ultimate gift guide for a mum or mum to be, under $50! I thought it might be helpful to compile a list of budget-friendly gift ideas for your pregnant friend or new mum, with things I recieved or wished I received when pregnant and some mum-approved picks.
Pampering is key here. Pregnancy is an incredible miracle, but you don't always feel like you're glowing and floating gracefully through your pregnancy!
The ultimate guide to having a stylish pregnancy on a budget, gift this to your pregnant friend to help her continue to stay true to her personal style through pregnancy, and start each day looking and feeling great! Plus it's under $5! (I think it's the best value ebook ever but I may be biased, being the author!)
Pregnancy Body Pillow
$50 at Overstock
I got through a pregnancy without this and thought it was maybe a little gimmicky, but when I was given one for my last pregnancy that all changed - they are SUCH a good way to have a comfortable sleep! Highly recommend these!
Body Moisturiser Gift Pack
The Body Shop Shea Butter Set or Body Butter Gift Set both under $35
Whether you believe it helps stretch marks or not, a daily ritual of moisturising the growing bump becomes an essential part of pregnancy. It's a good way to sooth stretched skin, so a little pamper pack like this will gt a lot of use. Just be sure to double-check before you buy - pregnancy aversions may mean previously loved scents aren't tolerated any more. Bio-oil and shea butter are pretty popular but any lovely moisturiser can be used.
Confetti Water Bottle
Under $30 at Shopbop
Pregnancy is thirsty work, and it's easy to get your increased daily intake of water when your water bottle is as cute as this! I have the confetti tumbler version at home and love it, so sparkly.
Organiser/Agenda
Kate Spade Under $40 at Nordstrom
Essential to record all of those appointments, track pregnancy milestones and keep a daily-to-do list. Baby brain is real, having things written down helps.
Open knit purple cardigan under $50 and tartan blanket scarf under $50
Because cardigans you don't have to button don't have to be maternity ones, she can wear them open over the growing bump. Add in a cute scarf to keep her warm while the cardigan is open and she'll be able to see through a cold weather pregnancy in style. As a bonus, the scarf can double up as a breastfeeding cover-up post baby!
A Roomy Handbag
Monogram stripe tote under $50
A big tote is a nice idea - to hold the snacks, bottles of water and to-do lists that you cart everywhere with you in pregnancy. Something monogrammed is a nice personal touch. You could even consider buying a baby bag too if you know what one she's picked out already.
Mum Gift Guide Under $50:
When you're a mum it can be hard to find time to yourself or to justify splurging on yourself instead of your kids, so little things to make her feel special are a good idea. And with any time-consuming activity, an offer of free babysitting to accompany it is so incredibly thoughtful! It's much easier to use movie tickets or spa vouchers if you know your kids are in good hands.
Pictured in the guide:
Coffee Mug
But First Coffee Thermal Mug under $25 A mug is nice, but an insulated tumbler that will keep coffee warm for longer is a mum essential, especially in those sleep deprived early days. Coffee vouchers are a good idea too for caffeine on the go.
Line a day journal
Sentence a Day from Kikki.K under $30 or Sentence a Day for mothers under $20
It's hard to find time for anything when you're a mum, but recording a sentence a day is definitely doable, and a sweet memento to look back on when the kids are bigger. A good way to keep track of things even in the early days of motherhood!
Treat Yourself Voucher
Little book of love vouchers under $10
Movies, spa treatments, mani/pedis, personal style sessions, there are so many options. A personal stylist session is a great gift for a mum who is feeling a little lost in her wardrobe post-baby! As mentioned above, make sure to include an offer of babysitting with your voucher, or find a local child-friendly beauty salon.
Beauty Advent Calendars
Under $20 at Target
There are so many nice ones around - The Body Shop do a lovely all-rounder that contains a few different beauty products, and I won a very luxe Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar last year. Something with lots of little beauty things to try in sample sizes lets mum work a new product into her routine whenever she has a moment, and the advent calendar idea is a good way to encourage her to take an extra few minutes to herself each day. If mum's not a fan of beauty products, what about a tea advent calendar? A nice spin on the traditional chocolate calendar.
Silicone Teething Necklaces
Under $30 at Nibbly Bits
I love gifting these to my mum friends! Find ones made with food grade silicone that meet Australian safety standards like Nibbly Bits, and they are the perfect accessory to wear safely around kids. Both my babies loved gnawing on these, and as you wear them you always have quick access to them when they get grizzly. Perfect for teething too. You can find some nice handmade ones on Etsy.
Scented Candles
Wish upon a star candle under $40 or patterned jar candle under $35
These might not be the best idea for mum friends with inquisitive toddlers, but for those with older or younger kids a great scented candle (I love Glasshouse vanilla caramel) is a sweet gift idea. It's a nice way to make a house feel more relaxing, no matter how many toy trains are scattered around.
Sentimental Jewelry
Initial disc necklace on Etsy, Mother Alex and Ani bracelet
There are so many options here from initial necklaces to personalised bangles. Anything that has charms to represent her family is a nice idea, especially if it can be added to later if her family expands.
Chocolate
Lindt 100 Chocolate Balls Gift Pack or Chocolate Coated Oreos
Covering off all the mum essentials, with coffee before and now chocolate - a little stash of chocolate she can enjoy once the kids are in bed for the night is a lovely idea! Lindt is my go-to for luxe chocolate treats.
A Cute Scarf
Kate Spade Scarf Under $50 or a cute neck scarf if it's summer
A big blanket scarf doubles as a breastfeeding cover for a breastfeeding mum, or can simply be added to an outfit to hide spit-up and other baby related marks you don't always notice until after you've left the house! Really handy to keep in the nappy bag.
Hope you got some good Christmas present ideas from my post. Everything selected still has plenty of time to be purchased and shipped to you or your recipient before Christmas, especially if you buy it this week!
Is there anything you would add to either gift list?
I've shared before about how easy it is to wear breastfeeding clothes after you've stopped breastfeeding. I bought a few wrap tops to help with breastfeeding, but they are still getting worn now. They are a really stylish option for work.
With warmer spring weather, I know there are going to be less opportunities to wear this longer sleeved wrap top. As I said last time I wore it too! It was good to take the chance to wear it again. I really liked how it looked with the blue lace pencil skirt, it made for a nice monochrome outfit.
An easy outfit was just what was needed after spending the past few days with a sick baby and a lot of waking up in the night. Throwing on my favourite colour (blue) to boost my mood, makeup to hide the bags under my eyes and I felt pulled together enough for a day in the office.
Debated for a few minutes in the morning trying to pick out a necklace to wear with this top. I settled on this silver heart pendant that hadn't been worn in a while, but I think a longer necklace might have worked better.
Another day at work, another sick boy! Toddler T had fallen ill the day before, so once again it was monochrome blue to try lift my mood and give me a bit of a boost to power through the work day. This time around I went with a longer turquoise beaded necklace with the wrap top, and I really liked this combination.
As the top is short sleeved, I added the cream jersey blazer to keep me warm in the office air-con, but I really didn't need to keep it on outside as it was such a warm spring day.
You can tell it's spring as the sun is rising earlier and my usual photo spot isn't in shade as much as usual! It's really tricky early in the mornings now trying to get a photo that's not in bright sunlight. Going to have to start changing up my photo spot.
Wrap tops aren't just perfect for breastfeeding - they work great in a professional setting too and are good office options. You can't go wrong pairing them with a pencil skirt and a blazer.
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.
