The first day of Autumn

Isn't it funny how the last day of summer was boiling hot with really icky,sticky humidity (and a very irritable me because the air con in my car decided to break!!!!) and the very next day, (which just happened to be the first day of Autumn) it was cool and grey?  How does Mother Nature know how to do that???

First few items of winter clothes making an appearance

I've decided that I love Autumn.  I get cranky when it's too cold and I've now discovered that I get cranky when it's too hot too!!  (Not that I'm hard to please, honest!!).  Today was just perfect - even with the angry grey clouds.

After a whole morning of torrential rain, the kids were climbing the walls, so as soon as it stopped we all headed out for a walk.  I just love spending time with my family and it's days like these that make me absolutely certain we did the right thing moving us all from England to Sydney.

Hard to resist the beach - even on a grey, blustery day

She loves the great outdoors but not the hat!!

The heavy rain, winds and huge high tide had created a massive wall of sand on our usually flat beach, and the kids thought it was FANTASTIC!!!  They had so much fun diving and rolling off it - and Mr D and I had a great arm workout pulling them back up again (and again, and again, and again)  as it was just too high for them to climb it (although there was much giggling while they tried).

Master J and his buddy ditched their bikes for the beach

I nearly ended up head first at the bottom several times much to Mr D's amusement!

First time I've worn jeans in 6 months

Little dudes!

The best thing about Autumn is the skies are (usually) still blue, the water is still beautiful and warm, the days are still warm enough to wears t-shirts but without all the sweating and the evenings are cool enough to finally have a good nights sleep!!

What's your favorite season??

My first trip to Costco

I am forever on a mission to try and reduce our grocery bill.  I used to be a bit of carefree, just chuck it in the trolley, kind of shopper.  I'll also admit to being a bit of a grocery shopping snob too, and used to do most of my shopping in Waitrose when we lived in the UK. (I'm not sure of the Aussie equivalent - or if there is one!!).

Now days if I'm not careful the weekly bill can just spiral out of control before I can even blink - especially with a growing family of five.  Since having my thermomix, the way I shop has changed almost completely too.  I am now making so many more things myself - meaning I buy a lot more 'raw ingredients' than ready made foods.  It's had a fantastic effect on the our overall health and on the budget AND I am actually enjoying cooking for the first time in my life.

Some things, however, you just can't change.......those being the monthly essentials including toilet paper, washing power (lots of it), toothpaste, dishwater tabs, nappy san........and so on!!  You know, all the boring yet expensive stuff that we just can't get away from!

I have recently been converted to Aldi too - and being a self confessed grocery snob I really wasn't sure about shopping there.  But I promised Mr D that if he bought me my thermomix I would reduce our weekly shopping bill, so I had no choice but venture in!!!!  And I was so pleasantly surprised.  All thier products are significantly cheaper than most other supermarkets (and although they have funny names) they have proven to be just as good!  In fact I recently read an article in a British Newspaper that stated that Aldi was listed as the second best supermarket behind Waitrose in the UK for 2012 - ahead of Tesco and Marks and Spencer!!  So there you have it - you can never judge a supermarket by its cover!!

Anyway, back to Costco!!  I have heard SO many people tell me that if you want to save money on the boring essentials (that I mentioned above) then Costco is the place to go.  Although you have to buy everything in bulk, so you need to have storage space if you are going to make the trip.  Last Saturday it was pouring with rain, so Mr D and I decided to make the trip to Costco and see what all the fuss was about.  It took us nearly two hours to get there (as Mr D insisted he knew where he was going...........and who was I to argue!! - Apparently it was the Sat Nav's fault!)

bored!!

We eventually made it and the queue to register was ENORMOUS!!!!!!  In fact there were so many people around that I have one word to describe my first impression "pandaemonium"!!  As it had taken us so long to get there there was NO way we were turning around and going back, so we stood in line and eventually became fully fledged Costco members.  It costs $60 a year to join and you can only purchase things if you are a member.  Luckily Mr D had remembered to bring some ID and proof of our address for us to register (something which hadn't even occurred to me).  I don't even want to imagine the stress if we'd got to the front of the queue and not been allowed to join.

lunch in the queue

Master J perked up with a full pint of chocolate ice-cream (for ONLY $2)

The ice-cream kept Mr D and Miss L going too.

Once we finally got in there is was fantastic!  And everything was SUPER-SIZED !  I can imagine it could be very easy to get carried away in there - no wonder the trollies are so huge!  We were very good and just stuck to our list, although it had been such a mammouth task to get to this stage and there were just SO many people in there that Mr D insisted we get double of everything.  "I'm NOT coming back here for at least another year!" he said.

like I said - SUPER-SIZED!  

So my conclusions are:

• Try and visit on a week day rather than a weekend (and if you can help it, not on a rainy day either).  That way I'm sure it won't be as crowded and hectic.
• Everything comes in extra large 'portion' sizes so if you don't have storage space at home then it's probably not for you.
• Price up what you normally buy first so you have something with you to compare prices.  I found that  most things were cheaper but not everything.
• If you like non-Australian wine (my absolute favourite is Spanish Rioja) then Costco is the place for you!!!
• I wouldn't recommend buying food unless you have a very large fridge/freezer.

A pretty successful trip!  I am stocked up for the next 12 months

Have you been to Costco yet?  What are your tips to keeping your grocery budget in check??

Wordless Wednesday - Out on a school night!

Good morning Sydney

A roundup of the first week in February (already!!!) in pictures. Love Instagram!

This week we have had the most beautiful summer days - February on the beaches has certainly lived up to its reputation.  I've also been very snap happy with my iphone, so I hope you're ready for a long list of pictures.  Here is our week - love Instagram!

Girls lunch in Manly

Last Sunday I spend the afternoon with the girls, sipping cocktails and watching the ocean at The Manly Wine Bar to celebrate a good friends birthday.  If you're ever in Sydney you really should drop in there.  It is one of my most favourite bars - right opposite the iconic Manly Beach, it's mixture of ocean views, old fashioned retro decor and awesome food is not to be missed.  It has such a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere that you could loose a whole day in there - and it's policy to accept board-shorts and bikinis too if you so wish!!

How good does this dessert look???? 

Seems I wasn't the only one watching the view!  Even after  almost two years in Aus they still give me some serious heebie jeebies

Do you like my new hat?

Pretty little toes.  A pedicure date with Mummy

Can you spot the rainbow?

I love Wednesday's with my girls

Spagetti pizza

Another quick and awesome Thermomix dinner.  Left over Spagetti Bolognese on fresh pizza dough with cheese and fresh basil.  

How lucky are these two little munchins - look at that view!!!!!

A scooter and an apron.

We decided to have and impromptu BBQ dinner at the beach one evening as the weather was so lovely. Something that we really have to do more often.

I just LOVE these photos

The girls just had an absolute ball together playing in the lagoon mouth whilst Master J was doing his nippers class on Saturday afternoon.  Now that Miss L is crawling she thinks she is a real little clever cloggs

She really is a beach baby!

Sunday morning sunrise!  One advantage of being woken up by the kids at 6:30am

Sundays are such perfect family days

Watching the waves with Daddy

Alfresco Dinning

Today was one of those days where the weather was just PERFECT!  Not too hot and the sky was as blue as the ocean with not a cloud to be seen.

You see what I mean........perfect!

Being a school day I was all ready for the usual evening routine, when I got a txt from a good friend suggesting we meet for a quick BBQ at the beach with the kids.

What a fabulous idea - I wish I had thought of it!

Miss H helping dad cook the sausages!!

perfect evening for an impromptu BBQ

We live almost directly opposite this park and it takes no effort at all to just grap some sausages to throw on the BBQ and walk over for some alfresco dinning.  I don't know why we don't do it more often??????

Even the wind must have been perfect as all the kites were out in force this evening and they were just beautiful to watch.

Getting my fix!  I could just stare at this view for hours

I have to pinch myself on a daily basis!  I am truly grateful to be living in such a breathtaking beautiful part of the world.




Linking up with Leigh from Six By The Bay and Thankful Thursday.  Gratitude is an attitude!   What have you got to be thankful for today?

A little bit of birthday boasting!

Birthday lunch date with my hot hubby

A couple of days ago was my birthday.  Not a particularly significant birthday but it was still mine - all 24 hours of it (which I even managed to drag out over 48).  For those of you who are as interested in my 'number' as Miss H is, I am still thirty something, only this year I'm an odd number, and I'm still younger than Mr D.

I'm now going to turn this into a teeny tiny BOAST post!  Not that I'm a boasty type of person (well not much) but it is my birthday, so right now I am going to take center stage (because I can!!!)

First teeny boast

I have the most amazing Mr D in the whole world!!  He surprised me by tucking the NEW iPHONE 5 under my pillow the night before my day!  You have no idea how happy this made me (cue: big BIG smiles).  Actually I think Mr D does, as the poor love has had to endure the endless, and I mean endless complaining from me about how my old (and beloved) iphone was "driving me CRAZY!!!!"  Those of you that follow my blog will know that my iphone is pretty much my third arm (you know, for..............  blogging, tweeting, face-booking, chatting, millions of photo taking and of course general nosiness).  As it slowly started to fall apart at the seams, poor Mr D (my IT support at home) got the brunt of my frustrations.  First it was the home button - you know, the big round one that you have to use for EVERYTHING.  It started where I'd have to tap a little harder than usual, then tap it a little harder several times, then bang it several time and then finally bang it and grint my teeth (trying not swear in front of the kids) and then bang it again before it finally turned a page.  If that wasn't enough the volume functions decided to slowly die too, so my phone conversations sounded something like this:  "Hello!  "Oh Hi, how are you?........ Sorry can you say that again,  I can't hear you very well..........What was that??? .........Sorry I still didn't quite catch that - I can barely hear you" (with me wildly waving my arms at the kids giving them frantic hand signals to shut up for just one minute while I tried to figure out who I was talking to)!!  Then finally to add insult to injury my camera got sticky!!!  Making taking photos of moving kids near impossible!

Isn't she pretty??

So you see - best present ever for me!  Thanks babe!

Second weeny boast

I have the very bestest family in the whole world!!  I just loved how Master J and Miss H were excited that it was MY birthday and not theirs.  Seeing their cute little faces in the morning, desperate to wake up Miss L so she didn't miss out on seeing Mummy open up her presents made my morning.  They told EVERYONE they possibly could that it's "Mummy's Birthday today!!!!!!"  So sweet and of course I was very spoilt too.  Such a lucky Mummy I am.

Last Boast (and it's a big one!)

Wow!  What fabulous friends I have. The best ever!  

Thank you all so much for all your lovely cards, messages, pressies, phone calls, babysitting and visits.  I'll try not to get too sentimental now, but it really did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Thanks everyone for making the best day of the best month simply the best.  You all rock!

xxxxxx Mrs D

P.S. Just one more teeny weeny boast!  In case you didn't know, I share my birthday with the lovely Kate Middleton - The Duchess of Cambridge and future Queen!  I told you it was the best day of the best month!!

A busy and festive week in pictures. Love Instagram!

Not long until Christmas now and last week the festivities were in full swing!!  I even managed to do a bit of Christmas shopping!!

Miss H doing some Christmas craft.  She is definitely happiest when she's painting

We made some 'smartie chip holly cookies'.  Adding a little bit of festivities to the kids lunch boxes for the week.

Master J messing around with a pair of 3D glasses.  A couple of kids in his class this year have got glasses and he's desperate for a pair.  He keeps telling me his 'seeing' is a bit fuzzy.

The girls and I had a trip into Sydney on the bus this week and it was the most spectacular day.   

Sydney really is a beautiful city (a different kind of beautiful to London).  The weather was so lovely that we got the ferry home instead of the bus.  By the way - look at the size of that cruise ship parked in the harbour!  It was ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS!!!!!  It didn't look like it would fit under the bridge.

Charlie and Lola at the Opera House

We went to see Charlie and Lola's Extremely New Play at the Sydney Opera House.  It was a puppet show all about the seasons and how everything changes from spring to summer, autumn to winter.  It was so well done and absolutely captivating.  I think I enjoyed it as much as Miss H.  I loved seeing her little eyes absolutely glued to the stage and hearing her laugh out loud at all the funny bits.  If you get a chance I highly recommend going to see it.  You can get tickets here.

Master J's as a reindeer in the Kindergarten production of 'fly Rudolph fly'

This was the cutest production I have ever seen.  Look at those 4 cheeky little reindeer!! When I first asked Master J what part in was playing in the Christmas play a couple of months ago, he informed me very proudly that he was reindeer number 16!  Too cute!! (and Mr D and I did have a chuckle).  They had me in stitches the whole way through the play.  They were just SO excited to be up on stage having all the mums and dads watching their big moment (along with a lot of waving, whispering and giggling).  I have to take my hat off to the teachers for organising and producing it, as every one of them remembered their lines perfectly!

Having a chat with Santa at Miss's H's Kindy Christmas BBQ.  Miss H asked him for a new lipstick because "mummy threw my old one away Santa!!"  Ooops!!

And the sand munching has begun!!!

Miss H having a wonderful time at the beach whilst Master J was at Nippers training on Saturday afternoon.  It was a King Tide this weekend, and the tide was SO far out that the beach seemed enormous and it was perfect for the little ones to play in.

Crazy King Tide!

It was a King High Tide on Sunday morning and it caused a bit of chaos at the swim club!  The water was so high that it swamped the pool and went right up over the stairs where we usually sit and watch the races.  Master J and his friends did so well swimming with the huge sets of waves crashing over them.  He won his race too - so proud of him!!!

Relaxing by the lake on Sunday afternoon while mummy does her Candy Bows market stall.  

watching the ducks x