July 2018 – Hello Marie

Monthly Link Roundup

26/07/2018 No Comments

Not sure what to get up to in rainy and cold Perth at the moment? What about jumping in a giant white ball pit in the Winter Fest Dome or checking out the various art installations around Perth? You can check out more things to see and do here!

A reminder (and some inspiration) that all full-time bloggers have to start from somewhere!

Sooo obsessed with this delicious honeycake! I really want to try the pandan version but it’s sold out everytime!

As I mentioned in a previous post, we’ll be moving interstate in a few short weeks so I’ve been busy decluttering and packing. It can get pretty overwhelming at times and there’s the overwhelming temptation to chuck everything in boxes to deal with it later. Don’t do that! The best time to declutter is before a move and here are some articles that I’ve found that have really helped me to decide what to get rid of and what to pack for the move!

An adorable pom-pom photo frame DIY? Yes please!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

Travel

Road Trip: Kalbarri

19/07/2018 No Comments

If you’ve missed the first part of our road trip from Perth to Cervantes to see the Pinnacles, you can click here.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early so that we could make the long drive to Kalbarri. According to Google, it would take us just over 4 hours to get there, so we decided to make a stopover in Geraldton. After a quick breakfast of overnight oats with fruit, and a top up of fuel on the way out of town, we were on our way!

Geraldton

Just as we did the day before, my husband and I took turns driving so that neither of us would get too tired. The drive from Cervantes to Geraldton was only 2.5 hours, so it wasn’t too long and we got there just in time to have lunch. For lunch, we decided to try some gourmet jaffles at The Jaffle Shack. Jaffles are essentially deliciously filled toasties and we ordered the Little Italy (tomato, red onion, fetta, avocado and mozzarella) and Nutty Chicken (chicken, chorizo, basil, almonds, spinach and cheese), with an iced coffee. Although the servings were on the smaller side for us, both jaffles were delicious and the coffee was perfection!

Geraldton is a lovely coastal town and after lunch, we took a small walk down to the water. There were a lot of families out and about and parts of it reminded me of Busselton. The town itself is relatively large for a country town and it has a major seaport. While there isn’t too much to see or do in Geraldton, it made for a wonderful stopover and opportunity to stretch our legs.

Gecko Lodge

Back on the road again, it took us just under 2 hours to get to Kalbarri. For our stay in Kalbarri I booked us into Gecko Lodge, which is an adults only bed and breakfast run by husband and wife team, Paul and Linley. They live a short 2-minute bicycle ride away, so after a brief wait we were checked in and shown around. At the main house, there’s a communal lounge with a tv with plenty of DVD’s to choose from, a bookcase, dining area with complimentary tea, coffee and homemade goodies, and kitchen. Outside, there was a BBQ and pool area.

After the tour, we were shown to our small but lovely room. We stayed in the spa deluxe room with king bed and although it was on the smaller side, it was cozy and had everything that we needed. I was impressed by their attention to detail and loved seeing their little mascot everywhere! Following the long day of driving, we were both knackered and went straight to bed for a long nap!

Sunset at Island Rock and Natural Bridge

When we woke up, it was late afternoon so we had time to drive to nearby Island Rock to get some sunset pictures. We were the only people there and I can barely express how beautiful it was. The fact that we had the place to ourselves made it more magical. There were strong winds, so we had to anchor our tripod down and I let my husband have fun with his camera and his different lenses.

From Island Rock, there’s a section of the Bigurda Trail that leads to Natural Bridge. My husband and I were both curious at how the viewpoint was from the other side, so having nothing better to do, I set off on a light jog towards Natural Bridge! The trail itself is a well built boardwalk along the coastal cliffs and it only took me about 10 minutes to get there. When I arrived, I had to reluctantly admit that the view was far better than where we were! I ended up staying until the sun set to take a few pictures myself before heading back.

The Jetty Seafood Shack

To the end the night, we ordered a Jetty Seafood Box from the Jetty Seafood Shack and it was a delicious end to a long day. My husband wanted to order the Couples Pack but I’m so glad that we ordered the seafood box instead as it was the perfect serving size for us. The fish was fresh and lightly battered, and we enjoyed the chips with some tartare sauce.

Stay tuned for the next part of our road trip adventure!

Marie xo

Organisation

Keeping Organised in 2018

12/07/2018 No Comments

As much as I like to go digital and have less things to carry, I love using a physical diary. In the past 2 years, I’ve used diaries from Kikki K and Muji. Last year, I absolutely loved using my Muji diary due to its lightweight, sleek and minimalist design, and was intending to get another one for 2018. That is, until I learned that Fran Meneses was releasing her own illustrated diary this year!

Fran is an illustrator based in the UK and I randomly found her Youtube channel last year. I love her bubbly personality and style of drawing, so was happy to pick up her diary and support her work. It was also a great excuse to pick up a few other bits and pieces from her etsy shop!

A Look Inside the Diary

The inside of the diary is filled with Fran’s whimsical illustrations. The first few pages are personal details in case it gets lost, 2018-2019 yearly calendars and 12 blank monthly calendars. The main body of the diary is set out in a blank weekly format with a space to put weekly notes or to do’s, and has cute illustrations on the bottom corners of each page. Near the back, there a few pages for notes, and some fun stuff like movie vouchers, travel packing list, important dates, new years resolutions and writing prompts! At the very back of the diary, there’s an expandable pocket to put various bits and pieces in.

The diary comes with its own set of illustrated stickers including a set of 2018 monthly stickers. It also has a handy elastic, which wraps around the diary to keep everything closed. All in all, I’ve really enjoyed using this diary so far and am loving Fran’s touch throughout the diary. The only cons that I can mention are the blank monthly and weekly pages, as I hate spending that initial time pre-filling everything out (however, I am aware this was done intentionally, so that the diary can be used at anytime of the year) and the plastic stickers (paper options would be great!). Other than that, it is a really well-made, cute diary and would make the perfect present for a fellow diary lover!

So that’s my diary situation for 2018! Do you like to use a diary, and if so, what are you using?

Marie xo

Goals, Lifestyle

It’s July! And a Quick Update!

05/07/2018 No Comments

I’m sure you’re all aware, but guys, it’s July already! Where has the time gone? I feel like just yesterday we were enjoying Summer and now the weather has turned and we’ve officially hit the half year mark! While I’ve been taking this year relatively easy and focusing on myself, I’ve still been keeping myself busy and wanted to reflect on how the first half of the year has been so far.

I joined a gym. One of my goals this year was to improve my physical health, so I decided to join my local gym for 3 months. My focus was to increase my upper body strength and build up my cardio again. It took a few weeks to get into a routine but I was soon hitting the gym 2-3 times a week and mixing it up with a few exercise classes as well. As part of my membership, I received a complimentary health assessment and list of exercises tailored towards my fitness goals. I had a really good mix of strength based and cardio exercises, and what surprised me the most was how much fun I had using the machines.

I quit my job. Having been at my new workplace for just over a year, I was miserable and after an incident at work, I decided to quit my job. It wasn’t a decision I came to lightly, however with the support and encouragement of my husband we both decided that it was the best thing to do for my mental health. I’m well aware that not many people have the luxury to do so, and I’m very fortunate that we’re in a position where my husband can (and is happy to) support the both of us.

We’re moving! My husband was fortunate to get a better job opportunity over east, so we’ll be moving in a few short weeks to a small country town that sits on the border between New South Wales and Victoria. So while I haven’t been working, I’ve been busy getting our affairs in order and organising our entire move. Although we’ll both be moving away from both of our families, we are both very excited for our upcoming adventure and looking forward to seeing where this move may take us!

Instagram and blogging. In the past few months, I’ve slowly been getting back onto the Instagram and blogging scene, and I’ve really been enjoying it! The break from Instagram was actually a blessing in disguise, as I was starting to get obsessed with the number of followers I had. Now, I’m more focused on putting up fun photos to share and interacting with people! I’ve met some lovely people over Instagram and am amazed that I can communicate with someone half way across the world! Blogging wise, as I’m easing back into it, I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. However I’m focusing on putting out regular weekly blog posts as a start.

So that’s really the key updates I wanted to share! How has the first half of the year gone for you? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Marie xo