Hooray, we’ve made it to the end of the year! This year has flown by and it’ll always have a special place in my heart as we welcomed Miss K into our lives. It’s been such a joy to have her and I can’t get enough of her snuggles! That aside, I’m very much looking forward to next year and seeing what the new year will bring.  

Monthly Link Roundup

The holiday period can be a tough time for some. Here are 10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays.

This craft tutorial would be perfect for Miss K’s nursery!

In Australia, buttermilk has always been one of those ingredients that I’ve never been able to find. Turns out that it’s really easy to make at home!

Although Miss K is too little to read to yet, I couldn’t resist buying a personalised alphabet book for her while it was on special. It just came in the mail today and I can’t wait until we can read it together.

A great way to reflect and wrap up the year.

Find your word for 2019!

Enjoy the rest of the week lovelies and have a wonderful new years celebration wherever you are! I’ll be taking a short break and look forward to getting back into the swing of things from mid-January 2019! 

Marie xo

This year we’ll be enjoying a quiet Christmas at home with just the 3 of us. Since our family and friends are interstate, it’ll be our last chance to relish in the newborn bubble we’ve made for ourselves before visitors begin arriving in the new year. 

As Miss K  is only a few weeks old we’ll be keeping things simple. The Christmas tree is up but not adorned, and I’m still not sure yet if I’ll have the energy to muster up much of a festive feast on the day! Regardless of all that, I’m looking to having my husband home for a few days and spending some quality time together as a family. 

No matter where you are or how you celebrate this time of the year, I would love to wish you all a safe and joyful Christmas!

Marie xo

Wow, can you believe that it’s almost the end of November already!? I’m a big fan of Christmas, so for me it’s that lovely time of the year when I can look forward to the upcoming holiday celebrations and listen to carols. I’ve had Michael Buble’s Christmas playlist on repeat but for this month’s video, I couldn’t resist putting this classic song by Mariah Carey in! I hope it helps put you in a festive mood as you check out this month’s link roundup!

Monthly Link Roundup

Just finished binge watching this show and wow! I’ve only read the first book of the trilogy, so I need to get my hands on the rest of the series!

Have you checked out my very first holiday gift guide? For more ideas, click here, here and here!

Visiting Christmas markets in Europe and experiencing a white Christmas is on my travel bucket list. If you’re lucky enough to be going to Germany this year or are looking for some travel inspiration, check out how to plan a German Christmas market trip.

Currently obsessing over these personalised unisex organic swaddle blankets!

The cutest way to display your enamel pin collection!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

I love seeing other people’s gift guides and so I thought I’d make my own this year! I had a lot of fun putting this together, and these are items that we either have and love, plan on giving, or purchasing ourselves. I hope that there’s an item or 2 that helps you with your holiday shopping this year! Happy shopping!

For the new mum. A nursing dress and robe.

For the doting dad. A multi-use nappy bag.

For the proud grandparents. A wifi cloud digital photo frame.

For the excited aunties. An aunty squad t-shirt.

For the little one. A hedgehog puzzle.

For the eco warrior. A DIY beeswax wrap kit.

For the avid traveller. A travel wallet.

For the cute obsessed. A Pusheen sundae plush.

For the foodie lover. An extra virgin olive oil and dukkah set.

For the minimalist. A coffee date at one of their favourite cafe’s.

For the super organised. An open yearly planner.

Marie xo

Monthly Link Roundup

My best friend in the kitchen is our instant pot, so I’m always on the lookout for new instant pot recipes. I recently stumbled across Pinch of Yum’s 12 Healthy Freezer Meals (That You’ll Actually Love) and they are amazing! I’ve worked through about half of these now and have started to put my own spin on them second time around. If you have an instant pot or slow cooker, then definitely check these out!

If you’re on the other side of the world and entering into Fall, @grandstoriesdesign and @ingrid_opstad have created the cutest free downloadable Autumn Hygge lists to get you into a cozy mood.

I’ve recently been learning all about castor oil as a natural ingredient in various health and beauty products. Here are some Beauty Expert Hacks You Must Try with Castor Oil!

Remember when I used to scrapbook? Ha! Since we’ve unpacked I have a tub of old holiday photo’s staring at me accusingly, waiting to be scrapbooked. With the baby on the way it’s going to be a mad dash to get the house in order before it arrives but I’m hoping to get some albums done to clear some space. If you’re feeling stuck like me, then check out some Ideas for Making Things Less Complicated in Memory Keeping.

I’m very much in love with our Keep Cups, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t lust after these beauties!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

Some of the above links are affiliate links that at no extra cost to you, will earn me a small commission should you choose to click and purchase any items. Thanks for your support!

It’s crazy how quickly time has flown by and we’ve now been in Albury for about 3 months.

Everyone asks us how we’re settling in and how we’re finding the town, and I honestly have to say that I really love it here. It’s a charming little town that has a sister town called Wodonga, which is located in Victoria. Due to my husband’s work we’ve settled in Albury, which is located in New South Wales. The two towns sit side by side along the border and it’s such a novelty to be crossing interstate lines so easily!

As a smaller regional town, there are less shops and facilities than you would find in a larger city, however I haven’t missed much. Since we’re living centrally, everything is conveniently located within a short 15 minute drive and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the town. The people are friendly and there is a plethora of amazing cafes and restaurants to discover!

Beyond the town, I’ve been told that having a picnic by the Murray River is a great way to spend a lazy Summer’s day and there are a lot of hiking trails as well. The weather is still a bit chilly at the moment, so it will be great to explore more when things start to warm up. Although, apparently we need to keep an eye out for snakes!

While moving to a smaller regional town won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I’m so glad that we decided to take the plunge and make the move. My husband grew up in country and so there’s a beautiful symmetry of being able to raise our kids in a country town as well. For me, the move has opened up new opportunities and experiences, and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.

Marie xo

This week my husband and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary.

It seems almost like yesterday when we first met, yet I can barely remember my time before him. When we first met, I was in a pretty dark place and he was like a breath of fresh air. He was funny, smart, and down to earth. He started off as a great friend and it quickly turned into something more.

I knew almost immediately that this was the guy I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with.

I’m glad to say that there have been more ups than downs and we’re still as silly as ever. Marriage hasn’t changed a thing except to make our bond stronger and here we are now, building a home half way across the country with a baby on the way! It’s both exciting and scary but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy 3 years to us!

Marie xo

All photos were taken by the wonderful Kirsty Russell, who helped us capture our special day.

Monthly Link Roundup

If you’re a fan of Arnott’s Mint Slices, then you need to try these Mint Slice Mini Cakes! I picked up a packet of these bad boys from Coles and they were even more heavenly than I imagined! Think dark chocolate pillowy goodness with a hint of mint cream in the middle. Absolutely divine … can we please make this a permanent product!??

Adventurous Kate describes a typical day on an Antartica expedition cruise.

A close family member recently had a health scare back in Perth, so I organised a care package from Wishing You Well. I found other similar companies online but ended up choosing this one as I was able to customise my own box and liked the type of products they had available. The receiving person loved the box of goodies and I was really happy with how easy and quickly it was to organise!

Missing my regular dose of Winter Love Milk Tea from Utopia 🙁

A simple, bright and cheery DIY Pom Pom Tassel Garland – perfect for Spring!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

Dear Perth

As I sit here in the small country town that we’ve moved half way across the country too, I wanted to say goodbye and let you know the things that I’ll miss most about you:

I’ll miss your bright blue skies and warm weather, particularly during the summertime. There is something so special about wandering around King’s Park on a hot, summer’s night watching the city lights below.

I’ll miss your beautiful, fiery red sunsets. I’ve travelled to many different cities far and wide, and no where else have I come across such vivid splashes of colour across the sky.

I’ll miss your laid back vibe and friendly atmosphere. I was never a big fan of big cities and Perth is a wonderful combination of big and small city life.

I’ll miss your delicious food and plethora of amazing cafe’s and bars that have popped up over the last few years. There is so much development happening in the city and southern suburbs, so I’m sad that I’ll be moving away at a time when things have really started happening!

I’ll miss your amazing beaches and enjoying fish and chips by the water. I think that Waterford Fish and Chips does the best fish and chips but nothing beats enjoying that seafood goodness with the smell of salt water in the air.

But most of all, I’ll miss the place I’ve called home for the last 30 odd years. I’ve grown up here, made some fantastic friendships, met the love of my life, and made some very special memories. I’m not sure what the future ahead will hold or whether we’ll be back. For now, I just wanted to say thank you for the many years that I’ve lived here and goodbye for now.

Marie xo

Last Spring, my husband and I went to S&R Orchard to view their beautiful blossoms. It was a beautiful albeit chilly Spring day and we had so much fun wandering around the rows of different coloured blossoms. There was a fun, family vibe and lots of families with their picnic blankets out. This was the first time that we had done this in Perth and it reminded me of the cherry blossom madness that happens in Japan each year.

Although there were a lot of people around, my husband and I were able to take some beautiful pictures including one of my most favourite pictures of us together. After we’d exhausted ourselves taking pictures and wandering around the orchard, we headed back to the main entrance where all the food trucks were. The smells were delicious but we wanted to grab lunch elsewhere, so we picked up a delicious snack of the crispiest pork crackling on the way.

The S&R Orchard Blossom Festival is on again this year and runs from 8-16 September. There is an entrance fee for people 12 years old and over, and pets are welcome! If you have the time, I would definitely recommend going to experience something a bit different in Perth. My only tip is to go there early because street parking gets taken up very quickly!

Marie xo