Friday Favourites

Hey friends I hope that you all had an amazing week. It’s unbelievable how quickly time flies, especially during the fun school holidays and now it’s time for Friday favourites! Thanks for stopping by today as I share some highlights from the past few days. 1 It’s been so warm and sunny with temps as high as 22°C and I’m loving it! It’s almost hard to believe that we are in the middle of winter. 2 I had an amazing couple of days staying with my friend at her home in Avoca Beach. We were spoiled with the most amazing blue skies and sunny weather. When we went for our walks along the beach it was still cool and so I wore layers and a jacket. But when we sat in the sun it was so lovely and warm. 3 Another big favourite was going with my friend to visit her dad who lives in a nursing home. It’s so hard not to get emotional when I visit as we share so many lovely memories and we are all more like family than friends. We went for a walk, had lunch and then played a few rounds of dominoes when we got back to the home. He is as sharp as a tack and would call out the scores in a flash. Whereas I had to use my fingers to count, numbers are not my thing! 4 I love this sunscreen spray my cousin gave me and I have been using it all week. It’s so easy to use because it sprays like a fine mist and leaves my skin feeling great. It has SPF 50+ which is perfect. 5 I had a fun night catching up with some friends over snacks and drinks. We went to a place called Miss Celie’s and listened to live music. 6 Luke and his lovely fiancee came over for dinner. Having my family together for a meal is always one of my favourite things! I cooked so much food that we had leftovers for the next two days. Ha! I definitely take after my mum, she would always do the same! 7 Sanding the door frames before painting is not really a favourite. But finally starting a project that I have been putting off for months is a favourite. I was listening to/watching MasterChef on the Ipad as I worked to make the job feel less tedious. Sushi our cat was keeping me company and when I turned away she decided to roll in the dust! 8 My cousin dropped by to give me some empanadas that she had made with her mum. My aunt makes THE best empanadas. She even makes the pastry from scratch…YUM!! 9 Our pillows were as flat as pancakes and we really needed new ones. I couldn’t resist taking advantage of Amazon’s Prime sale to order some plump cozy pillows. 10 I went to Aldi for the first time in months and I picked up these prawn, scallop and lobster bisque pots. We had them for dinner last night and they were so delicious! I loved them so much that I went back today to pick up some more. I also bought some Chinotto which I used to drink often and then forgot all about. Chinotto has an interesting taste which I really like, it’s sweet and bitter at the same time. 11 When I went to Bunnings to buy the sander to use for the door frames I also picked up some pretty Daisies. I’ve put them outside the front door because they need full sun and our front door gets lots of sunshine. The ones that I bought last year didn’t do very well in our shady courtyard. And that’s a wrap for some of my favourite highlights. As I said before I can hardly believe how fast this week has flown by and just like that my four weeks off from work have ended 😢. But I’m not going to think about that until 6.30 am on Monday morning when that dreaded alarm goes off! Instead, I’m going to savour every minute of the weekend! I hope you guys have a great weekend too! Happy Friday Linking up with Andrea and Erika    

Hey friends it’s great to be back today catching up on favourites. The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind! But I’m happy to report that I’m feeling better every day since my thyroidectomy. So I thought that today I would catch you up on all the favourite moments that I missed sharing last Friday. 1 Firstly, I cannot express how happy I am with my recovery and the huge relief that this surgery is over and done with. I saw the surgeon on Wednesday for my post-surgery appointment. And he was really pleased with how my neck is healing. And best of all he said that the biopsy on my nodules had come back clear. It was worth the two-hour wait in his surgery to see him and hear this news. I really appreciate how he takes time with each patient so I didn’t mind waiting at all. It also gave me a chance to read some of my favourite blogs that I wanted to catch up on. 2 Taking time off from work has also been a blessing in disguise, allowing me to focus on my well-being. Plus with the school holidays just around the corner, I have even more reason to celebrate being at home! 3 Waking up without the need to rush out of bed in the chilly Sydney mornings has been the best! Just this past week we had our coldest mornings in thirteen years where the temps tipped down really low to around 5°C. That’s Arctic conditions for us Sydneysiders! I remember reading somewhere a couple of weeks ago that we were supposed to be having a very mild winter this year. Oh well, I just have to keep reminding myself that compared to many parts of the world. Our winters really are in fact on the mild side. 4 One of my favourite moments during this period has been the opportunity to have lunch with my husband. Normally he would have just left for work by the time I got home. But this week we have been able to share a meal together every day. We had some burgers and fries from Maccas earlier in the week as a yummy treat. Steve used a few leftovers and cooked up some fried rice. Today we had some pumpkin soup with ham and cheese melts. So good on a cold Friday! 5 Just backtracking now, but the weekend before my surgery my Aunty celebrated her birthday. She even changed the weekend so that it meant I wouldn’t miss out because of the surgery. We had a fun time at her house celebrating with friends and family, lots of delicious food and of course, cake! 6 Speaking of friends and family, I am so grateful for the kindness they have shown me while I have been recovering. I have had calls and texts from so many of them checking in on me. And one of my friends from my bible study group cooked us a delicious meal which she dropped off for us. Another lovely friend surprised me with sweet goodies and a really special handmade treasure. This beautiful paper crane came in an origami box with the sweetest kindest note that brought tears to my eyes! My work colleagues also didn’t miss a beat in brightening my recovery. They sent me a stunning bouquet of flowers! While I was in the hospital my little cousin also gifted me a beautiful plant in a lovely pale pink pot that she chose herself. 7 Yesterday I felt well enough to go out and get a much-needed haircut. The hairdresser took a lot off from the back and it felt so good. Now I have more of a long bob without so many layers and I’m happy with this slight change. After my haircut, I went to TK Maxx and picked up this tube of treatment for split ends and frizzy hair. It was only $12 but it retails for over $50 online, talk about a good bargain! I guess that brings me to the end, it’s been fun catching up on some favourites. Thanks so much for dropping by to read my blog and I hope that you have a most wonderful weekend. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika      

Hi friends I hope that you have all had a great week! I am really excited that over here we have a long weekend as it’s the King’s birthday. I have a few quick favourites to share with you today and I am so glad that you are here. So let’s get started! 1 First up I had some leftover chicken from Saturday’s cousin Connect dinner. We polished off all the leftover lasagna in a flash. And I needed a quick side for Monday night’s dinner and I made Mediterranean couscous. Easy and healthy recipes that take no time to make are my favourite! I finished throwing the ingredients together into a dish when I got a text from my friend reminding me that it was our monthly dinner with friends at the club and that she was coming over to pick me up in an hour. I had completely forgotten!! Oh my gosh, my brain has been all over the place lately and I’m having trouble concentrating and even remembering what day it is! Anyway, Sam and Steve were at work and they weren’t going to be able to make it to the dinner. So it was leftover chicken and Mediterranean couscous for them. Easy peasy! I got ready in record time and I was so glad that I went because we had a lovely night eating and catching up. We had some delicious fried dim sims to start with. My friend ordered a vegetarian chow mein as a main. And I went back to my good old favourite- the steamed barramundi with boiled rice and broccoli. We also had cake to celebrate one of our friend’s birthday. Then we finished off with a cozy cup of hot chocolate. 2 Another huge favourite is that my lovely, kind and very funny friend has been doing casual work at the preschool. She worked with us over twenty years ago and now she’s back! She’s so sweet, and sometimes she brings me treats like this. She knows that food is the way to my heart. Hehe! 3 It really is a huge favourite when the classroom is full of happy kids who are busy playing. This week we transformed our home corner into an animal hospital and the kids had a blast. The rest of the classroom was practically untouched as they all congregated in that tiny space taking care of the sick animals. 4 I was feeling a little down the other day and I opened the little box my bestie gave me, it sits on my desk and is perfect for days when things feel overwhelming. It honestly made me feel so much better. Thank you, sweet friend! 5 The other night I was too tired to sit on the couch and watch a favourite show. So instead I got into bed with a hot cup of tea and Steve and I watched an episode of ‘Vera’ on my iPad-we don’t have a TV in our room. It was so cozy and yes I did fall asleep but managed to follow the plot somehow! 6 Here is my new favourite water bottle that I use at work. I bought it last year from William Sonoma and I didn’t really need a new one when I bought it. But I couldn’t resist it and I’m so glad that I did buy it because now my old one needs replacing. 7 Sam finished his two-week hospital placement today and now he is on holiday from uni. I know he’s a big boy but I was happy to be packing his lunches again just like when he was at school. This morning I wrote him a little note and put it in his lunchbox just for old times’ sake. And that brings me to the end of seven quick favourites for today. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and I’m excited to be back here again on Monday. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika    

Hi there friends! I hope that you have all had a great week. It’s so good to be back again for Friday Favourites and share some favourite highlights from the week. 1 I kicked off the week on a high note, all motivated and enthusiastic about prepping my lunches for work. Here’s my colourful healthy salad for Monday. Then I gradually lost my drive and by Friday I was just throwing leftovers into a container. As you can see here it’s all a bit of this and that. Not very pretty but I guess it’s a great way to get rid of leftovers! 2 Leeks! I just love leeks!! They are so delicious in everything, especially chicken and leek pies. I made the pie filling on Tuesday and then popped it in the freezer. So next time I need a quick meal I can just thaw out the chicken and leek filling. Then use some frozen shortcrust pastry to make a pie. I always feel like I’m winning when I have at least one backup meal! 3 These individual apple pies were one of my favourite highlights from the week. We don’t have dessert regularly so this was a real treat for a Tuesday night. I was really glad that I had some in the freezer to satisfy my sweet craving. 4 Steve and I went out to our favourite Italian restaurant on Wednesday night and I had the most delicious spaghetti seafood marinara. Honestly, if I could have picked up my bowl and licked it after I finished the last bite, I would have. It was that amazing! Steve ordered the spaghetti seafood marinara with white sauce and he enjoyed his meal too (but I think mine was better 😋) For dessert, we had a yummy Ferrero calzone to share. We also had complimentary limoncello which was a really nice surprise. 5 Then Thursday was our mid-term staff dinner. A small group of us went to a local pub for a nice meal and lots of laughs. Not all the staff could make it and there were only about seven of us in total. A few of us got there earlier just by chance and so we ordered a pre-dinner cocktail. And this was my dinner, crispy barramundi with chips and salad. I have to tell you about a funny moment I had when I arrived at the pub. It was my second time there, ages after my first visit. I went to open the glass doors to what I thought was the entrance and the darn doors wouldn’t budge. So there I was pushing, pulling and rattling them, making a huge commotion. I suddenly realised that the people seated in the pub had turned around to look, I was so embarrassed! Luckily one of my co-workers was already inside and had witnessed the whole scene. So she came out and rescued me by guiding me to the automatic doors conveniently located just around the corner. We both burst out laughing and she kindly reassured me, that at the very least I hadn’t walked right into the doors nose first. 6 On the list of favourite highlights for the week is this new top that I bought last week from Witchery. I wore it on Thursday night and I really like the subtle gold shimmer in the fabric and gold buttons (not sure you can see it in the photo). I am surprised that I love this top so much because I don’t usually go for anything gold. 7 And to top off the end of a pretty good week with lots of favourite highlights. The weather has been unusually warm for winter. After complaining about the cold on Wednesday, the last couple of days have been so warm and it looks like next week the temps are going to be pretty good. Yay! And that’s a wrap for this week’s Friday favourites! I hope that you guys have the best weekend. Hooray for Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Hey there friends welcome back to this week’s Friday favourites! I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika and it’s time to catch some of my favourite moments from the week. On Monday I didn’t blog about my weekend. Instead, I joined the Not Just A Mom link-up and I shared some of my Fashion Pet Peeves. It was a fun light-hearted look at some of the things that I find a bit peculiar when it comes to style and fashion. I have really enjoyed sharing my personal pet peeves as well as my fashion pet peeves. There was something very satisfying about getting them off my chest and I also had a great time reading all about other people’s pet peeves because they were very relatable! So here are a few weekend favourites that I didn’t get to share with you on Monday. 1 I made a super quick dash to the farmers market on Saturday morning because I wanted to get some roasted nuts. They have a stall with every nut imaginable and they are always so fresh and crunchy. I got some walnuts, cashews and almonds. We all love to eat nuts as a snack and sometimes I will throw some in a salad or stir fry for that added crunch element. 2 It was nice to see the flower stall with some pretty bunches. 3 I got some Gozleme to take home for Steve’s lunch which he totally loved and devoured before he went to work. 4 It was around midday when I got home so I quickly got ready to go to my favourite monthly get-together with my family. It was time for Cousin Connect again! Seeing almost everyone was a real treat. Some of my family couldn’t make it this time but there’s always next month to look forward to. We started with delicious snacks and refreshing Hawaiian punch my youngest cousin made for us. Followed by smoked brisket, corn, macaroni and cheese balls and corn on the cob. Yum! 5 We all sat around chatting for ages and one of my cousins brought her instant camera to show us. Ha! I remember the original ones from the 70s where the photos were often fuzzy and the colours were off. But this new version produced some really nice clear and sharp pics. In addition to taking instant photos, you can send photos from your phone and the camera prints them! My sweet cousin printed a photo for me of Sam on his first day of school. 6 Then in the evening, it was time for me to go and see a band with some friends. We had dinner first and then enjoyed the music. The band played a whole lot of hits from The Eagles and the lead singer had an amazing voice. I always love live performances, there’s something so special about the energy and atmosphere. While the band was on I snuck a peek at the coronation ceremony on my phone. Because I didn’t want to miss the live broadcast completely. 7 A delicious Sunday favourite was a nice cup of coffee and a ham and cheese croissant. I love the combination of melted cheesy goodness and the flaky pastry. Such a treat! 8 In the afternoon we caught up with Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2. We want to go and see Vol 3 next Wednesday so we thought we better watch Vol 2 first. 9 This made me laugh! I was in the middle of writing all about my fashion pet peeves on Sunday evening and at the top of my list were socks and sandals. When I spotted Sam wearing his socks and Adidas slides! 10 The beginning of the week was so cold! And there is nothing more satisfying on a cold day than sausages, mashed potato, onion and lots of gravy. We don’t eat sausages very often but I sure do love them! 11 Another one of my favourite moments from the week was drinking this calming Chai tea. My lovely friend gave me a sachet to try and it was so good. I drank it from my favourite happy mug. And I was happy and calm at work for the rest of the day! 😉 I’ve got a couple of preschool favourites this week. 12 It was such a busy time at the craft table! We made crowns to celebrate The Coronation. And we are also very busy making Mother’s Day cards. As well as threading tiny beads to make key rings for the mums. By the end of the week, I was just about going cross-eyed helping the kids with their threading and I will happily not look at a bead again for a long time! We made Mother’s Day posters and asked the children what they loved about their mums. Isn’t this response just the sweetest? When it was time to pack away I saw this work of art at the playdough table. So funny! 13 And this was another one of my very favourite moments from the week. My husband texted me this lovely pic of a rainbow he saw when he was on his way to work the other day because he knows how special they are to me.   And that wraps up some of my favourite moments from the week! Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday!

Hi friends! Welcome back to this week’s fun Friday Favourites link-up with Andrea and Erika. It feels like this entire week has been on fast forward-everything happened so quickly! Looking back, it’s been an absolute blur and I have to admit that I didn’t take many photos to capture the moments. But that’s ok, some weeks are like that I guess. So I’m just rolling with it and today I am sharing a few random favourites. I was typing away on my computer and Sam was in the lounge room. I could hear swishing and splashing water sounds. So I turned around to see where it was coming from. And I spotted Sam on the lounge with our cat Sushi. He was showing her a video of some fish swimming around on his phone. Hahaha!! she looked quite engrossed and cozy sitting next to him. He also showed her some mice (bleh) scooting around, but she liked the fish the most. Nice bonding time for them! We had dinner with a group of friends at our local RSL club. This time I chose something other than my usual barramundi with steamed rice. And I went for chicken and cashews with fried rice. It tasted quite nice even though the whole dish looked a bit pale. Tuesday afternoon I went for a long walk to pick up my doctor’s referral for that dreaded appointment to see a specialist that is coming up in a couple of weeks. I saw this beautiful sunset while I was waiting to cross the busy road near my house. And it made me happy, it also helped me refocus on the moment and enjoy the beautiful sky. Wednesday night was a fun night at home. The three of us were home for dinner and we all got to eat together. We don’t get to eat dinner together very often because of Steve’s work hours and Sam’s work and study schedule. So I was really happy that we enjoyed one of our favourite dishes for dinner, teriyaki salmon. Followed by sticky date pudding with ice cream. Our preschool is having a Mother’s Day raffle and a couple of the lovely mums were busy wrapping up the prizes on Thursday. Haven’t they done an amazing job? We had so many generous donations from our preschool families! One of our preschoolers is very excited about the upcoming coronation and has requested a whole variety of possible craft activities. So it looks like we will be making bunting and crowns during our morning craft activities next week. She made me laugh when she said “Hey Ruth, did you know that the King is being Kinged soon.” Indeed he is! Thank you so much for joining me for another Friday Favourites filled with random favourites. Wishing you a wonderful weekend filled with fun, relaxation and all the good vibes! Happy Friday!

Hi friends! Welcome back to this week’s Friday favourites. I’m excited to be linking up with Andrea and Erika to share a few favourites from my week. This week has been all about adjusting back to the working week after the term break. And it was a bit of an unusual week because we had a public holiday on Tuesday. But as I’ve mentioned before even though we had one less working day. The week didn’t really feel any shorter! Anzac Day On Tuesday we celebrated Anzac Day, a special day in Australia and New Zealand where we show our appreciation towards the courageous men and women who have served our countries. And we come together to remember their bravery and sacrifice. We usually attend a dawn service but we didn’t this year because Steve has been working crazy long hours. And there was no way that he would have been able to get up so early. To be honest I couldn’t either! I have had some really crumby sleep lately and I think it might be a mixture of feeling a bit anxious about going back to work and also still feeling a bit sniffly from being sick last week. Anyway, our friends who we usually go to the dawn service with sent us a pic of the parade that they went to. Anzac Biscuits In honour of Anzac Day, I bought a packet of Anzac biscuits. Anzac biscuits are more than just a sweet treat, they are actually a symbol of the strength and resilience of our servicemen and women. They were originally sent to soldiers as a comforting reminder of home during World War I. Anzac biscuits are well known for their long shelf life because they are made with ingredients that don’t spoil easily. And they are really yummy, especially with a cup of tea! Warm Autumn Days This week has been really warm and gloriously sunny. And you would almost think it was spring over here. But according to my weather app, it looks like we are headed for a rainy weekend 🙁 Groceries Here is my mini grocery haul. I don’t usually go to the supermarket anymore and just order online. But I have really enjoyed walking up to our new Woolworths Metro. It is about a 15-minute walk and because the days have been so sunny I have loved walking up to have a sticky beak. And I was excited to find some things that were discounted! Tea I usually buy Tetley teabags but I thought I would try this Twinings English Breakfast. And I really enjoyed it too because the tea is extra strong and extra delicious! Date Night Wednesday night date night was fun and we went back to our usual haunt to enjoy the seafood platter. Then we finished with a bowl of gelato-vanilla, apple pie and pistachio. It was a great combo! Tasty Plant Sushi is really loving our new plant for the living room. She was munching on the leaves and I panicked, quickly googling to make sure that it wasn’t toxic. I hadn’t thought of that when I bought it at Ikea last weekend. But luckily the plant is non-toxic and completely fine for pets. Preschool Happenings My lovely colleague is back from maternity leave and I’m excited to be back in the classroom with her. She is so funny, and kind and her enthusiasm is contagious! During the week we have been talking to the kids about Anzac Day. And today we finished off by making Anzac biscuits and the kids had a blast! They were so good at waiting patiently for their turn to pour and mix the ingredients. I burst out laughing when they watched me carefully pour the melted butter into the mixture and they all let out a loud gasp of excitement. It was a chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ and they made me feel like a total baking rockstar! I packaged the biscuits into brown paper bags and popped the recipe inside for their families. They were so excited to take their biscuits home. And that wraps up a few favourites for this week! To be honest, going back to work was a bit tough, but it turned out to be a good one nonetheless. And I’m feeling a whole lot better now that I’ve got week one under my belt. Thank you so much for being here today, I hope that you have all had a fantastic week and are just as excited as I am that it’s the weekend! Happy Friday! In case you missed my previous posts this week Hello Monday- A Recap Of My Weekend What’s Up Wednesday- Monthly Update Monthly Musings- all About Spring!  

Hey everyone it’s so good to be back again for this month’s fun Monthly Musings link-up with Holly and Patty. This month’s topic is All About Spring. And even though spring is a few months away for us because it’s Autumn over here in Australia. I’m excited to talk all about spring and everything that makes this season so delightful! In addition to the general excitement of the season. Today we are going to chat about favourite spring fashion pieces, delicious meals, spring traditions and a whole lot more. So let’s dive right in! All About Spring Favourite Spring Fashion Pieces I love wearing black and neutral colours. But once the weather warms up I find that I am just itching to wear something light and fresh. I don’t really tend to go for floral patterns. And when it comes to favourite spring pieces I usually like to wear anything that is neutral-coloured and add a touch of soft pink or blush. I also really love my light-coloured jeans. And after months of wearing dark denim and black pants. I am so ready to ditch these items. It’s so refreshing to embrace the lighter and brighter side of fashion in spring. Favourite Spring Scent When it comes to favourite spring scents there is nothing quite like the fresh invigorating aromas that fill the air during this time of the year. Spring is all about the smell of blooming flowers, the scent of freshly cut grass and the zesty fragrance of citrus fruits. All of these scents just scream ‘Spring is here!’ And when it comes to fragrances my favourite one for spring is Ô De Lancôme because it has a perfect blend of all the scents that make springtime so special. Go To Spring Meals Once the weather starts to warm up I get excited to whip up some fresh, colourful salads. I also like to make this very easy quiche which you can enjoy both hot and cold. And this spinach pie is also a favourite because it goes so well with a crispy fresh garden salad. Share A Spring Dessert Recipe I love these simple-to-make peanut butter M&M cookies because they are full of colourful M&Ms. And spring is all about colour! Plus these are great to take to picnics or any fun get-together! Share A Few Spring Traditions I always go to Bunnings on the first weekend of September to buy some colourful flowering plants for our front garden. I don’t have a green thumb at all but I’m getting better at looking after plants. Go me! Best Spring Cleaning Hack I think that my best spring cleaning hack is to declutter my wardrobe. It’s the perfect time to get rid of winter clothes that have seen better days. Or donate the ones that I haven’t worn at all during the colder months. It’s fun and exciting to pack away all the heavy winter clothing and pull out a fresh spring wardrobe. Will You Plant A Garden This Year? I’ve given up trying to grow vegetables. I used to grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini when my kids were little. We had some success and enjoyed gardening together despite my limited gardening skills. Now I just plant flowering plants because they look pretty and don’t need much looking after. Spring Rain…Love Or Hate? I’m not a fan of rain EVER unless I’m tucked into bed and night and I can hear it pouring down softly. Rain just makes my hair go frizzy! Favourite Spring Flower Jonquils because they have a lovely sweet fragrance. Any Spring Travel Plans This Year? No, not really, we don’t have any big travel plans but we do want to go on our staycation to Manly (a beachside suburb) that we missed out on last month. And it’s not much fun going to the beach in autumn or winter so we have decided to postpone it until later in the year.   Even though autumn is in full swing for me right now. It’s still always exciting to look forward to spring. So I’m going to try hard to embrace the autumn vibes while I keep dreaming of the warm, sunny days and bright colourful flowers that await us in the spring!