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Friday Favourites

Hi friends, and welcome to another Friday catch-up! It’s Friday evening over here, which is always such a fantastic feeling. I can’t help myself and seem to look forward to Friday evening all week long. Then I tell myself I really shouldn’t wish my life away by counting down to Friday, my next term break, summer, or even Christmas. But then I think, is there really anything wrong with looking forward to things? They don’t have to be big things either. Maybe it doesn’t mean I’m wishing my days away. Sometimes it’s just nice to know there’s something coming up that I’m excited about. Anyway, that’s enough from my inner wannabe philosopher. Let’s have a look at what’s been happening around here this week. Back To Routine Back to work means back to the old routine of squeezing in the chores around work. I actually don’t mind this because I have a hard time sitting still, and I’m pretty sure that even if I had all the time in the world, I’d probably still find projects to do. It’s funny because sometimes friends will say, “Oh gosh, I don’t know how you work full-time and stay on top of the housework.” I guess I’m just used to it. If I stopped and thought about it for too long, maybe I’d go on strike, haha. But no, on top of having plenty of energy (maybe too much energy… or maybe it’s the thyroid medication), my family are pretty good at pitching in without being asked. They aren’t messy and don’t have a lot of stuff. I think my husband could have easily been a monk! Our house is also small, and we try to keep things minimal. I’ll tell you what part of my routine has slowly slipped away this year. My laundry routine! I used to set the timer on my washing machine before I went to bed so it would start the wash cycle at around 5 am the next morning. Then it would be ready to hang on the line when I got up. But the drum in my old washing machine started to go kaput, and when it got to the spin cycle, it made such a terrible noise. It sounded like a bad jumbo jet engine! It definitely would have woken us up, and the neighbours too, especially the ones I told you about on Monday with the huge house right outside my courtyard. So I started only washing in the early afternoons and during the day on weekends. It just meant I was out of whack, and I no longer had the wash, hang, fold routine that had worked so well for so long. Instead, I was doing most of it on the weekends. And you know how much I love doing housework on the weekends… zero per cent! Anyway, I did get a new machine not long after the other one died. But somehow I still never got back on track until this week. And now I’m back with my laundry routine that works so well, and it looks like this weekend it will actually be under control. Hoo….ray! And if I hadn’t shared enough about laundry already, this week I bought some new laundry pods because they were half price. I nearly didn’t get them because I was still buying the ones with the beautiful lingering scent that I took with me on our trip to Japan in April. Every time I washed our clothes, I was transported back to the Airbnbs we stayed in. I have a real thing about memories and scent. There’s something about a particular smell that can instantly take me back to a place or a moment in time. Does that happen to you? Anyway, it’s been three months since our trip, and nostalgic me was finally ready to let go and try a new scent. And you know what? I love this one. Change is good. A New Kitchen Favourite This week, my younger son, who has a part-time job at a kitchenware shop, surprised me with a cast iron enamel pot. He said he remembered me saying how much I wanted one. What a good egg. So, I made a pot roast. We have been eating this roast on repeat because it’s just the perfect winter meal. Previously, it was a bit fiddly having to sear the meat, then transfer everything into a baking dish and continue cooking it in the oven. But now, with my new cast iron enamel pot, I can do everything in one pot and pop it straight into the oven. Voila! No extra dishes and no transferring everything around. It made the whole process so much easier. It even cooked faster, too. A Water Polo Afternoon and Evening Wednesday, I took the afternoon off work as I had some time owing. I went with my husband to watch the Women’s Water Polo World Cup quarter-finals at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. My husband looooves water polo and actually used to play back in the day. His whole family are very much into the sport, and his nephew was even part of the Australian Olympic team at the Paris Olympics. He picked me up at midday while we were outside in the playground. The kids who spotted me leaving wanted to know where I was going and why I was going. They were all like, “Oh my goodness, a teacher has walked out of the gates!” It made me laugh because, in their little world, seeing an educator leave in the middle of the day is a huge deal. They think we live at preschool! Really, they do! First, we had lunch at Allawah pub Then we jumped on the train to Sydney Olympic Park. Around an hour later, we arrived at the aquatic centre. At the entrance to the pool was a timeline of some of the great moments from the Sydney Olympics 26 years ago. It was such

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Hello Monday

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It’s Monday evening over here, and already the weekend feels like a blur! Thank goodness for this weekend catch-up with Holly and Sarah, where I can stretch the old brain cells and record a few highlights before they disappear from memory. Thanks so much for stopping by. Here’s a little look at what we got up to over the weekend. Watching I’ve been enjoying a new-to-me show called Moving On. It’s a British drama series, and what I find really different and interesting is that every episode has its own storyline with a clear beginning and ending. Each episode also has a completely new cast, so it feels like you’ve watched a whole season of a drama in just one episode. The first season featured stories about love, family, bullying, money worries, caring for elderly parents, and a whole lot of relatable situations. The series first aired in 2009, and it’s funny seeing how much technology and fashion have changed since then. It really doesn’t feel like that long ago, but I guess it was! Yikes! So that was my Saturday — watching episode after episode of Moving On while folding laundry and doing a few things around the house. Dinner for one that night, as my husband was at work and my son was also working before heading to the gym. Purple sweet potato topped with my homemade chilli con carne, cheese and sour cream, with capsicum on the side. Capsicums are in season, so I’ve been buying plenty and cooking them in the air fryer. A simple, tasty and filling dinner. Around the House Sunday we made a quick trip to Bunnings to buy another small outdoor table and chairs just like the one we got for the verandah. But this one was for the courtyard. Of course, we had to have the mandatory sausage sizzle with plenty of mustard and tomato sauce. It had been ages since I’d enjoyed one of these, and truth be told, I could have easily had another two! When we got home, we watched an episode of Saint-Pierre on ABC iview. It’s a Canadian crime drama set on the French islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. I do love a good crime drama. Is anyone else watching? When Steve went to work, I put the table together. Thankfully, the chairs came assembled. I also bought a flowering plant (not sure of its name) and put it in a pink pot I already had. Then I sat down and had a coffee while I made lists and wrote down all the reasons why I was thankful about going back to work on Monday. My page was mostly blank. Haha! Okay, no, it wasn’t… but yes, it kind of was. I really am thankful to have my job though. But first days are haaaaard! It was nice sitting there, except I have to try and ignore the huge house right next door. When we first bought our house, the original house next door sat further back, and there was a lovely frangipani tree that came over the fence. Then the lady who lived there passed away, and developers came along and built this towering two-storey place. I have to remind myself that the neighbours probably aren’t watching me from their windows way up high (because really, who would do that, right?). It’s just me being silly. So I’m determined to get over this nonsense and sit out there more often. The Cats Sushi came out for a pat She acts like a dog sometimes, jumping up for pats and even wagging her tail. Funny girl! Mochi was out for a little while too, but I sent her back inside because she was plotting how to climb the wall and kept stressing me out. Back to Work Monday morning came too fast, and I switched my phone onto the World Cup at 6 am when I woke up. The game had started at 5 am, but I didn’t want to get up that early. It was nil-all when I started watching. I kept it going while I got ready, and Spain scored! I continued watching as I walked to work and nearly tripped and did a face plant — oops! By the time I got to the lights on the main road, time was up, and Spain had won. Woohoo! At work, we had two training sessions with a morning tea and lunch break. The food provided was a highlight of the day, but it was also really nice to see my work colleagues again. They’re a nice bunch. We had fruit and pear tart for morning tea, followed by chicken, chips and salad for lunch. Yum! And that was my weekend plus Monday. How was yours? I hope it was a good one!

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, and happy Friday! Welcome to another Friday Favourites post, where I share a few of the things I enjoyed this week. This week’s favourites are all about my second (and last) week of the school holidays. Let’s go! Coffee Catch Up On Tuesday, I caught up for coffee with my lovely friend whom I hadn’t seen in ages. We worked together for many, many years, and when she left, I was sad. We promised we’d keep in touch, but time just goes so fast and before we know it, bam, another year has passed and we haven’t caught up. The funny thing is, I think of her often. I even send her little mental messages, but do I pick up the phone? Nope. We talked about this when we caught up and realised we are actually very similar in that neither of us is great at initiating a catch-up. But when we do finally get together, the best part is that we just pick up exactly where we left off. That’s the beauty of friendships like this. You can go months without seeing each other, but when you finally catch up, it’s like no time has passed at all. Disney On Ice Wednesday I took Steve to see Disney On Ice. We may have been the only couple in the arena without kids, haha, but we had a fun time. I loved every minute of it (because of course I did!), and Steve enjoyed it too. He was happy to come along, although maybe not quite as excited as I was when I surprised him with the tickets a couple of months ago. He was a great sport though, and he understands that his wife is a Disney nut. I love Minnie, she’s just so full of spunk! When the show started, they played A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes, and that just made me tear up instantly. Happens every single time! Hi Moana! So many talented skaters performing spins and tricks, with some even being hoisted high above the ice on swings. Yeah, I had a great time, and it was good to see another Disney On Ice performance. I think the last Disney On Ice show I went to was with my younger son when he was 4. He’s 21 now. Whoa, where did the years go? After the show we headed to The Rocks and had dinner at a place called The Fox Hole. They serve a British-inspired menu, so we had a scotch egg, slow-roasted pork and rocket salad. It was delicious, although I really wanted the pie and mash. But we’d already had pies for breakfast while watching the soccer, so I decided maybe I didn’t need another pie that day. A Soccer Update Speaking of soccer, all the teams I was cheering for this week have been eliminated. It seems like every team I picked ended up losing. So for the final, I’m cheering for Argentina. Maybe this is exactly what Spain needs to win. Go Spain! My Favourite Hot Chocolate We got through a tin of this delicious, sweet hot chocolate, so it was time for another one. There was a stage when I could only get this at Costco when they had it for a limited time, and now Amazon sells it. Those years when I couldn’t get it were tough. Jarrah hot chocolate just doesn’t compare. Verandah Snacks I’m going to miss snacks on the verandah with Steve when I go back to work. It’s been great enjoying a sweet treat or some savoury snacks and a glass of wine (in a normal glass so the neighbours don’t think we’re alcoholics). These two nosey Parkers climb up onto the window to watch us every time! Repairing My Shoes I’d had these two pairs of shoes sitting there waiting for me to take them to Mr Minit. The heel caps had fallen off. One pair had lost both, and the other had lost one. They were still perfectly good shoes, but I kept putting it off and was almost tempted to throw them out. Naughty and not very sustainable! I even did the girl math and thought, “I bet they’ll be too expensive to fix. Maybe I should just put that money towards a new pair of shoes.” Which, when I thought about it, was ridiculous. Why would I get rid of two pairs of shoes I already liked just to buy one new pair? It did cost $60 to get them fixed, which at first felt like a lot. But then I thought about it differently. I’d saved two pairs of shoes from being thrown away and avoided buying something new when I didn’t need it. With fast fashion and the impact it has on the environment being such a hot topic at home lately, I’m really glad I made the choice to repair them. And now I can wear them again. And that’s a wrap on a few things I enjoyed this week. Wishing you a warm and cosy weekend if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere. For my Northern Hemisphere friends, I’m more than a little jealous of your warmer days right now! Enjoy every minute of your summer.

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My Favourite Room in the House: 7 Reasons I Love Our Kitchen

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Hey there friends, welcome to the July edition of Share Our Lives. When I saw that this month’s prompt was about my favourite room in the house, I knew exactly which room I was going to choose. Our kitchen! Yep! I love our kitchen, and here are 7 reasons why. 1. We Dreamt of a New Kitchen for the Longest Time When we bought our home, the kitchen had already been given a cosmetic facelift, but underneath it was still the original kitchen from when the house was built. As the years passed, it started showing its age. The shelves began to sag, cupboard doors started falling off, and then the oven decided to pack it in and give us only one setting: burning hot! After years of dreaming about a new kitchen and many trips to IKEA and other kitchen showrooms for inspiration, we finally created our dream kitchen. 2. It’s Small, but It Works Our kitchen is a galley kitchen, so it’s not huge. Ha, it’s not even big! But we made sure we used every bit of space. We built the cupboards right up high, giving us so much extra storage. 3. The Pantry I had never had a pantry before, so this was a big deal for me. It was so good to say goodbye to cupboards full of random jars and packets everywhere. Everything has a place now, yay! 4. The Power Points This one might sound a bit odd, but I think adding four double power points in a small kitchen was a genius idea. During the planning stage, when my husband first suggested it, I thought it was a bit excessive. But it turns out he was right because it means I can plug things in when I need them without constantly unplugging appliances. They’re also the perfect spot to charge our phones and other gadgets. Is there anything these days that doesn’t need charging? 5. The Morning Sunshine I love that when I lift the blinds in the morning, the sun shines into our kitchen through the big windows. I can also see the top of our cumquat tree and the big tree on the nature strip. 6. It’s all White I love that our kitchen is all white. It feels clean, simple and uncluttered, which is exactly how I like my home. I know trends are moving away from all-white kitchens and some people think they’re boring. But I love that I can add details like wood, textured canisters and a couple of plants to warm it up. I definitely never want the dentist’s surgery vibe! 7. The Little Nook One of my favourite things about our kitchen is the little nook at the entrance. It’s somewhere to sit, have a quick meal or just perch while chatting. The open shelves above are perfect for a few plants and things. Credit to my husband for suggesting the power points, but this nook was my idea. Go me! So there you have it — 7 reasons why I love our kitchen. I’ve shared all the details of our kitchen renovation, including the before and after, in a separate post if you’d like to have a look. Thanks for stopping by and having a look at my favourite room in the house!

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, it’s great to be back linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some weekly favourites from the first week of my winter school holidays. Thanks so much for stopping by! Well, well, well… the first week has certainly gone fast. I’m for sure not a fan of how quickly school holidays seem to disappear, but I’m very grateful that I get to enjoy these breaks. They are something I look forward to so much, and I’ve been making the most of this first week of fun outings, as well as lazy days. Lunch Out First up this week was a lovely lunch out with my fun friend. Ooooh, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy a daytime catch-up during the school holidays, so this was the perfect way to start the term break. We both had the crab ravioli in a little Italian restaurant in the city. It was so cozy inside, perfect on a cold, rainy day. A Sweet Treat After lunch, we browsed inside some of the shops and then had a sweet treat to end the day. My friend shared this delicious pistachio layered cake from Stitch Coffee in the QVB with me. Soccer I think I spent most of Tuesday in front of the TV watching the World Cup soccer. The game was on at 10 am Sydney time. It was so good not having to get up in the early hours like we did to watch the Socceroos play. Steve and I did a lot of excited yelling every time Belgium scored. Woohoo! I couldn’t have been happier to see them secure their place in the quarter-finals. Go Belgium!! Then we watched the replay of the Norway vs Brazil game. Oh my goodness, what a great game! I’m excited for their next match against England in the quarter-finals. A New App Last weekend I discovered the Stylebook app. Since then I’ve been adding my wardrobe and playing around with different outfit ideas. It’s been so good seeing all the possibilities with the clothes I already have. I’ll share more about this in another post because I’ve been having so much fun with it. Swedish Fika I enjoy watching a lot of lifestyle videos about Swedish living on YouTube. Did you know they have a daily tradition called fika, where they enjoy coffee and something sweet? According to my Ancestry DNA results, I’m 1% Swedish (my husband cracks up every time I remind him of this). Anyway, I’m embracing my teeny tiny Swedish connection and enjoying this lovely tradition during the winter school holidays! Hehe. Dinner Out Thursday night, Steve and I went to Marrickville Tennis Club, where our Prime Minister plays tennis. Steve told me this, and I thought he was pulling my leg, so I had to fact-check it. Turns out he was right! How funny is that? Anyway, we didn’t go to play tennis, nope, we went to try the Portuguese food they serve there. I had to take a photo of the stage because the decor was so old school. It reminded me of the movie Strictly Ballroom. I’d never had Portuguese food before, but the flavours were delicious and very similar to how my mum used to cook. I felt like I was back in the 70s and 80s on Thursday night. I’m excited to go back again soon. Winter Sunshine Having a mid-morning coffee and seeing the sun come in through the windows and brighten up the winter days has been the best feeling. It’s the simple things! Yep, it sure was a lovely first week of the school holidays. It looks like I’ll be spending a lot of this weekend watching the World Cup soccer. We’ve stocked up on snacks and meat pies. Meat pies for breakfast because of the early match times… that should be interesting! Happy Friday 😊

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, it’s great to be back to share some favourites from the week. How The Week Started My week started off a bit meh with a wet, rainy start that didn’t help my mood. My brain already felt all jumbled up with dreading an upcoming appointment, and I was also trying to figure out some work and weekend plans at the same time. Then, during the last part of the week, things turned around, and everything that had been cluttering my brain started to settle. I could feel my usual feel-good feelings coming back. Yay! I guess most of my favourite moments from the week happened after Wednesday, so let’s just forget Monday and Tuesday and jump into Wednesday. Wednesday Win I was majorly excited to receive my discounted winter offer box of natural cleaning products from Marlow and Peach. Can anyone else relate to this? This brand kept popping up in my newsfeed with promises of making my home smell clean and fresh, just like a hotel. And if there’s one thing that will get my attention, it’s the promise of that fresh hotel smell. The winter starter kit came with a few seasonal scent concentrates, along with a free glass spray bottle and microfibre cloth. All you do is fill the bottle with the natural cleaning mix and water. Then you can use it on pretty much every surface in the house. Bingo! While I’m not sure the scent lasts quite as long as I’d like, the microfibre cloth is really good and leaves everything looking shiny. I also love the pretty glass spray bottle. Thursday was a Good One On Thursday, the sun was shining and the skies turned a brilliant blue. It was such a welcome sight after only seeing grey skies for days. In the morning, I ducked out of work for my doctor’s appointment, and hooray, I got the all-clear on my results. I also don’t have to see Dr Tina for five years, yeehaa, amazing! With the sun finally out and the appointment out of the way, I think Thursday might have just been my favourite day of the week. Last Day of Term Two And today was the last day of Term Two! Oh my goodness, for the first time in a while it was an 11-week term and boy did it feel loooong. I shouldn’t even be complaining as I started in week 2 after we got back from Japan. But even so, it still felt extra long for everyone — the staff, the children, and the parents. Well… maybe not the parents. I think they probably see the upcoming two-week holidays as the really long part! End of Term Clean-Up Today we spent every available minute cleaning like we were possessed by the cleaning fairy, scrubbing, wiping, and sorting as fast as we could. It felt really good to see the classrooms looking so fresh again, and there’s something about everyone getting stuck into it together as a team. It’s almost like team building, haha. Hello School Holidays So now I’m on term break, except I have to go in to work for three hours on Monday to do a first aid course. But that’s okay, as we don’t usually have to go in once the term break starts. I’m feeling very excited for the next two weeks of school holidays. After the clunky start to the week, it feels so good to end on a high. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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What’s Up Wednesday

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Hi friends, and welcome to the June edition of What’s Up Wednesday. Time to share a little about what’s been going on in June. Thanks so much for stopping by! What We’re Eating Monday – Roast beef and veggies. It’s the perfect winter meal! Tuesday – Leftover roast beef Wednesday – Steak, chips and salad Thursday – Dinner at Allawah pub, so I’ll most likely order a chicken schnitzel with two lots of gravy. Because it’s winter, we’ve decided that if we want to eat out, we’re going to keep it local. Allawah pub and Lilong Chinese restaurant are our local winter hangs. In the summer we’ll venture out to Newtown and the city. Friday – Spaghetti and meatballs. I went to Ikea last Sunday and left with home organisation things and frozen meatballs. The weekend is full of surprises because I have no meal plan. What I’m Reminiscing About Warm weather! What I’m Loving I was thinking about this prompt and came up with a whole list of things I’m not loving because it’s winter. So that’s not great. Hmmmmm……I really had to dig deep, and I came up with winter fashion. Yes, I think I do love winter fashion because you get to wear more clothes. Haha, that sounds weird. What I mean is that you get to wear a variety of layers, mix and match outfits, and accessorise. In summer, especially in Sydney, it’s often too hot to wear much beyond the basics. Winter gives you a lot more options, and I do enjoy putting outfits together. What We’ve Been Up To At the risk of sounding boring, nothing particularly exciting is happening right now. It’s the usual work and home routine, as well as cosy nights.But I’ve realised that sometimes the ordinary weeks, when everything is just moving along as it should be, are actually the good ones. I’ve come to appreciate the “boring” seasons because they usually mean everyone I love is okay and life is steady. What I’m Dreading Whenever I dread anything, it’s usually medical-related. If you’ve been reading along, you’ll know I have major anxiety about anything to do with going to see a doctor. But yay to me, I still show up for the usual tests even though the stress of them probably takes years off my life (dramatic much). I got some blood test results back today. A few things were a bit low or high, nothing serious, but it does mean another follow-up test in four months. I really need to stop leaving every appointment feeling like I’ve been given a dramatic life sentence when, in reality, it’s all manageable. What I’m Watching Oh my goodness, I binge-watched Gavin and Stacey in June, and I absolutely loved it! It’s a British comedy written by James Corden and Ruth Jones about two families from very different parts of the UK whose lives get connected when Gavin from Essex and Stacey from Wales fall in love. I love every single character, and I’ve told everyone I know that their lives are not complete until they watch this series. So far, only one coworker has taken my advice, and now her life is so much better for it. Every morning she greets me with, “What’s occurring, Miss Ruth?” Haha. IYKYK. What I’m Listening To This month it’s all about 90s music… Whoomp! There It Is! What I’m Wearing I bought this jacket from Zara, and I’ve been wearing it a lot this season. I’ve also been wearing my very bright Onitsuka Tiger sneakers I bought in Japan. What I’m Doing This Weekend It’s a no-plans weekend. What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month The July school holidays! Woop woop! I’ve got some fun outings planned with friends, and I also have tickets to see Disney on Ice. Gotta get a Disney fix! That’s a wrap for June! We’re halfway through the year already, and I’m still convinced we had Christmas about five minutes ago. Time is wild. Hope your June was a good one — here’s to an amazing July!

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Kyoto Day Trip from Osaka

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Kyoto Day Trip from Osaka Our trip to Japan felt a bit like a tasting menu. We got a taste of so many incredible places, but there’s always one you wish you’d gone back to for seconds. Kyoto was that place for me, and next time we visit Japan, I’ll definitely be ordering the large portion of Kyoto! We organised a full-day trip to Kyoto while we were staying in Osaka, as it’s only about a 30-minute bullet train ride away. Even though we only had a day there, in true cousin connect travel style, we managed to pack quite a bit in. Breakfast at 7-Eleven Our first stop was 7-Eleven for something to eat. Oh my goodness, 7-Elevens in Japan are something else. The range of fresh food is amazing, and the prices are crazy cheap. teamLab Biovortex Kyoto After that, we spent over three hours at teamLab Biovortex, and as I said in the recap, I think it may have been the highlight of the trip. Heading to Arashiyama Then we stopped for burgers at Wagyu to Worldwide before heading out to Arashiyama to see the famous bamboo forest. We took the train from central Kyoto out to Saga-Arashiyama, and from there walked through the streets towards the bamboo grove. The whole area had such a peaceful, calm feel, and everything sounded almost muted. Maybe it was because we were surrounded by so much greenery and mountains. It gave the effect of being in a soundproof room. It’s kind of hard to explain, but that’s the closest I can describe it. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove When we got to the bamboo forest, Sam, who visited Kyoto in 2024, told me it was really short, and we’d be through it in no time. Either he remembered it differently, or my sense of distance was completely off, because it felt so much longer than I was expecting. I kept asking him how he thought it was short, but he couldn’t really remember. It’s a mystery. Anyway, the bamboo forest was incredible, with towering bamboo all along the path. I remember saying out loud, “I can’t believe I’m here.” I think I say that a lot when I’m overseas. It usually goes: “I can’t believe I survived the flight and landed,” and then, “I can’t believe I’m here,” whenever I see an amazing sight. Hehe. At the end of the bamboo forest, we came across a small temple tucked away just off the path. As we walked further through Arashiyama, we reached a small lookout where we could see the mountains rising around the area. So beautiful and peaceful. Almost Made It (But Didn’t) After the bamboo forest, we really wanted to visit the Tenryu-ji Temple gardens, which are right there next to the bamboo grove. But it was already too late, and even though we sprinted to try and make it before the gates closed at 5, we missed it. The famous red gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha are also in Kyoto, but we needed another day to explore those as well. So that’s two big reasons to go back to Kyoto one day. I think we did a great Kyoto day trip. It really was so beautiful and one of those days that felt like a lot, but still not quite enough at the same time. I hope to visit you again, Kyoto… you really stole my heart on this trip.

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My Most Used Emojis

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Hey there, friends! It’s time for the June edition of Share Our Lives. This month’s topic is the emojis we use most often. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I could say about emojis. But when I looked at the ones I use the most, I guess they might just say quite a bit about my personality. So, here are the emojis I use most often and why they made the list. Emojis I Use Most Often The Happy Face 😊 This is the emoji I use the most because it’s a friendly, polite, all-purpose response. It also conveys warmth, keeps things light, or just acknowledges something. It’s the one I use when I want to say “yep, all good”. The Laughing Face 😂 I use this emoji a lot because my friends and family are always sending me hilarious reels or funny little recaps of their day. The Heart ❤️ I usually heart messages when I receive them. But when I use the heart emoji as a reply, it’s usually because I have no words for how much something means. The Monkey Covering Its Eyes 🙈 This is my “I can’t believe this” or “Oh no, I messed up” emoji. It’s perfect for embarrassing or awkward moments, and I like this one because it softens things and makes them feel less serious. Also, my nickname growing up was Monkey, so I kind of see myself as the monkey in this emoji — a bit goofy. The Celebration 🎉 This one screams “woohoo, let’s dance and pop the champagne.” I love it because you can send it for anything that is a win, big or small. It’s the weekend… boom, celebration emoji. Worked out where to go for the weekend or an upcoming holiday… boom, celebration emoji. My plane landed safely… celebration emoji. The 100 per cent 💯 If I fully agree with something or want to really emphasise it, this is the one I use because it packs a real punch. The Blowing a Kiss Emoji 😘 This is my affectionate one. I use it with close friends and family when I want to send a bit of love or warmth at the end of a message. Emojis are great because they can communicate so much in one little picture. But as I was wrapping up, I had a little chuckle thinking about how the older you get and the more your eyesight shifts, the more careful you need to be not to press the wrong emoji. I’ve accidentally done that 🙈 I’d love to know what your most used emojis are. I feel like they might say more about us than we realise 😊 Linking up with Adrienne, Dara, Joanne and Jen

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TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto Experience

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My family and I were chatting about the highlight of our trip to Japan, and even though we visited so many amazing places, the overall consensus was that teamLab Biovortex Kyoto came out on top. Which says a lot, because we are a die-hard Disney family. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are hard to beat in our world, so I never expected anything else to even be mentioned in the same breath. But teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is right up there for us, because yes, it was that good! What is teamLab? TeamLab is a Japanese art collective that creates immersive digital art experiences. Think giant interactive rooms full of light, colour, movement and sound. You step in and, bam, you become part of the artwork. It’s nothing like a traditional art gallery where you admire artworks from afar. Now, don’t let the word art put you off if art isn’t really your thing. That was the case for our youngest cousin in our travelling group. She wasn’t 100 per cent convinced she’d enjoy the visit when she heard it was an art experience. But two minutes in, she was completely won over. Just like the rest of us, she absolutely loved it. TeamLab experiences can be found in a few cities across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka. Each location is different, with its own installations and themes, so it is never the same experience twice. I had such an incredible time at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto that I would genuinely love to experience the others as well. Maybe one day. What to expect at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto Once you walk in, you’re not really looking at separate “exhibits” in the usual sense. You move through a series of large immersive rooms where the whole space is part of the artwork. The floors and walls are covered in digital light and projections that shift and react as you move through them, so nothing seems to stay still. The room changes depending on where you are and what you’re doing. Some spaces feel really calm, with flowing light, colour and peaceful music. Others are more full-on, with layered visuals and interactive elements: You can play with foam… spin giant colour-changing blobs walk through metallic paint wearing gumboots jump on giant bouncy cushions while following a projected star (I couldn’t keep up with the star, but it was still so much fun!) play with giant inflatable balls, and we may have gotten carried away bouncing them off each other’s heads–lucky we’re a close family and walk through shallow water that changes colour and reacts to your steps I felt like a kid in a futuristic jungle gym and had a go at everything. Holiday Ruth came out to play! Is teamLab Biovortex Kyoto worth it? 1,500 per cent yes! TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto is an immersive, interactive feast for the senses, and unlike anything I have ever experienced before. We all absolutely loved it and would go again in a heartbeat. If you’re planning a visit, you can find more information on the official teamLab Biovortex Kyoto website.

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