Hello Monday

Hi friends, it’s great to be back today on this sunny — yes, sunny — Monday! Woohoo, the rain finally stopped, and we got to enjoy a dry weekend. I was chatting to one of the preschool parents this morning, and we both agreed how spoilt we are living in Sydney, where the sky is bright blue most of the year. Hooray for that!

Now it’s time to link up with Holly and Sarah to share a little about our weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Saturday

We kicked off the weekend with a trip to the Opera Bar. After a week of rain, it seemed like half of Sydney had the same idea — Circular Quay was buzzing, and every harbourside restaurant was packed.

We got lucky and found a table as soon as we arrived, right near the live music. It still amazes me that you don’t have to book — you can just wander in. The menu prices are pretty reasonable, too, considering the location and the view. You can even get bottles of wine that are cheaper than at some local spots.

Opera Bar is changing hands after 24 years, with a new group taking over in mid-September. Fingers crossed they don’t mess with the magic or make it too fancy or exclusive. I love that it’s a fun, relaxed, easygoing place where you can grab a drink, something to eat, and hang out for as long as you like. Ha! Here I am, getting fussy about change before it’s even happened. I’m sure it’ll still be amazing… maybe even better.

We ordered a hot seafood platter, and it came with a little mesh dome cover to stop the seagulls from pinching your food. Everyone had their plates covered, which I didn’t remember from our previous visits — maybe because we got there during the peak lunch period this time.

We saw the trained border collies wandering around the bar with their trainers, keeping the seagulls away. There wasn’t a huge flock, just the odd persistent bird hovering here and there. I was a bit scared one might poop on my head — yikes!

After lunch, we popped into a little patisserie for dessert. We were pretty full from lunch, so we shared a chocolate éclair with our coffee. Next time, there will be no sharing!

Steve had to work in the evening, so I spent the night searching for new songs for our preschool music and movement time. There are so many fantastic ideas from some really passionate early childhood content creators — I need to get my zing back this year.

Sunday

Sunday is our brunch day, and we had scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, salmon, and sourdough.

Steve went to work, and I walked to Westfield to buy some new pants for work — I’d worn my old ones to death. I used to just wear clothes from my wardrobe that I no longer liked. But they made me feel bleh because I was wearing clothes I didn’t like every single day. And they weren’t usually comfortable anyway.

Now I just buy clothes especially for work from Uniqlo.  My work wardrobe is simple with basic pieces I can mix and match. They wash well and are actually comfortable. Win-win!

The pants I wanted were half price, so I bought a grey pair and a black pair. I also got a couple of ribbed long-sleeved T-shirts and a jumper.

I was hungry after my shopping, so I treated myself to a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. It came with a toy, which I offered to my 20-year-old when I got home — he had a laugh but politely declined. I’ll give it to my oldest son, the 32-year-old who likes collecting things like this. Hehe.

Then in the evening, I worked on a storybook version of a song about kindness on Canva. It has a lovely, soothing melody, but it’s a bit wordy for 4- and 5-year-olds. I figured pairing it with illustrations while we listened might help it stick. Who knows — this year has been all about learning to be kind. Pray for me!

Happy Monday!