Tag: holiday time

#2566 Home after holidays

Ahhh. It’s good to be back.

Like every time we go away, we’ve made some more realisations post-holiday.

As much as it’s exciting and fun to go away, as you’re seeing new things and going to new places…

We are people of routine, Hubbie especially so.

He is SOOO happy to be back. Back to routine. Back to his food. Back to his bed. And as much as his homebody comments have annoyed me ever-so-slightly today, I also feel like, I don’t know… I kinda agree.

I also, like routine. I also, LOVE my bed. I also like eating well, and I love the set-up of our house, where baby girl sleeps, where we sleep…

I love our town. I love our beach. I love our main strip, in fact it quite frankly smashes other coastal town strips…

And that’s when I realised. We find it hard to enjoy being away fully, because where we live is SO DAMN GOOD.

We live in an area where people travel and holiday to, and we’ve become so used to it, we don’t realise how good it is until we leave!

Also, we are setting up our lifestyle, our house, to be an everyday holiday house. Sure, we still work, we still do the groceries, we still do chores, and all the other day-to-day monotony that drives us insane at times.

But we love our spot. We love where we live. 🥰🌅

We don’t really need a holiday from here. We just need to mix it up at times.

We get to see beautiful water views in the morning when we wake, and watch the sunset glowing over the water at night. I drive baby girl home from school the scenic way, past the water. We visit the beach on Wednesdays when she is at school (when the wind is absent!) after we’ve been to one of the many incredible cafes on our main strip.

We’re trying to live a holiday life already, and we are comfortable in our home doing it.

We WILL still go away. There’s no doubt about that. But the fact that we’re going to be a lot more home-bound in the period after baby arrives, it doesn’t upset me in the slightest.

Home is good. This town, is good. We like it a lot.

In fact, we love it. Which is why we moved here in the first place. 🙏💖

#2564 Highlights of Phillip Island Day 2

San Remo to Cape Woolamai boat cruise (dolphins were spotted!) – San Remo Pelican feeding – lunch at the very lovely Haven Wave Cafe – strolling down Thompson Avenue in Cowes (RELAX!) – quiet dinner amongst our accommodation garden. 💞🙏

Also I had ice cream twice, because I am craving it at the moment, and baby more so, soooo…. I must listen, right? 🤣🤰

#2554 Visions for our new chair

Tonight we got a new chair for our deck.

It’s an egg chair. You know those dome-shaped things that hang off a strong hook, and sway slightly?

Our deck is actually its second home. My sister and bro-in-law very kindly dropped it off tonight, as they don’t want it anymore. When they asked us, we did some thinking and thought, maybe it could have another purpose in our yard?

And I love it, not just because we have a brand new thing (nothing like a brand new thing to excite you!) but having loved ones over on a weeknight, really makes you realise it is holiday time.

HOLIDAY VIBES!

Apart from the great company tonight, is the knowledge that all of us will be using the egg chair for varied and happy reasons.

Hubbie might sit in it and enjoy music from the portable speaker while sipping on a cold bevvy. 😉🍺

Baby girl might read in it or do her latest fave activity, play on the Nintendo. 📖🎮

I might read in it, or just sit, because you know, movement is becoming an issue as of late. 😂🤰

And in about a month or so, I might just be rocking a baby to sleep in there. 🤱🙏

The best vision of all. 🥰😍

#2215 Late night treat

Today we ended up going through Maccas drive-through.

All of us.

Saturday night.

AFTER 11:30pm.

😬

I can’t even remember how we thought of the story. But some friends of ours had left for the night after a visit, and we were sitting around the coffee table watching TV when Hubbie said “tell baby girl about the time we went to Maccas at midnight.”

So I did. It was before she was born, and it was during our Jan-Feb summer holidays. We were sitting around one night mucking about, and all of a sudden at midnight Hubbie had a massive craving for the golden arches.

I was in my pjs and all. So I chucked on a hoodie, we drove through Maccas, grabbed a meal, and proceeded to eat it at home post-midnight, chuckling about it all.

As we talked about it, I realised it might be a fun thing to do again… it was nearing the end of our hols after all, and I knew it would be one of those things she wouldn’t only be excited to do for the novelty of it, but for the fun memory.

So we asked… “do you want to go drive-through?”

A resounding YES!

Maccas is actually a bit too convenient for us, just down the road. We weren’t the only ones with the almost midnight idea, so we waited a while to get our food, but we finally drove away with some good ol’ fries.

And here we are just chilling on the couch, Mister F between us wondering what the hell we’re eating and can he have some too, making memories. 💞💖

#2213 The other end of the bay

Still on beach posts, but you gotta admit the photos are pretty. 😍

It was an overcast, cloudy and humid day, and yet those conditions still made it practically perfect beach weather. There was a mildly gentle breeze, and without the sun directly blaring down on us, it felt sublime.

I had the idea to walk all the way down to the end of the beach, until the tip of the alcove coastline as it were. So we walked.

And it was different. Beach boxes still adorned the sand, but they grew fewer in quantity, whereas the trees and sloping green landscape rose in abundance. A few small staircases leading down from the grand clifftop houses above appeared out of nowhere, only visible to the immediate eye, and it really did feel like our own private beach.

It was simply lovely to view our local from a different vantage point. An essential life skill I think. 🤔😉

#2212 Special christening day

Today was a special day.

And not because it was a “public holiday.”

No, we christened our deck and deck furniture with cherished family, who we enjoyed the afternoon and night with. 🥰

Ahhh. Still, we are in the holiday vibes. The best place to be. 💖🙏🏖️😍

#2210 A year in planning

Just over a year ago in early Jan, we were in San Remo. And during our trip there, we happened across an amazing surf beach called Smiths Beach on the way to Phillip Island. We only dipped our toes (and legs!) in at the time, but vowed we would be back days later.

True to our plan, we headed off on day 3. We even bought a boogie board on the way over, and wandered past a really nice cafe… and then minutes later our car overheated, we pulled over, and were suddenly in the midst of a 3 hour wait for car emergency assist in 30 degree heat. 🤦‍♀️

When we got the car somewhat moving, we were close enough to walk to the aforementioned cafe, where the owner there was absolutely amazing enough to drive Hubbie back to our car with water to help cool it down, as well as give us a contact number for a mechanic in town. We were able to get back to the resort, get the mechanic’s help, and a couple of days later head home with a newly fixed car!

But, we never got to swim at Smiths with that island boogie board.

Today… finally! It happened.

We went back to the cafe with a little bottle of something to say thank you again, and had a delicious meal there. The name is The Haven Wave Cafe in Newhaven, and if you are ever passing there, know that you will be in extremely safe, friendly and hospitable hands, with actually really yummy food! We now know that for sure.

Once we had filled our bellies, we headed 10 minutes down the road to Smiths Beach.

It was AMAZING!

I mean, I live near the beach, and I was IN LOVE with this beach. It has great waves, really good for beginners with boogie boards, but also great for those wanting to go a little deeper and catch a wave with their surfboard.

We had the best time, the best day, and as we were all taking turns using the boogie board, getting swept up in the ocean, laughing out loud and screaming like kids, I had an idea.💡

I think we have borne a new tradition.

Drive up to Phillip Island early in the day. Stop at Haven Wave Cafe for a late brunch to fuel up, then go down the road to jump and swim for hours on end at Smiths Beach.

Sounds like a bloody perfect day if you ask me. 😍

#2209 A better tide

As expected, the tide has turned.

I knew that the worst had to be behind us yesterday, and I was 100% correct. The tide turned, and with it we found ourselves at a different beach to our usual one.

We met up with some friends there, and the day was honestly spectacular. To the deeper waters, the expanse of water and sand and people as far as the eye can see, the kids playing, and then the extra catch-up which continued at our place after the beach… it was a really beautiful day.

Having been in lockdown for so long over the past few years, and then getting out and needing to self-isolate so much due to sickness, well you really come to realise how important and valuable good company is. Not just company, but good company. Company where you talk and talk, you keep finding out great things about each other, and the vibes just keep on rolling.

There is happiness, laughter and relatability. Life is good when you discover this, and we have realised recently, more than ever, that we want to have the right people around us, and having fun with them as much as we possibly can.

Grateful to have days like this, where the adults have as much fun as the kids do. 🙏💖