A 3 day getaway (kid free) ! Was just what the Dr ordered after a busy School term!

The husband and I thought we would try our luck with the last week of the Ski Season and make our way to Thredbo.

We dropped the kids to the in-laws on the way down (Southern Highlands) and always pop into The Highlands Merchant in Mossvale for coffee and cake! (Pic 1) Only and hour and half from here and we arrive at our fave… Hotel Hotel in Canberra.

A few highlights and must eats /

• Italian and Sons – Amazing fresh Italian in Braddon. The crab and squid ink linguini was amazing!

The rest are all around New Acton where Hotel Hotel is located and is a very cool little area!

Mocan and Green Grout / fabulous den like restaurant with a morrocan vibe and great tapas style food.

Black Market / small, dark, intimate bar underneath A.Baker (also great cafe). Great for pre dinner drink or night cap! I had the Pink Panther… amazing Gin with pomegranate and a side of cotton candy!

Monster Bar and Kitchen / fabulous breakfast if staying in the hotel. Good coffee and super homemade crumpets!

We took the hotel bikes out for a ride around lake Burley Griffin which was a nice afternoon activity.

Thredbo / 19 years since I have been to Thredbo and not much has changed (except our super modern apartment which is a rarity amongst snow accom).

I came across The Eastern on Instagram and locked in the dates as soon as I could.

A little tricky to find but once inside is a real treat! Modern timber floors and ceiling, a mix of ply and white cement walls and a very functional super modern kitchen. The apartment is studio style so best for couples or small family.   Loved the modern white bathroom…with underfloor heating, stylish Scandi touches and lovely cozy bed!  not to mention the amazing views right across the snowy mountains and close proximity to Village and chairlift access. We booked this via airbandb and our host Monique was great!

Recommendations //

Coffee / Central Road 2625 – in the heart of the Village and local meeting place for coffee and brunch.

Merits/ top of Merits charlift and very popular for ski bunnies seeking warmth! Amazing hot choc with marshmallows, whipped cream and cherry (or a shot of liquor if your heart desires)

Sneaky schnapps or happy hour at The Alpine Hotel.

We were too tired to dine out and loved our cosy pad so made pizza and salad at home with a vino, followed by Netflix and Chill!!

A few people had recommend the sweet Country Cafe at Collector called Some Cafe… What a lovely find just off the Federal Highway!  All white Country cottage with gorgeous fresh blooms and delicious pastries on show. The avocado on rye with lemon, dukkah and egg was delish!

Next door is Collector Wines, small, white and just lovely! We tasted a few Vinos (and purchased a few of course! rude not to)! and hit the road back to those little humans called kids! Oh yeah I forgot about them! Ha!

Lovely escape to catch up with the husband but more importantly laugh at him on the slopes!!! X b

Easy peasy (delicious) apple tartlets!

Create these little yummy treats for your next party or dessert midweek…

You will need:

Filling-

4 x green apples (peeled and diced)

4 x tbsp brown sugar

Juice of half a lemon

1 x tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt, nutmeg, allspice

1/2 cup water

—-

• 15 x Pampas pastry sweet tart cases
• Cornstarch for thickening
• Whipped cream or Greek yogurt for topping

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees
• Mix all above (filling) ingredients in a medium sauce pan on medium heat
• Combine and stir all ingredients and cook on low heat for 10 mins (mixing occasionally)
• Once apples have softened, mixture is ready, add a little cornstarch if you feel it needs thickening. Set aside.
• Put Pampas pastry cases in the oven for 10-15 mins
• Once pastry cases are ready and mixture is at room temp, pop 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple mixture into cases
• Serve with a dollop of cream or yoghurt

Harper topper from little confetti love

Enjoy x b

P.s need inspo? Why not take the Pampas Quiz and receive recipes and tips suited to you and your cooking style

I’ve always had a thing for watches. I think they determine your character, sense of style and are a very personal piece of jewellery.
I myself love a casual watch by day playing ‘mum’ and a sleek watch by night or for a ladies lunch.
I love everything about Daniel Wellington watches! The Swedish simple design is well made and combines the everyday stylish style with nighttime sleek.
What I love most is the ability to dress up or down with the change of a wristband (leather or colourful NATO strap)….see video below in how to do this.
I’m excited to offer a 15% discount code on everything in the shop for my lovely subscribers! Use the code ‘brie15’ upon checkout!! Also from now until 3 September you can choose a free strap for any watch purchase.
Oh and icing on the cake….free worldwide delivery! Amazing right!
Perfect for Fathers Day coming up or a special bday! Head over to DW website here to start shopping x b

Dream catchers, balloon rainbows, dusty pink posies, layer cakes, cupcakes and flower crowns!!

A gorgeous balmy Winters day to celebrate this little babes first bday and Naming day. Mum opened her house to the close fam and friends to be a part of the celebrations…and celebrate we did.

The Jumping Castle and Teepee were perfect for the little ones to run around and play in the backyard so the adults could have a drink and chat.

A yummy BBQ lunch with lots of accompanying salads, quiches, savoury pastries and sandwiches was perfect with a glass of bubbles! The kids ate fruit and sandwiches and helped themselves to the lolly bar overflowing with pale pink cupcakes, little Deer cookies, chocolate covered pretzels and a lolly box of strawberry creams, frogs and raspberries.

The little miss had the time of her life demolishing her smash cake!! and so did we with her bday cake and little apple tarts I made.

Lots of gorgeous colours!! Mum set up the lolly bar beautifully with a personalised banner, paper flowers and dream catchers.  

The kids all received a lolly bag with personalised stickers and their own little dream catcher to take home.

A lovely Sunday spent sipping Veuve in the backyard and celebrating another special little girls first bday! Hope the dreamcatchers keep your dreams sweet forever little Harper x b

 

Sharing a little about the kids (younger 2) favourite toys from the recent holidays. Sage was gifted the Brio purple campervan from Childsmart for her bday and loved it!! Firstly the colour was a great wow factor!! The pack comes with a front car, 2 figures, and a campervan which joins magnetically to the car. Lots of fun lifting the roof and popping passengers in and out and pulling along the floor, plus also fits onto wooden train tracks which is great for building a little village around.
They both also loved the Brio Farm House which comes with some fencing, a horse, cow and little wooden man who can carry the wheelbarrow or bucket for feeding the animals.
The kids loved driving the van to the farm house to feed the animals and also feed the little dog his food (which you can buy separately)…See cute video above.
Hours of fun moving and setting up people and animals and what's best, stimulates their creative play rather than sitting on the couch playing iPads!
Always a fan of Brio products!! Check out all their toys plus many more brands at Childsmart! And now also stocked at Myer stores!!
Great to add to bday and Xmas lists!!
X b

9 years since I have been to Bali and first O/S holiday as a family of 5! I couldn’t wait to show Bali off to the husband and escape the Sydney Winter!!

I literally booked this holiday a year ago after being introduced to Villa Sungai through a friend. The photos looked beautiful and a family friendly Villa just out of Canngu (the new Seminyak) was exactly what the Dr ordered!

What’s special about Villa Sungai is the location.  Surrounding you is dense luscious greenery, yet you are also within a local quiet village of Warungs and rice paddies. No tourists, just the real Bali.

The villa itself is in Cepaka, on the fashionable West coast and is the most luxurious and secluded Villa I have seen. 

From the gorgeous terrazzo floors, white on white interiors and timber furniture to the luxurious four poster bed, stunning outdoor bathrooms (with shower or bath) for star gazing!! and lovely open plan living, You are surrounded by tranquil sounds of flowing water, crickets and local farm animals.  The stunning crystal clear infinity pool is a stand out feature, as well as the exquisite service and cuisine!

Let me touch on the service as seriously it is beyond! Our driver Made was waiting for us at the airport (literally as the plane door opened) fast tracked us through customs and we were chauffeur driven (with snacks and refreshments) to the Villa to be greeted by our lovely staff with a welcome cocktail in hand – Vodka, lime juice and palm sugar with kaffir and lemongrass infusions mind you!

The Villa owner Pamela was extremely helpful, coordinating room configurations for the kids, car seats, meals on arrival etc! She has really created something so special and unique here!

The biggest decisions were what we were going to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner so the staff could shop and prepare for us. The food choices were amazing!! 5 star restaurant quality (with Noosa Spirit House influences) and great kids menu too!

We had a driver on hand whenever we were ready to shop, eat out or explore and a massage room ready whenever we were! The hot stone massage was bliss!!

Do yourself a favour and explore this stunning Villa with a group of friends or family (Villa Sungai consists of 3 bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms) and Villa Gold has 2 seperate bedrooms with ensuites too. My parents stayed next to us in Villa Gold and was great to meet up for meals but still have our own space.

A few faves from our adventures into Canngu… image 1 and 3 is the very cool The Slow…funky new hotel and minimal fitout. We had lunch here and a look at some of the cool clothes stores next door. Middle pic is The Lawn, grab a spot under the brollies poolside to sip the day away overlooking Canggu beach.

Image 4 and 5 from Goldust Bali… in the middle of the cool cafs and shops is this gold haven…the most amazing stress buster massage and 24k gold facials!! Book it now! And maybe have a delicious smoothie at Crate cafe when you are done! Yaaaas!

Part one of Bali complete!! Terima Kasih!

For accommodation enquiries email Pamela at pamela@bali-villasungai.com

From the Village to the beach! We loved the vibe driving into Sanur…busy strip of shops and cafes which lead us to Maya Sanur. A superb beachside resort in the heart of Sanur.  The gorgeous lush garden landscape and lagoon pool was breathtaking.  We stayed in a lovely garden room (interconnecting) located on the ground floor and pool access right out the front. 

The main pool overlooking the beach is beautiful and lined with daybeds and lounges, with a button on your side table for food and drink service whenever you require! We loved the fresh rice paper rolls and a glass of rose poolside!



There’s a lovely walk right along the beachfront where you can hire bikes or wander taking in the ocean and gorgeous villas along the way. Also plenty of water sports if your heart desires.  

The buffet breakfast was great! Lots of fresh fruit, pastries, eggs, sweet or savoury…whatever your heart desires. The Tree bar was also great for happy hour and afternoon snacks watching the sunset.

We didn’t really need to leave the resort but enjoyed dinner at Dusk Blue…sweet pastel blue cafe for coffee, lunch or dinner with a lovely shop next door.  Coffee at Grocer and Grind was also nice and a few stores to check out for local handmade goods and a couple of more modern shops.

Due to the traffic expected into Seminyak we decided to make a day of it. We left straight after breakfast for coffee at Revolver ! This had popped up on my radar a few times and is such a good find for the coffee lovers! In a hidden wooden door down a little lane, the place is a buzz with coffee, cake and a super cool and friendly staff. We wondered past the Junction and some cute stores and I grabbed a second coffee hit at Expat (another top coffee specialist)!! They even stock Bonsoy! We walked past the very happening Sisterfields  but decided the Pool was where we needed to be for lunch with the kids so hit Mrs Sippy.  Like an Oasis in the desert, we nabbed ourselves a day bed and sprang to the pool. We ordered Margherita pizza and greens with a Rose and Bintang and watched the kids jump off the diving block.  Cool tunes and lots of fun by the pool but after 3pm kids aren’t allowed to swim so we headed to The W.  The best part of the W is the entrance!! It felt like we were entering Jurassic Park! A looooong drive with billowing trees leads you to the hotel. We grabbed a lift on the golf buggy and kids loved this! The initial view of huge pool and beach was very much a wow factor! We grabbed a spot poolside and spent a few hours swimming and enjoying the amazing sunset before hitting Saigon for dinner. Great Viet food just across from the W…dumplings and pumpkin curry were a winner!! Seminyak!! Yasssss!!!

Cupcakes, milkshakes, face painting and cake were the highlights of Sage’s 6th birthday party.  

Always happy to share the details of my kids parties, both big and small so here you go…

I found some pretty confetti cards at Kikki K with matching pastel envelopes and printed the party details inside, filled with confetti of course.

Sage and I are regular milkshake goers at Daisys Milkbar (after ballet) and thought the old school Aussie milk bar vibe would be the perfect party venue for a few friends and family. Lots of colourful walls, giant ice creams, neon lights and sweets (think lollypop rings, zappos, redskins, ovaltinis)!! 

I booked the sweet pastel booth seats at the rear of the cafe and the kids played pass the parcel whilst sipping milkshakes. All the excitement when the face painter arrived and the parents enjoyed tea, coffee or champas whilst the kids were being entertained. We ordered fairy bread, ham & cheese jaffles and I made a cheese and fruit plate and bought some Woolies cupcakes plus a few bottles of champas.

We had the place to ourselves for the last hour to wander, take some pics and sing happy birthday. My mum made Sage a sweet vanilla cake and we decorated with flowers, candles and a little mouse…was really cute!!

Sage’s outfit was my highlight! Those who know me know I love to style an outfit! 
Her gorgeous dusty pink cord dress, blouse and Mary Jane shoes are from Hubble and Duke, socks from Mabel’s Garb and beautiful flower crown from Rosie girl florals.

A special bday present was her My Name Necklace in rose gold.  This is a lovely bday or special occasion pressie (my Niece requested one for her bday)! All their Jewlery is made from sterling silver, gold plating or solid gold and offer free worldwide delivery.  For 15% off use code ‘Brie15’. Sweet for the little ladies!! Shop this necklace here!

And a big shoutout to Hello Little Birdie for the amazing Luft balloons! The softest, pearliest, pretties balloons I have seen!!

So there you have it! All the details of a sweet milkbar party celebrating my sweet 6 going on 16 girl, Sage x b

For venue enquiries email the super sweet Jess at Hello@daisysmilkbar.com

Simple, pure and classic is Like a Pearl!  A gorgeous mix of linen and silk clothing made for girls and sourced from Northern Vietnam, which has a rich history of hemp and cotton textiles.

Like a Pearl founder Diana has a close connection with the Hmong people of Northern Vietnam and on a recent trip was made aware of how apparent child trafficking is in Vietnam. Every 5 days a Hmong girl aged between 13-15 is taken and lured across the border in anticipation of a better life, instead they are abused and prostituted.

Diana is helping the Hmong people by using their beautiful textiles and providing an income for them to feed their families and give their children an education!

Let’s support Like a Pearl and the amazing work being done for the less fortunate people of Northern Vietnam!

The clothing is beautiful, simple, natural and individual!

For more information, go to Like a Pearl.

• Clothing from Like a Pearl
• Unicorn necklace from The Little Vikings
• bunny hat from The Gathered Store
• basket from Kido Store
• Plywood dollhouse on wall from One Two Tree
• Large bunny from My Messy Room
• Any other questions about her room let me know.

X b



Attention Mamas after the coolest brands for their Bambinos!!! Look no further than LM Bambini! 

Sourcing the best designer brands from Around the globe….. think Kenzo, Stella Kids, D&G, Hucklebones London etc! LM Bambini have the newest trends available via their website.

This Stella Kids pineapple play suit and sweater is the best! Can’t wait to pack it for Bali next month!! Also accessorising with Sons and Daughters Sunnies and mix n matching outfits with the Stella denim cut offs!!  Yass!!

The Kenzo range for both sexes is amazing!! Tees, dresses, sweaters or for babes cute rompers too! Check it out!!

So many more brands! So much cool!

Happy shopping everyone! You’re welcome!