Brunch at the Gardens

I've seen so many pictures and posts about bloggers heading out to the beach and enjoying some warm weather. I'm jealous. It's  been particularly cold. I shudder (literally) thinking about what Winter will be like in Canberra. The cold aside, if you can, Canberra is quite beautiful in Autumn and Winter. We still get beautiful sunny days. When I first moved here, it was extremely misleading. I'd look outside and see a cloudless sky, the sun high up, the branches swaying ever so softly in a light breeze - and then you'd get outside and...(enter expletives here!) 

But Sunday was just beautiful! Beautiful enough that we headed to the Australian National Botanic Gardens (again - remember this trip?) with our friend Andre. The weather was nice enough that I didn't need too many layers - yay! 

There's a new cafe, Floresco in the Gardens, and the new menu is wonderful! The food is reasonably priced and the portions are generous. I really enjoyed the food. 

It's always Champagne o'clock in my book! 

 It was nice to get out, take some photos, catch up with Andre and walk through the Gardens...

I know I say it again and again and again...but only because it needs to be said again and again and again...I love Sundays!

What did you get up to this weekend? 

Can't wait to catch up on what you've been up to!

On another note, I'm looking to sponsor a couple of blogs, any suggestions? I'd be grateful for them.

Grateful

I've been even busier than usual with my writing this week, and even though I have been loving every. single. minute. of it. there have been people and things around me that have continued to make life so beautiful. And for them, I am most thankful. 

Dear Helen, 

your graciousness moved me. I cannot believe you sent me a box of goodies, all individually wrapped, all special and meaningful. All wonderful. It wasn't even a swap. Nor my birthday. Nor any of the reasons that people usually send packages of goodies these days. You just did. And I am most humbled. Thank you my friend. 

Dear Pretty Tea Things, 

That is all I need to say. 

But I perhaps will say that the Vanilla Slice tea from T2 has been the perfect addition to the cold afternoons and early evenings when I take a break from my writing, read a few pages of a non-work related book and contemplate (making) dinner. 

Dear Husband, 

I had forgotten what it was like to work in the same space. It brings back so many memories. Because we work so differently our 'normal' routine has been thrown on its head. You've gone to sleep alone while I sit here and hammer out more words for my chapter, waking up no sooner then midday - while you've spent the morning quietly going about your work. I'm so grateful for our mid-afternoon lunch dates in the city. Some 'us' time away from the home and work space. I am most grateful for our lifestyle,and that we have professional lives that intersect so much. 

Dear Instagram friends, 

I've said it once before, but I find myself thinking about it all the time - I wish all my favorite Instagram friends had blogs. The wonderful people I've come to know through Instagram are a community that I draw on many times throughout the day. To touch base with. To seek inspiration from. To get laughs. To share any sadness. And celebrate the triumphs. And how sweet was that shout out by littlehen?

And finally... 

Dear Blog world, 

I'm so thrilled about the new blogs I've discovered. The new readers who have found mine. Finding a blog that I am so thrilled about sponsoring! Friends who have left sweet comments. The people who decided they didn't want to read this blog anymore, you keep me on my toes and keep me from taking any of this for granted. All the bloggers who blog stat free - that's something I think I'd like to talk more about. Maybe that's a road I'll go down myself. This blog and the relationships it has brought has made such an impact on me, on my life, at this point in time. It's something I will not take for granted. 

Thank you lovelies! 

Happy weekend everyone! 

He and Me

are real pros at mid-week getaways! 

There really is nothing better than getting away from it all right smack in the middle of the week.

Especially when you decide there and then and a few hours later, you're out on a boat heading towards your favorite island...

As the temperature drops even more in Canberra, I can't help think about my all time favorite getaway...

After an early morning start, and listening and speaking at a youth conference I was quite tired. 

Patrick suggests, "let's go to Naigani", "Now?", "Yeah, let's go" "Okay" 

That's pretty much how it went! We traveled an hour to get home, packed, traveled two hours by road to catch a boat which took about an hour...and by early evening we were at Naigani! 

So simple! 

Everyone on the island knew where I'd be the next morning - at Moon Reef of course, catching up with my lovely friends! All our trips to Naigani include a visit to these guys!

We both swear by these little mid-week getaways. Especially because almost all our work revolves around thinking, reading and writing. And because we work in the same area often it's all consuming, not that we mind, it just means that we're able to pack up and leave and not feel guilty about anything, at all! 

I really needed this mid-week pick me up!

Something else that also helps is jumping around to these songs in the mornings!

What are you favorite mid-week pick me ups?

Getting Ready Music

I'm slowly returning to my usual routine since being sick. To help me feel even better I've decided to link up with the lovely Natasha In Oz for her Sunday Song series. I linked up in this series once before here and enjoyed sharing some of my favorites and finding new music to listen to from other bloggers. 

This Sunday I thought I'd share some of my favorite "getting ready" songs. Over the years I've had a song  I'd listen to every morning whilst getting ready. Here are four of my favorites: 

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall 

The Disco Song - Au Revoir Simone 

Everybody Loves Me - One Republic 

La Isla Bonita - Tasha 

Good Life - One Republic 

Have you got a favorite "getting ready" song? 

I hope you're all having a great weekend, I can't wait to get caught up with what you've been doing! 

Welcome the Weekend!

It's been quite cold here. -4 at nights and in the mornings but up to 16 degrees during the day. The perfect weather for hot chocolates al fresco style. Warming your hands around your hot chocolate cup. Light, bright cardigans and pretty scarves. Which look great in this lovely water color painting that the talented Corina did  of me! 

Hand holding during lovely walks through layers of crisp fallen leaves. Everything looks beautiful. I'm so glad the sun has been out, casting the most amazing glow on everything around us. Patrick is finally home, and I'm feeling a lot better. And it's Friday! 

We haven't made plans for the weekend. A trip to the markets to fill my basket with fresh fruit perhaps. Brunch might also be an option. Who knows. We'll go where autumn breeze takes us... 

Happy weekend my dear friends!

What will you be up to this weekend? 

Our Abode: No Place Like Home

I was so excited about the "There's No Place Like Home" link up hosted by Our Reflection and Hello.Also, I love you but being sick for the past week meant that I couldn't take part in the link up in the way I wanted. But I still wanted to be part of it, so I'm offering up a replay. A post I did a few months ago on our little abode. Not much has changed, I promise! 

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Our home isn't big, and we don't have all our things with us but we try to settle down wherever we are, regardless of how long we'll be there...

Most of the bits and pieces around the house are from stores like Oxfam and Trade Aid, and from our travels...And all these things are actually sitting on a big box that I covered with this beautiful Samoan sulu...

Have you guys caught onto Stickygram? I'm loving it! Your Instagram photos into magnets!

Bathroom...
(All my make-up fits int hat box - with still a lot of room to spare)

My gorgeous Bisagoma basket, made from elephant grass.

Lounge...
(Boxes and boxes of love letters)

Pieces of Fiji and Timor...

Necessities!

Uncle Bob - marriage is about compromise, after all!

The view...

We enjoy spending time in our little home, having friends over, game nights, TV nights, ice cream eating nights. And when we're not at home chances are we're at work! 

I was quite inspired by this home tour at Paiges of Style and the At Home With series over at From Me To You

Have you done a tour of your home on your blog? If you have, I'd love to have a peek, leave me a link! Hope you're having the most amazing week!

March April May Goals

 I'm still feeling awful 

(Being sick is really getting old! Can we be done with this already?) 

I thought I'd take this opportunity to reflect on  my goals. Remember those monthly goals I set for myself this year? The last update I wrote was a review on my February No Shopping goal

It's not that I forgot about my goals, I thought I'd write about my March (Exercising) and April (Healthy Meals and Drinks) goals together. 

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I bought two yoga dvd systems that I've been following them at home and have been loving it. Doing yoga for 30 mins everyday or every other day was so wonderful for me. I'm not a big gym person (too self conscious for that!!!) So having a program to follow at home was really all the lead I needed to get going. I've stopped for a bit because of an injury on my knee but once that's better I'm excited about getting back to my routine. 

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And as you know, I was in Fiji in April and I still managed to maintain eating health (read - minimal MacDonalds intake and almost zero Coke intake!) And given some of the decisions we've made around here lately, I've been watching what I consume more closely. I've found it very useful to have monthly goals, it's easier for them to become habits this way (in my opinion). 

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My goal for May is to focus on my Academic Writing, I was doing superbly well until Thursday when I started feeling poorly. And have now gone (5 days without writing). Even though I wrote every single day in May leaving these 5 days. And I've been enjoying it. I'm giving three draft chapters for my thesis in by the end of the month so this has been great (the writing - obviously not the feeling like someone whacked me over the head with a thesis!) 

When I feel like I need a little more motivation I read this post on "self motivation to motivate ourselves", have you read it?

 How are you going with your goals? 

How have you been keeping yourself motivated?