Full & Thorough Reporting

Well hello YOU. It’s been a while.

There’s so much to catch up on including the fact that I got new shoes so let’s go.

We left lockdown just under a month ago and it’s been SO busy ever since. All those weeks and months of desperately wanting to be seeing and doing and BEING and now we are doing all those things and it’s all quite overwhelming, or is that just me? Let’s start at the beginning, the first week that we came out of lockdown and could travel regionally. First thing I did was book in an overnight stay with my husband so he could remember that I wasn’t just a nagging housemate, but someone he actually liked. We booked into Bangalay Luxury Villas in Shoalhaven Heads. Great spot – and just what we needed after so long locked at home with 3 kids and home school. We had massages, we at cheese and drank wine and talked and talked and talked. I made a little reel about it on Insta which you can have a look at here.

After so long being stuck at home it was so nice to be able to go out and see friends…that same week we had a baby shower for a friend expecting her first bebe and we also had dinner at the new cellar door at Bendooley which was fabulous. They are open for dinner a couple of times a week and is worth booking in if you are a local or visiting the area.

The garden has been in FULL Spring glory and looking an absolute dream. The new spring growth in everything has been rich and green and verdant and beautiful. The roses are slowly starting to arrive (climbing first and the others hopefully to arrive soon enough).

We have been busy in the shop with our 3rd birthday and starting the Christmas rush which is here already somehow. We have lots of gift guides all online now ready for anyone you might have to buy for this year and with delays in Australia Post we are really recommending that we start as soon as we can. We were very proud to celebrate our 3rd year in business as well…it called for champers of course! If you want to get started on your shopping have a look here.

We had a 12th birthday for Harper as well on the 27th. 12 can you even believe? She had a great day at school, we went out to dinner and then on the weekend she had a small party with her friends over Halloween. She is SO ready for Highschool and I’m excited to see her grow and mature and flourish with new friends and challenges at school next year…bring it on.

We had Halloween in the village which was as sweet as it always is for the little ones. A sunny afternoon with friends and lots of lollies equalled a good time for us all.

We had a lovely escape last week to the city to catch up with Rob’s brother and his girlfriend…nothing like some big city dining and hospitality is there? We had dinner at Ester in Chippendale which was so bloody good – sensational food and wine and service…all round 5 star experience and we stayed at The Old Clare also in Chippendale which is a great spot and great space. I was a little disappointed with the room though…didn’t seem like it was cleaned properly or serviced fully and just not quite hitting the mark which could have been from coming out of lockdown…not sure but just a little off.

There have been walks in the morning…trying to get out the door and hit the pavement before the sun rises which means sacrificing some work time I am trying to make up throughout the day…it’s all such a juggle isn’t it fitting life in again? So strange that we were so quiet and now so busy…there is no in between. Such a lovely way to start the day though…

We also got to catch up with my dad and stepmum on the weekend for the first time since March when we saw them for Easter. My poor dad is losing his eyesight completely so it was bittersweet catching up with them both. The kids were so happy to see them both…I’ll never take these moments for granted again and try to take as many photos as I can when we are together. It was also SO SO SO good to be back at the beach for a few nights…the smell of the jasmine and ocean was intoxicating as it felt like summer holidays were here…we will have to wait a little more before that.

And then this week we have caught up with Rob’s Mum and her partner for a few nights as they came down to visit. Lots of lovely food shared out and about (we had a great lunch at Harry’s on Greenlane) and around our table together again as we hadn’t seen them since Mother’s Day in Sydney.

So you can see just how busy and bustling and wonderful these weeks have been for us. So precious to be back with people we love, being able to travel and eat well. I know the lead up to Christmas is going to be a mad time as all these moments continue…I hope that you are enjoying re-entry back into the world, it’s full on and exhausting so be kind to yourself and make sure you still take time to be still and quiet. I hope you are doing ok.

And enough about me, tell me EVERYTHING.

Comments

  1. Leoni Freeman says

    Thanks for the tip on Harry’s on your Insta. We were in Bowral for a couple of days so booked in for lunch on Tuesday. It was fabulous and very busy. Staying at Peppers Manor House and found a used towel hanging on back of bathroom door on arrival😳. Perhaps they’re all a little out of practice. Cheers

  2. Busy is beautiful, isn’t it?! This sounds like my life at the moment although I don’t have young children living at home and a shop to run. Lots of catching up, first north, then south, then north again and lots of celebrations in Sydney in between. Fun, but already exhausting, but I’ll take this over 5 months of lockdown any day. We stayed at the Old Clare just after it opened and really enjoyed it there. Quirky and unique, although the rooms didn’t feel homey with that industrial bent. Thank you for sharing your photos and life through your stories, go gently leading into Christmas

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