Trinty Beach holiday & Tot Seat Review

Mini break 

Well Darling hubby, Boo and I have just had the pleasure of heading on a tropical beach holiday to visit friends.

We flew into Cairns bright and early on Sunday, hubby insists I mention that we flew on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. After a wait for a car we were off to Trinity Beach. About 25mins out of Cairns Trinity Beach is a very beautiful beach with a very small town feel, most of the shops were restaurants. Everywhere we ate had good food with Lunico coming out as a favourite providing excellent food and service. We had a lovely if slightly late lunch overlooking the beach with the company of a good friend.

Darling Hubby modelling Boo's Hat at Muddy's Cafe

On our second day we headed into Cairns city for a walk on the esplanade, a play at Muddy's Playground and a rather delicious breakfast at Muddy's Cafe. Boo is not yet walking but had a ball crawling among the various waterspouts and falls at the Muddy's play area. 

We the wondered around the city where a bought a new dress to add to my summer wardrobe which is a bit lighter and  more beachy compared to what I already had. 

After a lot of walking and Boo finally falling asleep in the pram we stopped for lunch at a delightful restaurant called Tha Fish which overlooks the marina. A delicious lunch in a fancy setting with a very reasonable price.

Above: the Marina view and table at Tha Fish

Our last day in North Queensland was spent visiting the natural beauty that is Mossman Gorge and the quirky shops in Port Douglas. As usual Boo travelled like a trooper and the experienced flyer that he is. On the other hand after a weekend in New Zealand last week and this trip I am exhausted so was a bit grumps and super tired. Today, Friday is recovery day, finally!

Lastly my Out and about travel must have is:

TotSeat

We love our TotSeat! I received it as a hand me down and started using it when Boo was about 9months old, it has really come into its own in the past 2 months. Firstly because Boo is much better at sitting up at a table and secondly because we have been visiting with people a lot around Boo's birthday (3 parties in 3 locations, Craziness!). The TotSeat means we always have a highchair with us so are never relying on a cafe or friend to provide.

The seat simply attaches and adjusts to fit a normally chair. Featuring adjustable width for the top of the chair and adjustable length in the seat for different chairs. It also contains a Velcro strap to add support to an open backed chair if needed. The seat comes with its own bag that it folds up into, about the size of a mass market paperback, making it easy to pack in a bag.

As you can see the instructions are stitched on the back, baby can sit comfortably (as demonstrated by Elizabeth) and the whole lot is machine washable. It has fit on every single chair we have ever tried including some wide wing backed antiques. Below is the TotSeat animation on how to use it.

TotSeats are stocked through http://www.bloomandgrow.com.au/ in Australia
All opinions expressed are my own, about my own property and are not sponsored in anyway

10 item wardrobe Spring/Summer

So I have just received delivery of the last item for my Spring/Summer wardrobe.

This year my wardrobe is focused on a light feminine feel with an emphasis on belly growth. :)

Firstly my wardrobe is often fairly heavy on Target items as that is what I can afford and they usually have lovely pieces that suit me. This year however in have supplemented with pieces from one of my favourite Maternity clothing companies Angel Maternity. I used them last pregnancy for a formal outfit for a wedding I was attending. 

I love the range they have as I prefer looser fitting clothes rather than super stretchy contoured outfits and they cater to both markets. I also find them a really great company to deal with if you need to change or exchange something. Finally the price point is excellent especially when you consider you are pregnant for such a short time. 

So onto the wardrobe. 

Pants

A staple in my closet is jeans I always have a dark blue pair and a black pair both bootleg as I find it balances out my figure. My current pairs are both Target double button bootleg which are a perfect fit for me and my rather curvy bottom without any unsightly lumps or bumps, Unfortunately after 6 years Target has discontinued these so after Bean is born I will have to find a new source for jeans. This pregnancy I am going to use a belly belt to extend my jeans for as long as possible.

I also have a fairly neutral 3/4 pant which is great for warmer weather and extends the wear I get from my tops.

Tops

This first top is a Target top I bought for 2012/2013 summer I really like the colours in the print and it pairs well with either of my jeans.

These 2 tops are both from Angel Maternity, excuse the wrinkles they arrive by post yesterday, I wanted tops that would pair with either of my jeans and would be long enough to cover my belly and belly belt.

This tunic is one of the pieces from my winter wardrobe which will remain for spring at least. It is a Vera Wang tunic my mother bought me as a gift when we were out about 6mths after Boo was born and I love it, it is very flattering and makes me feel elegant. I prefer this paired with my dark blue jeans so as not to be too black and I often pair it with a scarf.

These tops are both by Target and are from my winter wardrobe they will remain as extras for spring until it gets too warm. I really like the colour and detail of the burgundy top. The other top is a plain navy with a cowl neck as an added detail.

Dresses

Both dresses are the same style from Angel Maternity I bought the polka dot which is a slightly heavier weight fabric last time I was pregnant. The grey is a new addition and is much more sheer but I really love it. Excited to wear it this week on our lovely beach trip.

Outerwear

This is a Target blazer I bought in 2013 that I love to throw on over a more casual top, paired with a scarf to feel a bit more dressed up. 

In outer layers I also have a red coat that I adore and have had for about 4 years now. I finally found a scarf to pair with it last month, otherwise I wear a plain black scarf, so this will remain in my wardrobe for spring as Melbourne weather is notoriously fickle.

Accessories & Footwear

In the 2 preceding pictures you have seen the scarves I use most frequently. 

For footwear I have leather ballet flats again from Target, I have a nude pair and a black pair which covers my whole wardrobe. This is the first pair of nude shoes I have owned and as a dress lover I am now wondering what I wore before.

I also want to include the lovely handbag my grandparents and hubby contributed to for my birthday. It is a leather bag from Tiganello which fits everything I need including my diary (I have a beautiful Letts of London diary as I prefer old school pen and paper, I just bought my 2015 one) and a largish novel which has been great particularly on plane trips.

Thank you for reading I would love some feedback on the post.
Thank you Jennifer at the Daily Connoisseur for the lovely shout out.

Off I go to Cairns for a few days of relaxing Bye!



All products reviewed or referred to are of my own choice and the opinions expressed are my own.

Pink Lining Delivery

Look what arrived.

It is my new nappy bag!! I decided to treat myself to a deluxe bag because when Bean (bubba to be arrives) Boo will be 18 months meaning I will still need to be carrying bits and bobs for him in addition to all the new baby stuff. I ordered through a company called BabyNappyBags.com.au I ordered it late on Monday night and it arrived on Wednesday morning so very impressed with the service and the included gift of an additional wet bag in a Paul Frank style print which is very lovely. So the beautiful outside looks like Calico but has been treated with a waterproofing so is easily wipe able very practical with young ones.

So my new bag is by Pink Lining so of course has the gorgeous pink interior it is the Twins nappy bag in Woodland print. Thanks Bex at the Mummy Adventure which is where I originally  saw this bag  and fell in love.

So what do I keep in my nappy bag?

So in that super quick tour I mentioned my lovely Oishi-m jeans.  These are a great local Australian brand that feature folding cuffs with an interior detail, a wide elastic ribbing waistband which means no gaping and a detail panel over baby's bottom, very cute on wee ones. The cuff pant leg and wide ribbing band mean these jeans have plenty of growing room making them an excellent investment item. This pair is a size 12-24mths. Boo has been wearing these since about 10mths with plenty of growing room as you can see  and we always receive complements on his gorgeous jeans.

Well thanks for reading Bye for now.

Brands mentioned:

http://www.pinklining.com/uk/ 

http://www.babynappybags.com.au/ or http://www.gear4baby.com.au/

Oishi M 

I voluntarily choose to mention these brands and all opinions expressed are my own.

What I am reading

In addition to re-reading the Pregnancy Countdown Book, because yes there is another bub on the way. At the moment I am enjoying J. L. Scott's books, I love her blog. I am re-reading Lessons from Madame Chic. I am also reading At Home with Madame Chic.

I originally read Lessons from Madame Chic a few months ago. From that reading I undertook a significant cupboard clean out and got my snacking out of my life, because snacking is so

not chic, something I need reminding of. Snacking is still not chic even when pregnant sit down and eat like a lady with a plate.

I am re-reading Lessons from Madame Chic to see what I have missed, and curb the areas I have allowed myself  to lapse, snacking anyone?. I am in the process of assembling my Spring/Summer wardrobe with an emphasis on room for belly growth :)

I will give you a tour soon, just waiting for a delivery. 

So far in At Home with Madame Chic I have read to the start of Chapter 3: Clutter (Physical and Mental), before I had to get to work. So the room in my house that has been driving me nuts clutter wise is my spare/guest room. Since we moved in when Boo (Bubba number 1) was 6.5 months it has been accumulating baby items he has grown out of, clothes I no longer want and various bits and bobs, including a new cot. This meant that the bed was unusable and the door was permanently shut to prevent injury, and allow me to ignore it. 

So I took on getting it sorted before we flew to NZ on Thursday last week. Which I achieved. My long term intention is to get this sorted as a playroom by Christmas but here is the start.

The bassinet has all the baby stuff for when they arrive. I made the tee-pee for Boo last Christmas it is too big, it is about 1mm from the ceiling, but very cute, our whole family fits in it. Below is all the clear out for donations. The big black bag contains everything I eliminated from my closet. 

Next weeks task is a cleaning schedule.