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Sydney Icons In Photographs

February 19, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Being a Sydneysider born and raised, I don’t usually take photos of obvious things like the Sydney Opera House. I recently attended an Instagram meetup however and took my SLR out for a stroll, and was really happy with some of the images I captured. Sydney is so incredibly gorgeous and it’s very easy to take that beauty for granted when you’ve grown up here like I did. So here are a few images of the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens from my evening stroll that will make you want to visit Sydney if you live afar.

What I Love, What I Miss: Adjusting To Life Back In Sydney

August 5, 2014 / Family, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

So we’ve been back in Sydney for about two months and are still struggling to find somewhere to live. Ugh. I forgot how long it takes to settle back after such a huge move. I’ve been enjoying a lot of little things that I’d either totally forgotten about, or never discovered before I left.

Gelato Messina
The best gelato I’ve ever tasted. I’ve eaten is almost every single day since being back. I’d eat it every day if their locations weren’t so far away. Bounty, choc chip and berry yoghurt are rocking my world.

Beaches
I wasn’t a beach person before I left Sydney. I have really fair skin and so have been a “sit in the shade” rather than “sit on the beach” type. Now I have a kid who is mad about playing in the sand, I have a new found love of beaches. Insanely gorgeous, plus hours of free entertainment. Just add sunscreen.

Mersey Valley Cheese
This has always been our favourite cheese. Being in the US however and surrounded by supremely average supermarket cheese, I have a new appreciation for just how awesome this cheese is. Crumbly and sharp – it’s hard not to polish off the whole block in one sitting.

Moscato
I love love sweet wine. Moscato has always been my wine of choice. I did find it in the US, but it wasn’t as common as here, and there wasn’t as much variety. Moscato here is amazingly good and also reasonably priced.

Thai food
I didn’t eat much Thai when I was in the US as whenever I did, it was pretty bad. The Thai in Sydney is so good – I think it’s the closer proximity to Asia, plus the large Thai population living here that contributes so the great food. Whatever the reason, I’m devouring curry puffs and pad see ew like they’re calorie-free.

Supermarket chocolate
Cadbury is awesome. There’s a giant bar of Snack and a packet of Carmel Crowns sitting in the fridge right now.

The sunshine
The weather here is just insane. I arrived back in time for winter (yay!) and it’s been warmer almost every day than it was for the entire of NYC spring.

Target
Target in Sydney is awesome! Super clean, big variety of quality products. Very different to the Brooklyn Target that I used to visit occasionally.

I’m also missing little things about NYC that I also didn’t even think about. The big things I miss are obvious, but the little things caught me by surprise.

Iced tea
Sydney doesn’t do iced tea. I’m so desperate for my daily fix that I’m steeping big jugs of black tea and chilling them every few days.

Bagels
How did I ever live without bagels pre-New York? It’s a mystery.

The subway
After the super fast and frequent NYC subway, my hatred of Sydney’s trains has only intensified. I don’t know what’s worse some days, the crazy traffic when I take to the roads, or the slow moving infrequent trains.

Amazon
Now I’m without my Amazon Prime free two-day shipping, I actually have to get in the car and drive to a shop to buy everything. Even stupid cables and boxes of nappies. I also miss Fresh Direct, Diapers.com and basically every other website that sent me the products I wanted with free shipping.

Cheaper prices
Ahhh the great Aussie price gouge. Buzzfeed has a really funny article about the great Aussie rip off. Paying more for things I only recently bought at a significant price difference is hard to take.

Ben & Jerry’s
While not my favourite brand of ice cream, B&J’s was my face supermarket brand. Now if I want a tub of Karamel Sutra I have to shell out $11 for the privilege.

Ample Hills
My favourite ice cream of all time. Australia doesn’t really do ice cream. It’s does phenomenal gelato and sorbet, but not ice cream. I am dying for one more scoop of Ooey Goey Buttercake and Sweet As Honey. Yuuuum.

Levain Bakery cookies
The best cookies I’ve ever eaten. So big and fat they were almost rock cakes. Big chunks of chocolate that melted in your mouth. Yes we have cookies here, but not like that!

The fast pace
I actually love the frenetic business that is the city. I thrive on over stimulation and love having a lot of colour, buildings and interesting people all around me. Back in Sydney I’m finding it hard to adjust to the slower pace and having personal space again.

Doormen
I had never had a doorman before my NYC apartment. Not only do I miss the community of my building, but I also miss the big-hearted doormen who became friends after seeing so much of them day in and out.

Date Night in Sydney

March 8, 2014 / Australia, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

On our recent trip back home to Sydney (another post on that coming later) Alec and I had a special night – our first away from E. Not Alec’s first time away overnight, but definitely my first, and our first together. Monumental! And all thanks to my wonderful parents who volunteered to baby sit their granddaughter even though she had a fever that required them getting up through the night and then my mum sleeping with her the rest of the night. Bless you Mum and Dad, you’re the best!

It was so wonderful to have some time with Alec to reset our relationship and to spend a bit of time enjoying Sydney again together. I found a great deal on a hotel we stayed at for my 30th birthday in The Rocks – the Langham (it used to be called The Observatory Hotel). The hotel is a beautiful old-school place, really luxurious and comfortable at the same time.

We kicked our night off walking around The Rocks, picking up treats for later at the Guylian Chocolate Cafe, and then with dinner at Pony, a restaurant that wasn’t there last time we were in town, and was absolutely amazing. Really delicious food (my ricotta pasta was perfect), kick-ass cocktails, and a fantastic vibe that was upscale trendy without being too try-hard.

Something that really struck me on this trip back is how much the food culture in Sydney has changed. There are lots of really hip new cafes and restaurants around town now – and all throughout the suburbs – which made for some culinary adventures that reminded me of how amazing Australia’s produce is.

After our delicious dinner and potent cocktails, we head back for an early night and rented a movie (we never get to watch movies anymore!).

The following morning, after breakfast at the hotel restaurant, we dropped by La Renaissance Cafe (the place to go for French pastries) to pick up treats for my parents, then head back on home.

One thing to be said for being back home, it’s great to have some more than willing babysitters!

The Grounds of Alexandria: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Alexandria, Sydney

June 10, 2013 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 0 comment

The Grounds of Alexandria is about as kid-friendly a place to eat as you can get: in addition to its indoor dining, there’s a large outdoor garden area with lots of space for prams and careening toddlers. Oh and there’s a pig. Called Kevin Bacon.

The Grounds, as the locals affectionately call it, is an oasis in the inner city known for its coffee (they’ve got a research and testing facility on site) and sustainable food practices (they grow their own herbs and seasonal produce). It’s more a destination spot than just a restaurant, café and bakery. And did I mention they’ve got a pig? Kevin Bacon.

On a gorgeously sunny winter day, I ventured out with Baby Lukas to meet a friend for lunch at The Grounds.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Baby Lukas has been known to nuclear react at this time of day, and The Grounds is perfect for this potential situation: the amazing rustic outdoor garden, nestled amongst produce grown for the café, means that screaming, misbehaving and bored children blend into the scenery instead of standing out. There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore, including a gym for kids. Oh, and did I mention the pig Kevin Bacon?

The Grounds of Alexandria: Kid-Friendly restaurants in Alexandria, via brunchwithmybaby.com — Many places for kids to explore

Once you get over the gorgeousness of the place, the takeaway menu (only available to those eating in the garden) presents mouth-watering options. On today’s outing, I chose a Chicken Burger with Chips, and I can’t recommend this unique burger enough. Don’t ask questions, just order it. You won’t be disappointed.

Baby Lukas kindly waited until I had shoved a few bites into my mouth before deciding to nuclear react, which is about when I played my trump card: off to visit Kevin Bacon. The pig. Needless to say, it worked a treat. Lukas was smitten and I was able to shove the rest of my delicious meal in my face. Happy ending indeed.

Now the one thing I would recommend is getting there early. The Grounds attracts the hordes, and even though the outdoor area is large enough to almost always find a place to sit, the queues for ordering food can be daunting.

Last bite: If you’re looking for a kid-friendly eatery and destination that offers more than just food and excellent coffee on the menu, The Grounds is the place to be.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No. Lots for kids to eat off the menu, though!

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A, N0.2 Huntley St
Alexandria, NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9699 2225
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat-Sun 7:30am-4pm

The Chalkboard Cafe: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Waterloo, Sydney

June 9, 2013 / Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food, Waterloo / 0 comment

The Chalkboard Cafe is a baby-friendly gem amongst the hectic café scene near the bustling Danks Street in Waterloo. Integrated into the home interiors stores featured in the PYD building, the café is a trendy place to brunch.

The Chalkboard Cafe: Kid-Friendly restaurants in Waterloo, via brunchwithmybaby.com — The trendy interior, featuring furniture for sale

This afternoon my husband Lorin and I decided to take Baby Lukas there for a feed. Living quite literally around the corner from this baby-friendly find, we freehand-ported Baby Lukas, though the large space can fit multiple prams. In fact, it’s ideal for mothers groups for this very reason.

As soon as we got there, Baby Lukas required a nappy change (I think he planned it). There’s a change table on the second floor, which is a little cumbersome to get to but a set of stairs or a slow lift will assist.

Once Baby Lukas was sorted, we sat him down on a large square table (quite literally). The staff quickly offered us a highchair but were perfectly content if we just let him play on the table. Because let’s face it: Baby Lukas doesn’t do highchairs. Now, I should point out that this is very nice (naive?) of the staff because most of the furniture in the café is for sale from the stores in the building.

The menu has a great selection of all-day brunch items as well as sandwiches, salads and soups. I ate a delicious Crispy Chicken plate, comprising deep friend tenders with chili sauce, a tortilla and a side salad. Lorin scored a surprisingly Canadian affair of Brioche French Toast with bacon rashers, maple syrup and carmalised bananas. We were both pleased with our meals.

While we ate, we were visited by several staff who kept Baby Lukas happily occupied. On cue, about five bites before I would consider my meal finished, Baby Lukas started fussing, his low-grade, pre-banshee warning siren. Considering he hadn’t soiled or broken anything, it was high time to make an exit before he de-charmed the staff.

Last bite: If you’re looking for a baby-friendly café with lots of space for prams in the bustle that is trendy Danks Street in Waterloo, The Chalkboard Cafe is the go.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No.

The Chalkboard Cafe
197 Young St
Waterloo, NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 9698 2553
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-4pm, Thurs-Fri 5pm-9pm

Darley Street Bistro: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Clovelly, Sydney

June 9, 2013 / Clovelly, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 0 comment

It’s that familiar weekend challenge: finding a kid-friendly restaurant that can accommodate a large group people, including kids ranging from 7 months to 5-years old, and not just a little bit of chaos.

On a decidedly spring-like autumn Saturday, our herd descended upon Darley Street Bistro in Clovelly to try our luck with lunch.

Darley Street Bistro - Kid-Friendly restaurants in Clovelly, via brunchwithmybaby.com — Enjoying conversation at the adult end of the table

Now, lunch out with my 7-month-old son Baby Lukas is like a game of roulette: either he’ll be amazingly charming or he’ll be a screaming banshee before lunch is served.

Darley Street Bistro is a cozy affair, which is code for don’t bring a pram if you can do without one. Upon being seated at two long tables, we were given paper menus which the older kids immediately turned around to colour. Baby Lukas was stuffed (he’s got the chub) in a pristine-for-now high chair.

Like the place itself, the menu was smallish, with a handful of delicious pasta dishes and sandwiches. I chose the Southern Crispy Chicken Wrap. Some sort of secret-sauce-style zing really upped the ante on this little number. This is a must-order or a convince-your-partner/friend-to-order-and-eat-theirs.

The older kids all chose Fish and Chips from the kids menu, and I’m pretty sure that judging from the empty plates (and perhaps a sneaky bite) it was delicious.

Back in the high chair, Baby Lukas was flinging pureed goop all over the no-longer pristine high chair and anyone within hitting distance. He had also moved on from smiling at everyone to escalating shrieking, indicating that our time was running out.

The ridiculously accommodating and non-fussed staff, realizing our plight, arranged for my husband and I to receive our food first so we could take off when needed. Their kid-friendly approach to service really took the stress out of lunch so we could focus on, well, lunch.

Last bite: If you’re looking for a kid-friendly place that caters for larger groups and takes reservations, you can’t go wrong with Darley Street Bistro. We’ll certainly be back!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Darley Street Bistro
309 Clovelly Rd.
Clovelly, NSW 2031
Phone: (02) 8068 2182
Hours: Mon-Sun 12pm-3pm and 5:30pm-late

Eloise – Month 4 – 5

January 20, 2012 / Australia, Cheese, Kids, New York Life, Sydney Life, USA / 3 Comments

Week 18 – Dec 20 – Dec 23

We had a baby nurse visit us to give us help with Eloise’s terrible sleep habits. Amazingly, we were able to get her to sleep in the crib for two naps during the day – something she had been unable to do up until now. So fantastic. I was also told that I was feeding her too frequently, so have to cut back to during the day, no oftener than every 3 hours, and at night, no oftener than every 4 hours. This means some pain for us as we will have to settle her back to sleep at night when she wakes instead of the easy path of me feeding her back to sleep …

The rest of the week we tried to keep up with the advice, but it was hard when we were going out so much and couldn’t keep on a schedule.

Development-wise, this week Eloise spent a lot of time on her back on the floor happily watching us or amusing herself. Her grip improved dramatically. She now reaches for objects and examines them, usually shoving them in her mouth.

Christmas in Sydney Hyde Park.

Hyde Park 17 wks.

Week 19 – Dec 24 – Dec 31

Eloise’s first Christmas! She was spoiled by her family. It was so lovely to celebrate with her – looking forward to the next Christmases as she gets older and can open presents and understand what it all means.

Santa! 18 wks.

Christmas Day.

Developmental changes this week: Trying to roll from front to back. She lifts her legs and can roll to her side, but can’t quite get over. First finger and thumb constantly in the mouth.

Eloise has also started to develop a pincer grip with these fingers, using them to grab her ear, her nappy, and more. She reaches for us all the time now, particularly our faces. She has also started blowing raspberries! She blows them non stop 🙂

First swim in a pool this week. Eloise really loved the water and was in for over an hour. We also took her to Balmoral Beach and put her feet in the sand and in the water. She didn’t know what to think of it all!

First swim! 18 wks.

At Balmoral Beach.

Week 20 – Jan 1 – Jan 7 2012

Our last week in Sydney. After doing way too much and going out too much, Eloise was finding it hard to sleep, frequently waking up after we put her down to sleep.

The big event for this week was Eloise’s naming day. She was a bit overwhelmed by all the people, but was really good natured and managed to put her toes in her mouth for the first time. It was such a fantastic day, with our friends and relatives coming down from Newcastle, over from Perth and all over Sydney.

Cutting the Eloise cake at Eloise’s naming day.

Developmentally, Eloise is changing so much. She rolled over for the first time from front to back (3/1/12). She is really interested in everything we are doing, especially when we are eating or drinking. She also loves touching our faces and following out voices. She is chatting a lot now – even during the night when I feed her, she happily chats away.

Eloise is suddenly so interested in everything. She reaches for our faces frequently, as well as anything we are eating or drinking.

Last big event for the week was the trip back to New York. A huge 24 hours – 12.5 hour flight from Sydney to LA, a four hour layover, then a 4.5 hour flight from LA to New York. Eloise was pretty fussy and didn’t sleep much on the first flight, but was in a fabulous mood and slept for most of the second flight.

On the Virgin flight from LA to NY.

Week 21 – Jan 8 – 13
JETLAG. This week is all about jetlag. Eloise was hit really badly by it on the return leg and hardly slept for nights.

Eloise is really enjoying putting her feet in her mouth. She is also loving our water bottles and reaches for them frequently. She is constantly reaching for things now, so curious about everything in the world. Her co-ordination is improving as well. She really loves Sophie the giraffe now. The toy is the perfect size for her to grab and put in her mouth.

Eloise and Sophie.

Eloise is trying to roll from back to front. She’s slowly getting there … a great improvement is that we can now put her down on the floor and she happily plays there for a while on her own.

Trying to roll.

Week 22 – Jan 14 – 20
First solid! Organic whole grain rice cereal, mixed with formula. I think she enjoyed it – at least, she was very curious about it, and didn’t spit it back out. (16/1/12).

Towards the end of the week, the jetlag seemed to finally wear off, and her sleeping returned to normal – waking at around 9:39, then 12:30-1am, 4:40, then 6am. Blergh. So tired.

A great first this week was Eloise falling asleep in her stroller, not once, but twice! Uh-mazing.

She is really loving exploring our faces and mouths, particularly our teeth. She is so fascinated with everything we are wearing and doing.

Loving my teeth.

This week was our first outing in the cold.

First outing with Daddy. Minus 2 degrees C.

Eloise – Month 3 – 4

December 19, 2011 / California, Kids, Sydney Life, Travel / 0 comment

Week 14 – Nov 19 – 25
Eloise graced us with another 5 hour night stretch, followed the next night by a 6 hour stretch (with a dream feed in the middle). Sadly it was followed by a week of no more than 3 hour stretches at a time …

We had our first road trip to Sonoma wine country. Of course, Eloise hated the car seat … we realised it was too much for her to deal with afterwards and in future. Strangely, after her good nights, she had several more bad days of screaming and not wanting to sleep. What’s up with that, baby girl?! After more trial and error, we realised that she didn’t mind the car if she went in just after she had been fed and was in her happy and alert period. As soon as she reached her tired period, she freaked out. No going to sleep in the car for this little lady.

Sonoma.

On the development side, Eloise is developing great neck and trunk strength, and is getting closer to being able to sit up on her own. She is grabbing toys and trying to stick them in her mouth. She loves LCD screens and can be entertained by putting the iPhone onto camera mode so she can watch herself on the screen.

Eloise experienced her first Thanksgiving this week. We had a fantastic day, with my brother, Tim, and sister-in-law, Michele, driving up to spend the day with us, and our local friends also coming around for lunch. It was a really merry lunch and so much fun. Eloise was also an angel and behaved beautifully. Almost no screaming, lots of naps and a very happy little lady during the day.

Week 15 – Nov 26 – Dec 2
We seem to have regressed into more screaming … now Eloise screams every time she has to go to sleep, including if she’s in the BabyBjorn carrier out on the street. Previously she would be lulled to sleep by this and no screaming. Now it’s wailing, plus wailing at home pre naps and bed time. We are trying something new this week – putting her down in her bed drowsy but awake, and rocking her to sleep. Monday went well – 30 mins of wailing and whinging for the most part, but she went down. The rest of the week really saw a difference. She was easier to out down as the week progressed and stopped screaming in her carrier.

Eloise has made huge leaps in development this week. She’s suddenly found her legs, and loves to kick and straighten them alternately all day. She is also putting things in her mouth, like our fingers, her fists and toys. Since she won’t take the dummy, we’re desperately hoping she will self-soothe.

The biggest thing that happend this week was Eloise sat up by herself, on 30/11. On the same day, she shoved one finger in her mouth, but has been unable to do it again since.

Her eyesight has also improved. She can see us smiling at her from across a room, and smiles back at us, and she can see graphics on people’s t-shirts. She loves Alec’s Twitter bird tee and is mesmerised by it.

Eloise has been making a funny new smile this week, a tight-lipped one instead of the open-mouthed one, and hasn’t been coo-ing and ahh-ing as much. Instead she’s grunting and making higher pitched squeals as she discovers her vocal cords.

We had a day trip to Alcatraz over Thanksgiving long weekend with friends. Eloise was not a huge fan – cycling between short periods of feeding and happy awake, then screaming to sleep, then sleeping for 45 mins to an hour in the BabyBjorn. It’s really tough getting out and about with her.

At Alcatraz.

We also had a drive around Noe Valley with a local friend, Greg. The car seat was not a winner, but thankfully she was in a fabulous mood when she was awake and we had a really fun brunch and tour of the neighbourhood.

Week 16 – Dec 3 – 10

Another couple of road trips on either side of this week. To Berkeley and to Mountain View. The Berkeley trip was a bit disappointing. The only noteworthy thing was an up-the-back poo that required us to get the little lady completely naked outdoors on the Berkeley university campus. Stay classy, Eloise.

Trying out a new hat in Berkeley.

The second road trip on the following Saturday had a great improvement with screaming in the car seat. The only screaming we had all day was when we were stuck in traffic on the way home. Eloise can’t figure out how to go to sleep in the car seat.

This week Eloise wanted to sit up all the time. She got a lot more stable, but still face-planted the couch a few times if I wasn’t fast enough to catch her. Her grip developed significantly this week. She is now able to really hold on to things well and put them in her mouth. Her favourite thing to shove in her mouth is still my finger, to chomp on her gums.

We think Eloise has started teething. She is drooling like crazy, shoving things in her mouth, playing with her ears, disrupted sleep. Poor little girl.

Sleep-wise, we had a mixed week. A few nights of awake every 2 hours, but then a few nights of asleep for almost 6 hours (with a dream feed), followed by 3 hour or two hour blocks.

Week 17 – Dec 11 – 16
Lots of vocalising! Lots of loud noises and squeals. She’s loud and high pitched. She has greater control of her hands now, easily grabbing things and shoving then in her mouth. She has stopped the constant screaming and is now really happy while she’s awake.

This week we had an epic road trip from San Francisco to LA, then flight from LA to Sydney. Eloise was amazingly great on the flight, sleeping for most of it and being really content for the rest. No screaming on landing either!

Week 18 – Dec 16 – 19
We arrived in Sydney on Saturday and spent the day with family and friends who wanted to meet Eloise! What a popular lady! We also met Rosalie’s little man, Brandon, who was 4 wks old.

The Sunday after we arrived we had Adam and Davina’s wedding at the Royal Botanic Gardens – Eloise’s first wedding! It was a gorgeous day and Eloise was super well behaved.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Eloise is 17 wks and 1 day old.

Monday was her four month check up. She weighs 6.3 kg, is 61.5cm long and head circumference of 42cm. She is in the 50th percentile for weight and height, and slightly over 50th percentile for head. She also had her shots – sad panda 🙁

A great new development is that Eloise is now able to entertain herself for short periods. She is happy lying on her back on the floor or sitting in a bouncer and playing with her favourite toys, the ring set and the princess doll.

Eloise is changing so fast. Every day now she seems to be doing something new. Thankfully she is now a super happy little lady except when it’s bed time, and is getting easier and more fun every day. She is really developing her own personality too. She is definite with things she doesn’t like already, and has a super short fuse!

Rain, Rain, Rain

June 3, 2010 / Sydney Life / 0 comment

It’s rained almost non-stop for three weeks. I understand that we need rain, but surely we’ve reached our quota and it’s time to send some rain on down to Melbourne?

Happy Sunday

March 16, 2008 / Family, friends / 1 Comment

Had a really great day today. Met up with Nick to take some pics of carnivorous plants and then went to Lisa’s place for eating cupcakes, Thai, chatting and watching SYTYCD.

Me being a complete tourist today.