This.

The Easter long weekend was exactly what I needed. Celebrations with our nearest and dearest. Easter egg hunts with the cutest kids in town. A Sabbath day that became meaningful to me in unexpected ways, which was an answer to my prayers. I have been craving a Sunday like that for the longest time and have been feeling incredibly frustrated by so many things. It was in the frustration that I was able to determine what I was missing, and that was “connection”. On Sunday I found it- in a very small way, but it's there and I feel like it is something I can build on. Hallelujah.

We ended our long weekend with a hike along the Hallet Cove Conservation Park. It was magic listening to the waves crashing against the rocks and the trickling sound as they rolled back out to sea. Andy had a blast exploring the little rock pools and tossing stones into them, feeling very satisfied with the big splashes they made. Watching that was pure joy. Adventuring and discovering with him is honestly my favourite thing to be a part of.

It was a weekend that allowed me to take stock of what really matters and I took the time to offer up gratitude and understanding for that. Because “what really matters” is different for everyone. I think that as I grow to understand this I am less worried about trivial things and I am just able to love others from where I stand. I want more of this and as much of it as I can get. Because to me “this” is what matters: family, dear friends, God and our Saviour, adventure, discovery and deep soul to soul connection. Without these things I feel a little lost.

Here’s to more of THIS.

Good Morning Sunshine!

One of my priorities this year is to actively cultivate happiness- it's something I am passionate about. You make the good life, glass half full and all that jazz.

The quote that goes along the lines of "every sunrise is an invitation to brighten someones day" got me thinking; then it got me planning; then before I knew it was 5:00am and I had a car full of some of my favourite girlfriends. We were sunrise viewing bound!

These are salt of the earth kind of girls and I absolutely love them. Added bonus, they know how to pack some delicious snacks (every girl needs friends like these).

In Adelaide, you need to head up to the hills to watch the sunrise. We decided to stop at Mt Lofty House and enjoyed each others company while watching the sunrise. It was so magnificent watching the colours change over the valleys and hills in front of us. The weather was warm with a soft breeze and we could hear the kookaburras laugh. In my book that's pretty much a perfect start to the day.

There is something very grounding about watching nature do it's thing. I'm in awe of this beautiful world in which we live. Watching the sunrise has been on my bucket list for a while now, I'm so glad we made the effort to do it! I don't think it will be the last time I do.

Our Little Date to the Botanic Gardens

Excuse me while I pinch myself, it's February already?! The month of love. In honour of that I've been planning activities that we "love" over here to participate in all month long. Those of you that follow me on instagram already know that our Tuesday outing at the zoo didn't exactly end well- neither of us were harbouring many feelings of love, more like we were completely frustrated with each other. It was not out finest hour as a mother and son duo. That being said we both learnt a lot. Moving on.

Determined to add more positive vibes to the memories we are making this week we headed to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Both Andy and I love to be outside, we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth and I am grateful for that every day. It promised to be a good day as soon as we turned on the radio in the car. The best "Throw Back Thursday" list was playing from 1993, Mr Wendall by Arrested Development came on and I am happy to report that I still know every word (I came of age in the hip hop era and I have the sneakers and moves to prove it).

We had a great time roaming amongst the trees for a few hours today. We found sticks, pebbles, some really cool leaves, kindness in the lady photographing birds and chivalry in a guy with a neck tattoo.

Days like today are our favourite.

Andy's t-shirt is from HERE (matching adult size HERE) and his shoes are from HERE

Bringing the Beach Life Home

We spent some time away down at Middleton over the Christmas period. It was everything we needed and more.

Away... that word brings me comfort in a very airy and light way. Away from the hustle and bustle, away from stress, away from the "norm"- just away. Things slowed right down the second that we arrived and it stayed like that for the duration of our stay.

My summer self was happy and I was happy to find her at the beach. I decided right there and then that I would bring some of that beach life home with me. That flexible, relaxed, ready to play, ready for adventure kind of life. The sandy and messy and slightly irresponsible kind of life. So far, so good. I've brought that beach life home.

My husband is just as committed to keeping that kind of mindset with us throughout the year as well. We spent new years day sitting down and figuring out what we wanted our 2017 to look like and we both agreed, we wanted it to be more like "that". We want this year to be a mindful one, a year that we handle stress differently, a year in which we take a mindful moment before we dive right in and say "yes". A year of a little more "beach life" at home.

I'm grateful for our little getaway and the happy perspective it gifted me personally. I feel like 2017 is going to be a good one.

Here are some pictures from our little holiday.

I've had a few questions about where we stay down at Middleton, so I thought I would leave that information here:

Beach Huts Middleton

We usually stay in the "Sorrento" because it has two bedrooms. We love the clean, fresh and modern vibe these huts have. There is access to washing machines on site, a few of the huts actually come with a washing machine too. We can't recommend this place enough and get down here at least twice a year. Check them out.

The National Motor Museum

We kicked a bit of a parenting goal when we took our little boy to see the National Motor Museum a few weeks ago. From the second we walked into that place he could not wipe the smile off his face. The other brilliant thing was that every time he squealed with delight it echoed throughout the whole building. We could hear other enthusiasts sharing the same sentiment. It was a great activity to escape the horrible weather we have been having. Indoors with lots of cars, and those cars had facts. We really like facts. It's how we operate.

Here are some pictures from our day out at Birdwood, where we happily avoided the rain.

City Living

On Saturday, I packed my son up with all his bits and pieces and headed into the city with him. It had been a while since either of us had left the house, and we needed to get out! My favourite thing about where we are currently living is how close we are to the city. I'm a *city slicker by nature and I'm loving showing my little boy around my old stomping grounds.

After we had run some errands and grabbed a bite to eat we headed to the Art Gallery of South Australia. It was time for Andrew's nap, so I popped him in the pram and wandered the galleries while he slept. I was in Mummy heaven! Pre baby days I was a frequent patron of the Art Gallery, as I walked through taking in the paintings and reading about the artists, I felt like I was picking up little pieces of me. It was like I was with an old friend, everything about that hour of sleepy baby gallery walking was a sheer delight. Everything. I love it when I have those moments in which I realise I am  finding the "me" in motherhood. Sometimes those moments aren't as frequent as I would like them to be and I tend to get a little caught up in "all the things". However, in the interest of self preservation I am beginning to understand just how important it is to take that time for yourself. Even if it is stolen time while your baby naps- no one said you can't multitask while doing so. Two birds with one stone and all that jazz.

As any mother knows, nap time does not last forever. Awake my son was, ready to play. By this stage the husband/ Daddy unit had met up with us, which was great because we were able to enjoy a little family date at "The Studio". I highly recommend taking your littles to the gallery and getting involved in all that "The Studio" has to offer. It's free and all the supplies you need are provided. We had a great time creating a little pot of  paper flowers. Andrew loved all the textures that were at his disposal. He was very proud of our little family creation.

All in all it was a successful Saturday! I love it when that happens.

*Full disclosure: by "city slicker" I mean that I've lived close to the city my whole life and have loved it- big cities excite me. However, that being said- I have been known to find utter delight in the simplicity of nature and am quite often found heading for large masses or dirt, simply because I love the smell. So there is that.