Strutin our stuff in Sydney

It's September 2010 and it won't be long before we expect our first visit from Siena's Nana Ma & Papa. We have been in Sydney nearly 6 weeks now and the weather has provided many an opportunity to indulge in some sort after outdoors activity.

Some of the highlights have been a few Saturday visits to our local markets - Orange Grove for a fresh almond croissant that Siena just adores, a tasty Turkish spinach and cheese gozleme & an exceptional hot mocha. Meandering around the Rozelle market for prize possessions also landed us a taste of dark/white chocolate coated strawberries. An absolute treat for any child and mother for that matter and walking the hearty streets of Balmain Village provided us with some free entertainment, with a live Jazz band act.

The Bay Run has multiple stop parkland points & aquatic centres. A visit to Bronte beach recently also placed a smile on my dial to see how happy Siena & Daddy looked on the kiddy's train....

Stay tuned for my next blog that will highlight some favourable flight tips for short haul destinations. We had a terrific flight with Siena from Auckland to Sydney and I look forward to telling all soon. Stay tuned.......

Stroll or run, the point is?

You're out & about!

As I write this post, the sun has disappeared & I'm reminiscing about the superb weather we experienced in Auckland today. It alone created an air of excitement & enticed my family to pack up the family wagon & head out for a day of adventure.

Two items, apart from the obvious were essential items to pack. They included our 3 wheel stroller & baby carrier. With no real destination in mind, our thoughts were...

1. A stroller for fitness & just because
2. A baby carrier for laziness & convenience

Where did we end up?

We started at the Mangere Markets for a morning stroll around various stalls & in particular stopped at a favourite eating haunt - Mussel Madness for a delicious mussel fritter & whitebait fritter. My daughter relished the mussels & whitebait, so much so we had to buy another, for mummy that is hahaha.

From there, we made our way south west to the Drury off ramp with Waiuku in mind. After a few kilometers we decided to veer off the main road & turn further inland to pass through a quaint, tidy little village named Patumahoe that boasted with signage of the Wrights Watergardens.

After a few more kilometers we found ourselves in Mauku, some very friendly folk in that town. We followed our nose, took a few more right turns & would you believe it managed to find a sign saying '9km Waiuku'. Before we new it, we were in the marvellous township of Waiuku.

We had no need to stop for refreshments however, as we had a packed lunch on board with a few more trimmings....picnic rug, portable gas cooker, collapsible chairs etc hahaha. Had I known we were heading to Waiuku, I may have suggested a bakery stop for lunch.

So with our stomachs in mind, yet again....we took a hard left to Karioitahi Beach. Any beach would have been suffice when your mouth waters due to hunger & thirst, however this beach was a real treat. With picnic rug, chairs & sausages on the cooker we relaxed in the sun drenched shores that Karioitahi provided us with. Frolicked in the black sand & watched the many passerbys driving or walking on the beach.

The point of this post?

No stroller, or baby carrier was required in the end, however the thought of being equipped for anything or any situation, provided us with the peace of mind to venture out with no holes barred.

So the point of this post is?

No matter how you achieve it, get out & about xx

Life is a beach, bring baby and a smile

Some of the most enjoyable & memorable times I have of summer, involve trips to the beach. Simply don a pair of flip flops (jandels or thongs), grab a beach towel, sarong, bottle of water, sunscreen, hat & mag and you're ready. Of course the swimming cozzy is a must...

Add a baby & things change a little. Why?

You tend not to rush out of the house in 2 minutes flat with a friend anticipating your entry into the passenger seat of the car. Instead, now your friend is meeting you at the beach, so that there is enough room for the family & the house in the family wagon. Just kidding, the aim here, is to leave the house & its belongings in place.

Pack your baby & baby beach essentials:

• Hat
• Sunscreen (age dependent, check with your pharmacy)
• Protective covers (muslin wraps work a treat, they are cool, light & generally white)
• Sunglasses (baby banz might work for you http://www.babybanz.com/)
• Light clothing (organic cotton etc)
• Shade (umbrella, sunshade etc)
• Towel
• Nappy Bag
• Baby cozzy (if that is your preference)

TIP

Stock your nappy bag based on time dependency I.e. the number of nappies you take will depend on the length of time you plan on spending away from home, + 1, just in case & so on.

Any questions, feel free to comment. Alternatively, please answer these questions.

What did you pack when you took baby out on his/her first outing to the beach? & What changed for repeat visits?

In closing, I'd love to see some fan pics on my NewBawn page, check out http://bit.ly/c18iPg

Cheers & happy adventures,

Maria

xx