FOMO – Melbourne Mondays

FOMO Thai, um Ped Krob, Crying Tiger, Moo Krob Tod

FOMO Thai – 171 Bourke st, Melbourne

Sorry for the late Monday post! I’ve had no net access at the apartment so I wasn’t able to schedule today’s post for the normal morning time. Better late than never though right?

Last week we were finally able to catch a table at FOMO Thai and the staff were friendly and helped us arrange the baby and the pram so we could dine comfortably. We sat near the kitchen and the wafting aroma made us order 3 dishes in a hurry! – it all smelt so good! The place has a very modern interior including it’s tableware – no jade green plates and saucers to be found here. Clean, fresh and crisp.

We ordered the Thai style crispy duck salad and for those that need a little help eating their veggies, this is a great salad to seduce your tastebuds! We also ordered the char grilled beef tenderloin medium rare served with tangy dipping sauce. The meat was so tender and was complemented nicely by the dipping sauce that came with it. Our third dish was the roasted pork bellies servied with 3 speciality condiments, definitely not for those who are on a diet but a must-try anyway because of the amazing crackling that is on offer with every piece you eat. Perfectly crunchy.

This place hasn’t been open for very long but if you want to check it out make sure you either make a booking or come in early so that you get a seat because it is always a full house at FOMO.

First time mums do YouTube

Aspirations

When I first found out  I was pregnant, along with all the other things that ran through my mind, I thought “Does this mean I won’t be able to dance anymore?”  For over 10 years I have been to late night rehearsals nearly every week, danced at clubs, events, and even in Rod Laver Arena. I could go out whenever I wanted and come home any time I wanted, even if the sun was coming up. These days I love being at home or at the park watching Baby get so excited when experiencing the most simple everyday things like smiling at a stranger and them smiling back.

In the course of our lives we have many roles to play – a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a granddaughter, a niece, a trainer, a dancer, a mentor, a volunteer, a godmother to name a few. Out of all the roles I’ve had so far being a mother is the most life-changing and the most amazing – such a blessing that we have a cute little miracle to call our own. It is something I could have never understood until I had my own little bubba to take care of and love. I feel that in order for me to give the best of myself to Baby I should continue to pursue my hobbies and things that I am passionate about, like dance, because a happy and fit me means a happy and enthusiastic mummy! So just last week, myself and some first time mummy friends decided to fulfill our goal of creating a Mother’s Day dance video.

It was so much fun but also so very tiring. With the strong direction, editing and choreography from our friends this video has been possible so thank you to AR Films and Lanie De Castro for putting this all together. I also thank our baby daddies for being so supportive and encouraging. It’s funny how these days it’s the simple things in life like being in bed giggling away with my boys that can put the biggest smile on my face and make me feel so much joy. I hope you enjoy our video and if you have any questions or comments please comment down below!

Thank you for watching!

Blew me away

Cocolatte peplum top (similar here), Cotton On Body bottoms, Sportsgirl necklace (similar here), black heels borrowed from my sister, Australis nail polish in Kick The Bucket. On Daniel: Country Road polo tee, Rhubarb knit vest (similar here), Oishi M bottoms (similar here), Converse baby shoes.

Today’s OOTD post is simple with a pop of blue. With our stay in the CBD being extended I quickly had to shop around for something to wear on Mother’s Day – something affordable, something comfortable, something stylish. This is what I came up with Let me know what you think and what you wore for Mother’s Day! This was my first Mother’s Day celebration and it was a day filled with food, love, mummies, grandmummies and great grandmummies. Mother’s Day this year blew me away – the hardest but most rewarding job in the world was celebrated this year with a family bbq lunch, afternoon high tea and a delicious home-cooked dinner <3

Cupcake Central hosted our high tea experience this Mother’s day with delicious sandwiches and gorgeous sweets! Loved the rose water and pistachio meringues and of course my favourite – creme brulee cupcakes. There were pikelets topped with salmon and a creamy mint chocolate mousse – YUM!!

What did you get up to last weekend?!

-xx-

Switchboard Cafe – Melbourne Monday

Switchboard Cafe, Ground Floor, Manchester Unity Building 220 Collins St. Melbourne

As you walk along Swanston street past all the cheap clothing stores and potato cake-selling diners make sure to take a detour into the this building. On the corner of Collins and Swanston streets is a hole-in-the-wall cafe, a hidden gem where you can get coffee that, I promise you, will satisfy and warm up your entire day. I had heard so many good things about this place and when I finally found it I wondered how they were able to fit the La Marzocco machine let alone run a cafe in a space that is probably the same size as Harry Potter’s home underneath the stairs! But run a business they do and serving up amazing full-flavored coffee is the result! I will be definitely visiting again soon to try out more of their menu and to sit in the cozy little space for some people watching

 

Mini Priceline haul!

Make up haul – 2 day 40% off Priceline sale!

2 weeks ago I couldn’t help myself and stopped by Priceline to grab some products that have been on my list for a while – with 40% off all cosmetics I had to restrain myself from buying even more than what I came in for!

 Savvy nail enamel in Dark Cherry, Revlon ColorStay makeup in True Beige, Maybelline’s Color Sensational lip stick in 914 Vibrant Mandarin, Essence Long Lasting creme eye shadow in the color Raise the Curtain For… , Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush in Screen Siren, Face of Australia HD eyebrow kit comes with 2 powders, wax, tweezers and a brush, Sally Hansen’s eyelash curler, Essence black eyeliner and smokey eye brush.

I saw on Instagram all the other Priceline hauls that were bought by other eager shoppers and although I didn’t go too crazy with the amount of items I bought I have thoroughly enjoyed using the ones listed above! Really affordable and great colors and pigmentation. Especially surprised at the Essence creme eye shadow as it lasts all day when you put it on! I use it with a darker matte shade from my Naked Basics palette and it works so well for everyday wear.

Hope you all had a great week and have an even better weekend!

Happy advanced Mother’s Day to all those who live in Australia

-xx-

Chuckle Park

Chuckle Park on Little Collins st, meatballs, pork slider, the best corn on the cob EVER!, Chuckle Park menu stuck onto the alleyway wall, yummy corn, Mary on top of the caravan shop front, yummy pear cider, leafy tops

Chuckle Park Bar and Cafe, 322 Little Collins st, Melbourne 03 9654-5594

No need for expensive chandeliers or even a ceiling! – just some interesting jam jar lights and upside down umbrellas and you have yourself a quirky little place to enjoy a slider and cider. I had never really noticed Chuckle Park before as I had always known this part of Little Collins st as the place I go to to check the shoe store Zomp and other retailers such as FCUK and Witchery. But walking slower than usual, the colorful flowers at the end of this little lane way caught my eye.

Cuisine: Spanish-feel, burgers, ciders

Location: hidden in a laneway – so Melbourne! easy access when we brought baby in the pram and a great atmosphere!

Service: We had a late lunch here at around 2pm on a weekday and didn’t have to wait long for our meals to come out. The staff were friendly and cheery which really brightened up the grey Melbourne day. They were also very enthusiastic and took the time to make sure baby also enjoyed the dining experience

Food: The menu is short and simple. Easy to read with something for everyone. The meatballs and crusty bread went down perfectly in the cold Melbourne weather and hubby ordered the pulled pork slider which looked amazing and I’m told tasted exactly that! It was the grilled corn covered in parmesan, coriander, lime and sauce however, that blew my mind!!! – it tasted like  my all-time childhood favourite…Twisties! Only with real ingredients and not just junk! I’m drooling now just typing about it. Definitely worth going back for! Apparently another place in Melbourne also serves up this corn sensation so I’ll have to check it out and report back to you.

Drink: The better half ordered a pear cider and I only had a sip or two but I am definitely going to order that next time!!

Kid-Friendly?: Having a late lunch meant that we found a table easily accessible with a pram and the crowd at the time were people on lunch from work or those catching up with friends, so it was kid-friendly as we sat away from the people smoking.

I will definitely be dining back here and maybe ordering more than one corn next time! I would also like to check this place out at night for drinks as I’m sure it would be so pretty and happening with all the cute jar lanterns and DJ!

Happy Monday everyone!

Life Lately #2 – Playing tourist

Melbourne’s Hosier Lane, along St Kilda Road, photoshoot in Essendon, wedding dress shopping along High st Armadale, lunch with friends in Madame Brussels Lane, lifts – first time mums love seeing this! dinner with friends and amazing dumplings at HuTong, lunch catch ups at the Asian Beer Cafe, vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake at Invita Cafe, at Queen Victoria Market, chillin at RMIT, church, window shopping along Bourke St mall, the Basement, QV, Saxony launch of Katsutoshi Yuasa art pieces, Nam Loong’s buns along Russell st, fresh new floorboards, Mr Burger at Therry st, wandering 

My Week in Pictures

Currently reading: topics on clean eating, cleaning, baby development, Melbourne’s history, council news, volunteering, beauty (sulphate and paraben free products), parenting

Currently eating: way too much sugar than I should

Need to work on: budgeting, decluttering, updating the blog design, getting more toned especially the butt and belly, a couple of dance projects, organising more date nights, weaning, baby-proofing the house now that commando-type crawling has begun!, using my calendar, cooking at home (been eating out too much lately)

Food, friends, family and lots of walking is how I spent the last few days of April/early May. Try playing tourist some time and experience Melbourne in a different way. We have such a beautiful city.  One thing I have found though is that “prammimg” it around the CBD means a constant battle of trying to avoid the clouds of smoke that hang at every entrance and exit. I feel so bad for poor little bubba and try to steer his pram a different direction any time I can. I have also found that quite a few places and shops do not have ramp access…hmphh! The food and coffee definitely make up for it though so for now Melbourne I forgive you, but you seriously need to do something about being more pram/baby-friendly.

On another note being 6 months post par tum I need to really get back to the gym so I can continue to eat ice-cream every night! More posts up on that later. Perhaps a fitness challenge is a coming ? I miss the days when we were training for Tough Mudder.

What was your favorite thing about your week?