Loving the new Pakington Street Eateries

There has been quite a number of new eateries opening up on both ends of Pako in good old Geelong. Last week I managed to try a few out.

First stop was Zigfrids located at 66 Pakington St, Geelong West. It just so happened that I ended up there twice in one day. I arrived at 11am and had a yummy chai latte. We had to wait to eat as they were between menus which was a little frustrating. I am a huge fan of all day breakfast places.

At 12 we could order from the lunch menu and my friend and I split the Pulled Pork Sliders. They were excellent and had a good amount of spice. My dining companion may have found them a little too warm judging by her facial expressions and a few coughs. :)

I like the industrial feel inside with the super high ceilings and hanging planters. The vibe was nice and relaxed and most people were outdoors.

I was back again for dinner with my book club gals. We always order tonnes of plates and share everything which means we get to sample a good chunk of the menu. Everything was awesome and service was good. You can check out the menu here. The stands out for me were:

The Zigfrids Prawn Cocktail. A modern take that was fresh and tangy. I loved it and I am not a fan of watermelon so they did good.

The curried cauliflower croquettes are very moreish

Chicken wings were sweet and tasty

The mixed tomato salad was sublime

My only complaint would be that the stools at the high table were the MOST uncomfortable seats I have encountered in a long time. There was no bar to rest your feet so a few of us were standing for part of the time. Does not make for a relaxing night. I could perhaps tolerate it for an hour but 3 was tough.

Next stop was Born and Bread (great name) found at Shop 2/364 Pakington Street. It faces Marshall Street and has a gorgeous black and white awning...very chic.

I just popped in for a take out sandwich which was super duper yummy, the freshest, squishiest healthy looking bread. I chose the Tuna Nicoise. It could become an addiction.

My bestie goes often for coffee and says its fab.

The sweets look dangerously yummy too.

Go check it out...

Friday morning breakfast was at Pakington Pantry located at 3/328 Pakington St, Newtown and all I can say is Delicious with a big capital D. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the service was great. Dishes cleared promptly...big tick. It took me ages to decide on a breakfast item as the whole menu was so damn good.

I have heard the hangover wrap is pretty sensational but thought I would save that for when it was really needed. At the suggestion of the lovely waitress I settled on the Shakshouka eggs. Amazing!!!. The right amount of spice, delicious Chorizo, eggs perfectly runny. I want to recreate this one.

My partner in crime ordered a simple dish of poached eggs and avocado which were also perfect.

They are now opening some evenings with wood fired pizzas and the menu looked great.

Enjoy checking out these new kids on the block and I am always happy to get comments about your experiences.

I love my new Aroma Bloom

I love a gadget, I really do.

I am a sucker for all things new and shiny and this one caught my eye a few weeks back.
I have always been into my aromatherapy oils, when they were THE in thing I was there and like all things I get addicted to, I read up, invested in every oil known to woman, made my own blends etc.

Something however has happened in the last 2 decades...I had kids, I am frazzled and I am time poor. I am way too busy to contemplate re filling my oil burner with water every few hours and lighting a new candle. Lame I know but I am sure there are people feeling the same way.

Soooooo...I saw this plug in oil diffuser called an Aroma Bloom that is also a pretty lime (looks yellow to me) light. I brought this baby home along with 2 lovely oil blends JOY and RELAX. All members of my household love it. Lights off, in front of movie, relaxing by the lovely yellow glow of my new toy.

It switches itself off if the water level gets too low...huge bonus.  It operates up to 10 hours in continuous mist mode and up to 18 hours intermitted mist mode. I am keen to try this in winter if any of us get sick, with a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the bedroom whilst sleeping.

If you love aromatherapy oils you will be all over this.

This post is not all sponsored or paid for. My very own discovery.

You can check it out at Lively Living

My personal thoughts on Schapelle Corby

I have written this as I do have an outlet here to be able to express how I feel. It is more for me than for anyone else. I am hoping that people will respect my opinion and not enter into any arguments with me or other readers, use bad language  etc. I have refrained from doing so with people who have a differing opinion to me. So here goes.

I am REALLY sad and disappointed by the way the public is reacting and talking about Schapelle Corby. The comments I have read on social media and heard in public are concerning to me. I understand that people can be against her and not like her and her family but I feel that it has been taken a bit far by some. 

“Who cares this isn't news. Wouldn't have cared if she rotted there for the rest of her life.”

To whoever wrote this. Yes it is news whether you like it or not. The media made it  news not Schapelle herself. She does not seem to enjoy 100's of cameras flung in her face and I am sure she wishes they would go away and let her deal with this the same way many other anonymous Australians in jail around the world do.

What would make someone say they wanted someone like her to rot for the rest of her life? A young girl who may or may not be guilty. Yes I am aware she was convicted. Convicted in a country where the politics and corruption are insane. Convicted with no real evidence to 100% prove she placed the drugs in there. No fingerprints, no CCTV footage, no weighing of bags, no drug tests administered. Is that really fair? It is Lindy Chamberlain all over again and you know how that ended. I was a Lindy supporter also as there was not enough evidence for me to be against someone so vehemently. 

“a shame you didn't think the families of the burnt down houses in Victoria were more important news than a family of criminals”

“What about the fires and the real people who matter??”

What an incredibly stupid and naïve comment to make that I saw hundreds of people say. Is this a serious question?  Have we lost the ability to care about more than one thing at a time? News flash…I care about the fires AND I care about Schapelle AND I care about who wins an Olympic Gold AND I care about the loss of Toyota jobs AND I care that rapists and killers are being freed after a few years or less in jail. I can multi task so please don’t suggest I can only care about one thing and that’s it.  I am quite capable of shedding tears of sadness and joy all at the same time.

So what if her family are a bunch of criminals, does that automatically make her one too? If my sibling murders someone am I a murderer also?  If they are a dope head does that make me a dope head too? Does not seem that fair really.  This family of alleged criminals and “bogans” as I have heard over and over have been a very supportive and caring family from what I have seen, they have given her all the support they could, have given up so much to pay legal fees etc and to just be there for her. If the media were closing in on any of my family members like that for any reason at all I would be flinging my handbag around and yelling too. Many non "bogan" families have abandoned family members for less than this especially in the show business world? 

Speaking about show business. I am finding it hard to understand and am very confused about how we can celebrate the life of celebrities,  lots of them,  who are self confessed drug addicts. Found dead with needles in their arms in a house full of illegal drugs.  In some cases people who have young children sharing that home with them. That we can feel sorry about and celebrate and hold candlelight vigils for, but not a young girl who may or may not have done the crime. and who may or may not even be a drug user? I just don’t get it. I have been fans of these big name celebrities but they have to be responsible for their stupidity also and not popped up on golden pedestals with a little bit of pity on the side.

If it were her drugs, does she really deserve to rot in hell? Does she deserve 9 years lost from the prime of her life? Did she take someone else’s life? Is she evil? I think the people shaming her  seem to have more evil in them than she does. 

What if she made a mistake? A really big mistake. The biggest mistake of her life. I imagine she has suffered enough, has done way more than the crime deserves and her new semi freedom should be celebrated and we should care, even just a little bit.  Like Lindy Chamberlain,  how will she ever be able to live in Australia again? How can she walk down a street like an ordinary person again and experience true freedom? She will never be the same again, she will never live a normal life, she will have huge psychological issues till the day she dies. Is that not enough for the Schapelle haters?

As for the media deal. 2 million is a lot of money but if you break it down, it is not THAT big. She has earn't nothing for 10 years, I would say she is so screwed up that she will never be employable and if she was I am sure it would need to be quite menial. I would imagine she would feel compelled to give some money to family members who have put up a lot of money for her. Her ongoing medical and mental health issues will require a lot of money thrown at them. I am hoping that she will donate some money to some kind of a cause. 

I have heard a number of people say that this sends a message to criminals that ALL they have to do is spend 10 years in jail and they are set up for life. Really!!!!  I would bet whatever I had that if she was given the option of getting the last 10 years back or 2 million big ones she would choose the former. I think the people making this statement underestimate what sleeping on a hard floor with a room of full of other women in the heat and stench of a squat toilet and no running water is like. Prisoners in this country may think 10 years on the inside would be worth it but that would only be a certain type of person, not anyone I know.  I would never give up a day of my freedom for money.

The bottom line is that there are just too many what if’s for me to be so against her. 

If it all comes out that she put the drugs in her bag or knew they were there I would be sad and disappointed that a 26 year old women felt she needed to do that. I would however know she did the time and I would pray that she enter back into life the best way she can, having hopefully learnt from her ridiculously massive mistake and be able to live somewhere in peace with a little compassion and support.

Once again, I welcome peoples opinions but make them nice and to the point and please respect that wrong or right these are my feelings on this case.

Lesson in survival

Ah the school holidays, perfect one day - perfectly ghastly the next....and the next...will we ever learn?

To all the parents out there, are you experiencing school holiday bliss or not so much?

I always go into these holidays so excited. I mean what’s not to love? It is Christmas, it’s Summer, we get to sleep in and have long lazy days. Each year I seem to forget that by the end of week two I am starting to feel a little on edge, patience levels not so good, my voice is getting a little crankier. The kids seem to have taken a pill that turns them feral and makes me question if they even belong to me.

The endless questions, requests for food and sibling squabbles over super important things like who plays with what Barbie are doing my head in. Trying to decide on a movie that all 3 want to watch is like watching a really bad comedy. If only those were my biggest problems in life.

Even though a plethora of new books, toys, crafty items, new apps and even a puppy arriving in the house does not stop the “ I am bored” statement leaving their lips every few minutes. Really guys? ‘In my day’ I had a few dolls, a few books, a black and white TV with 4 stations and no devices. Like they care when I talk about the ‘olden days’

Sometime last year they sneakily introduced lunch dessert into our lives. So now, not only do I have to contend with running a café for 3 kids with different palates for each meal, I also have to introduce a lunch dessert menu. Why didn’t I say NO the first time instead of indulging my little treasures to believe this is normal.

Who sits in the front seat of the car has also started record breaking “its not fair” scenarios. If someone’s day falls on a long drive to Melbourne or away on holiday then World War 3 is starting. I try to do some negotiating. “how about you all get a 3^rd each” Nope that’s not fair to the person who’s day it is. The only way to solve this is to let the puppy have the front seat 7 days a week.

I thought keeping up with housework and laundry during the school year was a challenge, it has reached epic proportions. We currently have no couch to sit on from the amount of clothing they are going through. Miss L seems to think our house is a Paris runway show and changes clothes no fewer than 4 times a day and manages to get something smeared on every single item. I have decided to just give in, take deep breathes and make peace with the mess.

I start feeling guilty that I have a secret countdown of how many days it is till school goes back. Shouldn’t I be enjoying every available moment with my kids?  On a visit to Westfield, it took all of about 3 minutes to realise that most of the population is struggling to keep control of their offspring. I bumped into one school Mum who was dragging  her 5 year old  child having an epic meltdown along the ground to keep up with the other 2 who were running ahead. In every single aisle of Big W I heard a Mother at the end of her rope. Multiple requests to not hit your sister, stop pulling clothes off the rack, no we can’t buy new toys, please get off the ground, stop climbing on the shelves.

We give each other a nod in understanding that this too will pass and normal life will resume on the 30^th of January, not that we are counting.

This column ran in Saturday 25th January 2014 GT, in the Geelong Advertiser.

On a lighter note, we did have a fabulous Summer holiday. So great to spend time with my babies. It did go very fast.

Piccadilly Market 2014 Dates

Mark your diaries.

Big news is that we are coming to Melbourne. Yippee!!!!

Woop Woop!!!! I finally made my Advent Calendar

How much do we love Pinterest on a scale of 1 -10? I am about a 100.

A few years back I saw a pic of an advent calendar that I LOVED and swore I would make it in 2011 and then in 2012, failed again. Finally this year I made some time and did it and I am super happy.

I got some calico and just used fabrics I had around home.

It is big and makes a statement.

We use a magnet to mark the day.

What do you think?

The importance of Christmas Traditions

I love tradition, tradition of any type whether it be Christmas, Easter, Birthdays or Weddings. Being Christmas I thought I would let you in on a few of ours.

I have 2 Polish parents who were immigrants to Australia making me first generation Australian. My grandparents started out being VERY Polish in all the customs and as the years have gone by a few things have been Australianised.

We celebrate on Christmas Eve and have broken away from seafood only and added in Turkey and Ham, a very welcome addition. We always sing carols before presents are opened and everyone behaves like a star in the making. Very comical. Any new person to join our family has to perform in front of everyone. They crap their pants of course. When the kids Dad, Shane, first came, it was also my sister in laws first so they got to do it together...phew!!! My cousin Matt got up with his girlfriend to alleviate her nerves. It is fun, it is silly but it is our tradition and we love it.

My grandmother always made the very traditional Polish Barszcz (Beetroot Soup) and Uszka (Mushroom Dumplings). When she passed away all the women and children took over and it is now tradition to meet a week or 2 before Christmas and have a fun day of getting into the spirit. It has been 8 years and I hope this is continued long after I have gone also.

Super old photo of Lola with her soup

We did this on Sunday and we know our grandparents would be looking down with such happiness that these special customs have not died with them.

My kids LOVE it, they look forward to Uszka making day as much as they do Christmas. As they have got older they are more and more involved and the process is getting faster.

Busy at work

The hilarious thing is they have not figured out that the filling is made from mushrooms which are apparently YUK!!!  they eat the soup with gusto and ask for 2nds. They don't particularly like beetroot as a vegetable but in soup it passes.

Here are some photos from the day, even our new family member Sunny was involved.

Feel free to share any of your traditions in the comments

What's not to love about Little Creatures Geelong? Let me answer your FAQ.

Approximately 2.5 years ago I heard a whisper that Little Creatures had bought the Mills in South Geelong and since then the Luscious Ladies aka Peg and I have been not so patiently waiting for the doors to be flung open and that finally at long last happened last week.

Yesterday I took the family to celebrate Shane and Mstr J's birthdays and we were super impressed.

I bet you have some questions

Where is it?  Corner of Fyans and Swanston in South Geelong

Does it have parking?  Why yes it does and lots of it.

Are their plenty of tables? Yes, it is wayyyyy bigger than most people would think with plenty of seating indoors and outdoors.

Is it Kid Friendly? Yep, Little Creatures want to be an integral part of the community and that means being family friendly. Indoor and Outdoor sandpits and a kids menu with generous sizing. We split 2 kids pizzas for 3 hungry munchkins.

How is the service? Excellent, thank god they have some non typical Geelong service happening, No offence but G Town really needs to lift its game. Loads of friendly, eager staff and the food was super quick even though the place was rocking. They do not take bookings but with things moving quickly there should not be a huge wait.

How is the food? A small basic menu but super yum and fresh. We had the famous hand cut fries which were devoured in minutes, the delish pork sliders and the Chorizo Pizza. Next time I am going for Prawn Tortillas and a Kransky.

Can you hire a bike? Funny you ask, YES you can hire a bike for FREE and we all love FREE and go for a pedal as long as you bring it back by sundown. Brilliant!!!!

How was the beer? Well I am tipping it is 1000% fantastic but I had a Pip-squeak Apple Cider and it was fabulous, do need to watch the kids trying to take sneaky sips. Naughty!!!

I am keen to do one of the free daily tours next time.

Little Creatures choosing our town is an awesome thing and will do wonders. Grab some friends and family and get on down and see what it is all about.

And seriously anywhere that has a knitting corner gets my big tick approval.

And the little things like this don't go un noticed.

Enjoy!!!!

Thank You Geelong

Piccadilly 1st Dec 2013, a set on Flickr.

Thank you for everyone who came out in their droves for the Christmas Piccadilly Market Event.

We had over 100 amazing stallholders with so much choice for presents and of course shopping for ourselves too.

2013 has been a great year and we look forward to seeing you all next year. Dates are still to be confirmed.

This year Piccadilly has been a platform for the 100 for 100 Campaign, Rivers Gift and Geelong Animal Rescue to raise close to $10,000 which is fantastic.

Until next year.