Happiness...

...for Monet meant a new bed.  

Since returning to Australia, Monet's bed had been our spare Queen sized one.  Her UAE bed went to her little sister.  Going from a five bedroom villa and then eventually into a three bedroom apartment has meant a lot of purging and donating of goods to the Salvos or Red Cross.  And because Monet had spent a good three years in bedrooms the size of our whole living area in our apartment, she couldn't get around her head that she had an Australian 'normal to large sized' bedroom.  Not enough room for her with the Queen-sized bed hogging near half of her floor space.  

MrL and I bit the bullet and went through with a promise we made her, in getting a new bed.  After a few weekends of both MrL and Monet doing the rounds of furniture stores in Cairns (there are not many but we had to try and work out suitable cost for a bed and mattress etc.,) we all settled on one from Snooze.  We went to PillowTalk and bought a new doona and she choose a new cover.   

Next step in the bedroom transformation was the purchase of these wall stickers we spied in a store.

And bunting.  Every eight year old girl should have bunting.  I had never made bunting before but gave it a go.  I went to Spotlight and choose three colours.  I didn't have the doona cover with me at the time but was rapt when I got home to see I had chosen very well...

Of course since this has all happened Monet has changed her room around half a dozen times, 'cause that's how she rolls.

We've noticed a more happier Monet since her new bed came into her life and the old bed was removed.

Happiness came in the form of a new bed.  Who knew?

Fratelli

When MrL's parents were up over Christmas we all visited a particular little restaurant that I had been eyeing off since our return but hadn't set foot in the place.  After our dining experience I had wished we had been there previously.  

Fratelli opened up on the Esplanade of our beach-side suburb when we were living in the UAE.  After a little research we have found out that the current owners and chefs of the place were the original owners of Lunico's, which we frequent a lot (see previous post!)  During the day, when closed and shut up shop, this restaurant looks like an old run down marquee.  But when they sides of the marquee open and the 'Open' sign is turned on the gate, you see that it isn't run down, but it is rustic.  In a comfortable way.  

The food ordered was delicious.  

And I love a good kiddies menu.  Lily (and the rest of us!!) loved the spaghetti and meatballs.  Delicious.

I've been dreaming of this ricotta and spinach gnocchi, baked in the oven in a tomato sauce, since I had it!

I don't usually do desserts but when the in-laws do, I do too.  Vanilla-bean panacotta thank you.

Can you see that lady waving?  No, I don't know her.  But we were sitting on the table behind them.

Frantelli.  Definitely a restaurant to put on your list to visit if you're in my neck of the woods.

Two days before Christmas...

...we celebrated MrL's birthday.  My in-laws had arrived the day previously for a handful of nights so it was nice to have them here to help celebrate.  It was also nice of them to have the girls for the afternoon.  *heehee*

I was actually pretty organised this year and MrL scored well with pressies.  

The six of us headed to Palm Cove for lunch.  We had decided (after deliberation) to eat at the Far Horizon's Restaurant, located within the Angsana Resort of the Palm Cove foreshore.  It was actually the same restaurant that MrL and I had our little wedding celebration at, back in 2008.  

With hesitation we ordered off the menu but no one could fault their food.  I must note that the kid's menu was great and different from everywhere else which offer the same thing.  Monet had chosen a platter of bread, ham, cheese, cucumber, ham and lettuce and Lily had a toasted cheese sandwich with apple slices on the side.  Mine was Peri-peri chicken on a light salad.  Washed down with a James Boag beers or two, was lovely....

After lunch Nanna and Poppy took the girls home....ahh....

After another drink we made our way along the Esplanade and ended up at a bar we had wanted to visit but never had.  The Rising Sun.  It didn't feel like Palm Cove, had a very Mediterranean feel about it.  Was lovely.  And as a bonus we spied a kid's corner located under one of the stain glassed windows.  I'd love a nook like this in my dream home...

We should have stayed there for the remainder of the afternoon but instead we moved on to a couple more places.

MrL's dad picked us up and back to the apartment they were staying at.  They were happy to look after the girls a little longer so we went to Lunico's for dinner.

A lovely way to end a birthday.

Happy Birthday MrL xx

MrL's meal - those sweet potato chips were to die for.

Habits

After a few months of not blogging, I can still report that my three year old Lily is still a girl with habits.  

Like dummy sucking.

Like lots of Mummy cuddles.

And the constant putting her hand down my top....

...or up my sleeve.

And if she insists that I sit beside her on the couch, it isn't long before she's lounging and trying to get her foot up my sleeve.

*sigh*

One night on the run up to Christmas...

...I took the girls into Cairns City.  MrL was having some Christmas drinks at work and both Monet and Lily were keen to see some of the lights around the traps.  I wanted to see the giant Christmas tree the council had set up at the Lagoon, so that was our first port of call.  

After a McDonalds dinner (as you do) and a mandatory Baskin Robbin's ice cream, it was time to pose next to the beautiful tree.

We drove home, the long way, via a couple of suburbs which I had read on the internet, that had some cool Christmas lights.  Both girls oohed and ahhed at particular homes.

And then we came to this house.

Rhonda and Barry had done a spectacular job on their yard.  (And no, I do not know Rhonda nor Barry but I had heard it took a good three months to set it all up!  Heck!!)  The lights all flashed in time to particular music and was pretty special, truth be told.  The girls loved it and Lily's face seriously lit up and she didn't want to leave.  It was nice to see some Christmas Spirit after spending previous Christmases in a Muslim country.

They say it is one of Cairns best kept secrets...

Since moving back to this part of the world, I had been told a few times from various people about Kewarra Beach Shack and people have been surprised when I had said we hadn't gone.  Just by chance, one Sunday midday, we visited.  (I  think it may have been early November.)  

Kewarra Beach is located the next suburb up from ours - it is mainly a housing suburb but with a Resort located on the beach.  This is where 'Cairns best kept secret' is.  As you stroll a hundred or so  metres along the beach from the car park, there is 'The Shack'.   It is like something out of Gilligan's Island.

We ate a couple of bowls of delicious beer battered hot chips and downed a couple of icy cold beers.  (Not the girls of course, they had cool water!)  It wasn't long before the place started to fill up, as it was a Perfect Sunday.

The Shack is popular on Friday nights for wood fired pizza and a live band and apparently bookings are a must.

But I'll be happy to return on a Perfect Sunday any time.

Our mission to Mission

MrL and I like to organise a trip for a night or two on spur of the moment.  My latest example was Friday evening.  Before we knew it we had booked a two night getaway to Mission Beach, a 170 kilometer trek down the Bruce Highway.  We have visited that part of the Cassowary Coast on numerous occasions but have never stayed there.  

We left early on Saturday morning with MrL's car loaded with suitcases.  As you do with two young children.  

You know when you are nearing Mission beach when the signs below are scattered along the road leading into the area....

It was hot there.  Really hot.  A different heat from that of Cairns when we say it is hot and humid.  A different heat from that of the UAE and once again, a different heat from a hot day in Melbourne.  We had parked the car in the main drag of Mission Beach and headed to the beach for a stroll.  By the time we got back from our walk we were all dripping with sweat and the cold water from the local little supermarket went down a treat.

After lunch at a local 'resort' we headed to 'Woolies' and got a few supplies before checking into our cottage along Wongaling Beach.  A reasonable sized two bedroom cottage.

The girls had a swim in the (shared) pool after a play and a relax.  Our dinner was at a bar and grill down the road.

The girls before heading out for dinner

Sunday morning I headed out for a early lone walk along the beach.  The sunrise was beautiful and it was lovely to walk along the beach, sharing with a few other walkers.  The length of Mission Beach runs some 12 kilometres or so, with views over to islands, the main being Dunk which was ravaged in 2011's Cyclone Yasi, which destroyed the beautiful resort we had stayed on about six years previously.

After a lazy morning of driving around and a swim in the pool we headed off for lunch.  We couldn't complain about the view.

Monet took this photo of Lily and I

 The afternoon was spent back in the pool (as you do), a few Sunday arvo sippers (Coronas were of choice), we headed back to the Bar and Grill we had visited the night previously.  (There are not a lot of choices close by at Wongaling Beach.)  It was two Coronas for the price of one so that was nice.  (*heehee*)

And because the meal we had there the night before was delicious and the view was picturesque, we ate there again.

I had the same meal two nights in a row!  Red Emperor on top of a potato croquette, roast pumpkin, spinach, pesto and some lovely sauce.

We left yesterday morning, at around 8:30, which was absolutely perfect timing, as the rains set in from across the sea.  The rain home was unbelievably heavy and slow going, but we got home safe and sound and in one piece.

how long is a piece of string?

Answer?  Too long.

It's been yonks since my last post and Monet keeps asking if I have updated my blog.  Every.  Day.  So here you go Monet, here is a post for you to read.

My camera kind of died a while back (too many leaky water bottles unfortunately without me realising! URGH) and being in Cairns my camera would have to be sent away to be fixed.  Not sure if it is worth the time and hassle...  My iPhone has been working away as my camera for the past few months - I kid you not.

We've done a bit and seen a lot since my last post back in October.  I will get around to blogging about them once I upload my phone photos onto the computer.  I have a lot to share.

I will be glad to put 2012 to rest.  It hasn't been the easiest or best year.  We've had regrets (and regret is the pits) and it has not been easy moving back to what seems like the past.  Hoping not to have any regrets about 2013, things can only go upwards.

Happy new year to you all.  =)