Markets I’ve Visited

042. Visit five markets I’ve never been to before  [more info]

I’ve visited a few markets within Melbourne (and surrounds) that I had never visited up until the beginning of this project, which were:

• St. Andrews Market
• Hurstbridge Farmer’s Market
• Flemington Farmer’s Market
• Bundoora Farmer’s Market
• Wattle Festival, Hurstbridge

While I didn’t blog about all of these markets, I have pictures of all but Flemington Farmer’s Market, as it turns out (though I remember taking pictures at the time… I just can’t find them on my computer unfortunately!)

Produce we bought from St Andrews Market (2010)

Hurstbridge Farmer’s Market goods (2010)

Bundoora Farmer’s Market (2012)

Hurstbridge Farmer’s Market again (2012)

The Wattle Festival, Hurstbridge (2012)

The Day Spa

025. Get a professional massage [more info]
038. Visit a day spa [more info]

My husband’s family bought me a voucher for a hot stone massage from a day spa in the Yarra Valley for Christmas and I only got around to using it recently. From a Mission101 perspective, this was good for two reasons:

1. I had never been to a day spa before and it was on my list
2. I also made the goal of having a professional massage

On a personal note, I was thrilled because the relaxation part of this was perfect! (so it wasn’t obviously just goal-related glee :P).

Hot stone massage is exactly how it sounds… warm smooth stones (palm-sized) are dipped in essential oils and rubbed on your skin, it was brilliant and the masseuse did a wonderful job (she was fantastic!). I would gladly do this again, so relaxing and afterwards I got to have a solo shower – ie, no toddlers! – at the resort… bliss!

(no photo opportunities inside the resort so this stealthy picture will have to do!)

Meeting New Friends

088. Meet five of my online friends in person that I’ve never met before (3/5) [more info]

Gina, an online friend of mine from a blogging community, was in Melbourne in early May and we arranged to meet up with her family while she was here. She also arranged to meet with a mutual friend of ours also by the name of Bec (from the same community; we’d never met each other either despite being in the same city).

So, with 6 children under age 5 between us (and two partners), we all met for a cafe lunch on a rainy Melbourne’s day!

Picture evidence, right? 😉

There isn’t a picture with all of us in a shot together so this will have to do!

Gina took this sneaky picture of me shooting one of Bec’s children! (see, I was there too!!)

My 30th Birthday

045. Celebrate my 30^th birthday in style! [more info]

My 30th birthday was on March 7th, 2012. Rowan (age 11 months) was sick and as it turned out, I was to come down with the same illness by the weekend. It was a testing day, but here’s a little of what happened:

The day of my birthday… happy chirpy boy when he woke up in the morning turned into a cuddly, lethargic baby who fell asleep on my shoulder two hours later. I made myself red velvet cupcakes and Matt brought home Chinese takeaway and cider!

Surprise! My Mother’s Group made me a cake on Friday, I was so happy that night. 🙂

Mum and I went out to High Tea at the Windsor on the weekend, a treat I’d been looking forward to for a couple of years!

Great food, feeling cute (though a bit unwell) and gorgeous setting.

A bit about the High Tea (cross-posted from my other blog)

Mum and I had a treat day planned and regardless of whether I was ill or not (and I really did weigh things up that morning before deciding to go ahead!) we were going to a posh High Tea at the Windsor Hotel. Seriously… it was fantastic, not cheap but the staff made you feel so special and the food was so decadent. Tiny pastries, mouth-watering savouries, little sandwiches, scones, and a dessert bar filled with so many wonderful things!

Marked

093. Leave a permanent mark somewhere in my housing estate [more info]

  

Permanent mark added to the estate we live in? Check!

When some concrete paths were fixed recently I couldn’t resist scrawling my son’s name on a small space with a nearby stone (not very neatly since he was in my arms at the time!).

Date #2

Hubby and I went on a lunch date to a Yarra Valley winery today. Gorgeous views, yummy food and the opportunity to share some time as a couple. 🙂

Date Night

060. Go on a date night once per month for a year (1/12) [more info]

Since the birth of our baby boy back in April, my husband and I haven’t given ourselves the chance to get out and about as a couple (instead of a family). Now that our son Rowan is three months old, I have felt comfortable enough leaving him for a short amount of time with a trusting family member – in this case my Mum! – to reconnect with Matt.

Enter the date night – we went to see the last Harry Potter film in Gold Class with vouchers we had leftover from Christmas, and coffee afterwards. This was going to be dinner, but we snacked so much during the film that neither of us were all that hungry!!

Hopefully this is the first of a few such date nights (or days), probably not once per month but definitely a few here and there. 🙂

The two of us

December Goal Round-Up

Now that 2011 has officially begun (and I’m on holiday from work for the month of January!), time to sit down and reassess the goals I have been working on recently – both consciously and those that came about on their own.

033. Complete a ‘Learning Journal’ entry every week for a school year [more info]
This was a big goal of mine and I am proud to say that I pulled it off! I compiled a multiple-page journal entry for the families at the Kindergarten I work with every week for the school year. In the past I’ve journalled less frequently, or made the project last six months instead of twelve. But no, this year I went the whole hog and achieved something great.

Completed Learning Journal (click for bigger image)

 

The Mile-High Pee

044. Use an aeroplane toilet on the flight between Melbourne and Hobart [more info]

This goal is now complete!

I know, I know… sounds like an anti-climax but for someone who has been getting over a fear of flying for the past ten years, the small goal of unbuckling my seatbelt and getting up to use the bathroom on a short (1 hour) flight was a little terrifying. I knew that if I didn’t attempt it on the Christmas trip back from Tasmania, there would most likely not be a chance for another year or so.

Thankfully being pregnant does have its rewards (in this case, an irritable bladder that cannot wait :P).

Hurstbridge Farmer’s Market

011. Attend a Farmer’s Market [more info]
042. Visit five markets I’ve never been to before (2/5) [more info]

This morning I visited the Hurstbridge Farmer’s Market and sampled some yummy local produce.

I was expecting more fruit and vegetable stalls, but there were a handful of those (pumpkins, apples and potatoes mainly in season) in addition to breads, baked goods, honey and oils. Best of all, chemical and pesticide-free foods! I look forward to going again next month. 🙂

My purchases:

Pumpkin, kaffir lime leaves, snowpeas, garlic, strawberries, raw honey and tarts for afternoon tea with a friend.