Mexico {Mayan ruins and a babymoon}

{The beach at Playa del Carmen}

Ever since my university days I have wanted to visit the Mayan ruins in Mexico so I put it to husband one night in December when it was cold and miserable outside, that ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have one last holiday lying on the beach doing nothing before the baby is born?’ and suggested Mexico as an ideal location. Lucky for me he thought the idea was pretty good so we booked a trip to an all-inclusive resort near Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

{Husband was happy that the beach actually had waves so he could body surf – he desperately wanted a surf board to ride these lovely little waves but none could be found}

{The grounds of the resort were beautiful and lush}

After lounging around the resort for a couple of days we got bored so we took the resort bus and spent half a day in Playa del Carmen.

{Husband brought a pair of crocodile skin boots which I’m totally embarrassed about so won’t post a picture}

We also took a day trip to Chichen Itza. I won’t lie, it was a long day but totally worth it.

{Here I am, the fat pregnant woman, looking particularly happy in this shot}

The day trip also involved a stop at a Cenote (underground water hole) for a swim.

And a stop in a town called Valladolid (the Spanish built it out of stones from Mayan temples).

So now we are on the count down…6 more weeks until we meet our new little boy.

Travels

I love New York but it gets to the point when you just really want to get out of the city. I’m craving some out-of-town time but with the husband currently back in Australia for two weeks I don’t see us getting anywhere until after Christmas. So until our next getaway I’ll just have to be content to dream of destinations (and trust me I have a very long list of places I’d like to visit) and browse through photos from our 2012 catalogue of travels.

A few months ago we spent a weekend with friends in Newport, Rhode Island (to check out the houses of the rich and famous) and Mystic, Connecticut (to eat chowder!).

{Nothing like some good old-fashioned chowder}

{Picturesque Mystic}

{Spectacular coastline at Newport} 

{Opulent houses in Newport – really who needs walls covered in platinum?}

{Would you stand in a line this long for apple cider?}{Aww just us and the Atlantic Ocean}

Toronto {way back when?}

Over here we have survived hurricanes, snow storms, moving apartments and a cancelled trip to Las Vegas. But before that all happened we managed to spend a weekend in Toronto.

{My first trip to Toronto, exciting times}

{It’s not often you see a fire fighter cleaning the windows on the fire station}

A weekend in Miami {South Beach}

Our trip to Miami was the highlight of the summer. The weather was amazing and we finally got that day on the beach we had been dreaming about.

{Cocktail hour on the roof of our hotel}

 {Architecturally Miami is pretty special, I feel in love with all the retro buildings that have been kept in great condition or renovated to keep the funky facades}

{Cuban cigars sold on the side of the street}{And it wouldn’t be a great weekend without the sunday drinks}

The Hampton’s {it’s more than just a beach}

On our second trip to the Hampton’s this summer Tim and I had visions of sitting on the beach reading a trashy magazine (I’m sure he had a book in mind) and dipping into the ocean every now and then when we got too hot.

This was not the case. It rained for the majority of the weekend so rather than sitting around inside and wasting what was a perfectly good weekend away with friends we used it as an opportunity to discover the other part of the Hampton’s. No beach in sight.

{The cutest little cottage we stayed in}

{The drive-way to our cottage}

{Roadside stall}

{Wine tasting on a rainy afternoon}

{We picked up fresh chickens for a roast on Sunday evening}

{The chicken’s house}

{The best way to get around the Hampton’s} 

{Sunday afternoon drinks}

Brooklyn Flea

Back on a very hot and humid day in June, we headed over to Williamsburg to check out the summer venue of the Brooklyn flea (it’s held indoors during winter).

Rummaging around flea markets on the weekends has to be one of my favourite things to do in the city. The flea markets in New York are filled with some amazing finds particularly if you are on a budget and have the time and patience to look and pick over the crap. I’m proud to say our apartment is nearly all furnished with great second-hand finds from flea markets… except for the stuff we brought at Ikea of course.

{Shaved ice anyone?}

{Amazing views of Manhattan – it’s such an incredible city}

{Clearly signs mean nothing, especially when it means getting a seat in the shade on a hot day}

{“Anytime is a good time for pie”…and pineapple juice}

The Jersey Shore {Long Branch}

I don’t know about you but I have this image of the Jersey Shore, which unfortunately for the majority of folks from New Jersey, includes Snooki or JWoww, beefy blokes, tanning salons and fist pumps.

As shown in exhibit “a” (picture above) tanning is fairly popular in New Jersey but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived (after a somewhat long train ride – 1 1/2 hours to be exact) at Long Branch last Sunday afternoon.

Long Branch quickly reached the exalted heights of being our #1 beach that we’ve been to in the USA (and clearly this is not saying much). This being said I don’t think we will be regularly spending 3 hours of our Saturday or Sunday on a train to get there and back. But I would go back, even if there are no waves!

This weekend we are off to the Hampton’s again! My fingers and toes are crossed that the sun will come out and that the weather is warm. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

The Cloisters {Manhattan}

I have this constant feeling that I am busy and that I never have enough time to fit everything I want into my week. I have a “to-do” list which seems to never end and includes things like getting my hair cut, my bikini waxed, my eyebrows waxed and a pedicure (and a mani for special occasions).  I act as a part-time travel agent for my husband and I booking short trips away together (or with friends). And during the week I want to make sure I catch up with friends and family (both here and back in Australia) and also get to the gym or do some form of exercise (even walking home from work will do).

 I just don’t understand how other people fit so much into their lives and pull it off looking effortless. I’m always waiting for life to slow down so I have time to do the things I want to do but I think this is it, it’s never really going to slow down as something else will always pop up. How do you cope with being constantly busy? Do you thrive on it or do you find it overwhelming?

These pictures are from the Cloisters (which is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art). It is a beautiful and serene part of Manhattan. Walking around the building and the grounds make you feel like you are a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city and that ‘to-do’ list just doesn’t seem important anymore.

Check out that basil – I wish we could grow it to look like that!

An overcast weekend {East Hampton}

The last few weeks have been incredibly hectic. I started a new job and then we had one of my best friends come to stay for the week which inevitably involved lots of eating, drinking and late nights. There is nothing like having friends and family come to stay but it’s fair to say that we are now exhausted.

We have so many photos from the past couple of months (which I plan to share with you now that I have some time). This first lot of photos are only from a few weekends ago when we headed to East Hampton with some friends for the weekend. Going through the photos I realised that we have lots of beach pictures – clearly we miss the beach!

We are heading back out there next weekend, our fingers and toes are crossed that we might actually get in the water for a swim. And I’m looking forward to more celebrity sightings! How cool are we, hanging out in the same bar as Alexa Chung )!

Inspiration {the fortune wall}

I’m back…with little bit of inspiration for the week.

Seen on the Lower East Side.