Our Bowral stay - January 2017

Simon and I decided to head down to the Southern Highlands the other day for a quick night away.

We escaped the scorching Sydney temperatures for a day and enjoyed the cooler breezes in Bowral.

After dropping the boys off at the grandparents we enjoyed the leisurely drive and made sure we got out and checked out any shops or stops that caught our eye.

Our first stop was the Robertson Cheese Factory for a browse through their antiques and we bought some old fashioned lollies (cobbers, chalks, bullets etc) We didn't get any cheese ;) 

We also found some great old records to play on the record player that Simon got for his birthday last year. Lots of fun going through all of the old records looking for some nostalgic tunes.

We then headed into Bowral for a bit of lunch and a browse around the shops before they closed.

The Press Shop is the newest face in town and it was bustling. The menu is quite limited but there is a display cabinet full of delicious muffins, pastries + quiches to go with your coffee. 

We managed to grab a table outside and enjoyed a jaffle for lunch. Very simple but yum. 

We couldn't resist having a scone after lunch after seeing another table order them.

It felt like a very Bowral thing to do - scones, jam + cream.

After lunch we wandered down to the other end of the cafe where Bespoke Press is set up.

It's a lovely stationery store with the most beautiful wrapping paper and ribbon, gorgeous pens and notebooks and they also have a printing press set up where you can watch them make invitations etc.

We continued down the street to Dirty Jane's antique store and wandered around it, popping into The Orangery, The Potting Shed and Suzie Anderson Home. I loved this little space and all of the shops together. It is really beautiful and so many treasures in the one spot.

We came home with a couple of new plants and a large jelly mold. Random I know!

It was really starting to get cool and mist over so we headed back to relax fro the rest of the afternoon at our hotel The Gibraltar.  The remainder of the afternoon was spent reading the papers and enjoying the breeze and the moody view from the balcony with a couple of gin + tonics. Perfect.

We had dinner at the hotel and enjoyed a sleep in before heading home the next morning.

It was only a quick break but left us feeling rested and refreshed. 

Simon and I are really making the time to get away for a day away here and there this year  as last year we felt we got too caught up in the day to day routine and not enough spontaneous moments and time for just us. It's only early days of 2017 but we are off to a good start :)

Have you been to Bowral lately?

Have you made any resolutions to get away a bit more this year?

All photos are my own except the exterior + interior shot of The Press Shop.

They were taken from @the_press_shop Instagram.

Photo of cards via @bespokepress Instagram.

Girls Trip to Byron Bay

I'm just back from an amazing and relaxing 4 days away in Byron Bay. 

While Byron is usually a place that we get away to as a family, when I had the chance to go again with my mum for a break I jumped at the chance to experience the town a little differently.

We caught an early morning flight from Sydney to Ballina and arrived at 8.40am with the day ahead of us. We hired a car and headed towards Newrybar for a coffee and breakfast at Harvest cafe and a little bit of retail therapy across the road at Newrybar Merchants. 

The sun was out and it was the perfect start to the day.

We then headed up to Crystal Castle at Mullumbimby for a wander around the gardens. 

I had been recently but mum hadn't been in years and I was happy to enjoy the grounds again. 

It's a totally different experience without the kids ;)

We then headed back into Byron and stopped at The Farm for lunch.

I almost didn't walk in when I saw the sign. Magpies are my worst nightmare in Spring!

It was then time to check into our hotel. We decided on The Byron at Byron. 

It was somewhere I had always wanted to stay. We got an amazing 3 night package which included a 1 bedroom apartment, buffet breakfast each morning, a massage each at the spa, dinner for 2 on one night and free bike hire. The resort lived up to all of my expectations, it was so lovely and tranquil.  Also the service and food was wonderful and that pool! Stunning!

It was really lovely to wake up amongst the trees and wander down for a leisurely breakfast. 

The chia puddings each morning became our favourite!

We mixed it up a bit each day. One of the days we lay near the pool after breakfast and didn't move until 6 hours later. Bliss! We read magazines, had lunch near the pool and just enjoyed the feeling of nowhere to be. 

The other day was grey and drizzly so we used time to check out the shops in town, book in for a massage at the spa and catch up with friends nearby for dinner.

3 nights went by so fast. It was so lovely to have that break from every day routine and for my mum and I to spend some uninterrupted time together. I really enjoyed the slow pace of our days. 

On our last day we checked out at 11am after breakfast. As our flight wasn't until later that day we were offered the choice of storing our bags and hanging out by the resort pool again but we decided to have one last stop at The Pass ( it felt so weird to be here without the boys!) drive up to the lighthouse and head into Bangalow for a wander through the shops and lunch.

It was then time to return the hire car and head back to Sydney.

Simon and the boys picked us up from the airport and it was wonderful to see their happy faces. 

I think they missed me ;) 

I came back feeling rested, relaxed and ready for the next 2 weeks of school holidays ahead.

I had lots of questions over on Instagram about where I went, I've listed most of them in this post and the links below. You can read more about our family trips to Byron and see where we stay, eat and shop here and here

Have you had a holiday away by yourself recently? Where are your favourite places to go? 

SaveSave