Mandurah Canals Christmas Lights

Every December, many of the beautiful houses on Mandurah canals are decorated in thousands of twinkling fairy lights and elaborate Christmas fare. The spectacle is only visible from a boat. We are very lucky to have some friends who have a house on the canals, and partake in the lighting up tradition (in a big way - their lighting is extravagent beyond belief - see below). Every year they take us for a tour of the canals in their boat. It is truly magical!

If you don't have your own boat, or friends with a boat... there is a big ferry that leaves from Mandurah Foreshore doing tours of the canals at $30 a head.

Here are some photos:

This is our friends' house / Christmas wonderland:

Christmas Day 2011

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you all had a lovely day surrounded by family and friends. Here is my day in photos.

Christmas at ours is always about seafood. This is quite common in Australia (for overseas readers!). This year we did something a little different - the centerpiece was a huge seafood paella. It was delicious, recipe courtesy of Rick Stein and his adventures in Spain.

 Christmas lunch

 A good way to piss a person off is to make them put a puzzle together before they can read their card! LOL

 The tree - sans star / angel, which went missing this year

 Very elaborate Christmas decor throughout the party house

Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Our friends get into the spirit of lights too.

Last Minute Preparations, Regifting & Pavlova Disasters

My Mum is a very practical woman. She is always prepared for every eventuality. When it comes to pavlova making, this involves having a backup plan:

I did not think we'd need it. We have made Margaret Fulton's pavlova recipe several times. We have also tried other pav recipes, and have always returned to trusty Marg's. Last night we had a pre-Xmas-eve dinner and we offered to make the pavlova.

Unfortunately, before I had even set foot in the kitchen, Mum managed to mix the whites and yolks of not one, but three eggs. This did not leave enough whites to make the pavlova. We could either go back to the crazy busy supermarket to acquire more eggs, or use the boring emergency Coles base. We opted for the latter. Mum has never done this before, but now I think I am going to buy her one of these:

Ceramic chic egg separator

Or even one from the $2 shop made out of white plastic. If it means proper pavlova bases, it is a necessity.

The good thing about using a Coles pavlova base is that it takes about 5 minutes to make the pavlova. All you need to do is whip up some cream, and place some fruit. The finished product looked like this:

Not too shabby, although you can taste the non-homemade-ness of the base.

It was also time for some last minute re-gifting of Christmas gifts. I have already eaten way too many chocolates and biscuits - we always seem to be given food gifts. These elaborate boquets are an exception:

Apart from weddings/functions, I think this type of thing is excessive - I'd be just as happy with a lovely $20-30 bunch. And spend the rest on fashion :-) or a gift voucher for me! But hey, I'm not complaining. Gifts are gifts!

These choccies, wine and bikkies all went bye bye to neighbours, gardeners, even the postman. Spreading Christmas cheer is even better when it saves your own waistline:

Merry Christmas all, have a wonderful night if you celebrate Christmas eve! :)

Boxing Day Sales: should we be hyped?

 Source: WeHeartIt

In 2010, boxing day sales were dissapointing. Due to the tough retail climate, retailers had heavily discounted in the lead up to Christmas, and on boxing day the discounts weren't comparatively special. This year, if you believe the media, the retail sector is in even more strife. And pre-Christmas discounting certainly seems to be ramping up!

For example, a few sales we have already seen pre Christmas in 2011:

~ Crossroads - nothing over $19.99 storewide, selected items $5 etc.
~ Katies - minimum 50% off storewide
~ City Chic - 50% off storewide
~ Cotton On - nothing over $20 sale
~ Ben Sherman - 40% off storewide
~ Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Dotti, Jacqui E, Portmans - 30% off all full priced stock
~ Jacqui E, up to 40% off storewide which then become up to 60% off storewide. Um, yay?
~ Peter Alexander, Smiggle - 20% off full priced stock
~ Ojay - 40% off storewide for cardholders
~ Deals Direct - 10% off code and free shipping sitewide
~ Certain mall promos, like Westfield Paramatta's 40 Hour Nonstop Shop [9am 22 Dec - midnight 23 Dec], where every store has some offers. The best of this one IMO are Giodarno 50% off storewide, Mossimo 40% off storwide, Queenspark and Sussan further 50% off reduced items, Man to Man 50% off suits,  Typo 30% off all full priced items.
~ The usual raft of discounts at Myer and DJs

If you are thinking "What!? I didn't know about these sales!?", you need to check out my bargain shopping tips post, pronto!

Myer and DJs have promised that boxing days sales will live up to their hype this year:

According to Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes, "We still spend $300 million a year marking products down but we are saving a lot of it for the stocktake sale, which will be big this year. We need to step up the discount and the aggressive nature of the stocktake sale and that's exactly what we're doing."

DJs boss Paul Zahra said the store was having "fewer but better" promotions compared with last December to ensure the Boxing Day clearance was "distinct".

My predictions are as follows:
~ Myer will have worthwhile offers but these will mainly be daily or hourly sales/specials.

~ There will be bargains to be had online, for those sitting infront of their computer. A smart online marketer should be advertising in the days leading up to Xmas to attract shoppers who would otherwise be at physical shops on boxing day. Online stores that don't have large dedicated sale sections may offer sitewide free or capped shipping for the day, or a % off discount. Online retailers have the potential to do a roaring trade, capturing those who can't be bothered facing the crowds at physical stores.

~ High street retailers such as Jacqui E, Portmans etc who have already discounted aggressively in the Xmas lead up will not be offering up anything spectacular, maybe a further 10%-20% off the pre Xmas sale prices at best. There might be some exceptions - let's hope they surprise me.

I managed to get caught up in the pre Xmas sales hype, buying this Asos Kimono Dress with Drape (Approx $33 AUD on sale):

Secret santa? Bah humbug!

I am not the greatest fan of secret santa, or kris kringle as you may call it. The idea in itself is great, but in practice I have not had much luck getting good gifts. I do enjoy giving, but let's face it - we all want to receive something nice too!

This year we did a $10 secret santa at work. As usual, I put a lot of effort into my gift and received a dissapointing one. I got a "table top" game, but a really complicated and silly one. It's too heavy for travel (or maybe just too complicated to be enjoyable... a pack of cards is so much better):

Quite a pity, as some of the titles actually look good (mine isn't even in this photo) - 50 Places to Visit/ Things to Do Before You Die sound like fun. The rrp of these is $5 at Australia Post, so a good gift idea if you choose a nice one - but not cool for a $10 secret santa! I can't regift it either, as the silly gift giver wrote my name on the wrapping and it went through and made an imprint on the metal box *rolls eyes*.

Other dissapointing secret santa gifts I have received:
~ For a $30 secret santa, an almost expired $20 Sportsgirl gift voucher. Obviously someone was regifting, poor form!
~ For a $20 secret santa, a mini first aid kit. Apart from being very random, it was a pretty useless first aid kit - it contained a few sachets of antiseptic, some plastic bandages, a needle and some tweezers. I could do better for $10 at my local pharmacy!

The other night I had another SS to attend to for an Xmas dinner with a group of girlfriends. I promise that I am usually a very kind and thoughtful person. On this occassion, the SS was anonymous and I justified my behaviour on the premise that I don't even know some of the attendees, and one of these people who I have no connection with might pick my gift out of the santa sack. So I regifted a set of giftcards that has been sitting in my cupboard gathering dust for years. It was gratifying. And someone who I had not met before that night received my gift.

My gift was a cute handmade bag organiser made by Bragbags. I am pretty sure it was regifted too, because it would have cost way more than the $10 limit. I already have a handbag organiser that I don't use, but in comparison to the giftcard set that I had gotten rid of, I was stoked with this new acquisition. I think this is how I will approach SS in the future - as a decluttering exercise.

What is the worst gift you have ever received?

Oh Sydney... what have I been missing?

A few weekends ago, I spent a weekend in Sydney. I have never been a huge fan of this city. My favourite Australian city is Melbourne, hands down, for its quirky culture and personality. Next comes Perth, with its sunny weather, laid back vibe and gorgeous beaches.

Upon reflection, I realised that Sydney trips for me have always been work or family related. I have either been stuck in meetings in boring, clinical offices, or engaging in obligatory small talk with distant relatives. I decided to embrace Sydney as a tourist, see it through a tourist's eyes... and when I did this, I realised that it's actually got a lot to offer. I still wouldn't choose to live there, but for a visit, it's rad.

The first thing I noticed was that Sydney shopping malls have some super decadent Christmas decorations. I LOVE decadent:

The huge Swarovski crystal tree in QVB is the bomb

 You can see how even without Xmas decor, QVB is simply stunning

 There are plenty of permanent art fixtures throughout the shopping precinct, one just has to stop and observe (it's all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this big city... and miss out on the delightful surroundings!)

 I was surprised to find (once I actually opened my eyes) that Sydney CBD has some wonderful architecture! Old buildings juxtaposed with the new...

 Town Hall by night

More QVB eye candy / porn

Things I like about Sydney / Lisa's Guide to Things to do in Sydney:

1/ The city is always buzzing. You can get KFC chips at 3am if you have a craving for them. I did. 

2/ The architecture, artwork and attention to detail in retail displays. Less quirky, more precise than Melbourne. There is some beauty in this.

3/ Kirribili markets, and Kirribili generally with it's cute laid back cafes.

4/ The Coogee to Bondi trail, and having brunch at a yummy cafe along the way. Next year, I plan not to miss Sculptures by the Sea. We have it in Perth and it's fantastic - this year life got in the way and I couldn't get down to Sydney while it was on. There are photos of the sculptures on this blog and I'm kicking myself that I didn't get there.

5/ The Fish Markets, for super fresh fish, crabs and prawns (and on a rainy day, you sort of feel like you're in Asia... gotta try it to understand it)

6/ When the sun is shining, the Harbour looks amazing and much can be forgiven. 

7/ TimeOut magazine, because it's always full of great ideas and photos of places and things I want to try. It's your window to the slightly alternative side of Sydney.

8/ Hidden laneway bars. They're all the buzz because they're hidden, yet you'll find a great guide on Timeout Online. They're a little bit quirky, themed, decorated... some have great cocktails. A slice of Kreuzberg in Berlin IMO, which is a super amazing place to spend time. I have a dedicated post on these coming up.

9/ Chinatown by night (late night). Tacky neon lights, filthy restaurants and big servings with cheap food. The non-Asians in our group got given forks. Fried ice cream was yum. Dead cockroaches in bathroom. It's an experience, right?

10/ Queen Victoria Building. It is stunning, it has nice tiling and decor... and I found something to buy in it. Smiles all around.

More SYDNEY to come, including my shopping purchases, dragonfly sex (yes really!) and quirky hidden lane way bars by night....

Queanbeyan Opshopping (Again!)

Last weekend, I decided to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of Q-beyan opshops. I found out some sad news - my favourite opshop, 'Little Salvos' which is run by 2 super cute little old ladies is closing down at the end of this month. This is sad because it's the cheapest op shop in Queanbeyan and most like an old fashioned, country town shop. Unfortunately it is the only opshop in Queanbeyan that hasn't cottoned on to the "retro is cool, so we'll up the prices" trend.

There was some nice vintage linen at Big Salvos, but at $7-$10 a pop (when all other linen is $1-$2) I couldn't justify it. Obviously someone retro-savvy did the pricing. I did pick up this gorgeous tablecloth at Little Salvos for $2, definitely my favourite find of the day:

This vintage blouse from Big Salvos was on sale, so was a steal at $1.75:

 

I'm not sure about this Friends of Couture cardi, it depends whether it looks tidier after ironing. At $4, I decided to buy it anyway:

And finally, some cute little shorts for $3 (at 50% off) from Vinnies:

As usual, linking up with Sophie's Flea Market Finds and Apron Thrift Girl.

I also bought a stack of tinsel and Christmas decorations and candy from Sam's Warehouse, and some baskets from various opshops. I am making Christmas treat hampers for people who are too difficult to buy anything else for.
 
I made most of my Christmas cards this year too, even though most of my scrapbooking supplies are stored at my parents house in Perth. My end products always look like a child's artwork but I find it enjoyable and relaxing, and I think people appreciate the effort I put in :-)

Christmas between $1 and $9 (and then I get distracted by news)

I just wanted to post this great resource for people (like me) who need to buy a $10 secret santa / kris kringle gift.

Lasoo has a catalogue compilation of product specials between $0-$9, over here. Some great gift ideas.

Every year I also attach some little treats to my Christmas cards (not ones I post obviously). This year I think I'm going to go with these cute candy cane / jelly Christmas tree hanging ornaments:

$3 for 6 from Go-Lo

I actually have a confession to make... I have never set foot inside a Go-Lo store. However, looking at the catalogue I think I need to trek out to Queanbeyan to my closest store, as there are some cracking deals.

Anyone remember Regent Street? They used to be available at mainstream supermarkets and then they stopped being sold in Australia except at UK candy stores. They are my Grandpa's favourite "cheaper" chocolate, so I'll have to stock up:

$10 for 550g at Go-Lo

At $10, don't tell me these garden friends solar lights aren't a great gift idea for kids (or kids at heart):

I have actually already bought my secret santa 1/2 of her present - this summer scarf, reduced to $5 at Katies:

How far are you into your preparations? If you haven't gotten very far,

Ohhh yes, I certainly buy into all this consumerism nonsense. I am probably the sole reason that the Australian economy is doing so well.

Talking about the economy, Julia Gillard is definitely smiling. She has been given a ray rise of 90k, taking her salary to $470k. Keeping in mind she has no living expenses (hello allowances), and a very generous retirement package, that's a sweet deal. On the other hand, as Prime Minister you probably have no life, and I'm not sure any money could compensate you for that.

Anyway, this recent pay rise is causing furor because it's not part of any democratic process, and Ms G is paid more than either US President Barack Obama or British PM David Cameron. It has also all come about in a climate where the Government is madly debating the budget and making cuts to deliver a measly surplus (mainly for political reasons) which includes making public servants take pay cuts / redundancies and not giving the pay rises that various sectors are asking for and deserve.

Thank goodness for political cartoons, to lighten the mood and to put politics into perspective. This one is from the Herald Sun:

Do I feel strongly about how our PM is renumerated? Not particularly. I'd rather be paid less NOT to be a pollie... or if I was to put up with the stuff they do, paid more in the private sector. Their wages are also pretty measly in the scheme of the budget cuts that are being made... but the juxtaposition of rising pollie wages and stagnant or falling wages for police/nurses/teachers/whatever certainly pulls at the heartstrings, and makes an excellent media piece.

Christmas Wishlist

iphone 4S

ipad 2

A vintage style bike, in pastel blue (but with a wicker basket)

A cute floral seat cover for the bike

and super cute retro style helmet

An easy to use sewing machine

Manicure, pedicure and full body massage vouchers - enough for the next year ;-)

Oroton Kiera B hobo bag in black

A selection of Carly Paiker's jewellery - there's too much that I love from her range

An all expenses paid trip to the USA: flying first class, staying in 5 star hotels. Visiting New York, LA, San Fran and a few other places. Oh, and why not throw in Canada while we're in the area!

Several types of delicious gourmet tea

A selection of Mimco's delightful hair accessories

Casada Maxiwell massager

A fully automatic and self cleaning coffee machine

Xbox + Kinect + a large selection of games

A custom made, super luxurious cat run

Airfryer

A super powerful Dyson vacuum cleaner

And a robot vacuum cleaner, to lighten the load

A mirror that is also a jewellery organiser

 This little studmuffin to be my city cruiser, and a new bigger Mummy-style car as well:

Oohhh yeah

While we're at it, can I also request a brand new house with no mortgage? And a billion dollars so I can quit my job?

Wow, once I got started I realised I could go on and on and on and on.... I think I'd better stop now! This was fun though... ;-)