Month July 2026

American Friends Visit Day 3: Australia Zoo

Group photo at Australia Zoo entrance, Sunshine Coast

When Kim first announced she was thinking of a trip to Australia, I don’t think the words had barely come out of her mouth before Australia Zoo got added to the list of things to do. It was a no-brainer, the Irwin family are basically Australian royalty, and the zoo is incredibly popular overseas. Living only 20mins from the zoo ourselves, sometimes we forget just how famous it actually is.

Well, today was the day we were visiting Australia Zoo, and it would prove to be one of the biggest highlights of their trip to Australia.

(If you’re just catching up, you can read about Day 1 and Day 2 first.)

We also had a new addition to the group for the day, A2.…

Read MoreAmerican Friends Visit Day 3: Australia Zoo

Five Things for Friday (vol. 4)

Five Things for Friday (vol. 4) - Kel me about it

We’re taking a short break from recapping my friend Kim’s trip to Australia with a quick five for Friday post!

Latest gadget purchase: ProtoArc Mobile Workstation

The social media algorithms got me, and recently I purchased the ProtoArc CaseUp Mobile Workstation kit. And it is freaking cool.

Essentially it’s a laptop stand, folding keyboard, and a mouse, all in one handy kit. It comes with a nice case as well to keep it all together.

I work from home, which means I’ve got a pretty comfortable setup with multiple monitors, etc. But when travelling for work, I only take my laptop, which means that if I’m away for a few days at a time, my neck gets sore from looking down.…

Read MoreFive Things for Friday (vol. 4)

American Friends Visit Day 2: Tin Can Bay Dolphins, Carlo Sandblow, and Gympie Museum

American friends hand-feeding wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay, Sunshine Coast

Day 2 started early, which felt really cruel after trying to keep everyone awake as long as possible the day before.

Our thinking was that if their body clocks were a bit screwy, they might have been up early anyway, so we might as well make the most of it. Plus, my husband made coffee for us, not that I was trying to convert Americans to good coffee by regularly presenting them with flat whites (ok fine, I totally was).

With 7 of us, we separated into two cars and were on our way.

(Fair warning – most of these photos are Kim’s, not mine. Turns out promising not to be the paparazzi like on your last holiday together means you end up with none of your own.)

Read MoreAmerican Friends Visit Day 2: Tin Can Bay Dolphins, Carlo Sandblow, and Gympie Museum

American Friends Visit Day 1: Bunnings, Bluey’s World and Eat Street

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting a friend of mine, Kim, and her family from the United States. They flew in on the Sunday, then on to Sydney the following Friday, giving us 5 days together on the Sunshine Coast.

And boy did we cram stuff in!

I thought I’d share a recap highlighting all the things we recommended doing – you know, local knowledge and all that.

The main requirements were that we weren’t to spend every single day at the beach (they’re not super beachy people), although at least one day was a must. Also, Australia Zoo had to be factored in there somewhere.

Edit: after writing this post, I’ve learned that I’m not good at keeping things brief.

Read MoreAmerican Friends Visit Day 1: Bunnings, Bluey’s World and Eat Street

52 in 52 Update: Resin Tumblers, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and July Goals

I just went to write the title of this post as the “June” update…but, it’s July. What the heck?! Please excuse me while I process that we’re now in the second half of the year.

I’ve just had one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life, spending time with a friend who’s over from the States, along with her family, who also made the journey over. I’ll be recapping the week in another post (spoiler: we did a lot), but it means that I can finally share details on some of the 52s I’ve had to keep under wraps. Or, you know, complaining a lot about it on my blog (here and here) without photos to show what I was making.…

Read More52 in 52 Update: Resin Tumblers, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and July Goals