Category: Travel & Holidays
New Zealand Country Life
After a coffee in Greytown we visited my Uncle and Aunt in Mikimiki on a beautiful hot day in the Wairarapa. Their house sits in the middle of several acres of garden, pasture and wooded land. A stream runs by the land and there are some deep spots for taking a dip when you need to cool off in the summer. The perfect setting for New Zealand country life.
Following a delicious lunch al fresco we explored the garden where Imogen found a hammock between the trees to swing in with Grandma and Grandpa, a wheelbarrow, a spade and a bathtub full of rainwater and lily pads. In the afternoon she had fun with her new friend Ellie, playing with a bucket of water.
The setting for my Uncle and Aunt’s home is idyllic. My Uncle has built an outdoor kitchen, aka the Man Cave, that is just incredible. It gets plenty of use throughout the year and there’s even hot water for doing the dishes when you’ve finished eating in the outdoors. Don’t you love the Man Cave sign?
It was a glorious day spent catching up with family and reminded me of how much I’m looking forward to having our own garden and organic vegetable plot one day. As for a hammock between the trees to relax in and read… yes please!
Imogen’s quite the country bumpkin even in her Vertbaudet skirt and since we’ve been in New Zealand she’s rarely seen without her purple wellies and Grandpa’s large hat.
First Ice Cream Cone
When it’s summer and you’re on holiday it’s a given there’ll be ice cream.
Imogen devoured her first ice cream cone from Kapiti Ice Cream in New Zealand. It was adorable watching her initial reaction to the cold ice cream. She had a look of wonder on her face as to why she was eating something so cold. When she realised it tasted amazing there was no stopping her and the entire ice cream cone disappeared.
She tried the White Chocolate and Raspberry ice cream which I also sampled and it was simply delicious and very decadent!
When did you enjoy your first ice cream cone?
Family Picnic Food
We love to have picnics regularly throughout the year. There’s something magical about eating outdoors enjoying good food with family and friends, differing vistas and fresh air.
We eat picnics in the garden, at the beach, in the forest, in the park and on our balcony in the city of London. When it’s too cold to be sitting outside to eat we have been known to get a rug out and have a picnic on the floor of our apartment, with the company of our cats Louis and Mia who will nibble at any leftover cheese.
My favourite foods for simple baby and toddler family friendly picnics are:
- Boiled eggs
- Cheese sandwiches
- Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Crackers
- Potato salad
- Mixed bean salad
- Pasta salad
- Bananas
- Fruit Salad with strawberries, nectarines, blueberries, peaches, oranges
Don’t forget a large picnic rug, some picnicware and baby sun cream.
Our most recent family picnic was in the Kaitoke Regional Park. I’m linking this post up to the What I Wore Wednesday link for this week.
Sunglasses – Ted Baker
Striped T-Shirt – Dickins and Jones from House of Fraser
Green Vest – Dansk
3/4 Trousers – Board Angels
Here’s my last What I Wore Wednesday post.