First swim & Bionade Popsicles

This summer got hot hot hot!
The perfect day for Dalston's first swim!
He did really well. And it was the cutest to see him practice his first doggie paddles at the beach.

Days like this are for popsicles and the beach!
We put our Christmas presi pop maker to work when I discovered that Bionade my favourite German organic drink from back home, is now available in Australia.
We made some "pure" Bionade pops and some with frozen yoghurt inside!
They all happen to create those BIG smiles on our faces. What a happy day!

Bionade is a German organic soft drink, with very little sugar but lot's of good ingredients.
It's low in sugar, is free from preservatives, colourants and artificial flavours, is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is gluten free! It contains plenty of good stuff like calcium and magnesium and is without the bad ones; it’s low in sodium and phosphorous free.
It's brewed like beer but non-alcoholic.
You all know by now I am a bit of a hippy and eat mainly organic, vegetarian food, so this is right up my alley.

It's very popular in Berlin and really reminds me of a great Summers over there.
I was drinking Bionade all the time, it's amazing for the warm season.
I had no idea that this small little brewery is now selling internationally;
Happy days! It has a cute little story too that I always liked.
I have never been  fan of super sweet and sticky soft drinks, so this was made for me.
Luckily they supplied us with different flavors so we won't get bored. My favourite is "Holunder" flavor, which is German for "Elderberry" . We are now both slightly addicted.

And back to the beach...
I am thinking of starting up paddle boarding, which would be great for Dalston too now that he can swim. I love summer!

Here is to 30 a little beachy garden party

I just started a new chapter in my life: I am 30!
We celebrated in sunshine by the beach with yummy picnic and had the most wonderful weather.
I felt a little emotional about being so far from all my friends overseas on such a special day, which completely took me by surprise. I was so busy leading up to the day, that on the morning while singing and dancing and unwrapping presents at home, all of a sudden there was this little sadness coming up. Yes, you are all missed, my lovely friends in Berlin, London & NYC!!!
And you all made my day with messages, calls and even snail post cards.

I celebrated here in Sydney with lovely new friends & family and we had such a good time.
30 feels amazing so far. The day was filled with Champagne & Cheesecake celebrations.
And I am still amazed to have my birthday in Summer.

I have never been so fit, I can finally run! And have been keeping up to do so.
Life feels just like it is getting better and better each year.
Maybe I learn to be happier each year...I guess that's the beauty of growing older.

Dalston had a good time as well, playing little sausage dog puppy Coco.
And he was a fan of the music and kept sitting right next to the speaker for most of the day.
DJ Dalston.
And I got spoiled from everyone! A lot!

I know this is going to be a great year and I am so excited for all upcoming adventures.
And especially grateful, for everyone that came and celebrated, for my health, for my amazing man, for being so lucky and having puppy Dalston, for Summer, for the beach for so many great work opportunities, for fresh fruit and yummy coffees and for everything else I forgot to mention.
Also I am grateful for all of YOU wonderful readers, to follow us around no matter where we are going.
It means a lot to us to have you here. Thank you everyone!

British weather, cozy times and London style

We love Summer, the outdoor and the beach, but having a day off where it's actually raining is rare and really fun in Sydney, especially if all you want to do is to cuddle up with your family, read, snuggle and watch movies.
We had a day like this, a day that felt a bit like London. And home. Just a little bit.
We just got a new couch and framed some more pictures on the wall, we start to really feel at home here.
Wearing some new British and cozy shirts and puppy Dalston loving his new very British floral style doggie snugglebed , we were recharging and thinking of good old times and exciting new ones while enjoying to be just in the moment. I even wore a silk scarf on my head, like I used to wear it in London a lot.
While we usually don't miss the weather the unique and cool street style over in the U.K. is certainly missed.
The bed is so bouncy and comfy that Dalston kept jumping on it, and while he usually sleeps on the cool floor during these summer days, he now spends every lazy minute on his pretty daybed.
Joules was generous to send us these beautiful items and we couldn't be happier with them.

I think we will be back for some more online shopping real soon.

It's the odd rainy day, that we are very happy about right now over here.

Mosquito bites no more & I packed a suitcase!

We are getting ready for Holiday....well, it's still over a month to go and we will only go for 5 days,
but I am already excited now that I have actually booked a house for us!
My parents will come over from Germany to visit and just the thought of it all makes me want to pack the bags.

What I love most about Summer are the warm nights, were you can eat outdoors, go for a nice long walk or swim or just wait for the sun to set.
I got eaten alive this year though on our nightly puppy walks and looked like I had some sort of serious illness with my skin being covered in insect bites.
My sensitive skin doesn't really respond well to strong chemical mosquito repellents either, so I tried my best to cover myself up and and spend as little time as possible outdoors.
With a puppy at home I also try my best to avoid harsh chemicals in our home where ever I can.

Then we got send Para'Kito, a natural mosquito protection that diffuses a blend of 7 essential oils extracted from plants including lavender, geranium, citronella, pine tree, patchouli, clove and peppermint. These oils mask the presence of humans from mosquitos for 15 days; essentially making us invisible. There are wristbands and clips available in which you insert a little infused pellet.
Para'Kito is safe and perfect for people with sensitive skin, leaves no odour like other mosquito deterrents and comes in lot's of designs and colours.

It actually works! I haven't been bitten since! I use a simple black clip on my hand bag and a band around my ankle. For the holidays we got them matched to our swimwear and Dalston's new bandanas, haha! They easily clip on the leash as well. Soooo goood!

I highly recommend this to all puppy owners and young Mum's.Oh and surfers, because it is even waterproof. And pretty much everyone else.

The smell is very strong and I try to keep them next to windows or the door, that way it will protect our apartment from mozzies as well!

I will give these bands the hardcore test, when we are going on holiday down the south coast soon and will keep you updated if they are working in extreme conditions.

I packed my suitcase....with my swimsuit and some Para'Kito!

Thanks to Para'Kito for sending us these great products.
You guys basically saved our Summer!

Please note: This is our true opinion and experience with the products, we will only ever review products we personally like and would truly recommend to our friends.

The best little spot and the small things

When we get a day off together and don't have plans, and especially on a sunny day, we love walking over to Paddington and have coffee and breakfast at our favourite little spot:
Tuk Tuk Street Bar! The people working there are just the friendliest and they really like dogs too.
Not to mention the fresh, healthy food, the yummy coffee and the great spot to sit and watch people go by.
Here are some snaps from last time. We thought it really deserves an own blog post.
It's the very small things that make my day, like a good coffee and sunshine and taking some time out of a busy week just to enjoy both. And to make it perfect it will have to be in good company.
David & Dalston you rock my world!
Do you have a favourite cafe to hang out?

What else is new? Dalston comes with David to work in the design office from time to time, he graduated from puppy school this week and at home we made it super cozy with a new desk and couch... and new bed for Dalston too.
We can't wait to show you our new living room as soon as we are finished. It only took us one year and 4 weeks... Well. One step at a time, I guess.