Halloween in Oz

To anyone who is thinking about moving to Australia and currently celebrates Halloween in your home country, this post is for you. 

I never imagined life without my "normal" Halloween traditions like pumpkin patches, haunted mazes, carmel apples, trick or treating, and attending parties at the newest club dressed in lingerie as a costume while dancing all night with all the other half naked people. But remarkably I have been in Australia for three Halloween's now and have been without most of those things. I am alright. 

It was a bit of a shock to realize that once this time of the year rolled around things wouldn't be the same, because honestly it never crossed my mind. Halloween is known as an American holiday here, and a lot of the "old school" Aussies like to hold on to that. I've even had some hostility when bringing up the subject of Halloween. The way I see it is, American culture is very influential here and it is one of the last few things that they don't really celebrate. but for every Aussie who doesn't appreciate the holiday, there are a handful who love it!

This past Halloween(above), I did find a rad house party, everyone there was dressed up and it was probably one of the best Halloweens I have had! So as long as you make the most of it, no matter where you are you can have a blast! 

I have discovered that you can buy carving pumpkins at most grocery stores for a small fortune, decorations at $2 shops and party supply stores, and some events do happen around the city so you can dress up too! This past weekend we carved pumpkins, had pumpkin spiced lattes, ate some meringue  bones with raspberry blood and we are attending the Melbourne Zombie Shuffle this weekend. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Travel Tuesday's/USA trip part 1- Landscapes

While I was in America I took so many photos! Too many to put all of them up so I'm doing a 3- part segment on my faves.

Going from left to right; Coney Island WonderWheel(NY), Benjamin Franklin Bridge(PA), Huntington Beach Sunset (CA), American Flag in Times Square(NY), My friends and I Horse back riding in Hollywood(CA),  some old neon signs at the Neon Museum(NV).

In bloom

Its that time of the year where Allergies are are in 5th gear and every morning my head feels like a 100lb brick is sitting on my face, but despite all that, ITS SPRING! And its has been beautiful this week!
Living in Melbourne, I have come to the realization that sunny days need to be cherished, because it might start raining at any moment. So i have been taking advantage, and spending tons of time outside! My violas are in bloom and I took a walk to the community garden near my house and found a pink unicorn hanging out in the sun.

Green Monster

I discovered the "Green Monster" on Mr. Kate, a fun blog about, health tips, DIY and fashion inspiration.  For those of you who don't know, a green monster is a very yummy and nutritious smoothie usually involving some kind of leafy greens (kale or spinach), fruit and milk of your choice. You can really add anything you want to your green monster, as long as you stick with healthy clean ingredients. By "clean" I mean no added sugars, preservatives, and colors.
Apparently green monsters are pretty popular, and there is even a website dedicated to the movement. So i decided to try it and, I've been drinking my version of a green monster every other day for about two weeks. It's so simple, and you don't even need a fancy juicer, just a regular old blender. Enjoy!

My Green Monster

(Add to blender in this order)

1 Handful of Almonds

1-2 cups of Fresh Spinach

1/2 cup of Blueberries

1 Banana 

1 Cup of Soy Milk

Blend until smooth

Travel Tuesday's: My USA fab four

As you all read last week, I am preparing for a visit to see family and friends in USA! Here are SOME of the fun things I will be doing while on my trip, one for each state I'll be staying in. I leave in two days! wooo!

California

Horseback Riding to the Hollywood Sign

Nevada

Neon Sign Museum in Las Vegas

Pennsylvania 

Pat's vs. Geno's Cheese-steak Challenge 

New York

Best Views on Top Of the Rock

Travel Tuesdays: Cheap & fun hotels in NEW YORK

So I have planned a spontaneous trip to America. Its been about a year an a half since I've been back home, I am really excited to see my family and friends.  Most of my family and friends live in California and Nevada, and last time I was there I only stayed on the west coast.

But THIS TIME I will be on the east coast for a week too! I will be in Wildwood on the Jersey Shore, Manhattan and Philadelphia. I will be visiting a friend who is from Philly, and I haven't seen her in YEARS! I am so excited I could pee my pants!

As I was searching for accommodation while we are in New York, I came across these two really unique hotels. Both of them are in super cool areas, and are so affordable! It was so hard to make a decision on which one to stay in. These are great for any traveler who is on a budget, but wants a step up from a Hostel.


THE JANE HOTEL

Located on Jane street, between West Village and the trendy Meatpacking district, The Jane Hotel stands in all its glory. It is a step back in time originally built in 1907 it has an amazing story (I secretly think it might be haunted). Each room is modeled after a "cabin" on a ship. Small rooms with either a single or a bunk bed and a shared bathroom are your cheapest option. If you would like a bigger room they also offer a captains room with a bigger bed and a en-suite bathroom for a bigger price. Plenty of shops, bars and restaurants around and according to their website they offer bike rentals for hotel guests which is great because it is conveniently located next to the bike track next to the Hudson river. 

THE POD HOTEL

Originally my first cheap hotel find in New York. The POD is located in Midtown East and is walking distance to Radio City Music Hall and the main touristy area of Manhattan. They too offer bunk bed and single bed options, with shared bathrooms. If you cant be bothered to walk down the hall to the bathroom there are also other private bathroom options. This hotel is more modern than the other,  also has a cafe, and amazing views from the roof top. 

I ended up going with the oldie but goodie, The Jane. I really liked the idea of a more classic New York experience. Also another selling point for me is the bike rentals at The Jane. I think it is a great way to see the city. The price difference was significant, for two nights at The Jane, it was only  $230.00 US dollars. For two nights at The Pod, it was $380.00 US dollars. 

Both hotels are ridiculously cheap for Manhattan, and I would love to stay at The POD in the future, but for this trip, and what we have on our itinerary I think the location of The Jane is perfect. 

Oh as an added bonus, The Jane is VERY close to a place called The High Line. It is a garden/park that is built on an old railroad track. I first heard of this park on A Cup OF JO, one of my daily blog reads and I've been dying to go ever since!

Images sourced from linked sites.

WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER? 

beautiful life.

 Since my last post I decided to take a break. Just really get my thoughts together and I have been on a mission to really find my self. So much has happened in such a short time. One of my oldest friends came to visit me from America! It was so nice to have that piece of "home" I was missing. I've decided that as much as I love reading blogs, and the fact I can talk to people miles away on facebook, I really get "down" when I use the internet too much. Trying to appreciate real life. And appreciate the people who are friends outside of the internet. Technology is great but can also cripple real communication.

 Also my birthday was last month and a friend of mine made me a beautiful gift for my birthday...it was a quote hand designed and framed. I believe it suits my life so well...


"Do what you CAN with where you ARE with what you HAVE"


'Til next time..
A few photos highlights from the last few months.......