It’s officially cold in Sydney.  I’ve gone to ground at home with a thick blanket, Explorer socks and a scarf.  I’ve loaded up the Kindle and now that I’ve got all those television channels back after the great Samsung retune in Thursday, I don’t think I’ll have to stray too far from the sofa until Monday when…. well, never mind, it’s going to be a short working week.

When the weather gets like this, you only leave the house for a really good reason.  For me, it was to procure the last tin of Dutch processed cocoa at my local Coles.  No longer will I feel ill equipped when faced with a recipe calling for this previously elusive cocoa with a neutral pH.  I’ve been told on Instagram that a brand at Woolworths is also Dutch processed but my source didn’t have the precise details at hand.

I’ll be using my new cocoa for my new batch of chia pudding.  After experimenting a bit, I’ve found that chocolate seems to go really well with almond milk and dried cherries.  It’s not much to look at (at least the way I make it) but it makes a refreshing yet slightly rich snack that also happens to be good for you.

I can say no to the rows of glistening gold Lindt bunnies and I can walk away from the cartons of Cadbury eggs but it takes superhuman amounts of willpower to ignore my personal kryptonite – the MaltEaster bunnies.  It’s the weekend before Easter though, so I had to get a couple before they go into hibernation until just after Christmas.

Now, this is what I call a balanced lunch.

Cardigan – Target, necklace – Red Phoenix Emporium.

Thought of another thing I enjoy doing in the winter.  Doing laps at my local indoor pool and then clomping off home in my ugg boots.  I’m a year round swimmer.  It helps reduce the shock of seeing yourself in bathers if you do it every week, I find.  Paradoxically, I hate going swimsuit shopping.  I trip myself up getting into them, knock bits off change rooms and the harsh change room lighting always makes me regret eating that almond croissant for breakfast (but not enough to actually stop eating them).

Anyway, Mumgo had this amazing sale on Speedos the other week and here are my new bathers.  I got both pairs for under $50.  And best of all?  I didn’t even have to go anywhere near a store filled with posters of perfect swimwear models to get them.

Take care and enjoy the rest of the weekend.