Grand Final cupcakes at Cavalicious on Saturday.  Right next to my almond croissants.

Dress – Modcloth, necklace – Red Phoenix Emporium.

Aldi metal and plastic truck – $16.99.

Football aside, it was a lovely long weekend around these parts.  It was a rapid induction into daylight saving on Sunday morning when I woke up feeling very rested and looked over at my clock radio to find that it was 6.45 am and that perhaps Toddler SSG had slept in a full hour.  Not quite.  Perhaps I might get that hour on the flip side when daylight saving ends next year.

We spent a fair bit of time in the garden this weekend, to check if daylight saving really does make the grass grow quicker with that extra hour of sun.  Just kidding.

Aldi toy lawn mower – $24.99.

Toddler SSG is currently obsessed with this pull along Victa lawnmower I got him from Aldi on Saturday.  The driveway’s been ‘mowed’ at least five times and the actual lawn twice already.

Aldi kids gardening special buys from Saturday October 4.  The spade and broom are $4.99 each, the gardening bag $9.99 and the blue caddy in the upper left hand corner, $12.99.

He’s also taken a shine to the gardening tools I couldn’t resist buying for him as well.  Stray leaves are getting swept into random piles on the driveway and there are divets in the lawn where he appears to have loosened up the soil a bit.  My mum is going to be so impressed when she comes to visit.

Didn’t quite make it to the beach but we still got to feel the sand between our toes (and in our ham and cheese scrolls at morning tea).  There’s a lovely sensory playground called Livvi’s Place at Yamble Reserve in Ryde and it’s well worth a visit with children big and small.  There’s lots of shade cloth covering the main play areas which include a sand pit, a water pump and various slides and climbing installations.  The flying fox is a huge hit with the older children and there are paths around the safety fenced play area for scootering and bike riding.

I had to work yesterday so there wasn’t time for long weekend road trip anywhere out of the city.

So instead I made a dummy run to the Macquarie Centre.  You know, for when Sydney’s first H&M opens here on Thursday October 16.  I’ve sussed out where to park and surveyed the entry points.  But will I remember it all on the big day?  Actually, with that trip of mine not too far away, it might work out to be a good thing if I do get lost and never make it past the car park entry gate.

Things for Vinnies being photo bombed by a Pillow Pet.  Do we reckon I’ll be able to stick to buying to replace only what I’ve donated?  Nah, I’m not overly confident either.

Speaking of trips, I’ve begun preparations by finding more space in my wardrobe for any new purchases that may come home with me in that generous baggage allowance that the US Department of  Transport insists on giving us Australians.  The Sundays of long weekends always seem to be the day for me when massive wardrobe culls take place.

I wish I could say I’ve not spent a cent on clothes for myself because of the trip but I can’t.  Emerson appears to have sold out of the short sleeved Ts that I found there only a few weeks ago so I found these at Mix online instead.  They’re $8 each.

Mix also have a range of gym gear and I bought this racerback tank for $15.  I like the breathable mesh back.  Meant to be doing sprints on the treadmill tonight so I’ll let you know how this top holds up.

And then the inevitable happened.  There was nothing interesting left to do around SSG Manor.  Even the chores were all done.  Unfortunately the heat outside made a quick walk to the park impossible.  Warm weather cabin fever is the worst.

Because there’s only so many times that you can drive down to your local air conditioned shopping centre and feed your toddler a babycino with all the trimmings (plus a side of chocolate chips) in the one long weekend before you start feeling a little bit guilty over the sugar and the chocolate.

While if you’re brave enough to stay the course at home, tempers get shorter and tantrums get more dramatic as those damned laws of physics appear to conspire against everything your toddler wants to do.

It’s also a cheap recipe and makes heaps to be stored well labelled and well away from prying hands and climbing legs.