It’s the last weekend of November and it’s got me thinking of summer, days off and the bit of R and R that the Christmas / New Year break will bring. Have you had a busy one yourself?
I took the plunge today and went with a summery new lip colour to ease myself into the forthcoming new season. I’ve never worn anything from the orange colour family on my lips before. But now that I think of it, it would probably work with more of my wardrobe than a hot pink.
My inspiration was the household’s current favourite drink – freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s working out to be more economical than our local cold pressed juice bar.
We made the most of yesterday’s sun and went for a walk and some park time in Surry Hills where everything is hipper and more colourful than it is anywhere else in Sydney.
Of course I said yes to a scoop of Messina on our way back from the park.
Those desserts. One day I will be organized enough to be in a position to buy one and be able to take it home in a timely manner to be savoured after dinner.
And then there’s the ‘witty play on words’ flavours.
And then it was onwards to Martin Place for the concert that marked the switching on of the Christmas Tree lights for 2016.
The principle charity being supported by the concert this year was the Guide Dogs Association. For $5, show bags could be purchased featuring a Lego Santa, reindeer ears and an LED star wand.
Preschooler SSG really got into the spirit of the concert this year. He wore his ears and danced, jingled and sang with abandon.
He looked out for the Bananas as they walked around Martin Place posing with their fans and provided me with a running commentary of everything going on around us.
Hot Potato played live amongst us the audience from the moment the gates were open and their set was pitch perfect. A few festive favourites, their own arrangements of top forty stuff and a bit of everything in between.
It was just the kind of music to set the mood for a fun evening of sharing a bag of prawn crackers with a new friend.
As usual, The City Of Sydney impeccably planned and supported this event. A local food court had extended opening hours so dinner (and toilet access) was sorted for most families attending. Security was present to keep everything orderly and there were designated zones for prams and lost children. Little things that made the two hour event much more doable than it would otherwise have been for families bringing young children.
Performers included the Bananas (of course), Justine Clarke and a children’s choir.
My only minor complaint / observation is that two hours is a pretty big ask for the younger children. They were all getting quite restless after the first hour of music and it was a struggle for many of us to keep our children safely seated for the fireworks and lighting of the tree. That being said, the way the concert was timed was probably the best compromise possible to cater for the largest range of both family and non family attendees. Finishing the concert at 6.30pm would not have shown off the tree or the fireworks to their best advantage. It was a good test run for us though because I know for sure that attempting a night of carols at Rushcutter’s Bay next weekend probably will not be a good idea. It ends up being a very long night for a preschooler.
But we did it! Preschooler SSG managed to see the tree lit up and with my help was able to look at the fireworks overhead as well. And of course, Mariah’s classic ‘All I Want For Christmas’ featured in the finale soundtrack. Which all worked out well for me.
Are you all set for Thursday aka December 1 2016? We are.
Wishing you a great week, we’re nearly there!