FREE PRINTABLE CALENDARS 2017

 Clean & minimal calendar : Foreign Roof Tops

I can't believe it's time to start thinking about 2017. 

There's nothing more fun than looking ahead and making plans, setting goals and accomplishing them. I tend to note all dates on my phone these days but it's still nice to have the good old fashioned printed calendars displayed at home. So why not have something that's pretty, a statement or just plain useful!

Here are my favourite picks!

MINIMALIST/SIMPLE

Gold, black and white geometric calendar : Drawtodiy

I like anything that's gold, black and white and this geometric one will work well in my home. .. BUT I'm tempted to add a bit of colour next year!

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NEW YEAR'S GOALS

All Images: Mochithings

I know it's a little early to start thinking about what we plan to do next year and we still have Christmas to get through but it got me thinking...  I don't usually make New Year's Goals and even if I did, I don't think I've ever kept to them except the one year when we had Leo!

May be next year is different as I set myself some goals... I'm gonna keep it realistic so you definitely won't see anything like 'exercising more' as that will never happen lol

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DIY CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDARS

Image: Ella Claire

Christmas is fast approaching and this year I wanted to make an advent calendar for Leo to enjoy for the run up to Christmas. 

There's no better way to count down to the Big Day than an advent calendar. I remember as a kid, both my brother and I looked forward to the first day of December when we received our Christmas advent calendars and we would eat our chocolates before going to school. 

Leo is nearly 2.5yrs old so hopefully he will understand and appreciate Christmas just a little bit more this year.

I would personally go for a monochrome version but since it's for Leo, I might just add a few Christmas colours to make it a bit more fun! I'm planning to fill the calendar up with a mixture of sweets, chocolates and small nik nak toys. 

I started searching for ideas and there are so many great ideas out there and here are some of my favourite picks! (I've linked them all to their pages for free printables so why not make one too!)

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THE ALTERNATIVE FACTS ABOUT MAURITIUS

Most of my Mauritian readers will already know most of these facts about their home country but I thought it would be interesting to do a slightly different one to those you will find on pretty much every tourist/country information website about Mauritius. So here goes!

Small dot in the Indian Ocean

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MISS DAISY BISTROT ~ A GEM IN ROSE HILL

Just opened in April this year, Miss Daisy Bistrot is a cosy little cafe run by a lovely lady called Jessica in the heart of Rose Hill. My friend K introduced me to the place last week and I've already been 3 times in a space of 2 weeks lol

It's not a very big place and there are a few seating as you walk in but the majority of seatings can be found at the back which opens out onto a lovely outdoor terrace area. (shame I don't have any pics of the interiors...)

The first time I visited, we sat on the terrace and I tried their 'menu du jour' which was lamb curry and it was so full of flavour and very tasty. It came with some rice, sautéed vegetables and satini and it was a decent portion at a very reasonable price. My other half had the crisp chicken burger and loved it!

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INTERIOR TREND FOR 2017

I'm not one to follow trends whether that being fashion or interiors but recently I'd been browsing online for inspiration for the new flat and came across websites forecasting the interior trend for 2017. I don't think I'll be incorporating much of it but judging by the websites predicting the trend, it's going to be a lot more colour, nature, warmth and texture.

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MINI UPDATE ON LIFE IN MAURITIUS

The view from our balcony

I thought I'd do a kind of mini update post on what I wrote back in May about the pros and cons of moving to Mauritius (see post here) and to see if anything has changed in 5 months. Well firstly...

I still haven't got a driving licence!!! I obtained my resident permit back in Feb and I was able to apply for a learner's licence from then on but the government online application form doesn't allow me to complete it!!! It keeps on asking me for an expiry date for my permit and an occupation permit (which I have not applied for) and after numerous attempts to call the department at passport and immigration, I'm finally told that a spouse permit doesn't have an expiry date and that I need to go to the main police station in PL and apply directly. I have been warned there is a LONG queue hence the application is still pending...

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8 FREE PRINTABLES

I'm still in the process of doing up Leo's room (it's been a long, slow process and I still don't have a bed!) and wanted to find some art to put up in his room. I was searching online and came across some lovely free printable wall art that can be used in a nursery or kid's room.
You can find everything from animals, quotes, abstract art and black and white prints... There's so much choice but here are some of my best choices that will work for both boys and girls.

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LE COURTYARD ~ RESTAURANT REVIEW

For my early birthday celebrations, my family and I went to dine at this lovely restaurant. I remembered visiting this restaurant once back in 2011 and thoroughly enjoying the food so we decided to check it out again (plus I LOVE French food)

Le Courtyard is a Fine French restaurant tucked away in a quiet narrow side street in Port Louis. The Colonial building has been converted into a lovely Al Fresco dining restaurant in the heart of the city with both indoors and open-air courtyard seating area.

We went there for dinner and it didn't disappoint.

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TIPS ON DECORATING THE KID'S ROOM

Back in our flat in London, we only had 1 bedroom so for the first 8 months of Leo's life he had been co-sleeping with us in our bed (The moses basket was only useful for about a month...shame cos it was lovely) but since moving to Mauritius he has been sleeping in his cot.

Now that we've moved into our new home he finally has a bedroom of his own!

   

The moses basket was a lovely gift from my ex-collegues

His bedroom is still not complete but I wanted to share with you some of the special items I got for the room and also to share with you some of my tips!

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RECIPE ~ HOMEMADE FRUIT ROLL-UPS

Ever since I introduced him to the Bear Nibbles Paw series about 6 months ago, his eyes will light up whenever he sees a packet and will wolf the whole lot in 1min flat!
It's 100% natural fruit baked into paw shapes with no added sugar so it's an ideal snack for toddlers on the go but sadly they don't have it here in Mauritius and I always need to get his grandparents to send them as special treats for him...

So I attempted to making some fruit rollups which are very similar to them.
The good thing about homemade fruit roll-ups is that they have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and it's just 100% fruit and sweetened to your taste.

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BIRTHDAY REPORT ~ LEO'S ANIMAL THEMED BIRTHDAY

Oh dear... it's already been another 3 weeks since my last quick post...

So my son's 2nd birthday is now finally over and done, we've finally moved into our new home (woohoo!) and parents have safely landed and are currently enjoying Mauritius.

Leo had just recovered from a cold about a week prior to his party but unfortunately caught another one a few days later. We were worried that he will not be well for his party but fortunately he seemed quite perky and happy on the day but the next few days were totally miserable.

He has now recovered fully from it and fingers crossed that it will be a while until he catches the next cold.

So the original idea was a circus theme but this is how the party went...

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JULY ~ A BUSY MONTH TO COME!

I can't believe it's nearly 3 weeks since my last post... It's been a busy few weeks with a lot happening. Just a quick one today...

Delays and more delays with completion of our flat (Now I know what you were going through S! lol), trying to get everything ready to receive our very first guests, my parents! and not forgetting, trying to simultaneously organise my son's 2nd birthday.

Leo didn't get to have a party for his 1st birthday so I wanted to make extra effort this year and organise one. He's made a few friends since moving to Mauritius so it will be nice to have a little get together with everybody.

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CREATING LASTING MEMORIES ~ PHOTOBOX

Since Leo was born in July 2014, I have taken countless photos of him... but all sadly stored on my laptop.

When we did his 1 year old photoshoot last July, I decided to have a photo book made as it would be such a pity and waste to just have the photos stored on a hard drive and no one gets to enjoy them.  While I was at it, I also decided to make his 'first year' album also.

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PERSONALISED GIFTS FOR KIDS ~ MY 1ST YEARS

I have always liked personalised gifts, it's thoughtful and original.

Leo's godmother and uncle gave him his first personalised gift which was a white hooded fleece robe which is so fluffy and soft that I want to bury my face in it! It's embroidered beautifully with his name on the front. It's a beautiful and great quality item perfect as newborn gifts and for special occasions.

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YUZU @ LABOURDONNAIS WATERFRONT HOTEL~ Asian Fusion

Yuzu - Asian Fusion

Last night we were invited to this restaurant, Yuzu. I had been wanted to visit this place ever since it opened last year (?) so I was really happy and eager to go!

Yuzu is found inside Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis. It is a small and intimate restaurant serving Asian Fusion cuisine.

The decor is elegant and luxurious and you are immediately drawn to the sparkly crystal dividers between the tables. I didn't take a shot of the cutlery but they were lovely too. A good weight to them and I think they were a charcoal grey colour lol

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REVIEW ~ DINAROBIN HOTEL GOLF & SPA

View as you walk into the lobby

We stayed here for 1 night to celebrate Leo's first birthday (there was no party as we had just relocated and he had no friends) and also took this opportunity to get some lovely photos done by Mayline Ning.

Lovely cake from the hotel

I can't really remember why we chose Dinarobin over all the other hotels but I must have remembered that the beach here was lovely and I wanted some shots of Leo done on the beach. Photoshoot didn't go according to plan (as it was Leo's first time on sand and he HATED it) but Mayline managed to take some lovely photos of us.

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BIRTHDAY IDEAS ~ CIRCUS THEME

Photo : CrazyWonderful

We got invited to our first kid's birthday party last weekend and thought to myself that I'll be the one doing this in 2 months time. Still plenty of time you say.... oh how time will fly by quickly!!

Anyway, no harm in researching early so I started searching for ideas last week on Pinterest and Etsy. Etsy is a marketplace where people around the world can sell and buy unique goods. It's definitely a great place to check out for all types of beautifully handmade products and the good thing is, many of the retailers ship worldwide!

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PROS AND CONS OF MOVING TO MAURITIUS

Recently I got asked what it was like to leave everything I knew and start all over again in a completely new country... That got me thinking to the first time I visited Mauritius.

I've been with hubby for about 10 years now (married for nearly 8 years) and every year we used to visit Mauritius. I remember the first time I visited Mauritius, I got culture shock! I'm shame to admit, but I didn't know where Mauritius was prior to meeting hubby. After googling and finding out that it was a honeymoon destination, all I could visualise was the famous white beaches and luxury hotels (yes I know, what sort of naive bubble did I living in?!)

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REVIEW ~ ST REGIS MAURITIUS ~ COLONIAL CHIC

The main Manor House with the Le Morne backdrop

So previously I blogged about whether Mauritius is a family destination and it definitely is. I am very fortunate to have been able to stay in quite a few hotels in Mauritius when I visited on holidays prior to me moving here permanently. One of my favourite hotels on the island is The St Regis Resort & Spa, a 5-star luxury resort, the first St Regis Hotel in Africa. I visited the hotel shortly after it opened its doors in 2013.

LOCATION

It is set on an amazing white beach on the SouthWest of the island. 

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FLOWERS IN DESIGN

Columbia Road Flower Market

 'The Earth laughs in flowers'

                                          ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Seeing Magnolias and Cherry Blossoms blooming in London on instagram got me thinking... I miss having lovely flowers in the home.

Back at the start of 2013, I decided that I was going to have new flowers every month. Whether it was a ready-made bouquet or some flowers that had to be arranged at home by myself.

Flower arranged by me!

I think it only lasted until around August but looking back, it was a nice custom and the flowers instantly made my boring living room/bedroom more beautiful and enliven!

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LUXURIES FOR LITTLE ONES

Since coming to Mauritius, I've been searching online to see who ships to Mauritius and Hoorah!  House of Fraser, a British department store ships to here!!! (with some restrictions so better check before getting all excited!) 

When it comes to clothing, accessories and toys for kids, Mauritius just doesn't have much variety. Sure, they have all the necessities but it is some of the well-known brands like Aden&Anais and Petit Bateau that I miss. 

Here are some of the items that I've been eyeing up on the House of Fraser website...

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DREAM WARDROBES

I must admit that I am not the most organised when it comes to my wardrobe. Living in a 1 bed flat back in London with limited storage space, most of my clothes and bags etc were crammed in one wardrobe. 

I did try and keep all my nice bags lined on the top shelf but the hanging rail was close to falling off! (hanging rail was curving in the middle from the sheer weight of clothes! lol)

A walk-in wardrobe/dressing room has always been a dream!

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MAURITIUS ~ A FAMILY HOLIDAY DESTINATION

'Mauritius was made first, and then heaven, 

and that heaven was copied after Mauritius'

                                                  ~ Mark Twain~

So where is Mauritius?

Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean about 2000km off the Southeast coast of Africa. In other words, in the middle of nowhere!!

It has a very vibrant cultural mix of Indian, Creole, French and Chinese people.

Mauritius is best known for luxury hotels on white sandy beaches with picturesque mountain backdrops. It is the perfect destination to explore a tropical island enriched in culture with a breath-taking scenery, amazing white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters.

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TEEPEES FOR KIDS

my little teepee

It seems that teepees were the trend for kid interiors back in 2014 so is it too late to jump on the bandwagon?

There are tons of different options from simple canvas to the more colourful and elaborate ones.

Adult or child, who doesn't like to have a little hideaway to play, read or have some quiet time. It also adds a fun, playful touch to the room.

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MOVING TO PARADISE!

As I mentioned in my first post, I had failed to keep up with my previous blog after 30 posts.... Hopefully with this move and now with a toddler, I will have many wonderful and interesting things/events to talk about!

Well anyway, hubby and I made the decision to move to Mauritius (where DH is from) when our son Leo was born. We thought that it would be the best thing for our son to grow up surrounded by greenery, in a more peaceful environment and where life moves just a little slower than the hectic city of London.

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A FRESH START

Back in 2011, I attempted to start a blog but failed miserably to keep it up so here I am once again hopefully with a much better and exciting one! Here's to LA VIE DE RIE!!

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