Woohoo, my favourite end-of-year treat – the Best of Bootie 2015 mix! This year’s is kind of weird. There’s a Lion King song in there, and one that uses the Charleston?! I like the “Beverly Hills” mashup a lot though, as well as the “Girls” one. And the “Hello” finalé is friggin’ epic. Definitely worth downloading!

We spent the week before Christmas with the Snook’s parents up in Eungai. It was a nice, relaxing break. One day we went to the Gladstone Markets and  then had lunch at Smoky Cape Retreat, which we hadn’t visited since we stayed there when I ran my marathon four years ago. Another day we drove north: honey lattes at the Honey Place in Urunga, then lunch and antique shopping in Sawtell, and finishing with a choc-covered frozen banana at the Big Banana. The highlight of the trip for me though was definitely our visit to the Bago Maze.

The Snook somehow found the Bago Maze online recently and suggested we stop. It’s at a vineyard near Wauchope, and it’s meant to be the largest hedge maze in New South Wales. (It was only finished a few years ago, which is why we hadn’t heard of it before.) We drove down there on Christmas Eve, stopping off on the way for Fredo Pies and scones at Ricardoes. Bago Vineyard is pretty far off the highway, and we laughed nervously as we ventured farther and farther down hilly dirt roads through a forest with no other cars in sight. (“Maybe it’s all a trick to kidnap hipster cityfolk and steal their organs!”) Eventually we crested a hill and saw the most beautifully situated, practically hidden little vineyard complete with hedge maze. The cellar door is at the top of a hill with a stunning view out over the vines and maze. (It would be gorgeous spot to hold a wedding or party.) The sky was grey and drizzly though, and we were the only people there. We paid our $10 and headed for the maze.

It was raining a little bit as we took a selfie from the top of the hill, but thankfully it stopped for most of our time in the maze. We were given a code that unlocked the entrance gate, as well as a list of secret items to look for and tick off. It’s a very well done maze! You can’t see very far in advance, and it’s not at all obvious which turns will be dead ends. The paths all curve too, which means you can’t necessarily pick one based on which direction you want to head. We went with the strategy of trying the left-most option each time and backtracking where needed. We found our way to the first tower pretty easily, which includes a bridge and some fun recycled bells to play. We found the second tower soon after, and the Snook spent some time playing the “Thongophone” beneath it. (There’s also a large Chinese gong you can whack. Very satisfying.) We picked our way through the mud on the sunken path, finding some more secret treasures from our list. In under an hour, we stumbled upon the exit door… but we weren’t ready to go yet. We backtracked a bit to search for some more items from our list. The rain started back up though, so we eventually decided to head out. I think we were in the maze for about 45 minutes total, and we’ve still got a few items left to look for next time. Afterwards we tried some of the Bago wine and ended up buying half a case, as well as a platter of local cheeses and meats. The Bago Vineyards and Maze are well worth a stop if you’re in the area!

It’s soooo almost done! The shower screen went up last week, and then – FINALLY – the gas company turned up to hook us up. The new instant hot water system went in this week, and yesterday the builder turned up to hang the medicine cabinet, shower baskets, and mirror. (We have to wait three days before we can take the tape and supports off the mirror.)

Now all that’s left to do is paint the cornice and ceiling and finish moving all our stuff back in!

Lupita Nyong’o wore an amazing Zac Posen dress with animated LEDs to a Star Wars fashion event in support of Made With Code, Google’s initiative to encourage girl to learn computer programming.

I love every part of this.

Last week I discovered this new Moomin game, and the Snook and I are both obsessed with it now. It’s basically Farmville, BUT WITH MOOMINS. It’s on iOS and Android, and it’s free (though you can pay for extras). Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go brew up some lingonberry syrup so I can throw a party for the Hemulen.

PS. If you sign up and want to friend me, my code is HYMPJX.

We’re not done yet, but it definitely feels like the finish line is in sight. On Thursday the plumbers arrived to hook up the toilet, vanity, and shower. We still don’t have hot water, but at least it’s running now! A man also came by to measure up for our glass shower screen, so that’s being made this week. Then on Saturday our main contractor came back to install the new cornice as well as the remaining bits and pieces. Unfortunately we hit a snag with the medicine cabinet that’s meant to go over the toilet – it was built too big! They’ll have to make a new one. Hopefully by next week he’ll return to finish that off and hang the mirror over the vanity. (He wants to line it up with the top of the shower screen once that’s installed.)

On the plus side, we were at least able to move back into our bedroom. (We’ve been sleeping on the foldout IKEA couch in my office for the past four weeks.) We’d covered everything in our room with drop clothes and tarps, but there was still construction dust everywhere. We vacuumed and mopped; wiped down the dressers, bed head, and walls; and washed the curtains.

It still feels dusty.

BUT! On Friday we also got our new reverse cycle air conditioner hooked up. Bring it on, summer. 🙂

Most people say to cook with a wine you’d be willing to drink, but is that always true? We tested all kinds of wine, from cheap to expensive, light to big—and even flawed—to find out what matters and when.

Source: Should You Really Only Cook With Wine You’d Drink? The Truth About Cooking With Wine | Serious Eats

It’s been a while since I shared a bathroom renovation update! Happily, progress has been made. The plumbing and electrical rough-ins were completed, and then two guys spent a day re-rendering all the walls. The floor was then levelled and waterproofed. A small “nib wall” was built to create room for the toilet connection. AND THEN the glorious tile got applied, and suddenly it was a room again!

Not much further to go…

My dentist gave me a mouth guard last year because I started grinding my teeth in my sleep. (My job was stressful.) This morning, I somehow managed to lose it before breakfast. I remember waking up, feeding the cats, making toast, and reading the Internet. Tonight we ransacked the house looking for it. I even went through the trash can. After half an hour, I found it… in the butter drawer in the fridge.
I didn’t even have butter on my toast. What the hell.