Hi Fellow Super Mums! I’m Sophie, a Vaucluse-based mama of three little ones who drive me crazy on a daily basis (crazy in love and just plain crazy, in equal measures!). Living in the Eastern Suburbs of this sparkling city is a dream come true; I love the beachy lifestyle, epic water views, strong sense of community and unrivalled coffee culture.   

Life is busy juggling the demands of family life and running a business. My husband Phil and his business partner Julian co-own a multi-award-winning pest control company called Pest2Kill and I head up the marketing for them. We’ve just launched our P2K Bug Show, which is a free community engagement initiative, visiting primary schools to introduce school kids to the fascinating world of entomology. Intrigued? More about the Bug Show and how to nominate you child’s school at the end of this interview. 

Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east? 

14 years. I came straight to Bondi as a 22 year old backpacker back in 2009 (along with all the other Brits!) and haven’t looked back since. After more than a decade in Bondi we moved to Vaucluse, which is a tad quieter than bustling Bondi but a perfect fit for raising a young family. 

Three words that describe what it’s like to live in the eastern suburbs? 

Dazzling, Social, and Eye-Wateringly Expensive 😉

How many children? 

I have three lively rugrats who keep me on my toes – Jackson (aged 5), Rafaela (aged 3) and Valentina (aged 8 months). Life is pretty chaotic at the moment; we are most definitely stopping at three! 

Favourite Park: 

We love Parsley Bay; great play equipment suitable for all ages and my son is obsessed with exploring the reserve’s trail on a never-ending hunt for water dragons.

Favourite Beach: 

We can’t go past our beautiful local beach, Camp Cove. Parking is a nightmare during the day, but we often head down after 5pm with a takeaway pizza on a summer evening and make the most of that gorgeous sunset light. 

Favourite kid friendly cafe: 

Archies in Dover Heights has a little indoor play area and the brekkie menu is fabulous. 

Favourite Coffee Spot: 

We love Rocco in Vaucluse Village – great coffee and Rocco is a true legend. 

Favourite date night place: 

We don’t get to go on dates nearly often enough, but we did have one of the most incredible Italian meals at I Maccheroni in Paddington. I was pregnant at the time so couldn’t enjoy the wine… maybe its time to return (hint, hint to my husband Phil!). 

Where in the east have you yet to explore and would like to ? 

I recently added Conwong Beach in La Perouse to my beach hit list. It looks beautiful.  

What would you like to see improve in the eastern suburbs? 

The traffic! 

Favourite Local Shop: 

I’m obsessed with Field to Fork in Vaucluse. More of a butcher than a shop, but the meat is top notch and we’re all hopelessly addicted to their pre-made chicken mayonnaise. 

Favourite wet weather location: 

Not very rock’n’roll, but probably just hanging out at home doing a puzzle with the kids or watching a good documentary. 

Favourite Local family Weekend Activity? 

The beach! As a fair-skinned Brit, it took me years to feel at one with the Aussie beach lifestyle, but 14 years in I can finally say with certainty I feel at home in the ocean.  Plus the beach is one of the few places where my kids tend to behave themselves – digging, body-boarding, crab-hunting, snack-eating, more digging. 

Work or SAHM? 

I work part-time – it’s a juggle but I find working actually keeps me sane!

Motherly advice? 

I’m not sure if I’m equipped to share much in the way of useful parenting advice; I’m generally winging it and firmly in the ‘hot mess’ category. However, if I could go back in time to when I was in the trenches of newborn life with my first bub, I’d probably tell myself:

  1. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re doing your best and that is more than enough.
  2. Try and see the magic in this brutal stage – he’ll be on the move in a blink of an eye and you’ll be missing those snuggles ‘trapped’ on the sofa. 
  3. You will feel like your old self again, I promise.
  4. Stop consulting Doctor Google. Full stop. 
  5. One day you’ll realise the cliches are true after all; the days are bloody long but my-goodness the years are short. 

(Okay, I’m crying now).

 

More about the P2K Bug Show

 

Do your kids love bugs? 

The P2K Bug Show is currently touring schools in Sydney. Our very own ‘insectlopedia’ and Head of Termite Division, James Buckland B.Sc (Env. Bio.) shares his passion for bugs and introduces the class to lots of interesting insects. It might seem strange that a pest controller is hosting a show that celebrates living things, but as Jimmy explains – sometimes you have to control the invasive ‘bad’ bugs so the native ‘good’ bugs can thrive in our gardens 🙌🏻

The kids get to handle lots of different bugs including Jimmy’s pet Spiny Leaf Insects, then go home with a cute Entomologist-in-Training badge. They love it!If you know of a Sydney school or pre-school that would be interested in hosting our P2K Bug Show, feel free to drop me a line on sophie@pest2kill.com.au. It’s totally free and lots of fun 🤩

Read more about the bug show here

by jay