Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east?
We moved to Malabar in the early ‘80s. To some, it’s considered the End of the Earth. To others it’s God’s Country. Malabar has gone from a bay to dirty to swim in to a beautiful, family beach.
How many children?
We have two gorgeous girls: Isabella, 4 and Graciela,1. We also have an angel baby, Rocco, who would be 2.
Favourite Park:
Malabar Park because it’s close, good for babies and the location offers so much to do. If your kids love to swim you can have a splash at the beach and discover all sorts of ocean treasures, baby crabs and octopus on the rocks. Then the kids can burn off the rest of their energy at the park.
Favourite Beach:
Tough one – all the beaches in the East are beautiful. Depends on the conditions for little ones. When its high tide and no wind we pack the pram and head to Malabar boat ramp or the rock pool. When it’s windy and rough we head for a paddle at Clovelly Beach. I find it’s the easiest beach to watch more than two kids in the water and has lots to keep them entertained.
Favourite Coffee Spot:
We love the menu and staff at Juice Box Café at Malabar. If we are on the run, we can call up and the order is always ready upon pick-up.
Favourite Date Night Place:
B.C (Before Children) we’d got out at least once a week. Since then, the closest we’ve had to a date night is sharing one of our specialty platters at the beach while the kids play in the sand. Which is pretty special.
Favourite Local Day out Activity for you:
On Tuesdays and Thursdays the Malabar Headland is open. We took off one early morning with Graciela in the baby carrier and Isabella walking. It took just over an hour and the views were spectacular. We then spent the morning swimming at South Maroubra finishing with fresh fruit, our salumi and fresh bread. The only problem is that you can’t bring prams and on the way back, the Rifle Range was closed-off to the public and we somehow carried our four-year-old in a spare sling. This added an extra 40 minutes to the walk. But other than the walks teething problems, it’s a great way to get the whole family out in the fresh air and doesn’t cost a thing.
Favourite local shop:
We are opening our own Italian and Artisan deli soon so in the meantime we are constantly on the look out for pop-up food stores to eat local and avoid supermarkets where we can. Saturdays at the Saporium in Roseberry are great, you can try all sorts of handmade foods and also get the kid’s face painted for free.
Favourite Wet Weather Location:
Playgroups or library for kids under 5. In the East there’s a playgroup almost every day. Malabar on Monday and Wednesday, Maroubra on Tuesday and Kensington on Friday. No matter where you go; you and your kids make friends and you don’t have to break your budget.
Describe an ideal day in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for you?
Packing a beautiful picnic and heading to Centennial Park. Let the kids run free chasing bubbles, feed the ducks, hire a four-wheel bike if need be or scoot around the track and enjoy a gelato under the trees. It’s a quick escape from city life.
Work or SAHM?
WAHM! With kids full-time and no care. Everything takes a little, well a lot, longer working with kids and sometimes it feels like your working in a hurricane. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Motherly advice:
Slowing down and simplifying. I’ve said good-bye to things, commitments and relationships that were taking up too much time away from my family. It’s not easy, and this may not work for everyone, but childhood is so short and life is long.
When at my tether I remind myself that my wants and certain needs including sleep will be more accessible later when the kids are grown up. But you will
never have the chance to cuddle them to sleep or hold them close again.
Special offer:
Six types of salumi, two big wedges of imported Italian farmhouse cheeses, cascading handcrafted crostini, our own marinated olives from the oldest olives trees in Australia…and one of the most important ingredients of all – love.
Packaged rustically and valued at $179 we are offering 10% off our The Salted Pig Salumeria Salumi Box for 10–15 people only for this week. Email us at thesaltedpigsalumeria@outlook.com or follow us on @thesaltedpigsalumeria on Facebook or Instagram
The Salted Pig Salumeria
thesaltedpigsalumeria@outlook.com
Susie Pavan 0419 229 114
