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Top Five Beaches in Australia

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Whether it's for the waves, sand or sun, 
our beautiful country has reputation for having some of the best beaches in the world.
Which one is your pick or do you have another to add to the list?

Take a look at Getaway's pick of the five best beaches in Australia.

1. Whitehaven, Queensland





The day I planned to go here in a seaplane plane from Hayman Island - the weather was foul so the trip was cancelled and we never had our romantic picnic on the beach in a private plane .... next time!

Whitehaven Beach, a 15-minute flight from Airlie Beach is on the eastern side of Whitsunday Island. The island is 109 square kilometres. The beach stretches for six kilometres of magnificent, pure white silica sand that feels as soft and gentle as baby powder under your feet.

2. Cable Beach, Western Australia






Cable Beach is very close to my heart  - this is where I got married and had my honeymoon. It truly is an amazing beach. It is a 22km-long stretch of purest white beach where Broome meets the Indian Ocean. The stunning colours of Cable Beach - aqua blue water against the white sand and bright red-orange dirt inspire photographers from dawn till dusk daily.

3. Wineglass Bay, Tasmania


 



Just two-and-a-half hours north of Hobart is the Freycinet Peninsula, covered by the beautiful Freycinet National Park, Wineglass Bay and other superb beaches, wildlife and wildflowers. At its entrance is Coles Bay and the superb 300 metre high pink granite outcrops. The first sight of it comes as a wonderful surprise — curved white beaches fringing aqua blue water, topped by the towering granite. It all looks rather tropical until you recall you are almost at the southern end of the globe! So clear are the waters you can see shells five metres below and at night the skies are ablaze with more stars than you knew existed!

4. Hyams, New South Wales




I have yet to visit here but it is second on my list of 'places to visit'. Hyams Beach is listed in the "Guinness book of records" as having the whitest sand in the world. It is the most famous and popular of the myriad bays and beaches inside the Jervis Bay area.

Situated on the Pacific Ocean it looks directly at Point Perpendicular, Hyams rarely receives any swell making it a safe family beach. Hyams is the perfect spot for fishing, sailing, swimming, jet-skiing and whale-watching. Dolphins are spotted regularly, and the occasional kangaroo can be seen early in the morning.


5. Bells Beach, Victoria



 


Australia's best-known surf beach, Bells Beach is one of my local breaks - so it's pretty exciting to see it on the list. It's about 10 minutes from our place so we tend to hit the beaches closer to home. It's also known for big, gnarly waves so not a good beach for kids and swimming but we go there to watch some very cool surfing. It's home to the 'Rip Curl Pro Surfing Championships' so every Easter you see the best surfers from all over the world competing and hanging out around town. The scenery is dramatic with high cliffs providing a dramatic backdrop to the natural amphitheatre of the beach and large swell from the Southern Ocean. Located on the Great Ocean Road in Southern Victoria

Melissah xox
Source : Getaway, images via Tourism Australia

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That's not pasta... its (unfried) Calamari!

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Picture from YELP: Pulpo a la Parilla (Grilled Octopus) at Jamonera in the Market East section of Philadelphia

I lived in Madrid one summer during college and the first meal my señora made was Paella, with what I thought was pasta rings. After chewing, I realized this was no pasta at all, but rather, my first exposure to un-fried calamari! Last summer I went back to Spain to Barcelona and became even more accustomed to eating calamari (squid), “pulpo” (octopus), fresh sardines, anchovies, and other raw seafood with all the body parts! All of these sea foods are fantastic for you (when they aren’t fried!) and underappreciated in their true form in the United States. They are fantastic sources of protein for the fact that they are low in calories and high in omega-3’s. One 3-oz portion of calamari has only 78 calories, but 13 grams of protein and the little fat that is in calamari is predominately of the omega-3 variety. Calamari is also a rich source of vitamins B6, B12, E, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus.

Another benefit of wild market-caught squid/calamari is that it is incredibly sustainable and usually pretty cheap! So, it is a great way to get in one or two of your seafood servings each week. Always check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium site or other similar resources to find the most sustainable variety of seafood you plan to eat.

My recommendations: I get calamari steaks from Whole Foods since they are often very cheap there. You can also buy frozen squid at most supermarkets and definitely at fish markets. I recommend using squid in seafood stews or grilling. EatingWell.comhas plenty of “healthy” squid recipes for you to choose from. So this week I encourage you to try something new and experiment with squid, octopus, anchovies, or sardines (ideally fresh and not salted!).



References: http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/projects/fisheries_bycatch_aquaculture/sustainable_fisheries/celebrate_seafood/ocean-friendly_seafood/recipes/index.php

Picture source: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/jamonera-philadelphia?select=fFOyXiXRN1KGMqEtB3uEuw#aXulE-F45ZujFU8FqvL-qw 

ATTENTION: If you live in the Philadelphia area and have Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice/Keystone) or Aetna, you may receive at least 6 free sessions with me each year! Most plans require no co-pay or deductable. BC/BS and Medicare plans are not covered.
 Email me: nutrition@clublamaison.com if you are interested to see if you are covered and to schedule an appointment.

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Friday Favorites

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As the summer wears on the Fridays seem to stand out so much more. You begin counting how many you've got left 'til Fall hits. I know my little bro is taking full advantage...going away again for an off road adventure weekend in the wilds of Pennsylvania. This time no hotel...just a tent and a topless Jeep.  Yes, his girlfriend is not only a good sport...she's an enthused participant. Me?...the dwindling of summer doesn't upset me in the least. I'm a Fall girl through and through and every time August hits I'm ready for cooler days. Aaron...not so much...he Hates the cold and every hint of it. Daily he checks the weather in San Diego and dreams. 
So, with the humidity in full swing and dull gray skies above, guess where we are...yep, as always, in the studio painting. But also taking moments to get inspired...and that's exactly why I took a break for these Friday Favorites.
I just adore the simplicity and feel of this outfit above. Classic French meets Japanese. Looks so comfy too. And I've been a sucker for boat necks forevs. I was a bit obsessed with the iconic Petit Bateau striped top for years. Another wardrobe staple of mine...a key part of a Jenny "uniform". 




How cute is this bunny rabbit sweater? It's from Mossimo at Target...new for Fall. It's not exaclty my color...but totally cute..and they get points for being my general pastel ballpark. And they're certainly note scaring off anybody with those floppy ears.



This is just so beautiful. I had found it on pinterest, but alas the link was dead. But with some Nev & Max style detective work I found that it came from the Smithsonian/Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.   We hand painted some walls similar to this many years ago...chocolate background...big floral clusters...though ours were Magnolias. But what is so special about this vintage paper are the time faded tones that are near impossible to recreate.


Everything about THIS! My fave t-shirt from The Stay Home Club, created by Artist Olivia Mew 
There has certainly been a shift in perception in recent years...I feel like the term "Recluse" just doesn't carry the same creepy connotations that it used to. And it's not necessarily due to unemployment! ha! Though employment has changed...lots of jobs are done right at home. And lots of people are finding their own little niche of like minded souls through blogs etc...
What I'm saying is: Going out is Overrated! ha!
I love so much from The Stay Home Club...great theme, great mission statement...and of course, a great stable of designers making the stuff. 


There is just something about the rusticness of the wood here and how it feels like a true working kitchen. Aaron and I love cooking so much and having our tools close at hand makes life so much easier of course...and also, there's no reason to hide them as long as you can display them in an artful way. We're probably partial to the idea of open shelving etc...due to being in a studio all the time. We're used to having our tools of the trade around us at all times. We are almost ready to get moving on the kitchen renovations and we know that we will be adding a good dose of this concept balanced with some vintage sweetness of course.


Oh this photo! It made my heart skip a beat, and not in the way a photo of a sleeping chihuahua does. This is some aftermath of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. You already know that I am a cuckoo worry wart, and experiencing Hurricane Sandy took it to a whole new level. Now I constantly think about random sink holes, and flash floods. About 2 years ago we actually had a fairly palpable earthquake here in Jersey. We were in our old apartment...and it was actually old...part of a very rickety seashore victorian...I was lying in bed with the pups and Aaron was in the shower...he could feel the whole shower rotate on the drain pipe and our headboard rapped against the wall. It was so incredibly strange, creepy, otherworldly. It was felt across the whole stretch of Jersey between NYC and Philly. It took a moment for it to register in my mind. Of course I hopped on facebook right away to see who else felt it. It was gross. So...not sure why the above pic would be deemed a "favorite"??? It terrifies me actually...but yeah...it is awesome to look at from three thousand miles and a hundred something years away.



Well as a tonic for all the disaster talk...I really love this illustration by Ludvig Nevland. Necessary advice...thanks Ludvig.



Oh this piece kills me! Love it to bits and bits! It's an early 19th centuryAmerican Apothecary chest. This in our kitchen would be like heaven. I see it outfitted with jars of cupcake toppers, and playing host to a little coffee/tea station. Mismatched vessels holding stir sticks and little sugar in the raw cubes. Maybe a couple of our faux cakes on stands...ahhh!



I think these braided block wedges are pretty fantastic. I've owned a few very similar styles over the years and they fit my "pale-recluse-out-for-a-rare-summer-stroll" aesthetic. I think I'd wear the heck outta these things. 

Happy Friday Friends!
xo Jenny...and Aaron!



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