High Tea at Sofi's at the Hotel Sofitel-Melbourne

My friend & I visited the Hotel Sofitel in Melbourne yesterday for High Tea at Sofi's Lounge. We were celebrating her birthday so I was hoping it would be a memorable experience. It was! She was thrilled!

After doing much research on Afternoon/High Teas in Melbourne, I decided to take her to Sofi's Lounge at the Sofitel because they were one of a few places that provide gluten-free options & a beautiful atmosphere. Also, the weekend afternoon tea at Sofi's is a buffet, so you are welcome to go back for seconds, & thirds...

From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel very welcome. We started with a glass of sparkling wine & from there, the delicious afternoon began.

Here are some photos from our experience:

There were tables with a variety of sweets, including panna cotta, creme brulee, opera slice, fruit scones, & a multitude of cakes. Also on offer was a decadent chocolate fountain with different options for dipping, such as fruit, turkish delight & marshmallows.

As if that wasn't enough, there was a pancake station, where a chef was cooking fresh crepes & pancakes, with accompaniments of berry coulis, warm caramel sauce & thick cream.

Also on the menu were hot & cold savoury items, including mini shepherd's pies (which my girlfriend loved), cream cheese & cucumber sandwiches, egg & mayonnaise sandwiches & mini quiches. The sandwiches were so fresh & soft that I lost count of how many I ate.

As my friend has a gluten-free diet, she was given a 3-tiered stand with a selection of gluten-free savoury & sweet items, in addition to all that was on offer.

There was also unlimited coffee & tea, & a pianist was playing beautiful music in the background.
To top it all off, one of the songs he played was Happy Birthday & at that moment, several waiters came out with plates of cake with a birthday candle for the people celebrating their birthdays. Such a nice surprise!

High Tea at Sofi's was a  beautiful afternoon to celebrate the birthday of a beautiful friend. For anyone struggling for ideas on how to make someone feel special, consider a High Tea. It's such a treat & it's nice to spoil or be spoiled every once in a while.

Book Review - "Spotless" by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming

If you're after ideas on how to deal with household cleaning disasters, this is a fantastic book. Designed as a reference book, it's split into room by room chapters, making it easy to find what you're looking for. It's such a handy resource to have & it solves a lot of the problems associated with a household, including cleaning, smells, scratches, mould, & more.

Here are some examples of what you'll find in the book:

how to clean a smelly dishwasher,
how to keep your cupboards clean,
how to remove pen stains from fabric,
how to remove crayon marks from walls,
how to remove lipstick & make-up stains from your sheets,
how to remove yellow marks on clothes,
how to clean a barbeque,
how to stop squeaky floorboards,
how to remove beetroot stains from laminate,
& so much more.


The beauty of this book is that there's reference to a lot of household items (such as white vinegar, talcum powder, salt, milk, bicarb soda & lemon juice) which most of us have in our homes, & that are quite effective in solving a lot of the domestic challenges that come about in the house.

Of course, you can still buy some of the supermarket products which you find useful & that work for you, but it's good to know that, just in case you run out of those chemical products, there's bound to be something in the pantry that will help keep your home "spotless"!

Book Review - "What To Wear, Where" by Hillary Kerr & Katherine Power

For all the women out there who wear the same tired, uninspired clothes every day (especially mums who live in jeans & sneakers all the time), here is a book that will help you re-think your style choices. This book has tips & ideas on how to put clothes together to make your look seem effortless but fashionable & relevant.

Designed as a reference book, it alphabetically lists various occasions & has photos of the authors dressed in clothing that they recommend for each occasion. The authors also include tips on what not to wear, which is very handy. There's also a section at the back about their must-have wardrobe essentials.

Pick up this book & it'll show you what to wear for a number of different occasions, including: a job interview, a wedding, a concert, a kids' event, a family reunion, a first date, a barbeque, & even your daily errands.

You don't have to refer to it every day but, at those times when you're stuck for ideas, or when you know that the jeans & sneakers look has reached it's use-by date, you can flip through this book & get some great ideas. All the hard work is done for you. It might even help you find inspiration from the items in your wardrobe that haven't been worn in a while.

x Kathy x