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at the chias

at the chias

making a home | finding beauty in the ordinary | living for things that matter

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Motherhood

baby proofing hacks

August 23, 2023

How to baby proof your Singapore HDB flat without sacrificing style

August 18, 2023

Yufu Child Farm – Family friendly Farm Stay in the Japan Countryside

At the Chias - travel with kids in Hanoi Ninh Binh Vietnam

August 1, 2023

5 tips to love travel with kids, from experienced travellers

At the Chias - Kyushu with kids, standing under the Nabegataki Falls

August 1, 2023

One week in Kyushu with kids – slow, local and nature-filled

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@atthechias

Have you heard of the 2 minute rule for productivi Have you heard of the 2 minute rule for productivity? 

*If something takes 2 minutes or less, do it now.* I’ve found this rule to work well in terms of things like washing a used cup, putting laundry in the washer, and picking items off the floor. 

Where it fails to work effectively is where it concerns use of technology, particularly a smart device. 

While yes, it would technically take less than 2 minutes to reply a text or clear some unwanted emails, the fact is that I am often drawn in to spend far more than the 2 minutes. If you’re like me, this is how you end up in ridiculous situations like considering a text “so urgent” that it needs to be replied while at a stop-light, or a question needs to be looked up “now”. 

Recently, I came across a new rule I found more helpful re tech. *If it can wait 10 minutes, do it later.*

Texts usually don’t need to be replied now, in fact, they often don’t need to be replied 10 minutes later. Random questions I have in my head don’t need an immediate answer. This rule helps me guard against my need for immediate gratification and the maximisation of efficiency, in favour of a more humane pace. 

To prevent the thought from being lost, I write it down on a post-it, add it to my to-do list or create a note on my phone (yes I’m not anti-phone, just pro-using it as a tool rather than having it control me). 

What practices do you have to help draw boundaries for your own tech use? 

📷: Snaps from moments of pause, both locally and abroad.
Back home, back to school, back to familiar rhythm Back home, back to school, back to familiar rhythms. Our restless hearts are constantly searching, looking, wandering as we seek Home. 

Until then, what a privilege to be the curator of this earthly home, to bring a glimpse of heaven on earth as we live in the now and not yet. 

There’s no place like home. Can you guess what new bedtime story we’ve started? 😉
Other details: 🪥 toiletries are packed into ou Other details:

🪥 toiletries are packed into our family’s shared toiletry bag

🎒 each child has a daypack for the flight and day-to-day, which has a soft toy, a journal and some small activities

🧷 nappies, if needed, are purchased at the country we visit

☀️ if it’s a warm weather climate, we will swap out the warm clothing for a light jacket and maybe shorts and dresses!

This was what we packed for each child on our recent campervan trip to Australia. It helped us keep things simple and light. Laundry is hardly a burden when there are only so few pieces to wash!

What kind of a packer are you?
The Great Ocean Road never fails to stir the heart The Great Ocean Road never fails to stir the heart; the majesty and splendour of creation on display. Standing amidst such grandiose proclamations of nature reminds one of their place, and small role we play in being the same light in our own small ways. 

Full blog post with details of our trip now up on atthechias.com - find it in link in bio or google “atthechias campervan”
We spent the first part of our trip exploring the We spent the first part of our trip exploring the Grampians, just a few hours from Melbourne, and hardly scratched the surface. All the locations are equally accessible via car. We didn’t undertake any long hikes since the kids are still young, longest is around 2.5km return. 

📍 Venus Baths
Lovely walk along the creek, ending at the rock pools which must be so fun to dip in in the warmer months! Don’t slip, or like one of our kids you’ll have to walk the return leg soaking wet 😬 the walk returns to the town centre where food and amenities abound. 

📍 MacKenzie Falls
We did the easy trek to the lookout, rather than the difficult one to the base. It was really easy and fully accessible - about 20min each way. There are other falls to explore from this same carpark, but it started to rain so we didn’t see the others!

📍 Canoeing in Lake Fyans with @absoluteoutdoors 
This was such a lovely day, with perfect weather. It being low season, we were the only ones on the water, along with the wildlife it teems with. Our guide was passionate and knowledgeable and we learnt so much from him! 

📍 Boroka Lookout
The rains stopped momentarily and clouds cleared just enough for us to have a peek before they descended again. A reminder of how little control we have over nature! No hike required for this, just a 2 min walk from the carpark. 

🔥 Campfires have been a highlight for everyone! There’s something intoxicating about watching flames dance. And the warmth it brings as the sun retreats for the day, plus the char it gives to our food, and smoke smell it puts in our hair…

Check out the full blog post on atthechias.com

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