An Easier Way to Order Takeaway PLUS a Giveaway!

Just when you thought ordering takeaway couldn't get easier, it has. 

Forget scrambling through your junk drawer for takeaway menus, or hastily throwing your couch cushions off to search for hidden change to pay the delivery guy - EatNow has made ordering takeaway easier, stress free and still just as delicious.

When EatNow asked Jesse and I if we'd like to try out their service, we couldn't say no. We'd been seeing ads for months for different online takeaway ordering services - but we'd also been a little bit wary. 

Call me a chicken, but I usually like to hear about someone else's positive experience before trying something myself. So we decided to be the Guinea Pigs.... 

On Sunday afternoon, we were just finishing putting up our Christmas lights (post coming soon!) when Jesse asked the inevitable question; "What's for dinner?" 
Usually I cook dinner every night, however, Jesse and the family order takeaway once or twice a month as a special treat.

I had a leftover homemade GF pizza base in the fridge so I was sorted (it's impossible to find GF takeaway near us!), so it was takeaway for dinner for the SIL family after a day of super hard work. 

So whilst we finished off the lights, I opened up the EatNow App on my iPhone and scrolled through to find a restaurant. As it was a Sunday night, some local places weren't open, however, Satay Inn Asian Restaurant was - and they delivered to our area!

We ordered Dim Sim, Spring Rolls, Fried Rice (which Katrina said was the best ever), Sweet and Sour Pork, Calamari in Chilli Salt and Pepper (which the whole family loved) and Shredded Fried Beef ($50 in total) and placed the order, paying via PayPal on the app. 

5 minutes later, I received a text confirming our order and 30 minutes later the doorbell rang and the food was here (15 minutes earlier than the estimated arrival time!) and all we had to do was bring it inside as everything had already been paid. 

The SIL Family crowned Satay Inn Asian Restaurant the best Asian food (after recent disappointments with local faves) and dinner was ordered, delivered and eaten in an hour! 

But best of all? We want to buy dinner for one of you! 

We have 1x $50 EatNow Voucher to Give Away to spend on dinner at a local restaurant of your choice! 

All you have to do to enter;

1. Leave us a comment on this post telling us what your favourite takeaway dish (dishes) to order is!
   If you don't have a Disqus account, simply select "Pick a Name" and check "I'd rather post as Guest" and ensure the email you use is one we can contact you at if you win! 
2. For an extra entry: Follow us on Facebook and leave a comment letting us know by hitting "reply" under your original post.
3. For an extra entry: Follow us on Twitter and leave a comment letting us know by hitting "reply" under your original post.
4. For an extra entry: Follow us on Instagram and leave a comment letting us know by hitting "reply" under your original post.

Entries open to Australian Residents. Competition closes 12/12/14 at 11:59 EST. 

Winner will be contacted via email.

This was a sponsored post for EatNow. All opinions expressed in this post are completely our own and have not been influenced by the company in any way. If you're interested in working with Southern In-Law on a sponsored post, please contact us at southerninlaw@gmail.com for more information.

#SILintheSouth The Quinessential Southern Experience?

You guyyyyyyyyyyyssssssssss, I feel like now I can say I've had a truly Southern day ;P 

Our day started at Walmart (well.... not really, we didn't sleep there but the actual doing things part of the day started there) where we were looking for some arrows for Josh's (Jesse's brother) bow, however, there were none to be found! That was okay though because I found myself a Minnie Mouse t-shirt (there are some benefits to only fitting into clothes in the Junior section) and then we headed off to quite possibly the most entertaining place I've ever been in Louisiana...

The Lazy Girl's Recipe for When You Don't Feel Like Cooking

source.

Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking... 

You scramble around for that takeaway menu you've got somewhere, you pick up the phone and..... hold that thought.

Let me give you, The Lazy Girl's Recipe for When You Don't Feel Like Cooking!

Picnic Date Night: At the Sunset Cinemas!

I always have people thinking that Jesse gets off cheap when it comes to date nights because I'm allergic to everything and can't exactly eat out at a restaurant - but that's definitely not true! We also get lots of emails from SIL readers looking for suggestions for allergy friendly date night ideas and date nights that don't involve going to a restaurant - so we thought we'd start sharing ours!

When it comes to date nights, we just have to get creative! One of our most common date venues is the movies, however, last week we did things a little bit differently!

Most Australians know that the summertime is the perfect time for entertaining outdoors and this summer, Sunset Cinemas and Outdoors Cinemas have popped up all over the country.

We headed to the IMB Sunset Cinema at North Sydney Oval (they also have them in Canberra and Wollongong) with a picnic dinner in tow to see The Delivery Man. We'd been waiting ages to see the movie so we were super excited - and it didn't disappoint!

If you're looking for a good movie, be sure to check out The Delivery Man - it's the perfect mix of laughs, emotional bits, love and seriousness. 

Outdoor cinemas are totally different to regular cinemas - and so much more fun. We got to eat our picnic dinner and talk whilst we waited for it to start and then enjoyed our movie in the fresh air. You also don't realise that there are so many other people there as you're quite spaced apart. 

I don't know about you, but I've sat next to waaaay too many annoying movie goers - a lady who talked the entire time on her phone, a man who tapped tapped tapped tapped his leg and shook the seats throughout the entire movie, a kid who decided the movie was so boring and instead wanted to talk about some other movie he'd seen the whole entire time - you name it, when you're sitting so close to people it can get a little bit annoying. 

I think that outdoor cinemas are a little bit more romantic too as you make a whole night out of it, rather than a couple of hours. We're actually already planning on heading back to the Sunset Cinema as they're open until March 9 (with a special Valentine's Pretty Woman Event if you need a V-Day date idea!).

We had "General Admission Tickets" ($18 each plus extra for beanbag/backrest hire) but you can also purchase "Star Class Service" tickets (inc. reserved deckchair, dinner hamper, welcome drink & butler service), "Crust Lawn Lounge" tickets (inc. entry for 1 + reserved beanbed + Crust gourmet pizza + Maggie Beer icecream) and a discounted "Groupies Pass" which gets you 4 tickets for just $44.

But I know what you're thinking, what about the food Kristy?! Picnic dinners can be a little bit tricky - you don't want things to be soggy, cold, smushed, gross - so you have to find a balance.

We went for homemade cold pasta salads (pesto for me and a mexican style for Jesse) with veggie sticks and grilled chicken breast - and don't forget the popcorn!

Now, Jesse thought I was totally weird when I packed this popcorn trail mix. I added chocolate chips and raisins to store bought salted popcorn  (we like Sunbites Popcorn which is gluten free) because I knew it was a winning combination, but Jesse was totally skeeved out. 

And then he ate it. Salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy - yum.

But tell me, what are your favourite kind of date nights?

And what are your ultimate trail mix add ins?

When I could eat apricots, I used to love mixing dried apricots with white chocolate chips and salted popcorn or pretzels - holy yum.

PS: You can find out more about the Sunset Cinemas at their website.

Kristy and Jesse received complimentary tickets to the Sunset Cinemas, however, all opinions are their own and have not been influenced by the company in any way.

Cruising around Sydney Harbour - the Captain Cook Cruises Coffee Cruise!

note: This is the view from the boat looking at a Sydney Ferry - not the coffee cruise boat!

If you asked me what the best things about living in Sydney were - I think I'd have to go with how diverse it is. We're able to enjoy the beach, the city, rich cultural areas, the suburbs, national parks, the harbour, the ocean - and with just a couple of hours drive, you find yourself in the Blue Mountains or in the Nation's Capital - drive a little further and you'll find yourself in the snow fields. 

The Harbour is definitely the focal point of our city - and everything really does look better when you're out on the water. This is why, when Wesley was here, we decided to head out on one of Captain Cook Cruises' Afternoon Coffee Cruises.

Our boat arrived at 2:30pm and everyone hopped aboard. Our cruise was a little different as another Captain Cook Cruises boat was having issues and they combined a different scenic cruise with our one - but the crew handled it brilliantly and you couldn't even tell!

It was really hot that day so despite my efforts to get the boys to head out on the deck in the open - they felt the air conditioning inside and I had no bargaining power from then on. 

Sitting inside was lovely - but there was one problem. Dirty windows don't make for good photos - and that was probably the only bad thing about the entire cruise experience. But when you're dealing with open water - dirty windows are bound to happen.

We left Circular Quay and headed out into the harbour, passing the yachts sailing about, looking back at an incredible view of the Harbour Bridge (which Jesse and Wesley climbed!) and the Opera House and then heading around towards Point Piper, past Rose Bay and then looping back through. 

The Coffee Cruise includes morning or afternoon tea (depending on which time you choose) which for this cruise included; a lamington, mini muffin, tim tams and some butter cookies. There weren't any gluten free options or healthier options but c'est la vie! 

We made a stop at Darling Harbour as the other cruise needed to hop off there - but that's when I took the opportunity to drag the boys up to the top for a better view! 

Now, if you decide to go on the coffee cruise - or any other harbour cruise - do yourself a favour and head up to the outside decks - the view is so much better!! 

Now, don't ask me why Jesse decided not to smile in any photos with Wesley - he actually does like him, he's not some random I forced to take pictures with us ;P 

Another SIL Approved Adventure! 

The details: 

Captain Cook Cruises - Afternoon Coffee Cruise

Cost? Currently $39 per person, including afternoon tea (usually $55 per person - offer ends November 30). Child fares are also available for $10 per child. 

Departs? 2:15pm-2:30pm (depending on time of year) from Circular Quay 

Duration? 2 hour cruise including fully personalised guided commentary

What do you see? This cruise is the best for sightseeing as you get to see all of our harbours main sights - from the Bridge and Opera House to a sneaky peek at Russell Crowe's Aussie Home, past the mansions at Point Piper and so much more.

Our tips? Head up to the outside decks for the best views - if you head up to the very top, you'll also get a nice breeze which is perfect for hot days!

How do you book? Online! Just head to the Captain Cook Cruises Website and select the cruise you'd like to go on - there's everything from Hop on Hop Off Cruises to Breakfast and High Teas to Lunch and Dinner Cruises. 

But tell me, boat, plane, car, bike or walk - what's your favourite way to get around?

For me, it has to be walking - but now I'm inclined to say boat too!

And - if you had all the money in the world, where would you choose to live?

I'd love to live on the water - but I'd also like to live somewhere secluded and away from the hustle and bustle of the city - so it looks like Millionaire Kristy would be choosing a private island ;)

GREASE The Musical

Hi sweet peas, as you might have seen on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages, Jesse and I headed out to the opening night of Grease the Musical on Thursday.

I've always been a fan of the movie, so I was excited to see how they'd take it to the stage - and Grease the Musical didn't disappoint! It's an all singing, all dancing, extravaganza with big Aussie names like Bert Newton, Rob Mills, Anthony Callea and Todd McKenney.

The stage was incredible and unlike some shows where you have no idea where the story is set, you could pinpoint every scene throughout the show - it made all of us want to go home and watch the movie! 

The entire cast have incredible voices and the songs were pitch perfect and full of energy. The entire audience was bopping and singing along and it was such a high energy show!

Grease the Muscial is playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until December 22nd and then heading to Melbourne from January 2nd 2014 where it will be playing at Her Majesty's Theatre. 

You can buy tickets online here - starting at around $80. If you want our number one tip? Make sure you get good seats! At first we were sitting all the way up in the Grand Section and you could hardly see a thing - but once we were moved to the stalls it made the show so much better!

But tell me, what Grease character do you like the most?

Are you a girly Sandy fan? Do you like Rizzo's attitude? Or maybe you can't take your eyes off Danny. Personally, Sandy's my favourite - she gets extra points because she's Australian!

SIL in Sydney: The Bridge Climb

Why hello, loves! I want to thank you for all of your love, support and best wishes - and I promise wedding photos and recaps are coming very very soon! Today, my husband (hehehe) is taking over the blog because he wants to tell you about one of his recent achievements... it's nothing big... you know... just climbing the harbour bridge! But enough yada yada from me - here's Jesse!

Hey SIL Readers, I know I don't often take the stage blog post, but seeing as Kristy is scared of heights, my hand shot straight up when we were asked if we wanted to climb the harbour bridge. Wesley, my best man was here too, so we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see if the Bridge Climb was SIL Approved!

Where to begin?! The entire experience was awesome and the anticipation really built as Wesley and I waited for our climb to begin. 

Medical Check 

When you first arrive you pick up your tickets and wait for your group to be called (get there 15 minutes before your climb time!). Then you head into the first room where you sign a waiver and let them know of any medical conditions you might have. In our case, Wesley has asthma so he passed his inhaler onto the climb leader who kept it on him during the climb in case he needed it. If you do have any medical issues, be sure to bring your medication just in case - it's better to be safe than sorry!

They also do a breath test to ensure you don't have any alcohol in your system - safety comes first!

Getting to Know the Group.

After that's all over, we were taken into a second room to meet our climb leader (ours was John who was awesome!). Once we were all in the room we introduced ourselves to our fellow climbers and the climb leader. I loved that we were all on a first name basis - it made everything feel so much more fun and exciting. 

Kristy note: if you're one of our new readers that Jesse met on the climb, hello!!

Suiting Up 

Then we were passed our very flattering jumpsuits and headed to a dressing room to ensure it fit to our liking before suiting up and leaving all lose items (earrings, watches, phone, wallets) in the lockers. There's actually only one key for the lockers and that goes around your neck while you're on the climb - so you don't have to worry about someone taking your things. 

Check, one, two

Once we were all suited up we headed to the next room where we were shown how to use the harness properly and John checked that every harness was secure. Just so no one finds they can't climb the ladders whilst they're up there, you do a practice run on a couple of ladders inside - this way you know that you'll be comfortable and confident on the bridge. 

Accessorising

Once we were done, we finished getting ready for the real climb. In addition to the suit, you also get a windbreaker (in case you get cold up on the bridge), safety clamps for your sunglasses/glasses, clips for a hat (which you get to keep!), a handkerchief - or in Wesley's case two as he said he thought he might be "extra emotional" haha - and a radio so you can hear everyone on top of the bridge! If you're worried about getting too hot - don't be! It's windy up there and the suits have vented side panels - hence why they puff up!

The Climb

The climb starts when you move onto the lower section under the bridge, securing yourself to the safety cable and beginning your ascent!

It really was the best experience - we were all laughing and getting to know each other. John was a great climb leader and told us all of these interesting facts about the bridge and what we could see.

You really want to be in the moment so you don't miss a thing - it's the best view in Sydney and you can see everything. You stop for photos at the bottom of the arch, once you're in front of the Opera House, at the top for a big group photo and one last photo at the summit before you begin your descent. You also get to record a video for your family and friends.

This is something I know I'll remember for years and years to come - and I'm already trying to convince Kristy to do it with me! The whole climb took a bit over 3 hours but it was worth every second - the climb leader was fantastic, we felt like part of a team with all of the other climbers and you walk away with a huge beaming smile and sense of achievement.

Once you make it back to base, you remove your gear and get your things before having a few more laughs and basking in the accomplishment of something amazing. You then get to see your photos and select which ones you'd like (or all of them!) depending on the package you buy. You can also head to the booth to email your video to yourself or friends.

The Bridge Climb is definitely SIL approved - and now I just have to get Ms SIL to do it with me!

The Details:

Bridge Climb Website: www.bridgeclimb.com 

Base Address: 3 Cumberland Street, Sydney 

Facebook, Twitter, Youtube

How Much Does it Cost?: Between $200-$300 per person depending on climb, time of day and when you want to climb

How Long Does it Take? Between 2-3 1/2 hours, depending on your selected climb

Where Can I Buy Tickets? At the Bridge Climb Website

SIL Approved and Recommended!

---

But tell me, would you climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge? Or have you?

Jesse will be answering all of the comments with me - so be sure to say hello!

SIL in Sydney: Sydney SEA LIFE

Hey loves, I know I've been a little bit quiet lately - but that's because we have been so busy! With Wesley here, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to showcase some of our gorgeous city's must-see sights and must-do things so we're putting each post together one by one. The best way to stay updated with us in the lead up to the wedding (and anytime!) is via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter as we're always posting there (and that's where we'll be posting our first wedding pictures!) so be sure to follow us.

On Sunday we headed to Sydney SEA LIFE (formerly known simply as Sydney Aquarium) which has changed so much since Jesse and I visited a few years ago. The whole aquarium has gotten a face lift with the interior looking totally different - and so modern with touch screen information panels and more kid friendly tanks (previously taking my little cousins we were always picking them up to see).

One of my favourite new additions? The dugongs!!! I have always been facinated by dugongs/manatees and Sydney SEA LIFE are the only aquarium in the world to have not one, but TWO dugongs taking up residence!

The dugongs, Pig and Wuru were orphaned in the wild and rescued by Sydney SEA LIFE and now spend their days leisurely swimming and enjoying a diet of lettuce - yes! That's all they eat! The dugongs eat two tonnes of lettuce every week and are fed every 15 minutes - which when you think about it, would be totally necessary as lettuce wouldn't have many calories and these are 400kg mammals!

What I love most about the aquarium is the walk through tanks - you can see everything from a whole different perspective than you'd usually get. Wesley was blown away and even though Jesse and I have been before, it's still amazing every time. The dugongs are absolutely adorable and it was so cool seeing them swim right over the top of you. 

Here's the boys in the shark tank - which Wesley was really pumped about as he's never (thankfully) seen sharks up close and personal - and this is about as close as you want to get!

And just in case you were wondering if I was really there - here I am with my husband to be!

I'm sick at the moment with the flu and was looking pretty awful, but I didn't want to miss out on all the fun so made sure I came along - and don't worry! I am well and truly on the mend so I won't be a sick bride. I am wondering why I bothered having the flu shot a few weeks ago though! Tsk tsk

We are very much excited for Saturday - and I can't wait for Jesse as well as you all to finally see my dress!! 

The last thing you see at Sydney SEA LIFE before you head into the gift shop is this huge tank - and did you know they now hold yoga classes at Sydney Aquarium every Tuesday morning from 7am-8am? I totally want to take one - but living quite a bit away from the city means I'd have to wake up at a ridiculous hour!

Also, I was pleasantly surprised at the gift shops very reasonable prices! I just had to stop my child fiance from buying everything in the store.

In case you want to visit yourself, let's talk details!

Sydney SEA LIFE

Darling Harbour, Sydney 

Open 9am-8pm Daily 

Current Ticket Prices (online prices in bold - walk ups are more expensive and you have to wait in line!)

Adult: $26 / $38 

Child: $16.80 / $24

Concession/Student: $25 / $31.50

Family of 4: $79 /$120

You can also purchase multi-attraction passes so you can visit other Sydney Attractions - Sydney WILD LIFE World, the Sydney Tower Eye, Madame Tussauds and Manly Sea Life as well as Behind the Scene Tour ticket packages 

But tell me, when's the last time you visited an aquarium? 

Is there any particular animal/creature that's a must-see for you? 

Affordable, functional and fashionable - Kmart's Spring/Summer launch

Why hello, my loves! What a week I've had! On Monday, I left for Melbourne at 6:30am this morning (actually waking up at 5:00am and leaving home at 5:30am) for Kmart's Spring/Summer fashion launch.

As you know, Jesse and I are huge Kmart fans - I was always a homewares fan and didn't wander much into the clothing section (unless it was for cute pj pants or casual trackies) but now my mind has totally changed - Kmart have stepped up their fashion game!

Click on the pictures to see them in full

Kmart's goal is to offer their customers affordable fashion solutions - with the ultimate aim to have their customers walk out of the store with an entire outfit under $50. The printed pants you see above are just $9 and the hat in the second photo is also $9 so both clothing and accessories are super affordable. 

Kmart also know that men need affordable fashion - and probably that their ladies need them to have affordable fashion that also looks good. 

They're looking to keep up with latest trends, patterns and colours but still keep the prices low. Here you have an $8 tank and $15 shirt - both of which come in a variety of colours. 

If you've got little ones - Kmart have then covered too! In fact, they have the whole family covered - from clothing to bedding to tablewear and so much more!

Here you've got a super cute girls' dress which I wish came in my size for just $15, cute shirts for your little guys for $8 and plus sized printed jeans for only $15. The little guy above is actually SIL reader, Nitsa's son!

Now, my fellow activewear lovers - you'll be pleased to know that Kmart have added to their activewear range - with a whole new variety of colours, shapes and styles to suit your style. 

I'm loving all the girly pinks and purples but don't worry - there are plenty of blues, greens, yellows and oranges. I spoke with one of Kmart's designers, Sally, about their range and she let me know that Kmart is always trying to keep up with trends and providing their customers with exactly what they want - working on developing things like seamless activewear and fun printed leggings and activewear pieces. 

I know a lot of you feel that activewear with shelf tanks are useless unless they have added padding (as I receive lots of emails each time I feature my activewear) and I agree, so this is something I let Sally know! Most of us either want a tank to go over sport bras or an all on one tank if you don't need the added support. 

Kmart also have the guys covered for activewear - Jesse loves their tshirt style activewear tops which utilise moisture wicking fabric technology but don't necessarily look like a workout too - because really, not every guy is a show off or wants to look like a jock. 

This is just SOME of Kmart's new spring/summer collection and there is so much more instore - so make sure you pop into your local store and check it out!

But tell me, is there something you'd like to tell Kmart that you want or wish they'd change? 

Jesse and I are also planning on reviewing some different things at Kmart so we'd love to know, what would you like us to test out at Kmart? (It'll be SIL Approved!) - we've already had requests for Kmart's bikes and activewear range as well as clothing, but we want to know what you want to see! 

PS: I met four Southern In-Law readers on this trip all at different places and I just wanted to say thank you for stopping and taking the time to say hello! I know a lot of you are shy about saying hello in-case you get the wrong person or you feel like it's weird, but it totally makes my day! I may just have to start wearing makeup more often after Zoe emailed me letting me know she saw me out shopping and I realised I looked like a complete mess that day ;P