Happy New Year! I hope that 2024 brings you health, happiness and endless joy.

Today is officially my “first day back in the office”. Thats a bit of joke when you run a farm and your own business but I’m sure you know what I mean.

2024 is going to be a huge year here at Valle Laguna. 

We are building more accomodation! As I sit here typing, the earthworks for the new Valle Laguna Farmhouse have almost been completed.

The new house will have 4 bedrooms, (2 are ensuite master bedrooms) a total of 3 bathrooms, a large open plan kitchen/dining area, media room, alfresco dining with outside BBQ kitchen and vast wrap around deck area so you can really take in the country views. I’ll be updating you on progress throughout the year but we are excited at the prospect of hosting larger groups. Think bride/bridesmaids, extended families or a ladies getaway weekend. Watch this space!

If you have stayed with us here, then you will probably of met my beloved horses DaVinci and Cryptic. Or “The Boys” as they are know. This year is going to be a big year for DaVinci. He has turned 6 and is now starting regular work (ie ridden 5 or more times per week). This is a combination of trail riding, arena work, lessons or taking him out to different venues for the experience. It’s a big step up for him but an even bigger commitment for me!!! These young horses are no picnic and I’ve really had to start thinking seriously about my fitness, flexability, strength and stamina. I really want to be the best rider I can possibly be for him, so I’ll be focusing a lot on these things in 2024.

Aside from the physical aspect I will also need to tweak my diet. Don’t worry this isn’t some New Years Resolution. I’m at an age where I can honestly say that I’m over NY resolutions. Anything that starts with deprivation is OUT. This year I’m all about more!!

More fun, more exercise, more time with friends and family and more food. YES!!!! More food. I’m growing it, cooking it and eating it. I love cooking and I’m going to be delving into my vast cookbook collection for inspiration and sharing recipes here.

Have you read the book Spoon Fed by Dr Tim Spector? This book has literally changed how I think about food.

Lets take a step backwards…I grew up with a diet based around meat, seafood, vegetables and fruit. We didn’t eat out very often, but luckily for me I come from a family of great cooks so this wasn’t really an issue. It was what I now know to be a very healthy and good foundation for how I eat as an adult. Unfortunately I’ve also added a lot of unhealthy food into my diet. Back to the book…..highly processed and “fast foods” are becoming a larger part of the western world diet. Salt, sugar and preservatives that I can’t even pronounce making up a large part of the ingredients. This year I’m going back to basics. I’m going to be filling my diet with more whole foods and decreasing the amount of overly processes food I consume. Dr Spector suggested a target of 30 different fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts per week as a way of increasing the good gut bacteria and boosting the vitamin and minerals for a healthy body. 

The other focus for 2024 will be my YouTube channel. I’ve had a stop start love affair with YouTube but this year I have committed to 1 video per week. 

You can watch and subscribe here. It’s absolutely free and you don’t have to sign up to anything.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2024.

Kylie