Month: August 2018

Up-Cycle with NutriStart Active

Up-Cycle with NutriStart Active

Posted on by Rebecca

A little while ago I was approached by NutriStart to work on an “up-cycle” project for their cereal containers. With the whole world finally stepping up to take notice of our consumer footprint, plastic is suddenly a hot topic. While it serves its purpose in some area’s I feel it’s absolutely on us as consumers to fight the good fight and be aware of our effects on the world around us.

NutriStart offers some pretty darn handy containers for some of their cereal range, but how could we reuse them afterward?

Before I dive into my thoughts there, let me start by saying, it was an absolute treat to sample their full range of cereals. My boys were so excited to try their “special new cereal”, and fought every morning over whose turn it was to try which cereal. Our absolute favourite has to be the Granola range, whether its plain, spiced dukkah (yep in a cereal), berries or chocolate; the granola to me was just the right balance of healthy and sweet. Free of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colourants & additives; NutriStart is one of the healthiest breakfasts available.

The “Active in a cup” and “Oats in a cup” range is perfectly proportioned and is a brilliant on the go option for camping weekends, work, late school runs or anything where your breakfast is “on the go” and, as I have discovered, the containers prove to be the perfect size for a good few things.

I had grand plans for this project, which didn’t turn out exactly as I had panned out as I underestimated how difficult it is to paint detailed designs on plastic. I had visions of sea green and gold designs which ended up being more basic sea green because when I tried to tape of certain sections to be gold the paint would pull off. Although I know if I had done a little more searching there would have been a more appropriate paint. I used a spray paint with a primer for these.

My first and most obvious choice for the containers would be for potted plants and herbs. Once you have created your choice of design on the container cut small holes into the bottom to allow for easy drainage and air to flow through the soil. I love the fact that I can custom colour my herb garden.

Here are some of the other ways we have reused our pots:

They are perfect for Imaginary play! The boys making their own potions, soups, science projects and gardens with their little tubs. The insisted on painting and colouring their own, I may not have let them use spray paint, but they decorated their own pots with good old crayon and acrylic paints.

We turned a few of them into playdough pots, the containers are literally the perfect size for a new batch of dough. They also are great for storing arts and crafts materials. Pom Poms, Crayons, Feathers; they have made a great addition to our arts and crafts shelf.

I’ve also used the pots post school run. Running out of time for lunch, on he way back to work, the pots are super convenient in housing 2 minute noodles, pasta or a salad for when you are on the go.

My husband always jokes that he is living in a house filled with Zimbabweans. While we have British heritage my parents and I were born in Zim, and they grew up in an era of war. Naturally, they had to reuse and recycle most things and my house is one of those houses that if you open up a margarine container in the fridge you may not find margarine 🙂 Containers such as ice cream tubs and margarine containers were never thrown away but were reused as fantastic storage units. 2l ice cream tubs are perfect for “padkoss” on long journeys across Southern Africa.

There is great deal to learn from generations before us on reusing things. We have grown into a very “disposable” society, using things once and throwing them away and sadly our planet is starting to feel the effects. So thank you Nutristart for opening my eyes to this fantastic project, and for giving the kids and I a new reason to get excited for crafting.

 

How would you use your Nutristart containers?

Finding My Tribe

Finding My Tribe

Posted on by Rebecca

When you become a mother, your life, your lifestyle, your relationships change. Whether you are a stay at home, work from home, return to the workforce kind of mum it doesn’t matter, things (and people) change. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is 100 percent true, but not only for support of the child, but support of the mama too.

The “mom” world can be full of comparison and judgement. Breast vs bottle, baby led weaning vs puree, cloth vs disposable. There is no right or wrong. Its every parent doing their absolute best and working out what is best both for baby and mummy. That’s why finding your mom tribe Is so important. Your mom tribe of friends support your journey no matter what path you choose. These are the friends you can completely be yourself around. The kind that don’t mind if you are 30 minutes late because you had a kid that refused to get dressed or you had a diaper mishap on your way out the door. They understand, they have been there. These are the ladies that won’t look twice when you end up with paint or half chewed cookies all down your front. Heck they won’t even blink an eyelid if you haven’t brushed your hair. They get it. Your mom tribe may not even include your closest circle of friends, but rather mothers whose paths you’ve crossed along the way.

Growing up I lived with aunt in the USA for a year while her children were still very young. I got to know her “mom tribe”, we called them the “mummy mafia” and I saw first-hand how this group of ladies formed bonds across playparks and school classrooms. Over the past 15 years I’ve watched the move through phases, to different schools and graduations. Divorce, Deaths and changes of career, these women have been there for each other through it all. They are the epitome of a “mom tribe” and each other’s family away from family.

 

Looking back on my journey of motherhood I would say the first year of Aadams life were very different to the past 4 years. I didn’t have a “tribe”, I didn’t take him to any “moms and tots, In fact, looking back, I isolated him a little too much. I think any first time mum can relate to this, I found it quite difficult to coordinate everything: nursing, nap times. I certainly was not a “natural mother” like some of my other friends who seemed to ease into everything. It was hard! Sure I had playdates with friends of similar ages but I don’t remember every doing anything to actively stimulate him (or me). Lets face it though, from newborn to about 6 months you don’t really actively do “playdates”.

Then came our move to the Western Cape, in a new town all alone. I was 7 months pregnant and so desperately wanted my little adventurer to make some friends. Enter my first mom tribe. Our weekly get togethers were so crucial not only for Aadams’ development, but for mine as a mother too. With you first child everything is new! You don’t know about making playdough or stimulation acvities, messy play was a foreign term that I hadn’t even considered! We shared numerous cups of tea, ideas on things to do with the kids, worries of life. These are the friends with whom we may start a conversation via text on Monday and I may not hear back until Friday, but that’s ok. We understand, and we remain constant. 2 years later and a move back home I was left “tribeless again”. With a 1 year old desperate for some additional stimulation I tried various “moms and tots” classes to no avail. Then I stumbled across Adventure Clubs and met up second “Mom Tribe”. We all found ourselves on similar outings, with children on similar ages. All of us trying to balance working from home, motherhood, side hustles to bring in extra income. We all wanted to expand our children’s minds and tried to find alternatives to having them cooped up in classrooms from such a young age.

I am so grateful in my life to have these women. We have lived through the early years of parenting together, when the days were long, and fatigue was strong. My friends that I can completely be myself around. The kind that don’t mind if you are 30 minutes late because you had a kid that refused to get dressed or you had a diaper mishap on your way out the door. They understand, they have been there. These are the ladies that won’t look twice when you end up with paint or half chewed cookies all down your front. They won’t even blink an eyelid if you haven’t brushed your hair. They get it. Your Mom Tribe is more than just finding a group of women… it’s knowing that you have a group of friends that are there through it all.

I’ve been thinking about every single member of my mama tribe lately and how so very lucky I am to have found them. For all the laughs and conversations around “conventions”. Thank you for loving my babies the way you love your own, thank you for lifting me up and for just stepping in and making things easier without being asked.  This is a letter of gratitude to every single one of you.

Tips on finding your tribe?

I tried the “moms and babes” classes and never really formed deep connections there, same goes for the ante-natal classes. Though I know a lot of mums who did connect there. I had a few “almosts” with moms of the kids playgroups, amazing ladies but we never really found the time (I’m also to blame). My mom tribes funnily enough came through social media, with all its flaws and scares for helping me find my “mom tribe”. Facebook groups and the adventure clubs app all played a huge role in this and I would highly recommend turning to them for support if you can.

Flash Giveaway – Win Family Tickets to Hotel

Flash Giveaway – Win Family Tickets to Hotel

Posted on by Rebecca

Its my birthday week and I want to spread the joy!

A little while ago I wrote about the fantastic new Kiddies Cinema at Ster-Kinekor Theatres in Sandton City Shopping Centre, https://inthesestilettos.com/2018/05/01/ster-kinekors-new-kid-movie-zone/

It really adds another dimension to kiddies viewing and with an indoor slide, PlayStation and ball pit its a guaranteed winner!

I’m giving away family tickets (for 4 people) to the premiere of Hotel Transylvania at this awesome Cinema!

Little ones will get to enjoy:
Face painting
Free Hotel T masks for the kids
Candy Floss machines
Free popcorn
A fun learn to do the Drac dance session
A chance to win watches from Q&Q
A chance to win movie hampers

The screening will be held on 19th August at 10am in Sandton City.

To enter:
Simply share head on over to my facebook page, share this post and tag a friend whom you think would enjoy this as well.
Competition is open to Residents of Gauteng only and the prize will not include transport to the venue.
The tickets are valid for a family of four.

Competition will close on 15th August at 2pm

My Top Family Friendly Parks + Picnic Spots in Johannesburg

My Top Family Friendly Parks + Picnic Spots in Johannesburg

Posted on by Rebecca

The weather is warming up and the first blooms are showing signs of flowering.  Bring on warmer weather and long summer days. Living in the city I try to get out into nature most weekends, my soul craves it and its one of my biggest challenges with living in Joburg.

I’ve put together a list of my absolute favourite Parks and Picnic Spots around Gauteng to maximise those beautiful warm days heading our way. Only once I compiled the list did I realise just how many options there are, so to make it a bit easier I have separated the lists into Johannesburg and Pretoria.

To kick off let’s have a look at some of Johannesburg’s glorious garden spots:

Emmarentia Dam and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

One of our favourite spots to ride bikes and take in the view. This park is particularly popular with joggers, bike riders and rowers. The Park offers different sections, in the northern section, take a pleasant stroll through a rose garden, indigenous herb patch, or view an amazing collection of succulents at the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens. The gardens have terraced ponds and fountains and a Shakespearean garden, with herbs and roses. In the North east section is the dam which is popular with canoeists and families feeding the ducks.

Zoo Lake, Forest Town

Joburgs backyard forest. Our family (and a large portion of Johannesburg) have been visiting Zoo Lake for years. Popular with families for braais, picnics and birthday parties on the weekend. The park also has probably one of the biggest Moyo’s in it and is a firm favourite when entertaining foreign visitors in Joburg. Rent out a boat to row on the lake or enjoy a picnic under the shady trees. Watch out for the VERY friendly ducks and geese 🙂

Mushroom Park (Our hidden gem), Sandton

Right in the heart of Sandton, surrounded by cloud touching sky scrapers, mushroom park offers a beautiful reprieve from big city life. It has a lovely little river running through it, an outdoor gym and about 5 different jungle gyms.

Delta Park, Randburg

Probably one of the largest parks in Joburg extending right the way from Craighall Park to Randburg. Delta Park is offers a beautiful 104 hectares to explore. It has a fantastic kiddies play area and extensive nature trails, including bird hides. The Environmental Centre offers a fantastic range of nature related courses for children and adults alike.

Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Roodeport

Absolutely breathtaking and well worth the short drive to Roodepoort. The best place to get back to nature in Joburg. The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens offers beautiful surrounds, a glorious waterfall and if you are lucky you may even spot a pair of Verreaux Eagles. There is a small entrance fee to maintain upkeep of the gardens

The Wilds, Killarney

I have to say, I lived in Killarney for a number of years and at the time I would never have considered stepping foot in this park. I always longed to explore it but never felt safe. That’s all changed due to a recent revamp by the community. There are 67 owl sculptures across the park alongside fountains and sundials. Ramble across the hillsides with views of the city from various sides, mixing urban life with local vegetation.

Lonehill Park, Lonehill

Another one of our favourites. Lonehill park is exceptionally well maintained and safe, with a security guard on duty patrolling the area. There is a fenced off kiddies play area that my boys adore and of course a dam where you can fish on a catch and release policy. Its home to bass, barbell and carp  This is one of the best kept secrets for those who want to take a walk or are just looking to get some open air.

 

Gillooly’s Farm, Bedfordview

Gillooly’s Farm is another very popular picnic spot. Beautiful views of the lake with several braai area’s available as well. The large grassland is perfect for soaking up the sun (whether in Summer or Winter), braai areas are available and there is a memorable amount of bird life at the lake.

Golden Harvest Park, Randburg

This was a new one for me, you see even after so many years of exploring I still stumble across new gems.  A great park with unspoiled indigenous bushveld, ideal for walking dogs, walking trails and a peaceful picnic.  The park was established in 1972 and offers forms of recreation such as walking/jogging, fishing, mountain biking, various sports including beach soccer, and bird watching. If you are a bird love apparently the park offers over 60 species of birds, and its dam is home to geese, carp, barbel, crabs, frogs, otters and mongoose !You do need to be aware of your surrounds and go at busier times, but it has had a revival of sorts and there is a parkrun that runs through.

Sandton Field and Study, Sandton

An age old favourite in the Sandton area and popular with dog walkers. The park offers a number of different braai area’s along the river and a nice kids play area. You can also take a pony ride through the equestrian centre or enjoy a cappuccino at River Café.

Florida Lake, Roodeport

Situated in suburban Roodepoort, this lake and park promises a fun family-day outing. It has a putt-putt course, an Olympic size swimming pool as well as a playpark for kids. There is an incredible Bird Park next door.

Rietfontein Nature Reserve, Paulshof

This 25 hectare nature reserve in the heart of the Northern Suburbs.  The indigenous green area, with a quartzite koppie, has walking trails and beautiful lawns for an idyllic family picnic. The reserve hosts an array of birds as well as blesbok, duiker, klipspringer and steenbok. The reserve is open every day from 6 am – 6 pm. Entrance is free, but please note that no dogs are allowed in the reserve. There is a short and relatively easy walking trail in the reserve – suitable for kids – which takes visitors to the top of the ridge with great views of Sandton.

Rietvlei Zoo Farm

Rietvlei offers a jam packed day filled with family fun. Enjoy a picnic under the shade of the large willow and oak trees or partake in a round of putt-putt, then have a look at the farm animals, or take a ride on the steam train or tractor. Rietvlei offers beautiful natural wetlands and well maintained gardens.

Nirox Sculpture Park – Krugersdorp

A little piece of heaven on earth in my opinion. A privately funded park but open to visitors every weekend. Standard entrance fees are R100 per adult and R50 for kids under 12. The sculpture park comprises of cultivated landscape and water ways designed to showcase sculptures. It is located within a privately owned nature reserve which has more than 40 kilometers of walking, cycling and game drive trails through unspoiled grasslands, natural fountains and indigenous forests.

Bartlett Park/Boskruin Koppie, Boskruin

The Boskruin Koppie is one of the protected areas in the city, alongside the famous Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, Delta Park, Emmarentia Dam, the Johannesburg Botanical Garden and Golden Harvest Park. The Park is a beautiful safe green strip hidden in amongst a residential area. It has wild bunnies for the kids to feed so be sure to take some carrots and keep an eye out for the feisty rock dassies !

Walkhaven, Muldersdrift

Walkhaven is situated in the Muldersdrift area right next to the Cradle of Humankind on 22 hectares of rolling grassland. It has a fully stocked dam surrounde by wetlands and is home to a number of bird life. Braai and picnic facilities are strategically placed throughout the park should you wish to bring your own refreshments. The park was initially started as a dog park and is a popular outing for the entire family. There is a small entrance fee of R20 but its open daily from 7am.

Brookwood Estate, Cradle of Human Kind

Technically not a park, but Brookwood Estate is a peaceful retreat and the perfect picnic spot! Its situated an hour outside of Johannesburg.The farm offers 5 stock dams for the fishing enthusiasts among you and their picnic site, right next to the Blaaubank Spruit river, is well looked after. Braai facilities are available as well.

Oh For The Love Of Books – Giveaway For Book Lovers Day

Oh For The Love Of Books – Giveaway For Book Lovers Day

Posted on by Rebecca

I will take any excuse to snuggle in and read a good book. August the 9th is “Book Lovers Day”, an unofficial holiday that encourages people to pick up a book (or two) and spend the day reading. Thankfully here in South Africa it coincides with Woman’s Day and we all have the day off, it’s the perfect chance to tuck into a good novel.

Book stores to me, are places of magic, libraries are historical wonders. The smell of the paper pages as you walk through the doors instantly transports me to a place of calm and peace. I used to work right above a bookstore and would go down and least 4 times a month, walking away with a new treasure to devour. I’m what you may call a compulsive reader, when I finally get a chance to sit down with a book I enjoy I am fully immersed. I must finish the entire book then and there, forgetting about any of plans for the day. My mum and sister always tease me about my taste in books. I prefer “softer” books, books that take me to a happy place and leave me feeling good. They prefer deeper sci-fi styled books, or historical masterpieces.

Becoming a mother unfortunately put my love for reading on a back burner. For the first two years I didn’t even manage to pick up a book and certainly didn’t have time to browse the book stores either. Thankfully as the boys have gotten a bit older and I have been able to carve out a little more “me time” my love for reading as reignited and hopefully I can pass that onto my boys. Growing up we had a dedicated weekly slot at school for library. In primary school this involved getting a story read by the librarian and then browsing the gigantic library to find a book to take out for the week. It saddens me to think that this may not happen when my boys.

Some of my favourite authors include Nicky Pellegrino whose tales are set in Italy, her stories are about friendship and food, passion and family secrets. JK Rowling, because… Harry Potter, enough said. Sophie Kinsella, yes, I love me a little bit of the Shopaholic series. Not only do the main character and I share a name but we also share a certain penance for our love of shopping. Lastly Lesley Pearce focuses on mainly historical adventures and crime mysterious and writes about characters that are almost impossible to care about.

If you are feeling a bit detached from the literacy world, or even want to encourage reading in your children, here are a couple of ways to reignite your love for reading:

1) Visit your local library

In Johannesburg we are blessed with beautiful local library’s that are largely forgotten about. My favourites are Olivedale and Rivonia. Sign up or dig out your library card and get reacquainted with some lovingly read and best of all, free books!

2) Reread an old favourite

The Harry Potter Series will never get old for me, neither do Nicky Pellegrino’s Italian adventures. Books like this immediately transport me to another place.

3) Visit a literacy haunt

We spent hours on a trip to Rome hunting down a Caffe Greco. It’s not only the oldest café/ bar it Roma but it is famous for being a place where authors and poets used to go and sit for inspiration. Hans Christian Anderson, the famous poet Keats, all frequented this popular coffee house. Such an incredible feeling to enjoy a coffee in the very same spot.

4) Start a book club

Whether it’s done for social needs or to reignite your passion for reading, a book club is a great way to focus your goals, swap and exchange good reads or to just catch up on good gossip.

Together with CNA, One of South Africa’s oldest and most loved Book and Stationery stores, I’ll be giving away one set of books from International bestselling author Lesley Pearse. This set of 3 includes two of my personal favourites, “Belle” and “Dead to me”

 

To Enter:

Share this post

Comment below on your favourite book memory.

Winners will be announced Monday the 13th August.

Winners must be residents of South Africa and not have won any other “In These Stilettos” competitions in the last 3 months.

Surviving Two Under 2

Surviving Two Under 2

Posted on by Rebecca

I remember the very first night we were home as a family of 4. Aadam used to sleep through the night in his own room at that point (I don’t know how we have regressed so much), and toddle into our room at about 6 am. He came through to our room while I was feeding Yusuf and proceeded to break into the most heartbreaking cry ever. My little 18 month old baby was devastated that mama had another baby on her chest and just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t holding him.

I am certainly not the first mother that’s had two under two, in fact in my circle of friends the majority of us have had two under two at some point (clearly we are all daft), but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. NOT ONE SINGLE THING.

I remember being pregnant with Yusuf and looking at my 13 month old toddler trying to take his first steps, wondering how on earth I could have another baby in a few months when my baby was just a baby. I worried so much about Aadam and how he would adjust or how I could ever give him the attention he deserved. Having such a small gap between my boys meant two things. Firstly, I had an extremely active second pregnancy. Climbing my jungle gyms and pushing a pram while I was 9 months pregnant was normal. The second being I was absolutely determined to have my second baby naturally as I could not fathom walking around with a Cesarean section scar aching while my toddler was running around. People underestimate the monumental shift that going from 3 to 4 is. Gosh, I had just gotten used to being a wife when I had to adjust to being a mum for the first time and a family of 3, and suddenly we were transitioning to 4 !

Through it all, I made it, and now my boys are the best of friends. They fight like cat and dog, but they also proudly declare that they are each others best friends and it is the most beautiful thing to see. So here are a couple of pieces of advice I gathered when dealing with 2 under 2.

1.Call in the troops

If your mother or mum in law offer to come and help out with the new baby, TAKE THAT HELP! You will need every extra paid of hands you can get in those first few weeks. Dinner time with a 16 month old and newborn around? It’s a little trickier than before and having that extra set of hands is a welcome relief.

2. Prepare your partner 

You have only just adjusted to your new little family when suddenly you are welcoming one more. It is stressful on your partner and they may get bumped down the ladder in terms of priority for a few weeks. Make sure they know you love them and together you will weather the storm. Make time wherever you can to sneak in some alone time. We had our nanny in one weekend for an hour one Saturday and quickly snuck off to the beach while the babies were having their morning nap. It was just one hour but I will never forget that time.

3. Your toddler will get jealous, your baby will not.

I know this sounds harsh but my aunt gave me this piece of advice and I never looked back. Apart from feeding and nappy changes a newborn doesn’t “require” a lot. Have a mobile bed set up in your living area and whenever baby is sleeping try to devote your time solely to your toddler.

4. Get your kids excited about the baby

Easier said then done when your toddler is only 15 months old. By the time I was 8 months pregnant though, even though he couldn’t speak yet, Aadam would kiss my belly at night and give his brother “hugs”.

5. Invest in a carrier 

I feel like this should be priority number one in terms of importance. I had various slings and wraps when Aadam was born but to be honest, I never really used them or got the hang of them. Fast forward 16 months and my baby wrap became my best friend and saving grace. With a toddler you NEED that pram and you NEED two hands. I would carry Yusuf around on me most of the time and had my hands free to tend to “big brother”.

6. Try to synchronize nap times

However you do it, it doesn’t matter, but it will be a game changer. Of course one being a newborn and the other a pint-sized toddler they wont sleep all at the same time but for your toddlers morning and afternoon naps try to get in 45 minutes where you can. I have no shame in saying many a time I chucked them both in the car and drove around until there was silence.

7. Balance your attention

Think of a triage system in hospitals, and yes, your house will resemble the emergency room quite a few times. I typically prioritize based on whose need is bigger or more “urgent”. If the toddler is crying because he can’t get because he can’t reach his toy, and the baby is crying because she is hungry, the baby wins. But if the toddler is crying because he just fell down and needs help, and the baby is crying because he needs to be burped or held, then the toddler wins that time.

8. One day at a time

This is the GOLDEN rule. ALWAYS. One step forward, one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. Each day it will get a little easier, each day they will grow a little bigger. The younger baby will grow up much quicker and the moment he/she is sitting you will blink and they will be crawling, and then…… well then the real fun starts!

 

Party Inspiration – Let’s be Mermaids

Party Inspiration – Let’s be Mermaids

Posted on by Rebecca

Booking are officially open for our party business ! Megan from Mommalikeme and I have started to take bookings for events, following on from our passion which we started working on during University days.  In case you haven’t seen it by now, I’ll be featuring Soph’s beautiful Mermaid party that Megan threw a few months ago. Still one of my favourite parties this year. This under sea adventure has been featured on a few global party pages, including Kara’s Party Ideas and Catch my Party.

My favourite features?

The sequined blue table cloth

The gold accent details like the spray-painted starfish, seahorses and mermaid busts.

The handmade “Jellyfish” hanging from the ceiling

The incredible 3 tiered masterpiece of a cake

The gorgeous colour scheme

 

 

Its actually quite hard to choose there is so much detail, so for now, over to over to Megan :

Whilst some might shudder at the thought of planning a party of such magnitude, there is nothing that excites me more. Conceptualising every detail has brought me such joy, cemented by the absolute awe in which I could see on Soph’s face when she arrived at her party on 21st April. Mermaids (like unicorns) are a huge trend on the party circuit this year, cropping up already last year when I started planning this party – I hope this party brings you some inspiration!

I love creating, and love doing as much of the party DIY as I can, this year, par for the coconut ice, I delegated all the baking, allowing myself more time to focus on the creative concept, even down to the invitation itself. There’s loads of mermaid inspiration out there, the best place is to always start with your theme, is the colour selection. I went with pink, turquoise, purple and gold.

Venue – Choosing the wrong venue is a deal breaker for me.  Tembali Party Park was everything I wanted in a venue and more. Top of my priority list when it came to finding the right venue was a beautiful, sheltered area where the candy buffet and food could be, that also had to be in close proximity to the area where the children would be playing. I wanted a venue where the area I’d be using could compliment my theme. I searched high and low to find the right fit (there will be an entire post on party venues in Johannesburg coming from In these Stilettos and I), and after many referrals and a site visit, I finally decided on Tembali. The staff were incredible. Brenda, Jane and her team went above and beyond to ensure the day ran smoothly and assisted wherever I needed a hand. Refreshing fruit platters, topping up with cookies and cake pops, cleaning coffee mugs – nothing was too much. One of the fabulous things about the venue is that it is fully enclosed. There’s a ginormous play area with slides and tunnels, cricket nets, a shaded sandpit, bike track, zip-line and also a jumping castle or waterslide for hire.

Photography – What an absolute treat it was to have my favourite photographer, Corinna, from Corinna Tannian Photography there to capture every detail and all the happy moments that we’ll treasure forever. If you’re obsessed with detail, you’ve met your match in Corinna!

Cake – What’s a party without a cake, right? My jaw literally dropped when I saw Cara’s masterpiece when I arrived to set up at Tembali. I’d come across Aristocakes on Instagram as fate would have it, and I’m forever grateful for Cara’s love and enthusiasm that went into this beautiful creation. We discussed a few details I wanted included, but other than that, Cara was given the creative freedom over the end result. Three glorious tiers of delicious vanilla sponge sandwiched alternatively with a chocolate buttercream and strawberry filling, a true piece de resistance if ever there was one!

Cake pops – I met Jaysheela at a party workshop last year, a love for party planning drew us together and we stayed in touch. She’s one of those beautiful, gentle souls that you’re instantly drawn to, and boy can she bake! She made the most divine mouthful-sized coconut cream cake pops covered with turquoise and purple chocolate in keeping with the theme.

Sugar Cookies – How exquisite are these iced sugar cookies that Allyson from Sprinkles made for the party? The table looked amazing adorned with the delicate mermaid tails and star fish and were a huge hit with the kids, all vying for one of these iced delicacies.

Candy table – Wonderland Sweets, the ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of sweet shops is by far my favourite in Johannesburg – where else would I have found ocean-themed jellies to hide in the ‘mermaid cove’ treasure hunt? The golden dipped almonds looked like real gold nuggets! I filled the various apothecary jars with strawberry mallows, purple cotton candy, purple rock candy to resemble coral, pink edible pearls and turquoise jellybeans, of which the last two came from Party Spot. Jellies – always the biggest hit at my kids’ parties – true to the theme, I made turquoise jelly cups topped with delicate edible pearls. Golden-iced doughnuts – courtesy of our local Pick ‘n Pay and purple, pink and turquoise layered coconut ice finished off the table.

Catering – Catering for a 10h00 party, when you need to start setting up at 08h00, was not something I was about to handle on my own, so instead I ordered a variety of delicious pastries and mini quiches from Fournos and balanced this out with a couple of delicious fresh fruit platters that we assembled with the help of trusty Woolworths.

Water bottles – Kidz Cardz – Have you ever seen a cuter customised water bottle? Kidz Cardz designed the beautiful water bottles for our thirsty mermaids and mermen, and they were so popular they went long before any of the juice did, happy parents!

Party packs – Tower Kids – I like to send the kids home with something they can generally have fun with – we have an entire cupboard at home stuffed with half-filled carboard boxes and those coloured buckets laden with junk, which my kids happen to love, but given the choice, I went with some amazing sea-themed art and craft kits from Tower Kids. I think the parents were equally as happy as the kids with this take-home gift in lieu of more sugar!

Mermaid crown – Lexi Loves Bows – My lovely friend Candice from Lexi Loves Bows custom-made Soph a mermaid crown out of felt, which was beautiful and light for her little head. Soph absolutely loved it.

Balloons – The Variety Shop – This party I decided to try my hand at a balloon garland – so much easier than you may think – and bought the beautiful balloons from one of my favourite party stockist stores, The Variety Shop. According to my three-year-old, you just have to have balloons at a party, and she was right, they helped set the scene beautifully, with some confetti filled balloons floating around like bubbles.

Décor – Always take into consideration the space where you’ll be needing to setup. The pink backdrop you see? It’s covering a wrought-iron pot plant shelf that happened to be bolted into the wall! So, Plan B had me visiting Builders Warehouse to cut a sheet of 4mm Pine, a fun afternoon painting, and enlisting the help of a wonderful friend and her husband to patiently bringing my ‘Let’s be mermaids’ dreams into fruition. Thank you, Annie. I like to have my children’s names on all their party tables – these wooden letters from Typo have been on three of Soph’s tables now, with the addition this year of the shells, pearls and sequins. Finishing off the table was the beautiful floor-grazing turquoise satin and sequined material I bought from Chamdor, on a 50%-off sale! Plastic sea creatures, white ceramic mermaids and seahorses all got a golden coating, while turquoise starfish and strands of pearls tied up the look. I knew the paper-lantern jellyfish would look amazing hanging from the roof trusses (another plus on Tembali in my books!) but I didn’t take into account how many burns I’d get in the process using a hot glue-gun! A couple fingers later, I decided to abandon the glue-gun in favour of normal contact glue – success! I bought all the various lace, velvet, sparkly and satin ribbon from Chamdor and glued the strands into the inside of the paper lanterns – the end result was extremely effective I think.

Activities – With the weather cooling down I decided to hire the jumping castle instead of the water slide, and also opted to hire a face painter too. Through a personal recommendation I came across Monique from Never Grow Up and she was absolutely phenomenal. She has the patience of a saint working with little kids and their requests and I’d definitely recommend her services. For a craft activity I bought little wooden treasure chests from Party Spot that the kids got to decorate themselves with crystal stickers and then fill with ‘treasure’ – including a candy bracelet – to take home. We did a treasure hunt in ‘Mermaid Cove’ where the kids could dig for the hidden treasures in the sandpit (think Ocean-themed jellies, crystal bracelets, bubbles and under the sea themed sticker packs). For the final fun activity, we also had a ‘Mermaid hair don’t care’ station where the kids could have their hair sprayed with a variety of jewel-coloured glitter hair sprays that I bought from my favourite hair salon – Shear Madness.

There are so many amazing people that I need to thank for helping me bring this party to life! My amazing husband for always going along with my hair-brained schemes and supporting my passion, always. Tembali – for going above and beyond on the day. Aristocakes – for your incredible, incredible cake. Corinna Tannian Photography – for being as much of a stickler for detail as me and for your love and time. Jaysheela Kanjee – for the divine cake pops. Wonderland Sweets – Bee, for your heavenly candy. Sprinkles – for your exquisite cookies. Kidz Cardz – for the one of a kind water bottles. Tower Kids – for supplementing the sugar-high with your beautiful art and craft kits.

Everyone has their one go to person – mine is Becki (you’ll know her from In these Stilettos) – my bestie from University days and we just so happen to share, amongst many things, a love for parties – thank heavens for her. To be able to bounce ideas off constantly and have her helping me with everything on the actual day.

We’ve always wanted to get into party planning together, and have finally decided that this is the year we take it seriously. The sheer scale of these types of parties would scare off most people, but that is something that we thrive on as it fuels our passion even more. Having creatively planned and executed a number of parties to date, Becki’s youngest, Yusuf, and Oli’s birthdays are coming up and the planning is already underway, we are more than happy to take the party stress off your hands.

List of suppliers/stockists:

Venue – Tembali Party Park, Chartwell

Cake – Aristocakes – Cara Brynard

Photography – Corinna Tannian Photography

Material and Ribbons – Chamdor Faktry Sales, Deco Park.

Apothecary jars, vases etc. – Mr Price Home, Home Stuff at Brightwater Commons

Décor items – China World Hillfox, The Variety Shop, Party Spot, Sheet Street, Mr Price Home

Balloons – The Variety Shop, Boskruin

Treasure chests – Party Spot

Sugar Cookies – Sprinkles

Cake pops – Jaysheela Kanjee (083 634 4404)

Catering – Fournos & Woolworths

Party packs – Tower Kids

Sweets – Wonderland Sweets, Party Spot & Party Lady

Water bottles – Kidz Cardz

Face painting – Never Give Up

Mermaid crown – Lexi Loves Bows

Glitter Hair Spray – Shear Madness Hair Design

 

Remember if you would like a party featured you can send submissions to inthesestilettos@gmail.com OR if you would like to work with us on party design for your little ones you can send an email as well!