Month: December 2018

Reflections

Reflections

What a year 2018 has been. Looking back I can’t actually believe the change that has happened in our lives, so many things and so much to be grateful for!

As a mother, looking at my now 5-year-old, this year has seen him grow into such a big boy. He thrived in a bigger preschool and his art work all of a sudden blossomed into clear pictures. (I thought he would never get there 🙂 ). He went from hesitantly walking into preschool every morning to waking me up at the crack of dawn, already fully clothed begging me to take him to “school”. Such huge milestones that we so quickly forget about. My “baby” went from 2 to 3 years old and suddenly sprouted up to nearly as tall as his “big brother”. He too went from clinging to me like an octopus in the morning at play group to happily (most days) walking in, and telling me all about his day with his “friends”. He learnt to do forward rolls, gymnastics, tennis and made huge leaps in his swimming!

On a personal front I gained the honour of winning the best art and crafts blog through the SA Mommy Blogger awards, such an incredible honour for me and I am so grateful that I get to make a difference, no matter how small, in parents lives. I also took the deep dive into moving my blog over to a self hosted domain, the best decision I have ever made. Thank you Dan for all your help! 2018 saw me working with brands I never thought possible, and I’m so incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and people I have met along the way. The events and products that I have been able to work with are a dream come true, and one that I will never take lightly.

We explored, we adventured, we baked (a lot), we farmed, from raspberries, to vegetables and pomegranates. We crafted, hard, from bath bombs to sensory trays, science, bath time playdough and squishy balls. All while learning along the way.

Some of my favourite posts still include the what to do in Johannesburg series, from our favourite Park and Picnic spots, to restaurants with play area’s and adventure spots. As a mom to young kids these are invaluable, I know I certainly am always on the look out for new places. The latest one is on my favourite festive entertainment spots to visit over the Christmas period.

I think the biggest change came in the second half of the year.

I took a leap and decided to return to an “office job”. I have always worked, but I was fortunate enough to spend close to 5 years working from home, which meant I had beautiful quality time with my boys all while “maintaining” a corporate presence. There are always sacrifices to make made though, and various factors influenced my decision, but the second half of the year saw me working in an office away from home during the day and its been a huge (but good) adjustment. Shortly after that we found out we were expecting baby number 3 (a bit of a shock to say the least), and completed our tri-factor chance with hubby moving into a new job too!

When we play with change in our house we really go all out….

Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing, though I really do miss the quality time with my kids, I think they have adjusted well. I also miss my time at New Body Studio and finding time in the day for my Pilates, ballet and yoga. It’s not really the ideal time with this big ol’ baby belly (well actually it is), but I’m confident I’ll get back there.

The main purpose of this post is Gratitude. For all the opportunities I have had, and all the new connections and friends made. For all the lessons I have learnt (some tough), and all the future that lies ahead. I look ahead to the next year with excitement and a little anxiety as we start the world of “big school” and Insh’Allah we will welcome a baby girl into the world. I also have big plans for this little blog of mine, and I hope to continue to grow and learn. Which brings me to my next point.

I have entered the South African Blog Awards again under the categories best arts and crafts and best parenting blog. If you feel that I have contributed in any of those area’s in your life, please vote for me in the awards. It takes less than one minute, by clicking on this link and select your category choice (or both). You’ll then receive an email to verify your vote, which takes about 15 seconds. You can also vote by clicking on the badge on the right hand panel of the blog. Voting ends on 31 December and it would mean the world to me to have your support.

Thank you to all of you for staying with me in 2018 and I’m looking forward to an adventure filled 2019 !

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Rebecca

 

To My Second Child

To My Second Child

To my baby boy….

I realised something on this long weekend. We have been so very unfair to you.

You are still a baby, yet we treat you like you’re a big boy. You still need me so much but we just “expect you” to be the same or handle things the same way as your big brother does.

The age gap between you and your big brother is so small that you have grown up too quickly! You were crawling before 6 months, you said your first words at 10 months and were walking before your 1st birthday! All you wanted was to keep up with your big brother and do all the things he was doing, and you have never let anything stop you or get in your way. Because of that however, we have also treated you largely the same way, forgetting that you need to find your own path, and have your own experiences.

I was so busy running around after your brother when you were a baby and I didn’t really stop to savour your milestones and moments, I never really had quality time with you, teaching you colours and reading you stories like I did before. Have I forced you to grow up too quickly?

Looking back at this past weekend, all you needed and wanted was me. While the “big boys” were fishing, you sat next to me and played with your cars in the sand, we swam together, we went exploring together. Sitting next to me at mealtimes wasn’t enough, you had to sit on my lap. I held you as you fell asleep and it was then I realised, you just needed extra love.

You are only 3 years old, but we expect you to act like a 5-year-old and for that I’m sorry my baby. I’m sorry for all the times I haven’t let you vent your frustrations or all the times I have told you to be a big boy. You don’t have to be my love. I am here for you always, and from now on, you can take as long as you need.

I watch in amazement at your excitement of becoming a big brother. All you have ever wanted since before you even turned 2 was a “baby”, and this is “your baby” as you say. At 3 years old you are telling us how “you wont share any of your toys with baby as they are too dangerous and she could choke, but you will give her all of your “soft toys””. My baby boy, you are too sweet for words. In amongst all your feisty, stubborn temperaments is just a little boy with the sweetest heart filled with love (and a love for sweet things).

The guilt washes over me, have I shown you enough love or given you enough time. Do you know how incredibly proud of you I am? From day one, you have impressed me beyond measure. You were one of the happiest babies I have ever met. I had it easy with you. You just rolled into our routine (apart from always crying in the car). Your cheeky smile is contagious and never fails to cheer me up. Your ability to negotiate for a 3-year-old is well beyond your years and the absolute favourite part in my day is when you insist I hold you as you fall asleep. The only time in your full 9 hour day that you actually stop and rest and let me hold you.

So, this one is for you my sweet, cheeky boy. We love you more than you will ever know, so please, take your time in growing up. I will never put my expectations unfairly onto you again. While I may not have a perfectly filled out baby book for you as I did with your brother, you amaze me. Every step of the way!

Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments

Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments

You may remember from last year that we made Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments. Its something we do every year and it always ties in nicely with teachers end of year gifts and homemade sentiments for family and friends.

This year I was inspired by Sugar and Paper Parties insanely gorgeous sugar cookies, I’m not one to attempt anything like the masterpieces that Liezl creates (well actually I did and they looked like a dogs breakfast), so we decided to make ornaments for the tree with our snow globe cookie cutter. (Because painting is alot easier then icing 🙂 )

Apart from putting in the oven and taking it out again, this is literally one craft the kids can do by themselves from start to finish.

The Recipe has 3 ingredients and is SUPER easy:

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

1.5 cups water

  • Preheat your oven to 100 degrees Celsius.
  • Combine all of your ingredients and knead. If your dough is too dry add a little bit more water.
  • Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1.5 cm
  • Using a cookie cutter of your choice cut out your shapes, if you are making handprints, use a side plate to cut a circle first and then have your child place their hand on that circle.

  • Using a straw, make a hole in the top for where you want to hang your salt dough ornament.
  • Bake for about 2 hours. If your ornaments are still soft to touch, put back in for another hour. (It will depend on your thickness how long you need to bake for. The thinner ornaments will take less time but thicker may take more).
  • Once cooled, decorate as you wish. We used our favourite Dala paints, the acrylic works best and lots of  glitter, especially at Christmas time.
  • Finish with a varnish.

I normally do this over 2 or 3 days. The first day we roll and make bake our ornaments, on the second we paint and on the third day I spray it with a coast of clear varnish.

To end off our homemade gifts we made simple cards. Christmas Trees easily painted with plastic forks.

Remember to head on over to :

Justamamma for more easy christmas cards for kids

Ali from Earth to Ali Photography for her utterly gorgeous salt dough foot and handprints 

This.is.bentleys.world for her ridiculously cute toilet roll crafts

Minimatissediaries for dreamy pine cone painting

Michelle from Mayalief for her exquisitie homemade wrapping paper

Our Favourite Family Board Games {GIVEAWAY}

Our Favourite Family Board Games {GIVEAWAY}

Holidays are a time for family, food and fun. When I asked my 5-year-old son what is favourite part about Christmas was, he said “the games mama”. It’s about long leisurely meals with lots of hearty fun afterward. Well, it was and is for me anyway.

I agree with my son, my favourite part of family holidays is always the afternoon or “after meal” games. The boys are getting to the age now that they have started to grasp a lot of board games (well at least they think they do). Almost every week they will drag out the entire monopoly set to play ( I think its more about them getting all the money to be honest), but its creating memories, and its bonding. It also instills a little bit of healthy competition 🙂 Snakes and Ladders is one of the best entry points as a board game for kids, its easy to comprehend and my boys are really enjoying it at the moment.

Heres a list of some of our other favourite games:

 

From Top Left to Right:

Mouse Trap from Prima Games. this variation is available from R199 Makro

Snakes and Ladders is the perfect introduction to board games R91 from Takealot

Monopoloy has long been a family favourite. My sister and I would play one game that would last the entire weekend! R399 from CNA

Its Junior Scrabble for us, as the boys are still learning letters, and when we are tired mum and dad’s vocabulary is not too hot either. R399 from Takealot

Pictionary is a hoot in our house! Trying to figure out what the boys have drawn sometimes requires a teeny bit of imagination.

30 Seconds – This doesn’t need much explanation. Except, my team ALWAYS wins @ R249 from Takealot.com

Uno Cards are the perfect entry kit into the world of group games. R89.90 from CNA

Pie in your Face – We got this a few months ago, if you have seen my insta stories it is an absolute blast! My boys are suckers for punishment 🙂 (Or they really like licking cream off their faces) R459 from Takealot

Last but certainly not least one of our absolute trending favourites is Boom Blast Stix. Think of a combination of pick up sticks meets Jenga. The aim is to pile your clips as high as you can without them snapping and flying everywhere! This had an entire room full of adults in stitches of laughter earlier this year! R319 from Takealot

GIVEAWAY:

I’ll be contributing to your family memories this holiday, together with Prima Games, by giving away one “Boom Blast Stix” Game.

To Enter:

Tell me about your favourite memory when it comes to playing board games. Its that easy!

Please remember to be subscribed to “In these Stilettos” or to “LIKE” my Facebook page so I can contact the selected winner!

Open to residents of South Africa Only.

Competition ends December 19th 2019.

Rolling with the Punches – Making The Best Of Stressful Situations

Rolling with the Punches – Making The Best Of Stressful Situations

When it all unravels……

For us personally, 9 out the 10 times we travel, one of the kids will get sick.. I don’t know what it is, but it is something we can pretty much place a bet on. My sister was the same growing up, she was the one who would always fall sick as we were about to embark on the 13 hour car journey. Perhaps that’s why I roll with the punches and go with the flow, because I expect it.

Its been a while since I wrote a “from the heart blog”, and I miss it, it’s the reason I started this blog. To reach out to moms and parents to let you know you aren’t alone. We have all or, will all be there at some point. So bear with me as I tell the tale of our past weekend.

Rewind 5 days and we are packing for our first little family getaway for the whole year, yep, our first weekend away in 365 days as a family and one that was desperately needed. My eldest had not slept well the night before and when he woke up in the morning he complained his tummy was sore, but “Its OK mummy, it’s because one of the boys’ in my class had a sore tummy too”. OK, not too bad, I can deal with a tummy bug. I ran out in the morning to organise a few last things before our afternoon flight and got back home at noon to a little boy with a 39 degree temperature. I gave him his first dose of Nurofen for kids, and packed up the last few things in the bags, expecting the fever to drop. No such luck, hubby comes home from work expecting to change and jump into our cab for the airport, only to find our son crying of a sore ear now and his fever had only gotten worse! I was not a popular person….

They say you need a balance In every relationship, and my golly we got one in ours 🙂 I am typically the calm one, “it’s going to be OK”, “It’s not too serious”, “we will get through this”, and my hubby is well, to put it lightly, clearly not 🙂 He wants to cancel everything and not go. Enter my “mummy make a plan mode”. I first check, to appease my hubby largely, the likelihood of us changing our flights to the next day. (Not going to happen and the price was ridiculous). Next move is to add Panado into the mix this time (which dropped the temp) and thirdly I packed Zip Lock bags packed with ice for face cloths to travel with to bring the fever down.

I know kids, rather, I know MY kids. I know when things are very serious, and typically when it’s something that’s “part of life”.. This (I was hoping), was the latter. By the time we reached the train station and airport the Panado had kicked in and our little man perked right up. Though I confess, I decided, after many years of not using one, to whip out the stroller. I was not about to make a sick kid run through the airport.

We made the flight with literally 2 minutes to spare (hubby was convinced we were still turning around and going home) and seemed to all be OK. Until we started to descend…. My eldest has always had more sensitive ears, and now we with some sort of ear infection/tummy issue going on it tripled the pain. He had fallen asleep on the flight but as we started to descend, we woke up screaming, and he didn’t stop. My poor baby. Now mama was feeling bad, I shouldn’t have made him come. Bubble gum, food to chew, swallowing water nothing helped and he didn’t want anything either. I just held him tight and told him to chew chew chew.

Then came the puking, luckily that was not on the plane, and was actually the only thing I feared when travelling with him. However we were safely at our destination, and it actually made him feel better. Remember my post on what to pack when travelling with kids? At the last-minute I left my Celestamine at home because the bottle was a bit leaky, and boy oh boy did I regret that. Poor little poppet couldn’t even breathe properly at night he had such a bad post nasal drip.

But the very next day, my baby was ALMOST right as rain, a bit of a gunky eye, but he had a weekend filled with swimming and beach fun. It was a weekend filled with late nights and adventure, and one we could have missed.

The late nights of course, slowly catch up though…

So to anyone who saw us at the airport on Sunday, I publicly apologise for the melt down my youngest had. My boys, I’m thankful to say, are typically well-behaved. Except on this occasion. Waiting to board the plane, with 200 other passengers lined up around us, my little one had the melt down of the century. I had bought them little planes from the sweet store, so they could “fly their planes” as our plane flew. Expect my “smalley” didn’t want a plane, oh no, he wanted a race car, and he let every single passenger know. I’ve never received “looks” before, but oh boy, I received a crap load of them in that moment. I gently told my son the reason why I bought two planes that were the same, instead of his beloved race car (because I knew that when it came down to it, he would have cried for the flying object) and ignored him until he was done crying. I will not shout at my child and cause a scene in public, they have already done that for all of us. I told him his behaviour was unacceptable, explained my reasoning and told him when he was finished, if he wanted, he could have his plane. 10 long minutes later he came up to me and said, “OK, but can I have the orange one please”. The looks I received though, with my wailing child walking behind me, will stay with me for a while.

Thankfully our flight home was much calmer, with no dramas or ear ache. Everyone is back home and now it’s my smalley’s turn to fight this bug. Funnily enough a lady we sat next to on the plane ride over said “we were amazing, and had ‘aced’ parenting”, probably the best compliment I have ever received 🙂

My point of this post is really that life happens. Of course, not every person would deal with this situation as I did, some people may even think it was selfish to still travel. Of course, If I felt my son was horribly ill I would have cancelled everything. If he got worse the next day I would have stayed with him every moment. My life Is my children’s. I was blessed with the honour of bringing them into this earth and it’s my duty and privilege to be there every single moment. But life also happens and sometimes things unravel. Plans don’t go according to the way we hoped. We adjust, we do the best we can in situations, and that is all that anyone can ask. Embrace the chaos, and roll with the punches mama.

We have a weekend filled with beautiful moments now, and after a long stressful year, I wouldn’t have changed any of it. Thankfully, hubby had a great time too 🙂 Now I just need to teach him how to calm down in stressful situations 🙂 Any tips on that?

My Ultimate Christmas Wishlist {Giveaway}

My Ultimate Christmas Wishlist {Giveaway}

I’m not that fussy when it comes to gifts, in fact, one of the most memorable gifts my husband has ever given me, I’ll never forget, was the year he gave me a pack of socks for my birthday! Of course, there was another gift attached to it, but he bought me the socks because he knew that all of my socks were “holey”. It honestly was the most thoughtful gift and one that I will remember forever.

So here’s my ultimate Christmas Wish List. Some smaller, some bigger but all are perfect for me, and you of course ! Keep on reading and there may even be another little giveaway involved, something just for you, because we all need a little spoiling!

 

From Top Left to Right:

  1. I have made no secret over my love of Lush Products. This Stardust gift set contains some of my absolute favourites including the Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt and the Snow Angel Shower Gel. R785
  2. This pregnancy has got my legs and feet aching almost daily. A famous “Mama Mio” Pregnancy Massage from Life Day Spa would go down an absolute treat! R710
  3. I am in dire need of a new purse. I think I’ve been using the same guess wallet for the last ten years and I’ve been lusting over this “Cara Wallet” from Poetry South Africa. R650
  4. I almost cried when Urban Decay announced they were discontinuing their original “Naked” Palette, thankfully they have redeemed themselves with this incredible Naked “Cherry” Palette. R875.
  5. A lady can never have too much jewelry. This Pandora Reflexions bracelet offers a
    range of mesh bracelets that are elegant, feminine and timeless. They can be personalized with clip on charms ! R1199.00
  6. I think a scented candle tops my wish-list every year, I could have one burning in every room. A scented candle adds glamour and elegance into any room and this Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede candle tops my list! Available from Woolworths at R565.
  7. Since they launched a few weeks ago I have been obsessed with these Festive Gift Sets from Dermalogica South Africa. My choice would be the “your most radiant skin set” which includes the raved about rapid reveal peel as well as Dynamic Skin Recovery. Available from their new stand alone store in Sandton, online, or any Dermalogica approved retailer. R1295.
  8. Le Creuset has had my heart for years and I cook daily in their cast iron pots. This Pasta/Salad Bowl in Carribean Blue is the perfect accessory to any summer table! R670.
  9. Of course I couldn’t choose just one and the “Sleepy” Shower Gel” from Lush South Africa is possibly one of my favourite scents in the whole world. R315/520g
  10. I think I feature a marble and rose gold cake stand every year from Woolworths South Africa. This year the trend continues and as does my love for this two tier Marble and Copper Cake Stand. R599.
  11. This “White Lily and Peony” glass scented candle from Poetry South Africa would look perfect on my dressing table. R199.

 

GIVEAWAY:

I promised a bit of a treat 🙂

Together with Pandora South Africa, I will be giving away one beautiful Reflexions Bracelet to spoil either yourself, or someone special in your life worth R1 199.00. Pandora wants you to get the perfect reaction this festive season with their range of beautiful jewellery pieces. PANDORA Reflexions offers a range of mesh bracelets that are elegant, feminine and timeless.

To enter:

All you have to do is comment on this article on why you love Pandora Jewellery.

Make sure you are following one of Pandora’s social media accounts; Instagram: @theofficialpandora

or Facebook: @PandoraSouthAfrica as well as “In these Stilettos”.

Share this article to spread the love !

Competition will close on December 16th 2018. Open to Residents of South Africa Only. Winner’s name will be picked at random.

#PerfectGift #PerfectReaction #PandoraStyle #ArtofGifting

 

Top Tips For Travelling With Kids {Giveaway with Trunki South Africa”}

Top Tips For Travelling With Kids {Giveaway with Trunki South Africa”}

As families across South Africa start gearing up for their annual summer holiday, a load of parents may be faced with anxiety about flying with their kids. My boys have been fortunate enough to fly a few times and I’ve put together some of our “flight saver” tips. I’ve spoken about general travelling tips with children before, but today I want to focus on packing the perfect in flight bag.

Before you fly

Thinking about the time of your flight. If it’s a long haul night time flights are often the best so you can prepare your child for a night time sleep. Try not to book at peak hours as hopefully there should be a little extra space.

Get them excited – an airport is probably one of the most exciting places in the world for kids. Prepare them on what’s to come, read stories about flying in the sky, get them their own little suitcase and let them choose their own comfort items. Trunki South Africa plays a huge part in creating this excitement. They believe that “travel is about creating new experiences, creating memories and making every journey just as exciting as the destination.” Every little traveler needs a Trunki, and trust me mama’s it will make your life a whole lot easier. It’s great for keeping the kids entertained during long waits in the departure lounge and it can also be a handy way to pull them along when little feet get tired. The design options are incredible and it was a tough choice between mummy’s favourite “Pedro the Pirate” or the boys choices which were “Rocco Racer” and “Tipu Tiger

Preparation of your in-flight bag

It all comes down to careful planning.  I map out essentials needed for the flight so we are never left in an awkward situation. Separate packets that contain snacks, medicine, entertainment, so its easy to quickly whip out.

Activities to keep to them entertained.

You want to pack non bulky items that are easy to grab and don’t have a thousand and one pieces involved (no lego please).

Melissa and Doug make the cutest “On the go” range which are always included in our travels. One or two small toys – for us that’s super hero figurines and cars of some sort. Activity books – these range from colouring books to sticker albums and our favourite Tower Kids activity packs for easy and convenient entertainment. Of course we bring along a tablet with our favourite Netflix series downloaded when we need quick saves.

Emergency Medicine

My kids are typically quiet healthy the whole year around, bar birthdays and travel. Isn’t life funny? All of a sudden my healthy 5 year old will come down with a fever or tummy bug the day of travel.

As they are a little older now so thankfully our medicine pack is a little smaller but I never travel without Panado/Nurofen, celestamine for pesky post nasal drips, and a saline spray. Alongside that I pack in Tissues, some Dettol Wipes and the water-less hand sanitiser.

Comfort Toy/ Warm Jacket

We never travel anywhere without our favourite travel pillow and the boys best teddy or toy. It’s no secret that aeroplanes are freezing, I always pack a warm hoodie and extra socks to change into.

Snacks

You can never have too many snacks on hand when travelling with kids. Our favourites include the Kiddylicious snack range with its yummy wafers, coconut rolls and cheesy straws. Yoghurt covered rice cakes are a staple in our house as are good old apples. Crackers, raisins and of course you need a few bribery items for meltdowns. Mini Marshmallows are our trick!

The right luggage

A durable suitcase is a must for flying, you don’t want to be dealing with sore shoulders or broken zips. Our Trunki came just a few days after ordering and I can safely say these things are darn durable. They have been through the wars already with the boys racing around the house, so that 5 year guarantee is pretty handy! It has convenient lockable latches and a and handy key keeping all your secrets safe and sounds, with the key cleverly added into the tow strap, so you will never have to dig in the endless pit of your handbag. The 18 litre storage capacity carries all you need and then come and when comes to the actual flight itself, preparation is key.

All of this fits into their very own Trunki Suitcase which they pull along. Once we are on the plane I pull out the essential items and away we go! PS the Trunki can also double up as a foot rest on the plane for the kids. Slide it between the seats and the kids can sleep with their feet up!

You can find out more about Trunki here:

Website: https://trunki-sa.co.za/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trunkisouthafrica/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrunkiSA/

GIVEAWAY:

I’ve been giving you sneak peaks into our favourite Trunki’s on my insta-stories, and now its your turn to share yours! Together with Trunki, I’ll be giving away one lucky reader their very own Trunki worth R1000, just in time for Christmas!

  1. Comment below on what your favourite Trunki Character is.
  2. Share this article across any social media page
  3. Make sure you are following Trunki South Africa on Facebook and on Instagram

Winner will be randomly selected on December 13th to allow for delivery time.

*We received a Trunki suitcase to review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.