Category: competition

We Are Getting Crafty For World PlayDoh Day + Giveaway

We Are Getting Crafty For World PlayDoh Day + Giveaway

Posted on by Rebecca

Noah McVicker was an absolute genius, I don’t even think he realised the impact he would have on the world. Way back in the 1930’s he created a substance to originally clean soot and dirt off wallpaper! Gradually it was manufactured as a child’s toy and for  more than 60 years this humble piece of dough has changed the lives of parents and children forever. Opening up a world filled with imaginative play, colour and craft-able creations.

The 16th September marks Word Play-Doh Day, like we even need an excuse to whip out our Dough. Its a weekly feature in our house and its used for everything from educational themes to imagination play and even bathtime fun (we tried our hand at making bathtime playdoh.)

Play-Doh is hugely popular in the classroom providing ideal opportunities to practice and nurture
kids critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity skills.
Engaging toddlers and young children (ages 2-5 years) with sensory, open-ended play activities can
help them prepare for the big, elaborate world. We love creating “invitations to play” or themed “small world” trays for the boys to explore .  Play-Doh activities also provide a fun way to explore all kinds of topics and skills including language, math, science, social studies, and the arts. They make the perfect planets when learning about solar systems.

This World Play-Doh Day open a can of imagination and combine the fun with essential
development and learning benefits:
1. Play-Doh encourages creativity and imagination by providing your child with unlimited moulding
possibilities and the freedom to explore – for inspiration visit the Play-Doh How To store for
ideas on how to create your own Play-Doh astronaut, My Little Pony Rainbow Dash, butterfly
and much more.
2. Creating different shapes or mixing different Play-Doh colours together to uncover a new colour,
can assist children in growing their curiosity, develop cognitive exploration and enhance their
mathematical thinking.
3. All the squishing, rolling, flattening and shaping Play-Doh characters helps to enhance fine
motor skill by developing and strengthening hand muscles, which encourages pre-writing and
other motor skills such as cutting with scissors, using tweezers, holding a pencil etc. The tactile,
hands-on nature of Play-Doh compound can also help encourage development of hand-eye
coordination.


4. Play-Doh offers kids a multi-sensory experience allowing them to learn about their world
through touch, sight and smell. Sitting and squishing Play-Doh is a very calming and soothing
activity, which eases tension, releases extra energy as well as improves focus and concentration.
5. Playing with Play-Doh in a small group and/or with adults presents opportunities for children to
develop social skills such as collaborative problem solving, planning and playing as well as
learning to effectively communicate ideas or discuss what they are making. As well as improving
social skills, children can also learn to effectively engage in individual play sharpening their focus,
patience and concentration skills.

This World Play-Doh day why not join in the challenge and create a Hedgehog?

You will need: Stick matches or spaghetti or toothpicks and a can or two of a favourite Play-
Doh colour.
Method:
Shape the Play-Doh into a hedgehog body (shape of a lightbulb ending in a tip).
Insert the matches, spaghetti or toothpicks into the body.
Use a different colour to form small balls for the eyes and nose.

This is fantastic for developing fine motor skills. Get your little ones to insert the spaghetti or match sticks and add another layer of concentration by getting them to thread cheerios or fruit loops onto the spaghetti towers.

Tip: To test fine motor skill, let your child remove the sticks and challenge them to re-insert in the
same holes.

Play-Doh is available from Toys R Us, ToyZone, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys and other major retailers as
well as Takealot.com.
Visit Play-Doh South Africa at www.hasbro.com/en-za/brands/playdoh;
Facebook: @PlayDohSouthAfrica

GIVEAWAY:

 

To stand a chance to win a fantastic hamper from Play-Doh filled with Play-Doh Rollers & Cutters, drawstring bag and a fridge magnet, simply comment below on some of the ways you use Play-Doh with your children.

This competition will run across Instagram and my Blog, one winner will be drawn, so for an extra chance to win enter on both social media pages.

Competition ends on Wednesday 19th September at 12 noon and the winner will be announced the same day

Open to residents of South Africa only.

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

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.

Winter Proof Your Car Battery ! {Win With Battery Centre}

Winter Proof Your Car Battery ! {Win With Battery Centre}

Posted on by Rebecca

As a mom, what are some of your fears? I deal with some of mine daily, being stranded on the side of the road with a puncture, or a flat battery is right up there on mine, particularly if my kids are in the car. I spend so much of my day in my car; dropping and fetching kids, getting stuck in traffic, driving to and from work – the thought of something happening to my car literally sends shivers down my spine. I’ve had two experiences this year alone with flat batteries (two different cars). Thankfully, I was at home and both times my local Battery Centre was able to come to me!

Car batteries are hardcore. They are designed for 5 years’ service and, apart from starting the vehicle, they power every electrical component, from the lights and radio to the air conditioning and mobile phone charger. That said, a car battery is generally out of sight, out of mind – until it dies without notice and leaves you stranded.

With all these freezing weather we have been having, did you know that your car’s battery is more prone to failing? When the terminals are connected, an electrical current is generated by chemical reactions in the battery. Low temperatures like this past week, slow down chemical reactions and can result in insufficient supply of electric current. One of the reasons your battery acts up in cold weather, and something I only found out recently.

There’s not much you can do about the weather, but there’s lots you can do to winter-proof your battery.

Here are 5 tips to keep it charged up all winter long.

Know where you stand

Depending on your driving habits, car batteries generally need replacing every three to five years. The battery specialists recommend getting your battery checked twice a year. Not only can you get a free battery check done at any Battery Centre, you can also get your starter and alternator checked for free. I popped into my local Fourways Centre and they did a free check and clean, in and out in under 20 minutes and I didn’t need to book before hand. Most of us only think of doing a “full check up” before a long journey, but chances are a failed battery can occur when you are closer to home.

Stay warm and keep moving

Park your car in a sheltered area such as a garage or car park. A fully charged battery minimises starting problems so go for regular drives to allow the battery to recharge itself. I recently looked after my parent’s car for a few months while they were away. My only instruction was to give the car a good run every week. It’s amazing how weeks fly by, because sure enough, just as I was about to go on a long journey with said car, I tried to start it and the battery had run flat. This was one of the examples where the kind folks at Battery Centre drove to me. Yet they didn’t just try to shove a new battery down my throat immediately, the honest technician said he should rather test it. He helped me jump it, we warmed up and car and tested it twice, before leaving.

Have patience

Don’t expect magic on the first turn. If your car won’t start after 2-3 seconds, give it a short rest before trying again. Make sure there is sufficient starting power for your engine by keeping all electronics, such as your radio, lights and air conditioning off until after you have started your car.

Clean up unwanted residue

My dad taught me this handy tip on the weekend. Increased electrical resistance causes your battery to work much harder. Clean off any build up or corrosion on your battery terminals with some water. Corrosion on terminals can lead to a poor connection and battery failure. Any additional grime or corrosion on your battery can lead to a poor connection and battery failure. You can also get your battery checked and cleaned for free at your nearest Battery Centre.

Residue build up around the terminal

Be ever-ready

A few basic checks on our car can prevent us from living out our roadside nightmares.

Engine oil tends to thicken and flow slower in winter. Enhance the overall working condition of your car with an oil change. Check your battery twice a year. Check your tyre conditions (tread) and pressure on a regular basis. Always keep a set of jumper cables close by and get your battery checked regularly. With a little bit of attention, your battery and car will go the extra mile and get you where you need to go.

Giveaway

Here’s the good news to warm up your bones, Together with Battery Centre, I’ll be giving away a brand new Raylite car battery, which will be provided and fitted at Battery Centre. If you aren’t in need of a battery fear not, the voucher will be valid for 12 months! The winner will receive a complimentary Raylite Battery replaced and fitted to the value of R2500.00.

Steps

  1. Be a subscriber to my blog.
  2. In the comment section, tell me what the slogan of Battery Centre is.
  3. Share this blog post and tell me across what platform you have shared it.
  4. Giveaway ends on 26 July at Midnight.

For more information visit Battery Centre’s website or follow them on Facebook.

Imagination Play, The Magic of Dolls – Win with Shimmer and Shine

Imagination Play, The Magic of Dolls – Win with Shimmer and Shine

Posted on by Rebecca

If you have been following my blog for a while you probably would have picked up that I’m a bit of a fan of “Imagination Play”. Good old acting, letting the boys immerse themselves and act out experiences they may have had or dreams they want to pursue. I read somewhere that imagination really develops in children between the ages of 2 and 4. To help deal with experiences and make sense of the world around them, they engage in imaginary play.

Its also no secret that my boys love the show “Shimmer and Shine”, and as a parent so do I.  Shimmer and Shine has long been a favourite in our house, it tells a story about the magical adventures of genie sisters “Shimmer and Shine” and their best buddy Leah. “Newly qualified” twin sister genies, Shimmer and Shine, grant Leah 3 wishes to try to help solve her problems. Along the way they go through a number of challenges and often overcome the problem at hand, no thanks to the wishes. I love that it teaches the boys problem solving abilities and positivity. In addition, it teaches kids the value of friendship because Shimmer and Shine shows how friends can rely to each other when times get rough.

We love dolls. I have absolutely no qualms in giving the boys dolls to play with. I bought Yusuf his first “baby doll” when he was 2. He loves babies and playing with dolls helps to develop a sense of empathy and care. The boys were absolutely thrilled when they got sent a “Shimmer” Doll to review. The only conduit being there was one and they had to share. (These school holidays have tested my patience slightly when it comes to the sharing lesson – but thats another blog altogether).

Personally, I feel dolls are one of the best toys to encourage and foster “Imagination play”. Children can act out how they feel and create opportunities for trying out new ideas, ways of thinking and problem solving. The Shimmer doll was perfect and within minutes of unboxing Aadam was transported to “Zahramay falls”. Shimmer is the sister thats always looking to maximize the fun. Her pet monkey Tala is always mischievously by her side and I love that they have incorporated that into Shimmer’s hair comb. The doll comes dressed in a pretty purple satin genie outfit and along with the comb you also get special gem stickers. She’s the perfect size too, fitting into a little ones hand comfortably and being small enough to accompany us on our adventures. My youngest loves to play with hair and had delighted in brushing and playing with Shimmers’ long hair (anything to stop him messing up mine :)).

WIN A SHIMMER AND SHINE DOLL

Our little Shimmer Doll has been the perfect toy to spark curiosity and send them into a world of play. Together with Mattel South Africa, I’ll be giving away one “Shimmer and Shine” Doll which retails at R269.99.

To enter:

  1. Make sure you are subscribed to the blog
  2. Like and Follow “In these Stilettos” on Facebook , https://www.facebook.com/inthesestilettos/ 
  3. Comment below on who your favourite Shimmer and Shine character is!

Its that easy!

  • The winner will be announced on the In these Stilettos Facebook page on Tuesday 24th July. The competition is open to all residents of South Africa. T’s & C’s apply.

 

 

 

{GIVEAWAY} Tips to Encourage Healthy Hygiene In Our Kids – Win A Dettol Hamper

{GIVEAWAY} Tips to Encourage Healthy Hygiene In Our Kids – Win A Dettol Hamper

Posted on by Rebecca

Winter has officially arrived and with it comes a sleuth of Viruses and Germs.

Having two boys in playschool it’s safe to say trips to the doctors’ office are a pretty common occurrence in our household. My husband is the OCD hygiene policeman in our house. He is constantly telling us to clean up, wash hands etc. I’m not sure if it’s his OCD kicking in or more a germ phobia but safe to say its due to him that we wash our hands all the time. He is absolutely correct though, educating our kids from a young age about hygiene is half the battle won.

Creating Healthy Habits

Recently, I’ve made one small change to our hygiene routines and I’ve seen a world of difference. Immediately after fetching the boys from school I give them a dollop of Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer In the car and then immediately when we enter the house, the first thing they must do Is wash their hands. This year (touch wood), we are yet to suffer from any major tummy bugs or viruses.

Luckily at my son’s school, they have already taught them to combat the spread of germs, they need to sneeze or cough into their bent elbow. I made the mistake once of sneezing into my hands and my 4-year-old was very quick to correct me and tell me how it should be done.

Together with Dettol here are some ways to teach our children the importance of hygiene. You know that hygiene is important, but how can you make your child understand to prioritize it? Energetic kids have no time and patience for hand-washing, nose-blowing, and tooth-brushing!  By making learning fun, it’s more likely to become a good habit.

Tips for promoting healthy hygiene in kids:

  • Sing a song while washing hands. They say the correct amount of time to wash your hands is to sing happy birthday twice over (or 20 seconds for children that can count). Use a proper disinfecting hand wash, lather (Without leaving the tap on), getting in between all the fingers, and sing! It’s actually not as long as I initially thought and the kids love it, they keep asking whose birthday it is today.
  • Play games and make it fun! To add to the hand washing, we played a simple paint game to highlight the spread of germs, and just how much washing you have to do to get them off! Paint your hands and pretend to sneeze into your hands. From there go about your regular day. I placed disposable items around to ensure easy clean up. We pretended to “have lunch”, drink some juice, played ball etc. Then step back and look at all the paint everywhere! Aadam has a little melt down when he saw just how many “germs” had spread. He started to cry and said he wanted to wash them all off! Straight to the basin we went where he immediately washed his hands, and then earned a star on his rewards chart.

 

  • Feather activity – We all know the struggle in trying to teach kids how to blow their noses. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get your 3-year-old to “push air out” through their nostrils, Yusuf ends up sniffing his back in! Try the Feather activity – Get two feathers. Cover your mouth with your hand, and then blow the feather across the table using only your nose. Show your child how to do it, and then have a race! Whoever can get their feather to the other side of the table first, wins. Once your child is used to blowing air out her nose, introduce tissues. Don’t forget to wash your hands after!
  • Reward good hygiene – Dettol have made it easy to make learning fun by creating a hygiene hero toolkit for kids. You can download yours from here, and it includes a hygiene chart, a fun game, activity book and a rewards chart. Making learning fun is the best way to remember the importance of hygiene. Download yours and you’ll suddenly see an increased awareness of hygiene in your kids. Of course, they are waiting for a prize once all the stars have been filled in.

  • Make it Special – Keep it engaging for your children. For example; I know when I buy liquid soaps for Aadam’s favourite colour is purple, and Yusuf’s green. I buy soaps in their favourite colour and I quickly see how they run to make sure they get their favourite colour. Another great way to make it special is to buy matching wash cloths or a special stool.

I think it’s important to remember we don’t want to create any OCD disorders in our kids, we also don’t want them to be “afraid” to do things as they will get dirty. Nothing we do could ever avoid all the germs our kids are exposed to. I’m a firm believer in a child SHOULD be exposed to dirt and a few germs to build up strong effective immune systems. My boys love playing in mud and getting dirty, they love animals and pretending to clean the kitchen. A sign of a good day for me is when they come home super dirty! Thanks to Dettol we are equipped to make clean up a breeze. The boys take their handy hand sanitizers to school. Accessorised with a handy silicon strap this waterless hand sanitizer goes everywhere with us. From the car, to the bike park and even attached to the boy’s school bag, it’s always available when they need it. The convenient wet wipes are also in mummy’s bag of tricks, ready to be pulled out when we need it. Dettol has also recently launched another convenient way to protect your family. The Dettol “Soft on Skin” Disinfectant Liquid with Aloe Vera. Launched at the end of March this contains Aloe Vera which is so soft on skin, its perfect for bath time! A pop a little into their bath at night, or especially after an active day to ensure that we are protected. Ease of mind helps me sleep peacefully at night!

 

Just by practicing simple hygiene habits and encouraging them in our children we can help raise strong, confident, healthy children. Thankfully Dettol makes this so much easier for us by providing us with products that have the incredible disinfectant properties that Dettol is known for.

GIVEAWAY:

I’ll be giving away one incredible Dettol Hamper to a lucky “In these Stilettos” reader. Taking care of all your hygiene needs this winter.

To enter all you need to do is tell me how “you are a Dettol mom”, how do you encourage healthy hygiene in your children?

Comment below and If you want an extra entry comment on the “In These Stilettos” Dettol Giveaway posts across Facebook and Instagram. Make sure you have Subscribed to the blog!

Lets get creative {Win a Hot Wheels Hamper worth over R1500}

Lets get creative {Win a Hot Wheels Hamper worth over R1500}

Posted on by Rebecca

Hip Hip Hooraaah ! For most of our kids it’s the first day of the Easter Break, mums’ are worried about what to do with their kids and how to keep them “entertained” for the holidays, I’m here to get your creative juices flowing.

With most children, toys are typically obsessed over for the first week and then thrown into a toy container and “forgotten about”. As parents we should try and re-ignite the imagination, show them different things to do with the toy, different ways to play. Imaginative play allows their minds to develop and think “out of the box” (excuse the pun).

My boys love to play with toy cars, trucks, buses, trains, diggers…. you get the idea. Toy cars can be played with independently, but children also love to race each other! It lets them learn about friendly competition and teaches them negotiation. They learn about cause and effect, what happens if the push or drop the cars from different heights. I love encouraging my boys them to test boundaries and to discover “what if”.

Its no secret I love creating things for the boys, we do this together and they often step in to give me “grand designs” or help with the painting. We love creating things to play with our cars in different ways.

Here’s a few things we have made recently:

A Mini “city” out of an old takealot box, complete with tunnels to drive through.

A parking garage made with crates and PVC piping.

An Outdoor/offroad track driving through “mud” and “rainforests”. This was possibly the biggest hit. Boys and Dirt? Always a winner.

A race track “ramp”, made with cardboard boxes.

A race car slide/ramp made with pool noodles cut in half

So heres the exciting part:

This Easter break I challenge all parents to get creative with their kids and their Hot Wheels®. By sharing your creation you stand a chance of winning a Hot Wheels Hamper worth over R1500

Heres the challenge:

  1. Create a unique way to play with your Hot Wheels Cars. I’m giving you free reign, you can use whatever you want, however you want. Cardboard, metal, real toy tracks, pretend toy tracks, mud, water…whatever your imagination allows.
  2. Post a pic of your creativity and Tag me (across Facebook or Instagram) as well as the Hot Wheels South Africa facebook page using the following : #hotwheels #hotwheelsSA #challengeaccepted
  3. Make sure you like the Hot Wheels SA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hotwheels/
  4. Share your creation and tag and challenge a friend to try and top your masterpiece!

By sharing your creations you are not only spending time with your children but are encouraging others to get creative. So start your engines and lets get creative !!

T’s+C’s:

Winners must reside in South Africa.

Competition closes on April 8th at midnight.

Hot Wheels® hamper includes:

Various Hot Wheels® Car packs

Hot Wheels® Track Set

Hot Wheels® Track Builder™ Accessory Pack Assortment

Love Local – Kelly Ann from “Party Playdough”

Love Local – Kelly Ann from “Party Playdough”

Posted on by Rebecca

The “love local” series focuses on local, proudly South African individuals, making waves in their
industries. Breaking boundaries, creating empires and being the best inspiration of locally produced/manufactured products.

Meet Kelly-Ann Gibbon. The founder and creator of “Party Playdough” is the beginning of an empire. Kelly-Ann creates unique party packs especially designed for childrens parties, as well as the cutest mixed-media/ educational playdough sets. She has won two awards through “MommyMall”, last year walking away with winning the “Mompreneuraward” and this year being awarded the “Naomi Butow Business Excellence Award”.

Read on below to find out more about Kelly Anne and her career journey thus far…

Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?
I am a full time working mom 🙂 who loves her job. I qualified as an oral hygienist from the University of the Western Cape in 2005, and was awarded the Golden Key international Honours
society award. I really really loved studying and if I ever get the chance I would love to study dentistry. I work in private practice currently along side a dentist, we see clients everyday and provide great high quality service. Our clients are everything to us. I run a recall system which means I am responsible for recalling our patients on a regular basis to maintain their oral hygiene and healthy mouth all year round. So from 8-3pm I am a oral hygienist but then I magically transform to a mommy and playdough queen after working hours 🙂 I love being active so I am quite sporty, I’ve run a handful of half marathons and love training. I also do pole dancing as a sport as well as sup boarding.

How did “Party Playdough” come about?
As a mom, I have catered and planned many parties for my kids. It’s lovely but there is a lot of
sugar that is involved in party planning. Professionally I am helping my clients avoid the effects
sugar can have on their teeth and I think it’s only fitting that I came up with a Sugar-free party
pack don’t you think 🙂 It’s really a educational and fun twist to our usual sugary and unhealthy
sweetly loot bags we have so frequently handed out. I make handcrafted Playdough, specifically
tailored to your party theme. Glittery or plain, and in any colour under the sun 🙂 I’m always up for
a colour challenge 🙂 so far it’s been a beautiful journey. I pride myself on the fact that my dough is
NON toxic and super soft, with NO harmful preservatives or chemicals. I use a natural preservative
, being salt. So if your child takes a little bite out of their Playdough biscuit they so delicately created don’t stress please! Apart from Party Packs I supply mixed media sets too. These are Playdough sets with a theme attached to it. I have many, dinosaurs, silly spiders, under the sea etc. They have been a massive hit and I love creating new themes, currently I’m busy developing a few more which will blow your minds. These sets are aimed at imaginary, educational play, to inspire your child to explore and just have great fun all while improving their fine and gross motor skills.

What was your first job and how did you progress to this?
As most people, I started off as a waitress at spur 🙂 I had to earn some extra moola and progressed to
more academically challenging environment as I realised I needed to further myself. As time passed I became incredibly interested with the idea of being in the dental industry and gravitated I
suppose to where I am today. I really love children and I enjoy my job.

What have been the highlights?
My highlights? There are many.. the birth of my business in 2015, winning the “Mompreneur
award” last year, this year being awarded the “Naomi Butow Business Excellence Award” at the
Cape Sun hotel. My online shop is active and I’m very proud of this development, thanks to my wonderful friend Nelia Smit who designed this for me!
Working hard and really being elevated by these awards surprises because it lifts my spirit to
continuously aim higher and work on my business ideas everyday!

What’s the best part of your job?
Best part….. hmmm.Thats a tricky one but I’d say I pour my heart and soul into my orders so when I get messages and pictures from very happy mommy’s and little customers I smile from ear to ear,
be a use their joy is my joy !

What is the most challenging part?
Time management is a big issue for me why are there only 24 hours in a day. Why cant a supplier
be open at 11pm when I run out if stock 🙂

Describe a typical day in your life.
I feel horrible writing this, because my morning are chaotic but here we go.Wake up at 5:30am,
prep school clothes and lunch boxes, I then organize breakfast for everyone. (I’m addicted to tea so I’mprobably on my second cup by 6am 🙂 ) get everyone up with their breakfasts waiting and inspire them to move it along…. eeeeek the clock is ticking….. I’m always stressing about traffic. Make myself semi decent and try remember to brush my hair. I’m always rocking a mommy bun, not sure I even know where my hair brush is? Fight traffic into town, start up my surgery, I see my first client at 8:15 am. I work straight through till 3pm and jump into the car to collect my monsters from school, juggling school meetings/sports practices/my business orders and queries in between all this chaos is hard, but some how I have mastered the task…. or at least I think I have. We eat a nice warm meal together every night, that quite important to me and discuss our days because if we don’t, I have no clue what is going on in their little lives. My kiddos go to bed at around 7:30pm and that when I start admin work, and my orders. It’s more often than not a very long day for me as I put my head down at 1am. It sounds more crazy than it actually is, I can’t imagine my day being any less hectic to any other mommy out there, but that’s my routine in a nutshell.

We love to break routine, there’s nothing more dangerous than getting stuck in it, so weekends we are All up.early, breathing in the fresh air, eating brekkie on the beach and catching some waves and sun rays, skate boarding or having adventures around us in our beautiful city, you only live once right?

What are the “secrets” to your success?

I sometimes wonder myself but if I carefully think about it, I’d have to say my passion and
dedication to my quality control because in my opinion, having handmade goods can either be a
success or just overlooked. I wanted my dough to really stand out and be special, something every
mom wants to order for their kids. I am quite particular with finer details so I focus on those as I
really feel it and it sets your product apart from the next one. My Playdough is Non-toxic and
handcrafted, specifically tailored for every order. I pride myself on high quality finishes and
beautifully packaged, to create a-wow- factor….

How do you balance being a wife, a mother, all while running a successful business?
So this has been a constant worry because there is only so much you can do. I would not call myself blemish free in this department….. I think I’ve made enough mistakes along the way to realise that as soon as you feel you have a sense of balance in this department, life will come along and totally throw it out of sync…. but to be very honest the answer is to do your best, and have a good support system. Call on those favours, drop the kids off at granny so you can go for a run around the neighbourhood and don’t sweat the small stuff. I’ve burnt many a dinner dish because I’m juggling too much.

What is your dream for Party Playdough?
I dream that this business Will continue to grow from strength to strength and be a constant form
of joy to children all over the world, because yes, even though I’m rooted in the mother city, I have
packs travelling all over the world. Canada, Amsterdam and the USA! I want the playdough love to
travel far and wide and I hope my kids will draw inspiration from my hard work and always know
that what I do, I do for them and their futures.
Currently I’m in partnership with adventure clubs, gazoome play center and bash in Cape Town. I
am their resident Playdough supplier. Negotiations are underway to be in a few wimpy and
Colcacchio stores in the very near future and start branching out even more…

I am the ultimate “Party Playdough” fan and her mixed media kits are amazing! To learn more or order your own Playdough or Mixed Media sets visit www.partyplaydough.co.za

Ill be giving away one lucky reader TWO mixed media sets of your choice!

Simply make sure you are following and have liked, Party Playdough on facebook and Instagram and comment below on what your dream “mixed media set” would be.

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

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

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