Selecting The Perfect Pram – Top Strollers To Check Out

Selecting The Perfect Pram – Top Strollers To Check Out

Posted on by Rebecca

One of the most daunting purchases you can make as a parent to be has to be a pram/ travel system. Its literally akin to choosing your first car. There are so many options out there and most prams take up a pretty hefty chunk out of your savings account, if you are careful in your choice, you will absolutely see the return on investment for years to come.

I’ve teamed up with Kids Emporium Bryanston to talk about some of the hottest prams on the market at the moment, and what they are best suited for, to try and help you with your decision.

When buying a pram various factors will come into play.

 

The size of your car, and where the pram will be used. Are you a “city slicker” or are you more of an offroad/farm type? Are you a runner? Do you have more than one small child (ie; will you need a multi pram or an extension kit). Is it value for money? As a mom of (almost) 3 I can tell you my considerations were boot space and the under basket size. (You joke but TRUST me, your pram will act as your shopping trolley on more than one occasion). We chose our pram almost 6 years ago and its lasted us across the kids. We chose It because it wasn’t so bulky and It was a complete “travel system”. Meaning, we could plug-in the car seat, or bassinet, or use it as a normal pram.

Many moms favour travel systems, which include a car seat that clicks into position within the pram. It makes travelling with younger babies a breeze because you can just click them in and out of the car without taking them out of the car seat. A literal lifesaver when you have a lot to juggle.

Find out if there’s a guarantee that comes with the pram and what it covers. Does it include any extra’s (a wind shield, a cup holder (another awesome but overlooked feature), a wind shield? Kids Emporium often run specials across their travel systems offering great discounts or additions, so take your time to shop around!

Here are some of my top choices in Prams available in 2019. In no particular order.

Stokke Scoot

The Scoot is the perfect “Smart Urban Stroller”. It’s easy to push, you can fold it up either with the seat on or store and carry it separately. It has small compact wheels and can fit comfortably into a smaller car like a hatch back. You can customize your scoot by colour and canopy colour or even by a Softbag® for your younger baby. (we even used our Soft Bag as a travel cot when away from home). Scoot is the most compact option (in my opinion) and is easy to fold with one hand. It also comes with various accessories to purchase like a wind protector, cup holder or parasol. Its comes as a complete travel kit in true Stokke style, so you can attach a car seat or bassinet option as well. Baby can be forward to facing or parent facing as well.

Stokke – The Xplory

A little “higher end”, the Xplory was made famous for its unique design and for brining baby closer to your “face” height. Allowing you and baby to be as close as possible. In my opinion it launched the “stylish pram” phenomenon. It’s also part of the “flexible Stokke stroller system”, allowing you to customize your pram with features as well as colours. You can easily swap between a bassinet, car seat or the “pram attachment”. It’s certainly the most stylish pram on the market, in my opinion, but it does have larger wheels so be sure to check size once folded.

The Noola Bug 

The Bug includes everything you need for getting out and about with your little one and offers a complete travel system. The car seat and carry seat can be fixed in a rear or forward facing position. Its 360 Degree swivel front tires give you and baby a “smooth ride” and it has a larger hood providing extra shade for baba. Its one of the more popular prams on the market and is lightweight with a good size shopping basket 🙂

Noola Elite

 

 

Its a stylish and sporty all terrain pram. Perfect for around the town or off road exploring. It also comes as a complete travel system so it can easily convert across a bassinet and car seat option.

Doona

The Doona Pram has been has been highly talked about for some time now. Is it a pram or is it a car seat? It’s both, in one 🙂 There are 9 different colour combinations available and this uniquely designed pram goes from car seat to pram in seconds and has 3 different “modes”. You have to see it to believe so make sure you ask for a demo!

  • Car Seat mode – This mode is intended for use in a vehicle. The wheels are tucked under the Doona body and the handle is placed in Anti-Rebound mode and pressed against the vehicle seat back to prevent rebounding in case of a crash. Doona should only be used in-car seat mode when in a vehicle.
  • Pull-Along mode – This mode is intended for walking and maneuvering in tight or crowded spaces. The wheels are out and the handle is in the vertically upright position to allow puling the Doona right alongside the parent.
  • On-the-Go mode – This mode is intended for walking in open spaces – just like a stroller. The wheels are out and the handle is extended in a 45-degree angle towards the parent.

Mima Xari

Apparently this is one of the most purchased prams at the moment. It certainly very stylish and the “leatherette” design is popular in South Africa and is super easy to clean. The seat can recline into 3 different angles and the handlebar is adjustable. Choose from a chassis that’s black, rose gold or graphite grey and customise with your choise in colour of seat. Accessories can also be added, such as the matching nappy bag and cup holder.

Easywalker MINI Buggy

In my mind, this is the perfect “stroller” or buggy for travelling. It folds up incredibly small and offers a super smooth ride, even on rougher terrains or runs through airports. It is fully reclinable and apparently can be used from birth until 20kgs. Interestingly enough (even though it’s not obvious from the offset), it is car seat compatible which means you can actually just clip in your car seat using an adapter.

BabyZen Yoyo

I have to say while initially this would be my first choice in a pram, the more I see and read about this pram the more Im liking it. It absolutely is one of the most compact prams I have seen. Infact, folded up you can take it onboard a plane as cabin luggage! Baby lies parent facing as a newborn and it can come with a flat carry cot for infants. Using the same frame when baby is 6 months + swap it over so baby can sit up and see the world. It can hold up to 18 kgs and is so lightweight it can be carried like a bag.

The following brands are not available through Kids Emporium Bryanston, but I wanted to mention them as they are also two of my favourites:

Thule 

The brand has come a long way since launching their Urban Glide which is an all-round sports stroller. The “runners” pram with 3 wheels. They recently released the “sleek”, which is a stylish and flexible “4 wheeled” stroller for sharing city adventures with your child. Thule’s first four-wheel city stroller is ideal for busy moms who don’t want to lug around a super-heavy stroller. If you need to push around more than one child, adapters easily turn the Sleek into a layered double-stroller that’s still compact enough to navigate through shops or large crowds.

Mclaren

Another ultimate travelling buggy. I think the best thing about Dubai airport is the fact that you can grab and utilise Mclaren buggys for free as you run between terminals :). The Quest is a full lightweight, sporty solution. The perfect combination of compact, yet fully featured. It offers 4 different recline positions and when the seat is fully reclined, the Newborn Safety System™ can be deployed to create a cozy, enclosed cocoon.

 

So there you have it, that’s my personal preference on the millions of prams and travel systems out there. There are so many more to mention across a wide variety of price ranges. Just remember to ask yourself, will this make my life easier, is this value for money, does it fit into my style/needs and car? 🙂 Happy Pram shopping folks, you can do this! 🙂

Love Local – My Eco Sprout – Getting Our Kids A Little “Greener”

Love Local – My Eco Sprout – Getting Our Kids A Little “Greener”

Posted on by Rebecca

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but, I am NOT a city girl. I may live in South Africa’s largest city, but I grew up a “bush girl”. Literally barefoot and hunting down snakes in the long grass on our plot in Botswana. It drives my husband crazy, I still walk around barefoot whenever I am at home and I hate being cooped up inside the house. I need to be outdoors, in fresh air, and I want the same for my children. I see “city” “tweens” walking around the big malls with their hair slicked back at the age of 12, and it send shivers down my spine. Children should be outside, getting dirty, playing and learning.

Some of the fondest memories I have growing up, are spending the weekends with my dad in our vegetable garden. Harvesting organic, fresh carrots, spinach or radishes and then going to sell them directly to our local grocer. In fact, when we moved into our townhouse in Johannesburg the first thing I did with the boys was plant our own carrots 🙂

When I came across”My Eco Sprout” and what they stand for, I knew I had to feature them in the “Love Local” series. With today being “Plant A Flower Day”, it’s the perfect day to introduce you to a product that encourages our children to “get greener” and get in the garden. Fellow mama and founder of “My Eco Sprout”, Copeland Koorts, chats to me a little bit more about how it came about.

Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?

I grew up on a farm close to a small town called Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape. I am part of a big family of six. We are a close family and treasure every minute we spend with one another.

Most of my school years were spent in Bloemfontein and I completed my tertiary education in Stellenbosch. I am the mother of two beautiful girls and spouse to a lovely husband. I have been quite busy during the past year building the My Eco Sprout range that launched in November 2018.

How did “My Eco Sprout” come about?

My love for children and passion for gardening married and from there My Eco Sprout was born. Although I grew up on a farm, I lived in an urban environment since I was 16 years old. Our urban environment is threatening the ‘growing culture’ since there is a misperception of how much space is needed to grow your own edible food. My Eco Sprout would like to change this and give families and children the tools and information, by making growing kits available that would spark an interest in growing your own food, whether it be on a balcony, indoors, on a windowsill or in a garden bed.

What did you study – was it in this field or something different?

It was definitely quite different. I studied Fashion Design and have a Bachelors in Consumer Science.

 What was your first job and how did you progress to this?

My very first job was being a waitress. From there I started as a sales assistant for Burberry in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Shortly after I was the Head of Visual Merchandising for Burberry South Africa in JHB. I relocated back to CT in 2014 and started working for The Foschini Group as a Visual Coordinator. In 2015 I had my first little girl and became a full-time stay at home Mommy😊 Since I had my little girl, I always wanted to start my own business.


What have been the highlights of starting your own business? 

The highlights are endless, but the ones most significant are the realisation of how much opportunity there is to grow your own business and the noticeable change it makes in the lives of families.

What’s the best part of your job?

Receiving photos and feedback about how much fun children are having growing their kits.

What is the most challenging part?

Living up to my own expectations of the vision I have for My Eco Sprout.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Mornings start off with breakfast and taking the kids to daycare. Once back at home/office;) , all deliveries need to go out and new ones needs to be booked. There is quite a bit of admin and new product/program development happening now and it keeps me tied in meetings, research and bookkeeping. I pick the girls up just before one and then head home for lunch. The afternoons are quite random, as they are still very young, but it includes some gardening, sleeping, grocery shopping and chilling. When it comes to 19:00 the bed time routine starts, and I usually end up working a bit after they have gone to bed.

What are the “secrets” to your success?

Being positive gives me the energy to see things through during the tough times.

How do you balance having a family and starting your own business?

It is a challenge! I have learnt to utilise those 5-minute breaks between feedings, parenting and everything else. They add up quickly and before I know it, I have completed one more thing on the to do list. Try it! 😊

What is your dream for My Eco Sprout?

My dream of My Eco Spout is to GET KIDS GROWING. One of the most wonderful aspects of home-grown food is creating engrained food connection memories with children, amongst many others. Most children have no idea where their food comes from, other than the grocery store. My Eco Sprout wishes to change this as the further removed we get from our food the less we understand it and would like to eat.  There is another dream of My Eco Sprout and this is to enable families to spend quality time and making memories with one another whilst growing their own edible plants.  The benefits of growing your own food is endless but the most rewarding is the tangible benefits, like picking cherry tomatoes for lunchboxes from plants grown by yourself.

 Any tips for people wanting to take the leap and start their own business?

Do not postpone! Start today! It takes a lot of baby steps to eventually launch your own business; Every step, is a step closer to your dream.

Visit My Eco Sprout on their website to order your very own “Grow Kits” and to see the full product line. PS, they also do the most fantastic “Kids Part favours”, so if you are looking for an alternative to sugary sweets for your guests, these are the perfect giveaway!

Win your own My Eco Sprout growing kit hamper!

My Eco Sprout wants to spoil one lucky little gardener with their own growing kits.

The hamper includes:

  • A 2019 Calendar
  • 1 Sprout House
  • 1x Strawberry Popcorn Kit
  • 1x Cherry Tomatoes Party Favour Kit
  • The Wheatgrass Kit

How to enter:

  1. Comment below and tell us what you would have the most fun growing?
  2. Follow @Inthesestilettos and @my_eco_sprout on Instagram  AND / OR
  3. Like @Inthesestilettos and @MyEcoSprout on Facebook.

COMPETITION RULES: 

  1. Entries are via Instagram, Facebook or comments left below.
  2. Instagram and Facebook are in no way associated with this giveaway.
  3. You need to follow both @Inthesestilettos and @my_eco_sprout on Instagram and / or Facebook to qualify.
  4. Competition only open to South African residents residing in South Africa.
  5.  The winner is picked at random and competition closes Friday 22 March 2019.
  6. This prize is not exchangeable or refundable.
  7. Winner will have 48 hours to respond with their details, failing which a new winner will be drawn.
Crafting With House Of York – Easy Crafts With HouseHold Items

Crafting With House Of York – Easy Crafts With HouseHold Items

Posted on by Rebecca

March is officially “Craft Month” and boy oh boy, do we have a lot up our sleeves 🙂

The beauty of crafting with kids is that it often uses things typically found around the house. Egg cartons, tooth picks, pegs, cupcake cases, you name it; we will find something to craft with it 🙂

I also love that arts and crafts expand our children’s imaginations. They encourage independent and pragmatic thinking, which in a world filled with television and media, is something we so need to work on!

Together with House of York, one of South Africa’s most loves household brands, we have been playing around with everyday wooden objects that we could turn into Arts and Crafts.

First up in our craft spree are their skewers.

Traditionally used in South Africa for braai’s, we incorporated the skewers into some fine motor skill building sticks.

Stick a skewer into some playdough and let your kids thread cheerio’s, froot loops, or pasta onto the sticks. It requires huge concentration for little hands to thread those objects onto the skewers. Add in beads or use different coloured fruits to bring in pattern recognition; get your kids to follow an order of objects that you placed to encourage repetition. A simple, fun, learning activity that the little one’s love!

Next up are toothpicks.

The possibilities here are endless, I honestly had to limit myself to two activities.

First up we worked on our STEM skills. I built a molecular structure that the boys then had to replicate with their toothpicks and baby marshmallows (you can use sweets, or any fruits like grapes or apples for this as well). My 5-year-old worked on this with uninterrupted concentration and asked me to make more! My little one however (he’s 3), managed the basic concept of a square and triangle. This activity encourages 3D thinking and I LOVE the concentration that took place.

I then took a whole bunch of toothpicks and dyed them different colours with food colouring. They are so pretty, this could have been an activity, toothpick rainbows? Why not?

The activity I chose was based around creating pictures. To up the interest a little, I took some sticky plastic wrap (the kind you cover books with) and stuck it onto the sliding door. You could use paper, but I just did want to get hands too sticky with glue. The kids stuck their toothpicks onto the contact plastic and created their own pictures.

Lastly, let’s look to one of our favourite household items to create with, pegs!

Not only are they super affordable, but they are a perfect size for little hands to hold and play with. They also offer one of the best fine motor activities you can ever give to a child; simply hanging clothes on a line. The pincher grasp and squeeze of a peg is crucial for healthy development, and that really doesn’t take any creativity!

OK, I may have gotten involved in a some of the finer detail on these ones, but the boys painted the wooden pegs. We then decided on what animals we wanted to create and how we would do it. We made crocodiles, birds on a “branch” (Skewer), a Giraffe as well as some super easy butterflies, which the kids pretty much did themselves.

I LOVE how these turned out and they are now proudly displayed on our “Gallery” wall.

So, there you have it. Using affordable items, often found around the house, we created several different craft activities. This “Crafting” Month of March I encourage you all to spend more time doing things WITH your kids. Whatever it may be, the act of doing something with them is priceless and they will value the time with you forever.

Life Cycle Of A Frog – Squishy Sensory Bin Fun

Life Cycle Of A Frog – Squishy Sensory Bin Fun

Posted on by Rebecca

My eldest got some tadpoles at school the other day, and the excitement was very very real! Everyday when I fetched him he would show me their progress and point out the ones that were growing. I had been waiting for the perfect moment to use my Toobs figurines from Kid-Ease, and this was it!

My youngest still is fully absorbed by sensory trays so I always try and combine them with a little learning for my 5 year old now as well. We picked out a froggie book and got to making our “pond” habitat.

Materials Used:

Waterbeads

Jelly type substance – you could make some goop up from cornflour and water, but I used Sno Ball from Zimpli Kids and added some blue food colouring to it

Logs/sticks

Pebbles

Leaves

Frog figurines or any other figurines found around a pond

I also used polystyrene cut into the shape of a lily pad because I didnt have any other suitable “lily pads”.

Explore the Life Cycle of a Frog

I always have to hold my kids back a bit before they dive right into a sensory tray. So I began by pointing out the various different stages of a frog and asked Aadam which order he thought they belonged in. As soon as he touched the sensory tray it was over and they both were too excited to play. We combined it by reading one of our favourite “frog themed” books, frog on a log. We also spoke about what other animals you would find around a pond like dragonflies, fish, butterflies and turtles. We also spoke about how the frogs lay eggs in groups and that they need to be in the water or they will dry up and not hatch We also discussed how the frog changes as it gets bigger and how it slowly loses its “tail”.

Its so much fun to learn when you get to play and explore as well!

I never know whether to turn our sensory trays into blogs or just post the pictures up on instagram. What do you prefer? Whichever way I hope you got some inspiration, and happy playing!

Creative Cardboard – Thinking Out Of The Box

Creative Cardboard – Thinking Out Of The Box

Posted on by Rebecca

We are pretty big fans of making things out of cardboard in our house. I love how a simple box can be turned into, well, anything your heart desires really! It drives my husband insane but I keep every single box after a delivery for the boys and I to turn into a magical masterpiece. Cardboard sneaks into your home every time you do the shopping, and you can get boxes for free at most stores just by asking for them.

Apart from simply using flat pieces of cardboard as a canvas, you can build things with it using only tape or glue. It’s recyclable as well, so the possibilities are endless.

I thought I’d put together a list of some of the things we have made to inspire you to get creative. March is national craft month after all.

1. A Market Stall

I kid you not, we are going onto year 3 of pulling out our market stall. You’ll need a slightly bigger box for this one (think washing machines, fridges etc). Cut out a window and have fun getting creative.

2. A Rocket Ship

Would it be an article about cardboard crafts without one? We slightly cheated with this one and bought a “flat pack” cardboard rocket ship. I wanted to use it as a craft for Aadam’s party so the kids could all paint it. I can’t remember where we got it from but Makedo sell awesome “assemble your own” cardboard construction kits which you can buy from Takealot.

3. A Marble Run

One of the most iconic ways to use cardboard tubes and it provides hours of endless fun. If you are worried about marbles with your little ones you can also do the same thing with Pom-Poms. Turn it into a colour sorting activity for your pompoms.

4. A Mini Town

Let your imagination guide you here, the possibilities are endless. Just find a nice sturdy box that’s the right height and create away!

5. A Car Ramp

One of our favourite ways to “race” our Hot Wheels or Monster Trucks. Find a bigger box and open it up. A glue gun comes in handy with this one to stick the different lanes on. The boys played for hours comparing which car went faster!

6. A Mini Aquarium

The perfect craft for a cereal box, and a little boy for was dying for a fish 🙂 The boys did all the painting and bits of cutting here and mummy did need to get involved with the hot glue gun to stick some of the sea weed and suspend the fish. This still sits in our dining room today!

7. A Post Box

After all our family left last year to return oversea’s we were feeling very sorry for ourselves. Combine that with a few movie runs of “Postman Pat”, it wasnt long before the boys wanted to “post” letters to their grandparents and aunts and uncles. A simple small box does the trick here with cut up toilet roll for the legs. Make sure you cut a “door” in the back to retrieve your letters once posted!

8. A Letter Or Number Sorter

This is the perfect educational craft to make out of a shoe box for the kids. We chose to do ours with corresponding uppercase and lowercase letters, to help with recognition. But you can do whatever you want! For smaller kids you don’t need to even use letters or numbers, it’s a fantastic fine motor skill activity in its own!

9. Art, Art, Art

Cardboard really does make the best canvas. Its thick, sturdy and a ton of fun to experiment with. Paint landscapes or portraits, abstract or 3D, just give your kids a piece of a box and let them paint away!

10. A Car

Would a childhood be complete without making your own box car? Have a “drive in” movie night at home and get the kids to make their own box cars. You can see we didn’t even get to decorating ours before Aadam jumped in and was “vrooming” away. He just got frustrated because it didn’t actually go anywhere 🙂

11. A House

Yes, of course I would finish my list without getting to a house. Whether it’s a big house for the kids to play in (you’ll need much larger boxes for that again), or a smaller house for their dolls (or action heroes); making a house out of cardboard is a must! Mummy got involved again cutting out the smaller detail like the windows and glueing the slightly uneven floors, but the boys designed and painted to their heart’s content!

 

A few other ideas to give you inspiration, but I didn’t necessarily have “photographic” evidence”:

  • A space helmet – perfect for little heads and oh so easy to make, even easier if you have any “build-a-bear” boxes lying around the house, they were almost made for this!
  • A guitar – Super easy to make, and all you need to do is add a few elastic bands. We have made a number of impromptu guitars out of shoe boxes before!
  • An oven/stove – Fairly simple to make because of the square shape and I have seen some fantastic ones on pintrest. Bottle tops make the perfect temperature dials.
  • A Petrol/ Fuel Pump – Another fab one to all get involved with. The rectangular shape is nice and easy so you can have fun and get really involved in the painting and design detail of it.

There you have it, 15 quick and fun ways to get creative with cardboard. It really is one of the things the boys and I turn to often and I love hoe it expands their imagination. With almost all of these things my eldest has come to me with the idea, and whenever we get a box as a gift or with a delivery he’s the first one to say “mummy, lets turn this into a……”

Happy crafting month and I hope some of these ideas gave you inspiration!

 

 

Love Local – Felt and Fairies, Meet Claire From “The Little Banner Company”

Love Local – Felt and Fairies, Meet Claire From “The Little Banner Company”

Posted on by Rebecca

I think the thing that I love the most about Motherhood, is that it’s opened my eyes and network to the most incredible, creative women. Since I’ve had the boys I have connected with women whose creative talents leave me speechless, literally! Claire is absolutely one of those women.

I first came across Claire on Instagram, while she and her family were still living in the UK. Our boys are similar ages and she had the prettiest feed and photos of her explorations with baby Jack, she even moved back to Cape Town just as we moved back to Johannesburg. I feel like we were destined to “meet” each other, “soul sisters”, even though we have never actually met “IRL”.  🙂 🙂

Anyway, enough of my blabbing, among Claire’s many talents (you should see her gathering and art skills), she started “The Little Banner Company” which makes the most adorable felt products for kids. Think magical wands, crowns, christmas stockings and the sweetest banners for kids rooms, offices, or wherever you feel like really! I chatted to her in a bit more detail around her exciting plans for 2019!

Tell me more about yourself and what you currently do?

I’m Claire!  I am married with two kiddos.  We moved to Cape Town 3 years ago after being in the UK for 12 years, and, it has been the best decision we ever made!  I have a part-time admin job for a few mornings a week and I create content, photograph and blog over on Gathered By Claire as well as create and sell fabric and felt products in my online shop – The Little Banner Company and at craft markets.

How did “The Little Banner Company” come about?

When I was on maternity leave in 2014 I found creativity was my outlet and allowed me to do something for me – having a baby is all time-consuming so I thrived by creating, writing and photographing each day and sharing it online.  I then got into sewing banners and they did really well on etsy and I loved doing it.  I then fell pregnant with my second unexpectedly so put it the business on hold for a few years.  In 2018 I started creating again and realised I have such a passion for creating products for my customers to brighten their homes.

What did you study – was it in this field or something different?

I studied psychology and health & social care – but I never did anything with my degree.  In hindsight I think I just studied because I felt it was something that was expected of me.  So, no – nothing to do with what I am doing now!

What have been the highlights of starting your own business?

Freedom!  I really struggle with authority and having to do things in someone else’s timeframe.  I love creating and am really passionate about it – it has brought me so much joy to do the thing that I love for my job.  Making my own money is also very important to me and one of my goals over the next few years is to become financially independent.  Also connecting with other creatives on social media has been such a huge blessing – Instagram is a wonderful community and there are so many of us out there who are like-minded and cheer each other on.

What’s the best part of your job?

Having my own schedule and seeing a finished product.

What is the most challenging part?

Sticking to a routine and procrastination.

Describe a typical day in your life.

I normally wake up around 6am. I shower, get dressed and have breakfast with the boys while they play and get ready for school. I take them to school around 7:30am and then either come home and do some work or go to my part-time admin job. The boys stay at aftercare 3 days a week until 3pm so on those days I try to get a lot done.  On the other two days we either have swimming or a playdate with friends.  Supper is at 5pm, followed by shower time, a bit of tv and then into bed for 6:30pm. We are very strict with an early bed time as Jack & Harry don’t nap so most evenings, they are asleep by 7:15pm. In the evenings I tend to tidy up the kitchen (I prefer going to bed with a clean and tidy kitchen!) and then do some sewing, writing or sometimes I watch a bit of TV. And then asleep by around 11pm.  And onto the next day!

How do you balance having a family (being an amazing mum and wife) and starting your own business?

It is hard!  But I am very strict with making time for myself and my business and then at the same time making time for my family.  It is something you have to muddle with and after some practise you find your groove and what works for you and your family.  I think it is all about honesty with yourself, communication with your partner and being kind to yourself.  I also believe you can have everything you want but just not all at once so its about accepting that and being realistic with what you can do in the time that you have.

What is your dream for The Little Banner Company?

I would love to have my products stocked in various shops around South Africa.  I want to sell more internationally too and also grow my blog and help others realise their passions and do what they love.  I want to share more content about simple living and help others with creativity and motivation.

Any tips for people wanting to take the leap and start their own business?

Just do it!  You have to start somewhere.  Write down your goals, your dreams and your aspirations as if money was no object.  Break these goals down into little steps and then each day work on those steps.  Good things take time but if you never start, you will never know.  Action breeds confidence and with confidence and the right attitude you can achieve anything!

You can find Claire online across the following sites:

Instagram: claire_choudhry

GIVEAWAY:

Claire has kindly said that she would like to custom make a banner for any reader/ follower here, anything you want!. It is the perfect addition to any nursery/kids room, teachers gifts and would make a gorgeous gift as well.

To enter:

Make sure you are following @IntheseStilettos and @Claire_Choudhry on Instagram

Leave a comment below, (here or Instagram) and tell me what your creative outlet is?

Competition is only open to Residents of South Africa and will run until Midnight on February 27th 2019.

Winners will be announced on Instagram and will have 24 hours to respond.

Remember, the purpose of the “Love Local” series is to inspire you to reach your dreams. Chatting to families and individuals who have just gone out and followed their dreams and made something out of their passions! So out and conquer your dreams. Everything is achievable, day by day!

 

 

Review: Childs Farm – Can it really help with Eczema?

Review: Childs Farm – Can it really help with Eczema?

Posted on by Rebecca

Last week I was fortunate enough to meet an incredible women. Joanna Jensen is the founder and creator of the renowned baby skin care range, Childs Farm, that’s taking the world by storm. We first were introduced to Childs farm when it entered the South African market last year, so when I found out she was in South Africa, I jumped at the chance to meet her! Childs Farm products are not only reasonable in terms of price,  dermatologist and pediatrician approved, they are also packed with natural ingredients.

My first thought was that Joanna must have some kind of pharmacist degree or background, in order to create cosmetic products from scratch, but I was surprised to find out that she actually has a background in the legal field! Joanna grew up in a household that used a lot of natural medicines, and they had horses, so would often make up their own tinctures to treat the horses. After her kids were born, and they too suffered with sensitive skin, trolling the baby aisles she was shocked to find so many products were packed filled with harsh chemicals. She started to play around with various different plants and mixtures and voila, Childs Farm was born! Aptly named after their own Farm, and all the labels feature Joanna’s girls, their cousins, friends, and their animals, bringing authenticity to the brand, and helping to engage with little ones to enjoy using the products more.

All Childs Farm products are made using naturally derived ingredients to produce mild products that care for the skin, hair and nails of newborns, babies and children, but the products are suitable for adults too.  Made from 98% naturally derived ingredients, organic essential oils and free from parabens, SLSs, mineral oils and artificial colourings. The packaging is funky and bright, and for some reason my boys are obsessed with the bottles. Statistics show in the UK that one bottle of Childs Farm Sensitive Baby moisturizer has been selling at one bottle per minute since 2017 ! What an incredible achievement, from something that started out in her own home bathroom.

It hit retailers in the UK for the first time in 2014 and South African shores in 2018. In such a short amount of time they now have product available globally, including Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Middle East and Iceland. Last year a few of my readers commented that they couldn’t find it in clicks. Fear not, in the next few months you will see the product available not only in select clicks, but Dischem, Takealot and will soon be expanding to other retailers as well.

A quick google search on the products will show you that the world is raving about Childs Farm’s ability to keep eczema and psoriasis under control, so I asked Joanna if she has any intentions to expand into an adult range. Simply put, she doesn’t need too! Adults around the world are buying their products as well, a UK study shows that 27% of adults are using the products on themselves!

So what do I think?

I’ve documented it a few times but my eldest suffered with terrible eczema as a baby, he was put onto steroid creams from as young as 7 weeks old! He still has extremely sensitive skin so we are always very careful with any type of scented product or bath products. Aadam has had absolutely no reactions to any of the range we have tried. I’m currently loving the 3 in 1 swim, being Summer in the Southern Hemisphere we have been doing a large amount of swimming. The 3 in 1 swim wash is especially designed to remove all traces of harsh chlorine. I LOVE IT! The bubble bath is another one of our favourites, as it really does create bubbles! Theres nothing more annoying than a bubble bath that doesn’t produce a good bubble 🙂 The boy’s hair is softer and definitely more shiny since using the shampoos on them.

There are a huge variety of scents to choose from, depending on your preference. The strawberry and mint in the bath is delicious, as is the orange but I do find the grapefruit a little overwhelming. Our first trial with the baby moisturizer last year was with the grapefruit, and I have to admit it wasnt my favourite, recently, we have been using the plain unscented version and I am sold! It doesn’t just“sit on top” of the skin like the majority of aqueous creams, it actually sinks in and absorbs. The range also comes in a super handy travel pack, which is something I often struggle to find with kids products.

I would absolutely recommend Childs Farm products to any mum out there. We have fallen in love with them, I love most of the scents and the kids love them too. The newborn range (which clearly we haven tested on a newborn yet), is scent free, perfect for baby’s softer skin.

Whats in store for the brand in the future? There are some delicious new fragrances joining the farm family, including fig as well as watermelon and pineapple. For the drier climates (like South Africa and Australia ) there is a range in the works packed with all the coconut goodness specifically for dry hair.

Note: I have in no way been asked to review these products. I received products to trial and all opinions are my own and are based on personal experience. 

 

Affordable Valentine’s Ideas For The Family

Affordable Valentine’s Ideas For The Family

Posted on by Rebecca

How many times have we heard complaints, “Valentines Day is too commercialised”, “its just a money-making scheme”, “its only for couples”. Out of all the special occasion holidays, Valentines has to be my favourite, because of what it stands for. I wrote a blog last year on why I choose love (and always will), because in a world filled with so much hate and judgement, let’s be honest, we all need to love a little more!

This Valentines I have focused on a few, inexpensive things you can do to celebrate with the kids. Since having kids I go all out on the day of love, I think it’s so important to create a sense of excitement for our children and educate them on the importance of loving one another and being kind.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive day. Trust me, I despise red roses, and yes I’ll jump on the “money making scheme” band wagon here. I have never expected to receive roses, there are so many other ways. As parents we also don’t have the luxury of being able to go out and enjoy a fancy dinner (well we could but that would involve getting in a babysitter and to be honest when valentines falls mid-week I am often too tired by dinner time to think about going anywhere :))

My perfect Valentines Dinner would involve dinner (ideally not made by me), or a picnic under the stars, followed by an evening of our favourite Netflix shows 🙂 When we lived in Cape Town one year we had the most amazing evening at Galileo open air cinemas, and watched Casablanca under the stars at a wine farm! It was such a great evening.

But I digress from the reason of this post.

Here are a few, inexpensive activities and things you can do to make this Valentines a bit more special for your family.

  • Breakfast – Flapjacks are our thing for valentines breakfasts, if it falls on a weekend they are homemade and a little more adventurous and if it’s on a school day, Woolworth’s comes to the rescue. Take a heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape them into a heart. I also cut strawberries into a heart shape to add to the romance 🙂 Another super quick and easy option is a fruit parfait, layers of red fruit, yoghurt and muesli placed in a pretty jar.

  • Lunches/packed lunches – the boys have been in school for the past few valentines so I like to do cute treats in their lunch bags. A personalised note, a heart shaped sandwich, watermelon or fruit cut into hearts. Anything I have time for really, but always a bit of a treat.

  • Baked goods – For teachers, or friends at school, we always make our treats at home to save a little money. It also gets the boys involved and they adore baking so it’s a win win. We have made sugar cookies and heart-shaped brownies to give out as treats.

  • Homemade presents – Not only are they a money saver, but while the boys are younger, I really do believe you don’t get better than a homemade gift. Last year we made “salt dough” jewellery, pressing out hearts in small heart shapes to thread onto a necklace or a bracelet, that they boys gave out. We dyed the salt dough pink and red and pressed in patterns and words like “loved”. For cards we have experimented with different mediums over the years, from puffy paint, to “blowing paint” and marbling the cards with shaving foam and food colouring.

  • Activities – I always do a bit of a “build up” to valentines day, from sensory trays, chocolate soap foam, “melting hearts” (up on the blog later today) to cardboard crafts, I love theming the activities.

  • Family Picnic – Whether it’s under the stars or in your lounge, the best way to spend the day/night with sharing love filled food with friends and family.

So there are a few ideas for you to do with the kids this valentines. I don’t believe we can ever show our kids “to much love” and I think Valentines is the perfect day to show them, and let them show others how kindness and love can make a difference!

Chocolate Sensory Soap Foam

Chocolate Sensory Soap Foam

Posted on by Rebecca

We love getting messy, and “special occasions” always give us the perfect excuse to theme our crafts or sensory play ideas. Valentines Day is one of our favourites, last year we did a different sensory tray with “dry ingredients” which I actually pulled out the other day to replay with, you can read more about that here.

So this year I wanted to do something different and we havent made any soap foam in a very long time. I originally saw the idea on another blog, “And next comes L”,and adapted in and chucked in some ingredients from last years tray including heart-shaped tins and plastic shapes to add in a little variation. I also added in a bit of glitter, because well, its Valentines Day, and what says Valentines Day more than chocolate and flowers?

This deliciously chocolate soap foam is as soft and velvety as it looks and sounds. It smells so amazing, I even added in a pinch of vanilla essence and had to remind the boys they could not eat it!

Heres all you need to make this sensory wonderland:

Dishwashing liquid

Coco (I had just ran out so I used hot chocolate mixed with a little coffee to deepen the colour).

To make chocolate soap foam, use an electric mixer to mix a generous amount of dishwashing liquid (or liquid hand soap) with a splash of water and a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Try to use as small amount of water as you can as you really want the bubbles and soap to take over and not the water, so you really just need a dash. Beat it up for as long as possible to get a nice “stiff” bubble.

As with any soap foam recipe it does get pretty messy, but as its soap its super easy to clean up (or hose down). Older kids will love mixing it and making potions, lotions and soups; younger kids love to explore the texture on their hands and squish away. Dont be afraid to play with different mediums as well, I gave the boys spray bottles filled with a little food colouring, to spray onto the bubbles.

Have fun exploring and experimenting with your kids !!

Kids Entertainment around Johannesburg 2019 – An Updated List

Kids Entertainment around Johannesburg 2019 – An Updated List

Posted on by Rebecca

Looking for places and spaces to take your children around Johannesburg? I have consolidated and updated my lists and I have a feeling that this is one of those posts I’ll have to “redo” annually, or at least every 2 years. At least once a week I get messages asking about the best places to take kids to in Johannesburg, and I know I’m always looking for new places as well!

I’ve updated our ultimate list from 2017, taken out some which have closed down and added in some new hot spots as well. Are there any other places you would recommend that I may have missed? I’ve tried to “categorize” them into applicable activities. Animal related, park related, cafes etc and links to all original articles with full lists of places are attached as well.

I don’t want to ever hear “but there is nothing to do in Joburg with kids” again 🙂 Theres a ton!

Happy reading and exploring 🙂

Animal Interactions:

Lion and Safari Park (Lanseria) – New and improved, the recently re-opened Lion and Safari park is bigger, better and has a lot more interaction for kids.

Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve (Kromdraai, Krugersdorp) – Our most favourite “Nearest Faraway Place”, the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve really does cater for the whole family. With a lovely restaurant (thatch cafe), an incredible BMX bike and all the animal enclosures are super spacious. Theres a “nursery” for cub interaction and you can even feed Sonny the Giraffe!

Crocodile City (Just before Lanseria) – We had such a good time at our outing to Croc City. They boys got an educational talk on crocs, on how thick their skin is and got to hold and observe their eggs. They also house a number of reptiles and much to my horror my boys lined up to hold the snakes. After a tour of the croc park the kids ran around counting and feeding as many tortoises as they could. The play area of course provided hours of entertainment. For the braver kids, why not try zip-lining across the croc enclosure?

Old MacDonald’s Farm Yard (The Fat Olive Restaurant/ Beach Bar) (Lanseria) – This is a true hidden gem. Home to the Fat Olive restaurant and a Beach bar, Old MacDonald’s has free roaming Zebras, geese, duck and a whole mini farmyard for kids to feed/interact with. It doubles up as a party venue as well as a restaurant. Theres even canoes to take out on a paddle on the small lake.

Crazy Kids Farmyard (Randburg) – A diamond in the middle of a bustling city. Crazy Kids has also recently had a bit of a refresh with some new animals (including another pony and a friendly pig). It is literally smack bang in the middle of a residential area in Randburg. It has a huge variety of play equipment for kids, a ton of bikes to ride around and an epic sandpit. This is a winner, everyday of the week.

Bird Garden – Monte Casino (Fourways) – We have been going here since the boys were small. The only bird park of its kind in Africa and perfect for all ages! Take a stroll through the gardens and aviary and see a wide variety of bird life, reptiles, and other exotic animals. It also has a café and a cute kids play area.

The Johannesburg Zoo – A timeless classic and always good for a family day out.

The Irene Dairy Farm – Every child’s dream, right on our doorstep! A working dairy farm situated right in the heart of Gauteng. Kids can enjoy seeing the cows being milked, ride on one of the numerous tractors and enjoy an ice cream underneath the beautiful shady trees. We were lucky enough to go when the construction was still occurring, it was every little boys dream, with tractors, trucks and diggers to watch!

 

Lori Park Zoo (Midrand) – Holds a nice variety of crocodiles, predator birds and of course lions/ leopards – though I do feel for the bigger cats as their enclosures are very, very small.

Cafes and Play Area’s:

For a full list see my previous article here.

Pappachinos – No Johannesburg list would be complete without one – Broadacres seems like the biggest, Clearwater mall also has a bike track)

Clay Café (Irene) – About twenty minutes out of Johannesburg Clay Café is opposite the iconic Red Barn in Irene. Kids can choose from a large variety of ceramics to paint with lots of accessories to add patterns/ shapes to their masterpieces.

Kiddilicious (Bedfordview) – You will never regret paying this child friendly cafe a visit. The staff are always friendly, there is endless play equipment for the kids and they even offer various classes and workshops from ante-natal to baby massage. One of my favourite places discovered in 2018.

256 on Smit (Fairlands) – Friendly staff with a super little hairdresser and masseuse right next door this is also set in an unassuming suburb in Fairlands. The play area is cleverly designed in the middle so you can watch your little ones from pretty much anywhere. They also have an aviary and some bunnies.

The Momentum World of Golf – Yes yes, its “Golf”, but it’s so much more. The World of Golf has an incredible kiddies play area, they offer free “masterclass” coaching sessions for kids and Kids can hit at the driving range, bunker pits and the chip and putt to their heart’s content. They also offer sand art on the weekends for kids and they can make their own pizzas. What more do you need? Oh i forgot to mention, there is a Camelot Spa there too for mums 🙂

Glitter Factory Craft Shop (Fourways)– Just off Witkoppen, next to the fabulous State 5 coffee shop and restaurant, the glitter factory craft shop offers a ton of messy fun! From painting ceramics and wood to creating mosaic’s, it’s a fabulous outing for both parents and kids. The State 5 coffee shop next door offers such a huge selection of treats for the kids as well as a fun play area.

Hyto Tyto(Olifantsfontein)- Fairly new on the scene it offers a brilliant kids play area and eatery with an epic bike track. It’s a bit of a drive if you are in central Joburg but worth it I think. They have really put a lot of thought into the design of the kiddies play area.

Art Jamming (Across Gauteng) – I love how they have pegged the term “The art of paintertainment”. Paintertainment is exactly what it is! Whether you are young or old, time spent at art jamming feeds your soul. Our favourites are in Cresta and Melrose Arch. For younger kids they have also introduced “messy play”. Contact stores for more detail.

27 Boxes (Melville) – Not the most conventional place to take your kids but its right across the road from Bambanani (kiddies restaurant and play area). They have recently redone their outdoor play area and its pretty impressive! You can also find “Kitchen Concepts” there for your little ones to try their hand at baking and cooking!

Bounce – Take your pick from venues across the city, our favourite is at Fourways Mall. You pay per hour (it flys by), and you and the kids can bounce, run, jump, play basketball, soccer or run the obstacle course to your heart’s content. Download the Entertainer app and receive 2 for 1 specials if you have a larger family! Well worth the deal!

Adventure Golf – An afternoon of fun for everyone! Theres 3 to choose from across Gauteng, but again our favourite is at Fourways Mall (you could really spend the entire day there with the kids). Its open daily until 10pm and they offer various packages and birthday parties. What kid doesn’t love putt-putt? Especially when you have to navigate through streams and waterfalls.

Happy Island Waterworld (Muldersdrift) – It opened its gates in December 2018, and although it still actually had its “official” opening yet, (there are a few slides and rides that have not been complete), its taken Jozi by storm! The Pre launch has been extended so you can enjoy discounted rates if you dont mind not having access to the lockers etc. Its a waterworld filled with slides, pools and a guaranteed day of fun! (I would try to go either mid week or early morning to avoid crowds).

GOG Lifestyle Park (Nooitgedacht) – The original outdoor adventure park for families – Gauteng now boasts 3, one in Lanseria, Haarties and Soweto. Haarties opened up in November and it offers beach area’s, swimming pools, spray pads and slides. The one in Lanseria offers climbing walls, frames, a number of pools and slides and lots of water feature fun!

Sci Bono Center  (Newtown)- A must visit on a rainy day (well actually any day). The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is situated in the vibrant and safe precinct of Newtown. It offers over 350 exhibits to encourage Math, Science and Technology in kids. Its ideal from ages 3-12 and they host birthday parties!

Ditsong National Military Museum (Forest Town) – The boys love going here! Not only is it aesthetically beautiful (we always eat ice creams underneath the huge war memorial), but its packed to the brim of old history, real aeroplanes and tanks and old artifacts. For a super reasonable price its a jam-packed day for the whole family.

Outdoor parks and Farm spots:

For a full list of our favourite parks and picnic spots click here.

Kids Days at Leafy Greens Cafe (HoneyDew)- Kids days or not, Leafy Greens and Casalinga are legitimately one of our most favourite weekend spots to venture out too. There is nothing better than walking through the glorious gardens, seeing all the incredible vegetables and flowers and having a bite to eat. We take the boys bikes with and they ride across the huge fields to their heart’s content. This is the closest I get to my “bush” Botswana life here in Jozi and I relish every chance I get to visit. Leafy Greens hosts Kids Adventure days from time to time and for a small fee, children can pick their own vegetables and make a little treat fresh from the garden!

The Herb Farm (Midrand) – A botanical gem in the heart of Gauteng. Boasting over 400 herbal plants in a beautiful garden setting and it has a gorgeous play area for kids. It has an outdoor educational facility for kids, where they can get their hands dirty and play in the garden. Now that’s my kind of place!

Delta Park – Probably holds the best play area out of all Joburg parks. It also has glorious walking paths with gigantic trees shading them.

Lonehill Park – Between Lonehill Park and Angelo’s Restaurant you are guaranteed a good time with the kids. Lonehill Park has a beautiful enclosed play area for kids and Angelo’s Kitchen borders onto the park with additional jungle gyms, bike tracks and games for kids.

Mushroom Park – Our go to park for mid-week fun. Mushroom park is a little piece of green forest in amongst Sandton’s high-rise buildings. It has the perfect tracks for kids to ride their bikes on and has over 5 jungle gyms and a large sandpit area. Perfect for soaking up the winter sun, and when it is in operation, also holds the Hyundai Hot Air Balloon.

Raspberry Picking at Fieldberry Farm (When in Season) – A morning spent in the fields at Fieldberry farm is a morning well spent. A beautiful day out for the entire family, kids will have an amazing time selecting and picking the juiciest berries to pick. After all their hard work mum and dad can relax on hay bales around the play area while sipping on a handmade smoothie. My boys had sooo much fun. Raspberry season typically ends around April.

Alliepad Alpakkas – A bit of a drive out of Johannesburg, Alliepad Alpakkas is just before Magaliesburg and has the most adorable fluffy Alpacas to go crazy over. Make it a weekend drive or wait for one of their festival days when you can get a tour around the farm, learn more about how they get wool and feed the Alpacas.

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Willow Feather Farm(Pretoria) – Originally started off as an Indigenous tree farm, Willow Feather now hosts a nursery, tea garden and awesome Farmyard for kids. They have a number of interactive activities for kids and the number of animals in the Farmyard is exceptional. Alpacas, pigs, bunnies, cows. Kids can get up close and personal to the animals and of course participate in feeding. There’s also a wonderful kiddies play area to keep little ones busy while moms can enjoy hot tea and scones.

Two Trees Bakery (Mulbarton) – Under the shade of blue gum trees, this gem is in the South of Joburg. It possibly has the biggest selection of climbing equipment, monkey swings and zip lines that I’ve seen in a restaurant. They specialise in pizza’s, burgers, and yummy baked goods. Super friendly staff and a mass to do with the kids, my boys cried when they left!

TreeTop Adventures – Across Gauteng. We love Riversands, situated in amongst an old pine forest, Treetops have constructed different obstacles at varying heights catering from about 2 years of age right through to an adult course! Kids can climb through the trees, complete an obstacle course, and if brave enough (my 4-year-old was), zipline across the river!

Tres Jolie(Ruimsig) – Traditionally thought of as more of a wedding venue, Tres Jolie actually is a littler wonder world for kids. They offer a touch and feel farmyard, giant sand pit, pony and camel rides, and a big jungle gym. You can bring your own food to feed the animals or buy packets at the Kiosk.

These are just some of the places I’ve explored with my boys and I know there are probably hundreds of more hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The list is on going, and ever-expanding. Where are some of your favourite places to go?