To My Second Child

To My Second Child

Posted on by Rebecca

To my baby boy….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments

Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments

Posted on by Rebecca

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

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

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

The Recipe has 3 ingredients and is SUPER easy:

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

1.5 cups water

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

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

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

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

Remember to head on over to :

Justamamma for more easy christmas cards for kids

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

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

Minimatissediaries for dreamy pine cone painting

Michelle from Mayalief for her exquisitie homemade wrapping paper

Our Favourite Family Board Games {GIVEAWAY}

Our Favourite Family Board Games {GIVEAWAY}

Posted on by Rebecca

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

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

Heres a list of some of our other favourite games:

 

From Top Left to Right:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GIVEAWAY:

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

To Enter:

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

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

Open to residents of South Africa Only.

Competition ends December 19th 2019.

Rolling with the Punches – Making The Best Of Stressful Situations

Rolling with the Punches – Making The Best Of Stressful Situations

Posted on by Rebecca

When it all unravels……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The late nights of course, slowly catch up though…

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

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

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

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

My Ultimate Christmas Wishlist {Giveaway}

My Ultimate Christmas Wishlist {Giveaway}

Posted on by Rebecca

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

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

 

From Top Left to Right:

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

 

GIVEAWAY:

I promised a bit of a treat 🙂

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

To enter:

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

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

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

Share this article to spread the love !

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

#PerfectGift #PerfectReaction #PandoraStyle #ArtofGifting

 

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

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

Posted on by Rebecca

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

Before you fly

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

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

Preparation of your in-flight bag

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

Activities to keep to them entertained.

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

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

Emergency Medicine

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

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

Comfort Toy/ Warm Jacket

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

Snacks

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

The right luggage

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

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

You can find out more about Trunki here:

Website: https://trunki-sa.co.za/

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

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

GIVEAWAY:

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

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

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

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

Christmas Stocking Filler Ideas For Under R150

Christmas Stocking Filler Ideas For Under R150

Posted on by Rebecca

I asked a question a while back on Instagram regarding stockings (no not the hosiery type), and your family traditions. Who gets in your family? Do you have a budget per item going into the stocking or the overall Christmas stocking itself? In some houses the stocking is the main present, and in others it’s an “extra”. I still receive a stocking from Santa when I am at my mum and dads, and both my mum and dad receive ones too. While the contents may have changed a little over the years, the thought that goes in and the excitement around it has not.

As a child we would wake to finding the stockings (normally pillow cases), stuffed full at the end of our beds on Christmas day. The contents of the stocking would keep us entertained for the morning as typically we would go to church first and then only after our main meal at lunch would we do the main “Christmas tree” presents.  As a younger child it was filled with Play-dough, colours, stickers, sweets and always, ALWAYS, a mandatory orange. As a I grew older the contents shifted more to make up, stationery, luxury bath products, chocolates and still the orange 🙂 I love the fact that when we are with my family the boys still get to share in the excitement of Christmas. It adds a little bit of magic in their lives which I think is so important for children.

I spoke a little in my previous post about how some of my favourite Christmas memories were funnily enough shaped by CNA, so in collaboration with South Africa’s leading Stationery Store, I have put together some of my favourite stocking filler items, all under R150. These are mostly for children (of all ages), but you may find some inspiration for the whole family here too. It’s the ultimate range of adorable gifts.

 

From top left to right:

How cute are these Novelty Pencils? At R29.90 they literally are the perfect stocking filler.

Playdough tubs are always a hit with younger kids – R49.90

These Christmas Activity Books are absolutely adorable! I’ve bought them for my boys and there is a whole range available from Christmas Sticker Books to carry along activity packs. R29.90.

PJ Masks has the perfect Christmas eve entertainment with their “Hello Christmas” DVD. R59.99

I kid you not, on the top of my sons wish list is a Rubix cube (he’s 5). You can find yours here for R139.90

Marvel Avengers Super Activity Case – For the superhero fans in your life, this pack contains over 700 Stickers! Hurry they are selling out fast . R129.90

Simba Art and Craft Bead Set – When I was growing up I would spend hours and hours making my own bracelets, earring and necklaces. This is the perfect introduction at R79.90

CNA’s adorable range of stockings this year starts at R29.90 and you can find one for everyone in your family, even your pet!

 

Stationery – An ever popular item from Santa in our family. These are some of my top selection :

GoGoPo has the cutest, most affordable range at CNA. Mini Silicon Purse – R34.90

These Highlighters  are a steal at R34.90

Glitter sticks, who doesn’t love glitter? A must for every craft box – R26.90

Cute 3 Pack BallPoint Pens – R39.90

How cute is this Aztec Printed Clipboard R49.90

My gold and rose gold obsession continues Notes 8 piece paper clips – R119.90

These glass fun crayons are perfect for younger kids, we use ours in the bath as well! Amos Colorix Glass Fun – R114.90

My love for glitter is known to all and this 2019 diary is sure to brighten up your year! R109.90

The Light up Water Pen and GoGoPo Neon Fluffy Pen – Perfect for the tweens in your life, you guessed it R34.90

I personally have this rose gold glitter pencil bag and its glorious! R49.90

 

Books in our family were another popular stocking filler and CNA has the most adorable Christmas books in stock. Starting from as low as R29.90 its something that everyone can afford !

 

From top left to right:

Playhouse box set – The Story Of Christmas – This incredible fold out book folds out like a carousel to create a 360-degree play scene. It contains little characters so that you can act out the nativity scene. R129.90

Felties: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Other Nursery Rhymes – Elanor Best, Shannon Hays (Board book) – A perfect touch and feel book for the babies in your life. R139.90

Reindeer’s Nosy Christmas: Kali Stlieman (Board Book) is the most gorgeous touch and feel book which tells a sweet rhyme about a lost reindeer who must follow his nose to find Santa. R109.90

Chalk Away – A little obsessed with this one – Discover the alphabet and doodle your ABCs with traceable, erasable chalkboard pages, perfect for first time learning. R129.90

Made with love from me at Christmas – The cutest art and craft book R99.90

Build up your own groovicorn palace and characters with this play model set and then act out the story. R99.90

If you ever meet a Groovicorn is a magical story for any little girl R109.90

Have Yourself a Hairy Little Christmas: Rosie Greening (Board Book) – Santa needs a new haircut and the elves offer to help! Why do I see this story ending in a bad way? 🙂 R129.90

Push and Play: Unicorn Dance ends off our magical theme with this adorable tale R109.90

 

Puzzles are some of my favourites and the educational range at CNA is second to none.

My best include, from top left to right:

Map of Africa (36 piece) – We are getting this as my eldest has been instructed to practice his puzzle skills, and what a perfect way to get to know our continent. R49.90

Zoo Wooden Puzzle (36 piece) – R49.90

Puzzles on the Go: Crosswords – R49.90

Map of South Africa (17 piece) – The perfect choice for little hands learning to fit pieces together. R49.90

Paw Patrol Match Game: My boys adore this memory game! R59.90

Farm Animals Peg Puzzle (6 Pieces) the best introduction into puzzles for little ones R49.90

World Map (50 piece) – We have been practicing this to see where all the family live. R49.90

Mermaid Puzzle (36 piece) – R49.90

Colour Wonder Puzzle – Comes in a range of Blaze and the Monster Machines, Cars, Barbie these are fantastic at R99.90

 

What would a wish-list be without making my own little list? Here are some super cute favourites that I just couldn’t leave off

From Top Left to Right:

Its not Christmas without some sort of crown or headpiece, I’m in love with these glitter antlers at R29.90.

Include your pet in the action with this gorgeous festive Pet Deluxe Bandana at R29.90.

“I need a Vacay” Tote Bag is perfect for the beach in my opinion and I adore those Pom Poms! R99.90.

I Love a good mug, this “working from home” mug would have been my perfect gift! R119.90.

For the budding chefs in your life, these mini Cooks Corner Cook Books are the perfect stocking filler. I own a few copies myself. They are an absolute steal at R39.90 and the series covers a wide range.

GoGoPo Selection of Washi Tapes – R34.90.

This Cat Bling Keyring would make sure I never lose my keys again! R59.90.

Who says crackers have to be just for the table? These mini novelty crackers are perfect for stockings! R39.90.

There are a huge selection of fashion notebooks available, I love this Cute Slim Flamingo Wiro Notebook R39.90.

 

So there you have it. That’s my ultimate stocking filler list, all done from one single shop, and all under R150 each!

I hope you found some inspiration here and I would love to hear about your favourites?

 

 

 

*This post was written in collaboration with CNA.

**All thoughts, opinions and selections are my own.

 

 

 

The Ultimate Festive List Of Entertainment Ideas For Family’s in Gauteng

The Ultimate Festive List Of Entertainment Ideas For Family’s in Gauteng

Posted on by Rebecca

You can see it on the horizon, the December holidays are right around the corner and you are dying for some quality time to spend as a family. By day 5 however, you are all ready to rip each other’s hair out and you desperately need some external stimulation for the kids. Sounds familiar right?

If you are looking for activities to do at home with the kids, have a look at my “Activities for Kids” tab on the website. I have endless activities and ideas to entertain your kids (these are focused on preschool years as that’s what I know).

For a full list of my favourite places to take kids (of all ages), have a look at my Keeping Kids Entertained in Joburg Article.

Now onto December specific events and places:

Festive themed events

Christmas Fairytale Festival 

Saturday 1st December

Into the forest venue is a firm favourite and they have various events running throughout December.

Come for a family day out and tip-toe through the magical Faerie Trail, twinkling with little Christmas lights. Fairies, elves, pixies and Tinkerbell & Peter Pan shall be there as well as a very special visit from Santa Claus !

Garden of Lights – Emperors Palace

30 November 2018 – 2 January 2019
Open daily from 19h00 – 22h00

Gautengs’ biggest Christmas festive celebration is back! Garden of Lights is an epic celebration of all things Christmas. It’s a winter wonderland, light extravaganza and yuletide adventure all rolled into one and its jam packed filled with adventure for kiddies! This is a must see!

Christmas Festival With The Lipizzaners

Every weekend from the 9th December through to the 22nd.

Held at the Lipizzaner Centre in Kyalami, these beautiful “dancing” horses are historic in Joburg. A wonderful outing for the whole family, this is a magical morning.

Christmas Village at Montecasino

Wednesday the 12-17 December 2018

There’s a R10 Entry Fee (which is donated to 94.7’s Christmas Wish List), Kids under 12 free.

Montecasino’s 5th annual Christmas Village will once again transform our Outdoor Piazza into a magical European-style Christmas market. Kids can enjoy the twinkling lights and movies on a big screen whilst you browse through over 60 vendors!

Walter Sisulu Picnic & Market under the stars

Saturday December 15 at 5pm

Pack a picnic blanket and basket or just come support out local vendors that will be ready to quench your thirst and fill that stomach with delicious foods for every taste

Fourways Farmers Market

They have two Christmas Night markets set up from the 7-8th December and again on the 14th-15th.

Shows

If your in the mood for something a little more cultural, why not take in one of Joburg’s holiday shows?

Cinderella – The Ballet

Whats Christmas without a little ballet? The Joburg Ballet brings you this family favourite at Monte Casino from 14 December through to Sunday the 23rd December.

This is one that’s definitely on my wish list!

Billions of Bubbles Show –  Times Square South Africa

From December 20th To January 7, International sensation and bubble scientist, Fan Yang, brings his world-renowned bubble show to South Africa for the very first time and will literally blow you away!

My boys are so excited for this one . Bring the whole family to watch this breathtakingly beautiful bubble magic show!  The show involves spectacular displays of lights, lasers, smoke and bubbles thousands of tiny bubbles and enormous ones, bubbles within bubbles, as well as bouncing, floating and mega bubbles.

Janice Honeymans magical Pantomime

Running until December 23rd join Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay as they present Janice Honeyman’s Snow White, The Fairest Panto in All The Land !

National Children’s Theatre presents Gogga’s

Running from 6 November – 23 December 2018.

A family musical that will delight both children and adults alike. Its a feel good story of friendship and responsibility. For bookings call the theatre on 011 484 1584 or bookings@nctt.org.za

Mall Entertainment 

I know everyone always makes fun of Jo-burgers and their love of malls, but seriously, there are some epic line ups this festive season.

Silverstar Casino (yes I know, its not technically a mall) is hosting its annual beach festival.

Thursday, 13 December 2018 to Sunday, 6 January 2019.

Day time activities for kids include:

  • Sand castle building competitions
  • Tug of war competitions
  • Hoola hoop competitions
  • Ice-cream eating competitions
  • Inflatable waterslide
  • Face painting
  • Beach volleyball

Cradlestone Mall

Running from 12 December 2018 to 06 January 2019.

This December, Cradlestone Mall will be bringing youngsters plenty of wild, fun and thrilling themed holiday activities to keep the boredom at bay. Their holiday fun programme will be available throughout the mall along with a jungle playground.

Mall of Africa

From the 8th to the 23rd December

Mall of Africa is hosting their ever popular Beach activation again this year. My boys had a blast last year on the gigantic inflatable slides, sandpit, peddle push boats and so much more. Take your hats and sunscreen and enjoy a family day out!

They also have the EPIC Pop-up Kit Kat special edition store, a must visit for every chocolate lover. This runs until the 22nd of December.

Family days out

Gautrain and Pretoria Zoo have coupled together with a great promotion.

Ride the Gautrain to Pretoria Station between the 14th and 28 December, collect a wristband from a promoter available at the Pretoria Station and receive free entrance into the Zoo.

Over this period there are a number of activities available including a market in the picnic area, A gaming area at the Flamingo restaurants as well as Bakwena Day Spa treatments at the top of the cable car. Complimentary cable car rides granted to all Gautrain passengers.

National Military Museum

OK, it may not take a whole day out but when paired with the Joburg next door it can be! This is one of our favourite places to take the boys and it doesn’t cost a fortune. The history is incredible and the kids will love playing on the old plane and jeep in the play area.

Gold Reef City

Still one of Joburg’s top family attractions. 16 thrill rides, 14 dedicated rides for the kiddies, Jump City Trampoline Park, there’s fun for all ages here!

Hartbeespoort Dam

Opportunities are endless here. Whether it’s a trip up the cable way, sipping coffee in “Paris”, to feeding an elephant it really is a jam-packed day out.

This year I’m targeting the Strawberry farm, and picking season is officially open. A great option throughout December! The fields usually open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.

Sun City

Always a life saver when it comes to holidays and close enough to go for the day. Spend the day at the Valley of the waves or book in overnight. There are a whole range of kids activities from mini golf to a bird park and steam train rides.

Animal related

Lets face it, these are particularly popular with little kids and toddlers. They’ll be delighted to be given a chance to touch and feed the rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks and more. Be sure to take some animal feed with or you may purchase at the venue as well. For a full comprehensive list check out our favourite activities to do in Joburg.

Bird Garden – Monte Casino 

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.

Crazy Kids Farmyard
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.

The Johannesburg Zoo

A timeless classic and always good for a family day out. They offer day and night tours, children’s farmyard, tractor rides, kids party venue, school tours and more

Old MacDonald’s Farm Yard (The Fat Olive Restaurant)
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. Hop on a Canoe and row around the lake with the kids.
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.
Crocodile City
Crocodile & Reptile Park where the visitors interact with a variety of reptiles. The 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. When you are done why not zipline over the crocs?
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 mums’ can enjoy hot tea and scones.
Joburgs’ nearest”far away” place. The Rhino and Lion Park is a fantastic family day out. Take a “safari” through the nature reserve (Its actually a proper reserve unlike some other lion parks in the area), try and spot their newest baby Rhino or visit the baby cubs at the breeding center. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at the Thatch Cafe while the kids ride up a storm on their incredible bike track. End your day with the ever popular feeding of giraffes for some special family memories.
Shew have I given you enough idea’s? I hope this list provides you with some inspiration. There are a whole lots more places featured in my keeping kids entertained article such as Roll Egoli, Acrobranch and Bounce, so be sure to check that too.
Happy Holidays!
Festive Fizzing Trees – The Perfect Christmas Science Experiment

Festive Fizzing Trees – The Perfect Christmas Science Experiment

Posted on by Rebecca

We are starting our festive season with a little Christmas cheer! Holidays are the perfect opportunity to create simple sensory themed and STEM play ideas for the kids and science is always one of my favourite things to do with the boys. The simplest of experiments’ that can be redone in a dozen ways.

The festive period offers endless opportunities for science and with sparkles and magic its our favourite “season”. Whats more, you can literally tip this whole “after mess” down your kitchen sink, you have basically made a drain cleaner (its bicarb and vinegar! I used edible food sprinkles so no harsh glitter).

If you’re looking for more science inspiration for kids, you can have a look at some of my favourite toddler friendly science experiments here.

You will need:

Paper plates to make into a cone shape

Baking soda

Vinegar

Water

Food colouring

Sparkles and Glitter as you wish

Squirters/ eye droppers or syringes for easy spraying for little hands

Method

Mix Baking Soda and water into a “wet sand” consistency. Slowly add enough water so that you can pack it together tightly and it doesn’t fall apart, like a sand castle. I add my food colouring into the water to turn the baking soda mixture green, and then add in your sparkles and sequins. You still want your baking soda to fizz so be careful it’s not too wet.

Roll your paper plates into a cone for your tree mold. Tape it down to secure.

Little Bins for Little Hands freezes her trees overnight but I didn’t bother with that step. I packed my sand mixture into the cones tightly like a sand castle and then removed the paper. Set out a bowl of vinegar and your dropper or squirt bottle of choice and let the kids play away. Once their trees had all dissolved, they turned their magical sparkly mixture into a potion and mixed away!

This is such a fun way to introduce younger kids to science and you can literally play on this experiment a thousand times over. One of our favourites being a traditional volcano of course.

Keep an eye out for weekly festive themed fun that you can do with your children over the holidays. Kids love nothing more than spending time with their parents, and by doing simple activities like this you are creating a beautifully curious mind and spending one on one time with them.

Happy Learning! 

Party Inspiration – Racing Theme

Party Inspiration – Racing Theme

Posted on by Rebecca

What do you do when your 5 year old insists he wants yet another “racing themed party” for his birthday? You get creative with colours 🙂

A’s theme last year was F1GP and this year he decided to he wanted another racing themed MotoGP party, despite my best efforts to try and convince our little speed freak to have an “arty party”. Determined not to have your traditional “black and white checks” yet again I was desperate to put a swing on an old theme.

Our favourite junior traffic center was chosen by the birthday boy yet again as his venue of choice, and the fabulous thing for Johannesburg mums to know is that its free! It does require pre-booking and a little more effort with elbow greece and set up, but so worth it!

Bright yellow and red were decided as the base tones, with a deep blue being brought into accent colours to represent his beloved “Vinalez”.

For the backboard I picked up a piece of super wood from my local DIY store along with my favourite Dala Paints in the preferred colours. Two licks of paint brought sunshine into an otherwise dull theme.

I spray painted some cheap bikes that I found at China Mall and recycled some old silver trophies that we had left over from Yusuf’s Golf themed party as well as small wooden letters with the birthday boys’ name.

Sugar and Paper Parties came to my rescue yet again and saved this mama a whole lot of stress by making the birthday boys’s incredible cake and well as the most adorable sugar cookies. We decided to deviate from the “fondant” style (lets me honest, as pretty as it looks, who actually eats fondant?) and the cake was a gorgeous “charcoal” coloured buttercream topped with the most fantastic Vinalez sugar cookie!

The one nice thing about the racing theme is the food is always so much fun to make! Traffic light brownies proved a hit again and were served alongside spare tire doughnuts, Stop and Go coloured Veggies and Margherita Pizza Wheels.

Finally for the party bags, trying to limit the number of sweets, I made up some homemade playdough (it’s such a simple recipe) in traffic light colours, with a little motorbike that my friend Liezl stumbled across and a chocolate racing medal. I completely underestimated the effort that was required to roll out 81 balls of playdough (I may not attempt it again haha). The bags themselves were plain black gift bags yet again with some white road lines drawn on with Tip-ex. They were not perfect, in any way, but hey, nor are South Africa’s roads 🙂

There you have it, a little bit of a twist on the conventional black and white themed racing party. I hope it provided you with a bit of inspiration for your next party! Once again a huge thank you to my amazing friends and family. Meg, Liezl, Medi, Mum and Halima for all your help and organization x It takes a village ! 🙂

Happy planning!