I’m excited for me, I have a plan to become that girl again with the butterflies in her hair that knows how to squeeze every last drop from every day with no regrets. The best part, I’m not going to pay some person to tell me how to get there – and you can join in on your own time.
Before we start, have you written down your goals? If you
have, congratulations! Now that you have identified your goals, which steps are
you going to take to reach your goals?
Let’s kick off Week 1’s challenge and bank some good karma.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel.” Maya Angelou
What can you do to
bank good karma?
Pay many someones a compliment
Write your favourite quote on a note and leave it in a book or on a shelf in a shop somewhere
Give to someone less fortunate or donate to an animal shelter
These are easy to-do things, but trust me when you see
someone smile and you know you did something for someone else… it all adds up
to how you see and feel about yourself. That is soul sorted for the week.
For your body
Get your body moving this week by putting on your flip-flops or sneakers and going for a 10 minute (or more) walk 3 days this week
Rummage through your beauty stash and spoil your face with a mask or serum – or even just with a great soap, tone and moisture session
For your mind
Buy a course on Udemy, Daddy’s Deals or Hyperli – or find a DIY book/online resource. Just get something that will let you learn something new.
That’s it for your Roadmap to a Happier Me Challenge: Week 1
– let me know how it goes.
#HappierMeChallenge
PS. Next week I even have an affirmation or 2 just for you!
You can start jumping for joy and enter the competition at the bottom of this post to win a 1 x LOL Surprise Fluffy Pet. I am going to close the competition on the 31st of December with delivery only when offices open in January.
I am a big kid and love toys (probably) more than my kids. I
have a bunch of LOL Surprise Dolls on my desk because they are just so much fun
to look at. Sometimes I even let my oldest kid play with them.
What I love most about these little dolls is the surprise
factor, the anticipation while unwrapping each layer and then finally getting
to the delicious character in the middle. The tiny little body with a cute
little head and lots of personality just begs to be played with – and then you
want more…
You can also choose to stick to one range, jump to glitter,
Lil Sisters, pets or even boys. You can build a collection, swop doubles with
other enthusiasts and enjoy each amazing little character with their accessories.
I don’t want to give too much away, but they are
sparkly and the balls are not just round anymore!
Yes, they are a bit pricey – but if you keep an
eye out for special offers you can get really lucky.
You can swop outfits and accessories and pack
away each in their own little ball – or build a pod village.
LOL SURPRISE FLUFFY PETS – Toy Kingdom/ Toyzone/ Toys R Us/ Checkers
LOL SURPRISE GLITTER GLOBE – Toys R Us
LOL SURPISE LILS IN PDQ – Toy Kingdom/ Toyzone/ Toys R Us/ Checkers
LOL SURPRISE SPARKLE DOLLS – Toys R Us/ Toy Kingdom
LOL Surprise Fluffy Pet: The animal we got is a…
I let Lexa unbox the animal. Once she got past 2 layers of wrapping the crystal ball had glitter you could empty out. Once we got the animal this is where it got freaky. Lexa had to peel of the fur…
It was all fluffy and padded with a fabric face. Lexa first pulled off a pink ear then the rest of the fur. Underneath was a completely different animal! You will have to watch the video to get the answer to what it is.
Unboxing the LOL Surprise Glitter Globe Doll, LOL Surprise Sparkle Doll and LOL Surprise Lil’ Sis Doll
I LOVE the new globes/balls with glitter in!
I’m kicking off the competition like a layered LOL Surprise
Doll ball…
Day 1: Follow me on Instagram and Facebook and share the competition (tag my page)
Day 2: Watch the video to answer the question (question will be released 19 December) what colour is the LOL SURPRISE GLITTER DOLL’s hair?
Day 3: Tag friends on the LOL Surprise Dolls family photo (picture will be posted on 20 December)
Day 4: Find me on TikTok and comment on the LOL Surprise Doll clip (picture will be posted on 21 December)
Day 5: Let me know that you completed all the steps by commenting on this blog post – remember to capture all your entries on the widget too
You have until midnight 31 December 2019 to complete all the steps and record
I can’t do a gift guide a day or break it down to one for every person in the family. The one thing I don’t want more of this year is more stuff taking up space in my house. With this post I’m taking the guessing work out of gift-giving if you need to buy for someone like me…
Hours of word fun
A book with crossword puzzles! I started doing crosswords again while my mom was sick and I’m almost done with my first book with 50 puzzles (but have started a new one in the meantime). This is probably one of the most relaxing things in my life. It is a “not so expensive gift” and if given to the right person, you will make someone very happy.
Snap Happy!
If there is a Secret Santa out there that would like to spoil me, buy me film for my Instax Mini LiPlay! You don’t even have to think about it – film is always appreciated.
If however you feel like spoiling a very special person in your life, get them the Instax Mini LiPlay or printer – or even an Instax Mini… or any Instax camera. I have yet to meet a person that won’t love one.
A spa day – at home
Get them something from Matsimela. They have the most amazing products and you can pick up something really great without having to break the bank. You can read about their newest products here.
Burt and the Bees
Just joking… When you order something from Takealot and would rather add something else to your cart than pay for delivery, put in a hand or lip balm from Burt’s Bees. Whomever you gift it to will think you’re the Bees’ Knees. (I’m so sorry about trying to pun it out!)
Pandora, always Pandora!
Did you know that Pandora and Warner Bros. have teamed up to
launch a Harry Potter inspired collection? I still can’t believe that Harry
Potter is still this popular, but apparently it is – according to my nieces.
You don’t have to be a witch or wizard to wear these
spellbinding charms, but you definitely need to know that you’ll make a Harry
Potter fan happy if you gift them one of these charms!
Harry Potter X Pandora
I’m more of a classic Pandora charm girl so I would probably appreciate something from the Festive Collection more… The Celestial charms speak to me but I wouldn’t say no to Shine Bright or Blue Dreams charms either!
Pandora Festive Collection – Celestial
A tipple
I can throw a lot of beautiful content on how drinking a gin will conjure memories of South African landscapes, the scents of earthiness, fresh dewy florals in the veld or even the way thatch smells in the sun – but to be honest I’m just going to tell you that when you support local, you are the absolute best. When you wrap up and give a Wixworth Gin the recipient will know that it is a thoughtfully chosen gift and enjoy it more. #BeAClassic #wixworthgin
Just to twist your arm a little, look at www.stoprhinopoaching.com… when you can support a local brand that also gives towards the preservation of endangered species, you get double the gift glow satisfaction.
A meaningful gift
You can donate time or money to an animal shelter (hint hint), be kind to your fellow humans or support brands that give back. I heard about TOMS… and this is what you need to know:
TOMS was born of a belief in a better tomorrow. Since 2006, the TOMS community has been providing shoes, sight, and safe water to millions of people around the world.
Since its inception, TOMS has given over 93, 000, 000 pairs of shoes, over 770, 000 sight restorations, over 720, 000 weeks of safe water to deserving communities and over $6,5 million in impact grants.
I wanted to put a lifestyle pic, but then decided that maybe sharing exactly what I would choose would make it easier for people to visualise what they should buy me 🙂
Visit www.shoptoms.co.za to view and shop up a storm. #tomssouthafrica #shoptoms #standfortomorrow
For kids
I’m not going to lie, in our house there are more Barbies, My Little Ponies and LOL Dolls than anything else, but I’m guilty of spoiling my girls rotten because I want to play with their new toys…
You seriously don’t have to go big. I bought an egg with a packet of sweeties and a mini My Little Pony for Lexa as part of her advent calendar (and it costs R20) and she LOVES IT! I’m going to put it out there, for most kids as long as they can unwrap it, they’ll love it.
Ideas for your kids’s presents
Books and that includes colouring books
A toy from their favourite TV show (we have PJ Masks, MLP… Fancy Nancy)
A T-shirt with their favourite animals or TV characters
Puzzles
Fingerlings – these things are so cute
PlayDoh
The super new Color Reveal BARBIE (please I want one)
A pet LOL for their LOL Dolls
Nerf gun…
It doesn’t matter how much or how little you spend. Just spoil someone with a thoughtful gift – or just put down your phone and have an actual conversation.
You know that very end of the year feeling where you have to
drag your tired body from bed to everywhere else? I got it. The tank is just so
empty and I’m still working (very hard). I’m dreaming of relaxing, days at the
spa and sleep – and until the 26th of December all of that will be
just a dream.
Did you know that Matsimela launched a range of new “at home”
spa products a couple of weeks ago? Well, I’m here to tell you about my
experience using the Hand & Décolletage Night Serum as well as the Hand
& Décolletage Cream – I’ve been using it for about 3 weeks now and…
Hand & Décolletage Night Serum + Cream
Give me more, give me more! I have seen a difference in the
texture of my décolletage area as well as my hands over the period. However, my
hands seem to really get a lift from the cream after a few hours.
I have what I think is the world’s driest hands and feet so
I’m constantly creaming up but never actually seeing any results. This is the
first treatment that I can apply twice a day and see a change.
The hand cream offers 48 hours of moisture and has a SPF 30 – it is definitely going in my handbag!
All you need to know is that the new range will rejuvenate and protect your skin – and is for hands, décolletage and feet.
These products have been developed so you can have that spa
day without going to the spa. They are available from Matsimela as well as Placecol
spas. They constantly work on improving their product lines and have retail and
spa ranges that are drool worthy.
What I wish…
Make the bottles bigger – and can I have it on tap? I
definitely want to get my hands on the foot treatment as it was amamazing when I tried it on launch day…
and I could do with a little of that.
You don’t know how lucky you were to have left the front of my door in one piece this morning…
On a beautiful summer’s morning in Johannesburg, before 7, I heard a knock on my front door. It was my downstairs neighbour, a young guy who lives with his young girlfriend. I had been sitting in the living room with the kids playing since 6. They were playing with a packet of wipes, laughing and running around.
I had to wrap myself in a kids blanket to answer the door, I was still in pajamas. I haven’t even had a chance to wash my face.
He was upset. “Your kids wake me up early every day”, he
said. “They are too noisy early in the morning. The other day your baby was
screaming for hours”. He then asked if I couldn’t keep them quiet… and maybe
take them to the upstairs of my house to minimize the noise that reaches his
ears…
I stayed calm and just said that unfortunately dude, they’re
kids and no I can’t take them to my upstairs bedroom with no safety features.
They are kids, they just need to outgrow their teething and threenager temper
tantrums.
He stormed off.
Just under the surface I was fuming. I was young once and other people’s kids crying or screaming irritated me – but I would never ever have dared to knock on someone’s door to complain. My mother had raised me better than that. she raised me with empathy and understanding for parents that may actually suffer more than my amazing self.
My dear neighbour, as I had mentioned before you were lucky to leave my front door in one piece… and I’m not joking. I haven’t slept in 3 years and I have a legendary temper. You think being woken and having to listen to my kids is bad, try being trapped in the house 24/7 with them while you run a business and are responsible for the livelihood of employees…
You are so lucky that I didn’t rip your pipsqueak entitled @ss to shreds and used your tiny little brain as a ball. You were so lucky that there was a locked steel gate protecting you. Next time you think you can knock on my door and complain about my kids that cost half a mil each, you will regret it.
Love, your neighbour who is a mom, businesswoman and fire breathing dragon with ninja skills – and who hasn’t slept in 3 years… By the way, I hope that wherever you move, you live nextdoor to lively kids and that one day your own kids are the worst.
When my BFF said she wanted to go to Charly’s Bakery I recalled all the many episodes I watched on some DSTv channel many years ago about all the amazing cakes, cupcakes and cookies they make. It was like a heavenly little store… on the other side of the world. I had forgotten about them.
Mucking Afazing
Charly’s Bakery
The Charly’s Bakery is an old Jewish bookstore with a yellow Cape Town frame next to it with Table Mountain as its backdrop. It’s a pretty old building with pink accents and a delicious secret inside.
Inside you can observe
the cakes, cookies and cupcakes being decorated or feast your eyes on the
ready-to-buy baked goodies. Spend a little time, order a coffee and cake and
sit outside at a table.
Charly’s Bakery Cape Town
Charly’s Bakery truly is a special place where best friends can meet before setting off on an adventure.
Cape Town has many yellow frames but this one is at Charly’s Bakery
Yeah, I’m just not that
into wine that I would want to go to a bunch of wine farms to taste wine – but
when you add food or a snack to the equation…I’m in!
On my recent trip to Cape
Town to visit my BFF we decided that we wanted to find the most amazing food
and wine pairings to try – because after a year in Cape Town, my BFF had forgotten
the first rule of drinking… to eat. Just an FYI, we had a designated driver who
didn’t partake.
Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.
Michael Broadbent
Braaibroodjies and Wine
Pairing at Middelvlei
This was the most
interesting pairing on paper and even more delicious on the tongue. I grew up
with braaibroodjies on the fire with every braai so this was my number 1 food
and wine pairing to try.
Wine and food pairing at Middelvlei in Stellenbosch
We watched them roast our
food on a fire and was kept company by the big black dog in front of the fire.
The food and wine pairings were spot on and I easily could’ve stayed for more!
Macaron and Wine Pairing at Blaauwklippen
This was an experience!
The day before there was a wedding at xxx and we were treated to a wonderland
of flowers hanging from the roof.
Macarons and wine pairing at Blaauwklippen
The decadent macarons were perfectly complimented by their wine pairings. It was a feast for the eyes and the tongue.
Pizza and Wine Pairing at Brennaisance
Anyone who says that money cannot buy happiness has clearly never spent their money on pizza.
Andrew W.K.
This was our lunch and it was amazing. The last red wine was a bit heavy for me, but it went well with the pizza it was paired with. This was R200 per person – but well worth it!
Wine and food pairing at Brennaisance in Stellenbosch
Next time you venture down to the Cape Winelands (or Stellenbosch) hit up these wine farms and do a food and wine pairing. I’m a wine heathen, but you can trust me on this.
Did you know that you can wear more than 1 perfume at a time? Liz wears 3 perfumes at a time – sometimes, not always. It is a matter of trial and error to choose the right combination. Spray it on different sides of your body.
Are you in the habit of spraying
perfume on your wrist and then rubbing your wrists together? STOP! You are
crushing your fragrance and not giving it enough time to develop its fragrance
on your skin.
What time of day should
you be shopping for fragrances? From 12 in the afternoon, because then your
sense of smell is at its peak. Spray on your hand/wrist, go for a coffee and
wait at least 30 minutes before making a decision. Coffee acts as a “smell
cleanser”.
Where should you spray
your perfume? Your arms, body, behind your knees and even on your clothes but
definitely not on your hair or décolletage!
Man/woman… or unisex? Men
can wear women’s perfumes and vice versa. There is also now a move away from
the unisex label to gender-free…
I attended an Edgars
Beauty x Fragrance Queen fragrance workshop recently.
Did you know that Edgars
is the exclusive resellers for Viktor & Rolf (and a few other brands)?
Liz took the audience on a journey on time of fragrances that stood the test of time – and I’m looking at Chanel No 5, Angel from Thierry Mugler, Van Cleeff & Arpels First… We also experienced a range of new fragrances and learnt more about classifications from fruity, spicy, flowery and gourmand.
The Fragrance Workshop is
truly an interactive experience for groups and is suitable for men and women to
attend. So next time you see one advertised, book your spot!
The one thing I have learnt is to not stress about the small stuff – but to be in the moment enjoying it. A wind that sweeps hair in your face while you’re trying to take a family selfie is nothing compared to your kid laughing about your misfortune. Having mud on your clothes is a small price to pay for scooping up your baby and hearing them giggle…
I was there… I snapped the picture of hubby and the kids in front of Nan Hua Temple
Don’t count the days; make the days count.
Muhammad Ali
I believe it’s never too early to take your kids on an exploration of the world. They may not remember everything, but they will remember you were there with them – and that’s all I want. You don’t have to tell me that it is exhausting to take kids on trips (even if it is just to a grocery shop) and that your luggage exponentially multiplies…
Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings
I posted it last year June/July. We were on a family holiday on Reunion Island – 3 generations nogal! It was my mom’s first any only overseas trip and my oldest kid got to have this trip with her grandmother, grandfather and parents. Who wouldn’t one day want to remind their kid of such a special holiday?
Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
Unknown
Not everyone can afford to
jump on a plane to an international destination, but you can jump in your car
to some of the most amazing places right here in South Africa.
I joked about it to a
friend, but you can really fake a trip to Thailand and Paris not too far from
Joburg…
Nan Hua Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit (I’ll post some more photos later)
You also really don’t have to go too far from wherever you stay – just do stuff with your kids. Go to the movies, parks, National Parks or even just prepare meals together…
Finally landing in Cape Town after almost 5 years I knew what to expect from the sleepy town at the southern tip of Africa. I was here with my parents and then again with colleagues for a marketing summit – where we made time to get out a bit. We visited the V&A and we all got on the yellow frame and had fun with it.
The iconic yellow frames in Cape Town perfectly frame some of the most iconic and picturesque attractions. Here is a list of where you can find Cape Town’s yellow frames:
Signal
Hill, Cape Town
Blaauwberg
– Eden on the Bay
V&A
Waterfront overlooking the harbour and Table Mountain
In front
of the Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront
Cape Town
station
Lookout Hill, Khayelitsha
District Six, Harrington Street – right next to
Charly’s Bakery
Silo District
These frames will definitely help tourists find the best spots to take photos and to have an awesome souvenir photo of places visited in the Mother City.
I’m putting it out there, I like fun useless facts…
Did you know that the yellow frames are 2.8m tall by 4m wide?
The frames are painted in yellow or Pantone C109.
The V&A Waterfront was the first location to receive its yellow frame.
Signal Hill received the second yellow frame.
Here are some OBVIAAAS tips to get great photos of you in one of Cape Town’s yellow frames:
Cape Town yellow frame in front of the Zeitz MOCAA
Don’t ask a stranger to take your photos.
As you can see on the photo above this stranger snapped while I was still getting on the frame and forgot to check that she actually captured the landmark (Table Mountain) in the frame. The rest of the series aren’t better either.
Snap pictures of just the frame and landmark.
Stand back, seriously, you don’t have to stand on top of the frame to snap a picture. Look for the white X to stand on.
The frame, when you stand on the right spot, will perfectly frame the landmark.
Take photos in landscape – just like the one my BFF snapped at Charly’s Bakery (see below).
