12 Days of Christmas - Day 7 {Gift of Kindness}

source

Before we get too caught up in the frenzy of the silly season, I would like to ask you to spare a thought for those less fortunate than us.
While we are shopping for frivolous gifts and wasting money on extravagances such as chocolate - there are people (& animals) out there who are wondering where their next meal will come from.

Ever noticed the man on the street with the hopeless look in his eyes.
The children that sit on the curb net to their mom holding up a sign.
The dog who hesitantly wags his tail as you pass him by. Afraid to trust, but hopeful.
The cat that's digging or a scrap of food in the garbage bin.

Shave R20-R30 off each gift you buy this season (this could be as simple as not buying a card & handwriting or printing a notecard instead)
Before you know it, you could have R100 - R300 that could be used to buy a food hamper, or a toy or some bags of animal food for your local SPCA or animal shelter.

Finances are tight? Donate any clothing or toys - this will cost you nothing & help you clear the clutter!

To make it even easier, you can do an EFT into the bank account.
Here are some links for animal homes:

Vereeniging SPCA

Sandton SPCA

East London SPCA

Cape Town SPCA

Four Paws

Salvation Army

Don't like the options I have listed here? Visit Charity SA to find a charity of your choice


It's something small, but if 1 person made the effort, it would positively impact someone's (or animal's) life.

Knowing you made that difference, is a better feeling than any gift received will ever make you feel.

Think about it....

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6 {Table Decor}

If you are entertaining this season, you will want a table that not only looks elegant, but also did not take you hours to decorate. Let's be honest- we are not Bree from Desperate Housewives with endless hours at home making everything perfect.

The secret lies in choosing tasteful decoration that is simple & classic. Good taste is not cluttered. 

Good taste need not be expensive either. 

If entertaining indoors, try this clever upcycling idea for vases:

Source

Cover 3 aluminium tins of varying sizes in matching wallpaper and fill with bunches of flowers.

Try something different:

source

Tip a wineglass upside down, fill with foil covered chocolate balls or tiny ball Christmas decorations & rest a candle on top - voila!

Our Christmas in the southern hemisphere is hot, enabling us to entertain outdoors- in the garden or next to the pool, it's all about keeping cool while having fun.

For a summertime table, lay down a gingham or bright coloured tablecloth. Collect a variety of empty glass bottles and remove all labels. (Mason Jars also work really nicely)

Keep bottles unadorned, but arrange a few together in a group and fill with a variety of flowers- think Daisies, Tulips, wildflowers or Gerberas - for a simple, but pretty effect.

Wrap your cutlery in a napkin,  keeping it together with a long trailing ribbon or twine for an informal feel. I used to add a sprig on rosemary or lavender from the garden for a wonderful scent.

For a personalised touch, add a name tag on the cutlery, around the stem of the glass or tied to the stalk of an apple, the possibilities are endless! Play around and have fun creating a table that your guests will enjoy.

Never under-estimate the power of your mind teamed with a printer. Alot of my decor on tables is printed:

Printed Monogrammed banner on bowl & printed sign to enhance the theme

What have you done for your Christmas/special event table decor? Share your ideas with us!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 5 {Nails}

Don't let your nails detract from all the effort you have put into making yourself fabulous this season.

The hands are often neglected yet they are one of the first things that people (men especially) notice when talking to us.

Change it up a bit! Steer away from the nude nails or classic French manicure & add some festive sparkle.

You could dress up your French manicure simply by adding a snowflake and a gem. 

Have a look at my Pinterest board over here for a tutorial on snowflake painting.

Add a ombré glitter effect to your solid base using this simple technique:

Pinterest Link

My favourite is the candy stripes. Not as difficult as you may think.

Pinterest Link

Cut some strips of varying thicknesses out of Sellotape and stick on your nail (already painted with a base colour, for example white)

Paint over in red. Peel tape off and finish with a topcoat when dry.

Something very important to consider when choosing 2 colours: polish must be a solid colour that completely masks the colour underneath, or else you end up with a terrible effect when completed.

See my nails Christmas 2013:

The green was not dark enough to mask the red underneath. Not a nice result at all!

If you're pressed for time/not creative/hate doing your nails- then go with something simple:

Paint your nails in your favourite colour (for a dramatic evening look, opt for something bold like red or purple) & paint an accent nail using a contrasting colour or texture. Glitter gives you instant "glam".

Glitter Glam

Zoya Pixie Dust in Solange (gold glitter) is a nice polish to try this season.

Source

Liquid Sand by OPI gives an edgier finish if you are against the girlie sparkle as it dries to a Matte finish.

OPI Liquid Sand

No matter what effect you decide upon, just be sure to finish with a (quick dry) top coat to ensure the polish remains chip-free for the duration of the party & wave your hands with pride!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4 {Drinks}

Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

A delicious drink can go a long way in helping you remain merry.

Bubbly Claudz shares her favourite Christmas drink recipe with us (it has one of my favourite ingredients in it, so I will definitely be making this one!)

Bottoms Up!

It's the silly season and one of the things I love most is the excuse to indulge....a lot! I love a good cocktail and I love custard. That's why this Iced Eggnog suits me perfectly. The creamy booziness just sets the holiday tone. And because we live in sunny South Africa, having it cold is even better. 

Make a batch before your Christmas party (it can stand happily for 24 hours) or whip it up last minute - the choice is yours. I've added Amarula to give it that uniquely South African flavour but this is optional. 

This recipe services 4-6 people but I recommend doubling up if you're expecting a crowd. It is rich so don't make too much (is there such a thing?)

Iced Eggnog with Amarula

200ml sugar
200ml water
3 cinnamon quills (or 2 tsps. of ground cinnamon
3 eggs
250ml pouring cream
250ml milk
150ml brandy
150ml rum
150ml Amarula
cinnamon for dusting (you can also use nutmeg)
ice cubes

Make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar, water and cinnamon quills in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar melt then allow to simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Allow to cool and remove the cinnamon quills (if you used ground cinnamon make sure you give it a good stir).
Using a hand blender (or your muscle power), whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brandy, rum, Amarula and the sugar syrup.
Add ice to your preferred cocktail glasses and pour the eggnog mix.
Serve with a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg.
If you're not going to serve immediately, refrigerate the eggnog until required.

Happy holidays!

(PS - this Eggnog is only for those over 18 and it's not recommended that you drive if you're planning on having a few!)
Tell us what you like to drink over the Festive season & if you do make this eggnog, take a photo and tag us on Twitter or Instagram.

Please show Claudz some Social Media Love:

Food: Tables & Thyme | Personal: Purple Lips & Perfect Smiles

Food: Facebook

Food & Personal: Twitter 

Food: Instagram 

Food: Pinterest

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3 {Food}

Something we all like to do over Christmas time is eat.

The lovely Mel is always posting delicious recipes on her blog & I just can't wait to see what she has in store for us as she shares her Christmas favourite with us.

Ingredients

Pecan "I just love it because I'm an absolute nut fan" Nut Pie 

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°.

1: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, oil and milk to form dough.

Step 1

2: Press the dough over the base of a pie and the sides of the dish and put in the freezer.

Step 2

3: In a small pot over a medium heat, melt the syrup, butter and brown sugar. 

    Stir in the vanilla and then take off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Step 3

4: Take the pastry out of the freezer, and sprinkle the nuts over it.

Step 4

5: Whisk the eggs into the slightly cooled sugar syrup mixture.

Step 5

6: Then pour it over the nuts.

Step 6

7: Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling has set and the pastry is golden.

Delicious Pecan Nut Pie

Happy Eating Christmas

This pie looks absolutely delicious - and sounds so simple thanks to Melanie's easy step - by step guide. 

Thank you very much for being a guest Mel, it was great having you!

Please show Mel some Social Media Love:

Mels Corner

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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12 Days of Christmas - Day 2 {Gift Wrap}

From Here

Now that you have bought your gifts - you need to wrap them and make them pretty for under the tree.
Once again this year, I am opting for the budget-friendly brown paper with pretty tags and ribbon.

These days the internet has many websites with free printables.

As you can see in the image above, the gifts are simply wrapped with a patterned strip of paper and cute round tags.

I found a really cute tag sheet, similar to the photo above:

From Here

For a more vintage Christmas - keep the brown paper, add a beautiful champagne or gold bow and add these vintage tags in clusters:

From Here

For some added festive cheer, add a little bell tied to your organza ribbon & you are done. Mr Price Home sells organza ribbon & these cute bells -which are actually tree ornaments - the perfect finish for your gift! 

R9.99 for 2m

24 Mini Bells - R99.99

To see how my gifts from last year ended up - have a look at the post over here

What are your gift wrap ideas this season?

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1 {Gifts}

Gifts

Christmas - My favourite holiday of the year.

Why? Because the family all get together & spend some quality time with each other. Everyone is relaxed because most of them are on holiday.
The gifts are an added bonus & with the economy being what it is - each gift bought is very much appreciated.

If you are a regular reader, you will know our family system of buying 1 big gift for a family member & R50 gifts for everybody else. If not, read all about it over here

There is no need for the Christmas season to bankrupt us all now is there?

If you have been anywhere near a shop since September, you would have seen the gifts & decorations temptingly laid out in pretty displays.
Once again this year, I have promised myself I will go shopping early to to avoid the last minute rush. I say it every year & somehow time flies by quicker than you could say Jingle Bells.

I am being proactive & have already placed a few online orders for gifts - Yay Me!

Online shopping has been my friend this season & I am impressed at the speed with which my parcels have been delivered.
@Home & Takealot.com have been super-efficient.

Still at a loss for gift ideas? Here are some suggestions:

1. Mixed Diamante Bobby Pins R39.95 (Woolworths)
2. Design your own tent calendar filled with happy memories & special occasions - personalised gifts like this always mean so much more. R99.00 (Photo2Print) 
3. Coasters in White or Back with Sparkle (Pack of 4) R40.00 (@Home)
4. Moroccan Basics Spice Set R99.95 (Woolworths)
5. Geometric African Map Christmas Decoration R9.99 (Mr Price Home)
6. Mini Heart Pegs R29.99 (Mr Price Home)

1. Cozy Remote Tidy R190.00 (Big Blue)
2. Vanilla Brulee Shimmer Lotion R110.00 (The Body Shop)  Check out their Buy 2, get 1 Free deal
3. Beautiful hand-crafted bracelets From R170.00 & up (Trinket Trove) You can purchase them from Sherbet Angel in 4th Avenue Parkhurst or any Crafters Market stores
4. Ceramic Reindeer Cookie Jar R199.95 (Woolworths)
5. The Owl Dippy Bamboo Board R190.00 (The Block Shop) excludes custom engraving
6. Faceblocks R180 for 3 blocks (Printwild) 

What is on your wishlist this year?

{My Joburg} Emmarentia Dam

I spoke about our "mission" over here to have a picnic in as many parks as we could.

Today I am showing you the beauty of Emmarentia Dam in the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens.

View from the ground

Dating back to 1866 when the area was owned by a single family - the dam was built by some farmers after the South African war.
He named the dam after his wife - Emmarentia.

There are 7 various gardens here; The Herb Garden, the Hedge Garden, the Succulent Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, the Chapel Garden and the Arboretum (a collection composed exclusively of trees)

 

Beauty in Nature

Tiago and I were supporting Tharien after her 1st big Mountain Race. We set up camp and took some photos, ate delicious picnic food - all while Tharien was cycling her butt off.

When she joined us, we toasted to her success with a glass of bubbly and some Tiramisu dessert.

Relaxing under the tree

The Blossoms were in full bloom and despite 3 different weddings taking place on the day, we found our spot to be fairly private.

 

Full Bloom

I highly recommend spending a lazy summer afternoon under the shade of the trees and enjoying the beauty of the gardens.

The rose bushes (of which there are said to be 4500) are said to be spectacular, so we will of course be returning to view them for ourselves.

Do you have any favourite picnic spots?

RSA Shorts - How Cooking Can Change Your Life

A brilliant video - so very true

{Travel Tuesday} High Tea in London

Fancy a spot of Tea?

Fortnum & Mason. The Queen's tea store of choice.

Also the venue of our High Tea to celebrate my birthday. (I booked it the day before my birthday to celebrate my grandmothers birthday so that she could be there in spirit)

Mom & I

Being a traveller on a budget, we eat the cheapest food we can find.

Eating delicate sandwiches and a multitude of desserts while sipping tea out of ridiculously over-priced tea cups was a bit surreal.

The decor is simple and tasteful. 

There is a menu with your choice of over 80 teas! The tea choices are wider than the food choices. I really wished I was a tea drinker at that moment.

Our waiter placed a 3 tiered stand of food in front of us and assured us that we were welcome to order more should we like. (it looked so little, I was looking forward to ordering more)

I ordered a pot of tea (I don't drink tea... But when in London...) to accompany our glass of champagne and tower of eats; scones with clotted cream and homemade preserves, finger sandwiches - cucumber, salmon, chicken.
And Dessert - a whole variety!

Dessert

I was so stuffed by the time it came to dessert, but had to sample everything on offer. With just a bite from each I felt terribly wasteful, but I had to say I knew what they tasted like. 

As I was settling back in my chair to ease the pressure off my over-fed stomach, the waiter brought over a slice of cake topped with berries for my birthday. (noooo!) 

We politely thanked him and to not seem ungrateful I ate 2 mouthfuls of cake. I didn't touch cake for a long while after that trip!

Happy Birthday

After the meal we walked around the immensely impressive shop.

Shopping paradise

Complete with every possible flavour of tea you can imagine as well as Preserves (I highly recommend the Lemon Curd) and biscuits and fudge and toffee- it is British heaven!

The decorative tins of goodies make for a lovely souvenir for the special people back home (be careful though.... The pretty metal tins of tea are £12.50 -  more expensive than the standard boxes of tea)

I do recommend you buy yourself a box of the Butter Toffee. Worth it!

We took a few photos of the window displays and I snapped a quick selfie before returning to the real world... Of normal people.

But first - let me take a selfie

Clutching our Fortnum & Mason bags on the tube felt a bit ironic. I wonder what the locals thought of us... Too poor for a cab after spending so much money at F&M? Haha!

This is an experience I would definitely recommend if you ever travel to London. Save some money and treat yourself. The money you spend on this event can be made up for by following a strict budget for the rest of your trip.

I'll entertain you with more of that when I tell you more about my trip.

Have you had any memorable High Teas where you live? 

A Photo Update

I received my 2nd batch of photos from Nifty250 and my frames are complete!

Finished Wall

I am loving this wall now - it fills me with joy every time I look at all these memories.

Owl

Have you printed your photos to display?

What have you done with yours?

Weekends in Jozi

When we think of a beautiful part of South Africa, we always automatically jump to Cape Town.
Wine Routes, green mountainside scenery and blue, sparkling seas are part & parcel of what makes the Cape a very popular holiday spot.

Unfortunately we don't all have a 2nd holiday home to stay in and the cost of flights and accommodation becomes a bit pricey if we wanted a regular break away.

Johannesburg is very under-estimated by many. Not only is it an exciting, cosmopolitan city, but it also has its' fair share of beautiful spots and fun activities to enjoy.

Tiago and I have made it our mission to have a picnic (or at least a drink and a snack) in as many parks as we can in Johannesburg.

I am also enjoying the variety of events that take place in Jhb. 

With all the pressures of careers and all these responsibilities we have as adults, it becomes very easy to fall into an unhealthy routine and before we know it, our spare time is filled with television and a couch (not that this is a bad thing... Just not all the time)

If you find yourself nodding along to this statement - then I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and discover a beautiful picnic spot of your own. 

It is a beautiful time of the year now - get out there and soak up some sunshine and happy vibes... Don't forget the sunblock!

Ps: I'll be making a concerted effort to blog again. I miss it and I really need to take control of my life again. I'm committing myself to once a week. Pop by every Tuesday and give me some encouragement ok?

Nifty250 - My New Favourite Company

I am sure by now you know what a photo junkie I am. From canvas prints to mismatched white frames, I use all types of medium to display my photos in my house.

Since coming across Nifty250 (a local small business) on my Instagram feed just over a year ago, I have been dying to print a couple of my photos as Polaroids.

The best part of this is the simplicity. 

I visited their website and signed into my Instagram account (I had created a private account so as not to annoy everybody with all my holiday photos) 

I chose the photos wanted to have printed. I paid online. Voila!

Almost immediately I received an email confirming my order. Within a day or 2, I received a mail saying that my order was on its way and included the tracking number to trace on the courier company's website. Can anybody say efficient?

I was like a little girl oohing and aahing over the photos as I opened my box (I'm not even shy to admit that I took my time opening it so as to extend the pleasure)

The photos were gorgeous! They came out so much nicer than I had expected. 

My Pics

The added touch which really impressed me was the hand-written note that accompanied my pics complimenting my kitty cat (the way to my heart is through kitty compliments, he is a gorgeous boy)

Nice touch Sune, very much appreciated. 

Now let me show you what I did with them. I have seen some really nice ideas on Pinterest and loved the idea of hanging the Polaroids on twine with some cute pegs on a frame.

I wanted to find vintage frames and spray them silver.

Vintage frame either cost the earth or just don't exist (not even the cheap knock-offs I always see everywhere, until the moment I want them)

But you know how it goes? Time runs away from you. I just never seemed to get around to it.

Then I saw a post by Kate (1 of my favourite bloggers and photographer inspiration) showing off her beautiful new frame filled with solo many photos and she was the catalyst that made me get my butt into gear.

Tiago and I paid a visit to Builders Warehouse and bought the supplies:

Dado Rail

Wood Glue

Twine

Spray paint with glitter

Kitty cat thought it was his personal playground and ran around the house with his "prey" (twine)

Note to self: when gluing corners together you WILL need a bracket to keep them together. Tying everything together with the twine works, but is a bit of a mission.

After the messy glue and slippery corners, it was time to spray the frames and get them up.

On the Wall

Close Up View

Cute Pegs

The adorable heart and owl pegs from Typo were the finishing touch and I am really pleased with the result. I have 1 more frame to complete the wall- the photos are on the way and then it will be up!

How do you display your photographs?

Visit www.nifty250.co.za and pick some of your own photos to be printed. You will be happy you did and it really won't take you very long (the only difficulty you will experience is deciding which photos you want to print) 

Don't forget to follow them on Instagram too: Nifty250_

Childbirth the Google way

A few hours before the event - Trust me to take a selfie!

It was a quiet Friday afternoon at the office & I was preparing for a meeting.

J walks into my office and says, "I think my water just broke"

Never having a child before, I asked her a few questions (Got to love Google) & confirmed the diagnosis: She was in labour.

Off we go to the hospital... how ironic that the 1 friend who doesn't like kids is the driving her to the hospital!

I am very calm in most situations - so while waiting to see the doc I happily read to J about everything she could expect to happen in the ensuing hours. 

The receptionist insisted that J was not in labour - I disagreed and spent the next hour helping J with the aid of Google.

When the doc finally saw her, he confirmed she was in labour and off we went to admissions. 

Hospital staff and Post Office staff seem to have a running competition to see who can assist you in the slowest manner possible. 

Eventually J was settled into her bed & the fun part started. Contractions, closer and closer....

I told her about a sentence I had recently read in a book - Giving birth is like the petals of a flower gently opening to allow the baby out. (Clearly written by a man not experiencing the uterus-splitting pain) 

It made her laugh when things got really sore though. 

There isn't much you can do when a contraction strikes, but after 3.5 hours experience, I can suggest the following:

1. Have a towel handy for her to sit on while waiting to be admitted - when water breaks... it isn't a once off thing, it keeps coming every now and then.
2. Bring an energy drink for her to sip between contractions, she needs every bit of energy she has. (& maybe even a snack if she feels like eating)
3. Have something soft like a stress ball that she can grab or squeeze when the pain gets bad.
4. Have a soft cloth or towel to wet with cool water for her forehead or back of her neck.  

Childbirth isn't very glamorous at all - perhaps schools should let young girls spend the afternoon amongst the women writhing in pain for hours - it might help put them off & make them go out and immediately buy contraception!

6 hours or so later, little Levi popped out & it was over. 

Regardless of her sleepless nights, she is still looking great - motherhood agrees with her.

Now the hard part starts... 

Raising a little person to be a good & kind person. To enjoy all that life has to offer and not be affected by the bad things in the world.

I drove home and thought about my mom and her 23 hours of labour and loved her even more just for going through all that to bring me into this world...

Mothers (the good ones) truly are special blessings on this earth.

Financial Planning

Something many of us don't think about until it is too late.

My dad recently had a stroke. Luckily they caught it in time, because apparently strokes come in pairs and the 2nd one is usually the killer.
I was unaware that Diabetics had a 80% higher chance of having a stroke than usual. Scary statistics!

My dad is 71 and he is unfortunately not in a position to retire. I am terrified that his health worsens soon (at his age it is inevitable) and what does he do then?

His retirement savings were stolen a few years back when Zimbabwe worsened and my dad was so disillusioned that he never took out a new policy. Something I only just discovered.
He pretty much dug his head in the sand and pulled it out now when it is too late. His reason - he has no money for policies.
I get that.
I get that feeling of counting every penny and wondering how it is going to last long enough to buy food at the end of the month.
My brother is in that exact same situation now. He and my sister-in-law live in a cottage on my parent's plot. Thanks goodness for lots of land. But that means nothing when you have ZERO money when you aren't able to work anymore.
How do you support your children?
How do you support yourself without becoming a burden on your children/family?

This situation with my dad has prompted me to force my brother to at least apply for an Income Protection  case of disability etc, at least he has something.
It is too late for my dad.
No companies will underwrite any policyholder older than 70.

The reason I am telling this story?
To hopefully help at least 1 person plan for their future. Please don't underestimate the importance of this!
Something, anything is better than nothing.

Contact a financial adviser and tell him what you can afford.
A great financial adviser will not make you feel guilty. They will advise you of what you should do, but they will work around what you have.
If they chastise you or try to strong-arm you - call someone else. Just don't give up and leave it.

I have a great adviser - he works for Liberty in and around JHB and Pretoria - let me know if you want his details.

For as little as R200 monthly you can protect your income and for a R500 monthly moderate risk investment, you can receive a lump sum back in 5 years time. At the end of the day - you are
investing in yourself and a better future - please love yourself enough to do this so that you can live a long life without added stress.

Family - Animals Included

Last week, I spent Heritage Day with my family. I said goodbye to our 12 year old Rottweiler, Tyson. He had arthritis in his back legs and eventually was unable to walk. He spent his last days lying under an umbrella with his head on a comfy pillow with water and food nearby. His entire body moved with the wagging of his tail when he saw me, but he couldn't get up to greet me. My heart broke.

He was euthanized the next day.

This sweet doggy went for walks with my dad every morning and wagged his tail profusely whenever he saw me. When I handed him a treat, he gently took it in his mouth so as not to hurt me.
I wish I had digital photos to put up here, but in those days I still had a film camera.

RIP Tyson - you were a lovely doggy.

Onto happier topics...

Noah

My nephew Noah .

He is now 3.5 years old, He is a proper handful. He is a sweet child, but full of boundless energy.

I played Hide & Go Seek, Catch and all sorts of other games with this happy little boy.

I even managed to get him to pose for a photo or 2, before he ran off to find something else to do.

With Grandad

I am happy that my parents have a grandchild - they are wonderful grandparents - they deserve to have a little boy to spoil and make feel loved. There is nothing like a grandparent's love to make one feel special.

With Nanna

With Mom & Dad

In between photos, we walked around the lovely garden & fed the 2 new additions - 2 big Tortoises (Don't you just love Spring?)
My dad discovered that a rose he had transplanted had not survived, Noah pushed the dead shoot back into the ground and proclaimed: "There! I fixed it!"

Noah & his Aunty

Now I know why everybody tells you not to wait too long to have kids - because boy do you need endless reserves of energy to keep up!