Category: inspirational people

Real Wahms of SA: Jaclyn makes clothes

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Schnooky Pie was launched in Nov 2014 by Jaclyn Holmes, born from an inspiration to make her little girl stunning outfits that she couldn’t find in stores and motivated by friends and family, Jaclyn started her momtrepreneur business on facebook and soon after designed and launched her website. 

Her story is close to my heart as it is similiar to my dream for Oh!Boy 

Schnooky Pie is a unique range of handmade baby and children’s clothing and accessories. The range includes gorgeous clothing for boys and girls, ranging from 0m-5yrs, as well as a wide range of personalised items such as Birthday outfits, burp cloths, birth announcement pillows and much more. 

Jaclyn says “My clients are a part of the creative process, I work with them in crafting their little ones perfect birthday outfit but to my clients, I think the most exciting part is that the chances of someone else having the exact same outfit as their little one is slim.” 

She also identified that there was a gap in the market for unique, functional yet comfortable boys clothing and some of these outfits along with some of her girls range are now stocked at Born Local in Windermere centre in Durban, at Mio Designs at Oxford Centre in Hillcrest and at Miggieboud in the Western Cape, to name a few. 

Jaclyn believes that anything is possible if you have the passion and the drive to achieve it, and says that she is just an ordinary mom, giving entrepreneurship a try!
If you would like to support this inspirational mommy, you can find her range on facebook atwww.facebook.com/schnookypie, online at www.schnookypie.co.za or you can email her atschnookypie@outlook.com. 





1.tell us about your family: 
I am married to my awesome Husband, Tyron and we have a little girl, Mia. She is 14 months old and the absolute joy of our day. We thought life would change having a child, but simply did not realise how much – and honestly for the better. It is like she has grounded us both while at the same time made us even more excited and passionate to succeed in life. Hubby is a big gamer and is very sporty, although now it is more difficult for him to enjoy his sports as he then misses time with Mia. I am the structured typical mommy type but I LOVE cooking – I find ways to have an excuse to cook. Mia is a little cracker. She is very busy and full of energy and life. She absolutely loves being outside and wondering around the garden, playing with our cats and dogs etc – she doesn’t like being indoors more than she needs to be.  
2.what is a day in your life like:
well i think it starts like every other mom… waking up to feed Mia. Hubby starts work at 6am, so he has left by 5.15/5.30 every morning, so Mia and i get some girly time. I used to work at a big corporate, and only recently left to pursue Schnooky Pie full time – so when i was in corporate Mia had to go to creche (long story but our nanny left suddenly and i simply couldn’t cope with a job, a business and trying to find a new nanny that i trusted, so i felt my only option was to send her to creche). Now that i have left my corporate, i have kept her in creche for full day, but i take her in late and collect her early (anytime from around 2) so that I do have some time to focus on my business and growing it because at the end of the day we need to eat 🙂 plus, i also have a passion to succeed not only as a mom but as a business woman as well. Back to our normal day, after our morning session together, i drop Mia off at creche at 8am. I return home to check out what has happened on my facebook page during the night (as many moms are active in the early hours of the morning) and to respond to emails etc. Most of my morning is spent responding to email order requests, posting of facebook and other admin tasks. Then i often go out to suppliers to get materials, source new fabrics, etc etc (i am also working on a new range that i will be launching end Nov – so I am often at the new factory that will be making my new range or out sourcing new fabrics, printers etc)… then i pick up Mia early afternoon. i have a seamstress who now makes the items for me, so 2 days a week i am also meeting her to collect my orders and to then pack the orders. (this is often done at night time so that i have the afternoon with Mia). In the afternoons, i like to play outside with Mia, – i try to focus on work when i need to do work, and then to focus on Mia when she is home. I don’t want her seeing me at the computer, on my cell phone, packing orders etc while we have “our” time. (that is why i like her to go to creche in the morning, so i have that time to focus on my business and then i have time with her in the afternoon) Once my husband gets home around 5/6pm, he has his time with Mia and i organise her bath, bottle and our dinner. Once Mia is asleep, hubby and I have dinner, and then a little us time, and then at 8pm i am back online, packing orders, responding to emails etc while hubby is studying for his masters… our week days are hectic like this but weekends, we have fun. we take Mia to parks, to play areas, to friends, to the beach and we just enjoy our time together.  
3.how did you become a wahm:
I started making dresses with my mom and then friend encouraged me to start selling them on facebook. I did this while i was on maternity leave. After maternity leave i returned to my normal job, but after a few months, i wasn’t happy with the situation and the lack of time and flexibility that my job allowed me to have with my family. So i took the big plunge to resign from my work and to focus on Schnooky Pie full time and to have more time and flexibility with my family.  
4. what is most rewarding part of being a wahm: 
For me to the most rewarding part is that i now have a lot more time with my daughter and i have the flexibility to do more things with her – such as take her to ballet, or if business is slow or if i am wanting to spend more time with her, I can simply “take the day off” and spend the entire day with her doing what ever we want – and then i make up for the lost work time at night when she is asleep. i also feel that i have less stress – if she is sick, then she is with me during the day, and i manage work and her at the same time and often my clients are understanding if i say that i will be delayed in responses for a few days – however, when i was in corporate, it almost felt like your child was not allowed to get sick – or if they did get sick that you still need to manage your normal work load and be contactable and online all day to respond to any and all emails.

5.what is most unexpected part of being wahm:
 i think one of the most unexpected parts is that of running your own business. It is a much bigger and more daunting task than i had expected – you have to be on top of your game, a jack of all trades – you are jiggling a dozen things at one time, while still trying to make money and spend time with your family. I also think that i have to be even more strict now because if you are not careful, you can easily land up working all of the time (an always on culture) – and not spending that quality time with your child. there is always someone who needs a last minute order, some crisis that has happened, etc… but you need to put your family first and not answer that email and start an email conversation at 1am, because the clients that understand that, are the clients that will continue to support you and help you grow as a business and as a person.


Real Wahms of SA: Lauren does speech therapy and EVERYTHING else

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Today’s interviewee is not typical (but hey who is)  she wasn’t sure if she fit into the wahm box as she is a speech therapist,  bakes cupcakes and cakes to order, studies teaching and is an agent for two companies while taking care of her mom who is recovering from  brain surgery. ( I wasn’t sure if she wasn’t actually a superhero or a robot)
 
I had to take some time to even fully process what this woman’s days must be like and am inspired already… Also I kind of feel like a lady of leisure after reading this, she puts me to SHAME 🙂
Here Lauren’s story
 
 
 
Tell us about your family:
I live in Clanwilliam with my husband, Shaun, and our amazing 15 month old girl, Mila. My mom is staying with us for a while as she is recovering from cancer and brain surgery. I try to spend as much time as I can at home, Mila is learning so many new things now, and I want to stimulate her as much as I can.
 
Why did you become a work from home mom:
 I used to work at a well-established speech therapy practice in Cape Town, but decided I want to start my own practice so that I can have my own hours and be my own boss. At the time we were also planning on having a baby, so it would have been perfect to work from home.
 
What was the most unexpected part of becoming a wahm:
 The amount of time that I had to spend away from home!
 
What has been the hardest part:
All the admin! At the previous practice we had a receptionist that made all our call, did all of our admin, filing, etc. Now, with all of the different things I’m doing, I have so much more admin, and nobody to help with it.
 
What is the most rewarding:
 Knowing that I worked hard during the week and being able stay at home on a Friday and have pajama day with my baby J
 
What is your day like:
Every day is different. On a Monday and Tuesday mornings I’m free to do as I please, I follow up on orders, reply to emails and plan my week. Sometimes I bake or do deliveries. In the afternoon I go fetch two kiddies and bring them to my home for extra homework help (I help them on Mondays to Thursdays).
 
On Wednesday and Thursday mornings I see a couple of kiddies for speech therapy, then I spend a few hours with my baby until I go fetch the homework kids.
 
If I bake, I usually do it on a Friday as most birthday parties and babyshowers are on Saturdays. The rest of the Friday is all mine!
 
In between all of this I try and see my mom for therapy for at least an hour a day, do assignments for university, do the shopping, cooking & cleaning, and sleep!
 
Tell us about your business:
 My practice is registered as Lauren Taljaard Speech Therapy, but I wear so many hats that I don’t have a company or company name.
 
 
What sets you apart:
A lady commented on my cupcakes and told me “I love your cupcakes because you love your cupcakes”. I love everything I do, be it baking or giving speech therapy, and the fact that I do it out of love first and necessity last shows in my work.
 
Where do you see it going:
In an ideal world I would be a speech therapist for two mornings a week and run a playgroup for two mornings a week and be with Mila in the afternoons, and have enough cupcake and cake orders to keep me busy all day on a Friday. I want to keep my weekends open for family time, which to me is the most important time of all.
 
 
Also if you in the Clanwilliam area contact her for cuppity cakes
 
* If I contacted you about an interview and you have not been featured yet feel free to drop me a line I have quite a few interviews in the pipe line SERIOUSLY had no idea how many Wahms there were in the country!!! LOVING THIS SERIES!!! hope you do to 🙂

Become a cupcake angel

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When people think of me, baking doesn’t come to mind, at least I don’t think so, if you think Ella and baking comes to mind, come over, lets chat, I’ll bake for you and food poisoning will come to mind, hehehehe. Okay I’m not that bad I can follow a recipe pretty easily and no one has ever gotten sick off one of my recipes. I’m just more into decorating than baking. Even so I have signed up to be a cupcake angel J

Cupcakes of HOPE is a Non-Profit Company whose aim is to raise awareness and funds for families in need of medical assistance, through cupcake themed fundraises.

I had a lot of fun making bows as Oh!Boy for Reach for a Dream earlier this year and thought this was an equally noble cause for Oh!Boy to get into, because childhood illnesses are close to my heart and cancer even more so.

So on the 26th of September my cupcakes will join hundreds being sold for this noble cause, I think I’ll stuff those babies full of chocolate so they have a chance of being noticed among the crowd of those donated by professionals J

All jokes aside I’m quite excited

 

Do consider getting involved, they swear that all they require is the cupcakes are made with love… click below for more details

 

http://www.cupcakesofhope.org/cancer-foundation/get-involved.html
I have included a basic cupcake recipe to get you started and fellow bloggers AMELIA, RUTH and LUCHAE will be posting recipes of their own so keep an eye out

 

Basic vanilla

·         2 cups flour

·         1⁄2 teaspoon salt

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1⁄2 cup butter, softened

·         3⁄4 cup sugar(if you like your cupcakes very sweet, add a little more.)

·         2 eggs

·         1 cup milk

·         1 teaspoon vanilla essence(optional)

Directions

1.     preheat oven to 375f or 150c; line muffin cups with papers.

2.     cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. beat in eggs one at a time.

3.     add flour (mixed with baking powder and salt) alternating with milk beat well; stir in vanilla.

4.     divide evenly among pans and bake for 18 minutes. let cool in pans.

(recipe from food.com)

 
 

 

No Fear Just Faith: Mvokazi Mjayezi

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Meet Mvokazi the editor of Christian mag, J-Star, she is such an awesome person and has a openness of spirit that makes you feel at ease. Mvo started J-Star because she felt called to it… literally going on FAITH alone….

Gracing the cover of her first edition

Fear? What is fear when you already feel like you backed up against a wall and you have to make a decision right then and there anyway? Yep, that’s the place I found myself in a couple of months ago. The year before then, God had given me an instruction to “start a Christian lifestyle magazine”. He then gave me the name for it J-Star( Jesus’ Star). So me, having always wanted to run my own business, tried a few without having much success, I got really really excited. I mean, I’d been stuck in a job which I didn’t enjoy for a few years, and I’d really felt like my time there had come to an end ages ago, but I was just not having any luck finding another one. I mean for years I’d been looking for a job, but I came to realise that, that wasn’t God’s plan for me. He wanted me to run my own business, but of course having tried a few, with little success I was at that searching place.

On top of that I’ve been a writer all my life. I’ve written countless journals, countless romantic novels and short stories – don’t ask me where they are though, cause I wouldn’t have an answer for you! Not to mention that I’ve gotten in trouble with my mom quite a few times with this writing thing, as she’d discovered some major things that I hadn’t disclosed to her, in some of my secrete writings – which she accidentally found. Plus, there had been this long-standing prophecy over my life about a ‘friendship ministry’; which I had not idea what those people were talking about. I think 3 or 4 people had prophesied that over me, on different occasions. Well then, how wondrous it was to come full circle, and realise that the friendship ministry was coming to life!

So when He told me to start this magazine I got really, really excited. So I started planning and doing research. I had the name; then I decided on the vibe and feel that I was going for. Next was the content that would go on the first Issue. I wrote and deleted a lot. I planned on projects that I would do to raise funds for printing the mag and unplanned those too a couple of times. I approached people and I really felt like I was on my way with this thing.

I really felt like God was telling me to move on this thing, and make it happen. So I had a chat with my hubs as I felt like I needed more timed to make this thing happen, and with a full time job, just didn’t have that time. So with his blessing, I decided to talk to my bosses and asked that I only work half days at work, so that I can do my thing in the afternoon. Fortunately for me there was already a lady that they’d recently hired, and she took over from me.

 Then I discovered that I was already 4 months pregnant, and life was just awesome. I mean  was only at my job for like 4 hours, then the rest of the day I was doing what I absolutely love to do, which is writing, and running my own business – really life couldn’t be more great.

But alas, I discovered that my bosses weren’t as ‘cool’ as I thought. In my opinion, they didn’t like me having my own aspirations outside of their company, and in a way they were wanting to push me out! My plan had been to work there for the rest of 2014, and then leave at the end of the year. So I had to make a decision, because I’d been miserable there for years anyway, and well God had showed me my destiny and I’d started on this journey of walking in that destiny. Don’t get me wrong, there was a bit of fear niggling at the back of my mind. I was pregnant after all, and babies can be expensive. Was this really the right time to venture out into a knew business?

Well I kicked fear to the curb and decided to live by faith, I mean God is pleased by faith right? So instead of continuing in misery at my old job, where I wasn’t wanted anyway – I made a decision to live the place when I was going on maternity leave, and not go back, and so I did. It has been the best few months I tell you. Every single day, I get to do what I love, and on top of that I get to be there for my kids. I mean sure, my life is hectically busy, I’m doing a few projects simultaneously, so I’m not there, there. But they see mommy most of the time, even if mommy is on the laptop and phone, but mommy is there; and she takes breaks and spends time with them in-between the craziness. There are lots of things in life where fear creeps its way in, but for me I just make the decision to live my faith instead. What’s fear going to do, accept make me stand still in life, and not walk in my destiny? So whenever it comes, I just make that decisions, and mostly, I look at the bigger picture. There may be challenges now, because any new business come with its challenges, but for me the love of what I do drives me in the midst of those challenges, and the promise from God of the fruits of doing what I drives me to push forward, because one of these days, I’m going to be reaping those fruits.

So I want to encourage you ladies out there to live your life according to what you know God wants you do. Do you. Don’t live according to people’s views and opinions. People always have a lot to say, especially when they don’t understand what you are doing what you are doing. But I say, as long as God is cool with you and what you’re doing, then who cares what other people think right? What’s their opinion, compared to God’s plan for your life? Kick fear to the curb! Do you, as God has called you to live your life!

#Nofear

Marie Claire helps with a #

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Marie Claire launched the “in her shoes campaign” yesterday and with it came the promise to donate R5 to St Anne’s Home in Woodstock, Cape Town for every person who posts the phrase and the hashtag; ‘I stand for women’ #MCInHerShoes.

The home which provides shelter, care and empowerment to destitute, abused and disadvantaged mothers and children is a very worthy cause and with the amount of # I see on a daily bases, Marie Claire is definitely putting their money where their mouth is.

The #MCInHerShoes campaign aims to encourage South Africans to stop and remember our role in bringing an end to gender-based violence.

 To stand up for ourselves and others in the face of it, and to bring attention to those in need when we see them.

The magazine which routinely brings us naked celebs in aid of honorable causes also invited 18 local male celebrities to take a stand  against gender-based violence and experience life in a woman’s shoes ‘literally” (Photographed by the amazing Steve Tanchel)

‘We needed a strong visual statement that embodied that violence against women is not just a female problem,’ says Marie Claire editor, Aspasia Karras. ‘It’s everyone’s problem. I am so proud of these men for taking a stand and walking in our shoes.’
Siv Ngesi, actor and comedian: ‘This campaign is inspiring. I want to tell other men, enough with this nonsense. We have to take a stand.’
Janez Vermeiren, TV personality: ‘My message to all men in South Africa is that it is time to man up. Violence against women is totally unacceptable.’
Gareth Cliff, radio and TV personality: ‘Men have to stop being assholes. Men have to start doing the right thing even when no one is looking.’

I know many people roll their eyes at “stunts” but I’m a little different, anytime people put their money where their mouths are, I’m game, like yes I rolled my eyes at random non funded no make-up selfies (you guys are missing the point, did you sms the number, hello did you read the rules) but I liked and commented on those who shared the sms number and donated… I also did the ice-bucket challenge and managed to raise money with it… so if boys in heels make people “stop, donate and listen” (Vanilla Ice Joke) then I’m all for hash-tagging the crap out of it 🙂  


*info from press release

Moving fearlessly forward…The story of Neo

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Today’s No Fear Just Faith piece is by my friend Neo, we became friends when I was the reporter charged with showing her (the intern) around. I think I annoyed her at first and she found me too chipper, I grew on her (I always do hahahaha) and now even though she moved away we make a point of keeping in touch… She has a very interesting way of looking at life, jump in with both feet, sort of thing, here is her story…





I have always been fascinated with words. Whether it was writing those (now) cringe envoking love poems in high school, reading until the early hours of the morning or listening to how and the way that people speak. So it is quite befitting that I was “saved” by words that I overheard (hey, I’m a journalist, I overhear everything) in a conversation between two of my ex colleagues at the coffee making station.
What I heard wasn’t mind blowing or the next best selling self-help book idea but its brilliance is in its simplicity.
The conversation went like this: “You should really try some low fat milk…it’s healthier to drink”. And my colleague responded: “Life is far too short for low fat milk my dear”. That conversation sparked an idea in my brain that has become the basis of how I choose to live my life. Let me explain. I live what I call the “Full cream milk, full cream cheese and the skin on the chicken please” life. This may sound like a disaster for my health but in actual fact, it has nothing to do with food.
You see, in the short 27 years of life that I have lived, I have survived countless sexual assaults and attempted rapes at the hands of men and boys who I knew and some of whom were trusted friends and relatives. I’ve also survived a few suicide attempts when I was a kid of hardly 13 years old. (No don’t “aww” yet, that’s not the best part of the story). But this is the best life – I think – God could have ever given me. Too much harder and I would not have survived and too much easier, and I would not have had the determination to make something of myself. I digress, however.
The Full Cream Life is mainly based on realising that fear as we know it, is nothing but a figment of the thoughts we have…it is not physically real (no really, think about it) and quite frankly, I refuse to be scared of something that does not pose a physical danger to me. Honestly, the feeling of fear annoys me because it cripples your mind from making sound rational decisions and prevents you from taking opportunities presented to you by God.
The Full Cream Life is fuelled by faith. Not mountains of faith but just enough…the size of a mustard seed even (see what I did there? Hehe). I have the greatest faith that God’s plan for my life – as messed up a start as it had – is the mirror of perfection. It truly is. When one realises that God will never see you as a failure or without use, there is NOTHING that can stop you from achieving your dreams.
I would love to say that despite everything that happened to me, I went on to become some big shot but no. My story is not a unique one. In fact, if you drive down to your local township right now, pick out a young girl and ask her to tell you her story, you’ll probably hear the same thing. I grew up in a four room house with about 11 other people. No, reread that. Not a four bedroom house, a four room house. It was cramped, there was no privacy, there was no time for one on one time with my breadwinner mommy and it was tough. But at the age 27, I can proudly say that I have had to reset my dreams because I have already achieved the old ones I had by having faith in my God given Full Cream Life.

Now, dear reader, what would you do if you had no fear?