Not broody… but Converse onsies. OMW!

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I’m not big on labels and brand names are not all that important when it comes to kids clothes, or mine to be honest, shame Aidan’s mom makes his clothes for him..hehehe

But I like Converse, I really do! see below

So when I was sent pics of their Kids Apparel Collection  I looked at it and was awwwwwwwwwwww and ohmyword’ing all over the place! too much cute…

The  Chuck Taylor All Star Slip It,  an iconic high-top Chuck Taylor All Star updated with an elastic pulltab for easy on-and-off (I need this for me!!!)

They also have Converse Kids Chuck Taylor All Star Bow Back which is  a playful sneaker with a fashionable bow detail that adds a bold pop of color .  

As a complement to the brand’s footwear, Converse  now offers classic lifestyle silhouettes, including sweatshirts, raglans, bombers, joggers and jerseys that have been treated with striking print motifs and bold Converse Chuck Taylor All Star logos.

Here are my favourites:

*Info from press release

Real Wahms of SA: Celeste Virtually Assists

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Today’s Wahm is Celeste Jonkers from over at the blog Surviving Jonkersville before getting up the courage to start my own business I read up on others who took the plunge and Celeste is one of them. I really enjoy her blog and admire her organisational skills (I can be a bit of a mess) here is her story



Tell us about your family
A: We’re a music crazy, dance loving, lighthearted and mostly foolish family of five. The husband (eldest kid not born of this body), 3 kids and I. My husband keeps me grounded while my kids inspire me on so many levels. I secretly wish that I could be more like all of them all at once.   
Why did you become a work from home mom
A: Finding a job after being retrenched has and is still a nightmare. The job market is tough and instead of sitting back and waiting for a job I decided to turn all those ‘favours’ people are always asking into a job. It was more of a circumstancial thing as opposed to me wanting to do it. If someone would pay me to sit still I seriously doubt I’d ever have any money.
What was the most unexpected part of becoming a wahm
A: That people actually bought into it! I am good at what I do but I didn’t expect to ever make a cent off it.
What has been the hardest part
A: Getting clients. Many people haven’t quite warmed up to the idea of Virtual Assistants yet and don’t fully undestand the concept. Therefore it’s difficult for them to learn to trust someone with important tasks. Quite understandable really. It’s up to me to kind of ‘teach’ them to ‘let go’.  
What is the most rewarding
A: Knowing that I am making a difference. Being able to assist entrepreneurs with the nitty gritty details they don’t even think about when they start their businesses. Admin is everyone’s worst nightmare (mine too) but it’s also an integral part of staying afloat. I get to do all this and not be bothered about getting all dressed up. In fact I get to do it in my pj’s sometimes.  
What is your day like
A: Wake up at 5am to get the kids ready for school and only have my first coffee fix by 8am. Madness I tell you.  Depending on the mood my kids wake up in, I either have a workout between getting them done, otherwise it’s after 8am. Then it’s grindstone time only to collect the little one at 1pm, play mommy for a bit, work, cook, work, play mommy again, suppertime, play wife, work and play sleep. 
Tell us about your business
A: I’m a Virtual Assistant. Basically I do everything a normal assistant does in the office but from home and communicate via email and telephone. My services include bookkeeping, correspondence, ghost writing (my favourite!), copywriting and a whole lote more. I come from a financial background thus it’s one of my strengths I can offer clients but writing has always been my passion and I’m kinda good at it. (Don’t judge my writing by my blog. That’s just the conversations in my mind I share on the interwebs.) Clients have the benefit of having someone to do their work without the responsibility of having a full time employee. I use my skills, own hardware and time so there’s no extra costs involved for clients. 
Where did business idea and name come from
A: The idea was born out of desperation. It was either find something constructive to do or climb the walls out of boredom. I wasn’t born to be a stay-at-home-mom and I there’s only so much of cleaning and tidying up you can do in a day. I love helping people where I can and turned my “thank you’s” into profit. I’m somewhat “nameless” as I only go by my name with the title Virtual Assistant.
What sets you apart
A: I don’t take on too much work all at once. When I work with a business (no matter the size) I “become their employee” for the given time and give my all as if I’m on their payroll. It’s no use being money hungry and not living up to standards. I always aim to exceed expectations. It’s my business and reputation at stake after all. Having said that I also need to say that in order for me to work with anyone/business I need to know whether they themeselves take their business seriously. (You’d be surprised how many businesses don’t and those are the ones I decline to work with.) Might sound cocky but I learnt the hard way that there is nothing more difficult than trying to do your best for an entrepreneur/SME and they don’t really care about their business and just want fast cash in their pockets.
Where do you see it going
A: I guess the smart answer to that would be that my plan is to have a large admin outsourcing company of sorts, but I am too simple for that. Instead I’d like to help other people set themselves up, to empower themselves and possibly do the same thing. Especially women who really want to stay home and still contribute financially to their households. There are so many “get-rich-quick” and pyramid schemes out there and sadly many people still fall for it. Not entriely sure of specifics yet but my idea won’t be a pyramid scheme. Possibly an NGO or something. Being forced into a SAHM position and turning it into WAHM status really does change your perspective and makes you realize how many people are looking for opportunities and failing not because of lack of skills.

Hightlights from Taste of PE

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So I took my “foodie” (Rob) and my “no foodies please” (Aidan) to Taste of PE this weekend. I really loved the relaxed vibe and although more stalls, bigger portions/smaller prices would not have hurt I think it was a pretty big success… Food and drink lovers just chilling on the Boardwalk festival lawn hanging out and trying new things 🙂
We didn’t plan on taking Aidan with us but because the cousin he was going to stay with came down with German measles we took advantage of the “kids enter free” policy and ended up having a blast.

Rob loves craft beer, apparently this one has something to do with bubblegum and bananas
 
Aidan’s uncle yian was there too (Ryan)
I’m told this pasta with venison meatballs was amazing
Preserves!!!
The chickpea chip and dip was so amazingly delicious
 – But really only 5 chips?!?!
Look I had a cocktail while out with my son – Judge away Judy!!! 🙂
Ended up having like a sip because my tastebuds are not sophisticated enough to appreciate so much cucumber
So when you take your kid to a food festival but all he wants is crackers with processed cheese
The way he loves his aunt Nene (Jenine)
Pomegranate and Rose infused wine!!!!
 Jenine had wheatgrass infused, mine was better
Aidan was disappointed that he didn’t make age grade for Craft station
Like a Bos, hehehe

Win tickets for international tribute to Whitney Houston in PE

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The beloved pop icon might have passed but her music lives on. The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show celebrates the magnificent catalogue of hits that Houston made famous during 29 year career, including ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’, ‘I’m Every Woman’, ‘I Will Always Love You’ and many more.

 
The show will be taking place from the 27-29 November and you can win tickets to join in on the fun.
 
The show is a double whammy for PE because not only will it be taking place in the newly revamped PE Opera house but it also features PE’s own Belinda Davids who in 2013 beat out over 15,000 other applicants to take on the challenging lead role. Taking more than 80,000 tickets to date, the show has been an instant success with Davids as the marquee star. She continues to tour with the show internationally, keeping alive the music and spirit of her own musical idol – the late, great Whitney Houston.

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Starring the breathtaking voice of Belinda Davids live in concert, plus full band, dancers and theatrical effects, this show is not just a brilliant tribute but a spectacular concert experience in it’s own right. A great night out for music lovers of all ages. I know I will definitely be there!!! *Cause I wanna dance with somebody-okay that’s going to be stuck in my head today* 

Big Mouth Entertainment is giving one lucky JustEllaBella reader the chance to be there on opening night November 27 … That’s right two tickets and all you have to do is enter below:

However if you do not win be sure to pick up your tickets through Computicket at  R180-R220

Tips to keep boredom away

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So just yesterday a friend asked for tips on keeping her little one busy during the approaching holidays. At first I  drew a blank (How is it November already, that seems insane) and then remembered that I actually had a few crafts aimed at kids on the blog so here goes… A few things to keep little ones busy this holiday season 🙂

PLAY DOUGH KITS

DIY sensory rice
DIY Petrol pump
Feed the animals game
Make your own boardgame
Spinning plate
Eye-spy bottle

Easy Hand puppets

A few crafting tips

Real Wahms of SA: Elizna has an awesome prize for you

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 Get ready to just pass out from cuteness!!! when I first heard about Elizna and her personalized cups for little ones I thought, now really does a little kid need a special cup?!? then I looked through her work and the answer is a resounding YES!!! OMW YES!!!

It is so cute!!! and guess what, she is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a R150 voucher to get their own Boeretroos mug!!! go on, read about this amazing Wahm then enter our comp!

 

Tell us about your family

 I saw a quote on Facebook the other day:  “I live in a madhouse ruled by a tiny army that I made myself.”  – I love my army, and they are a true blessing in my life. I live with my husband and two daughters Anria (3) and Alise (6 months) on the outskirts of Stellenbosh.

 

Why did you become a work from home mom
In a way I never knew anything else….My dad is an entrepreneur, he had to travel a lot when we were kids, my mom made the decision to rather be there for us than to follow her career. While my dad did his job, my mom looked after us, drove us around, did my dad’s admin, taught us a many crafts, and later started her own Guesthouse – we learned things no school or varsity could ever teach us. I wanted to do be able to do the same for my children…

 I got married (my husband is also involved in a family business), and we quickly realized I could make some money as a freelance designer while looking for a job closer to home or one that would at least pay enough to cover my gas.  By the time I found a job that offered better pay, I already had a few regular clients – this was the start of Letter Chef. 

5 Years later our first daughter, Anria was born, I was so glad I could be with her as she grew up.

 
What was the most unexpected part of becoming a wahm

…I was a new mom with a fairly established home business, and I thought:  “Maternity leave mmm, not nessecary, I’ll just work when the baby sleeps “ (BIG SURPRISE THERE)

 

What has been the hardest part

Learning to say no, and referring potential new clients to other designers – if you sell time you have to make a decision between your business and your kids.  In the end that which you can’t measure is where you’ll lose the most – It is possible to measure your busniess’s performance, but how do you measure quality time with your kids?

  

What is the most rewarding

Being there for my kids and being able to manage my own time – even if it means working at night

  

What is your day like

See Q1 – no I’m kidding, we have an olmost 7 month old baby in the house – our routine is slowly getting established…I mainly work at night, and run around during the day.  Luckily my eldest daughter loves drawing and painting, she loves ‘helping me work’

 
Tell us about your business

Letterchef is a graphic design & illustration studio, I love typography – letters are the main ingredient in the logo’s and monograms we create. 

Koppie Boeretroos is very new  – I hand illustrate babycino (espresso sets)…

 

Where did business idea and name come from

Letter Chef – Q2 – I tried to come up with a name for my studio resembling my love for letters & typography, I asked my mom’s help and she came up with Letterchef.

You can read the Koppie Boeretroos’s story here:  https://letterchef.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/boeretroos/

 

 

What sets you apart

I love what I do, and care about the people I’m working for (some clients are like family, and others become family – one of my clients actually married my sister 😉 –  I draw with my hand before anything goes to computer, I’m an expert working with type and I love letters….

  
What are your prices

With graphic design it really depends on the project….our babycino sets start at R120 per cup

 
Where do you see it going

The past 10 years has been nothing but grace, it is a privilege to be able to be with my daughters and getting paid for doing something I love.

With Letter Chef I am pretty happy, I work for small to medium size businesses and some of my clients are even going national…I have enough work and interesting clients –  I find joy in referring new clients to other designers if I am too busy to help them.

Koppie Boeretroos is barely 2 months old, It might be a bit soon to say, but I would really love if this part of my business can grow in order to provide work for others – South Africa needs more Entrepreneurs.
 
 
 
 
 
 

NOW TO ENTER:

Go to the BOERETROOS fb page, then comment on her wall, tagging @JustEllaBella and tell Elizna why you should win the R150 voucher. (you can do this through the little competition app below)