You can spoil your child and bless another at this year’s kids expo

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We will be going and I’m pretty excited because I think Aidan will finally be able to get involved and enjoy what they have to offer (play area, meet Barney, that sort of thing).
He was too young last year so this one should be more “him” orientated than us getting ready for him, if that makes sense.
I’m also very chuffed with the charity aspect of the expo because there are just so many kids who can do with our assistance 🙁  So this year instead of just taking things home we will be taking things there  . . . Allow me to explain
Visitors are encouraged to bring along a toy to donate to the Uviwe Child and Youth Service’s Care Zone Toy Library. Aidan is very blessed to have in abundance so we will be packing a few things in to take along… He is probably to young to fully “get” what we are doing, but I wan’t to instil the importance of charity in him from a young age so this is an awesome start.
The Toy Library stall will focus on the importance of play and what their toy library is doing in the community. They would definitely make use of any and all donated toys, games, puzzles and books – for all ages.(Their youngest child using their toy library is 2 and the oldest 13)
So if you have anything extra  DON’T BE SHY 🙂
If you don’t have, you can still get involved by purchasing Story stones (R2.50 per stone or R45 for a set of 20 stones) and their Uviwe beaded bracelets ( R7 each)  
The stones lend themselves to story telling games but can be used for much more…
“They can form the foundation of literacy skills when used as story writing prompts for older children and building vocabulary for younger children; and early maths skills when used to group stones, make patterns, match, sequence, count and order.
Through story telling children learn to distinguish make believe from real life and can explore fears and problem solving for real life experiences.  Story telling also promotes language and vocabulary development, sparks a child’s imagination and gets them talking about what they see, think, feel and understand about the world.  In short, they are awesome.”
They will also be running a raffle where people stand a chance to win one of two Uviwe  Teddy Bears 
You can also support the Thandu’sana Babies Safe Home for abused and abandoned babies by donating a R100 to their ‘Feed our Babies for a day’ campaign.

(The Feed a Baby for a day campaign is a roster where for R100 you can feed the babies in the home their milk formula. It’s a great concept to give on a loved one’s birthday or special day, they receive a card saying that they fed the babies at Thandu’sana for a day, thanks to their friends donation.)

 Alternatively visitors can volunteer to actively participate in the charity by visiting the home and assist with feeding the babies. “This simple act allows these little bundles of joy to experience the kind of affection that is so much needed, the love from adult to child that will help them grow as individuals.” Said Thandu’sana co-ordinator Lorna Lamerton.   Donations such as nappies, baby toiletries, wet wipes, examination gloves, clothes, toys, any groceries or cleaning items and even cash which is a big need will also be welcomed with open arms.
– Efa Bamboo nappies will be running a special in aid of the Thandu’sana Babies Safe Home, every 12th  nappy sold will be donated to the Charity; they welcome any nappy donations to the Charity as well. 
Hope to see you at the expo at Moffet on Main lifestyle centre between Oct 3-5

*info from press release

Of princesses and zombies…

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One of my favourite blogs is Confessions of a  Zombie Mom, written by Melanie Blignaut. Not only is she funny and her daughters adorable! She is also very spiritual and gives great practical advice you can actually use, like how to plan a party on a budget and not to flinch when your daughter want’s to trade you in for a cartoon character…here is what Melanie had to say 🙂 

Tell us a little about your family…
I met my husband, Jacques, 14 years ago when we both studied drama at Wits. He’s an actor and I’m more of a behind-the-scenes girl. We’ve been married for five years and have two daughters. Angie (aka Poppet) is four and Emmy (aka Pixie) is two. Both are chatterboxes and have an endless supply of energy, so our house is never quiet! They are also both obsessed with Frozen, Tinker Bell and the Disney princesses. We have a male cat, Napoleon, so Jacques doesn’t have to feel so outnumbered.

-What do you do when not blogging?
I teach drama at several preschools in my area and I’m currently helping two preschools with their end-of-year concerts. Jacques and I run the drama ministry at our church, so I’m always in a state of pre-production for one project or another. Angie is at school half-day, so my afternoons are spent with my girls. Our days usually involve dressing up or doing crafts.

-What made you decide to blog?
I started blogging partly as a way to stay sane, and partly to share what is going on in my life with friends who live overseas.

-What was your concept behind your two blogs?
Confessions of a Zombie Mom is meant to be a humourous look at parenting. I figured that it’s either laugh about it, or cry. Wind in a Letterbox is a more personal blog. I share more deeply about my experience as a wife and mother, and how I try to teach my girls about Jesus. My hope is that I can encourage other moms who are in a similar stage of life.

-Did you find yourself nervous at prospect of letting people into your life in this way?
I try not to think too much about it, although I do get a bit taken aback when someone comments in real life about something I’ve posted on the blog or on my Facebook page.

-Do you ever worry that your kids will be like “mom why are you exposing my life?” 
I don’t share anything that I think may be embarrassing for the girls. I hope that when they are older they will enjoy looking back over my blog posts and reading about themselves as children. If they ever tell me to take a post down, then I will.

-Does your family read your blog?
Yes.

-What do you hope to achieve through the blog?
To make people smile, to show moms they’re not alone in their experiences and struggles, to encourage people.

-What do you think about the blogging culture in South Africa?
I’ve connected with some lovely people, but I also get the impression that some circles are quite clique-y and hard to get into.

-What do you think makes for a “good blog”
I like reading about personal experiences or posts that encourage/challenge my thinking. I tend to avoid sites that are review-heavy.

-How do you personally measure success in the blogging world
I think if people are reading and responding, whether it’s by liking the post or commenting, then I’m doing something right.

Challenge Accepted…My Summer List

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So I was tagged…It’s pretty awesome that I got tagged by a blogger I love, Stiletto Mom in THIS post. I never liked tag much as a kid…hide and seek is much better because you can find a great hiding spot and get some reading done…or let your little cousins go hide and take forever to find them when they annoy you 🙂

But this kind of tag is fun so here goes:
This is all about Summer, so it should be noted that I’m more of a Winter/Autumn kinda girl

What is your favourite thing about Summer?
Family outings and long days to braai and play games and ( like everyone who grew up near the coast) THE BEACH BABY!!!

This was last year…can’t wait for this year!!!

Do you have a favourite Summer drink?

Lemonade for when I’m good
Sangria for when I’m bad

Is there a location you like to go to each Summer?

We are Jeffrey’s Bay people 🙂

Favourite make-up look for Summer?


Bronzer because the sun tends to make me look very dirty and in need of shimmer
 it’s weird but true

Dresses or skirts?

Both make me feel sweaty, I’m a shorts kinda girl
Sandals or ballet pumps?

Pumps 🙂 

Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down for Summer?

I don’t know if this is up or down, but I tend to braid my hair in summer because it’s so much easier to deal

Deep smokey eyes or bold lips?

Neither I’m not a make-uppy girl, but just booked to get the lashes again

Favourite perfume for Summer?

Cause I’m Hoity Toity like that

Last but not least, favourite music for Summer


Uhm I don’t know, every summer has it’s  own HIT  I tend to get swept into

Now it’s my turn to tag people. . .
And I chose:

Heather from SAMomBlog

let me know if you accept and when I can read your sure to be fun answers 🙂

20 facts about me challenge…

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Luchae Williams who blogs over HERE  challenged me to list 20 facts about me…its technically a facebook challenge, but I feel more comfortable doing it over here… (also I’m suffering from insomnia tonight)  so here goes:
1. I’m very family orientated     
2. I hum/sing when I’m sad
3. I love singing and think i have a good voice, but am reluctant to perform in front of people in case they hate my singing and “take that from me”                                     
4. God plays a big part in my life
5. I never wear shoes at home         
6. I wear a size 3 and buy my sneakers in kiddies department  – much cheaper but looks the same  
7. The only time I’m not ridiculously clumsy is when I have Aidan in my arms
8. I was afraid to change Aidan’s nappy because “he is a boy”           
9. I blush at the drop of a hat
10. I really love learning new things and gaining new skills – love it
11. I think the best feeling in the world is being responsible for someone else’s happiness
12. I prefer comedy because I think real life has enough drama
13. It broke my heart that I lost friends due to how I handled the loss of my son 
14. I sometimes have nightmares about losing Logan    
15. I love beautiful notebooks but sometimes can’t bring myself to write in them for fear of spoiling them
16. I babble when I’m nervous and say stupid things I almost always regret right afterwards         
17. The biggest compliment I ever received was when the  editor of Argentina Vogue mistook me for a model in Brazil (then I stood up . hahaha back in my skinny days)     
18. I’m a chronic over thinker
19. I’m pretty social awkward and have to talk myself into social situations
20. My next tattoo sums up my life “born of fire and faith” also Aidan means  born of fire   

Thankful Thursday…blessed to be supported

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You see the picture? look closely…See Aidan holding onto my top?
Well this is the interesting part about this…Aidan is fearless, he goes for things full force but I noticed something, he is only willing to try new things if he has me (or another person in his little circle of trust)…He jumps at anything, with mommy just near by…
I need to hold his hand when he does anything new, just for a second then he will gain the confidence and do it alone…I’ve seen this on these coin operated cars, trampolines, climbing frames,bikes…hold my  hand (or usually, let me hold your top) be close by and I can do anything…
This made me realise something about myself…I’m pretty “brave” I’ve tried a lot of things and travelled and experienced things by myself despite being pretty socially awkward…
I’m often asked how I can be so calm when there is chaos around me and I realise why, it’s because of my family…My parents and husband especially…They are the top I need to hold and the net I get to fall back on if things go wrong…
I’m able to “go for things” because I know I never go alone…and this right here is what I want for my lil boy…
*feeling blessed*  

My support structure