Reviews
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My favorite baby brands (and they didn’t even pay me to say so)
So being a blogger and a mama, all at the same time, means that I often get to test and try out new products and services in a bid to, you know, let you guys know if the product/service is worth your while. When it comes to raising tiny human beings, I love checking out new things that can help to make my parenting journey easier/better. (Call me the Debora Patta of the baby world.)
BUT this is my fourth baby and I kinda know which products work (for me) by now. Also, I’m tired, you guys and I have the added pleasure of raising a 4 year old and a 2 year old as well. Time is not a luxury right now.
So I made the decision to not try anything new with our next baby, unless I’m not 100% convinced that the product I currently use is doing the job that I need it to do. (Or if I didn’t even know that you get a product that can do that! Like, if someone designed a machine that made me coffee and fed my child all at the same time, I’m totally not going to say no to that.)
So yes, when it comes to baby products, I have a bunch of favorites. They are pretty stock standard, and by that I mean that they are tried and trusted household faves! (I mean, I’m not going to win a Millennial Mom of the Year award for this.) But I’m here to be totally transparent, and in all honesty, these are the things you’ll find my Hubstopher searching the aisles for, when I send him on a frantic shopping expedition at 19:50 on a Sunday night.
These are the brands and products that I spend money on… the stuff that I reach for, no questions asked, without me needing to do Debora Patta styled research on them first. Can I share them with you? It’s a rhetorical question, Susan, I’m totally going to share my list with you. Here it is:
My favorite baby brands (and they didn’t even pay me to say so)
Bath time
When it comes to bath time, I have a whole series on this here blog, and I often try out new products on my other kids. But when it comes to my newborn I’m a little more fussy and I prefer to stick to what I know and love and that, without a doubt, has to be Johnson’s Baby! The Johnson’s Baby Newborn Top-To-Toe range was my go-to product when Jo was born. It made his (and my) skin so soft and I was inlove with the gorgeous scent. So I’m very keen on the new Johnson’s Baby Newborn Cotton Touch range. I mean, get this, the wash and lotion are made with real cotton, purposeful ingredients, and no parabens, phthalates or sulfates. And again, the scent: heavenly!
Disposable diapers
I’ve tried out a bunch of different disposable diapers over the past few years. Mind you, as my kids have grown, I’ve often opted for the cheaper options! (But that’s another blog post for another day). But when it comes to my newborn’s bum-bums, Huggies is my diaper of choice. You guys, I don’t know if I’m doing it wrong but the other big name in disposable diapers leaked a lot, when I tried it out on Kari and Jo. When we eventually transitioned to Huggies, we had a lot less leakages and we felt it to be a better fit. We also prefer the Huggies pull ups, compared to, well all the other pull ups. It’s a brand that just works for us. Oh and guys, the Huggies Gold New Baby diaper is designed to accommodate the umbilical chord and (get this) also has a special runny poo pocket at the back of the nappy, to help prevent little accidents.
Wet wipes
So you know the saying “wet wipes make the world go ’round”? Well, you probably don’t because I made it up, but that’s not my point. My point is that wet wipes make the world go ’round… AND a lot less stickier. If you take a stroll down the baby aisle in your local shopping center you’ll probably find a ton of wet wipes brands all promising to do the same thing. But, for price (because we go through the stuff like coffee at the office) and value, I’ve always preferred Cherubs. The value packs are really so cheap and I love that the newborn range has a clip-lid, is pH balanced and is alcohol and paraben free. Unlike other more cost-effective wet wipes, this wipe is still considerably thick and is soft enough to remove the make up from your face on a lazy night.
Bum creams
If you’re a mom and you don’t know about the wonder that is Sudocream, then come a little closer my sister, let me fill you in! This antiseptic healing cream soothes sore skin, treats nappy rash, eczema and acne. In fact, when Kari suffered from that terrible teething dribble that caused a rash on her chin and lower cheeks, good ol’ Sudocream (spread lightly) cleared it up after one application! When my baby’s bums are red, one application of Sudocream is enough to speed up healing. I keep a small tub of the stuff in my hand bag… it’s just that good! And don’t let the price scare you my friend. The beauty of it is that you’re not lathering it on… a thin layer of the cream is enough to immediately promote healing. I know!
Breast pumps
So we all know that Medela is like GOLD when you’re on that breastfeeding journey. Well, I’m just here to reiterate that yes, my Medela harmony manual and mini electric pumps are the only things that kept me sane when I had to pump in a locked bathroom stall the size of Harry Potter’s room under the stairs. Investing in a solid breast pump is a definite must if you plan to take this breastfeeding journey seriously. (BTW, did you know that you can actually hire one from Breastpumps and Beyond?) I doubt I would ever change my mind about the rewards of owning a Medela pump!
Nipple ointment
So, with the beautiful, wonderful miracle of breastfeeding, comes the toe-curling pain of cracked nipples. I mean, your nipps go through something similar to a World War, during those first few latches. My nipple ointment of choice has always been Lansinoh. I’ve often applied one pea sized dollop of Lansinoh to eina nipps and (I kid you not) felt immediate relief! That’s how good this stuff is. Also, I totally use it as a lip cream, for sore winter lips, as well. By the way the cream is 100% natural, with no additives, preservatives or parabens.
Baby feeding
As I’ve said over and over and over again (you know, like a 7de Laan Omnibus on a Sunday arvie) I’ve only ever used the Tommee Tippee brand on my kids. That’s because I choose to combine feed them (boob and bottle) and I’ve found that the Closer to Nature bottles are the best for this. The original extra wide teat is very “breast like”, which makes it easy for baby to latch on, as if he were breastfeeding. Tommee Tippee also has an excellent range of soothers, toddler safe cups and even tableware. It’s pretty much a one stop shop and I’m very much devoted to the brand and it’s products.So that’s my list of faves, and some of the stuff I’ll be stocking up on, while preparing for baby Williams to arrive. Do you have a list of faves? Share them in the comments section below!
Disclaimer: I’ve received press drops from a few if these AND other baby brands, in the past. But the ones mentioned in this article are the baby brands that I prefer when caring for my newborn. This post is not sponsored.
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Bath time with Child’s Farm
Our boetie (2) and our sussie (4) enjoys bathing together. Bath time is the best time for them. Also, it gives me 10 whole minutes of staring into space, while they play (I take my breaks wherever I can get ’em!) Recently, someone asked me when I would separate their bath times… because surely boys and girls can’t bath together once they’ve reached a certain age. Yes, Patricia, this makes sense, but am I meant to be thinking about these things so soon?!
The convo had me totally frantic, reading article after article, caught up in a Google wormhole that left my brain frazzled and my heart beating a little bit faster. I mean, I don’t want to give my kids issues by overexposing their private parts to each other.
I eventually had to calm myself down (will share a whole other blog post with more detail about the topic eventually). I came to the realisaton that hey, my kids are still young and right now I’m not damaging them by allowing them to share a bath together. I mean, they are FOUR AND TWO and honestly, right now their main concern with the difference in their gender is who gets the pink one and who gets the blue one. We allow them to choose what they like and don’t like on their own, but Kari is the princess and Jo is a boy’s boy and there is no way I can change that!
The only time gender comes up during bath time, is when I bath them with the wrong bath wash. The kids received a beautiful press drop from Child’s Farm and Kari insists that she HAS to have the blackberry & organic apple hair and body wash (bedecked with prancing princesses and a pony) and Jo HAS to have the sweet orange hair and body wash (which features a little boy, farm animals and cool tractor).They are also obsessed with the amount of bubbles the Child’s Farm bubble bath makes and I am most impressed with the Child’s Farm sun and swim products. The 3-in-1 swim product is perfect to use post swim, and I love that it washes away chlorine, leaving skin clean and hair shiny.
So yes, most nights you’ll find me using a special wash for each child, coupled with heavenly scented bubble bath and Child’s Farm shampoo. Can you imagine our bathroom during bath time? You’ll walk in to a medley of scents, from apple, to tangerine, to sweet orange and even raspberry and mango! The scents are simply spectacular and I love that the ingredients in each product are really high quality too.The Child’s Farm products have been designed to help protect, nourish and clean sensitive skin. Crafted with delicate skin in mind, these products can even be used on your newborn baby’s skin!
All the Child’s Farm washing and bathing products use naturally derived products and essential oils, and every detail is carefully planned to ensure that each product is suitable for all types of skin – yep, even skin prone to eczema!
Childs Farm products are currently available in Baby City, Clicks stores and via takealot.com. Prices range from R99 to R119.99, with a range of over 15 different products to choose from.For more information on Childs Farm products visit www.childsfarm.com or the local Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/childsfarmsouthafrica/
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The Spindel laundry dryer saves you time and money! {Giveaway}
If you’re a mom and your kids (for the most part) are not running around naked, you probably have the best time doing laundry! (Yes, that was me being sarcastic and witty) Okay, let’s be real, doing the laundry is probably not up there on our list of “favorite things to do” and with Winter fast approaching (#winteriscoming) wash days will become a lot more stressful, as you try to figure out how the heck you’re going to get those school clothes dry on time.
Powering up that tumble dryer can get pretty expensive and let’s be double-y honest, sometimes you don’t want to have to sit and blow dry your kid’s favorite blank-ey with a hairdryer. (Just me then?)
You guys, I’m also kinda freaked out by the fact that my baby is due during the rainiest of seasons! I need to have a clothes drying option that won’t damage my infants clothing and won’t eat into my pocket.
Enter: The Spindel – a specialist laundry dryer that (get this) dries your laundry without eating up your electricity! You can use your Spindel to shorten the dry time on the washing line/in the tumble dryer since majority of the moisture will be removed.
The machine is so easy to use, my teenage son often pops his soccer socks into it, for a quick over night dry. There are no complicated buttons to press and no long waiting period.
I mean, besides for leaving fabric almost dry, in just 3 minutes, the Spindel also promises to not damage your delicate garments because it air dries. This makes it a great option for drying your delicate fabrics (silk, wool, etc) that you would usually hand-wash. It’s also perfect for safely drying your baby’s cloth nappies!
Using the Spindel, during the rainy season, is such a help, you guys. My kids clothes are kept soft and I love that it removes excess detergents and softeners, which could be harmful to baby’s skin and those who suffer from allergies.If you’re all about saving the planet, consider the fact that the Spindel actually drains all excess moisture, into a separate container, for reuse. With double the spin power of a normal washing machine, it removes more moisture in just 3 minutes!
I also love that it’s easy to move around, but that the 4.5kg or 6.5kg load capacity can hold up to four king size sheets. You can run over 65 cycles with just one unit of electricity! A tumble dryer will consume more than three units of electricity in just one cycle.
Purchase your Spindel from one of the participating online stores: Takealot, Yuppiechef.com, Faithful to Nature, Sustainable.co.za and Ucount Online Mall.
GIVEAWAY!GIVEAWAY CLOSED – Spindel South Africa wants to give one lovely My Spreadsheet Brain reader a 6.5kg Spindel specialist laundry dryer, valued at a whopping R2 599! How cool?! If you’re looking to enter, you can do so either on Instagram OR Facebook OR both! Check out the links to those posts here:
Enter via Instagram
Enter via Facebook
Terms and conditions:
Winner will be announced next Monday, 13 May on Facebook.
Winner will be chosen randomly from combination of Facebook and Instagram entries.
Giveaway only open to residents in South Africa.
Judges’ decision is final. -
Book review: The Masterpiece – Francine Rivers (GIVEAWAY!)
I'm a Francine Rivers fiend! I love her writing style and her story telling ability, but more than that, I love that her stories are Bible based. You're able to relate with the lesson in the plot, while totally being swept away by the picture she paints with words as you get to know the characters as if they are your own best friends. Meg from By Megan Kelly and I have collaborated with Cum Books to give the gift of Francine to 2 of you! Follow our Francine Rivers' book reviews, over the next month, and stand a chance to score a super cool Francine Rivers hamper!
Francine Rivers knows just how to speak straight to my heart. And this is not me being dramatic. (Okay, maybe a teeny tiny little bit dramatic.) When I got into her latest novel, titled The Masterpiece, I was immediately struck with all the single mommy feelings, as I read about Grace Moore’s struggle to provide for her baby boy Samuel.
The plot revolves around Grace and her new employer, Roman Velasco, a famous artist. Both Grace and Roman are wrestling with ghosts of the past, trying to figure their lives out on the down low, while building up walls that would prevent anyone from getting too close.
Roman is a successful LA artist, who seemingly has it all – the money, the fame, the girls. He employs Grace as his personal assistant and she soon discovers that her new boss is secretly battling with demons of his past, and it affects every area of his lonely life.
As I mentioned, Grace is a single mom, left in the lurch by a cheating ex-husband who made her give up everything to support his selfish needs. Once her baby boy is born – she realizes that she is unable to give him up for adoption, as she had planned – and vows to do everything possible to build a life for the two of them. And this includes making sure that no man would ever steal her dreams again.
Both Roman and Grace try to do life on their own (yep – that was me), not wanting help or even comfort from anyone else. And then, one day an unexpected event changes everything!
The story is definitely one of romance and unspoken passion, but it also incorporates strong messages of faith, hope, redemption and the plan and purposes of God.
You can pick up your copy of The Masterpiece at any Cum Books store or check out their online store for more!
GIVEAWAY!Megan from By Megan Kelly and I have partnered with Cum Books to give away 2 book hampers comprising of 3 Francine Rivers books, including The Masterpiece. All you have to do is:
- Make sure you’re following @luchae and @bymegankelly on Instagram
- Find the corresponding post on Instagram and let us know which of these 3 books are your favorite or which one you’re most looking forward to reading.
- Gain a bonus entry by letting me know what your Instagram handle is in the comments section below
Giveaway ends on 3 May. Follow our weekly Francine Rivers reviews to gain that bonus entry on each post! Check out Megan’s post to score another bonus entry. Giveaway not open to readers outside of RSA.
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Book review: Bridge to Haven – Francine Rivers (GIVEAWAY!)
I'm a Francine Rivers fiend! I love her writing style and her story telling ability, but more than that, I love that her stories are Bible based. You're able to relate with the lesson in the plot, while totally being swept away by the picture she paints with words as you get to know the characters as if they are your own best friends. Meg from By Megan Kelly and I have collaborated with Cum Books to give the gift of Francine to 2 of you! Follow our Francine Rivers' book reviews, over the next month, and stand a chance to score a super cool Francine Rivers hamper!
The thing that I love the most about Francine River’s writing style is that she is able to draw you into a story, hit you with enough emotion to weaken those walls that you put up on the daily and then, when you’re completely invested in the narrative, you’re served a huge dose of reality check as you find yourself relating with some of what the character is going through.
Such was the case when I found myself deeply engrossed in one of her heart wrenching novels, Bridge to Haven.
Set in the 1950’s, the story is centered around young Lena Scott – a Hollywood sweetheart and one of the biggest stars to hit the silver screen. But Lena’s story starts a lot differently than most know. Lena, whose real name is Abra, was found abandoned underneath a bridge when she was a few minutes old.
This spirit of orphan – a deep rooted sense of abandonment – trickles into every area of her life, ultimately affecting every single decision she makes. Sound familiar? Well, it did to me. I could relate with Lena on so many levels. My story is different to hers but I know all about that spirit of abandonment and rejection and how it can control (and ruin) your life.
Anyways, Lena believes that she was never wanted, even though she was adopted by a kind Christian family and is pretty much loved and doted on by all the people in her family’s circle. She ends up believing the lies in her head and rejects her closest friends and adoptive parents.
Hopping into bed with one wrong guy after the other, Lena finds herself looking for love in all the wrong places. I could relate on some level – not that I ended up in many beds – but I remember jumping from one terrible relationship to another… looking for love and acceptance, I guess, and not finding it where I expected it to be. But, like Lena, I discovered unconditional love from the most unlikely source.
This story is filled with lessons about grace, temptation, wisdom and that unconditional love that breaks chains and has the ability to change lives at the blink of an eye.
You can pick up your copy of Bridge to Haven at any Cum Books store or check out their online store for more!
GIVEAWAY!Megan from By Megan Kelly and I have partnered with Cum Books to give away 2 book hampers comprising of 3 Francine Rivers books, including Bridge to Haven. All you have to do is
- Make sure you’re following @luchae and @bymegankelly on Instagram
- Find the corresponding post on Instagram and let us know which of these 3 books are your favourite or which one you’re most looking forward to reading.
- Gain a bonus entry by letting me know what your Instagram handle is in the comments section below
Giveaway ends on 3 May. Follow our weekly Francine Rivers reviews to gain that bonus entry on each post! Check out Megan’s post to score another bonus entry. Giveaway not open to readers outside of RSA.
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The big chocolate covered marshmallow egg comparison
If your family is anything like my family, you’ve probably eaten your way through many a box of marshmallow eggs by now. And it’s not even Easter yet. I mean, I’m not complaining… I LOVE marshmallow eggs, you guys! Maybe its the chocolaty goodness on the outside… or the gooey mallow on the inside… or a combo of both. Who knows! We’ve learnt not to question these things, unless the question is: “Can I have another mallow egg please?”
But guys, I had found myself in a weird predicament the other day, when I popped into the store to purchase (yet another) box of mallow eggs. There were just so many to choose from! I mean, how does one wrap one’s brain around such things?
A big marshmallow egg comparison had to be done! So I enlisted the taste buds of my family members, who acted as independent auditors. After some investigating, they decided that the following were in the running for marshmallow egg champion of 2019:
(left to right: Checkers Eggs Galore, Woolworths Marshmallow Egg, SPAR Marshmallow Egg, Cadbury Fluffies Mallow Egg, Beacon Marshmallow Egg)We grabbed a couple of strings of each of these from a few of our favorite retailers. Everyone had their own idea of which one would come out on top.
It was decided that, when it comes to judging, a bunch of different factors would come into play. I mean, if you’re a frugal mom like me, you’d want more bang for your buck, for sure. So price is important. But if you’re after quality, you’d want to make sure that the chocolate actually tastes like chocolate and that the marshmallow is just the right texture.
I mean, these things are important. My independent taste auditors (Hubstopher, Seth and Karis) were ready for action! They started by comparing the size of each egg. Because, hello, when it comes to chocolate, size matters.Result: It seems that the Beacon and Fluffies eggs were slightly bigger than the rest. The SPAR brand chocolate seemed a bit darker than the rest. Oh and Karis says that they all smell the same, so that’s probably worth nothing too.
We then compared things like, how chocolaty the chocolate is and how marshmallow-y the marshmallow is. Both the chocolate factor and marshmallow quality were given a mark out of 10 each. Seth also insisted that we consider the “over all eating experience”.
Result:
According to our auditors, the Cadbury Fluffies won the taste challenge. The Beacon, a firm favorite in many households, was a close second.
If your kids are okay with any type of marshmallow egg and you’re looking to save on dollar bill, you should probably consider that you’ll be spending the following per egg, per box:
Eggs Galore: R1.67 per egg (R50 for a box of 30 eggs)
Woolworths Marsmallow Egg: R2.30 per egg (R55 for a box of 24)
SPAR Marshmallow Egg: R1.25 per egg (R60 for a box of 48)
Cadbury Fluffies: R2.33 per egg (R70 for a box of 30)
Beacon Egg: R1.67 per egg (R80 for a box of 48)
(Please note: prices may vary)So there you have it! What is your favorite chocolate mallow egg?
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Book review: Redeeming Love – Francine Rivers (GIVEAWAY!)
I'm a Francine Rivers fiend! I love her writing style and her story telling ability, but more than that, I love that her stories are Bible based. You're able to relate with the lesson in the plot, while totally being swept away by the picture she paints with words as you get to know the characters as if they are your own best friends. Meg from By Megan Kelly and I have collaborated with Cum Books to give the gift of Francine to 2 of you! Follow our Francine Rivers' book reviews, over the next month, and stand a chance to score a super cool Francine Rivers hamper!
The first time I picked up Redeeming Love, I honestly didn’t expect the story to unravel me the way it did. I mean, the cover was pretty enough, and the synopsis speaks about a prodigal son/runaway bride type of vibe, but I honestly didn’t think that the story would draw me closer to God or move me in any way.
And boy was I wrong.
Set in the 1850’s, amidst the Calfornia Gold Rush, unwilling prostitute, Angel, survives abuse, rape and human trafficking. She was sold into prostitution as a little girl and basically grows up knowing no other way. In her eyes, men are evil, she is unworthy of love and God probably doesn’t exist, or if He does, then He is a sick and hate-filled God.
In the meantime, farmer Michael Hosea, a man after God’s own heart, receives word from God to go and find his wife in the city. The wife turns out to be Angel, and Hosea is floored that God would expect him to marry a seemingly cold-hearted (but very beautiful) prostitute. BUT this Hosea is such an obedient man, you guys, and He knows that God would not give him instruction if there wasn’t a reason for it, so he begins to pursue Angel. After a lot of back and forth, Angel and Hosea end up married (much to her dismay) and living on Hosea’s farm out in the bundu’s.
Hosea is a patient man and is obedient to God’s call and is willing to wait it out, as Angel journey’s through feelings of depression, unworthiness, fear, anger and shame. She doesn’t understand why this man would want to marry her and she is so annoyed that he speaks about this God all the time.
Guys, no matter how good Hosea is to her, Angel keeps running away from him. Like, physically, leaving him to go back to the life of abuse and prostitution, because she feels that this is the type of life she deserves. She is stubborn, foolish and spiteful (uhm, I can relate) and even when she eventually falls in love with him and grows to love their life together, she still feels that she is not good enough for him.
God instructs Hosea to let her go, because at the end of the day God is the only one who is able to heal her brokenness, and she needs to come to that realization all on her own.The story hit home for me because I too felt that worthlessness at one point in my life. The “why would anyone love me?” syndrome. It causes you to make the worst decisions (because surely nothing good can come from me) and it chips away at your ability to give and receive love.
I also completely admired Michael Hosea’s obedience to God. It made me feel like, wow, God is speaking to us, like that, every day… are we even listening?! Am I listening? Am I willing to be that obedient? When Angel kept running away from him, back to prostitution, Hosea put his pride aside and went after his wife, because God said so! Would you put your pride aside, if God told you to?
The way River’s unpacks the story, going into detail about the Gold Rush, the farm and the way life was lived back then, it totally helps you to step into the pages of the book – it’s as if you’re there! I couldn’t help but sob as I read about Angel’s experiences as a little girl and every physical attack thereafter. You want to climb into the book to console ‘little girl Angel’ when she loses loved ones and you want to shake the shoulders of ‘grown up Angel’ with each stubborn retort.
This book is probably one of the best reads of my life! (And that’s not me being dramatic) I’ve reread it a few times now and each time I find a new lesson to apply to my life. If you’re looking for one of those types of books that you just can’t put down – this is probably the one for you! There’s romance, there’s drama, there’s intrigue and there is a beautiful story about the unwavering, unfaltering love of God that overlooks even the dirtiest of sins you’ve committed and promises to love you just the same.
You can pick up your copy of Redeeming Love at any Cum Books store or check out their online store for more!
GIVEAWAY!Megan from By Megan Kelly and I have partnered with Cum Books to give away 2 book hampers comprising of 3 Francine Rivers books, including Redeeming Love. All you have to do is
- Make sure you’re following @luchae and @bymegankelly on Instagram
- Find the corresponding post on Instagram and let us know which of these 3 books are your favourite or which one you’re most looking forward to reading.
- Gain a bonus entry by letting me know what your Instagram handle is in the comments section below
Giveaway ends on 3 May. Follow our weekly Francine Rivers reviews to gain that bonus entry on each post! Check out Megan’s post to score another bonus entry. Giveaway not open to readers outside of RSA.
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Bath Time with Purity & Elizabeth Annes
We take bath time really seriously in our home. Okay, correction. I do. I take bath time seriously. Whaaat? It’s the only time I get to cuddle and love on my babies without them wanting to ditch me for their dad or play things. Part of our routine involves me telling them little stories, making up songs about the amount of fingers and toes they have and I obviously love that I get to rub them up with lotions and nice smelling potions, while they stare at me, enamored.
Over the past week we tried out some of the cool products from Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s mild and gentle range. I was so pleased when I received the press drop, because I’m old now and things like bath products excites me, apparently. But also because the names Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s is synonymous with quality and safety. We know the brand, we love the product, we buy copious amounts of the stuff to add to our baby shower gift bags. What’s not to love?The Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Special Baby Shampoo is formulated without soap and is gentle on your baby’s eyes. I love the travel size bottle (great for that hospital bag and over night kit). We’ve used it as an all-over body wash (yep, including hair, yo!) It cleanses skin gently and leaves baby feeling fresh and all baby-smellin’! You guys know that well-known, Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s rose fragrance… I simply love it!
We also tried the Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Fresh range. The Head to Toe wash has a fun, fresh fragrance (can a fragrance be fun?! why, yes it can!) with a tear free formulation. The Fresh Aqueous cream bar is perfectly PH balanced to be mild & gentle. For those who believe in chamomile (because, it’s like, a thing) you’ll be pleased to know that the Fresh Baby Powder has chamomile to help soothe and calm skinYou guys, the thing that most excited me was the laundry range! The amazing smelling Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Laundry Wash is suitable for both hand and machine wash. The Purity & Elizabeth Anne’s Stain Remover comes in a really convenient ‘roll on’ tube, making it easy to apply to smaller garments. I mean, hello green poop stains! Those are a bummer (pun intended) to get out!
You can pick up the Purity and Elizabeth Anne’s ranges from all leading retailers. For more deets on these products, check out the website.
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Jislaaik! Want a Jislaain SOS Tee?
If you follow me on Instagram then you would know that I recently hosted a hamper giveaway on my grid, comprising of a host of proudly SA and environmentally lekker goodies, compliments of Jislaaik and a bunch of other fabulous brands. (If you’re not following me on Instagram, seriously, you’re missing out on candid shots of my feet and video clips of my kids telling me that they prefer their dad over me. Seriously awkward and entertaining stuff.)
Anyways, I got involved with the initiative after learning more about Jislaaik and the flippen fantastic concept around the online store. I mean, for starters, who doesn’t love the name JISLAAIK? Because jislaaikit, it’s so lekker to say! The word is 100% South African and is basically a way to express astonishment. And this is exactly what this brand strives to do. Jislaaik says that their pursuit is to “help local designers & artisans to broaden their horizons on the South African market.” Amazing.
More from the brand: “We are determined to find hidden gems and discover local heroes. WE LEAD WITH LOCAL. These are our heroes! These people create the most amazing things and work so hard to achieve their dreams! Our mission is to help local designers, craftsmen and woman become more and more known to South Africa.”Jislaaik – Jislaain!
As if that isn’t enough, Jislaaik officially launches their Jislaain SOS (Save our Seas) Tees today! The name, Jislaain, is a play on words since the specially designed tshirts will feature one line drawings done by Olive & Arrow Creative.
Yep, that’s right. One Line. One Line is used for the whole illustration!
How rad, Brad?! Minimalistic, simple and absolutely gorgeous. These designs are the signature of the Jislaain range and can be seen on each and every item available. The shirts in this range are all ethically sourced and made locally.
The range focuses on saving our environment, aiming to raise awareness and getting people to think differently about their consumption and the impact they have on our planet. I mean, more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean and a whopping 30kg to 50kg of plastic is used by South Africans alone, per year!
The Jislaain range sells for R250 (introductory price) and a percentage of the sale will be donated to various charities who share the same view and passion and who are actively making a difference in our world. What’s more, YOU get to vote for your favorite charity, with the same passion, to receive the donation proceeds.
Place your preorder now!Preorders are finally open and, if you’re one of the first to purchase your tee, you stand a chance to score yourself a free gift from one of the amazing sponsors: The Bamboo Project, The Refillery SA, Bundu Beard, Sili Straw and Bert 3000. You can choose between black, white and grey shirts in 3 different styles.
Book your preorders by emailing ello@jislaaikshop.co.za.
For more information or to check out more on offer from this cool brand, check out the online store or give them a follow on Instagram!
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Cookie Creative makes cookie decorating festive this Christmas! {Giveaway!}
When it comes to being the mom of a kid (so yeah, basically all of us) there’s literally only so much we can do before we start feeling like we know all the words to Moana. They say no man is an island (“the island gives us what we neeeed”) and all of that, and so I always welcome fresh ideas and interesting activities that will encourage some creativity and quality time with my little ones. So I was so chuffed when Cookie Creative sent Kari and I a christmas cookie decorating kit. Ahhh, finally, a crafty project that I can eat! Winning already!
Cookie Creative is the brain child of Rowena, founder and owner, who has been baking for more than 30 years, you guys! That’s 30 years of cookies and cakes. Let me just leave that thought right here. (hmmm caaaake)Cookie Creative supplies moms and aspiring cookie decorators with themed packs, icing and basically all that you would need to get your cookie decorating skills on! I mean, how brilliant is a cookie decorating birthday party? Rowena can even put together cookie decorating gift boxes (party packs, yo!) for your guests. I love how creative and fresh this idea is.
The kit we received is called the ‘Ice Your Own Christmas Cookie Kit” and it costs a low R150 … and man, it’s worth every cent! The kit contains:12 Un-iced Gingerbread Cookies (Tree, Snowflake, Star, Stocking, Snowman, Sleigh, Baubles, Christmas Pudding, Present, Gingerbread Man and Holly Leaf )
4 Royal Icing Bags (Red, White, Green and Black)
2 Tubs of Sprinkles.
Karicurls thoroughly enjoyed trying out every single thing (yes, I meant she licked everything first) and we both had our hand at icing the cookies. The Christmas 2018 kits are so cute, friends! I mean you can even order edible gift tags (R120), edible Christmas cracker place names – love! (R80) and even Christmas cookie gift boxes that contain beautifully decorated cookies.If you’re looking for a fun activity for the kids to do on Christmas eve or Christmas morning, do check out the Cookie Creative website for fun ideas. (BTW, everything on this site is SO Instagram worthy… do it for the gram!)
WIN a COOKIE CREATIVE cookie decorating kit!
Want to win a Cookie Creative cookie decorating kit? To enter, simply follow the prompts below:
1. Find the specially marked post on Instagram and follow instruction to grab 1 entry.
2. Find the specially marked post on Facebook and follow instruction to grab 1 entry.Giveaway open to SA residents only. Winner announced on 21 December and has 24 hours to claim prize.
