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#ECMeetUp: Why we’re not inviting everyone
So as you guys may know, Ella and I host two #ECMeetUp blogger events each year. These events are basically a conference of sorts, for bloggers and social media influencer’s who are based in Nelson Mandela Bay. It’s our baby, but certainly wasn’t our idea… I mean, the Jozi and Capetonian bloggers have been hosting similar meet ups, probably since, like, the beginning of time. Or maybe a little bit after that. Anyways, not the point. The point is that we really love hosting this event… it has become a highlight on our calendar of life (so dramatic, always) and we get excited for every ECMeetUp. But, this time around, yoh, it’s become something else altogether. I mean, for starters, we’re not inviting everyone.
*pause for emphasis*
Okay that was me breaking out my inner Stephanie Forester because keeping people in suspense is so not my jam. Anyways, yeah, I said it, this meet up is not for everyone. Allow me to explain:At our big meet up (we casually call the May event the “big meet up”, and the end of year event, the “mini meet”) we open up the guest list to PR reps, brands and even peeps who are interested in blogging but may not have a blog at the moment. It’s a great way to encourage networking, within these circles. I mean, it’s all about “meeting up”, as the name would imply.
But this time – oh this time! We’d like to focus on blogger-to-blogger networking. Yes, that means, we want to get to know you guys man! And we want you guys to get to know each other too. I mean, blogging (much like any competitive industry) can become pretty ugly. But the one thing that makes us EC Bloggers remarkably different from the rest (sorry South Africa) is that we are PE girls/guys… we love people (for the most part) and we’re really good at community (when we aren’t in a bad mood because someones car got stuck on the N2 AGAIN).
Guys, we’re stronger when we work together. And while I’m not saying that we should be all up in each other’s faces all the time, I do think that being supportive and encouraging (or atleast, just decent human beings) towards each other, will go a long way towards building the blogging scene within the Eastern Cape. I mean, if you’re all for wanting to actually get to know the other bloggers in our region, I do recommend that you come and do that! We won’t bite, I promise.
Other highlights about our upcoming meet up:
1. No goodie bags. Instead, we’d like to give you a Christmas gift, thanks to some of our fave brands, who promised not to send nick-nacks. We’re also trying to plan a little somethin’ somethin’ that will help you kick start your 2019!
2. No long speeches and no long talks. In fact, we want to encourage you to talk to EACH OTHER. Ahhh a brave, bold new concept!
3. A lekker time to dress up, take cute photos, enjoy some festive spirit (read: food and music) and just soak up the ambiance of the most magical season of the year! Yes, I love Christmas, okay?!
4. A chance to #sharethelove, by bringing along a toy to sponsor to the Project Hope children. Project Hope is an organisation that feeds more than 100 disadvantaged children in the Northen Areas of Port Elizabeth.
5. Okay there isn’t really a number 5 but I just want to say that it’s going to be legit, man!So what do you think, EC Blogger? Are you in? Tickets cost R200, and includes a yummy three course meal from Bonamia, Walker Drive. Bonamia is actually owned by a fellow blogger too! So that’s a double win for us!
You are welcome to rsvp with myself or Ella. Tickets must be paid by November 25. We are only reserving 30 seats this time around, so I do urge you to make sure to rsvp as soon as possible!
Looking forward to getting all festive with ya!
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Giving up is the worst thing
Hands up if you enjoy feeling like a loser. Yes, I see that ‘LOL’, I get it, no one enjoys feeling like a loser. But alas, the world is a fickle place and even if you have all your metaphorical ducks in a row, chances are you pretty much won’t win in every single area of your life, every single time. I mean, we clutch… we flop… we fail. We fall down (take a nap) and get back up again. It’s part of the process. I’m talking about the nap, but yes, the failing is important too. I mean, the failing kinda makes us great.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. And I hear you, girl. You’re thinking, hey Luchae, you shouldn’t be telling ladies that they should aim to fail. What sort of a demented psychopath are you?!
Well, firstly, calm down Harriet, there’s no need for name calling. And secondly, you’re right doll face, you should not be aiming to fail. But if you’re expecting things to be rosy and perky all the time, you’re in for a treat. And by “treat” I mean “rude awakening”.
I experienced an, uhm, rude awakening of this nature the other day and it was not pretty. I totally didn’t even put it on Instagram – it was that ugly. This rude awakening was so rude that it made me feel like giving up. Why bother continuing on this journey, if I’m doing a bad job, right?
And in that moment, I realized what those famous, clever people meant when they said that failure isn’t falling down, it’s refusing to get back up. Giving up is the worst thing.
In my moment of rude awakening, I had to remind myself of this truth. I had to pep talk Luchae into not giving up on, well, Luchae. And then I literally had to pull myself up, and make a mental decision to continue moving towards my God-given destiny… regardless of what was happening on the battlefield.
You see, the way you handle yourself during the battle reveals your true character. This is the stuff that character is made out of. It all forms part of your story. And if you consider the journey, winning or losing isn’t really thaaaat important. In fact I’ll even go as far as to say that every loss is actually a lesson anyways – our flops are actually stepping stones to something greater.
So as I sat there, staring at the very thing that was making me feel as if I suck at life, I decided to pop my collar and do what I do best. No, not eat chips and chocolate at the same time. Instead of wallowing in self pity, I decided to take the bundle of poop that is the situation and magically turn it into a bowl of ice-cream, by adding a dash of positivity, a dollop of forgiveness and a sprinkle of good intention. (I’m sorry, i don’t know why poop and ice-cream is in the same sentence).
I would be a nana head if I allowed this perceived failure to decide how I feel about myself and my future. And anyways, it does not mark the end of the road. It’s a detour. And my favorite thing about a detour (besides for stopping for a snack) is the uncharted terrain that we get to explore, as we navigate towards our destination.
I don’t know why I’m sharing this today. Maybe somebody out there on the interwebs, needs to read it. So if it’s you… if you’re sitting with a massive hurt or failure, on your heart right now… please know that your ending is far more beautiful than you can imagine. Don’t give up now.
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#dateyourspouse at Isango Gate Boutique Hotel
My Hubstopher is a man of great adventure, always willing to try anything. So, for our October date night, I surprised him with his first ever spa experience! I mean, even though the guy doesn’t like to be touched (by people other than his beautiful wife, cough), he seriously needed to unwind. So I booked a Couples Bliss package at Isango Gate Boutique Hotel and knew that I had struck gold! (Plus, it helped that it was his birthday.. because I could call him old, if he didn’t want to do it.)
The Couples Bliss package at Isango Gate Spa comprises of a 90 minute treatment package that will leave you and your spouse feeling relaxed and definitely in the mood for romance. Wink wink, nudge nudge. The package includes a Rasul ceremony, a back, neck and shoulder massage and a Jacuzzi session, complete with champagne and privacy!
With a beautiful setting, Isanga Gate Spa is a haven of well-being. The staff are friendly without being too invasive… I mean, all your focus should be on your spouse. Needless to say, we especially enjoyed the privacy because, what is a date if we’re going to have an audience every step of the way? The Rasul ceremony is a traditional Arabian cleansing ritual, involving steam and in some cases, mud. The Isango Gate spa Rasul chamber is a small steam room, lit up by a starry sky (ala tiny lights, in the lowered ceiling), that make it really romantic.The back, neck and shoulder massage was Hubtopher’s favorite thing because he had a tense neck situation and really needed expert hands to loosen the knots. I really enjoyed the outdoor Jacuzzi session. It was so tranquil and relaxing, being able to talk to each, and honestly just enjoy being close to each other, without an onslaught of “mommy where’s my” questions. The Couples Bliss package costs R800 altogether (yep, both you and your spouse!)
The Couples Escape package is a 180 minute treatment package, that includes all of the above, a salt scrub and a mud wrap, with a full body massage. This package costs R1200.
Once the pamper was complete, we joined the wonderful Isango Gate staff at the Penda Pendu Restaurant for a 3 course dinner. The setting is beautiful, opening up onto the deck, with a view of the lovely infinity pool. The food was exquisite you guys. And we love eating, so this says a lot! Chris had the lamb shank and I enjoyed the stuffed chicken roulade that was served with a bacon and blue cheese beurre. Devine and totally worth the spoil! The total cost of our meal (including starters and dessert, excluding drinks) came to about R500.
If you’re looking to stay at Isango Gate Boutique Hotel, these tastefully designed suites will not disappoint! The hotel boasts fine linen, the epitome of luxury and all the modern facilities that one would need. The rooms are massive and the setting is simply stunning. Staycation anyone?
If you’re looking to splurge a little, the Couples Package Special is something to look into. The special is valid until the 10th December and includes a stay in one of their luxurious double rooms, a full English breakfast and a 30 minute back, neck and shoulder massage, all for R2400 per couple, per night.
Our night together, at Isango Gate, was like a breath of fresh air. I mean, life gets in the way, and we sometimes need to be reminded to see each other as lovers, and not just partners. I dare you to book that special spa treatment, for you and your spouse!
Isango Gate Boutique Hotel
Atmosphere and Ambience: Tranquil and private
Service: Friendly, accommodating staff
Facilities: Stunning
Cost: Can get pretty pricey, but so worth it
Contact them: Website / Email / FacebookHeader image and image of the spa courtesy of Isango Gate Boutique Hotel
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#dateyourspouse without leaving your house
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Manage those curls with Johnson’s Baby Soft and Shiny
If you frequent these here parts, you’ll know that my girl is the curliest girl in all the world! Yes, that’s me being poignant and poetic (and biased). Truthfully though, my curly girl’s hair has presented itself as a major challenge for this sleek-haired mom. I spent the longest time without a cooking-clue as to what I can and can’t use on her hair.
So when Johnsons Baby sent me their Soft and Shiny range, for tight curls and dry hair, I was keen to give it a go. I had tried the product when she was a bit younger (with a lot less hair to manage and a lot less attitude to deal with). So I was extremely curious to see what the new formulation would be like and if it would work on her growing bush of curls.
I mean, Johnson’s Baby is definitely a name you can trust (hello, more than 100 years of tried and tested, quality product!). The new Soft and Shiny formula promises to provide extra moisture for dry hair. It contains glycerin which is said to help with cleansing and moisturising your kiddies hair, without drying it out. And as you may know, the special Johnson’s Baby NO MORE TEARS® formula is gentle to the eyes, which is especially helpful.I gave it a go on Kari’s otherwise very dry hair. The Johnson’s Baby Soft and Shiny Shampoo and Conditioner worked excellently as a hair cleanser, creating a nice amount of foam and leaving her hair smelling fresh and baby soft. Since her hair is really dry, I do have to use a hair oil or hair mask often, to get that extra dollop of moisture. My Jojo, however, has a mop of soft curls and I’m loving that his curls are more defined after using this shampoo.
The Johnson’s Baby Soft and Shiny Easy Comb Spray makes navigating through Kari’s knots, that much easier! I actually use this on her hair, in the morning, while styling. The spray nozzle distributes product evenly and I love that there is no build up, even after using the product for a few days. It really does make her hair more manageable. This one is a winner!
You can check out what she had to say about it in the video below:
This blog post was done in collaboration with Johnson’s Baby.
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7 Easy Nail Art Tutorials
I use to have a favorite thing to do, in the privacy of my room, when no one was watching. No, not sing karaoke, with a hair brush for a mic. Who do you think I am, Susan? Seriously. *cough* Nay, my hobby was to practice doing fancy nail art tricks on myself. For a long time I had the aspiration to be a world famous nail artist, who, you know, did Beyonce’s nails inbetween shows, and stuff. That dream has since passed (and the crowd goes: “yayy”) because, let’s face it, I was pretty putrid at nail art. And I’m just not patient enough to sit and do Beyonce’s nails. Or any other person’s actually. But I mean, if I could turn down Beyonce, that says a lot.
Anyways, in my years of attempting to do my own nails, I picked up quite a few easy nail art tutorials that really helped me. I mean, honestly, they don’t require a lot of brain work and you can literally do them with stuff you find in the kitchen. But, while going through my blog posts the other day, I found a bunch of them and was like, “hey, I really should share this with the world… again…” So, I’m re-sharing them with you guys. Please don’t laugh. But if you really have to, atleast scroll through your phone randomly, and pretend to be laughing for something else. Here are 7 easy nail art tutorials:
Newspaper Nail ArtI share this tutorial often because it’s probably the one that I am most pleased with. Newspaper print makes for excellent nail art and all you need is some strips of newspaper and a bowl of water. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Plus it looks really cute on shorter nails. How’s that for a score? Read more…
Glitter Nail ArtIf you’re looking to score some trendy points, without really doing much, how about giving this glitter mani a go. Simply apply your fave glitter polish on the bottom edge of your nails (I prefer dabs, not strokes) and ta daaaa! Instant stardom. Read more…
Nail Art using Holostripes
This is another favorite of all my nail tuts, because I once again show that you don’t need an expensive nail polish in order to get the best results! These Pretty Paints cost like, 25 bux, and are stunning! Worried about premature chipping? With the right base coat and top coat, you can extend your mani life. Read more…
Polka Dot Nail Art
One of my proudest mani moments (which says a lot about my capacity to do nail art) was when I figured out how make these pretty polka dots, using a hair grip. I know, right?! Genius, Papa! Check out this tut to see how I did it. Read more…
The Sponge Effect
I once took a kitchen sponged (a new one, duh) and tried to do some nail art with it. The result? Meh. BUT it did inspire this little beaut. What do you think? Would you try something like this? The tutorial features a matte paint, but I think it would look better with a glossy finish. Read more…
Leopard Print Nail ArtIf you’re looking to channel your inner Jersey Shore, how about this leopard print manicure? All you need is… well, love… but also, a koki pen (fiber tip marker)! Don’t worry, your base coat, and polish, will protect your nail from the koki and it comes off in a jiffy. Read more…
The Scribbled Look
One of my more, uh, higher grade tutorials include using a plastic baggie. That’s right girl! I said plastic bag! What do you think about this scribbled nail art though? You could literally do any pattern but my mommy-brain did not allow for it. Read more…
So what do you guys think? Which of these would you try?
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#dateyourspouse: I mean, if you like being married, and stuff
Hands up if you’re married and you love your spouse but if someone had to ask you to describe your marriage using one word, you would say: “Ehhh”. Firstly, eh is not a word, but we’ll talk about that later, Sarah. Secondly, you are not alone, my friend!
I’m a big girl, so I don’t mind telling you guys that up until a few weeks ago, my marriage was a bit on the shaky side. And it’s not even because we were fighting the whole time. No sir, it was more a case of us living past each other and not really connecting because, dude, life is crazy when you have four kids! But hey, I’m not out here trying to blame the cray on the kideos. We’re both super busy… so busy that we had lost the art of keeping that fire burning, if you know what I mean.
Anyways, after an especially disconnected week of us barely speaking and, honestly, not even touching each other, I knew that something needed to be done. And this is how the #dateyourspouse campaign was birthed.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Luchae, why must you start a whole friggen campaign, all because you want to rekindle that marital fire with your husband?! Geez, calm down woman!” (Okay that last part was me talking to myself.)
Well, firstly, have you seen the abundance of marriage related posts that I’ve got going on here?! It’s one of my favorite topics for some reason. Hubstopher seems to think it’s because I enjoy talking about him.
Secondly, I thought to start a whole campaign around the idea because I love sharing resolutions and new routines on the blog. Honestly guys, it’s a great way to stay accountable because I have all of you to keep me in check, because I’m kinda not good with sticking to new things.
But, lastly, and more importantly, I realized (after chatting to a few wives who felt exactly the same way I did) that this ‘stranger in my house’ phenomenon is pretty common around us married folk. We’re so good at putting our marriage on the back burner for, well, insert any other area of your life here. The #dateyourspouse campaign is basically a way to encourage all you other hot mamas/papas to, yep you guessed it, date your spouse – with intention!
It’s more than just a going for a quick bite. Nope. It’s about committing to a regular date night (monthly? bi-weekly?) and actually putting effort into making sure that you connect with your spouse on more than just a “but when you fed the dog, did you use the big scoop or the small scoop?” level.The #dateyourspouse campaign will obviously include giveaways, because I enjoy having my Oprah moment every now and then. I will also be reaching out to experts in the field, and regular peeps like you and I, who will share tips with us. And I’ll be doing reviews of the cool date night venues and experiences that are available. I mean, if you’re anything like me, you never leave your house. The #dateyourspouse review section will serve as a “what’s hot” guide complete with pics, ratings and even the cost (because mama’s got to budget).
I want to encourage you to join me on this journey, friends. Book that babysitter and set aside that one night of the month for you and your spouse. I promise, you will reap the rewards… in more ways than one.
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Calm down, your Facebook is probably not hacked
Can you calm down with the frantic status updates… your Facebook is probably not hacked, Margaret. Seriously. It’s all one big hoax and by re-sharing bogus information, you’re kinda just making it worse.
The bogus message usually goes along the lines of: “Hi….I actually got another friend request from you yesterday…which I ignored so you may want to check your account. Hold your finger on the message until the forward button appears…then hit forward and all the people you want to forward too….I had to do the people individually. Good Luck.”
This is just a hoax, you guys. It was probably started to cause fear/chaos. I’m sure most of you are aware of the cloning scam that had been rife in previous months. But Facebook officials say that there has been no serious increase of cloned accounts. (I’ve added links to various articles below.)
For those who don’t know, the Facebook cloning scam takes place when someone steals your profile photo and other information, to create a phony Facebook profile. The scammer sends friend requests to your friends list (using the fake profile), and uses the fake account to send scam messages. This is not the same as hacking your account, since the scammer does not have your log in details. They are basically just making a fake profile, to scam your friends/family with. Not cool, I know.
To check if your account has been cloned, do a Facebook search, using your name. If more than one profile appears, chances are, you’ve been cloned. Simply click on the “Report this profile” button and the account will be removed in 24 hours.
How to protect your Facebook account from cloningI’m sure that after receiving the gazillion messages urging you to not accept duplicate friend requests, you’re kinda wondering if you should be doing something towards making your Facebook profile a bit more protected. Fair enough. Here are a few safety measures that you can put in place, to safe guard your Facebook account:
1. Do a “Privacy Checkup” by clicking on the “Lock” icon on the top right of your Facebook profile. You want to make sure that all your information is set to “Friends” or “Only Me” to ensure that scammers (who are not friends with you on Facebook) cannot see your information. So yes, that means making sure that none of your privacy settings are set to “Public“.
2. Once you’ve done that, double check that your Facebook information is not set to “Public“. Open accounts are easy targets for those dreaded cloning scammers. To change this click at the top right of any Facebook page and choose “Settings“. Select “Privacy” from the left menu.
3. Hide your friends list so that those naughty scammers can’t see who you are friends with. To do this, open your profile, click on “Friends” and then click on the pencil icon on the right hand side to “Edit Privacy“. Make sure to select the “Only me” option in the “Who can see your friends list” drop down.
4. A biggie for me (since someone actually stole my pics and pretended to be me for, like, years) is the privacy settings on your photos. Even though Facebook won’t allow you to hide your Profile and Cover pics, you can still safeguard your albums by selecting the audience for each image, individually. (This kinda tackles the whole “should I share my kids photos on social media” worry as well.) You can also select the audience for albums as well.
5. Don’t accept Friend Requests from people you don’t know! I think this speaks for itself.
6. Once you’ve updated your privacy settings, you can view your profile as “Public” to see what your Facebook looks like to somebody who is not on your friends list. simply click the “Lock” icon and then click on “Who can see my stuff.” Then choose “View as” to see what the public sees when they view your timeline.
7. Once you are happy that your Facebook has been safeguarded against prying eyes, tell your friends how to do this too! I mean, sure it feels great to share a frantic status update, with the hopes that you are protecting loved ones against possible scammers. But it’s does nothing except cause havoc and a misinformed public.
Rather arm your friends and fam with info on how to protect themselves against possible scammers! Yes you may do so by resharing this post. You’re welcome.
For more information check out these articles:
What is Facebook cloning and how can I protect myself from it
Warnings of cloned accounts going viral
How to tell if your Facebook has been hacked
Your Facebook account has not been cloned -
The 5 most embarrassing things I’ve said on my blog
If you’ve met me on any given day, you’d know that I am super good at being spontaneous… in an awkward way. Like that time when someone, at a local conference, asked me where I’m from (referring to the company I work for), and I replied with “Port Elizabeth”. Duh. Anyways, so I’ve seen this awkward spontaneity spill over into my blog. Most days I’m pretty okay with it, because I figure it makes for interesting reading, if anything. But sometimes its so awkward that my close friend would call me and be like: “I can’t believe you blogged about THAT!” Maybe it’s bravery. Maybe it’s stupidity. Maybe it’s because I type these things up at 1am, while trying to avoid the need to munch down on carbs. Whatevs. It is what it is. So, because I seem to like drama, I’m adding fuel to the awkward, by reminding you guys of some of the most embarrassing things I’ve said on my blog. You ready? Okay, great. Here they are:
I shouldn’t be alive
For my birthday, one year, I decided to chat about the many near-death experiences I’ve had. Some of you called it inspiring. Others sipped on their tea, enjoying the cringe-factor, while reading my personal stories of stupidity. One post, in particular, really sparked alot of interest. The post was titled “I shouldn’t be alive… I could have been aborted.” In the post, I shared about my moms teen pregnancy experience and how she could have chosen to have me aborted. This post meant alot to me because I pretty much went through the exact same experience and now have a wonderful Kyle to show for it. I know that it’s a sensitive topic and it was a bit of a personal share, but I don’t regret it one bit.
Letting him be the man
One year, for women’s month, I wrote a post called “letting him be the man on Women’s Day“. The post was meant to encourage wives to, you know, honor their husbands etc. It basically spoke about how I rely on my own Hubstopher and how much I ENJOY that I can rely on him. In retrospect, the post was great and all that, but totally did not hit the nail on the head, in terms of Women’s Month and the kind of stuff that we are going through, as females in a male-dominated world. A few days after I had posted it, I went back to re-read it (as one does, when one has a psychotic spreadsheet brain) and I just cringed the whole day after that. I’ve decided to leave it up anyways. And now I’m telling you guys about it. So there’s it.
Discrimination in my life
One of my posts is called “When discrimination has nothing to do with race or gender” and speaks about how I often felt discriminated against, because of my religion. Now, firstly, I’m not embarrassed to call myself a born-again Christian. I’m very proud of it. But I must admit, I did feel a bit awkward, posting about such a rife topic. I don’t get into debates about religion or politics, just as a simple rule of thumb. You want to know more? I don’t mind answering questions. But I don’t stir up the offense-pot, if you know what I mean. So this post took a lot of guts to write… and post… and now talk about. Aaack.
Not coping
My “Four kids later and I’m not coping” post was so painful to write, you guys! It was so embarrassing to share the fact that I feel like I’m failing at life. But my blog is my therapy, to a degree, and I needed to put those words somewhere. I was so thankful for the kind messages you guys sent me… the ones that told me I’m not the only one feeling overwhelmed and that I’m doing a good job etc. You guys rock. Truth be told, I STILL don’t feel as if I’m coping. And I wonder if I ever will. I guess we never do… feel like we’re coping, that is. Unless you’re like, Beyonce and Oprah is your mother and she’s married to Nelson Mandela.
His ex is not psycho
So my “his ex is not psycho” got a lot of attention and I had to basically clear up that, hello, I’m not talking about anyone specific. Well, I mean, besides for the specific person that I mention in the post and even so, I feel like I was vague enough for it to not affect the parties involved. Anyways, it was a bit of an embarrassing situation for me, since I am friends with my own ex’s and I realized that the post may have painted them in a bad light. Sometimes a topic really hits home – but is not necessarily something that I have first hand experience with. It kinda made me realize that some people may mistake a blog post as a bit of an upgrade on a subliminal status update. Which is not always the case, I promise.But hey, to be honest you guys, I love that I get to share some of my crazy with you. I do it with the hopes that you can relate and find some sort of solace or inspiration through my story. Or that it’s helped you to take a break from your own crazy world, and have a good ol’ chuckle. Again, thank you for reading.
Without you, I’m just out here monologue-ing and staring into space like a Forester. Thank you for being the beautiful to my bold. (<— that totally just happened by itself and guess what I’m going to leave it there. Embarassing for what?!)
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Your children are watching you
Your children are watching you. Yes, that sounds like the synopsis of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Ooooooooh.
Okay, my cryptic opening line may have you scratching your head and reaching for your phone to scroll through Instagram. Sorry, Candice. I was having a moment. But now that I’ve pulled myself towards myself, allow me to explain.
The other night I realised that my kids were watching my behavior. In a nutshell: one of my kids let slip that they could see how annoyed I was “the other day”. I literally did a double take, because, dude, I wasn’t annoyed on that day. Maybe it’s just my face. Seriously.
But it got me thinking: maybe my spreadsheet brain (aka the way I run my household) comes across as being annoyed or angry all the time. When, in retrospect, I’m just trying to get chores done so that we can all chill!
But what do the kids see?
What do they see when I’m annoyed with hubby (even though I’m low-key not thaaaat angry). Or when the lady bumps her trolley into mine at the supermarket, and I give her a death stare. Or when I come home from work, ready to vent and end up speaking so much nonsense about my co-worker because she deserves it.
What type of “normal” am I instilling in my kids?
I had this revelation a few years ago that as wives and women in our homes, we set the tone and the atmosphere, to a large extent. I guess this varies from home to home, so I can only speak for myself but I do believe that as a mom and wife, you have the power to manipulate the energy in your house. And your response to a situation is the best teaching tool for your kid.Last night, for example, “someone” (okay, fine, it was me) had forgotten to buy electricity (we have one of those box things). So we sat in the dark for like an hour. When the power shot off, I could feel that anger bubbling. Man, I was so pissed off at myself AND my Hubstopher, because he was meant to remind me to get the electricity token.
It was one of those moments of anger where I didn’t feel like caring what everyone else was going through. I just wanted to bathe in my anger, as if it were a bed of roses, and pretend I was Madonna.
But the atmosphere at home was already pretty somber, since we had to sit around and wait while Hubstopher drove around trying to find an outlet that was “online” to get the electricity token. And that’s when I had one of those “a-ha” moments where I remembered that I have the power to change the atmosphere in my home. This was a teaching moment. So instead of acting cray, I gathered my kids and we sang songs together. Literally, a whole karaoke experience, in the dark. It was the best time!
The night could have turned out so differently and I probably would have gone to bed hating on my hubby and knowing that my kids are walking on eggshells because mom is angry. Instead, they (hopefully) learnt a lesson in “taking da lemons and making da lemonade.” (Totally said that with a Jamaican accent).
Anyways, what’s my point? Well, I guess my point is that sometimes all we need to do is take a breath and ask ourselves: “how do I want this to turn out?” and “how can I positively impact the atmosphere in my home”. And, more importantly: “what do I want my kids to see?”
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Celebrate the festive with a gingerbread house kit!
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Whaaat? I mean, it’s October, it’s time to take out the Christmas decorations, right?! Okay, fine, I’ll curb my enthusiasm for a few more weeks. But while we outchere talking about Christmas, I need to tell you guys about the amazing Gingerbread House Kit my missy and I tried out the other day. That’s right… a gingerbread house kit! It’s okay you can “aaack”, I’ll wait.
Have you composed yourself yet? Great.
When Gingerbread House Kit contacted me, asking if we’d like to give one of their kits a go, I was like, heck to the yeah! You guys know how much I love Christmas! I’ve always wanted to build a gingerbread house. I feel like it’s such a festive thing to do, and I have to do all the festive things! Have to!But like, who has the time (or recipe) to build a gingerbread house that is sturdy enough to withstand tiny, prodding fingers? Also, I don’t keep things like icing sugar in my cupboards. (Don’t look at me like that Patricia. It’s a free country.)
Anyways, the gingerbread house kit comes with basically all of that and then some! The all-inclusive kit contains pre-baked panels (that are lekker solid AND yummy… yes, I tasted), assorted candy’s for decoration, icing AND a piping bag (because, guess what Patricia, I don’t own a piping bag either!)
I did make the mistake of not making my icing thick enough… lesson learnt! This is why I don’t bake, yo. But once we had our icing at the right consistency, we were good to go! The kids totally enjoyed adding the décor. We munched down on it soon thereafter (because who has the time to sit around looking at cake) and I must say I was pleased to find that the panels are not dry or hard, even though it is pretty solid.
You can purchase your very own gingerbread house kit online, at the crazy prize of R249. Email Trish for more deets – she is super helpful!
WIN a Gingerbread House Kit!
So how about it… want to win a gingerbread house kit to try out with your kideos? GREAT! JustEllaBella and I are giving TWO kits away! AACK! To enter, simply find the specially marked post (clue: it looks like the pic below) on Facebook and/or Instagram and follow the instruction. (If you do this on both our accounts, that’s FOUR entries, yo!)
