Exploring Jozi- Melville's New 27 Boxes

This morning we explored the newly opened 27Boxes in Melville, a unique shopping centre which replaced an old abandoned park with shops made up almost entirely of shipping containers.

If the thought of shipping containers makes you picture dark and dingy, think again, while it is of course very hipster (as expected for the very Bohemian Melville area), this development is also very chic and trendy. It is surprisingly light, airy and colourful inside, contrary to expectations.

The development has a good mix of stores, ranging from designer clothing, jewellery and homeware to flowers, candles and art pieces. Oh and there is food, lots of food, from quirky takeaway stores, deli's and coffee shops to quaint little patisseries and a home-made ice-cream store. This is a foodie's dream. As expected, there are also stores that cater for those seeking food of the organic, green variety.The sweet aroma of coffee, waffles, macaroons, cronuts and cupcakes wafting through the air made me wish that I was not fasting today. 

My two favourite stores were a baby store upstairs, which had very cute little formal outfits for boys (something that is hard to find) and Krag Drag, an eclectic store downstairs with funny t-shirts and all sorts of proudly South African ware. I loved the Marie biscuit scatter cushions and Black Cat peanut butter chairs.

There is an outdoor area with an amphitheater which will apparently be used for live performances. There is also a little play area above the amphitheater, which was a bit on the sad side but looked like they were still busy working on it.

A couple of minor complaints- the centre is not particularly wheelchair or pram friendly, I had to leave the pram behind in the basement parking lot (which is made of brick and concrete by the way) to navigate the steep staircases up to the shopping levels. I am happy to see parking in the area though- we often frequent Bambanani just across the road and I always battled to find parking on the road.

Also, most of the shops are a bit on the pricey side, but I guess this is to be expected given their bespoke offerings.

It seems like work was still being done in some areas so it will be interesting to see what things are like when everything is done. One thing is for sure, this is nothing like your typical Johannesburg shopping center. 

Where to find it: 4th Avenue, Melville (aka the famous '7de Laan').

(Disclaimer: this is NOT a sponsored post and I am in no way affiliated with 27Boxes.)

An Epic Family Long Weekend in Jozi

This long weekend, Jozi WAHM and family decided to have a family fun weekend and explore what was on offer in Jozi. We decided to holiday in our own city and cram as much fun into the long-weekend as possible with a one-year old and four-year old in tow. Here are the highlights:

Friday:

The highlight for me was getting to sleep in late(ish), which never happens since Noodle and Squish are both early birds. Noodle slept over at granny's house and Squish had a bit of a rough night so he slept in the morning.

In the afternoon, after Friday prayers, a family bowling trip at the Zone, Rosebank was on the cards. I am not very good at bowling and have not been bowling in about seven years, but it was fun nevertheless (although I did spend much of the time running after Squish, who was determined to pick up bowling balls that are literally heavier than he is). Noodle loved the experience. They are able to modify the lanes to be quite kiddy friendly. Besides the child bumpers on the sides of the lanes, they have a contraption with an incline so that little ones with weak little arms can roll the balls with enough momentum to actually knock something. I appreciated the fact that the establishment did not force us to wear stinky bowling shoes. 

We also had a late lunch at Burger King. I was salivating at the Oreo pop-up shop directly across it but the idea of those long queues with two little ones was off putting.

The Zone, Rosebank

Saturday:

We decided we would spend a couple of hours at the Rand Show, another event we had not attended in several years. To our surprise, there was so much to keep us busy that we ended up spending the entire day.

We did a bit of shopping and were surprised to find quite a bit of free entertainment for the kids in the shopping halls- the Pirates Paradise (a big play area which had a variety of giant jumping castles and slides), putt putt, gingerbread making, lego's and even free popcorn and candyfloss. There were booths for kids to watch their favourite cartoons but I was relieved that this was not even requested by my kids. 

There were also fun learning experiences. The science hall had plenty of interesting things for kids to try and Noodle enjoyed the Sci-bono displays. Another hall had little roads for kids to learn road safety and also displays of police cars, ambulances etc, which Noodle found fascinating.

Top: An electric experiment | Bottom: Noodle successfully builds the tangram puzzle

The favourite for Squish was the animal farm and he enjoyed interacting with the animals and even a dog show. No surprise, the amusement park rides were also a big hit for both kids. 

By far the biggest highlight of the day was that Noodle and I went on a helicopter ride, which is something Noodle always said she would love to do one day (and something I had never tried before either). We promised her that we would take her if she walked through all the halls and she kept her end of the deal. I was worried that she might be frightened but she LOVED every second of it. The ride was very short but we had fantastic views over the south of Johannesburg. Okay, some of it is just mine dumps but the view of the FNB Stadium with the Johannesburg city centre as its backdrop was spectacular. 

Helicopter ride over Jozi at the Rand Show

Sunday:

On Sunday, A's family came over for lunch. Luckily, my sister-in-law, who is a great cook, offered to make the main course of chicken biryani, served with the traditional accompaniments of dahi  (a spicy sour milk sauce), papar (a spicy crisp) and achaar (spicy pickles). I did salads and desserts (cheesecake and chocolate mousse). I will post the recipe of my strawberry cheesecake, which always ends up being gobbled separately.

We do not celebrate Easter, being Muslim, but I must confess that we love scoffing down the easter eggs (any excuse for chocolate is good in my books).

In the evening we had family movie night at home (a tradition we do at least monthly) with a family friendly movie, lights dimmed and popcorn. It is rare that we find a movie that the kids like and that we can tolerate, but the evening's choice of Disney's 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day' fit the bill.

Monday:

The highlight of the day was a trip to the Sultan Bahu Fete, an annual event which is held every Easter weekend in Mayfair, Central Johannesburg as a fundraiser for Sultan Bahu's various social outreach projects (which include a children's home, a dialysis centre, feeding schemes, drug rehabilitation etc.)

It is pretty much like a smaller, Indian version of the Rand show (sans the hefty entrance fee), with lots and lots of bargain shopping and an amusement park (which is almost as big as the Rand Show one). Despite having large grounds, the turnout was massive this year, so it did get extremely crowded, which made it difficult to see all that was on offer at the flea market. After some shopping, Noodle went on even more amusement park rides (like she did not get her fill on Saturday). After some snacks, it was time to call it a day.

The Jozi WAHM's Guide to Budget Outings with Kids in Jozi

As school holidays near, moms who are at home will be tasked with keeping children busy and stimulated. While there is plenty to do at home, cabin fever is likely to ensue at some point and a few outings are needed for your own sanity. Some fun places to take the kids can be found here (at a fee). Unfortunately, most of us cannot afford to splurge on expensive outings everyday, so here are some ideas on places to go with your kids without breaking the bank.

The park

It may be hard to believe, but there are a few nice FREE parks scattered around Johannesburg if you search hard enough.  Look out for those that have undergone the City of Joburg's Extreme Park Makeover challenge. We have a park within walking distance which is okay, but some of our favourites are Mushroom Park in the middle of Sandton (opposite the Radisson Hotel) and Rose Park in Lenasia.

The great outdoors

Jozi was once said to be the greenest city with the most open areas in the world (I am not sure if that record still stands) and we have plenty of nature in the city. 

The Zoo Lake, Delta Park (both of which have amazing play areas), Emmarentia Dam and accompanying botanical gardens, the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, the Melville Koppies (which has weekend tours), the Bunny Park in Benoni and Rietvlei Dam in the south of Johannesburg are some that come to mind. 

Note: some of these charge a nominal entrance fee, while most are completely free (save for maybe some stale bread to feed ducks with).

Play area at Delta Park

Zoo Lake play area

The library

There is no better gift to a child than instilling a love of reading and a membership at your local municipal library is absolutely free for children and no longer even requires payment of a membership fee and will allow little ones to take out three books. Despite many of the books showing their age, there is a great variety of books to choose from and children will be happy with the selection.

One proviso- if your child is not old enough to stay quiet for a few minutes, a trip to the library is likely to earn you the stare of death for anyone seeking solitude there. While Noodle eagerly looks forward to library trips, I think it will still be a while until I am ready to brave a trip to the library with Squish.

Kid's Section at Emmarentia Library

Your local public swimming pools

We are lucky enough to have a pool at home, but if you do not, a trip to the local public swimming pool can be great fun for kids.

Ice-cream

 An ice-cream cone at franchises like KFC, Steers or McDonald's is still under R5. For most kids, a trip to get ice-cream is a treat in itself. 

Volunteering

For older kids, it is a good idea to get them involved in some kind of volunteer work, whether it be on a formal basis or even just helping out a neighbour. 

P.S. Jozi WAHM would love to here some of your suggestions for budget trips in and around Johannesburg, so please do share some of these in the comments section.

We are also now on Bloglovin and would love if you would follow us there.

The Jozi WAHM goes to the Johannesburg #MomBlogMeetup

MomBlog MeetUp at Free Range Lifestyle Centre, Fourways

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of  attending a mommy blogger get together at the Free Range Lifestyle Centre in Fourways. With good coffee and an amazing play area, this is another fabulous venue to add to my list of child friendly hangouts (I did not have the little ones with me but will have to go back with them).

A big thanks goes out to Laura Kim of Harassed Mom and Heather Step of SA Mom Blogs for arranging an inspirational, enjoyable and enlightening morning. Being relatively new to the blogging scene, it was wonderful to meet up with other blogging moms who have perfected the art of blogging and new friendships were forged.

Various guest speakers kept us captivated at the Olive Branch Cookery School within the center on various health and food related topics and I hope to share some of their insightful wisdom in posts to follow.

The icing on the cake was that bloggers were treated to exquisite goody bags filled to the brim with treats, courtesy of some wonderful sponsors (a massive thank you to Gumtree,Nuk, Babygroup, Babymoov, Beautiful Earth, Not Bread Alone, Fresh Culture Cafe, Ella's Kitchen, O-V Optics and various other generous sponsors for the amazing treats and vouchers).

I am sure everyone is already looking forward to the next one!

The Jozi WAHM's Quintessential Guide to Restaurants with Play Areas in Johannesburg

Our family loves food and with two energetic little ones, we do tend to spend some time at the many play areas Johannesburg has to offer. I thought I would put pen to paper on our experiences at some of them. 

Note: I know there are several other play areas around and have only mentioned some of the noteworthy ones that I have physically visited.

BAMBANANI 

 

4^th AVENUE MELVILLE

This eclectic and whimsical hide is first on the list, as it is my go-to sanctuary. The food is brilliant (I cannot say the same for all the child friendly eating places in Johannesburg). Their iced coffee milkshakes and lemon meringues are some of my favourites.  Most important, there are phenomenal indoor and outdoor play areas for the little ones. 

The outdoor section has an amazing multi-story jungle gym and there is a little role-play area with a child-sized fantasy house and shop, where Noodle is happy to spend hours. There are also lots of toys for babies and younger toddlers, which is lacking at similar establishments.

Indoors, there is sand art (at an additional fee), books, Playstation games and a fabulous oversized Barbie dollhouse- more than enough to keep kids busy on rainy days. They have caring and attentive childminders and the front gate is locked and you need to sign your kids in at the front gate and produce the correct slip to sign them out again. This (together with the free WIFI) makes it the perfect haven for me to catch up on a few emails while the kids are entertained and safe. The down side is that it can get quite busy and being on the main road in Melville, parking can also be a challenge. 

PAPACHINOS

CHRISTIAAN DE WET ROAD, RADIOKOP

Papachinos has several branches (I know that there are branches in Fourways, Morningside and others), but we frequent the Clearwater one. The outdoor restaurant area is colourful yet sophisticated. It has a lovely large outdoor play area, with an adorable motorbike track. Importantly, their food is great (I even know of friends without children who frequent this restaurant simply for the good food).

The childminders are not as attentive as at Bambanani though, so you do still need to keep an eye on your kids, which is difficult without following them around as the play area is quite big. There is usually someone at the front gate but I know of at least one child (not my own) who escaped alone into the busy parking lot alone.

LIFESTYLE GARDEN CENTRE

CNR YSTERHOUT AVE AND BEYERS NAUDE DRIVE, RANDPARK RIDGE

I usually get lost at the entrance of this centre, as I am drawn to the West Pack shop at the entrance, which sells a huge assortment of inexpensive but good quality storage accessories, toys, home ware, stationary and craft materials (which we love).

I digress. This centre, primarily a nursery, is also cloud nine for children as it also hosts a beautiful large kids play area, with a playground, funfair rides and even pony rides. There are a few good of eating places, the Silver Birch, Primi Piatti (which has its own play area, you do need to book in advance to sit anywhere close to the play area though) and Smooch. You will have to beg the kids to come home from here!

JIMMY’S KILLER PRAWNS

IMAGE LIFESTYLE CENTRE, CNR MINT ROAD AND CARR STREET FORDSBURG

As mentioned earlier, our family eats Halaal. Now, you may be familiar with Fordsburg (or Foodsburg as it has been dubbed), an Indian section of the inner city which has a lot of your standard food franchises but for a large part has been taken over by foreign business owners. Our family loves Fordsburg for its sheer variety of Halaal eating establishments. On the flipside, most of Fordsburg is dirty, parking is lacking and you get attacked by flocks of beggars. Also, most Halaal establishments have not cottoned on to the idea of providing entertainment for the little ones. 

The newly opened Jimmy’s is the exception. The Image Lifestyle venue is actually a wedding venue, so it boasts a beautiful green garden with fountains and delicate arches for taking those quaint wedding photo’s. Nestled within this oasis within the urban jungle, where you will forget that you are in Fordsburg, is the new Jimmy’s, which is wonderful for Alfresco dining and also boasts a large and pleasant play area and jumping castles. Their food also happens to be excellent.

SPUR

THE ZONE, OXFORD ROAD, ROSEBANK

This one obviously needs no introduction to any South African parent and is a standard option when eating out with our extended family. We opt for the Fordsburg, Rosebank or Trade Route Mall branches, due to Halaal dietary requirements (at most of the other places I have listed above we are limited to vegetarian or dessert options).

HEATHWAY SHOPPING CENTRE

BEYERS NAUDE DRIVE (JUST PAST CRESTA SHOPPING CENTRE)

There are two lovely new outdoor play areas at this centre. One belongs to the Spur at the Centre and the other one next to Smooch is accessible to anybody. This is great for a quick stop for frozen yoghurt while the kids burn off some energy and Smooch has some scooters which the kids can play with. 

ORANGO TANGO’S

NORTHCLIFF SHOPPING CENTRE, CNR MILNER AND BEYERS NAUDE DRIVE, NORTHCLIFF

This large indoor play area boasts a huge jungle gym, a smaller area for younger kids and lots of soft toys for the younger ones so there is plenty to keep the little ones entertained. Noodle, a bit of an adrenalin junkie, loved the enormous, very fast slide and Squish enjoyed the ball pits. 

Sadly, the restaurant area is uninspired (a bit like a big warehouse), the waitresses inattentive and the food mediocre. The bathroom lights were not working and I had to change a nappy in the dark. Their signage boasts an hourly and a daily rate but they seem to default to whichever works out more. They also have a bizarre rule that children have to wear socks and I had to fork out an additional sum for socks for my sandal-clad offspring. So, while the kids enjoyed it, I feel like there are other good options which are better value for money in the surrounding area.

YEESH

WOODMEAD COMMERCIAL PARK, WATERFALL CRESCENT, WOODMEAD

This one is hidden between all the factory shops. I cannot give a completely impartial view on this one as we did not stay very long, Noodle was cranky after a long day of shopping so I did not end up sampling the food here. It is a bit like Orango Tango, large and warehouse-like and the entrance fee feels a bit steep. The play areas are incredible though, and there are other craft activities for the kids at an additional fee.

RUMBLE JUNGLE

PANORAMA SHOPPING CENTRE, KLIPRIVIER ROAD, MULBARTON

I once went to this venue in the south of Johannesburg for a birthday party before Noodle was born and it was fabulous. However, on a more recent visit, the play area had shrunken and most of the entertainment was coin operated rides which you paid for in addition to the entrance fee. That being said, it is still fun for the kids and there is a Mugg and Bean coffee shop for the java deprived adults.

THE FOOD COURT, CLEARWATER MALL

CNR HENDRIK POTGIETER AND CHRISTIAAN DE WET ROADS, STRUBENS VALLEY

There is nothing exceptional about this one, but for some reason, this remains Noodle’s favourite play area and is slap bang in the middle of the busy shopping centre, offering a welcome break for the children after the tedium of shopping (did I mention that I love shopping?). A new McDonalds has opened right next to the play area so it is easy to watch your kids from there while having a milkshake or ice-cream.