NickFest is Coming to Jozi!!!

We are super excited to announce that the great people at Nickelodeon are bringing the Nickfest Festival to the Globe at Silverstar on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2015 for what is promised to be 'the most fun your family will ever have'. 

I don't know about you, but my children love characters like Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I know that they will absolutely love going to this event. Noodle is obsessed with Dora in particular. I also love the fact that this event supports such a worthy charitable cause.

According to our friends at Nickelodeon:

"Kids and family favourite Nickelodeon (DStv channel 305) is teaming up with Tsogo Sun and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust to stage its first ever family-centric festival, NickFest, in Johannesburg at The Globe at Silverstar on Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 June.

NickFest will thrill kids and parents alike with its unique combination of live music from SA A-listers, character shows and appearances by Nickelodeon superstars SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Packed with fun and interactivity, NickFest promises a fabulous day out for kids of all ages and their families, with designated activities for pre-schoolers, primary school kids, tweens and teens. And of course there’ll be lots of Nickelodeon’s trademark slime– tons and tons of gooey green stuff… in the awesome Slime Area!

A favourite with SA kids, Nickelodeon currently broadcasts three 24-hour kids channels in SA: Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons. Nickelodeon consistently ranks as the number one kids and family channel on premium pay-TV in South Africa, thanks to award-winning, ratings-beating programming that puts kids first, including “The Nickelodeon Kids’s Choice Awards”*, “SpongeBob SquarePants”, “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn”, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “The Thundermans”. Attracting 170,000 viewers per day, Nickelodeon’s viewership is up by 41 percent over the same time last year due to its compelling mix of classic, character-driven shows and a vibrant new programme slate.

During the 2 day festival, NickFest will welcome more than 4,000 kids and families to The Globe, with the site totally transformed into a‎ Nickelodeon wonderland. Two shows will be held on both days at 10:00 am and 14:00 pm. Details of performers will be released shortly.

Commented Tasania Parsadh, Senior Channel Manager, Nickelodeon, Africa, “We are delighted to bring NickFest to South Africa, providing a unique, fun-filled day out for kids and their parents to enjoy together. And, as a brand that prides itself of putting ‘Kids First’, we are donating a portion of the proceeds from the event to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust to help ensure South African children have access to improved healthcare facilities.”

In partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust, NickFest will also feature The Celebrity Slime Challenge in which well-known celebrities will get doused in slime to raise funds for the charity, which is currently constructing the second paediatric hospital in South Africa, in Parktown, Johannesburg.

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital began construction in April 2014, and is targeted to open in the second half of 2016. The Trust continues to fundraise towards its R1 billion target, of which R620 million has been raised. “It is with support and donations from partners such as NickFest, as well as the public that we look forward to Madiba’s wish becoming a reality. And we look to the global community to continue supporting this project, which will improve children’s health for generations to come,” said Sibongile Mkhabela, CEO of Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust.

Speaking on behalf of Silverstar, Sanele Ntombela, Marketing Manager, commented, “As West Rand’s Number 1 entertainment destination, Silverstar is excited to team up with Nickelodeon for the inaugural NickFest. This fantastic, family celebration is the perfect fit for Silverstar’s family oriented profile.”

Commented Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa, “We are very excited to launch NickFest in South Africa as it also forms part of our festivities to celebrate VIMN’s 10th year and the 10 channels we have launched in Africa.”

Tickets for NickFest go on sale week commencing 11 May 2015 via Computicket, priced R110 per person (entrance free for children under 2). Ten percent of funds from ticket sales will be donated towards the construction of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.

For more information on NickFest please go to www.nickelodeon.com, join us on Twitter @NickAfrica and on Instagram @Nickelodeon_Africa, or like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NickelodeonAfrica. To join the conversation about NickFest use the hashtag #NickFest."

  

Are you going to NickFest this year? I know that we are certainly looking forward to it!

Five Things That I Really Love Right Now

My most treasured things are of course those things that you cannot place a price tag on- my family, friends, beliefs, values and memories. 

That being said, these are some of my current favourite shop-bought fixes.

(This is not a sponsored post and none of the items listed below have been sponsored in any manner or form.)

LINDT HELLO CHOCOLATE

All Lindt chocolate is delicious of course, but their new Hello Line is particularly indulgent. My husband is wise enough to know this and got me one of each flavour for Mother's Day. So far the strawberry shortcake and caramel brownie flavours are winners.

CONVERSE WEDGE HEELS

Now shorties like me can look casual, funky and laid back while still getting a height boost. People either love or hate these but for me it is true love.

DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE MUFFINS

The double chocolate and orange muffins from Food Lover's Market are the yummiest I have tasted, especially if you happen to get them hot out of the oven. (Their panini rolls are also amazing).

FELT TIPPED LIQUID EYELINER PENS

The only make-up item I cannot go without is eyeliner and the new felt-tipped liquid liner make application super easy for those of us that do not have the time or inclination to spend hours on make-up. I like the Essence brand with the super-fine tip, which is inexpensive and easy to find but works well. 

METALLIC SHARPIES

I am sure these have been out for a while but they are my newest toy and are just so cool. They are like regular permanent markers but waterproof, with a metallic finish and work on most surfaces (even black ones). The possibilities are endless! I hope to post some of my experiments with these soon.

Why I Never Post Pics of My Kids Online

Some of you may be wondering why my children, Noodle and Squish, feature so prominently on this blog, yet there are no photo's of them here. Yes, they really exist and no they are not butt ugly -in fact, in my (only slightly biased) mommy opinion they are exceptionally good looking and cute.

I completely understand the appeal of posting those innocent baby photographs- there is something about the joy and innocence captured in these pictures that makes parents swell with pride and rush to share these with the world. You want to share your happiness, the funny moments and all those special milestones. However, each share of these moments shared may have unforeseen consequences and this really worries me.

Even before I began blogging, when A and I had children, we made a decision from day one that we would not be posting pictures of them on social media. Back then, our social media influence extended primarily to Facebook. Despite personally knowing each of my few hundred contacts, some are former school friends that I had not seen in decades, random work colleagues etc. Who knows if any of them are in fact undercover paedophiles or child traffickers? In addition, Facebook is constantly changing its terms of use and privacy settings- who knows where these images will pop up in twenty years from now.

I think few people realise the permanence of images on the web. Every time you post pictures online, these are stored, with the potential for anyone to access these at a later time. Your child, too young to consent to his or her pictures flooding the internet, already has an online history, some of which he or she may not want shared with the world at a later date. As the guardian, for the time-being, of your child's online identity, you have a responsibility towards them. Maybe I am just a paranoid mom, but there are sicko's out there. Each little piece of information may unlock one piece of a puzzle in a criminal's pursuit at untoward activity, whether it be child trafficking or identity theft. Even corporate mining of information may have undesired consequences (yes, true fact, our larger corporates really do have intelligence centres that already know more about us than we do). We already have geo-tracking and facial recognition technology. Who knows what further information may be gleaned from photographs in a few years from now.

When I started blogging, it was an automatic decision that photographs of my children would not feature on my blog (other than the occasional hand or foot that makes it into photographs). I even took it a step further, using pseudonyms for all of us. Besides all the horror scenario's I already mentioned, I do not want to inadvertantly publish some miniscule detail about my son or daughter which crops up somewhere when they are applying for their first jobs or be the reason they get bullied in high school.

I see many bloggers who post thousands of photographs of their little angels online. I can certainly see why- this helps build a repertoire with readership and makes bloggers and their families come across as likeable and relatable. Oh and most of them are just so darn cute! Most of the bloggers I know have super adorable kids!

However,  I fear that for bloggers, this is even more risky as you are posting so many other minute details about the lives of you and your family and that this, together with photographs make it easy for ill-intentioned individuals to gather private information. P.S. I am not judging anybody's decision to do so- to each his own (oh except when you post naked bath pictures online, then maybe I am judging your discretion a little bit), but I just wanted to share my reasons for not sharing.

What do you think? Am I being overly protective? Are there other parents like us out there? I would love to hear from you.

Competition Link Up- Coz Everyone Likes to Win

Everyone loves a freebie right?

Our South African bloggers always have some great giveaways on the  go, so I thought it would be great if people could have a reference point to find these all from one place. 

If you are you running a competition on your blog during the month of May, why not post the link to your competition in the comments below. Maybe you will spot some competitions there which you would like to enter (remember, the only way to win is by entering!).

If this thread is popular, I will do a monthly competition thread. 

So go ahead, get posting!!! (P.S. Blog readers... get entering!!!)

(Disclaimer: unless otherwise indicated, The Jozi WAHM's Guide to Everything is not responsible for the running of any of the competitions below and may not be held responsible for the content of any of these competitions or awarding of any competition prizes.)

The Jozi WAHM's Dummy's Guide to Making Samoosas

Ramadaan, the month in which Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, is just over a month away. This is a spiritual time of deep reflection, prayer and introspection for Muslims.

Somewhat ironically, many Muslims in South Africa in particular spend the period just before Ramadaan obsessing over the preparation of savoury foods to break their fast with at sunset and stockpile freezer loads of the triangular delicacies (together with a back up warehouse of spring rolls, half moons, pies and other cholesterol rich delights). The theory goes, according to elder housewives, that if most of the food preparation is done in advance, there will be more time for prayer during the auspicious month. I am not sure how relevant this argument is given how laborious samoosa making is and given that the frozen samoosas still has to be fried or baked before being eaten, but nevertheless, it has become tradition (in South Africa and other parts of the world) and Ramadaan just would not be the same without them. 

In honor of this samoosa-filled period, I thought I would share a dummy's guide to making these intricate snacks.

Recipe 1:

Okay, maybe I should not call this a recipe but it works perfectly! The ultimate dummy technique, which I favour, is to find a little old Indian or Cape Malay lady who slaves away every day making samoosas and pay her to do it. 

This site is all about encouraging, celebrating and supporting work from home moms and Johannesburg has hundreds, if not more, of these little old lady WAHM's running little home industries, as do other South African cities. Some will even make the samoosas using your filling if you so wish, and provide you with the frozen goodies, which you will just have to fry.

Given how much time is invested in making samoosas, I would strongly suggest this route if you are short on time.

Recipe 2:

If you really want to make your own samoosas, read on. I am by no means an expert in samoosa making (mine taste decent but I am quite slow at folding them, unlike the more experienced makers who do it at lightning speed).

The instructions here use ready made 'pur' (the samoosa pastry). I made my own once but quite frankly it is not worth the effort. The pur can be bought frozen (it can be found in the frozen food section of most major grocery stores, though nicer homemade ones are available at Indian grocery stores and butcheries).

You will need to defrost your pur for a few hours or overnight. In the meantime, you can prepare your filling of choice and leave it to cool. 

I will share a recipe below which can be used with chicken, steak or mutton mince, but you could also do cheese and corn, spicy potato or virtually any other filling.

The filling:

500 g mince
2 finely chopped onions
Green chillies, finely chopped (to taste, depending how hot you like things)

A squeeze of lemon juice, 

pepper and salt to taste

1 small bunch of chopped coriander (dhania)

1/2 teaspoon of ginger and garlic mix

1/2 teaspoon gharam masala (available from any spice shop)

Method: 

Saute the onions in a bit of oil until golden brown. Braise the mince in the above ingredients until the mince is cooked and dry. Soggy mince is your enemy when folding later on so this is crucial. Season with the chopped coriander. Leave to cool for later use.

While you are filling your samoosas, keep the unused samoosa pur covered with a clean cloth to prevent it from drying out.

The pur will come stacked in a big pile, usually of a hundred sheets. Carefully peel off one layer of pur, being careful not to tear it. (Some people use a double layer of pur for cheese samoosas as they tend to burst while frying). P.S. if you do accidentally tear some of the strips, do not use them for samoosas. Instead you can cut into smaller strips and fry for a snack similar to potato chips. 

Now comes the tricky part. You need to fold the samoosa as shown in the picture below.

The instructions below comes from a 1960's recipe book called the Indian Delights, which remains the authority on South African Indian Cooking (like every Afrikaans household has 'Kook en Geniet', almost every South African Indian household still has a copy of this gem).

Courtesy of Indian Delights by Zuleikha Mayat

 

The next few pictures illustrate the above using paper and tissue "filling". Chinese Origami may seem easier at this point.

 

Top left: First fold | Top right: Second fold | Bottom left: Filling added | Bottom right: Third fold

 

After the first two folds, you would have created a little triangular pocket. You add about a tablespoon of the filling into the pocket you have created. Do not overfill as you will battle to close it. Then you do another fold to close the open flap at the top of your pocket. Well done, you have completed the hard bit! Then you just keep on folding until your strip is used up.

Make sure that your corners are tightly sealed or the oil will seep in while you are frying, leaving you with a greasy samoosa.

Once complete, you seal the samoosa with a dab of paste made out of flour and water (add just enough water to the flour to make a sticky paste).

Samoosas taste best deep-fried until golden brown but if you would like a healthier alternative, you can brush with olive oil and bake, or you could use an airfryer.

Serve with your favourite chutney and slices of lemon and enjoy!

 

It's all about the Money- Or is it? Raising Money Savvy but Kind Children

Noodle (4) has been very interested in the concept of money, buying and selling lately. At the tills at the shops, she insists on paying and then counting the change. She has quirky questions like how one would pay for a bed or a car- she was concerned that the till would break when you place these items on the counter. 

Noodle had an interesting get rich plan yesterday. We would photocopy our money and amass a fortune of wealth, which would then be squandered on a mountain load of toys and sweets.

Picture courtesy of SARB

I thought this current fascination with money would present an interesting opportunity for some lessons:

• In order to explain to Noodle why her photocopy money get-rich plan would not work (other than the obvious sheer criminal element and that there are no instant get rich fixes in real life), we turned to our dear friend Google to learn more about what makes our money unique. Even I learnt a little bit about the special paper used, the hidden watermarks (like the image of Mandela that appears if you hold the note to the light), the metallic line, the words SARB and the Rand amount which appears in this line, the raised print for the visually impaired and other security features of our South African bank notes.
•  We used monopoly money to play 'shop' and she was required to count out the right sum of money to buy her teddy bears from my 'toy store' (we previously played a more simplistic version of this out in the garden, where leaves were used as currency- her idea). She also had to count that she is giving me the right amount of money and check whether she was getting enough change (great early maths lesson as well).
•  We have also been showing Noodle the benefits of saving, eg. she could get a sweet today or keep her money to get an even better toy after a week, or do simple chores to 'earn' money. She knows about bank accounts and that this is where most of her savings go.

These basic lessons in economics are crucial life skills, given that Cambridge studies have shown that childrens' life spending patterns are already set for life by the age of seven.  Being surrounded by people in the debt trap, we have always been careful to teach our children the value of money, the difference between wants and needs, the importance of saving and of not wasting the earth's limited resources. 

However, as important as the above lessons are,  we are always sure to reinforce that while money can buy certain material comforts, the things most important cannot be bought and no price can be placed on these things. 

We want to strike a balance and raise children who are money wise, responsible spenders and we certainly do not want to raise children who are bratty and entitled. We want them to be conscious that there are many less privileged than us and practice sharing, kindness and being charitable. The ultimate goal is of course to raise kind and caring individuals and this is worth more than all the money in the world.

The Booby Trap

They always tell you all the wonderful things about breastfeeding. You hear about how it is the best for your baby, how great it is for your immune system, how it will help you to bond with your baby. You hear how it will help you shed pregnancy weight, leaving you skinny with big boobies. While I have found all those things to be very true and love having had a chance to give my son such a great start in life I just wish someone had warned me that this would be so difficult. 

This article is not intended to discourage any mothers from breastfeeding, but rather just to prepare them for what is in store. Warning, the contents that follow are not for sensitive viewers.

THE PAIN

Oh, the pain. They forget to tell you that this will be an incredibly sore ride. The first few days are sheer agony. Have you ever had a pimple that became so sore that you just want to squeeze it to relieve pressure? Well imagine your boobs as two hard gigantic pimples, screaming to be squeezed. That is what engorged breasts feel like. Your nipples become rough, painful and blistery as baby figures out how to latch. Your poor nipples may even bleed at first, a lot. Then you get told that you need to let baby feed through this sore and scabby mess. Oh and you are prone to mastitis, which makes you sick and fevery on top of the pain (which you can only take Panado for, as baby will absorb and react to anything stronger). All fun and games. 

Fast forward a few months. The initial pain has subsided and your nipples, now coated in an invisible titanium coat of armor are now  tough as nails do not bleed anymore. Your baby will now be discovering the magical world around them and will be eager to explore. The tough part is over now, right? Wrong. For you, this means they will no longer just lie down sucking angelically. They will be twisting and turning every time they see or hear anything new, all with jaws clenched tightly, yanking your poor nipples in every direction. Your nipples will develop balloon-like stretchy abilities from this constant tugging. They will experiment with new positions and nursing while jumping up and down or upside down will become the norm. Once they are crawling and walking, the positions become even more creative. While this may be cute to some, inevitably these gymnastics also mean pain for mommy.

At some point, baby will decide that maybe the milk will come out faster if he squeezes mommies breasts really hard at every feed, or juices them by rolling them with his skull an naturally assumes that mommy will enjoy this show of affection.

Then they start teething and your nipples become a chew toy. Finally, they get sharp new blade-like teeth and every feed will be a game of Russian Roulette. If you scream in agony when bitten, baby will think this is hilarious and do it again and again and you will be right back to the sore, bleeding nipple stage. Apparently it is also fun to use nipples as a chew toy (at present Squish favours the suck-chew position, where he sucks while clenching down the entire time).

THE HUNGER

You have never experienced hunger until you have breastfed. Breastfeeding works up an insatiable appetite in the human female species. Despite being small and petite, I can out-eat my husband anytime these days and waking up for a midnight snack is no longer an extraordinary event. (I guess I should not complain as eating all the chocolate and dessert in sight and not picking up weight is awesome, but I fear that one of these days dear hubby may evict me from our house as a result of enormous grocery bills).

THE EXHAUSTION

Firstly, you have a little creature literally sucking away all your nutrients. If you do not have a perfectly balanced diet (which lets face it, few mothers have time for) you are likely to be tired out by the mere act of breastfeeding around the clock. Add to this chronic sleep deprivation and the fact that exclusively breastfed babies do not sleep through the night and you have a recipe for a tired, cranky, perpetual zombie.

THE ISOLATION

Breastfeeding takes up many, many hours. This may result in you not having time for your other children or husband, let alone your extended circle of family and friends. If you live in a society where nursing in public is still seen as tabboo, when out in public or even when you have guests over, you may find yourself chosing between offending people and  hiding away behind closed doors and missing out on life events. Not all babies take to bottles straight away or feed according to a set schedule. This means that, while your baby is exclusively breastfed, everything you do revolves around breastfeeding- how you dress (most clothing staples are off limits for lack of accessibility to the essential assets), where you go and how long you go for. There is no break ever- since you cannot just detach your breast from your body, you cannot just leave baby with a babysitter for a couple of hours.

THE HUMILIATION

Every breastfeeding mother experiences that awkward moment where she is out somewhere and lands up with a gigantic puddle of milk on her top. It is a rite of passage and it will be on the day she forgets to wear breast pads (which are scratchy, hot and annoying by the way... oh and they cost a small fortune). 

Then, when baby gets older and develops the co-ordination to whip your breast out in public for you or even ask for them by name, the real trouble begins.

IT IS HARD TO LET GO

I only planned to breastfeed for six months, but almost a year later, we are still going strong. I had two failed attempts at weaning, but just felt too sorry for my son, who just loves his boobies so. We tried the gentle methods recommended by La Leche League (do not offer or refuse, distraction, substitutions, shorter feeds) with no success and then even tried putting a series of bitter items on my breasts, all without success. I have read horror stories about sudden weaning so will not go that route but in all honesty, I am ready for this journey to end now and I hope that soon he is too.

Would I do it again? Yes, I probably would. We all know about the health benefits of breastfeeding and they are young for such a short time. The liquid gold is the ultimate mothering tool for comfort, to instantly soothe any cry or to effortlessly caress a baby to sleep. The benefits for baby both physically and emotionally are beyond measure and  there are ways to deal with all of the hurdles that come with breastfeeding and plenty of support out there, from breastfeeding support groups to lactation consultants. I just wish it was not so, so, so tough.

  

DISCLAIMER: IMAGES IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOG POST ARE NOT MY OWN. ALL CREDITS GO TO THE RELEVANT OWNERS OF THESE IMAGES.

 

Psychedelic Hair Mousse Art

I remember previously seeing some interesting uses for shaving foam for art activities on Pinterest. When I spotted a bottle of hair mousse in my drawer which was older than Noodle (I am not sure why I actually own hair mousse since I have no recollection of ever using it), I figured that it should have similar tactile properties and decided to let the kids experiment.Today's quick, messy art activity with my little ones needed just three things: paper, the hair mousse and food colouring.

 

Top left: mousse squirted on paper | Bottom left: Food colouring fizzing on mousse | 

Right: End product

We squirted lots of hair mousse onto a page- both kids had a turn at this and found this bit hilarious. Then we sprinkled a few different colours of food colouring all over the page (today I used powder colour as this made the mousse fizz and make interesting noises, though I am sure other types might create better results aesthetically). We may have used a bit too much purple colour as this seems to have overpowered the other colours a bit.

Then the kids got to squish their fingers into the foamy, fluffy, fizzy mess for a fun, sensory experience. I let Noodle make patterns in the foam using a plastic fork and a toothpick. Then we blotted it a bit with a paper towel and left it to dry. The result was a psychedelic rainbow of colour.

The mousse is quite soapy and washes off hands without problems. Oh and the paper smells pretty afterwards.