Eid ... and Other Random Bits

I just saw that it has been almost a week since I have blogged. Life has been a bit busy this past week, between WAHM'ing, some home fixing-upping (yes, these are real words, even if I just made it up now), minor medical emergencies (the type that happen when kids are kids), Eid preparations and other life events.

Saturday was Eid-ul-Fitr, which is a day of celebration marking the end of Ramadaan. A belated Eid Mubarak to any readers who celebrated.

Besides the religious aspect to this day, the day is nicknamed 'Eat' by some as it consists largely of eating copious amounts of food. To illustrate my point, breakfast at my in-laws comprised of roast chicken, samoosas, kheer (a rich, milky drink), naan (a type of bread), fruit and more. Lunch at my parents was biryani, roast beef and roast chicken, with an assortment of at least ten desserts. In between, the tables at both households were laden with an assortment of biscuits, sweetmeats and other snacks. The norm is to visit extended family members during the course of the day, where insistent family members will force-feed you with even more fat-laden delicacies.  We are still eating leftovers and I suspect that I will have to be rolled out of the house soon.

Some of my Eid goodies

Squish has reached the terrible 1.5's with a vengeance. He has taken to answering any question asked with a defiant 'NO' (even when he means yes). He has grown a few inches taller, which means he can reach more places, including the cutlery drawer, which is his current obsession. As a result, we have had to move all our sharp knives, which he thinks are excellent toys. Noodle is back to creche in the mornings this week (secret sigh of relief on my part- I love my children, but having two with me all day is exhausting!).

In other news, we are still running our Cresta gift voucher competition- you have till tomorrow to enter to win a R500 gift voucher to spend on anything that your heart desires. Please see the post below this one to enter and spoil yourself to some well deserved retail therapy!!! Hurry- time is running out! 

Minion Fever- and WIN with Cresta Shopping Centre

On Saturday the kids and I were treated to a Minion inspired afternoon of fun at Cresta Shopping Centre to celebrate the launch of the new Minions movie. My two minions both love the real Minions (come on, who doesn't, they are just so cute!).

I was alone with both kids as A had a day of extreme DIY activities planned at home, which meant it was best to have the kids out of the house to avoid destruction. The Minion fun day at Cresta was the perfect place to take them out for a few hours.

Incidentally, Cresta is one of my favourite shopping destinations. Apart from being conveniently close to home, as only one of ten super-regional shopping centres in South Africa, it has every shop that I ever need to go to. No wonder over a million people visit every month!

First, we were treated to some fun in the activity area, where the little ones had the chance to have their photos taken, control a hi-tech remote controlled minion robot or engage in all sorts of creative arty activities. 

At the activity area, we first lined up for novelty Minion photo's. Our picture only has Noodle in it as Squish spotted balloons and ran away at the critical picture moment. Noodle was very proud of herself when she finally figured out how to control the Minion robot and enjoyed all the creative activities on offer- colouring, cutting and pasting Minion creations are right up her alley. Squish did a bit of colouring scribbling of a dinosaur (and he even learnt to say dinosaur) but for the most part I needed to stop him from eating crayons and glue. 

After that, we were treated to lunch at Panarottis. Well the kids were- it is still Ramadaan, so I looked and drooled (and had delicious leftovers the next evening-  still good). The giant  vegetarian pizza we were provided with was possibly the largest I had ever seen so there was plenty left over! (P.S. Their menu also features a dessert pizza which kids can make themselves- always great fun for the little ones).

By this time, Squish, who had missed his nap time was starting to get a bit cranky, but his mood turned when he discovered the play area at Panarottis. The Cresta Panarottis has an amazing outdoor play area with jungle gym and trampoline which my kids love. I was reluctant to let Squish navigate the huge twirly slide on his own at first but quickly realised that he is more than capable. 

Then it was movie time. The Minion movie is great for all ages- Squish and Noodle liked it and adults will enjoy it too (well those that like a good animated film anyway). Noodle wanted to know why the Minions speak Afrikaans (the ancient Minions speak some strange Minion dialect for which no subtitles are needed).

"The story behind the Minions movie began at the dawn of time, where the Minions started as single-celled yellow organisms which evolved through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters, from T. Rex to Napoleon, the Minions found themselves without someone to serve and they fell into a deep depression.  But one Minion named Kevin had a plan, and he, alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob, ventured out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio then embarked upon a thrilling journey that ultimately led them to their next potential master."

Cresta Shopping Centre was extremely generous in providing us with a delightful goody bag, which included these awesome Minion goodies. How cute are these t-shirts? Noodle and Squish already put on their t-shirts at the movies.  Now Cresta Shopping Centre are going to spoil one lucky reader too!!!

COMPETITION TIME!!!

Life apparently begins at forty and Cresta Shopping Centre turns 40 next month. To celebrate, they are giving away a R500 gift voucher to one Jozi WAHM reader. Enter here to win! The more steps you follow, the better your chances.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amazing Healthy Chocolate with Just Three Ingredients

Have you ever had an intense chocolate craving but no chocolate in site? I am a chocoholic of epidemic proportions and for moments like these, I have come across the most amazing, super easy recipe for chocolate, with just three ingredients. Usually, this would spell disaster, but fortunately this recipe is actually a fairly healthy one.

The three magic ingredients are:

1. COCONUT OIL

I never knew how good this  stuff was until after my son was born, when I discovered its multiple uses as an anti-fungal, antibacterial for everything from nappy rash to thrush in babies. (My son had thrush when he was a few weeks old and the stuff prescribed by the paed did little to help but the coconut oil cleared it quickly). It turns out that eating coconut oil has all sorts of health benefits, from aiding cholesterol to appetite control. Use organic, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil for best results.

2. CACAO (OR JUST REGULAR COCOA POWDER)

Rich in antioxidants, this stuff is actually good for you. If you do not have cacao, use the best quality you can find as this will affect the taste of the final product. I like the Cadbury Bourneville or Nomu variants.

3. HONEY

 We all know how good honey is for you (in moderation of course).

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Melt the coconut oil on low heat until liquid and then immediately remove from heat. It melts very quickly so a few seconds should do it. (In summer it should be liquid already so I would imagine this step can be skipped). 

Mix equal amounts of the coconut oil, cocoa and honey until well combined (okay that is what my sources told me but I found this a bit sweet so I will half the amount of honey next time). I have not inserted quantities because you can do as much or as little as you want- it is fast so you can even do a teaspoon of each for a quick snack.

Shape as desired. You could mould the chocolate in silicone moulds, mini cupcake cups, ice trays or however else you wish.

You can get fancy and sprinkle with nuts, dessicated coconut or anything else that tickles your fancy.

Here is mine before setting (with a bit of fine almond chunks added). It was a bit gloopy and messy in the cupcake holders and a bit trickled along the side.

Stick in the freezer to set for an hour and voila... decadent dark chocolate, with a bit of an exotic coconut-y taste.

While I am the type who could (I am embarrassed to say) scoff down an entire slab of chocolate if I did not control my urges, this recipe is super rich, so I found myself eating just a tiny little bit before being satiated. My kids loved it too (I did not tell them it is healthy chocolate).

Things I Discovered Because My Daughter Asks Lots of Questions

Four year olds are notorious for asking lots of questions and Noodle has more questions than most four year olds... or at least it feels that way to me. I like to encourage her zest for learning and in the rare event when I don't have all the answers or where I think something can be better demonstrated with pictures than words, we turn to the internet. In the process, I have discovered some interesting things too.

DO YOU GET SPECIAL WHEELCHAIRS FOR CHILDREN?

Noodle wanted to know more about children with disabilities and how they get around. We discovered that there are some super cool wheelchairs out there- so funky that Noodle wanted one too. I explained to her how privileged she is to have the use of her limbs and how much more precious this is than any wheelchair. You have to admit that some of these are pretty awesome though.

Picture courtesy of http://www.karmanhealthcare.com/blog/

Picture from www.friendshipcircle.org

Picture from pinterest.com

 

Picture from http://www.faceboat.org.au/stories/index/cool-wheelchairs-pimp-my-ride

WHY DO WE NEED MOSQUITOES?

We all know how annoying they are but surely there is some reason that we have them right? I was fairly sure they fitted somewhere into the food chain but was not quite sure why our ecosystem needs them. It turns out that they help filter algae from water. They are food for birds, bats and spiders and their larvae are great food for fish and other aquatic life.

HOW DO BEEKEEPERS GET THE HONEY WITHOUT BEING STUNG?

I partially knew the answer to this but Youtube is so much more descriptive, from the special protective suits to using smoke to prevent the bees from becoming agitated and stinging. Then, to actually get the honey out of the hive, the hive is spun in a centrifuge honey extractor which gets the honey out but leaves the hive intact.

FIRE RAINBOWS

Well she actually just wanted to learn more about rainbows but then we stumbled on this. How spectacular are these.

As per www.amusingplanet.com: 

" “Fire Rainbows” are neither fire, nor rainbows, but are so called because of their brilliant pastel colors and flame like appearance. Technically they are known as circumhorizontal arc - an ice halo formed by hexagonal, plate-shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds. The halo is so large that the arc appears parallel to the horizon, hence the name.

Brightly colored circumhorizontal arc occur mostly during the summer and between particular latitudes. When the sun is very high in the sky, sunlight entering flat, hexagon shaped ice crystals gets split into individual colors just like in a prism. The conditions required to form a “fire rainbow” is very precise – the sun has to be at an elevation of 58° or greater, there must be high altitude cirrus clouds with plate-shaped ice crystals, and sunlight has to enter the ice crystals at a specific angle. This is why circumhorizontal arc is such a rare phenomenon"

WHAT DOES GOOGLE LOOK LIKE?

We explained that Google is not a person but she Googled this anyway. This came up with cool pictures of Google's headquarters- their pipe cooling system and funky offices.

IF THE EARTH IS ROUND AND SPINS, WHY DON'T WE FALL OFF?

Youtube explains gravity to a four year old way better than mommy ever could!

Our Favourite Toys for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers

Toys cost a fortune these days. As parents, we often wonder which are the best toys to buy, the ones that will last more than a few days without breaking, which our kids will not get bored of and which will benefit them in some way. 

This will of course vary from kid to kid, but here are some of the toys that, between Noodle and Squish, we have gotten the most use out of.

1. Any ride on toy

The single toy Noodle has used the most over the years is one of those cheap plastic push motor bikes. We bought one for her first birthday and she has been using it ever since. At the time, it was about R100 cheaper for a plain one than for one with cartoon character stickers on. We bought the plain one and personalised it with our own stickers, some fabric paint decor and even a personalised number plate. 

Noodle got a beautiful ride on car with all sorts of sound effects from family members which she used to enjoy and is now one of Squish's favourite toys. 

2. Building blocks

My mother kept our Lego blocks from when we were little and we have since added to this collection. The new ones fit perfectly into the thirty year old set and I have since discovered that the Megablocks brand of blocks are also good quality and fit into the Lego branded blocks. Around the age of two, Noodle went through a phase where this was the only thing she would play with. Squish loves them too, though we still stick to the bigger ones for him as they can be a choking hazard.

3. Peg board

Both kids love this peg board that my sister got for Noodle. The little ones press the pegs into the board to create the picture of their choice (either from the designs provided or their own). This is great for developing fine motor skills and allows them to explore their creativity. 

I only allow Squish to play with the bigger pegs as the smaller ones may be a choking hazard.

4. Anything that can be pushed or dragged 

Favourites in our household for both kids are toy trolleys, prams and wagons that can be pulled or pushed. Noodle takes it a step further, connecting all the toys she can to each other with string and towing them with her bike or car.

5. Disco-Robo 

This toy is not particularly educational, but it is the coolest techy toy ever and even the adults love it! This robot has a very good quality, built in MP3 player. You download your favourite music and Disco Robo dances to the beat. (It also responds to clapping and will dance to the rhythm of your claps). 

Disco Robo also talks and you can chat to it using a cellphone app (it will answer basic questions), or use your TV remote to enable additional functionality- extra dances, jokes and speech. There is an attachment that lets it spin on its head too.

What are your kids' favourite toys?

How to Survive Cold Winter Nights While Breastfeeding

Last year, when winter approached, I wondered about how I would survive the cold with boobies exposed for half the night without getting frostbite on my nipples (TMI? Sorry!). Okay, we don't exactly live in Antarctica but Johannesburg winters do often mean temperatures plummeting into the negatives overnight.

 I did not think I would still be breastfeeding by now, but somehow, I have found myself going through yet another winter breastfeeding through the cold nights, with my son. Last year this meant no blankets as he was tiny and I was afraid of smothering him, the same applies this year as  he is determined that nobody should be allowed the luxury of blankets or duvets (if he falls asleep he wakes up as soon as I try to cove him with a blanket). I thought I would share my night time  survival tips.

First of all, dress appropriately. If you have ever breastfed, you will know that clothing can pose a challenge as you need to wear clothing that allow baby to access the milky bar when needed. This gets even more complicated when it comes to pyjamas. Obviously, the starting point is a good nursing bra. Then, get some nice, warm breastfeeding pyjamas. I get mine from a place called Sleepy Sleepwear, who have a few branches and some agents who sell it too. The ones I have are made of a warm velvety material and has a slit that allows it to open up at the bra-line so that you can feed with minimal skin exposure. 

The problem is that I have only ever managed to find one set in a size small, so when that one is in the washing, I need to make a plan B. I know there are tutorials online for making your own ones, so if you are the resourceful type you make your own. (This will not work for me as I am useless at sewing). There is also another local brand called Peek-a-Moo, who do similar long-sleeved tops, but for now they only seem to do these in thin t-shirt material, which are awesome for day wear or as pyjamas  for when there is a slight chill in the air but not for very cold weather.

 I find that low cut winter pyjamas or those with zips or buttons help, but I hate having the top of my chest cold and exposed. So I add a wooly snood to the mix. Sexy turn on? Definitely not. Warm, yes! I have also heard of mommies who have turned to adult zip-down fleece onesies as breastfeeding pj's.

The next important thing is to keep the room that you will be feeding baby in warm (heaters,insulation etc).

Lastly, consider co-sleeping, if only for winter. Not having to get out of bed means conserving precious body heat.

If anyone else has useful tips to share, I would love to hear them. 

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.)

Introducing This Month's Featured Blogger Laverne Vermeulen

Her blog may have only been around for just over a week but this blogging mama is making waves. The astounding number of hits to her page pay tribute to this. Laverne Vermeulen is the mastermind behind Shell Shocked Mummy, a diary documenting her inspirational, no holes barred journey to adopting her precious angel Kennedy Gray. I love her witty but  honest style of writing- I have come across a rare few that have the ability to simultaneously tug at both your heart strings and your funny bone.

Her first post '2 failed adoptions, 1 dimpled baby, 0 regrets' introduces this journey, what led her and her partner Sergio down the adoption route, the tale of two adoptions that were not meant to be and ultimately being united with her dear little princess.

"This may be the most important post I shall ever write. It’s the story of how I reached destination motherhood.

Mine was never destined to be a boy meets girl tale. This I know, because I live a sitcom/dark comedy type of life. It’s just that dramatic! Simple was never going to cut it. God knows I can take a joke. So he sent me on the scenic route."

Mind you, she makes it cleat that you should not feel sorry for her- in contrast, by post two, she (almost)  makes us biological mommies feel jealous.

"There are some things that we can and should celebrate, the things that level the playing field some. The little bonuses that the fertility Gods have granted us. In case you haven’t thought of them. I have ever so kindly listed them for you.

1. I got to drink actual wine at my baby shower. No lame-ass juice for toasting. 1- 0 to the infertilites {new word}
2. No need for stretchy pants and that weird wrapping of my tummy after the birth. What? I have sisters and I have eyes.
3. I will say it again. My boobs are exactly the way they were before Kennedy came. Score!
4. Hormones. This needs no explanation.
5. Weight gain. This is a big one. No pun intended. No need for me to own extra “fat” clothes. I had done this before and it had nothing to do with pregnancy, there is NO way I am going back there.

I could go on and on but I really don’t want to start making fertile woman feel bad about themselves and jealous of me. That fate, my dear, is for a select few only."

If you have ever considered going the adoptive route, Laverne also gives some great insight into the process, how to make a great impression while applying and how the prospective adoptive mommy can get her rightful share of attention while she is 'paper pregnant'.

Picture from www.shellshockedmummy.com

What are you waiting for? Go check out her site!