Showing posts with label Cape Town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cape Town. Show all posts

Thursday, 24 July 2014

Having fun during winter break in Cape Town & Durban



Three weeks of school holidays can drive a ONE insane but keeping the kids busy is key.  In Cape Town, as I'm sure in the rest of the country there are quite a lot of fun activities available. Schools do also offer holiday care but I can't justify it being a stay at home mom!  Sure, after the holidays I'm ready to take them back to school but I'm also very fortunate to be able to have this time with them.

Having lived in Algarve for so long and not having the amount of activities available I do get very excited that there is such a variety here and I like the girls to try different things.

Unfortunatly, all the activities I had planned they weren't able to do, only because Dad surprised us with a trip to Durban but we will defiantly try them next time.

So what, where how?
Every month the parents are given a magazine called the CHILD magazine for the area of Cape Town.  This is a free magazine and it cover practically everything regarding kids and their needs. About two weeks before the holidays I grabbed my calendar and the mag and scheduled a couple of activities I thought they might enjoy.

The activities available for their age group were from Building a Snowman at the Grand West Casino, cooking and baking lessons, sports activities for appropriate ages, pottery classes, theatre, dance classes, a visit to a chocolate factory and making your own chocolate and cupcake icing and a few more.

The girls especially enjoyed the pottery class. Sienna loved building a snowman with Dad and the sports activities. Lia loved icing the cupcakes but most of all eating them!








Our trip to Durban was just amazing. We spent a week in an area called Ballito Bay, only about 30min form the airport on the north coast.  The weather was great, a nice break from the cold in Cape Town.
Traveling with kids you are always searching for the most convenient place to stay and Mario found the perfect place.  He is great with things like that! We stayed at the Fairmount Hotel in this fantastic resort called Zambali. This resort isn't short of pools, there is a supervised play area for kids from the age of 4 at a daily or hourly fee and on an evening they offer a movie and craft nights for kids. They are supervised for two hours while parents enjoy time together, this at no extra charge. These nights came in handy!
The Resort have a few lovely restaurants, we particularly enjoyed the Thandi, a restaurant specialising in curry dishes located at the Fairmount Lodge.

Whilst in Durban we had to visit the uShaka sea world.  If you ever go you have to spend the day there because there is so much to do and see, from the shows to the amazing aquarium within an old ship.  There are plenty of restaurants and a water park too.  They loved seeing the dolphins show,  Lia was so excited, her face just lit up as they jumped out the water.

We also visited the Crocodile creek in Ballito and what really impressed us was the Flag Farm.  This is quite a big farm that takes in orphan and abused animals.  You can feed the horses and ponies or go for a ride on them.  The goats, pigs, chickens ducks and bunnies are running around, if you are brave enough you may pat the pigs and hug a calf.  Kids just love it there, oh and its really muddy and dusty which is just how they like it!!!

Fun times and good memories!......







Friday, 9 May 2014

Where to find Organic Chocolate.

One of my favourite areas in Cape Town is Woodstock.   Within my first few months in Cape Town I accidentally ended up at the Old Biscuit Mill, I was looking for a dinning room table, something different, so I did a little search on google and it took me to Woodstock.  
Obviously, I found exactly what I was looking for and from that day I knew that I would be spending a lot more time in this town. 

So yesterday I was introduced to THE WOODSTOCK EXCHANGE.  I had driven past a few times and was always curious to know what i'd find inside, well I was not disappointed.  

Now i'm BIG on Chocolate and all for a healthier living, so you can imagine my delight when I came across this amazing organic chocolate house.

They are called HONEST and as you enter the shop you get this amazing chocolate aroma and you feel like you are transported back into the 50's.



They make all their chocolates using the finest raw, organic Ecuadorian cacao.  There are no preservatives, artificial flavouring or emulsifiers.  The chocolate just melts in your mouth and is so flavourful!  I tried the classic truffle and I couldn't leave without purchasing a box. They are also free from dairy and cane sugar so a much healthier option. 


Apart from the truffles they also make chocolate slabs, dairy-free ice-cream, spread and other chocolate delights. How awesome are these figures below!! 


So if you love a good chocolate treat pay these guys a visit.  You can find them at the Woodstock Exchange or visit their website here.  On the website you will also find a long list of outlets within the country, so handy!.  

Stay connected for some more amazing places in The Woodstock Exchange that will blow your mind!


Till next time XX
       Sofia 


Monday, 14 April 2014

Some of my favourites.

Some of my favourites.

Some of my favourites. by lovemakesthehome featuring a black tray


Here are some of my favourite design pieces: 

  1. The Eames Eiffel chair.  I just can't get tired of this design, you can use it in almost any style of decoration.  I like to have just one in a room as a focal point.
  2. I would love to get my hands on one of these Kitchen Aid Stand Mixers, they are so funky and range in so many amazing colours.  The design is so beautiful you never have to pack it away! 
  3. A bowl of sorts, must be colourful to pop, doesn't need it to be useful just eye-catching   
  4. I just love a solid piece of wood as a accent table.
  5. Quirky crockery is a must to serve a bit humour in your home! 
  6. No comment needed here!!!
  7. Fun, vintage and i just love to travel.  Add wooden legs to one of these and you have the cutest bedside table...
  8. My home is full of baskets, i always find a good use for them and the perfect place.
  9. I will own one of these some day...  This is the most beautifully designed chair to relax and read in, the classic Eames Lounger and Ottoman
  10. I love to find homes for fun, colourful pieces like these little side tables. 

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Cape Town - Hot Spot





 Great view from The Blue Peter in Blouberg!  On a very hot autumn day in Cape Town... 
and not a breath of wind......

What did you get up to this weekend? 

Butterfly World



It was a very hot day in Cape Town yesterday, so we decided to take the kids down to Butterfly World, just outside Stellenbosch. (Yes it did feel a bit like a sauna towards the end!). 
I have to say I wasn't expecting much, just some exotic butterflies flying around and yes there are loads!  There were so many that you kind of had to dodge a few! 




What was really surprising was all the other little creatures just hanging about!!! There are birds, chameleons, lizards, marmosets, snakes and so much more.  I can't give them all away, take the kids, it fun! 

Our two loved it, there was so much to see.  The staff was great, really friendly, even brought out some of the reptiles and parrot for us pat.   I have to be honest I was a bit nervous around the parrot! Reminded me of the nasty one, Nigel in Rio...... 




This is a place I will defiantly go back to.. There is also a sweet little coffee shop just outside with some amazing cakes!....... Just saying.....or a great stop to rehydrate before leaving.  
So if you are wondering what to do with the kids over the weekend, you won't be disappointed.

Here is how to get there and more information.

Thursday, 10 April 2014

Keep little ones warm this winter....

Handmade Knitwear 

These beautifully handmade kids jerseys are just the thing for winter.  Made by a very talented Capetonian lady. She knits these Jerseys during her free time from her full time job to earn some extra cash for her savings.

If you would like to purchase or more information please email or post a comment below and i will be more then pleased to make the connection.   




Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Spar Woman's Race


Spar Woman's 10km/5km race - 2014

A great start to a Sunday morning!  This race is not for the competitor!  There is just so many people there that the first km you actually have to walk.  
Its a HUGE fun run for a great cause!  I enjoyed myself and will be back next year!


KDAY 2014



KDAY2014 - 29 March 2014


KDAY 2014 - The festival that Cape Town raved about for months finally arrived and it was loads of fun..   
I was especially keen on watching Mi Casa and their performance was just outstanding but what I wasn't expecting was becoming a fan of many others.  Jimmy Nevis was amazing, Prime Circle and The Parlotones also had the crowds going crazy! 

It was a stunning day, jammed packed but well laid out and organised.  The only thing I have to say is there were far too many umbrellas!! If there was a designated area, that area was about 80%  of the grounds! 
The beer was sold out long before the show ended so that too was disappointing for some. 

All round a great concert, i was really impressed with the South African talent and a fun day out with friends..








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