Last day of Winter OOTD

Winter has been making a slow and steady departure for a while now; making way for more frequent, glorious, sunny Spring days! There's been less dependency on bulky Winter garments, although I'm not quite sure if we can pack them away for good just yet. The early days of Spring are quite unpredictable, so for now, I think I will rely on my trusty transitional pieces.

I love what you can do with your wardrobe during the transitioning seasons. There seems to be more options available as you delve into the lighter items of your wardrobe; and light layering means that you're fully prepared if the Cape Town weather decides  to rise or fall at any given time! It's a fantastic time of year as you have more freedom to experiment with your style and mix up your favourite items of clothing from all the seasons  to create an interesting and unique look, while still balancing out the slight chill that's lingering in the air!

I've worn this same dress since our early Autumn hit us and all through our cold and bitter Winter; and I think I will hang onto it for a little while longer still through the initial stages of Spring. I like that it's versatile, easy to layer, a little loose for those fat days and has a Boho look and feel to it. Worn over tights, leggings or skinny jeans; long or ankle boot; leather jacket or coat...or even on it's own - this dress has the ability to take me through most seasons!!

Outfit  Details 

Dress : ZARA

Boots and tights : Woolworths 

Jegging : H&M

Leather Jacket : Forever New

Woollen Snood : Cotton On

Earrings : Moon's

Photography : 2Cherries Photography 

Thanks for reading !

Peace 

NAMU ☺



Celebrating 16

Another year...another birthday...and so many fantastic things to celebrate!!

Now that you are 16, one could say you're more or less midway through your teens! Another 2 years and you can legally drive...and before we know it you will be 21 and the world will be your oyster! There's a lot of things on the horizon to look forward to...a horizon that used to seem so far away and that now seems  near enough to reach out and grab.

Quite often, the teen years are plagued with rebellious adventures and a series of distractions that takes one's eye off  the end goal. Kids usually navigate through these years blindly and emerge from their teens with no real direction and slightly off course. At midway, I'm impressed and proud to see the amount of drive and determination you have! You're not just waiting for the next horizon, you are steadily working hard to create it!

You have let no opportunity escape your grasp, seized every moment that has come your way and left no avenue unexplored in your journey towards success. You have had to make sacrifices along the way, give up weekends, outings and often times sleep; but you have also reaped the rewards and had a taste of the sweet flavour of success that comes with that kind of sacrifice. You understand that the sacrifices you make now is in fact the building blocks and foundation to the future you have always dreamed of.

And it really has been a whirlwind of accomplishment...Young biologist course and volunteer at the Aquarium, top 10 in the SAASTA Olympiad and the highest achieving grade 10 learner in this competition and semi-finals in the Cape Argus and Foodlovers Quiz...plus being top achiever and part of several school committees keeps you quite occupied!! But I love that you still take time out for Zee and show an interest in helping Rocky  set goals for himself and achieve even better results and that you don't tire of  Saafi's stories about her crush . Bonds like this have been built since birth and will be difficult to penetrate.

Last year I was worried about change...this year I realise that the butterfly would never become the beautiful creature it is without it! It has been an incredible year of change and growth...a metamorphosis of sorts. You have flourished with every opportunity and experience; and have gained so much confidence along the way. You are blossoming and blooming as you edge your way through every goal and make your way right to the top!!

Part of growing up means that we have to let go and allow you to do just that! But letting go isn't always easy on the heart. Sometimes we like to dwell in how things used to be and lose out on the beauty that the present moment represents.  Knowing that you are forging forward, reaching goals and following your dreams makes it worthwhile even though I sometimes feel like I'm losing out on time with you or miss they way things used to be. While you continue to flourish and grow, always know that I will always be proud of you and all your accomplishments...I have no doubt that you will achieve everything you set out to do in life.

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY AGU!!!

Love Always,

JAAN <3



be.UP Park Review

When the kids were very young, there were countless indoor play arenas to keep them entertained and out of my hair...even just for a tiny bit of time in order to get my sanity back. As they outgrew these venues, keeping them entertained in unfavourable weather was...well...unfavourable!! The cabin fever would give way to petty arguments and my sanity would quickly escalate towards insanity! There was very little to do besides battle it out until the warmer weather made it's grand entrance so that we could make a grand exit into the great outdoors and find a way for the kids to use up all their energy.

But when you have a crew of kids of varying ages, it's sometimes difficult to find an entertainment venue that's suitable for ALL of them. And because so much of our life revolves around the entire family (sisters and kids...and grandparents too), more often than not, we are an entourage of 7 or more kids... ranging from the ages of 19 to 9 months!! So you will understand my plight just a little bit when planning an outing that is suitable for everyone to enjoy. That's probably why I felt like the celestial heavens opened and my prayers were answered when I heard about the new be.UP Park in Pinelands.

The massive warehouse includes the biggest kids maze around, with 5 levels of pure enjoyment for the younger kids! Ball pit, zip line, slides, a mini soccer court and so much more; the youngest of the troop will be more than entertained!

Be.UP Park also boasts several climbing walls of varying  difficulty levels to challenge and thrill everyone. From the adventurous to the beginner...Everyone will be entertained! And if that isn't enough to tire out the kids, then the hour play time on the trampolines and suspended obstacle course most certainly will!! Helpful staff are hands on in making sure kids are equipped with necessary safety gear and make sure things run smoothly.

There's a café with free Wi-Fi on the top deck that overlooks the entire area giving parents a birds eye view and making it easy to keep a watchful eye on the kids while still relaxing and having some time to yourself....or if you prefer, you could join in the fun too, but be warned, there's a reason we bring kids to places like these - cos it saps all the energy out of you!! So be careful how you choose to spend your time ;-) The easy accessible plug points and flat screen TV will make the decision easy for you!

Overall, it was a fantastic experience! What sets be.UP Park apart from other indoor venues is that it boasts an array of fun and adventurous activities all under one roof and really aims to include every age group in it's design, layout and set up.  With so many varying activities to keep the  whole troop  entertained; I have a feeling that be.UP Park will quickly become THE ultimate hangout spot for the entire family! 


The cost of the outing is not exactly cheap, but you do get a lot on offer for the money you spend, making it exceptionally worthwhile. Be.UP Park does, however, offer special prices for larger groups and discounted prices if you present a student card. Booking a timeslot for your visit  is essential! For more information on prices and group/party packages; visit the be.UP Park website www.beuppark.co.za ... In the meantime, have a look at the video of our be.UP experience and see what all the fuss is about!

Video compiled by : Waseem Royker

If you have trouble viewing the above box, click the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAITFjRwPMU 

Music Compiled by : Waseem Royker  (Soundcloud )

Thanks for reading....and watching the video!

Peace,

NAMU :)

Battle of the Bulge - For the Love of Carbs

We might only be midway through August, but it's already starting to look and feel a lot like Spring! The days are warming up, the trees are starting to bloom and the early mornings sound so much more cheerful. It also means that we're hiding under less layers than the cold winter months allowed us to - EEEEEK! And if the Winter months have been a little cruel to the diet, the subtle season change is an indication to get our act together and work a little harder towards our summer bodies  healthier lifestyles!
 

Anyone will tell you (specifically Google), that losing a few kilos is as easy as cutting out sugar and carbs! Whether you decide to jump on the Banting wagon,  or the more palatable Paleo diet... or even follow the Atkins and Cohen philosophy; although all have different set of fundamental rules; all advocate to drastically reducing the consumption of  carbs and totally eliminating the consumption of  sugar, and true...it is the  easiest way to shed kilos...but GOSH...it's far from easy!! In fact, the first couple of days (if you manage to get past the first day at all) is hell!!!


The introduction to these diets sound like the fluffy, candy coated things television commercials are made of. Sucking you in with cheerful voices, endless success stories and phenomenal results! Luring you in like a first time dieter following the smell of a donut! And you fall....hook, line and sinker...you even throw caution to the wind for the warning of mild, "flu like symptoms" ....but you don't worry about that 'cos because...pfffft....did you see the rapid results???!!!!! (Can you tell I am low on carbs?)


Carb Flu sounds like such a mild name anyway, doesn't it? What's to fear from a Flu! But what they should have said, is that Carb Flu is ten times worse than Man Flu!! Yes, you heard me right! Depending on your level of carb dependency...this has the power of turning you into a full blown, raging psychopath! Think PMS... but on steroids!!

If you're a carb addict, like me, then you will know that the mere thought of cutting out carbs will heighten the senses; and the enticing aroma coming from the KFC  down the road becomes a bit more inviting than usual! It takes serious grit and willpower to overcome the fundamental step of the worlds most famous diets! If you decide to take the plunge and rid yourself from carb and sugar dependency; here's a list of what you could expect.

1. FLU? WHAT FLU?

After your first carb free meal, you will feel like you've actually made it and that every person who ever told you it was hard is completely nuts and probably didn't want you to succeed! At this point you will feel like you've got things under control and eye rolling while muttering under your breath "What cravings?"

2. WELCOME THE CRAVINGS!

Give it a couple of hours and the cravings kick in! Around every corner lurks some kind of temptation or the other. Your mind is plagued by how you will devour a burger even if you're not that into burgers! Let's not even talk about the children's left over peanut butter sandwich which you CAN'T finish off for them!

3. BRAIN FOG

Then along comes, what I can only describe as, brain fog and a mild dizziness/zinging (too much brain fog to come up with appropriate descriptions). Impaired focus and concentration on another level. You're lying down in a complete haze and the kids appear to be over energised / borderline possessed! You just. Can't. Deal.

4. MOOD  SWINGS

At this point, the height of withdrawal, the true lunatic emerges! You're about to go bat sh!t crazy. You may have secluded yourself to a corner of the house where you will be unable to inflict harm on anyone. You might even just be laying down, curled in the foetal position...but inside your head you are ripping cupboards off their hinges and flinging things off shelves. You may not be "craving" sugar, but your body is definitely reacting to the lack of it.

5. FAMILY SUPPORT

If you have a husband like mine, he will come baring a burger and chips combo from Burger King to snap you out of it. At this point you are not quite sure if you want to throw him with it or eat it...but you opt for his wings and a few fries just to take the edge off...

6. THE FOG BEGINS TO CLEAR

If you have managed to conquer the first few days, the rest becomes easier. Once you emerge from the fogginess of carb and sugar addiction, there ARE promises of a better life and better health. These are REAL!!! And the effort will be worth it!

The internet has a plethora of articles related to how toxic sugar is to the body! Cutting these things out is hard enough as it is already...but it's that much harder when you still have to be a functioning member of society! Even if you don't have the strength to go cold Turkey - cutting down is a good enough start; and though it is extremely difficult to go from consuming carbs and sugar in excessive amounts a day to limiting your intake, you have to ask yourself the burning question "Is it worth the effort?"; and the answer to that is - YES!!   

 

 

 

 

 Thanks for Reading!

Peace,

NAMU :)