Simply-Mel B

Recipes - Chicken and Fish

2012-01-24T19:19:00.003+02:00

Just thought I would share some of the recipes I have found really simple but really tasty:

Cashew Nut Chicken (Eve)

3 large chicken breasts, skinless thinly sliced
1 can coconut mild
2 carrot and 2 marrow, sliced into ribbons
1tbsp fish sauce
plain roasted cashews
garlic
olive oil

Method:
Heat olive oil, brown meat and garlic
Add coconut milk and veggies, fish sauce.
Cook on med heat until sauce has reduced and chicken is cooked through
Mix in cashews and serve with rice or couscous.

Salmon Potato Salad (Mel!)

6 large potatoes, boiled and skinned,chopped into bite size chunks
2 tins pink salmon
2 courgettes grates
3 carrots grates
assorted peppers chopped fine
sprouts of your choice
mayo and bulgarian yoghurt dressing.

Combine all ingredients and toss!

I took photos of both these dishes but photographing food is an art....so I will leave it to the cuisine photogs!

Bulleted Monday

2012-01-23T18:23:00.002+02:00

Aunty Pix left this morning. Boo
I went back to gym (after 3mths) and it is horribly distressing to see how far I have fallen but I am trying to keep from lying down and sobbing uncontrollably.
Played A LOT of Uno with Hooli today. We found its ubercool to stack your cards (ie each choose your hand) and THEN duel it out. Good times.
Extramurals started today but have it all in hand.
Made dinner, just spagbol but that is 4 for 4 now girls. AND 2 desserts .... Be impressed cos my family sure is!
Happy to say kids are fed, bathed, homeworked by 6pm.
Kitchen is stacked, tidied and ready for morning breakfast.
Waiting for the Man to arrive home and then out the door for the mandatory 'beginning of year' school meeting.

I have to just say, for those who may know what I have been through, that I am feeling much more 'centred' and calm. I know that sounds horribly like new age/wholewheat sandal/Waldorf-speak but seriously, its the only way to put it.

Happy days.

Angry Birds and Food

2012-01-22T15:04:00.003+02:00

Further to my Masterchef status I have to share the following with you...

My son was ill on Friday; turned out to be just a 24hr gastric thing but he was really unwell. Under normal circumstance I would fall into a swoon-woe-is-me-I-need-takeout type spell and would simply not cook.

Surprisingly I decided to try something new - I did definitely help that my dear mom popped out to get the ingredients for me (I couldnt take my boy out shopping!).

I made cashnew nut chicken with coconut milk and ribboned veggies. The kids LOVED it. It was seriously lekker and seriously easy.

In other news; my husband aunt is out from Perth. She is simply phenomenal - at 82 she is still travelling around the world on her own. On this trip she is visiting friends / family in South Africa, Namibia, England and America! She is also going to pop in to Hawaii for a solo sightseeing trip. I want to be JUST like her when I am old!

My kids adore Aunty Pix and we have spent many hours chatting, eating and playing games. She even persuaded us to download Angry Birds ...and we now have it on 4 different devices in our home because it is so addictive.

I have my boychild home for one more week and then routine will once again pervade this household. I look forward to getting back into 'my stuff' - reading, painting, scrapping, writing, running, pilates and seeing my coffee mates!

I am struggling with a shoulder injury (strained a muscle in the scapula area) from a few weeks back and that is really getting me down - I think I may go have an x-ray this week to make sure all is well cos after2 physio sessions it still isnt feeling fully well. Very difficult to rest it as it is my RIGHT shoulder. :-(

Catch you all laters.

Masterchef Mel ... (edited)

2012-01-19T15:33:00.005+02:00

This is the year of the kitchen. I am not sure if it is all the BBC cooking shows my kids force me to watch or the realisation that cooking is here to stay so I may as well *try* enjoy it.

I took the leap and asked a new friend (who used to do all the cooking in her own restaurant!) to give me a lesson once a month. She agreed - just how lucky am I???

I am equal parts excited and terrified. The true depths of my kitchen skillz (or lack thereof) are to be revealed...but I am also excited to try to channel some of this *delight* that my foodie mates seem to find in the kitchen.

I decided to start getting into the flow of things and looked up a simple recipe I could do with my girls this afternoon. I would like them to learn easy, tasty, fun recipes they can do themselvs. It will certainly help me and definitely build their confidence in the kitchen.

I must say cooking with kids is a challenge. Or is it just me? The tangles over who stirs, grates, pours, measures blah blah blah can do my head in. Today I decided to take a deep breathe and just *try* not to get mental with them.

It worked so well! We have made 'Vanilla Panna Cotta with Cranberries'. As I type this they are a-chilling in the fridge and we will garnish and serve after dinner this evening.

Will upload photos tonight - pop back to take a looksee if it all worked out; in which case I will post the recipe.

I am not a food photographer so this doesnt look good but it tasted INSANELY FABULOUS people.

Uber simple recipe:

60ml water, add 5ml gelatine and let stand for 5mins til spongey
then place 810ml bulgarian yoghurt, 180ml icing sugar (I found it a bit sweet so maybe reduce that) 5ml vanilla essence and zest of a lemon in a pot and heat gently for 5minutes.

Then add gelatined water to heated stuff and stir in gently for 2mins.

Remove from heat, bung in ramekin thingies and cool in fridge for a few hours.

Garnish with any fruit topping of your choice.

Back to Mine Roots

2012-01-18T20:27:00.003+02:00

I have come full circle. :-)

Welcome (back) to Simply-Mel.

I thought kicking off with a spot of [age-appropriate] humour would be fitting yes?

"According to Ms. Dolgoff, women in their late 30s and early 40s fall into a 'new category of person: adult ’tweens, not quite middle-aged, but no longer our reckless, restless, gravity-defying selves.' Their new moniker: Formerlies, as in formerly hot."

All credit to the funny lady over at www.formerlyhot.com who put together this list that made me laugh out loud. (note NOT LOL okay, this is a grown up blog, no LOL-ing allowed!!)

You Know You're a Formerly (Hot) When...

1. You've even once pulled the skin of your face back and slightly up to see what you’d look like with a facelift. (check)

2. High school kids are now wearing what you wore in high school. (check)

3. You count calories in mixed drinks. (um, no)

4. Your ass is starting to need a bra.

5. You suddenly prefer interior design magazines to fashion magazines.

6. A supermodel could give you one of her kidneys and you would still kind of hate her.

7. Whereas you used to be grossed out by obscene catcalls, you are now relieved first, grossed out second.

8. You have a doctor devoted to a single part or function of your body (your patella, your endocrine system) other than your vagina.

9. There’s a decent chance that the doctor is younger than you. (thankfully not)

10. You need to pre-caffeinate before meeting someone for a morning coffee.

11. Your adolescent nieces and nephews are starting to regard you as a potential narc.

12. You let your mother friend you on Facebook because you have that little to hide. (>_<)

13. Besides, moms is cooler than you ever gave her credit for. (Hell yeah!)

14. Conversations about mortgages and 401Ks, while not exactly interesting, are no longer stultifying.

15. You have heard of Death Cab for Cutie, but couldn’t ID their songs on threat of waterboarding.

16. You freeze bread. Like there won't be another loaf at the store when you need one

17. You still think “hook up” means “let's meet up for a drink”

18. You have been ma’amed outside the Deep South

19. You can't fathom why they would remake such classics as Fame and Melrose Place

20. Cosmetic surgery that you once considered deeply anti-woman is now “a woman's personal decision.”

Oh dear. I have to say I ticked off a couple on this list...how about you? ;-)

Truth bubbles

2012-01-17T10:25:00.000+02:00

Here is the thing. I have never been a big bikini wearer. I think there was a period of about 6 years where I donned this ridiculous, although cute at the time, piece of material.

Then I had a kid. And I swore I would get back into my bikini, not because I loved it so much but because I needed to SHOW THE UNIVERSE that a kid would not be the end of my size 32 waist. And I did. Whoop Dee Doo.

Then I had another kid. And then I had another kid. I now had a size 34 waist and felt it would be incredibly unfair to fetter the public domain with my expanded girth. I began to donn a full piece. *sigh* I was 35.

Silly silly girl. I am now loud and proud in my bikini again. Okay, not so loud. It is sort of a tankini but on a good day I may fold it up and expose my lily white, not-quite-perfect-but-okay tummy to the rays of summer. And it feels so damn good.

Of course I have little reminders walking around my home. They come in the form of my kids :

Kid2 proclaims loudly a few days ago : 'I actually think you could wear that bikini in public!'

Point taken.

New Years Eve

2010-12-31T22:10:00.000+02:00

New Years Eve was spent at a local haunt you may have heard of from me before.... Cafe Roux. We have spent a couple of lazy Sunday afternoons here - live music, great friends and good coffee draw us back regularly.

Cafe Roux hosted a New Years bash with all you could eat seafood and all you can drink wine, which we traded for grapetiser / sparkling water. Did you know I dont drink wine or champagne - blech, hate the stuff.

The evening was fantastically entertaining - we all had to wear wigs and everyone really got into the spirit of things. I met new, highly entertaining, people and connected with mates from my schooldays. It was an evening to remember.

We look forward to a new year filled with love, opportunities, growth and fulfilment.

Christmas Day

2010-12-25T21:41:00.000+02:00

This wasnt the easiest Christmas for our family but we managed to share in the kids enthusiasm, enjoy each other and the beautiful Cape weather. Despite great sorrow we laughed at silly things and were thankful for one another.

Patiently waiting for Oupa to find a pressie with their names on it!

Levi loving the outdoors and his new *Future Bok* towel.

My grandparents enjoying the view from the deck.

Levi and Russ get a warm with with the inflatable boxing kit.

A moment between Faith and I.

Playing with my iTouch - an item much in demand in our home.

Rach is enthralled with the world of Teeny Tiny Families - she was so excited to receive them.

Faith immediately got cracking with her new make-up pencils.
Note aswell: the dress, gloves and bangles!

I trust you and yours had an amazing Christmas and were, once again, reminded of the many blessings in your lives.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T21:26:00.000+02:00

I have managed to grab some wi-fi and have just enough time to upload some photos from Christmas Eve. Telkom have basically told me I can kiss my ass ito of getting the fault on my line fixed before late January!

I do miss blogging but am simply doing my best to enjoy doing other things in my spare time. ;-/

My folks and the kids at Barracudas - we had a lovely dinner.

Oupa in the crazy hair grabs a wrestle moment with Rach.

The restaurant patrons were hightly amused by our hats!

A game we had as kids...we taught it to our kids that night.

Our kid-friendly large Christmas tree in our entrance hall.

Kids doing letters and pictures for Father Christmas

All set to check out neighbourhood christmas lights.

There were some beaut displays in our area.

My gorgeous four. :-)

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all well into the New Year. I do look forward to catching up on all your blog as soon as I am able to.

xx

Enforced Downtime

2010-12-22T19:48:00.001+02:00

We went to Mcgregs and returned home to find our phone line dead. Dood. Kaput.

I have no adsl. I dont care that I dont have a landline. But I care deeply that I cannot get online.

So forgive my silence.

School Girls

2010-12-19T11:24:00.003+02:00

Next year I will have both my girls at the same school. Big School. Can NOT believe that my fiery fairy, whom my early bloggers will remember, has become this young lady.

Sure, she looks a bit like a member of P. Diddy's crew in her school tracksuit but fortunately she is so excited to have a uniform that the fashion-forward part of her brain has been (probably temporarily) paralysed!

Fleeting Note

2010-12-17T17:58:00.003+02:00

It was cold yesterday. In Mcgregor. Oh, the irony - flipping freezing so i had to make a plan as my shorts and t-shirt were not really doing the trick!

The real deal Mel. sporting the not-so-fresh, make-upless face and the Mcgregor hair.
No hairdryer, ghd or Revlon in sight around here!

Some of us dont need a ghd, revlon or even to be awake to look uber-cute!

Hope you all having a chilled weekend.

xx

What a crazy happy sad week.

2010-12-14T17:28:00.002+02:00

This week:

My kids raked in all kinds of awards and because this is my blog I am can detail them and say:

Jislaaik, my kids are awesome. :-)

Rach : 2nd place in South Africa in the Baptist Bible Institute Exam (i didnt even know she wrote this exam til she came home with a handful of prizes. She also received an outstanding report, certificate for academic excellence, conquesta certificate for numeracy and literacy (platinum) as well as a certicate for some Maths Olympiad that I didnt know about.

Faith: outstanding report and certificate for most promising tap dancer 2010.

Levi : a report based more on his character at this stage - an absolute delight to this moms heart.

On the flipside our family suffered a tremendous relational trauma in the life of one of my siblings. Suffice to say it is not my story to share but every day brings new challenges and heartache at this time.

Russ is fighting severe politicking in the work place and his days are frought with tension at the moment.

I can say that the vertigo has been much better the last 2 days and am feeling so much more like myself. This is clearly a virus in our valley as 3 other acquaintences are suffering a similar ailment.

We have also weathered a minor (well, it was MAJOR yesterday) storm in the life of Levi. He has a lymph gland that has been up for over a year. It has shown no growth or abnormality but my {awesome} gp recommended we do a blood test to rule out any nasties. This was done yesterday and I bravely fought back all the {horrendous} thought bombs that assailed me.

His blood work came back all clear - you can imagine my relief!

We are off to Mcgregor tomorrow for some much needed r and r.

Happy weekend to you all.

Past Present Future

2010-12-05T21:01:00.002+02:00

Bullets on this Sunday evening.

This week I really struggled to get to grips with this weird dizziness thing. I finally got it diagnosed - Benign Vestibular Vertigo. It has been difficult because I am not sick but the disorientation left me bleak and quite depro. The doc wasnt able to tell me how long it would take to get better. Today (Sunday) was the first day in over 2wks when I only had occasional bouts. I am hopeful.

We have booked a cruise from CTP to Walvis return on the Melody for mid Jan. Going to be lovely - when we dock in Walvis we will shoot through to Swakopmund to spend the day with Russ' family and then return to the ship in the evening. We are all very excited.

I am growing my hair and its annoying. I have Mom Hair at the moment. That is not to insult Moms - I love Mom's but I often dont like their hair and mine resembles *that* hair. I may have to do some outrageous colour/highlights to avoid the utter boredom.

I plan to rekindle the relationship with OMS - he has had an accident though so will only be available again in January - works for me. ;-)

I met a remarkable lady (Pier) at a friends party who owns the most amazing horse. We went to meet Viking today and I am so taken with this animal. Pier is a remarkable woman with a passion for animals and for sharing them with others. Faith will be riding with her ad hoc and spending time at the stables. This will be in addition to her *paid* lessons - a real God-send!

Pier also gave me the name of a stylist (trained under Reto) who comes to your house and does your hair....who says kids parties cant be awesome networking opportunities!

I need a long black straight wig for a party this weekend....anyone?

We have made our New Years plans...Cafe Roux it is! An awesome bunch of people are going and I plan to add our awesomeness to the mix. ;-)

This week the weather looks set to HOT. I plan to be in the pool A LOT- our solar is fixed and the water should be perfect Mel-Temp by Wednesday.

Tomorrow the kids are all bringing lots of friends by for an impromptu *gathering* I love having loads of their friends here all at once. Makes me feel rich, ya know? Am very happy with the choices my kids make ito friends. Long may it last!

Right - time for strawberries for Sunday supper!

SChool Hols

2010-11-29T07:36:00.002+02:00

Levi and Faith broke up on Friday. This causes me a real dilemma as I cannot see why I should get up and cracking for Rachel to go to school. Why, you ask? Well, her assessments are over which means they are fart-arsing around at school doing not much at all!

Fortunately her teacher lives one door down from us so I have managed to organise for her to get a lift in every morning. Huge, huge help not to have to rally the whole family at 745am.

It has dawned bright and sunny here today - am thinking of hitting the beach for some fresh air with the kids. I am still not right in my head - that dizziness is persisting - but I am ever hopeful that the situation will resolve itself soon. :-/

38 - Tis Me

2010-11-26T10:32:00.010+02:00

I had a birthday this week.

I am 38 - whooppee although I can honestly say I am ready to be 40 --- all these trivial birthdays inbetween are just wasting my time. :-)

The morning went something like this:

cupcakes and pressies in bed with the kids
pressies included ghd, new james blunt cd, jewellery, pashmina, 2 x cami tops, nike kit bag and yoga mat
me insisting NO photos before my shower
kids to school
russ took me for breakfast at Tribeca in Kalk Bay
then sauntered through the shops and found some beautiful things at Big Blue including white waterfall cardigan, black tank and a some other bits n bobs.
went to visit my Mcgregs folks who are staying in Newlands after my dads op

the afternoon played out a bit like this:

fetched kids from school and Russ spent the afternoon with them

i met my mom and sis for a fabulous lunch at Rioja - was such a laugh
we then all went malling and I managed to lose my 6 day old sunglasses

in the evening we all went to Barracudas in Fish Hoek. the menu is amazing. i will do a review next week on my other blog.

Clearly one day is not long enough to celebrate with everyone ... i did a small breakfast with a handful of girls the next day. what a laugh - The Meeting Place (gorj deli!) didnt open until 9am so we all shopped til we dropped at this little chinese clothing boutique (that opens at 8am!!) Much hysterics amidst makeovers but we all came away with lovely items.

Then onto breakfast where conversation ran from sex to kids to parties to sex to men to christmas. Just like a good girls morning should be - accompanied by outstanding coffee and food of course.

Thanks to you all for making this such a memorable day for me.

Conversations and Confessions

2010-11-26T08:36:00.004+02:00

I think most you know by now that Russells' passion (besides me) is the environment and sustainability. I do tend to pull his leg about it cos he really is quite OTT about things - he is forever turning out lights and reminding me to check the *carbon footprint* of stuff!

And Rachel, most of you know, is obsessed with her *animals* - of the cuddly stuffed variety.
She has a vivid imagination and makes up all kinds of stories and otherworldly scenarios.

So with that background this is the conversation Rachel had with him the other night:

Rach : Dad, I think it would be good if I gave you my Unicorn. Then you guys could fly around and save the planet. Oh, and I could give you a few of my other animals and you could train them to be your Green People. To help you and stuff.

And then another doozy - we were discussing birthdays....mine was a few days ago and the kids were deciding what kind of party I should have....

Rach : I know Mom! I have the *best* idea. You could have a GYM party.
You know, you could do press ups and run races and stuff!

Faith : Yess!! Or you could ask Dylan (the trainer) to come and do
a training session with you and your friends !

Priceless I tell you. They crack me up.

Levi's latest obsession is Justin Bieber. I have decided to let this one slide. There are worse role models and frankly his Adam Lambert / Jay Sean craze was beginning to worry me.

So, Justin Bieber, welcome to the Brown household.

This weekend:

2010-11-21T17:46:00.002+02:00

So i am feeling a bit dazed and confused.

Really I am.

Since Friday I have been feeling distinctly odd. I even cancelled a gym session, felt my body was just not into it.

By Friday evening I was feeling even more dull in the kop and having moments of dizziness but nothing serious. I had a fortieth to go to though - this was a stretch as I had to go alone (Russ is in Jhb) and I felt marginally insecure aswell as feeling *odd* . The 40th was fun though - special time with phenonemal people.

Saturday I took the girls to a beading lesson; Levi and I hit the Mugg n Bean and attempted to watch Awesome Guitar clips on the Muggs dodgy adsl line.

By the afternoon I was feeling *odd* again. Not sick. I went to sleep. Woke up and went to watch the (kaka) rugby at my mom. Slept over.

Today (sunday) I am still feeling weird. Still not sick; this I know for sure as I actually went to the doctor on a sunday and he checked me out thoroughly.

Diagnosis : a viral infection. In other words : we dont know what is wrong with you. I have a temperature which gooi's up and down. Rest and *wait n see*. Come back in a few days for blood test if you still feel *odd*.

Like I said on facebook earlier....i would much prefer to be feeling dull in the head due to a Jaeger binge cos at least that would be over by tomorrow!

How was your weekend folks?

Feel it, It is Here!

2010-11-17T15:20:00.003+02:00

Summer babeeeeeeee! Can you hear me? I am so excited; I may even swim this year. ;-)

In My World

2010-11-15T19:52:00.005+02:00

So Master Levi has been getting rather angry at me lately; turns out he doesnt really like the word NO very much.

His way of dealing with his rage is to a) go upstairs and moer his drums til he feels better or

b) draw a really ugly scribble of me and shove it under my nose in disgust.

Once we have sorted things out he then takes the drawing and draws a *pretty mom* indicating that the hatchett is buried. LANK funny!

Levi had his first school outing today - they went to the Bean People to see how the process worked.

Afterward we took them all to the Noordhoek Farm Village to run around like hooligans for an hour. A great way to while away a morning.

Such a fab group of little people and a phenomenal *old-world* teacher. Love her!

This little miss is getting way to big for her boots...she has gone from being my easiest to my stroppiest! How I long for a day when all 3 can be the easiest at one time!

I ambled through to check if she was up at 6am this morning and found her drawing in her bed. She is VERY into drawing, doodling and creating. Highly creative this one is.

It is braai time again in our household. I am not a typical Saffer...i do not braai in winter. I braai when it is hot. Period.

So this Sunday we gooi-ed some meat on the Weber; the kids were so excited they took turns photographing the event!

I just love this moment I captured last Sunday - we were having breakfast with my folks at Cafe Roux....I think she is trying to solicit some cash from Russ but the moment is still priceless.

:-)

Hoesit Mense

2010-11-10T11:58:00.002+02:00

Sjoe, the year end is snapping at our heels hey? I cant believe its been so long since my last blog post.

I have to confess to *really* wanting to blog but am desparately trying to avoid being at my pc when the kids are around. I allow them very limited screen time and I do feel a bit of a hypocrite if I am staring down my screen for hours every arvie.

I used to blog in the mornings but am so enjoying being out and about. The weather is cheering up and there is something in the air that begs me to stay outside. I am fully into exercising again and am thoroughly enjoying it. I am mixing things up with gym, swimming, boxing and running.

Mr OMS and I parted ways as he was going through some heavy personal difficulties that were affecting his ability to train me effectively. I may go back to him if I see him hauling ass again but until that day I will be sharing a new trainer with a good mate of mine.

Many of you know I do have another anon blog. I started it as a means to express myself outside of a wife, mom etc. I havent opened it too many people but am considering going public. :-)

How are all your New Year plans coming? I told my man last week that I thought a quiet NY at home would be good this year and he fell about with raucous laughter. *Apparently* I say that every year and *apparently* it never happens.

Suffice to say, he was right as plans were confirmed today with my mates that there will be NO quiet evening in on NY's.

Clearly this man of mine knows me ever so well!

Photo Moments

2010-11-05T21:18:00.007+02:00

I got to (briefly) meet the fabulous Marcy (she has a private blog) this week - she is an inspiration to many with her positive outlook on life. We connected so easily, chilling on the couch yakking up a storm about everything from family dramas to how smoking hot Chris Daughtry is. ;-) I so look forward to spending more time with her in December.

Levi is becoming increasingly pc-savvy....and whiney if I wont allow him to play on FRIV. (1000's of free safe online games for kids)

Too precious - Faith made us this card for our anniversary 2 weeks ago.

Loving their independence...Rach took her two bestest friends for a picnic in the Estate...I snuck up on them to snap the pic much to their chagrin!

Rach was an angel in a little play she did in assembly - she has come a long way and is now able to project her little voice beautifully despite her nerves.

Faith had her Grade 1 orientation this week. After a tearful, clingy farewell she had a fantastic day and cannot wait to start Big School.

Am loving these little notes that Faith writes at school each day. Such a lovely idea that her teacher has come up with for her to practise writing, spelling and reading; like a mini scrapbook.

Happy weekend to you all!

Rachels Sports Day

2010-11-02T13:51:00.004+02:00

Sports Day has come and gone again. It does raise some anxiety in Rachel - I remember also feeling pretty anxious on race day!

We are sitting side by side on our laptops the evening before Sports Day and an email popped into my inbox :

'Mom, I am a little nervous about Sports Day, I really hope we win!'

and then a bit later another email....

'Dad probably wont make it witch will be really bringing me down so I probably wont do so well so boo hoo for me.'

Too sweet and she did very well in all 7 of her races.

The Green Team rocked!

I did manage to clock a 1st in the Mom's Bean Bag race alongside a good friend of mine....initially the school wanted the Mom's to do a blooming Sack Race but I managed to nip that ridiculous idea in the bud but forcing mutiny. ;-)

Next year I will have Faith and Rach at the same school and am so looking forward to these kinds of events with both my girls!

Day Two of the Weekend

2010-10-27T20:17:00.002+02:00

Day Two looked a bit like this:

A full and lazy breakfast at Whale Cottage. We then headed to Kloof street where we meandered through the Wellness Warehouse and then had an epic lunch at Greens.

Shortly before 2pm we checked into the Twelve Apostles hotel. We immediately changed and headed to the spa to be indulged in an hour long full body hot rock massage - which was done high up in a private chalet on the side of the mountain. Epic I tell you! What a beautiful experience.

After the massage we went to the Flotation pool and literally floated for 30mins in a warm, salt laden rock pool. Wowowowowow.

Our room was beautiful, extragavant and very calming. I could have stayed forever. :-)

Saturday night we went to The Round House in Camps Bay. A culinary adventure I tell you; service and food I have not ever seen in this country. Incredible.

On our return to the hotel we ordered popcorn and a dvd to be sent up to our room. The best popcorn EVER. Ah, the small things that thrill me. :-)

We are off to Mcgregor tomorrow for my stepmom's 60th birthday bash - it promises to be a very special family weekend with much celebrating. (especially when the WP donder the Sharks.)

Happy weekend!

Day One of The Weekend

2010-10-26T18:38:00.005+02:00

Friday :

I left home at 3pm to fetch Russ from work. The garage door decided to jag in and I couldnt get it to budge. Nothing was going to ruin my weekend so I left it WIDE open the entire weekend - with direct access to my house. Sometimes living in an estate REALLY pays off.

We ended up at the V&A Waterfront looking for swimwear....not my bestest thing to do. I hadnt realised we would be needing them but the man insisted. I bought me a lovely full piece and he bought me the Billabong string bikini ...!

We then went through to Camps Bay and spent a stunning evening at Whale Cottage.

Saturdays events to follow soon!

Surprises for Me!

2010-10-22T10:52:00.005+02:00

It is our 18th anniversary this weekend and Russ has planned a myriad of delightful surprises. He is grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat at being able to surprise me...not easy you know!

All I do know is that we will be staying here at some stage this weekend:

and this will be my view

and afternoon activities will include

Thanks to my mom and my sister for taking the kids all weekend to give us the space to indulge ourselves!

Photographic Meme

2010-10-20T08:38:00.011+02:00

1. How old are you?

I am 37 but closer to 38. I feel better in my own skin now despite the fact that my face is dropping daily.

2.What does your name mean?

It means musical or tuneful. And no, I am not either.

3. Where do you live?

I live in the deep southern suburbs of Cape Town. Lucky me.

4. What career would you have if there were no obstacles?

Journalism. Not a hardcore one; a softcore one. Like for Marie Claire or Womens Health.

5. Your fave meal?
My mom's macaroni cheese. (homemade)
Rainbow rolls (sushi)

6. What are you afraid of?

My own mind can freak me out. If I have handles on my mind I am not afraid of anything.

7. What makes you laugh?Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller. Dont judge me.
And my girlfriends and kids crack me up regularly.

8.What is your strongest talent?

Sjoe. I know I am not talent-less .... I cant sing, tap dance or surf so I guess I have yet to discover what sets me apart.

9. What do you desire most?

There are many things we desire; particularly as parents but right now I would so love to see a safe, economically thriving and politically stable South Africa. A home for my kids to raise their kids.

10. How do you see yourself?

I am someone who sees the fine print but does not dwell on it.
I am not afraid of conflict, controversy or being unpopular.
I am grounded and secure in who I am but am not unaware of my many flaws.
I care deeply for those in my world but sometimes struggle to show it.
I am determined and strong willed but sometimes cant find my goal. :-)

Thanks Robs for this thought-provoking yet fun meme!

Sneak peeks into the revamp

2010-10-19T07:41:00.001+02:00

I thought I would share a few bits and pieces from around my house.

Cubed room divider/storage unit on castors from Boardmans.
Wire heart hooks from Mr Price Home - lovely for hanging my necklaces.
Shoeboxes from @Home. I only bought a few to store my winter boots and shoes I dont wear often.

Have you bought anything new/fun/exciting/useful/pretty lately?

Moments From 2010

2010-10-18T07:11:00.000+02:00

The fashionista turns this oversized Cape Town Soccer Supporter T into a dress.

Russ and I share breakfast with our bestest mate, Rakau.

Levi doing the Haka before the *big* match in Mcgregor.

This lovely young lady is spending more time with a reflection these days.

How To Freak Your Kids Out

2010-10-16T06:42:00.001+02:00

How to freak your kids out in one easy step.

Public displays of Affection or PDA's....

hatching my cunning plan and sharing it with russ....

check Levi's face!

'tis friday

2010-10-15T09:19:00.004+02:00

Russ has left for Nata this morning. Big big weekend ahead as he goes to oversee the installation of the first ever sundolier in Africa. It has taken many months to get this amazing product here and through customs but it is finally happening.

I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished with his business this year. A business that he has built *part-time* while holding down another consulting project. It has not been easy for us but seeing the satisfaction it gives him makes the sacrifice worthwhile.

I do not enjoy it when he goes away; in fact I feel weired out completely however I do not have to cook so I will focus on the positive for now!

Next weekend is our 18th anniversary and we are going away sans kids - we are staying at the hotel of my dreams...more on that in another post coming soon.

Right, I need to haul ass and go fetch my painter and buy more paint. The girls bedrooms are almost done! There rooms are white with accent walls and shelving - Rachel chose purple and Faith chose tangerine.

Happy weekend to you all!

News from Mels World

2010-10-14T08:57:00.003+02:00

Here is a little peak into my world at the moment.

I am re-decorating and re-purposing the craft room into a family area. Its looking amazing - I painted it Kiwi green and have ordered dark wood venetian blinds. I have bought 2 new items of furniture - a cube room divided and a flat screen tv stand. My antique Morris chairs are having new cushions made. I cant wait to show you before and afters!

I am hoping to book a family cruise early next year for us with Starlight Cruises on the Melody. Ideally we will sail from Cape Town to Walvis (where we will have lunch with my FIL in Swakopmund) and then return to CT. Four nights at sea! They are very booked up though and I have to wait and see if they can accommodate us and if the dates will work.

Russell is planning on taking 2 weeks leave this year over Dec / Jan. For those that know us well you will understand what a big deal this is. He never takes leave over this period and I am always alone while all my mates hang with their families or go away. I am beside myself with joy at the prospect of having him around for 2 solid weeks!

The outside of my house is to be painted this summer - its been 4 yrs and its in dire need. I am going to go for a completely different colour. The landscapers were here recently to level and top dress our lawn. Summer is almost here babeeeee! ;-)

The kids are all so well - Faith is thoroughly enjoying tap and riding. Levi is starting cricket this season and is beside himself with excitement. Rach has started gymnastics (not the serious stuff, the fun,active stuff) with one of her best friends and is loving it. I am especially happy to see her find something active that she enjoys.

I took a break from gym for the last 5 weeks but started again this week. I am ecstatic to be feeling the burn and breaking a sweat again.

All in all life is rather good right now. I am not sure I can take all the excitement but it sure feels good trying!

2010-10-12T21:52:00.003+02:00

Each of my kids are truly unique. Today is Faiths turn....

Faith (6) wakes up every morning with her Dad at 4h45. She gets dressed (outfits are laid out the night before) makes her bed and ensures her room is tidy. All of these things are done on her own accord not on my instruction.

She loves to spend the quiet hours of the morning chatting to her dad after his shower. They have tea/hot chocolate together and he makes her comfortable on the couch in front of Animal Planet before he leaves for work at 5h15.

I stumble downstairs just before 7am. She has set the table for breakfast and laid out the tea cups. She has been doing this for almost 2wks now.

I have never ever asked her to do this; in fact I was suffering from parental guilt when I told her she really did not have to do all this for me. She said to me :

'Mom, if I lie on the couch I just fall asleep again so I might as well DO something. Besides it helps you in the morning. You know, so that things go more smoothly and it doesnt get crazy and stuff. '

I think that it is pretty dang cool and it certainly DOES make my life easier, cant wait to fob the school lunches off on her too. ;-)

Weekend Roundup

2010-10-11T11:22:00.006+02:00

We had a lovely day out at Spier on Saturday - we bought stuff at the deli and picnic near the water. The weather was absolutely perfect.

mr grumpy having a moment.

We ambled over to watch the Falcon show as we have heard it is really worthwhile. A few factors made us decide to come again another day to watch them birds.

These factors included:

It was really hot.
The show only started an hour later.
We had already picnicked.
It would cost R200.

mr grumpy having moment #4 of the day

The kids were less than impressed however, I do feel that they need to understand the value of our money occassionally! It is not a special occasion; we had just spent a small fortune on food and had already had a lovely time.

I really do struggle at times with my kids sense of entitlement. I dont believe they are spoilt and yet they certainly act like it sometimes.

Suffice to say they kicked up a small fuss but I have to admit they handled it rather well.

We have subsequently explained to them that from now on they (all 3 of them) have to choose and plan one *expensive* outing a month. The other weekends we will go with the flow but on their weekends we can do 'cool stuff' like the bird shows, lion parks, camel riding, ratangas etc etc.

Sunday saw me spending the day in bed reading (and finishing) House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I did pop down occasionally to feed the peoples. The weater was horrendous - raining and gale force winds so everyone pottered around doing their own thing. Another blissful day.

Update on the Snorer

2010-10-07T20:45:00.002+02:00

I am happy to report Levi has stayed in his bed AND his snoring has abated!

A double bonus.

I havent had time to blog recently but have a stash of posts in draft. Rach goes back to school next week and I can resume my rather unhealthy computer habit.

See you all then! Have a great weekend!

xx

Identity Crisis

2010-10-06T20:08:00.003+02:00

I am having a blog identity crisis of considerable note.

This is my *to print and keep for my kids* blog. (hence the privacy)

Then I have another blog that will not be printed or read by my kids. It is anonymous and I love hanging out there. I talk about everything and nothing. It is a comfortable space for me.

I have this dichotemy of what to say where and how and when and and and and.

Sometimes there is stuff I want to say here and there.

Can you HEAR my confusion?

Let me go eat and drink coffee and think.

Rachels new post here

Sleep and Snoring

2010-10-04T21:00:00.007+02:00

My son snores like a bus. Like one of those big red buses. It is crazy. I am going to take him to an ENT some day very soon as I think he may well have to have his adenoids removed.

The last few days he has been coming to our bed in the night for no apparent reason. Just sommer. I dont really mind if my kids crawl in on the odd occasion, in fact I welcome it. I am not quite as happy if it becomes a regular occurence. Especially if you snore like a dump truck.

So tonight as I lay with him before bed I decided to have a little chat about this with him...it kind of went like this:

***************************

Me : So Levi, buddy, I think we need to hit the chart again okay? You fill it up and I take you to the Crazy Store - pick anything you want. (I am *that* sleep deprived)

Levi : No thanks, I dont want the chart. I dont want anything. I really just want to sleep with you in your bed.

Me: Dont you think you are a little big to be coming to our bed in the middle of the night?

Levi : Mom! I am not big! I am ONLY four! (he is ONLY 4 when suits him!)

Me: Levi! Are you big or are you only 4?

Levi: Mom, I have scary dreams. (said with a twinkle in his eye)

Me : Oh reallllly? Hmmm. Tell me about them.

Levi : Wellllll.....I dream about the real Peter Pan and how the bad guy is going to stick his sword through my heart. (said with great animation and sparkly eyes)

Me: Sjoe, no more Peter Pan for you then hey!

Levi : No no no. It is my brain that is telling my head to dream. It is not from the movie; besides I have already seen it so it is too late so I may as well watch it again.

Me: (smiling on the inside) Okay, you know what the best remedy for me and for you is tonight boet?

Levi : What?

Me : Let's pray that you sleep well with no bad dreams!

Levi : Okay Mom, lets do it!

********************************

And he was asleep within 5 minutes.

And then it was Sunday night

2010-10-03T21:07:00.003+02:00

It has been a busy weekend although not quite the way I had envisioned it.

I had planned Saturday to picnic at Spier and then to take in the Birds of Prey show but unfortunately the weather just did not play the game.

We ended up at home busking our way through the endless chores that face homeowners the world over ...DIY! I am very happy with what we accomplished. Will post pictures soon - I have now been without my camera for 3 months but am assured this week is THE week.

Didnt have a great weekend ito of the kids - they were a bit off the charts in annoying me and making Too Much Noise. I guess they got a bit ticked off because we were b.u.s.y. I am thinking kids dont like to be ignored. ;-)

Sunday saw them injuring themselves regularly....Faith almost lost the top of her toe, Rachel appears to have been bitten by a flea on steriods and Levi managed to dent his shin and let a frisbee donder his nose.

I am still wondering if it was all staged to get Mom's attention! ;-)

Calling All Bloggers

2010-10-01T13:25:00.002+02:00

My friend and fellow blogger, Betty Bake, has a great idea for us to all get to know more bloggers and potentially increase readership of our blogs. (for those that are not private)

Take a look at her great idea here.

back soon

2010-10-01T08:18:00.002+02:00

school hols and no home help = very little time to blog.

will be doing a photo catch up post in the next day or two.

happy weekend y'all!

Real Holiday

2010-09-28T20:26:00.004+02:00

I want to go on a real holiday. With my family. You know - like get on an aeroplane and fly somewhere far far away. Somewhere new and exciting.

I think the combination of reading Eat Pray Love and the revelation that my kids are no longer babies as sparked a rising tide of desire in me to see faraway places.

I cant see this type of holiday being in our immediate future but I am plotting. I have a 3 year plan so stick around.

The blog may get a bit more exciting if you (or I) can last that long! :-)

Just another Monday ...

2010-09-27T20:12:00.004+02:00

So we didnt quite make it to the streets of Long and Kloof. Just didnt have it in me today. Instead we traipsed Cavendish. Cant say I found anything worthy of blogging - some undies and a new shirt. Not sure why but I cant be asked to shop.

I think I am waiting for real summer to arrive.

Faith loved her time at the stables and came home happy and filthy. Unfortunately we arrived home to a very sick Buddie (Rachels rabbit). I didnt even take the kids out the car - grabbed the little guy and whisked him to the vet.

They diagnosed him with some sort of neurological disorder - anything from a concussion to a brain tumour/meningitis. The little guy passed away about an hour later. Very sad - I will miss him around our home.

There were many tears as the girls are learning fast the joys and sorrows of being pet owners.

You can read Rachel's account of the day here.

Just For Now

2010-09-26T21:00:00.003+02:00

We had an amazing weekend. Well, let me re-phrase that. Russell had one of the most memorable weekends and I held the fort and spent time with my (usually) delightful offspring.

I will share all the news of this shortly.

I am posting now because tomorrow Allie and I are venturing into Cape Town to explore the delights that pepper the streets known as Kloof and Long.

I hope the retail fairies are good to us and that we can do a suitable *show and tell* post soon.

Before I go I have to share a little interaction I had with Faith ..... this conversation took place late last week:

Me: Faith, do you want to go on the pony camp this week?
It is EVERY day from 10am until about 4pm.

Faith : Yes! YES! Please Mom, yes!

Me: Faithy, poppet, it is a loooong day. I wont see you at all this week.
I will miss you!

Faith : Mom! Come on. I will see you at breakfast AND at supper!
It will be fine.

Me: Um, okay, I guess. :-(

********************

This from my daughter who would quite easily climb into my skin to be close to me. Who has to hold me hand, my leg, my finger, my bag or anything else she can when we are out the house.

Watching her grow in independence is harder than I thought. I have *waited* for this and yet I am not ready.

Are we ever ready?

Heritage Day

2010-09-24T21:53:00.003+02:00

It is Heritage Day in South Africa today. Another public holiday; bizarrely many Saffers have adopted it as National Braai Day. Whatever. Not sure what that has to do with our heritage and who ever thought we needed a special day to braai! ;-)

Russell's best mate, Rakau, has flown in from the States for a whirlwind visit. He came bearing gifts .... Project Life and an iPhone for moi. He upgraded his to the lastest model and *gave* me his previous one. I am so spoilt!

rakau and rach playing the fool with the iphone camera

While Russ and Rakau attempted to hit Robben Island (they missed their ferry ....) I took the kids to see Karate Kid. I do think Rachel is quite smitten with young Jaden Smith. There has been much Kung Fu-ing in our home today!

No prizes for guessing what new extramural is on the wishlist for both Rach and Levi.

Arts and Culture Evening

2010-09-23T12:29:00.002+02:00

We attended Rachel's school Arts and Culture evening last night. I have to confess that I was less than enthusiastic (privately) as we have had an EXHAUSTING week.

The evening was, however, fabulous. The kids did an outstanding job of acting out excerpts from, amongst others, CS Lewis, Dr Seuss and even the bard himself. The show was not too long and the kids were utterly engaging!

Rachels' class performed two popular poems - one in Xhosa and one in English. She also performed in the school choir. I was pleased to see she was much more relaxed and animated on stage than last year; no more clenched jaw or hand-wringing. ;-)

I still dont have a camera. :-( I think Russ got some shots on his cellphone which I will upload later if they are half decent.

Levi's Dream

2010-09-21T18:04:00.005+02:00

Levi has a great friend called L. He is actually 2yrs older than Levi but they are both sports mad and very physical boys. Levi doesnt really like to sit and play cars, trains or lego. He will do this on occasion....but only if there isnt someone to play soccer, rugby or cricket with him.

L's mom and I have been ever so grateful for this relationship as we share playdates and the boys spend about 2-3 afternoons a week at each other's homes.

Until I had this conversation with Levi today:

*********************

Mel: So boet, shall I organise for you to go to L's house from school tomorrow?

Levi: Um, no, I dont think so Mom.

Mel: Pardon? No? Why not?

Levi : I am scared of his granny Mom, she is old and I had a dream and she killed me!

Mel: (oh crap). No! Really? That is horrible. Does she live with them?

Levi: Yes, she just sits there in the corner and it freaks me out.

Mel : Okay boet, no worries. L can come here from now on and maybe tomorrow you can go to G instead.

Levi : Yesss!!! Cool.

************************

So...there goes that arrangement....! I wont make a big deal out of it for now because I distinctly remember being very afraid of very old people when I was young. I will wait a while before I begin the pep talk; you know the one....*Old people are people too*.

Quite frankly I dont think they buy that until they are muuuuch older. Rachel is still traumatised by her trip to the local old age home 2weeks ago. One of the ladies hugged her and she spoke about it for weeks!

See? Clearly my parenting is lacking in the *empathy and compassion* department!

Rachels latest post here.

Words A Mom Needs To Hear

2010-09-20T20:19:00.004+02:00

I received a text message from a friend of mine ( a guy ) on Sunday:

Hi Mels, I just wanted to mention to you how impressed I was with Rachel when I went to grab a few shots at their dress rehearsal. She is so confident and mature all of a sudden. What a lovely young lady - however you are instilling this, keep on doing it!

As most of you are parents, I do not need to explain to you what these few lines mean to me. The daily grunt of parenthood is made beautiful in the light of this, no?

I cannot take full credit here; I am so supported by family, friends and Christ in raising my kids - I couldnt do it without them.

******************************

Rachels lastest post: FRIENDS FOUL AND GROWS AGAIN

This n That

2010-09-19T20:07:00.002+02:00

Sunday night - it is chilly. I just managed to wrestle my netbook from my darling Rachel who was blogging IN HER BED! Goodness this daughter of mine is morphing into mini-Mel before my eyes. Ah well, she could do worse. ;-)

That being said, she has just blogged about her first fall-out with one of her closest friends. Fortunately nothing but regular preteen scuffles but again, I didnt realise just how much the incident impacted her.

I must mention the fact that Faith lost her first tooth last week. On Wednesday. *blush* And I didnt even blog it. Sorry Lulu! :-( Let us not even mention the fact that the tooth fairy didnt pitch up the first night either...and I was woken with tears streaming down the little face....and me thinking up a suitable explanation BEFORE my morning tea.

That, my friends, is skilled parenting.

Levi has laid soccer to rest for the season. Saturday morning saw him prying Russell's eyes open and enquiring when *exactly* they would be playing cricket.

I am happy to say that he would never even consider prying my eyes open with such a request.

How was your weekend?

Levi's First Soccer Match

2010-09-17T15:15:00.003+02:00

I went to watch Levi's first soccer match today. At first I was sitting way back from the field... in the shade....casually observing the little men chasing after the ball.

Little by little I was drawn to the sidelines as I watched my boytjie come alive and really *get in* to the game. I look on, in equal measure of awe and horror, at the parents on the sidelines - yelling encouragement and instructions to their kids.

It was like watching an american football movie. These crazies living vicariously through their 4yrs olds. I was very amused. And very determined to bite my tongue.

And then it happened. My boy got the ball at a critical moment in the game. He intercepted, took possession and then passed to another child who then went on to score a goal.

Well, I cheered and whoooped and yelled! If I could have whistled I would have done that too.

I have joined the ranks of those crazies. And it only took about 17minutes.

:-)

Privatising My Blog

2010-09-16T13:01:00.007+02:00

I have had many emails asking me why I am going private with Simply-Melb. Here are my thoughts around this issue:

I print this blog annually for my kids. This year (2010) will be the 5th volume I print.
I want to write using their real names, the names of their friends, schools etc.
I want to write about where we go and what we do.
I want to protect the privacy of my friends/family when I write about them.
I am not interested in attracting new followers.
I am not interested in promoting Simply-Mel in cyberspace
I am writing for my kids so this space will be PG. My daughter is now reading me here. :-)
I will not be sending out email updates but hope you will continue to check in from time to time.

Does that answer the question sufficiently?

Will you still read now that you have to log in all the time? ;-)

You and Me Peeps

2010-09-15T21:42:00.005+02:00

So ...here we are. All alone. Private. Just you guys and me. Kinda cool hey?

I did get requests from people I dont know. Who never commented. And they dont have blogs. What the heck? I dont know o.n.e. single thing about them and I am going to invite them here?

Nuh-uh.

Rachel's (formerly known as Honey) blog is The Animals Planet; I will put it in my sidebar. I will be privatisng her blog shortly aswell and will simply use my email list to send out invites as it eases my admin burden; you are under zero obligation to read it. :-)

That's My Girl

2010-09-14T21:44:00.005+02:00

My children are remarkable. I absolutely adore them; they surprise me daily. The latest surprsise to me is how my eldest, Honey, has taken to blogging.

I will not lie to you. I LOVE that she loves to write. I love that blogging excites her. I love that I get to see what is going on in her head by what she writes on [paper] her blog.

I have come to realise that she is so very much like me. In appearance, she is her fathers child but as she matures I see bits of myself in her. Honey is a very together young lady. She is seldom phased and adjusts easily to new situations. She is difficult to read sometimes; even to those closest to her.

Her blog, it seems, is her outlet. She pours her insides out. Her highs and lows. Her dreams and passions. And she does it in a quirky funny way.

I think she gets it from me. ;-)

Lulu's Surprise

2010-09-13T10:18:00.006+02:00

Lulu had her first horseshow this weekend. Great excitement as we went shopping for boots, riding helmet and jodphurs.

She was overwhelmed and nervous but handled like a trouper.

Lulu at the back, in the purple.

Imagine our surprise (and delight) when she placed first in the Sit, Walk and Trot class. We could not be more proud of our little gal!

Seated on Millie, the 3yr old mare.

The 2nd place lass congratulating Faith - so sweet.

Her 2 rosettes, one for a place in Best Turned Out and one for her win.

* photos taken with my cellphone as I am still suffering from cameralessness. :-(

The End of an Era

2010-09-12T17:11:00.003+02:00

Simply-Melb is moving on to the next phase. I have so loved being *out here* in the vast world of cyberspace but have decided to baton the hatches.

I am going to be making this blog private within the next few days.

I have loved sharing my life with you all over the last 4 years and I would *really* like to continue to do so.

For those of you who read me (whether you comment or not) please send an email to melody at globlal dot co dot za and I will send you an invitation to continue reading.

For my facebook friends ----- I am not sure who reads my blog but it will no longer be available on facebook. Please inbox me with your email address if you wish to continue reading.

Hope you all had an awesome weekend!

Thankful for you

2010-09-10T11:52:00.004+02:00

Honey - decked out for Pirate Day.

Hooli, braving 9 degree waters in Mcgregor.

Lulu, posing in her new riding gear prior to her show tomorrow.

I am so thankful that each member of our tribe is happy, healthy and thriving. My heart is full.

Happy weekend to you all.

Retail Adventure Pending

2010-09-08T09:46:00.008+02:00

It feels like I havent been malling for ages. I am sure I have but clearly the experience wasnt good enough to last because I am ITCHING to go shopping for clothes and/or shoes. Perhaps it has something to do with the arrival of SUMMER BABY!! :-)

I am so over the retail chains - this summer I have promised myself I will step out of the safe box (Truworths, Foschini's, Edgars) and investigate smaller boutiquey type stores. I may not even buy anything but I want to see what else it out there.

This is the latest Oneil offering. Lovely little summer number.

To be honest the little vintagey/designery stores in Cape Town can make me intensely nervous. The stuff can be so out there that I cant figure out what I like and what just amuses me; let us not even mention the price tags.....although I have it on good authority that value/quality do still co-exist in the inner city boutiques.

I am really looking for dresses this summer - something breezy and girly. *gasp*. True story

I love these wrap dresses...and they are made from fully recycled material....so The Man would be easily persuaded to purchase them for me. If only they were available locally. :-(

I have decided I will start in Long Street with this store if all else fails I will head to the Wellness Warehouse for retail therapy of a different kind!

Someone got it very WRONG

2010-09-06T12:31:00.006+02:00

By now I think it would be fair to say you guys know that I like shoes. I was pretty horrified by what I found on Cape Town Girl blog this morning! She is a fashion designer (i think?) and felt it necessary to bring this horror of horrors to our attention.

Okay, these are Vivienne Westwood. Very very cute. I wouldnt buy them but I can totally see their appeal.

And these....drumroll please....are Mr Prices answer to the Westwood look.

*gagging quietly*

New Generation

2010-09-02T17:34:00.004+01:00

We were out this evening, at a friends house....

Hooli : (quiet voice) Look at that tv. What kind of tv is it?

I turn and have a look.

Hooli : MOM! Why does it have whiskers on top?

Me: (laughing) Those aren't whiskers - that's the aerial.

Hooli : What the heck? (seriously, he says that!) What kind of tv has an aerial? Does it think it's a car?

*************************

Eat Pray Love

2010-09-01T15:58:00.002+01:00

I want to have a lasting experience of God....Sometimes I feel like I understand the divinity of this world, but then I lose it because I get distracted by my petty desires and fears. I want to be with God all the time. But I dont want to be a monk, or totally give up worldly pleasures.

I guess what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights, but also to devote myself to God.

Elizabeth Gilbert
Eat Pray Love

Weekend Roundup

2010-08-30T08:47:00.006+01:00

Friday:

We took Honey and Hooli to watch Orlando Pirates vs Vasco da Gama at the Greenpoint Stadium. It was so much more fun than I anticipated - the vibe was amazing; the fanwalk was open and the *fans* partied hard and happily. Going to a football game is waaaaay more interesting than going to a rugby game in terms of the crowd entertainment factor.

*the orange shirts are the official Cape Town Soccer Supporter shirts; a City of Cape Town iniative.

I could not believe Hooli's face when he saw the field under floodlights. He was crying as we entered the stadium because the vuvu's were so loud but as we ascended into the seating area and he saw the field and the live players his face changed into the BIGGEST smile I have ever seen. The boy could not contain his excitement and the vuvu's were not mentioned again. (note to self : remember earplugs next time!)

I marvelled at watching Honey standing up and hollering for our team, Vasco. It was their first PSL game and they put on a cracking game even though they lost 2-1 to the Pirates. Honey yelled at the ref, stamped her feet, jumped up and down and was utterly engrossed in every minute. Soccer is WAY more exciting in real life than on tv and we will definitely be going again soon.

Madame Fluff aka Lulu stayed over with my mom as she was most emphatic about not wanting to attend. The memory of her last encounter with soccer/fanwalk is far to fresh in her mind and utterly overwhelming. I think, though, that her siblings may have convinced her to try come with us next time!

Saturday:

The Man and I took some time out on Saturday to have lunch, do some fun shopping (for him) and take in a harmless movie. (Grown Ups)

Sunday:

Spent time with family and friends aswell as taking a loooong walk in the Newlands forest with my boet and his crew. I so enjoy getting the cousins together - watching them interact makes me smile.

A full but chilled weekend - just the way I like them!

Did you do anything exciting this weekend?

The Middle : Educational TV?

2010-08-27T07:11:00.001+01:00

This evening the girls and I snuggled up in our huge bed and watched the latest episode of The Middle together. It dealt mainly with our need to have successful kids and then having to potentially embrace mediocrity.

As the show ended, I switched off the tv and we were just arbing in the bed when Honey (9) says:

Honey : There isnt anything average about our family you know Mom.

Me : I agree with you; now you tell me why you say that.

Honey : Well....(thoughtful pause)....we have a dog that thinks she is human. We have a rabbit that thinks its a dog and we have a hamster that thinks its a squirrel.

(internally I am screeching with laughter but she isnt done yet...animals just come first in her world)

Honey : THEN (very dramatic) we have Grade R-er (Lulu) who can read and do maths! AND we have a 4yr old that acts like a 6yr old and is so very grown up. (she paused)

Me: And we have a 9yr old who writes the most amazing stories!

Honey : And we have an awesome Mom who is extremely athletic. (whahahahaha) And we have a Dad that is awesome in business.

*************************

I loved her take on us, I wont share what I said to her because it may sound like the closing scene of a schmaltzy american sitcom but I did round it out quite nicely. ;-)

ExtraMural shifts

2010-08-26T10:03:00.003+01:00

I think the world may have shifted on its' axis or something.

Why?

Lulu wants to give up tap and Hooli wants to stop soccer.

What the heck?

Lulu is devoted to horse-riding. She took a fall off her pony during her canter yesterday. Very sore hip/bum and limping about but not even slightly deterred. I, on the other hand, am a tad more concerned. :-/

I have discovered that certain girls are either *horsey* OR *dancey* - I dont think I know any young ladies who are both passionate riders and dancers. Frankly, I think I prefer the riding because it is less focussed on body issues and girls tend to be devoted to their horses in their teens instead of chasing after the boys. :-)

Hooli seems to have lost interest in his soccer purely because he has become obsessed with rugby (TriNations and all) so now its all about the rugby.

Maybe taking him to the game at the stadium tomorrow night may spark an interest again..The event kicks off with local team Vasco da Gama playing Orlando Pirates at 18:00, followed by Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic clashing at 20:45. I doubt we will stay for both games but it will be fun to be out there supporting local soccer.

What you guys up to this weekend?

Not Quite, but almost

2010-08-24T19:45:00.002+01:00

Me : Hooli!

Hooli : Yes Mom?

Me: Why are there so many of your shoes lying around downstairs? PLEASE tidy them away my boy.

Hooli : Okay Mom.

*******************

I had to smile.

Blast from the Past

2010-08-22T16:21:00.004+01:00

We had an *official* school reunion on Friday night. By official I mean it was organised by the past pupils association and included ALL past matriculants - we even had a table representing the class of 1970!

I have to say that my year (1990) had by far the greatest representation; we all had such a great time catching up and and *cutting some shapes* on the dancefloor. ;-)

I didnt take a camera but fortunately a friend whipped out her Blackberry and my man snapped this shot.

How was your weekend?

Crazy hair

2010-08-20T16:57:00.003+01:00

He had crazy hair day at school. I think he rocked it. :-)

Book Shelf Styling

2010-08-19T02:42:00.001+01:00

I have a few areas in my home where I have considered wall to ceiling bookshelves. To date I have not actioned installation as I am so aware of the fact that they can become an absolute eyesore. Clutter can so quickly overtake beautiful intentions.

I so love this. I can totally see this type of arrangement in our arts/computer/hobby room.

I am enjoying taking in some simple clues from many designers as to how to pull a large bookshelve together. Cruising design blogs is honestly like a tonic for me; leaves me feeling all perky and inspired. :-)

images from Simplified Bee

What do you think?

Creativity Postponed!

2010-08-18T04:49:00.001+01:00

(edited 15h30 today....extramurals all cancelled due to rain so we are happily rediscovering our art studio)

We didnt get to do our poster yesterday - extramurals and school projects kinda ruined our creative mojo moment....but at least it wasnt our modern trappings that stole our time.

Wednesday is my crazy day and has become even crazier as I am teaching all morning and extra-muralling all afternoon. Leave home at 0745 and return at 16h30....something this SAHM hasnt done for many years.

I have set aside Thursday afternoon to hang out and get messy with the kids ...hopefully creating something that will be a visual reminder to each one of us to embrace simplicity and spontaneity as often as possible within our schedules.

The irony of this statement does not escape me!

Dont you just LOVE this eraser collection? I am inspired by simple art like this.

New Blogger on the Block

2010-08-17T18:53:00.003+01:00

Just a note to introduce a friend of mine who has recently started blogging. Please go over and introduce yourselves as I have told her all about my awesome cyber community. :-)

She is a SAHM mom to three young children but as you will see she is doing many things including....tutoring a high school student, writing activity books and studying!

Journey with K and her family as they walk to A Different Drumbeat.

Maybe Just for Today?

2010-08-17T08:25:00.000+01:00

I want to be bent this way....

but it seems my love for all things techno, be it television, music, social media and even blogging take time AWAY from the simplicity that I seek.

How difficult it is to find balance in the old and the new.

Today I will be sitting with my kids and we will make our own version of this poster; in our own way we will begin to make place for the simple in amongst the noise of life in 2010.

I am linking in with the lovely folks at Tuesdays Unwrapped.

Monday Musings

2010-08-16T19:14:00.004+01:00

Woke up at 5am (!!!) and decided to use the time to get my Monday started on a good note.

Planned meals (wrote shopping list) until Wednesday.

Dropped kids at school and was at Pick n Pay by 0815.

Pick n Pay didnt have free range chicken, leeks, mushrooms, parmesan or basil.

Nor did it have more that ONE teller on duty.

Annoyed is an understatement. Let's leave it there.

Popped into school to get lesson outlines for tomorrow.

Head to Virgin Active to meet OMS. Told him we need to spend 15mins every session purely on my abdominal blubber. It's gross and it must go.

Headed back to Pick n Pay. Still no chicken or basil or mushrooms. Got leeks. Yay bloody yay.

Took Hooli to Sevenpointfive consultant. Want to get him off the Seretide. Blood work shows that he is a VERY healthy little boy but cant hurt to buffer around the edges which is what we will be doing.

Had a lovely evening with the kids. Let them stay up PAST 7pm and we had a little dance off to the tunes of Jay Sean, Shakira and Adam Lambert. :-)

Everyone is happy, healthy and tucked in.

Weekend Round-Up

2010-08-15T18:16:00.006+01:00

Friday evening we stayed in, yes we did!

Saturday found me working out with The Man and Mr OMS. Quite a challenge I tell you.

Saturday evening The Man and I headed out for dinner and a movie...we saw The Boys are Back. Oh dear. Not the movie to see for a *feelgood date night*. (dad left to raise sons after wife suddenly dies of cancer.)

We drove on to this amazing restaurant in Greenpoint trying to undo the weightiness of the movie we had just seen .

Had a fabulous evening together, so good to get out and discover new places around Cape Town.

Sunday was chilled. I would have preferred to laze around ALL DAY but was prevailed upon to do a little mini-hike with the family. Fortunately we live in an area with numerous family-friendly walks on our doorstep so today we went to our own national monument.... Peers Cave.

My favourite part of this walk was watching my boy. And my dog. They were both practically busting out of their skins with delight - Hound's entire body was wagging while Hooligan literally whooped and jumped for joy most of the way. Their enthusiasm was utterly intoxicating.

I am ready for my week ahead. How about you?

Friday Bliss

2010-08-13T09:34:00.006+01:00

Sometimes you have to give up the life of your dreams to discover
the dream of your life..........tagline from Beautiful

* Honey made the choir. :-)

** I am working on my blogroll over the next days so please be patient...I havent stopped reading you all!

Choir Hopes Update

2010-08-12T15:19:00.002+01:00

The conversation went something like this when I fetched her from school today:

Me : (very casually) Any news on the choir story?

Rach : Um, not really. I forgot to check the board.

And then she literally went on to ask what was for lunch and hasnt mentioned it since.

Clearly she has moved on from her *really really* stage!

:-)

Choir Hopes

2010-08-11T14:45:00.003+01:00

Honey just told me that she tried out for the school choir today. She calmly tells me that she *really really* wants to be part of this choir.

I am nervous. For her heart. The first (of many) potential disappointments may be in store.

Apparently they are posting the successful kids names on the noticeboard tomorrow. (I have watched enough HSM to picture *that* scene) She has a lovely little voice but who knows what the barr is?

REQUEST FOR ADVICE: yes, feel free to dispense....

will some of you "down the track" parents give me a headstart and what to say if she doesnt make it?

(although I do think she will crack the nod. ;-)

Weekend Mania

2010-08-09T08:41:00.003+01:00

Bullets will have to suffice if I am to get a post out at all today.

Friday night : I went to gym because the guilt of being awol the whole week finished me off. I promptly fell asleep on the couch at 8pm while watching Night at the Museum 2 with the kids. As did the Man. The kids were not amused.

Saturday morning : I had a date with Mr OMS - was great to be back. The Man cleared the garage out and did an awesome job.

Saturday arvie: Found some lovely clothing at the Chic Mamas Charity event. (rich mommies donate designer labels so that other mommies can buy them!)

Saturday night : We went to Betty Bakes 30th. What a fabulous evening - I cant wait for her to put pictures up on her blog - you have to see them!

Spent time meeting new people, including the delightful Being Brazen.

Sunday morn: Awful weather - the kids and i stayed in bed until lunchtime and then headed out to my nieces 3rd birthday. Ended up spending all day and evening with my boet and sil. Was so good to catch up with them.

Monday: Got up around 10am after watching 3 episodes of V. :-) We all went for breakfast

and then head to the Waterfront to experience the HiSense big wheel...modelled on the London Eye.

It was fun for my family but I struggled with the height and spent time of fb mobile to calm my nerves. :-/ My girls were so sweet and stuck close to me for comfort.

We then took the kids to the soccer stadium, grabbed a few McFlurries and took a slow drive home via Chapmans Peak.

All in all a fabulous long weekend!

Friday's Frivolity

2010-08-06T06:26:00.000+01:00

Another insanely beautiful day in Cape Town .... but moving along from the weather....

In the light of my current gym phobic state I decided to look online for some inspiring gym gear to keep me motivated. I dont actually need to *buy* anything - I am well trained in the art of admiration....and moving swiftly along.

I love all these pieces barring the khaki nappy pants. Ick man. The yogis probably wear them.

This bundle is super cute for summer runs - love the colours and the fresh feel. Those sneakers would be mine in a heartbeat if I could get them locally.

I did splash out yesterday though...on these very cute French style patent heels. They were on sale and literally begged to come home with me. :-)

And these are the tights I chose; fishnets were
a) too brave for me and
b) would look all wrong with these shoes.

On that note I am off to take Hound for a long, well-deserved beach meander. I may even take the heels off before I go. ;-)

The good with the bad

2010-08-05T09:33:00.004+01:00

That is the space I find myself...after 10mnths of consistent exercise I am floundering.

All I want to do is eat. And arb around. I think this is not good. The malaise wont last because my body feels alien but right now I cant even *think* about walking into the gym.

I cancelled OMS today for the SECOND time in a week. This, too, is very not good.

Oh well, I will just embrace the moment, call my mom and go for coffee and cake at my favourite deli in Simonstown.

There is always this afternoon or tomorrow. Or the next day. ;-)

I dont want to talk about it

2010-08-04T01:21:00.002+01:00

I recently caught up with a friend of mine. We hadnt seen each other in months even though our kids go to the same school(s) and we live in the same area. We are both bloggers.

During the course of the conversation it became very clear that she does not read my blog. This surprised me as she used to check in from time to time.

**********************

The conversation went a bit like this:

Friend: What did you get up to these holidays?

Mel : We went to Namibia.... the memorial service... etc etc

Friend : Oh! Wow, I didnt know.

Mel : It is all on my blog. We had a fab time blah blah...there has been A LOT going on in my life recently actually but I have blogged it all.

Friend: Well I am here now so lets talk about it; I dont want to have to go *read* about it.

Mel : The thing is I passed through all of it. It is done and finished. And I blogged it because, actually, I dont WANT to talk about it.

***********************

That is when the penny dropped for me. Big time.

I often blog when I dont want to talk. It is the way I like to process things. I dont always need anyone to sit with me and offer me solutions or their opinion. It is fine in cyberworld because it is removed but irl* it rather annoys me.

What my non-blog-reading friends do not know is that they would see much deeper into me if they read between the lines right h.e.r.e.

So clearly I am a blogger because I am a reluctant irl communicator. Ironic isnt it?

*in real life

Tuesdays Unwrapped

2010-08-03T07:41:00.000+01:00

I love that i still have little people that want to climb into my bed.

I love when Hooli says "I love you so much Mom I want to give you a mooshy kiss"

I love that Lulu sees my frustration sometimes and comes and says
"Can I just give you a cuddle Mom?*

I love that Honey still wants me to read to her while I play with her hair.

I hold in my heart, all these moments, that make up the big picture that is my everyday life.

I Want to Remember

2010-08-02T10:09:00.010+01:00

I was perusing a few new bloggers I have found recently. Many of them have very young children. I got quite emotional looking through the pictures and realising how my kids have grown.

This was the first pic I ever posted to blogland in 2007.

When I began to blog, Hooligan was not quite a year yet. Lulu was almost three and Honey almost 6. I was in the throws of HECTIC-ness with little people carnage everywhere.

Now I sit and look through photos and video clips and wonder where it all went; what could I have done differently?

I miss my babies but looking back only makes me more sure that living presently every day is the only way to live without regret.

Expecting Hooli...New Year 2006.

Honey 3.5yrs

Lulu, 18mnths.

Lulu (18mnths) and Honey 4.5yrs)

Hooligan, 9mnths

Hooli, 8mnths

Lulu, 2.5yrs

Us, March 2010, all grown up!

The Checklist

2010-08-01T18:16:00.003+01:00

This weekend was bound to be hectic. We had many plans and most of them involved catching balls that were falling all around us. It wasnt going to be pretty.

We checked the following this weekend:

Did rental inspection (tenant leaving)
Did rental introduction (new tenant arriving)
Medical aid admin
Trained with One More Set (my personal trainer)
Laid slab for staircase to office above garage.
Cleared and re-planted large area behind garage
Painted flashing and fixed roof leak.
Varnished some of the window frames.
Put new rails and shelving in walk-in closet.
Put up scrapbook shelves and pegboard (for the 4th time in 4yrs! i better not pack it in again!)

We also went out for dinner with friends on Friday night .... and to movies (Inception) on Saturday evening. The plan was to go dancing afterward but the movie only ended close to midnight so we headed for home instead. Was eternally grateful for that decision at 9am this morning!

In amidst the flurry of activity I also managed to bake 2 batches of muffins and make awesome hamburgers from scratch. Not too shabby eh?

I am looking forward to Monday....I need to recover from the weekend madness. :-)

Into the Weekend

2010-07-30T03:55:00.001+01:00

* Pic courtesy of Bippity Boppity Boo.

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.

Charles Dudley Warner

Random Thoughts

2010-07-29T08:19:00.003+01:00

It is an exquisitely beautiful day in Cape Town - sunny and still but freezing!

I am still OMS-ing twice a week but am finding it increasingly difficult to keep it up but I will not quit.

I used to think I had it all together. Arrogant hey? Now, not so much. :-)

I start teaching two days a week from next month until mid September. IT to Gr 1 to 6. I am nervous as whatsit. Silly hey?

My kids are growing up very fast. I looked at all 3 of them in the bath yesterday (seldom do they bath together anymore) and was gobsmacked but how much SPACE they take up.

Hooli and Lulu's relationship makes me smile daily. I see the fruit of my (difficult) decision in taking her out of her school and putting her with him.

I see much pain around me in the lives of my friends, family and acquaintenances. Sometimes it is very hard to bear.

I found Mumford & Son on iTunes. Their music makes me happy.

I am seriously considering going out to work. Now I just need to find someone brave enough to employ me.

What is on your mind today?

The Hillbilly Song

2010-07-28T08:56:00.002+01:00

This is the cd in my car at the moment. It was one of my better purchases - all the hits on one album.

When I say *all the hits* I dont literally mean I like every song. In fact, there is one song I studiously skip every time. I have to be quick so my kids dont hear the intro because it is quite catchy. If you are 5. Or something.

After almost 5months of never letting them hear The Hillbilly Song, as I fondly named it, I let my guard down and allowed them to listen to it yesterday.

:-(

They love it. And they are making me listen to it over and over and over. The sad truth is that exposure can sometimes wear you down.

And I now confess to singing along loudly to Sugarland's It Happens.

Tuesdays Unwrapped

2010-07-27T15:32:00.004+01:00

Life is in the details; a point used to be very aware of but through circumstances I seem to have lost sight of the *little things*. In an effort to reclaim my appreciation for everyday moments I have hooked into Tuesdays Unwrapped.

This week has seen me facing some HUGE stuff but I am eternally grateful for the following:

playing soccer in the garden with Hooli despite the fact that he dissolves into floods of tears when I say Game Over. Whether I play for 10 minutes or an hour - it is never enough. He is always Germany and I am always Argentina.

perusing the stories that Honey writes. She is always bringing merit awards home, usually for her creative writing. This makes me smile. I couldnt get her out of bed this morning ... yesterday was our library day and she spent way to long reading her new haul last night!

watching Lulu put her *outfits* together every morning. this can be excruciating or highly entertaining depending on my mood! the girl has to look gooooood no matter if she is going to school to paint and climb trees.

my life is good.

Sunday ramblings

2010-07-25T16:08:00.003+01:00

We took the kids to see Shrek this weekend - I had to nip off near the beginning so I didnt see much of it but they seemed to enjoy it. What do the rest of you think of it?

Hooli also had his first soccer practice on Friday and he simply loved every minute of it - so much so that we are enduring endless whining sessions as to when he can go again.

Saturday was spent arbing around after a late Friday night with friends....so my evening of *reckless abandon* on Saturday night as been postponed. Indefinitely. Instead we went to see I Love You Phillip Morris because it was all that was showing.....bizarre to say the least. It is a true story. But really really weird.

My knee seems to be behaving rather well and I to hope to (modestly) step up my running this week and see what happens. I havent seen the inside of a gym since Thursday last week - so tomorrow will be interesting.

It is a pretty awesome day in CT today - the kids swam at friends of ours this morning and then again at the beach this afternoon. I am still waiting for the winter ball to drop around here.....it is probably going to pour and howl for 30 days straight through August....whatever.

In other breaking news - I watched the first episode of Dexter recently. Eeeuuuwww. No man. I get that the premise is interesting and I am somewhat intrigued but I had to watched through my fingers A LOT!

I think I will stick with Heroes a while longer.

Verbs in 2010

2010-07-23T11:10:00.002+01:00

Honey and I were chatting about pronouns, verbs and adverbs the other day. We had some good laughs and later I realised we have some verbs now that we didnt have in my day.

Just google it!

Careful what you say online because you may well get dooced?

I need to ghd my hair quickly!

I am sure there are many more - leave your favourites in the comments. Am off to take Hooligan to his first soccer practise.

Happy weekend!

Hoesit mense

2010-07-22T16:57:00.004+01:00

Interesting to see that my last post struck a chord with a few of you. I guess we all go through times like these. Change is afoot. I can feel it and its kinda cool. :-)

I had a superfine workout with OMS yesterday, my first in a while as I did no training while I was in Namibia. Today I tentatively set foot on the treadmill as nothing beats it coupled with my favourite toons for some therapeutic headspace.

We shall see what the knee says tomorrow. I took it easy because I am planning a nite of *reckless abandon* (my fancy phrase for throwing down some moves at the 'old peoples club') on Saturday night and my knee has to play ball!

Tonight I had planned to do some design sketches for layouts but time is slipping away....and Brothers & Sisters is starting again tonight....woo hoo!

Inner Wonkiness

2010-07-20T17:23:00.003+01:00

I am fidgettey within the very depths of my being. It is like my inner-Mel is ADD or something. I cant figure out what the hell is going on.

I am not unhappy. I am not sad. I am not discontent. I am not bored. I am......hmmmm....I dont know how to finish that sentence. I am weirded out by the feeling of *something* I cant quantify nor articulate.

I really want to start scrapbooking again. Not the doiley/decoratey thing but the documenting life thing; to do that though I think I am going to spend less time on cyber activity which may be challenging because I have another cyber adventure that I am working on and its turning out to be far more difficult than I ever imagined.

I am also writing anonymously elsewhere and am gobsmacked how difficult it is for me to write without being *known*. A real learning experience and maybe that is why I am feeling weird in my own skin.

An extremely random post - the ramblings of someone who needs to pour words on a page to make sense of things in her head. ;-)

Back to Basics

2010-07-19T10:20:00.004+01:00

I have too many things going on right now. In my head and in real life. I havent been able to put together a coherent blog post in days.

Suffice to say we had a lovely time away. The kids (being older now) were easy to travel with and they also spent much of their time playing with their cousins. I was able to catch a break, to some degree, which was pleasant.

The memorial was beautiful; so much better than I imagined. We eventually had to organise a plane to fly over the reef as the swell was too large for us to take the boat out.

The kids said their goodbyes

Us, the mans sisters and their kids

Swakopmund Delights

2010-07-13T15:58:00.004+01:00

Yesterday the man and I escaped for a few short hours to cruise Swakopmund. Sadly I did no shopping for myself; I needed to get a few things for my kids but my excursion was to get birthday presents for my nieces and nephew.

Wow. Credit card use is alien here probably because they still use isdn lines. You whip out a debit card and they shake their heads and say that *this may be a problem*. The locals all agree; CASH : she is KING in Swakopmund.
I did get one thing that made me very happy. A decal for Hooli's wall. At Mr Price Home - not something I have seen in our local stores.

But of course there were a few *sights* that made me smile...

I bought a few cds and had a chuckle at the instore playlist.

A different world out here I tell you; the upside is beautiful weather. I am so enjoying feeling the hot sun on my skin. Bring on summer!

Swakop beachfront

Reunion of the Cousins

2010-07-11T20:26:00.008+01:00

Today I spent the morning putting together a scrap album for my father-in-law of all the cards and letters received around the time of my mom-in-laws passing. It has been quite surreal being here and going through her things with my sisters-in-law.

This afternoon we spent time on the beach to get updated photos of the cousins. For those who dont know - my two nieces live in Atlanta (USA) and my nephew in Swakopmund. The last time they were altogether Hooli wasnt even walking yet; it is always a celebration and cause for photo mania.

We had pro photograper doing the shots (waiting for those) but these were taken by my sister-in-law at the same time. Some lovely natural moments.

Am feeling quite nostalgic about the end of the Soccer World Cup; must say Swakopmund is NOT the best place to be for the final game - not much *waka waka* spirit here - we dont realise how electric SA is right now until you step *outside* the country.

Hooligans Room

2010-07-10T12:20:00.009+01:00

Quick post : Hooli's room isnt finished but the last bits and pieces are going to take time and more money than I care to spend right now!

Here is what I accomplished with a lick of paint and new bed linen.

before

after

before

after

that corner floating bookshelf will soon be custom fitted with a corner storage unit.

before

after
(artwork in process for this wall and furniture in design phase)

Intermittent Access

2010-07-07T20:37:00.003+01:00

I have an internet connection which is rare thanks to the Seacom fault. Yay. But blogger wont let me upload MY photos to show you the result of Hooligan's bedroom mini-makeover....grrr.

Instead I will show you girls this....please click the link and check out the interior of this *shack* and read the story behind its transformation. Truly captivating and inspirational!

Can you tell I am becoming more and more addicting to design/style blogs? ;-)

yawn

2010-07-06T05:07:00.003+01:00

It is 6am. Hooli is curled up next to me fast asleep. Lulu has been downstairs watching tv since about 4.45am. She woke when the man left for the airport and she isnt feeling hundreds. She has a slight fever and a nasty cough. Seems to be in very good spirits though so am hoping it resolves itself quickly.

I couldnt go back to sleep....hence my 6am blog post....

The days are getting few before we wing it to Nam to be with the mans family. The kids are so excited to see their cousins and I am looking forward to hanging with my sil's. It will be our first time back since my mil's passing so it is going to be very sad. To be in her home and not have her bustling around, playing with the kids and generally being the matriach that she was.

I am very pleased that a friend of mine has agreed to stay in our home while we are gone so the dog, bunny and hamster will be thoroughly loved and cared for by her young daughter!

Hooli's room isnt finished but i have decided to heed the wisdom of more talented home decorators (shayne and betty) .... and NOT to rush the process simply to get it done. I am going to post before and after pics later today even though it isnt complete. (ack, i hate doing that!) I will then explain what further plans I have and show you those as they unfold.

For now I leave you with this room which I discovered on a beautiful blog called Elements of Style.

I am loving the simplicity of the red on white framed patterns above the couch.

Happy Tuesday you all - and I expect you all to be watching Netherlands give those cheating Ura's their marching orders tonight, yes?

Some DIY Eye- Candy

2010-07-04T08:50:00.003+01:00

I have spent a few hours this weekend looking at blogs and design mag websites.

Thought I would post a few of the images that gave me pause. (i have always wanted to say that....sounds so grown up hey?)

Things I like here include : the large lettering, the cube shelving, the linen fabrics/colours.

I appreciate the calm feel of this room but LOVE the corner cube storage with pinboard/pics above.

Love this dresser along with the big plant. Wish I could keep plants alive...!

floating shelves always make me smile.

i have a dresser very similar to this one. got it secondhand on gumtree, i dont hate it but I think I would love it more if I repainted it. Its cheap wood so I cant really go wrong....this will be a longer term project - i will start when all the kids are back at school. I plan to paint mine cream, age it slightly. And it will be set (ideally) against a choc brown suede wall in the entrance hall.

********************

So how far am I since I had my *redecorate* epiphany 2 days ago?

Yesterday I had Hooli's room repainted completely. White. Brave eh? :-/ I have decided to stay safe here and rather accessorize with colour. I am not ready to paint any walls red or blue.

Today the plan is to make a headboard for him. (gasp!) I found a really easy DIY online tutorial from Builders Warehouse. And I plan to paint and put up the dado rails in his room. (2 of the walls)

While I do the above; I have set my man the task of fitting our walk in cupboard. It is a 2 hour job (I keep telling him this) but I have been waiting 4 years!!

Let us see how far we get. .....

Interiors for Dummies

2010-07-03T06:22:00.000+01:00

I have recently been in a few homes that have made me cringe. That is; they are BEAUTIFUL. You can see the owners (friends of mine) have taken time and care putting them together.

I have decided to begin to try pull my house together. We have been living here for 4 years and it still feels a bit like a campsite. I havent painted (I magnolia-ed) since we moved in. The kids have all done artwork of their own on their walls. (not Honey obviously)

Many of the walls in my home have holes from where I have hung stuff. In the wrong place. Yuck. There is not one room in my house that makes me feel happy. Although I must say I am not strongly aesthestic but there are times where I am overwhelmed by how crappy and cluttered my spaces feel.

This is one of those times.

I have been googling myself INTO TOUCH trying to get ideas because I tend to just *gooi.*. My gut reaction is to walk into the hardware store tomorrow and order paint for each room in the house. Then pop to various second hand stores or to Mr Price Home in search of instant gratification.

I am VERY good at this.

Instead I have chosen to blog my intentions in the vain hope that this time I will take the grown up approach. I will plan. And blog. Then plan and maybe even measure stuff. And blog.

So the first thing I am looking into is storage for Hooli's bedroom. I visited a friend rececntly who simply had this in her sons room. It was packed with baskets that held all his cars, guns, boats, pirates, legos etc. I like that it doenst SCREAM kid furniture. It is very versatile and can be used anywhere.

The other little gem I found is this fold away desk....

I am considering this for Honey's (and maybe even Lulu's room.) I dont want a desk that takes up space and this seems to fit the bill.

I must say that the internet is simply delicious when it comes to searching for ideas. I may get all the jollies I need just from web- surfing and forget all about actually *doing the deed*.

Or maybe not.

Friday Fluff

2010-07-02T13:50:00.003+01:00

I have seen this tag floating around via Wenchy and a few others.... thought I would play along.

Are you ruled by the heart or the head?
My head. No question.

What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
Not something I can discuss here but the second hardest thing was facing the reality that I would remain childless forever. That was hectic.

If you knew today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it, with who, and why?
Yuck question. Refuse to answer it today. Cos its sunny and warm and I am listening to Waka Waka and hearing my kids roaring with laughter. Sounds like a good way to spend my last day eh?

Would you give your life to save someone else’s?

Yes, for my family. Without doubt.

Monopoly or Cluedo?

Cluedo. Monopoly is boring. Blech.

What’s your fondest childhood memory?

Playing with my dog, Scamp in the backyard.

If you could have a super power, what would it be, and why?

Invisibility. I already have it to some degree. Serrriiiiaaaas.

Do you colour-coordinate?

huh? like underwear? shoes, belts and bags? Furniture? The answer is mostly NOT so much.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla.

Light sabre or blowtorch?

Blowtorch cos it sounds cooler. I think trekkies use light sabres? Or star wars funny folk.

********************

Formatting courtesy of Blogger...happy weekend! Feel free to play. :-)

Movies, School and Parties

2010-07-01T17:42:00.005+01:00

My life is so full right now I scarcely recognise it as *my life*. It's rather weird that during term time I always feel that things will calm in the holidays; then during holidays I feel I need the structure of term-time to gain ground!.

My two small ones returned to school today. I have moved Lulu to Hooli's school. It was quite a radical, spontaneous decision but I know for sure it is the right one.

I am very excited to see how the relationship between these two small people grows over the next 6 months. They tend to be at loggerheads most of the time at home and I am hoping that by going to school together that they will develop a sense of comeraderie.

Honey and I enjoyed a walk on the beach with our hound. Was good to have some solo time with my eldest. She is a great companion, especially without her siblings around!

In other news....I saw Eclipse last night. I loved it, but not as much as New Moon and Twilight. I think, in retrospect, that the crowd ruined it for me. The cinema was PACKED with little kids.

I dont mean teens. I mean TWEENS. Hoards, gang of little girls. Who screamed and giggled and generally acted their age. What is with Ster Kinekor? The movie is not overtly violent or sexually explicit but it is certainly not appropriate viewing for kids under 13.

What I absolutely LOVED about this movie, though, is the humour. Edward, Bella and Jake all seemed less constipated. :-) There were considerably more funny scenes - even Jasper cracked a smile!

Lastly...I would like to share photos from Lulu's birthday party. My fellow blogger Betty Bake is not only a culinary diva but takes beautiful photographs. I am very fortunate to have her as a friend!

She will certainly miss all her friends; none of them are going on to the same school (Grade 1) next year either but I will endeavour to keep these relationships alive.

Ja, well, maybe

2010-06-29T17:19:00.004+01:00

Thank you all for your very kind words on my blog aswell as your smses. I am fortunate to have a community of people that care so deeply about me and what I have to say.

I have had time to *process* my thoughts and two particular people made comments that hit home and have forced me to reconsider my position.

1. Rather hedge yr heart than cut off your nose.

2. I don't think you'll be able to stop writing. Face it, girl, YOU'RE A WRITER. And writers write. Own it, man.

Simply-MelB will continue because, dammit, I cant shut up; nor can I find anyone else who will care when I buy new shoes.

These were bought early last month.

:-)

Simply-Mel B

Recipes - Chicken and Fish

Bulleted Monday

Angry Birds and Food

Masterchef Mel ... (edited)

Back to Mine Roots

Truth bubbles

New Years Eve

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve

Enforced Downtime

School Girls

Fleeting Note

What a crazy happy sad week.

Past Present Future

SChool Hols

38 - Tis Me

Conversations and Confessions

This weekend:

Feel it, It is Here!

In My World

Hoesit Mense

Photo Moments

Rachels Sports Day

Day Two of the Weekend

Day One of The Weekend

Surprises for Me!

Photographic Meme

Sneak peeks into the revamp

Moments From 2010

How To Freak Your Kids Out

'tis friday

News from Mels World

Weekend Roundup

Update on the Snorer

Identity Crisis

Sleep and Snoring

And then it was Sunday night

Calling All Bloggers

back soon

Real Holiday

Just another Monday ...

Just For Now

Heritage Day

Arts and Culture Evening

Levi's Dream

Words A Mom Needs To Hear

This n That

Levi's First Soccer Match

Privatising My Blog

You and Me Peeps

That's My Girl

Lulu's Surprise

The End of an Era

Thankful for you

Retail Adventure Pending

Someone got it very WRONG

New Generation

Eat Pray Love

Weekend Roundup

The Middle : Educational TV?

ExtraMural shifts

Not Quite, but almost

Blast from the Past

Crazy hair

Book Shelf Styling

Creativity Postponed!

New Blogger on the Block

Maybe Just for Today?

Monday Musings

Weekend Round-Up

Friday Bliss

Choir Hopes Update

Choir Hopes

Weekend Mania

Friday's Frivolity

The good with the bad

I dont want to *talk* about it

Tuesdays Unwrapped

I Want to Remember

I dont want to talk about it

yawn