Homemaker's Expo - Snapchat shares

We visited the Homemaker's Expo at the TicketPro Dome yesterday. I had won two tickets from SA Mom Blogs, and Little Miss could go in for free! (Win!)

I shared some of our experiences on Snapchat.

We had a good time, and lots of inspiration! (So sad about the empty wallets!)

Of course we had to check out all the coffee machines!

"Experience passion for a life less ordinary." -Siemens coffee quote

Maybe this emoji does not reflect that I really really
want this machine as well?

How rad is this spiral vegetable slicer? Marked for future reference!

Little Miss collected balloons
and walked around hitting people on the heads with it! 

Of course you have to get doughnuts at an Expo!

My choice for #947Boxes vote! Would love this!

Totally gets a thumbs up!

Want it!

View from the top!

We made up almost all of our steps at the Expo, and I was finished at the end! We only saw the children's entertainment towards the end (it was upstairs), and we redirected Little Miss' attention! (Bad parenting! NOT! She had a good time!)

Feeling nostalgic on my Eldest's first day at a real job

She got a job! She's not The Student only, any more! She has a job in the Corporate World and we are very proud!

I had to drop her off today at her workplace. This is a new beginning! 

I am feeling a bit nostalgic today! It is like a first day at school, high school or university. It is a new phase in her life, but also ours! (There's a few tears here! But that's just me!)

This is where we want our children to be! Independent adults who have their own careers!

"We" made it!

"We" successfully helped her to become her own!

I think we do have "license" to say that we have a part in it!

We are very proud of you, my Girl!

My words of wisdom today: Don't be a wise-ass, but listen to what they are going to teach you! (I cringe when I think back to my own first job, and how smart I thought I was! I was a real pain in the bud...)

Take all the experience you can get!

Photo: Junior SEO Copywriter walking away to her first job!

Wordless Wednesday #296 - Goodbye, San Antonio

Where do you get your Monday motivation?

I get it from opening my phone's photos, and looking at photos of the weekend.
It is an extra bonus when Little Miss also added to my collection!

Where do you get your Monday motivation? Please share!
(The weekends are waaaaay too short!)

Escape from the daily commute with The Sorcery Code #scorcerycode

The Scorcery Code, by Dima Zales

I love reading books, but I really struggle to finish a book. I only get to turn four or five pages a night, which takes me ages to finish a book! (I am really impressed with some of you who gets to read more!)

I think I have found a way! I turned on my Kindle's text-to-audio, and listened to it on my daily commute. It did not even take me a whole week to listen through the book, and I was in a much better mood arriving at work each day. Especially with the horrendous traffic that we have had to deal with since February.

Disclaimer: I found this book through a Tomoson promotion on my email, and could upload it for free through Amazon.

The Scorcery Code on Amazon

I was in a mood for a bit of escapism and this totally ticks all the "magic" boxes! (sic)

Who doesn't love a handsome hero who is a sorcerer as well, and who comes up with the best magic from The Spell Realm? It does not take long to be immersed in this totally different world with spell realms where a magical object appears in the human form of  beautiful Gala. The rest is fantasy, but the emotions and human conditions are real! I loved being transported to a different world, where the characters are introduced through the first person. It makes the reading experience intimate and believable!

I can't wait for the rest of the books in the series!

It is worth the audio commute read!

Wordless Wednesday #295 - My family

Coding is an essential skill for children #CodeSpaceSA

I was invited to a basic coding class last Friday. The invite stated "to become a creator of technology!" It did not take much to convince me! ;-)

I got to experience CodeSpace, a creative and collaborative design by Think Ahead to teach children the basic of computer programming and computational thinking. (How I wish I was a child again!)

Coding and computational skills have become essentials skills in the workplace already. I have seen it in my job as librarian and archivist, and most other jobs today require the same knowledge. It is not anymore about the three R's (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic)! Now it is about Leadership, Digital Literacy, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, Global Citizenship, Problem Solving and Team-working. (It bothers me to think how outdated our school curriculum is with regards these skills!)

Michelle Lissoos of Think Ahead

We were taught some basics on Hopscotch, and iPad app that is available for free from the AppStore. I don't think I am a coding genius, or that it lies in my future, but is a lot of fun! My coding did not amount to much, but I can see that a few bright kids who come together, can do almost anything with this!

@karentoittoit learning critical 21st century coding skills - Think Ahead CodeSpace @Redefining_Edu pic.twitter.com/DzijE2hSQU

— Michelle Lissoos (@MichelleLissoos) February 12, 2016

Coding #madeonhopscotch #CodeSpaceSA https://t.co/sI65epIjhQ pic.twitter.com/bZUhYu4qzC

— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) February 12, 2016

We even got certificates!

Certificate of participation...

Coding Genius? Not! ;-)

Keep a look-out for the CodeSpace sessions run by Think Ahead. It was initially only run as holiday programmes for learners from grade 5 - 7.  It will now also include run a 10-week course as an extra-mural activity, as well as CodeSpace for Girls!

Coding Geniuses

I would really like to sign up Little Miss as soon as she is old enough!

In the meantime there is the coding apps, which the little ones are able to understand with a little bit of help!
Hopscotch, Tickle and Sphero are all included in the CodeSpace courses.


For further information, please contact Michelle Lissoos at Think Ahead: michelle.lissoos@thinkahead.co.za

International Childhood Cancer Day

CHOC

I can't think of anything worse than hearing that your child has cancer.
We luckily don't have any child in our nearby family that has cancer, but we had a little boy in the extended family who had cancer the previous year! We followed along on the journey on Facebook (they are living in another country), and we rejoiced with the parents when he was finally clean!

I know for a fact that all parents would happily exchange the suffering of their children with their own.

Today is International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD). This day is part of a global collaborative campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to express support for children with cancer, survivors and their families.To support ICCD, you are urged to wear blue on the 15th February, just as thousands of school-children will be doing throughout the country. Anything blue will do. It will all help in the effort to spread the message and create awareness.

The great news about cancer in children: 80% of children survive it and continue to live healthy lives!



To support CHOC and ICCD, join the CHOC Facebook page
Visit the website at CHOC
Call 086 111 3500.

Wordless Wednesday #294 - First composition for Flute

The post about the traffic and how to survive it

In February each year we notice a drastic change in our traffic! Maybe it's the universities that are starting with classes, or everybody is back from their holidays? Who knows? But we have to get up earlier to get away earlier!

I spent roughly two to two and half hours each day in traffic. Some days it really gets to me, as I am of the opinion that it impacts on my quality of life!
Maybe it is just a perspective that I should change? (I need to put "perspective change" on the list!)

I am surprised at how bad our manners are in traffic. We all get to deal with examples each day.
Last week I was speechless. I was in a parking mall, and spotted an opening. There were two open parking areas in front of each other. The lady from the other side went in first, and I thought I would give her time to park before I went in from my side. She saw me! She drove through to my side, did not look at me, and walked away! I did hoot and I did shake my hands, but I was only giving myself the "lecture"! (*Speechless!*)

I came to the realization that although I hate the traffic, I have made it better for myself by changing small things. These are the things that I do that keeps me sane!


How to survive the traffic in Gauteng

- Change your perspective about looking at the Traffic as "Bad"! (This needs a bit of mental work from myself!)

- Listen to the radio, a podcast or an audio book.
I personally love the radio, as I get updates on the news, love the music and listen to radio that makes me laugh! I switch constantly between 3 radio stations, at least!

- The Waze app helps to notify of hazards and heavy traffic and it knows of all the side roads to take. How did I do it before this little magician?

- Do not get upset with the taxis. I even give them space when they are near! They have to stop and cut in because they have people to upload and off-load! The other day we also heard on 94.7 that the taxi drivers get a low basic salary, and they have to meet quotas each day! That's why they are speeding, overtaking and ignoring traffic rules! (Not that it should be a reason to ignore traffic rules!)
I noticed that most people don't hoot at them anymore. It's part of South African life!
It really helps to calm the commute when we give them "space"!

- A Drink. I have found Rooibos tea to be very beneficial, but coffee or a smoothie also makes a difference!

- Discussions with passengers. I love talking to my passenger in the afternoon! That's where I learn about her day and also pick up great anecdotes from her perspective. I see it as a great way to connect!



Do you have more coping tips for handling the traffic?


Related posts:

- Traffic and floods - I wish there was an Auntie Traffic

- Practising the finger

Fun walk at Alberts Farm

We did a fun walk with the Voortrekkers at Alberts Farm on Saturday afternoon. We did a 3.5 km round-trip trail and picked up some rubbish along the way. The children loved it, and everybody got a bit of exercise.

There are some dodgy corners and smells, and I would not recommend going on your own. But it is still a lovely area of grassland in the middle of the city!
Apparently there is also a Parkrun on a Saturday.

Johannesburg's only artesian spring