Waste 2 Toys - Emirates Airline Foundation supports Singakwenza NGO

Fouad Caunhye, Emirates Regional Manager, Southern Africa

This November we celebrate National Children's Day in South Africa, as well as being World Children's Day on 20 November. Emirates Foundation has a number of projects supporting children. The Singakwenza NGO is a Kwazulu-Natal based initiative that trains practitioners, parents and caregivers at grassroots level to provide fun educational activities to enable young children to learn through play. They use household waste to make toys and teaching resources. We attended a "Waste 2 Toys" workshop on Saturday, and it was an eye-opening experience.

The end goal is to help transform empty crèches and homes into educational and stimulating environments for children. Emirates Airline Foundation's support for the two year training and mentorship programme has so far helped provide nearly 5000 young children with a strong foundation, preparing them for formal schooling. The organisation has helped trained 2931 adults who can now provide opportunities for playful learning for the 49800 children in their care.

Julie Hay, Founder and Director of Singakwenza, highlights the importance of early childhood development, especially for children under the age of five. When you look at the graph of the Sensitive Periods in Early Brain Development (below), it becomes glaringly apparent that children can miss the boat even before they have started school. Children in disadvantaged areas therefore need desperate intervention to make sure they do not stay disadvantaged. The beauty of this project is that the teachers, caregivers and parents can be helped to make sure their children are learning skills at their optimal learning age.

Sensitive Periods in Early Brain Development - Council for Early Childhood Development

 The "Waste 2 Toys" workshop is a workshop that can be requested for a group of people who are involved with young children, and who are concerned about their future learning.

L.O.L. Surprise Sparkle Doll - Review

Boss Queen - L.O.L. Surprise Sparkle Series 3

This is the season of festivities, and of a much anticipated birthday in our house. The L.O.L. Surprises are perfect for this time of the year. Not only is the excitement high when unwrapping them, but it can also be hanged as part of the festive decorations. How awesome!

The L.O.L. Surprise Sparkle Series doll comes with unwrapping 7 surprises.  Series 3 dolls are dressed with sparkle glitter finishes from head to toe! Each ball can be used as a character stand or as a ball hanging on the tree or in a room.

Feed or bathe your L.O.L. Surprise Series doll to discover if she cries, spits, tinkles, or changes colour! There are 12 dolls to collect. Retail selling price: R430.00

It's easy to create a stir with NOLA Mayonnaise

NOLA Mayonnaise blog drop

A firm staple in our house is mayonnaise. It can be used in so many dishes, from savoury to sweet. In my pre-vegetarian days I used to make a mean chicken dish with mayonnaise that I could just pop into the oven. I now have a standard potato dish recipe with mayonnaise that gives an extra luxury to traditional baked potatoes.

NOLA Mayonnaise partnered with local foodie Sithembiso Ndashe (Ndash), who has some modern day twists to popular Mzansi recipes.

See below how you can create a stir with NOLA Mayonnaise.

Frozen 2 - some insights before we get to see the movie - WIN

Frozen 2 (cc Disney Africa)

 “Yes, she will sing to those who hear.

And in her song, all magic flows.

But can you brave what you most fear?

Can you face what the river knows?”

~ “All is Found,” “Frozen 2”

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in cinemas on December 6. It seems the story-line is going to be even more intense that the previous blockbuster. We can't wait! Disney Africa has made available an awesome hamper of Frozen 2 products worth R1350 for one lucky reader to win on this blog.

The sketch that helped me understand my child

Wendy Bertagnole webinar about difficult sensory behaviour

I have to share this here. There are definitely other parents who also struggle with the same. I wish I had know about this much earlier. I have felt in my gut that there is more to the behaviour, and that it is not a lack of discipline or a lack of respect. The reason for the continuing melt-downs! The better we understand our child, the better she will be able to understand herself. The better we will also be able to work on the skills necessary to handle her world.

Health Wealth for you, Dr Josh Luke - Review through Booktasters

Print screen: "Booktasters: Health-Wealth for You"

Another gem from Booktasters: Health-Wealth for You: 11 steps to save big & Live Healthy, by Dr. Josh Luke. This is a book that every family needs to take responsibility for their own health, not only in America. Our wealth is our health, and we can implement better steps for our own future health! I will definitely use this book as manual for negotiating our future journey.

Disney Junior - It's a Party

Disney Junior Cinema Party 

There's new seasons of Disney Junior (on DSTv 309) Fancy Nancy Clancy, Lion Guard, Vampirina and Puppy Dog Pals. I always remember what Christine Service, the country manager for The Walt Disney Company in South Africa, said a few years ago. Disney always remembers the parents when they write and produce the stories. We as parents have to see episodes and movies hundreds of times, but we can still marvel at the witty comebacks and above the head (of the little ones) jokes. We enjoy the episodes as much as our children do!

Some facts about the new Disney Junior episodes...

Instax Square SQ20 is the one you want - Review

Instax SQ20

The INSTAX SQ20 can now print from video for amazing instant photos.

We love everything about Instax cameras. There is nothing as satisfying as getting a printed photo immediately. We have an Instax Mini 9 camera that we were gifted a while ago, so we have been playing with it for a while. The Instax SQ 20 is everything you would expect from the Instax experience, but so much more. You are able to edit, filter and select frames from videos. It is Instax on steroids. Trust me, you would love this in your gift bag for Christmas or a birthday!

Instax SQ20 (Image courtesy Fujifilm)

Disclaimer: We got a black Instax SQ 20 to review for two weeks, with 3 cartridges of film. (The Instax SQ 20 were fetched this week.)