We haven't been away for quite a while. The last time was in 2017 when we had the holiday in Ballito. We desperately need a long break somewhere, but in the meantime this past weekend at Magaliespark helped with a bit lot of relaxing.
Magaliespark view
We were pleasantly surprised by how lovely Magaliespark is. The greens, and the accommodation and the facilities... There is nothing like arriving at your chalet, being greeted by some wildlife, and the sun setting on a fire for the braai! (That's heaven!) The best is, we only had to drive for 45 minutes in Friday afternoon traffic! It's my dad's upcoming 81st birthday, and him and my mom are celebrating 54 years of marriage. He used his Holiday Club points for the weekend. Thanks, Dad!
I am going in for one day of work today. How fast is this end of year going? We all need a bit of a breather before the final stretch.
We got tickets for tomorrow for ComicCon with the added bonus of KidsCon. The whole family is excited! I have been following along on social media, and we can't wait!
For the rest of the week we will be staying at home. I know Miss Fine will be impressed. That is her best thing to do.
We are missing Miss Fine so much this weekend. She is still at a camp until tomorrow.
The budget is low. The energy is low. But the excitement for a loooong weekend is high!
What are you doing this Heritage Day?
Have you been to ComicCon, and what can't we miss?
Disclaimer: We got complimentary tickets to ComicCon for today or tomorrow, with a bag full of Toyzone goodies. We are not paid to write this. But we are so excited!
2018 was a tough year. We are still in the last throes of it, and 2019 are going to be tough as well. But, amidst it all, we are having a great rest and great times with family and friends. We even had three days of Christmas. How blessed is that?
This is a short update post. Life is changing so fast, and I want to come back here to see how it was ... The Eldest is busy starting to move her things. She is still most of the times at home. The wedding is less than a month away. We are excited!
Last night we were following her on our phones via Live location while she came back from the airport at 11 pm. With an Uber, and we had the Uber guy's name stored as well. That's cool, but also seriously testing our nerves. If the Uber stands still for too long, or the signal picks her up in a random suburb next to the highway.... We begin to worry!!! (I'm sure we will never stop worrying.) Technology makes it easy, but also makes us worry about every little detail. Because, if there really happens something to her, how will we find her when we have to start driving? Screen print the last place on the map? Race to there? Just some of the thoughts that goes through my head at 11 to 11:30pm at night. Luckily she was safe, and her Uber driver delivered her safe and on time.
There's a Kitchen Tea and a Bachelorette's Party coming up this weekend. The Eldest knows about it, but no details. She's got great bridesmaids that sorted everything. Will be reporting back about the Kitchen Tea. We are looking forward to it. I am sure after this the wedding vibes will kick in seriously.
Miss Fine has been on holiday forever. She has been at work with me for three days, and then at Vacation School for two days this week. It has been challenging, but better than when she was younger. I love the fact that she can keep herself busy for longer. She used up my data in record time at the office, but she was reading as well, and enjoyed going to the library here at work. She exchanged a book that she was not feeling for another book the next day. She also helped me with my work, writing on DVD's and pulling up a roster of my daily work which I now have on my door. That was so sweet of her. (No sarcasm here.) Thanks, Miss Fine. I enjoyed our conversations while you kept me company. We don't always get so much time together.
Tonight we will be "chilling" (it's cold here in Johannesburg) at home, and hopefully the weekend will not go by in a blink.
The Fantastic Grifizzi Brothers Circus at Emperors Palace
Emperors Palace is host to The Fantastic Grifizzi Brothers, the incredible 'animal-free circus' extravaganza! I still remember the excitement when the circus came to town. There's nothing as mesmerising as entering the Big Circus Tent and being entertained by magic and skills and absolute wonderment, with a good dose of humour by the clowns.
Not only does Emperors Palace entertain families with the Garden of Lightsthis season, but also with the Circus by The Grifizzi Brothers with The Story of the Moon. It's a double whammy for families, as you can't go wrong with either, and it is even better when you book for The Grifizzi Brothers AND the Garden of Lights together!
It's finally finally the holidays! It's lovely summer weather in South Africa.
We are staying at home this year. It has been a rough year financially, and we have to save for a wedding next year, as our Eldest is engaged and they have a date!
I have been working on a list of places to go in Johannesburg. The list is all the things we can do as a family together. There's so much to do here, that I don't think we will be able to do everything. It's great to know we have options, and that it not such a bad idea to travel in my own city. I've already bought the Entertainer App 2018, but they have added extra items on each of the offers available. I am also able to Ping a 1000 (1000!!) of these offers. (Let me know if you want a ping? One meal or experience for a the same value.).
The End-of-Year rush and busyness come with a lot of stress. Although December is a time to love, it is also a time of upheaval and being out of your comfort zone! You know it's near the end of the year, and there is some sort of overwhelm! It's holiday or no holiday! It's family time and friends' time! There's preparations, and sorting out some of the stuff that had been put on the back burner during the year.
I have a permanent feeling of anxiety, and when I try to pin-point the exact reason for it, it's not only one thing. The dietician told me this morning that "stress" is the number one complaint she hears from her clients. They are all stressed at the moment! (And of course the diets take a knock!)
The only way I know how to take control of the end-of-year madness is to make lists. Prioritize the important stuff and what needs to be done! It helps you feel more in control. I always enjoy Marcia's Instagram lists on Organising Queen. Check out her 3 Kinds of lists for your bullet journal. She is by far the List Queen!
As much as I love holidays at the coast, it does not do my skin and complexion very well. I tend to break out in spots. My hair goes frizzy! My skin also burns immediately. I go blood red, and after that my skin starts peeling. This year I only spend two hours in the sun. I had sunscreen on my face and arms, but thought that my legs would be okay without sunscreen. Big mistake... (Don't you think I should know by now?) I am still peeling two weeks later!
Little Miss also struggles with her eczema, and we had to look after her feet very well. It dries up underneath her toes especially, and cracks open in sores. We still haven't found the magic formula to take it away completely, but the Oh So Heavenly Cream has been a lifesaver!
I think I heard about the Child Friendly SA Mobile app on Twitter. I downloaded it especially for our trip to Ballito as it was the first time that we were going to be on holiday there!
The weather did not play along each day, but you will never hear me complain. It is on these days that we try to explore and get to know the local places and entertainment spots! As we had Little Miss who would gladly have stayed watching Disney Junior all week long, we had to make sure that she also wanted to go on the excursions. We also searched for places nearby, as our budget were low, and we did not want to spend hours on the road.
We had a great time at the North Coast. Of course we could not really afford it, and of course it was not at the opportune time, but we took it! And it was wonderful!
My parents have the timeshare, and usually you can't go during the peak holiday season. It gobbles too much points! Luckily Little Miss only had a week left, and they were finishing off at school already the previous week! I know we won't be able to do it for many more years to come...
I got a little bit back from SARS, and my husband's salary paid in just in time! Shew! Tight times, but the universe aligned! October is going to be lean, but at least we can say we had a GREAT holiday! ;-)
Ballito is one of the best holiday spots there is. We have never been to Ballito, only to Umdloti. Of course I now want to pack my bags and go in stay in Ballito forever! ;-)
Little Miss has a three week holiday break. It's a very long break for a little girl who still has to go to school. It is Vacation School, but still... It's at school!
Mom guilt took over, and I decided to take a week (this week) with her! The plan is to relax and sleep late. We are doing it!
Things escalate each day, because she gets me to do more than I think we/I should! Yesterday I promised her a picnic, and soon we were buying sushi at Spar and going to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. (I was thinking of having a picnic at home... Real mom rubber arms, it seems!)
Little Miss packed our picnic basket, and of course I had to carry a heavy basket, instead of the back-bag that I suggested to her. (Why do I do this to myself? Rhetorical question, of course!)
But I was glad we went. It's lovely in the gardens this time of the year. The succulents are in full bloom, the waterfall is full and the eagles are flying overhead.
Sushi picnic - Mom win!
I was also instructed to pack away my cellphone in my bag!
(Mom fail! Sorry, Miss, I still wanted to take the picture.) It is lovely spending time with you, and I want to remember it!
What are you doing these holidays with the little ones?
We saw a Disney on Ice two years back, but we are absolutely in awe of the most recent production of The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice! It's better, bigger and more entertaining (for the whole family!) than we remember the previous show we saw!
Little Miss all excited!
Maybe it was because it was the evening just before we left for our adventure to San Antonio. Maybe it was because of our seating. The previous time we had seats high up in the air. This time we were seated to the front and more level with the ice-skating rink. Maybe it is just because it IS BETTER and just so much more entertaining! Most probably! Dad, Little Miss and I had the greatest time on Friday night!
The Wonderful World of Disney on Ice
The extraordinary lineup of Disney stories that come to life in The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice! Join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy on a walk down memory lane with Dory, Nemo and Marlin from Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory as well as Anna, Elsa and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen. There’s Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and your favourite Disney Princesses plus Buzz and Woody; Simba, Timon and Pumbaa; Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie. Make unforgettable memories as you explore The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice these July school holidays.
All the favourite Disney characters are here, and we love the most favourite snippets from our Disney shows!
A post shared by Karen Du Toit (@karentoittoit) on
If you are still not sure what to do with the kids, this is the show!
The show is still on until 9 July at Ticketpro Dome, before it moves to Durban and from there to Cape Town. It seems the tickets are flying fast on Computicket, and it is better to book sooner than later!
I had taken 5 days leave to go camping with the Little Miss! I am censoring myself so much, as I do not want to say too much! Suffice to say that it was our last time camping in this way, and that I won't let my daughter go on a trip like this again! I am so glad that Hubby and I went along. Being eight years is definitely too young to send your child on their own on a camp! I am SO disappointed!
The children made art works over the weekend camping. The marble art (rolling marbles in paint and letting it roll over paper) was part of their projects.
This past traumatic weekend was magnified by our own family financial crisis! As if not enough, the country's economy took a dive which does not bode well for a rosy future in finances (personal and investment related)!
This is life! I know we will survive!
On the personal and broader level!
I just need to dig deep, go inside (as introverts do), and carry on!
The sun rises every day!
Even on a bad camping weekend!
The school holidays are in full swing, but we are still working! (The traffic is definitely better!) Lucky you if you are able to go away for a while!
Where are you going or what are you doing for the holidays?
Dikhololo is a great place for families. It was just under a two-hour drive from Johannesburg, and we were in the Bush-veld on Friday this past weekend.
Of course we were still emotional about the loss in our family. Stew's death left us reeling! We had his funeral on Monday this week. (I don't know if you ever get over the loss of a young family member? How do you smile when you know there are so much sadness?)
Little Miss did not stop swimming for the whole weekend. The best of all! We could watch her swimming from our chalet as all the chalet clusters are built around swimming pools. How cool to watch her swimming from the bed (while reading) or braai (barbecue) for the whole weekend!
We went exploring, water sliding (even me, and I loved it! Little Miss hated it!) and played tennis while we were there! We could have stayed MUCH longer, but a weekend is of course way too short! We did not even went to the indoor heated pool (it was too hot!), or drove around too much looking at the wildlife. The putt-putt also did not happen. Next time...
I am sure we are the only family that got lost from a viewpoint on our way to our car... But that was part of the adventure! My Dad with his in-built GPS could only shake his head when he heard about us walking around the hill searching.
We celebrated my Dad's birthday this weekend! How blessed we are to still be able to go on holidays together!
He is such an inspiration for always being active and on the go!
Thanks, Dad, for all the holiday fun!
This is life! Summer, the Bush-veld, a fire going, a swimming pool and a drink!
I know a Little Miss who will love this movie animation starting on 23 December! She is always SING-ing along to her favourite music!
"Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, SING stars Buster Moon (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist -okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel- who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life's ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory"
Ster-Kinekor is giving 2 lucky readers each a chance to win a three ticket set each to come see the movie Sing at anytime from the opening date which is this Friday, 23 December 2016, at their nearest Ster Kinekor cinema.
How to win the tickets:
Send in videos of your kids singing a favourite song of theirs picked from the soundtrack of the movie- please find the list of songs and lyrics attached below.
You can also do a Dubsmash.
(If the kids don’t know these songs, they can also sing their current favourite song/any).
The four songs: (Lyrics below)
Firework
Katy Perry
(Performed by Reese Witherspoon)
Shake It Off
Taylor Swift
(Performed by
Reese Witherspoon, Nick Kroll)
Stay with Me
Sam Smith
(Performed by Taron Egerton)
Call Me Maybe
Written by Carley Rae Jepsen
(Performed by Matthew McConaughey)
Send the videos/clips/Dubsmash to karentoittoit @ gmail.com. You can also DropBox it!
I think that 20 seconds for a video would be fine, but don't hinder our budding talents! ;-)
We will pick the 2 favourites to put up on the blog.
Two winners well each win a set of three tickets to watch at any Ster-Kinekor in South Africa.
This competition is only open to South African readers.
The competition closes on Friday 23 February at 12 pm.
The ongoing tragedy of Aleppo and so many refugees worldwide struggling over this Christmas period get to me. As a mother it's horrifying watching the videos and clips on social media! Watching a boy cry for his dad that was just killed... I can't!! I am thinking about the children and how it must be being stuck in situations like that!
I am sure we have no idea!!
I am trying to tell Little Miss to not always recount her half empty glass of woe! She's got nothing to complain about! I try telling her about the situation the children - with their parents - find themselves in, but I can see that she does not really understand. I will also not complain anymore about my holiday blues after we have had our holiday break already! How utterly selfish of us!
