A short drive for a great weekend break - Magaliespark

View from the chalet at Magaliespark

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!

Summer of rest

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?

The Circus is in Town with The Grifizzi Brothers at Emperors Palace

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 Lights this 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!

Johannesburg Staycation Wish-list

Hanging in my city!

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 Beach at The Mall of Africa - put it on your Staycation list!

The Beach at Waterfall Park - The Mall of Africa

We have The Beach in Gauteng! We are sorted this year! We don't even have to have FOMO when we see beach pictures on our feeds. This year we can also write the YOLO. It is summer and it is hot in Gauteng, but luckily The Mall of Africa has us sorted!

We were invited to The Beach at Waterfall Park at The Mall of Africa on Saturday. Our Miss did not want to leave. But we will go back! At the price of R25 entrance it is well worth going for a day (or more)!

This is on my Staycation list!

Wordless Wednesday #338 - Take me back...to the beach

5 Reasons why Ballito is the best holiday spot ever

Ballito beach 

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! ;-)

Wordless Wednesday #337 - Beach break recharge

Mom and daughter week

Winter holiday picnic

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?

Wordless Wednesday #317 - Kromdraai Wonder Cave

Glass full

Screen print from #Aleppo on Twitter

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!

The Huffington Post came up with a list of organisations we can donate to.
There's much more if you do a search!

This end of year I will be focusing on gratitude!

How do I teach her being more grateful?
I will go search for ideas to put in a blog post!
Your inputs will be greatly appreciated!

Holiday blues after a week at the beach

We had the most wonderful week at the beach the previous week! We are lucky to have been able to go. I do love a beach holiday the most!

My brother joined us at the Kwazulu-Natal South Coast from Seattle. He is chasing a bit of sun as it is winter on that side and very cold now! It was lovely to have him there as well!

Little Miss had a great time! I asked her about her highlights. She only regrets that she did not get enough time in the waves, because it was windy at first! Swimming in the sea is the best! She also loved doing flips in the swimming pool with her dad and on her own. Also getting a tracing pad to do her sketches from her uncle.
(It's the little things that count!)

I know I should not be complaining, but it does not feel right to be back at the grind and working just before Christmas. Most people are only going on holiday now or over the Christmas/New Year period!

The only way I know now of how to cope with holiday blues is to page through our photos! I will be beach-spamming my Instagram account until the blues go away! (Sorry! Not sorry!)

Are you going on holiday, and where are you going?
What kind of holiday do you love the most?
Do you prefer to stay home during the holidays?

A break in the Bushveld

Taking the mad rush to a screeching halt!

This is what happened this year...

It's been great taking a breather for a week!

We have been in the bush for a few days.

Little Miss has been swimming and riding her bike and we are watching sunsets.

We hired bikes and did a trail today. Little Miss did super for the first part, and all went well until she got very tired and we had to make a detour. Hubby and I continued with the bush trail, but his bike got punctures and we had to walk back until we found a ranger who gave us a lift back! 

We will call it an adventure, because it ended with a cold beer!

Next week we will be back at work, but luckily it will be slowing down! 

I love this time of year!

Are you going away for the holidays?

A proper introduction to the weekend with a pajama party!

I don't know if we can still call it jet lag two weeks later, but we came back from summer to winter and from green to grey!
From holiday straight into work!
We are still feeling shell-shocked!
Do we really REALLY have to do this?

Last week we had two evenings of *load shedding, of which one was not on the schedule. We also waited for load shedding to start on Saturday, but it never happened. And we did not put washing in the washing machine on Saturday afternoon, because of the same expected load shedding... (Which made us battle with winter wash loads yesterday, and of course tonight again!)

What can we do to move to America? Tomorrow, if possible?

And it's winter and cold here!

Little Miss had a Pajama Party on Friday night, organised by the Voortrekkers. We spent more than an hour in traffic on Friday afternoon following Waze directions (love this app), but it turns out I was the one who put in the wrong street name. (Blame the operator!)

We got there in time, and could buy the last of the **vetkoek which is always a winner! Of course we are always glad when we make the effort, because the little ones always enjoy the activities.
Little Miss loved going in her pajamas, and organizing her blankets and cushions on the floor to watch the movie, and keeping place for a fellow Voortrekker.
And the parents could also watch a not-too-bad Afrikaans movie, Strikdas.

The thunderstorm did not dampen the spirits, and we were home in time for another movie on the box while listening to the rain!

Fridays are the best! (4 sleeps to go to the next one!)

How was your weekend?


* The South African Power Provider Eskom load sheds power by blackouts in certain areas according to grid schedules.
** A traditional South African fried dough bread common in Afrikaner cookery (Wikipedia)

A birthday at Hard Rock Cafe in San Antonio

The Student celebrated her birthday in San Antonio. She knew what she wanted. To have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, and to buy herself and a friend Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts.
The Hard Rock Cafe in San Antonio is situated on the River walk.
Each Hard Rock Cafe the world over has their own t-shirts with the name of the city printed on it!
It is a a thing: To collect Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts from all over!

Inside Hard Rock Cafe San Antonio

In the Janis Joplin booth

Little Miss got a whole booklet with colouring pencils to keep her busy

And a kiddies meal in a guitar (guess what she brought home?)

The birthday girl with her drink.
She also got the Hard Rock Cafe glass as a souvenir.

Little Miss was not impress with this birthday celebration. She thinks each birthday should be like the 21st birthday party we celebrated the previous year. We could not convince her otherwise!

Little Hoots

Next time we want to check out the Hard Rock Cafe in Sandton.
(Why have we not been there yet?)

Wordless Wednesday #275 - Traveler

Things we love about America - tourist insights about San Antonio

San Antonio residential suburbs from the air

We are still jet-lagged after we arrived back in South Africa from our two week holiday in San Antonio. We visited my brother who is staying and working there.

It has been a fantastic holiday and we had so many great experiences!

I feel the same way about America after I have watched Avatar and walked out of the movie theater. Earth did not look as great as the planet portrayed in the movie...
South Africa looks a lot less inviting now...


10 Things we love about America

1. Everything is BIG. The houses, the cars, the shops, the products, the food...

2. There are no fences and no security gates. It is safe there! We could walk in the middle of the city without eyeing every passersby with suspicion that they are going to grab our bags.

3. The streets are clean. They even had a campaign "Don't mess with Texas!", which are still reflected in badges and t-shirts and advertisements.

4. The people are extreme friendly, and a "Thank you!" is always met with a "You're welcome!" (No, we are not as friendly as they are, although we think we are!)

5.  The weather is HOT in summer, but there are air-con everywhere! (It's a hot humid temperature!) The sun also sets at about 9 pm in the evenings, which gives them a very long summer's day each day!

6. Everything works there. There is wifi in every restaurant, shop and even the cars have wifi. We stayed connected the whole time!
Online orders get delivered the next day, and you pick it up on your porch.

7. The shops have a huge variety to choose from. The biggest sizes imaginable are available!

8. The highways are going everywhere, and they are big! (No signs of tolls there!)

9. It is green everywhere in summer, and it feels like bush veld when you drive out of the city.

10. There are restaurants everywhere, and it seems the locals like frequenting them. We even had to wait early on a Monday morning to get a table at a favourite breakfast spot, The Pancake House!


They really have a great lifestyle going on there!



Related posts:

- Initial thoughts about America

- Wordless Wednesday #274 - NASA in Houston

Wordless Wednesday #274 - NASA in Houston

Check: vacation done!

We had a lovely week at the South Coast in Uvongo.

Of course the week went by in a flash! We were looking forward to it for such a long time, and we tried to fit in as much as possible each day.

The weather was cloudy for most of the time, but we actually preferred it to the blazing hot sun. The family could still swim and we spent most of the days on the beach.

The family swimming
(There was no day it was hot enough for me to swim...)

It was the first time since I was very small that we explored this part of the South Coast. It is such a lovely place. We explored Uvongo, Ramsgate and St Michael's.
I can easily spent all my days here...

Little Miss loves the ocean! She spent most of the time very near to her Dad and directed him up and down and in and out of the waves.

It was bliss!! Just tooooo short!

----


Today we are back into the grind again for the next two weeks before Christmas.
This is going to be difficult easy! Deep breaths!


Enjoy your holidays!
I am envious of those of you going now on your holidays! Where are you staying?

Wordless Wednesday #252 - Clearwater Trails