Another new hobby...

Painting tee's for the little ones :)

PARTY TIME

Our little girl’s first birthday…

This has been the topic of discussion between my husband and I for the past few weeks... 

“to party" or “not to party"... 

but of course, I want “to party"!

However, my husband feels that we shouldn’t make such a big fuss about the first birthday. So, we had to compromise – Cake & Tea at our house, with lots of balloons, party packs and LOTS of snacks!

I was super stoked about the "Cake & Tea" event, which turned into a mini party after all, and Lila had a ball of a time! She literally played non-stop for 7 hours! My husband kept reminding me that it wasn't my party, but I had to laugh at this, because who wouldn’t find blowing-up balloons one massive exciting event – not to mention getting all dressed up? 

We celebrated Lila’s 1^st birthday with flair and had an awesome time! 

I can’t wait for the next one!

YEAR ONE!!!

Lila has been part of our lives for one full year! I can’t believe our tiny little baby has blossomed into this bouncing bundle of love, happiness and… attitude!

We’re truly a SUPER blessed little family!

My new hobby...

Nappy cakes for baby showers!!!

Mother's Day

Before I had the privilege of being a mother, I always wondered what my first Mother’s Day would be like.

Would I be spoilt with flowers, a card or a little gift? And, as I am writing about all these materialistic things, I feel a bit ashamed to think that it even crossed my mind... 

At the end of the day, the flowers will die, the card will be tossed in a drawer somewhere and forgotten. As for the gift… let’s face it, the gift will be something you do not really need or want and these materialistic gestures will soon be forgotten long after a day which was supposed to be an extremely special day. 

Thanks to a very special friend, we had the privilege of spending our Mother’s Day morning with lovely elderly women at a local old age home... We baked them cakes, made tea and just sat there, chatting to as many old people we possibly could. Although I found it extremely emotional, I have to admit that I haven't had such a satisfying day in years! Words cannot explain how grateful these lovely ladies were. To think, it might have been some of their last Mother’s Days that they could have spent with a loved one. All they wanted was a hug, and some conversation, even though it was from a complete stranger.

So thank you Lynn - you had this brilliant idea, and I am so grateful that you invited me! 

You gave me the most special first Mother’s Day gift ever. 

Absolutely priceless and unforgettable!

And now, I wonder how my last Mother’s Day would be. Will I be stuck in an old age home? 

Or, will my family make time for me and spoil me with love?

GIVE IT YOUR BEST

A lot of people say that they would rather not have their own children, 

because they don't want to raise a child in the world we live today...

I tend to disagree with this, as I feel that they will be missing out on something amazing, but, each to their own. People are different and think differently about life... It’s just that I can't image my life without Lila.

Unfortunately there is no "fail-proof-guide" for parents, so all you can do is: Give it your best... 

(Maybe I should write a book about parenting and this could be the title... haha...)

For some reason her upbringing never really crossed my mind before she was born, but now that she is here, I think about it every day. I want to be "the perfect parent" for her... But where to start???

I have decided to keep it basic and simple (for now)... 

LOVE + (GOOD) MUSIC + GOD = EXTREMELY HAPPY LILA

A 1000 memories...

Quite a few questions cross my mind these days... 

Will Lila have enough memories of me when she grows up?

Will she have enough memories of her childhood?

Will she be interested in knowing small little details one tend to easily forget?

These questions bug me as I constantly try to remember from when I was little. For instance... I want to know if Lila and I had the same mannerisms, or does she reflex more of her dad? And often Lila's grannies can't answer these questions... Well, I don't really blame them, it is 32 years ago! But small little things interest me, and I would have loved to know... 

So, to stop that from happening to Lila one day I have started a "Memory Box" for her. In this box I will keep things like her first pair of shoes, her favorite toy, her first lock of hair... When I take photo's of her, I focus on the detail... a close up of her little toes, a close up of her bright, blue eyes... 

I also started a little note book for her. I treat it like a diary, but that doesn't mean I write in it every day. But in this book I am honest. I write about how I feel at that specific moment. I write about her development. New things she does, like noticing her feet for the first time, or rolling over onto her stomach for the first time...

Then some days I wonder if she will be able to read my blog when she has her first baby. Will cyber space allow it to "hang out" for 30 years or longer? How does these things work? How will technology play a role in something like this? 

It's like they say...

Time will tell...

And hopefully I would have been successful with the capturing of a 1000 memories...

SHOPPING! SHOPPING! SHOPPING!

Thanks to my maternity leave I have been spending some time at, which should have been home, but ended up in shopping malls, coffee shops and socializing with good friends... Which, in a way, is a good thing. I have rediscovered my love for shopping (sorry bank account!!!) and Lila is such a super cool shopping buddy. So I had this new idea: Whenever I find something awesome in the shops and I can afford to buy it, I will share my new find (hopefully it will be some awesome bargain) with you. You might just like it a lot!!!

So without keeping you waiting, I will start with this precious little wood crafted couple... I just couldn't resist (and I will probably say this every time after I have bought something), but look at this!!! I think... A perfect wedding gift, obviously to a couple who will appreciate the simplicity and art.

Shop: Blaauwklippen Wine Farm Family Market, Stellenbosch.