DIY Christmas paper

Christmas is around the corner and most of us are wrapping or going to be wrapping prezzies soon. Buying and storing tons of wrapping paper every year can be a hassle and costly expense. Plus, once all your gifts are ready to give, they all look exactly the same when your wrapping paper is cut from the same tube.

So why not create your own DIY wrapping paper! Not only can you keep the kids busy for a while , you'll cut costs and you'll personalize your gift.

So here's how to do it :

You'll needed:

         * A1 paper white or colour
         * potato's
         * Christmas cookie cutters
         * Different colour paints

As I have a toddler I made edible paint (click here for recipe).
                               
                                                     To make the potato stamps

1.    Cut potato in half
2.    Take the half of potato , push the cookie cutter into the potato

3.    Take a knife and cut around the cutter and pull the boarder around the cutter away

HOW TO MAKE WRAPPING PAPER

* Layout the A1 paper , paint in bowls and your potato stamps

* Dip your stamp into the paint and onto the paper

* Let the kids go wild

Then all you'll need is to allow it to dry and then wrap what you want.

  Happy wrapping !!

DIY pamper - its all about the feet

If there's one thing I find the most relaxing is a pedicure ,yip having my feet done just makes me feel as if I've had a  whole body work out. But it's not something that I get to do very often.

So here's what I settle for , my very own diy spa pedicure. Firstly I remove my nail polish,than secondly I start by slothing off my dead skin , yip I know what your thinking this sounds like hard work but it really isn't. But please if. Your a diabetic please don't do the soaking parts as soaking a diabetes foot can lead to problems.

1.sloth off soak - aim is to exfoliate
        Use one part vinegar to 2 parts water (preferably water that is cool to Luke warm) ,
         mix in 1/4 cup of salt. Soak your feet for 5mins

2. Caviar soak - is to revive and moistures
        Water gel beads 1/2 a packet blended or crushed into pieces
         1teaspoon powdered milk
          2 drops of olive oil
          Water

In a bowl or foot spar - add water beads to water (I normally do this before doing my sloth soak)
And then when I'm ready I add the milk and olive oil to the slush. And soak my feet for 5-10mins.
Once finished soaking I pat dry
       
3. Foot massage
     You can either massage your own feet or you can place small pebbles in a dry foot spa and put your feet on top and turn it one

4. Paint

This will not only have your feet feeling great for summer but will make you feet like a million dollars. Happy pampering : )

DIY Mommy Pamper - beautiful face

In today's world the average mom has had to decease on there pampering due to a number of factors. One of the main reason though would be due to fiances.  However this doesn't have to be the case, one can still do the luxury pampering or just the basics without paying the amounts. As a qualified Somatologist i'm going to share some diy secrets

So plan an evening when you put the kids to sleep and hubby is working late or that you and a few friends get together for a well deserved pamper.

 Facial  

 So most ladies have facial range - it doesn't have to be expensive and all one needs is a basic cleanser , toner and moisturises. This will be enough for your daily routine. But if the budget is very tight and one can't buy the basics than here are some recipes to help , but i do recommended that one buys a mosituriser.

Make up remover 

You'll need a jar , cotton wool and 3 tablespoons of witch hazel and 2 tablespoons of  olive oil , mix together and when ready to use shake well did clean cotton wool pad in and use.

Cleanser 

Honey wash 

Wet face with warm water. Place a small amount of honey in your hands and rub your hands together.
Massage in to skin in a circular motion all over skin. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.

Milky cleanser 

 3 teaspoons of powdered regular milk , 1 tablespoon organic oat bran,150 - 200ml distilled water. A few drops of honey. Mix all the ingredients together and blend in a food processor. When ready to use,pour a little cleanser into hand and wash face, and then rinse.

 

Toner 

The best is just to use rose water , which you can buy. Or you can use some Rooibos tea - 250ml of hot water and put the tea bag in a jug and let it brew for 5-10 mis.

exfoliater 
Add a little sugar to your cleanser of choice and wash face in circular movements. Then leave on for a few minutes and rinse.

Mask 

Avo and honey mask 

Half an avo mash it and mix a tsp of honey in it , apply to skin and leave on for 15min's. This mask  will help to moisturize your skin and palliate the wrinkles on your face efficiently thanks to its rich content of amino acid, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Egg white mask

Help with impurities and close pores. Whisk an egg white and brush onto face and leave for 5-10minutes. And then wash off.

pore cleanser 
Take your standard household baking soda and lemon juice to make a deep pore cleanser. Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon of water and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to make a paste. Use circular motions to gently massage the mixture onto your face. Leave it on the skin for about five to ten minutes, then rinse clean. Do this once a week to remove dead skin cells and balance the skin.

Year end gifts for teachers

It's that time of year again we're parents are looking at what they can get there kids teacher as a 'thank you gift". We know most parents want to give something useful, wallet friendly and that's not just going to get thrown in the bid once your kids left the classroom.

On doing a quick research I found a list of the worst and best gifts for teachers

Worst gifts given to teachers : 

* items with the worlds best teacher or # 1 teacher or the whole apple

* Mugs and candles - yip these are lovely ideas but most teachers have more candles and mugs then what they know what to do with. 

*. Homemade food - yip that's a tricky one , most of this ends up in the bin as teach don't really trust there student cooking/baking skills. Most teachers have flashes of kids nose picking and nail biting that goes on in the classroom that they can't really see themselves eating the treats. Even though they know and understand the thought and time taken in making the gift.

* Cash : gift cards are a favorite, but actual money in an envelope is awkward.


Great ideas for teachers : 

*  Gift cards - are always a great thing to get, not only can the teacher get something that want or spend some time pampering themselves.. some teachers use the gift cards to general stores to buy things for there classroom.

* hand made crafts - most teachers think this is a very special gift and keep them ,anything from a special drawing to a personalized trinket for the Christmas tree. See tomorrow post on ideas.

* class gift is a great way to say thanks not only can you really spoil the teacher but it helps everyone not having to find a gift. 

* store bought treats : another good gift is things like chocolate, popcorn ,fudge the gifts are endless. And who can resist a good old treat. 

* Stationary hamper - Putting together a basket of goodies that they use during year 

Happy making or buying : ) 

Dog Food Drive: for the love of dogs and rhinos

For all the wildlife enthusiasts and animal lovers out there, we call on you to join us in a food drive for HiP’s anti-poaching dogs . We are calling on the public to come together on #WorldRhinoDay and support the K9 Unit in the Hluhluwe- imfolozi Park by donating food for the canine heroes in the fight against poaching.   

While many of us enjoy game viewing and tracking of game in Hluhluwe- imfolozi Park, there are always poachers somewhere out there in the wilderness and a ranger with a working dog, in hot pursuit, with the knowledge that they might have to give up their lives for a bigger causes and for the world and future generations to enjoy. These unsung heroes of conservationdogs, along with their support team, risk their lives every day to save our precious rhinos. Many man hours and funds goes into training and maintaining these dogs, which have resulted in many successful arrests. But these dogs need your our support and one of the easiest way is s to help keep this four-legged force battle-ready is through the donation of food. Hence our HiP Dog Food Drive run by our Hilltop Honorary Officer group. If you love dogs and our rhinos, simply donate a bag of food and we will make sure it gets to our dedicated ant poaching dogs.

There are two ways you can get involved in the Dog Food Drive:

1. Drop off a bag of food at the HiP gates! Kicking off on #WorldRhinoDay the public will have from 22 September 2016 until the 30th of September to drop off as many bags of dog food as they can. These unsung heroes have a very specific diet which allows them to maintain their health, fitness and optimal performances. So we ask that you only Please only purchase Science Hill’s plan Canine Adult Advanced Fitness or Eukanuba Working and Endurance Adult, as this is what the dogs are used to – any change in diet can affect performance. These are sSpeciality dry food that are stocked at vet stores.  should stock these brands. These hard working dogs need very specific and reliable food that consistently provides all the nutrients and energy they need. These foods are designed for very active working dogs, with not only extra protein and energy, but also the correct minerals and antioxidants too!  Collect from your friends and family and email us to arrange collection.

admin@hilltophonoraryofficers.org.za 

 

2.    Donate money to the cause!  If you Live outside of South Africa, simply can’t afford a bag, or just want to do your bitgive a little bit extra. Send an email to admin@hilltophonoraryofficers.org.za requesting the bank details, which will be sent to you along with a reference that should be used when making the transfer. Get your colleagues friends, family ,clubs and school involved –as little as from ZAR10 to ZAR10,000, can help all donations are welcome and all funds go directly back to the K9 Unit in the Hluhluuwe -imfolozi Park.

While the dogs are lovingly cared for by the team in the Hluhluwe -imfolozi  Park, the cost of fighting the rhino poaching crisis is so extremely high that any funding is spread thinly between. So a simple gesture like providing stapledog food means that vigorous monies can be spent in other vital areas. The more help we can rally up, the better.

And with your help we can show our anti-poaching dogs just how much we care. Our rhino dogs thanking you in advance for your generosity! #rhinodogs

You can also help by spreading the word by sharing this article and changing your Facebook or WhatsApp profile photo to our badge for the month of September. You can download from it from – www.hilltophonoraryofficers.org.za , www.kznsightings.co.za or download here 

Jo’s activity boxes - Review

For all those moms who tear their hair out trying to figure out what to do all day with their kids, or who are worried they not giving there little ones the stimulation they need,  here is a solution to your problem.

Jo’s activity box from Mothers and miracles, Durban North.  Each box is designed for a certain age group, jam packed with educational and development activities for your little one to do.

Jodi is passionate about early childhood development and offers support to parents when it comes to helping their children reach their milestones in fun and creative ways. The Jo’s activity boxes are a home stimulation program that is catered to suit all types whether you’re a working mom, stay at home mom or a nanny. The best thing for me is that you’re not tied into a monthly subscription. When you and your little one are ready to move to the next level all you do is place your order.

Jo’s activities box is a great concept as each active will keep him/her hooked for days! These play- based activities help in the basic development of habits and overall skill development of your child.

Each box comes with:

·         Age appropriate actives

·         Manual

Box ranges:

·      0-6 months

·      6-15 months

·      15-24 months

·      2-5 years

I lucky that Jodi was kind enough to send me the 6-15 month box for my little one to try out. At first, when I opened the box… it was filled with goodies, excited I took a breath and started reading through the manual and sorting through all the activities. It didn’t take me long as it was actually really simple and I like how many of the activities are similar to the Montessori curriculum.

My daughter cherished our activity time and eagerly waited for each day for her stimulation time, were she was engaged and kept stimulated with each activity. This is a great thing for me as she’s a super busy bee.

Prices are: R250 – R300 per box,all prices excl. delivery.

Visit the Mothersand miracles DBN blog to learn more, about Mothers and miracles Durban North classes.

You can phone Jodi on 084 516 1357 or you can e-mail her at jodi@letni.co.za . Also visit their Facebook page for all the latest updates and specials.

 COMPETITION TIME

One lucky reader can stand the chance to win a jo’s activity Box Suited to their child’s age – all you have to do is follow the below steps…

* “Like” Mothers and miracles Durban North on Facebook  here.

* “Like” Groovy motherhood on Facebook Here.

* Share this competition via one of the social share buttons at the bottom of the article, telling me in the comments section below that you’ve done all three tasks!

Winner announced 30 November 2016  Open to S.A. only – Good Luck!

T’s & C’s Apply.

Fun in the tub

Bath time is a great way for moms to get creative and have fun with your little ones. You can go all out and create themes or just keep it simple. But most moms’ say they don't have the time to get creative, so here are some simple ways to have fun in the tub. These ideas are so simple even busy moms can do them.

Learn colour's in bath

• Add food colouring to your bath, by adding food colouring to water you won't stain your child or your bath. Colourful water adds a simple element of fun and doesn't take long time to clean. 

Add to fun

• If you are feeling more creative you can add other elements to help learn colours. One could create a colour themed bath. By adding food items , blocks , balls- this is a great way to teach primary colours (Blue, red & yellow). Below is an example of what i used :

                          *    Red -  red food colouring added to bath 

                                       -  I cut out red circles out of foam 

                                       -  Red plastic apples 

                                       -  Red rose petals or flowers 

                                       -  Red blocks and balls 

                            Plus i sing the colour songs : )

You can find them :

utube song :  Red - click here    , Blue - click here  , Yellow - click here 

Mp3 song :   Red - click here   , Blue - click here  , Yellow - click here 

Polka dot bath 

      With the polka dot bath you can start learning your secondary colours - green , orange and purple.

      What i did was a cut out circles of the primary colour in the above mention activity and then i cut       out circles for secondary colours. 

      I then decide which secondary colour is the colour for night and resolve them around that. So for         example.

                     Green - Green food colouring 

                                -  Blue , yellow and green circles in bath

                     Orange - Orange food colouring

                                -  Orange , yellow and red circles in bath 

                     Purple - Purple food colouring

                                - Purple , blue and red circles in bath 

I sing the song that i found on teaching mama's blog - click here 

Bath painting 

There are a few ways to make easy quick and easy bath paints which the kids love. I always have a colour pallet of power paints ready to, to make your own powders paints or foam paint. You can also add to this and go one step further with making them scented, it only takes a few minutes extra. Make your own, by just adding essential oils or food flavouring.

Or you can Oder from - spotted giraffe - admin@spottedgriaffe.co.za

Top image is powder paints mixed with water along with a soap brush , bottom image is powder paint.

Water wonder - water wall 

Kids love playing with water , so why not encourage it in the bath. Just imagine the reaction of your little one when they see the water wall. With a little duct tape,pvc pipes,poolnoods,funnels,tubing or pool pipes,old juices bottles and some imagination,one can create an amazing water wall.

Spray painting 

Oh what fun this is , but just be warned this can be very messy. Not only is it fun but it also works the pincer grip for future writing development. I found it best to run a bubble bath and them to give my little one one or two spray bottles with the spray paint in, this way she's more focused on the bubbles changing colour than spraying it every wear. How to make your spray paint, click here   

Bath noodles 

No it's not what your thinking , i might not mind being messy with kids but real edible noodles is just way to over the top. Basically you'll create a  pool noodle pit. Its easy , all you will need is to buy four pool noodles and cut them into small circles and throw them in the bath. 

You can take it on step further and use the noodles to teach your kid colours or how to count.

Remember sometimes the simplest of actives is a bath time full of fun.