Introducing Learn With Oxford Children learn as they play. Most importantly in play children learn how to learn – O. Fred Donaldson One of the greatest challenges of being a teacher is to ensure that we make learning fun, because a good teacher knows that when learning becomes fun, it also becomes more effective. Did you know that fun has a positive effect on motivation levels, determining what we learn
April 3rd, 2023
How To Celebrate A Christ-Centered Easter – Part 2
How To Celebrate A Christ-Centered Easter Part 2 Our 6 Ways to Ensure Our Traditions Don’t Cloud The Reason Easter has been one of my absolute favorite Christian holidays and it all started thanks to my beautiful childhood. I still vividly remember how my parents used to run around the garden trying to hide the Easter eggs before sending us out to go and search for them. We did this
March 30th, 2023
WWE Mania Is Back In Full Swing
WWE Mania is back in FULL SWING And we’re all for it! If you ask me a question about WWE, my answer would probably revert back to Ronda Rousey as that is about how far my knowledge pertaining WWE stretches, but A is trying to teach his clueless mama (slowly but surely). See, I never really understood the craze behind WWE and didn’t really get into it until Ronda Rousey
March 15th, 2023
Introducing The A-Z Joke Books – The Perfect Book For Little Jokers and Future Comedians
Introducing The A-Z Joke Books – The Perfect Books For Little Jokers and Future Comedians A has always been our little joker – he loves being the center of attention, he loves to entertain, but most of all he loves to make people smile and laugh. A is always looking for opportunities to “prank” people just to shout “April fools!” (eventhough we are only in March) and can turn any
October 27th, 2022
Top 10 Teacher Gifts
Top 10 Teacher Gifts From a Teacher’s Point Of View We are almost at the end of 2022 (can you believe it?!) and if you’re anything like me you are already planning year end and Christmas gifts. I love spoiling A’s teachers and do so at every opportunity I could get. I know how much work teachers put into each and every child. I can see it in the way my
September 19th, 2022
A Safari Adventure With Wild Kids Books
A Safari Adventure With Wild Kids Books Reading is dreaming with open eyes! I have always been a little bookworm, ever since I can remember I was that weird child who always had my head buried into some book wherever I went – whilst walking around the school, driving in a car, eating at a restaurant and even on holiday. There just was no better place to escape to than
August 28th, 2022
Dear Mama… From a Blogger Mama’s Heart
Dear Mama… From a Blogger Mama’s Heart A while ago I saw a post circulating on one of the motherhood FB groups. The post was from a tired mom who asked bloggers/influencer moms in particular how they keep everything so “perfect”. She asked them to share some tips and tricks, and my heart sank right there and then. The comments on that post basically tore bloggers and influencers apart and
August 22nd, 2022
Dear Child…Take Your Time
Dear Child…Take Your Time “Don’t compare your child to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.” I love to read, in fact reading was what inspired my writing and it really was what shaped me into who I am today. As a young girl I believed books could fix anything and that all the answers to the world’s most difficult questions
April 28th, 2022
DELIGHTFUL TALES ABOUT DIFFICULT TOPICS
DELIGHTFUL TALES ABOUT DIFFICULT TOPICS Children are generally curious little beings. They love to explore and discover everything, but this nature of curiosity is usually accompanied by many many questions… especially the “but why‘s?“. Very often these questions can be unexpected and difficult to answer, or so I have experienced with A. I still remember the very first time the topic of race came up with A. He was sitting
January 31st, 2022
I CAN Dream… I WILL Flourish
I CAN Dream… I WILL Flourish! Have you ever felt like you are slowly drowning under the pressure of life’s waves? Like the harder you swim and try to keep your head above the waters, the stronger the currents get, and it just keeps pulling you down, down, down. Eventually your arms are so tired you can no longer swim, but you are left with no choice, you struggle to
December 28th, 2021
Healthier Living With Fry’s
Healthier Living With Fry’s January usually comes with a whole bunch of New Year’s resolution posts, but this is not one of them. I personally don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I do believe in making positive changes to our life that’s sustainable and setting reachable goals. One thing that has been weighing heavily on me is making healthier choices for my family, especially little A. Healthy living has
November 29th, 2021
Our Top 10 Christmas Advent Calendar Ideas
Our Top 10 Christmas Advent Calendar Ideas Christmas is around the corner and the countdown has begun. Christmas trees are slowly going up and you can start feeling the Christmas Spirit take over, and it’s just magical! One of our favorite Christmas traditions are the Advent Calendar – the sweet surprise you get to open every single morning as you excitedly count down the days to one of the best
November 18th, 2021
An Intergalactic Adventure with Little Beehive
An Intergalactic Adventure with Little Beehive The imagination is the golden pathway to everywhere… – Terence Mckenna I love watching A play. Ever so often I sneak to his room and just quietly watch him… He’s usually so deep into his imaginary world that he doesn’t even notice me, and it doesn’t take long for him to pull me into his beautiful world of magic, adventure and play. I watch
November 5th, 2021
Targetting STEAM Skills With The Amazing Osmo
Targeting STEAM Skills With The Amazing Osmo On the 8th of November we celebrate STEAM Day, and although not everyone may be familiar with the term STEAM, it remains a big topic of conversation in the world today! In short STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics and our children are significantly better off with strong STEAM skills in the world we live in! The world that our
October 11th, 2021
KID2KID – POP Into A Whole New World Of Learning And FUN!
KID2KID – POP Into A Whole New World Of Learning And FUN! Fidget toys have taken the market by storm and quickly earned a reputation as the “next big thing”. It is something that every child wants and that every classroom needs. When I first discovered the very popular fidget toys, I honestly did not get the buzz. It seemed silly to me, and I just could not understand what
October 2nd, 2021
Tiny Tree Toys – Educational Toy Heaven
Tiny Tree Toys – Educational Toy Heaven I’m always on the hunt for open-ended and educational toys that are still exciting and fun! Children these days are spoiled with toys that do everything for them. Technology is all around us and it consumes everything, even the toys our children play with. Sometimes, even I am awed by all of the incredible tech toys being released these days, and I can’t
October 1st, 2021
Celebrating International Hair Day With Ellips
Celebrating National Hair Day With Ellips I have always had very long hair, even as a little girl. It has always been my pride, who I am as a person. It made me feel like a princess as a little girl, and when I became a mommy I became a queen to my bonus daughter. All she wanted was to have long hair like me, and that just made it
September 28th, 2021
YOTO Player – Revolutionizing Story and Play Time
Yoto Player – Revolutionizing Story and Play Time Christmas is around the corner and if you are anything like me, you have already started preparation for the Jolly Season. A starts compiling his wish list the day after his Birthday in May, so by the time that I’m ready to actually start buying gifts his ideas are all over the place. Anyone who knows me would also know that I
September 5th, 2021
My Stories – A Personal Reading Adventure
My Stories – Reading Is An Adventure “Reading is dreaming with open eyes” As a child reading was my escape. I started reading at age 5 and reading became a part of me. The books became my reality and I could see the scenes as if it was happening around me, I still do. I could spend hours alone in my room, just living in my fantasy world, as the
August 22nd, 2021
Geo Fun Boards – When Playing is Learning
Geo Fun Boards – When Playing is Learning Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn. O Fred Donaldson What a year this has been!? 2021 Definitely has been a year to remember, and for all the not so great reasons. Covid reached an all-time high and hit closer to home than ever before, and “homeschooling” and working from home became our norm. As
August 3rd, 2021
Messy Bo Peeps Bringing The Mess Back Into Messy Play
Messy Bo Peeps Bringing The Mess Back Into Messy Play I am a HUGE messy play fan! I’ve always believed in the fact that dirty kids are happy kids and the best way to learn is through using ALL of the senses. As a teacher I also know of the incredible benefits that sensory play holds and how important it is for our littles development. A had his very first
July 27th, 2021
On The Go snacks for On The Go people
On The Go snacks for On The Go people This is me in all my Glory for 99% of the week – the mom, the teacher, the “paklorrie” as we would say in Afrikaans. My days are often a rush, with little to no time to spare. I always have something to do, somewhere to be and I do have to admit that this created some really bad habits for
July 19th, 2021
Reinvent Play With MEXAConstruX HotWheels
Reinvent Play With MEXAConstruX HotWheels What happens when you smash together 2 of the most popular toys for boys (and girls) – lego and hotwheels? Well, let me tell you, the coolest, very exciting MEXAConstruX HotWheels are born! This toy is so cool and truly was a gamechanger, or should I say play changer in our home! It’s a toy that got me almost as excited as it got A
July 10th, 2021
Arm your skin with SBR this winter!
Arm Your Skin With SBR This Winter! Every household has THAT product that has been passed down for generations, that one product that you grew up knowing as the “fix it all” product, and that your household ALWAYS have hidden somewhere. For our family it has always been the SBR creams. Skin issues have always been a major problem in my family. My mom and brother both suffer from severe
June 17th, 2021
Khula Kosblik – The Answer To Every Mom’s Lunchbox Dilemma
Khula Kosblik – The Answer To Every Mom’s Lunchbox Dilemma A healthy outside starts from the inside… – Robert Urich I don’t know about anyone else’s kids, but A is like a crazy, monstrous snack machine! No need to ask him if he’s hungry, because he is ALWAYS hungry! A does not stop eating… ever! If he doesn’t want to eat you know that he is not feeling well at
June 6th, 2021
Truth TV – Faith Based Family Friendly Entertainment
TruthTV – Faith Based Family Friendly Entertainment Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old; he will not depart from it”. Many of my followers already know A’s story, but I’ll quickly give it to all of you in a nutshell in order for you to understand why TruthTV has made such an impact in our lives. A was an answered
May 30th, 2021
BLOWOUT Action with WWE Superstars
BLOWOUT Action with WWE Superstars If you ask me anything about WWE I would probably stare at you like you were from another universe, BUT ask A and he would immediately go into WWE wrestle mode and show you his moves and muscles. A’s dad was always a busy, on the go man, but he never missed his WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE Smackdowns, and neither did A’s siblings.
May 27th, 2021
Let’s get to work with The MEGAblocks Lil’ Building Drill Set
Let’s get to work with The Megablocks Lil’ Building Drill Set Play is the building blocks of life they say, so I say let’s get building and what better way to do that than through Megablocks!? Megablocks has been a huge hit in our home for the last 4 years! A got his first set when he turned 1 and his collection has grown over the last 4 years, and
May 12th, 2021
EduVenturing – Blissful Bathtime for Everyone
Eduventuring – Blissful Bathtime For Everyone Over the past few years we have been introduced to a whole new world of bathtime fun. We have been very privileged to try different bath products – each unique and special in their very own way, but it is not very often that mommy gets to be spoiled too. Eduventuring sent both A and I some bathtime spoils and it was just so
May 3rd, 2021
There’s No Wrong Way To Be A Boy
There’s No Wrong Way To Be A Boy Planes, trains, trucks and toys… there’s nothing quite like little boys. This quote rings in my ears every time I watch A play, and although he loves playing with planes, trains and trucks, it is not that part that caught my attention, but the – toys – part. I say this because A also loves to play with dolls, makeup and princess
April 14th, 2021
Swing, Climb, Go Wild with Blue Heaven’s Swing board
Swing, Climb, Go Wild with Blue Heaven’s Swing Board Because to move is Art As a mom and teacher I am always looking for versatile and educational toys – toys that will encourage my boy to use his imagination, to explore, to PLAY. Kids these days are surrounded with all kinds of technology that steal their childhoods – tablets, phones, game stations, etc. Kids no longer know how to PLAY!
March 31st, 2021
Never miss another milestone with Blink Portraits
Never Miss Another Milestone With Blink Portraits “They grow up too fast” sounds like just another cliché, that is until you become a parent… I only really started to understand this when I became a mom. As a mom the days can feel so incredibly long, but the years are so so very short. You blink and suddenly they sit, blink again and they crawl, blink-walk, blink-talk, blink and they
March 30th, 2021
Playing With Thomas And Friends
Playing With Thomas And Friends Trains, planes, trucks and toys, there’s nothing quite like little boys… This quote definitely sums up A at his current age. He is all about trains, planes and trucks, with his favorite definitely being trains. So… when this Thomas and Friends Diesel Tunnel Blast arrived at our doorstep his excitement was over the roof. I’ve never seen his face light up so brightly within seconds
March 3rd, 2021
Arts and Crafts with Doodle Tots
Arts and Crafts with Doodle Tots Let’s talk arts and crafts – A loves it, I hate it. Okay, actually I have a love-hate relationship with arts and crafts. I know how important it is for child development, especially for children between the ages of 3 and 8, and I have weekly arts and crafts classes with my Grade 2 class. I hate it, because I suck at it. As
February 24th, 2021
6 Fun Ways To Encourage Learning With The Play Doh Shape and Learn Numbers and Counting kit
6 Fun Ways To Encourage Learning With The Play Doh Shape and Learn Numbers and Counting kit As a foundation phase teacher, I know how important playing with Play Doh is when it comes to the development of some crucial skills such as their fine motor, sensory motor, language and socialization skills. You can just imagine my excitement when one of Play Doh’s shape and learn kits arrived at our
February 18th, 2021
Earthbound Kidz – 100% clean, 100% bathtime FUN!
Earthbound Kidz – 100% clean, 100% bathtime FUN! A loves bath time, in fact, I think it’s his favorite time of the day. This is the time where he can unwind, take a breath and relax after a very busy, stimulating day and I just love seeing how his little body instantly relaxes as the warm water and bubbles surround him. He can spend hours in the water, so I
February 1st, 2021
The Jellyfish Jiggle Book Review
The Jellyfish Jiggle Book Review As a mom and teacher who knows and understands the importance of reading, I am always on the hunt for fun and educational books to add to A’s book collection. Recently we were introduced to “The jellyfish Jiggle, by Kayla Diamond” and we could just not get enough! The jellyfish Jiggle is a colorful and fun little book that is not only packed with cute
November 25th, 2020
24 Fun Christmas Themed Activities to do over the December Holidays 2020
24 Fun Christmas Themed Activities to do over the December Holidays 2020 Can you believe that we are already here? This year has been one of a kind and taught us to really treasure the little things in life. I know that this year has been a challenging one for most, and I have seen way too many moms saying that the year took away that festive feeling for them.
November 18th, 2020
Alexander Constructor Toys
Alexander Constructor Toys Christmas is around the corner and I have seen so many posts with questions such as “what are you buying your children” or “mommies I need toy ideas” going around on social media. Usually, by this time of the year, I have my Christmas shopping sorted. I’m a planner, I plan ahead, but let’s face it, this year is not your normal, average year. So, I’m going
October 29th, 2020
Mother of a Wild Child
Mother Of A Wild Child “Give me the wild children with their bare feet and sparkling eyes. The restless, churning climbers. The wild ones using their outside voices, singing all the way home. Give me the wonder-filled, glorious mess-makers, dreaming of mountains and mud, aching to run through a field of stars” – Nicolette Sonder Isn’t that quote just beautiful? As I typed it out a calm came over me,
October 26th, 2020
Rummikub Turns 70!
Rummikub Turns 70! Can you believe that this much-loved strategy game has been entertaining families for over 70 years this year?! Rummikub has such a special place in my heart – I still remember coming home from school just to join my grandpa and grandma at their dining room table for a game of rummikub or two! I could never get enough and always tried to outwit them with my
October 20th, 2020
A Peek At Peek A Blocks
A Peek At Peek A Blocks Peek A Blocks is a new construction type toy from Fisher Price and Mega Blocks. They are colorful and fun and hold more than just a few little surprises. With this toy A got to launch into an amazing 3-story Amusement park with his fun and exciting doggy and kitty chase. The toy is an all-new and super fun design for action-reaction play and
June 25th, 2020
Play Sense Virtual Play Group
Play Sense Virtual Play Group When we were asked to partake in a week trial for Play Sense’s new virtual playgroup I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. Aryan is a busy body and an outdoors child. I kept thinking to myself “I can’t even get him to sit still and watch a video, how was I supposed to keep him focused on a screen for 30 minutes”?
May 26th, 2020
The Importance And Benefits Of Extended Breastfeeding
The Importance and Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding 2 Weeks ago my baby boy turned 3, but that was not our only milestone. In fact, we hit another great milestone together that day, because 2 weeks ago also marked 3 years of breastfeeding for us. Those who have followed us from the start will know that our breastfeeding journey has not been an easy one, in fact I feel that one
May 10th, 2020
A Letter To My Three Year Old
A Letter To My Three Year Old My sweet, sweet boy. Another year has passed and I’m pretty sure this one flew by even faster than the last. I look back to last year and a lot of you are still the same, but then there’s so much that have changed as well. Mommy always says – same same, but different. You are still the same sweet, kind and loving
April 29th, 2020
Nova Pioneer bridging the remote learning gap
Nova Pioneer Bridging The Remote Learning Gap The Covid-19 Pandemic took the world by storm and none of us were prepared for what was yet to come. So many people have suffered the consequences of the nationwide shutdown imposed in South Africa on the 26thof March 2020, and in some industries irreversible damage was caused. I believe as a country we have all been facing new and difficult challenges in
April 6th, 2020
9 Simple Ways to Have a CHRIST – Centred Easter Without Losing Out On Any Fun
9 Simple Ways to Have a CHRIST – Centred Easter Without Losing Out On Any Fun I do believe that this is a topic that a lot of Christian parents struggle with. How do we allow our kids to still have fun and make the special memories we made as kids, while still teaching them the true meaning of what we are actually celebrating? It is so easy for the
March 20th, 2020
11 Tips To Help You Stay Sane During The Lockdown
11 Tips To Help You Stay Sane During The Lockdown The covid-19 virus took us all by storm and there’s no doubt that it has had a huge impact not only on our individual lives, but our kids’ lives and our country’s economy as well. There is chaos all around us as working moms suddenly have to adapt their lives to work at home, small businesses try come up with
February 2nd, 2020
Pottytraining 101ish
Pottytraining 101ish Oh, the forbidden P-word – Potty-training! Just like any other motherhood topic this topic falls into the Caution, be careful what you say group. Every mommy has their own unique “techniques” and their own opinions – some are for reward charts, others are against it, some are for training as soon as possible and others say it’s okay to take your time, some mommies start at as young
January 19th, 2020
11 Fun Emotion Themed Activities For Toddlers
11 Fun Emotion Themed Activities For Toddlers Last week this time was “back to school” time for Aryan and I just knew after spending 6 weeks with mommy 24/7 that this would be a BIG adjustment for the both of us. Back to school always means big emotions for little people, and 90% of the time these emotions can be a little overwhelming for them, especially when they cant quite
December 15th, 2019
A Toddler’s Christmas Wishlist 2019
A Toddler’s Christmas Wishlist 2019 We are finally here – summer holiday has kicked in strong and the Christmas cheer can be heard, seen and even smelt everywhere we go. Christmas truly is a magical time of the year, it really doesn’t matter how hard, exhausting or draining a year have been, Christmas gives us that extra push to get through it, it gives us that little bit of hope
November 28th, 2019
25 Fun, Memory Making Activities For This December Holiday
25 Fun, Memory Making Activities For This December Holiday We all look forward to a quiet, peaceful December Holiday to recharge and rest after a long, hard year. A holiday filled with sleep-ins, suntans, drinks with friends and long afternoon naps, but as mothers we know that this will likely remain but a wish on our Christmas Wishlist for the next 16 years. The kind of expectation vs reality thing.
November 20th, 2019
AcornKids – A Whole New World of Educational Bathtime Fun
AcornKids – A Whole New World of Educational Bathtime Fun As a mom I have come to love versatile products – One product, one expense and a whole lot of uses, but what I love even more than versatile products, are products that are not only educational, but also allows Aryan to explore and develop his curiosity without leaving a huge mess for me to clean! Moms, I hear you,
October 23rd, 2019
10 Reasons Why I Let My Boy Play With Dolls & Why I Believe Every Mom Should Too
10 Reasons Why I Let My Boy Play With Dolls & Why I Believe Every Mom Should Too You know how we all are the “ideal” mom before we actually become a mom. Yes – the judgmental, “I’ll never do that, I’ll never be that, I’ll never say that” mom… I used to be that “mom” too. I remember walking into a shop one day, and right in front of
October 6th, 2019
Little Gentlemen goes KiCoco
Little Gentlemen goes KiCoco As a First-time boy mom, I’ve faced many challenges, but one of my greatest, most frustrating challenges has been finding good quality, yet stylish and fashionable clothing for my wild boy child. Girly prettiness is everywhere, and you can find just about anything pretty, sparkly and pink in every single clothing store you step in, by the isles, but somehow boy’s fashion is limited to jeans,
