I always love how the flowers start to blossom in Spring and how the Yesterday, Tomorrows and Today’s outside my bedroom window start to change colour and give off a really nice strong scent that always remind me of happy times. Spring is definitely one of my favourite times of year as the seasons change and I always feel like a little weight has lifted off my shoulders. This year my Spring didn’t get off to a good start with Cody, my beloved Bewier Terrier being involved in a horrible car accident but other than that, it’s been pretty awesome. Many of us use Spring time to refresh our closets, homes and selves. Here is my Spring to Summer must do’s for 2014.
1. Spring Toes for a good cause with Laser Beautique:
There is no better thing than showing off cute sandals from Pick N Pay Clothing with pretty painted toenails in Spring. A good pedicure is always in need after the long winter months. A few weeks back I attended the Project Pedicure event held by Laser Beautique. The Laser Beautique have partnered with SAID (Society for Animals in Distress) and every time you pamper yourself and have a pedicure at the Laser Beautique you are supporting Project Pedi. The goal of this campaign is to re-shoe the hard working horses from the coal yards in Tembisa. These horses provide coal to the communities during the winter months which not only provides much needed warmth but also provides jobs for people in these less fortunate communities. I wasn’t able to stay for the side by side horse-human pedicure and was fortunate enough to be gifted a Deluxe pedicure that I decided to save for my Spring Time refresh. I visited the Rosebank Laser Beautique and was treated to a deluxe pedi that included a foot scrub and foot massage. I chose my two Morgan Taylor colours and was even treated to some nail art to suit Spring. The therapists at the Rosebank Laser Clinic were incredibly friendly and professional. I left feeling pampered and definitely wanting more.
2. Spring to Summer Body with Pilates Dynamics:
In preparation for our Summer beach holiday, I have taken it upon myself to try and lose my weight that I have gained and get comfortable to wear a costume at the beach in December so I have recently returned to Pilates at the Pilates Dynamics Studio where I have also started working with a Dietitian (Chantal Walsh) that the medical aid covers in order to help me to get into shape and eating more healthily. It turns out that much of my weight gain has been due to hormone changes since starting to try for children so my journey is going to be a lot harder than for most who try to lose the additional baggage. Right now though, eating more cleanly has definitely given me more energy and I am starting to see minor changes in my physique. Staying motivated is a huge challenge for me but I am definitely in the right space mentally to do this and have even bought a bright costume that I will hopefully soon be using. One of my new favorite balanced Spring snacks is Ryvita Crackerbread with a slice of Slimmers Choice Cheese, Spring Onion, Spinach, Rocket and Basil with a touch of home made Tahini paste and Rosa tomatoes. It is pleasantly filling and oh so yummy. The home made Tahini makes all the difference.
3. Spring Fake Tan with Tan Organic from BeautyWorx:
With Spring comes lots of shorts and summer dresses so in preparation, I have taken to using a bit of Tan Organic to give me that hint of a summer tan on my legs. A much safer option and a lot less time consuming than lying in the sun. I am always nervous to use fake tan products as I have had many bad experiences with these products. The Tan Organic set was gifted to me at the Bloggers Who Bless Christmas in July celebration for review from BeautyWorx. I am currently testing this and will post my review soon. So far I haven’t been over the moon happy with the results but want to give it a second shot before completely writing this off as it is certainly a plus that this is eco-certified and doesn’t smell like most fake tan products do.
4. Spring Fridge and Pantry with Woolworths online store:
My fridge has also had a Spring Clean. With new ways of eating and health, I now find most of my fridge is taken up by organic and free range lean meat products as well as lots of yummy fresh vegetables and fruits. I have gone as far as even researching and saving lots of new healthier recipes that I picked up from other blogs such as Wellness Mama and have discarded a lot of the bad kind of foods that were previously hogging my pantry and fridge space. Only time will tell if this habit is one to stay. So far, I am doing well and find that I am loving the Food Lovers Market and Woolworths for this. I have even tried the Woolworths online store to buy some specialty ingredients for my new style of food and was blown away with how easy their online system is to use. I even came across an awesome link that shows you what foods are in season currently which always helps with clean eating. I highly recommend the Woolworths online store and can’t wait to start using them more in future. `I love that you can choose your time slot for delivery to ensure someone is at home to receive the goods at this time and food deliveries are made straight to your front door with delivery charges that are free for your first delivery.
5. Spring Wardrobe with Pick N Pay Clothing and Trinket Trove:
I found a few items are a must have for my Spring closet which include pastel jeggings and chiffon printed tee’s from Pick N Pay Clothing that go over my strappy under vests. These additions to the wardrobe are very much in line with the Pastel and light colour trends happening this season. I even won a beautiful Trinket Trove wrap that works really well and compliments my Spring to Summer wardrobe at the Tech Girl Bloggers workshop that has helped me spring clean my blog and offered so many helpful tips. Sam did an amazing job at presenting and I hope to see many more of these kinds of workshops in the near future. I have also started to implement the SEO tips that we discussed on the day.
6. Spring Linen with Mr Price Home :
Last year I spent the first half of the year pretty much in a hotel for work reasons. I know this sounds glamorous but it really isn’t fun living out of bag week in week out and only being able to see friends and family over weekends. The one thing though that I love about Hotel’s is the crisp clean bedding and the way they put a loose bed sheet between the duvet and the mattress cover. I decided that this is how I want to make my bed at home and so Spring is always a wonderful time to brighten up your room with lighter colour duvet sets and changing the Winter sheets for Spring ones. I currently have my eye on these beautiful spring duvet sets Mr Price Home and of course my winter sheet has been changed out for a crisp clean lighter material summer sheet. A lovely way to keep your sheets smelling fresh and clean is applying a quick spritz of Linen Mist just before bed time. My all time favourite linen mist is the Lavender Linen Mist from Bay Tree Home and Decor. Not only does the linen mist make your bedding smell heavenly but it also keeps pesky mosquito’s at bay and helps you fall asleep more easily.
7. Spring Picnics and Pool Party’s:
Hot bubble baths have gone out the window but frozen yoghurt and dips in the swimming pool are just around the corner. I hope to have a swimming pool party with these awesome homemade flower Popsicles. I love that Spring is a time to start going to picnic in our summer dresses and light cardigans. As much as some people complain, I love the rain in Spring. My garden needs some rain and a bonus of the rain is how the grass smells afterwards. Granted our first rain was more of a hail storm that has left much debris to clean up but I am still grateful that the dry air has had a break and my sinuses are finally starting to clear up.
8. Spring Actions with Rogz Pet Insurance:
In light of Cody’s accident we have had a huge knock financially with Vet bills so I finally got my act into gear and put my two fur-ever friends on Pet Insurance. It really is easier than you can imagine and so worth the minimal outlay per month. For both my pups, it costs around R240 per month and covers accidents and illness with a small excess of R200. Considering a years worth of pet insurance is far less than this one Vet Bill it is so worth it. I did a bit of shopping around and put both Cody and Zack on Rogz Pet Insurance. It is really easy to sign up online and they send you all the details once you have been approved within 3 working days. The only catch is that your pet has to be below a certain age and has to be micro chipped to qualify for payment of claims. We have chosen to insure them for accident and illness cover and feel all the more happy for doing it albeit a little late but I guess better late than never.
9. Spring Restaurants with The Artisan Kitchen:
One of my other favorite things that happen this time of year is the Swiss Hotel School Pop-Up Restaurant project. Every Spring, the third year students open a new concept restaurant for a period of 4 weeks. This year, the theme has been The Artisan Kitchen that includes craft beer and a similar vibe to places like Giles and Social on Main. A three course five star meal with drinks will set you back approximately R150 per person which is quite rare these days and great value for money. The quality of food and service is superb. I must say my favourite thing on the menu this year is their craft milkshakes which include Strawberry Cheesecake, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Brownie flavours that all come with an alcoholic option.
10. Spring Flowers for the home:
Lastly, my new all-time favorite gift to get is Fresh Flowers. In the past, I used to think fresh flowers were a waste of money but this was before I owned a few beautiful vases and a home. Now that I have a home, I find there is nothing that cheers me up more than a bunch of fresh flowers. I love watching them bloom and find cutting the stems and leaves off and arranging them is really quite therapeutic. Not only do they smell wonderful, they add a touch of bright color and freshness to a room and make such a difference to our home. I also love the reminder that I have a friend or person that cares about me every time I look at or smell the flowers. I love this article that tells us how to keep cut flowers for longer. Since implementing these tips, my freshly cut flowers have lasted close on 4 – 6 days longer than before.
Let me know what your favorite Spring to Summer must haves are or whether any of the above things are something you would try. I would love to read your thoughts and comments.
Till Next Time
Put a Spring in Your Step
Porcelain Rouge 