12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

and on the 8th day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Woolworths - Rose Flavoured Turkish Delight covered in Milk Chocolate.

If you ever wanted to bribe me, then this is the way. I have loved Turkish Delight from a very young age. I remember that you used to get that Turkish Delight Chocolate way back when that had the thin layer of chocolate and lots of Turkish Delight. And over the years, the chocolate got thicker and the turkish delight got thinner until it totally disappeared and was taken off the market. And then whilst standing in the queue at Woolworths food to pay for my groceries, you know there in that isle where you are led into temptation to get every damn chocolate and sweet that they have there.

I spotted the Turkish Delight and temptation got the better of me. So it landed up in my trolley. And now I am so glad that it did. A lovely soft turkish delight covered in a thin layer of chocolate makes it an absolute delight.

So remember. You can get me one of these any day!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

and on the 6th day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Fujifilm - Instax Mini 50S.

Having photography as a hobby of mine, something that I have started to take more interest in, is the old polaroid shots. You know, those cameras which would print a picture immediately after you took it? The one with the white border? The one you would flick up and down to help it expose faster? Yes. That is next on my wishlist.

Fujifilm has brought out a range of these cameras called 'Instax.' There are quite a few in this range. However the one that caught my eye is the Instax Mini 50S. With its compact and rather stylish body in a piano black colour, I would think that this quite suits me and would be a great little camera to have with me at events and functions to capture some adventures in a new way instead of just making use of my iPhone.

This little camera weighs in at only 275g and is 11.2cm x 9.65 cm x 4.95cm making it perfect size. Not too big & not too small.

The images these lil things push out immediately are 6.2cm x 4.6 cm, so they make the perfect pictures for those people who keep photos of loved ones in their wallets.

Lets hope my parents read this article as soon as possible to catch my hint on this one. 

Check out Fujifilm for more information on some of the other Instax cameras they have on offer.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

and on the 10th day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Ryan Keys - 

Pinotage Oud Eu de Parfum.


So a while back I had heard that designer, Ryan Keys from Keys Fashion would be launching his very own fragrance. With the opening of the Keys Fashion store at Hyde Park Corner, we were able to sample the very 1st fragrance from Ryan Keys - Pinotage Oud Eu de Parfum. 

A Proudly South African fragrance which is produced and bottled in 100ml bottles has been inspired by South African sweet Pinotage grapes, being the top note. With this, it shares the exotic Oud & Ylang-Ylang. Red berries, vanilla & a touch of spices balances out the fragrance perfectly. This Eau de Parfum has long lasting properties and is most definitely a fragrance of passion and unforgettable moments as Ryan says.

Time to grab your very own 100ml bottle. Retailing at R1500.00 a bottle, you can get your hands on one at either Keys Fashion in Hyde Park Corner or at the Keys Fashion store in Parkhurst, Johannesburg.

I am super excited to share that I am the owner of the very 1st bottle of Ryan Keys - Pinotage Oud Eau de Parfum that has been sold and it is now nestled safely under my Christmas Tree.   

12 Days of Christmas - Day 4

and on the 4th day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Baygro Clothing - Printed Hooded Vee

This is such a cool item of clothing to have in your cupboard. I like that this is something that I can wear in summer and winter. It is a long sleeve, low cut v-neck t with a hood. Local designer, Xander Cox, from Durban started his this label with the slogan "Seriously Kiff Shit" and well, quite frankly, I agree and I just love it and that is why it has made our list this year.

Check them out on facebook - Baygro clothing

and on Twitter - @Baygro

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

and on the 3rd day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Diesel - Sneakers

Whilst attending the relaunch of the Diesel store in Rosebank recently, I spotted a pair of white sneakers. Now my track record with white shoes is not really a good one. With my luck, I will drop a french fry dipped in t-sauce on one of the shoes the very 1st time I even wear them out in public. But, I still think these are a great pair of white leather sneakers that could be dressed up or down with a variety of looks, casual and formal.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 2

and on the 2nd day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Augustine - Leather 'Murse' & Wallet.

So whilst attending the opening of 'Workshop Newtown' at Newtown Junction a while back, I was stoked to spot that Augustine had a stall and had many handcrafted leather goods. 
I spotted what is known as a 'murse' (ie. a 'man-purse') which is a hand crafted & hand stitched leather folder. And right next to this, was the accompanying wallet.
Check them out! 

Such good quality and craftmanship makes it a must have this Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

and on the 1st day of Christmas...
... on my Christmas Wishlist

Bonafide Beards - 

All Natural Beard Balm & Beard Oil.

So if you know me and have seen me, you will know that I have a beard that I have been grooming since June of 2015. There are some days that come where I sit and contemplate just taking the razor and shaving it all off. And then I come to my senses and just brush it out. The tricky, part is to keep a beard neat and tidy. With me working in the corporate environment, it is a necessity to keep my beard in good condition all month round. My suggestion to you. Bonafide Beards. 

All natural and organic beard grooming products developed right here in South Africa by Monique Flemming using ingredients such as beeswax, tea tree oil, sandalwood, coconut oil & a few other essential oils. 

They have the complete range that you need.

Wooden brushes with natural & boar hair.

Beard & Mustache Comb. (I have yet to get one of these! It's on my personal wishlist!) 

Beard Balm.

Beard Oil.

Cleansing Bar.

And a few cool accessories too.

Check them out:
www.bonafidebeards.com
Facebook: Bonafide Beards
Twitter: @BonafideBeards
Instagram: Bonafide_Beards

Panda_Crew

#Pandamonium

So there is a new Crew in Town...

The #PandaCrew

If any of you guys have not heard of the #PandaCrew, I am not quite sure where you have been hiding for the last few months. This initiative was started by probably the most humble guy I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Sebastian Schütte has a phenomenal story to tell! But that is most definitely a story for another day.

The #PandaCrew is a global movement which is driven by branded apparel, creating a global community of individuals who are taking action and inspire anyone and everyone who is willing and able to assist in any way that they can. The #PandaCrew aims to help the young and old, and everyone in between too, without any prejudice or judgement based on colour, creed, background and any other demographic which has been created in this diverse society of ours.

The Motto: No one gets left behind. No one gets singled out. And no one goes without help.

If that doesn't say enough, maybe you should read it again!

No one gets left behind.

No one gets singled out.

And no one goes without help.

So on 18 December a few members of the #PandaCrew headed out to the #MatwalasChildrenHome to surprise the kids with a Christmas Party. I honestly did not know what to expect on this day. When I left home, I had thought that I had prepared myself enough for what was to come.

Each of the members of the #PandaCrew had something to bring to the party and everyone contributed in some way to give back at the end of what was a successful year.

We arrived at the home and started unloading the cars.

Soccer balls and Hula-hoops were soon everywhere to be seen and the children were all going crazy and having a blast playing with these simple toys that many nowadays take for granted.

Once the face painting had started, everyone wanted to be either Batman, a cheetah or have a butterfly covering their face and soon the #PandaCrew found out they had hidden talents in the form of face painting!

We had bought about 30 gifts, one for each child to open on Christmas Day. I thought this was very important as I could not imagine having to wake up on Christmas Morning and not having a present to open. So I insisted on getting each child their very own gift that they would be able to open.

We had been able to have the Dros supply us with some pizza for lunch and we got some cold-drinks to quench some thirst on this hot summers day out in the sun. 

The #PandaCrew had worked hard to prepare Goodie Bags for all the children filled with sweets and toys...

And then what would a party without cake be?

Cupcakes for everyone!!

So to say thank you to the #PandaCrew, the children decided it would be a good idea to get us all dancing and singing with them... (I generally don't sing... not even in the shower!)

A few facts on the #MatwalasChildrenHome:
1 House
3 Bedrooms
1 Converted Garage
1 Bathroom
27 Children (ages ranging from 1 to 16)
3 Adults
These children have been abandoned; are victims to abuse or are orphans.

Address: 78 Frikkie Meyer Boulevard, 1911 Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

For now... I will let these photographs captured on the day tell the story.

Then it was time to go home...

It is weird how quickly these lil guys creep into your heart and make you want to tear up just when they look at you. The one thing I certainly took from this day was to be happy with the simple and smaller things in life. We all so often forget what we have going for us and we tend to expect things to just always go our way and get everything we want. This day reminded me that we have so much to be thankful for and we need to appreciate every little thing a whole lot more than what we are currently doing. To see the smiles on the faces of these children brings a different warmth into your heart when you know that you are, or you have been able to give them a reason to smile for that moment! 

#PandaCrew: Sebastiaan Schütte, Nicolaas van der Walt, JP Smit, Adrian Allday, Lloyd Loots, Andrew Reid, Rusha Du Toit

All these amazing photographs on the day were taken by #PandaCrew members: Barry Swart and JP Smit

You too can get involved and be part of the #Pandamonium

The #PandaCrew hats are available to everyone! You can contact them for more info. All proceeds go straight back into the community and the projects that are coming up soon!

Check them out on Twitter: @_PandaCrew_
And remember to give them a follow and join in on the conversation by using the #PandaCrew
Or have a look here: www.pandacrew.co.za