My Top 10 Moments of 2013!

Hello Journeyers!
WOW have I missed you! To be honest with you, I have been a tad off my blogging game lately. For some reason I am completely demotivated. So if you have ANY tips on how to get me motivated again please leave 'em down below! :)
I was reading Jenna's Top Moments over at A Home Away From Home and she persuaded me to do my own Top Moments Post.

I will be sharing my Top 10 Moments of 2013 below in no alphabetical order!

1) 3 Year Anniversary - Yes, most of you must be thinking "why that as a highlight". Well it's easy. I love Cedric so much and for me to reach 3 Years in a relationship is quite a big deal. hehe. Because he has officially been my longest relationship. I will take that as a sign and keep him around for a while longer...or forever!

2) #JHBbloggermeetup - I came up with this bright idea to organise a Johannesburg Blogger Meet up. After lots of planning and hard work trying to get everything together while having a 8-5 work we did it! I loved organising it, and was extremely blessed to have so many amazing sponsors jump on board who spoiled each blogger and contributed to the very generous goody bags. I met so many lovely people this day and I know that some of them will be in my life forever. I love how blogging and social media have introduced me to so many wonderful people. We all came together at Vovo Telo Parkhurst where we spent most of the day getting to know each other better and just laughing the day away. These ladies are truly special!

3) New Camera - Yes another strange highlight, but I have been subtly throwing hints in Cedric's direction for us to get a decent camera. You know, to be taken serious as a blogger you need a fancy schmancy camera....haha. Well that may or may not have been one of my hints. And then after driving through the Rhino and Lion Park one Saturday and after Cedric took a few photos with our "mik en druk" he finally caved and off we went to Dion Wired to buy this little baby.....

4) Playing with Lion Cubs - I love animals, and I love them even more when they are still small! What's not to love about anything baby size? So you can all imagine my excitement when Cedric suggested we go play with the Lion Cubs at the Rhino and Lion Park. (this was actually the same day he decided we need a new camera, so thank you baby lions and boo boo of course) It costs only R30 for 5min / 10min (I honestly cannot remember now) and you get to choose between either cubs who are 2-3 months old or a bit older. This day we went to play with the bigger boys, they were 7 months and superrrrr cute! We actually enjoyed it so much that we took Landan back the next day so that he can experience it.

5) Sunsets next to the Crocodile River - As all of you know, in 2012 we started doing mid year holiday breaks. It's much needed, because as much as I love Johannesburg, the rush and insanity of this city can hit you harder than you think. This is the perfect way than to cut your year in half and enjoy a little break away from the crazy traffic and rushed lifestyle. We decided to go to the bush this time around and opted for a nice break in Marloth Park, Mpumalanga. We would spend most of our evenings watching the sunset overlooking the Crocodile river while sipping on a sundowner. If it wasn't for me not being alive I would have guessed that that was pretty close to how heaven felt. We truly have a mesmerizing beauty to our country and I am very happy to call this place my home.

6) Close encounters with some Ellies - On the same mid year break we ended our amazing holiday in Thornybush Game Reserve. For the people who are first timers to my blog, I have a slight obsession with Elephants. Only a small one. And on our one game drive I begged the ranger to please just find the elephants for us. And with a little tip from the others and 2 hours of driving in circles he decided to not wait for the Elephants to come to us but for us to go to them. I started getting a bit nervous when we started driving more off road and cutting down branches just to find out way. And then all of a sudden, we were in the middle of herd of say 30 elephants! Mindbogglingly amazing I tell you. These creatures are such beautiful majestic giants. The one walked past us close enough for me to just reach out without any effort and touch it. It took all of me not to do it. To show how close we were, the picture below was taken without me even touching the zoom button.

7) We bought Mo-Landy - Everyone must have noticed by now that Cedric and I have a big slight obsession with the bush and everything related to it. So it's only common sense for us to invest in a car that would take us to these places with ease. And that is exactly what we did. We bought the best/coolest/hippest you catch my drift car in the world. And it's orange! And it is very obvious that Cedric's love for Mo-Landy has grown much bigger than his love for me. No jokes. I think he loves this car more than me. We named it Mo-Landy. Why? Well when you look at it from the front, it almost seems like the car has a mustache (Mo). And it's a Landrover (Landy). And Mo also means "mine" in Kreole. So when I told Cedric this he loved the name. Mo-Landy. May we have safe travels all over Africa with you!

8) Elephant Sanctuary - Haha wow so I have 2 highlights that involve Ellies! This one was something else. I loved it! For my birthday Cedric took me to get real up close and personal with these magnificent animals. Early morning we were off to Harties to go "play" with Elephants. I was in such a daze the whole morning. It was all so perfect and I just fell in love with these animals all over again. Intelligent (I can bet they they are more intelligent than some of the people in this country), gentle (well as gentle as a wild animal can be), beautiful, interesting and the list goes on. I have such respect for them and I can just imagine how perfect my life will be if I can one day work with them.

9) Inspired by Oprah - This is probably one of the days that I won't easily forget. I received an email the Thursday from a PR agency telling me that they would like to give me a ticket to go watch the one and only Oprah Winfrey Inspire the c#*p out of people that Monday. I literally almost fell off my chair! Phoned my boss to ask for the day off and off Siyaam and I went the Monday to go get our lives changed. And man was I inspired. I choked back a few tears when she walked in from being overwhelmed and then choked back a few more while she spoke.

10) Island ending - We ended our year off by going to Cedric's family in Mauritius for Christmas and New Year. And I entered the New Year with my best friend and her husband. This holiday she experienced my horrible side (so so so sorry). And even though I had my moods we still had a wonderful holiday. Even with ups and downs comes good times. Memories that will last forever. What a way to end 2013 and welcome 2014!

I just want to say thank you so much to all the people that made 2013 a big success. We had our ups and downs but we definitely came out stronger and better. Boo boo, without you 2013 would have been a tough one, so thank you for sticking it out and still being there! My family and friends, I know I'm not always the easiest person to get along with but thank you for not giving up on me! I love you guys and will treasure each and every one of you forever!

Here's to 2014! We can only go up from here!

Moving in the right direction...

Hello Journeyers!
As all of you know I have been mentioning that things will be changing quite a bit around here.
When looking back last year I realised that I have completely lost track of where and what I want my blog to be. The whole reason I started a blog was to share with everyone all the fun and exciting places we go see and visit. In other words I wanted this to be more of a Travel / Adventure blog. Why? Well my passion is travelling. And there are so many beautiful places out there, local and international, and I want to share it with the world.

So, as from February 2014, you will see less beauty, no fashion and more Travel / Adventure posts.
I will have weekly "Travel Facts Tuesdays" and "Affordable Fridays" posts and a monthly Guest Travel Post from either a blogger / friend / family member / acquaintance sharing their loves and tips on their favourite Travel / Holiday destination.
But don't get discouraged, I am at the end of the day still a woman, and I do still love dressing up and making myself pretty, whether at home or in the bush. That's why I will still be sharing my Must Travel With Beauty Products. Products that make your life easier but still give you that glow.

I truly hope that I will still have all my current loyal followers support and that by sticking to a certain direction I will also gain a few thousand more followers!

It's going to be tough and I am already nervous about this change! But they say change is as good as a holiday. And I need one. So wish me luck! And thank you for sticking around!

Local Travel – How to plan your weekend away

Happy New Year Journeyers!
WOW welcome 2014! I cannot believe we are already in a new year. I had a wonderful holiday and I cannot wait to share it with all of you!
As all of you know I mentioned that I am planning on changing the content of my blog a bit in this year. The sooner the better. I hope to introduce it to all of you in next month. Fingers crossed.

But for today I have a Post from Jane Klue, and she is giving all of you a bit of tips on how to plan a nice stress free weekend away. Enjoy it....

A breakaway can do wonders for the soul. In the fast paced world that we live in, the week’s work can often leave one mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. As they say, ‘change is as good as a holiday’, and a change in setting, even if only for a short period of time, may be just what the doctor ordered to recover from work and life’s stresses.

Whether planned or impromptu, when going away for a weekend, with all the help available online from the digital realm that we live in; most of the planning involved can be taken care of with the click of a button.

When planning a weekend away, it may be helpful to have a checklist that you are working through as you go along:

Where to go? 

Where you’re based will have much to do with this decision as you may not wish to spend hours on the road to your weekend away destination. If you’re based in Cape Town, the Garden Route is always a winning choice, it’s a scenic route regardless the season and if you travel by car, there is much to take in visually speaking.

Fear not Gauteng folk we have suggestions for you too. If you need a quick break, with Sun City a mere estimated two hours and 30 minutes away, the ‘City of Gold’ awaits you. The Sun International Resort boasts amazing accommodation and leisurely activities. A change of scenery is definitely on the cards should you decide to visit. If you've been there before and want to try something different why not venture out to Magaliesburg. This little getaway spot has a number of things to do and places to frequent, not forgetting the wide variety of accommodation and fine dining options to choose from.

Where to stay? 

• Adventurers

You may be brave enough to venture into a camping site. This is something you would usually consider when travelling in groups and hiking and biking are on your itinerary. Research on the type of camp site suitable to your needs, may be very useful. In turn you would need to ensure that you’re educated on all the rules and regulations for the camp site, to avoid any unexpected calls from law enforcement. Lastly there are a number of useful sources which will advise you on how to choose the perfect stretch of land to pitch your tent on.

• Catering/Self-catering accommodation

Depending on the amount of money you have available to spend on this, you should always check when booking accommodation as to whether it is catering or self-catering. You might find an amazing place to rent for the weekend and wonder about the relatively inexpensive cost. This may have something to do with your accommodation being self-catering, which would mean that you would need to supply and make your own food.

How are you getting there?

The way I see it… you have two options to choose from. You could take your own car and if that’s the case please be sure to check that everything is in good order with your vehicle. The best precaution may be to have your wheels serviced before taking it on the long road. Ensure that you have a spare tyre as well as jack on hand, just in case. Should you realise that you’re not insured at this point, it would be highly recommended to get the needed car insurance. Check out the coverage options available, and be sure to get suitable cover before any further travel planning.

The second option would be to book a flight to your destination of choice, with a number of domestic flights to choose from, you may decide to travel to Cape Town from Johannesburg, and vice versa. If this is the case and you have funds available to spare, pick up a little convertible at the airport and drive top down with the wind blowing through your hair to your destination. If that does not get you in the spirit of things, then nothing will.

Lock up and Go?

Not so fast… with all this talk of driving top down, you may be ready to lock up and go. Though it may be best to hold your horses for a second; as there are a few additional matters to be taken care of namely:

House & Home 

Be sure, to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your property is safe while you’re away. After all we do live in a country with one of the highest crime rates, hence the need to do all you can to protect your precious belongings.

Ensure that you have adequate household insurance as well as security cover in place and, if possible, get a reliable house sitter to hold the fort whilst you’re away.

Do you have any pets? If so, do ensure that they’re well taken care of if you can’t take them with you. Arrange for someone to either take care of them, or have a reliable person check in at your home, to ensure that they are well fed and hydrated. Some holiday sites are pet friendly, do look out for these.

Now that you have the necessities taken care of, envision the road ahead, while you do your last minute packing and get ready to unwind and enjoy a well-deserved break.

Written and edited by - Jane Klue

All images thanks to Google

And with this I hope you all start planning a weekend away, we did and we are on our way after work today. I cannot wait. And yes we do like our house, we just missed the bush! :)

Please share all your holiday shenanigans with me! I cannot wait to hear what you guys were up too!