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You are here: Home / Archives for Guest Post

Africa, Travel

How to Choose an Airline for South African Travel

South African Travel

Guest Post by Kostas Chiotis from Domestic Flights South Africa

Tourists travelling from abroad, may have certain doubts when selecting an airline for South African Travel. The good news is, that there are some excellent airlines operating within South Africa. You might have heard of some of the following companies, while others may be completely new to you. [Read more…]

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Be Inspired, Children, Family, Gift Guide, Guest Posts

Top Gift Choices for Little Girls

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In my opinion little girls are the easiest to buy for but then I don’t think I ever fully lost my inner child. I know there are others that will disagree with me and say it’s easier to buy for boys. Either way, today’s topic is all about young girls and what they like. I’ve done my research and found out what the latest crazes are in this category and I am ready to share with you. Hopefully this will be of help to you for an approaching birthday gift for that precious little blossom of femininity!

  • Fairies – It seems that anything fairy is the rage. There are fairy dolls, fairy houses, stuffed fairies, fairy figurines, fairy costumes, fairy jewelry boxes, fairy books, fairy gardens, fairy castles, and even fairy terrariums! In the past few years the Tinker Bell movies have been coming out one right after the other which I suppose is why little girls love fairies so much. If you have ever seen one of those movies you can see why it’s appealing, it’s such a magical world with bright colors and sweet music.
  • Weaving Looms – I’m so glad to see that the weaving looms are still around. The potholder weaving loom was one of my favorites as a child because it was so easy to use and I felt like I was making something great for mom to use in the kitchen! They have many different kinds of looms made for children, a couple which are easy for a six-year-old. I ran across one for this age group that can make scarves, purses, and handbags. Little girls love to create and this would be a great gift.
  • Shrinky Dinks – I love Shrinky Dinks! What fun it is to design your own jewelry and accessories and then bake them and watch them shrink in the oven! Of course mom and dad will have to be on hand when the baking is done but this is something that is fun for some of us older folks too. I’ve even seen adults making creative tags and other items from Shrinky Dinks. I read where one mother helped her daughter in making friendship necklaces as Christmas gifts for her friends. Great idea!

 

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  • Stickers – Stickers and sticker books are always popular. I ran across one sticker set that was a mosaic. Similar to the paint by number paintings this one had you matching up the sticker to the appropriate number on the picture to create the final creation. There are many different sizes and shapes of stickers and books.
  • Hidden Picture Books – I remember with my children these were always a hit. We would get a new book and see who the first person was to find the hidden pictures. I always loved it because as they start to grow up it gets harder to get them to sit quietly with you and share. My kids loved the Where’s Waldo books, the I Spy, and the Highlight’s Magazine.
  • School Sets – Little girls love to play school and they have sets out there just to do that! This set will make her feel like a proper teacher. The sets have grade books, stickers, a clock, a bell, hall passes, a hand pointer, dry-erase board, calendars, maps, crayons, and more. All she will need is the students! I have a cousin with a young girl and she tells me that often times the family dog is her student!

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  • Bead Kits – There are some wonderful bead kits for girls. They can make bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and you name it. The kits come with everything you need to get started and keep you busy for hours. Girls love to create, especially things they can wear or give away to friends.
  • Art Sets – The portable drawing sets that you can take with you on the road or to grandma’s house are a good idea for a child that loves to draw. Many sets come with the paper, colored pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, stencils, and more.
  • Barbie Dolls – Always a favorite of girls over the years these dolls are still at the top of most girls lists. These dolls have all the clothes, shoes, and accessories to keep your Barbie in style. Here is an endless gift possibility since they are always coming out with new clothes, cars, houses, and carry cases. You can seldom go wrong with a Barbie.

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  • Dress Up Clothes – I recall my daughter putting on my heels and carrying around one of my purses at this age. Now they have the most adorable dress up clothes for little girls including tutus! They have cases full of clothing if you want to splurge or you can buy it piece by piece. They have fairy wings, magic wands, jewelry, shoes, and of course purses. The princess dresses are very popular as well which topped off with a crown completes the outfit for your little princess!
  • Tea Sets – I do not know of a little girl who has not wanted to sit down and have a proper tea. There are all kinds of tea sets that are just precious. One I ran across in my research was a tea set that came with paints to paint your own tea set. This would be nice for the artsy child. We’ve all seen the pictures of the little girls having tea with her dolls or stuffed animals. This is a sweet gift to give any girl.
  • Stamp Sets – All children love stamps and they have some really great stamp sets that come with multiple stamps, paper, and ink pads. It’s so much fun to decorate letters to family members and notes to friends with a cute stamp. Some of these sets actually come with stationary as well. If you are a grandma or aunt giving this gift you can be sure you will probably get a very sweet letter in return.

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  • Paper Dolls – Or should I say plastic? I loved paper dolls growing up but they were hard to work with sometimes. Now I see that they have plastic clothes that stick to the shiny surfaces of the dolls. These are like the Colorforms we used to play with. They still have the traditional paper dolls as well. There’s something about paper dolls that most young girls love.

These are just a sample of some of the gifts that little girls would like. Don’t forget about jewelry and jewelry boxes, these are always a hit. I spent quite a lot of time last year looking for the perfect jewelry box for my young niece. It came with a key necklace that locked the box so it was her secret treasure. Along these same lines little girls love diaries that lock especially after they learn to write! Some girls like taking pictures and keeping scrap books and there are some great scrap-book sets to be had. Finger nail and toe nail polishing kits are a hit but that’s a gift that needs supervision for sure! Any kind of clay or dough is popular at this age as well as sidewalk chalk to play hopscotch or just create a work of art. Books are always great gifts for any age. Oh, and I recall both my children loving memory games when they were this age. I know you remember these games; it’s where you turn over two cards and try to remember where the matching card is.

I hope this list has been helpful in finding that perfect gift for the little girl in your life. I know it stirred up some wonderful memories from my youth and my children’s. Most of these toys have been around for many years; one’s we have played with and loved. Times change but children stay the same, especially when they are this age.

Author Bio:

Amanda Carlson, a blogger as well as a former newborn care nurse contributed this post. To stay connected to her previous career and share the knowledge she gained, she began writing for Newborn Care. You can reach her at [email protected].

*Images courtesy of Free Digital Photos

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Be Inspired, Beauty, Beauty Products, Guest Posts

Christina Hendricks Reveals her Beauty Secrets

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Since she first graced our screens as the delectable Joan Holloway in the hit US series Mad Men, Christina Hendricks has become a pin-up for men and a beauty and style icon for women. It is not only the way she dresses her gorgeous hourglass figure, which is reportedly all-natural and has not been subject to breast enhancement or any other cosmetic procedure, that makes her look so distinctive and so admired, but also her glowing porcelain skin, effortless style and flaming red hair.

So, how does she do it? In a recent interview with Marie Claire, as well as a quick chat with Elle, Christina revealed her top beauty and style secrets.

  • Homemade Tinted Moisturiser – When asked about her preparations for showing more skin on-screen, Christina revealed that she uses a kind of homemade tinted moisturiser.  She said: “If my legs are showing, the makeup artist adds a tiny amount of foundation to body lotion and rubs it in. Now if I have an event to go to, I’ll buy CoverGirl foundation and mix it in with my lotion.”

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  • Conditioner for Coloured Hair – As the actress is a natural blonde and has been dyeing her hair its distinctive red shade from a young age, she protects it using plenty of conditioner. Christina favours a high quality colour extend conditioner to keep her hair shiny and soft, especially when filming episodes of Mad Men when she has to re-colour regularly to keep the same brightness.

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  •  The classic red lip – Although her on-screen alter ego Joan prefers a coral lip, Christina loves a classic red lip in real life, with her favourite shade being ruby.
  •  Protection for perfect porcelain skin – Christina is almost as well-known for her creamy, ethereal porcelain skin as she is for her red hair and hourglass figure. The actress keeps her skin so youthful and flawless by keeping out of the sun and protecting her face from freckling by applying plenty of Dermalogica sunscreen. Christina also admits to never being without moisturising serum for her dry skin.
  •  Beautiful blush – a beauty bag staple – If she had to offer one beauty secret, Christina says hers would be blush. She says: “If there’s only one thing you wear, make it blush. A little on your cheeks, and you’ll instantly look pretty, lively and fresh. Isn’t that what we all want!

Guest Author: Isabella Franklin find her on Twitter

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Children, Education, Family

World Education Games

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World Education Games – a chance to put SA students on the map

The World Education Games are just around the corner and include a day dedicated to Literacy, Science and Mathematics.

“We are calling on all learners who want to test their spelling, science and maths skills against students from around the world,” says Rob Masefield, Africa CEO for Mathletics.

World Literacy Day will take place on 5 March, World Maths Day on 6 March and World Science Day on 7 March. Both events are online competitions and participation is free. Learners can go to www.worldeducationgames.com to register. One registration allows access to all events. “Entries close on 5 March so don’t miss out on this fun opportunity.”

“Last year five million students from over 200 countries and territories competed. Entrants compete on different levels depending on their varying ability levels. Learners and classes are divided into four age categories: 4 to 7 years, 8 to 10 years, 11 to 13 years, and 14 to 18 years. There are lots of exciting prizes up for grabs including minted gold medals, special awards and certificates for the top performers. Even teachers and parents can take part in an adult category,” explains Masefield.

On World Literacy Day, students progress through five levels of difficulty based upon word complexity and context, earning one point for every correct answer.

World Science Day is slightly different with three levels of difficulty within each challenge. The easier knowledge questions are worth one point, and the harder application and reasoning questions worth two or three points.

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Be Inspired, Children, Education, Family, Guest Posts

Geography Made fun For Kids

It’s often a struggle to convince children that learning can be fun. MapStudio have accepted the challenge and have changed this. With their new range of products they have managed to make learning basic geography easy and fun.

Educational Pack for 9 – 12 year-olds

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Above: The Senior Pack contents on a MapStudio wall map

For children between the ages of 9-12, MapStudio have created an educational pack that includes a pack of cards, displaying interesting information about each of the African countries. What’s even more amazing is that each card also displays each African country’s flag. The pack also includes a 300-piece puzzle of the world and an inflatable globe. This pack allows you to join in on the fun with your kids while they learn about the world.  Geography has never been more fun.

A carabineer compass key ring is included in the pack in case your child enjoys exploring the outdoors – whether it be a forest or just your backyard.

Educational Pack for 6 – 8 year-olds

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Above: Children playing having fun with the Junior Educational Pack

The Junior Pack is for children between the ages of 6-8. It’s never too soon for kids to learn about the world that they live in. An inflatable globe is included in the pack which kids can play with when they aren’t learning.

Also included is pack of Africa playing cards and a 63-piece jigsaw puzzle of Africa – it’s colourful and great for keeping your kids busy.

World Map Poster with Stickers

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Above: 3 sheets of stickers on the colourful

Now getting to know the world can be enjoyable and easy. Unlike any ordinary wall map, this map comes with three sheets of stickers. The stickers are of landmarks, animals and flags around the world. Your kids will love getting to know the world while using these fun stickers.

The map is brightly coloured and easily displays country names, ocean names, mountains, rivers, the equator and tropics. Every child loves stickers, making it a fun and interactive way to learn.

Glow in the Dark World Map

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Above: What the Glow in the Dark World Map looks like in the day and the night

A glow in the dark map? When the lights go out, it doesn’t mean that learning needs to stop. When it’s dark, this map glows and what kid doesn’t love anything that glows in the dark? Now you can teach your kids about the world even at night – the perfect bedtime story.

The map marks major cities, towns, major rivers, major roads, routes and every country’s highest peak.

These packs and maps are amazing. Learning geography has never been more fun and simple –  every parent’s dream! MapStudio have created a way for kids to learn about the world while having a blast and you might even find yourself joining them.

Article Written By Bianca van der Bergh – Drive South Africa

Original source: Drive South Africa

 

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Meet Fiona Rossiter

Hi, I am Fiona Rossiter, from Cape Town, the writer and photographer behind Inspired Living SA Blog. If you love good Food and Wine, reading amazing Travel Adventures, keeping Fit and Healthy, as well following Decor Trends – then Inspired Living SA is just the place for you! Read More…

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