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You are here: Home / Archives for Mothers

Children, Family, Mothers, Parenting, Reviews and Features

Gembox

 

Today I am introducing you to Gembox by Gemgem. Gembox is a beautiful customised sample box for mom and baby, giving moms access to some of the best of or newly available baby products to trial. The best part is you can try out these products in the comfort of your own home, as Gembox is delivered directly to your door!

Developed with mom’s in mind, each month Gembox curates a themed-box, this month, September, the theme was Pampertime, in addition to your monthly goodies a few luxury pamper products were added to the box! The monthly products selected help address new challenges that mom’s may face and the various developmental stages of their baby.

Gembox source the best possible products available, ranging from independent local manufactures to big brands and products include items that are organic and suitable for sensitive skin.

What can you expect from your monthly Gembox:

  • You will discover 4-5 baby care and mom wellness samples to pamper you and your baby.
  • The personally curated monthly box themes make discovering new products fun.
  • Each month’s selection stays a secret until your box arrives – everybody loves a surprise!

You can subscribe to Gembox on a monthly basis for R99 (including delivery) or buy a three, six or 12-month subscription for at a discounted rate. To find out more about Gembox and how to order click here and you can follow them on Facebook here.

Images: Gembox, Super Mom Blog

If you are interested in your brand or service being feature on Super Mom Blog please email us for a costing and further details.

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Children, Competitions, Family, Mothers

Celebrating Motherhood Giveaway

*ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED*

Image Credit: 1000 Words Photography

Something I am always aware of is just how much time mom’s spend on taking care of their families! Whether it is those early days of pregnancy when you are preparing the nursery and planning your birth or long afternoons spent playing moms-taxi or sewing for the school play – it seems like a never-ending cycle of things to do. So hence my idea to do a mom’s celebration giveaway –  lots of goodies for moms to win and we could not leave the kiddies out, so there are lots of super prizes for them too!

The prizes that have been sponsored are amazing, lots of gorgeous goodies from amazing local brands that we would all love to win, with a total value of well over R4000! Below you can see the array of hampers and prizes you can win:

Shooshoos and jeankelly have sponsored a hamper consisting of a contemporary baby bag valued at R995 and a pair of soft soles shooshoos valued at R100.

Beautiful Earth have sponsored an amazing mom and baby hamper valued at over R500! The hamper consists of Pregnancy Hand & Body wash, Pregnancy Body lotion, Toddler Bubble Fun, Toddler Monster Spray, Toddler Breathe easy chest rub, Baby Barrier cream, Baby Bath & massage oil.

Hello Nunu have very kindly sponsored two of their adorable hand-made items; a cute Beanie, valued at  R160 and a Hoodie, valued at R280.

Coco li have sponsored a hamper consisting of three of their awesome Vanilla Body Care products – Baths Salts, Body Scrub and Body Butter and a super cute kiddies cook book by the wonderful Tina Bester, valued a R500.

Buchulife have sponsored a hamper jammed with goodies from their varies ranges and it even includes a few treats for your furry little friend as well! The hamper is valued at over R800.

We also have a wonderful baby box from Petitebox to giveaway filled with samples from amazing brands, for you and your precious bundle to try out!

Krayons have sponsored 5 of their very handy Trunki Travel Toybox’s, filled with the wonderful Krayons products you see in the image above and a cuddly teddy bear.

M.O.M. Diary have also sponsored a 2013 diary to help keep one lucky mom super organised next year!

There will also be a few extra mystery prizes that I will be sponsoring myself so get entering because this is a competition you do not want to miss out on! I have included links to all the sponsors websites so that you can find out more about them and the other wonderful products they sell.

What do you need to do to enter:~

  • Use the Rafflecopter entry form to enter – it is so easy simply click on the various links and the form does the rest.
  • Like Super Mom Blog’s Facebook Page.{On the Rafflecopter form below}
  • Like the Sponsors Facebook Pages.{On the Rafflecopter form below}
  • Once you have completed all of the above steps leave a comment on this blog, below the post, stating that you have done so and tell me what your most special mommy moment has been.
  • Please tweet about this fab giveaway to let you friends know – Celebrate Motherhood Win Fab Prizes and with @supermomsablog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competition Details: 

  • The Celebrating Motherhood Giveaway giveaway will run from 25th September 2012, until the 10th October 2012. The winners will then be selected via the Raffelcopter form and announced on my blog and on Facebook. The winners will also be notified via email.
  • Entrants need to leave a comment on this blog, below the post, stating that you have completed the above, along with your details in the comment section below this post (please use a valid email address). Your details will be used to validate your entry if you are selected as a winner.
  • Conditions of entry: Anyone may enter this giveaway but please be advised that the various companies sponsoring prizes are based in South Africa and therefore prizes will only be shipped within South Africa. The prizes may not be exchanged for cash. 
Image Credit: Header Image(Mom & Baby) 1000 Words Photography
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Children, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Parenting, Parenting Advice

Guilt Free Parenting

 

Much to my surprise the word “guilt” seems to be largely associated with the act of parenting; I have come across a few articles recently about this very association. Strangely enough they actually should have nothing in common but still we keep hearing about how guilty parents feel about : “ not spending enough quality time with their children”, “not participating in school events or functions”, “not giving equal attention to each child”… and so the list goes on.

Firstly let us look at the dictionary definition of the word “guilt” – “an awareness of having done wrong or committed a crime, accompanied by feelings of shame and regret”.  “OMW” 🙁 this does not sound like a healthy mind-set for someone trying to parent children.

The big question is, why are we feeling so much guilt and are we passing the “Guilt Gene” onto our children? I sincerely hope not because the last thing I want is my children growing up, with such a negative outlook.

If I think back to my early days of motherhood, I can remember feeling completely overwhelmed by the responsibility I had for this young life – if you let it, this can turn into feelings of guilt, inadequacy and even depression. We might not realise it but we may harbour feelings of regret or guilt from our own childhood and this can often manifest, in a damaging way in our own parenting.

Just the other day my 8-year-old was questioning why I had not completed filling in her baby journal and yes this is true (*Blush*) but I decided that instead of feeling guilty about it I would suggest that we complete it together! The result – making the experience a positive and bonding one, instead of me feeling wracked with guilt and explaining that I am not perfect . {And honestly have just not had the time.}

So what can we do to stop this pattern from occurring in our lives? I think, essentially we need to say NO to guilt! This brings me back to an article I read many years ago. I cannot tell you who wrote it but the essence is: you need to practice “good enough parenting”. This sounds like such an easy concept but think about it – you actually need to learn how to say “no”. That means not over committing yourself – which can be hard for many of us to do, especially moms. Stop being a people pleaser – ask me, I know I am one; stop trying to be everything to everybody! This includes your children. I need to remind myself, that I do not always have to give in to everything they want and I need to say no sometimes and yes – not feel guilty about it.

Another very important part of not allowing guilt to rule your life is not being afraid to fail because if we let our fear of not being a good parent or making mistakes take over, we can never be who we were truly intended to be as people or parents! So it really comes down to “the good, the bad and the ugly” no holds barred Guilt Free Parenting.

This clearly is something I know I need to work on – so let’s say it together “I will banish the guilt!” Stop trying so hard and being so hard on yourself -stop the blame game – let it go and just be free from it!

A few books on the topic which could be helpful to read:
  • “Guilt-Free Motherhood: Parenting with Godly Wisdom”- by Julianna Slattery
  • “Mommy Guilt: Learn to Worry Less, Focus on What Matters Most, & Raise Happier Kids”- by Julie Bort, Aviva Pflock and Devra Renner MSW
  • “The Balanced Mom: Raising Your Kids Without Losing Yourself”- by Bria Simpson
  • “Motherhood Without Guilt: Being The Best Mother You Can Be and Feeling Great About It”-by Debra Rosenberg

*Please note: This is an update of a previous post.*

 

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Children, Competitions, Family, Fashion, Kids Fashion, Mothers

Shooshoos & Jeankelly Giveaway

*ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED*

Shooshoos are made from only the best quality eco-friendly leather and have the lightest, most flexible, non-slip soles, on the market. The wide opening and toe box accommodate even the chubbiest little feet. The velcro fastening range allows you to adjust the fit and makes for easy on and off. They are available in 4 sizes from 0/6 months to 24 months.The unique construction ensures that your child’s feet are protected while still allowing their little feet to develop naturally. Shooshoos also have a toddler range, Smiley Shoes, which are available in UK sizes 4 – 7.

The Jeankelly range is something for mom! The range features gorgeous leather baby bags, leather envelopes and other accessories, all designed with mom in mind.

Founded in 1996 to make the best leather baby shoes available, shooshoos is a family run business based in Cape Town.

I have very fond memories of shooshoos from when my daughters were little and I am super excited to announce that we are giving away the items shown above to one lucky reader. They will win a pair of soft sole shooshoos, a pair of smiley shooshoos (rubber sole), a jeankelly blanket and leather envelope wallet with a retail value of over R600.

So what are you waiting for get clicking and enter our Giveaway now! All you need to do is Show some love on Facebook.

Good luck & thank you for entering!

Competition Details:

  • The giveaway will run from 25th July 2012, until the 1st August 2012. The winner will then be randomly selected and announced on my blog on the 2nd August 2012  . The winner will also be notified via email that they have won.
  • The winner will receive a pair of soft sole shooshoos, a pair of smiley shooshoos (rubber sole), a jeankelly blanket and leather envelope wallet with a retail value of over R600.
  • Please leave a comment on this blog, below the post, stating that you have completed the above; along with your details in the comment section below this post (please include your email address). If you do not complete this step your entry will not be valid.
  • Conditions of entry: Anyone may enter this giveaway but please advised that Shooshoos is based in South Africa and the prize will only be shipped within South Africa. The prize may not be exchanged for cash. 

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Be Inspired, Family, Mothers, My Top, Parenting, Parenting Advice, Pregnancy

My Top 4 Pregnancy Tips

Although pregnancy may be a bit of a distant memory for me now, I thought I would share My Top 4 Pregnancy Tips with you!

  • Read, read, read – be informed, as ‘they’ say knowledge is power. So read all the books you can get your hands on, find out all you need to know to make the correct pregnancy and birth choices, for you. {You can have an information overload at times and it may scare you initially but it is worth it in the long run, to know what to expect!}
baby-books2
  • Ask questions, especially of moms that have been through it all already, most will be more than happy to share their experiences; you may just need to sift through some drama to get to the reality sometimes! Join an antenatal class, it’s a great place to meet other parents and discuss any of your fears or concerns.
  • Look after yourself – you are as important as your baby! Take time out for yourself, take your prenatal vitamins, rest, try to eat a healthy well-balanced diet {although sometimes the cravings will get the better of you!}, listen to your doctor he{or she} is usually right!
scan
  • Remember to enjoy every minute of your experience as a mom-to-be, talk to your unborn baby, play music for him/her, take time out to plan the nursery, enjoy shopping for those first precious little outfits – in other words remember to have some fun!
Recommended resources, books and magazines on pregnancy and parenting:
Your Parenting Website & magazine publications – they deal with all aspects of pregnancy and parenting.
Baby Sense Website & books – I read the original book and found it very helpful.
Living and Loving Website and magazine – I used to read the mag from cover to cover!
Parent Hub Website – lots of great, useful information for parents.
“Birth Your Way” & “The New Pregnancy and Childbirth” books by Sheila Kitzinger.
Images: ©FAR Photography
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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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