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Hi everyone I thought I would share program details of the Pick n Pay Young Oyster Festival 2013, which is happening in Knysna from the 28th June – 6th July. This is especially for those of you who are planning to spend the June/July holidays in the area, with your kiddies! Please click the link below to take you to the full program:
Last Saturday I was invited to attend a Mom’s Morning hosted by Just Engage, at the stunning Banksia Boutique Hotel and Spa, in Cape Town.
Just Engage is an online but interactive antenatal course, created to assist those who are preparing to become parents. The amazing thing about the course is that it does not matter where you are located, whether it is Cape Town, Gauteng or Durban or some tiny village or town in between, you can have access to one of the most comprehensive courses this country has to offer.
Upon arrival at Banksia Hotel, each mom or mom to be received a wonderful goodie bag, filled with an array of products, vouchers and information leaflets. We were then given the opportunity to mingle and explore the beautiful Banksia Hotel – what a stunning location! A variety of yummy eats and gorgeous teas, were elegantly displayed and begging to be sampled 🙂 who could resist!
Sharon, the founder of Just Engage then invited us to take our seats and gave us a brief run down of the mornings events. She then introduced the guest speaker for the morning, Dr. Bavi Vythilingum, who is a mom, as well as a qualified Psychiatrist in private practice and an honorary senior lecturer at UCT. She previously held the position of the head of the Woman’s Mental Health Unit at UCT. Her clinical research interests are in the field of Women’s Mental Health.
Dr. Bavi Vythilingum’s talk focused on a mothers well-being post birth, high-lighting the very real issues surrounding Postnatal Depression(PND) and dealing with motherhood as a new mom. PND is something that can affect anyone after birth and the most important thing is to seek help! The amazing thing is, despite all her accreditation’s, even Dr.Vythilingum, was not immune to suffering from PND, once again illustrating that it can happen to anyone. As a mom you slowly realise, as you get older and wiser that “good enough” is often more than enough, so remember to not be so hard on yourself and simply enjoy the journey because no one is perfect!
Thank you to Sharon and the Just Engage team for a wonderful morning and spoiling us with wonderful prizes! I received a stunning baby bag from Living and Loving, which I will definitely be passing on to a new mommy 🙂
Just Engage is offering 10 Expectant Mommy readers a chance to receive 50% Discount off an antenatal course before August 2013. All you need to do is leave a comment below this post with your details and a contact email address and the first 10 readers to do so will receive an email with the code to secure your 50% Discount from Just Engage.
If you would like to find out more about Just Engage and the courses they offer please pop over to their website by clicking here. If you would like to keep up to date with future event dates you can also follow them on Facebook.
As you know Knysna is one of my favourite places to visit in the Cape, so I thought I would let you know about the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival 2013, which is happening soon!
The Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, between 28 June and 7 July this year! With more than 100 events on the programme, there will be fun for everyone.
“Knysna has long been regarded as the pearl of the Garden Route,” said Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau-Schmidt. “And with pearls being the traditional gift for 30th anniversaries, the 2013 Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is sure to shine as it presents attendees with a wide array of activities and events.”
“On the menu is a smorgasbord of events to thrill and delight the most discerning of gourmands, wine aficionados and those who appreciate the finer things in life, such as the Admiral’s Ball with the SA Navy Dance Band – the perfect opportunity to display your own pearls and dance the night away. The Festival enjoys a wonderful relationship with the South African Navy, who are attending once again and, along with the Admiral’s Ball, the Navy Band performance is not only an event not to be missed, but the perfect grand finale to the Festival.”
“Showcasing over 40 top South African wine producers as well as bubbly from the Cap Classique Association, the Knysna Wine Festival & Night Food Market invites you to meet local winemakers, taste their current releases and learn more about the latest trends in wine making,” said Nicci. “And it only makes sense to pair this extremely popular event with the Night Food Market which is sure to offer tasty titbits to enjoy – and line the stomach!”
“The Pick n Pay Flavours of Knysna challenges restaurants in and around Knysna to compete in a variety of categories for recognition by judges and the public,” Nicci continued. “The event allows them to showcase their talents in what promises to be an evening of culinary delights and gastronomic greatness.”
“Various restaurants will also be identified as Oyster Hotspots. Here you will be able to sample oysters a la natural, as well as oysters cooked according to the restaurant’s own original recipes.”
“And of course we cannot forget about the oyster shucking and eating competitions. Regularly drawing record amounts of participants and spectators, these events are known for their fun factor. On 3 June 2012 Sonya Thomas, also known as ‘The Black Widow’ of competitive eating, ate 47 dozen – 564 in total – oysters in 8 minutes!” Nicci exclaimed. “This record was set in New Orleans, but I can’t help but wonder if we’ll find someone who can better that attempt at this year’s Festival…”
“So train your taste buds and stock up on the milk thistle,” she urged. “This year promises to not only satisfy your taste buds, but to astound them.”
“28 June to 7 July is sure to be the best 10 days of your winter,” Nicci concluded. “Especially if you spend them in Knysna at the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival, South Africa’s largest lifestyle, sporting and family event. With over 100 sporting, lifestyle, foodie and kiddie events on offer – each of which benefits local communities and charities, the festival truly offers something for everyone. All you have to do is arrive – we’ll take care of the rest.”
Please visit the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival website for regular updates to the programme and more details on the event, or contact Knysna Tourism on 044 382 5510 for more information.
Top Image Source: Knysna.org
Last week I attended an event at Groot Constantia Wine Farm. You may recall posts I have written about Groot Constantia in the past. The stunning vineyards, amazing wine and historical buildings are what the farm is renowned for. [Read more…]
Today I am bringing you news about a fun new festival, happening in Cape Town, it is something exciting for families and friends alike! It is the first ever FamFest, which takes place in Constantia, on Saturday April 27 2013. You can expect the beautiful sounds of a music festival and the wonderful goods of a market, with the added spectacle of a circus and you are still only half way there.
Director and Co-founder of 4Leaf Agency Frankie Hannigan, a father of three young boys, imagined FamFest into existence with children at the forefront and the festival prides itself on being 100% child-friendly.
Taking place on the Claremont Cricket Club fields in Constantia (next to Virgin Active Gym), the festival gates open at 10 am and close at 9pm, after the screening of a family-movie at an outdoor-cinema.
FamFest has four zones – a Kids Zone, a Teen Park, a Chill Out Area and the Main Stage – which flow seamlessly into each other. The Kids Zone, staffed by child minders, offers fun activities and entertainment for younger children. The Teen Park will include an acrobatic show, break dance demos and lessons, gladiator jousting, a mechanical rodeo bull, bouncy horse racing, Foosball and Air Hockey tables. There will also be a partly shaded Chill Out Area where families can relax and re-energise.
K, Ray and the Bird and the Rob Thompson Trio are two of the confirmed bands to light up the Main Stage – suitable for adults, this zone includes fully stocked bars with a great selection of wines.
The drink stalls are geared towards the youngsters including a selection of juice stalls, ice tea providers and slush puppy machines. Keeping food options simple, FamFest offers good old-fashioned, hearty selections to keep both young and old going.
Health, Safety and Security are paramount and every child is given a wristband on entry, with parents/guardians asked to write their telephone numbers on the wristbands. There is a clearly visible meeting point, with announcements made throughout the day to ensure smooth operations. There is also on-site medic.
We are very excited to be giving away a “Family Pack” of tickets to FamFest, to one lucky reader, which includes 2 x Adult Tickets (Including a cinema ticket) and 2 x Under 18’s Tickets (Including cinema tickets).*
To win these tickets please pop over to our Facebook Page and post: “Win FamFest Tickets from @4LeafAgency and @Supermomblog” – remember to tag yourself so that we can contact you if win! Or if you are not on Facebook the tweet: “Win FamFest Tickets from @4Leafagency and @supermomsablog” The winner will be announced next week Thursday.
Tickets are also available from Quicket, however there will be limited tickets at the gate on the day. Tickets for the Open Air Cinema Screening can be purchased separately to the festival ticket or as a package.
Visit the FamFest website for more information. Alternatively contact 4Leaf Agency on (021) 462 1529.
*Disclaimer: Anyone may enter to win the FamFest tickets but please be aware that the event is taking place in Cape Town, therefore the winner will need to be in Cape Town at the time of the event. Super Mom Lifestyle or 4Leaf Agency are in no way responsible for transport to or from the event.
