Lifestyle - Inspired Living SA

Tidy & Co

We all lead such busy lives and time is so precious! As you know I love shopping, as much for myself, as I do buying gifts for others! I find that I often do not have the time, to wonder around the shops for hours during the day, hunting for the perfect gift, which is why I love online shopping so much! You can browse hundreds of gift options, at your leisure and in the comfort of your own home.

I was recently introduced to a new online gift emporium, Tidy & Co, which I thought I would share with you! Tidy & Co. is passionate about making meaningful gift-giving simple and effortless. One of the websites unique offerings is a Gift Finder. All you need to do is answer a few quick questions about the person you’re buying for and voila, Tidy & Co. will suggest a selection of potential gift options. This means a beautiful, thoughtful gift can be purchased, without all the hassle and fuss or having to wonder around a mall for hours!

The brains and passion behind this new local undertaking are, Long-time friends, Nicole Chowles and Georgia Goedhals.

We support real moments in real relationships and aim to do that by helping people find gifts that will be meaningful, appreciated and actually used. We want the person who buys the gifts to get brownie points, get a promotion or get special treatment! ~ Nicole.

You can forget run-of-the-mill, cliché gifts, instead, expect the most beautiful, hand selected products. Tidy & Co has something for everyone, from homeware, books, experiences, jewellery and fabulous pamper products, to something a little more risqué.

Once you have selected your amazing gift, as if by magic, Tidy & Co will deliver a beautifully wrapped parcel, to its lucky recipient or you, no reason you cannot spoil yourself. They deliver anywhere in South Africa and as an added service, also offer optional gift wrapping.

If there is anyone who deserves an especially special gift, then it’s Mom, the person who does so much for you and loves you unconditionally!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, why not treat the special lady in your life, to a gift that she will truly LOVE. To find your perfect gift this Mother’s Day or for any other special occasion, pop over and visit the Tidy & Co. Website and be sure to follow them on Twitter, for neat gift tips and Tidy news.

Disclosure Ranking: 3

Exploring the Cape, Lifestyle, Wine Farms

Beau Joubert Wine Estate

I was recently invited to spend a Stomp and Sip Day at Beau Joubert Wine Estate, in Stellenbosch, Cape Town. We were advised to bring our swimming gear along – as we would be “swimming” in grapes! I must admit I was a tad nervous of what we actually be doing but we were promised a fun day in the vineyards!

First a bit of history:

Beau Joubert wine farm, in the renowned Stellenbosch Wine Region, dates back to 1695. Governor Simon van der Stel originally granted the land then known as Veelverjaagt, to Coenraed Visser. A century later, in 1795, the farm was bought by a French Huguenot descendant, Dirk Daniel Joubert, who divided it between his two sons. One of them retained the Veelverjaagt name while the other named his portion La Provence, to honour the birthplace of his forefathers. Five Joubert generations have since placed their unique stamp on this mountainous 80-hectare estate.

An exciting new era dawned at the turn of the millennium when a group of families from Wisconsin, USA fell in love with the grandeur of the Cape.This led to a vibrant American-South African joint venture and a change of name for the farm. The name BEAU JOUBERT combines the French for ‘beautiful’ with the name of the family who originally put the farm on the wine map. Adding to the sense of history is the fact that the dwellings built in the 1700s as well the splendid historic manor house built in the late 18th century still grace the estate.

Stomp and Sip Day:

The day began with grape picking, which we actually missed as we arrived a bit late but we did get to see the grapes being loaded up and transported back to the cellar for sorting.

After grape picking we wandered back down to the cellar to get ready and change into our swimwear, for some grape stomping! As we were advised not to take any cameras or cell phones near the grape tanks, will have to take my word on this one! You could choose from three levels of submergence – being a complete scaredy cat, I opted for the 1st tank, which on reached waist height! There was quite a bit of hysteria and grape throwing which ensued, it was as promised lots of fun and definitely a memorable experience!

Once we had rinsed off and removed grapes from places they should not be, we were treated to a tasting of the first ever bubbly produced by Beau Joubert. The bubbly is still in its infancy stage and is yet to be named. I was rather impressed with the flavour of the bubbly, even in its young state and cannot wait to taste it, once it has been released to the public.

After tasting a few more young wines we were treated to a lovely alfresco lunch.

During lunch we had the opportunity to taste a few of the estates red wines – the highlight for me was definitely the Beau Joubert Shiraz. I liked it so much, I bought a few bottles to take home 🙂

A wonderful day was rounded off with a delicious apple desert and cream, paired with the Beau Joubert Fat Pig Port.

Thank you to Beau Joubert for an awesome experience! What a lovely day, spent with great people, in an stunning setting, eating and drinking delicious wine!

For more information on the farm and their wines please visit the Beau Joubert Website.

Cape Town Lifestyle, Events, Lifestyle, Out & About, Wine Farms

Elgin Cool Wine and Country Festival 2014

The annual Elgin Cool Wine and Country Festival returns to Cape Town on Saturday 3 May 2014. Wine estates of the Elgin Valley will be open for wine tastings throughout the day and will offer mouth-watering luncheons and top class entertainment.

The festival, sponsored by Nedbank and Orchard Suppliers, offers wine enthusiasts and leisure seekers the chance to enjoy the beauty of the Elgin Valley while discovering a vast variety of fine wines from the unique wine route, which lies just an hour outside of Cape Town. Festival goers can look forward to a day filled with fine wines, good food and plenty of entertainment for all ages.

The Elgin Cool Wine & Country Festival is divided into three sections- morning, lunch and afternoon -starting from 09h30 and coming to an end at17h00. Each estate offers not just the chance to experience the wines produced, but also the rich culture and heritage that is part and parcel of the Elgin Wine Route.

The morning session: From 09h30 – 11h30and will see all the estates participating in the festival open for tasting. Visitors are welcome to move freely from one estate to the next.

The Lunch Session: From 11h30 – 14h30. This session consists of each estate offering a unique lunch experience, highlighting their estate and wine selection. Visitors select the lunch destination and offering they like and book accordingly. Bookings are essential via the Elgin Valley Wine Guild Website. Space is limited per estate and prices will vary per estate offering.

Afternoon session: From 14h30 – 17h00: All participating estates are open for wine tastings. Visitors are welcome to move freely between estates.

What to expect:
As well as amazing wine and food, different kinds of entertainment will be on offer at each participating winery during the day to appeal to all ages, ranging from live bands to amazing art collections, tractor rides and kiddies playgrounds. During the pre-booked lunch session, visitors can choose from a number of estates to enjoy their world-class dining experience, explore the estate grounds and meet the renowned wine maker or estate owner.

For wine lovers and those in need of a rewarding day out, the Elgin Cool Wine and Country Festival offers the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and indulge in a memorable day of wine, entertainment and spectacular natural beauty. Day passes can be purchased at any participating wine farm on the day of the festival for just R50 per pass; however lunch sessions must be pre-booked in advance. Please note that the festival promotes designated drives and the responsible use of alcohol.

Times:
• Morning:09h30 to 11h30 (open format)
• Lunch:11h30 to 14h30 (bookings required for lunch)
• Afternoon:14h30 to 17h00 (open format)

Please visit the Elgin Wine Guild Website for more details hope to see you there!

Disclosure Ranking: 1

Cape Town Lifestyle, Competitions, Events, Lifestyle, Out & About

Win Tickets to The Women’s Lifestyle Expo

This Competition Has Ended

As a modern woman and a full-time mom, there is often very little time, to spend on celebrating simply being a women! That is why I am particularly excited about The Women’s Lifestyle Expo, which is taking place from 18th – 20th April 2014. The expo will be held at The Lookout, the V&A Waterfront’s hot new outside entertainment/function venue.

You will be able to enjoy anti-ageing and pampering treatments, shopping, beauty, health, nutrition and other spoils – all under one roof. This is a not-to-be-missed, luxury lifestyle event, where every aspect of the super mom, career girl, domestic goddess, and fashionista in you, can be validated and celebrated. So take some time out from your hectic life and join the girls for a glass of bubbly and oysters.

There will be over 100 curated exhibitors, at the expo, showcasing the latest products and services in fashion, beauty, wellness and business. Companies and brands exhibiting, include: Rhebokskloof, who will be sponsoring the champagne and oyster bar, Rubybox, Jo Carlin, Lisa King, Poppy Divine, Adventure Bootcamp, Tim Noakes and Larry Soffer – to name but a few.

I know I am excited about attending the expo and cannot wait to take time out and celebrate my inner goddess!

Well readers, I have some exciting news! We are giving away two sets of double tickets, for you and a friend to attend The Women’s Lifestyle Expo!

To enter:

Tweet this sentence ~ ” @Inspired_lifeSA & @WomensExpoSA the thing I love most about being a woman is……{your answer here} #WLE2014 ”

Please remember to follow @WomensExpoSA and @inspired_lifeSA on Twiter – to ensure you find out if you are a lucky winner!

To find out more event details visit the Women’s Lifestyle Expo Website or to book tickets, pop over to Web Tickets. Standard event tickets R90 – R120 or a VIP Weekend Pass R350.

*Terms & Conditions:

Entries are open from 7th April 2014 until midnight on the 13th April 2014, winners will be announced on Twitter on 14th April 2014.
Enter as per the instructions above.
Please remember to leave a comment below telling me that you have completed the above and what your Twitter handle is.
To ensure that your entry in processed correctly (please use a valid email address). Your details will only be used to validate your entry and inform you, if you are selected as a winner.
Prizes may not be exchanged for cash.
This competition is open to South African residents only.The Women’s Lifestyle Expo is being held in Cape Town, so the winner will need to be in Cape Town to claim their prize. This prize does not include any travel costs, if the winner is not from Cape Town, they will have to travel at their own expense.

Events, Lifestyle, On-line Shopping, Out & About

Miles For Style

You may have seen a few Tweets about a recent event I attended hosted by Miles for Style, at L’Avenir Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. I thought I would share a bit about the event and what Miles for Style actually is.

Miles for Style is an South African, online shop, where you can earn SAA Voyager Miles when you spend, or if you are not a Voyager member, you can simply buy premium products. They offer an extensive variety of exclusive brands and quality offerings, such as wine, fashion and travel.

As part of a media initiative, we were invited to L’Avenir Wine Estate to find out more about Miles for Style{MFS} and about their brand offering.

Upon arrival at L’Avenir Wine Estate, we were greeted with a glass of L’Avenir’s Brut Rose and berries – much to my delight, as you may have guessed I love bubbly! We then had some time to mingle and have a look around the estate before we were asked to take a seat in the Alfresco Tasting Area.

Displays were set up around the main table to exhibit offerings from both MFS current and future partners. On show were detailed ceramics from Urchin Art, fashionable handbags from Red Oker, Blackcherry and Sakuma Africa as well as designer fashion pieces from Anna Moss.

To start proceedings, Melissa Delport, MFS Operations Manager, gave us a brief introduction to MFS and explained the driving force behind the event. Following which MFS Director, Sonja Delport, accredited the participating affiliates and thanked everyone for attending.

We were then treated to a tour of the L’Avenir Wine Cellar and Country Lodge, after which we enjoyed an array of canapés, pastries and cheese platters. All washed down with a glass or two of L’Avenir’s Chenin Blanc or Pinotage wine.

As with all good things, the event had to come to an end but we were all treated to an amazing goodie bag to take home! It contained a selection of products, which are available (or soon-to-be-available) from the MFS online shop. Along with all the wonderful products we received, were also treated to voucher to use on the MFS website.

Thank you to both Miles for Style and L’Avenir for a great event! If you would like to explore the online offering in more detail please visit the Miles For Style website.

*This Competition Has Ended*

This Competition Has Ended