Inspired Living SA - Inspired Living SA

WHY Jewellery Birthday Giveaway

{Entries are Closed}

As you may be aware January is a big birthday month in our house! My eldest daughter and I celebrate our birthdays a mere week apart! We always try to make a big fuss over birthdays – special gifts, cards, balloons, plus a cake and candles{no matter how old you are turning!}. Especially in this case, as it is so soon after Christmas and truth be told, no feels much like celebrating 🙂

One of the things which usually appears at the top of my birthday wishlist is jewellery. It does not have to be over the top expensive but what I love most, is that it is something you can treasure forever! If I am buying jewellery as a gift for someone, I always make the effort, to select something which reminds specifically of the person or has special meaning and to wrap it beautifully! {I am a bit of a sucker for pretty packaging!}

You may remember the new WHY Jewellery range which I featured recently – any item from this stunning range would make the perfect birthday gift. The best thing is there is something in the range to suit everyone’s pocket! The four WHY Jewellery ranges WHY Her, Him, Love or Fun making picking the perfect gift a breeze!

The brand epitomises affordable, top quality, trend setting jewellery. There really is a huge range to choose from and each piece has its own unique sparkle!

To help me celebrate my birthday month the lovely folk over at WHY Jewellery have decided to sponsor a birthday giveaway!

Awesome don’t you agree??!! We are giving away this beautiful Oval Silver Diamond Pendant and Chain, as well as the Oval Silver Diamond Earrings, from the WHY Jewellery Shapes Collection! All you need to do to enter is follow a few simple steps! Firstly please pop over to the WHY Jewellery website, have a browse and let me know which is you favourite range – WHY Her, Him, Love or Fun. {As a bit of extra fun perhaps let us know WHY You}. Then show some love on social media and you could be our lucky winner!

To enter and win this fabulous jewellery set follow the simple steps on the Rafflecopter form below and remember to leave a comment telling me you have entered and you answer to the question above. {Please ensure you read the *Terms & Conditions below carefully, to ensure you comply with all the entry criteria.}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms & Conditions:

Entries are open from 9th January 2015 until the 20th January 2015 the winner will be announced on the 22nd January 2015.
You must complete all the steps as stipulated above: Leave a Comment, Like and/or Share on Facebook and/0r Tweet about the competition.
To ensure that your entry is 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 only open to South African residents and to readers who have not won a competition on Inspired Living SA in the past months.
By “Liking” you enter and agree that this promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook; and acknowledge a complete release of Facebook by your participation.

Location and Contact: Visit the WHY Flagship store and workshop in the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village or in the Alfred Mall at the V&A Waterfront or shop online from the WHY Jewellery Website. Metaxia Sterianos {Head Designer} tel: 021 4257770 or via email: [email protected]

Disclosure Ranking:2

Top Images: 1 Pinterest, 2 Pinterest or Studio DIY

Competitions

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Pass the Parcel

Nescafe Dolce Gusto

{Entries are Closed!}

You all know how much I love coffee and being that “giving” time of the year, I would love to share some festive cheer and coffee love with you! This year Nescafe Dolce Gusto wants to spread the Christmas cheer to existing and new Nescafe Dolce Gusto fans. What better way to do this than by playing a fun game of Pass the Parcel!

Everyone will stand a chance to get in on the Christmas festivities by passing the parcel via an exciting Facebook app. A fun app will see a virtual pass-the-parcel making its way among friends and readers until the very last layer has been unwrapped to potentially reveal one of 50 Nescafe Dolce Gusto’s or accessories. To enter the offical Nescafe Dolce Gusto Pass the Parcel, visit their Facebook App and please ensure you read Nescafe’s Terms and Conditions before entering. Keep reading to find out how you can double your chances of winning with Inspired Living SA!

Nescafé Dolce Gusto have very kindly given Inspired Living a chance to play our own exclusive pass-the-parcel! Follow the simple steps below and you could stand the chance of winning a Nescafe Dolce Gusto! Each day a entry will be selected and that person will “unwrap” a layer of the parcel! The reader who unwraps the final layer, will reveal the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Prize! Exciting – right!!??

To enter please leave a comment telling me that you have completed all the steps on the Rafflecopter entry form below. {Please ensure you read the *Terms & Conditions below carefully, to ensure you comply with all the entry criteria}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms & Conditions:

Entries are open from 10th December 2014 until the last layer is unwrapped.
Enter using the Rafflecopter form, as per the instructions above. You must complete all the steps: Leave a Comment, Like said FaceBook Pages, Tweet about the competition, to validate your entry, failure to do so will declare your entry invalid..
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 only open to South African residents: with the exception of the following people:
1.1. directors, members, partners, promotional and advertising agents, merchandisers, employees or consultants of Nestlé (South Africa) (Pty) Limited and organisers of the Competition.
1.2. people who are not legal residents and/or legal citizens of the Republic of South Africa;
1.3. spouse, life partner, parent, child, brother, sister, business partner or associate of any of the persons specified in 1.1 above; and
1.4. Persons under the age of 18 years.
By “Liking” you enter and agree that this promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook; and acknowledge a complete release of Facebook by your participation.

Disclosure Ranking:2

Be Inspired, Quotes

Inspiration ~ Change

Change

Change is not always an easy thing to go through! We become so comfortable in our existence and change or even the thought of change can be a scary thing! The biggest problem is without change we cannot grow. If you look at the definition of the word change, it means to make or become different. So when we change the course of our life, we allow ourselves to become different, in other words we GROW!

This week we are undertaking a big change and moving home. We are not moving far, in fact staying the same general area but I realised it not the move which scares me but rather the thought of change and uncertainty. Although I am super excited about moving and the prospects it brings with it, I am still nervous about how it will impact our lives.

If you look at some of the lists of stressful life events, many rate moving home to be up there with some of most stressful events, you will experience in your life! I can certainly attest to this! Packing up a home after 8 years is not for the fainthearted – the sheer amount of “stuff” you accumulate is outstanding! I know it is nowhere near as stressful as losing a loved one or going through a divorce but the process of moving, forces you out of your comfort zone. Plus you face having to leave the home, you have made your own and created so many memories in.

Along with all the rather stressful and scary feelings, are the other more positive feelings of expectation and excitement. The feeling of knowing that change, will allow you to grow and evolve as a person, is quite powerful!

Yes I am stressed and nervous about moving but in the same breath, I cannot wait to start this next chapter of our lives! To make many more happy memories in our new house and have fun making it our HOME!

My challenge to you this week is to embrace change rather than running from it! Please share any changes you are going or have gone through recently.

~Have a fabulous week!~

Image source: Pinterest

Be Inspired, Quotes

Inspiration ~ Comparison

Comparison is one of those extremely dangerous things, ask me I know! I very easily find myself looking at others, whether in real life or on the web and comparing myself to them. It could be something as silly as seeing someones great new hair style and wishing that could be me {I really need a haircut!}, forgetting how blessed I am and how full my life is at the moment!

Especially doing what we do, as Bloggers, it is so easy to allow “Comparison to be the thief of joy!” Everything online is instant and in your face, making it so difficult, not to compare yourselves with others. People who we perceive to be more successful, more beautiful, more popular…the list goes on. If we were to just take a step back and think about all we have and how successful we are in our own right, instead of always comparing ourselves, it is indeed possible to find happiness.

I know in my personal journey, I need to keep myself motivated and set myself challenges each week, to keep myself focused and on the right track. The challenge for this week is to not compare myself to others, be happy for others and their successes but most of all realise, that I am where I am meant to be! So I challenge you to do the same – let go of comparison, be who YOU are meant to be and be HAPPY!

#beinspired

Image Source: Pinterest

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Sally & Kim

Blogger Series

Hello lovely readers! I am back in SA after a much anticipated trip to Italy, unfortunately my hubby fell ill in the middle of the trip, hence why I have been MIA for the past week!

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet, not one but two bloggers! Sally and Kim are the creators of The Saltbox, a blog which showcases their passion for home décor and delicious food. Definitely girls after my own heart 🙂

Hi I am Sally – I am 29, live in Joburg, from Durban. Love the beach, eating and travelling. Hi I am Kim – I am 28, live in Durban but have lived in a couple other cities prior to this, including Cape Town, London, Joburg and Zululand (ok, not a city per say). I’m obsessed with food, love a good DIY and entertaining. We met when we were at school together in Durban and lived together in Cape Town, for a few years. We lived in a digs in Newlands, while at UCT, taking advantage of everything that Cape Town had to offer. We both spent time in Joburg and it was during that time that The Saltbox idea was conceived.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? Our journey started somewhere in the middle of 2013 and after about 6 months of talking and planning and writing (and a very steep learning curve), The Saltbox was born in January 2014. What a journey it has been so far! We identified the need for a food and home décor blog in South Africa, most blogs are focused on either food or décor, so we wanted to do something a bit different and offer readers both aspects on one blog. We also both happen to love beautiful places and spaces and great food (and wine!) so a blog seemed like a great platform to collate our passions and share them with the world.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? We both have other occupations / day jobs! Sally: I work on the deal team at a small investment company in Joburg, but don’t feel too sorry for me – I love my job, and work with awesome people. Kim: I am currently in the process of starting up my own business (watch this space!) and doing some consulting work. So The Saltbox remains my “after hours” indulgence and every now and then during the day as well when I give in to the distraction.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? The Saltbox is our home of food and décor, we blog about anything related to food, entertaining and decorating your home – so you can look forward to recipes, DIY projects, restaurant reviews, décor inspiration, food travels, real life before and after projects, gardens, entertaining ideas and so much more. It’s a place where we can share our obsessions because we just can’t fathom people not knowing about that restaurant we visited or the wine we tasted, that really simple dish to make your life easier at your next dinner party or some easy DIY’s to get “that look” for less.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Kim: Those moments when I discover something and I’m bursting to share it. It’s the “you HAVE to try this” kind of moment. I almost get FOMO on other peoples behalf it’s that serious! The Saltbox is an incredible place for me to be able to share this with others and I am really motivated when people tell me that they have enjoyed what they read on the blog or the recipe they tried. It makes it so worth it! Sally: I have always loved writing and since my day job revolves around numbers and spreadsheets and legal documents, I love the opportunity to use the other side of my brain. The Saltbox is a fantastic creative outlet for me, for which I am very grateful. I think the fact that we are working on this together, and that I really don’t want to let Kim down is also hugely motivating. That being said, we are both pretty flexible and can usually step in for the other person if they are too busy or hectic to blog.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Photography! Neither of us have the experience and/or the tools yet to take amazing photos but it is something that we are working on and we even hope to do a photography course one of these days. With cooking often happening ‘after hours’ lighting can pose some challenges so we have to get a little creative sometimes. It is also quite daunting when you see the level of interaction that some other blogs receive and it can get disheartening at times but what’s important is why you do it and not always the number of ‘likes’ you get!
What do you love most about being a blogger? Kim: Being able to share things I have discovered and love with others because I genuinely want them to try it or see it for themselves. Sally: The interaction with our readers, especially when it’s not my sister or mom!
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} Sally: I find negative people on social media/blogs exhausting (and in real life too!) But one thing that I do love about social media is the fluidity, if someone is annoying you – unfollow them. It’s that simple. Kim: I also hate negativity and people who use these types of platform to complain. No one needs that in their life.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Sally: It is constantly changing my life. It keeps me on my toes and I find that I am always looking for a ‘Saltbox’ angle when doing something whether is cooking or shopping or travelling. Blogging has me looking at the world a bit differently, which I love. Kim: Like Sally, I look at things in a bit of a different way now always keeping an eye out for awesome things to share with others. It’s also pushed me to try new things, put myself out there and not worry too much what people think. These are the things I love and I hope that people enjoy it too but if they don’t, I’m ok with that.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Kim: Planning! If you don’t plan ahead life and work (naturally) gets in the way. We plan our content weeks in advance and make sure that we stick to this as best as possible ensuring that we treat our readers to all sorts of content on a consistent basis. The worst is knowing you need a post for the next day and have nothing to work off, that can only waste time. A content plan gives you a base and a way to use your precious time more efficiently. Also, it’s all a bit of an experiment, so try out different things and see what works best. Sally: We are still newbies – any tips for us? Jokes, I would say that starting a blog has its ups and downs and you should be prepared for the downs but don’t let them put you off. You’re unlikely to be an overnight sensation so keep on going and when you get comments from strangers, it’ll all be worth it!
In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Sally – Writing, Eating, Dreaming. Kim – Exploring, Cooking, Sharing

Thanks Kim and Sally for sharing a bit more about your lives and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about The Saltbox here:

Blog link: www.thesaltbox.co.za

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesaltbox

Twitter: @saltboxsa

Instagram: @thesaltboxsa

If you are a blogger and would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below. Or if there is a blogger see featured here please drop me a mail or comment.

Image Source: The Saltbox