Steri Stumpie's version of awesome.

The team over at Steri Stumpie went all kinds of crazy with the launch of their 1 LITRE cartons this week. I was invited to the exclusive launch party. So exclusive that I was the only one invited. A nice looking crate arrived in my street on Wednesday and it was filled with awesome. 

A lady jumped out of it with a disco ball and music and shooter glasses and it was really too funny. We did shots of their strawberry and chocolate flavours and had a little party in this here box. Such a clever idea. I loved that they had printed out guest lists with only one person's name copied on to pages and pages that she was scrolling through, looking for my name. And the waybill with my delivery address had me totally confused to be honest. I was all "Wait, you guys are from Steri Stumpie, right?" as I'm also waiting for deliveries from our manufacturer in Joburg. They went in to so much detail with this jol. 

When I was a kid, I used to watch the K-TV 'Simba Surprize' in all shades of green. I SO BADLY wanted to be Simba Surprized all my life. Even know, if Simba showed up at my house I would probably pee even my best pants. So this was my version of that, and it was awesome. 

Other bloggers were also "Steri Suprized" (you're welcome) like Natalie (Tails of a Mermaid), Dan (Bangers and Nash), Robyn Hobson (Scribblings of Robs), Chris (iMod), Life is Savage, Slick Tiger and Mr Cape Town also Murray Turner , Chris Rawlison and Shaun Oakes. More pictures on the Steri Stumpie facebook page and don't forget to Request a Steri Delivery! More pictures on their page too.

A week's worth of posts in ONE. Because I can.

This week has been all kinds of crazy. The Sitting Lamp is doing so well, and the new design is in production too. We're totally sold out on stock and have had to order more. Our nice manufacturer can hardly keep up, but he is. Oh yes he is.

My DAD arrived yesterday which is just too special. He hadn't seen the kids since Benjamin's day of birth and he is soooo good with the boys. I LOVE hearing him tell them all the silly little stories that I loved so much as a child. This morning while in bed, I heard him telling Noah "How the Zebra got his stripes". I think I have heard about seven hundred versions of that one from him to date. It's so special, all of it. I love having him at home. Last night we sat up until a socially unacceptable hour talking about all sorts of things of no importance. I could just pass out and die from happiness right now. 

I got spoiled silly yesterday. My dad and Pauline bought the boys some super nice winter things and jarmies which they actually don't have. They have sleep-appropriate clothes, but not actual sets of matching pyjamas. So I tell Noah "Look, let's put on your jarmies!!!" and he's all (not knowing what the word means, perhaps thinking it is an injection of sorts) "I don't waaaaaaaaant jamries" and runs away. Eventually we were all "Here, put on this shirt" and he was all "Cool beans" but anyway. We are not to mention the "J" word again. G and I got loads of little presents too. 

THEN, I get a phone call from a nice girl telling me that they have a delivery for me at our home. I have no words. Well no, that's not true, I do. If I didn't have words then it's pretty pointless writing a blog, yes? So I get outside and there's this huge box / crate thing and I'm all like "Damn" and they're all like "Open it" and let me just clarify that Steri Stumpie is very awesome. I know that you know this already, but really: What a fun, creative, nice bunch of people too. I'll wait on pictures from the team of my shocked silly face before talking about that a bit more, which I really want to. 

Once back at the office, I got another call from another delivery person. I received a nice present from a friend that I adore. I got a copy of the SAVOUR book, which I have been swooning over since the launch late last year. This is the most beautiful, wonderful cook book that I have ever seen, and it's really set the bar for South African books in every way. Two friends of mine worked on this book: The lovely Karen (thank you thank you) and the super nice Vanessa who is THE best food photographer I know of. Karen and I are working on a few exciting projects together this year too, but more on that soon. 

Please note that I have every intention of making bunches of things from this beauuuuuuuuutiful book over the next few weeks -and I am so excited.

We went to Seapoint Spur last night (kids eat free Wednesdays I tell you) and Noah had an incident with a sparkler. Well not so much an incident as he grabbed it by the flare with his hands. It was so cool that the guys had a first aid kit (I only asked for a plaster). They put a clever burn muti on his little fingers and wrapped it up. It was so cool, the manager was like "I know I don't need 'this' much bandage for this, but let's make it a big one to make him feel better" or something. So Noah was all super proud of his "beeeeeeeeg ouchie" all night. And is now a bit apprehensive of sparklers. Obviously. 

Well, I need to finish up some work for a nice client, and send off a few more lamps today. This is going to be such a nice long weekend, showing my dad around and letting him in on the awesome. Tomorrow's agenda is operation seafood. Where that will take us is up to tomorrow. I am really loving the right now. Feeling so blessed and grateful today. Last week was horrid, so I do appreciate the "ups" when I can. 

Getting the Joburg out of our children.

We had a wonderful weekend. I am really trying to get the last of summer in to our systems before our party gets rained out. Literally. We spent some time in Noordhoek which they boys loved. I have never seen them love a place that much. We will go back really soon. I love watching our boys climb rocks and dunes and enjoy the outdoors. The boys LOVED Newlands forest on Sunday too, just as much as Noordhoek. Our friend Candice took a few pictures of us this weekend, and I am tooooooo excited about them. She photographed our wedding too and has some mad photo-taking skills!

Noah. I have no words for how wonderful you are right now. You were in such a good mood the whole weekend. You have begun to understand and articulate so much more about your little big world. You are so sincerely happy and satisfied. We were talking about it on the way home from the forest. We were watching you familiarize yourself with your new surroundings, and become more outdoorsy. You were a little bit afraid of the stream and all the rocks, but I saw a sense of adventure coming alive in you. I saw it with my own eyes. I saw how excited you were to follow your friends in to it. We had to drag you out eventually. You're a different child since we moved here. You have friends, more nature, a social life, adventure and this new little spirit inside you. You're so happy little Nu. You have no idea what that means to us. Seeing you explore a forest barefoot makes me the happiest mother alive right now. When we got home you complained a bit that your feet hurt, but it's fine. We will beat the Joburg out of you one way or another. 

I know that there are forests in and around Joburg (somewhere) but none that we had seen or felt were safe enough to explore. I think the most nature that our boys were subjected to there was the local Garden Shop and Zoo Lake. Maybe I sucked at finding places there. Maybe we really just love it here. I am an ocean and nature kind of gal because that's how Grays and I grew up. We had the ocean and sugar cane fields on our doorstep. As a child, I spent many weekend mornings at Enseleni (forest) with my dad, and some weekends on my parents' game reserve in Hluhluwe. I don't mean to say that Joburg is a bad place, I just mean that it is not my 'natural habitat' as I grew up differently. Some folks and parents and kids looooooooove it there. I just love it HERE. That is all. Pictures!