Coffee & Catch-Ups {with a little something for the kids!}

Are you always eager to go to restaurants but the thought of your kids trying to escape the feeding chairs and running between tables (and sometimes even into the kitchen!) deters you? Have a look below for some child-friendly restaurants and coffee shops - some perfect for play dates and some even perfect for a family meal.

1. Chez Nous

Chez Nous is an upmarket restaurant situated in Westville. When I saw the name and description online, I had to double and triple check whether it really did cater for kids! I was pleased to find out that there was an adjoining kids room and a few tables which could see directly into the room, which made it so convenient for my friends and I, as mums of young kids.

The food -

The restaurant is not Halaal, so we were not spoilt for choice when ordering; but they do have a fair selection of vegetarian dishes, desserts and even a cute cake and sweet station in the front of the restaurant. I was VERY keen to try out Eggs Benedict, and was not disappointed at my first taste of it ~ it was as delicious as it looks and I will be definitely going back for more. We also tried out the mushroom bruschetta, the vegetarian pizza and mushrooms on toast - these were all good. Dessert time arrived and we never skip dessert - we ordered a hot lava walnut crepe (the name is enough to get a person salivating!) and the double fudge cheesecake. The hot lava walnut crepe was a bit of a disappointment - I was not too thrilled with taste or the presentation. The cheesecake, however, was delicious (and I am not even a cheesecake person!)

The play area -

The play area was well equipped for kids of all ages; from the TV playing cartoons to the several PlayStations to the soft toys, your kids will love it! There is a childminder present to watch over the kids, but I chose to take my helper along with me, as my kids are both quite young and do not take well to unfamilar people.

Rating - 9/10

2. Heatherbelles Coffee Shop

My friends and I visited Heatherbelles one late afternoon, just for a little cake and coffee and for the kids to have some fun.

The food -

This was a huge disappointment for us; as they were sold out of everything! We arrived at 3pm and they closed at 4pm which is probably the reason for the lack of treats, but we could not get the full experience of the place just because we had nothing to eat. The drinks were plentiful, from milkshakes to ice teas to soft drinks to hot drinks and even juice for kids in plastic cups. I have heard a lot about their cakes and would like to try it out sometime, perhaps go a bit earlier the next time!

The play area -

The play area was lovely with a jungle gym and trampoline. My (then 6 month old) enjoyed being bounced on the trampoline and the toddlers had loads of fun on the jungle gyms and play houses. The area is a bit worn, but clean and it is a lovely coffee shop for an afternoon with friends.

Rating - 6/10

3. The Coffee Corner

My friend and I stopped at The Coffee Corner for breakfast one morning after moms and tots, with our 2-year old girls.

The food - We tried out the quiche, grilled cheese sandwiches and carrot cake. The food was good, but the portions were smaller than expected. Our kids enjoyed the margarita pizza and the milkshakes were good. The tables are outdoors and slightly rustic.

The play area - The play area is large and entirely outdoors. They have two sets of jungle gyms, plenty of bicycles and scooters and a fantasy play house. Our kids had a blast! This coffee shop is great for a breakfast or coffee date, your kids are sure to have tons of fun.

Rating - 8/10

4. Circus Circus Beach Cafe

A group of friends and I visited Circus Circus on the beach for a lunch and some beach-side chilling. We had heard about the little play area for kiddies and thought to give it a try - we were SO glad that we did as our kids had an amazing afternon!

The food - We ordered an array of meals from cous cous salad (this was a disappointment!) to nachos to a seafood platter and white sauce pasta. The food was good, the star being the seafood platter although I would not order the salad again! The star of the show was the decadent chocolate cake - despite being stuffed we ALWAYS order dessert, and this time we indulged in a rich moist and not to mention decadent chocolate cake as well as a delicious banana cake.

The play area- The play area was lovely with a jungle gym together with a large sand pit with little tables and chairs and buckets and spades. The kids were so happy to be there and we sat at a table directly opposite them so we could observe them easily. The only downside is the lack of shade on the one side of the are (towards the jungle gym) - bring along a sunhat and some sunblock as you would the beach and you're good to go!

Definitely a must-try for a lunch date with friends or even a Sunday breakfast with the hubby and kids.

Rating - 9/10

5. Planet Purple

This play venue is based in Overport and designed specifically for kids under the age of 12 - it reminds me of Jimmy Jungles in Umhlanga.

The food - The play station itself offers a very limited selection of drinks and snacks, however, Caminettos, Purple and Porto Nettos are based just a staircase away so the food options are quite good - only down side is that it is self service (placing your order and bringing it up by yourself.)

The play area - The play area is amazing with large indoor slides as well as obstacle courses. There is also a variety of coin-operated ride ons and a seating area for both adults and kids. The only disadvantage is that adults are not allowed into the play area, except for the childminders present at the venue - this could definitely prove to be a problem especially for younger kids who are not great with unfamiliar people (we managed to plead with them to allow our helpers in atleast, which they finally did agree to though!) This venue is great for a quick lunch with the girls or even as a family.

I have a list of more places I am eager to try out (definitely with a little something to keep my kids busy!) Keep your eye on the blog for more updates and reviews on restaurants to visit with your little ones!

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo
Hali

Winging It

 

This season (and many many seasons before that) is all about winged eyeliner. It is here to stay and has evolved from a simple flick to hundreds of different styles from double flicks to under the eye winged eyeliner ~ your imagination is the limit. 

In this post I look at three different liners, from mid-range to drug store and show you a few of my winged eyeliner looks.

1. MAC Blacktrack Gel Liner

This has got to be my favourite liner. Pair it with a good brush and you can create just about any look ranging from bold to barely-there. The colour is jet black and it stays put all day.
Confession ~ Most of the time I do not use my angled brush to apply winged eyeliner, but rather use my thin lipstick brush to do so! The thin tip of the brush makes for easy buildable application. Pictured below are two looks created using this liner - a simple no fuss wing pictured in the first frame; and in the second frame is a double winged liner.

TIP - if your gel liner has dried up, add 2 drops of oil to it, give it a mix and it will be good as new {tried and tested!}

This picture is the tutorial I used when I was trying to teach myself to apply winged eyeliner ~ I still use this method today and find it most effective.

Pictured below are different types of eyeliner techniques,  I saved a copy and refer back to it every now and then when I feel like creating a look besides my signature clean cut wing.

2. Benefit They're Real! Push Up Liner

This liner has got to be the most talked-about make-up product since Urban Decay Naked 3! It combines gel liner into a pen form, you use it by pushing up the liner and applying once it gets to the top. The angled tip does aid in getting a perfect flick, however it can be difficult to use. In my experience too much of the gel released at the push of the pen; I think traditional gel liner is definitely easier to use.

3. Essence Long Lasting Black Eyeliner Pencil

I purchased this pencil a while ago, it's great for under the eye liner and great for a corner of the eye wing. To do this I literally just draw a quick flick on the corner of my eye (I had seen this look online but knew it couldn't be executed with gel liner) and smudged it on the eye with my finger. Slap on some mascara and its a cute and quick look for when you're on the go. This pencil is not as dark as I would like; you have to go over it a few times to achieve the perfect 'black' look, but its great for a corner wing which shouldn't be too black anyway.

I am crazy about winged eyeliner and have recently began to experiment with different eyeliner techniques, I am coveting the Inglot and Bobbi Brown Gel Liners in some different colours rather than black, as I have heard SO much about them; but for now my MAC Blacktrack still reigns supreme.

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo
Hali

Whats in my bag?

I have failed miserably at the November 30 day blogger challenge, but one or two of the challenges have sparked my  interest, so I  am drawing my inspiration for a couple of November posts from these, (totally in contradiction to the point of the challenge, I know! I do however promise to complete a 30 day challenge in the near future.)

 

Today I am tackling number 7 - What's in my bag?

Pictured above is a collection of what you could find in my bag on a typical day ~ 

The one obvious thing that I haven't included in my picture that never leaves my bag, is my purse - it contains everything from my license to my cards and I cannot leave the house without it! One thing  ALWAYS forget to pop into my handbag is a packet of Kleenex - the single most essential item that every person should carry around with them at all times (especially if you have kids!)

1. Sunglasses - I have a slight obsession with sunglasses and if the weather is good I don't leave home without it! It is the perfect Summer accessory an instantly adds a lift to an outfit or face.

2. Car keys - I am ALWAYS misplacing my car keys. I can blame my kids for playing with and hiding them from me all I want, but deep down I know that it is really my fault. I have taken to keeping my car keys in my handbag, even when at home so that I always know where they are ~ the perfect solution to my forgetfulness! 

3. Nappy - I have a nappy in each handbag; even though I carry diaper bags along for both my girls I still have a habit of keeping one with me at all times. You never know when you could need it - and yes, it's come in handy once or twice!  #mamadramas

4. Hairbrush - I use the hairbrush often for my girls who both have curly little mops for hair - this comes in especially handy when we're in the car or when I am trying to control their hair whilst on the run!

5. Lipstick - I always have a lipstick on hand in case of a touch-up, especially handy on lunch dates! This Marc Jacobs lippie in Understudy is the perfect nude-pink to touch-up and is one of my favorites. 

6. Handbag-size perfume - I always keep a miniature perfume in my handbag, its an instant refresher. I purchased a set of 5 miniature Dior perfumes, perfect for a handbag and definitely a great buy! The perfume pictured below is one of my favourite classic scents - Dior Pure Poison.

7. Cellphone - my cellphone goes wherever I go for obvious social reasons. I take it with me everywhere and turn the car around if I ever do (highly unlikely) forget it at home for any reason.

8. Sweets - I always have a sweet or two in my bag, it gives an instant boost and energy rush.

9. Dummy - My lifesaver. I ALWAYS carry a spare dummy with me in my bag, as with a 9-month old, you never know when happiness can turn into tantrums and you never know what could happen to the original dummy. If you are a mom of a dummy-loving babe, you will know why this is a handbag essential!

As you can tell, I am not a prepare-for-anything person and my handbag contains pretty much a cross between essentials, beauty products and a splash of mama drama. 

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo

Hali

The Low-Down on Laser Hair Removal (SIMPLY LASER review)

In the life and times that we live in today, everything revolves around making our lives easier and more comfortable. Laser hair removal boasts to alleviate the burden of constant hair removal, which, let's be honest - would definitely come in handy as a woman. There are two reasons why I have avoided laser hair removal all my life - 

1. I am a skeptic - to be perfectly honest, I never thought it would really work.
2.When I thought of laser removal, I envisaged a red laser beam pointed at all parts of my body and burning me to a crisp.

I am happy to say that now that I chose to bite the bullet and give it a try, I couldn't have been more wrong about either of my reasons listed above! Thank you Simply Laser for giving me an opportunity to try out laser hair removal ~ I went in for the laser hair removal treatment on 23rd October 2014; I did not blog about my experience immediately, as I first wanted to see the re-growth and see if it really did work before endorsing it. It has been 3 weeks today since the treatment and I have not needed to have any hair removal at all done since then. My hair growth is slower and most importantly, it is much less thicker than usual. - I am pleased to say that I am very impressed with the results.

 

When I first entered the salon, I was welcomed by two ladies after which I was escorted into a treatment room by one of the therapists, Karra. I had never done laser hair removal before and I was not sure at all what to expect. Karra assisted me perfectly with this by explaining in detail along with a booklet what laser hair removal is all about, what to expect during and after the treatment as well as how often to come in for treatment and maintenace. The number of times a person comes in varies from person-to-person, depending on the density and pigment of the hair. Once I had a good understanding of the process, the treatment procedure began. I was asked to apply gel to the areas where I was having the hair removal done, after which the machine and therapist worked their magic. To my pleasant surprise, there were no red beams, but a machine which rolls over the area requiring the hair removal.

 

 

I was most afraid of how painful the treatment would be (delivering two babies has clearly done nothing for my pain-tolerance level.) The treatment is not completely pain-free, but neither is is too painful. I would describe it as a mild pinching sensation, but definitely not as painful as waxing (please note the amount of pain will vary from person to person, depending on the pain tolerance level of an individual.) Karra was wonderful throughout the treatment and continuously asked me if I was okay and adjusted the settings immediately when I felt it was getting too painful. Post-treatment, I was asked if I was happy with the treatment and if the process ran smoothly. All in all, I can say that I was very impressed with both the service and results of the treatment; definitely worth a try if you are tired of the traditional methods of hair removal and are seeking something effective and long-lasting.

Simply Laser is based at 41 Adelaide Tambo Drive and will be opening up a new branch at 223 Lilian Ngoyi Road at the end of this month. For more information check out www.simplylasers.co.za or follow them on Instagram - @simplylasers_

GIVEAWAY

We are giving away a FREE underarm treatment to the value of R300. How to enter - Follow both our accounts on Instagram @simplylasers_ and @hautechocolat_  LIKE the picture posted on the Haute Chocolat Instagram page and tag a friend. If you would like to comment on why you would like to win, please feel free! A winner will be chosen next week Wednesday (19th November) and the winner can make their appointment at their leisure. 

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo

Hali

Wardrobe Challenge #1 ~ Hello November, Goodbye Blue Jeans

I've decided that at the beginning of every month I am going to do a wardrobe challenge ~ just for fun! I am a blue jeans kinda girl. I wear blue jeans atleast 3 times a week and would love to break the habit ~ so for my first challenge, I decided to say hello to November and goodbye to blue jeans (just for a week!) and now, at the end of the week I will share my outfits of the week with you.

I own tons of pants, skirts and different coloured jeans some of which have been lying around untouched for months (one or two for years!) because once I have put all my outfits together I think to myself "I'm sure this would look better with blue jeans." This challenge was not easy for me and by the last day I almost cheated (but I didn't!) but I wanted to prove to myself that I could go a week without them, and had lots of fun putting together my outfits. I'm glad to say that I survived no blue jeans week (just barely!)

Take a look at my outfits of the week -

DAY 1 - Cool & Casual

A typical week begins with Moms and Babes with my baby girl at 9am on a Monday morning - I have to keep it cool, casual and comfortable. I wore a loose black jumpsuit with a low yellow pointy heel and a statement necklace for that pop of colour. I left my hair in natural waves, unbrushed even! (I can say and really mean - I woke up like that)

 Jumpsuit - Forever 21

Necklace - Lovisa

Shoes - Vincci

DAY 2 - All White Everything

I do not usually wear white, it's my least favourite colour so this look was definitely a few steps out of my comfort zone. Although I usually shy away from white - I love the all-white trend; so I definitely had the perfect excuse this week since I was staying away from jeans, which is what I usually would have paired this shirt with. I wore pink wedge heels for a little pop of colour. I pinned my hair back and left it all down - the outfit was crisp and clean and needed an equally unfussy hairstyle to match. If you're rocking the all-white trend this season, you can choose to add a pop of colour with either your shoes, your handbag or statement jewellery.

Shirt - Primark

Jeans - Pepe Jeans

Shoes - Rage

Sunglasses - Top Shop

DAY 3 - Feeling A Little Military

I am crazy about the military look ala Balmain Paris and this denim jacket gives just the right amount of military to my outfit. I purchased this jacket a while ago, but have only worn it once before in an all black look, I liked how the tan jeans gave it an entirely different look. I wore my hair all back in a severe high-ponytail-plait which I chose to compliment the severity of the military look. Threw on some Ray Ban Aviators to finish off the look.

Jeans - Zara

Jacket - Denim Co.

Shoes - Aldo

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

Bag - Fendi

DAY 4 - Leopard Lovin'

Durban weather is unpredictable, and the weather on this day was a bit too chilly for a Spring-going-on-Summers-day. I had originally planned to wear a padded lightweight jacket, but once I threw it on it was a bit too warm, so I ditched the jacket and decided to sport a long-sleeve high-necked tee and pair it with one of my favourite leather leggings and pointy-toed kitten heels. I wore my hair all up in a top-knot (partially to compliment the high neckline of the top, but mostly because it was a bad hair day)

 

Top - Zara

Leather leggings - Stradivarius

Shoes - Nine West

DAY 5 - Kimono Crazy

I am slightly obsessed with kimonos and will be squeezing them in right until the very end of Summer. I chose to pair my black fringe kimono with my green zebra-print jeans and black heels. I wore my hair in a loose plait, keeping the whole look casual and chic.

Jeans - Zara

Kimono - Zip Code

Shoes - Aldo

DAY 6 - Skirting Sensation

I am all about pencil skirts, but often find it challenging to find one at just the right length and not too short - I love this black skirt as it can be dressed up or down and the length is just right. I chose to dress it down on this day, as it was a casual market-hopping kind of day. I threw on a sleeveless denim shirt, tied it at the waist and chose to pair it with nude flat sandals, my favourite pearl necklace and some nude sunnies. I wore my hair down and kept it loose because I knew the wind would just mess it up anyway!

 

Skirt - Zoot

Denim waistcoat - Denim Co.

Sunglasses - ASOS

Necklace - Shop So You Boutique

DAY 7 - Please Just Let Me Wear Jeans!!

In all honesty, I almost caved and just wore my high-waisted blue jeans on this day. But I held out and put on a pair of black leggings instead. Paired with my kimono and beautiful Kaleidoscope necklace, I definitely would have been happier wearing it with jeans, but it was just a casual beach day, so it passed!

 

Leggings - Lily Whites

Kimono - ASOS

Sunglasses - TopShop

Necklace - Ziba Styles

Thank you to everyone who sent in their pictures for this challenge, here are some of my favourites pictured below -

Monica Garzola of the Sassystylista blog sent me this picture of her in this lovely red dress paired together with nude heels and some beautiful gold midi rings

Fawzia Docrat of the accessory haven Ziba Styles sent me this beautiful picture of her in London, rocking a warm and chic Winter look.

My sister, Bibi Fathima Joosab participated in the challenge with me for a few days this week. I love her chic style (and not just because she's my sister!) Obsessed with mirror aviators for this season, and Bibi is just rocking those beautiful blue shades!

I hope that you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting these looks together, I am not quite at the point where I can say goodbye to my favourite blues just yet, but I learnt that I can definitely put my other untouched piles of pants to some good use. I think my readers should help me out with my next wardrobe challenge - Perhaps a no-black challenge? Or no heels challenge? I would love to hear your ideas - pop me an e-mail or comment on my Instagram post and let me know. With a very dramatic "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED" I will accept one of your challenges - looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo
Hali

A Dose of Delicious ~ The best ice-cream sandwiches in Durban

What could be better than a rich, creamy and absolutely DELICIOUS scoop of ice-cream? A scoop of ice-cream sandwiched inbetween two soft, chewy and DELICIOUS cookies!! Ice cream sandwiches have become extremely popular and I am loving it. I have tried out most of the ice-cream sandwiches that Durban has to offer and have chosen two of the best to share with you- have a look at my two favourite ice-cream sandwiches in Durban!

Scoop Me s'More Ice Cream Sandwiches

 

Before letting you know about the taste of these ice-cream sandwiches, let's just take a moment to appreciate the amazingly unique concept of this sandwichery ~ The concept is that you can build your own ice cream sandwiches; pick your cookie flavour and then pick your ice-cream flavour. I love that you get to customise the ice cream sandwich to your liking, and I love the taste even more! I have been wanting to try out these ice cream sandwiches ever since I missed them at The Good Food and Wine Show, and I managed to hunt them down today for my morning dose of deliciousness.

By the time we arrived, the chocolate chip cookies had already sold out, but there were a few other flavours available so I didn't miss it too much. I chose the combination of the Smore cookies (chocolate chip cookies with marshmallows baked into it - need I say more?) with strawberry flavoured ice-cream, I also pinched a try from the other flavours (peanut butter cookie with toasted almond ice-cream and smore cookie with caramel ice-cream)

About the ice-cream - it is creamy, colourful and bursting with flavour. I am not a strawberry person but I enjoyed the strawberry flavour and fancied the caramel flavoured ice-cream just as much. The toasted almond tasted a lot like vanilla, but was still good if you are one to stick to an original flavour. 



The cookie itself was a little firmer in texture and yet it was still a lovely chewy texture that you expect of a cookie ~ once the ice-cream had had time to absorb into the cookie is softened up perfectly; both the peanut butter and smore cookies were equally delicious. The ice cream sandwiches were served in a bowl with a spoon (The cookies are thick and there is a large scoop of ice-cream between them - so although not one that you could hold in your hand and eat without making a mess, the bowls and spoons are needed and worked perfectly to devour it whilst walking around- And no, it is not large enough to share. Not for me atleast!) The sandwiches were priced at R25 each - for your choice of 2 cookies plus a generous scoop of ice-cream, I think they were reasonably priced.

Scoop Me Smore is a fairly new business which specializes in custom ice-cream sandwiches, custom shakes and custom sundaes. They stock so many different type of both cookie and ice-cream flavours that the combinations are endless! 

For more information contact Scoop Me s'More on 0761020120 or check out their website http://scoopmesmore.co.za/index.html#home

Legendairy Ice-Cream Sandwich

I tried these ice-cream cookie sandwiches out at Market at The Square; I was planning on purchasing their ice-cream, which I had tried once before at the Morning Trade, but found their cookie sandwiches and decided to give them a try - I was not disappointed! 

The ice-cream comes in either a vanilla or coffee flavour, sandwiched in-between two extra large chocolate chip cookies. The ice-cream (as their scoops usually are - is creamy, rich and full of flavour.) Every bite of the cookie results in a mouthful of chocolate chips (just the way I like it!)

The ice-cream sandwich is thin and comes prepacked in a brown paper wrapper ~ they sell for R35 each. I absolutely loved the taste of this sandwich and although it was so large, I only spared a bite and demolished the rest by myself! It was very easy to eat whilst walking around - The cookies were soft and chewy and although the ice-cream layer was thin it was delicious!



Legendairy uses free-range farm eggs, full-cream and full-fat milk and cream. They stock vanilla bean, vanilla bean and toasted meringue, peanut butter, dark chocolate, rooibos and roastery coffee flavoured ice-cream and also stock seasonal fruit flavours. You can find them at The Morning Trade and Market at the Square. To get in touch with them, check out their website -

http://www.legendairy.co.za/ or Contact them on - 073 112 0942

I thoroughly enjoyed both these ice cream cookie sandwiches and would definitely purchase them both again. If you are a lover of sweet treats like I am, give them a try, I can assure you that you won't be disappointed!

Positive vibes & The Mandatory xoxo
Hali