Although not a South African tradition, for the past 3 years I've made it my own tradition and made eggnog. Eggnog is a dairy, alcoholic beverage (Or non-alcoholic) mainly enjoyed during the festive season (November-December).

Eggnog originated in the United Kingdom and was passed onto American colonies in the 18th century. It was typically a drink enjoyed by the aristocracies as its main ingredients, milk, eggs and sherry, were foods of the wealthy. In the 21st century it became more popular with North Americans and Canadians. Home made eggnog is typically preferred over store bought eggnog.

As far as I know, you can't buy eggnog in any of our South African supermarkets so why not just make our own! This is a quick and easy eggnog recipe that I make. I prefer to make non-alcoholic eggnog because I don't like the mix of dairy and alcohol but you can easily make it an alcoholic drink if that's what you prefer.



In this heat that we're facing in the southern hemisphere, the best way to spend the festive season is in front of the tv with the fan on high (Although I'm guessing those in the cold northern hemisphere feel the same way - except with a heater instead of a fan!).

Netflix has tons of Christmas movies - they literally show you most of them the moment you open Netflix!  Christmas movies tend to be so heart-warming and are such a good way to get into the festive mood

So grab your laptop/TV, make some popcorn and position your fan in front of you for these Christmas gems available on Netflix in South Africa!



It's that time of year again - time to go on 10 mall trips and STILL not find good enough Christmas gifts for everyone! Christmas shopping can be so frustrating, I for one know the struggle.

That's why I'm hoping to make Christmas shopping a little easier for you and give you some gift inspo so that you can go to the mall with a plan and know exactly what to get everyone! This should save you from the multiple mall trips that end up being a waste of time and energy. You'll find something for everyone (and then some!). Hope this helps!




I'm sure you would realize by now that I'm OBSESSED WITH CHRISTMAS. It's my favorite time of year (And I hope it's yours too! Unless you have, like, bad Christmas memories - but how could you, it's the most wonderful time of the year!).

I'm also a sucker for Christmas music (Fun Fact: Every year since primary school I start listening to Christmas music as soon as final exams start). I've decided to compile a list of my favorite Christmas albums that I'll be playing on repeat during this month.



A Christmas treat
It's that time of year again; year end functions, family time but most of all long queues to do Christmas shopping! *sigh* I'm the least patient person when it comes to waiting in a queue at the mall, much less facing the traffic. That's why I'm looking for cool alternative gifts that you can simply shop for online and have delivered straight to your door in a matter of days.

One such option is a lego mini me!


Mini Asha with her camera and trusted laptop

Our childhood favourite is back with a bang (Not that it ever left!). Vaseline has stepped up their game with the new Vaseline Lip Therapy Products.




When people think of KwaZulu-Natal they don't usually think of a holiday in the countryside. This often means they miss out on one of the best destinations in the province - the Midlands Meander. Nestled among the green, lush rolling hills of the Midlands is where you'll find Brahman Hills.

You're on a 7 hour road trip from Joburg to Durban. It's approaching hour 6, almost a whole day on the road. You're grumpy. You're tired. You're HUNGRY. Just like an oasis in the desert you pull off the N3 onto Nottingham Road and see The Midlands Kitchen, a foodie heaven in the Midlands!

High quality skin care products are something we shouldn't have to compromise on. While I'm all about that saving money life, I'm also someone that believes in investments and investing in good skincare products is super beneficial in the long run. 

While I personally use just a few essential skincare products, I like to incorporate one or two other more intensive products into my routine from time to time depending on my skin's needs. For 3 weeks I incorporated the Environ Focus Care Hydrating Oil Capsules and Environ Focus Care Youth+ Revival Masque into my routine.

environ focus care hydrating oil capsules and revival masque
This week we chat to another #girlboss - and she's literally the boss! Nafisa Grey has built a name for herself as a mother, wife, blogger and CEO. This is a unique edition of the #girlboss series and is aimed at motivating and inspiring you to conquer this exam period! Nafisa recently went back to school and is in progress of her second masters degree - talk about doing the most.




Hey you. Yes you, the one procrastinating and reading this blog post - you should be studying!






With Halloween coming up I figured it's the perfect time to do something scary - LIKE GETTING BLOOD INJECTED IN YOUR FACE, ALL IN THE NAME OF BEAUTY. Well, kind of.

I decided to try out the Vampire Facial. The vampire facial is a PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) treatment that uses your own blood to promote the healthy activity and regeneration of your skin cells. I first heard of it a couple years ago when Kim Kardashian posted a bloody selfie in IG (Eeeep!)
In actually fact, as you will see in the video, it isn't bloody at all. The red blood cells aren't used. 


PROCESS (VIDEO)


STEP 1: YOUR BLOOD IS DRAWN AND YOUR FACE IS NUMBED USING NUMBING CREAM.

STEP 2: THE BLOOD IS RUN THROUGH A CENTRIFUGE TO ISOLATE THE PLATELETS.

STEP 3: MICRONEEDING OR MICROABRASION WITH THE PRPs (i.e blood) TAKES PLACE ON YOUR SKIN

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW!


AFTERCARE

Right after the treatment your skin might be a bit red with a sunburn texture (i.e cancel any plans you have for the rest of the day!). You have to apply sunblock and should not wear makeup directly after. Make sure to continue applying sunblock even after, although you should be wearing sunblock anyway. After a day or 2 your skin may be very dry and start to peel off (which is what I experienced). Then, after around 3 days you should see results - beautiful, glowy skin!

Disclaimer: My treatment was complimentary but all opinions expressed are my own.


Time for another #girlboss interview! Get to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! This week we chat to Danielle Jayne Dass, a fashion designer with her own fashion label, blogger and recent mom of 2!






If you're in the Umhlanga area looking for a place to go out for dinner with your man or the girls then you're no doubt spoilt for choice. Just a walk down Palm Boulevard or the village will make it evident that there are literally hundreds of options. But what makes one option stand out from the others? Apart from good food, when you're choosing a restaurant you're also looking for a good atmosphere. You're not just looking for a good meal, but you're looking for a whole vibe.




Last weekend, I gave News Cafe Umhlanga a try. It's conveniently located right opposite Gateway Shopping Centre which is my usual stop when I'm in the area. One thing that stood out about News cafe was the atmosphere which seemed to get better and better as it went from afternoon to early evening.






To eat, I stuck with the classics and chose an original burger and Strawberry Daiquiri and my brother chose a Chicken bowl and a white hot chocolate, and we had taco's as a starter. The (soft shell) taco's were a bit plain but they were very filling, after having just 2 I felt almost full! My burger was juicy and although I'm not much of a burger person, I did enjoy it (I don't eat much bread so I took out the top bun). And the strawberry daiquiri was amazing! I wanted to try out more of the cocktails but I had another commitment later that evening the required me to be sober (*Sigh*). But there's always next time! The music really set the tone for the atmosphere and even though it was a cold rainy day, it was warm and cozy inside.








Even though I was so full, I wanted to stay a bit longer after my meal and just relax. I ordered a piece of Bar One cake for dessert, sipped on my Strawberry Daiquiri and just unwinded with a chilled Saturday evening at News Cafe Umhlanga after a long week.







Will I be back? Definitely, but this time with a group of friends and more time on my hands to sample the long list of delicious sounding cocktails.





Time for another #girlboss interview! Get to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! This week we chat to Dr. Rohini Bisaal, a dental surgeon, international model, brand ambassador for Miss Uniworld and dancer.

August's theme of Women Empowerment is in full swing! Every Friday this month you've experienced an interview with another #girlboss and got to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! But why just stop at August? Women should be celebrated every month. So every second Friday for the rest of 2018 you can expect a new another one of these Girls Boss interviews - I hope it inspires you as much as it inspires me! This week we chat to Teshie Ogallo, a UCT student and fashion blogger who just this month launched her online store, STYLETECH by Teshie Ogallo.

If you've been to any clothing store lately you've probably come across some kind of shirt with the slogan "The Future Is Female" - as soon as corporate finds an opportunity, they commercialise on it and this is no exception. However, the phrase still holds so much weight.

Women are taking over all aspects. This is undeniable. Most undergraduate classes are at least 70% female, stay at home moms are becoming a dying breed and in general women are dominating every sector of life. However the scale isn't completely balanced, especially in the entrepreneurial sector. While this isn't completely new territory for the fairer sex, it tends to be a rather hostile one. That's why organizations like Future Females are so necessary.

What is Future Females?



A movement formed by females for females. It is an empowerment movement aimed to uplift and helps women from all walks of life through their entrepreneurial journey. The organisation first launched in South Africa in August 2017 (Exactly a year ago!) and have already grown to have over 3000 members of the community actively participating to drive our mission globally with events in South Africa, German and Namibia. The Future Females mission is to accelerate the success of aspiring and existing female entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to provide an environment where females can connect, and access the necessary resources.


August's theme of Women Empowerment is in full swing! Every Friday this month you can expect an interview with another #girlboss and get to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! This week we chat to Shenai Bridglall, a female entrepreneur running an NPO, who will soon also be launching a new venture in the fashion industry, her footwear brand called Shenai Briglall. 


August's theme of Women Empowerment is in full swing! Every Friday this month you can expect an interview with another #girlboss and get to know what keeps these Queens motivated to do the mostest! This week we chat to Sheena Deepnarain, a South African actress and blogger, living in Johannesburg. 

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