august holidays + welcoming spring

Hello & Welcome!

We are officially in September, which means that Spring has arrived in South Africa! I love each season for its own reasons, but Spring may just be my favourite!

I love that Winter has dissolved and the once lifeless trees are now blooming with blossoms & little leaves. Spring is such a pretty time. The sunshine is mellow and there’s always a cool breeze blowing through your hair. Dresses and flowy blouses are being pulled out of my wardrobe, as well as sunhats and sandals.

I always like to look back at the month that has passed, to pause and savour each moment that happened. August was exceptional! We greeted the month-long school holidays with arms wide open & embraced every morning that we got to sleep in. I took a roadtrip with family down to the Wild Coast & we had an absolute blast! It was fab to escape the hectic city life for a good two weeks. We spent every sunny day on the dunes or in ocean. We walked, swam, laughed, read, made some really really good food & listened to the endless roar of the ocean! Bliss!

The particular little village we stayed at by the sea felt miles away from the world. It seemed as though we’d entered heaven on earth. White soft beach sand between our toes, crystal clear ocean water, rockpools filled with life – little fish & crabs darting all over the place, spectacular sunrises and horses galloping across our view each morning,  afternoons spent chatting to my gramps or having knitting sessions (YUP) with my gran, dinners on the patio, walks by the lagoon at sunset & moonlit reflections on the sea at night.

August taught me that:

It’s okay to treat yourself. Outdoors is better than indoors. Walks & fresh air are good for the soul. Waking up early means you have a longer day to enjoy. We should take photographs but also live in the moment. Conversations are better than texts. We should look up more. We can learn so much from people older than us. Knitting (yes, knitting) is actually fun. It costs nothing to be friendly. Barefoot is best.

I hope this post inspired you to go out & live more. No matter how bad life feels there is always hope! Forgive yourself. Watch the sunrise. Consider each day a fresh start.

Most importantly, be good to yourself,

xo Hannah

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P.S: How was your August? Leave a comment & tell me one thing that bought joy to your life last month!

I’ll start! Something that totally made my life was that I hit 500 followers on Instagram in August, which is absolutely MAD!! 🙂 ❤ If you, reading this, have followed (since the very beginning or more recently) know that I am truly grateful for your all support! I wish I could give every one of you a big squeeze!

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K e e p I n T o u c h

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cinnamon + apple snacks

Hello & Welcome!

When I  was a little girl, I loved to experiment, especially in the kitchen. I would bake muffins and mix drinks and serve them to my family, who were very gracious, as most of the time they were a flop! Nowadays I stick to recipes, as I know for sure whatever I’m making will turn out great! Although, something about me misses the creativity of coming up with a new idea that will later turn into a product, so the other day I decided to be six years old again and experiment a little!

As it is winter here, I decided to make something that was appropriate for the weather & my surroundings. My family and I were gathering around the fire, hot cups of tea in hand and I started thinking about making something that would accompany the evening nicely.

These cinnamon apple treats were the first thing that came into my head. They’re quick & easy to make, delicious and healthy!

/// RECIPE

Ingredients:

• Apples, peeled and cored
• Ground cinnamon
• Pecan nuts (optional)
• Dark chocolate (optional)
• Xylitol (optional)

Method:

• Slice the cored apple into slivers (try not to make them too thin)
• Place the apple pieces onto baking paper in a baking pan
• Sprinkle with cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so naturally I poured more than a sprinkle)
• Add a dash of xylitol (this is optional & I love them both with + without)
• Break up peacan nuts and sprinkle on top
• Chop up dark chocolate and sprinkle on top
• Place baking dish in a pre-heated oven of 180 degrees celcius and bake for about 10 minutes.

Viola! These apples treats taste so soft & delicious and literally melt in your mouth! Be sure to tell me what you think of them!

Be good to yourself,

xo Hannah

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K e e p I n T o u c h

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back on track

Hello & Welcome!

You would have thought I forgot I even had a blog as I haven’t posted anything since Father’s Day (terrible, I know) but I’m back now and this time for real.

I guess you could that I had a bit of a writer’s block but also nothing really exciting happened during the month of July, or anything that I felt was worth documenting. School bombarded us with exams but before we knew it, they were over. The thought of holidays is genuinely the only thing that got me through the two weeks of test-taking. Having something to look forward to is probably the best motivation to get through any bad situation.

Last Friday, my school closed for a month. I will not be missing it. At all. Tomorrow I leave to go on holiday with my family and my grandparents. We’re off to the beach for a (much needed) two week getaway. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the hustle & bustle of the city but sometimes you got to have a break, get away from the noise and people and just  b r e a t h e .

Like title of this blog post says, I’m getting back on track. Life has looked a lot like late nights and messy study notes these past weeks but slowly I’m organising my brain into neat little piles again. Check lists & task apps are oh so useful to tackle the chaos, as well as tea underneath the trees to just rest.

I’m learning to let go of what’s not important & look after what I value most. I’m developing a more minimalist wardrobe and eliminating any clutter from my room. I’m throwing away old sketches and sitting down to create better ones. I’m deciding to put down my phone and feel my heartbeat. Because we need to live more.

Join me on the journey to creating a more beautiful, focused and exciting life! I’m going to be drafting many more posts this August – stick around!

Be good to yourself,

xo Hannah

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K e e p I n T o u c h

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happy father’s day

Hello & Welcome!

Everyone thinks they have the best dad, but I know without a doubt, ,mine is the greatest. He’s my hero. My biggest support. Always loving, uplifting, kind. He has such a way with people and always makes an effort. He goes above and beyond people’s expectations. His choices are always to benefit others. He wants the best for people.

Thank you dad for building me up. Teaching and training me. Loving and holding me.. Your wise words,, knowledge about life and that comforting wink you give me when you’re proud,.are some of my favourite things about you.

I have my dad to thank for my spirit for adventure, obsession with action-thriller films, love for long & soulful conversations and constant need for coffee.

To the man with the biggest heart for God and His people. You are everything I aspire to be..

Have the best day!

We love you dad! 

From Hannah, John-Mark, Ruth & Daniel.

the organic market

Greetings Lovelies!

Being the most indecisive human on this planet, I’ve changed my theme yet again. I’m back to the good old original one I had when starting this blog.

Here’s a quick little nugget to keep you going until tomorrow, when I’ll do my Father’s Day post. This one’s all about the organic market my mama & I took a quick trip to.

I hope you enjoy!

Cheeses. olives & sun-dried tomatoes.

Fresh produce & plants!

Bread, rolls. wraps. rusks & gingerbread men!

Cute little coffee shop & cake!

Lastly, a little iced coffee, cappuccino and cheesecake!

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed a little insight into my day!

Be good to yourself.

xo Hannah

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Let’s be friends!

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a life update

Hello everyone! 

I know I promised you a post the other day & I still haven’t uploaded it! It is on its way though – I promise! [this time for real! 🍦]

The reason for my absenteeism is that I’ve been hit with conjunctivitis or pink eye as you probably know it. Since Friday last week my eye has felt irritated, sore and very sensitive.

I wemt home from school with it swollen and extremely red. That night there was an incredible event called Worship Central which happened to have the talented guest worship leader, Tim Hughes, coming to sing.

It was the perfect paradox of an evening. Brilliant because of the spectacular night of praise and worship, lead by a group of the most talented musicians. At one point they stopped all the music and we simply waited in God’s presence.

Tim felt like we, Africa, were going to find our voice and come up with a song… by the end of next might we were jiving to it. “I’ve got a joy in my heart, I’ve got a song on my lips, I’ve got a beat in my heart, I’m gonna praise you Lord!”

It started with a simple person, a not-so-brilliant voice but a powerful God who turned a room full of people into joyful, vibrant dancers.

All of this did help me forget that I even had my eye problem, of course I just had to dab my eye every 20 seconds or so, as well as keep my sunglasses on inside. Oh the frustration.

After spending Saturday and Sunday bedridden,  my mum drove me off to the ER to see if we could get anything to relieve the pain. The doctor gave me some medicine like steroids and an antibiotic – which did help with healing, but hadn’t fully made the eye perfect.

My aunt who is in the medical field happened to be passing through the city and took a look at my eye. She then gave me two different eye drops which helped clear out the horrible gunk my eye was producing, as well as reducing the light sensitivity and redness. But it still was not cured.

Today we finally went to see a specialist who did a huge test on my eyes & told me that I only have 20% vision, which is absolutely terrible! The reason my eyes hadn’t healed completely was due to the fact that I was rubbing them continously… resulting in the clear layer over my eyeball becoming severely scratched & forming little ulcers. Another reason my vision wasn’t getting totally better was because the eye drops I was taking had preservatives in it – which I’m really allergic to.

So that’s the story. I’m sorry that it wasn’t creative but it hopefully gave you an understanding to my lack of posting! We have got all the correct medication now and I’m hoping to be back at school tomorrow (crazy right?) – I am really really missing all my friends, who have all been so sweet and caring – sending the nicest messages to me. ❤️

Stay tuned, as I am going to be posting a little trip my mum and I did to the organic market soon!

Be good to yourself!

xo Hannah

a late night list of things i love

Hey Internet!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I doing away with my inner perfectionist and going to start posting real, honest and raw moments on this platform. I’ll be sharing any recent photos I’ve taken, artsy stuff I’ve done or thoughts that have been buzzing around my head, just because I love blogging regularly and want to share ideas with you guys.

Right now I’m sitting on my bed drafting a blog post which will be going live on Friday, but to keep you going till then here’s some doodles + a list of things I love.

There’s so much beauty in the simple things in life.

Light + love .

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What am I up to?

About / Blogroll / Inspiration / Resolutions

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change

Hello & Welcome!

I have decided to switch up my blog a little bit and I am going to be posting more regularly. The reason I haven’t done this in the past is for two reasons. One, I did not want to just be shooting out information and posting any idea or thought that came into my head, I like to plan out my posts and make them look good. Two, I am a perfectionist. I feel like my photos have to be perfect and taken on a proper camera, but honestly that takes a lot of time and effort, A LOT, the kind I don’t always have on my hands.

In celebration of getting halfway through the year, I am taking on the challenge to blog more regularly. During the week I will be posting as little or as much I can, sharing any inspiring photos, thoughts or perhaps some art I’m working on (I AM TAKING ART THIS SEMESTER AND AM SO EXCITED)

These posts will be very short + sweet but I think it’s good that I’m being creative, even if it’s writing a few lines to upload onto the internet. On weekends however, I will continue with my ‘professional’ – if you can call it that – posts, with good lighting + text all over them + a watermark in the bottom right hand corner of the photo (does anyone notice that?) because I really enjoy making informative, detailed posts.

Forgive me if this post was a little bit like a page in my diary you couldn’t care less to read, I just wanted to let you know (all three of you reading this) what’s been on my mind and what my plans are for the future of this blog.

Light + love,

xo Han

mother’s day | recipe + diy

Hey there!

I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am to have a mom like I do. She’s my shoulder to cry on and pillar of strength when I am weak. She sees me at my best and my worst but loves the same. She continually puts everyone else’s needs in front of her own. Thanks for all the laughs, cries, adventures & snuggles mama bear. I love you beyond words. You are beautiful, brave and strong & the best example of a Proverbs 31 woman.

“She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness”

It’s Mother’s Day (and in case you forgot I am officially your lifesaver). On the blog today I’ll be sharing a really easy recipe for pancakes + a diy-scrub for you to make for your mum. The best part is you will most likely have these ingredients lying around the house which means you can whip them up real quick if you’re in a rush to find something to give to your mama.

Let me know if you try any of these things out!

/// Pancakes

For the pancakes you will need:

1 cup self raising flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Step 1:

Place the flour into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a dip in the centre.

Mix together the egg and milk.

Step 2:

Pour the milk mixture into the flour.

Add the yoghurt and stir with a rubber spatula until you have a smooth batter.

Step 3:

Melt the coconut oil / butter in a frying pan. Add about 2 spoonfuls of batter.

Cook for about 2 minutes, until bubbles appear on top of the pancake and the underneath is golden. Flip each pancake over for another minute.

Repeat with the rest of the batter. Add a little more coconut oil / butter when the pan looks dry.

Step 4:

Serve the pancakes with any topping of your choice.

My go-to topping is cinnamon, sugar & lemon, but you could try anything – banana + honey, chocolate sauce or berries + syrup.

/// DIY

For the scrub you will need:

1 cup sugar

a few drops of an essential oil of your choice – I used Neroli

sqeeze of lemon

For the bath you will need:

warm water to fill the large dish

1 sprig rosemary

remainder of lemon

flower petals

Step 1:

Place the sugar into the mixing bowl. Add a few drops of essential oil.

Step 2:

Cut your lemon in half + squeeze juice into sugar.

Step 3:

Pick the rosemary leaves off the stem + place into sugar.

Spoon mixture into your serving bowl + set aside.

Step 4:

Fill your dish up with water. Add a few drops of essential oil. Slice + place the remainder of your lemon into the water.

Pick off rosemary leaves and rose petals + place into water.

Step 5:

You’re done!

Get your mama to put her feet up + give her some pampering!

Happy Mother’s Day to every mama out there.

“We love you. It’s just sometimes we don’t know how to say it! Sometimes it just comes out screaming or crying. But the next time your kid screams, you know what they’re really saying is, ‘I love you mom. You’re beautiful.'”

– An Open Letter to Moms from Kid President

Thanks for reading! I really hoped you liked the post! I had such fun photographing, DIYing + cooking!

Special thanks to my mum’s feet + little sister Ruthie – the hands that appeared throughout the post were hers!

As always. be good to yourself.

xo Hannah

my week in pictures

Happy Sunday Lovelies!

I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to blog for a while. I’ve just been really tied up with school work & life in general, but as of Friday, I am officially on holiday! In this two week break, I will definitely be blogging more regularly! Today is going to be a rather long update on my week (which has been surprisingly fun) and I’ll be sharing tons of photos I took over the past few days.

Instead of school this week, we – the grade nines – got to go on a history festival which included three days of touring our province. I had an absolute blast hanging out with my mates, learning about amazing historical figures and of course, getting out of the classroom.

Hopefully you’ve got a cup of tea with you, because this is going to be a long post! Enjoy! 👌 xo

history tour day one: johannesburg

today we toured a mansion called ‘northwards’ which was owned by a really wealthy land lord who lived in the house in the 1900s. we got told there are about 40 rooms in the home & when we looked around inside, we noticed how each room was decorated so beautifully, with chandeliers and massive windows overlooking a stunning garden, where we later enjoyed a picnic. after that, we walked down a famous street lined with the hugest houses and ended at the bottom of the road at a little church (as seen in picture). this old church – and many of the houses on the street – were designed beautifully by the architect sir herbert baker. after a little tour, we drove to a synagogue, where we sat and listened to a rabbi. he spoke on Jewish traditions, religious beliefs & festivals. we ended the day off with getting to taste traditional Jewish food which was too delicious. today was an absolute blast & all i can say is that i can’t wait for tomorrow!

/// NORTHWARDS – RAND LORD HOME

/// ADVENTURIN’

/// CHURCH

/// JEWISH MEAL

we got to eat a meal at the synagogue that we visited, it consisted of a soup, matzos balls, fruit (like granadilla, watermelon, grapes & melons) matzos crackers with either chocolate spread or cheese – obviously i chose the chocolate spread.

* please admire my presentation skills and yes, i did spill my soup.

history tour day two: soweto

we began today with a drive around both the rich + poor areas of soweto. we rode past the chris hani baragwanath hospital, which is the largest hospital in the world. from a distance, we saw the orlando bungee jump towers. we stretched our legs at the walter sisulu freedom square & saw inside the freedom charter building. our next stop was the regina mundi catholic church. inside this building we saw the bullet holes in both the ceiling and windows left from the firing of the soweto uprising in 1976. we also got to see the memorial of one of the boys that were shot in the soweto uprising – hector pieterson, but sadly couldn’t go into his museum (thanks loadshedding). we went into the mandela house & after that to the kliptown youth project, where we spent the afternoon giving the children our clothes, finding out about their amazing community + playing sport with them. today was a truly humbling experience.

/// DRIVING AROUND SOWETO

/// REGINA MUNDI CHURCH

/// NELSON MANDELA’S HOME

but how beautiful is my friend? 👆

/// HECTOR PIETERSON MEMORIAL

/// KLIPTOWN YOUTH PROGRAM

“from poverty to opportunity” 

find out about how this organisation is making a difference in their community, one child at a time: http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/

history tour day three: pretoria

sadly this was our final day of the history festival, but we had a brilliant time + learned so so much. today we went to the home of sammy marks, who was the first millionaire of south africa. we were given a tour of his extravagant yet beautiful 44-room house. we were told about how sammy became so rich and then walked around his property + rose garden. the last place we went to was the farm of two-time prime minister, jan christiaan smuts. his little home was a lot simpler than sammy marks’, but lovely nonetheless. to end the trip off, we walked up jun smuts’ trail where we got a beautiful view of pretoria. it was here where he cleared his mind and got inspiration for one of his books. 👣 every day of this tour has been so interesting & i have loved getting away with my friends, who made lame bus rides a lot more enjoyable.

/// SAMMY MARKS HOME

/// JAN SMUTS FARM

Hopefully you enjoyed travelling along with me on this (super long, hopefully not-too-boring) post. You guys mean the world to me. 🌼

I hope you beautiful people – have a lovely, restful weekend.

Till we chat again, be good to yourself!

xo Hannah

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