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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