TheBleghHousewife

So I'm immensely lucky to know and call Ana Trujic a friend. Seriously, she's a bomb-shell, model, blogger and bad-ass mom to two beautiful little boys. She has somehow kept her fashionista status (and figure) throughout pregnancy, breastfeeding and running after a toddler. I'm in awe of her. Seriously, she ALWAYS looks amazing and just seems to be juggling this mom life with ease. So at one of her playdates I asked her how she manages. Read her answers below: As a mother, how has your fashion/dress sense changed? I’ve definitely traded my heels in for sneakers when I received my new Mama title. Running after your toddler in heels is not so glamorous. And I guess, with sneakers comes a more casual look. Sometimes sporty. My heels do still have their place for those rare kid-free nights out. But day-to-day I’m the sneaker lady. Let's talk about dressing for breastfeeding without looking like a troll: how do you manage to look so stylish all the time w

Monday: Swimming Tuesday: Music Class Wednesday: Swimming Thursday: Mommy and Baby stimulation class Friday: Outing Saturday: Toddler friend birthday And so the list goes on.... I have managed to squeeze my toddler's activities in a perfectly formulated schedule - with only one activity happening once a day. Except when life doesn't allow this to happen, and you have three activities in one day (and you don't want to miss any because mom gets FOMO) and then you end up with a very moody and miserable toddler. Looking at this list (no jokes, this is our weekly schedule) I have to wonder if we (read 'I') don't tend to over-schedule our children's lives. There's this idea that we have to get to a certain place to do a specific activity at a scheduled time in order to fulfill our roles as parents and present our kids with an idyllic childhood. And why? Because that's what everyone else is doing? Because that's what society dictates? Becaus

As a mom sleep is such a contentious issue. From that new-born stage, to the various (effing) sleep regressions and then of course the teething - sleep, or rather the lack of it, is a continuous point of conversation. So whilst I don't have the answers on how to get your precious cherub to sleep (seriously, I rock, bounce, sway, sometimes co-sleep, and do anything possible to get my child to sleep), I did ask Monique at Spoilt Inc. for some tips on how to counter those puffy eyes. I mean just because you are sleep deprived, doesn't mean that you have to look like it. So here are five tips on how to reduce puffy eyes: 1) Water. Yeah - we've all heard this one, and I may sound like a broken record, but seriously - water! The more water you drink the less water you retain with the effect of toxins being flushed and swelling reduced. So keep that water bottle with you throughout the day. 2) Try sleeping (when sleep actually happens) with 2 pillows, elevating your hea

The Deets: This place is honestly a gem in itself. It has everything a kid could want. Animal Farm? Check! Play Area? Check! Food? Check! Find it at 48 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank. Open 9.30am – 4.00pm (Tues – Sun)                                                                              The Noisy Rooster boasts Catz’s nail and beauty salon, and a farm stall/ market which sells organic food from the Heversham farm. You can also host a children’s birthday party at The Noisy Rooster.   Different programs for kids are continuously running here, so check out their website to keep yourself up to date. The farm stall will soon be selling organic pureed food – which is just amazing (I kind of wish this was available when my tot was a baba). In the new year the farm stall will also be selling organic free range boxes (size dependant on the family it needs to feed) which is filled with fresh produce from Heversham Farm as well as their neighbouring farms. Orders in

So I've back and forthed on this one for a while. The statistical number of the amount of images a child has posted of them on social media by the time they are five years old is astronomical. It just makes me want to scream 'Curate your content!' I'm probably not going to be very popular here, but honestly, you don't have to share every picture of your kid every second of every day. Also, if you are posting pictures of your child in marginally different (but mostly similar) positions doing exactly the same thing - why? Just why! Can you not just pick one? Okay, that's mostly on a personal note. Most of the time I LOVE looking at pictures of my friends kids (and by extension my son's friends - shame, he thinks he has a choice in his friendships, but really it's all me). But here's my deal (and this is what works for me, it's definitively not for everyone). I don't post my son's face on social media. Occasionally my friends will p

Mom Life can be pretty hectic with very little (read zero) downtime. This means that selfcare often goes out the window, which is kind of crappy because you can’t pour from an empty cup – ya know what I mean? So I decided to get my nails done (treat yourself!), but I literally only had an hour to spare. I popped into Spoilt Inc and boy – did they deliver! In one hour I got a gelish mani and pedi, which is kind-of a big feat. And when you’re running after a little person every hour counts. The ladies were absolutely lovely and completely understood what I wanted. I don’t like to get tips because a) I have a fear of stabbing my child with my nails whilst changing his nappy and b) for the first few days I’m completely useless with zips – seriously, I can never get the zip of my jeans up (yes, I’ve picked up weight, but that’s not the reason and totally besides the point and deserves an entire post on its own). Anyway, I digress: The point (or not really – get it?) is that I

The Deets: So this past week we’ve had some decidedly cold days in Joburg, leaving me wondering what to do with a busy toddler. Kidz Fun House is undoubtedly the answer. Find it at 11 SunRock Close, SunnyRock Park, Ext 2 Edenvale: Open 9.00am – 5.00pm (Mon – Sun) Kidz Fun House is complete with Pit Stop Cafe, The Nail Bar, Natasha’s Hair Salon and a huge indoor play area. There are also three venues that you can book out for birthday parties, making this playground a hit with moms and children alike. The food: PitStop Café boasts a huge counter with all sorts of chocolates, sweets and fridges filled with different cold drinks and waters. Off the menu you can order the likes of toasted sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, Cappuccinos (always a necessity!) and milkshakes (Yay!). The Atmosphere: The atmosphere is mostly mom orientated – which means you’ll either see groups of moms, or a lone mother watching her child play. PitStop café has a separate area (de

I walked into the indoor play area, sat down and ordered myself a milkshake while I encouraged my little man to go and play. My friend,who I was supposed to meet, couldn't make it because kids, pregnancy and life, so I decided to make the best of it and just hang out with my little guy and play with him. It took him a while to warm up to the situation and overall setting, but once he did he just wanted to play, and play and play! He spotted two little girls roughly the same age as him and he immediately made a beeline towards them (we're talking about 1 year olds here). I followed him cautiously, trying not to be a helicopter mom, but also wanting to make sure that they played nice. By the time he got there, the moms of these two little girls went quiet. I asked how old the girls were, I tried to make small talk as our kids started to get closer to one another, and before they were in touching distance these moms stood up and swooped their children away from my son and m

The Deets: Kiddilicious has that good ol’ outdoor vibe, which makes this a firm favourite for me. Find it at the corner of Arbroath and Nicol Road, Bedfordview, with hours:                         8.30am – 5.00pm (Tues – Thurs)                                                                                            8:30am – 6:00pm (Sat)                                                                                            9:00am – 4:00pm (Sun) Kiddilicious boasts red door café restaurant, Wreak Havoc gift shop (which is child focused and just BEAUTIFUL!), indulge beauty spa and a baby clinic. Although the times indicated above are the times that they’re open, the kitchen closes an hour before the closing time – so keep that in mind if you’re going for a bite to eat. Kiddilicious is mainly outdoor focused with the restaurant tables and chairs situated on the actual playground. There are a few tables inside for a rainy day, but the majority are outdoor

Sigh. This is such an easy trap to fall into. You meet up with some of your mom friends and notice that their little one's may be able to do something that your little one can't. And there it is. Such a minuscule thing, and yet it affects you (or at least me). "Am I not stimulating him enough?" "Why is he behind?" "How do I get him to do that specific thing?" "Why isn't he crawling?" And so the self doubt goes on, and simultaneously you (often unintentionally) become a competitive mom. It doesn't have to be innately stressed or said, but it's the internal turmoil that notifies you that yes, you may be going slightly crazy. I mean, at the end of the day what does it matter? Children develop at different rates. They acquire different skill sets, and because they are individuals, these skill sets may differ in terms of what they choose to conquer first. So while my little one is not able to do X yet, he's able t

The Deets: So this is a regular hangout spot for me because a) the coffee is GOOD and b) it’s got a really great vibe. Find it at 24A Riley Road, Bedfordview:            Open 8.00am – 5.00pm (Tues – Thurs)                                                                                             8:00am – 8:00pm (Fri & Sat)                                                                                            8.00am – 4.00pm (Sun) Nestled on the busy road of Riley road, the black signage against the white washed walls make it pretty difficult to miss. Happily Ever Laughter boasts a playgroup (Little Owls), as well as some trinket shopping – both in terms of gifting, and of course children. Happily Ever Laughter has a shaded outdoor restaurant section (stretching along the patio) as well as the indoor restaurant area. In addition to the restaurant area, they also have a separate venue section, complete with kitchen and jungle gym. They also do themed co