Top 5 latest Fitness trends in Cape Town...the fitness revolution

Never have I ever been this excited to exercise and have fun while doing it. The fitness craze has been all the rage since it hit Cape Town about 4 yrs ago. All shapes and sizes and age groups are getting involved in changing the way they spend their free time.
It is amazing and I love being part of a revolution that recognises healthy bodies as a priority.


Here are my list of top 5 latest fitness trends taking place in my hometown:


1. We run Cape Town


Running clubs have popped up all over Cape Town and it is so exciting to see the amount of members who show up in their club T-shirts to run the streets of Cape Town so proudly.


With running events taking place almost every weekend, Cape Town's social calendar has transformed into ensuring that it is always set up for an event to promote running. Cape Town also proudly hosts many of the famous and world wide recognised running events that has really grown in numbers over the years. I too proudly belong to a community based running club and participate in most races whenever I have the opportunity.


The trend started unfolding when people saw the value in the clubs that it belonged to. Most people in Cape Town did a bit of walking or jogging every now and then, but the motivation or drive would not always be maintained as they would be doing it on their own. The club provides the support, encouragement and much needed motivation as well as social element that people crave and enjoy and makes them believe and feel that their efforts and goals are being recognised on a bigger platform. We have running clubs based in very gang- related and poor communities who produce solid runners who are able to make incredible achievements through the sport.


I have seen people all shapes and sizes, people who said that they couldn't even run to save their lives and people who are recovering from injury, all achieve personal best times in a race event. I have also heard people say that if it was not for a race event they would never have seen certain parts of Cape Town. if you are not into race events but just wanna do some light fun runs then join in the park runs which happens every Sat in a park close to you.
I  would certainly recommend that you grab onto this ongoing phenomenon that has hit Cape Town in a big way. Even if you are a visitor or a supporter, join in I promise the passion and excitement and vibe on a race day is very contagious. My husband who loves fishing and belongs to a fishing club has decided to run with me and is thoroughly enjoying it.


Check out the following clubs for more information:
KENFAC
ITHEKO
OMMIEDRAAI
Park Runs

2. Let that body do that Yoga


And so after running you need to stretch...right..!


I discovered yoga at gym a while back but let me tell you that it does not compare until you attend a proper yoga session at a venue that specialises in yoga.


I was introduced to yoga by a good friend and attend Yogalife in Cape Town.It offers all the types of yoga and best of all it is done in their hot studio which is brilliant . Check them out here.


Now if you have not attempted yoga before don't stress, your body can do those moves. Yogalife offers one week free to trial the various options they have and it is the best way to check out the moves. after that week you will be hooked and you will see results.

Pictures found on Yogalife gallery






3. The outdoor gyms


You see it all over Cape town and its for FREE.

Its a great way to get the best of both worlds. A complete workout with great equipment set outdoors in a fresh air environment with no gym contract!! Many Capetonians have been seen making use of these facilities while taking a break from their jog or walk and still enjoying total body workouts. Note that these do not have personal trainers or instructors to guide you along so please use cautiously.



4. Lets swop heels for sneakers




Lets talk fitness fashion. Let me tell you...so along with the fitness craze comes the need to look the part while being so active. Introducing sports luxe apparel and the comfy sneaker that just looks chic with every outfit.
Woman especially are investing more and more in quality sneakers not only for running and walking but also for comfort which actually looks very modern and takes a normal jeans and t shirt look to another level of chicness. So ladies don't be afraid to swop those heels for sneakers they are all the rage these days.

5. Cross fit and boxing


I am in awe when I see how many ladies these days can bench press, swing a 8kg kettlebell and lift a 5kg dumbell on each arm and don't get me started on the ladies punching the day lights out of a guy in the boxing ring!!


Yes yes woman these days can certainly do it all and I applaud and salute these woman who are drawing on their inner strength and using it to become even more confident and powerful in their mission to be their ultimate superheroes.


Cross fit is a functional training exercise that targets the entire body especially the core and it combines the components of gymnastics, weightlifting, running and rowing etc.. to ensure a total body workout.  


Boxing focusses on upper strength by isolating the core muscles to make you 'sting like a bee" and belt the tunes of "the eye of the tiger" LOL.

Other hip and happening trends are gyms that are only dedicated to ladies to provide a safe and judge free environment for them to workout in, as well as weight loss programmes and studios that encourage fitness regime in order to achieve those weight loss goals.


Until next time, dust off your running shoes and get active....



Love
Yoems

Top 5 Make up essential tips

Now listen I aint no make-up artist, professional make up connoisseur or even know what makes a great day or night time look...BUT what I am is an everyday girl who loves AFFORDABLE make-up that looks like you just stepped out of a MAC consult. I mainly use drugstore items for everyday and turn it up with a little more expensive items for special occasions. I just find that with the latest trends of make- up it can become quite pricey and I am always in search of a bargain buy.


I am blessed with very good skin and found that over the years I need to preserve my skin for as along as possible. I follow the three step process of exfoliate, cleanse and tone which is part of my daily and nightly routine as recommended for my skin to maintain it.


So here are my top tips for the ordinary everyday girl who likes her face to look polished (not caked)  without it costing her a fortune. I focus on face, lips and eyes as a go to look.


1. Sun Screen before Foundation


Always ,always apply sunscreen to your face even if you are not wearing make-up. I find that because of our climate and harsh sun our skin and face is always exposed to the sun throughout the year. Our "winters" are sometimes unpredictable and on those days when it can be storming in the morning before you leave for work to start your day, by the time lunch time comes around it brings about a ray of sunshine which is when your skin is at its vulnerable stage. I find that even if I have foundation with SPF in it, I still apply sunscreen and I encourage my husbo to do the same. LOL. Any sun screen that has factor 30+ will do but I love Clicks Sunscreen as my go to product which last very long and is so affordable.

Sun screen R34.95

My favourite foundation is LA Girl BB Cream. it is lightweight and only R59.95 available at Dis-chem. I use this for everyday and gives me a minimal make up finished look.

BB Cream R59.95

2. The eyes are the windows to the soul.


Having a good eye liner or eye pencil is always a good investment. I aint fussy about the brand of eye pencil that I need to apply but I love an eye pencil that goes on immediately without me having to apply it three or four times.  
I use to wear my mums KOHL eyeliner for years...you know the one that they bring you from Makkah




remember this..LOL

But these days I gravitate towards an eye pencil that provides a steady and smooth flow that is not blotchy and makes you look like you have demonic eyes..I am quite comfortable with the Catrice eye pencil also available from Dis Chem at R34.95.





Catrice Eye Pencil R34.95

LA GIRL Eye liner R19.95

I find that these fade during the day and that a re-touch is required after 1pm, but its effective and useful for the bargain price. I don't often wear mascara as my eyes are very sensitive when I apply too many things around that area, but when I do indulge I apply it very lightly and swiftly and prefer using a brand that does not blotch - I don't care for volume or length it just needs to make me look bright eyed:)


3. Lips are for kissing.


Make sure to apply the sunscreen to your lips as well to keep it moist and protected, by using a reliable lip balm that wont leave your lips flaky and dry.

Clicks Sun Protect Lip Balm R28.95

I always make it a habit to stop off at Dis- chem for their beauty products sale for great bargains. They have variety on sale from top ends drug store brands to the lower end almost no name brands. I love choosing nude shades for work and day time looks and a bold red or berry lip for night time.


I wont pay more than R30.00 (and that's pushing it) for a lipstick and lip pencil so make sure to check out Dis -chem beauty sale for bargains!! Their FOR SALE lipsticks dont last all day but they are sufficient to get you the polished look on a budget.
And make sure you get a lip pencil that will come a close match your lipstick for a longer lasting effect on your lipstick.


4.  Blush, concealer and Contour


Like I said I am not a make -up professional so these things are a nice to have for us ordinary girls. However if you do venture into this trend then please know what you are doing.
Blush is to be applied on the apple of your cheeks and not on your entire face and use a complimentary colour that suits your face.
Concealer is to highlight, hide and make the appearance flawless overall
Contour  and Bronzer is to intensify hollows of your cheeks and temples to make the appearance look a bit sun kissed.

Blush R47.95

LA Girl Concealer and Contour  R45.95 each at Dis -Chem

5. Invest in a good Make- up remover


Never never go to bed or sleep with make up. Also try to as far as possible to not wear make when you travel by air. Because I am often found on a plane I find that once you are in the air your face feels dry and you need to spritz or moisturise again and especially when you have make -up on, it makes the skin feel even more irritated. 
A big make up NO NO is to always remove your make up when you are ready to go sleep.
I found that Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water a perfect find for removing make up effectively. Best of all is that you get up to 200 uses in a 400ml bottle which means it last so much longer and there is no need to tone or moisturise afterwards. I use the one for normal skin but it is available for sensitive skin too.







Make up remover R79.95

Last tips:  I purposefully didn't include make- up brushes, contouring tips and highlighting kits as part of the tips as these are considered in my opinion as nice to haves and you should have the time to apply them correctly. The essentials listed above are things that I use daily which I am sure you can easily find, apply and afford. Once you have your essentials waxed then focus on the rest. Less is more. Also make sure you give your skin time to breathe by having a completely no make up day and always ensure that you drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.    

Love
Yoems

5 tips to the road of Wedding day Joy

I recently got married on Valentines Day in a leap year and what an experience it was. I enjoyed every minute of the build up to the wedding day, planning ,checking and feeling so many emotions that made the actual wedding so much fun, magical, wonderful and pure joy!!


Here are 5 tips I wish to share with all soon to be brides to assist in making the build up as magical and worthwhile as can be.


1. Plan well in advance and be realistic.
Duh..what do you mean??? All brides plan their special day since they received their first barbie doll or were a flowergirl in someone's wedding?? 
But let me assure you that the fairy tale wedding day can be nothing without a proper and realistic plan and budget of course. I travel quite a bit for a living so I didn't have much time to do wedding shopping so planning for me was crucial.
I cant stress enough how important this first step is. You will not believe how much this saved me and assisted me to ensure that I knew what I wanted and planned realistically for it. It resulted in perfect timing, my husband could take a 2 hour nap during the day and the kids in the bridal party were not restless at all.
 
Top tip: Attend all those wedding expo's,  in order to network and chat and get some real advice from real brides. I love making checklists as this can assist you to maintain a clear idea of what it is that you want for your special day. I subscribed to websites like www.theknot.com;  Pinterest ; Facebook (Second Hand wedding group).


2. Get enough sleep and drink lots of water and exercise.
I know you are probably weight watching and counting calories etc...but maintain a healthy diet by drinking lots of water and following a proper eating plan and ensure that you get enough sleep and exercise.
I must admit I didn't get enough sleep and the morning of my wedding my eyes were very puffy...(so sad) and this translates onto pics...so please ensure that you get enough beauty rest before your big day.
My routine involved running 3 times per week, yoga twice per week and cardio including weight training every other day. I worked out 7 days per week and followed the BANTING diet which was the perfect plan for my wedding body goal. Read more about my wedding body journey here


Top tip: Your diet and exercise will prevent you from becoming a BRIDEZILLA and will keep you sane for those stressful times. The last month and week before you get married is always stressful - even if you have enlisted the trust of a wedding planner - as a bride you are always stressing about last minute details.


3. Don't let anyone try to change your mind.
Weddings are a money making industry times a million!!! I kid you not. I had no idea that wedding vendors make so much money off the tiniest things. Invites cost a fortune, and don't get me started on décor and the cake. There is so much to choose from with a modern twist to vintage looks and celebrity style settings. It call all be done and trust me you will want it all.  
It is important to not get swept up in a fantasy but know what you have planned and how you would like your day to run. Don't let anyone influence you to make it more over the top or add more features, or in Malay cultures add more cousins to the bridal party!! Stick to the plan as discussed by making sketches or taking pictures of what you had in mind or downloading ideas and themes of what you want and how it should be translated to suit your needs. .
I chose a theme (royal elegance) and stuck with it till the very end. This helped narrow down (somewhat) how I wanted the décor and theme to be channelled throughout the day.
At the end of the day less is more and it is more appreciated and enjoyed.


Top Tip: Choosing a theme helped me tremendously as this is a great way to assist you in making decisions when it comes to cakes, décor bridesmaids etc..




4. Acknowledge your partner and the efforts
Ai foeitog!! With all the focus being solely on the bride throughout all the planning, us brides sometimes forget that the groom plays a major role in the participation and contribution of the day as it is afterall about BOTH of you. LOL:)
Make not mistake each culture and religion have their  set rules and guidelines around the way the wedding ceremony should be done, but you can agree that it involves the groom at all times. And therefore it is important to realise and acknowledge that he too has a major function and role to play. 
I checked in regularly with my fiancé to ensure that his stress levels were ok - and that he was still certain he wanted to get married!! Throughout the planning it was important to just step back and realise why we are doing this and that we were consciously making a decision together and not just doing so due to any family or peer pressure. We wanted to get married to each other and we made the informed decision to do that. Traditionally In my culture, the groom sees to the house setup and ensuring it is ready to receive his bride. So essentially his responsibility triples in comparison to mine and therefore it was important that I ensured that he always had my utmost support and appreciation. I rewarded him with a honeymoon month ..best decision ever!! 


Top tip:  Happy wife happy life, was the motto he lived by. We discussed many things and disagreed on many too, but at the end of the day it is about the being married part you need to be focus on and not just the wedding day.     So take care of the groom and he will take care of you!!




5. Enjoy the day
...and finally enjoy the actual day.
When the wedding day arrived, I sighed and smiled and couldn't be happier. I woke up really early..(actually couldn't sleep!!) prayed with my parents which was super emotional and thanked them for all the support and contributions. Looked around my room and actually laughed at all the memories that my room held, packed out my dresses and jewellery and then the excitement started rolling in.
Every minute something wonderful was happening and I was present, I was happy and I was laughing. I consciously made myself aware that it is my wedding day, biggest day of my life, and I took it all in and wanted to remember every second.
When I looked around the room while my makeup and hair was being done, while people were fussing about me, while the camera and videographer were shooting, I couldn't be happier and this translated onto pics, onto the mood and onto the vibe of the day.


Feedback such as
" what a wonderful relaxed and fun day we had at your wedding"..
"best wedding ever"...
 "best valentines day ever"".....
 "Never attended a wedding such as this where the bride made everyone feel like they made her happy"
made the experience and build up all worthwhile.

o' hello there...

ok fast forward 3 years ahead...and I almost forgot about this little hobby and site of mine.


Wow a lot has happened since the last time I posted on this site, and I certainly have a lot to share.


However I think I will only stick to sharing tips on things I like and enjoy rather than have a regular diary update insert on this site. Cos I aint got time for that!




So yep , let me give this another go and lets see if I can stay consistent this time around.

When it is pouring outside....

Where has the time gone, its mid- year already!!! Hope you made the best of the first half of 2013 and may all your dreams be realised for the second half. I personally have a few goals to accomplish. 

1 June means the start of Winter in Cape Town and naturally a time to hibernate, whip out the snuggle blankets and catch up on your book collection with a cuppa. If you know me, you know that no matter how wet and cold it gets outside, I have to be out and about looking for something exciting to do in Cape Town. So I called up my partner in crime, who enjoys discovering these exciting places with me, and also recommended this place and we braved the cape rains. 

We discovered this really magnificent Victorian house in Kloof Street that looked very interesting and decided to pop in. Kloof Street House Resturant , situated in Kloof Street offers their customers an eclectic colonial experience. We were certainly in for a treat. 
It certainly doesn't look like a resturant from the outside and when we walked up to the front door we thought we were trespassing on someone's property, until we were greeted by an inviting friendly waiter and a cosy place with a fire crackling away making it feel like a home away from home. 

We chose to sit close to the fire place,
to really appreciate the cosy atmosphere

The menu for lunch is not very fancy or extensive but its decent enough to settle your rumbling belly, which is ultimately what we want. The variety extends to blade beef which is the signature dish, lamb shanks, norwegian salmon, Kloof street house cheese burger, steak roll, free range chicken, salad and fish options. We opted for a "healthy" light option. 

lounging around in the dining area

i know i know, cocktails at the fireplace???

For starters we had a vegetarian antipasti dish to share,
humus and tzatziki was delish.
Great option and it was more than enough
for both of us.

For mains I had grilled line fish season veg, lemon and
parsley butter and romesco 

Zubeida had Kloof street Salad which was honey
mustard dressing, avo, feta,boiled egg and chicken

Now that we have the food out of the way, let me show you around this lithe quaint place, which I found to be truly an eclectic setting. 

You are greeted to this beautiful Victorian type style setting

Front door entrance

Some more seating outside.

Library area for you to unwind with a cuppa

Private dining area where you can host a private party

Cosy atmosphere inside stretches across 2 areas

cosy lounge area, that has ample seating for about
30 people with the fireplace to the left that adds that perfect
touch for these winter months

mmm..crackling fire

some more inside seating with an outside view

I could not resist taking a pic...

i could definately imagine having breakfast here

and a bar area that offers the usual

So if you need to unwind and keep warm this Winter, pop into Kloof Street House for a warm lunch or a coffee break, it definately offers an experience that will make you forget about the cape of storms rumbling outside. 

Top 3 Markets in Cape Town

Hello daarrrlllings!!! 

So this past weekend we celebrated freedom day in SA and it was a time to reflect upon the history of our country and how far we have evolved as a nation in this democratic era. 

Ja that didnt happen for me. 

I spent the weekend doing very little except on Sunday when I decided to visit some markets around the city. 

Sundays are always regarded as lazy-hazy-stress free days in Cape Town. With the weather being fairly good and no lunch preparations to be made, Zubeida and I decided to check out the markets around Cape Town and this is our top 3. 

Top 1: 
We started at Village Market at Cape Quarters Centre in Somerset Road, Greenpoint. It boasts an open air market on the 3rd floor that sells clothes, funny hats, fedoros, kids clothes, etc. But the part that got me really excited was the food section of the market, which is enclosed, and hosts food from all over the world under one roof. Zubs and i wasted no time and gathered foods from all corners. We launched into the thai food that was so amazing and so cheap. Definately check this market out soon, we had fun. 

open air market selling clothes and hats etc..

food section. We chose the Thai option served from
lady in blue and sat on the benches provide

Top 2:
Next stop was Hout Bay market. It is always a pleasure driving along the coast line with the wind in our hair, and admiring the dreamy ocean on our way to Hout Bay. We are definately blessed to live in Cape Town. Anyway,we arrived to a very bustling, crowdy and awesome vibe market situated at the edge of the harbour. When you enter the market it may not seem like much at first, there are a few things that may catch your eye, but once you turn the corner you see an open space with people buzzing everywhere from the clothes section to the food section which is situated right smack  centre and has everything you can think of to eat and snack on. Although we didn't buy anything at this market we still enjoyed visiting it and being part of the vibe. 

locals band entertaining the crowds at the entrance

Doesnt look like much as you enter

The buzz inside as you turn the corner

People everywhere

Some more entertaiment inside

Top 3:
And finally we went to Market on the Wharf situated at the V&A waterfront. Based next to the Alfred Hotel, the market has  2 levels and quite big inside which made it easy to walk around. ( if you still wondering where it is, it is where MUSICA used to be) It has mainly food, fruit and veg, coffee and various sweet treats for you to try. I stopped off at the frozen yoghurt section which I really enjoyed. This was a nice end to our market day experience and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. 

Zubeida hanging out on the 2nd level

Some lovely toppings to add

Some awesome street art on the 2nd level

Which markets have you been to lately??? Let me know and I will definately check them out. 

love the coke man!!!!