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Rose and Thorns

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Zero to Supa-hero in 500 car seats

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A getaway to Knorhoek

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Live it up at Louisvale

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Lifestyle, Photography

A Quick Guide to Photo Etiquette

Lifestyle, Parenthood

Printing up a storm with Epson L7160 EcoTank + free home printables

leapfrog toys
My girls Love..., Parenthood

LeapFrog Educational toys…with a whole lot of fun

  • Parenthood

    Zero to Supa-hero in 500 car seats

    Dust off your old car seat and take it to your local Supa Quick and help them reach their target of collecting 500 car seats for Wheel Well this year!

    October 22, 2020
  • Explore

    A getaway to Knorhoek

    It’s beginning to look a lot like normal… This weekend, our little family was invited to experience a quaint…

    October 20, 2020
  • Explore, Food & Drink

    Live it up at Louisvale

    A week before lockdown, Mr H and I were immersing ourselves in a fantastic food and wine experience at…

    October 19, 2020
  • photo prints
    Lifestyle, Photography

    A Quick Guide to Photo Etiquette

    On the subject of photo rights, I feel like a broken record because this subject often gets spoken about…

    October 7, 2020
  • Lifestyle, Parenthood

    Printing up a storm with Epson L7160 EcoTank + free home printables

    We’ve teamed up with Epson to put the EcoTank L7160 through its paces and see how it can benefit…

    September 11, 2020
  • leapfrog toys
    My girls Love..., Parenthood

    LeapFrog Educational toys…with a whole lot of fun

    It’s day 81 of lockdown…or is it actually day 2993 because sometimes it sure feels like it?! Even before…

    June 16, 2020
  • dead roses depression
    Lifestyle

    Not waving, but drowning

    Some days I feel everything. Some days I feel nothing at all. I sat on the couch the other…

    April 24, 2020
  • decorating eggs
    Food & Drink, Lifestyle

    Easy Easter Activities for families

    Joy and excitement surrounds the Easter period and whilst, this year, we might not have access to all the…

    April 7, 2020
  • easy chocolate chip cookies
    Food & Drink

    Easy Chocolate Cookies

    With the national lock-down looming for South Africa, don’t forget to add chocolate and baking goods to your grocery…

    March 24, 2020
  • being an influencer
    Lifestyle

    How to survive the world of the Influencer

    Among the top 20 hated words of the last decade, “Influencer” weighs in pretty heavily, eliciting mass eye-rolling and…

    March 6, 2020
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Hello!

Hello!

I'm Shante Hutton, mother to two wonderful girls, Rosie and Cece. Welcome to my lovely (and raw) world of parenting, food, wine, travel and British sarcasm.

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  • Zero to Supa-hero in 500 car seats
  • A getaway to Knorhoek
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  • *Live life in full bloom* . . You’re gonna want to save this post I am thrilled to announce that from the 23rd till the 31st Oct you can get 15% off ANY of the beautiful pieces from @annapatat_kids . . Been eyeing those botanical leggings for awhile? Now’s your chance to snap them up . . Or, you could get lost with me in the beautiful and whimsical tulle of the @annapatat_kids Ballet Dress in beautiful dusty pink - yes, I’m biased, but my girls look like freakin’ flower fairies I am obsessed . . This is one of the loveliest local brands that you really should be following and if, like me, you’re wanting to go FULL festive for Christmas, these dresses would be perfect . . Use the code ROSEANDTHORNS and please tag me in your choices - I would love to see what tickles your petals 😌😘 . . . Thank you so much @nooitgedachtflowers for letting us visit . . . . . . #allthingsbotanical #botanicalpickmeup #botanicalbeauty #justbefloral #botanicaldaydreams #alittlebeautyeveryday #click_vision #littlebitsof_life #lovingtheordinarymoments #bloomandgrow #aquitestyle #gatheredstyle #seekthesimplicity #momentsofmine #womensupportingwomen #makersmovement
  • *Now I know my CBDS…* . . For almost a month, I’ve been using the @apexhealthcbd CBD Mouth Spray and it’s taught me a lot about misconceptions Firstly, the most basic one, the mouth spray doesn’t taste like old pot pourri (don’t ask me why I thought that) - the peppermint taste is subtle (which is great because you all know my thoughts on peppermint) – I can taste the carrier oil which is Coconut, but it doesn’t linger Using the product is easy, it’s also Vegan and 100% legal Where I went wrong, was that I expected too much from it – I researched all the possible benefits for it and somehow thought that I would experience all of them instantly And when all 354 benefits didn’t happen, I felt despondent So I chatted about it with a friend who has used CBD oil to gradually help her get off her anxiety and depression meds and she suggested I focus attention on the main areas that I want help with Sleep was the resounding cry of my tired mind For reasons unbeknown to my sanity, I wake most nights at around 3 and remain awake worrying for two hours. What do I worry about? Whether I was too curt in an email, if the kids are happy, if my leggings still fit…my brain is a mess If I take two sprays of the CBD oil in the evening it’s like my mind begins to lay down all the extra baggage that I don’t need and I sleep so much better. Sure, Cece still wakes up 3 times every night, but I go straight back to sleep again I wake up feeling rested and focused which, when you’re juggling two kids, cleaning and work, is a blessing For others, CBD is widely used to improve emotional stability; it can help with heart health by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood, & it has anti-inflammatory properties… . . Will I continue to use it? Absolutely, and with lots of grace . . What are your initial thoughts on CBD oil, is it something you would use or have been using? . . If you want to try the @apexhealthcbd CBD Mouth Spray, remember, I have a 10% off code (SHANTE10) that you can use till the end of the month. Click the link in my bio for more details . . . . . . . . #lightinspired #cbdcommunity #womeninframe #thebloomforum #simpleandstill #cbdhealth #sponsored #myapex
  • *Zero to hero in 500 car seats* . . I remember clearly, after the birth of Rosie, being escorted from the hospital by a nurse so that she could check that we had a car seat installed in our car. I felt like I was being herded to detention. I panicked even though I knew we had a car seat, but I completely respected and appreciated the hospital’s diligence because, in reality, they are the ones dealing with the aftermath of not using proper child restraints whilst driving . . Using a car seat reduces the risk of your child dying in a car crash by up to 71% and reduces the possibility of hospitalization by up to 69% . . But according to a recent report of journeys taken on the road (found here) only 7.8% of child passengers were properly fastened and restrained. And many people cite the expense of car seats as a reason for not having one for their little ones . . So, what is the solution? . . We can keep screaming about the importance of car seats till we’re blue in the face but we also need an affordable way to get car seats to those who need them the most and @supaquick is one of the heroes for the task Supa Quick has partnered with Wheel Well, a non-profit organisation dedicated to road safety for children, to secure points across SA where we can drop off unwanted/no-longer-used car seats so they can be cleaned and fixed up to be given where needed. This process makes safety attainable, for all! . . Please click the link in my bio to see how you can help Supa Quick reach their 2020 target and make a difference to the safety of kids on the road – this is such an important initiative to be a part of . . . . . . . #sponsored #carseatsafety #safetyfirst #safetytips #mommyblogger #samommyblogger #dailyparenting #watchthemgrow #protectyourfamily #colorgram #ontheblog
  • *Does this wine make my smile look big?* . . This is the face of a happy, rested woman, basking in the glow of family time and sunshine @knorhoekwinefarm . . Over the weekend, we were invited for a little getaway, to stay in their self-catering cottages, and it was amazing for our souls - we had good food, lazy walks, pool time, and we did a spot of bird watching . . The full review is on the blog so tap the link in my bio to see all the details and head to my stories for a few select pics of our time . . This age with the girls is perfect for holidays - they pack their own bags (albeit with 273 pairs of socks and a random shoe), they get excited over everything - “Mum, can we take these ants home!?” and they go to bed with relative ease so that Mr H and I can enjoy a sunset and a bottle of wine. WIN! . . If you don’t read the blog post - and I’ll be major sad if you don’t - I’ll give you one heads-up about @knorhoekwinefarm - it’s great for active kids. If you want to have a nice breakfast or lunch and you need somewhere that allows kids to run free, safely, this is the spot for you! . . . . . . . . #momtogs #momcommunity #momentsinmotherhood #moments_of_mom #winelover #sawine #slowmotherhood #inspiremothers #instamommy #teammotherly #dearphotographer #photooftheday #picoftheday #justgoshoot #visuallife #welivetoexplore #ontheblog #seekthesimplicity #livethelittlethings #lifestyleblogger #stellenbosch #stayandwander #getaways #familyholiday
  • *Whose that girl?!* . . Rubbing my eyes in continued disbelief at how quickly this child of mine is growing - do you guys remember when she was all tiny with massive blue eyes and a toothless grin? 😭 . . I don’t think I mentioned it much when we were in the thick of it but the Twos with Rosie were brutal - her speech was delayed so she was constantly frustrated and angry at having so much to say but not ever able to verbalize it . . Having both girls home for the majority of this year has been phenomenal on their learning - their personalities are shining. Sure, we have the occasional heated moment, but not complete meltdowns or violent episodes . . We place A LOT of emphasis on apologizing in our family (it’s mainly me doing it to the kids) . . The inability to be able to tell others what’s going on in your head can be disastrous...I think a lot of us as adults struggle with this too . . . . . Rosie is wearing the new @stickyfudge ice cream tees (not sponsored) - I’m a huge sucker 😉 for stripes. Nautical is life . . . . . . . . #thatsdarling #flashesofdelight #theartofslowliving #littleandbrave #mamahood #momtog #thefamilynarrative #thehappynow #mytreasure #childofgrace #motherofdaughters #writeyouonmyheart
  • *I don’t work on Fridays, I make appearances* . . Today we’ve been invited for an overnight stay in the winelands and I wish I could bottle this excitement and smash it in all ya’ll faces This will be the first time staying out of the house in nearly a year AND I’m not going to be looking at my laptop 🤭 Naturally, I’m going to spam my stories with where we’re staying so please don’t be too mad 😌 . . . I took these pics the other day at Bakhoven, the GOAT beach - and when taking the photos, my mind was focusing on the awesome tips that @what.sophie.saw shared during lockdown in composition and framing - if you want shooting advice, she’s a maven! . . . Enjoy this Friday, my delightfully squishy friends - check in on us to see where we’re heading and let me know if you have any fun plans this weekend? . . . . . . . #treasuringlittlememories #magicofchildhood #beforetheygrow #childhoodwonders #candidchildhood #familyphotography #samomblogger #campsbay #capetownliving #letthekids
  • *Lip service* . . Can I admit something, I find flatlays super difficult For me, photos are about relationship and it’s tricky, with a flatlay, to portray a relationship between items - there’s an energy that’s missing and telling a story now becomes dependent on the space you create Take for instance these lipsticks - my favorites - it’s easy to show you (on the second image) how they relate to my face 😉 but placing them on a flatlay that draws your eye in takes practice The goal is to retain attention, and we do this by arranging the products you wish to photograph into invisible shapes so your eye is following a pattern - can you see the S theme in my image? Following the top of the red Revlon lipgloss down through the tops and bottoms of the other lippies? Can you see the loose S in the color swatches and the @foodphotographypropshop cloth? There are many other shapes you can try to keep the eye roaming over the image, and if you’re interested, I can show you some others I use? On the topic of lipstick, if you know me, you know I love a pop of color on the ol’ pucker (my Gran won’t go anywhere without a dash of pink) and I swear by the @revlonsa Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors for their staying power @maccosmeticsafrica is obviously always a winner, anyone else think they smell like cookies? And my @catrice.cosmetics tinted lip balm goes with me everywhere . . Any favorite lip products you use? . . And do you practice flatlays and styled images - do you find it easy or hard? . . (I’m wearing my new @bernali_designs top, size M, it’s so comfy, so preppy, so cute!) . . . . . . #howyouglow #makeyousmilestyle #thegoodlist #lipglossaddict #colorsplash #colorworld #colorsplurge #makesomething #flatlaystyle #wakeupandmakeup #lookamillion
  • *Time to make magic happen* . . Friends, I’m thrilled to tell you that my dulcet tones can be heard on @creativ.and.kin ‘s latest podcast! . . Barbara and I got chatting about collaborations, the thief of comparison, working with the human element, women empowerment, and why I think you’re a tasty snack...yes you, you’re a tasty snek . . . Thank you so much Barbara for inviting me onto your platform and creating such a safe and encouraging space to speak about such important matters . . Head on over to @creativ.and.kin to listen to our chat and I would love to get your feedback . . . . . . . . . #womensupportingwomen #womenwithambition #womenwholead #womenwhowork #womenentrepreneursunite #hardworkpaysoff #investinwomen #contentmarketing #believeinyourself #startuplife #empower #productivity #bloglife #femalefounders #collaboration
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