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Rose and Thorns

leapfrog toys
My girls Love..., Parenthood

LeapFrog Educational toys…with a whole lot of fun

dead roses depression
Lifestyle

Not waving, but drowning

decorating eggs
Food & Drink, Lifestyle

Easy Easter Activities for families

easy chocolate chip cookies
Food & Drink

Easy Chocolate Cookies

being an influencer
Lifestyle

How to survive the world of the Influencer

Lifestyle

The Rose & Thorns guide to: Being a lekker wedding guest

  • 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
  • Lifestyle

    The Rose & Thorns guide to: Being a lekker wedding guest

    Are you attending a wedding soon? Here’s some hot tips on how to enjoy yourself without stomping over the…

    February 28, 2020
  • Lifestyle

    The Rose & Thorns guide to: Enjoying your wedding

    Need to plan your wedding and actually enjoy it, or just commiserate on what you wish you did differently,…

    February 27, 2020
  • Lifestyle

    My favorite photos of 2019

    Wow, what a year! January 2019 was the moment I stepped out of the boat and into the waves…

    December 30, 2019
  • My girls Love..., Parenthood

    Encouraging imaginary newborn doll play for all

    There’s a gender-confined “rule” that at some young age a girl should receive her very first newborn doll. When…

    December 13, 2019
  • Explore, Food & Drink

    Leopard’s Leap makes family lunches lovely

    A few weeks ago we were invited to try the Rotisserie lunch at Leopard’s Leap in Franschhoek and it…

    December 3, 2019
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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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  • *Running on cuddles and caffeine* . . . Wanna hear a joke? Sleep I know, I don’t get it either 😴 . . On today’s agenda, “go slow” - this past week felt very manic...I got a bit of the morbs and I think we all felt very heavy so we need to embrace slow living and cuddle-giving . . . If you’re feeling the same, I’m wishing you a relaxed Sunday that’s full of grace and much napping . . And yes, that is Cece’s head under the blanket, she’s currently playing the world’s longest-running game of hide & seek 😆 . . . . . . . #ourcandidlife #raisingthefuture #documentyourdays #lovingtheordinarymoments #everythingtribe #photosinbetween #littlefamiliesofig #dailyparenting #unitedmotherhood #simplychildren #sundayvibes #slowliving
  • *Don’t let your mind bully your body* . . . Wow, so this is not easy to share... . . Lockdown has been incredibly hard on my already fragile self-image Due to binge-eating my anxiety and a lack of activity, I’m the heaviest I’ve been since 2008 and yes, I’m counting, because that’s what body image addicts do . . The thing is, I’m really tired of not liking my body . . I’m tired of saying things like, “I must get summer ready!” Summer ready for what?? So that I can keep wearing leggings under my dresses because I’m so ashamed of the way my knees look like disgruntled baby faces?! . . Isn’t it true, that so many of us look back and wish we celebrated the weight we were a few years ago, instead of wishing, at the time, to be thinner? . . So when does it end? Do we continue to “work” on our bodies rather than enjoy them? . . There is nothing wrong with change. Nothing wrong with getting fit/healthy but if it’s consuming your entire life, you’ve got to question whether you’ve created something far more sinister in your mind . . I can’t help but judge myself. I am unspeakably harsh. I’ve spent the majority of my life hating my body so I’m not expecting a 180 turn just because I posted this BUT, I hope it gives me perspective and accountability - and maybe it encourages someone else to look at themselves with more kindness . . So whilst I am still trying to shake of some of the pounds which make me feel personally uncomfortable, I’m gonna make a conscious effort to wear my jeans - the jeans that show a bit of “pudding” - and I’m going to try to not spend so much time in my day wishing to be different...or putting off wearing certain clothes because I think they aren’t “flattering” I’m going to try to appreciate the “now” and to stop counting every single damn calorie because I’m not a freakin calculator . . . . FYI - this is not a cry for praise or compliment (♥️) - receiving it often makes myself, and those struggling with body dysmorphia, feel disconnected and uncomfortable . . . . #bodypositive #yougogirl #worthyofattention #walkyourtruepath #timetoshine #nevergiveup #creativityfound #inspiremyinstagram #recklessimage #daretowear #slayallday #changeyourmindset
  • *Dino-mite comes in small packages* . . . If the Lord could grant me just a smidgeon of the energy and tenacity my 1 year old displays at 5:20am I would be unstoppable . . But instead, I’m huddled over my laptop, trying to answer emails but my fingers have frozen together There’s a mounting pile of washing - it’s multiplying - I swear at night I can hear the socks fornicating The kids have made an obstacle course around the lounge using the food tins and I’m pretty sure they’re gonna start throwing them at me like grenades I really need to pee but I don’t have a seat warmer and I value not losing my nether-nethers to the excessive cold of the toilet My husband is going to play golf later and I feel like replacing all his golf balls with quail eggs . . All in all, it’s a very Mondaying Monday - how’s your morning been? . . . . Rosie is wearing her new Dino top from @raising.wildlings_ and we’re all smitten! . . . . . #justmomlife #messy_motherhood #inspiremothers #teammotherly #unitedinmotherhood #honestlymothering #documentyourdays #lovingtheordinarymoments #everythingtribe #photosinbetween #littlefamiliesofig #dailyparenting #dinosaursofinstagram
  • *Not for ourselves alone are we born* . . . At the heart of parenting is the desire to give the very best to our children - to offer them a foundation from which they can launch into uncharted galaxies . . We want to see them soar. We want to see records smashed and goals achieved because we believe they have a uniqueness that the world needs to see . . Now imagine that every time you try and push forward for your kids, some one demands that you to sit back down and tells you that your focus is wrong, ungodly, misdirected even; Some one keeps telling you that your child is not deserving of that equal foundation . . And you are exhausted from fighting, from having to scream 10 times, 100 times louder than others - you’re worn down from being told you’re too aggressive, too forceful, too jealous, too anything but “manageable” But you can’t stop. You can’t rest because who else will work towards a better future for your children if it’s not you? . . Who will stand up? Who will help you keep the fires burning? . . Who will care enough to keep your voice reverberating whilst you catch your breath? . . . I will care . . I may get it wrong but I will keep trying, being open to continual learning . . I will stand, kneel, sit, wait, in whatever space you need me to . . . . . . . . . . #womenrising #doingthework #standtogether
  • *STOP and smell the roses* . . . Take time. Look. Marvel at what has transpired around you - notice the way your scars shine as a reminder of wars you’ve overcome Notice what you’ve built with your barehands - notice what others have washed with their tears What you prayed for in earnest a year ago, may be what you’re thanking God for now Do not let the overwhelming fear of the future prevent you from seeing how far you and others have come The way is not always paved with certainty. The path is often uneven, missing even in some places, but the path behind you has been dug out and established. You did that. You And I bet, at the time, it felt pretty damn impossible . . . . . . . . . #thepursuitofjoy #bloomandgrow #lifewellcaptured #bedeeplyrooted #visualsgang #risingtidesociety #alifeconscious #holdyourmoments #spilledink #thousandwords
  • *GIVEAWAY for all my snack biets’* . . . This comp is closed, the winner is @terimoonchild 🍎🍎 . . Who else is feeling a bit 🥴 from needing to make 28281 snacks a day for their kids? . . I’m trying to remember if my girls ate this much pre-lockdown or if we’re all just eating our feelings . . Whilst homemade snacks are great to attempt, sometimes one needs a quick, simple solution that offers organic nutrients and yummy flavors . . Ive teamed up with @organixfoodsa to giveaway a hamper worth over R500 of their tasty pouches for little ones who are always on the go - vegan, gluten-free, no artificial anything - the pouch packaging is also 70% plant based which is wonderful for #plasticfreejuly . . . How to enter 🍏Follow me 🍎Follow @organixfoodsa 🍏Tag 2 fave friends who might want to win this 🍎Leave me an emoji that best describes your face after hearing “I’m huuuungry” for the 45th time in a day 🍏Share to your stories for an extra entry (Not endorsed by Instagram or its affiliates. Comp ends 25th July. No spam. SA entrants only. Not exchangeable for cash. This is a trade exchange) . . . . . . #dailyparentjng #samommybloggers #raisingthefuture #parentlife #slaytheflatlay #bestofmom #worldoflottles #lovefood #livecolourfully #justmomlife #realparenting
  • *If parenting came with a GPS, it would permanently be “recalculating”* . . . My one year old is basically a walking, talking, middle finger with a degree in the dramatic arts My four year old is at the stage of playing her parents off each other with a soft spot for her Daddy...not like I did 41 weeks of morning sickness, heartburn, burning skin and round ligament pain for you my darling ☺️🙆🏻‍♀️ My husband thinks I’ve lost some of my adventurous side since becoming a parent but I distinctly remember leaving the house with everyone for this photo and if going out in public with kids isn’t daring enough then frankly, I don’t know what is . . . But whilst my head feels like it might explode 50% of the time, my heart is ready to do the same for the other 50%...and it just keeps life, well, “interesting” . . . Now, because it’s the weekend, let me go and fold away the 263 piles of washing I’ve been strategically ignoring all week What are your plans for the weekend friends? . . . . . . #motherhoodinspired #igmotherhood #lifeasmama #joyfulmamas #myhonestmotherhood #momtog #momlife #momcommunity #momentsinmotherhood #moments_of_mom #dearphotographer #photooftheday #picoftheday #justgoshoot #visuallife #parentinglife
  • *Be more of you and less of them* . . . Did you know, a bull shark can swim in salt and fresh water, favoring the mighty depths of the ocean and also the shallows? It’s adaptable af . . Rather like us women... . . So many of us have twisted ourselves into varied shapes and forms, navigating landscapes that call us to be a million different versions of ourselves. And we do it well. We do it because we often think we have to, because we’re told to ALL the time, by so many voices . . “you need to be nice, smart, sexy, strong, motherly, cautious, accommodating, serene, ambitious (but not too much) - you don’t need a man...but maybe you should...uplift society...but don’t try and change it...be gracious, in the face of all adversities...and don’t complain” . . Yet the truth is, we don’t need to be all things to all people . . Can I get biblical? Jesus had 12 disciples, all varied in personality and skill set - those paintings of a guy in a white and blue robe smiley serenely negate to mention that He chose two disciples who were called the sons of thunder. He had loud, aggressive friends and also quiet, careful thinkers . . This is a guy who needed no assistance and he set a precedent for showing that it takes ALL types to do good . . Whilst there is a lot of community on social media, it can also feel very lonely - you can feel on the outside because perhaps you’re too loud, too assertive, or you’re too quiet, too staid. BUT it takes all types. And you can slay ferociously like Boudicca or you can be a beacon of hope for the wounded like Mary Seacole. ALL TYPES . . . Tell us something people have said about you, something they tried to change, something that hurt you, and let’s pour some love into that wound ♥️ . . . . . #inspiremyinstagram #thatauthenticfeeling #verilymoment #momentsofmine #theeverygirl #pursuewhatislovely #yougogirl #worthyofattention #holdyourmoments #motivated #click_vision
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