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Rose and Thorns

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

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, 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
  • 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
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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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  • Printing up a storm with Epson L7160 EcoTank + free home printables
  • LeapFrog Educational toys…with a whole lot of fun
  • Not waving, but drowning
  • Easy Easter Activities for families
  • Easy Chocolate Cookies

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  • *Let the weekend beGIN* . . . I am a sucker for English-looking flowers - I dream of living in a cottage surrounded by wildflowers, wearing dresses with pockets, writing poetry and picking fruit and veg with the girls all day...I’ll just have to emulate that aesthetic for the time being @suntory_rokugin might not seem very English but the flowers that accompanied this press drop from @butter_knifepr felt very “me”...as do the flavors of the Gin Made from 6 Japanese botanicals (which are embossed on the bottle), it has a floral, yet citrus nose with a punchy, clean, peppery taste. It’s a great blend for those who like to pick out distinct flavors in their Gin We first had this brand when we bought a bottle of it for the MIL - I don’t know if anyone remembers when I shared a pic of her Gin collection, it’s deliciously diverse - we like to find brands she hasn’t tried before (because daughter-in-law points are important 😌😆) . . So now my plan for this evening is to sit on the couch, with a @suntory_rokugin G&T, watch Trolls World Tour for the 18838th time and have “Just Sing” screamed in my face. Bliss . . What’s your Friday night plans? . . . . . . #colorinspiration #lightinspired #makeportraitsnotwar #womeninframe #thebloomforum #botanicalpickmeup #creativityfound #inspiremyinstagram #recklessimage #pursuewhatislovely  #nothingisordinary_ #click_vision #littlebitsof_life #japanesegin #gin
  • “Mum, you’re in my personal space!” “Kid, you came out of my personal space” . . . Dear fellow (tired) parents, today I hope your hot beverages remain hot, your bathroom breaks are solitary, and that you can call your kids by their actual name the first time round . . I hope you have moments of peace amongst the chaos; I hope the hugs outweigh the stress and that no one is able to hear the rustling of the chocolate bar that you open in secret . . I hope you trust in your own parenting process and in your own knowledge of your kids and what they need from you I hope you get a chance to nap . . . What’s your hope for today? . . . . . . #childhoodunplugged #ourplayfulstyle #letthembelittle #littleandbrave #magicofchildhood #thehappynow #mytinymoments #kidsforreal #heaventhroughmylens #parentinglife #parentinghumor #parentingblogger #parentingwin #raisingthefuture #momitforward
  • *My legs are in a new relationship…* . . Sasquatch season is over, and Mama needs to finally bring out the big guns No more hiding in sweatpants, the season of the skirt is calling and my legs are teaming up with @LovingTouchShave Glide Four Blade razor to see if we can plough through the foliage I'm excited to put my winter legs to bed and embrace smoothness but will these razors be gentle enough for my sensitive skin? I'll also be putting their sensitive shaving gel to the test too...if anyone's looking for a new razor brand, check back with me in a week! . . Any other folks out there who only use razors on their legs, and are you ready to get the ol’ flesh pins out again 😉? . . . . . . . #samombloggers #lifestyleblogger #everydaymoments #verilymoment #sprintime #bloggerlife #livethelittlethings #sensitiveskin #skincare #LovingTouch #LoveYourself #LovingTouchGlide #DisposableRazor #Sponsored
  • *WINE GIVEAWAY* Today's forecast: 100 percent chance of a wine glass in my hand This past week I’ve been tasting through three of @perdebergwinery new wines from their Wanderlust range...all for research, of course 😌 Based in the WC, Perdeberg create a range of wines for varying tastes and pockets...and their restaurant makes brilliant kid’s food and has a lovely outdoor seating area - which seems like a strange thing to mention but finding kid friendly places is always a mission (am I right?) I digress The three wines I “researched” were 🔸Pinot Noir Chardonnay This is not a blend I would pick - I prefer it in MCC form 😉 - but they’ve given this wine body and a fruity crispness, with hints of strawberry and ripe berries I was most impressed with this because I don’t usually like this blend 🍓🍒🍬🍭 🔸Old Vine Chenin Blanc MCC It smells like toasted almonds and Granny Smith apples and tastes likes honey, pear and a touch of freshly baked and buttered baguette 🥐🍐🍋🍊🥖 🔸Grenache Blanc Fresh, aromatic summer-ready wine with a soft citrus fruit palate and a touch of peach and melon 🍐🍈🍋 Which has got your attention? Because, you can win a case of the Wanderlust range (and a tasting at Perdeberg if you’re in Cape Town) 🙌🏻🙌🏻 To enter, simply do the following: 🍷Follow @shante_hutton and @perdebergwinery 🍷Tell me which wine tickles your fancy the most 🍷Tag two winederful friends Extra entry if you share to your stories but not a requirement . . (Please don’t spam me. This comp is only open for RSA entrants. You must be over 18. Not endorsed by Instagram or its affiliates. My decision is final. Comp closes Saturday 19th) . . CHEERS! . . . . . . #winelife #vino #lovewine #southafricanwine #winedivine #roséallday #supportlocal #sundayfunday #visualsgang #flashesofdelight #beyondthewanderlust #heygirl #collab
  • *Making memories AND printing them too* . . Someone is super excited and proud to be holding this photo of her best friend…printed, dear friends, on our new printer, the Epson EcoTank *gasp* . . The quality of this printer is, to put it mildly, incredible – and I was actively trying to find things I didn’t like…coz you know what I’m like . . It was a breeze for Mr H to setup 😉 it’s quick, quiet and capable of printing the 200 homeschooling printables Rosie seems to need on a daily basis . . Sustainability is a core pillar of Epson and to prove that, with most of their new models, there is enough ink to print around 14,000 pages without needing to refill Yeah, just read that number again! I could go for years without having to buy more ink . . It’s now the dedicated home-schooling printer BUT, you should see this machine print a photo Yes, you may think that this print was from a reputable camera and printing business but no, it was by my own fair hands…okay, the printer had a little something to do with it I keep telling myself that I want more printed photos in the home and now I never need to leave home to do it Win!! . . I’ve written a post about in on the blog with more details – pros and cons – which I would obviously love you to checkout . . PLUS, I’ve created some cool printables for you to print off for the kids so click the link in the bio and tag me if you use them, I would love to see your kid’s creative flair . . . . . . #Sponsored #momtogs #simplychildren #oureveryday #cameramama #samomblogger #mommyblogger #ontheblog #seekthesimplicity #livethelittlethings #lifestyleblogger #epsonambassador #EpsonEcoTank #EpsonPrinter #homeschool #homesweethome
  • *Can you guess whose birthday it is?!* . . Here’s an obligatory family photo to mark Cece turning TWO *insert wild screaming* Two years of this gorgeous little bundle of high-octane energy and joy Lockdown has taken a lot of pressure off birthday planning and this day was lovely. There were presents (swipe to see her face when she saw them), cookies, cuddles, a trip to Spier, time on the jumping castle, and a level of chill that did us all good . . . There was no mass amount of food to prepare. No obsessive cleaning. No need to hire anything. It felt so relaxed Have you found celebrating birthdays during lockdown to be easier or more stressful? . . . . . . . . . #parentingwin #raisingthefuture #documentyourdays #lovingtheordinarymoments #everythingtribe #photosinbetween #littlefamiliesofig #dailyparenting #birthdaywishes #familyiseverything
  • *Not always eye to eye, but always heart to heart* . . . Did anyone else worry/wonder if their kids would get along? I had such a close bond with my brother and I prayed so hard that these two would be best friends...and so far, it’s been just that and it makes me a little emotional tbh (is that weird?) . . Sure, Rosie likes to test Cece’s limits but Cece gives it right back Some days it’s a war zone, some days it’s a zoo, some times it’s a “who can make mum internally scream the most” kinda-day . . I can’t wait till they’re older and tag team to truly drive me up the wall🥴 . . . Do your kids get along? . . . . . . . . . . . #siblinglove #motherofdaughters #dailyparenting #honestlyparents #parenthood_unveiled #ourcandidlife #parentinglife #parentinghumor #raisingthefuture #documentyourdays #lovingtheordinarymoments #everythingtribe #photosinbetween #littlefamiliesofig
  • *Little letters for your loss* . . Let no one tell you that all it takes is time - what is time but a construct of man; fallible and demanding Let no one tell you that it gets easier - Their uphill climb may be a slow walk, yours may be a painful crawl Let your shoulders fall, your chest heave, the tears flow and the ground shake at the weight of your grief Let all the moments be valid - the rising panic of dawn and the unfurling heavy darkness of night Let the noises settle so you can listen to the way your heart sighs And let happiness find you, because they would wish it so . . . Sunday marked a year since my Grandpa’s passing. As clear as day, I remember that morning, my mum’s call, the loss and heaviness of not being there We had plans to go to Babylonstoren, and we kept to them...and we did it again this year on Saturday, whilst the family laid his ashes and had a memorial, we had our own in the gardens Same, same...but oh so different . . . . . . . . . . . #writersofig #authenticity #writersofinstagram #breathe #lifewellcaptured #kindredmemories #subjectlight #inbeautyandchaos #thisisgrief #memorykeeping #inlovingmemory #griefjourney
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