Out and About: In the Cape Winelands
Looking for something to do in and around Cape Town with the family? Yesterday we were too!
A simple Google search turned up this amazing map of the Cape Winelands. (Click Here to download the .pdf 1.3mb) Using it enabled us to quickly pinpoint which wine estate we wanted to try out, and yesterdays selection was Delvera Wine Estate, off the R44 near Stellenbosch.
Please note that all reviews are unannounced and paid for in full by NessWorld.
Images from this post are courtesy of the Delvera Wine Estate website and are hosted on our own server. (A flat battery in my car, and the resulting stress of having everyone packed, hatted, shod and sunscreened and strapped in already, meant that I accidentally left my camera behind. My bad.)
Our plan was to try out the Simonsberg Cafe, and then unleash the children in the play area.
Things that I really liked:
The outdoor restaurant area is beautifully canopied by very large and beautiful trees, so we were well shaded, and enjoyed a dappled sunny afternoon, rather than sweltering in the heat!
The restaurant menu is reasonable (compared to other wine farm restaurant prices) and had many classic childrens favourites.
The children had enough time to play for a little while before the food arrived, so when it did they were more than happy to eat. In fact the timing of the arrival of the wine (we chose a local Knorhoek Chenin Blanc) and the food was perfect in every respect, even considering that we arrived after 14h30.
The waitress was friendly, professional, and thoughtful to remember things for the kids like tomato sauce. (Can’t remember how many times I’ve had to ask for it in restaurants!) She also picked up an error on our bill before we did, and rectified it immediately.
We both ordered the classic ‘Simonsburger’ which exceeded all our expectations when we were presented with a real hamburger patty (as in made from scratch, not pre-packaged frozen rubbish), which was delicately spiced and served on freshly baked farmhouse bread rolls with rocket and the most delectable onion marmalade.
They elevated the chips (literally, in a bowl on the plate) to so much more than just your average french fry and even though it was enough as a portion, I could have happily inhaled another bowl. But then, I do have an unnaturally close relationship with carbs.
Both kids opted for the chicken nuggets (again, real chicken!) and chips, and my eldest not only polished his plate, but attempted to finish his little brothers as well. Again, the portion sizes were fine, but then the food *was* delicious.
The tables where we chose to sit outside were thoughtfully spaced, and ideal for people with little kids. Each table is set into it’s own private little area, and even though you can hear others nearby, it is like you have the place to yourself.
The play area was in site of our table, so my eldest (who is only 4) could go back and forth and wave to us from on top of the play house.
Our entire bill came to ZAR 250.00 (including a ZAR70.00 bottle of wine and a ZAR30.00 tip for the good service), and in my mind was well worth it for a family of four, and in such a beautiful environment.
What I didn’t like:
Absolutely nothing!
Suggestions to visitors considering a visit to the restaurant:
My youngest is 21 months old and is at that age where he just runs without looking where he’s going and without stopping when told to.
Now while this was absolutely fine given the environment, with plenty of little kids around and no major bodies of water (except for a 20 cm deep, 2m wide rock pool at the very bottom picnic area), the area is so well foliaged on either side of brick paved pathways, and shaded that we had to leave the table to keep an eye on him, because the plants are taller than him.
That was my only ‘issue’ as it were, and once we’d finished lunch, we all took the short stroll down to the grassy area at the bottom where we could work off some energy. Also note, that the play area/jungle gym is only for children under 8, and while it was adequately entertaining for my 4 year old, it is quite small.
Lastly, there are a whole host of other attractions on Delvera Wine Estate that we did not have a chance to visit, including:
A function venue, Pony Drawn Cart rides (on Sundays), a Wine Shop, a Wool Shop and Farm Kitchen, a Ceramics Studio, a Clothing Design Collection by Delilah the Pure Earth Workshop, an indigenous plant Nursery, an Olive Shop, the Dirtopia Trail Centre (we are SO coming back for that!), and I can definitely see us sneaking a weekend away at the Oakleaf Lodge Self-Catering Accommodation.
There is so much more, and far more than I could possibly list here, so please visit their website, or better yet, visit the Wine Estate itself.
Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Starring Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett
The best thing about *this* member of the Indiana Jones franchise? No monkey brains for dinner!
Yes, I’m happy to report, upon closer inspection of this movie, when I watched it again last night that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
THEY ATE MONKEY BRAINS.
Okay, I’m moving along swiftly, from monkey brains to CRYSTAL SKULLS OF EXTRA TERRESTRIALS.
As always, Indiana Jones is based on pure fact. Hah!
Jest though I may, but The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull contains all the right ingredients of action, intrigue, betrayal and ancient artifacts as the other two main ones (Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade
I think that one of the reasons we are happy to suspend our sense of reality for the 90 or so minutes that it lasts, is because it is set in the time of the Cold War, and Cate Blanchett makes a very welcome appearance as the Russian femme fatale, and never has a shapeless blue jumpsuit and black boots been more appealing.
Totally loved the hair too Cate ! But yes, this shift in time allows us to easily imagine the goings-on as possible.
Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf and Karen Allen (from the original movies) are all featured, with Shia catering to a younger audience, and probably winning the IJ franchise some new fans, in much the same vein as which Episode I did for Star Wars.
Did I just compare Shia LaBeouf to Jar-Jar Binks? You betcha! No insult intended though.
Which reminds me, I’ll be reviewing the Transformers Movies in due course as well as Twilight, so stay tuned for that movie lovers!
What struck me is that at 60-something, Harrison Ford has still got that ‘it’ factor that makes him so watchable, and I’m sure many a post-menopausal tannie was getting their hair blown back whilst enjoying him in this movie.
So, if ancient Mayan is your lingo, chase scenes with killer cold war Russians your kind of action, along with giant killer ants, massive waterfalls and lots of suspense and betrayal your gig, then by all means do pick up a copy of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
here, or click here for the blu ray version
if you have a PS3 or blu-ray player. It’s definitely one for the collection.
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5 Ways to Cure Those End of Year Blues
Don’t you think that the whole world goes crazy at this time of year?
The jingles, the songs, the music, the food. Aren’t these the exact reasons why people get depressed at this time of year?
Sometimes all the happy faced cheerful people who proclaim “It’s a wonderful, joyful time of year!!” leave you with nothing more than a strong desire to punch them in the guts.
The fact is that all this overboard so-called happiness and cheer is nothing more than hot air, false bravado, and some people would be more believable if they simply cut out a photograph of someone else and pasted it over their faces.
I’m not saying we should drop the whole idea of the holidays (Christmas, Hanukka or whatever you celebrate), but I am saying that we should be realistic about it. Maybe you AREN’T feeling it. You know what? That’s okay.
So often we get so bombarded with it, with the shops building up all their Christmas bling as early as October already. Then it’s the endless round of carols by candlelight and school concerts at the beginning of December. Follow this up with the plethora of celebrity chefs and personalities showing you how to cook better, be better, look better, decorate better.
We mentally bludgeon ourselves if our own efforts do not live up to what the print magazines say they should look and be like.
Frankly I think it’s ludicrous to have one set of china and crockery that only gets hauled out on one occasion a year. Rather donate the money you would have spent on those decorative glittery table stars (that only clog the vacuum anyway) and the silver charger plates (a fancy name for what basically is nothing more than a place mat with delusions of grandeur) to a charity that really needs it.
I am not trying to kill the holiday spirit. Really, I’m not. I just think that humanity would be a lot better off if we could all just GET A GRIP.
People are tired at this time of year. Faced with enormous pressures, financially, physically and mentally. Then we have to go and raise the bar on ourselves and live up to some fairytale expectation that everything should be perfect and *happy* too. Wouldn’t it be nice if everything could be perfect? Or at the very least better?
If you are not feeling the holiday spirit this year, I believe that the following steps could help you to feel better:
1. Gratitude List
Make a list of things for which you are grateful. Even if you’ve just celebrated thanksgiving (I’m looking at my American friends here) this is something that we should all be doing everyday anyway. It doesn’t have to be a physical ‘sit down with a pencil and make notes’ kind of list, but maybe just make a mental list, when you wake up, or in the few minutes before you pass out exhausted in the evenings there are always things to be grateful for. You only have to look.
Doing this simple exercise helps you to really shift your priorities. You may be simply happy to have your immediate family all around you (or away for the holidays, depending on your relationship!). You may be grateful for your health, your kids, your dog, the roof over your head. Kind of makes the silver charger plates that you don’t have pale by comparison immediately right?
2. Make a List of Goals
Whoa there cowboy. Please do not for one minute think I am talking about new years resolutions, because we’ll deal with that ball of wax closer to the time. I mean make a list of goals that you’re hoping to achieve in your lifetime. Break them down into smaller steps. Remember a wise man once said (anybody know who?), “The man who moves a mountain, begins by carrying away the small stones.” Making a list of goals, and the steps required to achieve them, brings your vision for yourself into focus, and provides you with pathway with which to achieve them. Suddenly, they may not seem so impossible.
Spend some time daydreaming what it will feel like, when you’ve achieved that goal. Want to climb Kilimanjaro? Imagine yourself standing at the summit, raising your arms in joy at your achievement. Want to start your own business from home? Why not imagine making your first sale, or receiving your first payment? How exciting!
You’re feeling better already aren’t you?
3. De-clutter your home and your life
A tidy room, equals peace and contentment. Take your old newspapers and magazines to the recycling centre, donate old books to a library, or an underprivileged school. Go through your email inbox and clear out the junk and read messages. Do your operating system a favour and clear your temporary internet folder and recycle bin out. Clear out your old clothes and either donate them to charity, or sell them to a second hand shop, you will be amazed by how clearing out old ‘stuff’ makes room in your life to let bigger and better things in.
4. Volunteer
Yes, I’m talking to you. No need to look over your shoulder to see if I’m talking to the person behind you. There are few greater ways to be grateful for the things in your life, by spending a few hours volunteering to make things better for people (or animals) who have less than you. Find a soup kitchen to help at. Take some cupcakes to an orphanage, visit some old folks whose family have forgotten them, go and walk dogs at an animal shelter. The fastest way to feel happy, is to give other people happiness.
5. If all else fails, seek humour
Laughter is the best medicine. So go and read the lolcats blog if you’re adamantly down in the dumps, because there is something on there for everyone. Cats, dogs, fails, celebs. You will absolutely find something funny enough for you to at least crack a smile.
Now, share your thoughts with me in that comments box below. What are you grateful for? How do you help yourself get into the swing of the crazy season?
Movie Review: Star Trek, Starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto
I absolutely regret NOT having seen Star Trek 
In fact I am tempted to rig up some sort of home based cinema, in order to fully appreciate the absolutely mind blowing visuals featured in this movie.
The era of the ‘pre-quel’ (the opposite of a sequel) began really, for me with Episode 1 of Star Wars. You know the trend, that movies have nowadays where instead of taking the story further, they do a ‘prologue’ or ‘before the time’? Since that movie, there have been various attempts at pre-quels some good (The Phantom Menace) and some not so good, (The Young Indiana Jones).
I’m happy to report that as an avid Sci-Fi fan, Star Trek was a big, BIG hit with me! Even if they hadn’t chosen to feature Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) in the movie, it would still have been great, but this way at least the die hard Trekkies got to glimpse their hero give his signature finger signal and say, “Live Long and Prosper”.
What I found particularly interesting was how they showed us, how the friendship between James T. Kirk and Spock was borne out of a mutual dislike, and at its most basic a bitter rivalry, fueled by the raging testosterone of both young men. Both Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) do excellent jobs as the younger versions of their more famous older characters and one can imagine that it must have been somewhat of a thrill for them, probably having seen some of the original series as young boys. Say what you like Quinto, but I know you got a kick out of donning those famous ears!
Also a pleasant surprise in the movie (for me personally) was the appearance of Karl Urban (Eomer from LOTR!) playing McCoy (Doc). He had the original McCoy’s dry sense of humour and slightly pedantic (though ironic) tone of voice down perfectly.
Again, another pleasing appearance was John Cho (of Harold and Kumar, and American Pie fame) playing Sulu. There is a moment in the movie where he volunteers for a ‘dangerous mission’ saying that he’s had hand to hand combat training.
Then, in the shuttle on the way to the mission, Kirk asks him, what kind of training he’s had, and he replies with perfect comedic timing, “Fencing“. I just love that he made him out to be a bit nerdy.
Until we actually see him fight.
Then the joke is on us.
Nice one.
Zoe Saldana (best remembered by me, for her role as the ballerina with the attitude in Centre Stage), plays a very hot Uhura, who as it turns out, has a thing for Spock! Didn’t see that one coming either. Again, very nice.
Lastly, when I first saw the movie, I didn’t realise that the guy who plays George Kirk (James T’s father) is none other than Chris Hemsworth, of Australian Soap “Home and Away” fame. I’m guessing after *this* movie, he may stay out of soaps for awhile!
Yet another familiar face, this time playing the part of the very memorable Scotty, is Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Mission Impossible III). In fact I would say that the casting of this movie is so incredibly accurate and true to type that it must have played a very, VERY large role in the success of the movie.
Ben Cross (hands up those of you who also always immediately think of the ding ding ding of the Chariots of Fire theme when they hear his name?) also puts in an appearance as Spocks Vulcan father, and frobs above, Winona Ryder plays his Human mother.
Last but not least, had I not seen it in previews, I would have never guessed (with all that make up) that Eric Bana plays the part of the super villain, the Romulan “Nero”. Pity there was no reason for him to remove his shirt in this one ladies.
It’s a definite thumbs up for Movie Night in our household, so much so, that we’re getting the DVD. We may just have to upgrade our television too, to fully appreciate the dramatic sweeping depth of field scenes of far distant planets and incredible action.
Trust me when I tell you to watch this one, and better yet, buy it
WAHM: 5 Reasons Why You Should Start a Home Based Business
The dream of working from home resonates with many different types of people.
Your reasons for choosing to do so, may differ from someone else, but in essence the benefits are largely the same.
So whether you choose to work from home in order to be available to fetch your kids from school, so that they can be home in the afternoons, instead of at day care, or if you’re a single person, or married with no kids, perhaps the attraction lies in being able to go to work in your pajamas and fluffy slippers, either way there are a multitude of benefits!
Whatever your particular reasons, the following 5 points are facts when you decide to work for yourself, at a home based business.
1. Better Flexibility
Hey, all you Moms out there in the Workplace, who of us hasn’t cringed at the thought of having to tell our boss that we have to leave to fetch a sick child from school, and then wondered if perhaps *this* is why you keep being skipped over for promotion? Do your childless coworkers roll their eyeballs at you behind your back as you take your child to yet another doctors appointment, because they see this as nothing more than slacking off‘?
The fact is that you immediately have a much greater flexibility over your life when you choose to work for yourself, and particularly so, if that business is run from home.
Do you remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada
That could be you!
Though realistically, unless you have ridiculous amounts of start up capital, or you actually already live in Paris, chances are you won’t be jetting off immediately.
So, let’s keep it real.
But don’t stop dreaming, because when the going gets tough, if seeing Paris is on your bucket list, it will certainly keep you motivated!
2. Lower Overheads
If you are able to start up your business from home, naturally, you will save on business premises rental costs. Since most homes these days already have an internet connection and telephones etc, then you may not need to splurge on any large items to start off with, although it may be best to evaluate your existing plans, and factor in the fact that you will now be using more bandwidth etc, so perhaps you may need to upgrade your internet deal.
Even if you are starting out as a photographer, with the really affordable prices of DSLR cameras currently on the market, your startup costs could be relatively small and won’t break the bank either. There is no need to go and buy an entire studio set up, until you have sourced a few clients first. You may even find that you have a knack for shooting without expensive studio equipment, and may decide to focus on outdoor, natural light photography. You never know.
The one expense that you should always remember however, is the designing of a decent business identity, by a reputable graphic designer. This is vitally important that your business immediately has an brand that your future customers can begin to identify with. Also make sure that you factor in marketing costs, as you will need to get the word out in order to begin to source clients.
We’ll cover things like choosing a business name, where to find a good graphic designer in upcoming posts.
3. Choose Your Clients (You get to call the shots in your own life!)
If you’ve come from a full time position where you’ve been employed by someone else, and you have decided to become a freelancer, then there is a good chance that you have already built up a relationship with some of your clients and they may decide to follow you.
This is the ideal situation for a freelancer, if the client has been a regular, and a prompt payer!
However you are now in a position (if you can afford it) to pick and choose the types of clients that you want to deal with. Do not be tempted to just accept anything (unless you have a family to feed!) in order to make money.
My point really is this: You may have a great interest in cars (for example) and yet the only design work you did at your previous job was on footwear or pharmaceutical campaigns. You are now in an ideal position to target the car related market, in order to begin to do the work you love.
4. Tax Benefits
Depending on where in the world you live, and whether or not you begin to run your business as a sole proprietor, or register a corporation there may be significant tax benefits associated with running your business from home.
Please note, that it is very wise in this situation to seek advice from a registered accountant or tax advisor in this regard in order to obtain the correct information for your locale and situation.
In some cases, you may be able to claim a portion of your home mortgage payment as ‘business premises rental’ (in some countries), and you may be able to write off the purchase of items such as computers, faxes, telephone systems against your expenses, providing of course that these items are predominantly used for your home business, which they will be given that you’re going to be working from home!
Again, please seek professional advice on what you can, and cannot do, pertinent to your country’s laws.
5. Your Achievements are All Yours
No snarky co-worker to steal your thunder!
No one claiming credit for your brilliance!
The joy you will feel at starting your own business, running it successfully and building it into a viable entity will be one of the best achievements in your life. If you’re a WAHM, then even more so, because you did it, with kids on your lap!
I will never forget hearing (on the Ellen Show) how Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight
You don’t have to become the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates in order to consider yourself a success (although their income would be nice right?). Perhaps you’ve built yourself a great little team of Avon sellers, or you set yourself a target of reaching certain measurable goals and you achieved them ahead of schedule. (We will be covering various programmes like Avon, and other home based enterprises aimed at women in greater detail over the coming month).
It doesn’t matter what you decide to do from home, because provided you have the will to succeed, the desire to work hard and the motivation to never give up, then you have at least half the battle already won.
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