Some days I wonder if I will ever be able to stick to a blog schedule again. I had every intention of finishing this post first thing on Tuesday morning. But then #momlife happened. Anyway, better late than never right? More giveaways to come and make you feel better! Also, if you are feeling like I am… exhausted to your bones, share this post with your other half or your sister or mother or child. While 1, 3 and 4 will be great for the misters in your life too, as an shattered mommy, I think every woman deserves one items from each of these! In case you missed it, here is the first half of my Christmas list for grown ups. And here we go with Best Christmas gifts for grown ups – Part 2!
SAN SERIF
Sanserif is a proudly South African business run by Capetonian Lizl Burger. She has been in designing for 20 years and I love her passion for gorgeous typography and clean simple designs. When I saw her calendar range, I was instantly in love… Grown ups like calendars right?
And when she sent me one of her calendar shoulder bag, I literally danced around the room with it.
“Sanserif is proud to partner with local artisans from the Breytenbach Centre in Wellington, a dynamic NGO which serves diverse communities through creating opportunities and empowering people.”
I love local supporting local! We also love that the products are 100% cotton, their dye and ink is water-based and biodegradable, and their paper is recycled or sourced from sustainable forestries. I love the originality of the products as well…
Sanserif has something for everybody without offering anything generic. I can’t wait to watch as this brand grows!
You can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
PANDORA
Some of you might remember that I cried a lot this Mother’s Day when I was sent this perfect PERFECT charm by the Pandora teamβ¦ I know it is meant to be for a bracelet, but I instantly put it on my favourite chain. It has become my lucky charm and a symbol of everything I do and love. The perfect piece of jewellery has that effect.
I still receive press releases from their team and every single time I torture myself by opening the brochure of all their new ranges and want to spend ALL the money. All of it. I would look exactly like a Christmas tree if I could afford to. And they bring out themed ranges for all occasions as well. Some of the below are (unsurprisingly) sold out in the online store, but you could possibly still find them in stores. PS. You only have til Monday 19th to place orders online…
If you have somebody special, start them off with one of the beautiful bracelets or chains with a single charm. And then you are sorted for gifts for every Christmas, birthday, birth, Mother’s Day, anniversary, celebration forever, because you just add another perfect charm! They really have something for everybody. Charm jewellery in particular is the perfect way for grown ups to indulge their quirkiness and be able to wear a snowman all year round π
You can find them here, here and here and they have stores all over South Africa.
TRAVEL MUGS
I can’t be alone with my obsession with travel mugs can I? I got two at the Kids Emporium blogger breakfast, one in the gift bag we were given and one as a prize. I use them both every day. The branding washed off forever ago, but coffee just tastes wrong in other cups now.
I have no idea where you buy my specific one, but I think that they are the perfect gift for any coffee-drinking grown ups. If you don’t drink coffee, I’m not sure we can be friends. You can find them all over, Takealot, Loot, YuppieChef and some amazing ones overseas (though the delivery date from overseas has passed).
My favourite things about my travel mugs
I have a toddler that likes to carry my coffee to me from the kitchen. I see you flinch in terror. Well! No need! The cup doesn’t get hot. Even if it did (which it doesn’t) there is a non-slip silicone thingy on it to protect little or big fingers and to reduce the chance of it slipping from your hands. And it has a sealable lid, that actually seals! So no hot coffee spilling over little (or big) hands, burning or being wasted! It is also big and holds the perfect amount of coffee. And if you keep the lid closed, it stays hot for AGES!
As you can see I am biased for travel mugs without handles, I don’t like them for some weird reason. I am also partial to the silicone non-slip casings and there needs to be proof that the non-spill lid IS actually non-spill… You know… Since it is my birthday in January…
Final verdict – Gift win!! (Totally gender/parent bias here, but if it’s a mom you are shopping for, this is a thoughtful gift that proves you appreciate all she does :D).
ALL THE PAMPERS FOR GROWN UPS
Speaking of showing understanding and appreciation… There is no better way to say I love you than to give your special someone a spa voucher. Somewhere they can go, quiet, no small humans or large humans talking at them, asking for things or throwing themselves down and screaming… The quiet alone is an amazing gift when you are a parent. And then they get to choose whether they want to have a full body massage or have somebody rub their feet and paint their toenails, or to have a manicure or a facial that makes them feel as if the years of exhaustion have all been lifted.
Because I am Cape Town based, these are my favourite Cape Town experiences. Mommy Wellness has locations all over, so you can double check if there is one near you and then I know the Sorbet group are also amazing, so a nice big voucher from there will do the trick!
Rouge Day Spa
There is something special about Rouge in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. They made it onto my Christmas list last year after just one visit. Since then I have been a very loyal customer. I love that it is 5 minutes from my home in gorgeous leafy quiet suburbia. I love that the staff are warm and sincere and become friends within a few minutes of meeting them. I also love that they are the very best at what they do. I love that the owner, Lindsay, is a young mom who has made it her mission to make Rouge a (cleaner, more luxurious, quieter) home away from home.
I love that there are items on their menu like the Chick Flick package, where you bring your friends, get a mani or pedi, drink campagne, eat popcorn and watch a chick flick (BEST AFTERNOON EVER)…
They have added a Summer version that I suggested where you can have a mani or pedi with friends and cocktails by the pool! There is the Rouge Pick-me-up Package, which you can enter to win here, that is everything that is awesome and the very very best gift you could give a mom ever. There is even a package specific to the guys, that gets them a Swedish back massage, Gent’s Environ facial and a Gentβs Pedicure with a craft beer! I had my birthday party there this year, treating my nearest and dearest to a mani or pedi while we drank champagne, ate cupcakes and made far too much noise.
And… I recently discovered they can do your makeup too. While most of the grown ups I know can do magical things with their makeup, I am not one of them. I was thrilled to find that one of my favourite people ever, Koko, does the makeup at Rouge and can do anything from photo-ready to run-of-the-mill date night makeup. So, if you are like me, be sure to book for your next special occasion <3 Even if that occasion is drinks with the girls!
A little secret… When you are done, you can stay! Yes, you heard me… You can remain in this oasis of quiet, on the couches in the lounge or on a lounger by the pool. You can have a swim, have a nap or pull out your laptop and get some work done while you hide from the real world out there. If you are desperate for somewhere to just get away for an hour, you don’t even need to get a treatment. Just come sit by the pool and close your eyes for a bit.
You can get a beautiful voucher from Rouge Day Spa just by popping in. They are open a lot over the holiday season, but please call them on 021 797 9871 to make sure somebody is available to organise for you!
You can find Rouge Day Spa on their website, on Facebook and on Instagram!
Mommy Wellness
Mommy Wellness opened a branch of their well known Northern Suburbs spa in M5 Office Park earlier this year. They invited me to come for a treatment to check out their spa and trial their (very talented) staff. As with the next spa on the list, this was during #CarseatFullstop. I was desperate to relax and just enjoy some quiet away from the chaos of the campaign, so I accepted. I didn’t realise how overwhelmingly busy I would be, which is why I am only doing a review here and now. How awful is that? Anyway…
Mommy Wellness is located very conveniently right alongside the M5. It is a quick turn off coming from the South or the North. As the name implies, they specialise in safe, relaxing pregnancy and mommy spa treatments; they have since added a whole menu of daddy treatments too! The spa itself is a clean light space with lovely detailing. The staff, Michelle and Sara Lee, were really lovely. After completing the usual form, I was given a little tour and then treated to a Mommy’s Time Out package. Sara Lee has magic hands and the one hour massage was incredible! My only complaint… 60 minutes was not nearly enough! I could have hidden away in this cool calm environment all day.
Mommy Wellness runs the most amazing specials every month, it is well worth following on their Facebook page, signing up for their newsletter or just popping over to their promotions page when you are feeling in need of a pamper.
The feature I loved most about Mommy Wellness was the fact that they have a play room! If you let them know that you need to bring your child/children along, they will book a nanny to engage and play with your little one/s while you are being given the break you desperately deserve! Looking for something fun to do with your kids? Give them to somebody new and exciting to entertain in a safe environment while somebody gives you massage π
This would be the perfect gift for a pregnant mama, even more so for a pregnant mama with another child. With the heat of January and February yet to come, a quiet cool space where somebody qualified and caring gets your circulation going and eases the body aches that come with pregnancy.
You can find Mommy Wellness on Facebook and you can see all their branches on their website!
Lyftaal
As you might notice in the video above, I discovered Lyftaal spa when I attended the media launch of the Le Riche Naturals range. I received the best facial I had ever experienced. They used the rich luxury natural Le Riche range which is why my skin felt like silk after… But their staff was superb and the spa itself was the most perfect setting. Under beautiful high trees in an incredibly tranquil area of Paarl, a simple exterior homes a little paradise.
If you are every looking to really “get away from it all”, a slow drive out to this very special spa.
You can find them on Facebook, their website it getting a fresh coat of paint π
I hope you’ve all found the best “last minute” perfect gift ever for the grown ups in your life!
Just a note that while I have received sample products and services from all of the above at some point this year, they did not pay to be included in this list π I just love what they do and believe you will too!
Sending all the love xxx
4 replies on “Best Christmas gifts for grown ups – Part 2”
[…] also ran into an incredibly special lady I met at the launch of Le Riche Naturals; the owner of Spice 4 Life and the creator and director of Africa Women Innovation and […]
[…] Day Spa is an integral part of that plan. Some of you would have seen my Christmas Lists Part 1 and Part 2. What I say about Rouge in Part 2 is so very true… It is a home away from home – […]
Ah-mazing list! Especially the treatments! What I wouldn’t give for even just an at home treatment π
Thanks love! There is a contact in last year’s Christmas list (and a few other places here) for an amazing at-home therapist – Bernice from Mommy Massage. She is amazing! I am loving going out to a clean bright space where there are no children or playdough squashed into the floor so I can completely switch off. But there is also huge value in staying home and not having to get back into your car and facing the traffic after finally feeling relaxed π X