Bassie turns 11 over Easter long weekend 2018

Little Bassie is now 11 years old and we had a wonderful time celebrating her special day last weekend, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Thursday, 29 March 2018: First fire of 2018

It was rather chilly last Thursday evening, so we lit our first fire of the year in the fireplace. I warmed my bare feet while the doggies happily huddled nearby – Bassie is on the couch, if you’re trying to spot her.

Friday, 30 March 2018: Cup & Cake breakfast on Good Friday

After a leisurely lie-in we decided on Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay for breakfast. See my caramel latte to start the day.

The food was so good! I had the French Toast sandwich with banana, sweet fried onions and cream cheese while Husband had a classic eggs benedict.

It was a cold day, overall, as is usual for Good Friday – note the Winter grey sky and green sea. Note that Husband was just exploring along the coastline, he did not take a dip.

We picked up some Good Friday treats, to last throughout the long Easter weekend.

Bassie pretended to not be interested in the chocolate hot-cross buns. See her ‘not looking at the foodies’ face on the second shot.

Saturday, 31 March 2018: Musselling in Bloubergstrand

Surprise! We’d just ordered our food and drinks for breakfast at News Cafe with brother-in-law Spec on Saturday morning (he’d slept over at ours) when Mum and Dad walked in! See our various coffees topped with foam hearts and elephants, early bird breakfast specials and the City Slicker eggs benedict Husband ordered for a change.

Proof we were all there.

Then it was time for musselling with Husband’s family, just down the road at Bloubergstrand. All equipped with permits and a suitably low tide, they were ready to wade in.

This lovely golden retriever doggie came bounding over to sit with me after his dip in the sea. His name was Charlie.

You can just make out the mussellers near the rocks here.

We decided on liquid treats at Saint’s in Eden on the Bay later that afternoon. See Spec’s blueberry mojito, my Insomniac shake and Husband’s ‘Fat Mary’ – a bloody Mary topped with candied bacon. Yum!

Husband finally had his proper dip in the sea that afternoon.

The mussels had since been cleaned and cooked, and were eaten as a starter by the others at the braai at the parents later that afternoon. There was also a ‘rosbif’ (roast beef) braaied on the Weber-spit with taters, and lots of veg.

Of course there were all sorts of Easter goodies for dessert. Also see the doggies sitting sweetly.

Bassie was very interested in all the Easter treats but received her own doggy treats as it was the day before her birthday.

Sunday, 1 April 2018: Easter Sunday and Bassie’s 11th birthday

Bassie got lots of special birthday girl attention on Sunday. See Bertie just under Husband’s arm, not willing to move out of the photo.

Surprise (again!) We had just ordered our food and drinks at Mugg & Bean in Table Bay Mall on Sunday morning when Mum and Dad appeared! We moved to a bigger table to eat together. See dad’s ‘serious cappuccino’ and blueberry flapjacks on top, my banoffee French toast bottom left, Mum’s avo egg toast in the middle and Husband’s M&M Classic.

We stopped in at Eden Cafe for our Sunday afternoon treats. See my passionfruit shake and Husband’s Castle Lite.

Various attempts at getting the birthday girl to look happy in her birthday-hat pic this year (her hat is smaller than the one the rest of us wear, but still a little big for her).

Mmm. We’d brought along a malva pudding-style sticky-toffee baked pudding for Easter dessert.

Monday, 2 April 2018: Family Day doggy beach walks

We breakfasted at Cafe Lacomia in our nearest Builder’s Warehouse on Monday. See Husband’s sloppy joe, my toasted chicken mayo and my cafe mocha.

The weather was finally right for a doggie beach visit late on Monday morning.

Doggies running eagerly towards the sea with Husband.

We really kept things local this past long weekend. For our Monday treat we decided on an early-dins at Doodles…

See Husband’s linefish of the day (angelfish) with veg and baked potato, as well as my melt burger with pepper sauce and Bar-one shake.

The sea was crashing over the rocks with Table Mountain under a light cloudy duvet as we took the scenic route home.

I had a belated Easter treat with a cup of coffee in a reindeer mug that evening. Delicious!

That’s all, folks! Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s update, which will feature a visit from special friend, Gords. Have a happy weekend 🙂

Table Mountain views and tasty Forries tapas

Last weekend the weather took a turn for the chilly, as you’ll see from our clothing in the pics below. I think it’s fair to say we’re ready for winter though, hopefully with lots of rain!

Thursday, 8 March 2018: Retail marketing trends talk at FCB

Oh how I love the FCB Cape Town offices. All the bright colours and lights and views of the trees outside.

Snacks! Pencils! FCB notebooks! Trees! Click here if you missed my coverage of the session retail marketing session presented by Chicago’s FCB Red.

Couldn’t ignore this eye-catching graffiti on my way from FCB’s office after the talk to the Woodstock MyCiti bus stop that afternoon.

To mark the end of a steady stream of weekend work for both of us, we went out to dins at Doodles that evening. See Husband grinning in the sunshine, his curry-topped pizza, my nachos and latte, and the sunset. Cue heart-eyes emoji!

Friday, 9 March 2018: Columinate research presentation at The Cullinan

I covered Columinate’s ‘measure of tomorrow’ research presentation on Friday, held at The Cullinan Hotel. We were treated to a delicious brunch and there were bicycles galore ahead of last weekend’s Cape Cycle Challenge (formerly known as the Argus}. Click here if you missed the resulting article!

Saturday, 10 March 2018: Forries’ tapas snacks and Black Bull dins

We needed to purchase and price a few products at our local Builders Warehouse so ate in the accompanying Cafe Lacomia. See my chocolate-sprinkled cappuccino with not one, not two, not three but FOUR mini cookies, also my toasted chicken mayo and Husband’s sloppy joe (eggs and mince on toast). Just what we needed!

That afternoon we were on the Claremont side of the world and the weather was quite wintery so we stopped in at the Forester’s Arms for a quick treat. See Husband with his Castle 1895 draught, me with my strawberry shake and delicious foodies in the next photo…

We decided on two types of tapas – the roasted chili poppers wrapped in bacon with a fig glaze (yum) and beef satay – that peanut-chili-coconut dipping sauce is amazing!

We met Husband’s parents for dins at the Black Bull diner, which is roughly ten minutes from both our houses. See my caramel shake top left, the ‘starter portion’ Alabama ranch baked potato (there are two of them topped with cheese and bacon, with a side tub of sour cream) – Mum-in-Law and I each ordered this and each ended up taking a full potato home), the bangers and mash that Husband and his father devoured and the mushroom starter shared by most of the table.

Sunday, 11 March 2018: Afternoon treats at Cup & Cake, Eden on the Bay

Stark Ayres’ Pink Olive breakfast usually means a cappuccino and the made-to-order scones for me, with Husband downing a Coke Zero and the salmon eggs benedict.

Cup & Cake was the venue of our Sunday afternoon treat. You can just see Husband’s cappuccino and my Zoo-biscuit shake, here.

Husband also had some salmon sushi as part of his Sunday afternoon treat at Eden on the Bay.

The view of the mountain from our side of the cape was just gorgeous.

More shots of the lovely mountain that afternoon.

Monday, 12 March 2018: Cat joins Husband and Bassie in the car

Bassie hadn’t been well over the weekend so Husband dropped her off at her usual vet on Monday morning, after an emergency vet visit on Sunday evening. This three-legged black-and-white cat hopped into the car and kept them company while they waited to be admitted.

Wednesday, 14 March 2018: Chilly Cape evening

Healthy, happy doggies waiting for their dins on Wednesday evening. Blanket is another sign of the evening chill that hit.

That’s all, folks! May your weekend feel long and relaxing. 🙂

Hillcrest Quarry Oyster and Champagne Festival and all the chocolate cake

Yes, we really did slurp oysters and swig champers in the Hillcrest Quarry last weekend. See for yourself…

Friday, 13 October 2017: Work meeting with Design Indaba team

There’s always something different to see when visiting the Design Indaba/Interactive Africa offices. We loved their wall art when we popped in for a brief catch-up meet last Friday.

Saturday, 14 October 2017: Family breakfast at Cafeen, Oyster and Champagne Festival in Hillcrest Quarry

The bike was ready for collection first thing on Saturday so Husband’s parents transported us there. This was so we could all breakfast together on the way as we had a busy afternoon planned, so a braai was out of the question. We decided on Cafeen in Claremont for breakfast as it was fairly close for Spec to reach from his end of the Cape, too. The decor is lovely.

I remembered my envy over the creme brulee latte Husband had sipped on our last visit to Cafeen – Valentine’s Day of 2016, click here for proof – so that’s what I ordered. Also see a happy Spec, Husband peppering his breakfast and the parents in conversation.

And the food? Looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. See various eggy options and my amazing French toast – cinnamon-sugared, syruped, baconed and lemon curded. Yes please.

Next stop once the bike mission was complete was the Oyster and Champagne Festival at Hillcrest Quarry. Parking was full – so much so that we were directed onto an adjacent field. There was then quite a queue for shuttles to the quarry on Hillcrest Estate but it’s a short walk up hill – roughly 1km – so we hoofed it, rather.

Once we had huffed and puffed mildly up the hill, we joined the queue of folk waiting to enter. Once in, we bumped into Terence, a former camping buddy back when we all still lived in Joburg ages ago. See the complimentary branded champers flutes with five tasting coupons each, and some of the white-and-gold dressed attendees.

The oyster section is separate to the champagne section – housed in a different tent and at a price of R12 per oyster (over and above the R160 entry fee) We did not pay this as had media passes, but coughed up for all the oysters Husband guzzled.

One could choose from all manner of MCCs, sparkling wines and even authentic Champagne from France to sample – some cash bar only, though – as well as live music and even a coal-heated ‘jacuzzi’.

The silvery candyfloss was a hit. Photo with Husband for size, he didn’t have any.

Cheers to pink bubbly! Full description of all we sampled in my official review.

If you’ve not seen the quarry at Hillcrest Estate, it’s a gorgeous surprise. We were admiring the view when we bumped into another friend from our Joburg days – Michael Rorke, a former colleague from Caxton!

We decided to shuttle back to the car once we were done. Just to say we’d experienced the Festival in full. Not because we didn’t have the energy or anything (ahem).

The doglets were on their sweetest behaviour that afternoon. Excuse the colour-contrasting blankets.

We had dinner at Catch 22 on the beachfront that evening. It was too chilly to sit on the outside balcony for a view of the sea and Table Mountain but we still had a good time. See my blueberry cheesecake shake and Buccaneer beef burger topped with bacon and cheese, along with Husband’s Castle Lite draught and seafood curry.

Sunday, 15 October 2017: Cafe Lacomia brekkie and strawberry lupper

It was time for breakfast at Cafe Lacomia in our nearest Builder’s Warehouse on Sunday. I went for a toasted chicken mayo and latte, while Husband had the bullseye washed down with a Cola, as he does.

Later that afternoon, lupper at Mum’s was all about strwaberries – look at them in the salad on the left and adorning the chocolate cake she whipped up. We got to take some home with us and Bertie was hopeful he would get to claim a slice when I had some as a treat. He didn’t, as chocolate isn’t good for dogs.

Monday, 16 October 2017: Office birthday cake

I really lucked out on the chocolate cake front this week, as my colleague Arlene brought in her sister’s famous Whispers-topped chocolate cake on Monday morning to celebrate her birthday. It was delicious, with the topping a mix of melted chocolate mixed with cream.

Wednesday, 18 October 2017: Kantar Millward Brown Re-imagining Marketing talk at 15 on Orange, cloud-flocked sky

I attended a breakfast presentation at the African Pride 15 on Orange hotel first thing on Wednesday. Excellent breakfast, excellent presentation, coverage coming up soon!

Stripe of scattered clouds in the suburbs.

Sunset that evening – about half-an-hour later – was another example of pretty cloud play.

That’s all, folks! Have a restful weekend 🙂

Lots of gnocchi, meet my fox dog and see the Waterfront sunrise

The irony – in my last post I mentioned Husband was done being Marvin, but he went on to work all weekend and late most of this week – it’s now been 17 days straight! At least we’ve finally reached the weekend, and both have an extra few days off thereafter. Here are a few of our favourite moments from this very busy week…

Friday, 21 July 2017: Celebratory dinner at Moyo

We ventured out to Moyo at Eden on the Bay to celebrate the change in Husband’s work shifts. It was too cold to sit outside so we headed indoors, where I had a Madagascan cold coffee drink (served with tot of Amarula). We were also served complimentary sherry and Moroccan breads with spicy dip, very nice!

The purple lighting bouncing off the metal tables was pretty.

Our meals: The chicken and date tagine for me, the lamb shank for Husband.

Saturday, 22 July 2017: Early morning doggie moments

Bassie was happy to spend a few hours sleeping in with me on Saturday morning as it was rainy and we were having a new front door installed.

We headed out for a quick breakfast before Husband had to be in the office so ended up at Cubana. That’s me pouring hot milk into my coffee and Husband sipping a flute of orange juice as these come free with certain orders, like their spicy ‘eggs benedict’ – not on English muffin but polenta cakes. It’s a huge portion, we really could have shared! All this for R100, including tip.

Bassie trotted all around her other grandparents’ property that evening when we had the weekly braai.

Sunday, 23 July 2017: Lacomia breakfast and hidden-centre cupcakes

When you need to make some Builder’s Warehouse purchases first thing on a Sunday as Husband needs to get back to the office ASAP, you pop in at Cafe Lacomia for your breakfast. That’s Husband’s Cola, my cappuccino and sunnies.

We were in for a real treat when we go to Mum’s that evening and bit into these freshly made cupcakes with chocolate-y surprise!

Tuesday, 25 July 2017: Meet my fox dog

Teehee. Couldn’t resist having a photo taken as proof of just how much my boy doggie resembles the clever fox on my jerkin.

Wednesday, 26 July 2017: Cannes Lions Cape Town and Stepbrothers’ team lunch

Wednesday was the day of the Cape Town version of our Cannes Lions feedback session. It was held at Ster-Kinekor at the Waterfront first thing – note the pretty sunrise and art on the walls outside the movies theatre.

We manned the registration desk, grabbed a tub of popcorn and sat back to watch the presentations by our roving reporter and SA’s Cape Town-based judges. Click here to read my overview.

It was also the day of our next team lunch. We headed out to Stepbrothers near Cape Quarter and had the most amazing Italian meal. That’s my cappuccino and pan of very round gnocchi with pizza strips to mop up that sauce. Trust me, I did!

Thursday, 27 July 2017: Impressive office birthday cakes

In addition to being my brother-in-law’s birthday, Thursday was also the birthday of one of the lovely ladies in the office, so she spoiled us with cake. Look at these amazingly delicious ones.

I had to wolf down that cake fast as next on the agenda was the media launch of the Say Cheese fair, coming to the Italian Club later this year.

Top left – the cheese samples we started with, bottom left – Arancini di mozzarella in a spicy tomato sauce, top right – a blue-cheese-broccoli soup and bottom right – one of the largest bowls of gnocchi in cheese sauce I’ve seen in my life. Yes I had gnocchi twice in two days.

We ate and we ate, that’s only the half of it. Just look at all that cheesy deliciousness! Seen here: mozarella boccini top left, feta-beetroot-rocket pizza top right, baked Brie topped with bacon and thyme bottom left and haloumi-chickpea-pomegranate avo bottom right. Full description on Biz soon.

That’s all, folks! Time to unplug, unwind and destress.

Freaky hot chocolate and in-laws’ 38th anniversary at Cape Point

Woohoo, we’re so close to the weekend! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me, even if there’s a chance I’ll be working for a fair bit of it. The important thing is that Husband is not working (he’s been Marvin this week) – so we can finally spend some quality time together…

Friday, 28 April 2017: In-laws’ 38th anniversary at Cape Point

Much of the country took leave on Friday as it was the day between a Thursday public holiday and a Monday-public holiday long weekend. Alas I didn’t as my colleagues had sneakily applied for their leave on the day last year already, so I couldn’t join Husband with his brother and parents for a day out at Cape Point to celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary. Of course the pics they sent me throughout the day really rubbed in what I was missing!

The family having breakfast together at Two Oceans restaurant in Cape Point. Lucky I chose not to use the pic Husband took a few seconds before this of his dad blowing his nose, teehee.

Bellies filled they went up the funicular and walked all around to see the lighthouse and other Cape Point highlights.

Team photo! Note their walking gear of choice and that Husband is the only one without a hat.

Much later that day, they stopped in at Venus Pools for a quick dip. Note the colours and wonder of nature in the middle pic.

It was also time for Bassie’s next check-up that evening. Neither her nor her dad are showing us their happy faces here, but all is fine.

Saturday, 29 April 2017: Breakfast at La Rocca, Canal Walk

We were in the area on Saturday morning so stopped in at La Rocca in Canal Walk for breakfast. Husband had a wonderful Mexican-style eggs benedict topped with dollops of prego sauce, and that’s my cappuccino top left.

This is what a forkful of the rocky road waffle looks like. Yummy!

The weather was still quite sunny that day so we made the most of it with a beach visit. See various gulls on rocks top left, Husband clambering across and a snap to prove we were both there.

Post-walkies was the ideal time to sample the boozy shakes at Saints Burger Joint in Eden on the Bay. I had the Insomniac, filled with chocolate-y things like Amarula, Kahlua and espresso, while Husband had the Kiss and Say Goodbye: Scotch whiskey, Kahlua and Oreo cookie.

If it’s Saturday afternoon it’s probably braai time with Husband’s parents and brother. See some of the spread here, as well as the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit game the boys played. Also, sunset from their house.

A braai at her grandparents’ house means lots of sitting on special cushions and laps for Bassie.

Bertie was thrilled at the chance to sit on my lap when his sister vacated it to sit on her cushion instead. Such a sweet, happy dog.

Sunday, 30 April 2017: News Cafe breakfast and another Sunningdale sunset

Sunday’s weather was chilly and grey so we dressed appropriately. See how my News Cafe cappuccino’s foam art matched my clothing and also see scenes of our early bird breakfast plates.

T’was just the chilly weather for doggy cuddles for much of Sunday.

Streaky sunset over my parents’ house this time.

Monday, 1 May 2017: Mayday movies and freaky hot chocolate

Husband felt for breakfast at Cafe Lacomia on Monday morning – t’was Worker’s Day and by chance we were both off work on the day, so we took advantage by spending some time together as he’d be on night shift the rest of the week. See my cappuccino and French toast as well as his eggs ben.

We stopped in at Mugg & Bean Bayside between chores for an early afternoon treat. Husband tried the espresso affogato, I had the so-called ‘freaky’ hot chocolate served freak-shake style in a glass mug, complete with trio of profiteroles.

When we saw there was a special pre-release screening of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 at GrandWest on Monday, we jumped at the chance. Here is Husband with his 3D glasses and popcorn tub.

Bertie’s latest TV-viewing companion was nothing but a rag so it was time to reveal a new friend. This is Tiger, as you can see.

That’s all, folks! It seems winter is finally starting to lick its cold tongue at us here in the Cape – stay warm and well. 🙂

Woodstock graffiti and Rocomamas smash burgers & freak shakes

The past week flew by much faster than last week, a good sign that we’re back in the swing of things. I’ve written quite a lot of late so I’ll let the pictures do the talking – scroll through this past week’s highlights for more…

Saturday, 14 January 2017: Lisa’s breakfast, Rocomamas’ lunch

Saturday morning was garden-nursery visit time, so we stopped in for a bite to eat at Lisa’s in Stodel’s, just behind Paddocks centre. That’s my cappuccino.

To eat, I had the plain toasted croissant (with jam and cheese) while Husband had the ‘mighty mushroom’, topped with beans, feta, garlic and a poached egg.

Woohoo! On Saturday afternoon I buckled down and revised that week’s notes and practical assignments for the Shaw Academy diploma in Photoshop, and was over the moon at achieving 100% in that week’s quiz! Here’s hoping for similar results for the rest of the month…

Ah, Rocomamas. We’ve been to the Durbanville branch a few times now and loved every single visit. Last Saturday afternoon was no different. Click here to read my full review as I’ll be sparing in the descriptions below…

The order pad.

Husband went for the chicken ‘Rockstar’ with extra chilli.

I had the limited edition Le Bomb. That’s 2 X beef smash patties, melted cheddar, a feta cheese bomb, bacon and lashings of BBQ sauce.

Our ‘turbo-charged’ fries. Topped with chiili con carne on the left, and hellishly hot chilli-cheese sauce on the right.

Also, a portion of these here chilli-cheese bombs. Hot, fried version of what you saw atop our shoestring fries.

Husband went for the ‘Adult shake’.

You guys. Introducing the Candyliscious freak shake. Berries, white chocolate, Fizzer, Jelly Tots. Top marks from me!

We stopped in for a look at the Hillside quarry on our way home, much later that eve. Beautiful venue.

Sunday, 15 January 2017: Veggie gardening and doggy TLC

Two sides of Bertie’s sweet sleepy Sunday morning face.

We popped into Cafe Lacomia for Sunday morning breakfast. I poured out a cafe latte and ate the toasted chicken mayo and chips you see top-right, while Husband went for his standard Bull’s Eye.

More of Husband’s latest gardening exploits. Note the sweet little gecko he found darting up the wall.

The doggies book-ended me when I caught up on some reading that afternoon, and insisted on sitting on top of their granny while she watched TV.

Wednesday, 18 January 2017: Liberty Radio Awards roadshow at Radisson Blu Waterfront

On Wednesday I covered the launch of the Liberty Radio Awards roadshow at the Radisson Blu Waterfront hotel. Love the bright flora out front. Click here for my coverage of the roadshow.

Truly gorgeous eats were on display – the freshest fruit, dainty muffins, dunkable biscuits and strong coffee. Plus more of those beautiful flowers.

Thursday, 19 January 2017: Interview at Southern Guild, Woodstock

On Thursday I’d arranged an interview at Southern Guild gallery, which will be published during #DesignMonth on Bizcommunity (that’s February). While there I tested out the Fiona Blackfish hanging chair, part of Porky Hefer’s ‘Monstera Deliciosa volume 1’ exhibit. Very comfy and oh-so eye-catching.

I couldn’t help snap this on my way back to the office: The man ‘painting graffiti’ is graffiti himself.

Bless! When I got back to my desk, colleagues had saved some birthday cake/party treats for me. Nom nom nom.

That’s all, folks! Have a happy weekend. 🙂

*Disclaimer: Obviously our meal at Rocomamas was part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

Spec in the Sea Point specs and New Year’s Day 2017

Welcome to 2017! My first post of the year is ready for you to view below, filled with moments from brother-in-law Spec’s last week with us. We’re back to work next week ourselves so will be wringing every moment of fun and relaxation out of the coming weekend…

Friday, 30 December 2016: Golf morning, Italian Kitchen lunch and Sea Point afternoon

While the boys went off for a round of golf at Burgundy Estate, I read magazines and mum baked little coconut cookies. Delicious!

The golfers in action at Burgundy Estate. Note Dad’s hat on his head in the photo on the left, and you can just see it scurrying away on the wind in the photo on the right. Lol!

We had 2-for-1 Entertainer vouchers to use before the end of 2016 at the Italian Kitchen so we had lunch at the branch in Newlands last Friday. Husband opted for the crumbed chicken salad, dad and I had huge square pizzas while mum and Spec went for spaghetti bolognaise. All delightful.

Dom Pedros, white wine and coffee shakes at the Italian Kitchen.

We’d been planning this photo of ‘Spec in the specs’ that look out at Robben Island from Sea Point for quite some time. Teehee.

Table Mountain looked beautiful from Blouberg side that afternoon.

The beach was full of holidaymakers as it was so hot.

So hot that Husband had a quick dip in the sea on our way home.

Saturday, 31 December 2016: Lacomia breakfast, New Year’s Eve braai

We went to Cafe Lacomia for our last breakfast of the year. I felt for a cafe latte (love pouring the espresso shot into the frothed milk) and couldn’t resist a slice of their soft chocolate cheesecake.

Our friends Chris and Diane had invited us to a New Year’s Eve braai on their farm near Philadelphia. Their brindle boerboel Zeplin has grown a huge amount in his 7 months (click here for a reminder of how tiny he was a few months ago) and the Whites have made constant additions to their little house.

Final sunset of the year, as seen from the farm.

Sunday 1 January 2017: New Year’s Day ’round lunch’ at Mum’s

New Year’s Day! Eating ’round things’ on the first day of the year is said to bring you wealth throughout the year. We had lunch at Mum’s, starting with some dry Prosecco filled with round bubbles, then round tomato-filled salad, paella with round pork bits as well as round fruit on a flan with round balls of ice cream on round plates around a round table. Lots of round.

The doggies had quality time with their grampa that afternoon – Bassie sat on his lap while Bertie was very interested to hear ‘How much is that doggy in the window’, especially when there was barking in the song. Teehee.

Monday, 2 January 2017: Seeing Hout Bay like tourists and Rogue One in 4DX

For our last full day with Spec we started off at Blue Route Mall and breakfasted at Joe’s Diner. Husband had a hot dog, Spec a typical breakfast and me waffles with chocolate syrup. Yes, dessert for breakfast.

We paid a brief visit to Hout Bay to ‘sightsee’ like tourists…

Where we noticed this sunken ship. Not saying the brothers were responsible, but who knows 😉

We’d booked our 4DX tickets for Star Wars: Rogue One back when Spec first arrived in Cape Town and finally went to watch at the Waterfront on Monday afternoon. The moving seats, splashes of water and rushes of air at appropriate times really add a level of fun to the movie.

We held a final braai for Spec on his last evening with us. He’ll be down again soon as Husband’s parents will be moving into their new house in a few months.

Tuesday, 3 January 2017: I Love Melkies breakfast, bunny chow lupper

We decided on a short roadtrip to Melkbos for Spec’s last morning with us. For breakfast we stopped in at I Love Melkies. Close-ups of our food to follow…

That’s my cappuccino top left; then my single waffle with bacon, marscapone and strawberry; and Spec’s rosti topped with bacon and scrambled eggs all on the left, with Husband’s ‘Mexican breakfast’ on the right.

After dropping off Spec at the airport we were intrigued to notice a sign for Glowing Rooms’ ‘3D blacklight mini golf’ so popped in for a look around. Adding it to our to-do list for later in the year!

We decided on a shared chicken bunny chow from Yeh Dosti for our lupper. T’was delicious.

Wednesday, 4 January 2017: Ice-cream iced coffee

Wednesday afternoon was piping hot so I made myself an ice-cream iced coffee. Husband made a chicken curry that eve as seen in my bowl top right, and he lay on the couch with Bertie.

Husband has also been very busy with a vegetable corner of the garden, which I’ll reveal soon. That’s all for now, folks! Hope you’ve enjoyed the first week of 2017.

Woodbridge Island walks and lunching at Glenelly Estate’s Vine Bistro

We’ve had a wonderfully sunny week, with lots of time spent outdoors…

Saturday, 10 December 2016: Summer lunch review at Glenelly Estate

We started last weekend with a quick, shared breakfast at the closest Cafe Lacomia as we had a busy, food-filled day ahead. I love that I get two mini biscuits with the cappuccino there, and the Bulls Eye breakfast is just the right size for sharing. Plus, you’re encouraged to eat cupcakes (not that I did)…

Glenelly Estate, our lunch spot for the day on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, has some of the prettiest vineyards and views.

Nestled at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains, this is a truly lovely spot.

The vine-covered pathway.

The food at Glenelly’s the Vine Bistro! Heavens, it was good. You can see Husband’s cold red soup starter featuring octopus tentacles and chorizo, as well as his lemon-chive hake mains on the left, then my pork trotter starter and blueberry duck mains in the middle, and a bottle of the Glenelly Estate Chardonnay on the right. Click through to my official review for more words on these!

Dessert is served… Top left is my ‘warm melting biscuit’ with poached pears and yoghurt chantilly, bottom left is Husband’s creme caramel, and on the right, my cappuccino.

Tummies purring contentedly, we walked around the rest of the grounds. This is the view of the vineyards from the upstairs tasting room.

More of the upstairs tasting room’s view. Such a picture-perfect spot.

On the way home we passed a sign for Mountain View Piggery in Paarl and obviously had to turn in to have a look. The piggies were rather large and clean – not a surprise when we saw just how much the guy on the bottom was enjoying his shower.

That evening involved lots of relaxing things. Here we are with the doggies in the lounge.

Sunday, 11 December 2016: Lagoon Beach breakfast, Woodbridge Island walk

On Sunday morning we headed to The Brasserie in the Lagoon Beach Hotel for breakfast. The buffet option was quite pricy so we were happy to order from the a la carte menu. Here is my cappuccino and Husband’s breakfast Cola.

But what did we eat, I hear you ask? Husband opted for the salmony benedict you see on the left, while I went for the grilled banana-filled pancakes topped with strawberries and cream. Delicious!

Next on the agenda was a beach walk to Woodbridge Island and back. We love these palm trees outside Woodbridge.

We stopped a few times along the way to admire the view. Can just see the Woodbridge lighthouse in this shot.

We stopped to examine the ‘wreck’ at Lagoon Beach – Husband says it’s actually from a movie set.

Sunday afternoons are for milkshakes. Husband went for a Frankies’ Cinnamon Cola while I tried Bread & Butter’s ‘salted caramel’ shake. That’s a chewing-gum ball on top.

Tuesday, 13 December 2016: Pink sunsets and doggy TLC

Pink-streaked clouds like these are my favourite.

The doggies got lots of TLC when their grandparents visited for dins that eve! Bassie’s expression on the right, while getting ear rubs from her grandpa, is very funny.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016: Rogue One screening at iMax

On Wednesday, we headed off the the Cape Gate iMax after a long day of work to watch the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One. We were surrounded by Star Wars heavies but fit right in as we’d worn Star Wars gear all day and even read the pre-movie book Catalyst so knew most of the characters on screen.

That’s all, folks! There’s lots of excitement in the air as we’ll finally be on holiday at the end of this week, and Father Christmas is coming (along with brother-in-law, Spec) 🙂

*Disclaimer: Obviously our meals at Glenelly Estate were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

Pina Colada shakes and exploring Intaka island

This week’s update is a bit more picture-packed than usual as we took so many snaps last weekend that I just couldn’t decide which to use. All the better for you to scroll through below…

Saturday, 29 October 2016: Squirrel-greeting at Company’s Garden, Intaka Island tour

We were up very early on Saturday to stand in the collections queue at Home Affairs for our new IDs (only the first 100 in queue get to collect). Here is Husband outside a lovely tiger sprayed in the CBD.

Mission complete, we were hungry and decided on Company’s Garden. The eating area is set among such pretty greenery and we were there early enough to have a choice of tables.

I started off with a flat white, and sliver of perfectly dunkable biscotti.

The banana bread French toast, served with bacon, marscapone cheese and strawberries is always a win, as is the Eggs benedict served with salmon and spinach that Husband opted for.

These very tall trees make you feel very small, but not quite as small as the squirrels that scamper about…

Like this curious little squirrel! We named him Nutmeg. He came over to nibble our fingers.

There were lots of inquisitive pigeons around, too.

We had more birds on the brain that day as our next stop was here: Our vessel for the early afternoon, in which we explored Intaka Island, in the heart of Century City. Intaka means bird in Xhosa and we sure did see a lot of them, even the elusive Peregrine Falcon.

Look at these three feathered friends, for example – we weren’t sure if they were going to hop onboard with us or back in the water for a swim. They chose the latter option.

Just one of the intriguing displays at Intaka Island – this is a wall of ‘air plants’ – their roots grow out of soil.

Of course Dad and Husband explored some of the steam engines before we set off across the canal.

Mum and me on the boardwalk through the marshes and reeds – you can see some of the Century City skyscrapers behind us.

The weather was just right, with a light breeze and lots of sunshine to keep us warm and happy.

Only Husband was paying such attention to the guided tour that he didn’t turn for this shot.

Group shot from the other side – see how ‘Intaka’ reflects from the outside onto Dad’s shirt.

The view of Canal Walk from the other end of Century City, with a birdie flying by.

We’d worked up quite an appetite by then so decided to meet up again at Jerry’s Burger Bar in Blouberg, close to home. Look at that amazing view – half the reason it’s always packed.

I had to try the pina colada shake. Was just as creamy/coconutty/pineapple-y as you’d expect, with no alcohol.

Mom and me, with the Jerry and the Sloth. Both delicious. Unfortunately the scary Halloween decorations are out of shot.

Beers’ cheers from the boys’ side of the table.

Husband went for the junkyard dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with avo and cheese.

Dad ordered a side of onion rings that we all shared and still couldn’t finish between us – that’s a huge side order!

Bassie in pensive mode, later that evening.

Bertie Andrews. Such a handsome boy. You can see why we tell him he’s a white doggie with brown mask and superhero cape.

Different faces entirely when it comes to waiting for their dins. Such sweethearts.

Sunday, 30 October 2016: Sampling Wimpy’s new sweetie-topped milkshakes

Husband felt like the Bullseye breakfast from Cafe Lacomia on Sunday morning, so that’s just what he had. You can see my cappuccino with two tiny biscuits in the saucer. Also ate a toasted sammidge, no pics of it alas.

Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to try out Wimpy’s new ‘topped with sweeties’ milkshake. I went for the coffee option, Husband had banana.

Monday, 31 October 2016: First day of BrandLove’s Customer Design experience course at 360 Business Parks, Paarden Eiland

Just loved this wall art in the entrance to 360 Business Parks, on Wessex Road in Paarden Eiland.

Two of my favourite workshop sights – coffee cups and boxes of Lego!

One of the Lego scenes I created. It looks like fun and games – and is – but also requires quite a bit of deep thinking and even a certificate of attendance for completing the course.

My little ones came to fetch me from the bus! Bassie seems to have an urgent message to share here, along the lines of “Mom, that other dog is shouting out the window. Help.”

That’s all, folks! Next week’s post will also be packed as we’ve had a busy few days…

Happy dogwalks and house paint refresh 2016

This week was all about hard physical work – we had our house painted, so to distract the doggies over the weekend we took them for long local neighbourhood walkies, and then got stuck into some gardening. The painting is almost complete, the gardening is not – I’ll post pics of that once we’re done, but you can take a peek at the complete transformation offered by a lick or two of paint so long:

Top row is the back and front of the house pre-paint (well actually mid-paint – it didn’t look so bad before they started, that’s lots of loose bits having flaked off after the high-pressure cleaning last weekend). The bottom row shows the difference just a few days later. And yes, the bright Adirondack is the one I showed you how we DIY painted a few months ago, under the patio roof  shelter Husband installed in February 2016 – click here and here for how he did it.

And now, on to specific daily moments…

Friday, 9 September 2016: Social media training at Shift One, Eden on the Bay

As Friday dawned bright and sunny, and it was the day of the social media training I was attending with a colleague in Big Bay, I spent a long time gazing at this view. Note the walkway light was still on, as it was so early.

I always snap a pic from this spot when it’s without a queue of people waiting to pose in the frame. Last Friday the view was gorgeous, with a little ship seeming to float on the cloud below the mountain – do you see it?

Following a frantic morning of note-taking we were each given an envelope with R70 in it and told: “Go have lunch, be back here in 45 minutes.” Needless to say we got back a little late, but we’d eaten well and chatted up a storm. And this bacon-avo panini from Eden Cafe was delicious.

Training finally done that afternoon and certificate of attendance received, I had half-an-hour to spare before making my way home, so I went into Cup & Cake for a looksie. It’s the sweet little bakery directly opposite the Pick n Pay in Eden on the Bay. A little peckish by then, I couldn’t pass up their delicious homemade milktart. At just R25 for a generous slice, and partnered with a delicious cappuccino (yay, with mini shortbread biscuit to accompany), this was the ideal way to switch between work mode and weekend mindset. That’s the very edge of my book you see in the bottom of the pic.

Saturday, 10 September 2016: Neighbourhood doggy walks and Jerry’s burger treats

Setting off for walkies on Saturday morning. Just look at all that happiness!

Love how the doggies and Husband are each going in a different direction here. 🙂 We all followed the same path in the end, sort of.

Much, much later that afternoon, after hours of housework and gardening, we treated ourselves to the deliciousness of Jerry’s on the Blouberg beachfront. I had the Jerry burger (same as when I went to Jerry’s with my workmates recently), but rounded out my milkshake menu-tasting with their Chai Latte flavour. Tasted exactly as you’d expect, sweetly spicy. Gingerbread is still my favourite Jerry’s option.

Husband had the Jack D burger and a Black Label. Chips drenched in sriracha sauce, obvs. We had a lovely time and will try remember to book a booth with a view of the sea for our next visit.

Sunday, 11 September 2016: Breakfast at Lacomia, braai at Mum’s

My Sunday started with this cappuccino at Cafe Lacomia in the Sunningdale Builder’s Warehouse as we needed to buy a few gardening things. It’s one of the few places that still dusts the top of a cappuccino with chocolate powder, and note I got two tiny cookies in the saucer. Happiness.

Husband had the Bullseye you see on the left, I had the cinnamon-sugar pancakes you see on the right. These kept us going through a few more hours of heavy-duty gardening.

Look! Spring has finally reached Cape Town, with wildflowers dotting most of the grassy embankments around our home.

We stopped in at a house on show in our neighbourhood that afternoon to see if it suited Husband’s parents’ housing requirements (they’re moving down to Cape Town from Johannesburg soon, eep!) Look at the loveliness of this enclosed braai room with lots of Adirondacks…

Husband and dad were in charge of the braai for Sunday lupper – a mix of colours of food on the plate like this is always a good thing. 🙂

That’s all, folks! It’s been a rainy few days with snow in some areas as a last-minute cold front has hit, so who knows what you’ll see pictures of us doing in my next update!