Resolving to be better and do better this year is commendable. It, unfortunately, often lacks the focus and direction to really reflect what should be improved upon and what is just a reaction to societal pressure. Lose weight and exercise? Yes, those are good ideas if you are doing it to improve your health so [...]

Your refrigerator might not be the only part of your life splitting at the seams. Festive gluttony is a trap we all fall into. Over-indulging is soon joined by those other dangerous “overs” including over-spending, over-gifting, over-catering and finally, overthinking. The best way to fight the lethargy and “over”- ness of the last couple of [...]

Does Your Home Office Inspire You to Excellence, or Just to Exit? Despite the world’s best efforts, it seems like Covid-19 is set to become an endemic reality in most countries. Add to this the social surge championing remote working and the effects of the Great Resignation being felt around the world making employers anxious [...]

There is no better way to achieve a designer indigenous garden than asking an indigenous gardener! Meet David Viljoen - our Garden Guru. David grew up in a beautiful, award-winning garden.  Some of his fondest memories are of him as a young boy working, or rather… having fun, with his family in the garden.   It was his mother who ignited his life-long passion for nature [...]

Bento boxes are like lunchboxes – but they are also SO much more. A Bento-box, originally from Japan, is a single serving meal meant to be carried with you and eaten away from home. Bento is a filling, healthy meal, covering all the basic food groups.    The idea of a Bento-box isn’t necessarily a [...]

It’s the start of a new year and with the burst of fresh optimism that 2022 brings, it might be easy to whip out a few new year’s resolutions. The problem is that they may seem like a tiny hill in the moment but could become a giant, looming mountain by the end of January. […]

It’s better to give than to receive, especially if the gift misses the mark ever so slightly. Your well-meaning Gogo might remember you liking lizards in primary school and decide that giving you a set of four, neon-coloured lizard-shaped bowls was just the ticket as a Christmas gift.  Or, maybe with this year’s Secret Santa exchange at the office your ‘Santa’ thought you would love two bottles of merlot for Christmas – never mind you only […]

There are roughly around 400 dog breeds in the world. We all have our pick, and some breeds are way more popular than others. In South Africa, there are many breeds available and the scarcer, the pricier.   Dog owners have over hundreds of years bred dogs to assist them and make life more convenient. This [...]

December has arrived and with it has brought the official beginning of Summer. We all know what that means. Long sunny days, lounging at the pool or beach, holidays and our favourite festivities. However, this does not mean our gardens hit the pause button while we are gallivanting around town. There are still tasks we [...]

Where do you turn to for inspiration when it comes to your home and lifestyle? Pinterest has always been a great tool for inspiration and a clever way to plan your ideas on special boards to help you organise your inspirations. For fast access and new images uploaded every second, we are sure that just like [...]

The Val hotel is the poster child for what can happen to a building when it is loved and what a loved building can mean to a community.  Good Vibes Only  Bought at auction in 1994, just a couple of weeks after the election, the run-down building has been lovingly renovated by Rita Britz and [...]

We spoke to Joy Phala about her work and how she finds balance in life.    Who is Joy Phala?    “I’m a mom of two boys, a wife and an entrepreneur. I am also an award-winning landscape designer, indoor plant stylist, and organic gardening educator.”   Joy’s company, Organic Kitchen Gardens (OKG) started as a vegetable garden installation [...]