There seems to be loads of new places popping up all over the place in Joburg these days and people are really making an effort to make them unique and different which is really cool! A few days ago I posted about the amazing little gin bar in Linden called Tonic and today I’m going to tell you about Jan Smuts newest addition, Saigon Suzy.
Hey guys, I’m really excited to start this new series on my blog in conjunction with Peaceful Sleep. My Durrant crew and I are going to be exploring a couple of different places and activities in and around Joburg this Summer and then showing you what we get up to! Finding kid-friendly places and things to do is not always the easiest so I’m really hoping to be able to recommend some awesome spots and hopefully give you some ideas for things to do during the next few months.
We all know that Summertime means mozzie time, so when I was approached by Peaceful Sleep to do a bit of exploring under their protective force field created by their extensive Family Care Range I was all in. The honest truth is I never knew Peaceful Sleep had a Family range which consists of room sprays, plug-ins, roll-ons and more (you can check the whole lot out on their brand new site) and that their products can be used every day on kids older than 6 months, which is amazing because in my house my kids are the ones that land up with the most bites!
If you work for yourself like I do then you’ll know how difficult it is sometimes to actually sit at home and work, especially if your set-up is like mine and you have not one, but two sweet-faced distractions around that want your attention all the time. What’s awesome is that these days there are quite a number of really cool shared workspaces that have popped up all around Joburg that make working out of home really easy and convenient!
My friend Cherise has just recently opened up one of these great little spots in Linden called Basecamp, but what’s really awesome about her space is that when you sign up for a month or two or whatever the case is, you get your own desk and your very own set of keys, which means you are free to come and go as you please. You also have access to all their facilities which includes wifi, a skype room, meeting room, printer and kitchen which is always stocked with tea, coffee, and rusks! It’s also located directly opposite Brian Lara and The Whippet etc so if you feel like popping out for lunch all you have to do is cross the street.
Last weekend we packed the kids in the car and took a drive to The Hertford Country Hotel for Sunday lunch. This place is set in and amongst 23 hectares of the most beautiful gardens and trees and makes for such a lovely day out! Shane and I are often stuck for nice places to take the kids where they can just round around outside and we can be guaranteed a tasty meal, so Hertford landed up being such a treat.
Our in-laws came along so there were four of us taking turns exploring the endless gardens with Nina but luckily for us, we were surrounded by nature’s brilliant splendor so we really didn’t mind. There was also a sparkly pool near the restaurant, which by the end of lunch Neens was splashing around in…that’s the great thing about being a toddler, if there’s a pool and you want to swim then you get in your undies and you swim, it’s a different story altogether if you’re an adult, but hey!
I hardly ever venture out of my little bubble when it comes to working in coffee shops or shared work spaces etc. I don’t really like driving far and by far I mean anywhere further than 5km hehe. When I have to go to say Fourways, for example, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the looooooong drive. I know I know, I’m ridiculous! What can I say, I like my neighbourhood.
A couple of days ago Anna-Belle and I decided to go have lunch at Naked Kitchen & Coffee Bar in Morningside. We had seen a bit about it online and so thought we would have our weekly catch-up there and I’m super happy to say that I’m glad we did! Not only was the coffee really good, but the food was amazing with a capital A, not sure how that makes a difference to the actual word, if it makes it more impactful or what, but it’s a saying I’ve grown up with so I’m whipping out!
The head chef whose name is Amazing Sasha with a capital A makes food that smells, looks and tastes amazing (word of the day).
What do you do when you find yourself with two friends in a restaurant that serves Asian inspired fusion tapas made from freshly sourced Asian and local ingredients? You ignore the fact that your stomach is (apparently, but definitely not in my case) only the size of your fist and you order 13 dishes made up of all sorts of amazing things that will make your head spin with happiness.
Urbanologi is located at the 1 Fox Precinct in Ferreirasdorp smack bang in the middle of the Mad Giant Brewery. So not only do you get to enjoy the culinary masterpieces that come out of Chef Jake’s kitchen, but you get to wash it all down with some amazing locally brewed beer.