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WIN
‘CHEESECAKE DAY’ COMPETITION WITH CHATEAU GATEAUX!
Love Your Hair this Winter with
spoilt for choice with chicco car seats!
MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS MONTH
POWER GRO
Issue 23 | Johannesburg - East Rand | July 2019
| In This Issue
Meet the Cover Star
Our gorgeous cover stars are Eleanor Roos with her daughter Ava Robbertse (now 2 years old). Eleanor is a stay at home mom, and they live in Bronkhorstspruit.
“Ava is a very outgoing little girl, she loves outdoors, and she loves to play with animals and her dolls. She has the most loving personality, and her favourite food is pizza. She also loves to dance and enjoys music,” says her proud mommy. Ava and her mom love to visit places where Ava can play and mommy can have a coffee – like a playground or animal farm.
On being a parent, Eleanor has this to say: “I adore all the love that my baby girl gives me, and the pleasure of being called mommy!”
To new parents: “Enjoy every moment with your little one, because they grow up so fast. And if you feel you can’t take it sometimes, just ask God to give you strength,” concludes Eleanor. Written by Sarah Mackintosh.
Everyday Life
Meet the Cover Stars From the Editor’s Desk Love Your Hair this Winter with Power Gro Cheesecake Day with Chateau Gateaux
8 9 10 11
Mental Health Matters Now More Than Ever: Supporting Your Teen with Depression Brain Health Takes Centre Stage Mooimaak Makeovers: Coreen Cronje Don’t Neglect Your Feet this Winter
CONTENTS
2 3 4 6
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Healthy Life/Beautiful Life
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Kids’ Life
12 - 13 Choosing the Right Car Seat with Chicco 14 Easy DIY Birthday Décor Ideas 15 Science Experiment: Eye-Brain Tricks
The Mum’s Mail Team
Editor: Victoria Arthur • editor@mumsmail.com Sub-Editor: Sarah Mackintosh • sarah@mumsmail.com Enquiries: Natalie Wilcox • 031 - 573 1731 (ext 1) Accounts: Daniella Geldenhuys • daniella@mumsmail.com Advertising Sales: Bev Delew • bev@mumsmail.com | Anisha Singh • anisha@mumsmail.com
Designer: Wendy Offer • Cover Photographer: Shoot the Moon, shootthemoonza@gmail.com, 078 099 4372
DISCLAIMER: Neither the Publisher, Printer or Editor can be held responsible for damages or consequences of any omissions or errors, as every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in Mum’s Mail. We do not guarantee the performance or quality of service of any of the advertisers in this magazine. No part of Mum’s Mail magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor.
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Everyday Life |
From the Editor’s Desk... This month I want to bring to your attention the fact that it is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is still a very taboo subject and it really shouldn’t be, as there are so many people who suffer from one kind of mental illness or another or they know of a family member or friend that is prone to mental illness. We have a very interesting article this month on ‘Supporting Teens with Depression’. If you have older kids or know somebody who does and would benefit from this knowledge, then please forward this magazine article on to them as it may just help some of our vulnerable teens out there. I have two teenagers now and understand the importance of this and the struggles that teenagers go through.
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| Everyday Life
Love Your Hair this Winter with
Power Gro
Power Gro: For Longer, Stronger, Healthier Hair Do you want longer, stronger, healthier hair? Try Power Gro Hair Supplement! It is available as hair food, hair gel and hair supplement capsules. Your one-a-day hair supplement capsule, Power Gro Hair Supplement Capsules contain MSM, essential for the formation of keratin – the tough matrix found in hair, skin and nails. This super-ingredient is combined with a full spectrum of the most important nutrients needed to grow longer, stronger and healthier hair. It provides nourishment from root to tip! Power Gro Hair Gel is packed with vitamins - it nourishes and moisturises the hair and gives complete styling control, adding sheen and body.
Power Gro Hair Food is fortified with added vitamins, herbs and essential oils, and it revitalises the appearance and restores the beauty of your hair. It also softens your hair and prevents hair breakage. Power Gro is available at pharmacies and selected stores. Hair Care Tips for Winter Extra hydration Try using an oil-based moisturiser in winter, and once a week use a moisturising hair mask that you leave in for at least half an hour. Take the time to pamper your hair and you will see the benefits!
Shampoo less Washing too often can make for an itchy, flaky scalp. Dry shampoo If your hair is used to being washed often, you can use dry shampoo to give volume to limp hair (it really does work!) Give your hair a break If you are highlighting your hair or using chemical straighteners, winter is a good time to cut back on this to give your hair time to recover. These products dry your hair out and with the added dryness of winter, your hair won’t be happy. Maybe a new look is what you need this winter! Less heat Try to cut back on heat styling this winter, as too much of this can cause split ends and breakage. When you do style your hair, use heat protection like leave-in conditioners. Try different styles that don’t require styling - like braids and buns. Use an overnight serum Try using a serum one night a week, or more often if needed. This will nourish and moisturise your hair while you sleep. Combat static If you battle with static in winter, a good way to overcome this is to use a leave-in conditioner. For more information contact mailbox@gmpharm. co.za or call 031 332 8411.
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Everyday Life |
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| Everyday Life
Celebrate Cheesecake day with chaTeau gateaux There are certainly some interesting days that are celebrated throughout the year in various parts of the world - one such day is Cheesecake Day on 30 July - and we think it definitely needs to be celebrated! Cheesecake is my family’s favourite dessert so I will definitely be grabbing one this year! Cheesecake Day is one of the creamiest days of the year. It’s a day to indulge in the decadence of this dessert and sample some of the tastiest flavours. From the humble plain baked cheesecake to a double chocolate one - whatever grabs your sweet tooth we are sure that today is the day to indulge! And none other than our favourite patisserie, Chateaux Gateau, has an amazing range of mouth-watering cheesecakes for you to choose from. Here we would like to introduce you to them…
Andrea’s Baked Cheesecake
Andrea’s famous recipe is made with decadent, thick cream cheese and double cream, baked to perfection on a traditional golden oat biscuit base and topped with a fluffy crème Chantilly.
Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
Andrea’s chocolate rendition of her famous cheesecake recipe made with thick cream cheese and double cream, baked to perfection on a chocolate biscuit base with a thick chocolate cream and ganache topping.
Passionate Lemon Cheesecake
A heavenly match of passion fruit and lemon cheesecake made with whirls of lemon curd and layered over a golden gingerbread crumble base, topped with a delicious granadilla and lemon fruit coulis.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry cheesecake filled with strawberry pieces on a golden oat biscuit base, topped with a strawberry coulis. Visit www.chateaugateaux.co.za for more information. WIN! WIN! WIN! Mum’s Mail has FIVE Chateau Gateaux Andrea’s Baked Cheesecakes to give away. Visit www.mumsmail.com and our FB page to enter.
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Everyday Life |
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| Healthy Life
Mental Health Matters Now More Than Ever:
Supporting Your Teen with Depression
According to an online 2018 World Health Organisation article* “half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated. Globally, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 19-yearolds. The consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood, impairing both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults.” What to look out for: It is known that depression can drastically lower energy levels, change appetite and sleeping patterns. Many depressed adolescents choose to sleep as a means to avoid dealing with painful situations. Concentration difficulties and a change in academic performance could also be indicators of depression. Adolescents may report not being able to concentrate because their thoughts are occupied by the painful or problematic situation. They are left feeling more overwhelmed and powerless. This may also manifest in restlessness or agitation. Often depressed adolescents may think: ‘What’s the use?’ or ‘What’s the point?’ as they feel negative and hopeless. This also impacts negatively on their selfesteem, as they feel that they www.mumsmail.com
are unworthy or underserving, withdrawing from social and parental relationships that are meaningful. Being in this vulnerable state could leave them feeling worthlessness as they become extremely sensitive to criticism. Older
as it assists in keeping communication open when it may be most needed.
Validation of feelings: Adolescents often report feeling more depressed and lonelier because they are misunderstood. This in itself “Supporting your reinforces isolation and further adolescent does not withdrawal from society. It is mean you have to important to take the time to and understand what fix the problem...” listen your adolescent is feeling. adolescents may be more prone Supporting your adolescent to ‘self-medicate’ as an attempt does not mean you have to fix the problem, but rather that to treat depressive symptoms. you notice and understand This may be done by adopting the pain and sadness they are unhealthy coping mechanisms such as consuming alcohol, experiencing. using other substances or Encourage contribution: adopting other addictive Volunteering is a powerful and/or self-harming mechanism to challenge behaviours. depressive thoughts. Contributing to society creates What you can do as a purpose and meaning in day parent: to day activities and can also assist in boosting self-esteem. Be mindful: As a parent, you could join It is essential to ‘check in’ with them, creating an opportunity ourselves frequently, noticing to improve your relationship and and identifying our feelings, communication. both pleasant and unpleasant. By doing so, we avoid being overwhelmed by the intensity of *www.who.int/news-room/ fact-sheets/detail/adolescentthem later on. mental-health. Connecting: Make time daily to connect Source: www.akeso.co.za, with your adolescent without 24 hour emergency contact distractions and interruptions. 0861 435 787. Your availability is important 8
Healthy Life |
Brain Health Takes Centre Stage
Brain health is set to take centre stage in 2019 with research showing that nutrition, sleep and stress management are among the most important factors influencing mental wellness. Health expert, Vanessa Ascencao, says there’s an increasing global focus on brain health while an informal survey of popular health books shows that those on mental health are now more popular than books on diet and exercise. Nutrition, stress and sleep play a major role in mental health. Research shows that one in three adults don’t get enough sleep and Ascencao says disrupted sleep or getting less than seven hours a day may contribute to mental distress, depression and anxiety. Lack of sleep is also associated with cardiovascular risk and obesity.
• Try to get eight hours of solid uninterrupted sleep a night. This will impact positively on your wellbeing • Identify stress triggers and avoid them. Be mindful of where you focus your thoughts and energy • Keep moving. A sedentary lifestyle may lead to weight gain and negative thoughts • Avoid processed foods and Ascencao’s top health tips: sugar-laden drinks • Be mindful about what you put • Consult a nutritionist about a into and how you treat your body good supplement regime • Aim to eat whole, natural foods Visit www.coynehealthcare. such as fruits and vegetables co.za for more information. and drink lots of water quantities or of a high enough quality. “Choose supplements such as Purest Omega 3, produced from a sustainable source of the highest quality, wild-caught certified fish oils from Alaska and free from GMO, mercury, pollutants, hormones and antibiotics, which are sometimes found in modern fish farming.”
Additionally, a balanced diet, effective stress management and high quality supplements are important for brain health and general wellness, adds Ascencao. She says research shows that a lack of essential nutrients may contribute to poor mental health while there is increasing evidence linking diet with mental health and for the select use of supplements to address deficiencies. Ascencao says it’s well known that Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil play an important role in brain function but these are often not ingested in sufficient 9
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| Healthy Life/Beautiful Life
Mooimaak Makeovers:
Coreen Cronje
wrinkles!” – was most definitely worth it. Plump up the volume! A number of factors were contributing to Coreen’s severe loss of volume. These included the natural ageing process (she was their oldest contestant!), her low body weight and many years of neglect. Happily, this was something Dr Dalize could easily fix using a variety of injectable fillers. These have an instant plumping effect and, if strategically placed, can even lift the skin in the lower parts of the face.
A bubbly woman with a flair for fashion, Coreen Cronje had wasted 15 years in an abusive relationship and was finally ready to get in touch with her “old self”. This would mean saying goodbye to the volume loss, sagging skin and deep wrinkles that were cramping her style. Fortunately, as Coreen participated in Mooimaak, kykNET’s popular makeover show, the Skin Renewal team - lead by Dr Dalize Willemse and therapist Zaan Pienaar could help her do it. They did a fantastic job of smoothing and plumping her skin and put a focus on getting rid of her smoker’s liners, something that plagued despite never having been a smoker. Coreen’s treatments Lasers and light: CO2 laser, Laser Genesis and Photo Dynamic Therapy. www.mumsmail.com
Injectables: Dermal fillers, botulinum toxin, injectable mesotherapy and carboxytherapy. Extra: Silhouette Soft nonsurgical neck lift, PDO anchor threads, Jett Plasma eye rejuvenation, microdermabrasion and transdermal mesotherapy.
New threads Another way they performed a knife-free lift? They injected PDO anchor threads - essentially dissolvable sutures - just below the surface of Coreen’s skin in strategic places to remove her jowls and enhance her gorgeous cheekbones. After a couple of months, the An amazing laser threads will dissolve, but as A CO2 laser removes the outer they encourage a collagen layers of dead, damaged skin scaffolding to grow in the area and encourages fresh, new they were placed, her new look collagen to grow. It’s a great way will linger much longer. to target severe sun damage, deep wrinkles and a sallow Naturally, Coreen loves her complexion so we applied two incredible results. “I’ve found the sessions to Coreen’s mouth will to live life to the fullest and area. discovered confidence in myself According to her, this was the most uncomfortable treatment as it made her skin feel a bit hot and itchy for a couple of days after each session but the huge reward – “the most beautiful, flawless, glowing skin and faded 10
again,” she says. “I now walk with a smile… ‘Hello world, here I come!’” Visit Skin Renewal at www.skinrenewal.co.za or contact 0861 SKIN SA.
Healthy Life/Beautiful Life |
Don’t Neglect Your Feet this Winter When the weather is cooler and you’re wearing closed shoes more often, it is tempting to let your foot care regime slide… DON’T! Here are some simple foot care tips to follow this winter.
your heel. Look for creams containing petrolatum, an emollient, or a humectant such Exfoliate as lactic acid, which draws Make it a habit to use a pumice moisture into the skin. If your stone or foot file on rough skin heels are very dry and cracked, and calluses. Soak your feet in see a podiatrist or dermatologist warm water to soften the hard for a prescription treatment. If skin. Then gently remove the they’re not that bad, there are thickened skin with your pumice plenty of moisturising products or foot file. If you’re in a hurry, from which to choose. doing it in the shower works just as well! Cover Your Feet with Proper Socks Moisturise During the cold months, it’s After you’ve exfoliated the best to choose breathable calluses, use a heavy cream socks that will keep your feet to moisturise tough skin on both warm and dry. Wool or
other moisture-wicking socks can help control foot sweat that can make your feet freeze.
Take a Toenail Polish Break Going polish-free allows the nails to better soak up creams and lotions, and not using polish remover for extended periods of time will help fight against nail dryness, and allow any yellow staining to grow out. Source: www.footfiles.com and www.webmd.com. Factory shop – open to the public
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| Kids’ Life
Choosing the Right Car Seat with Chicco Whether you’re expecting your very first baby or shopping for a lively toddler, one of the biggest decisions you will make as a mother is what kind of car seat to choose.
In fact, it is the one decision that most fathers insist on being involved in when it comes to preparing for the little one’s arrival – and rightly so. Luckily Chicco has spent 61 years as an integral part of several generations of families and have mastered the fine balance between safety, quality, functionality and style when it comes to all their products.
and secure your child. All tested in Italy with crash test dummies and approved by the South African National Regulation of
“Every Chicco car seat is engineered for comfort, safety and peace-of-mind.”
Car Seats for ultimate safety checks in the most extreme circumstances, Chicco car Every Chicco car seat is seats are a globally trusted part engineered for comfort, safety of millions of children’s journeys and peace-of-mind. World-class every day. We have made it innovation and user-friendly easy for you by selecting our touchpoints make Chicco’s car personal favourites. seats reassuringly easy to install 2Easy – Group 0+/1 (0-18kgs) The perfect car seat to accompany your little one from birth to 4 years of age, the
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2Easy is a car seat that really lives up to its name. Starting off rear-facing with newborns and eventually swivelling around to be a front-facing, compact shell of a protector, it has a mini reducer for the smallest of babies that can be scooped up by parents and not disturb baby while they sleep. The system is integrated with a base and reclines in 4 positions, making this cocoon of comfort even more conducive to a gentle journey. 2Easy has been studied to embrace the child in every step of their growth. Uses seat belts to install. Cosmos – Group 0+/1 (0-18kgs) Rear and front-facing, the Cosmos is another belt-installed car seat that is the perfect introduction from newborn upwards. When baby grows, simply turn the seat around and let them see the world. A newborn mini reducer will keep small babies snug and comfortable and can be simply removed as the child grows. Recline into four positions to make sleeping on road trips a pleasure. The rounded and ergonomic shape of the seat makes it stylish and solid – and it even comes with a small toy.
Kids’ Life | Seat Up 012 – Group 0+/1/2 (0-25kgs)
is a sturdy, ever-growing car seat that can be adjusted with every inch of your child’s growth. Reclining with simple One of the sturdiest and most popular car seats on the market, movements, comfortable with extra padding and Italian style the Seat Up is the rock solid and quality make it a favourite Isofix-installed car seat that parents have been raving about amongst parents globally. Installed with Isofix and seat around the world. The perfect belts. combination of safety, comfort and practicality, the Seat Up cocoons the newborn baby with Gro Up 123 – Group 1/2/3 (9-36kgs) a mini reducer and then gets adjusted at the headrest and The one-piece structure of sides as the child grows. Also rear and front-facing depending the Gro Up car seat provides the maximum protection for on age group, the seat will children from 9 to 36kgs. With be your child’s companion on their journeys until about 25kgs a reducer cushion for younger babies, the seat then grows in weight, making it a great saving in terms of longevity. The with simple movements as your child does, making it a strong 3-reclining positions will keep comfort a priority too. A definite and reliable car companion until approximately 12 years of all-rounder in terms of car seat age. Reclining, comfortable and stars. modern, stylish design, the Gro Up is one of Chicco’s best loved Youniverse – Group 1/2/3 seat belt-installed car seats for (9-36kgs) older children. Youniverse is the car seat that Fold n Go iSize – Group 2/3 starts at 9kgs and follows your child up to 36kgs – that’s almost (15-36kgs) 12 years of age! With car seat Fold n Go is the brand-new laws becoming stricter all the car seat that can fold up into a time, young or light children compact unit and be stored in need the protection that only a solid shell of protection can give the boot of the car when not against impact. The Youniverse in use. An Isofix-installed car
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seat, this new iSize regulation puts significant new safety demands on high back booster seats, making the Fold n Go one of the safest car seats on the market in SA. The seat can be adjusted both in height and width, following older children correctly as they grow, giving them perfect protection, comfort and space. One of the most compact car seats in the world, the Fold n Go allows traveling parents to keep their favourite car seat with the family no matter where they go. Visit www.chicco.co.za for more information.
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| Kids’ Life
Easy DIY Birthday Décor Ideas
Easy Mason Jar Centrepieces Here are some quick and easy ways to make beautiful Mason jar centrepieces for your tables. They are so easy to make and will add a touch of elegance to your next party!
and place a floating candle on top of the water. Tie some raffia around the top of the jar. This idea is so simple but it looks so elegant and professional on your table!
Glitter Glasses: Paint some wood glue or mod podge on the inside of the Mason jar. Put some glitter inside the jar, put on the lid and shake it up. Once it’s dry, you can put a tea candle inside the jar for a sparkling effect.
Fairy Light Jars: Fill a Mason jar with some battery operated fairy lights for a magical effect! Source: www.lisawola. blogspot.com.
Floating Candles: Half fill a Mason jar with water
Glitter Balloons You will need: • Balloons • Assortment of glitter and/or small sequins • Mod podge • Foam paint brush • Something to catch the glitter on your table • Mixing bowls from your kitchen • Other embellishments (optional) Instructions: Pre-mix the glitter or sequins together on a paper plate. Once your glitter is ready, make sure you have a surface underneath that you can dump the glitter out of afterwards. Next, you will get out a mixing www.mumsmail.com
bowl that is big enough to fit your balloon in. It’s the easiest way to keep your balloon in place while it’s drying because the glitter makes it top heavy. You can place the balloon in the bowl, round side up, or hold it yourself while applying the mod podge. Apply the mod podge in an even coat, as quickly as possible, around the top third of the balloon (the round part). Then quickly and evenly shake the glitter mixture over the entire gluey surface. If you need to, you can shake out more glitter from the jar to fill in any gaps. Now place the balloon upright in the bowl and let it dry! When the balloons are dry, you can string them up on a chandelier for a focal point above the table, hang them from a ceiling in your entryway, or just accent in your 14
party decor. When the light catches them, sparkles dance everywhere on the walls and ceiling. So much fun! Source: www. sisterssuitcaseblog.com
Kids’ Life |
Science Experiment: Eye-Brain Tricks of the persistence of vision. Your eye keeps a copy of the image or a memory of the image for 1/20th of a second after the object is gone. As your toy spins, your brain interprets the series of quickly flashing images as one continuous image.
Science Question: How Smart is Your Brain? Our brains are super smart they can figure out information faster than computers can! In this experiment, you’ll make a thaumatrope (a special toy) and see how your brain solves a “problem”. Supplies needed: • Cup • Pencil • Paper • Scissors • Markers or crayons (optional) • Tape or glue • A straw The Experiment: Use a cup to trace equal size
Variation: Make a flip book. Use a small circles onto your paper and notebook and make a small cut them out. On your circles, image in the corners. In each draw two pictures that share an image adapt it slightly from the element. For example, you could previous image. We suggest draw a goldfish on one side using a dot, and each time and a bowl on the other. Make move the dot. When you flip a sandwich of the two pictures through the pages, the principle and tape or glue the straw of vision persistence makes it between them. look like the dot is bouncing on your page. Hold the bottom of the straw and rub your hands to twirl the Did you know? straw. What happens to the Your brain is 70% water! image? The outcome: When you twirled the straw, the two pictures blended into one! Why it worked: The pictures blended because
Source: The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments by Rachel Miller, Holly Homer & Jamie Harrington.
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