Two weekends ago, gosh, where has the time gone? The ladies from Bloggers Who Bless or #BWB as it is more commonly known met up their monthly meet up at the most quirky of venues. I Love My Laundry. The concept of the spot is a place where you can get your laundry done, you can even have dying and alterations done and while you wait you can sit have a glass of wine or a coffee and devour delicious dim sum (I think of them more as dumplings) while having a good chinwag and admiring gorgeous art and goodies that they have on sale. Sounds like a lot to take in but really it is the most quaint and quirky little spot you will come across and not to mention the Milo is to-die-for and the dim sum is even more delicious!

There was only a small group of us who managed to attend this meet-up, namely Heather (founder of #BWB) from FemmeLifestyle, Lauren from Lately Lauren, Leana from Hipstyler Pretty & Ginger, Sarah from The Mommy City, Cupcke from Cupcake Mummy and Nicola from Wots for Lunch. When Heather dreams up the most creative of meets she especially chose I Love My Laundry as the venue and on our invitations we were advised to bring a new pair of knickers that we were happy to part with. Now, just to clarify in case there happens to be any confusion in reading that statement – yes, it was a bit of a different request, especially for #BWB; and the reason for taking this pair of kecks along was a secret.

Once we were seated with a drink, Heather explained to us that as BWB is about community, to be specific a community of lady bloggers who support and encourage one another and we are passing-it-on, so to speak, onto the community at large. To being with, we are going to be supporting a charity for women whom live in the local townships who cannot afford underwear. Sometimes, from not being able to have their own underwear these women are subjected to being raped. It was a chilly thought and prospect to take in; but as sad as it was to think about we were all too happy to hand over our panties so that they can go to a good home. I actually even plan on donating some more new pairs next time I go shopping.
As I missed the last meet-up which was held at Dermalogica Wembley Square *cries on the inside* because I was travelling and not in Cape Town, I was really happy to see the ladies that were there and really missed the others but I cannot wait to see them at the next meet for a long overdue catch-up, chat and giggles!
Thank you to I Love My Laundry for letting us dangle our knickers off our heads and act like a bunch of school girls!

Check out I Love My Laundry on Facebook and Twitter @ilovemylaundry.

Not to forget the darling Heather for organising such a special meet-up, yet again and to each and every single one of the #BWB Ladies for being so awesome. Sending some good vibes your way! <3

Until next time, Flea XO

 Check out Fi's new blog : http://teawithflea.com

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It has been sometime since last I posted some handy hints for you on this blog , but here goes with some fab new  and hopefully useful ideas.

These tips are based on questions I get asked all the time and they are my personal opinions and views ...

How do you add images into your blog when you need it in HTML code?
I use Photbucket for this function purely because I am already familiar with the software and it also gives a variety of options , from HTML to a URL.

Where can I resize my images?
I use Photobucket which gives you the option of the size you are looking for and actually maintains the correct aspect ratio for you , in so doing it does no distort the picture in anyway :).

Where can I edit my photo's?
 I usually edit my phot's in PicMonkey , it is an easy template driven site where you can add special effects , text and correct all the basic errors in your pictures using their editing function and It's FREE!

Once you have finished editing you can choose between three sizes in which to save your image, which help to also reduce image size and file size.

Where can  I find FREE Blogger or Wordpress templates?
Here are a few of my favourites , however please note for some of the responsive and more interactive sites you will need to understand some basic code in order to insert your page names links etc. ... even I get lost sometimes and need help ...gulp!

That being said , these days you can Google just about any 'how to's' and soon figure it out ...just relax and breathe!

FOR BLOGGER
www.mybloggerthemes.com
www.allblogtools.com

FOR WORDPRESS
www.fabthemes.com
www.elegantthemes.com

If you are looking for someone to design , develop and build a blog ... obviously at a fee , I would highly recommend Chicara from www.lipglosskisses.com (this is her blog) , you can contact Chicara Joubert on any of her social media or chicara@gmail.com

Here are a few resources I have picked up along the way from other bloggers which I find to be super useful ....

SOURCE - http://www.paperlarkdesigns.com/

SOURCE - http://www.twelveskip.com/

SOURCE - http://www.blogging4jobs.com/

So there you have it folks , next I will be doing a post on my journey and lessons learnt ...till next time!

x Heather

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This past weekend saw yet another gathering of the #bwb troops at the lovely I LOVE MY LAUNDRY in Bree street Cape Town.

The theme for the get together was ' time to air your laundry' , which I in turn then  married up with the idea of a panty drive ( under cover) . I started this off by collecting a pair of knickers from each of the ladies for a charity who supports women who cannot afford panties in townships ... did you know that this often results in rape.

This charity, which I will reveal at a later stage will be the charity that #bwb support going forward.

It was at this point that each lady presented her panties to another #bwb lady, to have her 'personality' described according to her panties ....
What a flippin laugh ...

Here are some guidelines ... Enjoy!

Black:

You're feeling frisky.

Boyshorts:

Comfort and movement are your top priorities.

Lace:

You are feminine, delicate and high-maintenance.

Printed:

You're young at heart.

Sloganned:

You have a sense of humor.

Shapewear:

You often find yourself at high-profile events.

Thong:

You think pantylines should be punishable by death

Classic:

You've had, or will have, this underwear for ten years.

Day-of-the-Week:

You are not an adult.

Expensive:

You are the ultimate luxury shopper.

High-waisted granny panties:

You're retro at heart.

 

We have quite a few changes within #bwb of late as peoples lives get busy and priorities shift a little due to commitments , with Lauren relocating to the UK. It was amazing to just spend time catching up and enjoying the ladies who are now family.

We had a fun morning at I LOVE MY LAUNDRY on Bree Street with the wine flowing , coffee's brewing and the Dim Sum ... steaming and delicious ( just to little .. he he he).

I just want to take time to thank all the ladies who have , are and continue to be part of my group of ladies. These are bloggers who encourage each other , support one another and help each other everyday on the journey that is blogging.

To Cupcake who arrived early and blessed all the ladies with a lovely handrawn piece of art (illustration) , as well as a lovely glass water bottle (Grip n Go) from Consol, thank you for the awesome gifts.

#bwb you gals rock!

Disclos

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My previous BWB goodie bag contained a 50ml milk cleanser from Naturals beauty. After working through the packed goodie bag, I must admit, my poor cleanser took the backseat. I am, however, very happy to report that I’ve been able to try out the milk over the last couple of days and it has now become a “Leana needs to get her next fix” cleanser.

 

The brand low-down

Tanya became passionate about natural products after the birth of her child. She noticed that, at the time, there was a need in the South African market for natural beauty products and so, Naturals Beauty was born. Now, with the aid of Louise Botes, Naturals Beauty is perfecting their formulas, branding and the day-to-day to make sure that we get the best products they have to offer.

Creammmmmyyyyy

The Milk Cleanser is a creamy lotion that gently cleanses the skin and removes impurities and make-up. It even contains apple extract which has anti-aging properties (hells yeah) and avocado oil that moisturises the skin. I usually find that cleansers leave my skin feeling tight and dry, but the milk cleanser is absolute bliss on my skin. With other ingredients like Sutherlandia and Cucumber, it will keep the skin healthy and radiant.

It’s also VERY reasonably priced at only R80 for 150ml of awesomeness. You can order yours here and while you’re at it, make sure to check out all their other amazing products.

Naturals Beauty is also taking part in “Planting season”. You can also sign up here and get awesome organic planting tips and a banner on your website with a live count down. It’s pretty cool! Ginger and I have both signed up!!

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Guys, I admit it – this is a purely gushy, braggy post all about how blessed I am to be a part of a new group of amazing bloggers. Let’s just get that disclaimer out of the way.
I was lucky enough to be asked to join a new network of bloggers here in Cape Town, known as the Bloggers Who Bless (#BWB for all you hashtag fundis). In a world where people trash talk and troll each other all too easily online, BWB aims to provide a positive environment for bloggers to encourage, support, learn and grow from one another.

All the lovely ladies I met this weekend

I was lucky enough to be asked to join a new network of bloggers here in Cape Town, known as the Bloggers Who Bless (#BWB for all you hashtag fundis). In a world where people trash talk and troll each other all too easily online, BWB aims to provide a positive environment for bloggers to encourage, support, learn and grow from one another.

This weekend we were treated to the most amazing bedouin cuisine at the new Bedouin Deli in Woodstock. It boasts such an interesting menu! The owner spent time with the Bedouin women in the middle east and learnt how they prepare and cook their food. She then brought back these skills to Cape Town, and the result is the Bedouin Deli and restaurant she has since opened.

Really regretting not buying a jar of these..! Cream cheese balls made with yoghurt. I die.

Dessert. I mean.

I’d like to give a special thank you to the organisers of BWB – Heather, Fi and Leana (who we missed terribly on Saturday!). A great big hug also to all the wonderful brands who generously filled up our goodie bags – reviews are on their way!

 Peeping inside my goodie bag

I only attended my first meet up last weekend, and I can already feel the difference it is making. Knowing people care, are watching you, want the best for you, and want to see you succeed is the best kind of motivation you can have. For anybody out there who working towards something – anything – the best advice for motivation and self esteem I can give you is to find like minded people who are in the same field. Feeling so hashtag blessed!

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Frightening how speedily time passes us by, on Saturday we had our 2nd #BWB get together which means it’s been 6 weeks since the last one already (holy purple socks on a rooster!) and it was lovely seeing all the faces behind the blogs and tweets again as well as some new ones that have joined to make up the 15 that is the Cape Town “branch”.


The deli was gorgeous and despite the food not being my lifestyle edible it looked really good and the ladies seemed to enjoy it so I’ll take their word on that but I will also not be putting strange foods into my mouth after receiving a safety go ahead from Femme Lifestyle hahahaha < I pointed out something and she said it was just spiced rice wrapped up in a leaf… a bit revealed it was pesto and that odd yogurt cheese (a napkin and plate was passed my way really quickly)

The goodie bags are always an added bonus and there aren’t always any because that’s not what it’s always about but the one that was put together for Saturday was just lovely, so many goodies in it! And as with last time momma got to pick out what she wanted as a thank you for watching master Fysh while I had a bit of kid free time with the ladies.

In our bag: Rain Africa, Hey gorgeous, Nimue, dermatologica, Ritzis chilli, bath oils, oh so heavenly cream and spray, original iced cocktails, and a heap of other goodies that I’ll be reviewing for you as I test them out.

Highlight of the day for me was something rather small… Heather and Fi gave each of us 3 strips of paper and we were to write our names on the back and then pick out three ladies there to each write a small motivational something to. Then they were handed back, sorted out and slipped into our goodie bags while we were all chatting. I’d actually forgotten about them until the lipglossed ninja tagged me on instagram with a photo of one she’d written to me (it was accidentally given back to her) letting me know what she’d written.

Words are such powerful things and we should start realising that before it’s too late. So take a leaf out of the #BWB book and go tell someone something nice – let a stranger know they look good, smile at the carguard, tell your momma you love her, let your kids know how brilliant they are or compliment your sister on her beauty and intelligence. Just go out there today with the intent of saying at least one nice thing to someone you meet…

For more by CUPCAKES & SAILORS

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On Saturday I joined my fellow bloggers at the unassuming Bedouin Cafe & Deli situated in the heart of the artsy lower Woodstock area. I really enjoy strolling around this part of Woodstock, but the Saturday morning traffic is another story!
I sampled labneh (a creamy cheese made with strained yoghurt) for the first time, and simply loved it.   The stuffed peppadews were also absolutely divine and so were the stuffed vine leaves- a perfect mezze platter was served!

All the beautiful ladies, except Cupcake who took the photo 

It was my first Bloggers Who Bless (#BWB ladies) get together and I felt like I already knew the ladies seated around the table (even though for some it was our first face-to-face meeting). It is so special to be part of this bunch of women, whose sole aim is to inspire, uplift and motivate each other. I really feel honoured to be included in this forum, and the daily interactions and notes definitely inspire me to do better, and more importantly spread the love :-D

I look forward to many more, and need to make a special mention of Heather De Bruin, Fi Fitzpatrick and Leana Henke who run all the administration for our group and ensure that we are always on track. From the great venues, the buddy system to the always highly appreciated goodie bags! Much love to these beautiful women; and for going the extra mile to bring positivity to each day.

List of Sponsors:

Dermalogica - 

http://www.dermalogica.co.za

Bedouin Cafe & Deli - 

http://www.bedouinfoods.co.za

Hey Gorgeous - 

http://www.hey-gorgeous.co.za

Naturals Beauty -

http://www.naturalsbeauty.co.za

Ritzi's Chilli - 

http://www.ritzis.co.za

Blend box - 

http://www.blendbox.co.za

Rain - 

http://www.rainafrica.com

Original cocktails - 

http://www.originalcocktails.co.za

FreebeesPR/ Ralo Cosmetics - 

http://ralocosmetics.co.za

Oh So Heavenly - 

http://www.ohsoheavenly.co.za

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