Lifestyle - Inspired Living SA

Cape Town, Cape Town Lifestyle, Exploring the Cape, FAR Photography, Lifestyle, Travel

Groot Constantia Cape Town

Yesterday we enjoyed a lazy lunch at Jonkershuis at Groot Constantia, eating delicious food and drinking great Cape wine! Jonkershuis Constantia is nestled in the historic core of the Groot Constantia Wine Estate, next to the historic Homestead and surrounded by ancient oak trees.

Groot Constantia

Following lunch we decided on a strolled around the magnificent estate gardens. A chance to soak up the sun and take in the glorious surroundings.

Groot Constantia is not only the oldest wine estate in South Africa but also a historical monument. The estate is home to two great restaurants and world renowned for producing great wine.

A bit of history on the farm“Groot Constantia was established in 1685 by the VOC Governor of the Cape of Good Hope Simon van der Stel, and was used to produce wine as well as other fruit and vegetables and cattle farming. Following Van der Stel’s death in 1712 the estate was broken up and sold in three parts: Groot Constantia; Klein Constantia; and Bergvliet. In 1778 the portion of the estate surrounding Van der Stel’s Cape Dutch-style manor house was sold to the Cloete family, who planted extensive vineyards and extended and improved the mansion by commissioning the architect Louis Michel Thibault. The house remained in the possession of the Cloete family until 1885, during which period the estate became famous for its production of Constantia dessert wine.

In 1885 the farm was purchased by the government of the Cape of Good Hope and was used as an experimental wine and agricultural estate. Following a disastrous fire in 1925 the house was extensively restored.”

The Groot Constantia trademark is one of the oldest surviving trademarks in the world today. It serves as a testimony of continuous high quality wine production and has won medals and awards since 1855.

Images: © Fiona Rossiter from Inspired Living

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Movies

The Holiday

I loved “The Holiday” the first time around and loved it even more when we watched it for the second time last night!

The film tells the tale of two young woman – Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz and Iris, played by Kate Winslet. Amanda is a successful American career woman and Iris a British journalist. Just before Christmas, these two strangers do a home-exchange for the holidays. Exchanging not only homes but also each others lives. Amanda ends up in a sweet country cottage in Surrey, much like something out of Beatrix Potter, while Iris moves into a LA mansion with a maid and all the modern trappings this lifestyle bring with it .

"The Holiday Cottage in Surrey"

Iris, a lovesick English rose, is escaping England to nurse her broken heart and try to forget that she is still in love with Jasper (Rufus Sewell). While Amanda, after breaking off a long-term relationship back in LA, wishes for nothing more than solitude and escape from the male species.

Jude Law & Cameron Diaz

Needless to say neither woman really get what they are looking for, instead they encounter new “love interests” in the form of Graham, played by Jude Law and Miles, played by Jack Black but I am giving too much away! So the romantic tale unfolds which is both heart warming and funny.

Kate Winslet & Jack Black

So if you are looking for something to do on this rainy public holiday and you have not seen The Holiday yet or just need a bit of romance in your life – why not rent it on DVD and give it a watch!

Image Source: Pinterest

Cape Town Lifestyle, Eating Out, Food, Lifestyle

Top Coffee Shops in Cape Town

I am a lover of coffee; perhaps a coffee-junkie is the better term – you could say that coffee is my Happy Place! I guess you can also call me a “coffee snob”. Only ‘proper coffee’ for me, no instant and the stronger the espresso, the better. I even went as far as buying a Lavazza coffee machine, to satisfy my need! So in the interests of purveying fine coffee, I thought I would do a bit of research to establish the Top Coffee Shops in Cape Town – with the help of my readers.

Top Coffee Shops

“Life Is Too Short for Bad Coffee – So Why Drink It?”

So whether it is for a quick cuppa on the run (“with wings”) or a morning out with friends, enjoying a cappuccino and a delicious pastry, there is a place for everyone! Some I have had the pleasure of visiting, some I have not, but I am sure I will work my way there.

In no particular order, well actually alphabetical for convenience, these are the Top Coffee Shops in Cape Town that are trending at the moment:

Deluxe Coffee Works – 25 Church Street| City Center| Cape Town |

Empire Café – 11 York Road | Muizenberg | 021 788 1250

Knead Bakery –Surfers Corner | Beach Road| Muizenberg | 021 7882909

Origin Coffee Roasting Cafe – 28 Hudson Street | De Waterkant | Cape Town | 021 421 1000

Seattle Coffee Co.– Constantia Village *(This is my fav for a quick Cappuccino on the run)

Tasha’s – Shop 55 | Constantia Village | Constantia Road | Constantia | 021 794 5449

The Food Barn Deli – Noordhoek Farm Village | Cnr Village Lane & Noordhoek Main Road | Noordhoek | 021 789 1966

Vida e caffé– Shop 27c | Constantia Village | Constantia Road | Constantia | 021 794 3478

Jason Bakery – 185 Bree Street | 8001 Cape Town | South Africa | 214245644

The Haas Coffee Collective – 67 Rose Street | Bo-Kaap | Cape Town | +27(0) 21 422 4413

For the Love of Coffee

My favourites for various reasons are Knead Bakery; mostly because their almond croissants are amazing, The Food Barn Deli because they make great coffee and it is in walking distance from my house! I know that Vida e is extremely popular, not my favourite but they do have stores countrywide.

Both Deluxe Coffee Works and Origin Coffee Roasting Cafe, are said to make the best coffee – well I am going to have to pay them a visit and find out for myself! For something more than just a good coffee you have to try Tasha’s, even their website puts me in a good mood! To quote their website “Tasha’s is a dynamic, sensual journey of flavour set in lush interiors.” – Need I say more! You will have to experience it for yourself. So if you are looking for something to do this weekend pop out and sample some of the finest coffee Cape Town has to offer.

If there are any personal favourites you would like to add to the list of Top Coffee Shops in Cape Town, please leave a comment below this post.

Accessories, Competitions, Fashion, Lifestyle, Winner

The Winner of the Sass Diva Gift Voucher

Announcing the winner of the Sass Diva Gift Voucher – Congratulations Sadiyya Randeree – you are the winner of the R500 Sass Diva Gift Voucher! Enjoy spending your voucher! Thank you for entering and you will be contacted via email to arrange the collection of your prize.

A big thank you to everyone for entering and to Sass Diva for sponsoring this giveaway!

Disclaimer:

* The winner is chosen randomly using Random.org.

Be Inspired, Family, Life, Lifestyle, Mothers, Proudly South African

Thank You Mom Campaign – Procter & Gamble

With just over 90 Days until the 2012 Olympic Games, Super Mom Blog would like to announce their support of the Procter & Gamble “Thank You Mom” Campaign! The campaign recognizes and celebrates the moms behind the athletes, by thanking moms for all they do! The campaign is also a part of P&G’s worldwide partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

P&G is not only a worldwide sponsor of the Olympic Games and a proud partner of Team South Africa, but they are also the Proud Sponsor of Moms.

“There is no way I, or any other athlete I know, would be where we are today without the support of our moms. I can never thank my mom enough for everything she did for me and that’s why I’m proud to be a part of this campaign that thanks moms everywhere.” ~ Khotso Mokoena, Long Jump silver medallist,

P&G has committed to raise $5 million to support local youth sports programs in many countries, through a portion of sales and donations from the company’s leadership brands including Pampers®, Always®, Head & Shoulders®, Gillette® WELLA®, Vicks®, and Pantene®,

In South Africa, motherhood extends beyond one’s biological child to the extended family, children within the community and to those in need. Here it’s about Mama – that special female someone who shaped who you are today, regardless of how or when you stretched your arms out to her.

The aim of the campaign, is to salute, not just the Mamas of Olympians, but all Mamas who have given so much. The Mamas who have raised great athletes and those who have raised great kids, these are the women who dedicate their lives to supporting and serving everyone else! So now is the time to support and serve them.

Someone needs to say, “Thank you, Mama” so along with P&G, Super Mom Blog would like everyone in South Africa to do the same. We hope that you can play a key role in inspiring South Africa to say “Thank You, Mama!”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ruHOaHrGnQ[/youtube]

P&G has also launched the “Thank You Mama app” that allows people to thank their own moms by uploading personalized content in the form of a video, still image with caption or text-based message. Users will then be able to encourage friends and family to do the same, spreading the word to thank and celebrate moms.