I’m a bit of an erratic blogger, I know. I go ape after a 4 month hiatus and then nothing.
Again.
I have valid reasons this time – I’m busy registering “One of The Boys (Pty) Ltd” and actually turning it into a business! WOO! And I’ve been spending all-important time with my little noodles Mission ACCOMPLISHED!
Easter weekend is coming up, which means even more fun family stuff! We’re seeing friends and family, visiting the Monte Casino Bird Park for the first time and stretching out on our green grass when we’ve got a moment to chill … soaking up these last days of warm weather.
Speaking of Easter, my friends at Cadbury asked me if I’d like to give away a couple of hampers to my readers and, after seeing tweets about the cost of Easter eggs, I jumped at the chance to share the chocolatey love! I’ll make this easy and say that all you’ve got to do tweet me @Nicki_Dadic with your favourite Cadbury Easter treat and include #CadburyEaster in your tweet too.
FOUR people will win hampers just like this, each worth R400:
The new Cadbury Dairy Milk Novelty Range is made up of a Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg Basket, Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Filled Eggs and the Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Hollow Eggs and each item contains the “glass and a half” of joy that has made Cadbury Dairy Milk the best-loved chocolate in South Africa.
I’ll randomly select 4 winning tweets at 16:00 on Wednesday and you should hopefully have your hampers before the Easter weekend!
This would have been a sponsored post, but I decided to offer up my payment (a hamper!) as an additional prize for my lovely readers. So this post is on the house and I agreed to participate purely because I LOVE ME SOME CHOCOLATE!!!
I was out shopping for (read as: going totally overboard on) Christmas “stuff” and couldn’t resist popping little Christmas elf headbands on my boys … how cute?
Now while my boys aren’t exactly little anymore, I know lots of preggy ladies who will be welcoming new lives into their families soon and they would just LOVE the Christmas range by Little Lumps.
I’ve got one “Santa’s littlest elf” set to giveaway to a reader! Simply comment below and I will randomly select a winner on Monday 19 November.
Little Lumps will also give a discount voucher to all other non-winning comments, to spend on any item(s) from their Christmas range or any other item in the Little Lumps range!
Everyone wins
It would be great if you’d pop over to the Little Lumps Facebook page and give them a “like” and keep up to date on new ranges and more.
While I already seem to be in a festive mood (we put our Christmas tree up on Saturday!), some of you may need a little more convincing … and do I have something for you
On the back of the hugely successful Taste Festivals in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, this year sees the launch of Pick n Pay Taste of Christmas at Joburg’s Coca Cola Dome, 7 – 9 December 2012.
A handful of the country’s best chefs will take to the stage to help you finesse your light entertaining, refine that ambitious festive menu and prepare for the ultimate season of extravagance.
Join the Pick n Pay Taste of Christmas 2012 and celebrate the end of year festivities with three days of gourmet inspiration and shopping. The best part about the event is that you are able to get all your festive season shopping done – under one roof – without having to fight off the hordes of last minute mall shoppers.
Book now for the Taste Gift Ticket Special and for just R100, you will receive entrance to the festival, a tasting glass, AND a a bottle of Niel Joubert Sauvignon Blanc 2012. But you have to book NOW as this special ends this Thursday, 15 November!
Showcasing a variety of great Christmas gifts and ideas – ranging from food producers, homeware, fashion, accessories and art, it is destined to become the ultimate festive gifting, food and drink event.
A feast of great restaurants, world-class chefs, cheese and wine and chocolate tasting awaits as Pick n Pay Taste of Christmas launches your holiday season with style.
And now … a chance to WIN one of two double tickets! Tweet me (@Nicki_Dadic) the names of two chefs who will be at Taste of Christmas and use the hashtag #TasteofXmas (hint – look on the website) and I’ll choose and announce a winner on Friday, 16 November
Check out the Pick ‘n Pay Taste of Christmas on Facebook and Twitter for more info and see YOU at the Jozi #TasteofXmas!
Melinda pointed out how KA-YOOOOTBaby Ben looked in his little onesie yesterday afternoon and I totally agree.
Nowadays you get all sorts of outfits for little ones, but in my opinion, they look cutest (and are probably at their most comfortable) in a onesie/babygrow.
Read on to find out how you could win one of 3 R250 vouchers to spend on Magnificent Baby Clothing or anything else on the Queck Baby site!
About Magnificent Baby
Spend more magnificent moments with your little one. Our easy-to-use, Smart Close magnetic-fastening infant’s wear will have your baby dressed in seconds! No more snaps, no more buttons! Soft. Simple. Magnetic.
Mission
Our goal is to give busy moms and dads more quality time with their babies, to let new parents get more sleep in the middle of the night and to let grandparents with limited dexterity the ability to bond with baby at changing time.
Company Overview
Named top 10 in 2010 by Pregnancy & Newborn magazine, top baby shower gift by Babble.com, new brand to watch by StrollerTraffic, “revolutionary” by People and “genius” by Daily Candy, the Company’s debut collection hit store shelves nationwide in 2010.
Magnificent Baby FAQ
Q. What’s Magnificent Baby’s Mission? A. Our goal is to give busy moms and dads more quality time with their babies.
We know you would much rather spend more magnificent moments with your baby than spend time lining up endless amounts of snaps or buttons while your baby is crying and kicking. With our line of infant’s wear, the outfits do all the work and we love that!
Q. Will Magnificent Baby save me time? A. Absolutely! Our Smart Closetm magnetic fasteners practically close themselves.
Q. Will Magnificent Baby save me and my baby stress? A. No question about it – your baby will be warm and dressed in seconds!
Q. How does it work? A. Magnificent Baby has a patent-pending magnetic closure system.
Since the conception of our idea, Magnificent Baby has spent a lot (a lot!) of time and energy perfecting our fasteners. All you need to do is line the magnets up and watch them close.
Q. Are Magnificent Baby’s magnets safe for baby? A. Yes! A study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that there is no adverse affect on human health from exposure to very low power static magnetic fields – like the magnets on your fridge or like our fasteners, which make it possible to quickly dress or undress your baby!
Q. Are magnets washer and dryer safe? A. Yes and Yes! All of our products can be washed and dried just like anything else you would put in a washer and dryer. Most importantly, they won’t demagnetize!
Q. Are there any special washing instructions? A. Magnificent Baby recommends closing your garment’s Smart Closetm fasteners before washing and drying. Wash warm with like colors, tumble dry on low and remove your garments promptly after washing and drying. Use only non-chlorine bleach when needed and we do not recommend using commercial dryers.
Q. Have Magnificent Baby’s clothes been safety tested? A. Absolutely! Magnificent Baby’s products have been independently safety tested by a consumer products safety testing bureau.
Q. Do Magnificent Baby’s products contain lead? A. No way! Magnificent Baby’s products have been thoroughly tested and all of our products meet lead safety standards.
Q. What’s a phthalate and do you have any? A. Phthalates are chemical plasticizers used in many ways, such as making plastics softer. Magnificent Baby’s products have been thoroughly tested and all of our products meet phthalate safety standards.
Q. Does Magnificent Baby have a General Conformity Certificate? A. Yes again! The independent consumer product safety testing bureau that tested our products has issued Magnificent Baby a General Conformity Certificate.
Q.What about swallowing magnets? A. Magnificent Baby’s magnetic fasteners are safely sewn into our garments and inaccessible to infants or their siblings. We know all about the hazards of children swallowing magnets and have taken precautions to prevent any swallowing accidents. The magnetic fasteners are stitched into our clothes between layers of fabric and would take serious tampering to remove.
Q. What about pacemakers? I heard magnets can interfere with pacemakers. A. Magnificent Baby’s magnets are not nearly powerful enough to affect pacemakers (or pinch little fingers). But, you should always be careful and we recommend consulting your physician if you have a question.
To win one of 3 x R250 Queck Baby online shopping vouchers, fill in the blanks in the following sentence:
“Magnificent Baby is suitable for ages newborn to ……… months, features ……………………………………………. prints and are made of 100% ultra soft ……………….”
(Hint: the answers can be found HERE!) <— click there!!!
I’ll randomly select 3 correct entries and announce the winners on Monday, 8 October! If you share the competition on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll get an extra entry for your efforts!
Good luck!
Also, pop on over to the Queck Baby Facebook page to be informed of specials, new products and more!
A while ago I did a review of the Snoozeshade Plus for Joburg.co.za. It is one of those items that you would never think to buy yourself whilst pregnant and may not look like the most exciting gift to give at a baby-shower.
The thing is, only once you actually become a parent, do you realise how many unnecessary products there are out there … and as an expectant mom, you can get caught up in the whole “must have everything for the new baby” hype.
Seriously? People spend money on this kind of stuff?
The Snoozeshade, however, is a real gem of a baby product. How many times has your baba been snoozing under the shade of a blanket in his or her pram when suddenly a gust of wind (or a kicking foot) whips up the blanket and exposes him or her to the bright sun, bringing nap time an abrupt halt?
I found that the Snoozeshade served me the best during outdoor trips, like walks to the nearby shops or during a recent afternoon spent at the Jo’burg Zoo. I could see that Mika was getting tired, so I propped his bottle up so that he could drink without my help, attached the Snoozeshade to the pram and carried on walking. I could peep in through the zip to check on him and before he was even half way through his bottle he’d passed clean out! There was no chance of the wind blowing his shade away, as the Snoozeshade is attached to the pram using nifty Velcro straps. It also stays nice and cool underneath the Snoozeshade, which is fab during the hot summer afternoons!
The lovely Georgina from Snoozeshade SA given me one Snoozeshade Original (available with either a green, pink or latté trim) to give away to a reader of my blog!
To enter, post a comment here, mentioning one of the most ridiculous baby products you’ve ever seen/bought. The product that makes me giggle (or gasp) the most, wins! The winner will be announced on Monday, 24 September.
PS: Pop over to my new One of The Boys Facebook page and give it a like! You could even share it with your friends if you’re feeling extra happy with life
The Dadics are BIG fans of Nando’s – we’ve have “Nando’s Mondays” (sorry, meat-free Monday hippies!), which really means that Dave grabs a family pack on the way home, I don’t cook and we all go to bed before 8pm. That’s how we roll on a Monday … the sooner it’s over, the better as far as we’re concerned!
I’m also a fan of Nando’s Souperstars, who I joined at a recent pop-up soup kitchen at the Lindela Repatriation Centre, where we helped prepare and then serve soup and bread to inmates as well as some gorgeous littles at a nearby settlement.
I found out recently that Nandos was hosting the 2012 International Grillers Challenge over the Heritage Day weekend and that they’re currently on the hunt for the most passionate grilled peri-peri chicken fan or “Fando” to be a guest judge in this prestigious event.
The 2012 International Grillers Challenge is a grill-off between the best Nando’s front grillers in the world – the ladies and gents who actually grill your chicken in Nando’s stores across the globe. The top 40 international finalists have already been selected and will compete in the “AFRICA AWAITS – 2012 International Grillers Challenge” on the 23rd of September 2012 in Jozi.
Nando’s is looking for one of their very own grilled peri-peri chicken fans to be a guest judge in this competition. Fans or Fando’s as Nando’s likes to call them, can submit their grilled peri-peri chicken recipes, which will then be narrowed down to a top 10 by Nando’s. Votes will then be open to the public to see who should be crowned ultimate Nando’s Fando.
Readers of One of the Boys: do you have what it takes? Are YOU the ultimate Fando? (Love that!)
If you reckon you are, submit your best grilled peri-peri chicken recipe via the Nando’s Grillers app on Facebook – this could win you a place on the 2012 International Grillers Challenge judges panel as well as an all-expenses paid, action packed weekend in Jozi from 22-24 September – VIP style. Sound awesome?! Submit your best peri-peri grilled chicken recipe NOW!
Nando’s has also given me 2 x R150 vouchers for readers of One of The Boys! To stand a chance of winning, you’ll need to:
subscribe to email updates of One of The Boys (fill in your email add and click “Sihn me up!
Dinner time in the Dadic home is fast becoming my favourite time of the day. It’s at least an hour we all spend together in the kitchen, preparing our meal, catching up on the day and trying to be as creative as possible with what can be a boring and (with a toddler) tedious meal time.
As I’m on a healthy eating plan and Dave’s following it with me, our dinners are uber-healthy: steamed vegetables, fish, chicken, steak … but I won’t lie and say that I don’t crave something AMAZING now and again …
Like these apple-stuffed pork chops …
… followed by this pecan pie … mmm!
Looking at these pictures, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re creations of the likes of Nigella or Jaime Oliver. But they’re the work of someone who’s been in the business far longer than Ms Lawson or the Naked Chef … these are the culinary treats of the man, the legend, Colonel Saunders himself!
So, as soon as I’ve reached my goal physique, I will certainly be whipping up this exact meal as a reward for my perseverance. In the mean time, I’m going to be trying out some of the recipes on my kids. Mika will, I have no doubt, eat everything I make for him. With Luca, it’s more of a trial and error. He’s in that phase where he doesn’t like ANYTHING, without ever even having tried whatever IT is. Drives me NUTS!
But, as I always do, I will persevere!
While I’m busy rustling up great tasting meals for my family, you can head over to the KFC South Africa Facebook page, where you can download a PDF version of the booklet, for FREE! You could also leave a comment on this post and stand in line to win one of two beautiful hard copy versions of the book!
Jess aka Miss Preggy mentioned that she wouldn’t be able to enter our Cilla Bloom Photography Fathers Day Competition because she’s missing the crucial ingredient … a father. Well, Aiden’s father, at least. In my opinion, single moms should also get credit this Fathers Day … they’re doing all the work in the cases where the ‘baby-daddy’ isn’t interested in being anyone’s ‘baby-daddy’ …
For that reason, I’me calling on all single mamas to enter our giveaway too! You deserve it as much as anyone else! Jess, you’re a strong woman, and Aiden will be a strong little guy because of you! x
Being a single parent is twice the work, twice the stress and twice the tears but also twice the hugs, twice the love and twice the pride.
- Anon
Jess also sent through her message for single moms …
Sitting in my room,
day dreaming with a smile.
Breaking away,
if only for a while.
Imagining my life,
and where I would be,
if only I had done,
x, y, and z. Wistful thoughts,
deep sighs,
resigned yet restless,
wanting to cry.
A voice breaks the silence.
This child of mine,
I realize my choice,
at this moment in time. They are my life,
these children of mine.
Nobody’s wife,
yet perfectly fine.
We can make it,
you will see,
for this was all,
meant to be.
- Anon
Now send in your entries to nickidadic@me.com and copy celeste@cillabloom.co.za! Just a couple of hours left to enter! Andre of Dad or Alive will be choosing a winner on Saturday night (US time – 6 hours behind us), and we’ll announce the winner on Fathers Day!
As a child, I remember waving good-bye to my Mom from the school bus on my first day of kindergarten, going fishing with my Dad on the weekends and spending summers at the Jersey Shore. I collected Legos, joined the Boy Scouts and knocked my front tooth out chasing a fly ball. I was baptised in my parents church and became an older brother twice. I touched the Liberty Bell and made the front of the local newspaper planting a tree on Arbor Day.
As a teenager I worked on a farm and rode endless miles on my BMX bike. I ran cross-country, got into my first fistfight and learned a second language. I got my drivers license, became an editor of my high school yearbook, kissed my first girlfriend while wearing braces, wore a varsity jacket and went to the prom. Shortly after, I left for college, pledged a fraternity and toured with Phish. I broke my nose twice and was mugged in Mexico. I gave the eulogy at my best friends funeral and crawled out of a burning apartment that took everything I owned.
I left Pennsylvania at age twenty-one after totaling my truck on a snowy highway. I spent four days on a one-way train from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and learned how to surf in the Pacific Ocean. I bought a 1969 Volkswagen, lived in a warehouse and bought a dog.
I’ve stood on the Hoover Dam, climbed a 10,000+ foot peak and walked miles in waist-deep snow in the Smoky Mountains. I’ve slept at the base of a Sequoia Tree, worn a tuxedo to the American Comedy Awards, shaken hands with Buzz Aldrin and smoked a cigar with Dave Matthews.
I worked for Adam Sandler for 7 years and flipped a jet ski at my bachelor party. I’ve booked comics on ‘The Late Late Show’ for CBS, spent a year working for Chelsea Handler and was married 30 stories above Boston’s North End.
If that weren’t enough, I’m now experiencing my biggest challenge, as an unexpected, full-time stay-at-home Dad, taking care of my 2½ year old daughter, Ava, and 11-month old son, Charlie. I’m also writing a book for New American Library/Penguin Publishing and working with Sony Pictures Television & Happy Madison Productions on a scripted TV show, based on Dad or Alive.
This Father’s Day, I’m asking for five uninterrupted minutes in the bathroom by myself.
Mission ACCOMPLISHED!
The new Cadbury Dairy Milk Novelty Range is made up of a Cadbury Dairy Milk Egg Basket, Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Filled Eggs and the Mini Cadbury Dairy Milk Hollow Eggs and each item contains the “glass and a half” of joy that has made Cadbury Dairy Milk the best-loved chocolate in South Africa.
A while ago I did a review of the 
The lovely Georgina from 
