The 5^th of May marked the day gifted with hosting the first ever Fat Olive Organic & Craft market. The market was held at a Restaurant called The Fat Olive on the Lammermoor Conservancy Estate in Elandsdrift just off Malibongwe. Stall set up began promptly at 7:30am; this of course was a very early start for me so I was late in a very organized chaotic fashion. The weeks leading up to this market were rather busy so as a stall holder and a weasel on a mission I had my work cut out for me. On arrival you could taste the excitement in the cool crisp morning air, it was one of those refreshing but freezing mornings that bite through your clothes and prickle at your skin.

Enter the world of peace and relaxation, where stressors disappear by a strangers hand. We were lucky enough to get invited to be apart of the MountGraceBlog weekend, with Ian from Manley communications as host. What a wonderful weekend filled with new experiences and an out of this world massage.

Elegance meets relaxation at Mount Grace Country House and Spa, within easy driving distance from Jozi lies a wonderful venue where you get greeted by friendly staff and a venue that you only see in expensive magazines.

We were lucky enough to get invited to Mount Grace Country House and Spa by Manley Communication for a bloggers weekend. Wanting to do Mount Grace no injustice this will be part one of two blog posts each featured around parts of this amazing escape.

Nestled away you drive down a tree lined road while subliminally switching off from the hustle and bustle of life. Mount Grace is thoughtfully placed to take advantage of the Magaliesburg mountain with individual suites speckled within the property. With a spa that will take your breath away with a flowing waterfall, secluded heated pool, splash pool with loungers surrounding it and a view to well marvel at with the thoughts of, is this really only and hour and a half from Jozi? We will be discussing the spa in detail in the next post.

Bags backed and off we scamper for a weekend of relaxation and to try out a new venue. One never knows what to expect from an unknown venue, but, we're going to give it ago, even if one didn't know where we were going... Sparkling Waters is in Rustenburg not to far from good old home.

When good food meets good company, with the mid week break interrupting work one tends to venture to new places often heard about and always wanted to try. The day dawned and it was time to go and visit the Dealer of sugary goodness...

Indulgence Cafe on 225 Beyers Naude drive was entered into the navigation device and off we went to find all things tempting. Immediately I fell in love and not having stepped through the gate, it sparkled and had that must go there now feel yet completely welcoming. The decor was relaxed and collective with hanging hearts, plants on the wall and hand painted tables with daisies it is a place you feel right at home at and all your troubles and left at the door (in a bucket marked just for this use).

What better way to wind up a weekend then visiting a local restaurant and having a pleasant meal. Not wanting to go too far and not wanting the noise and rushed environment of a mall it was decided Calisto’s was the place to be. Instantly greeted by management by the door, its decor is inviting and what you would expect to see in Portugal with the used wine barrels, the old button tills and wrought iron work adding to the ambiance.

The evening was beautiful with the sun setting and the shades of blue and orange setting in, with a breeze in the air it was ideal to be outside. Our waitress was friendly and extremely helpful and lacked the patronizing tone at other establishments.

We often find ourselves in places far and wide experiencing new and wonderful things. This past weekend it was learning to make Sushi, thanks to Celestial Gifts for booking this wonderful experience and for getting enough people to warrant a weekend course. Ready set Sushi...

Getting away from the mundane tasks is refreshing and most often called for. Packing up and exploring different places, is part of the course. Working is a necessity and so should exploration and switching off of electronics. Destination secured Manzi Monate an RCI establishment on the outskirts of Pretoria a 4 sleeper unit.

After bouncing up and down on the dirt road and skinny lanes we arrived in the dark to our weekend getaway. Due to the fact I thought there was a restaurant on site (I was wrong). Dumping our bags and turning on the aircon we left for a stroll to see if we could find the elusive bar we saw a sign for. We found reception who in turn had an gentleman in it (called in for some sort of problem otherwise it would have been a ghost town) asking him where we can find food and refreshment we were told it was further up the road at a “24 hour petrol station”, strolling back to our room we had a cool breeze and chirping crickets (should of packed a torch). Grabbing the car keys we ventured back into trusting Prius and headed back down the dirt road. We stumbled onto a shopping centre and found refreshments and bought some juice to go. Back in our weekend home we settled in for the night.

Everybody deserves to be spoilt, that elusive weekend away where one can relax and just be. Where would you go? How long are you willing to travel for that break? Not wanting to spend the weekend in a car the consensus is that an hour and a half is suitable distance to go (us Jozi people spend more than that in work traffic daily). But where would you go? Moriti Fishing & Wildlife have the perfect places hidden away for the perfect escape

In the bush, at a spa, at a fancy hotel or just away somewhere you don’t care where. We all have our preferences. Mongena Game Farm called our name for an adventure and a place hidden away with its vast space and wildlife roaming free. Food that would make top restaurants cringe with delight all available within an hour and a half of JHB.

In a nook in Johannesburgs CBD lies a hidden treasure which only appears on a Sunday morning or on a rare evening of the 1^st Thursday of the month. The mouth watering smells draw you into its embrace. With stalls positioned into an old factory, its cosy offering the “foodie” great options with homemade produce and tantalizing choices. True excitement as you walk through the entrance and your eyes feast upon all the wares on offer and the smells igniting your stomach which is wanting to try each and every flavour on offer.