09 Dec

Family and Friends, the greatest gift of all!

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December 9, 2019

At this time of the year we are planning, we are excitedly coordinating special events, and the time has come to make new memories with the ones we hold dear. Most people only get the holidays to spend with the ones they treasure most in this world, and at this time of the year, we gather in great numbers and celebrate the blessing the year has been. We laugh, we share our thoughts and dreams, we dance and sing. This what this season is truly about.

It is about recognition and appreciation of the greatest gift of all, our friends and families. This gift comes wrapped in smiles, presented in hugs, unwrapped with laughter and last a lifetime. There is joy in having the children running around, while moms and wives prepare meals to nourish their loved ones and, fathers and husbands reminisce about the years of their youth. Young ladies giggle about the sweet memories they made and, young men flex their muscles and show how much they have grown. Granny’s, Aunties, Grandpa’s and Uncles watch in glee as they realize how big their tables have to be.

This is the time we receive and give so much of ourselves and others, the joy seeps out of our hearts onto faces and into our actions. We have been blessed with the greatest gifts because of the ones we love.

06 Dec

Brilliant stocking fillers for the festive celebrations!

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December 6, 2019

Festive Stocking Fillers!

With the festive season holiday’s kicking off today all across South Africa, all eyes are on the day we all call Christmas. With a newfound focus centred around what we gift to each other, especially the gifts we give to the children! Not so many years ago, family and friends alike would gift sweets, chocolates and toys. In recent years the popularity of practical and useful gifts has increased.

Being that the gifts from extended family and friends are usually small, the gift-givers are now giving arts and craft supplies, and these are splendid stocking fillers.

Great stocking fillers for children are items found in stationery stores.

Top 12 Stocking Filler Gift Ideas:

Shop wisely and enjoy being a part of the smart stocking filler movement! Enjoy your festive celebration!

04 Dec

Say thank you to the teachers today!

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December 4, 2019

Thank you, such a simple set of words, and yet they hold so much value to the ones who hear them. We should say thank you without hesitation, and when it comes to the teachers involved with our children, they deserve to know they are appreciated.

Every year millions of teachers devote their time, energy and emotions to the children in their classrooms. These teachers care for our children each day. They share their knowledge and guide our children through their learning journey. They encourage personal development while building a child’s confidence.

We trust these teachers with our most precious treasures, and by showing appreciation for what these dedicated teachers do for our children, we get to brighten a teachers day.

Get your child involved! Allow them to choose the gift, or craft a personalized gift using the skills their teacher taught them. Encourage your child to present the thank you gift to their teacher(s). This simple gesture will open up a world of Thank you moments and teach children to show appreciation where it is due.

Let’s remind them that what they do is vital to the future of our children.

Say thank you to the teachers today!

02 Dec

The Gift of Giving!

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December 2, 2019

There is no reward greater than giving of yourself, your time or your resources to others! The recipients of these wonderful gestures are always grateful and this act of kindness may not change the world for everybody, but it does change the world one person at a time.

The world around us is filled with those in need of a caring heart and this time of year is such a wonderful time to share your blessings with those around you. There are so many terrific ways to give, you can gift stationery to children, or help out at an orphanage or take time to talk to the elderly. You could gather a team and build or upgrade an existing playground or establish a new park. You may even take Christmas presents to shelters for those less fortunate. Giving comes in many forms! You are the one who decides to either share by volunteering time, giving money or even donating existing resources, that is completely up to you!

Every single heart that opens and gives without expectation of reward instantly warms the hearts of those around them.

25 Nov

Arts and Crafts are Fun!

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November 25, 2019

For decades, we have been using arts and crafts to unlock the creativity within ourselves and our children. Children tell stories through their creations. Whether they are drawing with crayons, painting on board, using boxes to make houses and swords or using clay to shape out animals, children are showing us what interests them and where they are emotionally and mentally. And adults have been known to do the same.

Using various mediums is what is so enticing about the items in an arts and crafts cupboard. Because there are very few boundaries set in place with regards to arts and crafts and its vast potential, you find that creativity expands from one understanding to another. There are always new ways to present a particular subject. Across different fields, you find it has been incorporated into science, biology, maths, geography, history, even languages and drama make use of the broadness of arts and crafts. It is a personal touch added to the presentation of ideas, the use of visual aid to bring life to what could have been quite flat.

When we are allowed to explore our favoured medium, it has been found that people identify with their passions using art as a form of expression. Arts and crafts induce thinking, collaboration, conversation and research. As people, we are drawn to that which is beautiful and creative, as well as that which is unique. In homes, it has become almost a norm to see pieces created by the people who live there. Everyone adding something that leaves a trace of who they were in the moment they created something.

Embrace your inner artist and allow yourself to use what is around you to create a portrait of who you are inside.

20 Nov

Reading , the grand adventure!

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November 20, 2019

This simple pleasure is not just about teaching a child to read, it is allowing them to be a part of their own understanding. You are proactively encouraging a child to see the world through their mind’s eye and reading is quality time shared that is not disturbed by chores, work, activities, tv’s and cellphones.

Children thrive on these tiny moments captured between the pages of a story; they can imagine the whole experience as words become the illustrators of what is read. What makes it more special is that they are sharing something with the person they love most in this world. Reading with a child is a form of comfort, a way to be close and an open door to walk into their world and feel the excitement that courses through them.

It is a special time that can only be measured by the smiles on their faces and the joy in their laughter.

15 Nov

The November Rush!

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November 15, 2019

Winding down during November is never truly winding down. During November we are busied by the preparation for year-end and the needs of the new year. We really want our December to be focused around spending time with our families and friends. And so, thus begins the November Rush. There are office supplies to replenish, papers to reorganize, stationery to hunt for, gifts to buy and of course everything needs to be delivered before the world slows down for a very merry time of year.

Thankfully with the help of technology, we can online shop for most of the office and stationery supplies. Online shopping is definitely a fast-growing norm in today’s world. Not only does it save you time and more than likely a ton of money. You are saving the planet by reducing the number of car trips you are taking to hunt for the ever needed “Stationery”.

No School, Home School, Learning Center, Home Office or Corporate Office can completely function without the use of pens, pencils, paper, clipboards, sticky notes, markers, paint or even files.

The list of stationery needs grows at a rapid pace and the time is now to get a jump on it.

13 Nov

Using Colour!

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November 13, 2019

Considering the level of colour required to continuously engage children, it makes sense that stationery is produced in so many bold and beautiful colours and designs.

Colour helps us to remember facts, add fun to what we are learning and bring new light to the world of black and white. Not even 30 years ago, most textbooks were set in the ever-economical print of black, white and greyscale. However today, we see a massive change in this practice. Today’s textbooks, readers and learning materials are becoming bolder, more outspoken and definitely more fun to read and use. All of a sudden, a dull picture is brought to life with picture-perfect illustrations jumping out of books. Children’s books are written using exciting texts to highlight special, new or interesting words. This is a new spin on the way we learn, and it is done with a new colourful and engaging twist.

Providing tools to bring colour to a child’s world is not just to keep them excited it is to equip them with the means to bring life to what knowledge they are absorbing.

06 Nov

Let our children play!

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November 6, 2019

Children love to play and are tactile learners; this is a known fact within the parenting and education world. Children are encouraged to learn from a young age, and it is best done during play.

Babies tend to touch, grab, squeeze and taste whatever they can get their hands on. They are attracted to bright colours and mesmerizing sounds. Laughter bellows out of their souls while they discover different textures, they learn with one of deepest senses, touch and touch is closely linked to emotions.

Toddlers and young children enjoy movable objects like building blocks, cars, plush toys, action figurines and dolls, playhouses, balls, hula-hoops and so forth. Roleplay such as teacher-teacher, cops and robbers, playing house and shopping games. Artistic expression like painting, drawing, playing musical instruments and even forms of engineering design.

They feel pride when they have created great big adventures from their imaginations. They get excited when they can share these experiences with us, and they feel loved when we are taking part in their joy.

Older children and even teenagers tend to learn through interactive group games such as sports, drama, music and choreographed dancing, art activities and outdoor exploration. At this age, they are far more independent and are on a journey of self-discovery, they are navigating their understanding and their desires for their futures. And it is inside of this newfound freedom, they establish themselves and grow in leaps and bounds with us watching them fly.

All these “play-educational activities” include, laughter, human interaction, structure, learning and freedom enabling the growth of confidence, knowledge as well as self and social awareness.

By allowing children to play while learning you are stimulating all aspects of their being, this includes their emotional development, physical understanding, mental exploration, conflict management and so much more. Let children play, because it’s through play they discover who they are and where they fit into this world. Learning is an act of feeling and feelings are grounded inside a world that encourages growth.