Winter can either be brutal or a breeze to you…whatever the case might be South African meals can help you stay warm – we bet you’re thinking about your favourite, cosy meal right now, and we’re guessing it might be a hot bowl of soup, a hearty stew or a spicy curry.
When last did you have one of these local favourites? Bobotie, potjiekos, bunny chow, or tomato bredie? Sound delicious, right? We know.😊
That’s what most of our winter experience is about – food – but it should also include exercising, dressing and feeling great! This week, we’re focusing on quality food loved by most South Africans, some new clothing wear you should invest in, and exercising…come on, enjoy the winter while it lasts.😉
Food
This is one of the things giving us pleasure and keeping us snuggly, and let’s face it, we wouldn’t choose to go without even if we had a choice. Beverages are included with almost every meal – which means litres of coffeeee! Grab your morning or afternoon warm drink from Krunch or Seattle Coffee at Alice Lane Precinct. Some freshly baked goodies (and a more cordial atmosphere) can be experienced from Bagel Zone or Fournos Bakery in Benmore Centre. Order a soup or noodle takeaway to enjoy in your office or home from Koi, or fill the gap with News Café’s classic steaks. So many choices…we suggest trying different restaurants and various menu items to enjoy.
Fashion
A mid-length dress paired with tall boots, bomber jackets, tonal outfits, hiker boots, and two-toned outfits are just some stylish, trendy looks for this winter. Ackermans stocks women’s knitwear in natural nude to soft shades of pink, while bright, cosy sweatshirts are waiting to meet you at J. Crew in Sandton City.
For men, The Marc’s Desch Men boasts with colour-popping suits, and Tread and Miller keeps it sleek with earthy leather shoes and accessories.
Our youngsters can join in on the tendencies as well with Cozi Kids’ animal-printed sweatpants at Benmore or Sandton City’s Cotton On Kids’ puffer jackets. And no, we didn’t forget about the shoes…Palladium’s boots will compliment any outfit while Steve Madden offers tall boots in any colour and exciting patterns.
Face masks are also becoming the hottest new fashion trend. Yes, it’s a necessity during the coronavirus outbreak, but now the fashion world is ensuring that they become trendy. People find ways to incorporate them into their daily outfits from different designs, patterns and materials such as sequenced, denim or floral. Make a statement with your protection mask from Ginger Fashion at Benmore Centre or Kisua Africa at Nelson Mandela Square.
Exercise
We are made to move, and although eating sounds satisfying, our bodies are hard-wired to be active. Rather sleeping in than waking up at 5 am is tempting, but with exercising, you’ll feel more energised, you’ll get rid of unwanted weight, and your mood will improve.
We know not being able to go to the gym is awful, but we have some tips to either start or keep up your exercise routine going during winter. Start with a walk. It’s one of the most natural exercises, and you get to soak up the sun’s rays. Choose to walk to the shopping centre during the day, or walk around the block early mornings or later in the afternoons.
If you need more active exercise than a walk, choose between yoga, cardio workouts or strength building, and anyone of these can easily be done without gym equipment. You even have the choice of using the kids’ skipping ropes or hoola hoops to exercise sufficiently from the comfort of your home.
Set a goal, but be kind to yourself in terms of your pace. Work towards that goal and measure your performance and most importantly, reward yourself when you’ve attained an objective.
Happy shopping and taking care, Sandton.😊
