Breathe Salon and Spa Review & Competition

Choice kills me. I'm that girl sitting in the restaurant, intently reading the menu while the rest of the table burn holes of hatred through it, as they wait for me to choose. And the same goes the spa:

"What treatment are you having today?"
"Uhhh"
"Hello?
"Uhhhhhh"
"Hello? Anyone there?"
"What even are you asking me questions for?!"

This said, spa treatments are often an easier choice, because I go with the one I can afford.

Until now. Until I was invited to The Breathe Spa & Hair Salon.

Sit down or you may hurt yourself. No, sit. Are you sitting? Good. Now read this:

400 buckaroodles for 3 treatments over 90 minutes? You've got to be kidding me.

Located in the heart of the Winelands, on the Pearl Valley Golf Estate, Breathe offer a full range of treatments from manicures and pedicures, to hair styling, hair and eyelash extensions, body treatments, and more.

After a scenic 45 minute drive (this is a lie, I am terrified of driving to places I don't know, but for most it would be considered scenic) I was ready to get some spa in my life. Clothes off, robe on, tour time then... relax.

I wasn't actually able to try the full Winter Special: I'd just had gelish done on my fingers and toes and had an event a few hours later so I was worried that I would have a facial break out. Bad timing Kayli. So after an amazingly relaxing back massage, I had reflexology for the first time. And guess what, apparently my body is very healthy and calm. How do I know this? Because the therapist kept telling me that a certain prod would hurt and nothing did. Yes, I am the epitome of health, pass me another burger and chips, dammit.

Whether you go for 30 minutes, for the day, or you even book the venue for corporate events or pamper parties (they can even do kiddies birthday parties) you are in for a good time. Not only is Breathe beautiful, it's intimate, unpretentious and I was comfortable from the minute I arrived - literally and figuratively.


COMPETITION

How would you like to win a Winter Package from Breathe? The real version, not the useless Kayli version. All you gotta do is:

1. Tweet this: "Hi @KayliVee I want to win a relaxing Core Warming Winter Package from @BreatheSpa_HS http://bit.ly/1rauhJm"

2. Like Breath Spa and Hair Salon on Facebook

3. If you don't have Twitter (gasp) or for an extra entry, you can comment on this page saying which three treatments you'd choose.

And, GO!


T&Cs
Winner to receive a Winter Warmer Package only
Winner from Cape Town and surrounding areas only
Prize to be redeemed by 31 August 2014

I'm glad that I'm not a stripper - The Pole Project

I’m really glad that I am not a stripper.

Not because of what they do.

Not because I think lowly of them.

Not because of anything moral or judgemental.

Just because I am really, really, reallllly bad at it.

As I explained here (click click) I recently started pole dancing classes with the INCREDIBLE Kathy Lee who founded The Pole Project. Kath makes is look so flipping easy, each time she shows the class a move I’m all like, “Yeah buddy, I can do that with my eyes closed”.

In short: I can’t.

Pole Dancing is hard. Seriously hard. While Kath flips around as if she's allergic to gravity, I'm busy shooting to the floor in fit of legs arms, contorted expressions with a a bit of casual shrieking. I even got me some war wounds to prove that I am taking it seriously (or that I am good at falling on the floor).

You don't dance in takkies, this was the next day.
Takkies ain't sexay

All of that said, it’s so much fun and great exercise for the whole bod, including muscles you didn’t know you had. At each class you learn a few news moves, and them combine them into a routine. I wouldn't say that I am a natural, but at each class you do feel more and more confident - both in yourself and in your abilities. My arms are a bit (read: very) weak, but I hear from the other girls that they get stronger really quickly and as you get used to the moves it all feels a bit more natural. 

Starting this Wednesday (5th may) the beginner's class is being split into beginner and beginner plus, for those who have had a month or so of experience and want to step it up a level. So it is really a good time to get involved. To see the class schedule, clicky click here! You can also sign up for a free trial class on that page, to try it out and see if it works for you.

So I'm going to carry on trying and failing and learning and failing and trying and learning some more. I am no natural, and I don't really ever see myself effortlessly and gracefully moving like Kath can, but look what I have learnt to do! 

It's harder than it looks. 

Follow them on Twitter: @ThePoleProject

On Facebook: The Pole Project 
And hopefully see you at a class soon!

The Pole Project: time to let loose

The truth is, a small part of me will always be disappointed that I've never had the chance to whip my hair back and forth on a bar like one of the Coyote Ugly girls. I watched Striptease with one eye open, half anxious my parents would walk in, half desperate to jump up on a pole and give it a whirl.

That said, I certainly don't have moves like Jagger. It takes a good few gin and tonics to get me on a dancefloor, especially if people are watching, or heaven forbid, JUDGING me.

It was a combination of absolute panic, peer pressure and sheer fascination that resulted in me gravitating towards a big pole dancing pole at The Women's Lifestyle expo this weekend. I think it was the six cups of coffee I drank before 10am that got me to actually take the pole for a spin. And this is how it went down:

Not sexy

All I can say is that I'm not a natural. I felt like I was learning how to drive again, I just couldn't get it. BUT I AM NOT GOING TO LET THAT DAMN POLE GET THE BETTER OF ME, DAMMIT!

Pretty, pretty pictures (Samsung S4 Zoom Review)

No matter where I am, whenever I whip out this bad boy someone comes over to ask what it is. Not just a great conversation starter, the Samsung S4 Zoom is a phone and camera in one.

Hey Big Boy

I am an iPhone girl through and through, so swapping over to use this as a phone was quite intimidating. On said iPhone, my OCD-self has put all my apps and programs neatly in little folders, everything simple and straightforward. The Samsung had me nervously swiping through the screens, looking at all the pre-installed apps with fear in my heart.

Once I manned up, yoh, this phone is pretty damn awesome. The great big, high-quality screen made my iPhone look puny and old. Mr. Zoom has all the functionality of the S4, but with a 16MP camera and 10X optical zoom, plus some pretty flipping insane in-camera editing. Check here for a full list of features.

The Zoom:

This is to show you just how close in you can actually get. It's a little creepy stalker.

No zoom. This is where I was standing.

10x Zoom: Oh look, kayakers.

10x more Zoom: pixilated but OH HEY!

A billion Zooms: Come at me bro.

 Crazy ass macro:

Wanna get close up and personal? You can. Very close up.

Yeah, that's an itty bitty fingerprint.

Night + Motion:

This one is always a toughy AND I didn't use a flash.

In-Camera editor:

Spot the difference. This is the same photo, not cropped, the light was edited out.

Prettiness:

Views and stuff. Unedited. Great detail.

10x Zoom from in the bedroom, out the balcony and through the trees

 Food glorious food:

Also unedited. It helps that the food was stunning to begin with.

Food in the dark:

Not as great in the dark, which makes me sad.

There is no way around it, the Samsung S4 Zoom is big and chunky. It isn't particularly light and you can feel it knocking around your handbag. I still use my iPhone as my day-to-day phone, but when I am at events, do reviews or am out somewhere where I know I need great pics, I take the Zoom. At around R7000 for a phone and on-the-go camera in one, it is quite a deal.

76kgs of unhappiness.

FYI: I am not being paid for this. I am not receiving free things. I even had to give the watch back after I reviewed it. I am writing this from the heart of a human, not an asshole blogger.

I've never been a very big person. But because I am 1,73 with quite broad shoulders and hips that don't lie, I've also never been tiny. Three years ago I started writing restaurant reviews, and since then I've steadily put on kg on top of kg. 15 of them to be exact.

“I would rather eat what I want than die skinny” - I've always said. And it’s true. But when I was honest with myself, I wasn’t happy. Three quarters of my cupboard didn’t fit anymore. I started only wearing baggy tops, pretending that it was just my new style. I've tried to find some photos to explain the change - but I can't. I hid in my clothes and didn't take many photos. But still, I've been lying to myself and pretending that I was fine with it. "I don't wear bikinis because I'm too old for them". Yeah, sure Kayli.