Tell our readers all about yourself?

I am a young(ish), heavily tattooed and somewhat “out there” mom of two adorable kids – Mikayla & Knox. We recently packed up our suburban lives and moved out to a farm just outside of Cape Town. Farm life is pretty rad, and people always give me the strangest looks when I tell them about our adventures! I started my blog back in 2014 as a way to document my pregnancy – I knew that it was probably going to be the last so I really wanted to remember it all. I don’t know what happened, or how – but the blog became a bit of an overnight success and it has grown tremendously since, despite my terrible spelling.

I also work full time as a senior fashion designer for a local clothing manufacturer and squeeze in freelance graphic design and copywriting work whenever I can. Life is super busy, but I am grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way and amazing lessons (good & bad) that I have been able to learn along the way.

What is the main mission of your blog and what content can they expect to find there?

In 2016 I won the African Blogger Award for most Influential blog in Africa, and I suppose my blog is just that – a personal one. I focus mainly on parenting, but in the end it is my personal views, rants and snippets of our lives. I write about whatever I relate to or am going through during that particular time. It is raw, honest and real… it is definitely not a highlight reel.

You can expect a lot of sarcasm, dark humour and rants… but also honest reviews, awesome competitions, some helpful posts around parenting and my my mental health journey. You can expect to find a community of real moms who are finding this parenting gig just as challenging as you are… My blog is basically a journal of imperfect, perfect parenting and a lot of moms reading along going “me too, thank goodness I am not the only one”.

I think a very big part of my blog is to create a space where we can teach each other tolerance and acceptance of different kids of people, beliefs, religions, backgrounds and cultures. Being different is not always a bad thing, and it is important for me to break the stereotype of what a “perfect” parent should look like in the eyes of society.

What is your greatest passion?

My greatest passion is to help others – whether it is animals or people. I also really, really love writing… hopefully one day I will be able to make a career out of it!

What or who inspires you to live your best life?

My kids and my husband. I know that it is a very cliché answer, but every single thing I do is for them… Knowing that they are proud of me is the best feeling ever. I want to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be, because they deserve it.

Where can we find you in your spare time?

What is that? Is that when you go grocery shopping by yourself?

How do you get balance in your life?

Ask me again in a year….

What “rules” do you live by?

  1. Be kind
  2. Be brave
  3. Open yourself up to opportunities
  4. Never go to bed angry
  5. Be a present parent
  6. Make a conscious effort to be positive
  7. Listen to your body/mind… take a break when needed
  8. Don’t EVER read the comments on South African news sites

What three things could you not live without?

Obviously my family, water and food… but if I had to focus on materialistic things:

  1. Good make-up (especially an awesome BB cream, liquid eyeliner and mascara)
  2. Coffee
  3. My laptop/cellphone

What’s the best way for our readers to connect with you?

I am very active on Instagram – it is my favourite platform and I love getting DM’s. I try to respond to all of them as soon as I can and it is a great way for me to truly connect with my readers. You can find me at @caffeineandfairydust

The best way to stay up to date with my blog posts or competitions is through my Facebook page (caffeine and Fairydust), or you can follow me on Twitter (@CaffeineandF).

And then, of course, there is the blog! www.caffeineandfairydust.com