What’s in the box? Welcome to Denise’s New Favourite Things 2023. Hi, I’m Denise and every year I tell you about my new favourite things and, over the years, what that is has changed. This year I turned Fabulous 40 and I have had an amazing time gathering all my favourite things. I am so excited to share them with you PLUS I have a gorgeous giveaway where you can stand a chance to win ALL of my favourite things valued at over ✨R15000✨!
Spectacle World
Recently, on the day of my 40th birthday I went to have my eyes tested at Spectacle World in N1 Value Centre in Goodwood, Cape Town. I was always warned that after 40 I would need glasses and what do you know, I do, but only gentle reading glasses. The experience was fantastic and the people that work at Spectacle World are warm, helpful and just. . .fabulous!
They started with a Comprehensive Eye Examination, followed by a 45 minute Frame Styling Consultation in their new, exclusive frame styling room. We then were guided as we selected frames that would suit our faces and 2 weeks later we returned to collect our spectacles. Since they heard it was my birthday, they spoiled me with beautiful flowers and, upon collection, a beautiful scarf. Thank you Adele and Team, who would have thought that getting my eyes tested and frames selected would be so much fun!
Adele really has a passion for what she does. From experience, she knows what a difference the right spectacles can make.
“Whilst writing an accounting test in Grade 8, I realised that I couldn’t see the writing on the overhead projector to successfully complete my test. I went to see an optometrist and it was a life-changing moment when I wore my new spectacles for the very first time. Suddenly I could see more of the detail around me, even the tiniest leaves on a tree. It immediately inspired me to study optometry,”
Adele Camarena – founder and owner of Spectacle World (also known as Camarena Porter Optometrist)
Another thing I love about Spectacle World is that during lockdown, the whole team did the styling course together. During a hard time for many, Adele and her team came together and improved their offering and had fun while doing it.
Spectacle World, also known as Camarena Porter Optometrist, is the first company in South Africa to obtain a certificate in The Art of Eyewear Styling course with Eva Davé, presented by the Eyewear Styling Academy. The company is now well-equipped to make frame selection easier.
The team learnt to identify the six different style personalities and matching styles of eyewear for each, analyse the client’s dominant colour type, face and features, about the psychology of colour and how to effectively stock eyewear styles and designs to suit every client’s needs.
“As an independent optometrist for more than 30 years in practice, it has always been of paramount importance to me that we offer excellent clinical care, customer service, optical lens and frame styling. Poor sight is a disability that can have an enormous effect on your success and security. Eyewear enables you to see well and at the same time look great. It’s wonderful if the frame lets the client feel confident and attractive.”
Adele Camarena
Spectacle World
Website: www.spectacleworld.co.za
Follow Spectacle World on your preferred Social Media platform:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/spectacleworldcpt
Instagram: www.instagram.com/spectacle_world_cpt
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@spectacleworld
A Heavenly Full Body Massage
Turning 40, I have realised even more how important it is to take care of your body and mind. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of others. Recently, I sent my beautiful friend Mpumi for a full body massage at Heavenly Healing in Benoni. We all need some time to relax and release any stress that we may be holding on to. Mpumi said the massage was divine and she had an wonderful experience. Having a full body massage is not the most comfortable experience with a stranger, at least for some of us, but Mpumi said they made her feel very comfortable and this is key to having a good and beneficial experience, so make sure you find a place that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. After the massage she sat outside and has a delicious piece of carrot cake and some rooibos tea.
Heavenly Healing
Website: www.heavenlyhealing.co.za
Follow Heavenly Healing on your preferred Social Media platform:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/heavenlyhealing101
Instagram: www.instagram.com/heavenly.healing
Camel Milk Products
Award-winning products that bring to mind only one word – lush! Trying out a new skincare routine, I am always a little tentative as I don’t know if it will work well with my skin. I was a little more relaxed trying the Camel Milk range (from the Camel Soap Factory) as all the ingredients are natural and gentle on your skin. They have left my skin feeling softer and healthier than before and I can’t wait to see how, in time, they will ‘rescue’ my skin. You should look after your skin at any age, but even more as you pass your 30s and 40s.
Did you know that, in order to produce milk, camels need to be happy? Happy Camels = Happy Skin.
The Bedouin have known of the curative powers of camel milk for thousands of years, traditionally using camel fat and milk to protect their skin from the sun. Camel milk contains valuable alpha hydroxyl acids which plump the skin and smooth fine lines. It has a high vitamin and mineral content, especially rich in vitamin C (three times more so than cow milk) which is important for tissue repair, as well as 10 times the amount of iron (compared to cow milk) along with vitamin A, B2 and D, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, sodium and zinc. Additionally camel milk contains protective proteins with powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
The Camel Soap Factory have many customers who buy their soap specifically for use on sensitive skins, their babies skins, for eczema, psoriasis, acne, dermatitis and for the regulation of both dry and oily skin. As I said, the Camel Soap Factory products are made from high-quality natural ingredients such as olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, a variety of pure essential oils, as well as the freshest camel milk from local farms. You can purchase these products from Faithful to Nature & Heavenly Healing (above) and they are certified by the official UAE body for Halal approved ingredients and manufacturing processes. They have everything from face cream to shampoo bars to facial cleansing bars. If you are looking to make a change to a more natural routine without missing out on the benefits of a good skincare range, now is the time!
Pro Tip: Their Soap Bars last a long time (just remember not to leave them in water) but to make them last even longer – cut the bar into four and only use a quarter at a time.
Camel Soap Factory
Website: www.thecamelsoapfactorysa.co.za
Follow Camel Milk Factory on your preferred Social Media platform:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCamelSoapFactorySA
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecamelsoapfactorysa
Veldskoen
Quality and purpose, as I get older these are the two words that govern more of my purchases. It’s cold now, and these Veldskoen slippers literally cocoon your feet, keeping you toasty and warm. The Veldskoen boots are handmade and are sure to last a long time (Oh, and they come in various colours too, for those of you who love colour as much as I do). Sourcing most of the footwear components locally, enables Veldskoen to support a wide range of South African companies providing jobs for the unemployed, while also reducing their carbon footprint – and we are all for that!
The history of Veldskoen shoes is as rich and diverse as the country they come from. There are various groups of people who believe the Veldskoen, or a version of it, started with them. The word “Veldskoen”, was first documented by the Dutch settlers who arrived in Southern Africa almost 400 years ago. It means “field shoes.” However, according to Khoisan tribal folklore, there were leather shoes, cut from a single hide, being made and worn by the tribe, as far back as 1000 years before that. According to GQ magazine, Nathan Clark, of Clarks Shoes, was serving in the second world war when he noticed South African officers wearing, in his own words, “strange leather shoes”. We like to believe they all had a hand, and a foot, in the Veldskoen story! We joined the journey of arguably the world’s oldest shoe, a little more recently.
www.veldskoen.com
Pro Tip: When your new pair of shoes gets delivered, they could feel slightly small or tight due to the stiffness of the new leather. However in time, the shoe’s leather will stretch and fit your feet perfectly.
Veldskoen
Website: www.veldskoen.com
Follow Veldskoen on your preferred Social Media platform:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/veldskoen.shoes
Instagram: www.instagram.com/veldskoenshoes
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@veldskoenshoes
Ceres Railway
Our children grow up so quickly. I am sure, if your children are young and your days are long, you almost can’t imagine it but it is true. Before you know it, they are in highschool and you are not sure where the time went. So, enjoy as many moments as you can together. I love to travel as well as explore places in my own town with my family. A new adventure that I have stumbled upon is the Ceres Railway. The Ceres Railway track was originally built at the turn of the 20th century, starting in July 1910 and was completed in May 1912. The line was built using second-hand material. Now you can travel from Cape Town to Elgin and back again with a few hours spent at the Elgin Railway Market for lunch. Part of Ceres Rail Company’s mission is to help preserve and promote South African Rail Heritage, which involves restoring and refurbishing old locomotives and coaches. It really is an experience, a bit of history, and something your kids will just love!
Ceres Rail Company
Website: www.ceresrail.co.za
Follow Ceres Rail Company on your preferred Social Media platform:
Faceboook: www.facebook.com/ceresrail
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ceresrailcompany
SolarPop Games
Yes, family time is so important and you realise that more and more as they days fly by. Embracing each moment is something you learn to do more often and one of the ways we love to do this, as you know, is boardgames! I have three awesome games I just love to play with my family.
EXIT The Game: The EXIT games are like escape rooms in a box. They offer hours of fun, and by hours I mean we started in the evening and were having so much fun we just had to complete the ‘escape’ before going to bed. Perfect game for a Friday night with friends. The way they integrate clues into this game is so creative. . .but I won’t share anything more, I don’t want to spoil it for you!
Banagrams: We shared a bit about Banagrams before here; this game is also really fun and great with helping kids build their vocabularies. Perfect game to take on the road too; you could take it with you on your train ride.
Ticket to Ride: Talking about trains, Ticket to Ride is a fun game to play with the whole family. It’s something different, not super-complicated and perfect for older kids.
SolarPop
Website: www.solarpop.co.za
Follow SolarPop on your preferred Social Media platform:
Faceboook: www.facebook.com/SolarpopGoPlay
Instagram: www.instagram.com/solarpopgoplay
APGLO – The world’s first DNA sweet!
Health and happiness starts from the inside out. My new favourite thing is to ensure I eat healthy, whole foods and take supplements that will assist my body in performing the best way possible. We recently tried out these supplements from APLGO:
PWR Lozenges
PWR Apricot is a rejuvenating combination of botanicals helps maintain and revive a woman’s already normal overall nutritional health.
They also have:
BTY Lozenges
BTY provides nourishing phytonutrients and other nutrient factors that can support healthful radiance, maintain healthy aging, and reveal one’s
intrinsic attractiveness.
The APGLO lozenges have a great taste and you can take up to 3 a day depending on your requirements.
The Acumullit SA technology allows the beneficial properties of the whole food botanical ingredients be preserved and enhanced. A state-of-the-art extraction process triggers the activation of the botanical compounds, so that nano-particles of the active compounds can be isolated without other substances in the plant. This causes a thinning of the cellular membranes of the fruits, herbs and seeds, and a release of the botanical components like micro and macro elements, phytonutrients, bioflavonoids and organic acids, making them more bioavailable. The isolated particles are forming negatively charged nano elements, creating an activated mix of highly absorbable nutrients. The activated mix of preserved and enhanced whole food plant extracts is then added to a caramel mass from which the lozenge drops are made.
APLGO products are made with all-natural, cruelty-free ingredients that are safe and gentle for all skin types (they have a beauty range too). The products are free from artificial sweeteners, colours, and flavours. Their non-synthetic ingredients are also vegan, gluten-free, and both Halal and Kosher certified. APLGO range of products are proven to support the body’s natural vitality. APLGO products are not available at commercial retail stores, as an ecommerce business their products are available online or through resellers.
APGLO
Website: za.aplgo.com
Win all of my New Favourite Things!
We are giving away all of my new favourite things valued at over R15000. Enter now and you will stand a chance to win:
MAIN PRIZE
- A Veldskoen voucher to the value of R2800
- Exit, Ticket to Ride & Bananagrams – valued at R1600 (RRP)
- APGLO Supplements valued at around R2250
- A selection of Luxury Camel Soap Factory Products valued at around R2500
WINNER: Monique Mentoor
PLUS
Location-based Prizes
CAPE TOWN
- A Family Coupe return ticket to ride the Ceres Railway Steam Train to the Elgin Railway Market valued at R1725 (for 2 adults, 2 children OR 3 adults).
- A Spectacle World Comprehensive Eye Examination valued at R680 PLUS 3 x R1000 vouchers off optical frames and lenses*.
WINNER: Doria Cucciolillo
JOBURG
- A Heavenly Full Body Massage at Heavenly Healing (Benoni) valued at R550.
WINNER: Renuka Lallbahadur
How to Enter
- Firstly, visit and follow all these awesome brands on Social Media – they deserve it!
- Secondly, don’t forget to follow us on on Facebook (www.facebook.com/treasuresdenise), Instagram (www.instagram.com/treasuresdenise) or TikTok (www.tiktok.com/@treasuresdenise) where we will be sharing ways you can earn extra entries into the draw.
- Now, the most important part! For the main prize, please comment below and share with us your favourite ‘thing’ from any of the products or services (location or main). This is to win the MAIN PRIZE.
- For the Location-based prizes, please put the location and why you would want to win that prize (e.g. CAPE TOWN – I love the frame designs at Spectacle World and my son loves trains!). Please note, you can enter all three competitions if you can make it to both locations (travel to the locations is not included). – please make sure that each of your location-based entries are posted as separate comments.
- Stay glued to our Social Media Channels
This giveaway will run until the 15 July 2023 where we will announce all 3 prize winners. All General Competition Rules Apply.
*terms and conditions apply.
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