Christmas gifts

Hi Everyone!

I hope you've all been having a magical Christmas season.  I can't believe it has been and gone already.  It really is my favourite time of year so I'm stretching it to last a little longer.  I've been away with my family in Durban for our annual beach holiday.  It's been wonderful to have some quality time with them.

I thought I'd share some of my Christmas presents with you today.  For starters, I was completely spoilt by my wonderful boyfriend who bought me the new Paperwhite Kindle.  I started using it immediately (bookworm alert) and downloaded The House of Special Purpose which is about the palace guards of the last Tsar of Russia.  I'm loving it!!

This Woolworths body lotion is amazing. It's thick and it smells like heaven.  This shower gel is also so fragrant.

 I was given these earrings and photo frame from my aunt.  It's perfect for a picture from Zanzibar!

My sister bought me this make up finishing spray and illuminating cream which will be forming part of my make up routine immediately.  Would you like a review perhaps?

My boyfriend's family gave me this lovely scarf which I can't wait to incorporate to outfit posts later this season.

What has been your favourite part of this Christmas season so far?

Have you received any special gifts?

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the most wonderful festive season with loved ones.  Hope you have a great time celebrating.  Merry Christmas!

DoubleTree by Hilton, Zanzibar

As promised, I have some pictures from my camera that I still wished to share with you.  For those of you that were wondering, we stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Zanzibar and I couldn't recommend a better place to stay.  The staff are so friendly and attentive.  It takes an hours drive from the airport to the hotel which was quite nice because it was almost a tour of the island on our way to the hotel.  The hotel is at the most northern point of Zanzibar is Nungwi.

 This area has beautiful beaches although I doubt you can go wrong anywhere on Zanzibar.  I recommend this hotel too because they organise such fun activities for you to do.  We learnt to do traditional basket weaving and also got to take Swahili classes.  Every morning we started the day with yoga on the beach followed by water aerobics.  In the afternoon the hotel organised either water polo or volley ball which is great for sporty people (unfortunately I'm not one of those).  There were also organised walks into the village and to visit the fishmarket to see how the boats are made.  In my previous post I also mentioned we were taken on a walk from our hotel, up the beach to the "aquarium" which is actually a local "save the turtles" initiative and a place that found a very special place in my heart.

The food is absolutely amazing.  You cannot go hungry in this place as it is all inclusive.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are buffets with every kind of deliciousness you can imagine.  While these take place at set times, you can order the most delicious pizza by the pool too (along with other things).  It might also be worth mentioning that alcohol is included too which was great.  What is a beach without cocktails?!  The Gin Fizz was my personal favourite.

If you're looking at visiting Zanzibar any time soon and have any questions, feel free to ask!  I'll help you best I can.

High Low skirt

YDE dress | LEGiT skirt | vintage belt | ALDO wedges | Dolce & Gabbana sunnies c/o Sunglass Hut | Forever New bracelet | Michael Kors watch

Hi everyone

I'm writing to you from my bed sick with flu.  Luckily I had taken these pictures in Zanzibar while I was there.  Hopefully I get better quickly because its time for our family beach holiday which is always so much fun.  Hope you had a great weekend!

Tropico

Forever New dress | ALDO wedges | Forever New bracelet | Michael Kors watch | Swarovski earrings | Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses c/o Sunglass Hut

Hi everyone!

While in Zanzibar, you can't help but feel that you should be embracing the surroundings.  I decided that this tropical print Forever New dress would be perfect for dinner during our stay.  I love it when your dress matches the background!

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Hi everyone! 

I'm writing this post from the gorgeous Double Tree by Hilton resort in Zanzibar, Tanzania. I'm travelling with my sister on this trip and we're having an incredible time. The beaches here have us mesmorised. The water is warm, calm and crystal clear. 

We've been relaxing by the pool, reading books, enjoying the spa and great traditional food.  The local women in the village next door to our hotel run a turtle conservation site ("the aquarium") and we went to visit. My sister described it aptly as being one of the most magical moments of her life. The turtles are so well looked after, from newly hatched ones to 100 year old ones. The conservation site is to ensure that the number of these turtles doesn't diminish. They are already planning their next big release of turtles in January which is quite exciting.  They were quite curious to when they saw we had food for them and swam around while their life cycle was explained to us. 

Apart from that, we've been loving the local people who are so friendly and the children who love to come speak to you. The speak quickly in Swahili but don't seem particularly phased by the language barrier. Sand castles and smiles are universal after all. 

Today I'm sharing snaps I've taken on my iPhone but stay tuned, I should have some camera snaps to share too.

Thank you so much for reading!

La Ninna Nanna gift card

It's that time of year again! The time to start Christmas shopping. I love the experience of selecting presents for the ones I love but I must admit, the process can sometimes seem daunting. To help everyone out, La Ninna Nanna is giving all Arum Lilea readers 50% of all purchases made before 24 December 2013.  If you're looking for comfy sleepwear or onesies, they've just made your gift shopping that much easier! As an added bonus, shipping is free in South Africa.  Head on over to http://www.sleepinme.com/ to get started. 

Happy shopping!!!

Simple Summer

Mr Price blouse | H&M body-con skirt | Cotton-On sandals | Longchamp bag | Michael Kors watch | Dolce & Gabbana sunnies c/o Sunglass Hut

Here's an easy summer outfit for a day of running errands in preparation for Zanzibar tomorrow.  I hope you're all having a wonderful Monday!

xxx