Hello everyone, It’s a pleasure to share with you that I have a new site. My own domain. So please folks, follow me on http://www.melissajavan.co.za I am still busy working on the design – so please don’t be alarmed if it looks a little dull at the moment. Thank you once again for joining me… Continue reading I’m moving!
Spring is here! My favourite thing about this season is wearing shorts. I also have good memories of my brother, Justin and I going to Ratanga Junction Theme Park during Spring- or Summer time. Please note: I don’t like heights. I’d just go on the rides to make him happy. In the end I always… Continue reading South African fashion blogger shares his favourite locations
Hi, my name is Melissa and I write about ghosts. I can imagine myself being in an anonymous group called “I am embarrassed about this thing in my life.” I used to be embarrassed about working at a tabloid newspaper. Whenever people heard I worked for this newspaper, they’d judge me. Obviously, there were stages.… Continue reading “I write about ghosts”
What’s the best advice you were ever given? He who says he can and he who says he can’t, are both right. Meaning whether you say you can or you can’t, your mind determines what you can do or not do. Who inspires you and why? A lot of people – mostly people who are… Continue reading Q&A on what inspires Melissa Javan
I found another reason to travel with olive oil. Firstly, I started carrying it with me after becoming a mother. I use the olive oil to massage our eight month old Princess, especially after we had a long drive. It calms her after I massaged her gently with the olive oil. This I learned after we drove from… Continue reading Advice on flying with a baby – another reason to use olive oil
Relax? Take it easy? Not me. The actions of the young women from Pretoria Girls High School – protesting against their school’s rules of how they could wear their hair – gained traction throughout schools in the country. As videos and photographs with #stopracismatpretoriagirlshighschool went viral, one started seeing instances all over South Africa where… Continue reading What hair product do the girl of Pretoria High School use?
Planning your wedding can be stressful, but fun. You enter a new journey of your life – and if you are like me, you find a different version of yourself you didn’t know existed. You’ll find the organiser/ planner within you. My mother did my wedding planning, but I told her what I wanted. At… Continue reading A Bucket List for Brides to Be
The third school term started last month. I’m sure there were many children excited to go back to see their friends and (or maybe not) their teachers. Imagine being a teacher and going back to the second, third or fourth term, full steam and ready to motivate each child in your class(es). I can imagine… Continue reading South African teachers: ‘You can do it’
My mom loves her children so much she would do almost anything to make their lives just a little more bearable. The realisation of my mom’s utter selflessness hit me once again when I told her I wanted to write about her cooking. I explained to her that this will not be for one of… Continue reading Food equals mom’s love
My main reason for continuing with breastfeeding was my baby’s poo. She was four weeks old when I got a surprise. She had her first breastmilk poo. To begin with my journey, I struggled to breastfeed from day 1. I think if I had done research or talked about breastfeeding before giving birth, things might… Continue reading A disgusting reason why I continue to breastfeed
I’d like to think of myself as a good cook. Well, my husband loves my cooking AND I DO TOO. It’s my mother’s fault. She instilled this love for a home cooked meal in me. For instance, whenever we would be away from home, you are guaranteed to get your home cooked meal when you… Continue reading My family food traditions
Dear Leslie I know I am forever scolding you. Like that night when you first let Princess sleep on you. Half of her body was on your chest and the other half on the bed – she was in a sitting position. I just got a bit frantic, because she might woke up with a… Continue reading A letter to my husband
I love fashion and I admire style. The way I dress is one of the many ways I love to express myself. One must take pride in one’s appearance. After all, it’s what people see first when they meet you. Famous fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta, once said that fashion is dressing according to… Continue reading Graaff-Reinet born woman will make you fashionable
She was told to put her studies on hold when she was pregnant with her second child. Despite being a full time teacher and pregnant, Maryna Barnard kept on studying part time through long distance learning. “Nobody promised me tomorrow,” she says. She wrote exams while she was pregnant. Two weeks after her daughter was… Continue reading From teacher to lawyer – advice on how to do a career change
When it comes to your big day, 8 out of 10 times, your bride to be and people in general expect of you to come up with the perfect music for the occasion. Leslie Javan Productions says your first step is usually the one you need to avoid, because that’s the one that often does… Continue reading Tips for grooms to be
Friends form a big part in our lives. For most of us, there are some people you hold closer to your heart than others. Or, like the Bible says it best: “a friend is often closer than a brother”. I have had the privilege to gain many friends and I had lost some. My heart… Continue reading 5 Things I learned after a friend broke up with me
It is known as your big day. It is the day you and your partner will make beautiful promises to each other. You’ll say the “I do’s” to love and cherish each other for an eternity. No matter how good you organised your wedding day, be warned, this big day might not turn out as… Continue reading A photographer’s advice to brides to be
I think my love for photography kicked in when I became a journalist. I applied to study my National Diploma in Journalism at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I did this, because it was a steppingstone for me to become a novelist. I enjoy stories – listening to it and reading it. Anyway, I… Continue reading Things I learned about photography
Just go to the even if you are not feeling up to it. You’ll end up enjoying yourself. I remember my mother gave the above advice when I was in my teens. I was wrestling to go to the bloggers meet up in Johannesburg last week. I knew about the #jozimeetup a few months ago,… Continue reading My first South African bloggers meet up
I do it for my children. I’ve heard a few mothers say this. I have also seen how some of my single mother friends became super employees after their child is born. It’s as if they suddenly had a reason to push themselves after becoming a mother. Of course, being a working mother, you shouldn’t… Continue reading A lesson I learned in motivating myself as a parent
Planning a wedding is often a stressful thing. Rather let me rephrase that: planning, saving- and giving lots of money for my wedding was a stressful thing. I had help though. In fact, my mother was the wedding planner. I was living in Port Elizabeth at the time and the wedding took place in December… Continue reading 5 Reasons why I preferred a professional photographer for my wedding
Grieving is an universal thing, I was reminded of this week. It’s the one thing that can make the strongest person at his or her most vulnerable. You find yourself burst out crying in front of a stranger who just asked you how you are. That stranger didn’t even know you had lost someone. Someone… Continue reading This is how grieving effects all of us
I recently took part in a 30 day dream challenge. This challenge involves you thinking about what is the most important thing you want to do. Step 1: You should write that down. If you have many dreams, start doing the below steps with the biggest one first. Step 2: Visualise your dream and call… Continue reading 9 Steps to achieve your dream
I’m one of those people who has never been good at sport. I tried being an athlete in school – I did shot put in high school. It’s when you have to throw this heavy ball as far as you can, but you do it in a certain way. This certain way involves you twirling… Continue reading It’s important to finish the race
My mother always made the yummiest concoctions (mixtures) when we were sick. For instance, if you had a sore throat, she would say that you should mix cooking oil (or olive oil) with vinegar. Each a table spoon full. I think. My mixture of how she explained she made it, never tasted as good as… Continue reading Give me traditional medicine please
I never bought any baby shoes. My mother was distraught when she found about this. She told me that the (cute) puppet dog slippers do not count. So I told her she could buy Princess’ shoes. The shoes were not worn for long, because Princess outgrew it very quickly. I tried to give the shoes… Continue reading List: My baby shower gift ideas
I want to learn a new language. I am really bad at this, because I have not put in any effort to do this. I read recently on Babbel that one of the 10 Tips And Tricks To Learn Any Language is to FIND A PARTNER. I have a friend who wants to learn Afrikaans… Continue reading Useful Apps to help you learn languages
The only thing I love more than my country, is travelling through it – by car. Nothing beats that feeling of freedom when you get behind the wheel of a car and just drive. I like taking my road trips alone. Granted, I have not been to many places in our country. I have only… Continue reading The truth about travelling
I am a journalist and I can’t have technology absent in my life! Wait! There was actually a time when journalists had no computers or laptops to write their stories on. There was a time when social media didn’t exist. Call me lazy but I enjoy that I have technology. I love that I can… Continue reading The impact technology has on my life
I am often asked if my husband, a music composer, serenades me every night. Although I don’t say this in public, the answer is no. I do however get to hear his master pieces first hand. Last Friday night [9 July] for instance, Princess and I went to bed while Daddy was up till 4:00… Continue reading Thank you for the music
Everyone who knows her describes Leolynn Smith as a workaholic. Even her seven year old son knows that her work is important. “I tell him that all I do – every time I work away from home or if I am working late – is so that he can have a great future,” explains Smith.… Continue reading Single mom: I love working hard, but I feel I don’t get enough time with my son
My mom used to say that a mother is the light of the household. This means if the mother is in a foul mood, then the rest of the family will follow suit. I think that reminded her to not stay angry at any one of us. I remember my mom would especially get angry… Continue reading The days when my mom wakes up and finds dirty dishes in the kitchen
Wait, put some dust on her forehead, my mother said as we walked into her home. Mom pressed her hand in the ground at the front door and wiped my (then) three month old baby’s head with dust. This, according to my mother, my aunts and a friend, are what “the old people” used to… Continue reading A young South African mom’s tips for a first time parent
“The first three weeks of being a first time parent to a newborn baby is hell.” I heard that statement in my second week of being a “new” mom and believe it or not, those were the most comforting words of my life [at the time]. I felt worn out – trying to feed a… Continue reading New mom equals epic fail
It’s always exciting when a friend or several of them tells you she is pregnant. I feel like I want to shout the news to the world, but it’s not my place to do so. I have to stop myself from announcing the good news on social media. Anyway, I thought of giving my five… Continue reading Show them the middle finger
Sometimes you get so worried about your own circumstances that considering what someone else goes through, is the last thing on your mind. Today was one of those days for me. I was hunting for stories and one of my sources mentioned how she wondered whether someone had sympathy on a homeless man she passes… Continue reading Make you feel my love
Today was one of many days I can almost swear I felt my heart jerk. I had done an interview with a lady bared her soul to me as she explained how she survives on a child grant while looking after five kids. She looked desperate, the type of fear she had in here eyes… Continue reading Breaking it up
Driving past a primary school the other day, watching the little girls in their school uniform (no, I am no paedophile), and thought to myself: “young girls, 15 years or so down the line you will regret having combed your hair like that” or “you are going to laugh when you recall doing THAT”. Then… Continue reading Dear six-year old Mikhaila
What’s up family! It’s been a rough start to the new year with the petrol that keeps increasing and the ridiculous rhino poaching going around. It’s a crazy South Africa we live in. Last week was the president’s State of the nation address and help but worry about the state of affairs in the country.… Continue reading Civil servants need more, Zuma
I was chatting to my friend Raquel the other day and then she sends me this message: “Cassie (her 3 year old daughter) is massaging my feet now and she stops and asks me: ‘Mommy, what’s this thorns on your legs?” She (Raquel) didn’t shave her legs that morning. When I eventually finished laughing (kids… Continue reading The curse of Eve
Women in Malawi have been subjected to humiliation in the hands of men. They have been stripped and ridiculed in public for wearing pants, leggings and miniskirts! Some men believe women should not wear pants. According to the Nyasa Times, “shops closed as irate vendors went berserk undressing women” accused of “indecently dressing.” Under dictator… Continue reading Hands off my pants!
My friend Amy recently fell in love with Carmen Steffano’s shoes and accessories and so she put a photo of these shoes as her BBM (phone) profile picture the other day. Being the shoe lover that I am, I commented on how I also wanted a pair and I asked her what’s stopping her from… Continue reading Don’t call me, I’ll call you
“Are you into that kind of thing?” My friend recently asked me, frowning. She tagged along with me to a press conference where a lot of activists came together to let their voices be heard about evictions (within their communities) and other housing issues. I suddenly realized my eyes were big when I encountered the… Continue reading Making my mark while they make theirs
A friend recently shared this valuable piece of knowledge with me: “Twenty nine percent of women spend more time shopping for shoes than they do looking for a life long mate.” So we started analysing the validity of this here statement. We came to the following conclusions: shoes don’t lie, cheat, or get pissed. Your… Continue reading If the shoe fits
It’s official; when I grow up I want to be an ice-skater. I would love to twirl and leap on the ice in the most breathtaking outfits, be lifted and spun around mid-air. Slight problem: I do not have the years of extensive training to my name and I have TERRIBLE balance (I’m sure if… Continue reading Ice will suffice
The one thing about working in a newsroom or office for a long time, especially when you sit near the stairs is, you start to recognize people’s footsteps as they come up the stairs. So, on my first day back at work this year, I hear a strange, dangling noise I’m not used to hearing… Continue reading That one Fashion faux pas
It is an open secret that some Muslims and Christians do not get along. There have been instances where the two sides clashed. For an example, in October at least 22 people were killed in clashes between military police and Coptic Christian protesters in Egypt. The killings were condemned and the world moved… Continue reading Killing in the name of religion
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