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Cara LOVES her Penguala. And you can win a Hatchimal!

Just Fun Kidz emailed me a couple of weeks ago and asked if Cara would like to review a Hatchimal. What kind of a question is that? YES! I don’t know any little kids who wouldn’t give their left pinky for one of these adorable furballs.

What is a Hatchimal you ask??

Hatchimal Packaging Egg

Hatchimals are magical creatures that live inside of eggs. Who’s inside? It’s a surprise! Each egg contains one of two interactive Hatchimals. Love and care for yours inside the egg and its eyes will light up as it makes cute sounds, telling you how it’s feeling! Once you’ve played with it enough, you’ll see rainbow eyes – that means its time to hatch! Hatchimals can’t hatch on their own. Your touch encourages them to peck their way out of the egg! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Now you get to raise your furry Hatchimal through 3 stages, from baby to toddler, to kid. Your Hatchimal sings “Hatchy Birthday” each time it enters a new stage! Teach yours to walk, dance, play games and more! It will even repeat what you say in its own voice!

I know that Hatchimals were top of many kids’ Christmas wish lists last year, and I can’t see the hype about these little cuties dying down soon.

Cara received a Penguala Hatchimal. Pengualas are happy-go-lucky, quirky, naive, friendly, clumsy and kind.  They come in either a Pink or a Teal egg. They are super cute.

Win a Hatchimal

The hatching process is amazing. Really! We had the whole family gathered round the table whilst Cara and her cousin were helping little Pengi hatch by stroking the egg and talking to her. It was so cute to see. And their faces! You should have seen their eyes light up when she started pecking at the egg and it cracked and you could see her beak. It was so exciting. While little Pengi was hatching, you could see her amazing eyes light up and she was making noises all the while. I feel a little embarrassed to say that I found it just as exciting. You forget for a moment that this isn’t a real little baby bird hatching.

Penguala Hatchimal

The hatching process is amazing and I was worried that Cara would lose interest very quickly after that. But no.

This furry animatronic creature is her favourite toy right now and Pengi goes everywhere. I’m pleasantly surprised that the batteries are still going. Pengi is still in her ‘baby stage’  as I haven’t heard her sing ‘Hatchy Birthday’ yet. Now she is cooing and saying hello. When she gets cold, you have to rub her head and tummy and when she has hiccups, you have to give her a fright. And the Penguala can get angry too. Her eyes light up in different colours to tell you how she’s feeling. Luckily she came with a handy guide. Pengi can also repeat what you say in her cute little voice, and this has led to loads of giggles.

Cara is taking such good care of her virtual pet that I don’t think it will be very long until she has a birthday. We can’t wait to see what the next stage will bring.

I’m sure you’ve been wondering if a Hatchimal is worth its hefty price tag? I think so. This toy is very interactive and Cara adores it. And she loses interest in toys quite quickly. Pengi is Cara’s alarm in the morning. I switch the Penguala on (yes moms! It has an off switch!) and put it on her pillow. Cara wakes up with a huge smile when she hears her baby say hello to her. Cara’s cousin also wants a Hatchimal, so we will all be clubbing in for her birthday. I think one Hatchimal will mean more to her than receiving a lot of gifts from friends and family. I think most little kids will feel the same judging by the reactions Cara gets when Pengi goes along to the shops. She goes everywhere!

Penguala

HATCHIMALS are stocked at Hamleys, Lilliputs, Makro, Takealot,  Toy Adventures, Toy Kingdom, Toy Zone and Toys R Us.

Win a Hatchimal!!

Now for some great news!!! I have a Hatchimal worth R1 199.99 to give away! Enter via the Rafflecopter below and keep your fingers crossed! Who will your little one hatch?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:

  • All entries will be verified.
  • The giveaway is open to SA residents only.
  • Giveaway entrants are not obligated to like any Facebook pages, but it would be appreciated.

Good luck!

xoxo

Disclosure ranking: 2

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Ben Wei – Sushi at its best. Trust me.

‘If sushi and Asian cuisine is your thing, look no further.‘ That statement got me curious (and hungry). According to the invitation to experience Ben Wei, people are saying that this new restaurant is serving the best sushi in Cape Town. So how could I say no?!

Ben Wei Sushi Asian Fusion

Ben Wei, meaning “Original Taste”, recently opened its doors at the highly popular Wembley Square centre in Gardens, Cape Town. This new eatery offers a variety of sushi, Thai curies and Chinese dishes, amongst some other original culinary delights.

Ben Wei is owned by chef Jim Dai and entrepreneur Ian McMahon, and is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. So what makes it so special?  Apart from a unique spin on these familiar dishes made with the freshest fish and ingredients, the extensive, vintage designed menu even includes Banting and vegetarian options. Carefully selected wines available will perfectly complement any order and satisfy the most distinguished palates. Think sushi or Asian food, and brace yourself to be pleasantly surprised.

Ben Wei – Sushi at its best

Last Saturday I dragged a oh-so-willing friend along to try a little Ben Wei sushi. I say a little, but I mean A LOT.

Even though the menu includes many dishes that sound and look divine (I will still go back for some Thai green curry), all we wanted was sushi. And, oh my word, we were not disappointed.

Look at this:

Ben Wei - Sushi at its best

I’m no foodie and I don’t use words like ambrosial or gustatory when it comes to food (yes, I just Googled those), but I do know what tastes good and this was it. We were in heaven. With each bite our table fell silent. Every single morsel was pure perfection.

Ben Wei Sushi platter

Fresh, flavourful and the rice was just right. It was the best sushi I’ve had in years. Truly. I was very surprised that the sushi was priced so well. Coming from the Northern Suburbs, I expected ‘Town’ prices. Nope. Extremely reasonable. At Ben Wei your tummy will decide when you’ve had enough; not your wallet.

We also tried a portion of banting-friendly sushi. I love my rice, but I was curious. Verdict: yum. And it looks amazing, doesn’t it?

Ben Wei banting sushi

At this stage we were almost in a food coma, but we had to have dessert.

Ben Wei deep fried banana

We decided to try the deep fried banana. So good. We also had to try the deep fried ice cream (obviously!).

Ben Wei deep fried ice cream

I have no words really. Both desserts were heavenly and I would drive all the way from Durbanville just to have these again. My lunch date said that the deep fried ice cream was the best dessert that she has ever had.

Our meal was truly amazing. I’m dreaming about it as I type. The outstanding food is the most important reason for visiting this fabulous eatery, but add the friendly staff and stunning decor to the mix and it’s no wonder that this place is so popular.

Ben Wei Interior with Bar

Ben Wei Interior

It was such a pleasure to meet the man behind the food on Saturday. Jim Dai is just the sweetest guy and boy, he knows what he’s doing. He is extremely passionate about what he does and when you eat one of his creations, you can tell.

Ben Wei Jim Dai

Chef and co-owner Jim Dai carves up delightful sushi and Asian dishes for its patrons. He moved to South Africa from China in 2007 and has been a sushi chef at notable establishments like The Alphen Hotel since then. At Fugu he took the restaurant to the top 15 list of sushi restaurants before joining The Vineyard Hotel. And now he is putting his 10 years’ experience to best use at Ben Wei.

Get your butt down to Ben Wei ASAP. I promise, you will not be disappointed. Make sure to call ahead and book (eat@benwei.co.za / 021 – 461 2966).

Join the Ben Wei conversation on Facebook (BenWei), Instragram (Benweisushi) and Twitter (@BenWeiSushi).

BEN WEÍ. Sushi. Asian. Fusion.

xoxo