GIFT IDEAS
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS BEHIND THE LENS
F O T O J E N I Q P H O T O G R A P H Y
072 674 5743 | @denisefotojeniqphotography fotojeniqphotography@gmail.com
Contents
4
LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS
Christmas Lights You Have To See In JHB and Durban On a recent journey to Mt. Yeoman for 30 days,
Elite Runner editor in chief Joseph Russell has
something to share how this issue came to life.
DENISE PILLAY - BEHIND THE LENS 6 PERFORMANCE Fotojeniq Photography, Knotted Kotton SECTION and A Beautiful Ceremony
6
10
WHAT’S ON
14
HUE & ME
16
20
4
20
Christmas lights you have to see in Durban and JHB
Polyemer Clay Products and Sterling Silver Jewellery
THE PERFECT GIFT
Samentha Reddy - Ms Unseen International Social Influencer 2021
HEARD ABOUT BURNOUT?
The meaning, signs and remedies with Women’s Burnout Coach Jacqui.
Get in touch @ellamagsa
065 717 0619 ellamagsa@outlook.com
EDITOR
17
16
Elzaan Nieuwenhuis elzaanella@outlook.com
03
LAST MINUTE
Christm
Smudge Vixen Glaze Eyeshadow Pallete
R199 - Clicks 2022 A5 Weekly Diary
R169 - Typo .99
Messenger
R139 - Mr Price .99
Bag
It’s A Vibe Candle
R199 - Typo .99
Volkano Wireless Charger
R159 - Clicks
Shea Beauty Bag
R235 - Body Shop
Sorbet ‘Set To Go’ Brush Set
R179 - Clicks
mas gifts
UNDER R250
Torso Fragranced Candle - Small
R129 - Mr Price .99
Sorbet Soak & Soothe Gift Set
R199 - Clicks
Revolition Dynamic
Feed Me Bowl
Dynasty Pallete
R199 - Typo .99
R165 - Clicks 2022 Wide Desk Calender
R149 - Typo .99
Sorbet Man Gift Set
R229 Clicks
Stylist Make-up Brush & Foldable Bag Set
R220 - Clicks
DenisePillay BEHIND THE
LENS
A 29-year-old fearless, vibrant, self-empowered individual named Denise Pillay (formerly Govender) is the face behind photography company Fotojeniq. Denise completed her matric in the year 2010 and thereafter accomplished her tertiary education in photography, boosting her confidence in order to enhance her passion. ‘Being an ambitious, dynamic force, I strive to encourage and empower females to believe in themselves.‘
A passion for photography In 2010, Denise had completed her Mattic year and went on to accomplish her tertiary education in photography, boosting her confidence in order to enhance her passion. ‘Being an ambitious, dynamic force, I strive to encourage and empower females to believe in themselves. Through the lens of my life, I developed a passion for pausing life’s never repeated moments.’ From a young age, Denise says that she discovered her interest in photography and capturing each momentous occasion became a lifestyle. Photography has been Denise’s passion since a very young age. ‘We all know the saying that practice makes perfect, I had a good couple of years before I jumped at the opportunity and began my journey when I was gifted my first camera.’
FotojeniQ Photography ‘The obsession for FotojeniQ Photography to kick off, slowly evolved into one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.’ In 2016 FotojeniQPhotography was born. The manifesting and success of FotojeniQ Photography introduced its co-owner Mr Lance Pillay, Denise’s husband. They specialise in a few different shoots. They do corporate events, birthday parties, weddings, cake smashes, baby showers, bridal showers, and family shoots as well as model portfolios, Pre wedding shoots, engagement shoots, product photography and studio shoots.
About Knotted Kotton
Believing in herself
Another passion that’s near and dear to Denise’s heart is Knotted Kotton. a satin clothing line, mainly consisting of personalised satin pjs, satin scrunchies, satin pillow slips and robes.
In Denise’s cover girl search entry, her motivation for entering was centred around believing in herself. We asked her how she achieved this and what advice she has for other struggling with it. ‘The first step I took into believing in myself was loving myself confidently. Loving my flaws and my passion to make anything I touch, turn into something I’m proud of. Turning any negative into a positive lesson.‘
’It was born in a more quieter period during Covid 19 in January 2021. Events had been restricted and Photography together with my day to day job was temporarily closed for business.’ Knotted Kotton is made for everyone, they have their set range which are pj's, robes, scrunchies and eye masks. They specialise in satin and cotton and cater for party gifts, corporate gifting, bridal shower gifts and wedding favors. ‘We work with a skillful designer who we are blessed with, Mrs Naidoo. She handles our personalised items and Knotted Kotton is a huge success because of her.
Starting my day off with a motivational quote and living through that motto for the day helped me programme my mind into positive thinking no matter how difficult the situation. Never be afraid to be brave and bold. Women empowerment starts from within, empowering yourself to push your limits and breaking boundaries.’ You must be the change you wish to see in the world –Mahatma Gandhi
A random friend request Denise and Lance’s love story started with a random friend request that changed both their lives forever. ‘Cliché as it is, Lance and I met on Facebook in 2016 on the 14th July! A friendly request turned into Lance booking me for his mums surprise birthday celebration. After building a strong and beautiful friendship, our paths seemed to grow into one.’ Denise says that she and Lance were strong individuals on their own and once they started dating in January 2017, they became a power couple and a force to be reckoned with. ‘In the past 5 years Lance and I have not fought with each other. We're proud of this accomplishment, as a smooth sailing relationship needs communication and empathy.’ She says that communicating with each other without judgment is key to making a great team. ‘While dating we always lived by the saying, "Never go to bed angry"and after almost 2 months of marriage, I can happily say we've survived! 2 Months down, forever to go!’
Tying the knot Both Lance and Denise share the duties equally to make FotojeniQ Photography and Knotted Kotton run smoothly. This includes working late nights on weekdays and full time on the weekends. They created their life’s perfect picture on the 30th October 2021, bringing much joy and celebration to both their families. ‘Our relationship is summed up with Subject, composition and light. Subject - Lance and I as individuals and as a union have been the subject of interest of our divine creator’s perfect picture. Composition – Lance and I have been designed with integrated settings to enhance and correct, to filter and protect, to colour anvd contrast. Light - Our lives have omitted the right amount of light at the right time to be part of life’s perfect picture.’ The newlyweds had been gifted a 2 day getaway at Umhlanga, for some good rest and relaxation. They opted for a post honeymoon at Rain Farm, Ballito and the beautiful scenic Granny Mouse in Midlands. Their last trip was to Monte Casino in Johannesburg.. Whather you would like to book an exciting photoshoot or find out more about Denise, get in touch with her: Facebook : @fotojeniqphotography Instgram : @denisefotojeniqphotography Number : 0726745743 Email : fotojeniqphotography@gmail.com
What’s on Durban Botanic Gardens Trail of lights Experience the Magic! The Durban Botanic Gardens Trail of Lights is back and it’s brighter than ever! Walk the trail illuminated by millions of lights and take the the majestic gardens all lit up. Spot some of the festive characters along the way and stop for a selfie or 10. When hungry, pop into the Food garden with a wide selection of proudly local cuisine.
3 DEC - 3 JAN
From R50pp
Entry 6pm | 7pm | 8pm
Joburg Zoo Festival of lights Joburg Theatre in association with the City of Johannesburg are excited to present the annual Joburg Festival of Lights featuring an enchanting collection of illuminated life-size animal characters and classical, harmonious entertainment, food and craft night market for visitors to the Joburg Zoo. Enjoy a tranquil walk in the zoo on a designated lit route away from the animals under trees decorated in enchanting lights. The Joburg Zoo Festival of Lights offers patrons entertainment and a night out in the zoo for all ages.
25 NOV - 2 JAN Entry 7pm - 10pm
From R150pp
The Pavillion Shopping Centre Candy Cane Lane An iimmersive drive-through lighting experience, that's been designed to transport visitors into a festive wonderland of lights, festive characters and selfie opportunities, all in the comfort of your own vehicle. It features just under a kilometre of lights and activations, as well as KZN's tallest and brightest Christmas tree, standing at almost 10m. A fully contactless experience and a number of covid protocols have been implemented to make the encounter comfortable and safe at the same time.
8 DEC - 2 JAN
From R199pv
Entry 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Melrose Arch Christmas Lights Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a visit to see Melrose Arch’s famous lights. Stroll through the precinct and take photos of the beautiful illuminated streets, and buy a hotdog, sweets, biltong or an ice cream on High Street or visit one of your favourite restaurants for dinner.
12 NOV - 9 JAN
Montecasino Italian Village Of Lights
Wander through our Tuscan village and take in the custom made displays, made up of more than over 285,300 LED lights! The best part is, come rain or shine, you are able to enjoy the lights from 07h00 to 22h00.
24 NOV - 5 JAN Entry 7am - 10pm
BEAUTIQUE Beautique Infusion is a cautiously created idea of conveying nature to your doorstep. Established in 2020 at a home-based beauty studio in Kimberley, Northern Cape. Our natural, hand-crafted, local products is created to capture the essence of self... self-care, self-worth and self-love so that you may be a fulfilled vessel of blessings to others. Our products are loud and proudly not tested on animals and are toxinfree, made with high-quality outsourced raw ingredients such as essential oils, plant extracts and botanicals from trusted local suppliers. Skin, Hair & Body health is our ethos and we strive to maintain that ethics through our product expansion process. Our daring and unique products reflects a passion for raw beauty and embracing our imperfections all the while caring for our skin, hair and body through natural elements. The brand’s goal is to deliver as much useful products and service as possible to all our customers across South Africa and hopefully internationally who need and desires high-quality and affordable natural products that will make them achieve a more confident lifestyle.
INFUSION Kim Coutriers, the founder of Beautique Infusion. “Being a mom, wife and business woman I do not loan myself to society's stereotypes but instead harvest a center of vast quality that shows itself in various ways and hope to inspire women to know their worth by sharing my brand with them. I trust that nobody ought to trade off their wellbeing for beauty, but embrace beauty through skin health instead.“ “My mission is to elevate, enable, improve and eventually assemble confidence in women around the globe through astounding products that empower both inward and external beauty but also give them the opportunity to become financially independent and stable through our upcoming sales ambassadorship programme. Beautique Infusion celebrates raw beauty at its best!” Find us on Instagram @beautique_infusion to see more . You can place your order via email beautiqueinfusion@gmail.com
Hue
& Me
Raakhi Gadodia is the owner of Hue & Me Hue & Me, a small business that was created at her family dining table, on the foundation of a value system of love and care. It was created out of a need to not be in mainstream commercial jewellery making. Her passion for colour and jewellery forged a bond that polymer clay helped mold. There were challenges off course, a new medium and lots of learning curves. Born and raised in Durban South Africa, to hard working dedicated parents, Raakhi is a second generation South African, of Indian origin,. She was raised in a joint family and is the youngest of four children. ‘All the adults around me had some creative in them. My dad and grand dad loved woodwork, mom and grand- mother sewed and cooked beautifully. My earliest memory of learning to draw was from my Aunt, who was a textile designer, teaching me to line draw a duck! I used to watch her for hours sketching and tracing. My love for the creative sparked there.’ Raakhi ended up getting her degree in Jewellery Design and Manufacture from the then Durban University of Technology.
About Hue & Me Raakhi says that she wants to offer a unique product experience, and at the same time, something timeless. ‘There are a lot of polymer clay products on the market. I tip my hat to all the small businesses that have a product line in polymer clay. I found myself wanting to push the boundaries, as I usually do, by having a product offering that blended my fine jewellery background, with an interesting colourful medium. Hence the Polymer Clay with sterling silver jewellery line was born.’ As the years went on her product offering grew to a small homeware and lifestyle décor range that has brought her clients and herself so much joy. While she still very much loves to do jewellery, her passion has taken an artistic course that she says was never expected. ‘I pride myself on customization. Listening intently to the clients needs and desires, and handcrafting a product that they would be proud to wear or have in their home. Telling their story, a story that speak to them and of them.’
What you can find Hue & Me has two major design ranges, Polymer clay & Sterling Silver Jewellery, and Lifestyle home Décor. This consists of, napkin ties and rings, coasters, trinket bowls and containers, tableware like her no break fortune cookie place setting/message holders, small batch frangranced container candles, Christmas Décor and so much more.
Mindful about the environment Hue & me is mindful of the environment and this resonates in her business and products. Raakhi says that while polymer clay is polyvinyl chloride based, it is non toxic in its stable state. ‘I am aware of its chemical nature, and try hard to offset all my other business running’s they best way I can to reduce my footprint. I use paper box packaging, which can be recycled, my invoices are emailed, instead of printed out, my inner packaging pouches are reusable. Any offcuts from the pouches I produce for the packaging, are reworked and used elsewhere in the workshop or in my home.’ Raakhi Bulk Batch Bakes, which means she doesn’t bake one piece at a time and so puts less strain on our everchoked country wide electricity shortage. She bakes at minimum 10 pieces at a time. All wastage and offcuts of clay are repurposed to mix more beautiful colours.
The Baby Home NGO Raakhi is also in partnership with THE BABY HOME DURBAN NORTH (NGO). The NGO that runs the Baby Home is called the Peace Agency and they had put out an all call for a jeweller or creative to work with. She met with the Co- Founders Justin and Cathy Foxton and discussed their vision for a range that could help raise funds on a monthly basis, to help with the upkeep and running of the Baby Home. ‘As a child, when I used to bead and sell my wares, every Christmas I would donate small cars and dolls to various childrens homes in Durban. When Justin, Cathy and I spoke, it felt like I had come full circle. Justin and Cathy are beautiful souls, and together with another pair of amazing humans Jo & Bjorn Teunissen, who actually are the crisis parents at the home, we were able to design a collection that speaks to the joy and love that these children experience once they are rescued and then adopted out.’ ’Raakhi believes that kids are our future, and after having her son, she realised how true that really is. ‘To have an impact in a childs life, to help bring joy and safety and shelter, and just having their basic needs met, is such an honour to be a part of.’
Get in touch You can find Raakhi’s work by visiting her website www.hueandme.studio. There is also a menu tab for the Baby home Collection. Learn more about The Baby Home by visiting www.peaceagency.org.za or www.babyhome.org.za
Samentha Reddy
@sammt92
Samentha Reddy
@SamenthaReddy3
samenthareddy196@gmail.com
Perfect THE
RECIPE
The perfect recipe started off with my love for baking. I would use baking as a way to avoid studying in matric and eventually it turned into something I used to de-stress, it calmed me, and the more I did it, the better I got. During the pandemic I enhanced my skill and that is how "The Perfect Recipe" came to be.
I bake a range of goods, from cakes and cupcakes to éclairs and some savouries, on request. I use pure butter in all my baked goods. I am based in Durban and will be very willing to do custom orders should it be required.
078 241 6654 @THEPERFECTRECIPE_ THEPERFECTRECIPE21@GMAIL.COM
Dear ambitious self - Anisa Amod
Dear ambitious self This year was a little more or a little less than you expected it to be But that’s okay This year needed to teach you the many lessons that you have learned about your environment, the company you keep and most importantly yourself. The mistakes that you have made have groomed you to be wiser and the struggles that you have faced has made you resilient in the pursue of what you desire. This year was not what you had expected, this year was glorious in its own way and heart wrenching in another but it was exactly what you needed to grow. You needed to swim even when you wanted to drown and you needed to push through even when you wanted to stop, this year taught you to never give up , to never give up on your dreams, your happiness and to never give up on YOU.
Dear ambitious self This year showed you what matters most , this year showed you your most valuable asset , YOU. You may not have achieved all that you aimed to, and you may have not reached your full potential but you will , and that is the promise of growth. Your surrounding and your circumstances do not define you. Instead it is your will to persevere that sets you apart from the rest. Dear ambitious self
Get in touch with Anisa Amod Ally on her Instagram page
@anisaamod_a
Don’t be so hard on yourself, do not be so quick to compare your progress with those of your peers, do not allow the world to make you lose hope – You still have time and the promise of a new year gives you just that. Dear ambitious self Take a moment to breathe and reflect on the year that has passed, be grateful for the moments that have brought you to where you are today and open your heart and mind to the possibilities that lie ahead. Do not let your ambition rob you of experiencing the simple joys of today , instead hold your ambition closely and allow yourself to soar to new heights because you are worthy of it all
1
It’s okay to skip the festivities.
2
Practice self care.
3
Binge watch your favourite movies or series.
4 5
Video call friends or family.
Get some fresh air, spend some time outside.
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It’s okay to not be okay.
Heard about
Burnout?
My name is Jacqui Meyer and I am a Women’s Burnout Coach. I am also a wife, a mom to two fabulous boys, a daughter, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a yoga teacher, a certified life coach... and so much more. I use my personal experience and my unique skill set to help women help themselves.
How did your Burnout coaching journey start? I used to work in a male-dominated corporate industry. I worked for the same company, in different roles, for 17 years. And then I got sick! I don't mean the sniffles, I mean REALLY sick! I was rushed to the hospital twice. The second time I ended up in High-care. It wasn't fun. I saw countless specialists and went for countless tests. Eventually, my own doctor, a female doctor, diagnosed me with adrenal fatigue.
I was rushed to the hospital twice. The second time I ended up in High-care I reduced my work hours, I stopped travelling, I was even able to work from home for six-months. After six months, I had to go back to "normal" work conditions..... In six weeks, I had undone all the good I had gained in those six months. Something had to change. And fast! So, I quit my job. We had no plan. We needed the income but
leaving was the better alternative. Four years later, I work flexi-time around my children's itineraries. I no longer have to travel for work. I dictate my diary and therefore my income. I am recovered. I am happy. I am healthy.
What do you hope to achieve? My mission is to help women suffering from burnout recover and live in their brilliance. I understand what you are going through. Personally, I suffered from burnout and adrenal fatigue and I am proud to say that I am fully recovered and through this experience and time in my life, I have developed systems to ensure I will never relive this experience again. Now it is my mission to make sure that no other women have to go through this alone.
There is the misconception that burnout is a workplace syndrome but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
What exactly is Burnout? Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. ‘Excessive' and 'prolonged' being the two key words. Often people associate burnout with the workplace but this is not necessarily the case. Particularly in the last two years, with lockdown and Covid, there are so many more sources of this prolonged and excessive stress.
The signs and symptoms? Signs, or symptoms, can be physical, mental or emotional. These can include (but aren’t limited to): Headaches, muscle tension Trouble sleeping Feeling overwhelmed and cynical Frustrated and unfulfilled Irritable. Loosing your temper. Tired. No matter how much you rest. Brain fog. Forgetfulness. Losing interest in the things you used to enjoy. Notice yourself complaining a lot.
Who gets affected? Burnout can literally affect anyone! There is the misconception that burnout is a workplace syndrome but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We are all human beings and we all experience stress at some point in our lives. We may not necessarily have the tools to deal with stress or with the excessive and prolonged stress. I have known stay at home moms, part time workers, business owners and students who have all suffered from burnout. As the stress continues, you begin to lose your mojo. Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling sick and tired, helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.
How do you as a Burnout coach help your clients?
hormonal problems, brain fog or even adrenal fatigue.
I help my clients to identify where they are contributing to their burnout. So many things are not in our control but our own actions and reactions are so by identifying this I am able to help my clients revisit fears, limiting beliefs, inner child wounds and trauma etc and reprogram these. I also always make sure my clients leave with a set of tools for life. Tools which will help them going forward to not relapse into burnout. I develop a bespoke programme for all my 1:1 clients to ensure we focus on their particular needs.
Personally, I suffered from high blood pressure, my hormonal system took a dive, I couldn’t sleep properly, regardless of how tired I was because my cortisol levels were out of sync. I suffered from brain fog and had two epic panic attacks which left me hospitalized. The longer this is ignored, the worse the outcomes and the longer it will take to recover.
If left untreated, what could happen? Essentially, when we experience burnout our bodies have been in a continuous “survival” (i.e. fight / flight / freeze) state. When our bodies are in this state, all of the oxygen and blood gets redirected to our major organs and muscles to enable us to “run away” or “fight” the perceived threat. Now, this is great for when there really is a threat but we should only be in this state for a short amount of time before everything returns to normal. If we stay in “survival“ mode for too long our systems start to malfunction which would result in digestive or
Get in touch: www.jacquimeyer.com hello@jacquimeyer.com @burnoutcoachjacqui @womenslifecoachjacqui
What are some coping mechanisms? My five top tips for feeling burnout: 1. Stop whatever you are doing and just take a few mindful breathes 2. Ditch the coffee because it actually exacerbates the feeling 3. Move your body, think yoga, swimming, a walk, dance 4. Say no to others so you can say yes to yourself 5. Nourish your body with a wide range of good, whole foods and plenty of water. And of, course, if this feeling of burnout persists, contact a professional who can help you further. Burnout can affect anyone, especially during this stressful time. There are many people struggling with this and some aren’t even aware. If you feel that you might be experiencing Burnout, get in touch with Jacqui for help and advice.
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