You can catch Nikki again on Good Morning Africa on Africa Magic channel 114 Dstv at 07h00 and a repeat at 12h30.

A very happy New Year to all my special friends, clients and colleagues!  May you enjoy the ebb and flow of the year ahead – remember that life never unfolds in a straight line as much as we would like it to, so be flexible.  Thank you for all your support and enthusiasm over the past year.  It is such a joy and a privilege to do this work and I look forward to continuing to journey with you in 2012.

The year has started with a bang.  I spent four wonderful days in Tzaneen at Unicorn School where I presented four talks to their enthusiastic staff and two to the parents.  This included a new workshop for teachers called Brand Teacher? designed to help teachers to discover and become more conscious of their own unique brands and how to manage and develop them in a fast changing and demanding world.  Click here for the full synopsis and feel free to connect with me if you would like to host Brand Teacher? for your staff.

In between a number of TV interviews and various school and corporate talks I am off to Harare in Zimbabwe to give 6 talks to groups of parents, teachers, school heads, government officials and various aid organisations.  If you have any friends or family in Harare, feel free to let them know.  Click here for the invitation.

There was one goal I didn’t achieve in 2011 and it was that I didn’t get to write another book – just not enough hours in a day and now my head is positively spinning with ideas.  I am committing this goal to paper this year to ensure that it actually happens. That’s the wonderful thing about keeping records.  The other day I found a thick file of ideas and goals that I have been jotting down for years and it is amazing how many of them have become a reality.  So, if you think it, ink it, as they say.  Apart from writing a number of my own books, Dr Graeme Codrington (expert on the future world of work) and I are working on the synopsis for our second book together. The provisional working title is Beyond Imagination.  Watch this space.

The next event on the calendar is for those of you who have layers of party invitations stuck on your fridge door, parties of your own to plan and execute and dozens of gifts to buy for all those party girls and boys.  Look no further, help is at hand in the form of Birthday Talk™ which takes place in early March.  See the next section of this newsletter for details and don’t delay with your bookings as seats are limited.

I have just taken a break for dinner and game of Blokus Duo with my 12 year old son, Matthew.  I used to beat him, and now he is beating me.  And so life turns and continues to move and change.  By the end of this year, my blonde boy will be as tall as me and then he will start telling me I have a dose of ‘the shrinks’!  We are on a closing cycle in our family as our youngest is in his final year of primary school.  It happens so fast.

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.” Anonymous

Tune in to SABC 3 tomorrow at  05h45 and at 07h10 to see Nikki’s live interview about the connection between work/life balance, multi-tasking and happiness on the Expresso show.

You can also see Nikki discussing how to Future-Proof Your Child on Good Morning Africa on Africa Magic channel 114 Dstv at 07h00 and a repeat at 12h30.

While this is billed as the time of year to be jolly, and the build up to the end of the year can be frenetic, it is also the season when we have the opportunity, if only over The Big Shut Down between Christmas and New Year, to take life a little slower than we normally would, whether at home or away on a holiday.

Taking it slow, and being more “in the moment” as parents, gives us the opportunity to see our children operating at their own pace for a change, and not dancing either to our hectic schedules or the ones we or school have imposed on them. As you stop and smell the roses for a little while I want to encourage you to be a “watcher” from time-to-time. Stop doing, organising and micromanaging, and just take a while to be a watcher and not a doer. Observe your children with all of your senses whether you are doing something together or observing them from a distance.

Open your eyes, ears, hearts and minds and absorb your children. Soak them up. Look at their faces, really look. Listen to their conversations, really listen. Give them some money (it doesn’t have to be a lot) to buy small Christmas presents for family members, or let them choose a new decoration for the Christmas tree, and don’t judge their choice – observe with interest and give them a chance to express themselves, even if their ideas are very different to yours.

You may have the opportunity of cuddling up together as a family in the big bed, or on the couch watching a movie together or playing a game. What does it feel like? You now have the time to notice. Can you see how they have grown and matured this year and what they are now capable of that they have never been able to do before? Appreciate the growth and let your heart swell with pride. It’s a great feeling.

Enjoy their anticipation of the season of giving and receiving – they are both an art and a life skill that need to be developed. Watch how you speak to each other over this time. Talk with kindness and respect, and listen twice as much as you speak.

Watch for the little things about your children, capture moments often missed in the daily grind of our rushed and hurried lifestyles. Most of these little moments will be so fleeting is it unlikely you will be able to photograph them. It is as if you are a guest who has been privileged to ’see’ and you get to store these moments only in the recesses of your heart and mind.

The most important thing about being a “watcher” is to remember that they are watching you too, and they are doing it with their whole being, absorbing the very essence of who you are.

Happy holidays!

NIKKI BUSH

To order any of these products, please contact Bridgid on info@brightideasoutfit.co.za.

Download the: XMAS 2011 order form

Last orders will be accepted on 15 December.  This is a while stocks last promotion so don’t delay.

0 – 2 YEARS

Grasping Giraffe or Dinosaur R70

Everyone will want a turn to swivel, pivot and rotate the hardwood segments of this charming toy! Hardwood segments can be twisted and turned to change the position of the head, neck, legs and tail. Constructed with durable, elastic bungee, this will promote the development of fine motor skills.

Squeakaboo’s R85

Babies and toddlers will fall in love with the adorable Cuddle Squeekaboos. They’re soft, they’re huggable, they’re absolutely loveable and are the perfect first gift for babies.  They squeak, jingle and crinkle and are ideal for playing peek-a-boo games, bringing smiles and giggles to little ones’ faces.  Fully machine washable too.

Baby’s Very First Noisy Book Christmas R130

An enchanting board book with sounds to match the festive pictures. Little hands will love pressing the buttons to hear twinkling Christmas music to accompany the fluttering snowflakes, happy snowman and jolly Santa. With simple board tabs to allow children to locate their favourite pictures.

Garden Knob Puzzles R69

Ideal as a first puzzle, this beautifully illustrated wooden puzzle has 6 chunky lift out pieces with knobs on, making it easy for young children to pick up and position correctly. Assorted designs.

2 – 4 YEARS

No-Spill Bubbles R 45

It’s a miracle – bubbles that can’t be spilt! What a win for parents of toddlers whose first reaction to bubbles is to pour them out. Once the bubble liquid is finished, just replace with any cheap bubble solution or make your own. Putting the wand in and out of the No Spill bubble container is great for stimulating fine-motor, eye-hand co-ordination, and blowing builds the foundations for the ‘p’ and ‘b’ sounds.

Shapes Snap R68

A pack of 48 cards with six colourful shapes to match in a fun version of every child’s favourite first card game. Large, colourful, sturdy cards with rounded corners and the name of the shape printed at the bottom. A great way for young children to learn to recognize shapes and develop matching and reading skills.  Use these cards with an older sibling to play the memory game.

Little Diplodocus Double-sided Puzzle R89

Two jigsaws for the price of one! Piece together the chunky pieces of this colourful 12 piece Diplodocus jigsaw puzzle and then have fun seeing what’s on the other side! Made from durable recycled board with a wipe clean finish.

Smelly Gelli Baff R79

Gelli Baff is a magic powder that turns a bowl of water into a bowl of jelly goo that kids just love to play with. Sprinkle the first powder over the water and watch as it magically turns to thick, brightly coloured goo. When the fun is done, sprinkle the second powder over the goo, it will begin to dissolve and turn back to water. Gelli Baff does not block the drains, is biodegradable and is kind on the skin. Ideal for messy play days. Easy to clean & leaves no stains or marks. It is non-toxic and has won many international toy awards.  Use the entire contents for one big jelly bath, or split into four for more fun.  Alway remember to scoop out a bowl or bucketful of goo before turning the jelly back into water.  Your children can then enjoy playing with it for days afterwards.

My First Scissors R160

This is essentially a gorgeous craft kit which will be enjoyed by children from 5 – 8 years of age, however, the actual scissors, which are suitable for preschoolers, are a real win.  Cutting is so fascinating to young children who find using real scissors quite difficult at first.  These scissors are safety scissors and are suitable for both right and left-handed children.  I would buy it just for the scissors but the crafts are beautiful too.

4 – 6 YEARS

Christmas Snap R68

A fun festive card game for the whole family to enjoy. Contains 26 pairs of cards featuring vibrant illustrations of festive objects such as snowmen, reindeer, and stockings to match and win the game. A great way for young children to develop word and picture matching skills.

Fairytale Puzzles: Little Red Riding Hood (35 pc) /  Pinocchio (25 pc) R69

A new artistic interpretation of the fairy tale classics, illustrated by the renowned Australian artist Inna Semadar. Presented in a compact and funky tin box. Outstanding quality puzzle.

Jumbo Pads: Pink or Blue R80

An oversized coloring book that will appeal to any child. The pages tear out cleanly to allow more than one child to color simultaneously and for proud display once completed! Fifty favorite themes included.

Colour By Dot R80

Following the simple color key to complete animal-filled illustrations is an entertaining way to learn colors and practice fine motor skills. As the pictures become more complex, you child will experience the thrill of accomplishment!

Sticker Collection Fashion R80

The fashion runway awaits the stylish design sense of your young designer with this collection of over 600 stickers featuring 80 young models and lots of clothing and accessory stickers for every occasion! From swimwear, to party dresses to sleepwear-your fashionista will be ready to set the next fashion trends!

Travel Tins: Ludo R59

Designed in an ultra-slim tin case, printed both sides. Includes magnetic pawns and pieces.  Fun and affordable for all ages whilst travelling.

Zoobdude R299

This kit combines all three of our ZOOBDudes into one set (fireman, rock climber and parachutist) so kids can follow the instructions or mix and match to create their own ZOOBDudes that really work—climbing up the line, squirting real water from the hose, and gliding safely to earth.  Includes 68 loose ZOOB pieces, 3 backpacks with attached ZOOB pieces and working accessories (fire hose, grappling hook, and parachute), 4 wheels with tires that are notched to work like gears, 4 ZOOBDude heads with attached ZOOB pieces, 4 pose-able ZOOBDude helmets, and 5 instruction guides.

Zoob Fastback R165

Kids build their favorite racing car, then pull it back and watch it zoom across the floor. The pull-back motor propels the car up to 25 feet, without batteries. Includes 20 ZOOB pieces, one pull-back motor, and 4 wheels with tires that are notched to work like gears.  Five differing racing cars are featured, or you can just build your own.

Ten Green Bottles R195

Be the first to match your ten green bottle cards with ten dotty numbered cards to win this fun bottle recycling game from Orchard Toys.  A nice quick game with few rules.  Players: 2 – 4.

Three Little Pigs R195

Build your houses made of sticks, straw or bricks before the big bad wolf tries to blow them down, or before another player takes one of your pieces! A lovely first boardgame. Players: 2 – 4.

Scratch-a-doodle Surprise R 50

Scratch along the lines to create a picture just like you do with scratch card competitions.Really fun and useful too. Includes: 6 pre-printed scratch picture cards, 6 frame stands, 1 scratch pen

6 – 8 YEARS

Magnetic Picture Maker by Melissa & Doug R240 (ages 6-8 years)

Another brilliant game from the Melissa & Doug range.  It is perfect for travel as there is a permanent perspex cover  sealing in all the pieces.  Use the magnetic wand on top of the perspex cover to ‘pick up’ the coloured discs, drag them to the corresponding spot on the board and ‘drop’ them in place until all the colour spaces are covered and the picture is complete.  There are 14 pictures which slip neatly into the back of the board.  Fantastic for stimulating fine motor control and eye-hand co-ordination required for handwriting.

Flower Buttons R80

Have loads of fun with this colourful felt flower buttons roll-up. Create five beautiful flowers using the different petals provided.

6 – 12 YEARS

Jawbones construction toy 35’s R69 and 100’s R180 (ages 6-12 years)

This award-winning, unsual construction toy, is known as The Buildable Art System.  Order a jar of 100 precision construction pieces which swivel, ratchet and snap together in countless configurations or choose the 35 piece set that is great for fun on the run when travelling or sitting waiting in restaurants. Five constructions are featured on the box or just use your imagination!  Gre at for eye-hand co-ordinationa and fine-motor control.

Box of Questions: BFF (Best Friend Forever) R125 (Age 8+)

How well do you really know your BFFs – and how well do they know you? The 82 questions in this funny and sweet box set will help you explore your relationships and start incredible conversations with your best friends. Pull out a card and start getting answers to things you have always wondered about . . . or never thought to ask! For example:  “What movie have your BFFs watched and quoted a zillion times?”  “Which one of your BFFs have names doodled all over her notebook?  Whose name is doodled the most?”, “Which one of your BFFs is your got-to fashion stylist?”

Box of Questions: Slumber Party R125 (Age 8+)

Here is your perfect party activity for those sleepless “slumber” parties! The Box Girls Slumber Party set includes lots of thought-provoking (and laughter-provoking!) questions to keep the conversation going all night. Ban yawns while you build friendships with these fun questions. For example:  “What role do you think you play in your family? (”Peacekeeper”, “Loose Cannon”, “Troublemaker” or “Funny One”).  Do you like that role, or do you want to change it?”, “What is the coolest quality of your friend on your left?”, “What is the most annoying ord or phrase you would like people to stop saying forever?”

Box of Questions: Family Dinner R125 (Age 6+)

Want to hear more at dinner than “Pass the peas”? Wrap your “noodle” around the questions on these circular cards and dinner will never be dull again. The set contains 82 conversation-starters, such as: “What is your earliest memory?” “Who do you think has it easier, girls or boys?” and “What do you like most about the person to your right?”

Box of Questions: Truth or Dare R125 (Age 12+)

Get the party started and keep the laughter rolling with this tween-friendly version of the classic game. Tell the truth or face the challenge of a dare . . . Or a double dare! Take a “spin” and take a chance. For example:  “Do a one minute ballet performance while reciting the alphabet”, “Pretend you are a flight attendant and demonstrate the safety features of the room”, “What current fad would you not be caught dead wearing?”, “Go have a conversation with the house pet”.

Fairytale Puzzles: Cinderella (60 pc) / Snow White (48 pc) R69

A new artistic interpretation of the fairy tale classics, illustrated by the renowned Australian artist Inna Semadar. Presented in a compact and funky tin box.

Travel Tins: Backgammon / Checkers / Chess R59

Designed in a slim tin case, printed both sides. Includes magnetic pawns and pieces.  Fun and affordable for all ages whilst travelling.

Magic Forest R120 (Age 5+)

New magnetic travel game that is perfectly sized. Comes in a flip-book format with spiral binding. Find the path to solve the mystery. 48 challenges and 1001 solutions. Puzzles range from easy to very difficult.

Waterworld R120 (Age 5+)

A magnetic travel game that comes in a flip-book format with spiral binding. It is a reveal and conceal game.  By placing all 4 covering pieces in the correct square, you need to cover up certain water creatures and reveal others depending on the challenge being set.  Test those problem solving skills with the 48 challenges which go from easy to difficult.. 

Busy Bugs R120 (Age 7+)

A magnetic travel game that comes in a flip-book format with spiral binding. It is a reveal and conceal game.  By placing all 4 covering pieces in the correct square, you need to cover up certain bugs and reveal others depending on the challenge being set.  Test those problem solving skills with the 48 challenges which go from easy to difficult.. 

Sticker Dressing Dolly assorted R80

Assorted high quality delightful sticker books containing scenes and over 400 stickers to dress the fairies, princesses, pop stars, girls from long ago or ballerinas, for different occasions. Stickers include trendy items of clothing and bags, shoes, hats and jewellery to get the ladies looking their best, or clothing from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and more.

Jumbo Pads: Pink or Blue R80

An oversized coloring book that will appeal to any child. The pages tear out cleanly to allow more than one child to color simultaneously and for proud display once completed! Fifty favorite themes included.

Astrojax R130

Astrojax is more than a toy, it’s a culture in and of itself!! A cross between juggling, lasso and yo-yo. The tricks you can do with this thing are TOTALLY awesome!  Check out Astrojax on the internet.  Click here for a demonstration.

Makedo Kit for One Toy (65pcs) R99

Makedo Kit for Three Toys (170pcs) R199

Makedo is a ground-breaking, innovative connector system that enables children to design and make things out of waste material including cardboard, plastic and fabric.  Click here for a fabulous demonstration of this truly outstanding product.  When you’re done playing, simply pull it apart to reuse over and over again. The possibilities of what you can make with Makedo are limited only by the materials you find and your imagination.

Makedo Cup Critters R35

Each craft kit comes with the parts and easy instructions to make two different animals using the cups.

Boogie Board R499 including sleeve cover (ages 6-12 years)

Now here’s a product that’s modern but not over the top and environmentally friendly too.  The Boogie Board is a little like the old Etch-a-Sketch.  It comes with a stylus and you write or draw on it.  When you have finished, simply press the erase button and the screen will clear like magic.  The battery life will give you 50 000 erases which at a rate of 20 a day will take seven years!  In that time you will have saved R3 000 to R4 000 in paper.  Lovely for doing homework on, eg. times tables or spelling words.  If you change the medium from boring paper you can engage your child, even a tired one, to get their homework done.  Also perfect to whip out when sitting in a restaurant or when travelling in a car for a quick game of hangman or noughts and crosses.  Comes with a neoprine cover for storage when not in use.  Never leave this product exposed in the sun.

Top Model Horses R100

A brand new Horses dreams colouring and drawing book. In this book you can find lots of beautiful examples to copy or just use your imagination to finish the outlined pictures all around the horse theme. There are some glitter stickers too for the final touch.

Crayola Metallic Markers R49

Crayola Metallic Markers are ideal for adding shimmering metallic effects to pictures, cards and more! The metallic colour selection includes mauve, purple, silver, gold and green, copper. You can also create cool sparkling effects on dark or white paper.

8 + YEARS

Pictionary Cards R69

Pictionary meets charades in the craziest card game ever, with no drawing required! The addictive fun of the original Pictionary® – no drawing required! The deck comes with simple images on picture cards. Combine cards or use them as props as you race to act out answers. Earn five points and your team is a picture-perfect winner!

Pathwords R172

An exciting new game that combines the best of Tetris® and Word Search! Place the puzzle pieces onto the selected challenge so the letters under each piece spell a word. Words are read forward or backward – letters will not be scrambled. With 40 challenges from Beginner to Expert, PathWords appeals to both word game lovers and puzzle fanatics and will have you exercising your brain for hours! Click here for a great demonstration.

Tilt R172

Back and forth, right and left – you may want to use a GPS to navigate this logic maze!  Choose one of the challenge cards and set your pieces.; Using the innovative tilting game board, your goal is to slide the green sliders through the center exit hole. To make your job a bit trickier, the blue sliders must stay on the grid at all times! With 40 Challenges ranging from Beginner to Expert, Tilt will have your brain moving in all directions!  Click here for a great demonstration.

To order any of these products, please contact Bridgid on info@brightideasoutfit.co.za