Behind The Scenes July 2023 – Plus Giveaway

I’ve been dreading my July 2023 monthly update and put off writing it. July was a terribly hard month since I lost my best friend, my soul sister. I’m sorry my update is late,  but I couldn’t bear facing it until now.

***Disclosure -The links in this post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.***

So Many Losses In July

This July 2023 was one of the hardest times I’ve ever had to face. My closest friend in the whole world, my soul sister, passed away in a sudden car accident. I got the news via Facebook messenger from her son, my godson, first thing on Sunday 09 July. My first thought was that maybe it was a sick joke, that someone had hacked his Facebook. I wish that was so. The shock and grief was intense.

I met Jana in 1986 and we were soul sisters until the day she died. We went through so much together, including her teen pregnancy and being a single teen mom. I became a godmother when I was a teenager and it was the most amazing and tough experience supporting her through those early years of being a mom. We were children ourselves.

She visited me with her son in psychiatric ward at Kenilworth Clinic when I was struggling in an abusive relationship, and supported me when I went into recovery from addiction. I can’t imagine facing life’s curveballs without her by my side.

Less than a week after she passed away my sister’s cat was run over and killed. Half an hour after receiving that news I found out that my close friend’s husband passed away leaving her a single mother of two teenagers and a 10 year old boy.

While I’ve had some losses in my life in the past that were tough to deal with it, those losses were elderly grandparents. People that I loved dearly, in particular my grandmother on my father’s side, but it is expected that elderly people will pass on. It is part of life. Losing young people so suddenly that are so close and dear to me has been devastating.

I felt so disconnected from my work and the people around me. I shut down completely for a while and avoided being online. My June blog update and live video were only done close to the end of July, and now my July update is also late. My aim is to have it done as soon as possible after the month has ended, but sometimes life gets in the way. Here’s hoping August is an easier month.

 

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Focusing On Things That Heal

It was imperative for me to focus on things that heal for the month of July. I cleaned my house, worked on my garden and spent a lot of time crying and connecting with mutual friends.

It was strangely healing spending time with my friend that that lost her husband. There was no need to put a smile on my face or hide my tears. We have both suffered a huge loss. It was comforting being in her presence and being able to cry and feel our pain together.

I have hardly been online over the last month and I’ve had to push paid collaborations to a later date. I will pick up again when I am able to, but I need to pay attention to where I am emotionally. As an addict in recovery, I have to focus on healthy coping mechanisms and make sure I don’t slip.

Coupon Codes And Competitions

I’ve got a few competitions running on my blog, you can check them out here. I’ve also got some discount codes from companies that you can access here. You can also access both these pages from my website’s main menu.

Win August 2023 #KaboutijeTopFan Hamper

The August 2023 hamper for the #KaboutjieTopFan competition includes the following items:

• Journal from The Papery
• Therific Ideas – jelly foot treatment
• Hada Labo eye & mouth corrector cream
• Happy Event firming cream
• The Wolftrap Chenin Blanc
• Foam bath
• Cadbury rum & raisin
• Nescafe Gold cappuccinos

Steps To Follow To Enter This Giveaway

Make sure to follow both steps below to enter this giveaway. The more you engage the better your chances of being chosen as my #KaboutjieTopFan for this month.

1. Enter Your Details Into The Form Below
2. Engage on Kaboutjie website

• Comment on this blog post
• Comment on at least one other blog post - the more blog posts you comment on the better your chances of winning!

This competition is open for residents of South Africa and Terms and Conditions apply.

The winner will be announced on our competitions page - this competition is open from:

09 August to 31 August 2023

This Competition Is Closed For Entries

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