Material Girl.

There are a lot of things I could probably be accused of in life, but being materialistic is definitely not one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I have a good eye for nice things, and I’ll happily admire something with a ridiculous price tag… I just don’t need it. No handbag, car, or shiny object is ever going to convince me it’s worth more than the things of actual value. And by value, I don’t mean the kind that comes with a warranty slip.

To me, “stuff” feels a bit hollow if it isn’t carried through with something real. It’s like buying the most beautiful wine glass, but never actually pouring the wine. Looks lovely on the shelf, yes, but try sipping on thin air and see how far that gets you.

I learnt this the hard way. Spent over a decade trying to find satisfaction in the things that apparently should make life feel more glamorous, only to end up facepalming at my own attempts. My soul simply refuses to sign off on the shallow stuff. Clearly I have a stubborn inner compass which keeps pointing me back to heart, depth, connection and all the other good bits.

Someone once told me that women are multipliers. We take raw ingredients and make them into a meal, we take a house and shape it into a home. Those words always stuck with me. A box of ingredients on its own is just… groceries. The essence is in what’s done with them. Ironically, the person who told me that was the same person who thought handing me metaphorical frozen peas and a raw steak with a cheerleading “you can do it” (burp and fart optional) was the way to my heart. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly inspired.

The paradox, of course, is that women… grown women, (not girls) are both deeply complex and pretty simple at the same time. Our needs are not rocket science. We crave care, attention, depth. That’s it. When those basics are in place, the rest flows without much effort. Sure, gifts are nice. Who’s complaining about surprise chocolate or something shiny? But it’s short lived sweetness if it comes with no real flavour behind it. A bit like chewing gum that loses its taste after five minutes… you’re left wondering why you bothered.

I would much rather live simply with people who bring real value to my life, than pile my world full of “stuff” that means nothing. Call me old fashioned, but I honestly don’t care to be part of the K-Way jacket crowd. No shade to the brand, but honestly… attend any sports event in South Africa and it’s like staring into a cloning experiment gone wrong. I’ll happily rock up in full colour, looking something like a cheerful canary beats the Michelin Man vibe any day.

As far as I am concerned… less truly is more. The older I get, the clearer that becomes. Strip away the noise, the packaging, the constant need for “more” and the insatiable urge to “impress”… and what’s left is exactly what you were searching for in the first place.

Life is richest when it’s simple, when it’s shared, when it has heart. Everything else is just wrapping paper.

So lovelies, I wish you all a happy Friday… and a big cheers to less nonsense, more depth, and substance that actually fills and feeds the soul. May your glass be poured with something you truly enjoy, your weekend be seasoned with laughter and love, and your heart remember that simplicity is the finest luxury of them all.