My husband and I have just come back from a week long family holiday with our 2 year old son. We had a wonderful time and I learnt that television is no match for playing in the sand, that my son has a new penchant for honey toast in the morning and that blackout curtains are fabulous for long cuddly morning sleep-ins – something that we had thought were lost forever. The weather wasn’t particularly good, but it was warm and we did so many activities that our little boy just fell asleep in our arms for a deep nap every afternoon.  As parents, to have the time to steal extra hugs (all day), actually sit and eat every meal together and see a constant smile beaming back at us, means everything.

It really brought home to me what taking time out really means, how important it is to interact with my family with my full and (miraculously) undivided attention. Although I feel guilty that it cannot be like this on a daily basis, I feel better that we have chosen to make most weekends or stolen afternoons count. Of course it helps living in Dullstroom with rolling countryside, outdoor activities on our doorstep and no traffic to contend with!

I guess this is why dreams of owning a second holiday home never really leave us.  We want to create sun-kissed memories with our loved ones enjoying simple pleasures together. We want to pass on old fashioned values to our children, and hope that we can engender healthy hobbies and pursuits such as fly-fishing or mountain biking rather than raising vitamin D deprived computer game experts. Somehow letting your blackberry out of your sight seems so much more acceptable when away in the middle of nowhere – its importance diminishing with every kilometre away from the ‘big smoke’.  Unfortunately, trying to create focused, genuine down time with our families can only be done properly when we get away from our everyday environment.

On the property side - it’s not only doom and gloom –  yes the market is down, but with it comes opportunity! Finally popular holiday destination towns are more affordable than ever with many highly valued properties now going for bargain prices.  If you take up the opportunity, when the market does turn (because it will – as property has proven over time) then you will have something extra to smile about. 

We at Zest Property Group wish you a fantastic New Year, may 2012 be all you wish it to be.