Glasgow Mummy

{11 Questions}

2012-02-18T21:06:00.001Z

I have been tagged by @scattymumofboys to complete the '11 Questions' meme that is currently doing the rounds :-)

Here are the rules:

You must post these rules *check*
Answer the questions the 'tagger' listed for you in their post and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
Choose 11 people to tag and link them to the post
Let each blogger know you've tagged them.

Here are the questions I've been set and my all important answers...

1. Do you use real names in your blog for the real-life people who feature?

Yes and no. My real name is indeed Sarah, but I've chosen not to use the names of my children and refer to them as son & daughter or toddler & baby. The other people I refer to occasionally, for example, my sister Alison and my friend Becky are real names too.

2. How long have you been blogging and why did you start your blog?

I started blogging in June 2011. My friend Becky had been blogging about her wedding planning and I thought it would be good to share some of the things that I've been learning on my journey through motherhood. There's a bit of parenting, shopping, DIY, fashion, art & craft... all the things that I love.

3. Facebook or Twitter?

Both. I use Twitter for blog-related goings on and general mummy stuff, whereas I use Facebook to keep up-to-date with close friends and family.

4. Real friends or Cyber friends?

Real.

5. Which is your favourite (or one of your favourite) blogs to read?

There are so many blogs that I dip in and out of when I get the chance. I love Florence Finds for fashion, PuglyPixel for design inspiration, Kate on Thin Ice for grooving mums challenges, Joy the Baker for food ideas and amazing photography....I could list loads and loads!

6. Have you ever had a celeb tweet you?

Lorraine Kelly... in reference to Raa Raa the Noisy Lion!

7. Peanut butter - smooth, crunchy or not at all?

Smooth

8. Tea, milk first or after tea bag?

After the tea bag please! Milk, no sugar :-)

9. What's your guilty pleasure as far as TV's concerned?

I've become obsessed with ER (as anyone who follows my Twitter feed will know!) but I'm not embarrassed by that fact. I'm embarrassed that I've still got 90 episodes in my Sky planner to get through... I just can't keep up!

10. When did you last laugh until you cried?

In January, when I was moving furniture with my sister at my house. It was like the Friends episode when Ross was moving his sofa...'Pivot'!

I did a bit more than cry though... those damn pelvic floor muscles just aren't working after having had 2 children!!!

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11. How many of my 11 bloggers do you think will actually get round to answering my 11 questions?

I'm going to take a wild guess here.... 9!!

Right, now it's my turn to write the questions and to tag some fellow bloggers (I totally won't be offended if you don't have the time to participate):

@Melaina25 / Transatlantic Blonde
@gemmadeeray / Storm in a K Cup
@MishMashMum / Mish Mash Mum
@mummy_plum / Mummy Plum
@theroomset / Making It As Mum
@SEccBla / Identity-Mummy
@haggismummy / WIPMum
@susankmann / Susan K Mann
@thelovebump / My Love Bumps
@mrsmcgregor23 / Mrs McGregor
@helloitsgemma / Helloitsgemma

Here are my 11 questions for you...

1. Have you ever been pulled over by the traffic police?
2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
3. What is your favourite flavour of crisps?
4. What's the last movie you watched?
5. What is your favourite thing to wear?
6. What does your last text message say?
7. What were you doing at 12 noon yesterday?
8. What is your most treasured memory?
9. What do you think is the single best decision you've made in your life so far?
10. Do you have a pet?
11. What is on your bedside table?

Ready, set... go!

{Listography - Mugs}

2012-02-12T20:58:00.000Z

I'm joining up this week with Kate Takes 5 for her Listography blog hop. I've only participated once before, but I saw a few people talking on Twitter about this week's topic and I thought I'd join in as it sounded right up my street as I was sure I had quite a few interesting mugs. How wrong was I - my mug collection is so dull!!

My favourite mug that I bought for myself in London a few years ago. And yes, it's true - I absolutely love spreadsheets!!

'Fabulous Pharmacist' mug

My mum bought me some mugs for me when I was a teenager (for my having friends over for coffee - I'm sure I was 16 or 17 at the time and still living at home, so I would have just used the mugs that were already in the house, but anyway...!). This is the only one that is left - I wish I had looked after them better.

This mug is massive, and it was a bargain from Country Baskets a wee while ago!

A perfect, classic white Denby mug... This was part of our wedding gift list and it reminds me of my perfect wedding day.

Seeing how my collection is totally boring... I thought I'd share a couple of mugs that I wish I owned:

If I do say so myself! {image source}

I bought these mugs for my friend Becky and do love them! {image source}

Yes, indeed I would!! {image source}

Someone at my work has this mug and I think it's rather amusing (people with PhD's are rather sad!!) {image source}

{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

2012-02-11T10:00:00.000Z

Pampering - I love having a facial and I've been really missing them since my therapist went on maternity leave. I've got cleanser, toner, exfoliant and moisturiser in the house and I've been trying to make more of an effort to look after my skin myself as I've noticed that the condition of my skin is worsening (might be stress though!). I've booked myself into my local hairdresser for a hair cut and colour at the start of next month and I'm very much looking forward to some me-time {image source}

Chocolate & Cake - I could eat chocolate all day long! I just love chocolate, and I love cake!! I would much rather have a piece of cake than a glass of wine. My son seems to inherited my love of cake and he is also obsessed, oh dear! {image source}

A moment to myself - I'm really starting to appreciate some quiet time to reflect on everything that's been happening lately. This is a photograph by my friend Becky... isn't it just so serene {image source}

{The Pinterest Challenge}

2012-02-10T20:14:00.000Z

I am so excited to be taking part in The Pinaddicts Challenge with Kerry, @thelovebump. Check out the rules here.

I was going to share the dress that I made for my daughter which some of you may have seen on my Twitter feed, but it wasn't from any of my Pinterest boards and I need a bit longer to do a tutorial for it... so watch this space.

In the meantime, I thought I would share two of the Valentine's craft projects I've done with my toddler.

The first is the Valentine's cards that we've made for his little chums.

I spotted on Pinterest that you could shape a toilet roll into a heart to make a heart stamp - what a novel idea!

Original from Pinterest {image source}

So my toddler and I set about making some Valentine's cards using this technique... Here he is in action!

Toddler, still in PJs! What a mess we made!!!

Our kitchen roll 'heart stamp' and heart stamp that I cut from an old sponge

The finished cards! Yay! (we added glitter heart stickers which I got from Baker Ross)

We've also made some little favour bags for his nursery friends which we filled with Starburst sweets and I made a personalised tag to seal the bag.

Original from Pinterest {image source}

And here's our version... I've blurred out my son's name which I put in the balloon shape and it reads "I'm bursting with happiness that you're my friend, Love XX" and on the reverse I put "Happy Valentine's Day". In retrospect I should have glued the tag but I was lazy and used my stapler which perhaps doesn't look as good.

You can follow me on Pinterest here.

{Reading List}

2012-02-10T15:48:00.003Z

This is a post for Kate on Thin Ice's Grooving Mums blog hop...

Like my good friend Becky, I do love to read. However with the kiddies, being back at work, my DIY efforts, running etc I rarely have time to finish a book (I will get around to reading the huge pile you let me borrow Becky... may just take me a while!). My favourite genre would have to be a tear-inducing autobiography or on the total opposite end of the scale - some chick lit!

I think you can learn a lot about a person by the book's they choose to read. Thankfully the checkout assistant at Waterstone's didn't comment when I purchased all of these (I may have burst into tears if she had!)... I'm not normally one for venturing into the self help aisle, but I thought I might get some words of wisdom from these novels:

'Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know' by Barbara de Angelis (a recommendation by Catherine, @theroomset over at Making It As Mum). I'm only on page 20, but I already love it.

'Eat Pray Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert

'You Can Heal Your Life' by Louise Hay (a recommendation by Kelly Menzies, Healing Mum)

'Just Get On With It' by Ali Campbell - the tagline for this book says it is a 'caring, compassionate kick up the ass!' Just what I need.

Lonely Planet's The Kindness of Strangers

I've also signed up for a Psychologies subscription using my Tesco clubcard vouchers.

What are you reading right now?

{Animated GIF}

2012-01-28T14:02:00.002Z

I am trying to make time to learn new skills, with particular reference to Photoshop, Illustrator and html.

I spotted a free tutorial by Pugly Pixel on creating animated gifs in Photoshop and I thought I would give it a bash. I'm being honest, this is a total copy of Katrina's design except I've changed the colours and the words. But it's my first attempt and I'm really pleased with it! Just thought I'd share here, plus it's a little plug for Kate's Grooving Mums blog hop. Check us out here :-)

{Fresh Start}

2012-01-26T12:41:00.000Z

Yes, it's definitely time for a fresh start Kate! Here's my Grooving Mums update for the week...

I was back at work this week and it actually went rather well. My in-laws took the children on Sunday night so on Monday morning I was free to get ready for work in peace & quiet. Tuesday was a different story, but I managed to get both kiddies organised and off to nursery and was in work for 8.30am! I even managed to put some meatballs and sauce into the slow cooker before I left!! How's that for Supermum, lol! (The meatballs were pre-made from the supermarket and the sauce was from a jar... but it was still nice to come home to a meal that was warm & ready to be eaten! The toddler was not impressed with it though and refused to eat them...nightmare!).

I didn't make it to my Pilates class last night due to lack of childcare but I'll just need to make sure I'm more organised for the future. I did go for a run on Sunday though (5 miles!) and I've got a session with my personal trainer this week too.

I've been doing some more painting and decorating at my house which I'm really enjoying. I'm finding it therapeutic. I've just painted my vestibule and I'll post some pictures when it's complete. It's amazing what a lick of paint can do!

And here are Kate's challenges for this week:

1. Body - This week, there is a campaign about eating a healthy breakfast for 5 days. http://shakeupyourwakeup.com/challenge. Give it a go and tell us how it goes.

My typical breakfast is muesli, and I do love it (Jordan's Nut & Seed if you're interested!). Now that I'm back at work though I'm finding that I'm grabbing something quick that I can then eat at my desk. However yesterday I picked up a porridge and hot chocolate from the cafeteria - it was yum! Porridge was healthy-ish (it was strawberry & cream flavour...prob not healthy at all!) and the hot chocolate most certainly was not healthy! I am going to be more organised next week and have healthy breakfasts again.

2. Mind – It is Chinese New Year and I have just opened my fortune cookie. What I want you to think and/or blog about is if you had a guarantee that the fortune in your cookie would come true in the next 12 months, what would you want it to say? You can do something down to earth, humorous or something obscure and Confuscious like. It is entirely up to you.

I love Pinterest for finding quotes, inspiration and words of wisdom, so from my 'Words' board here is what would be in my fortune cookie...

"If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place"

3. Spirit – Sticking with the Chinese New Year, what animal are you? If you don’t know, look it up for fun. Does the description of the animal you are ring true? Which animal would you like to be and why? You can find all the information you need here.

My Chinese Zodiac Sign is The Dog.

"While the Dog can be loyal, moralistic and affectionate, the negative aspects of the Dog's personality can be described as judgmental, cynical, quarrelsome and fretful."

Not sure if that rings true or not... I think I can relate to the positive characteristics but I wouldn't say I was judgmental and quarrelsome.

I think I'm more like The Pig... whose personality characteristics are patience, loyalty, sincerity, thoughtfulness and intellegence and negative traits being gullibility, materialism and naivete. Which is funny considering I also picked out Piglet from the Winnie the Pooh characters!!

4. Blogging – Have you heard the wonderful and rather exciting news? What do you mean “Yes, I have as Kate just won’t stop going on about it!” I am now a member of the Britmums team with a great initiative that will make a real difference too. Read all about it by clicking here.

Your blogging challenge this week is to join Britmums if you have not yet done so and then join the Charity Connections – Blogging It Forward group on there. Don’t just join but get involved in some of the already fascinating discussions taking place on there. Have your say at Britmums.

Very proud of your new role Kate - such great news, and yes... you have mentioned it a number of times now! I think I might be a member of Britmums but I'll double check and sign up if I"m not.

5. Special Days – As I have already mentioned special days in this post, my challenge to you is to make one day this week really special. How you do that is up to you. Will it be a day out? Some one-on-one time with your partner? You decide.

My dad's wife is coming to visit me this week and she's very kindly offered to show me how to make a dress for my daughter as she is a seamstress. She made some amazing quilts for my children - I'll take photos and post them soon. I think that will be my special day - I'll be able to properly check off the first of my 35 at 35 list.

6. The Big Question – This challenge is the one that is aimed at making you think deeply. Of course, the big questions come to me in all sorts of ways. This one came whilst watching Dancing On Ice on the telly because I am a very deep philosopher lol. Take it in whatever way you see fit. Let it mean what it means to you as an individual. So the question is, have you lost that loving feeling? Whether that is for yourself, your partner, your child, your job or whatever. Reflect on it in a way that is meaningful to you.

Yes, I've lost that loving feeling.... everything has been a bit crap and I need to learn to love myself again. At the moment my favourite place is tucked up in my new bed watching ER! Preferably with a hot cup of tea!! I guess that's maybe me avoiding people and places though.

Here are some of my positive thoughts from my Pinterest words board...

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So, until next week.... keep on grooving!

www.britmums.com

{Fabulous Finds: Valentine's Day Part II}

2012-01-22T10:00:00.000Z

I've found a whole host of other Valentine's Day ideas on Pinterest that I'd thought I'd share as a Fabulous Finds post and also Piquing My Pinterest with Tina Gray. You can find my other ideas that I previously posted here.

Love is a Battlefield!

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You make my heart bounce!

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I'm bursting with happiness that you're my friend

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I've got my eye on you!

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Of all the fish in the sea I'm glad we swim in the same school

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I'm wild about you / I'm bananas for you Valentine

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I'd snap at the chance to be your Valentine!

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Will you o'fish'ally be my Valentine?

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I've had my eye on you!

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Thumb-body loves you!

I Wheelie Like You!

I'm nuts about you!

Bear hugs

I'm going to pop a corny question... will you be my Valentine?

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You can follow me on Pinterest here.

{Grooving Mums}

2012-01-20T21:24:00.001Z

I'm a bit out of sync with my blog posts but I'm hoping to get into a routine again soon. This post is my weekly-ish update for Kate On Thin Ice's Grooving Mums blog hop.

I go back to work on Monday next week after 9 months of maternity leave. I'm not sure if I'm ready emotionally for it, but I need to get back into the swing of things and felt that it was the right thing to do. I'll be working part-time, three days a week, so I should have a good work-life balance.

I've been out for a run... just 3 miles... but it was a start at least and hopefully I'll get back on track in a few weeks in terms of my fitness level. We've already raised over £2000 on our Just Giving page and I'm sure that we'll reach our £3000 target. Friends and family have been so generous and I'm extremely grateful for that. I've kept up with my weekly Pilates class and I really enjoy it. I spend the class focusing on my breathing and it gives me an opportunity for quiet reflection.

Here are Kate's challenges or prompts for the week:

1. Body – How are you sleeping? Do you qualify as sleep-deprived? Are you a mum to a baby who just isn’t sleeping through yet? What toll is that taking? Do you have older children creeping into bed with you? What does your bed look like? Is it comfortable and supportive enough? Could you give your bed a makeover in some way perhaps with scented pillows or a colourful bedspread? Could you have a nap at some point in the day? How can you ensure you get better quality sleep?

This I have been working on! I have bought myself an amazing new bed. The divan & mattress (memory foam - it's so comfortable!) arrived on Monday and the headboard will follow shortly. I'll post a photograph once it's complete.

2. Mind – Our children have reward charts and get stickers when they do well? Could you play with this idea and create your own chart or adapt a child’s one? What are those things that you know you should do but don’t seem to get around to? How can you motivate yourself? In my continuous attempt to get mums to say good things about themselves, why not tell me what you deserve a reward for?

Like Gem over at Storm in a K Cup, I also have numerous lists ongoing in my iPhone. However, I do prefer the old fashioned writing it down because then you can see your progress as the items get crossed off. So I bought myself a 'To Do List' notepad for my Christmas stocking, but with all the upheaval recently I've misplaced it!! It's in a box somewhere and when I find it I'm going to start using it regularly to keep track. I'm thinking of creating some kind of check list for all my weekly tasks as I'm going to have to make sure I keep on top of things now that I'm back to work. First on the agenda is meal planning and making sure I do a regular weekly online food shop.

3. Spirit – Is the spirit willing? You can respond to this one in whatever way you see fit.

I've been doing some thinking about spirituality recently due to the group I've been attending with Kelly Menzies. We did a guided meditation at the group this week and my mind did wander a few times but generally I was able to focus on my breathing and managed to zone out for a bit. I've now got a few tracks on my iPhone and I'm going to listen to them when I can.

4. Blog – Have you attended a blogger event? Have you met any bloggers in the flesh? Would you like to do? Why is that? I am speaking at Britmums Live so I hope some of my lovely Groovy Mums will be there to hold my hand.

I've been to a small PR event at a local Mothercare and met a few bloggers in the flesh - it was great to actually meet the mums behind the blogs and put faces to names. Other than that I've not been to any other events.

5. It is the creator of Winnie the Pooh’s birthday this week. So, as a bit of fun, why not work out which Winnie the Pooh character you are most like and why? It might help you to discover what is great about you and also the things that you could usefully change.

I think I'm maybe a little like Piglet... "capable of showing braveness way beyond his diminutive frame of a timid pink pig". A number of people have commented and been amazed at my inner strength over the past few weeks. Plus, I'd like to think that I'm cute too!!

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6. The Big Question – How is your sex life? Oh, I know we are not supposed to talk about religion, sex and politics but you know me, I like breaking the rules. So how are things in the bedroom (or your venue of choice)? Has sex become a chore? Do you find it difficult to make time for sex? Are you too exhausted for sex? Have you managed to spice up your love-life? Be brave and reveal all on your blog or just do some quiet reflecting on this issue.

I'm going to politely ignore this question due to the recent ongoings!!

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{What I Wore #11}

2012-01-18T14:50:00.000Z

So, as some of you are already aware - it was my 30th birthday on Saturday.... I'm officially in my thirties - yikes!

I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde to share an outfit for the weekly What I Wore Wednesday linky, and I'm going to share my outfit from Saturday night.

Glasses - from Papyrus and part of my gift from my fab friend Claire

Sequin dress - from House of Fraser and was a present from my sister, @the_grey_house

Tights - M&S

I had my hair and make-up done at a local salon and that really did make the outfit complete.

Check out all the other bloggers that have joined in here.

{My New Groove}

2012-01-11T18:58:00.003Z

That's right, Im linking up again with Kate on Thin Ice for her #groovymums blog hop. Check us out here and find out what we're all about...

I had hoped to go for a run yesterday, but I ended up not having enough time (probably an excuse... I should have just made the time!) and I had thought I would go today, but I've been lazy. I am however going to my Pilates class tonight so at least I've done a little bit of exercise!

Healthy eating-wise I've not been great. I've been eating too many processed foods and not enough fruit & veg. I'm working on that though and I'm sat here munching my way through a fruit salad (pre-packed, but it's a start!).

I'm 30 at the weekend so I have a big night out planned with my girlfriends... dinner, cocktails and dancing! Despite the rubbish time I've been having of late, I will go out and do the best I can to enjoy myself. I can't remember the last time I let my hair down and went dancing (possibly 2 years ago...yikes!!).

I've posted my 35 at 35 list... I'm now committed to achieving all 35 things and I've already started one of them which is redecorating my bedroom.

Thinking a bit more about Kate's challenges from last week, we spoke at my support group last night about negative thinking and how to make changes. I've got some 'homework' that I'm going to do tomorrow - it's a video that I'm going to watch on my phone whilst at the hairdresser tomorrow... It's called You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay and you can watch the documentary here - it might be of interest to some of the other #groovymums out there.

Here are Kate's prompts for this week...

1. Body – Lotions and Potions. What is in your bathroom of the creams and pampering products variety. Nothing. The same old thing or something new? Is it time for a lotions and potions revival?

2. Mind – What are the very best things about you? Try and write down 5 of them. Now stop putting yourself down and beating yourself up. What is brilliant about you? You are reading this for a start but there is so much more to you. Why not let the world see it a bit more? How could you achieve that?

3. It is World Religion Day this week. Has religion featured in your life and if so, how? Have you left it behind? Does it interest you? What can you tell us about your own religious beliefs? Does religion cause more harm than good? Let us know what you think.

4. Blogging – what good could you do with your blog? That’s a really open question so you have plenty of scope to answer it in a way that makes sense to you.

5. Big Question – who can you ask to help you? Who can you delegate some of your tasks to?

Catch up with me next week to see how I got on...

{35 at 35 list}

2012-01-11T13:33:00.001Z

I decided that I wanted to create some goals to work towards over the next 5 years, and so I've come up with my very own 35 at 35 list. I was prompted by my friend Becky's life list but instead of a Bucket List I wanted to be a bit stricter on the timeline so I'm giving myself 5 years...

After a bit of googling it would seem that this is a fairly common thing to do, and Catherine at Making It As a Mum suggested I look at the Day Zero project too which is a site hosting lists of 101 things you want to do in the next 1001 days. They also have a new project called '7 things x 2012' and it's seven prompts for achievements for the new year. Something to have a look at if you fancy making a list yourself.

Some of my items are very achievable, and others less so. This probably ties in with Kate's #groovymums posts and as I work my way through my list I'm hoping that I'll find myself and get my groove back!

So, without further ado (drum roll please...!!), here is my list:

1. Redecorate my bedroom

2. Go on a picnic

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3. Do something thoughtful for a friend

4. Be a tourist for a day in Glasgow

5. Skydive

I'd love to do something crazy for charity. I had thought I would do something to mark the 10 year anniversary of my mum passing, but I wasn't organised enough.

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6. Learn how to use a power drill properly and improve my DIY skills

7. Practice painting my nails and keep them looking nice for at least a month

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8. Learn how to decorate biscuits properly

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9. Take an advanced driving course

I'm terrified of driving in the ice and snow. I know that I wouldn't cope well if my car started to skid and I am terrified of something happening to me and the kiddies. I'm thinking that an advanced driving course will improve my confidence.

10. Make an amazing birthday cake for my kiddies

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11. Go on a holiday alone

12. Spend an afternoon in front of a log fire

13. Wine tasting

I love a glass of wine... but I don't really know anything about wine, just that it gets me drunk!

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14. Pay off my student loan and be debt free

15. Sew a dress for my daughter

My mum made clothes for me and my sister when we were little and I would love to do the same for my daughter.

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16. Own a designer handbag

17. Have a family portrait session

18. Volunteer for a charity

19. Talk to somebody famous

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20. Eat at The Kitchen, Edinburgh

21. Host an afternoon tea party

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22. Have dinner at Martin Wishart Restaurant, Edinburgh

23. Visit Japan

24. Visit Australia

25. Take a pottery class

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26. Learn about html

27. Do a night class in digital design or something similar

28. Run a marathon

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29. Take the kiddies to Disneyland

30. Move house

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31. Be comfortable and confident with my appearance

32. Be a model for a day

When I was at primary school we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I had said that I wanted to be a model and I was laughed at. That has stuck with me all this time and I would love to be a model, just for a day.

33. Be genuinely happy

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34. Fall in love again

35. Forgive

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{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

2012-01-11T11:57:00.001Z

It's my birthday on Saturday.... the big 3 0 !!!

I'm having a group of my girlfriends to my house for some nail painting & drinks whilst we get ready for the night ahead, then we're off into town for cocktails followed by dinner, and then probably more cocktails and perhaps some dancing. Under the circumstances, I didn't really want to go out and had planned to just have some cocktails in the house but a few friends have said I'll regret it if I don't celebrate my thirtieth properly so we're now going out! My sister, @the_grey_house, has sent me a gorgeous dress in the post with some matching nail polish so I'm all set! (I have to say I'm yet to try the dress on, but I'm sure it will be perfect!).

So here's what I'm loving right now...

Black sequin dress... this isn't my new dress but it's very similar, but I'm sure I'll post a photograph from our celebrations for my next 'What I Wore Wednesday' entry. My sister is extremely thoughtful and it was so lovely to receive such a nice gift in the post {image source}

Me-time... I'm getting my hair done tomorrow at a local salon and then on Saturday I'm going to spend the day getting ready for my night out. The kiddies are going with their daddy for the afternoon & staying overnight at granny & grandpa's so I'll be able to have a relaxing bath without interruptions!! I normally get 2 minutes in the shower if I'm lucky!!! {image source}

Friends... 14 of my close friends are coming along and I'm looking forward to catching up properly with them all {image source}

Mojitos... my current favourite cocktail is a raspberry mojito and I even got a little pouch of syrup in my Christmas stocking for making raspberry mojitos at home! {image source}

{New Year, New Me}

2012-01-09T22:38:00.002Z

I'm finally linking up again with Kate on Thin Ice for her Grooving Mums blog hop. Please do join us... have a look at Kate's blog here where she's written a little bit about the 'rules' - don't worry, they aren't strict!!

As Christmases go, mine was pretty s**t. Briefly, I found out my husband was having an affair and I started 2012 as a single parent. I did post a piece detailing a little bit more about it and how I found out etc etc, but I've since deleted it on the advice of a friend as I don't want to jeopardise my position (not that I see things getting nasty and I didn't do anything illegal or anything, but you can never tell and at the moment I don't trust anyone!).

Here are Kate's challenges for the week:

1. Did you over-indulge over the festive season? What can you do to prepare for the life-changing journey ahead in terms of improving your health?

2. What do you need to change your mind about? Have you written yourself off in some way? How can you shift negative thinking patterns?

3. This week, Christians celebrate the Epiphany. Here is one dictionary definition for the word epiphany “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” What does this mean to you?

4. Are you aware of all the blogging networks you can get involved with? Is it worth you checking them out and promoting your efforts to sparkle to a wider audience?

Yes, I have overindulged this festive period! I've not been exercising, I've been eating far too many cakes and not enough fruit & vegetables, I've had the occasional glass of wine (I stopped drinking in June and hadn't touched a drop until December!) and with all the emotional stuff too I'm feeling bleugh!!! I plan to go for my first run of the year tomorrow... I'm doing the Edinburgh Half Marathon in May so I need to step up my training. I'm running for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of my mum who died of ovarian cancer 10 years ago. We've set up a Just Giving fundraising page if anyone would like to make a donation (no pressure, but thought I'd mention it just in case).

Despite all the negative things that have happened this past month, I am still making positive steps and looking at changing my mindset and way of thinking. I had started a support group with Kelly Menzies just before Christmas and I'm looking forward to the group starting up again this week. Kelly's enthusiasm is infectious and her aim is to help support mums through change.

I've decided it was time for a fresh start and I've bought new underwear, pyjamas, bed linen, duvet & pillows, a new bed (should arrive on Wednesday this week!) and I've also painted my bedroom with the help of my little sister, @the_grey_house. What colour did I paint it I hear you ask.... grey of course!!

I'm also in the process of compiling a 35 at 35 list (I'm 30 next week, so a 30 at 30 list was not going to work!!) and hopefully this is a list of goals that I can realistically achieve over the next 5 years. Some of them are simple, and I've already started one of them (redecorate my bedroom) and others are longer term (be genuinely happy; be comfortable & confident with my appearance...). I'll post the full list on my blog once I get it finished. I've just got 27 items just now so need to get my thinking cap on for the final 8!

I'm not clued up on all the blogging networks that are around... I'm sure I've signed up for a few but I'm going to try and make the effort to participate more.

That's all for now... time for me to get to bed! It's been a long and emotional week.

Night all.... keep on grooving!!

{Fabulous Finds: Valentine's Day}

2012-01-09T13:09:00.001Z

I'm linking up with Tina Gray for her Piquing my Pinterest blog hop but thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and make this a Glasgow Mummy's Fabulous Finds post too :-)

Here are some ideas I've come up with for Valentine's Day cards and gifts for my toddler to give to his nursery chums! We did wooden hearts last year that had the recipients name on and I ordered these from a girl on FaceBook but this year I want to make something myself. So far I'm undecided as to which idea to choose....

{image source}

Check out the other bloggers posts over at TinaGray{dot}me here.

{What I Wore #10 - PJs!!}

2012-01-04T12:58:00.002Z

With everything that's been happening with me lately, I thought it was time for a fresh start and so I bought myself a brand new bed, new duvet, new bed linen, new pyjamas and underwear (no more photos of me in my pants though... lol!!).

Here I am in my new pyjamas from good old Marks and Spencers (in the sale too - bonus!).

Charcoal grey jersey nightdress - M&S

Black thermal leggings - M&S

Glasses - Dior

Here's my fab new plum bed linen - again, from M&S!

(Bed is for sale by the way if anyone is interested!!)

{Fabulous Finds: Not On The High Street}

2012-01-01T20:31:00.002Z

I've previously mentioned my gift drawer, and it's now getting a little empty so I thought I would get a few bits and pieces in the sales.

I love notonthehighstreet.com and buy a lot of gifts and things for our home from this site. I also try to find cards and presents that are unique and this is typically one of my first stops. This perhaps isn't so much of a fabulous find, as I'm sure that lots of you are aware of notonthehighstreet.com, but hopefully this will flag up some of the sellers that you may have overlooked or some other ideas that you may like.

I normally design and print my own thank you cards for the kids at Christmas, but this year I've chosen some by Pear-Derbyshire and they are so cute... a design with two little reindeer! Hopefully they'll arrive soon and I can start the task of writing them all!

Reindeer thank you notecards

I've also bought this gorgeous necklace by Tales From The Earth for my daughter's first birthday in April this year. His arms and legs are jointed and he really is such a cute little bear. I think he'll make a perfect keepsake and was reduced from £50 to £25 in their sale... bonus!

Silver Teddy Necklace

I also stocked up on some notecard sets from notonthehighstreet.com for my gift drawer, including this stamper cards giftbox by lollipop designs. I think it will make a perfect gift, that's if I don't use them first! Again, these are reduced in the sale by 50% from £12.50 to £6.25. There are a few other designs too: dragonfly (for you Becky!!), owl, butterfly, daisy and pigeon.

Stamper cards giftbox: bird

Another set of notecards I purchased were these little cakes cards by Rosalind Howard Bespoke Stationery. They are 25% off taking them from £5.25 to £3.94 for a pack of 8 cards.

Little Cakes note cards

The last item in my order was a reward chart for my son, who is nearly 2 and a half years old. He loves stickers, so I thought this would be a good idea to encourage good behaviour. There is space for 4 tasks each week with a reward (I was thinking extra story at bedtime, or trip to the park). Watch this space and see how I get on... I'm not sure if he's may be a little too young for this but I will give it a go. I'm keen to praise the good behaviour and try to ignore the bad rather than start using naughty steps etc. But this may all change!!

Reward Chart by YoYo-Me (this is the girls version)

What websites do you use for gifts and have you found any bargains in the Christmas sales?

{Broken, Part II}

2011-12-31T16:03:00.000Z

In August I confronted him, but he denied it.

I knew he was lying... but I didn't have any evidence.

On 23rd of December, 2011 - I knew for sure.

On 28th of December, 2011 - I told him I knew.

On 29th of December, 2011 - I asked him to leave.

I'm starting 2012 as a single parent and there is a lot of change ahead. I'm excited, nervous, worried, scared... but I know I am stronger now and I can do this.

{Broken}

2011-12-29T20:07:00.002Z

The past few months have been really difficult. I'm not ready to blog about it yet, but I wanted to share these words with you... Please bear with me as I get my head together.

{image source}

{Fabulous Finds: Christmas Traditions}

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000Z

'The Christmas Express'

I stumbled across this idea on Pinterest yesterday and I really wanted to share it with you before Christmas Day. I think my kiddies are too young to appreciate this just now, but I think it's such a great idea and I definitely want to make this a new Christmas tradition for next year.

Erica over at Confessions of a Home Schooler shared a fantastic idea for a Christmas adventure and I think it would be perfect to do this week in the run up to Christmas Day.

Here's the gist... print the golden 'Christmas Express' ticket that Erica has kindly shared. Hide said ticket in kiddies bed and continue with bedtime routine as normal.

Whilst this is going on, prepare some snacks and drinks for the journey (Erica's suggestion is popcorn and hot chocolate - yum!) and put them in the car and get the Christmas tunes playing on the car stereo. When your children pull pack the covers to climb into bed they will find their special ticket. Tell them to get their slippers, dressing gowns (and any other extra layers - this is Scotland after all!!) and head to the car.

When they get to the car, punch the ticket (think that's such a fab idea Erica - love it!) and then proceed to take them on a magical journey round your city looking at all the sparkly Christmas lights. Don't forget to stop somewhere for your snack too.

What Christmas traditions do you have in the week leading up to Christmas Day?

{Piquing my Pinterest: Gift Wrap}

2011-12-20T17:48:00.000Z

I'm linking up again with Tina Gray for her Piquing my Pinterest blog hop. I'm a bit late at joining in this week, been rather busy in the lead up to Christmas. Anyway, all my gifts are now wrapped, but for those of you that are yet to wrap your presents (or if you haven't even started your shopping yet!) here are some ideas I pinned for gift wrapping:

{image source}

{Merry Christmas}

2011-12-20T13:10:00.002Z

I've been so busy lately with the run up to Christmas that I haven't had much free time for blogging. Coupled with the fact that my toddler has now decided that he doesn't need a daytime sleep, or if he does sleep it's normally much later in the afternoon once the baby is awake... meaning that I don't get any kiddie-free time until they are in bed at night whereas before I would get 2 hours to myself each day!

Anyway, thought I would do a quick post to share some of the photographs from my Christmas card this year seeing as they have all been posted now... I love my son's '75% elf' t-shirt which I bought last year from www.notonthehighstreet.com. I bought the Photoshop template for the card from Vol 25.

{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

2011-12-17T13:48:00.003Z

ER & Grey's Anatomy - I've never watched these series prior to now (I saw some of ER, but not much) so I'm watching them from the start on Sky Atlantic and Really. I have 52 episodes of ER in my planner to catch up on... don't have a clue when I'm going to have the time, but I best get a move on as they are taking up valuable memory on our Sky+ box and don't think the hubby is best pleased!!

Sleep - my daughter who is now 7.5 months old is teething and has been waking during the night. I had to have an afternoon nap the other day as I was so exhausted! I absolutely love my bed

A nice hot cup of tea - you can't beat a good cuppa!

I've also just come across the following website, Just Little Things and it's basically a list of all the little things we should appreciate. There were a few I could relate to in just the couple of pages I looked at...

My Christmas shopping is finally done and all my items I ordered online have arrived - yay!

I don't normally wear lipstick but I put some on the other day and it totally reminded me of my mum.

I popped into my local salon for my Christmas hair cut & colour and just love getting my hair washed by someone else... bliss!!!

What are you loving right now?

{What I Wore Wednesday #9}

2011-12-14T11:27:00.001Z

Linking up again this week with Transatlantic Blonde for her What I Wore Wednesday blog hop.

Similarly to Transatlantic Blonde who is sporting a fab holiday sequin jumper, I am in my Christmas jumper. Big thank you to my good friend @OliveDragonfly... this is a jumper from New Look which she got last Christmas and has passed it very kindly onto me, and I love it.

Worn with my skinny jeans from Next :-)

{Fabulous Finds: Glasgow Southside Gift Shops}

2011-12-12T15:11:00.000Z

Not sure how many of my readers are local to Glasgow, but I thought I'd share some of the shops that I go to when I'm looking for a unique gift as some of them also offer online shopping. If I'm not shopping online, then I do try to shop local and visit the little businesses that are in my area. I tend to pop to these shops every so often and top up my gift drawer (I have a chest of drawers in my guest bedroom that has gift bags, greetings cards, gift wrap, ribbons and gifts) so that I've always got a few bits & pieces for birthdays, new babies etc and then come Christmas-time I revisit my drawer and assign gifts to people - it means that I tend to not have to buy much in the way of Christmas shopping.

Here's my list of fab little gift shops, in no particular order:

Velvet Moon

My neighbour recently opened a card & gift shop called Velvet Moon in Charing Cross and she has some lovely items... I bought a few Jelly Cat toys for my son & daughter's Christmas and a gorgeous glass heart jar for my sister's birthday. (Velvet Moon isn't in the Southside but I thought I'd add it to my list seeing as it's my neighbour's shop and she lives in the Southside!)

Velvet Moon, St George's Road, Glasgow

Annie's Shop

I found Annie's by chance as I was driving along one day and made the effort to go back for a browse and I wasn't disappointed. I've since been back a few times and just love everything! You can find Annie's at 521 Clarkston Road opposite Sainsbury's, and soon you will be able to shop online too.

Annie's, Clarkston Road, Glasgow

Annie's

Gifted

I bought my son a fab 'Ladies Man' t-shirt by Cabbie Kids from Gifted in Clarkston a wee while ago, and you can also shop online with free delivery over £50.

Cabbie Kids Clothing

Nuala Ashe

There are two Nuala Ashe shops, one in Shawlands and the other in Clarkston. Both are brilliant and have a huge selection of beautiful gifts and cards.

Nuala Ashe, Shawlands

Bumblebee @ Paul Hodgkiss Designs

I've only been to this shop on Clarkston Road once after finding them at the Country Living Christmas Fair at the SECC. I bought some very cute robin decorations from them as well as some other gifts and bits and pieces.

Festive robins from Bumblebee

Marie Brown at Home

I love Marie Brown at Home and this is where I bought my True Grace Library candle. I try and stop by the shop whenever I'm in the area. They've always got amazing gifts for the home and also have some cards, jewellery and gifts for little ones. It's also where I bought my cute little truffle stand and glass domes.

Marie Brown at Home, Kildrostan Street, Pollokshields

House for an Art Lover Shop

The cafe here at the House for an Art Lover is fantastic and I've been a couple of times with friends for lunch. It's also right next door to the shop where there is a great selection of gifts. It's a bit of a squeeze in the shop and not ideal for with a pram, but it's definitely worth a visit (you can also shop online!).

House for an Art Lover cafe, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow

Paper Plane

Paper Plane is a little gift shop on Skirving Street in Shawlands with lots of toys, books, cards, wrapping paper and nice toiletries. Definitely worth a visit if you're nearby.

Paper Plane

Butterfly Kisses

I used to visit Butterfly Kisses in Shawlands a lot, but I've not been for a while. Anyway, they are right next door to Paper Plane (there is a door inside that joins them) and have a nice selection of housey gifts and they also have a range of clothing for kiddies and womenswear too.

Why not pop over the road to Biscuit whilst you are there for a coffee and cake :-)

Butterfly Kisses, Shawlands

Pink Wafer

I've been to this little gift shop once and bought a baby book for my sister-in-law. It was somewhere I'd passed in the car and decided to go back to for a proper browse when I got the chance. I've not been back since, but it is possible to shop online with Pink Wafer too.

Pink Wafer, Battlefield Road, Glasgow

My sister lives in Aberdeen (where I'm from originally) and whenever I go to visit there are a few shops in Aberdeen I like to pop into so I'll try to share these in another post soon.

As always, do let me know what you think. Where do you get your gifts from?

{Piquing my Pinterest: Christmas Card Displays}

2011-12-11T10:30:00.000Z

This week I'm sharing some ideas for displaying Christmas cards. I tend to stick mine to the kitchen cupboards with Blu-Tack, but I thought I'd try to make more of an effort this year and do something a bit more creative.

{Image Source}

You can follow my Christmas board on Pinterest here.

{Free Christmas Printable Poster}

2011-12-10T14:42:00.001Z

Don't you just love Christmas? For a while I didn't - it was all a bit upsetting with my mum not being there - but now I adore the festive season... even more so now I have my own children.

I've got our house decorated, and sadly enough I theme my rooms (I know, I just can't help myself!). So my hallway is 'winter wonderland' and it's full of silver, glitter, snowflakes and snowmen.

Here are some photos of my hallway...

This year I decided to create a couple of posters to replace my usual prints that are in the hallway and I thought I would share them with you. They are 8" x 10" files that you can print... They're in blue (to match my 'winter wonderland' theme you see!)...

You can download the files here and here.

Let me know how you get on.

{Grooving Mums}

2011-12-08T13:36:00.001Z

Here I am linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her grooving mums blog hop. I'm a bit slow at joining in this week - I'm normally very organised and get my post published on a Tuesday as soon as the link goes live. However, my me-time during the day is now limited as my toddler has decided that he no longer wants his afternoon snooze... he still needs it, and sometimes I'll get him to take it, but other times he's so adamant that he's not sleeping that I just have to go with it. I also feel bad as I've not been commenting on the other #groovingmums blogs, so I apologise and hopefully will catch up soon.

I've been a bit rubbish again this week with the challenges, but one thing I have done is contact my gastroenterologist about my Crohn's Disease and he's not concerned about my symptoms as my blood results and other tests came back ok. That's something I can at least put a tick against...

I did revisit one of the previous challenges 'winter warmth' and treated myself to some cosy ear muffs today from a local gift shop. I'll post a photo soon of them.

Here are the festive challenges set by Kate this week:

1. Get some catalogues and look online and in the shops to identify something for your body that you would like for Christmas. Then tell us all about it.
2. Can you do the same for your mind? Perhaps a book or film on a topic that you would like to explore further. Again, please share your ideas with us.
3. Light a candle. If you are up for meditation, try that. If not just enjoy the sight of it or buy one of those lovely scented ones to lift the spirits.
4. Make a change to your blog. Add an image or a badge (The Grooving Mums one is very lovely, hint). Add a disclosure policy if you are interested in reviewing product samples. Give some real thought to what you want your blog to do for you in the New Year.

Come back next week and hopefully I'll have achieved something off this list!

This past week I've been ill... I could hardly talk at the weekend due to sore throat and cold and so I had to skip running club and Pilates class which I was rather disappointed about. The weather has also been rubbish - wind, rain and even snow! So I've not been out as much and I think that's having an impact on my mood.

I did have a session with my personal trainer last night which I managed to go along to and - despite the mince pies and ice-cream that I indulged in over the weekend and the limited exercise - I've only put on 1lb and my body fat % has crept up just 0.8% - phew! I'll get back on track this week as I would hate for the weight to creep up each week and for me to end up where I started.

I've got our Christmas tree up and decorated the house, so I'm starting to feel very festive and my son is very excited about Santa and is thoroughly enjoying his advent calendar each day! My dad's wife made my son and daughter a calendar each and in the little pockets I put some chocolate santa's, coins etc.

I treated myself to a scented candle recently... it's very expensive for what it is and I wouldn't usually indulge this much money for a candle... but seeing as it's Christmas as we don't have a real tree or a log fire I thought I would get a candle that incorporated the essence of these things. It's called Library and is from True Grace and it is described as "a smoky blend of wood, amber and moss to recreate the sensation of walking into an old library". Funnily enough it reminds me a little of the strange scents from the Jorvik Viking Centre from when I was a small child - I've nice memories of our family trips there (I've just had a look at their website, and the tour takes you inside the home of an amber worker, so perhaps it's the amber!). Anyway, I digress... it's a lovely scent and I'm going to go and light it now and watch my twinkly fairy lights for a few minutes and relax (I finally got my son into his bed!!). That will at least tick off challenge #3 for this week :-)

{Reindeer Cookies - Done!}

2011-12-08T13:12:00.001Z

I had decided a wee while ago that I'd make some reindeer cookies for my son to take for his friends at nursery as a little Christmas treat.

Today we did a trial run of the biscuits and had great fun.

I used a recipe for Sugar Cookies from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (thanks Kath for the tip!) and I managed to find the instructions online here.

Preheat oven to 170 deg C.

Put 200g unsalted butter (I used Lurpak spreadable), 280g caster sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixer (I used my Magimix) and cream until light and fluffy. Add one egg (I used a large egg as the recipe I had didn't state what size to use) and mix again, making sure to scrap down the sides of the mixer bowl a few times.

Add 400g plain flour, pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and mix again, but don't overmix. The dough should be light, soft and easy to handle.

Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin.

Cut out shapes of your choice... we used a heart cutter as it was the closest thing I had to the shape of a reindeer head!

Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. I added pretzels for antlers and raisins for eyes.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes in your preheated oven until the cookies are very light golden on the outer edge but paler in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool (I don't have a wire baking rack yet, but it's on my Christmas list!).

I then added some red icing (from a tube at the supermarket) and stuck onto this a red sugar pearls which I had in my baking supplies. This became Rudolf's red nose. I also added a dot of white to the raisin to make the eye look a bit better (not sure it worked, but it was the best I could do with my limited baking stuff!).

End result - some delicious biscuits* that hopefully look like little Rudolph's.

I've not attempted to package any yet in their individual little bags - hubby is going to take these ones to his work tomorrow and in a week or so we'll do the proper batch for taking into nursery.

*In my opinion they were very yummy... I've had 3 already with a nice hot mug of tea!!

{What I Wore Wednesday #8}

2011-12-07T12:35:00.001Z

I'm linking up again this week with Transatlantic Blonde for her fashion blog hop, What I Wore Wednesday. Click on the picture above to find out more and join in.
So here I am, again another outfit from my personal shopping trip...(please excuse all the mess in my bedroom!!)

Embellished top from Warehouse (the shoulders are beaded...)Pencil skirt from Mint VelvetTights from M&S (100 denier)Glasses by Dior
I wore this outfit with my leopard print ankle boots from Boden:

{Ooh! That's Pinteresting! Kiddie Christmas Craft Ideas}

2011-12-04T10:30:00.000Z

I'm linking up again this week with Tina Gray for her Ooh! That's Pinteresting! blog hop.

Last week I shared some Christmas craft ideas for the grown ups, and here are some craft ideas for the little ones.

Potato stamping {image source}

Santa handprint {image source}

Cotton wool snowmen {image source}

Toilet roll characters {image source}

Paper ornaments {image source}

Christmas trees {image source}

{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

2011-12-03T13:57:00.001Z

Elf on the Shelf - I stumbled across this American Christmas tradition on Pinterest and I straight away purchased a cheeky little elf from Amazon for my little ones. I think it's such a great idea and I'm hoping it becomes an annual family tradition for us each festive season {image source}

The Curiosity Project - I received my Curiosity Box on the 1st of December and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside... it was so nice to receive a box of treats from a stranger. I'm yet to post my box but I'm nearly ready and will be shipping it to a lucky curious person this week :-) {image source}

Mince pies - another reason I love Christmas!! I have had 10, yes you read correctly...ten, mince pies in the last 2 days. Oh dear! Not great for the healthy eating but boy did I enjoy them all!! {image source}

Snail Mail - Sort of related to both the Curiosity Project and Christmas... I love sending and receiving mail the old fashioned way! This time of year is great as I've got my Christmas cards to send out (we do a photo card each year of the little ones, this is my first year with two to photograph!) and lots of gifts to post around the world {image source}

Interiors - I'm really enjoying the painting and decorating that I've been doing and the transformations that are slowly taking place. The other day I bought this mirror online for my dining room and managed to save a lot of money by shopping around. I had spotted it in a local interior design shop and decided to see if I could find it online and I did. The first online retailer was £60 cheaper and then I stumbled across another supplier who had it in stock at £160 cheaper! {image source}

Fairy lights - I can't wait to get our Christmas tree up and start decorating. We plan to do this tomorrow and I'm already uber excited! I just adore fairy lights and the magical atmosphere they create. I've got lights for most rooms in the house!! {image source}

Pyjamas - I've been on the hunt for the perfect pair... comfortable but not frumpy, stylish but still cosy, long enough in the leg... I'm yet to find them but I do rather like this pair from Idlewild - I'll stick them onto my Christmas wish list {image source}

{Fabulous Finds: Christmas Gifts for Toddler's Friends}

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000Z

Can you believe it's the 1st of December already!!!

For Halloween this year I made some spider chocolate lollipops for my son to give all his friends at nursery. I've been looking for something similar for Christmas, but I was wanting to try and find something that he could actually help me with as the spiders were a bit tricky for a 2 year old!

Kat over at The Organised Housewife recently shared a few ideas and I've found a few more too.

I think I'm going to make something similar to these cookies, but I think I'll bag them up individually with a little note from my little ones. I've also made some Moo stickers saying "love from {name} & {name} xx" which I might use to seal the bags. I'll probably do a trial run in the next week, so watch this space for more details. First I need to find a recipe that will be suitable.

{image source}

I might also buy a suitable cookie cutter to make the shape of the reindeer face, like this set from Amazon, but I'd still stick the pretzels over where the antlers would be.

Cookie Cutters from Amazon

Here are some of the other ideas I've found...

Reindeer Lollipops {image source}

Reindeer Cupcakes {image source}

Reindeer Noses {image source}

Popcorn and M&Ms {image source}

Chocolate Marshmallows {image source}

Gingerbread cupcakes {image source} - I think it's Organix that do mini gingerbread men and I have some Monin gingerbread syrup for flavouring the frosting

I had also previously shared a few ideas I had found, such as the snowman tic tac holders, but they wouldn't be suitable for nursery age kiddies.

As always, I'd love to know what you think of the ideas I've found. Do you have anything planned for your little ones to give their nursery or school friends?

{What I Wore Wednesday #7}

2011-11-30T10:51:00.001Z

I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde for her What I Wore Wednesday blog hop.

And here I am... this is my outfit from yesterday. I don't normally wear high heels when I'm having to deal with the little ones, but my toddler was in nursery so I thought on this occasion I would as it was only the baby I'd be chasing after, and she doesn't get very far at the moment! Again, I'm wearing one of the outfits that I bought on my personal shopping trip.

Glasses by Dior

Jumper from Mint Velvet

Skinny Jeans from Next

Brown Knee High Boots from Next

{Bit of a Failure}

2011-11-30T08:47:00.001Z

This week has been a bit of a failure for #groovingmums with Kate on Thin Ice. I've not had the time to attempt the challenges which I'm slightly annoyed at. I can't believe that tomorrow is December already.... where has the time gone!?

Despite not doing the challenges, I have been busy (when am I not?!).

The DIY is still ongoing. I will finish it in time for Christmas! I've picked up some new bathroom fittings from the supermarket (I had looked on eBay for a bargain to allow me to join in with Magpie Monday but couldn't find anything I liked).

I had also planned a trip to the local charity shops but the weather has been so miserable that I've not wanted to go! I'm taking part in the Christmas Curiosity Project so I need to get going and get my box posted - I've been collecting bits and pieces for the curious person I've been assigned and had hoped to get a few more things from the charity shop. (Bit annoyed as I can't find one of the things I had already looked out, so I'll need to do some searching today in the house to find it again - my son has probably moved it!!). I'm so excited about receiving my box :-)

I went to running club and this week I ran 8.66 miles.... in the wind & rain too! I was also at my weekly Pilates class.

I had a weigh in with my personal trainer and my body fat percentage is now down to 25%!!!!! It was 39% when I started, so I'm giving myself a big pat on the back. Go me!

I've also had a couple of successes in terms of my blogging.... I was mentioned in the Scottish Roundup, the best of Scottish blogging every week, and I also had an excerpt of my blog about #groovingmums published on the Love New Blogs weekly showcase. Yay!

Here are this week’s prompts or challenges if you will.
1. How is your health? Is there a niggling problem that you are avoiding bringing to the attention of your GP? Are you up to date with your smear test and other matters? How can you ensure that you are in tip-top form before the stress of Christmas hits?
2. What does the concept of freedom mean to you? Do you have enough or do you sometimes feel hemmed in with your various responsiblities? When are you cut a bit of slack by your family, friends and colleagues?
3. Laughter Therapy – Can you do something this week that will make you laugh out loud? Perhaps see a funny film, write an amusing blog post or visit a comedy show? Maybe just share a joke with us.
4. Blog Hopping – One good way to make new blogger contacts is via blog hopping. How about taking part in one of the Britmums prompts this week? One is related to the festive season and one is about blogging in the New Year. Visit the Britmums site for more details. http://www.britmumsblog.com/2011/11/britmums-blog-prompt-christmas-wishes/

I have already e-mailed my gastroenterology consultant to arrange an appointment. My Crohn's symptoms seem to be getting a little worse and I want to get this under control before returning to work in January... I'm thinking of asking the in-laws to take the kiddies so I can have a day to myself to relax, have a nice lunch in local cafe, browse the local shops etc and have some precious me-time as there won't be much of it once I get back to work!

{Fabulous Finds: Blogging Resources}

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000Z

I thought I would share with you some of the fabulous websites I've found for blogging resources. I love Photoshop, Illustrator (still a beginner) and all things digital design. I'm hoping to spend a bit more time styling my blog posts as it's one of the things I really enjoy about having my own blog - making it all look pretty and nice.

First up is Shabby Blogs. This is where I found the banner that I use for my blog - all I had to do was add my own photos. Shabby Blogs also have cute buttons, backgrounds and other free blogging resources and have some tutorials also on how to use them. (The notepad above is from 'post pretties' over at Shabby Blogs - I added some text using Photoshop).

I've been signed up for Pugly Pixel emails for a while now and there is always great inspiration and freebies. I like these free PSD blog photo templates and plan to start using them for my posts.

Free blog photo templates from Pugly Pixel

Another site I've come across is hot biggity blog. I'm very pleased with the free pink flocked background that I found here... they have loads to choose from! I'm not great with html but I somehow managed to get it to work! It doesn't look great on my mobile though so I'll need to see if I can tweak it a bit.

vol. 25 has some amazing bits and pieces. I've bought one of their card templates for my Christmas cards this year and I personally think it looks fantastic. Again, there are a few freebies. Non-blog related are the Christmas gift tags below. Love brown wrapping paper!

Styling ideas for using free holiday tags by Volume Twenty Five

Makin' cute Blogs also have some great tutorials and freebies. The Background Fairy has some fab free stuff for your blog too.

Blog Header from The Background Fairy

Pixels & IceCream have some fab freebies too, like these brushes for PS. There are also tonnes of patterns, papers, overlays etc.

Free Photoshop brushes from Pixels & IceCream

My first stop for free fonts has always been dafont and they have a massive selection of all sorts of fonts... fancy, script, techno.... I have a few favourites... sweetie pie is one of them! How cute!!

I'm also liking 'home & hearth' by Heather T.

I could play about all day with clip art and fonts if I had the time!

I just want to add at this point for those of you that are, like me, new to blogging, I'd recommend the free e-courses provided by @littlemummy_com and @scottish_mum. Both provide tips & tricks and info on blogging basics via e-mail.

As always, please let me know what you think :-)

{Ooh! That's Pinteresting! Christmas Craft Ideas}

2011-11-27T12:00:00.000Z

I'm joining up again this week with Tina Gray for her Ooh! That's Pinteresting blog hop.

I thought I'd share some of the crafty ideas for Christmas decorations that I've found and liked the look of. I'm hoping that one day soon I'll be able to join up with Blossom Heart and Mummy To Five to share something for their Pinterest Make Me Challenge!

Aren't these paper flowers beautiful! Thinking I could make them in red for the Christmas table

{image source}

Another option for Christmas table decorations - napkin flowers

{image source}

Love this wreath! {image source}

Perhaps with some festive paper for Christmas decoration? {image source}

For hanging Christmas cards? {image source}

You can follow me on Pinterest here.

{Things I'm Loving Right Now}

2011-11-26T13:38:00.001Z

Smokey eye make-up. Following on from my make-up lesson I've been trying to practice my make-up techniques! In fact, I'm loving all things grey particularly for interiors. {image source}

Baking, and in particular, baking cupcakes. If I could bake all day long I would... but then there is also the slight problem that I love cakes, so it wouldn't be good for the waistline! {image source}

Painting. Well, I'm not so much loving the actual painting but more the outcome of my painting! I'm getting there but it's been a long slog! {image source}

Christmas. I am super excited about Christmas this year. I love decorating the house, choosing gifts to give to friends & family, eating lots of nice food and spending quality time with our family. We are hosting this year so I'm busy painting my dining room in the hope that I'll have it finished in time! {image source}

Sewing. I have been sewing cafe curtains for my dining room and back porch... they're all done now and I really did enjoy making them myself... rather satisfying! I've now got a pattern for a little girl's dress and I'm going to attempt to make my daughter a dress! Watch this space! {image source}

{My Capsule Wardrobe - Outerwear}

2011-11-25T13:40:00.000Z

Here's the lowdown on my outerwear. I have a few coats in a wardrobe in my hall, and at the moment I have one on my coat stand in the hallway by the door. Seeing as it's winter, my current coat of choice is my new North Face parka. I love it. It was very expensive, but I see it as an investment and it will last me for years and years. It's very cosy and is fully waterproof - perfect for the cold weather we get here! Thank you to @Scottish_Mum for the recommendation.

North Face Arctic Parka

I also have two showerproof macs. They are both casual jackets that I throw on over my day-to-day clothes when the weather is a bit warmer for popping out on the nursery run or to the shops. I have a beige coloured mac from Joules that I picked up in their sale a few years ago and I have a black mac from M&S. I bought the black mac just after my son was born and I've got a lot of use out of it so far. It's still in great condition, and it can be chucked in the washing machine which is really handy.

Of all my coats, I wear my parka and two showerproof macs the most. These have hoods so they're great when I'm out pushing the double buggy round the local shops... the Glasgow weather is notoriously unpredictable and so a hood is essential in my eyes as it would be very difficult to push a buggy and hold an umbrella!

I have a few other coats and jackets that I haven't worn for a while now, mainly because they didn't fit me when I was pregnant or they don't have hoods so are useless for when I'm out with the buggy (which is most of the time!).

I have a fab mustard mac from M&S which I used to wear literally all the time... with jeans during the day, over dresses at night! I also have a beige mac with a belt from Next. These are both smarter than my showerproof macs, but due to the lack of hood I rarely wear them but I will dig them out in the summer months (please let us have some nice weather next year!).

My mustard mac from M&S (me as a brunette!)

I bought a black leather short jacket from Mango pre-babies which I wore a lot for nights out clubbing but I've not been able to fit into it in ages...however guess what, it fits me again! Don't really have nights out anymore though!!

Black leather jacket from Mango (Note to self, I look much better with a fringe!!)

I also have a cream leather short jacket from Costco which is possibly 15 years old now and still going strong! My mum bought it for my little sister and I ended up with it for some reason. I can't remember the last time I wore it, but I can't seem to part with it.

My denim jacket from Oasis is possibly 15 years old too! My hubby thought it was hilarious that I still had my old denim jacket, but it still fits me and a denim jacket is a denim jacket. I've not worn it in years, but like the cream leather one I can't seem to part with it just yet!

I also have two gilets, one beige and one black, from Topshop. Again they are really old and I can't remember the last time I wore them. My sister wears the beige one occasionally when she visits, but other than that they don't get worn.

Here I am on my last day of secondary school wearing my black gilet!

I've got a long black 'Scottish Widows' type coat with a hood which I picked up at a Next sale a while ago, but the shape of it does nothing for me now and I think it is ready for the charity shop.

I'm not a hoarder (I've already put a few coats to the charity shop as they were drowning me and they didn't look flattering anymore), but sometimes I do find it difficult to be ruthless and let go. Watch out eBay - I have lots of items coming your way!!

I've heard that the rule should be if you've not worn an item in the last year then you should ditch it - is that really the case?

{Fabulous Finds: Baby & Toddler Gifts}

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000Z

With Christmas just around the corner I thought I would share some of my fabulous finds for gifts for the little ones.

I was shopping the other day, in person rather than on the net, and it just reinforced my love of online shopping... I just couldn't be bothered with finding a parking space, not finding the item you were looking for, the queues at the tills...bleugh!

Here's my lowdown on some gifts that I've recently bought or I'm planning on buying... they're all under £15.00.

I'm thinking of getting my son a kite for his Christmas. He recognises the letter 'k' already and says 'kite' and makes a whooshing noise - very cute! He loves the outdoors so something like this will be perfect I think for running about at the local park (it's always windy here!!).

Spirit of Air Diamond Rainbow Kite from Kidz Outdoors

I've bought a couple of these stamps for Christmas gifts and I'm going to team it with some bright coloured ink pads, some pencils and a book for a few of my children's cousins.

"This book belongs to" stamp from Cox & Cox

I've bought a lunch bag and matching water bottle for my daughter who is currently being weaned. This will allow me to carry around her purees, spoons etc when out on day trips. I'm hoping to ditch the baby changing bag soon, so it's my plan to have a lunch bag of snacks and essentials that can be thrown into my own handbag. Here are the ones I chose:

Skip Hop Zoo Lunchie Insulated Lunch Bag in Ladybird from Funky Moose

Crocodile Creek Ladybugs Drinks Bottle from Funky Moose

(she's obviously too young for the drinks bottle at the moment but I wanted to get a matching one whilst it was available!)

A good friend of mine recommended the Orchard Toy games, and when I spotted these in a toy shop whilst away for the weekend I stocked up on a few! I bought the shape snap game for my son's Christmas - he loves shapes. I also bought the Quack Quack game. I've just been having a look online at the Orchard Toys webpage and the range of educational games is fantastic. They are also offering free UK delivery on orders over £15!

Orchard Toys Quack Quack Game

I've bought a few of these fab popcorn bowls from Cox & Cox as Christmas gifts for some of the older kids we know. I thought they were quite quirky! They're a bit smaller than I anticipated, but I should have paid more attention to the dimensions on the website!!

Retro-designed plastic popcorn bowl from Cox & Cox

Another fab gift I've bought is this finger printing art set. There are various themes, I chose the fairy tale theme. I think it makes a lovely gift and everything you need is packaged in a beautiful little tin.

I want to point out that I've just stumbled across the website The Pea's Knees and it's lovely...they also offer free UK postage!

Finger Printing Art Set from The Pea's Knees

My sister bought these magnetic letters and a magnetic easel for my son's birthday this year and he loves them. He already recognises a lot of the letters and we write messages on the easel for granny & grandpa or Auntie Ali when they visit!

John Crane Magnetic Letters

This Fairy Cupcake Recipe Book by Think Pink is super cute and I've bought one for a friend's daughter who loves to bake. I also managed to find some scented pens in strawberry flavour from a local gift shop (to match the strawberry page marker in the recipe book) and I think it will make a perfect gift.

Fairy Cupcake Recipe Book

Strawberry Scented Pen

Another gift that I've bought in the past is a mouse in a matchbox. They are adorable and I know my son would love one as he's currently obsessed with houses, boxes, little people/animals and role play. This one is from the online shop Hop Toy Shop and again it's a site I recently came across and bookmarked because I thought it was lovely.

Matchbox Boy Mouse

As always, do let me know what you think :-)

{What I Wore Wednesday #6}

2011-11-23T10:29:00.001Z

I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde for her 'What I Wore Wednesday' blog hop. I'm uber jealous as she was lucky to win a competition allowing special access to the new Versace range at H&M. You can check out what she bought here.

If you haven't already seen my post, then you can check out my new capsule wardrobe which I recently purchased from House of Fraser on a personal shopping trip. I can't recommend it enough, and it's a free service!!

Here's my outfit from this week:

Dress by French Connection

Jeans from Next

Boots from M&S

Glasses, as usual, are by Dior

{And the beat goes on}

2011-11-22T15:27:00.001Z

So, here's my #groovingmums update for Kate's Getting your groove back blog hop.

This week has been a bit 'bleugh'... can't think of a better word to describe it, sorry! I've now completed my three treats that I had lined up for achieving and maintaining my weight loss (cupcake masterclass, spa visit with a friend and personal shopping trip). I kinda feel like I've not got anything much to look forward to and despite the weight loss and feeling a bit better within myself things still aren't brilliant and I'm not sure if I have my groove back or not...

However, I suppose there is Christmas next month which I'm very excited about as my toddler seems to be starting to understand about Christmas, probably due to him being at nursery. I've also got my 30th birthday in January which I need to start planning... thinking of having a party at the house but not totally sure yet. My to-do-list just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

This week I've only managed one run on Sunday with the running club girls and I did 7 miles! A new personal best, so I'm pleased with my achievement. *mentally ticks off one of the challenges from last week!* I'm sure that by May 2012 I'll be able to run the half marathon as planned... I might even do it in a decent time!

Healthy eating wise I've been so-so. I've indulged in quite a few cakes... had a massive scone at garden centre with hubby and the kids at the weekend (it was yum though!) and I also had one delivered to the house from Sponge which was delicious! I've not weighed myself so I'm not sure if I'm still at my target weight or not... got my personal trainer this week so I'll find out then :-/

I've continued with my painting and decorating at the house. I'm actually just back from B&Q where I was getting some more supplies as I plan to do some more painting tonight once the kiddies are in bed!

I have been enjoying my new wardrobe and I've been making an effort to mix n'match with my new clothes and wear things that are a little bit different for me.

On Saturday night I was at a friend's new house for a housewarming party. Hubby stayed to babysit the kids so I went along on my own. I was a bit nervous... I wasn't sure if I was going to know anyone there and I was feeling rather self conscious despite my amazing new clothes. I wore my skinny jeans, orange pussy bow blouse and my leopard print boots and I got a few nice comments about my shoes which made me feel more confident. Aside from my friend who's house it was, I knew one other person there, but I had a fab night and met some lovely people... There was no dancing though so I failed on Kate's challenge from last week (unless dancing about in the kitchen with the kids counts??... maybe the neighbours can vouch for me!).

In terms of Kate's other challenges, I have shared a favourite, but sad, poem in my Poetry blog post and I also took part in Kate Takes 5 listography blog hop which was harder than I thought it would be!

Yesterday I did some baking with the toddler (he licked the bowl - does that count!), and my hubby took the cakes to his work today for his staff. I was practicing my recipe for my Christmas cupcakes for the neighbours.... vanilla sponge with a gingerbread frosting... although I used pink spotty cupcake cases and heart decorations whereas my Christmas ones will be a bit different. I got a text from hubby to say that one of his staff members said my cakes were 'the nicest she's ever had' and 'well done you, everyone loves them'. So I was very pleased with that... success!

I packaged the cakes in the cupcake boxes I shared in my fabulous finds post

Here are the challenges set by Kate for this week:

1. Winter Warmth – how can you treat yourself to something that keeps you warm in this wintry weather. A new hat, scarf or pair of gloves? A pampering session involving heat? A hot chocolate every night for a week? Whatever warmth means to you.

2. Money – is it time you thought about your finances? This will mean different things to different people. Do you have debts to sort out? Do you need advice on benefits? Is it worth joining an credit union as a way to build up savings and with access to credit? Is it time you set a budget for Christmas and stuck to it? It is absolutely up to you how you interpret this one.

3. Art – How much do you know about art? Would you like to share a favourite painting with us and tell us why it appeals to you? Do you create things yourself that you would like to promote? Would you like to learn more about art and how might you do that?

4. Blogging Fun – How about taking part in Magpie Monday where bloggers celebrate bargain pre-owned finds whether located in charity shops, car boot sales, Christmas fairs, Ebay or whatever? You will find details with the lovely Liz over on the Me and My Shadow blog.

Perhaps this is the excuse I needed to buy a gorgeous hat I've spotted in a local gift shop? ;-)

Catch up with me next week to see how I got on...

{Fabulous Finds: Mail Order Food Gifts}

2011-11-21T10:13:00.001Z

A friend of mine had her second baby the other week, another girl (she's very cute too!). I wasn't sure what to get her as a gift.... she already has all the girls clothes, toys etc that she would need. So I decided to get something for her and her other half.... I sent them a cake in the post from Sponge. They loved it! At the moment Sponge are doing an offer if you join their family - send a cake to someone and get a cake sent to you for free. I chose the Victoria Sponge and here is my free cake... it was yum! (If you are wondering, my cake platter was a gift from my sister from Corn Kist Ceramics).

Another company I have used to send food in the mail is Send Happiness. I hadn't heard about this company until I saw a post by Love in the Nest and I thought it was a brilliant concept. It's really simple - you pick a box, pick a treat (such as Haribo sweets... I do love some pick n'mix!), write a message and your box is sent to your chosen recipient. All this from just £3.99. I sent a box to my sister from my two kiddies and she was delighted when it arrived.

A few other companies that I've heard great things of but I'm yet to use are Biscuiteers - delicious hand iced biccies direct to your door and they look amazing! There is also an offer for £5 off your first biscuit tin when you sign up to their newsletter. I love the look of their advent calendar tin...

Advent Calendar Tin from Biscuiteers

The Food Stork is another... they deliver freshly prepared food gifts to new parents - how brilliant is that! The gift boxes have some meals that sound just delish. How about roasted sweet tomato & thyme soup... or wild sea trout, shallot & home-grown herbs fishcakes... and the chocolate & almond brownies look sooooo good!!

Don't these brownies from The Food Stork look divine!

Here are some other food gifts that can be ordered online that I liked the look of (can you tell that I love online shopping?).

This Ultimate Gin & Tonic Kit from Whisk Hampers via Not on The High Street would be perfect for a few of my friends... we do love a wee G&T.

Ultimate Gin & Tonic Kit

I also found this on Not on The High Street... Choc-affair, which is a stick of chocolate and sugar all ready to be swirled into some hot milk for the perfect hot chocolate.

Choc-affair

I can't resist a good cup of tea! I normally drink Tetley Decaf but I will occasionally have some fruit tea (fav is apple & cinnamon) or something a bit different. When I was in Nice, France with the hubby I had a chocolate flavoured tea at a little cafe that was recommended in our rough guide. I have found this gift from teapigs... it's a Christmas Cheeky gift set and one of the teas is 'chocolate flake tea' and the description says it's like dunking a chocolate biscuit into your tea. Yum! I've had the 'spiced winter red tea' and it smelled gorgeous & tasted great - very festive!

Christmas Cheeky gift set from teapigs

Don't forget to let me know what you think of my finds, and share any of you own recommendations.

{Ooh! That's Pinteresting! Home}

2011-11-21T09:37:00.001Z

I'm busy doing some decorating at my house and so this week for Tina Gray's Ooh! That's Pinteresting! blog hop I thought I would share some of my inspiration from my 'For the Home' pinboard. You'll see that I'm a big fan of grey at the moment!

{image credit}

{Tell me about yourself...}

2011-11-18T13:43:00.001Z

I've been given an award by Melksham Mum...wow!! *blushes* Thank you very much for the tag.

And here it is... (do I need to do an acceptance speech? lol)

The rules are to share 7 secret things about yourself and then tag 15 other bloggers to do the same.

Sounds simple? Well, I've fairly recently done a Seven Things post, I've also done the A-Z of me and I did Kate Takes 5 listography on 5 random things I like just the other day so I'm not sure how many things I've got left to share at the moment.... but here goes...

1. I had a pet hamster called Bart (I also owned the Bart Simpson CD album...I was a Simpson's fan back in the day!!) but I was a bit rubbish at looking after him. Thankfully I'm better with my children!

2. I ripped my sister's favourite skirt that I borrowed (accidentally when I was drunk on a night out) but then hid it from her in the back of my wardrobe for a number of years. She knows the truth now. Sorry Ali.

3. My taste in music is not great (you could probably have guessed this secret by my answer to No.1)... my CD collection includes The Spice Girls, Steps, Venga Boys, Hanson...

4. I love online shopping... (Mastercard will be aware of this secret, as is my hubby!).

5. My favourite chocolate bar is a Crunchie, just like Melksham Mum who tagged me. However, I cannot eat this quietly (drives hubby insane) and so my second favourite is a Double Decker (much quieter!)

6. I have a thing for red-heads. My first proper boyfriend was a red-head and hubby is strawberry blonde.

7. Despite being a bit clever and having a PhD, I am rather lacking in common sense! That's not really a secret though!!

Right, and now to pass the award on and tag some other bloggers...

Love in the Nest

All About The Boys

....katie and the kids

Storm in a K cup

Loving the Little Things

Not sure I have 15 to tag, so hopefully 5 will be acceptable?

{Listography - Top 5 Random Likes}

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000Z

Kate on Thin Ice suggested we take part in Kate Takes 5 Listography this week as one of her #groovingmums challenges. I LOVE lists!!! The topic this week is the "Top 5 Random Things I Like"...

So, here goes...

1. Pick n' mix sweets, preferably fizzy sour ones (I would go as far as saying that I was addicted to these about 8/9 years ago)

(BTW it's taken me nearly 30 minutes to think of item #1 so goodness knows when I'll finish this post!!!)

2. Completing forms (just like The Mother Experiment)... when I was little I'd get forms from the Post Office, or where-ever I could get my hands on them, and take them home to complete in my neatest handwriting. Sad, I know!

3. Paper... Coloured, patterned, plain, glittery... I'm very much into crafts and I have a few box files of various bits and pieces of paper (although sometimes I like them too much to cut them up & use them!). At my primary school there were two class visits one year. I was very jealous of my friends who went to the paper factory.... where did I go I hear you ask... the fish factory!!

(Starting to really struggle to think of more things now...)

4. Being snuggled up in a sleeping bag (doesn't necessarily need to be in a tent!!)... For a while my boyfriend (now hubby!) knew never to call me on a certain evening (think it was a Wednesday) between the hours of 9 and 10pm because I'd be tucked up in my sleeping bag lying on my living room floor watching Sex & The City and munching on a big bag of pick n' mix!!!

5. Movies and books that make me cry.

Done...phew! That was way more difficult than I thought it was going to be!!

{What I Wore Wednesday #5}

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000Z

This week I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde for her 'What I Wore Wednesday' blog hop... and yes, this week it's actually running and I'm properly linking up rather than doing it on my own... whoops!

I've decided to share a couple of outfits this week...
Away to the local shops for a walk with the kiddies...

Black long sleeved t-shirt from Tu, Sainsbury's

Skinny jeans from Next Tall

Black flat boots from Debenhams...I think they're Nine West but I'll have to double check!

Here I am in my painting gear....!!

Black long sleeved t-shirt from Tu, Sainsbury's

Jeans from Topshop Tall

Brown belt from Topshop

At the Personal Shopper...

Silk flower printed tunic from M&S

Skinny jeans from Next Tall

Brown ankle boots from M&S

Brown handbag from M&S

Glasses by Dior

{Poetry}

2011-11-15T21:05:00.001Z

One of Kate's #groovingmums challenges was to investigate poetry and share a favourite, whether poetry is something you indulge in often, sometimes or never.

I did study Higher English at secondary school and we would have studied poetry at one point, but I'm not really a fan of poetry and it wouldn't really be something I'd choose to read. However, I did get thinking about poetry, and this is the first thing I thought of...

Shortly after my mum died, I saw a counsellor at a local Cruse Bereavement Centre. She (I think her name was Mary, but I may be wrong) was such a lovely lady and after a number of sessions I started to cope a bit better and was able to look ahead to the future. One week she gave me a piece of paper with a poem on it, and I still have this to this day pinned to a frame that sits in my room with a few passport photos of my mum and a picture I drew of her when I was 4 years old. I don't know who it is by, but I'll share it with you now...

"Those we love remain with us,

For love itself lives on

And cherished memories never fade

Because a loved one's gone.

Those we love can never be

More than a thought apart,

For as long as there is memory

They'll live on in the heart"

{A Productive Week}

2011-11-15T12:06:00.001Z

Yep, it's that time of the week again already and I'm linking up with Kate for her Grooving Mums blog hop.

One of the challenges from last week was to Embrace the Spirit...

"This will mean different things to different people so respond in a way that makes sense to you. It might involve revisiting a place of worship, taking part in a religious festival, meditating, looking at which goddess you most identify why or whatever makes sense to you."

I'm ashamed to admit that I've not done anything towards this challenge... Will perhaps try and incorporate this into a post somehow over the coming week.

The next challenge was Body Fun...

"Do something to your body that you would not normally do. Paint your toe-nails, wear lipstick, colour your hair, wear make-up to take it off for a day if you usually wear it, play around and experiment."

I had booked myself in for a make-up lesson which I thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up a lot of new techniques and for someone who very rarely wears eyeliner I am now feeling more confident at applying it. What a difference it made to my overall look by having some nice eye make-up done! My mum always swore by the mantra 'look good, feel good' and I do believe in this too. I always feel much better when I've had my hair done or my nails painted. I rarely paint my fingernails (I've had them done at salons a couple of times, but I'm rubbish at applying nail polish myself!). I'm going to make the effort to paint my nails this week as I've got another 'Keeping in Touch' Day at my work this week.

I've had a very busy week... I've been continuing with the decorating at my house (in my painting gear just now actually!) and I'm making good progress. I've done a little bit more Christmas shopping and I think I only have hubby to buy for now. My sister came to visit and we had our make-up lesson and personal shopping trip (more on this in a separate post - it was brilliant!). I've been a bit better with the healthy eating (except for the massive sticky toffee pudding my sister and I consumed!!) and I even went on a run on Sunday morning by myself (5 miles!) as running club was too late for us to make our shopping appointment. I got my wedding & engagement rings cleaned at a local jeweller and I put in some of my mum's jewellery to be cleaned also. I'm going to make more of an effort to accessorise my outfits. My sister and I also did a photo session with my kiddies in the park for this year's Christmas card and I was designing it last night on the computer... I've been very productive!! I can't help but think though that this is a case of 'fake it til you make it' as described by Katie over at Dazed, But Enthused.

Unfortunately, part of my tooth has come out... I had root canal treatment on it a few years ago and I think I might need to get a crown which I'm not looking forward to. Ever since the root canal treatment I've been having sort of panic attacks in the dentist's chair. I've never had an issue with the dentist until now. I have to keep reminding myself to breath and try to focus on other things whilst I'm getting my teeth checked. I've got the dentist tomorrow and I'm already not looking forward to it.

Here are the challenges for this week:

"1. Set your own challenge, something that is meaningful to you. Or even better, include a challenge in your blog post that all grooving mums might want to have a go at.
2. Investigate poetry and share a favourite with us whether poetry is something you indulge in often, sometimes or never.
3. Dance whether at an event, in the privacy of your own home or out on a walk with the children.
4. Take part in the Listography blog hop over at Kate Takes 5. It will help us all get to know each other that little bit better."

I'm going to put my thinking cap on regarding setting my own challenge... it might be something like a new personal best for my running, or to attempt something different with my hair style... not sure yet. Poetry is not my thing, but I will do my best to see what I can come up with. Dancing I love...might need to be in the privacy of my own house but watch this space and see what I get up to! I'm also going to take part in the listography... keep a look out for my post.

Hope you've all had good weeks #groovingmums!

{Personal Shopping}

2011-11-13T21:17:00.001Z

So, those of you that follow my blog (thank you btw!) will know that I had arranged a personal shopping trip at House of Fraser as a very special treat for reaching and maintaining my weight loss.

My sister and I had an excellent day and I'd highly recommend it - it was a fantastic experience and the personal shopper selected lots of clothes that I wouldn't have necessarily picked out myself. I now have a capsule wardrobe of mix and match items that actually works.

In the private dressing room.

Here are the items that I bought:

Mint Velvet khaki hooded waistcoat

Mint Velvet khaki and stone stripe tee

Mint Velvet khaki long sleeve tee

Mint Velvet check tassel scarf

Mint Velvet black ruched leggings

Mint Velvet mocha lace detail tunic with leggings (also works great with jeans)

Warehouse beaded shoulder slouchy tee (with jeans or leggings)

French Connection Berrie Jersey Frill Dress

Mint Velvet Black Bandage Skirt

Oasis Mono Envelope Neck T-shirt

Oasis Feather Print Envelope Neck Top

Both these Oasis tops look great with my Mint Velvet Bandage Skirt for work or with skinny jeans & boots for smart-casual.

Mango twisted neck blouse (for work with pencil skirt or with jeans for dinner/drinks)

Warehouse Cowl Pussy Bow Blouse (again, works with jeans or pencil skirt)

I didn't manage to get a pair of work shoes whilst at House of Fraser to complete my collection of shoes but I bought these from Boden the day after....They are so comfortable and stylish...

Boden leopard print ankle boots

Here I am wearing some of the outfits...

Going into work for a 'Keeping in Touch' day wearing

Mango twisted neck blouse with Mint Velvet Black Bandage Skirt and Boden leopard print ankle boots

Mint Velvet khaki and stone stripe tee with Mint Velvet khaki hooded waistcoat and jeans

{Make-Up Tutorial}

2011-11-13T19:56:00.001Z

A friend of mine, Shannon O'Neill, is a make-up artist for MAC and she popped over to mine last night to give my sister, Ali and The Grey House, Becky from The Olive Dragonfly and myself a make-up lesson. We were keen to find out how to do smokey eyeshadow, eyeliner and attach false eyelashes properly.

Here's the how-to for smokey eyes and I'll possibly have to come back and add some more photographs showing the different steps when I get a chance... (I should have taken more pics during the lesson, but I was too busy concentrating & taking notes!).

1. Moisturise as per your normal routine.

2. Apply primer to eyelid

I just want to add a little quote here from Shannon.... in her opinion eye primer is "definitely a must-have". It's something that I do have in my make-up bag (an Elizabeth Arden one) but I must admit that I have only used it once. I'll be using it more often now though! Shannon's recommendation is Laura Mercier.

3. Apply a nude eyeshadow all over eyelid and up to brow to set the primer. One recommendation from Shannon is MAC Shroom - a soft beige with a little shimmer.

4. Using a brush, pat on a mid-tone colour across the eyelid from the last to the crease. For brown smokey eyes, Shannon's recommendation is MAC Satin Taupe.

5. Using a blending brush, such as MAC 217, blend the line at the crease to make it less obvious.

6. Add more layers and blend until you have desired colour.

7. Using a brush, pat on the dark colour to the outer corner of the eye and pat into the eye crease. This darker shade can also be applied under the lower lashes for a more dramatic look. For black/grey smokey eyes Shannon recommends MAC Carbon for the dark colour; for brown smokey eyes her suggestion would be MAC Mystery.

8. Again, using the blending brush, blend this darker shade into the lighter one.

9. To apply eyeliner, Shannon recommends the MAC 208 Angled Brow Brush. It's meant for eyebrows but is really good for eyeliner (I can vouch for this as I borrowed Shannon's one to practice, and I'm about to buy my own one!). The eyeliner Shannon suggests (which I've also purchased today!) is Bobbie Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. You want to apply this to the edge of the upper lashes and then you can do a flick at the side if you would like a more dramatic look.

10. Add a touch of light eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eyes and you can also apply a little under the brow bone.

11. For a dramatic look you can also apply eyeliner or pencil to the waterline.

12. Use a cotton bud with eye make-up remover or a baby wipe to touch up any areas

13. Then you can go ahead and apply your base (foundation, tinted moisturiser or whatever!) as normal.

14. Add some concealer under your eyes if needed (and I definitely need it!!)

15. Add a few coats of mascara (Shannon's recommendation is Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara, which I'm also currently using!)

Here I am after doing my own make-up... unfortunately due to glasses you can't really see the eyeshadow... oops! Becky has some better photos so I'll post these soon.

This morning I've done a day-to-day brown smokey eye... Here are a few pics (taken with my phone so apologies for the photo quality).

After primer, nude colour (slight shimmer) and mid-tone applied.

I've applied the darkest shade to my left eye and the right eye hasn't been done yet.

As above but with eyes open so you can see the effect. (BTW I've not added under eye concealer at this point!!).

The finished look - this is me right now.

I placed an order with MAC online last night for the angled brow brush and two eyeshadow colours, so once I receive these I'll do another post with some better photos and step-by-step guide.

Let me know what you think... (I must add that I'm no make-up artist and the make-up in these photos has been done by myself, but hopefully with a bit of practice I'll get better at this...especially the eye liner!).

{I do it on my desk...!!!}

2011-11-11T21:48:00.001Z

Blog that is!

Bibsey has started a meme asking people to share where they blog, and I have been tagged by the lovely A Working Mum to join in.

If you want to join in, the more the merrier... You just have to:

Take a photo of your blogplatz just as it is right now (or tart it up if that sounds like fun)
Post a picture (with or without words) and link back to Bibsey's original post
Tag some other bloggers whose personal blogging habits are a source of great fascination to you, so that we may all know about them.

My hubby does a lot of work from home, so we're fortunate to have a home office in our house. I don't have a laptop so I do my blogging from our main home computer which you can see below. This was a gift from hubby - I'm a very lucky lady.

Our little office is rather boring... lots of Ikea shelves full of folders & books, the iron and ironing board are a permanent fixture (& only get used by the hubby to iron his work shirts... I don't iron anything - it just all gets folded and put away in the hope that it flattens itself out in the drawers!). The walls are currently bare apart from one small framed print of George Square, Glasgow.

So there you go... now I've shown you mine, it's time to show me yours... I've picked a few of the other #groovingmums, but no pressure to participate...

Mummy Plum

OurPeaGreenPod

The Rambling Pages

{What I Wore Wednesday #4}

2011-11-11T12:34:00.001Z

I'm linking up with Transatlantic Blonde for her 'What I Wore Wednesday' blog hop and I'm sharing an outfit from yesterday (I think I'm a bit out of sync with the posts, so I apologise, but I thought I'd join in anyway!). I went to get my hair cut and coloured and then had a lovely lunch with my good friend Becky from The Olive Dragonfly blog.

Here I am...

Glasses - Dior

Necklace - was my mums

Grey tunic with brown leather trim - Wallis

Boden patent trainers

I'm off on my personal shopping trip with my sister this weekend, so I'll hopefully have lots of fab outfits to share over the coming weeks! Hope the hubby is ready as it's all going on his credit card...!!!

{Ooh! That's Pinteresting... Words}

2011-11-10T21:09:00.001Z

I'm linking up again this week with Tina Gray for her "Ooh! That's Pinteresting" blog hop.

This week Tina has shared some images on the theme of 'hugs'. I thought I would share with you some quotes, words of wisdom, sayings & phrases that I've pinned to my 'Words' board.

This was one of my first pins...I then went on to lose 3 stone & dropped 3 dress sizes {image credit}

{image credit}

Yes please... {image credit}

Not long until I hit my thirties! {image credit}

Happiness {image credit}

Need to work on this one... I think sometimes I can be too nice {image credit}

Live your life... {image credit}

Ever since my mum died, I've kept reminding myself of this... {image credit}

Thought I'd end with an amusing one! {image credit}

{Q&A}

2011-11-09T23:11:00.001Z

I've been tagged by both @MishMashMum and @AWorkingMum to complete the 10 questions meme.

Here are the rules:

Answer the 10 questions
Tag someone to do the same
Return to the original post and comment when you have completed your task so that we can all find out more about our fellow bloggers!

So, without further ado, here we go...

1. Describe yourself in seven words

Creative & thoughtful perfectionist seeking health & happiness

2. What keeps you awake at night?

I'm normally so shattered that by the time I get into bed I rarely stay awake for more than 5 minutes! If anything, my piano playing neighbour who practices until 11pm (& sometimes even later) will prevent me getting to sleep (he's quiet just now thankfully!!).

3. Who would you like to be?

Me, on a good day

4. What are you wearing now?

A CSI New York crime investigator t-shirt that I sleep in & a pair of pyjama trousers. Very glamourous...not!

5. What scares you?

Something happening to my children, my husband or my sister... worst fear ever. But I'm also scared of spiders....eeek!!!

6. What is the best and worst thing about blogging?

I find blogging therapeutic and I enjoy sharing my story with others. I guess the worst thing is that it takes time, and I have very little free time as it is!

7. What was the last website you looked at?

The Cooks Kitchen, where I purchased a Christmas present for my sister, Ali.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Only one thing? On a physical level, now that I've lost the baby weight, I guess it would have to be either my wrinkly neck or my upper arms (or maybe my sausage fingers!). I'd also like to be more confident.

9. Slankets, yes or no?

I do love being cosy, but I'm not sure I'm keen on the slanket... I think I'd rather have an all-in-one sleeping bag as featured on my friend Becky's Christmas Wish List.

10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

MishMashMum is a fellow #groovingmum and I'm really enjoying learning more about her journey to get her groove back.

I'm also loving A Working Mum's blog. Some posts are informative & others funny (What to do when faced with poo).

I'm going to tag the following people (I won't be offended if you don't have time or can't be bothered to complete it!).

{Fabulous Finds}

2011-11-09T20:06:00.000Z

Every so often I come across amazing things to see, do or buy when I'm browsing the web, and I've decided to do a regular post to share my fabulous finds... Glasgow Mummy's fabulous finds! When I think of a better name I'll change it, as I feel like I'm sort of copying the name of a new favourite blog of mine, Florence Finds. If anyone has any other suggestions for names, then please let me know - I could use the help!

Bearing in mind that I recently went on a cupcake course, I thought I'd share some of the cute, quirky & different things I've found to do with cakes... (yum!!).

First up is Planet Bake. I've literally just found this website (yesterday, in fact!) and I love it! I've just placed an order for a number of their goodies.

I just love the cupcake boxes... I've ordered some of the Christmas ones (for my Christmas cupcakes I'm going to bake for the neighbours) and I couldn't resist the Patisserie shop ones too.

Christmas Cupcake Box (holds 4 cupcakes)

Patisserie Cupcake Box (holds 4 cupcakes)

There are also some gorgeous cupcake kits, and I particularly like the Pretty Pansies set (which I first spotted at Enid Reid Flowers in Glasgow when I was there for my recent flower workshop). The white picket fence made out of candle silhouettes is just too cute!

I bought this adorable truffle stand from Marie Brown At Home yesterday. It's going to look great on my Christmas dining table (I did have some chocolates to put on it for photographing, but I've eaten them already - whoops!) so I've just taken a quick pic with my phone camera. If you are wondering, the other two glass domes on the shelf are from Marie Brown too - I just haven't decided what to put in them yet!

Another online company that I've ordered cake supplies from is the Cake Decorating Company. The items I've bought previously have been superb and everything is sent out so quickly - a great service. They have an amazing range of edible cake toppers and I particularly adore the cute baby vest toppers which would be lovely for a baby shower or christening.

Where do you get your baking supplies from and do you have any other companies that you can recommend?

{Groove on/off}

2011-11-08T11:45:00.000Z

I just wish there was a button to switch my groove back on... I naively thought that with a bit of weight loss and a sprinkle of positive thinking that I'd be back to my usual self, but it appears that's not the case.

I've been a busy bee since my last post, and this week is going to be the same if not even busier.

Yep, I'm joining in again with Kate's Getting Your Groove Back and here's my update for the week...

I've still been absolutely rubbish with the healthy eating and exercise. I'm very disappointed in myself and I think I've been feeling a bit 'meh' as I've not had the endorphins rushing around my body as I would normally have after doing a few runs and attending a few exercise classes.

That said, I'm just back from a session with Maria my personal trainer, and despite my worst fears, my weight has stayed the same. I'm very happy and I'm not sure how I've managed it! I guess my metabolism must be greatly improved and despite not doing any running (I also missed Pilates class last week due to a cold), I've been decorating the house and rushing about doing chores so I've been active at least.

I've been getting on great with the improvements with the house. I'm wondering if we might end up moving soon to get into a better catchment area for schools (my hubby doesn't agree with me, and this might be my controversial post but it'll need some work). So I've been doing a spot of painting and decorating, and also had the sewing machine out making cafe curtains. Here are my photos so far:

Dining room window before - I was fed up of the vertical blinds

Fabric I purchased at Remnant Kings Curtain Warehouse and paint swatches

Mother-in-law's sewing machine

My cafe curtains (this room is still to be painted!)

The grey paint in action

Nearly finished the grey back porch

Two potential paint colours for bathroom

I'm child-free today so I have a lot to be getting on with, so I'm going to stop my rambling there. This week is the treat I've been waiting for after my hard work with the diet & exercise. I've got a facial tonight, getting my hair done on Thursday, having a make-up lesson and personal shopping trip at the weekend. Yippee! I literally cannot wait!!!

Will catch up with you other #groovingmums when I have my tea break!!