Friday 27 June 2014

{35 at 35: Fall in love again, check!}

When I wrote my 35 at 35 list, I had no idea what the future had in store for me.

Here I am two and a half years down the line, and I am genuinely happy.


I also feel able & ready to tick off number 34 on the list, fall in love again.

My one issue was that I was struggling to say those three little words...


My sister kept texting me asking had I dropped the 'L-bomb' yet, and for every message I responded no. I was too scared.

So when is the right time to say I Love You?

I didn't want to be tipsy because I wanted R to know that I meant it, and that it wasn't just the gin talking! I also wanted it to be face-to-face rather than a text message, but see above re: being too scared. Being sober and saying 'I love you' to someone's face is not an easy thing to do! I'm really shy about these kinds of things and I sometimes struggle to talk about my feelings.

Anyway, in the end I didn't have the confidence to say it aloud, and decided instead to write a message in a card which I left under the duvet for R to find!
I wish I had bought this card - we both love a cheesy pun! {image source}

I was there when he read it (which sort of makes it face-to-face, although I was hiding under the duvet in sheer embarrassment!?!) and as soon as he had finished reading my well thought out love letter (which I had scribbled 10 minutes earlier in the bathroom!!) he told me that he loved me too.

Awww!! 

I also managed to finally say the words out loud too which is progress.

I think I'm scared of getting hurt again. But R & I have taken things slowly and I have waited until the time is right rather than rushing things. And I'm ever so happy :-)


I thought this was very cute, and again another amusing pun!! {image source}

P.S Sorry for all the lovey-dovey chat, the cheese and the gushing!

P.P.S Have a great weekend folks! 

Wednesday 25 June 2014

{How Does Your Garden Grow - Lettuce Watch}

Mammasaurus and How Does Your Garden Grow?

Joining in again with Annie at Mammasaurus for her How Does Your Garden Grow linky (was lovely to see you in person at BritMumsLive albeit very brief!!).

Here's Glasgow Mummy with "Lettuce Watch"!

Thursday evening pre-BritMums live...

...Sunday evening post-BritMums live!

What a remarkable difference in just a few days!!! The baby lettuces are changing every day, and R & I are now able to enjoy yummy fresh salads with our homegrown lettuces!!! So impressed with myself!

Ready for their close-up!

Transformed into an amazing salad!! Tasted brilliant too!!

If you go back my previous post here when I planted these babies, then you'll see an even bigger difference! That's just in 2 weeks!!!

The only thing I've done is put down some slug pellets and I've watered them every evening (apart from when I was in London for BritMums Live but Bex from Olive Dragonfly popped over to water them in my absence - thank you!).

I know you'll probably be fed up with my vegetable chat, but I'm seriously so chuffed. Most things I plant tend to die really quickly!!

Anyway, I can highly recommend Rocket Gardens and I'll definitely be buying from them in the future. (This isn't a sponsored post by the way, I just wanted to share this brand with you because I've had so much success with my purchase!).

Monday 23 June 2014

{Once in a Lifetime}

At the risk of sounding old (and I know, I'm not even that old!), back in the day, there were plenty more events and experiences that were considered 'once in a lifetime'... that amazing holiday to somewhere exotic, or getting married. 

I think it's more difficult now to experience something that truly is 'once in a lifetime'. We fly all over the world on a regular basis and marriage is now not necessarily something that's only done once.

After a quick Google search, I discovered that the planetary alignment with the Giza Pyramids only happens once in every 2,737 years. That truly is 'once in a lifetime'.


And we all know that lightening never strikes the same spot more than once... let's hope it never hits the Glasgow Mummy house!! 



Closer to home, some 'once in a lifetime' experiences might be watching a Hollywood movie being filmed, or maybe even being in the movie as an extra! Remember when Brad Pitt came to George Square to film World War Z?


Or more recently, it might be partying to the amazing line up of artists at Radio One's Big Weekend at George Square last month.


Anyway, I think you can see where I'm going with this!!

I truly believe that the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be a Once in a Lifetime experience for many of us.

I was thrilled to get tickets for the Weightlifting and am really looking forward to it.


And if sports aren't your thing, there will be plenty of other things going on in the city.

It's now just One Month to Go!!!

The games will bring together literally thousands of elite athletes, volunteers and spectators to enjoy an incredible festival of sport and culture.

There is going to be an immense buzz in Glasgow in a month's time and I personally can't wait to be a part of Scotland's biggest party.


For the tourists that are visiting Glasgow over the next few months, the 'once in a lifetime' experience you need to try is a deep fried Mars bar (which originated in my hometown Aberdeen!) washed down with Irn Bru! ;-)


Friday 20 June 2014

{BritMumsLive - here I come!!!!!!}

Eeeek!!




As this post goes live I will be on a train from Glasgow to London for BritMumsLive.

I'm excited but also a bit nervous!!

I bet I'll have forgotten something... but hey ho, as long as I make the train that's the main thing!

My son said today (yesterday when you're reading this!)... 

"When I'm a grown up, I'm going to be EPIC"

I reckon that this weekend is going to be epic. I just hope that I'm ready for it!!!

Looking forward to meeting everyone. Please come and say Hello. I'll probably be too nervous to make the first move! ;-)


Thanks go again to Glasgow Fort who have sponsored me for BritMumsLive!  



Thursday 19 June 2014

{My New House - Prints for the Hallway}

I've repainted my hallway and as such I've rejigged a few things here and there...

I've now got three black metal frames to fill, and I was thinking of framing some monochrome words or quotes.

Here are my top 5:






What do you think? Do you have a favourite? Which 3 should I go for?


Wednesday 18 June 2014

{How Does Your Garden Grow}

Mammasaurus and How Does Your Garden Grow?

Last minute as always, but here's my contribution to Annie at Mammasaurus How Does Your Garden Grow linky.

Each time I visit the garden centre I learn something new.

This week it was that for certain plants, it's best to combine the compost with some gravel. Who knew!! Certainly not me. Apparently by adding the gravel to the compost it will improve the drainage.

I had chosen a new lavender to plant given that my one from last year was kaput!

So off we went back to the house to get potting...

At the bottom of our chosen pot, we put some larger stones over the hole. Again this is to help the drainage:


We then filled this with a mixture of compost and grit:


Then in with the lavender, and we covered over the top of the compost with some more grit as I thought it was prettier!


Here's the littlest hard at work...!!


And in other gardening news...

The baby lettuce are coming along nicely

Here's the newest addition to the garden :-)


Monday 16 June 2014

{Glasgow Style Mile Bags}

Five of Scotland's top designers have come together to create an exclusive collection of limited edition tote bags depicting what late night shopping on Glasgow's Style Mile means to them.

Each bag features a unique illustration using a bright, florescent colour pop to ensure shoppers will stand out in style this summer.

Since last October over 200 retailers have extended their weeknight opening hours to 7pm (and until 8pm on a Thurs!).

The canvas tote bags will be completely free (yep, free!) to late night shoppers on request in selected stores from 16th to 30th June after 5pm. Bags are available at five Style Mile retailers are: Buchanan Galleries, St Enoch Centre, House of Fraser, Princes Square and Debenhams. One bag is permitted per customer and bags are available whilst stocks last.

Aren't they amazing?


Rebecca Torres - A digital illustration of Glasgow’s shopping scene using bright fuchsia pink, black and white.   

Joanne McGillivray - Buchanan Street infused with detailed flowers and shapes highlighted in bright neon yellow.
Chouchou - A Glaswegian girl wearing a tartan hood with bright orange fur trim.


William Chambers - A traffic light ‘green man’ wearing a dapper hat, carrying a William Chambers hat box.
Obscure Couture - A female shopping on the city’s Style Mile with bright blue streetlights highlighting her glamorous dress.   

Which is your fav?


{Learning to Ride a Bike}

Dale's Cycles are Glasgow's oldest and largest local bike shop, and when we were asked to participate in a campaign to encourage kids cycling and learning to ride a bike, we jumped at the chance!

The eldest has a balance bike which is now a bit too small for him, and I felt he was ready to take the next step up to a bike with pedals.

The store is massive and there is a huge selection of bikes. We arrived for our appointment with Chris on a Saturday lunchtime and the store was busy - lots of customers milling about and staff hard at work.  We didn't need to wait long to be seen though and a bike had already been looked out for us as I had previously been in touch with my son's age and height.

I'm such a child, but the lubricant and performance centre signs had me chuckling!





Chris really knew his stuff and as a parent himself he was great at talking to my son and engaging him in the process. I have to admit I wasn't listening as intently as I could have been because the littlest was adamant that she wanted a bike too, but she wasn't getting one! A bit awkward, but I can only apologise to Dale's for her screaming throughout our visit!! I've been told it's not uncommon!

Checking the seat height

Test cycle through the shop!

A few adjustments had to be made. Eldest watching intently!!

We also required a new helmet as the one we previously had was getting a bit too tight. We bought one in red/black which matched the new bike!

I was seriously impressed with the turnaround time and felt confident in Chris' knowledge and expertise. I would highly recommend you pay them a visit if you're looking to buy a bike, either for yourself or for your little ones. Dale's Cycles also participate in the Government's Cyclescheme which we felt was of interest.

Next stop was Crammond to visit R's family and let my son have a shot on his new wheels.

He absolutely loved it, but does needs practice. 



Concentrating hard on the pedals!

I'll be back in a few weeks to update you on our efforts. After our first week the eldest has been of the opinion that the pedal bike is too much like hard work and still wants to use his balance bike. I think it's time to remove the small bike from the house and force him to use the bigger one! He has been practicing in the new driveway which has been ideal for cycling/scooting and is starting to get better.

Watch this space!!

Dale's Cycles Ltd
150 Dobbies Loan
Glasgow
G4 0JE
Tel: 0141 332 2705
(free parking available at rear of building)

We received a bike for the purpose of this review. Opinions as always are honest and are my own.

Sunday 15 June 2014

{Abracadabra - Mum's Magic Tricks}

I am the Queen of multi-tasking.

As a single working parent I can be found juggling a number of balls, and yes sometimes they get dropped (I'm obviously speaking metaphorically... the children - they've never been dropped thankfully!), but I have a few tricks up my sleeves that help me along the way! (Unfortunately I don't have a trick to magic away the last few pounds I'm trying to shift!).


I always have a pack of finely chopped veg in my freezer and I can throw this into meals such as spaghetti bolognese or chilli to make sure we are getting our 5 a day.


In my kitchen I have these plastic pots hanging up for the kids cutlery. It's resolved some storage issues but also when it's time for dinner I can just take this cutlery pot down for them and pop it on the table so they can set the table themselves. Likewise, when we're baking the other pot comes down.

The kids have their own hooks in the hallway for hanging jackets so when it's time to get ready for the nursery run we know where our jackets and bags are and they can grab everything they need themselves.

Another trick of mine is a bright lipstick. On days when we're rushed and things aren't going to plan, 2 minutes to apply some lippy and it transforms my face and gives me a confidence boost. That is magic!!

We were sent a special pack from RBS with some other inspiring tricks for us busy mums...


We love a reward sticker!

Genius - using a cupcake case to stop drips from an ice lolly!

Using an egg carton to keep the paint colours separate - we normally stick our paint onto a plate which can end up very messy!!

Using a lidded plastic cup for spill-free painting and a shower curtain on the floor to stop the floor being ruined!



It always amazes me the power that my mobile phone has. There seriously is an app for (nearly!) everything and digital banking is no different.

I've been using the RBS app for a long time now and love it's functionality. It saves so much time being able to check balances and transfer funds on my phone rather than having to use 'the big computer'.

Easy payments and transfers
I can pay the nursery bill on my phone in just a few simple steps (the first time you want to pay someone you need to set them up as a payee in Digital Banking using your card reader, but once that's done it's straightforward).

Check account balances on-the-go
I have a spreadsheet on my Mac which helps me keep track of my outgoings (you do know I love a good spreadsheet!) and I can keep track of my balance daily on my phone. It literally takes a minute.

Get cash out without your card
I tried this yesterday for the first time. I actually can't quite believe that you can access cash from a hole in the wall without using your card. You get a Cash Code sent to your phone which has to be entered into the cashpoint. It's totally secure... to log into the app itself you need a special code that you choose yourself and plus you'd have to crack my code to get into my phone first! And then at the cashpoint you also have to enter other security details as well as the Cash Code. Might sound a bit complicated but I can assure you that it is simple.

So tell me, where do I collect my crown? ;-)

This project is in conjunction with BritMums for their #MumsMagicTricks challenge with RBS.

Beauty with a Conscious

I volunteer most weeks with the Prince and Princess of Wales hospice, located in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, where I deliver a mindfulness m...