Monday 29 September 2014

{Hair & Beauty: Growing out my fringe}

Since my last visit to the hairdressers (Ellen Conlin in Giffnock if you're interested!) which was in the middle of August, I've been growing out my fringe. I was able initially to wear it down, but it's now been 6 weeks and I have to do something with it as it's totally in my eyes :-/

At the hairdresser

The two hairstyles that I've been wearing are these...

Fringe pinned up with a side ponytail

Fringe pinned up with my hair down

but I've been scouring Pinterest for some inspiration for other styles to try as I'm starting to get bored!!







Sunday 28 September 2014

{Fashion Update: Running Leggings}

I've really not had much luck lately with my clothes.

The elastic waistband on my Nike running leggings has sort of fallen apart a bit and they've seen better days. They are 3 years old, so I guess it's to be expected. I have a few pairs of capris and one pair of shorts, but with the colder weather approaching I could be done with a new pair of full length leggings/tights for running, and here's what I've come up with:





Which are your favs? Where do you buy your workout gear from?


Saturday 27 September 2014

{Striking Mums - Being Different}

Kate on thin Ice Striking Mums

This week for #strikingmums Kate has talked about being different and she has posed a number of questions for us to consider.

Are you different and, if so, how?

Yes, I think in many ways I'm different. I remember my mum telling me and my sister not to be a sheep and to do our own thing; not follow the crowd. Physically to look at me I think my height makes me look a bit different...I'm taller than your average girl at just under 6 foot. The other day my colleagues were taking the piss about my accent (in a fun way, not a bad way!). I was brought up in Aberdeen, Scotland but then aged 9 we moved abroad to the Middle East for a year and a bit. My best friend was American and I came back to Scotland with an American twang. Couple this with some time spent in Edinburgh and then 10 years in Glasgow and I have a unique accent. My colleagues seemingly think I say 'spider' weird. Anyway, I also remember coming back from our time abroad, where we were very lucky to travel and see the world, but I would get mocked by my school mates because most stories I had started with 'When I was in Doha...'. But then in other respects I'm not different... I'm a single mum, juggling the nursery & school run with work, worrying about finances, trying to keep up with housework etc and wondering if I'm doing a good enough job. 

Do you celebrate your uniqueness or strive to fit it?

No, I don't strive to fit in. I am who I am. But it's taken me a while to be confident enough to say this out loud. I love my height... I wear massive heels and it doesn't bother me if I'm towering above everyone. I just have a better view ;-) I love my accent and I wouldn't want to change it. I don't care if I say words the wrong way, or a silly way. And everyone just has to put up with my crazy stories!


Are you ever judgemental of other mums who are different from you? Answer honestly even if only in your own head.

I would love to say that I don't judge others, but of course I do. 

Not specific to mums though. I see people out and about wearing clothes that don't fit them well or have hairstyles that don't suit them and I think in my head 'that doesn't look good' or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I've been there myself... my 'pies' hanging out over my jeans for example (this is what I referred to my back fat as! I have learned to buy high waisted jeans!!)... or some of the insane hairstyles that I had growing up. One of my colleagues commented that my bob when I was in 5th year of school made me look like a man's you know what. I just wish that someone had told me! 

I try and not judge other parents... it's a tough enough job as it is. But sometimes it's difficult not to. I remember seeing a mum on a bus and her toddler had a baby bottle full of Irn Bru. Sorry, but I judged her.

What would you like to be different about you?

I would like to lose a bit of weight and to tone up my body. This is for no-one else but myself...My clothes are getting too tight and they're not sitting well. I felt really self conscious when I was at my cousin's wedding the other weekend because my dress was a bit too snug around my thighs (hence why all the photos of me are top half only!). I know that I'll be a bit more confident when I reach my target.

I also wish my general knowledge was better. Sometimes I can be a bit blonde (and I'm not even a natural blonde!).

Hopefully I'll get to the point where I can say I don't want anything to be different.


Have you even been attacked or bullied for being different? How did that affect you?

Thankfully no, I've never been bullied. 

If you had to write an advert for yourself as a limited edition, what would you say to make people think you were great?

Hmmmm...I'm not very good at blowing my own trumpet.

Friday 26 September 2014

{Love The Little Things}

butwhymummywhy

It's Friday and this means it's time to join in with Morgana at But Why Mummy Why's weekly linky "Love The Little Things".

Here goes...

Read

This week I've been catching up on an old school friend's blog, The Girl From Clapham. She has some hilarious posts that you must read... this one is a fav about being caught out in a nightie. I recently got locked out of my house in a nightshirt, disaster. But it was nowhere near as bad as my friend's experience! Do read on and find out what happened to her!

Watched

I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos this week, trying to get inspiration for my own channel. I just wish I had more free time so I could learn more editing techniques etc.

Wore


The bag that I won from Jaeger has arrived and it's absolutely beautiful. I'm yet to use it, terrified that I'll ruin the lovely leather. So for just now it's in it's special dust cover bag in my bedroom and every so often I'll have a sniff! I feel very lucky - that's two brown leather bags I've won in the past month or so!

Heard

I had some work colleagues over to my place last night for leaving drinks for Lee Ann. She's away home to Malaysia after 14 years in Glasgow. Anyway, we had lots of fun dancing around to some cheesy school disco music. Lee Ann had never heard the Superman song, and so cue all the girls doing the moves in my living room... with disco lights and everything!! I know how to throw a good party :-/

Made

I actually can't think of a single thing that I've made this week which is unlike me *racks brain* Nope, can't think of anything. I'll try harder for next week, promise!!

and Lastly...

You know I mentioned that we are considering getting a kitten, well I think that we may go and look at some kittens next week with a view of getting one soon! Eek, super exciting!!!


{Asda Haul for Children's Clothing}

Over on YouTube right now is a vlog of my recent Asda Haul of children's clothes. I had gone to Asda to get a pair of these amazing Disney leggings for the littlest after my friend Heather told me about them, but alas they didn't have her size available.


Whilst I was there I picked up a few other bits & pieces. Here's what I bought...

Thursday 25 September 2014

{Love Scotch Lamb Food Festival}

At the weekend the kids and I headed to SWG3 on Eastvale Place, Glasgow for the Scotch Lamb Street Food Festival.

The aim of the festival was to showcase the versatility of lamb and inspire the guests, journalists and bloggers, with some exotic lamb dishes.

Pop-up dining pioneers 'The Street Food Cartel' were serving a special menu from four of their most popular street kitchen stalls...

Scoop Silver Bullet
Braised neck fillet of lamb, ras el hanout, pomegranate & sultana cous cous





Antojito Cantina
Barbacoa lamb in soft tacos with sour cream, guacamole & pico di gallo



Pad BKK
Lamb massaman curry with jasmine rice, Thai prawn crackers, crispy shallots, peanuts & herbs




So La Ti Dough
Lamb shoulder slow roasted in the wood fired oven with vine tomatoes, rosemary and garlic. Focaccia baked to order.



The food was amazing. I tried the first three of the dishes, not having enough room to even attempt the last one unfortunately! The kids had the braised lamb and they thoroughly enjoyed it - they weren't keen on the pomegranates though. My son had some of the lamb from my taco and the littlest just had a plain tortilla wrap. All the lamb was melt in the mouth, and the flavours were brilliant. Lamb isn't something I would normally cook, although we did take part in a Love Scotch Lamb recipe challenge the other month and we cooked two lamb recipes here in the Glasgow Mummy kitchen. But the lamb here was just so tender compared with the lamb I cooked at home. I obviously need to practice! Thankfully we were given away a cookbook so I can read up and perfect my skills!

We also enjoyed some smoothies. I had coconut and oreo cookie. It was divine!

The kids were given a free apron :-)

Littlest in her princess dress!

My son doing his own vlog!!

#selfie

I didn't get to enjoy the cookery demos as the kids weren't happy to stand for that long - it may have been better if there were seats available - and as such they were a bit noisy so I whisked them away as I didn't want to disrupt the demo for the rest of the guests. There was a children's area with colouring in sheets and pencils but I think this could have benefited from more activities and things to do to keep little ones amused.

All in all it was an enjoyable experience and I have certainly been inspired to use lamb more.

Wednesday 24 September 2014

{Ice Bucket Challenge and MND Scotland}

The ALS MND Ice Bucket Challenge was started to raise awareness and money for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association in the UK and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association in the US although a lot of people started to donate to other charities too.

Motor Neurone Disease is a group of illnesses that cause damage to the nerves (motor neurones). These are the nerves that control our muscles. Initial symptoms are muscle weakness. Different muscles may be affected in different people, so some may have trouble walking or lifting their arms whilst others can struggle to speak, chew and swallow. The disease gets worse with time and may also spread to other muscles. Sufferers can lose the use of their limbs or parts of their body.

I was nominated for the challenge three times, and with much consideration I had decided not to participate. I was of the opinion that throwing a bucket of ice over my head wasn't going to achieve anything as there were so many other videos already out there. When I had seen that people had injured themselves, and I think someone even died participating (not sure if that was a hoax or not) then I was keen for the challenges just to stop.

That was until my friends Peter & Jenn came to Glasgow from Newcastle for the weekend and I was sort of forced to participate. Peter was the first to nominate me!

It was absolute carnage.

I had explained to the kids that R was going to pour cold water over mummy's head and got them watering cans full of cold water so they could join in too.

Both they and I did not anticipate just how cold it was going to be. Cue my screams, and then lots of screaming and upset from them as they thought I was hurt or something. My son, bless him, went after R and tried to defend me...watch the clip below to see what happens! I suggest you turn down your volume though if you don't want to be deafened!


   

The most important thing though is to donate. I donated to MND Scotland. You can make a contribution to them by texting ICED14 £5 to 70070 to donate £5.

I didn't nominate anyone, but I ask you to please watch this... it's the last ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that you need to see:




Saturday 20 September 2014

{YouTube}

If you haven't already found me over on YouTube, then please do head on over and subscribe to my channel. It'd be much appreciated :-)

Some of my recent vlogs are this one for #vlogchallenge on the topic of 'What's in my fridge?'...



...and this one which is my day to day make-up using bareMinerals and the new bareSkin serum foundation - thank goodness for make-up as my skin is a state right now!!

Friday 19 September 2014

{Love The Little Things}

Joining in yet again with Morgana's #littleloves feature...

butwhymummywhy

Read

I've not really read much this week; I've been very busy with work, school runs and play dates (for the kids, not me!). We did have yesterday off as my son's school was being used as a polling station for the independence referendum. The two of us had a rare morning to ourselves as the littlest was at nursery. We had a mooch about the shops, went to the library to choose some new stories and then home to draw and craft. I'm considering getting a kitten, and so we picked some story books all about cats. 

Watched

This week I watched Great British Bake Off for the first time, and I'll be tuning in again. I rarely watch live TV, instead preferring to watch movies and box sets on Netflix. But this has encouraged me to start watching other programmes too. I used to watch cooking shows loads when I had Sky TV in the old house. The littlest and I watched a little of Barefoot Contessa which I stumbled upon a Freeview channel and we both enjoyed it. 

Wore

I was up in Aboyne for my cousin's wedding at the weekend, and I wore my Karen Millen dress again. I managed to just squeeze into it with the help of my Spanx! I'm a stone heavier than the last time I wore it! :-/

I think R looks a bit like Jude Law in this photo, but it may just be me...

Heard 

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Yes, autumn is well and truly here! I absolutely love autumn and I am already looking forward to snuggling on the sofa with hot chocolate in hand, fairy lights on and candles lit. Bliss!!

Made

The littlest and I made Banana and Chocolate Chip muffins this week. The recipe is here.

Yum... this is why I'm finding it so difficult to lose weight!

and Lastly...

You may be wondering what my thoughts are on the referendum. I did vote, and I'm pleased that we live in a country that allows us to vote and have a say in such decisions. There have been so many people engaged in the referendum, on both sides of the fence. The votes were counted during the night and it was announced this morning that Scotland voted 'No' to independence. What we need to do now is move forward and build a better UK.

{Recipe: Banana & Choc Chip Muffins}

We had friends coming over for a play date the other afternoon and so the littlest & I decided to bake some banana muffins to use up our bananas that had past their best. The recipe we used is based on a Mary Berry one which we found online on the Daily Mail website here.

{Ingredients}

100 g butter at room temperature
2 medium free range eggs
175 g caster sugar
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled
3 tablespoons milk, we used semi-skimmed
225 g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50 g milk chocolate chips

{Method}

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C. My oven is fan assisted.

2. Line a cupcake tin with paper cases. The recipe should make 12.

3. Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a mixer, and mix on low until combined. We used our KitchenAid stand mixer with the flat beater on number 1 for approx 5 minutes & then number 2 for a further 5 minutes or so.

4. Fold in the chocolate chips using a spoon or other kitchen utensil. I think we used a spatula!

5. Spoon the mixture into the cases.

6. Bake for around 25 minutes until the muffins have risen & are golden brown. I turned my oven up to 175 deg C for the last 5 minutes as at 20 minutes they didn't look golden.

7. Stick the kettle on & enjoy a warm muffin with mug of hot tea...perfect!

Ta da!!


They were really good, and our guests loved them too. Thumbs up!!

Another good recipe for bananas is this loaf. Equally yummy!!

Thursday 18 September 2014

{I want to ride a bicycle}


Progress in the cycling department with my son has been slow to say the least.

We were gifted an amazing red bike from Dale's Cycles in Glasgow in June. It's now 3 months since we collected said bike, and my son still isn't confident riding it. He's very cautious and will cycle holding onto the brake so that he doesn't go too fast.


I'm probably partly to blame because we don't practice enough. He's with his dad half the week, and then when I do have the kids we've generally got things on... school, swimming lessons, classes, catching up with friends... so cycling is low on my agenda.

However, when we were in Aberdeenshire last month sans children, we went for a bike ride and I really enjoyed it. I don't currently own a bike, and I think if my son saw me cycling then perhaps he'd be more inclined to cycle himself. So this is now going onto my wishlist... a grown-up bicycle for me. And then I guess I need to get the littlest one too otherwise she'll never keep up with us. I'm imagining family trips to the park, us all on our bikes. Perhaps with a wee picnic in tow... Trust me to have this inspiration when the weather is turning though!! 

Anyway, Katy Hill has a great YouTube tutorial on teaching your child to ride a bike. I just need to set aside some time to try it out. Fingers crossed I can get my son cycling soon!

Not great quality, but here's me aged 9 with my red BMX for #throwbackthursday. 
This was when we lived in the Middle East :-)

Wednesday 17 September 2014

{My Current Fashion Wishlist}

I thought I'd share some of my fashion wants with you...


I really need this Angelpixielove t-shirt! R says 'I love your face' to me a lot, or sometimes when we've not seen each other for a few days it becomes 'I miss your face'. I'd also love some of the Angelpixielove leggings, maybe once I'm back at my target weight I could pull them off. Plus they're based in Scotland, yay :-)

The zip bust on my much loved Mint Velvet bandage skirt, but it had seen me well over the last 3 years. Time to purchase a new work skirt, and I actually really like the look of this faux leather one, again from Mint Velvet. I think it would be a great capsule wardrobe piece that could be dressed up or down.


I've not had much luck with my footwear these past few months either. I had to throw out two pairs of ankle boots from Tesco because the sole went on one of them and the zip bust on the other. I also had a pair of cheap knee high patent boots from Next last winter but they had to get chucked too and the brown leather ones I have just now from Tesco are nearing the end of their life as well. What I'm realising is that I should probably invest in a more expensive pair of boots rather than constantly buying cheap pairs that don't last. So suggestions for a pair of smart-ish flat-ish non-suede knee length and/or ankle boots that would work well for work and also the weekend would be much appreciated! That's not too much to ask for is it? ;-) 

My Boden faux leopard print boots lasted 3 years, but they're now tired looking and the fur is worn out in places. However because of how long they lasted in comparison to the cheap boots above that lasted less than a year, I'd consider buying from Boden again. I quite like these Brogued Chelsea Boots:


I also like these knee length boots from Mint Velvet:


The only other item that I could be done with at the moment now that we're heading into autumn, is a new jumper. I have an orange SuperDry hoodie that I love for my casual days, but my sparkly jumpers from Christmas 2012 have now seen better days and I need a replacement.

With my love of sequins, I instantly fell in love with this Biba sweater at House of Fraser...


Or this one with the sequin shoulder detail:



Decisions, decisions! 

Tuesday 16 September 2014

{No7 colour matching lipstick service}

 I was invited along to Boots at Glasgow Fort to try their new No7 Match Made Lipstick Service.


Pamela talked me through the process of finding your perfect lipstick colour, and I was loving that the whole thing was rather scientific...

The No7 Match Made device (or "doofer"as Pamela referred to it!) was used to read my skin colour and matched it to a shade of foundation. Readings are taken from both sides of your face near the jawline, because if you drive like me, then one side of your face will get the sun more than the other. Something I hadn't even considered.

I was found to be Cool Ivory.

Armed with this knowledge, I was then able to grab the card for my skin colour which detailed all the lipsticks that would suit my skin tone.

Pamela tried out two different lipsticks on me - a neutral colour to start with, and then a bright pink. Both of the lipsticks really suited my colouring and I would have happily worn both. But I was drawn more to the brighter of the two. From the comments on Instagram, it would appear that my friends & followers think the colour suits me too.


The Stay Perfect lipstick goes on really easily, it's sort of got a creamy texture compared to some lipsticks I have which are more matte and as such it feels quite moisturising. I wore it to a wedding at the weekend and it didn't last as long as I thought it would as it wore off in the centre of my lips, but it looked good nonetheless and I was able to top up my lippy after the dinner.

I just love the colour!! Apparently people would pay for lips like mine and I'm very lucky ;-)

For each skin tone, there are a selection of shades that are recommended. For Cool Ivory for example, there are 12 Moisture Drench lipsticks and 6 Stay Perfect lipsticks in a range of colours.

Whilst I was there, I may have also bought two new No7 nail polishes... which I of course needed to match my dress for the wedding I was at!

Thank you Pamela at No7 at Boots Glasgow Fort.

I was given a complimentary lipstick for the purpose of this review. Opinions as always honest and are my own. 

Monday 15 September 2014

{Striking Mums - Learning}

Kate on thin Ice Striking Mums

I was amazed at the quote Kate shared in her Striking Mums post this week... "Learning brings more happiness than having sex, playing or watching sport or doing the National Lottery". Is this really true?? 

I've always been a keen learner. Since moving to Glasgow 10 years ago, I've completed various night classes... interior design, reflexology, Indian head massage, digital photography... as well as one-off classes in wine tastingbiscuit decorating, flower arrangingtrapeze, cupcakes, gin tasting and pottery. I've also done some cookery courses too. 

1. When was the last time you gave your brain a workout? Trying to figure out how to make a loom band bracelet for my daughter took some brain power. I've mastered a simple one, but still need to attempt the more complex ones. If anyone has a decent YouTube tutorial that they could share, it'd be much appreciated!

2. What would you really love to learn? I'd love to learn how to use html and take a night class in digital design. They've been on my list for ages, and yet I haven't really made any effort to make progress with them. I'd also love to learn how to make macaroons. There's even a course on a Tuesday evening for macaroons at The Cookery School in Glasgow that would suit me perfectly as that's a night that the kids are with their dad. Perhaps once I get paid this month I'll just book it :-)


3. What prevents you learning something new? Simple, it's a lack of time that's my big issue. I seem to be constantly busy and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

4. Who can support you with your learning and how? Hmmm... I guess I should just set aside some time each week and make it a priority. Especially if it's going to bring me lots of happiness as per Kate's quote. I could work on some html tutorials in the evenings when the kids are asleep, even if it's just for an hour or so once a fortnight. I'll try and make it a habit moving forward.




Friday 12 September 2014

{Love the little things}

Joining in again with Morgana's Love the Little Things linky.

butwhymummywhy


Read

Again, I've not managed to pick up a book this week. Well, that's not technically true as I've been reading plenty with the kids, but I've not picked up a book for me to read this week! I have read the Sainsbury's magazine though. I used to be a subscriber, but times are tight and on the rare occasion I buy a magazine, this would probably be my magazine of choice. It's got a good mix of recipes, fashion & beauty and interiors. I always find that the recipes from Sainsbury's magazine work really well, first time and most of them I'd like to try at home too. Definitely worth a look if you haven't before. One of the articles this month was about having time alone and that it is crucial for your welllbeing. I completely agree. I love alone time and I'm quite happy in my own company.

I also loved the post by Sharon at Honesty and Humour called I can...because I have children. Sharon spent a whole afternoon doing jigsaws and loved it. Today I bought some hama beads as I loved this as a child, and I can't wait to do some crafting with the kids when I get them back from their dad next week.

Watched

I continue to watch my children change and grow. It's amazing the difference since my son has started school, even in just a few weeks. He's becoming much more independent and it makes me so proud. I love the wee boy that he's turning into. He's confident, funny, friendly, creative and very loving.

Wore

Today I had a colour matching session with No7 at Boots Glasgow Fort. I'll post more on this separately, but I loved the lip colour that was chosen for me :-)



Heard

It's a big month here in Scotland. Next week we will be voting either for or against independence. If you haven't seen it already, this Sky news mash-up is just hilarious. Made me chuckle somewhat!! I saw something on Twitter about the fact that we're living through such a historic moment and it's so true.


Made

I put together these Ikea shelves for the littlest's bedroom. She loved them, as do I!


And lastly...

My healthy eating and exercise has started to pay off. I've managed to get my weight down from 12 stone 8 lbs to 11 stone 12 lbs. Thank goodness for that! The fact that I'm starting to see the numbers go down is a huge motivation and hopefully I can keep it up. I'd love to get to under 11 stone 7 lbs and tone up a bit more.

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...