Bedtime Routine & a GIVEAWAY

For a while, my son's bedtime routine at my house involved listening to an audio book after we had read a few stories together. However the Fireman Sam audio book was a bad choice on my part as it got him too excited and I needed something a bit more relaxing than the high action stories of fire fighting in Pontypandy. The concept was genius though as it did encourage him to stay in bed as he focused on the words as they floated round his little bedroom.

Now he's a bit older, instead of a star reward chart we are keeping tally of points on the blackboard in the kitchen. He gets 10 points if he goes to bed on time and a bonus of 5 points if he stays in bed until 7am. There are minus points if he gets up!! He is highly competitive, so this seems to work as he competes against his little sister for the top spot each week. The reward is a treat of some form... I'm yet to decide what this will be, but perhaps it could be a Lego minifigure, or an ice cream (where has the sun gone though!?).

Anyway, step in Vicky Arlidge with her 'Lullabies for Children' CD. The CD is 45 minutes of relaxing lullabies that have captivated both my son and daughter. Unlike some children's CDs, I am able to listen to this also without it annoying me! We read our usual bedtime stories and then I press play on the CD player in our hallway... hey presto, the kids lie and relax and listen to the vocals and I can crack on with the housework (or perhaps put my feet up and chill myself!).

Want to try the CD for yourself? I have three CDs for my lovely followers to win! All you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK entrants only please
There will be three winners, each receiving one CD
No cash alternative
Competition ends on 2nd August
Good luck!

Thank you to Vicky Arlidge for providing this prize. Her CDs can be bought on Amazon here for £2.99 with free delivery.

What's On: Foodies Festival, Edinburgh plus a GIVEAWAY

Next month the Foodies Festival is back at Edinburgh's Inverleith Park on 7th, 8th and 9th August. We had a brilliant time there last year and are super excited to be returning. It was such a fantastic weekend - you can find my previous post here and below is the vlog I created from our weekend antics. This year I'm taking my wee sister Ali & her other half Robin along with us - it's going to be so much fun.

For the 10th Anniversary Celebrations, the event is going to be 50% bigger and there are loads of interesting demos, an extended Producers Market and a huge selection of street food to feast upon...Japanese, Thai, Brazilian, Argentinian, Indian, Mexican, French, African...

There are some hands on masterclasses that sound intriguing... bee keeping, oyster shucking and foraging. There is going to be food and drink pairing masterclasses in the new Wine, Champagne and Craft Beer Theatre; daily cocktail competitions between local bars to find Edinburgh's Best Mixologist and cake modelling and sugar-craft workshops in the Cake & Bake Theatre. It all sounds brilliant!!

For the kids there are Picnic in the Park themed masterclasses in the Children's Cookery Theatre where they can learn to make finger sandwiches, jellies and chocolate bugs (all children under 12 years old go free when accompanied by an adult).

There is also a Chilli Eating Competition that I'm sure Rick will be up for.. can he win the Chilli Eating Crown?

And guess what? I have three pair of tickets up for grabs!! All you need to do is follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't win the tickets, then you can buy yours online at www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111.

Competition runs 15th July to 29th July.
There will be three winners; picked at random.
Each prize is one pair of tickets; no cash alternative available.
Thanks to @LanyardMedia for providing this prize

Giveaway Four - Beauty Hamper from House of Fraser

I would absolutely love for you to vote for me in the Clickstay Mummy Blogger Awards. It takes 2 seconds and you can vote here up to once daily. I'm currently in third place, but I would be over the moon if I made it into the top spot as the prize is £1000 towards a villa in Portugal which would allow me to go with the kids on our first family holiday in the sun. Thanks so much for your ongoing support - it's much appreciated. Sarah x
Yesterday was the official birthday of the Glasgow Mummy blog! I have been writing on these pages for four years now... can you believe it? 

No, neither can I!!

I have a final giveaway to share with you to thank you for your support over the years... House of Fraser, Glasgow have very kindly made me up a Beauty Hamper for one lucky reader. If you're aren't the lucky winner, then HOF have the Big Brand Sale running just now with up to 50% off; definitely worth checking out.

So what's in the stash I hear you ask? Well, there is...

A zebra print Roberto Cavalli clutch bag

Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Wash, 50 mL

Azzaro Pour Homme, £30 mL

Yohji Yamamoto Eau de Parfum, 10 mL

Yohji Homme Eau de Toilette, 10 mL

Nails Inc Snowflake, Whitechapel 14 mL

Clinique Clarifying Lotion, 30 mL

Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover, 30 mL

Clarins HydraQuench Cream, 5 mL

Clarins HydraQuench Mask, 5 mL

Clarins Men Super Moisture Balm, 5 mL

Plus samples of the following:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Jean Paul Gaultier Madame EDT

Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male EDT

Davidoff Cool Water EDT

Vivienne Westwood Cheeky Alice EDT

Elie Saab le Parfum Couture

Elie Saab le Parfum Intense

Paisley Etro EDT

And then I threw in a few things from me too:

Molton Brown Heavenly Ginger Body Cream, 100 mL

Origins GinZing refreshing eye cream (sample)

Origins GinZing refreshing scrub cleanser (sample)

cK 3-in-1 face make-up (sample)

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (sample)

Priori Skin Renewal Cream (sample)

Prior Barrier Repair Complex (sample)

All you need to do is enter the rafflecopter below... easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.
UK entrants only please.
No cash alternative available.
Good luck :-)

Have you voted here? Thanks again!!!! Apologies for all the spam, it'll stop soon!

Giveaway Three - £50 to spend at Glasgow Fort

Can you believe it's June already? This month my blog turns 4 years old, and I've another great giveaway to share with you all.

I have £50 to spend at Glasgow Fort up for grabs!

Glasgow Fort, which is now open even longer, has a fantastic new M&S which opened on 21st May and FatFace will be launching later this month. In addition to all the existing eateries, there's now a Wagamama - yum!!

I love the Glasgow Fort - it's really not that far from the city centre and there are so many great shops plus restaurants and a cinema at the one location. The huge draw for me is the long opening hours which have been further extended!! The new hours are:

Monday - Friday, 9am - 10pm

Saturday, 9am - 8pm

Sunday, 10am - 7pm

To win this prize, all you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.

No cash alternative.

Prize must be collected from Glasgow Fort.

Thank you Glasgow Fort for providing a fantastic prize.

Glasgow Fort

Junction 10 M8

Glasgow

G34 9DL

Giveaway Two - bareMinerals Palette

Following on from the success of my St Enoch Centre £50 voucher giveaway, I have another fantastic prize to celebrate my 4th blog birthday.

Next up is this fantastic palette from one of my favourite brands, bareMinerals:

bareMinerals READY To Go Complexion Perfection Palette (RRP £35)

The palette features bareMinerals innovative solid mineral technology and includes the following mini products in a stylish bag:

• READY SPF 20 Foundation in R250 (for medium neutral skin tones)
• READY Touch Up Veil in Medium
• READY Bronzer in The High Dive
• READY Luminizer in The Love Affair
• Correcting Concealer in Medium 2
• Precision Kabuki brush
• Tapered Face brush

It's an ideal travel set for your summer holiday, don't you think?

All you need to do to win is enter the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.

No cash alternative available.

UK entrants only please.

Competition ends on 31st May 2015.

Thank you bareMinerals for providing this prize.

Giveaway One - Happy Birthday to Us with St Enoch Centre

I have been writing my blog now for almost four years. Yep, four years!! I can't quite believe it. I am super proud of my blog and the little space on the Internet that I have created. 

I love to share what we get up to - the good times & bad - this is real life after all! 

I am so happy that I've been capturing our memories and photographs and I really enjoy reading through my blog archive. Plus there's now video blogs too! 

I love the emails I get from my followers who have been inspired by my story which has given them hope in their own dark times.

I am grateful for the advice and suggestions I've had from readers who have been in similar situations to myself which has been a huge help to me.

It may not mean much to some, but reaching my blog 4th birthday in June is a big deal to me!

There's another big birthday approaching in Glasgow soon. The St Enoch Centre is going to be 26 years old this month!! 

The kids & I have had some fantastic times at the St Enoch Centre...from partying with Mickey Mouse at the Disney Store to meeting Santa at his grotto... from bee keeping on the roof to meeting celebrities at Mothercare!

There's a great selection of shops; the kids are big fans of the Disney Store and Hamley's and mummy loves Debenhams, BHS, H&M and Boots. Last time we were at the Centre as a family we had food at Ed's Easy Diner which was yum! Plus it's super handy to get to... We tend to use the subway park and ride; the kids love getting on the subway train and it takes us right to the Centre! But there is also plenty of parking at the Centre and I've never had an issue finding a space.

Anyway, to celebrate both birthdays, the St Enoch Centre have kindly given me a £50 gift voucher as a competition prize for one of my followers! All you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.

No cash alternative.

The winner will be able to collect their voucher from Customer Services at the St Enoch Centre.
Competition ends on Sunday 17th May.

P.S. I've a few more great giveaways coming soon... keep watching this space!

Giveaway - There's always time for tea!

Hello folks...

I've been a little quiet this week on social media as I've been working longer hours at my new job and trying my best to quickly get into a new routine. Things are a tad stressful, my house is a tip and I am coming down with a cold...not good!

Anyway, one thing that always makes me feel better is a nice cup of tea (I have one in my hand as I write this!), or even a hot Ribena and this week I've been on the Lemsip too! The littlest even likes a warm juice!!

I sometimes find that just taking a few minutes out to prepare a cuppa is enough to relax me a bit!! At my new work we have boiling water on tap, but I don't have that luxury at home...

I've been kindly offered a Breville Traditional Kettle in Vanilla Cream to giveaway to one of my lucky followers by House of Fraser. It has a 3kW fastboil element for a quick cuppa and 360 degree base for left- and right-hand use. House of Fraser have a wide selection of stylish kettles for your hot water needs whether it be for tea, coffee or juice!

All you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck :)

Open to UK residents only

There is only one prize

No cash alternative
The giveaway ends on Monday 2nd February

Giveaway: Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair

It's no secret that I absolutely adore Christmas. This wasn't always the case, but I think with the addition of the little ones, Christmas is once again magical and I love the run up to the big day each year. (However the shops are getting earlier and earlier at introducing their Christmas stock and I think September is far too early for Christmas!)

Anyway, if you haven't been already, then you really must check out the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair, which arrives at the SECC Glasgow on 20th - 23rd November 2014. It's a must for all Christmas fans like me!

There will be almost 300 stalls under the one roof, selling gifts, decorations and festive food; and in addition to the stalls there are three informative theatres - cookery, lifestyle and craft & create - each offering advice and demonstrations. The art demo on 'painting a stag' intrigues me and I would love to get along to the 'creative gift wrapping and styling' session.

Ticket details can be found here, and if you insert the code Blog14 then you will be given a discount of £1 off the ticket price. This offer is valid until the day before the fair, at all three fairs - Glasgow, Harrogate and London.

I do have two tickets up for grabs however and all you need to do is follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below. Huzzah!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Giveaway ends on Wed 12th November, which will allow me enough time to get the tickets sent out to the lucky winner.
UK residents only please.
Prize is two tickets for the Glasgow fair, there is no alternative prize.

{Giveaway - £50 Aldi voucher and a hamper}

Following on from the huge success of my Peanut Butter Brownies that I made with the littlest to celebrate National Baking Week, we decided to try another Aldi recipe.

Have a look at our vlog where my sister, Auntie Ali, is making Cherry & Almond Cupcakes with the eldest.



I am delighted to offer a £50 Aldi voucher and a hamper of 'The Pantry' goodies as a competition prize so you can create your own sweet treats.

All you need to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK entrants only please.
There is only one prize and no cash alternative is available.
The giveaway ends on 23rd October 2014.

Good luck :-)

{Ideal Home Show Ticket Giveaway}

I am very excited to be going to the Ideal Home Show at Glasgow's SECC on 23rd - 26th May. It looks set to be a great day out.

The team of celebrity experts on hand are TV Interiors guru John Amabile, architect and presenter George Clarke, award-winning gardens expert Diarmuid Gavin, foodie favourite Gregg Wallace, Gadget-guru Suzi Perry and joining the team this year as our Ideal Woman Ambassador is popular television presenter Carol Smillie.

Ideal Interiors Ambassador John Amabile not only runs a successful interior design company but is also part of the 60-minute makeover television series, which he filmed last year with Peter Andre. John will be on hand with top tips on how best to keep your home up-to-date with the latest trends and he will be creating a stunning room set at the show for visitors to explore. 

Following on from his hugely successful TV shows, Restoration Man and George Clarke’s Amazing  Spaces, architect George will be offering advice on how to make the most of your home. (I am very excited about seeing George!)

For the greener fingered visitor, learn how to prepare your outdoor space for summer with help from Diarmuid, the foremost expert in the UK for gardens and garden design. (And I definitely need some tips from Diarmuid for my garden!!)

Popular television presenter Gregg Wallace will be bringing back his exclusive show restaurant giving visitors the chance to taste the best of local produce with a selection of delicious dishes.

Meanwhile Carol Smillie will be adding glamour and making sure everyone is looking fabulous with her top fashion and beauty tips.

Technology and Gadgets Ambassador, Suzi Perry and her team will be previewing and showcasing the latest gadgets and gizmos to ensure your home is at the forefront of innovation.

This will be the fourth Ideal Home Show Scotland under the ownership of Media 10. 

Lee Newton, Media 10’s Managing Director said, “The show in Scotland has grown from strength to strength since its launch in 2011. It’s a much loved, renowned and well supported event and an integral part of our Ideal Home Show brand. It’s an exciting year for Scotland with so much going on in the country and we’re expecting this show to be our biggest yet.”

***GIVEAWAY***

I have 4 pairs of tickets to giveaway to my readers.

Just tell me, which celebrity expert would you love to meet?

Please follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end on Tuesday 20th May at midnight allowing me time to get the tickets posted out to the lucky winners. UK residents only please, and there is no alternative prize. 

Thanks, and good luck! If you don't win the tickets btw, then book your tickets online using the details below to receive a free guide and magazine worth over £6...

Tickets only £10*
+ FREE GUIDE & MAGAZINE

Book your tickets now and take advantage of our great £10* ticket offer and you will save £5 off the door rate and beat the queues! Plus you’ll receive a FREE Show guide + FREE Ideal Home Magazine* (worth over £6) to be collected at the show upon arrival. To book visit www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk or call 0844 854 2014 and quote IHSS10. Don’t forget there’s no booking fee and Kids 15 and under go FREE. 

*Book before 22 May 2014. Advance booking offer. Concessions not included. No booking fee. Children aged 15 and under go FREE when accompanied by a paying adult (Maximum 2). No group tickets available on this offer. Strictly limited to 1 guide, 1 magazine per household, while stocks last. Valid, personalized show guide and magazine vouchers can only be exchanged at the show on date of visit where they will be scanned and verified. Vouchers are non-transferable, non-assignable and there are no cash alternatives. Calls cost 6p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

{Giveaway: Microsoft's Great British Type Off}

On average 45% of us start typing on our devices before 9am each day!

(I probably start around 7am, and can sometimes even been found tweeting at 2am if the kids are up!)

Microsoft's Great British Type Off lands in Glasgow on Saturday 7th December at Curry's Braehead, Glasgow. The tour is hitting 20 UK locations, so don't worry if you're not in Glasgow! Follow the tour on Twitter with the hashtag #GBTypeOff.

At the event, some of the newest keyboards will be exhibited which are designed to aid and improve typing speed and comfort. You can even test and try them out to discover what kind of typer you are. Plus, there will be some great prizes including a luxury holiday.

It's not a holiday, but the lovely people at Microsoft have gifted me a Sculpt Ergonomic keyboard & mouse to giveaway to one of my lovely readers, with an RRP of £99.99. You just need to follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below.

Microsoft Sculpt Desktop

I can't make it along to the event unfortunately, so took the test at home. Turns out I'm the PERFECT TYPE!

The Ergonomic keyboard is ideal for me based on my answers, and I was sent the keyboard above to try. I think it will take some getting used to, but after just a quick shot (I was keen to get this post live!) I can tell it's going to be much better for my wrists than my current one. I'll keep you updated with how I get on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UK entrants only please.

There is only one prize and no cash alternative is available.

The giveaway ends on Sunday 8th December.

Good luck :-)

I was given a complimentary Microsoft Sculpt Desktop for myself as well as one for the giveaway as part of this blog post. Opinions are always my own and are honest. 

{Giveaway: Hamleys Joy Bear}

After our successful trip to meet Santa at the St Enoch Centre, I thought I'd share the info for the Christmas events at Hamleys.

From Saturday 30th November until Tuesday 24th December, there is the opportunity to meet Santa at Hamleys in the St Enoch Centre for breakfast, lunch or tea.

The exclusive event allows your child to have an interactive Christmas experience and Hamleys elves will be serving up yummy food as well as entertainment, arts and crafts, biscuit decorating, music, singing, dancing and more.

The sessions are 1 hour and cost £25 per child.

Mon - Fri: Preschool Breakfast & Tea (2 - 5 years only)

Sat & Sun: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch & Tea (2 - 10 years)

Preschool breakfast: 10.30 - 11.30am

Breakfast: 9.30 - 10.30am

Brunch: 11.30 - 12.30pm

Lunch: 2 - 3pm

Tea: 4.30 - 5.30pm (Mon-Fri)

6.30 - 7.30pm (Mon-Fri)

4 - 5pm (Sat/Sun)

Hopefully that all makes sense... you can visit www.hamleys.com/glasgow for more.

Anyway, whilst we were at the St Enoch Centre we received a goodie bag for each of my little ones, in which was a Hamleys Joy Bear. I also received a bear in my hamper that I won as part of the People Make Glasgow instagram competition.

I've decided that seeing as I've been so lucky, that I would share some of the gifts with you here and I'm going to giveaway the three bears to my lovely readers. Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.

Aren't they so cute! Hamleys Joy Bear, £15

UK entrants only please.

There will be three winners, each receiving one Joy bear.

There is no alternative prize.

Giveaway ends on 18th November 2013.

Good luck :-)

WebRep

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Giveaway: Grow Wild}

***Congratulations to Lynsey from Girl in the Granite who has won the competition and will be enjoying afternoon tea for two at Glasgow Botanic Gardens - thank you all for entering! ***

Grow Wild, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, is an exciting campaign bringing people together to do something positive for where they live by sowing native wild flowers.

There are three Scottish sites that are in the running to receive a £100,000 Grow Wild transformation.

There can only be one winner...

The shortlisted sites are:

• Belville in Greenock
• Frog Pond, Dedridge, Livingston, West Lothian
• The Water Works, Barrhead, East Renfrewshire

On Saturday this weekend (26th October) the people behind Grow Wild will be at Silverburn Shopping Centre. You can have your photograph taken in the Grow Wild customised photobooth and vote in person for the site you like the most.

There should also be a widget here (*crosses fingers*) which will allow you to vote online.

This weekend I was at Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and spotted some Grow Wild initiatives happening in the grounds. I hadn't been to the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens before, but the gardens and buildings beautiful (even on a drizzly day!).

***Giveaway***

As a thank you for voting, I've been given a voucher for afternoon tea for two people at either Glasgow Botanic Gardens or Edinburgh Botanic Gardens - your choice :-)

Just fill in the Rafflecopter below... good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway