#LittleLoves

// Read

I have been catching up on Charlotte's blog this week 'Write Like No-one is Watching' and there are so many of her posts that I can relate to. She's a beautiful writer; her recent post 'Almost Three' brought a wee tear to my eye.

// Watched

My friend Carolyn lent me her copy of Gone Girl on DVD which I watched with Rick the other evening. I enjoyed it but it was pretty graphic in a few places, and like the book I was disappointed with the ending. I was trying to figure out where I recognised the female lead Rosamund Pike from and have discovered from IMDb that she was also in Jack Reacher which I watched fairly recently.

// Heard

I've been dancing and jumping around the house with four songs on repeat... OMI, Cheerleader; LunchMoney Lewis, Bills; G.R.L., Ugly Heart and Mark Ronson, Uptown Funk.

// Wore

I bought a couple of new dresses in M&S the other day. As I spent over £60 I qualified for the M&S Beauty Box... I've already tried one of the Leighton Denny nail polishes and really liked it.

I wore my new M&S grey dress out for dinner with Carolyn on Friday night. We went to Ho Wong in Glasgow city centre for Chinese food and it was just amazing. Such a fantastic restaurant. I was also wearing my new glasses from Optical Express which I collected on Friday after work. I was worried that they were perhaps a little big for my face but the more I wear them the more I'm getting used to them.

// Made

This week the littlest and I made Mint Chocolate Brownies using fresh mint from our garden. They were so yummy! 

I also made my new desk which arrived from Made.com - I'm already loving the extra table top space in comparison to my previous dinky one.

We had a BBQ on Saturday afternoon. I got the BBQ started, and then Rick took over and did all the cooking. We were a bit disorganised, but we'll know better for next time. The weather has been so erratic lately. Thankfully we got a dry day, but it did get rather cold!

// And Lastly...

I have another fantastic competition starting tomorrow with Glasgow Fort, so do come back and find out the details on Monday.

Hope you had a great week.

Sarah x

#LittleLoves

// Watched

I seem to have been super busy this week and I haven't really watched much if I'm honest. I had a fab weekend spending quality time with the kiddies on my own... we enjoyed the Festival of Museums on Saturday and travelled around Glasgow on various vintage buses checking out the free museums which were running a variety of activities for this event. It was really good fun. I'm in the process of putting together a vlog with our antics and hopefully this will be up soon. One thing I really enjoy watching is my own vlogs... is that really sad? Particularly when the kids are with their dad it's nice to be able to choose a video and see their wee faces.

If you haven't already subscribed, then you can find Glasgow Mummy on YouTube here.

// Read

Must try harder with this category! All I seem to have been reading lately is nursery newsletters, credit card statements and lawyer bills!!

I was out for dinner on Tuesday night with some friends at Sugar Dumplin in Princes Square, Glasgow. The restaurant is a Caribbean BBQ & Bar and I loved the interior decor and the menu was also great (trying hard to think of things I've read!). There were plenty gluten-free options which was ideal for me. I had BBQ Jerk Chicken with green slaw and rice with peas washed down with a virgin apple mojito. Delish!

// Wore

I'm about to dash to the shops to pick up some walking boots. This weekend I'm kiddie-free so Rick & I are going to head into the countryside to do some hill walking. Keep an eye on my Instagram for updates!

// Made

We have done a little bit of crafting this week but nothing really exciting... a few paintings using straws and some Hama bead coasters. The littlest broke my son's coaster and he was devastated. I'm hoping to piece it back together for him!

// Heard

I'm still loving OMI Cheerleader. I know that I can't sing, but I enjoy dancing around and singing with the little ones...watch this vlog where you can see what I mean about the singing...!!


// And lastly...

I have a giveaway running right now to win a bareMinerals palette. Do check out the competition here where you will find all the details for entering.

Have a great bank holiday weekend folks!

Sarah x

#LittleLoves

It's been so long since I took part in Morgana's #LittleLoves and I've really missed joining in. It's quite nice just to take stock each week and look back on the small things that have made me happy.

// Watched

Movie wise I've watched Oblivion with Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman. It started well, but then I wasn't convinced by the ending. I'm not sure I would recommend it. We've also started watching House of Cards on Netflix and we're already on Series 2 (clearly we watch too much TV!).

As I type this I've got Made in Chelsea on in the background - my guilty pleasure!

// Read

I've got a few books on my nightstand and on my Kindle but I just haven't had the time to turn the pages. Rick & I were in London the other weekend and I did read on the plane but I am looking forward to a lazy Sunday, wrapped in a blanket (or ideally sitting in the sun on a lounger in the garden but the weather isn't proving too great at the moment!) getting stuck into a good book.

// Made

Not very much I'm sad to say!

// Wore

I picked up a few new dresses in Cos last time I was in town which I have been wearing to work. I love both of them - they're very wearable, wash well and I don't need to iron them - result!! One is a black dress which you can see below, the other is a grey jersey number which was in the sale - it's super comfy yet is smart enough for work.

Dress with Draped Pockets, £69 at Cos

// Heard

I just love this song by Lunchmoney Lewis... it's the one song on the radio at the moment that makes me crank up the volume.



// And lastly...

For my more local followers, I have a competition running just now with the St Enoch Centre where you can win a £50 voucher. It's very simple to enter, and you can find the details here.

#LittleLoves 13

I'm totally out of sync with my #LittleLoves posts, but here is this week's contribution...

// Watched

I enjoy books and films that are real to life. I seem to be drawn to films about affairs because I want to try and understand why someone would have one. I watched Closer and The Other Man on a rare weekend night to myself.

Closer - Two couples meet, cheat and deceive each other

The Other Man - the story of a husband who suspects his wife of adultery, and sets out to track down the other man in her life

// Heard 

Lots of laughter this week (and the odd tantrum too!). I've had the kids for 10 nights over the Easter break, and now they are with their dad for 10 nights. I'm looking forward to catching up on sleep, my blog and getting back into a routine again at work after a week off at Piperdam (more on this in a vlog!). I also need to get back onto healthy eating as my weight has crept up a bit!

// Made

Easter Crowns for the last day of school...

// Wore

I treated myself to my first Urban Decay palette... I went for Naked 2...

// Read

I read Psychologies magazine whilst on a work trip to Bristol...

// And lastly...

This is why you should never work with children... the out-takes at the end are hilarious!!

#LittleLoves 12

I'm back with my weekly #LittleLoves post.

I seem to have missed a week - oops, and I'm also late - sorry!!

// Watched

Disney on Ice with the kids!!! We had a fantastic time...

// Wore

The kids have been wearing their new shoes from Brantano.

And the littlest chose to go out wearing two different shoes!!

// Read

Lots of emails....work is hectic (but I love it!).

I read a lovely post by Charlotte from Write Like No One's Watching entitled 'Castle'. Sticking with our Disney experience, this post has a fairy tale theme.

// Made

Nothing much at all... I've had a super busy week! No baking at all, my work colleagues will be disappointed!

My dad & his wife Jo came to visit last weekend and they kindly gave up their weekend to help me with some DIY jobs around the house... rim lock door handles, a new number sign at my front door and a faulty light was also replaced. I'm thankful that I have family that are willing and able to help out. It was my intention to then paint my front door this weekend as I'm kiddie-free, but the weather is not good at all and so I'll have to re-think my plans.

// Heard

My daughter and her very cute chat. She really is such a lovely little girl (most of the time!). We were at House of Fraser to meet their PR rep, Kimberly, this week for a cuppa (& cake!)... hopefully some exciting news coming soon. Anyway, the littlest was given three perfume samples as we passed by one of the stands in the department store. She chose to keep one for herself, and she wrapped up the other two (with my help) to give them to her nursery teachers. Isn't that just so adorable!

// And Lastly...


A little weight loss update for you... I'm now down at 11 stone 9lbs. Progress is slow, but I'm going in the right direction. That said I'm starting to notice big differences in my shape. So the scales may say that I'm making little progress (I've dropped only 1 lb in three weeks!) but my body is saying different. I feel trimmer around my middle that's for sure... to the point where I think I either need to invest in a new, smaller, belt or get some new jeans that are smaller!! I don't want to loose too much more weight, maybe 4 or 5 lbs, but instead I want to get toned up. I've really been enjoying my zumba classes and PT sessions and now the weather is starting to improve I'll hopefully go out running again.

#LittleLoves 10

For once I'm organised and I've scheduled my #LittleLoves post in advance. Go me!

// Watched

I've not watched anything new this week... I've been super busy with work and the kids. I think the only thing I've seen is a bit more of Orange is the New Black. I'm starting to think I need to limit time watching TV as I'm trying to get stuff organised and sorted at the house and there is just so much to do, but not enough time to do it in.

// Wore

I picked up a copy of Marie Claire this week and it had a free Nails Inc polish - thank you very much! It's a fab colour, although my nails seem to chip far too quickly/easily for my liking. Any suggestions for a top coat that works?

// Read

I bought Marie Claire (see above!), and I actually found the time this week to read it! Even the littlest enjoyed looking at the pictures and picking out her favourite nail polish and lipstick colour as we had a lazy morning in bed at the weekend! She's such a wee girl!!

// Heard

The littlest sing her heart out to Let It Go... and I may have joined in! It's all captured in our weekend vlog here...



// Made

We made vanilla biscuits this week that we then iced and decorated during a play date when my son's friend from school came to the house. The boys weren't all that fussed, but the littlest loves to bake!

// And Lastly...

I've not been making much progress with my 35 at 35 list and I'm getting concerned that I won't be able to finish it by the time I turn 35 years old in January 2017. There are three big holidays on the list... Disneyland, Japan and Australia and I think I was clearly being too ambitious when I wrote the list. There's also eating out at two restaurants in Edinburgh (The Kitchen and Martin Wishart Restaurant). All these things take time and money, both of which are limited right now!

I think the two things I need to try and complete in the next few months are 'do something crazy for charity' and 'pay off my student loan'. I got an annual statement through the post the other day and I think my loan will be paid off by May. About time! I just need to finally decide on the 'something crazy', get it booked and get some sponsorship money in. Skydive is off the table as I'm too chicken, but I'm thinking an abseil would be a good second option.

#LittleLoves 9

Late to the party this week, but here's my #LittleLoves post.

// Watched

One of my new colleagues Kevin (he's asked for a mention! *waves*) gave me his copy of Lucy to watch. Lucy is an action/sci-fi/thriller starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman amongst others. I really like Morgan Freeman - he's up there in my top 10 favourite actors. I tried to keep an open mind as I much prefer true to life movies, but I really struggled to get into this and ended up not watching the last half hour as I had ironing and stuff that needed done for the next morning. It was just too far fetched. Sorry!

{image source}

We've also been watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix and I can't help but feel that it's glamorising prison. I appreciate that it's a TV show and it's a drama, not real-life, but it's starting to make prison look appealing and I'm pretty sure that real-life prison is not a fun place to be! I remember my mum giving me a book to read when I was younger about drug users. She had asked me to read it before we gave it to my little sister because she was concerned that it was glamorising drug use (which it sort of was). Anyway, this reminds me of that. 

// Wore

My new Origins charcoal face mask - I do love some pampering me-time :-)

// Read

Last week we were at Catch, this week we were at TriBeCa. I h ad the Porkies Revenge burger and it was amazing!!!! There's some footage in the vlog below where you can see the burger... yum!!! And the pancakes... they looked so good!

// Heard

Not much again this week... more rain!

// Made

I made a banana and chocolate chip loaf to take into my work on Sunday last weekend. My colleagues really liked it, phew! I really enjoy baking and find it relaxing (when it's going to plan!) and it's nice to have some willing folk to eat the cakes as I could quite happily eat them all myself (which my PT would not be impressed with!).

// And Lastly...

I had a brilliant weekend with my friend Steph. It was a rollercoaster of emotions on Saturday and Sunday... I didn't have the kids and when the house is empty I find it tough... tears from me at the start of the weekend followed by a hairdresser trip, shopping haul and lots of eating out!

#LittleLoves 8

It's Friday again... goodness the weeks are flying by! It's the lovely Emma over at Life at the Little Wood that's hosting #LittleLoves this week. Be sure to join in :-)

// Read

The menu at Catch, Giffnock.

Rick & I headed to Catch on Sunday for our dinner. It's a contemporary chippy that's opened up in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire. The takeaway is open from 12-10pm and the licensed restaurant has space for 45 covers. I loved the interior design and the branding of the restaurant. The "fizz and chips" concept is really clever... and if you do choose to have a bottle of champagne with your fish supper then it'll probably be the most expensive fish supper in Scotland! There were no scallops or lobster croquettes when I was there, so I'll just have to go back again!! Suits me - the food was really good.

// Watched

I watched quite a few movies this week. Rick & I had a very lazy Valentine's Day doing absolutely nothing. We crammed in 3 movies and I painted my nails! It was pretty perfect!!

I do enjoy a weepy movie, and I think I cried at all three... I had control of the remote, so these were my choices!

• 50/50 - "inspired by a true story, a comedy centred on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease."

I accepted a FaceTime from my sister as we were nearing the end of 50/50 and I was in floods of tears. She was genuinely concerned as she thought something was wrong, but I had to explain that it was the movie I had chosen to watch! I was inconsolable! Perhaps not the best movie for V-day, but I did enjoy it. It's also good to have a cry every now and then I think.

• Veronica Guerin - "an Irish journalist writes a series of stories about drug dealers", starring Cate Blanchett.

• In Your Eyes - "two seemingly unconnected souls from different corners of the United States make a telepathic bond that allows them to see, hear and feel the others experiences, creating a bond that apparently can't be broken." 

In Your Eyes was a bit far fetched for me. I much prefer films that are more true-to-life.

I also watched another movie on Tuesday night - Love and Other Complicated Pursuits (which seems to now be called The Other Woman). It tells the story of a woman's difficult relationship with her stepson. I enjoyed this one too, and I'm surprised that I didn't cry.

// Wore

I painted my nails on Saturday - a kind of greige colour with an attempted silver glitter ombre effect. But within 24 hours they were chipped :-(

I've also been wearing my new ankle Wellington boots from Asda. A total bargain at £2.98!!!

// Made

I baked a batch of cupcakes on Sunday evening to take into my work. I stupidly decided to try a new icing recipe and it didn't work very well (the new recipe called for icing sugar, butter and milk and the emulsion cracked which has made it look fluffy rather than smooth - I was annoyed to say the least!). Despite this, the cakes tasted good. One of my colleagues said it was the best cupcake he had ever had. I was very pleased!! The recipe I use is here although I've been using my KitchenAid rather than my Magimix.

// Heard

I struggle with this prompt every week!

The past few days I've heard a lot of rain... what happened to the milder weather!

// And Lastly...

My lovely friend Steph is coming to visit this weekend and I cannot wait to catch up with her! She's currently on the train speeding towards Glasgow just now! Yay!!

Have a great weekend folks x

#LittleLoves 7

That's right, it's Friday... which means it's nearly the weekend and it's also time for Morgana's #LittleLoves. 

// Read

Didn't read much at all this week... :-/

// Watched

We were sent a copy of Shaun the Sheep, Flock to the Floor to review. My dad & his wife Jo *love* Shaun the Sheep so we saved it until we visited them this week. We all thoroughly enjoyed the episodes, which are new to DVD. However I don't think the kids enjoyed Shaun as much as they did the Pajanimals. The littlest especially keeps asking to watch them and she sings along with the DVD - so cute - definitely the signs of a winning TV programme! 

// Wore

I let the littlest dress me this week for #mykidsdressedme. She picked out a bright blue summers dress, which we teamed with black tights as I was going to be cold, and then the highest high heels she could find... bright pink wedges. I struggled to walk to the school and got a number of funny looks as I teetered about the playground!!

Text FUNNY to 70011 to donate £1 to Comic Relief in honour of my efforts! You'll find lots more details about the campaign here on The Bear and Miss Rabbit's blog and you'll find the Story of Mum gallery here.

// Made

Ok, so it's not technically me that made this... but my sister and her boyfriend are really good at DIY and they've put together this light fitting for their bedroom. Isn't it cool!!

A couple of things me & the kids "made"...

My son's self portrait - his rainbow face!

The cat mobile we assembled & hung in my daughter's bedroom.

// Heard

Loads and loads of laughter. We had a brilliant half term holiday visiting family and friends. Here I am with Me & My Munchie at Satrosphere again... we're just as bad as the kids!!

And more laughter with my gran... she's doing not bad for 92 years old!

// And Lastly... 

I took the kids on a walk around the areas that I used to play in as a child, and we found the tree that I fell off when I was about 9 years old. I broke my right arm, quite badly - snapping my radius and ulna in two. The littlest was really intrigued by this and kept getting me to re-tell my experience! Everything has changed since I was a girl and what used to be beautiful fields are now building sites as new houses are thrown up!

 What did you get up to this week?