What's On in Glasgow - Story Fest at St Enoch Centre

We've had a lot of fun lately with story telling, including our adventures with Disney for their Fit to Dance programme. My little ones love stories and story telling, so the Story Fest at St Enoch Centre sounds brilliant (it's just a pity that we're going to be sunning ourselves in Portugal!).

The St Enoch Centre is inviting you and your children to 'Story Fest' during the October holidays.

Story Fest is a 9-day festival dedicated to children's literature running from Saturday 10th to Sunday 18th October with loads of activities from character visits from Dora and The Gruffalo, to creative workshops.

The most exciting event is 'Badger the Mystical Mutt'... Badger is a 6ft dog with a nose for adventure and he takes children on a magical journey involving songs and story telling. Badger is the star of a series of children's books exploring various issues, including bullying.



 Badger v MC Loki Rap Battle
Join Glasgow hip-hop star Darren McGarvey - aka Loki - and create your very own rap... suitable for ages 11-16 years.


Badger the Mystical Mutt runs in the St Enoch Centre on Thursday 15th Oct from 12-1pm and 2-3pm and is suitable for children 5-8 years old.

All events are free, but some are ticketed and must be booked in advance.

I have received a complimentary goody bag, containing an Optical Express voucher in exchange for this post - thank you St Enoch Centre :-)

Disney on Ice - Fit to Dance

Disney on Ice and EBC Education have created a new programme called "Fit to Dance" encouraging children and families to create their own stories and turn them into dances using inspiration from Disney on Ice shows.

As a family we have loved watching the Disney on Ice performers take to the stage, particularly Anna and Elsa, and bring the Disney tales to life. It's exciting to now be able to follow the same creative process at home to choreograph our own routines. My two little ones do love to put on a show!! 

We were invited to meet two of the Disney on Ice performers recently at the UK Theatre School. My son wasn't overly keen, but I reminded him that Star Wars is now part of Disney and he was more interested. I didn't need to worry because when we arrived he was his usual confident self chatting away to all the grown-ups. We had brought with us two of our friends that are similar ages to my little ones and they were all a little hyper to start with.

We gathered round into a circle to decide upon our story... a tale of some our favourite toys who got left outside in the garden one evening and had to find a way back to their owners bedroom. The kids had great fun deciding on the characters and the plot.

We then worked with the Disney on Ice skaters to bring our story to life. The kids were very active and there was lots of excitement as we pretended to creep through the grass, climb up a rope and cheer when we got to the end, working with the skaters to convey all the different emotions. We then had our faces painted and we put on the show to all the grown-ups!

The online resources for the Fit to Dance programme are excellent, particularly the videos of the performers - they really help bring the ideas and concepts to life. I think it's great that both male and female members of the cast are involved too, this will encourage some little boys who may be less inclined to participate. My son was adamant that he didn't want to join in, but then when our session started he was loving it! For older children the footage of the cast could also prove inspirational and perhaps give them ideas for future careers. 

How amazing is this floor at the UK Theatre School!!

Disney on Ice is returning with World of Enchantment from 25th September to January 2016 visiting Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and London.

Defining Moments

The other weekend I took the kids to Greenbank Gardens in Clarkston, Glasgow. It's a National Trust for Scotland venue and we're so lucky to have lots of NTS properties and gardens on our doorsteps in Glasgow. I ended up becoming a member and it felt like a defining moment for me... my parents were members when I was little, and now I am. That might seem silly, but I do feel like more of a grown-up!

The sun was shining, a rarity this summer, and we spent over four hours relaxing on our picnic blanket, exploring the gardens, having lunch in the cafe and playing games on the lawn. It was truly blissful.

Review - Dora and Friends Sing-Along Summer

Dora is growing up and still going on magical adventures with her friends Alana, Emma, Kate, Naiya and Pablo.

This Summer Nick Jr. are touring the UK with special karaoke booths giving little ones the opportunity to create videos of themselves singing along to the Dora and Friends: Into the City! theme tune (I've listed the full tour dates at the bottom of this post). Karaoke booth videos can be entered into a competition where winning videos will feature on Nick Jr. giving your little ones a chance to star on TV!

My two are super keen to go and visit Dora and do some singing when the booth lands in Glasgow next month. If you can't make it along, don't fret... every day from 10am to 1pm you can watch your favourite Nick Jr. shows with on-screen lyrics so you can sing along too. You can also enter your own home video into the competition at nickjr.co.uk or on the Nick Jr. Facebook page.

We were sent a box of Dora and Friends: Into the City! goodies for the kids to try; this is a brand new toy range from Fisher-Price. The toys feature in the room tour I did of the littlest's bedroom which you will find on YouTube here.


Opening the goodies - thank you Nick Jr.




Littlest's bedroom

We've already been having great fun with Dora and Alana (£10.99 each)... so much so that we've misplaced one of their tops! Oops!! These dolls are great and are my favourite items from the toys were were sent, however the only thing I don't like about them is the shoes as they keep falling off! Despite the shoes, the dolls are robust and have already been in and out of the bath with the kids,  been played with in and outside the house and are already a firm favourite.

Each 8" doll comes with a charm that can be attached to the bracelets which I think is a lovely concept...

The magic charm bracelet (£9.99, far left) features each of the Dora and Friends characters. The bracelet comes in a pack with two additional bracelets so you can share with your friends and customise the bracelets with the assortment of charms provided. This is a lovely concept and the littlest gave me one to wear to work! Some of the charms seem a little bulky for the bracelet, but the littlest has really enjoyed playing with these alongside the dolls. They're a great size for her to pop in her pocket for when we go on our own adventures.

Hola, Dora!

The Dora Smartphone (£9.99) looks just like Dora's phone from the show and you can pretend to take photos, take calls and listen to phrases and songs. I think my kids were wanting more from the phone... however it's ideal for toddlers as there is just the one button to push. 

There is going to be a Twitter Frenzy tomorrow (Monday 27th July) at 11am to Midday using the hashtag #DoraSingAlong where you will have the chance to win some great prizes!

Here are the full tour dates:

Symths:

• Waterfields Retail Park, Watford (Dora Costume Character) – 27th July
• Westwood Cross Shopping Park, Thanet – 28th July
• St. David’s Retail Park, Swansea – 29th July
• Crown Retail Park, Leeds (Dora Costume Character) – 31st July
• Clifton Moor Retail Park, York (Dora Costume Character) – 3rd August
• Ravenhead Retail Park, St. Helens – 5th August
• Halls Mill Retail Park, Bury – 6th August
• Middle Engine Lane, Wallsend – 10th August
• Glasgow Fort Shopping Park, Glasgow (Dora Costume Character) – 12th August
• Boulevard Retail Park, Aberdeen (Dora Costume Character) – 14th August

Sky Retail Stands:

• Brent Cross, London – 18th-19th July
• The Centre MK, Milton Keynes – 25th – 26th July
• White Rose, Leeds – 1st- 2nd August
• Intu Eldon Square, Newcastle – 8th – 9th August
• Bon Accord, Aberdeen – 15th – 16th August

We were sent a selection of Dora and Friends toys to try. As always, opinions are honest and are my own.

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

Taylor Swift at Clydesdale Bank's #HydroVault

I truly felt like a VIP last week when I spent the evening at Clydesdale Bank's #HydroVault.

On arrival at the SSE Hydro there were queues and queues of Taylor Swift fans waiting patiently to get through the doors. Melaina, Amanda, Lynsay and I were fortunate to have exclusive, money can't buy #HydroVault tickets which meant we could by-pass the line. Anyone can enter to upgrade their SSE Hydro tickets to seats at the #HydroVault - you can find out more here.

Once inside we made our way to the Hydro Club desk and a Hydro Club member of staff then escorted us to our seats... a bright red leather sofa in our very own private booth!!!! I was super excited to say the least!

The red sofa!

The views of the stage were absolutely fantastic. Words don't even begin to express what a unique experience the #HydroVault is.

As the name suggests, the vault feels cut off from the crowds and it made the whole evening rather intimate. Taylor Swift wowed the audience with her 1989 tour... there were sequins, fairy lights and fireworks but it was her honest words in between the songs that really made the evening for me. She was raised up on a crane in the middle of the arena - making her even closer to the #HydroVault - as she shared her experiences of love and heartbreak. I shed a tear (or two...maybe three); I can't even blame the alcohol as I only had one glass of wine with dinner. All I can say is that it was a combination of the surroundings, the atmosphere and her words that connected with me (I think you had to be there!).



The VIP treatment continued as the show went on... there is a button in the vault to call the waiter and you are served drinks from the comfort of the sofa! You don't have to budge an inch!! It's these little touches that really did make the evening amazing.

As we were separated from the audience in our own space we could dance around to our hearts content without worrying about annoying the other guests. I have to say I hadn't really been much of a Taylor Swift fan but I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, much more than I thought I was going to. By the end of the night I had developed a proper girl crush.

Next time I have SSE Hydro tickets I will most certainly be trying to upgrade to the #HydroVault; regular seats aren't going to cut the mustard anymore! 

Want in on the action? Enter to upgrade your seats here.

I received a complimentary ticket to Taylor Swift in exchange for an honest review. As always, opinions are my own.

What's On - Family Activities for the Summer Holidays

I actually can't quite believe that the school summer holidays start today.

I've pulled together some of the activities that I've come across for Glasgow and the surrounding area. Do let me know if you have an event you'd like featured...

Saturday 27th June
Pirate Day at Heads of Ayr Farm Park

Tuesday 30th June
Superhero Academy, Bricks 4 kidz at Briarlands Farm, 2-4pm
Book here.

And if like us you love Lego, you'll also be interested in the Brick built - Iconic Creations in Lego Bricks which is running from now until 15 August 2015 at North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre. There is also a Lego room, open 10am - 4pm each day where you can create your own masterpieces (small charge applies).

Wednesday 1st July
Rapunzel - A Tangled Tale at Eastwood Park Theatre, 3pm
Family ticket is £15

Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July
Family BBQ at Eastwood Park with burgers from Snooks Steakhouse

Sunday 5th July
Fancy Dress Fun at Eastwood Park Theatre, 1pm and 3.30pm
Family ticket £40

Wednesday 15th July
Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom at King's Theatre, £14.50-£31.50

I haven't made it along yet to the Saturday Art Club at GoMA, but this is running throughout the summer every Saturday 10.30am - 12 noon and it's free. 

If like me you've got to work during the holidays, you might be interested in Glasgow's first American style day camp, Camp Indy. I took part in BUNAC when I was at university and spent a summer working at a summer camp in Connecticut - it was brilliant fun. Camp Indy is aimed at 6-14 year olds and is based in the West End at Kelvinside Academy. One or two week sessions start from 27th July and are £35 for a day (8.30am - 5pm) or £150 per week.

Camp Indy

P.S. We're yet to have a family holiday abroad, but I have the chance to win £1000 towards a villa in Portugal with the Clickstay Mummy Blogger Awards. I'd really appreciate your vote - it takes just two clicks. No need to register or anything and you can vote up to once a day. So please take a second and click here... I really do appreciate your support.

What's On - Family Activities in June

I thought I'd share with you my top picks of family activities for the next few weekends...

Tuesday 9th to Sunday 12th June 2015
Zippos Circus at Queens Park
Tickets from £8.50

{Photo Credit - Piet-Hein Out}

13th & 14th June 2015
Jurassic Weekend at Glasgow Science Centre

There are plenty of dinosaur themed activities taking place at the Glasgow Science Centre this weekend, including meeting Velma the velociraptor.
Plus you can view Jurassic World at the IMAX cinema on Scotland's biggest cinema screen!!

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There are also some dinosaur activities this weekend at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.

13th & 14th June 2015
Glasgow Science Festival at Whitelee Windfarm
This is a free event suitable for ages 7+

Practical demonstrations of "Fantastic Forces" including a rocket building workshop!

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Saturday 20th June
Armed Forces Family Fun Day at Rouken Glen Park, Giffnock, 12 noon to 5pm
This is a free event

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20th & 21st June 2015
Family Fun Weekend at Mearns Castle Golf Academy, 10am - 5pm
This is a free event

Free kids golf lessons.... face painting... bouncy castle.... ballooons and a DJ.


*** Plus don't forget it's Father's Day on Sunday 21st June! ***


Saturday 27th June
Everyone's Invited at intu Braehead
This is a free concert but you will need a wristband to attend.

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Do get in touch if you have an event that you'd like to share and I'll do my best to feature it. My contact details are on my About Me page.

What's On: Festival of Museums, Glasgow

The Festival of Museums takes place this weekend on the 15th - 17th May. The programme has over 100 events across the country, many taking place as part of the Museums at Night initiative and many events are one-off too. There is plenty happening in Glasgow if you are looking for something for the weekend...

The Great Big Museum Bus Tour is a hop-on, hop-off tour of Glasgow's must-see museums including the Burrell Collection, Scotland Street School Museum and Riverside Museum. Each museum will be showcasing a different traditional craft with inspiring practical demonstrations (Sat 16th May from 11am onwards).

Past Times Weekend - Auld Kirk museum in Kirkintilloch are taking guests back in time at their Family Fun Day on Sunday 17th May, 12 noon to 4pm. There will be craft activities - making and decorating swords and crowns - plus face painting, medieval weaponry and birds of prey.

The event that takes my fancy is the Reid Building Tour - Glasgow's most daring new architectural work. The one hour guided tour will explore the architectural concepts behind the building (Saturday 16th from 3pm, advance booking required).

I'm also intrigued by The Museum of Light at Paisley Museum (Saturday 16th May, 7pm to midnight) where there are a wide range of activities running from 'painting with light' to scientific demonstrations and a viewing of the planets Venus, Jupiter and Saturn through the telescopes in Coats Observatory.

What are your plans this weekend?

Sarah x

Review - Anderson's Hair Salon

I had the most amazing experience at Anderson's Hair Salon the other weekend.

I was booked in with Keith for a treatment and blow dry to try out the new eco salon which opened in November 2014. The salon has a fantastic city centre location and was super easy to find. I went into town on the subway and had a relaxing afternoon at House of Fraser doing a bit of shopping before walking to South Frederick Street.

On arrival I was taken to a comfy seat at a reclaimed wood table. The salon is the only Davines exclusive hair salon in Glasgow and the interior has been designed to reflect the Davines ethos. Keith was committed to reducing the environmental impact with the decor choices and as such the salon features all reclaimed wood. It has such a calming feel as soon as you walk in the door...

{image source}

I had a relaxing complimentary head massage before being taken over to the sinks for my treatment & shampoo. Normally I find it difficult to get comfortable balancing my neck on the edge of hairdresser sinks. However at Anderson's they have special head rests and this may be a bizarre statement, but it was the best hair washing experience I've ever had! The chair also reclined so I had my feet elevated. I could have fallen asleep I was that relaxed. It truly was blissful.

Then during my blow dry I had a complimentary hand massage. I felt well & truly spoiled.

Keith is a fellow Aberdonian and it was nice to hear a familiar accent from home! He was full of interesting chat as I had my hair styled. I loved the curls that he created; it was just a shame that the weather was so windy and wet as my hair got a bit ruined on the way home *sad face*

Here's my weekend vlog which features my visit to Anderson's:

The Davines hair products are gorgeous. Keith gave me away a travel size Melu shampoo and conditioner which I've been loving. The texture and smell of the products is divine. I recently did a pamper evening at home (which you'll find on YouTube here) and after using an Ojon hair treatment and the Davines shampoo and conditioner my hair was super soft!

I thought you'd also be interested to know that new guests save 20% on their first visit and students save 25%!

I received a complimentary treatment and blow dry in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Review - Disney on Ice, Magical Ice Festival

On Thursday night this week the kids and I headed to the Hydro, Glasgow to see Disney on Ice, Magical Ice Festival. We took with us our lovely neighbour Sandra who had kindly agreed last minute to accompany us to the event. I doubt I'd have managed on my own and Rick was feeling poorly (man-flu!).

We were very lucky to be invited to a special VIP Meet & Greet ahead of the show which was super exciting. 

The littlest of course wanted to dress up in her Elsa outfit as we knew that the sisters from Frozen would be making an appearance at the show.

Here we are with Mickey... my son didn't want to miss out on the dressing up so he put on his soldier costume. I think the littlest was disappointed that we weren't meeting Elsa! They were also given a Rapunzel doll each to keep which was unexpected and they're delighted with their toys. 

We felt very special.

We had amazing seats in the front row of the first level.

Sandra very kindly bought the kids a light up toy... these were super expensive in my opinion at around £19 each! But I guess that's what expected at a show like this.

The obligatory selfie once we found our seats... including Rapunzel!

Then the lights dimmed, and the show began.

It was about this time last year we went to Disney on Ice, and at the time both kids were engrossed by the performers. This time round my son at age 5.5 years didn't seem to be as bothered which disappointed me - he's obviously growing up! He felt that this show was too girly because each of the movies selected had a princess (The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty & the Beast and Frozen), whereas last year Cars and Toy Story 3 featured.

It was the littlest that clearly enjoyed the show the most...

She was just couldn't contain her excitement. She was jumping around in her seat, and the family behind us thought she was super cute, as did I of course!

For me, my favourite songs were 'Under The Sea', 'Be Our Guest' and of course 'Let It Go'. The whole arena was singing along to Frozen! It truly was a magical experience - for the grown-ups as well as the children. 

The show was captivating... pyrotechnic explosions, floating lanterns, fire... One of the princesses put on an ariel show (which didn't look very safe in my opinion!) but it was very impressive as she twirled around suspended in mid-air. The performers were amazing... not a single fall this time which surprises me given some of the huge outfits they were wearing... teapots, fish, candlesticks!!

I was however pretty conscious of the time, as the show didn't start until 7pm. We ended up leaving just before the end to avoid the crowds and hopped in a taxi home (my son fell outside the Hydro on the way to the taxi and scraped his knee pretty badly... wasn't a good end to the night).

I loved all the lanterns in the sky for Tangled

What's On - Disney on Ice

This year Mickey and Minnie are touring the UK with a Magical Ice Festival.

Last year we went to see Disney on Ice at the Hydro, and we are absolutely delighted to be going back this year. Both my kids were captivated by the performers and they truly believed that Tinkerbell was waving just at them as she flew through the sky. This may be a bit OTT, but it genuinely was magical and I loved seeing their reactions to the characters. It brought a wee tear to my eye.

And guess which Disney stars are going to be appearing this spring....

Anna and Elsa from Frozen! 

The littlest is going to be so excited!!!

"Produced by Feld Entertainment, Magical Ice Festival is an enchanting mix of royalty, highlighting the stories of Disney's most beloved heroines with energetic choreography that will have audiences singing, dancing and cheering their favourite Disney characters as they each embark on their own epic journeys. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse guide fans through an enchanting wonderland where they encounter Sebastian and the Daughters of Triton from Disney's The Little Mermaid, the rowdy pub thugs from Disney's Tangled and the loyal enchanted servants from Disney's Beauty and the Beast."

The show is in Glasgow from 26th to 29th March, and you can buy tickets online here.

What's On - The Electric Gardens

Unfortunately I was feeling too under the weather to make it along to the preview of The Electric Gardens on Thursday night last week, but I have been sent some of the images that I thought I would share with you.

We've been to The Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry before and it was absolutely breathtaking. I'm guessing this is a similar type of light and sound event, but on a smaller scale. It's in the heart of Glasgow's West End; so it's very easy to get to.

The self-guided evening walk, which is part of the West End Festival, is open to the public from 23rd January until the 15th February, starting every half hour from 5.30pm until 8.30pm.

Ticket prices for the event are £10 for adults, £8 for children or £30 for a family ticket (for 4). Since going on sale in December tickets have been selling fast particularly for weekends, early booking is advised. It should also be noted that ticket sales for the same day stop online at 3pm. After 3pm, you can buy same-day tickets from Oran Mor (top of Byres Road) in the bar. Tickets can be bought online at westendfestival.co.uk or by calling 0333 666 3366. 

It goes without saying that you should dress for the weather - most of the event is outside. And I'd advise you go on public transport as parking will be difficult.

Photography by Julie Broadfoot