Saturday 30 April 2016

A night out in Glasgow.

It is not very often blogging events come to Scotland, and a lot that do are at a weekend, so when I was offered the chance for a nice Thursday night out in Glasgow I had to say yes. I was invited along to Taking Shape and Hotter to learn more about them.

Taking Shape are an Australian plus size retailer that makes clothes in sizes 14 to 26. They arrived in the UK in 2013 and offer curvy customers a new type of style boasting a "sassy Australian vibe".







On entering the shop I was surprised by the array of bright colours, from reds and pinks to lemons and limes. We were greeted by the staff and told that the company employ stylists not sales people and this helps the customer to not only look good but also to feel great. They offer cleverly designed clothes that are designed to work best in layers and cover up the lumps and bumps. They offer a service where by they allow the customer to come in and spend time with a stylist trying on their recommendations. They even allow groups to book and will provide tea, coffee and snacks while every body tries out the clothes. I have to say I liked the size of the individual changing rooms as well as the massive full height mirror just outside the changing rooms but still in a back corridor so you are not really visible from the shop.

So we had a wander and looked at clothes and I popped various things into the changing room to try on. Meanwhile we were all getting to know each other and did some business card exchanging. Have to say I loved the confidence and the dress sense that the younger bloggers had.





I tried on a few different styles of black trousers and chose a pair.



I enjoyed trying the tops and different colours than I normally would. 



So after some more banter and a few laughs we wandered off towards the Hotter Shop in Buchanan Galleries. I have never been in a Hotter shop before and I have heard people say that they are designed for older people, fifty plus, but this was not the impression I got. The younger bloggers were loving the colours, styles and choices as much as I was.
I do have an issue when buying shoes from anywhere, I wear a full foot podiatry insole and the shoes need to be deep and wide to accommodate this. The width was not a problem, a lot of their range come in wider fittings but the depth did create an issue for me. I would love to buy some nice looking strappy sandals, or a pair of flowery light weight canvas shoes but sadly my feet are not designed for them.


I loved these simple black flats complete with a matching bag. 




Hayley loved these mustard yellow shoes.


I was quite thankful I was not the only one who tried on nearly every pair in the shop.



There was plenty of Social Media sharing during our shopping time.




All in all in was a lovely evening. 

I was compensated with a pair of trousers and a pair of shoes of my choice for attending the event. 

I chose a Cork shoe in black-  Once you’ve experienced the true comfort of Cork you’ll never want to take them off. This sporty casual is engineered to give welcome relief with a cushioned, contoured insole and breathable mesh design. A handy touch-close fastening strap allows superb adjustability, while a lightweight PU sole adds extra flex.  


Have to say as somebody who walks upwards of fifteen miles in a shift at work I need something comfortable and breathable and offering support and these certainly fulfil that criteria, they are amazingly comfortable. They soles squeak slightly if you walk across a wet floor with them, but in a noisy work place it is not a problem. 


They are also being generous enough to offer a discount voucher for you, my readers, to use if you wish to treat yourself to a new pair of Hotter shoes. 

The code is PPATEN and terms and conditions are £10 off plus FREE delivery is for first orders only. You are entitled to £10 off the total order value of any full priced items in the Hotter range (excluding shoe care products and accessories) plus FREE delivery. Minimum order value £25. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or on Sale or Factory Clearance items and gift vouchers. Expires 30/6/16

So why not pop across to Hotter and have a look and treat yourself?

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Win a 7" Fire tablet with Poki games

I am lucky enough to offer you the chance to win a 7" Fire Tablet with the  Poki Portal

Poki are free online gaming website reaching 2,5 million gamers a month. So when I was offered this opportunity I went across to have a look at their website and have to say I got drawn in to playing many games on there and have been back more than once when I have a spare half hour to relax in. 

There are many categories of games on there to play from Disney, Frozen, Star Wars.Harry Potter, Educational and you even get the chance to be a superhero in a game.

So with us having a home educated child Bob and mummy  spent some time on the educational section. Mummy liked the Where is your country, 





Bob goes back to Slither.io on a regular basis, not that that is overly educational. The big thing I liked about the website was if you are stuck on any of the games they have a walk through to help out. 

Bob and I were having fun the other week while my daughter was out shopping and the twins were in bed. 

Anyway I digress. Entry is easy, just fill in the Gleam form below. Leave a blog comment is the only mandatory entry, the rest are optional. 







Win a 7" Fire Tablet 



Competitions at ThePrizeFinder - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/7-fire-tablet#sthash.8nPjHi3v.dpuf

Saturday 23 April 2016

Project 366 week 16

Sunday

Today Bob turns 10, my second grandchild in double figures. I had an upper respiratory tract infection, and so just popped round quickly to drop off his card before everybody else got there to save the risk of passing it on. Took a pic of him with his cake, I know the candles are not lit but that bit will be saved until everybody else is round.





Monday

Bob's gymnastics day so hubby and I took him along and then went for a short stroll round Auchincruive Estate.Had no energy for much more. Spotted this run down very old greenhouse with big trees growing right up though it. Must be a number of years since it was used.

Like the sepia, makes it look like an old pic of an old building

an old greenhouse


Tuesday

A big decision was made today.

ready for tomorrow


Wednesday

Yesterday we made a decision that will change our lives, we decided to take on another dog. I have been moaning at hubby for months now to get out and get some exercise. He has been attending the GP every week for a number of weeks now as his blood pressure is too high, his cholesterol is going up and his blood sugars are off again as well. So we knew if we had a dog he would go out and he would walk. Have been saving money for a number of months now to buy something I want for the house, but decided to blow most of it on a dog. I can start saving again but can't put a price on hubby's health.

Met Lilly, the newest member of the family.

Rehoming centre Hamilton
random pics of Lilly's first day


Thursday

We bought a bed for in the car and a car harness for her as well. We were told she was use to a car and travels well, but when we were bringing her home we get the impression she was use to the parcel shelf, something I will not allow. So safe travelling it is and she did settle down after squeaking for a while. Hubby took her to the beach while I did a bit of overtime.

Had a fright with DD2 who went to the local maternity unit to get Ziggy checked as she had not felt him/her move for  twenty four hours, but all was fine.

Babysat for DD1 while she went shopping. The twins were in bed so I got some one on one time with Bob which was nice.



Scottish SPCA
strapped in the car in her new bed



Friday

Spot a recurring theme? Yes Lilly again. This time we took her to a local country estate with a large open field. We let her off her lead for a minute or two and shouted her from me to hubby and both gave her a treat when she came. She was on the lead here but hubby took the lead out with the computer.

Lilly standing nice



Saturday

Hubby had dug over the tattie patch last week, but we had not had time to plant the tatties. So Lily was going on and digging it up and rolling in the muck. So we planted  the tatties and netted it to stop her getting on it.


one netted potato patch. 


Saturday 16 April 2016

Project 366 week 15

Sunday

On the way to the shop in my break I pass the chapel. I am not religious or a church goer but this place has a pull. A friend of mine describes it as "like walking into a great big hug". I wandered in for five minutes and thought about a friend of mine who is having a tough time.



loving thoughts for a friend




Monday

Went round to do bath and bedtime, granddad came with me and he did baby cuddling.

snuggles with Spud



Tuesday

Round for breakfast time. For the last time as daughter is going to manage on her own.




playing with jigsaws and a ball run




Wednesday

Made a start on the vegetables today. We bought the pea plants from a local source and put them out. Planted tomato and sweetcorn seeds in the propagator. Sadly we have had overnight frosts and snow today ( Saturday) so hope they survive.


6 pea plants



Thursday


Went down and took the twins out for a walk to give mum a break. We went down the fishery, and that was a big mistake. Seems to be a lot of work going on down there and the place was very muddy. Minky had fun jumping in the puddles of mud and needing stripping off time he got home. They walk very nicely now and are more trustworthy not to wander near the ponds. Not that I would let them loose near the road.



walking down at the fishery





Friday

It is Bob's birthday on Sunday. Bob asked if I could make him a Minecraft cake. So I used Pinterest to research some ideas and made one manageable to my skills and the restraints of a Bob friendly cake.


One minecraft birthday cake. 




Saturday

Finished the next picture on the blanket. Last week we had a pink rabbit that connects to our side of the family. So this week we have a frog. This links to SIL's side of the family. SIl's Aunt M bought him a frog for a birthday one year and it escalated form there. He still gets a frog of some description every year and some frogs took pride of place on the top table at the wedding. So how could I not add a frog?



one cross stitch frog.






Sunday 10 April 2016

Project 366 week 14

Feel it is beginning to ease back a bit now. Have left a few of the bedtimes to Fifi this week with her being on school holidays and apart from her swimming her other activities have stopped for the duration. Been quite nice to have a few evenings that I have not had to nip down. Once she does not need us in the morning/evening I can go during the day and take them off her hands for a while instead. Minky has been much better behaved in general this week, certainly not as trying as the previous week.

Sunday

Decided to treat myself to a halogen oven to save having to put the oven on for small amounts of food. Have heard people rant about them, not overly impressed so far when I tried it for roast chicken and tatties, but the cakes came out fine.



Monday

Round for bedtime as Fifi goes swimming on a Monday evening so she was not available to help. Here is Bob relaxing with baby Spud once the gruesome twosome were in bed.





Tuesday

Dinky has her hop hop bunny bobbles in. Her hair goes into wee ringlets and looks very lovely, though I am sure it will annoy her later in life if it stays as curly. She was playing hiding under the table and kept peeking out at me.






Wednesday

Every time you try and get a picture of Minky he runs away, tells you "no say cheese grandma" . Here is a classic example. He had been stood up smiling and laughing until the camera came out.





Thursday

Bobs birthday party on Saturday( although not his birthday until the 17th)  so my daughter was looking for a quick simple way to make a cake for him, she decided on wee cakes with writing on, so I hunted out my alphabet and some ready made icing and took it down for her.



Friday

Fifi is doing the bedtime tonight. So as I have not had time for myself in an evening for a while I decided I would make time for  a workout. I quite like these ones, though I normally go for the three mile but did not have enough time.






Saturday

Have managed to get another part of Ziggy's blanket done. I chose the pink rabbit as my daughter had one with a pull string that played Brahms Lullaby for her second Christmas and it use to get wound up half the night much to her big sisters annoyance. One of these daft family links I felt had to be added. She still has the rabbit and it still works.



Monday 4 April 2016

Preventing Flat Head Syndrome

When our new born babies arrive we do everything in our power to keep them safe from harm. Sadly the very action on lying them "back to sleep" can cause a condition called Plagiocephaly, or to ordinary people like you and I flat head syndrome. 

Monday April 4th is  Plagiocephaly Awareness Day! and Babymoov have been working with a French Paediatrician Dr Maidenberg  to launch a few products onto the market designed to protect your precious newborn from becoming one of the 47% of babies between seven and twelve weeks who suffer from this condition. 

Positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) is diagnosed when a baby’s head is flattened at the back or side. It is caused by pressure on the soft skull bones, which have not yet fused, and become moulded into a different shape. This can occur when an infant spends excessive periods of time lying or resting in the same position on their backs; in pushchairs, car seats, bouncers and cribs.
We have been sent out, a very badly named in my opinion, product - The Lovenest -  but please don't let that put you off. The product is an
innovative, ergonomic design, featuring a special incline, ensure pressure is evenly distributed across the infants head, thereby helping maintain the natural curvature of the skull. It also works to ensure good ventilation during sleep and is made from soft, breathable fabrics. Suitable from birth and for use in pushchairs, bouncers, cots and cribs, the Lovenest is available in a range of colours (Blue, Smokey & White) and is suitable from birth to 4 months, and 4m + 

flat head syndrome,  Plagiocephaly Awareness Day,  Plagiocephaly


Now I have to say when I took it round to my daughter I fully expected it to end up as a arm band or a hat for one of the twins and I really did not think it would stay in the pram but surprisingly enough it has. The pillow itself is soft and lovely to the touch. The item comes complete, no separate cover, but washes well, the only down side is it cannot be tumble dried. Spud says it is nice and comfy and she likes it. My daughter combines this with some tummy time which can help to prevent flat head syndrome as well.


We were sent this product in return for sharing this post.







I

Saturday 2 April 2016

Project 365 weeks 12 and 13

Sorry for the interruption in normal service last weekend but just did not have time to deal with this. Jokingly told my daughter the other day I am renaming my blog to "Its hard work having fun as a gran".Had a backlog of other posts that had to be done so this one could wait and nobody would complain. Morning and evenings at my daughters cuts down on the time I have to blog. Its only for a few weeks so not complaining.

You may well spot a recurring theme here.

Sunday

Was off work for the day using up holidays before the end of the holiday year. So decided to help out Auntie H who was on helping duties all weekend and we took |Bob and the twins to the beach to get them out and give mummy some peace. Did a post here if you want a look.



lunch time in the beach park


Monday

Not the best picture but the best memory. Ziggy at 20 week scan. Child No1 for DD2 and SIL. Every think seems to be ok.

Ziggy 20 wk scan




Tuesday

Poor Minky got up in a stinker of a mood, one of those days no matter what you do it does not please him, So I suggested they built Grandma a house out of bricks, and all that did was cause an argument because they both wanted the same brick!! Eventually I got two houses.

building a house each


Wednesday

Baby Spud was snuggled up next to mum after just having a cuddle from Dinky.


baby Spud having snuggles




Thursday

I got invited to an event at McDonald's to learn how they are evolving into the 21st century. You can see the post here if you want to see the changes that are happening. .  We went to Pollock Park and did some geocaching on the way back.



my name badge, hat and apron


Friday

I just love these babygros. Normally the two of them go up the stairs side by side and I would have had both patchwork bums together but Minky was having a strop.

up the stairs to bed


Saturday

Hubby and I had been out and brought DD1 back a Big Mac meal, so as it was nearly tea time I did not see the point in going home to come back. After tea I decided to get them out for a while to give their mum a break. For the first time I walked the two of them up to the park on their reins. Was interesting as Dinky was happy to walk at my side holding my hand, and Minky had my other arm at full stretch as he was trying to chase Bob who was running on ahead.



Minky on the slide




Sunday

Last day of my holidays. Normally the other grandparents do both days at the weekend as I am not able to help then. So as I was off I said I would do it for a change. Wish I hadn't, Minky got up in a foul mood and told me "not want Grandma" when I went to get him up. The bowl was the wrong colour, he wanted milk on his cereal, then he didn't, he wanted toast and then had a strop cos I made him toast. Then Dinky joined in. So ninety minutes after getting them up I piled them into the pram and took them to the play park at the caravan park.

While we were there some residents were setting up an Easter egg hunt for children staying on the site. They explained to us if we took a plastic egg up they would swap them for a proper egg. I told them we were not residents just up from the village but they said that was fine we could join in anyway.

They each found an egg. The twins got a chocolate egg each and as Bob can't have chocolate the woman kindly gave him a £2 coin from her pocket.

Bob, Minky and Dinky with their plastic eggs 

DD1 wandered up with the children later in the day, as Minky was still in a foul mood. Spud made her first visit to Grandma's house.

Monday

Fifi was back from Alton Towers, tired and crabby and argumentative. But it meant I did not have to go back to lift them into their high chairs but just for bath and bed time. Fifi had brought them Mr Tumble bath puzzles back from Alton Towers, Minky had great fun with them and managed well, Dinky just played her usual making cups of tea with the bath water and plastic cups.

Mr Tumble bath puzzles


Tuesday

Normally granddad does the swimming runs, I set the alarm for 5.15 and he takes Fifi swimming from 6-7am. But he was up all night ill, and as I was awake anyway I took her. Lovely 2.2 mile walk along the beach watching the sun rise.

Minky woke up in a lovely mood this morning, played away great and was happy and fun.

Sunrise over Troon



Wednesday

Went round to put the twins in their high chairs for their tea as Fifi does after school activities. But as their mum had been busy with Spud tea was not ready, so we went to the park for a while. Took them without the pram on their new wrist strap. Have to say I feel safer with Minky on his reins as I have more control. Dinky walks along holding your hand while Minky tries to run after Bob.

climb on first step and get back down again, as far as she goes



Thursday

I was not on breakfast duty today but did bedtime, Daughter had laid baby Spud on her play mat, and Dinky decided to lay her Baby Spud next to her, and then laid herself the other side. I thought it made a rather adorable picture.



Dinky, Spud and doll Spud having some floor time 




Friday

Breakfast run this morning, and both the twins were in a lovely mood, happy and playful. Daughter has decided to take Spud in her pram with the twins walking one either side with their wrist straps looped through the pram handle.

Spud in her bounce



Saturday

Not got much further with this as I have simply had no time, this is the fourth picture finished and the fifth on is started. If I do say so myself starting to look good.


a truck