tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58371274913181160042024-03-14T10:30:32.771+01:00BeautyH2TBeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-27731948348496270132019-09-05T12:43:00.001+02:002021-04-29T14:01:25.594+02:00A first trimester update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48zFW-fJQjT7ejaSBnA1WZ2eQVJZ10BqX2nBEYMuBtaqGkUsjVxy71BzpZYUmCtpcJTFGW4A_SVKs7JX7AXGKJghsbkHiQk-gY2IG9QiyLWsM2AXUnKgvdh4WgF_NBfN7Beur-LQbcF0/s1600/20190804183753-03-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1068" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48zFW-fJQjT7ejaSBnA1WZ2eQVJZ10BqX2nBEYMuBtaqGkUsjVxy71BzpZYUmCtpcJTFGW4A_SVKs7JX7AXGKJghsbkHiQk-gY2IG9QiyLWsM2AXUnKgvdh4WgF_NBfN7Beur-LQbcF0/s640/20190804183753-03-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have been so quiet on here, on social media, and to be honest in real life too. Going back to work full time and navigating Arthur’s toddlerdom has been super hectic and juggling it all has not been easy. When you throw in this latest news and the crippling exhaustion and nausea that goes with it, will then you can imagine I have managed very little. Ally and I are cautiously optimistic to be having another baby in January next year and If you have been on these pages for a while you will know our history with infertility, IVF and miscarriage makes pregnancy a hard journey. It is difficult to trust the process and it can be hard for others around you to understand your approach to it, so we have been keeping our heads down and trying to survive as best we can as we waited for some reassurance that things were as they should be.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">We were shocked enough to even be in this situation again. We were never sure if we would be lucky enough to get to try again or if we were going to go back into the IVF world, so to even be at this stage is a huge moment for us that we are still getting our heads around. I think I have always been a bit wary of being pregnant again, not just because of all the general fear about miscarriage and everything that comes with that, but because I have always had this lingering feeling of how you survive caring for one (or more) children while being pregnant. It has always struck me that no one really pays much attention to mothers not on their first pregnancy, like somehow the 'specialness' of the moment is not quite as magic this time around, and they just get on and struggle through with an even bigger workload than before. Not true in all situations of course but just a general impression I have gotten from watching it happen across the years and I was a little hesitant as I entered into it myself. There is a lot to get my head around going back into this, how it feels to go back off work when I just settled back? How to do another maternity year when perhaps the first one wasn’t for me? What is going to happen to my body in the long run after another baby? How on earth do I manage two of them??<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR7eU8sIQqcczf1myjjMcN0Ih9zhPYWmvenoH8UVVyQxyOZyEHSQg11jOC2y76iTdbEWUnCts-Ib3uA58-GcIoeV47_VN7Xw4FaWpEhW1nNAlmIEkbBVrqp4qBt-3DukKiGxbnjt10og/s1600/IMG_20190720_152744-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfR7eU8sIQqcczf1myjjMcN0Ih9zhPYWmvenoH8UVVyQxyOZyEHSQg11jOC2y76iTdbEWUnCts-Ib3uA58-GcIoeV47_VN7Xw4FaWpEhW1nNAlmIEkbBVrqp4qBt-3DukKiGxbnjt10og/s640/IMG_20190720_152744-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">None of this takes away of course from how unbelievably lucky we feel currently to be back in this situation but these are real questions that come to my mind no matter how much we wanted to grow our family, and with the general approach of ‘ they know what they are doing now’ it does feel a little under discussed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>However, as always those still wishing to have a child are the first in my thoughts as I post this. There are so many layers of infertility and how it stays with you through life. I know I am not alone to have been lucky enough to get to have a child but had their thoughts very quickly went to ‘if there could be another’. That sounds selfish to those without a first, but you can’t help but be trapped in that cycle and I guess just like everyone else, those of us who have struggled are still allowed to wish for what they want too<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIUlSlOcQ-I1TiMo6dglc885hwKxnQY6S93yWJ4pLTa9bwX8smRXYdFoC5v-s4ilk6mNDyxycBSjXqXNmyLguF-ZZH2FayICGvZkdbRLwsr-jQEcUQ5j_H9mbAwPWpsAB8Q8giYgSRS0/s1600/IMG_20190720_155227_2-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIUlSlOcQ-I1TiMo6dglc885hwKxnQY6S93yWJ4pLTa9bwX8smRXYdFoC5v-s4ilk6mNDyxycBSjXqXNmyLguF-ZZH2FayICGvZkdbRLwsr-jQEcUQ5j_H9mbAwPWpsAB8Q8giYgSRS0/s640/IMG_20190720_155227_2-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The first trimester has been a blur of extreme exhaustion and permanent intense nausea which has, as expected, been really difficult while trying to be present for Arthur. Ally has been an unreal support, picking up even more of the slack than he usually does to keep us all afloat. I am 22 weeks now and I am able to eat more than plain carbs ( by the truckload) but still feeling incredibly tired and incapable of getting much done which is hard when there is still a lot to juggle. Fingers crossed I see that promised second trimester burst of energy sometime soon…..!!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwInHoQ43oHngC1J5NtAb-Z7205eyQh4YfXAA_DFL6YfR9Fne-1Tr4G1RTREBsZhttmlNv1pRB6K_3pCW9Mq_kHLAzQBdjSmIpFURhuzBQM_uzECgUdqFchJzpzbuvODVlugQey1byA/s1600/IMG_20190721_141130_1-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAwInHoQ43oHngC1J5NtAb-Z7205eyQh4YfXAA_DFL6YfR9Fne-1Tr4G1RTREBsZhttmlNv1pRB6K_3pCW9Mq_kHLAzQBdjSmIpFURhuzBQM_uzECgUdqFchJzpzbuvODVlugQey1byA/s640/IMG_20190721_141130_1-01.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So that has been life lately and once again the blog has taken its usual back seat as life goes on around it. I will be back with updates but mostly over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a> again as I attempt to keep up with Arthurs admirable yet insane energy. Welcoming all good thoughts and encouragement that this one is here to join us in January, now to train Arthur to not throw EVERYTHING small and within reach…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-44237287068819343722019-06-13T14:23:00.002+02:002021-04-29T14:01:25.660+02:00Deluxe Pedicure at the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfKDYIdjQZXL8pym-vjGUx7E6jKXjPjI43GBgBrr6aj-6Po99uG0kULfYUmLOS9TATyAvIzchpNfIszsZI6N0jEPCDWN7QgrRWd6Txf3fZV5zZ9pQQIF0PpewaldRhv1H1fw8ZO1mosw/s1600/IMG_20190505_134830428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfKDYIdjQZXL8pym-vjGUx7E6jKXjPjI43GBgBrr6aj-6Po99uG0kULfYUmLOS9TATyAvIzchpNfIszsZI6N0jEPCDWN7QgrRWd6Txf3fZV5zZ9pQQIF0PpewaldRhv1H1fw8ZO1mosw/s640/IMG_20190505_134830428.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As you might have seen in my last <a href="https://www.beautyh2t.com/2019/05/crystal-clear-comcit-facial-at.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">review</a>, I had a really fantastic facial treatment at <a href="http://www.chamomilesanctuary.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chamomile Sanctuary Spa</a>last week and have seen great results from it. I was lucky to also be shown the Spa’s new nail room and was given my first ever proper pedicure which I can’t believe I have waited so long to have! I was tickled as I went in and saw the high padded seating bank they have created in this white serene room, I felt like a proper VIP sitting up on there plunging my feet into a bubbly bath. It is the perfect way to relax and just how I pictured a pedicure to be thanks to the movies! It would be so much fun to go with a group of friends to all be sit and pampered at the same time and give your feet the 5 star treatment.</span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZ1xaDjp1IOobBZVc9qpkN2Ba8iuKDfFTOZFFpe6ToZeLGxlakIuYBpVqiGNq59CwSU9bW6g1K2FfkJZZUn5xEGo2dwNxF1IJDvmPH_R9jlc2iTQorD1lcRUQMItNOppuC9i4AOEbmuM/s1600/IMG_20190505_134734235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZ1xaDjp1IOobBZVc9qpkN2Ba8iuKDfFTOZFFpe6ToZeLGxlakIuYBpVqiGNq59CwSU9bW6g1K2FfkJZZUn5xEGo2dwNxF1IJDvmPH_R9jlc2iTQorD1lcRUQMItNOppuC9i4AOEbmuM/s640/IMG_20190505_134734235.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOd9d_uBN2FB95J7JC99_E5WMpYOvEaIh-0HyN6GVUP7VGq0ZIDrmtwN0naMWGsewlaQDOIALIhOCzL2ALe1t0nR6ZocVaCI0skJ3wnDqNN3hy5cOnOIUF02PO47XSy9LhijOUaePO9o/s1600/IMG_20190505_134742226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOd9d_uBN2FB95J7JC99_E5WMpYOvEaIh-0HyN6GVUP7VGq0ZIDrmtwN0naMWGsewlaQDOIALIhOCzL2ALe1t0nR6ZocVaCI0skJ3wnDqNN3hy5cOnOIUF02PO47XSy9LhijOUaePO9o/s640/IMG_20190505_134742226.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMyP3aO6pf8os9c8xQF5k-soRTMT5zO_YpmlAk_HEGG-O_9l9pMWxq0g4Wu5RnQw7f8YfYGgj1nVpiNIut_E-Np2uIQEipSOG4bLyRKm5ZJsHcO4O8QaBNcn-BCQXByBYphNBx7qa4qI/s1600/IMG_20190505_134240482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMyP3aO6pf8os9c8xQF5k-soRTMT5zO_YpmlAk_HEGG-O_9l9pMWxq0g4Wu5RnQw7f8YfYGgj1nVpiNIut_E-Np2uIQEipSOG4bLyRKm5ZJsHcO4O8QaBNcn-BCQXByBYphNBx7qa4qI/s640/IMG_20190505_134240482.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SIuM8dW5wfGf5JU7deBGDBMOPXAELJHLXkBbt6_DlwA7SrkPz1IOiaxg19RPG4zZB3IgakhYRMQHJ2dFHdTm4oipTfXa2RYbscrad-T95RZgNhyphenhyphenayL7Cd8JvEQL26K7OmoyDTPbLktc/s1600/IMG_20190505_134701189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SIuM8dW5wfGf5JU7deBGDBMOPXAELJHLXkBbt6_DlwA7SrkPz1IOiaxg19RPG4zZB3IgakhYRMQHJ2dFHdTm4oipTfXa2RYbscrad-T95RZgNhyphenhyphenayL7Cd8JvEQL26K7OmoyDTPbLktc/s640/IMG_20190505_134701189.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Seeing as I have never actually had a pedicure before, I can say I totally understand it now- my feet look and feel <i>so</i> much better, and just in time for summer too. The therapist buffed and exfoliated them as I enjoyed tea and a biscuit, and then she started work on my poor neglected toenails. Trimmed, filed and ready for colour, you could already see how smooth and healthy they looked. I opted to go for the Vinylux polish as I had previously had that done here in a manicure and was unbelievably impressed with the longevity of it and loved that I didn’t need removed in a special way. My nails were left in great condition once the polish was off and I was hoping it was just the same with a pedicure. I can happily report that a whole month on that my pedicure is still completely perfect, I have gorgeous happy bright pink toes ( shade Tropix) and they have taken all the knocks and scrapes that come from chasing a toddler around. Really impressive stuff and absolutely perfect for having before any holidays or special occasions. ( I have spared you the photos as I might think my feet currently look divine.... but I am well aware they are still <b>FEET</b>!)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_slyOuzZfjo4foaXLmuaxyHTogioNmVYT6pVF9EwCWJaMZgMOkmlmddS05Cm-NiB6_pXASk8zE1AAonvmZIsDDO_tGpTwioEvRStgvNDhDPu-D8kLSDer0jbAzdD7WbbIR9HWiT08L_4/s1600/IMG_20190505_151105602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_slyOuzZfjo4foaXLmuaxyHTogioNmVYT6pVF9EwCWJaMZgMOkmlmddS05Cm-NiB6_pXASk8zE1AAonvmZIsDDO_tGpTwioEvRStgvNDhDPu-D8kLSDer0jbAzdD7WbbIR9HWiT08L_4/s640/IMG_20190505_151105602.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bEg66fvmOegf7tqG8HP254p0Y3RYT6yyTolc3qkoxi0hiHCQ0sMA2UO-icLq5zvdZhXcbHgALwEamPSG76J9fudfu7uJcJk-KYz5QBL43QjlPwI9fQ_nWOTSDAEp1-jExkpb5SMXDUU/s1600/IMG_20190505_151151119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bEg66fvmOegf7tqG8HP254p0Y3RYT6yyTolc3qkoxi0hiHCQ0sMA2UO-icLq5zvdZhXcbHgALwEamPSG76J9fudfu7uJcJk-KYz5QBL43QjlPwI9fQ_nWOTSDAEp1-jExkpb5SMXDUU/s640/IMG_20190505_151151119.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9J2SrP4WeacEAig-Kdr7K5k6dSwAzSUdlYQDVJYaPZ18CQg3W9oly9AAFCLR38_50WgbHpb1OIklijXo32H4NYu9fyqP1nuE-nl1tKkgZ0cELynK9lRJpN5_OYA8mBGTY1ymETBuRzw/s1600/IMG_20190505_151437371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9J2SrP4WeacEAig-Kdr7K5k6dSwAzSUdlYQDVJYaPZ18CQg3W9oly9AAFCLR38_50WgbHpb1OIklijXo32H4NYu9fyqP1nuE-nl1tKkgZ0cELynK9lRJpN5_OYA8mBGTY1ymETBuRzw/s640/IMG_20190505_151437371.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I am delighted with the changes they have made in the nail room and think it is a beautiful addition to the salon, the team never stop trying to improve and build on their services and the handwork has certainly paid off. As I was sitting in the relaxation room after my treatment I couldn't help but smile when I was joined by two others were absolutely raving about the massages they had just had, with one woman pointing out she has had a lot of them but it was the very best she had experienced. Such high but well deserved praise for Chamomile who never disappoint.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p><br />BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-25585572930778010882019-05-24T14:02:00.001+02:002021-04-29T14:01:25.717+02:00The St Enoch Centre Selfie Store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj123ZSUfe8gXqByRokq6ZUtf57ZbqQEFxg9ndNDz8KXlB680TGwXZISArFswzjUsiVEzSjsIDVkbae9qyCR8jR1PpeipDpEejSsL2S34QXv6LUey7CyL4KuYl6_26gsQBhL1Ry_1IiLMQ/s1600/IMG_20190524_083152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj123ZSUfe8gXqByRokq6ZUtf57ZbqQEFxg9ndNDz8KXlB680TGwXZISArFswzjUsiVEzSjsIDVkbae9qyCR8jR1PpeipDpEejSsL2S34QXv6LUey7CyL4KuYl6_26gsQBhL1Ry_1IiLMQ/s640/IMG_20190524_083152.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I couldn't let the weekend roll in without posting all the details on the super adorable Selfie Store that the <a href="https://www.st-enoch.com/" rel="nofollow">St Enoch Centre</a> have installed as part of their 30th birthday celebrations. I always relate the centre to having fun, my earliest memories of St Enoch was coming through from Perth for my first trip to a big city and getting to go to the Disney Store and it blew my mind! I can only imagine the double whammy now for little ones of seeing the Disney Store and Hamleys in there...a childhood dream.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1iw_Ni1CV1Xb6L_bKGDsoy7wXKD76lRniLO0_iWUHx1GA6nPrdw26aJ1_Xp4D-IdsPRavneORfoa4MMqnR2SFzO-E_HM7xt0LKG9PtyFf6K8t4ceHcmc6x4a07KQdfnUi54qJNjRWcM/s1600/IMG_20190523_165256709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="690" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1iw_Ni1CV1Xb6L_bKGDsoy7wXKD76lRniLO0_iWUHx1GA6nPrdw26aJ1_Xp4D-IdsPRavneORfoa4MMqnR2SFzO-E_HM7xt0LKG9PtyFf6K8t4ceHcmc6x4a07KQdfnUi54qJNjRWcM/s640/IMG_20190523_165256709.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Turning 30 means some big celebrations and they have pulled out all the stops to create Scotland's first room of its kind- The Selfie Store! This shop located on the first floor at the Buchanan Street end of the centre, has so many fun and inviting areas to take amazing snaps in and not only that but if you use #stenochselfie you could win £250 too! Open Fridays to Sunday 12 to 6 from today until the 9th of Jun, you can climb in a bath of rubber ducks, pop out a giant cake or sit on a garden throne for your snaps and get sharing. It is handily open this bank holiday Monday too which makes it the best rainy day activity for the kids!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnBenbmjXmtxo6ZvCxhGhWLpUkvDP_t9NEdQN9dhJ_4Z0o8hsbmsXbm1T0at15k2x0CSOSLguza5mxvluCyRq1DaHbHz51SScEWlMW0VB2ysn99zbnGdeJE5r7nLh-SWAF3ZYFDAj8mg/s1600/Candy+stripe+2-+Blue+dress%252C+Oasis+%2540+Debenhams%252C+%25C2%25A355+Clutch+bag%252C+Dorothy+Perkins%252C+%25C2%25A310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1090" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnBenbmjXmtxo6ZvCxhGhWLpUkvDP_t9NEdQN9dhJ_4Z0o8hsbmsXbm1T0at15k2x0CSOSLguza5mxvluCyRq1DaHbHz51SScEWlMW0VB2ysn99zbnGdeJE5r7nLh-SWAF3ZYFDAj8mg/s640/Candy+stripe+2-+Blue+dress%252C+Oasis+%2540+Debenhams%252C+%25C2%25A355+Clutch+bag%252C+Dorothy+Perkins%252C+%25C2%25A310.JPG" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Selfie Store is not the only exciting thing happening there this weekend either, if you spend over £30 in any of the shops you will get a £5 free voucher too- which is pretty amazing!! There was plenty of food for thought (and actually amazing food too thanks to<a href="http://www.ilovekimbles.co.uk/" rel="nofollow"> Kimbles</a> who always deliver the best treats), of what you could spend £30 on as we had the chance to have a peek at some of the latest offerings from some of the stores. There is always a brand that surprises me at these events and this year it was Oasis who gave us this stunning cornflower blue lace dress which is an ideal wedding guest number. I love wandering through<a href="https://www.debenhams.com/" rel="nofollow"> Debenhams</a> and taking in the mix of designers and brands on offer but Oasis is somewhere I feel I have overlooked until last night!<br /><br />It was such a fun night celebrating 30 amazing years of the St Enoch Centre and get to toast their success. I am so excited for their future too, with a new cinema and restaurants opening next year there is so much more fun to come- and now Arthur gets to have great first memories of there too!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-39662506273638137592019-05-21T14:23:00.003+02:002021-04-29T14:01:25.743+02:00Crystal Clear COMCIT facial at the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfwnhIwA5QeQRgiRSDn2w9ZrotDsV8dEc87Tx5MvlArr8efRildNeqDnO6hi-7GKU2W-_TE-PiBsQENlM0h9y09dKVgm04X5Y5WrkY9yMuO-VzkXI1pEOmBwvYSaTUKh1U6yu_7g1oE8/s1600/IMG_20190505_134003124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfwnhIwA5QeQRgiRSDn2w9ZrotDsV8dEc87Tx5MvlArr8efRildNeqDnO6hi-7GKU2W-_TE-PiBsQENlM0h9y09dKVgm04X5Y5WrkY9yMuO-VzkXI1pEOmBwvYSaTUKh1U6yu_7g1oE8/s640/IMG_20190505_134003124.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">You have heard me wax lyrical about the wonder that is Edinburgh’s <a href="http://www.chamomilesanctuary.com/" rel="nofollow">Chamomile Sanctuary Spa</a> before as I am continually impressed with the treatments and technologies they offer. I love that they are constantly keeping up with the latest procedures and they are all so passionate about learning so they can offer clients an incredible service.</span><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe98xBYuWkTY9TR0IxYaYygGWPYo9lN8CADHloscrXdT6L5xVjkVGZf3LxR5Pc0OGVRVMELdRfC7PR_VNYk0ZJxpKlx8vI1qZNuw1l8s6RsRLuHwAlQ7nxIaLtsykUKH5hVFSaY85k88/s1600/IMG_20190505_134303536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWe98xBYuWkTY9TR0IxYaYygGWPYo9lN8CADHloscrXdT6L5xVjkVGZf3LxR5Pc0OGVRVMELdRfC7PR_VNYk0ZJxpKlx8vI1qZNuw1l8s6RsRLuHwAlQ7nxIaLtsykUKH5hVFSaY85k88/s640/IMG_20190505_134303536.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I was really excited to meet Sarah who was going to be talking me through the <a href="https://www.crystalclear.co.uk/system/comcit-elite/" rel="nofollow">Comcit</a> treatment from Crystal Clear which promises to help with a variety of skin issues. It was created by Sharon Hilditch the head of Crystal Clear after she enjoyed the results from traditional micro needling but found the treatments painful and requiring more downtime than she would like. She wanted to put together a treatment that was just as effective but with no bleeding and little to no downtime. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJS8DPj4mageG5s3V8AGQ-_w3crDulWsCVdo6OhwYCywUur2V5ZaFLTyw-KRh2dz5CyW8FYZY7iBChjxzPSMYtOq48eoR0ekYKs9bkbN3awsCYVHklf0iqitRQqymt6Tmh55v4k9WcBY/s1600/IMG_20190505_160141807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJS8DPj4mageG5s3V8AGQ-_w3crDulWsCVdo6OhwYCywUur2V5ZaFLTyw-KRh2dz5CyW8FYZY7iBChjxzPSMYtOq48eoR0ekYKs9bkbN3awsCYVHklf0iqitRQqymt6Tmh55v4k9WcBY/s640/IMG_20190505_160141807.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">COMCIT stands for '</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cryo Oxygen Microchanelling Collagen Induction Therapy', </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">quite the mouthful but in basic terms- a machine is used that pushes 93% pure oxygen through a freezer and into the wand that creates a numbing effect as it is applied around the face. A roller with needles is then passed across the skin to create 'micro channels' to allow maximum penetration of the products. The micro channels the needles create ( when they are of a size 0.5mm and over), makes the skin feel lightly ‘attacked’ and in response it produces collagen as protection as well as increasing cell turnover, which is just what the fine lines, scars and texture of the skin needs to improve. Your skin is then infused with a potent blend of ingredients to help rejuvenate the skin. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pretty clever stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sarah was a joy to talk to as she is so interested in skincare and the treatments she is performing, it makes for such a good insight into your own skin and the issues you might have and what is best recommended for treating them. I loved hearing her insight into COMCIT and the results she has seen, I could have chatted right through the treatment time!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She kicked off with cleansing and exfoliating my skin so she could get a good look at the problem areas and decide what products would suit me best. It was the vitamin C serums we decided I needed to help with my pigmentation and brightness issues. She used the 0.5mm needles alongside a Hylauronic Acid packed with plant stem cells, to help with dehydration and then more vitamin C to penetrate the skin. More cryo oxygen is used to help calm any redness and further push the serum into the skin. She then used a beautiful Super Repair Mask with lavender and moringa to nourish my skin and it smelt just divine. We finished off with applying a skin brightening complex, the hydracell moisturiser and some SPF 40 which is essential after treatments like this.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcmnOkrfuv6ThlxDkgkGB52Pxe4uF3LIbnxjI4QAKSxXi2Hhh37sOvV4KyunddQuqXb9TVc-OlOrpfiUn8YzNUAJJ5IRTjeaGrRBBqg-LlGqqeXc3_0zFvEephW0i70EDBkjoHqIuMXo/s1600/IMG_20190505_160219874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcmnOkrfuv6ThlxDkgkGB52Pxe4uF3LIbnxjI4QAKSxXi2Hhh37sOvV4KyunddQuqXb9TVc-OlOrpfiUn8YzNUAJJ5IRTjeaGrRBBqg-LlGqqeXc3_0zFvEephW0i70EDBkjoHqIuMXo/s640/IMG_20190505_160219874.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The whole process was pretty much pain free, there is the tiny niggle as the roller is passed across certain areas but the oxygen has done such a good numbing job that it is barely there. I was really impressed with how normal my face looked afterwards, I have had a full micro needling done before and this was nothing like it. I had the tiniest touch of redness as I left but to anyone else it will have appeared as nothing, I headed straight to the shops afterwards and didn't feel at all self conscious. Sarah advised that usually the best results are seen in the days afterwards as the skin heals fully and now a week on I can really see that. My skin has felt more nourished than it had recently and certainly much brighter. The instant effect is certainly the plumpness and youthfulness you experience but the days after allowed me to appreciate that my skin appeared much clearer and generally brighter as well as being a much softer texture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love that the treatment can be tailored to various issues and I can totally see how a course of treatments could have a huge effect on texture and tone. I really feel like I learned a lot with having this and it has reminded me how much change you can see when you have something as beneficial as this, done. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><img alt="Image result for crystal clear comcit" height="322" src="https://www.thetreatmentrooms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/COMCIT-FACIAL-600px.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My skin has changed a lot since having the baby and in the tiring year since, so it was good to chat with someone who can help pinpoint just what you might need to keep it looking its best. She had some recommendations on another treatment on offer at <a href="http://www.chamomilesanctuary.com/" rel="nofollow">Chamomile</a> which will help with the some of the more clogged areas of my skin so I will be reading up on that next! This COMCIT treatment has been a really fantastic experience and I think Crystal Clear have achieved just what they set out to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I might have also have a cheeky little look at the Spa’s new nail room while I was there so I shall be back with a little post to fill you in on that next.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>*This visit was gifted in exchange for a full and honest review. Opinions are as always, my own.*</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-18214715655168602362019-03-14T09:06:00.003+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.773+02:00The New Normal <span id="docs-internal-guid-2989475d-7fff-1d75-df32-446d31a3dd3c"><br /></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2989475d-7fff-1d75-df32-446d31a3dd3c"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="800" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/53Idlg1KPTTh4jd2w0dEhSxnbcpYU3hyDLgse6cK0mWO2y0KImvYnK8qOl2MmJ9g46RHCauVp7r2qloeXyM6u3tGSSZDgihP0L9wA40tabHSQsJHmZklkAevJD2_dlQE3FTyrAw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="600" /></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-2989475d-7fff-1d75-df32-446d31a3dd3c"></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2989475d-7fff-1d75-df32-446d31a3dd3c"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wrestled with this post for 2 whole months, <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Specsavers</a> had generously fixed me up with a new pair of glasses for it which was originally pitched as a mum makeover type piece. To give you context, I am due back to work next month as my maternity leave comes to an end, and boy is this a time of such mixed emotions. Settling Arthur into his new long term routine aside, the emotional impact it can have on a mum can be huge. Do I even know who I am anymore? Can I get us ready in time in the morning? Am I capable of interacting with adults or will I sing twinkle twinkle at them? What do I put in a bag if not Sophie the giraffe and 6 types of rice cakes?</span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-2989475d-7fff-1d75-df32-446d31a3dd3c"><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br /><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I kept panicking that I hadn't had a moments peace to put make up on, have my hair cut, find clothes and good lighting and get the photos needed to illustrate the post to showcase my new specs, but then I realised.... Why does it need to be an uber shiny version of me, when that is just not real life? By doing all that am I not just perpetuating the idea that mum's have it all together and look how we can juggle it all while looking fabulous! When for me,this is far from the reality and Specsavers hadn't ask me to get all dolled up in order to show off the gorgeous Boss frames I chose. I just </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">felt </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that I should. When I got these glasses, I was the same tired, sweaty, unmade up face that I have been all year, but when I picked these beauties out they brought me exactly the renewed confidence I was looking for without needing to add a full face of make up and a blow dry. I wanted to look more polished without actually having to add any steps to my already mad schedule, and I wanted to feel grown up and not just someone's mum. These really made me feel more me than I had in a long time.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="644" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/kW5U2HQVxoUiv2y3SYSeBVEqODajxfGOqU0KuT5D0Un4U7uLwxBNFh5l2TyygWTO0ck35oHMDpldhxLZWh6kHtiqwlkV4eXIRF-nbEROEfjxLxQfwZ11GYfwYD1WLlBeneqCImQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="607" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/saXX-smCby2Ncw4Zw_pBnDJ5JJxLNFaC6s4iGt6lALh_RVLZs6bSHTaAd7FeNJOXhN92omnHxQlCKaNIYRocC8rbCqv4FjOs7l3Y3do4KIsbQY81yahrwZs17J0Q-eZMyOvBc6E" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="624" /></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had been previously in a flap about the 'me' who was returning to work. I haven't worn make up past mascara and eyebrow make up all year, no foundation, blusher or any of the little products I would usually apply and do you know what, I have loved it! Aside from having no time to fit it in anyway, it has just felt right for me. But I realised I was panicking about returning to work and having to go back to the usual face I would apply before. But why did that make me uneasy? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So with a rare hour off on a Saturday morning while Ally was out on a walk with Arthur, I thought just do it now, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">take the photos and get on with it. So I treated myself and dabbed on a tiny bit of highlighter and plonked myself in front of a window and snapped away. Se</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">eing how my new frames add a boldness to my semi bare face has reminded me that I don't have to be anything other than what makes me happy. The wild post-partum baby hair, the patchy skin, hormonal spots etc are all who I am and that is just fine. I should celebrate who I am comfortable being now, and top that with a damn fine pair of specs!!</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As always I was just delighted with the service down at <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Specsavers</a> Trongate. I had been warned my eyesight might change when pregnant buuut post baby I definitely noticed things were no longer looking crisp. However I wasn't expecting the huge change that my sight had gone through and turns out my prescription had changed hugely. I was delighted when the optician showed me my new lenses and the difference was mad. It is well worth getting checked post baby.</span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="800" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HJ-BlR1nUtMbVJ66apulJUpwvm9C49Ksmv_ej8aewvI86Z7roeyk2Kf9YcZpOFEiI9iFulU-j-lq9aazybdxP5nHnT4YS7zwaOmz22GSQRDaAo9XdSZ9gdjtMLHl_fL9Bdz_lFo" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="600" /></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frames wise there was the usual stonking range, including a new one to me Eco Eyewear, every frame in there was just a little dream. Colour, texture and beautiful shapes, really fantastic for using with their famous 2 for 1 deal. Seeing as I was going back to work though I wanted a pair that was smart, goes with everything but still with a bit of interest. Step in the <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/search?term=boss%20orange">Boss Orange f</a>rames and they were all so sleek. I couldn't resist this pair with their business in the front, party on the sides appeal thanks to their subtle tortoiseshell legs. I love how they frame my mostly make up free face and just make me feel pulled together even when on the inside I feel far from it!! Exactly what a pair of glasses should be able to do.</span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="800" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8XsB2GGnvXAmcz6WxmTTigmIZ-Tnmrw9N5FWCRoMLZuyA7MxGrsEuyzsNackgpvFIZKwTD4reflO6qaP2XnHPHodcuf-d4HCqddAb-SxF066iXmLjkyw8N3kaqV2v3ARfrmbKM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="600" /></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="800" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/inWyG4XUD0Pbjty0XjusrdOEcNaD2pNxblvxZcZSJcoihJlElBUCWV-jwk335Y-KpSUJ0WK6jKpptVJ8ClEOEPf2pCWyQC63IFI7SdcF6a3MjpY_D8VHgclt4G2A08e38RVXnAI" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="600" /></span></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you specsavers for helping me realise that a maw makeover didn't need to be glitz and glamour, just a more polished, happier version of yourself who happens to be a mum!</span></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-8276684720751859152019-03-12T10:50:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.796+02:00Glasgow Reviewed; Mindful Parenting at The Wee Retreat<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgead3BsHrGjsrtFDGyruyuuizZ5PQOuGnRnXXFDJGmDvVjhJqssIAKJY5okCb-tll-IdNWttnFdlnlg0aOYFkSsomSL7GLKcq0WymJYXutploLFc4XPFdfwfOa96_paZ780cehglpI8ZI/s1600/IMG_20190121_084613_931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgead3BsHrGjsrtFDGyruyuuizZ5PQOuGnRnXXFDJGmDvVjhJqssIAKJY5okCb-tll-IdNWttnFdlnlg0aOYFkSsomSL7GLKcq0WymJYXutploLFc4XPFdfwfOa96_paZ780cehglpI8ZI/s400/IMG_20190121_084613_931.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />As most people reading will know, this last year has been a time of change for me. Having a baby is no walk in the park and it has taught me a huge amount about myself whilst I experienced the various challenges it presents pretty much daily (sometimes hourly!) I was so lucky that in among all the madness I met Vicky from <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1J8biXrPjOXyKElEMgg0_6GYiQLpG2g0kv6KLJbLlh_yCps_30sNg7p8A" rel="nofollow">The Wee Retreat </a>and through attending classes with her, she has helped me navigate a lot of these challenges and I definitely feel the positive changes in so many areas of my life. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you missed my review of my first mindfulness course with The Wee Retreat then you can catch it <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2018/12/glasgow-reviewed-wee-retreat.html">here</a>. I was delighted to be invited back to meet a new group of people and do The Mindful Parenting Course, and it has been <u>such</u> a refreshing and valuable experience. As I said in my last <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2019/01/mindful-parenting-with-wee-retreat.html">post</a>, The Wee Retreat has settled in to beautiful new premises in the southside of Glasgow and Vicky is now able to offer a truly phenomenal range of classes, courses and experiences from this bright and airy space that feels like the perfect space to try something new.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeMPU9UnzvU1wHeLcaUc_R8Y9S-QY3FOh-gUcXN3CZ10sEWWhwGvQN9NKV9JFa7PT4NgVLsP5-l92oOCcrIYQALfZ3fZeE3dnGll5xVep0fatgmsHfXDAZteyI7sCTgsjBLVhps9NjMs/s1600/IMG_20190204_181600_055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeMPU9UnzvU1wHeLcaUc_R8Y9S-QY3FOh-gUcXN3CZ10sEWWhwGvQN9NKV9JFa7PT4NgVLsP5-l92oOCcrIYQALfZ3fZeE3dnGll5xVep0fatgmsHfXDAZteyI7sCTgsjBLVhps9NjMs/s640/IMG_20190204_181600_055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This course is aimed at parents with children of any age as each week we discussed topics that we then applied to our circumstance and experiences. The group was a calm, warm and private space for people to share what they felt comfortable with as Vicky led us skillfully through ideas and discussion to help us address and often reframe our parenting approaches. With a background in education psychology, her passion and knowledge in this area just shines through, she is always able to really hear a problem and help you dial down to the possible root and how you might make things less overwhelming.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On week one we jotted down a few notes on ourselves as parents and it is so interesting to compare how we felt at the end of the course in comparison. It was heartening to hear everyone in the group return each week and share how they had tried out new techniques or ideas and found themselves much happier with their relationships and their general mood. Some weeks I would find it also helped me see areas for change that I was previously blind to, or simply ignoring. Tackling these then felt easier as Vicky had provided me with the right tools to be able to look closer at what I was really feeling and how I might deal with it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6dDfXNh2uDuFyGuT2SkIVILMLoWseBTgN2-HV_Jp3KKulAw_XmwbwJb9mKjK5NK7AsnmgUVtn55I_s7HuNA7Rt99dR6lq5F6AGC5tqz4d7fy-ZIaBYIyyQf1S7FsXtlMqt3BxTyBroA/s1600/IMG_20190213_213911_476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6dDfXNh2uDuFyGuT2SkIVILMLoWseBTgN2-HV_Jp3KKulAw_XmwbwJb9mKjK5NK7AsnmgUVtn55I_s7HuNA7Rt99dR6lq5F6AGC5tqz4d7fy-ZIaBYIyyQf1S7FsXtlMqt3BxTyBroA/s640/IMG_20190213_213911_476.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Of course mindfulness practice is still at the root of the whole session and we would have a guided meditation in various forms throughout the course. Whether you are new to mindfulness completely or have dabbled in the past, Vicky still walks through the process and ties the aspects of parenting and meditation together and I can now see how well they complement each other and how important taking that time for yourself can be when trying to raise little ones. The whole experience was both powerful and empowering, while providing a safe and joyful place to come together and learn from others. It felt so unique and well put together, I highly recommend giving it a go if you are a new parent or just looking to work through your role as a parent and your relationship with a child.<br /><br />The new spring timetable is now live for all the hugely exciting new things on offer at The Wee Retreat and I was super excited when Vicky told me she is now offering the Beginners Mindfulness Course as a 4 day retreat to allow for anyone who cannot commit to various weeks in a row. There is also the next 8 week course running from this Thursday from 7 to 9 which is fab for anyone who wants to try after work. ( details for sign up is <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/8-week-mindfulness-based-living-course-mblc-tickets-56722231722?fbclid=IwAR3-6IZxrHnwI0ApKUGaACRzhlsZP0xqH3O7d-W29sqP9k2XJF09IaKprHk">here</a>) </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDVO4_OAq_fBVJBmDnMsrRQ8Fq9RfGoatzhqz1-R8j-hhvLprIdLVgZWypCLes67GaNdx41NCi44LE8A6u4NKqsBRIzMXunlGKGbwqIbqV6_yg3x2ls6aVlPl_0xrDO43_vGn_09nCbM/s1600/53139002_2246896902224554_4129356346363478016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDVO4_OAq_fBVJBmDnMsrRQ8Fq9RfGoatzhqz1-R8j-hhvLprIdLVgZWypCLes67GaNdx41NCi44LE8A6u4NKqsBRIzMXunlGKGbwqIbqV6_yg3x2ls6aVlPl_0xrDO43_vGn_09nCbM/s640/53139002_2246896902224554_4129356346363478016_n.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="452" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">From candlelit evening meditations to book clubs and workshops , there really is an incredible spectrum of things to try and I applaud Vicky for welcoming such a great variety of activities to the building. I know how many people it is already benefiting and I cannot wait to see where<span> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/weeretreat/?__xts__[0]=68.ARD3dqgkCb41kCsNF-zO3ZBoaEBh1Xn1y6-4S31HqGvmw3ZD6en7eU7Dej3R6kbnPxSpK89z1dFyol3BSFEZidZQpNyS7Y2Lme0Rm45wI5BSriPBijB_Kaq84sx34NoNt3b0YyYlLTiNdnxPW02ki94_-sE0vYlZiqYLGh29lxt_tFQCRv89smzj9hX8QdbRcjuww1WGiL7e9y6sE9rLA_yz4N_O98v6eU5rbgHRBO6A2jqtbk4za9N1cVL5mCOk-1nbRvEB43K-OD057Cc-OxX6uARpsd9KpZHmTHaLiXXOCKtlJ0lDOgtBXSt4FB_ynYm1qQRS_Qm94hUKKmOS&__tn__=k*F&tn-str=k*F" rel="nofollow">The Wee Retreat<span> </span></a>takes us next. The Spring timetable is just loaded with opportunity to try something new and if parenting is an area you want to spend some time on then I would absolutely sign up for the next Mindful Parenting course.</div></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-34416725054090150642019-01-11T15:44:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.840+02:00Mindful Parenting with The Wee Retreat<div style="text-align: center;">2019..... I would love to throw some big goals I am hoping to achieve at you, but I am being realistic this year. As I navigate Arthur's ever changing moods, needs and abilities ( climbing is his current forte), I would just like to get through the year in one piece and absolutely everything else is a bonus. Thanks to the mindfulness course I did with Vicky of The Wee Retreat last year ( full review<a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2018/12/glasgow-reviewed-wee-retreat.html" rel="nofollow"> here</a>), this more relaxed and forgiving approach has come much easier to me. I am still able to set smaller 'goals' as I go but they aren't rigid, I don't beat myself up for not ticking them off, I just view things very differently. After the success of my content with Vicky I promise to come back with an update and what an update it is....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fweeretreat%2Fvideos%2F285251135671160%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Wee Retreat has its own shiny new home, and what a home it is!! Nestled in the Southside of Glasgow is a pretty special spot of calm on Myrtle Park and not only are the mindfulness courses running from here but Vicky has put together an outstanding mix of collaborators who are putting on a really special mix of classes. I feel very lucky to live nearby!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No photo description available." height="480" src="https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49564165_2579610282079344_8788291793935400960_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=f2f5466e97ea8b9c03c8c02b42bcae78&oe=5CCAEA80" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now home to drop in guided meditations to a variety of yoga classes ( including yoga for little ones and prenatal yoga) to different mindfulness courses from health to parenting, The Wee Retreat is growing all the time. You can see the line up of classes <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/regular-classes/" rel="nofollow">HERE</a> and a full timetable is available on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weeretreat/" rel="nofollow">facebook</a> page alongside prices.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I am delighted to say I will be bringing you my experiences from the Mindfulness Parenting Course that I am starting next week. I will keep weekly updates on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> page to give you a flavour of what the course covers, but it is safe to say I am incredibly excited to settle into this new space. With Vicky's background in education mixed with her approach to teaching mindfulness, I have no doubt what a useful and insightful course this is going to be, and just in-time as Arthur is growing so fast I can barely keep up and having a calm approach is definitely needed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I shall report back soon with a full review!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There are just a couple of spots left on this 5 week course starting Friday the 18th of January from 1pm until 2.30, so if you would like more info you can contact Vicky <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/contact/" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-1948869956628955902018-12-17T08:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.866+02:00Glasgow Reviewed; Ryan James Studio and We Are Eponomyous Pop up shop St Enoch Centre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMibrNEPYj1RdF20FV3qxt4ydTCPJzjBhxl9GiS0S7yWaOiWT7-2WbhLt1xikUvMi9JLntmCeSWcfJs8z20SjDG5yiYcbPSp2i9IJal8BpYWC-aiRcMiFIYS-XTjQ4ECqyr21pYkuBqs/s1600/Copy+of+IMG_20181215_114836814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMibrNEPYj1RdF20FV3qxt4ydTCPJzjBhxl9GiS0S7yWaOiWT7-2WbhLt1xikUvMi9JLntmCeSWcfJs8z20SjDG5yiYcbPSp2i9IJal8BpYWC-aiRcMiFIYS-XTjQ4ECqyr21pYkuBqs/s640/Copy+of+IMG_20181215_114836814.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the St Enoch Centre Christmas press event, nestled among the beautiful pieces from Debenhams, Mothercare, Billies Market etc,I was surprised to also find picks from <a href="https://www.dartejewellery.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Darte </a>jewellery, sumptuous hoods from <a href="https://www.chouchoucouture.com/en/shop.html" rel="nofollow">Chou Chou Couture </a>and bold <a href="https://barbrakolasinski.com/" rel="nofollow"> Barbra Kolasinki </a>purses. Turns out they are all part of the amazing <a href="https://ryanjamesstudio.com/" rel="nofollow">Ryan James Studio </a>and<a href="https://www.eponymous.shop/"> Eponoymous</a> pop up shop in the St Enoch Centre that is open until Christmas Eve.</span> </span></span><br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiduNKoBL2-AbB43QB-f96tP-rSDuo68DXXH4L1ZlCmFM0VUVuPkmQ-qqsFTFXFj6YNQHjYmwBKYCPoHmVeeWzS6TZ83Q4BUpozkN2P1xgQr5BNRhLb56uk2F5s_hvXCyIAFAFk9-VwDQ/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiduNKoBL2-AbB43QB-f96tP-rSDuo68DXXH4L1ZlCmFM0VUVuPkmQ-qqsFTFXFj6YNQHjYmwBKYCPoHmVeeWzS6TZ83Q4BUpozkN2P1xgQr5BNRhLb56uk2F5s_hvXCyIAFAFk9-VwDQ/s640/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="588" /></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBYOZUO_iu8vqyoNfUdLrNClrNFTEk8M1rXQYC-XHOPRHYf0ItWxZsZaVJjLe1JzY2GZQ1F1MzWfgs9i3sFO9JjrkXAzUwePUr3RG2Rv_FejW1NpTqN4WNwpu7HdzgWn-BdrAhZKWpL4/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBYOZUO_iu8vqyoNfUdLrNClrNFTEk8M1rXQYC-XHOPRHYf0ItWxZsZaVJjLe1JzY2GZQ1F1MzWfgs9i3sFO9JjrkXAzUwePUr3RG2Rv_FejW1NpTqN4WNwpu7HdzgWn-BdrAhZKWpL4/s640/image.jpg" width="510" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This beautifully curated pop up shop is located right across from H and M on the first floor and it's a chance to buy some independent gifts while you are in doing your shopping. I was super impressed with the range on offer, from beautiful <a href="https://lab6candles.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">LaB6 Candles</a> ( which smell PHENOMENAL) to ceramics, high end mens and womenswear via wooden watches from <a href="https://www.kochibanation.com/" rel="nofollow">Kochiba </a>and beard oil from the <a href="https://www.bedfordshirebeardco.com/" rel="nofollow">Bedfordshire Beard Co</a> and the most incredible <a href="https://www.sarahharan.com/" rel="nofollow">Sarah Haran</a> handbags, I love that it means people will discover brands they didn't know about while picking up gifts for loved ones.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFdgMNj6v6ukg7FmKWkEDT-3GktwT_793rTFyktnr5F0Z2m8DVFV2NcFpvVq30vPEffh9aZhXGe156rEhxz0zJ4oCADaWeiNPYHr-SKeNmwrnmvnyZ3rpqv1BAfIrYKyTdAiZOTaopZA/s1600/IMG_20181215_115232759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFdgMNj6v6ukg7FmKWkEDT-3GktwT_793rTFyktnr5F0Z2m8DVFV2NcFpvVq30vPEffh9aZhXGe156rEhxz0zJ4oCADaWeiNPYHr-SKeNmwrnmvnyZ3rpqv1BAfIrYKyTdAiZOTaopZA/s640/IMG_20181215_115232759.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was instantly drawn to a cabinet full of <a href="http://www.euanmcwhirter.com/" rel="nofollow">Euan Mchwhirter's</a> shiny gems and I was really taken with the gift sets from <a href="https://ermana.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Ermana</a> who I had never come across before, I also couldn't resist picking up a couple of pairs of these amazing Huxley socks!! There was such a perfect blend of items at a mixture of price points that it really feels like a one stop shop and all supporting independent makers that deserve that platform for their work.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGvIhw3fX2O0MpnBM_m5BtyY2gQexqgzVhekUNyq5qHbFT2e-_kV5MAr3QAV0Nd_ut6667iMLKnDP1WoReF5swfuwSwg6SeSVjzrRoq7BUH6nXFa2cgDK-ocGAcfWXguE5Hj9j10tq5Q/s1600/IMG_20181216_150530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGvIhw3fX2O0MpnBM_m5BtyY2gQexqgzVhekUNyq5qHbFT2e-_kV5MAr3QAV0Nd_ut6667iMLKnDP1WoReF5swfuwSwg6SeSVjzrRoq7BUH6nXFa2cgDK-ocGAcfWXguE5Hj9j10tq5Q/s640/IMG_20181216_150530.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it's amazing <a href="https://www.st-enoch.com/" rel="nofollow">The St Enoch Centre</a> have these brilliant designers under their roof in this 'Shop Small 'collection, I highly recommend checking it out while you are in. Plus is it right along from the <a href="http://www.ilovekimbles.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Kimbles </a>cafe.... so it is pretty much the perfect way to shop and snack.</span></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-41974847962911323282018-12-10T14:59:00.002+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.890+02:00Glasgow Reviewed; The Wee Retreat <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No automatic alt text available." src="https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18341685_1880734222174159_1896364030548084652_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=24ab31d544883fc8ce1da9295a7f5ef4&oe=5C67E78B" /></div>This post has taken me longer to write than I expected and for a good reason..... The course was actually so impressive I actually haven't quite found the time to try and put it into adequate words. I think I was allowing myself to be overwhelmed by the sheer wealth of information and insights I had picked up over the weeks that I was attempting to try and succinctly summarise the whole process into one post. However when I stopped for a moment and actually put some of my learning into practice,I realised that was not what I was needing to do and I that I was being hard on myself which was stopping me from completing what I wanted to do- How is that for demonstrating what <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wee Retreat</a> has taught me??<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSogHY0RlcJj60autAbFYuP33MyLCbkizIpPfLx7EZEWfmj6LWuoj8iw4-yl_9YHyyX0wsXqpQrrLshHnL1MT6WiS6CLpZUTg6G9bUDVEIxJuSDy7gLKUoK9BDSPqpR3BhG4ZcoSXiMHY/s1600/Screenshot_20181210-133553-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1079" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSogHY0RlcJj60autAbFYuP33MyLCbkizIpPfLx7EZEWfmj6LWuoj8iw4-yl_9YHyyX0wsXqpQrrLshHnL1MT6WiS6CLpZUTg6G9bUDVEIxJuSDy7gLKUoK9BDSPqpR3BhG4ZcoSXiMHY/s640/Screenshot_20181210-133553-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you have been following me over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/" target="_blank">instagram</a> you will have hopefully seen my weekly updates about how I had found the course, and some of my thoughts on what we had been discussing each week. I was so touched and encouraged by the feedback that I have received from many people who have been interested and intrigued by some of the stuff I have covered and its been so rewarding to hear people sharing their own thoughts on some of the topics with me. You can still check out each of my posts on my grid if you want to catch up, I will link the first one <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm-Z_KcFXQG/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /><br />So instead of going over all the ground again and attempting to condense such a fantastic course into this one page, I am instead going to just let everyone in on how it has made me feel. Before I went along to our first week I was in a strange place, I was coming to terms with my new life as a first time mum, someone who wasn't at work and still wanted to get a million things done a day but couldn't. I had lost a lot of myself in the process and was making no time to do something for just me and focus on how I felt. Then I took on writing about this course and each week I would go along to this open and warm group and we would tackle a different theme that Vicky would lead us through. We would try a new meditation, we would chat, we would eat cake ( something homemade each week I should add!) and ultimately I would leave with something that I didn't quite understand in relation to my life until a few days later. Some weeks I would walk in and truly have no idea how I felt until I sat down and thought about it in a quiet space for a moment and some weeks I would leave our sessions feeling quiet and contemplative as I took the time to really think about what we discussed and how it was relevant to me. The way the course content would just ruminate in my mind as I went about daily life was really something, I loved how it quietly challenged me and allowed to feel more in tune with myself than I had in a long time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NT8JLBIMxfrPgbGy0HpadboGw9onZmxTB-N-tmy_Av3y2R7HE87Bjz7SiYHR_8sxL700UwzST3JtO5pIwHIR3L1m6BbcjCMh1rqq7lpZSwZYM-iWUI4fKo_u1EdiE5aubYtwdB6NeG8/s1600/Screenshot_20181210-134314-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1073" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NT8JLBIMxfrPgbGy0HpadboGw9onZmxTB-N-tmy_Av3y2R7HE87Bjz7SiYHR_8sxL700UwzST3JtO5pIwHIR3L1m6BbcjCMh1rqq7lpZSwZYM-iWUI4fKo_u1EdiE5aubYtwdB6NeG8/s640/Screenshot_20181210-134314-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There is something so powerful in the way Vicky has planned and arranged her courses, she helps guide you so sensitively through what can also be a challenging set of weeks depending on what is happening with you and your life right now and you never fail to leave with a thought or practice that would teach you something new. She really emphasised to our group the importance of practising mindfulness meditation through the week and it really helped me carve more time out when I could, and not just attend the course and leave again and carry on as normal. She emailed us all each week after the session to summarise what we had covered and also to set us small bits of homework to try in between sessions and it just made you feel further supported on what felt like a very new 'journey'.<br /><br />I am so aware that mindfulness and meditation can sound too hippy dippy for some, and I completely understand that preconceived idea. I think that what is so accessible and relatable in The Wee Retreat however is the totally practical angle that it provides. It is real people taking time to talk about real things, and learning to open up a little and let a new experience in. I know the whole group felt like they had taken so much from our time with Vicky and it was really inspiring to see how much each of us had grown in that time. When I first went along I know I was fearful of simply 'failing' at mindfulness and I love that Vicky helped me see how it is never about failing, that mindfulness isn't something I can just tick off a list and achieve and move on and that if I stick with a commitment to myself, it can be so rewarding.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhmZ-Ico49ztcKZq7mVNqnChvAXxaXnJG2QEHu0nHT5imRbUB7lluzbABx4VWl8RfWgs6zeGYE1hRTt-dumrL5jmDPiXQBcdI83DcGrLvgXQEVefGIJc9cbWNYv275fvkm_nNdajokpE/s1600/Screenshot_20181210-134321-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhmZ-Ico49ztcKZq7mVNqnChvAXxaXnJG2QEHu0nHT5imRbUB7lluzbABx4VWl8RfWgs6zeGYE1hRTt-dumrL5jmDPiXQBcdI83DcGrLvgXQEVefGIJc9cbWNYv275fvkm_nNdajokpE/s640/Screenshot_20181210-134321-01.jpeg" width="582" /></a></div><br />I have learned a lot about myself thanks to <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/what-wee-do/" rel="nofollow">The Wee Retreat</a> and it actually feels like a gift I would want to give so many others in my life. It has helped me see how hard a lot of us push and push without stopping, never letting ourselves rest or taking time to check in and see how we really feel. Taking time to attend something like this can be transformative and help you try and slow it down a little and in turn actually help you really experience life more. In the first week Vicky taught us something her teacher taught her, "Mindfulness isn't for wimps" and do you know what this course has made me realise how true that is. I have had to face things I had clearly shelved away, I have looked at some things that I was doing previously that were no longer serving me, and It has made my address how my time is spent and why I was spending it that way. It is no walk in a park at times, but a walk SO worth taking. I feel more calm, more present and absolutely more excited about pretty much everything! I enjoy things more, and I am quicker to see when something isn't quite right and take time out for myself. I understand now making changes takes so much time and this is an ongoing habit that will continue to help me if i commit the time to myself.<br /><br />That is a large amoutn of feelings, emotions, and new learning for someone to impart to a group of people but Vicky does it with such ease and warmth that truly you don't even notice it happening. She simply facilitates how you are processing some of the new ideas you are being introduced too and provides a really friendly support to your questions. She is an incredibly insightful and generous person that is so well placed to being this teacher for retreaters.<br /><br />Overall I think it is pretty clear from the above that I give The Wee Retreat a hugggggggge thumbs up. I couldn't have told you how much I would take away from the experience and I am so thrilled to know others are already considering a course in the new year- do it you wont regret it!! If you are keen to hear more about the group, Vicky holds candle light meditations regularly which would be the perfect way to give mindfulness a little go with no pressure and commitment, you can find out details by following her facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weeretreat/" rel="nofollow">HERE.</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzObXppIaDpabh5AqhzafdUUB_G35XoxQoMMyrYEr8Euq1SFdZ9FieOyFtTfzsXwrAl9uyzKPTDeWOwOukgEA6SSCn3fF72-hv_XNLSohgfGedcF6Lej-N2d912daASgs_h74x3_ePiYA/s1600/Screenshot_20181210-134212-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1080" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzObXppIaDpabh5AqhzafdUUB_G35XoxQoMMyrYEr8Euq1SFdZ9FieOyFtTfzsXwrAl9uyzKPTDeWOwOukgEA6SSCn3fF72-hv_XNLSohgfGedcF6Lej-N2d912daASgs_h74x3_ePiYA/s640/Screenshot_20181210-134212-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpc07q-GEF8cbRKmvsczKVP1UMIn_LNVEBwoSvb30aVUzWOWMzZM0VcUUpftFgJVsT62XKtvaNaB4o-FfOXm267n9jRPzUhDuKtRxO7-Ilo8K9t5UUUamION-TkZ1_5wBw_4xmSFnk84/s1600/Screenshot_20181210-134220-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1080" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpc07q-GEF8cbRKmvsczKVP1UMIn_LNVEBwoSvb30aVUzWOWMzZM0VcUUpftFgJVsT62XKtvaNaB4o-FfOXm267n9jRPzUhDuKtRxO7-Ilo8K9t5UUUamION-TkZ1_5wBw_4xmSFnk84/s640/Screenshot_20181210-134220-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How gorgeous is the new home of The Wee Retreat! ( photos courtesy of Right Move)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The most exciting news is that since finishing my course, Vicky has secured her own gorgeous space in the Southside of Glasgow, The Wee Retreat has a new home!! A beautiful building with just the right ambiance for these courses and for people to come together to do a variety of activities, and it is right next to Crosshill train station near Mount Florida. She is holding an<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/271662630201586/" rel="nofollow"> opening party </a>on the 22nd of December ( between 1pm and 7) which would be a great occasion to go over and meet her and see the new home at 2 Myrtle Park. I am so thrilled she has found a place to settle, I have the feeling it is going to become a special place for a lot of people.<br /><br />Thanks so much to everyone for getting so involved with my time writing about the course, it is exactly the reason I have kept this up over all these years, it very much felt like a lot of us were learning a lot together as I went.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-76545177886259087112018-12-05T08:00:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.919+02:00BabyH2t: Baby's first Christmas at the St Enoch Centre<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlerR_XAvscSvLlrascis7khmge409LgCb3wj-QzNmMskumDwUPLEh6QC2GUWjSe0TS2XwF7k2fIVjvOJxsDcC3QfW-FUGo-QdEAs253PlTFhgeFqGOUuOKsjIxthT-tsoTY-k_hC57lY/s1600/IMG_20181203_105613854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlerR_XAvscSvLlrascis7khmge409LgCb3wj-QzNmMskumDwUPLEh6QC2GUWjSe0TS2XwF7k2fIVjvOJxsDcC3QfW-FUGo-QdEAs253PlTFhgeFqGOUuOKsjIxthT-tsoTY-k_hC57lY/s640/IMG_20181203_105613854.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /> I feel like Christmas has snuck up on me, last thing I knew I had a newborn and the whole year stretching out in front me yet suddenly it is Christmas and I am fully unprepared. Gifts for anyone else aside I had a panic last month when I realised Arthur is actually big enough to at least take in his surroundings and actually enjoy all the colour and fun that Christmas brings with it, so I was over the moon when the <a href="https://www.st-enoch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Enoch Centre </a>got in touch to invite us down to make it a wonderful first Christmas for him.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /> The atmosphere around and inside St Enoch is amazing thanks to the decorations, the Christmas market and all the goings on in the centre like Santas Grotto. We had wondered about taking him to see a Santa or not but I am so glad we did, the set up in the centre is fantastic and he might not quite know what is going on but he loved all the shiny lights and little characters dotted around outside. I am such a fan of the fact you can book online before you go which takes out a lot of the drama and it is so lovely that they are acknowledging children with autism and vulnerabilities who might prefer a quieter experience. You can book for those slots on early Sunday morning between 10 am and 11 am and the collection outside the grotto is for an autistic charity too- lovely to see that inclusivity. We were really impressed with how organised and well staffed the grotto was, you are shown inside to a really lovely Santa who keeps character so well and has a proper chat with the wee ones as well as giving them a really fun gift. The Elf on hand to help was good at trying to get a decent picture of us all while Santa chatted and the little memento's you can opt to buy when booking are really lovely quality and I am actually really glad we had that option. The little photo frame looks amazing sitting up on our mantle piece among the decorations now! You can book your Grotto visit <a href="https://tickets.globalstar.systems/183" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FTMwfTATFR8fXEBKFaiytsKVRbtOdVyxReFE5pZRKWdiNSsVHOFoqxd-UXlZBvXuT5jDOD1PjwQvgBVCbjTXw1SMwvbj_aTpe22v_DB8ZUsnlW1zRyuJlHRZFz75B4QYCPOtatVR4Z0/s1600/IMG_20181203_105158150_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FTMwfTATFR8fXEBKFaiytsKVRbtOdVyxReFE5pZRKWdiNSsVHOFoqxd-UXlZBvXuT5jDOD1PjwQvgBVCbjTXw1SMwvbj_aTpe22v_DB8ZUsnlW1zRyuJlHRZFz75B4QYCPOtatVR4Z0/s640/IMG_20181203_105158150_HDR.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSOdsHIKVu0DZGFj524BOWoBDQlgAyienS6kyEa8V52wNxRIb23wIIJP3DJbLBXi8ZRWSPsrP1xWB1sn8k4Xw5Zd8Fted4daRM4v0hGFF5sM9mcJOC6V7RYhH8fn219gmpJ4iCj0_b9c/s1600/IMG_20181204_195433245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSOdsHIKVu0DZGFj524BOWoBDQlgAyienS6kyEa8V52wNxRIb23wIIJP3DJbLBXi8ZRWSPsrP1xWB1sn8k4Xw5Zd8Fted4daRM4v0hGFF5sM9mcJOC6V7RYhH8fn219gmpJ4iCj0_b9c/s640/IMG_20181204_195433245.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In terms of places to get ready for the big day, St Enoch definitely had us covered, from the toy mecca that is Hamleys to the Disney store, <a href="https://www.mothercare.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mothercare</a> and <a href="http://www.billiesmarket.fr/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Billies Market </a>as well as stopping in at H and M kids and<a href="https://www.debenhams.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Debenhams</a>, we had so much fun taking a look around and picking out a few bits for him. I had never properly been into <a href="http://www.hamleys.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hamleys</a> before so it was my first time in there too, I cannot believe how much there is to choose from, or how exciting the atmosphere is!! There was a really fun array of toys suitable for Arthur's age and we let him have a good pad about to see what he liked. I Pretty much had to drag Ally away from the bigger kids toys too. They are even putting on a snow machine at certain times through out the day and the little ones were going wild for it, although as you can see so was Ally!! We picked up a new Oball toy for him ( Arthur not Ally) as he totally loves these and they are fab for encouraging coordination, we also picked up a push top rattle and a ball maze which he is going to love! I was also really impressed with the gorgeous and really well priced wooden toy selection they had to offer, I think wooden toys are just the best although right now anything noisy is right up Arthur's Street! It is worth noting for older kids that Hamleys have meet Father Christmas sessions running up until Christmas Eve with a session lasting an hour including games and activities and a special gift bag too. You can find out more <a href="http://www.hamleys.com/explore-whatson-glasgow.irs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoJwChsvoLMDefodec-yv-wZrQzeKvWdLbqmy2iOXmgX3gMi9Lmw4BUavO2395yhoTVDnMupiCKErZbGI2Men08VjiKVnr5AFFv_DfpAVDWyk6evY2h-9r5NlW1VzT-Q85-HTaRrT3_Q/s1600/IMG_20181203_120839343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoJwChsvoLMDefodec-yv-wZrQzeKvWdLbqmy2iOXmgX3gMi9Lmw4BUavO2395yhoTVDnMupiCKErZbGI2Men08VjiKVnr5AFFv_DfpAVDWyk6evY2h-9r5NlW1VzT-Q85-HTaRrT3_Q/s640/IMG_20181203_120839343.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIvXHJAF70AWW2njykaxMPQ_uKipxvBU0nRW-2r3E6W1aT9pFXXj7uHM83fVoiB6BdCoezg01YRugKVVzzSyHanozMfHbBZwBfeBwigt3GwDTuAh7Lvlo6FCVwwIuML5k4BlNZNZX2Jg/s1600/IMG_20181204_185857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIvXHJAF70AWW2njykaxMPQ_uKipxvBU0nRW-2r3E6W1aT9pFXXj7uHM83fVoiB6BdCoezg01YRugKVVzzSyHanozMfHbBZwBfeBwigt3GwDTuAh7Lvlo6FCVwwIuML5k4BlNZNZX2Jg/s640/IMG_20181204_185857.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh369jW_tk0ioqmxHzMQxIamMuM_H__eL7EuWS-rvcwRVWjct-to6HO-rjrYjfrebmuyIcF_osa_xi3q43MaCODZ4YG5GcU1RoLrrFdQQMiKkS53tNN58lx_tomiJ-cYijB05501fHz09k/s1600/IMG_20181203_115349357-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh369jW_tk0ioqmxHzMQxIamMuM_H__eL7EuWS-rvcwRVWjct-to6HO-rjrYjfrebmuyIcF_osa_xi3q43MaCODZ4YG5GcU1RoLrrFdQQMiKkS53tNN58lx_tomiJ-cYijB05501fHz09k/s640/IMG_20181203_115349357-ANIMATION.gif" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have such a special place in my heart for the <a href="https://www.shopdisney.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Disney Store,</a> I walked through the St Enoch centre early every morning for 5 years as it was on my walk to work. I absolutely loved being there in time for store opening where there was always a little queue of excited kids waiting to get in and wanting to be first in line to be the one to 'open' the store that day. The staff always made a big fuss and they would look so delighted! When I was little this place was like going to Disneyland itself in my mind so we couldn't resist taking Arthur in for his first look. They have the most gorgeous Christmas bits in so we had to pick up Arthur his first bauble of a little Lumiere! They also had the most adorable play space set up the back playing Muppets Christmas Carol which is a favourite of mine so Ally pretty much had to tear me away!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6jXypN0khpyxQyR0AcgmWBQ2dHjToXiXzAL66r-Yz5OJ7aMyTVqtNTjFNIAFnNs88iWH-H4P1domZyA6jmmkiLBTNs9zdk_pEGwN_VXnUPIglA5lkl39FYqDkSIbTnCovkkpTV40NE/s1600/IMG_20181204_185735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8k6jXypN0khpyxQyR0AcgmWBQ2dHjToXiXzAL66r-Yz5OJ7aMyTVqtNTjFNIAFnNs88iWH-H4P1domZyA6jmmkiLBTNs9zdk_pEGwN_VXnUPIglA5lkl39FYqDkSIbTnCovkkpTV40NE/s640/IMG_20181204_185735.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />With all that fun going on, never mind Arthur being tired, we were pooped from the morning too so we made sure we picked up a quick breakfast at Di Maggios in the food court ( the pancakes were delish) and we grabbed a coffee on the go from Starbucks to fuel a few more shops too. I love the spaciousness of the food court and that there are decent highchairs for little babies like Arthur to use. It makes what can usually be a stressful experience pretty hassle free which is what you need when trying to get your shopping done!<br /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZIKCpln1CqxVQ1-ssfd54Gy4RhlYQrI2IaOcrRcQylpyBxrhNlcPANCWQ4vFTfbcFwmjKgjiDtfuSQgBcIujpUM63J4AMmoftWrrzroF5AqKGiZsH2jy4QkQ8pHx65q-9wzk4XoKPyc/s1600/IMG_20181203_115126138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="824" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZIKCpln1CqxVQ1-ssfd54Gy4RhlYQrI2IaOcrRcQylpyBxrhNlcPANCWQ4vFTfbcFwmjKgjiDtfuSQgBcIujpUM63J4AMmoftWrrzroF5AqKGiZsH2jy4QkQ8pHx65q-9wzk4XoKPyc/s640/IMG_20181203_115126138.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We couldn't resist a look upstairs in Mothercare where the Early Learning Centre is as it takes us both back to our childhood where you would spend hours in an ELC touching pretty much EVERY toy. We found some gorgeous unusual toys in there to and got a couple of little sensory items that we know Arthur is going to adore. Prying them out of his hands to get them wrapped up is going to be an issue! We also couldn't resist this little santa suit in Mothercare as we have lots of little parties at classes in the next couple of weeks and he is going to look ridiculously cute in it. ( For 5 mins before he drools all over it of course). We also picked up his jumper for next year too as I love the <a href="https://www.mothercare.com/clothing/little-bird-by-jools-oliver/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Little Bird </a>range and their jumpers were reduced, gave us a minute of feeling smugly organised :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIkermb3lzqLGGR6HN2AhW8TcR1J5bUom26g8Fu9xAkaOd_j5G9KUE0vMBO8gyUGJ0GBxnwA1690RdwMibZW44LX054msCAl1grfJvHqTrBHvut48Upk0QbTcz3mIAAKx01JXdUBaYA0/s1600/IMG_20181204_185552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIkermb3lzqLGGR6HN2AhW8TcR1J5bUom26g8Fu9xAkaOd_j5G9KUE0vMBO8gyUGJ0GBxnwA1690RdwMibZW44LX054msCAl1grfJvHqTrBHvut48Upk0QbTcz3mIAAKx01JXdUBaYA0/s640/IMG_20181204_185552.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly we hit <a href="https://www.theworks.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6JjgBRDbARIsANfu58G63FtiPQw2e-I7JOR5xThZ43zT3J-dk2h-pbvWGooX05iwouF6H_oaAtL6EALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Works </a>which I am a big fan of as the prices are so good and the range they stock is amazing. They do a really good 2 for £10 deal ( or 3 for £5 on books) which would be amazing for stocking fillers or gifts for wee ones so we picked up a few for Arthur to give to the wee ones that live next door who are always wanting to play with him. His first wee gifts for some friends!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-ioBl81fWZGMT0OiFpt0ZeGFlwXVKMnN76gY3NPS5r4ADmliXU7E5SmGFQuwXzZYwmt2o9GdwuMgJsQIdzv_UZ6k8SJ9WaU9m5RVunmAI5obmhCTI5XoaJmQuB_0WUOddpOwh2VAlRA/s1600/IMG_20181127_162844691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-ioBl81fWZGMT0OiFpt0ZeGFlwXVKMnN76gY3NPS5r4ADmliXU7E5SmGFQuwXzZYwmt2o9GdwuMgJsQIdzv_UZ6k8SJ9WaU9m5RVunmAI5obmhCTI5XoaJmQuB_0WUOddpOwh2VAlRA/s640/IMG_20181127_162844691.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A fantastically stocked food court, really reasonable parking, some award wining baby changing and excellent opening hours, St Enoch Centre takes the stress out of the shopping while still keeping the magic of Christmas going. We are actually going to pick up a couple of gift cards for friends as our day made us realise just how much there is for families and so many different ways to spend them. We had the absolute best time having a look around and letting Arthur take in all the fun, thanks St Enoch Centre for making his first Christmas pretty magical already!<br /><br />You can keep up to date with opening hours and ongoing events on the centre's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stenochcentre" target="_blank">Facebook </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/stenochcentre" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img align="center" src="http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac265/ruthjack/signature-1.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /> </div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-80425760417362226482018-11-26T14:24:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:25.970+02:00Babyh2t: Summer Infant 4 in 1 Superseat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>How has all this time passed?? I was so sure while I was off on my maternity leave that I would be sitting creating all this content whilst a little tiny bub was sitting quietly and calmly at my feet playing with an ethically made,handcrafted wooden toy..... Funnily enough that is not how it has panned out and finding even a moment to update<a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/" target="_blank"> instagram</a> never mind my poor blog is often impossible. Especially now Arthur is SO mobile, I truly feel like I never stop and that what is where this little beauty has come in handy.<a name='more'></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ekmLbfiRJeJLv2Ss-xRAV4Kgq_josW8SZUg-iDMTAbD_lkemPwFAEBjSG8iKV5iJQmsMXb3WIZ04EkBlXhogvFSyHqowerFi-3twWqiTVgnqiRkjWEmcH4sZQHAI9nLfZInfKw_1WFAqdKwwEGCFXhRPwcx85QR1qG24DDxwKJJInZzZk9J3DLB1dwnfSP1qZrmJw1YBI0C4berRowM18xgMTyWI-Qtnab0VqANvAEKhoVER9pS5cflrslm-6NhH2lt3c-2ncZPFdHXZ-ySO1pAapaKhFxrYwDxeEbRlL2fII-Fq2S7zrGVBQQlMYbmbrlyWciHptzTyJ3dgFcUIQkSP4h7k0bWujamGyQDa4J8wK4PxkV1sxMytcGVz3mMmDzVd3m6QHd8h1dWlO3MMWgUHmvL3H9SZo1vPAoM49NovQQxhSIOCQxvR2TJojvX21W1WR2unm1y7xLLdRM6F83pfRfJ7AKwd4WMeSTg-qlXew3qr3Fy8_giyAPbF-VmgY97djC-7NGfiHCpCLCidL6XxDzkRq7Z9VykS-7kTKSmeTR8xPHAWxRudgo0X_vVEzd-8V-dKqFiwGSHdqqlgA2WnmecpE_iXwyZMEpn87N41w4q5v2uIRe7hCs-p7icIwynOuJLWckYGzgQuk8FmCn-ySk7lJLhegKY7aVA=w464-h618-no" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at this casual product modelling :)</td></tr></tbody></table>The <a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/4-1-superseat/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4 in 1 Superseat </a>is on of those Summer Infant products that I hadn't heard of before but I knew the concept of these types of chairs. We had a Mamas and the Papas Second hand snug seat with an activity tray before this came along and he enjoyed sitting up in it but he would get frustrated as he was easily able to rip the activity tray off and be left with a blank snack tray. BORING!<br /><br />We tried out this version, and he adores it, so much so if you leave him crawling on the floor he pulls himself over it to lie under the tray and play with some of the bits that hang off.Bless.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mGKaCg_hauo87dajp_vxk-9iU1LsQdqU2BXd1mTvZ7WjEz7AVBJsxrEIRxgPiIuO1o1a2vpBOEHpFEIRJ8Tuv6WUMoxTw9SnI15l9kdxiqWIoqj4FO2PBRGvUA5do_TAPWOBzJl25Ov83PlH2HddaAlzNY6UAno0kwWWXvk9DBvFSf1BPP6T5xGUQ4zLW3OYXlPCdFHj6zHckJQ9SQmX2Uwky-epI9YwS0jQYokyATb2zPN8M0C_dw4PtSLgspeiaPytz1qcPFEQA1XEpYYIY-1tsymbiC0Le3199fm8LmfQKzAFTQUD07EbySfe0Bw6Q7IVSh8Tsd_VsiUfhY4rYZ3rwYzgkl4i6fgGPO4rH5QzQveCljcrxaLzEOp6EIW0U0TGpgwpXAOA8H3E2H49CrITf47zl-pQqE5iTda8w--He06A3FZWj5zuXqsFxlsCyBZ2xV1HF42vm0StWILEtK5YQeEecBmUVFvcbqGx6guU4qhtMpcY-TLn1nWYxI5Nqm71m6Tuo23X55yTDKLOlfZgO_KMCz8QflWdwkD4BH6UcGSpYb9YTEmTacJ4Y6GACO8atvsLmS9Vuw3t9DXjPJ_ZM6GbSJ-Qu0fEABkvWoAAs0NDBWCRCBGqumSpdlY4CgvCsWCrlW4FqwYWBYmua-Ik0W2qwk-BZVh4Cwg=w464-h618-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mGKaCg_hauo87dajp_vxk-9iU1LsQdqU2BXd1mTvZ7WjEz7AVBJsxrEIRxgPiIuO1o1a2vpBOEHpFEIRJ8Tuv6WUMoxTw9SnI15l9kdxiqWIoqj4FO2PBRGvUA5do_TAPWOBzJl25Ov83PlH2HddaAlzNY6UAno0kwWWXvk9DBvFSf1BPP6T5xGUQ4zLW3OYXlPCdFHj6zHckJQ9SQmX2Uwky-epI9YwS0jQYokyATb2zPN8M0C_dw4PtSLgspeiaPytz1qcPFEQA1XEpYYIY-1tsymbiC0Le3199fm8LmfQKzAFTQUD07EbySfe0Bw6Q7IVSh8Tsd_VsiUfhY4rYZ3rwYzgkl4i6fgGPO4rH5QzQveCljcrxaLzEOp6EIW0U0TGpgwpXAOA8H3E2H49CrITf47zl-pQqE5iTda8w--He06A3FZWj5zuXqsFxlsCyBZ2xV1HF42vm0StWILEtK5YQeEecBmUVFvcbqGx6guU4qhtMpcY-TLn1nWYxI5Nqm71m6Tuo23X55yTDKLOlfZgO_KMCz8QflWdwkD4BH6UcGSpYb9YTEmTacJ4Y6GACO8atvsLmS9Vuw3t9DXjPJ_ZM6GbSJ-Qu0fEABkvWoAAs0NDBWCRCBGqumSpdlY4CgvCsWCrlW4FqwYWBYmua-Ik0W2qwk-BZVh4Cwg=w464-h618-no" width="480" /></a></div><br />It is a clever piece of kit as the top tray stays in one unit and you can actually turn it from front to back depending on wanting activity or the blank tray for snacks which is pretty cool. We have only used it for fun but he even loves it being turned around while he is sitting in it :) It has a mix of elements to play with from a spinning shaker to hanging shapes to slot into place and it keeps him occupied for a really long time. ( Long enough for me to finally type some content up!!)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://image.smythstoys.com/original/desktop/168262_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Summer Infant 4 in 1 SuperSeat" border="0" src="https://image.smythstoys.com/original/desktop/168262_3.jpg" /></a></div><br />I love that it transitions to a proper booster seat with straps included for fixing to a chair, and is all washable. I have been really impressed and delighted he has somewhere he is happy sitting safely for a while. This is a really clever multipurpose number and the fact you can use it for feeding at various ages could be super handy for people short of space or looking for something for a grandparents house!<br /><br />I am Delighted we got to try this out and have since passed on the other one we had used previously as it just not as good. The<a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/4-1-superseat/" target="_blank"> Superseat </a>is currently only £29.99 in the sale which is a fantastic price and well worth it.<br /><br />BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-20297476906800828572018-08-14T10:33:00.001+02:002021-04-29T14:01:25.998+02:00BabyH2T: Summer Infant Slumber Buddy<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">As I said in my last Babyh2t <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2018/07/babyh2t-summer-infant-video-monitor.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">post</a>, I am writing up thoughts on a few of the products I was lucky enough to test out for Summer Infant who stock a huge range of things for little ones. My last post was our favourite piece which was the camera system, b</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">ut Arthur's favourite is by far the<a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/slumberbuddies-grey-elephant/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> slumber buddy</a>! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything that helps him sleep is obviously of <b>peak</b> interest to me right now, as it is with any new parent I imagine, and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">there are loads of versions of these on the market that you might have heard of, sleep aids that have white noise or womb sounds that help get bubs to settle. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before he came along we received one of the most popular sleep buddies on the market as a gift and that has always lived in in his bedside sleeper. But when Summer Infant wanted us to try out their slumber buddy also, how could we resist considering it comes in lots of different adorable forms? Coming in shapes from a puppy or a bee to the elephant we have, the slumber buddy range is fantastic value for money and we use this for Arthur napping in the daytime downstairs in the By Your Bed Sleeper but we also use it in the early hours upstairs with us as it has a secret weapon that the </span>competitors<span style="font-family: inherit;"> don't... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YbSCItS7Qu_KIZUkaQKlHYeS0GxrB1xBkpvGwMEfahG-0Zk4eQ7DomRdrOpgrdbHjGgEMaCr-3dDBylTMeaTDbuRhXJ4yMgNgWozUhpUpnDgFokt0NPwQtCVfM3HHZSyGsvtQPl3ErwRD4CmdnBcmGN2hmHyGbItzlOsLVCvr-nlm5P1lKiDrGkV8_B3jWsoamQXkq7fjsWrS4ynL3eFGx1B_sEVP0g3qmK1R3nH5GhL7NAMcwaIubw6KFQRHusvdkooVbNBHN7xQREk0FlepL52EeC6nOoUPGYjXMoP6DyZH8M51vRlspUW9Fq9KgHCuu3vppsJs63HEjJoBLhFbRt6TbXkF7jrdTH-HkncY1l2AcPdiK8P0c5TcOvy_5zXYV0b53q0EE5mlkSis-2i9L3ItykSt18cab_M1pvoXArVIWFsh8qOObobtf5UfVlOui2DuSO18vyLDDl5wK_BhEkuC_0Ac4ohBBerVM_o1XqSPijI5oF4ba94u-kKGkakFqJWmwdZJ-2ogCjeGDIjiHXxp2-_3_iP6JmCItaNqZo7J_0QNOlYN7jOfOvyufencjDMnBLOSd0WWWPONlN8W7D5HGI_G8UiuTw8nMJAoAmMFtp9fBTV7yl988yOe-ML4H_4RE-Q18Gll3gjJaK7_xgBWQvXhcUa=w472-h629-no" /></div><div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">What is ingenious about this little beauty is the gorgeous light projecting feature that means you get the moon and stars projected on the walls and ceiling in various colours along with soothing sounds too. Arthur is obsessed by his wee stars and could watch them for a super long time which has been dreamy for us in the early hours when you desperately need an extra half hours kip. The buddies come in a range of styles, and are a fab price at £24.99 </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">as the batteries last ages luckily, and I love that it has a choice of automatic shut off times as well as the lullabies and nature sounds too. They are well made and so sweet sitting guarding his naps, he is old enough now to appreciate it as something fun to look at and not just a soothing aid. We know when we settle him into his big boy room ( weeep), he is going to love this lighting it up and will hopefully help the transition seem a bit more </span>familiar<span style="font-family: inherit;"> with his beloved stars travelling with him.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ViO5p_gpBvPp3CG2irV9S20-61Pi2J-pijGEB9MkLBLDGP9gXWXWzkGNo9cndis1JnIX655clCPzjUqzxzRIi2fwgA8702oDZ5XxBnbnos3MtBzfBfB3DiQnhVXAUIpN2E8F3-P_7uuk0BWesNCkEXR6x_glymCMjpA4wHffjzdmjFqhy2KuivxF1ty9ijxNUcslROIHRNG7S9TcYs6jeDCXYkucE-YM0rMvJu76o9DVJFFXaAa-9KW3dFjBaJ6HVcPLu6gZHV8RDwZy-3AMf6KBzhlmt93OQTnQ8P85eCUl8fXvVuzDlZypcg-af4XEnaTq2ig2VQRWD1eWE8E9E7HfkP1enjbIu_uN8_wsMI-Z4hBzG-miMe84keeum3mVaC2aq7R_cY_nA-dM-0D5_8-g67lSIzHZwvmktsUJJlbS5L-Pt5H5noYGqTurWXRjk6i9JSAo-TKDtOuKTxqg_Bhb2OCDSM7iOeq2VJ0v-1mL63dQfs03bW3-RnEtla1S0OWUyfxnnaZwdaEuSX-YdKCRFlMO0v8uwD3XslNmt0Mr3-Wqqdr_FbUFEcEZKv4NdGcO0z2aF4c_5FdHu8jFnxpL8y-PdzkIOwT6Sc0sZsGcUc1mhb93r4qnQxe2BWago4QngsuAHE3vQ3np-_Cic7I4V80T9H6V=w472-h629-no" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This would make such a good baby shower gift thanks to its multi functions that will last ages and I love that the different options for it mean you can tailor it a friend or their nursery too. Having not heard of a slumber buddy before, I know </span><span style="color: #222222;">wouldn't</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> be </span>without<span style="font-family: inherit;"> him and its a top recommendation from us!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I have just been looking on the site and noticed t</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">here is now the option for a little <a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/little-heartbeats-soother-bunny/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soother</a> that mimics the heartbeat for use on the go. Arthur loves white noise in his pram so I am going to check this out as a travel companion, plus look how cute...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="06746_IMG_N-SOOTHER_SILO3_4000" height="640" src="https://summerinfant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/06746_IMG_N-SOOTHER_SILO3_4000-1024x1024.jpg" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been lucky enough to snag one to give away to a reader so head on over to my <a href="https://twitter.com/BeautyH2T" target="_blank">twitter</a> to enter :)</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (t&c's Competition will close on 21st of August at midnight. You must follow myself and <a href="https://twitter.com/summerinfantuk?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">summerinfantUK</a> and retweet to enter. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on twitter.)</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-86859148759092249572018-08-13T09:29:00.001+02:002021-04-29T14:01:26.030+02:00Introducing; The Wee Retreat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span style="color: #666666;">"Mindfulness is one of those things that is tricky to put into words. We like to think that being mindful is a bit like playing hide and seek… the part that when you are hiding, listening to someone counting down and then coming to find you! At that moment you are aware of the sounds around you, looking out for the person coming, feeling your heartbeat in your chest and experiencing each moment as it unfolds. You are not wanting to change anything about that moment or judging what is happening; at that moment you are fully present. This is being mindful."</span></i></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></i></span></div>I have dabbled on and off with mindfulness for a few years now; I have done a few group meetups along the way, downloaded a few apps and attended a couple of work courses, but nothing has quite helped make it into the habit I would like it to be. Like many, I think it just became something added to a list of 'to do' that then just niggles at you as you haven't actually done it! Fast forward to now and spending all my time with Arthur I am definitely aware that I haven't found a moment to be just me, take a little snap of time just for myself and switch off a little. When the chance to team up with the lovely Vicky at <a href="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wee Retreat</a> came along I knew it was just what I was needing.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="92" src="https://www.theweeretreat.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/The-Wee-Retreat-Sm.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starting at the end of this month and based in Cathcart Parish Church in Glasgow's Southside, The Wee Retreat is an 8 week course in mindfulness that is designed to give people a sense of peace- exactly what I am after. MIndfulness meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress while serving as a tool that can be used in everyday life and that is exactly what the course aims to do. Vicky is keen to show people the different forms mindfulness can take and help establish it within our routines. Having taken Mindfulness up herself a few years back for the same reasons I am keen to try it now, she wanted to find that escape from a hectic and busy life and make time for herself while learning a new skill. A mother of 2 and an educational psychologist on the side, She is really passionate about introducing people to the practice in a variety of ways; by running retreats, 1:1 classes; group sessions and more. She is even running mindfulness parenting classes which is something I am keen to look into after as I can already tell I am going to need all the help and calm that I can get! Being patient isn't a quality of mine and I know how much I am going to need to survive the toddler years...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZSpFqWx8fD7gLv-NYa2S24YnG90_Ap2lN-0CAEaAPLZhNkv9I7RxhlfIP96zLa-mOMDUJmAHsZeaBSinqEUwdaAYeu8JA3vWiE8tIRmNMfqiWcm8vESKQHnzo7Iah_-TPMUtBCspzyk/s1600/greenbank+set+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZSpFqWx8fD7gLv-NYa2S24YnG90_Ap2lN-0CAEaAPLZhNkv9I7RxhlfIP96zLa-mOMDUJmAHsZeaBSinqEUwdaAYeu8JA3vWiE8tIRmNMfqiWcm8vESKQHnzo7Iah_-TPMUtBCspzyk/s640/greenbank+set+up.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Even just a quick meeting with Vicky allowed me to remember the importance of taking time for myself, to connect and feel calm as life really can feel so hectic all the time, so I am super excited to see how the full retreat is. I am hoping to be able to reconnect with myself a little and allow myself to be present in the moment much more. I cant be the only one whose mind instantly races to their to do list instead of just enjoying things as they are? I feel sad sometimes lying playing with Arthur but the back of my mind is running down my huge to do checklist instead of really focusing, so I hope <a href="https://www.facebook.com/weeretreat/?hc_ref=ARQe3sb65E8wDt-wmxcW3zrZN1zLafeqHDIwdpYdKo2fWS_QXzCOERnPvwr9x8OsNnQ" target="_blank">The Wee Retreat </a>can help just that.<br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119font" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119colour">“Meditation is having a full-blooded, authentic experience of ourselves as we are, being able to observe ourselves and accepting everything, absolutely everything about ourselves.”</span></span></span></span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-align: center;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119colour"><i><span style="color: #666666;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119font" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119size" style="font-size: 12pt;">-<span class="m_-2388958546694513119font" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119size" style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="m_-2388958546694513119font" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span class="m_-2388958546694513119size" style="font-size: 12pt;">Suryacitta Malcolm Smith</span></span></span></i></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uhEImXJXu0AgiV2SBdl7PSMz2zgin-BoLWzzwomQCuKx-9fTAV4uYTgs7bEz2kiGYGFuTmNmA_i3Z2HPqoXLcn5lOR7rfhdvXN-Z01y4YXwn-3AaaPB1rm1GK-LElTDue-OWAr6Om8M/s1600/seasonal+yoga+me+teaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="960" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uhEImXJXu0AgiV2SBdl7PSMz2zgin-BoLWzzwomQCuKx-9fTAV4uYTgs7bEz2kiGYGFuTmNmA_i3Z2HPqoXLcn5lOR7rfhdvXN-Z01y4YXwn-3AaaPB1rm1GK-LElTDue-OWAr6Om8M/s640/seasonal+yoga+me+teaching.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> I will be sharing my thoughts after each Saturday class over on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/?hl=en" target="_blank">instagram</a> so keep an eye out on there for updates. I will post a review after completing the course too, but if you fancy joining me on it there is still time to sign up. tickets are available<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-wee-retreat-13704291196" target="_blank"> here.</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img align="center" src="http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac265/ruthjack/signature-1.jpg" style="border: 0px;" /> </div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-25715753993346488712018-08-09T14:40:00.005+02:002021-04-29T14:01:26.060+02:00Makeup Tips for Glasses Wearers with Optical Express<br /><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzbVSvxum38m1mAdy1rh-9TtL6l2RUEBAHGWN1iSXQtz9C1QwUDRMlAPPENf0Az2MESDxWMTQPzoeMu43H-F8oBSSFwhSrpHvQFBmGb19z9yEpY3_F53sNJ0TyuSvR9ivNcmVsogIIuo/s1600/IMG_20180809_130047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzbVSvxum38m1mAdy1rh-9TtL6l2RUEBAHGWN1iSXQtz9C1QwUDRMlAPPENf0Az2MESDxWMTQPzoeMu43H-F8oBSSFwhSrpHvQFBmGb19z9yEpY3_F53sNJ0TyuSvR9ivNcmVsogIIuo/s640/IMG_20180809_130047.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Did you know more women than men need glasses? and the number of us needing them are on the rise thanks to our increasing screen time! Annoying considering more of us wear foundation...and that foundation just loves to rub off right at the bridge of the nose and make a right mess. I am not ashamed to say I have seen my glasses looking incredibly grubby due to my makeup up transferring and given the recent warm weather, they have been worse than ever. So <a href="https://www.opticalexpress.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Optical Express </a>sent me on a little mission along with the <a href="https://www.st-enoch.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">St Enoch Centre</a>, to take a look at their latest popular frames and to share some top make up tips for glasses wearers.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />I put the question of glasses and makeup out there on i<a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/?hl=en" target="_blank">nstagram </a>and had so many responses from people about the gunk they felt they were constantly clearing up, or the smudged makeup they were paranoid about, so I felt double determined to head to <a href="https://www.debenhams.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Debenhams </a>to pick up a few products that might help. Getting to see what is all popular in eyewear right now, while chatting useful makeup tips, is pretty much a challenge come true for me!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxCXrB0voeraqMRBz1DBn59-E4ZXKMjoa_osojgw_Az4piXFVE5aeYuMBtxvsyXmSPhfbX279pKekMoWNQ3VZ6l8Hp789HZ898p17Knffm3c4uvEeM3cwgwCD2hmhyphenhyphenAZfdGgUtrvGvrI/s1600/IMG_20180804_121512865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxCXrB0voeraqMRBz1DBn59-E4ZXKMjoa_osojgw_Az4piXFVE5aeYuMBtxvsyXmSPhfbX279pKekMoWNQ3VZ6l8Hp789HZ898p17Knffm3c4uvEeM3cwgwCD2hmhyphenhyphenAZfdGgUtrvGvrI/s640/IMG_20180804_121512865.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Myself and the gorgeous Olivia from Dior Backstage</td></tr></tbody></table>I was lucky to get to sit down with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oliviaalison/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Olivia </a>from the <a href="https://www.dior.com/beauty/en_gb/fragrance-beauty/makeup/dior-backstage/all-accessories-diorbackstage.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dior Backstage</a> counter to chat through some of the products she recommends for glasses wearers and it was really helpful for adding a couple of top tips to my list. On a side note the backstage makeup at Dior is incredible- massive shout out to one <a href="https://www.dior.com/beauty/en_gb/fragrance-beauty/makeup/dior-backstage/eyes/pr-eyepros-y0012000_c001200001-multi-finish-high-pigment-prime-shade-highlight-line.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">eye palette</a> in particular for value for money, colour range and quality. It was such a beauty for £38! Also if you ever need your makeup done Olivia was incredible, it was the best makeup application I have ever had and I have had ALOT of applications over the years :)<br /><br />Ok so on to the top tips and a few of the products I have been trialling to help test them out...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQszK0Xccohg-H8Uzer3DMGS6HR-EcsxrxuI8mllT_2CFkZv9RoeJVUOXD1p_FlE_2lO5XBwvLQV8MRwPXkVaLnYKvjGaGzmHEFSZp8YW-y0lyk2ZLI5dQwReCUJRmMCQKyDndLQho4dc/s1600/IMG_20180804_105842113%257E2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1392" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQszK0Xccohg-H8Uzer3DMGS6HR-EcsxrxuI8mllT_2CFkZv9RoeJVUOXD1p_FlE_2lO5XBwvLQV8MRwPXkVaLnYKvjGaGzmHEFSZp8YW-y0lyk2ZLI5dQwReCUJRmMCQKyDndLQho4dc/s640/IMG_20180804_105842113%257E2.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> <b>PRIME PRIME PRIME</b><br /><b><br /></b>A decent facial primer for under foundation is a must, you want the product to have a good surface to cling to and help it from straying, if you have greasier skin go oil free and a top tip from Olivia was to pat the product on with your brush to really press it into the skin and create a solid base. To go a stage further I picked up a new tube of my favourite <a href="https://www.urbandecay.co.uk/en_GB/eyes/eyeshadow-primer/eyeshadow-primer-potion/UD515.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Urban Decay Primer Potion</a> which I always prime my lids with and I have trialled popping a small amount on the bridge of my nose to give my foundation an extra little staying power and handily it also gives my glasses a bit of grip to stop them slipping down my face.<br /><br /><b>KEEP IT CONCEALED</b><br /><br />Your frames can create additional shadow on the under eye area and enhance any dark circles which is not the fresh face we are all aiming for. Combat this with choosing a concealer a shade lighter than your foundation and use a moisturising formula, when you can, to stop any dryness which can be magnified in your glasses. At Dior I tried both the <a href="https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123172078699?brand=DIOR&cat1=Beauty&cat2=Make-up&cat3=Concealer&CMP=SSH_2361363232_1069944199_52040678066&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6rHOzrLd3AIVZr7tCh1wSQokEAQYAyABEgKKuPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 in 1 Prime and Conceal</a> and the <a href="https://www.dior.com/beauty/en_gb/fragrance-beauty/makeup/face/concealers/pr-concealers-y0883558-radiance-booster-pen.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diorflash Radiance Booster pen </a>dabbed lightly on top which really opened up my eye area which is no mean feat seeing as I had been up all night with baby Arthur. Also be sure to use a little loose powder on a brush to set the under eye makeup to stop any mascara streaking which is never a good look.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2HyovJBF05oERslyHya1ytFhZrPOAqSz4wOW-7N5y3yupwQ6JwJ-SGWITD6-8Vj75kDhUDSiNZNid6m5Ej51_N_v7AfRnWnKYNMY7Mwnq9EHFlFBAueWE8Xh7Trq0NvkgvPsOWCb6pg/s1600/IMG_20180809_125156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2HyovJBF05oERslyHya1ytFhZrPOAqSz4wOW-7N5y3yupwQ6JwJ-SGWITD6-8Vj75kDhUDSiNZNid6m5Ej51_N_v7AfRnWnKYNMY7Mwnq9EHFlFBAueWE8Xh7Trq0NvkgvPsOWCb6pg/s640/IMG_20180809_125156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before, After and 10 hours after, v minimal bridge rubbing and hardly anything on my glasses!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />TAKE TIME TO SET</b><br /><br />Talking of setting, a pressed or loose powder to really set in your foundation, with an extra few dabs over the bridge of the nose is essential to keeping the makeup where you want it to be. Again using a soft dabbing and pressing into the skin is much more beneficial than just brushing all over as it really secures the products where you want it to be. I like to take it one stage further too when I know I want my makeup to stay in place so the final product for me is always the<a href="https://www.urbandecay.co.uk/en_GB/face/makeup-setting-spray/all-nighter/ud803.html#q=all+nighter&start=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Urban Decay All Nighter</a> setting spray. Before popping on my glasses I make sure I have misted my face and given it a second to set and then I can pretty much guarantee smudge free makeup no matter the conditions.<br /><b><br /></b><b>DON'T FORGET THE BROWS</b><br /><br />Wearing glasses can sometimes mean you forget to focus on other areas but having your brows on point can help frame your face. I have mine waxed at Benefit and always use their <a href="https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/ka-brow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">KaBrow</a> to keep a good bit of shape as I am not blessed in the strong brow department. This stays in place which is what I need for surviving long days and big frames.<br /><br /><b>FORMULAS ARE KEY</b><br /><br />Formulas for all products, not just brows, are so important . Anything smudge proof, waterproof, long lasting etc, is what you are after. For my foundation at Dior we used the waterproof face and body foundation and it was ideal for wearing with my glasses. It means it is super buildable but looks gorgeous even in a thin layer. I usually don't wear huge amounts and that means anything that glasses could rub off is much less obvious due to the natural look. I was really impressed with this foundation and how it applied, it lasted impeccably all day and didn't separate or oxidise.<br /><br /><b>GET THE GLOW</b><br /><br />I am so excited Make up Forever are stocked in Debenhams right now so I picked up the <a href="http://prod_10701_10001_130435012399/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soft highlight cream</a> as I wanted to try something with a bit of a golden sheen for popping under my eyebrows to help lift them a little which is always good for looking a little more youthful and definitely more rested!!<br /><br /><b>ON THE LASH</b><br /><br />I am a mascara fiend and love to trial new mascaras but thanks to my glasses in the past I have ended up with some total panda eye moments. The key here is to always curl them to keep them away from the lens itself and to go for a good waterproof formula to help with any sweating through the day. I went for the Diorshow <a href="https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123172053499_-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Iconic Overcurl Waterproof </a>to try at home and so far I have been really impressed, just make sure you have a good eye makeup removed in to help get it off again.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlMC6mLgHcl201yMcQM4j6OFTI8VLfZELZBdLy_AI4wWCzf2lakVintH9rwI6HXlp25-GQHsOawN7znq7G32wYtCqTwyY86y5Mnz41MjPaH3pSGaorD3JUVqgn-l6JhPbyG7Vv7kDmcQ/s1600/IMG_20180809_123926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlMC6mLgHcl201yMcQM4j6OFTI8VLfZELZBdLy_AI4wWCzf2lakVintH9rwI6HXlp25-GQHsOawN7znq7G32wYtCqTwyY86y5Mnz41MjPaH3pSGaorD3JUVqgn-l6JhPbyG7Vv7kDmcQ/s640/IMG_20180809_123926.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many stunning <a href="https://www.opticalexpress.co.uk/glasses/buying-advice" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Optical Express</a> frames in store</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />FRAME IT RIGHT</b><br /><br />It is worth taking in how your reflection looks in your chosen frames as different types can mean different make up. Even your prescription can mean you might want to tweak your routine for instance short sighted wearers can get away with a darker smokier look but long sighted might want to keep things quite light as their eyes can seem smaller from the magnification. Even your eye liner can benefit from a change depending on frame thickness, if you have thin frames go for quite a neat thin line and with thick frames go to town and create a chunky line to help with balance. Again thinking of long lasting formula I picked up the much loved Kat Von D <a href="https://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123016001499_-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tattoo liner </a>as everyone raves at how well it can survive the day.<br /><br />In terms of any other areas to not neglect, wearing glasses means you might subconsciously lower your blusher or contour too which does nothing but drag your appearance down and can age the face. My frames are quite large so I need to make sure I keep my blusher quite high on my cheek to draw my look up and if using contour I want to be applying the colour on my cheek bone and not in a hollow beneath which is a common mistake ( thanks Olivia!) For actual application of makeup I use a good magnification mirror ( complete with a light like the diva I am !) and I prefer a short handled makeup brush so I can get nice and up and close too. <br /><br />In summary I think the secret to minimising glasses disasters is in the prime and the set, take time to do that right and you have it nailed!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWof5Etf_ZWPVQsfEu535BOIfN3N7YMU9pA3_BjryMuf1J5onjOOIh591DSMxPO5edi0WIIzIozHpHIVcvjmS31HT9FJiq3RsiIZHc7yBFxMP2pmEPQONSa_PxOJhyphenhyphenOI5K3yKt4LT3EO8/s1600/IMG_20180809_124026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWof5Etf_ZWPVQsfEu535BOIfN3N7YMU9pA3_BjryMuf1J5onjOOIh591DSMxPO5edi0WIIzIozHpHIVcvjmS31HT9FJiq3RsiIZHc7yBFxMP2pmEPQONSa_PxOJhyphenhyphenOI5K3yKt4LT3EO8/s640/IMG_20180809_124026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Optical Express Discounts and details</td></tr></tbody></table>Feeling buoyed from chatting all things makeup with Olivia I headed to meet Blair from Optical Express to have a nosey around the St Enoch Store and have a play with all the frames. I hadn't been in one of their shops before but I was impressed with the quality brands they have lining the walls. There is a nice essentials collection at the lower price point too which is always needed, but of course I was attracted to the Tiffany, Rayban and Prada offering. Typical when I am on maternity pay!! But there were so many pretty designs! Blair filled me in on the popularity of the wayfairer style, the translucent perspex frames and the thinner metal large frames too and I have to admit they were all gorgeous. For any students I noticed they offer a good discount which is pretty handy and I had no idea they dealt with a lot of eye health conditions and laser eye surgery as well. It was good to see such a strong collection of unisex frames as well as frames for children in store so it was well worth the visit to meet the team.<br /><br />You can contact the St Enoch branch of Optical Express on 0141 221 3939<br /><br />BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-77020513699586026522018-07-12T09:00:00.001+02:002021-04-29T14:01:26.091+02:00BabyH2t: Summer Infant Video Monitor<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hiya pals!</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember me? I was all "here is my pregnancy journey", then gave you postpartum radio silence. SOZ. That is me slowly catching up with life now and trying to fit in getting posts ready to share but hopefully most have been seeing what I have been up to on Instagram stories. If not you are really missing out on snaps of exciting things....well just the baby and me looking verrrrry tired 24/7 to be fair, but come <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beautyh2t/?hl=en" target="_blank">follow</a> and say hello anyway!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pvUGdQYWiRWrEa0kFYU7pnm6fRHbOnGgyTydHcYRIWa4rhNZI1WOWdfenAy4AHTRxfh9sQoSQWajgNnvQ9N5N-U5Fnfm0a7qysDTlccLJLN85Y1FGVDZoYUYWJwlBIDkTSEj5_Ttd6yjGLnmHn2MC9sFUV_lO1jVS7AIYUqjdgZkon41mgdPKIjQ9t3_7cVqlrhNKluU9yaAIpuol2Fd5k4cYUQyf-kY9ekNOjBy66208KxDAetvsdFAFwyAa78j0Zml-K1YvPx7G6zjND1c-Ty3WMCf44jL9cMPgvXcD-tseBxvOG2EJSFgG5kjqlZcz4yo9kV7YsQwKoyUl1mfVJOgF1Owvm-cgNj8loZEZFbSRQdHiWAtSN7WT9EFAYlsRBbCJh9PcDnTIqrMpuSo2DiQiFzLClZs9D8DEZ31QoW0fyW1-6HjD2bm1dqT63J219jwtaGR6VoEERCnsOvjoSgUXEdzQBxKvO8SBpVg1ngZwlpLbsqr9b7suswtt2pAwo7MH7DnxycJo8-4E_1nu7wU2cvxytC_3L3adOzRYtVuYG-9f6o_KUEDGAhoG6BTmsbVPyOiHahJSiU8V3xWQALypRtMURpH9amau9zPkePeNsqrYHhOG2nv6jruwL5DjqDyAb_8lrpf0L_mC2dtkz1hO0=w383-h629-no" /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought I would break into blogging gently and share a few items I was sent pre bubs and have been using over the past 4 months. I was lucky to be working with <a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Summer Infant </a>while pregnant by sharing my pregnancy diaries over on their social media, they then sent me a few things for the little man and most of them have become staples. Super handy for us at a time when all your spare cash is tied up in muslins and nappies!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8YS-5YLm9A" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had first spotted Summer Infant products way back before I started working with them, as they ended up on my amazon wishlist for their easy to use baby swaddles I had spotted. They were much more affordable than the few I had seen and it sucked me right in, turns out they had a whole wealth of exceptionally handy and well priced baby goodies. After experiences with these bits I have already been eyeing up what I will need as he gets bigger as they have performed really well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apologies in advance for a few stock pics as I had taken lots of fresh out the box photos pre-baby and like a good overwhelmed new mother I cannot find them among the 4k of photos that have occurred since...<b>argh!! </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/29586_Spider-Diagram-1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Tinos; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="undefined" border="0" height="640" src="https://summerinfant.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/29586_Spider-Diagram-1024x1024.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think my favourite (although not Arthur's favourite, I will share that next), item I have used has been the<a href="https://summerinfant.co.uk/product/wide-view-2-0-digital-video-monitor/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> wide view video monitor.</a> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having moved into a house last year we were wary that we would want to be able to enjoy some evening time downstairs with the baby settled in position in our room so getting a video monitor was on our list of priorities. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However I had no idea where to start with comparing the various on the market. This set has ticked all the boxes and performed excellently, it has given us a little evening freedom along with loads of peace of mind as we can see the wee guy is snoring away quite happily (most of the time...!)</span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CblDu5FGVwXHDOnrMqozE048VwyVfU21uuyKl_z3XJ7r0GUFwP5Lnz7xCZ-ozLu1jBSje2FxJhiA_8aclooA8tSj8TTEU0OjhLsZe7ZP-2kVk_8mYc2boAaW0JOwnyqidpll2QFZaZNR6K3q5uIEGdeIVDW97YXt0jqI3rgobQWtTCWPgj8xUJyRJwzKoqN0M2_m7Sr7wyjWQ2t5P3RearDl1ROKzpFadTDDgBAIiZJLcWPG5b_DkRgy2RxA8iK3a7f3-DM140CAU3xQiuEg-3jopSD0C_0bVdQTYhCB6xrOLoN_lx9EpX3Y_lckJQ5MJY_h17cIJOM8v9c8h1i0msNuaWxvlvohuu-RnRot03nYfc4aXjlMTuydO8b9zXbvLBf70a5p3xHq9lF-E8spmfgOH9FX8xNm8u2mq20fJC_7KcNiHA9H3pMkOZ3sLVzMc8Y7seYBIRSkcg_DrMhFzM1pzKhhSkmyJIhcp6i29duHd86MJIK774iGv3A8DkXuGRlHw4EaBCbHKQHx8WDZeFBz40pLp88QC0aESAljv-iTXI2whFqCzjCpKAFRxnmHkgCoWHnCFqVBZst52U4tXIgD65lh8yc-72AjYZoAJz1gBdQCKXEN14L9eybQoTvhII46j5On3GnV6oaYsRGtS-952HA=w354-h629-no" width="360" /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rlXCNwxv_l_vaxsH1sYuQ0ljyR0bx55imf8fyLGD6E_d17jfnk7ZuUBZ5qIjcdW5Htf70o8zY3_H3QdF86A3EJMcY55Pjj2H158qEhvAo8SZVVXCFRuh2k-OrAGBuSqpXu93DZEEEAjOtYB7JDq-So9tLTdXORVY3snt8qOnLzOevaEgqcGzulyoH-R_kllw-y6AIquxORHFvsLyabms8HPjH870PHj094o0CgjsjliBqqw9iomj6mIXyiY1CBD4aTZEUdLyOOgsk_moHws_AWyR8DLz8e-h8E8y7I7ZUI4ZKg9hYjgJTDbixY2fZOA1L5R8N8yizl8A-R5q--yYZZKipqOAUkmy_W6D0LzNV6zusAc4V6PeqRZJGwyp1-qYEJOaU3Pts40K7Z-juC6SllTZRhiLuykantKUsOiaPE9Iq2ARd6uBlRbllo-21d8ETsQsKT2-VdG0RifV2FXnWb1ehw7VgpJMCj97wxNO0wh_n6FR4cpF2_NcxNOmF_ZtBpLM06HXswULUta7YTxyrl8-eZXI_OjeUrbGm9b-csMSfujcu5ZEclgZfr83CUx64Zbt-qIDL0WgPt1qIWtI4f0DWNxYx3wJ7w=w472-h629-no" /></span></div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Summer infant wide digital video monitor includes a 5" colour monitor, enhanced night vision, a temperature display, zoom capability and handy talk-back function which is pretty much everything we were looking for plus the inclusion of the wide angle lens. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the box you get your camera which has a ultra handy long cable and small blue night light feature if you want use it. The head is movable by tilting so it really is as simple as positioning it where you want it and switch it on. It automaically hooks up to the monitor which is a perfect size for baby viewing and you are good to go. I love that your portable monitor can follow you around, and ally is always glued to it. I don't think he actually watches any of the quick episodes we try and get watched before an early bed, as really he just sits staring at the baby!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The monitor is fab as you can change volume, or switch off the screen and just have it so you can hear any crying or movement and the nightmode on it is really fantastic. I was worried the picture would be really fuzzy in the dark but it's clear and can go very loud and has just been a dream to use. Having the talk-back function is obviously fab for shhhhhing the baby from afar if they move but essentially its really handy for either of us to whisper up to the other that dinner is ready or that the kettle is on. Ideal when you are trying not to shout up the stairs!! Features we haven't used yet is that you can wall mount the camera and add other cameras too if needed, we will possibly do either of those when he moves into his own room in only 2 short months-eeek for now though the wide angle on this camera is ideal for us taking in his whole cot.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We went home for our first trip to see my family the other week and didn't take this as we thought we wouldn't need it as it is a small bungalow but we felt so naked, we definitely won't be going without it again!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am super delighted with this from the brand and would definitely recommend for any new parents who are looking at one of these systems. If you haven't come across Summer Infant before then take a peek on their site at the huge range on offer, I don't think we would have survived without the zip swaddles. Up next I will be sharing Arthur's favourite piece from the collection...... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I was given the video system to give an honest review, all words are my own.</span></span></div></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-54310240038294659832018-02-19T09:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.121+02:00BumpH2T: The Third Trimester<div style="text-align: center;">I still can't quite believe I am even writing about a third trimester, there were so many days I was pretty sure this wasn't going to happen so it still feels surreal.My <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/12/bumph2t-second-trimester.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">second trimester update </a>seems so long ago, I actually had to go back and see what all happened then! The time between the 20 week scan and now has felt like an eternity but I guess at this point I have been actually pregnant for the majority of a year when I think about the months I was pregnant <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/09/infertility-and-me-part-five.html" target="_blank">before</a>. I am happy to report that from around week 25ish onwards alot of my PTSD symptoms started to subside thanks to a lot of talking, posting here and just being incredible gentle with myself. It has been a pretty uphill struggle through the first two trimesters so it was nice to hit this one with a bit more excitement and enthusiasm for what is ahead. The bump finally crept in a bit more by Christmas time which definitely helped me connect more with what was going on, and since January it has grown full force and there is no ignoring it now!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPIiEnglUr6Znm6TdmbywAXh4gj8PwLJadke4XnGDKrfgkPjVBCL44xIR5mouznD0VblHaCu2t9IkpR60pJuURbRWCIWpMxtl0oyvL7BiCR6STXFo8i8D3Zh_hlyPyy2xS3E9eyVCkA/s1600/IMG_20180127_160828297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPIiEnglUr6Znm6TdmbywAXh4gj8PwLJadke4XnGDKrfgkPjVBCL44xIR5mouznD0VblHaCu2t9IkpR60pJuURbRWCIWpMxtl0oyvL7BiCR6STXFo8i8D3Zh_hlyPyy2xS3E9eyVCkA/s640/IMG_20180127_160828297.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">excitedly cracking into the baby box that we are lucky to receive!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;">Even with my anterior placenta in the way I feel bubs kick and move a lot more now and without a doubt that has helped me quite a bit. We don't feel her/him as much as we might do but there is a fairly regular pattern that has emerged that I look forward to everyday.Ally is OBSESSED by going hunting for baby, it is pretty adorable. he gets so excited when he finds the right spot at the right time and gets big boot to his hand, not that he has to do much to get movement, the baby is obsessed by the sound of his voice!! We had one trip to the hospital very late at night thanks to a lack of movement which was pretty unnerving thanks to past experiences but all was well and hpefully will continue that way until the end.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkbHHx2qwc_OIqa8XyKznKZwBUGpFbaHdjQU9RSDZELeuxQV11C1rLcbZbVRKrviTgn8r-_ZCM-8sTFJbMGFxw1Q3r1hT4BX0E4yihMTVcLhKIgunjuj2hICH5aWVx1Y7UV875DfQ9Hc/s1600/IMG_20180208_192409169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkbHHx2qwc_OIqa8XyKznKZwBUGpFbaHdjQU9RSDZELeuxQV11C1rLcbZbVRKrviTgn8r-_ZCM-8sTFJbMGFxw1Q3r1hT4BX0E4yihMTVcLhKIgunjuj2hICH5aWVx1Y7UV875DfQ9Hc/s400/IMG_20180208_192409169.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImcnrKVRXnAOPEas2I4vxkX-6NJ0reuNbUZr8frICN3dm-xPq_ORe5Q1Ld9LC1yJIhHetv1jJVO2MX3GMLE2XpnLs_SIljIR50ihxQjDF23IIed7MEq_rhJt9lHuo0SAzY1G5FgDhYMo/s1600/IMG_20180208_192418721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImcnrKVRXnAOPEas2I4vxkX-6NJ0reuNbUZr8frICN3dm-xPq_ORe5Q1Ld9LC1yJIhHetv1jJVO2MX3GMLE2XpnLs_SIljIR50ihxQjDF23IIed7MEq_rhJt9lHuo0SAzY1G5FgDhYMo/s400/IMG_20180208_192418721.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>it's a....doll.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>Symptoms wise things have changed a lot in week 30 onwards, I had to finally give in and stop walking to work around week 34 as 4 miles a morning was absolutely too much for my pelvis and resulted in some lovely <a href="https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a546492/pelvic-pain-in-pregnancy-spd" target="_blank">SPD</a> which I am battling through. I have a maternity belt that I wear in the daytime though which is hopefully doing something other than making me look even bulkier :)</div><div style="text-align: center;">My appetitie is back to being all over the place and the need for cakes and biscuits, and randomly, fizzy drinks- is pretty intense. I am definitely far more tired in the last couple of weeks ( week 37 as I type this) and I can tell the need to wind down a bit is kicking in and without a doubt I am now at the PEEING ALL THE DAMN TIME stage, which I had hoped was a myth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We started our hospital antenatal classes which are a bit comical thanks to the ancient crumbling baby they have to use to demonstrate with, every time it is touched actual sawdust blows out its shoulder and I can feel Ally shaking beside me ( although as you can see above, he is pretty taken with that poor baby!)!! We have chosen to go out to the Midwife Unit in Paisley for the birth, if all goes well up until there. Moving my care from the hospital we lost the last baby in, has been such a good move for us and really helped me actually look forward to going in. The Team there are so phenomenal and their approach to birth is not something I thought I would find. we have been lucky to get on the free hypnobirthing course out there, and are offered accupuncture and aromatherapy too which is fun. The last few weeks feel pretty jam packed with classes and appointments to make as well as workshops at my midwife clinic for breastfeeding and labour physio- so much to take in! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2epdakFa3rFexW25oEdTkB_gLm8TPKjxSaLkcFshSfhv7B61vx9-Hm1gj3r_GXaa7am_2RR0ipc0BcU3aop2526c_oSSIAJz6jxYW68X-SDVZfc2jWKAP0-XQo2X1zMeUOP5PcgO3sY/s1600/IMG_20180213_213417415_LL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2epdakFa3rFexW25oEdTkB_gLm8TPKjxSaLkcFshSfhv7B61vx9-Hm1gj3r_GXaa7am_2RR0ipc0BcU3aop2526c_oSSIAJz6jxYW68X-SDVZfc2jWKAP0-XQo2X1zMeUOP5PcgO3sY/s400/IMG_20180213_213417415_LL.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFQtsCP52QNB0Z3vFdx296Uj15oetJQ_8wtamWwu1ZtT5b3y_EqSLEs1eDWTxxcDWf39JrpQ0oGoPhJjYPvvFUaMK0wZOG46d5Y89UgYPK-rcb4la08ZiQmWraZTtaTVRIsyxyu_jxtY/s1600/IMG_20180208_192433447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFQtsCP52QNB0Z3vFdx296Uj15oetJQ_8wtamWwu1ZtT5b3y_EqSLEs1eDWTxxcDWf39JrpQ0oGoPhJjYPvvFUaMK0wZOG46d5Y89UgYPK-rcb4la08ZiQmWraZTtaTVRIsyxyu_jxtY/s400/IMG_20180208_192433447.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> A glimpse into the antenatal classes for you</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> I feel like I haven't stopped since Christmas,between a trip to London and fitting in as many people as possible seeing as time might be a bit tighter for the next few months, it has been loads of fun. At the same time fitting in all the super tedious life admin and still building in breaks to sit down and re carb load has been pretty difficult so I am keen to try and make some time for me in the last wee while. I am finishing up at work this week which feels incredibly surreal and pretty sad. I am so glad to be going off to do what I am, but I cant help but have FOMO for the workplace and I guess I am a bit nervous about losing certain elements of myself even though it is only temporary!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There will no doubt be another update to this trimester as with 3 weeks to go ( or up to 5 of course!) I am pretty intrigued what all will continue to change. With the bump taking such a big growth spurt in the last 2 weeks I am fully prepared to need to be craned to hospital at the end....<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77pG-nHypION3MLdwPAZLzQPjf-rfoZaGH9PluiB3Er4YGPHOxYN_GaoXG_0jE6zdVbUHGkpAUH0xyWAXTILVyxltF0Nzbwy5eV48zlLNsQoPuBtsrVH8RPaa1eYx6DOudSYNbPmgMtw/s1600/IMG_20180121_102916723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77pG-nHypION3MLdwPAZLzQPjf-rfoZaGH9PluiB3Er4YGPHOxYN_GaoXG_0jE6zdVbUHGkpAUH0xyWAXTILVyxltF0Nzbwy5eV48zlLNsQoPuBtsrVH8RPaa1eYx6DOudSYNbPmgMtw/s640/IMG_20180121_102916723.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>After taking no shots of the bump I thought I better for this post!</b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am trying to remain calm, excited and positive about the weeks ahead and what all might happen and so far it is going ok. I have my moments and we have both thought alot about this time last year and the kinds of dates we are coming towards which can be incredibly sad, but it is a reminder of how lucky we are to be in this stage now. If everyone could keep their fingers, toes and whatever else you have available crossed for us....that would be fab!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-33232359921162796902018-02-19T09:30:00.000+01:002018-02-19T09:30:05.617+01:00BumpH2T: The Third Trimester<div style="text-align: center;">
I still can't quite believe I am even writing about a third trimester, there were so many days I was pretty sure this wasn't going to happen so it still feels surreal.My <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/12/bumph2t-second-trimester.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">second trimester update </a>seems so long ago, I actually had to go back and see what all happened then! The time between the 20 week scan and now has felt like an eternity but I guess at this point I have been actually pregnant for the majority of a year when I think about the months I was pregnant <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/09/infertility-and-me-part-five.html" target="_blank">before</a>. I am happy to report that from around week 25ish onwards alot of my PTSD symptoms started to subside thanks to a lot of talking, posting here and just being incredible gentle with myself. It has been a pretty uphill struggle through the first two trimesters so it was nice to hit this one with a bit more excitement and enthusiasm for what is ahead. The bump finally crept in a bit more by Christmas time which definitely helped me connect more with what was going on, and since January it has grown full force and there is no ignoring it now!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPIiEnglUr6Znm6TdmbywAXh4gj8PwLJadke4XnGDKrfgkPjVBCL44xIR5mouznD0VblHaCu2t9IkpR60pJuURbRWCIWpMxtl0oyvL7BiCR6STXFo8i8D3Zh_hlyPyy2xS3E9eyVCkA/s1600/IMG_20180127_160828297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKPIiEnglUr6Znm6TdmbywAXh4gj8PwLJadke4XnGDKrfgkPjVBCL44xIR5mouznD0VblHaCu2t9IkpR60pJuURbRWCIWpMxtl0oyvL7BiCR6STXFo8i8D3Zh_hlyPyy2xS3E9eyVCkA/s640/IMG_20180127_160828297.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">excitedly cracking into the baby box that we are lucky to receive!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even with my anterior placenta in the way I feel bubs kick and move a lot more now and without a doubt that has helped me quite a bit. We don't feel her/him as much as we might do but there is a fairly regular pattern that has emerged that I look forward to everyday.Ally is OBSESSED by going hunting for baby, it is pretty adorable. he gets so excited when he finds the right spot at the right time and gets big boot to his hand, not that he has to do much to get movement, the baby is obsessed by the sound of his voice!! We had one trip to the hospital very late at night thanks to a lack of movement which was pretty unnerving thanks to past experiences but all was well and hpefully will continue that way until the end.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkbHHx2qwc_OIqa8XyKznKZwBUGpFbaHdjQU9RSDZELeuxQV11C1rLcbZbVRKrviTgn8r-_ZCM-8sTFJbMGFxw1Q3r1hT4BX0E4yihMTVcLhKIgunjuj2hICH5aWVx1Y7UV875DfQ9Hc/s1600/IMG_20180208_192409169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkbHHx2qwc_OIqa8XyKznKZwBUGpFbaHdjQU9RSDZELeuxQV11C1rLcbZbVRKrviTgn8r-_ZCM-8sTFJbMGFxw1Q3r1hT4BX0E4yihMTVcLhKIgunjuj2hICH5aWVx1Y7UV875DfQ9Hc/s400/IMG_20180208_192409169.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImcnrKVRXnAOPEas2I4vxkX-6NJ0reuNbUZr8frICN3dm-xPq_ORe5Q1Ld9LC1yJIhHetv1jJVO2MX3GMLE2XpnLs_SIljIR50ihxQjDF23IIed7MEq_rhJt9lHuo0SAzY1G5FgDhYMo/s1600/IMG_20180208_192418721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImcnrKVRXnAOPEas2I4vxkX-6NJ0reuNbUZr8frICN3dm-xPq_ORe5Q1Ld9LC1yJIhHetv1jJVO2MX3GMLE2XpnLs_SIljIR50ihxQjDF23IIed7MEq_rhJt9lHuo0SAzY1G5FgDhYMo/s400/IMG_20180208_192418721.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>it's a....doll.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
Symptoms wise things have changed a lot in week 30 onwards, I had to finally give in and stop walking to work around week 34 as 4 miles a morning was absolutely too much for my pelvis and resulted in some lovely <a href="https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a546492/pelvic-pain-in-pregnancy-spd" target="_blank">SPD</a> which I am battling through. I have a maternity belt that I wear in the daytime though which is hopefully doing something other than making me look even bulkier :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My appetitie is back to being all over the place and the need for cakes and biscuits, and randomly, fizzy drinks- is pretty intense. I am definitely far more tired in the last couple of weeks ( week 37 as I type this) and I can tell the need to wind down a bit is kicking in and without a doubt I am now at the PEEING ALL THE DAMN TIME stage, which I had hoped was a myth.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We started our hospital antenatal classes which are a bit comical thanks to the ancient crumbling baby they have to use to demonstrate with, every time it is touched actual sawdust blows out its shoulder and I can feel Ally shaking beside me ( although as you can see above, he is pretty taken with that poor baby!)!! We have chosen to go out to the Midwife Unit in Paisley for the birth, if all goes well up until there. Moving my care from the hospital we lost the last baby in, has been such a good move for us and really helped me actually look forward to going in. The Team there are so phenomenal and their approach to birth is not something I thought I would find. we have been lucky to get on the free hypnobirthing course out there, and are offered accupuncture and aromatherapy too which is fun. The last few weeks feel pretty jam packed with classes and appointments to make as well as workshops at my midwife clinic for breastfeeding and labour physio- so much to take in! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2epdakFa3rFexW25oEdTkB_gLm8TPKjxSaLkcFshSfhv7B61vx9-Hm1gj3r_GXaa7am_2RR0ipc0BcU3aop2526c_oSSIAJz6jxYW68X-SDVZfc2jWKAP0-XQo2X1zMeUOP5PcgO3sY/s1600/IMG_20180213_213417415_LL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2epdakFa3rFexW25oEdTkB_gLm8TPKjxSaLkcFshSfhv7B61vx9-Hm1gj3r_GXaa7am_2RR0ipc0BcU3aop2526c_oSSIAJz6jxYW68X-SDVZfc2jWKAP0-XQo2X1zMeUOP5PcgO3sY/s400/IMG_20180213_213417415_LL.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFQtsCP52QNB0Z3vFdx296Uj15oetJQ_8wtamWwu1ZtT5b3y_EqSLEs1eDWTxxcDWf39JrpQ0oGoPhJjYPvvFUaMK0wZOG46d5Y89UgYPK-rcb4la08ZiQmWraZTtaTVRIsyxyu_jxtY/s1600/IMG_20180208_192433447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFQtsCP52QNB0Z3vFdx296Uj15oetJQ_8wtamWwu1ZtT5b3y_EqSLEs1eDWTxxcDWf39JrpQ0oGoPhJjYPvvFUaMK0wZOG46d5Y89UgYPK-rcb4la08ZiQmWraZTtaTVRIsyxyu_jxtY/s400/IMG_20180208_192433447.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> A glimpse into the antenatal classes for you</b></span></td></tr>
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I feel like I haven't stopped since Christmas,between a trip to London and fitting in as many people as possible seeing as time might be a bit tighter for the next few months, it has been loads of fun. At the same time fitting in all the super tedious life admin and still building in breaks to sit down and re carb load has been pretty difficult so I am keen to try and make some time for me in the last wee while. I am finishing up at work this week which feels incredibly surreal and pretty sad. I am so glad to be going off to do what I am, but I cant help but have FOMO for the workplace and I guess I am a bit nervous about losing certain elements of myself even though it is only temporary!</div>
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There will no doubt be another update to this trimester as with 3 weeks to go ( or up to 5 of course!) I am pretty intrigued what all will continue to change. With the bump taking such a big growth spurt in the last 2 weeks I am fully prepared to need to be craned to hospital at the end....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77pG-nHypION3MLdwPAZLzQPjf-rfoZaGH9PluiB3Er4YGPHOxYN_GaoXG_0jE6zdVbUHGkpAUH0xyWAXTILVyxltF0Nzbwy5eV48zlLNsQoPuBtsrVH8RPaa1eYx6DOudSYNbPmgMtw/s1600/IMG_20180121_102916723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77pG-nHypION3MLdwPAZLzQPjf-rfoZaGH9PluiB3Er4YGPHOxYN_GaoXG_0jE6zdVbUHGkpAUH0xyWAXTILVyxltF0Nzbwy5eV48zlLNsQoPuBtsrVH8RPaa1eYx6DOudSYNbPmgMtw/s640/IMG_20180121_102916723.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>After taking no shots of the bump I thought I better for this post!</b></td></tr>
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I am trying to remain calm, excited and positive about the weeks ahead and what all might happen and so far it is going ok. I have my moments and we have both thought alot about this time last year and the kinds of dates we are coming towards which can be incredibly sad, but it is a reminder of how lucky we are to be in this stage now. If everyone could keep their fingers, toes and whatever else you have available crossed for us....that would be fab!</div>
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BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-14117684171290825432018-02-15T09:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.146+02:00BumpH2T: Getting my fitness back<div style="text-align: center;">There was no way I was going to call this post getting my body back as I am under NO illusion how hard post birth will be. As much as I have had plenty of pals whose bodies have sprung back to 'normal' very quickly after birth, I know my shape will have a difficult time. I will have a new body to adjust to and one that will deserve all the praise following the fertility treatments, the miscarriage and then labour, so all I want to focus on is getting some of my fitness and strength back which is something I loved doing pre-baby.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for jd williams logo" height="70" src="http://www.nbrown.co.uk/~/media/Images/N/N-Brown/content-images/homepage/jd-williams-logo-v2.png?la=en" width="400" /></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I was invited to pick a couple of items with <a href="http://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/womens/sports-leisure/_/N-1ytvx05/products/show.action" target="_blank">JD Williams</a> from their super expansive sport and leisure ranges to help me get back on my feet when the time comes, and I had a pretty difficult time deciding considering the amazing brands they stock. Adidas, Puma, Regatta,and Ellesse are all there among affordable lines designed for anyone to get into fitness which is an approach I am a big fan of. Not everyone has a swish leisurewear budget to play with and I would hate that to put anyone off from trying. Another thing I noticed about their products is they also cater to larger sizes which is a huge thumbs up. Having been far bigger in the past I know how daunting fitness and exercise can be from the outset, never mind being met with the idea of tiny gym clothes that you can only imagine suiting one type of body shape.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DYKZ9WFNU-LABhBYPfV7mJX-9WtbDHyWQrGhlvyNVAmkcAyZnrutxF9k2jyySIsj2B-HTmJxqs9VsL2zTgpsMlGA7nZGDZvK2sRJ18Sc_3JCGDUOoGA_ep_52MIOr4pcpeedNK018ZM/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1083" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DYKZ9WFNU-LABhBYPfV7mJX-9WtbDHyWQrGhlvyNVAmkcAyZnrutxF9k2jyySIsj2B-HTmJxqs9VsL2zTgpsMlGA7nZGDZvK2sRJ18Sc_3JCGDUOoGA_ep_52MIOr4pcpeedNK018ZM/s640/Capture.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">With Sports bras with sizes up in the 40's and outdoor jackets in sizes up to 30, they really do cater to a wide audience which is amazing. For my post baby slow comeback I am planning to just kick off with walking when I can and when baby allows so my top picks needed to include a sports bra an outdoor jacket and some new leggings.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I was overwhelmed with strong choices in the sports bra department and in the end settled for this <a href="http://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/naturally-close-greyblackpink-zip-front-active-wear-high-impact-sports-bra/xe024/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=7201#colour:Grey/Black/Pink,size:38F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">front zipping</a> number which handily helps make it breastfeeding friendly too- a double win. For the outdoor jacket I have had various Regatta jackets in the past and always been impressed with their performance twinned with looks and price so decided to go with this chic black number with warm fleecy lining in the hood. The<a href="http://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/regatta-brienna-hooded-jacket/JY902/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=6018#colour:Black,size:16" target="_blank"> Brianna jacket</a> is slimming, super practical and goes with everything- ideal!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndpjyuqB-lnZtvbVo2T4GstiLTvytSEdobh3GGD1P2VD0PhNyqxnWYhUhwenvqeqycUVM0eaaaq1e0zKU4QRx7UStEud5XCgRE0jM2NwjQL_dQuaAMdXnxltQR2EJXw7MhOVBd-eIXAo/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1237" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndpjyuqB-lnZtvbVo2T4GstiLTvytSEdobh3GGD1P2VD0PhNyqxnWYhUhwenvqeqycUVM0eaaaq1e0zKU4QRx7UStEud5XCgRE0jM2NwjQL_dQuaAMdXnxltQR2EJXw7MhOVBd-eIXAo/s640/Untitled.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly I needed new <a href="http://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/pineapple-leggings/ur162/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=6018#colour:Leopard,size:" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">leggings</a> and how could I say no to these loud print beauties!? Love the colours, love the style and love that they are in fact high-waisted, I am already so excited to get wearing them. Pineapple always have the jazziest designs. I picked up a nice basics black <a href="http://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/value-t-shirt/ug769/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=7201#colour:Black,size:18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tshirt </a>to pair with them and it is super comfy and lightweight so pretty perfect for getting out there with the pram!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Working on this post has actually got me really pumped up for getting back into it when I can, and having a few new bits is a definite motivation, it is like having a new pencil case for your first day back at school! When my shape settles a bit I know I will be back taking a look on the site as the affordable ranges really appeal to me, especially while working with my maternity pay :)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Written in association with JDwilliams, all opinions as always are my own</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-83929671296846800952018-01-29T09:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.174+02:00Prescription Sunglasses with Specsavers<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5s7h4wP0YfFjaCHpEq-yDofKHojbv_XDZptddLcsrVz2BwSYse8UE2LEFDFl7Wc2QRxjeUz2xNMygASRJNysf7Sj5wY6vJ0deq-g0smHkNj-wpPrUtILqe6LhTsASzkO4an5kPs95aw/s1600/IMG_20171203_154326_805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5s7h4wP0YfFjaCHpEq-yDofKHojbv_XDZptddLcsrVz2BwSYse8UE2LEFDFl7Wc2QRxjeUz2xNMygASRJNysf7Sj5wY6vJ0deq-g0smHkNj-wpPrUtILqe6LhTsASzkO4an5kPs95aw/s640/IMG_20171203_154326_805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I have been a glasses wearer since I was tiny, I can still remember showing up to playgroup aged 4 and being upset that my pals couldn’t recognise me as I was suddenly wearing glasses and they were confused by them! In the years since I have had a complicated relationship with my eyesight, spending my teenage years HATING my glasses and pretty much never wearing them, which has done nothing for my vision or my forehead wrinkles from squinting come to think of it. A big part of the reason was definitely my ugly old NHS specs which were hardly chic and just made me want to wear them even less. As I got older and accepted I really couldn’t see much, especially while at uni sitting far away from boards, I took buying my own glasses into my own hands and finally fell in love with trips to <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Specsavers</a>. The quality of the more affordable ranges there, as well as the two for one offer, meant that picking out frames was actually something to look forward to and not dread, and for the last ten years my glasses have probably always been the most exciting part of most of my outfits! I love a bold frame <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><br /><a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWlMbTXXp5aKj9ahKItbw2EfJTGji7xnht0c75rqLhqQnjKmis-bqpTDZFuHPdkP_oc6xJn6dqUDZ6LssTbyoaOc0aeUiVVjSKGxfbXvbNeWhXW3OVhsfrpig2wCQPL2Inl7XwpFCvhM/s1600/IMG_20171203_113948720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWlMbTXXp5aKj9ahKItbw2EfJTGji7xnht0c75rqLhqQnjKmis-bqpTDZFuHPdkP_oc6xJn6dqUDZ6LssTbyoaOc0aeUiVVjSKGxfbXvbNeWhXW3OVhsfrpig2wCQPL2Inl7XwpFCvhM/s640/IMG_20171203_113948720.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">So with all that learning to love my glasses I have done over the years…..why then has it taken me 28 years to realise prescription sunglasses might change my life!!?? It wasn’t until I decided to enter the world of learning to drive and navigating the lessons in burning November sunshine in Glasgow (why never in summer though damnit!), that I clicked that prescription <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/womens-glasses?sort=search_api_aggregation_1&order=desc#sort=search_api_aggregation_1&order=desc&f%5Bgenders%5D=male,female,kids,teens&f%5Blifestyle%5D=sunglasses" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sunglasses</a> were exactly what I was going to need. Handily timing wise I was invited along to the Specsavers press showcase to get a look at the new <a href="https://www.specsavers.co.uk/search/balmain" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Balmain</a> range and It was enough for me to decide the time was now. The styles in the range are just truly flawless, I am often in and out of Specsavers just to check out the new frames as they really have had some amazing collaborators in recent years, but the Balmain one is a true stand out for me. Ally is a big glasses fan and is always quick to tell me what does and doesn’t work on my face shape ( I have no idea where this niche life skill has come from), an and even he was pretty set that all of the Balmain’s were phenomenal styles. I was really impressed with the colours, shapes and of course….the legs. There is a hint of retro but remaining stylish and really expensive looking, which I love when they are around £169 for two pairs in the offer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7asNc89YWrHKP2SvsNEMgSgaaqM2WSmN1sDOxc0VcjsU2Q8bQoccdG8FY6vQ1ke65ttKza_uEA2n82qN75Dy8qLtdJXypeAdAEwHmjBF1oHoxVaeR47PDV_Cee-Tyiw0SUjs7k_7Ryc/s1600/IMG_20171209_115855696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7asNc89YWrHKP2SvsNEMgSgaaqM2WSmN1sDOxc0VcjsU2Q8bQoccdG8FY6vQ1ke65ttKza_uEA2n82qN75Dy8qLtdJXypeAdAEwHmjBF1oHoxVaeR47PDV_Cee-Tyiw0SUjs7k_7Ryc/s640/IMG_20171209_115855696.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">I could not resist the chunky, black, bold sunglasses from the range for getting my lenses in, the almost slightly art deco nod on the legs and the glamour of the frames really sold me. They just feel so timeless and elegant to wear, that I am definitely going to need get a convertible so I can properly show them off when out and about :) I chose to upgrade and add polarised lenses which I knew very little about before, but after trying on a set for comparison in store I realised just what a difference they could make to the glare issues I had been experiencing, plus they stop the sunglasses from feeling as actually dark as they normally do. I sometimes find that a bit disorienting which is not what I need when tackling driving which already makes me nervous. So having a lighter and clearer field of vision felt like a solid investment, plus all the staff in store who have them genuinely raved about the difference and I was dying to try them out. I am so glad that I did as from the moment I put them on the difference was incredibly noticeable. I really cant believe as such a glasses wearing fan that it has taken me so long to make the commitment to sunglasses that are not just a fun accessory,being able to actually enjoy wearing them means I will wear them far more often which is long overdue considering the damage I know the sun can do to the eyes.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KIXSQ8TQuikKdszZYhXwNRN8hs2G54TgHOrpLqY64RS1KnW5tUIrHOz-NDwhq4zw0_NkKGIhbQUagmR6rSVOaVNX-oVerucrGtwalg5aFAG4VUS5me-B05PPL3H8uhHyyEZh8wZhT_k/s1600/IMG_20171203_120423929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KIXSQ8TQuikKdszZYhXwNRN8hs2G54TgHOrpLqY64RS1KnW5tUIrHOz-NDwhq4zw0_NkKGIhbQUagmR6rSVOaVNX-oVerucrGtwalg5aFAG4VUS5me-B05PPL3H8uhHyyEZh8wZhT_k/s640/IMG_20171203_120423929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDEIYC5nsOtemkQU9zme3xcNUvvPml0v3PYnLW1Eu21W0uMPeCqdJWmuMnTENqmerP4zb0gHpEJvhJ8Im-4jplHYVTjxdESAl5b5rhvhDzsIGJGY-_9d0vFvhfZ90jTAPRjWlSLygN3w/s1600/IMG_20171203_115656910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDEIYC5nsOtemkQU9zme3xcNUvvPml0v3PYnLW1Eu21W0uMPeCqdJWmuMnTENqmerP4zb0gHpEJvhJ8Im-4jplHYVTjxdESAl5b5rhvhDzsIGJGY-_9d0vFvhfZ90jTAPRjWlSLygN3w/s640/IMG_20171203_115656910.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">I can’t thank Alyssa from Specsavers Trongate branch enough as she was exceptionally patient with me while I selected the best frames to go for and talk me through the options and making sure my new pair fit me correctly. If I hadn’t been so captivated by the Balmain range at the launch event, I still would have no problem selecting as the sunglasses range even in winter was really fantastic, there were quite a few pairs that really made it a tough choice. Like this standard frame range, even the lower end of the scale in the £69 group are really eye-catching numbers that look far more expensive and again count as a two for one deal. At those prices I am even more mad I didn’t do this far sooner!<o:p></o:p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmitWTqV_h4eWyqez-iBV4prnJ0m3us8BTUJTNzLF-q8-0lemgzwKLVZdNDdFmRCpnjtg2E1jJKLopIXfZ-w4rE6GKe5Q8p2gAJGSbeNbKRiVVFwYvsGSoSsrd2QlR8CKs4HhJcb6D-o/s1600/IMG_20171203_111542771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmitWTqV_h4eWyqez-iBV4prnJ0m3us8BTUJTNzLF-q8-0lemgzwKLVZdNDdFmRCpnjtg2E1jJKLopIXfZ-w4rE6GKe5Q8p2gAJGSbeNbKRiVVFwYvsGSoSsrd2QlR8CKs4HhJcb6D-o/s640/IMG_20171203_111542771.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;">I can’t sing the praises of the Specsavers gang enough, I am delighted to finally feel like a functioning grown up who can actually see in all weathers. Thing is I love these new beauties so much I just want to wear them constantly which is a strong look when indoors :) The best part is....I actually passed my driving test so now these are my most important accessory.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>TOOT TOOT! </b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-14385483252205264912017-12-14T14:41:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.201+02:00Glasgow Reviewed; Shopping St Enoch this Christmas<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7olCV3l5O2SDLxmgYV3vaDIyIjgOZMxOEKrOounfxcnufbG6bI0wgd98iMeJQs8gEGvjlg9naCQ4wBKWu4P0GAjO0WmzGtHwkYspin7kYsy35Grgjv1DFpTRfjhzpT68dx9h0RAtyUHI/s1600/IMG_20171128_173052_754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7olCV3l5O2SDLxmgYV3vaDIyIjgOZMxOEKrOounfxcnufbG6bI0wgd98iMeJQs8gEGvjlg9naCQ4wBKWu4P0GAjO0WmzGtHwkYspin7kYsy35Grgjv1DFpTRfjhzpT68dx9h0RAtyUHI/s640/IMG_20171128_173052_754.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself and the lovely<a href="http://lynsayloves.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Lynsay Loves</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7aiBgweUmMb-DRLJgsCwrlAznCThhNTnX5SDYprFTfrVGtFwh3O6zjoy6SKPaFOy7gfCFZTg_3C2_UAxWXcbciVSCMOJv5muRlQHKf7ddzo003Rc8jJcLv3-UcWQlfQUFPR_H7sfLl4/s1600/St.+Enoch+Centre+Christmas+gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="1600" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7aiBgweUmMb-DRLJgsCwrlAznCThhNTnX5SDYprFTfrVGtFwh3O6zjoy6SKPaFOy7gfCFZTg_3C2_UAxWXcbciVSCMOJv5muRlQHKf7ddzo003Rc8jJcLv3-UcWQlfQUFPR_H7sfLl4/s640/St.+Enoch+Centre+Christmas+gifts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I barely know where to start with recounting my magical trip to <a href="http://www.st-enoch.com/" rel="nofollow">St Enoch Centre</a> to check out their festive showcase. From huge Christmas trees with shoes as decorations to a make up vending machine that rewards you for taking selfies- it really was quite the evening!<br /><a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The Atrium foodcourt was jam packed with selections in clothing, makeup food and accessories from across the centre and it was a real feast for all the senses. We were lucky enough to get to snack on delicious<a href="http://www.ilovekimbles.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kimbles</a> nibbles and cakes from <a href="http://www.aulds.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aulds</a> the baker while we perused the rails of the variety of shops that live in St Enoch. From the Chai scented body butters in <a href="https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/range/vanilla-chai/c/c02004" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Body Shop</a> to the most beautiful jewel toned clothes in <a href="http://www.debenhams.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Debenhams</a>, it really was quite the spread! I was bowled over by some of the ranges on offer this Christmas. Velvets, sparkles and metallic are my year round favorites so I am obviously right in my element when they are properly in season and all the shops are packed full. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk1Ofaphbvcz8txL8zL-0Mmwsu5ZjjL7P5YEZHdEiegZTdorGhOPd0zagEOHTYgMLXz_bxa4utdzio5QgQ_fH65bP0sbCCZ_3nXMOfId1Khr5iIY4YPuumtu0PmT9vnwkxXJ8ZqROs-M/s1600/St.+Enoch+Cente+interior+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk1Ofaphbvcz8txL8zL-0Mmwsu5ZjjL7P5YEZHdEiegZTdorGhOPd0zagEOHTYgMLXz_bxa4utdzio5QgQ_fH65bP0sbCCZ_3nXMOfId1Khr5iIY4YPuumtu0PmT9vnwkxXJ8ZqROs-M/s640/St.+Enoch+Cente+interior+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><o:p> </o:p> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqcfvxyDgk9T4fc0Vit-SdCEd5YwxhSRVt0g9hzty-o_pG-YwKmLXPu54o9VMHvzgnftUN4exRqS4oeTxk0nzz-xCzDWza3vMiZed3PwC0MyCglLnl79AP39n8XwZXww9Ff565EU3dRQ/s1600/St.+Enoch+Christmas+event+-+Bobbi+Brown+Luxe+Eyeshadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqcfvxyDgk9T4fc0Vit-SdCEd5YwxhSRVt0g9hzty-o_pG-YwKmLXPu54o9VMHvzgnftUN4exRqS4oeTxk0nzz-xCzDWza3vMiZed3PwC0MyCglLnl79AP39n8XwZXww9Ff565EU3dRQ/s640/St.+Enoch+Christmas+event+-+Bobbi+Brown+Luxe+Eyeshadows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi860lUdHy4Qb4McXQk8BWQxtf_y47Y77m9U8ilFc3fiwT_aiLNkUav8CDJjUeK_bRLtW6w7TWeKYVy3WgDT5y1mgb8PExiuFnNUd1YSCEHHu3xikXuYUHfb4-YqlR1CHqR_s69K3e8EtA/s1600/IMG_20171128_171156348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi860lUdHy4Qb4McXQk8BWQxtf_y47Y77m9U8ilFc3fiwT_aiLNkUav8CDJjUeK_bRLtW6w7TWeKYVy3WgDT5y1mgb8PExiuFnNUd1YSCEHHu3xikXuYUHfb4-YqlR1CHqR_s69K3e8EtA/s640/IMG_20171128_171156348.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Not to let the clothes outshine them there were the fab team from <a href="https://www.guerlain.com/us/en-us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guerlain </a>, <a href="https://www.bobbibrown.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bobbi Brown</a> and <a href="https://www.murad.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Murad</a> to show us what we could pick up in the <a href="http://www.debenhams.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Debenhams</a> beauty hall which is a favourite haunt of mine. The depth of colour in the new Bobbi Brown eyeshadows was something else, and the Mon Guerlain exclusive gift sets were amazing value plus it smells unbelievable too.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFXJo6dFIMaq3tTXWx-BS1Hl6w9ounzn1kmXEfZiSL0l5o8nUqYlns7ENSl4AF1FO_eKVR3auRix4wx3UkFjqB1_dFOhj7lErrHJzZUoFIJwOfwCiNwmZyNN9zkptjxL8_0CWQbPAv2w/s1600/St.+Enoch+Christmas+stocking+essentials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFXJo6dFIMaq3tTXWx-BS1Hl6w9ounzn1kmXEfZiSL0l5o8nUqYlns7ENSl4AF1FO_eKVR3auRix4wx3UkFjqB1_dFOhj7lErrHJzZUoFIJwOfwCiNwmZyNN9zkptjxL8_0CWQbPAv2w/s640/St.+Enoch+Christmas+stocking+essentials.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmKsU9K3t-1J83m3JbviQxp12dhQe65EnrifqMA3kCYm8o5RBziGmRmYFS824W_wxYOFe8IvY89HXF069Fw4BMxtJtnx0c6zjV2DV8kipG3K7Kau51EkK4Eb7UyeCZ4NL9RY8diRFT6o/s1600/enoch2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1236" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmKsU9K3t-1J83m3JbviQxp12dhQe65EnrifqMA3kCYm8o5RBziGmRmYFS824W_wxYOFe8IvY89HXF069Fw4BMxtJtnx0c6zjV2DV8kipG3K7Kau51EkK4Eb7UyeCZ4NL9RY8diRFT6o/s640/enoch2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">amazing range of sparkles and velet</td></tr></tbody></table>Seeing as my eyes are now also drawn to adorable kids clothes too I was super taken by the little glitter converse and vans that were on show, it is definitely time to acquint myself with the shops for the wee one that are in St Enoch and there was plenty there to draw me in.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LQthQAbYGvXwH2DOPPDgwEZ5lsblBEpc9lnG7T1zCn7UAzTpJkcNxZ37WMKgN-mBNiuQbY9LllEeA2XjlLctY1DekkrJSQml0VKoYfSzJIEG7EC5jJbO5jF_sPqG9TP_rKDnJ8ZoK14/s1600/St.+Enoch+Centre+exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LQthQAbYGvXwH2DOPPDgwEZ5lsblBEpc9lnG7T1zCn7UAzTpJkcNxZ37WMKgN-mBNiuQbY9LllEeA2XjlLctY1DekkrJSQml0VKoYfSzJIEG7EC5jJbO5jF_sPqG9TP_rKDnJ8ZoK14/s640/St.+Enoch+Centre+exterior.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">professional post photos courtesy of St Enoch</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have been perusing the St Enoch website to check out the Christmas opening hours ( nice and late by the way to get us through the season) and I noticed there is a pretty nifty <a href="http://www.st-enoch.com/rewards/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">App</a> you can download. You can collect points for any purchases in stores that are over £5, and you can earn rewards from free jewelery cleaning to 20% off at Fossil<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqIM2Y9tDq2VGObYCZVqe_6sc0d13viu4r9zdFAUqA8LhqYrfRWVCfPKrpfvA6wh7unbp9YxHJ-Xt0svRLvmrtuEqL2jephMfxvrMLdKUKBx8hhV8WZWAr1gVP5QqV0R0-X8bnxwh0-E/s1600/stenoch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="634" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqIM2Y9tDq2VGObYCZVqe_6sc0d13viu4r9zdFAUqA8LhqYrfRWVCfPKrpfvA6wh7unbp9YxHJ-Xt0svRLvmrtuEqL2jephMfxvrMLdKUKBx8hhV8WZWAr1gVP5QqV0R0-X8bnxwh0-E/s640/stenoch.png" width="630" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And if you dont have space for the app on your phone you can pick up a reward card in the centre too so you dont miss out on any of the fun. Pretty cool!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My wish list is now officially off the scales thanks to this event, its safe to say if you are looking for me this Christmas you will find me in the St Enoch Centre.</div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-38317500238258425392017-12-07T09:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.226+02:00Glasgow Reviewed; Dinner at the Tempus Restaurant<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtukQv4_fo0WJsfXKzMIG03saAjti2dE0olpF5X1wathPfpxYcsf8nVdgbG_quBseHCQVJx939o5-gfXkh7XPHkIJHtoTGaPA27BX6NSdp-81fVknp09GKtOzJYS3ecyhh2qdUDJhV-U/s1600/IMG_20171123_183720209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtukQv4_fo0WJsfXKzMIG03saAjti2dE0olpF5X1wathPfpxYcsf8nVdgbG_quBseHCQVJx939o5-gfXkh7XPHkIJHtoTGaPA27BX6NSdp-81fVknp09GKtOzJYS3ecyhh2qdUDJhV-U/s320/IMG_20171123_183720209.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgZRTfpeGtYqhQYyHmOi038tPtBjSkYpivLl8z6sGUwWJrQhrrfKgg1Ln_FcknhndQ-eYrP0KhkFgm6T3DCIsXWK2zrG1AU1Ci78sts49um-DSswqwpho1Rc6HkeEZKeaAIL-CPKTNeY/s1600/IMG_20171123_181052549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgZRTfpeGtYqhQYyHmOi038tPtBjSkYpivLl8z6sGUwWJrQhrrfKgg1Ln_FcknhndQ-eYrP0KhkFgm6T3DCIsXWK2zrG1AU1Ci78sts49um-DSswqwpho1Rc6HkeEZKeaAIL-CPKTNeY/s320/IMG_20171123_181052549.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I had not been feeling particularly festive just yet but thanks to the lovely Laura from <a href="http://www.alifewithfrills.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">A Life with Frills</a> that is all changed now! She organises the funnest events and this year a group of my favourite Scottish Bloggers were treated to a slap up meal at the Tempus restaurant in Glasgow's <a href="https://www.phcompany.com/principal/glasgow-grand-central-hotel/" rel="nofollow">Grand Central Hotel</a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LFmxWHr_lF91yulXn2aOOfQYdFlD_wlJiLGDET2lKr9TC3uCG-pExXVmcS6-3zz-NkO3nNmHCy8M8LsbNV4aps2Xonft6m1p8Bpk51crQ1lmucR8QdJUfyrxeectDCD2mo1dYGCYYXg/s1600/IMG_20171123_185338752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LFmxWHr_lF91yulXn2aOOfQYdFlD_wlJiLGDET2lKr9TC3uCG-pExXVmcS6-3zz-NkO3nNmHCy8M8LsbNV4aps2Xonft6m1p8Bpk51crQ1lmucR8QdJUfyrxeectDCD2mo1dYGCYYXg/s640/IMG_20171123_185338752.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">There couldn't be a more central spot to stay in whilst in the city, and the hotel looks so incredible on the inside. We were shown to the private dining area that the team at the <a href="https://www.phcompany.com/principal/glasgow-grand-central-hotel/dining/tempus-restaurant-bar/" rel="nofollow">Tempus </a>had set up so we could enjoy a fun evening to get in the Christmas spirit. We were spoiled from start to finish and they had paid so much attention to detail in terms of telling us about the food and keeping on top of any special requirements we had, which is always so welcome.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYLVf86fCXp_86ldkKQYzFMKquJHcOfwh4OwxQzy2aBuOwfy_7boh8F9Sr6_W8hR8CZ6YYLT8ITqESLtU2ROwfT2huFnbRF_JZ0-DQEV9dRWlhZPgnfxYW9iqxqb4KhHraLJTXRPiEio/s1600/IMG_20171123_184426255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYLVf86fCXp_86ldkKQYzFMKquJHcOfwh4OwxQzy2aBuOwfy_7boh8F9Sr6_W8hR8CZ6YYLT8ITqESLtU2ROwfT2huFnbRF_JZ0-DQEV9dRWlhZPgnfxYW9iqxqb4KhHraLJTXRPiEio/s640/IMG_20171123_184426255.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical blogger scene when it comes to food- photos and PURE JOY</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3B7fQxWya69Xj1KwjkgqYr6b7ybEKXVq5FHxcusMj2YSqhwAs4XVL_u5ScWjggTSqm0LN4lLI4DHf5uh3nkQi_7RA-SMbK2PCFTaoQAHhJeJvTfkIzJ965HwHasDumgv_Ch0116isRvY/s1600/2017-12-06+03.24.42+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3B7fQxWya69Xj1KwjkgqYr6b7ybEKXVq5FHxcusMj2YSqhwAs4XVL_u5ScWjggTSqm0LN4lLI4DHf5uh3nkQi_7RA-SMbK2PCFTaoQAHhJeJvTfkIzJ965HwHasDumgv_Ch0116isRvY/s640/2017-12-06+03.24.42+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We were met with fizz and an amazing array of canapes that were gone in seconds, I was mad for the butternut squash bon bons, and most of the room were desperate for more smoked paprika popcorn. I was determined to keep space for the full 3 courses though and I am so glad I did. We had such a nice menu to choose from and as a first time visitor to the restaurant, I found it pretty hard to pick ( no seriously, it took like 3 attempts to actually pick a pudding.) I opted for the goats cheese starter which was a delish combo of little crackers, cheese, walnuts and caramelized onion and was in all just utterly divine. I am always disappointed when a starter is tiny but this was perfect for my hungry appetite. Next time I would totally go for the foragers salad though which a couple of the others had, as the staff actually come to you with a small table and all the ingredients and make it right in front of you, to exactly your taste! Now that is a service I have never experienced before and was such a nice touch.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sMDU_D-uJ_I8SEiCZaz8kDqYrt-h9q9xQdV73ugD1f-34n-QEU-EBy689EgfZoNr8dVQ7dL5SIfQ8AIDGNtQZOAkcsbp6dZOwoTQUai3K_QuzPD1JT6H0BkK6lk1o-6QBeikwR28kKU/s1600/2017-12-06+03.24.34+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sMDU_D-uJ_I8SEiCZaz8kDqYrt-h9q9xQdV73ugD1f-34n-QEU-EBy689EgfZoNr8dVQ7dL5SIfQ8AIDGNtQZOAkcsbp6dZOwoTQUai3K_QuzPD1JT6H0BkK6lk1o-6QBeikwR28kKU/s640/2017-12-06+03.24.34+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was all set for Duck for the main as its something I never normally have, and I swear the more I watch Masterchef programmes, the more I want it!!! It certainly did not disappoint at all, what a massive delicious portion and the meat was cooked to perfection. The berry sauce and was utterly divine and I was so delighted with it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaJspPah7_SCZxH4M8aYJxASJkNZdArNJ6cwCVIHcbDerkDIPz8CfuXowOKc7buWrBJrChMqSuWYedlPDw5mVnbsz9W34PBCOUV9egy1mr8GvGjKcylWZFyC53UQJ6FgseCUEeTRwoC0/s1600/2017-12-06+03.24.32+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaJspPah7_SCZxH4M8aYJxASJkNZdArNJ6cwCVIHcbDerkDIPz8CfuXowOKc7buWrBJrChMqSuWYedlPDw5mVnbsz9W34PBCOUV9egy1mr8GvGjKcylWZFyC53UQJ6FgseCUEeTRwoC0/s640/2017-12-06+03.24.32+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Now pudding was giving me far too much to mull over as the choice was fab but I settled on the Salted Caramel and chocolate tarte. It was far too heavy considering how much else I had put away but my word look at the shine on it! I polished it off with a gorgeous virgin strawberry daiquiri and it was the icing on the cake.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7SO8ve6mhDgYECinvKdKYg0NwjIAcVoGkb5d9y-0Do1PPE9GoNPZKjcZbyK3Ya7BQ3TWPaIiWMlOOvyqiUD_HmEr-F7O9rTfZIiXiFVvTzR7O-IF5gkkPl8XT6MOZc6zoggl8VMcKH8/s1600/IMG_20171123_221641_044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7SO8ve6mhDgYECinvKdKYg0NwjIAcVoGkb5d9y-0Do1PPE9GoNPZKjcZbyK3Ya7BQ3TWPaIiWMlOOvyqiUD_HmEr-F7O9rTfZIiXiFVvTzR7O-IF5gkkPl8XT6MOZc6zoggl8VMcKH8/s640/IMG_20171123_221641_044.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The staff and set up in Tempus was amazing, and it feels so nice to be in such beautiful surroundings bang in the city centre. I can't thank them enough for showing us such a wonderful time! Thanks to all my partners in crime ( <a href="http://lynsayloves.com/" rel="nofollow">Lynsay</a>, <a href="http://www.little-blog-of-horrors.com/" rel="nofollow">Ayden</a>, <a href="http://honeypopkisses.com/" rel="nofollow">Amanda</a>, <a href="http://lastyearsgirl.pixlet.net/" rel="nofollow">Lis</a> and <a href="http://www.glasgowbeautyblogger.com/" rel="nofollow">Lori</a>) and especially <a href="http://www.alifewithfrills.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Laura</a> for organizing the nicest night ( and even beautiful goody bags to boot!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Christmas has officially begun!</b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-69644083890783563402017-12-06T09:30:00.001+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.316+02:00BumpH2T: The Second Trimester<div style="text-align: center;">If you missed my first trimester summary then you can catch up <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/11/bumph2t-first-trimester.html">HERE</a>. <br /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUKT_1h6s10AmDFs_Ip4TnzxrzaAAB5xi4z4rEpesXIQFwge30nCXDk2gHgFNKPRxG0qhDvAfs9GSIaxeZ_i9u09jNVtZuKak6m368dDedE_k3TNnbQTqz47SWWqtHc3SFVQ6WPE8bwU/s1600/IMG_20171112_110334113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUKT_1h6s10AmDFs_Ip4TnzxrzaAAB5xi4z4rEpesXIQFwge30nCXDk2gHgFNKPRxG0qhDvAfs9GSIaxeZ_i9u09jNVtZuKak6m368dDedE_k3TNnbQTqz47SWWqtHc3SFVQ6WPE8bwU/s640/IMG_20171112_110334113.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I had high hopes that I would hit the second trimester and a lot of my fears would subside a little but it just wasn't to be to begin with. The length of time between scans and my lack of a standard looking bump, twinned with my heavy nausea symptoms finally subsiding around the 15 week mark, means I was left in serious doubt things were as they should be. Now I know that is not limited to those who have lost babies before, I have heard plenty of people lamenting the strange time between a 12 week and 20 week scan so I knew I wasn't alone in finding it strange.<br /><a name='more'></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">We plodded along though and tried where possible just to focus on filling our time with catching up with people and planning plenty of fun stuff. I have still been suffering in these weeks with exhuastion issues but it was not as permanent as it was for the first 4 months, so the idea of seeing people was so much fun. Before I posted our fertility story I felt a bit cut off from people as when asked 'what have you been up to?' due to all the hospital treatments and drugs, there was never much of an answer! Now though we both feel a lot more free, and it has been nice to catch up with people and it be known what we have been up to! </div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Ally has continued to bond away with the baby even when I doubted they were still in there going strong. Watching him chat away to he or she, and refer to them while we spoke, has really helped me feel a bit more upbeat about what might be about to come which is a nice change and it is nice to see him so so excited.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfE7t3hGij7vttoll8VdvO4wGIAbBA6uhyphenhyphen1nQiXuKTjp-Mjmc_50-S5s4Kq548bBhSCOyE8fx4KDFHma5u7QqQElYrJX8sDR752Zr6pfM1NaLSIG2RyGAfUDMCokiGtsFE5Uo9maSfY/s1600/IMG_20171110_161240207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfE7t3hGij7vttoll8VdvO4wGIAbBA6uhyphenhyphen1nQiXuKTjp-Mjmc_50-S5s4Kq548bBhSCOyE8fx4KDFHma5u7QqQElYrJX8sDR752Zr6pfM1NaLSIG2RyGAfUDMCokiGtsFE5Uo9maSfY/s640/IMG_20171110_161240207.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of us can finally drive!! a big second trimester development!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Symptoms wise I now swing wildly from being ravenously hungry to massively nauseous, and that sweet tooth has gone no where! My breasts have continued to grow with a worrying pace and my biggest issue is mega hip and back pain stopping me getting any sleep. All the big cushions and stretches don't seem to be doing much but I shall persevere ( and get myself to the physio as soon as they will take me!) I also have been feeling really breathless which is pretty much zero fun and just continues to get worse as baby gets bigger. Not a symptom I had given much thought to before considering how squished my insides are!!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">We have been filling our time with getting some of our baby stuff sorted and as long term readers will know, I love to second hand what I can and this has been no exception. From bargain bugaboos (regardless of having no real interest in them originally as a brand, but they are so common to pick up preloved!) to some furniture to house some of their second hand clothes- we are enjoying hunting down what we might need. It might be too early for some, and for people as cautious as we are you would expect us to not want to, but actually it has helped pass the worry time quite well!I do love a challenge :)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When the 20 week scan came around it was a huge relief. I was, as expected a wreck but survived the ordeal and Ally had a ball trying to keep up with what body parts the sonographer was checking out in detail. Happily everything was looking as it should and I walked out the scan finally thinking we were actually going to get to keep this one, which was pretty fun. Keeping Ally from exploding with excitement took some work, I am pretty sure that is him for the duration now!We did find out I have an anterior placenta which is where it sits on the front wall of the uterus. I had already expected that was the case in me due to not feeling anything but both scans confirming just how much this baby was jumping around. So I at least knew not feeling much was to be expected, but as the weeks have gone I can definitely feel a lot more going on when I lie in certain positions. Ally loves to try and catch a little shove so hopefully before long he wont have to work so hard to find it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5Z_hHKXThtlR2HpUn57TMaf58Ts_oJCsfS0qLVstYr7mK__2PTraJzk_OySYP-s57SOSYMHW2lfsrmqVO2_q0N5lvqDAW4SwAZzYsyR_Ef-KqqFQqCRIV4udV66X5IU04J20s_7zk0o/s1600/IMG_20171201_204241128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5Z_hHKXThtlR2HpUn57TMaf58Ts_oJCsfS0qLVstYr7mK__2PTraJzk_OySYP-s57SOSYMHW2lfsrmqVO2_q0N5lvqDAW4SwAZzYsyR_Ef-KqqFQqCRIV4udV66X5IU04J20s_7zk0o/s640/IMG_20171201_204241128.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the spirit for putting up the tree!</td></tr></tbody></table>The later parts of the trimester have definitely seen me feel really different from the earlier weeks and with people knowing now and a more obvious bump, it definitely has made me feel actually pregnant! I am taking advantage of having more energy while it lasts, and handily my shorter temper has gone....for now. Sleep is absolutely still an issue but just taking it easy when I need to, maybe I am just destined to never sleep again- ARGH. I cant quite believe that is me creeping into the third trimester, genuinely a place I never saw us getting to when in our fertility treatment so it feels really surreal. I had been keeping Christmas in my mind as a benchmark so it is strange it is almost here. No doubt after that passes it will all suddenly feel right around the corner which is crazy.<br /><br />I appreciate all the messages and contact over these past few weeks from people, it has been so good to remain honest about everything we have been experiencing and the support of people has been really beautiful. Thank you so so much from us both!</div></div><div><br /><br /></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-28583837702345316462017-12-06T09:30:00.000+01:002017-12-06T09:30:05.885+01:00BumpH2T: The Second Trimester<div style="text-align: center;">
If you missed my first trimester summary then you can catch up <a href="http://www.beautyh2t.com/2017/11/bumph2t-first-trimester.html">HERE</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUKT_1h6s10AmDFs_Ip4TnzxrzaAAB5xi4z4rEpesXIQFwge30nCXDk2gHgFNKPRxG0qhDvAfs9GSIaxeZ_i9u09jNVtZuKak6m368dDedE_k3TNnbQTqz47SWWqtHc3SFVQ6WPE8bwU/s1600/IMG_20171112_110334113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUKT_1h6s10AmDFs_Ip4TnzxrzaAAB5xi4z4rEpesXIQFwge30nCXDk2gHgFNKPRxG0qhDvAfs9GSIaxeZ_i9u09jNVtZuKak6m368dDedE_k3TNnbQTqz47SWWqtHc3SFVQ6WPE8bwU/s640/IMG_20171112_110334113.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I had high hopes that I would hit the second trimester and a lot of my fears would subside a little but it just wasn't to be to begin with. The length of time between scans and my lack of a standard looking bump, twinned with my heavy nausea symptoms finally subsiding around the 15 week mark, means I was left in serious doubt things were as they should be. Now I know that is not limited to those who have lost babies before, I have heard plenty of people lamenting the strange time between a 12 week and 20 week scan so I knew I wasn't alone in finding it strange.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
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We plodded along though and tried where possible just to focus on filling our time with catching up with people and planning plenty of fun stuff. I have still been suffering in these weeks with exhuastion issues but it was not as permanent as it was for the first 4 months, so the idea of seeing people was so much fun. Before I posted our fertility story I felt a bit cut off from people as when asked 'what have you been up to?' due to all the hospital treatments and drugs, there was never much of an answer! Now though we both feel a lot more free, and it has been nice to catch up with people and it be known what we have been up to! </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Ally has continued to bond away with the baby even when I doubted they were still in there going strong. Watching him chat away to he or she, and refer to them while we spoke, has really helped me feel a bit more upbeat about what might be about to come which is a nice change and it is nice to see him so so excited.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfE7t3hGij7vttoll8VdvO4wGIAbBA6uhyphenhyphen1nQiXuKTjp-Mjmc_50-S5s4Kq548bBhSCOyE8fx4KDFHma5u7QqQElYrJX8sDR752Zr6pfM1NaLSIG2RyGAfUDMCokiGtsFE5Uo9maSfY/s1600/IMG_20171110_161240207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfE7t3hGij7vttoll8VdvO4wGIAbBA6uhyphenhyphen1nQiXuKTjp-Mjmc_50-S5s4Kq548bBhSCOyE8fx4KDFHma5u7QqQElYrJX8sDR752Zr6pfM1NaLSIG2RyGAfUDMCokiGtsFE5Uo9maSfY/s640/IMG_20171110_161240207.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of us can finally drive!! a big second trimester development!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Symptoms wise I now swing wildly from being ravenously hungry to massively nauseous, and that sweet tooth has gone no where! My breasts have continued to grow with a worrying pace and my biggest issue is mega hip and back pain stopping me getting any sleep. All the big cushions and stretches don't seem to be doing much but I shall persevere ( and get myself to the physio as soon as they will take me!) I also have been feeling really breathless which is pretty much zero fun and just continues to get worse as baby gets bigger. Not a symptom I had given much thought to before considering how squished my insides are!!</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We have been filling our time with getting some of our baby stuff sorted and as long term readers will know, I love to second hand what I can and this has been no exception. From bargain bugaboos (regardless of having no real interest in them originally as a brand, but they are so common to pick up preloved!) to some furniture to house some of their second hand clothes- we are enjoying hunting down what we might need. It might be too early for some, and for people as cautious as we are you would expect us to not want to, but actually it has helped pass the worry time quite well!I do love a challenge :)</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When the 20 week scan came around it was a huge relief. I was, as expected a wreck but survived the ordeal and Ally had a ball trying to keep up with what body parts the sonographer was checking out in detail. Happily everything was looking as it should and I walked out the scan finally thinking we were actually going to get to keep this one, which was pretty fun. Keeping Ally from exploding with excitement took some work, I am pretty sure that is him for the duration now!We did find out I have an anterior placenta which is where it sits on the front wall of the uterus. I had already expected that was the case in me due to not feeling anything but both scans confirming just how much this baby was jumping around. So I at least knew not feeling much was to be expected, but as the weeks have gone I can definitely feel a lot more going on when I lie in certain positions. Ally loves to try and catch a little shove so hopefully before long he wont have to work so hard to find it!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5Z_hHKXThtlR2HpUn57TMaf58Ts_oJCsfS0qLVstYr7mK__2PTraJzk_OySYP-s57SOSYMHW2lfsrmqVO2_q0N5lvqDAW4SwAZzYsyR_Ef-KqqFQqCRIV4udV66X5IU04J20s_7zk0o/s1600/IMG_20171201_204241128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5Z_hHKXThtlR2HpUn57TMaf58Ts_oJCsfS0qLVstYr7mK__2PTraJzk_OySYP-s57SOSYMHW2lfsrmqVO2_q0N5lvqDAW4SwAZzYsyR_Ef-KqqFQqCRIV4udV66X5IU04J20s_7zk0o/s640/IMG_20171201_204241128.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the spirit for putting up the tree!</td></tr>
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The later parts of the trimester have definitely seen me feel really different from the earlier weeks and with people knowing now and a more obvious bump, it definitely has made me feel actually pregnant! I am taking advantage of having more energy while it lasts, and handily my shorter temper has gone....for now. Sleep is absolutely still an issue but just taking it easy when I need to, maybe I am just destined to never sleep again- ARGH. I cant quite believe that is me creeping into the third trimester, genuinely a place I never saw us getting to when in our fertility treatment so it feels really surreal. I had been keeping Christmas in my mind as a benchmark so it is strange it is almost here. No doubt after that passes it will all suddenly feel right around the corner which is crazy.<br />
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I appreciate all the messages and contact over these past few weeks from people, it has been so good to remain honest about everything we have been experiencing and the support of people has been really beautiful. Thank you so so much from us both!</div>
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BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-47149524560661651852017-12-04T14:29:00.004+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.340+02:00My first Charlotte Tilbury experience<div style="text-align: center;">Unless you have lived under a rock I am pretty sure you will be aware of <a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlotte Tilbury</a> and her epic make up line. Adored by celebrities and pretty much every makeup lover under the sun, I am ashamed to say I STILL hadn't tried or even seen any of the products in the flesh. Shocking, considering her most popular eye shadow shades could not be more up my street!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AilacXeIfIDtWB-wMi7d1VDfEQijzBCYhDViNWpB0pmjvUvZ4jSL4c5MhyPibJhISO8ltwN4wFbPdPTT3K5HWQjm6jgt3S2Zk_SoZaf7FJtScfOfB2crrCjFCnHtSmA0eLZ5g9X0OBY/s1600/IMG_20171105_144345528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1520" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AilacXeIfIDtWB-wMi7d1VDfEQijzBCYhDViNWpB0pmjvUvZ4jSL4c5MhyPibJhISO8ltwN4wFbPdPTT3K5HWQjm6jgt3S2Zk_SoZaf7FJtScfOfB2crrCjFCnHtSmA0eLZ5g9X0OBY/s640/IMG_20171105_144345528.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I was delighted to head along to rectify this situation when the Charlotte Tillbury Makeover truck came to Glasgow, offering us regular people the chance to get a free #CTHollywood makeover. With the most glamourous and famous leading ladies being the inspiration to some of the gorgeous products, it was my chance to get a little glamour for myself. From a proper red carpet to full on Hollywood lights, the whole exeprience was loads of fun, and it was no wonder it was proving so popular with the locals, I felt truly pampered in the van with the uber talented Laura who was my makeup artist for the session. She talked me through the huge range of products and skincare and helped me decide what look to go for that day depending on my mood and what leading ladies I might like to channel.</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDocvSeetFd0XTNlSt04486txOqxqQ_Ju3SBkcTlpiMVFvcLfZfHa_mW8znRhHRJ-ookDTIfSHWpmoELtE6zGkEz4Us_FuHQc1BelDJK2FCdvVZhprOZHIcCC6SGfKoS2KSYA2SNIS1KE/s1600/IMG_20171014_083036068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="510" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDocvSeetFd0XTNlSt04486txOqxqQ_Ju3SBkcTlpiMVFvcLfZfHa_mW8znRhHRJ-ookDTIfSHWpmoELtE6zGkEz4Us_FuHQc1BelDJK2FCdvVZhprOZHIcCC6SGfKoS2KSYA2SNIS1KE/s640/IMG_20171014_083036068.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stand out products for me had been the contour and highlight creams and the lip sticks that came in the most stunning range of colours and I was delighted to get to play around with these after the make over. Before I get to giving these a whirl I have to mention the <a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/charlottes-magic-cream.html" target="_blank">Magic Cream</a> that I had heard SO much about, I felt like there was no way it could live up to the hype but my word, it bloody did!! Laura lathered it on my skin and I genuinely was shocked by how well rested and just brighter I looked. It was the face lift in a jar I had certainly heard about, no wonder celebs always look so glowy!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QnDK_8vLKuF4m85o-X5ZB6PYnTeF-WIdkLr5MfnxRCJ3fXJ9QVHGXOkNmyLaOMcq5RUREAHvp9pNdr0rjrMRlQuxIbU4b0-pcQre5sN23XCu6Og6vzroSSF0JtIWCs2EZOqAKXsPeOg/s1600/IMG_20171105_144947463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QnDK_8vLKuF4m85o-X5ZB6PYnTeF-WIdkLr5MfnxRCJ3fXJ9QVHGXOkNmyLaOMcq5RUREAHvp9pNdr0rjrMRlQuxIbU4b0-pcQre5sN23XCu6Og6vzroSSF0JtIWCs2EZOqAKXsPeOg/s640/IMG_20171105_144947463.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once foundation and my brows were taken care of it, it was time to give my big square mug a bit more shape and refinement using the contour and highlight wands and I was excited to see them in action. I have a love hate relationship with contour, so many products just don't seem to help you really achieve that definition with ease and I have definitely just ended up with a muddy looking face on more that one occasion. These however took seconds for her to apply and blend, and she had me do the other side of my face and low behold it really was that simple. I have been playing around with them at home and it just takes a few dabs of the creamy product wherever you want them,under the cheek bones, around the forhead, or along the side of the nose, and you just take the complexion brush and blend it in. No real effort required thanks to the consistency of the contour and the sponge applicator on the tube. There are two shade options for the contour and although even the lighter appears dark, it really works and doesn't leave orange or ashy toned streaks which is a common issue. The highlight is a similar doddle to apply and the colour pay off is gorgeous! Using both together just makes my face look more polished but not obvious which I love. I noticed on the website you also get a good deal if you buy both the contour and highlight <a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/hollywood-contour-highlighter-duo.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">together</a>, money saving <i>and </i>glamorous. Yes please. As a side note I am a total brush fiend and this was a joy to use, it looks stunning but importantly blends super well thanks to its dense but soft bristles. Plus it is cruelty free and double sided and therefore a total winner!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmLPvMZYYS-ooOHeG7so8iH2duUUU4u7OT44Hy8Tm459pGVB1Ha6e0Qfjo5AGwVyxVRTKqLq9dc1d3HWn0FiqLtYPrvMhbPSUDTDE5ZINC42EQC6QE8nhSP3mrcCjGEzje5TGUkJ5hDo/s1600/2017-12-04+01.14.56+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmLPvMZYYS-ooOHeG7so8iH2duUUU4u7OT44Hy8Tm459pGVB1Ha6e0Qfjo5AGwVyxVRTKqLq9dc1d3HWn0FiqLtYPrvMhbPSUDTDE5ZINC42EQC6QE8nhSP3mrcCjGEzje5TGUkJ5hDo/s640/2017-12-04+01.14.56+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny bit of brows, mascara, the quickest slick of the wands a pop of the matte liquid colour- easy!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">I was really impressed at my makeover as the colour selection and consistency of the Hollywood Lipsticks were gorgeous and it was so hard to work out which shade I even wanted to try on that day. I was sent <a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/hollywood-matte-liquid-lipstick-too-bad-im-bad.html" rel="nofollow">Too Bad I'm Bad</a> to play around with at home, and It is the such a beautiful matt liquid colour in a warm rosy colour that is so universal. It is the perfect pink for me as it is not so loud I can't wear it as just a beautiful daytime shade but would also be lovely for glamming up with some strong eyeliner. Matte liquids usually give me the fear given the baltic Scottish weather which leaves most of us with delightfully chapped lips, but this goes on super well and doesn't dry to a super stiff feel. The staying power, as you would expect with a celebrity favorite, is fantastic and it doesn't transfer all over the shop. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In all my first experience with Charlotte Tilbury has been a really positive one, which is fantastic for me but terrible for my bank balance. The rusty eye colours in her palettes are pretty much screaming my name by this point and I am unsure how long I can actually go without giving in. I am delighted to have finally found a decent contour and highlight duo that are actually easy enough to use on the go. I have been playing around on the website building a bit of a dream basket and Its been ages since I have gotten that lost on a site. There are so many handy tools with different skintone comparisons and incredible Hollywood inspiration photos and tips to work from that I got a bit carried away!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837127491318116004.post-54926461066510015042017-11-27T14:36:00.002+01:002021-04-29T14:01:26.366+02:00BumpH2T: Pregnancy Massage at the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGKMaat90WG46d1dDc6bkrazflyBkwhFnVvL6cpAO0olC78D7_rTNGUoXtLmunKI0xippfC_WRS269bcx0zHLh9eZQDCPiax_SSFFQLnfRT8LfwT3Ib2dizcj0tkd2OSuHAUuLB06mjo/s1600/IMG_20171104_094619813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGKMaat90WG46d1dDc6bkrazflyBkwhFnVvL6cpAO0olC78D7_rTNGUoXtLmunKI0xippfC_WRS269bcx0zHLh9eZQDCPiax_SSFFQLnfRT8LfwT3Ib2dizcj0tkd2OSuHAUuLB06mjo/s640/IMG_20171104_094619813.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>One of the best things about any visit to the <a href="http://www.chamomilesanctuary.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chamomile Sanctuary Spa</a> in Edinburgh, is seeing all the lovely staff. Justine the owner clearly takes so much time in selecting the right team and their knowledge and skills always speak volumes about the ethos of the spa. This was my first visit with Lola who was in charge of my first ever pregnancy massage, and she made it such a fantastic experience. <a href="http://www.chamomilesanctuary.com/treatments/pregnancy/aromatherapy-associates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chamomile </a> is such a favourite of mine as the standard there is just so high both in terms of therapist but also just the all round atmosphere, it really is such a calming, beautiful and tranquil place to be. Sadly not all spas actually deliver on that all important relaxation!<br /><a name='more'></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAzEpfI4zzvhOrLqhs-FZxfyMxrVvLOOtvGvoIIob1FBQB_YikjdU5eAnKiqjWLTyfLwJgM21W9phu79x6RH5776_TfDtuqIlhtOfOvwv6cR_HeqKtwG84Kk23ey6fzzos01qAAUZhbA/s1600/Chamomile-Sanctuary-reception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="440" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAzEpfI4zzvhOrLqhs-FZxfyMxrVvLOOtvGvoIIob1FBQB_YikjdU5eAnKiqjWLTyfLwJgM21W9phu79x6RH5776_TfDtuqIlhtOfOvwv6cR_HeqKtwG84Kk23ey6fzzos01qAAUZhbA/s640/Chamomile-Sanctuary-reception.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was in a fluffy robe and sipping herbal tea before I knew it, and Lola gave me the full run down on what a pregnancy massage can actually do for a mamma to be. Aches and pains and general discomfort certainly come with the territory as well as a pretty tired mind too. A massage like this is ideal for helping create some relaxation and help work towards ironing out some of those niggling pains too. Not everywhere can offer a decent pregnancy treatment as they do require a bit of a set up in order to be able to do the treatment safely. You shuffle yourself on to a bed as normal just with the addition on a big cushion with all the right spaces for you to get a bump and an ever-growing chest into. Lola then propped my legs up with additional cushions to allow for maximum comfort and blood flow and we settled into working on my creaky back and hips.<br /><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoRQcEheyTC4fVpO4gyp1lNaMHNoggtQaACnHPnTdWHfAglA21J3E6JLQuX2_G4aO1jnrbcu8MWQJO2xH3siL2VQf1I7Z40lF1dHlJrKbhiQUpwzazhlGoMMovVwONrUrqtROdZPkqKA/s1600/IMG_20171104_111322928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoRQcEheyTC4fVpO4gyp1lNaMHNoggtQaACnHPnTdWHfAglA21J3E6JLQuX2_G4aO1jnrbcu8MWQJO2xH3siL2VQf1I7Z40lF1dHlJrKbhiQUpwzazhlGoMMovVwONrUrqtROdZPkqKA/s640/IMG_20171104_111322928.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">post massage glow!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Having slept so poorly for recent weeks getting into position was utter heaven, so as she started to work, I was already away in bliss. She explained to me what kinds of products should and shouldn't be used on pregnant women so I was going to be having rose and geranium from Aromatherapy Associates used on my skin to help with elasticity ( yes please) and providing a balancing scent which I also definitely needed. It felt so magical as it was worked methodically into my skin and it was literally a head to toe treatment, as no part of me was left out. Moving my limbs in just the way they clearly needed and working away a lot of the stresses I had been feeling, made this a beautiful treatment. Helping me move on to my front and further propping up the appropriate points to keep my comfortable, Lola was excellent at paying attention to what I needed and it makes such a difference. I didn't even realise how much I had needed a massage until I was in that moment and noticed just how many different parts of my body had actually been suffering!<br /><br />I left the spa on an absolute cloud which is just what a good treatment should do for you, I can't recommend a pregnancy massage enough, if you have someone who could benefit this Christmas, they will definitely thank you!<br /><br />You can contact the spa on 0131 220 1000<br /><br /></div></div>BeautyH2Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17080740136680941711noreply@blogger.com0