The St Enoch Centre Selfie Store

I couldn't let the weekend roll in without posting all the details on the super adorable Selfie Store that the St Enoch Centre 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.

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!

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 Kimbles 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 Debenhams and taking in the mix of designers and brands on offer but Oasis is somewhere I feel I have overlooked until last night!

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!

The New Normal

I wrestled with this post for 2 whole months, Specsavers 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?

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 felt 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.

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? 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, 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. Seeing 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!!

As always I was just delighted with the service down at Specsavers 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.

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 Boss Orange frames 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.

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!

Glasgow Reviewed; Mindful Parenting at The Wee Retreat

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 The Wee Retreat 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. 

If you missed my review of my first mindfulness course with The Wee Retreat then you can catch it here. I was delighted to  be invited back to meet a new group of people and do The Mindful Parenting Course, and it has been such a refreshing and valuable experience. As I said in my last post, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 here) 

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 The Wee Retreat 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.

BabyH2t: Baby's first Christmas at the St Enoch Centre

 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 St Enoch Centre got in touch to invite us down to make it a wonderful first Christmas for him.

 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 HERE.

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, Mothercare and Billies Market as well as stopping in at H and M kids and Debenhams, we had so much fun taking a look around and picking out a few bits for him. I had never properly been into Hamleys 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 HERE

I have such a special place in my heart for the Disney Store, 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!!

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!

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 Little Bird range and their jumpers were reduced, gave us a minute of feeling smugly organised :)

Lastly we hit The Works 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!

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!

You can keep up to date with opening hours and ongoing events on the centre's Facebook and Twitter

Glasgow Reviewed; Shopping St Enoch this Christmas

Myself and the lovely Lynsay Loves

I barely know where to start with recounting my magical trip to St Enoch Centre 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!

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 deliciousKimbles nibbles and cakes from Aulds the baker while we perused the rails of the variety of shops that live in St Enoch. From the Chai scented body butters in The Body Shop to the most beautiful jewel toned clothes in Debenhams, 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. 

  

Not to let the clothes outshine them there were the fab team from Guerlain , Bobbi Brown and Murad to show us what we could pick up in the Debenhams 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.

amazing range of sparkles and velet

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.

professional post photos courtesy of St Enoch

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 App 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

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!!

 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.

Glasgow Reviewed; Dinner at the Tempus Restaurant

I had not been feeling particularly festive just yet but thanks to the lovely Laura from A Life with Frills 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 Grand Central Hotel.

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 Tempus 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.

Typical blogger scene when it comes to food- photos and PURE JOY

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.

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.

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.

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 ( Lynsay, Ayden, Amanda, Lis and Lori) and especially Laura for organizing the nicest night ( and even beautiful goody bags to boot!) 

Christmas has officially begun!

Glasgow Reviewed; Black Dove Dining

Being a fairly new South Side resident ( actually it has almost been a year- CRAZY!) there is still a list of eateries on my must visit list and up until last month the Black Dove was at the top of that list thanks to its outstanding reputation. I have been eyeing up countless Instagram snaps of their gorgeous looking dishes for long enough when an offer of coming along to try out a few dishes on the tasting menu came up and I could not say no. Alongside some lovely local bloggers we were absolutely treated by the staff at the Black Dove who are really passionate about the food on the latest menu as well as the fantastic cocktails to compliment it.

Based on the Kilmarnock Road, this is a hotspot not to be missed. Focusing on well made and thought out small plate dishes that you can order a few of and enjoy a variety of styles. I love tapas dining as I am always so undecided on exactly what I want so I love the option to try a bit of as many as I fancy. Each plate is cooked to order and they have included gluten and dairy free options to suit as many  as possible which is ideal.

Over the course of the night my favourite picks from the line up had to be the Pork Belly Scotch egg thanks to its beautifully cooked yolk, apple salad and the most incredible chorizo jam that I could hear being discussed up and down the table. A wonderfully refined Ox Cheek ‘steak pie’ that was a really tender delight that was so well presented and possibly my favourite of them all the braised Lamb belly with puy lentils and beetroot gel. I am not usually a lamb person but boy was this delicious.

On the sweet side, Black Dove Dining did not disappoint.I am such a pudding person ( in both tastes and shape!) so  there was zero issue after tasting the mains that there wouldn’t be room for the desserts. Presented to oooh and ahhs across the room was a honey and morello cheesecake with home made honeycomb and cherry coulis that was possibly the dish of the night for me ( complete with mini milkshake to enjoy), a stunning warm chocolate pudding with salted caramel and a vibrant blueberry and lavender sorbet and the impressive French martini.  No not another cocktail after an evening full of them but a dessert in a glass combining pineapple compote, pineapple custard, coral sponge and raspberry foam- it tasted just as good as it looked!!

There were empty plates all round after that feast and some very happy bloggers merrily chatting over a final drink ( yes there was still room…just.)

Talking of drinks their cocktails are renowned in the South Side and I can see why. I am  not usually a cocktail kinda gal ( simple tastes that are slowly changing) but these were the most enjoyable I have ever had. The passion for creating the perfect drinks was obvious from the team , I could quite happily have worked my way down the entire list. Among the many we got to experience I was most enamoured with the Shawlands Sling which was a beautiful blend of Brockmans Gin, Jagermeister, Cointreau, pineapple bitters and a touch of Cherry Brandy. But the big winner was their famous Drumstick Cocktail which did not disapoint- with vanilla vodka, vanilla sugar, raspberry and cranberry, I struggled to nurse this one instead of totally down it :)

 I love that they are stocked up with such an extensive cocktail list, a heap of craft beers and run good special offers too with £4 cocktails and prosecco all day Tuesday to thursday and kids eating free over the summmer- it really is the place to be. Never mind I HAVE to get back and try out the waffles with duck that I spied on the menu!

Glasgow Reviewed; The St Enoch Summer Event

I have been WAY behind on blogging of late, but life has gotten in the way. So I was excited to ease myself back in with a couple of fab events in the last couple of weeks and it felt goooood. First up was a wonderful evening of perusing the latest summer collections from various shops in the St Enoch Centre in their pretty lovely atrium area. For the last 5 years I would walk through the centre twice a day as it was on my route to work and I loved that in the evening I could easily pick up bits and bobs I needed as part of my commute as it is open to 7pm. Moving further away at the end of last year however means I am in town far less often and I hadn’t even been up to the newly refurbished eating area and it is a pretty nifty space!! With floor to ceiling windows and some really cool Scottish based art installations on the walls and ceiling, it is actually a  handy central space to stop over for some quick and tasty food in a super packed town.

It provided an excellent area for a heap of shops to showcase their beautiful summer offerings for bloggers to take a peek at. With the super delicious Kimbles providing the snacks ( seriously the brownies were next level) and Mud Urban flowers with their beautiful bright blooms as a back drop, I had the loveliest evening. It was really amazing to be introduced to perfect summer items from shops I am less likely to be in like Pavers Shoes or Claires Accessories. There were really beautiful accessories, clothes and shoes to take in from kids wear to pastels to neon brights. I was really taken with an incredible embroidered dress from Matthew Williamson at Debenhams that had so many people swooning over it. There was also a wonderful toddler rainbow dress and yellow mac from Billies Market that pretty much everyone wished they could fit into!

I loved that the St enoch team left no stone un-turned and made sure their was make up, hair and skincare all represented too. It was the ideal event with everything under one roof!! I finally got to get my hands on the Kat Von D foundation I have heard so much about, and it was ace to get a chat with the Murad team, turns out they have some amazing  new products out that I had totally missed. I tried out the textures of  the Invisible Perfecting Shield and I was really impressed, I could tell how well it would sit under make up which is impressive when it is SPF 30. And for a total SPF-aholic like me the new City Skin with SPF 50 is a total must buy for me, I am going to head in to Debenhams to take a closer look next week. I have had a lot of success with various of their products in the past so I have high hopes for these ones.

I also had the chance to have a quick scalp analysis from Aveda and it was fascinating taking an up close look at my follicles and get tips to improve the condition. Their products smell like an actual zen oasis, what calming scents! And there was  no way I was leaving with out a quick swatch frenzy of some smashbox palettes either, I have been lusting after 

I am not sure what else I could possibly want from an evening and It was the perfect reminder of just how many amazing shops are sitting within the ST Enoch centre. I have identified some new must visits ( not just Kimbles for more chocolates) and have a whole new list of summer wants to pick up.