Meet Build-a-Bear Workshop's Spots of Fun & Help Children In Need

This year Build-A-Bear Workshop partnered with BBC Children in Need for the seventh year to raise funds to positively change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

To celebrate this collaboration, Build-A-Bear Workshop have introduced a new friend of Pudsey in Spots of Fun Pup with £1 from each sale being donated to BBC Children in Need. In addition to this the special Pudsey PJs can be added to any furry friend and provides a £2 donation to BBC Children in Need.

Now whilst BBC Children In Need Appeal night has come and gone, Build-A-Bear Workshop will continue to host Spots of Fun Pup in-store until the end of the year to collect further proceeds to support BBC Children In Need. 

Spots would make a lovely Christmas present with his super soft fur.

20% Off Everything at Bangor's Poundstretcher Next Friday!

A niche blog post for my local readers, but a great opportunity to stock up on Christmas toys, decorations and all sorts!

Grab some Frozen bargains too

Steam Punk On the North Coast

Monday 24November th: 7.00pm, Foyle Theatre, Strand Rd Campus

North West Regional College’s Foyle Hair & Beauty Academy presents STEAM PUNK - a mesh of Victoriana and modern machinery, mixed with a futuristic twist.  For months Level 3 hairdressing students within the Foyle Hair & Beauty Academy have been developing styles for this one off catwalk show, which will be complemented by performances from NWRC’s very own talented drama students.

The retro-futuristic looks will be showcased during a stunning catwalk show, and for the first time, NWRC Barbering students will be styling models for the show.  The event follows hot on the heels of Derry’s first Fashion Fest and tickets for the event cost just £3 per person and always sell out so early booking is advised.   To book your tickets contact Liz January on 028 7127 6311.

The Cloth Ear, Where 'Pub Grub' Meets Fine Dining.

The Cloth Ear is the public bar which is part of Belfast's Landmark luxury hotel, The Merchant.

Photo from The Cloth Ear's Facebook

Being a sibling of The Merchant, The Cloth Ear as you expect is a classy affair, with a comfortable, plush interior design based on 1930-1950s musical theatre. Children are welcome, in fact there is a kids' menu and colouring pens and sheets waiting for them.

Even the bathrooms are luxurious!

So what of the food on offer? Well it isn't the usual pub grub you'd be served in any old bar, it keeps to the high standards of The Merchant Hotel. My son ordered cheesy garlic bread for starter, and literally tore through it.

My husband went for the buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce. I had the meat platter. These were very generous in size, and for someone like me they would probably suffice for a light lunch just by themselves.

Wings

meat platter

Our main courses: I had duck confit on a warm salad. The neat was so well cooked it simply slid off the bone.

My husband chose the Beef & Burger. That's a burger topped with pulled beef, caramelised red onion garnish and monogrammed brioche bun. The photo looks good enough to eat.

Little Michael chose the kids' meal fish & chips option. His meal was a fantastic size, considering it was a children's price, and just look at that batter.

After finishing our main courses, we mourned that our eyes had been bigger than our belly when we had order starters, and our downfall was being too full to get dessert! We couldn't have even fitted in a cup of tea!

It really is a pity as I wanted to try their dessert kebab. Hanging kebabs both sweet & savoury are one of the signature dishes of The Cloth Ear. They look delicious.

Steak and chips. Vertical.

So if you're looking for somewhere to impress you other half with a lunch on a busy Christmas shopping day, The Cloth Ear is for you.

Arguably the Best Kids' App Creator, Toca Boca, Has Created Tattoos for Your Little Ones

Toca Boca are my absolute top favourite kids' app creator. Their imagery is fresh, inventive and quirky, like being the Ikea of smart phone or tablet games, and they pride on keeping the games gender neutral .

Their latest launch is physical however, the Artists Play series. On sale over time on their online store the first collab is between themselves Virginia Elmwood and is called 'Toca Ink'. We received a pack to play about with. Michael loves it. We have almost every Toca Boca game, and the tattoos are of characters from the games.

They are applied the way all temporary tattoos are, with water.

And parents, I highly recommend the Toca Boca games (many have free previews) Click here to see what they have on the iTunes App Store, or search on your tablet's App Store. Have fun in Toca Boca world!

Toca Town

To a Train

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at M&S #FollowTheFairies

There's a certain November day when the light is just right, the shops are sufficiently bustling and the smell of cinnamon is in the air, and it hits you, the Christmassy feeling. With all the new Christmas adverts launching this week, including the Marks and Spencer fairies my Christmas feeling hit me on Saturday.

Our son has had his eye on this adorable little tin of gingerbread men the past two weeks, so this Saturday I allowed him to pick one of the light-up tins for his own Christmas display.

Marks and Spencer invited me to pick out my top choices from the new Christmas and party range, to share with you, my readers, what I think it worth stocking up on for celebrating with this December.

Yeti £2.50 : Gold Whips £1.65 : Christmas Pudding Cookies £2.00 : Twigs £1.50 : Smaller sweets 60p

You won't be short in supply of sweet treats to pick from. Reindeer twigs (Matchmakers) and smaller lunch time chocolate novelties can be found near the till. The coconut covered mini Yeti are a sweet idea, and if you ever want a cookie that tastes EXACTLY OF CHRISTMAS then you'll adore the Christmas Pudding Cookies.

Then there's the return of the chocolate sprouts. These look so realistic in their needed bags and cost only £2.00

There are also chocolate Santas.

Juice £2.00

I couldn't do a Christmas food round up without including mince pies. I only started eating & enjoying mince pies about two years ago. Before I thought they tasted disgusting. Maybe my palette is changing as I age, but I still play it safe by making sure the mince pies I do eat around Christmas time are from M&S, where the quality will be superb.

Heres a cool little idea, a Night In Christmas Treats Box for family movie night, or indeed nibbling through on a Saturday night, cheering on your favourite in Xfactor. Makes a nice alternative to the yearly getting smaller box of Roses chocolates.

Treat Box : £8.00 : Mini Mince Pies £2.50

I also treated myself to this gift box of very special handcrafted chocolates. The Chocolatier's box is something special. The colours make them look like jewels rather than exquisite desserts. Hands off, this is mummy's box of chocolates.

With all the sweet treats, I didn't have much budget left over for savoury, but as ever M&S is streets ahead with the quality & inventiveness of their party food. Remember to call in soon as items are on 3 for the price of 2. Freeze them until party season & have saved some money.

Pork Belly £6 : Ready to Eat or Heat Prawns £7

Pizza fashioned into Christmas tree shapes are ideal if you've kids coming round to visit.

I've often wished you could concentrate the taste of Christmas into one thing, and M&S have only gone and done it. Dare you try the 'Christmas Soup'? Tell me what you make of it on Twitter (@rudedoodle).

Christmas tree pizza £5 : Christmas Soup £2.50

Finally, a quick peek at some other items in store which I didn't try out, but which look splendid all the same.

M&S helps homeless charity Shelter every year with proceeds coming from sales of their Christmas takeaway lunch selection. The packaging is almost too cute to throw away.

And there's a whole red labelled section of the store for those basic Christmas ingredients you might forget otherwise. PLUS they are on 3 for 2 right now.

The Ultimate Onesie from Marks & Spencer

I'm a big fan of onesies. I spied this beauty last week on the Marks & Spencer Instagram feed, and knew it had to be mine. I picked one up thanks to M&S yesterday, and it's everything I could have wanted. The faux-fur is super soft, and the anti-bobble fleecy material that makes up the body of the sleep suit is peachy, velveteen delicate yet cosy. I'm calling it the Ultimate Onesie.

It costs £27.50 and you can order online and have it delivered in your size (ranging from 8 - 22) with FREE DELIVERY to your local M&S. Now when I picked mine up in store I was a little worried (excuse the pun) as I'm only 5ft4" and it's a TALL one size fits all type garment. But somehow it works. The onesie is lightly elasticated at the waist and ankles, so it doesn't sag or trail, even on tiny ladies like me. While I'm talking about it, I'm going to admit something that's probably not very cool,  but I get all my jeans from M&S Denim Collection. They have a comprehensive sizing guide and three different leg lengths available for each dress size. So I can wear a 12/short and not have my jeans soaking up rain water, trailing along the pavement.

But back to onesies, check out the kids' and men's jammies they also have available. All non-bobbling, all soft and snuggly. Perhaps get everyone a new onesie for Christmas Eve night, then they'll all look smart in he Christmas Morning photos. 

Monty... is that you?

There's even a onesie Christmas card!

My First Time: Ground Espresso Bar, Belfast

My friend and fellow blogger, Sera McDaid, always tweets about her favourite coffee spot, Ground Espresso Bar. She lives up North Coast way, where the family owned business first sprouted, and until now I hadn't had a chance to taste the delights she always raved about.

Manager Dermott invited me up to their Next branch in Belfastcity centre to see what makes Ground different to the chains of coffee places elsewhere in our towns. 

The second floor cafe is spacious, bright and even has a little play section for kids who need a break from being dragged round shops. I had a white mocha & little Michael chose a strawberry milkshake & Aero muffin.

Crazy face

The coffee is proper coffee. Not the sickly sweet, sugar-laden stuff you'd get in certain places. Their new exclusive Purple Dragon blend is selling very well, and after one mocha I felt like I was buzzing on caffeine- something that never happens usually! It was smooth and delicious.

The tea that Ground Espresso serve is another local product, Suki Tea, made here in Belfast. They pride themselves on ethical, local sourcing of food, drinks and even the wood used for the interior design.

The traybakes are hefty and rich. Dermott kindly gave us some to nibble on our train journey home too. They launch their Christmas drinks soon, which includes a Snowball- a white hot chocolate with coconut- which sounds like my dream drink. So why not mark Ground Espresso as your shopping break spot when you are in the city for Christmas shopping?