MADE (Mums & Dads Edinburgh) Sep/Oct 2015

made SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 FREE

mums and dads edinburgh

3

WAYS TO DITCH THE

MUMMY GUILT

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

- learn to love it Make your career break work

PLUS Plus fashion, food and Halloween fun!

Bespoke treehouses, play structures & carvings for children

Create an adventure in your garden

www.wildchilddesigns.co.uk

COME AND EXPERIENCE 50 YEARS OF INGLISTON RACING CIRCUIT AT THE 2015 INGLISTON REVIVAL Scotland’s motoring heritage comes to life both on and off track from 11th - 13th September 2015 at The Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh.

Experience the action on the original, reinstated track Experience some of Scotland’s best cars on the concourse Soak up the atmosphere in the Revival Meadow & Beer Garden Meet some of the biggest names in motorsport at the Revival Dinner Enjoy a massive variety of fun entertainment for all the family Following a six figure track refurbishment programme, The Ingliston Revival offers both motorsports enthusiasts and families an action-filled day at Ingliston Racing Circuit. Come and experience stunt shows, manufacturer displays, classic car and hypercar track events plus much more.

SPECIAL DEAL FOR MADE READERS AND THEIR FAMILIES*

2 for 1 ADULT TICKETS Offer code: MADE15 | Book online at www.ingliston.co.uk/tickets

www.ingliston.co.uk

(Terms & Conditions apply)

FREE ENTRY for KIDS! *

made

welcome Contributors We asked our contributors about their favourite thing to do outside…

Heidi Scrimgeour (pages 19-22 )

Sit on the beach (ideally with a cold beer or a hot coffee in hand) and relish the fact that nowhere else seems to keep my kids quite so perfectly entertained.

Cate Nelson-Shaw (pages 27-30)

Skiing as a family; the fresh air, exhilaration and exploration are awesome.

Nothing else beats watching my 5 year old whizzing down a run whilst singing at the top of his voice!

Dawn Geddes (pages 48-50)

There’s nothing quite like reading outside. Whether I’m lying on a sun bed, perched on a bench or sheltering in a tent, the sights and sounds of the great outdoors can make a book even more magical.

contact facebook.com/MADEmag

This edition marks the fourth anniversary of MADE Magazine - happy birthday, us! We hope you are still enjoying reading our pages as much as we enjoy putting them together! Our household can be a little crazy sometimes – especially around deadline week, or when we have a few thousand copies still to distribute!

Housework gets put on hold (frequently), dinners are simplified to the shove-in-the-oven variety (often) and intricate craft projects are left up to the school to deal with (always!).

So I was especially relieved to read Heidi Scrimgeour’s article this issue about how to ditch the mummy guilt (page 19). And I bet I’m not alone in taking solace from this one! So, as this new school term begins I’m going to listen to Heidi, and stop focusing on the things that we haven’t done, and instead start thinking of our parenting achievements, and the fact we’ve managed to grow two happy, healthy boys and a magazine at the same time!

Louise x

Editor & Publisher Sales Executive Online Events Writers Columnists Agony Aunt Designer Cover Printer

Louise Wilson Caroline McClean Lesley Keany Heidi Scrimgeour, Dawn Geddes, Cate Nelson-Shaw Kirsty Nicholls, Edinburgh for Under Fives Jojo Sutherland MAMi Designs Gorilla - Fotolia.com Stephens & George

MADE, PO BOX 28825, Edinburgh, EH14 9BA T: 07738 068022 • E: mademag@live.co.uk www.mademagazine.co.uk

twitter.com/MADE_magazine All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. While every care has been taken in compiling MADE magazine to ensure that it is correct at the time of going to press. MADE (Mums And Dads Edinburgh) assume no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions.

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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DINO-MITE FUN

SAT 19 & SUN 20 SEPTEMBER

TUE 24 NOVEMBER

0131 529 6000 | edtheatres.com

www.mademagazine.co.uk

Contents september / october

© RACHEL HEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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41

38

48 6 News 15 Competitions

Your chance to win

19

Ditch the mummy guilt

By Heidi Scrimgeour

25

Mum’s New World

Food for thought

27

Give me a break!

How to make career breaks work for you

33

Trust Jojo

If you need advice…

34 Diaries

What to do in Sept & Oct

38 Halloween

47

Health

Time to crawl

48

The great outdoors

Learn to love it

52

Edinburgh spotlight on…

Corstorphine

56

Hobbies

Storytelling

58

Shopping

Kitchen products with taste

60

Food & Drink

MaRoberts - the Taste of Tanzania

62

Health

Hypopressives: Part 2

64

41 Fashion

Out & About 66 Tried & Tested

Spooky fun for all ages

Local style and where to find it

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

A Wonderful World of Parties on trial…

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news

Animal Rhymes Larry Potty’s Animal Rhymes is a highly praised, easily affordable ebook (only £0.99) aimed at children aged from 4 to 7. Available from Amazon and the iBookstore, it has been described as “excellent” by award-winning, 6 million selling illustrator Korky Paul.

Larry’s brilliantly illustrated, amusing and educational ebook teaches children what makes each animal unique and special, stimulates their imagination and raises their awareness about the importance of animal conservation.

r On ye bike!

CycleFest Edinburgh 2015 is the inaugural event taking place at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 19th – 20th September. CycleFest is a celebration of cycling within a festival experience for the whole family to enjoy, whether you are a cycling novice or an experienced rider. CycleFest offers a mixture of local businesses, internationally recognised cycling brands and products, the Corn Exchange Presentation Theatre hosting cycling stars of past and present, a Trials Bike Stunt Team, an outdoor test track and loads more. For the kids there’ll be face painting, bouncy castle, soft-play, bubble football and Tutti-Footy! For more info go to www.cyclefestedinburgh.com

© JOCELYN KING

Under 16s Photography

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The Scottish Seabird Centre has just launched its tenth annual photography competition and is calling on under 16s to enter. There are a whole host of categories to choose from and to celebrate their tenth year they are including two brand new categories; Nature’s Foragers where entrants are invited to consider the canny way creatures find their lunch; and budding film makers also have the opportunity to enter for the first time in the Nature Condensed category. The deadline for entries is Sunday 18 October. www.seabird.org

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news First-Ever

Despicable Dance Camp

Good Mornings Montessori Mornings is packed with developmental, educational and creative materials to engage little ones from infants to age 5. Children will find something that deeply engages them in the rich, evolving open classroom; and through regularly spending time in the thoughtfully designed, ordered and rich environment; they can build on their independence, concentration, and social skills. All sessions are run by Montessori-trained, early-years professionals.

Sessions run Mons and Thurs, 9:30am-11:15am. For more info to www.montessorimornings.com

Step It Up Dance has teamed up with The Pantry to unveil plans for two special events in October at Marchmont St Giles Church. A Despicable Dance Party on Mon 19th for families with kids aged 18m - 5 and a Despicable Dance Camp on Tues 20th October for kids aged 5+. The events will feature a host of yellow and purple dance-themed games and the chance to learn a super-cool routine which might just involve ... bananas!

Kids will also create cake pop and iced biscuits to take home and afterwards, will join in with a grand finale ‘Despicable Dance-off’ to a VIP audience of proud parents and carers. www.stepitupdance.co.uk

Brilliantly Busy Days A recent survey by RESCUE discovered that during a busy day 34% of people rarely stop to take a moment to help comfort themselves and gather their thoughts. While 42% wish they were more composed during a busy day. RESCUE Pastilles provide a moment of calm and contain a combination of five Bach™ Original Flower Essences - Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Cherry Plum. Available from Boots, independent pharmacies, health food stores and grocery stores nationwide. www.rescueremedy.co.uk made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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news Botanic Lights is back

To celebrate the 2nd birthday of the Beautiful Bairns photography studio they are offering MADE readers two amazing deals; birthday cakesmash and tea party sessions will include a complimentary canvas of images, with all other session types including maternity, newborn, child and family on offer for half-price!

Quote ‘MADE’ when booking via www.Beautiful Bairns.com

© LLOYD SMITH

A Happy Birthday

The award-winning Botanic Lights is set to return on Oct 29th, with a month of magical nights at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

In 2014 over 23,000 visitors flocked to see ‘Botanic Lights: A Night in the Garden’ – a unique display combining light, sound and nature. Due to the popularity of the event tickets are now on sale and audiences are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.

The event will run until 22 Nov, every night except Mondays. Tickets are on sale from www.rbge.org.uk/botaniclights

There’s a buzz in Currie!

The Bees Knees Playgroup has launched for children 6 weeks - 5 years. The playgroup, based within Currie Community Centre, is a new self-contained area with its own entrance, two playrooms, toilet, changing room and a large learning garden within the secure enclosed garden area. Children can go for a two hour play session, lunch club, collection to/from Currie Primary School Nursery or stay for a full day. A breast-feeding support group will also be in place soon. For info or to book a place contact thebeeskneesplaygroup@virginmedia.com or call Lucille on 07770 060 373.

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news Strike a pose…

Pout, the ladies lifestyle show at Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Sept 26th & 27th, features fashion, beauty and leisure for aspirational women. You can shop, test products and buy treatments with its Pop-Up Shops, The Market Place, Hair Ups, Nail and Brow Bars, Treatment areas, Demonstrations, Champagne and Cocktail Bars, Win your Wish List Competition, a chance to be the ‘Pout of the Weekend’ and much, much more. www.poutevent.com

3 hands are

better than 2!

This funky and functionally designed flexible Smartphone holder can be clipped onto most surfaces; ideal for when you need a helping hand, it can make cooking, watching TV, relaxing so much easier, perfect for crafts too! The Lazy Arm is compatible with most Smartphones and costs £8.95 from Genie Gadgets. made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

To the letter

Little Letter Studio’s newest print is the wonderfully detailed My First Alphabet, which can be personalised to include a child’s name.

It arrives wrapped in tissue with a matching gift tag and a certificate that lists all the objects in the print.

Edinburgh based artist and founder of Little Letter Studio, Jo Martin, says: “I’ve tried to choose the most unusual objects to represent each letter. It can take a while for children and adults to identify everything in the print!”

Prints are available to buy via www.littleletterstudio. com or at Summerhall.

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news Safari Tales

UK’s first enriched

fresh milk

for toddlers

Parents will be saying hello to the next generation of fresh milk, with the launch of Arla Big Milk from Arla Foods. It is the country’s first fresh cows’ milk enriched with essential nutrients to help support children’s growth and development as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Arla Big Milk has been developed to specifically meet the needs of children aged from one to five years of age and is made with 100 per cent British whole cows’ milk finely filtered for freshness. Available in a 2 litre format with an RSP of £2.25.

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Kuato Studios has just released its latest learningin-literacy title for iOS and Android, Safari Tales, an enchanting animal adventure game where children join five baby animal friends as they explore a vast African savannah teeming with wildlife. Kids learn countless facts and figures about the various environments, their inhabitants and items they encounter on their way, building knowledge and enhancing reading skills. Safari Tales is available now priced at £2.99.

Boo Chew Edinburgh mum of two, Alison Johnson, is founder of Boo Chew – jewellery designed with both babies and carers in mind, because Boo Chew pieces are safe for teething babies to chew! Made from foodgrade silicone beads (which are PVA and heavy metal free) they are totally safe for baby to chew on, and are designed for babies to explore while feeding or being carried. Boo Chew’s stylish beads come in a variety of colours and designs, but Alison is happy to discuss bespoke designs too. Her ‘bead bar’ will be popping-up at various venues in the coming months, so go to www.facebook.com/boochewuk to keep up to date with her news.

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news Monkey Music branches out to new

Morningside venue

Monkey Music is delighted to have expanded its classes into The Leaf & Bean Coffee Shop in Morningside. The newly refurbished family friendly coffee shop provides a relaxing and intimate environment for classes, as well as the perfect place to grab a bite to eat or a browse through their new children’s boutique.

Morning and afternoon classes are held every Wednesday, so go along and experience the magic of Monkey Music for yourself!

• 9.30am Toddlers from 12 months • 10.05am Toddlers from 12 months • 10.40am Babies from 12 weeks • 11.15am 2 & 3 year olds • 11.50am Babies from 12 weeks

• 1.50pm Babies from 12 weeks • 2.30pm 2 & 3 year olds • 3.05pm Toddlers from 12 months • 3.40pm 3 & 4 year olds To book your complimentary class contact Lisa on 0131 441 4581 or email morningside.pentland@monkeymusic.co.uk

Award winning music classes for babies & young children Balerno, Colinton, Fairmilehead, Marchmont, Morningside & Newington T: 0131 441 4581 E: morningside.pentland@monkeymusic.co.uk

Group discounts for NCT members when 3+ people join together at the same time. made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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news Open Doors Day

Edinburgh Montessori Arts School invites you to tour their beautiful school on Friday Oct 9th, 1.30pm – 3.30pm.

For children aged 1-3, the Infant Community provides a calm, supportive setting. From three years old, the Children’s House nurtures all aspects of development, and a lifelong love of learning is inspired.

The only Montessori primary in Scotland; children from 6-12 use the Elementary classroom as a base to explore the world and work with specialist arts facilitators to unlock a whole range of creative expression. www.emaschool.co.uk

All on One Campus

Visit George Watson’s College Open Morning on 2rd Oct, 9.30am-2.30pm and you’ll receive a very warm welcome.

This large school has a close-knit community, where girls and boys from Nursery through to S6 share a caring, friendly and stimulating environment.

Watson’s provides an unrivalled choice of subjects and levels with S5 and S6 pupils able to choose between SQA examinations and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB); whilst the state-of-the-art George Watson’s Centre for Sport, provides magnificent sporting facilities on campus. Flexible wrap around and holiday care is available for younger pupils to fit the needs of family life. www.gwc.org.uk

Worldwide, award-winning yoga company, YogaBellies, launches new exclusive classes at FitnessChicks, Quartermile for new mums and babies, focusing on the BAPs: back, abs and pelvic floor, with the teaching of yoga postures for babies.

In addition to core rebuilding, YogaBellies teacher and mum, Linzi Cosgrove also teaches breath awareness and relaxation techniques, which helps to deal with stress positively, resulting in gently guiding the body and mind back to its former glory.

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Yogabellies

Launch at Fitnesschicks www.mademagazine.co.uk

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news

Gracemount Leisure Centre in South Edinburgh is reopening after a £1 million refurbishment. The centre has something for everyone; a swimming area with new changing rooms, improved bathroom and shower facilities making it more convenient for the family - and now there’s a sauna for adults to relax in too. Keep active and healthy in the enlarged 60 station gym with stateof-the-art equipment, or take up one of over 70 classes in the new, second fitness studio. The floor of the sports hall has also been upgraded.

A new Café Refresh can finish off your visit with a barista coffee, home-made cake or sandwich.

Even the reception has had a revamp.

On top of all this, Gracemount has an extensive coaching programme, ranging from swimming for the little ones to classes to help adults with their swimming style.

Gracemount has been at the centre of the local community for years, providing people with a place to enjoy active and healthy lifestyles in a caring environment run by expert staff.

Edinburgh Leisure is now welcoming back these people as well as inviting new visitors to come and experience the wealth of new facilities available thanks to its £1 million refurbishment.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AT GRACEMOUNT

EXCITING £1MILLION REFURBISHMENT 2 spacious fitness studios with classes to suit all new gym with fantastic range of equipment and gym-based classes wide-range of kids coaching 25 metre swimming pool spacious new sauna café refresh to eat, drink and relax 22 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6RN T: 0131 658 1940

edinburghleisure.co.uk Registered Scottish Charity No: SC027450

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© DESIGNED BY FREEPIK.COM

Best new leisure venue in town?

Go to Gracemount!

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news Explore

Language Children who learn about a foreign culture become interested in learning the language naturally. New to Edinburgh, Little Language Explorers introduce children (3-11) to Spanish through a multisensory approach and interactive cultural experience that stimulates their natural learning style. Their curriculum is incorporated into songs, storytelling, role-play games, dance, art activities and cookery to enhance children natural curiosity and creativity, arousing enthusiasm for learning the language. They follow Montessori guidelines and national frameworks which can be tailored for nurseries, after school and playgroups.

To find a class near you contact littlelanguageexplorers@ gmail.com

The new A/W Collection from Start-rite

Stockfest Stockfest, the week-long festival celebrating the village of Stockbridge in Edinburgh and the surrounding community, returns in 2015 for its 4th festival.

Running between Sat 12th – Sun 20th Sept, the festival involves local traders, community groups, schools and residents and as ever the 2015 programme will not disappoint.

Treehouse will have shopping offers on all week so go see their new collections from Start-rite, Ricosta, Little Joules and Mayoral.

Miffy TV comes to Tiny Pop! A new generation can discover the charm of the classic character, Miffy, when a new TV series, Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small launches on Tiny Pop on Oct 2nd. Featuring the iconic white bunny from the storybooks by Dick Bruna, the new series marks the first time Miffy has been seen in CGI.

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competition

To win A or B simply email your name, address, phone number and answer to competitions@mademagazine.co.uk or enter via www.mademagazine.co.uk before Oct 23rd. Please mark your entry Competition A or B as the subject.

WIN

competition

To win a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) to visit Britannia, just answer this question:

• competition •

If you’re looking for a fun day out for all the family then The Royal Yacht Britannia is the perfect choice!

Home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years, sailing one million miles around the world. There are five decks to explore with a fascinating complimentary audio guide and children have their own version. Each deck is fully accessible for buggies and wheelchairs. The Royal Deck Tea Room serves delicious home-made soups, sandwiches, cakes and milkshakes for the little ones, or even a glass of chilled Champagne for the adults. Take in the stunning waterfront views as you enjoy lunch or tea aboard. The Royal Yacht Britannia is a fantastic child-friendly attraction with baby changing facilities and high chairs as well as free parking in Ocean Terminal. Recently recognised in TripAdvisor’s Top 3 UK Attractions for 2015, come and enjoy a fantastic day out aboard The Queen’s former floating palace.

•

a

How many decks are there on the Royal Yacht Britannia?

For more information go to

www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk

b

To win 1 of 5 of Mackie’s Ice Cream & Chocolate packs just answer this question

For more information go to www.mackies.co.uk and www.mackieschocolate.co.uk

What are the four flavours of Mackie’s chocolate?

competition •

Mackie’s ice cream is made on the family farm in Aberdeenshire with milk and cream from their own dairy herd; a ‘Sky to Scoop’ process where the wind provides power for the farm that grows the crops to feed the cows who produce the fresh, creamy milk to make their deliciously smooth ice cream.

Chocolate is their latest product– and the great taste of their familiar ice cream flavours has been deliciously transferred to chocolate. The Traditional Milk Chocolate also has a Honeycomb flavour, and the 70% Dark chocolate has a Scottish Mint flavour.

Ice cream and chocolate are perfect indulgent treats and we’re offering you the chance to win 5 tubs of ice cream and 4 bars of chocolate - sure to make you the most popular person in the household!

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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competition

Mackie’s T&C’s: winners will be sent vouchers for 5 x 1 litre tubs of ice cream, redeemable in most supermarkets.

for Families Edinburgh Sunday Oct 4th 10am-4pm Assembly Rooms, George St

Tums, Mums and Babies brings you Edinburgh’s first show dedicated to everything from antenatal through to pre-school.

HANDPICKED has done the hard work for you and has chosen the very best services, products and classes for Edinburgh mums and dads. Handpicked by parents, for parents.

TICKETS COST ONLY ÂŁ2

available at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ handpicked-edinburgh-tickets-17480192727 With half of the proceeds going straight to Cash for Kids.

For more information on Tums, Mums & Babies and the HANDPICKED businesses go to www.tumsmumsandbabies.com

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TICKE ON SALE N

TS

OW!

The fun-packed, informative day includes lots of things for mums, dads, kids, babies and parents-to-be to learn, try-out and enjoy!

• Taster sessions from the best Edinburgh classes including Step it Up Dance, Monkey Music & Yogabellies • Serenity Spa area for tired mummies and mummies-to-be. Rest, recuperate and indulge in some relaxing beauty treatments • Feeding Hub • Fashion show featuring Treehouse Childrenswear, JoJo Maman BeBe and ShowMeSlings

• Buggy Park (with MOTs available) and Sling Library. Park your buggy and try out a sling from ShowMeSlings, with expert advice on hand.

• Baby Boulevard. A beautiful market with stalls from GroBags, Cheeky Chompers, Kingdom of Fluff and many more.

• Photobooth • Discounts, prizes & special guests!

Forth 1’s Cash for Kids aims to make a difference to disabled, disadvantaged, poorly and vulnerable children across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.All the money raised on behalf of Cash for Kids stays in this area, providing a helping hand when and where it’s needed most. They also help groups and organisations working to improve the lives of children in our community. At least 80p from every £1 goes towards supporting local children, so you can be sure that your donation is making a real difference.

Media Partner

Charity Partner

Contact:

charlotte@thepantryedinburgh.co.uk www.tumsmumsandbabies.com made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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87% (2014) SCHOOL TOURS: FRIDAY 2nd OCT 2015

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Our clients have trusted us with their most important decisions for over 250 years. So when you need expertise you can rely on, speak to the experts at Pagan Osborne.

MUM GUILT

HOW TO DITCH

m u M The lt Gui WRITTEN BY Heidi

Scrimgeour

If they gave out awards for mum guilt, I’d have them all, every single one. Read the book and got the t-shirt?

Forget that - I could give lessons in mum guilt and how to be consumed by it.

© DMITRIMARUTA - FOTOLIA.COM

I

’m not talking about suffering the odd pang of parental guilt when I did something trivial, either. This goes way beyond getting a bit snappy with the kids, rushing them through the bedtime routine so I can collapse on the sofa, or skipping a page or two during bedtime stories and feeling regretful afterwards.

No, I had the sort of mum guilt that lurks just beneath the surface of almost every waking moment, tinging even the happiest times with its horrible, accusing tone.

I’ve been riddled with mum-guilt for most of my years as a mum. In fact it has affected everything from my self-esteem and my interactions with my kids - there’s nothing like mum guilt to mangle up and complicate your approach to parenting - to my relationships with friends and even wider family members. I’d feel inadequate alongside other mums as guilt slowly crippled my

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

capacity to parent with confidence, and at family gatherings I’d over-analyse my kids’ behaviour and people’s reactions to it, seeing normal childish tantrums and challenges as some sort of shameful reflection of my own shortcomings.

It got to the point where I felt guilty about feeling guilty, so I clammed up completely, avoiding getting too friendly with other mums in case they stumbled across my gargantuan guilt problem and realised I wasn’t the laugh-a-minute, carefree mum they seemed to think I was.

Looking back, I can see that my mum guilt stemmed from a complete misunderstanding of what it meant to be a mum. I was holding myself up to an idealised version of motherhood, continually condemning myself for falling short of a frankly impossible standard that not even an A-list mum with her army of nannies, stylists, cleaners and assistants could ever live up to.

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MUM GUILT

© KONSTANTIN YUGANOV - FOTOLIA.COM

“

I know it sounds stupid. I know I wasted a lot of time on that black hole of negative self-talk and self-criticism when I could have been doing something fun with my kids and actually enjoying their childhoods. I also know I’m not the only mum to have done that, and that haranguing myself for feeling guilty all the time only made me feel - you guessed it guiltier still.

That’s one hell of a guilt-trip, the likes of which my kids would never actually put me through. And that little epiphany is what finally - hallelujah - helped me ditch the mum guilt and lighten up about life in general. I realised that my kids weren’t judging me half as harshly as I was.

I realised I was projecting into the future and picturing my kids’ comebacks when they are adults, picking apart my parenting skills. Now for

sure they’ll have some things to say when they’re all grown up about the way I parented them, and maybe I’ll one day explain that I’d do some things differently if I got the chance to do it all again.

But what’s important to realise is that guilt is a kind of condemnation, yet our kids aren’t quietly appraising our parenting skills with a stern look of disapproval, as we sometimes imagine they might be. My kids are a much kinder, more resilient and much more forgiving than I give them credit for.

Honestly, it’s true; go ahead and ask them.

Ask your kids what they think of your parenting skills, and while it’s possible that they’ll seize the opportunity to lodge a formal complaint about your refusal to allow them to eat ice cream for breakfast, I am pretty sure that they’ll tell you that

Our kids aren’t quietly appraising our parenting skills with a stern look of disapproval

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”

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MUM GUILT

t ch u o I shoo mu t

© C VIKTOR HANACEK - FREEPIK.COM

“

you’re doing a great job.

Once I finally woke up to the fact that my kids aren’t keeping a mental inventory of all my failings, our family life started to feel much more enjoyable and a lot less tainted by that crippling sense of mum guilt.

Nowadays, when mum guilt rears its ugly head, I am quick to remind myself of the facts.

Namely, that my kids aren’t inwardly resenting the fact that I work, or that I’m sometimes tired and snappy, or have a heap of domestic drudgery to stay on top of so that they have clean pants to wear.

In the end, I realised that the worst mistakes I could make as a mum aren’t actually the things I tend to felt guilty about, like spending too much time on work and domesticity and not enough time baking from scratch and rolling down grassy banks with my kids.

Identify specific things you can do to offset the guilt

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

”

Nope, the biggest mistake I can make as a mum is to waste my little ones’ childhoods feeling guilty for a bunch of inadequacies forced on me by other people’s picture of the perfect parent.

Inadequacies which, I now realise, never even existed in my kids’ eyes anyway.

Three ways to stop the mum guilt in its tracks

Think not-guilty thoughts

I don’t know whether Buddha was the first to say that we become what we think, but it’s a powerful pep-talk. Guilt is a mind-set, after all. If you perpetually beat yourself up mentally for what you perceive to be your parental shortcomings, you run the risk of becoming little more than those very shortcomings. Instead, nip guilty mum thoughts in the bud by refusing them headspace,

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MUM GUILT

© WAVEBREAKMEDIAMICRO - FOTOLIA.COM

and choosing to focus on your strengths as a parent. What did you do well today? What small moment of triumph can you congratulate yourself for? Big it up, and kick mum guilt to the kerb.

Create a guilt-busting action plan

Take some to write down the specific things you do (or don’t do) which make you feel guilty. Whether it’s shouting too much, working long hours, not spending as much time with the children as you’d like, or simply feeling inadequate compared with your perception of what makes a ‘good’ mother, writing down the actions that trigger those guilty feelings is the first step to overcoming them.

Then, try to identify specific things you can do to offset the guilt. Shout less? Book an afternoon off for some quality family time? Resolve to stop comparing yourself with impossible ideals? Every

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time you do these things, note your achievement, and tell the mum guilt to take a hike.

Give yourself a guilt break

I know a mum who believes firmly that modern mums have got guilt-tripped into believing that we should be our child’s constant playmate and an endless source of fun and entertainment.

But she’s quick to point out that she doesn’t remember her mother playing with her much when she was a child. She reckons we need to ease up on the pressure we pile on ourselves to be some sort of Mary Poppins figure crossed with Superwoman. I wholeheartedly agree. Quit keeping a list of all the things you haven’t done or the kind of Mum you’re not, and focus on your strengths and parenting achievements. Your kids will thank you, in the end. n

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SOFTPLAY AND CAFE

East Lothian's finest softplay and cafe, only 25 minutes from Edinburgh.

Situated in a beautiful Victorian building in Haddington's historic town centre.

A magical place for children and a relaxing place for grown ups.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am-5pm • Sunday 10am-5pm 6 Lodge Street Haddington East Lothian EH41 3DX Telephone: 01620 248070 • www.jabberwockysoftplay.co.uk

Jan Hunter

Belsremo

Child Sleep Advisor

Learn how to massage your baby with Rhona

Do you want your child to sleep at night?

Individual or group classes available

I offer a tailored approach in child sleep management, from birth to five years.

Infant massage can help:

• Strengthen parent-baby communication • Boost self-esteem and confidence in parent • Enhance your understanding of baby’s development • Relax both parent and baby • Encourage a deeper sleep for baby • Relieve wind, colic and constipation

rhonagunn@btinternet.com 07855 136042 RGN, BSc Public Health, PVG registered, IAIM trained and registered

When a child develops good sleeping habits the whole family benefits immensely. Children who sleep soundly are calm, contented and happy.

07875 038723 jhunter1960@hotmail.co.uk www.thechildsleepadvisor.co.uk

© Designed by Freepik.com

Keeping little ones active and healthy Specifically designed for children under 5, our wide range of classes are delivered by highly experienced, qualified coaches, and include: Gym Nippers gymnastics Mini Kickers football Ball Kids and Tots Tennis Marmottes climbing Early years swimming

To find out more about these classes,visit edinburghleisure.co.uk/courses/junior Registered Scottish Charity No. SCO27450

Mum’s New World WRITTEN BY Kirsty

Nicholls

EDITOR OF EDINBURGH FOR UNDER FIVES

I

had a dream last night about a friend’s baby eating a steak with a knife and fork.

Unsurprisingly, this scenario wasn’t in my ‘Interpret Your Dreams’ book. What I did read though, is that dreams allow you resolve issues you’ve been unable to while conscious. So I wound my memory back to work out how and why this steak-eating baby had manifested itself. Then it came to me: A friend had posted a photograph on Facebook, of her baby confidently drinking from a sippy cup. My seven month old Jack just wildly waves his around in the air.

Comparing the two babies in my subconscious (and to be honest, in my conscious state too), I had created a monster.

I have never yet come across a parent who brags about their child’s development. Speaking to mummy friends though, it’s incredibly easy to make comparisons and beat yourself up in the process. Weaning and food in particular are subjects that can cause much unwarranted angst.

So I got the special sippy cup I had bought out of the cupboard and made Jack a feed. I took a sip to make sure it was working and thank goodness I did. Something had gone hideously wrong with the valve. Even after being scrubbed twice since Jack’s last attempt, put through the dishwasher and steriliser, “Easiflow” had become “Queasiflow”. Some congealed formula residue must have become lodged inside five days ago and yours truly got a mouthful. I had been chirpily making a feed, only to be stopped in my tracks. I think that happens quite a lot when you’re a new mum, especially when it comes to weaning: You feel like you’re doing well and abruptly, you’re absolutely not. To make matters worse, you’ve just seen a photograph in your Facebook feed of a friend’s baby tucking gleefully into a roast dinner.

“

Yesterday a friend and I went to a café and ordered cheese sandwiches to share. My wee Mr. Independent loves feeding himself and strips of squashed cheese sandwich are a current favourite. In passing though, a waitress mentioned I should be wary of wheat intolerance and balked at the fistfuls of bread that Jack was chomping down. It must have been obvious to my friend that my mumometer was screeching towards “inadequate”, because she pointed me towards the cafe’s kids’ menu: Sausage and chips, fish fingers and chips or chicken nuggets and chips. That little cheese sandwich wasn’t really so bad, then.

Sharing food means that while Jack’s eating habits are progressing, mine are regressing.

I often find myself eating his leftovers; A whole fillet of fish is clearly too much for Jack, so I’ll eat the rest. In an attempt to feed him healthily, my diet has improved: Fish and greens for lunch, or chicken and carrots. Jack did particularly well with a new dish today and I patted myself on the back. I might be naughty and treat myself to a rusk tonight. n

My mumometer was screeching towards “inadequate”

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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© MUSEYUSHAYA - FOTOLIA.COM

”

S OT R TE E N S O F T TO

TWO NEW CATEGORIES

KIDS 10th Nature Photography Awards 2015 Calling all under 16s to enter our 10th photography competition.

AWARD-WINNING CLASSES AND PARTIES FOR HEALTHY, HAPPY KIDS stepitupdance.co.uk /StepItUpDance

OCTOBERAD69MMX101.5MM.indd 1

07428 110 135 @StepItUpDanceUK

Visit www.seabird.org

Closing date: Sunday 18 October 2015.

Image © Anna Smart / Scottish Charity no SC025837

DISCOVERY CENTRE · BOAT TRIPS · CAFÉ · GIFT SHOP

28/10/2014 18:02

FRIDAY 9th OCTOBER 1.30pm – 3.30pm

More information 0131 672 3851

GIVE ME A BREAK! THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF CAREER BREAKS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU

© FRANK GÄRTNER - FOTOLIA

Little grey cells, we all have them; but you may find they diminish in the blur of spending time at home looking after young children. Then comes the day you decide to go back to work and panic sets in. Cate Nelson-Shaw investigates.

T

he day I started maternity leave my employer went into administration; and so began five and a half years at home with my eldest child (now seven) and then with my youngest too (now five). These years were a mix of pure bliss, as well as utter despair: breast feeding, nappies, lack of sleep, weaning, first words, first steps; stacking cups, tears, music, Lego, the park, play doh, play dates, tantrums, arts and crafts, laughs, baking and hanging out; baby and toddler groups, playgroups, nursery and school...

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

I wouldn’t swap these things for the world, but in terms of continuing professional development, possibly not the best.

“Parents - women particularly, but not exclusively, there are plenty of dads also in this situation - face all kinds of hurdles when it comes to returning to work” says Janet Unsworth, Non-Executive Director of www.scottishchanginthechemistry. co.uk, an organisation that seeks to increase board diversity, particularly through welcoming and supporting younger members. “They may lack self-confidence, might have problems

27

GIVE ME A BREAK

finding childcare, perceive they have nothing go through that again. So even though I have a to offer, be afraid their skills are out of date, couple of clients lined up, I’m just not sure how I that their requirement for flexibility makes am going to get the childcare I need to allow me them less attractive to a potential employer, to return to work”. they may be lone parents, or perhaps their In 2013 after she became increasingly partner isn’t very supportive. It can be a real frustrated trying to find good quality part-time challenge sometimes quite work, which fitted around demoralising”. her childcare and other However, there are commitments Tracy Eker As an employer, strategies to keep you skilled set up Glasgow based www. whilst on a career break, as flexiworkforce.com. “Most of demonstrating well as things you can do if the jobs being advertised by understanding towards you are planning a return recruitment agencies were employees’ flexibility to work. Volunteering has either full-time or the wrong been a great way for me time and online recruitment means in turn I have to keep the little grey cells sites were hard to navigate received from them active. When my eldest was or didn’t offer part time one, the opportunity arose jobs at the level I wanted”. exceptional levels for me to join the board of So now Flexiworkforce of commitment a national charity as a Nonmatches professionals who Executive Director. During don’t want to work on a my first board meeting I felt a traditional 9-5 basis with complete fraud; but as I reminded myself I was a their best opportunities – this may be part-time, grown-up with professional skills and experience fixed-term, remote working, compressed-hours, to offer it became less excruciating and more temporary positions and school-term-time work. enjoyable, and I began to contribute towards Childcare isn’t the only barrier some parents the growth and success of the organisation. face when they are thinking about returning Then, when my eldest started at playgroup, I to work. Clinical Psychologist Susan hasn’t volunteered at a grass roots level to help with worked since 2007 and now that her youngest fundraising and marketing and was subsequently is at school is really keen to get back into her approached to become Chair. We then moved profession, “Since I stopped practicing, so much onto a preschool nursery and again I volunteered has changed; but once I started networking again first to produce a newsletter and then was asked I found a way to help me address this – Honorary to be Committee Secretary. Without realising Contracts as they are called in the NHS, or it I was paving the way for my return to work, “Returnships” as they are known in the Private building my self-confidence, continuing to use my Sector. I am being supported to undertake all my professional skills and acquiring and developing re-registration, training and clinical supervision new transferrable ones. whilst at the same time working 15 hours a week Heather’s experience however is quite on a voluntary basis on a caseload of patients. different: “Yes, there are opportunities out there, It’s win-win. The NHS will soon have another but as a single parent, accessing the childcare specialist on board and I am being supported in to take advantage of them can be so tricky. I my return to work”. recently had the chance to go on a three week It’s not just the public sector that sees the training course to help me start my own business, value in welcoming those returning from a career but finding such short term childcare for my break. David Jackson, Show Manager for the pre-schooler proved almost impossible. At the Royal Highland Show, counts returning parents very last minute I managed to find a registered highly amongst his team. He says, “I had a gap childminder but it was really difficult and caused in the team that I needed filling really quickly with me a lot of worry and sleepless nights - I couldn’t someone who could get up to speed immediately.

“

”

28

www.mademagazine.co.uk

GIVE ME A BREAK

Here are a few suggestions: • consider volunteering – either at grass roots level or by joining a committee, an advisory group to a board or a board itself. www.goodmoves.org.uk is a good place to start • explore the possibility of ‘returnships’ with potential employers • understand where you might need to upskill and seek out workshops, courses, distance learning and funded opportunities to help you achieve these, e.g. www. skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk • reinvigorate your old network. Have some professional correspondence cards, hand write a personal note and send them to a selection of contacts to reconnect with. More often than not it works and you can kick-start networking in memorable way

© JONATHAN ROSS - FOTOLIA

I found an experienced professional who had just returned to work and who was able to fulfil the brief”. David continues, “As an employer, the key is to be flexible and to understand that families come first. With this simple proviso and with trust, I am easy about how the work is delivered: it could be by joining the rest of the team in the office, phone calls in between school runs and swimming lessons or email in the evening - I can make that work for me. I have championed this for many years now and as an employer, demonstrating understanding towards employees’ flexibility means in turn I have received from them exceptional levels of commitment”. This is so refreshing to hear, and so positive.

Sometimes however, career breaks can be a bit more tricky to manage. Gus took advantage of the government’s recent initiative for fathers to take up to 26 weeks’ paid Additional Paternity Leave, although unlike Maternity Leave, fathers can only take this if the mother herself is returning to work. “Although I only took two months out and it was hugely rewarding being able to spend this time with my daughter, for me it felt like career suicide: no-one picked up my workload in my absence and I was expected to get up to speed and continue my role as quickly as possible upon my return”. Scott, on the other hand took nine months out to look after his children, although he himself admits that on his CV he was “renovating the house, although I didn’t do much of the work myself!” he says. “However, I’ve never been challenged about this during interviews and have never felt that taking this time has been an issue for potential employers”.

Sometimes that’s all it takes – some positive thinking and courage to seek out new opportunities and investigate those that come your way. You may not choose to pursue all of them, but just one might develop into something rewarding...

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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GIVE ME A BREAK

© DOBLE.D- FOTOLIA.COM

• have professional headshots taken. In this age of social media image is hugely important and good photography can make all the difference. Edinburgh based, Rachel Hein Photography specialises in business portraits and website imagery. www.rachelhein.com • seek out introductions from friends and contacts to other professionals in your field.

I was very lucky to have a friend do this for me as I was returning to work and it was invaluable. Now I am in the position to extend this support to others • join networking groups of which there are many, for new contacts and support. It might take a few attendances to find the right ones for you but once you do, they can be invaluable • undertake appropriate follow-ups with people you meet: connect with them on LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter. Make sure you have a terrific profile and a decent professional photo. Invite them for coffee to explore mutually beneficial ways of working • be prepared to give something for nothing in the hope and expectation that the same

30

professional courtesy extended to you • be brave and go for it!

will

one

day

be

If this all sounds too scary to even contemplate, remember you are not the first person to return to work after time spent looking after children and your conversational repertoire can and does extend beyond the emotional wellbeing of your offspring and their associated needs – so go on, take the plunge, you’ll be fabulous.

Find out more…

We’d love to keep the conversation going so do please continue it on Twitter @MADE_magazine using #returningtowork Cate Nelson-Shaw runs www.yellowbook consulting.com, a marketing consultancy based in Edinburgh and specialising in working with ambitious, motivated and dynamic SMEs dedicated to growing their business.

www.mademagazine.co.uk

Greenhill Montessori Nursery Let your child’s adventure begin!

P Children from 18 months to Primary Age P Hours from 9.00 to 16.00 (Care 8.15 to 17.30) P Billingual, with Native speaking teachers in both English and Spanish P Online progress tracking system for each child P We accept Childcare Vouchers P In Partnership with Edinburgh Council P Follows the Curriculum for Excellence Our Values Here at Greenhill Montessori Nursery we are committed to providing a safe, loving and nurturing environment for each child who joins us. We engage your child socially, emotionally and educationally to ensure their success in the future.

Their happiness, security and self confidence are our main goals.

3 Greenhill Park, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 4DW Tel: 01316290787 info@greenhillmontessori.co.uk www.greenhillmontessori.co.uk

an

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Music

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Outdoors

EXCLUSIVE ROOM HIRE

Parties start from only

£12

R Y PLANET

per child

Exclusive venue use with themed and bespoke parties: Frozen Glitz & Glamour, Pirates & Princesses, Star Warz, and more.

Brand new soft play (for pre-schoolers)

Mon-Fri 9am-4pm Sat-Sun 10am-2pm

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 39 Baileyfield Road, Edinburgh EH15 1NA

0131 669 1231

www.planetcafeedin.co.uk

www.tsdc.co.uk Bow of Fife, Cupar KY15 4NQ email: info@tsdc.co.uk tel: 01337 810391

y l i Fam

Come along and join the fun at 2 of Fife’s Leading Attractions

s y a D Fun

Find us at North Queensferry, Fife KY11 1JR.

Open daily from 10am 01383 411880

Two of Fifes leading visitor attractions have joined forces to ensure rain or shine there is an exciting day out awaiting your family!

Dive into the deep at Deep Sea World, Scotland’s National Aquarium and take a walk on the wild side at The Scottish Deer Centre based in 55 acres of glorious Fife Country side.

All visitors to the attractions this will be offered the opportunity for a further discount at the alternate attraction.

Follow both attractions on facebook for regular updates on their exciting programme of events.

www.deepseaworld.com

Terms & Conditions apply. Receipt of entry to Deep Sea World / The Scottish Deer Centre must be presented when purchasing tickets.

Offer valid until 31/09/15

AGONY AUNT

Jojo!

Trust

Got a child related problem and need some advice? Look no further!

Comedian, JoJo Sutherland, is on hand to help. Send your problems to info@mademagazine.co.uk @jojosutherland www.jojosutherland.co.uk

I’m thinking of having a revolving door fitted in place of my actual front door; you know, like they have at the front of some hotels. Why? Well, not only does every single one of my children’s friends think this is the place to hang out, but they also love to sample the cuisine. Quavers are a big hit in this establishment, along with fries, Frubes and Fanta, which I think we can all agree is a balanced diet. Chez Jojo has become so popular that I no longer recognize my own children amongst the hoards, and I’m beginning to wonder if these feral creatures are just gathering in my kitchen uninvited in a similar way to when you end up feeding all the neighbourhood cats.

I wouldn’t mind but they don’t say thank you, cheers, ta – nothing! Just a sea of grubby faces asking why the chocolate biscuits have disappeared from the menu. On second thoughts, I might dispense with the idea of a revolving door and get the lock fixed on the existing one.

Dear Jojo My daughter is 6 - is that too young for her to tidy her room?

Sarah, Leith Dear Sarah Never too young! I personally think they should be learning to tidy before they learn to talk, although as they get older it gets harder and you eventually just give up. I’m sure if I dared to enter my children’s room I might actually find dead bodies. Getting your kids to help tidy can be fun and if you turn it into a game then there is a vague chance they might eventually enjoy it and do it voluntarily.

DISCLAIMER: I speak from a position of hope rather than experience.

Jojo x

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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Dates for your diary Monday Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

1

2

3

7 NEW

8

9

10

1.15pm Caterpillar Music Classes start @ Planet Café Phone 0131 669 1231 for info & to reserve a place.

6.30pm - 8pm Fit for Motherhood @ Sweaty Betty. Information evening run by Edinburgh Birth and Baby Services.

14

15

16

17

Stockfest runs between Sat 12th – Sun 20th.

Enjoy the Stockbridge Festival with local traders, community groups, schools and residents.

10am & 11:15am (45 mins) Little Red Riding Hood and Friends @ Scottish Storytelling Centre. A funny show with lots of child participation.

Ages 0-5, £6 per child.

21

22

23

24

9.30am Yummy Mummy Circuits & Pilates @ Planet Café. Get in shape, meet new mums, bring baby too!

Phone 0131 669 1231 for info & to reserve a place.

3.30pm – 4.45pm Cooking for Babies Classes @ The Pantry, Stockbridge.

Start of 4 week cooking course for parents/caregivers and their babies.

7.30 pm Bumps-School Networking Event @ Hemma, Holyrood Road. For anyone working with babies, toddlers & children. Everyone welcome! Book through

10am & 11:15am (45 mins) Tiny Tales: Hills and Glens @ Scottish Storytelling Centre.

Come listen to cosy tales and old rhymes from the hills and glens.

Ages 1-3, £5 per child

28 29 30

Keep up to date with all the latest events by logging onto 34

www.mademagazine.co.uk

www.mademagazine.co.uk

September 2015 Spotlight on...

Friday Saturday Sunday 12pm – 4pm Kids Love Clothes Ironathon @ Ratho climbing arena.

Support the event by giving your time, good quality kids’ clothes and donations.

6

The Ingliston Revival

11 12

13

Sept 11th – 13th The Ingliston Revival celebrates the 50th anniversary of Ingliston Circuit. Enjoy a family weekend of all things cars, both on and off the track!

Day Out With Thomas @ Bon’ess & Kinneil Railway.

Engines with friendly faces, children’s entertainment, competitions, face painting, fairground attractions.

On Sept 12th too.

Teddy Bear’s Picnic Event @ Gymboree.

A charity event run

by Gymboree and Turtle Tots to raise money for NSPCC

18 19 Cycle Fest @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange. A celebration of cycling within a festival experience – exhibitors, features & displays with lots of activities for kids too! Also on 20th.

25 26 12pm-4pm Explorathon @ National Museum of Scotland.

Join this celebration of all things scientific; meet real researchers, Free. Drop in.

2pm – 4pm Family Ceilidh @ Scottish Storytelling Centre.

For all the family - all the dances will be called and there’ll be easier circles for the littler ones. £6 (£4).

20

The Royal Highland Centre www.ingliston.co.uk Sept 11th – 13th © BEAR - FREEPIK.COM

4 5

2pm (50 mins) Dinosaur Zoo @ Festival Theatre. Direct from the West End awesome prehistoric creatures as you’ve never seen them before! For ages 3+.

On 19th too.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary and reinstatement of Ingliston Circuit in Edinburgh with a weekend of all things cars, experiences and hospitality both on and off the track! There’s something for all the family.

Spotlight on...

27

Pout @ Corn Exchange. Ladies lifestyle show - perfect for Edinburgh mums!

On 26th

CycleFest

Edinburgh Corn Exchange www.cyclefest edinburgh.com Sept 19th & 20th A celebration of cycling for all the family, with exhibitors, features and displays; all located both indoors and outdoors over a weekend of cycling fun!

www.mademagazine.co.uk/whats-on.html made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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Dates for your diary Monday Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

1

5

7

8

13

14

15

7.30pm Lord of the Flies @ Festival Theatre. William Golding’s 20th century classic Lord of the Flies explodes onto the stage in a remarkable production. Until Oct 17th

3pm Magic Sho @ Brunton Theatre. A brand new show featuring a rabbit who never misses a trick and a magician who sometimes forgets to say the magic word. For ages 5-8.

19

20

21

22

Despicable Dance Party @ Marchmont St Giles Church.

For ages 18m - 5yrs. Info at: www.stepitupdance.co.uk

Despicable Dance Camp @ Marchmont St Giles Church. For ages 3-5 & over 6s. Dance-themed games, super-cool routines and purple & yellow cake-pops to take home!

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6 7.30pm Stomp @ Festival Theatre. The awardwinning smash hit returns to Edinburgh for one week only with new routines, new music and new choreography.

Until Oct 10th.

Š JOHAN PERSSON

12

Botanic Lights starts @ Botanic Gardens.

A unique display combining light, sound and nature. Runs until Nov 22nd except Mons.

Keep up to date with all the latest events by logging onto 36

www.mademagazine.co.uk

www.mademagazine.co.uk

October 2015 Friday Saturday Sunday 2 3 Open Day @ George Watson’s College & Edinburgh Steiner School

Edinburgh’s first Coffee Festival @ Mansfield Traquair.

Featuring artisan coffee roasters, speciality tea stalls, cafés, workshops, tastings and demos. www.edinburgh coffeefestival.co.uk

4 10am – 4pm HANDPICKED Tums, Mums & Babies Show @ The Assembly Rooms, George St. See Spotlight for more info.

9 10 11 1.30pm – 3.30pm Open Day @ Edinburgh Montessori Arts School

10.30am (45mins) Storybook Session @ Scottish Storytelling Centre.

Storybook whiz Brett Housego Ages 3-5, £5 per child

16 17

10am – 5pm Scary Tales @ Almond Valley.

Normal admission charges apply. Every day from Saturday 10th October to Friday 30th October.

18 Deadline for entries for under 16s Seabird Centre Photography Competition

23 24

25

Start of Stories Without Borders Storytelling Festival @ Scottish Storytelling Centre. Go to www. scottishstorytellingcentre. co.uk for info.

1pm (4hrs) Storytelling for a Greener World @Royal Botanic Gardens.

An afternoon of stories for all the family. All ages. Free.

11.30am & 1.30pm (30mins) Five little ducks went swimming one day…. @ Gorgie City Farm. Join storyteller Rosie Mapplebeck. All ages. Free (donations welcome)

30 31 From 4pm. Halloween Party @ Planet Café.

Face painting, party games & food. Dress to scarily impress with prizes on the night!

Spotlight on...

For loads of familyfriendly Halloween events and venues see pages 38 & 39.

Tums, Mums & Babies Show www.tumsmums andbabies.com

Sunday Oct 4th 10am – 4pm Assembly Rooms, George St £2 per ticket, with half being donated to Cash for Kids

This fabulous HANDPICKED show brings you all the services, products and classes you need from antenatal through to pre-school.

• Taster sessions • Serenity spa • Feeding hub • Buggy park • Fashion show • Photobooth • Baby Boulevard

www.mademagazine.co.uk/whats-on.html made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

37

Entry

Only Mons for

ters Zombie Zoo Halloween Enrichment Oct 31st, 11am – 4pm

Planet Café Halloween Party Oct 30th, From 4pm

Planet Café will offer scary face painting and party games followed by a feast fit for ghosts and ghouls. Dress to scarily impress with prizes on the night. The spooky fun starts from 4pm, costing just £8.50. www.planetcafeedin.co.uk

The Zoo will host a Frankenstein’s Monster Enrichment-Making session in the morning, where children and adults will be able to get creative and make Halloween themed items for the animals. In the afternoon the makers can watch as the keepers give the enrichment items to the animals to enjoy.

The event is free with Zoo entry. www.edinburghzoo.org.uk

Cheeky Chefs and Monkey Music Halloween Party Oct 31st 2.30pm – 4pm (for walkers to age 3) 4.45pm – 6.15pm (for ages 4-7)

This Halloween party is being held at Boroughmuir Rugby Club where kids can enjoy party games, spooky snacks, a Thriller dance routine, best dressed competition and they’ll make their own spooky treats for just £15.

Call 07595432214 to book

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Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway Steam ‘n’ Scream Oct 31st & Nov 1st Enjoy Halloween treats, a fancy dress competition and lots of other spooky fun. www.bkrailway.co.uk

www.mademagazine.co.uk

Almond Valley: All-Day Halloween Party Oct 31st, 10am – 8pm Almond Valley offers Halloween games and dancing, storytelling, dressing up and crafty creations. The trails, tricks, treats and scream out loud fun continues once the sun goes down. Come dressed to kill!

Normal admission charges apply. www.almondvalley.co.uk

Almond Valley: Scary Tales

Magic & Monsters at Usher Hall Nov 1st, 3pm

Enjoy fairy fables, ancient legends, dark secrets and nasty nightmares. Explore a story book word of magic and shadows, with mysteries to solve games to play, and a scary surprise around every corner. Normal admission charges apply, £6.50 adults £5.00 children (age 3 - 15 years) www.almondvalley.co.uk

With witches, wizards and kelpies on the loose, Owen and Olly will have to conjure up a wicked concert to stay out of trouble! An epic performance and spell-binding singing from Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Best dressed little monsters and magical creatures can compete to win a trolley dash in A1 Toys! www.usherhall.co.uk

The Edinburgh Dungeon

Halloween Arts & Crafts

Visit the Home of Halloween this October for plenty of thrills and frights guaranteed for all the family. The hallowed halls will be adorned with pumpkins, and with an action packed journey through Scotland’s darker past visitors are guaranteed a Halloween like no other. Tours will be running from 10am till 5pm every day, with special late night opening hours to be revealed. www.thedungeons.com/edinburgh

Various creepy craft workshops and activities will be happening at Honey Pot Arts & Crafts Ltd. Go to www.honeypotceramics.com for more info

Every day from Oct 10th – 30th, 10am – 5pm

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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made FOR 2015

Pick MADE up at …

Cameron Toll Clambers DanceBase Doodles Gambado Gymboree Ikea

Libraries Maddie & Marks Monkey Music Classes Scrambles The Hub Tiki Tots TimeTwisters Tumbles

And HUNDREDS of other venues…

If your shop/café/nursery would like to become a stockist for MADE let Louise know at mademag@live.co.uk or call 07738 068022

TO SUBSCRIBE

email mademag@live.co.uk (quoting SUB15) and you’ll be added to our priority mailing list.

T&C: This offer is available for UK subscriptions only. Subscription starts on receipt of full £15 payment via cheque or BACS transfer. Details will be provided via email.

sea fas son hio n

New

on your doorstep

Sarongs and swimwear have been packed away and your wardrobe is calling out for an injection of new season staples. September is the perfect time to select some key pieces to give you a fashion fix, so here are some of our favourite Edinburgh boutiques to help you on your way…

Eden

Stockbridge [ Buggy friendly ] www.edenretail.co.uk Eden womenswear boutique offers a unique selection of affordable ladies fashion and accessories sourced from Spain, Scandinavia and beyond. Designs are chosen with an emphasis on style and quality fabrics in limited quantities ensuring a level of exclusivity. Brands include Selected Femme, Desigual, B young and Smash plus stylish yet practical waterproof jackets by Protected Species.

Skirt by Cream £59

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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BURGH BOUTIQUES

ALC

Thistle Street www.alceshop.com Nominated for Drapers ‘Best New Independent Business’ Award, ALC is Edinburgh’s first and only women’s fashion independent dedicated to finding your perfect pair of jeans - some from just £45; a must-see for its exclusive mix of contemporary casualwear and accessories handpicked by owner, Adele. You’ll find the likes of Paige Denim, Hudson, Denham, and Frame Denim (the denim brand of the moment, and an Edinburgh exclusive) alongside home-grown talent Rosie Sugden Cashmere. Look out for Twisted Muse’s soft jersey and knitwear, Bella Ballou’s beautiful silk scarves, and an unrivalled range of denim to suit all budgets.

Twisted Muse (100% cashmere) from £45

Just g Boutique

William Street [ Buggy friendly ] www.justgboutique.co.uk Just g Boutique is a women’s wear boutique showcasing uncommon and purse-friendly fashion you won’t find elsewhere in Edinburgh. Designers include Noa Noa, A Postcard from Brighton, Fever, Petit Bateau and Skunkfunk plus local talent Sketch. Not only will you find affordable luxury at Just g Boutique, you’ll also receive honest styling advice and finishing touches to compliment an outfit. A truly enjoyable, personal and fun shopping experience.

Dress by Fever £49.99

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www.mademagazine.co.uk

BURGH BOUTIQUES

Kakao By K

Thistle St www.kakao.co.uk Bringing the very best of Scandinavia to Scotland, Kakao

by K stocks exclusive brands in their gorgeous Thistle Street store. Kakao’s mix of clean lines, light vibrancy and effortless chicness makes it the perfect shopping destination for any woman. With a range of stylish clothes and beautiful accessories there is sure to be the special something for everyone.

Dress byY.A.S £60

Lilies & Dreams

Stockbridge www.liliesanddreams.com

Owen Barry Hybrid bag £45

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

Having opened their first boutique in 2010, Lilies & Dream’s reputation for distinct and unique handbags and accessories has grown quickly and allowed them to expand their business to a second, larger store. Spring 2015 saw the launch of ‘L&D Classics’ - their capsule essentials collection - offering affordable, well-made clothing and accessories to mix and match for everyday style. Working with a varied selection of private designers from across the globe, Lilies & Dreams promises to offer an individual shopping experience to suit the most discerning of customers.

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BURGH BOUTIQUES

Covet

© JOHN NEED PHOTOGRAPHY

Thistle Street www.thoushaltcovet.com Open for over 7 years, Covet on Thistle Street, has gained a well-established reputation as being the place to go for women’s accessories, offering exclusive designer labels that cannot be found anywhere else in the city.

Specialising in handbags, jewellery and accessories, sourced from all over Europe and showcasing new and up and coming designers, with an emphasis on quality craftsmanship and design, as well buying straight from Italian ateliers, Covet offers more choice to women and continues to be a welcome alternative to the High street with a strong and loyal customer following, as recommended by Grazia and Drapers.

ooh! ruby shoes

Bruntsfield Place www.oohrubyshoes.com Ooh! Ruby Shoes’ collections are handpicked and sourced in Italy, Spain and Scandinavia, with emphasis on style, quality and excellent customer service. They stock fabulous brands such as Ash, Billi Bi, Bumper, Chie Mihara, Ilse Jacobsen, Elia B and Vic Matie. They also stock unique jewellery by Ziio and Liebeskind, and scarves from Echo-Design. Since opening in February 2008 they have gained a reputation as the place to go for fabulous shoes in Edinburgh. New Danish knitwear collections this coming Autumn.

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Vic Matie Boots from £255

Think ahead...

Virtual high street Love from Indie Street (www.lovefromindiestreet.com) offers gift vouchers from each of these local businesses, along with 65 of Edinburgh’s best loved retailers, making it the perfect gift idea for everyone you know.

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Weekly Local Classes

A watery world of confidence, skill and fun!

It’s safe to say you’ll burst with pride as you watch your baby journey from the early days of gentle floating, kicking and splashing to wriggling, giggling and jumping in!

classes held...

Corstorphine, Newington, Oxgangs, Crewe Toll, Dalmahoy & Dalkeith.

You can trust us to take the very best care of you and your little one.

Our world-class teachers could have trained as private pilots – five times over – in the time it takes to fully qualify with us. We won’t entrust your child (or our reputation) to anyone less than the best!

Saturday 12th Sept

Cherish Childhood We are cherishing childhood so come along and celebrate with our

Teddy Bear’s Picnic Event Clovenstone Community Centre 54 Clovenstone Park, Edinburgh EH14 3EY

07910 188 713

To give your baby a splashing start call

edinburgh@gymboree-uk.com

0131 554 6682

Let’s teach your baby to swim!

Official Sponsors of

gymboree-uk.com

#cherishchildhooduk www.waterbabies.co.uk

OPEN DAY – SUNDAY 4th OCTOBER, FROM 1.30pm

A strong foundation for the future, a family for life A full-boarding school which accepts day pupils in the heart of Edinburgh • Co-educational 7-18 • Excellent IB, A Level and GCSE results Superb pastoral care • Strong sporting tradition • Bursaries, Scholarships & Awards available

For further details about Open Day, please call our Registrar on 0131 311 6744 admissions@fettes.com www.fettes.com

GRE

AT

s!

new Edinburgh’s Montessori classroom for parents and children Mondays & Thursdays 9.30am-11.15am Edinburgh Scout Centre 15 Valleyfield St, Bruntsfield EH3 9LP www.montessorimornings.com montessoriedinburgh@gmail.com Find us on Facebook

Visiting Edinburgh?

If you’re looking after an under 5, If you’re looking after under Edinburgh is a fantastican place to 5, be. it’s a fantastic place to be.

What’s more, it has its own guidebook for young families, written

Access reviews and interactive maps by local1000+ parentsreal-life and carers.

With 1000+ real-life reviews of of child-friendly things to do your child-friendly things to do andon places to tablet go, it’s or justsmartphone. what you It’s justto£2.95 30about days. to join! need get outfor and withVisit yourwww.efuf.co.uk under 5.

Find Edinburgh Under Fives at for Waterstones, Theguidebook Edinburgh You can also findforour Edinburgh Under Fives Bliss,The Paper Tiger, Bohemia, Toys Galore and many at Bookshop, Waterstones, Edinburgh Bookshop, Bliss, Paper moreand shops in Edinburgh for only £9.95.

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King Lear?

Leader of the opposition?

Antiques dealer?

At Sparkle Arts we encourage children aged 1-5 to develop and learn through a fun mix of music, dance and drama. Our classes bring subjects to life to accelerate learning, whilst building confidence and improving social skills. It’s a creative education that will make little minds sparkle and teach children skills that will last a lifetime.

Go online to find out more and book a class.

sparklearts.co.uk

make learning fun.

BABY HEALTH

Time to Crawl Winner, Registered Chiropractor

A

baby’s growth and development is as individual as their fingerprints. Fingerprints follow a natural order of curves and arches, but each one is unique. A child’s developmental milestones are similar--there are projected times when they are expected to hold their head up, roll, start to crawl, and then pull themselves up to walk, though each child may be slightly different. What IS important is to ensure that they DO achieve these vital “checkpoints” as they are signs that their brain and nervous system is making connections that are essential for their future health and function.

Let’s look at crawling. It is suggested that a growing infant should start crawling at 7-9 months of age. What may be viewed as a simple action is a reflection of neurological connections firing in an extremely organised way. The ability to crawl creates a foundation for balance and coordination when starting to walk, run, and play sport and further stimulates and strengthens the ability to academically learn and develop fine motor control skills.

Children learn through sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch, so when a growing baby is provided an environment rich in sensory stimulation their brain naturally responds and gets stronger. This strength gives a child the ability to progress and achieve milestones. When it comes to crawling, parents can use games that involve guided movement of their baby’s limbs to allow their little ones practice at alternating their arms and legs. This helps them to develop the coordinated motion necessary for crawling.

For example, when changing your baby’s nappy grasp their left hand and use your other hand to grasp their right knee. Bring the two together at about the level of their belly button. Extend the limbs out again and repeat the motion inwards.

Do this 10 times then switch sides (right hand to left knee).

Implementing such actions to encourage growth is dependent upon a properly functioning nervous system. Chiropractic deals directly with the function of the nervous system as misalignments in the spine, called subluxations, may interfere with the way the brain is able to interpret sensory information and then create a response. Early detection and correction of misalignments can allow for more optimal relay

“

The ability to crawl creates a foundation for balance and coordination

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and coordination of messages to and from the brain. This maximises a baby’s ability to receive and learn from sensory stimulation and may result in better coordination.

It is important to remember that all children are different, just like fingerprints. They all progress at individual rates. As parents, however, we have the ability to help enrich a child’s learning environment which can ultimately optimise their ability to grow and thrive! n

For information...

Contact Discover Chiropractic and ask for a complimentary spinal screening.

E: reception@discover-chiropractic.co.uk 240 Queensferry Road Edinburgh EH4 2BP T: 0131 332 0063

References: 1. http://mamaot.com/2015/05/19/does-crawling-matter-occupational-therapist-explores-benefits-of-crawling/

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

© BILLY ALEXANDER

WRITTEN BY Anna

2. Heidihaavik.com

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HOW TO BE AN

Outdoorsy Role Model WRITTEN BY Dawn

© RACHEL HEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

I

’m going to be completely honest with you; I am not really an outdoorsy person. Given the choice between being outside getting some fresh air or being indoors curled up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, I’d take the latter every time. But my childhood wasn’t like that. I spent my days playing in the woods, climbing trees, riding my bike and making mud pies and this wild and adventure driven childhood is exactly what I want for my own kids.

My husband, on the other hand, is outdoorsy and I’d always hoped that his enthusiasm for nature would rub off on our kids. He could do all the

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Geddes

outdoors stuff with them and I would concentrate on all the fun indoors stuff like baking, reading, crafting and drinking hot chocolate…It all seemed to be working out well until one day my six year old daughter announced that she didn’t want to play in the garden anymore because she didn’t like being outside. I knew then that something had to change. My stinky attitude.

We all know how important it is for our children to be active outdoors. It helps them stay fit, it helps them sleep better and it burns off some of that crazy kiddie energy they all seem to possess.

Despite all these benefits, our children are still

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OUTDOORSY

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This wild and adventure driven childhood is exactly what I want for my own kids © MONKEU BUSINESS - FOTOLIA.COM

spending so much of their time stuck indoors in front of the TV or playing computer games.

And it’s not just our kids that are being lured away from the great outdoors by technology.

Our own fascination with social media and box set marathons stops us from being the role models that our children need. Couple that with our tendency to be a tad overprotective when it comes to the hazardous outdoors and it’s no wonder that our children are less than thrilled about going outside.

In order to inspire our children to ditch the screens and embrace all things Mother Nature, we need to lead by example and show them just how much fun the outside world can be. Here’s how…

Embrace your inner wild child

What did you love most about exploring outdoors when you were little? Was it discovering wildlife, getting your hands dirty or just that feeling of being free?

Try to embrace your own inner wild child made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

”

by recreating some of your own childhood adventures with your child. Instead of standing back and worrying for their safety, get stuck in and help your child see nature through new eyes.

Climb a tree, build a raft, collect some insects or dig for treasure and show your child what an exciting place the world can be.

Be prepared

Did you know that the weather in Sweden is just as rubbish as it is here? They just don’t complain about it like we do! They play outside, walk to school and even garden come rain or shine!

So what’s their secret? Good waterproofs and wellies!

Dust off your old wellies from your festival days and invest in a waterproof coat and rain trousers from someplace like Polarn O. Pyret for the kids.

Write a rainy day list of activities to do together when the weather turns bad so you never have to be stuck inside. Go hunting for rainbows, collect snails, jump in muddy puddles or go umbrella testing, the only limit is your imagination.

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OUTDOORSY

Create an adventure There is nothing more exciting than going on an adventure. Help your child’s imagination grow by taking them fairy spotting in the garden, Gruffalo hunting in the woods and searching for mermaids at the seaside. For budding mini detectives try orienteering at your local nature reserve, Geocaching or treasure hunting with a kid’s metal detector. You’ll be transported back to your Famous Five days in no time.

Make it exciting

If spending time indoors in front of the TV or tablet is proving too tempting, banish all things electronic for the day and work on some outdoors projects together. Build a magic hideaway with a Flibberty Den Kit, start your own veggie patch or make a bug hotel for the creepy crawlies in your garden.

If that doesn’t excite them, get them out on their scooter or go on a family bike ride together and discover someplace new. For smaller kids, bike trailers are a fantastic way of transporting them about. Or try the Enchanted Forest and Friends wildlife backpack and reins which comes with a little blanket inside for toddlers to rest on, when their little legs get tired.

“

will stop you from having to interrupt the fun by returning indoors.

It’s been a few months now since I saw the error of my inside ways. Although making an effort to become an outdoorsy role model for my girls has been challenging, the benefits are written all over the tired, but happy faces, of my beautiful girls. My six year old no longer complains about going outside, she’s too busy looking forward to her next outdoors adventure.

And as for me, I’ve discovered that spending time outside more makes me sleep better and worry less. And when I do finally get home after a day of exploring, I appreciate curling up with a good book and a steaming cup of hot chocolate all the more. n

I knew then that something had to change.

My stinky attitude

”

Make the outdoors an everyday thing Don’t limit your outdoors time to a rare sunny spell, find opportunities to get outside every day.

Eat lunch alfresco, have story time on the picnic rug and let your kids water the flowers, veggies and even the grass to get them used to spending time outdoors.

Commit to your time outdoors

When you’re spending time outdoors with your children, try to really commit to it by leaving your phone and any other distractions behind. Use this time to reconnect with your kids and the outside world again. Pack a bag of all the things that you need before you leave the house. It

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© RACHEL HEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Read more...

You can follow Dawn and her parenting adventures over on her blog www.writemummywrite.com

Thanks to Edinburgh family photographer, Rachel Hein for use of her photographs. Rachel loves to get outdoors and shoot family photography sessions in autumn when the light is beautiful and the warm colours are a perfect backdrop to a family shoot. To learn more about Rachel go to www.rachelhein.com

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ADVERTORIAL

Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh

PHOTOS © MAGGIE PENTCHEVA

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise. A woodland full of children, climbing, building dens, cooking over an open fire, doing yoga and just sitting chatting to their friends. A fun filled morning in the woods is all part of a normal day for the children of Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh, known as ONE, formerly known as Mother Goose Nursery.

Joyce Nicoll Company Director and mother of five said “The RSPB Report in 2013 discovered 4 out of 5 children in the UK are not connected to nature; as a result we have been running as an outdoor nursery since.

We understand the parents of Edinburgh want the best for their children. At ONE we can provide your children with the childhood you had.”

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

The evidence of the benefits of time spent outdoors is overwhelming. You only have to spend a short time with children in the outdoors to see the benefits they gain: • Confidence and self-esteem • Communication and social skills • Physical skills • Greater understanding and awareness of the natural environment • Natural motivation and a positive attitude to learning • The ability to recognise and manage risk • Healthier lifestyles

Jenny McAllister MBE, nursery manager, said “This should not be seen as an alternative method of child care and education, it is the most natural way for our children to grow and learn. The entire earlyyear’s curriculum can be met

outdoors and that is what we aim to do. Nature provides the best resources and stimulus for creative learning, critical thinking skills and social development.”

Outdoor Nursery Edinburgh is open 7.30am-6pm They provide 38 places for children from birth to 5 years.

All meals and snacks are provided and included in fees.

Waterproof suits, rucksacks and water bottles are also provided.

0131 6204380 outdoornursery edinburgh@gmail.com

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Giant Panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo

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FAMILY LIVING

EDINBURGH SPOTLIGHT on

Cor storphine WRITTEN BY Laura

Carroll, MOV8 Real Estate

Lying to the west of the city, Corstorphine has always been a popular spot for families. But what is it about this suburb that makes it such an attractive place to live?

O

nce a thriving town in its own right, Corstorphine was gradually absorbed into Edinburgh in the mid twentieth century. Before that, Corstorphine was very well established with all of the local amenities you could expect from a little town close to the capital city. Luckily for the residents these features still exist.

Its proximity to the bypass, motorway and airport makes Corstorphine an ideal location for anyone needing to travel, whether within Scotland or further afield; and with fantastic bus links into the city centre, it also makes it the ideal spot for commuting into town with the journey only taking 15 minutes to reach the West End. St John’s Road is a bustling high street with many large brands sitting side-by-side with some fantastic independent shops. Top of the list for discerning mums and dads is Raeburn & Corstorphine Pram Centre - Edinburgh’s number one independent shop for prams, baby equipment and all your nursery needs. They were established in 1967 and have grown in reputation and status ever since. With a massive range of high-quality stock and excellent links

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

with suppliers such as Silver Cross, Uppa Baby and Maxi Cosi, they pride themselves on firstrate customer service, impartial advice and an impressive product range which covers all needs, tastes and trends, both contemporary and traditional.

You’ll also find family friendly cafes and restaurants that can accommodate smaller diners very easily. Toby Carvery is always a favourite, as is the White Lady with both offering an extensive children’s menu (and not bad grown up grub either!) that won’t break the bank.

Or for something a bit different have a look at Redwood Bistro. This relatively new addition to Corstorphine is situated on the roundabout

by McDonalds and PC World and offers a wide range of dishes for wee ones, or there is the option to have a half portion off the adult menu for half the price. Cumin spiced lamb kebabs, anyone?

Our favourite is family-run coffee shop, The Original Coffee Bean on Station Road. With its fabulous breakfasts served until 3pm, and a wide range of child-friendly food it’s a popular choice

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FAMILY LIVING

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for all the family. Plus it does a beautiful little Babyccino! Their premises are even available to hire for your private functions or parties - including a ‘bring your own bottle’ option.

There’s also plenty to keep your little ones entertained.

Corstorphine is home to Edinburgh Zoo; a perennial family favourite venue for an enjoyable day out and a very popular tourist attraction. The zoo regularly holds special events and exhibitions aimed at educating and enthralling their younger audience. The dinosaurs are currently in residence (Dinosaurs Return! is on until Nov 1st) and at weekends the kids can be transformed into their favourite animal or touch a real live stick insect!

In terms of leisure facilities, David Lloyd on Glasgow Road has everything you need. With usual high spec gym, wide range of classes, pool, spa, salons and cafes; it also boasts a nursery, a crèche and fantastic facilities for the kids.

And excitingly, baby swimming experts, Waterbabies have recently started their wellloved classes at the Marriott Hotel. They run on a Tuesday and Friday just now, but there are plans to expand that very soon. The teacher, Debbie, is very well known and loved by water babies and their parents past and present. A great addition to the area!

The Corstorphine Trust has a heritage trail that centres around the old parish church, along which you’ll find The Dovecot, the last remaining building of the former castle, complete with well-preserved nesting boxes. A short walk away is The Dower House, ensconced in St Margaret’s Park, and now home of the Corstorphine Heritage Centre - worth a visit if you’re interested in local history. The park itself is beautifully tended and boasts tennis courts, a bowling green and a putting green; great fun for all generations.

However, a firm favourite with the locals is the excellent playground, complete with Flying Fox! Popular with the young and young at heart alike, Corstorphine offers a wide range of accommodation. You’ll find properties from the Victorian era; just take a wander along Manse Road in the direction of Corstorphine High Street to see why the town has its own heritage trail. There are some great family villas with lovely gardens dating from the 1930s and 40s.

Corstorphine also has its fair share of brand new, modernbuild properties for families looking for bright, airy spaces, like this one in the popular residential area of East Craigs.

Corstorphine manages to maintain a real community vibe and is very proud of its unique character. n

Popular with the young and young at heart alike

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”

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v

Sick Kids Friends Foundation Registered Charity Number SCO20862

New Edinburgh Men’s 10k 1st November 2015 Get an instant charity place

To sign up and for more information: www.edinburghsickkids.org/events 0131 668 4949 • rachel.mckenzie@luht.scot.nhs.uk

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Fatherhood © SOLEN COLLET

BROUGHT UNDERSTANDING TO CHILDREN’S EVENTS

Daniel Abercrombie, Programme & Events Manager at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile has been a father for two years. He talks to MADE about his experience of programming the Centre’s popular family activities with paternal perspective.

A

t the Storytelling Centre, we have always been proud of our creative programme of engaging family events, which we are well known for. We work hard to develop a welcoming, friendly atmosphere; from the front of house staff and café, through to the performers, with storytelling, music, dance and puppet theatre that keep youngsters entertained with interaction and imagination. However, I never fully understood what parents need at children’s events until I became a dad myself.

I have a two year old son, so when parents/ carers and children arrive I now know what they’ve been through just to get here… planning diaries, budgeting for tickets, packing bags with a spare of everything, getting washed (a luxury) and getting to the venue on time! It can be chaotic. And then there’s the event itself; where

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your child’s response and attention can depend on a whole range of variables.

So, we try and make things as easy as possible, with a hassle-free welcome and staff on hand to help with doors and buggy navigation.

We explain that parents are free to leave and come back into the show and ensure that they know where the changing facilities are. I find it’s the little things like that which help make the experience less stressful and more enjoyable for adults and children. We don’t make a fuss; we are just ready to help where need be.

Storytelling Personally, I have found that storytelling (sharing stories without reading them) is a fantastic way to engage with your child and re-boot parts of your own imagination. Communicating through

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Find out more…

Scottish Storytelling Centre is open 10am-6pm, Mon-Sat and is a free, family friendly space with excellent facilities and activities to keep young ones entertained, as well as programming fantastic events for little ones.

Tiny Tales is on Tue 22 Sep & Tue 6 Oct at 10am & 11.30am. The Story Kist is on Sat 26 Sep at 11am and is followed by a Family Ceilidh in the afternoon – for full event details see the website www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

© CATRIONA FRANCE

stories can be an excellent developmental experience for youngsters and a great bonding tool. I love the reaction my son has to stories and, whilst I’m not a very good storyteller myself, I’m enjoying the challenge!

The professional storytellers on our approved directory are excellent at engaging children and taking their imaginations to new places. We offer regular sessions like Tiny Tales (1-3 years) and Story Kist (all ages), one-off events on weekends and school holidays, plus two annual festivals, TradFest (May) and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (Oct). We also work with other organisations and festivals to supplement our own family programme, taking care to ensure the expected standard of performance is met.

Our ethos is to be a welcoming, accessible venue that offers quality events at an affordable cost. A relaxed venue and wellorganised event means parents can unwind and enjoy their child experiencing the pleasure of live storytelling. And now I speak from experience… n

© DOUGLAS ROBERTSON

The Story Kist Tellers Marie Louise Cochrane and Aileen Finlay

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shopping 3 4

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PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO EAT ARE ALWAYS THE BEST PEOPLE - Julia Child

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Whether you’re slaving away for the hungry hordes, hosting this week’s playdate or preparing to wine and dine with friends, ensure you’re using utensils, crockery and gadgets bursting with beauty, style and fun!

1. THE JUST SLATE COMPANY HEART CHEESEWIRE £17 2. HEART OLIVE DISH £13.95 5. BRAW SCOTLAND FORTH BRIDGE TEA TOWEL £12.95 6. MAGPIE ‘AHOY’ ESPRESSO SET £22.95 7. CHLOE GARDNER STAG TEA TOWEL £11.95

From Cloudberry Gifts, Barnton & Blackhall www.cloudberrygifts.co.uk

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5 6

3. BLOSSOM RETRO TEAPOT £35 4. TASTE SERVING SET £34.95 (4 individual dishes on a wooden board)

From Bank House Living, Lauder www.bankhouseliving.co.uk

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Perfect Gifts for Everyone

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9 8. DRAGONFLY TEA TOWEL

& OVEN MITT£9.95 & £16.95 Greenshoots, Edinburgh www.greenshootsedinburgh.com

9. CAROLINE GARDNER

HEARTS PLATES £17.95 (for a set of four) Urban Cuckoo, Edinburgh www.urbancuckoo.co.uk

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We stock fab homewares, accessories & cards….and perfect pressies for wee ones!

10. WOODLAND CHINA BUTTER

DISH BY JULIA DAVEY £24.95 Matching products available from £5.95, Pippin, Haymarket www.pippingifts.com

Or visit our café for artisan coffees and homebaking from Edinburgh's best

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11 11. FLORAL BOWL £4.99

HomeSense, Fort Kinnaird

12.STAG APRON BY

CHERITH HARRISON £19.95 Pippin, Haymarket www.pippingifts.com

13. ALISON APPLETON -

EMPEROR’S BIRD TEAPOT AND CUP SET £59 www.amara.com

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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Cloudberry Gifts 193 Whitehouse Road 0131 538 0168 Barnton 5 Seaforth Terrace 0131 467 2878 Blackhall

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food & drink

MaRobert’s

THE TASTE OF TANZANIA

IN MADE AND L SCOT

M

aggie Mazoleka’s MaRobert’s is an exciting new brand and Edinburghbased business, specialising in authentic East African cooking sauces. Their range of products bring the ‘Taste of Tanzania’ to your table, and they are currently the only producer of East African sauces available in the UK. Maggie came to Edinburgh 23 years ago from Tanzania, and has since developed her sauce recipe with inspiration from her youth in rural Shinyanga, Tanzania. MaRobert’s has been gaining infamy amongst Scotland’s foodies, and their Pili Pili sauce has become something of a

i With every jar of sauce sold, MaRobert’s make a contribution to SASHITA (www. sashita.org.uk) to help disadvantaged people in rural areas of Tanzania; aiming to improve access to clean water, adequate sanitation, education & sponsorship programmes.

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local phenomenon!

Due to a high demand for Maggie’s sauce amongst individuals, organisations, charities and food producers, Maggie has developed a range of 3 flavours to cater for different palates: Hot Pili Pili Sauce, Medium Pili Pili sauce and Fruity sauce - which is perfect for kids! With no added sugar or additives, MaRobert’s sauces are healthy and 100% natural, and they are available in a range of shops and farmers markets all over Edinburgh.

Check out her website to learn more about Maggie’s story, MaRobert’s, and to order from their online store. Now try this recipe for yourself...

MaRobert’s Roasted Rataouille

This spicy twist on the classic French dish is ideal served with meat, fish, or even on its own with some crusty bread. A kitchen staple!

Serves: 4 Preparation time: 50 minutes approx.

Ingredients: l 4 large ripe tomatoes l 4 courgettes l 2 yellow peppers l 2 aubergines

l 3

tbsp olive oil cloves garlic l 1 red chilli, deseeded l small bunch fresh basil l 1 onion l ½ glass good red wine l 1 tsp demerara sugar l ½ jar MaRobert’s sauce l Salt and pepper l 3

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hobbies

Method:

l Pre-heat

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the oven to 200°C.

l Peel

the tomatoes, chop them into quarters, remove the seeds, then chop the flesh. Set to one side.

l Dice

the courgettes, peppers, and aubergines. Set aside.

l Pour

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TIP: If you’re finding

it tricky to peel the tomatoes try scoring an ‘x’ into the base and place them in a bowl with boiling water for 15-20 seconds, then remove. Pour away the water and refill the bowl with cold water.

Add the tomatoes to the bowl and leave to cool before peeling.

2 tbsp of olive oil onto a roasting tray, making sure the surface is covered. Place the diced vegetables on the tray and mix to ensure they are covered in oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Check at intervals, ensuring that the pieces are turned.

l Finely

slice the onion, garlic, and chilli, and tear up the basil leaves.

l Five

minutes before the vegetables are done, heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium/high heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2 minutes.

l Add

the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and set aside.

l Add

the red wine, MaRobert’s sauce, and sugar to the pan, stirring well to combine.

l Add

the tomatoes and half the basil leaves.

l Add

the vegetables to the pan, stirring well to combine.

the heat to medium/low and cook for 10 minutes.

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Which taste of Tanzania will you try?

Hot Pili Pili Sauce Medium Pili Pili Sauce Fruity Sauce 0777 610 5209 info@ma-roberts.com www.ma-roberts.com Available from…

Craigie’s Farm, West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry Cranachan & Crowdie, 263 Canongate Good Food, 255 Morningside Road Gosford Bothy Farm Shop Gosford Estate, Longniddry Knowes Farm Shop, By East Linton, Dunbar Leith Wholefoods Co-op ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place Margiotta Ltd, 26 Dunedin St, 142-143 Comiston Dr, Kirkbrae House, 43 Lasswade Rd Merryhatton Garden Centre, East Fortune The New Leaf Co-op, 23 Argyle Place Relish, Leith Also available from farmers’ markets in: Portobello, Balerno, Morningside, Stockbridge, Juniper Green, Carlops

l Reduce

l Season

with salt and pepper, top with fresh basil, and serve as required.

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

TIP: Sometimes roasting vegetables in oil can saturate them.

Try using ghee (clarified butter) instead; a generous tbsp will do for this recipe 61

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health

Hypopressives F PART 2

ollowing the summer edition of MADE and the introduction to Hypopressives, here are some practical exercises for you to try. Please check with a doctor before starting any exercise programme.

Hypopressive (low pressure exercise) strengthens your pelvic floor and core muscles through a combination of posture, breathing and poses.

Through lifestyle, pregnancy and illness our posture can begin to work against us. Poor posture creates back problems, weakened abdominals and headaches. Look at your posture does it look like one of these? See the bottom of the page for answers.

A lot of us have forgotten how to breathe correctly and we ‘chest breathe’ instead. This means we are not recruiting our diaphragm - a major element in deep core strength.

Using your tummy muscles in breathing indirectly activates your diaphragm, produces better breathing and a flatter abdominal wall.

“Abby is a highly professional communicator and demonstrator of Hypopressives. She combines perfectly the practice and theory. She is conscious of each participant and is ready to support and modify any activity to my needs.

I hope many others have the benefit and pleasure of being taught by her” - May

INHALE

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EXHALE

What postural alignment do you have?

A = Ideal B = kyphosis-lordosis C = Flat back D = Sway back

www.mademagazine.co.uk

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Exercise 1: for posture and breathing 1. Lying on floor 2. One hand on tummy, one on your chest

Hypopressives 3. Knees bent and slightly wider than hip width apart.

4. Head raised approx. 6cm, if chin dips to chest lower books.

5. Elbows on floor.

6. Concentrate on using the diaphragm, not using the chest, feel your tummy rise as you inhale and sink back when exhaling.

Stay in this position for 10-20 minutes and feel your spine, slowly relax.

Exercise 2: l Standing feet hip width apart and pointing straight ahead, bend your knees slightly l Arms at your side, lift them with palms facing forwards until they are midway between your hips and your shoulders. l Rotate shoulders (don’t roll them) until your palms are facing backwards, try to create space across your shoulders, push down through your fingertips (as if you are trying to nudge something). l Grow as tall as you can, like there is a piece of elastic coming out of the top of your head that keeps pulling you up. l Lean your whole body forward (no sticking your bottom out!) until you’re balancing on the balls of your feet. If you’re scrunching your toes, you’ve gone too far! l In this position do three diaphragmatic breaths, inhaling for a count of 2 and exhaling for a count of 4. l The final stage is to add a rib flare and lift without air; this needs the guidance of a Hypopressive trainer.

Over to you...

Hypopressives can do more4yourcore regardless of age, fitness level or weight. To arrange a private class and to find out more contact abby@hypopressivesscotland.com Tel: 07770 473 937

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

Edinburgh We’ll help you find more4yourcore Particular benefits for: • Incontinence • Pelvic organ prolapse • Post-natal women • Posture • Back & neck pain • Hernia • Sexual Enjoyment

CLASSES: • Jabberwocky Soft Play, Haddington • Drill Hall, Dalmeny St • The Barn, Pencaitland • New Town venue starting at the end of Sept More venues coming soon…

abby@hypopressive scotland.com

www.hypopressive scotland.com Tel: 07770 473 937 63

out & about

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Have you got great photos from an event you’d like to share with MADE readers?

If so, email them to us at info@mademagazine.co.uk

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1 1. MADE competition winners, the Irwins, enjoyed their prize of a day at the Royal Highland Show.

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2. ‘The 5 Die’ wrote a song called ‘The Starling in the Cherry Tree’; and ‘Solitary Confinement’ wrote ‘Faux Friends’. Both were part of Lamp House Music’s project ‘Moving on Up’ in Haddington.

3. 12 year old Cameron Searle wins The Riparian Rooms Schools Cookery Competition. Pictured with Grant Stott, Neil Robb, Gary Cromie and category winners Euan Gunderson & Ajax Calligeros.

4. The Wharton family from Whitekirk were the first passengers on board the Forth Ferry. Laird (7) and Radleigh (5) were welcomed by Seafari Managing Director, Colin Aston, for the maiden voyage.

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© ROB MCDOUGALL

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5. Step It Up Dance’s Breakdance Performance Crew demonstrating their moves on the Edinburgh Fringe stage on the Royal Mile.

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6. Yogabellies teacher, Linzi Cosgrove, and a group of her mummies and babies were enjoying their weekly yoga class at Fitness Chicks.

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7. Fleur and Tomasz & Jakob enjoying a recent Dads Rock trip to Craigies Farm.

8. Volcano-makers having fun at Honey Pot Ceramic’s summer workshops.

9. Holly (9) visiting extraordinarily life-like animatronic creatures at Deep Sea World, including a human-sized snail and duelling scorpions as big as cars!

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TRIED

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ON TRIAL... A Wonderful World of Parties Busy parents don’t have the time (or money!) to research all the available party planners available in Edinburgh, so let MADE do it for you. In this edition we spoke with mum of twin boys, Shirley, about her experience with party experts, A Wonderful World of Parties.

A Wonderful World of Parties claims: Their ‘Make a Memory’ experiences and themed birthday parties are created specifically for each individual, young or old. They can solve all your party needs and create a truly magical memory for all involved.

Shirley said: A Wonderful World of Parties was definitely true to its name - our four year old twin boys happily celebrated their birthday earlier this year. With the boys being in separate classes at Nursery School we had the challenge of planning a party that would accommodate 65 children! Thankfully we were introduced to A Wonderful World of Parties and owner Kirsty Herriot. Kirsty is one of the most creative and unflappable professionals we have met. She specialises in bespoke, memorable experience days for children, and parties covering a host of themes like Fairy School, Jedi Training, Moroccan Magic and many others. At our first meeting we were confident that Kirsty was up for the challenge; as a previous experienced Primary School teacher we were sure she and her team could navigate 65 children. Kirsty’s ideas were all inspiring and we opted for a Grand Prix Party (bring your own wheels) as given the numbers we were sure to be outside. Kirsty’s creativity was amazing - assuring us that even with rain the children would have a great time. And of course we did have rain! But her contingency plans for taking the children inside if needed were well thought through and successful. Kirsty even astonished us by wearing a Grand Prix costume herself and bringing along Fireman Sam to give out the awards!

The verdict…

The party was a huge success with a hand built car wash, winners’ podiums, medals and trophies, Grand Prix flags and party bags. We could not have been happier and would readily recommend A Wonderful World of Parties for a party of any size.

For more information about A Wonderful World of Parties go to www.wonderworldparties.co.uk

If you are a business owner and would like MADE to test your service/product get in touch at mademag@live.co.uk 66

www.mademagazine.co.uk

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Summer Holiday Weekly Classes and

Club

www.craftycooks.co.uk

a and Edinburgh Fitness Zumb

PHOTO BY MARASCHINO PHOTOGRAPHY

Insanity Classesg! now runnin

Zumba with Nadia is no ordinary exercise class,

it’s a PARTY!

Classes in Morningside and Craiglockhart

www.zumbaedinburgh.net edinburghzumba@hotmail.co.uk Facebook: Edinburgh Zumba

Worn by you, chewed by Boo

Stylish baby-friendly jewellery.

Perfect gifts for a new mum.

www.boochew.co.uk

made SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2015

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Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th September 2015 At Edinburgh Corn Exchange

‘A Great Day Out For The Whole Family!’

SPECIAL FAMILY TICKET OFFER 2 Adults, 2 Kids Only £15 | Quote: MADE15

www.cyclefestedinburgh.com