Winter can be Hotter than summer!

OK, OK. Bad blogger, no postie.  I know. Slap on the wrist and 200 lines "I Must Update My Blog More Often".  But honestly, I've been being a busy little bunny.  This week more so than most.

I am a lucky lady, I can't deny that. And when Hotter, those amazing shoe people told me that they were holding an event in their Cardiff store, and asked if I would like to come along, the only question in my mind was how quickly I could say "Yes" without looking like a complete Billy-No-Mates.  Especially when they said they were co-hosting the event with Taking Shape, a clothing store I'd never visited, but heard a lot of good things about.  (Theirs is for another post, at least partly because I was having so much fun, I forgot to take any photos & that's a very good reason for a return visit!)

So, braving the rush hour traffic, albeit from the opposite side of the road, I headed into the bustling metropolis that is Cardiff on a Tuesday teatime.  We started off by getting styled and our heads slightly swollen by the lovely ladies of Taking Shape, before we relocated just along Queen Street & into the St David's Centre for the comfort of Hotter.  Comfort in every sense of the word.

Having come straight from work, and a meeting in a school, I was in my professional look which boils down to shiny and too-high wedge heels rather than a battered pair of trainers, so my feet were crying out for a properly comfortable alternative.  This is where Hotter are amazing.  I've never been anywhere where there are so many comfortable shoes.  And not the sort of comfortable that Aunty Mabel would wear - though that is where Hotter started out.  I remember a few years ago, next door to my office was a shoe shop.  An old people's shoe shop.  Orthopaedic shoes, zip up bootee slippers, and a Hotter logo in the window.  That was what I knew about Hotter before visiting them.  They don't hide from the fact they started out making slippers.  But now, they make gorgeous shoes that are as comfortable as slippers.

Forget granny shoes. Forget shoes that look suspiciously like Cornish Pasties. And definitely forget the tartan zip up bootee slippers (though there are a pair under my boss's desk)  Hotter make some STUNNING shoes.  And boots.  Oh yes.  Boots.  I had honestly given up on the idea of finding a pair of knee high boots that would do up on my calves.  And I'm told I've got good legs - I know plenty of people slimmer than me who struggle even more than I do.  But when I walked into Hotter on Tuesday, I think I must have entered some sort of alternate reality.  Not just one pair, but I actually had a choice!  I have actually died and gone to shoe heaven.

The hardest part was deciding.  Beautiful shoes, amazing details, glorious colours.  Or miracle boots. You know me, don't you?  The boots it was.  We won't mention the fact that by Wednesday morning I was all over their website like a rash, ordering one of the many pairs I'd left behind.  And we will try our best not to think about the others, so many others, like seashells left on the beach, waiting for someone else to discover them, take them home and love them.  (Am I taking this too seriously now?)

I won't pretend Hotter shoes are cheap.  But I don't like cheap shoes.  Cheap shoes fall apart quickly, rub your feet, and end up costing a fortune in replacements and plasters.  Quality is where it's at.  So, if your feet need a treat for the festive season, and you want to experience a Hotter Moment for yourself, then give them a go.  I've got a lovely discount code for you... PNDTEN  which will give you ten percent off any full price items on their website, and free delivery*.  What are you waiting for?  Seriously?



*New customers only. Full price items only. Excludes shoe care productss and gift vouchers.

DISCLAIMER: I was invited to attend the above event free of charge and gifted an item of my choice from the current range. I was not required to write this post, and not told what to say.  All content remains my own.  Links are provided for convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme and will not receive reward for their use, nor the use of the above discount code.

Corina Pavlova & The Lion's Roar - Sherman Cymru

Despite spending a year living just a 5 minute walk away in the middle of Cardiff, I'd never actually visited Sherman Cymru, one of Cardiff's hidden gems, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect when Squeaky & I wer invited to attend the very first showing of Corina Pavlova and the Lion's Roar, their Christmas show aimed at children aged 3-6.  In fact, not only had I never visited, but I wasn't even 100% sure where I was going, so I was very grateful for Cardiff Council's little brown tourism signs which lead me right to the door.  Parked my car in a very big puddle, and we were there.

The Sherman is a modern theatre, nestled in amongst university buildings on one of Roath's lovely tree-lined streets (great unless you have to park your car there every day, as I learned to my peril), with a welcoming cafe-bar in the foyer.  I wish I'd had a bit more time to browse their cakes, but it was one of those very busy days, and we only just made it to the theatre on time.  We were ushered into Theatre 2, an informal performance space, and sat down on the kind of tiny chairs more commonly seen in classrooms, alongside a few fellow bloggers, local press types, and a local primary school.

Corina Pavlova is a young girl, whose family has just grown with the arrival of her baby brother, who she's not exactly excited to meet, and is having difficulty getting used to.  She pays a visit to Mr McAlistair's Pet Shop, a magical shop with "Cats and Dogs, Fleas and Frogs, Lemurs, Llamas, Rats in Pyjamas"... where the customers don't choose their pets, the pets choose their owners, guaranteed to make sure everyone ends up with their perfect pet.  Corina meets a cheeky monkey, a hilarious French-accented snake, and the lion of the title.  While it doesn't *sound* like a Christmas play, there's a Christmas theme throughout, and the focus on family and family relationships is definitely a seasonal one.

The whole play was performed by just three, multi-talented actors, singing, dancing & playing a veritable orchestra of instruments - I counted a clarinet, flute, recorder, accordion, glockenspiel, xylophone (yes, I do know the difference!) and shaking eggs, and I've probably missed a few there!  There was also plenty of opportunity for little ones to get involved, tuning in their ears and mouths, not forgetting the all important ROAR!!

Squeaky & I loved the show, once she stopped asking me what was about to happen & watched to find out for herself instead.  It did get a little scary towards the end, so if you've got a more sensitive child, be prepared for some gentle cwtching!

At about an hour's show, it was spot on for Squeaky, and kept her attention throughout.  The fact that she was fast asleep in the back seat of the car within 5 minutes of leaving was even better for me.  Ever since, she's been asking to see the "singing lion show" again - so I take it that it's a hit with her too!

Corina Pavlova and the Lion's Roar  is showing at Sherman Cymru from 9 December to 4 January, with showings in English and Welsh.  Tickets are £7.00 and available direct from the theatre.  A very fair priced alternative to the traditional pantomime, and much more suited to a young family.

Disclosure: I was provided with two tickets to the show free of charge for the purposes of this review.  I was not told what to write and all opinions are my own.  Links are provided for convenience, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme and will not receive payment for their use.

Mmmondays with St David's Centre, Cardiff

I love shopping. You know that, don't you?  And food.  I definitely love food.  So what better way to make me happy than to combine the two?  And I don't mean going food shopping.  Every Monday in August, St David's shopping centre in Cardiff is hosting Mmmondays, a tasty celebration of all things food.  We popped along this week to find out what it was all about.

I registered on their website before going, and received a voucher which gave me discounts in many of the cafes and restaurants in the centre, as well as access to other special discounts & treats, including 20% off in Hamleys (very welcome, one of our favourite stores).  The vouchers and offers change each week, so it's worth checking what's on offer before you go.  It doesn't matter if you hadn't got a voucher beforehand, as there was a stall in the centre of the main arcade where you could register and get your voucher on the day - handy if you weren't expecting anything going on.

We started out with a spot of lunch in Prezzo, a restaurant I hadn't visited before, but one taking part in the promotion.  They had 2 different children's menus, depending on the age & appetite of your child. At 3, Squeaky opted for the smaller meal, and the garlic bread, pizza & ice cream were just her size.  It makes a refreshing change for her to get through a whole meal out, and the combination of the right foods, and the right portion sizes made a big difference.  They even gave her child sized cutlery, a big plus in my book.  I had goat's cheese bruschetta & penne arrabiata from the adults' set menu, and there was so much I couldn't even finish it - unknown for me!

Then off we headed into the main shopping centre.  There was a definite carnival atmosphere to the Mmmondays experience, with a Test Your Strength game, where you could win prizes from various restaurants (we won a free drink from Nando's), a picture postcard posing place (I don't know... there's probably a word for it!), and a spin the wheel game, where you could win Krispy Kreme doughnuts or packets of sweets.  All really good fun, attracting lots of attention, but not too distracting from the important job of shopping!

Shopping, ah yes, shopping.  As I said, there was a discount in Hamley's, and loads pirate activities, which they've got going on throughout the holidays, yarrrrrrrr.  We made the most of the opportunity to play on some of the toys they have available to try out on the shop floor, even though it did take quite a battle to get Squeaky back out of the store again.  And the Disney store opposite were promoting their latest film, Planes (which Squeaky is now desperate to see), as well as generally being the sparkliest, spangliest place on the whole planet and a three year old's idea of bliss.  Squeaky bought herself a Minnie Mouse helicopter toy with the Tooth Fairy's gift (and a bit of help from Mummy, because the value of money is still a mystery)

We hit a few shops, and spent as much as my wallet could take when it's still a fortnight til payday, and then made our way to the treat zone.  Treat Zone?  Yep!  If you spend more than £10 (in one transaction, as some were finding out), you can take your receipt to the Treat Zone, and choose from popcorn, snowcones or candy floss as a way of saying thank you.  Candy floss for me, every time!  Not sure Squeaky was quite so convinced, but then again the candy floss was bigger than her head.

Want to see more?  St Davids have put together a little film to tell you all about it.

If that's whetted your appetite, maybe we'll see you there next week, there's still 2 more Mmmondays to go!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this event and provided with a complementary meal on attendance.  I was not told what to write and all opinions remain my own.  Links are provided for convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.