A Christmas Girly Day Out

I realised something the other day when I was scanning through iPhoto. Since I separated from my ex-husband at the beginning of the year I have barely taken any photographs with my DSLR. It’s all been Instagram, VSCO cam-filtered pictures that are all vintage-y and trendy.

I can’t quite work out why that is. There were a couple of issues with the autofocus (which I think I’ve fixed now, wooh) but it’s gotten so bad that I think I’ve almost forgotten how to use the darned thing. I had a very frustrating time last week when I was trying to snap the kitchen for your viewing pleasure – I love my new kitchen – and I kept getting the exposure horribly wrong. But me and the DSLR, we worked out our differences right before I threw it out the window and resorted to my iPhone and the lens will live to see another day.

(Actually, camera buffs: I’m using a 5 year old Canon EOS 400d with this lens but it’s really quite limiting. Should I get another lens or a more portable camera? I’ve always loved the look of the Olympus PENs… a gal can dream)

So one of my New Years Resolutions this year will be to cart my camera around with me. There’s no excuse not to: my handbag is always of epic proportions thanks to all the Playdoh and Peppa memorabilia I seem to need on my person at all times. Where I go, the Canon goes.

And so it came with me one lovely lunchtime last week. My friend Bryony and I made a date to take our eldest girls out to lunch and for an afternoon’s shop. It’s very rare I will spend time with Elfie, just her and me. Hux and I have a real double act thing going on thanks to Elfie’s 5 mornings at pre-school, but not me and E. So to take her on such a special day out was a real treat, and something both of us enjoyed.

We started our trip the way all shopping trips should begin, with Prosecco, pizza and flirting with the young handsome Pizza Express waiter. The girls (Elfie and Frankie not Bryony and me) stuck stickers onto their children’s menu while B and I gossiped about boys, friends and the internet. Bryony put me to shame by ordering a superfood salad and I ate three quarters of a pork belly and apple sauce pizza. It was as good as it sounds.

(Another sidenote: Pizza Express have this festive menu at the moment and not only does it start with Prosecco but it ends with Limoncello. If you are a busy mum looking for a relaxing lunch you could do much worse than to imbibe some Christmas spirits with your pizza ;) Please drink responsibly etc etc).

When we were done we took off to Claire’s, who had kindly sent us a voucher so we could start teaching our kids all about consumerism ;) In all seriousness, I don’t often take Elfie shopping for things just for her, for special treat times; toys and things she needs are saved for birthdays and Christmases, and anything in between is usually bought by me over the internet. So with the exception of good old Waitrose cakes she doesn’t really experience many things being bought for her.

It was really liberating to hand our girls shopping baskets and tell them to choose some treats. I have had some pretty good  experiences through this blog but seeing how happy that made Frankie and Elfie is up there with the best of them. Both the girls were so excited that they were able to choose presents for themselves; smiles and shrieks all round.

I think one of the reasons Frankie and Elfie get along so well is that they’re both quite girly girls. I’ve always been really careful to buy gender-neutral toys, to not dress Elfie in pink and to let her be her own person. But still she gravitates towards the glitter, the tiaras, the Hello Kitty. Frankie is fairly similar (girlfriend has an enviable handbag collection by the way) so I think Claire’s was kind of like heaven for both of them.

A good half an hour later and we were done, with two bags brimming with girl toys. Inexplicably, both girls had selected One Direction pens alongside necklaces, bracelets and of course the toddler favourite of the matching tiara and wand. Or in Elfie’s case, non-matching. She would not hear me when I tried to tell her that pairing gold and silver was a bit of a faux pas.

On the way out to the car we took the girls to see the Christmas decorations in the main hall of the shopping centre. I love them so much, my mum used to bring me to look at the lights and see Father Christmas every year there when I was younger so it’s such a pleasure to do the same with my little girl. Bryony and I had a ride on the carousel with our little princesses and then it was off home to show off (and reluctantly share) our loot with Hux.

The day made me realise how important it is to make time for your children, not just together but as individuals. I got so much out of the afternoon we spent together and I think she did too: she really enjoyed the one on one mummy attention, free of the errand running and domesticity that our days are usually filled with.

Thank-you Claire’s, not just for treating us and our girls but for making me think a bit harder about the relationship I have with Elfie and for giving us that special afternoon together. And thank-you Tescos clubcard points for my meal at Pizza Express ;) Buying restaurant vouchers with my points makes me feel slightly less angry at the cost of petrol and loo roll.