Bummed about Glasgow

I love Glasgow; I've lived here for almost 6 years now and love the people, shops, restaurants, you name it. However, Glasgow has me seriously confused right now.

I'm sure y'all have seen ads for the new Reebok Easytone shoes that help you firm your legs and bum with balance ball technology. Well apparently their ads are too racy to be advertise on the side of Glasgow Black Taxis and Glasgow City Council have banned the ad. Say What?

This is a city that lets lapdancing clubs advertise on the sides of taxis, but a pair of bare legs and the word bum are indecent? I don't know about you, but that is CRAZY to me.

So myself and some other ladies decided to show Glasgow that Easytones and bare legs are not offensive and should be allowed. So here we are in front of Glasgow City Council in our Easytones: Moms, Teachers, Students, Business Owners--Women who want these shoes. What do you think? Are we horribly offensive and indecent? You tell me...

Kiss Me and Smile for Me

While Blondie Boy chalked up 15,882 air miles before being born (yes I totally googled it), we are about to embark on his first flight outside the womb. We've got a short flight followed by a long flight and I need all the help I can get.

We've got a few new toys he's never seen before, requested (but aren't guaranteed) a bassinet, plan to give him a pacifier during take off/landing and have a wrap to wear him in to get through security, but what's your best advice?

What are you best tips for flying with a baby?

...and if you have any tips for helping a baby to adjust to an 8 hour time difference those would be most appreciated, too :)

This S*&t is Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

From apples we've moved on to bananas. They are probably one of the easiest first foods since there is no cooking involved. You just mush up a banana until it's a consistency you like. Two bananas yielded one ice cube tray for me.

I then mixed the banana with some formula and baby rice to get it to a thickness that Blondie Boy would like. He prefers a somewhat thin, yogurt like texture to his food. I was worried that it turned brown, but I've been assured that it's absolutely fine and not to worry. Your frozen banana cubes will go brown, too.

He ended up getting covered in banana, it was definitely the messiest food so far, but the next few times weren't as messy as below. NotBlondeHusband was convinced Blondie Boy would hate bananas since he does (and did as a baby as well), but he's had them three nights now and was diving at the spoon tonight, so I suspect he likes them!

My Bare Knees Boy

Kilts have been around since the 16th century and today are the traditional formal attire for Scottish men. NotBlondeHusband wore a kilt at our wedding and I usually talk him into wearing a kilt to most weddings we attend, because I think he looks really handsome in one.

Blondie Boy was invited to two weddings this month and I knew straight away I wanted him to wear a kilt. I started looking but they were either really poorly made or really expensive and I was getting frustrated until I found Bare Knees.

Libby, the kiltmaker and owner of Bare Knees was a solicitor but after having two wee boys, works from home making and selling custom made kilts. She originally started out intending to make adult kilts (and still does), but has found the demand is much higher for baby and toddler kilts.


Baby kilts are attached to a short sleeved onesie/vest and wraps around just like an adult kilt, but attaches with poppers rather than buckles. The kilts are made from proper tartan fabric (not printed cotton like some cheap baby velcro kilts) and are pleated perfectly in the back. Bareknees also makes makes and hires out toddler kilt packages.



Blondie Boy wore his kilt to a wedding in Edinburgh last Saturday and I can not tell you how many guests came up, commented on how cute he looked and asked where we got it. I loved seeing both my boys looking so handsome together in kilts.

My only critique would be that it would be nice if somehow the onesie could detach (it's sewn on to the back of the kilt) and be washed, but I'm no seamstress so I have no idea if such a thing is possible. Blondie Boy managed to have a bottle without spilling all over it, but I as babies tend to be messy, I think we got lucky. I plan on very carefully handwashing just the onesie (keeping the kilt out of the sink) if it starts to look a bit dirty.

I can't wait for him to wear it again this weekend! If you are in the market for a baby or child's kilt contact Libby at Bare Knees; most tartans are available and she even does a buy-back scheme so when your baby has outgrown their kilt, you can still keep them looking stylish! I can't recommend her enough!
Transatlantic Blonde received this product to review.

It's not easy being Green

The Gallery Week 13: Friendship

I spent hours looking through all my pictures and found some great ones of my friends and I, but I didn't want to leave out any of my amazing friends and most of the ones I loved weren't taken by myself. So here is my entry for this week:

Blondie Boy and his Froggie

Running for Lillian

Since getting pregnant with Blondie Boy I have made some amazing friends online. There is a group of us who bonded and their help and support have been invaluable to me the last year. I'm going to meet up with a lot of them this summer and I can't wait!


Two of these ladies, Vanessa & Beth, are running the Marine Core Marathon 10K in honor of another one of my friend's daughter, the beautiful Miss Lillian who has Prader-Willi Syndrome. Lillian's flourishing and growing so well with the help of her amazingly dedicated parents, but there is no cure.

If you have the cash, please donate to this more than worthy cause by clicking on the button above, which can also be found on my sidebar to the right. If you'd like to learn more about Prader-Willi, click here.

Keeps the Doctor Away

So now we've moved on to apples. You cook them basically the same as the carrots; peel/core, chop, cover with water and boil until tender (only takes about 5 minutes).

Then put in a food processor, blend until smooth adding reserved cooking water as necessary. You can keep the leftover cooking water in the fridge and add a few drops to your baby's water or use it to thin out the apples later.

Again I stuck them in an ice-cube tray when it was cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap and froze. Once they were frozen I popped them out into a labelled ziplock.

This is the first time I haven't mixed a solid with formula, but while he sometimes makes a somewhat sour face (which is HILARIOUS) he seems to like them.

We've also started giving him rice cereal after his first bottle of the day as well. He looooves his rice cereal and hopefully the "schedule" will help him adjust to the time zone changes when we go to the States.