2018 has so many exciting things in store. Eric's birthday is coming up in April and of course it is my first Mother's Day this year. And this is something I am so excited for. Last year it fell on my due date and I was sitting outside in the sun incredibly pregnant, with no baby in sight and feeling very fed up. With an invite for both me and MG to come spend the morning at Patisserie Valerie on Friday I knew this was something I couldn't pass up. Not only would it be lovely to see my own mum near Mother's Day, but it is her first as a grandmother too!
After meeting Danielle and her mum outside we headed into Patisserie Valerie to get settled. MG wasn't having the best journey up to Liverpool and was running behind but Sarah from Carousel PR was really accommodating, helping me down the stairs with the pushchair and promising to keep an eye out for mum and show her inside (Mum and I are cut from the same cloth - running late makes us both really flustered).
Snatching a minute whilst Eric was happy in his highchair I made my way over to swoon over the two delicious looking cakes that were sitting on a table at the front of the table that had been set out for all the attendees of the event. I've been to Patisserie Valerie a few times before but have never actually sampled many of the cakes. Decadent, beautifully decorated and delectable, my heart skipped a beat and my tummy rumbled just looking at them. Why didn't we come here more often?
With our hot drinks ordered and everyone settled in, the morning started with a talk by Chelsea from Liverpool Girl Geeks who shared with us how the organisation began and how they strive to support and provide programmes to help women get into the technology sector. I only caught snippets of her talk and the stories she shared (Eric was getting a bit fussy and needed entertaining) but it was clear she is really passionate about what she does and the empowering message Liverpool Girl Geeks delivers.
After Chelsea's talk it was time to tuck into the slices of cake that we had so generously been provided with. Knowing Eric would get serious food envy I asked if we could order him some toast ('Jackie doesn't share food') and the staff kindly obliged and provided us with toast and butter free of charge. As E sat chomping away, Danielle, myself and our mums chatted away and it just felt really nice spending some time together. With Danielle helping in the entertaining of Eric I even got to enjoy a hot coffee - boy have I missed that! The slice of cake (I went for the strawberry) was absolutely beautiful. The sponge was so light and fluffy that it melted away in your mouth, leaving a sweet aftertaste that enticed you to have one forkful more. MG opted for a slice of the chocolate and if I hadn't whipped a bit onto my fork to try she would have gobbled it up without offering me a bit to try. And who could blame her? Rich and flavourful with a creamy filling and a perfectly formed profiterole perched on top it too was absolutely delicious.
Trying to balance being a blogger and a mum is something I have been finding really difficult as I tend to miss out on so much, so having this time to reconnect with familiar faces and catch up really meant a lot to me. It was fantastic seeing Danielle, Helena and Pingkan and spending some quality time with my mum and Eric in a place that was so welcoming and flexible. Sarah and all the staff fell over backwards to lend a hand with getting the pushchair up and down the stairs which was just amazing. Finding new places to go when you have a little one with you can be really tricky and I wouldn't hesitate to head to Patisserie Valerie again. Especially because afterwards it's so easy to nip next door and indulge in some shopping in the Met Quarter.
As we were leaving we were very kindly given goody bags, which contained cupcakes, a voucher for more treats from Patisserie Valerie and the prettiest pink flower from mq flowers which Eric was rather taken with. It was so thoughtful that mums were included in the event and given a little something to take away with them, and I know MG was over the moon with her cupcake (I am still yet to eat mine).
It may be Mother's Day but it's never too late to treat your mum and the Met Quarter is the perfect place to go for ideas. With the likes of Jo Malone, mq flowers, Mococo, Paperchase and of course Patisserie Valerie all in the same spot it's an ideal spot to shop til you drop and treat your mum to something she loves for Mother's Day or simply just because.
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