Intu Chapelfield For Mother’s Day!

Don’t you at least miss the shopping? – The question most asked when I say we left London for Norfolk three year’s ago and haven’t looked back! And in answer I reply ‘Why would I choose travelling on a packed tube, so that when I emerge from the darkness onto an overflowing street, before fighting my way around swarming shops, I can buy nothing more than I could in Norwich?’

No… No I don’t miss the shopping. There’s actually nothing to miss. Travelling from one area to another so that I can visit all the emporiums I need doesn’t excite me at all. NOT AT ALL! I grew up in Norwich and I know my pretty city centre like the back of my hand – we have everything, every outlet, stand, showroom and store, all within minutes walk of each other and of course we also have the Intu Chapelfield shopping mall right at the very heart of it!

It’s not a soulless space with wall to wall boutiques of the same grey like one may imagine but instead it’s an eclectic mix of the old and new, independent retailers nestled spaciously next to the big high street names and it feels… Like you can whizz around in 5 minutes or take all day lounging at all the wares on offer in one bright space.

Intu Chapelfield is my parking destination of choice as it’s so central (and SO affordable – after 3pm a flat rate of £2.70 is offered) and this makes it perfect for late night shopping, or for my more usual wont, theatre trips!

We also LOVE some of the restaurants in and on the edges of Intu Chapelfield, again local independents mixed with the likes of Wagamama, Yo! and our personal fave, Ed’s Diner! Cafes, fast food, stalls.. All offering treats… Everything all under a single canopy and that, my friend, is why it makes it wonderful for me, a mother, with three children who when in tow, do not like to afford me the languished shopping trips I dream of!

But I AM a mother and these shopping averse offspring DO want to buy me some treasure to celebrate Mother’s Day this coming weekend so when Intu Chapekfield offered me some dollar to go and treat myself how could I say no?! Florence, off to rehearsals, directed me with an ‘I would like to buy you jewellery’ and I took the boys with me for a shopping afternoon which turned out to not be disaster avec two bored boys but a very enjoyable experience!

I tried on dresses and jump suits in H&M, poured over face masks in Superdrug, tickled my taste buds with tasty morsels in Hotel Chocolat and found glittery bum bag after glittery bum bag (I think my fave was in Skinny Dip London – see, not in London though, in Norwich!) amongst deliberations over trinkets and make-up counter indecisiveness and I enjoyed every last second.

The brief was to buy presents that mums would like and without exception to make everything for me and me alone. In an uncharacteristic turn of events I found myself with money burning a hole in my pocket and things, things, things I could buy in abundance (isn’t it usually the other way around?!) – I could have spent my money many times over!

But I was swayed into Oliver Bonas and that’s where I lost myself for a good hour. Mirrors, sunglasses, a rainbow skirt of absolute dreamy proportions… And a bag… A pouch to be precise, that I just could not let go and Jimmy was all for it, I’d found my gift from him!

A few doors up and I wandered into Lisa Angel, local jewellery maker who has exploded and now even has a stand in Top Shop on Oxford Street. Last year, for my first mother’s day as a mummy of three, my trio of peas in a pod bought me her peas in a pod necklace and I’ve treated myself to some other pieces since. If you saw my Insta stories yesterday then you will have seen that I simply couldn’t have ignored Florence’s instructions to get some jewellery when I fell head over heels in love with a wrap around, one size fits all, feather ring!

And from the baby… I had to choose a baby present… I plumped for the lip scruff from Lush which is something I have wanted to replace in my make up bag for ages but haven’t wanted to spend £6.50 on. It’s not exactly pure treat as I needed one but at the same time it’s more expensive than other products which sooth and nourish my lips so it was a bit of both and I chose the honey scent which I’ve not tried before but is, well, LUSH!

Let’s not forget my lip scruff which will buff my lips up perfectly for all the puckering up I’m expecting on Mother’s Day this coming Sunday! I’ll be cooking a roast (for my Mum, can’t trust Jonny to do it, we want to eat something nice) and lazing about with my gang – what about you?!

P.S, If you’re not a Mum reading this but you’re buying for one then can I suggest some of the things I saw at Intu Chapelfield like the Wonder Woman hoodie from H&M, a little packet of macarons from Macarons and More as well as a little perfume egg containing a surprise mini Ghost scent bottle (I assume meant for Easter but it’s floral and pretty and would work just as well for a much appreciated mama) – these are just a few more pieces I saw and loved on my spree!

I was sent a gift card to by my Mother’s Day gifts from Intu Chapelfield.