Latest news with #Pamela
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Scotland's Home of the Year property placed on market before BBC showdown
The sandstone bungalow in Giffnock is a finalist in Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 and will compete alongside five other homes. A stunning Glasgow home in the running to be crowned BBC Scotland's Home of the Year has gone on the market ahead of the finale. The 1930s sandstone bungalow in Giffnock, which featured in the first episode of this year's edition of the popular TV show, is is now on sale as it prepares to compete in the grand finale of the hit property series, reports Glasgow Live. Currently home to graphic designer Pamela Bain and business consultant husband Gordon, both 38, their son Caleb, 8, and Irish Setter Rosa, the plush home stoof out with its charming mix of 'granny-style with a modern twist'. The home will compete against other properties across the country after it was crowned the best of three homes in the West to feature on the show. The owners will face off in the finale of the popular BBC series, filmed in Glasgow at the Mackintosh-designed House for an Art Lover in the southside of the city. The finale will be broadcast on Monday, June 2, and will show the homeowners meeting the judges for the first time as they also get a chance to explore each other's properties. Ahead of the final episode, property firm Rerrie has announced the home's upcoming sale in a teaser post on Facebook, saying: "A beautiful home coming to the market soon... So beautiful it's a finalist on Scotland's Home of the Year 2025 ." The family moved into the property in 2020, Pamela said she loved the house from the first viewing. 'The house had really good bones: lovely big rooms; a really nice, easy layout, and the original features it had were really unique and striking.' As for the property's striking decor, Pamela said: 'I've always loved old furniture, and we were lucky to inherit some furniture from my gran and my husband's gran. When we first saw this house, my first thought was my gran's furniture was going to look great in there.' The property is now one of six that judges Anna Campbell-Jones, Banjo Beale and Danny Campbell will choose from to be named Scotland's Home of the Year 2025. This year's search showcased a variety of styles from period properties to modern new-builds, cosy cottages to bespoke flats, farm steadings to contemporary abodes. This year's finalists are: SANDSTONE BUNGALOW, Giffnock ( Ep1, West). Home to Pamela and Gordon, their son Caleb and Rosa the Irish Setter, the 'Sandstone Bungalow' blends together old with new, whilst retaining the beautiful original 1930s details. The couple design choices bring the 'Sandstone Bungalow' up-to-date with a bright and modern kitchen, dining and living spaces. HILLTOP HOUSE, Aberdeenshire ( Ep2, North East & Northern Isles). Situated on the outskirts of Pitmedden in rural Aberdeenshire, 'Hilltop House' is home to Chris, Jessica, their son Chase and dogs Enzo and Dino. The couple designed their bright, contemporary house around the original footprint of the farm steading, fusing mid-century and Californian cool style to create their dream home. WEE CITY NOOK, Edinburgh ( Ep3, East). A first-floor traditional tenement in Edinburgh's Stockbridge area, 'Wee City Nook' is home to Devin and Max. The couple combined their creative skills to design and rebuild each room in this small-but-perfectly-formed home, creating clever storage solutions, maximising every nook and cranny. Together, they have created a bold, bright and colourful abode which truly packs a design punch. THE TREE HOUSE, Broughty Ferry ( Ep4, Central & Tayside). A modernist 1960s property in Broughty Ferry, 'The Tree House' is home to Jackie, Paul and their cats Mirren and Kaja. The couple fell in love with this neglected house which had laid empty for five years, lovingly breathing new life into it whilst preserving the original architect's vision. Amongst their changes, they reworked the upstairs space to create their bedroom of dreams overlooking the treetops. AN CALA COTTAGE, Isle of Skye ( Ep5, Highlands & Islands). A cosy cottage, 'An Cala Cottage' is home to Caroline, Lee and their dog, Nuala. This traditional cottage was brought back to life on a budget, with the couple incorporating charming charity shop finds with a creative use of colour throughout. They took inspiration for their interior design from the coastal and mountain views which surround, creating a cosy and relaxing home. CRAIGMOUNT, Near Dalbeattie ( Ep6, South). A Victorian semi-detached house near Dalbeattie, home to Ozzy, Laura, daughter Grace and Ethel the pug. The property's coastal views won the family over and they made it their own by renovating and adding a tasteful extension to the original granite building. Boasting a bold and colourful interior, the family entered Craigmount as Grace's late gran loved SHOTY. Judge and interior designer Anna Campbell-Jones said: 'As always, we have a set of finalists that are each uniquely different from each other, from restored modernist dreams to handcrafted miniature perfection there's inspiration for everyone. 'When we film the final we are never sure who the winner will be - it could genuinely be any of these amazing homes. Through debate, much discussion and not a little heartbreak, we gradually whittle them down to one that we all agree has that magical edge - the home that best exemplifies what home means.' Isle of Mull-based judge and interior designer Banjo Beale said: 'Each home's bursting with personality - bold, beautiful, and a real labour of love. The finale of SHOTY is the big emotional payoff - surprises, stories, and a stunning winner that'll take your breath away.' Architect Danny Campbell added: 'This year's finalists are an eclectic celebration of design adventures — bold, heartfelt, and unapologetically individual. Each home tells a story of its owner's passions, priorities and aesthetic DNA, from slick architectural statements to soulful reimagining of traditional spaces. The finale is always a head-spin - equal parts tension and celebration. Viewers can expect impassioned debates, inspiring interior insights and that brilliant moment where we finally agree on a winner!' Faced with six unforgettable and unique homes, Anna, Banjo and Danny cast their votes based on architectural merit, distinctive design, original style and what makes a house a home. The finale of Scotland's Home of the Year will air on BBC One Scotland on Monday 2 nd June at 8.30pm and on BBC iPlayer.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Look inside the bright and luxurious bungalow that's made the final of Scotland's Home of the Year
The excitement is mounting, as we catapult towards the grand finale of Scotland's Home of the Year on June 2. It takes place at Glasgow's House for an Art Lover, where six sets of nervous property owners discover who's taking the grand prize. They include Pamela and Gordon Bain of the Sandstone Bungalow in Giffnock. Their home became the first finalist way back in episode one, the West heat, which was screened in April. At the decider, it'll be going up against Hilltop House, Pitmedden; Wee City Nook, Edinburgh; The Tree House, Broughty Ferry; An Cala Cottage on the Isle of Skye and Craigmount, near Dalbeattie. It's stiff competition, but the bungalow's owners should clear room on a mantelpiece, just in case. After all, the judges were completely blown away, and each awarded it a 10. They only had positive things to say. Even if they don't win, the Bain family are amazed to make it this far. 'It was absolutely bizarre. You know, we really weren't expecting to get to the final,' says Pamela, who works as a graphic designer. 'To be honest, it would just be lovely to be featured, as we've always watched the programme. Well, I certainly have. We just thought this would be a fun experience that would celebrate all the work we've done in the house'. Since appearing on the show, Pamela has been glued to series seven. Her favourite contenders, apart from her own, have been The Tree House and An Cala Cottage. As their episode revealed, Pamela and her family - husband, Gordon Bain, son, Caleb, and their Irish setter - have been at their Thirties property for five years. They transformed it, which meant spending almost every weekend and evening to get it to the stage that made the SHOTY judges' eyes turn to saucers. The team loved that the house featured plays on contrasting colours, with rooms painted in light shades that had dramatically dark floors, and vice versa,. Then there was the wooden herringbone floor that extends from the vast hallway and into the kitchen. As well as changing the decor, the family have added a cool zinc-clad extension, to create an open plan cooking and living space. This is where Pamela placed her SHOTY favourite spot loveheart, as the dual aspect means she can keep an eye on both the dog and her son. Banjo Beale loved it here too, and said he wanted to make pancakes. 'He's welcome to come round and do that, any time,' Pamela says. After the property had been on the show and was revealed as a finalist, the Bains had lots of proud friends getting in contact. 'They were all so happy for us and were shouting about it on social media, and it was really nice to have that support,' she says. Apparently, when Caleb went to school, other kids mentioned that they'd spotted him in the show. 'He thought it was so funny that people were coming up to him saying, 'well done',' says Pamela. He's bound to be popular among his friends, as one of the bungalow's rooms, which wasn't featured on the programme, is a cinema space, where he can watch films with his pals. This may be a modern addition, but the judges on SHOTY loved that the Bains had leant into the property's Thirties features, and hadn't ripped out elements,for the sake of it. For example, it retains its stained glass, as well as original fitted wardrobes in the main bedroom and, in a bathroom, they have the rather unique addition of a blue loo. Instead of replacing this with something neutral, they painted the whole room dark blue, wallpapered the ceiling with a landscape print, and managed to celebrate their pastel cludgie. The judges also loved the use of Pamela's dark wood antique furniture, including a drinks trolley and sideboard, that she has showcased in the dining room. She inherited those pieces from her granny, and the judges thought that the setting made them look contemporary. 'We did buy the house, thinking that they would look good in it,' she says. There are also lots of other cool objects scattered around the house. Things that you wouldn't find everywhere, like the pretty pink glass kitchen pendant lights, a vintage chandelier and saffron-coloured curtains that graze the floor. They're testament to Pamela's magpie-like skills. 'There's a lot of secondhand buys from charity shops and vintage warehouses, but also there's a huge amount of high street,' she says. 'I'm not snobby when it comes to buying a vase from a supermarket. When I see something that I think reflects our personality, then I'll get it, and it doesn't really matter where it's from. I think having a nice collection of different things makes it feel a bit more unique and full of personality'. When it comes to design, Pamela gets much of her inspiration online and has her own Instagram account, @perfecting_the_house 'I mostly use Pinterest for ideas. I'm doing a lot of boards, and also I look at Instagram, as there are lots of home accounts, and I obviously share my home on there as well,' she says. 'So, there's a big community, just sharing inspiration'. Since appearing on the show, Pamela has, unsurprisingly, had more folk than usual asking her for design advice. 'I've got a lot of very talented friends, so they don't need any help, but I do get people asking for input,' she says. 'I love that. I'm very much up for helping. I've got a colour and a pattern sort of eye'. The Scotland's Home of the Year final is on June 2, 8.30pm, BBC Scotland, BBC Scotland have opened applications for Scotland's Home of the Year 2026, see 2 . TV room and snug IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales 3 . Dining room with granny's furniture and pale pink walls IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales 4 . The kitchen, with what Danny described as a 'ceiling lantern' IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
28 Times Famous Women Were Shamed For Aging, Men Praised
We all know that men and women are held to completely different standards when it comes to aging, particularly in Hollywood. For years, so many famous women have been scrutinized for aging while men are frequently called hotter as they get older — a depressingly glaring reflection of society's beauty standards and what we've been conditioned to find attractive. Let's take a look at some examples: 1. At the 2025 Met Gala, Pamela Anderson, 57, was called 'frumpy' in a cruel, viral tabloid headline after she stepped out onto the red carpet embracing her natural beauty. In fact, Pamela decided to ditch heavy makeup back in 2023 — a decision that initially left her sons, Brandon Thomas and Dylan Jagger, 'horrified.' 2. When 42-year-old Hilarie Burton was questioned over her decision to let her gray hair grow out, she directly referenced the difference in treatment between men and women. 'When I was growing up, the men who were really handsome, like the Harrison Ford's out there, there was always that twinkle of gray hair. There was George Clooney. He turned into a silver fox… I loved how their aging process was embraced. And so rather than just complain that us girls don't get to do the same thing, I thought it was really important to walk the walk. And so, silver is here to stay,' she said. 3. In 2023, Madonna, 66, hit back at critics of her Grammys appearance after close-up photos of her face went viral. 'Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim- Many people chose to only talk about Close-up photos of me Taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone's face!!' she wrote on Instagram. 'Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.' 4. In 2022, Sarah Jessica Parker recalled media outlets spending 'months and months' describing her as 'brave' for letting her hair go gray. 'I was like, please please applaud someone else's courage on something!' she said. 5. Amid the release of her very apt film The Substance, Demi Moore, 62, talked openly about struggling with finding her 'place' in Hollywood after turning 40. 'I had more challenges, particularly in my career, in my 40s than I do now. At that time, no one quite knew what to do with me. I wasn't 30, but I wasn't 40 in a way that people could comfortably identify me as a mother, etc. There was no place for me,' she told Variety. 6. Renée Zellweger, 56, has repeatedly called out critics who fixated on her appearance and accused her of getting plastic surgery. When asked about aging in Hollywood in 2016, the actor replied, 'I've never see the maturation of a woman as a negative thing…Why do we value beauty over contribution? We don't seem to value beauty over contribution from men.' 7. After being called 'unrecognizable,' Meg Ryan — who is now 63 — told Glamour, 'Our culture is so obsessed with youth. As an old person now, I love my age. I love where I'm at. Aging is not that terrifying. We're all doing it. I wish someone had told me earlier, 'Just relax. It is what it is. Don't pay attention to the obstacles.'' 8. Cameron Diaz, who has long been vocal about aging in Hollywood and embracing her beauty, discussed the subject in her 2016 New York Times bestseller The Longevity Book, during which she detailed being told that she's 'no longer valuable' at age 44. 'To be told at 44 that I'm no longer valuable or that I'm not viable or that I'm just going to be discarded and nobody's going to care…I have another 40 years in me, at least. Why am I all of a sudden going to be afraid to live the rest of my life because I'm not 25?' wrote the now-52-year-old. 9. Maggie Gyllenhaal, now 47, once recalled being told by a film producer that she was 'too old' to play the love interest of a 55-year-old when she was 37. 'It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made me feel angry, and then it made me laugh,' she said. 10. Tia Mowry, 46, once revealed that she was urged to cover her gray hair by someone on a film set. She recalled to InStyle, 'Someone on set told me, 'You really need to cover those gray hairs! Girls shouldn't be seen that way.' And I said, 'No. I'm going to keep my gray hair. This is normal, this is what happens.' Because at the end of the day, no matter what the trends are or what people tell me about how I should look, I define what beauty is for me. And for me, beauty is confidence, beauty is feeling good about yourself, beauty is embracing all of your flaws, and beauty is aging." 11. 56-year-old Jennifer Aniston, who has been called "aged out" by critics, previously opened up about being treated differently in Hollywood as soon as she turned 50 and facing 'pressure to be ageless.' 'So it's weird that it's all of a sudden getting telegraphed in a way that's like, 'You look amazing for your age,'' she told InStyle. 'I think we need to establish some etiquette around that dialogue and verbiage.' 12. Julia Roberts, 57, once recalled being scrutinized over her looks and told she wasn't 'aging well' after her niece, Emma Roberts, shared a sweet photo of the pair on social media. 'The number of people who felt absolutely required to talk about how terrible I looked in the picture — that I'm not aging well, that I look like a man, why would she even post a picture like this when I look that terrible! And I was amazed at how that made me feel. I'm a 50-year-old woman and I know who I am, and still my feelings got hurt,' she told Oprah Winfrey during a 2018 conversation for Harper's Bazaar. 13. Andie MacDowell revealed in 2021 that her managers urged her against embracing her gray hair. 'I somehow feel like I look younger because it looks more natural. It's not like I'm trying to hide something. I think that it's a power move, and that's what I kept telling my managers,' said the star, who is now 67. 14. Julianne Moore, 64, once admitted that she finds it 'sexist' when people tell her that she's 'aging gracefully,' questioning, 'Is there an ungraceful way to age?' No one has an option about aging, so it's not a positive or a negative thing. It just is. It's part of the human condition. So why are we always talking about it as if it is something that we have control over?' On the contrary, men are often viewed a little differently when it comes to aging — not just in terms of praise, but also the very fact that they don't struggle with landing leading roles in TV and film as soon as they hit a certain age: 1. Keanu Reeves, now 60, has long been deemed one of the most attractive men in Hollywood. In fact, he shockingly won praise in 2019 for simply dating a woman close (ish) in age to him: Alexandra Grant, who is 9 years his junior. 2. Pedro Pascal's looks have long been praised — especially since he starred in The Last of Us, with outlets hailing him for 'aging like fine wine.' Back in 2022, the 50-year-old actor hilariously confessed to viewing himself as a 'heartthrob' during a now-viral lie detector test with Vanity Fair — something that heaps of internet users and outlets gladly agree with. 3. Idris Elba — who was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2018 at age 46 — is very often remarked for his suave charm and appearance, with several fans and critics citing him as the ideal James Bond time and again. 4. George Clooney is one of four celebrities who have been named People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' twice: Once in 1997, and once in 2000, when he was in his late 30s. Now 64, the star is frequently praised for his 'silver fox appeal.' 5. A couple of years ago, now-82-year-old Harrison Ford was reminded by a reporter at Cannes that he's 'still very hot' — to which the star replied, 'Look, I've been blessed with this body. Thanks for noticing.' 6. Patrick Dempsey — who shot to renowned fame after playing Dr. Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy — was named the 'Sexiest Man Alive' by People in 2023, when he was 57. 'I'm glad it's happening at this point in my life,' said the star, who is now 59. 7. Brad Pitt, 61, has long been deemed one of the hottest men in Hollywood — with several notable outlets frequently publishing roundups of his 'sexiest' looks throughout the years. Like most of the men on this list, Brad has been named the 'Sexiest Man Alive' by People. In fact, he was the first man to achieve the title on two separate occasions, in 1995 and 2000. 8. Similarly, Matthew McConaughey, 55, is often featured on lists praising famous men who are aging like 'fine wine.' 9. Having recently turned 50, David Beckham has long been admired for his good looks, with Elle magazine writing in 2016 that he 'just gets better and better with age' amid an article highlighting the 'evolution' of his hotness. 10. Not only has Tom Cruise been called hot for years, but his 'stunning transformation' has been praised by outlets. 11. When he was in his mid-60s, Denzel Washington was listed on People's famous ranking of the world's sexiest men. In fact, just last year, the now-70-year-old was crowned the winner of the 'Sexy at Every Age' accolade in the outlet's 2024 issue. 12. Since letting his gray hair grow out, Steve Carell's 'silver fox' look has been described as 'so much better' looking. In fact, numerous fans were shocked to discover that the actor was in his 60s when he appeared on Stephen Colbert in 2023, with some comments reading, '60 has never looked so good,' and, 'That man ages like fine wine.' 13. John Krasinski, who is 45, was most recently named People's 'Sexiest Man Alive,' last November — and the star admitted just this month that he's still enjoying owning the title. 14. Finally, Lenny Kravitz, 60, was told earlier this year that he's getting 'better with age' during an interview — a sentiment that has been shared online by fans for years. Of course, this is just a generalization; famous men have also been critiqued by the media as they age, though not to the same extent that women have. Let me know if you can think of any other examples down below in the comments.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was quoted £240 for my daughter's birthday cake so DIY-ed it for a fraction of the cost with M&S and Temu buys
A MUM who was quoted a staggering £240 to make a 4th birthday cake for her daughter has been praised after showing how she did it herself for just £55. Pamela explained that she wanted a Trolls-themed cake to mark her little girl Mila turning four, so got a quote from a professional baker near her. 3 Pamela took to TikTok to share how she turned these M&S cakes into a Trolls-themed masterpiece Credit: TikTok / @rarapammy 3 The cake cost her just £55, while she'd been quoted £240 by a professional cake maker Credit: TikTok / @rarapammy 3 Others said the cake probably tasted better being from M&S than it would if a pro had made it Credit: Getty But when it came back at £240, she decided to try and DIY it. And the results were better than she could have ever imagined, as she She used three cakes from Marks & Spencer to create the tiered design - the Under the Rainbow cake, the Rainbow layer cake and a Vanilla sprinkle gift cake. She then stacked them on top of each other - with the rainbow-striped cake at the bottom, followed by the rainbow layer cake and topped off with the gift cake. Read more Mum Hack stories Pamela placed the finished cake on a pink board from Amazon, and added loads of Trolls decorations to complete it. She added Trolls figurines from Temu, and used a gorgeous cake topper she'd had made from Etsy, which featured some of the film's famous characters and 'Mila, 4' on it. "Oops I did it again! Thank you Marks and Spencer, I didn't have to pay £240 for the cake I was quoted," she captioned the TikTok snaps. The comments section was immediately filled with people saying how impressed they were by Pamela's skills, and bombarding her with questions about her creation. Most read in Fabulous "How much did it come to?" one asked. With Pamela replying: "£40ish for the cakes and about £15 for all the Trolls bits!" The simple chocolate cake recipe using only TWO ingredients - it's sweet and you won't even need to put it in the oven "Did you have to put anything in the cakes to support them?" another questioned. "No - I didn't - I literally just piled them on top of each other - next time I think I will, it would be really simple to do!" "LOVE THIS SUPERMUM!!" one wrote. "This issss soo smart!!" another raved. "Wow, this is a GAME changer! So impressive!" a third insisted. "Omg that's amazing, well done you!" someone else said. Time-saving mum hacks Morning Routine Nighttime Preparation: Set out clothes for yourself and the kids, pack lunches, and organise backpacks before bed. Effortless Breakfasts: Keep simple, healthy breakfast options on hand, such as overnight oats, smoothie packs, or pre-made breakfast burritos. Meal Planning Weekly Meal Prep: Dedicate time each week to plan your meals to eliminate daily decision-making. Bulk Cooking: Prepare larger quantities and freeze portions for future use. Hands-Off Cooking: Make use of slow cookers or Instant Pots for easy, unattended meal prep. Ready-to-Use Veggies: Purchase pre-chopped vegetables or chop them all at once to save time during the week. Household Chores Daily Laundry: Do a load of laundry every day to prevent a buildup of dirty clothes. Continuous Cleaning: Encourage kids to clean up after themselves and perform small cleaning tasks throughout the day. Efficient Multitasking: Fold laundry while watching TV or listen to audiobooks/podcasts while cleaning. Organisation Family Command Centre: Set up a central hub with a calendar, to-do lists, and important documents. Daily Decluttering: Spend a few minutes each day decluttering to maintain an organised home. Organised Storage: Use bins and baskets to keep items neat and easy to locate. Kid Management Prepared Activity Bags: Have bags packed with essentials for various activities (e.g., swimming, sports). Routine Visuals: Implement visual charts to help kids follow their routines independently. Task Delegation: Assign age-appropriate chores to children to foster responsibility and reduce your workload. "Babe I literally do this every birthday and my kids think I'm a literal genius to top it all off!" another added. "Wicked idea & it looks good!" someone else said. "Everything from M&S tastes nice too," another added. "It looks AMAZING! Well done!" someone else commented. While others insisted that Pamela's cake probably tastes better than professional ones too. "Cakes made by bakers are horrible," one said. "I've always paid a fortune for them and they are dry and they use cheap quality ingredients. This is a GAME changer! Impressed TikTok commenter "I go to M&S for all my kids cakes now.. they 100% taste nice than any baker!" "Bet it tasted lovely too, I find most cake makers cakes actually don't taste as nice as they look," another said. With a "wedding/celebration cake baker" weighing in: "I make sure all my cakes taste good and use real ingredients. "I've seen and tasted some shocking cakes, faux ingredients and it devalues our skills which is what you pay for. "I've also stacked an M&S cake due to budget constraints." Reflecting on her savvy hack, Pamela told Fabulous Online: "Honestly, if I can do it, anyone can! "I love finding easy solutions for busy working mums that don't cost a fortune."
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I was quoted £240 for my daughter's birthday cake so DIY-ed it for a fraction of the cost with M&S and Temu buys
She also got an adorable cake topper from Temu to personalise the creation CAKE MAKE I was quoted £240 for my daughter's birthday cake so DIY-ed it for a fraction of the cost with M&S and Temu buys Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MUM who was quoted a staggering £240 to make a 4th birthday cake for her daughter has been praised after showing how she did it herself for just £55. Pamela explained that she wanted a Trolls-themed cake to mark her little girl Mila turning four, so got a quote from a professional baker near her. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Pamela took to TikTok to share how she turned these M&S cakes into a Trolls-themed masterpiece Credit: TikTok / @rarapammy 3 The cake cost her just £55, while she'd been quoted £240 by a professional cake maker Credit: TikTok / @rarapammy 3 Others said the cake probably tasted better being from M&S than it would if a pro had made it Credit: Getty But when it came back at £240, she decided to try and DIY it. And the results were better than she could have ever imagined, as she took to TikTok to share the finished cake. She used three cakes from Marks & Spencer to create the tiered design - the Under the Rainbow cake, the Rainbow layer cake and a Vanilla sprinkle gift cake. She then stacked them on top of each other - with the rainbow-striped cake at the bottom, followed by the rainbow layer cake and topped off with the gift cake. Pamela placed the finished cake on a pink board from Amazon, and added loads of Trolls decorations to complete it. She added Trolls figurines from Temu, and used a gorgeous cake topper she'd had made from Etsy, which featured some of the film's famous characters and 'Mila, 4' on it. "Oops I did it again! Thank you Marks and Spencer, I didn't have to pay £240 for the cake I was quoted," she captioned the TikTok snaps. The comments section was immediately filled with people saying how impressed they were by Pamela's skills, and bombarding her with questions about her creation. "How much did it come to?" one asked. With Pamela replying: "£40ish for the cakes and about £15 for all the Trolls bits!" The simple chocolate cake recipe using only TWO ingredients - it's sweet and you won't even need to put it in the oven "Did you have to put anything in the cakes to support them?" another questioned. "No - I didn't - I literally just piled them on top of each other - next time I think I will, it would be really simple to do!" "LOVE THIS SUPERMUM!!" one wrote. "This issss soo smart!!" another raved. "Wow, this is a GAME changer! So impressive!" a third insisted. "Omg that's amazing, well done you!" someone else said. Time-saving mum hacks Morning Routine Nighttime Preparation: Set out clothes for yourself and the kids, pack lunches, and organise backpacks before bed. Effortless Breakfasts: Keep simple, healthy breakfast options on hand, such as overnight oats, smoothie packs, or pre-made breakfast burritos. Meal Planning Weekly Meal Prep: Dedicate time each week to plan your meals to eliminate daily decision-making. Bulk Cooking: Prepare larger quantities and freeze portions for future use. Hands-Off Cooking: Make use of slow cookers or Instant Pots for easy, unattended meal prep. Ready-to-Use Veggies: Purchase pre-chopped vegetables or chop them all at once to save time during the week. Household Chores Daily Laundry: Do a load of laundry every day to prevent a buildup of dirty clothes. Continuous Cleaning: Encourage kids to clean up after themselves and perform small cleaning tasks throughout the day. Efficient Multitasking: Fold laundry while watching TV or listen to audiobooks/podcasts while cleaning. Organisation Family Command Centre: Set up a central hub with a calendar, to-do lists, and important documents. Daily Decluttering: Spend a few minutes each day decluttering to maintain an organised home. Organised Storage: Use bins and baskets to keep items neat and easy to locate. Kid Management Prepared Activity Bags: Have bags packed with essentials for various activities (e.g., swimming, sports). Routine Visuals: Implement visual charts to help kids follow their routines independently. Task Delegation: Assign age-appropriate chores to children to foster responsibility and reduce your workload. "Babe I literally do this every birthday and my kids think I'm a literal genius to top it all off!" another added. "Wicked idea & it looks good!" someone else said. "Everything from M&S tastes nice too," another added. "It looks AMAZING! Well done!" someone else commented. While others insisted that Pamela's cake probably tastes better than professional ones too. "Cakes made by bakers are horrible," one said. "I've always paid a fortune for them and they are dry and they use cheap quality ingredients. This is a GAME changer! Impressed TikTok commenter "I go to M&S for all my kids cakes now.. they 100% taste nice than any baker!" "Bet it tasted lovely too, I find most cake makers cakes actually don't taste as nice as they look," another said. With a "wedding/celebration cake baker" weighing in: "I make sure all my cakes taste good and use real ingredients. "I've seen and tasted some shocking cakes, faux ingredients and it devalues our skills which is what you pay for. "I've also stacked an M&S cake due to budget constraints." Reflecting on her savvy hack, Pamela told Fabulous Online: "Honestly, if I can do it, anyone can! "I love finding easy solutions for busy working mums that don't cost a fortune."
