January Sales – investing in quality

Ah the sales, who doesn’t love a bargain but I suppose the thing with sales is not to get sucked in. Yes it’s easy to be dazzled by that jumper that only costs a tenner or whatever but the reality is that we need to stop and think about what we buy. Regardless of whether it costs practically nothing because sometimes a bargain isn’t a bargain if we’re not going to wear it all that much, that said if it does cost a tenner and you will wear it loads then yay for that! I love the sales for investment pieces, things that would ordinarily be way out of my budget are suddenly within reach so I jump. I want to pad out the basics in my wardrobe with really good quality clothes so the sales are a great time to look at investing in leather, wool, cashmere, denim; materials and pieces that will last.

That said it can also be a good time to step outside your comfort zone – for me it’s a great opportunity to buy dresses that I have notions of wearing everyday but in reality I rarely get to but I do love them all the same and someday I’ll wear them more I swear!!  Continue reading

The ultimate directory of small creative Irish companies

I’ve long since been a supporter of small Irish companies who focus on creativity and sustainability. I applaud any man, woman and parent who takes on the challenge of coming up with an idea, of creating a business and being everything and everyone that is required to run a company, from marketing to designing, they do it all. I’ve reviewed many a product from these wonderful companies and wonderful people but in the run up to Christmas I wanted to do something that I don’t think exists out there already – a proper, constantly updated, list of all the wonderful small businesses out there. A place where people can come with an idea they want to support local, support Irish and they can find what they want here, from these wonderful businesses.  Continue reading

Investing in the classics with Marks and Spencer

Lately I am loath to admit that though I harbour dreams of looking as effortlessly stylish as some of the ladies I follow on Instagram, for me this just isn’t a reality right now. My days (and nights!) are busy and I would love to have the time and energy to spend my mornings browsing through my closet pulling together outfits, but the truth is that the same jumpers and jeans are on rotation for many’s  a day. And that’s ok because I need to be warm (for walking to school) and I need to be comfortable around the girls. Continue reading

My Autumn wardrobe staples for busy Mums from M&S

Ah Autumn is finally upon us, I absolutely love the Autumn and the Spring, I love the transition between the two more slightly extreme seasons. I adore the frosty cold mornings that Autumn brings and the cosy nights in in front of the fire. I’ve come to realise I tend to rely on similar versions of the same outfit for Autumn and Winter – skinny jeans or jeggings and cosy jumpers. I’d like to think I will wear dresses and skirts 

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The art of transitional dressing, pre- to postpartum, with Marks and Spencers

Ah maternity clothes…I have found over my four pregnancies that dressing an ever changing body is a real challenge. And maternity clothes are, bizarrely, becoming increasingly more difficult to find in the high street stores with most maternity ranges banished to the web. I always find it baffling really because of all the times in your life you need to try on clothes it’s when you are pregnant! Over the course of my pregnancies I’ve tried to mix it up in terms of what I wear from ‘maternity ranges’ and shopping around to find clothes that fit during and after pregnancy. This is the real dream, something that is flattering in both phases of existence, and while it can be tricky it is not impossible. Continue reading

Wallpapering a bathroom….some tips from my experience

wallpapering tips smallbathroom diy

Our downstairs bathroom was one of those rooms I had a notion I wanted to make it a drastic contrast to the rest of the house. It’s small and really any mistakes made there wouldn’t be the end of the world. We have no wallpaper in the house so I wanted to see what it would be like to give it a shot and there are so many beautiful designs out there it was a DIY I was itching to try. And I wanted to see how much I could transform the room Continue reading

Thinking outside the box with fashion this Christmas

This is a sponsored post with F&F Clothing 

Ahhh the festive season is upon us! I have to say it is without doubt my favourite time of the year especially now that the girls are totally into it all. Being a Mum though I have no Christmas party to attend per se but I have plenty of nights out planned with friends. For this blog post I was tasked to talk about party wear ultimately, but I want to think about it a little differently. I’ve spoken a bit about this on my social media but I’m starting to rethink my attitude towards shopping and clothes in general. Lately I find myself thinking more about where Continue reading

Sustainable denim from F&F

I would estimate that, despite having a wardrobe bursting with pretty dresses, the reality is that I spend 95% of my days in jeans. And in doing so I would consider myself to be fussy when it comes to finding the perfect pair. There are a few keys things I require when I look for jeans, the main thing is, possibly somewhat obviously, comfort. I spend my days walking to and from school and preschool, I am up and down off the ground constantly, and I spend the vast majority of my day bent over picking things (toys, babies, puzzle pieces, food, discarded sippy cups, paper, twistables, dolls, dolls shoes, you get my drift!). Continue reading

Holiday mode with Marks & Spencer

M&S summer holiday clothes for kids the two darlings parenting blog M&S summer 2017

Last summer I look back and think we didn’t make the best of the free days we had before the advent of big school. I suppose it’s fair to say that being pregnant probably didn’t help my energy levels but this year, with energy levels somewhat returned, I am making a commitment to myself and the ladies that we are going to explore more. The mornings are going to be filled with packing picnics, loading up the slow cooker with dinner and piling the kitchen sink necessary accoutrements that come with kids and adventures into the car. But before we hit off we had to get prepared, the weather was unseasonably mild this Easter and the big lady in particular was left peering into her wardrobe in search of a summer dress that would fit her!
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Next maternity clothes

I really think that finally I’ve found my groove when it comes to dressing a bump. This is probably the one pregnancy where I’ve been a little bit courageous in what I wear while at the same time I always, always put comfort first. Previously I’ve been sat at a desk for the vast majority of my pregnancies so if you’re uncomfortable you only have yourself to worry about. However, what I’ve learned this time round if you’re uncomfortable and trying to control two unruly redheads you start to sweat from places you didn’t know possible. Continue reading