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

Winter wardrobe essentials – investing in quality pieces that last

I have spoken about it more and more lately that I’m eager to move away from trends and fast fashion and to start investing in decent, hardworking, classic pieces of clothes. I don’t have the energy to style outfits in the morning and I find myself gravitating towards the same pieces over and over. So I want to make sure these pieces are really good quality, they need to wash and wear well and they need to look smart. I don’t always get my hair done or any makeup on but if my outfit is smart at least I feel like I’m somewhat presentable. Next year for me will be about focusing on buying less but buying better, and that won’t be just when it comes to clothes. Continue reading

Stocking fillers and Secret Santa gift ideas for everyone in your life

(AD – This post is sponsored by Marks and Spencer) There are some gifts that are easy to buy and there are some that aren’t and honestly I find Secret Santa ones the hardest, you often find yourself having to buy a little gift for someone you may not know that well, maybe it’s the colleague at work you got in Kris Kindle, it could be for someone you just want to thank like the nurse who looked after you in the maternity ward or the childminder. Or is could be your brother in law or your aunt you want to get something nice for but you’re plain out of ideas – that’s why I am here and I have a huge selection 

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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

10 easy DIY decor ideas for a girls bedroom

Probably one of the most enjoyable things I have done in the house is decorating the girls bedrooms. I literally went mad in there with my imagination and it was the only place my husband didn’t really argue with what I did, maybe it felt decorating in pink was just out of his comfort zone! Anyway, he left me to my own devices and I really poured my DIY heart and soul into these rooms. I didn’t do it all at once and in fact they are always a work in progress especially as they get older or, more importantly, as I get bored and need something new to channel my creative Continue reading

Pregnancy after miscarriage – 5 tips on how to worry less and enjoy it more

This is one of those posts I’ve had in the back of my mind for, quite literally, years now but October is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month so it feels right to publish this now. I haven’t really spoken much about what we went through because I’m not a total oversharer despite having a blog! That said, if you know me personally I am more than open about it. Miscarriage is a strange one, it happens for most very early on, before the 12 weeks when you’ve had a chance to tell anyone about it. And then if it happens it is so utterly shocking. I couldn’t even say the actual word, miscarriage, until long after Lucy was born. So it’s hard to just bring it up, hard to talk about it with friends when you need to. I think sometimes people feel then that it’s a taboo subject, like it shouldn’t be talked about but for me personally it wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about it, I just couldn’t.  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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What to expect before, during and after an elective c-section in Ireland

elective c section ireland cork

This is a post I feel I had better write before all the info is gone from my head, lost in the blur or sleepless nights and school runs and preparing food! I have had four sections now, one emergency and the subsequent three were elective, all in Cork University Maternity Hospital so obviously the info I give here may differ from hospital to hospital. The second which is the pivotal one really, once you have two sections for the most part you have set your future birthing options in stone you can’t go vaginal after that (in the vast majority of cases). The main reason I had an elective section second time round was based on the consultants opinion. At 36 weeks the baby was measuring around 8lbs (in fact she was closer to 9lbs at that stage!) and given the previous history of my first birthing experience it was decided to go for an elective section at 39 weeks (standard elective sections are always done one week before due date). 

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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