Escape to the 'Spathroom' this Winter

My snapchat to my hubby

I admit it, I love Winter. 

I love the long dark nights, the howling wind and the bitter cold because it means layers of clothes, socks, cosy fires and baths.

Baths really come into their own during the Winter (forget about Autumn in Ireland we have two seasons Winter and Spring!), slipping into a hot bath of bubbles and scents, surrounded by flickering candles and a basket of pampering goodies is hard to justify in the bright Summer evenings.

But after battling, wind, rain, hail, sleet and snow to get home, a hot bath is not only justified, it is deserved. You deserve a little pampering.

Turn your drab bathroom into a 'Spathroom', escape and experience beauty rituals from around the globe.

A bath can be a lot of effort and many I know just don't feel it is worth the time and preparation. But take my advice it is, you need this time, the effort the relaxation.

Fill the bath with lots of bubbles!

Tips for the perfect Spa home experience:

1. Hand over the baby monitor and any other responsibilities to your other half. You need to lock that bathroom door for at least 40 mins UNINTERRUPTED.

2. Set the scene - Have your robe and towel warming on the radiator, light some scented candles, get some relaxing music on your phone/ music player.

3. Have a basket/ box armful of goodies to use for your bath - bubble bath, salts, essential oils, facial mask, hail oils etc find those Christmas gift sets from last year!

4. If you don't like a hot bath use a water temperature - those with babies should have one to hand - so useful. Don't forget a glass of water (or wine) - a warm bath can make you thirsty!

5. Submerge, breathe, clear your mind, relax. (I like to add some classical music too)

My Favourite Bath products:

Body Shop Japanese Camellia Cream

The Body Shop - no longer the cheap and cheerful option, their new  Spa of the World range really is exquisite. The Dead Sea Salt Scrub (€34) gently exfoliates my skin without being too coarse or harsh, this big tub should last you a lifetime of baths. Likewise the large Japanese Camellia Cream (€39) smells divine and feels velvet smooth on my skin. It is pure luxury - just buy it.

Yankee Candles - I know there are a million different candle products, but for me the price, quality and scent of Yankee Candles are hard bet. My current love is for: A Child's Wish

Spa Sanctuary 5 minute Thermal Detox Mask - it warms and then cools on the skin (thanks how I know it is working) before you rinse it off.

Kerastase Age Recharge Mask (€36)

Kerastase Age Recharge Hair Mask - smells good, easy to use and leaves my hair smooth and silky. For a red head with course hair this is no easy feat - so this comes highly recommended.

Johnsons Bedtime Baby Bath - yes the lavender smelling bath lotion to help babies (and adults) go sleepy sleepy. You are probably not going to rave or tackle any chores after your bath so why not slip under the duvet and into a deep slumber.

August Favs and Foes

August is over and unless there is a miracle any hope of Summer sun is gone with it. I won't pretend to be too sad, I love Autumn, leaves falling, crisp weather and cosy clothes.

So here are what I was loving and heating this month - Abbey has included her fav too!

Lancome was my fav mascara in August

Lancome Hypnose Volune-á-Porter mascara
I love volume, I love length but most of all I like full coverage right to the roots.
As a redhead, my eyelashes are naturally blond so despite getting my lashes professionally tinted
every month, my roots tend to show through between tints. So coverage from root to tip is important to me. This mascara uses a hybrid formula of 20% latex and less wax with 306 bristles, resistant smudge-proof while long lasting and sleek one to two sweeps are enough for day time wear. And did I mention a subtle fragrance of fresh roses? The only thing I don't like is the flakes during and after removal - but I am usually in pyjamas at this stage, so who cares!

These are yummy for baby and mummy!

Organix snacks (Abbey approved)
All of them! Abbey loves these and they are great at filling a little gap or keeping her quiet when we are out and about. I like the rice cakes best as they last a little longer than a second! It is great to be able to hand her something which she can eat herself. They use good ingredients, so I am happy to let her have one or two of the snacks a day, I keep them in an airtight container in her changing bag, so a packet will last us just over a week.

Blend, blend, blend

Real Technique Miracle Complexion Sponge
My under eye wrinkles were soaking up my concealer and looking caked recently so I went hunting online for a product or solution. I came across some advice to use a moist beauty blender to blend in concealer and to quickly follow with a setting powder. I found this Real Technique sponge to be dupe
for the beauty blender and the good news is - this advice works! Run the sponger underwater, squeeze it and use to flawlessly blend and set concealer (I use Rimmel Stay Matte powder). I use this sponge everyday, it is great for blending.

My snapchat

Snap Chat phone app

Yes it is addictive, yes it is fun - but it keeps freezing my phone! It is constantly stopping and stalling, and this is the second phone it has terrorised. I do like the app and think it can be fun and I did hear there are new updates to help reduce the amount of space it uses, so that would be very helpful.

No sudden changes!

Sudden Change Eye Serum
This product promises "to look younger in just 3 minutes." And I didn't.
Surprised? Not really, but I was expecting it to be a bit more useful. As an under eye serum it is ok,
but after waiting 3 minutes and not smiling or frowning as per instructions, I felt a little silly when
my under eye wrinkles were still visible.

Bog hopping on Causey Farm

As a farmer’s daughter the idea of going to a farm for a party, holiday or day out is slightly strange to me. I understand how the idea could be fun for city folk - but for me, it's a bit like returning home!

But never one to say no to a trip, I packed my wellies and headed off for a friend’s hen party to Causey Farm in Co Meath, Ireland.

This is no ordinary farm, it is a fun filled, educational and entertaining experience that really do cater for everyone’s tastes, young and old. I was surprised to see we didn’t have the farm to ourselves, there were school tours, youth groups, international students and other hens running around the place enjoying the facility.

The farm is family owned by the Murtaghs who find time to run a fully functional  300 acre farm in between all the bog hopping.

Bog hopping at Causey Farm, Co Meath

Bog what? Bog hopping! The bog has many nicknames such as 'child slave labour camp' amongst those who had to help “win the turf” as children - so to see the fun side of the bog was really amusing. Bascially wet bog is a little like quick sand, if you get stuck in it it is impossible to get out - but you can also fling bits of bog and push your dear friends face down in it! Bog is also good for your skin. It was so much fun to get out and experience the bog in this new way.

My beautiful brown soda bread ready for the oven

We also got to roll up our sleeves and make brown soda bread - which was delicious with some jam. We par took in some ceili dancing, cow milking and to top it off our own clucking hen jumped on top of a large pig - which had never been achieve before!

Usually a hen party is all about the glamour, so it was great fun to let our hair down and forget about our looks - and some of us finally got to see the fun side of the farm away from the stress of daily activites at home.

The 'hen' milking a Causey Cow

After having a look around the websites, Causey farm hoosts Pooka Spooka for Halloween and The Causey Christmas Experience which even Santa Claus takes the time to visit!

Would I return?

Yes. I really want to go back to try A Victwardian Escapade at Clonard House. I love Downton Abbey and this experience allows you to dress up as the downstair servants and the lords and ladies upstairs! Get me there now! http://www.victorianescapade.com/

www.causey.ie

July Beauty Favs and Foes

I love to watch and read people's beauty favourites each month. Sometimes it gives me inspiration to buy stuff, but more often than not I feel it keeps me informed on new products!
But what about those products that did not work for me? I want to let you all know about them too - to warn you, advise you before you purchase.
So here goes, let me know what you think - if you have a similar post leave a link in the comments below please.

Olay Regenerist

I have already written a post about Olay Regenerist serum and moisturiser here. But I wanted to include them in my favs of the month, because I have seen actual results. Now this would be a wonderful opportunity to show before and after pictures .... but I don't have any non make up old and
and wrinkly photos of myself (for a very good reason!). So you will just have to believe me, when I wake up in the morning or take off my make up in the evening, I can see an improvement. My face looks and feels smother, the areas which were really red have been reduced and either my vision has got more blurry or those lines around my eyes have actually reduced.

Matrix Oil Wonders
As a red head, my hair rarely lets a product dominate it. My hair is thick, it is wavy and a lot of the time does what it wants - a free spirit! So when I came across this product I was not expecting much. On first Spritz I noticed my hair instantly brighten, despite still being very damp after a towel dry. When I took to the hair dryer, I was shocked to realise how little hot hair was needed. It had reduced my blow drying time by minutes and my hair felt smooth, shiny and manageable! This has made it onto my list of Favs, because I no longer dry my hair before using this bottle of magic. If you are looking to reduce your 'getting ready' routine by a few minutes - try this!

Vichy Purteté Thermal Range
I was very excited when I was sent Vichy Cleansing Milk Balm and Toner from the new Pureté
Thermale range.
I really wanted to love this, it looked good, there was no smell, it seemed gentle and it had a lot to boast about. But after a few uses, I had to admit defeat.
The Cleansing Milk Balm is very gentle and nourishing, it does not leave any residue and did not cause any irritation, but it is not a good make up remover. The toner is also nice and bubbly, but both failed to impress me in anyway for taking off the day. I have been using both in the morning sometimes and they are hydrating - but then again so is water ...!

So Su polish 24 hours after application

So Su nail polish
I love So Sue (Suzanne Jackson) - fashion blogger, model, fitness inspiration and business lady - what is not to love?
The answer is her nail polish.
I had watched her announcement, read the reviews, stared at the nail polish stands and was only too excited to receive some samples. The colours are beautiful and they look so shiny and gel like on - but none of the colours lasted more than 24 hours without chipping on my finger nails. Maybe it is because my hands are over worked, as the colour did last on my toe nails for almost two weeks, but I get better use out of cheap as chips polish than So Su, which promises at least one week of no chips.

Face time - serum and moisturiser

Almost nine months after giving birth, it is time to try and resume some normality. Going back to work has made me realise I may have been slacking in a number of areas like my skin/beauty/body/wardrobe/diet ....etc! 

So let's start with the most important - The Face. 

Sleep deprivation, night feeds and worry has added depth to the existing and growing lines. Now I know I can't get rid of them, or even stop them (I blame my father's DNA) without cosmetic work, but I certainly want to slow them down and if I can at all - fill them in!
Without a big budget to work with, I decided to use a brand that has been around the block and is popular. Enter Olay.

Olay Regenerist Serum

As soon as I sampled this at home, I feel in love with the luxurious feel. It feels silky and is like a lightweight gel, that slides across my face and instantly makes it feel smoother, filling in a few lines along the way. The "advanced amino peptide complex" claims to regenerate surface skin cells, making skin look smoother and softer. I don't know about the regeneration but the smoother and softer part is completely true.I could almost skip the moisturising step after this, as this serum makes my skin feel so good. It does not clog pores and absorbs instantly. There is a very light smell from it and one pump covers all of my face.
RRP €27.99 on offer in Boots at the moment for €18.66

Olay Regenerist Serum swatch on my freckled hand

Olay Regenerist SPF 30 Moisturiser

I need this, I have fair sensitive skin and I am not getting any younger. The high SPF does means that this is thick, it looks and smells like suncream - well because it essentially is. I don't really believe SFP15 is giving any kind of protection.
As soon as I spread this around my face, it absorbs quickly, making it feel more luxurious than its price tag would suggest. One pump produces too much product for me, about half a pump gets neck and face lathered to perfection. The product claims to have an anti ageing formula to restore firmness and give a more youthful appearance, while blocking damaging rays - here's hoping!

RRP €39.99 on offer in Boots at the moment for €26.66

Olay Regenerist SPF 30 Moisturiser swatch

For an update on my experience with Olay Regenerist see here.

All about 'Me' brows

You know a product is good when you make room for it in your daily routine.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Arch Angel is called a “hero product” and it really does provide a quick and quality fix to unruly eyebrows.

I have blonde eyebrows and eyelashes, so I get them professionally tinted every month or so and top up with home products in between. Usually for two weeks after getting my eyebrows tinted I don’t give them a second glance. It is the last two weeks that they need an upgrade of colour.

Pencils, powders and brown cream eye liner (its actually very good!) are the tools I use to define, darken and fill in my brows. That was until this little product arrived on the scene.

Filling in eyebrows, though not difficult if you know how to colour within the lines, does take a bit of time. As a working mum, time is essence.

The MeMeMe Cosmetics Arch Angel is a duo product which gives you colour, definition and a full look to your brows in one fine sweep. While the other end of the pretty stick has a lovely creamy highlighter that lifts the brow, while also helping to define those hairy arches!

This product is quicker than using pencils or powders and it also sets your brows - I had been using a little hairspray for that job!

The highlighter is very pretty and could be used to highlight your other facial features too.

I know packaging can be superficial, but I like the look of this, it isn't too girly, too young or old. It looks a little sophisticated.

For €10.50 this multi use product is a handbag essential and gets a coveted placed in my daily make up routine. It is available in light and dark brown shades.

Useful and Useless - Pregnancy Products

Babies are big business, and so are the pregnant mamas carrying them. Companies know this and tired, emotional and irrational pregnant women (like myself) are targeted with a whole host of products that are a “must.” But they are not.

Here are my list of Useful and Useless pregnancy products:

USEFUL

Body pillow

Boy oh boy, was this is really a must. Not just the body pillow, but loads of pillows! I didn't get a pregnancy curvy snake, I got my body pillow from Lidl, it was less than €20 and worth oh so much more! It will come in useful even after baby is born.

Prenatal vitamins

These were fantastic, I really think they helped me throughout my pregnancy. I had a really bad cold/ sinus infection in the first few weeks of my pregnancy, but had no other sickness throughout. We all know good nutrition is important during pregnancy for baby and mum, but on days when I craved sugar or was too lazy to cook a good meal I felt safe in the knowledge some good vitamins were rattling around me! I used Pregnacare Plus which had an omega 3 capsule included.

Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 and serum duo

You need to moisturise daily, also there is serum to think about it and a million other things to put on your face before you even think about slapping on foundation. This product claims to help with seven of these issues like fine lines, dull skin, blemishes etc. For the small price you know it won’t do miracles, but I did find it to be a quick and easy product that did help balance out my skin.

Maxfactor Dream Matte Mousse

This is a dream product for all busy women. I picked it up with no real expectations, but it really is a fantastic product. Towards the end of your pregnancy, you feel pretty big and crap and a 15 minute make up routine goes out the window. I'm not saying this will cover up all your skin flaws, but it is easy to apply with your fingers, glides on and gives pretty decent coverage, without the need for powders. Perfect for hospital photos after baby’s birth or for the weeks at home with a newborn, when people come to visit.

Comfortable clothes

Stock up on PJs, if I said it once, ill say it again. Look good in lounge wear. Comfy shoes, comfy maternity bra, comfy clothes. Comfort is the key. Sketcher shoes can really help tired and aching feet.

USELESS

Bio Oil

Hated this. It is way too expensive and for me it was a no go. I have since realised I do not like oils - I don’t like the feel of it on my skin, or even my baby’s skin. Yes moisturise, as much as you can but I don’t think anything is going to work miracles on your stretch marks. Sadly it is genetic, if your mother had stretch marks, then you will too. I actually didn't get any on my tummy, but a few on my boobs! I did love Palmers Coco Butter firming lotion - yummy smell, quick absorption.

Clothes extenders

They just didn't work for me, I needed a big belly band to go over my bump. It also was fidgety and uncomfortable. So a big no.

Pregnancy announcements

I didn't do this, because I live in Ireland and would be laughed at as well as probably cursed! You know you are having a baby, tell your family and friends. Everyone else can find out when they actually see the little beauty! Also no one wants to see a picture of the stick you peed on...

Unborn baby music

You will be listening to nursery rhymes and lullabies for long enough when your baby is born right up to they go to school, play the music you like for as long as you can! Plenty of time for baby to grow accustomed to Mozart!

A book of names

Baby names - how the hell do you pick one? I was stuck on girl names, we just couldn't agree on one we liked. Did we sit through a book and go from A-Z … um no that is a crazy thought. We looked in newspapers, magazines, listened to the radio and finally agreed upon the name. Maybe borrow one from the library if you must!

Also check out:
Maternity Wear Essentials
The last leg: The Third Trimester
What a pain in the pelvis
12 things to do in the second trimester

Learning a life lesson with Pregnancy yoga

I was struck down with Smphysis Pubic Dysfunction (SPD) at around 20 weeks pregnant, which ruled out most exercise for me, especially walking. This made me very lazy, helped me pile on the pounds and made me very anxious about childbirth. So I decided to do a pregnancy yoga course for six weeks.

I had never tried any type of yoga before so I was a real beginner and didn't know what to expect. As usual when I am trying something new, I was a little nervous, but as soon as I walked into the room, I was calm. The smell of burning incense, the cushions laid out on the ground, the lovely colours and the soothing music combined into the perfect atmosphere.

https://www.tumblr.com/search/hippie%20incense

The one hour class started by explaining how to breath properly, and it moved on to stretches, gentle poses and balancing exercises. Everything is slow and gentle and if you feel uncomfortable you are encouraged to stop. There were ladies present at different stages of pregnancy and it was lovely to talk to other pregnant women.

At the first class, I was slightly annoyed by the 15-20 minute meditation section, which felt like napping, we were told to lie down, cover with a blanket, close our eyes and listen to the music. I thought I was being conned out of money - eh I could nap at home for free!! But as the weeks went on I did use this time to free my mind and try to connect with my baby.

If you have weak ankles or plantar fasciitis you may find the balancing exercises tough, like I did. Also after a few weeks the yoga seemed to aggravate my SPD.

I would highly recommend the course though. After just one session my lungs felt ten times bigger, I could breathe easily and I felt that the stretching elongated my body giving my womb more room. It was of course relaxing and it was one hour a week to free my mind or any worries, stresses or to do lists and just tune into my body and baby.

Above all that, I feel like I learned how to breathe properly and that is a real life lesson. The breathing exercises are excellent for calming your body and are invaluable for labour pains. Moving forward from pregnancy I still use the breathing techniques frequently to clear my head before sleep and also during exercise classes to get more oxygen into my body.

It also improved my sleep, helped with some back pain and gave some ideas for different birthing positions.

Also check out: The First 12 weeks
First Maternity Hospital Visit

The Best Baby Books

I love to read and I love to learn, so when I was pregnant I stocked up on some good solid reading. Yes I had subscribed to all the web newsletters and week by week updates, but for me personally I need to read a book, to feel the ink, to glide across the glossy photos for it all to sink in.

There are millions of ‘baby’ books and you will learn new information in all of them, but I will review the three best books that I read and how they helped me.

1. Your Pregnancy Bible by Anne Deans

There is a reason this book is in it’s fourth edition, it is superb.

The new book contains a lot of information on cesareans, which account for almost 30% of deliveries in the UK and Ireland. It has a week by week development of your baby and also week by week changes to your pregnant body. It covers all aspects of pregnancy from conception to delivery, problems, solutions and the need to know info.

I like that it lays out the information and does not try to influence you into a particular way of thinking. It is something you will dip in and out of and open every week or so. It answered more questions than my random google searches… and there were a lot of those. I left the delivery part until my third trimester as it scared me so much, but I felt empowered after reading this.

2. First Time Parent by Lucy Atkins

I LOVED this book. From the very first page to the end, it is funny. Lucy gently guides you through some of the basics for your first baby and also boosts your ego and assures you things will go horribly wrong and perfect in the same hour! It addresses the needs of the baby, but also the parent. The best chapters for me were - what happens immediately after the birth and what to do when you get home. It provides reasons why babies cry and even the useful diagrams on how to hold a newborn, winding and feeding. It goes through baby development, sleeping, feeding, games to play with your baby and a huge amount of baby concerns.

The moment I knew this book was for me? When I read the top ten new parent worries and the number one question was “Will my baby die? (Yes, we all worry about it.)”

Don’t think about it just buy it!

3. The New Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford

Now this one is probably a little controversial. I will write a post soon on our baby’s routine and how we started it, why, and how we got on. This book was given to me with the advice “you don’t need to be as strict as this, but it is a good guideline.”

At first reading of the book I thought, wow this author is a b***h. It sounded so mean, like your baby was robot, it seemed like every minute of the day was dictated by this book and the routine that she guarantees will work.

If you are an organised person, someone who likes routine, who works to deadlines  and who understands time keeping then having a baby will turn you upside down and when that happens reach for this book. It helped to put order on life with a chaotic newborn and within one month I got the result I worked for, my baby slept through the night.

**This post was not sponsored - this is my own opinion**

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