Week 2 of Summer Holidays...

Our Week In Pictures 

So I hadn't intended on doing my week in pictures but after seeing last weeks I kinda like it, so here we go, this past week this is what we got up to!

We went to Kilkenny (without kids!!) Saturday night for a family members birthday. It was a great night away, we ate in Rinuccini's and had an area reserved in The Left Bank.....

 We did some gardening...

We went for lots of long walks in the countryside....bliss....

I went to a shoe event in Korkys in the Ilac Centre....

Here are some of the fab outfits styled by Justine King....

We brought the kids to Kildare Maze in Prosperous, Co. Kildare. It was fantastic, I would highly recommend it as a family day out! 

We had a busy morning of painting, blowing bubble and lots of water play in the sink, the toddler really loved it! I will definitely be doing more water play with him...

We went for a lovely breakfast in Miller&Cook in Mullingar, it was very tasty....

And we had a great world cup party!! Senan was party planner extraordinaire, its amazing how much a 9 year old can actually do when given the responsibility! It was great fun and we were delighted Germany won...

How are you summer holidays going??

My first week of summer holidays...

What a great first week of holidays we've had! We had very little planned (which is quite unlike me!) Things just kinda happened, the weather was a big bonus and made the days long, lazy and fun! 

Last week we.....

Played tennis....

Went to the playground...

Had a picnic in Pheonix Park...

Baked...

Played hurling...

Walked along the canal...

Went to the lake...

And ate ice cream...

Went to Kidz and Co...

And I went to my friends wedding...

There was lots of catching up with friends that I don't get to see during the school year, hanging out with family and of course plenty of laundry, cooking and cleaning!! 

If the rest of the summer goes as well as the first week we'll all be very happy campers! Fingers crossed the nice weather comes back! What are you up to for the summer? Any good suggestions for nice family days out? :) 

Punchestown Races 2014

Myself and my 3 sisters went to the Punchestown Races recently. (That's me in the bright blazer). I had such a fun day, and being honest I really wasn't looking forward to it! 

On the Thursday night we went to see Ross O Carroll-Kelly's hilarious show Breaking Dad in the Gaiety. I LOVED it! We stayed in the Hilton Double Tree on Burlingtin Road. It was fab! (and my first full nights sleep in months because my 19 month old boy doesn't sleep through the night!) 

So, Friday morning we got ready in the hotel and headed to Naas, only to sit in traffic for an hour because of a burst water pipe! 

But we got there! Amy Huberman got stuck in the same traffic and had to get a Garda escort as she was announcing the winner of 'Most Stylish Lady'. 

The style was amazing,,, it was like 10 weddings rolled into one!! Really the horse racing didn't hugely interest me as much as the style did!! 

Rozanna Purcell and Nuala Carey scouted for 10 finalists, there was a real variety of different looks. I loved the stories behind each outfit. Amy Huberman announced Emer Flanagan as the winner. 

I also really loved Amy's outfit for the day. After the The Most Stylish Lady we concentrated on picking some winners! I always think races are more run if you back some horses, I usually pick which I'm going to back by their names! I didn't have any big winners but I think I just about broke even and had a great day in the process....now to check out when and where the next Ladies Day is!! 

Car-less!!

This weekend the car was with the mechanic so I was car-less!! It was a big shock to the system, I'm usually never off the road whether it's going to soccer matches, gym, grocery shopping, meeting friends! Saturday my sister 'chauffeured' us to a bridesmaid dress fitting in Dublin but Sunday I was at home all day. I cannot remember the last full day I spent at home! It was such a refreshing day! Breakfast and newspapers, cooking Sunday and Mondays dinner, weeding my flower bed, walk down the field and even squeezed in a jog! 

Ever have one of those weeks....that was just brilliant!

I had a full week off work this week which was lovely, especially since I'm only about 4 weeks back at work! Anyhow, my week off is nearly over and I'm just reflecting on how enjoyable it was! Just a perfect mix of kiddie time and me time!

I don't want to come across like I'm gloating because normally my weeks are fairly mundane and un-iteresting which made it even more important that I document the past week so I can look back and remember, you know what, life isn't all that bad or boring!

The Saturday of the May bank I met a friend in Malahide and we had a quick browse in Cari's Closet, some fabulous dresses and lovely friendly helpful staff. After that we popped back into Dublin Zoo with our kids, it was packed because of the nice weather but we enjoyed our afternoon strolling around looking at all the animals. Sunday was a day at home, no galavanting and I actually got into a cleaning frenzy (trust me, it does not happen often!) I even squeezed in a 5mile run, what a productive day! Bank holiday Monday we went to my local schools 50 year anniversary reunion, it was lovely seeing old faces and my brother had a piece of art work displayed especially for the occasion, he is so talented and his artwork looked amazing! After that I went to a hurling match, you know it's summer when there are constant GAA matches! But it was such a sunny day it was lovely to stand outside and watch the game, and to make it even better the team my boyfriend was on won :) To round off our Bank Holiday weekend off my boyfriend and I went to The Park Hotel (in Mullingar) for a quiet drink. In the picture I'm holding a wine glass but as you might have read in other posts I don't drink so its just 7up in the glass! I just prefer drinking out of the wine glass, call me crazy!
I am on a hunt for a dress to wear to my sons Communion this month so myself and 2 friends went to Dublin on Tuesday for a day of shopping! We started on Grafton Street, had a quick Starbucks coffee break and went over to Henry Street, after looking in soooo many shops I didn't find a dress, I ended up a bit stressed that I couldn't find a dress but we did get lovely food at The Church restaurant, very tasty! Cheered me right up!
Wednesday was a day at home with the kids, Senan loves when I (try) play the Xbox with him and TJ was happy watch me rearrange the wardrobe as I sang and played with him. Wednesday night I went to a play 'Move over Mrs Markham' in the Mullingar Arts Centre, it was a very witty, enjoyable show-lots of laughs!
Thursday was another kid free day and perhaps the best day of the week, I went to see The Lion King in The Bord Gais Energy Theatre, we went to the matinee show and it was absolutely fantastic, probably the best show I've seen yet, my only regret was that I didn't bring my 8 year old son, Senan, I know he would have been mesmerised by it! After the show we got a bite to eat in Elys Restaurant just across from the theatre , The food was so tasty and the waiter was so friendly and helpful, nice waiters make such a difference!
Week is nearly over, I promise! Friday I had lots of kids time in the morning, then I brought the boys on some more dress shopping in Navan! My main reason was to check out Ollie and Mac Boutique which I follow on Facebook and they are always posting fab dresses, I tried on a nice purple peplum dress but it just wasn't what I wanted for the Communion. Friday night I went for dinner to celebrate my friends 30th birthday, I can't believe it's all 30th's, feel like just yesterday we were celebrating our 21st's! We ate at Dominiques Restaurant in Mullingar, the food was amazing, I got the vegetarian filled peppers (I'm not vegetarian) and it was just divine! For dessert I got the chocolate brownie, unfortunately it was full of raisins and nuts which wouldn't be my favourite personally but 100% intend of going there again so will try out some of the other desserts! The food was presented so nicely and there was such a buzz and atmosphere in the restaurant it was lovely! I did have to leave straight after dinner though because the baby was awake and giving out, I think he may have bad
wind, he settled eventually!
Saturday and Sunday were normal, grocery shopping, parents over for dinner, hanging out with the kids, catching up on washing and watching Kim and Kourtney Take Miami! Back to work and normality in the morning!

How I try make my life easier

I think one of the reasons I love reading blogs and watching reality shows all the time is because we can learn so much from each other. Sometimes I feel we take for granted there is just one way of doing things, we grow up watching our mothers, who watched there mothers! However, in reality there are so many different ways to live out lives, raise our children, what to wear, what to eat, how to exercise, the list goes on! I love hearing new advice/information that can help make my family life easier and more enjoyable but also I love striving to live the best life I can live! Even if those around me think I'm a bit cracked! You can't make everyone happy all of the time, but as long as you stay true to yourself and what makes you happy and as long as your not intentionally trying to hurt anyone else, do what you want, the way you want! :)

Anyhow, that said, here are a few ways I like to simplify my life, or get the boring stuff done so I can spend more time on the fun stuff! ;)

How I make my life easier:

1. I use the tumble drier, I don't own a clothes line. (I know this may not be the best thing for the environment or my electricity bill, but it really makes my life easier!)
2. I make a menu /food plan for the week, so I'm not staring into the fridge every evening wondering what will I cook tonight!
3. I do one big shop once a week. I write my shopping list to correlate with the food plan I've made. I even freeze the milk. This way I don't have to make any stops to the local shop. Saves time and money!
4. I ask my boyfriend to help out. And I'm lucky to have a great family who are always willing to help! This makes an unbelievable difference, just knowing you have people you can depend on when you need a dig out is peace of mind.
5. I use batiste dry shampoo in between showers, its not the showers I mind it's how long it takes to dry and style my hair!
6. I use anti bacterial wipes to clean the bathroom. I give a quick clean round the sink and toilet, so a 'big' clean only has to be done every month (or two!) 
7. I use baby wipes to clean small patches of dirt on the kitchen floor instead of having to mop the floor everyday. Actually I use baby wipes to clean so many things in my house!
8. I don't iron clothes. I realise I'm lucky I don't have to iron men's shirts for work. What I try do is fold the clothes as soon as I can after the tumble drier is finished and for the most part they are crease free!
9. I hired an aupair, so no drop offs or pick ups with the baby, again such a time saver. I could do a whole post on how great having an au-pair is!
10. I bulk cook the babies food and freeze it.
11. I bought a good Hoover and steamer, and I've never looked back, it makes things quicker but also everything looks much cleaner!
12. Bulk buy stamps, a bit random I know but I always buy 10 stamps at a time which means I don't have to wait until Post Office opening times etc.
13. I don't drink anymore, again, I know a bit of a random one to put in here but it honestly makes my life so much easier! I don't have hangovers and I have more money at the end of the night which makes life a lot easier! 

Do you have any other ways you make life easy for yourself? Please share! :) 

What's in my bag!

I saw this on some other blog pages and thought its a cool post to do! Brings out the nosey side of me!!
So, firstly my bag is a brown Kardashian Kollection bag that was brought home from New York to me (before Kardashian Kollection started to be sold in Dorothy Perkins!) I love the bag and the gold buckles. It's a great size to fit lots in (important when I have 2 kids!) although it can be difficult to find things at the bottom of the bag! It has 2 shorter handles as well as a longer around my body strap (especially handy with a baby!)

I never leave home without my white iPhone, it actually spends a lot more time in my hand than in my bag! The silver cover I have on it at the moment was a present from my son, he got it in Penneys :) Also, coincidentally, another present from my little boy is the little hairbrush/mirror, it has come in handy on many occasions!

 

Next up is my River Island purse, I'm very fussy about my purse layout, where coins, cards, notes etc go! This one is perfect though and my glasses case and glasses are more often than not always in my

bag. I should actually have taken a pic of my glasses, they're dark purple Guess glasses, you'd be surprised how much they go with! 

As a Mammy there
is always something baby/kiddie related in my bag and today it just happens to be one of the babies rattlers! This was only €1.49 in Dealz! And it's one of TJ's favourites! Beside that is my notepad that is FULL of lists! And general info that comes in handy, I also have a little pouch with letters and stuff I use regularily. I found a canderal at the bottom of the bag! I tried to cut down on my sugar by using canderal but it didn't really work :( I also always have a money bag full of change, so handy for parking meters and tolls!

Lastly, I have an old sunglasses pouch that has a few handy bits and bobs in it, the pouch just keeps it all a bit organised! I have 2 nail files for some reason, and a collection of pens. My fav pen is my pink Parker pen, I love it! There is a small black comb that's perfect for back combing and I really don't have much makeup in my bag but I do have a Clinque lipgloss and perfume combo. I was surprised I didn't have a bottle of nail polish in there because there is normally one floating around!

So that's my bag! What's yours like!?

Maternity Leave is OVER!!

I had such plans for my 7 months of maternity leave. I'd go on little shopping trips all over the country, have regular coffee mornings with friends, I could experiment with new recipes and bake lovely buns and cakes, maybe redecorate the house and spend time on my crafting, perhaps join a yoga class to help get my figure back,,, the only thing I didn't factor in was the actual reason for maternity leave-the baby!! And how minding a baby takes sooo much time and effort!!

Looking back I was in cuckoo land, many a day I was lucky to get dressed and put something (not necessarily nutritious) on the table for dinner, never mind actually leave the house!!
I do feel I got off to a bad start, I had an emergency c-section so really my first 6 weeks recovery knocked me for six! I got so used to being at home home in comfy clothes ie. tracksuit bottoms and baggy tshirts, that when the time came that I could leave the house I nearly didn't want to! I plodded through the first 12 weeks of sleepless nights and was quite reluctant to leave the house with the baby, it seemed like more hassle than it was worth! He fed every three hours so it seemed like I was always stopping to feed him and never actually getting much done in between!
When he did start to fall into a routine of his own accord things felt like they were getting back to some sort of normality. We have had highs and lows, sleepless nights and smiles and giggles!
I'm sad to be going back to work now that he can interact and notice what's going on around him. I feel terrible that he knows when I leave the room, I wonder is he going to spend the day wondering where I have gone! But I cannot wait to walk in the door and see the smile on his face and give him a big cuddle and kisses after my days work.

Baby related highlights of my Maternity Leave:
1. Holding TJ for the very first time.
2. The first time he slept for 8 hours!
3. Watching TJ fall asleep on his Daddys chest.
4. His Christening day, having so many friends and family to share his special day.
5. Watching TJ and his brother play and laugh together.

Baby related Lows of my maternity leave:
1. Finding breast feeding so difficult I had to give up after 6 days.
2. The sleepless nights!
3. TJ and me being sick the same week-torture.
4. Watching TJ get blood samples taken to check his iron levels.
5. Recovering from an emergency c-section, I found it very difficult.

Non baby related highlights of my Maternity Leave:
1. My first night away without the baby, staying in a hotel in Dublin, going to dinner an a show with Enda.
2. Completing a 15 mile run in Monaco!
3. Going to Paris with my 2 sisters.
4. Starting a blog!
5. ALL the coffees I got to go for with friends.

Non baby related maternity leave lows:
1. Having wardrobe meltdowns when so many of my clothes didn't fit (and still don't!), it can be tough adjusting to a new body size and shape.
2. Losing so much of my freedom. My older boy is 8 so I was used to just hoping in the car and going here and there without much effort or fuss!
3. Never knowing when my next sleep in might be!

Overall it has been a great maternity leave, I got to spend so much time with my gorgeous baby boy, but, with lots of sprinklings of me time thrown in-to keep my sanity!
But I can safely say I am in no rush to have another maternity leave anytime soon! (if u know what I mean!)

10 more things about me...(21-30)

21. I love musicals
22. I try to keep a gratitude journal
23. I've spent 3 summers in America
24. I love going to bingo
25. I've only ever had one boyfriend
26. I love 'pick and mix' , especially the cups you can get in Tescos. The strawberries are my favourite!
27. My first car was a 1989 Toyota Coralla that my uncles gave to me.
28. I got my first permanent teaching job in September 2004 and I'm still teach in the same school.
29. Kourtney is my favourite Kardashian
30. I love cardmaking and scrapbooking 

10 things about me

1. I have 2 sons
2. I'm very superstitious
3. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers
4. I am a primary school teacher
5. I haven't drank alcohol in 2 years
6. I can't swim
7. I lived in Perth for a year
8. My birthday is on the longest day of the year (June 21st)
9. I believe in karma
10. I love reality tv