August Payday Beauty Buys

So as I had said in my most recent post I did a bit of shopping at the weekend and I picked up these little beauty buys along the way. I love trying out new things and I don't know if it's just me but I tend to be late to the party when it comes to new products because either (a) I don't wanna believe the hype or (b) I just can't afford to go out and buy everything I see (poor me) :) 

I have the worse hands, they look so old and are always dry and I have tried so many hand creams, that don't work or even leave my hands with a horrible greasy residue. I absolutely love this, the smell is gorgeous and my hands feel amazing. It was around €7/8 euro but was reduced to around €5 and I also got 25% off so I was delighted with this little bargain

I go through phases with foundations and normally my usual go to is MAC pro long wear but every now and again I get bored of it and I try something new. Recently I tried the famous Estée Lauder Double wear because I need a long lasting foundation as I tend to touch my face alot and by the end of the day half my make up has usually ran off. The high end foundations are great but expensive and as I wear make up everyday (for work) I run out pretty fast and it can cost me quiet a bit. Other  bloggers, especially the American ones swear by the Loreal True Match foundation. So I felt it was about time I tried this one and it was a great price of €14.99 very affordable. I got the 4N Beige and I like it so far but we will see how long it lasts tomorrow when I'm at work :) I also picked up this clear complexion Rimmel powder for €5.99 in transparent for a matte finish. Handy to have for an extra bit of coverage.

Now this is my favourite product that I have ever ever tried. It was €18.99 but Oh my god is it worth every penny..... It smells divine, gives a gorgeous shimmer to your skin and my skin also feels amazing too. If you were to go out and treat yourself, buy this.... I honestly highly recommend it.

What's your best beauty product?

Please feel free to comment below or in the Facebook link

XX

August Payday Purchases

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a fab weekend and are all ready to now face the back to school/official end of Summer :( As some of you may already know I was away in Spain last week with the family and we had a little mishap at the end of the week so I wasn't in the best of form and was feeling a little down about it all. So what better way to cheer a girl up only to go shopping and of course to get a few bargains along the way. Now to be honest it financially wasn't the best idea after being away but hey it was payday and it also had been my birthday while I was away so I kinda convinced myself I deserved it. So here is what I bought

Love these cute little pumps for work, very Chanel like (I love Chanel but just can't afford it) and I got them for a steal in Dunnes Stores for €15

I've been dying to get a new pair of denims for a while now and I normally get mine from River Island but New Look have seriously upped their game in the denim scene. The fit is amazing and super comfortable (no digging in the sides of your hips) or having to pull them up every 5 seconds because they are falling down, so that's a great plus. They are from New Look and are €29.99 (skinny fit with slight rips on the knees)

I was trying to buy something universal that I could tuck into a skirt wear with jeans and heels to dress up or a pair of trousers for work. This basic cream cami top was €31 from Oasis and I know I'll get so much wear out of this

This season I am in love with long flowing cardigans and I love the colour grey all season. I also picked this up in New Look for only €24.99. It has a cute little leather belt attached. They has so many nice things that I wanted to buy so much more but I would have been divorced :)

I normally wouldn't shop in Carrig Donn but popped in for a quick look and this caught my eye. It was a bargain at €8 and they had loads of jewellery on sale so I'll be going back in for more

So that's it everyone. Have you bagged any bargains recently?

Feel free to comment below or in the Facebook links comments

XX

Holiday Horror

Last Thursday we headed off the Salou for a much needed break and some sought after sun. The kids where so excited as it was only our second family holiday ever and they couldn't wait to play in the pool, go to the beach and head off to the adventure park. A holiday is a time when you get to forget all your troubles and worries, an escape from reality for a little bit. Never when your dreaming of your time away do you think of or prepare for something bad to happen.

Our kids I like to believe are generally well behaved and very mannerly. As a mum I am extremely obsessed and very proud of them as most parents are of their children. They amaze me everyday single day of the week and I love nothing more than to make them happy and see them smile. I sometimes like to "people watch" so I call it, especially other families and how they interact. I shamefully admit that I tend to judge other parents and their parenting skills and I smugly pat myself on the back for what a good job myself and John do with our kids. We all want reassurance that we do a good job as parents and when I see bold and demanding children it makes me feel like I'm doing something right with mine. (Not saying that mine are never bold)

There is nothing worse when your a parent than when your child gets hurt, or isn't well. I cannot describe the feeling in the pit of your stomach, you would do anything to take their pain away or even to trade places with them. It's when you feel completely helpless.

Tuesday night we headed off out to dinner as a family, all in great humour and enjoying the second last night of our holiday. After dinner we sat down poolside to watch the mini disco and magic show. Logan our 6 year old wanted to sit on Daddy's lap (daddy is his hero) but John said sit mommy's for a change. So he did and we started to watch the magic show while Daddy headed off to the bar. Nothing prepared me for what happened next. Logan leaned over onto the table in front of us to get his drink and the whole table top collapsed sideways. All of the glass on the table smashed onto the floor and he went with it. All I remember is hearing the smash, his scream which I cannot get out of head and then looking down. His knee literally looked like it had been bitten by a shark, big chunks of flesh gone out of it. Panic set in, the whole place stopped and everyone was around us, there was blood everywhere. I didn't know what to do, luckily a lady who was a nurse looked me straight in the eyes and told me to come with her. I cradled him in my arms and inside we went, luckily two doctors who were on holidays saw it all happen and they helped the nurse. I sat there with Logan in my arms as they attended to him, I said "don't look down", look at mommy and the first thing he said was "am I gonna die?" Now I don't want to come across dramatic but hearing those words come out of your baby's mouth is heartbreaking even when you know it's nothing fatal that's happened. He then quickly afterwards said "do I still need to go to school" which made me laugh even in all the panic. Trust Logan to worry about school.

The ambulance was called and he was rushed off the the nearest medical centre. Thankfully the nurse and 2 doctors had acted so quickly he lost very little blood. Only one of us was allowed into the room with him at the medical centre so John went in as I wouldn't have been emotionally able to stand there while he was being stitched up. Don't get me wrong I would have if I had to but John is definitely the stronger one of us. I felt like I was going to get sick while I sat in the hallway with Josh and cried, I cried my eyes out. How could I have let this happen. I should have caught him. When we had sat down earlier the table was very wobbly and we were about to move to the next table but someone else sat down before we could. All the what if's going through my head. I felt like the worst parent in the world. Judging other families and my kid was the one who got hurt..... In the end he had 3 cuts, one large and 2 small and had to get 20 stitches on his knee.

That night we slept on either side of him, well I wouldn't call it sleeping I would say we laid there and didn't sleep a wink. I replayed the whole thing over and over in my head and his scream from when it happened is haunting me still. The next day when we headed down for breakfast, he was like a little mini celeb. Everybody was being so kind, asking him how he was and saying that they saw it all happen. One woman even said to me that she was on the balcony when it happened, she saw it all and she said that she couldn't believe how calm I was. Calm!!!!! Me!!! It certainly didn't feel like it. I've never felt panic like it in life. The hotel staff where lovely but I was disappointed that no one actually asked us what happened to see if they could prevent this kind of accident again. Last night he was given a special award and a gift at the end of the mini disco for being the "bravest" boy. It was a nice gesture but it's not going to take away the fact that our child had to get 20 stitches in his leg because the table top wasn't screwed on properly.

I've been in a strange humour the last few days, mixed emotions of guilt, sadness, anger and happiness, happy that it could have been a whole lot worse. Parents go through alot worse than we did and my heart absolutely goes out to any parent that suffers a fraction of what we felt the other night. No child should never have to suffer any kind of pain in life, they are the most precious things on this earth xx

P.S We had a fab holiday despite the incident. Logan is in great form and lapping up all the attention.

Bad attitude

I read an article recently by Dawn O Porter in Glamour magazine called "Don't judge me by my bad mood" it was refreshingly honest (which instantly made me love her) and very relatable. Very very relatable. I can be a proper moody mare at times and of course the people that suffer the most from this are poor John and the kids. I am a terrible morning person and I hate bubbly people around me when it's early, coffee is a must most mornings and especially on my off days. On Thursday when we were going to the airport (3 o clock in the morning) everyone was so excited in the car, chatting and laughing, john asking me questions and I'd just sharply say "ya" "no" or when I'm in real shitty form "what" because I'm not really listening to be honest. I have tendancy not to listen sometimes as my mind can be otherwise occupied with stupid stuff, I worry way too much. The thing is I know that I'm being an uber bitch when I'm like this but I just can't help it. When I'm in a mood I don't seem to care who knows about it or how it affects the people around me, it's when I'm at my most selfish.

Anyone that knows me will know that I absolutely wear my heart on sleeve (old irish saying) and whatever is on mind if you dare ask your sure to get the reason for my happy/sad/bad/mad current mood. When I am having a bad day and I know I genuinely have no reason to feel the way I do I start to feel guilty for feeling bad which puts me in even worse form, it's like a vicious circle. I am a very lucky girl and I've never really had anything bad ever happen to me in my life. So when I do feel down I get mad at myself for feeling the way I do but I just can't help it. It's uncontrollable.

When the kids are acting like little brats I give out to them for acting so spoilt. Maybe they are just having a bad day like we all have at times, just a bad mood like anybody else. We meet people everyday that come across ignorant and/or rude, maybe they are also just having a bad day? Dawn O Porters rule was if she meets you once and your in a bad mood she will let it go, twice and she will start to judge, 3rd time and your just not a nice person. It seems like a fair rule to be honest.

Sometimes it's the smallest thing that can set me off, I could be in the best form and some idiot in front of me doesn't indicate or someone says or does something that can set me off. Other days i just wake up in shitty form for no reason whatsoever. When I get like that it's very very hard to get out of that kind of humour, of course I don't want to feel or act that way but nothing can shake it. The saying what goes up must come down is very true when it comes to how we feel sometimes. 

The only good thing to come from being in a bad mood is that the grass is always greener and the sun is always brighter the next day, and so it should be.. 

It does make me think though how hard it must be for people that suffer with depression, imagine your worse day magnified by 100 and no sun shining at the end of it. 

Now that's a scary thought x

A dog is for life

Last Summer we decided to get a dog. It took many many weeks to convince me because frankly I didn't think it was a very good idea at the time. After alot of pleading from John and the kids they finally broke me down and I eventually gave in. So off down to Kerry we went to collect the newest member of our family, a Siberian husky. He was the cutest little puppy I had ever seen and even though I was still hesitant about the idea I couldn't help but fall in love with him. We decided to call him Loki (the god of mischief) from the film Thor. Bit of a trend in our house as Logan our second is called after Logan (wolverine) from the marvel movies X-men. I suppose for us this was the alternative to having another child, an extra family member that was a little less work....or so I thought.

So off home we went with gorgeous little puppy and to tell you the truth I was sad. Sad for him that he would never see his family again, we were his family now and we would have treat him like one of us. The reason I was so hesitant originally about getting a dog is because we both work full time and I really didn't think we would have the time to give to a dog. It wouldn't have been fair to him or her sitting in a garden all day alone. Also I felt that the kids were too young and it would be too much responsibility for them. You hear all these stories about animals and neglect and people having to give them up because it was way too much work. I really didn't want this to be the case. 

It took many weeks to adjust to the new arrival, and to be honest there were weeks I got very frustrated because it felt our life was now revolving around this little puppy. Things were costing more than we thought, dog beds, leads, food, vet bills etc we even built gates at the side of our house so he couldn't escape (huskies are known to be escape artists). On days off from work I had this extra person to fit into my routine and on lazy days sometimes the thoughts of having to go for a walk annoyed me. John of course instantly became Loki's master and the dog would only do what he was told for him. Once I went to collect the kids from school and when I came back the dog was gone. He had dug underneath the gates and we got a phone call that he was running around the Avoca mills. He has got off his lead/harness so many times and I think he thinks it's a game all of us running after him :) 

It's crazy how a a dog has it's own personality. Some times when we talk to him it's like he can answer with just a certain look. He is so protective of the family and adores the kids. I will never ever feel unsafe in the house as long as he is there and I know he would give his life for any one of us. The kids have learnt how to be responsible and to care and love somebody. Listening to them laughing and watching them play with him is priceless. I cannot imagine our life without him now. He sits on the couch with us, sleeps in the room with us and no matter what humour we are in he is always happy to see us. 

For anyone thinking of getting a dog, I won't say its easy, nothing in life is but it certainly is very rewarding. Like the love of a child it's an unconditional love xx

Older and Wiser! Or just plain boring

Over the last few days I've been in a strangely mellowed out mood, now maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm on two weeks holidays. But as I approach my (ah hem) 34th birthday and I look back over the last few years I do wonder,  am I now older and wiser or have I just got very boring. Now don't get me wrong I know I'm not "old" but I'm certainly no spring chicken anymore and I'd rather relax at home than hit the tiles nowadays.

So you know how Facebook sends you notifications of memories you have had over the past few years. Well lately I've found myself cringing at mine, yes it's great to relive a memory you might have forgotten about but on the other hand it's embarrassing when you are reminded of some. The other day when looking through some of those "memories" I read one status I had written that said "I'm bored", seriously what was I actually thinking??? Was I looking for attention? This was only 4/5 years ago so again it's not like I was a teenage girl. What's crazy is I felt so mature then, but quiet obviously was not. 

Do you ever look back and think that you were a completely different person a few years ago? I do! I think I'm very different which leads to the question, am I older and wiser? For those of you that know me, every year around now I would be planning some crazy ass themed party for my birthday but this year I'd rather relax and do something small with family or close friends. Have I officially become boring? How in just a few years can my priorities have changed so much. It's not because I have kids,  I'd like to think that that has never really changed me all that much. Lately most things seem like such a big effort for example a night out, no longer feels worth it. Is this called being sensible? 

I've learnt so much over the last few years and I wouldn't want to turn the clock back for any reason. Being older and wiser isn't necessarily always a bad thing, however the one thing I do miss is how spontaneous I once was..we go through different stages in life and I'd like to think that everything comes round full circle. After all it's all just a state of mind xx

Time out

Do you ever feel like you just need a "time out", a well needed break away from it all. I am coming near to my 2 summer weeks annual leave from work and I can tell you that I really really need it at this stage. It feels like the last year has been a bit crazy and I'm starting to feel tired and worn down. This girl is in utter need of some relaxation and sun (and maybe a cocktail or two) Sometimes I feel that I get so wrapped up in the things going on in my life that I forget to STOP and BREATH and LIVE. Now I know we live everyday but I mean really live.......see the world, experience new things, laugh, love etc. It is so easy to get caught up in the rat race, get up, go to work, come home, clean, cook, bed... Day in and day out. It's almost robotic.

Everybody deserves a break every now and again, it's good for the sole and I think it can give you
some perspective on what's really important in life. One week in the sun isn't too much to ask is it? In the last 10 years I've been on one sun holiday with my family. I'm currently looking to book
something last minute but they are all so expensive (august prices €€€€€) last year and the year
before we had a stay-cation, Galway, Killarney, Cork. It was great and the kids loved it but we spent as much money as we would have going away. So this year I am adamant that there will be a beach and some sun involved, if not prepare to see me in a straight jacket rocking back and forth some where :))))

So I'll leave you with this, on a bad day I put this video on and it motivates me. Love what it stands for and in my dreams I can imagine winning the lotto and leaving it all behind (except John and the kids of course) :))

Latest Beauty Buys

So I've been buying more that usual lately, having one of those months were everything I see I want but obviously can't afford. I'm one of those girls that feels extremely guilty after I spend money on myself so I have to justify what I buy to myself. For example, I really really needed it, or it was such a bargain I couldn't leave it behind. On that note here are my purchases from the past month

Maybeline Great Lash Mascara

I got this in work for 10euro, the previous night I had been reading an article online about cult beauty classics and I read that this is one of the best selling mascaras in the US, selling one mascara every 1.7 seconds. I tried it today and it is really great, I like the small brush because I have small lashes and the eyeliner was amazing. I am shocking at applying black eyeliner and was worried that it would
smudge as it is a gel but it went on so easy. I can see why it is a Best seller.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

I've tried a lot of different brands of nail polish and they normally last about a day or two on my nails before chipping. I'm very hard wearing on my hands so this was interesting to me as it claims to last up to 14 days for colour and shine. I got the peach and the top coat both in Tesco for 7.99each. It takes a while to apply and I needed 2 normal coats of the colour and then the top coat. Duration 5 days, so good going for these hands

Nip + Fab Viper Venom

Again I purchased this in work because I had seen lots of bloggers mention the brand. So curiosity got the better of me. It claims to firm and smooth skin. I absolutely LOVE the smell of this, it has a thick creamy substance and I did think that after a few days of use my skin on my arms and legs felt smoother. This can be purchased in Boots and the price range is great.

Estée Lauder Eight Hour Cream

I cannot believe I am so late off the mark on this product. I know loads of people that use it and I've heard of it numerous times. Again this was one of the products that was named in the article I was reading the other night (cult classics). It's is literally amazing, I cannot get enough of it and it has so many uses. Cracked heels, sore skin, lips, or even to shape your eyebrows etc. This is a wonder product and will be a definite in this girls beauty bag in the future xx

What do you guys think? 

Have you tried any great or new products lately?

Lisa xx

Till Death do us part

So as I approach the 4th year of our engagement this month it got me thinking, why the hell are we engaged so long and not married yet. I have several friends that have got engaged recently and when I chat to them about it, they have venues booked, dress fittings etc, all sorted within a few weeks of getting engaged. Is it bad that I get a little shocked by this and think "jesus that's sudden, you only JUST got engaged" or is it that there is actually something wrong with me not wanting to rush into it. After all the whole purpose of getting engaged is to get married. To be honest I kinda like the idea that I am "engaged"as apposed to being "married" it makes me feel young and in some stupid way I think that being married will mean I actually have to grow up.

So what is taking us soooo long to get round to it. Well there are a number of factors to be honest. We are currently trying to buy a home, which for us is more important than spending thousands on a wedding at the moment and we have 2 kids which I know shouldn't be an excuse but it kind of gets in the way of life a little :) I do try to be practical about it all but every now and again I get frustrated that we haven't set a date or planned anything. It's at times like this when it comes up to our anniversary that I get a little shifty about it and consider booking something but it just always seems to be a bad time financially.

When I was younger (not that I'm old) I was like alot of girls, dreams of the big wedding, the dress and prince charming waiting for me at the alter but the older I get the more I realise that this is not what I want anymore and neither does my fiancé. We will definitely NOT have a big traditional Irish wedding for several reasons. The whole structure of an Irish wedding has started to frustrate me, firstly I am not very religious so I would be an absolute hypocrite if I got married in a church. Then come the invites, your parents got invited to Mary's Aunties Neighbours granddaughters wedding (you catch where I'm going with this) so of course they all have to be invited. Why.... I've never even met them before, but it's just the Irish way. Another thing that annoys me is how it's all about the bride..yes that's great, but she is getting married to someone, and he was kinda the one who 

made all of this happen by asking her. So I think the groom should get more recognition and have some say in THEIR big day. Family I assume can be the biggest headache for most couples, we all 

have a mad uncle or auntie or one side of the family that doesn't talk to the other etc. It's just the kinda drama I definitely want to avoid.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to come across negative about it all. I really DO love weddings. My favourite part of a wedding is the way the bride and groom look at each other. The happiness and love on their faces. The look on a fathers face, proud as punch when he walks his daughter up and aisle. I am a hopeless romantic and it's more about the emotion and love for me than the type of seat covers that we're used :)Now each to their own everyone has their dream of the BiG day but I do know we will have a simple affair that is very personal to us when we eventually take the plunge to say "I do" Till death do us part.......

Working Mom

I work full time and have always done so apart from when I spent a year and a half at home with my first born Josh. Now don't laugh but I actually love my job and I've loved most of the jobs I've had throughout the years. I had studied Interior Architectural Technology in college but looking back now I was too young and didn't really know what I wanted to do. I coasted through several jobs throughout the years which was fine because I was young, living my life and work enabled me to go out and have a good time. But as I got older and started to have a family, I suddenly had this urge to have a career for myself, something that I built by myself for myself. Something that defined me as well as being a mother.

I was 25 years old when I had my first born Josh and I decided to be a stay at home Mom, now this is by far the hardest job I have ever had in my life. I didn't have many friends in the town at the time as I was a newbie, so I didn't have many people to turn too. I had some very lonely days and as much as I loved spending time with my little baby boy I needed some adult company to keep me sane. As weird as this may sound I never had anytime on my hands but I felt extremely idol all of the time. Being a Mam was by far the best thing but had ever happened to me but I wanted, even needed to go back to work for my sanity. Eventually I decided I was going to go back to work, however I wanted the job I choose to possibly lead to a career. I had worked in a small clothing shop in Cork (funnily enough called Lisa's) years ago. I had loved it and because of this I decided that Retail is was the career for me

Now when I make a decision I am very determined to follow through, especially when people tell me that I can't do something. I will always work my hardest to prove them wrong. Let me tell you that some of the women in my outer circle couldn't understand why I would want to leave my child and go back to work. What was so wrong with it? What is this "stigma" that surrounds working mothers. Of course its hard being away from your little angel/s , but I felt it made me a better mom. My time with my boy was now more precious. I worked my way up to management and then became pregnant with my second boy Logan. So when people said to me I wouldn't be able to work full time with 2 kids it annoyed me, why not? Whats so wrong with being a working mam and wanting a career. Working mothers are constantly being criticised for their choice to go into the workplace, you almost feel alienated for wanting a career. It feels like people look down on you because you have a job...because your job is to be a Mam. Well a Dad's job is to be a Dad but he isn't expected to stay at home. I have nothing against anyone that chooses to stay at home, I respect that if anything. However I wish the same respect was shown on the flip side. I'd like to think we have moved on from the way it was in the past but unfortunately we haven't in some ways.

I want my kids to grow up and be proud of their Mam, as I'm sure most kids are of their mother no matter what they do. I want them to respect that even though I am their mam, I am also my own person, that not only has dreams for my family but for myself too. I love my job and I have worked very hard over the past few years to do what I'm doing now. I  love my kids, they will always come first but I am allowed have other things in my life that I can focus on. Yes I have made sacrifices from time to time, who hasn't in any life? But my kids do not want for anything physically or emotionally. 

1st World Problems

So the weekend that was in it we made a decision to go out and be socialable (and of course have a few well earned drinks)  Now a few years ago I would be living for the weekend but the older I'm getting the more of a task it feels like to get ready. Gone are the days of having the girls over and getting dolled up to the nines before heading into town. So nowadays I start off my getting ready routine nice and relaxed and 2 hours later my room looks like a bomb literally exploded in it. The stress levels are high and I'm borderline ready to just give in and put on the p.js 

On Sunday I decided to do a bit of shopping and treat myself to something nice for the night out. I went off into the shops but I was in one of those indecisive moods, I even had to go back into 2 of the shops a second time because I couldn't make up my mind . In the end I settled for a top I seen in the window of River Island that was matched with a skirt I already had and I picked up a fab pair of michael Kors shoes (bargain) in work. All happy with myself that my outfit was picked out because that is literally the longest part of me getting ready. Off home I went got a shower and started to get ready. All going well so far and then I tried on the outfit I had picked out.... low and behold it didn't look anywhere near what I thought it would look like in my head earlier.  Panic started to set in. I've no clothes, nothing to wear, I'm not going out (just some of the thoughts going through my mind)... I proceeded to rip my wardrobe apart trying on the various amount of clothes I had. Things I had worn previously and loved on now all of a sudden looked digusting on me. I disected every bit of clothing I had, can't wear that because it's raining, that's too short, I hate my arms in that so on and on I went. Truth is many girls I know are the same and have the same issues with getting ready. It's like I turn into a 2 year old having a tantrum and as much as I tell myself I'm being silly it doesn't stop it happening.

So eventually I settled on a kakhi playsuit I had, still not happy because I didn't look like Jennifer Lopez off I headed out. Moral of the story is about half an hour later I couldn't have cared less what I was wearing because I was having fun and surrounded by friends. So why go through all the drama 2 hours before. Only god nows. Us women are no doubt a complicated species.  Xx