1 Year Of Blogging - 5 Things I've Learned

And just like that my baby, Maria's Scribbles is 1! This year has absolutely flown by. This isn't the first time I've attempted the "blogging" scene. I wrote a travel blog series called Rustic Roamer Blog back in 2014. It's still there if anyone wants to read about it Rustic Roamer Blog. There are blog pieces on my time in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia so some of it may be helpful if anyone is thinking about travelling to one of those countries....

Anyways, back to Maria's Scribbles because it's her birthday!! I started the blog last February because I wanted a hobby outside of work (for those who don't already know I'm a nurse). I don't have to tell any of you that it can be a stressful job and I use writing as an outlet to de-stress. If anything it's a form of therapy. I've written about various things from Braces: 8 Months In - The Low Down! to my most read piece by far last August, 29 Things I Learned Before Turning 30! The response from that piece was huge and I still can't believe it had nearly 25,000 hits. People still mention that piece to me and it will always be a special one to me. But although I say I use Maria's Scribbles as a therapeutic outlet to write that doesn't mean it's easy.

I'm twelve months in to this blogging craic now so I thought I'd lay out a few of the things I've learned:

1. Blogging Is Very Hard. There I've said it. There is no sugar coating it. I feel many people have this idea of, 'Oh look at her. All she does is take a few pictures and promote a product, uses #Ad and gets paid.' (I'm not referring to me here I'm talking about bloggers in general). There is so much more to it than that. I could never imagine doing it full time and I admire those that do because it can't be easy. I love my clothes but the thought of having to have a perfect #ootd EVERY day would send me into a fast meltdown. I like my no make up days and when I'm working all I wear is track suit bottoms and hoodies to and from the hospital. I wear little or no make up to work. I just couldn't be arsed!

2. It's Extremely Hard To Get Your Work "Out There". You could be the best writer in the world but if you're not good at marketing or have no idea how social media works it's going to be extremely difficult for you. I was very naive to this up until about a month ago. If anyone can help me with this PLEASE let me know!

3. You Need To Stop Worrying About What People Think. This is such a tricky one believe me, I know! You have your blog platform, you're enjoying what you're doing but it is very natural to fear being judged or afraid of people thinking, 'Who does that wan think she is?' It's not just acquaintances you'd worry about. If you're anything like me you'd fear judgement from family and friends too. Even though mine have been great, there's always that little "Oh God, what if they think this is shite" moment. For me my blog is like my own little magazine of which I am editor of. It's up to me what makes the final cut.  If people don't like it there's nothing I can do about it. You can't please everyone so there's no point in trying. As long as you like your own content and find it cathartic then that's all that matters.

4. Bloggers Follow And Unfollow. It's become pretty clear to me that an awful lot of accounts build up their accounts by following thousands of accounts in the hope that they are followed back. When they are followed back they unfollow these accounts to make it look like they've loads of followers. I know, it's annoying as hell!

5. Follow Real People. There are a lot of bloggers out there that you know are genuine. These are my kind of people. I love watching Instagram stories from people if they have something genuinely interesting to say and don't go harping on about how they've had "the worst day" because if they're doing that all they are doing is wasting YOUR day. I love following people that make me want to do better.

• Someone who has been really lovely to me is @morleysmotivation. Her content is real and useful and we bond over the fact we've the same orthodontist! When I see her stories it makes me want to get up and moving.
• Another lady I admire is @sineaddeblogger. She is a nurse like me, however she too puts a lot of work into her blog content and organises events and workshops. To top it all off she's in the middle of a masters. I honestly don't know where she gets the time to do it all but she is proof that it can be done. 
• I've recently started following @dr.doireannoleary. I'm loving her content. She's a young GP from Cork and as well as giving useful, practical, evidenced based health advice she has gorgeous style.

My favourite bloggers are the ones that don't do it full time and work it around their job. Of course, best of luck to the ones that do. I just think a lot of it can come across as posed and not very authentic. But that's just my opinion and opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one!!!

SO, that's' year one wrapped up. I'm looking forward to what 2019 brings and seeing what content I can produce. I really want to thank everyone for their support throughout the year. It means a lot to me. As always if there's anything you'd like me to tackle PLEASE let me know. There is no better feedback than the thoughts of the reader so it is very welcome!

Love,
Maria
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Abu Dhabi and Dubai 2018

Hi all,

We just got back from the UAE on Monday and I'm still recovering. I was lucky enough to visit both cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.


How we got there?
The flight duration was 7 hours on the way over. We flew with Ethihad from Dublin at 19:10 and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 06:40. I was lucky to be allowed on the flight as there was a bend on my passport. The lad behind the counter made sure to let me know I was lucky to be getting on and perhaps if I had met a different official I might not have been let on at all. When I went travelling nearly five years ago, most of my flights were with Emirates and I flew on the exact same passport with the exact same bend. Basically what I'm trying to say is if you're flying with Etihad make sure your passport is in good condition - they seem to be stricter than other airlines.

We flew back on the 09:20 flight from Abu Dhabi to Dublin. The flight was 8 hours on the way back and the time difference is 4 hours (UAE is 4 hours ahead of Ireland.)

Thursday 6th December 2018
Kevin's brother Declan collected us from the airport in what I can only describe as local attire (you can work that one out for yourself). He's been living there for the last 14 months therefore he had an itinerary done out for us. The downfall was we lost a nights sleep travelling so we were wrecked on the Thursday morning. We had an hours sleep before being collected by a local tour man to go dune bashing and riding camels in the desert. This was about 45 minutes outside Abu Dhabi and cost €34.00 per person. I wasn't a big fan of the dune bashing  (it felt like we were on a roller coaster) but it was lovely to see the camels, they are beautiful tame animals.

After this we checked into The Marriot Hotel, had a drink and headed down town Abu Dhabi. We had a quick bite to eat in Fado Irish Bar and went back to our hotel for a well needed power nap.
I'm sure many people reading this have heard about the famous 'Brunches'. Declan booked us into the Kuzbara Brunch in 'Marriott Al Whada' in the city. Here I met my friends, Tisha and Lucy who now live in Abu Dhabi. The brunch lasted from 18:30 to 23:00. It was €60.00 per person and you then have endless food and drink within this time frame. It's definitely one of the best ways to socialise there as going to the pub for a few drinks is a different ball game in United Arab Emirates. The average price of a gin and tonic was €11.50. It's no joke!

*****The Entertainer App-*****
The entertainer is a publisher of buy one get one free offers for restaurants, leisure attractions, spas, hotel accommodation across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. It costs €100.00 at the start of the year and you can use it in most restaurants and activities throughout the city. You can search the app for great deals nearby. There are two separate entertainers for Abu Dhabi and Dubai so if travelling to either city check with a friend and they might kindly lend you their login details whilst your there.

Friday 7th December 2018
We checked out of The Marriott around noon and Dec picked us up and we headed for Dubai. First thing we had to do was visit the Burj Khalifa. It's the worlds tallest man made building. Tickets cost €70.00 per person including fast track. The fast track tickets were €20.00 extra but they were so worth it. You should have seen the queues of people waiting. After this we grabbed a quick McDonald's and headed to our Airbnb. This cost €500 for 2 nights. The location was out of this world. It was a 3 bedroom apartment and had a balcony with deck chairs. If you are visiting Dubai definitely look into Airbnb's rather than hotels. We went for dinner that night in the observation tower in the Marriot Hotel. Again we used the entertainer app here to get a discount.

We ended up in McGettigan's in JLT that night, It was lovely as we met up with people from home who were living there. I remember buying a round of 7 drinks and it cost €82.00!! I can't emphasise enough how expensive Abu Dhabi and Dubai are!! After here we went to a beach bar called Barasti. It had a live band and we were happy out when we got a table. Sheesha is huge in the UAE. Of course we had to try it and it was lovely.

Saturday 8th December 2018
Thankfully we didn't have sore heads when we woke up Saturday morning. Our personal driver, Declan brought us out to the Palm and we then went to the beach, followed by food in Chilli. In the evening we went to Dubai Miracle Garden. Entry is €9.50 per person. Apart from the four giant freaky cats staring at you as you enter the grounds - this place is pretty special. It's very hard to describe in words but you can see this place's beauty in the photos below. We ended the night in McGettigan's JBR where I drank cocktails with Kev's Mam, whilst Kev and his Dad watched soccer and rugby on the 4 screens in front of them. Everyone was happy out!

Sunday 9th December 2018
We checked out of the Airbnb at 12:00. In Abu Dhabi and Dubai the school week is Sunday to Thursday so our personal taxi man Declan had to leave us the night before. We got a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi and it cost 200 dirhams which is the equivalent of about €50.00. We checked into Hotel Centro in Yas Island. We went shopping straight away in Yas Island Mall. The last few weeks I've been looking for sock boots everywhere to no avail. I ended up getting my sock boots in H&M in Yas Island Mall for €40.00. The trip was made!

After the shopping we ate in the Cheese Cake Factory here. I ate in the Chicago branch in March and I just loved it. Unfortunately we had no room for cheesecake on this occasion.

We went to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque for sun set. The women had to cover up with an abaya and the lads were wearing shorts and were made put on pants similar to tracksuit bottoms. The mosque was beautiful and is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. On entering the mosque you are required to remove your shoes. I'm 5'6'' and the abaya was so long I was tripping over it so I gently held it up to stop myself from tripping. I soon got a tap on my shoulder to tell me I was showing too much leg. There's no charge into the mosque!

My friend Peter and his wife Sinead live in Abu Dhabi. I had arranged to meet them both at the Emirates' Palace for the lighting of the Christmas Tree. It's said that the tree is encrusted with $11 million worth of jewels. This truly was a sight to behold. If you are going to visit this palace note that they don't let men in if they are wearing shorts. Very strange rule but it's true, hence why Kevin doesn't feature in the photo below!! :)

All in all we had a wonderful few days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. If anyone has any questions that I haven't covered in this please don't hesitate to ask. Hope you enjoyed this piece and if you did please let me know!!

I would like to wish my readers a very Happy Christmas and thank you for your support and kind words throughout the year!! I hope you'll stay with me in 2019 too :)

Lots of love,
Maria
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Top 10 Favourite Faux Fur Coats - Winter 2018

Hi all,

It's December so we are officially in the depths of Winter. I have mentioned before that I'm a winter baby and I adore winter fashion, in particular faux fur. Everyone likes at least one new coat at this time of year so I thought I would compile a collection of some of my favourite that I spotted online this week.

I've picked faux fur coats and jackets from some of the most reliable online sites out there (in my opinion). The ones I've picked out range from €29.00 to €130.00. I've even made things easier and provided links in case you spot anything you like. (I know, I'm too good to ye.)

ZARA €29.00

ZARA €99.95

ZARA €79.95

TOPSHOP €130.00

TOPSHOP €103.00

                                                                                                                                                                       

MISSGUIDED €95.00

MISSGUIDED €95.00

MISSGUIDED €102.00

OASIS €111.00

OASIS €111.00

I would be amazed if there isn't something in this collection that doesn't catch your eye.  All items are chic and ideal for this festive season. They would be lovely to wear around the Christmas Market's with a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate in hand, Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (the neighbours whispering -"Her coat is beautiful,"), or anywhere really!

My favourites are the TOPSHOP Super Soft Burg Coat and the Oasis Pale Pink Teddy Coat I have already bought the first Zara coat and I'm sure I'll be picking up one or two more of these pieces before the week is out.
Which one, if any of these coats did you like? Please let me know by commenting below or on my Instagram page.

Happy shopping!

Love,
Maria
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*None of these links are affiliated. This blog is merely a hobby that allows me to share my interests with others!

The Comfort Zone: 5 Ways To Step Outside It

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Hi all,

Hope you're having a good week. This week I'm talking about stepping outside our comfort zone. I for one find it very challenging. I'm a natural introvert therefore I can sometimes find social situations and trying new things a tad overwhelming. Some people are real go getters and I envy their confidence and assertiveness. I really admire those people who go off travelling the world on their own. There is no way in hell I could do that. I have a friend who has done the Camino in Spain on her own three times since September and I really am in awe of her. The same girl (she doesn't like praise) will tell me to get a grip once she reads this!! :)

We all have different challenges and fears in this life and we can tend to gravitate to areas that we feel safe and secure in. We won't leave the job we hate because we crave security. We'll stay in a  relationship that has been dead and buried for a long time for fear of being alone. We won't cut off that friend that puts us down all the time because we've been friends with her for years so we can't cut them off now. I think you're starting to get my drift.

Last Sunday I took on a 6k women's race in aid of a local mental health charity. I knew I could run the distance as I had done it in training but the fear of running against other people and in front of people I knew had me nearly paralized. I know there will be people reading thinking I'm being extreme but this was honestly the way I felt. In order for me to be able to run this race I had to get into a certain frame of mind. I focused on just getting one leg in front of the other and didn't look behind me once. I pretended that I was out on my normal run and just challenged myself to a faster pace than I had been doing in training. It worked and I ran it faster than I had in training. The morning of the race I would have loved nothing more than turning over and going back to sleep but I had told people I was doing it and therefore I felt accountable.

Below are some of the methods that have helped me in stepping out of my comfort zone over the years.

1. Tell someone you've set yourself a challenge. It will be harder to back out as you won't want to let that person down.

2. Allow yourself to feel your feelings. They are real to you and you can't help them. Tell yourself that fear is a natural emotion and we all experience it.

3. Write out a list of all the things that could go wrong and on the other side write all the things that could go right. If you have more on the 'right' side well then, it's a no brainer.

4. Talk to people who have already been through whatever it is you want to do already. If you want to run a marathon ask someone what their training plan was. If you desperately want to leave your job ask someone you know that's done that and started over again. Most people are delighted to help others so don't be afraid to ask them. All they can do is say no and even if they do say no they might know someone else that can help you.

5. Have patience with yourself. It's a natural human trait to crave security and contentment and remain in our own little bubble. By setting goals and taking baby steps towards them you will get there eventually.

Hope you enjoyed this piece. Again as always if there's anything in particular you would like me to talk about please let me know.

Have a great weekend!

Love,
Maria
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Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas 2018 - Carraig Donn

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Hi guys,

Hope you're all well. It's November and I'm starting to get that festive feeling already. Are you? Christmas is only around the corner and it's really time to get the pen and paper out and start thinking about gifts for our nearest and dearest. A lot of people tend to get stressed about the 'thought' of Christmas shopping never mind going out and actually doing it. You really don't have to spend a fortune. There are lots of affordable, practical gifts out there that I assure you will be welcome in any home and if not I will take full responsibility!! :)

I love to support local business' if I can at all. One business that I have great admiration for is Carraig Donn. It's first store opened in Westport in 1965 and now has over thirty stores nationwide. They specialise in Fashion, Jewellery and Giftware products. I am obsessed with fashion and I have always loved their clothes but last weekend I decided to head in and check out their Christmas shop and see if I could find any gift ideas. Here's a few I spotted that I think you'd like.


Tipperary Crystal Mug Set
These mugs are a gorgeous gift to give anyone. We received them as a gift when we moved in to our new home and there isn't a day that these mugs aren't use. Retailing at €40.00 and beautifully presented they are an ideal and safe present to give anyone. You can't go wrong with these.

For similiar version - Click Here

Newgrange Gin Glasses
Gin has become a world wide phenomenon in the last few years, in part because of 'Gin Glasses'. There's something about holding these glasses that can make you feel slightly more sophisticated. Or is that just me? Retailing at €19.95 these glasses will be a welcome addition to any gin lovers glass collection.

Click Here

Rosa Belle Set of Two Mugs
These mugs are inspired by a vintage tea party. They would remind you of mugs in your Grandmother's house from childhood. They come presented in a beautiful pink box and are wonderful value at €20.00. For those who do 'Secret Santa' at work these would make a lovely gift for your colleague.

Click Here

Newgrange Rainbow Wine Glasses Party Pack
I spotted these wine glasses and noticed they are half price at the moment. Everybody needs wine glasses in their home and retailing at €19.95 down from €39.95 they're a bargain not to be missed.

Click Here

Newgrange Red Angel Tealight Holder
With it's red glow this Angel Tealight Holder is a beautiful gift for this time of year. You could also have it sitting on your mantel piece all year round as it is a stunning addition to any room. This gorgeous piece retails at €24.95.

Click Here

Max Benjamin Diffuser
These diffusers come in over ten different fragrances. I particularly like 'True Lavender' as it's blended oils create a calm and relaxing enviroment. They retail at €32.95.

Click Here

That's my little round up of affordable gift ideas for this Christmas from Carraig Donn. If you enjoyed it and would like me to do more pieces like this please let me know.


Love,
Maria
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You can follow Carraig Donn below on -
Instagram @carraig_donn
Facebook Carraig Donn
Twitter @Carraig_Donn

*Please note this is an honest review and no links are affiliated

Keeping a Calm Home in a Mad World

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Hi all,

I've had a month's break from the blog so I'm back with a bang with some more features. I've had a very hectic social life the last while with my own 30th, my friends 30th's and weddings.. and they're not over yet! Nonetheless, I missed this little blog and I'm glad to be back.

I am a huge lover of all things health and wellness. I've spoken in the past about my experiences with stress and anxiety, in particular in my early to mid twenties. I am all for anything that makes me feel relaxed, calm and well..zen (That's a new buzz word I heard recently).

We live in a crazy and inevitably stressful world. I believe happiness starts at home.
The following are some of the ways I try to create a calm and relaxed atmosphere in our home.

Candles -
Anyone that follows my instagram will know I am obsessed with candles. There is nothing that makes me feel more calm than having the house clean and lighting a candle and relaxing with a cup of tea on the couch. I did a blog post on my favourite candles a few months ago. To be honest I've come to the conclusion  that there really is no point spending a lot of money on candles. I usually get mine in Dunnes or Aldi and they have just as nice a calming effect than the more expensive candle like Jo Malone. If anything those candles stress me out because of their price I am conscious of over lighting them!!!

Incence Sticks -
These are a relatively knew phenomenon to our home. I saw them in a holistic shop one day a few weeks ago and said I had to try them. They were only €2.00 for a pack of 20 and the stand I got for them was also €2.00. The one's I'm trying out at the minute are from the Elements range and are a blend of lemon lime and grapefruit. I light one a day in the sitting room and it gives the house a lovely fresh energising lift.

Himalayan Salt Lamps -
I love these lamps for many reasons but mainly because of the ambiance they create in a room. Others buy them as they are believed to have many health benefits because they are "natural ionizers," meaning they change the electrical charge of the circulating air. They are thought to clean the air in your home, soothe allergies, enhance your mood and aid sleep. I have one in our sitting room and a small one on my bedside locker.

My Book Shelf -
I keep a number of uplifting books on the shelf in our sitting room. If I ever feel ill at ease or in need of a pick me up I reach for one of these and usually find some sort of solace.

My Piano -
I have played piano since I was 9 years old. When we moved into our home last year I got my piano moved from my bedroom at home - home (my parents house is always home - home) to our kitchen in the new house. Not only is it a beautiful addition to our kitchen but it's one of my go to outlets if I'm ever feeling frustrated. There is nothing better than banging out a few tunes on the piano to relieve any tension and it's extremely therepeutic too!

These are just some of the ways I try to create peace, contentment and unwind at home!
Hope you enjoyed this post. If you did I'd love to hear from you! How do you create a relaxed atmosphere at home?! Have a great weekend!

Lots of love,
Maria
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