48 Hours In London - North of The Thames

Hey guys,

I think I've had about a two week break from this. The last few weeks have been hectic with a college gang reunion and a school gang wedding abroad.

At least once a year our Sligo college gang meet up. As Grainne now lives in London we said it would be an ideal excuse to go over and visit her. As some of you may know, I lived in London for two years after I finished college. I was based in Tooting Broadway, in south west London. My socialising in London was mainly done in Clapham and Stockwell so it was a nice change to spend some time north of The Thames.

True to her nature, Grainne had everything planned with military precision.

Friday 29th June 2018
Drinks in The Shard - We enjoyed cocktails overlooking stunning views of central London. Entry was free, the cocktails however were not cheap at £17.00 a pop. Having said that, it was something I never did when I lived there so it was a nice experience. We felt very posh!!

We went back to Grainne's house in Mile End for food, more drinks and a quick change of clothes before hitting Camden.

KoKo's Camden - This was a night club in what must have been an old theatre. There was a deejay on stage and it stayed opened late. I think entry here was £5.00

Saturday 30th June 2018
Sands Hair Salon Mill Hill - We wanted to make the most of the day so we booked in for six blow dries that morning. I would highly recommend this when there's a big group a girls trying to get ready at the same time. It saved so much time.

Where Did We Eat?
Grainne booked us in for food in Blue's Kitchen in Shoreditch. I got the prawn salad and got chips on the side. You know those salads are usually full of lettuce anyway so the few chips were essential!!

What Did We Do?
We went for a quick drink in The Hoxton (£10.50 for an espresso martini here) before heading to Bounce. Bounce is ping pong. A table can be booked for an hour for £15.00 per person and you can drink and play ping pong together. It was so much fun and would highly reccommend it to anyone looking for a fun event in Shoreditch.

Where Did We Drink?
We headed to The Magic Round About after this and were here for most of the evening. Although I will admit my head was stuck in my phone following Mayo G.A.A's updates from the Mayo v Kildare game on twitter for a good hour and a half. Apart from the obvious disappointment of Mayo's loss we had a wonderful evening catching up and reminiscing before heading to a nearby nightclub (I can't for the life of me remember the name of it).

A huge thanks to Grainne, Micheal and John Og for having us over for the weekend!! Also, thanks to Olivia, Marisa, Naomi and Marian for the lols.

Hope you enjoyed this post,

Love,
M
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The Over-thinker Club!

Hi guys,

Hope you're all well. I'm enjoying writing this blog series and I am finding the writing to be very therepeutic. I never really know what I'm going to write about week to week. I usually just go with what ever comes to the forefront. I had a funny week this week. As an outsider, you might think having Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as days off this week being a good thing, and you'd be right. Having time off is lovely! I made a mistake though, a big mistake - I started overthinking. 

I've dealt with anxiety over nine years and I know my triggers. This week I made a mistake that I've made several times over. A thought came in. I overthought it and it spiralled out of control. Some people try to mask it by keeping busy. I'm not very good at that though. My mind will try and go back in time and work out the thought or the situation or try to change whatever happened in the past and I can't do that. I know I can't but my mind keeps wanting to try. It's so frustrating and I find it really hard. It's nearly like I can't accept things that haven't gone my way, taking more responsibility than I should for certain situations.

I've definitely asked why do I have to have this? Why me? Why can't I just get over this? I suppose we have to play with the cards we've been dealt. I do think it's part of my make up and as I said before, I often turn to the saying "This too will pass". 

When you start to overthink you can feel guilty. I know I have little to complain about in the grand scheme of things. I've a wonderful family, great friends and a very understanding boyfriend with the patience of a saint!! I always say talk it out though even if you do feel 'guilty' for burdening them because as they say, "The people that mind don't matter and the people that matter don't mind". 

What I do When I Start Overthinking

Talk to someone - I usually tell Kev and he can talk some sense into me. That doesn't work all the time. Other times I just have to ride it out.

Walk it out - Sometimes when the anxiety hits I feel way too overwhelmed for intense exercise. I can always manage a walk. Put on a warm jacket and a bobble hat and off you go.

Use the STOP ACRONYM - I've talked about this before. I learned it in CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). It only works though if you use it straight away. 

STOP SIGN - You visualise a flashing neon stop sign when the thought comes in.

Take Three Deep Breaths - Take big deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Observe the thoughts - Don't engage with the thoughts, gently observe them.

Proceed with kindness - Be kind, always.

Read a book - Sometimes getting lost in someone else's story can free you from your own troubles.

Watch your self-talk - I like that saying "Fake it until you can make it". If you watch your self talk and act like your own best friend, eventually you will start to believe it. This takes a lot of practice and maintenance.

You really aren't alone if you're an over-thinker. I feel for you, I know what it's like. You end up creating problems that weren’t there to begin with. However, as long as I feel I'm managing it overall, I'm happy!

Again, I'm always here if anyone wants to talk.

Mind one another,

Love 

M

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Thriving In The Sun: A Pale Gal's Guide!

Hello all,

Hope you're having a good week.

We are well and truly immersed in the middle of summer now. The evenings are long and we've been getting the usual 'exam weather' as they say, it's been brill. Well up until yesterday. I don't think we're ever really prepared for the 'fine weather' in Ireland though - well, I know, I certainly am not. 

Although I do enjoy the odd bit of sun here and there, I'm a winter girl at heart. I LOVE my winter clothes. I adore winter coats, woolly jumpers, warm boots and the general cosiness of the season. I am looking forward to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe posts later on in the year!!

HOWEVER, I have to embrace each season as it comes and now it's all about summer! Even if I do have pale skin and have to wear factor 50 every time I'm exposed to the sun, I can deal with it! 

On a serious note though, I do find it more difficult to dress and feel my best this time of year. I'm just not as comfortable in summer clothes. I don't thrive in the heat like others. I thought I'd share some of the ways I feel more at ease in this season - at home or abroad!

Factor 50 - The first thing I would suggest to anyone who is like me and is sun shy is factor 50. I know it's not rocket science but, if you're as pale as the snow and burn - go red and peel there is absolutely no point in sitting out and trying to get a a tan. Some people just don't tan, take it from me, I'm one of them.!! Don't ruin your holiday by getting burnt!

Tan the Arse out of it - You're much better off getting your tan from the bottle and putting the factor 50 on over it. If I'm self tanning for the weekend, I put on Dove tinted moisturiser (shade medium to dark) the Thursday night, shower on Friday and use two coats of Bondi Sands Ultra Dark Mousse tan on the Friday night, then shower it off Saturday morning. I know that seems like a lot of tan but as I said I am naturally very pale!! I always moisturise my joints, knuckles and toes before applying tan. Everyone knows the hands and feet are the hardest part to tan so for these areas I use a cheap Penney's brush for a more even finish. It does the job! If I'm going on a sun holiday I'll usually get a spray tan.

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Look After those Tootsies: Why not treat yourself to a pedicure? As nurses we're not really meant to have our nails done but no one said anything about the feet! I know I always feel better in summer footwear knowing I have them in top tip condition! Comfortable footwear is also key. 

Flowy dresses: When it's roasting outside and you feel like Monica from friends in the heat, a nice loose fitted flowy dress is what you need to be wearing. Nothing worse than the feeling of something being STUCK to you. I loved this dress from Miss Selfridge that my friend Laura wore to a hen a few weeks ago. 

Miss Selfridge 

A good pair of shades - They don't have to be expensive. I love these ones below. I think they were about €4.00 in Penney's. I tend to bring a cheaper pair with me when I'm out and about and keep the Ray Ban's for driving.

I know there's a lot of Irish girls in the same boat, so mind that pale skin! I'm heading off to Spain in three weeks for my friends Michelle and Trevor's wedding and that's what got me thinking about handling the heat. I've been looking online for dresses so if anyone sees anything suitable for a wedding abroad please let me know. 

Hope you've enjoyed this post and have a good weekend!

Love,
M
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*None of the products mentioned in this post are sponsored.

Aran Islands: Inis Oirr - The Ultimate Staycation!

Hello all,

Hope you had an okay week and are well recovered after the Bank Holiday weekend. I won't lie, I found it so hard going back to work on Tuesday. I had one of the best bank holidays ever last weekend. My friends, Ann Marie and Cathy both turned 30 this week. To celebrate the momentous occasion, Ann Marie suggested that we all went to Inis Oirr - the smallest of the Aran Islands!

Ann Marie and Cathy

Anthony, Anna, Lorraine, Sarah, Niamh and Diarmaid with their cousin, Annie.

How Did We Get There?
We got the 10:30 boat from Rossavea, Cp. Galway on Saturday morning and got the return boat at 11:30 from Inis Oirr on the Monday morning. The price of a return boat ticket was €22.50 and it cost €5.00 a day to park the car in Rossaveal, not too bad!

Where Did We Stay?
Ann Marie found the accommodation online. She booked two houses side by side and eight stayed in each house. It was €370.00 to rent each house for the week. If anyone is interested in visiting Inis Oirr and has a big group, then these houses are ideal and in walking distance of the main village. Message me for more details if interested.

What Did We Do For Entertainment?
We entertained ourselves most of the time. I brought my ukulele - I'm not great but can play a handful of tunes. I'd say by the end of Saturday night the gang wanted to belt me over the head with the thing. All joking aside, it's a great little instrument, so light and portable and it's well worth learning a few tunes for a sing song.

Tigh Ned
We went to Ned's on Saturday night to celebrate the girls' birthdays. There was live music here and it was a real lively spot!

An Hotel Ostan
We continued the celebrations here on Sunday night. They had live karaoke and it was the best karaoke I was ever at. The music was hopping and the dance floor was full all night long. This place also does food during the day, although we didn't eat here on this occasion.

Food
We had heard there was only one grocery shop on the island so we came prepared and brought food over on the boat with us. We packed the freezer with pizzas, burgers, and Muireann even made a lasagne which was absolutely delicious!! On the Sunday we went to Teach on Tae for brunch. I got the cheese and chutney sandwich on toasted brown soda bread with salad. I forgot to take a photo but it was lovely - trust me on that!! They also do refreshing smoothies which was ideal for the morning after the night before. There was a fine atmosphere here and the staff even wore badges saying 'Ta gaeilge agam' letting people know they were fluent Irish speakers. I thought this was a lovely touch. In the evening we had a barbecue outside the house we were staying in. Thanks to Michelle and Andrea for manning that!

Other Things To Do On The Island
Visit Tigh Ruairi - We didn't get round to visiting this pub, however everything is in walking distance.

Rent a bike - This costs just €10.00 for the day. Inis Oirr is a small island and is only 3km by 3km wide so it's easy to get round in a day.

The Plassey Shipwreck - This is the shipwreck that features in the opening credits of Father Ted. 

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O'Brien's Castle - The highest view point on the island.

Horse and Cart trip - You will see these from the minute you get off the boat. There seems to be plenty of them on the island.

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What to wear?
Don't go packing any high heels because you'll be on your own, that's for sure! This is such a laid back place and I lived in denim shorts, runners, light jumpers and tops for the two days. Having said that, we got the gorgeous weather for it, so maybe replace the denim shorts with jeans if you're coming at a colder time of year. Also, be sure to bring a good jacket. That boat crossing can get very cold!

#OOTD1 Lucy and I

#OOTD2 Myself and Ann Marie

#OOTD3 Laura, Andrea, Michelle and Myself

Who would I recommend Inis Oirr to?
Inis Oirr is really suitable for all ages. It would be a lovely holiday for a couple with young kids who wanted to go away, but didn't want to have the hassle of dealing with security and airports. Plus the boat journey across would be a huge novelty for the kids. I'd highly recommend it for a hen or even for a birthday like we did. If you're looking for laid back, chilled and safe, Inis Oirr is the ultimate staycation for you!



Hope you enjoyed this post. If any of you have visited Inis Oirr and feel like I've left anything out please let me know. Have a great weekend!

Love,
M
x

Royal Wedding Fever!

Hello guys,

Another working week done and dusted again. If you're anything like me then you will be glued to your television screens tomorrow afternoon, when Suits star Meghan Markle will marry Prince Harry. It promises to be a huge occasion and I just cannot wait to see her dress. They seem like a genuinely lovely couple and I would just love to go for a drink with them. I suppose that will never happen though!! Oh well!

I actually remember being on my nursing internship in 2011 when Kate married Prince William and watching it in the staff room on my lunch break. It was such a fantastic occasion and those two have really changed the nature of The Royal Family.

Tomorrow however, I'll be in the comfort of my own home. I'll have the coverage on early and might even have a little party to celebrate - some goodies and some wine! Naturally, there is huge speculation over Meghan's dress. No doubt it will be just as fabulous as she is and it will be a day for all of us to remember.

Here are some of The Royals on their wedding day. As you can see, royal style has evolved drastically throughout the years.

Kate Middleton

Zara Phillips

Camilla

Princess Diana

Princess Ann

Queen Elizabeth

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

Love,

M

x

The Importance of Self Care

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Hello all,

   It's been a few weeks since I've written anything so I'm back with a bang this week. I've been thinking a lot about self care these past few weeks and the importance of it. Life is busy. There are stresses and strains every day of the week - work, relationships, financial strain etc. What matters most is that you look after you first because if you don't you really are not much use to anyone else.

   So, what is self care? It's not about being selfish or self obsessed, it's actually one of the most selfless things you can do. It really is exactly what it says on the tin. It's looking after yourself and there are many ways you can do it.

The following are a few of the ways I try to practice self care in this busy life.

1. Self Compassion: Would you talk to somebody else the way you talk to yourself? Probably not! Give yourself a break. Everyone makes mistakes. Accept it, let it go and forgive yourself.

2. Talk It Out: They say a problem shared is a problem halved and I really agree with this. Lighten your load and talk to a friend or partner. They may add clarity to the situation you find yourself in.

3. Choose Your Inner Circle Wisely: You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Make sure they are uplifting caring people who have your best interests at heart and not energy vampires sucking the life out of you. There are a lot of those out there and you don't want them in your circle.

4. Good Food = Good Mood: It really is that simple. I do have a sweet tooth and never deny myself but I do try to eat healthy 80% of the time. (Most of the time!)

5. Exercise: Whether it's a quick walk, jog or a 30 minute class, exercise is a massive stress release and also helps clear the mind.

6. Meditation: I try meditate every night before I go to bed and am a huge advocate for this ancient practice. If I've meditated at bed time I usually wake up feeling much more calm, relaxed and motivated.

7. Me Time: Take time out to do something you enjoy. Maybe you love reading, visiting your friends, or watching a great show on Netflix. A facial is my go to treat. Do what makes you happy!

8. Be Your Own Best Friend: Do what you want to do. Your time here is precious. Use it wisely. If you want to get your nails done every three weeks or a blow dry every Saturday than do it! Don't heed those people - you know the ones: 'Well isn't it nice for some?"

9. Try Not To Take Things Personally: Other peoples opinions are none of your business. It says more about them than it does about you.

10: Gratitude: Each night write down three things you did well that day and three things you are grateful for. Try it for two weeks and see how you get on! 

It really is an inside out world.

Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm off to Belmullet for Queen Lally's and Adrian's wedding!!!!

Love,

M

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