Getting ready for a rare night out

Before having kids, I was a hair and heals girl every weekend, prepping for a night out started on a Wednesday! Nothing was too much bother and I loved the build up. I loved spending hours getting ready and always felt amazing when I went out.

Post kids however, and living away from home with no babysitters has, means nights out are few and far between. When we do get to go out, I'm lucky if I get time to slap on some make-up and throw my hair up into something that resembles a fashionable pony tail, between feeding, bath and bed time.

So you can only imagine how excited I was to travel home for my sisters 21st. The kids were being minded for a full 24 hours, so I got to get ready properly. I say properly, flying with two toddlers and a husband (I don't know who's worse) the night before meant it was a rushed job but there was still time!!


With compliments of Cosmetic Alliance  there was a box of goodies waiting for me when I arrived in Dublin. Including the new Abella Viva self tan mouse. People are going nuts for this tan across social media so I was excited to try it out. Developed specifically for the Irish complexion, it's only available in salons and online.

I used the mouse in Golden. It went on like a dream, no streaks, and came up beautifully and evenly. It also didn't have that usual self tan stench, which meant I was able to wear it all day before showering just before the party.


Myself and the girls were booked into Inglot to have our faces painted. My MUA was a sound young artist, who I had great chats with about pregnancy and breastfeeding as she is expecting her first baby this year. It's mad how good, honest conversation with a stranger can set you up for the day. Inglot are always spot on with applications, and we all left delighted.

Vanessa Lashes

Chloe Lashes

I also tried Depend Cosmetic false eye lashes, in style Vanessa. I'm always a bit dubious about lashes, especially after having my make-up done. I love the look of them, but I'm terrible at applying them. These went on so easily I surprised myself. They were light, and fit just right. They were so easy to apply, I even decided to try another pair, in style Chloe a few nights later for a dinner out.



Over the next few days (and nights) we took full advantage of the offers of babysitting and went out every chance we could. It's all we can do to fit 6 months worth of socialising into 10 days. The tan held up well, and I felt done up even with minimal effort.

I can't wait to try the rest of the goodies I was sent, including a stamper set from Depend Cosmetic to go with my ever growing collection of Depend7Day polishes. If you've been following me on Instagram you'll know it's one of my obsessions.

Cosmetic Alliance are currently running a give away of Depend Cosmetic False Lashes on their Facebook page. Be sure to check it out here https://goo.gl/qVycjq

Slimming world on holiday

Size 12 jeans! Hells Yeah
-29lbs

I started my Slimming World journey 17 weeks ago, and have lost 29lbs so far. It's become a high-light of my week, sitting in the meeting and chatting to new friends. 

But when it comes to traveling back and forth between the UK and Ireland as often as we do it's so easy for me to just throw caution to the wind and fuck up my entire progress. 

Not this time. I need to stop treating trips home as a holiday so I checked with my leader and I was able to go to group in Dublin. It even came off my countdown, so no need to pay. Score!

Now this is where my anxiety severely set in. The same anxiety I got joining my current group for the first time. I feel like a right tit not knowing where I'm going, who the leader is, where everyone sits, etc. etc. So I had decided I wasn't going to go. But then I got pissed off with myself for giving up so easily. I looked up groups and conveniently there was one about to start in half an hour, 5 mins from the house. I knew I had to just go and do it before I thought my self out of it. 

The whole family are on SW now!

Going in I knew I was going to gain, that was fine, I had my sisters 21st three days previous, and although I didn't have a single bite of the Dominos that was being delivered thick and fast to the party, I had been drinking till 7am! +3.5lbs. ARGH!!! But, there was no judgement from my new surrogate Irish group. Just a round of applause for making the effort of going and staying to group, even when away from home. 

And that's exactly what I love about Slimming World, there's never any judgement. Image Therapy is all about support. Encouraging each other, picking each other up, pushing each other on. 

We've talked a lot in group over the last few weeks about smashing that idea of 'dieting'. This isn't a diet. At least I don't feel like it is. It's like a whole new positive, healthy way of eating and living. I'm just annoyed I've spent so much of my life not on the program. 

Poor Fionn just wanted
to get home to bed!

Without sounding like an absolute gobshite, I feel like I have a whole new outlook on life. I'm approaching food differently. For example, we arrived home from Ireland Monday night, dropped Shane to work and got stuck behind a road traffic collision on the M6 for 2 hours. with two toddlers in the car. FUCK.  

Nothing like a boy
and his Mango!!

Old me would have written that off as a bad week and turned to food for comfort. Instead, I woke up Tuesday morning, went to group (another 3lbs gain) then went to Aldi. By the time Shane woke up after his night shift I had soup made, a dozen eggs boiled for snacking for the week, Wednesday's dinner in the slow cooker, and a weeks worth of overnight oats ready to go in the fridge. No matter what is thrown at me this week, I know I'm not turning to food for comfort. 

Now, I know I've gained 6.5lbs over the last two weeks, but 10 nights of dinners out and drinking every day will do that to you. It feels like we have to fit 6 months worth of socialising into a week. Take advantage of the babysitters, and get straight back on plan when we get home. 

If my 9.5lbs loss after Christmas is anything to go by I'll be half a stone down next week. Watch this space!!