Resolutions

I never stick to New Years' resolutions. 

So why should 2017 be any different? I think there comes a point where you really desperately want to get your sh*t together and sit yourself down and tell yourself: "You're kind of an adult now, maybe you should stick to some of your resolutions." It's really easy to develop bad habits.

For example, sometimes instead of cooking dinner I'll sit there and eat a plate of crackers spread with soft cheese. Or I'll just snack instead. I have so many fabulous cooking utensils, ingredients and a passion for cooking, so why don't I fuel my passion? Because I'm lazy sometimes a lot of the time, that's why. In 2017, I resolve to keep practicing in the kitchen and experiment every day. Whether it be making my own pizza dough or perfecting a recipe I've always wanted to nail, I'll do it. Or at least try to.

With that comes the classic trying to eat healthy resolution. I'm sick of feeling sick from eating rubbish so I'm determined to really give some sort of structured eating routine a go, instead of eating a whole tub of Pringles and wondering why my jeans won't do up. Watch this space.

I feel like 2016 - the latter half especially - has consisted of a lot of rushing around and not a whole lot of taking time out for myself. Since moving in with Laurence I've noticed myself becoming a bit needy and dependent on him which I think can be smothering in a relationship. 2017 will be the year I try and take up a new hobby (I'm not sure what yet, any ideas?) and practice more ~self love. Cheesy as it sounds, there's a lot to be said for having a pamper evening, going for a walk or even making yourself an indulgent breakfast you really love. Everyone needs to be a bit selfish sometimes.

Since starting college I've found myself slipping into a very same-y style of dressing. I used to always dress up in skirts, nice tops or dresses with tights and heels or boots, and lately I just dress for comfort which isn't like me at all. I was very lucky to receive some Penneys vouchers for Christmas and I'm determined to do a wardrobe blitz and sort out my style. For some reason I went through a phase of buying sleeveless summery clothes that are more suited to Malibu than Westmeath. Not very logical for Irish weather, but on my next shopping trip I'll be sure to opt for slightly warmer clothes!

This year I've been so busy I feel like my blogging has fallen by the wayside, and I've felt a little disheartened about how my blog has been faring. There's such fierce competition in the blogging world lately, but as they say, there's nothing wrong with healthy competition. Sometimes it feels as though the blogging community isn't a community and everyone is totally out for themselves though. Google has decided to take my blog off the search engine which has drastically affected my stats, and it's really getting me down. However, I won't let it defeat me. I will resolve to keep blogging, e-mail Google to see what's happening, and try and make my blog more varied. After all, blogging is an outlet for everything going on in my head and I really do enjoy it - even if there's only a handful of people reading!

So those are just a few of my resolutions - what are yours? I hope you all have a happy, safe and healthy New Year. Time to fit as many Pringles as possible into my mouth before the healthy eating kick tomorrow.

A Lovely Getaway: My Valentine's Weekend

You might have read my last blog about doing Valentine's day on the cheap. Well, my boyfriend and I did just that for our Valentine's weekend - and we had a whale of a time!

After freezing my arse off at the train station, Laurence and I exchanged our gifts to each other. He got me a really funny lovely card (usually I hate cards but he has excellent taste in cards) and some gorgeous presents. I had mentioned how I used to love those Claire's surprise/goody bags as a child so he decided to make me a grown up version! He gave me a box of my absolute favourite Booja Booja truffles, sweets, a rose, Lucky Charms, snacks, a heart shaped photo frame, a fantastic elephant cushion - elephants are my favourite animal - and a 'dud' present of some Mr Muscle bathroom wipes. Because what surprise bag is complete without a boobie prize?!

We chilled at his house Friday night and had a lovely Indian meal from a place in Claremorris called Dawat. We had a gorgeous meal of chapatis, pilau rice, bombay aloo and poppadums. I never really branched out to Indian food before meeting Laurence and now it's one of my favourite things to eat.

On Saturday it was time to head up to Claremorris, where we'd booked a night away. Before we checked in we decided to check out the town of Claremorris, the metropolis that it is. I have to say, there are some brilliant shops there, most notably the charity shops. I got a few nice bits for next to nothing! We drove around for ages and went to about 5 different places in the hopes of getting a wedge baguette (I know, romantic) and then ate it in the car. To everyone else we must seem like the world's most boring couple! ;-) 

 After doing some shopping it was time to check into our self catering accommodation at Valley Lodge Farm Accommodation. To be honest, we weren't really sure what to expect as it sounded like a glorified hostel. We arrived (after driving up the country roads in the back arse of nowhere - grass growing in the middle of the tarmac etc.) and met Eugene, one of the hostel owners, who showed us around. I have to say it was a lovely place - clean, bright, with a large lounge/dining room area and a big well stocked communal kitchen. It certainly wasn't your usual grubby hostel! We booked a private room so we got our own en-suite bathroom with a shower which was lovely. We booked through Booking.com which ended up being a pain - we thought the money had been taken already but Eugene told us it hadn't so we had to pay there and then which was a bit annoying as we thought we'd already paid. To pay by card we had to go into their family home and interrupt poor Mary's dinner she was in the middle of making! Eugene told us he'd leave some milk and bread in the kitchen for breakfast and told us we could leave food in his freezer if we needed to which was a nice touch, although in the end we forgot to buy food for breakfast the next morning. D'oh.

We had a few drinks, got a takeaway, and I was so tuckered out I fell asleep at about 11! No stamina, me.

The hostel room was nice and quiet apart from the other people who came stomping in at around 3 a.m. I will say it was a bit cold as the radiator was right under the window so all the heat was being let out. Laurence, clever man he is, had to tuck the curtains in on the windowsill to keep the heat in. It ended up being roasting in the middle of the night - I woke up drenched in sweat apparently. Sexy. The bed also wasn't the comfiest but I suppose you get what you pay for, it was only €22.50 each. Apart from that I'd go back there - it did the job!

The next day we had to check out before 11:30 a.m. which was a bit of a shame as we'd have loved a sleep in on the Sunday morning. I was hoping we'd get to see some of the many farm animals at Valley Lodge before we left but all I saw was a donkey! As it was such a beautiful sunny day we decided to head up to Castlebar for a gander. Castlebar also has some great shops such as New Look, Swamp, Peacocks and a few charity shops too.

We were both starving as we hadn't eaten breakfast so we went to check out The Olive Tree - an Eastern Mediterranean café & restaurant in Castlebar - for some food. I found the place on Happy Cow (a great website for vegan/vegetarian/dairy free eateries all around the world) and it sounded different so I had high hopes. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. I'm not lying when I say it was one of the best lunches I've ever had!

Upon reading the menu we found lots of tasty options for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters alike. Laurence decided on the toasted potato bread with salsa, avocado, garlic dressing, salad, olives and the most delicious sweet sauce (I wish I knew what it was!). He customized it so there was no cheese on top which was no problem with our waitress. I chose the falafel pitta with hummus, salad and garlic dressing. We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries to share. Our waitress asked if we were vegan as the dishes contained mayonnaise and we told her we were dairy free. The cherry on top of the cake was when she served us dates with our coffee instead of a biscuit as the biscuits contained dairy. Score! That's good service right there.

Our food came out really quickly and the portions were huge - such good value for money. I took a bite of mine and I swear I swooned, it was absolutely fantastic. Pittas aren't the most attractive things to eat and I was really wolfing it down. How do I have a boyfriend?!

Halfway through both our meals we swapped plates so we could try each other's food (#relationshipgoals) and Laurence's food was just as divine. It was all so flavourful and different to the usual boring sandwiches you'd usually get in a café. Clean plates all round at our table. The Olive Tree truly is a hidden gem in Castlebar - I'm definitely going back!

After our meal we went to Horkan's garden centre to look at the animals, because we are both really 70 years old. They have hedgehogs and giant ants and meerkats and everything there - it's madness! I'm not really sure why they'd keep meerkats in a pet shop, seems a bit cruel to me, but there you go. I'm also not really sure why you'd want a pet hedgehog unless you wanted to scrub your feet on it!

All in all we had a lovely weekend. It was actually my first Valentine's Day with a boyfriend - I'm so lucky I've found the one I want to spend many more with. I was so sad to be back to normality and back in college on Monday. Roll on the summer time when I have lots of free times for more adventures! I hope you all had a lovely weekend no matter what you did.

Reflecting

Hey blog, it's been a while! Happy New Year to you all. After a blissful Christmas break full of vegging out and eating rubbish, I decided it was time to get my blogging mojo back. I was so busy with exams and love and life I forgot to take some time for myself to focus on the blog. 

My mum mentioned to me that she'd read my previous New Year's blog and that it was interesting to see the changes in my life from just a year. 

Education: This time last year I was a couple of months into a JobBridge internship, now I'm gaining even more experience by completing an Accounting Technicians course. I hope to continue my studies further and get a level 6 in Business Administration, which is what I want to pursue as a career. 

Love life: This time last year I was single and probably wailing into a bag of crisps about how I'd never get a boyfriend - now I'm going out with the man I love who is basically like the missing part of me. In a previous blog I pondered over whether or not I'd ever find someone to dance in the kitchen with me, and now I've found him.

Family: My family life is still as strong as ever. It must be a bit of a change for my parents to have to adjust to me having a serious boyfriend and going to his every weekend but my family are fantastic about it, they've been so supportive and I love them so very much!

Lifestyle: I've been 100% dairy-free for a while now due to becoming intolerant to dairy, and I have to say I find the added health benefits amazing. My skin is clearer, I get less migraines and I haven't had a cold in absolutely ages. I plan on doing a blog about going dairy-free so stay tuned for that if it's something you'd like to try in 2016! I'm also eating meat a lot less now, partly because my boyfriend is a vegetarian but also because my body feels great when I eat this way.

Other notable experiences: Got Invisalign braces. Went to Holland. Went glamping. Learned it's ok to be unsure. Learned that no matter how hard you try, some people just won't be happy for you and that's okay. Volunteered for the Fleadh. Got a new dog. Tried snorkelling and stand-up paddling. Stopped caring so much about what other people think. Inched a little further towards getting my driving licence. Got a tattoo. Turned 20. 

Not bad for a year's work.

Have you been reflecting on the past year? Let me know what you've achieved or want to achieve this year!

No More Ordinary: The Draft House Strandhill Review

I'm really late doing this blog *slaps wrist* because I recently started college and turned 20 (I'm officially an adult now, I'm scared). A couple of weeks ago my mum and I were invited along to The Draft House pub in Strandhill for a bite to eat. It was the day before my birthday so I treated it as a pre-birthday lunch.

We arrived on a blustery Strandhill afternoon and scoped out the exterior of the place. The building is painted a fitting blue and adorned with quotes (their trademark 'Draft. Craft. Munch' and 'We don't do ordinary' above the door, most notably) and a bicycle that spelled out the word 'food'. When we went round the back of the pub we realised there were dog kennels - yes, you read that right - if you want to drop your pooch off for some downtime while you eat. Walking your dog on the beach is hungry work, after all! If this wasn't enough, The Draft House are also installing showers - in case you've come out of the sea and feel a bit grimy - both really nice touches, I have to say.

When we walked into The Draft House we were quickly seen to by Maya who seated us in a booth and took our drinks order. I requested a Desperados, which they didn't have, but Maya was quick to suggest an alternative and gave me a small taster. She told me all the craft beers were available to be sampled - great for someone indecisive like me.

It was then time for the fun part - to decide what we would get to eat. I was torn between the chicken special - polenta crusted chicken - or the vegetarian special - veggie curry with a toasted tortilla - but in the end went for the veggie option. Curry can be quite difficult to master so I was keen to see how this would turn out! Mum chose the fish and chips, a seaside classic.

Our food came very promptly - thumbs up for that because we were both starving - and after going upstairs to take some photographs (I could only get phone photos so apologies) we started to tuck in to our food. Everything was plentiful, hot and fresh. My veg curry was so big I could only eat half of it - it came with a massive bowl of rice and toasted tortillas dusted with spices. It was absolutely delicious - I'm not usually a curry fan but this was one of the best curries I've ever had. The rice was also cooked beautifully - no boring plain rice at The Draft House! The curry wasn't just your standard fare of vegetarian curry. Rather than the usual unimaginative carrots and mushrooms, this included courgette, cauliflower, sweet potato and an array of other vegetables. I would definitely get this if I went back to visit The Draft House. I'm a bit sad it's only a special and not on the usual lunch menu which has recently been updated for Autumn 2015. It's good to have seasonal fresh food rather than eating the same thing all year round!

Mum said her fish was beautifully crispy and flaky and the chips were just as good. We were well and truly stuffed by the end of our meal but decided we'd have to sample the desserts too to give an honest account. I chose the chocolate and orange mousse which was actually dairy free (woop!) and mum chose the meringue. I scoffed my mousse down in about 0.5 seconds, it was heaven in a bowl - well, jar.

I'm a huge fan of The Draft House's unique touch. In this day and age it can be hard to find a place that isn't the same been there, done that foodie fare - let alone a pub. We're lucky in Sligo that we have some stellar dining options! 

We waddled out with full tummies and smiling faces after a delicious meal. If you find yourself in Strandhill be sure to pop into The Draft House for lunch, dinner or a drink at sunset - you won't be disappointed. Thanks to Maya for being so helpful and friendly and to The Draft House for accommodating us. Check them out here. Read my mum's account of our meal here - her photos are fantastic and so much better than my quick snaps!

P.S I've majorly lost my blogging mojo so most of my latest posts are food reviews - if there's anything you'd like to see on the blog please let me know!

Relax & Rewind @ The Radisson Blu

Recently mum and I got invited to spend a night away in the 4* Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Rosses Point. As we live in Sligo Rosses Point isn't much of a drive from us - so it was like a holiday at home! 

After getting our hair dyed and blowdried (making the most of it), we checked in and met with Berni from the Radisson, who arranged our stay. We had a coffee and a chat and Berni welcomed us to the hotel and told us what our stay would consist of. As well as the overnight stay, we were also being treated to aqua aerobics, dinner at the award winning Classiebawn Restaurant, breakfast, and 2 mini treatments at the spa. A generous package indeed!

As we checked in at 3 and our aqua aerobics class wasn't until 7, we decided to take a spin down to Rosses Point beach and take a few photos. It was such a beautiful sunny day it would've been a shame to waste it! I tried to do some dramatic look-at-me-I'm-moodily-looking-at-the-sea poses but I probably looked demented. 

Our room was Business Class and was lovely and spacious. We were pleasantly surprised by the petit fours left for us - and the Nespresso machine! We had a drink looking over the balcony at the stunning view of the sea and Knocknarea mountain before donning our swimming costumes and heading to the pool for a quick soak in the jacuzzi. Of course the bubbles only started where I was sitting so it looked very dodgy for a minute or so - mum found this hilarious, natch. The pool was quite cold after the warm jacuzzi so we plunged in. I've never tried aqua aerobics before so I was quite apprehensive. The YouTube video I'd watched of it seemed gentle so I thought it'd  be easy - oh how wrong I was! Our instructor, Gillian, was so energetic and fit, I was nearly dying after just the warmup. I never knew you could sweat under water! It was great fun, mum and I were having such a laugh. I swear I have co-ordination issues because there was one move I just could not get the hang of. It was like the water version of pat your head rub your stomach!

My legs were quite jelly-like, and after the 45 minute long workout I'd definitely worked up an appetite for our dinner. We headed down at 8.30 and were promptly served by the friendly wait staff. I don't eat dairy anymore and was happy to see the menu had options, as well as gluten free options if you're a coeliac. 

We were served some bread with a bulb of roasted garlic (and I had an orthodontist appointment the next day - sorry David McConville) to whet our appetites. We were served an amuse bouche of Coopershill venison, beetroot jelly, pistachio dust and chopped walnuts with pea sprouts to prepare us for our meal. I'm used to having soup as an amuse bouche so this was an interesting change. I will assume the venison was cooked blue as it had the texture of raw meat. I wasn't a huge fan of the meat but the rest was delicious - not for the faint hearted though!

I ordered the trio of melon to start and mum had a tian of chicken with mango, coriander and guacamole. Both were absolutely delicious - who knew melon could be a fulfilling starter?! Next was the mains. I chose duck breast with quinoa, broccoli and a mixed berry & orange jus. I've never enjoyed quinoa very much but this was gorgeous, I could've eaten a whole bowl of just the quinoa. The duck was cooked to perfection and so juicy - a quacking dish. Sorry, I had to. 

Dessert is always tricky when you're dairy free so I enquired with the waiter who advised me the salted caramel popcorn panna cotta was made with coconut milk. I was absolutely delighted with this as it's what I would have ordered anyway! Again, it was just perfect. The presentation was beautifully simplistic on all the dishes and the staff were very attentive and friendly.

We were well and truly stuffed after our meal and practically waddled back to our room to nurse our food babies. I had a quick bath, properly making the most of the hotel, and we were off to sleep in no time at all. I had probably the best sleep I've ever had in a hotel - usually I wake up boiling hot and thirsty, but not this time! The beds were so comfortable and the room was very quiet.

In the morning we rushed down to breakfast, as if we hadn't eaten enough the night before. The hotel offers both a fried and continental breakfast. The continental breakfast selection was fab: fruit, cereal, pastries, cold meats, cheese, yoghurt, nuts and seeds...they even had gluten free granola and soya milk, which was a huge plus for me! The fried breakfast had your standard breakfast fare: black & white pudding, eggs, mushrooms, beans, bacon, sausage, etc. I was a bit disappointed there were no hash browns because hash browns make a breakfast in my opinion.

After breakfast it was time to head to the spa. We threw on our robes and slippers and spent around an hour in the thermal suite, enjoying a foot soak and scrub in the foot baths, before chilling in the relaxation room. I actually fell asleep for a few minutes! I've decided I want a relaxation pod in my future house (ha). We were then called in for our treatments. Funny enough, my therapist was also called Lucy! I got a mini manicure and facial. I haven't had a facial in ages and my skin has been acting up a bit lately. My facial was absolutely lovely and my skin has felt great all day - I'd love to have a facial every week! I went for a cool shimmery purple shade for my manicure. The polish used was a Vinylux by CND which I was told would last about a week. Sadly, not even an hour after having them done the polish started to 'shrink' and smudge off, which is a shame. 

Unfortunately it was then time for us to snap back to reality and go home. We were so relaxed it was sad to have to leave. Getting the opportunity to do this more often would be heavenly. A girl can dream!

Thanks again to Berni and all at the Radisson Blu Rosses Point for making us feel so welcome and treating us to a relaxing stay. Check them out here.

Movin' On Up, Movin' On Out....

As you may or may not be able to tell from the title, myself and my family recently moved house. Although we only had to move up the road, it was still stressful. We started moving last Friday and just got finished on Tuesday. In that relatively short amount of time, weight has been gained and my social life has virtually disappeared. I've eaten so many Chinese takeaways I feel as though the takeaway should be paying me commission. 

In one sense, I enjoy moving - new beginnings and all that - but in all the other senses I've decided I bloody hate it. As we didn't hire a moving van or anything, our only option was to feck everything into the car and hope for the best. Cue driving through the village with a kingsize mattress tied around the roof of our green car. The fact the car is green was bad enough without the addition of a mattress tentatively hanging over the edge. I was a bit tempted to lie seductively across it but I decided the villagers didn't need that image burned into their brains.

You really don't know how much shite you own until you move. My new wardrobe is not big enough to accommodate all my clothes so I'm trying to ignore the fact I now have a homemade carpet made of shirts and dresses. My mother tells me I can never buy anymore clothes, ever, but we both know that'll never happen.

By Monday everyone was so sick and tired of moving we were just bunging things in the car and throwing them into the new house. When we finally finished moving everything there was a sigh of relief from all involved, and a brief moment of relaxation - until we looked around at all the boxes and realised the next step was to unpack them. At least we can do that at our own leisure, and I've only almost injured myself about 5 times tripping over things, so I'm not doing too bad really.

Now that we've finished moving I've been able to leave the house for the first time in what seems like forever, and I think I've forgotten how to function socially. I'm walking weird and trying to avoid talking to people as much as I can, lest I accidentally say 'happy birthday' instead of 'thank you' or something. I'm looking forward to a much-needed night out on Saturday.

Rants, Raves and Rambles

So, here goes, my first official post.

I thought I'd just write this on how my day went seeing as it's relevant to me and maybe some of you will find it amusing or agree with me.

First of all, on my way into town today I heard Shakira's new song (called Empire, I believe) on the radio. Do you ever listen to a song and think ok, it's alright, but then you really listen to it and you're like.....what?! That's the case with this song. Fair enough, she really likes this guy or whatever, but I sincerely hope when he touches her she doesn't make the appalling noises she makes in the song! The poor guy would be wondering what he inflicted upon her.

I'm also currently learning to drive (no mean feat, considering I started with absolutely no experience). I had my 5th driving lesson today and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. After feeling I achieved a lot in my lesson on Monday I was disappointed with myself after today's lesson. I'm a perfectionist, which can be both a good and a bad thing. Today it was a bad thing, because I felt as though I let myself down by making silly mistakes - although I'm sure my driving wasn't too bad. Luckily I have a great driving instructor (if you're in Sligo and you're thinking of getting driving lessons check him out here) who does his best to try not to look too terrified while I'm driving (just joking, I'm not that bad - I hope...)

Now if I could just find an insurance company who have a little faith in an 18-year-old learner driver I'd be flying it!

On a completely different note, I wish the weather would decide what it's doing. One minute it's like living in the Costa del Sol (maybe a slight exaggeration) and the next it's sub-zero. 

I think that's about all I have to say for today. Feel free to comment and follow and all that jazz, it's nice to know people are reading. Also, if there's anything you'd like me to write about on the blog feel free to let me know - within reason of course!

Until next time..

An Introduction

Hello blogging world!

My name is Lucy and I'm an 18 year old living in beautiful Ireland. I decided to start a blog because not only do I think it's a good way to vent and share opinions, but also because I want to steal the blogging crown from my mother. Just joking.....kind of.

I don't know if anyone will read this blog (hopefully they will, otherwise I'm just talking to myself - no change there) but I'll give it a go anyway.

I'm planning on mostly writing about beauty, fashion and lifestyle, or just whatever I feel like writing about. It'll be an organised mess, a bit like my life.

So keep an eye on the blog for further posts, hopefully I'll be able to get the ball rolling soon!