Poolbeg Lighthouse Walk

A recent discovery for us has been the Great South Wall, Poolbeg Lighthouse walk. It's only a short distance from where we live so it's a bit shameful that we're only finding it now but we've been making up for that over the last month. I wanted to share it with you here because I think it's one of those lovely spots in Dublin that when you're there, makes you forget that you're actually in a city. It's really peaceful and feels like you're right in the middle of the sea. Even when the water is turbulent, it's still somehow really calming.

As we've been having unseasonably good weather lately (hello global warming), we've been making the most of the the last vestiges of the sun before old man Winter shows his face again. Last weekend was just at that tipping point I think. Gloriously sunny and about 19 degrees (seriously) but insanely windy. I expressed a fear several times that I was going to be swept out to sea and be that person on the RTE news that people are like "what was she thinking" etc but himself laughed heartily at that and I soon got over it. We did get nicely coated in sea spray but in a pleasantly bracing fashion; nothing quite like a blast from the sea to awaken the senses! 

View of the walk and lighthouse from the beach

Poolbeg chimneys in the background

Generally making a fool of myself there. Plus check out the crazy windswept hair!

Any new discoveries in your own city? Do you also fear being swept out to sea or is that just me?! To the comments!

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Weekend Book Review | The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes

*Does a "Marian Keyes is back" dance*

Yes, having been a big Marian Keyes fan for years now I was greatly anticipating her latest release, The Woman Who Stole My Life and so I was thrilled when NetGalley sent me a pre-release to review.

Our protagonist here is Stella, a married mum of two troublesome teenagers who works with her sister as a beautician. Her husband is a designer of very fancy bathrooms (think disco balls) and is a bit of an egomaniac but overall, Stella has a pretty ordinary life. That is until she is struck down by a rare, debilitating and life-altering condition, requiring a lengthy hospital stay. 

The book is told in different stages of time; her life before her illness, her time in hospital, her life post-sickness when she writes a best selling book of inspirational quotes and finally, her life post-book, living in New York where she struggles with writers block and tries to produce a second best seller. It sounds almost like there's four books in one there but the stories are cleverly woven amongst each other and it means that Stella becomes a much more well-rounded character because of all of the details of her life that we receive.

I found that the chapters where Stella is in hospital in particular resonated with me. Having been quite unwell myself in the past, I remember well what it feels like to be a patient and to feel stuck in that role- stripping you of a lot of what makes you you and giving you a new "sick person" identity. I felt Keyes captured this element really very well and especially as the condition that Stella has basically means that she's completely trapped, I felt what she felt so acutely that it was almost like being in her hospital bed with her. On that note, it also made me think long and hard about my own nursing care of others and how I've treated patients in a similar situation to Stella. Thankfully, I know that I've always tried to be more mindful and aware than her fictional nurses are but still, I thought it was an impressively written viewpoint and provided some real food for thought. 

I won't lie, those chapters are hard going at times but are obviously very important to the storyline and will make you truly root for Stella in her endeavours to get her life back; if anyone deserves to be happy it's her. It's a great example of what the human spirit is capable of and will certainly put your own worries into sharp focus. That said the rest of the book takes on more of a lighter tone with Stella experiencing a burgeoning romance, a move abroad and a pretty manic book tour across America.

The supporting characters in this are equally as entertaining as Stella; I loved her mad sister Karen, her dad reading to her at her hospital bedside and her at times fairly arrogant doctor, Mannix. 

I really enjoyed this book, I stayed up late into the night reading it (furtively in the dark on my kindle so as not to wake himself) and I thought it kept the momentum going nicely.

I've said this before about Marian Keyes and I'll say it again; she is undeserving of the title "chick lit". All of her books deal with serious life issues in an incisive and at times heart-breaking fashion; it's a pretty remarkable skill to discuss topics like this in such a sensitive way but then to also infuse them with the classic warmth and Irish wit that Keyes does so naturally is quite special in my opinion. 

If you loved her previous novels then I think you'll enjoy this. I've a feeling it's going to be a massive best seller and will no doubt be under many's the Christmas tree this year! It's out on November 6/7th.

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Lush Christmas 2014!

Yes Scrooges, I know we "haven't even had Halloween yet" but as Lush have both their Christmas as well as their Halloween goodies in stock, now is the perfect time to tell you what you need to buy! 

Every year I pick up one of the seasonal shower gels, last year I got Rose Jam, which I loved (and you can still buy) but this year I have my eye on both So White (a shower gel version of the bath bomb by the same name)- this smells like pure Granny Smith apples, a super fresh scent to wake you up in the mornings. The other one I'm going to have to get is Hot Toddy, this is basically mulled wine in a bottle. One of my favourite things about Winter is curling up in the snug of a pub, preferably with a nearby crackling fire and a hot port in front of me, preparing myself to face the cold again. Best smell ever.

And as always, the sweetest shower gel of all time, Snow Fairy is back. As one of the girls in Lush said "this is the colour pink in a fragrance". She's not wrong! This is limited edition for the festive period, so if you want it get it now!

Bath Melts:

These are sparkly, solid bath oils ideal for those of us with super dry skin- it's like having a bath full of moisturiser! They're full of goodies like fair trade cocoa butter, almond oil and Shea butter as well as classic Christmas scents like cinnamon, clove and ginger.

Star Light Star Bright, Melting Snowman and Snow Angel.

Bubble bars:

These fellas are a solid version of bubble bath- how cool! Full of essential oils and fresh ingredients, you crush these under running water to create a big mad bath full of bubbles. 

Old favourite Magic Wand Bubble Bar (it jingles as you swish it), Drummers drumming (reusable!), The Christmas Hedgehog and Candy Mountain. You can also pick up Christmas Eve and the Christmas Penguin again this year too (not pictured).

Lastly, the brand new Holly Go Lightly. I love this little pudding because again, it's fragranced with Christmas spices similar to a hot toddy, which just sounds so comforting!

Bath Bombs:

Lush are possibly most well known for their bath bombs and as always, there's a great selection for Christmas, I just have a few here to show you. 

Pictured right are Father Christmas (top) and Dashing Santa (bottom) for those of you who love a bit of Santy. 

Soaps:

These luxury handmaid soaps are all works of art in their own right. Last year I got Snowglobe, which smelt just incredible. If you're disappointed not to see it below, fear not, the last on the right Baked Alaska is pretty similar but is way more colourful- Imma need that one! 

Yog Nog (egg nog in a soap!), Reindeer Rock (Scandinavian inspired with comforting bergamot, lingonberries and cypress oil), Snowcake (a classic bestseller that smells just like marzipan!) and lastly the aforementioned Baked Alaska (uplifting hits of grapefruit, lemon and Ylang Ylang).

Gift sets:

The great thing about Lush is that you can spend as little or as much as you want and still come away with a beautifully wrapped gift that looks pretty fantastic under the tree! You can find gift sets for under €13, €13-€20, €20-€30, €30-€40, €40-€50 and €50 and above (that includes WOW, which contains ALL the Christmas and Halloween special editions except the Buche de Noel cleanser…this guy is €199.50 but it genuinely has everything Lush that you'd ever need). If you know someone that just wants one or two things you can buy a festive knot wrap- a Christmas themed scarf to wrap up your choice of bath bombs, body lotion etc. It means you get your bath goodies and a super cute scarf to wear afterwards! I have my eye on the "It's Christmas Deer" wrap, which is the kitschiest scarf I've ever seen. Naturally this means it'll have to be mine.

This one now is a bit more special..an advent calendar so that you can treat yourself to a bath for the 12 days in the run up to Christmas. Best to make the most of the water before we're forking out extortionate water charges in the New Year, am I right?!

And lastly, in case you're just not quite ready to embrace the C-word, you can get some very cute Halloween themed bath treats; the Sparkly Pumpkin and Wizard Bubble Bars.

Any of these making your wish list? I won't lie, there's plenty here that I would love; if I could, I'd do an auld supermarket sweep and stock up for the foreseeable future! There's plenty more to check out in store, I just couldn't fit it all in one blog post. Some of these are already selling fast so if you want them, go get them!

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Philip Kingsley Pure Silver Try me Kit | Review

I've been on the look out for a silver toning shampoo for blonde hair for a while now so when I saw this Try Me Kit from Philip Kingsley containing a Pure Silver Shampoo & Conditioner for "dull, discoloured, grey and brassy blonde hair" with an added Elasticizer to try out, I jumped at the chance to pick it up. The Elasticizer is one of those products always rated highly by bloggers but I didn't want to risk spending a small fortune on the big size as I  have a history of having poor results from haircare, no matter how fancy or expensive it is. This little kit came in at only €6.50, which I couldn't resist. Now it says on the packaging that each 20ml bottle is one application but like most mini sizes this has lasted me for four washes so far with plenty left so I'd ignore that.

First off, these smell incredible. Kind of like a mix of super fancy salon shampoo with a whack of lavender for good measure. Mmm.

The Elasticizer is an "intensive, super-conditioner" that you apply pre-shampoo to wet hair, applying in sections. After covering in a plastic cap (or cling film if that's all you have to hand), you leave it for 10-20 minutes before washing out. The idea is that this adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine. After washing out you use your shampoo and conditioner as usual. 

The shampoo and conditioner are created using violet hues and optical brighteners to add shine and take down any brassy tones that can happen when you dye your hair blonde. The shampoo doesn't lather up that much and you need about two squeezes to do your entire head while the conditioner has a light enough texture and is easily massaged into the ends of your hair. After drying and styling, my hair was noticeably shinier with more volume and definitely a bit brighter. I can't say that it was really a much brighter blonde afterwards but overall my hair looked healthier and in better condition. I wasn't sure if that was down to the Elasticizer, the silver shampoo and conditioner..or both combined so I tried them separately and while I like the shampoo & conditioner, I really love the Elasticizer and will definitely be buying a full size. I might keep on with my search for the perfect toning shampoo however. 

You can find various Philip Kingsley kits including this one HERE on Feel Unique.

Have you tried any of these? Thoughts?

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September Book Haul

For someone who read only two books last month (none of these were those two), I somehow managed to procure a fine big stack of books to read. 

I also bought none of these which leads me to believe I'm some sort of book acquiring genius. I really need to get reading but my brain is completely switched off at the moment, all it'll allow me to do is re-watch Buffy and be subsumed by The Good Wife (seriously, I watched the first five seasons in about two weeks. I'm obsessed). Anyway, I've some creepy/spooky type books lined up for October but here's what I picked up last month:

My lovely parents-in-law are great for the auld books, a visit to their house can often be like going to a book shop and I often come away very full and with something to read clutched in my grubby paws. This makes me inordinately happy. 

Firstly, my father-in-law bought me A Clockwork Orange cause I've been going on for ages about wanting to read it. I think I'll be reading it this month as part of my disturbing reads in the build up to Halloween, as having seen the film, I'm prepared for some unpleasantness. He also picked me up A Life's Music (on top) by Andrei Makine. This is a novella based in the Soviet Union and tells the story of a man's life, illustrating the "strength of human resistance" apparently. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in! From my mammy-in-law, I borrowed Longbourn (the story of the servants in the Bennets house in Pride and Prejudice- big P& P fan!) and Her Fearful Symmetry which I have somehow still never read but I hear it's an interesting one!

Harry's Last Stand was sent to me by Icon Books and is written by a survivor of the Great Depression and WW2, Harry Leslie Smith. In it he discusses the past and what we can learn from it to change our present and our future. I've already started this and I have to say it's actually fascinating so far. 

Hubster took pity on me when he saw me stroking the new releases in Easons that I can't actually afford (like, seriously, The Book Depository is where it's at. I don't know many people that can afford to bankrupt themselves on some new books. Take note, Easons) and spent some of a voucher he had on Ian McEwan's The Children Act and The Secret Place by Tana French. I love both of those authors so I can't wait to read these new releases. 

NetGalley also sent me The Before Now and After Then which I requested to read after seeing Sharon's review HERE. I haven't actually started it yet but it looks great.

Have you read any of this lot? What's on your current reading list?

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