Ballet, Baths and Booze: Tips For Surviving The Summer Hols

I wouldn’t normally be a complainer about the kids being off for summer.

Sure, in comparison to my nephew in the UK (5 weeks off, total), the Irish school’s time off seems rather.. long drawn out.

Sure, the notion of trying to figure out how to keep their little minds engaged whilst running the hind legs off them every day can be fairly time-consuming and draining overall.

Sure, trying to fit in any grown up activities such as working for a living, in order to fund the summer camps/childminder/possible trip away/endless supply of ice cream required is a bit like pissing in the wind..

…

..yep, actually I’ve just reminded myself what a royal pain in the tits the whole thing is.

This summer is a little bit more of a challenge for us as a family since we’ve just opened Skinny Batch and I’m working more than I was last year so I’ve more to juggle. That’s for starters.

Then we have a small matter of Jacob’s fractured elbow to contend with (please, holy Madonna, the cast comes off in just over a week).

BUT Jacob at almost 6 and Eva at 3 are both at a really good age. They play well together, they were able to attend the same summer camp for the last two weeks, we’re not dealing with nappies or bottles any more so we can all head off together on outings without much fuss. That all certainly helps.

They do need to be entertained though – and while July was jam-packed with family events and summer camps, I’ve left August free ahead of us to just hang out and have some adventures.

I’m also going to take the opportunity to just be at home more and straighten out the 74,000 things that are still ongoing from the house extension LAST YEAR (FML).

The thing is, life is stressful whether the kids are in school or not and I firmly believe that on the days I am overwhelmed, over-worked and over-tired are the days that my family get the worst of me (the version that looks a bit like Twink in THAT puppy-pilfering video – i.e. not great)

So I’ve given myself a few stress management pointers to hit every week in order to manage this summer’s chaos – every Wednesday, I now go to a Barre Class at The Pilates Loft in Rush. It’s a ballet exercise class and I LOVE MYSELF when I’m pointing my toes like a ballerina, ‘k?

When I get home Ass Monkey normally heads off to the gym so I take that golden opportunity to drink a humongous glass of red wine in the bath.

It might not be the healthiest move after my exercise class, but it is the HAPPIEST move.

It’s called balance, people ;o)

 

 

Entertaining 5-Year-Olds With Broken Arms On Summer Hols

Don’t be disappointed but this isn’t actually a helpful, informative piece about what you should do if your 5-year-old should fracture his elbow on summer hols.

No. This is an appeal for HELP.

There are 5-ish weeks left to go before school decides to get over their (very tanned by now) selves and start back to educating our kids so WTF am I to do with the one-arm bandit until then?

@skinnybatchdeli pancakes being put to good use 😃

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He had a fall at my brother’s wedding (lovely day, jesus they really got the weather and all the gorgeous pics and we drank all the gorgeous prosecco too) – and Ass Monkey and I had to transport him to Temple Street at 11pm via taxi..

..because we were fairly shit-faced by then.

I managed to change into a t-shirt and jeans but still had a full face of makeup and false eyelashes on so I looked FABULOUS as I burst through the doors in dramatic fashion, insisting on carrying my son wrapped in a blanket who DID NOT have a broken ankle and was well able to walk himself in, truth be told.

(Although it was very late and cold and he was in a little bit of shock so I’ll forgive myself that one)

Anyway, featured elbow, they said. 6 weeks in a cast, they said.

FUCK MY LIFE.

I said.

He’s adjusted quite well, to be fair, and is rocking the sympathy vote with the ladies and anyone else who enquires as to the presence of the cast.

‘My uncle dropped me’, is the story he insists on telling everyone, which isn’t true but I’m enjoying the reactions so I’m saying nothing.

Me? I’m not adjusting so great. There is now only room for me, him and the bright blue cast in our bed at night.

Ass Monkey has been relegated to Jacobs bedroom – it is honestly the most use it’s gotten since we’ve moved into the house 3 years ago to be honest.

Kiddie camps have been a welcome relief until now, those 3 precious hours to yourself in the morning can never be underestimated.. but they finish this Friday.

Then what, people? Entertain the one-arm sympathy junkie by myself?!

HELLLLPPPP!!!!

All That Happened The Day We Opened A Deli By Mistake

On May 12th, 2017, Ass Monkey and I accidentally opened up a delicatessen.

I mean, we had planned to do it, we’d talked and dreamed about it for years. But were we really prepared to open a deli for the first time?

Were we fuck.

At 7am on that Friday morning, we opened the doors and had NO IDEA what was to come.

People queued up and down Rush Main Street for breakfasts, lunches, coffees and cake and we hadn’t entirely anticipated their arrival.

By 8am we had to ask Hulda, the Head Barista from Two Spots Coffee to jump in and give us a hand – she ended up staying for three whole hours. (Thanks Hulda, we love you)

Then we ran out of bread. I mean, our main service is to make effing sandwiches and we ran out of bread!

By lunchtime, we ran out of cake. CAKE! FFS!

Our little deli had been so sorely needed in our hometown for years that almost everyone who lives there came down for a look and to support – we were happy to see them, of course, but we had serious trouble feeding them fast enough!

That first month was crazy and we learned a lot on the fly – how to properly run a food and coffee house, how to develop the brand and menu, listening to our customers’ s requests and adjusting accordingly, figuring out our staff and stock levels..

..it has been one HELL of a journey so far.

I would say that opening a new business isn’t unlike having a newborn – you are like a deer caught in the headlights for the first couple of months, trying to incorporate this new energy into your life and settling on a rhythm and routine that works for you and the rest of your family.

There may also have been a few sleepless nights of worry – the usual!

There are some great Opening Weekend pics coming through! ✨ Keep on sending them through to us x

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We can now breathe a bit, knowing that we’ve survived the tough part – from here on out it’s just making sure that our little place continues to serve the community of Rush and beyond to the best of our abilities.

And to churn out cake. Lots and lots of cake ;o)

(Check out our website here and come say Hi some day! x)

 

 

40 Things To Do Before You Turn 40

It had to go and happen. I had to go and leave my thirties.

Fuck’s sake.

I haven’t had what you could call a birthday party since my 30th although I do like taking a moment on the day itself to pat myself on the back for any nice nice achievements or moments during the previous 12 months.

This year, turning 40, I thought I’d have a l’il bash..

So myself and Ass Monkey checked into The Marker Hotel (swit swoo!) for the night and I hung out in the spa for a while – which is AMAZING – until we headed to Farrier and Draper for dinner and drinks.

Hey 40. I think I’ve got this 🤘🏻

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I had a frickin amazing night, have only felt the urge to wear granny pants and shawls on two separate occasions since and overall, I would say that turning 40 has been without incident so far.

In light of my new-found old age I have decided that I shall henceforth behave sage-like and impart wisdom on anyone who comes within 14 miles of me so since you’re already here…

40 Things To Do Before You Turn 40

  1. Fall in love. Don’t be afraid FFS, just do it.
  2. Develop an addiction to Cadbury’s Cream Eggs. You want one now, don’t you?
  3. Take the thing that scares you the most and do it anyway. Mine was stand-up comedy. Sometimes it was amazing and sometimes it was painfully shit. I did it anyway and I survived.
  4. Hang out with kids. I’m not saying you have to have kids of your own (coz it’s your choice innit?!) but just go hang out with some kids. They’re flippin’ great craic.
  5. Be that person. You know, the one who does nice things for other people, who tries to help, who cares. You owe it to the universe.
  6. Watch The Slipper and The Rose. You’re welcome.
  7. Go dancing. Go bare-foot, bare-faced, in-your-underpants dancing and do it for hours.
  8. Change something about yourself. Something you don’t like – the way your name is spelled, the colour of your hair, your address, your mood. Self-improvment is your life work, girl.
  9. Learn key phrases in the local language of any country you are going to visit. Don’t be so.. Oirish about the situation.
  10. Write a book. Ah sure jesus we all have one in us don’t we?
  11. Stop eating processed food. If you don’t know what that means, you’re already in trouble. Start with striking jars of bolonegese sauce off your shopping list – there is SO MUCH sugar in those things. Go fresh or go home!
  12. Rescue an animal. Give a little mite a better life would ya?
  13. Save up and buy something outrageous just for you. Those shoes, that bag, that watch.. do it.
  14. Use the good plates. All the time. Who are you waiting for to visit? (I was gonna say ‘The Queen?!’ here but, y’know, she doesn’t really apply to us. So, em, Madonna? Does that work?)
  15. Take time out for yourself as much as possible. I highly recommend baths, early morning walks, a trip to get your nails done, lunch or cinema trips alone and, most importantly – DAYTIME NAPS! Just leave those dishes there for 20 minutes and when the kids are at school, go lie down. That’s an order.
  16. Don’t be a slave to fashion – be an individual with your sense of style. This is from the 40 year old woman who just bought a shiny red bomber jacket.
  17. Don’t focus on who didn’t show up for you at that party/launch/get-together/hen – focus on who did. SOOOO much better for your head.
  18. Assert yourself. Ask for that salary that you know you deserve, say no if you feel like you’re being taken advantage of, say how you feel, speak up, fight, know that you’re worth it every. single. day.
  19. Read. Everything you can get your hands on.
  20. Build your network and make sure you support it.
  21. Grow your own food – a strawberry bush, a bag of potatoes – I guarantee you’ll be so proud of yourself the day you eat them!

22. Double your efforts – if you feel like you’re not getting where you’re supposed to be – try harder.

23. Learn the words to two crowd pleasing songs – don’t be caught out singing Row Row Row Your Boat Gently Down The Stream at the family Xmas table when everyone is doing a party piece (although, to be fair to her, my Sis In Law REALLY pulled it off that time)

24. Smile. Infect the whole world with your smiles.

25. Get a tattoo. Go on, chicken shit ;o)

26. Say yes. Stop making excuses about why you can’t go to the party, drive across town, jump out of that airplane for charity, go away for a weekend with the girls. SAY YES.

27. Start your own business. It doesn’t have to last forever but if you do it, you appreciate everyone who ever gave you a job ever and makes you appreciate the value of hard work.

28. Work a Saturday night shift at a busy city centre restaurant. So that you’ll never, ever be rude to a waiter.

29. Stay at a swish hotel and pretend you’re a celebrity. I wore a sparkly dress and waved at tourists on an open-top bus from the windows of The Shelbourne once.. and they all waved back. Ha!

30. Switch off your phone – at dinner, at the checkout, after 11pm, on Sundays – you nominate it and you stick to it but give yourself a jaysus break from that screen.

31. Have a pyjama day. Lots of them. Who says that you have to shower every day and get out of the house anyway? A little off day here and there is good for ya. Just don’t make a habit of it!

32. Reign it in. As you get older you’ll find that while you might know a lot of people, and quite like all those people, that really, only a small number of them are your friends. This is FINE and you should be ecstatic that you are so lucky to have them. Nurture them, love them, be there for them and understand all the things that make each of them unique. Remember their birthdays, love their kids like they’re your own, stay in touch.

I have the best friends in the world you know 💕

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33. Post hand-written cards for people. Why send a text or write a FB post when you can buy a postcard or a card, write a lovely message on it, stick a stamp on it and fling it in the post box? The joy that goes with getting a nice card in the post cannot be underestimated.

34. Travel – yes, everyone says this and actually, I haven’t been AMAZING on my travel experiences but get a map on the wall and start picking off a few spots. If I don’t get to Disneyland and Lapland in the next year or two, there’ll be trouble.

35. Read the papers – the GOOD ones, now. Stay on top of what’s going on in the world so you don’t come off like such a wally.

36. Get political – I’m not saying run for president (although why now?!) but even getting involved in your community council will help you feel like you have some say in what’s happening around you. You can’t complain that everything is shit and let someone else be in charge of the shit. You get in charge of the shit!

37. Find magic in everything – your surroundings, your stories, the people you meet, the hugs you get, the opportunities that come your way and allow yourself to feel lucky.

38. Stand up in front of a crowd and do something – stand-up, sing, make a speech, give a presentation, pole dance (!), teach, recite poetry – if you can get through it while being heckled (and you know you will), you’ll be bullet-proof in just about any situation!

39. Stop taking yourself so seriously. You have internet trolls for that.

40. Love. All day long. Yourself, the world, life, the people in it (but not Donald Trump) – and remember every day.. you’re rocking it.

Love Shaz xxx

Easter Holidays: The Good And The Sugar-Fuelled Rages

We’re on the last Friday of the (WHY SO LONG?) Easter Holidays and I must admit – I’ve finally gotten used to that holiday feeling.

Jacob and I woke this morning (Eva is still up having her beauty sleep at 8.30am), came down stairs and cleaned away the pizza box from our second-takeaway-in-a-row party last night and settled down together on the couch for Cheerios and Cartoons.

We’re both so relaxed, there’s no arguing about uniforms or school or the stress of getting out the door on time and I just thought to myself, “There’s a lot to be said for this”.

But that wasn’t how I felt at the start of the break. WAAAAAY back then (jesus, two weeks ago seems like forever doesn’t it?!), I was VERY nervous about how we were going to fill our days, when I was going to be able to get any work done and if we’d all get along ok.

I decided to go easy on myself with the activity planning and thought that if we had one day out and about, we should have the next day in to potter around the house and just go local for walks and runarounds.

So that first weekend, we headed to the Easter Train at Rathwood. They invited us down via the blog and with the promise of a meet-and-greet with the Easter bunny as well as complimentary choice eggs, who was I to turn that down?

It was a beautiful sunny day and the kids truly had a blast. Ass Monkey and I were beside ourselves at the cheap flowers and plants in the garden centre (PEAK oul wan status) and brought lots of nice stuff home for our garden.

After that, we kind of had NO plan for the next two weeks. I started kicking myself that I didn’t have a holiday home somewhere that I could relocate to with the kids on these kind of breaks and so started the process of looking into one (maybe next year).

Then I started cleaning – the shed got it in the neck, the laundry was attacked with full force, every cupboard in the kitchen has been pulled apart. Honestly, I’m even contemplating entering the playroom today – and seriously, you can’t even get through the door right now.

I kind of felt like it was a good opportunity to get a bit organised before going back to work next week when everything gets all bonkers again so I rather enjoyed all of that.

For Easter weekend, we took a trip to ‘Grandad’s Farm’ – a sort of traditional annual event now to Tulsk in Co. Roscommon where my dad has an old farmhouse that he likes to retreat to on weekends during the year.

The kids just love it because there are donkeys in the nearby field that they find when they arrive so that they can feed them the carrots and apples they bring with them. There is so much space for them to play in, a trampoline in the garden, an Easter egg hunt and of course, unlimited attention and affection from Granny and Grandad Hayden.

Jacob genuinely bawls crying when it’s time to go home. Every year. That is what’s known as SUCCESS, people.

We’ve had a few visitors over the two weeks but not too many so they’ve all been enjoyable and not too overwhelming.

We’ve read tonnes of story books and the drawing/painting levels are off the charts. There is also a LOT of paint on my kitchen chairs that I am currently ignoring.

There have been epic chocolate-induced meltdowns and more than a thousand sibling scraps. I have seen 2-year-old Eva defend herself with a move that any Wrestle Mania pro would be proud of so I no longer feel like I need to get involved. Score.

There have been major baking sessions involving the melting down of all rogue post-Easter chocolate. They’ll never know.

There have been big long sleeps after long days spent together. In our bed, obvs.

I’ve spent so much time one on one with the kids that I really do feel closer to them now.

Isn’t that a strange thing to say?

Perhaps when we’re so busy with work and schedules and phone calls and running around, we don’t get to spend REAL time together.

But this time together has been real. And I am getting a LOT of hugs and kisses and “I love you so much, Mammy” declarations to prove it.

Swoon x

 

Grey Pubes And Other Awesome Things About Turning 40

It’s April 2017 and that means that a few terrifying things are about to happen.

1. The Easter Bunny Is Coming

What’s the deal with the Easter Bunny? Jacob is starting to ask questions about how he knows where we live and why he just keeps chucking mini chocolate eggs into the garden in a panic every year.

“What are you insinuating?!” I bellow at him while reminding myself that it’s probably better than his wondering why the Easter Bunny has to come into his bedroom to leave eggs at the end of his bed like I used to do.

Anyway, I might get Jacob to write him a letter – does anyone have his address?

2. The Easter Holidays Are Coming

Two weeks – two fucking weeks! I have two businesses to run plus a mountain of bills to pay and you want to give my kids two weeks off from school? Fuck a duck. Or an Easter Bunny. Whichever takes your fancy.

Anyway, we’ll be going on every Easter-egg-led adventure imaginable – anything not to be trapped inside the house together for TWO WHOLE WEEKS! Argh!

3. I’m Turning 40

Yes, yes, it’s hard to imagine that someone who still uses their mum’s credit card because they can’t be trusted with their own can be turning 40 this year but it’s true. I’m feeling sort of.. adventurous about it. Like, I mentioned to Ass Monkey that I think this is the year I really get out there and party, go to all the events, or perhaps throw myself out of an aeroplane for charity.

“It’s time to feel alive”, says I.

Then I went for a wax and the beautician informs me that not only do I have a rather UNMISSABLE grey hair in my pubes but that my armpit hair is starting to turn white, too. White. Like Gandalf.

So that stopped my adventurous self in my tracks for a couple of weeks while I licked my (pigment-free) wounds.

4. We make The Big Move at Dynamic Ltd

When you have as much spare parts, equipment and general collections of scrap and junk (that I swear we’ll need some day!) as we do at http://www.DynamicCaterCare.ie, then moving premises takes some time.

But now we have a deadline and that deadline is April the 8th. So this week is it – we say goodbye to North Strand and hello to Ballymun and we get settled in.

It’s going to be SUCH a hectic week but it’ll be so worth it in the end when we have our permanent business home.

5. I Abseil Off The Roof Of Croker 

Grey pubes behind me, I’ve gathered myself up and WILL take on a charity challenge this month. I’ve decided to abseil from the roof of Croke Park and raise funds for the ISPCC. It’ll be two days after my birthday drinks so I’m bound to have the fear on top of THE FEAR.

I’m trying to raise €500 and I hope you can support me and the ISPCC by throwing a fiver or two my way which you can do here – it’s the only way to survive turning 40 x

What To Do When You Get Rear-Ended Twice In One Day

My day started out with a finger up my ass.

Don’t worry, it was a professional finger – that of my doctor and to be fair to her, I did ask her to do it.

My internals have been a bit wonky since Eva was born and so I finally got my finger out of my.. annnywaaaay, I made an appointment with the doc so that she could do all the usual tests.

I didn’t just endure the butt-rummage but she got the ole syringe out for bloods too, which always makes me feel a little sorry for myself. So I took my sorry.. (see? I can’t even mention it now) self, off for a nice cup of tea afterwards before heading to the office.

I was feeling just about human again so I hit the road.

And there, at the ridiculously bonkers roundabout at the 3Arena, with trucks and vans and cyclists and lunacy whirring around and over the bridge to Irishtown at an alarming rate..

a taxi driver boinked right into the back of my car. The fucker.

He approached and asked me if I was alright to which my drama queen dutifully squealed back at high pitch in response;

“No I’m not ok! I’m calling the police!”

A few points to note on this:

  1. One is absolutely supposed to call the police in the case of a road accident so high fives to my inner drama queen for reminding me of that.
  2. 911 is NOT the number for the emergency services in Ireland.
  3. When you calm down and realise there is no damage whatsoever to your car, you’re going to feel a bit silly for calling the Gardaí but they’re on their way anyway so you may as well start wondering if they’ll send one of the handsome ones.
  4. Your husband (I still love calling him that!) will arrive and park his jeep at a very precarious angle at the side of the roundabout without a fuck given what anyone thinks BECAUSE HE IS HERE TO RESCUE YOU.
  5. Your back will start to feel a bit achy. You’ll remind yourself that your back has been achy since that time you fell off a stripper pole but you’ll still wonder what outfits you have that might go best with a neck brace.
  6. That same husband will flag down a passing garda car and ask them if they’re here to deal with the fender bender. They’ll joke “Did you want the armed unit?!” HAR HAR I’M FUCKING FREEZING STANDING HERE GLAD ALL YOU GUYS ARE HAVING THE CRAIC!!
  7. A traffic cop will arrive on his motorbike, with those leather pants on. I’ll just leave that there.
  8. You’ll be asked to produce your driver’s license. As you rummage through your handbag, you can visualise it, in a Doc McStuffins ‘doctors bag’ that your daughter has been using as an official medical badge. At home in your house. You explain this to Sexy Leathers Cop. He will move swiftly on.
  9. You start to feel a little bit sorry for the taxi driver that you’ve created all this drama. Then you remember the doctor’s surgery not one hour ago. He doesn’t know what you’ve been through today already.
  10. Sexy Leathers Cop will ask for some paper to write his details on. Any fleeting thoughts that you and he are about to become best buddies is quashed by a yellow and brown hand-drawn picture of what looks like Jesus on a crucifix on your work notebook. “It’s a Gingerbread Man”, you explain to him. “Jacob’s learning all about how bread is made in school. See the connection there.. ginger.. bread.. har har?!”

We all got out of there alive. I’m now taking this sad and sorry ASS to bed x

6 BIG Reasons To Love My Mum This Mother’s Day

I like being fairly selfish on Mother’s Day. I put my requests (*coughs* DEMANDS) in at home at the beginning of the week;

“I’ll be needing some flowers, thank you very much, not the Tesco kind, the ‘went-to-an-actual-florist-and-got-the-nice-lady-to-wrap-them-in-some-pretty-paper kind.

Some handmade items from the kids will be essential also – perhaps a hand or foot print, a poem about how they feel about me (not necessarily versus YOU, but that would be ok too) and if you all wanted to take the time to bake a cake together in my honour, I’d be most pleased.

Oh and also.. I won’t be lifting a f*cking finger all weekend so figure out how to wash the uniforms”.

You think I’m joking but I write this from my bed at 11.30am on a Sunday morning which is UNHEARD OF.

Moral of the story is.. demands work, ladies. Just deliver them with a sweet, sweet smile and a promise to return to your normal, efficient, doing-everything-for-everyone self in the morning.

The ONLY person I will do anything for on this day is my own mother. During my wedding speech I mentioned how Liz (or “Lady Liz”, to give her her full title) is genuinely my best pal in the world and I meant it. Had I gone on to talk about how great she is, we’d all still be in Ballymagarvey Village right now and I would owe them a LOT of moolah.

So I thought I’d take a moment to honour her here before I take her to lunch and kiss the face off her for the rest of the day.

1. She’s my travel companion

New York, Rome, Venice, Marbella, Tenerife, any spa hotel in Ireland who will take us – she and I love to get away together and just see the sights and hang out. There was a time when I would joke that if it weren’t for her that I literally wouldn’t have left the country but it’s true. Our passports have had a good few days out and we’re only just getting started.

Would you be able for us?!

2.  She’s my confidante

I can literally tell the woman everything and she’d be very hard to shock. Added to that she’s a super listener and not very judgemental so you can just get shit off your chest without her trying to ‘fix’ anything, which we all just need sometimes.

3.  She’s a survivor

My mum is the only person in my life who I have ever witnessed going through cancer treatment so I have nothing to compare her to but as far as I’m concerned, she beat that breast cancer LIKE A BOSS. She never complained – NEVER – and refused to give into fear. If I only had an ounce of her strength…

I lean on that shoulder HARD

4.  She’s a feminist

My mum worked full-time after she had me and then the eldest of my three brothers. She took a pause from that to have two more kids but stayed working in a way that meant she would have her own money no matter what. She minded other kids, took part-time work here and there and ultimately re-trained before heading back to the workplace when my youngest brother was 12. She gets up at 6.10am every morning to go to work and even though she has reached retirement age this year has no intention of stopping work. She tells me she does it for the headspace, to have her own money and independence. And she’s right.

5.  She’s the best granny

All of her grandchildren just adore her because she’s so warm, welcoming and loving. She never forgets any of them or leaves anyone out – they all just gravitate towards her for those epic hugs and kisses.

Check out the JOY on her face!

6.  She’s the best MUM

My brothers and I are lucky to have this absolute gem for a mum. She is HILARIOUS (especially when she doesn’t mean to me), supportive, kind, wise, hard-working, strong, up for a laugh and most importantly.. always has a tissue up her sleeve.

Love you, mum xxx

Love Interiors? Then You’ll Love Insider Secrets.

If my Instagram feed has been anything to go by this year, you’ll probably have guessed that I’ve gone crazy for interiors.

Officially owning our very own family home has a lot to do with that in the sense that I finally have a space to call our own, that I can decorate, hang family photos and art up on the walls, and plant a garden that we’ll watch grow year on year.

My great pal Claire Price launched House/Edit last year to much acclaim and is now taking a really cool interiors and fashion show on the road around Ireland called ‘Insider Secrets’.

There are two upcoming locations for Insider Secrets – Galway (March 25th at the G Hotel) and Dublin (April 1st at The Marker, which I am attending!). The first one in Sligo was completely sold out so if you were thinking about going to either of the other dates, I’d get on it!

I caught up with my fellow ginger lash bag Claire (who is also mum to gorgeous 2-year-old Ella!) and asked her everything about her new business and what we might expect at Insider Secrets;

1.  Claire – we used to work in Luigi Malones in Temple Bar together back in the day. Was I the favourite of all your co-workers?

Obviously Sharyn!

2.  Great first answer (!) When did you get the idea for House Edit and tell us a bit about it?

I’ve studied & worked in architecture & design for the best part of a decade and came to realise that my heart was in interiors. Brain storming in the studio one day with co founder and college pal Elaine, we thought, why not bring our knowledge & expertise to a wider audience and make good, affordable design available to everyone. We wanted to make it really easy for people to get online home inspiration and shop stylish, affordable homewares all in one place. And there you have it. House Edit.ie was born.

Look at these gorgeous birds – rocking their new business!

3.  Do you find that being a mum propelled you to heights of ambition you had never felt before?

Absolutely. When Ella was born I was shell shocked by both the over whelming adoration for this tiny human and fear of the lack of control. I am a self confessed control freak. Ella on the other hand laughs in the face of control (she’s 2) You can see where I’m going with this. So once I blindly navigated my way through the first colic infused sleep deprived weeks (how many times did I FB you?!) I was quietly smug that I had the hang of this motherhood thing and thought at 5 weeks post birth that it would be a great idea to start my own business! The great thing about Motherhood of course is that it has this incredible way of turning you into a time militant. As a result my ambitions ended up becoming reality.

4.  Do you think the phrase ‘Working Mum’ is over or misused?

I think next to the word Mother in the dictionary should be: hardest working human being of all time, full stop. Since becoming one I have another level of appreciation for my own. Being a mother by definition is seriously hard work. I think by using the term working mother it kind of implies you have two jobs.

5.  What do you use on that gorgeous hair of yours to make it look so silky please? (this was a PEQ – a Personal Envy Question)

You mean apart from the flung remains of toddler dinners! Literally whatever my very thoughtful husband has picked up from the shop that week. Gone are the days of browsing the shampoo & conditioner isle for fortified manuka honey enriched concoctions. Pre child however, when I had time for those kind of luxurious trips to the shops, Le Occtaine was one of my favourite hair care brands as was Aveda. They both smell divine.

6.  Tell us about the Insider Secrets roadshow, what can ticket holders expect for their €65 bucks?

So we have RTE Design Judge & Interior Architect Roisin Lafferty sharing all her expert knowledge on the day in what’s set to be an awe inspiring masterclass. The very stylish fashion stylist Orla Sheridan is going to be hosting a fashion workshop and answering all of your fashion dilemmas. Myself & House Edit co founder will be talking all things colour alongside our partner Fleetwood Prestige and April and The Bear will be sharing tips on accessorising your home. All this served over a delicious afternoon tea style lunch with spot prizes galore and fabulous goodie bags.

 7.  Is it possible to get home decor ‘wrong’?

From a spatial configuration point of view there are definitely better ways of optimising and adding to what you currently have. On the decor side of things however the answer has to be no. We are not in the business of dictating what’s right or wrong because ultimately style is incredibly subjective, so what looks amazing for one person may not work for another. I think ultimately ‘good’ interior design & decor boils down to an environment that works for your current living dynamic and decor that reflects your style and personality.

8.  What are your top 3 tips for someone who wants to brighten up their home for spring?

Tip 1: I will sound like a broken record but you cannot underestimate the power of decluttering and investing in purpose built storage. Throw away or donate to SVP anything that you haven’t used in the past few months. Likelihood is you are never going to use it and it will instead contribute to physical and mental clutter.

Tip 2: A fresh coat of paint cannot be underestimated and is the single best tool you have in transitioning from winter to spring. My current favourite colours are Pantone Sky Gray & Pantone Silt Green. My bedroom will be one of these colours in the next few weeks.

Tip 3: Throws and cushions. There are some fantastic high street offerings in this department, from H&M homeware, Zara to Dust, Homelust, April & The Bear and TK Max, all of which have incredible selections of spring ready homewares. Remember to mix things up a little and layer pattern and texture to give depth to your interior.

9.  What part of the Insider Secrets events are you most looking forward to?

Apart from the incredible speaker line up and girlie day out, it has to be the prizes. I am considering going undercover just win some of them myself! Framed artwork from Lola Donaghue. Hampers from Brook & Shoals, afternoon tea with bubbly, the list is endless.

10.  Claire – you were at my wedding recently. Was it the best wedding you were ever at? OK I’M JOKING, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT!!

*Laughing hysterically!*

 

Get your tickets for Insider Secrets now via EVENTBRITE

Snapshot

I am doing my best to be better organised on Raising Ireland – it was all somewhat abandoned last year while we built the house and got married (I know, I know, I’ve hardly mentioned either of those things for HOURS now) – but now, I’m getting back into it.

You see, the thing is, I LOVE writing and I love the fact that I have a little website that is all my own and when the kids are ignoring me or asleep or I just want some time to myself – I write. So why wouldn’t I do it more often, huh? WELL EXACTLY!

This is the first contribution I’ve ever made to another blogger’s link-up and I’m excited! Maud from Awfully Chipper has come up with a fantastic idea to just give a quick snapshot into our lives right now, and as I’m usually so busy running around, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take stock of where our bonkers lives are currently at!

So here I go;

Listening to:

Florence and the Machine, mostly. Nothing like epic anthems to get you going around the park with the dog at 7am.

Watching:

RuPaul’s Drag Race on Netflix. Like, addicted. Can’t stop. May enter next year ;o)

Playing:

Catch-up, mostly. The house, the laundry, the jaysus unfinished garden!

Reading: 

The last two Sunday’s newspapers – why won’t anyone let me do it the day I buy them?!

Looking forward to: 

Booking a holiday. We’re still trying to decide what to do. And find the money. Doing the Lotto and regularly dreaming.

Drinking:

All the champagne. We were off the booze for most of January and February but have just begun to pretend like that never happened and we’re starting to open all our wedding presents. And drink them. WOOT!

Wearing:

Only new clothes. Chucked everything out at the beginning of the year that was tatty and wrecked. Have been clinging onto an old padded maternity coat which is the next to go, fact!

Channelling Avril Lavigne this morning 🙈😂🙈😂

A post shared by Sharyn Hayden (@sharynhayden) on

Eating:

Meat and dairy-free. No I have no idea who I am either!

Working on:

Opening a coffee shop and bakery. We’ve been talking about it for 10 years and I think the time might be now!

Permanently frustrated by:

The news. I’m so over it. Planning on having a week of digging my head in the sand and avoiding it all!

Enjoying:

The good weather. Even the lollipop man was in good form this morning!

Not enjoying:

Two short work weeks ahead of me. Jacob’s school are off this Friday for Paddy’s Day, obviously, but the following Monday too. Noooo!!!

What is going on in your life right now?! Let me know in the comments on Facebook!