Wednesday Fashion Spot

This weekend myself and my husband Mr P are heading to Dublin for a concert. It will be the first time I will be leaving the Little Fella since he was born. 

Mr P surprised me with tickets to Il Divo and two nights away at Christmas. I was excited at the time, then I forgot all about it and now it's here! 

I have mixed emotions about staying away for two nights from my baby. I hate the fact that I won't be able to spend the whole weekend with all three of my children, but I know they will be extremely well cared for with my parents at their second home!

It will though be nice to have some time to ourselves as a couple, just walk along and hold hands, pop into a small cafe and not worry about whether or not there's room for a buggy.

I have started to plan what I'll be taking with me but that's all it is at the minute - a plan in my head. It's so strange because I don't know what to bring, these days when I venture out I live in converse shoes, a mac to hide whatever top I'm wearing underneath because it's sure to have baby dribble on it and jeans.

These are a few bits I'm taking with me.

To start with I'll be bringing comfy shoes to walk around in, I got these little pumps in Barratts before Christmas and they are great because you can wear them with pretty much anything.

I'm swapping my lovely baby changing bag for my Louis Vuitton. It hasn't been used in a while and I love this bag so much because there is lots of room in it and it can be used day and night.

I'm also packing my leather jacket because it can be used with anything and is dressy enough to wear day and night. 

As for the rest of what I'm bringing I haven't a clue but I'm sure it will fall into place and I'm starting to really look forward to a grown up weekend!

Wednesday Fashion Spot - Accessories

This week on the fashion spot I want to share some lovely pieces that have made their way into my jewelry box!

As we all know accessories in moderation are as important as the clothes you wear and the shoes on your feet.

My daughter bought me this lovely gold textured band ring from New Look last week when she was out shopping with friends.

She surprised me I have to say, because I had tried this on a few weeks ago with her and said how nice it was but put it back! She also brought me back change which was even more surprising!

A chunky ring can bring any outfit to another level and this is perfect for wearing everyday.

This silver necklace is a real statement piece. I was going through my cupboards last week and found this with tags still on!

I'm really bad like that and I'm always putting things away and forgetting about them.

I bought it last summer when I was pregnant and have never worn it. 

This will be great for giving plain t-shirts and dresses an instant style boost and I can't wait to wear it.

Now all I have to do is find somewhere to go and wear these beauties!!

Have you ever bought anything and forgotten about it or maybe not had the chance to wear it?

Lucky......

So it's now finally official, I am a Stay at Home Mother.

I'm feeling incredibly lucky this week as I sit down and reflect over the last year and the changes that have happened - all of which for the better.

For 12 years I worked in a job that went from something that I absolutely loved to the complete opposite. 

I wasn't enjoying it anymore and I didn't have the work life balance that my employers insisted that they were providing.

I'm a great believer that things happen for a reason and I firmly believe that this is the path that was meant for me. 

Lots of people would look at redundancy as a daunting and worrying situation and it can be what with financial pressures and the fear of not getting further employment but I'm in a really good place in my life and I saw it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to try new things and more importantly to spend time with my family. It's not to say that I'm never going to work again, I will but for now I'm putting my family first.

Suddenly a months salary has never looked so attractive, we now manage our household on a strict budget but when my daughter told me she loves coming home to find me and her brothers here instead of an empty house it makes me feel incredibly lucky.

My job afforded me a great lifestyle and I am lucky to have been able to travel to many nice places on the back of it, have a nice car, buy nice things, have some savings and ultimately buy our home.

But at the end of the day when you have a family you realise that being together and spending quality time together is far more important than materialistic things.

Many times myself and my husband missed out on school plays, concerts, parades because of work. We had to send one of my parents or sometimes nobody was able to go in our place.

 In my work it was becoming increasingly difficult to get holidays around the children's school holidays, so we were missing out on each others lives.

These are some of the sacrifices we had to make because there was and still are bills to pay and food to put on the table. That's not going to change the bills are still there but we can manage and are managing so far.

It doesn't always seem fair but that's what working parents have to deal with to make a living and provide for their family but it was only last year when I started to feel incredibly guilty about things that we were missing out on. I think maybe it was hormones and I really feel that my prayers were answered this time round.

Over the last week I have spent some lovely time with my children with them being off on Easter Holidays. We've been out and about and just chilling at home. I'm grateful that I don't have to get them out of bed at the break of dawn and trot them off to a babysitter whilst I head off to work for the past two weeks.

I realise how lucky I am to be able to spend this precious time with my family for now. 
And don't get me wrong we aren't The Walton's. 
We have our ups and downs as well but we deal with it because that's what families do and it's not the end of the world if things go wrong or we stumble across a few obstacles from time to time. 

What the future holds nobody can tell but I'm as happy as Larry right now, whoever he is and I wouldn't swap this feeling for anything else in the world!!

Wednesday Fashion Spot

This week I'm getting back into my skinny jeans.

It's the first time since The Little Fella was born that I've gone shopping for jeans because it has taken me much longer this time round to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight! 

I have been wearing my old ones for a while but haven't gone looking for new ones until now and I wanted something nice for Easter.

It's so hard for me to get jeans that fit right and I was delighted to get these beauties last week.

They are so soft and very comfortable as well as looking good. I love the vibrant blue colour which is perfect for spring!

I teamed them up with this cute little butterfly top.

It is sure to liven up any winter wardrobe and is a really versatile little piece.

Both items were purchased in DV8, check out their website here. They also do a lovely shoe collection!!

Wednesday Fashion Spot

For this week's fashion spot I'm bringing you a few bits and pieces I picked up last week in New Look.

I love New Look and so does my daughter.

It's great to be able to head off, leave the boys at home and get some much needed girl time and retail therapy.

There are some lovely pieces in New Look at the minute and something to suit everyone, check them out here. 

I've wanted a denim shirt for ages but put off buying one when I was pregnant. I really like this dark denim one which can be dressed up or down easily.

I love scarves and this one will give my wardrobe a much needed springtime boost!

Lastly these are my favourite purchase - tan peep toe heels. I love the cut out design and they will be a great finishing touch to many outfits this spring!

 I haven't really worn heels so much since the Little Fella arrived so I'm going to change that over Easter!

I did not receive any of the above items or any compensation for writing this post and all opinions are honest and my own.

5 Steps to Spring Clean Your Makeup Bag

This week I'm feeling really good and as I'm starting to take more of an interest in my appearance and looking at new clothes to replace baggy t-shirts and leggings post baby, I have decided that my make up bag needs a spring clean.

Spring is here, the flowers are starting to bloom and just like my cupboards my make up and skin care products need the cobwebs blown off.

If your like me you will have countless beauty items lying in handbags, drawers, the car even - but how many do we actually use? I don't wear loads of make up unless I'm going out or going somewhere that I need to look respectable!

Join me today and follow my 5 tips to Spring cleaning your makeup bag.

1. Gather All your make up

Have a good rummage around the house, check your drawers, the car and get everything in the one place so that you can sort through them properly.

2. Throw away anything you haven't used for the last 6 months

Makeup and skin care products have expiry dates and can be harmful to your skin. I'm talking from experience here - I once used an old mascara I found in a handbag and it caused a severe eye infection - I looked like I had done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and that's no joke!
So my cousin who is a Beauty Therapist has kindly given me these guidelines to follow;

Mascara: Three to four months
Foundation: Six to twelve months

Concealer: One year for liquid; Eighteen months for powder and stick forms

Face powder: Eighteen months

Blusher: Two years for powder; one year for cream

Eye shadow: Three months

Eyeliner: Three months

Lipstick/gloss: One year - if you suffer from cold sores you should discard and replace straight away

3. What items do you actually use?

Separate your most used items and make sure they aren't broken - keep these to one side as they will be used on a daily basis. Then have a look at the rest, the things you bought for special occasions or Christmas - like the eye shadow someone got you for your birthday and never used or the eyeliner the sales consultant talked you into buying because there was an offer of 2 for 3. Is it still in fashion and will you ever wear it? Be ruthless. Give everything you are keeping a rub and clean with a baby wipe before we move onto the next step. 

4. Store your make up properly

Try to keep your make up in the one place, because if it's out of sight then it's out of mind. I have decided to keep mine in 2 vanity cases both of which came free with skincare products. I've had them a while and they were never used but one will be for my skin care products and the other for my make up bits and bobs.

I also love this retro make up bag from Tender Love & Carry, it's available from ASOS and looks great, it's very spacious making it perfect for keeping in your handbag or for going away. At only €15.38 or £12 GBP it's a steal.

5. Last but not least, check your make up brushes 

If there are hairs falling out of your make up brushes throw them away and invest in some new ones. If they are ok, put them into warm water using a mild shampoo - baby shampoo is perfect. Soak them until they are clean, then rinse thoroughly and dry off. 

Now, it sounds easy so what are we waiting for?