Christmas Gifts for Him

Men can sometimes be really hard to shop for! Especially around Christmas. Thankfully, there are some foolproof gifts out there that are sure to put a smile on his face! Whether it's your father, brother, boyfriend or best friend, I hope you find some inspiring ideas for them here:

Black & White Rib-Knit Scarf/Preston Sweat Zip Hoodie

Sports Bracelet/Paul Smith Striped Bobble Hat

Ralph Lauren Leather Travel Wallet/Braided Belt

Travelling to Work by Michael Palin/ You Are Here by Chris Hadfield

Pure Cotton Thermal Gingham Checked Shirt/Suede Shearling Moccasins with Thinsulate

The Test by Brian O'Driscoll/Bose SoundTrue Headphones

Paul Costello Living Men Crew-Neck Lounge Top

Do you have any great gift ideas for men? I'd love to hear about them!

Sinead

London

A great idea hit me one August afternoon, to go to London for a weekend during the busiest essay season of the year. Actually, that's is a lie. We had decided to go months before that, our choral society had offered us a chance to sing in the Royal Albert Hall (and we took it). But when it came to booking the flights and accommodation, we realised that we were taking a big, big risk. Assignments that counted for our degree or London? We chose London.

And was it worth it?

Absolutely!

So with four essays due the next week, we went on a four day stay in London, staying at the Ibis Shepherd's Bush. The hotel staff were just brilliant at their job and the breakfast came at incredibly good value. Needless to say, we were both impressed with the transport, especially at the busiest time of year, with the added bonus that our hotel was a forty second walk from the tube station that was on the Central Line. Perfect. 

I have been to London a few times but never this close to Christmas before and it was packed. Think busy times ten. Somehow it was enjoyable, exhausting, and exciting at the same time.  Wait - am I starting to sound like a Taylor Swift song..? 

Obligatory Plane Shots

The morning we got there, we just napped and then went for an amble in Westfield Shopping centre which was a minute's walk from where we were staying. We were just too tired to do anything else.

On Saturday, I decided to do some Christmas shopping for the family. We went up Regent's Street, Oxford Street, and around by Piccadilly Circus. As both of us had done a lot of the tourist things before, we weren't too bothered with seeing Buckingham Palace or Tower Bridge. I bought biscuits for Christmas in Fortnum and Mason (and later found out Brown Thomas did some of their range too!) and went to Victoria's Secret (where else?.).

(I have a photo of the same plaque in New York!)

My favourite film was honoured with its own restaurant

(I was sitting on a bench beside the Dorchester when four men with cameras sprinted past me. As close as I'll ever get to fame ;))

One of my friends is a fan of Choccywoccydoodah but I came across their café by complete chance. There was a huge queue going into it and even a bigger one for the till!

Sunday was my favourite day. I got up really early and went for a stroll around Notting Hill. It was a beautiful clear, crisp morning and the streets were really quiet except for the Portobello Market, which selling everything from a hat from the (Second?) Boer War to fake handbags. Definitely the place to go if you want something unique. I ambled up Palace Gardens Mews which is home to many embassies but I wasn't allowed to take photos. The police huts on either end of the avenue and the patrol cars parading up and down would make anyone feel like they're guilty for doing nothing.

 (I couldn't find the blue door)

Later on that evening, we took part in an Abbey Street recording of Handel's Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall. That was an incredible experience. There were thousands of people there both singing and enjoying the music.

 Monday, the last day, I caved and went to Harrods. I got some hot chocolate, biscuits and tea for Christmas (this is the only time of year we get biscuits in my house!) and then went back to Westfield for a proper shop.

Before we chased our train back to the airport, we spent about three minutes at Westminster.

 Our flight was delayed coming home and we landed in Dublin at half past midnight (both of us had to be in college the next morning). But it was worth it. London is beautiful at this time of year. Even if it's horribly busy! 

Have you been anywhere recently? Let me know!

Sinead

Makeup Your Christmas!

So, I'm a bit of a makeup junkie. I tend to go to work and then spend my pay check during my lunch break in Boots.  I just love the stuff. And because it's coming up to Christmas, and because makeup usually dominates my wish list, I'm keeping an extra eye on what's out there!

Here are some great gift ideas!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner 

(I use this nearly everyday and it's wonderful! Doesn't budge for a second but comes off easily with makeup remover.)

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick

(This is perfect as a concealer over the skin foundation!)

Benefit's The Porefessional

(A classic. Wonderful coverage. Goodbye pores!)

 Naked Palette 3

(Third incarnation of the original. The colours are so beautiful and versatile)

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

(A really good makeup primer. It hydrates and primes your skin perfectly.)

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Face Sculpt and Highlight

(I've heard wonderful things about this. Might not be too wonderful for your wallet, though!)

Rimmel's Wonder'full Mascara

(I use this. I'm a sucker for volume and this delivers! No clumps either. And wonderfully priced!)

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15

(I use this as a makeup base in Porcelain. A little goes a long, long way.)

NARS: And God Created the Woman

(NARS have done it again with the neutrals!)

Soap & Glory: Archery Brow & Tint Pencil

(More of a brush on one end and a wax pencil on the other. Not too dark. Perfect for any redheads or blondes.) 

And finally, something I only spotted when I finished putting the above picture together: 

The perfect shade of lipstick

Stay tuned for more makeup ideas!

Sinead

Five Ways To Banish Stress (or at least keep it at bay!)

My accounting teacher in school used to have a Stress Reduction Kit. It was simply a piece of paper on a wall that said 'Bang Head Here'. Effective? Perhaps... until you get a headache! But that kit was something I desperately needed this week!

The last month has been stressful - and that's understating it a bit. I don't know why I let myself get this busy. I begin the semester with such good intentions - go to all my classes, do all my relevant tutorial reading and begin my essays early. And yet, come December, I'm swimming in essay deadlines, struggling to get my required tutorial papers handed in, getting calls left, right and centre to meet up here, fill in there, do this, do that. And lectures... wait, what lectures?

If you know me, you know that I find it seriously difficult to relax. I could take an evening off to reset and still find myself wide awake at two am struggling to get to sleep. I'm not complaining about my busy life, I do prefer it over the dull nothingness of the summer holidays but I keep thinking that there must be a better way to deal with it. It wasn't until I met two friends yesterday, who I hadn't seen in forever, where I felt the stress begin to lift a bit. We caught up, we laughed, we had a good chat. We knew each other so well that there was no effort to be someone that we weren't. I genuinely felt that everything was okay in the world again. And that is a feeling that no hot chocolate or energy drink or Stress Reduction Kit can give you.

I've put together a list on how to beat stress, some things inspired by yesterday and some that have been tried and tested by one of Ireland's most notorious stress cases (me!)

1. Laugh.
Do what I did. Go meet, call, Facetime, Whatsapp friends who you haven't spoken to in awhile. People who you can be 100% yourself around. Share your late night stories, share the funny things that have happened to you lately and just laugh. If you have to pretend you're not stressed, then do. Fake it until you make it really does ring true here. If that's not an option, stick on the comedy channel or find some of the funniest Youtube videos. Laughing is an amazing stress reliever.

2. Change how you think
A lot of us are stuck thinking that what we think is truth. That if we think we're bored, we must be bored, if we think something's not working, it's not working. The trick here is not to get frustrated, it's to simply change your thoughts. You see, much of what we think comes from a preconceived idea we have about it. Instead of thinking 'this is not working', find one good thing that is and focus on that. If you find yourself being annoyed by someone, listen to their words and think neutral thoughts, act engaged and soon, you may find yourself becoming less frustrated and heavy hearted. By simply thinking changing your thoughts, you produce positivity which is the best antidote to high stress levels.

3. Learn how to say 'no'
This is one I still have to learn. I have huge problems with saying 'no' and even bigger problems with the anxiety I get when I do. Remember, there are only two reactions you can get if you say 'no' to someone, they'll either be fine with it or annoyed. But neither of them mean that the world is going to end. If you get told off for turning something down, don't stress. It is not a bad reflection on you as a person. It simply says that you are putting yourself first and acknowledging that if you said yes, you'd not be doing the best job you could do. If the person on the other end doesn't understand that, that's not your problem. We as human beings are so wrapped up in ourselves that I guarantee you five, ten, or fifteen minutes down the line, that person will have moved on to something else entirely.

4. Do what you want, how you want it
Conforming is a major source of stress that tends to go under the radar. It relates somewhat to learning how to say 'no'. Don't force yourself to do something or not to do something just because it is expected of you by someone else. You may be in a group of friends that might not go out much, which is totally okay, but that doesn't mean you have to confine yourself to that typecast. Don't restrict yourself to a certain image or way of being and don't let someone make you feel bad for breaking the norm either. Very often it's because they don't have the confidence to do it themselves. Alternatively, don't go down a certain path just because someone encourages you to do so, or thinks you should because they see it as a part of your image or character. Remember, you are living for you, not for your friends or your family or that really hot guy you see on the college couches sometimes, but for yourself. Do what YOU want to do. And if that means joining the Zoology society or getting a job in McDonalds, then do.

5. Headspace
My GP recommended this to me and it is brilliant for those little moments when you feel there's too much going on. It's a series of ten day guided meditations that you can download onto your phone or tablet. Seriously, this thing changes lives. And the animations are pretty cute too!

Have you any ideas on how to keep stress at bay? Sure, let me know!

Sinead

I'm finally on Facebook!

So I've been MIA lately! Plenty of essays, articles and general running around means I don't have as much time. Buuuuuut I'm on Facebook! Yes, now you can get my updates on your News Feed. Check them on the train, bus or in a lecture. Now you've no excuse!

Check it out here!

I'll be back very soon (once these essays are done!) and I promise to do a London post. 

Until then,

Sinead x

Excting Life Update!

Well, next summer, I'll be living and working in San Francisco! We've applied to live in Berkeley for three months. Excited is an understatement!

Anyone have any advice? Let me know, please!

Sinead x

Stocking Fillers and Beyond!

Is it ever too early to do a bit of Christmas shopping? Probably, but who cares? If you want to Christmas shop, then Christmas shop! Which is exactly what I've been doing lately. Well, more like window shopping. I've picked up a few things here and there - things that may be gone by Christmas eve! - but I've definitely made a mental list of other things that may be perfect for friends and family. Here are some ideas!

Umbrella/Dinosaur iPhone Case

Cream Embellishment Heels/Diamante Leaf Ring

Black & Pink Tartan Scarf/Fairisle Handwarmers

Silver Diamante Heart Studs/Soap & Glory Glamour Push Set (currently out of stock!)

Carolyn Donnelly Travel Mug/Crystal Leaf Drop Earrings

Pink & Smokey Makeup Brushes Set (I use these and they are fantastic! Irish made and top quality!)

Cream J'adore Canvas Bag/Monogrammed Necklace

Us by David Nicholls/Revival by Stephen King

Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent/Pale Blue Court Shoe

Coffee Note Block/Navy Aztec Backpack

Gold Heart Ring/Ted Baker Nude and Black Nail Duo

I'll be doing a few Gifts for Him and Gifts for Her posts later so if there's anything you'd like to have featured, let me know!

Until then, Sinead x

Disconnection is the new connection

How many times a day do you check your phone? Ten? Twenty, maybe? Well, apparently the average person checks their phone between 150 to 200 times a day. If this is true, I must be doing at least 170 of these checks subconsciously! This never really bothered me, in fact, I never thought about it before until yesterday, when I was at something where phones are a complete no-no. What amazed me was once it was over, at least 80% of those there immediately checked their phones. And 90% were on them as they left the building (myself guiltily included!).

Imagine just how much time each check takes, from checking the time to Facebook posting to Tweet writing, we really do spend a lot of time with our phones between our thumbs. And it's not just the phone that takes up our time, our tablets and laptops do the exact same thing. Just think that if we were to get rid of technology that has us glued for hours every day, how much time would we have to spare? Take an afternoon or evening to stay away from the screen. If you're daring, take a whole day! You'll find yourself with more time on your hands.

Here are a few tips on disconnecting and how to stay disconnected

1. Write down what you're going to do

Make a list of the things you want to achieve whilst you disconnect. Perhaps you want to tackle your wardrobe or get around to writing the first draft of that book you've always wanted to write? The perfect time is when there are no online distractions!

2. Switch off your laptop and tablet

We use these so often that sometimes, we just don't switch them off. Best thing to do is to power them down and leave them somewhere out of sight, that way you won't be tempted. If you feel the need to check them, begin something on the list and the temptation should pass.

3. Delete all social networking apps from your phone

I'm not advocating the total non use of your phone in case you need to phone home or are waiting for that important interview phone call. Just delete the apps that take up most of your time such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Whatsapp, Kik, Messenger, Tumblr, Pinterest, you get the picture! This not only keeps you away from things that can devoid you of time but also helps your phone run faster and more efficiently - a win-win!

4. Get outside

Go for a walk or a run while it's still bright outside. Don't block out your surroundings with music. Enjoy the sounds of life around you, take in everything. Walk mindfully - being aware of the pitch and frequency of the sounds but not what makes them. If it starts to rain, feel the rain on you rather than dashing to the nearest shelter. Take a route that you wouldn't normally take or go for a drive somewhere you've never been. You'll find experiencing a new place without feeling the need to document it on Facebook is liberating!

5. Meet your friends in person

Arrange to meet that person you haven't seen in forever. Make a pact to not use phones throughout the meet up and catch up. If you usually meet up in a café, go to one you're not used to or if you constantly meet up in town, go to a park or a woodland walk. Bring a picnic with champagne or pink lemonade. Bake together, go to the gym together. The possibilities are endless and are so much better than online chats!


6.  Read

What better way to exercise your mind? Pick out a good page turner and allow yourself to be immersed. I recommend Under The Dome by Stephen King!



There are loads of other things you can do, of course! What kind of things would you do? I'd love some inspiration! Let me know below!

Sinead

Winter Coats!

On Wednesday, I was interviewed for TV about my style and Winter must haves. It took me a while to decide what exactly this 'must-have' would be. There is just so much to choose from. Pretty sure umbrellas are a must have, as are woolly socks, ankle boots and knitted jumpers but they could be must haves for any season as long that it is wet! And believe me, it is a lot of the time! But one thing that you can really only indulge in when it's cold are woolly coats. I love the feeling of a big, thick coat wrapped around you when it's freezing outside (and sometimes inside too!). It's like a portable and wearable heater. So, I've put together some of choices of woolly coats for Winter. All you need to do is pair them with jeans or leggins, a pair of woolly socks (mine are from Inismór!) and ankle boots to pull off the ultimate Winter look!

That's a lot of coats...

Have you seen any winter warmers that you just love?

Let me know below!

Sinead x

10 Things For Under €10

I love a good bargain. Seriously, I'm terrible at parting with large sums of money and sometimes, it's more trouble than it's worth! You'll often find me trawling through dozens of websites trying to find the one thing that caught my eye for a cheaper price. Since it's coming up to the season that begins with C which I'm quite afraid of uttering at the moment, I've noticed that it is easier to bag a good bargain. So here's a quick list of ten things under €10 that have me tempted to whip out the credit card.

Pale Blue Lace Clutch / Faux Stone & Rhinestone Set Earrings

Jack Wills Ladies: Set of 3 Lip Balms (Currenty Out of Stock)  / Cable Knit Hat

Pink Patent Snakeskin Pixie Lock Clutch / Ribbon Bow Ring (my personal fav!)

Jack Wills Ladies Nail Polish Duo Set / Personalised Necklace Gift

Knitted Booties / Dachshund Print Ankle Socks

What have been your best buys under €10? Let me know!

Sinead x

Bucket List

I have never written a bucket list before. I never felt need to write down all the things I'd like to do. To be honest, the idea scared me. I was worried I'd have a list of things in front of me, things I'd absolutely love to do, and wind up feeling overwhelmed and useless. Sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn't it? Things have changed, thankfully. Ever since I started college two years back, the world feels that bit more accessible and the things I'd like to do appear more achievable. I've found myself making mental notes in my head, thinking, "Oh I'd love to do that someday" or "I'm definitely going to put that on my to do list" and actually feeling as though I could. So, here is my attempt at putting all these ideas together! No doubt, it'll be changed between now and when I'm 80.

1. Live in the U.S. for some part of my life (and travel across it!)
2. Visit China
3. Get an acting agent (and be in a TV show or film)
4. Learn how to drive (halfway there!)
5. Live closer to Dublin
6. Get fitter and healthier (already in progress)
7. Attend a movie premier
8. Travel to Lubbock where Buddy Holly was born (bit of a fan)
9. Teach English in Asia
10. Get over my anxiety issues
11. Fly in a helicopter
12. Treat my parents to a weekend away
13. Throw a successful dinner party
14. Go bungee jumping
15. Learn to meditate
16. Participate in a Colour Run
17. Publish a book
18. Read 60 books in a year
19. Go for a walk in the morning while it's still dark
20. Go skydiving
21. Write a script (so many ideas bouncing around in my head, I should do something with them!)
22. Learn a new language (and become somewhat fluent)
23. Have a place I can call my own
24. Bring my friends on a dream holiday
25. Go to Vietnam
26. Learn to play the flute
27. Work in a 1950s diner
28. Own a dog (and call him Freddie)
29. Go on one more family holiday
30. Go on a J1 (roll on Summer 2015!)


What's on your Bucket List? Let me know below!

Sinead x

Recommended Reads

If any of you have been following my Twitter or Instagram, you'll know that I am a major book lover. I don't know if that comes from working in a book shop and being gloriously surrounded by books or not but I just gobble them up. I need to have a book going at all times (hence why I pretty much pay my own wages in the shop!). Here's what I've been loving recently:

1. 11-22-63 - Stephen King

This. Book. I don't know what I can say that could accurately sum up what it puts you through. King really pulls at your heartstrings in this one and I bet he had fun doing so! This book is a thrilling story about a man who travels back in time to try and stop JFK's killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, from carrying out his vicious act in Dallas, 1963. Although large (but Stephen King's books rarely aren't!) it is incredibly difficult to put down. What I enjoyed most in it however was not the scene in Dallas in 1963 but the lead up to it. As the character enters the past in 1958, he must try and lead a relatively normal life until 1963 which means he meets an array of wonderful characters as he travels from the east coast down to Texas. King has done his homework on this one! He includes incredible detail right down to what Oswald does in his front garden.

If you read only one book this year, read it.

2. The Opposite of Loneliness - Marina Keegan

It's sad that something so beautiful could come out of something so tragic. Marina Keegan's life, albeit short, is definitely something to be celebrated and this book does it well. In this volume of essays and short stories, we see Keegan's talent come to life, her love of writing expressed in every carefully crafted piece of work. She explores love, loneliness and coping with being a young adult in a very cacophonous world. Even her valedictory speech is enough to wonder what more she could have brought to the literary table. This book just might make you want to write yourself!

3.  The Last Picture Show - Larry McMurtry

I bought this book not knowing it was also a film, it was Goodreads that recommended it to me, but now I'm dying to see how it played out on the screen. Before I go any further, be warned, this book doesn't have a large plot or goal at the end of it, it is simply a slice of life in 1950s Texas with intricate but interesting characters that develop over the year that the book is told. It tackles almost every problem that was faced during that time - sexual exploration, religion, death, hard labour, taboo relationships, alcohol - and so on. Prepare to feel sorry for a character at one point and then hate them at the next. Seriously, I think this book should be studied in schools.

 (Another great American book that follows the same 'no real plot just lives' idea but is more centred on a 1990s High School is Election by Tom Perrotta. A great story about the issues its students and teachers face in a world without mobile phones and tablets. Weird to think, isn't it?)

4. Only Ever Yours - Louise O'Neill

I finished this book with mixed feelings. Sure, it was a great story about a fractured future where girls are groomed to be perfect and men line up to pick their favourite, with the ones not chosen being forced to stay in school to teach or be send underground. At first, I was unhappy with the ending (no spoilers, I promise!) and thought the book had a lot of potential it didn't capitalise on. But I soon found I couldn't stop thinking about it and the more I did, the more I realised just how eerily similar this book's description of life in the Eurozone is to life in our society. Women are equally scrutinised for how they look and act. They are expected to be perfect forms of themselves all the time, that Tina Fey quote springs to mind here. I then realised that in this book, you needed to read between the lines and when I did, I thought the book was incredible. Any woman, young or old, would be able to identify with the lead, Freida in her struggle to conform to society. 

Gosh, no wonder why O'Neill is up for best newcomer at the Bord Gáis Energy Book Awards!

Have you read anything good lately? I'd love to hear it (although my wallet won't!). Let me know below.

Sinead x

PS, for more of what I've read, check out my Goodreads account!

Advice For My Sixteen Year Old Self

The Christmas I was sixteen, I got a book from my Dad called 'Letters to My Sixteen Year Old Self''. In it were tips and pieces of advice from singers, actors, journalists, writers and others for their teenage selves. It's easy to forget that the people you see and hear nearly every day were once teenagers themselves, going through the same problems that you did, so it was a sobering and reassuring thought at the time to know that the most successful people out there also felt a bit unattractive, inadequate, stressed out or unpopular at times. Now that I'm twenty and have thankfully passed through that awkward phase of my life, I've decided to do something similar, twenty pieces of advice for my sixteen year old self.

1. Don't stress too much about class tests. No one comes looking for your result when you're twenty. If they do, they're a bit deranged and avoid if possible.

2. Not getting exactly what you want when you go to college is not the end of the world. You will not get the university course you want. And you will cry but then you'll be okay with it. You'll be happy you never got it. 

3. Please please please put the cakey foundation away!

4. The boys you hang out with may be the first friends of the opposite sex you have ever had but they won't be the last.

5. Keep writing. Okay so, some of your stuff is terrible but some of it is pretty good (don't get cocky about it!)

6. Read some more! Books can help you prepare for life. You never know when you may be fighting other kids in an arena a hundred years from now ( probably not likely to happen but really, you can learn a lot about people from the characters you read).

7. Don't you dare put yourself down to the point of no confidence just because you think that everyone else knows what they are doing but you. Let me tell you, no one has their life one hundred percent together. No one has all the knowledge to get them through life without mistakes. We are all in the same small, cardboard boat that feels like it's sinking. Learn from other people and they will learn from you.

8. Spend more time with your family.

9. Try not to have sleepless nights about not achieving your goals. You're still only sixteen and still in school. You have plenty of chances in college to do that!

10. Let's face it, you're a bit of an accessory junkie. There's nothing that fancy about jewellery from Penney's hanging from every possible limb. Less is more.

11. Don't take life so seriously. You want to be looking back on this period of life and laughing, not lamenting over why you didn't take more chances.

12. Cherish the holidays you go on. You've been to some of your favourite places in the world with the people who love you. Enjoy them. At twenty, there's no such thing as a free holiday!

13. Eat a bit healthier. You love chocolate but chocolate doesn't love you. But gorging at Christmas is totally fine!

14. Worry less about what people think. You're only a fleeting thought in their infinite and busy minds. People are too concerned with themselves to pay any great attention to you. No one is going to spend hours sitting at home mulling over how your hair was not quite right.

15. Learn how to drive! The world will seem so much more accessible.

16. Forget about cliques. By the time you're an adult, there is no such thing as the 'popular group'. Everyone is an individual, no one is seen as less than the other. Relish it.

17. Don't believe everything you think! Thoughts are not facts. Laugh at the crazy ones a bit more.

18. Explore your style because it will change every few months! You will find that what you once thought was bland, is beautiful.

19. Keep your innocence about your weight. It is so unique for your age.

20. Things will get better. They always get better.

Have you got any advice for your sixteen year old self?

Sinead x