The Irish Get Up and Go Diary

This was my favourite Christmas gift by far - a diary with a difference! It is so well put together with little proverbs and words of wisdom. It is just the dose of inspiration, motivation and optimism I find you need last thing at night and first thing in the morning. 

Each month begins with a page on which to write your goals. I love this part as it really focuses me on what I would like to achieve in the next few weeks. Each day includes a few uplifting words. I have never come across such a diary before and am so glad I have one - a great Irish creation!

Winter Weathering (Prevention of)!

I thought I would post about keeping hydrated this winter, in every way 

- hair, lips, hands, body and face. 

 (I hope you like the picture. This was taken out my back on a lovely old style fence, unfortunately you can't see the fence as I thought the trees and sky looked lovely on this wintry afternoon. I had great fun taking this as the tube on the far right kept falling!)

Hair

About a week ago I bought two items from Kerastase - a shampoo and a mask. Their anti-dandruff moisturising shampoo is an exfoliant. I had never used an exfoliator on my hair before and was a little apprehensive but it was so good. Unusually I had quite a bad bout of dandruff  but it practically disappeared after the first use. If you have dandruff or dry scalp at the moment I highly recommend this. I was only on the search for a good anti-dandruff shampoo, however there was a discount on 2 or more items so of course I got sucked in and now I am the proud owner of their Nutritive Masquintense. I have yet to try this but if the scent is anything to go by then I think I'll like it. The Kerastase range is expensive but hopefully worth it.

If I'm in a hurry and don't have time to condition my hair I spray some of Herbal Essences Bee Strong  Leave-In Cream into the length of my hair. 

Hands

The two hand creams I am using these days are La Source Hand Therapy by Crabtree & Evelyn and Garnier's Intensive 7 Day. I love both of these as they are fast absorbing and don't leave a sticky feeling. I also have the La Source Exfoliator which is brilliant. I find when I don't keep my hands moisturised they look like they belong to an old lady!

Lips

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser is brilliant. Don't forget to exfoliate your lips with a toothbrush, making them all plump and soft.

Face & Eyes

Read earlier posts to find out about my skincare routine. In addition to my current routine I use Avene's Soothing Moisture Mask and The Body Shop's Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. Once a week I apply the mask and I reapply to the areas where the mask has soaked into easily. I often get into bed with the mask on, trying to stay on my back. I wake in the morning hydrated and soft. Another great product for night-time is the Serum-in-Oil - very hydrating and softneing. Of course try to exfoliate your face at least twice a week to get rid of dead skin. The skin around the eyes dries out too so I am now lashing on eyecream whenever I remember. 

Body

My favourite body moisturiser at the moment is coconut oil. After a hot bath or shower, it soaks in very well. Again, try to exfoliate at least once a week to increase the effectiveness of your moisturiser. 

And of course hydrate your body from the inside with water and fruit :) 

Inglot Brush Cleanser

In the past I have cleaned my make up brushes with baby shampoo, virgin oil and the like but they never seemed to extract all the make up from my tools. I knew I needed the real thing and so the hunt began for a targeted make up brush cleaner. 

Inglot Brush Cleanser was recommended to me so I decided to give it a go. It was very reasonably priced, around Eu10 for 150ml and has a spray pump. 

It is so much easier to use and takes less time than the other methods I've tried. I spray a tissue (or face cloth), then gently rub the hairs of the brush into the cleanser. I find this cleanser cleans my brushes thoroughly in seconds!

How do you clean your brushes?

Updated make-up storage!

My make-up was spreading outward from where it was meant to be so the other day I did a little organising (badly needed!) and this happened...

Hopefully it will stay like this. I cleaned all the boxes and drawer with anti-bacterial wipes and made 4 categories: moisturiser/primer/eye-cream;  lips;  foundation/concealer and blush/bronzer. There was space around the edges for all the eye palettes. It was a reminder of how many products I have. 

Party favours

Aren't these so cute? The whole thing cost just over 2euro. The bags are from Tesco, a few nice (wrapped) sweets and a nail varnish. A Ferrero Rocher would be nice too. I just think it's a nice touch and can be done so cheaply. Feel free to add your ideas :)

Being organised and routine!!

I am back to work almost two weeks now and I have to say I have never been so organised in my life. In the past, I was not the most organised person in the world, but I decided to change a few things, including meals, gym, piano practice and work related paperwork.

I was often going through the work day without eating lunch, which isn't ideal. But now I pack my lunch while eating my breakfast and refuel at lunch time. Also, I shower at night time to save time in the morning which makes a huge difference. It's also more relaxing as I am not in such a hurry. I have really gotten into the routine of practicing the piano every day for at least half an hour instead of cramming in a few hours practice on the day of the lesson. I am staying on top of my paperwork by doing a bit every day and a few hours at the weekend. For an update on my healthy living journey, come by tomorrow. All in all, I am much more prepared and far less stressed!!

Returning to work!

Well it is coming up to a busy time of year for me - returning to work after a lovely, relaxing break. I don't have children and admire all parents out there who devote their lives to theirs. I only have myself to dress, wash and feed, however this self-management routine gets pretty tricky when I am not organised, which is most of the time!!

I remember mornings I got out of bed too late, only to find I had nothing to wear and had no choice but to spray my hair with dry shampoo. Night time showers make so much sense if your time is limited in the morning, but do I take them then - no! 

I'm the type of person who keeps on driving past garages when the light comes on. This is just not good enough. 

So I thought I would share with you my life's little challenges. 

• Meals: Going through the work day without eating a lunch, because I didn't have anything suitable to bring or I did not have enough time to stop at the shop. 
• Piano Practice: Too tired to practice, no motivation or no time.
• Clothes: Outfit not suitable for work or in the wash.
• Work: Paper work building up, time-consuming and not very thrilling!
• Gym: Too tired and the couch a much nicer option

And here is my POA (Plan of Action) for each of them.

• Meals: Be prepared and buy plenty of lunch type foods. 
• Piano: Be disciplined and do a bit every day instead of 5 hours practice close to my lesson!!!
• Clothes: Decide what to wear the night before.
• Work: Do a bit every day and avoid it piling up!
• Gym: Make time to go

Each weekend I will let you know if I am sticking to my new plan. What do you do to stay organised??