Over The Hilda

I recently had the pleasure of visiting IrelandsEye Knitwear Company whose factory is based in Baldoyle, Co Dublin. It is a sustainable, family-owned, knitwear business with a focus on creating contemporary Irish-made, hand-finished pieces. The business is run by brothers Paul and Brendan O’Sullivan, but all the family have been involved at some time in

Heading off to Berlin soon with Travel Department so republishing our visit to Lisbon pre Covid. If you are thinking of a city break, can really recommend Lisbon. Also loved Porto and you can listen to my podcast with Senior Times (interviewed by Gary Cooke) where I talk about city breaks HERE 1. CLEANLINESS Graham

I have been a fan of Lancome’s Teint Idole for a few years now and this new and improved Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation has given me more reasons to love it. There are now 50 shades, so I would be amazed if you did not find a shade to suit. CHOICE OF 50 SHADES 

Gail chose ‘Buttoned Up’ as our February ‘Style Not Age’ challenge.  I was at a loss initially, but then found this cute Zara jacket at the back of the wardrobe. I can’t remember when I bought it, but I definitely have not worn it much. Now I know I will wear it more often, but

How do we know what products to use when there is such a plethora of brands out there and so many different products. I rely on the experts to help me. And I am lucky to get sent products to try out. I can tell you what suits my skin and what works for me.

I have just recorded my very first podcast – and it was with ‘Senior Times’. What is ‘Senior Times’? It’s a magazine and website for older people who don’t act their age. Well, many people would say that is me. And I bet it is you too. It is Ireland’s only dedicated and nationally distributed

‘January Blues’ seemed an apt prompt for this month’s ‘Style Not Age’, as I have been feeling below par. You know how it is. Too much indulging over the Christmas season. We put the tree up at the end of November and that meant we started on the mince pies even earlier than usual. But

I have three rather exceptional books to recommend. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed them.These three books are about women who have to overcome huge obstacles in order to fulfil their dreams. The first is a true story and the other two, though fiction, are thoroughly researched and authentic to the time.  All three women are inspirational.

I am eager to tell you about Prai Beauty 24K Gold products and sharing some goodies from my friends on The Beauty Spotlight Team. If anything catches your eye, do click on the links to read more. I am including a link to an old post about the Prai Beauty brand. I was very impressed

  Happy New Year, my friends.  I am a little late coming to the party, but I decided to take a break from the blog and social media. Life has been busy.  I know that we are a little worried by what 2023 may bring. Certainly, the last three years have been challenging. However, we

Hello, my friends. I hope like me you all had a lovely Christmas Day. We had the perfect Christmas with our girls and their families. Plus, I did not have to cook for the third year running. So, there was no stress for me. And to be honest, it would be difficult to match the

Can you wear stripes and spots together? Of course, you can. My friends in the ‘Style Not Age’ group showcase their stripey and spotty/dotty outfits this month. Surprisingly, we all had to go digging deep in our wardrobes for this challenge. I bought these faux leather trousers in Primark recently, but this was their first

 I have been on a very pleasant journey…a skin journey with the Australian skincare brand Ultraceuticals.  WHAT IS ULTRACEUTICALS? Founded by cosmetic surgeon Dr Geoffrey Heber in 1998, the brand is relatively new to Ireland but is one of the leaders in the global cosmeceutical industry. What you need to know is that Ultraceuticals is

Our night away began as soon as we stepped on the train at Dublin’s Heuston Station.  We were off to stay at the Killarney Royal Hotel. We left a stormy, wet and wild capital behind with relief. And sat back and enjoyed the journey. There are still no catering facilities on Irish Rail (since Covid)

‘Orange you glad it’s Halloween?’ Jacqui chose this month’s ‘Style Not Age’ prompt and thinking of pumpkins opted for orange. It is one of my favourite colours, though the deeper shades suit me better. In fact, I have written several posts about how much I love the colour and how wearing it makes me happy.

Today, I am talking about another taboo topic. INCONTINENCE Incontinence is a DIRTY word. We don’t really talk about it. We joke about ‘wetting our pants laughing’ but in truth it is no laughing matter. Usually associated with the elderly and old folks’ homes, it is also a common enough problem with younger women, new

Yes, we visited 7 different places in 7 days and we did not unpack! How? We went on a River Cruise. Our River Cruise with Travel Department on board M/S Amadeus Silver III was three months ago. But we love looking back on the photos and re-living our experiences. That is one of the reasons

In the last few days there has been a dip in temperature, particularly in the evenings. So, Gail’s prompt for September was perfect. ‘Layered Lux’ fitted in perfectly with last Saturday night, out with friends. We would be walking home, so I definitely would need a coat for the first time this Autumn. Below, you

SHOCKING FACTS According to CSO data: One in four women in Ireland die from heart disease and stroke In 2021, 4,145 women died from cardiovascular disease, accounting for 26% of all female deaths Women in Ireland are 6 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer I was shocked when I read

Hello my friends. Can you believe we are nearly half way through September? We had a wonderful June and July in Ireland. Graham and I spent a few days in Cabu in Cavan with family and then a weekend in Center Parks with friends. Totally different experiences; both fabulous. I will write about them at

‘Style Not Age’ time again and this month the prompt is ‘Maxi Madness’. It was my turn to choose and I must admit I was keen to showcase a rather colourful mad maxi-skirt that I bought in a local boutique Studio 124. I wore it on our anniversary when we spent a night in The

Hi everyone. Can you believe it is August already? It is true that time goes faster the older I get. We are enjoying warm weather for the past month in Ireland, but we are not thankfully experiencing extremely high temperatures like other countries. Life is busy, but busy is good. Right? There is definitely no

  Thank goodness we were travelling with Travel Department on our Danube Cruise. As we approached D-Day (Departure Day), and flights were being cancelled left, right and centre, we sat back and waited. We knew that we would be informed if there was a problem and that the company would do everything possible to get

Well, the sun finally appeared and Anna chose Summer Sizzlers as her prompt for July’s ‘Style Not Age’. In Ireland, we have not seen the mad temperatures of the UK, but have had lovely warm days in the early 20s. I tend to cover up in the sun. And this sizzling orange linen shirt has