“Let it rain” I don’t Care, I have a Raincoat

What is the one item of clothing every self-respecting Irish man and woman must and should have in their wardrobe? You can’t possibly guess? Why it’s a raincoat, of course, and this raincoat must be suitable for all occasions. I have owned some pretty horrendous versions in my time, most only suitable for walking along
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A theatrical proposal

Not many parents get to watch their future son-in-law propose to their daughter…..but that’s exactly what GG and I got to witness recently. Our daughter Kirsty has been going out with Mark for nearly four years. They met through amateur musicals and so it was fitting that the proposal took place in a theatre, in
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Make no bones about it

So my Dexa Scan results came back and I have borderline osteopenia which means that my bone mineral density is lower than “normal” for a woman of my age.  My doctor has recommended calcium and vitamin D supplements, told me to drink Super Milk and to take weight-bearing exercise every day for thirty minutes and
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A Peach of a Morning at “The Happy Pear”

On a wet and windy Saturday morning, Sara and I headed over to Greystones (a lovely County Wicklow seaside village) for breakfast at The Happy Pear, a café/greengrocer run by twin brothers Dave and Steve Flynn. We took the scenic route over the mountains …yes we missed the turning, as we were chatting too much and
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What’s an Ology?

An exciting new venture opened before Christmas on Strand Street in Malahide (Dublin, Ireland). Ology is owned by Lorna and Lisa, both of whom have plenty of experience in retail. Lorna owned and ran Haute Couture for many years before taking some time out to travel and live in Thailand. Now she is back and,

Another Fabulous #over50 Blogger for you to meet

I am delighted to introduce you to my next ‘Fabulous #over50 Blogger’, the inspirational Cathy Williamson, wife, mother, grandmother and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor of 2 ½ years. Like me, she began her blog because she found that most lifestyle and fashion bloggers were in their twenties and she felt that there were none

Shopping in Malahide

Many people are returning to boutique shopping for a variety of reasons, not least the personal service, and Malahide, my home town north of Dublin (Ireland), has a plethora of wonderful boutiques! Catering for diversity of tastes and different pockets, the discerning woman will not be disappointed. My “Shopping in Malahide” series begins with the

Introducing the Fabulous #over 50 Bloggers

When I started my blog six months ago, I hadn’t read a blog written by anyone else of my age. I read make-up and fashion blogs by young women a third of my age and found little in common with them. They were writing for an entirely different audience. Then my daughter set me up

Second chances at love – how soon is too soon?

There has been some controversy in the media at the moment about Peaches Geldof’s widower, Tom Cohen, dating fashion model Daisy Lowe. You see, Daisy was a very close friend of Peaches and some people consider it too soon for him to move on – others think it inappropriate. The panellists on “Loose Women” on

“Them bones, them bones, need calcium”

Did you know that 1 in 2 women over the age of 50 will get osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), according to Dr Moira O’Brien of the Irish Osteoporosis Society? I certainly did not think that the risk was as high. Having had an early-ish menopause at 48 and with the added risk factor of
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Coconut Oil’s remarkable versatility

I have been using Coconut Oil for about 18 months now and I am amazed by its multi-functional uses. Claims that a tablespoonful a day may help prevent Alzheimer’s has made me even more eager to include it in my diet. This first made headlines when a Dr. Mary Newport claimed to have reversed her

Champagne cure

I stopped making New Year resolutions years ago, because I never managed to last more than a few days. But this year I might make an exception. I try to stay as healthy as possible through diet, supplements and exercise. Those of you who have read my previous posts know that I swear by my

Mum’s the word?

On Christmas Eve I was chatted up by a young man in a pub. Well, I thought I was being chatted up! Out with my two gorgeous daughters and my husband, I was briefly unengaged in conversation when this rather attractive male suddenly questioned me to ask, “Did they just call you Mum?”  Amused by
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The Ladybird Flies – book review

  Edel Cush’s debut novel, set in Florida, tackles a taboo subject in a brave and dramatic fashion. Told from the points of view of both mother and daughter, I found my own emotions challenged as I followed their journey over one particular day – the day Lily decided to die. Unaware of the role

Down at heel? Never!

What do you do when you can no longer wear high heels? I have always loved high heels. I feel better; I know that I look better. I am an average 5 foot 4 ½ inches. That half inch is very important. For years I swore that I was 5 foot five, but I seem

Supper Club Sinless Dessert

  Supper Club…It was my turn on dessert and I decided to try out a RICH CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT TORTE courtesy of Susan Jane White aka The Virtuous Tart Ingredients 2 cups pitted dates 125g good cocoa powder 1 cup pureed beetroot (about 4 baby beets from vacuum pack without vinegar) 3 tbsp tamari soy

The Yellow Brick Road

Following the Yellow Brick Road brings you to The Emerald City, but this bead and crystal shop stocks far more than emeralds; it’s an Aladdin’s cave, a veritable treasure trove on Bachelor’s Walk in Dublin. It’s very easy to spend an hour there looking at the beads, semi-precious stones, crystals. If like me you have

A hidden theatrical gem

GG and I spent a lovely evening at the theatre last night. Now this is not The Abbey nor The Gate, but it is on the northside too. This is the hidden gem of The Viking Theatre in Clontarf, so just barely northside (in other word, a few minutes from the east link). In this

Supper Club Starter Divine

Here is Marie’s starter – Fritters with Aubergine Pickle and Coriander Yogurt – from our last Supper Club. She credits CookingwithConfidenceCelbridge@gmail.com  where she took a few classes.  She came with her pan and made the fritters on the night. Everything else was prepared and so all she had to do then was assemble and present.

You’re so Vein?

One of the reasons I started writing this blog is to share my experiences, for example to tell you what worked and what didn’t. This post is about legs. Why am I writing about legs? Well, I have good legs according to GG and so I like to look after them. A combination of genes

Charlotte Tilbury and me

I have always been very lazy about my make-up. When I was younger, I wore very little and even then probably only when I was going out at night. I remember my mother-in- law’s horrified face one day when I arrived around to her home with none on and she exclaimed, “I wouldn’t come downstairs

A STARTER TO IMPRESS

  Here is the incredible starter from our last Supper Club which I am only getting to post now. Jan is gluten-free and always adapts her recipes in this case with gluten-free flour. But she doesn’t stop there. The original recipe below was also adapted. The additions are at the end. SWEET PEA PANCAKES WITH

Kinsale – The Perfect Weekend Break

Kinsale is the perfect place to spend a weekend because there is so much to see and do. There are plenty of walks (guided if you wish) or you can go for a sail, play golf, or just browse in their lovely and sometimes quirky stores. If you are a foodie, then you are spoiled

Wedding in Kinsale

I love weddings. I’m a romantic and have been known to ruin my make-up weeping buckets when the bride walks up the aisle and again when the newly marrieds kiss. Funnily enough, I didn’t shed a tear at my own wedding 33 years ago. Last week, however, I spent much of the day feeling emotional