2015 - Bring it on!

As some of you may have read in a recent blog my husband began a new job and its sent the Coup a little crazy the last few weeks getting used to all the changes and I've neglected you all and I apologize. I've given myself a firm slap on the hand and now its time to get my chicks in a row ;-)

2015 is only days away and I'm quite looking forward to it as 2014 has been a great one so far. For some time I've been setting various goals for myself and I'd like to share some of them with you. 

Some Goals for 2015!

Diary!

My first goal for 2015 will begin before "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at midnight on the 31st with me getting a 2015 Diary to mark my long term and short term goals in it so I'm ready to welcome 2015 with the same positivity as 2014 has brought me - Thank you 2014 for a great year

5th January - When it kicks off!

While most will start their New Years Resolutions on 1st January, I've chosen the 5th as the start of mine and for good reason. 

After completing the "Drop a Dress" program with RTE's Today Show and "Fit Man Fran" I will be taking part in Fran's Online 12 Week program to further shed those pounds (and some added over the festive season)

Since completing the initial challenge, I've felt great and while I've enjoyed some yummy treats over the festive season, I'm very much looking forward to kick starting myself again in the New Year and achieving an even better me. 

1st June / BUMBLEance

On 1st June 2014 I made a decision to become a healthier and fitter me and along the way I was reminded of an AMAZING Charity BUMBLEance. As I was setting goals to get myself fitter one goal I've set is to Jog the VHI Women's Mini Marathon on 1st June 2015. 

Recently I held a Coffee Morning in my Local Parish Centre for BUMBLEance and raised €1315 through donations, raffle ticket sales and BUMBLEance's tickets to win a 151 Mercedes! 

I was so proud of my local community for the fantastic support they gave me and local business' donating prizes for a raffle. A big thanks must go to Marron's Pharmacy for their support in being a collecting point for mobile phones for the charity and selling the last of the tickets for BUMBLEance's 151 Mercedes Draw.  

I plan in 2015 to hold at least one Fund Raising event before I jog the Mini Marathon on the 1st June and at least another after.

It's a charity that struck me when I heard Tony and Mary's story about the loss of their two Children to Batten's Disease . As a parent I cant imagine how that must feel and I admire their strength setting up BUMBLEance, Saoirse Foundation, Bee for Battens and Liam's Lodge

Treats for me!

So with all the hard work I will be doing to get myself slimmer and trimmer, I think its only right that I treat myself too! I've cleared a lot of my wardrobe in the last six months and while it's looking bare, I refuse to buy anything new, unless its essential. 

When I've completed my 12 week program and training for the Mini Marathon, I will be treating myself to some of the fab Lennon Courtney and Bastyan

They are styles I've admired for some time and while I knew I could have treated myself before now I wanted to wait until I was more confident in me. 

These are just some of the goals I've set for myself for 2015 and I must say I'm quite looking forward to them along with some others no doubt I will share along the way. 

I'd like to wish you all a wonderful 2015 and I look forward to sharing more "Clucks and Downs" with you all! 

Updated: Where it all began!

Before I "Chirped" my journey to blogging began with MummyPages .  In late 2014 I joined in with their #MummyPagesChat on Twitter which is from 10.30am-11.30am, Monday - Friday and Tuesday, 9pm-10pm. Here I've chatted with some great mums and have received great advice, tips and shared stories. Being part of #MummyPagesChat rekindled my love of writing and in October 2014, I plucked up the courage to approach MummyPages to see if there was an opportunity to write for them and as they say, "The rest is History"!. 

Since joining MummyPages in October 2014 I have have written a number of pieces which have been published on their MummyBlogger page along with being shared on their Facebook Page. 

I now proudly feature their MummyBlogger badge on my own blog and I'd like to thank MummyPages for giving me the opportunity to write for them. It has given me the confidence to believe that there is more to this "Stay at Home Mum" and more for me to grasp with open arms!

I'd like to share these pieces with you here and introduce you to MummyPages if you haven't already stopped by

Christmas Tag!

I would like to thank Danielle from LilliWhite Rose for tagging me for this wonderful Christmas Tag! 

I'm new to blogging so I'm excited to be doing this and I hope it gives you more of an insight to me during the festive season!

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie/s?
For me I always remember Christmas Day watching the Sound of Music after dinner when I was younger. Other movies I would love to watch would be Willy Wonka (the original!), Dr. Zhivago, Gone with the Wind and It's a Wonderful Life.
While all but one are not festive, I think its more the nostalgia. I've no doubt my 3 year old and 10 month old will change this list over the coming years!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas eve or on Christmas morning?At home when we got "older", we used to open our Christmas presents after Midnight mass which of course at 10pm! My mum worked as a nurse on Christmas Day to let younger families enjoy their day. We would tuck into the Ham and drinkies and enjoy the evening with her.
Now that I've my own little family this has changed. Every year we have videoed our son as he sees what Santa brought Christmas morning and this year will be extra special as he will have his sister joining him!

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
For me I think one of my favourite memory is Christmas Eve with my mum and f
amily. I loved where we would sit around the tree checking out what everyone got and enjoying some great food.
I look forward to this with my own children in years to come.

4. Favourite Christmas food
This is always a tough one. Tradition would say Quality Street but my mouth watering treat would be Mince pies!

5. Favourite Christmas gift
A pair of jeans! They were from my husband on the 1st Christmas we spent together. I was mortofied when he asked me to try them on because I knew they would be a little snug as I might have told a litttle white lie as to what my size was or at least shouldve been!
I still have these jeans and plan to fit into them properly next Spring!

6. Favourite Christmas scent
It has to be a real tree!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

During the day I get as much as I can prepped so Christmas Day itself goes with ease. 

This year I will be doing the same but now that my son is older I plan to bake with him some biscuits for Santa and have some yummy hot chocolate as we get ready for the evening. 

8. What tops your tree?

A star

9. As a kid, what was the one extravagant gift you asked for but never got?

If I'm honest I don't recall any. 

I was always quite pleased with what I got. 

10.What’s the best part about Christmas for you?

The last 3 years its been watching my son enjoy the festivities and this year will be more exciting celebrating for the first time as a family of four! 

I would now like to tag the following!

My Little Babog

A Modern Mommy World

Limmster

The Beautiful Truth

The Jet Set Mama

Hand Rescue? Or Not?

So, some of you may have already read my post on an attempt to save my poor hands from the daily "trauma" I put them through! For those of you who haven't read the it, here's a link to get you up to speed  http://chirpsfromalittleredhen.blogspot.ie/2014/11/day-1-hand-rescue.html

So after 7 days of continuing as I normally would as in not using gloves to clean the fire or using cleaning products this is how Aveeno's Hand Cream, Sally Hansens's Maximum Growth Varnish and Vinegar stood the test!  

Review:

Vinegar

The Vinegar I only used on Day 1. I felt the difference it made to my cuticles was fantastic and during the 7 days, I wanted to see how well the Aveeno's Hand Cream would maintain this result.

Aveeno Handcream

On average I used the Aveeno's Hand Cream twice a day on days 1 to 5 and thereafter once a day.
From day 1, my hands definitely felt smoother and as the days progressed a lot softer and not as tight especially with the colder weather coming in.
Compared to other hand creams I've used in the past I felt once / twice a day was enough and never felt like I'd to constantly reapply after hand washing etc like I have with others. It seemed to penetrate well into my skin.
I massaged the cream into my cuticles on each application and while it softened them, it wasn't to the same extent as my hands. I felt I might of been better to have used a cuticle oil / cream to give them the TLC they deserve.

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth

I used the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth as directed which is daily. On day 5 I removed what I applied as it I felt it was a lot of build-up. After removing I continued as directed.
While my nails didn't grow any faster than normal, it certainly helped preventing them from breaking and strengthened them.

Verdict

I think the pictures speak for themselves. To me my hands feel younger and not as dry.
While my cuticles don't feel as I'd hoped I need to remember the lack of care I was giving them prior to this.
They are products I will definitely add to my regime along with a cuticle cream / oil to get them into better shape!

Before / After Left Hand 

Before  / After Right Hand

Review: Abracadabra Creative School for Self Development

I had the pleasure of being invited to a preview of Abracadabra’s Creative School for Self Development’s upcoming Christmas Show in Powerscourt Towncentre.

As many of us know, Abracadabra is a word we commonly hear Magician’s say. What I didn't know was that it is a Hebrew word meaning "I create what I say" At Abracadabra, they are creating awareness of our words, thoughts and actions. Their believe is that each child is unique and they want to acknowledge their talents, creativity, imagination, their way of learning and interacting with their peers. This is achieved through their interactive shows, workshops, camps where children create stories, singing, moving and sharing their ideas. They work together and perform using each child’s contribution in the creative process.

When I was invited, I have to admit I was quite sceptical as to how this was going to work. So I decided to go with an open mind with my family and hoped that they’d enjoy it.

The show which is approximately 50 minutes long, took a different take on what we would traditionally call a Christmas story. It’s the story of a young boy who is blind and has never seen Christmas and wants to feel what it is like. Through the help of his mother and the interaction of the audience this was achieved.

With the show being aimed towards 1 – 9 year old's, my son who is 3 years old, really enjoyed taking part. This delighted me as he can be very shy in new environments. Our daughter too who is 10 months enjoyed clapping along as she sat on her Daddy’s knee. It was fantastic that not only were children involved but parents too, including me!

As a family event I think it is a lovely way of adding to your festivities and to top it off, after wards you could enjoy the Christmas Lights in Powerscourt Townhouse and on Grafton Street.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR MY READERS


Irina from Abracadabra Creative School for Self Development has kindly offered a discount for their shows on Sunday 7th & 14th of December.






Anyone who emails Irina at irina.abrasschool@gmail.com with the subject title CHRISTMAS SHOW DISCOUNT will receive a link where you can purchase a Family ticket for €25 (2 Adults + 2 Children).


Ticket prices are currently €10 per person so this is a great saving for the family.

For their upcoming events visit their website www.abracadabracreativeschool.net

Happy Christmas

Day 1 - Hand Rescue!

In the past I've been great at picking up "lotions and potions" and convince myself each time I will use them on a daily / weekly basis and start a new regime to take care of my skin. For the first few days I'm great but then I lapse to every other day to eventually not using the products at all! Sadly many of which have ended in the bin.

Since losing some weight recently I've gained more confidence in myself and I want to start taking better care of my skin. So with the winter creeping in upon us I thought a good place for me to start would be my hands.

I treat my poor hands terribly, never wearing gloves when cleaning the fire or when using cleaning products about the house. I feel sorry for my poor hands being neglected so much and worried too of how they are going to look in the coming years compared to the rest of me! I say this as I recall reading an article some years ago in a Sunday magazine and it compared images of peoples hands and their faces! Their faces said one age but their hands told the truth - OLD! So with this in mind and the season that is in it, I'm going to make a start on caring for my little hands and get them into better shape!

So the products I recently purchased with good intention to help my hands and nails are Aveeno Hand Cream, Sally Hansen Maximum Growth and one from the kitchen cupboard - Vinegar! Vinegar you might ask? Well, I'd read recently that it is a great softening your cuticles so I thought it would be worth a try!

Before Pics! 

What did I do?

Step 1: Vinegar Soak 

After washing and drying my hands I soaked my finger tips in Vinegar for 5 minutes one hand at a time. 

I did my left hand first and after soaking it for 5 minutes, I gently pushed back my cuticles using my right hand thumb nail. I've used cuticle sticks in the past but have always found using my nail easier. 

When I completed my left hand and followed the same procedure with my right.  

Step 2: Hand Cream

I used the Aveeno Hand Cream and massaged into my hands taking care to rub into my cuticles too. While I thought I'd only used a little, I may have used a little too much! This goes a long way and ended up using the excess along my arms. Next time I will use less and will get more if I feel needed

Step 3: Sally Hansen Maximum Growth

Once the hand cream had dried, I used the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth as directed which was one coat daily.  

After Pics!

You will have to wait and see on Day 8! 

Day 1 Verdict!

Vinegar: 

I was very surprised at how well this worked at so softening my cuticles. It was very easy to push them back. I've used cuticle creams in the past and found using the vinegar a lot more effective. 

Seemingly too it helps your Nail Varnish last better, so this will be interesting to see! 

Aveeno Hand Cream:

After only one application my hands feel a lot smoother and not as dry or as tight as before. The pics may not show it as well but to the eye, they definitely don't look as dry. 

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth:

Well, so far lovely shiny nails so I will just have to wait and see how they are after daily usage!  

Next Step:

So, the plan is that I will apply the Aveeno Hand Cream as I feel needed during the day day, taking care to massage into my cuticles and keep them back. If I feel my cuticles need more attention I will use the Vinegar soak again. 

I will apply the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth as directed which is daily. 

Finally, after 7 days of following these steps, I will pop back with my review to see what the changes are! 

If you have any tips / comments please free to share ... I could do with all the help I can get, lol! 

Jogging out of the Cul de Sac

Recently I started down a path to a healthier and lighter me! My journey began 1st June this year and through exercising, eating better and taking part in a "Drop a Dress Size" program I was delighted to see on 13th November that I'd lost 23 pounds! I felt fantastic! I had more energy, my attitude had changed becoming more positive and I could fit into my old wardrobe, Happy Days!

Since then, only 11 days on, I've slipped and started letting the old habits creep in. Between celebrating my achievement, making up for not being able to enjoy my birthday the week prior and eating extra treats during the day I was cornering myself into the same old Cul de Sac I'd only just gotten out of! I was telling myself "but you had a healthy breakfast" or "you can Jog it off".
Over the last few days I've felt sluggish and was disappointed with my myself for letting myself do this. I've had amazing support from my husband, kids, family and friends and I felt I was letting them down.

Today I seemed to hit rock bottom, I felt just BLAH! While there's been a lot going on over the last few weeks its been no excuse to let myself slip back into my old habits especially when I was enjoying my new regime. So once the kids were in bed I got myself togged out and got out the door for a jog and a good talking to!

I mentally gave myself a "clip across the ear" for being so stupid to let myself go backwards. There's always going to be lots going on and there's going to be treats but I can't let myself slip like this. I reminded myself that I'm doing this for a better me which will in turn benefit my family.
I've watched my 3 year old son having fun exercising like his Mammy and its given me great motivation.

I need to refocus and keep on track so I can reach my goals. Its going to be tough with the festive season upon us so I've set myself a new goal to start a training app to jog 5km over the next 8 weeks. Its not a tough one but it will get me back on track til I start my next challenge in January!

A Chirpy Introduction!

Some of you may recognize the attached image or a variation of it and others may not. 

The story of "The Little Red Hen" is about a hen who finds some seeds and asks her farmyard friends to help her sow them to which they responded "No". Along her journey to planting the seeds, cutting the wheat and bringing it to the mill to make flour to bake bread, she again asked her farmyard friends at each stage for help to which they again replied, "No"! When it came to eating the bread her friends were happy to join her but to their disappointment she replied .... "No" 

My reason then for choosing this as a title for my blog was because, if I've an idea and I ask for help and someone says "No" I just get on with it. Once I've an idea I look to just get on with it with or without the help of my friends. 

From an early stage of meeting my now mother in law she would always comment that I would put teeth in hens so it seemed fitting to use this story! Little did she know that I would put a tooth in this hen but that's another tale to be told ;-) 

I hope on my journey with blogging that I can share some of my "Clucks and Downs" with you and that you enjoy them and maybe even inspired to plant your own seeds! 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13236807/?claim=ajwebu2fn88">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>