Things That Rustle My Jimmies

Yep, it's been another week of relentless interview prep & post traumatic stress, Hunger Games style and if that wasn't enough there's been a bajillion tweets that have made my eyes roll so far back in my head that they've done a full 360. Above all else though, THESE are the things that are rustling my jimmies this week: 

1. When a 10 Stone Rottweiler Headbutts You Straight into the Nose as You Hug Him!

2. The Office Window Opener in 

ZERO DEGREE WEATHER!

3. The 'Vote No' Posters

4. 'Hiya Hun, I'm Thinking of Setting Up a Blog, Will You Send Me a Starter Pack of Products?'

5. The Douche Canoe That Set Up a Fake FB Page 

to Announce Irish Krispy Kremes!

Tell us, can you relate? Are your rustled jimmies worse? Let's Chat!

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum - Quarter Life Crisis Averted?

Yep, Origins are one of my favourite high-end skincare brands but in the case of serums for your #QuarterLifeCrisis, I know when I'm bate. Instead of  using the serum myself, because, let's face it, I'm slightly older than the target market *coughs* and that'd be cray, I've enlisted the help of not only one of the funniest, wise beyond her years gals but also the creative genius behind one of my favourite blogs John, It's Only Makeup. Could Lorraine's face get any fancier? Let's find out: 

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum, €42, is the new kid on the new block. Skin care ranges for millennials are being improved, expanded and launched at a rate of knots. Keep reading - if you look away now, you'll look back to find this page has been replaced by a pot of a twenty-something's face cream. Business is booming.

Reserve judgement for a second. I was sceptical when the hype reached me, and almost wrote it off as another underarm brightening cream marketing fail (or win, if creating problems where there aren't any lines your pockets). After research and a good aul think, I'm on board. There's the teen market, which is blemish-busting gels and light lotions. Follow on from that, and you're onto anti-aging creams. Now, there's a handy middle ground for skin that isn't in the throws of puberty but still suffers with growing pains.

Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum is my favourite newbie. It's different to most serums that I've tried, in that it quickly soaks in and leave a velvety finish. I'm thinking that's intentional and done with fickle young adults in mind; a more comfortable, less slippery consistency is a great base for makeup, especially when you want to get it all done without faffing around too much. 

That finish ties in with its blurring tech - there's a dose of algae oil to reduce the appearance of pores. It's subtlety tinted in pale peach, which I think is where the radiance boost comes from. Both of these effects are temporary and purely cosmetic. You'll wash your glow and little pores down the drain when you remove this, but it's nice while it lasts and, again, a welcome enhancer under your foundation.

Long term skincare benefits are geared mostly toward skin with texture issues, the odd spot and general shine. It's got salicylic acid and chestnut seed extract, which purify and reduce inflammation without stripping away too much moisture. The drier areas of my face are coping just fine with this, and the oilier areas are being kept in check.

If you're starting to invest in skin care, make having a look at this a priority.

You'll pick up Origins Renewal Serum in all large Debenhams & Boots stores or online HERE. And you'll see more of Lorraine's whip smart reviews HERE. 

Tell us, are you in the market for millennial skincare? 

Visiting Wales ~ The Blaenavon Ironworks

Last week I told you about our visit to the Big Pit in Wales, this week I’ll tell you about another attraction just up the road from the Big Pit. Blaenavon Ironworks is a World Heritage Site, dating back to 1789, it has the best preserved blast furnace in the world. 

In the early nineteenth century at the height of the industrial revolution Blaenavon Ironworks was the most important producer of Iron in the world.

We really loved the hands on history of the Ironworks. The reconstructed company shop & workers dwellings are fantastic, it’s like they haven’t been touched by the hands of time. Our children had a great time on our free self guided tour of the Ironworks. 

Some of the workers cottages were refurbished for the award-winning BBC series Coal House which was set in the 1920’s. More of the cottages were refurbished for a spin off show Coal House at War, this time they were decorated as 1940’s houses.

It’s very surreal & feels like your snooping as the cottages are set up like the families are just out at work for the day. Meanwhile we’re in having a look at their kitchens & bedrooms complete with family photos of that era on the walls. Highly educational and fascinating! Opening hours are generally 10am – 5pm Entry and parking are free, there are picnic tables should you wish to bring a picnic. 

Tell us, have you been to the Ironworks in Blaenavon? Would you consider it on a furture trip? 

Monday's Moments - 27/04/15

This past few weeks may have been spent in a haze of interview study & prep but it's more important than ever to count the little blessings and be grateful for Monday's Moments, especially amid the mania: 

1. Aoife & Orla (8) Trying Chewing Gum for the First Time - 'So We're Chewing, Now What?!'

2. The Dublin Bay/Fingal Prawn Fest Being 

a Stonking Success!

3. Adam Acing his Spanish Oral Despite Being as Sick as a Small Hospital!

4. Ordering BooHoo Shoes from Work on Thursday & Wearing Them to Work on Friday!

5. A Thank You Tweet from Suzie Q as Her Boyf Used Our Review to Surprise her with 

a L'Oreal Steam Pod! (Lucky Duck!)

Tell us, what are you grateful for this week?

Cherry Pick of the Week: Galantis ~ Runaway

Ooh it's been a while since we've had a Cherry Pick of the Week ~ it's also been a while that I've been trying to track down this tune.

You might recognise the hook more than the intro but Holy Moly what a hook - the instant I hear it I want to dance, whether that be shoulder dancing in the car or shaking what my Mama gave me on the dancefloor. It's literal CHOONAGE. 


Tell us, what's been playing on a loop in your noggin this week? 

Things That Rustle My Jimmies

You would think with the wonderful weather we're having that it'd be pretty difficult to have one's jimmies rustled - you'd think that BUT YOU'D BE WRONG!

1. Relentless House Alarms on Sunny Days

2. Anyone Using My Tweezers. For Anything. EVER. 

3. Smoked Mackerel in the Office Fridge 

4. 'I'm Voting No Because the Yes Side are Bullies'

5. Jamelia. 

Tell us, what's rustling yours this week?

Avengers: Age of Ultron - Movie Review!

Who's In It?

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and James Spader


What's It About? 

While trying to create a peace keeping AI, Tony Stark creates Ultron - An AI that wants to "evolve" the human race by making them machine, a bit like The Cybermen of Doctor Who.

Any Good? 

I was never a big fan of the original Avengers film, I didn't like the Thor and Captain America ones so I just didn't pay much attention while watching it and a lot of the smart connections went over my head - but I certainly need to rewatch it after this.

One of the first things I said to Maaa after the film was that I was glad to see Hawkeye actually get a story of his own - and it not only made him more of the character he should have been, but he was even more badass.

 Don't question, just... oggle

Not only was Hawkeye's chatacter better, but everyone was. The only real complaint I have was that nearly every second word out of their mouth was a one-liner and it totally threw me off with how out of character they would be in the situation, but Maaa absolutely loved that. 

The film itself was pretty huge in scale, it took place in multiple cities around the Marvel world and had massive destruction, from Cap throwing a motorbike at a truck causing it to explode; to the Hulk being slammed through multiple buildings and collapsing a massive office block all in one fight. It also had fantastic dream sequences, from a huge Asgardian party to the one thing I wanted to see since the first Avengers film - what Tony saw inside the galaxy wormhole... 

While it's no Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers 2 was 90% huge action and 10% forgivable shoehorned in love scenes between Black Widow and the Hulk, and it was an absolute blast. The after credits scene was nothing special, it set up the third film nicely and now I can't wait for it.

Rating: 

** Momma's Take**

Being, quite possibly, more of a teenage boy than Aaron himself, I've seen every Marvel Flick that's been committed to film. I'm an avid Iron Man fan or
is that RDJ fan? The line is so blurred nowadays. As it is with Hemsworth & his Asgardian alter ego, Thor, not that I'm complaining. 

I'd put Age of Ultron firmly between Iron Man 3 and Guardians
of the Galaxy in terms of Kick Assedness. The funniest of the franchise so far and easily the largest scale Marvel we've seen. Each Avenger is larger than life with razor sharp wit to match, making this the closest we've seen to actual caricatures of themselves. A veritable real life comic book. This is Josh Whedon at his resplendent, unapologetic best. 

Hawkeye is fleshed out this time 'round, thankfully and the Black Widow is brought to the fore - both brilliant moves. We're introduced to new Avengers, each of which bring the same 'Oooh what's your party piece' excitement. The addition of James Spader as Ultron is a masterstroke, with his bot even taking on mannerisms of the man himself. Anyone that's a fan of his earlier work will know why this is a verry good thing (yeah I'm pretty glad Aar hasn't seen either Secretary or Crash). 

The one liners are relentless, the action even more so - I'd recommend you see this one in IMAX 3D (something I don't often do) but this is Marvel after all. It's big, it's bold, it's Bloody Brilliant!

Rating: 

Our Travelling Family Have Gone to the Pits!

And now for something a little bit different of a Travel Tuesday...

If you find yourself in Wales looking for something to do, I highly recommend a trip to the Big Pit in Blaenavon and Pontypool, not to be confused with Pontypandy! We usually travel by boat so we can take our car, large family & kitchen sink. This time we travelled with Irish Ferries from Rosslare to Pembroke.

The Big Pit is the UK’s National Coal Museum, an award-winning interactive museum which includes an underground tour. I can honestly say that this is one of the most impressive museums I’ve been to anywhere in the world. Do you want to know the best bit? It’s free entry, however there is a nominal charge for the car park.

There are numerous out buildings to explore, our little ones soaked up all the information like sponges, they loved it. I wasn’t sure if they'd all want to go underground to see the coal mines but they did and there were no nerves or apprehension at all. The underground part of the tour is an hour long & only for those over one meter tall so we had to split up so one of us could stay on the surface with our baby. 

You're kitted out with a hard hat & a torch with battery pack weighing 5kg, sensible footwear is advised as the ground is uneven.  I went in first with 3 of our children, the tour is led by an actual coal miner that worked in the pit so he can give you first hand information & regale you with stories of his time working there. They were a really great bunch of lads, so friendly & funny, they ensured to include the children in their story telling.

They have state of the art facilities including baby change facilities and fully wheelchair accessible toilets on all three levels. It’s also a breastfeeding friendly venue. While my husband went down the Big Pit, I took a stroll up the hill to the old canteen that’s still in use today for tourists. The same building as the canteen houses the showers & the doctor’s office. Everything has been left as if the miners were still at work today, just like stepping back in time. 

There are picnic tables outside to take in the stunning view from this vantage point. I enjoyed a chilled class of wine, while the children munched on crisps & a cold drink, all sold at great prices in the canteen.

Luckily we spotted an old steam engine as we approached the road to the Big Pit, we pulled in as our little lads are train mad. We soon found out that you can park there free of charge & take the steam train one stop to the Big Pit. Our boys were thrilled as there was a first class carriage that’s exactly like the train from Harry Potter. 

We paid £21 for a family return ticket, they are pay once & ride all day tickets. Unfortunately we didn't have time but you could take the train to the Whistle Inn for a cold refreshment. In all of our family adventures, this little pit stop truly was one of the most memorable, the kids talk about it to this day. We can't recommend it enough!

 Next week I’ll bring you more from our Welsh trip.

Monday Moments - 20/04/15

Happy Monday one and all!

You might have noticed that we did a little Monday's Moments Giveaway over on our FB page (Link to the left there) to give away a little sparkle and brighten up someone's Monday, well we're doing the same today. Click Here to Head on over to add your Moment and be in with a chance to nab yourself a Happy Monday prize!

As for Moi - in no particular order of deadliness: 

1. I Often Send Pics of 'One for Sorrow' Magpies to My Sis to Rustle Her Jimmies - This Week I Ran to the Window to Snap One, Tripped Over the Hoover & Snotted Myself - SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW (yet)

2. Walking the Length & Breadth of Bettystown Beach to Blow Off the Cobwebs

3. Catching the Avengers Preview & Spending 

an Unplanned Day with Mah Eldest Boy

4. Discovering That a Colleague Keeps Free Range Hens That Lay THE MOST DELICIOUS 

Organic Eggs

5. Signing Up For A Sponsored 

Road Safety  Campaign 

(Having Been a Road Safety Officer for 7 Years!)

That's just some of the little things that are making this Monday rock for me - tell us - what's chasing your blues away today? 

Things That Rustle My Jimmies

Oh it's Thursday and It. Is. ON!

Things that have rustled my jimmies this week in no particular order of pissiness:

1. Olly Murs Being WAY Too Sexually Suggestive 

for an Arena Packed with Tweens

2. Opening WhatsApp When I Forget 

I've Been Avoiding a Message

3. A 19 Year Old CHILD Using My Seriously Expensive Anti-Aging Serum!

4.Leg Cramps in the Middle of the Night!!

5. People that Put Their Watermark on Inspirational Quotes

So come 'om, what's been rustling your jimmies this week then?