Hi Everyone 

I popped into Penneys in Castlebar Yesterday just for a look. Of course I ended up buying. Who can leave Penneys without a few purchases not me that’s for sure. I just love the Autumn/winter fashion. Boots, scarves, cosy cardigans I love them all. So here’s just a little post on a few bits that I picked up. 

 

 
I’ve been lusting after a pair of cute ankle boots in this shade for ages. Imagine my delight to spot these little beauties for €15 Ahmazing!! I’m also in love with these oversized warm scarves. I have a houndstooth one that I bought a few weeks ago. I love to throw it over my leather jacket. It’s the perfect transition piece for Autumn.  So cosy but not as bulky as a coat. 

 

 
I also picked up this great wrap for only €13. Another delightful Autumn accessory practical and stylish. This can be thrown over any outfit and fits in perfectly with the seventies trend.

 

Next up Rimmel self tan in light €6.50 I’ve heard great reports on this. It’s a matte finish. I absolutely hate orange tan. I often embrace the pale but my legs can look a bit blue so a coat of this should do the trick. The new range of brushes from Penneys are excellent. I wasn’t surprised to see they had nearly sold out. Carmex is one product I can’t live without. I buy loads of the stuff. Especially this time of year. 
  I picked up these two workout tops for  €9 and €11. You really can’t beat Penneys on price for workout clothes. The evenings are getting chilly and these are great for me when I’m out walking. They are comfortable and warm without being too heavy for walking. 
  
Add me on Snapchat to keep up with my shopping antics. I love to snap while I’m out shopping to show my followers what’s in the shops. I just can’t help myself. 

Well I hope you enjoyed this post. I’m off to enjoy this sunshine and go for a long walk. 

Chat to you soon,

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

Today I have a recipe for you all. A good hearty warming Autumnal soup. I was hoping to make pumpkin soup but I can’t seem to find any pumpkins in the shops. Maybe I’m too early and they will appear closer to Halloween. Anyway today was a gorgeous Autumn day, sunny but cool and crisp. Such fresh weather I love it. I got out for a walk around lough lannagh this morning it was fabulous up there. 

 

 
So on Friday I picked up some fresh vegetables from the stall on Market Square. It’s there every Friday and always has really fresh homegrown veg. The flavour is unbelievable I’m always raving about it to my clients in the salon. I bought some fresh tomatoes to use in a soup. They are Romano Tomatoes and perfect for cooking. I used half to make a Spagbol sauce and the other half in this soup.

  
Anyway here’s what you need.

1. 3 Carrots
2. 1 Onion
3. 1 Parsnip
4. 3 Cloves of Garlic 
5. 2 Beef Oxo cubes
6. Pinch of basil,oregano, cumin & black pepper. 

Method:

Chop all the veg and make 3 pints of beef stock.

Sautée the onion & garlic in a large saucepan with a little water until soft.

Add in the basil, oregano and cumin.

Add the chopped carrots and parsnip with the beef stock & bring to the boil until the carrots and parsnip begin to soften.

Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and leave to cool. Using a blender blitz until smooth. You can add more stock if you prefer a thin soup.

Heat up as you wish and enjoy. I love this on cold evenings. It’s so filling and warm. Just perfect for a pre dinner snack or great to take to work for lunch. The fresh tomatoes add a delicious flavour to the soup & it’s so easy to make. Soup will keep in the fridge for a few days and can also be frozen.

  

  

That’s all from me for today. Hope you like this recipe. It’s a simple but delicious healthy meal perfect for Autumn. As always thanks for reading and don’t forget to hit share.

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

Well it’s the start of a new week and We are back to reality again. It’s back to healthy eating, walks and hydration for me. I had to face the reality of the scales today and holy mother of god I gained 7lbs!! I’m not surprised really considering the gluttony of An all inclusive holiday. This made me feel ugghhhhhhh!!! I’m Just absolutely sickened, but hey it’s done now. I’ve faced it head on and accepted it. Shur it happens to us all, right? The important thing is not to dwell on it. Move on get back on track and lose it again. There’s a huge difference between gaining a few lbs because you were living it up on holidays and weight gain from comfort eating. I know because I struggled to break my bad habits. It was a long road and it was really tough but I did it. Believe me I know better than anyone that weight management is a constant struggle. Even after maintaining my weight loss for over a year, it still takes a lot of work not to fall off the wagon. 

 

I use a few little mind tricks to pull myself back to reality after a big blow out. Progress photos really motivate me. Looking at how far I’ve come really makes me realise how much I need to keep going for my own happiness. I never hated myself when I was three stone heavier, but I didn’t feel like me. I know I’ll never be skinny and I’m fine with that. I love my curves, I just don’t want to be excessively overweight for my body shape. Size 14 is normal for me and I’m really happy at that size I really feel like myself in it. 

  
I’m a great fan of writing lists, writing down the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining my weight is a favourite of mine. Looking at it on paper helps to set my mind straight and stop me from losing my willpower. Clothes shopping is also a huge motivator for me. I love to shop especially in River Island and the thoughts of my lovely clothes not fitting anymore puts the fear of God into me. 

   

So my next step in getting back on the bandwagon is to do my shopping list, meal plan, head to Aldi and get all my supplies. I’m a great believer in the old saying “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” Having healthy food close at hand is half the battle. Getting back to exercise with a brisk walk in the fresh air will help to lift any holiday blues and give me a good energy boost for the day. 

  

  
So it’s back to UNislim on Wednesday for me. I hear they have a new recipe booklet out for autum. I’m looking forward to trying out some new meals over the coming weeks. I’m dying to make some pumpkin soup also. I made some last year with cinnamon and it was just gorgeous. A perfect autumnal warming meal. Il post the recipe soon, it’s really delicious. 
  

Thank You for reading this post, I hope it brings you some Monday motivation. Please hit the Facebook or Twitter icon under this post to share it on Your social media account. I appreciate all your support.

Chat soon, Maria xx

  

Hey Everyone 

I love autumn, it’s actually my favourite season to dress for. I’ve been looking around getting a few ideas. We have a few events to look forward to in the coming months. I’ve just had a quick look on River Island and picked out a few of my favourites at the moment. I’ve added links in case there’s anything you might like to buy So just click on the link (example Molly denims)it will bring you straight to River Island.com where You can purchase. Handy eh?

Molly denims 
You really can’t go wrong with River Island jeans. They are great for dressing up or dressing down. I have had my eye on this colour “Molly” pair for a while.  

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Bardot dress

I really like the look of this dress, You can’t really go wrong with black can you? There’s a casual sexiness to this little guna. Dressy or casual, I think it could work both ways.

  
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Kimono style dress

  

I   spotted this limited edition dress and I love the sleeves and the gold belt. I think it’s a must have. Dare I mention it, but the party season is coming up soon. This is a great little number throw on a pair of black opaque tights and away you go.  

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Dark red jumpsuit
I love this culotte style jumpsuit. I think it’s very classy. I’m not sure if the shape will work on me personally but I will definitely try this on. I think it’s a beautiful autum shade. So elegant.

  
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Black play suit
This one is a little bit of a wild card. It looks a bit too short for me, but again I’d definitely try it on. Black tights would be essential for my legs anyway. It could work though, I’m thinking I could wear this on  a girls night out with loads of prosecco, and lots of laughs.

  
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 Ankle boots

It’s the season for getting cosy and time to grab a pair of these gorgeous ankle boots. I love the nude colour they would look great with those fab Molly jeans.

  
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Suede tassel heels
I had been stalking a pair of Steve Madden shoes very similar to these in the U.S. I decided to leave them in the end as my foot felt a bit squashed in them. However I found these little gems and they are right on trend with the suede tassels. Rocking that seventies vibe.

 

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Coat 
Last but not least, this tan coat looks so cosy and warm. It’s definitely on my Wishlist.

 

So there’s a few of the items I’m lusting after at the moment. I just thought I’d write a little post and share them with You all. Be sure to let me know if you decide to buy any of these items. If you enjoyed this post please hit the Facebook icon below to share it, or leave me a comment. Thanks for reading.

Love Maria  

Hi Everyone 

We are just home from the first ever Mayo Style awards in Breaffy house. The style awards were ran by the Connaught Telegraph and a great night was had by all. I was very lucky to make it into the final three in the category for Best in Hairdressing. I was very excited as it was my first time getting through for any kind of award. The category was won by Allure hairdressing with my salon PLATINUM hairdressing  and LS hair parlour as runners up. 

  
 
It was wonderful to be selected as a finalist and to be part of such a great event. There was loads of publicity for the businesses involved in the Connaught telegraph which created a great buzz locally.  The night itself was a very glamorous occasion with great craic and banter from MC Toni Bourke. Breaffy house did a great job looking after us with a lovely meal, there was dancing later on too. We had just arrived home from our honeymoon in Mexico today so we were exhausted otherwise We would have stayed much later. 
 

 
However I’m delighted to show you my cert for qualifying as a finalist. It was a great achievement for me as a small business and I’m thrilled to have done so well. I’m already looking forward to next years awards. Congrats and well done to all the winners and finalists. It was a brilliant night.

 

Thanks to Everyone who voted for me and to the judges for selecting my salon as one of the top three in Mayo.I really appreciate the positive feedback about my business. It has really given me a much needed  confidence boost after a difficult few months. Mum would have been delighted to see PLATINUM doing so well.
  
On the night I wore a dress from River Island from about two years ago. I had to cover up as my skin is peeling after getting sunburnt in Mexico. Not something I’d recommend by the way.  Hurray for autumn and opaque tights.My Sparkly shoe boots are Gerry Maguires from a few seasons ago too.

  
My clutch  & earrings are from Tomorrow’s Heirlooms.ie .I did my own hair & make up. Face is Benefit foundation, Youngblood powder, pippa palate, the lipstick is MAC honey love which I bought in America. Benefit they’re real mascara. All in all I thought I looked great for a lady who only got off a plane from the U.S at 7 am.

 

 
  
Well folks Thanks for reading, could you do me a favour and hit the share button. I’m trying to build readership on my blog at the moment and every click counts. I appreciate all your help and support you are all very kind. Also if your not already following me on snapchat add me. All my best antics are there first.

  
Bye for now,

Love Maria xx

Hey Everyone 

A few of You have asked me What was the food and drink like on our all inclusive Honeymoon? Well we weren’t sure what to expect. I have never done all inclusive before. Let me tell you now, it’s well worth the extra spend. The quality of the food and service here is absolutely excellent. There’s endless amounts of cocktails beers, spirits as well as soft drinks and snacks available poolside and beachside all day long. We even have a lovely waiter called Jorge who brings us our drinks to our sun loungers. We don’t even have to get up ourselves. Pure indulgent luxury. 

 

 
The minibar in our room  is stocked daily with beer, soft drinks and bottled water. There’s also 24 hour room service available with drinks and snacks if needed. We are provided with towels for the beach & pool as well as the towels in our room. Fantastic service.

  

  
The breakfast buffet in the World Cafe is absolutely huge and has everything we could ask for. There’s traditional Mexican food, eggs, pancakes, crispy bacon, fruit, breads, waffles, cheese , yogurt,sausages, cooked meats. It’s unbelievable how much food is available. Everything is really fresh and kept super clean too. The hotel staff are always running around tidying up. 

 

There’s also a little section for kids they have pancakes, waffles, peanut butter sandwiches, waffles, toast, bananas. Loads even for kids. Even though we haven’t seen many kids here I guess that’s because of school term.

 

The selection of fresh fruit is just wow I guess it’s easy in this climate to have loads of fresh mangoes, pineapple, melon etc. it’s great not to have to chop it myself like at home.  I don’t know how I’m going to get back to reality after all this luxury. Il just have to survive. 

  
We have had a few lunches and dinners at the buffet in the world cafe too. Even though there is a french, italian, Asian and Mexican restaurant on site. We found the buffet handy as there was so much choice a great mix to suit everyone. 

 

     Imagine eating three courses for breakfast. If you think this is gluttony you should see what some of the men were eating. Just as well Wednesday is our last day or I would be fat as a pig going home. Ah well You have to live a little. One more day of indulging in this amazing food then it’s back to Unislim once we are home.

If anyone is thinking of booking a similar holiday. We booked through Tour America in Dublin. They were absolutely brilliant. Due to the horrible circumstances of my Mum being so Ill and Dying a few weeks before we were due to travel. We were unsure about whether We could travel or not. In the end we decided to go ahead with our plans but Tour America were very understanding and willing to help anyway they could. I would highly recommend this company to book a honeymoon with. We have had a fantastic experience so far. 

Well that’s it for now folks, anyone has any questions mail me on maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie

Chat soon,

Love Maria xx

 

Hi Everyone 

Hope You are all well, I’m relaxing poolside here so Just thought I’d write a little post on the Holiday essentials I really couldn’t live without. I hadn’t really time to dwell on the packing situation, due to the horrendous few weeks we had leading up our honeymoon. Under normal circumstances I would have been much better organised but that couldn’t have been helped.  Il be much better prepared for our next holiday. 

 

 
So first of all, let’s talk hair. I knew from previous holidays that our poor hair can get ruined by chlorine and sea water. I packed a treatment, just in case. My old reliable ALFAPARF reconstruction treatment. This is the range we use in the salon and it never fails me. I also took the ALFAPARF magnifying shampoo and conditioner. These guys are lightweight and don’t leave a heavy residue on the hair. Perfect for humid weather. I had no time to get my roots done before my holidays with the funeral and everything. I actually don’t recommend getting highlights done before a sun holiday. I find the sun ruins a good set of highlights, this is a waste of money. I’m glad I didn’t now, as I have spent a few days treating my hair and the condition is better. I can look forward to getting them done once I’m home.

New York was really humid and my hair was a disaster.One thing I will definitely do for my next holiday is get a lisse design smoothing treatment done before I go away,we do this in my salon. As my hair was just impossible to style. I’d start blowdrying it and by the time I had finished it was nearly damp again even with aircon. There was a different voltage on the power points here and even with a plug adaptor my hairdryer wouldn’t work properly. Disaster.com!!!! There was a dryer in the hotel but no nozzle on it agggggghhhhhhh! I really loved New York but I really don’t know how anyone has nice hair in the place. 

Skinwise, this image prevention tinted moisturiser was my saving grace. I wore it during the day in New York and I’m wearing it all the time since we arrived in Cancun. It’s hydrating but lightweight and comfortable for wearing in the heat. It gives just the right amount of colour but still looks natural. Trust me walking around Manhattan in 30 + degree heat  is not the place for a full face of make up. 

 At night I wore a light foundation(benefits) with Youngblood powder, mascara, my brows (of course) a little shadow, blush and lippy. I took my pippa palate with me on holidays. It’s absolutely perfect for taking away as its so neat and handy saves a lot of space. I picked up a few bits from MAC over here I will do a full post on my purchases soon. 
 

 

 The next essential item for New York is a pair of suitable walking shoes. I took my Nike Thea’s I wear these at work so they were perfect. We walked for miles around the city. This was a great way to explore and see as much as possible. We packed a lot into our three days. I tell you I was glad of my Nikes because we were walking for hours. 

Another item I could not have lived without was a pair of New look patterned light trousers from last summer. They are so handy here in Cancun , light and comfortable and perfect to wear for dinner with a vest top and flip flops. I’m so glad I packed them. Shorts and skirts are great but in hot sweaty weather a pair of light pants can be a godsend. 

I’d definitely recommend taking , a bottle of aloe Vera gel. I burnt my shins of all places. I wouldn’t mind but I never get a colour on my legs EVER! I had to buy aloe Vera gel at the hotel and it was something ridiculous like $16. For my next holiday I will definitely bring my own. Anyway they are on the mend so no harm done. 

  

  
I also read two excellent books. The girl on the train  and Gone girl. I honestly couldn’t put them down. I would highly recommend both. I love reading on holidays I will definitely try to read more once I return home.

Well that’s all for today folks, if anyone has any questions about our trip or is thinking of booking somthing similar. Feel free to comment or contact me privately on maria@mrsdillonsdiary.ie

As always thank you for reading.

Love Maria xx 
 
  

Hi Everyone 

Hope all Is going good at home. We are indulging in pure luxury here in Mexico. We are eating and drinking and relaxing in the sunshine. There’s loads of tours and activities but we are too lazy to do them. After a hectic few months at home We are delighted to be able to unwind and have some down time.

  

    

     
We would happily recommend this resort to anyone for a honeymoon or even just a holiday. All inclusive is a great option as there are so many different options in the resort to chose from. We have had some Mexican food which was just fabulous. I definitely intend to try a few Mexican recipes once I return home. I’m sure I can modify them to make them healthier. There’s  A lot of steak strips, guacamole, spicy veg and tortilla wraps etc etc

 

      

We have tried some french food and last night we went to an Asian restaurant. This was super tasty and we really enjoyed it. It was fairly simple food but done really well. Here’s a few snaps of what we wolfed into. They look almost the same, it was just the sauces that were different really. 

 

   
For Dessert we had banana spring roll this was very similar to banana fritters. Battered banana deep fried with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Yummers! 

 
The breakfast buffet is absolutely huge and has everything from fruit, porridge, omelette, pancakes, bacon , sausage, all kinds of bread, waffles. There’s cold meats, cheeses, bagels, as well as traditional Mexican food. There is loads to choose from, & everything is delicious. I’ve been sampling a tiny bit of everything. Isn’t that what holidays are for experiencing new things. Plenty time for healthy eating once we return home. I will take some photos tomorrow to share with you all.

Tonight we are going for Oriental again as its on special here tonight. So may aswell embrace it. I will keep you guys posted tomorrow on how we get on. 

Thank you for reading folks, We absolutely love it here and are enjoying every bite of the delicious food. Chat soon,

Love Maria xx

 

   

Hi Everyone,

We arrived in Mexico late last night. We had a bit of a delay at JFK so we were later that expected. Nevertheless our arrival in Cancun didn’t disappoint. Our hotel the Dreams Sands resort is just a little piece of heaven. It’s absolutely stunning. The weather is hot and sunny but the aircon in our room is brilliant so we are very comfortable at night. We have a gorgeous spacious room with a minibar stocked daily, a large flatscreen and a beautiful bathroom. The views from the room are stunning.

 

We are on an all inclusive package so all our food and drinks are included. This is fantastic and I am enjoying every minute of it

  

 
 Pinacoladas at 10am, isn’t that what holidays are all about? There’s a pool bar here so you can swim up for your drink.  We spent all morning by the beach and then moved to the pool area. I got sunburnt on my legs, this never happens me. My legs are always white. Here’s hoping they turn brown eh. 
  

  
So all in all We love our choice of hotel. The food is amazing, breakfast was delicious,we had lunch out by the pool this was really tasty too. We went to the french restaurant on the resort for dinner. This was really delicious. All the hotel staff are very helpful and friendly. We are loving our stay at the Dreams sands so far so good. We are looking forward to more tomorrow. We are having a great time, it’s so lovely to relax and just de stress after the last few months being so hard. We are really enjoying the break. Il keep you posted.

Chat soon,

Love Maria xx

Hi Everyone 

 

 
You really can’t visit New York without going to see ground zero. It’s an amazing place and a fantastic memorial to those that died. We took the subway from grand central terminal to Fulton street as it was too far to walk. The subway is exactly as it is in the movies, old, hot and smelly, but it’s fast we were there in seven minutes.

 

   

  
The north and South pools stand exactly where the twin towers stood. All of the people who died in 911 are named on the edges of the pools. This is a beautiful memorial and a great mark of respect for those who lost their lives.

   
I spotted a good few Irish names there too. There’s an eerie feeling at ground zero. We went into St. Paul’s church just beside the memorial. This was used as a base to treat the injured during the 911 tragedy. It’s just a tiny local little church in the middle of NYC and it never got damaged in the disaster which seems crazy because it’s so close to the site. They have some original items from the New York fire department there.

   
    
 I spotted an Irish flag in St. Paul’s too. We lit candles for our Mums again. 

 
 
After we walked down through the financial district to have a look at the Irish hunger memorial. This is lovely and they have a stone to represent each county in Ireland. 

 There are Irish accents everywhere in this city. I can see why though it’s a fabulous place. 

   
  We managed to squeeze in a little shopping too. 
 Busy day and we went out last night to Carmines Italian with some friends from home. Il do another post on that later. Today we leave New York and fly to Mexico for part two of our honeymoon. The next week is all about relaxation. We managed to pack loads into our little time in New York. We will definitely be back again.

Bye for now,

Love Maria