One Handed Entertainment

Very recently a good friend of mine broke her arm in a fall. I haven't been able to call to see her cause she's in another city but from our online chats, and texts I can tell that she is already super bored of sitting still. Just before Christmas my brother was also in an accident and ended up getting in cast on his arm too. He was equally frustrated with sitting around and waiting to heal. So I thought that I would list a couple of things that you can do one handed that would keep you a little entertained. Most of these suggestions are gender neutral but some will be more for the ladies...

Try out a new nail polish. Prettify your toes. When you are feeling kinda yuck and icky because it's a pain in the ass to take a shower without getting your cast wet at least you can look down and smile at your pretty toes. I recommend good quality cling film to keep your cast dry or one of these shower sleeves if you don't have someone to put on the cling film for you.

Make a personal cookbook out of all your favourite recipes.  You know all  of those great sounding recipes that you have been bookmarking for ages? And those family favourites that you keep meaning to write down and put somewhere safe? Well now is the time to get through it all. Make a scrapbook style book, or type them out and print out your own cook book.

Write letters to far flung friends. We all have friends who have emigrated. Spend a little time writing them a thoughtful letter. There's nothing quite like a hand written letter to make someone feel special. The content is a little irrelevant... it's the significance of sending something that you took time out of your day to created that counts.

Pick out your favourite TV show and re-watch those box sets. I remember visiting Mr. T when he lived in the wilds of Connemara, without any TV or internet connection. While he was at work all day I entertained myself by watching all six seasons of Sex and the City. Sure... you might get fed up of hearing the theme tune after the first 15 episodes but you get to live in the shoes of your favourite characters for a little while again. 

Start a new book series. Buy them online and feel excited when the postman arrives. I love getting a parcel from the postman and knowing that I can't get stuck into a new book until I get home from work drives me crazy... You're off work... you can get stuck in right now. I recommend The Book Depository for their free shipping policy and the fact that they send each book out separately so that you don't have to wait for any order that is currently out of stock.

Start a tumblr or pinterest boards of all your favourite images. All of those pictures that you love to look at and that inspire you... will probably inspire others. Imagine how cute you'll feel after spending a whole afternoon looking at pictures of puppies and kittens, and other cute and wonderful things. Create a collection of images to inspire your next holiday, once you get all healed... or your ideal house interior... or your favourite pieces of artwork.

Catch up on your blog reading... or start a blog. I lived without internet connection for the Christmas season and when I got back online in the New Year I found over 2,000 blog posts to catch up on. Whew... I've only managed to clear them in the past week or so. While you're off work you can browse through all your favourite blogs, leaving comments and checking out links to your hearts content. 

Most of all remember that your friends are there for you. You are not a burden. If you need help with something... however mundane... just ask. Don't fill your day by eating junk food or drinking soft drinks... you will not heal quickly unless you feed your body good, clean food. Get a little fresh air every day. Ask the people who bring you a lovely bunch of flowers to put them into a vase and onto a table so that you can enjoy looking at them. Get plenty of sleep. Try to keep a good routine... you will have to go back to work at some stage and you don't want to have to reset your body clock from spending countless nights online and watching TV. Let people know that you appreciate the nice things that they are doing for you. Don't moan to the people who visit you about how crap your life is... there will always be someone worse off than you. But don't feel like you can't talk honestly to your friends about feeling down about your situation. Do your physical therapy exercises. 

Hope you feel better soon!

Wednesday Wishes

Lately I've been wishing for restful sleep. I've been getting my recommended number of hours sleep most nights but I rarely wake up refreshed and full of energy. Right now I'm going to blame it on dark and dreary mornings and will wait for some sunshine to wake me from my slumber.

What are you wishing for this week?

Take Some 'Me' Time

How do you spend your 'Me' time? 

Do you soak in a hot bubble bath? Do you hop on your bike and go for a ride around the neighborhood? Do you sweat it out of the gym? Do you grab your girlfriends and hit the shops? Do you curl up with a good book and tune out the world? Do you fill your kitchen with the glorious smells of home baking? Do you spend your time creating beautiful crafty pieces?

I like to hide myself away for my 'Me' time. I love having an empty house, but an empty room will do. I will get dressed in my softest clothes to spend time with myself - usually shorts and a hugely oversized, and well washed, sweatshirt. I will always have some great scented candles burning. I spend my time getting to do what I want without feeling guilty about it - catching up on a novel, catching up on a favourite TV series... my 'Me' time is usually about catch up... but that's the way I like it.

How about you? What do you do with your 'Me' time?

Socks In Bed

I was playing catch up on Google reader today and came across this post from A Cup Of Jo all about wearing socks to bed. Now... we all know that wearing socks to bed is a total passion killer and frowned on in most societies, but sometimes, in the depths of winter, when the heating has gone on the blink in the house or it's just one of those nights that you just cannot get warm and really need some sleep, socks are you're only job. Luckily there are a few ways to work around the naffness that is wearing your socks to bed.

• It's all about proportion. There is no way in hell you can put on a normal pair of sports socks and still look cute. This is the time to bust out those oversize, big and slouchy, hand knitted jobbies that your thoughtful auntie gave you for Christmas. If you have to you can even borrow a clean pair of hiking socks belonging to your man. The bigger the socks the smaller and daintier you will look.

• This tip is a bit of a 'hit or miss' tip depending on how cold you are feeling. If you are wearing huge, cute bed socks you need to show a little leg. Bed socks can be deeply unsexy... especially when you tuck a pair of fleece pj pants into them. Sex appeal is all about balance. If your cleavage is on show you cover the legs a little, if your dress is backless then you cover your chest. Now I'm all about freedom of self expression through your clothes but some rules remain timeless. If you have your calves swathed in nubby wool then it wouldn't hurt to show a little thigh. Cute shorts, an oversize tee or a sweet little nightshirt all work well here.

• Embrace cuteness. Silk is seductive, leather is sexy, satin is glamorous... wool is cozy, and cute, and sweet. There is no point in fighting it. Just be cute. Stick your hair into some pigtails or plaits. Start warming some milk for hot chocolate. 

Some nights I cannot sleep because of cold feet. Just cannot. It's one of my many sleeping oddities. So I embrace it. I pull on my fleecy striped purple socks that look a little like these, feeling a little Pippi Longstocking with myself, throw my hair into a messy plait and break out a new book while I wait for my feet to thaw enough for me to fall asleep. Hot water bottles have their time and place... and that time is very rarely when there is a significant other in your bed. Socks, when styled correctly will bridge this moment successfully.

How about you? Do you rock your bed socks? Or do you hate the thoughts of something on your feet while you sleep? Either way I still reckon there is no excuse for a man to wear socks in bed.

Pretty Girl Friday

This week I give you my favourite red head... Florence Welch

Pretty Boy Friday

Ah Chris Cornell... be still my ever beating, living in the 90's heart.... yum

Wednesday Wishes

 Today's wish is for........................ more good memories. 

I was at home with my mum this weekend and we were chatting about my gran, who passed away when I was nine. I remarked to her that I have no bad memories of my gran at all. No memories of her shouting or being cross or being mean. She was a perfect gran... she read me stories, taught me to play draughts and how to knit.

I wish for more of these type of memories.

 

Things I Love Today

For a little change 'Things I Love Thursday' will now evolve to 'Things I Love Today'. The main reason for this is so that it's not confined to just the end of the week... where there are already a few regular series of posts happening. Enjoy!

Sofa Naps - Nothing feels as good as waking up from a great nap on the couch. You can keep your bed, your recliner, even keep your hammocks. I'll take a sofa any day, add in a soft blanket and my scruffy puppy curled up on my legs and I am in heaven.

Hot Herbal Goodness - My most recent 'be good to me' purchase has been a gorgeous starter set from Tea4You at the Farmers Marker in the University. I know... how lucky are we to have a weekly farmers market on campus? I picked up three amazing teas - rooibos manhattan, feijoa/chestnut and butterfly touch - even the names are fabulous, and they smell divine. I also got a new tea infuser and can't wait for a quiet night at home to curl up and give them the time they deserve. I'll keep you posted about how they taste!

Dreaming - I am currently wondering if the notion of 'faking it til you make it' can apply to going on holidays? If I buy myself a new suitcase, and all the nice things to go in it will I get to go on a trip? I am currently dreaming of balmy evenings with friends, afternoons by the pool with a great book, fresh fruit breakfasts, city strolls at midnight... sigh 

Honourable Mentions - Feeling like a productive member of society - god bless a regular job, THIS piece of genius cardboard furniture, wearing an armful of bracelets with my huge watch in the middle, striped infinity scarves - like this, this and this, listening to Adele super loud on my car stereo and singing my heart out along with her, THIS 3D painting is ridiculously amazing, fresh pineapple, big hugs from tall friends, doodling with coloured pens, applying for outrageous jobs that I'll never get just because I can  

Try It

Pretty Girl Friday

Karine Vanasse,

most well known for playing Colette Valois, in Pan Am

Pretty Boy Friday

Happy birthday Max Brown! 

Wednesday Wishes

This week sees the return of Wednesday Wishes. I think this weeks wish is going to be...hmm....

...I wish for a little bit of warm sunshine.

February is fab and all that but spring in Ireland is always a cold event. A little morning sun on my face would be really great right now. I'm not looking for a warm, sunny day at all, just some sun. Chilly, watery spring sunshine.

Do you find that spring is chilly? Are you delighted that winter has finally broken where you are? Or are you still ankle deep in snow?

After Eight

The Christmas chocolate season is finally over - I confess that I have only finished my selection box over the weekend. I am such a hoarder. And in hindsight I can say that my favourite holiday sweets are, without a doubt, After Eights. Just yum! 

I have always been a sucker for all things mint chocolatey and After Eights are just the pinnacle of minty, chocolatey, gooey decadence. I love them so much I am starting to be drawn to all things mint and chocolate... even room interiors.

Isn't the combination of fresh and sweet mint green just perfect with the warmth of chocolate brown? Touches of gold give a sense of glamor and  breaking the room up with cream and white stop it becoming too sickly.

 

Keeping a room airy and light with an abundance of mirrors. Removing the curtains, as long as you have no nosy neighbors, lets in maximum light.  

 

Texture adding gold accents make a cool coloured room warm and luxurious.  

 

Let your furniture make an impact by situating it in a simple, paired down room.

Sunday Cuddle

I was listening to the radio in the car this evening and the presenter passed as simple comment that she felt that Sundays were a more 'loved up' day than any other day of the week. That couples were more cuddly, and snuggly, and vocal about their love for each other on Sundays. That she always has more love related requests to read out on Sundays. 


Personally, as my current single self, I don't remember Sundays to be such a loved up concept when I was part of a couple. I found that they stretched in front of me looking for an event to fill the day, and I always felt that if I just stayed at home and curled up on the couch with a box set, a blanket and my man that I was missing out on something wonderful that could have been happening outside. 

How do you feel about Sundays? Are they time for a little love-fest between you and your partner, or do you like to get out and about? Let me know.    

21 Things

I was staying over with my lady friends around the holiday time and I got to catch up on all the blog posts that had amassed on my Google reader while I was ignoring the internet and getting on with writing up my thesis. I was reading out Sarah Von's list of '15 things that every woman should own' and we got to chatting about whether or not that the list actually applied to 'every' woman or just 'most' women. So we decided to create a more specific list...  

So I give to you the 

'21 Things That An Irish Woman Who Is No Longer A Teenager Should Have' 

1. A good quality, portable umbrella – this is Ireland after all
2. An album that you love no matter what – that you never get sick of listening to
3. Great shampoo and conditioner that suits your hair
4. The perfect pair of neutral flats that work with everything
5. YOUR perfume – brings back memories always
6. A beautiful photo frame that holds a special and memorable photo from your life
7. A perfect pair of jeans
8. Your fall back outfit that always works, when you haven’t a clue what to wear
9. A good quality, reliable sports bra
10. A teddy to love
11. Failsafe dessert recipe
12. A pet, or a very close friend who has a pet that you can borrow
13. A beautiful set of bed linen
14. Several sets of gorgeous matching underwear
15. A sister that you get to choose for yourself - I'm lucky enough to have more than one
16. A pair of high and fabulously comfortable shoes to dance the night away in
17. That cute but scruffy t shirt that you'll love forever
18. Jewellery that has been passed down through the family
19. A quick fix make up kit that you can apply in under two minutes
20. That best friend that you can tell anything to
21. Your favourite mug

Thinking Time

Right now things are good, really good. Everything is looking up.

Do you know what would make things go from good to great? Water pressure. I've recently moved into a new place with some guy friends and it lovely. They're fun, flirty, and make me cups of tea, win. Everything is great except the shower. I was lucky at home to have a power shower at my disposal and got spoiled. This shower? It's more of a dribble than a drenching. There is always plenty of hot water but just not enough of it. I'm one of those people who like to spend the first five minutes of a  shower just letting the hot water work it's magic and soothe everything away in a torrent of loveliness. I had forgotten that it was a sort of luxury, and I miss it.   


Are you a 'stop and think for a while in the shower' kind of person or do you like to just get in there, get washed, and get out again?