Food

I am so pleased to introduce you to Caroline who resides, bakes and raises her squad of four kids in Monaghan. To kick off the back to School mayhem she has this delicious treat recipe for us that we can rustle up in no time.

Protein bites are so popular on the blog that I know you’ll love it and that is why I asked Caroline to share one from her new business, Healthy bites. All the links to her artistry can be found in the short interview below.

Enjoy and thank you to Caroline for sharing her wisdom! 

Continue Reading…

It goes without saying, if a cocktail is easy to make and in my hand quicker than I can say Mr Freeze, I’m drinking it!

This Panacea cocktail is just that. Continue Reading…

Stephanie and I have memberships at David Lloyd and we love to train together.

I think it stems from a similar interest in workouts that are based on fun and often high intensity. See more on my instagram.

We are both in a postpartum frame of mind so gaining a positive attitude towards our bodies is at the centre of our training.

This is good when we workout together for encouragement and accountability.

Over the course of the past few months we have pushed and challenged each other in sharing our circuits with one another (as well as sharing our soundtracks!) Such a fun friend to have!

Stephanie makes us gym girls her protein banana bread and post workout bites from time to time which is so generous and just delightful to have with coffee, especially for me, when I finish my work upstairs in the cafe at David lloyd. Continue Reading…

Healthy breakfasts.

I have always been an advocate for breakfast, it may be my favourite meal in the day. Although saying that, I love a cold meats platter lunch, or a steak dinner or a pizza.

Nonetheless, a good start to my day includes a decent breakfast.

The further I get into eating whole foods and nourishing foods for my body, the more intrigued I am about the variety of good stuff out there which can be sourced locally and/or easily in our larger supermarkets.

I asked my instagram followers to share their favourite healthy breakfasts and I have included their recipes amongst the other links. Continue Reading…

Holy heavens I can finally breathe!

What a whirlwind year with so many adjustments and stages and fun.

Career wise I made the shift and invited another member onto my little team in the studio.

Stephanie is an interior design and architecture student who helps me to process orders and has added so much flare to the design side of my business.

All the info you receive inside your prints has been made by Stephanie. I give her a project and she flies with it.

We added another babe to the family, little Abraham.

With having all these lads and no girls in our brood I was determined when I found out he was due in April, to at least share a birthday month with one of them so I was thrilled when he arrived four days after my birthday on the 30th. A small but a significant thing, for me.

My Grandmother, who this blog is named after passed away in February which really shifted life.

My mum’s side of the family are a close bunch but Granny was the glue that held us altogether. I can’t help but cry when I see amazing carol singers giving up their time to go to old people’s homes, something that Granny, even in her years of dementia adored and sang along to.

Christmas can be a tough time, right? Continue Reading…

I am SO excited to finally have figured out a snack recipe using the chocolate protein powder that I just can’t deal with in my smoothies.It is too fake tasting for me.

I make a protein shake using a shot of espresso, scoop chocolate protein powder, almond milk and dates which is nice but not great. It’s like an iced mocha, I guess.

Peanut butter has managed to feature in my last two recipes but after years of finding it all too sweet, I am a complete convert. It is packed with sugar though so I have just bought this which is the same taste in smoothies but a third of the sugar content.

If you would prefer you could use almond butter instead of peanut butter to cut out additives but in terms of protein I think it’s the difference of about 0.5 of a gram. However, I am new to the numbers game with regards to protein so don’t take my word for this.

The balls themselves have approximately 4.5 grams of protein so double them up if you want a whopping 10 grams (!) of protein post workout. Continue Reading…

Just when you thought life couldn’t get any better,

I pop a recipe for clean drinking (aptly named by my sister in law after she visited and we made her some) in your inbox- boom! Continue Reading…

I have been working out since Abraham was about five weeks.

I mostly walked with the buggy since he was three weeks and have been *trying* to eat well. By well I mean lean meats and increasing my fruit and veg intake (I explain our whole food diet here).

I have been aware of the amount of protein I have been putting into my body as it can have so many benefits, even for a breastfeeding Mumma like myself (read this article for more info).

I know the jury is out on whey protein and whether it is necessary in our diets but I have always enjoyed the novelty of including it in protein bars or adding flavour and bulk to my smoothies.

Then I read this article by the body coach which made me feel OK about enjoying protein powder drinks as an *additional* part of my diet.

Here is the recipe that I know is so simple but I genuinely adore it and so do our kids.

Continue Reading…

On Saturday morning I went to Vinyasa- flow yoga and I had a moment of feeling empowered in my body.

As I took up childs pose in the middle of what was a sweaty and tasking enough class, I remembered fondly being in that same class, in the same position but with a baby in my belly at 37 weeks pregnant.

It was a lovely moment of pause.

In my next breath I reminded myself that this body I am pushing through it’s paces may carry extra squidgy bits on my hips, my back and elsewhere- but it has housed, grown and sustained three human beings.

Wow.

With Father’s day just past and a general sense that women need to perfect their bodies to stay young and appealing, it is important to stop, reflect and appreciate what we have.

Whether you grew some babies in your tummy or not, your body is amazing!

It carries you through, it fights sickness as best it can, it squeezes into the ever changing wardrobe we call “fashion”, and it has a heart that beats to the rhythm of life. Take a moment to thank it.

Now for a body enriching snack recipe…

Continue Reading…

Some of you will know of my friend Hollie Edgar who featured as expert of the month last year.

She is a tribal fitness bootcamp instructor and also specialises in pre and postnatal fitness training. Hollie is a former athlete and an all round great gal.

I talk more about my love for all things Hollie over here

Furthermore if you are a Mum and you are on the lookout for a baby friendly workout tailored to your needs, look no further.

Hollie’s garden workout is right here for you.

I have the pleasure of spending some brunch times with Hollie which has introduced me to some amazing veggie combinations that are hearty and not without punches of flavour.

Hollie shares her healthy baked beans recipe below.

Continue Reading…