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I feel like it's been an age since my last beauty post, but to be honest, when it comes to beauty products, and especially make-up products, I stick to what I know works and that's that! With that in mind, I thought I'd share the products that I've found myself reaching for the most over the past couple of months, a little favourites type of post if you will. Some of these products I've actually used for well over a year and have repurchased, whilst others are more recent additions to my make-up drawer, but all of them take top priority spaces in my make-up bag (especially when I travel) so it's safe to say I consider them very good indeed!

PS Brow Sketch Eyebrow Pencil

First up is probably one of my top make-up products ever, and it only costs €2.50. I often get complimented on my eyebrows, which is both a weird but flattering compliment to get, and asked which products I use in them so I'm always delighted to share this little gem. This brow pencil from Penneys is almost identical to the Benefit Precisely My Brow pencil but is only a fraction of the price. It's a super small pencil, so it makes it very easy to give your brows a nice neat shape and fill them in without it looking like you've used a sharpie. I also find the staying power is amazing too and every time I'm in Penneys I'll buy at least two of them because I live in fear of them being discontinued! 

Fuschia Makeup Minx Eyeshadow Palette

I've been lucky enough to travel a good bit this year, and have gotten really good at slimming down my make-up bag considerably to allow for a few more outfits than I need, so palettes like this one from Fuschia Makeup have been so handy. This palette is so compact I can actually fit it in my purse, and it has all of the colours I need, since I only ever do a matte, neutral kind of eye look (to be honest, that's all I can do without looking like I've been playing in my mother's make-up drawer). These shadows are super pigmented and blend really well, so even a total eyeshadow rookie like myself can get on well with them! Fuschia Makeup is also an Irish brand, so not only can you look fab with your pretty eyeshadow, but you're also supporting a local company which I love.

Flormar Terracotta Blush-On in Pink Bronze

This is another make-up product, like the PS Brow Sketch, that I've been using for a few years now and have repurchased it once or twice, so that's how I know the love is real. I actually used to be somewhat scared of blush, since I have naturally red rosy cheeks anyway, but thankfully I realised it gives a bit of life to my face after I've applied my foundation! I find this blusher from Flormar in the shade Pink Bronze is the perfect colour for me when I'm a little paler in the winter. Since it's got a mix of lighter pinks, darker more warm pinks and a bit of gold too, it gives a lovely wash of colour to the face without being too much. 

NARS Climax Mascara

If you follow me on Instagram (if not, come over and say hi), then you might have seen that I was lucky enough to work with NARS in promoting the new Climax Mascara. This is honestly the best mascara I've ever used, and I like to think of myself as a bit of a mascara aficionado so trust me when I say I have tried hundreds! It's lightweight, so you barely feel it on your lashes, but it gives amazing volume and so much length. I've actually had people ask me if I was wearing false lashes when all I was wearing was the Climax Mascara so if that's not a testament to how good it is, then I don't know what is. Another thing I love about it is that it's easy to take off, so there's no scrubbing of your eyes, but at the same time, it lasts all day without any smudging or flaking. 

Too Faced Peach Kiss Lipstick

I've always been a matte lip girl, so much so that I stopped wearing traditional lipsticks and just stuck to matte liquid lipsticks, but these Too Faced Peach Kiss lipsticks have made me fall back in love with creamy, comfortable lip colours! They're part of Too Faced's Peaches & Cream collection so they smell good enough to eat and they're so creamy that they just glide onto your lips, but at the same time they're nice and matte and long wearing. My favourite shades so far have been 'Sex on the Peach', 'He's With Me', 'Disrobed', 'Got Peach?' and 'Chill Pill'.  I described 'Chill Pill' recently on my Instagram story as a nude-y red, which might sound ridiculous but that's exactly what it is, a nice neutral, muted red shade which is perfect for day to day wear as it isn't too in your face if you know what I mean?

So there we have it, the 5 makeup products that have been my go-tos recently and haven't let me down yet! What are your most reached for beauty products? Have you tried any of the ones I've mentioned in this post? 

As always I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks so much for reading! Emer x


The 5 Make-Up Products That I've Been Loving Lately

28.11.18


Isn't that just one of the most stunning views from a hotel window that you ever did see? It's certainly the best view I've ever had from a hotel room and I could have sat there all weekend looking at all of the autumn leaves! This past weekend myself and Dara headed up to Wicklow for a bit of R&R and were lucky enough to be guests of Druids Glen Resort, a hotel that I'd already heard such amazing things about. It took us about 2 hours to drive up from Waterford, and even the drive itself through Wicklow to the hotel was stunning. Upon walking into the hotel lobby, straight away I fell in love with the decor, and how bright and open the hotel was. It also helped that at the reception desk there was a warm non-alcoholic apple cider that was literally the most delicious, soul warming drink I've ever had (I actually need to find out the recipe)! Since we arrived just before 3pm, we expected to have to wait a little for our room as check-in wasn't until 4pm but to our delight, our room was ready and waiting, and it did not disappoint! 

 The Room:

Originally we had been booked into a Superior King Guestroom which we were so excited about but just a few days before our stay, I got an email to say we'd now be staying in the Executive Suite and like I said above, it did not disappoint! After we'd checked in, we headed up to the third floor and found our room which had double doors, and I don't know about you, but I've never stayed in a hotel room with double doors. Upon opening those doors, we walked into the suite's sitting room which had an open fire already burning and I just totally fell in love. It was so cosy and welcoming and exactly what you'd want for a relaxing weekend away. As well as the fire, the sitting room had a comfy little couch, a table and chairs and a big tv, which would be perfect for a movie night.

 Then from the sitting room/lounge, there are sliding double doors into the bedroom. The bed was gigantic and super comfy, and again had an incredible view out of the window at all of the gorgeous scenery. I loved that the decor of the room had a bit of a countryside vibe to it without it looking dated at all, it was fresh whilst still feeling homely and cosy. The bedroom also had a huge tv which allowed us to plug in a USB stick so we watched a movie after dinner. Between the bedroom and the bathroom there was a dressing table and an impressive coffee machine set up with lots of nespresso pods and also a walk in wardrobe which had some slippers and the best robes I've ever worn. They were towelling on the inside but soft and fluffy on the outside and I definitely considered taking one home with me!
 From the little dressing room area you then walked into the bathroom which had a double sink and a separate bath and shower which I always love because for some reason having a shower in a bath always makes me feel like I might fall over, but maybe I'm just weird! The best part about the bathroom was that there were L'Occitane en Provence toiletries which I was very impressed by as it's a gorgeous brand and their products smell amazing. The bath even had little tea lights and holders for the ultimate bath time experience and anyone who knows me at all knows I love ALL of the candles when I have a bath, so I thought that was a nice little touch and something I haven't seen in a hotel before.

 The Food:

While Hugo's in Druids Glen holds 2AA rosettes for culinary excellence, and I have no doubt that the food is incredible in there, myself and Dara like a much more relaxed, casual kind of dinner (yes, we are 5 years old), so opted for dinner in the newly refurbished Garden Rooms and Bar. The menu in here was right up our street, and certainly didn't disappoint. The restaurant itself was also so well decorated, with blue velvet booths, gorgeous wood flooring, dark marble tables and mood lighting so good we felt like we were in a top class restaurant. I ordered the sweet potato chips for starters whilst Dara had the kofti kebabs and for mains I of course had to order the pizza and Dara ordered the burger. The best part by far was dessert, where I had the chocolate tart, but instead of having it with the mascarpone it should have been served with, I instead asked to have the toasted banana ice cream with it that I saw came with the sticky toffee pudding (which is what Dara ordered). Let me tell you, it was heaven in my mouth! I also have to mention Kevin who served us because he was so friendly and chatty and made us feel right at home.
After such a lovely meal the night before, I had no doubts that breakfast wouldn't disappoint and I was right. Breakfast was served in Hugo's which was again decorated so well and was lovely and bright. The breakfast was a buffet (my favourite) with a little twist. They had an omelette station where you could pick what you wanted in your omelette and they would make it right there for you. Now I actually don't eat eggs so I didn't try this out but they also make pancakes at this station too which sadly I didn't realise until we had finished our breakfast and I couldn't fit another bite.

One thing I have to mention as well is that Druids Glen is just a 30 minute drive from Glendalough, although it felt much shorter because we drove through such stunning countryside. If you've never been, Glendalough is one of the most breathtaking places I've been to in Ireland and Dara and I did the Blue walk, which took us right up to the top overlooking both lakes. Definitely a bit of a trek to the top, and much harder than I thought it'd be but so worth it so if you're thinking of staying in Druids Glen, definitely pencil in a visit to Glendalough too!

Druids Glen also has amazing leisure facilities and a spa that I actually had a good few messages from people recommending it on Instagram but between us wanting to be lazy and chill out for a bit and then our visit to Glendalough we didn't get a chance to check them out, but what better excuse to stay there again eh?

I hope you enjoyed this little look into the Druids Glen Resort and a big thank you to them for having us this past weekend, it was just what we needed!

It's that time of year when all we want to do is wear our pyjamas, or clothing that is as close to pyjamas whilst still being socially acceptable to wear in public. The evenings are dark, and anything that will keep you cosy is a god send, and knitwear is the perfect solution for all of the above. The other day whilst I was reorganising my wardrobe, I realised I could categorise my knitwear into 5 key groups, so I thought I'd share them since it's knitwear season after all!

1. The Roll Neck



This is probably my favourite category, I mean who doesn't love a jumper that'll keep your neck nice and cosy?! Now if we were going to get really specific, this category would have like 3 subcategories,  like turtle neck, oversized roll neck etc, but let's just keep it top level shall we? Roll necks literally go with EVERYTHING in the autumn/winter season. I love to wear the thinner kind under dresses and with skirts, whilst a good chunky cable knit roll neck is perfect with jeans.

2. Chunky Knits



Another style of knitwear I love is the chunky knits (like the one in the feature photo for this post). I always make sure to buy my chunky knitwear a little oversized otherwise it can make me look quite boxy and not in a cute way either. Chunky knits are so easy to throw on with jeans, or leggings for a really comfy vibe. Also, so long as the knit isn't super chunky, I think they look very cute tucked into a denim or corduroy skirt.

3. The Statement Knit



Usually knitwear isn't the focal point of an outfit and is just there to first of all keep you warm, and second of all to compliment the rest of the outfit, but there are some jumpers out there that are the perfect statement piece of an outfit. I'd wear most of these with a super simple outfit, like a pair of black jeans and a black leather jacket so that the jumper can do all the talking.

4. The Knit Dress



A new favourite of mine recently has been the knitted dress. I always thought they would make me look super bulky, but I've found that if you get a thinner knit they can actually be super flattering. I've found a few in Penneys recently for €16 and they were roll neck too so the comfort level was a solid 10/10. I think I love knitted dresses the most because it's literally an entire outfit all in one easy to throw on piece. Before the cold weather arrived I was wearing them bare legged with trainers, but now a pair of tights and boots work perfectly.

5. The 'Goes With Everything' Knit



This category probably takes up about 60% of my knitwear collection because they're just so easy to style. Usually a neutral or a black, they'll go with pretty much any outfit I own and are perfect if I want a more laid back, simple outfit. This section is a good one to invest in because they're timeless and you can wear them year after year. At the moment, I'm actually thinking about buying some higher quality knits for this category because I know they'll stand the test of time and will be worth the few extra euro.

What's your favourite type of knit? Or do you think I've finally lost the plot for categorising my knitwear?! If you are looking for some new knitwear, you can click on the photos about and shop my favourite knits that are available on the high street at the moment. I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks so much for reading!

This post contains affiliate links. It won't cost you any extra if you choose to buy something through these links, it just means that I get a small percentage of commission for finding these fab bits and sharing them with you. You get to shop till your hearts content, and I get some shmoney to help fund my own shopping addiction, it's a win win really.

The 5 Staple Knits We All Need In Our Wardrobes

6.11.18


 A quick glance at my blog and Instagram will tell you that I love to travel and have been very lucky in that I've actually travelled more this year than any other, but what you might not be able to tell is that I am a very nervous flyer. I haven't always been scared of flying though, when I was younger I travelled a good few times to America, and never really even noticed that I was almost 42,000 feet in the air. It's only been in the last couple of years that I've become rather scared of flying which isn't ideal as travelling is my absolute favourite thing and almost all of the places I want to visit require a plane journey of some kind. Since I'm never one to let things hold me back, I've come up with a few little tricks that help me to get through the flight without completely panicking and thinking that we're all going to die. I'm finding that every new flight I go on, the less nervous I feel and who knows, maybe I can even train myself out of this fear of flying!


1. Pretend you're not even on the plane.

This might sound ridiculous but bear with me as it's the tip that has helped me the most with flying. Get yourself an eye mask and a good pair of headphones or earphones and just completely tune out the fact that you're flying. I find that when I can't see or hear the plane, I'm a lot more relaxed and not overthinking every little sound, or watching out of the window as the plane turns. The headphones I have actually have something called Active Noise Cancellation which basically creates an "anti noise" to combat the sound waves from external noise so it's almost completely silent with the headphones on. This does an amazing job of getting rid of the plane's loud engine noises and I find myself falling asleep almost instantly on flights, which brings me onto my next tip...

2. Go to sleep. 

This might sound easier said than done, especially if you're super nervous about flying but if you can get your head down for a bit of shut eye it helps the flight just fly by, if you'll pardon my pun, and you'll wake up at your destination relaxed and well rested. I used to always get a coffee before I flew as my flights were usually quite early in the morning but I found it was keeping me up for the entire flight and if anything, making me a lot more anxious too. Now, I just get a water in the airport, wear a nice comfy outfit and pop on my headphones and eyemask the minute I get on the plane and usually I can drift off pretty easily.

3. Watch a film or a tv show or read a good book.

I am going to preface this tip by saying do not watch a scary film on a plane, even if you're not that scared of flying because last month I very nearly boxed the man sitting next to me straight in the face after jumping out of my skin watching a horror movie... With that being said, like the other tips in this post, I find if I can't sleep, watching a film or a tv show is the next best thing to help me zone out and it also helps the time to just fly by too. If you have Netflix they have a very handy feature where you can actually download movies and tv shows onto your phone/iPad/tablet to watch whilst you're offline, so I always download lots to keep me occupied. The same goes for reading a book, it helps me to focus on the story I'm reading rather than the fact I'm on a plane.

I know most of these tips are just distraction methods and don't actually combat the actual fear itself but I've found that by flying enough times and not being completely terrified, it's actually helping me to overcome my fear, so hopefully these tips will help you too! What are your tips for overcoming a fear of flying?


Even though I only used Airbnb for the first time back in March, I like to think that I've become very good at finding the best places to stay in, for the best prices and it'd be rude of me not to share some tips on how to do that, right? While I absolutely love staying in hotels, there's nothing quite like having your own apartment to stay in when travelling to a new city. It gives you the option for cook, and just generally gives you a lot more space than a regular hotel room would. Even better, if you're on a budget but still love travelling, you can pick to rent  a private room in a house or an apartment rather than an "entire place" like they call it on Airbnb and sometimes this can be up to a third cheaper than a hotel would be. You can read my first post about Airbnb and what we thought of our first experience here, and if you want some tips on how to find Airbnb gold, then just keep on reading. I must also preface this post by stating that nope, I'm not working with Airbnb to promote them (although I'd definitely love to do that), I just genuinely really love this way of finding accommodation for travelling.

1. Make Use Of The Filters

When you first use Airbnb it may be a little confusing as it just throws a big old list of places to stay at you. I always filter first, and then start to look through the list so that I'm not looking into apartments or rooms that don't have what I'm looking for. For example, if you're looking for a place to stay for 4 people, make sure you put that option into the bar of filters on the top of the screen. Or if you are on a budget, use the price filter to set how much you're willing to spend on a place to stay.  I will often go into the "More Filters" option and check options like "hairdryer" because no matter how light travel hairdryers are, I need that extra space in my suitcase, or "wifi" for obvious reasons. This helps to cut down on the list of places that are available for your trip and should help the decision process be a lot easier.

2. Use The Map To Your Advantage

As well as the list of accommodation, Airbnb also has a handy map on the right hand side of the screen that I always use to find the best places to stay. If you're looking to stay right in the middle of the city, make sure you zoom in on that area so that only the central places to stay are shown, or if there are a few sights that you want to see all in a particular area, you can use the map to choose an Airbnb that's closest to this area. The map can also be used in places like Croatia (which I'm currently researching for a possible trip) to find Airbnbs with amazing views of the sea, so it's definitely a good tool to use.

3. Superhosts Are Where It's At

We've only recently come across this tip but it's one that I would say is an essential if you want to have the best Airbnb experience. Superhosts are hosts that are highly rated, very responsive to messages, and a very reliable, so just all around good eggs. On the "More Filters" section there's a toggle you can click to only show Airbnbs from Superhosts so if it's your first time using Airbnb and you're a little sceptical as there are some horror stories out there, then I'd definitely click it just to have peace of mind. 

4. Always Read The Reviews

I'm sure this tip is a bit obvious but every time you stay in an Airbnb you have to leave a review afterwards and when I am looking up places to stay, I will always read a few of the reviews to get a good idea of what the Airbnb is actually like to stay in. Reviews are great for letting you know if the Airbnb is in a busy area, if there are any good cafes near by, how well the Airbnb actually fits the description given on the website etc. The apartment that we stayed in on our trip to Prague was chosen purely because of the reviews as lots of the people recommended the area for it being so close to public transport and also recommended the host as she provided a local travel guide which came in handy.

5. Self Check-In Makes Everything Easier

Another new discovery for us with Airbnb is self check-in which we had on our most recent trip to Gdańsk. Self check-in means that the Airbnb either has a key lockbox, smartlock, keypad, or that you can pick up a key from the building staff (which is what we did). I love this option because having to organise a specific time to pick up the keys with your Airbnb host can be a little stressful especially if you're trying to navigate a new city or if there are flight delays. Self check-in means you can arrive anytime you want (as long as it's after the designated check-in time) and you don't have to worry about keeping in contact with your host.

Those are the main tips I'd have that have helped me to find the Airbnbs that we've stayed in and so far we've stayed in some gorgeous apartments so my track record is pretty good! I know I probably sound like a broken record but honestly Airbnb is one of the best things I've ever discovered as it's allowed myself and Dara to travel to new cities without breaking the bank. For any of you who have never used Airbnb before, you can get €30 off your first trip if you sign up through this link and for every person who completes a trip using my link, I'll get €15 travel credit so it's a win win for all!

I hope this post was helpful to anyone who hasn't used Airbnb much before and of course if you have any more questions about it, just pop me a message. Thanks for reading!

Poland is a country I've always wanted to visit, but never really knew what to expect. Last week, myself and Dara visited Gdańsk for the first time and let me tell you, when I say it was nothing like I had imagined, I mean that in the best way possible. There are so many reasons as to why I loved Gdańsk, from how cheap the food was, to how gorgeous the city is and how friendly the people were. We loved it so much that we're now dying to visit lots of the other Polish cities with Kraków being top of the list. If you've ever thought of visiting Gdańsk and want to know more, or if you already have a trip to this gorgeous city planned and want some inspo, then in today's post I'm going to share where we ate and what we did, so I hope you enjoy!

Where We Stayed

First of all I'm going to share the link to the gorgeous Airbnb that we stayed in because it was such a bargain (only €53 a night including the service fee) and so many of you wanted to know the details. You can find the apartment here and if you're looking to book a trip to Gdańsk I couldn't recommend it enough. We were just a few minutes walk to the centre of the Old Town, an even shorter walk to the World War II museum and about a 10 minute walk from Gdańsk's train station. You can also sign up to Airbnb through this link to get €30 off your first trip which is always handy!

 Where We Ate

If you've been following me for a while, or have read any of my other travel blog posts then you'll know that I love to experience different countries and cultures by eating ALL of the food (any excuse, right?). Much to my delight, food in Gdańsk was seriously cheap. We're talking less than €20 for a meal for myself and Dara, including alcoholc drinks. Most of the time in Ireland it'd be €20 for just one person so we were delighted! Not only was it cheap, the food in Gdańsk was delicious too.

The first restaurant I found whilst researching places to eat for our trip was Original Burger. If you look a good burger, and even better fries, then I'd definitely check this place out. It was only €6.50 for a burger with two sides and it was absolutely delicious. The desserts looked incredible too but sadly I was way too full after my main course which is a very rare occurrence! It was so good that we almost went back on our last day in the city but we knew we needed to try some of the pierogi (Polish dumplings) so had to give it a miss.

Like I mentioned above, we really wanted to try pierogi, which are basically dumplings stuffed with all kinds of things. I didn't know if I'd like them or not, but now as I write this post, the cravings I have for them is unreal! Pierogina Mandu has a huge menu, with both sweet and savory pierogi to choose from. I also ordered their baked pierogi too as our waitress said this particular one tasted like a hamburger and I kid you not, it tasted exactly like a Big Mac and I was fascinated. In hindsight we should have just ordered 2 plates to share as the traditional pierogi come with 10 dumplings and the baked ones came with 8. We were so full after our main course that again, we couldn't possibly fit in any of the sweet pierogi but I guess I'll just have to go back to Poland to try them!

3. Manekin
This restaurant is a little bit outside of the city but right near a train station so we went there for lunch on our way out to Sopot. Before I get into what we thought of the food, I will mention that we waited a long, long time for our food to arrive, which wasn't ideal as we were starving and wanted to get out to the beach. It was super busy and when we were leaving there was a queue for about 10 people waiting to be seated, so do keep that in mind if you want to try it out. With that being said, the food was incredible. Manekin is basically a pancake restaurant, they have every single type of pancake imaginable, with savoury options as well as sweet. I ordered the lasange pancake and it was delicious and then for dessert I had the apple fudge pancakes which very nearly put me into a food coma. Again it was very cheap, only €18 for the both of us and we both had a main and dessert as well as a couple of drinks!

 What We Did

1. Climbed To The Top Of The St. Mary Church Tower
For some reason, every time Dara and I travel somewhere new, we always find a tall tower of some sort to climb to the top of. After climbing to the top of the St. Mary's Church tower, I have now decided that I am not doing this anymore as I am way to afraid of heights. The view was absolutely stunning, and if you're not afraid of heights by all means go for it. If you are a bit nervous, I actually wouldn't recommend this one as the last section of the stairs to the top just felt so dodgy and I ended up having a mild panic attack which wasn't ideal. It is a killer leg workout though, but yeah, my tower climbing days are over.

Lots of people recommended that we check out Gdańsk's version of the London Eye and I'm glad we did because the view was amazing, especially as we went just as the sun was setting. It was only €12.99 for the two of us and it lasted for about 15 minutes. Obviously with me being a total scaredy cat, I was a little nervous especially when it stopped to let someone on and we were at the top, but I mean it was a brilliant way to see the city so it was worth it. It's just across the river from the Old Town and right next to the PURO hotel which has an amazing roof top bar so it's the perfect excuse to go for a nice, relaxing glass of wine afterwards!
 3. Museum of the Second World War
Visiting this museum was one of the things Dara really wanted to do whilst in Gdańsk and while it was of course very sad, and hard to read and see lots of the terrible events that occurred during World War II, it was a fantastic museum and very interesting to walk around. There was some kind of offer on so that it was half price admission which was 20 złoty (about €4.60) for the both of us. I must admit that it was upsetting at points to learn about the awful details of the suffering imposed by Hitler on the Polish people but the museum presented all of the information so well, and in lots of different formats such as videos, photos, displays of artefacts and even mock streets of what Poland would have looked like in the 1930s, that I would really recommend checking it out.
 4. A Day Trip To Sopot
Since Sopot, a cute town on shores of the Baltic sea, is only a 20 minute train journey from Gdańsk, we thought it'd be rude not to check it out. The beach was gorgeous and there's a huge pier that you can walk down and what looked like some sort of pirate ship at the end of it that I think you can go out on. If you're visiting Gdańsk for a couple of days and want a break from the city, then a day trip out to Sopot is a brilliant idea and the best part is you can stop off and get pancakes in Manekin!

So there we have it, that's what we got up to and where we ate on our trip to Gdańsk. If you have anymore questions about this wonderful city then just pop me a message either on Facebook or Instagram and hopefully I can answer them. Thanks so much for reading!

Gdańsk Travel Guide - What To Do & Where To Eat

10.10.18


Ready to hear all about a hotel that offers not only a luxurious, relaxing stay with delicious food but also won't break the bank like some other hotels might? Myself and Dara spent the past weekend as guest of the stunning Midlands Park Hotel and I was so excited to share this gem of a hotel with you all that I actually started working on this blog post as soon as I got home from our trip to Portlaoise! When I mentioned on my Instagram story that we were heading up to the Midlands Park Hotel, straight away I had at least 5 messages all raving about the hotel, which actually doesn't happen too often so I knew we were in a for a treat. Kelly's Steakhouse was also mentioned a few times which had Dara and I very excited for dinner as we had booked in there for 6pm. Upon arrival to the hotel (which was only just over an hour and fifteen minutes away from us which is a nice change from lots of hotels in Dublin/Cork) we were greeted by such lovely, friendly staff which is another thing that the people messaging me on Instagram had mentioned. 


The Room:

We stayed in one of the hotel's suites which are actually located in a separate building to the main hotel but are still connected to the hotel by a walkway meaning that it's a nice, quite area. Our suite was room 505 or the Glenbarrow suite and honestly, it was the most incredible hotel room/suite that I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. Firstly it was HUGE, with really high ceilings, a massive window and so much space that Dara and I were joking that we could happily live there 24/7 and not feel cramped! The room was gorgeously decorated, with a rich purple colour scheme, plush carpets and even a chandelier. Like the title of this post suggests, the bed was the comfiest bed I have ever slept in, it was like sleeping on an actual cloud and I woke up feeling so well rested. Even Dara, who struggles to get a good nights sleep anywhere but his own bed slept like a baby which really says something. 

Our suite also had a sofa in front of a huge tv which to our delight had Netflix so of course we ended up watching pretty much all of season 2 of Ozark. The hotel does have a pool and brilliant leisure facilities which I actually packed a swimsuit especially for, but in the end we just loved our room so much and the fact we could totally kick back and relax in front of the tv that we didn't end up making it down to check it out, but I think sometimes you need a nice, totally chilled weekend right? 


As if the huge, comfy bed, the giant tv and sofa weren't enough, the Glenbarrow suite also had a walk in closet, a coffee machine, a separate toilet and the most magnificent bathroom. The bathroom was one of the things that had me saying "Wow" as soon as we walked into the room as it has a glass wall shower feature so you can see straight into the bathroom through the shower from the main bedroom room. The shower itself was actually a double rainfall shower so you could have a shower side by side with your other half if you wanted to. There was also a big bath in the bathroom which had a very cool water faucet (I think that's what you'd call it anyway) and some gorgeous toiletries from Rituals which were a real treat. This suite really did have every single thing you could want or dream of in a hotel room and the best part is that the price of the Midlands Park Hotel suites aren't that much more expensive than what you'd pay for a regular double room in some other hotels that I've stayed in. Particularly if you can stay on a week night, it's seriously good value for money. While we didn't experience the hotel's other room types, I can only imagine that the quality of them was just as good as our suite, and they are even more budget friendly if that's what you're looking for.



The Food:

If you've been following me on Instagram for any amount of time then it's probably very obvious that I seriously love food, so when lots of people were messaging me telling me how good the food in the Midlands Park Hotel was, specifically in the Kelly's Steakhouse, I couldn't wait to try it! Kelly's Steakhouse is right next to the hotel, and actually right below where our suite was. We had looked up the menu beforehand and it all sounded very delicious. I love when a menu has 3 or 4 different options that I'd love to try, although it does make deciding what to order that bit trickier because I'm very indecisive especially when it comes to food! I ordered the nachos for starters, 'The Smokey' burger for mains and the Rocky Road Hot Pot for dessert and Dara had the Caesar salad to start, the very interesting and exciting 16oz Hot Rock Sirloin of Beef for mains and the Warm Chocolate Fondant for dessert. After we had finished our meal we both agreed that it was one of the best we'd ever had. Every single bit of food was delicious and so well presented and we thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are planning on visiting Kelly's Steakhouse then I'd definitely recommend trying out the Hot Rock Sirloin of Beef. It's served on a volcanic rock that's been heated to 420 degrees so you can cook it exactly how you like it. Of course I had to try some of Dara's beef purely for the purpose of this post of course and I can attest to the fact that it was seriously yummy. 


Breakfast in the Midlands Park Hotel was much like our dinner the evening before and didn't disappoint. There was a continental buffet with lots of pastries, fruit, cold meats and delicious blueberry muffins and then there was a breakfast menu so you could order whatever you wanted from the kitchen. Unusually for me, I didn't go for the Belgian waffles that would usually tempt me but instead had the traditional Irish breakfast and a lovely Java Republic cappuccino which was a nice surprise because I love good coffee. We were both pleasantly surprised at how fast our breakfast was served after we had ordered especially since we'd gone down for breakfast at 10am which is always when it's busiest. Again, like with the rest of our stay, the staff were so friendly and really attentive.


Reading back over this review it almost sounds like the hotel has paid me to rave about it but I can promise you that's not the case, I ain't that easy to buy! We genuinely enjoyed our stay in the Midlands Park Hotel so much and I couldn't recommend it enough. It's so lovely to find such a stunning hotel that I can recommend to you all knowing that it's on the more affordable side of things because we all need to treat ourselves to a break sometimes, right?

One thing I will mention just so this post isn't all me gushing over how much we loved the hotel is that parking is only included for guests who are staying on a B&B basis and is only covered from check-in at 4pm until check out at 12pm. For the time you spend there outside of that, you will have to pay for parking as the hotel doesn't own the carpark right next door, but that's the case with lots of other hotels that I've stayed in so it didn't bother us too much and certainly didn't taint our view of the hotel at all.

Thanks so much for reading this review and if you're looking for a lovely break away, I hope you strongly consider the Midlands Park Hotel! A big thank you must also be said to the wonderful staff at the hotel for making our stay so pleasurable and to the hotel for having us as their guests.

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