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Yearly Archives: 2018

After two years of looking at the same face, it's fair to say some elements of the relationship aren't so exciting anymore.

The honeymoon period is firmly over, and he's seen you more often than not, with a top bun and his trackies on. 

However, it seems it's the little things that stand the test of time and go a long way in making our partnerships successful.

Superdrug surveyed 900 Europeans and Americans to find out precisely what small gestures we value the most from our relationships as time moves on. 

In a list of the top ten small things you value most, both men and women rated the most important gesture to be their partner laughing at their jokes. 

They say laughter is good medicine but remember: what's seldom is wonderful – (try chucking along to his fourth bad joke in a row – it's exhausting).

For women, the second spot was taken by when he 'smiles at me often or randomly' – ugh – SWOON.

However, for men 'buys me food I like' nabbed second place – remember ladies and gents, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

The list also included gestures like 'makes me meals', 'buys me gifts' and remembering personal details about their life.

Getting down to the saucy bit, the participates were asked what were the small things that got them in the mood. – Spoiler alert: it's not picking your dirty socks off the floor.

But next time you want to arouse your partner, tell them that they're sexy or attractive, as both men and women rated this as their number one turn on.

In fact, the survey found that over 31 percent of men and 36.7 percent of women remarked that getting a compliment from their partner calling them “sexy” or “attractive” put them on a fast track to sticking on some Barry White.

Second place for women is when her partner 'buys her experiences', whereas men choose completely differently, with 'gives me a towel when I'm fresh out of a shower'…okay then, lads. I guess it's the little things that count.

Now here is when things get VERY interesting.

Those who took part answered questions about the importance of little things by the length of the relationship.

Say goodbye to buying your boyfriend a burrito, micro-attractions in a relationship, such as buying your partner's favourite foods died a death around the five to 10 years mark into the relationship.

However, remembering to buy your significant other a birthday pressie is a way to earn brownie points, long-term.

'Smiling at them often and randomly' was also a very popular gesture as the years went by.

And surprising your partner with gifts after 10 years together is the way to go.

Keeping things spicy in the bedroom can be a challenge as the years turn into decades.

Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that your sex life will be non-existent, it just changes with time – like a fine wine.

Offers of slipping into something sexy, walking around in the nip and telling your other half what a sexy beast he is, takes a serious decline after 10 years together.

However, never underestimate simplicity.  

Handing them a towel after a shower, flashing an ole smile at them and giving them a pet name meant more to a loved-up person.

In fact, individuals in the five to the 10-year range found smiling to be the least important on the timeline, but a whopping 22.6 percent of longer-term partners felt receiving a smile randomly or often was a huge factor in arousal. 

The real conclusion of this survey is to invest in good dental hygiene so you can keep smiling away to your partner for many years to come…(joking).

No, but really, small things can go far when it comes to the ones we love.

This survey proves that less is more and it might be the things you do daily, that your partner appreciates the most.

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Gardaí are seeking the public's help in tracing the whereabouts of Devin Quinn.

The boy is just 17-years-old and was last seen in the Moate area of Westmeath on Monday, August 27th.

Devin is of slim build, standing at 5'5" with brown hair and blue eyes. 

Loved ones of the missing teenager are deeply concerned and urge for people's help in finding him.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts are asked to contact Gardai in Moate at 090-648-1106.

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Plants have become extra popular on the homeware front lately, thanks to bloggers using them in flatlays and interior designers using them to create a minimalist but 'living' space. 

Plants are a simple way to add texture to a living space, but it's important to look after your little plant friends carefully. 

Know your plants

Every plant is individual, depending on their species. 

Make sure you do your research before just buying a load of plants to jazz up your Instagram backgrounds, or else you'll end up with some rather unphotogenic brown, dead tendrils. 

 

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Don't water them too much

One of the most common ways that plants die is through over-watering. 

Each plant is different but very few would need to be watered more than once a week. 

A handy way to check is to test the soil using a stick, if the soil is dry and crumbly all the way to the bottom of the pot, your little plant could probably do with some hydration. 

 

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Let there be light!

All your plant friends need is light and water to survive, so make sure they're getting enough natural day light for them to sustain themselves.

Place plants where natural light is most prolific, and if you sense that your plants seem to be bowing towards a window, them move them a little closer.

 

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Grow baby, grow

If you want to see growth in your plants, then they will need to fertilised.

According to Gardeners.com, 'as a general rule, most houseplants should be fertilised from January through September, and should then be allowed to "rest" for a few months.'

 

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Succulent life

Cacti and succulents do require TLC

Often times, people choose succulents or cacti as they see them as a low maintenance plant. 

While they definitely don't need as much attention as other plants, succulents need to have a soil soakage about once a week while still in the growth stages. 

Cacti can be watered two-three times per month. 

 

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We’ve spent many nights curled up on the sofa with never-ending episodes of Say Yes to the Dress Ireland playing on the TV.

Our evenings just haven’t been the same since the last season of the show ended, but fear not, the wonderful Franc is returning to our screens very soon.

The unmissable series starts on Monday, September 17 on RTÉ2, and follows 30 brides from all over Ireland looking to find their perfect dress.  

Over 3,500 dresses from all over the world await the new group of brides-to-be and their entourages at Vows Bridal Store in Cork.

Franc and the bridal consultants; Vows Owner, Mary O’Dowling, along with Janice O’Leary, Denise O’Riordian and Ciara O’Dowling will meet brides from all over the country in search of their dream dresses.  

This five-part series has a few surprises in store including an opinionated father of the bride and a worried fiancé thrown into the mix.

One of this season’s brides Abby Ho has been searching high and low for her dream gown.

32-year-old Abby’s appointment will be a challenge. Abby is getting married in four months’ time, she’s got a budget of €500 maximum and she is joined by her five very opinionated sisters.  But the biggest challenge: before today Abby had tried over 50 wedding dresses and said no to them all.

We are so excited for the show to return to our screens. You can tune into the new episodes of Say Yes to the Dress Ireland on Monday, September 17 on RTÉ2.

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Rachel Allen has issued a statement following the arrest of her 18-year-old son. Her son was arrested following a €30,000 seizure of cannabis.

The mum shared that her son has admitted to being guilty of possession and of the intent to supply drugs to others. He is cooperating fully with the police.

“When formally charged Joshua will be pleading guilty at the first opportunity.”

The TV chef and husband Isaac said: “We are absolutely devastated at this turn of events.”

“Our son is 18 years old, has never been in trouble with the gardaí, and has made a huge mistake, which will have profound consequences for him,” they continued.

“We do not in any way condone his actions. In fact, we utterly condemn them, but it is not for us to condemn him,” they added.

The family admitted they were appalled to hear of their teenage son’s arrest, but as his parents they must support him.

Rachel and Isaac said it is now time for them to look after their son Joshua and their family in the best way you can.

The parents stressed: "We would ask that the legal process would be allowed to proceed to deal with this matter, without interference, and that we would be allowed to deal with this, like any other parents in a similar position.”
 

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Kate Middleton is fiercely dominating the fashion industry, and we are loving it!

According to eBay's annual UK Retail Report, one fab woman has been named the top royal fashion influencer of the year – Kate Middleton.

The Duchess of Cambridge has even surpassed the Duchess of Sussex, who has been ranked as number two.

But are we really that surprised? The fashionista was the envy of pregnant mums everywhere with her classic colour choices and bold pattern combinations.

At her little Louis’ christening, she arrived in a gorgeous Alexander McQueen dress with stylish structured sleeves. Kate was also crowned with a matching Jane Taylor headpiece, adorned with intricately laced flowers.

Princess Kate has looked simply stunning in her sleek outfits during her three pregnancies, before and after she had her darling children.

Her royal style has been the #fashiongoals of late for mums all over the globe.

The Duchess’ number one status is linked to the burst in searches for maternity clothes by British consumers.

Tailored maternity coats became all the rage when Kate claimed them as part of her go-to outfit ensemble, and searches for them more than tripled in November 2017 when she was parading around town during her third pregnancy.

And who could forget when the princess introduced Prince Louis to the public for the first time, sporting a fabulous, red Jenny Packham dress.

eBay searches surged for Packham fashion after her son’s debut, more than doubling their usual number.

As for her fellow duchess, Meghan’s top influencing moment was during her May wedding when she walked down the aisle in a dazzling, Givenchy dress. Afterwards, searches for the designer increased by 60 percent.

But Kate and Meghan weren't the only two to make the royal cut.

The adorable Princess Charlotte came third place, sparking searches for floral crowns (60% increase) and dresses (40% increase) as they became the must-haves of kids wear.

Her elder brother George came fourth for his popular Peter Pan collared shirts, followed by the Queen in fifth, due mostly to her elegant brooches.

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While we all know by now that Instagram does n ot the depict the reality of any situation – one ,makeup brand has been changing the narrative surrounding makeup accounts and Photoshop. 

MAC Cosmetics have received waves of praise for featuring up-close images up makeup without retouching.

Most notably, one image which showcases a stunning brown lip look also includes the upper lip hairs of the model in full view, going against silly societal expectation of hairless, dolphin-skinned women. 

 

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'Living up to other people's beauty standards can be so exhausting and emotionally tolling – especially when as women our bodies and faces are expected to be predominantly hairless and poreless,' said one commeter. 

'Absolutely love the natural image. Allows consumers to better see the quality of the product too,' said another. 

'Appriacte you for not editing or photoshopping the model! We Stan a natural sister,' another wrote. 

 

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 Recently, huge brands like Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury have ditched the photoshop in favour of digitally unenhanced images. 

The brand have chosen models with skin texture, freckles, and pores on their social media account. 

Here's to hoping brands ditch photoshop from now on, so we see what women (and the products) really look like. 

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Beyoncé celebrates her 37th birthday today and her mum has penned the sweetest birthday message to her daughter.

Tina Knowles shared a throwback photo in honour of the Crazy In Love singer’s big day. She posted a photo from when Beyoncé was only four-months-old and she looks too cute.

 

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“It’s already your birthday where you are so Happy Birthday to the nicest, owner of the most beautiful, generous, loving hearts ever!”

She gushed: “Always thinking, planning, analyzing, strategizing, how you can make everything you touch better.”

Her mum explained why she chose the photo of a young Beyoncé: “On this day you were 4 months old and i couldn’t even control the excitement and pride and the all encompassing love I felt for you, my first born.”

 

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Tina continued: “I made a vow to love and cherish you everyday. For the rest of my life! Sometimes I can’t believe out of all the incredible people in the world I was chosen by God to be your mom.”

The mum said the day Beyoncé and her sister Solange were born were two of the greatest days of her life.

 

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“It is a privilege to have carried you two in this body,” she added.

“Enjoy your B-Day!!! No one deserves it more!! I love you. Mom.”

Talk about the most heartfelt birthday message ever. Can Tina Knowles wish us a happy birthday?

All hail Queen Bey.

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The Coronas’ December shows at the Olympia theatre are one of the most popular music events of the year.

Their legendary gigs have almost become part of the Christmas calendar now.

This year, the San Diego Song singers will be playing the Olympia on December 3 and 4.

Whether you were at their very first show there ten years ago or ‘the one where the power cut’ in 2010, you’ll know how magical these up close and personal shows are.

This year, The Coronas have something special planned to mark a decade of Olympia shows.

As always, tickets for the two shows are expected to fly out this Friday.

Danny O’Reilly says “We’re so excited to be coming back this year to the Olympia. It’s hard to believe we’ve been playing this venue for 10 years.”

 

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He continued: “We’re heading off on tour next week all around America, Canada and then Australia but knowing that we’re coming home at Christmas with these gigs to look forward to is an amazing feeling.”
“We’re gonna plan something special for the gigs to thank our fans for continuing to come back and spend these deadly nights with us,” the frontman teased.

General tickets from €33.50 including booking fee and restoration levy go on general sale this Friday at 9am

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Penneys is one of our favourite online havens for snagging gorgeous, affordable pieces of homeware. 

The brand is renowned for their trendy fast fashion, and the homeware section is just as capable of keeping up with the latest interiors trends. 

 Their latest collection is no different, incorporating some of the most Instagrammable pieces we have seen on the high street home interiors scene all year. 

 Hexagonal Shelf Unit €7.00, Plant Pot with Stands €6.00, Wooden Standing Faux Plant €7.00, Large Lantern €13.00

 Terrarium €7.00, €Standing Desk Lamp €9.00

 Plant Pot with Stands €6.00, Wooden Standing Faux Plant €7.00, Gold A4 Peg Board €7.00,Gold A3 Peg Board €9.00

Chindi Tassel Cushion €12.00, Tray €8.00, Cotton Rope Basket €8.00

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Gym bunnies and healthy lifestyle advocates – listen up. 

Cult lifestyle brand Gym + Coffee are officially opening up a pop up in the heart of Dublin city. 

After a very successful run in Dundrum Town Centre, Gym + Coffee are setting up shop in Arnotts on Henry Street. 

 

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The pop-up which will feature the brand’s full range, will run from the 10th September to the 14th October at Arnotts ground floor level.

If you want to get your cold drip while looking stylish doing crunches, this is the spot for you for the next five weeks. 

Known for their warning hoodies and durable leggings, the stylish and sturdy brand has a very loyal online following.

 

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'We are incredibly excited to work with an institution like Arnotts,' Gym + Coffee co-founder Diarmuid McSweeney said.

'It's an honour for us to be given this fantastic space on the ground floor. This is a brilliant opportunity for us and we can't thank the whole team in Arnotts enough for making us feel so welcome.'

'Were excited to meet new and existing customers in-person and spread the ethos of the brand even further!'

We'll see you in there – we'll be the ones nabbing the leggings in every colour. 

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Magazines often fail to feature plus sized women on the cover. It's a simple fact. Walk into your local newsagents and you'll be met by an array of striking covers that mostly feature thin women.

Stars like Kendall Jenner, Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez often dazzle on the front of the glossies, and yes, they look beautiful, but they are all of similar size.

Women have yearned to be skinny since what feels like the beginning of time. We grew up thinking there was only one way we should look and that was thin.

 

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Of course, there is nothing wrong with being thin, but we need to celebrate other body types.

This month, Cosmopolitan featured Tess Holliday on the front cover. Tess Holliday is a size 24.

The magazine wanted to celebrate plus size women, but instead they were met with a wave of backlash with many people claiming they were promoting obesity.

Editor of Cosmopolitan Farrah Storr has hit back at the dismissive comments about what could be a historic cover for the publication.

During her appearance on Good Morning Britain, she explained her decision to put Tess on the cover: “This is one cover, which has a larger lady on the cover, in a sea, in a world, in a culture which has venerated – since I can remember – thinness.”

She does not believe featuring a size 24 woman on the cover will promote obesity.

“Are people going to look at that and go, ‘Do you know what? I’m going to go and mainline doughnuts, this is what I want for my life’. Of course not. It’s patronising to say,” she said.

“I’m celebrating her. I am not celebrating morbid obesity,” the author stressed.

 

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The cover isn’t about promoting a certain size. It’s all about showing women that there are tons of different bodies out there.

It is showing women that you can look beautiful and feel confident, regardless of your size.

It is reassuring women who may feel self-conscious or undesirable because of their weight.

The Cosmopolitan cover is opening the world’s eyes to all the different types of beauty there are that never made it to the glossy pages of women’s magazines until now.

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