The Well In The Garden- Cliff At Lyons Hotel

A couple of weeks ago I was very kindly invited to the Cliff at Lyons hotel in Celbridge to have a look at their new wellness spa, The Well in the Garden. The hotel is comprised of a number of historic stone buildings that include a mill, a cookery school, meeting rooms, apartments, cottages, restaurants and the tiniest chapel you've ever seen. Among these buildings is the newly renovated Carriage House which has now been transformed into a beautiful, tranquil space where you can receive a number nourishing and relaxing, botanical inspired treatments.

The photos don't even begin to do this place justice. We arrived in Cliff at Lyons on one of the most dreary days we've had so far this Autumn, it was dull and raining and yet as soon as the bus drove through the gates we were all gasping at the stunning grounds of the hotel. We began with a tour by the lovely hotel staff who told us about the history of the hotel and brought us into all of the buildings and different areas to show us how much there is on offer. The apparently have a lot of weddings throughout the year and I can totally see why as this location is unlike any Irish wedding location I've ever been to. 

They offer some one of a kind treatments which include Peat for the Feet, Hug of the Hands Massage and a Hot Towel Head and Scalp Ritual all of which you can read about in the photos below. Something that I really loved and is a unique selling point of The Well in the Garden is that all of the products used in the treatments are made from 100% natural ingredients including Irish peat, carrageen moss and hand-crushed herbs from the garden on the grounds of the hotel. There are also three different combinations of oils to choose from during your massage, the De-Stress with Calendula and Bergamot Serenity Oil, the Deep Tissue with Rosemary and Cedar Muscle Relax Oil and the Mother to be Super Seed Massage Oil, all of which smell incredible.

I had a half hour back massage and exfoliating treatment. This was my first ever massage so I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't have anything to compare it to, but seeing everyone come back from their treatments looking so relaxed got me excited for my turn. The treatment room was so cosy with dim light, candles and relaxing music. My masseuse, Niamh, was so friendly and professional but made me feel completely comfortable. She asked if I had any particular concerns with my back so I told her I suffer with sciatic pain from heavy lifting in work. She also asked what kind of pressure I wanted and I said it was my first massage so I'd leave it up to her and she said if it was too hard to let her know. She used an exfoliating treatment, hot towels and brushes and then massaged my back, shoulders, arms and neck. It was such a completely relaxing experience, I honestly could have fallen asleep. I could have easily stayed there for another half hour (or more).

As the treatments were running late on the day (because the masseuses wanted to give each of us a thorough treatment), we were kindly treated to a meal in the Trellis restaurant. I had the cod which was so delicious and the prices were very reasonable. You can also avail of their Afternoon Tea which is €30 per person midweek and €35 on a Sunday or their Sunday lunch which is €40 for a three course meal, the menus for both had me salivating. Both are served in the Orangery which is pictured above and is the most gorgeous, bright room with beautiful views of the grounds.

As well as the treatments I've already mentioned, you can take part in Yoga and Meditation and there are also wellness treatments for mothers to be and people living with cancer.

I was so blown away by the Cliff at Lyons that I felt compelled to share my experience. I had no idea this place existed and less than an hour outside Dublin. If you're planning a wedding or a party or event I would highly recommend checking out their website to discover more. I definitely want to make a return visit and stay overnight to properly enjoy the gorgeous grounds (and maybe partake in Afternoon Tea). It could also be a really nice gift idea with Christmas coming up to treat someone to Afternoon Tea or a treatment in the spa. I'm all about giving people experiences rather than things (as much as I love makeup) there's nothing more special than giving someone your time and a shared memory, as completely cheesy as that sounds.

So what do you think? Have you visited the Cliff at Lyons or does it appeal to you?

Emma x

A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea

Last week I went for afternoon tea in the Westin hotel for the second time. The first time I had the Traditional Afternoon Tea and it was such a luxurious experience that I was so excited to go back again. My lovely work colleagues got me a voucher for A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea for my birthday back in August and last Friday I finally got around to booking it.

When we arrived we were brought into the Atrium parlour, a room just off the larger Atrium lounge. There was a table reserved for us which had plenty of space around it and a gorgeous big couch. I was so happy I waited until the Christmas season to book it because the room was decorated with Christmas decorations and it added so much warmth to the experience.

You can order two different Afternoon Teas if you didn't like the sound of the more adventurous Most Peculiar Afternoon tea, but we opted for two of the same as we'd already had the other one.

We were brought our cocktail in a teapot first which was a delicious gin mojito and gorgeous Hendrick's gin teacups (I'm dying to get some for myself!) Obviously if you're not a gin fan or if you don't drink alcohol I'm sure you could substitute the gin for another spirit or for tea or coffee. When we went for the Traditional Afternoon Tea we had several different coffees and the waitress made sure we were topped up at all times. I was full of caffeine by the time I left.

The waitress brought out the three-tiered stand and went through each item on it with us. My boyfriend waited patiently with a rumbling stomach while I took some photos and then we tucked in. 

Everything was delicious! Both savoury and sweet were equally amazing. I love how they have created such an unusual afternoon tea with really tasty combinations of food. The banana bread on the middle tier was probably the nicest banana bread I've ever tasted (the cinnamon and honey butter was incredible). The presentation of the little jars and spoons and cones all added to the "peculiar" theme. 

We ordered coffee to go with the desserts which ended up costing €4.50 each which is fairly standard for a 5 star hotel. The Traditional Afternoon Tea is €32 and this one is €34, I loved the cocktail but I think if I was to go again I would get coffee or tea instead as I think it goes better with the food. 

The main reason I wanted to write about this is that I think it's such a great gift to get for someone. I got my sister a voucher for afternoon tea for Christmas last year and she loved it. I've since gotten them for a couple of other people and anyone who goes always says what a great experience it is. It's a little afternoon of five star luxury in beautiful, calm surroundings and you're made to feel very special. If you're struggling to think of a gift for someone this Christmas, perhaps your parents or in-laws or anyone really, I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy it. 

Most hotels do some kind of afternoon tea, some of the better ones in Dublin (or so I've heard) include the Shelbourne, the Westbury and the Dylan. 

Have you ever been for afternoon tea? Would you like to receive this as a gift?

Emma x

Gift Guide- Dunhill

It's now less than two weeks to Christmas and if you're anything like me you may have left the hardest people to buy for last on your list. Here are a few more gift ideas for the men in your life, all of the items shown below are from the classic Men's brand Dunhill. 

 

All of these gifts are based on what I have heard the men in my life say that they would like to receive as gifts. My little brother is constantly talking about how much he wants his own lighter even though he doesn't smoke and a nice fountain pen for school. This Turbo Wood Lighter is a great gift for the man who aspires to be one of the Sterling Cooper Draper Price boys on Mad Men. I am a huge lover of stationary, speciafically pens. I adore fountain pens and used one all through school as it was easier on my fingers than a ball point. I'm sure this beautiful Sentryman Black Resin Fountain Pen would be a dream to write with and I can imagine it might make writing those long essays a bit more bearable for my brother, or anyone who does a lot of writing in their daily life. 

This gorgeous Tan Leather Ipad Case is the perfect accessory for the man who is into his gadgets. If you're carrying around an expensive ipad, you might as well have the best cover to go with it. 

Another scarf you say? You may have noticed my obsession. I love buying people scarves because I love them, I always find it easier to shop for people when I'm interested in what shopping for. This Block Stripe Scarf is yet another men's scarf that I would love myself. The colour palette of tan, navy and grey makes it so versatile and the fact that it's 100% cashmere gives it that little bit of luxury and cosiness on those freezing Winter days in December and January. A perfect accompaniment to the scarf would be these Club Dark Havana Sunglasses for those bright days in Winter when the sun is low in the sky. 

Lastly is this set of Mini Stereo Speakers in their own case. These can link to Smart Phones, mp3 players and laptops and they have a rechargeable internal battery. I think they are amazing and I kind of want them myself.

I hope these gift guides have been helpful! I've definitely gotten a lot of ideas while researching for them.

Emma x

***This post was written on behalf of dunhill.co.uk.

Gift Guide- Jules B

Today I have another gift guide for you from Julesb.co.uk. If there was nothing that caught your eye in the last gift guide, you might like some of the lovely things in this one. 

If you're really stuck for gift ideas for the woman in your life just get her a nice candle. I have one burning every single night during the Winter. It immediately adds a cosy feeling to the room. This Nicole Fahri candle might seem a bit expensive for a candle, but think how impressed she'll be when she sees it's a designer candle! 

I was looking through the homeware on the site and came across FS Home Collections. I really love their cushions. These are definitely a gift for someone who likes something a bit different. If your friend or sister likes Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Dogs, Bears or Zebras, these cushions would be the perfect gift. I love this Greta Garbo one. 

I love this bracelet from Nouv-elle. If you want to get her jewellery but you're unsure if she prefers silver or gold then this is a great idea since it has both. 

Like I said in my previous gift guide, every woman needs a pair of Winter gloves so what better present to get her than a gorgeous leather pair from Vivienne Westwood. These won't be to everyone's taste but if you're feeling brave these would make an amazing present. If you're feeling extra brave, they also come in a red/pink combination. 

You all probably know by now how much I love sunglasses and these ones from Retro Super Future are such a universally flattering shape. 

Have you got all your Christmas shopping done yet?

Emma x

***This post was written on behalf on JulesB.co.uk

Gift Guide- Cruise Fashion

Since I put together a Gift Guide for Men, I felt it was only right to do the same for the Ladies. I found lot's of goodies on cruisefashion.co.uk that I thought would be great Christmas presents. 

If you have been reading blogs for the past few years you'll probably know that everyone seems to be obsessed with Michael Kors, more specifically his bags and watches. There are some gorgeous gold, silver and rose gold watches on the site but this Tortoise one is my absolute favourite of his watches. If you know someone really well, a watch is a great present, but be careful to pick something you know the person will love because it could be easy to get it wrong.

Let's face it, women love shoes, and I don't know who anyone could not love these Sam Edelman ankle boots. I adore these, they are the perfect winter shoe and would really go with anything. 

Gloves, another present that's hard to get wrong. If you know someone's style well and want to treat them to something they probably would never get for themselves I really think these Ted Baker fur lines gloves would make such a great present. Everyone needs gloves for Winter, but these are just a bit more special than your average pair and will last you for years.

Another item that every woman needs is a make up bag. Most women I know would never spend too much on a make up bag, so to get a really gorgeous designer make up bag like this Anya Hindmarch one would be a real treat. It's the perfect size for keeping in your bag to bring to college or work or for a weekend away. 

Lastly, this scarf is for someone who is really into bright colours and loves beautiful accessories. This silk Sonia by Sonia Rykiel scarf is so beautiful and would be the perfect accompaniment to brighten up a Winter outfit or to wear on Christmas day. 

What do you think? Are there any of my choices that you would like to receive as a gift?

Emma x

Gift Guide- Why Not Ask Her Friends?

It's now just 5 weeks to Christmas and let's face it, there's always at least one person on our gift buying list who we struggle to come up with ideas for every year. I find that if you don't know someone very well or don't get to spend a lot of time with them, it's much more difficult to come up with gift ideas for them. Whether it's an aunt, brother, mother-in-law, grandmother, father or sister sometimes we just need some inspiration instead of getting them the same boring present we get them every year.

So when I heard about Ask Her Friends, a site that helps you to find the perfect gift for the women in your life I was intrigued to see if it would actually help to give me gift ideas. Ask Her Friends was founded by a man who once bought his ex-girlfriend a worm farm and I don't think he is the only one guilty of giving bad presents.

I decided to try out the Idea Map with the answers relating to my mother and I was actually quite surprised to see the results it gave. There were some really great ideas that I don't think I ever would have thought of including a gorgeous mirror and a magazine subscription. Donnacha also tried it out answering questions about me and found a few things he thought I would really like. You just follow the steps answering questions about the person you are looking to buy a present for and it gives you ideas according to your budget.  

One thing that really struck me about the Idea Map was asking yourself what life changes has the person gone through recently. Have they lost their job or gotten a new job? Have they recently moved house or had a baby or gotten married? It got me thinking outside the box and considering new possibilities. 

You can also search by budget and by category so if you have a general idea of how much you can afford to spend and the kind of present you want, maybe you heard the person say they wanted some new make up or homeware, you can search for ideas under those categories. 

I decided to show you some of my picks from the site for between £5 and £50 since most people have had to cut back on gifts in recent years, this shows the variety of gifts you can find for a small to medium budget.

Maybe you've gotten you mam or sister or girlfriend some perfume and you want to get her some other smaller presents too, then this perfume atomiser is a great present for under £10 because it allows her to dispense the perfume into a more handbag friendly container. 

I just love this chalk photo frame! I would love this as a gift and there are a few people I know would love it too. It's such a great change from an ordinary photo frame. I love giving photos as gifts, it's something I think everyone likes to get. There's lot of other great gift ideas on the Dutch by Design site, especially for anyone who is newly married or has just moved house. 

If you really can't think of anything to buy for someone, why not get them your favourite show on DVD. Something like Breaking Bad, Mad Men or Homeland. Great shows that they can watch through on a DVD box-set over Christmas. I really want to see the recent BBC drama series The Hour. Amazon have some great deals on at the moment and you could get most of your shopping done without even having to step outside into the cold! 

This Retro Sweet Box could be a really great gift for your younger brother or sister (although I'd love it too).  

These next two things would be great for the woman in your life that's make up and skincare obsessed. If you know they love make up but you have no idea where to start. This Nails Inc minis set is great because you have lots of different colours so you don't have to choose the colour, they get to decide themselves!

Like with the Nail polishes, this GlossyBox subscription is perfect for when you know what the person's interests are but you haven't a clue about those interests yourself. This is the more modern version of a magazine subscription and let's them try out loads of new products each month. I can't think of any woman who wouldn't love to receive this present. 

There is also a great blog on the site which discusses gift ideas and new online shops that you may not have heard of as well as a James Bond themed gift guide and a giveaway. One of my favourite parts of the site however is a section where women have shared stories of the best and worst presents they have received. This is a really great place to get ideas of what she'll like and what she really won't like! It's definitely worth a read if you're looking for good advice from real women, there are some really great ideas if you have a read through them.

What do you think? Would you try out this site or one like it? All we need now is a site like this for the men in our lives!

Check out the AskHerFriends Facebook Page for more regular updates.

Emma x

***Disclaimer- I was compensated for writing this post, however all opinions are honest and my own. It's a great site!