Share
16th June 2015
12:22pm BST
I wake up when the alarm goes off at 7.30am during school mornings and as late as the kids allow me at the weekend, which tends to be 8.30ish. They're well able to go downstairs and get some cereal and turn on the TV for a while.
Breakfast is at 7.45am. During the week it’s Bran Flakes and fresh orange juice for the kids and fruit, yogurt and a fresh carrot and orange juice for Vinny and I followed by a mug of coffee or tea. At the weekend we might have some poached eggs on toast... and a chocolate croissant for the kids.
I spend about five minutes on myself in the morning. I brush my teeth, put on some serum and moisturiser and (if I have time) some blusher and mascara. I love Clarins as it suits my combination skin. I wash my face and exfoliate every second morning and as I work from home, I tend not to wear any make-up unless I'm out and about at meetings or with clients. I swear by Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara as I am blonde and my lashes and eyebrows are naturally very light - people tend to ask me if I'm okay or sick if I'm not wearing any!
A glass or two (or three!) of Pinot Noir when the kids are in bed at the weekend is my greatest indulgence. I relax and watch box sets like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul or Mad Men.
My husband Vincent does most of the cooking. He is a better cook than me (and fussier) so I let him get on with it! He loves making vegetable stir-fries, Thai curries and roast chicken and he’s fantastic at risotto.
Work changes daily for me so I could be in the office, in the workshop making jewellery, out at meetings or with our staff in House of Fraser and Arnotts, or meeting clients such as the Kilkenny stores. When I get home (usually sometime between 5.30 and 6.30pm) I hang out with my kids playing games and reading stories, then bath them and relax and watch some TV before putting them to bed. A couple of evening a week I bring our dog for a walk through the park close by and catch up with my friends over the phone... or just enjoy the quiet for a while.
We have had both live-in and live-out Au Pairs since our kids were born. We couldn’t have done it without them. Currently we have the lovely Anna from Brazil who has been living with us for nearly two years and who has also become a great friend to me. We will miss her when she leaves next month.
We love going for big walks with our dog Maisey. We head for Glendalough, Enniskerry or Bray Head and usually follow our walk with lunch somewhere nice like Urbun in Cabinteely or Avoca. We also love going into town to the Dublin Flea Market or Natural History Museum and on a cold or rainy day it’s a treat to go to the cinema.
We've just come back from a break in beautiful Kerry. We stayed in the self-catering cottages in Parknasilla Hotel, went on lots of walks, did motorised kayaking and the kids went horse riding on the gorgeous Derrynane beach. We loved it every minute of it. Vincent and I always travelled and this year we brought the kids backpacking through Thailand for three weeks. It was amazing and we found this gorgeous little island near the Burmese border that we never wanted to leave. The kids were catching crabs, collecting shells and snorkeling all day. The next holiday plan is Mexico (next Easter) where Vincent first learnt how to silversmith and we first started buying gemstones together. It’s been over 10 years since we were there so we are very, very excited about it.
The Girl on the Train was the last book I read. Actually I listened to it via Audiobooks, which is what I do before I go to sleep at night or when I'm on the Luas or travelling.
When we were growing up, my Dad would always say ‘You can only do your best’. Sometimes I find it hard to adhere to but that advice taught me to focus on myself and what I’m doing, trust my instincts and not compare myself to anyone else, which I think is why Juvi is quite distinctive. I find myself saying it to my kids now too in the hope that they stay true to themselves and grow up as confident individuals who do their best at whatever it is they are doing.
What advice would I give a new mum? Sleep when they sleep, enjoy every minute... and it only gets better!
[caption id="attachment_219907" align="alignleft" width="790"]
Julie and Vincent, partners in life and in business[/caption]Explore more on these topics:
