Wish List: Eight fab home finds from art to living-room yoga
Cork yogi Hazel Buckley.
We’ve all changed our lifestyles so much since Covid. We’re well used to exercising in our own home, but sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation. Although if my sitting room looked like one in the photo here, I’d never leave. We’re thrilled to hear that Cork yoga instructor Hazel Buckley (you might recognise her from RTÉ One’s Today Show) has created a yoga, meditation and healthy eating app that is personalised to fitness levels, experience, goals and, most importantly, time. That’s my main excuse for not rolling out the mat at home: "Ah sure, I have no time!"
Hazel’s app encourages busy (in my case, lazy) bodies to find five minutes to prioritise their own wellbeing. It also features over 60 meditations with different themes including ones to boost your energy, help your sleep and improve your work performance. There’s nutrition advice from experts, along with a large selection of healthy recipes to choose from and daily self-care tips to keep you inspired. Hazel says: "For years this has been my dream to create a platform for students to build their own bespoke wellness and to help to encourage people to practice at home. It is my mission to spread the word!"
The Yoga Tree app costs €12.99 for a monthly subscription or €83.88 (€6.99 a month) annually. There’s a seven-day trial too and it’s available on all smart devices. We can’t wait to try it! Check out theyogatree.ie or @hazeltheyogatree for a demo video and more information.
Need a little extra kickstart to stay healthy now that January is over? I know I do. Fight the February dip with HelloFresh — an ingenious recipe box company that delivers nutritious and varied recipes to your door — there is literally everything you'll need to make your meals, right down to packets of herbs and the garnishes.
The step-by-step recipe cards mean even the most reticent of chefs can whip up a culinary masterpiece. It helps to build positive habits in the kitchen — and we love that because you're getting fresh, pre-portioned ingredients, it minimises food waste.
You can choose from five preferences (Calorie Smart, Quick Cook, Veggie, Classic and Family) for two or four people and pick a flexible delivery day that suits you. Check out HelloFresh.ie to find out more.
We love this concept created by digital artist Dr E Alana James: She tells real-life stories, capturing moments in time, portraying the likeness and personality of a loved one.
It involves taking and curating photos, collaging them using digital re-sizing and formatting techniques, ending up with more than 20 layers to manipulate. She prints all her digital collages on canvas, on abstract backgrounds, then overpaints and sometimes she embellishes a piece of art to make it just right. Each work of art is personally signed by Alana. Prices start at €250. If you're looking to gift something really unique, check her out on https://ealanajames.com/ and follow Alana’s journey on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ealanajames/.
I'm driven demented by my lighting set-up at home, so I'm playing pretend I could start all over again by leering at gorgeous lights online. Spotted this beauty in Homesense, it's €39.99, www.homesense.ie.
On The Bathroom Shelf this week we have the gloriously packaged L'Occitane en Provence, it's the Verbena Mandarin Voyage Collection, usually €45, priced at €30 at Kildare Village, www.kildarevillage.com.
Our super supplement of the week is Meno Active, designed for women to take during their menopausal journey. It's got a lot going on, we're talking a scientific blend of 31 active ingredients — vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, Omega 3 DHA, live friendly bacteria and plant extracts, Meno Active is enriched with four plant extracts.
Cork's most creative aromatherapist, Peigín Crowley, is teaming up with Kilkenny Design to host an interactive seminar on stress, mindfulness and burnout. If you missed the Cork event, tickets for Understanding Burnout with GROUND Wellbeing, at the Kilkenny store in Nassau Street are on sale now. Learn why it is so important to recognize the signs of burnout and practical ways to tackle it. Ticketsare €20 and can be redeemed towards any GROUND Wellbeing product on the day, hang on to your tickets and show them at the till; www.eventbrite.ie.
The artist that we're loving this week is Orla Hickey, the brains behind Urban Fabric. She set up her studio in late 2018 based in rural Limerick, where she produces prints of her hand drawings. We adore the vibrant detail of Orla’s sketches of Irish streetscapes, iconic Irish buildings and the beautiful natural landscape. Her latest work is these Irish Botanical Coasters, €15 for a set of four. She says they are an ode to the Irish countryside. Every part of Orla's business is Irish-made, from prints to coasters, and the artist is passionate about promoting Irish and supporting other Irish businesses whenever she can. Check out her website at www.urbanfabric.ie or on Instagram at orla_hickey_art.
