Advanz - Advanced Hydrotherapy

Countdown is on….

elaine — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:44:22 +0000

This happens me every year. I get loads done in November and then I hit a go-slow for the first couple of weeks in December. It’s like I have a false sense of security thinking of all I did in November. Come the 15^th of December or thereabouts I begin to panic and realise I’m not as organised as I thought. Or hoped! Although that’s all part of the fun of Christmas I guess. The panic and the mayhem.. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. People (myself included) act as if the shops are going to be closed for weeks when in actual fact it’s one day if that! When I was young the local shop used to open after mass on Christmas morning and the shop would be packed with people buying milk and cream etc etc. It’s crazy. If the large shopping centres were open on Christmas day there would be people in them. I am sure of it.

I’m also at the stage that because I did so much in November I forget what I have done. I have a Christmas List for presents. It’s a spreadsheet on my pc and has tabs across the bottom for every year going back as far as 2002. But I always forget the little bits that I have squirreled away and then on Christmas Eve the hubby goes mad when he sees all I have bought J Anyways, I am off now to do my grocery list. I’ll still be in a shop buying something on Christmas Eve. Last year it was a turkey! How I forgot that I’ll never know… Let the madness commence.

Christmas 2010 Memories…

elaine — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:41:56 +0000

This time last year we had the first sprinkling of snow. I’m sure you all remember the excitement at seeing those white, fluffy wisps of snow falling from the sky making the place look like a Winter Wonderland. DIY stores sold out of sleighs, Dunnes sold out of hats and scarves and we all got busy making snow men and having snow ball fights and generally getting into the spirit of things. However, fastforward a week or so and the novelty had worn off! I’m sure you all also remember sitting in traffic not able to move, having to abandon the car because you didn’t have winter tyres (who knew what they were before last year?) slipping and sliding around in the slush, not able to get to the shops to finish the Christmas shopping…I could go on. Salt became more valuable than gold for a few days at the height of the melee. Anyways it’s unclear whether we will have the same experience this year. The kids among us hope we will. Not only do they get to play in the snow but there is also the chance of a few days off school. The parents among us are dreading it! Trapped at home with a list of things to do is not conducive to a stress free holiday. So this year I am getting organised and have most of the shopping done. The present shopping that is. I have also signed up online with Tesco to order grocery shopping if I can’t get out again. And I have the bathroom tidy and ready to go for when the stress kicks in. I am going to lock the door and sit in my whirlpool bath until the madness subsides. Which should be mid-january if my memory serves me correct!

Xmas Clearout

elaine — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:11:43 +0000

Around this time of year people start to clean up their houses in time for the festive period. It’s one of those jobs, for me anyways, that once I start I want to do more than clean. I start to see rooms with fresh eyes. As if I’m only seeing them for the first time despite the fact I have been living in the house quite happily all along.I started to clean out my kitchen presses last week and have now decided that I need a new coffee machine. It’s not just that I ‘want’ one, oh no! I have convinced myself I ‘need’ it to exist… This time last year the same thing happened with the bathroom. Despite the fact I have a lovely Jacuzzi bath installed I decided the room wasn’t luxurious enough to complement it. I figured a Jacuzzi bath should be treated with respect and sit in a bathroom that deserves it. Not one where you can barely see the air jets on the bottom because it’s covered in kids plastic toys. So I did a clearout, painted the walls, got some nice candles to dot around the place and a net thing to put all the toys in when the kids were not using them. It lasted til mid-Jan but for those few weeks it was bliss! I know if I were to venture upstairs for a look now the toys are back in the bath and the candles are probably being stored in the net thing! This year the sitting room is on my hit list. It needs painting (in my mind!) and we need new pictures for the walls. And the bedroom needs some prints for the walls and a dressing table for all my clutter. I’m off to make a list!!! If only I had a nice cup

Countdown to Christmas

elaine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:28:43 +0000

So Halloween is over. The scary decorations and the costumes are all being boxed up for another year. The clocks have gone back making the nights longer and darker and the countdown to Christmas has begun. Personally this is my favourite time of the year. It’s only a few weeks before we have to climb back into the attic to relocate the Christmas decorations. I heard a terrible story last year about a family who took their decorations down and when they glanced over their 2 year old daughter was sitting pulling things out of a black sack and she was covered in maggots. Turns out they binned the decorations and put the rubbish bags into the attic instead!!! With the turkey carcass inside…. It still makes my skin crawl when I think of it. Anyways, I digress. Its time to think about what presents you want to receive and give this year. I’m going down the pampering route. I want spa vouchers, nice candles and pampering products. Because of the cold weather a whirlpool bath is a good option. It’s a more expensive option but everyone in the house can avail of it and you can have a spa experience in your own home. No need to go out in the cold and the wet weather to get a massage. Just head upstairs to the comfort of your own bathroom, light some candles, pour a cold drink and let the water caress and massage your weary bones. Afterwards you can get straight into your PJs and into bed with a good book. No need to get dressed again and head back out in the cold to your car. Sounds good doesn’t it? So start thinking and researching now. Only 53 sleeps to the Christmas!!!!

Back giving you jip??

elaine — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:03:56 +0000

One of the things I love about my job is the top of the range whirlpool bath that is sitting in my bathroom. (Now bear with my shameless boasting for a second. I’m going somewhere with this!) I’ve never been more grateful for my bath than this week when my husband went away on business again and left me home alone with 3 kids under 5 years of age. For some reason they have all turned into babies again and want to be carried everywhere. Now that’s ok for my little man, he’s only 6 months, but the other 2 divas have me wrecked. And my back is killing me. Luckily we now have a uniquely designed whirlpool system specially designed for back pain relief. I assumed when we were designing it that it would be for the more mature market if you know what I mean but I realise now how wrong I was. To lie back in the warm water and have jets massage and soothe my aching back is one of lifes great pleasures. It relieves muscle pain and stops muscle spasms. Almost worth carrying the kids around all day for. I say almost! It also reduces my stress levels which is a good thing becuase my hubby just emailed me to say he’s been in a minor earthquake in Tokyo!!! I think he’s trying to give me a heart attack. And great and all as our whirlpool systems are there’s no fixing that!

Christmas!

elaine — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:08:02 +0000

Guess what? As I type there’s 109 days, 19 hours and 48 minutes until Christmas Day… Not that I’m counting or anything. Seriously I’m not. But there are some shops already with Christmas stock so it’s hard to avoid it. I love Christmas. Love it. I love the carols, the fairy lights, the baking, the dinner, dressing the tree.. It’s my favourite time of the year. In fact I enjoy the build up to it more than the actual day itself. I’ve even started my Christmas present list and I’ve started to buy a few bits and pieces for people already. I drive my husband mad. I’ve already decided what I want for Christmas. I want a Nespresso machine and loads of coffee pods. I also want some really luxurious Jo Malone bath oils and candles. (to go in my fabulous whirlpool bath!) Obviously I’ll be buying these for myself and giving them to hubby to wrap for me. I learned my lesson there over the past number of years. He’s great at wrapping so everything looks amazing under the tree. He also has them all wrapped and under the tree about a week before so I spend a whole week trying to figure out what everything is. But after 15 years together I now realise it’s all sparkle, no substance. One year there was a massive big box under the tree and I was so excited thinking it must be something good. But oh no, it was a massive red and white fleecy christmas themed dressing gown that was 4 sizes too big for me. Apparantly he bought it cos I love to be cosy??? I bring it out every Christmas and wear it for a laugh. And I have to admit, it is cosy but I’m not telling him that! Another year he wrapped up a car battery as I needed one for my car (I kid you not!) I also got a wok, a spatula, a cd for a band I don’t like, a book I already have and the best ever, a big pot to cook the christmas ham in! I’d complained I didn’t have one. Silly me. I should have complained that I needed a new handbag cos my other 57 were wrecked! Although god only knows what kind of bag I’d get. I think he does it on purpose to get out of shopping. Anyways I love shopping so it’s all good. I also love cooking but the Christmas dinner does stress me out a little bit. I only have 6 to cook for but one doesn’t eat turkey, one prefers pepper sauce to gravy (with Christmas dinner??) MIL loves soup and I hate it, and I always make way too many spuds. Last year we had mashed, roast and boiled! And I always have way too much for dessert and everyone is full so I end up eating it myself over the next few days. Still, I can always wrap up in my fleecy dressing gown to hide the bulge! Anyways, enough Christmas talk. Just to let you know, we have some fabulous deals coming up in the next few months, especially for Christmas. What better way to pamper your loved one than a whirlpool bath.. Trust me, I have one.. (chosen by myself obviously!) To any man reading it’s a no-brainer. A voucher for a spa bath will earn you massive brownie points. And that can only be a good thing. Ho Ho Ho…….

Mammy Blues!

elaine — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:08:37 +0000

In an effort to take my mind of the fact that my little baby girl is starting ‘big’ school on Thursday, I am going to have a little pamper treat lined up for myself everyday. And I’m going to try and do some girlie things with herself. Pampering myself is easy enough considering I’m lucky enough to work for Irelands leading manufacturer of luxury whirlpools! All my friends are completely jealous of my spa bath. So every night this week I am going to lock the bathroom door, keeping husband, kids and dogs out. I’m going to light some nice candles, pour a cold glass of wine and soak for about half an hour.
I’m also going to bring herself for hot chocolate and out for lunch with mammy before Thursday. We’ll do some grown up things to try and convince me she’s not a baby anymore. I started yesterday by bringing her to the shops. We had breakfast in Kylemore and then she spent a very pleasurable half hour in Claires accessories trying to decide what lipgloss to buy! The conversation between herself and another little 4 year old over lipgloss was hilarious. As she was standing in the queue to pay, with the fiver her daddy gave her (after trying to explain that paper money was more than all the coins she had, she wasn’t convinced!) a Beyonce song came on the radio and to my great amusement she started to jig her hips to the beat. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
Tonight I’m going to run her a ‘big girl bath’. I’ll light her some candles and pour her a juice. And allow her to use all the spa buttons and the lights. It’ll be a change from her normal bubble bath with her sister where there’s hardly any room for them with all the bath toys.
When I was getting into bed last night I found a picture under my pillow. It was a rainbow and a sun and 3 girl figures. There was a slightly bigger girl holding a small girls hand and another girl off to the side. I think it was me and her little sister holding hands and her off to the side. Obviously I started to bawl and my hubby thought there was something seriously wrong. I still don’t think he fully gets it. But in my head, that picture depicts her breaking away and standing on her own 2 feet. She’s trying to tell me she’s growing up. I guess it’s my job to let her….

Advanz Whirlpool System. Looking after your back!

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:46:26 +0000

Download Brochure

Advanz whirlpool hydrotherapy relieves muscle pain and stops muscle spasms.
Impact of back pain:

#1 type of work related injury.
#2 reason for hospitalization, second only to pregnancy.
#2 reason for missed work days, second only to the common cold.

BENEFITS OF ADVANZ BACK MASSAGE TUBS:

Designed to be functional
Strategically focused back and side jets
One of the most hygienic hydro-massage systems in Europe
Each Advanz system can be customized to meet your needs
Easy to install with low running costs
Excellent support and after sales service

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Our patented SuperJets are positioned to help relieve muscular pain in all areas of the back, particularly the small of the back.

Starting School

elaine — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:03:25 +0000

It’s finally arrived. It’s almost time for my baby to start school. How did that happen? It feels like only yesterday I was sitting my leaving cert but it was actually 1994! That was last century! I tried to ignore how grown up I am and went shopping for her uniform. Now like most women I love shopping but I was shocked at the choice. Pinafores, skirts, cardigans, jumpers, non iron shirts (love the sound of those) regular shirts, short sleeved, long sleeved, the choice was endless. I had great fun. And I was really pleased with all the purchases until I got home and she asked in an unimpressed voice ‘does it come in any other colour?’. I haven’t even broached the subject of the tracksuit. This is a child that refuses to wear trousers of any kind. Even pjs to bed or shorts in the summer. I know I’ll have a battle on my hands when that time comes. I ordered all her books online (when I was little we had to queue at the one shop in town that did school books) They came covered with a little sheet of sticker labels with her name on. I have the school bag, the lunch box, the shoes, everything. I am completely prepared. Well almost. I know I’m not prepared for actually seeing her in the uniform or watching her walk into school that first morning. My baby is now a little girl. All grown up. It’s going to be a real moment for me. So in the meantime I’ll busy myself organising, doing lists of potential school lunches and things I can do with her after school and ignore the little voice in my head that is repeating over and over ‘she’s leaving you, she’s leaving you’. I just remembered something I forgot to buy, kleenex!

Weather Rant

elaine — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:12:41 +0000

I swore I wouldn’t do the ‘Irish’ thing and complain about the weather but seriously!! What is going on? The other day it was scorching. I dispatched the kids to the back garden smothered in suncream and started to race around the kitchen doing my bits and bobs so I could get back out to my lounger (I know I’ve three small kids but you have to take the sun when you get it!) Anyways five minutes later, yes five! my kids appear in the kitchen saying ‘mammy it’s starting to rain and all our dollys are getting wet!’. I thought for a minute they were messing but then I realised that this is Ireland Summer 2011 and I raced out to gather all the dollys up, grab the washing off the line and close the sand pit before the heavens opened. So there we were, all cuddled up on the couch, watching the rain out the window with the smell of suncream in the air. Honestly no-one would believe it if they weren’t living in this country this summer. The day progressed like that, sunny, rain, sunny, rain. I’ve lost about 2lbs from running in and out to the washing line this summer. I’ve more washing than usual because the kids are starting the day in shorts and tee shirts and finishing in wellies and jumpers. I’ve had to bring out their winter gear early (like May!) so I’ve double the amount of clothes in the wardrobes. Even the shops don’t know what to do, they are selling suncream and umbrellas on the same stand in my local supermarket. I’m going away this weekend and I’ve no idea what to pack. The weather forecasts are usually wrong so I can’t rely on them. It’s a joke. Aanyways rant over… Off now to soak in my whirlpool and pretend that I’m on holidays somewhere exotic. If I can drown out the noise of the rain on the window that is!!!