Latest news with #JosieO'Brien
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Families are racing to B&Q to snap up a £29 buy that's ideal for stress-free caravan holidays & beach days out
THRIFTY families are legging it to the nearest B&Q to bag a £29 buy for stress-free caravan holidays. 3 Summer has well and truly arrived and there's a B&Q bargain that will make this season a breeze Credit: Getty 3 Thrifty fans of the mega retailer have been loving this foldable trolley Credit: Facebook 3 It can carry a maximum of 80kg - or 12.5 stone Credit: Facebook Now cash-savvy shoppers have spotted a bargain find that will make caravan stays and beach days a breeze - and it's under £30. According to one person, Cheryl Louise, the mega discount retailer B&Q is selling a foldable trolley for just £29. The trolley, which weighs just a little over a stone, is perfect for storing all of your beach days essentials, towels, snacks, water - and more. Some thrifty customers have also stated that the foldable trolley is sturdy enough to carry their little ones around - of a maximum of 12.5 stone weight limit. read more on holidays The affordable B&Q bargain boasts an impressive 120l capacity, a strong steel frame, as well as anti-skid tyres. What's more, it can also be folded back together in just three seconds faff-free. So whether you're off to the beach, Sharing the epic find on the popular Most read in Fabulous 'We were gifted one and it's great' More than 300 social media users flooded to comments where they tagged their friends and family, with many raving about the summer must-have. Scotland's number one secret beach revealed One person said: ''We could do with this for caravan days at the beach.'' A mum chimed in: ''Thank you for sharing! This will be perfect for Disneyland Paris for when my two get tired and it's the cheapest I've ever seen them!'' A third only had rave reviews to share, writing: ''We was gifted one today and it's great!'' Why caravan holidays are so underrated CARAVAN park holidays are a British staple. And with the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain's purses, more of us are turning to them for an affordable break. Josie O'Brien, Senior Digital Writer on Fabulous, weighs in on why she thinks caravan holidays are seriously underrated... WHEN I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She'd use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays. As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs. I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the 'gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There's no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don't find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad. I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in. And then, of course, there's the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips. With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I'm spending hundreds less than I would abroad. I've had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I'll buy my own one day. A fellow shopper commented: ''We have one, we used for the beach, and do our big shop in it.'' ''What a cracking price,'' someone else couldn't believe the offer. More B&Q bargains to look for If you've decided to race to the local B&Q this week, there are also plenty of other buys to look for, such as this incredible Homeowners have also been loving The much-loved retailer is also selling a ''lovely'' fire pit with BBQ grill that costs just £25 and will be perfect for garden parties.
Scottish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I wanted to give my caravan's old sofas a makeover so found a £20 way to transform them completely – they look brand new
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has been praised after sharing how she cleverly transformed the old sofas in her caravan for just £20. Lucy explained that she was keen to give the sofa cushions a new lease of life, but didn't have an unlimited budget for doing so. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Lucy came up with the clever idea to use dust sheets to cover her old sofa cushions Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 She began by laying the sheet over the cushion and cutting it to size Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 She then began the painstaking job of using clear elastics to make the buttons Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 Once she'd finished, it was completely unrecognisable as a dust sheet Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 So instead, she decided to buy two fabric dust sheets and some clear elastic bands, and got to work herself. "I wanted to cover these sofas with some material and it just came to me the other night in bed, I thought what about using dust sheets?" she said in a video on her TikTok page. "They're really cheap, they were the perfect colour and they're really big. "So I ordered two big ones off Amazon, they were £20 for the two." She also got the bands from Amazon and a staple gun, although admitted she'd had to go with safety pins to attach the material at the back, as staple guns don't work on soft fabric. Once she'd put the fabric over the top of the cushion, she started to create the "button" pieces. To do so, she got one of the clear elastics, pulled the button from underneath the fabric and then put the elastic around the button. "Let me tell you, this was so friggin' hard," she said. "My fingers were absolutely killing me at the end. "That's why I've stopped here, I've only just done one side because I'm going to have to do like one set a day or something. I'm a travel editor and this caravan park is the only family holiday I pay for every summer - it's better than 5-star resorts "I literally was bleeding because there's not a lot of give on them, so it is quite tricky but it really does look the part!" Once that was done, she turned the cushion over to attach the material at the back. "I do think maybe in the future I will redo these and actually sew them or use some sort of spray glue or something but this is going to be fine for now," she added. "I don't really care what they look like at the back. They're not really going to be moved much." She then did the other cushion, but admitted it was "really hard", and she ended up pushing the safety pins into her fingernails more than a few occasions. "So yeah, not the easiest job but definitely worth it in the end," she continued. Why caravan holidays are so underrated CARAVAN park holidays are a British staple. And with the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain's purses, more of us are turning to them for an affordable break. Josie O'Brien, Senior Digital Writer on Fabulous, weighs in on why she thinks caravan holidays are seriously underrated... WHEN I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She'd use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays. As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs. I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the 'gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There's no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don't find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad. I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in. And then, of course, there's the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips. With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I'm spending hundreds less than I would abroad. I've had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I'll buy my own one day. "And to think I've done this from some dust sheets. "I think it looks great. "Obviously it's not perfect but this literally cost me £23 and I didn't realise you could order even bigger dust sheets for an extra 50p. "So I've ordered some bigger ones that hopefully I'll get all the rest done with. "In total it's literally going to be about £45 to cover all of these." Once she'd done the other cushion, Lucy put everything back in place, before adding some cushions she'd picked up from the charity shop to finish the transformation off. "I think it's changed the whole look of the caravan!" she concluded. Sharing the video on TikTok, Lucy captioned it: "Caravan reno is coming along nicely! "And to think I did this with dust sheets!" "Looks really good!" one person praised in the comments. "I'd be tempted to use it for curtains too. It looks like natural linen. Well done you!" "Honestly is there anything you can't do?!" another laughed. "Looks lovely!" "Brilliant, looks amazing!" a third commented. "Who would of thought - dust sheets and hairbands?!" 7 She then secured the material at the back of the cushion Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 Before putting the cushion back into place - showing what the old cushion looked like as she did so Credit: TikTok/beautybake5
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I wanted to give my caravan's old sofas a makeover so found a £20 way to transform them completely – they look brand new
A WOMAN has been praised after sharing how she cleverly transformed the old sofas in her caravan for just £20. Lucy explained that she was keen to give the sofa cushions a new lease of life, but didn't have an unlimited budget for doing so. Advertisement 7 Lucy came up with the clever idea to use dust sheets to cover her old sofa cushions Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 She began by laying the sheet over the cushion and cutting it to size Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 She then began the painstaking job of using clear elastics to make the buttons Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 Once she'd finished, it was completely unrecognisable as a dust sheet Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 So instead, she decided to buy two fabric dust sheets and some clear elastic bands, and got to work herself. "I wanted to cover these sofas with some material and it just came to me the other night in bed, I thought what about using dust sheets?" she said in a "They're really cheap, they were the perfect colour and they're really big. "So I ordered two big ones off Amazon, they were £20 for the two." Advertisement Read more Caravan stories She also got the bands from Amazon and a staple gun, although admitted she'd had to go with safety pins to attach the material at the back, as staple guns don't work on soft fabric. Once she'd put the fabric over the top of the cushion, she started to create the "button" pieces. To do so, she got one of the clear elastics, pulled the button from underneath the fabric and then put the elastic around the button. "Let me tell you, this was so friggin' hard," she said. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous "My fingers were absolutely killing me at the end. "That's why I've stopped here, I've only just done one side because I'm going to have to do like one set a day or something. I'm a travel editor and this caravan park is the only family holiday I pay for every summer - it's better than 5-star resorts "I literally was bleeding because there's not a lot of give on them, so it is quite tricky but it really does look the part!" Once that was done, she turned the cushion over to attach the material at the back. Advertisement "I do think maybe in the future I will redo these and actually sew them or use some sort of spray glue or something but this is going to be fine for now," she added. "I don't really care what they look like at the back. They're not really going to be moved much." She then did the other cushion, but admitted it was "really hard", and she ended up pushing the safety pins into her fingernails more than a few occasions. "So yeah, not the easiest job but definitely worth it in the end," she continued. Advertisement Why caravan holidays are so underrated CARAVAN park holidays are a British staple. And with the cost of living crisis wreaking havoc on Britain's purses, more of us are turning to them for an affordable break. Josie O'Brien, Senior Digital Writer on Fabulous, weighs in on why she thinks caravan holidays are seriously underrated... WHEN I was a child, my mum used to collect the £9.50 holiday vouchers in The Sun. She'd use them to book a couple of nights away at a caravan park during the school holidays. As an adult, I fully appreciate the convenience of a humble caravan holiday. No faffing about with passports, no luggage limits and no bog-standard hotel breakfast of stale toast and grey eggs. I still love caravan holidays as an adult. In a world of doing everything for the 'gram, a caravan park brings you back to basics. There's no obligation to get dressed up, no stress to fit a million picturesque excursions in one week and I don't find myself flustered in tourist hot spots like abroad. I love going to coastal caravan parks and strolling along the beach parade. My highlight is always fresh mussels, ice-creams and classic pubs to grab an afternoon tipple in. And then, of course, there's the cost. Staying in a caravan is definitely way cheaper than my international trips. With no expensive hotel bills and the ability to cook my own meals, I'm spending hundreds less than I would abroad. I've had some of my best and most relaxing holidays in caravans. Maybe I'll buy my own one day. "And to think I've done this from some dust sheets. "I think it looks great. "Obviously it's not perfect but this literally cost me £23 and I didn't realise you could order even bigger dust sheets for an extra 50p. "So I've ordered some bigger ones that hopefully I'll get all the rest done with. Advertisement "In total it's literally going to be about £45 to cover all of these." Once she'd done the other cushion, Lucy put everything back in place, before adding some cushions she'd picked up from the charity shop to finish the transformation off. "I think it's changed the whole look of the caravan!" she concluded. Sharing the video on TikTok, Lucy captioned it: "Caravan reno is coming along nicely! Advertisement "And to think I did this with dust sheets!" "Looks really good!" one person praised in the comments. "I'd be tempted to use it for curtains too. It looks like natural linen. Well done you!" "Honestly is there anything you can't do?!" another laughed. Advertisement "Looks lovely!" "Brilliant, looks amazing!" a third commented. "Who would of thought - dust sheets and hairbands?!" 7 She then secured the material at the back of the cushion Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 Advertisement 7 Before putting the cushion back into place - showing what the old cushion looked like as she did so Credit: TikTok/beautybake5 7 She'd picked up some little round cushions from the charity shop, and they provided the perfect finishing touch Credit: TikTok/beautybake5
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Fabulous first as Blackwater girls crowned champions
The St. Brigid's girls got their competition under way on home soil with a strong performance in a 4-2 to 0-2 win against Oulart-The Ballagh. They took top spot in the group with an equally impressive performance when seeing off St. Ibar's/Shelmalier by 2-3 to 0-2 in the second outing. The semi-final saw Blackwater forced to dig deep against a gutsy and talented Gorey side, with a 0-3 to 0-2 result showing just how closely matched the sides were on the night. A rematch with neighbours St. Ibar's/Shelmalier was in store in the final, with the hosts emerging with a 2-2 to 1-1 victory to take a first-ever top-tier title. Blackwater squad: Josie O'Brien, Áine Cashe, Amber Clarke, Ruby Cullen, Florence Stedman, Eirinn Gahan, Siena Dillane, Hazel Sinnott, Kate Jones, Ellen O'Leary, Sarah Lacey, Sophie Ruttledge, Ciara Broderick, Mia Wright, Anna Roche, Zoey Barrett, Sinéad Cashe, Hannah Kershaw, Stevie Clarke, Maisy O'Leary, Lily Kelly, Jocelyn Cashe, Ziva Burrows, Saoirse Walsh, Brónagh Cullen, Kate Power. Management: Mag O'Leary, Dolores Ruttledge, Eimear Whelan, Vin Roche, Sinéad Cullen, Dave Redmond, Leonie Grant, Clodagh Whelan. Tara Rocks are Wexford's representatives coming out of Division 1 after a string of positive results against Craanford-Monaseed, Ferns St. Aidan's, Glynn-Barntown and St. Mary's (Rosslare). They began their campaign against hosts Craanford-Monaseed and while they were given a tough game by their Gorey District rivals, Tara Rocks came out on top with a 1-3 to 1-0 victory. They went on to keep a clean sheet in their second round-robin game, edging past Ferns St. Aidan's by 1-2 to nil to take top spot in the group. A trip to Killurin didn't hold any fear for Tara Rocks, who put in a superb performance to defeat their hosts by 2-1 to 1-0. That meant a meeting with St. Mary's (Rosslare) in the decider and it was probably their biggest test of the competition, with the north county side emerging with a hard-earned title after a 1-3 to 0-4 win. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Tara Rocks squad: Ali Higgins, Hannah Sweetman-McDonald, Aoibheann O'Brien, Robyn Bolton, Niamh Ní Luasaigh, Grace Kavanagh, Holly Jones, Estelle Byrne, Aoibheann Kinsella, Sinéad McGonigle, Aoife Murphy, Faye Mulhall, Sophie Caulfield, Ciara Kavanagh, Grace Walker, Carla Sheriff, Heather Considine, Róise Cooper, Ciara Kinsella, Taye Regan. Management: Anthony Byrne, Darren Mulhall, Ian Walker, Pat Jones, Niall Kavanagh, Helen Higgins. Continuing the theme of perfection to success, St. Patrick's are the next Féíle representatives after defeating Monageer-Boolavogue, Ballygarrett, Buffers Alley, Oylegate-Glenbrien and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown on their way to the Division 2 crown. A tough contest against Monageer-Boolavogue was the ideal way to get off the mark and the Camolin-based side did it, winning by 3-3 to 2-1. When Ballygarrett were defeated by 6-3 to 1-1 in the next round of fixtures, confidence was sky high. Buffers Alley were the last side defeated in the group stages, by 2-10 to nil. That set up a semi-final with Oylegate-Glenbrien and it proved to be a real battle, with St. Patrick's edging it by 1-2 to 0-3. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown were always going to be a tough nut to crack in the decider but, in a tense and tight game, St. Pat's took a 1-1 to nil win, with Erin Fitzpatrick netting from Annie Blake's assist and Millie Dolphin adding the point to claim the title. St. Patrick's squad: Katie Dolphin, Daryl O'Sullivan, Ellie Murphy, Lily McCann, Chloe Carton, Ruby Roche, Kaitlyn O'Sullivan, Millie Dolphin (capt.), Sarah Bailey, Isabelle Furney, Sophie Dolphin, Annie Blake, Erin Roche, Erin Fitzpatrick, Ruby Cousins, Evelyn Higgins, Méabh Higgins, Ellie Shaw-Byrne, Dervla Sweetman, Martha Waugh, Holly Browne. Management: Liam Fitzpatrick, Mary Murphy, Darragh Roche. St. Anne's battling spirit was to the fore on more than one occasion as they defeated Cluain Abbain Gaels, Bunclody and Ballyhogue on their way to the Division 3 title. The Rathangan club were really made to fight for their place in the knockout stages, winning a tough battle against the Gaels by 4-0 to 0-1 to get the ball rolling. A reversal against St. James' (2-1 to 1-2) left them with work to do but a 3-2 to 2-1 win against Bunclody was enough to see them top the group. Ballyhogue were held scoreless in a 0-2 to nil win in a tight semi-final clash in Páirc Charman. St. Anne's were ahead early with Maria Gilbane (1-2) and Arwen O'Connor (1-0) on the scoresheet as they led Bunclody by 2-2 to 1-0 at half-time in the decider. They needed Sarah Buggy to make two fantastic saves and the hard-working Katie Martin to come to the fore in the second-half as a superb defensive effort saw them prevail to be Wexford's fourth representatives, winning by 2-2 to 2-0. St. Anne's squad: Sarah Buggy, Anna Martin, Lucy Cornille, Beth Arnold, Evelyn Gilbane, Caoimhe Doyle (joint-capt.), Lillie Purcell, Katie Martin, Sadye Moran, Freya Barry, Maria Gilbane (joint-capt.), Emma Sinnott, Arwen O'Connor, Harriet Bolger, Kiera Foulis-Kelly, Ruby Moore, Tara Brennan, Lucy O'Brien, Alannah Colfer, Isla Barry, Ciara Doyle, Tara Redmond, Saoirse Drumm, Sophia Ryan, Olivia Barry. Management: Gillian Murphy, Redmond Barry, Tríona Doyle, John Buggy. Division 4 champions Castletown-Liam Mellows were unbeaten against Kilmore, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, Cloughbawn and Fethard on their way to success. It all started with a hard-earned draw against Kilmore (0-4 to 1-1) before the champs had a strong 3-3 to 0-1 win against Davidstown-Courtnacuddy. When they edged Cloughbawn in the final round-robin game by 1-1 to 0-1, top spot was secured. Castletown-Liam Mellows were too strong for Fethard in a 4-4 to nil victory in the last four, setting up a rematch in the final against Cloughbawn that they won by 1-3 to 1-0. Castletown-Liam Mellows squad: Ellie Byrne, Kayla Coade-Flynn, Cara Cullen, Seóna Cullen (GK), Ellen Dixon (joint-capt.), Sophia Finn, Bláithín Fitzpatrick, Katie Hughes (joint-capt.), Caoimhe Jordan, Kayleigh Kavanagh, Mary Jane Morris, Doireann O'Keeffe, Éabha O'Shaughnessy, Alison Kelly, Lexi Kavanagh, Millie Morris, Grace Redmond, Kate Kavanagh, Naoise Dempsey, Jessica Blackwell, Sophie Hughes, Deirbhle Fitzpatrick. Management: Elaine Coade, Parish Flynn, Dara Cullen, Áine Cullen.
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Love these' shoppers cry as Primark drops new skincare dupes with £3.50 masks & £4 SPF to save hundreds on viral brand
Josie O'Brien, Senior Fabulous Digital Writer Published: Invalid Date, THANKS to increased awareness of skin health, skincare has become less about just "beauty". But that doesn't mean applying your lotions and potions can't be a beautiful ritual - which is exactly what Primark 's design and formulation teams have captured in its new range. 3 The fast fashion giant has dropped a brand new line of skincare products, complete with masks, moisturisers and even SPF buys. And not only that, the new buys are said to be dupes for Bubble, a beauty brand that went viral for its effective formulas and colourful packaging. Among the new products is the £3.50 Whip Facial Moisturiser, which is allegedly a dupe for Bubble's £16 Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturiser. Primark formulators described it as 'a hydrating facial moisturiser featuring a whipped texture and tube design'. There's also the brand new £3.50 Glow Face Mask, which has a formula inspired by Bubble's £19 Over Night Hydrating Sleep Mask. 'This face mask aims to revitalise the skin, revealing a brighter, fresher and glowier complexion,' Primark bosses said. If you're in the market for a new cleanser, you can pick up the new Facial Cleanser for just £3.50. Beauty buffs have compared this to Bubble's Fresh Start Gel Facial Cleanser, which costs £16. Among Primark's new SPF products are the £3.50 Shield Moisturiser with SPF 50, £4 PS... Sun SPF 50 Sun Stick and £5 PS... Sun SPF 30 Tinted Face Sunscreen. Their blurbs read: 'Enriched with Vitamin E and shea butter, this invisible formula glides on smoothly while helping to keep skin moisturised. 'The practical stick format makes it perfect for quick touch-ups throughout the day, whether you're at the beach or out running errands. 'The sunscreen's lightweight formula offers broad-spectrum protection, and is enriched with Vitamin E to help nourish your skin. 'The sheer tint with shimmering particles will add a subtle radiance to your complexion, perfect for those no-make-up make-up days or as a glowing base under foundation. 'Apply generously each morning, and remember to top up throughout the day to maintain its protection level!' Best beauty dupes Fabulous' Beauty Editor, Tara Ledden revealed the cheaper version of your favourite beauty products that you should have in your cupboard. *If you click on a link in this boxout we will earn affiliate revenue "A huge 55% of us would like to spend less on our beauty routines according to new research from E.l.f. Cosmetics, so it's no wonder there's millions of #dupe videos on Tiktok. "While some dupes are easy to spot given their look-a-like packing, they're often lacking when it comes to the contents. "In fact, some of the best dupes look nothing like the luxury product they're a dead-ringer for - and, trust me, they're the ones you want." REAL: Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer, £32.50 DUPE: Natural Collection Bronzer, £3.50 which is a saving of £29. The Natural Collection Bronzer comes in more shades, although it doesn't have a mirror in the compact. REAL: Milk Make-up Hydro-Grip Primer, £35 DUPE: E.l.f. Power Grip Primer, £10. These two share a similar green hue, as well as the same long-wearing, mattifying properties - although, E.l.f's is so popular it's just as hard to get hold of. REAL: Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick, £28 DUPE: L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Satin Lipstick Beige A Nu, £8.99. The shades of these two lipsticks are virtually identical on the lips, although while Charlotte Tilbury's is matte, the L'Oreal Paris Lipstick has a satin finish - which actually makes it more comfortable if you're wearing all day. REAL: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation, £40 DUPE: Collection Lasting Perfection Matte Foundation, £6.99. While they don't look alike from the outside, the formula, consistency and staying power of both foundations is pretty similar - unfortunately, the Collection only comes in 20 shades vs Estee Lauder's 60 options. REAL: Glossier Boy Brow, £20 DUPE: Essence Make Me Brow Gel, £2.50. There's a whole Reddit thread dedicated to this dupe, so you know it's got to be good. They both have a waxy consistency and added fibres to make brows look fuller. I have to say, the shade range is far better with Boy Brow, but if you're brunette, there's plenty of Essence shade options to try. The brand's social media team took to Instagram to promote the range. They penned in the caption: 'Whoever said skincare has to be all boring and beige clearly hasn't seen our skincare.' Beauty buffs were quick to point out that the new products resembled Bubble's fun offering. 'Oh, a cheeky Bubble dupe,' one penned. 'Such cute, colourful packaging,' another praised.
