A Day At Discovery Cove

Hi everybody, Uiscebawn here! I managed to get the best job in the world and they decided to send me to Florida to sample some of the amazing theme parks there! One of the parks we visited was Discovery Cove. I was so excited to go here because we had had a hectic few days and this was our last park of the week. I think we all needed to go somewhere where we could relax but still have unforgettable experiences. Discovery Cove was the perfect place to go. It only allows 1300 people in a day. It has a quieter, resort like experience. Its an all-inclusive so food, drinks, wet suits, towels and sun cream are all included. Here’s how my time at Discovery Cove went :)

When I first arrived at Discovery Cove, I received photo ID that I brought around the park throughout the day. This tells you the time of your dolphin swim if you have purchased one and is also proof of being over 21 (very important.) The group I was with all had a laugh at each others photos before heading into the resort. I grabbed a pair of snorkels and went straight to the Grand Reef.

The Grand Reef is fantastic for the whole family! This saltwater reef has shallow areas for paddling and deep areas for the more adventurous swimmers. I forgot I was in the middle of a park and believed I was swimming in the ocean with stingrays and other fish. After petting a huge sting ray and swimming with the colourful fish, I took a selfie with a shark! Don’t worry, there is glass between you and the sharp teeth! I could’ve spent all day there! Before I knew it, it was time for my dolphin interaction.

This 30 minute adventure was the highlight of the day! I got up close and personal with a bottlenose dolphin named Yoko, fed it, swam with it and got my picture taken so the memories could last even when I returned from my trip! An expert trainer was there the entire time to answer any questions we had about the dolphins. The dolphins loved all the attention and belly rubs they got and they put on a show for us at the end.

I went to Laguna Grill for my lunch. This is where I went for my breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks and beverages! After my pulled pork sandwich, I wanted to go somewhere to relax and enjoy the sun. I went to an area which has unofficially been named the Relaxation Station! This shallow water is heated and has seats built in so you can sit back and relax with a drink. I was so relaxed, I hardly noticed the time go by! I didn’t want to miss out on all the amazing attractions at Discovery Cove, so I left the comfort of the heated pool and went exploring!

I explored the Wind-Away River, saw otters playfully splash in the Freshwater Oasis and even saw two macaws have a sing off with two guests at the park! I left Discovery Cove with a smile on my face... and sunburn on my nose! Top tip: Use the dolphin friendly sun cream they provide. You'll need it!

There was something to do no matter what my mood and I would recommend this to anyone visiting Orlando! Hope this helps anyone looking for things to do in Orlando other than roller coasters.

Talk soon!

Uiscebawn x

Dealing with Contact Dermatitis

The Problem

I've mentioned before that I started working as bar staff in a pub in October. Mixing cocktails, using harsh cleaning supplies and constantly washing my hands caused me to get contact dermatitis on my hands. It started about 2 weeks after my first day. In the beginning it was just a bit of dry skin on a couple of my fingers. I've seen this before so I put some hydrocortisone cream on the affected areas. This usually helps, but this time I wasn't so lucky. Hydrocortisone is for temporary use so I stopped applying it after a week. This is when my hands got really bad. They became infuriatingly itchy. I would scratch uncontrollably in my sleep. They were red raw and cracked, I couldn't bend my fingers without experiencing a lot of pain. After a few weeks it spread to all my fingers and the entire palm of my hand down as far as my wrist. Simple actions, like driving my car, became a painful effort. Not only was it painful, it was ugly as hell! Small spots started to appear on my hands. My confidence was destroyed. I constantly gripped my hands closed so no one would see my hands. The photos below were taken after the worst stage of the dermatitis but you can still see the redness, spots and raw spots.

I went to my local doctor and he was useless. He told me I should just quit my job. He didn't educate me on contact dermatitis at all and just told me to moisturize and charged me €55! I've recently changed to a different doctors and I'm delighted with it. She examined my hands in such detail, she went through all the different things I could do and gave me the names of her favourite dermatologists if my hands got any worse.

Finding a solution

I started to pin point what made my hands worse. Unfortunately, there were some things I could not control. The cold weather and the indoor heating were not helping. I simply had to wait for warmer weather to solve that problem. However, there were some things I could control. I stopped applying any makeup with my hands and would use sponges for bb cream and cotton pads for moisturizers. I cut out wine altogether. That had a huge effect. If I drank wine, the morning after my hands would feel like they were on fire! I would only get my hands wet when necessary (for washing hands/showers etc.) Finally I would wear cotton gloves in bed at night in the hopes that it stopped me from scratching.

My second step was to find the right creams. I went through prescriptions creams such as elocon and protopic. These are basically stronger versions of cortisone. I tried silcocks base, e45, La Roche Posay repair cream, Neutrogenia and Cocoa Butter hand cream. 

7 months later, I have finally found what works for me! 

Elocon

This is a prescription ointment I get from my doctor but its really just a more powerful hydrocortisone so I'm sure that would work too. I use elocon when my hands get really bad. I mean so bad I can't bend my fingers and I've open wounds all over the palms of my hands (gross, I know, but sadly it happens.) I use Elocon once a day for a week and no longer because it thins out the skin.

Dermalex

I talked about this in my favorites of the month post. It's my miracle cream! I use this three times a day and I find it works a lot better if I use it right after I've washed my hands. It provides so much relief (temporary and long term) to all the discomfort from this contact dermatitis. 

Aveeno hand cream

I use Aveeno body lotion and shower gel so when I was recommended the hand cream I didn't have any doubts. Aveeno is a great brand for people who suffer from skin problems such as excema, psoriasis and dermatitis. I use Aveeno handcream all day everyday! Whenever my hands get wet, after my hands have been out in the cold, whenever! It's got a great smell too it, dries in quick and actually works unlike some hand creams I've used. 

Elave hand wash

Most hand washes were terrible for my dermatitis. They washed away the moisture in my skin. I got elave hand wash because I know Elave products are good for eczema sufferers. I keep it in the bathroom with a label on it so no one uses it haha I also keep some in my bag in a travel bottle. This way I don't have to use the soap in the public bathrooms and in work. 

My hands are so much better but not fully healed. I have my good days and my bad days. I am waiting patiently for Summer and the vitamin D that my skin needs so badly. Hopefully, the warm weather combined with my routine will make this problem go away.  Has anyone ever had any similar skin issues and have any advice? I also hope this helps anyone who has the same problem as me. Talk soon! 

Uiscebawn x

New Internship and Some More Summer Plans

Hey! I'm back after a very tiring few weeks! I started my internship nearly three weeks ago and I overestimated how much free time I would have working two jobs, seven days a week. Now that I say that... How did I think I would have any free time!?
I am the social media intern in a travel agents. Some of my duties are researching and scheduling tweets and Facebook posts, Instagramming, blogging, writing content for their new website and helping out with the video production and post production. I have written the last three blogs on my own and are now on their website. Tweeting may sound easy but it takes up more time than you think it would! I am having an amazing time and I'm getting brilliant experience. I am learning so much already and it will look great on my Linked In profile which currently only has waitressing jobs on it. I'm completely worn out and spending so much money on hot chocolates everyday but its worth it.
I have also been thinking that I need to update my Linked In profile. I will be adding some college projects, videos I've done on a freelance basis and go into detail on my duties in this travel agents. 
In other news, I spontaneously bought flights to Florence for the end of June. My sister and I are gonna meet up with my parents for a few days while they're on holidays with family friends. In school, my art history teacher was very passionate about Florence, the birth place of the Renaissance. This passion passed on to me. (Shout out to Ms. Foster!) I am so excited to go!

Il Duomo di Firenze

This was just a short post since I finally had a few moments to spare and I needed to vent. I am thinking of writing about my Hot Yoga experience in my next post so keep an eye out for that! Hopefully it won't be another three weeks before I get to write again!

Uiscebawn x

Get to know me

Before I get ahead of myself and start blogging about fashion hauls or epic holidays I should say a bit about myself. 

I'm a 22 year old born and bred in Dublin, Ireland. Thats me on the left this Summer when I was heading to Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago. I graduated this year from DCU with a degree in Multimedia. I'm currently working as bar staff in a bar and I also just got an internship which I'm so excited for. I'll be very busy for the next for months but it will be worth it in the end. 

When I graduated I became very aware that I had no plans anymore. I had gotten my degree and now was the time to get the job. But what job? I didn't want to get a Monday-Friday job and stay there for the rest of my life! I thought now is the time to go places and do things while I'm still young and independent. Travel suddenly became a major part of my life. The summer after college I got a J1 Work and Travel Visa and spent 10 weeks in Chicago. I could write 20 posts on that amazing summer (and I probably will.) Next summer I will be island hopping in Greece with a few friends. I have a bucket list of places I need to see while I can and hopefully I will be able to see them in the near future and write about them.

One of my hobbies include religiously watching movies and reading up on all the trivia I can find. I was always interested in how movies were made and the techniques used for special effects. That was the main reason I did Multimedia in college. In my free time I record me and my friends when were together and at the end of the year or after a holiday I edit the video together so I can look back on the good times. I upload these videos to YouTube. Here's the link if anyone wants to see me and my friends dancing and drinking ;) Uiscebawn Youtube Channel

That's it for now! I'm stuck in bed with the flu at the moment so I'll probably be back soon with a post.

Uiscebawn x