Saturday with Pippa O’Connor Ormond: ‘I’ve had plenty of sleepless nights over the years’

We take it in turns on the weekends but [husband] Brian is better than me in the mornings — he’s more sprightly! 

The first thing I do is take a pro-biotic — you can’t eat or drink anything for at least 10 minutes. I then have a coffee in bed. 

Billy will jump in between us and watch Fireman Sam or Peppa Pig. The older two, Ollie, 11, and Louis, 8, will sleep until around 9am.

Brian always makes a fry on Saturdays — I’ll opt for scrambled eggs and avocado and the boys will have the works.

09.45

Saturdays are always a bit mad. 

The eldest boys will have two matches each between GAA and soccer. I need a separate calendar trying to keep up!

If one of the games is at home I will grab a coffee in Quirc’s — a beautiful interior design shop with a cafe. 

I laughed at the idea of matcha lattes when I first heard of them but now I love them and feel they’re better for me than coffee.

The kids’ weekly tradition is to go to the local deli for a chicken fillet roll and a flavoured water. There are no fries or chicken fillet rolls during the week! 

They’ll then come home full of muck and have to be coaxed into the shower.

12.30

Billy will have a nap and might sleep for an hour or two. I’ll potter around and sort out my dressing room which is usually a mess by the weekend. 

If the weather is nice the boys might clean the cars for a fiver each or play football out the back on the astro.

15.00

Myself and Billy will go to the supermarket. I love doing a Sunday roast so I’ll buy the ingredients for that on a Saturday.

I am not precious about wearing makeup and dressing up — I’m sure people at the school wonder if I’m the same woman they see on Instagram! 

I love putting my makeup on and going out but am equally happy doing the opposite. 

That’s why Poco Beauty products are easy, everyday products — they’re user-friendly and quick because that’s what I love.

18.00

I love to host and have people over — it brings me joy to have the house looking nice. 

I get fresh flowers from Ab Fab Flowers in Celbridge and I’ll set the table with items from The Designed Table. 

My sister recently moved close to us so she’ll often walk over to us with her kids.

The boys love steak and homemade chips or we might just have takeaway. There’s a nice Indian takeaway nearby called The Smokin’ Goat — I love the chicken korma and naan bread.

I worked solidly every weekend for years, so, as much as I loved doing my events, I am happy to be at home these days. 

I wouldn’t arrange to do anything like meeting friends in town for lunch on a Saturday unless they were visiting from abroad or it was a special occasion.

Because I have three kids, and my work life is so busy, I really try to dedicate my weekends to them.

19.00

Billy will go to bed around 7pm and the other boys might have a movie night until about 10pm which is very late for them. 

It’s all very chilled and “whatever goes” on a Saturday.

22.00

The latest I’d usually be up is 11pm, midweek I could be in bed by 9pm. There are so many balls in the air at the moment and the one thing I can’t function on is a lack of sleep.

That’s unless I’m out — I am one extreme to the other! If I’m in Dublin, I love going to Wilde in the Westbury for dinner, 9 Below for cocktails, and House for a dance.

I’ll always double cleanse and put on a night cream and serum. I can do the routine in about eight minutes. 

I am a marketer’s dream; I love so many products and also love to have an opinion on everything.

I love the Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Balm and my Clarins body oil — it reminds me of being pregnant. I love SkinCeuticals too.

In the morning I’ll use my own Universal Glow Treatment — it’s a serum, SPF, and colour corrector in one. I jump around when it comes to brands and am lucky that I have the kind of skin that can take anything.

Usually I sleep well at night. I’ve had plenty of sleepless nights over the years but the more I’ve grown the business the more I look back and think: “That wasn’t worth a sleepless night.” 

It’s only work — it’s not the be all and end all. As long as people are healthy and happy, that’s the most important thing.