Getting back to exercise after having a baby

Exercise is a wonderful thing to fit into your day, it can be something as simple as a leisurely walk in the evening or as challenging as a good long run. I love it purely to unwind after a day spent meeting the demands of four small children. I find it’s a great way to process my thoughts and give me some much needed headspace which in turn leads to a better night’s sleep. Regardless of the type of exercise you go back to after having a baby there are a few things you should check before you whip out the runners and stretchy pants. After my fourth baby I went back running a few months after she was born but my whole body was weak. I ended up damaging my knee in just one run which took a frustratingly long time to sort out. Continue reading

5 free printable worksheet ideas to keep the kids entertained and educated

I won’t lie, our playroom is filled to the brim with colouring books….but since the girls discovered that my laptop has the wonderful ability to pull up any picture they can dream of to be coloured in they have me hounded. Terrible for the poor auld trees but great for my sanity. People often ask me how I find the time to get all the DIY things done around the house and I’m about to let you all in on a secret. Firstly, its not television that occupies the ladies while I’m busy creating my next Pinterest fail success, Continue reading

Put down your phone and read a book!

We have a rule that I ‘generally’ adhere to in our house – no phones beside our beds. And you know I have to say I think it’s a great idea (it wasn’t mind it was my husbands, he’s literally allergic to social media – well they do say opposites attract!). Lucy used to wake a LOT at night, actually it’s probably remiss of me to write that in the past tense because she’s only just figured out how to sleep through so I doubt we’re out of the sleepless woods yet. Anyway, I digress, I used to find myself picking up my phone once I’d settled her, you know to check all the incredibly important social media happenings that just simply couldn’t’ wait until morning….!! But for sure the bright light of the phone really messed with my ability to go back to sleep and it used to set my mind racing with ideas or thoughts. Continue reading

Books for toddlers 3 to 4 year old

Books for toddlers ireland books for 3 year olds books for 4 year ols the two darlings mummy blogger ireland parenting blog

The last post I did on our favourite books was such a success I decided to follow up with a post on what the big lady is currently enjoying. We’ve joined the local library which is quite possibly one of the best value things you can do with children. Our local library is pretty new and the kids section is nicely removed from where the students who are studying tend to sit. Online if you want to buy books Amazon is great of course as is the Book Depository and the Book People.  Continue reading

Get Crafty

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 It’s funny, this blog actually started out peppered with lots of DIY’s I had done around the house and home. Lately I feel like I need to withdraw that claim as I haven’t done a single crafty thing (apart from mend holes in clothes) in months. So when I was sent Get Crafty by fellow blogger Ali Coghlan I was delighted, but not as delighted as the four year old who snatched it from my hands eager to get started. Continue reading

Bookawoo children’s book subscription service

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I’ve posted previously about subscription services, these are increasingly popular and what I love most is the breath of topics covered by these services from periods to beauty to doggie treats there is something for everyone. It’s no secret we love books, I’ve posted about the different books we love lots of times before Continue reading

Books for babies 6-18 months old

books for babies books for toddlers books for 18 month olds books for toddlers under 2

Books, books, books, I know I bang on about it plenty on this blog but genuinely I just adore books and by extension so do the girls. There is SUCH a selection of books for children out there it’s incredible and fantastic. In fact there are so many books out there it can be pure daunting. I’ve pulled together some of our favourites, some that the big lady loved and now the small lady also loves. This post is specifically a list of books suitable for children less than 18 months up to two years old, a mixture of books with flaps for discovering and short stories for soothing. Continue reading

The Wonder Garden Book Review

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As regular readers of this blog will know, reading is big in our house. Every night our small ladies request a slew of books and we are obviously happily oblige. Although we all tend to favour actual stories at the end of a long day I find increasingly our small lady wants to be involved in the story – incessantly inquisitively asking questions along the way. So when The Wonder Garden popped through the mail box I thought, ah ha, the perfect mix of incredible art, a little bit of story and lots of awe and wonder. Continue reading

The Fairytale Hairdresser and The Sugarplum Fairy book review

Fairytale Hairdresser and the Sugarplum Fairy book review

The latest release in the Fairytale Hairdresser series came into our hands recently and we’ve been reading it at night with our 3 year old for about 2 weeks. This edition, The Fairytale Hairdresser and The Sugarplum Fairy, is aimed at the Christmas Market as the story revolves around Fairyland Villages Winter Ballet. Continue reading