5 breastfeeding tips from a mother that finally succeeded

November 15, 2016 | thetwodarlings

I had originally written this post in advance of the latest arrival but then I felt i had to hold off publishing it until I tried and tested my own advice! We’re five weeks into the journey this time round, and touch wood, all is going well, I’m out the far side of soreness, we’re settling into a lovely rhythm together, and most importantly the small lady is piling on the pounds, literally!! I think if you can survive the first couple of weeks you’re on the road to success. I’ve written before about my hit and misses with breastfeeding in the past, not through lack of wanting to do it did things not work out but for various reasons which have led me through a good journey of discovery! BUUUT, this is my time to shine. I really, really want to make a proper go of it this time round so I put together this list of breastfeeding tips I’ve learned to date, for other Mums that may want to try it out or that tried and failed but want to try again. Continue reading →

5 surprising hospital bag essentials after a baby

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November 6, 2016November 7, 2016 | thetwodarlings

Ok so I know that these posts are done to death and I’m not going to go into a full long list of what I put in my hospital bag because there are literally a million checklists online for that. What I want to put together is a list of the surprising products that I found really useful in hospital third time round. Any Mum to be will know that she needs babygros, big knickers and those nappy like pads (the glamour!) but there are a few little extra things you can throw into your bag that make life in the hospital that little bit easier. Continue reading →

Handmade Irish baby gifts

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 | thetwodarlings

When Siobhan the lady behind Monaghan based Bonnie & Bumble, and whose Instagram feed I literally drool over, got in touch and sent me this beautiful baby vest for the new arrival I was inspired to go back to some of the basics of this blog. I simply love to support Irish businesses, especially ones that develop from kitchen tables across the country, that are started by talented Mothers working hard to combine the jobs of parenting with creativity to produce unique and beautiful items. Continue reading →

#GeorgeMiniMe party dresses for everyone

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August 24, 2016 | thetwodarlings

There are some things in life that you only get away with for a limited time, like eating sweets before it catches up on you and dressing your daughters in matching outfits. The time comes all too quickly where they are full of their own opinions and tastes which is a thing to be celebrated but also signals the passing of time from milestone to milestone. My two ladies are two years apart in age but my small lady is a four year old trapped in a two year old’s body. Continue reading →

Housework hacks

August 1, 2016 | thetwodarlings

Never one to shy away from a seemingly boring topic, for me there is however, no escaping this subject on a daily basis. The one thing I’ve noticed since being at home with the ladies is the sheer increase in the amount of housework that has to be done. I’m the first to admit I’m a bit anal about the house being kept relatively neat and tidy. The girls are great at helping to be fair, I hold pretty tight on the rule that if they are finished playing with one toy/puzzle etc they must tidy it up before tearing out the next pile of stuff. The bump is beginning to impede on daily tasks so I’ve been trying to come up with some handy tricks to make life easier for myself. Continue reading →

Introducing the baby to the toddler

July 31, 2016August 1, 2016 | thetwodarlings

When we had our second lady, the first lady was a few weeks past her second birthday. Her understanding of the impending situation was pretty good. I gathered advice and tips from friends and books on how best to go about introducing a toddler to a newborn. None of the below stopped me constantly worrying about how the whole thing would play out but it certainly did work when the second lady landed. To date, there has been little to no jealousy, apart from a little over zealous hugging and kissing, the girls are best of friends. Continue reading →

Leahy’s Open Farm

February 9, 2016 | thetwodarlings

Given that we both met while working in Agriculture and it’s still a large part of life living in the country, a trip to an Open Farm is always going to appeal to us. So when the Catriona invited us down to visit Leahy’s Open Farm in Dongourney just outside Middleton, Co. Cork we LEPT at the chance. It’s somewhere we had heard lots about as it’s a really popular place with families all around Cork and further afield. Never ones to let a little wind and rain deter us we headed down the first weekend in February to check it out.
Continue reading →

The power of positive parenting

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January 19, 2016May 9, 2016 | thetwodarlings

In a way perhaps this post could possibly be called the art of bribery but I prefer to think of it not as bribery but rather of positive reinforcement! I’ve spoken before about how we dealt with toddler tantrums when the small lady went through them way back when. Long story short but comfort and love was the only solution and I find this attitude transcends most behaviours or actions in our house. So we practise the art of positive parenting. And yes I think art is the right word as art is never really perfect and constantly takes practice! Continue reading →

When a one year old thinks she’s three

January 2, 2016June 25, 2016 | thetwodarlings

This time of year is a nice time to reflect. Considering the blog turns one year old in a couple of weeks I’ll save a reflect of my first blogging year until then. So today I’ll focus on the ladies, who constantly provide me with inspiration. With the small ladies I love looking back at previous Christmas’s and comparing them with the current to get a real feel for how life has changed in the space of 12 short months. This year was the first Christmas when Santa really came, there was no fear just sheer excitement which was a joy and a pleasure to witness and be part of. The small lady unfortunately came down with something that we never really figured out but it passed nonetheless but not without many sleepless nights, worry and endless comforting. Continue reading →

The how, the when and the why of soother weaning

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November 19, 2015December 9, 2015 | thetwodarlings

This article was first published here at familyfriendlyhq.com

When I had my first baby I have to admit I relied on the soother probably more than I should have. I was clueless so I used it to sooth her during the time it took me to figure out what was actually wrong with her. Two weeks into a difficult breastfeeding experience the Nurse advised me to the use the soother so that the baby wasn’t using me to sooth herself. Some investigation of the pros heralded the following answers which included, apart from the obvious calming effect, the use of soothers has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS in babies under 6 months and that sucking, especially for preterm babies, promotes oral muscle development. So while the pros are brilliant and soothers work well where needed, there comes a time when it simply has to go. This throws up two important questions – firstly, when is the best time and second, how do I go about doing it? Continue reading →

The Two Darlings

Parenting and Lifestyle Blogger

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