Fota Wildlife Park Cork – family pass and VIP family experience review

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Last year one of the first big purchases I made with money I earned myself was the yearly pass for Fota Wildlife Park here in Cork. So many of my friends have it and even though its about a half hour drive from the house I just knew it was something we would get a huge amount of use out of. And I was so right, I would estimate we have been about 20 times in the past year and honestly there has never been a time where I have suggested going to Fota and the girls have been anything less than ecstatic. And it’s been a joy to watch Lucy change over the last year going from a ‘baby’ that stayed in the buggy the vast majority of the way round to a little lady that literally walks or runs the whole route now and grows more and more fascinated by the animals every time we visit. And the park has changed loads since we started going, there have been new animals introduced and new babies born so it really is a new experience every time we go. Continue reading

8 ways to be more sustainable around the house

Back in the day when I used to work the area I became involved in was centred around sustainability – mainly in the area of water, wastewater and the reuse of dairy wastes. Sounds glamorous eh! But it was really interesting and I loved it and when I became a stay at home mother it was something that I became more and more conscious of especially as the girls got bigger and we had more. I started to question the world we were going to be leaving behind for them and, more importantly, the problems their generation and others will face.  Continue reading

10 easy DIY decor ideas for a girls bedroom

Probably one of the most enjoyable things I have done in the house is decorating the girls bedrooms. I literally went mad in there with my imagination and it was the only place my husband didn’t really argue with what I did, maybe it felt decorating in pink was just out of his comfort zone! Anyway, he left me to my own devices and I really poured my DIY heart and soul into these rooms. I didn’t do it all at once and in fact they are always a work in progress especially as they get older or, more importantly, as I get bored and need something new to channel my creative Continue reading

Social media for small businesses and working with bloggers

I get asked quite a lot by small companies and start ups is advice on their current social media strategy and for advice on working with bloggers. It is wonderful see so many people setting up businesses now, but the very nature of that venture is that you need to wear a lot of hats and be proficent in so many areas of expertise from the finacnes to the marketing. And social media is a wonderful thing for small businesses, it means that they can access a huge audience of people for a relatively small spend but there is more to social media than meets the eye. I want to go through some of the most common questions I get and the most common suggestions I give so that it may help another small business owner to perhaps step back from it all if they are lost in the fog. Continue reading

10 tips for protecting our kids online and ensuring internet safety in the home

I went to a talk recently given in my daughters primary school which was all about internet safety and primary school kids. There is no doubt that technology will play a huge part in our kids lives going forward but there is a huge difference between educating kids in how to use a computer versus giving them free reign with a phone or tablet and fooling ourselves into thinking they are learning. 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

Bloggers and #ad – what does it all mean?

When people ask me what I do of course the first thing I say is I parent, I am first and foremost Mother and Mammy to my three darlings and lets face it that in itself takes up a fair chunk of my time both day and night. But lately I’ve started to wave my hand flippantly around in the air and with the hint of a red face I mutter something about doing something online with social media. The title blogger seems to have Continue reading

Bloggers guide to working with brands

I attended a Blogging Event at the weekend and one of the topics was about bloggers working with brands or PR companies and with brands. I thought it was a really good topic to touch on and felt, even though my experience is relatively limited to date, I might have something to add. The first thing I would have to point out when it comes to this step as a blogger is that patience is paramount. Continue reading

Tips for new bloggers

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This post on tips for bloggers is specifically related to blogging so apologies to those who have zero interest. I get a lot of questions from bloggers new and old on various areas from social media management to website design. I’ve also worked on a number of websites, from helping them set up their blog initially to streamlining and redesigning existing blogs and business websites. So if it is something you want a bit more advice or help on drop me an email. I have shared some of my tips here previously and will continue to do that as I got lots of advice from seasoned bloggers when I started and (not that I’m seasoned by any stretch of the imagination) I have put a lot of effort into the technical aspects of blogging and social media. So here are some tips I either found useful when they were given to me or tips that I figured out along the way. Continue reading

Rolling back the years with our pastimes

I often find myself doing wardrobe clearouts – it makes space for new items (ha ha just don’t tell my husband!) and also makes me realize what I actually have in there. I find it so hard thought throwing out things I deem as having gone out of fashion because really, is there such a thing!? We thought big shoulders died in the 80’s along side perms and neon but hey presto when Balmain sent their models down the runway a couple of years back with pointy shoulders it sparked a major revival. Continue reading