Ultimate guide to Tayto Park with young children

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July 2, 2017July 2, 2017 | thetwodarlings

When I was first contacted about going to Tayto Park, I turned down the offer with the explanation that I thought my five and three year old were too young for it. I had for some reason a notion that it was all rollercoasters and things more suited for teenagers through to adults. Well how wrong was I! When I looked into it more and spoke to friends who had visited it I was assured there was more than enough to keep my two ladies happy for hours. Continue reading →

Discovering Cork – Fitzgerald’s Park

May 24, 2017May 25, 2017 | thetwodarlings

Ages ago now I had a post on my Facebook page where lots of other Mum’s suggested places to hit for with kids around Cork. Suggestions came for near and far, from model railways to beaches, parks to playgrounds. My aim this summer is to discover them all. When the big lady started school I think I had underestimated the commitment involved in a child going to primary school and really felt I hadn’t made the best of our free time last summer. Granted I was akin to a sweaty whale Continue reading →

Shimmer and Shine!

March 8, 2017March 15, 2017 | thetwodarlings

I am lucky enough to be sent lots of wonderful products to try and test out but the really beauty in blogging is when the girls get toys to review. I would go so far as to say that since the Shimmer and Shine dolls arrived at the door there hasn’t been a day where the girls haven’t danced to the catchy tune the dolls sing! I have to admit it has a habit of getting stuck in my head too….! Both ladies really loved these dolls, one is almost 3 and the other almost 5 so the dolls were perfectly suitable for both age groups. The small lady liked the singing and the phrases the dolls say (of which there are plenty so it doesn’t get repetitive) and the older lady is at a stage where she is more likely to actually play and create scenarios with dolls. Continue reading →

Ethaca promoting diversity

March 6, 2017 | thetwodarlings

I find it funny sometimes to hear myself trying to explain things about life when I was small to my four (very nearly five!) year old. Telling her that there was no such things as phones that you can touch, that phones were stuck in the wall ‘back then’. She looks at me like I have ten heads and it makes me think about how drastically different the world is now in some ways. Stories my own parents used to tell me about life when they were young always fascinated me because it sounded like they were from a different era and now the time has come for me to hopefully fascinate my child while regaling her with tales of life really not that long ago. Continue reading →

A year as a stay at home mother

January 8, 2017January 8, 2017 | thetwodarlings

I am now officially a stay at home mother for one year and eight days. Hard to believe when this time last year Lucy was merely a hope and a dream and didn’t exist in any way shape or form. What a year it’s been! I often get asked whether I miss work or not and my answer is always the same and always as enthusiastic; not for one single solitary second have I missed it, mainly because I haven’t had the time! Of course there are times when my husband comes home and talks about grass growth and milk prices, topics around which my days used to revolve, and I do genuinely listen with interest. And for a fleeting moment I will look at him and think about how different our careers have worked out despite both graduating with a PhD within months of each other. And quick as a flash the moment is dissipated with a Cork twanged ‘Mummy’, usually from a bathroom and always urgent. Continue reading →

Inspiring dolls for girls

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 | thetwodarlings

My ladies love playing with dolls, there is absolutely no doubt about that. And while I have no major problem with Barbie, part from the fact that her streamlined waist taunts me as I watch the girls with a cup of tea and a biscuit in hand, I would prefer they had dolls with a more realistic outlook in life. We all know that if Barbie were real she wouldn’t be able to support her own head and given the length of some of the dresses she comes with I do wonder as to her method of supporting herself financially too if you get my drift wink wink! 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 →

Family dinner ideas

July 13, 2016 | thetwodarlings

I’ve done a post previously on how to get a relatively healthy dinner on the table in about a half hour so this post on family dinner ideas assumes a bit more of a time luxury in the evenings to prepare. I thought I’d put together a post on the meals I’ve done in the past week. Some evenings I’ll go for quick and some evenings I’ll go for broke and try something new altogether. In general though, I try and use different meat everyday and a different starch, so pasta one day potatoes the next. I keep threatening to introduce one veggie meal a week but thus far my husband has resisted the suggestion. Continue reading →

Eurocamp La Pointe St. Gilles Campsite Review

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June 19, 2016June 21, 2016 | thetwodarlings

And so it’s back to reality after a wonderful holiday away. Our first week easy spent in England with my parents in law and after that we hit for Brittany, taking a fair chance as it’s climate, much like it’s countryside, is like Ireland, damp and green. After all the travelling we had done we wanted to pick somewhere that wasn’t going to result in a long drive with the ladies so we chose Sunelia L’Escale St. Gilles or La Pointe St. Gilles in Benodet Southern Brittany that was less than a two hour drive from Roscoff. Continue reading →

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