Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival


Walking down to the People’s Park last weekend, I noticed a bit of construction and I was reminded that I need to do this blog. I was so upset to hear that the Christmas Markets in The Dublin Docklands was cancelled this year but that disappointment was quickly replaced when I realised that Dun Laoghaire was going to be transformed into a winter wonderland full of fun and excitement this Christmas.


Kicking off on the10th December Santa will arrive by Harley Davidson’s and the first ever Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival will begin with a fire works display. The construction I referred to is that of an Ice Rink, yes that is right our very own Ice Rink! There will be German styled Christmas markets, Children’s Entertainers, Santa’s Grotto, a Christmas Train, and even a live nativity.

I am really excited that the Christmas fun is coming to me this year and I will not have to venture far from home to experience some Christmas magic. I have been thinking about how lucky I am to live in such a great little community and I am going to do my best to keep my Christmas shopping local and support local businesses, many of which have closed down or seem to be struggling. I really do love Dun Laoghaire and I am so impressed that the council are providing such a great event for us this festive season.

For more information pop over to http://www.dlrevents.ie/

I hope to see you there, gammy Christmas jumpers and all.


 
Happy Festive Season Everyone

xxx

P.S.  I recently did a 'Mama Loves' post on this years Christmas decorating... enjoy x

 

Monday, November 28, 2011

Mama Loves an Eco-friendly Christmas...

Christmas can be such a wasteful time, that is not what it is all about at all... over the next few weeks I will try to post a few of my favourite tips for keeping it green this Christmas, to get the baubles rolling here are a couple of pics that have given me a little inspiration this festive season....


I absolutely love love love this, combining the silver candle holders and adding pine cones, so simple and so effective, a perfect table centre piece.


This is so subtle and cute, I adore it because it doesn't scream CHRISTMAS it whispers Christmas ever so quietly.


I'm loving the red and white tea set, very candy cane and the baubles make a cute way to serve delicious chocolate or fudges on Christmas day!


I found this image at www.furniturehomedesign.com
Pop over to this site for and endless list of amazing eco- ideas, I just love it, so inspirational! I think this particular tree could be great in the garden and wouldn't it be pretty if tea lights were placed at the end of each branch instead of lights... ooh magical!

Loads more Christmas to come soon...

Love the Yummy Mummies and The Jestestting Babies

xxx

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Outdoor Obsessed!

Hello everyone! So as you can tell from my last blog ('Get those Bubbas and Toddlers Outdoors… Rainbusters are a must') I have been thinking a lot lately about activities that you can do with your little ones out of doors. I guess because the weather is getting colder and weather I have been looking for ideas to keep Amelie out of doors in the winter months as it is not quite as easy as in the warmer months (notice I didn’t call it summer, Ireland does not get a summer as far as I am concerned lol.) So here are five of the most basic outdoor activities that I don’t want to say goodbye to just because winter is here. I plan to do each and every one of them over the winter, what-ever the weather….
Panting – Seeds, bulbs flowers
This is great it is always the time of year for something to go into the ground. Garlic and Onions are due in now and we picked up some lovely pansies recently to plant at my father in laws house.
Playground
Ok so the playground is not the safest place if it has been raining but I watched a grandpa whip out a towel wipe the entire playground down and which it in a plastic bag, if he can be prepared then so can I… and I will. I am going to get Amie to the playground as much as possible. Even though my local park is closing at 4pm now there are the odd few that are open later. Amelie loves watching the sun go to bed and the moon rise in the sky. It means paying very close attention to ensure her safety but hey it’s worth it.
Collecting
The beach is always calling and I am going to collect some drift wood and shells to turn into unique Christmas decorations. Amelie loves the beach and it is a cool activity to keep her busy and away from the water.
Eating
Picnics are not just for the summer, granted they are a lot easier but I am determined to change the water flask for a thermos and still get out there on a few picnics. A good picnic blanket that can be put down on wet ground is really all you need. Try find a spot under a huge tree incise is starts to drizzle and be close to a shelter incise it starts to bucket down.
Walks in the dark
If you can’t get out doing any activities as such a walk is just as good as anything. I am going to walk every day with my daughter. Getting rugged up and walking is great exercise for us both, an excellent opportunity to talk and chat about the world around us and just spend quality time together. Amelie is currently obsessed with the moon, I guess that is one advantage to it getting dark at 4pm, Amelie is learning all about the night time, the moon, the stars, owls, bats and so much more…
Coming soon… I will be sharing some outdoor play tips from our friends over at Clap Handies!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Get those bubbas and toddlers outdoors... Rainbusters are a must!

What gorgeous weather we have had this weekend. I am so pleased. It has just been lovely, cold but dry and sunny so we can’t ask for much better for this time of year. The recent rain and the thought of a dreary, rainy and long winter has brought me to this post.
I recently attended a Siolta Seminar on connecting young children to the outdoors, one of the biggest issues that arose at the seminar and one of the biggest issues I have noticed in the childcare industry is the fear parents have of exposing their children to the elements and the lack of suitable wet weather gear available at affordable prices. So to cut a long story short this post is a huge plug for Rain Busters…
I do not know how parents in Ireland survive without these for their children. Amelie wears hers most days and can go anywhere in any weather. She loves them and even putting them on she knows that she is in for an adventure. They came recommended by a friend of mine and since I got Ammies I have never looked back. I will be dressing her in rain busters for years to come; there is no question in my mind. 
Pop over to their lovely website and online shop at http://www.rainbusters.ie/


 Amelie and her mate Hugo at the beach in their rainbusters!


This is the set we have for Amelie: fleeced lined, cosy, keeps her dry and the pattern is just adorable little skulls with pink bows, I love it :)
Children have an internal and natural desire to explore the outdoors. It is so important that they are given the chance to get out in the air, the dirt, the sand, the grass, the forest, the beach, the hills, the ditches, the puddles and the mud to experience what the world has to offer. From the smallest children who are learning through their senses the outside world offers endless sensory experiences that don’t cost a thing, to older children who need space, and lots of it to be free to run, skip, jump, zigzag, climb, dig, crawl and roll the outdoors is so important.

There is alarming evidence out there that shows that children of today are being raised indoors and not getting enough outdoor time. I have read articles that say infants and toddlers should spend a minimum of 90 minutes outside a day to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Studies also show that a connection to the outdoor world can increase healing times of sick children and reduce the symptoms of attention deficit disorder in children under five years old. Children who spend more time outside also have higher vitamin D levels which is important for healthy bone development. I do not know who this makes you all feel but for me personally as someone who was raised in the back garden, ours or Grandma’s or at the beach most days I get restless with Amelie inside too long. Rainbusters have been a life saver for me and I have so much fun putting on the willies/gum boots, stomping in puddles and running through mud with my daughter. It makes me feel so young and free and Amelie is such a little adventurer, she loves the wet and mud and isn’t afraid of the world. This makes me a very happy Mumma.
Have a great week, I hope you get loads of time to be outdoors :)
Angi x

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Ryanair delivers and we somehow made the flight to London….

 

I was sprinting desperately in the direction of the departure gate, pushing the buggy with one hand, dreading the sight of a closed gate and the argument I would be forced to have with the Ryanair staff (that would surely be as bad as their reputation proceeds) and trying to strip off the layers of clothing with the other hand. It might have been 4° outside but it was roasting in the terminal and I was dressed for the cold winter. The scarf came off and then the jacket, still sprinting in the direction of gate 7 to make my flight to London to see Tara and Dylan. Amelie was gazing up at me grinning thinking this was the most fun she had in her buggy in a long time. It was probably pretty comical watching me struggle with the bags, boarding passes, jackets and buggy all at once sweat dripping from my forehead and a grinning baby being hurtled along in a bugaboo weaving dangerously in and out of innocent bystanders. At some stage Amelie’s sleep toy Blue Bear fell out, someone kindly yelled and chased me dumping him back in the buggy well at least that was one thing that had made the flight.

I had abandoned the essentials and left them in Trunki with the confused looking security staff in the airport. Hoping that they would not destroy Trunki (being unattended baggae and all) and all his contents that I had so carefully packed for Ammie I had only one thing on my mind, making that flight. I had been looking forward to seeing Tara and her family for so long, it has been tough missing her here from Dublin and not seeing her in months we used to see each other practically every day and the babies really missed each other too. Amelie was deliriously excited to see Dylan I had no idea how I would explain myself if we didn’t go on the plane and I didn’t deliver a Dylan at the end as I had promised....

“This is a final boarding call for flight FR1113 to London Gatwick. The gate will be closing please make your way to gate 7” Came blearing over the loud speaker… Help I thought I’m not even at gate 1 yet, I fought back the tears damn it I was going to make this flight and see my friends in London no matter what! Somehow by some miracle I made it. Puffing and panting I dug into my purse for the passport and boarding passes. I couldn’t speak. Amelie was smiling and the Ryan Air staff looked amused. They directed me to the lift and told me to leave the buggy at the bottom of the stairs. Still puffing and panting and rushing I think as I hadn’t had the chance to slow down I Got Amelie out of the buggy. I stood her next to me and gave her my bag to hold (assure fire way for her to feel responsible and stand still for two minutes) I folded down the buggy and scooped up my monkey and went up the stairs, realising on the way Amelie had a wet nappy and I had left everything behind at security! Oh no!

When the Ryanair staff greeted me at the top of the stairs I explained my predicament about the nappies and asked if they kept any on the flight. They very kindly explained they didn’t but that they would find me a nappy and not to worry. They were very kind and understanding. They also pointed out that the flight wasn’t full so if I sat Amelie on my lap for take-off and landing that she could have a seat for the flight. Of all the bad things I have heard about Ryanair I was really impressed. Just after take-off the flight attendant came to see me with nappies and wipes in hand and explained she had asked another mother on the flight to help me out. I was touched at the kindness of a stranger and at the effort she went to help me. I purchased a kids-pack which solved the problem of a snack and entertainment for Amelie. She ate the cheese dippers, did a little colouring in, feeling very grown up in her own seat and before I knew it we were landing in London. Yay, finally!

It was a really pleasant flight and I just want to say that I could not fault Ryanair, the customer service was probably the best I had received on a flight to date. They accepted the two piece buggy and were very helpful when we landed helping me down the stairs in Gatwick to arrivals.  I guess I learnt that Ryanair aren’t as bad as they had been made out to be. What is more all of the careful planning I did to pack Amelie snacks, drinks, mini toys, and nappies was really unnecessary. While I am sure that if Trunki had of made the flight it may have been a little easier it didn’t matter in the slightest. Ryanair delivered everything I needed and at the end of the  day Amelie was so excited to be on a plane and the journey was so short that it was easy to stay calm, and calm Mummy = calm Amelie. I really enjoyed the flight with Ryanair and would fly with them again in the future. If you are planning on Ryanair with your little one expect to be taken care of just make sure that you check the requirements before you leave. Trunkis and Bugaboo Chameleons are ok but additional infant luggage is not. There web-site is very comprehensive and any questions you still have just search Google there will be an online Mummy forum with answers I promise.

I have loads more to tell about my great, long overdue trip to London to visit Tara but that is enough for today so I will post again soon. Thanks to everyone who has been visiting the blog even though we have been slack with posts lately, we will try to get back into the swing of things.

Keep posted for more on our trip to Tara's house in London Town…

Here are a few fun photo's from our trip...



Angi x

Friday, September 9, 2011

Jimmy Choo, I do...

Isn't it funny everywhere you look you can find fashion inspiration I must say that Tara is the queen of being inspired, finding the look and then being able to pull it off. Me I have a lot of great ideas but they don't always translate into that polished look I am going for.

At Dublin Zoo last weekend Amelie had an amazing time playing with the tigers. Seeing the lovely fur coats the tigers were wearing made me wish I could pull of an animal prints (prints not real ones of course!) but I have never been that adventurous. I stumbled across the perfect shoe with just a splash of leopard print and I can officially say that I am in love, head over well toes with this hot pump by Jimmy Choo...



and I think that I would also like this 'lipstick red, soft box leather and quilted' clutch also available in their Autumn winter collection! Yum...





Happy weekend Everyone

xxx

Monday, September 5, 2011

Television & Under 3's...

Hi Everyone, how are you all today. So I have been so slack with blogging as I have just been so busy with study. In my first week or so of the course I had to do a 5 minute oral presentation on the topic of my choice. I chose to do it on the effects of tevelvision on children under 3 years of age. I thought that I would share the presentation as I really have no time to write anything new right now. I have uploaded the text below, it had a visual presentation to accompany it but you can probably get the gist from reading the speech. I will do another post soon on how you can encourage active viewing with your children to decrease the negative effects television can have on under 3's.
Introduction
The effect of television on children, especially on babies, is an intensely controversial subject. When I had a baby I was not sure how television would affect Amelie’s development and I started to research. This became one of those things for me that I was really shocked about. Today I would like to share with you some of my findings on television for children under the age of three. I will begin by discussing the different common perceptions about television and why parents are motivated to let their babies watch TV. I will then go onto tell you about where the governing Health Associations around the world stand on television watching for under 3’s. Finally I will touch on the pros and cons for ‘screen time’ for children under 3. I welcome any questions any of you may have at the end of my presentation.
Why parents are motivated to let their babies watch TV.
Ok so why do parents choose to pop their babies in front of the television and what are the common perceptions parents have as to the effects television may have? The main reasons seem to be busy mothers need a little time to themselves it will entertain their baby and give them enough time to do the dishes or blow dry their hair. Secondly many parents believe that Television can be an educational tool and their children would be missing out by not watching it. In many cases a baby would appear happy and calm while watching TV so it is appealing to many parents as a tool to relax their babies. There are so many mixed views and ideas about television and appropriate viewing for babies some believe it is great others not so great. Let’s begin with the good... I mean programming such as cbeebies, baby Einstein and Sesame Street for 6moths olds are specifically designed for babies so parents believe it is an essential educational tool in their children’s development. Television can show your babies exciting and exotic animals and places that they can’t not experience in their day to day lives so why wouldn’t you let them watch it? These all seem like very straight forward logical reasons to allow your baby to sit in front t of the TV. Most parents believe that too much TV is not a good thing for children of any age and that monitoring what they watch is highly important. Many parents understand that there is a relationship between content viewing and aggressive and violent behaviour in children and many parents would deem and content of a sexual nature inappropriate for babies. Hopefully this highlights some of the ideas parents have about television, I know I agreed with most of these before I did my research but I am glad that I delved a little further as there was so much information out there I had not considered and in recent years there has been more attention played to the effects of television on babies and while the facts are few and far between general perceptions amongst health boards worldwide are in shocking contradiction to the perceptions of entire nations of parents.
Governing Health Associations around the World stand
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children under 2 should not see any electronic media and have given these recommendations for over ten years. In Australia the Australian government recommends that children under two should be banned from watching TV. In France would you believe  it has been taken one step further, not only do the French Government recommend that children under three should not watch TV at all they have banned any programming aimed at under threes on their free to air channels and amazingly they have enforced a law which requires cable television stations airing programs such as cbeebies and baby Einstein to first show warning not dissimilar to these found on cigarette packets warning of the dangers television viewing for babies can have. "Watching television can slow the development of children under three, even when it involves channels aimed specifically at them."
Pros and cons for ‘screen time’ for children under 3
Does this seem shocking to you, it certainly does to me, why is television so bad, what do these health organisations and governments know that we don’t? What has lead them to make these stern warnings and recommendations to their nations?
To being with the studies onto television viewing for babies is limited. Much more focus has been on viewing of children. Numerous studies all over the world have  proven links into the increase of obesity, sleep problems, attention deficit disorder, and behaviour problems and stunted emotional development with the number of hours of television each child watched. While the facts are limited studies have shown that babes who watch television are at a higher risk of all those problems I just mentioned.
Dry Dimitri Christakis at Seattle Children's Research Institute found that for every extra hour watching DVDs, 8- to 16-month-olds learned six to eight fewer words than children who spent no time in front of the screen and the risk of attention problems at age 7 increases by an alarming 10 per cent.  
Marie Evans Schmidt at the Centre for Media and Child Health found that even just having television on in the background while under threes play with their toys disrupted their attention span even when they appeared to pay little or no attention to it.
So what exactly is it that is so bad it could lead to all these problems?
On TV images and scenes change so rapidly a baby may come to think that this is the normal pace of life, and the pace of actual life may seem boring and to them. There are direct links between exposing a baby's developing brain to videos and over stimulation that can cause permanent changes in developing neural pathways. When we are born our brain is relatively under developed and amazingly our brains triple in volume in the first two year of our lives. Experts in child development have found that three things optimize brain development: face-to-face interaction with parents or careers; learning to interact with or manipulate the physical world; and creative problem-solving play. When a baby touches, feels and experiments with objects they are learning about space, sounds, cause and effect and developing a sense of achievement and confidence. Basically they learn and connect pathways in the brain any that are not exercised my not develop to their full potential. Unfortunately while babies may seem mesmerized and contented watching TV they are not getting any stimulation that effect encourages these pathways to connect.
When we are born our brain are relatively under developed and amazingly our brains triple in volume.
Television can take away from the time babies could be spending on effective more valuable ways of learning such as interacting with adults or other children, reading books, touching and feeling and creatively playing with their toys. It is a completely passive activity that does not encourage learning in a way a child under three can benefit.
All of the things I just mentioned are things I had no idea about until I did a bit of research. I hope that the Irish Government invest in studies to find out more and are brave enough to make recommendations to their country about the dangers of television viewing. Finally I would like to add that there are a lot of web-sites and books that give our information on how to allow children to watch TV in a more healthy way and it includes things such as actively watching with your child, limiting content and time spent in front of a screen. All I know is I am glad that I am now aware of the adverse effects television viewing could have on my baby. So next time you see those cute little guys dancing across the screen, remember looks can be deceiving…

Friday, September 2, 2011

Tourism Review

Dublina, The Viking Experience

Recently enough I had a lovely visitor from Australia and wanted to show her some Irish sights. When we decided to visit Dublina I saw the perfect opportunity to do a review.





The Dublina Viking Experience was fantastic for the littlen’s as far as education and stimulation goes. There were opportunities to dress up and interact with the exhibits, even to create simple Viking art the mini ones can handle, my monkey is 18 months old and she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Unfortunately we could not have picked a worse place to take the buggies! The exhibits run on a kind of one way route, there is a lift on each floor but the lift is at the beginning of this route so when you get to the ‘end’ of a floor everyone files up the stairs to the next exhibit but we had to double back, against the herds of people through the entire floor again and find the lift. This was difficult and frustrating but it didn’t ruin the day.






The two bubba’s really enjoyed the whole experience and the changing facilities were clean and spacious. If you are a nursing Mama it might be difficult to find a quiet corner where you can settle your baby for a feed as this is a very popular tourist destination in Dublin but the grounds surrounding are lovely so if it’s a nice day you will find a lovely spot in the garden.  If you plan to visit Dublina with a small bubba I suggest a sling as opposed to a buggy but if it can’t be help you’ll still have a great day.

Cost:
Adults €7.50
Children €5.00

For more information on Events at Dublina visit the Jetsetting Babies Dublin Events Page or the Dublin website at www.dublina.ie
Enjoy your weekend,
Angi

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

and the WINNER is...

Thankyou to everyone who entered our competition for VIP tickets to this weekends Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival in the Poeple's Park in Dun Laoghaire. It is great to welcome a few new followers to the blog.

Today all the entries went into a hat and the Hubby lent a hand to pick our six lucky winners. Congratulations to all of our winners who will recieve 2 x VIP passes to the Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival. A big thankyou to the organisers of the Festival for donating the prize to the blog, we are looking forward to getting dressed up on Saturday and enjoying the fesival. See you there;

Jean Lambert
Suzanne Whitelegg
Victoria Mcgrath
Angie Canavan
Gemma Williams-Dardis
Jo Pentson

For details on how to claim your prize please drop me a quick e-mail at jetsettingbabies@gmail.com I will send you the info you need so you can pick up your tickets on the day you wish to attend the festival.


The Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival will be held in the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire from the 25th to the 28th August from 12noon to 10pm daily, with food, music , fashion and family fun.
The line-up of Chefs is nothing short of dazzling and has my taste buds dancing already! Amongst the list are chefs from Dalkey’s Guinea Pig restaurant and Dun Laoghaire’s Alexis restaurant both of which are personal favourites. Celebrity Chef's will be giving demonstrations and holding workshops throughout the weekend.
Saturday the 27th of August is when you want to look your best as there will be Taste Fest undercover judges searching for the best dressed. Hmm what to wear?
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of August from 12noon to 4pm will be family fun days at the festival. There will be tasty menu items prepared just for them, face painting, bubble blowing and Coca-Cola sports stacking performances.  The first 50 children through the gates will receive a special festival goodie bag.

All weekend there will be some brilliant musical performances so be sure to check out the schedule for the line up so you don’t miss a thing. I am most looking forward to the blues rock and soul of Grainne Duffy which promises ‘to leave festival goers begging for more.’

For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.tasteandmusic.com

We have another great competition coming next week... we have a €50 voucher for one of our reviewed restaurants. I don't want to give away all the details now so keep reading and stay posted.


Love the Yummy Mumies and the Jetsetting Babies

xxx

Recipe time!

Hello Everyone,

Angi here, remember our competition to win:


Entries close today and I will draw the winner at 8pm and announce the winners on the blog, so hurry with your entries. Just like our Facebook page and tell us your favourite food, simple. We have 6 pairs of VIP tickets to get away. We will have other great competitions to come soon so watch this spacea dn keep reading.


I have not written a blog in a long time, I have been slugging away at an assignment on the social and emotional development of pre-school children. It was the hardest assignment I have had yet in college but definitely the most interesting. I am thinking of doing some posts called what I learnt today; to share some of the most interesting things I have learnt so far but I don’t know if I can find the time really juggling ‘Mummy’, ‘Wifey,’ ‘Chef,’ ‘Cleaner’ and now ‘Student’ is proving very difficult. Quick dinners are something that have helped me to create a little more time in my evenings as I just don’t have time to throw those complex gourmet meals together the way I used to. Ok who am I kidding I have always always been lazy in the kitchen and the quicker something is to make the better.


In the lead up of the Dublin Bay taste and music festival I have been thinking a lot about food. My hubby recently had a birthday and I got him this great book Jamie Oliver 30-minute Meals. I figured it was a double present he could enjoy cooking from it but also enjoy my cooking from it; I tend to stick to the same four or five recipes and rotate them.


There is a great Jamie Oliver recipe that I use all the time; I have replicated it here as I remember it so it may be slightly different to the original. It is such an easy and tasty meal that I cook at least once a week. If you are a sea food fan this in one for you, if you are looking for some really tasty recipes checkout Jamie Oliver online, he is a bit of a genius when it comes to food. http://www.jamieoliver.com/  



Easy Fish Pie

Ingredients:

}  1 x Carrot
}  2 x Sticks of Celery
}  1 x Lemon
}  500g Fish pie mix
}  200g Cheddar Cheese
}  Handful of Spinach
}  Chilli Flakes
}  Olive Oil
}  Salt and Pepper

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 200®C/ 400C®F and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
2.       Cut the potatoes into 2cm chunks and cook for 12minutes in boiling water
3.       Put the fish into bite sized pieces, place in a baking dish and sprinkle the salt, pepper and lemon juice over the top.
4.       Grate the carrot, celery and cheese into a deep baking dish
5.       Zest the lemon and sprinkle on the chilli, parsley, salt and pepper
6.       Cut the fish mix into bite sized pieces and add to dish
7.       Add spinach and mix everything together really well
8.       Drizzle boiled potatoes with a good bit of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper
9.       Mash potatoes and put on top of your pie
10.   Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes
11.   Serve with reggae-reggae sauce and a rocket and pine nut salad

Hope you enjoy this one, more recipes to come soon.

The Yummy Mummies and The Jetsetting Babies

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Win VIP tickets to the Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival.


Win VIP tickets to the Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival.
Simply follow our blog or 'like' our  face book page and leave us a comment with your favourite food, too easy!
My favourite food is my Uncle Dale’s Blueberry Muffins; he even gave me his secret recipe so I can make them here in Ireland too. Yum!
We have 12 passes and 6 lucky winners will win 2 tickets each!





The Dublin Bay Taste and Music Festival will be held in the People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire from the 25th to the 28th August from 12noon to 10pm daily, with food, music , fashion and family fun.
The line-up of Chefs is nothing short of dazzling and has my taste buds dancing already! Amongst the list are chefs from Dalkey’s Guinea Pig restaurant and Dun Laoghaire’s Alexis restaurant both of which are personal favourites. Celebrity Chef's will be giving demonstrations and holding workshops throughout the weekend.
Saturday the 27th of August is when you want to look your best as there will be Taste Fest undercover judges searching for the best dressed. Hmm what to wear?
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of August from 12noon to 4pm will be family fun days at the festival. There will be tasty menu items prepared just for them, face painting, bubble blowing and Coca-Cola sports stacking performances.  The first 50 children through the gates will receive a special festival goodie bag.

All weekend there will be some brilliant musical performances so be sure to check out the schedule for the line up so you don’t miss a thing. I am most looking forward to the blues rock and soul of Grainne Duffy which promises ‘to leave festival goers begging for more.’
For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.tasteandmusic.com
Don't forget to enter our competition We have 12 passes and 6 lucky winners will win 2 tickets each!

Simply follow our blog or 'like' our  face book page and leave us a comment with your favourite food, too easy!
The VIP winners will be picked on Wednesday 23nd August, plenty of time to plan your festival outfit.

Love the Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies

xxx

Friday, August 19, 2011

Review # 22 Samba Swirl, Northcote RD, Clapham,UK


This weeks review (Yes I am one day early as apposed to a few days late hooray)  is one for the kids! Ok who am I kidding here, its for the Mama's and the Papas too. In fact more so for us.
Frozen yoghurt has taken the US, Uk and now Ireland by storm. Its our (almost) guilt free treat! You don't feel so bad giving frozen yoghurt to your little ones as you do ice cream, and to be honest they don't know the difference. Mama's 1 - Babies 0

I have to be many frozen yoghurt place's in the US and London but I have found my perfect one. Samba Swirl on the Northcote road. Unlike other places who do it for you, in Samba you can do it your self. So if like me you like a little bit more fudge  brownie on it, or a little more strawberry you can have as much as you want. Its all priced on weight so if your letting your little one help him/herself just make sure they don't go over board with the smarties. You may end up walking out of there with a much lighter wallet.

There are different kinds of flavors you can choose from, the kids love the "Do it your self " thing, as they feel like they are in control. You can put as much, little, different no toppings on as you like.

There isnt any changing tables, but they are breast feeding friendly. They have most of the tables out side and a few benches in side. Its not a place where you want to go and sit for hours and have a good chin wag. But if you want to entertain the kids for a bit and get a yummy treat I defiantly recommend Samba Swirl.

Enjoy

Love the Jet setting babies and the Yummy Mummies

Monday, August 8, 2011

One O'clock Club





For any new mum, one of the most challenging things to get used to is what to with your day. Your now at home with your little one be it for a few months or full time. Your days whittle away with feeding, cleaning, bathing and caring for your little one. It very hard to actually get the motivation to get out and to do anything. One of the reasons Angi and I started this blog was to update mums on where to go with there little ones. Where they had changing rooms and a place where you could go with a toddler and feed them lunch. Getting out of the house is so important for your sanity and to interact with other mums who are in the same situation as you.
So this brings me to this weeks review
THE ONE O'CLOCK CLUB

The one o'clock club is a state funded activities center for children from 0-5
They have them located all over London just check their website to see where the nearest one to you is.

They have a big out door area with water tables and sand pits, swings cars, push chairs and on really hot days paddling pools. They also have indoor rooms with indoor activities for those rainy days. Most of them have sensory rooms for little babies as well.

They are fully equipped with toilets for mummies and toddlers and changing rooms for the little ones. its a really lovely safe environment for you and your little one to hang out in. They are on weekdays from 1-4pm. you can come and go as you please.

For a bit more information on the One O'clock Club and how it started you can go the Battersea Park Website

Lots of love The Jetsetting babies and The Yummy Mummies
xoxo

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Airfield Farm Dundrum, Take 2



Amelie and her little mate Hugo and the Mummies had a fabulous day out at Airfield Farm in Dundrum. I have blogged about the farm before but thought I would do another in case anyone missed it. Airfield Farm is an amazing day out for children of all ages. The spring and summer is the best time to go as the baby animals are being born. We saw new born piglets and calves yesterday.  In my opinion it is the best value for money activity to do with your babies and children in Dublin, Adults are €6, children €3 and babies are free.  Hugo pointing at the cows and saying bot-bot was just brilliant it is so important that these little guys understand that chickens lay the eggs and that milk comes from cows and goats. 


We packed a picnic and spread out a rug in the magical gardens under the shade of some very hugs and old trees. You really forget that you are two minutes from Dundrum shopping Centre and a half hour from home; it is so relaxing and earthy that you never want to leave!
The trees themselves provided about an hour’s entertainment for the kids, climbing, sliding and hiding abound the huge roots that protrude from the ground. We spent a good bit of time searching for Koalas in the giant Eucalypt trees that made me super home sick and smelt beautiful. We collected a huge pile of leaves from the old gum tree and Amelie has had some fun creating masterpieces with nature and re-used materials. 
Amelie and Hugo found some little mud puddles, and we though, what’s the harm? Well it seems the harm is that some of these mud puddles were shin deep and both babies ended up covered in mud from head to toe, but their giggles and smiles were worth it. As I always say a messy baby is a baby who has had a lot of fun!


At the farm in the old farm house/mansion there is a lovely cafĂ©, called Overends. We posted a review on Overends a while back so pop over and have a read. As we took a picnic this time we didn’t eat here but a take away latte really hit the spot. 

On the last Saturday of every month the Vintage and Craft markets is held at Airfield. Admission to the market is free but we suggest you do what we did yesterday… completely tire the babies out so they have a nap in the buggies then you are free to have a browse of the markets. There are some lovely stalls at the market. My favourites; Jewellery by Emma she does some stunning sliver work with that hammered effect, it’s my favourite (Dal if you are reading hint hint) and Our Little BowTique, they have some of the most unique and oh so pretty baby bows and boutique clothing.

 The Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies

xxx