Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Safety Tip #1 - What to do if... anything at all happens to my baby!

As a new mother, well Amelie is a year old but I am still a newby believe me,  I am always trying to learn bits and pieces off other Mums to help me along the way. I love chatting about everything and anything baby (as you can probably tell from this blog I am a bit obsessed!) Its not that I do not have other passions and interest but none are even close to the passion and interest I have in my daughter and giving her all i can in life, I want to be prepared for everything that this life throws at me and ensure she makes it though each day safe and sound, learning new things and growing in every way possible. My mother did this for me (she still does this for me) and now it is my turn with Amelie...

Ok enough of the gushy sentiment we all know the overwhelming and wonderfully warm feeling you get when you become a Mum, where is this going you ask? Well I go back to what I said about being prepared for anything and making certain Amelie makes it through each day safe and sound. I wanted to research a little more "What to do ifs" eg: What to do if Amelie starts chocking on a grape? or What to do if Amelie burns herself? Ok so hopefully none of this would ever happen to anyone but I have heard some horror stories about mothers who just froze and didn't know what to do or worse did something that made a situation worse than it had to be because of something simple like not knowing to run a burn under cold water. I have done a bit of research and thought I would share some of my "What to do ifs" with you and would love to hear any feed back or advice you have that might be useful to me or other mothers out there.

Over the next month I will post the following:

What to do if... Your baby is chocking

What to do if... Your baby is burnt or scalded

What to do if... Your baby stops breathing

What to do if... Your baby swallows poison

What to do if... Your baby has convulsions

To begin with I want to share my biggest tip... STAY CALM & BE PREPARED

Safety Tip #1 - What to do if... anything at all happens to my baby!

My biggest tip is to stay calm, without calm all the first aid training in the world is no good to you at all and we all know how in tune our babies are with our emotions they can sense our panic and it will only add to the problem. An injury, accident or household emergency can be extremely frightening not only for the child but for the parent too. Count to ten, tell yourself you are in control and act logically to solve the problem as quickly as you possibly can.

Be Prepared, go over different possible scenarios in your head, so you are confident if ever faced with an emergency. You could write down action plans for different emergencies, that is how this blog came about..., always have quick access to emergency numbers, have a well stocked first aid kit and you might even think about taking a first aid course.

I hope that you find my safety blogs helpful but please remember that none of the information I have supplied should be substituted for professional advice, I am just a Mum not a Doctor.

Here's to staying calm,


Angi x

Disclaimer: The information above is not intended as medical advice and is opinion for information only. Always seek advice from a qualified health care professional if you have any questions regarding a medical condition. Do not under any circumstance disregard professional advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of content found on this site.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Eco-Tip #5 - The Creative Reuse

Hi Everyone, I haven't posted an eco-tip in a while but I was inspired as a friend shared a great re-use idea with me over coffee this week so here we go re-using ideas for your home...


Everyone by now has heard the words reduce, reuse and recycle and tried to incorporate the idea into different aspects of their life, I would like to share just a few of my 're-use' ideas with you... I hope you will share some with me too as I am always loving new and creative ways to reuse!





Egg Cartons - Tara and I both take our empty cartons down to the Coco Farmers Markets in Dun Laoghaire to be reused by local farmers, find your local markets I am sure there are farmers that would make great use of your egg cartons for you!

Tissue boxes - If a box is emptied I keep it and have so many in my house being used to create dividers in drawers and cupboards or to store things that don't really have a home...


Glass Bottles and Jars - Can be used for so many different things I have swing top bottles I use for water in the fridge, old cola bottles I use in the kitchen for olive oils and vinegars, filled with pine cones or shells they can make a lovely ornament, large jars a perfect for storing rice or pasta, small jars can be used for storing buttons or screws


Chipped crockery - Old Mugs and bowls can be used to store things like pens or hair clips. You could also use them for small plants on your window sills or outside, chipped plates can be used under pot plants too.


Old clothing - Not fit to be donated can be used as dusting or cleaning rags


Yogurt tubs - This one is a new idea given to me by a friend Katie I can't wait to try it... re-use empty yogurt containers to freeze fruit juices for your toddlers, they are the perfect mini popcicle size

If you would like to read more visit our Eco Love page,

Angi xxx

Monday, March 28, 2011

Review #10 - Overends Cafe, Airfield Farm, Dundrum

Hi Everyone, if you read my previous post on Airfield Farm you will know that I promised a review of Overends Cafe that is part of the beautiful house located on the farm. So here it is...

Overends Cafe
A: Airfield Farm, Upper Kilmacud Road, Dundrum, D14
T: 01 2984301
After enjoying a wonderful walk around the farm ground we approached the old house feeling very hungry. The restaurant was much larger than I had expected and for those of you familiar with Powerscourt Gardens very similar. For those of you not familiar I will elaborate. There is several large rooms with seating for groups of two to about six and a generous outdoor area for al fresco dining with large tables overlooking a very beautifully well-kept garden. As we sat in the rare Dublin sun, feeding Amelie bits off our plate and admiring the view we were perfectly relaxed.

The food is all prepared on premises fresh daily and it shows. I had a vegetable roulade which was served with three gourmet salads all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was given a large dollop of homemade pesto to go with my leafy salad and at first I was not so sure, but after identifying the 'different' flavour as lavender I liked it a lot more. I wouldn't be looking for it every time I have pesto in the future but I always appreciate the little twists and extra effort put in by a chef to give your palate something to think about.

Desserts posed a problem there were so many to chose from, all as sickly looking as the last. My husband had a generous slice of chocolate cake served with lashings of whipped cream and I gorged over a huge slice of black forest cake served with the same over the top lashings of whipped cream. Both were too large for us to finish entirely but we were not complaining. The best thing was we did another lap of the farm before leaving so I am sure the extra walking helped with all those extra calories!



A visit to Airfield Farm is a must this Spring and if you are looking for a lovely lunch Overends Cafe is, in my opinion, a great choice whether you are visiting the rest of the farm or not. There are lovely changing facilities for the babies and plenty of high chairs to go around. It gets the baby friendly tick of approval and I will be back with Amelie without a doubt.





Visit our Events Page for up and coming events at Airfield Farm or check out my previous post on the day we spent with Amelie at the farm, the new born lambs were a highlight of the day!

Baby Changing - Y
Highchairs - Y x 3
Kids Menu - N
Children's Activities - Y The Farm!

Have a great week,
Angi x


Yummy Mummy Market

This Market was so made for us!
So excited to go and check this out..


At the Yummy Mummy Market we provide a safe place for parents to buy and sell excellent quality new and pre-owned mother, baby and toddler goods.

For sellers - it gives you a chance to turn your beautiful baby equipment and clothes into cash, with out the hassle of internet selling, you take home everything you make on the day.

For our buyers - Why spend a fortune on baby equipment when you can buy nearly new at a fraction of the cost. Touch and feel everything and also get some great advice before you buy. 

So lets recycle, our parents sell great brands at bargain prices.....
Email
info@yummymummymarket.com
Website


Love the Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies
xoxox

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Pinky Prints

I know fathers day is in June, but its good to get prepared early right?
When Dylan was born I wanted to get something for Andrew that he could keep forever. The Mummies usually get a little present, so I thought that the Daddy should get something too. I wasn't sure what to get him though, that would be meaningful. He doesn't wear earrings, or rings, or necklaces so what could I get him that would be meaningful and represent his child's birth? A friend of mine suggested cufflinks, great idea, but they are not very personal are they? Then she told me about a friend of hers who had a necklace made for her with her babies finger prints on them, and said she was sure they could do that on cufflinks.

So I found this amazing place in Ireland that does this. Pinky Prints is an Irish company that could put your babies/ child's finger print on to a piece of jewelry. They can provide you with lovely Irish Sterling Silver pieces or you can bring your own piece of jewelry in to them. I got some made up just after Dylan was born. It was a bit of a struggle to keep a 3 week old babies hand still and to keep his little finger straight while I put it in to the mold that had been sent to me, also to get it right first time, as there really isnt room for error. It took 3 people to help me do this. It took 3 weeks to get them made up and sent out to me, but it was well worth the wait. When I gave them to Andrew he had tears in his eyes. He wears them nearly every day to work and has  had many comments on them. They make a great present for Grandfathers, Fathers, Mothers, or even you.

Lots of love
The Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies
xoxo

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Airfield Farm Dundrum

Hello Everyone, if you are looking for something fun to do today there is a vintage and craft market on at Airfield Farm in Dundrum. You will find hand made and vintage jewelry pieces, the shop stocks some of the fabulous Artysmarty collections too. I am sorry for leaving it so late to tell you about but I was having computer troubles this week but I am back on top now and will make up for it with plenty of posts this week. The best thing is that this is not a once off, check out our events page for details on up and coming markets and events in Airfield Farm.  

I was there with my family recently and we had one of our most memorable best days together to date. The gorgeous spring weather, the animals, Amelie being the perfect age to take it all in and some fabulous food, coffee and cake made the day perfect. It is such a pity we had to take Amelie to get her 12 month immunisation afterwards, but that aside it was truly a lovely day.



Amelie enjoyed the lambs the most, some had only been born that day and she really enjoyed watching them stumble around in the hay. We all thought it particularly amusing and cute when one of the lambs perched himself on top of his mothers back for a few moments, his wobbly legs gave way and he tumbled to the ground, unhurt thank god. It reminded me of an adventurous Amelie when she first started to walk at just 9 months old, she had barely mastered the left right of it and was already trying to climb and run.



We went mid week which was ideal, while there were a few other families floating about it almost felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. The gardens are truly magnificent and the story behind the two sisters who kept the farm running through wars and hardships to ensure it would survive is very inspirational. I will review the restaurant at Airfield soon and of course share it with you but in advance I would recommend the vegetable roulade...

Have a wonderful weekend





Angi x

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Baby and Toddler Groups

As a stay at home mother I am so lucky to have so much time to spend with my baby girl. I love to read to her, play games that help her learn, sing nursery rhymes and explore new places with her. I enjoy every second but it often occurs to me that she needs time to be social with other children around her age. Obviously she has her best pal Dylan to play with often but it is great for her to interact with other children too.


Most weeks we toddle off to two different baby and toddler mornings and tomorrow we are going to try a new one. I am looking forward to meeting up with a few mothers that I already know, meeting some new people and most of all giving Amelie a new experience with some babies her age.


I would love to hear from mothers what they are looking for in a baby and toddler groups as I have heard many different things chatting with Mums over coffee or the swings and have read so many blogs all saying they like different things each group has to offer. Comments I've heard., "too many nannies and not enough mothers", "some have too many older children that bowl the little ones over," "too many toy" or "not enough toys" and "some are over crowded"... what makes your baby and toddler group great?



When I was checking out google for the address of the group I am going to tomorrow I realised just how many different baby and toddler groups there are around the place, and of course I wanted to share these with you. Hope to see you around the place,

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
MEETING TIMES
Marley Toddler Group
Dublin 16
01 4945008
Thursdays
10.45am - 12pm
The Annunciation Parish Centre Parent and Toddler Group
Dublin 14
086 6050223
Monday's
10.30am - 12.30pm
Rhyme Time
Stepaside
086 3324091
Monday's
10am- 11.30am
St. Thomas
Mount Merrion
St Laurence's Adult & Toddler Group, Parish Centre, Stillorgan.
Dublin 14
01 2962675
Friday's at
10.30am
Parent and Toddler Group, Dundrum Library
Dundrum
01 2985000
Fridays
10.30-12.00
Parent and Toddler Group, Glencullen Library
Dublin 18
01 295 5572
Wednesdays
10.30-12.00
Parent and Toddler Group, Methodist Church, Wesley
Ballinteer
01 2956490
Tuesday
10am- 12pm
Parent and Toddler Group, Mount Merrion Community Centre
Mount Merrion
01 2836403
Tuesdays
10.30-12.00 and Wednesdays
10.30 -12pm
Parent and Toddler Group, Taney Parish Centre
Dundrum
01 298 5491
Monday and
Thursday from
10am -12pm
Cuidiú ICT - Dublin South West Parent and Toddler Group, Dundrum, Methodist Church
Dublin 14
085 2773191
10am-12pm
Thursday Morning
Parent and Toddler Group, Barnardos, Tivoli Tce
Dun Laoghaire
01 2842323
Fridays
10.00-12.00.
Toy Library
Parent and Toddler Group, Barnardos, Loughlinstown Drive
Ballybrack
01 2820328
Thursdays
10.00-12.00
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parent and Toddler Group, Johnstown Pastoral Ctr
Killiney
01 2849455
Tuesdays
10.30-12.00
Parent and Toddler Group-Family Life Centre, St. Brighids Parish Ctr, Cabinteely
Dublin 18
01 2858835
Tuesdays
10.30-12.30
Parent and Toddler Group, St. Paul's Church Hall
Glenageary
01 2024715
Wednesdays
10.00-12.00
Dalkey Library Parent and Toddler Group
Dalkey
01 2855277
Friday's at
10.30am - 12.00pm
Squeals on Wheels Parent & Toddler Group, Dun Laoghaire Evangelical Church
Dun Laoghaire
01 284 1016
Tuesday's 10.30am
Fun Fitness Parent & Toddler Group, Total Fitness Complex
Sandyford
01 2998080
Mondays and
Thursdays
10.30am - 12pm
St. Patrick's Parent and Toddler Group, Church of Ireland Hall
Dalkey
01 2300844
Tuesday's
10.30am - 12pm
Rathmicheal Parish Mother and Toddler Group, Erck Hall
Rathmichael
01 2824202
Wednesdays 10.30am -12pm
Holy Trinity Parent and Toddler Group, Holy Trinty National School
Sandyford

Wednesdays 10am - 12pm 
Booterstown Parish Centre Parent and Toddler Group
Bootersown Avenue, Blackrock
 01 2831593
Tuesdays
Shankill Parent and Toddler Group, St.Anne's Parish Ctr
Shankill
0872856944
Wednesdays 10.15am -11.45am
 Young Mums Group
C/o Nutgrove Youth Centre, Meadow ParkAvenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

2963810 or 0851196164
 Thursdays 5pm - 7pm