December 2011
17 posts
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So this is Christmas...
From the Christmas eve feast at my sisters house we continued the celebrating and feasting through two more days of dinners with grandparents on both sides. Enjoying two different styles of family Christmas we still made time for our own new little family Christmas morning with a quiet breakfast and some not too frenzied present opening with Cal, who at just two and a week really doesn’t...
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International Children's Gallery
From the excellent National Children’s Gallery of Ireland comes the even more wonderful International Children’s Gallery. Created by Michelle McInerney, Limerick based graphic designer and creator of blog Molly Moo, the International Children’s Gallery is a space to allow children from 0 - 13 to display their artwork with no judging or conditions. A great start for any aspiring...
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Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night
Christmas has caught up with us very quickly. The last wrapping, cooking and cleaning was completed just in time for us to be treated to a wonderful Christmas eve feast in my sister’s house, all we need to do now is fall asleep and wait for Santa Claus. Wishing you all a peaceful and happy Christmas night!
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Cal's Second Birthday & Some Christmas Baking
Last weekend Cal turned the very grown up toddler age of two. Instead of an afternoon birthday party the week before Christmas, we opted for a playdate / coffee morning with all his little pals and their parents. The plan: a feast of baked goods for adults and little ones alike. In doing this, I discovered that I cannot make fudge. It also appears that I am much more skilled at rice krispie...
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The Gruffalo's Child - Christmas Day TV Picks
Fans of Julia Donaldson and the original animated Gruffalo movie should set their recorders so they don’t miss the snow filled production of The Gruffalo’s Child on BBC1 at 18.30 on Christmas day. Featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Rob Brydon, Robbie Coltrane, James Corden, Shirley Henderson, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson, if the Gruffalo Christmas ident currently showing is...
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Little Fashion Gallery - Online Deliveries in time...
For those of you who are plagued by the joint deadlines of Christmas gifts and finishing off work before the holidays there is still a last chance to do some online shopping and still get them delivered within Europe in time for Christmas. Little Fashion Gallery’s last day for online delivery within Europe is today, 20th Dec and stocks a unique selection of toys which will make it look like...
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Alphabeast - Alphabet App from Illustrator Chris...
Delighted to be finally trying out the much anticipated Alphabeast iPad alphabet app for kids, which is not only from the very popular illustrator Chris Judge but is also the first fully Irish made iPad app we have had the honour to review here.
Along with the beautiful illustration work from Chris Judge and his, already much loved by toddler Cal, Beast character from The Lonely Beast there is...
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Crazy Forts
At this stage Santa probably has received all his lists and has checked them twice but if you are looking for something to keep them busy well into the new year I really like the look of this product, Crazy Forts. The main set comes with sticks and connector pieces and an additional set of Crazy Fort lights can be purchased to integrate with your fort construction. Once you have chosen your design...
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Christmas visit to Donadea Forest Park
There are few places you can go for a morning outing which combine woodland walks, wildlife, hot drinks, Santa, outdoor chandeliers and pianos but if this is your list of requirements Donadea Forest Park can currently fulfil them completely.
Our visit this morning was on a dreary wet day so I can only imagine the additional magic provided by a crisp frosty morning or a twilight evening as the sky...
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Dada Company - I Learn with Transportation
With toddler Cal’s interest in everything vehicular at an all time high, an introduction to the I Learn With Transportation iPad app from Dada Company couldn’t have come at a better time.
I Learn With Transportation is a book format app with interactive scenes which introduce the user to six different concepts as they move through the pages; sounds, words, colours, shapes, numbers...
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Our Favourite Christmas Picture Books for Kids
Part of the excitement of the Christmas season is definitely the preparation and build up to the big day. As part of that we are changing our bedtime story selection to a more Christmassy and snowy selection to get everyone in the mood.
In no particular order here are some of the books we will be reading in the next couple of weeks with Cal and Edie (and a couple that may appear in their...
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Christmas day out in Powerscourt
With Christmas less than three weeks away and a chill in the air we decided it was time to take a trip to Powerscourt accompanied by the lovely Misses Lesley-Ann and Mina. Our first visit was to the animals in the stables - two hyperactive bunnies, sleepy sow and piglet, cute pygmy goats and very Christmassy donkeys and deer. The mothers were all very excited by the latter but it seemed the...
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Guest Post - "You Ruined My Yawn": A Strategy for...
Having made it past the difficult nausea filled days of first trimester of this, my second, pregnancy, and heading speedily towards the end of second trimester, my lovely husband kindly offered to help share our good news with the world via a kind and loving blog post. Here are his thoughts….
Expecting a baby can be a wonderful time for both parents. For the man however, there is one...
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WatchSniff - An Interactive Dog
Sniff is a soft toy with a difference, wireless technology allow him to sniff and interract with objects that come close to his noise. Designed particularly with needs of sight impaired children in mind but with plenty of fun to be had by any child. Watch the video to see the full interractive experience and just how cute a companion Sniff is and find out more about the...
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Slugs and Snails - Tights for Boys
Having happily put Cal in tights last winter to keep him warm and happy I was interested to hear on Tubridy this morning that local company Slugs and Snails are having the least success selling their boys tights in Ireland. With snow forecast for this weekend (yes indeedy) I definitely will be looking at kiddy tights for Cal again this year to deal with that nasty gap between the socks and...
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Little Angel Stool - Furf Design Studio
The perfect childhood chair for your little one, Furf Design Studio Brazil’s Little Angel Stool. Instantly turns any little devil into an innocent angel. More details here. (Via KidsRoomZoom)
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The Small Print - The Illustrated Alphabet
We love a print and we do love our alphabets so The Illustrated Alphabet project from The Small Print is definitely going to be on our like list. Twenty six illustrators were invited to submit one letter and one illustration based on that letter producing fifty two alphabet prints. Not all will be kids room suitable but plenty will and if you’re stuck for Christmas presents, everyone gets a...