Things That Rustle My Jimmies

I'll preface this week's Jimmies by saying that I'm only just over a bout of jet lag - had this post been on Tuesday there's every chance I'd have to take an extended digital detox... As it stands, this week, so far: 

1. The aforementioned jet lag. It was only a seven hour flight. HOW is it possible to knock you so far out of whack?!

2. The recent uproar about a teenage Instagrammer calling out the digital industry. Can we all agree that if you're taking life advice from a teenager, hell even from someone in their twenties that has never lived a day outside their parent's home then the issue isn't with the industry at all?!

3. Constant posts and threads bemoaning people looking at their phones. The way adults choose to entertain and educate themselves really isn't up for public discussion is it? 

That and phones are hella expensive. 

Mind yo' business!

4. Brands in the UK & Ireland pushing Black Friday deals; usually for a pitiful 10% off. If we're going to appropriate Thanksgiving could we at least make it the humongous dinners & days off and not the half assed consumerism? 

5. Commenters on posts about the horrendous traffic management after an even more horrendous accident in Dublin this week, shaming commuters for complaining about the monumental traffic management failures - the assumption being they didn't care about the lady injured. 

You know as humans we're capable of outrage at two things at once, right? 

Tell us, can you relate? 

What's been rustling your jimmies this week? 

Into the West without a Kid's Club ~ Our Stay at the Yeats Country Hotel!

At the end of August we were incredibly lucky to win a Facebook competition with The Yeats Country Hotel for 3 night family break. The Yeats Country Hotel is located in Rosses Point in Country Sligo on the Wild Atlantic Way, one of our favourite parts of the country to explore. We were advised by the hotel to stay during October midterm break as they would have their Kid's Club running but due to my husband’s scheduled holidays from work we opted to take it in mid September. Regardless, we knew from their site and their surroundings that we'd enjoy it.

We arrived after dark so we didn’t get a chance to see the local area. We received a lovely warm welcome and were given all the information we needed for our break. The family rooms are spacious with ample room for little guests. We had two double beds and a couch, which converted into another double bed and then we had a carry cot for the baby; even so we still had plenty of room for swinging proverbial cats should we so wish! Our room was decorated beautifully and to a very high standard so we knew we'd feel right at home from the get go.

As we visited during term time we were the only family there but the hotel was pretty full as they have fantastic deals for over 50’s. There was literally a coach load of elderly ladies & gentlemen there, they loved chatting to our little ones as we passed them in reception. Each morning we had he pool to ourselves for a leisurely swim after a delicious breakfast. It was lots of fun and I was able to really enjoy our swimming sessions as I didn’t have to do a constant head count of our children over a sea of heads in a full pool.

There is a beautiful blue flag beach less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel, after our swim we went over for a look & spent ages watching the kite surfers, they were mesmerising. There’s lots to see and do along the stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way through Sligo and on up to Donegal so we hopped in the car and went for a drive. First stop was Bundoran, we really thought the arcades would be closed as it was off season and mid week but there were a few open so we stopped for a half an hour and we even won a teddy! 

Striking it LUCKY!

Next stop was the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre; they have artefacts a gift shop & historical documentaries shown on a screen in an old carriage. My little lads loved it. We paid €12 in for our family of 7, family tickets are priced at €10 for 2 adults & 2 children extra children are charged at €2 each and under 5’s are free. It was time for lunch as we hit the road again; as we were trying to keep the spending down we opted for a chipper rather than a restaurant for lunch so we stopped at Shines Takeaway in Killybegs, Co Donegal. 

The Donegal Railway Heritage Centre

My hubby ordered our chips and came back to the car with a jar of tuna and a fork! With five of us looking at him in bewilderment, he said the guy in the takeaway gave it to him to let the children try. Well they gobbled it up, so much so that I had to get him to buy a couple of jars to take home! It’s Albacore tuna caught in Ireland’s waters and processed by the Shine family in Killybegs. You can buy it in most Supervalu stores and independent artisan shops, keep an eye out for it, if you like tuna you’ll love it. Back on the Wild Atlantic Way after lunch we headed for Glen Head and then on to Sliabh Liag to take in some amazing scenery.

Plenty to see at Sliabh Liag!

We had dinner on two nights in Elsinore Restaurant on the Yeats Country Hotel as it was included in our package. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals even the children with not one complaint from them. The staff were really friendly and chatted to our children as they were deciding what to order.

The next morning we again had a relaxing breakfast followed by a swim before we hit the road to Ned’s Point in Buncrana and on to Fort Dunree Military Museum. Our little ones are army barmy so loved the exhibits in Fort Dunree. As it’s an old Fort accessibility was limited for me with our baby in the buggy but my husband brought our older 4 on an exploration mission all around the Fort. Even if you don’t like military history it’s worth going, the views over Lough Swilly are spectacular. Admission is €7 for adults and €4 for children and a discounted family ticket €15 for 2 adults and 2 children. We paid €19 as our youngest 2 were free.

Ned's Point & Fort Dunree!

Seeing Everything to be Seen at Fort Dunree

On the way back to our hotel we stopped off at Lang's Bar in Grange to catch up with some friends who live locally. The bar is a fabulously old shop and bar with a wooden panelled snug. The type of place that Mary's on Wicklow Street try to emulate. The barman was lovely & chatted to our little ones as he poured their red lemonade. We spend an hour there before heading back to the hotel for dinner and our last night’s accommodation. 

Lang's Bar & Summoning the Wild Atlantic Forces! 

At check out the next morning our children were mobbed by the lovely ladies & gents who were also checking out and were waiting in reception for their coach to arrive. They plied our little ones with sweets & biscuits for their journey home. We waited to wave them all off before we headed home from a really lovely relaxing family break in Sligo.

It's always tempting to book a hotel depending on whether or not they have a Kid's Club in place but, truly, on this occasion, and I'm sure every other at Yeat's Country Hotel we were spoiled for choice in entertaining the little ones. We'll be sure to visit them again.  

Tell us, do you have a favourite family location 

that doesn't need a Kid's Club? 

We'd LOVE to add it to our list!

Monday's Moments ~ 09/11/15

How do, How do?! We're back on terra firma after the most amazing week of our lives in NYC. If you were following along on Snapchat you'll know it was pretty relentless, so we're resembling The Walking Dead extras since our return but still, STILL I couldn't let a Monday pass without showing a little gratitude. The top five Moments of the week go:

1. Flying out to the Big Apple, just the three of us, can't not take number one spot this week. Moment 2 will explain a little more about that but the fact that Adam brought us to the brightest city in the world of his own volition will stay with me forever. There are Moments that make every day of the struggle worthwhile and, without hesitation, this will always be one of them for me. 

2. Getting to reenact the picture taken twenty years ago in Central Park with Aaron this week. I was pregnant with him in the original in 1995, he's almost 20 now. From one of the darkest times of my life to one of the brightest. It felt as though all three of us have come through so much to make it to that place in the world at that exact time (despite GPS kerfuffles) . 

It was a life changing Moment, not just a weekly one and certainly not one I'll ever forget.

3. While spending rings around ourselves in the city that never sleeps, we visited Sephora (several times)(naturally). Perusing the smelly aisles I was telling the lads about my ultimate fragrance, Tom Ford's Costa Azzura and the fact that I've been visiting it in Brown Thomas for over three years now; never able to justify the €175 price tag but spritzing liberally at every given opportunity. 

It was only when Adam came back having bought his Girlfriend all of my recommendations that he produced a blue and gold package and made me BAWL right there in store. 'Happy New York birthday' says he. 'If ever you want something that much for that long just buy it!' says he - But that's not how a Mammy's brain works, is it? That scent will forever more remind me of our trip and what a good heart Adam has.

4. Thankfully while away, both Gorgebags got confirmation that the ice skating rink here in Dublin 15 want them to work through to February of 2016; that'll fill back up their empty coffers nicely. Not only that but they absolutely LOVE the job. 

There's nowt more satisfying than being paid for doing something you thoroughly enjoy. (If you do visit the rink, you're sure to spot them - be SURE to say Howdy!)

5. Finally ~ this week I'll be picking up the brand spanky Toyota Auris for a week of shenanigans. I'm pinching myself at being given the opportunity but determined to do something worthwhile for the week, while I can. 

I have some Random Acts of Kindness planned to give something back to a couple of agencies & places that have helped out my family and I in the past but I'd love some inspiration from you lovely lot too. I want to make a difference, however small & I'd love your help to do it. 

Do you know of a person or cause that could do with a chauffeur or some heavy lifting during the week? If so please get in touch, either here or on any of our platforms and I'll do my very best to fit them in. Using #HappyinHybrid will pop your suggestion right into my feed! 

Tell us, what are you most grateful for this week? 

What's the one Moment chasing your Monday blues away? 

How to Carve a Pumpkin like a Pro!

Let me start by saying I’ve had zero training, nor would I consider myself good at art/drawing. As many of you know I love browsing Pinterest to get inspiration for easy things to make and do. I saw lots of pins of people carving pumpkins like a boss & thought to myself I’ll give it ago, sure what’s the worst that can happen?

If it turned out awful, I’d just dump it and never speak of it again. I’d be carving when the children were in bed so there’d be no witnesses to remind me of my failed attempts!

Two years ago I decided to up my game; I was carving an Elmo pumpkin while watching T.V. It just happened to be Love/Hate with the storyline about Elmo allegedly telling the authorities about Nidge. For the craic I decided to carve a little extra on my pumpkin & posted it to social media. I couldn’t believe it when I woke the next morning to see it’d taken off and was reposted across tonnes of pages including 98FM, FM104, BreakingNews.ie, I’d even made it onto “18 of the Greatest Halloween Pumpkins Ever Carved” by the Journal.ie/The Daily Edge!

I thought it was hilarious and it gave me the push to try other designs after all it didn’t turn out as bad I thought it would. It really doesn’t have to take that long to carve a pumpkin, sure who has time to be spending hours? I know with 5 little ones I certainly don’t. From experience I’ve learned a few tricks that’ll not only save you time but a whole lot of energy and your sanity. If you stick to the advice below I guarantee you’ll have a masterpiece on your hands or your money back.* *monopoly money will be given back!*

How to Carve a Pumpkin Like a Pro:

Pick a fresh pumpkin with a blemish free side for carving and ensure the skin is intact with no dents or holes. Print a stencil you like from Google/Pinterest, I find the best way to do this is print screen & paste to a Word document that way you can gauge and adjust the size you need for your pumpkin.

• Silhouettes are by far the easiest and most striking images when carved.

• Wash your pumpkin before carving, I use baby wipes as I’ve no energy to fill a sink of soapy water just for a pumpkin!

• Cut off the top/lid using a knife I use a non serrated knife at a 45° angle so there is a ledge for the lid to sit on.

• Scoop out the insides using a large spoon just be careful not to scoop the flesh too close to the skin.

• Cut off the excess page from your stencil and tape to your pumpkin, ordinary tape will do. I just tape the top and leave the rest loose so I can bend it around the curvature of the pumpkin as I trace over it. 

• Otherwise you’ll spend ages getting it completely taped on.

• Trace over your stencil using a pen as a pencil can tear the page and mark the skin of your pumpkin.

• Don’t bother with those pumpkin carving kits as it’s extremely difficult to get any precise incisions with them; again I’m all about the easy life. I use little blades like a pencil with a blade as the nib, you’ll find a packet of them in Dealz for €1.49 and a packet of tiny screwdrivers same place same price.

• Remove your stencil and retrace around the pattern on your pumpkin using your blade. Tip: Hold the blade at an angle so the tip goes under the area of skin you are removing.

• If you are carving a circle for an eye hold your blade still and move the pumpkin in a circular motion.

• If you are carving a larger circle/curve move both the pumpkin and the blade as it’ll be much easier to achieve a circular cut.
• 
  

• Once you’ve gone around all areas with your blade using the smallest screwdriver peal back the skin. If it’s a large area of skin to be removes start by taking the edge up with the small screwdriver & move onto a large screwdriver pushing & swiping it from side to side lifting just the skin.

• Once carved if you have any gouges or rough looking carved areas simply smooth over with your finger, it’s very forgiving like that!

• Don’t panic, it looks much better with a light inside. I’ve often thought I’d made a mess of it only to be nicely surprised when I put in a candle.

• Use a candle, led light or even a torch for the inside. If using a candle & you want to put the lid back on you’ll need to cut a hole for a chimney in the back.

• To preserve your pumpkin spray/wash with bleach and water solution as it’s bacteria that makes them mould.

• You can rub all carved areas with Vaseline or oil to stop the air drying it out.

• If your pumpkin does start to dry out simply steep in water carved side down for anything up to 8 hours to rehydrate it.

The cheapest place I found for larger pumpkins is Supervalu Medium €1.50, Large €2.50 & Giant €3.50 each. I carved the characters from Inside Out onto tiny cooking pumpkins I bought in Tesco for 69c each. If you follow the above tips and use a silhouette stencil you’d easily have it done in 15-20 minutes or for me just in time to refill your wine glass!

Go on give it a go & please post your photos to show us how you got on. 

If you want to see some of my other creations check out my Instagram account @stonebabies, Twitter @stonetravel4, Facebook or, if you're quick I've a full How To on Snapchat today @StoneTravel!

Halloween Classic vs. Remake: Dawn of the Dead!

Dawn of the Dead (1978)


Directed in 1978 by horror legend George A. Romero, this spawned it all, from Dead Rising to The Walking Dead. 

The thing I noticed while watching this was that while it’s undoubtedly a classic and fantastic film, it’s not so much a zombie horror as much as a plain survival movie. You could replace the zombies with most anything and it would be the same movie, even a bit more tense because the zombies weren’t that dangerous.





Dawn of the Dead (2004)


This remake of zombie master George A. Romero’s 1978 film is Snyder's directorial debut, with Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn as producer. 

After an over-night zombie apocalypse, a group of survivors lock themselves in a shopping mall to keep safe from the things and to figure out how they’re going to escape to safety. Great characters, incredibly stressful scenes and blood and gore that still look good make this a fantastic remake – exactly how they should be done. Just make sure to stay for the credits, the film continues through them.

Original vs. Remake: Overall, I think for the intents of a Halloween movie the remake is better. The original is very philosophical about killing zombies and more meta in people losing their minds – what The Walking Dead TV show should be – but in the remake it’s all the most tense and horror-like parts shoved together with an hour of exposition shaved off. Because of the better characters, more stressful scenes and the danger of the zombies, the remake takes it.

Winner: Remake.