Clonakilty

Hey everyone I haven't done a review in awhile so decided to share one with you. We took a one night break away to Clonakilty yesterday. We stayed in the Park hotel formally known as the quality hotel. I have lots of recommendations from you all saying this hotel was great for kids. When we arrived we were greeted by a Emily a very friendly and welcoming receptionist. She was very accommodating and kindly changed our room to an apartment as I told her Kiya was a very light sleeper and we would all be in bed by 8pm in the room 😂.


The Apartment

We got a lovely two bedroom apartment across from the leisure centre so it was ideal. The apartment had a little living room with loads of channels a small kitchenette with a fridge,microwave, tea/coffee making facilities the bathroom had a shower one room was a double and the other was a twin. The apartment was standard and spotless clean.

The Facilities

There is a cinema located a stone's throw away from the hotel it has 3 screens we took Kiya to see The secret life of pets 2. I was a bit nervous about bringing her the last time we went to the baby cinema to see Dumbo she didn't want to sit still. I said she was at that walking stage now I wasn't going to go again for awhile. To my surprise she loved it she was brilliant there was only us and one other family there Kiya chilled out eating and enjoyed the movie she loves dogs so she was well into it.

After we took her to the Jungle gym it had a nice little cafe beside which was closed the jungle gym was clean and well supervised and the staff were really nice we went late so there was only us and one other kid there.

The Swimming pool
The next morning we went swimming the changing room was cleaned but smelled of burnt hair my husband said the men's changing room didn't smell to pleasant either. We found the main pool rather cold the toddler pool was a bit warmer but we didn't stay long my husband used the sauna and steam room and found them good the tiling the steam room seats were a bit sharp he said but he still managed to fall asleep in there 😂.

Breakfast
The breakfast had a good hot food choice but no Barry's Tea ye know what I'm like with my Barry's Tea.  They didn't offer scones or pastries something I love having for breakfast when we are away they did offer pancakes which we got but they were shop bought and microwaved with left moisture on the plate. They also had porridge available.

The Town
I have to say I really liked the town we took a trip in that evening to get pizza and got The Oak fire pizza which was unreal the petso mayonnaise was savage. The next day we took a stroll around the town had a real sense of community about the place the locals were friendly. We went to the Friday market and bought some lavender soap and took a look in the shops lots of independent shops which is always lovely to see we went to a little book store and bought Kiya a book for her collection "That's not my Owl" since she is saying Owl all week from seeing the birds of prey at Trablogan last week. The Town also seemed very eco friendly and had a bit of a hippyish ( just made the word up 😂) vibe to the place which I liked. We got some Kombucha and headed home.

Overall it was a lovely night Kiya slept great even though her mattress was more like a pillow 😂 and she enjoyed it and so did we.

Thanks for reading

I paid full price to stay here all opinions are my own.

Garryvoe Hotel

Hey everyone another review of a fab hotel in cork which sits right on the beach perfect getaway with the great weather we have at the moment. We stayed in the Bridal Suite which was amazing it had stunning views of the beach and lighthouse its newly refurbished with two levels which is the largest bridal suite in the country. On the Ground floor is the bedroom with huge bed one of the most comfortable bed I ever slept in even Kiya slept all night I wanted to book another night lol. It has a lovely makeup table it looked so classy and stunning silver velvet couches a breakfast table with cushioned bay windows perfect for relaxing. The Bathroom one of the nicest bathrooms I have ever seen which had a Jacuzzi bath,Sauna which can fit two people, Shower and separate toilet. The upper floor consisted of dining area and sitting room the room was massive perfect for hosting family event the day after your wedding. The hotel has a great gym on the 4th floor and leisure facilities with an outdoor Jacuzzi.The hotel had cute little fairy doors which I thought was a lovely touch.

Bridal Suite

Dining
The breakfast selection was great with self service

Fruit
Cereals
Pastries
Juices
Meats and Cheeses



 Also available was a cooked to order menu and they had a nifty little pancake machine which I thought was really cool and kids would enjoy it.

We also had a drink at the bar the bartender kindly made me a non alcoholic mojito it was on if the best  I have tasted the library area is lovely place to sit and enjoy a quiet drink the decor is stunning with warm orange tones throughout.

We got an Ice cream and took a stroll along the beach which also has a playground for the kids. We went back to our room got some room service We enjoyed a cheese board looking out onto the beach.

I would Like to thank Aidan and the staff at Garryvoe for making us feel so welcome they couldn't do enough for us and we will definitely be returning. If you enjoyed this blog please give it a thumbs up.

Looking for a getaway book here

*All Opinions are my own this is not a sponsored post*  

Bellevue Spa @ The Montenotte Hotel

Hey Everyone yesterday I was at The Montenotte Hotel for the launch of Bellevue Spa. I have to say it was a brilliant evening as ye all know I love the Montenotte the views are breath taking and when the weather is like this its amazing they also have stunning gardens at the hotel. We arrived and we greeted by the staff. The staff are excellent at the hotel I say it every time I go there you wont get better customer service then the Montenotte the attention to detail is excellent and nothing is to much trouble everyone is treated like royalty and always service with a smile which makes the experience pleasant and enjoyable they welcome you back every time. We were shown to the balcony were there was a drinks reception being held a lovely bartender making cocktails and serving prosecco. He kindly made me a non alcoholic cocktail and it was divine served in the cutest flower pot glass and garnished with a little flower it tasted like summer in a glass. Its a beautiful spot to grab some lunch and a drink I would highly recommend it.
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We moved into the events room which was beautifully set up with a stunning flower/garden theme. We were served a selection of Tapas and sweet treats. Jennifer from the spa talked through the products which are available in the Spa which was very interested they can make up a cream from scratch to suit your skin type which is pretty amazing. She talked about how we over wash and scrub our skin which leaves it dehydrated The cream she made up had avocado in it which is very hydrating. Then Suzanne from Young Blood Cosmetics gave a talk on the products which are cruelty free and vegan a full range of Young Blood products are available at Bellevue Spa. Lastly Peigin the spa consultant spoke about the Spa and ideas behind it and gave us all a good laugh.

 I love the Spa its really Unique and different to any Spa I have been to The decor is really cool and funky definitely Instagram worthy. I went for a rosemary and black pepper deep tissue massage it was heavenly my Therapist Agnus was brilliant.

We opted for the midweek package with afternoon tea it's defiantly the best afternoon tea I have ever had with the chef coming out explaining each tier and lots of sweet treats served with fine china and tea/coffee.

We received fabulous goodie bags at the event packed with lush products and a handy coffee mug with a screw top love it and lovely products from the Spa.

  
It was a great evening and I want to thank Helena for inviting me along to the event I really enjoyed the evening and cant wait to return to The Montenotte they are launching a new cocktail menu today with some yummy non alcoholic options grab a cocktail and soak up some sun in the best hotel in Munster ;)

For Spa bookings click here.

Top 5 must haves for newborns

Hey everyone I said I would do a quick post of my top 5 must haves for newborns just some things I found handy.

First up is the Gro Egg I think every new mum is going to worry is her baby to hot or cold I found this great I plugged it in up in my room and it tell you the temperature of the room.The egg changes colour to let you know whether the temperature of a room is too low or too high or just right and it also works well as a gentle night light. You can buy it in Bella Baby I got it as a gift for my baby shower. You can buy it here.

Next up is changing station I used some baskets I got from my baby shower and put them around the house bedroom, Sitting room and the kitchen filled them with nappies, wipes, nappy bags, muslin cloths, bibs and creams. I got a present of this one and its so handy she bought it in TKMAX for me.

I found this app brilliant it keeps track of Feeding, Pumping, Nappies, Tummy time, Baths and the best thing is its free.

These 2 products are great I loved the palmers stretch mark cream when I was pregnant. The child's farm is great as she has dry skin.

Last up I got the Tommy Tippee starter kit I was always planning on breastfeeding but I knew I was going to introduce pumping at some stage. I also got given a Tommy Tippee breast pump I find it great. The kit comes with

Includes:

• 1 x closer to nature electric steam steriliser.
• 4 x closer to nature 260ml/9floz feeding bottles with slow flow teats.
• 4 x closer to nature 150ml/ 5floz feeding bottles with slow flow teats.
• 1 x closer to nature electric bottle warmer.
• 6 x closer to nature milk powder dispenser.
• 2 x closer to nature insulated bottle bags.
• 2 x closer to nature medium flow teats.
• 1 x closer to nature 0-6m soother.
• 1 x closer to nature bottle brush.
• 1 x teat tongs.

And cost €99 you can but it in Bella Baby here.

Thats my top 5 must haves what are your must haves let me know in the comments thanks for reading.

New Mums

Hey Everyone first I want to thank you all for your lovely comments, messages , cards and gifts. Well this week was my first week as a mammy. By god was it hard such a big lifestyle change no one can really prepare you for it.  I was always planning on breastfeeding before I got pregnant. I done a great class with a lady called Clare Boyle from Cork it was a 4 hour class which was very good  it explained all the in and outs of breastfeeding I would highly recommend it and your partner can attend with you. This is her website for anyone interested. http://breastfeedingconsultant.ie/. She is great to help with aftercare as well. Breastfeeding is very demanding and hard but Im sticking with it and getting loads of great advice from you all. I wanted to write this blog to maybe help any new mums to be out there and give my tips and advice of what I have learned my first week being a mam its really about taking care of yourself your body has just been through labor and birth the biggest job it can do and the baby blues are real I was crying for no reason from day 3 over the smallest of things but your hormones and body are all over the shop its normal to feel like this and you should talk about it and let it out its normal. Your in charge of this little person it can be very overwhelming and no matter how many classes you do nothing will prepare you for it. So here are a few things you should have ready before you bring back your new arrival.

Breast Care 

There going to be a bit sore and sensitive cause lets face it when have you had something sucking them every 2 hours on the hour before haha. I found the Multi Mam compress pads great I put them in the fridge and use the lanolin breast cream before every feed. You can get them in Boots.

There going to leak a lot I didn't realise how much or how sore they would be I got Tommy Tippee pads put little bit of water and coconut oil on them put them into sandwhich bag and into the fridge. Cabbage leaves also work great.

I Done the same with maternity pads just add small bit of witch hazel as it can dissolve any stitches you may have so use it sparingly. You can buy the pads in Lidl there much cheaper and do the same job.

Back to the leakage I found every time I fed here the other side was crazy leaking and I felt it was such a waste Someone recommend the Haaka breast pump its a silicon cup that attaches to your breast to collect leakage and I have to say its brilliant its proberly one of the best buys I got it in Bella Baby.It was €29.95 with the flower top.

Back Pain 

Labor takes its toll on the body I felt it all in my back from the start Hot water bottle and some heat patches will help relieve some of that pain and some pain killers. I got these heat patches I find them great they stay warm for up to 16 hours most chemist will stock them.

Take Care Of Yourself

As I said labor is the hardest job you will ever put your body through and after birth it can take awhile to get back yo feeling like yourself so you need to treat yourself accept all the help you can get. I had great help from my sister and mother in law cooking me meals ,doing the washing, cleaning the house and minding Kiya. Take some me time even for an hour a day.

• Nap
• Bath
• Face mask
• Enjoy a hot cup of tea 
• Go for a walk
• Listen to music 
• Watch your favourite show

10 days postpartum No posing No sucking it in just showing you the real deal it took 9 months of my body changing. I do not expect it to snap back just after I had a baby. Im not even thinking about exercising. I have cleaned up my diet getting 3 good meals a day and the odd bit of chocolate weirdly I don't really want chocolate as much I think i over ate it in the pregnancy haha. The physio told me I couldn't go back training for 3-4 months but I know I will be able sooner then that just need to build up my body again and have realistic goal ahead of me.

 Im using my old self as motivation because you can only be the best version of you and Im going to work hard to get my body back for the summer I will start posting some mummy workouts and show you all what Im eating. I hope some of you will join me on my journey to being a fit mom. 

Thanks for reading. :)