5 Things That Say Me - A Linky

There are things I have that I love because, to me at least, they just scream "Fionnuala", reflecting elements of my personality and my loves in life. In short, they sum me up. It is the opposite of personification.

They are things that I *could* live without, if I had to. But I have them because either I couldn't leave them behind or because someone else thought of me when they saw them. 

1. An original copy of The Penguin Book of Food Growing, Storing and Cooking, published in 1941.

I bought this along with another Penguin Special, Food: The Deciding Factor (1941) at the George's Street Arcade in 2001. It covers how to grow and cook a huge range of vegetables and was brought out as an informative guide during World War II. 

To me, it is much more than that. It is a book of historical relevance, but not a history book, giving a glance into what life was like during that awful period of time. It is a reminder to me of one of my favourite places in Dublin, the George's Street Arcade. But what touches me most is that it serves as a useful guide to me in growing vegetables in my own garden in Germany, the country never mentioned but ever-present in the book.

2. My antique writing box

I am very lucky to have been brought up in a very old house. A house that I am sure holds fascinating stories from long before my time. I have never been in the attic of the house. It was too dangerous for children. In my mind, as a child, it was as mysterious as the wardrobe was to Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe for it was the source of many exciting things - old china plate with hand-painted patterns, and various other treasures including a damaged old wooden box which opened out into a miniature desk, lined with cracked leather and containing a little ink jar. 

For years and years I asked my parents to have it renovated. They didn't, so I asked for it for my 21st birthday, with the intention of some day having it restored. Initially they said no, but on the day of my birthday party I was presented with the writing box, beautifully restored. 

3. My butterfly earrings

These are my absolute favourite earrings and I try not to over-wear them. My best friend sent them to me as a surprise. She saw them and thought I would like them. How right she was! And how pleased I was to know how well she knows me. 

A combination of nature, pearls, a floral pattern and an elegant shape, they are the perfect earring, for me.

4. Our house

As a child I always imagined having a house with two staircases, rooms under the eaves, an orchard and a cottage garden. I'm not quite sure where I got these notions, but they lasted. 

As we viewed house after house over a couple of years, I began to realise that I would have to settle for something different and make it my own.

Then we came here. Opening the garden gate and stepping in felt like coming home. In front of me was an apple tree, next to it a fig tree and beyond that pear, plum and walnut trees. The tulips were in bloom underneath a lilac bush and in the centre of the garden was a herb rockery. 

The house itself is my favourite colour, blue, has two staircases and has three bedrooms under the eaves. Immediately I could picture us living here. And life here has not failed to make me happy.

5. A fabric collage which belonged to my grandmother

I wrote a post about this picture last year. It sums me up in that it combines my loves - family, arts and crafts, the Irish countryside, fabrics and cosy homes. 

I have set this up as a once-off linky, open until the end of February. Feel free to join in if you'd like to share which possessions reflect you best and scream your name. 

Multicultural Family Life - Meet the Cuddle Fairy Family

Because of the fact that we are a family made up of two nationalities, I am always interested to hear how other families in similar situations live their lives. And I thought you might be too. 

For this month's installment of Multicultural Family Life I asked a blogging pal from the Irish Parenting Bloggers to share with us how she and her family survive their multicultural family life.

Becky is a parenting & lifestyle blogger at Cuddle Fairy (www.cuddlefairy.com). Her blog's motto is that there's positivity around every corner. Under the handle @cuddlefairy, she'd love to hear from you on social media! 

1.  Tell us a little about your family's background - where you're from, where you've lived, where you are now.

I grew up in NY & lived there until I was 26. My husband is from Ireland and we decided to move to Ireland to build our house and start our family. We have lived in the West of Ireland for the past ten years. We have three kiddies. Our oldest son is 8, youngest son is 6 & our daughter is turning 3 in the new year. There are times when I'm homesick but I really love having my children grow up in Ireland. 

2. What languages are you children exposed to? Do you have a preference for American words over English words or vice versa?

Our children are bilingual - they speak Irish English & American English. ;) They are learning Irish in school. There are so many words that are different in American English & Irish English. I had to consciously change several words, which was very difficult at first but they are part of my vocabulary now. One word I had to change was pants to trousers. In the US, pants are trousers. Here, pants are your underpants. One day someone laughed at my son for saying pants & I felt so bad! Trousers was such a foreign word for me at first. Also, the pronunciation of certain words are very different. One example is garage. I say these words with an Irish-ish accent for the kids' sake. When I visit the US sometimes I forget my American words!!

3. How do you handle holidays and ensuring your children see their American relations regularly? 

Unfortunately, we don't make it over to the US that often. The airfare is quite expensive for a family of five. When we do travel over we stay for awhile & try to see everyone. My husband's family lives near us so the kids have plenty of family for the holidays. Also, some of my family flies over regularly to visit.

4. Do you or your other half have any of the stereotypical traits of your nationality? Has this had any effect on your life in Ireland?

Oooo interesting question! I remember when my husband's family would visit us in NY. We'd always go to the pub which was really strange to me. I had never gone into a pub with my family before. Pub culture is totally different in the US. You don't see kids or families hanging out together in bars - it's a totally different atmosphere. Living in Ireland, we often go out to eat at a pub & wouldn't think twice about bringing the kids. I'm sure I have some terrible American stereotypes that I don't realize lol

5. How different, if at all, would your life be if you lived in the US rather than Ireland?

I think our lives would be very different in the U.S. We were living in the NYC area before we moved. Housing is so expensive & we'd have to send our kids to private schools there. Unless we were earning huge money, we wouldn't have a big back yard like we have here. I think country living is great for kiddies. We could have moved to the country in the U.S. of course & had a similar house but we wouldn't live near either of our families. Having my husband's family near by is a big plus!

6. Have there been any child-rearing differences between you and your husband based on the mentality of your home countries? 

No, happily!! I can't think of one example so that's good.

7. Are there any Irish customs you've adopted in child-rearing or anything else?

People are much more laid back in Ireland than in the U.S. I've become more relaxed as an individual & as a mother. Although having more children makes a person more laid back too I think. I'm sure there are other things that I can't think of. I don't notice my changes until I'm back in the U.S. & they stand out to me then, like how I pronounce certain words. 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Becky! It is clear that even though you are a native English speaker in an English-speaking country, language issues still pop up now and again.

It is great to hear that you have settled in well to life in Ireland and that it has given you the chance to raise your children in the countryside and near their relations.  

Fingers crossed the future will allow you the opportunity to bring your children over and back to the U.S. now and again so that you can share more of your home culture with them.


[Are you interested in joining the series? Contact me on the contact form on the right. I'd love to hear from you.] 

Stuck In The Middle With You

Number Two hasn't had it easy this past year or so. In September last year, within the space of a week, he got a new baby brother and saw his older brother head off to big school, leaving him behind in kindergarten. He has mostly put on a brave face, kept a stiff upper lip and just gotten on with being the middle child. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that. 

My many plans to take time out to spend just with him have seldom come to fruition. Either he wants his brothers to come along or the plans fall through because of a lack of someone to look after the other two. Recently some cracks are beginning to show in his brave facade and I have been feeling more and more guilty for not being able to make time for him. 

Being a middle child myself, I know exactly how he feels. He knows that I am busy with the other two (keeping the toddler out of harm's way and helping the schoolboy at his homework) and that I am not ignoring him. But constantly being told "Not now", "in a minute" and "I'll get to you as soon as I can" isn't good for him.

I hate to admit it but the wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the oil, and he doesn't squeak. He has kept turning reliably. Until now. So I've begun a maintenance program for him. 

The best I have been able to do is to squeeze in some time in the evenings, when Number Three is asleep and Number One is entertaining himself. Even if it has only been helping Number Two get ready for bed and listening to his ideas and stories from the day, I notice it has helped. He's happier in himself. He thrives on the attention. The more we use the few minutes we have, the more we seem to find little more time just for us. 

Another thing I've found is that telling him we are going to do an activity which he suggested or which revolves around him lifts his spirits a lot. Last week, for example, we went to the kindergarten latern-making afternoon. We had to bring Number Three with us, but he stayed strapped into the buggy beside us while Number Two and I cut and glued and chatted. 

Yesterday we went to football practice for the first time. Both his older and younger brother had to come along. But he was so pleased that he was the main man. Every so often he would look up from training to smile and wave to me and his brothers where we stood and watched. 

This afternoon we had a bit of quiet time while Number One was visiting a friend and Number Three played by our feet. We browsed the toy cataolgues and he started his Santa list. 

After bedtime, as I was halfway down the stairs, he called me to come back. As I peered round the doorway he blew me a kiss. I think we're slowly finding our way out of the middle. 

Vlog Tutorial: Cooking Beef Olives (German Rinderrouladen)

One of the things I really enjoy about this time of year is getting back into cooking really hearty meals, especially for a Sunday dinner. On Sunday just gone, I was cooking beef olives, a dish that you never really hear of any more in Ireland or the UK but which is really popular in Germany. 

The first time I ate it was on my second visit to Germany with The Bavarian. His mother cooked them for us for Sunday lunch and I was hooked. Luckily my big fat German cookbook, a present from my au pair family years ago, has a great recipe for beef olives (Rinderrouladen in German), so I quickly learnt to make them myself.

Per person you need:
One escalope of beef (approx. 200g)
Salt and ground ground black pepper
1/2 tsp mustard
3 slices of streaky bacon, very thinly sliced
1 cornichon or 1/2 a gherkin, sliced lengthwise thinly
3-4 slices of onion in rings

Take a look at my little video to see how to cook the recipe.

11 Brilliant Day Trips in Ireland

When we came back from our Summer holidays in Ireland, I was full of energy and motivation, ready to write tons of posts about all our recent days trips. The boys are at an age now where we can easily visit historical sights as well as parks and playgrounds, so we took advantage of that and did a lot on this Summer's trip home. 

But the whole back to school thing and Number Three turning from placid baby to energetic toddler meant that a lot of posts I'd intended to write got put on the long finger. Bit by bit I am catching up, but I've come to the realisation that I will not be able to squeeze in time to write a post about each of the places we visited. 

So here, condensed into one county-by-county list, are some details about each of the places we visited and loved. You might like to try one or other of them during the mid-term break. Feel free to drop me a line if you want a bit more information on any of them.  

Armagh - Slieve Gullion Forest Park

My sister-in-law suggested we meet them at Slieve Gullion Forest Park for a day out. Initially I was put off by the drive but it was a lot shorter than I imagined, being about 50 minutes from Drogheda. 

Entrance fee: No. Free entry

Cafe: Yes

Picnics allowed: Yes

What we loved: The fairy walk with loads of fairy houses, the trail in search of the giant and the amazing, huge playground

What we'd warn you about: The walking trails are quite steep in places. We brought the buggy and managed alright, but we had three adults to take turns of pusing it. Next time I would take Number Three in the sling. 

Meath - Newgrange Interpretive Centre and Passage Tomb, Donore

Entrance fee: Yes, but not extortionate. Rates differ depending on the package you want, e.g. just Newgrange or Knowth adn Dowth passage tombs too

Cafe: Yes, a Brambles cafe with highchairs, planty of space and delicious caramel slices.

Picnics allowed: I don't think so, but while waiting for the bus from the interpretive centre to the tomb, you could sit at one of the benches and picnic there I suppose

What we loved: The fascinating history, the witty tour guide, the food in the cafe and the child-friendly interpretive centre

What we'd warn you about: Arrive early and plan plenty of time. The tour of the tomb itself is about 45 minutes and the tours run every 15 to 30 minutes but they fill up very fast during the holidays.

Meath - Oldbridge House & Battle of the Boyne Museum, near Drogheda

Entrance fee: Entrance to the grounds and gardens is free. There is a small entrance fee for the museum.

Cafe: Yes, Brambles again (as far as I remember). 

Picnics allowed: Yes and there is a huge area for picnicing on. 

What we loved: The wide open space for running around, the walking trails, the beautifully laid out gardens, the cannons in front of the house, learning about the Battle of the Boyne through the small but interesting exhibition in the museum which includes a laser show (anything that includes the word laser is a great thing).

What we'd warn you about: The museum is very small. Don't rush through it. There is a lot of information packed in. We took our time and let the boys try and get some ideas of their own as to what was happening in each of the life-sized recreated scenes. 

Dublin - Malahide Castle, Malahide

Entrance fee: The grounds are free

Cafe: Yes, an Avoca cafe

Picnics allowed: Yes and there is a huge amount of space to picnic on.

What we loved: Again, the space to run about and kick a ball. Castles are always a big with our boys, so exploring around the castle was great fun too. At the other end of the park is a huge playground, also suitable for picnics. We spent a long time there too.

What we'd warn you about: The playground is huge. With small children you need to keep a good eye on them. Dressing them in  clothes you can easily spot is a good idea. NUmber One had a navy hoodie on, as did approximately half the children there. Number Two, in bright orange, was a lot easier to spot.

Sligo - The Beach Bar and Surf School, Aughris

Entrance fee: Yes, or rather you pay for your meal and drinks in the bar. The surf school obviously charges for rentals and lessons.

Cafe: The bar does food and coffee

Picnics allowed: On the beach, yes.

What we loved: The boys and my dad rented body boards and wet suits and spent a fun afternoon splashing around in the Atlantic. 
Later we all ate in the bar. The Guinness is great. The food is very good and a decent price too. 

What we'd warn you about: If you are braving the Atlantic, make sure to have something hot in a flask with you for warming up afterwards.

Mayo - Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar

Entrance fee: No. All Museum of Ireland museums are free of charge, a fantastic service.

Cafe: 

Picnics allowed:

What we loved: Walking round the large pond in the grounds, running on the great expanses of lawn, the interactive exhibitions. On arrival the children got clipboards, pens and activits sheets from the staff and were kept busy for ages, finding the answers to the quiz questions and drawing their favourite items form the exhibition.

What we'd warn you about: Plan plenty of time. There is a lot to see and to take in.

Mayo - Great Western Greenway, a walking and cycle path from Westpost to Achill Island

Entrance fee: No. You can hire bikes and trailers for children in several locations, e.g. in Newport and Mulranny

Cafe: Yes, several dotted along the route

Picnics allowed: Yes, wherever you fancy stopping

What we loved: The stunning scenery and the fact that the kids could run along without having to look out for cars. 

What we'd warn you about: Nothing. It is a brilliant addition to Mayo tourism and you should definitely go there if you get the chance. You don't have to go the whole route. 

Mayo - Foxford Wollen Mills

Entrance fee: Not to the shop. There is a tour of the wollen mills but it was booked out at the time we were there.

Cafe: Yes, with a great selection of delicious cakes as well as savory foods.

Picnics allowed: No, but you could have a traditional Irish car boot picnic in the car park if you wanted to.

What we loved: The wollen mills' own woollen blankets, throws and cushions as well as the gorgeous interior design of the shop and cafe. The kids loved that the cafe had a little old-fashioned school-like corner with colouring pencils and paper to keep them entertained while the grown up chatted and drank coffee.

What we'd warn you about: You will probably end up with bags of fabulous Irish designed and handmade rugs, cards, scarves, etc. 

Cork - Titanic Museum, Cobh

Entrance fee: Yes, but reasonable.

Cafe: No, but there are several bars and cafe along the opposite side of the road and next door.

Picnics allowed: No, but there are benches along the street if you were sitting down with a snack or a cuppa.

What we loved: The fact that the museum is housed in the former White Star Line tícket office, meaning that we were in the building where passengers on the Titanic stood. The recreated passenger cabins are amazing to look at and there are some interative games for children. Really well worth a visit if you are in the area.

What we'd warn you about: The information provided during the tour is incredibly moving. Bring tissues. 

Cork - Baltimore Castle (Dun na Sead Castle), Baltimore

Entrance fee: Yes

Cafe: No, but there are several bars and cafes just around the corner

Picnics allowed: Not at the castle but across the road at the pier there are picnic tables.

What we loved: Learning about Irish, Dutch and African pirates and the plundering that went on in the south of Ireland. 

What we'd warn you about: The museum is very small, but if you take the time to look at the construction of the castle, to enjoy the view from the rooftop and to read all about the piracy that went on, you will find it fascinating.

Cork - Model Railway Clonakilty

Entrance fee: Yes

Cafe: Yes, housed in an old railway wagon - charmingly nostalgic.

Picnics allowed: No, but again the old car boot picnic in the car park would be an option

What we loved: The railways, the tiny model people and houses, the indoor playground/ball pool and the outdoor playground.

What we'd warn you about: Don't rush. There is a huge amount of detail hidden in each of the sections of the display. 

  

Our Planned-To-Be-Romantic Night at Lough Rynn Castle (featuring Number Three)

There is a touch of Downton Abbey about the place. Pulling up in front of the huge, stunning country house and stepping out onto the gravel, you feel like you have travelled back in time. It was to be the perfect setting for our romantic break, Lough Rynn Castle, Country Leitrim, Ireland. 

I did well, booking a special offer months in advance and paying €99 for an overnight stay that would normally have cost €219. I booked my parents as babysitters for the boys and planned to finish breastfeeding Number Three so that we could have a well-earned night away, just me and The Bavarian.

While it is commonly accepted that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, it seems that *sometimes* that can happen to highly organised mothers' plans too. Number Three got a few teeth, started to walk and got just a little bit clingy (OK, so he had a meltdown if I left the room at all) around the time we were going on holiday. Leaving him overnight was not an option. And so it was that he had a luxury five star hotel break at the age of not quite 11 months, something his mother had had to wait around 35 years longer for. 

Soaking up the decadence of the place

  One of the two perks of the special offer I had booked was that there was early check in from 11am. We had planned to make the most of having only one third of our brood with us and arrive in time to check in early. I however am chronically late and we arrived at noon, only to be told that our room was not ready. On hearing this I was a bit irritated but glad we hadn't rushed to be there earlier. 

The lovely girl at reception quickly assigned us another room without us having to ask and Seamus, the excellent valet, showed us up. The room was small but cosy and beautifully decorated (see photo above). The only problem was there there was no room for a cot, as Seamus pointed out while we were oohing and aahing at the decor. We were then given the room originally planned for us (see photo below). While still a beautiful room, it was tired-looking compared to the first one. The cot got set up, our luggage transferred over and we were treated magnificently. 

Number Three surveying the grounds

I'd been looking forward to a nice relaxing bath but sadly there was only a shower. Instead we settled into the room and enjoyed a cup of coffee and planned our afternoon.

The second perk of the offer we had booked was afternoon tea and I was really looking forward to it. Surely a hotel as glamorous and tatefully decorated as this would have an excellent afternoon tea?Sadly not. Another disappointment for me. The tea itself came in a large pot and tasted fine. The food, however, was not as good as I would make for myself, let alone for guests. The Bavarian maintains that the sandwiches were fine, but in a five start hotel I expect better than fine. Yes, they were edible. But they were only sliced pan with egg mayonnaise, cucumber and salmon, ungarnished and with poorly cut off crusts. The sweeter elements were no better. The cakes may have been homemade, but they tasted shop bought and defrosted. For the scones there was cream but no jam. In fact one of the scones was a brown scone, the kind you usually get with soup. To my mind a brown scone has no place on an afternoon tea tray. 

To improve our mood, we set out for a walk around the grounds, and I am very glad we did. The woodlands, lake and walled garden lifted our spirits. The views, both of the house in one direction and out across the lake in the other, were splendid and the weather played along for most of our walk.

We spent a couple of hours wandering around the lake shore and exploring. We even chatted to some fishermen who were just returning from a few hours lake fishing. The Bavarian, an excellent fisherman himself, got to ask lots of questions about the local fishing.

Perch and pike caught in the lake that day

The walled garden was my favourite part of the grounds, being romantic and practical in one. At one corner there stands a turret, complete with an ornate iron balcony overlooking the lake, conjuring images of Romeo & Juliet, Rapunzel and other young lovers. 

The walled garden houses a beautiful glasshouse in which, among other fruits, figs and peaches grow. I was fascinated. I would never have imagined that the often drab weather of the Irish north west could produce fruit used to warmer climates.

Along the walls of the garden there are espalier apple trees, decorative and practical at the same time. I could have spent hours wandering the gardens, but the weather was beginning to turn and we needed to head back inside and get ready for dinner.

Since we had a not quite 11 month old baby with us, we chose to eat from the bar menu rather than disturb the guests in the main dining room. I know that had we been there without children I would not have been impressed with having my fancy meal interrupted by someone else's babbling baby. 

Before making our decision we did check with the hotel staff that the food for both the bar menu and the restaurant menu comes from the same kitchen and would be of similar quality. The Bavarian was intent on having a steak, having had the best steak of his life at Kilronan Castle, Lough Rynn's sister hotel, a few years ago.

The reception rooms opening off the bar are all open for bar food in the evening. We fell in love with the gigantic fireplace in the drawing room and chose a table there for our meal. The waiting staff couldn't have been friendlier as they brought us the menu, the wine list and a high chair for Number Three. 

For our starters we ordered seafood chowder for The Bavarian and deep fried brie for me. Both arrived quite speedily and looked great, at a first glance. My brie was tasty, nothing spectacular, but a simple dish well done. The chowder, however, was less than impressive. A skin had formed on it, presumbly while it was kept warm, it didn't taste remotely of fish and it contained chunks of that awful, pink, processed crab stick. Thinking it had just been an unfortunate choice, we didn't send it back.

Then, almost too quickly, the main course arrived.  My fish and chips (I know, not the ideal choice for a five star restaurant, bu I do love it and can't get it in Germany) was fine, except that the mushy peas weren't proper mushy peas, just peas, squashed. The Bavarian, again, had pulled the short straw. His steak, of which he had such high hopes and had ordered rare, came out like a shoe sole, thin, brown and tough. The vegetables were cold and the butter as hard as a rock. There was no chance of it melting by touching anything on the plate. As soon as we caught the waiter's eye, we sent it back. The waiter was extremely friendly and competent. He had no issue with sending the steak back and having another cooked.

Steak 2 arrived a few moments later. Poorly seared and entirely raw. Wierdly so. Not a drop of blood or juice came out, as if it was just defrosted. All in all a horrible piece of meat. The Bavarian gave up and took the baby for a stroll aound the beautiful room. A moment later our waiter walked past and, noticing the absent guest and the barely touched meal, headed straight for The Bavarian to apologise for the disasterous dinner. He was clearly embarassed by the kitchen's quality that night and assured us that the steak would not be added to the bill. The Bavarian had lost his appetite and didn't feel like risking anything else off the bar menu. Our lovely waiter brought us a drink on the house and I tried to cheer the Bavarian up a little by sharing my chips with him.

The following morning, we were pleasantly surprised with the breakfast buffet. There was a large range of food, from fruits to cereals to cheeses, cold meats and breads. There was also a menu for warm dishes such as pancakes or a fry. What was slightly confusing was that you could order porridge from the hot menu or just help yourself to it form the buffet. The only difference seemed to be that the ordered one came with a drop of whiskey. I only wanted a small portion, but with cream and brown sugar, so I decided to help myself to it at the buffet. The cream was missing so I asked a waitress. She disappeared. I waited. Then I asked the breakfast manager. She said she'd get it. I waited and waited but neither of them re-appeared. Poor service for a five star hotel, to my mind. 

At check out everything ran really smoothly. The staff were brilliant, there was no issue about the dinner bill and the special offer voucher I was using was accepted without any issues too. Ideally I'd love to go again.  The surrounding are gorgeous, the staff is excellent, the atmophere so relaxing. I'd even pay full price if I could be sure of nothing going wrong. I doubt The Bavarian will join me though. One bitten, twice shy.