Inspired at Monart

For my mother's birthday, my sister and I treated her to a stay at Monart Spa in Co.Wexford, Ireland. The plan was to have a relaxing break away. We got to leve our own children at home, but treated our mother to a night with hers. Well, her daughters at least. With me living in a different country, we rarely get the chance to do things together, so we wanted to make a real occasion of it. Huge thanks to my sister for chosing the location!

I had heard a lot about Monart and, incredibly, it had all been good. All fantastic in fact. Whenever I mentioned I was going, the faces of those who had been lit up and they they told me I would love it. They were not wrong. 

From the moment we arrived at the beautiful Georgian house, I was mesmerised by the place. The staff were thoughtful, helpful and very welcoming. The treatments and spa area were the most relaxing I have ever encountered. But what really struck me was the surroundings and I found myself snapping photos and gathering house ideas throughout our stay. Everything was done perfectly from the food to the decor to the gardens. It was a delight to stay there.

Light, whether natural or artifical, is so important in a room and I picked up some excellent inspiration on this front at Monart. The spa itself is built behind the original house, which dates to 1740. They are connected by a short glass corridor, pictured above.

The modern build which houses the spa, restaurant and bedrooms is an amazing piece of work. Floor to ceiling glass lets the foyer get flooded in light and provides beautiful views of the pond and gardens beyond.  It is hard to believe you ater indoors, sitting here and checking in.

The staircase from here to the gallery above seems to float gracefully while the bare, pale wood of the tree adds to the feeling of being outdoors.

The bedrooms all have natural light in abundance too, with glass fronts facing out to the gardens. The beside lighting is warm and reflects nicely off the white headboard. 

The garden viewed through afternoon tea my wonderful brother surprised us with. 

The room that blew me away though was the drawing room of the old house. From growing up in a thick-walled old stone house in Ireland, I know all too well about dark rooms and how difficult it can be to create bright, warm spaces in them. That is why the drawing room here amazed me. It is large but made cosy and bright, despite the use of grey and black decor.  

This beautiful gold and charcoal wallpaper in combination with the stunning metallic-look mirror and white marble fireplace reflect a lot of light into the room and make for a warm, cosy feel, even without a fire burning. 

White woodwork (doors, skirting boards, window frames and shutters) contrast beautifully with the dark furniture and carpet while sculptures of hounds and horses liven up the room. 

The yellow trim and buttons on the grey velvet sofa and cushions add a modern touch and team well with the wallpaper. 

After two days and one night, I left Monart relaxed, in a fabulous mood and with tons of ideas for our own large living room beginning to sprout in my mind. 

7 Things I Had Forgotten About Life With A Toddler

I am beginning to realise that there are quite a few things that I had either forgotten or possibly just suppressed about life with a toddler.

 The way you can't fill or empty the dishwasher with a toddler in the same room.

The stench of the dirty nappies of a teething child.

The way this happens as soon as you turn your back for more than 30 seconds.

The way toddlers have normal sleeping positions in their own bed but reserve their special perpendicular-to-parent, crucifix and windmill positions for the parental bed.

The number of times the floor needs sweeping per day.

The way that putting shoes on the small, bendy foot of a small, wriggly child is damn near impossible, especially when under time pressure.

The way that even the smallest amount of water will soak them to the skin, leave the floor needing mopping and make you very glad it wasn't juice, milk or coffee that they got their hands on.

Number Three Turns One

He "is not the baby he used to be, Mammy". Number One spoke the words that had been on my mind for the last few days as he watched his baby brother toddle towards the front door, point at the garden and plead "Way?", his word for "Bring me out there now". 

Toddling with his trolley

Number Three is leaving his baby days behind him and waddling off into toddlerhood faster than either of his brothers did. He began walking at ten months and astounded the doctor last week at his 12 month check up by greatly surpassing every milestone on the checklist. Now, at just barely a year old, his vocabulary has progressed from "Mama" to "Mammy", "dis" [this], "da" [as in German for "there", not Russian for "yes"], "brrr" [the noise of a car], "pff, pff" [I assume this to be a shooting noise since he uses it when he gets his hands on his brothers' Lego figures] and "boo-eee" [I have no idea what this is supposed to mean but he says it often and with great conviction]. He already has favourite foods (banana bread, nectarines, cherry tomatoes, scones, raspberries, strawberries, carrots and cake), is the only one of our three children to eat eggs and loves being outdoors.

Playing Horsey with his brother

With huge blue eyes and an adorable gap between his front teeth, he attracts attention where ever he goes and he is beginning to learn how to use it. Waitresses and supermarket staff get extra wide, toothy grins from him lately. His brothers are at his beck and call.

In back-to-school mode

Two years ago this month we decided we'd left it too late to have a third child. A four year age gap would be too much, we thought. One year ago today Number Three arrived into our lives, appearing so quickly that The Bavarian just caught the last few moments of the labour.  He is our wonder child, his brothers' pride and joy, the final piece in our family jig-saw. We didn't know he was missing till he joined us. 

Happy birthday Number Three! 

Number One baking the birthday cake