Mindful Mondays...

Mama Loves an Eco-friendly Christmas...

Christmas can be such a wasteful time, that is not what it is all about at all... over the next few weeks I will try to post a few of my favourite tips for keeping it green this Christmas, to get the baubles rolling here are a couple of pics that have given me a little inspiration this festive season....

I absolutely love love love this, combining the silver candle holders and adding pine cones, so simple and so effective, a perfect table centre piece.

This is so subtle and cute, I adore it because it doesn't scream CHRISTMAS it whispers Christmas ever so quietly.

I'm loving the red and white tea set, very candy cane and the baubles make a cute way to serve delicious chocolate or fudges on Christmas day!

I found this image at www.furniturehomedesign.com

Pop over to this site for and endless list of amazing eco- ideas, I just love it, so inspirational! I think this particular tree could be great in the garden and wouldn't it be pretty if tea lights were placed at the end of each branch instead of lights... ooh magical!

Loads more Christmas to come soon...

Love the Yummy Mummies and The Jestestting Babies

xxx

New Look Reviews - The Sunshine Cafe

Hi, here is a review for the Sunshine Cafe, Dun Laoghiare. As we have now opened the review section of our blog up to contributers I filled out a contibuters form so you could see an example of the New Look Reviews. If you would like to contribute, copy the form from our blog or email us at jetsettingbabies.blogspot.com (That is why this review is written in the third person.)



The Sunshine Cafe


A: 107, Lower Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire,
P: 01 230 1828

Thankyou to our Yummy Mummy Angi and her Jetsetting Baby Amelie(13months). They contributed the information for this weeks review. Angi has a blog check it out: http://jetsettingbabies.blogspot.com/

(This photo could be of you and your little ones!)




The Sunshine Cafe is a genuinely good cafe on the main street of Dun Laoghaire with a nice vibe . Angi rates the service a 9 out of 10 and says "The staff always hold the awkward double doors so I can get the buggy in, I have even seen them stop in the middle of taking an order to help me."

The food gets a 8 out of 10 and Angi says "it is wholesome and flavourful, there is always a lot of desserts to chose from I really enjoy their soups." The Sunshine Cafe serves breakfast daily as well as a really good lunch menu. The freshest ingredients are used in their food with their open sandwich's seeming very popular.

Unfortunately much of their seating us upstairs and while the tables downstairs are nicely spaced the room could not accommodate more than a few at a time. There are also no changing facilities at all again this can pose a problem for families. On the up side there is a cute sandwich and juice deal for children and there are two highchairs available for use.

Angi mentioned that there was always some gret music playing, "I love the French Jazz that was on last time I was there" she commented. Thanks again Angi for sharing your expereinces.

 

Baby Changing - N

Highchairs - Y

Kids Menu - Y

Children's Activities - N

Manuka Honey

Poor Dylan has been very sick this week. He has had some virus, the Dr. couldn't tell me what but he has had a very high temperature and now has a horrible rash all over his body. This winter it seems that Dylan and I could not catch a break. We have had one thing after the other. So this week I have been on a mission, to get my baby better and to build up his immune system. What can give you a baby? What vitamins are safe? What to do what to do!?! Of course the obvious is a healthy diet with lots of green vegetables and fruit. But when have you ever seen a baby chow down on a plate of broccoli? Maybe you might be lucky with your baby, but Dylan would rather throw the broccoli at the wall than eat it. 

New Zealanders have been using Manuka honey for medicinal reasons for centuries. This amazing antibacterial honey can help you fight off any bad bacteria, and to help strengthen your immune system.  The Manuka honey craze has now caught on in Europe and it is now the talk of the town. It can be applied topically or by simply taking a small teaspoon a day both will help build your immune system.  I went in to my local health shop the other day to find out more about it. Manuka honey is an active honey and there are many different strengths. The more expensive the honey the better they claim it is for you. However the lovely woman in the health food shop said that really we do not need anymore than active 100+. She explained how beneficial it is for babies and children. Babies always have their hands in their mouths. They touch everything and everything goes in to the mouth. By giving your child a teaspoon of Manuka honey in there milk or on toast or even on its own, it will help build up the good anti bodies in there systems and will kill the bacteria before it has a chance to turn in to anything nasty. PLEASE NOTE babies under 1 year old should NOT be given honey unless you consult with you Dr. first.

If you want to learn more about Manuka honey you can log on to http://www.manukahoney.co.uk/

After spending a good hour in the health food shop, I came out armed with Echinacea for kids, two jars of Manuka Honey (one for me and one for Dylan,) Vitamin D drops, and some natural Aloe Vera juice to help sooth his red rash. I felt better even just going to the shop and I swear after just a few days he seems to be improving.

Lots of love 

The Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies

Travel Tip #3

Today we have our third travel tip that might help you if you are travelling solo with a small baby. So far we have talked about having a great sling or baby carrier, how convenient a portable fabric high chair can be and today we will cover a great (big) baby bag. The bag that I chose to take with me to Australia worked out very well. The only downfall I found was that it was too large to really use again on a daily basis, though it has proved very handy for overnight or weekend trips as I can fit all of Amelie's stuff in it. Essentially a long haul flight to Australia and 30hrs in transit is just like a night away, if you look at it like that it is easy to stay calm and relaxed and even enjoy the journey. There are a lot of different baby bags on the market and different bags that might suit you. Make sure you are totally happy with the bag you chose to take away, if you have any doubts it probably isn't right for you.

Baby Moov Changing Bag

What is it:
The Baby Moov changing bag is a large Nappy Bag with buckles designed to be used with only one had. It has so many features, two different transparent bags, a removable changing mat, a cooler bag, a dummy cover, document holder and a fleece blanket.

 Why you need it:

The Baby Moov had everything I needed to go to Australia and was the perfect size small enough for carry on luggage but large enough to fit everything that I needed. The document holder was perfect for passports, visa's and health records. The two transparent bags were ideal, I used one to take some of Amelie's snacks in, the other I used for the liquids I needed for myself, a small moisteriser, sanitiser, and a little makeup. The cooler bag was perfect for bottles (though I was still breastfeeding) and the frozen baby food I took to last the trip.

The removable changing bag was perfect, I was able to reach up into the overhead locker, unclasp the changing mat that holds all you need for a short outing with your baby (nappies, wipes, Vaseline and a clean vest and baby grow) with one hand and pop down to the bathrooms to change Amelie. I also was able to take this with me on day trips in my hand bag during my holiday.

To be honest I did not take the blanket with me I didn't find it very soft or cozy for Amelie and opted to take the blankets out of her cot. Overall though I found this bag to be perfect for my holiday. I have loaned it to a friend of a friend now to take on another long haul flight so I look forward to hearing her feedback, which of course I will share with you.

Oh and lastly there is this great zip that runs around the base of the bag revelling a pocket that is just perfect for filling with enough nappies tp last any length trip no matter the delays that might crop up along the way.

Where you can get it:

I purchased my baby moov changing bag from Euro Baby on the second floor of Euro Cycles in Dublin, you can find them at the address below. They also stock quite a good selection of buggies, toys, childrens bikes and trikes and other baby accessories.

Eurocycles
57 South William Street,
Dublin 2, Co. Dublin

 or pick it up online at
http://www.babymoov.eu

Travel Tip # 2

Yesterday we posted a blog and talked about the hug-a-bub. I found it to be very useful when travelling to Australia with Amelie. A good baby sling or carrier is essential when travelling solo with a small baby, especially over long distances. There are a few other things that I feel really helped me on my travels. I discovered a great fabric, portable high chair in the Coco Markets in Dun Laoghaire and took it to Australia with me. I do not know what I would have done without it.

Sack’n seat

What is it:

The sack’n seat is a great invention, a fabric take-anywhere highchair. It secures your baby to any chair so you can feed them anywhere anytime, even in those less than baby friendly restaurants and café’s that don’t have highchairs. By slipping the fabric over the back of a chair and using the two clips to secure it to the chair and around your baby. When the sack’n seat gets dirty, as it most definitely will just throw it in the machine with the rest of your laundry.

Why you need it:

It is absolutely essential when you are travelling, be it a day trip to the Zoo or half way across the world.  When in Australia I spent a lot of time staying with different family members and if they did not have a high chair I could just use the sack’n seat. Waiting in departure lounges in the airport, the sack’n seat was a god sent, all you have to do is slip it over a chair and away you go… feeding time on the go made easy.

Where can you get it:

I purchased Amelie’s sack’n seat from the Coco Markets in Dun Laoghaire. The wonderful ladies from the Mayfly store have a stall there; I assume you can find them in their store also at the address below:

64 Pleasants Place
Camden street
Dublin , 8
+35386 3764189 info@mayfly.ie

www.mayfly.ie

Or find it online at one of my favourite sites

www.ethicalbabe.com

Jetsetting Babies Guide to Dublin South - Review # 6 - Poppies - Dun Laoghaire

A: 7 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire

P: (01) 6336871

W: www.poppies.ie

Poppies is a great little café, restaurant located at the top end of Georges Street quiet close to The People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire. It is just opposite a great babies store called Tiggle (a relatively new addition to stores in Dun Laoghaire).  I frequent Poppies often either with friends who have children or alone with Amelie.

The well-spaced tables allow plenty of room for buggies and high chairs, I have met three other Mums and their children at Poppies on several occasions and found it to be quite comfortable. Like many other places they only have two high chairs so you may have to hold your baby on your lap or leave them in the buggies if you are in a large group. I have also seen a huge number of mothers here with their toddlers and small children it seems to cater for families well.

The food in Poppies is fantastic and uses locally sourced ingredients. I have often called in purely for a nice fair trade coffee and their amazing homemade carrot and walnut cake. Having tasted a good number of things from the menu, I can say I am not so in to the ‘Poppies Chicken’ it looks interesting and impressive with a cornflake and almond topping but as a signature dish I was not blown away, it is a little dry and plain. On the other hand I highly recommend the saucy and flavorsome Shepherd’s Pie served with Avoca style salads or a baked potato. No clear children’s menu but they have a lot of things you would happily feed your kids, what’s more is they have a god selection of fruit available for a healthy snack.

A fun marketing idea and eco-friendly initiative has been adopted by Poppies, they sell their own travel mugs and stainless steel water bottles which they currently have on promotion at 50% off, and I was lucky enough to get the travel mug filled with a hot, creamy take away latte when I last purchased one.

If you didn’t have to place your order and pay your bill at the counter this place would be a little closer to perfect for mothers and babies. They staff are lovely and deliver great service each visit. The next time you need to warm up a little after a trip to the playground in People’s Park poke your head into Poppies and you will leave full, cozy and satisfied.

High Chairs: Y x 2

Childrens Menu: N

Changing Tables: Y

Kids Activities: N

Eco Friendly Tip # 3 – Goodbye Chemicals, Hello Lemons and Lavender

Chemicals are everywhere in the home, when it comes to cleaning it is so easy to go overboard and fill our cupboards with a different spray, gel or soap for every different problem We can become obsessed with disinfecting and sterilising everything.  How healthy can this be for our children? Older generations survived without all the chemicals and cleaning products in fancy, over engineered, heavily packaged plastic bottles and so can we. Here are a few tips to help you eradicate the chemicals from your home and make for a clean, green and healthy environment for your children to grow and play in.

There are some great eco-products on the market and I will dedicate a blog to some of the best ones available in Dublin soon. First I want to go back to the basics and give you a few hints on cleaning the home without chemicals. Baking soda and Vinegar can clean most things and are essential in keeping your home sparkling, lemons can help remove odours and essentail oils can give your home a lovely aroma not sure where to start? Read on for a few handy tips:

To clean chopping boards

Use a cloth and vinegar to disinfect and clean wooden chopping boards

To clean floors

I love to use my H20 steam cleaner on our floors. I give them a quick sweep and then fire it up. It uses steam (no chemicals) to remove dirt and even sterilise my floors. (Ok this isn’t exactly basic but I couldn’t leave it out)

To clean chrome

Use undiluted vinegar to polish clean and shine.

To remove fridge odours

Place 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda in an open container and leave it in the fridge, I also find a few slice of lemon left in the fridge does the trick too.

To remove grease stains in your clothing

Forget expensive satin removers full of chemicals you’ve never even heard of. Either add baking soda to the wash load or pre-treat the stain with a baking soda paste.

To clean counter tops and kitchen surfaces

Sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth, wipe and then rinse with clean water.

Use a couple of drops of lavender oil in water in a spray bottle as a last risnse on your bench tops for a pretty fragrance in your kitchen.

To clean mirrors and glass

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 & a half of water in a spray bottle, and wipe clean with paper or a dry cloth this works so well.

To clean aluminium

Use a solution of cream of tartar and water.

To clean silver

Use toothpaste instead of toxic sliver cleaner to clean silver it will come up really well. If you want to get a great polish on your silver try boiling water with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda in a pan lined with aluminium.

To give your house a lovely smell

Trdae in the 'glade' and chemical infused home fragrances for some essential oils diluted in water I like tea-tree or lavander best. Fresh cut lavander looks stunning and also smells so much better than anythign you can buy in the cleaning isle in the store.

Amelie's 1st Birthday Invitations - Getting crafty with Art and Hobby!

Hello all the Mummies out there, I hope you enjoyed our last review on Tonic in Blackrock. We will keep posting weekly reviews to help you discover all the baby and family friendly cafes and restaurants in Dublin South. If you have missed our reviews go back and read them so far we have posted reviews on:

- Giddy Goose Cafe, Dun Laoghaire

- Sea Green Tea Rooms and Emporium, Monkstown

- Muggs Cafe, Dalkey

- Tonic Restaurant, Blackrock

This a quick blog that might inspire you to do a little arts and craft. If your children are older why not get them involved too. I have fallen in love with the Art & Hobby stores that are in Dun Laoghaire and Blackrock. There is something special about hand made gifts, invitations and cards plus I love to get creative.

Arts & Hobby stores have:
- Excellent children's toys (brightly coloured wooden puzzles and fabric hand puppets are some of my favourite) 
- Endless art supplies for all my creative ideas (some of which I really should complete!)
- Exceptionally friendly staff who always give great advice and excellent service.

Art and Hobby - Blackrock

My latest little project was to make invitations for Amelie's first birthday. I really wanted to do something special for her birthday because she is so special herself.

Here are some photo's of what I did.

 Rubber stamps, blank cards & envelopes, an ink pad and some markers are all you need!

I stamp the cards lightly then go over the outline in a black marker for a better finish

I did the lettering myself but you could print it or stencil it

I put a photo of Amelie in every card and the details of the party.

One more stamp on the envelope and it's all done!

Check out the Art and Hobby stores in your area for some great ideas on how to get crafty. It is fun to have something to work on other than the house work and gets you away from the tv and computer for a few hours in the evening and gets the creative juices flowing. I forgot how much I loved creating things with my hands and I can't wait to get crafty with Amelie as she grows up.

To locate your nearest store why not log on to their website http://www.artnhobby.ie/

Kickstart & Coco Markets in People's Park Dun Laoghaire

Today Amelie and I popped into 'Kickstart' in Peoples Park in Dun Laoghaire to see what all the fuss was about. What a fab day to be had by families. There were bouncy castles and slides, candy floss, arts and crafts and face painters.

Amelie was a little small for all of the activities but had a great time watching all the older kids play. She especially enjoyed watching the juggler and had fun showing off her clapping and waving skills too.

The Coco Farmers Markets were on as usual and we got a few tasty treats, I had a a break from the amazing and addictive duck pies and instead opted for a delicious sausage roll from the 'Lovin Catering' bakery stand.

 

We sat by the water fountains and ate our lunch together. While it was chilly it was a lovely day out and we look forward to next year's kickstart when Amelie can take part in a few more of the activities, until then the swings will keep her amused time and time again!

This was a five star family friendly event, and we look forward to the next one to be held by the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. Keep reading our blogs for event updates and of course more reviews on Dublin cafe's and restaurants. So far we have published reviews on The Giddy Goose and Sea Green Emporium and Tea Rooms...

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Love the Jetsetting babies and their Yummy Mummies

x x x

Review # 2 Sea Green Tea Rooms and Emporium - Jetsetting Babies Guide to Dublin South

Hi Everyone,

We are back this week with our second review, if you missed our first review on the Giddy Goose in Dun Laoghaire be sure to check out our previous blogs. This week we are talking all about a little place in Monkstown that is worth a visit anyday of the week. We would love to hear your views on the places we visited so feel free to get in touch. We have a face book page too of course, be sure to 'like' it to find out more... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jetsetting-Babies-Guide-To/184088134954174

Sea Green Tea Rooms and Emporium

A:       11a – 12a The Crescent

Monkstown

T:       (01)2020130

E:       info@seagreen.ie

W:      http://www.seagreen.ie/

Sea Green was such a hidden treasure and not a place we discovered until sometime into our search for the Jetsetting Babies Guides most family friendly cafe in Dublin's South. A friend mentioned that during her first few weeks home from the hospital she would pop down daily for  walk to sea green and get a great take away latte. We heard… 'great latte' and were there in a flash. So impressed we were that our search slowed for a little as we found it hard to drag ourselves away. Vintage wooden highchairs with the softest cushions for the babies are a photo op in themselves, but there are only three so you will have to be quick. Ample parking space for buggies, a changing table and even a supply of organic baby food will see coffee melt into lunch, lunch into coffee and coffee into “oh no I have to get home and get the dinner on.”  The coffee, the homemade scones and the hot chocolates are to die for. The salads we found to be a bit hit and miss but there are plenty of other tasty soups, sandwiches and homemade meals that you will be more than satisfied. The staff are very friendly and accomodating, they are patient with children and make a cute babychino (a little heavy on the chocolate in my opinion for a baby but for toddlers and up it's a go.) With a cute shop where you can find excellent boutique gifts, designer clothing and shoes, you will be dreaming of going back for seconds the moment you leave. What’s more if you don’t have time to browse their store while you dine, check out their website once your kids are in bed and treat yourself to some great online shopping.

High chairs              Y

Baby Changing         Y

Children’s Menu        Y

Kids Activities           Children's vintage style toys for sale 

With love, Angi Tara and the Jetsetting Babies

A lovely Christmas decoration Tara picked up in Sea Green Emporium for Amelie as her first Christmas decoration, isn't it gorgeous!

xxx

Mama Loves, Baby Loves

There is such a variety of products on the market aimed at Mums, mums to be and babies… I of course get bedazzled by them all. One thing I did want though was something more natural. I became very mindful about what I put on my skin. Skin is the largest organ that we have, and everything we put on it gets absorbed in to our blood stream. I didn't want to add something to my skin that may possibly get in to my little bundle of love.

MAMA TARA LOVES: One of the best products I can recommend is almond oil. It is great at preventing stretch marks and for keeping your body lovely and hydrated. Also Vitamin E oil is great. Most pharmacies carry these. For my face I use Dr Haushka, their mud mask was great at keeping my skin clear. It can be a little pricey but I pick it up on e-bay at half the price. I also use their cleanser and their moisturizer quince day cream. Any eye cream with light reflecting particles in it will be a god sent for those days where you are running on no sleep. I use Nivea light reflecting eye cream. My make-up bag is very small, but I have a few key items I could never live without. I can put my make up on in the morning in 5mins flat.

If I have had a partially bad night I will use a dab of tinted moisturizer (Olay do a great one). I use it around my nose chin and forehead. I use YSL touché de clat under my eyes. Hoola bronzer by benefit applied with a big brush to the temples, under the cheek bones and the jaw line. I also sweep it down my neck. Curling your eye lashes makes your eyes look more awake. I usually add a dark navy eye liner to the top of my eyes. The blue brings out the whites in your eyes. Lastly mascara.

I always feel better with a tan, but so many of them are so full of chemicals so I searched everywhere and found a great one called True Bronze by Hamilton. It’s an Australian brand but again you can get it on the internet. It has walnut extract in it, which is a natural food dye. I found it had a pleasant smell and gave a natural even looking tan. One thing I would advise against is perfume (at least for the first 6 months of your little one’s life). They know us by our scent so by putting perfume on they are going to get confused. I even use a deodorant that is scent free.

BABY DYLAN LOVES: Ooh I just love baby products they look so cute and I wanted to buy everything for him. However DJ has very dry skin and is very sensitive. For the first 6 weeks of his life I used warm water and cotton wool for wiping his bum. I only stopped because his nappies got decidedly worse, and we needed to move on to something more heavy duty. So I use pampers sensitive. Almond oil again is just amazing and he loves it when I massage him before bed time with it. It’s also great for cradle cap. You just brush it out in the morning. Silcox base is also good for their dry skin. Vaseline is a great protector to put on their sensitive bums as a barrier. Sudocrem is good for nappy rash. Hamilton also does a great sunblock for a baby that’s good for sensitive baby skin. That’s about all I use on him. I had to change our washing powder too. He was getting very itchy and I couldn't understand why, until the Dr recommended changing our washing powder. There are some great eco-friendly ones that are very kind to the skin as well as the environment. Fairy non bio is also very good for sensitive skin. Just use half the amount you would usually use.

 

MAMA ANGI LOVES: Tara has taught me a huge amount about products for my face and body. Before I met her I did not really think about what I used all that much (which is strange because I am extremely conscious about the ingredients that go into my food, where those ingredients come from and how eco-friendly those ingredients, I point blank refuse to buy things with too much packaging) I was amazed that I had over-looked this area in my life, I only bought what I needed that was in budget. Needless to say I have been experimenting with new products trying to find more natural, ethical products that work on my skin. In some area’s I’ve had luck in others the search continues…  I love the Simple range and use a lot of their products. Wherever possible they exclude parabens, petrochemicals, alcohol, perfume and colours which are some of the biggest causes of skin irritation for Mothers and Babies. It seems they put in the bare minimum and still manage to achieve great results. I use the ‘Kind to skin facial wipes,’ and the ‘Deep cleansing face mask.’ I love the body shop for so many reasons. They do a rebate on packaging so you get product for recycling which means you can feel good you are doing a little something for mother earth every time you use their products. The have an amazing cleansing shower gel which I am hooked on. It is Divine Calm, made with French lavender, community trade camomile and essential oils. It is so relaxing and refreshing, it helps me wash away any anxieties I might be having about what I am going to try to get done that day along with any worries and concerns so I can start each day fresh and relaxed… if you ask me that’s good for Mamma and good for Bubby!

BABY AMELIE LOVES

I had a wonderful midwife in Holles Street Hospital. Amelie was born five days late with extremely cracked and dry skin, it was quite distressing for me. The midwife advised me that it was quite common for babies born late to have this problem. She kept me calm and gave me a few tips on helping Amelie’s skin recover.  Firstly she asked me to discard all the gallons of products we had been given as gifts or bought ourselves thinking it is what we would need when Amelie arrived. Secondly she recommended that we bath Amelie using only water for as long as possible and add a little chamomile tea to the water. This alternated with a little silcox base worked wonders for clearing up her dry skin and was also very calming. After her bath each night we massage her body with organic olive oil. When she is teething and has a nappy rash I put a dab of Sudocrem to clear it up but otherwise I only use Vaseline. I try to avoid wipes wherever possible and use cotton wool and water, if I have to use wipes for outings or very dirty nappies I like the Huggies Pure wipes with no purfumes petrochemicals or alcohol.

Hope this helps a little,

Tara, Angi and the Jetsetting Babies

xoxo