Change is as good as a Holiday

This weekend while I will not be jestsetting away with Tara and Dylan I am looking for a bit of fun in Dublin that will distract me from the fact that we are not going too. As the saying goes, a change is as good as a holiday so I am going to change my Sunday routine and discover something new!
Each Sunday Amelie and I walk down to the Coco Markets in Dun Laoghaire but this weekend we will be heading into town to Peas and Pods an indoor market hidden away just off Cork Street in New Market Square.

According to the web-site this is a family friendly, indoor market with over 30 stalls selling hand made clothing, wooden and fabric toys and tasty food. The web-site totally convinced me to go, check it out for yourself....  

www.peasandpods.ie

 

Plus there are loads of fun activities for children including 'Nimah at Peas + Pods stall' with artist Niamh Sharkey doodling and selling some of her painting, 'Mini Jam' sessions to encourage toddlers to dance and a 'sling meet' to be held by Baby Wearing Ireland at 1pm. I can not wait to load Amelie into the hug a bub and get in and meet some other mothers who love to carry their babies too. I took Amelie to do the groceries in the sling today and she is nearly getting to big for it so maybe I will get some tips on carrying slightly older babies in slings... fingers crossed.

There will also be some fundraising going on for Bernardo's, and we all know how much we love the Toy Library, so not only should it be a fun day out but we can support a charity we love! 

Hope to see you there,

Love The Yummy Mummies and the Jetsetting Babies

xxx

Travel Tip # 1

Hi Everyone,

Recently a friend of our asked us to come to coffee to have a chat with a friend of theirs. She was about to embark on a long haul flight to New Zealand with her 9 month old baby girl.  Knowing that I had completed the long haul flight Australia with Amelie and that Tara had jetsetted all over with baby Dylan she was keen for any tips we could give her. We thought that we could share some of our travel tips with you.  

                                            

We thought that we would begin by sharing with you some information on three items that I found to really took the pressure off when I travelled unaided (without the husband that is) to Australia with Amelie. We were in transit for 30 hours and each of these items made me feel confident before I left that I was fully prepared to make the journey. Having confidence and feeling prepared was wonderful and calming, I believe that a calm mummy equals a calm baby and I really enjoyed the adventure I shared with my baby girl.

Today we will tell you about the first item, the next day the second item and information on the third item will follow on the third day, makes sense right? On Friday we will post our top ten travel tips for mothers travelling alone with small babies. I hope that what we share with you will give you confidence to travel with your babies and the calmness to enjoy the journey not just the destination.

Essential Jetsetting Item #1

Hug-a-bub

What is it:

The Hug-a-bub baby sling that is made from 100% natural and organic cotton with an ergonomic design. It allows you to carry your baby horizontally (great for breastfeeding mums) and vertically. I wore it every day when Amelie was small and when I was in 30hours in transit to Australia I could not have lived without it.  The sling is one long piece of fabric that secures your baby against your body so snug with excellent head and neck support for babies from birth.  It does not strain your back or shoulders like other slings and baby carriers I have tried. My Mum gave me this as a gift when Amelie was just two weeks old. I used it then and still use it now that she a year old.

Why you need it:

I travelled from Dublin, Ireland to Adelaide, Australia on my own with Amelie when she was 8 months old. I had to carry my hand luggage, documents and Amelie all on my own. The hug-a-bub allows you to have both hands free all the time while you carry your baby. It also allows you to bend down without your baby coming away from your body. It is only a piece of fabric so if you are not using it, it is very light to carry and does not add too much to your baggage limit. It promotes closeness with your baby from a young age so they just love it and come to know that hug-a-bub time means relaxing time with their Mummy. Any time Amelie gets in the hug-a-bub even now at a year old she either sleeps or knows she is going to share a peaceful relaxing time with me. It is just like the most amazing cuddle in the world.

Where can you get it:

The Hug-a-bub is designed in Australia you can purchase it online from the website

http://www.hugabub.com/

You can also find a full list of stockists from around the world on the website.

The following are stockists in Ireland:

Ecoshop Limited
+353 1 287 2914
Meridian Point, Greystones,
Co Wicklow

Pearl
+358 86 389 3657
30a South King Street
DUBLIN