Sunrise Childrens Festival @ St Bridget's Garden

We recently set off to experience the Sunrise Children's Festival at St Bridget's Garden in Co Galway.  It was the first of this festival and it did not disappoint.  It was a weekend event.  Full days of children's activities on Saturday and Sunday. To attend the festival it was 140e this included free camping on the Saturday night.  We arrived at St Bridget's Garden at about 1pm on the Saturday.  

We had to head straight to the camping site to set up our tent for the night.  The camp site was already really full and we had to keep our spot firmly before another family claimed it.  If there was one piece of advise for the organiser's I would give, it would be to let people head to the venue the night before on the Friday evening to set up.  Setting up camp on the Saturday takes time with smallies, hence time out of enjoying the activities on the day with the children.  







When our tent was ready, beds blown up and all unpacked we made the short walk to the festival.  The festival was fabulous for children.  There was an itinerary given to each family on arrival and you could visit each area to experience what you wanted with the family.  The earthy arts and crafts really inspired my girls.  








The craft leaders were very patient and helped each child no matter what age  to produce a lovely piece.  Crafts the girls made included stick instruments, twig disco sticks and wood fairies.  We watched bands, puppet shows, magicians, held bearded dragons and met The BFG to name but a few. We finished up on Sunday evening at the kiddies disco which had an enthusiastic girl showing all the children dance moves.  Just what they needed to keep up the atmosphere.





A highlight for us was the parade on the Saturday evening which led to the bonfire and fire dancers.  It was dress up as 'Superheroes and Goddesses'.  The girls loved this.  It was very well run and enjoyed by all.  

Points to think of - Please open the camping site on the Friday evening.  It would make the whole experience a lot more relaxed if we could set up on the Friday evening and enjoy a full weekend of camping. 

 
                     



  -A bit yuck but necessary sorry....Bring a camping travel toilet with you.  The power was down a few times over the weekend and the main loos were closed.  I brought a camping toilet because I am in the throws of toilet training with my youngest so it is just easier to have it close by.  You will understand if you have toilet trained a 2 and 5 month child before!! After experiencing a camping children's festival I will never go to a festival again without it!!

                             -The cafe could open earlier on Sunday morning for breakfast.  There was a huge queue waiting at 9am in the rain to get in.  We all know young children wake early, and in a tent they wake even earlier and want to be fed.  

All in all a great weekend away that was all about the children experiencing art and culture.  Well done St Bridget's Garden.  My girls loved it.  We really enjoyed it too.  I hope it becomes an annual children's festival.  It was a sold out festival on both days which goes to show that parents in Ireland want family entertainment and festivals.    

Thanks for reading. If you were there let me know what you enjoyed about the event.

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Thanks for reading,

Orla Xx

My Favourite Family Places

My Favourite Family Places

I (Orla) am based in Co Limerick.  I decided to write a short blog on my favourite family places in Co Limerick.  There are four playgrounds/parks in Limerick that I feel are really excellent. They truly are worth a visit and feel lucky to have them on my doorstep in Co Limerick.

The first playground I would like to mention is the Adare Playground in The Manor Fields, Adare.  This is a super playground.  It has sand, a digger in the sand, a zip line, climbing frames, balance beams, cubby house, hammock, swings, slides, tunnels and picnic benches.  It is both enjoyable for adults and children and is very clean. I have spent many days there!

The second playground/park I would highly recommend is The Croom Playground.  There is a lovely playground there with a seesaw, slides, climbing frames and swings.  On looking the playground is an amazing restaurant/café called The Riverside.  Great to grab a takeaway coffee in before heading down to the playground.  They do a fabulous Sunday lunch also.  The playground is situated on a park that runs alongside the River Maigue.  There are tarmac paths perfect for bikes and buggies.  At the end of the park is a insect hotel, the kids love it.  It is surrounded by a wildflower meadow. You could spend the day in Croom, give it a go, it will not disappoint.

The third playground I want to tell you about is Currachase Playground and Park.  I love this park.  There is so much to do!  You set off on the loop around the beautiful lake, first you meet the ducks and amazing swans.  You can climb into the forest up the steps and discover hidden gems. Climb the fallen trees then head to the playground where there are climbing frames and swings.  There are other longer bike and walking/running trails set out, you just have to follow the map.  Bring a picnic you will want to spend the whole day here.  You can always try out the new café in Currachase called De Veres.  The barrier is now up in Curraghchase at weekends since the café opened.  It is a an amazing free facility! Give it a go.  It just keeps getting better every time I go back!

Just last week I finally got around to visiting Castleconnell Fairy Woods.  I heard it was an amazing place to visit with the kids. It is located on the river walk just left of he playground in Caastleconnell..  We arrived at the car park at 11am and didn't leave until 3pm.  It was just fantastic there.  The weather was good, so we set off to the forest walk first to try and find some fairies.  We stumbled across them very easily and the girls couldn't get enough of it.  They were so captivated by the fairies and their houses, their washing line, their beach house and finally the fairies blue castle where everyone drops their doodies in; to give them up for good.  The fairy takes the doodies! Brilliant Idea!! Personally it took us getting a large trampoline to get rid of the doodie at bedtime!! If only i'd known! You can walk along the forest and the long bridge, then after head back to the playground and have a small picnic.  It was a super day out with the family, we all really enjoyed it! we will certainly be back in the future.

Is there any places you just love to visit with your family?  We would love to hear.

Thanks for reading

Orla & Kerri xx

Don't forget you can keep up to date with Countryside Mumsie on our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Craggaunowen - Weekend Fun!

Morning,

Recently we visited Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and had such a great time we decided to venture to Craggaunowen in Quin, Co Clare. I think I remember being on a school tour to Craggaunowen many moons ago so I was dying to check it out again and I was sure the whole family would enjoy it.

Craggaunowen is a reconstruction of a Bronze Age site with prehistoric lake dwellings called Crannogs, early Christain ring fort, Iron Age roadway and a replica of the Brendan Boat which is a sixth century vessel. There is also a restored 16th century tower house.

As you make your way around the various attractions there are people acting out what life was like in this era. They show the crowds how they cooked, what they ate, how they made clothes and the weapons they used. This was a lovely bonus and captured my 3 years old attention. It was very informative and done in an interesting manner. They invite people and children to participate.

There is a forest walk around Craggaunowen so bring the willies! We forgot ours and got a bit on the mucky side acting like Peppa Pig!  There are loads of rocks to jump off in the forest which is how my three year old would spend her day if we let her! :-)

There is also a castle to explore which was built in 1550. If you are lucky you will spot some Soay Sheep and wild boar which are all specimens of the prehistoric era.  Craggaunowen has a great tea room and picnic area to enjoy. It is open daily from 10am to 5pm during the summer. A family ticket will set you back a modest €21.50. A great price for a great day out!

Give it a go and let me know what you think!?

Don't forget to follow us on facebook @ Countryside Mumsie Blog and also Instagram @ countryside_mumsie

Orla & Kerri Xx

Free Fun Friday-Arts&Crafts

Hey Mums,

Welcome to our 'Free Fun Friday'.

Hope you pick up some great free fun ideas for the family. Today's 'Free Fun Friday' idea is flower collages. Hope you enjoy!

With all the beautiful nature available to us in our gardens and in the wild at the moment I decided to give flower collages a go. It went down great with my girls holding their attention and they had lots of fun. We got our baskets out and went collecting flowers and leaves. We went around our own garden and then down the road to see what the hedges could offer us. There were giggles and running, grabbing and throwing but by the time we got home we had lots of colourful flowers and leaves to create a great collage.

The girls decided to make a card for Granny and a mask for Grandad. I find if they are making something for someone and I make a big deal of delivering it in an envelop after it keeps them really focused. They love getting attention for their hard work.

All we needed besides the flowers was glue, cardboard and I bought blank face masks at Mr Price. 

The girls loved creating their pieces for their grandparents and it was a lovely activity keeping them busy and entertained.  The odd bug came out of the flowers which were investigated too!

I usually put on background music while they are partaking in arts and crafts it creates a nice atmosphere; the album that was on was 'Now Disney Princess'. Great album for any princesses in your life! To be honest I love it too;-)

Give it a go, post some pics if you try it!  I would love to see them!

Last thing I just want to mention is this weekend's 'Crooms Party In The Park'

Weekend Family Fun in Croom, Co Limerick

'Croom Party in the Park' in Co Limerick is taking place this weekend. It is celebrating the official opening of the Croom Town Park.  The Croom Park and Playground is looking amazing. This is sure to be a great family day out. On Saturday from 1pm there are bouncy castles,face painting, food and craft village, animal road show, train rides, crazy golf, giant jenga and entertainment for all the family. 2e wristbands admits one child to all activities which are available to purchase on the day.

Don't forget to follow us on facebook @Countryside Mumsie Blog.

On instagram we are countryside_mumsie

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Orla and Kerrixxx

Style Saturday: Dublin Horse Show

The Style, The Hat's and The Gúna's

As we are currently in the middle of Dublin House Show, we thought it would be appropriate to do a post on the style, the hats and the gúna's (dresses in Irish). It has been a couple of years since I went myself, unfortunately its not the chosen place for a play date :( , but I still watch it on TV each year and love to keep on eye on the style. So without further ado, these are my top picks of this year's ladies day.



So the winners.....

Out of these four ladies, my favourite is Sarah Cass (3rd from left). Sarah won the Longines Elegance  is an attitude award. I love the pastel colours of this Ted Baker coat in Distinguishing Rose Print. It was part of the Sping '15 collection as was the matching dress worn underneath. This rose print was also available in various other items, including a scarf and gorgeous A line skirt. Her hat was a creation by the fabulous Jennifer Wyrnn; you just can't beat Irish creations. Browse her website now

My second favourite was first on left, Linda Malone. Wearing a stunning red kevan jon dress from one of my favourite shops, Vanilla in Fermoy, Co.Cork. This is the same shop where Alex Butler (Galway Races Ladies Day Winner) purchased her dress. You can cheek out their facebook page here. Her hat was from an LA milliner Miss G designs. 

Others that caught my eye...

 Judge on the day, Pippa O'Connor went for an elegant and simply look. Wearing a Kearn Millen dress she added colour with accessories and another fabulous Jennifer Wrynn head piece. 

These ladies reminded me of a Carrie Bradshaw inspired outfit so I instantly loved them! Don't you agree?









While there was plenty more style on show in the RDS, these were my top picks of Ladies Day 2015. Hope you enjoyed them.

And before we go, A huge Congratulations must be said to the Irish Team who yesterday, Friday, won the Aga Khan Trophy. Terrific news, well done to everyone involved. The Dublin Horse Show is always a great event and when the trophy goes to Ireland it makes it all the better. 

Thanks for reading. We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on our blog. 

Keep in touch through our social media accounts facebook and instagram.

Have a great Saturday 

Kerri and Orla xx

Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

Hey Everyone,

For a family day out recently we went to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. My girls are big into princesses at the moment, from dressing up to role plays so you can imagine their excitement when we told them we were going to a princess castle!?! Now we didn't actually see a princess but we did get to walk around the castle, see her bedroom, her banquet hall, her tower and even her dungeon! After the castle tour we walked around the folk park.

 We enjoyed looking at a reconstructed village of Irish life over a century ago. There are many fun attractions to go see including an old school house, doctors surgery, post office and Irish cottages. What added to the enjoyment was the costumed characters that bring the village to life such as the constable. There are animals for the children to enjoy including two Irish Wolfhounds which love being rubbed and having their photos taken. There is also a great playground with swings, climbing frames in the shape of castles and boats, zip line and sand, every child's dream!

 I used my Toddler Tula to carry my youngest (17 months) as the winding staircases would have been too hard to keep her safe on if she walked herself. My 3 year old enjoyed walking herself and was safe doing so with her dad minding her. I would recommend leaving the buggy behind and bringing a baby carrier so momma and baby can thoroughly enjoy the experience.

There are other family days out that are under the Shannon Heritage umbrella which I really want to try visit with my family. You can purchase a one year membership ticket to all the Shannon Heritage attractions. You can use them as much as you want for the year. I think this is fantastic. The attractions you can visit on this membership include Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, King John Castle, Craggaunowen, Knappogue Castle and Gardens, Dunguire Castle, Brian Boru Heritage Centre.

To purchase this membership click on http://www.shannonheritage.com/Membership/PublicMembership/

Click on this link for Bunratty Castles latest news and updates 
https://m.facebook.com/bunrattycastlefolkpark

My next Shannon Heritage day out will be Craggaunowen, we are looking forward to it already!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook @Countryside Mumsie Blog and Instagram@ Countryside_mumsie

Enjoy your weekend!

Orla & Kerri xx

Free Fun Friday

Welcome to the first edition of 'Free Fun Friday'. Here we hope to bring you some great FREE fun ideas, for the family and for mums alone. Today's 'Free Fun Friday' idea is.......drum roll please......a whole family fun activity........... Geocatching!! 

The three of us are always up for an adventure in the great outdoors, whether it's the beach, the woods or the lovely countryside around us. When a few months back we stumbled across the idea of geocaching we just HAD to give it a go. What in God's name is Grocaching I hear you ask? : Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Sounds great doesn't it!

We downlaoded the app  from here, found a geo catch nearest to our house and got ready to set out to find it! 

Dad and I were very excited about at the prospect of a real life treasure hunt, we both loved them as kids! However...we weren't convinced DS (Darling Son) would share our enthuaism....we needed to step this treasure hunt up a notch. 

Out comes good old reliable pintrest, where I found super ideas. I loved the kids treasure hunts ideas I found so I mixed and matched a few ideas and Ahoy there Maties to a super piriate loving treasure hunt. Similar one found here.

Off to a near by woods we headed, armed with a checklist of items we needed to find,a telescope, a compass,  a sword, welliies, a crayon, the geo caching app and bucket loads of enthuasism!

Having found the geo cach quite easily we concenrtated on ticking off our treasure hunt requirements, after a great walk in the woods, lots of games and make believe we emerged with our treasure! The only thing left was to bury it!

Off to the beach to bury the treasure! A big hole was dug and in went the treasure (all bar two sticks), covered it back over, got the sticks and DS very proudly placed them as 'X' marks the spot!!

This was a super fun afternoon of adventure. I was so glad we had made it fun for all three of us. The geocaching app is great for adults and the pirate themed worked briliant for our son. And the best thing of all....it was completely FREE!! We have since gone on many more geo catching adventurous both at home in Cork and around the country. So heres to many more geocach pirate adventures.

Why don't you give it a go this long weekend? 'Don the wellie boots and pirate eye patch and off you go! If you do we would love to hear how it goes! 

'X' marks the spot of the buried treasure 

If your around the Cork area and feeling like a little more refined 'Free Fun' this weekend be sure to cheek out The John Saul Picnic and Vintage Fair at the Castlemartyr Resort. Kids are free as is parking, adults are €5, but I believe proceeds go to a local charity. It's on Bank Holiday Monday and if last year's is anything to go by, we are in for a treat. It's a super family day out. We shall be there, picnic at the ready, if you are there be sure to give a wave and say hi. 

Have  a great weekend everyone xxxxx

Love Kerri and Orla xx