I think we may now have offically seen the last of the summer and I am fine with that after a great first one with my boy! The paddling pool has been deflated and the bucket & spade put away until next year… We did manage to squeeze in a few last adventures and a family night away {kind of} which I thought I’d fill you in on below.
{Glenroe Farm}
This was a late comer to the list and off we went one sunny Sunday. It was more for nostalgia sake we visited the farm and I was a little sceptical and it has a relatively pricey admission fee but overall the nostalgia won me over. It’s a simple set up and definitely aimed at the tourist side of things wth some of the attractions in some need of a spruce up.. However I liked the open farm format so you could get up close to the animal and the playground is decent too. There are picnic tables dotted around but we decided to stop off at our fav spot The Delgany en route home for a cuppa and large slice of cake!
{Malahide Castle/Gardens}
I headed out here with my mum and her friend after an ikea pit stop on a very warm Thursday. It was just what was needed after an ikea dash. We sat outside in Avoca and ate our overpriced plates of salad but enjoyed wandering the shop afterwards. We then strolled around the castle grounds and headed for the village where we stopped in a local cafe to give Josh his bottle then headed back on the road home. I think it’s a lovely day out and if you start at the castle and then wander down to the village via the playground it’s a perfect family activity for the day!
{Seafield-Wexford}
We had planned this family night away for a few months and managed to get a deal so off we headed a few Sundays ago. We set off on a sunny day stopping off at the delightful Wexford Lavender Farm for a sweet treat and lunch for Josh. This is a fairly new attraction near Gorey and whilst the playground needs a few more bits and bobs they have a very cool looking quad bike train ride, free of charge that kids seemed to love! The cafe is a lovely addition with delicious home baked cakes and the waft of lavender was very soothing in the sunshine. We arrived at Seafield a little before check in so left our bags, including Josh’s swim ring and headed down the beach walk to the sea. A really nice stroll to a pretty beach spot. Josh loved playing in the sand and as check in time approached we decided to head back and take a dip in the pool to wash off our sandy toes and before nap time. It was not to be, as we went to collect our bags and asked the direction to the pool we were told that Josh was not allowed into the pool area. We were stumped-it was one of the main reasons we had decided on the trip, fun family time in a nice pool as Josh loves to splish splash! So we made an executive decision and decided to not check in at all and return to diblin. We stopped via the lovely Ballymoney Village Cafe for some more cake and then hit the road. I felt awful for the little man even though he was totally unaware of the whole escapade. A take away and a glass of wine for mama and dada was required on return and a lesson learnt to check policy before our next family night away!
{itsa IMMA}
A few people had mentioned this as a great spot for kids so after our disastrous seafield trip we had the Monday free, the sun was shining so we headed off for a spot of lunch. Monday was probably not the best day to go as the museum was closed but they have lovely gardens too.
{Powerscourt Waterfall}
Finally, we got an afternoon here with friends for a weekend BBQ/picnic. We had been earlier in the year for an annual Good Friday tradition but this time it was a little warmer if not as sunny. It’s such a beauty spot and with a few sausies, toes dipped in the river and a swing in the playground it was time to finally say goodbye to our summer adventures and look forward to what autumn will bring!
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As I recently wrote we are working through a list of things I want to do with Josh before the summer is out. Here is some of the places and things we have done so far…
{Airfield Farm}
We are regular coffee goers to Airfield but decided to visit the farm for their mid summer festival which was Victorian themed with the highlight for us being the teddy bears picnic. We started by taking a walk around the extensive, beautiful gardens and visited all the themed events throughout the estate. We then headed to the teddy bears picnic for a song song and finished with a slice of Victoria sponge overlooking the wonderful house and gardens. A really lovely family day out. Admission is 10 euro per adult and kids under 2 go free. We are considering the annual pass as it would work out good value as a regular and because we love close by too.
{Brittas Bay}
We headed off to Brittas on a last minute whim one Sunday. We had just returned from a night away and wanted to spend some fun time with the boy. We travelled down the day of the bray air show so traffic wasn’t the best but got down under the hour. It was a perfect weather day for the beach for Josh, warm but not too sunny. We played in the sand, dipped our toes in the water and I even got in for a swim! On our return we did an obligatory stop for Wexford strawberries too. Our poor boy was a little warm in the car and cried most of the way home which is very unlike him but after a cool bath and a cuddle he was back to his usual happy self. A great cheap day for some summer fun.
{The Zoo}
This was an addition to the list as I realised how much Josh would enjoy it as the months went on and some of our list as the summer went by, I also knew may not be completed. We were lucky to get on the guest list as it can be quite a pricey day out. We set off on a blustery summers day and arrived about lunchtime-probably the busiest time to visit. Luckily we got to skip the queue.. We went to all the main animal sites and we were lucky enough to see the new baby elephant. Josh seemed to know he was on a ‘day out’ as he squealed with delight as we brought him from place to place. He seemed fascinated by the giraffes and before we left we bought him an elephant teddy as a first visit memento. It’s a great day out, possibly for older kids but you could easily spend a small fortune and I’d say early morning is the best time to visit too!
{Glendalough}
We set off on a sunny summer Sunday up the hills to this beauty spot. It’s about an hour from where we live but well worth the trip. It’s such a pretty spot, perhaps not the best of destinations for Josh but he thought it was hilarious that as we set off to look for the lake walk the heavens opened and a summer shower soaked mama & dada whilst he was happy out under his rain cover. We never did find the route and the ruins are not very buggy friendly but would be a great trip for older kids. We stopped in Clodagh’s in Laragh on her way back for a cuppa and a wedge of delicious lemon drizzle. A really nice family day out!
Next up before summer is out we hope to get to Kilruddery Farm, Mount Usher & Malahide Castle. Dalkey island for a picnic would be great too if we get a return of good weather!
Mummy Moments 