Category Archives: Uncategorized

I am Sleepless Nights & Schoolbags Mum

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​Hello Ladybelles.
It’s been a funny old week here at S-Mumblehill.

I feel like it’s been 16 days since Monday.  I’m knackered.
Monday was apparently officially the shittiest day of the year.  I don’t usually believe this crap but by 8.50am I was agreeing out loud with the radio presenter as I pulled into the school carpark. “YES. Yes it fucking well IS the shittiest day of the year. And it’s not even 9am.”
  Mini-Me had been up for yet ANOTHER full fecking night, PLAYING in her room and setting up weird little messy shrines in the fricken hall.  “Oh she’s imaginative” said one of my colleagues in a futile attempt to comfort me.  My reply…”Well she can be imaginative without creeping around the flipping house at 3am, making an unholy fucking MESS of random crap in my hallway, just outside my bedroom door thank you very much.”
 I’d taken great pleasure in bouncing into her bedroom at 7am, turning on the light and singing “Good morning Beautiful. It’s time for schooooool!” (That’ll teach you you little night creeper.) I was prepared for a grumpy little Gollum who would pull the covers up in protest and be like a bag of bitches all day.  I WAS NOT prepared for the little face glaring up at me, COVERED in blue.  She had drawn ALL OVER her feckin face in blue crayon and both she, AND the pillow, were like something that smurfville had puked up.💙💙
Cue meltdown central, for both of us… Me trying to keep cool and not scream at her and FAILING miserably; her trying to remember wtf was on her face that was making Mammy so mental at Stupid O’Clock…and Princess crawling at my leg shouting “nonononono! ah! Ah! Ah! AH!”

So off I trotted to class, feeling shite at having lost my cool and sent her off to school probably still covered in blue crayon.
#Twatmum.
 The rest of the week has been busy and filled with MANY stressful bedtimes, where she’s been up, still wide awake until after 10pm.  I have NOOOOO IDEA what is going on. She’s usually so good at bedtime, so this is weird and I PRAY it’s only a phase.  I tried letting her have some chill out time in her bedroom before bed.  Didn’t work.  She just made a complete mess.  I’ve even had to lock my bedroom door as she was in there last night and left a trail of my fricken Chanel lippy on the wall. Cheers love.  I’m going to do it back to her you know.  When she is old enough to have nice stuff, I am going to draw all over her bathroom mirror with her favourite lippy.  So there.
So today, I’ve opted for the good old faithful Fresh air stunt.  I let her run wild on Fahan beach, 👇👇👇👇 (my ABSOLUTE favourite spot in the world.  AN hour there can fix all the world’s problems!), and then directed her towards the trampoline for half an hour when we got home.  I’m afraid to look down the hall, but I have a small notion that she MIGHT just be asleep, WITHOUT any hallway adventures.


Fingers crossed. 😂
I am confident that she shall sleep like a cherub until 7am and that I shall NOT break my ankle tripping over a fortress of lego and naked dolls outside the bedroom door.  Then, she shall awaken from her slumber and the bad tempered, exhausted, emotional wreck demon I’ve had here all week, shall be replaced by my smiling, perfect little angel… hugely confident.

Well confident enough.


And incase anyone doubts that I’ve lost my shit altogether, here’s my #mammyfuckup of the week…  I sent her to school today WITHOUT HER SCHOOLBAG.
Yup.

Do you think I deserve a wee grape? 😒😒


Make me feel better supermums.

What was your #Mammyfuckup of the week? 😂

I am So Here’s my Translation Mum

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​Have a read at the extract from 1950 Home Economics Book below. 👇👇👇👇👇

Then read my 2017 translation.😈😈😈
Have Dinner Ready.
Plan ahead, even the night before, to have some sort of food in the house for your family, possibly including your husband, not because you have been thinking about him or give a continental shite about his needs, but because YOU need food so he might as well get fed too.  Most men are hungry when they get home, but most men are well able to get their own feckin dinner, and make you some while they’re at it.
Prepare yourself
Take a 15 minutes rest if you can. Or, sneeze so your eyes close briefly.  Just make sure you remove the key from inside the front door so he doesn’t waken you with the doorbell as he lets himself into the house.

Your man should think you’re the prettiest thing he’s ever seen, even when you haven’t worn makeup for 5 days, stink like a badger’s arse and have forgotten what a razor looks like.  If he suggests putting a ribbon in your hair or spraying perfume, threaten to bobbit him with said ribbon, spray the perfume in his eyes and use a pointy stiletto to give his day a little lift. Smile gayly while doing so.  It’ll make his day more interesting and less boring.
Clear away the Clutter.
If you can make it from one end of the living room to the other without stepping on lego or tripping on a Paw Patrol weeble,  your house is perfect.  Tidying everything up before he gets home only leads to a false impression that the kids have NOT destroyed EVERYTHING on sight since 7am.  Reality is good.  The messier the house, the more chance there is that He will run you a bath, or pour you a gin, realising what kind of afternoon/day you must have had with his Holy Terrors.  Your Husband will probably not notice either way as he’ll be too busy answering very important emails or catching up on Bookface to give a crap.  If he wants a haven of rest and order, he can just give you a hand to lift everything off the floor.

Equal rights and all that.
Prepare the Children
Do try to wash the children’s hands and faces, if only to avoid spaghetti bolognese stains on your duvets. Do not attempt to comb hair in the evening, unless you are really in the mood for a screaming match.  Do not under any circumstances change their clothes.  Feck that. You’re just creating more washing for your bottomless basket. Actually, remove their clothes before dinner and cover them in bin bags. You might even get another day out of their outfits if you’re really clever.  They are his little treasures, so let him play the part. Piss off to the cinema with your mamma squad and let Him do bath time and bedtime. Let’s see how much clutter has been lifted by the time you get home eh?
Minimise all noise.
Scrap this.  Turn on all appliances before he arrives home, just to emphasise your absolute busy-mummy-ness, because unless he sees it being done, he often won’t realise it’s been done!  Let the children scream and shout at each other, turn up the Tellybox and any other devices and do not attempt to hush them.  Actually, if you are heading out shopping or to a sewing class, give them sugar before you leave. Greet him with a warm smile, be glad to see him and run out that fecking door as fast as your feet can carry you.
Some Don’ts
Don’t greet him with problems or complaints.  Wait until he is having his dinner and the kids are listening and casually remind him of what you’ve asked him 309 times to do already.

Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner. It’s him who’ll have to eat it cold, not you. Why give a hoot? Save complaintsnor ranting for after the kids have gone to bed, so you swear more effectively. Men love a passionate woman who knows her mind.  If his day can trump being covered in poonami, screamed at incessantly by a teething toddler or puked on 3 times, then in fairness, be nice.  And then tell him he needs to change jobs.
Make him comfortable.
Indeed, wait until he’s comfortable before telling him the bin needs to go out. Stomp about screaming “Fine then I’ll  do ot myself!” Until he gets up to do it…  If you catch him lying down in the bedroom while there are still children at large, throw a cold drink over him and tell him it’ll be hot next time. Threaten to arrange the pillow on his face while he is sleeping if he doesn’t get up RIGHT NOW to help with bedtime. Speak in low, soothing, threatening tones. It’s much more effective.  
Listen to him
You may have a list of things to tell him.  Write that list down so that you don’t forget all of the things, and then email, text and stick that list onto his forehead, before still having to repeat the same list tonorrow.  Wait until he has his coat off, or better still, catch him on the toilet. He has no escape from there.
Make the evening his
Fuck off 1950.
The Goal
Try to make your home a place where you can both manage to keep the children alive and teach them not to be completely feral and grumoy little shits, while (the odd time) having some down time together to remember that you actually do like each other.
Oh. And you can see why the man who wrote this was so anally retentive and ridiculous… there is no mention of sex anywhere.  😂😂

I am Such Big Rubber Balls Mum 😂

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​Balls.
Big, plump, inflated, rubber balls.
Best.

Fun.

EVER!
Santa brought Mini-Me a “Fun hopper”.  (I have no idea if that is the correct name for the magical spherical delights, but that’s what myself and my siblings called ours on Walton Mountain many moons ago.  It was blu and had Zig & Zag on it. Good times…)


I hear a rumour that while Santa and Mrs Claus were perusing the workshop for toys that Mini-Me would enjoy, that Mr Claus dismissed the big yellow bouncy thing as pointless ahd a waste of money, whereas Mrs C, who also had a fun hopper as a child many centuries ago, dismissed HIS dismissal and chose it anyway because she knew best and Mrs Claus’s decisions always trump Mr Claus, because despite being a hardworking, clever and  legendary man, he’s still not quite as hardworking, clever or legendary as his wife. Obviously.
And so the magical yellow funhopper with the face of a minion made its way through the dark skies on SC’s sleigh, and into the stocking of Mini-Me.
And oh how glad S-Mum is that Mrs Claus didn’t pay any attention to her Him, because not only is the fun hopper EXACTLY as much fun and craic as she remembers it to be, it is BETTER!
She hasn’t left it since she opened it.  If she has to get something from her room, she uses the hooper to go there. Princess is getting hours of fun from rolling over it, chasing Mini-Me on it and trying to eat it. And my Him, who would NEVER question Hims’s wife’s judgement like thon Santa Twat, has even admitted to it being one of the best toys brought by Santa. (He especially enjoys kicking it out from under her while she bounces.  This is not cruel. It’s teaching her life skills. 🤐😂)
I should admit that it’s not the first big, fat, inflatable rubber ball to have entered our home.


It is not yellow.  It is pink.

It did not have a handle by which S-Mum could boince it up and down the hall.

It was declared pointless ahd ridonkulous and banished to the naughty step of the attic…

It was permitted off the naughty step only when S-Mum hit the upturned turtleness of the third trimester and declared her tailbone fooked.

 Apparently it is helpful for comfortable sitting.  
This is true, but S-Mum’s arse was soooooo inflated that she couldn’t quite get up off the inflated ball and so deemed it too dangerous and never sat on it again. Until AFTER the baby was born when once again, nature had kicked her tailbone up her arse and made the simple pleasure of sitting, quite horrific.  It was used to sit on while watching Coronation Street thereafter, until the cruel sofa could be tolerated once again.  I became quite the expert on the ball actually.  I could even eat a bowl of Cheerios while sitting on it… 

Skill yes?
But since the return of a functioning posterier, the big pink ball has been a thing of ornament in the hall.  It was destined once again for the attic, but the recent arrival of the minion ball has given the big pink ball a new fate…a new purpose.
It is now used by Mini-Me to roll upon and chase Princess up the hall as she half walks/half crawls around, dragging the minion ball with her.
The craic!

The Noise!

The balls.😂
Best.

Fun.

Ever. 😂😂
Do you have an inflatable rubber ball? If not, get one. 😂
I saw them for €6.99 in Smuffs if you don’t want to wait for Santa, sorry,  Mrs Claus to deliver!  😂😂😂

I am She’s Deadly Mum

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Oh it’s been a deadly week.

Or even Deathly…☹☹☹
☹Monday:☹
“Mammy why do people die?”

 (Fuckitty fuck…)

“Erm, they just do Darling.” (Yes… Even as I say it, I know THAT is not an answer and I need to follow it with something else.)  “Sometimes people’s bodies stop working and they die Darling.” 

(Not bad for off the top of my head as I navigate merging in the town’s spaghetti lanes of the one-way system that was possibly designed by a party of drunk monkeys.)

“But why? Why does they die?”

(Fuckitty fuckitty fuck…)

“Because that’s how it is pet.  Sometimes people get old or sick or something happens so they go to sleep for a very long time.”

(Silence.)

“And where do they go?”

(Christ on a stick. I’m so not ready for this. Note to self, find out who has been talking to her about dying.)

“Erm, they leave here and go to Heaven and then they can help look after us.”

“Awwwwwwwwwww yeah yeah yeah. Like Granda Pops?”

“Yes Darling.” (I love that she remembers my Pops.💙💙💙)

“Aaaaaawwwwww yeah,  and like The Dinosaurs? They disappeared too you know?”

(Well that sentiment was nice while it lasted I suppose.😂)

“Do you wanna listen to Frozen?”

“YAAAAAAAAAAY…LET IT GOOOOOOO!” 

Phew.
☹Tuesday:☹
“What happens when EVERYONE in da whole world DIES?”

“That won’t happen Honey.”

“How do YOU know?” (It’s started already. My word is no longer gospel.)

“Because people will always grow up and have babies and then those babies will grow up and have more  babies.” (Unless Children of Men happens, in which case, we’re fooked.😂)

But why come the dinosaurs stopped having babies and all went to Heaven? What if dat happens us? ” 

(Feck you Andy of the Adventuuuuuuures.)

“It won’t Sweetheart. Will we listen to Frozen?”

“Yaaaaaay!”

Etc…
☹Wednesday:☹
“Gwanny are you old?”

“Well I suppose I’m a BIT old.”

“Dat means it’s nearly your turn to DIE YOU KNOW.”

Poor Gwanny. 😅😅😅
☹Thursday:☹
Silence between school gate and car.

Sad face, shaky lower lip and one single tear.

“What’s up Darling?”

“Hemenahemena’s cousin died?”

(Oh fuckitty fuck fuck.  One of the kids must have had a death in the family…)

“Who’s cousin pet?”

Sobbing now…

“PRINCESS POPPY’S COUSIN!  Branch is DIED.”

(Oh you have GOT to be shitting me…)

“Branch from Trolls? How did he die? Sure he’s still in the movie, perfectly safe…”

“No. He got knocked down outside dacimena (the cinema) last night and he dieded!”

(FML)

“Ah pet. It’s ok.” I let her cry for a few minutes and then put on Frozen which eventually distracted her.

Then we got home and she opened her schoolbag and produces this. 👇👇👇👇

The image apparently includes:

🤐 Princess Poppy

🤐 Branch lying dead outside Dacimena☹

🤐 A scrapbook which Poppy is not allowed to scrap in anymore because Branch is dead (note the x through it.)

🤐 a sad face with tears falling out (see close-up) 😂

🤐 a broken heart… literally… a heart with a crack on it.

I’m not sure whether I should be impressed or disturbed.  
☹☹☹Today’s obituaries:☹☹☹

“The death has taken place as the result of an accident outside the Dacimena of Mr Branch Troll. He is survived by Princess Fuckin Poppy Troll and a gang of big grumpy Berkins.  Removal from Dreamworks-in-the-tellybox, to repose in the imagination of Miss Mini-Me, with the fricken dinosaurs. Wake is private please as theres no actual fecking way to visit the remains of an imaginary dead troll os there? And internment will take place at some random point in the future when she remembers that hims dieded or when she decides to become obsessed by a different movie. No flowers please.  Donations in lieu to Mammy’s grapejuice fund.”

Pour.🍷

Now. 

😂😂😂😂😂

I am sipping bubbles in the bubbles Mum-Review of The Shandon Hotel & Spa, Donegal

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​Shandon Hotel and Spa, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal.

The Him decided to finally whisk me off for a romantic break in The Shandon Hotel and Spa.

Since it reopened in March 2016, we’ve heard only gushing reports about it so have been very much looking forward to visiting ourselves.

We’re a fussy pair you know? When we do get a little time away on our own, we like exciting food, comfortable and clean surroundings and a little bit of luxury.  The Shandon gave us all this and more.

First Impressions:

Check-in was efficient and quick and friendly.  The foyer is beautiful; very tastefully decorated and perfect for relaxing with a paper or simply enjoying the amazing views of Sheephaven Bay.

Because we visited at Christmas, it had the added sparkle and romance of the Christmas trees and seasonal decorations; beautiful.

Our room was on the third floor. It was large, spacious and ever so clean. The bathroom was small but cleverly appointed, making excellent use of the space. Again, pristine cleanliness. (I love clean…did I mention that?) The window was massive, and like every room in the hotel, overlooked the bay and offered stunning views of the area.

Tea/coffee and shortbread, a safe and all the usual. The only thing I missed were robes, but no biggy.

​ (Our only issue on arrival was that when we got to the third floor, it became clear that there was major work/renovation being carried out upstairs. The noise was deafening. We checked with reception who immediately apologised and assured us that the workmen would be finished shortly and wouldn’t be starting until 10am the next morning. We were happy enough with this, but had we not been booked into the spa at 10am and had we been anticipating a lazy morning until Check out, I would not have been impressed. A small issue for us, but it might have beena disappointment for others, and perhaps we might have been made aware on booking that renovations are underway at certain times.)

But first impressions were good and we instantly relaxed, knowing that we were in for a perfect “switch off”.

Feed me Now!

The hotel bar is comfortable and cozy and has a full wall of window.

It seems that no matter where you go in the building, you are able to see the famous view. It’s wonderful. We enjoyed lunch in the bar and were treated to good conversation and excellent G&T by the lovely Gary.

There was absolutely no problem when I asked for a variation to the Gin menu. He was more than happy to accommodate Little Miss Fussy Knickers here.😂 After lunch, I ordered a glass of wine. I wanted a glass of Malbec, but it only came by the bottle. Gary suggested that he could open the bottle and have it in the restaurant for us for our dinner booking. This is the first time that I have ever been offered this in a busy hotel. We were hugely impressed, and true to his word, the bottle was in the restaurant for us when we arrived that night.

Lunch was superb. The menu is impressive and the wine list and gin menus are extensive. If you visit, you MUST try the Salt and Chilli Prawns. They were HUGE, perfectly cooked and subtly flavoured. The only other place I have had prawns that good, was in a seaside restaurant in Portugal. They were so good that I ordered them again for lunch the next day. The Him had Salmon which was also superb. (The Steak burger he had for lunch the following day was incredible too.) We figured that if lunch was this good, then we were in for a treat at dinner.

We figured right.

The service was perfect. The food was divine. I had a duck confit to start and Seabass (with more of those prawns!) for my main, followed by a Cheese board to match any I’ve had before. The Him had a Crab starter (yum!), a perfectly cooked steak and a lemon tart to finish. There was a sorbet between courses and the Guinness Bread to start was gorgeous.

(I don’t have pics of the dinner as we left the phones in the safe for the evening…imagine!? 😂💖)

The next morning.

Breakfast was excellent; your typical hotel breakfast, but again the standard was high, with lots of little touches like “Shandon Detox water” with lemon and cucumber and homemade smoothies. Very good.

Now!

The Shandon Spa​.

Oh!

      My!

          Word!

We had hoped to visit this on arrival, but it was fully booked. (Check with the spa for availability as early as possible to avoid disappointment.) In hindsight, it was a much better way to do it anyway as rather than have breakfast and head home, we felt like we had a second day away! We checked out after breakfast, threw the bags in the car and were in the spa as it opened at 10am. Again, it was superb; the Reception, the staff, the changing rooms (soooo clean! 😅) and atmosphere was  quiet, relaxing and gentle.

​ We were first into the Thermal Suite that morning.

Ladybelles, it is THE nicest spa I have been to in Ireland.

It is bright and spacious with a spectacular glass wall, again overlooking the bay. Jacuzzi, pressure/massage showers, tropical showers, a herb infused sauna and a little room filled with essential oil steam are only a few of the facilities. It is first class.

Sipping bubbles in the bubbles!

We spent an hour in the Thermal Suite and then headed out to the famous Hot Tub on the balcony. You know when you anticipate something for so long that it ends up a disappointment?

​ Yeah, well that did NOT happen.

We were brought two glasses of chilled prosecco and spent 20 glorious minutes sipping bubbles in the bubbles! It was baltic that morning; cars were frozen in the carpark; my wet hair was frozen by the time we got out; but we were toasty warm and afterwards, you can warm up on the heated marble loungers inside. The tub is magical. It is EVERYTHING I hoped it would be and EVERYONE needs to experience it.

We were then taken off for our treatments. The Him had booked the Spa Sensation Package so we were getting Full Body massages. My therapist was Rita and she was brilliant. The relaxation room offered fruit and water and more views of the bay. We stayed there for about 15 minutes before returning to the changing rooms. Afterwards, you can chill with a selection of teas and coffee in yet another room with sea views beside reception. There are also soft drinks, wine and prosecco available for purchase. What I loved most about this was the lack of rush.

So many other spas tend to want you to leave ASAP after your treatment. “When you’re ready” generally carries the subtext of “Hurry along now!”, but not in The Shandon. We could have sat there drinking tea and enjoying the view (yes again!) for as long as we liked. It really was the most relaxing few hours and I have it on good authority that The Him loved it every bit as much as I did.

Overall, The Shandon Hotel and Spa really is a jewel in the Wild Atlantic Way. It is beautifully appointed, well run and the food and service are equal to any we have enjoyed in any 5 star hotel, both at home and abroad. The spa is exceptional and the setting is perfect. And for us, the fact that it is only a 30 minute drive from home meant that we could escape for 24 hours and still be home quickly to the girls. 💖💖

We returned home completely relaxed and rejuvenated and ready to start the hectic New Year. For some quality time as a couple, it is the perfect location. We only wish we had been able to go over earlier on the first day so we might have gone for a walk on the gorgeous beach and had a look at the leisure centre and pool…

Next time!

We can’t wait to visit again, and might just have to make it an annual anniversary trip. (But I’m already planning a night with my Girls in February, because as romantic as it is, it would also be the perfect spot for a girly catch up, gossip and giggles and some first class pampering. Sssssh! I won’t tell Him just yet! 😂💙)

Congratulations to the Shandon team on creating a magical hideaway, right on our doorstep.

If you’d like more information, here’s their website. http://shandonhotelspa.com

And find me on Bookface @the.s.mum for polite and shy daily musings about motherhood… 😂

The Shandon Hotel and Spa gets a Super 💋💋💋💋💋from The S-Mum!

 Please note: I write this review simply because I feel like it and because the hotel deserves it.  We paid for our stay in full and I have no ulterior reason for my gushing, other than having had a wonderful time.