Busiest Break, Ever!

This week was the longest bank holiday weekend in Ireland, at least for this year. It started from Friday until today - a whole four days. As quick summary, our weekend was filled with food and even more makan-makan as well as some leisure activities. It was really tiring but we had so much fun, especially the kids.

A totally random pic of people in my back garden!

BBQ Butter Squid and some gorgeous Spicy Beef Sausages

The weather on Friday was really bright and sunny in the morning but towards the afternoon it began to get a bit cloudy and even rained. Thank God, the rain stopped the minute we started our little impromptu-ish gathering. Impromptu in the sense that it started as a small going-away lunch thingy for a friend that was going home to Malaysia for good but ended up as a full-blown BBQ feast.

Very refreshing Strawberry and Peach Frappe

Extra creamy Mashed Potatoes with BBQ Butter Prawns topped off with some salad and cream black pepper sauce

It was a last-minute plan but it was still a success. I just provided the main dishes (forgot to take a picture of the Pasta I made) and some side dishes while my friends brought along some other food for the BBQ.

Watch this space for my report on our weekend activities especially all the gorgeous food, in the next few days!

Easter Holidays

Although I'm not working, I mean not working in the going to the office sense, I feel like it's been forever since I've had a decent break, be it a Bank Holiday (as official non-religious public holidays are called in Ireland), school holiday or any other type of holiday. My definition of a proper holiday means I can wake up after seven in the morning, don't have to take a shower as soon as I wake up and doing anything remotely involving getting the kids ready for school, including dropping them off wherever they need to be. I'm sure lot of people out there understand, right?

Fortunately, this week would be the longest Bank Holiday weekend we would get until summer comes along. Yayy for me! It's the Easter Holidays and most of people will have Friday off work (for Good Friday) until Easter Monday. As with most of these things, we don't actually celebrate Easter as a religious holiday but still, the thought of having the short break makes me ever so happy as I'll be able to be with my complete little family.

What Husayn got at school plus some other things that he made.

At the moment, the weather forecast looks great and InsyaAllah, it'll be the same over the weekend. A BBQ would be nice as well as a visit to the park. I don't know. We don't have any concrete plans yet but what we'll definitely be doing on Saturday, is pop over to a Star Wars exhibition in town. Pretty cool, eh?

Till then, to everyone in Ireland, do enjoy your break with lots of dinosaur-size Easter Eggs like the one I got from my hubby which he got from his office earlier today.

PS: I had to fight with the kids to get to eat this giant chocolate egg. Hisham just refused to let go of it and wanted it all for himself. Just like Mummy...ahaks!

Where to start?

I don't know where to start. Emmm...I've been so busy for the past few days. Today is the last day of a long Easter school break. Two whole weeks. Sad, but at the same time, relieved. I loved it because I don't have to get everything ready early in the morning and have to get out of the house right after that, to send my daughter to school. BUT, it also meant that I would be very busy with my kids.

I'm not complaining. Entertaining them is not hard work but you do need lots of energy, money and it also means that my normal routine of doing things is disrupted as well as everything else in the house!

Having Ameera in the house is very handy. Whenever her brothers, Husayn or Hisham need anything they can absolutely depend on her. She is a very good sister and daughter. However, as she is bigger now she needs more exciting things to do to entertain herself. She never sleeps during the day. She wakes up early in the morning at 7am no matter what time she went to bed the night before. I'm not sure where she gets all the energy but she just doesn't know how to have a rest!

This restlessness is not good as as she is around her two brothers during the day for two weeks. This means their normal sleeping routine no longer applies. With the kids awake, I can't do my normal things like cleaning the house, doing the laundry as well as all the other house work. That's OK but the most important thing to me is that I haven't had my 'ME' time (like sleeping in the morning) for the past 2 weeks. Argghhhh! Hehehe... Ah well, in the end, I do love having all my three kids around me all the time. So, I'm still really looking forward to the next summer holidays.

As the weather was not that great in the first week of the holidays, we've decided to just stay at home doing arts and home-based stuff. After that, I've planned so many things for the kids but somehow due to unavoidable circumstances, I just managed to complete only a few things.

So, what have we been doing over the break?

• A trip to the Trim Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in errr...Trim, Co. Meath


• A visit to Farmleigh House for its Easter weekend events


• Blanchardstown Library


• Portmarknock Beach (kids only)


• A visit to Farmleigh House (again!) for Japanese Day


• Doing lots of grocery shopping


• Garden shopping


• Art work at home


• Watching TV, movies and surfing internet


• Staying at home, lazily

I'll try to post an update with all the stuff that we did above. But bear in mind, it might take a while as I need to re-adjust my routine back to normal again.

Pretending to be rabbit for the Easter break

Easter Break - Free things to do !!!!

I should have posted this earlier but due to unavoidable circumantanses, I obviously wasn't able to do so. My brain is as frozen as the ice outside. The weather is so cold. Even with the heating on.

Where is the Sun? And, the heat that comes with it? I don't want to complain but I need it so badly so that at least, I can make my self feel better. Weather, school holidays etc..etc... I just just can't have any ME time alone. I don't even have the time to sit properly in front of my laptop. So, apologies if this post is slightly belated.

Fortunately, Easter is still here. Not that I celebrate it or anything, but for those who do or those who are in the same boat as me i.e. have energetic kids and nothing much to do, while not wanting to spend lots of money to entertain them, I think these few events might help.

In Dun Laoghaire, there will be The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. So, why not join the party? Most of the shopping centres are closed anyway. It's free, just bring your hat!

Or, you could go to Ikea. During the Easter weekend they'd have loads of competitions and giveaways.

If you want to go further afield and would like a bit of journey, why not go to Meath specifcally, just near Trim Castle. This time of the year, they'd be holding the Trim Hot Air Balloon Fiesta along with a mini funfair for the kids. They'll be face-painting and balloon modelling. Warning: You might have to bring some change for the rides though.


Tip: You might want to park a bit further (maybe beside The Trim Castle or the nearby housing areas) if you don't want to pay for the €5 parking fees closer to the entrance of the site. Oh, depending on the weather, bring along your wellies!

Honestly, I think there will be few more events around that cost close to nothing. But, I think these options would be more than enough. Well at least, for me because it didn't cost me anything to bring the kids. Errr.. well, apart for the petrol for the car and food that we brought along.

Anyway, Happy Easter and enjoy you guys!

It's Monday again!!!

Woke up in the morning as usual. It's Monday!!! Arghhh...not again. Have to take a shower, get everything ready as my daughter's going to school and my husband's going to work. Ooops...I just remembered. It's the school holidays. Yay!!!



So, while still wearing my PJ's, I went down and made my husband his breakfast and his sandwich for lunch in the office (isteri mithali gitu). I went back upstairs hoping to continue my beauty sleep. The kids were all wide awake.

Husayn: Mummy can we go down? My tummy's rumbling. I'm hungry. Ameera: Yes Mummy, can we go down? I want to watch TV. Mummy: Give Mummy 5 minutes ok?
ZZZzzz...not in peace but more like trying to close my eyes while my kids kept on whining to go down.

I give up! So here it goes.

I am happy because it's the school holidays and I don't have any obligation to go out in this miserable Irish weather early in the morning to walk to the bus stop. But knowing my kids, who are all very energetic and full of ideas, merely staying at home and curling up under the blankets is just not an option. I have to think of something else. Well actually, lots of things.

Two weeks!!! Well it just made my day. I'll be very busy for sure.

My daughter just made a list of things to do and somehow, I was duped into promising her that we'd tick everything off her list. The good thing is, at least I had planned what to do over this Easter bank holiday weekend. I'll let you know about it soon so, you guys out there who are in Ireland could maybe come and join us.

The best part of the plan is that it's free. I promise. Well, most of it anyway.