If you wanted to visit a walled garden then I highly recommend making your way to Clonsilla to visit the Shackleton Garden. If you wanted fresh fruit and veg you could time it well on a Saturday and purchase in the Eco Farm which is in the same entrance (I previously blogged about that if you want to read further). They’re all situated between Clonsilla train station and Beech Park which has a nice playground for young children btw. Unfortunately there are no bike parking facilities so we locked our bikes together, however if I came alone then I’ve nothing to lock my bike to.There is ample ca ..read more

Ironically this week I’m not cycling as while cycling home from school last Friday I got a flat tyre on the back wheel of my cargo bike. My hero of a husband tried to fix it but unfortunately ran into difficulty so we’re waiting for a professional to come to not only fix it but teach us how to do it. I’d love to find a course on maintenance of a cargo bike as it’s different to standard bikes and you just end up stranded waiting for a specific professional to help when something goes wrong. The tiniest bit of glass has me off the bike for a week now, and counting! I’ve been gone a few months no ..read more

Should helmets be compulsory? Many ask ‘why aren’t they?’ and are often very forceful in their questioning. While we’re at it, let’s light cyclists up like a Christmas tree because it’s only if they’re in high vis that drivers will manage to see them! As a cyclist, I don’t have a problem with wearing a helmet or high-visibility top over my clothing. I even got a special one made that reads ‘child on board’. I couldn’t believe the difference it made in how motorists behaved around me on the road. To confirm, for the most part,  they behave how they always should, giving space when pa ..read more

The world lost a wonderful woman today, She’s gone up to heaven forever to stay. The life that she lead was so full of love, For each of her children who she was proud of. She truly was … a mother like no other. I remember her teaching me silly games to play Some of which I still use today When teaching my classes how to let go Have fun and you’ll learn more you know! She truly was … a mother like no other. The holidays we’d go on were always the best, Some fun in the sun as well as a rest. Making new friends was her forte She always had a lot to say! She truly was … a mother like no other ..read more

With most kids activity centres closed (thank you Covid pandemic!) the question of how to entertain your children on rainy days like we’ve had this weekend got me thinking of what people did before devices and the likes. So off to the local train station Martin and I went. Full disclosure, his daddy gave me the idea … thank you Paul xx We parked and locked up. Martin enjoyed looking out at the canal. We passed a few minutes here and enjoyed the sound of the birds chirping. When we were done, it was time to turn the corner and go on to the platform. The station master was delighted to let us t ..read more

I’m beginning to wish I’d booked a holiday this summer but with Covid in mind we decided to take the hit and stay put. After all, what’s one summer? Nothing in the grand scheme of things. With a week of rain and hearing about friends and family heading off on their travels, my holidays at home are starting to look a little like ‘Groundhog Day’! Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be supporting local businesses and enjoying finding things to do and places to cycle to but there really isn’t anything that substitutes that feeling of getting on a plane and visiting a sunny country for a week or two ..read more

This week we dog sat my sister’s dog Daisy. While it came with unexpected difficulties it was still lovely to see Martin enjoying the company of a (very cute) dog! We strapped her into the cargobike and kept the journeys short and therefore local. Millennium Park have a wild flower section that is blooming beautifully at the moment and with the gorgeous weather we got to enjoy the past week it just made it all the more sweet! I do think Fingal have missed a step here though. They have the space for it to be so much bigger and if they cut grass paths through it, it would be a magical spot. So ..read more

While I was out shopping with Martin this week the stroller we had broke . It owed us nothing as we got it for free in fairness but still, it wasn’t ideal when I needed to visit a few shops for birthday gifts and was already at the shops! I needed a quick replacement that would fit in the cargo bike as I had cycled to the shops. Ever notice you practically need a PHD to fold up a buggy or stroller? Most of them are extremely difficult to close up. I needed to find one that would take the weight of my adorable but large for his age boy. Martin isn’t walking independently yet so I wasn’t about t ..read more

We decided to cycle into town for the first time since Martin was born. We used to cycle in almost every weekend since … well back when we first started dating actually. With Covid restrictions we couldn’t go when it was beyond our 5k but then it just wasn’t first on our list of trips with a young boy. Getting used to motherhood, keeping journeys local and Covid restrictions all played their part in deciding not to make the trip to town. The quays have really improved for cyclists with the new Liffey Cycle Route. There was one little section opposite the Ashling Hotel that was too nar ..read more

I’ve visited the Phoenix Park nearly every second day this week. Good weather tends to make you get out. I decided the beach would be thronged and due to the Delta variant of Covid, we’d keep it local (less crowded!). I love the park. I lived nearer to it growing up and didn’t go there as often as I do now, typical!! We met up with my good friend Susan and her daughter Ríona in Farmleigh one of the days. Had Covid not restricted us, we would have enjoyed meeting up during our maternity leaves often. Martin and Ríona would have been firm friends by now. Instead, this was their first time meet ..read more