maternity & infant

Get set for the start of Halloween with the traditional Lighting of the Pumpkins in Virginia, Co. Cavan this evening!

Growers from around the world are gathering at the second annual Pumpkin Festival today where a street carnival will kick off with fire eaters and exotic dancers. Other attractions will include organic food stalls, crafts, cookery demonstrations and children’s fancy dress Halloween party.

The Festival will also include a Pumpkin Treasure Hunt, choosing the king and queen of the Pumpkin Festival and a fire parade - oh, and if you happen to have a huge pumpkin to hand, you could win a €3,000 cash prize if it’s the largest!!

Artists will include Sharon Shannon, Mundy and Shane McGowan.

The festival ends on Sunday with a fireworks display over nearby Lough Ramor - check it out if you’re in the area!

The maternity & infant Awards are nearly here and we’re calling for last votes to be cast - just click here to do so!

The Awards are your chance to vote for your favourite products and services, so check out the final shortlisted companies and let us know who gets your vote.

The Awards will take place on November 14^th, 2008 in The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. Hosted by RTE’s Sharon Ni Bheolain and attended by more than 300 people - including Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, our People Award nominees and all the key industry players - this promises to be an exciting event!

For a full list of Awards categories, click here.

This year’s Festival was launched today by Derek Landy, Ireland’s internationally celebrated author of Skulduggery Pleasant. The Festival runs from Oct 1st-31st with over 1,500 events taking place nationwide to celebrate children’s books and encourage reading amongst children and teenagers.

The vast majority of Festival events are FREE, although booking is recommended. Libraries, schools, bookshops and community centres will be hosting the widest range of book-related activities the Festival has ever seen, all designed to spread the message that reading is fun and stimulating, accessible and inclusive.

Also as part of the Festival, there is a new ‘Design a Book Cover’ competition, sponsored by The O’Brien Press. Budding young artists can compete for the chance to see their design become a front cover. For details on how to enter and more on the Festival events, visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie

Following the success of recent events, Dundrum Town Centre are running more of their popular Parenting Workshops which centre around an informal coffee morning on Level 3 at Frango’s.

October’s events are as follows:

Liza Crotty from Claphandies will present fun and creative ideas for infants, toddlers and pre-school children, including learning through interactive play and floortime (Thurs Oct 2nd). Baby massage returns with Yasmina Lenehan from Harmonia Therapies who will impart her knowledge and demonstrates a combination of Swedish and Indian strokes as well as reflexology movements that can help improve sleep patterns and enhance development your child’s development (Thurs Oct 9th). Finally, Christine Barnes of Jo Jingles will offer a music class to entertain and educate your children using music, movement, singing and nursery rhymes (Thurs Oct 30th).

All events are FREE. For further information visit www.dundrum.ie

(Pictured above: Baby and toddler nutrition expert Annabel Karmel MBE, with two young helpers, welcoming the return of Parenting Workshops at Dundrum Town Centre from September 2008)

From ghouls and ghosts to long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night…

Try Hayfield Manor, Cork’s first 5-star hotel which happily welcomes children! This Halloween, Hayfield Manor have a special package for families, where the art of storytelling comes alive with Old Irish Ghost Stories in front of a roaring fire!

Little guests are always welcome and we love that there’s a special kiddie afternoon tea with miniature treats, a dedicated dinner menu with kids’ favourites, board games available from reception and an extensive DVD collection of children’s classics. Best of all, pint-sized robes and slippers can be found in your room - with hot milk and cookies served before bedtime!

Mums and dad haven’t been forgotten and can make the most of The Beautique Spa, a swimming pool, gym and access to a personal trainer, as well as fine dining at Orchid’s Restaurant or more relaxed fare at Perrotts Garden Bistro.

A 2-night luxury break in a Manor room with full Irish breakfast and a 5-course gourmet dinner on one evening is €245 per person sharing - and you’ll receive €50 off treatments at The Beautique Spa per booking! Children’s accommodation (under 12s) is free with this package, if sharing with parents.

For more information, check out www.hayfieldmanor.ie or call (021) 484 5900

Don’t forget, tomorrow is Pink Ribbon Day. Volunteers all around the country will be selling ribbons, pins, shopping trolley key rings and new mobile phone charms in aid of Action Breast Cancer so anything you can spare will be greatly appreciated.

Also available to support this very worthwhile cause, are a range of products from retailers such as Boots, Brown Thomas, Peter Mark and lots more. An earlier post details some of our favourites, and the current issue of maternity & infant has plenty of choice.

For more information on Action Breast Cancer, visit www.cancer.ie

Have you discovered Imaginosity yet?

Located in the Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford, Imaginosity is Ireland’s first interactive children’s museum where under-10s can make the most of the ‘hands-on’ philosophy that encourages them to get involved.

Well worth a visit, and perfect for a rainy day - check out the workshops and classes that happen throughout the day (free with admission). Tickets cost €8.50 for children and adults, €6.50 for toddlers and €2 for infants (under 6 months are free) for a 2-hour visit.

To celebrate their first birthday, Imaginosity are running a series of special events this weekend!

Saturday Sept 27th
The Banyon Puppet Theatre present The Elves and the Shoemaker at the Kids Stage with shows at 6.30pm and 7.30pm (each show is 45 mins). Suitable for 5-11 year olds. Tickets are €8 for children and €11 for adults.

Sunday Sept 28th
The Fanzini Brothers offer a FREE performance and circus workshop in the Plaza outside Imaginosity. Workshop 1 (5-7 yrs) takes place at 11.30am and Workshop 2 (8-10yrs) will follow at 2.30pm. FREE Fanzini Brothers circus performance ‘Deathwish’ will take place at 1pm and 3.30pm. Each workshop and performance lasts 45 mins.

Also visiting on Sunday 28th is Scottish storyteller Susie Minto who will hold session on the Kids Stage throughout the day - 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 4.30pm and 5.30pm (Free with admission).

To book your tickets, visit www.imaginosity.ie or call (01) 217 6130

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and readers of the latest issue of maternity & infant will see that we have profiled lots of lovely ‘pink’ goodies. The aim of these products is to raise all-important funds for breast cancer research and support nationwide and we’re all going pink to help!

For great gift ideas, try Estee Lauder’s lipstick and lipgloss sets from Brown Thomas or the Peter Mark gift card and pink GHD. If you’re treating yourself, opt for Avon’s Superfull mascara or Skin So Soft body wash (which includes a diagram and information on self-examaminations on the back), No7 lip gloss and face powder from Boots, or the BOOB Design nursing top available from Onceborn.

And, if you’re looking at splurging, check out The Handbag Exchange - they have everything from Gucci to Chanel and Fendi to Orla Kiely, as well as a whole host of high street brands. Better still, five percent of each sale goes to Action Breast Cancer!

For further information, check out Action Breast Cancer and the Irish Cancer Society.

BTkids - the ultimate for little fashionistas - has opened in Brown Thomas Limerick!

The official launch takes place on Saturday Sept 13th from 12-5pm with lots of activities to keep the kids entertained - including face painting and a kiddie nail and tattoo bar!

Designer brands making their presence known in Limerick will include Baby Dior, Burberry, Catimini, DKNY, Gant, Kenzo, Miss Sixty, Murphy & Nye (exclusive to Limerick), Pepe, Ralph Lauren and Ted Baker.

BTkids is also available in BT2 Grafton Street and Brown Thomas, Cork.

I can’t believe it’s September already - where has the “summer” gone?? I hope you’ve all had a wonderful break - despite the awful weather! - and best of luck to all heading back to school today.

If you’re in need of something to entertain the troops this week,
you’re in luck - Dundrum Town Centre is hosting a series of child
and parent events all week, including seminars from psychologist David Coleman who will advise parents on child behaviour issues (Sept 4th @ 11am); best-selling author and child nutrition expert Annabel Karmel who will share lots of tips and tricks to ensure any fussy eaters get a balanced diet (Sept 5th @ 12pm); a look at vaccination programmes and childhood obesity with midwife and public health nurse Grainne Ryan; and baby massage with Leticia Merin (Sept 3rd @ 11am).

Throughout the week, there’s plenty of other activities to keep little ones entertained - music workshops, playtime, yoga, learning games, facepainters and story time are just a few! All events are free and on a first-come basis. Ticket requests can be made by emailing info@dundrum.ie

Have a good week!