Planning a little girlfriend get-together for Mother’s Day? Have zero interest in spending hours in the kitchen creating suitable hors d’oeuvres worthy of their (and your!) celebration?

Relax, Cupcake Cottage will fill the breech. Owner Siobhan Grace has created a plethora of exquisite artisan cupcakes, stunningly decorated and all wildly different in taste. The key to her success? She bakes in small batches, ensuring the highest quality at all times. Flavours include raspberry, chocolate, coffee, blueberry, coconut and lemon and her butter-cream frosting is…OMG…well, it needs to be tasted to be truly appreciated! The utter girlishness of it all is just divine – these sweeties are incredibly pretty!

You’ll find Cupcake Cottage at the East Village Douglas Market every Friday and you can order direct from Siobhan by phone or her website. We’re thinking birthday parties, christenings, thank you gifts, Friday night in front of the telly, in the car while ferrying kids to classes, a reward for finally matching all the odd socks….!

Oh, Cupcake Cottage will be at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Grand Parade in Cork this weekend. Reason enough to go…(See parade details in our Calendar below)

EUR22 per dozen without toppings; EUR24 per dozen with toppings; Market price – 6 for EUR10

Cupcake Cottage, Siobhan Grace, 086 190 1586, www.cupcakecottage.ie

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From www.nevergoeswithoutsaying.blogspot.com written by MummyMaps writer, Sarah F.

A few weeks ago, in a fit of enthusiasm fuelled by Twitter telling me that what I needed for maximum mileage was power ballads, I bought a CD of running songs. Once it arrived, I remembered that I don’t, in fact, ever listen to music whilst running. It’s one of the things I like most about it, actually; the solitude. OK, so I may belt out ‘Footloose’ whilst stumbling towards the coastline, but I could do without Kenny Loggins turning it into a duet.

Still, all is not lost: power ballads are great in the car, where I can turn them up loud and pretend I’m still driving a convertible Beetle rather than a ‘mummy machine’.

When I collected the kids from daycare on Tuesday, I was halfway through ‘Wake me up before you go go’, and reluctant to swap back to the nine-millionth rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk.

‘Let me finish this one, then you can choose’ I said.

As Julia Roberts put it in Pretty Woman: Big mistake. Big. Huge. The next twenty minutes were given over to a deconstruction of ‘Wake me up’ that would’ve put even George Michael to sleep:

‘But how is he singing when he is asleep? More….

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Congrats to newsletter subscriber, jules271 – our winner!

We love a little bit of culture. And if we can expose the rugrats to a bit of art, all the better.

Opera Ireland is hosting a special children’s event and we’re delighted to give away a Special Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) to the event scheduled for Saturday, 6 March.

Just leave a comment below to enter. (CLOSED NOW) (Oh, you need to subscribe to our weekly, free newsletter to qualify.)

We’ll select our winner at random on Tuesday, 2 March.

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For a crash course on all things worth knowing about Cork, check out the Rediscover Cork event this weekend. It’s a genius idea aimed at promoting all that is available to visitors (and locals alike!) in the people’s republic. Over 50 accommodation providers, tourist attractions, restaurants and festivals will showcase themselves for the afternoon.

Roll over to the event at Cork City hall where there will be face painting, African drumming, food samples, competitions and train rides (Yes! The West Cork Railway Village is bringing a road train up to give free rides from Grand Parade to City Hall! Nice, especially if you can’t make it to Clonakilty to see the Village itself)

Rediscover Cork, Saturday, March 6, 12 noon – 4:00pm, Millennium Hall at Cork City Hall, Admission Free

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Little people rank big at O’Brien Chop House Restaurant in Lismore, Co. Waterford, the unpretentious eatery that serves up robust traditional meals that kiddies will love just as much as their grown-up counterparts. With a focus on locally sourced, fresh ingredients, many of which are grown in the garden of owners Justin and Jenny Green, the restaurant is most certainly a Waterford gem.

The Green’s, parents themselves, have created the perfect little Sunday lunch by applying a tried and true philosophy of treating families to hearty soups and extra special tender roast dinners finished off with gorgeously gooey puddings and homemade ice cream.

The restaurant is housed in a charming classic Victorian pub where you can pull up a stool while your coats and strollers are stowed before heading back into the lively dining area. Kiddies are presented with fun “little people” menus and colouring pages along with a cup of crayons to keep their little hands inspired. Baked macaroni & cheese and roast chicken with mash and peas are definitely in high demand with the smally set.

The cosy, shabby-chic dining room is decorated with chunky farmhouse tables and eclectic artwork fills each wall. Through a back door there is a divine garden where you and the children can step out to expend some energy and smell the fragrant flowers and herbs.

Lismore is also home to the extraordinary Lismore Castle, which is still occupied by the Dukes of Devonshire, but has a spectacular modern arts centre and sculpture garden which are both open to the public. The streets of Lismore are dotted with charming antique furnishings boutiques. Take the road from Lismore to Clogheen through the Knockmealdown Mountains for views that will take your breath away and make the little ones dream of fairytale tomorrows. -IM

O’Brien Chop House Restaurant is open seven days a week, serving traditional roasts on Sundays. There are changing facilities available.

O’Brien Chop House, Main Street, Lismore, Co. Waterford, 0585 3810, www.obrienchophouse.ie

In our Cork Corner...

For a crash course on all things worth knowing about Cork, check out the Rediscover Cork event this weekend. It’s a genius idea aimed at promoting all that is available to visitors (and locals alike!) in the people’s republic. Over 50 accommodation providers, tourist attractions, restaurants and festivals will showcase themselves for the afternoon.

Roll over to the event at Cork City hall where there will be face painting, African drumming, food samples, competitions and train rides (Yes! The West Cork Railway Village is bringing a road train up to give free rides from Grand Parade to City Hall! Nice, especially if you can’t make it to Clonakilty to see the Village itself)

Rediscover Cork, Saturday, March 6, 12 noon – 4:00pm, Millennium Hall at Cork City Hall, Admission Free

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Watch the world whizz by as you sip excellent coffee (with free refills) from the Farmgate Cafe, perched in the gallery high over the central plaza of the infamous English Market, Cork.

It’s only top-notch, locally sourced (literally, they get their oysters shucked from the fish monger below them!) culinary art here.

Grilled chicken salad or local goats cheese salad costs 13.50 Euros, and they have freshly made artisan open sandwiches, soups and anything sweet your heart desires.

For the adventurous, try the drisheen and tripe plate.

The walls are lined with beautiful photographs of food producers and their wares. Kids-wise (i.e. buggies), it’s up a flight of stairs but they have two highchairs and changing facilities once there so it’s worth the climb!

English Market, Cork City, Cork, 021 427 8134,
www.corkenglishmarket.ie

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At a loose end this weekend? (“Okay, Mummy, let’s race again. Pretend I’m Lightning McQueen and your Tow Mater. Ka-chow!”)

Managing the demands of an imaginative four-year old is somewhat mitigated by a decent amount of caffeine coursing through your veins.

May we suggest? Pop down to Dalkey and wander to Mugs Café on Castle Street.

Small but perfectly formed, Mugs has incredibly friendly staff and three cosy sofa-areas perfect for the fam. Try to snag the sofas at the back; the adjoining area under the stairs makes an excellent den for your wee ones whilst you enjoy arguably the best coffee in the country. They say that the coastal views from nearby Vico Road have earned it the nickname “The Amalfi of Ireland”; if that’s the case, then Mugs certainly has its coffee sorted.

As well as the full complement of espresso-based coffees, Mugs offers a range of teas, while the smaller members of the family can choose from a babycino, kid-sized hot chocolate (with generous topping of marshmallows) or a variety of smoothies and juices. There are snacks for all appetites, too, from mouthwatering muffins, tiffins, and rib-sticking chocolate brownies to bagels, soups, and paninis.

And for those of you tethered to your smartphone, Mugs offers free wireless internet access, so you can relax with the (provided) newspapers whilst you hand over said phone so the wee ones can (silently?) catch up on McQueen. Ka-chow! -SF

The bathroom upstairs doesn’t have a changing area but there is ample space for such activity.

Mugs Café Bar, 61a Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, 01 284 0419

Putting Cork on the map! We’re delighted to announce the Cork Corner. Every Thursday, on the MummyMaps blog, we’ll be featuring a review from Cork, courtesy of the lovely Madeleine M. Here’s our debut review:

Miniature Marvels
Need to take the family somewhere otherworldy? Let yourselves be transported back to 1940’s West Cork.

Inside the Model Railway Village are beautiful framed timetables, working train sets and a spotless play room with books, lego and padded jungle gym (ok, not so 1940’s). But, outside is where the real magic happens. more…

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We’re on Facebook and Twitter. Come say hi.

Each and every recommendation by MummyMaps has been hand-selected by our editorial team.

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We love a little bit of culture. And if we can expose the rugrats to a bit of art, all the better.

Opera Ireland is hosting a special children’s event and we’re delighted to give away a Special Family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) to the event scheduled for Saturday, 6 March.

Just leave a comment below to enter. (Oh, you need to subscribe to our weekly, free newsletter to qualify.)

We’ll select our winner at random on Tuesday, 2 March.

Comments...