How to do a Day Out in Clara Lara Fun Park

"What exactly is Clara Lara?" asked a friend who hasn't been before. Good question. It's called a "Fun Park" but beyond that, it's difficult to define. But we've been every year for the last three years, and the kids love it more than any other day-trip we've done. So if you're thinking of a day out, ...

5 Things to do in Dublin for Free

apple trees - Marlay Park - Office Mum

This post could also have been called "What we did this summer so far", or "Places I lost my youngest child this summer and needed help from strangers to find him" or simply "Brambles cafés we've been too, because they are EVERYWHERE now." We were away for the heatwave and since we've come home from holidays, the ...

The Accidental Tourists: An Unscheduled Trip to Wells House

Wells House - Office Mum

Bank holiday Monday morning. I checked the weather on my phone. Cloudy, rainy, and real-feel 5 degrees. I checked the weather through my window. Bright, sunny, and the illusion of warmth. Window trumps phone. Day-trip weather. I suggested Glendalough, everyone agreed. We'd need to be quick though. The last time we tried to go there, traffic ...

Another 6 Day-Trips Near Dublin

Wells House Office Mum

I made a list. I had to. Otherwise the summer would slip by in a blur of rain and groceries and the occasional overcast barbecue, and suddenly it would be September 1st. If we were going to do some day trips, I'd need a list. So I wrote down some of last year's most successful ...

On Top of The World

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We go off-road before we even start. Clara rushes across the grass, shrieking at the others to follow. They're going to climb a tree they say. We follow, a little behind. Watching three small figures running down the hill - I hear the opening bars of Little House on the Prairie in my head. I resist ...

5 Day-Trips Near Dublin – a Whistle-Stop Tour

Office Mum: Glendalough

We're getting braver. This summer we took five day-trips. Not too adventurous and not too far from home, but a step-up from last year. Baby-steps - or toddler-steps as the case may be. So here's a quick review of five destinations - all within an hour of Dublin: 1. Clara Lara This was possibly our favourite day ...