ENGLISH MUM

So when the email came through last week saying ‘fancy going to Dubai on Friday to check out what facilities they have for children?’, my initial reaction was ‘Friday?  What, THIS Friday?’.  It just seemed an impossibility.  I was especially disappointed as after I’d had to turn down a once in a lifetime invitation to join the Disney Dream inaugural cruise, I’d kind of...

Right, quick general knowledge quiz here: who can name the Seven Wonders of the World?  Apparently (and I didn’t know this because I have the general knowledge of a small onion) the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World are all nearly gone.  Only the pyramid at Giza remains.  The rest, like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Colossus of Rhodes are long gone, so in 2001 it was decided by a swiss-based...

So as you know, a big part of our visit to Mexico wasn’t just to doss about in the sunshine and stuff our faces – a bonus, but no, honestly – there was a serious reason. Firstly, une petite leçon de géographie: imagine the Gulf of Mexico as a big ‘C’, starting with Florida, curling all the way round past Louisiana and Texas, following the coast of Mexico, and then finishing...

So you know me and food.  I just can’t help myself.  I am well known, amongst friends, for slapping their hands away from their food until I have taken an adequate picture.  My family are used to this quirk and sit expectantly, knife and fork in hand, while I finish framing their plate.  They’re well trained, bless ‘em. So the food then.  Oh the food.  The fooooooood.  On the resort,...

Where. To. Start. I could regale you with stories of white-suited beach butlers, of 24hr gourmet room service (so personalised that the second time I rang they said ‘ah, yes, no onions in the burger for DWC, isn’t it?’), of the amazing Mojito bar (30 different varieties) and watching Pelicans clumsily dive into the azure Mexican Caribbean… …but then you’d just switch off,...

Well, we’re finally home.  Our total journey went something like this: Car from Cavan to Dublin Airport Flight from Dublin Airport to London Heathrow (we couldn’t get a flight to Gatwick) Drive to London Gatwick Stay overnight Flight from London Gatwick to Cancun, Mexico Flight back from Cancun, Mexico to London Gatwick (delayed 10 hours) Miss flight back to Ireland and argue with unhelpful Ryanair...

Hello! Well, we had a fabulous holiday – I’ve got all sorts of photos, stories, mentalness and even a spot of Danny Dyer stalking to tell you about, but sadly, we can’t get home. A delay of ten hours in Cancun meant that we missed our onward Ryanair flight back home and Ryanair wanted – wait for it – £1008 to put us on another flight, even with proof from Thomson that we’d...

So it’s just one more sleep until we jet off for our fabulous holiday in Mexico! It’s an amazing opportunity – we’re going to check out Thomson’s 5T Sensatori Resort Mexico (it’s a funny link – scroll down).  Located on Bahia Petempich beach, the spa hotel and resort is Thomson’s flagship Sensatori property in a long haul destination.  There are six restaurants...

As a family, we’ve been discussing skiing holidays. The hubby, being a sort of sporty, devil-may-care nutter type, has been skiing once – with a group of friends that could already ski quite well.  He decided the best way to learn was to throw himself in at the deep end and hurl himself down the black runs with his mates.  As usual, golden boy didn’t fall or hurt himself and came back fitter,...

So who fancies spending half term somewhere gorgeously warm and sunny, then? Thought so. I’ll be spending half term in lovely frosty Cavan, (yup, I spent ten extra minutes of the school bus run yesterday hysterically chipping ice off the windscreen) but hey, I can dream… As I mentioned before, I’m loving Thomson’s new Holidays Forever brand.  And just when I’m adjusting to life...