Demise of the DVD stores

Do you still rent films from the traditional DVD store?

Over the past few years with the advent of movies that are downloaded to your computer or streaming websites, DVD shops have begun to struggle.

Chartbusters closed a few years ago in Ireland and Xtravision are currently closing many of their stores.

We used to rent DVDs but last night we bought one directly on our TV from our service provider UPC.  For €5 we didn't have to move from our couch and we were instantly able to play Denzel Washington's movie "Flight" which we now have for another 48hrs (this is a great movie btw).

UPC also offer TV box sets on Demand.  We watch the Good Wife and Blue Bloods like this.

In other news, did you hear the Plague is back???  

Also known as the Black Death this fatal disease has been found in a squirrel Californian park.  

When I was a child my twin sister and I would scare ourself before bedtime by reading a book we had that had a story about the Black Death in it - the pictures were terrifying!!! 

Seeds of Deception

I watched the true movie Seeds of Deception based on the true story of Dr. Cesil Jacobsen

Have you ever heard of this doctor?  He used his own "product" to inseminate numerous of his patients in the 1980's who went on to become pregnant and carry his babies. SHOCKING!!

The film stars Melissa Gilbert who is always in these type of movies of late.  This is some story and nearly unbelievable - incredible that it actually happened.

Ennio Morricone

Ennio Morricone is in Dublin this Sunday. He will be performing in Kilmainham with a 100 piece orchestra.

I'd love to go to this concert and was offered two tickets in work today for €150.  I had to decline, however, as I know Ciaran wouldn't like this (I was correct when I spoke to him later) and none of my friends or sisters would be interested either.  

Such a pity, it would be an event of a lifetime, I think. :-(

Uses for coconut oil

I picked up some Coconut Oil in the Hopsack Health Store today.  There are so many uses for Coconut Oil, I condition my hair with it as well as using it as a moisturizer.  You can even cook with it!

It's solid at room temperature but melts very quickly.  BTW, it makes a great lip balm also!

Here is more info about what you can do with coconut oil.

*****Edit

Biona coconut oil got a mention in the Sunday Times magazine 28th July

Strawberry Fair

Fun day at the Strawberry Fair at the Strawberry Fair, Dublin!

The Blanchardstown Brass Band played some super modern tunes including ABBA!!

Strawberries & cream - one of the best desserts ever!

Bones found a pal ;-) 

Dairy Cottage - how cute!

Old metal bridge

The road between the Angler's Rest and the Strawberry Hall Pub was closed off.  Such a nice walk between the two.

After the fair we called in to the Angler's and had a drink in the sun (glass of wine for moi) and a little snack (wings & pate).

My sister volunteered at this event and wrote a really great blog post about the day, have a look here.

Riverdance World Record

Over 1,600 dancers lined out in Dublin today to break the World Record for the longest line of Irish dancers.  It all took place on the banks of the Liffey and it was quite spectacular!

The dancers had to keep their hands linked and dance for a full 5 minutes in order to break the record.

The dancers were mainly made up of girls - but there were boys too among the  dancers, including Padraic Moyles, the current male lead in Riverdance.  Padraic led the line in the rehearsal and seemed like a genuinely all round good guy.

The most famous Riverdancer was there - Ms. Jean Butler (that's her in the shades at the water)

For more information about this event, check out The Gathering website.

Events like this make me very proud to be Irish!

Feel free to share this blog post or any of the photos that I took at the record breaking event.

Minding children

My sister was stuck for a babysitter yesterday so I minded my niece and nephew for a few hours.  Wow, minding children is tough work.  They are great kids but they need constant attention.

When they were dropped off we straightaway walked to the shops.  I gave Oliver the job of lugging my pull along shopping trolley and put Eleanor in charge of the dog. Walking through the park to the shops, we looked in the pond for fish.

After buying a few things for dinner we went to the corner shop and they picked out an ice cream.  Here's a fact the kids and I figured out - a Golly Bar has been renamed.  It's now called something like the big bar or the giant bar.

When we came home the kids helped me get the salty water ready and the lobsters on to boil and then went and watched TV.

We had dinner then - btw, maybe lobster mac & cheese isn't the best dinner option for children!

Kids didn't get the surf & turf.  They just had baked potato with lobster mac.

Ciaran and the kids started playing a train board game while I cleaned up and just as the game finished their mam came to pick them up.

Before they went home they wanted to walk up the glass stairs so I let them do that before they got on their way home.