My lil sis is expecting her first baby and we are all so excited and we decided to throw her a baby shower. We knew the women in our family and her friends would all want to come and we had to think about where to host it – with the unpredictable weather, we decided one of our homes & back garden would be risky and also, maybe would not be enough space so we had a chat with the guys in Bracken Court Hotel about hosting it with them and they were so helpful from the get go!
They gave us a great room and set it up with white linen tablecloths, a sound system for music, a TV for showing baby pics of the happy couple and also, a small room off the main room, where we could have food. The staff were so attentive, they made sure to bring lots of cold bottles of water for everyone and cups of tea/coffee too. We were able to get into the room 1.5 hours before the start of the shower to set up which gave us plenty of time to get decorations and balloons up and also, to lay out a gift table for Kate.
We had plenty of space for games like pin the soother on the baby, guess the bump size, how fast can the mum-to-be change a nappy etc. The gift table was all laid out to surprise Kate when she came in and she definitely shed a few happy tears!!!
They brought us in a mix of sandwiches and hot food – the chicken goujons were a bit hit and whatever food was left over, some of the guests brought home. We love that nothing got wasted. The staff brought us little plates and a knife to cut and serve the cake. They were just so helpful, nothing was too much trouble for them and they were really friendly too.
And as soon as Kate got home, she put on her extra wide fit socks from Thomp2Socks, perfect for pregnant women who can often suffer from swollen ankles and legs. These socks won’t leave marks on ankles, they are wide fit and super soft and, a portion of all sales goes to Down Syndrome Charities.
We had some personalised pink ‘Baby Moore’ labels from MyNametags made up for mum-to-be Kate! MyNametags.ie labels and stickers are ideal for labelling baby toys and clothes etc so they don’t get lost! Here is a little video of us explaining why we love MyNametags so much!!
If you are looking for gift ideas for a mums-to-be, some of our favourite companies are Stitch-a-name (see oatmeal pram blanket below, which can be personalised with baby’s name!). Hampers & Co. have wonderful baby hampers, we love the gender neutral ones, perfect when baby’s gender is a surprise. The multi-award winning Bumbo Floor Seat is fantastic, you can buy various colours and types of Bumbo seat from Hippychick. For baby car seats, nursery furniture, baby monitors and other baby essentials, Irish nursery store PitterPatter.ie is fantastic, they are so helpful too – excellent customer service!
We love Afternoon Tea at Bracken Court, a lovely way to treat a mu-to-be! Packed with Broiche buns, sandwiches, cakes and tea/coffee served in pretty china cups! And if you cannot finish all the food, the staff are so kind they will wrap it up for you to take home! Contact them on www.brackencourt.ie/ or at 01 841 3333
For Babymoons, we love Farnham Estate in Cavan, the indoor/outdoor pool is a must and the spa is fabulous and they have tailor made pregnancy treatments. The woodland walks are really calming too. It is a stunning spot for a Babymoon!
Four Seasons in Carlingford is lovely for a BabyMoon, a short stroll into the village, the town is quaint with quirky shops, cute cafes and the hotel is beautifully decorated in the Autumn & Winter, we love it there. Great food too!
If you’ve got a party, christening, baby shower or any kind of special occasion coming up, we highly recommend The Bracken Court Hotel for hosting. You can contact the hotel through their website https://www.brackencourt.ie/ or at 01 841 3333
