Author: Oana

“Dear Parent…”

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“Dear parent of a gravely ill child, Or a perfectly healthy little one. This letter is for you. And you. You worry about their fate. You want the best for them, of course you do. Your love is deep and wide and reached to the very heart of God. If only love was enough… You trust your God to protect them out of harm’s way. No matter what your God is. Whether it is Allah or Buddha or Yahveh. Or karma. Or the Virgin Mary. Or Mother Earth. We all need to trust in something bigger than ourselves. I trust in God. I trusted in God with my baby boy. I am sure parents of any denomination, faith, affiliation, belief or lack of will tell you all the same thing: they trusted too. They trusted in the universe to do what our most innate instinct tells us it is the right thing. The innocent, the pure, the beautiful. The vulnerable. They certainly will be spared the pain. They will certainly be protected from the worst. …

50 Shades of Grey (Movie Review by Hubby)

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Last weekend, the debate was on, shall we go and see it as a couple or not. I resisted the invitation, hubby was very keen on watching it but the reviews were appalling. So we stayed in and watched “The Vow”, much more appropriate a story for Valentine’s weekend. We had watched it before, when it came out but Alex couldn’t remember much of it and it made for a very rare night in as a couple and led to very interesting conversations in the morning. If you haven’t watched it, I would encourage you to. It is based on a true story and it leaves one feeling hopeful for the future, in spite of trauma and apparently insurmountable obstacles. Love wins, even when it needs to take a new shape and form and start afresh. On the other hand, I am so glad we didn’t go to watch 50 Shades of Grey together that evening. I am so glad I didn’t cave in to the pressure to “act cool” as a couple and go …

Let’s clear the air

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Back in December, at the end of a very emotionally taxing month, I decided to purge my Facebook “friend” list. I had at that time 500 people on my list and I decided to remove EVERYBODY who: 1. In the five months since July had not mentioned Georgie’s passing. Not even remotely. Not even indirectly, by “liking” any of my boy’s pictures. Nada. 2. In the five months since our lives were shattered had lurked in the shadows of Facebook, like spectators or emotional voyeurs, never approaching me personally or virtually but satisfying their need of sensationalism from afar. So I removed 150 “friends.” Last week, on top of feeling crap with the flu, having hubby dismantle precious memories in a moment of rage and feeling totally numb emotionally, I had to deal with two outbursts regarding my Facebook list purge. And I was reminded, once again, why I chose NOT to have those people in my life and why I will stick to my decision. When it is all about you, about how difficult …

Supporting Northern Ireland small businesses: Flavour First

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As I said in my previous post, I feel Northern Ireland is my country of heart and I would do anything in my power to see it doing well. Buying local is one of the easiest and yet the most efficient ways to support the local economy. So I was thrilled when, at the end of January, we were asked to review Flavour First, a small local farm based in Donaghadee and delivering veg, fruit and salad boxes in counties Down and Antrim. We were sent loads of yummy eggs of which we made very good use, as you know, Emma and I can eat eggs in every prepared form and for every meal :-). We were asked to include them into a Romanian recipe, if possible. In Romania, we use eggs for simply everything. From scrambled eggs for breakfast to deviled eggs for special holidays to coating schnitzels at dinner time. Not to mention all kinds of sweet and  savoury recipes! So, we used ours in everything and tonight, we used the last ones …

Supporting Northern Ireland small businesses: the BubbleBum

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I have been living in Northern Ireland since 2007 and I have come to consider this little welcoming and green country my own. I feel privileged to have been approached and asked to write blog reviews for two small businesses in Northern Ireland recently. I will introduce the first to you tonight. When the brilliant mind behind the BubbleBum (I know, genius name, right?) asked us if we loved to road test one, we nearly jumped for joy! The concept is simple yet innovative: this is one light weight car booster seat, suitable for children aged between 4-11 years (15-36kgs) and to be used in conjunction with a 3 point adult seat belt. You can easily inflate and use the BubbleBum almost everywhere: in a taxi, in a childminder’s car, on holidays or at the back of a small car like mine. The inflatable booster seat folds up neatly when not in use and comes complete with a carry bag. A shoulder positioning strap is also provided so that your child can sit safely in …