Midterm for mums: 10 indulgent treats for adults in need of a break
A spa break is just one option for frazzled parents to unwind this midterm.
If self-care for you involves a long bath and/or a scented candle, you need to visit The Handmade Soap Company where you can learn to make your own candles, bath bombs, lip balms and more in an immersive experience with the experts behind the brand. The Handmade Soap Company's next immersive experience is on sale now and attendees will create 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable beauty and wellness products. Founder Donagh Quigley will share his knowledge of the healing powers of nature directly with workshop participants, and he says: “You will leave with your own handmade products and the knowledge of how to create your own forever.” All 90-minute workshops cost €50 per person and take place at The Handmade Soap Company’s store on Wicklow Street, Dublin 2. thehandmadesoapcompany.ie.
Over the years, the Imperial Hotel in Cork has hosted some bright stars, including Princess Grace, JFK, and Maureen O’Hara. Now, guests in need of a romantic escape can blast into a spacious stay in the gorgeous Cork city hotel this midterm thanks to this eye-catching offer. The Cosmos at the Castle package includes a two-night space-themed stay at their luxury boutique hotel with dinner in Thyme restaurant, a complimentary Cosmo cocktail, plus an outing to the Blackrock Castle Observatory for some star gazing and space exploration. After your night in the stars, you’ll even receive an out-of-this-world parting gift: a Binary Star from the official star registry. This sounds like a getaway that will be hard to eclipse and the perfect couples retreat. The package starts from €231pp. To make a reservation, email reservations@imperialhotelcork.ie or call 021-4274040.
There’s nothing like a night at the theatre, but for many of us an evening away for the real thing isn’t possible for one reason or another. Thankfully, our local cinemas can step in and for Halloween we’re in for quite a treat. The Rocky Horror Show Live is broadcasting to cinemas live from London’s West End on October 28. The cult classic is perfect for the Halloween season and it’s the perfect reason to get dressed up as your favourite character and sing along to all our favourites, including Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, and the show-stopping Time Warp. It features Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba as Brad and he says he is “thrilled” to be beamed into cinemas near and far. The Rocky Horror Show Live will be in cinemas, including the Gate Multiplex, at 7.45pm on October 28. Tickets cost €15. rockyhorrorincinemas.com.
It often falls to mums to cook for the family, so what better way to mark your midterm escape than with a cooking class. No, really. We all get stuck in a cooking rut and many of us feel like we’re cooking the same few dishes over and over. The Fiesta De Los Muertos course in Belfast Cookery School is the perfect antidote. Inspired by the world-famous Day of the Dead Festival, students will explore Latin American cuisine in a one-off event on Saturday, October 30. Plus, there will be a Halloween twist, with gruesome guests and devilishly delicious dishes promised as well as prizes for the best-dressed cooks. Just make sure your costume doesn’t get in the way of your cooking. You’ll learn to prepare a distinctive Peruvian ceviche followed by charred flat iron steak chimichurri with two South American classic accompaniments: refried black beans and a cactus, corn and avocado salad. Dessert is a classic quesillo served with a condensed milk flan. Delicious. Tickets cost £60 (around €70) from belfastcookeryschool.com.
Cork’s iconic Jazz Festival is back this year and it ensures a swinging start to midterm. For grown-ups in need of a night out with a difference, a jazz cruise down the river sounds like the perfect choice. Cork Harbour Cruises has announced a ‘Jazzin on the Lee’ event for October 23 with Jazzin on the Lee aboard the Cailin Oir, where guests will be joined by Len McCarthy and the Guinness Jazz All-Stars. The two-and-a-half-hour cruise will include views of some of Cork’s best-loved places, such as Blackrock Castle, Spike Island and a breathtaking view of Cobh from the water. Guests can enjoy a free Salty Tale cocktail to sip as the boat makes its way to the harbour and back. Just remember to bring a jacket. Tickets cost €40 or two for €70 from corkharbourcruises.com/jazzin-on-the-lee.
Honestly, who would say no to a spa break? This one from The Montenotte Hotel sounds like an utterly blissful experience. The Restoring Autumnal Stay package includes overnight accommodation with breakfast the following morning, botanical afternoon tea served in the Panorama restaurant as well as a rejuvenating autumn spa package. Guests can choose any two 30-minute spa treatments of their choice from: a comforting hot oil, back neck and shoulder massage; a re-energising Dermaviduals enzyme facial; a detoxifying pink salt back scrub followed by a relaxing back massage; or an Indian head massage. It also includes access to The Montenotte’s in-house Cameo cinema and full use of the hotel’s Motion Health Club. The package is available from Monday to Saturday. More details can be found on themontenottehotel.com.
For those unable to make their way to a spa hotel this midterm, why not treat yourself to an at-home experience instead? A new innovative at-home infrared sauna blanket from MiHIGH will bring the spa experience home to you, and to be honest, it sounds like exactly what we need for those chilly mornings too. The blanket boasts a list of beauty and wellness benefits, including improving skin appearance, tone and feel, boosting collagen levels and helping to calm the body and mind. It has a high-quality leather exterior and waterproof interior and its makers describe it as a way to get a more accessible, more affordable natural high at home, comparable to a spa break every weekend. In case that hasn’t convinced you, using the blanket for just 30 minutes can burn up to 600 calories while simultaneously calming the body and mind through the release of chemicals known to boost your mood. Win-win if you ask me. MiHIGH’s infrared sauna blanket costs £399 (around €473) and is available from mihigh.co.uk.
A spa isn’t your scene? Or maybe you’re seeking frights of a different kind this Halloween? Head to Co Waterford for a themed thrill. The Lismore Heritage Centre usually educates visitors on the town’s formidable history, but this Halloween it is transforming its Robert Boyle Escape Room into the Hocus Pocus Escape Room. Have you got what it takes to escape from the Sanderson Sisters? Accepting teams of two, three, four, five or six, it is the perfect spooky but fun day activity that all the family can enjoy but would also suit an adult-only group or couple. Much like the plot of the beloved Halloween film, in the escape room, you’re trapped in their cottage; you have to destroy the life potion and find a way out in one hour before they find you and put a spell on you that will last forever. The experience costs from €50 to €75 and can be booked at discoverlismore.com.
An afternoon of indulgence is a much-deserved treat for those adults who most often cook for their family and while much of our midterm suggestions have been adult-only, this is one that the kids can enjoy too. Cork International Hotel is serving their Halloween Afternoon Tea from October 26 to 31, with platters of frightfully delicious sweet and savoury treats. The afternoon tea costs €25 for adults and €12.50 per child. Book by calling 021 4549800. In addition, rooms are also available at the hotel over midterm and they are offering many seasonal activities for families, like a pumpkin hunt, monster bash costume party, Halloween arts and crafts, trick-or-treating and more.
Grab your best gal pal and head to the River Lee Hotel to, as they describe it, make a night of it. For many parents, catch-ups with friends happen less often than they’d like but thanks to this glamourous offer, you can have a night of fun with your bestie. The ‘Make A Night Of It’ package makes sure guests have plenty of fine wine and delicious food during their luxurious night stay thanks to a three-course dinner in the Instagrammable River Club with a bottle of house wine. Plus, of course, that hotel breakfast we’ve all been missing. Go on, make some memories this midterm. Visit doylecollection.com for booking details.
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