Dublin Zoo

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If you’re in Dublin looking for a kid friendly activity, I highly recommend the Dublin Zoo. The Dublin Zoo is located in Phoenix Park and is one of Dublin’s favorite attractions. It houses up to 400 animals including some endangered species. Some of the animals include elephants, lions, tigers, flamingos, sea lions, penguins, giraffes, and grey wolves. The elephants were eating lunch as the adorable baby elephants stayed close to their moms. My favorite animal exhibits were the sea lions and the penguins. The sea lions loved showing off to the crowd by swimming towards us as we watched them through the glass, while they were playing and making noises. I remember when I was talking, the sea lion swam over and seemed to stick his tongue out at me as he swam by under the water. While visiting the penguin exhibit, the penguins would follow the little kids walking back and forth along the glass fence. I added a short video below for your enjoyment. If you are interested in checking out the Dublin Zoo online, click here: https://www.dublinzoo.ie

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

Guinness Storehouse 🇮🇪

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One of my most favorite attractions in Dublin was the Guinness Storehouse. The Guinness Storehouse is located right in St. James’s Gate Brewery and is Ireland’s most visited attraction. It consists of seven floors that include the brewing story, cooperage and transport, the tasting experience, world of advertising, Guinness Academy, food and drink, and finally the Gravity Bar. It’s hard to believe that Guinness is made with only four ingredients, which include water, barley, hops, and yeast. At the beginning of the tour, the tour guide tells us “you are starting your journey at the bottom of the pint glass,” because as we looked up, it looked like we were standing at the bottom of a pint glass. As we spiraled up to each floor as we continued through the tour, we learned each step of the beer making process. When we walked into the tasting room, they had aroma smelling stations of each of the four ingredients before we tasted the beer. Yummy! The next floor had their advertising room with displays of their digital and TV advertising campaigns across to the world. Next, was the Guinness Academy where we had the option to use our free ticket to learn how to pour the perfect pint, or we could get our free pint up at the Gravity Bar. I chose to spend my free ticket by getting a free pint at the Gravity Bar. As we entered the bar, we were suddenly surrounded by a breathtaking 360° view of Dublin. As you’re leaving the storehouse, you can take a horse and buggy ride to your next destination in Dublin. If you are interested in checking out the Guinness Storehouse online, click here: https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en

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Slauncha!

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

Pouring the perfect Guinness Pint

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Wow, what an amazing time I’ve had in Dublin. One of the things I always wanted to do in Dublin was pour my own pint of Guinness. This is such an amazing opportunity that I think everyone should take advantage of if they are ever in Dublin. You can pour your own pint at the Guinness Storehouse or there are a few pubs that will let you pour your own pint if you ask. I went to Ned O’Sheas Pub to learn how to pour a pint and had a blast! It is an excellent pub near the river in the Viking Quarters with an amazing atmosphere. You can pour your own Guinness pint, and find a variety of traditional Irish dishes. The Guinness stew is a great dish to have on a chilly day while sipping on a pint of Guinness. Finally, after pouring the perfect pint you can celebrate by drinking the pint and take home the certificate they give you with your name on it. They also have t-shirts that says “I POURED THE PERFECT PINT AT NED O’SHEA’S DUBLIN” for €15. For anyone who’s interested in checking out Ned O’Shea’s click here: http://www.nedosheas.ie

How to pour the perfect Guinness pint:

  1. Tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle
  2. Open the tap by pulling it all the way forward until it reaches just underneath the harp
  3. Set the glass down and let the Guinness sit for 2 minutes. This allows the beer to settle
  4. Once the beer is settled, put your glass back up to the tap and finish filling it, so you get that nice foamy top as shown in the picture above
  5. Enjoy!!!

Slauncha!

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

SIDS AWARENESS

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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as the term SIDS, is an unexpected death in infants under the age of 1 year old.

Risk factors for SIDS:

  • Infants sleeping on their stomach
  • Having blankets or toys in the crib
  • Being overheated
  • Exposure to smoke or alcohol while in and out of the womb
  • Co-sleeping with infant
  • Low birthweight
  • Sleeping on a soft surface

SIDS Prevention:

  • Always place the baby on their back during nap and bedtime
  • Use a firm mattress with a tight fitted sheet
  • Keep the crib clear of any items
  • Breastfeeding and using a pacifier helps prevent SIDS
  • The baby should sleep in their own bed in parents room
  • Do not smoke or drink around baby or when breastfeeding 

The American SIDS Institute, a non-profit organization, is recommended as a primary resource for SIDS by the Center of disease control and prevention (CDC) (“Sudden Unexpected Infant…,” 2016). They provide research and education on SIDS prevention (“Sudden Unexpected Infant…,” 2016). Unhealthy smoking habits during pregnancy or around infants will dramatically increase the risk of SIDS. When the baby is in a smoking environment, the smoke they breathe causes nicotine and other chemicals from the smoke to absorb in the lung tissue, increasing the risk of SIDS, and “nicotine alters central nervous system neurotransmission and cardiovascular regulation” (McMartin, 2002). This is very strong evidence that a mother should not smoke during or after pregnancy because it will affect the baby’s health and increase the possibility of SIDS. Second-hand smoke is also a risk factor for SIDS causing the baby to develop asthma or have other breathing issues. Next, the infant may sleep in the same room next to their parent’s bed, but in their own crib (“What does a…,” 2014). This way, parents can attend to the baby’s needs when the baby needs to be fed or changed, while still maintaining a safe sleep environment. Sleeping with the baby may seem like a safe and easy way for new moms trying to bond or feed their baby, but the baby can get trapped and suffocate if the mom rolls over. Finally, make sure the baby has plenty of tummy time. Tummy time allows the baby to exercise and strengthen the muscles in their neck, arms, and legs. However, it is extremely important to always watch the baby during this time to prevent suffocation or a SIDS event.

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You can find more information at the following sites:

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/american-academy-of-pediatrics-announces-new-safe-sleep-recommendations-to-protect-against-sids.aspx

https://www.cdc.gov/sids/Parents-Caregivers.htm

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs

https://www1.nichd.nih.gov/sts/about/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.oswegocounty.com/dss/sleeping%20english.pdf

References

McMartin, K. I., Platt, M. S., Hackman, R., Klein, J., Smialek†, J. E., Vigorito, R., & Koren, G. (2002). Lung tissue concentrations of nicotine in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The Journal of Pediatrics, 140(2), 205-209. Retrieved February 28, 2016.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. (2016, January 26). Retrieved February 17, 2018, from http://www.cdc.gov/sids/index.htm

What does a safe sleep environment look like? (2014, August, 1). Retrieved February 17, 2018, from https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sts/about/environment/Pages/look.aspx

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

 

 

Niall Horan Flicker World Tour (Dublin)

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On Thursday March 29, I saw Niall Horan at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland for his 2018 Flicker World Tour. Niall did another fantastic job performing as per usual. This show was a little better than when I saw him in Boston because he sang some songs by other artists such as Crying in the Club by Camila Cabello and Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen. He gave us a pleasant surprise by playing the piano while singing an unreleased song called So Long that unfortunately didn’t make it onto his Flicker album. His set list consisted of songs such as On The Loose, The Tide, This Town, Paper Houses, You and Me, Dancing In the Dark, Seeing Blind, Too Much to Ask, Flicker, Fools Gold, So Long, Since Were Alone, Fire Away, Crying in the Club, Mirrors, Drag Me Down, Slow Hands, and finally On My Own. He was excited to announce that he went platinum in Ireland and sold a total of 40,000 tickets just for his two Ireland shows. That is something to definitely be proud of because something like this doesn’t happen everyday to a lot of artists. Therefore, I send all of my congratulations to him! He has come so far as an artist from when he first started out with One Direction to now. I wish him many more years of wonderful success! For anyone who’s interested in checking out the remaining tour dates for Niall’s Flicker World Tour, click here: https://vipnation.com/tours/niall-horan/flicker-world-tour-2018

I look forward to seeing him again! #FlickerWorldTour2018

 © 2018 Sundown Pointe