Gem and Jo go to the Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival

Tea Anyone? Coffee? Well we had lots of both this weekend at the Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival in the RDS! Thanks to Jo's family friend Jerry, we got our hands on some complimentary tickets to go to this awesome, super hipster event that was only on for the weekend.
We had a absolute blast, and not just from the amount of coffee and green tea we drank!
We got to sample and taste tons of different brands of tea and coffee from some of the best baristas and coffee companies from not only Ireland but from around the world as well. 
Our favourite was Java Republic, and not because they were serving full sized, free tea! They had an amazing array of flavoured teas, which are all organic and their packaging is all fully biodegradable, even the really cute little silk teabags! We tried a ton of their teas but our favourites were:

Blood Orange Tea. 

You can buy it online Here

Peppermint Tea 

You can buy it online Here

Gunpowder and Mango (Surprisingly doesn't contain gunpowder!)

Buy it online Here

Now the great thing about the Java Republic tea is the teabags are reusable for up to 3 times! But we didn't take their word for it so when we went home we tested it and low and behold, it actually works! Any other teabag would have melted into icky-ness after the second time or so. 

What was really cool was that we also got to chat to Jerry about the coffee and tea industry and how it's growing and improving at a super crazy rate. We learned that coffee is the world's second biggest commodity after oil and that you can now even get a diploma in coffee. We also got to learn a lot about how many different teas and coffees are made and got to see some of the processes used in action. 

The exhibition also had prototypes of the latest coffee making technology including this amazing tap that you can have installed into your kitchen counter-top that makes coffee from a menu on your ipad. Everything is controlled from your ipad from the amount of milk you want right down to how much sugar and water!

We also got to try out a load of different exotic teas and coffees like this green matcha tea. Although this tea may look like gross green liquid, but this stuff is great for you. It is known to increase metabolism, energy and decrease stress. We have heard a lot of great things about matcha tea and we were so excited to try it out and have a taste 

Along with all the amazing teas and coffees on offer, the exhibition also had a chill out zone where you could have a bit of a rest and drink your yummy hot drink and just relax for a moment. 

There was also live music in an outside area where you could just chill and soak up the atmosphere.

After having spent the day immersing ourselves in tea and coffee, we decided to head out to Dun Laoghaire to round off the day. The weather was gorgeous and we went for a bit up a stroll around. We even managed to bump into author Lee Child!!! Don't believe us? Just check out the picture above, he's in it we swear!  

After all that busy excitement we finished off our day with dinner in the Real Gourmet Burger restaurant in Dun Laoghaire where we had some really tasty food. The chips were amazing. if you are in the area definitely check it out. 

We had such a super day out. Thanks so much to Jerry Hughes for giving us the chance to experience the amazingness that was the Dublin coffee and tea festival. We had so much fun. 
As always thanks for reading be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below, we always love to hear from you. 
Until next time, 

Gem and Jo take on Strange Weather

As you might know Gemma is a huge weather freak (she's obsessed..... it's kinda scary!), when we heard that the science gallery in Dublin were having an exhibition about weather we had to check it (Gemma probably would have imploded if we didn't). So this past Thursday we headed into Dublin city to have a look at the exhibit, Strange Weather, (and to have bit of a frolic in general).

The science gallery doesn't open until midday so we decided to head into Dublin a bit earlier and do a bit of Shopping (let's face it, we're girls and given any chance to exchange money for goods and services, we're in there like swimwear).

After a little bit of retail therapy, we headed for lunch in Captain Americas on Grafton Street. This place does super yummy food and cocktails but seen as it was only 1 o'clock (which is before the acceptable time to start drinking) we got ourselves some pizza (which was delicious we might add). *Oh quick side note, if any of you guys are with o2 (The phone network) you can get yourself a 'buy one, get one free' on all main courses so check that out here.

One of the beautiful buildings on the grounds of trinity college.

After we were fed and watered, we went on our merry way towards the Science Gallery. The gallery itself is on the grounds of Trinity college so we got a chance to look at the beautiful architecture that covers the grounds.

We got to the science gallery at a nice time and there wasn't a huge crowd there. By this stage Jo thought Gemma was going to explode with excitement and she wasn't let down.

 The exhibit had loads on offer for both children and adults interested in weather. From weather charts to people making clouds with helium, from  models of the earth and predicted weather cycles to a screen that let you interact with cloud patterns. There was even a place where you see what it's like to be a weather person and read off a teleprompter in front of a green screen. They even film it and put it up on Youtube so you can watch it later. We had so much fun with this and it's way harder than you may think. If you want to see us making complete messes of ourselves you can watch the videos below. 

Gem's Future Forecast

Skip to 0:49 to see Gem utterly confused by words...

Jo's Future Forecast

Unfortunately Youtube hates us and refuses to let us put Jo's video on the blog, so if you want to see Jo's forecast video you're gonna have to do the ole fashioned copy and paste of this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJZBNo7i-PY

Over all it was a great day and the gallery was well worth it. The exhibit runs until the 5th of October and entry to the science gallery is free so there's no reason not to check it out if you're around Dublin. Check out the Science Gallery's website here for more information. 

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. 

Until next time

XO Gem and Jo 

Gem and Jo Go To Riverdance.

As Irish girls we felt obliged to go see Riverdance's 20th Anniversary tour this weekend! And we were not disappointed!
Now Gem had never seen Riverdance and we were only wee babies when it won The Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, so we hadn't seen the original but this show is brilliant!

The actual show starts with some stamping and a weird voice over who talks a load of craziness throughout the show, but when the first dancers start, you just get chills! There is no doubt that these people are absolutely brilliant at what they do! From the actual riverdance to the jumps, flips and spins, these dancers have serious talent!

The 20th anniversary tour is a mixture of Irish and international dance and music, Gem didn't know this when we went and was totally confused as to why they were doing the Flamenco and tap! Speaking of tap, the two guys who portray American style dance were absolutely hilarious! They really lighten up the performance!

Photo: Riverdance.com

At first, when the main dancer comes on stage you think, "What the hell is this guy wearing?" but don't worry, his wardrobe gets worse! It goes from puffy pirate shirt to leather pants, shirt and jacket. However while pirate shirt is dancing you don't care what he's wearing, his feet move like lightening! It is incredible!

Tickets for this show were kinda pricey, ours were €50.00 and popcorn and drinks in the Gaiety Theatre can be expensive, which sucks but for a show as good as Riverdance you don't mind!

You can buy tickets for the Dublin shows Here
Or you can checkout when Riverdance will be in your area Here

Let us know if you've ever seen Riverdance in the comments below, we love to hear from you guys!
Until Next Time!

Gem and Jo's Meet the Gang.

Today we think you guys should meet the gang! And by gang we mean our dogs!! We love them and you guys probably won't be able to resist their little faces either!

 This is Buddy, he's a 5 year old Shih Tzu and he was born an old, old soul, bless his heart! The only thing Buddy wants from life is a big slice of ham and a nice bed to sleep on all day. He loves a good scratch just above his tail and will do just about anything for a treat! You can't even mention that word around him or he will try to roll over, spin around and shake hands all at the same time!

This is Toby! He's about 18 weeks old Pomeranian/Shih Tzu cross and is possibly (most definitely) crazy. He enjoys chewing Buddy's ears to get attention, chasing his own tail and ripping apart anything he can get his teeth on! But who could stay mad at that face for very long? Heck, you couldn't even stay mad if he had robbed your favourite heels, dragged them to the garden and buried them! 

Then there's Jo's dog Ellie, the golden retriever. Look at that face, she doesn't mess around, that is the face of an axe murderer. It says "I will kill you, give me biscuits." Only joking, Ellie wouldn't even hurt a fly, in fact she's even afraid of cats. The worst Ellie would do is try to lick you to death. She is a complete sun worshiper and will try and fit herself into even the smallest patch of sunshine. And as soon as she sees someone coming her way she'll roll over for belly rubs! She loves a good cuddle, unfortunately she sheds like a beast, but she is more than worth it. 

yes she can play the ukulele!  

Gem and Jo Take The Wax Museum Plus, Dublin.

A couple of weeks ago we took a trip to Dublin City Center to visit The Wax Museum Plus. Tickets for students are €9.00 which is pretty inexpensive for Dublin. It is located about a 3 minute walk from Grafton Street, but is a little tough to see if you've never been before.

 When we arrived the staff were so nice! They explained the layout of the building really well so we wouldn't get lost and were just genuinely helpful people!
The museum is great fun, with loads of interactive type statues, which we had a great time taking photos with.

Johannah with a statue of a soldier. 

Gemma fan-girling over Phil Linnot. 

Gemma High fiving Jedward. 

 This is Jedward in case our international viewers don't know! They represented Ireland twice in the Eurovision Song Contest and are kind of hilarious!

There is something for everyone, from the hall of fame, the chamber of horrors  to the kids zone. It even makes you travel back in time to medieval Ireland!
Some of the statues are ridiculously realistic and are very creepy! including this Queen Elizabeth figure! We were convinced that she was going to turn and shout at us!! It was a little terrifying.

We also recommend avoiding the Chamber of Horrors if you scare easily! It is pretty gruesome and horrifying, plus stuff jumps out at you when you least expect it! 

The kids zone is great fun and they have tons of statues of famous cartoons and they have a tunnel which only kids are allowed in, we were too big :(

Although it may not be a full days outing, it is definitely great fun for a couple of hours and well worth the visit! It is great fun to take pictures with the statues and seeing how intricate the the wax work is.
If you want to visit the wax museum check out their website Here

Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out our youtube channel. 

Until next time!!

Gem and Jo Take The Phoenix Park

So the other day, it was sunny in Dublin for once and we decided to embrace this rarity and go for a picnic in one of the largest parks in a European city, The Phoenix Park.
The park is home to Dublin Zoo, the American Ambassador and the Irish president, Mr Micheal D. Higgins.

He's so cute!

It is also a very beautiful place to have lunch as we discovered! We sat in the park which surrounds the Wellington Monument and it was so peaceful and we found the most amazing pack of crisps EVER!
These Beauts taste like nothing before them! They are like a party in your mouth. Tayto, you are gods!

Also these crisp making gods have gone and built themselves an amusement park designed around Mr Tayto, their mascot! Check it out here. 

We took some pictures to commemorate our adventure and they turned out kinda pretty, if we do say so ourselves! Take a look for yourselves: 

The Wellington Monument

The green area where we had our picnic

There were lots of people around too!

It was a gorgeous day for Ireland and we sat on our pink picnic blanket sunbathing! Well Johannah sunbathed, Gemma was covered in suncream avoiding the rays as if the devil was after her! Gingers and the sun do not mix! 

After our picnic we went for a wonderful wander (yeh, we use alliteration cause we're fancy!) through the park, we came across the Papal cross, which is were the Pope visited and had some weird kind of festival in the 70's. Kind of like Coachella but with more priests and less visible skin. It was apparently a huge deal back in the day and if you didn't go you were like Justin Beiber, casted out of your own country.

The view from the Papal Cross

 Even if your not very religious, it is still a very pretty place to visit, if you can get past the loud Irish teenagers that seem to like to hang out there. They were trying their best to speak French to some tourists, and by French we mean gibberish. They were kinda hopeless, it was hilarious.

The Papal Cross, tourists included. 

Oh theres also deer! Did we mention deer?? Take a look at their website here if you don't believe how awesome this park truly is.

Gem And Jo Take Dublin Zoo

We recently visited Dublin Zoo and let us tell you, it was awesome. It has recently been refurbished and there are way more animals than ever.
Everything from lions...

...to Giraffes... 

...And even this weird looking guy... (Who may or may not be a little depressed)

And if you get there early, you can see the keepers feed the animals, they even give you a five minute gap between feeds so you can run from one enclosure to the other. Literally, you have to run. the zoo is a big place.

Robin the Giraffe, her calf and Keeper. 

We got seriously up close and personal with some gorillas and their keeper told us that they love banana biscuits.

Baby Gorilla 

Sleepy mama gorilla. 

There is also wild peacocks running all over the place, and they're cheeky feckers who like to steal your chips.

Cool fact about peacocks, female ones are called peahens. Bet you didn't know that one.
Apart from the animals there are other cool things to do in the Zoo, there are plenty of playgrounds and there are strange wooden statues of the animals dotted all over the place. We had a bucket load of fun taking pictures with them.

Gemma chilling with some baby piggys and their mama

Johannah reckoned she could take on a gorilla!

This is probably the most fun you could have with a wooden Zebra!

All in All, Dublin Zoo is a great day out. We recommend going early enough on cloudy days if you want to avoid the crowds, also they give discounts to groups and students, which is always a plus!
check them out at: Dublin Zoo.