You're the bee's knees Mom!

Let's share a few ideas for creating a special Mothers Day

The past 12 months was extra hard on us all. We need to take the opportunity to be extra kind to ourselves and loved ones and on Mothers Day (Sunday, 14 March - a little reminder for you!), it's all about Mother's. This traditional holiday was conceived in the 1900's by Anna Jarvis as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. This year we are all celebrating Mothers day in the home so let's share some ideas on what we can do! 

Beeswax candles
Mom’s Spa Day at Home

What better gift to give your hard-working Mother, other than the gift of relaxation, because believe it or not, Mothers need a day off too! A Spa Day is all about relaxation. Starting with breakfast in bed. Even if it's simply juice and toast brought in to your bedroom on a tray by little kiddies! It's about lighting a candle, maybe even while taking a bath to relax and have some 'me time'. You can finish the day off using Millbee's balm as a foot and hand balm to relax and calm and help induce a restful night's sleep.

A day off from cooking

You can order a takeaway or have something prepared the day before and covered in the fridge with Millbee's wraps! If your partner loves to cook why not get him to recreate this delicious Chinese takeout - Broccoli in Garlic Sauce recommended by Yvonne in Hey Pesto.

Movie night in

Let’s finish the day off with Mom's favorite flick. A family movie night, cozied up on the couch is a perfect way to end your Mother’s special day. Set the scene by creating a comfy seating area for the whole family. If you don’t have enough room on the sofa, turn your floor into the kingdom of cosy; throws, cushions, duvets, is all you need to make the perfect movie night fort. Create the perfect movie night snack using our 3 delicious popcorn flavours; Orange and cinnamon, Toffee popcorn (my personal favourite), and Honey and sea salt. You will need a little light so you can locate that popcorn bowl, Millbee’s Beeswax candle’s radiate the most beautiful warm yellow glow, with a subtle natural scent to finish off the perfect day. 

Mother's day gift set
Get 10% off this gift set for Mothers day with the code MDAY10

For the Mother that you can't have for dinner this year

Let's not forget those Mothers that you can't invite for dinner this year. They may have their kids rared and gone but they still deserve to be treated. A perfect gift for Mothers day is Millbee's beeswax wraps, balm and pillar candle gift set. With this luxurious set your Mother can create her very own pampering experience.  

Cook with Yvonne from Hey Pesto

For Mother's who could do with some company and fun learning we suggest gifting one of Hey Pesto's cookery classes. Millbee has teamed up with Yvonne from Hey Pesto this month who is using beeswax wraps during her weekly online cookery class. Each week Yvonne creates delicious recipes in a casual setting with a bit of banter from attendees. Yvonne is great fun to watch, offers really useful culinary advice and welcomes plenty of questions and chat from those attending. 

If you would like to share ideas on how to make this Mothers Day extra special please let us know in the comments. It is so important to tell our mother’s how much we love and respect them at every chance we get, not just on Mothers Day. I hope you all have a very special Mother’s Day this year!

Beeswax candles and wraps gift set
Get 10% off this gift set for Mothers day with the code MDAY10

To celebrate Mothers Day we have 10% off two of our favorite gift sets - candles, balm, wraps and this one that includes our candle holder. Just use the code MDAY10 in the checkout!

March 16, 2022 — Alexandra Daly
Autumn_tablesetting

Home Inspiration: A beautiful Autumn table setting

Looking for inspiration to decorate your table this Autumn?

We are delighted to team up with talented designer and stylist Sarah from Retwiggd to bring you an Autumn table setting. Sarah created the most beautifully styled table using Millbee's beeswax candles, organic napkins, flowers from her garden, old bottles, and vintage pots.

autumn_fall_tablescape

The warm Autumn colours add a lovely cozy ambiance to the table. 

Sarah's Masterclass 

Shortly after Sarah styled her table using Millbee's products I watched her give a masterclass for Inside Out Homeshow - an online home, garden and lifestyle event supporting charity FRIENDS OF THE COOMBE.

So here's what I learned:

1. Mix & Match. For me this is both practical and looks beautiful. You can create an eclectic look with vintage jars, crockery and basically just use what you have. Sarah moved around pieces then stood back to see if they looked right. It's good to take a bit of time to set the table. Perhaps treat it as a ritual!

2. Create Symmetry. When you place everything on the table observe them against each other.  Do some pieces look too big or tall? Using smaller vases is a good idea if you don't want to obstruct people's view sitting across from each other.

3. Color. It's good to have a color scheme in mind. Flowers, candles or squashes are ideal for creating a beautiful warm  Autumnal color scheme. 

4. Texture. When it comes to design and styling I always try to consider texture especially because we're all about nature here in Millbee. I loved to see Sarah break away from the traditional tablecloth and leave the wooden table exposed. You can add layers and texture using table-mats, a table runner or napkins.  She also shared some creative techniques on how to fold napkins. 

autumn_fall_tablescape

Millbee's organic cotton and hemp napkins

 Autumn_tablesetting

If you would like to get started on creating a seasonal display or gift to your favorite food lover we have 5% OFF Millbee's Food Lovers Giftset - Use the code TABLE5

October 27, 2021 — Jennifer Doyle
Millbee Studio Fundit Project

Millbee Studio Fundit Project

I had the idea to run workshops in candle making for the past couple of years and have now decided to bite the bullet and set these up! Over the past 20 years, I've worked on various design and craft projects as well as teaching courses and facilitating workshops. Perhaps the recent restrictions with no socialising allowed have urged me to create these workshops. Making products together and sharing stories in a group setting is appealing to me and I hope it is for you too! So with this in mind, we are developing our studio space to facilitate creative workshops with an emphasis on well-being. Our first classes will be candle-making. Participants will learn traditional candle dipping methods, using moulds and making hand-rolled candles from beeswax.

Our molded candles are made from 100% beeswax with eco dyes

Coffee and herbal tea ceremonies will take place in our garden room among plants, calming scents and music. Our goal is to provide a sensory experience for participants and a tranquil environment to recharge and practice mindfulness through craft.

 

Making Millbee's beeswax candles using the traditional dipping method

Fundit Campaign


We have our studio space and a half-built wellness garden room. But we need help to get our workshops fully set up. I felt creating a Fundit Campaign was our best option to do this. When you fund our project you will receive a mix of Millbee products and/or vouchers for our upcoming workshops. We plan to start workshops in September. Your money will go towards candle-making equipment (melting pots, dipping rigs, jugs), chairs, toilet facility, exit door, and completion of the garden wellness room (windows, bench seating & stove). If you would like to find out further information or fund our campaign please check out our Fundit Page

 

fundit-millbee



May 28, 2021 — Jennifer Doyle

Meet Millbee Ambassador - Tara Larkin

millbee brand ambassador

"Hi, my name is Tara. I’m originally from a small town in Co. Meath, but am now married and living in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.  I have two young boys.  I have a keen interest in Aromatherapy and recently became a Wellness Advocate for Doterra Essential Oils.  I love the benefits these oils bring to my family and I am looking forward to helping to bring them to whomever wishes to learn about their many benefits. 

I also love to read, walk and of course watch T.V. with a big cup of tea and chocolate or the occasional glass of vino.

A few years ago I made a conscious decision to try reducing my family’s carbon footprint. One of the first things I did was to eliminate cling film from my cupboards. I invested in reusable plastic containers and beeswax wraps.  

I discovered Millbee wraps on a Saturday morning at my local farmers market. It turned out that the lovely Jennifer, owner of Millbee, lives near me and her children go to the same country school as my own children.

I have been using Millbee wraps since then. I love to wrap my bread in them and discovered they keep it much fresher than my bread bin.

I use them to cover leftovers and pop them straight into the fridge. 

 

Over the last few years and much to my delight, Jennifer has extended her range to the fabulous balm. I apply it to my hands every night before bed. It keeps them so soft which is definitely a requirement after the drying effect of sanitizer! The fabulous scent of lavender helps calm the mind as I drift to sleep.  

Millbee candles are also another fabulous addition to the Millbee range. The subtle soft glow with no harmful toxins helps set the mood to any room for any occasion.  

Really in my mind using Millbee stunning products is a no brainer!! Stunning products that are environmentally friendly from a small Irish business, what’s not to love!!"

- Tara Mangan

 

Follow or get in touch with Tara on Facebook or Instagram

March 04, 2021 — Jennifer Doyle

Meet Millbee's first ambassador - Dee Mulroe

My name is Dee. I'm from country Mayo. I am here to tell you about my Millbee journey and experience. 

In 2019, I had a pretty bad mental breakdown. I spent a lot of my months, sitting outside on the patio in nature. Trying to recoup, regenerate, re-energise and trying to get things into perspective for myself.

 

For a lot of that time the only company I had was nature. I watched the birds come in and out into the feeders in early Spring and on into Summer. There was a hive of bees and wasps coming and going and I used to take such pleasure in watching them bounce from flower to flower. It made me really want to invest back into nature.

While I was going through that really difficult time, nature was there to pick me up, keep me company and it soothed me many days.

I decided to make new choices to rebuild my life. Change can't happen unless I make change happen. I decided that I needed to take care of myself, and in taking care of myself, my home was going to be an extension of that. Further out from that, my take on the environment.

So in the Autumn/Winter of 2019, I made my first purchase with Millbee in hopes to reduce single use plastics at home.

And I'd say after a couple of months, I wasn't picking up the cling wrap as much as I usually would be. I started with the lunch pack and getting the kids off to school with their lunches wrapped up in Millbee's Beeswax Wraps. It did wonders for me also because I felt like I was doing something good for them. Teaching them to take care of things and showing them that it's little steps we do that's going to make a difference.

I choose doing more for the environment as part of my self care regime.

I learned so much from it that I wanted to give back, and I wanted to protect what was there. As time has gone on I've expanded my Millbee collection to their candles which I find fantastic for a few quiet moments to myself. If I want any time to journal or time to relax before bed, the glow of Millbee's beeswax candle really does it for me! And I just love the way they're constructed and rolled. I really admire the workmanship that's gone into the candles!

 

I use all the wrap sizes - the bread wrap and the variety wrap sizes. I have a couple of the lunch wraps and they go on pretty much everything. My sourdough starter is now under one, and it's the happiest it's ever been!

So, that's why I choose Millbee as part of my journey going forward. I like the ethos. I like working with nature and bees.

I like reusable products you use in the home that are more eco-friendly. It leaves less of a footprint. 

What I was doing in my home gave me a boost. I was implementing some good habits with my children. I was giving them some good knowledge on how to take care of things, themselves and the earth combined, and all of nature. I felt like I was given something back. So that's my journey with Millbee! That's why I've incorporated this so much into my life and I really don't see it ending there! Keep moving forward with it and coming up with new ideas for us. That's it guys! Thank you.

~ Dee Mulroe 

You can follow Dee's Instagram page "Kitchen on the Mountain" for lots of delicious and nourishing home cooked recipes and self-care tips. Dee is also an advocate for mental health awareness. She is such an inspiration and we are so grateful to Dee for being our very first ambassador. 

As a special introductory price, Millbee is offering 10% off our 4 Pack Multisize Wraps for new customers today! 

Plus, if you aren't totally happy with your Millbee Beeswax Food Wraps, you can return them within 90 days for a full refund.

Meet Millbee Ambassador - Martina Dowling

"Hi, I’m Martina Dowling and I’m the owner of Shanti Holistic Yoga Studio in Patricks Court Tullamore (previously the yoga hub). I launched Shanti holistic last August during the pandemic and have now moved our classes online. Until the restrictions are lifted! Before Shanti Holistic, I had a career in travel for over 20 years working with airlines and tour operators. I brought that chapter of my life to an end in October 2018 when I travelled to India where I trained as a yoga instructor. Having practiced for many years, I decided to make my passion my career.

Why I choose to work with Millbee

I believe in supporting local businesses and using locally sourced products whenever possible. I am also very passionate about cruelty free products and I volunteer with animal charities.

I feel that we all need to do our part in helping both the environment, protecting animals from testing and whenever possible supporting local business. I feel that Millbee ticks all of the above."

- Martina Dowling

 Shanti yoga millbee balm

We are delighted to have Martina join us as one of Millbee's newest ambassadors. At Millbee we encourage you all to look after your well-being and yoga is a wonderful way to do this. Along with yoga, we encourage meditation,  creating self-care rituals and getting a good nights sleep. Martina has kindly created a video that guides you through her night-time ritual using Millbee's beeswax balm with lavender. We love her softly spoken voice and can't wait to share more guided videos with you. 

Martina's guided night-time ritual with Millbee lavender balm

 

You can follow or book an online yoga course with Martina through her Facebook Page.

 

March 04, 2021 — Jennifer Doyle
Valentine's table setting

3 of the best Valentines day Eco friendly gift ideas

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and it is the best time of year to celebrate with the ones you love. Valentines is my favorite holiday, I love the idea of indulging in as much chocolate as you like with no judgement, and it is the only holiday it is socially acceptable to express your love through terrible puns!
Although it is essential to care for the ones we love and give them a special treat on this holiday, it is just as important to care for our environment and make sure it feels the love on this special holiday. There are so many ways to celebrate with your loved ones without creating waste. To help you celebrate, I am sharing 3 Of The Best Valentines Day Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas.

Something Home-baked

Why not try baking up a storm for your loved ones. I find there is nothing better than something homemade with love.
How about trying some homemade soda bread , some yummy Jammy Dodger Biscuits, or your loved ones favorite cake.  To top these homemade goods off, wrap them up in our Millbee Beeswax Wraps to give them that extra touch.

Soda bread

Homemade soda bread wrapped in Millbee bread wrap

Jammie dodgers

Jammie dodgers 

Dinner By Candlelight

Love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate than with a romantic dinner by candlelight. Cooking a delicious meal for your loved one makes Valentines Day so unique, but why not set the mood with a lovely yellow glow. Millbee Beeswax hand-rolled dinner candles have a beautiful warm glow and would be perfect for your Valentines evening.

Beeswax candles

Beeswax dinner candles 

Self-Care Valentines Day

Seeing as Valentine's falls on a Sunday this year, you have no excuse but to pamper yourself and create the perfect Valentine's Self-Care Sunday. Get the bath on, light some candles, add a few drops of lavender essential oil and take some time for yourself. For an extra luxurious bath add some flower petels and citrus fruit.

Bath with petals

Citrus bath
Beeswax wraps
Cover half cut citrus fruit with beeswax wraps

I love to end a self-care day with Millbee Beeswax Balm. The Multi-Purpose Soothing Balm is ideal for giving dry Hands, Feet & Elbows a lovely treatment. It is 100% natural, with organic ingredients that are kind to skin.

Beeswax balm

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love from your friends, family, and that special someone, but, most importantly, make time to appreciate yourself too.

February 11, 2021 — Alexandra Daly
Beeswax wrap snack | 3 delicious popcorn flavours

Beeswax wrap snack | 3 delicious popcorn flavours

Friday movie night has become a recurring event in our house lately. After a busy week with work and school it's so nice to relax on the sofa with candles and a roaring fire. This Friday the Late Late Toy Show is on and I'm sure many will be glued to the TV. Christmas kicks off for our family with this show and a very excitable 6, 7  and 39 year old! The cheesier the better for me! Anyway, we will be making a big batch of flavoured popcorn so I thought I'd share 3 delicious flavour combinations.

1. Orange and cinnamon 

Christmas flavours - Pour melted butter with a squeeze of fresh orange juice over popcorn. Add grated zest of orange and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Christmas popcorn

Do you have a half cut orange left over? You can keep it covered and fresh in one of Millbee's beeswax wraps. The wraps are ideal for covering your lemons and grapefruit too! 

Beeswax wraps citrus fruit

2. Toffee popcorn 

A favourite for those with a real sweet tooth! Melt 25g butter with 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp golden syrup. Cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens then pour over popcorn. 

3. Honey and sea salt

Sweet and salty - a perfect match! Melt 25g butter with 2 tsp honey. Pour over and sprinkle some sea salt. We love Achill Island Sea Salt.

Beeswax wrap cone

A fun way to eat your delicious snacks using Millbees beeswax wraps.

Turn our medium size wrap into a cone by grabbing a corner and folding into cone shape. You can fold down at the top to secure. These cones are handy for many other snacks such as pretzels or crisps! The beeswax wrap cones give a fun snacking experience for kids and they are reusable too!

Here at Millbee Studio we are celebrating Green Friday this weekend. 10% off all products online! Code is GREEN10 

November 26, 2020 — Jennifer Doyle
Beeswax Candles

7 Reasons you Should Switch to Beeswax Candles

Beeswax Candles are adored for their gorgeous natural look but there are numerous reasons why they are the preferred candle of choice, especially over Paraffin Candles. We've summarised the top 7 reasons for you! 
July 28, 2020 — AdCeler8 Collaborator
10 Benefits of beeswax wraps

10 Amazing Benefits of Beeswax Food Wraps

If you are wondering why you might use Beeswax Food Wraps, then here are 10 reasons! From cutting down on plastic and food waste to wrapping bread in the freezer and even covering a bottle of wine. Beeswax wraps are not just a great sustainable alternative to clingfilm but they are also super handy!

FREE GLOBAL DELIVERY ON ALL MILLBEE BEESWAX WRAPS WITH CODE 'FREEDEL' 

*** Ends March 20th 2023 ***

June 09, 2020 — Eve McInerney
World Bee Day 2020

World Bee Day 2020

We are celebrating World Bee Day so I thought I'd share a little bit about how I got started beekeeping as well as a few useful resources. 

How I started beekeeping

A few years ago I became familiar with beeswax and it's wonderful uses. Beeswax is a natural wax produced by bees for making honeycomb. This honeycomb stores honey which is also capped (sealed) with a thin layer of wax. Once the honey is removed the wax is cleaned and melted. This beeswax can be used to make many products such as candles, skincare products, beeswax wraps and wax for furniture or leather. After learning about all the great properties of beeswax I became fascinated with everything to do with bees. I had a neighbour who is a beekeeper and he encouraged me to do the beginners beekeeping course. That was two years ago. I got set up with my first hive and a colony of native Irish bees that summer. I got all my beekeeping gear from Donegal Bees, some guidance from local beekeepers and a very useful bee manual!

millbee beekeeping ireland

Photo credit Ruth Connolly
All Ireland Pollinator Plan 

At Millbee, sustainability, and biodiversity, particularly our amazing bees are central to what we do. I absolutely love working with beeswax to create our candles, balm, and beeswax wraps, and I love documenting the beautiful nature and wildlife surrounding me. Millbee Studio also joined the Irish Pollinator Plan. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is about all of us, from farmers to local authorities, to schools, gardeners, and businesses, coming together to try to create an Ireland where pollinators can survive and thrive. To learn what you can do to help our bees there are lots of great resources on the Irish Pollinator Plan website.

This week is also National Biodiversity Week and you will find lots of useful resources on the Biodiversity Ireland website. 

feature bee photos

Share Your Bee Photos

We love to see your bee photos so if you would like to be featured in our social media pages simply tag @millbeestudio.

Happy World Bee day! 

 

 

May 20, 2020 — Jennifer Doyle
Adjusting to our new lives & connecting with nature

Adjusting to our new lives & connecting with nature

It feels like we are in a surreal moment in time. People's routines have changed drastically but what's interesting is how we are coming together as a community. Last week I did an interview with Amanda Kavanagh from Image.ie for a piece on bees and our community. It got me thinking more about our community and how strong and supportive we can be when we come together. Communities are coming together to look out for the elderly or those in need and support their local business. People are chatting to their neighbors over walls. Amongst all the mayhem of Covid-19,  it's nice that time has slowed down and we are making time to talk to each other. 

Adjusting to our new lives

It does feel that this is going on a long time but I think we are all adjusting to a radical change in our lives. I am normally self-motivated but I found this week difficult. An emotional rollercoaster! And I felt guilty as other people have it much more difficult than I do. We need to look after ourselves as well as each other during this time. Routines will be broken. New emotions are emerging (so many up and down days!) This is an adjusting period so I suppose we just have to roll with it!

 

This was me this time last year in a field of rapeseed. Image credit Ruth Connelly

 

Connecting with Nature

For a few minutes every day, I head out to the garden for a stroll. Taking in new blossoms, bumblebees, scents, and the sound of birds chirping. It's free therapy and I feel reenergized for a while longer. There has never been a better time to connect with nature. If you can, head for a walk in your garden or a local park. If you need a project to keep you sane, why not give gardening a go. Even if it's just potting plants. Irish seed savers have some great traditional varieties. If you want to find out more about bees or even start beekeeping have a read of the article in Image.ie.

 

May 01, 2020 — Jennifer Doyle