Some afternoons just fall together in the most magical of ways. Yesterday was one of those days, a perfect blend of family, travel, LEGO, and a surprise addition in the form of Sylvanian Families. What started as a plan for a LEGO pickup ended as an adventure that felt like we were living inside a Sylvanian Families playset, complete with Nana, the kids, and more toys than we knew how to fit into the car.
Setting the Scene
The day began with a gentle rhythm. I collected my mum from Balally just before noon, and together we went to pick up Rose from school. That little moment, Nana at the school classroom, waiting with me for Rose, set the tone for the whole afternoon. Rose beamed when she saw her Nana there, and immediately slipped into chatter as we drove home. Before the big haul adventures began, my mum and Rose got time to play together at the house. That alone would have made the day worthwhile, but the real adventure was only beginning.
The Forgotten Deal Returns
Back in June, I had been in touch with a Done Deal seller about a large LEGO collection. It was a fair price at €170, and I was interested, but then the conversation vanished into the digital void. The message was lost, the deal disappeared, and I thought that was the end of it.
Then, on Monday night, fate intervened. The LEGO popped back up in my Done Deal updates, only this time at an unmissable price: €50. If I had been prepared to buy at €170, there was no hesitation at €50. I contacted the seller, and we agreed on a time after 4pm the next day. It was ambitious, but I worked out we could make it to Emyvale in Co. Monaghan by about 5:20pm, just after picking up Luke from basketball at 3:20.
The stage was set. Nana, Rose, Luke, and I piled into the car and pointed ourselves north.
Pit Stop Chaos
Of course, no family road trip is ever straightforward. As we approached the edge of Dublin on the M1, Luke suddenly got the hunger pangs while Rose needed a toilet stop. So off we came at Junction 6 Naul, where salvation took the shape of a McDonald’s. Two Happy Meals were ordered, chicken nuggets with Playmobil Orca toys, a bonus surprise for the kids.
They both insisted on trying the new spicy nuggets too. Let’s just say that experiment ended quickly. Their faces told the story: too hot, not fun, never again. With laughter, drinks, and the comfort of fries and 4 normal Happy Meal nuggets, we were back on the road within 30 minutes, pointed firmly towards Monaghan.
Arrival in Emyvale (Eventually)
At 5:45 we rolled into the village. Well, first we rolled into the wrong driveway, startling the neighbours before reversing out sheepishly and finding the right house next door.
Then came the sight: an enormous LEGO collection. Around 40 sets, mostly LEGO City and LEGO Friends, both perfect fits for the two big projects under way at Redmond’s Forge, our growing LEGO City layout and Heartlake City diorama. It was exactly the kind of haul we’d been hoping to find.
But then came the twist.
Enter the Sylvanian Families
The seller casually mentioned they also had Sylvanian Families for sale. Rose’s eyes widened, and mine probably did too. For years she has loved Sylvanians, those tiny plush animals with their miniature homes and accessories, we even went to the cinema recently to see their movie. And here in front of us was an entire world of them: more than 100 figures, five houses, including the big hotel, the schoolhouse, the treehouse, and box after box of furniture and accessories.
I had already felt slightly guilty at getting the LEGO for such a low price. It only seemed fair to balance the scales by taking on the Sylvanian haul too. For a similarly insanely low price, we packed up the lot. Rose was overjoyed. She declared, then and there, that she would set it all up that evening and finish it in the morning. She also made a bold proclamation: the Sylvanians could be displayed in the Redmond’s Forge Toy Museum, as long as they came back to her playroom every evening after school. Something tells me this particular Sylvanian haul may never leave her room.
The Car-Packing Olympics
If fitting the LEGO alone had been tricky, adding the Sylvanians made the car-packing a true puzzle. For a brief moment, we joked that Luke and Rose might have to ride home in empty storage boxes. But with some creative Tetris, strapping, and roof-packing, we squeezed everything in. By 6:15, the car was ready to roll south again.
We had planned to swing by Virginia and Birr for additional pickups, but reality caught up with us. Virginia was moved to another day, and Birr (which turned out to actually be Borris-in-Ossory) was postponed until Friday morning, where the seller will meet us in Leopardstown instead. In truth, we couldn’t have taken another box anyway.
A Playful Break at Lusk
On the way back down the M1, I had one last surprise for Mum. The kids begged for a stop at the legendary “House of Play”, the Applegreen Lusk on the M1 southbound between junctions 4 and 5 has a soft play area tucked inside the service station. This was their third time there during LEGO hauls, and they still couldn’t get enough of it.
My mum got to sit with me over tea while Luke and Rose went wild in the free play area. She had heard about it before, but now she got to see it firsthand: two children vanishing into slides, ball pits, and climbing frames, completely burning off the energy of the day. It gave us thirty quiet minutes to catch up, reflect, and laugh about the chaos of the haul.
Home Again, Tired but Triumphant
By 8pm we were back in the car, through the Port Tunnel into East Wall, dropped my mum home. By 9pm the Redmonds were finally back in Stepaside. The evening ended with Rose showing Jill the entire Sylvanian Families collection, laying out her plans, and already beginning her setups before bedtime.
This morning she was back at it before school, building her Sylvanian hotel, lining up her families, and insisting that every accessory be used.
Reflections on the Day
What struck me most was how the whole day felt like we were inside a Sylvanian Families adventure. Collecting Nana, school pickups, road trips, pit stops, toy hauls, and play sessions, the narrative of the day could easily have been packaged in one of those little storybooks that come with Sylvanian playsets. It wasn’t just about the toys, though. It was about the joy of spending a full day with three generations together, laughing, playing, and making memories.
For me, LEGO has always been about building worlds. Yesterday reminded me that sometimes the world builds itself around you, with the people you love filling in all the pieces.
This haul will be remembered not only for the sheer scale of LEGO and Sylvanian Families we managed to bring home, but also for the smiles, the giggles in McDonald’s, the frantic car-packing, the discovery at Lusk, and Rose’s excitement as she introduced her Sylvanian friends to Jill.
One thing is certain: this is a haul that will be spoken about in our family for years to come.
