My four-year-old son insisted on dressing himself this morning. He almost got out the door to pre-school in swimmer trunks, jeans for a six-year-old, a Ninja Turtles t-shirt and a leather jacket. So ok, he looked pretty cool, but it wasn’t entirely practical. And I was torn; I wanted him to feel like a cool […]

11 years ago

I don’t know about you, but I am zero use at reading labels on food packaging at the supermarket. That, of course, is great for the marketing folk who want you to buy their product just because it comes in a shiny blue box (or whatever other sorcery they use to lure us in), but […]

11 years ago

On Baby The First, my inability to recover quickly after polishing off a bottle of Bacardi at Christmas was a sure sign that something was going on with my body. On Baby The Second, it was the unreal tiredness that enveloped me every day, forcing me to the couch when I would otherwise be up and […]

11 years ago

You know, when kids aren’t throwing tantrums at the supermarket or deliberately leaving Lego blocks on the stairs for you to maim yourself with, they can be pretty damn funny. Jacob is four and at risk of forgetting all the hilarious quotes and questions he comes out with at this glorious toddler age, I am […]

11 years ago

If you love shopping vintage then you’ll love what Dublin Vintage Factory have done to re-brand. They have closed their much-loved South William Street store when owner Terry Murphy realised that they had outgrown the space. Terry also had an eye on the progressive ‘kilo store’ concept of shopping and we caught up with him […]

11 years ago

Another miserable day out there so us mums and dads need to get clever on the kid’s indoor entertainment – again! Thankfully we have the lead-up to Christmas for excitement so there is still lots of fun to be had in decorating the house and making Christmas cards. Here are three ideas to give you […]

11 years ago

Buying Christmas gifts for the loved ones in your life can get so.. well, boring really, as you traipse around store after store, looking at the same old box sets and ‘gadget gifts’. Well, hurrah for the internet as the most unusual, fun, personalised and quirky gift ideas are right at your fingertips! Here are […]

11 years ago

If you are hoping to say bye-bye to your child’s soother soon, the imminent arrival of the Big Guy In The Red Suit might be just the opportunity you need. Our kids can get so attached to their soothers that it can be really difficult to persuade them to part with them. But with Christmas […]

11 years ago

A Christmas cake is an essential part of our family’s holiday eating – we might not have room for a slice right after dinner on Christmas day, but we work away at it right into January with copious cups of tea! It is also one of the things I make as presents around Christmas time, […]

11 years ago

Elaine Scougal is mum to incredibly cute twins Ollie and Cameron who live in Dundee, Scotland. The boys were born with Down Syndrome and Elaine has created a fantastic Facebook page which not only chronicles the boy’s journey with the most heart-warming toddler videos you are ever likely to see, but to endorse positivity towards […]

11 years ago

Ryan Gosling is in a brand new comedy sketch for Saturday Night Live called ‘Santa Baby’ and we think it might be the very best we’ve yet seen. Ryan and Vanessa Bayer play newcomers to a very normal American neighborhood Christmas party, and completely hijack the night because they are obsessed with seeing Santa Claus. Watch […]

11 years ago

Being pregnant is a really exciting time that should be celebrated and enjoyed.  But just so you know, it is also a great time for getting up to a bit of mischief, being self-indulgent and dodging possible arrest. Here are ten things you absolutely must know: 1. No one can tell you are pregnant from […]

11 years ago

My name is Sharyn Hayden and I am a recovering Keeping Up With The Kardashians addict. (“Hiii Sharynnn”) I spent so many afternoons watching the SO completely addictive TV show on the E! Network when Jacob was small that I figure I have now squandered approximately 14,892 hours of my life. I mean, I could […]

11 years ago

Every house has different traditions at Christmas time; some we have inherited from our own childhoods and others we develop as our own families grow. Christmas and Santa become so magical once again with small kids to share it with and we are always on the lookout for new ideas to really wow the little […]

11 years ago

When Jacob came into our world, Alan and I had just set up a new business which had him working out of the house for very long twelve hour days, six or seven days a week. I likened myself to a single parent for the first couple of years of Jacob’s life, being primarily responsible […]

11 years ago

Welcome to the No Bullshit Guide – where we talk about all subjects surrounding pregnancy, childbirth and raising kids, just like you would with your best mate. Coz we are best mates, aren’t we?!. Let’s get all those pregnancy myths out of the way first, shall we? 1. You can’t get pregnant the first time […]

11 years ago

One of the biggest parenting mistakes I think my partner and I ever made was to start giving Jacob juice. When he was coming off bottles and going on to sippy cups (around age one), the literature we were given by the public health nurse, as well as the information we read in our parenting […]

11 years ago

Is there a project that you have on that VERY long list; sorting through photos, maybe something crafty for the house or garden, even just a bit of painting? With two small kids around, the list of things ‘I’ll get to when..’ is endless. I’ll organise the trash heap that is the spare room when […]

11 years ago

We’re all for cute photos of the kids and family pets on personalised Christmas cards, but we’re not entirely sure about this one. Michele Fiore is a politician in America who is set to run for Congress next year and has posted this, um, ‘festive’ image to her Facebook page: The post has obviously received […]

11 years ago

If you were watching the Six One news last night or were online at any stage thereafter, you will have seen Teresa Mannion’s epic Storm Desmond update live from Salthill in Galway. The report has picked up such huge attention because she literally looked like she was about to be blown away, and got increasingly louder […]

11 years ago

We often have serious and heated debates across our social media platforms on various topics – and rightly so, because we are all very passionate when it comes to our kids. Last week though, we had a great time reading your responses to our article Being nude around the kids: when should we stop doing it? […]

11 years ago

Eleanor Finn started out as a self-employed physical therapist, working out of a small room in a hotel gym until setting up Finesse Fitness three years ago. She lives in Straffan with partner Karen and is mum to Georgie (7). We started by asking Eleanor what makes Finesse Fitness unique.. Finesse is a fitness studio […]

11 years ago

In case you missed it, we have just launched our brand new comedy sketches with ‘Maureen The Midwife’ who most recently discussed all it means to be the owner of a vagina. If you are currently pregnant, you may be wondering how you will know for sure that you are in labour. Maureen will skirt […]

11 years ago

I was walking my dog last night and had a moment when I had to hold her back from crossing the road because a car was coming. By virtue of the fact that I am a responsible dog owner, I was easily able to do that with her leash. Her dog leash. Because she is […]

11 years ago

It’s so great to see the effort that some people go to at Christmas with their outdoor decorations. There’s always a house here and there (or in some cases, an entire road of houses!) who go for it with the Christmas icicle lights, flashing reindeer and Santa clauses who really stand out. Those are the […]

11 years ago

If you are looking for some book-buying inspiration this Christmas, why don’t you consider not only buying Irish but buying from some of our most talented female authors too?! Here are some of our best picks: 1. Martina Devlin: About Sisterland (Easons €16.99) Welcome to Sisterland. A world ruled by women. A world designed to be […]

11 years ago

The next time you’re in Ikea and ‘accidentally’ (no one believes you) grab a full bag of Daim bars at the checkout, eat half the bag in the car and feel too sick to eat the other half.. we’ve got just the recipe for you. Of course, you’ll also need a drop of whiskey ;o) These […]

11 years ago

I would consider myself far from being a prude, but not quite a supporter of exhibitionism, when it comes to nudity. I don’t mind being nude, but I don’t necessarily need everyone to see me nude, if you know what I mean. When it comes to nudity around the kids, my attitude has always been […]

11 years ago

It is said that Motherhood is one of the most difficult jobs on earth and I somewhat disagree.  I wouldn’t compare it to, say, the work of a brain surgeon or a palliative care nurse. I wouldn’t even compare the stress of Motherhood to the stress of an astronaut or a pilot if I’m honest. […]

11 years ago

I would like to go on record as saying that I am totally allergic to people calling to my door unnanounced. We all know the story; you have just gotten most of the dinner into the kids (and plenty of it on the floor as well as some smudged into the dog’s fur), one of them […]

11 years ago

I love how us big kids are being catered for this year – first we had adult colouring books, everyone’s favourite Little Tykes car for grown-ups and now, HURRAH! the grown up sleepover party. As a parent of small kids, I have to say that the idea of a night out with the girls that I […]

11 years ago

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: cleaning the house is a POX. Despite my cleaning every single day, my house is never, ever clean. I’m not complaining about untidiness – kids are kids and I 100% expect there to be toys, socks, shoes and half of the couch cushions to be on […]

11 years ago

Two friends from Connecticut, America, admit to regularly breastfeeding each other’s children and say they are simply doing what’s best for their families. Stefani Tatavitto, 23, regularly feeds both her own two-year-old son Gage and her friend Chrystal Klein’s 19-month-old daughter Ariana while Chrystal is at work. When Stefani needs to go out, Chrystal returns […]

11 years ago

Just how much risk are we putting our kids in by leaving them unattended in the car for a couple of minutes? I’m not talking about leaving them there while you head off to do your weekly shop – I’m talking about the odd occassion when the kids are asleep in the back of the […]

11 years ago

Kate and husband Eoin moved their family from Dublin to San José, California in Summer 2014. They have three kids Olivia (7), Clodagh (5), Conall (3) and another baby on the way! Kate and Eoin had always talked about moving over to California (where Kate’s parents live) to give life a try and it was a […]

11 years ago

Being a single parent can be really tough for some – all of the parenting responsibilities rests on one pair of shoulders. The cost of raising a child, whether that be financial, emotional or simply in terms of time is often highlighted as something that can only be achieved by a couple. However, as 1 in […]

11 years ago

Drive past any maternity hospital in the country, and you are bound to see one or two heavily pregnant mums in their pjs and dressing gowns, standing outside and smoking. For the general population, it’s an image that doesn’t sit well with us. We wonder how they can stand in public view and do something […]

11 years ago

If you love are a fan of Oreos (and we can’t be friends if you’re not), then you’re going to love making Oreo truffles. Every time I make them for a party (and it has to be a really special party because they do take a bit of time to do), I get compliment after […]

11 years ago

We have a sick house this week, with both kids suffering from coughs, sore throats, temperatures and in Eva’s case, a viral infection – just, you know, for the hell of it. The doc has given us suppositories for her, but not the usual Paralink slim-sized jobs, oh no, these are some serious looking things. […]

11 years ago

Bringing the children to see Santa and let them tell him their wishes for Christmas is hands down one of those traditions and parenting moments we all look forward to all year. Unlike back in the day when a trip to see Santa involved a no-frills pressie following a rather long wait in your local […]

11 years ago

If you have ever attended an antenatal class while pregnant, it may have been led by one of our national treasures – a ‘Maureen’. Poor ole Maureen has been a midwife her entire life until retirement and worked during the tough times in Ireland when a capable neighbour and a pot of hot water was […]

11 years ago

Oh, I do love a surprise substitution from Tesco when I shop online and they don’t have quite what I was looking for. I mean, I’ll accept a different brand of Cornflakes, bread or beans if that’s all that’s on offer. But one Asda customer in the UK got more than they bargained for when the […]

11 years ago

I recently spoke to my mate Mairead, who mentioned that she had been out the weekend before at a family function and had paid for a babysitter for the very first time since she started having kids. Her eldest is 16. I nearly hung up on her, except that I like my mate Mairead very […]

11 years ago

In my early teens and twenties, I wanted to be an actress and so that meant one thing: getting a job in any restaurant that would take me. The hours were flexible enough that I could take time off for auditions or jobs if I got them, and the tips were good enough to keep […]

11 years ago

Ah, sweets. The bane of every parent’s life if your kids know that you are stashing some in a high press, and the lifesaver if you need to distract from a cut knee or a little upset. Historians in Britain have recently revealed that sweets existed as far back as 8000BC – the days of […]

11 years ago

Last year, I upped my Christmas game by subscribing to a fantastic website that created personalised messages for Jacob from no other than Santa Claus himself. Visit Portable North Pole and provide Santa with all the information he needs to create a unique, tailor-made video message that will bring a huge smile to your kid’s faces. You […]

11 years ago

Since I’ve become a mum, the people that are now my closest friends are somewhat different from when I didn’t have kids. When you are a new parent and dealing with things like exhaustion, baby blues or full-on postnatal depression, not to mention learning how to live a different kind of a life now that […]

11 years ago

The super folk at the London Irish Comedy Festival have a very special treat in store for fans of the Late Late Toy Show.  Oh how we all love the Toy Show! We watched it when we were kids, we went off it for a bit while we were growing up and milling around the […]

11 years ago

I speak not only for myself but for parents around the world when I say that accidentally stepping on a piece of Lego in your bare feet is about the worst pain imaginable. But now we parents can rejoice and reclaim the soles of our feet – as Lego has finally created these awesome anti-Lego slippers! […]

11 years ago

Having kids is a big decision. For Alan and I, we had to feel ready in every sense of the word; we had to have the financial means to do it, we had to be secure in our relationship with each other and we had to have sown our wild oats. At 34 (me) and […]

11 years ago