Whatever the weather – how cute and romantic are picnics? Especially on Valentines day.  They are free, picturesque and you can just wrap up and keep each other warm. Here are our best picnic picks for your romantic valentines outing. 1. War Memorial Garden, Islandbridge, Dublin 8 Why picnic there This sunken park south of Phoenix Park […]

10 years ago

When three- and four-year-olds spend time around each other, they take on each others’ personalities, according to a new study by psychology researchers. The latest findings, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, suggests that personality is shaped by environment and not just genetics. Professor of psychology Jennifer Watling Neal of Michigan State University and her colleagues […]

10 years ago

The journalist was indicted in France this week. Ian Bailey has been indicted in France for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in 1996. The 59-year-old will face trial later this year after being served with papers by Gardaí, on behalf of the French authorities, this week. A previous extradition to France was refused by […]

10 years ago

A 21-year-old mother has died after saving her 12-day-old daughter from a house fire by dropping the baby’s car seat from an upstairs window. US newspaper, the Journal Star, reports that brave mum Shelby Carter strapped her newborn daughter Keana into her car seat and dropped the twelve-day-old baby from an upstairs window of their Wyoming home, […]

10 years ago

A five-year-old boy died on Friday afternoon in the UK after choking on his lunch while surrounded by members of staff and his classmates. The young boy began choking while eating his lunch at Anlaby Primary School in Hull. The local newspaper, the Hull Daily Mail, reports that pupils were ushered out of the school’s busy canteen as […]

10 years ago

As healthy as we might try to be, we’re all prone to a big dirty takeaway. Whether it’s a weekend family treat or we’re just feeling a bit lazy and couldn’t be arsed cooking, a takeaway always seems like the best idea. Apart from when you’re feeling sick and bloated hours later because of all […]

10 years ago

A 14-year-old girl has tragically died after being thrown to her death from an amusement park ride in China. The heartbreaking incident occurred at a fairground in Zhaohua Park in a region of south-west China called Fengdu County. The Sun reports that the teenage girl was flung into the air for approximately five seconds before being thrown out of the ride […]

10 years ago

This clip of Harper Beckham reading her dad David a bedtime story made us melt. The dad-of-four has taken to Instagram to share a video of his daughter Harper reading him a bedtime story and it was beyond cute. After hearing the five-year-old’s impressive reading skills we can understand why proud David decided to let his followers listen […]

10 years ago

The latest in this never-ending saga. There was big news Stateside in the early hours of this morning after a federal judge in Seattle ordered a temporary halt on Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration or the ‘muslim ban’ as its more commonly known. Judge James Robart granted a restraining order after hearing arguments from […]

10 years ago

It’s World Cancer Day today. Please read and share this with other women, awareness can save lives. Paula McClean was just like any other mum. But in 2011, her world was turned upside-down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. With 3 young daughters, she had to juggle her family life and medical treatment. In her own words, […]

10 years ago

When I was pregnant with my first child we took some professional advice. From a vet. Yes, we were that couple, our fur-babies ruled the roost and we wanted to make sure that EVERYONE in the family was happy when a non-furry baby came along. I remember being quite shocked by the number of people […]

10 years ago

Valdis Gabranovs, the 35-year-old dad of two who was killed in a road traffic accident on Wednesday night, was set to become a dad for the third time in just three months’ time. Mr. Gabranovs’ car was involved in a head-on collision when his car crossed on to the wrong side of the road on […]

10 years ago

Sam McNicholl, a publican from Cork, told his local radio station of how he took turns sharing a trolley with a handcuffed prisoner in Cork University Hospital. Sam, who runs the thriving live music venue Connolly’s Of Leap, told C103’s Cork Today programme yesterday about his shocking experiences after arriving to the hospital’s A&E department with appendicitis. The publican told broadcaster Patricia Messenger […]

10 years ago

Remember Lisa Fenton and her partner Wayne Downey, who got an extra-special delivery from the stork back in November? Lisa and Wayne, from Caherconlish, made history when they welcomed quadruplets Alexander, Ashley, Maxwell, and Kayla into the world at University Maternity Hospital, Limerick. The babies were the first set of quads born in Limerick for half a century. The (very) busy […]

10 years ago

Shocking UK police figures have revealed a rise of almost 80 percent in reports of child-on-child sex offences. Research released today by the children’s charity Barnardo’s has revealed that the number of recorded cases of children committing sexual offences against other children has sky-rocketed by 78 percent in England and Wales between 2013 and 2016. […]

10 years ago

It’s that time of year again, and whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your other half or not, it’s still a good time to drop a hint or two if you’re feeling under appreciated.  Here are seven things that are super indulgent in one way or another. Let the winking and nudging commence… 1. A […]

10 years ago

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, has made his official predictions at the 131st celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day, an occasion made world-famous by the eponymous 1993 movie starring Bill Murray, saw the weather-predicting rodent emerge from his burrow to see his shadow today; meaning Americans will endure another six weeks […]

10 years ago

A secondary school in the UK are proposing starting the day an hour later because their students aren’t getting out of bed on time. Blatchington Mill School and Sixth Form College, which is located in Sussex has suggested a consultation on the matter that will begin this month and close before the school’s Easter break; a […]

10 years ago

Ready to introduce your baby to the wonderful world of solid foods? The official recommendation by the HSE is that you “should start giving your baby solid foods when they are around six months old, as well as breast or formula milk”. In our book however, only you’ll know for sure when the timing is right. Once […]

10 years ago

Donald Trump’s so-called ‘muslim ban’ has prevented a four-month-old baby girl from entering the United States for urgent heart surgery. Little Fatemah, who has a serious heart condition, and her family were due to fly to the United States to attend a surgical consultation at Oregon Health Science University hospital. However, according to KPTV, the Iranian family […]

10 years ago

Kim Kardashian and her husband Kanye West have revealed plans to launch their own line of children’s clothing. Kim took to her Snapchat account to reveal a glimpse of the new collection, beautifully modelled by the couple’s three-year-old daughter North West. It seems that little North is not only a model, but also a collaborator as […]

10 years ago

Gardai are appealing for the public’s help following a serious sexual assault in Killiney on Monday evening. A woman in her forties was said to have been viciously attacked by a lone man while walking in the Bayview Estate area in the South County Dublin suburb. The attack occurred at approximately 5.45pm after the woman […]

10 years ago

Spring is on its way, despite the dreary grey skies this weekend. But there’s brightness and sun to come (there is, there is). And that means it’s almost time to start peeling off the layers, revealing some skin and bouncing into summer with boundless energy. Sounds easy, right? Eh, no. It fills us with the fear too. We’re clutching on to hibernation mode […]

10 years ago

You know that in-between phase when you have had your little baby and are completely allergic to maternity clothes?  That period where none of your old clothes fit and you spend your time in Zara sighing and buying another floaty top to cover that muffin top that is not going anywhere just yet. We feel […]

10 years ago

Children who had complications shortly before or during their birth, including birth asphyxia and preeclampsia, are more likely to develop autism, according to a new study. Researchers examined the health records of 594,638 children born between 1991 and 2009, and found that children exposed to complications during birth were ten percent more likely to develop autism […]

10 years ago

Navan dad Keith Russell is planning to run the Dublin City Marathon next October, while pushing his daughter Alanna the full 26.2 miles in her specially-adapted jogging buggy. Alanna (7) has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy meaning that she can’t walk or talk and is PEG fed. The 33-year-old dad of four says it is his first marathon and the […]

10 years ago

New estimates released from the British Heart Foundation today show that around 620,000 people in the UK are carrying a faulty gene that puts them at high risk of sudden death. The heart health charity says that the overall figures could be much higher due to underdiagnosis and undiscovered faulty genes which can increase a […]

10 years ago

A mum from Singapore has filed a complaint with German police after police at Frankfurt airport told her to ‘prove’ she was lactating by hand-expressing. Ms Gayathiri Bose, 33, was stopped by airport security after luggage x-ray screening showed a breast pump in her carry-on bag. The mum, who was travelling alone and making her way to her Paris-bound flight, […]

10 years ago

Fancy winning a €200 voucher to shop at Aldi? Of course, you do.  Who doesn’t want to win a week’s worth of shopping? It’s super-easy, just fill in this form (it takes minutes!), and we’ll keep you posted on a winner! Good luck everyone. Fill out my online form.

10 years ago

Women only make up twenty percent of the Oscar nominees in non-acting categories, a shocking figure which is down two percent from 2016. An analysis carried out by the Women’s Media Centre showed that, from 2006 to 2015, women received just 327 nominations in behind-the-scenes roles that include producers, writers, directors, and cinematographers, compared to 1,387 […]

10 years ago

Researchers from Cambridge University have identified traces of what they believe is our earliest known prehistoric ancestor, and the microscopic, bag-like sea creature ain’t good looking. A tiny sea creature that lived about 540 million years ago has been identified from microfossils found in China and boffins think it may be the earliest known step on an […]

10 years ago

Gardaí are seeking the public’s assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 42-year-old Aoife Petrani. Aoife failed to return to her home at St. Patrick’s Gate, Outrath Road in Kilkenny from her work in Dublin on Tuesday, the 24th of January. The last known sighting of Aoife was at The Aishling Hotel, on Parkgate Street in […]

10 years ago

January is almost over – huzzah! Soon we’ll all be talking about the ‘grand stretch in the evening’, Valentine’s love will be in the air and Spring will generally be springing. There are few places better than Ireland for a cheap and cheerful family weekend. Whether you and your family are obsessed with water sports, […]

10 years ago

Hard to believe but the Albert Square legend that is June Brown (AKA Dot Cotton) will be celebrating her 90th birthday on the 16th of February. To celebrate June’s milestone birthday the BBC have announced plans to broadcast a special half-hour documentary next month titled ‘June Brown At 90 – A Walford Legend‘. The show will […]

10 years ago

Educate Together have slammed Education Minister Richard Bruton’s plan to divest over 150 primary schools to multi-denominational or non-denominational patron bodies, calling the process “unfair and unworkable” in its current form. Educate Together are proposing an alternative plan that they say will “put parental wishes where they should be – at the centre of the process.” The […]

10 years ago

Police in the UK have launched an appeal to find Linzi Davis and her eight-year-old son River Bain, who were last seen on Friday near a train station in the Scottish Highlands. The mother and son from Auldearn, a village situated close to Nairn train station where the pair were last spotted, have not been in contact […]

10 years ago

The American Psychological Association tracked hundreds of children from playschool through to secondary school and found that chronic or increasing levels of bullying were related to lower academic achievement, a dislike of school and low confidence by students in their own academic abilities. The study, published today, found that bullying was more severe and frequent between […]

10 years ago

Bacteria in a woman’s vagina and cervix may increase the risk of premature birth or protect against it, according to new research. Groundbreaking results from a new study by the University of Pennsylvania’s school of medicine suggest that doctors could learn how to prevent premature birth, either by eliminating ‘bad’ bacteria, or increasing the ‘protective’ good bacteria in […]

10 years ago

My two boys arrived first so when my much longed-for (yes I’m using the cliché sorry-not-sorry) little girl appeared, I couldn’t get enough of the pink shopping. I bought tulle dresses, shoes with bows, tutus, and the entire pink floral contents of Cath Kidston for her room. But the girly bits I bought the most […]

10 years ago

An Irish homelessness charity have warned that the country’s crisis is deepening as new government figures report over 7,000 homeless for the first time. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government’s homeless report for December 2016 found that 7,148 (including over 2,500 children) were homeless nationwide. The report states that housing authorities assisted […]

10 years ago

The European Health Consumer Index, published today, has found that Ireland has the worst hospital waiting times in Europe. The EHCI is now the leading comparison for assessing the performance of national healthcare systems in 35 countries. The report analyses national healthcare on forty-eight indicators, looking at areas such as patient rights and information, access […]

10 years ago

Excellent news. Very few shows gripped the world in the way that Making a Murderer did when it was originally released. After Netflix officially announced that there will be even more episodes of the Emmy-nominated series, speculation has been rife about this might involve. Given that the cases of Brendan Dassey and Steven Avery are literally unfolding at […]

10 years ago

“I share the concerns of other EU partners” That was the statement from our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan today when asked about the executive orders that were approved by President Trump. “While US immigration policy is a matter of fact for the US authorities, it is clear that the most recent […]

10 years ago

A community effort.. Home-sharing company Airbnb is offering free accommodation to refugees and travellers that have been barred or left stranded in the US. Brian Chesky, co-founder of the company, has tweeted his disapproval of the recent executive orders that were approved by President Trump. The executive order signed by President Trump has barred citizens of […]

10 years ago

It is a big responsibility. Choosing a school for your child that will reflect your ethos as a family and that will suit your child on a social level as well as an academic level is flipping hard. Bullying, fitting in, exam pressure and making friends are among the biggest things we fear for our […]

10 years ago

Comedy writer James Breakwell is no stranger to the HerFamily pages. We just about LOVE every single one of his tweets. He has a unique way of painting a picture of fatherhood that just gets us every time, and like us, he is not afraid to let it all out, every honest post at a […]

10 years ago

Parenting, it’s really goddamn hard at times. Trying your best every day with huge demands placed on you and your time, it can really test your patience and stamina. Not to mention how judged we all feel while we’re trying to do our best. Judge-y looks, throw-away comments about our parenting from others that cut […]

10 years ago

Know any vodka experts? Much like wine connoisseurs or craft beer experts, vodka aficionados will know that there’s a difference between a decent bottle and an excellent one. Before you ask, price isn’t the only difference! As you may know, vodka is defined as a neutral spirit, i.e. one “without distinctive character, aroma, taste or colour”, but an extremely well-educated […]

10 years ago

Last weekend in January, folks, it’s hardly a shocker that it’s going to be absolutely baltic. But we’re looking at the pros – Sing is out in cinemas this weekend, so that’s the perfect excuse to eat popcorn and have fun with the kids, and maybe it’s a good excuse to stay in and snuggle up […]

10 years ago

A lot of mamas say that when they’ve become pregnant, they’ve somehow instinctively known it. They’ve felt some kind of change in their body, and even before they’ve taken the pregnancy test, they’re already mentally preparing for the baby on the way… This doesn’t seem to be the case for the woman in this advert for […]

10 years ago