So much dolce vita. Unless you have been living under a rock the past couple of summers, you will have no doubt heard of Aperol Spritz – the famous and ultra-refreshing Italian aperitivo that has taken the world by storm. The bright orange hue and fresh scent of this drink is enough to transport you […]

5 years ago

Want to speed up bedtime a little? Well, then you might just want to get your credit card out and drop £5.99 on this particular Amazon order.  According to Good Housekeeping, parents are going ga-ga for this bedtime tale, claiming it is helping them get their kids to sleep in no-time at all, and, at […]

5 years ago

Only one week to go! If you have been missing your regular Sostrene Grene hauls, you are no doubt not alone. This store is a real treasure trove when it comes to homewares, decor, interiors, hobby products, party supplies, toys, kitchenware – you name it. And right now, just one week ahead of the nationwide […]

5 years ago

With staycations on the horizon this summer what could be more ‘pawfect’ than embracing Northern Ireland’s Giant Spirit with your four-legged friend coming along for the journey? During the past year, more people than ever have been welcoming some furry friends into their family, with a surge in the number of puppies being bought across […]

5 years ago

Planning a day out in Dublin soon? From Monday, May 10th, we can travel around the country freely (finally!), and if you were thinking of making the trip into the Big Smoke, you will have plenty of places to see and explore – even though shops won’t be open again for another week. One of […]

5 years ago

The family of former US President Barack Obama have paid tribute to “our best friend”, after their beloved dog Bo died yesterday. Bo, a black and white Portuguese water dog , arrived at the White House as a 6-month-old puppy back in 2009 as a gift to Malia and Sasha to make settling into life […]

5 years ago

Ready for those post-lockdown Penneys hauls? We SO are. And if you are currently expecting – or know someone who is – now might be a good time to stock up on some seriously cute baby gifts, as Penneys has just launched their brand new baby range. Cosy organic cotton muslins and bedding, a baby […]

5 years ago

This will take care of those boring, rainy afternoons.

5 years ago

It is SO pretty!

5 years ago

Anyone who has ever been in the possession of a toddler will have first-hand knowledge of just how hard it is to get anything done during the hours they are awake. And let’s be clear – once they are asleep, we are usually so wrecked we don’t get anything done then either. Which is why […]

5 years ago

Finally. According to Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, grandparents who have had both shots of their COVID-19 vaccinations are now able to safely hug their grandchildren again – more than a year after it was advised that they stopped doing so in order to stay safe and curb the spread of the virus. From […]

5 years ago

Self-care is everywhere these days. Or, more correctly, there is a lot of talk about self-care these days. The only prooblem? A lot of the time, when we read or hear about how important self-care is and how we all should be practising more of it, it seems to cost money, often in the form […]

5 years ago

Got a sporty skateboarding or surf-obsessed teen or tween at home? Then they will no doubt love the new skate-and-surf inspired summer collection that is about to land in H&M stores worldwide. Fronted by members from Black Girls Skate: a non-profit organization devoted to creating equity, visibility and safety for all skaters who identify as […]

5 years ago

If your mornings have time for it (or if you fancy getting up before the crack of dawn), how about whipping up some of these too-cute-for-words eats for your kids’ breakfast? We guarantee you will win Mum of The Year in the eyes of your littles! In a post-Pinterest world, inspiration when it comes to […]

5 years ago

Bringing a baby home from hospital is an overwhelming time for any new (and seasoned) parent. Not only is your body sore from giving borth (no matter what way you did it), but you are also no doubt tired, emotional and your hormones are literally all over the place. But you got a baby to […]

5 years ago

It has been a long four-and-a-half months. But now – finally – the end (of lockdown) is in sight, and we don’t know about you, but we are now literally counting down the days and hours until the shops open again from the 17th. Oh, how we cannot wait for a browse. Most of all […]

5 years ago

If you haven’t travelled in a while (thanks, 2020 and 2021!), you are no doubt missing it as much as we are. That excitement of sitting in an airport, boarding the plane (heck, we even miss the cramped seating and the terrible plane food at this stage!) and then landing at your destination, ready to […]

5 years ago

We are debunking some myths for you.

5 years ago

I went 10 days over my due date with both of my babies. Anyone who has been in the same boat knows how nerve-wracking this waiting game can be –literally now knowing is THIS is going to be the day. In fairness, I think the past couple of weeks of pregnancy is like this to […]

5 years ago

Cancelled again. Earlier this week, organisers of Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht expressed disappointment that summer courses for school children have been cancelled once again because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The popular courses usually attract over 27.000 students every year, and are, of course, of massive financial importance to the Gaeltacht areas. Summer […]

5 years ago

Because the internet is both a blessing and a curse For every parent, the task of protecting our children online is a challenge that grows in complexity every day as our children’s age and computer-use increases. Computers, tablets and smartphones are here to stay, and the more they are becoming a part of children’s lives, […]

5 years ago

Just admit it – there is nothing like ice lollies to make us feel like summer really is around the corner – despite this week’s very un-spring-like weather. The thing is – the ice lollies you can purchase in the supermarket are usually not very healthy, and often laden with both sugar and artificial colours […]

5 years ago

Pregnant? Or, just a fan of planning ahead until a time when you might be? Either way; we are certain you love a good baby name list as much as we do. So if you are on the hunt for a seriously pretty and slightly bohemian name for your bundle, whether imminent or in the […]

5 years ago

“I knew I had to do something.” The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has upended all our lives in one way or another. Aoife Kenny is an Irish midwife, clinical midwifery specialist and childbirth educator living in Melbourne, Australia. Before setting off on her travels, Kenny studied and worked in the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin for six […]

5 years ago

As we look forward to more easing of restrictions this month and Ireland’s vaccine program picks up steam, the Department of Education has confirmed that pregnant teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) will not have to return to the classroom for the rest of the term. After schools across the country re-opened for in-person classes […]

5 years ago

Weaning can be an anxious time for new parents. When to start, what to feed, self-lead or spoon-fed – there can be so many questions. In honour of National Weaning Week here in Ireland, which runs from 3rd– 9th May, we caught up with parenting expert, Laura Erskine, to pick her brain about some of […]

5 years ago

I gave birth to both of my babies in my home city of Oslo, Noway. It cost nothing. Giving birth in Norway is always free. There is no private or semi-private option, like here in Ireland, either – it is all done as part of the public healthcare system, works perfectly and is one hundred […]

5 years ago

These past couple of months, I have started to feel about my lockdown wardrobe much the same way I felt about my maternity wardrobe towards the end of my pregnancies – which was ‘BURN IT ALL.’ Seriously. I am so, so sick of wearing sweats and yoga pants and athleisure round the clock, and am […]

5 years ago

It’s a real washout of a day. While we were blessed with the most glorious weather last weekend, this weekend has been a mixed bag, to say the least, topped off with a real washout of a Bank Holiday Monday today. And as we pack away the paddling pools, us mums are again faced with […]

5 years ago

Got a little Peppa Pig fan in your house? Then they are no doubt going to get very excited about Peppa’s latest adventure – where she travels to Ireland! In the brand new book, our favourite little pig is off to the Emerald Isle with her family, where Peppa and her little brother George is […]

5 years ago

Lockdown is ending and for most of us, this slow return to some normality might mean actually putting on makeup again – after a year of only bothering to when we needed to have the camera ON during Zoom meetings. All your old foundations dried up? Fear not – we know exactly the one you […]

5 years ago

They really needed a study to find this out? I think if the past 14 months have shown us anything (other than how long we can really wear the same yoga pants and avoid washing our hair), it is that mums really are the glue that keeps everything together. Kids, school, homework, dinners, DIY projects, […]

5 years ago

As I think all parents who have been in the parenting business for more than a few months can agree on, there are some days that are a little harder than others. But that’s the thing about parenting – it doesn’t take a break. No. Not only do you have to make sure you keep […]

5 years ago

Remember when we were little and people in their 30s seemed so.. well, old? Hah! It’s funny how we keep moving the goalposts, isn’t it? These days, I feel like being in your 30s (even late, late 30s…) isn’t old at all, but rather the perfect age. Old enough to have the confidence and life […]

5 years ago

What if you could throw together some delicious ingredients on one baking sheet and a few minutes later be able to say. “dinner’s ready!” Well, you can. One pan dinners – or sheet pan dinners, as some call them, are our new midweek favourite, the smart solution to our busy lives that allows us to […]

5 years ago

Teaching kids about money needn’t be as intimidating as it sounds You might often you hear yourself saying ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’ to your kids. But have you ever stopped to think if they actually get it? We caught up with a money and finance expert to pick her brain about how we best can […]

5 years ago

Yes, please! It will be another summer of staycations for the vast majority of us – but TBH, we don’t mind it so much – especially now that we have clapped eyes on the brand new The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Co. Antrim. The gorgeous boutique hotel, which is due to open its doors […]

5 years ago

Are you feeling a little worse for wear after a string of bad night’s sleep? Do you find yourself tossing and turning when you get to bed at night? Struggling to go asleep even though you know for a fact that you are actually pretty darn exhausted? Even though experts are always banging on about […]

5 years ago

Even, flawless skin is the Holy Grail for most women, but many find that even the most expensive of foundations don’t deliver the perfect result. Well, if this is the case for you, you might be very interested to hear about this trick that Khloé Kardashian’s makeup artist Joyce Bonelli recently shared on the reality […]

5 years ago

My, how she has grown. Princess Charlotte is turning six today, May 2nd, and true to tradition, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared a brand new image of their daughter in honour of her big day. The sweet snap was taken by non-other than the Duchess of Cambridge herself at the family’s country […]

5 years ago

OK – hands in the air – how many have already been on the phone or e-mail to your hairdressers to score an appointment as soon as possible once the salons finally open their doors again this month? I know I have for sure. Goodbye outgrown roots and split ends! Hair salons up and down […]

5 years ago

I mean; they are barely back since Christmas, really… Because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, primary schools were closed from mid-March until the end of June last year, while they closed again between January and March of this year to once more help contain the spread of the virus while the national vaccination program began […]

5 years ago

Remember the first time you ever felt your baby kick inside you? It is one of those moments that just really makes you stop and marvel at how truly amazing a woman’s body really is. When I was expecting my first baby, I wasn’t sure what the heck I was meant to be feeling or […]

5 years ago

Hello spring! We’ve had some truly gorgeous days of spring weather lately – and hopefully, there are more to come. And if you are currently on the home stretch of your pregnancy, you might be on the look-out for the perfect baby name right about now – which is why we have rounded up 17 […]

5 years ago

I loved giving birth. No, seriously – I really, really did. Yes, it hurt – but oh my God was it the most intense, amazing, out-of-body, empowering experience I have ever had. Twice. I am so grateful that I got to give birth the way I did, and for the way everyone around me, my […]

5 years ago

Celebrating the helpers! Earlier this week, Barnardos children’s charity launched the 2021 Barnardos Big Toddle, this year supported by baby-food company, Pipin Pear. The theme of this year’s Big Toddle is Community Helpers, meaning the people who help and support us all in our communities every day, which seem especially poignant given who important these have all been in seeing us through […]

5 years ago

Trends are a fickle thing, aren’t they? One minute something is in, the next it is SO over. This is also the case with baby names, of course, that tend to swing in and out of fashion through the years. Looking to find a name for you babe that he doesn’t have to share with […]

5 years ago

Too cute! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE twinning with my 10YO. And lucky for me, she still loves twinning with me too. Meaning, of course, I am always on the lookout for some great ‘mum and mini’ collections for us to wear. And right now, H&M has gotten in some really cute […]

5 years ago

For those who aren’t aware, placenta encapsulation transforms a new mother’s placenta into capsules for her to take in the first few months postpartum. Globally, hundreds of thousands of mothers have opted to have their placenta encapsulated and consumed it after birth, and common benefits many reported were things like: Higher energy levels Lesser chance […]

5 years ago

You’ll be in good company if you go for one of these.

5 years ago