Polling day for the upcoming referendum is Friday March 8. It’s also International Women’s Day and no doubt some political boffin somewhere said yes, lets hold this on International Women’s Day it will be a great day for women and what a photo opp, etc. Yes, but it’s also a Friday and most polling stations are schools. I’m not a political expert here, but to me the math seems pretty obvious. Just who exactly will be the ones to have to take the day off work or juggle like a circus performer or make bits of themselves to look after the children who are not in school on polling day? WOMEN. That ..read more

Time for another mum on the run review. It’s the series where I put beauty, skincare and haircare to the test, mum style. What does that mean then? If you’re like me, you are a woman on a hamster wheel trying to keep everything and everyone else running, but have zero time for yourself. So, anything I do get 30 seconds to use, needs to be fool proof, do what it promises and require no faffing. Last time out, I tried dry shampoo. This time, it’s the brows that are getting the once over. They say your brows should be sisters, not twins. Following that analogy, mine are cousins once or twice rem ..read more

Mid term break is next week 12 February. How in the name of sweet baby Jesus did that happen? So far, I’ve effectively been blinded by both St Brigid’s Day bank holiday and midterm break. And then we’ve Easter. Are these kids ever in school? So, if like me, you’re looking at the calendar thinking feck it and want to try and book somewhere in Ireland for a last minute mid term break away, then here’s a few suggestions for hotel deals. May the odds be ever in your favour. Pirate’s Adventure Package Cork International Hotel If you want to pack in the activities for the smallies, this sounds like ..read more

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have as much time as you once did for your daily skincare, makeup or haircare routine. Repeated studies show that mums, and let’s face it’s often the mums, put in akin to full days work before they leave the house or sit down to their actual work. Yes getting those small people up, dressed, fed, and off to school is like ultimate hell week every morning. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to shout “where are your shoes?” To be honest, I’m so focussed on the kids and making sure nothing is forgotten that most day’s I’m Febreezing and dry shampooing ..read more

First can I categorically say, I do not want foot spa or a random deodorant gift set. Whoever suggested that is what mums want for Christmas needs a serious talking to. To be fair, I don’t want huge lavish gifts either, but Santa if you’ve got an auld designer handbag knocking around in the back of the sleigh I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it a good home. When I think about it, Santa, what I really want this Christmas is some time off from making decisions. I want to be able to switch off my in-charge mum brain. I want to take some time to sit back and enjoy my kids at Christmas without havi ..read more

I looked back at an old photograph of myself the other day and I couldn’t get over how slim I looked. I must have been about 19 in it. I was at college and was probably at my lowest adult weight, but I can distinctly remember feeling fat and generally unhappy with my body. I sighed, wishing I could go back and give myself a friendly slap in the face and tell myself how well I looked. Hindsight is a funny thing, but looking back I can’t say I’m entirely surprised at how I was feeling during those years. If, like me, you’re a millennial who was born in the 80s and did your growing up in the 90s ..read more

I’ve come to realise there are two types of people in this world. Those who do Elf on the Shelf and those who do not. I’m sorry but there is just no in between and I’m firmly in the latter camp. The Elf is banned from the house. I have to preface all of this by saying, I’m far from being a Grinch. In fact, come December 1, I’m just short of stapling tinsel to my knickers and changing my name to Nolliag, because I’m all about the festive fun. I’m the first to blast out the tunes on Christmas Fm, break out the festive sweets, and start ticking gifts off my list. I’m here for the lights, the hot ..read more

I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions since the horrific events of Thursday 23 November. Are the three little children, who are almost the same age as my own, okay? Will they recover? How will they cope with the trauma, after their physical wounds heal? How is the teacher who put herself on the line for the children in her care? How could this happen in the middle of the afternoon outside a school in Ireland? Like most people I was blindsided by the news. I was in the car on my way to collect my eldest from school when I heard the words ‘stabbing’ and ‘child’ on the radio. My ears pricke ..read more

Emerald park with a six and three year old – yes or no? It’s a big yes from us. Going out on day trips with the two boys can sometimes be a juggling act. Some destinations are ideal for one age, but not the other. This leads to a lot of stress and empty pockets. With things costing more and more, finding places that work for both ages is key. Thankfully the park formerly named after a potato snack, caters well for the smaller visitors. We’d visited once previously, this was just before the park closed ahead of its rebranding and it was the winter, so only the junior zone was open. It was fine ..read more

Enoch Burke has become a national meme. The guy who slipped and fell on the ice on the Six One News and the storm presenting Teresa Mannion must be breathing a sigh of relief, because they are no longer the punchline of a joke. Yesterday we saw the entire Burke family thrown out of court by the Gardai. The scenes reminded me of my toddler going berserk when I gave him the wrong colour sippy cup. Enoch Burke and his family are standing on the principle that transgenderism is against the God that they worship. Enoch Burke, a teacher at Wilson’s Hospital School was suspended on full pay followin ..read more