Apr 24, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

World Meningitis Day

I remember the first time the horror of meningitis was brought home to me. I was 21 years of age, and my work placement saw me visiting parishes around my home county, cataloging all of the churches, graveyards, and holy sites of the diocese. While visiting a neighboring parish, we met with the parish priest who was visibly upset. He apologized but explained that a teenage girl in his parish had... read more

Mar 3, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Emirates Toy Giveaway Winners

A big thank you to everyone who entered the Emirates Toy Giveaway this week. I’m delighted to announced the ten winners, each of whom will receive a toy pack courtesy of Emirates. This slideshow requires JavaScript. The ten winners are as follows: Tanya, who commented “I’d love to go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.” Carol, who commented “Also liked mama.ie” Eilis, who... read more

Feb 24, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Emirates Toys Giveaway

Emirates thinks of everything for customers flying daily from Dublin to Dubai and onwards to over 125 worldwide destinations. And now, Emirates’ young globalistas can enjoy the company of new travel companions, a collection of onboard toys to entertain, occupy and educate. Playful monsters, Magnetic Sketchers and iconic Quicksilver goodies are amongst the onboard toys that will help your child tap into... read more

Feb 10, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Winner

Thank you to all who entered the Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Giveaway, sponsored by Toddlerland.eu. This pillow is designed to provide much needed support for your body during pregnancy, to ensure you get a restful night’s sleep. Hopefully, the winner will find it as useful as I do. I’ve been using it for three weeks now and I can definitely attest to how comfortable it is. The lucky winner... read more

Feb 3, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph

We enjoyed a lovely family morning out today, courtesy of Disney. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email inviting us along to the premiere if Wreck-It Ralph. So off we headed to the Savoy this morning to enjoy our treat. Little Man was very excited. Of course, an offer of popcorn, jellies, and a movie is bound to get a three year old excited. Wreck-It Ralph is rated for General release. It’s the... read more

Jan 27, 2013 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow Giveaway

Did any of you use a Dream Genii Pregnancy Pillow while you were pregnant? I didn’t last time around, but this time, I was lucky enough to be sent one for review from Toddlerland.eu. It arrived earlier this week, and I have been so glad of it! I’m at that stage of pregnancy where no matter how many pillows I surround myself with, it’s impossible to get comfortable. But the Dream Genii... read more

Dec 31, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Reflections on 2012

Another year draws to a close, so I thought it would be nice to take a look back over 2012 here on Mama.ie. It’s been a busy year here – I posted 175 new posts, and there were approximately 69,000 views of posts on this site over the year, according to a very snazzy report released by WordPress.com. Thank you to everyone who visited, and especially to everyone who commented on posts over the... read more

Dec 21, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

A time to remember

Every year around this time, as well as preparing for Christmas, I take some time out to remember my first pregnancy, which ended in miscarriage after a short time. This year, I am remembering a second brief pregnancy, and thinking of how that baby would have been due today. I am no longer grieving for those pregnancies, because if I hadn’t lost the first, I would never have had Little Man, and if... read more

Dec 16, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Winners

Many thanks to all who entered the MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Giveaway last week. Tonight, I have drawn five winners, each of whom will receive a tube of MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream. The winners are: Tanya Flynn, who posted “I’d like to win this for my sister who gave birth to a beautiful little boy on Thursday and after a c-section she could do with some nourishing cream. Fingers... read more

Dec 9, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream Giveaway

Last month, I received a tube of MaterniCare Luxury Body Cream to try out. I was a bit apprehensive about accepting it, because during my last pregnancy, my skin was very sensitive and the usual stretch mark preventative oils caused me to break out in a rash. So this time, I have been really careful about what I apply to my skin. When I read about MaterniCare though, I decided to give it a... read more

Nov 18, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Ultrasound Dimensions Giveaway: The winner

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Ultrasound Dimensions Giveaway. I really enjoyed reading all the reasons why you’d love to experience a 3D/4D scan. There can only be one winner however. The winner was Maureen Doorhy, who commented “Would love to have one of these scans. Our first scan pictures ever were ruined when we tried to laminate them so would love such a good look at our... read more

Oct 17, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

You do the maths!

So you think €140 a month is a ludicrous amount for the state to pay over in Child Benefit, do you? “Cut it!,” you say. “Means test it!,” you cry. Let me tell you why you’re wrong. I have three figures to share with you. Are you ready? Here’s the first one: €8940 What’s that? That is the amount that we pay out of our net income each year for childcare for one... read more

Oct 2, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

NUK giveaway winners 2012

Thank you so much to all who entered the NUK Breast Pumps giveaway 2012 this week. And thanks again to NUK Ireland for offering Mama.ie readers TWO great prizes – an electric breast pump for first place and a manual breast pump for second place. The winners are… FIRST PRIZE The winner of the NUK electric breast pump is Caitriona, who commented “Count me in. I need to build up a stock so... read more

Aug 27, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Tall Ships Festival, Dublin 2012

We had so much fun at the Tall Ships Festival this past weekend in Dublin. I wasn’t sure what to expect on our way in, but I’d heard from family and friends that it was worth a visit so we headed in before lunch on Saturday. Sometimes living north side has its advantages, because we were able to take the Port Tunnel in and park in the Point Village car park. Less than a five minute walk from... read more

Aug 24, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Remember that rant?

How exciting! One of my blog posts from earlier this year has been nominated for Best Blog Post for Blog Awards Ireland 2012. Thank you to whoever nominated it!! Much appreciated! The post in question is “Breastfeeding is bad for my health“, a little rant opinion piece that I wrote after reading a few unsavory comments across the net following the Friends of Breastfeeding protest outside... read more

Aug 12, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Kellogg’s Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the Kellogg’s Giveaway this week. Entries are now closed. Seems there are a few common favourites out there among you – Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and Rice Krispies were definitely coming out on top. I’m not surprised – they’re two of the favourites in our house as well! Time to announce the winner though… The lucky winner of the... read more

Aug 9, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Gold for Katie!

What a day! I wish I could have seen Katie Taylor’s fight – but I was stuck driving home while the fight was on. But I heard every tense minute of it on the radio. My knuckles were white gripping the wheel waiting for that final result. I’d say the whole nation held its breath after that final round. But it was worth it! I’ll be the first to admit that I have little or no interest... read more

Aug 7, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

World Breastfeeding Week

Did you know that the past week was World Breastfeeding Week? In fact, today is the last day of it. This time last year, I wrote a post linking out to my own breastfeeding story, and I hosted a series of guest posts in honour of the week. But this year, the week almost passed me by without acknowledgement. It’s not that I don’t think it’s important – I most certainly do! It’s... read more

Aug 5, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Kellogg’s Giveaway

A few weeks ago, I received a package in the post from Kellogg’s with a box of Corn Flakes and a box of the new Kellogg’s Mini Max. Little Man laid claim to them before I had a chance to – leaving me with a pen, a USB stick, and a new lunch bag. I think we were both happy though. Now you have the chance to win a Kellogg’s Hamper for yourself. To celebrate the launch of... read more

Jul 7, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Congratulations!

Today is a day for celebration in our family. Charlie’s brother married his beautiful bride today. Unfortunately, we couldn’t be there for the ceremony and celebrations because the wedding took place in the Philippines, but our thoughts have been with the happy couple all day. We wish you every joy on your Wedding Day, and long and happy lives together. And we’re raising a glass in your... read more

Jul 3, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Groupon Giveaway Winner

For the past week, I’ve been running a giveaway from Groupon for €60 worth of Groupon vouchers. I asked everyone to comment to enter and say what they would like to spend the vouchers on if they won. The answers ranged from family breaks, to pampering, to laser hair removal! But unfortunately there can only be one winner… …and the winner is Olga Henning, who said “Meal for two... read more

Jun 26, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Groupon Voucher Giveaway

It’s been ages since I ran a giveaway here. But thanks to Groupon, I have a good one for you this week. One lucky Mama.ie reader will win €60 worth of Groupon vouchers (three €20 vouchers to be precise). These vouchers can be redeemed on Groupon.ie. Groupon offers daily deals – sometimes with as much as 70% off the normal retail price for the product or service. You can sign up to receive... read more

Jun 17, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Happy Father’s Day

Well that was unexpected! Woke up this morning to beautiful sunshine, and after the torrential rain of yesterday, it was a pleasant change. Little Man and I went downstairs and left Charlie to sleep a little while longer. Little Man supervised while I made breakfast, and he made sure he had his card ready to hand over when Charlie came downstairs. “Oh what’s this for, Little Man?” asked... read more

Jun 11, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Guest Oracle: Toilet Training

One of my favourite bloggers, Kate Takes 5, has started a new feature called Ask the Oracle. This is an opportunity for parents to ask questions and get answers from other parents – not experts, just people who have some experience with the same issue, who can share their tips and tricks for how they dealt with it. One of the first questions that Kate received is on the subject of toilet training... read more

Jun 8, 2012 Posted by Lisa | Mama.ie

Five years ago…

Five years ago today, I woke to a beautiful sunny morning and realised “Today’s my wedding day!” I look back now and wonder how it could possibly be five years. And then I stop and look back further and wonder how it could be fifteen years since Charlie and I started dating. Before we know it, we’ll have been together half our lives. Now there’s a thought. So as I do on most... read more