Do your kids think you're an award-winning Mum? Waterford woman Carmel Fraher's children obviously did, when they entered her in the Woman's Way Mum of the Year competition earlier this year. The mother-of-five scooped the award last month, and this week tells her story here at Mumcentric. And what a story it is! Carmel   returned to education after raising her children single-handed and after graduating with a Degree and Masters from UCC, is now employed as a social worker in Oncology and Breast Services. Her get-up-and-go attitude is refreshing and makes for interesting listening!

Meanwhile, Darina fills us in on the glamour of the Irish Web Awards and a recent Uk report on working-from-home.

Enjoy!

With the mid-term almost upon us and the winter season well underway it's time to turn our thoughts to jetting off on a well-deserved holiday. Travel guru Tara Cosgrove from www.stickyfingerstravel.com is our guest this week who says that skiing is the holiday of choice for a lot of families this year. And she gives some pointers on ensuring a smooth ride when heading for the slopes. Research, research and more research is the key, according to Tara, who says families can never be over-prepared when booking a holiday. 

We also chat about standardising school holidays and what's on in the month of October.  And we're looking forward to the Web Awards at the Radisson SAS in Dublin on Saturday night, which we'll be telling you all about next week. 

Until then, enjoy the show! :)

You might think the days of the money box have been replaced by Nintendos and mobile phones, but on this week's show we hear just how important it is for our children to learn how to manage their money properly. With the news laden with economic and banking woes this week, our interview with financial whizz Susan Beecham couldn't be more timely!

As the driving force behind Money Savvy Generation (MSGen), Susan is eager to teach kids from a young age to manage their money properly, before bad habits set in. So how exactly do we do this?!  To find out this, and the answer to some of your questions, (which you submitted last week), don't miss this great show.  And we're also announcing the winner of the Money Savvy Pig- an item that just might become the top Christmas gift for 2008!

The dreaded jelly belly is something that most of us Mums are only too familiar with.  Unlike celebrities who are photographed wearing skinny jeans a few days post-baby, the average Mum (who does not have a personal fitness trainer) might be full of good intentions and yet struggle to shift the weight.

However help is at end in the form of a workout that new Mums can do whilst taking their baby out in the buggy. This week we chat with entrepreneur Lisa Donaldson, who has brought Buggy Buddies to Ireland.  According to Lisa, the one-hour social workout is far from a stroll in the park!

We're also chatting about evening classes, new events and would you believe, Halloween!

Enjoy the show!

The summer may have come to an end but it’s a week of new beginnings here at Mumcentric. Yes, we’re back after our season’s break and this week we’re chatting about what we’ve been up to on those long, lazy days.  More specifically we hear from Darina on her family’s escapade in Egypt, and some of the whacky gadgets and gizmos she’s come across over the last couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, would you know if your child was taking drugs? Are  you familiar with the signs and symptoms of drug abuse? It’s a subject that parents should get to grips with, according to Community Substance Abuse Counsellor, Hilary Nolan, who this week tells us communication between parent and child is the key to winning the war against illegal drug abuse.

We also look at the latest events across the water in the race for the US Presidency, with the surprise Republican nomination of Sarah Palin, running for Vice-President.  And finally, with thousands of students and families around Ireland heading to ‘Big School’ for the first time this week, we reflect on the marking of our own family milestones as D-Day dawned.

Enjoy the show!

If you're heading away this Bank Holiday weekend and dreading the thoughts of a long car journey then we've just the show for you this week! Founder of newly-launched travel resource, stickyfingerstravel.com, Tara Cosgrove recommends the Top Ten car games to keep back-seat passengers occupied and happy on the road this weekend.

The site which was launched in May of this year includes a wide range of information for parents keen to travel with children, including accommodation and packing tips, as well as the all important entertainment. The former solicitor and mum of two reveals how her passion for trave,l and frustration at the lack of available information for families, led her on the path of online travel editor.

She also reveals that a whopping 81% of parents surveyed by her site this summer were worried about their children's safety while on holidays, following the disappearance of Madeline McCann in the Algarve last year.

And we get her recommendations for keeping your children safe while relaxing on holiday.

I know you must be all wondering what the large yellow ball hanging in the sky is this week, as much to our amazement the sun is shining down at long last! They say that sunshine fill us with optimism and positivity and that's pretty much our theme this week as we chat with parenting coach and author Sue Atkins.

Her book 'Raising Happy Children' is the latest in the popular 'For Dummies' series to hit the shelves, and we hear from Sue why she thinks confidence is the key to successful parenting, and why she's busy with parents from all walks of life who are struggling along the parenting path. 

We also look at some of the quirkier gadgets hitting the news this week, as well as some babygros that aim to get your baby cleaning your kitchen floor! I kid you not.

Enjoy the show!

If you like fairytales and happy endings then you'll enjoy this week's podcast as we catch up with entrepreneur Marneta Viegas from Relaxkids.com. Marneta came up with the idea for children's mediations some years ago, and having seen a gap in the market launched her relaxation classes, CDs and training courses. She tells us how she found her Prince last year (by posting a 'wanted' ad!) and how her fairytale life is unfolding.

We also catch up with Kirstie Affleck of Babyslingsandoutdoorthings.com, who tells us why babywearing is becoming so popular with modern mums.

And we wish Darina bon voyage on her summer holidays!

Enjoy the show :)

The words 'get stuffed' might be on the tip of your tongue at various times during your day as a Mum, but it's got a whole different meaning this week here on Mumcentric. Some weeks ago Darina mentioned artist and craftswoman Lucy Moose (great name!) who makes her living by stuffing doodles- literally.

This week we chat with Lucy from www.stuffyourdoodles.com and hear how she can take any picture you or your child has drawn, and can turn it into a 3-d work of art.

We also review the fitness phenomenon of the Nintendo Wii, as well as hearing how children who eat meals at the family table are less likely to take drugs/drink, suffer mental problems and will do better at school. Now that's some incentive to lead your child (and their plate) back from the couch to the table isn't it?!

And we give you the final clue in our competition series- it's the last week of the competition so get your entries in fast.

Enjoy the show.

 

It’s hard to believe that it’s July with the weather we’re having, but we’re not letting it get us down here on Mumcentric.  On show 17 we’re talking about comical videos that got us giggling this week, particularly one that sees a Work-at-home-mum seek refuge from her children in various hiding spots around the house.

We also catch up with Caroline Carswell, whose site www.irishdeafkids.ie is proving a hit with Irish parents of deaf children. Having successfully attended mainstream school and third-level education herself, Caroline is determined that other children with hearing difficulties have the same opportunity. And that their parents have support in helping their children reach their full potential.

And don’t forget there’s still time to enter our competition and win some goodies! You’ll hear Darina mention the clue in the beginning of the podcast  (ssshhh don’t tell her I told you that!)- all you need to do is fill out the entry form at the top right-hand corner of the page. It couldn’t be any simpler!

Enjoy the show!

It's all about girl-power this week as we hear how an enthusiastic bunch of Connaught women are looking for a place in the Guinness Book of Records by forming the longest chain of bras ever! And it's all in aid of two very worthwhile causes.

Indeed the chicks behind the 'Irish Bra Chain for Cancer' campaign are determined to make history by forming a chain of more than 117,000 bras in Mayo in early November next.

On this week's show we hear from spokeswoman, Louise Killeen, who is urging Irish women to scrummage through their drawers and donate a bra, in a bid to not only smash the record, but to also raise money for Cancer Care West and Mayo Cancer Support Association.

And as we celebrate our 1000th download of the Mumcentric Podcast we launch our first competition, the details, and answer of which is all revealed in the show.

So have a listen, enjoy the show and you might just win some goodies!

This week's show comes from the Family Show which took place at the RDS  on Sunday, where we take a trip around the exhibition and chat with founder of Claphandies.com, Liza Crotty. This enthusiastic Mumtrepreneur is bursting with projects for families- including the popular Play Labs taking place in Dublin and Wicklow, as well as pediatric first aid and nutritional courses.

We hear from Liza on how she discovered how to 'play' with the birth of her daughter, as well as the future of her business.

And we give our take on buying property abroad, movie reviews and much more. Enjoy the show and feel free to leave us a comment in the fields below!

Do you look around your house and/or work space and wish you had a magic wand to wave that would declutter and tidy all in its path? Or wonder what you need to get rid of that awkward stain on the carpet? If so  you're not alone!

According to Cara Mirabella aka 'The Household Helper', it's simply a matter of good organisation. She's the writer, podcaster, blogger and coach behind TheHouseholdHelper.com, a site dedicated to saving you time, money, and sanity, when managing your household. Hear her give some tips on de-cluttering as well as getting rid of some stubborn stains.

And we also chat about gadgets for women- including the Magic Mirror webcam that ensures you'll look your best when you're broadcasting across the world wide web!

Nice and all as the weather has been, I know that getting away during the summer is a thought that’s never far from our minds, particularly when we think back to what was the washout of Summer 2007 !

This week we talk to an expert who can help !  Rachael Kilroy is from the award winning  www.gohop.ie who are the longest established Irish online-travel company.  Listen in as Rachael chats to us about some of the hot destinations and ideas for 2008 as well as giving her tips on travelling with kids and what not to do !

We also talk about the worrying trend of cyber bullying and hear about a Mother who turned a simple craft idea into a multi-million dollar business in just over a year !

Show Notes:

 

The ISPCC provides 4 primary services to children. These are Childline, 4me, Childfocus, and Leanbh.

They rely heavily on the generosity of the general public and companies to help raise their annual income. This year they need over €4.5 million from voluntary funding. 

We spoke to Rita from their fundraising team who told us not only about the great services that the ISPCC are responsible for, (& shocked us with some of the statistics) but also told us a little bit about some of their fundraising initiatives that you can get involved in such as the Flora Women's Mini Marathon on the 2nd of June.  

Have a listen and feel free to add your comments below.  If you would like a sponsorship form for the mini-marathon or any other fundraising initiative you can contact the ISPCC on 01 6767960

Our guest this week came to the realisation that a traditional career path was not going to work for her. She is the Mother of two little girls and working long hours, juggling requests for work at the weekend and travelling abroad on business wasn’t fitting right with her family commitments. Yet she knew she wanted to continue to use the skills and experience she had spent over a decade honing and perfecting. Except now it had to be on her terms ! 

While doing the school run, she was excited to learn she wasn’t alone. discovering a community of like minded people in exactly the same position as herself. People who were parents, but also lawyers, accountants, HR directors and project managers. People who had given up work due to the pressures of balancing their home and work life but who wanted to get back into the work force - this time with hours and roles of their choosing.

Armed with this information and after much research our guest this week Lynda McCracken decided to do start her own boutique employment agency -specialising in flexible working -  Innovation Employment.

If you’ve ever dreamt of  having a more flexible working life, of having more control over your schedule but not necessarily wanting to change direction completely and going the tradtional WAHM route then listen in as we discuss with Lynda the changing face of corporate life and what the options are for more control.

33 EU Member States including Ireland announced their participation in European Immunization Week, from 21-27 April 2008.

In 2007, western European countries recorded more measles cases than their neighbours to the east and all are becoming vulnerable to the disease.

In 2007, 60% of measles cases across the WHO European Region occurred in western Europe,� said Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “This dangerous development is attributable to a combination of vaccine scepticism born of ideological positions and, ironically, of the success of vaccination programmes in earlier generations.�

To find out more on childhood immunization we spoke to Stephanie Mulcair - Clinical Health Nurse for the HSE Southern Region, based at Cork University Hospital.

Her role is to provide up to date immunisation information. A specialist immunisation Clinic, opportunistic immunisation, promote immunisation and be a resource to healthcare staff. She als helps to establish links between the Hospital and the Community

 www.immunisation.ie

Listen in as one Mum tells us how she turned an idea in the back of her mind into an award winning product that is now available for sale in Tesco’s, Superquinn and other major retailers nationwide.


Eliza Connolly is a Mum of 4 and the inventor of the Nappy Kit an idea she had when her oldest child was a baby.  Eliza tells us all about her product and how she brought her idea to fruition.  www.easythings.ie

Our guest this week is Social Entrepreneur Kimberly Danek Pinkson.  Founder of www.ecomomalliance.org

After the birth of her son, Kimberly was motivated to bring her background in sustainability and global interconnection to a new audience.  “I began to imagine what could happen if every mother began to make small changes in her home, and I realized we mothers could seriously change the world!â€? Several months and many sleepless nights later, Kimberly founded the EcoMom Alliance

Much as kitchen table conversations have inspired women throughout history, the EcoMom Alliance is a call to action asking moms to help protect our planet and create a more peaceful, just world

It has a clear and twofold mission

1. To leverage the power of mothers to help reduce global warming;
2. To inspire and empower mothers to take First Steps For A Sustainable Future by Sustaining their Homes, Sustaining their Planet and Sustaining Themselves.

Listen in as Kimberly tells us more about this growing alliance (11,000+) and how we each can do our part to help no matter how small.

This week on we spoke to Anna Hutchinson about the Charity Ball being organised by members of the Magic Mum Website. 

Listen in as she tells us what it’s all about and when it’s happening.  You can check out full details about the ball at  http://charityball.magicmum.com

Our guest this week is Mum Karen Leigh,  who is talking about her campaign for a new purpose-built occupational therapy centre in Kildare, for children with Sensory Processing Disorder. Hear her tell us about the project 'Sensational Kids' and how you can get involved.
You can also hear about an upcoming workshop on Work-at-home Mums which will be held in Cork next month. Happy Listening!