As a freelance writer, I’ve written for a variety of magazines, newspapers and websites, including HerFamily.ie, Irish Examiner, the Independent , Image Magazine, Magpie Magazine, Woman’s Way, Maternity and Infant, Mums and Tots, Pregnancy and Parenting, The Journal.ie, Health and Living (with the Independent), eumom, and US site Scary Mommy.
To see me do a TV interview in my kitchen, have a look here! Andrea Mara blogging interview with Amanda Brunker – RTE Today Show
Published writing:
Image Magazine
You’ve got a business idea – where to now? (+ page 2) Image magazine, July 2015
The Independent
Baby-led Weaning – why do it and how do you go about it?
Making work work – self-employment balanced with parenting
Are smart phones destroying a generation?
Irish parents who are choosing to homeschool their children
Word up: You can never start too young when it comes to reading
Naughty, naughty: The discipline methods that work and those that don’t
Balancing act: How to give your toddler attention when a new baby arrives
Gentle Parenting: The mindfulness alternative to time out
How to cope with life after maternity leave
Telltale signs: Why parents should allow the tale to be told
The Wheel Deal: Everything you need to know about buying a first family car
Sweet Dreams: top tips for achieving better sleep as a new mum
7 ways to keep your baby healthy through the harsh Irish winter
The childcare question: picking the one that best suits your needs
Hold me close: The whats, whys and hows of babywearing
Pink V Blue: Does it matter what colour you dress your child in?
Taking the stress out of big school
Going potty: top tips to successfully potty train your toddler
Protein Power – how much protein should kids be getting?
Doing it all – could doing too many after-school activities be a bad idea?
Home Truths – What do do in the early days of maternity leave
Enough is Enough – The clear your plate mentality
Fun and Games – Feeling guilty for not playing with kids
The Irish Examiner
Should you curse in front of your kids?
The homework debate – why I think we should ban it
The stories behind the baby names
What happens when authors write back?
What happens when you say yes to your kids for 24 hours?
How do we steer girls into STEM?
Trades are not just jobs for the boys
Diversity in the workplace – interview with eBay’s Rhonda Doyle
Tongue Tie and the simple procedure to fix it
Is it easier to go to work or stay at home?
How much should we censor books for kids?
People who met online and then in real life
Where does a healthy interest in gaming become an obsession?
Are we really smashing gender stereotypes for young girls?
Why cosmetic surgery games for kids need to be cut out
What should the age of online consent be?
With Santa on his way, we look at why gendered marketing matters
What’s the right age to give a child a mobile phone?
Team Hope Shoebox Appeal shows the real gift of giving
How much screen time is too much for small children?
Why working mums should ditch the pointless guilt
The cost of education can often catch people out
Stay at home mums are working it (or my title: I’m not a stay-at-home mum!)
Why does the perfect kiss remain at the heart of every romance?
The working parent’s guide to surviving the school holidays
Why don’t dads take parental leave?
Turn off your phone and go to sleep
Housework 101: how to keep your house clean without losing your mind
These are the things Irish mothers wish they’d known before having children
There is very little help for breastfeeding mothers in Ireland
6 parents discuss finding the perfect work/ life balance
Giving your child a smartphone for Christmas? Here’s how to make their online experience safer
Do women need to act like men to succeed at work?
Why is Ireland on course to be the fattest nation in Europe?
Home Truths: Life as a stay-at-home mum is a tough job
Letting Kids Run Free Makes Them Better Adults
When it comes to kids – three is the magic 
number
Cut the working mum guilt – children aren’t suffering
Why do parents continue working, if a salary only just covers childcare?
The Irish Examiner – Feelgood magazine
Life Lessons – we need to talk about sex
Taking up the job title of full-time mother
Should you celebrate Valentine’s Day as a family?
Folic acid – what does it do and why do we need it?
Fruit waters have as much sugar as fizzy drinks
Karen Koster launches skin safety campaign
How to help a child who is being bullied
Why I’m embracing Mother’s Day in all its homemade glory
First Beyoncé, then Amal – but twins are on the rise in real life too
Space Invaders: Finding the best storage solutions for your kids’ toys
Parents: Manage your own stress levels first at Christmas time
Moana and the Disney Princesses – how females are portrayed in children’s films
Snacks that aren’t as healthy as they seem
Trying to be the perfect parent will only stress you out (my favourite feature ever)
Nutritional information for wannabe and expectant parents
How to make homework more productive and enjoyable
Giving children an opportunity to explore is the first step to independence
The role of food in chronic illnesses in children
Allergies in kids: On the increase, and the cause is not known
Baby-led weaning: tips for moving your baby to solids
Getting Crafty: why arts and crafts are good for kids
First time mothers looks to parenting forums for advice
Tips for when you bring your little girl shopping for clothes
Weight to go – post-natal exercise for mums and babies
Articles written for HerFamily.ie
Women who regretted having children
Changing your name after marriage – yay or nay?
All mothers should work outside the home, says this author
Miscarriage: the aftermath, the taboo, the emotions
Why the sacrifices you make as a parent are totally worth it
Why certain parents are really glad the holidays are over
Is maternity leave in Ireland too short?
Is there a lack of support for new mums in this country?
Should mental health classes be taught in our schools?
62% of readers think the state should provide parenting classes – do you?
Have parents finally lost the plot?
Why saying “good girl” is a big no no
The secret trick to surviving the workplace as a parent
Discrimination at work for being pregnant? You better believe it
Are these two words making you sound weak?
The truth about parenting books
GE16: What do parents want in terms of Reproductive Rights, Education, Healthcare, and Childcare (four articles)
Single-sex schools: Are they better or worse?
Childcare for €2 an hour – the election promise of every parent’s dreams?
A letter to the woman who couldn’t imagine leaving her child in creche
Paternity leave is on the way!
Dads have harder jobs than mums
Have you heard of Rabenmutter?
Why do women earn 14% less than men?
Does having kids make you unhappy?
How to handle pocket money requests
Parenting is hard, but lashing out isn’t the answer
Flexible work – here’s how to get it
Do men need to worry about rising paternal age?
Irish mums among the worst off in Europe
10 steps for handling school when you’re a working mum
Gender neutral toys: why it’s important to let children choose
How much maternity leave should you take?
Will women ever support each other?
The unwritten rules of naming baby
Back to school without losing your mind
Why I bring my kids to restaurants
Are you guilty of online sharenting?
The Facebook version of my holiday
Flexible working: When the 9-to-5 is wrong for your family
The need for me-time after babies
How to rebuild confidence after maternity leave
Why working from home is the business
After-school activities and summer camps – how much is too much?
Why the fertility timebomb is nothing but scaremongering
The tedium that is making school lunches
Tongue Tie – what is it, and how does it affect breastfeeding?
Marriage Referendum and small kids
Impostor Syndrome – do you have it?
The ultimate 12-step guide to being a working mum
Female CEO apologises to working mums
The life lessons I’m teaching my kids
Is paternity leave on the way?
The best part of the day (or not)
The working parent dilemma – when a child is sick
Scary Mommy
Why the things that make me happy are simpler now
The Burden of Being First Born
How House of Cards inspires my parenting
How to get your child to sleep through the night in just 2.5 years
maternity & infant magazine (print only)
Tongue Tie – what is it and what do you do if your baby has it
Blogging as a career – an interview with maternity and infant editor Penny Gray
Pearly Whites – what’s causing the increase in tooth decay in kids?
Virtual Friends – the internet as a resource for new mums – is there a downside?
Presenteeism – reaction from working mothers and tips from expert Sarah Courtney
Barriers to healthy eating
Mother & Baby (UK)
Regain your confidence after maternity leave (PDF)
Woman’s Way
After School Overload Sept 3rd 2015 (pdf)
Should you censor your child’s reading? (print only)
Independent/ Independent.ie
9 things I’ve learnt since becoming a working mother
Thanksgiving: I’m thankful for the predictability of everyday life
Budget 2015: what does it mean for families?
10 things I’ve learnt about parenting
The loneliness of first-time motherhood
The magic & mystery of a sleeping toddler
Why do working mothers keep saying yes?
Know your maternity-leave rights
Glitter, glue and a homemade Mother’s Day
The Journal:
Christmas expectations V reality
8 things I’ve learnt about Christmas
The unwritten rule that helps stressed parents through the tough days
Why are employers rewarding long hours in the office above all else?
Five things I swore I’d never do if I had kids
Yes I leave work on time – but it doesn’t mean I won’t work hard
Playground etiquette and other mysteries
The mammy-wars and other myths
Is there a glass ceiling for women in the workplace?
Women CEOs are more likely to be fired 
Prime Time Childcare exposé – one year on
Why do people continue to do the hardest job in the world?
Why do more women stay at home?
5 things I got wrong about starting school
What should we teach our kids about competitiveness?
Independent Health and Living Magazine
Netmums Blog of the Week/ blog post of the day
Life shifter
6 great reasons to work from home
Imagine a world where we can define how we work?
Working Mother Guilt – Does it Ever Ease?
Having It All? Mothers Should be Able to Choose
Flexible Working in the Corporate World: Does it Exist?
Pregnancy & Parenting magazine
Sleep is for the wise (original version published on Office Mum)
Feel the fear (original version published on Office Mum)
Mums & Tots Magazine
5 Tips for Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave
The Huffington Post (UK Lifestyle):
Click image for all Huff Post articles:
TheWorkingMother.ie
7 Good Reasons to Work From Home
TV – a tiny category
RTÉJr with Tara Loughey Grant and Orla Walsh talking about Life After Birth
Today show on RTÉ1 being interviewed by Amanda Brunker about blogging 28 January 2016: Today
Prime Time report on squeezed middle 13 November 2014: Prime Time (from 1 minute 24)
Prime Time audience on childcare costs 30 September 2014: Prime Time (at 17 minutes 10)
Podcasts:
On The Last Word on Today FM talking about women working and staying in touch with work during maternity leave (April 27th 2017)
Cosmetic Surgery Games – speaking to Jonathan Healy on Newstalk on Monday February 20th 2017
Spin Talk about Impostor Syndrome Tuesday March 3rd 2015 and various parenting topics over summer 2015 and 2016
Interview guest on Late Lunch Live on LMFM Radio July 30th 2014
Interview guest on The Hen House with Barbara Scully on Dublin South FM August 6th 2014
Phone guest on Late Lunch Live on LMFM Radio February 11th 2014 talking about working mothers
Phone guest on WLRfm on August 11th 2014 talking about older children in buggies and on February 5th about working mohters (podcast no longer available for latter)
RTE Radio 1 Mooney Show Tuesday October 7th 2014, chatting to Brenda Donohue about why I don’t love the playground.
Interview with George Hook on The Right Hook on Newstalk Tuesday December 2nd 2014, talking about paternity leave and why it’s good for dads (except we don’t have it at all in Ireland)
Guest on The Last Word on Today FM talking about the cost of childcare December 2013
On my favourite podcast, the CreepDive in 2020 talking about, well, creepy things.
Awards!
Winner “Best Lifestyle Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2018
Winner “Best Commercial Lifestyle Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2017
Winner of “Best Parenting Blog” at Blog Awards Ireland 2015
Winner of “Best Overall Parenting Blog” at the Glenisk Irish Parenting Blog Awards 2015
Winner of “Best Parenting Blog” at the Image Blog Awards 2014
Bronze in Best Parenting Blog – maternity & infant awards 2015
Finalist in Best Writer, Best Personal Blog, Best Parenting Blog and Best Blog Post in the Irish Parenting Blog Awards 2015
Finalist in Best Personal Blog, at the Irish Blog Awards 2013
Shortlisted in Best Parenting Blog, at the Irish Blog Awards 2014
Featured in other newspaper & magazine articles:
Fraud Squad: Imposter Syndrome
Stellar.ie: 5 bloggers who write about more than fashion and beauty
Creche kids: A ticking timebomb?
The modern mum’s guide to worrying
Irish Examiner: Why does the glass ceiling still exist for women?
Yvonne Hogan’s Diary of a Working Mum – feature on Irish bloggers
It’s time to end the mammy wars
Are working mothers under attack? – Budget 2014
Mother’s Day feature in Independent
Why an apple a day will keep teacher happy – Present buying for teachers
10 unusual ways to beat work stress
Budget 2014 “I would love if there was something for working parents”
Why I switched – Switching Saturday
Featured in Glenisk Blogalicious after winning the Best Overall Parenting Blog at the Glenisk Irish Parenting Blog Awards
And where else would you put your cardboard box tweet but here:
Day two of our three-day heatwave is a good time to remember that putting your laptop in a cardboard box means you can see the screen and work outdoors: pic.twitter.com/6GKtuM6DXq
— Andrea Mara (@Office_Mum) May 31, 2021
And this, again on the cardboard box: Irish Woman Blows Internet Away no less
Follow on social media
Andrea, I just clicked on here on a whim and I am blown away by the incredible portfolio you have. Wow, you have worked so hard – your pieces are great and there are just so many of them. I have massive writing envy, but in the best of ways. Well done xx
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