Are you and your friends like me and my friends? We stay in touch on WhatsApp and Facebook. We grab coffee when we can, and we have really, really good nights out when we find a date that suits everyone. But we haven't been away together since our hen parties a very long time ago, and with ...
"You've such a great colour!" said my friend. I was ten years old, and made an "ah not really" gesture, shrugging my shoulders, but secretly thrilled with the comment. Or let's call it a compliment - it doesn't really make sense that it's a compliment - I hadn't actually done anything that required talent - but ...
Our holiday was 80% amazing, and 20% hot-sticky-cross-cranky. Or at specific moments, 80% hot-sticky-cross-cranky and 20% I’m a parent, get me out of here. There’s the stuff that can happen on any holiday – even before kids, or when they’re older and a trip away (presumably) becomes a relaxing event. Like when a dying wasp leaves its ...
In most countries, temperatures of 18 degrees don't qualify as a heatwave but in Ireland, we'll take what we can get. It might be still chilly in exposed areas (in either sense) but we know how fleeting this is, and we're making the most of it. Some signs there's a thing we're calling a heatwave in ...
A very nice thing about blogging is being offered products to review. The hard part is deciding whether to say yes or not, but when Claire Povey asked if I'd like to try one of her hand-made beach bags, one click through to her website was enough to convince me to send back a resounding "Yes ...
Recently, I asked my seven-year-old if she remembered Sequoia Parc, the campsite we stayed in, two years ago in France. "Of course I do - it had a dragon pirate ship thing beside the pool," she said. "No," I said, "That was Clarys Plage, last year." She was sure I was wrong. I was sure I was right. ...
Driving along the coast road, the September sun is filtering through the white sky. Mixed weather is what the forecasters call it. Silence from the back; a Saturday football roundup on the radio. Tired after running all day, three small faces are watching but not watching. The sea stretches out beside us and the red and ...
"Mum, why do you never wear dresses!" asked my six-year-old this morning, for the eleven millionth time. "I do wear dresses - I wear them to work and on nights out don't I?" I replied, but Clara was unconvinced. It's a conversation we've had many times before and it always goes the same way. "But you never wear ...
I married a man who has jumped out of a plane in his time. I on the other hand, keep myself firmly belted in whenever I'm not on solid ground. He is tall and athletic; I am small and, well, just small. He likes football and rugby and golf. I like shopping and make-up and shoes. He's a ...
I wonder sometimes if as a nation we all suffer from a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder - or at least if there's any science behind the national mood-lift that takes place every time the sun comes out. "Imagine if it was like this all the time," we say, "Sure we'd never leave the country ...