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 travel, and frustration at the lack of available information for families, led her to 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.

Enjoy the show!

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!

And in keeping with the theme of helping kids to relax, we also catch up with Kirstie Affleck of Babyslingsandoutdoorthings.com, who tells us why babywearing and slings are 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!

Click Here for a transcript of this show.

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, of www.irishbrachainforcancer.com, who urges 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 podcast 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 Mumpreneur 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 !

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