by Siobhan O’Neill White

It’s been a hectic few months; getting the children back to school and dealing with the difficulties Covid still causes. As life has become somewhat normal again, we can plan things that we could not last year, like Halloween! My children are planning their outfits and are super excited to go trick or treating, decorate the house and carve pumpkins. For younger children, there’s the Pooka Spooka Halloween event at Causey Farm. For over 16’s teens & adults (who think being scared is great craic), there’s Farmaphobia. My husband will probably have my nail imprints dug in his palms by the end, as I’m a big scaredy cat but we are really looking forward to going with our two teens this October.If you are looking for other fun Halloween themed things to do, why not go pumpkin picking! There are lots of farms doing this so a quick google should help you find one close to you. It’s exciting for the little ones to choose their pumpkin from a farm! We like www.alrightpumpkin.com for this.

After not being able to go away for so long, it’s great to have the option of mini breaks again! We are heading up to the Four Seasons Hotel in Carlingford. Its such a beautiful part of the country and lots to do with Skypark and Carlingford water activities. If you like a spooky atmosphere, Fota Island Resort is decorated magically for winter family breaks. This is one of our favourite places to go when we visit beautiful Cork! With the children back to school, thoughts turn to Christmas. (It’s unavoidable with selection boxes in the shops!) We’ve just launched our annual Christmas Gift Guide on mams.ie. Log on for lots of offers, discounts and competitions, like the 15% discount on personalised jewellery from www.myka.com/ie/ with code MAMS15. We will have lots of giveaways over the coming weeks so keep checking the site and our socials Insta mams.ie; FB mams.ireland and Twitter mams_ie And lastly, as parents of a child with Dyslexia, I wanted to let you know that October is ‘Go Red for Dyslexia’ month. 1 in 10 people in Ireland has Dyslexia, so you are bound to know someone who is Dyslexic. To find out amore, see www.goredfordyslexia.org. Their aim is to raise awareness and to support Dyslexic people and their families and friends.

By Dave Kavanagh

We often see that on top of the more compulsory car and home insurance, that many people also have travel insurance, pet insurance, mobile phone/laptop insurance etc. When we ask about insurance on their most important and valuable assets, themselves, (outside of mortgage protection), it is often something that was never considered, despite the potentially enormous financial loss that would occur in the event of a fatality (especially when there are children to consider!). We understand, it’s not the most fun conversation to have, but the reality is these things happen all too frequently and often unexpectedly. For example, a couple with young children and an income of €50,000 per annum, who in the event of a fatality of one of the parents, could suddenly have to live on the state’s survivor’s pension, giving them a massive drop in income and lifestyle. Worth mentioning that the loss would be the same when there are young children whether it was an income earner or a homemaker, as the income earner would either be gone, losing their income, or have to give up work to raise the children. Surveys have shown, that the actual cost of cover is far cheaper than people expect, and there is a variety of options to suit people’s specific circumstances. Plans can either be selected based on levels of cover in relation to the financial loss that would be suffered, or tailored based on affordable premiums. If this is something that you have been considering, don’t keep putting it off. Contact your financial advisor to get quotes. In many cases these days, cover can be arranged over the phone with digital signing.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or phone 087-6414570, or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM and TV3.

By Siobhan O’Neill White

Finally, Communions and Confirmations are set to go ahead. While Covid is still a worry when getting families together, with some clever organisation, you can ensure you all have an enjoyable and memorable day. Instead of having everyone together at the same time, you can split the party. For our daughter’s Communion, we had my husbands side of the family over for food, drinks and cake in our back garden from 2-4pm and then, my side of the family from 4.30-6.30pm. We got deli food and laid it out on a big table outside so that everyone could help themselves. This cut down on groups congregating in the house! Our daughters Communion dress was too small due to all the postponements, so we went back to Alexanders on Parnell St and they kindly swapped it for another. Another option is to get a dress let out or altered and The Zip Yard are brilliant for this.Gerard in Ilac & Pavilions have new Autumn stock in now and my Mam and I both got our Communion outfits there. Me a jumpsuit, her a dress. Lovely range and good prices. For Confirmation girls Quiz is fantastic as their range starts at size 4; ideal for 12/13 year olds. MyNameNecklace make personalised birthstone necklaces; perfect as a keep sake gift for Confirmation girls. For Communion jewellery, Absolute Jewellery have a great range.For Communion and Confirmation boys, Penneys is superb. Their chinos and cotton shirts are dressy yet comfy. Bestwear in Drogheda have 3 piece suits from only €69.99 for a more formal look! Most importantly, stay safe and enjoy the day! With a bit of clever preparation, you can create wonderful memories for your child’s special day. For more tips, see the dedicated special occasions section on www.mams.ie

By Ciaran Russell

You will have heard this phrase ‘Go Hard or Go Home’ before but maybe this mentality is hindering your progress. How often you rest will directly impact on how you adapt to the training stimulus. By training too hard for a long period of time you run the risk of overtraining. This doesn’t have to mean a complete break from your exercise programme; it can be lighter sessions or different exercise than what you had been doing for the previous weeks. The reason rest is an overlooked part of training is because when you stress the body for a number of weeks doing the same or very similar exercises or activity your nervous system won’t have a chance to play catch up and you will eventually crash. When this happens, you may feel very tired, you might experience some cold or flu symptoms and you may find your mood is off. These are typical signs that you need to take the foot off the gas. When you have a balanced training programme of intense exercise coupled with proper rest your body will have sufficient time to adapt and recover in a way that will positively benefit you and your training goals. A ‘go hard or go home’ or ‘no pain no gain’ mentality is outdated. Too many people go all in at the very beginning of a new fitness programme in order to race to the end to see the amazing results only to give up a few weeks later. But if you accept that fitness will be a lifetime endeavor you can plan your goals better and will enjoy your training more. If you take away one thing from this article make sure it’s this; rest & recovery is a prerequisite to exceptional performance. If this is something that you are struggling with and would some extra support you can contact me by emailing ciaran@ciaranrussellcoaching.com or find me on Instagram @ciaranrussell_coach.

By Dave Kavanagh

Making a little time occasionally to go through your finances and budgeting, can be very rewarding and leave you with more money left over each month. A few practical tips:

Carefully study 3 months’ bank statements. Make sure that you can account for every single trans-action. On a regular basis, I encounter people who have been paying for things that they should not be, direct debits they forgot to cancel.Make a detailed list for grocery shopping (and don’t shop while hungry). This leads to only buying what you actually need, a lower bill at the till and less throwing out of food gone off.Compare before you shop for larger items. Just because one store has a fridge you want reduced from €950 to €850 in their “Sale”, does not mean another store nearby that does not currently have a sale on, is not selling the same one for €799. Compare utility providers. Whether it’s electricity, gas, broadband, mobile phone service or similar, there can be substantial savings to be had by switching to better deals. Check when car/house insurance renew-als arrive. Don’t automatically accept a renewal premium without checking around. A few phone calls could save you hundreds of euro.Review premiums on life cover/mortgage protection/serious illness cover. Especially if you arranged it directly with a bank or insurance company that could not compare.In over 20 years of helping people with their finances, I have never seen anyone NOT make savings by doing the above. If anyone would like the free budget spreadsheet in excel format that will calculate totals as you input them, just email info@financialcompanion.ie with Budget in the subject line. Happy saving!

By Siobhan O’Neill White

At mams.ie we often hear from with Mammies who are stressed about school expenses; so we have come up with some ways to shop smart and reduce costs - * Label your childs uniform, bag and c oat so if they do misplace it, they will get it back. MyNameTags.ie have personalised labels that you can order with your child’s personal details. Their labels have an antibacterial coating, so Covid and other viruses cannot stick to them. - * Buy Irish - O’Neills offers a personalising service so you can have your child’s name or initials stitched onto their sports gear. - * Instead of buying new ipads and laptops, look for offers on almost new ones. PC Clinic in Ilac SC and Apollo Mobile are great for ‘nearly new’ technology. - * Shop the sales – Many summer sales are on now, check Regatta.ie for half price rain & wind proof coats - * Buying bundles of items together can save money. See Smiggle ‘Bundles offers’ on schoolbags, pencil cases, lunchboxes etc. Much cheaper than buying individually. - * For Art supplies, ‘The Works’ stores, they have great prices on all things art related and they do good deals on stationery too. - * Dealz have different school offers throughout the summer, so keep an eye out for lunchboxes, stationery and accessories in there. - * Instead of automatically using the recommended school uniform supplier, see if you can get your child’s crested uniform cheaper elsewhere. - * DIY – If you are on a budget, you can buy generic uniform items from Dunnes Stores and add the crests later. Often schools sell crests separately or, you can have crests stitched in a haberdashery. This is a great way to save a considerable amount of money. - * For college students, Flying Tiger have great white boards, corkboards and colourful accessories to made college accommodation more homely. - * Enter competitions – someone has to win and it may be you! Check out mams.ie for competitions on back to school items. - * If you’re financial situation has been impacted by Covid, you should apply for the Back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA). Apply at mywelfare.ie (Even if you are in employment, you may still meet the criteria to receive this grant so it is worth applying!) Most of all, enjoy the summer and try not to get too stressed about back to school. As we have all learned in the past year, being safe is more important than anything else.

By Dave Kavanagh

In an ideal world, people should plan to have savings for different requirements. Short term savings is aiming to have about a month’s salary put by, for things like the washing machine breaking down or similar. Medium term is aimed at planning for things that will be happening in a year or two, such as needing to change the car, having a wedding or having a special holiday (when we can again!). These might require 3-6 months’ salary. Beyond these is what is referred to as long-term savings. This is usually aimed at a period of 5 years or more. It can be anything from saving for children’s third level education to planning to buy a mobile home. The main difference with this time frame is that it opens up more options to try and get some reasonable growth on your savings.

As most people know, bank deposit accounts pay little or nothing in terms of interest. In some cases with certain balances, they are actually charging negative interest, meaning they charge you for minding your money! Savings plans that utilise investment funds are a fast growing option for people that want to get the best out of their savings. They are managed by experts that use a variety of investment types within their funds, such as equites and bonds. Your level of risk is assessed, and a fund or choice of funds that matches your requirements is used. With regular savings, the great part is that every time there is a fluctuation in fund value, you get more units for your premium that month. In the long term, these funds usually way out perform bank deposits. Plans can be tailored for your specific requirements. Talk to your financial advisor to find out more.

by Ciaran Russell

The weighing scales can be a source of a lot of different emotions for people but that doesn’t have to be the case. The purpose of a scales is to measure the weight that is placed and that’s it. It won’t tell you if you have lost body fat, or tell you you have drop a clothes size or even that you can play with your kids without getting out of breath.When looking to lose weight the main aim for using a weighing scales is to track progress over a long period of time. If there has been a change in weight in a short period of time this is unlikely to be a loss of body fat. Weight fluctuations can occur for many reasons. These include; increased salt intake, stress, lack of sleep, water retention, hydration levels and food volume.Giving power to the weighing scales can determine how you feel your progress has gone for any given week. It’s important to have a check in with yourself if you find that your mood changes after checking your weight. You can check in by asking yourself some questions like; how do you feel, how has your sleep been, have you laughed this week, did you hit your daily goals; calorie targets, step count, and protein target. If the number on the scales causes some unwanted distress consider using a different method of tracking your weight loss journey. Other ways to monitor progress can be taking before and after photos, how you feel, energy levels, clothes fitting better, improved fitness or getting stronger, if resistance training. The main thing to know is fat loss and weight loss are not the same thing. If a consistent calorie deficit is in place fat loss will occur but in this period of time body’s eight can fluctuate due to various reasons.If this is something that you are struggling with and would some extra support you can contact me by emailing ciaran@ciaranrussellcoaching.com or find me on Instagram @ciaranrussell_coach.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2 person)

x2 Chicken Fillets or Thighs
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
x2 Red Onions
x1 Red Pepper
x1 Yellow Pepper

For the Marinade:
3 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon of Olive oil
1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
Handful of Chopped Thyme and Rosemary
Method:

Prepare the marinade first by combining the ingredients as above and mixing well together. Place this marinade in a sealed plastic bag with the chicken fillets/thighs to marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge. For better results leave chicken to marinade for longer.

Remove chicken in marinade from fridge. Preheat the oven at 200’c for 10 minutes.

While the oven is preheating, prepare vegetables by chopping the x2 bell peppers and lightly coating a cast iron skillet (as in image) or oven dish in olive oil.

Place chicken fillets/thighs, cherry tomatoes, red onions and bell peppers in the iron skillet or oven dish. Add more thyme, rosemary and black pepper over the vegetables and chicken.
Place into the hot oven for 35-40 minutes at 180’c or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and all the vegetables are roasted with a slight oven char for extra flavour.Tip: to add a burst of flavour to this dish, add a tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar after removing from the oven.

Serving Suggestion: Freshly steamed new potatoes or a scrumptious oven baked potato served straight from its foil would make delicious sides to accompany this wonderfully flavoured summer dish.

Please follow ‘Biabites’ on Facebook for other food ideas especially in the ‘Fun food’ and ‘Recipes’ albums.Please follow @BiaBites on twitter.For nutrition talks/workshops at events or in schools/workplaces/community groups = please email: arthursniamh@gmail.com Niamh Arthurs BSc, Msc Registered Dietitian and Researcher

For many of us, sitting down with a good book is a pleasure. But what if you couldn’t understand all the words? What if you struggled to follow the book?Dyslexia affects 1 in 10 people and has a huge impact on their lives. Our daughter has Dyslexia and it has caused her so much difficulty in terms of reading, spelling and writing. Homework was so stressful that she often ended up in tears - and to be honest, I wasn’t far behind her. Gradually, we have learned how to help her manage her Dyslexia - to reduce her stress, do her homework and enjoy reading books for fun. With the help of a reader pen, she can understand and enjoy the David Walliams, Harry Potter and Diary of a wimpy kid books by herself. The D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) for Dyslexia campaign, is aiming to get everyone reading this summer, including anyone with Dyslexia. It’s all about finding ways to enjoy reading books. Whether that’s with a reader pen or reading books with your child. My daughter and I read the Wizard Of Oz together last year and it was such an enjoyable experience for us both. The DEAR campaign is about finding what works best, for you and your child. To get find out more check out dearfordyslexia.org ( NB: not accessible through this medium). We’ll be making a list of must reads for summer break. It’s so good to have an activity to look forward to that doesn’t involve ipads or phones!! For parenting support and chat about Dyslexia and other parenting issues, go to mams.ie (NB: not accessible through this medium).