MollyMumofTwo's Blog

A few well-known toy stores in Ireland will give anxious parents the opportunity to spread the cost of their Christmas gifts over a few months. Smyths, a much-loved store, has recently launched a new Savings Card that will allow customers to top up on an in-store card. They can top-up bit by bit and then later use it to pay for their purchases. A spokesman for Smyths, said that this scheme only...

Scientist can now predict a person's physical appearance by examining their genes. Researchers in the Netherlands and Sweden are aware that they cannot deliver 100% accuracy, but say their results are halfway between chance and fully accurate. This technology brings the world another step closer to “designer babies” whereby parents will have the ability to choose what type of eye or hair...

Work is underway to incorporate fun themes into the design of children’s hospitals to make them more child-friendly. According to researchers involved in the project, the reason for this move is to embrace children’s rights and their views into consideration when improving hospitals. Architects designing these themes are expected to put forward their ideas in the coming week. Some...

New research shows that giving babies both breastmilk and solids could prevent them from developing an allergy. The study suggests that alternating between the two could teach a baby’s immune system that solid foods are safe. Lead researcher, Kate Grimshaw, compared the diets of 41 babies who developed allergies with 82 children who didn’t. She found that children who went on to develop...

Major changes to the Junior Cert syllabus will give students the opportunity to receive marks on performances outside exam rooms. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) will introduce eight new courses in the coming years. Draft proposals have already been outlined for some of these courses, which will give mums and dads an idea of what's to come. Pupils will be expected to...

Health campaigners are criticising Simon Cowell for smoking around his pregnant girlfriend. The X Factor judge was pictured lighting up in the back of a car while sitting next to Lauren Silverman, who is due to give birth in February. It’s not the first time Cowell has been snapped around his girlfriend with a cigarette in his hand. The couple were pictured out for dinner last month and also...

This really is a bittersweet story that is sure to warm your heart. After 13-year-old Devin was told he was no longer responding to treatment for aggressive brain cancer, members of his small Ohio town came together to make the young teen’s wish come true. On receiving the news from doctors, Devin said all he wanted was to spend time at home with his family and friends and get the chance to...

While swaddling babies has become increasingly popular since Prince George first appeared in public, doctors are now saying it can cause hip problems as they grow. Swaddling involves wrapping your little one in blankets with their arms pinned and legs straightened so that they can’t move. Parents have been turning to the old-fashioned method in order to induce sleep and soothe crying and colic...

The first pictures are in! The little prince is such a cutie and his famous parents look wonderful. UPDATED: We spotted another lovely picture of the young Royal Family - mum, dad and baby look perfect! UPDATED: We can't resist posting a few more. The pictures are too lovely.

The head of the Jack and Jill Foundation says all terminally ill children should be given medical cards. The call comes after the government announced free GP care for all children under the age of five. Jonathan Irwin said the system was “thoughtless and cold” and is asking the Taoiseach to “order a review of the HSE’s broken medical card system, before any Free GP cards for under-5s are...