Life

Ask the Expert: At what age can children start wearing contact lenses?

Life 25 September, 2018

Development milestones: How can you tell if your child is progressing normally?

Life 25 September, 2018

What's On: Harvest fest in Ballynahinch, classical Castle Coole, slow food in Derry

Life 25 September, 2018

Leona O'Neill: I don't like Christmas in September – let's have Halloween first

Leona O'Neill

THERE I was wandering around a well-known home furnishings store with my little girl, looking at cushion covers, having the time of our lives when we stumbled across something truly shocking.

Cressida Cowell: Children need to read for pleasure – not just school grades

HOW To Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell knows things are going well when she's sobbing in her writing shed, tucked away in her back garden.

Sleb Safari: Are Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin married or not?

Sep

22

Saturday: Life
Jake O'Kane: Bank Buildings blaze a reminder that buildings are the backdrop to our lives

Health see all »

Ask the Dentist: Effects of vitamin D on gum disease and type 2 diabetes probed

Lucy Stock 19 Sep, 2018

COULD getting more vitamin D not only help stop your teeth falling out but also help your type 2 diabetes? In a rare study of its kind, new University of Toronto research has been looking at exactly this link.

Patricia Scanlan: Death is nothing to fear says best-selling Irish author

Jenny Lee 17 Sep, 2018

DEATH isn't something we tend to think about until it abruptly lands on our doorstep.

Ask the Dentist: Dementia sufferers need specific help with oral health

Lucy Stock 12 Sep, 2018

WITH dementia on the increase, dentists are seeing more people whose oral health is deteriorating more rapidly and it's highlighting the need to overcome specific challenges faced at their dental appointments.

I had no idea that clay could be so theraputic says China-bound ceramicist Ellen

Lorraine Wylie 10 Sep, 2018

WITH its exotic scenery and fascinating culture, China now ranks among the top ‘must-see' holiday destinations.

Celebrity see all »

Quotes: New baby has Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews 'bursting with love'

22 Sep, 2018

"We are bursting with love.

Quotes: Brigitte Nielsen on having a baby at 54, Robbie and Ayda's new girl

15 Sep, 2018

"It seems like men in their sixties, seventies, eighties and even nineties, they have children and no-one raises an eyebrow.

Celebrity quotes: Dec's a dad, Kirsty quits the island, Macca says he saw God

08 Sep, 2018

"Mother and daughter both doing well, Dad is head over heels!" Declan Donnelly announces the birth of his first child, Isla Elizabeth Anne, with wife Ali Astall on Twitter.

Showbiz Quotes: Taylor Swift, Jermaine Pennant & Idris Elba

25 Aug, 2018

1. "So part of this journey of digging deeper into my fears is the idea that I'm getting older".

Family & Parenting see all »

Simple five-step strategy can help teenagers get organised and feel less stressed

18 Sep, 2018

BEING a teenager was never easy but today's teens face unprecedented levels of pressure, facing both new stresses like social media and age-old problems like exam stress and puberty.

Feeling the pinch? Here are 12 tips for feeding your family on a tight budget

18 Sep, 2018

WITH budgets tight, many households may be looking for more ways to reduce mealtime costs.

Autumn wildlife hunt soulds like a fun family day out

18 Sep, 2018

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, welcomes visitors to a wild day out for their annual Autumn Wildlife Hunt on September 30, a perfect chance to explore the wonderful changes of autumn and for families to become more involved in nature.

Leona O'Neill: Kirstie Allsopp hasn't done herself any favours with iPadgate

Leona O'Neill 18 Sep, 2018

THE thing about being a well paid, well known celebrity is that anything you say and do – stupid or otherwise – can be plastered all over newspapers.

Fashion & Beauty see all »

Fashion: Four fabulous ways to style a midi dress, perfect for autumn

24 Sep, 2018

Four fab ways to style our favourite midi dresses of the moment.

Beauty: Nail-bar entrepreneur Thea Green on her must-have cosmetic products

Isabel Swanson, PA 24 Sep, 2018

THEA Green has been thinking about millennials a lot recently.

Arran Evans, daughter of U2's the Edge, talks about her designer handbag range

24 Sep, 2018

DESPITE being born into a musical household, Arran Evans grew up fascinated by materials, how things work and how they are put together.

Fashion: Get in gear for autumn workouts with our pick of this season's active wear

17 Sep, 2018

Here's our pick of stylish sportswear for autumn: 1.

Food & drink see all »

Marie Louise McConville: Shortage of chocolate is not an option - so get Brexit sorted

Marie Louise McConville 22 Sep, 2018

Stay calm. There's no need to panic - just yet.

Jane McClenaghan: Nutrition is about much more than the sum of calories in food

Jane McClenaghan 22 Sep, 2018

RECENT news reports have been all over the idea that there should be a calorie count on menus in cafes, restaurants and your favourite takeaway in a bid to help control the obesity epidemic.

James Street Cookery School: Penne with pine nuts and aubergine, rabbit ragu

Niall McKenna 22 Sep, 2018

WE LOVE chatting to everyone who partakes in our classes at the Cookery School and something that we hear time and time again is how much they relish the opportunity to use cooking as a switch-off mechanism.

Craft Beer: Nothing freaky about Magic Rock's Bearded Lady barrel-aged stout

Paul McConville 22 Sep, 2018

IF YOU have young children, or personally prefer Hugh Jackman with a little less Wolverine and bit more song and dance, then you'll probably have found it impossible to escape the smash hit that was The Greatest Showman.

Environment see all »

Tony Bailie's Take on Nature: Foraging in nature's larder for a free lunch

Tony Bailie 15 Sep, 2018

IS IT autumn yet, or is it still summer? No-one seems to really agree when the seasons swap over.

Take on Nature: Our immediate environment is teeming with tiny packages of life

Stephen Colton 08 Sep, 2018

DURING the month of August, I've watched a vast array of small invertebrates all around my garden, in hedges and along roadsides.

Take on Nature: In praise of the magnificent sunflower

Stephen Colton 25 Aug, 2018

IN PRAISE of the magnificent sunflower, Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles, wrote that it: "Climbs the upland lawn, And bows in homage to the rising dawn, Imbibes with eagle eye the golden ray, And watches, as it moves, the orb of day.

Take on Nature: Co Waterford biographical gardens a "bridge to Japan"

Tony Bailie 18 Aug, 2018

"THAT trees, at least Japanese trees, have souls, cannot seem an unnatural fantasy to one who has seen the blossoming of the umenoki and the sakuranoki.

Holidays&Travel see all »

Travel news: Direct flights to Montreal, Minneapolis and a Co Down farm break

Jenny Lee 22 Sep, 2018

Autumn offers at Fitzwilliam Hotel Escape this autumn with a relaxing break in the heart of Belfast, at the luxurious five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel.

Travel: Brothers orphaned in 2004 tsunami giving back with tour of Sri Lanka

15 Sep, 2018

GANDYS – the lifestyle brand founded by brothers Rob and Paul Forkan – was, they say, "inspired by travel and fuelled by giving back".

Travel News: Lapland, Scotland, Lough Erne and holiday bargains

Jenny Lee 15 Sep, 2018

£60 off Scottish ferry/hotel breaks This autumn Stena Line is offering a saving of £60 when customers book their ferry and hotel accommodation together.

Travel News: Sun holiday bargains, cultural break to Malta and autumn in Killarney

Jenny Lee 08 Sep, 2018

October in European Capital of Culture Looking for a cultural break in the sun this autumn? Then consider Malta's capital, Valletta.

Motors see all »

Mazda 2: 2 good 2 be true?

William Scholes 12 Sep, 2018

In the face of fresh competition, the Mazda 2 has been gently upgraded. It's still a class-leading small car, says William Scholes

Renault Koleos: Jumbo SUV packs plenty of va-va-Room

William Scholes 15 Aug, 2018

Renault's large Koleos SUV is big on space and comfort, says William Scholes

Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer: Do you really need an SUV?

William Scholes 18 Jul, 2018

The rise of SUVs means that large family estate cars like Vauxhall's Insignia Country Tourer are becoming an endangered species. It shouldn't, says William Scholes

Dacia Duster: Now with added polish

William Scholes 11 Jul, 2018

Cheap, robust and shot through with authenticity, the new Dacia Duster is highly appealing

Gardening see all »

The Casual Gardener: Summer sex, naked limbs – there's a lot more to berries than you might think

John Manley 22 Sep, 2018

LIKE much of nature, we tend take berries for granted and even many gardeners may not give them a second thought, beyond their taste and visual appeal.