Mass, stew and OAP goss: Growing up close to your grandparents

Jul 27, 2017

I lived with my grandparents for the majority of my life.

When my mam moved down to the country, I decided to stay in Dublin and live with my grandparents because I didn't want to leave my school and friends.

And while some people might find that a bit odd, it was completely normal to me.

From my grandad teaching me how to ride a bike, to my nanny teaching me how to knit (she failed), there's a lot I learned from growing up with them.

To this day I go back there because nobody can make a cup of tea like my grandad.

So, if you lived with or were pretty close to your grandparents growing up, then you'll know these 15 things to be true:

1. You were made go to mass

Sometimes even multiple times in the week.

2. And you'd get a slap if you used the Lord's name in vain

#StillHappens

3. Dinner consisted of boiled potatoes and plain meat

I wasn't even allowed leave the table until it was all gone.

4. Whenever they found something you did like to eat, they'd buy it by the bucket load

But then you'd get sick of that too…

5.You were introduced to a whole world of movies and songs from the 40s, 50s and 60s

But when you wanted to listen to your music, you were told to turn off that 'rap crap'.

6. They were very protective of you

And the fear of God was put in them when you started to hang around with guys.

7. But it was even worse when you decided to dye your hair

And don't even mention piercings or tattoos.

8. You always knew the neighbourhood goss

And many mornings were spent staring out the window with your nanny to see what John down the road was getting up to today.

9. You still get phone calls if one of the neighbours pass away

Even if you didn't know them at all.

10. They always tried to dress you in cute, pink and girly outfits

And still do.

11. It felt like you had two sets of parents

Permission had to be granted by four people. FOUR.

12. But you have a special bond with them that nobody else has

I consider my nanny one of my best mates, and my grandad makes me laugh like no other.

14. They're super special people

Mainly because they had to put up with me for 20+ years.

15. You appreciate EVERYTHING

Because hey, they didn't bargain for another daughter… but they certainly got one in me.

Ten things you’ll remember if you grew up in an Irish housing estate

Lifestyle

Feb 22, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Growing up in an Irish housing estate had many pleasures.

Everything was close to you, there were bus stops and shops just around the corner… but then, there were the rival estates too and God forbid they stepped on your turf.

Here, we look at ten memories you'll have if you grew up in an Irish housing estate:

1. The green was where errrr'thang went down

From when you were small to when you grew into a young teen, everything happened on the green. Drama, drama, drama.

And if there was more than one green in your estate, you definitely had a preference… that was, before some other group came along and took it…

2. Rival estates

Odds are, there was at least one other estate close by to yours, and it caused fierce rivalry.

So much so, you wouldn't even look at them when they passed you in the school hall… and if the lads took a fancy to the other group, well… let's just say there was war.

3. All your BFFs literally lived two houses away

Drive to your best friend's gaff? What a notion. We were all next door neighbours and had plans to make secret passages in the walls so all our houses connected.

It came with its down points too though, because with just one glance out the window, you knew all your neighbours' business.

4. Texting? What is this sorcery?!

Because you were all so close together, there was no need for texting to see if your mates wanted to go out.

'Coming out to play?' in the early years followed with 'Wanna hang out on the green?' in your teen years.

5. The shop

There was always a half decent shop a few minutes away from your estate.

BUT, you had to cross a main road to get to it and as if your mammy would let you (you did it anyway).

6. Tip the can

We played this for hours on end, every single day. How we all didn't get bored of it, we don't know…

It was replaced by water fights in the summer months though… and hell, were they fun.

7. The ice cream van

The minute you heard Teddy Bear's Picnic blaring from the ice cream van, kids ran in every direction and plagued parents to give them €2 so they could get a Screwball.

And once €2 was firmly in hand, there was chaos to make it back to the ice cream van in time.

8. Walls

For some reason, the lads in the estate were obsessed with walls. They climbed them, bashed balls against them, hopped them to get out of the estate quicker.

However, whenever we attempted to climb the wall, we were shouted at by the… older generations of the estate…

9. Hiding places

You roamed around the estate since you were a small child, so you definitely had a good hiding place or two.

Whether it was behind the beloved walls, or in the corner of the green; it was your den and nobody could take it away from you.

10. Kiss, kiss

If you didn't have your first kiss in the local GAA disco, then you definitely had it in your estate.

Saying that, you probably had many a kiss in your hiding place throughout the years.

Kylie finally admits: ‘Its CRAZY that I’ve grown up in front of cameras…’

Nov 9, 2015

by Amber Saunders

With her wholly grown-up appearance and her older boyfriend (not to mention that she moved into her own €2.5m property aged 17) it's long been claimed that Kylie Jenner has had too much too soon .

Indeed, in a recent online post, the now 18-year-old star admits that it's "crazy" that she's "grown up in front of the cameras".

Promoting the latest series of Keeping Up With The Kardashians which began filming back in 2007 when Kylie was just nine (incredibly the reality TV show is now about to embark on its 11th airing), she explained that she's "been filming for nearly half of my life".

KUWTK Nov.15th! We've been filming for nearly half of my life. Crazy that I've grown up in front of the cameras. Helps me learn fast about the lessons in life. See u guys this Sunday this will be a good one #season11 @kuwtk

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Nov 8, 2015 at 6:26pm PST

However, rather than dwell on the potential negative impact of spending her teenager years in the spotlight, Ms Jenner said her extraordinary experiences to-date have helped her "learn fast about the lessons in life".

Last month in an emotional post, Kylie revealed that she's struggled at times with frame from such a young age.

"People are so quick to say horrible things about me everyday over and over and sometimes I can't take it," she wrote.

"Even I at times get affected by it, I breakdown, I hide, I cry. It's resulted in a lot of anxiety for me that I've never had to deal with before ever.

"My every move has been documented for the whole world and its been a nightmare trying to find myself through all of this.

"And I've absolutely lost apart of myself."

21 things you should have learnt before turning 21 but didn’t

Uncategorized

Jul 4, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Ah, 21. The age of adulthood. The age where you realise this life is yours and you better look after it. Here are some things you should have learnt before turning 21, but if you’re anything like us, didn’t.

1. How to budget properly
No more splashing that cash! It’s time for rules.

2. Knowing your limits
This isn’t only when it comes to drink, but also taking care of your body. When you’re young, you don’t really think much about taking care of your body, but when you get older you start to realise that it’s more about preservation.

3. How to cook for yourself
This doesn’t mean making yourself a turkey sambo or sticking a pizza in the oven. It’s being actually able to cook healthy food and have enough variety that you don’t get sick of having the same thing every night.

4. There is no such thing as a junk food diet
No matter how much you may love junk food or have a sweet tooth, eventually you will realise that you can’t actually live eating junk food everyday. It’s ok in moderation, but junk food should be a reward or a way to treat yourself.

5. Eventually things will catch up on you
Whether it’s you’re metabolism, lack of sleep or you’re total neglect of exercise, it will all catch upon you.

6. Failure is always an option
You will learn ten times more from failure than you do from constant success, if everything is rosy all the time you will never see your weaknesses. Failing makes you reassess things and sometimes it can be something really simple that you never saw before.

7. Being jealous of others is unhealthy
When you were younger, you would always be jealous of what everyone else had and as you got older you became jealous of other people. Jealousy is poison and the more you let it consume you the more you lose the sense of who you really are.

8. Being older doesn’t make you any less awkward
Just because you’re that little bit older doesn’t mean your personality will drastically change. If you were awkward back then, odds are you’re just as awkward – if not more – now. You can learn to be less awkward around people, but you can’t just expect it to happen.

9. Maturity doesn’t happen overnight
Maturity comes from experience and you don’t suddenly becoming mature just because you’re older. Sometimes you have to learn this the hard way but that’s ok, you’re still only a young adult.

10. Don’t worry so much about what people think about you
There comes a stage in your life when you really just don’t care what people think of you. This isn’t to say you should act like an asshole and do what you want without thinking of the consequences. It’s more the fact you don’t have to live your life trying to please everyone you meet.

11. Nothing ever lives up to your expectations
This isn’t always a bad thing though, because sometimes you expect something horrible and you’re pleasantly surprised. On the flip side, when you spend time building something up in your head, it never turns out as you expected it to.

12. Don’t dwell on the past so much
It’s ok every now and again to take a look at your life and see where you’re going, but if you live in the past you won’t see what’s ahead of you.

13. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help, we’re all in the same boat
Odds are that you’re not the only one who needs it, so don’t be afraid to ask for someone else’s help, you never know, you might be able to help them with something in return. If you in a dark place its always better to ask others for advice on how to get out of it.

14. You can’t live with your parents forever
As cushy as living with your parents may seem, sooner or later you will have to move out and get your own place. It may seem daunting, but you and your friends can share a place when they all have a job. It’s like staying on a tour bus with your mates, be prepared to hate them.

15. College isn’t for everyone
If you’re 21 and you have dropped out of college twice already, maybe it just isn’t for you. Some people are more suited to going straight into the working world and know exactly what they want to do. They don’t have to waste money on doing a degree that won’t benefit them in any way when it’s all said and done.

16. Finding a job you love is better than just finding a job
We all need money right? But if you know what you want to do and it’s actually viable, then go do it. You might have to get other jobs in the meantime but don’t settle for what you have if you really want to go further.

17. It’s better to have a few great friends than loads that you can’t count on
Your no longer in school and it’s not about popularity anymore. If you have a small group of friends that you can trust and know that they’ve got your back you don’t need much more. They will always be there when you need them and you will always return the favour.

18. It’s better to have bad relationships now than later on
When you’re young, it’s the best time to break-up with your girlfriend and get back together again. It’s the time to cheat and the time to get cheated on. When you get older you have to commit and be loyal and you don’t want to end up like the people on Jeremy Kyle.

19. If you think they’re the one they’re most likely not
As the saying goes, love is blind but there is much more to a relationships than you think. It’s not always those that are a perfect match that end up being with each other in the end.

20. Just be you: that’s all that matters
There is so much pressure from the media to look a certain and think a certain way. They’re wrong! What makes people attractive is that they have a way of looking at the world. Be comfortable in your skin, we’re not all super =models, and frankly,we’re better off because of it.

21. Your life hasn’t turned out the way you expected it, but that’s ok
We all have a vision of how our life will turn out and that it will be smooth sailing. It can be a harsh realisation when things don’t happen for you, but you shouldn’t be deterred. You still have a life to live and make what you want of it, the only thing is that when it’s all said and done, you did it in your own way.

via our content partner CT

11 things you learn growing up in Ireland

Uncategorized

Jul 1, 2014

by Amber Saunders

There are some things that can only be learnt from growing up on the island of Ireland. Such as these, for example:

1. Your boss will come into work hungover just as much as you do
It’s true. Never will you have a boss anywhere else in the world where they will arrive into work hungover just as much as yourself. It can be a good thing, but also a very bad thing.

2. Lots of Irish people leave and go to places like the USA, Canada or Australia
Emigration is in our history, and it hasn’t showed any signs of stopping any time soon. From the great Irish famine to the modern day. Is it simply because we like to travel or because the economy at home is gone to sh**? It’s a bit of both.

3. The Gardaí are actually a lenient brand of law enforcement
While you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of the law, you release just how lucky you are to have the good ‘ole Gardaí when you travel and see all of the simply terrifying law enforcements around the world.

4. Every taxi man will bitch and moan about the Irish government
And everything else too, at 4am. Zzz…

5. NEVER will you ever have “just the one.”
Nope, it never happens that way.

6. We are the only people to say “bye” at least 10 times when hanging up the phone
“b-b-b-bye, bye, bye, bye…” Where did it come from? Why is it necessary to say goodbye this many times? Nobody knows, but it caught on and spread like wildfire.

7. Irish mothers are among the most worrisome in the world
They worry about everything from the clothes you are wearing to the food you’re eating. But we love them for it.

8. Old Irish men still wave to strangers in the street
Particularly in the more rural areas of the country, old men will wave at passing cars and nod to strangers in the street. Who doesn’t love a friendly old Irish man with a Paddy cap on his head and a wooden pipe in his mouth?

9. Ever Irish person freaks out and goes overboard when they see the sun
Sunburn! Sunburn galore! Every year it happens for a couple of weeks when the clouds disperse and the sun emerges, and EVERY year we learn the same lesson. Irish skin can’t hack the sun! We all end up looking like a baboon’s arse waddling around town in the summer.

10. A small country like Ireland can have a lot of different dialects!
How can a country so small have SO many different dialects?

8. There are lots of different ways Irish people can say “no.”
“You’re alright,” “nah,” “you’re grand.” None of these actually make sense outside of Ireland so we have to remind ourselves to speak common English when we go on holidays or are conversing with someone from abroad.

9. GAA fever is a passion unmatched in any other sport
Nothing can prepare you for the atmosphere inside Croke Park on a cup final day!

10. The word “craic” can be mistaken for something else outside Ireland
“What’s the craic? … That’s shite craic.” Or simply, “any craic?” A phrase often used by the common Irish person. However, you must be careful if using it abroad as you may quickly find yourself being offered some narcotics… It only applies in Ireland!

11. Irish people are among the happiest in the world
It’s amazing how happy and upbeat Irish people can be when we have the worst weather for 9 months every year. We’ve been troubled with famine, emigration and economic collapse and we’ve always come out the other side. Onwards and upwards lads!

via our content partner CT

10 things we didn’t think we’d hate when we grew up

Lifestyle

Apr 29, 2014

by Amber Saunders

1. Staying Up Late
Gone are the days when we wished for no bed time – now we are stuck wishing for one lazy night in. With all the assignments due the next day, noisy neighbours and not to mention all the parties, we just HAVE to go to. There’s not enough time for sleep, ever.

2. Getting our periods
Remember the days when we sat there wishing for our period so we could finally feel grown up? Boy, were we foolish!

3. Wearing a bra
Are you cringing just thinking back at the training bras you used to feel so grown up in? Now you can’t wait to get home just to take the damn thing off.

4. Going on Dates
I used to think Prince Charming was going to whisk me off into the sunset after a date. Now we realise it’s just awkward small talk for the whole night followed by an even more awkward goodnight kiss. Give us Netflix any day.

5. Wearing Heels
Parading in your mother’s shoes that were a few sizes too big was the past time of many young girls. Now that we have to buy our own shoes the pain sets in. The prettier the shoes, the more your feet will pay for them. Sure you’ll take them off halfway through the night anyways, but you might as well parade in them while you can!

6. Wearing makeup
It used to be a novelty. You wore makeup just because you could and it was amazing when your mum finally let you buy your first mascara! Now, you feel that you cant leave the house without any makeup and the time and effort it takes is so not worth it since it all rubs off by the middle of the day anyways.

7. Going out at night
Not only does getting ready for a night out take half a day, but choosing what outfit to wear, what drink to buy and who will be there almost makes it not worth the effort. The drama, tears and drunken mess that ensues makes you vow to never go out again – until the next night.

8. Shaving our legs
Only now do we realise that our mams were right to stop us shaving our legs as tweens. The stress, cuts and razor burns, not to mention the fact they have to be done basically every day for fear of feeling like a cactus. Ugh.

9. Living Alone
And having to buy your own groceries. This has resulted in so many college students living off 12c Tesco noodles for the few days before the grant comes in. And the STRESS of carrying all the bags back with no car. Those plastic bags are useless.

10. Eating what you want
When we were younger our parents stopped us from over indulging all the time – what a waste of that fast metabolism! Now we have to watch what we eat in fear of the already too-tight dress getting any harder to zip up.

via our content partner CT