St.Brigid’s Day is right around the corner and what better way to spend it than on a day out with your family?
If you’re planning on enjoying a great day jam-packed with fun activities then look no further as EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum has great events planned.
There are two events you can attend- one is suitable for everyone aged 6 years+, while the second event has been organised for families with children aged 6 years and under. This way, everybody can get involved in the St.Brigid’s Day fun.
First up, there is a workshop called Explorers: Brigid’s Brideogs, where you can create your very own Brideog doll. You will get to learn about why Irish emigrants made Brideogs and what they did with them when they travelled around the world.
Attendees can craft a doll of Brigid, of yourself or of another inspirational woman in your life. Get hands on with history as you create your own doll. This event takes place on February 6, 2023 at 2pm-3pm. It is suitable for children aged 6+ and adults of all ages. The cost of the workshop is €12, which includes a ticket for one adult and one child.
The second event EPIC has on for St.Brigid’s Day is called Tiny Tots: Brigid’s Stories. Visitors will get to meet Irish saint and Celtic goddess ‘Brigid’ as she weaves you a tale about incredible women from Irish history. You will hear stories of pirates, pilots, mountaineers and poets.
This interactive storytelling session will utilise historical re-enactment and imaginative storytelling, to bring the stories from Irish history to life. This session is suitable for families with children aged 6 and under and is included as part of your EPIC ticket price. The drop-in session takes place from 10am-11am on February 6.
The cast of Jersey Shore have been sharing their excitement as Mike Sorrentino, also known as The Situation announced the birth of his baby girl.
Yesterday, Mike and his wife Lauren shared the news that they welcomed their daughter Mia Bella Elizabeth on Tuesday, January 24 and their pals are overjoyed for them.
When revealing Mia’s birth, Mike shared photos of himself, Lauren and their bundle of joy at the hospital to his 3.2M Instagram followers, while in another snap, Sorrentino is dressed in scrubs as he proudly cradles his daughter.
Credit: Mike Sorrentino Instagram
The 40-year-old penned, “WELCOME our Italian princess Mia Bella Elizabeth Sorrentino to the fam”.
A host of Jersey Shore cast members rushed to the comments to congratulate Mike and Lauren on their second child.
Pauly D wrote, “Sooo beyond precious”, while Angelina Marie Pivarnick penned, “Little munchkin @mikethesituation @lauren_sorrentino our family keeps growing”.
Credit: Mike Sorrentino Instagram
“Twins! So excited to meet her!”, said Snooki. Deena Nicole Buckner added, “Congratulations beautiful family”.
Just last week, Mike shared how honoured he felt to be a dad. He posted a sweet collection of snaps of him and his 21-month-old son Romeo Reign and explained, “Of all the titles I’ve been privileged to have, “Dad” has always been the best”.
The reality TV stars announced they were expecting a baby girl in November by sharing a picture of the two dressed in black with a pink boa wrapped around Lauren. They said, “ITS OFFICIAL, We have a Situation. it’s a GIRL. Coming January 2023”.
The former Coronation Street star has revealed that she is now betrothed to her partner Iwan Lewis.
The 35-year-old actress – who is best known for playing Kate Connor in the ITV soap from 2015 to 2019 – announced the joyful news with a statement to OK!.
"We’re thrilled to announce that Iwan and I are engaged," Faye gushed.
Credit: Faye Brooks Instagram
"He proposed on New Year’s Eve. I am going to be marrying my best friend in the world after 16 years of friendship,” she added with delight.
Faye and Iwan grew close in 2011, when they were both cast in the UK and Ireland stage tour of Legally Blonde. Faye starred as the lead role of Elle Woods, whereas Iwan played her love interest, Emmett. The two became firm friends and had remained in each other's lives ever since.
Credit: Faye Brooks Instagram
The pair eventually entered into a relationship in October of last year.
Until now, Faye has kept her blossoming relationship rather private. However, the Corrie star has occasionally teased her Instagram followers with a few glimpses into her romance with Iwan.
In one stunning snap shared earlier this month, the couple can be seen grinning together on a cocktail date. “My person,” Kate penned in her caption.
Credit: Faye Brooks Instagram
In another heartwarming post, the actress shared a beautiful image of her and her partner’s joined hands.
“All I want for Christmas is you,” she scribed lovingly.
Congratulations to Faye and Iwan on their exciting news – we can’t wait to hear more about their upcoming nuptials!
As Veganuary starts to come to an end, we find ourselves running out of steam. We have loved trying out new recipes and feeling better than ever about our diet and our bodies, but we've kind of hit a bit of a wall when it comes to recipe inspo.
We're sick of chickpeas and are craving something easy and delicious like a takeaway…but we're so close to the end that we don't want to screw up now! Which is why we put together this vegan chow mein recipe, to satisfy all your takeaway craving without breaking your Veganuary streak!
You'll need…
2 large shallots
2-3tbsp of sesame oil
3 spring onions
200g noodles
100g baby corn
2 carrots grated
9-10 mushrooms
5tbsp vegan soy sauce
1 head of broccoli
3 cloves garlic
½tsp ginger
½tsp paprika
1tsp brown sugar
Pepper
Slice your shallots into long, thin slices.
Heat your sesame oil in a wok and fry the shallots until they begin to turn translucent and then remove them from the pan and set aside, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Next, add in your broccoli florets, grated carrots and baby corn. Stir fry for 5 minutes, before adding in small amounts of water to steam them in the pan for 10 minutes.
Toss in your chopped garlic cloves, along with your sliced mushrooms and cooked shallots to crisp them up.
Season with ginger, paprika, brown sugar, pepper to taste and soy sauce, stirring often.
Boil water in a saucepan and add in your noodles to cook for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Once cooked, turn down the heat on your wok and add in your noodles, tossing to combine them with the sauce and vegetables.
Serve with freshly chopped spring onions for garnish, using the darker green end of the stalk. Enjoy!
Sophie Hinchliffe has been opening up to her audience.
The cleaning guru, who is also known to fans as Mrs Hinch, had been the subject of pregnancy rumours in recent weeks.
However, the 32-year-old has since decided to clear up any speculation.
Taking to her Instagram stories earlier today, the mum-of-two wrote a lengthy post, beginning with the phrase, “Just a quick one from me…”.
Credit: Sophie Hinchliffe Instagram
After thanking her fans for selling out her book signing dates for next month, Sophie then went on to address the swirling pregnancy rumours with her 4.6M Instagram followers.
“I’ve seen a lot of comments even articles that I am pregnant. I can confirm I am not. Maybe in a few years,” she penned, not ruling out another child in the future.
Ultimately, Sophie admits that her current life is too hectic to add another baby into the mix. “But for now I have two toddlers and a full time job that keeps me busier than I can even manage with now,” she wrote.
Credit: Sophie Hinchliffe Instagram
“So maybe I just had too much chocolate over Christmas who knows,” she teased, before adding, “However my weight is no longer my biggest priority which at one point in my life sadly it really was.”
Continuing her discussion, Sophie decided to go into detail about her relationship with her body and how it has changed since giving birth. “When I fell pregnant with Ron (my first book signing back in 2019) I was a size 6/8, my body since then has changed not only in size but shape… EVERYTHING!”, she exclaimed.
Credit: Sophie Hinchliffe Instagram
“It’s something I am still trying to adapt to, I feel unrecognisable to myself if I’m honest,” Sophie wrote frankly.
In the end, despite her ongoing battles with body image, the cleaning influencer noted that she will always feel proud of her body for giving birth to her two sons, three-year-old Ronnie and one-year-old Lennie. “I have been blessed to grow two healthy babies and that they changed my life for the better,” Sophie gushed.
Táiniste Micheál Martin has paid tribute to the Irish Defence Forces soldiers who have lost their lives while in Lebanon.
Among the soldiers being remembered today is Private Seán Rooney who was a member of the UN peacekeeping force. The Donegal native tragically lost his life in December when the Armoured Utility Vehicle he was travelling in to Beirut came under fire.
Micheál Martin attended a ceremony in South Lebanon today for Irish soldiers who lost their lives while serving there. Ha laid a wreath and made a moving speech about peacekeepers and their families.
Today we remember someone who made the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for peace.
Today we remember Pte Sean Rooney, and all those members of the Irish Defence Forces who lost their lives in the month of January. pic.twitter.com/H8uy1NdhOt
The Táiniste shared photos from the event to Twitter and wrote a statement in remembrance of those who have passed away.
He penned, “Today we remember someone who made the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for peace”.
“Today we remember Pte Sean Rooney, and all those members of the Irish Defence Forces who lost their lives in the month of January”.
The Irish Defence Forces, Óglaigh na hÉireann, also shared the same pictures to their social media accounts, writing, “Tánaiste @MichealMartinTD & @DF_COS visit @irishpolbatt in South Lebanon today”.
“A poignant ceremony at Tibnine monument to remember Pte Seán Rooney and all Irish soldiers who have lost their lives while serving in Lebanon”.
Private Seán Rooney was earlier described as a “hero”, “bravest of the brave” and a “courageous young man”, on social media.
Earlier this morning, Martin met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations, and also visited Camp UNP 2-45 in Lebanon, where he said he received a “warm welcome” from Irish troops.
Michael Bublé has been opening up about his son’s heartbreaking cancer diagnosis.
In November 2016, Michael’s son Noah was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer. The young boy was just three years old at the time.
Thankfully, Noah was given the all-clear one year later, and is now thriving at the age of nine. However, dad Michael has since admitted that the terrifying ordeal has left him with a lasting impact.
Credit: Michael Bublé Instagram
In an interview with Red Magazine,the Haven’t Met You Yet hitmaker admitted that his son's diagnosis changed his life. “That, of course, changed me in a big way – it changed what mattered to me, it changed how I saw life,” he shared.
“For most of my life as an entertainer and, especially on stage, I’d become my alter ego,” Michael continued. “Then my wife and I went through this unthinkable thing, and I lost that alter ego.”
In a recent interview with The Mirror, the Canadian singer has further detailed how his son’s health scare made him rethink his career as a musician.
Credit: Michael Bublé Instagram
"I've been through a lot, obviously. When I made the last record [in 2018], my son had just been in remission and I wasn’t ready to come back,” Michael recalled.
The Cry Me A River singer added that he was worried that his mental health following his family’s upset would end his career. "I didn’t know that at the time but, mentally, I was so unstable and vulnerable. I made a safe record with producers I liked and I just tried to protect myself and hold on to a career,” Michael shared.
Credit: Michael Bublé Instagram
However, now that Noah has been in remission for almost six years, Michael has been slowly getting back into the music scene. "I feel really good now and I was raring to go — like this great weight had been lifted off me. My son was healthy, my kids and my wife were good, life is good," he gushed.
As well as son Noah, Michael and his wife Luisana Lopilato also share three other children – seven-year-old son Elias, four-year-old daughter Vida and five-month-old baby Cielo.
Jorgie Porter welcomed her son, Forest, into the world in November of last year with her fiancé, Ollie Piotrowski.
Since becoming a mum, the Hollyoaks star, known for portraying Theresa McQueen on the soap, has been sharing updates of adjusting to mum life online.
The 35-year-old’s most recent Instagram post shared an insight into her struggles with breastfeeding and trying to pump so she can spend some time apart from Forest.
Credit: Jorgie Porter Instagram
Porter shared a selfie while she cuddled her newborn with the caption, “Todays challenge… trying to pump so my mum can look after Forest for a few hours. Anyone else feel that in pregnancy soooooooo much is spoken about regarding birth and the baby but not a lot about what you might encounter after your baby is here?”.
“Like seriously, breastfeeding is amazing and I consider myself lucky that I haven’t had many challenges so far, but I’m starting to need to leave Forest for a few hours and honestly feel like a need a degree to figure this out”.
She continued, “Apart from not knowing ‘when’ the best time is to pump is, whilst making sure he’s getting what he needs now and pumping the ‘right’ amount for later… sometimes after all the faff I’m then struggling to pump a drop at all”.
Credit: Jorgie Porter Instagram
“So genuinely if anyone has any tips I’d love to know and for anyone who feels like me save this post and hopefully some lovely Instagram fairies will come up with some answers to help us in the comments”.
Fans of the soap star rushed to the comments to share helpful advice with Jorgie as well as praise her for being so honest about the realities of breastfeeding.
One fan wrote, “100% agree, they talk you through the easy part, then suddenly you're responsible for a little human and have so much to figure out. I tried a few different pumps, a friend told me about the manual hand one”.
Credit: Jorgie Porter Instagram
“I found the morning best and if you can pump on one side when you feed forest on the other side you might get more”, penned a second fan of Jorgie.
Another added, “I feel so many first time mums know so much about pregnancy, but then then when baby arrives it’s such a SHOCK! Which is why I think it’s so important people are honest about it all! Thank you for always being so honest…. It’s so refreshing! Your doing amazing Jorgie!”.
Jorgie and Ollie announced they were expecting a baby in June 2022 by posting a sweet video of their hands revealing a baby scan underneath. When sharing the news that Forest had made his arrival into the world, Jorgie penned, “Welcome to the family….Our baby boy.. forest”.
A former Love Island star has spoken out about how she was encouraged to change her name for the show.
Andrea Jane Bunker was known as AJ during her time on the 2021 series, but the 30-year-old has since revealed that before appearing on Love Island, no one had ever called her AJ.
“My actual name is Andrea Jane, so people either call me Andrea, Jane or Janey. No one ever calls me AJ,” she admitted in an interview with OK!.
Credit: Love Island Instagram
Andrea Jane then went on to explain how her time on the show led to her AJ nickname. “I filled out all of my forms using my full name, so my suitcase and water bottles both read Andrea Jane,” she recalled. “When I was in the holding villa, the producers used my initials AJ as a codename in order to keep my identity secret.”
However, the name ‘AJ’ would soon be continued on without Andrea Jane’s realisation. “Minutes before I walked into the villa, an exec asked if it was ok if I was called AJ. I thought he was speaking about the codename and wanted to keep my real name underwraps,” she detailed.
Andrea Jane further added that her sudden name change had a huge effect on her loved ones. “When I first went into the villa, my friends and family didn’t know I’d got a place on the show because I couldn’t tell them,” she reminisced.
Credit: Andrea Jane (AJ) Bunker Instagram
“Then when they saw my photo they thought it looked like me but that it must’ve been a different person because that wasn’t my name,” she added, noting that “even my best friend running my social media account was confused.”
When the Love Island star eventually left the villa, she was heartbroken to discover that the AJ name had been printed everywhere online. “I cried my eyes out as soon as I saw it,” Andrea Jane said.
Credit: Andrea Jane (AJ) Bunker Instagram
She explained that it also caused divisions between herself and her loved ones. “They thought that’s what I wanted to be called and that I’d rebranded now that I was in the public eye,” she shared. “Now I’m stuck with the name because that’s what everyone knows me as.”
Luckily, Andrea-Jane admits that she “doesn’t mind” the name now, but the confusion surrounding her identity will always be a long-lasting memory of her time in the villa.
Amy Hart has been getting candid about the negative criticism she has been receiving recently.
The former Love Island contestant is currently expecting her first child with her boyfriend Sam Rason. The pair are due to welcome their little one in March.
Although Amy has been incredibly positive online about her pregnancy so far, the reality star has felt the need to open up about recent criticisms that she has been receiving.
Credit: Amy Hart Instagram
Taking to her Instagram stories last night, the 30-year-old initially spoke to her 1.1M followers about hypnobirthing, and how she intends to use the techniques she has learned when her labour begins.
Amy then decided to discuss the negativity she has been receiving since she revealed she was pregnant. “We talk alot about the ‘cloak of protection’ from negative vibes and I’m having to use mine alot at the moment. I get sent so so much negativity every day,” she admitted.
“I know alot of it comes from a good place, but I feel a lot of it is just trying to piss on other people’s chips just because,” she added.
Credit: Amy Hart Instagram
The mum-to-be then went on to explain a clever analogy. “I’ve heard so many times that if someone told you they were gonna climb Mount Everest you wouldn’t start quoting stats about accidents, you’d say ‘Wow that’s amazing!’”, Amy argued.
However, the former flight attendant recognised that the majority of her fans’ comments have been loving and supportive. “To all the people that keep the positive vibes flowing, thank you,” she praised.
Credit: Amy Hart Instagram
Lastly, Amy promised that throughout her time as a mum, she will always choose to see the brighter side of life. “I always say, as I venture into motherhood, I have two options. Optimism and pessimism. I will always choose optimism!”, she penned.
“If things don’t go the way I plan, I’ll deal with them when they happen. What’s the use of stressing right now,” Amy added.
The film industry has had a difficult couple of years with the huge impact the Covid lockdowns had on its sector. However, last year saw the spectacular return of the big screen to big audiences, and boy, were we treated to some movie gems! From Top Gun: Maverick to Don’t Worry Darling, the cinemas have been packed with lots of incredible flicks in recent months.
Now that the new year is well and truly underway, we’re looking forward to all of the fabulous new releases that 2023 has to offer. Not only that, but Planet Cruise has created a helpful list of some of the most popular locations that these productions were made in.
If you or someone you know is a huge fan of both the film industry and enjoying a well-deserved holiday, then these destinations are ideal! With a mixture of luxurious abroad locations and cities closer to home, we are certain that there is something on this list to suit everyone’s budget.
Have a scroll through these below, and see if any of these destinations sound like paradise to you:
Venice Beach, California – Barbie
Credit: USA Cities Instagram
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is one of the most hotly-anticipated films of this year, and it has a stunning location to go alongside it! One of the movie’s primary filming locations was Venice Beach in California, and the paparazzi caught plenty of shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling dressed up in their Barbie and Ken finery (aka neon biker shorts and roller skates). If you’re on the hunt for some filming locations, then Venice Beach skatepark and the boardwalk would be an excellent place to start.
Scotland, UK – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Credit: Charlie Urban Instagram
Granted, you won’t have to travel far to reach this destination, but Scotland has a lot to offer! Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had multiple filming locations, but Scotland has been the most researched location by the franchise’s fans. Although there are very few confirmed filming locations, St. Vincent Street in Glasgow is a must, as there is an incredible shot of it in the movie trailer. Go on, go to Scotland and release your inner Harrison Ford!
London, UK – Luther: The Fallen Sun
Credit: Netflix
Of course, London has consistently been a top film production destination for decades now, but one of the movies we’re truly excited about is the long-awaited big screen adaptation of Luther! Idris Elba’s detective hasn’t been seen on our screens since the BBC series concluded in January 2019, so we are more than ready to be reunited with him. Luther: The Fallen Sun was shot in both London and Brussels, but it’s the UK capital city that takes priority for this one. There’s an intense shot of Luther in the trailer at Piccadilly Circus, and so we would definitely recommend visiting there first!
Tropea, Italy – The Marvels
Credit: Tropea Italy Instagram
The beautiful southern Italian village of Tropea played host to the cast and crew of The Marvels last year, and now you can get your chance to visit the stunning location in person! Although there is no concrete information on where actors such as Brie Larson and Lashana Lynch filmed the latest movie in the Marvel franchise, it is still a stunning place to visit. Plus Tropea was voted 'The most beautiful village in Italy' in 2021, so you can never go wrong with a holiday there!
Belfast, Northern Ireland – Dungeons and Dragons
Credit: Traveller Northern Ireland Instagram
The capital of Northern Ireland has had a film and TV production boom over the past decade with the likes of Game of Thrones and Line of Duty, and now the city has added another film to its list! Dungeons and Dragons was shot at the infamous Titanic Studios in Belfast during the summer of 2021. Although it is highly unlikely that any Belfast scenery will be included in the blockbuster (starring the likes of Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page), the city still has a wealth of exciting attractions to offer.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA – Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Credit: Best of ATL Instagram
Atlanta has become an extremely popular film location in recent years, with productions such as Stranger Things and The Hunger Games choosing to set up base there. In terms of 2023 releases, the long-awaited sequel to Shazam! was primarily filmed in the Georgia capital! Stars such as Zachary Levi, Rachel Zegler and Dame Helen Mirren filmed Shazam! Fury of the Gods in Atlanta during the summer of 2021, and we think it would be a fantastic holiday destination.
The Love Your Hair Set contains a full size 200ml Green Angel Shampoo and a 200ml Conditioning Serum, packed with natural seaweed nutrients for beautiful healthy hair.
Lavender, neroli and mandarin essential oils give the high-performance haircare duo a deliciously uplifting fragrance, that really lasts.
Selling online, www.greenangel.com, and in Green Angel stockists for just €29.00, the new haircare bundle is worth €44.00, bought separately. As well as amazing value, the Irish natural skincare experts apply the same holistic approach to haircare. Treatments are both luxurious and natural and use only the finest ingredients.
The nourishing shampoo and serum deeply hydrate. They are rich in minerals and vitamins from hand-harvested seaweed, that help fix damage, to restore strong shiny hair. The pure botanicals, lavender, neroli and mandarin, leave soft, manageable, beautifully fragranced hair.
After shampooing, the conditioning serum can be applied to the ends of the hair, for best results leave for a few minutes before rinsing. A small amount of Green Angel’s Seaweed & Argan Oil (RRP. €25.00) can be used after styling to leave hair silky smooth. For best results, use the Love Your Hair duo together. The natural nourishing formula means you can wash and condition with Green Angel haircare as frequently as needed, with no irritating build-up.
Green Angel is a leading luxury Irish skincare brand, containing nutrient-rich seaweed and pure essential oils, which is made in Rathcoole, in County Dublin.
The award-winning range is available to buy online at www.greenangel.com, where regular exclusive offers and bundle deals can be found, or in local retail stockists which include pharmacies and leading department stores like Avoca, Dunnes Stores, Shaw’s and Kilkenny Design.
The new Green Angel flagship store and café, with the complete range of luxury skincare and haircare preparations, as well as gorgeous scented candles, diffusers and room fragrances, is at Kilbride in County Wicklow, on the old N11 road at junction 18.