Tots To Teens: Presents and jokes to lift the spirits

It’s a little early to mention the big guy in the red suit just yet, but if you’re starting to get your head around planning for presents, this would be a great year to look at more sustainable options.

Jiminy Eco Toys is an Irish-founded eco-specialist toy company, selling earth-kind toys.

Named after Pinocchio’s conscience Jiminy Cricket, the company is the brainchild of Dublin mum Sharon Keilthy. Sharon found toy shopping for her daughter frustrating, as nearly everything was plastic-wrapped and shipped 22,000km from China. So, in 2018, Sharon left her senior role at a US multinational and set up Jiminy to give eco-minded customers more options.

Jiminy toys are made from sustainable, natural materials including wood, innovative bio-plastics (100% from plants), recycled cardboard, and paper; plus they’re all made in Europe so have lower ‘toy miles’ than many traditional toys.

There are loads of options, and you can browse by age or activity which makes present-buying a joy.

• See www.jiminy.ie

Funny girl

Amy Huberman is one busy woman. The actor and mum-of-three has just released her first children’s book The Day I Got Trapped in my Brain, and it’s brilliant. It’s the hilarious story of Frankie, who can disappear into a magical world inside her head, and what happens when she gets stuck there. Published by Scholastic, it’s in all bookshops now.

Playing dress-up

If you’re thinking about Halloween for your little ones and want something that will last and can be handed down to siblings/cousins/ friends for even more use, you’ll love the Great Pretenders range stocked in Avoca. The high-quality fairytale designs and lovely accessories make it a great go-to for full costumes or small additions. This wizardly cape and hat set are €44.95 and the stick-on earring set for €5.95 will set any fashion-focussed heart a flutter.

The fun in fundraising

September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, and the 2022 theme is ‘here for each other.’ To support the awareness campaign and raise funds for the Northern Trust Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group, 11-year-old Hannah Noonan from Newcastle West, Co Limerick, is telling a joke every day in September on social media.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a life-limiting chronic and relatively rare progressive lung disease that Hannah’s grandfather lived with until his death last March.

During her summer holidays, Hannah contacted famous figures to generate an extensive repertoire of jokes, so she has plenty of material to share online. One of the jokes is courtesy of actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, best known for her role as Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street.

“Grandad was a very funny man who was always telling me and my brother Mikey jokes,” says Hannah. “He encouraged us to do #jokeofthedaywithhannahandmikey on Instagram during lockdown to keep everyone’s spirits up and was very proud when we appeared on the RTÉ 1 Today Show with Maura and Dáithí. I hope lots of people will search for #HaveALaughForPF and enjoy the jokes that have been sent to us and perhaps donate to the fundraiser.”

To find out which celebrities responded to Hannah’s call for jokes, search for #HaveALaughForPF on social media during September and/or visit the NTPFSF fundraising page at www.justgiving.com to make a donation.

Insta star

If you have a little one who is almost ready for potty training, follow Instagram account @pooandtheloo. Ann Costigan, the woman behind the account, is a paediatric nurse with over 12 years of experience in children with toileting issues. She has loads of tips, runs workshops, and does it all with a smile. It can be a tricky time, but Ann makes it feel like you have a friend when everything around you is covered in wee.