TV3 IrelandAM

Websites reviewed by Maeve Kneafsey on IrelandAM on 20th May included:

http://www.getdecorating.com

One of the hardest parts of decorating or building your own home, is trying to tie down examples of what you like to explain to your partner, architect or builder. This website has spotted this problem and responded by providing you with thousands of ideas and pictures that you can use to show what you want. It includes everything from the front gate, the garden path to the fixtures in the bathroom. It costs you about €22 to get access to all those ideas for 6 months. Most of the houses featured are American but it still provides you with heaps of ideas and examples.

http://www.pickapro.ie/architect/find-architects.php

Another daunting task when you want to add an extension or indeed build your house, is finding a suitable and qualified architect and then understanding the process and what you should expect to pay. Pickapro.ie provides you with information on everything from how much it will cost, how much should you pay for designs only, when you should pay your architect, fees and if they change if the budget changes and lots of really useful information and advice.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/

I wanted to find out what I needed to be thinking about as we are planning to get a family dog. I really had no idea what breeds might suit us. This website set up by the UK Kennel Club is full of advice and gets you to go through a checklist of what you need to think of before you decide to get a dog. There is also a suitability grid to help you choose the right breed for your particular circumstances. If you want to take the next step and actually find a dog to buy then check out http://www.irishdogs.ie/

http://www.pricerunner.co.uk

This website basically allows you to compare the price of different popular products (mostly electronic) before you buy, as well as including reviews from both consumers and experts. It really does save you money and especially on games (such as the Wii) or digital cameras. I figure I saved about €100 on the quote I got for a Wii including the delivery costs. No shipping charges applied for this purchase, but this is not always the case.

http://www.eumom.ie

If you are a parent or about to be a parent this is the website that can give you direct access to loads and loads of answers to your questions. It seems to cover almost everything from financial planning and saving, to developmental queries and guides. You can also talk to other parents via the forums, which can really put your mind at rest, if only to find out that other parents or pregnant women are going through the same thing as you. It also has some great guides to shopping for you and baby. However, if you have a real concern about your health or that of your baby, it is always best to call your doctor in the first instance.