Saffron

Weekday, or weekend?

Lansinoh and nipple shields, the number of a private lactation consultant on speed dial... but hopefully you don't need to use them! :) xx

If you or anyone you know are considering Essure over tubal ligation (female sterilisation) or long acting contraceptives, this is a must read: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2017/07/26/essure/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.edf8c56befe8 Bayer is reportedly in the process of withdrawing Essure from some markets, such as Europe, purportedly due to low sales not safety concerns. However, some Essure patients have reported life changing complications.

Ah, I was afraid that'd be the case (from a logistical point of view), but I do like the idea of enrolling in general. It seems much more water tight than the DIY ones. xx

Looking for inspiration for vegan recipes, I came across this old thread. My daughter likes the idea of going vegan for a week, but it turns out a lot of 'off the shelf' stuff is rather processed, hard to find, complicated, or just plain tastes weird. To make this more complicated, DH doesn't like anything with peanuts and is not keen on tofu (but will eat both on occasion, with a bit of persuasion). Little Saff won't eat mushrooms, sweet potatoes, or aubergines, and is not keen on chickpeas. I'm ok with sweet pepper and onions if well-cooked, but I'd rather not eat them everyday as they can give me indigestion. So far, (meatless) cajun red beans and rice has been a hit. Veggie soup with cannellini beans has also been popular. I've got great recipes for indian and thai curry bases, but I'm not sure what to put in them. A lot of the meat substitutes are a bit gross, and not vegan anyway. Suggestions? So I'm looking for easy vegan recipes that I can cook from scratch without too much fuss... and that will actually get eaten, not binned! Aduki shepherd's pie looks good. :) I'm going to give this a go. Any pointers on other dishes? xx

Does anyone have experience of enrolling a minor's deep poll with the Royal Courts of Justice? xx https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jun/29/deed-poll-websites-avoid

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I would request a certified statement of results directly from the exam board. Then forward it to the university. https://www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate/who-to-contact

TE44 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- .... > This may seem off the > mark, but hospital births on there own, take the > choice away from parents if something is wrong. So wide of the mark in every respect as to completely miss it, I'd say.

I used to find Google really useful, but I've been getting lots of rubbish search results over the last few months. Odd. I hope you find what you're looking for -- come back and let us Forumites know how it turned out. :) I'm intrigued by Sugar Mountain... maybe a trip to Forest Hill is needed! xx

You can use the council webpages to help look for state primary schools. Family Information Services also have a lot of useful info. http://www.2.southwark.gov.uk/info/200017/children_and_families/545/family_information_service If you're looking at private schools, the independent schools show might be useful. http://schoolsshow.co.uk/ Many schools will be having open days at some point in the autumn. You probably need to check individual school webpages for more info. School websites can also tell you a lot about the character of the school. For example, dress code, clubs, newsletters, forms, calendar, etc. You can look at Ofsted reports online, but I wouldn't put excessive emphasis on them. A school can be "excellent" by Ofsted standards, but not a good fit individually for a particular child or family. Or, a school can be under-performing by Ofsted standards, but still offer a good fit personally. You'd need to look at where/ why they're under-performing, if there was a particular concern. Hope that helps in general, and maybe you'll get more specific feedback from Forumites in your neighbourhood. xx

Hi Convex- I could take your fish in a pinch. I will PM you. Wondering if you've tried reselling them to a petshop? Depending on the species, sometimes they will buy back fish. xx

Has anyone been to Mottingham Farm riding centre?

Has it flared more than once on any of your kids? If just one flare-up, it sounds viral. Some children are predisposed to developing viral rashes. Sometimes there aren't many/ any other symptoms. But obvs seek medical advice if any serious symptoms. Hope they're all better soon. xx

I've only ever had the tea towel sellers weirdly at a time that I actually needed tea towels. Yes, they're overpriced, but I didn't have to walk to the shop for them. The organic meal planner salesman was quite high pressure and rather sexist!

Is it for use by children, or the grown-ups only? ...because if it will be used by the kids, washable covers are a good idea, or good quality leather! A few years back we got a very nice secondhand sofa for my father-in-law from the ED Forum. I've seen a few nice sofas on 'SE4 Families' Facebook group recently as well. :)

Unfortunately I've known this type of theft to happen previously... from the playgroup inside a church no less! It was definitely an adult, and I seriously doubt they were hungry. More likely an opportunist thinking there would be cash. All they got was baby food... and someone's favourite nappy bag. Grrr. Sorry to hear this happened in GG playground. What does the lunch bag look like, in case anyone sees it discarded? Slim chance but worth a try. xx

Maybe didn't realise until too late that it wasn't the owner? :(

Maybe when individuals feel like what they get from the government in return for taxes is fair, they will be more likely to pay them. Just a thought. xx

Attending a school's nursery carries no weight on receiving a reception place. Reception places are allocated through the council based on catchment and/or siblings.

When I STILL had acne in my late twenties, I did some research. I ditched the products and went for IPL. IPL is not harsh, it's not a laser. It's intense pulsed light. It kills the bacteria that tend to form acne deep in the skin. Unfortunately I haven't had any IPL recently, so I wouldn't know where to recommend. You should probably do some online research and have a thorough consultation. I had my IPL at The Private Clinic on Harley St, but since then many places are offering IPL. If you're still thinking you'd rather stick with products, then I'd highly recommend Proactive.https://www.proactiv.co.uk/#bC2okWUuHwfUKkdB.97

My daughter went a couple of times to a cooking class around Crystal Palace, if memory serves (might have been Forest Hill...?). It was fun, but she was ~4 year old, and most of the children were 2.5-3yrs. Kitchen Skills looks interesting, with classes for older children. http://kitchenskills.co.uk/courses/childrens-summer-workshops/ Thanks for the tip! :) xx

We would usually leave some cash if we had a friend to house sit our cats. Or alternatively, we'd leave the kitchen stocked with food and wine. I always leave the vet's number on the fridge, but thankfully no one's ever needed to use it! xx

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hmmm... > I'm not sure if I saw a bloke pissing against a > wall I'd make the call that he's minded on > interfering with children (that would be a > strategy surely destined to fail, and publicly), > obviously his having a pee could be better placed > / timed though, but the kids could have > unintentionally moved their play nearer him > without either party realising, as opposed to him > just choosing to pee right by some kids. ... > Such an insinuation is so severe and the > consequences of related accusations so > significant. One has to wonder why, if such > behaviour was even just suspected, the police were > not called immediately. That seems to assume that a person needs to be touched to be interfered with? But, simply exposing oneself inappropriately to children can be deemed a form of abuse. Also victims of abuse frequently don't immediately report the abuse (or even try to stop it), because they are in a kind of shock. This is a response recognised as 'flight or freeze' (as opposed to 'fight or flight'). This could also apply to adult witnesses of the potential abuse of a child. I agree that this may not apply to what the OP has described, but could apply to other scenarios as mentioned above. Also, obviously not every case of someone (man or woman) pissing in public is potential indecency, but pissing on someone's garden wall is, well, taking the piss. And though unfortunately I've seen plenty of blokes pissing in public in London (in broad daylight), I have never seen a woman do this. I think any kind of gender comparison on this topic is going to be skewed. If I find any adult (man or woman) pissing on my garden wall, I will treat them the same as a stray cat -- cup of cold water in the face. And one final note... I had a neighbor who actually owned a pig. I never saw him piss anywhere but his own back garden.

No personal experience, but Nicola Watson has been highly recommended by lots of other Forumites. Try searching her name on the Forum to read recommendations. She works one-on-one with parents to support problems related to sleep and bed time routines. Maybe if your brother is able to get a handle on the bedtime battles, things will improve from the ground up for his little one? Nicola's website is here: http://www.childsleepsolutions.co.uk/