bluesuperted

They did carpets for us too (weren't many of them) but I also thoroughly recommend Tony for all your carpet cleaning needs, have used him a lot and he's really fab! Tony: 07846 314543

I moved to a similar sounding house earlier this year (you have my sympathies...) and I used a lady called Joanna and her team: +44 7891 653122 They did a great job and were supremely flexible, will use again once building work finished. We were able to get in after exchange (which was only a few hours before completion, STRESS!!) which made a bit of difference except the previous owner was still smoking in it the bitter end!! Have you thought about asking again for access before completion and offering them a sweetener - eg ?100 cash? We were about to do this but luckily they agreed with us that the house wasn't sanitary for our family to move into without a thorough clean....! Good luck!!!! It's not easy moving into a place like that, but it our case it has been worth it for the potential of the house :)

Reren, this is why I'm very uncomfortable with reward systems. The motivation is extrinsic and not intrinsic. Alfie Kohn says it much better than I can: http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/tcags.htm In my view, there's no easy fix, which star systems claim to be. I don't have the answer I'm afraid but thought it was worth sharing the alternative view, non-mainstream that it is.

Highly recommend Mark Cornelius at MDL in the city. I do all our stuff by phone and he's been brilliant at getting us tricky mortgage deals (one earner, one self employed etc). Here's his number (mention me!) Mark: 07887 558901

Wow, crazy HV, that is just such awful advice and practice, poor you and bubs having to put up with that! Few more ideas: The Happiest Baby on the Block technique - uses lots of the ideas mentioned above, but led to great, peaceful sleeps for our son after a couple of slightly colicky days at 2 weeks old. Slings - at about two weeks old I started baby wearing loads in the day, I found this very freeing as could go anywhere and do anything, but baby found it even better! I think giving them the extra touch as much as you can in the day (fourth trimester) really calms them at night. Do you have a sling? Lots of recommendations on here but a stretchy wrap would be great for your baby's current age.

Will do the same, thank you for alerting us on here. Erika and Vanessa and the team were amazing to us, they made such a difference. It makes me weep to think that kind of care isn't available to ALL women, every pregnancy,

Absolutely agree Mellors! Totally within your rights not to entertain homework Otta as well. I will be refusing it until at least y2. Playing out after school and watching Superted was what it was all about in the 80s!!

Have you looked at the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley. It's great and full of solid basics that a 10month old (and you!) should enjoy - all low/no salt so then you just season your own as required. About a fiver on amazon, mine is so well-loved the spine is totally broken!

That's good to hear Canela, my son just started nursery but am hoping he will go to Kilmorie in FH, it's a very laid back school and so I have high hopes they'll be sensible about this kind of thing. I have heard from other teachers that it is parent pressure that makes the school have a homework policy - but that the results of more homework are not proven - kids who are getting lots of support at home continue to get it and those who need more support don't get more related to the amount of homework given... I guess I worry because I've always been fairly conscientious and even from a young and I would have thought 'oh it's there so I have to do it, and do it well' - in this respect I'm glad I wasn't given any as I know it would have played on my mind! My son is more laid back than me though but that's another thread ;)

Yes I'm sure some teachers are not keen but I will just be open about it and my reasons. Also when I say 'educational' activities at weekends, I mean that loosely, don't mean for their own sake - I mean as in life, fun, parks, museums, chilling out with family. I think kids spend enough time each week concentrating on schoolwork and I'd like evenings and weekends to at least be as unstructured and relaxing as possible. Some people on here may be interested in the 'Too much too soon' campaign (there's a march in October half term too..) and this petition which is campaigning against Gove's non-evidenced based policies: http://bit.ly/180LYk9

Me too hpsaucey :( I'm going to refuse to comply with homework requests til at least Y2/Y3 My husband (teacher!) has parents who do this and he has no problem with it, often the schools are setting homework only due to parental feedback requesting them to do so (through the governors etc). This may sound controversial but I will simply trust that we will be reading lots and lots, doing huge numbers of educational activities at the weekend and I will be taking control of my kids having as much 'childhood' as they can at the end of a tiring school day. If, and only if, my son/daughter are dead keen on something that's been set, then fine, I obviously won't stop them, but I really thing Early Years and KS1 are not the place for homework. I remember one solitary piece of homework that I did as a primary school kid - a topic piece on Otters. I loved it! But that was in the juniors and was a great novelty. I know several parents who do this (all of bright, able kids) and it's been a good policy for them!

We just did a loft conversion and got the hideously expensive megaflow system plus new boiler (but different brand, not actually a megaflow but same thing). Our 2 bathrooms now have great heat and water pressure and we were advised it is a good selling point on a 3-storey house. We spoke to 3 loft companies who had varying thoughts on this but we ended up trusting the ever-helpful John Powers (oft recommended on here) and he guided us through the decision-making process.

What a lovely idea Lochie, I feel similarly about wanting some mother/son time too since the onset of school nursery but V is too little to really do that yet at just 6 months. I think Canela's idea is great; the new farmers market at the Hornimam is brilliant - Saturdays 9am - 1pm - so you could incorporate a forage there for ingredients then home to cook. Also a friend of mine does Crafty Cooks (I think?) in West Dulwich and I'm sure somewhere I read they did a weekend class. Other ideas I've thought of for the future are: Lego projects when he gets properly into that, a crafting project - even scrapbooking which I used to do when I lived in the US, going with him to a regular sports class myself... Will bookmark thread for future use! Btw can't believe O and E are same school year... O seems so much older!

Interesting... I wash at 30/40 and use Bambino mio. I do tumble though, naughty me. Also if you sell them on then they can potentially go through another few kids. Mine are fairly heavily used and look/work as if completely brand new after 2+ years (mainly Bumgenius poppers).

Oh eek re the Beko! Although like never putting new shoes on the table, my mum has hammered home never going out or even to bed with tumbler left on... Will google models though as that's scary!

Poor little girl.... I have no experience but friends who had vaginal births swore by weeing in the bath - would this or the shower offer her any relief? So hope it clears soon, poor bairn!

Affordable Shutters are 10 weeks lead time - although I don't know if that's guaranteed. Worth a call, they have great customer service IME.

Museum of Childhood is fab. Brilliant for you too! Docklands Museum is very nice and has the soft play, if not too young for her.

By the way breasts and not aereoli get engorged during typical breast feeding...

I think it's a shame you weighed in here Foxhelp. Nothing constructive to add so why bother?! Your comments about your sister's postnatal body make me really sad too, poor her. Also showing a nipple, which is exactly where your baby is getting it's milk from, is 100% fine in my opinion. It's all part of normalising something normal, that due to society's obsession with breasts being *only* sexual, has been de-normalised. I'm pretty quick at latching on but if people don't want to see a brief and functional flash of nipple, the onus is on them to look away every time.

Yup I've breastfed anywhere and everywhere. At the moment we have ridiculous amounts of tradesmen working in our house and I don't think twice about breastfeeding in front of them - it's all part of normalising something very... Normal! I do feed in the sling a lot too, and was doing so in the Halifax on Rye Lane. A slightly intense looking older lady came up to me and I was a bit worried - but actually she was coming over to say 'thank you for just feeding your baby the way nature intended' - she told me how years back she'd be feeding in McDonalds and was told she should go to the toilet. She asked the staff member if there was a specific feeding area/chair to be told, no just the loo. She point blank refused to move. It was fantastic to have this lady's support and made me remember not to judge a book etc! If anyone ever said anything to me I would throw the WHO/Human Rights book at them and relish the challenge, but I'm a bit like that. Also on my second child and heading towards 3 cumulative years of BF, I just whip my boob out over the top and find people are fine/avert their eyes.

I think this does massively depend on *TMI* consistency.... There is no way my 3yo could do a good job even with training - his poo (for no medical reason, I've had it checked!!) is very sloppy. I use about 5/6 wipes when cleaning him. He could do a cursory wipe but I'm really hoping it hardens up before school starts in a year! Incidentally I think he won't go at nursery for reasons Belle states - but I have checked (school nursery) and they have said they have gloves and will clean him if required - I explained the consistency issue and they were fine and understood.

I also found Affordable Shutters quote to be MUCH cheaper than others we got in - and as Wanhope says, this is for basswood rather than MDF. I was prepared to consider MDF but when you can get real wood for cheaper it seems a no brainer. Also Affordable Shutters are a (non-local admittedly) family business, not national as they might sound from their name. Our windows are really big and your quotes do seem a bit high to me. I much prefer white personally as the green one will limit you and future owners of your house in terms of decorating choices. But I have seen the most amazing rainbow ones that if we were made of money I'd love for a nursery or playroom! Not sure who made those though.

Thanks both! Sketch is a brilliant idea, remember going there in a former life. Have sent details to my friend, the Glade room sounds lovely!

Hi all, Have a conundrum that I think the family room might be able to help me with. A good friend of mine is coming to stay from the US. She's a big foodie and especially likes 'off the grid' stuff like pop up food trucks over there. She has requested high tea this time - probably in central London (last time we did Brockley Market, Melange Chocolat and Ganapati). Does anyone have a recommendation of somewhere really nice, a bit unusual perhaps, in town, that won't mind a newly baby led weaning 6m old (who it turns out loves food so will definitely want to join in on some level with healthy options). I'm a bit stumped! Was thinking of Fortnums but believe it has carpet?! Ideas much appreciated!! xx