ryedalema

I'd just call us a community. And a pretty outspoken/confident if the content of this forum is representative :-)

When not yearning for a hot cup of tea - emphasis on the 'hot'. A pink gin and tonic - like a normal G&T, but with a dash of Angostura. Yummmm.

You can also make play dough really easily with flour water and food colouring.Or get the ready-made cookie dough from the butter aisle ar Sainbury's ;-)

Charlotte loved: - playing shop (we got her a little cash register and some old packets, boxes etc.) - a little trampoline with a handle for safe jumping - an easel - anything ats and craftsy - a little apron and chef's hat+ toy rolling pin and cookie cutters - a dolly push chair i hated the last one ( a hand me down from a friend) but she's obsessed with it! Hope this helps x

They are all on our road! Grrr.

Yeah i know - i wouldn't dream of inflicting 2.6 year old on the GPH (or any cinema as it goes). But as she's in nursery it's just me and newbie - so we can do it all in a sling. Just need a butler now to hand me hot cups of tea on a conveyor belt basis - pretty pleeeeze???

Oh dear - I'm of the lazy mum school of parenting. I'm off to Greenwich Picture House for the baby - friendly 'big scream' movie. This week it's Helen Mirren and James McEvoy in a film about Tolstoy's life and legacy. I'll probably fall asleep after 10 minutes after the night I've had. Starts at 11.30am.

I used the saline spray stuff last night and this morning. Amazing stuff. She went from sounding like Peppa Pig and working herself into a subsequent lather to breathing easily and sleeping deeply in seconds.

We have to produce a publication for all residents in the org I work for, and my team's responsible for its production and distribution. We send out 25,000 copies per issue (quarterly) and it costs ?23,000 per issue. A lot of the cost is distribution - across the whole of the South East, which isn't the case for Southwark which has a very manageable area. Also - we offset a lot of the costs with carefully considered advertising, from partners who are directly relevant to our audience. Just some thoughts ;0)

njc97 and crystal7 - ew, ew, ew! I've heard of people doing that too - that's love for you. I guess if you see your baby being unable to breathe you'll do anything to relieve their discomfort. I might give something else a try first though :-) Have just bought Calpol nasal spray and Olbas oil for kids - couldn't find Snugglebabe in Sainsbury's so will have to try again tomorrow. I remember now having one of those Vicks vapourisers when I was a kid - a very lasting memory of my Ma looking after me when I was sick. I'll try and get one from Amazon to pass on the love to the next generation - aah.

A hot cup of tea with something to dunk in it. Simple pleasures for me!

Thanks all for these suggestions. I'll have a look at Vapourisers - are these just steam, or with eucalyptus or something? I have plug in ones, but they don't seem very strong/effective, and will take a trip to NCR pharmacy later today when the rain stops (hopefully). I've looked at those aspiration tube thingies - they seem a bit gruesome, are they really effective then?

I think I'd be put off by the floor to ceiling windows - either you have to have the curtains closed (or nets - shudder) or never wear skirts or nighties in your own home and stand near the windows!! :-)

Littlest daughter (8 weeks) has a horrid cold, which is affecting her ability to feed as she can't really breathe through her nose, while having something in her mouth. I've put a bit of Vicks vapour rub on the outside of her baby gro, so it's not on her skin, which seems to be helping with the breathing. Does anyone know if there are any products out there that I can use to help her ease the congestion?

Admittedly I've not used a washer/dryer for many years, so they may have improved - but I always found that washer/dryers didn't really dry that well, so I always ended up with clothes draped over every surfAce anyway (much as our house is now!). I'm probably not being very helpful here - perhaps another forumite has a washer/dryer you could try out? You could exchange with a nappy demonstration while you are waiting for the load to finish - just a thought ;-)

I think we may be in danger of thinking of James B as a superhero: - Yes it is half term, and regardless everyone's entitled to holidays or periods away from the forum (crazy thought i know) - Sometimes he may have to work on our queries/concerns in the background without necessarily having an answer or solution for us right away. I don't know, iamhere, whether you received an email saying 'I've heard you and am working on an answer' from James B? Perhaps that'd be something that would comfort, if you didn't. Equally, some people get wound up by these sorts of emails too - so it's damned if you do etc. IMO JB has offered himself up to help on this forum, something he didn't have to do. And I admire anyone that's willing and prepared to take criticism in such a public arena (same with the East Dulwich Station Master - fair play to him!) Good luck with this, iamhere, I'm sure you'll get a response and all the very best.

Steveo - I promise James B is looking into the costs of Southwark Life and other Council pubs. I've met with him about this and know he's concerned about getting costs down, whilst abiding by some pretty strict Audit Commission obligations making these pubs necessary. And out of interest - I have no political or council affiliations, just being helpful.

I think it's spam - it's in the family discussion section too.

Ha ha me too. I'll give our 2.6 year old wardrobe options for the day based on which load is going into the machine next (pity I can't do the same with my husband). I even stripped said child to her birthday suit as she entered the house last night as I had a whites load waiting, that wasn't quite full. I should probably see someone about this!

Sadly I do two loads a day (one whites, one coloureds) for the four of us - but I am a bit obsessive about it and my husband and I have had many 'words' about my ocd-ness. We have a 15 minute cycle though - which is fab for things that just need freshening, but aren't really dirty. Ironing - only on demand! Sheets every fortnight. Me, sad? Oh yes.

Don't know whereabouts in se22 you are - but the launderette at the very beginning of Forest Hill Road (opp the top end of Peckham Rye) does service washes and I think has quite long opening hours.

Hop farm looks fab - I've sent the link to my OH for 'approval'. :-)

Oh wow - I had no idea there was such a thing as a 'night nanny', how much does someone like that cost roughly? SB - I feel your pain and wish you all the very best as you begin the, hopefully, not too slow climb out of this. I'm in a kind of bizarre co-sleeping conundrum right now. I'm co-sleeping with our newbie (8 weeks) and have her Moses basket next to my side of the bed and can lift her in and out pretty well without risk of mishap in the night when she wants a feed, either that or she sleeps between my husband and I and I can feed her lying on my side - which is brilliant as sometimes I fall asleep with her still attached and she just takes herself off when she's finished and goes back to sleep herself. But then - 2.6 year old daughter gets jealous about the three of us being together next door, so comes in and either it's 4 in a bed, or Mum has to go on the bunk beds with her. Then baby starts mewing and I'm back in 'our' bed. This is all until OH starts complaining about not getting any 'cuddles' with me and then it gets even more complicated. Apart from the clear crimes against parenthood that I'm obviously committing - I, at least, can empathise with you!

Ah - good ideas, thank you. I've been to Battersea Zoo many a time so will keep that one in mind. I'll have to look up the Hop Farm - are we allowed to take newbies near livestock now, or is this not that kind of farm?

As we're over the lurgy bug (fingers crossed) and it's half term from eldest daughter's weekend ballet classes we're thinking of taking a decent day out with the family. Has anyone got any good ideas for a day out approx an hour from SE22? Inside and outside recommendations very welcome. We were thinking of going to that zoo/safari park at Canterbury (Howlett's?) so has anyone been there as a starter? All ideas v v welcome.