Pickle

I just wanted to add that in no way do I mean this to apply to people giving their kids a treat etc, and chocolate buttons are definitely used in my house as a bribe/reward. I think that's normal. Unfortunately the breakfast one is a child that I pass every morning, so it's not just a one off. And I've had a child over for lunch who refused to eat anything, telling me that "mum will bring my special food for me later" - the special food was crisps :-( Please be assured I am slightly tongue in cheek with my death stare reference! I internalise it in proper quasi-British fashion ;-)

Agreed, cultural differences aside. Chocolate cake for breakfast is totally acceptable for parents ;-)

The breast vs formula thread got me thinking... Even though I have a baby and am still at that part of my life, my focus these days is really on my two school age children. When you watch kids in the playground you cannot tell how they were fed as babies, and I like to think I'm open minded on the milk debate. HOWEVER... If I see a parent/carer walking a child to school, telling them to hurry up and finish their breakfast, and "breakfast" is a Mars bar, I will judge that person. A 5 year old being collected from school and handed a large packet of crisps, chocolate and a bottle of sugary drink will lead me to being the one giving the death stare. Is there ever a way giving a school aged child chocolate for breakfast can be justified? (other than Coco Pops, which personally I wouldn't feed my kids before a day at school). I feel sorry for the teachers that then have to attempt to get that child to sit and learn for the day! To me this is far more controversial than what form of milk a baby is given - at least whether it be breast or formula it contains vitamins and minerals essential for a child to grow and thrive!

I've now given their number to lots of people, so will now wait until I speak to them next week before passing it on any more as I don't want them overwhelmed by calls!

I've never used them, on the basis of nunheadmum's reasoning. With my most recent baby they haven't offered them, instead suggesting I take a multivitamin as I'm breastfeeding. As my diet is good I don't bother with that either!

I thought I'd report back on this. I'm pleased to say I have, thanks to recommendations received, found two lovely cleaners who absolutely meet my requirements. Today was the 2nd time they have been, and the house is gleaming. The fact they work as a pair means they were finished by 11am, which is perfect in terms of working in with my baby's nap and meal times. Not only have they done the basics, but in the last two weeks all the sofas have been pulled out and cleaned behind, they pulled years of junk out from under the bed and cleaned/dusted, and have found many a lost hair clip by pulling out the units in my kids bedrooms. They take an obvious pride in their work. They work for a couple of other forum users, and are happy to take on other work locally (ideally to work in with other clients in the area, as they travel by bus to get here). Please PM me if you would like their details. Hooray!

Just wanted to give this great new little shop/cafe a mention, as I visited for the first time today. They have a fab array of screen printed baby/kids wear which is really great - in that it's just a bit different. Some great long sleeved hooded t-shirts with brilliant prints on the front, all very fresh and modern, and competitively priced. It's in the old Jacks premises on Pellatt Road, and they also do really good coffee and cake. Well worth a visit.

I had similar a whole ago, although they weren't Charter kids (may have been Harris Girls). One said she was doing a 1 mile run, the other claimed to be giving up crisps, and they were asking for sponsorship. I filled in their (scruffy) piece of paper which had no details of the charity on it, but refused to give cash there and then, explaining that it was usual for someone to have actually completed their challenge before collecting the money. They never came back...

I used to drive there a lot for appointments when I was pregnant, and find the car park can be very hit and miss. I've queued for 45 mins, and other times, anticipating the wait, driven straight in and been ridiculously early. Early morning it's fine, but as another poster said, after 8:30 it fills up.

I breastfeed so that I can eat chocolate and not get fat. At nearly 10 months old my daughter really couldn't care less what form her food comes in, so really I do it because I'm selfish ;-) I've had 3 kids, breastfed them all to varying extents, first born was mixed fed and I will never forget the death stares I received at baby clinic when he was 3 weeks old and I whipped out a bottle. No mother should be judged or criticised for the way they choose to feed their child.

Agreed. I signed up when it first launched and it's like a post-apocalyptic website!

Lamingtons are only good when filled with whipped cream, I've never been a fan of the "diet" ones (as my Mum calls them!). I also prefer raspberry ones, which you don't often see in these parts. They've been around for ever (well, for my lifetime at least) over there, so it's amusing to see them popping up on posh cake stalls. Friands... Having grown up in NZ, lived there for 26 years before moving here, I had never heard of them until August when my Mum seemed to be buying them at every opportunity. Didn't think they were particularly nice.

Not sure if any of you have kids, but cake sale days at school are hilarious, if ever there was something to set off competitive Mum syndrome, cupcakes are it. Needless to say I just send my kids along with money to buy cakes, and save myself the embarrassment. If ever my kids force me to make cakes for birthdays I buy Tesco basics un-iced fairy cakes and Dr Oetker icing in a pressurised can. Job done.

We paid ?11 for shoes for my daughter, they were supplied by the lady who works at Push Studios, who came to the class my daughter goes to at Goodrich to do the fitting etc. I felt like I was getting good value due to the fact that I didn't have to go anywhere to get them! The shoes are good, and she was really nice and not pushy at all, in fact recommending the cheaper of the options she had which impressed me.

I think (hope) she has left due to a realisation that she can do so much more without the X Factor "brand" hanging over her. A talented girl. I hope she does well. James is my firm favourite now, although I wasn't overly fussed by his performance last night. Ella is good, but am I alone in thinking she's just a bit dull? Rylan and Chris dreadful as usual, but I hold no hope for them being voted out tonight. I think the boy band will go.

I'm still to reply to all the PM's I have had asking for recommendations to be passed on, sorry, need to find 10 mins to sit and compile them into one list!

Have to agree with others on this - the cost for our family of 5 is more than the price of what my 5 year old wants for Christmas.

When I had baby #3 in January I was on the post natal ward for a few hours afterwards. One of the Mums was getting (from what I overheard) great one on one assistance with BFing from what seemed to be a specialist midwife, the other two were getting equally as supportive assistance with the ins and outs of bottle feeding. I was sitting reading a magazine enjoying the relative peace and quiet before going home and facing life with 3 children ;) It is completely your choice, and I think Kings are pretty good at backing up the decisions made by Mums. Good luck, I hope all goes well for you in the next few weeks.

I think it was a concrete base, the underfloor system, then a layer of a softer concrete like substance (screed? The correct word escapes me, but it was something like that!), and the tiles on top. They have been down for 2.5 years now and there has been no movement at all, which was one of my concerns initially with an old house.

We have sealed limestone tiles (previously badly laid laminate) right down the hallway and in the kitchen. Super practical as they are very easy to wipe clean, and (as per other thread) able to be mopped. In the winter I put a hallway runner inside the front door to help catch the majority of wet/dirty footprints, and Mr Pickle leaves his bike on it to dry before wheeling it through the house. Combined with underfloor heating we have been really pleased with them (without the underfloor heating I don't think they'd be much fun in winter!)

I bought a Vax steam mop recently to use on our floors (tiles), and it's absolutely brilliant. It leaves the floors noticeably cleaner. I've never tried it on wood, we have a small amount of wood in our dining area but it's unsealed walnut so I'm not sure using steam on it would be sensible.

The online craft store Baker Ross do some really great little kits which might be worth a look. We bought a few for my daughters 4th birthday and they kept the kids entertained for ages. A dressing up area is a good idea, maybe with a cheap digital camera that they can play around with taking funny photos of each other?

p.s... I've tried an Etsy page for my business, but find its so flooded with stuff it's very hit and miss. You may find (like I have) that your Facebook page alone keeps you busy enough - with the bonus that you don't have to pay for it.

Your stuff is lovely Sally, I'm excited to see you are now "out" having watched you develop your ideas over the past months. Will definitely be ordering butterfly pictures for both girls birthdays and something for my son too (some kind of pirate/super hero mash-up?!) P x

I'm in two minds about this cafe - since having #3 I've been quite often, but generally it's just me and her (with our small buggy). My main gripe is that they take so long to serve you... last time I went it was pretty quiet, just a couple of tables, I ordered a coffee and cake at the counter before I sat down, and it took over 20 minutes to arrive. I love the space, and think the cafe has a nice feel to it, but wish they would speed up the service a little.