rebeccaben

We are sadly leaving Dulwich and upping sticks to the burbs. Need to find a reliable and yet still economical removal company for a 4-bed house chock full of stuff. We need a proper giant moving van and we want them to come and pack it all up as well. Any recommendations gratefully received!

The best place to start is the FAQs on Au Pair World. We just got our first au pair a few weeks ago. The standard rate is ?80/week plus of course all of her room and board (food, toiletries, etc). We also provided her a mobile phone and top it up ?20/month plus we keep her Oyster card topped up. Ours works about 20-25/hrs a week. I think more than that is too much for an au pair. You should also plan to make her a part of the family - don't just expect someone to work the hours you need and then be invisible. Stick with au pairs from the EU as it is difficult to get proper visas for anyone outside the EU. For those from the EU you don't need to do any paperwork except a contract of course.

I'm an islabike evangelist. My daughter went from bike phobic to Bradley Wiggins when we swapped her heavy bike for an Isla. We bought ours secondhand and will sell it again secondhand when she grows out of it. Because they hold their value so well I am sure it is cheaper to do it this way than to buy a cheap(er) bike new.

We live in North Dulwich just outside of the Dulwich Village schools catchment (which is tiny and all property within it is massively reflected in price difference). It is such a lovely calm area which is chock full of families. We are walking distance to Dulwich park, Ruskin Park and Brockwell Park, and have the lovely little Sunray Gardens with pond and playground right around the corner. My daughter is in reception at Judith Kerr and we (and she) LOVE it. She is thriving and every other parent I know there is very happy with it. They have just had their first ofsted report and got a Good rating across the board which is remarkable for a brand new school especially as they are still in the course of developing the building.

The sticky traps work best for us and I also use spray on individual ones. All available on Amazon. It's a war of attrition! We had our wool carpets cleaned last year and paid extra for anti-moth spray to be put down at the same time and I think that was a waste of money. In the end we have replaced our wool carpets with synthetic (nowadays they look and feel really good).

Please do sign this petition - every little helps and all we want is for our children to have outdoor space to exercise, play and learn! https://www.change.org/p/southwark-council-save-judith-kerr-primary-school-s-only-playing-field-from-being-developed?utm_campaign=fb_dialog&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt&post_id=538702159_10153325836522160#_=_

We had our front garden spruced up and it resulted in 28 small bags full of dirt, rubble and gravel. Would happily pay someone ?40 to collect and dispose of properly. See pic. We are in Se24 and the bags are lined up out front. PleAse PM if interested. Thanks

We want to have a storage shed built for our front garden to put kids bikes, scooters and other junk in. We know exactly what we want but we need to find someone to build it(and not cost the absolute earth!). It needs to be 5ft wide, 2 ft deep and 4 ft tall. Attached is a pic of what we want it to look like. Ideally the price should include painting it. Please feel free to PM me with a quote if you are a joiner/carpenter. Or if you have someone to recommend, let me know! Thanks

Just been offered 1.25% by KFH and 1% by Harvey & Wheeler to sell our house (>1m). Can anyone let me know what they have been offered so i can negotiate? Want to use KFH but want a strong case to argue them to 1%.

We used Worktop Envy and got a Unistone worktop (quartz composite) which we're thrilled with. Been in for about 6 months and totally stain and scartch free (it's off white). They have a small showroom in Purley and were just about the cheapest I found for Unistone. http://worktopenvy.com/

I have experienced a session of Reiki with Anja and I have to say that she turned me (a complete non-believer in alternative therapies) into a true believer. I wasn't seeking a cure for any serious symptoms - a bit of back pain, alot of stress and general winter malaise. The session was completely calming and peaceful, and made me feel beautifully unwound and "back on track". Anja isn't offering a medical treatment - however it is completely true that if you suffer from stress-related aches and pains, then it follows that if you do something to relieve your stress, the pain too should be relieved. I think everyone would have a different experience, but for me it was something that I look forward to doing again (if only to get some lovely 'me' time away from the craziness of work and children!).

I have a two year old chair that has been completely destroyed by our cat. Looking to have a slipcover made as reupholstering would be pointless with the cat and kids - need to be able to wash covers frequently. Does anyone have a suggestion or are there any semi-pro home sewers who might want to tackle it? Below is the link to the chair for reference: http://www.sofa.com/shop/sofas/armchairs/iggy-armchair Thanks

We have a normal glass shower stall and the door has become stuck. I think it is as simple as realigning it but my husband and I are DIY hopeless and don't want to break the door. I'm sure it is a very small job but I'm not sure who to call. If anyone has a recommendation for a good general handyman that doesn't cost the earth, that would be fantastic. Especially if they are available today!

We have just completed an extension and prior to starting we knew we wanted to move out during the worst of it. However, we found to near impossible to find a short-term let in the immediate area which was vital. One child is at nursery and another in a nanny share so we really needed (and wanted) to stay local. Luckily I posted a note on the Forum and the owner of a lovely place in Denmark Hill got in touch. I just wanted to heartily recommend the rental for anyone considering something similar. The house is lovely and well-maintained and it was literally like going to a hotel - we only had to bring our clothes and toys. Everything from crockery to towels to sheets (and a weekly cleaner) is included. The little close that it is in is truly unique, with all the neighbours being very friendly and welcoming. We marvelled about how it was like the suburbs of our childhoods, the way that all the children ran around and rode bikes and scooters until it got dark together. As there is no through-traffic, it was safe and felt like another world from London! It was also a fun change to stay in a "modern" home when we have only known Victorian houses. My preference will always be for period features, but it was a refreshing change to have huge glass windows and open-plan living. Anyway, it was the best thing we did to move out while the builders tore down our house to put it back together. The link to the house is here if anyone is interested: http://www.sabbaticalhomes.com/Home_Rent_House_Rental_London_United_Kingdom_77320.htm

We also found our nanny by posting on the EDF and she has been with us for 3 years. I met a few very qualified candidates but the one we chose was just an instant match. Our baby was 3 months at the time so it was important that we felt very comfortable with her - she's practically part of the family now! I highly recommend PAYE for Nannies to use for payroll. They are inexpensive, provide you with a nanny contract if needed and answer any questions you might have. It was a huge help when we first started as there was so much we didn't know about the tax and paperwork side of things. Another site to consider is nannyshare.co.uk which is great if you want to find a share.

Try this: http://www.fortunecookies.co.nz/21901/125773.html

We're going on BA - does anyone know if they will allow a 2-piece buggy without a bag? I'm sure I could call their "customer support" but I don't really feel like pressing buttons and sitting on hold for an hour!

We are going to the US this weekend and have just decided that I'd really like to take the P&T instead of the Maclaren as we'll be doing quite a bit travelling about and I know both kids will get tired at the same time! I know you can take a P&T, but can you do it without any kind of carry bag? Obviously it would fold down, but then what happens to the back seat that pops off? Do you just give them both bits? I just don't have the time (or want to spend the money) to buy a bag. Please tell me it will all be okay!

We are about to start work on a side return kitchen extension and will be putting in timber French doors to the garden and a new sash window. Would love any recommendations for places to source good quality (but not crazy expensive) timber doors/windows. Thanks!

We're considering deVOL for our new kitchen and I wondered if anyone had one that could give me some feedback? Or if you are particularly lovely person and wouldn't mind me popping over to sneak a peek! The showroom is in Loughborough and I don't think I can handle an all day trip to look at some cabinets. Thanks!

Suggestions PLEASE. We are doing some work on the house and will need a new sofa for the new lounge area. We bought a lovely fabric covered sofa from sofa.com two years ago and it now looks about 20 years old. Combination of two small children (food, pen, snot) and two cats (scratching, rubbing, annoying). I was thinking of just getting rid of the kids and the cats but my husband won't let me. We've been toying with the idea of a leather sofa but I find it very difficult to find one that is at the same time attractive/comfy/reasonably priced. Any ideas? Has anyone found the "ultimate" family sofa and want to share the secret? Top budget is ?1000 but would be very happy to spend less. Thanks!

We have a Nissan Qashqai which we love and fits comfortably our family of 4. However, we just went on holiday and the rental car was a Skoda Estate and I have to say that it was much more practical. We had 5 in the car and I could fit comfortably sitting between the two car seats in the back (I had to squeeze sideways to do this in the Qashqai). Plus the boot space was like a dream come true...so big! Looks-wise it isn't terrible and I'm sure alot better value than a BMW or Audi (and cheaper to maintain).

I liked Loz's suggestion of 'Provenance'. Not too poncy, but poncy enough.

We just went to a 3yo birthday and they had Juggling Joolz who was great. Very good with the kids and did loads of balloon animals. She's a balloon lady, not a man but maybe he can overlook that. I think you can find her details on the Forum.

Hi minder - sorry for the original block of text but it was kind of one big rant. Have broken it up a bit for ease of reading. Still a bad experience though! ;-)