LoopyMum

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. X

Our eldest daughter is turning 13 (eek !) and we're seeking a suitable venue to host a little gathering for her. The rates at the Mag are reasonable and the best slot for us would be the 2-6 but as she will be inviting friends from her current secondary and old primary school it will also be a mini reunion so I think their 2 - 6 slot maybe a little too short for everyone to have a good meal, chin wag and watch her blow out the candles. Popped into Dos Amigos - The Mexican Rest on LLane and they have a room upstairs for hire. Anyone have any reviews ? Expecting around 30 people and would like a private area / separate room. Maybe I am asking for the impossible but any suggestions would be very much appreciated. xx

Hello ! Nice to see your still keeping in touch. Fantastic idea, at least this way you won't feel too home sick or out of touch with your home town. Hope little man is settling in well & enjoy that scrummy cuisine. ;-)

Hi, Thought this maybe of interest to local mums and dads - pick up a few bargains for winter coats and wellies.... This Saturday 16th October (2-5pm) @ Hormiman Primary School - located right at the back entrance of Horniman Museum & Gardens, SE23. Bags of good quality second hand CD's, books, children's clothes, toys and home items for sale.

We are having a Halloween party ! Halloween cupcakes, spooky stories, pass the wriggly spider and pin the ghost ! All the fun of Halloween but in the warmth. ;-)

Same thing here - a teenage girl laughed at my children and I as we waited for the green man just last week. She laughed, barged past wedging a gap between us and scurried across the road. Very rude ! I explained to them how naughty she was of course !

The true meaning of Christmas is different to everyone. Christmas Day is just one day. As is Boxing Day.

Yup - it is coming folks. The big C ! The busiest time of the year for any business and the most financially straining for the consumers. We have already decided - don't go crazy, it is just a day and support the local businesses.

So long as they are not harmful I don't see any problem. My cravings were all different with my three - blue stilton cheese, frozen grapes and chewing on rubber.

I am a mum of three and it can all get a little loopy .....

We had the same thing yesterday - a man wearing a white cap rang our door bell three times claiming to be collecting for 'homeless kids in the area' with the recents news of forced entries and burglaries we are sceptical to answer the door to anyone we don't know. And after politely telling him (without opening the door) that we were not interested I am at a loss to why he rang a further two times. Very strange.

Yes, glad you and your mum are ok. My heart skipped a beat there. I can't stand these unfriendly, ferocious breeds and when their owners are present they are not much friendlier than their dogs. I had an incident like this once and I had our three children with me. In that situation the owner blamed me by saying the children were jumping around too much - therefore making the dog over excited. Could not believe it !!!

It depends on what kind of party you would like to have regarding the venue and an entertainer (art and craft, a clown, face painter, cookie decorating party) - I would pick a function room in a restaurant or a leisure centre play room. The great thing about 3 year old children is that they are old enough to appreciate a party but not old enough to make demands so a simple theme (space ships, monsters, spongebob, jungle), some simple foods and little party bags should go down a treat. You may well enjoy it - the highlight for me has to be their little faces as they blow out their candles.

I think it all depends on how strongly as an individual you feel about a particular event / issue. Littering, smoking during pregnancy, racism, bullying, children eating junk food and the list goes on. Personally, I have come across posts about finger binding, spanking and all sorts which again is fine if that is a part of your culture/upbringing and what you believe in but absurd is you have never encountered such rituals in your lifetime. I am sure any posts that are deemed to be defamatory / without a doubt offensive will be removed by the Administrator.

Excellent - small school but part of a lovely community amongst Horniman Drive residents and surrounding roads. Excellent staff and school ethos. Breakfast, Afterschool and Holiday care - have great day trips and end of term parties..... Lots going on to create an inclusive environment - eldest daughter is at secondary school now and regularly visits to say hello - misses the school very much. Our 4 year old is starting in Jan too - if you need any other info feel free to PM me if you have particular questions in mind. ;-)

I agree the Potette is the way to go ! (tu) I use fragrant nappy liners with ours - they work a treat and are inexpensive and easier to obtain than the potette liners. Aside the fact that it's unhygienic to be throwing your little ones do daas all over the park - surely its uncomfortable for the child in question and yes, no doubt most of the time they could piddle all over their clothes and feel very distressed. Its also strange because (most) parents whilst at home spend a considerable amount of time advising their precious offspring to use the toilet, wipe up, wash hands and fasten their buttons correctly.Why then let all those instructions go just because they happen to visit the outdoors?! Of course the potette will never replace the warmth and comfort of their home toilet but its the most hygienic, dignifying and sensible option for any parent with a young child. Note - They can also be purchased on ebay ........

This post has been the only to make me roar with laughter - thanks I needed this today. :))

Voucher for spa day definitely - a much better option than little bath time treats she won't get to enjoy. This way she can take time out, refresh and enjoy a whole day away. I got one as a special treat (Red letter days) the voucher permitted me to bring a friend too - we had a fantastic day that I will never forget. ;-)

After breast feeding every 2 hours through the night, a sore tummy, not to mention down below and an excruciating back ache sex was the last thing on my mind for months.....:-$

Just to add to this I am yet to find a local cake craft shop that is local. Is there one ?! However you may all be interested to know that the Green Cuisine Cook Shop - Lordship Lane has been a fantastic little find for me. They have baking tins, hundreds of cookie cutters, cupcake decorating equipment and baking tins for hire. Yippee ! Ashamed to admit I only had my first visit a few weeks ago but I will be a regular now ;-)

Grab a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine ( or both ;-) ) then slowly begin your task. I had a clear out last week and was amazed how many black bags it took just to have a basic seasonal clear out. Our garden shed is my next project - I need to be able to just grab something without tripping over one of our much needed household items which never get looked at let alone used. Argggghh !

Thanks for the suggestions Fuschia ! PS your mail box is full. ( For private messages ) Tried to send a message about something else but the system would not allow me to do so.

Yes, sorry I didn't mention it is a little market research. It's so hard I have some fantastic products I would like folks to see (aside my cakes) and the glossy mags want hundreds for a few lines of text and some pics, however I could be swayed towards a half decent mag that local families are genuinely interested in - therefore hopefully taking notice of any ads ? As I mentioned in another thread 'the problems of a small, independent trader'. Leaflet drops are no use either. Just getting my thinking cap on. My business is less than a year old so its all relatively new to me and although the response has been great so far it is still daunting and can get very quiet at times. :'( Several folks have suggested the SE22 mag but most I know don't read it so I thought I would seek a little opinion here. And if I am ultra honest I don't care much for leaflets shoved through our letterbox - in fact I always smile when I see big bold signs with NO JUNK MAIL amongst local residents.

Yes, I would go for Families too. What about the little SE22 mags does anyone get these through the door ? Do you read them or toss them in a corner ? And what do you do generally when things are dropped through your door scrunch it up for the recycle or have a glance to see whats on offer ?

Hi, Just wondered what local publications (for families) you all find most useful / informative / generally a good read Families South East Magazine, SE22 Micro Magazine, Living South, Newsletters What attracts you to the mags you do read and why ? Do you think the local publications we curently have are sufficient enough or they are lacking something ? All thoughts and opinions welcome ;-)