cazbee

Hi there. We booked Rebecca at Princess Parties London for our daughter’s 4th birthday party at the weekend and she was fabulous! She is local and has just started her business after many years of working for others, so she knows what really works! The little ones were enthralled from the moment she arrived and absolutely adored her as Elsa. I would highly recommend her company and wouldn’t hesitate to book her again! Her number is 07594361781 and website:

https://www.princesspartieslondon.co.uk/

Hi there. Our lovely French au pair has just returned to us and is keen to meet (in a Covid safe way) any others in the neighbourhood. There?s not much socialising that can be done at the moment but meeting one person outdoors still seems to be ok! It would be a much needed social life line for her. If you have an au pair that wants to connect, please PM me. She is 21 and from the North of France and based near Bellenden Road, SE15. Thanks

Charlotte Mills assessed and treated my daughter?s tongue tie and I can?t recommend her enough. She was so professional and knowledgeable and arranged to see me within 24 hours at home, on a Sunday morning no less. We had immediate relief and I was so incredibly grateful to avoid the multiple referrals and NHS waiting list process. We?re lucky to have her in the area.

Last time I checked Pecan, the Peckham food bank, take clothes for recycling. They get some money by weight.

Hi there. Our au pair does English language lessons at the Thomas Calton Centre on Choumert Grove. They have classes during the day which fit in with the school run. They are much cheaper than private colleges. Your au pair will need to apply for a National Insurance number in order to enrol, but this is quite easily done. Good luck!

Hi, we are doing some building works and need to temporarily store some belongings. Can anyone recommend a self storage facility in the Peckham area? Thank you.

The 171 bus is also a good option. It's about a 5 minute walk from the final stop (Holborn) to the British Museum. My parents just did it and the walking distance was fine.

The "shed" was certainly not sitting empty since 2002! The tenant only moved out a few matter of weeks ago, and had been there for as long as I've lived nearby.

My youngest currently has the pox so I went searching for this thread the other day too. Here is it:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1360903,1361802#msg-1361802

There is also good info on NHS website about treatment for chicken pox. The advice is no nurofen and no aspirin due to risk of complications. Piriton seems to be working for my very spotty little one.

Another one is Theatre Peckham. They have affordable classes for street dance based at Peckham Library, and other classes at Peckham Academy such as musical theatre which has some choreography. My son is younger (nearly 5) and has enjoyed the musical theatre classes from the beginning.

Another endorsement for Old Spike Roastery. Their coffee is great and supports a wonderful cause.

The chemist at Dog Kennel Hill Sainsbury's is another one worth mentioning. In theory it's open till 11pm, however they can close the till a little early. Once they've closed the till they won't dispense anything further as the items (pharmacy medicine, non prescription) can't be put through the ordinary check outs. Imagine my frustration when I discovered this with a sick child at home!!

Our baby gave his older brother a Buzz Lightyear toy with a note saying "You've got a friend in me". The reference was a bit lost on him at age 3 but he loved the toy.

Does anyone have any particular suggestions for Christmas books where the central focus is not Father Christmas and presents, aside from bible stories? I know the present bit is exciting for kids but with a birthday close to Christmas my son can get a bit present obsessed!

Our little guy also got a music box, a push along toy with a long stick, a giggle stick (?2.50 from Just Williams and VERY popular) and also a second hand set of bongo drums from eBay, in case any of those suggestions are helpful!

I think there are two brands - Digibirds and Little Live Pets. The birds are about ?9 each or you can buy a set with a cage. You need two or more to "sing" to each other. They look fun and cheerful and no cleaning up!

I was in the same predicament so I took the chance on my second son's first birthday to upgrade the bath toys which we were all a bit bored of. I bought some "Green Toys" - the ferry and sea plane - and also a little Playmobil rocket with an astronaut in it that my baby son loves taking apart and putting back together and has no choking hazard parts. I also got a set of plastic safari animals. Our older son enjoys playing with all of them and they are all stored in the bathroom so not too much additional clutter.

For Christmas I am getting him some of those digital birds that sing to each other when you talk to them. Think that is more of a present for me though!

The book idea is lovely. Can't go wrong with that. For my son's birthday last year (same time of year, end November) I handed out advent calendars which I got at the pound shop. They went down well and a good way to spread out the chocolate eating.

I visited the Peckham Market pet shops recently and I think the one that sells the fish has recently changed hands. There is now also an alarming array of reptiles and other creatures in there - snakes, tarantulas, scorpions etc. Eek!

Another great brand is Danefae. Their coats are properly functional for wet weather, wind and cold but look like proper trench coats. They are not particularly cheap but a good investment if you do lots of walking with a buggy, dog walking etc. You can order from their website and they take about 10 days to arrive. Or there are some new ones on eBay at the moment, like this one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Danefae-Else-Winter-Jacket-Coat-black-12-14-16-NEW-/151413925948?pt=UK_Women_s_Coats_Jackets&var=&hash=item2340f9283c

I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying being back at Becky Vicary's Music for Little People classes at the Goose Green Centre. We recently had a change of nursery days freeing up our Wednesday afternoons so I enrolled my son straight away. I had missed going along after going back to work post maternity leave.

Becky is a superb teacher and has a sublime singing voice. My 3 year old very boisterous, dinosaur loving boy is stopped in his tracks with her singing. He sings the songs we learn to himself during the week, as do I! Becky is always well prepared for the classes and makes every child feel included and special. The class size is relatively small so it's not a noisy, chaotic experience which some toddler music classes can be! She has been teaching her classes in the area for 17 years - what a great asset to the community.

She is now enrolling for next term so if you are looking for a relaxed, fun, educational way to spend your Wednesday afternoons with your little one, this is a great bet.

I'd be interested too from January. Hope we can make it happen x

We use Bio-D washing powder which we buy in bulk 12.5kg boxes a few times a year. I switched to it mainly because my son and I have sensitive skin and it doesn't have any perfume or cause irritation. It washes really well at low temperatures. I also use Bio D laundry bleach and find this very effective on coloured clothes and to revive grey looking whites. Can you tell I'm currently in nesting mode awaiting baby number 2? Never thought I would be so enthusiastic about laundry detergent!

Here is a link to where I get it from.

http://www.biggreensmile.com/products/bio-d-washing-powder-12-5kg/bdwash125.aspx?productid=bdwash125

I am not sure about tights as I've had mostly a summer pregnancy but I did buy a pair of those Shoe Therapy shoes from the Seraphine website. They were expensive but I can honestly say they are amazing and I have definitely got my money's worth wearing them nearly every day. On the few days I wore ordinary ballet flats to work the difference in terms of aching legs and swelling was huge and I was hobbling about. I would definitely recommend them.

I think it's teething related. My son thankfully only did this a few times but he used to sink his teeth into my shoulders - ouch!! The best thing to do is watch like a hawk and have a finger ready to latch her off before the biting happens. If I recall from my experience it happened more when my baby wasn't especially hungry and therefore more prone to messing about. Ignoring as much as possible/ trying not to react also helps as baby will love getting a reaction from you. Hope the phase passes super soon!