ThePrincessBride

Try Fortress on Brixton Hill.

Noticed a leak from the bottom of the shower and a couple of the tiles are loose when I press against them. Need someone who can fix this! Also need to re-seal all bottom of shower cubicle. Would welcome recommendations, as need this doing ASAP and at a reasonable Price...

I would also certainly recommend Bart!I got his number off EDF and he came round yesterday to give me a quote to build some storage solutions in my new flat. He ended up staying to put up all my pictures FOR FREE!! It took him about 2 hours and as we don't yet have a hoover, he used a dustpan under his drill and I definitely vouch for how tidy he is. He showed me some pictures of carpentry he has done recently and it really looked like excellent craftsmanship. Do give Bart a call on 07873 507878.

Hi, I had a guy round to give me a quote to build some storage solutions in my new flat yesterday. He ended up staying to put up all my pictures all through the flat. FOR FREE!! There were pictures to put up in each room and it took him about 2 hours (he helped me unpack them all first). He showed me some pictures of carpentry he has done recently and it really looked like excellent craftsmanship. His name is Bart on 07873 507878. I originally got his number via recommendation on EDF. Really lovely guy too! E

Hi, We're looking for a good, reliable handyman who is available this week (or sometime in the very near future!). We have some large framed pictures to put up and some shelves - it's all plasterboard, so need appropriate fittings / knowledge. Would welcome recommendations for people who actually turn up and do the job! Thanks.

Annie Sloan is looking promising. And there's a local stockist!

Thanks will google and check. My problem is really that I don't have outside space for sanding, painting, so that's the issue.

Hi All, I need an old dark wood chest of drawers sanded and repainted in a more vibrant colour for my daughter's room. Can you recommend anyone local and reasonably priced? Thanks! Update: Photos attached

Hi All, What about all the Crocs our kids have grown out of. I'm sure we could accumulate a Crocs mountain...I have at least 2 outgrown pairs from my daughter knocking about. And they are easily washed in a machine and come up like brand new. At least during the summer, some kids would benefit from some 'trendy' shoes to wear. They would be really light weight to post also! I'm also looking into ways of giving stuff away. So hard to find organisation who collect donations for children in London / UK. I'm going to contact some 'estate' schools in Lambeth / Southwark and see if possibility of having a 'bring and buy' sale for uniforms etc. I'm sure if they are sold for 10p etc, there will be plenty of takers! Just need a Head who is amenable to putting some playground posters up and letting a sale go on one afternoon after school. If anyone is a school head... do get in touch!! Also, most estates have some kind of community (or church) hall that can be rented out. Perhaps one of these kind of sales can be staged in one of them. Summer hols are coming and could also 'sell' things like second hand reading books, colouring books / pencils / playing cards, skipping ropes etc at really knowck down prices to the kids. I know they can be bought in shops etc... but how many of these kids really get taken shopping for play things? Just some random ideas. If you'd like to get involved, I can be reached on [email protected] I've set up the e-mail address purely for this purpose. Happy to club together with anyone willing and try to get something off the gound in the next few weeks... before schools close fo rthe summer. Could also do something at start of Sept to target beginning of the new school year! eBay idea seems good.

In-Laws

I'm a Rosemead mum, and generally the parents are very helpful and club together to help out in my child's year. Definitely go to the upcoming new parents' social evening. Great opportunity to exchange numbers and meet up during summer, and work out child care shares etc. I've also known some working mums to use Jam on Red Post Hill. I think it costs ?10 and they pick your child up from school, provide a hot cooked meal. Mums are really happy with their service. There's always a way to work these things out, and Rosemead really is a smashing school!

Depending on whether they (you!) like mucky play, but the best thing my parents ever did was create a mud puddle with a hose pipe one day at the end of the garden and we spent a whole summer digging and playing around in the mud. We eventually decided to plant veg & flowers in the patch and also spent many happy hours digging, planting, watering and watching things grow... plus digging up worms and stalking snails. Best memory of playing in the garden! We totally ignored the swing and slide after the first week...

We stayed for a week at one of the cottages in Hucklesbrook farm last October and it was really clean, very family friendly and easy to get to anywhere in the New Forest from there. We're going back again in the summer!

I bought a sonic mouse repellant from Primrose and haven't seen a mouse since. Never bothered with traps etc. If you just plug this in (follow instructions from Primrose people on best place to plug it), that's the end of your problem!

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Thanks for the advice everyone. Didn't join gym because of cost (walking is free!) and, I guess, a bit conscious of everyone watching... I know they won't be, but still paranoid and has led to loads of excuses over the years. I'm walking in the evenings, so a bit worried about cemetry walks, and parks generally shut. I'm just walking up and down roads I'm familiar with, incorporating some gentle hills... but really, I'm so unfit that a speed bump would pose a challenge! One last question... coz it's evening and generally hungry after long day at work... is it best to have a light supper first, wait about an hour before going for walk OR don't eat and have light supper when I get back? Does it make a difference? I am asking for family to pay for personal trainer for Xmas presnet, so can get more advice and proper training programme going. But I just wanted to staart something for myself now, so that I'm already motivated and at some level of fitness, before getting the trainer for a few sessions. Again, thanks! Some really useful tips from everyone!

I've decided to do something to get fit... mainly because my 5 year old keeps saying 'I love to cuddle your fat tummy mummy'! Also, 18 months to 40, so decided to mark the occassion by being fit and healthy. I started walking three evenings a week and can't quite graduate to running. I've started to eat healthily (while allowing myself the odd treat). My problem is I'm not sure I'm doing enough. After my walks (about an hour) I feel absolutely knackered... but I keep seeing loads of quite overweight people jogging confidently. If jogging isn't working for them, how will walking work for me?!! I would really like to graduate to jogging, but right now, 3 weeks into the walking routine, I still feel too unfit to jog. Have tried it for short stretches, but my shins / knees hurt so much and I get so breathless that I feel I might vomit or collapse in the street! So I know I'm definitely not ready for that yet. So I need advice. Should I continue with the fast walking until I feel it's making a differnece? Should I push myself to jog, ignoring the feeling that I'll pass out? What's the best way to get into jogging? I see people jogging in so many styles that I can't tell what's the best, most pain-free technique. Will I ever see any results from just sticking with one hour's walk, three times a week? I know some of you must be the super fit peolpe who power past me each evening (I'm the fat one in the grey tracksuit walking and singing to myself). I would reallly appreciate some good advice from those in the know. I don't need diet advice, because I've read up on everything... lean meats, fruit, veg, cut out cakes, chocolate and sugar (except when really needed!) and drinking 8 glasses of water a day. No caffeine. 3 balanced meals a day. Please help.

Hi Lorraine, If you've got a couple of days to spare, loads of skin-to-skin cuddles and encouraging her to suck could help with increasing milk supply. If work and stuff get in the way of this during the day, perhaps a couple of nights with her sleeping in the bed with you skin-to-skin could be an alternative. The body is quiter capable of producing more milk, with the right type of encouragement. As long as she's happy to suckle, encourage her as much as possible to keep at it. Goodluck.

C7, 7 months is still very young and waking every 2-3 hours is actually relatively normal. You sound like you have a good bedtime routine. I'd suggest you try putting her to bed half hour early 7pm... see if that leads to a longer sleep cycle. If that doesn't work, try the other side of 7.30 and put her to bed at 8pm. Sounds weird, but half an hour either side of too tired or not tired enough had have a big impact. You may have tried this, but sleep in same t-shirt for 2 nights, then slip t-shirt over matriess (if possible) to use as sheet... she will then be able to smell you constantly and feel ore comforted... staying in deeper sleep for longer. I, personally, don't think there's anything wrong in feeding her. She may well be hungry.... can you actually hear / see her swallowing? If she is, she is definitely waking to eat. If not, it just may be comfort sucking. Either way,perhaps as you see that she is dropping off to sleep, take her off the breast while she is still 'just' awake. Keep holding her for a bit, for the comfort, but do not put her back on the breast if she is crying. She may fall off to sleep and you can put her back in the cot. If she doesn't (and still hungry). Repeat the cycle of putting her back on the breast but taking her off again before she sleeps. It may take a few cycles, and a few nights of trying. But she will get the message that boobie isn''t for sleeping... then may not even wake up for it if she's only doing it for comfort... she'll move on to some other way of waking you! :) Other thing to try... when you are holding her and feeding (don't rock her... minimal movement)... breath very slowly, taking long deep breaths over her (so she can feel your breath movements). Relax your body as you do this... she will mimic you (natural instinct for babies to match your heart rate and breathing!)and that can help relax her and make her drop back off to sleep. Quite often, mums are anxious and tense when baby wakes (and of course tired and antsy!)... so baby picks up on anxious tense body and quickened breathing... they mimic and become hyper-alert and can't relax... hence excalation to screaming fit. Visious cycle! Stay calm, breath and soothing. Do not turn on the light for night feeds and no talking (no verbal words... just the odd hum to let her know you are there). Unfortunately, there's no hard and fast easy solution for sleep. Sorry if you've already tried all this and I'm preaching to the converted! Hope something helps...