Bishberro

Wow thank you all for the great advice. I went in 1982 when I was 8 and my brother was 5 and we had the time of our lives. I remembered it for years to come which is why I wanted to go in the next couple of years before my sons get too old to appreciate the magic of it all. We are aiming for Easter. Our summers are very hot and humid in Florida. The perfect time for Florida in my opinion is November but not much good for those of us tied to school holidays. Christmas would be good too weather-wise but I imagine mega expensive. I think I have a lot of research (and saving up) to do!

Hi - I'm hoping to take my two to Florida next year when they will be 4 and 7. There seems to be so many options and I'm confused about where to start. We're going to combine it with some time on the Gulf Coast which I've been to many times so I'm ok about that part. It's the time in Orlando that I need help with. Is it best to stay in a Disney-run hotel and be near the parks? If so, can anyone recommend a good, not too pricey one? The other option would be to rent somewhere nearby and drive to the parks. Again, any recommendations? We will probably alternate a few days at the park with the odd day by the pool as I imagine that we will get very tired. Also not sure whether to look at package/flight options or just buy flights and sort out accommodation ourselves. Any handy hints/tips gratefully received.

Thanks for the feedback. Pickle my son is pizza mad too so that's why I thought it might be a good idea. Sounds promising.

Hi - I'm investigating options for my son's birthday party. He will be 6. We've done the church hall/entertainer thing which he has loved for the past few years but trying to find something for a smaller number of kids and a bit of an easier option for me. I noticed Pizza Express does make you own pizza parties with games etc and just wondered if anyone has been to one and if they're any good? We'd probably go to the Dulwich branch. Thanks for any feedback.

Stillness School's in Honor Oak is this saturday 2-5pm. There will be Santa's grotto, stalls, food, mulled wine and carols by torchlight at 4.30pm with the school choir. Bring a torch!

Hi, I'm a local mum and forum user and a freelance journalist. I'm working on a story about christenings for a national newspaper and I'm looking for people to take part. I need someone who had a budget christening for their child, someone who spent around ?2,000 and someone who had a very lavish event and spent thousands. Good fee paid for those taking part. If one of these applies to you or someone you know then please PM me with your email address or contact number and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks so much for your help.

Hello - I'm a local forum user and freelance journalist who is putting together a story for a national newspaper. I'm looking for a woman who always loses weight for the summer but then tends to put it all back on at Christmas time so then has to lose it again. Please PM me if this sounds like you or someone you know and I can tell you more. Good fee paid for anyone taking part. Thanks.

Hi, I'm a local journalist and forum user who is urgently looking for builders who are into fitness or sports and work out regularly. It's for the health section of a national newspaper on the back of a new Government campaign which says builders need to get fit and lose weight. They would need to be photographed but would be paid a good fee. If you know anyone please PM me asap. Thanks!

Hi - I'm a local journalist and forum user who is doing a story for a national newspaper about online relationships. I'm looking for grandparents (UK based) who have only ever met their grandchild online. So perhaps it's someone who lives in the UK but their grandchild is abroad etc. You'd have to be happy being named and a small photo used. Good fee paid. Please PM me if you know anyone. Thanks!

Hi - I'm a local journalist who is doing a story for a national newspaper about women who have been sent either naked pics of strangers or links to online porn sites from strangers. I just need someone who has experienced this to say how disturbing and upsetting this was. You need to be happy being named and a small photo used. You will receive a fee for your time. Please PM me if this has happened to you or someone you know. Many thanks.

Hi - I always used sleeping bags with a newborn. I think they're fine as long as they're over 8.8lb. I always had huge babies so it was ok. Check online but I think some of the grobags are fine from 7lb as well. They're specially designed so they can't wriggle down in them.

All sorted now - to all those mums who replied, thanks so much for your help.

Hi - my 5-year-old has been in a cabin bed (which I suppose you could describe as a mid-sleeper) from the age of 4 and he's been fine. It's got slightly raised sides and he's never fallen out. I think they say from 4 for a mid-sleeper and 6 for a bunk bed. I think I would be inclined to wait until 5 or 6 for a high sleeper as it's a long way for them to fall and also a bit tricky if they're getting up in the night down the ladder for a wee.

Still looking for new mums who might be able to help with this. Generous fee paid. Please DM me.

Hi - sounds like you've got some lovely things planned. The National History Museum is great, a walk around the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park. The Museum of CHildhood in Bethnal Green is free and great for a run round and they have holiday activities. You can get the overground to Shoreditch High Street and it's 10 minutes walk from there. The Discovery Story Centre in Stratford is good but you have to pay to get in. My kids (3 and 5) love a walk along the South Bank - run around the Tate Modern, watch the street performers etc. Have fun!

Hi - I'm a forum user and local journalist who is desperately searching for new mums for a piece I'm working on. I'm doing a positive story for a national newspaper to show that real women don't just "ping back" into shape after giving birth but that you can still be proud of your post-baby body, wobbly bits and all. So if you've recently had a baby in the past 12 weeks and are proud of your stretch marks, wobbly belly or Caesarean scar as they represent the fact that you've carried a baby and given birth and you don't mind posing for a tasteful photo shoot then please get in touch asap. Generous fee paid for those taking part. Please DM me for more details. Many thanks.

Another vote for a sharpie pen. I bought name labels and ironed them in. They all came out after a few washes and dries. Now I just write my son's name on the label in the garment and that does the trick and saves ironing/sewing.

Hi - I'm a journalist and local forum user and I'm looking for mums who have had a lotus birth who might be willing to talk to me for a feature. This is where you leave the umbilical cord attached to you and your baby and wait for it to fall away naturally. Apparently it's on the rise because it helps minimise the risk of any infection to the mother and baby. Please PM me if you can help. Many thanks.

Another recommendation for Le Querce in SE23. The only place I can go with kids and truly relax. Delicious homemade pasta and pizza (Sunday to Thursday) are my children's favourite. Staff are great and there are toys. Mine ask to go there at least once a week! It's a restaurant rather than a cafe.

Life After Life. Best thing I've read in a long, long time. Gone Girl - starts well but fizzles out a bit in my opinion but an easy read. Tigers in Red Weather supposed to be good. The Book Thief - an oldie but a goodie.

Kittysailing - that place looks perfect and great location, thank you. It also looks a lot less scary and Butlins-like than some of the huge campsites. My kids are too young to really appreciate somewhere with loads of activities. It will be interesting to see if anyone has any gite options but I suspect they tend to be rural with a long drive to beaches and restaurants.

We we want to go to France this August with a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old and go via ferry as holidays with flights are working out too expensive and it's the first year we're tied to school hols. I can't quite be convinced to stay in a tent yet so we were thinking caravan/lodge thing or a gite set in a complex. Does anyone have any good camp sites or gites that they can recommend? We'd like somewhere with lots of facilities on site like a swimming pool etc that's good for younger kids/toddlers and that's in walking distance to a beach and bars/restaurants. Does such a thing exist?? Thanks for your help.

We've used Nutty's before for a fourth birthday party and there were kids of all ages there and they all loved it. I think from age two you'd be fine.

I know there was a thread on here a while ago about box sets. Currently despairing about the lack of decent tv programmes on at the mo and wondered if anyone fancied borrowing/swapping box sets? I'm looking for either Breaking Bad (season one onwards), The Killing series two (seen series one and three) or Boardwalk Empire (from season one). I can offer you in return Borgen series one and/or Homeland series one to borrow. I'm in SE23.

The Togz all in one waterproof suits are great and they're roomy so a 2/3 year old one has lasted my now 4 year old son up until this winter. We just got the normal one, not the fleece lined one then if it's winter/snow you can put a winter coat over the top and it means they're not too hot wearing it on a rainy day in spring/summer. It has been a god send this year with all the terrible weather. The best price seems to be from a website called that cute age which is where I got mine and have just ordered a new one.