Apologies as this will be a long!

I have a child in Reception and after always feeling really quite lonely in motherhood, it has been so nice to make a little group of mum friends this year. It's the first time I've ever had that and has meant a lot to me. There is one kid in the class my child has had a (mutually) love/hate relationship with. They are the child of one of my friends. We have been to each other's houses several times too. The kids bicker as is to be expected of kids this age and I suspect it's because they are such good friends that they bicker in the first place! A few weeks ago, both the mum (my friend) and husband started pointedly ignoring/avoiding my husband and I. It was very odd but I put it down to maybe they were going through something and thought nothing of it. It completely went back to normal shortly unrelated so I suspect unrelated to our kids' relationship dynamic but who knows.

I have an incredibly stressful job that is both physically and emotionally draining. Yesterday I'd had a particularly stressful day that had started with an emergency safeguarding meeting about protecting someone vulnerable. The rest of the day wasn't much easier. When I got to pick up, I was visibly absolutely exhausted and in fact, the group of mums asked if I was ok. We took the kids for a play at the park as we often do. Literally the second we arrived, the child I mentioned earlier said mine was being unkind to her. I had been standing next to her and mine the whole time and not a word had been exchanged between them. The mum proceeded to bend down and point at my child, looking at me and making a big show of saying, "Oh no...was (my child) being unkind to you?" This made mine feel sad and tearful so I very calmly and politely said that I had been with them the whole time and no words had been exchanged. She insisted they had and that "This has been going on for a while." I was completely taken aback by this, not least because it was in front of everyone else. I just don't think that's the forum to discuss these things. If I've ever had similar concerns I've had a quiet word with the parent away from the children and others. The way my 5 year old was pointed at and accused like that has really upset me (and them). It felt quite nasty.

I am not one to dismiss the feelings of kids. I literally work with them every day. But, especially at the age of 4 and 5, I would at least take things said with a slight pinch of salt - the 'unkindness' mentioned was over absolutely nothing. Some stickers for goodness sake. The way my child and I were spoken to in front of everyone left me feeling quite shocked so I just ended up sitting on a park bench quietly processing my feelings. Literally 2 mins later, the kids were cuddling and sharing snacks, which I think solidifies the fact it was a very brief and normal tiff. In a class of 30, no one else has ever accused mine of unkindness. I really think it's just a personality clash. The mum later sent me a text, oblivious, and asking if everything was ok because I seemed "stressed." I feel like I would like to be honest but am not sure how to respond exactly. Any advice? Whether we like it or not, our kids are going to be in each other's lives almost daily for another 5 years so need to maintain some semblance of civility. FWIW, my child has said the same about hers for months and I've kept an open mind, usually suggesting she plays with other kids instead because I know these disagreements are common at this age. Nor do I think mine is some kind of cherub - it's just normal not to see eye to eye with absolutely everyone.

Thanks for reading!

I’m 38 and don’t know what’s cool and what’s not.
Are these cool?

https://www.toa.st/products/vibae-leather-fisherman-buckle-sandals-tan?variant=63328347062621&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=18437612051&dema_id=18437612051&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18431488314&gclid=CjwKCAjw2rrQBhBuEiwAarLWHWRecndS3uU_tULTAnudbwTzgOBHxmtjuE4OJDxrIyHv-PTgGDQ2XRoCOPcQAvD_BwE

or

https://mamaowl.net/collections/adult-shoes/products/angulus-womens-fisherman-sandal-tan

My husband is 80, I'm 73.
For the last 7 years he has been a victim of a financial scam. He has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds. This is his own money, it is a second marriage for both of us and our finances have always been separate though we both own our house in equal shares. I have only a teaching pension.
In the past he has been involved with a number of women though I have stayed with him through 25 years of marriage.
I'm at my wits end. Police have told him it's a scam, doctors says that he has capability to make his own decisions. The scam is the only focus of his life. He truly believes that one day he will recoup the money. He is miserable but determined. We have no shared life.
Worse, he has Parkinsons and I don't want to nurse him later in life - selfish but true.
I want to divorce him but he says he'll fight it.
I can't find a house to rent near friends where I can take my dog.
I just don't know what to do ...

I'm 42. I have three DC. Every month when my period comes it consists of:

• 48 hours of not being able to leave the house due to heavy bleeding, clots, flooding, pain and being doubled over unable to straighten.
• I cannot contain my bleeding during this time with period pants, tampons or a maxi pad. Even if I bunch up mounds of absorbent tissue or kitchen roll it often floods through that. Many times I have just resorted to holding towels between my legs and throwing them away once covered in blood.
• During the night I have to set my alarm to wake up every 2 hours so that I can go from lying down to standing up and run to the bathroom, sit on the toilet and empty the flooding blood into the toilet because if I leave it longer the built up blood floods on to the carpet, over the bedclothes etc.
• I get pain and nausea until I pass clots that are around the size and length of my thumb. It usually starts by feeling sick and thinking I'm going to have diarrhoea and sitting on the toilet and then passing a clot and the nausea and pain going away
• One of my DC who shares a bedroom and bathroom with me has to get up for school in the morning on these days and goes to the loo following a trail of blood and usually a bathroom floor covered with blood. As I often don't make it to the toilet on time so it leaks on my hands and over the taps and flush. I try to clean it up during the night after each episode but often I am just so exhausted I don't get it all, or wiping it spreads it further more thinly, so everything gets a red sheen and there are visible smaller clots everywhere.
• Mentally I go into an abyss of pretty constant crying and depression. I am on SNRIs which have helped a lot of the more extreme emotions, but I still feel like an alien has taken over my body. I fall out with everyone, I ruin relationships and friendships and work for 48 hours.
• I have never had a pair of (non lingerie) pants more than one month because no matter how much care I take they are always soiled beyond repair.
• Uncontrollable eating. I am on a GLP-1 and day to day when not menstruating I am really regulating myself well, eating healthily and not binging, but during my period it's like the effects of the GLP-1 wear off.

I have told my gynaecologist and GP about this. I haven't had time necessarily to give all the graphic detail like they above, but people respond to me as if I am vastly exaggerating. I've had scans where they have discovered polyps (not big enough to do anything about yet) and I also have the beginnings of adenomyosis which they also said was very common for peri-menopausal women. Most people tell me I just need to get a Mirena coil fitted and all this will go away. My questions for you:

• Does or did anybody else have the kind of experience I describe above on their period?
• What else can I do at this point?
• Is the mirena coil a cure-all for all of this?

Is it just me or is this a bit bonkers?

My children are at Primary school.

I found out recently (from my child not via school communication) that the children who bring in packed lunches are allowed to take them outside to eat in the playground.

This first came up as my children sometimes take in soup in a thermos cup. Recently eldest child reported that their soup was kicked over before they had consumed any, so essentially missing the main portion of their lunch. After a bit of (quite confused) discussion I discovered soup was on the floor outside, which led to a conversation about why?! This is normal apparently.

I'm thinking about it again today, as I noticed child had brought home most of their sandwiches and when I asked if there was something wrong with them they said no. "They were lovely but I got distracted".

Am I mad/out of touch to be thinking that children should be sat down at tables while they're eating their lunch regardless of whether they're packed lunch or school dinners. Or is this common in other schools?

I never want to be the kind of parent who bothers the school unnecessarily, but I am considering asking them about this as I don't understand it.

But I would appreciate some other perspectives as maybe my perspective is wrong?

I have 2 autistic/adhd boys 8 and 13. The eldest has been difficult all his life, spiky and hard to please. Awful behaviour at school from nursery. Behaving inappropriately with others. He hates talking about anything other than his interests and struggles with friendships but very bright. Currently out of school due to mental health issues and we are waiting for his EHCP to come through. I genuinely can’t think of a single time I have been proud of him like a normal mum would be. No awards, sports, good reports, friendships. Everything has been fraught and hard. Youngest is the opposite, developmentally delayed and very loving but again, no sports, friends or normal activities. He too misbehaves at school.

My eldest was just shouting about no one understanding him, how nothing ever goes right for him and how his life is so awful and my husband said after when I was upset ‘they’ll grow up and leave and then it will be just us again’. So what was the point? Why bother having them? I never wanted children, my husband did and basically gave me an ultimatum that at some time in his life he wanted children. We waited until I was 30 and had been married 9 years. I just wish I hadn’t caved. I take very little joy in them. My life has been such a mistake.

Hi all,

Bit of a panic here and hoping someone has been through something similar.
Just realised my 6 year old’s British passport expires July 2026 and we’re flying to Albania tomorrow from London, coming back on 13 June 2026.

I’ve read that Albania needs 3 months validity left after you leave and now I’m worried we might not be allowed to travel.

Has anyone actually been in this situation? Did you get stopped at check in or were you still allowed to go?
I’m just trying to work out how strict this really is in real life,a part of me hopes miraculously they will let us through.
Any experiences would really help !

I am a step-mum to two girls who moved in with my husband and me full-time 2 years ago after a 50/50 custody arrangement with their biological mother fell through. On the whole things have been fine as its no different to the 50/50 arrangement in that they have all their belongings here and their own individual bedrooms. I let my husband take the lead on discipline as I do not feel that is my place, but the only flaw is the bedtime arrangement
The eldest is 17 so I understand "bedtime" doesn't have to be enforced as such, but my husband and I get no alone tme whatsoever. She will stay up until we go to bed and then immediately retreat to bed herself when we do. Is it unreasonable for us to ask her to go to bed 30 minutes before we do purely for our own space so that we can catch up and reflect on our day without a teen listening in? We are not asking for them both to disappear for an extended time, just a 30 minute window at the end of the day to debrief.

Any styling tips I can try please for below shoulder length fine dry hair. I've got an air wrap but it just dries my hair out too much. If I just blow dry it it goes a bit limp. Sraighteners are out. Anything I need to try?

Booked hairdresser for 2pm for a full head of colour (dark brown/black) and a cut and blow dry. I realised at half 12, she’d emailed me at 11am asking if I could come in any earlier. I emailed back and said earliest I could go in was 1, which she said was fine. I’ve been to her before and she’s always been fine.

Get there and she’s incredibly short with me. Seems pissed off that I didn’t come in earlier and she’s been “waiting around all morning” even though I booked a 2pm appointment. Doesn’t offer a tea or coffee or anything and slaps on the colour. Leaves it for 25 minutes, then starts saying she may not have time now to do a full blow dry as she’s busy but could blast it with the hairdryer. I’m annoyed and sense tension but say fine. She then proceeds as she’s washing it to say actually she may not have time at all, and as I’m only going home after can only towel dry it. We weren’t even at my original appointment time yet.

She then cuts it quickly, just the ends and not my usual layers and when I mention it again she says about time. Things are getting tense and I’m getting tearful. (7 months pregnant too). She then wraps my hair in a paper towel and says that I’m finished and I look at her gone out.

She says sorry needs the chair back for next client. I say fine whatever, get up and leave. Issue is I’ve booked through Fresha and they’ve taken the full amount from my card. I emailed the salon once I’ve got out and processed everything and they’re point blank refusing a refund even though I got barely a cut and absolutely no blow dry.

i won’t be going there again but can/would you request a bank charge back? Paid by debit card and it was £85😭 im so upset, money is tight anyway and this was suppose to be a birthday treat.

I work in a small office team of five people. I’m the only full-time member of staff, everyone else is part time. We had a new manager start last year and honestly, up until now, things have been really good. We get on well, I like his management style and he has always said he cared more about people getting the work done than clock-watching.

I work very hard. I consistently hit targets, usually go beyond what is expected, and I won an achievement award last month. I also work very flexibly. I regularly start work at 7am, answer emails early, and will often still be available after 6pm. I usually work through lunch too. That flexibility has suited both the organisation and me because it means things get done quickly and I can also fit other parts of life around work. It is one of the things I am regularly complimented on - how quick I get tasks done.

Out of nowhere, he has now announced that I have to be physically in the office 9–5 three days a week. No actual problem has been identified, no concerns raised about my performance, no suggestion that work isn’t getting done. The explanation was basically that he “wants to try something different”.

Fine. He is the manager and he is entitled to set office hours if he wants to. I’m not arguing with that part.

But my feeling is that if he now wants strict contracted hours and presenteeism, then that is exactly what he will get. I no longer see the point in starting at 7am, replying to messages before work, being available into the evening or working through lunch. I’m planning to work my contracted hours, take a proper hour lunch break and log off at the end of the day.

I know this will reduce the amount I actually get done overall. But another part of me thinks flexibility works both ways. If management removes trust and autonomy, they can’t really expect staff to continue giving unpaid goodwill on top.

I looked in the mirror at the weekend and realised I look tired. I mean I am tired so it’s accurate, but I’d rather be able to hide it than walk around everywhere advertising it.

So after staring into my random bag of old makeup and pots of goop I’ve bought on sale/impulse at various points over the last 10 years I accepted that I have fuck all idea what I’m doing and my grab bag of expired products probably wasn’t going to help.

I tried finding videos and articles but turns out much like everything else everyone has an opinion and they’re alll different, in the end I took a photo, uploaded it to copilot and asked for a shopping list and a 10 minute daily routine that would make me look better, then I went to Boots and bought everything.

My question to you lovely ladies is, has anyone successfully implemented a skincare care regime and learned how to do basic makeup in your 40s and if so what were your ‘will do it forever, this is great’ things and what were your ‘yeah that’s not gonna stick, waste of time and money’ things?

I already drink all the water, eat healthy, get as much sleep as is realistic at this point and reducing stress would mean ditching the job and finding something else which probably wouldn’t pay as well or be as flexible so it really is all about products and methods for me right now.

Anyone seen any nice summer dresses for Apple shapes? I’m late 40s, size 12 to 14, menopausal weight gain not doing wonders for my roundness if km honest!

I always have this problem with finding summer dresses, but this year I want to get in early!

I have an (ex-)friend who is very stingy. She earns plenty and is happy to splurge on herself and show off, but when it comes to others, she is mean with money to the point where I’ve felt really taken advantage of on multiple occasions. It’s almost like it’s a game for her; seeing how little she can pay and how much she can extract from others.

The friendship fizzled out when I started calling her out on it and stopped covering her costs (I previously didn’t want to make things awkward, especially in a group setting, but it got to a point where I was too pissed off to keep being polite).

Against my better judgment, I recently attended a group dinner that she was also part of - a mutual friend was in town and this was the only time we could see her. In the WhatsApp planning group, she’d enthusiastically agreed to the restaurant choice - it was definitely a nicer place, but not extravagant.

When she got there, she claimed she wasn’t hungry and didn’t order any food, only to ask the waiter for an empty plate and help herself - rather generously - from everyone else’s food!!! She also asked for a glass for the wine we’d already ordered, which would’ve been fine, except guess how much she chipped in to the bill…? Exactly, zero.

It was also a bit embarrassing towards the restaurant; it’s hard to get a reservation and the group was small enough that it was strange for one person not to be eating at peak dinner time, especially as we were seated at a big table.

This time I didn’t even bother calling her out - it was so brazen that she basically called herself out.

I know you never truly know someone else’s financial situation, but she’s certainly spending enough on clothes, holidays, and skincare to make me think she could afford a plate of pasta and glass of wine…

Anyway, rant over, I want to hear other stingy stories!

My son (will be 9 in August) has been helping himself to sweets and chocolates from around the home for a long time.

Initially it was Christmas chocolates (quality street/Celebrations etc.) he will have a nibble and then hide the wrapper somewhere in the house - behind the sofa, TV, under his bed etc. He clearly knows this is not acceptable behavior or he wouldn't hide the evidence, but just will not stop.

He's now moved on to snacks from the lunchbox basket (kitkats, brunch bars etc.) and today my husband has found evidence of him eating chocolate chips and sprinkles from my baking cupboard!

There have been consequences every time we find a wrapper hoard (early nights, cancelled playdates, no screentime etc.) but nothing seems to work. We have tried explaining to him that the chances are, when he asks for something he can likely have it, but he's up earlier than anyone else in the house and seems unable to control himself! I have also even said to him to just put the wrappers in the bin, we're less likely to find them!

We don't have much sweet stuff in the house, at this time of year when there are no christmas or easter chocolates around, it's just the usual lunchbox bits. I don't want to not have them in the house as that would punish everyone else and there is no where I can hide these things where he can't reach!

Just wondered if anyone else's children have a similar habit and if you've managed to stop them? I'm thinking the punishment this time will be no sweet snacks at school for a week, but no idea if that will work!

Can someone please advise me if I’m being unreasonable here ?

Me and dad not together, I have our 5 kids living with me full time, dad sees them 5 hours A fortnight for 5 hours through his choice, and refused over nights

But.. he still thinks he can have the upper hand on everything

He wants to take tow of the children to Portugal ( aged 15 and 14) for a week 5th July-12 th July 2026. When he initially asked for the old passports so he can renew them they got handed over and I warned him via email any holiday abroad need to be planned in the school holiday after the breakup end of July

Now he’s emailed me after passports have arrived that he’s taking them beginning July. I’ve said no as we will get fined and risk of prosecution for all those days off and he replies with ‘you’ve got a loud mouth and don’t think rationally’ he’s basically backing me into a corner to agree

He said he will ask permission from the headteacher and that he’s going to tell them he’s going for a funeral. ( which is a lie)

He’s making out that I’m unreasonable, but am I?

And I know people will say ‘just let him pay the fines’ but I know this man he will tell me to ignore the fines and he a ain’t paying them but i am not doing good financially I can’t have this on my head when I’m not even the one taking them for 5 days, if it was 1 or 2 days overlap on his weekend holiday it would be fine but 5 days !!

I know if the headteacher declines his permission he will still pressure me to hand the kids over to take them and Make me look bad to the kids. I’ve asked him when did he send the permission request and he’s ignored me

What would you do on this situation without becoming the bad guy to your kids ?

Another child has died in a horrific way after being accidentally left in a hot car.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/21/girl-dies-car-extreme-heat-spain

again, it was the father, distracted by work, who forgot to drop her off at nursery. I honesty don’t think this is a man/woman thing I think it is a work thing. In every one of this abominable stories it is someone being distracted by a work situation and they forget they haven’t dropped off the child. The article explains really well why it happens and how we need to make safeguards because we can’t rely on ourselves at all times.

distraction kills! Much more than malevolent intent.

AIBU to think that every single parent needs to read this article to realise it can happen to anyone and sometimes extreme stress and the power of habit can overcome us and cause the worst to happen
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/fatal-distraction-forgetting-a-child-in-thebackseat-of-a-car-is-a-horrifying-mistake-is-it-a-crime/2014/06/16/8ae0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

BE WARNED it is the most upsetting piece of writing I have ever read.

If you had around this budget and wanted leather, what bead would you go for? I like a big bag but I really just like to hear of brands I don't know. I tend to like simple things and I probably wouldn't buy anything with prominent branding.

DD and her mates were wearing fairly standard vest tops at school for an own clothes day. All dressed exactly the same. DD singled out and told to cover up (I suspect because she is slightly larger chested than the others), which she found humiliating. She was told "there are male teachers around" as the reason!
They are 16.
I kind of think if male teachers can't keep their eyes to themselves, they shouldn't be teachers, right?!

AIBU to think this is a bit off?

I am moving jobs and will be more office based (which I wanted!!), but really struggling to know what to wear as there doesn’t seem to be much office wear in the shops anymore.

Pre Covid I was in my late 20s and my work wear was a mixture of shops but my go tos were Oasis, Warehouse, Hobbs, Jigsaw. I’ve been predominantly at home for the last 6 years and just in jeans/trainers/cardi when I have been in the office. I’ll be going to a regional office of a large accountancy firm so need to be quite smart but not overly smart if that makes sense.

I’ll definitely get some black and navy trousers for now, probably one slim leg and one wide leg. I like the look of some bits on Sezane so might do an order. I’m very happy about ballet flats being back “in” so will probably buy a couple of pairs for the summer. But I’d really love some inspiration of what people are actually wearing to the office now and where you’re all shopping!

Thanking you all in advance ☺️

For context I am closer to my Mother than I am anyone else. We get on very well, we go on minibreaks together a lot (we share interests that her and my Dad do not share so I am her 'trip' buddy go-to)and go out for lunch/dinner etc, we talk a lot, we're close. We don't have a bad relationship generally.

A few months ago I moved into a house near her.

Unfortunately, at the time of moving, I was also quite overwhelmed with work. I work part-time for a company but also have freelance work and two projects had come through at the same time as moving. I couldn't have predicted this really, nature of it but I had enough time, I just had to work very, very hard. The move had some complications and it was bad timing. I paid for help with moving when I wasn't available, also had some friends come over to help shift things etc, it went smoothly and all was fine but it was a very stressful period for me and I was very stressed and tired.

I also spent a lot of money in the move, I had some left over, but I did not want to spend it all at once, I wanted to be careful with it. I am single and live alone and I have to be a bit careful with money.

My biggest bugbear with the house was the garden. Previous occupants had flagged it all and I am a nature lover, I wanted grass, shrubs, greenery.

From day one my Mum has pressured me like anything into paying to get the garden landscaped, plants planted, everything taken away and done. She knew a fella who'd be great at it and it'd be done within a week or so. She nagged me a lot about this when all I could concentrate on was deadlines with work and doing essential things. She pressured me with some other move-related decisions which annoyed me but I gave in to those. This pressure made me so much more stressed at an already difficult time, I wasn't sleeping properly and felt myself becoming quite ill with it all.

But I did say, no, not what I want, I want to have a proper think about what I want the garden to be like, and I am too busy and distracted with work to do that currently. I also don't want someone I don't know coming in and doing it, it will stress me out. I'll think about how I want the garden, and then either do it myself or maybe get him to do it, but not yet. Really, I wanted (and still want!) to do it myself. Yes it will take a bit longer but I want to do it my way. I didn't see the urgency. Yes, the garden wasn't how I wanted it but I had too many other more pressing matters to concentrate on.

Mum put SO much pressure on me. When I said I had to be a bit careful with money as I had spent a lot on the house already, she offered to pay and was most annoyed when I didn't accept (parents are wealthy but although they paid for a lot of education for me, as a fully fledged adult I have not taken a penny from them)!

But once I had refused this, I thought that was the end of it.

One night after I had first moved in and my internet was not yet on, I was at her house doing my freelance work, and didn't finish until almost midnight. I had already worked my other job that day, it had been busy, so I was utterly shattered and gave up.

Went to say goodbye to her and she laid into me about the garden again. It may sound extreme but I was just so tired, I had switched my brain off and just wanted to go home and go to bed and I almost didn't even know what she was talking about. I said 'Mum, this has been put to bed, I am doing it myself', she wouldn't accept it and I admit that I snapped at her a little, not badly just 'Look I've worked an 18 hour shift, I cannot have this conversation now, thank you for letting me use your internet, I am going to bed'.

I felt guilty when I got home and sent her a message explaining that I have too much to do, I cannot put thoughts about the garden to the forefront of my mind when other things have urgency and that does not, and apologsised.

Again, I thought that was that.

That was about 2 months ago and she's just got back from being on holiday and came round a few days ago and started again about the garden. I have now taken a lot of the concrete up, done some planting and started to dig out bits where I want a lawn. I have done quite a lot as things have calmed at work. I got a lot of 'told you sos' (not exactly but, 'If you'd have just done what I said you'd have this all sorted by now!') and 'You wouldn't have it looking a mess had you done what I said' and again I explained that I wanted to do it myself, I am happy doing it myself, I did not and still do not want to pay a random bloke to do it, I am quite capable and I have already got a lot done.

Tonight, she rang me and the conversation again turned to my garden, only about the other part of it now which already has a lawn. I have not cut it. I like the concept of 'no mow May' and love sitting and watching pollinators and in the greenery, I know it is not everybody's 'thing' but it is mine. She said she was coming over this weekend with her strimmer'. I told her she was not! If I want it strimming I am quite capable of doing it, but I don't! I got told that the only reason I haven't done it is because I wouldn't have noticed it. I have! I just like it the way it is? It's not her garden, surely it doesn't affect her even if I don't cut the grass for years.

I love her to bits but this has become a real thorn in my side. I don't understand why it bothers her so much? She doesn't have to deal with it. As it is I am quite happy with the progress I have made so far and I don't see the massive rush.

Upon moving I was already pressured into some other decisions I am not happy with but I am putting my foot down on this one.

Please give me your recommendations for LVT flooring that isn't Amtico or Karndean.

I'm replacing aging laminate downstairs (hall, living room, dining room). Waited a long time so happy to pay for good quality which should mean Karndean or Amrico I think, but I just can't find one I like in their ranges. What other brands would give comparable quality/guarantees?

I dont want beading at the skirting so it has to be glue down I think, we have concrete floors under the existing laminate.

I like pale/neutral/light beige and want wide planks without much Knotting. Existing laminate is very orange which I hate so looking for cool, neutral tone, or slighly honey without being too warm. All the Amtico is too knotty or too textured for me. Karndean a bit better but still not quite hitting the spot.

I found some Moduleo ones I liked but am nervous about using them as they apparently have pulled out of the UK market and not many people supply it anymore.

Has to be reasonably hard wearing, large family and a cat.

What would you do?
Partner has had life limiting condition for last 5 years which has gradually worsened. Been together 8 years.

He is applying for Dignitas, he has asked his close friend if he would accompany him and he said he would.

Should I offer to go too and support him? I don't know if I can. I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from getting emotional and I know he won't want to see me upset. But surely as his partner I should put aside my feelings.

Could you, would you?

Very upset to have dropped and broken a favourite vintage bowl I bought from the charity shop years ago 😕😞

Can anyone tell me what this make/design of bowl is called so I can search on ebay etc?

Thanks.

Just back from my big supermarket shop and I’m genuinely shocked at how much prices have gone up AGAIN.

It feels like every week there’s another increase - milk, bread, meat, vegetables, even the own-brand basics that used to be affordable. Things that were £2 to £2.50 about 4-5 years ago are now all about £4 to £4.50. It feels like since last summer, the prices have exploded.

I’m really struggling to keep the weekly food bill under control while everything else (energy, petrol, council tax etc etc) is still sky high.

This is despite the government telling us last week how brilliantly the economy is doing!! It certainly doesn’t feel like it to me. And I just heard on the radio that this navel gazing by-election is apparently costing us £5 million, as it will lead to another mayor election.

So many families are worrying about feeding their kids properly and keeping the heating on. How are the rest of you managing? Any clever tips for cutting costs without it feeling miserable? Are your shops coming in much more expensive too? I’d really appreciate hearing how others are coping because I’m starting to feel a bit despairing about it all. Thanks in advance.