TheBoyandMe

The eagle-eyed (and incredibly loyal) reader amongst you, may know that every year around my son's birthday I ask him a series of questions. They are the same questions that I have asked every year since he was three years old, and as a parent it's interesting to see how his tastes have changed.

Sometimes they haven't (cheesy ham pasta) and sometimes they surprise me (well I never knew Welsh cakes were his favourite snack!), but the one thing that never waivers is how happy and cheeky he is.

(For the more observant amongst you, yes I forgot to do one last year; whoops!)

If you’re lucky enough to have some free space in your home, there are a whole host of ways you can put it to good use. Those who work from home, for example, might turn their spare room into an office, while those who often have family or friends to stay can design the guest bedroom of their dreams. But for those with children, it’s a great idea to use the free space to create a playroom.

Playrooms have a number of advantages: from giving the children somewhere to go while you get on with work, to ensuring that there’s a dedicated place to store their toys and clutter, so it’s definitely worth thinking about designing one. And from choosing sensible window coverings to opting for decor with educational value, there are lots of relatively simple design tricks you can use to get your playroom looking and feeling top notch.

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My boy.

My funny, compassionate and sensitive little boy who still loves to cuddle up with his teddies.

He is growing up so very fast. It astounds me how he changes from day to day, so when his birthday is approaching and it's time for me to reflect upon the things that he likes at his current age, the difference from the previous year is even more pronounced. Some things will never disappear I think (cheesy ham pasta and Oliver Monkey), but Peppa Pig has long since been relegated to the depths of Nick Jnr and I can't say that I miss her that much.

And so here's my boy, just after his 9th birthday, and all the things that make him who he is in his final year of single digits.

It was once labelled as one of the most stressful life events, running close to losing a loved one or going through a divorce.

Indeed, moving house can be a stressful, intense period of time in your life but, when you have finally moved into your new pad, all the stress and uncertainty evaporates.

Just how can you keep stress under control and make moving less onerous a task?

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