I was taken aback when my son and his girlfriend asked if they could move in with us while they save a deposit

A recent trip to my local shop was like a festive horror scene. Shiny baubles and velvet bows lined in rows across from skeletons and fake blood.

I'm not a clean-freak or a germ-phobe, but this is just disgusting

This is never a position I imagined that I would find myself in, and I'm genuinely torn about what to do

The smell is really awful: A rancid odour mixed with the smell of wet dog. I'm not sure what to do

My neighbour told me he felt pressured to make sure that, not only are the gifts he gets his grandchildren equal in monetary value, but that they all need to be similar in size and in how personal they are

I remember a time when you couldn't get into a club with runners on. Now, you'd be hard-pressed to see someone not wearing runners on a night out.

Over the last few weeks, I've seen an increasing volume of stressed-out-looking parents trying to placate toddlers in trolleys and negotiate treats at the checkout

With the warm weather, it is akin to living next to a slurry pit, or maybe it's worse. I've even seen some well-fed maggots crawling down the side of it

I'm a single parent and I'm lonely. I haven't ruled out meeting someone in the future and settling down with them, but it's not something I want in my life just now