My friend is unreasonable with his four-year-old. How can I help him be a better dad? | Parents and parenting

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My dear friend has turned out to be an appalling father. He has unmanaged anxiety, admits to being an alcoholic, is in a relationship of convenience with the mother of his child after deciding, whether unilaterally or mutually, that they cannot resolve their differences, and seemingly only notices the bad about his four-year-old son. His … Read more

How a dawn chorus break in Gloucestershire opened my ears to the birds | Gloucestershire holidays

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Silhouettes dart across a lake and the pale morning sky. Avocets screech high-pitched cries, defending their eggs from a squawking crow that circles above, while a barnacle goose with a barking call flies overhead. There are 12 of us watching and listening on a dawn chorus workshop at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Slimbridge … Read more

Mid-strength drinks are having a moment. Here are 10 of the best lower-ABV beverages | Summer food and drink

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These days, there are plenty of brilliant low- and no-alcohol options for when you want to stay off the sauce. But what if you’re wanting to enjoy a “real” drink – just minus the negative effects? Step up to the stage, mid-strength drinks. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you … Read more

From stick-on tiles to bookshelves: nine easy ways to update your rental home on a budget | Interiors

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Renting often means living with someone else’s design choices, from magnolia walls and tired carpets to ugly furniture. And the worst part is, you usually can’t do much about it. While social media is full of dreamy interiors and home renovation projects, most renters don’t have the option to knock down walls, retile a bathroom, … Read more

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for millefoglie, or puff pastry and cream sandwich cake | Baking

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Every now and then, a local restaurant called La Torricella has millefoglie among its regular offerings of lemon sorbet, tiramisu, pineapple-cut-into-a-fan, and pine nut or vanilla gelato with strawberries. Customers are very likely to have spotted the millefoglie long before seeing it typed up on the paper menu, though, because it will be sitting near … Read more