My parents moved in with us when we moved to this house, about a year and a half ago. My dad has Parkinson's, Dystonia, and host of other ailments. I wouldn't say we had a great relationship growing up...especially with mom. I worked in a nursing home as a high school senionr and vowed we'd never put my parents in a place like that. So...here we are. We do love them very much. There are things about it that are inconvenient, but overll I think it's been a bigger adjustment for them than it has for us. In our mindset, it's just what you do for family. Period. I have been given far better than I deserve from many people in my life. So even though the relationship wasn't great when I was younger, I want to demonstrate grace in my relationship, which, by the way, is much improved over the years.

Thanks to you both. This is very helpful. Off to check ebay discussion boards! Lisa

I have several clothing items to sell and was wondering about the best way to ship them. I really like the heavy duty plastic bags that companies like Lands End and Eddie Bauer use. Are these economical? If so, where do you get them? Just wanting to save as much as possible on shipping expenses. Thanks! Lisa

These are all great ideas! I bought pink tulle to go inside the vases and lavender to tier in a bow on the outside. I think I might try the Dollar Tree idea, though, and see if I can weave some baby items in with the toulle to "baby" it up a little bit more. Thanks, ladies! Lisa

I think I might do the tulle idea, along with some artifical flowers woven in. Going to the craft store tonight to see what I can find. Thanks for the ideas!

I have a set of 3 glass cylinders of varying height. Each one has a glass insert that rests on top for a candle, but the cylinders themselves are hollow and meant to be filled with decorative items. I've used cranberries and pine boughs at Christmas, sea shells in the summer, easter egg candies at Easter, and several other items depending on the holiday. I'm throwing a baby girl shower, and want to use these cylinders, but can't think of anything to fill them with that's pinkish and inexpensive. Any ideas?

:iagree:

On another note, I only have one pair of khaki pants (for church) for each one of my boys. I have 1 pair of sheets for each bed, but a couple of extra sets that could go on anyone's bed in case of emergency.

I like cleaning and organizing the fridge and pantry. I also like organizing. I loathe dusting.

This year, just before Christmas, I found some stocking stuffers that I had bought before Christmas last year! I had purchased some sporks from REI, one in each color for my four older boys, since they do lots of camping. I discovered them in a hanging shoe bag in my closet with a pair of shoes I hadn't worn in a while. Needless to say, they were in *this* year's stockings.

We've been watching Eyes on the Prize with my 15 and 13 year old sons. It's about the Civil Rights Movement, something that I felt like my boys didn't know enough about. Be aware, however, that there are some graphic images because of the types of violent acts that were being carried out against the black community.

Well, I'm off to the health food store for some D-Mannose, some vitamin C, and some Aloe Vera juice. I ended up calling my doctor, too, and got an appt. for tomorrow. She's what I'd describe as certified MD gone natural. I spoke with the receptionist, and she assured me that the Dr. is sympathetic with my efforts to avoid the antibiotics. She said they have some supplmenets she often recommends for folks who don't want to go that route. She'll also do a culture to verify and classify the bacteria. I feel better knowing that she'll do what she can to help me avoid the medication if at all possible. I suppose if she prescribes an RX, I could always hold off on filling it if I think I'm close to getting rid of it. For the record, I have had success *after* coming down with an infection getting rid of it with cranberry capsules. I know it's also helpful with prevention, but in many cases (all of mine until now) it can also be a cure. It's anti-adherent properties are typically effective in preventing the bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. For some reason, the bacteria aren't seeming to take notice of this rule of thumb this time around :001_smile:. Haven't they done their homework? Thanks for all the great advice and tips. I'm not giving up yet, but do have an appointment with the Dr. for a safeguard. Lisa

I've had this infection since Thursday and I'm getting discouraged. Let me say, I've gotten rid of these before on my own with large doses of both cranberry capsules (Cranactin) and 100% cranberry juice. I'm vehemently against going to the doctor at this point. Antibiotics really mess me up, and I'm going to cry if I have to resort to that. I'm not in a ton of pain, and there are some times that I go to the bathroom where nothing hurts at all, but then I start having the burning again, off and on. I'm drinking loads of water. I'm drinking loads of 100% cranberry juice. I've gone through 2 full bottles of Cranactin. I'm avoiding sugar and caffeine, eating lots of vegetables, fruit, and lean protein. I don't have fever or body aches, I don't have any symptoms that it's spread to the kidneys. It's not getting worse, it just keeps getting mostly better, but not all the way. Any other advice besides going to the doctor? I really want to kick this thing on my own, but I'm getting discouraged. Lisa

I rarely cook breakfast. My boys cook for themselves or eat cereal, yogurt, toast, granola, etc... Sandwiches, fruit and chips daily for lunch. Occasionally we'll have homemade bean burritos. The kids reheat the beans themselves (made from scratch in my pressure cooker) and throw them in a tortilla. I probably cook dinner from scratch 4-5 days/week. I make huge quantities because they eat so much, but also so I'll have leftovers, which we eat on the nights I don't cook. Also, unless we're having company, I don't do multiple course meals. My mom used to have a meat, two vegetables, a fruit, and a bread at each dinner, all accompanied by a glass of milk and followed by dessert. I'm not that fancy. Dinner last night was Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup with salad (mostly just romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes with a few grated carrots on top) and a $0.99 loaf of french bread from Sprouts. So really, all I cooked was the soup. That's pretty typical. Oh, I do make lots of homemade desserts. Baking is my thing. In a given week, I probably make 3-4 batches of dessert, i.e. cookies, bars, cupcakes, brownies, pies, caramel corn. We're big dessert eaters over here. Also, my kids clean the kitchen and run the dishwasher several times a day.

Ditto the wipes. Flushable. Lollipops (for buying time with my 4 year old when I'm running errands.) Frequent rider card for the kiddie train in my local mall. Sippee cup in side pocket.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad at Every. Single. Holiday. Baklava, Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Banana Bread, Rosemary Bread, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Sausage Party Ryes, Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Cowboy Cookies, Chicken Spaghetti. There are more, but these are a few.

I'm fascinated by the effects of media on culture, i.e. internet, television, video games, ipods, iphones, texting, facebook. I know there's no shortage of books/documentaries about such things, but I think I'd enjoy gathering the information, conducting the studies, drawing conclusions, etc...

As far as the kids' activities, we're out very early on Monday a.m. for art class, then again on Thursday afternoons for Chemistry and Physical Science for my oldest two. Ds 15 also takes Great Books and Latin online, so we don't have to leave the house for those. I purposely scheduled Monday art very early and Thursday Science very late. That way, our basic school day is uninterrupted. I hate having middle of the day activities. It ruins the whole day for us. I try to fit in my one-on-one time with the kids for schoolwork in the mornings. That way, I can run errands if I need to in the afternoon while they're working independently. I have to take my 4 year old with me, though. I try to schedule Dr. appointments on holidays, summer break, or very early in the a.m....again, to avoid interruptions in the middle of the day. I also do a great deal of shopping online (clothes, shoes, housewares, books, office supplies, etc...) so I don't have to leave home.

Each one of the boys will get an ornament and a t-shirt unique to him. Something that signifies a milestone, hobby, favorite place special to him this past year. As a group, I usually buy a few dvds and games for everyone to enjoy together. Among this year's dvds are comedy acts with Brian Regan, Tim Hawkins, and Bill Cosby. Comedy is always a hit with teenage boys. Ds 15 wants a couple of LeCrae cds, a hoodie, a new cap, some chocolate, and some $. Ds 13 wants some Legos and $. Ds 11 wants an ipod nano (refurb.), a new bank, and some books Ds 9 wants Legos, books, and an airsoft gun. Ds 4 wants a viking helmet, an iron man helmet, a backpack, and a castle (getting the Melissa and Doug folding wooden castle.) Dh wants a new 18 volt cordless drill, a couple of books, and some new shoes. I got a kindle 3g, a cover, a Lands' End fleece nightgown, and some kitchen gadgets.

I'm using mine right now-a Kindle. Sitting here at Six Flags TX while my boys are riding Shock Wave, surfing WTM and getting ready to read Brothers Karamazov. In my stocking I'll get a strawberry huller, a pineapple slicer, and a lettuce knife. Hubby also likes to take the boys to Yankee Candle to let them each pick a votive candle. I think that's plenty!

Which part of what I propose? So you like the black chair rail idea, but what to do with the baseboards? Black or white? And do I change the rest of the white trim throughout the kitchen to go with black, or just change to black right around the eat-in-table area? Thanks so much for the help!

I know many parents who take a sort of hands-off, I just want my kids to be happy approach, and don't set the bar at all with regards to education, time management, practical skills, etc...I saw this pilot episode of the Cosby Show last night where Theo has a brief monologue about how his parents should just love him "for who he is" instead of expecting so much from him in school. He just wants to be a "regular person" and figures that his parents should love him (which of course they do) because he's their son, not because of what he accomplishes. Theo's little speech gets a huge round of applause from the audience, but Bill Cosby's response is priceless...and exactly what I would've said. The whole 10 minute clip is hysterical, but if you just want the monologue and response, go to 6:45. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvmTE6k93E I tell my kids all the time that my goal for them is not to make the most money, get into prestigious schools, etc...but that every time they get by with "good enough", they're closing doors of opportunity. I don't want their future choice to be severely limited because of the poor choices they make now. I have 3 nephews who didn't go to college because they wanted to get on with the rest of their lives. Two are now married and wanting to go back to school. One of those two has a baby and going back to school now is going to be so much harder than it would have been when he was young and single. His wife wants to stay at home, but can't because she needs to work so he can go to school. The third nephew is handicapped and is living in the dorm. He's in his mid-twenties and feels like a dork because he's living in the dorm with 18 year olds. He regrets not going to college when his friends went. He'd be out and working by now. You know what he did for all those yeas in between? Played video games while living at home with his mom. All 3 of these boys are brothers, trying to go back to school. I applaud them for that. They all regret choosing not to go sooner, and feel like they've closed the doors of opportunity in one way or another. Neither one of their parents completed college, so I think that's part of why they didn't expect/encourage their own boys to do so. Not a right or wrong decision, but once again...closing doors to opportunity and limiting their options.

My walls are a neutral color called Tumbleweed. My chairs (which very often get bumped against the wall) are painted black. Imagine farmhouse style, kinda distressed, and a large brown wood farmhouse style table. If I pick any color for chair rail paint other than black, I'm going to get black marks on the chair rail. As it stands right now, I have basically a large black stripe going around the wall from the chairs rubbing against it. I do know that if I put in a chair rail, I'll need to paint below it with a darker accent color. That won't be a problem. But then I have baseboard trim that's white. Wouldn't it look bad to have Tumbleweed on the top of the wall, black chair rail next, darker accent color, followed by white baseboard? But then if I do black baseboards in the eat-in area near the table, I don't want that look all through my kitchen. All the other trim in my kitchen is white (doorways, windowsill, etc...)The only other thought I had was to do black wainscoting from the chair rail down, but that seems more involved than what I want. Any ideas would be appreciated. BTW, I do have black in my granite countertops. Also, my cabinets are kind of a golden, peanut butter and honey color.

Wendy K., Thanks so much. Also, I just had to laugh at your "Find x" picture. Hubby just sent me an email yesterday with a list of funny test/homework answers from kids, and that one was on it. I was in hysterics. I like the turkey leg idea. Would that be in the meat section, freezer section, or what? Lisa

My husband loves beans, but won't touch pork products with a ten foot pole. So many bean soup recipes call for ham or bacon. What can I substitute for nice flavor without using pork products.... And by the way, several lasagna recipes that I've been wanting to try call for both ground beef and breakfast sausage (one by Pioneer Woman and one from Allrecipes) Would you use turkey sausage instead, or just double up on the beef? Thanks!