[Another thread on acne issues]

Paula's Choice products worked for me, specifically the beta hydroxy lotion.

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/acne-and-acne-treatment.aspx

[S/O Why is it so terrible to live at home before marriage?]

I lived at home till I got married at 26 - my DH didn't.

 

I am the one who can budget and save money - my DH is useless at it.

 

Being able to figure out finances is more about the way you were raised then whether you lived independently or not.

 

My mum was a single mum and I saw how she watched every penny and budgeted like crazy. I in turn learned not to live outside my means and to make sure I had enough money to cover all costs before I spent for pleasure. Having little money meant I was used to delaying gratification and had no problem waiting to buy things until I had saved the cash. My mum was in no position to help me out with school costs, cars etc so once I got my first job all thoses things were my own responsibility.

 

My DH on the other hand grew up in an affluent family. If he ran out of money he just asked his parents for more which they gave him. He has always overspent with the thought in the back of his head that he will recieve help from his parents when he overextends himself or when he recieves an inheritance. He has never learnt to wait for something till he saves the cash -he buys whatever he wants on credit. He never learnt to live without things and always wants instant gratification. He can't distinguish needs from wants.

 

Our finances are really dire because of my DH's spending habits and inability to budget. We've been married 10 years and I have yet to break him of this habit.

 

So no -I don't think living at home vs living indpendently has much reflection on financial responsibilty.

 

I am in a similar situation. My dh lived on his own for 17 years before we married, yet he got us into debt over and over again. It's almost like an addiction. Although, his family was not rich. My dh's spending is on get rich quick schemes, so I think it has more to do with self-image.

 

Anyway, in our case there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. With the slowdown in the economy, our credit is really bad. He can't get any more credit, and he sees that there are no more bailouts, since we've exhausted all of them. For the first time in our 11 year marriage, I really see change in his attitude towards money. Of course, we have little money for retirement and dd's education, but at least I can sleep at nights.

 

So you never know, there is hope!

 

If all it took was moving out at 18-21 to create fiscally and emotionally responsible adults ready for marriage, I'd wager this country would be a whole lot better circumstances in those areas than it actually is.

 

So true!

[Progression of bible in SL and MFW]

One of the reasons I chose SL is that the Bible is separate from the history/lit. There are areas where I usually disagree with the interpretation of the curriculum author. I like to do my own Bible study.

[any way to bump up the "fun" with MUS?]

I like the Living Math website. My dd loves living math books, and they help to cement the concepts. There is also suggestions for games.

 

www.livingmath.net

[s/o easy readers- what's wrong with memorizing a list of sight words?]

I taught my dd to read using a combination of phonics and sight words. If I had used phonics only, I don't think she would have learned to read, or at the very least enjoyed it.

 

I believe she is one of those 30-40% that pick up the patterns naturally. What I haven't seen addressed is that there are kids who do not do well with phonics only, and my dd was one of them. I think she is a whole to parts learner, and Reading Reflex, combined with the Pathway Readers, worked well with her.

 

She is 9, but reads at a middle school level, perhaps even high school. She can read new words, even difficult ones. I asked her how she learned them, and she said closed captioning. I have a hearing problem, and she watches all of her shows with cc. I had to admit, it made me laugh.