Chocolate eclair cake This recipe is similar only I use chocolate Graham crackers and make my own chocolate icing with cocoa and confectioners sugar.

I know this is frustrating, but I'm glad to know I'm in good company. The same thing happened to me with the last audiobook I finished. 😅

Me, too! I have laughed and laughed at that! I'm envisioning a long list of adjectives on the board. 😉

Cool! I live in the southeast and have never heard of them!

I have to share what my youngest gave me for Mother's Day. He's ten and he made it at school. God bless his teacher! The funny thing that happened that he didn't remember but that I told him about is that I DID fall down "between two boulders." We were hiking with a big group from our co-op and we were going down a very steep trail down into a river canyon. One of the dads on the trip offered to give my little one (maybe 2 at the time) a ride down on his shoulders when I expressed apprehension about carrying him down. The dad did just that, and very quickly and nimbly, with nary a stumble. I, on the other hand, slid on the leaf litter and was VERY thankful not to be carrying ds. It was quite funny (& I did not get hurt).

Finished The Secret Book Of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry tonight. SO GOOD! History, mystery, fairytale--fans of Kate Morton will likely enjoy.

I listened to this one sometime last year and really liked it.

Ok, so you're telling me that Persil detergent is the same as Wisk stain remover? 🤯

I haven't read all responses so excuse me if this has been said already -- another resource could be the library. Some libraries host meetups for homeschoolers, and at the very least, I imagine your children's librarian probably knows a few families s/he might be able to connect you with. (I'm speaking from experience as a public library children's librarian.)

Our seventh grader got a smartphone (old iPhone) this year. He has limited functionality (no internet browser, for example) and it is used primarily for texting. (He also has the weather channel app and Spotify.). He "needed" it for communicating after school sports and band practices, etc. I question the need due to our proximity to school but also recognize he was one of the only (if not THE only) kid his age at his school without one. It has been a mixed bag for attention reasons but overall okay/good for social reasons.

Thanks for all your recommendations! I watched several of Nisha Vora's YouTube videos and made her red lentil curry today. So good!!

One dd graduating hs this year--homeschooled until high school. She's my last kid who was mostly homeschooled. It's bittersweet.

I personally like your current hair and don't think it looks bad at all. Actually, my hair is similar except more weighted on the bottom which ends up looking like a bob even when I don't want it to. My hair, too, is wavy but not really curly, and I have had some success with curly girl methods but I do get tired of going around half the day with wet-looking hair because it makes me feel unkempt. I'm following with interest to see what the Hive comes up with for you!

I just finished Go As a River by Shelley Read and LOVED it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟. It reads a bit like a YA novel to me because the protagonist is seventeen at the beginning of the novel. It follows her until she's middle aged, and so much happens--to the point that several of the events could've "taken up" a whole novel each. However, Read manages to bring them all together to a very poignant ending. This might be my best read of 2023. It will take something special to top it!

Just finished The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. It's not light--Russian female sniper in WW2--but it's very engrossing (& based on a real person's life.) I definitely enjoyed the audiobook due to the Russian accents.

I only use the one that you just scan your receipt and go--Fetch. You automatically get some points just for scanning; different products earn different amounts of points for periods of time. Most of what I buy doesn't earn big points, but over time I've earned over $100 worth of Amazon giftcards by being consistent. (I, too, have a code should anyone want to try it! 😉)

@Corraleno , do you have a favorite recipe source?

Thanks @Staciaand @SHP for the Oatly recommendation. I got some this morning and am enjoying it now in my coffee!

I do have another question. If you're a consumer of fancy coffee, what do you use for cream? This is one of the things I struggle to find an adequate sub for. I like my coffee creamy!

I just want to say thank you to EVERY one who has responded. The kindness and generosity of time you all always show never ceases to inspire me. I posted this on a whim this morning before work and checked in periodically through the day. This inspired me to eat only veggies and grains for supper (well, the bread was homemade cornbread and did have dairy, etc.). I especially appreciate those of you who have mentioned the ease of eating this way. This has encouraged me! I am also relieved by the assurances of the protein sufficiency of this way of eating. Again, MANY thanks!

Like previous posters, I just make bar cookies from the Nestle Toll House recipe on the bag. Simple and delicious! I particularly like baking them in a 13 x 9 casserole dish or pan, but I imagine you could also use a pizza pan for a similar result, though you might have to adjust the recipe for thickness.

Our ps elementary experience has been that a room mom sends out a letter "unbeknownst" to the teacher with the teacher's favorites (restaurants, stores, candy, drinks, etc.). This year my fourth grader was even assigned a day to bring his note and gift (Wednesday) so as to spread the love throughout the week. We're sending in a couple of Starbucks gift cards. I choose consumable gifts. As a former teacher, I know how overwhelming lots of tchotchkes can get where teacher appreciation is A Thing. In schools where it isn't (& I've been in those, too), literally anything would've been appreciated (but also perhaps somewhat guilt-inducing because this was a high-poverty school).

Just finished (excepting less than 10 minutes of the epilogue) The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. I feel it truly deserves 5 stars. Knowing it's based on fact makes it so much better--and Kate Quinn's storytelling is superb.

I'm interested in WFPB but am really trying to up my protein intake. I have not researched this but know many boardies eat this way, so I thought I'd ask you all. Are you conscious of this when you eat, and if you are, how do you manage it? (Please talk to me like I'm a kindergartener about this because I am.)

Thank you for this thread. I have a question about WFPB but I'll post it in its own thread.