I recently upgraded my concealer to a more creamy and slightly heavier brand. It seems to be working better for me. The older I get, the worse those circles look! I've even considered putting some concealer on before going to the gym because I'm pretty sure I look like I'm sick!

I heard on a podcast once that urges can't make you do anything. They're just feelings and they will pass. I think being mindful of the feeling of the urge and just reminding myself that it doesn't mean I have to respond to it was very helpful for me.

Have you looked at the DSM criteria for bipolar 1/2? Do you feel that you fit the criteria? If so, then, yes, your episodes sound like hypomania. Your best friends will be the proper meds, a predictable sleep pattern, CBT and DBT therapies, and regular exercise. Also, look for a mood tracker app to download so you can chart and journal to find patterns. When it rains it pours sometimes!

It occurred to me that I haven't seen her around the last couple of weeks. Maybe more?? Anyone know if she's just on a board break?

Oh, Lord. I'm so very sorry for the loss of your precious girl. It must feel as if your heart can't possibly bear it. This is a loss like no other, and I'm grieving with you. You did NOT fail her. Contrary to what others (and what we moms) believe, parents can't control the future and we can't prevent every tragedy and heartbreak. You did so much for her as her fierce advocate and support system. There are things that are out of our hands, and no matter how vigilant we are and how hard we try, we can't control every outcome. I hope and pray that as you remember your sweet daughter, you will let responsibility for her too-early death fall off your shoulders. Her life was too short, but YOU made it a worthwhile one, and I have no doubt that she felt your love each day.

It wouldn't bother me, but I think the answer to this question depends on the marital relationship. If there are problems between husband and wife, I can imagine this would cause an issue.

This. I am religious about logging out of Google and FB when surfing.

Not that I "would never dream of" having a junk drawer or anything, but we have enough drawers in our kitchen that all items are grouped according to need and function. So the one drawer that may *look* junky if I haven't straightened it recently is the one that hold pens, pencils, highlighters, sticky note pads, paperclips, rubber bands, and matches. Sometimes it gets messy, but we all know what's in it, and we all know to look there first if we need any of the aforementioned items. So. Not a junk drawer in the pure sense.

I would approach this differently. Depending on what my relationship was like with DD, I would say something. OP said she knows her DD isn't happy with her weight gain, but doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Maybe she's stuck or feels out of control. Assuming she's said something to OP, I would step in and ask her why she thinks she's put on weight. Too busy to make better choices? Stress eating? Too much late night pizza? Then I would proceed to help her come up with a plan to maintain a healthier weight.

She was wrong and rude, imo. However, I wouldn't draw the line by saying you won't host for anyone not willing to go to Eve service with you. It's probably a better idea to clearly lay out the plans (expectations, really, but you can call them plans) so your guests know what the deal is.

I remember your past posts about your DH, his mental illness, and the great lengths you went to in order to salvage the marriage, if at all possible. You're a strong and clear-sighted woman. You've taken so many difficult steps with wisdom and care, and I'm sure you'll continue in the same manner. Prayers that you find a suitable work situation soon. :grouphug:

I'm sorry. :grouphug:

First order was in 2000. For several years I bought regular books, movies, baby items, etc. On May 31, 2006, I bought The Well-Trained Mind, and the rest, as they say, is history. :lol: What a great thread. :)

I call my oldest DS by my youngest brother's name after we have been visiting with bro and his family. I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

Man, I cook for HUGE eaters every.single.day. Ain't no way I'm spending more time in the kitchen just to bake! Plus, I would eat too much, and I can't afford the weight gain. We get so many goodies every year from friends, neighbors, and DH's work, so nobody's sugar-deprived over here, lol.

It's little pieces of glue. Pretty common.

Sorry, OP. Personally, I don't get those priorities either. :grouphug: :grouphug:

I have a FB friend who calls himself a "nerd" because he loves listening to podcasts and reading theology. It's definitely supposed to be self-deprecating in his case. Sort of, "Look how smart and intellectual I am." It's kind of annoying, tbh. Especially because it does come up a lot, and honestly, most people I know would be classified as nerds if this were the main criteria. It's also like he/they are fishing for compliments from their 10,000 FB "friends", lol.

I've wondered if I'm missing anything by not having one! I rarely bake...like almost never. The most I do is use a box mix for cakes or brownies. I can't imagine needing a mixer for that. My friend who bakes cookies weekly swears by hers.

I have to say that I was so happy with the way the whole series finished. Usually I dislike shows that have such lovely endings because they feel so unrealistic. But after all the ups and downs with Downtown, I couldn't have been happier with the perfect ending. :001_wub:

I never thought much about having kids until after I was married. I was very academically driven, and higher education and a professional career were instilled in me from my family growing up. When I got married, I worked FT and loved it. BUT, as soon as we talked about getting pregnant, the context was always that I would stay home full time and raise the kids. Both DH and I had grown up with SAHMs, so that was what we knew and what we both felt would be best for our family. I also never thought about homeschooling until it fell in my lap...but that's a whole other story.

To be fair, it really depends on the dynamics in the relationship and the personalities involved. I have absolutely had times in my life that I didn't realize how much weight I had gained. Like I knew I had gained *some*, but was completely shocked when I stepped on the scale at my doctor's office or saw myself in a photograph. I think for some people the mind can justify, minimize, and deceive. Having said that, if my DH told me I was gaining weight and therefore he was no longer attracted to me, I would be devastated. That's also why I would never say it to him. Instead I encourage him to exercise regularly and try to have healthy foods prepared for him at home. But I can completely imagine (and actually I know some personally) couples for whom it wouldn't be devastating to hear that they've noticed the spouse has put on a little weight. NOT the "I'm not attracted to you" part, but just the observation of weight gain, even with the implicit statement that they ought to do something about it. Case in point, our friend whose wife told him his gut was getting out of hand. He sheepishly agreed, and cut way down on beer and pizza. He wasn't hurt by her remarks; he heard them and did something. Had she said she wasn't attracted to him, that may have been a whole other story. But I have to say that for some couples, the mere mention that, "Hey, I think you're gaining some weight. How can I help you?" wouldn't be relationship-wrecking.

Let's not forget that this thread has gone down many, MANY trails, and is now addressing variations on the OP. "Two people get married. They are attracted to each other. Years go by. Spouse A tries to stay in shape, Spouse B does not. More years go by. Spouse B is overweight. They are still in love and have a good marriage but Spouse A is not physically attracted to Spouse B. What should Spouse A do?" This says to me that Spouse B is "overweight", not obese. This says nothing about health problems being the reason for Spouse B's weight problems, although it's possible. But since the OP doesn't say that, we should assume health problems aren't a contributing factor to the weight gain. This says that Spouse B *does not try to stay in shape* while Spouse A does. I feel like the answer to the question "What should Spouse A do" was probably addressed earlier on in the thread before emotions and word choices became inflamed and people were alternately shamed and attacked. But then again, this is the Hive, and lively discourse and provocative statements are some of the reasons many of us hang out here. So much more interesting than the geography I'm supposed to be grading! :001_smile:

What should Spouse A do? I'm not sure he/she can just get over not being physically attracted to Spouse B. Most likely A needs to cultivate and nurture attraction to the other wonderful qualities that B had to begin with, with the hopes that it will lead to physical attraction.

I also have seen a ton of those homecoming pics of my friends' daughters in itsy bitsy, super tight dresses. Their breasts are mashed together to reveal cleavage, their skirts are right below their butt cheeks...it's shocking to me because they're revealing so darn much of themselves. And yes, they want to look pretty, and yes, I'm fairly certain that most 16 yo girls know that when they wear clothes like that they look sexy/hot/whatever the word is nowadays. If they were going for simply "pretty" there are many other ways to dress that don't draw inordinate attention to their breasts and booty. I think they look waaaaay too grown up, and I find it inappropriate. I would *not* allow my daughter to dress that way. Just my opinion. I haven't, however, ever looked at those pics and thought to myself, "Huh. She's probably going to be assaulted tonight." FWIW, one of my sons put on a pair of dress pants for a formal occasion he was attending, and they were tight around his junk and trunk. He was comfortable in them, but I was not. We didn't buy the pants because I don't want my son parading around like Baryshnikov unless he's on stage in tights and getting paid for it.