There goes that theory, then! So I am now going with the "In America, bigger = better" theory (look at our cars, our houses, our serving sizes!), combined with prepared foods, infrequent shopping, and refrigerating things that other people don't refrigerate. ;)

I'm such a nerd. I saw your title and was all excited because I didn't know there were colleges where one could play hoops, such an innocent and fun pastime. Then I realised you were talking about basketball. :blushing:

With six children, yes, I can well imagine you would need a bigger fridge. :) And it seems (at least on this board) that very large families in the US are not uncommon. Average number of children in Italy (Smeg is an Italian brand) is 1.43, and most of Western Europe has similar, though slightly higher, numbers. Guess that would also help explain why refrigerators in Europe are smaller and also why people on this board would prefer larger refrigerators.

HerRoom, Fig Leaves, Breakout Bras are a few, but you can also look at almost any store that sells good bras. Freya, Cleo, Fantaisie are some brands to look for.

A public health quarantine notice might do the trick. :zombiechase:

Aesthetics should win and I definitely hear you on not being able to do ugly. Splurge on what will bring you joy and cut costs on something less important.

Of course. :) DH always needs new undershirts. I will look into these, thanks.

Nor would I. There is a Polish (or is it Czech...?) brand that is less expensive than the more popular German (both brand names escape me at the moment). Or if you know any potters you could maybe persuade one to make one for you. You could also just get a big jar and use an air lock, that's what we do here.

Bigger fridges for bigger people. ;) I think it is probably because Americans use a lot more prepared food and also don't go to the market as often as people in the rest of the world.

I've always had a small fridge and prefer them. Smeg is a good brand. You are going to be looking at your fridge every day, so why not spend a little more and get the one that will make you happy? But IKEA sells fridges if you decide to be more frugal but still want a smaller appliance; have you looked there? ETA ...or maybe not: IKEA seems to only market their biggest fridges in the US. Too bad. :(

But never "wife beater" (sorry, offensive, but I don't know the actual name for those) undershirts! Add that to the list of no-no's! ;)

Perhaps it is a cultural thing, but where I grew up, men just don't wear black suits unless they are undertakers. It would be akin to buttoning the bottom button of a suit jacket, or wearing a short sleeved shirt, or not unbuttoning a single breasted jacket upon sitting, or wearing a matching tie and pocket square, or not matching the color of belt to the shoes, or wearing your tie stupid long (ahem!). These things would brand you as being of a class that is less than gentlemanly. A dark suit, sure. But black? Never.

Our orthodontist would refund anything we paid in advance and find us a like-minded colleague in the new city. Were I you, I would just ask the orthodontist instead of worrying and/or speculating about it. :)

How about a rebounder and a jump rope? Or skip the jump rope and just jump around. ;) http://www.cardiolatesmiddleeast.com/ The Bellicon is the best rebounder ever! eta oops. in my haste to rebounder-evangelise I didn't see that you wanted something you could read with. Yeah, that would be a challenge. But for just having fun and daydreaming during a workout it is great. Also, it is silent so audiobooks would not be a problem.

I'm sorry you are going through this. Practically speaking, who has control of the finances? Does he have a history of spending wildly during his episodes? If so, is there a way to prevent that?

Hmm... Not sure I buy this. I have linen sheets and towels that belonged to my (great?)grandmother that are still going strong. I find that linen lasts much longer (and is much more absorbent) than cotton.

Have you looked at Agnes Scott? Also an idyllic campus (in Decatur, GA) but much easier to get into than BMC. Not sure if it has the same passionate, intellectual vibe as BMC and I suspect it is more traditional than hipster but I don't know. I have a friend who teaches there that I could ask if you are interested.

No black suit. No no no no no. Gentleman do not wear black suits.

I'm sorry she is feeling poorly. :( Is it cycling? That is definitely a sign of malaria - waking up soaked in sweat at night but feeling relatively okay during the day. Not fun, but a fairly quick fix, as you undoubtedly know, and I'd rather have malaria again than dengue any day!

You could try subtitles (in French) if you need a visual clue. They don't normally exactly match what is being said but it should help. :)

Montreal.

Memrise is another free program that could help. There are lots of different choices there. I like it better than Duolingo, which I find has some weird quirks. Oh, and Spanish TV (especially soap operas!) with subtitles is another fun and easy way to learn the language.

I confess I can't use regular old disposable pens without feeling guilty about the plastic going into a landfill.

Lamy Safari fountain pens are smooth and never leak, even on airplanes. I also really like Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens (I refill them though rather than dispose of them)- they are very smooth and come in fun colors.

LOL Certainly not. I read that and thought "Tell that to all those with a PhD in Humanities!"