Ok, the floors aren't really fake, they do exist! The fake part is what I'm putting on them. So, we have a big house that was hit hard with the 80's stick. We got it cheap knowing that it would be years of updating. As an aside, this was a mistake. Our interest rate is so low, we should have spent more for an already updated house. Constant home improvements will suck the life right out of you. The original plan was tile in areas with water and hardwood everywhere else (no carpet, carpet is disgusting). Tile and hardwood are expensive. The current floors are hideous. It is hard for me to clean because it is all so damn ugly. How does the hive feel about LVP and fake wood floors (laminate??)? This is a middle class neighborhood so high end is not expected. Will I regret not saving longer for nicer floors? Part of me hates the idea of fake stuff but most of me just wants to make some progress.

I used to hear a lot about him. I've not heard anything in awhile. Is he still around?

Yawn.

My neighbor has a 13yo daughter who is my daughter's BFF. Since we are neighbors, BFF is here a lot so I know her well. I have talked to her dad several times but just neighbor talk. Dad has a long-term, off and on girlfriend. No one likes the girlfriend. Girlfriend wants a bigger house (than 5000 sq ft!) so she is pushing Dad to move. I do not want them to move; the girls are so close and BFF is a very sweet girl. BFF was complaining to me that girlfriend goes through her drawers. I told her to tell her dad. She said that her mother also told her to tell her dad but she wasn't going to. Should I mention it to dad? I want to because girlfriend is really crossing a line but also because I want her gone so they don't move (terrible, I know). Probably not, right?

Pretty universally, no one's parents talked to them and we're all talking more to our kids. But, teen pregnancy rates are not going down. What gives?

My cousin's DH is in the military and she is sharing photos of their recent move. It looks like blind, drunk monkeys packed her boxes! And she's like, "Yep, this is just how it is". Hats off to you, ladies, for your grace in the face of less-than-perfect circumstances!

Ok, I've had 5 kids and I'm pretty close to 40. But, I can still gets abs like Michelle Rodriguez, right?!? It isn't a total lost cause?!?

Help me brainstorm! I want a part time job. We have some big expenses coming up and I'd like to contribute. Only one of our children is currently homeschooled and she is done in a year and they will all be in school all day. I have a degree in Literature which is worthless except that I can check the box for college degree. I haven't worked in 15 years. When I did work, I enjoyed accounts receivable/payable. I like clerical work (I love looking at a list of tasks and checking them off). My big BIG problem is that I have to have something flexible. DH has very little flexiblity. Someone has to be available if a child is sick or a car breaks down or the school is having a play. There is no amount of money that would convince me to have a rigid schedule; it is that important. Any ideas? I'd love some kind of at-home bookkeeping/clerical work. Is that a thing?

There should be some warning on Netflix when you are watching a cancelled show!! I just finished season 5 of Haven on Netflix. I googled to see when season 6 would be out. Nope. Show cancelled. Sorry, you'll never know what happens. Ugh.

I have a friend (IRL and on FB) who just posted a long paragraph about how she has collected too many friends and will be clearing them out tonight. If we are her "true friends" we will copy and paste DO NOT SHARE her long paragraph. Then she will let us stay. Huh?? I almost wonder if she was drinking when she wrote it.

I'm in the beginning stages of looking for what to do with my life when my youngest goes to school in 1.5 years (we don't homeschool anymore). Does anyone know anything about medical coding? My sister is a doctor and she says in her hospital, doctors have to do their own coding now so maybe it is a dying industry??

What is the right answer here? This is a real situation happening to someone I know. The workplace is a small law office with about 50 people. There are 2 floors. Each floor has a men's room and a woman's room. They do not own the building so they can not alter it. An employee of about 5 years is transitioning from female to male. He would like to start using the men's room. Several men are uncomfortable with this. Normally, I'd say "get over it" but I see their point. This is a person they have worked with and known as a female and now they are supposed to share a restroom. It is uncomfortable. What says the Hive??

I just read a snippet about a doctor in India who is trying to change the way people view daughters (not as wanted as sons) by not charging to deliver girls and having a party in the hospital at the birth of a girl. It made me think--why are men always more highly valued? You see it in different times and different cultures that sons are valued over daughters. Are there any cultures that value daughters over sons?? Is it due to physical strength? Men can overpower women so they get to be the boss so sons are better? It makes no sense. Women grow children! That's pretty darn important! In my head, the birth of a girl would ensure that your family line continues. Why do most cultures view sons as better??

Ok, I bought it during their Black Friday sale and have yet to use it. It has literally been on my to-do list since January 1 to "set up PTE". The few low-carb sites I've tried to import from didn't work so I guess I need to do it manually?? I really want to use it!

I think the old expression that "money can't buy happiness" is wrong. I couldn't sleep at all last night so I was thinking all my random thoughts. I've recently become a FB friend with a person I know casually who I've always thought was very happy. I knew she was not poor but seeing her home on FB, yeah, they have money! So then I started thinking about the wealthy people I know. They are all pretty happy people. I couldn't think of one that I'd say was a grouch. The poor/average people I know are a mix of happy and cranky. Then I started thinking of the stress in my life (we are average-slightly above average but we have a big family) and how much of it is financial--home maintenance issues, retirement savings, college funds, etc. If we were wealthy, really the only stress that would carry over would be my son's ASD. What says the Hive? Do you know any miserable wealthy people?? I mean, I know it could happen and you can't buy health so that factors in but wealth gets rid of so many issues. I think money can buy happiness!

The messy bun. Sure, a few gals look cute in a casual way but most women look like they let their 3yo do their hair. Add yours!

I have 10 years worth of homeschool stuff to sell. I have 7 Sonlight cores; does anyone still use SL??? Nothing is getting any interest on our local HS boards and I'm selling stuff really cheap so I guess I'm going to have to ship them. Besides eBay, where can I sell?? Does the sale board here work as well as it used to??

Amazon has Cuisenart on their Deal of the Day today, Saturday!! I bought a beautiful gray Dutch oven and a grill pan!

Ugh. Watching a friend get divorced is eye-opening. The law has zero respect for the work of a SAH spouse. It has made me realize what a precarious situation I live in (my marriage is great but you never know). If DH left me, I'd get half of a house with not much equity and part of an underfunded 401k. He'd be better than fine because he would no longer be paying on my student loans. I'd need to find a new house and a career. He would just need childcare.

I was wasting time on Pinterest tonight and read several posts extolling the virtues of oil pulling. BUT, they each used the word "detox" which sets off my BS alarm. So, all knowing Hive, is there any science behind oil pulling??

Thus is just a vent unless someone has any ideas about this coat. We have a youth leader at our church. She's so nice but she has these big ideas that never pan out. Last night, to teach the teen group that "every person is important" she had them throw paint filled balloons at a canvas. They were outside so 13dd had her white coat on. You can guess what happened. The youth leader assured me that "it is water-based paint so it should wash out". Well, water-based and washable are two separate things because I've washed it twice and it is still just as bright as it was. Crap like this always happens with this woman. She is really nice and means well but she always plans these big activities for silly reasons. I'm really annoyed about this coat getting ruined.

I do most of my shopping at Aldi because it is the cheapest. I still have to go to WM for the random stuff Aldi doesn't carry. We are getting a Meijer. How do the prices compare between Meijer and Aldi?? I'd love to only shop at one place and never enter WM again.

I've watched people mourn MJ, Whitney Houston, Robin Williams and now David Bowie. Every time I think, "how sad" but that's it. I honesty can't think of a single celebrity that has touched me to a degree that I would care when they died. Maybe because I grew up without much media? Or maybe I am just heartless?

I love technology!! In addition to the Project Life app to document our photos, I'm using 1 Second Everyday to make a quick video. I like the app because they have a freestyle option that allows you to use several one second clips per day. It has been really fun so far and it is reminding me to take more video.

Our home was built in the 70's. There is a large brick wall in one room with a fireplace and a built in wood box that connects to the garage. At some point, I think the fireplace was altered to become a gas fireplace because there is a metal thing with a square hole next to the fireplace. Currently, there is a wood burning insert in the fireplace. We rarely use it because 1) it is small so buying wood is difficult, 2) it really only heats that room and makes the rest of the house freezing and 3) it takes so long to get the fire going and the blower turned on that we only use it if we're home all day which is never. We didn't even buy wood this season. So, what should we do? Can it be turned back into a gas fireplace? Should we pull out the insert and just have a regular fireplace that burns bigger logs? I've never had a fireplace before so I'm clueless.