Lol, that's what most Americans think the first time they visit a European beach. What!? Topless women, in public, in front of everyone, including families! That's extreme :) Which brings us back to our topic. I may not approve of topless sunbathing, but it's none of my business, as long as I have the right to choose not to go topless. These burkini bans amount to telling women they are not welcome at the beach unless they expose body parts they are not comfortable exposing. What has happened to "live and let live"? The world has gone mad, but I guess we knew that long before these bans. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Exactly. I cannot fathom how government officials who claim to want to "protect" or "liberate" Muslim women do not realize they are only limiting and restricting us with this ignorant policies. Oh, a Muslim woman took the initiative to design and market a swimsuit that allows her to maintain her religious principles while actively participating in public life. Can't have that. She must choose whether she wants to be "modern" and "secular" or true to her faith. Aren't these the people who are complaining about Muslims not integrating? How are they supposed to when such roadblocks are constantly erected, preventing their integration unless they break their moral standards in order to fit in. Is that what integration is supposed to mean? As for the comment about the nuns on the beach, it is such ignorant assumptions that feed these policies. In fact, both situations are identical. Both nuns and Muslim women have chosen a religious life and the clothing restrictions that brings. That is the entire point. The vast majority of Muslim women living in the West dress as they do out of personal religious convinction, sometimes going against the wishes of their family who would prefer they "blend in" to make their lives easier. This is absolutely the case for converts, obviously. Clothing restrictions such as the burkini ban are not liberating. They are removing choice and free will from women who choose to dress modestly based on their religious principles. Regarding the strange obsession French culture, both in France and Quebec, seems to have with restricting religious expression, it mostly boils down to 2 historical phenomena: the fight against the oppressive power of the Catholic church in their societies, resulting in the "cult of secularism", and a large Muslim immigrant population, which has pushed religion back into the public sphere, after they fought so hard to remove it. Not a justification, but an explanation. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

We went during Labor Day week last year. The ticket counter staff at the hotel told us it is the quietest week, so I would highly recommend going then (not on Labor Day itself, obviously). We were going to pay the extra $$ to have priority in the lines for rides, but he suggested we not bother. I'm so glad we listened, as many rides at both Universal and Disney only had a 5-10 min wait, with the most popular at 30-40 min max. I can't vouche for any other week of low season, but it worked out great for us. Absolutely get Park to Park passes. My DC were 18, 15 and 4, and they all loved Universal. Great family park for everyone!

Personally, I get build-up in the detergent drawer with both tabs and powder. I always use liquid.

Dh and I met when we were 17 & 20. We married 9 months later after I turned 18. We waited 5 years (until we finished college and were financially stable) to have children. God willing, we will celebrate 25 years in December. We have had our rough patches, and some people in the same situation may have split up. In my view, the keys to our success have been: - family support: my parents allowed us to live with them until we finished college, so we were not penalized financially or educationally for marrying young. This saved us from a lot of the stresses of getting established early on. - shared values: even coming from different cultures, dh and I agreed on spiritual and family values that have formed the basis of our relationship - strong character: everyone makes mistakes, but we both have lines we will not cross and morals that are non-negotiable, resulting in a foundation of trust - empathy/compassion: we each want what is best for the other, and try to make each other's lives easier and respect our unique contributions to our family and relationship We are very different people, have opposite personalities and divergent interests, which can be a point of contention. However, due to the strong foundational elements listed above, we continue to strive to understand each other, appreciate and even value our differences, because the weaknesses of one are perfectly complemented by the strengths of the other, if only they are respected. I absolutely do not regret my choice. I agree with the others who have said being stable romantically made it much easier to focus on my studies. Sure, it's possible I could have met someone who has more common interests, but there is no guarantee I would have, or if the work put into tracking him down would have been worth it and when found, if he would have been a man of anwavering character like dh. Nope, not even worth considering the "what ifs". Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

In DH's country of origin (at least 30 years ago when he was in high school), the public school high school uniform was lab coats. Cheap, simple, modest, and academic. No buying a whole separate wardrobe, no criteria for shirt length, waist gap, underwear showing, etc. Wear whatever you want, throw a lab coat over it, done. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

I have the somewhat opposite situation. My parents are extremely cautious with food prep protocols. No thawing on the counter, different cutting boards for meat and other foods, scrubbing down everything that has come in contact with meat using vinegar, overcooking all meat, never leaving any food out for more than an hour, usually less. I am well aware of safe protocols, I just follow them much more loosely based on what is convenient and practical in my life. No one has ever gotten sick from food I have prepared. I do thaw on the counter or in a bowl of water, and leave food out until it is cool enough to put in the fridge (this could be 4+ hours for a large pot of soup). We each eat dinner at different times due to activities, so if dinner is ready at 7pm, it often stays out until 10pm when the last person has eaten and puts away the leftovers. I do draw the line at raw eggs. We do not eat raw cookie dough (unless storebought pasturized), and I never make any recipes using raw eggs, ever. Maybe if we had our own chickens, but with supermarket eggs, no way. I am also much more stringent about food safety when serving guests (especially my parents) because everyone has different gastrointestinal tolerance levels. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

I'm from New England, we say kitty corner. As expats living in Canada, we enjoy the term "washroom" instead of restroom, powder room or bathroom. We mostly use a lot of Arabic colloquialisms that express our exact intentions more clearly than any English word. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Yup, I drive past it often. St Jean is a good sized suburb of Montreal with lots of malls, etc. There is a bus to Montreal, so it would be a good chance to visit the city.

To me, this is the same situation as the tour guide being shocked that an American child didn't know how to use a squat toilet. By expressing shock or mocking someone who has a different background or life experience than you, it simply displays a lack of knowledge and experience on the part of the mocker. Obviously this person was ignorant of the fact that BBQ means very different things to different people in different parts of the country. OP should have replied, indignantly, "I don't know where YOU'RE from, but around here, BBQ means X." Put them in their place, lol. FYI, to me, BBQ is an event, a method of cooking, and a sauce. We BBQ beef, chicken and fish on the grill (we don't eat pork). I am aware that it often means pork in the south (though I've never been there.) I've never heard sloppy Joe calling BBQ, but I've never been to the Midwest either (from New England).

It is the tour guide who was sheltered, not realizing that there are parts of the world where those types of toilets don't exist. It would be like traveling in Asia and a local being shocked that a 9 year old didn't know how to use chopsticks. It has nothing to do with age, and everything to do with exposure. I had never seen or heard of such toilets until I stayed at a campground in France when I was 16. There were Western toilets as well, so I just didn't use the squat one. It wasn't until I was married and visited my in-laws overseas that my dh had to show me how to use the squat toilet. I never mastered using them without removing my undergarments and pants. I avoid them whenever possible.

BTDT with elder DD when she was 10. Made a sharp turn with her bike and was plowed into from behind by DS on his bike. She went flying over the handlebars and landed on her hands. Definitely get the waterproof casts, for swimming as well as showering. Once she gets used to them and is no longer in pain, you'll find she can still do a lot of things.

Medical transcriptionist at the doctor's office where my mom worked when I was 16. I took a year off after high school and worked full time as a receptionist through a temp agency. Continued to do receptionist temp work summers through college, until I graduated and landed a teaching job.

23, 26, 37 Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Upper middle class are those families in movies, you know the ones who are supposed to be average, but really represent a life we wish was middle class. Home Alone, Father of the Bride, dad is a stock broker or ad exec, their house is plenty big enough for their family, they have at least 2 nice cars and go on family vacations to Paris. Yup, that's them.

Wow, I'm surprised at how many people wash their sponges. I always viewed them as disposable items, so when they smell, I throw them out (usually once a week). Never even thought of putting them in the microwave! Since I didn't like constantly buying and throwing out disposable sponges, I now use "unsponges" or cloth "sponges". They are cotton on one side, terry cloth on the other, and are stuffed with cloth scraps. I use them until they start to smell (usually 3-4 days). Once a week I do a "kitchen cloths" load of laundry (I use unpaper towels too). I soak the smelly unsponges and any stained towels in Oxyclean for a few hours, then launder with the rest of the kitchen cloths. Works great! Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Flylady

About 30%. My grocery budget is equal to the cost of our rent. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

I've never personally had an HE washer, but my mom has had 2 in 6 years. I've heard all the HE horror stories and vowed never to get one. So, when my trusty 18 year old machine died, I went straight to buy a Speed Queen. It's basically the only option if you want to replace an ancient reliable washer with something comparable. Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Regarding government regulations, yes there is an eco cycle that uses less water. I just don't use it. There is also a reset option. If you select an extra large load and still don't feel like the water level is high enough, you can turn the knob to reset to add more water to the tub. When you let go, the water stops flowing, so there's no overflow risk.

Bought mine in September after my 18 year old Whirlpool died. Absolutely love it! DH was skeptical since it cost twice as much as an average HE piece of junk, but I was willing to pay the difference out of my part-time job savings because I was determined that was the only machine I wanted. No regrets at all. I also can fit comforters in it, heavy blankets go to the laundromat. My drying time even decreased by 1/2 a cycle (same old dryer) because the washer spins out so well. Definitely worth it.

I've been through one in my life, maybe 15 years ago, leaving my grandparents' house on a major holiday. I don't remember exactly, dh was driving, but I think the officer just asked if dh had been drinking, he answered no, and that was it. A little unnerving and strange in the middle of nowhere. Never happened again, anywhere I've driven in 26 years. We did have officers peek in our car as we approached the border once, asking if anyone had requested a ride, but they were searching for prison escapees at the time, so we expected that. BTW, my home state does not allow its police officers to enquire about a person's immigration status. As state police, it is not their job to enforce federal immigration laws, so they don't. I believe it was an attempt to help all residents feel at ease going to the police for assistance when needed.

It really wasn't that hard to get the hang of them. Videos from Education Unboxed and Ronit Bird really helped. That said, my dd (4 at the time) caught on even faster, lol. If I couldn't remember the value of a certain colored rod, I'd just ask her. Sometimes kids just need us to give them a little push, then get out of the way :)

Exactly. Their default is 2 courses at a time, but if you or your dc prefer more, you just have to make enough payments up front to cover the cost of more courses. You want to be careful with online courses, though, since they have strict deadlines for completion, unlike paper courses. Be sure your dc will be able to finish all the courses within the deadline before signing up for too many. I'd start with one or two just to see how they do with the format.

My ds sports a man bun from time to time. I feel it looks much neater than a ponytail, definitely better than "loose and free". I call it his "Mulan warrior look".