Do people really not remove outlet and switch covers? That’s nuts. It takes like 20 seconds.

Dd was at Woodfield Mall today and the line was crazy. She felt so bad for one little girl- her family drove 2 hours to get to the mall for her birthday surprise and they were turned away. They didn’t know about the promo.

I know it was available before ‘06 because ds made some and forgot to put water in and The smoke it created ruined our microwave. In ‘06 he was 12 and I know he was younger than that by at least a couple of years. I wonder if it was released in limited markets before then and ‘06 was the national roll out.

Dh and I have different approaches- he likes to tape, I like to use a cut in brush. In the end both of us do excellent work so we have agreed that whoever is doing the painting gets to choose the method. If we do it together one does trim and the other walls so our methods don’t collide.

You might test the product on one spot before you do all of them. Some can leave grease like spots on certain surfaces. We have old plaster and it was fine but I’ve seen it leave a spot on newer plaster. You don’t want to remove the adhesive only to have to cover up grease spots!

Oldest dd did that here and we used a product called goo gone or goof off. We have both of those products and can’t recall which we used but they are pretty similar. And the three younger siblings weren’t allowed to have those stars! It took forever to get the adhesive off,

The problem w only having a microwave is that it really limits what he can fix. And that can lead to unhealthy stuff like ramen or hot pockets and the like. A few terms dd couldn’t make it to the dining hall for dinner and ended up eating late at night. I made food and froze it in individual servings, and also took things for her to eat the week I visited (things that last several days in the fridge). That helped her transition from dining hall food to cooking for herself, but it would work for your son, too, if he had enough space. Mason jars w plastic lids are great for storing and microwaving food in. But if you’re looking for something he can use for snacks and fillers....burritos are easy to make and freeze well. Breakfast burritos, bean burritos, meat filled ones....those are always a hit.

Now that I’ve seen it I’d use some polishing compound and buff the area, and use a clay bar, too. Then I’d use factory touch up paint to cover any area scratched to the metal. And coat the whole car with good quality wax. If after that it doesn’t look good enough, then decide whether to pursue anything else. I’d for sure do something to protect that area so it doesn’t start to rust or peel. I’d also give the receipts to the guy and ask for compensation. I don’t really care whether he’s a 70 year old guy or a teenager, if you damage someone’s property you should offer to make them whole again. If a person declines compensation, that’s their choice, but it’s good practice to genuinely offer to pay for any damage.

I feel ya, sister. I was away visiting my sister and dh painted our kitchen cabinets two different colors. The cabinets are tan and the doors are white. People who see it for the first time Are so confused....are we painting the doors to match? Or did we paint the doors and will eventually take them off And paint the cabinets? They are not any less confused when dh announces the project is done.

It’s easy to tell which ones I made and which my sister made. Mine start out 12” wide but soon tighten to about 5”. It’s almost comical, but not quite because I really would enjoy sitting around in the evenings making them while watching tv or talking to ds. Maybe I’ll give it another shot..l am noticeably more laid back than I used to be.

My obligatory rant on meal plans: Youngest dd’s school had meal plans or you could buy meals individually. Her first term she got a meal plan, 14 meals a week. We did the math and buying the meal plan cost MORE than buying two meals a day there. Lunch and dinner were the two most expensive meals and 7 lunches and 7 dinners bought with cash were less than the meal plan. And they weren’t allowed to walk out with a half eaten apple or anything.

Does your comprehensive cover it? Maybe the deductible is lower than the repair. ETA: I would expect the guy to pay the deductible, unless ds was at fault. Though I can’t quite figure out how he would be at fault.

We moved way from family to take a job offer. 26 years later we’re finally making plans to return ‘home’ to retire. The pros were awesome- we were our own family and weren’t pulled away for holidays or other events. We learned to rely on each other. We developed our own traditions. We had adventures as a family. We moved to a lower cost of living area and have managed to save a lot more than if we’d not moved. Cons: we missed a lot of time with our families and both of us have now lost our moms so of course that’s sad, but no decision is ever perfect. We never had built in babysitters for date nights and our kids didn’t have grandparents at their musicals or stuff like that. Dh and I have never wavered on this being the right decision for us.

Snacks on hand are good, but he really might gravitate to two meals a day and then grab a snack while out w friends. Also, food is usually quite available at college events. That's often how they draw people to lectures and events...offer free food. Plus he’ll have friends and they’ll order pizza for late night study sessions or hang out at a cafe/coffee shop to study and eat there. The most our college age kids ate for breakfast was fruit or a bagel. When away at school they gravitated towards staying up later and just didn’t eat breakfast. Is the meal plan an all you can eat kind of thing? Dd’s was but you couldn;t take food out. Ds’s Was but you COULD take food to go and he always came out w fruit or a bagel or a few cookies or something.

I don’t know what led to me being more laid back but I think it stems from just being tired from nearly 40 years as a wife. I’m picking and choosing when I go that extra mile to be a good hostess. Dh’s friend is newly engaged and he really wants to introduce us to his girl. Dh mentioned a dinner party and I quickly redirected it to a restaurant dinner. Ten years ago I would have worked like crazy to pull off a dinner party. I hope you can let go of the three kinds of juice and breakfast bar mentality, It’s lovely for people who want to do it but it’s been very freeing for me to let go. My new motto: don’t care more than the people you’re putting in the effort for. Even this upcoming dinner-I’d choose a more upscale Italian place that serves multiple courses so we could linger and get to know each other. Dh might choose his favorite pizza place. I’ll let this go- it’s not that important to me.

The day after they arrived we visited a huge farmer’s market and together we planned and bought stuff. We also took a couple of day trips into Chicago and ate while we were there. Nephew always cooks for us a few times and he handled all that. So we did buy food, but it was very different than it was when we used to have my inlaws. when we visited them I wasn’t allowed to help in the kitchen and she felt the same here- she didn’t do a thing so it was all on me. So I’d plan every meal and usually even post a menu on the fridge so guests knew what to expect and I knew what the plan was. Nephew and niece feel very comfortable here. None of us ate much breakfast that week because we were splurging in other areas- visiting some of Chicago’s bakeries and bringing home goodies. Lunches were leftovers- we made lasagna and one night we went out for pizza and ordered an extra for leftovers. But if they want something, they feel very comfortable making it. That makes a big difference. We mesh very well together. It took me a lot of years to stop worrying about that kind of thing with guests. One year our homeschool group had Diana Waring in as a speaker and somehow it was decided that we’d host dinner at my house for Diana and our steering committee. I was definitely in panic mode because I did all the cooking at it was held at our house. If I did it today it would be no big deal. I’ve learned that being hospitable doesn’t mean I have to have three kinds of juice and a full breakfast bar for overnight guests. I’m waaaaay more laid back (and also have more confidence) at 57 than I was at 37.

That’s really sweet...I just really wish *I* could make them so I could give them away.

Glad it worked out for you. Dh is the laid back, clueless one and Marbel’s comments ring true here. If something isn’t up to par it’s a reflection on me. Or maybe that’s just my hang up. ‘So much depends on who the visitors are. Our nephew and his wife visited us for a week recently and all I did for prep was wash their bedding, clean their bathroom, and buy their favorite soda. And we had the best week together. On the other hand, dh’s sister is like the guest from H@%%.

I’m so sorry you have bedbugs. l Hope you caught them early-I hear that helps. (Hugs).

So envious of you guys who can crochet dishcloths. My sister has tried a dozen times to teach me but I think I’m too high strung. a 12” dischcloth ends up about 4” because I crochet so tightly.

You’re right- we are saying the same thing, but I disagree that in my case there was confusion. In 1970’s Atlanta I didn’t have that many Catholic boys at my school. So after we’d spent a couple of years as friends we knew we were already halfway to finding a spouse- we liked each other as friends and we were Catholic. So we tried dating to see if we’d fall in love. I don’t see it as confusion but rather as an experiment. But you’re right that we’re saying the same thing- sometimes friendship progresses to dating. But no matter what, I don’t think that is worse than just dating someone you barely know, which is a pretty common way high school age kids start dating.

True. In my case we dated for 2-3 weeks and went back to being friends. I don’t think there was confusion. We were really good friends and wanted to see if taking the next step would work. Dh is my best friend. We started as friends- we had mutual friends and were friends for a few years before we fell in love. Sometimes good friendships progress to romance and sometimes it’s better to just remain friends.

Most of my close friends in junior high and high school were guys. We had a lot in common and they didn’t bring drama like teen girls did. I did end up dating a couple but both times we mutually agreed friendship was better and we stayed friends for years after high school. For a few years my best guy friend and I were teased about being a couple but we just ignored it. Ds has a best friend who is a girl. Through the years sometimes he had a crush on her and sometimes she’s had a crush on him but through it lol they’ve remained friends.

I find lotrimin works well but I put it on when I get ready for bed. Wash the area, dry well, and apply lotion. It heals well overnight because there’s no rubbing or sweating going on. ‘When I tried putting it on during the day I just got sweaty and it didn’t help.

Taco bar, baked potato bar, stuff like that. I prefer taco bar because even vegans can participate. Meat in crock pot, beans in crock pot or served room temp. Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, salsa, etc. can be added individually and you can assign people something to bring. Meat eaters can eat it all, vegans can eat all but meat, cheese, sour cream. Gluten free can eat everything but tortillas, though you can do corn tortillas. Just check labels - beans made from scratch won’t have gluten or meat, and make taco seasoning from scratch to avoid gluten, and check corn tortilla ingredients for gluten or animal products. Sandwiches might be difficult. Gluten free bread, fillings for vegans, etc. ETA: sorry, I misunderstood that you can’t do prep in advance at home.