Okay, as a very new newbie, WHAT is the huge debate over crockpots??? (I understand the shopping cart one, as another message board I'm on had it's own blown-out-of-proportion thread on the topic, but the "debate" over crockpots has me stumped!)

Looking for some inspiration for this year. :D

:lol: He might want to submit that to this blog: http://notalwaysright.com/

We can be nice and toasty in H*ll together. :D

This one just popped up in my feed: In the Bible it says, if you deny me in front of your peers, I will deny you in front of my father, at the Gates of Heaven. This is a simple test. If you love God, and you are not afraid to show it post this to your page! ♥

I'm quoting you ktgrok because you're the latest person to express this opinion, but I'm not singling you out to provide an answer. Anyone else who feels this way is free to answer my question. :) WHY would understanding God make Him no longer God? That's a belief I've never really understood. I mean, I love my husband with all my heart, and feel I know him pretty well, but in no way do I feel I know him 100%, nor do I feel I have to in order to love him. However, if I were to be granted a view of all the ins and outs of what my husband thinks and does and feels, he wouldn't cease being my husband, or being the man I love, or cease being the man who does what he does for his family day in and day out. I'd just have a better understanding of him. Why is it different with God?

I had one FB friend who would post a bunch of vague "Uh, so much drama!" type posts, then when a bunch of people would ask "What's wrong?" she'd respond "If you don't already know the details, then please don't ask. I only tell my really close friends the details about my life. They don't have to ask." Oooookay then. :huh: Nice to know I'm on the "B list".

I really don't see Trick or Treating as being any more "begging" than a birthday kid is "begging" for presents by inviting kids to his birthday party. I think it's just a fun tradition. Many families (myself included) "get" as much enjoyment seeing all the cute kids dressed up in their costumes as the kids "get" enjoyment out of the candy.

Ooooh, I have a totally lame one that I wore as a Halloween costume in high school! :lol: I took a brown paper grocery bag and cut it into a vest, taped the Sunday grocery store ad to the back across the shoulders (so like a cape), and tied a plastic bag over my head like a hat, and a bag over each shoe. I was........... SUPER STORE! :D

Does she believe putting a Christmas tree in her front window is "the appearance of evil"? (another Pagan tradition co-opted by Christianity - although of course Halloween isn't recognized as a Christian holiday of course, but many Christians celebrate it, including myself) IMO, I think the only people who see it as anything evil are the Christians who say that it is. I've never in my life met a non-Christian who was shocked that Christians would celebrate such a "Satanic" holiday as Halloween. It's cute kids in cute costumes collecting candy. I don't exactly see how that brings any glory or joy to Satan. Are there people who do evil on Halloween? Ask anyone who works for an animal shelter and they'll say YES. But those people would find any excuse they can to do the things they do.

Are you sure it's her carpet? I had the same issue in my kids' room. Even threw away their area rug (we have laminate floors) and the urine smell remained (thankfully, the rug needed to go anyway). It ended up being a combination of some toys, some of their bedding, and their hamper that was the source of the smell. Once I super-hot-washed/threw out those, the urine smell left.

Deffinately baking. Right now I'm "testing out" some new recipes for the cookie boxes I like to give out to my friends during the holidays. Today's recipe was butterscotch ginger cookies. :9

Totally not on topic, but after reading the thread title, all I can think of is "Shaw-iiiing!!!" (ala Wayne's World) And now back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

I remember getting mail from them, pre-housing-bust, saying that they were NOT lowering their standards for giving out loans: to whom, when, and what for. Infact, I'm pretty sure I recall reading in a financial magazine somewhere a few years ago that they were one of the strictest banks when it came to giving out ARM loans. You had to jump through a LOT of hoops to get one from them. I feel completely safe banking with USAA. :)

We have USAA insurance. LOOOOOOOOOVE them! I laugh whenever we get "cheap insurance" junk mail (Geico, etc.) because it's always a few hundred dollars ABOVE what we're already paying. Check out their banking side as well! If you have a bank account with them, you can deposit checks online using your scanner!

Target sells popcorn bowls that you use for popping corn in the microwave, and it requires NO oil. Just pour in some seeds, pop on the lid, and use the "popcorn" button on your microwave. :) Costs I think nine bucks? Ours has lasted us for years. My kids LOVE it. :)

When I told my mom (PS Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher) that I was teaching DD (6) ancient history, she expressed concern that it would be "too over her head" and that she really ought to be learning about social studies at that age (what's a mayor? what do police officers do? what's a city? etc.) The comment made me scratch my head because, really, how is one more difficult to learn than the other? :huh:

The portapotties at my city's 4th of July festival only had hand sanitizer too, and I cannot tell you how badly that grossed me out! I mean, some people are a bit, uh, sloppy when cleaning themselves. Hand sanitizer doesn't wash that off! :001_huh:

Well, she's not *quiet* as clear as the explaination I gave. :lol: At least, not all in one DVD. Susane Deason (who makes videos for Gaiam) is the one who "taught" me how to make sure my pelvis is in the proper position for ab moves. Rocking your pelvis from side to side one time so that your hip bones are equally balanced on the floor, and making sure that little space is there at the small of your back.

If you roasted the chicken yourself, I would use the drippings to make gravy, then have chicken and gravy served over homemade mashed potatoes. :)

The Math Mammoth lessons seem so long! Do I really have to do problems 1-6 in one session (even if, say, problem #2 takes up an entire page!), or can I do two or three problems a day, or however much DD can do in 20 minutes, and still keep on schedual?

Posting a link. Good idea! :lol: http://www.wholesomechildhood.com/KindergartenAtHome/

There's a deal online for this right now, supposedly a "complete Kindergarten curriculum" for $7.99. Has anyone used it? Is it any good?

I'm looking at Boche mixers online... HOLY COW are they $$$!!! Are they worth it? Can I use them for more than just kneading bread? Are the results better than what you'd get with a Kitchen Aid mixer? (I don't have a KA either, but I never thought I'd see the day when I'd think "Wow, a KA seems much more affordable!")

"What is it about this family and late bloomers? You're all so short!" Said in front of a cute (but moderately short) guy I'd just met (this was HS) and the girl he'd just introduced to me as his sister, who was just barely 4' tall and 18 years old. His parents walked up immediately after I said this. They were little people. I wanted a sinkhole to open up benieth me SO bad.