Still reading Madame Tussaud. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed that it's dragging on somewhat, or maybe it's just me.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: This book is an absolute gem and one that dh and I have loved. We read parts of it to our dc from time to time. It's the sort of book I hope to read and re-read. Need constant reminders.

Rosie, I loved the sequels back when I read them. Never read the sequels to my dc, but remembering them makes me all nostalgic. :)

Will be going for a swim in the next hour or so. Can't wait. :)

Nothing inappropriate about it as far as I recall. We just found it rather dull to say the least. The animation was superb, but the actual movie was lame, we thought.

Mark Laham: Yin Yoga - love his yoga workouts :)

Very cute. The only time I wear a cross-over bag (since I am rather large on top and it just doesn't look that great :tongue_smilie:) is if we're in a big city and traveling. To prevent pickpockets and such.

I wear bike shorts and T-shirts at home and for workout wear. I'm trying to get rid of all my capris and think that most women do not look very good in them. :tongue_smilie: Particularly capris and flip-flops. A no-no for me. I love a nice-looking, nice-fitting pair of shorts, but have a hard time finding the perfect pair. I found lovely ones in the U.K., but never in the U.S. I don't wear short-shorts.

Sometimes, but not always. Not in my experience. Again, sometimes, but not always. My dc are old enough to have their own opinions and they're often very different to mine. To me, the whole concept absolutely drips sexism and oppression. I don't think open-mindedness is the issue here. Why should women be the only ones covered up? Are the men being open-minded? Are the women being open-minded when they give judgmental and rude looks to yours truly for not being covered up as they are? Are they being open-minded when they beat a 10-year-old girl to death for not being covered up and running over by accident to the male part of the beach? Are they being open-minded when they view women not covered up like them as being "wh@res"? Open-minded ... don't get me started on that. I've sooo had it with their intolerance. Excuse me, but I've had plenty of experience in this after 44 years.

Yes, this is me also. I can't wait to throw out all my capris. Dd can't wait either. :lol: Just a few more to to and then they'll be gone forever. Never. again. I'm too cheap to throw them out quite yet. I only wear flip flops to the beach and pool. I don't really like Land's End stuff anymore. I used to. I would love to wear really nice stuff at home also. Saw some gorgeous, gorgeous stuff in these airport boutiques in Israel last summer. Still dream about them. :D Soooo expensive ... A girl can dream. The stores were like an absolute fairy tale. Dd and I still dream about that place. Heaven.

Yes, she annoyed me. The book annoyed me. The whole thing was just annoying. :lol:

This. And I'm a deeply religious person, btw, but I totally agree. My religion does not enforce this. Yes to both. I cannot be PC about this either. Considering my cultural background, such stuff infuriates me. Drives me out. of. my. mind. Exactly. True (as far as I know). Exactly. I remember reading years ago when there were lots of rapes in Israel and my hero Golda Meir and what she said. They told her that there should be a nightly curfew and that women should not be out after a certain hour. Her response (paraphrasing here :D), "Why should women have to not be out? If anyone needs to have a curfew, it should be the men." Yes. I have to say that I have experienced the judgmental attitudes and mean/nasty looks mainly from Muslims, but also from Christians. And here I was thinking that one should not judge ... :glare: The funny thing is that I dress fairly conservatively myself, but the looks I often get from Muslim women (since I am and do look Middle Eastern) are the worst. They really don't seem to like me very much. :tongue_smilie: I know that others have already taken offense to this. I personally do not and again, would love to be all PC about this, but after a life of experience in this area and basic common-sense - I have to say that I fully agree with you. It's oppression of women, plain and simple. My dc would snicker and laugh and ask endlessly distracting questions. And yes, my dc, as cultured and all that they are, would see her as a talking sheet with eyes. I don't think this is a very accurate example. These women are exposed to movies, the internet, Western magazines, etc. and they see images of us regular women all. the. time. They don't see women wearing regular clothes (not bikinis and cleavage, but regular clothes) as being an aberration or in the same vein in quite the same way we would if we were forced to live in a nudist colony. If one were to say that we were to view nudist movies and read nudist magazines for years and years until it becomes normalized and we're desensitized to all that, then I would think that you might have a valid point. But otherwise, not so. And again, why shouldn't the men be covered up also? Why just women? Yep, sexism and oppression of women.

:iagree: You said it all so well. Brilliant. Your entire post was great.

:iagree: I think that most men that I know would feel the same way, as if they're being boxed in or accused of something unnecessarily and unfairly.

Thank you for clarifying. :) Here in the tropics/Caribbean, bikinis and swimsuits are fine and accepted, but mainly in a beach/pool setting, particularly in the English-speaking Caribbean islands where the culture tends to be more conservative in these respects. Few run around showing them off. Yes, they may do so on the beach/pool, but that's okay here and accepted. OTOH, they are very seldom seen wearing a bikini in the street, bank, office, classroom, or church. :lol: That would be a no-no. Cultural norms come into play. Out of respect and basic common sense, if I were to visit a Muslim country, I would dress in the way that is expected of me there. Although, in all truthfulness, I would have little to no choice in the matter anyway ;). As a woman, you really have to dress in the way that they deem fit. I agree. But don't think for a moment that the fact that it's legal or illegal changes much. Prostitution is everywhere and there's no getting around it. Internet online p@rn also. In fact, the Muslim clergy in Iran are very big users of it. The Red States in the U.S. (Utah being #1) are the heaviest users of online p@rn also. I have read time and time again, that where there's a conference going on for Christian pastors, hotel workers have an ongoing joke at the huge increase in p@rn usage by the guests (in this case, pastors). The more something is forbidden, the more it's often desired. One extreme so often leads to another. I spent a total of six years of my life in Iran. I have never encountered as much perversion and bad treatment of women there as I have in all the other places I've lived in. Whether it's women being groped at by complete strangers or whether an 11-year-old girl is at a bookstore - children's section, mind you - and the employee there drops his pants down and starts masturb@ting in front of you ... I could go on and on. :glare: A ten-year-old girl was in the female section of the beach with her mother. She ran to the male section of the beach to tell her dad something. She was beaten to death - b/c of having gone to the wrong section AND b/c of not being properly covered up. :glare: I can't understand why. What's the worse that could happen? :confused: I can't imagine not wishing to have facial communication with half the world's population. In all fairness, why don't men cover themselves up also? :iagree: Me neither. :grouphug: Thank you for your very kind words. Me neither.

Aerobics - I made up my own routine back in my teen years in the early '80s - Jane Fonda-ish stuff, etc. - just non-stop moves - love this and would do it more often, but I worry about the long-term damage to my knees and joints.

:lol: :grouphug: :lol: Sign me up as a fellow exercise junkie. :D :lol:

:iagree: and my country of birth (Iran) although they don't wear niqabs ... well, let's just say that I'm truly very grateful to not live there. The last time I visited there was in '80 when the wonderful Ayatollah was really taking over and I am forever grateful to my parents for having gotten us out. I'm all for religious freedom and such, but I know that those very same societies do not. They don't tolerate Baha'is, Jews, etc. It's their way or the highway. :glare: Iran used to be a wonderful country and has a rich history and culture, but I'm quite certain that we won't ever go back. ETA: And, may I add, I agree with France and Belgium, or maybe it was the Netherlands, but I think it was Belgium who do not allow for this.

:iagree: They're a bit weird and a bit dry, but I got them super-cheap on amazon and they're very good for beginners. :iagree: I personally really like all the Callanetics stuff.

We loved this. Read it a few years ago. BTW, your user name is our anniversary date. :D Yes, love, love, love Roald Dahl. For ages 11, 10, and 7 - as the OP stated: The Doll People, The Meanest Doll in the World series are great. There are 3 in the series and our ds loved it equally. I've heard that boys like it also. The Racketty-Packetty House by Frances Hodgson Burnett - the illustrated version is really nice Humphrey the Hamster series are great Gooseberry Park by Cynthia Rylant Tale of Despereaux Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Indian in the Cupboard Harry, the Poisonous Centipede - a few books in this series Freddy Books - we have the Freddy Anniversary Collection and the dc loved that. My only gripe is that the chapters are very long. I have a problem with long chapters ... Detectives in Togas (as well as its sequel) We ourselves are running out of really good read-alouds. :glare:

Congrats! :D :party:

Yep. Me neither. :lol: Nope, your posts are great and much appreciated. :grouphug: Go ahead and post images when you have the energy. :D I liked this one a lot. :)

Classical Stretch: Vintage Collection: Volume 1 - Full Body - like this one :) Everyone here is doing great as always! I love this thread. :D

Am about to go for a swim. Just want it to get a bit lighter. Pitch dark at the moment. My favorite part is at the end of my swim, when the sun's just come up and I float and look up at the clouds.

FAVORITE YOGA DVDs Mark Laham - both his yoga DVDs are my absolute favorites. I feel so energized and my muscles feel so stretched. He's a great instructor and you really get your $'s worth with each DVD - about 3 separate workouts in each DVD. He knows his stuff. Plus, he's not annoying, like some exercise videos can be. You can order his DVDs from his site and, more recently, from Total Fitness DVDs. His DVDs are done in a studio. I have lots of yoga DVDs, and, to me, he, is without a doubt, the absolute best. My former yoga instructor liked him a lot also. And her opinion is one that I obviously respect. The Power Yoga DVD has the following options: Warm Up Only (20 Minutes) - this is a good start to yoga in and of itself and later you can work up to the rest of the DVDs. There are 2 types of Warm Up - Beginner and Intense. Strengthen the Core - 60 Minutes Open the Hips- 65 Minutes The Yin Yoga DVD is one I really love. It has the following, each of which are pretty much an hour. Front Line Sequence Back Line Sequence Hips and Pelvis Iron Yoga Tough and challenging Uses weights Good and clear instruction Rodney Yee: Yoga Burn Rodney Yee: Core Cross Train Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt I liked it. Simple and nice Good and basic yoga workout for those who are cautious of the "weird" stuff. This one's about as mainstream as you can get. FAVORITE PILATES DVDs If you’re just starting out in Pilates, your form and breath is very critical. Learning the proper technique as a beginner is so important. If you can't take a live Pilates class, which would be ideal, I would go with Stott Pilates practices as a beginner. The instructor, Moira, is soft-spoken and might come off as dry as dust, but is the best when it comes to learning the proper technique. I've read of so many beginners to Pilates get injured because they didn't start out with proper instruction. Instruction is so important for someone new to Pilates. The Level 1 in Stott Pilates is thoroughly boring and not needed. Go with the Level 2. It’s faster and she still teaches the correct technique. Level 2 is a keeper. Moira is a good teacher and stresses correct form. It may feel a bit tedious at first, but proper form is REALLY important. After you find you're familiar with the correct form, then proceed on to more "fun" Pilates stuff. I would not start with the 10-Minute Solution series. They are hurriedly put together trying to cram so much into 10 minutes that form is sometimes compromised; especially when the beginner isn't familiar with the correct alignment. Learning the correct form of Pilates is similar to learning the correct form of barre workouts. It's all in the positioning. Side note: I think the 10-Minute Solution series and others are fine for advanced and intermediate exercisers after the learning process is completed, however, and are a great choice for getting in short workouts. Barre work is a great addition to Pilates. If you can do both, you'll get great results and feel great. All of this - my posts - are based on months and months of reading and research. Hope it helps. :)