Can you get the Pimsleur audio CDs from your library? I don't know if any of them would be the right level, but they might be helpful.

We pay $25 for a half-hour private lesson with a very skilled and experienced teacher at a neighborhood swim club. It's $30 if my child is sharing the lesson with another child. This swim teacher is outstanding and the lessons are worth every penny. It would be cheaper for group lessons, but the individual lessons gives us a lot of flexibility on schedules.

I bought a Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430 DL, which is no longer made. I loathe this printer (but still use it). I've had some paper feed problems in the past and the print quality is crummy. User interface is nothing to write home about either. Based on this experience I wouldn't get another Konica.

I've found Kerasal to be very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Step-Exfoliating-Moisturizer-Therapy-Ointment/dp/B000GCNC2U I use it after bathing (and then put some socks on). Good luck -- it's important to keep your feet happy!

I love this recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/orange-quinoa-salad-10000001206153/ I use the method described in this recipe to rub the bitter coating off the quinoa, although I must say I've done fine with skipping the toasting part. Even the kind of quinoa that says "pre-rinsed" is a lot better if you do this. I also make cook quinoa in advance to reheat with milk, etc., as a breakfast porridge. Enjoy!

This is a great book to check out different kinds of cosmetics: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Cosmetics-Counter-Without-7th/dp/1877988324 I got it from the library. Many (but not all) of the BeautiControl products get good reviews, by the way.

It's really a very good program, and I'm not one who gets excited about every "new" approach that comes along. Here's the book that explains more about the program -- I got it from our library. http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Gordon-Roots-Empathy-Changing/dp/B000EFP0TM My recollection is that the book isn't very well written, but a lot of the content is just good common sense. The students think about what the baby needs, and in the process are encouraged to think about what makes us all human and how we should treat people.

I too log in only to post, which means most of the time the stats would show me as a lurker. I enjoy the the WTM boards very much. I'm cautious about internet privacy - that's just my nature - and don't have a lot of expertise to add, so I rarely post. But I appreciate all of you!

How about these? http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=keen+hiking+boots&cp=9&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9872152224047478565&sa=X&ei=1aPMTc-hHIrQsAPo2_T2CA&sqi=2&ved=0CHkQ8wIwAQ&biw=1540&bih=818# Doesn't appear that they come in width wide, though. Still, it's hard to go wrong with Keens.

I don't have any wisdom for you, but wanted to mention a really good book related to the challenges of helping aging parents: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+bittersweet+season&x=0&y=0 My best wishes to you and your family.

Here's another vote for the Economist. Many young people will be interested in reading bits of it as well; it's full of concise, well-written articles on a wide variety of subjects.

I have issues with procrastination too (web-surfing is one of my favorite ways to do it), but I have found this book helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303948705&sr=8-1 I'm sure it's been recommended here before. A good dose of caffeine helps me too, although I try not to go overboard there.

I too remember my mother doing all the work related to Christmas. I appreciated her effort, but don't have the happiest of associations with the holiday. Our holiday is very simple. I like doing a tree; sometimes I send cards. I buy a few small gifts for children and elderly relatives (usually mail order -- I avoid stores in December). That's it. I don't do fancy cooking because just getting regular meals on the table is enough. I don't bake because ... just getting regular meals on the table is enough. I treasure every day with my family, and treating my family members with love and respect is my top priority. The rest of the holiday hoopla just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I find I get more out of a performance if I'm already familiar with the music. So I like to listen to the soundtrack first. (I listen to a lot of musical theater soundtracks even if I've never seen the show -- my library has a good selection.) The performance of Wicked I saw a few years ago was actually a little disappointing. The soundtrack was great, though.

:bigear: (also eager to read up on what lies ahead)

I mostly reserve library books from home. There are some wonderful books about books, like "The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children" and "The Read-Aloud Handbook" (our library has both of these). Then I just flip through looking for books I think would be well-received here at home. I enjoy it! I've also gotten many wonderful book recommendations from this board over the years.

Another vote for a digital picture frame loaded with grandchildren/family photos. I gave my parents the kind where you just plug in a thumbnail drive. And I gave them two thumbnail drives, one with horizontal pictures and one with vertical pictures. (You can use the digital picture frame either way.) I update these thumbnail drives occasionally. The digital picture frame was a huge hit with my parents. I also scanned some old photos for them, which they liked.

One of the posters asked for a link; I think this is it: http://germanonline.okstate.edu/ Looks interesting, thanks for mentioning it!

Another vote for Gap 1969... a friend with excellent taste recommended them to me, and I find them comfortable and flattering. They are the only jeans I wear right now.

I'd like to second the recommendation for Red Rock Canyon. Other people like it too, according to tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g45963-d103329-r58900591-Red_Rock_Canyon_National_Conservation_Area-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html Have a great trip!

I like mine, although it's pretty much just a toy for me at this point. (But it's my only toy!) I have an old, stupid phone. I mostly use my iPod touch to check news and email when I am away from my computer. I just got it set up to play downloaded electronic books from the library, which is kind of cool. I don't use it much to play music because I prefer borrowing CDs from the library to buying music. I find the iTunes software annoying but more or less usable. And there are lots of free apps in the app store! I think it would be great to have an iPhone but am not yet willing to swallow those monthly fees. An iPod touch is a nice intermediate step.

For fun poetry (not really for memorizing, just for fun) we liked poetry by Jack Prelutsky. Even before my daughter could understand the words she enjoyed the sounds. I enjoyed it too!

Your daughter will have many many more opportunities to play with others, which is a big part of the fun of making music, if she chooses a less popular instrument. Flute and clarinet are both vastly oversubscribed. Does she want to play classical music? If so, consider oboe, bassoon, french horn, viola, or double bass. Will she have the opportunity to take private lessons? A good way to go is to identify potential teachers on a couple of instruments, then set up trial lessons, and then let her choose the instrument based in part on which teacher she likes best. It's time-consuming but beats spending years on what turns out to be the wrong instrument.

Many of you are already living this, but my word for 2011 is "service". I'll be helping my mom downsize and supporting my family and friends. I'm at a good place in my life to do this.

When you were a teenage girl, what did you wish your mom did differently? Now that you are an adult, what do you wish your mom had done differently when you were a teenage girl? As my daughter starts her journey through adolescence, I am thinking about how to be a good mother to a teenage girl. This is all new territory. As for me, I was the youngest child and my parents had their own struggles (financial, interpersonal). I feel like no one really talked to me about life and the world. I would have liked more guidance, at least that's what I think now. At the time I mostly just wanted independence, but I think that was a reaction to the situation at home. What's been your experience? How has your experience affected your parenting of your teenage girl?