I'd cook it and then not let him eat it because it was previously frozen. But I'm mean that way.

I've done it, too. I just make sure it's thawed and then brought to room temperature before I cook it.

:iagree:

If you can fit into a clean pair of jeans that you wore 5-6 years ago...I'd say you were doing pretty good. :thumbup1: There are so many factors that could influence how snug they fit: water weight/bloating due to that time of month or what you ate recently, how cold it was, shrinking, etc. And as a PP mentioned, jeans will stretch as you wear them. Unless all your clothes are suddenly fitting snug, particularly around the waist since you mentioned that was where you held weight, I would seriously not worry about one pair of jeans. :)

Interesting. I hate "love languages" because I feel it becomes a reason for others to not do something. "That's not my love language; it just doesn't come naturally to me. You just need to accept that." "I know that's not his love language, so I will just excuse his lack of meeting my needs." It's an enabler of poor behavior. I suppose it's a bit of a sore spot for me, so I will bow out with this: As a mother and a wife, I have a responsibility to meet certain needs of my kids and my husband...and that includes their emotional needs. I have have had to force myself to do things that I wouldn't naturally do because that is what they needed. I'm an adult, a parent and a wife. I may have to work harder, but I don't get a pass because it doesn't come naturally to me. Why would I not expect the same from my dh? He's an adult, a father and a husband. Part of taking on that role means that he needs to learn to meet his wife's needs...and yes, that includes my emotional needs. He doesn't get a pass because it doesn't come naturally to him. There are ways to learn. There are ways to cope. This is the age of information. There's probably an app for it.

I wouldn't worry too much about trying to "fix it" for this year. Just try to relax and have fun as much as you can! Christmas should be fun, not stressful. Go shopping. Let kids pick from what you've already got. Whatever works. Just remember that learning is a process not an end result, so relax. :grouphug:

Agree with everyone else...you are not being bratty. It took a therapist telling my dh things that I've said for 20+ years for him to really listen and understand that he needed to put more effort into a few things (not gift giving...but it could have just as easily been that). And it took "marriage counselling costs less than a divorce" to get him to the therapist. :svengo: Seriously, WHY does it take so much :smash: to get something through someone's head?! It's the thought that counts...right? So if there's no thought.... :cursing: Anyway, :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: . I get you.

When my ds was that size, I bought online. I second grabbing the measuring tape. You can find size 18 boys and the smaller men's sizes online, but it's much, much harder in stores. However, if you can order something through places like Penny's or Kohls, you can usually find ways to get free shipping and return things to the store without losing part of your money.

I was thinking of twice-baked potatoes (thought the kiddos would like that), but I might do a garlic-herb creamed potatoes (probably something similar to PinkTulip's potatoes but not so much cheese) instead. Also might do some fresh Brussel sprouts or asparagus. I can't even remember what I normally do, and I've cooked prime rib more than once over the years for Christmas. :001_rolleyes: And of course, some good rolls.

I've always found it with the syrups. All the syrups are grouped together on the same aisle, including pancake syrup, maple syrup, cane syrup, molasses, agave, dark/light corn syrups, etc.

:smilielol5:

I wonder if I took the kids tomorrow during the day, before the regular schools let out for the holidays, if it wouldn't be so crowded? If it's regional, I would suspect that my region would be heavily involved....Georgia. rural. :gnorsi: Yep. Half of my family and everyone else's love that store.

:grouphug:

So I was looking for free-to-cheap things to do w/ the kiddos between now & Christmas. I came across this, and was wondering if anyone has been this year or years past? It looks like fun, and as much as I can gather, it doesn't appear to cost anything, just have to reserve your tickets...am I right about that? Santa's Wonderland 2016

Pretty sure that you have to first load your gift card to your amazon account and then adjust your payment settings. If you go to your account>manage payment options>manage 1-click settings, you will find this: So I assume you have to adjust your default payment methods. Having said that, the best way to make for sure is to chat with them, either online or over the phone. I love Amazon, but sometimes their stuff is confusing.

Times like these are when I put my earbuds in and try to keep things to a dull roar. :glare: "Tent town" is a messy but relatively safe activity my kids like.

The question was: What are your beliefs on climate change? Not, do you believe in it or not. The follow-up was: Do you think there will be coastal flooding by the end of the century or not? followed by an article for discussion Why would anyone assume that belief in this case is tied to faith instead of belief based on evidence and reasoning? Why argue over a word choice instead of the topic?

Projector lights require extension cords...unless you spend big $$$ to get solar powered. :glare: I almost got some this year because I didn't want to hang up the lights, but I returned them because I didn't want an extension cord stretched across the yard. You can definitely get solar-powered lights. They're a bit pricier, but it could be worth it since (1) you're not using your homes electricity, so it's a one-time up-front cost instead of something you keep paying for, and (2) no extension cords :hurray: What about the net lights on bushes? For me, it would be close enough to the house so I don't have to stretch out long extension cords. I think stringing them on the tree trunks is nice. I like that look. I don't like extension cords (obviously), so I don't do that. I'd rather do more work and string them on the eaves of the house. YMMV I don't think driving over the extension cords would be an issue. I know lots of people that do and don't have any problems, as long as it's an outdoor, heavy-duty cord. It's more personal taste on my part. I like stringing lights on the eaves. It's work, but it's worth it to me for how it looks.

We have an XBox and a Wii. We never intended to get both, but that's what happened when the kids wanted specific games that weren't available on the XBox. They pooled all their Christmas and birthday money together one year and bought the Wii and accessories. Didn't affect how long they could play; it just gave them more options. It was their money, so their choice. Now, they typically play Minecraft on the XBox or Mario Kart on the Wii. If I had to choose just one system (as we originally did), I would go with whatever system has the games (or most games) they want. That's the most important factor, IMO.

More LEGOs. :lol: Seriously, my oldest still wants LEGOs (he'll be 20 this Christmas!). He just wants bigger, more complicated (and more expensive!) sets.

Well, this is one mama that can't even keep the Tooth Fairy straight, so if I were to get an EOS, then there would definitely be some changes! LOL But we don't do Santa, not in the sense that he's real. He's a fun story and sometimes we reference it. The EOS would probably follow that line of thinking, maybe occasionally be moved or whatnot. I definitely would need to talk to them to set straight any expectations, though. RE: The Tooth Fairy, though. She has moved from finding a tooth from under a pillow, to finding it in a plastic baggie on the fridge...in plain sight...where it's not likely to be forgotten. And even then, sometimes, the Tooth Fairy has been "unable to make a currency exchange" from fairy money to people money. :lol: My kids know it's me. They will come and say, "MOoomm, the 'TOOTH FAIRY' forgot my tooth," :toetap05: and give me a very exasperated glare. That's how the currency exchange started. "Oh, sweetie, she needed to exchange fairy money for real money, and I didn't have any to exchange. Don't worry. She'll be back tomorrow." :Angel_anim: Thank goodness they don't care...as long as they get their money. :001_rolleyes: And as long as I can come up with a silly story as an excuse.

Good luck. I posted about this a while back. I'm a curvy size 14. When I was a size 12, the Lee curvy fit was great. I don't know what happened, but their size 14 stretched out wayyy too much for me. I went to every store in town and spent days trying to find new jeans. I ended up with American Eagle bootcut in petite/short, and I still had to take in the waist. But now that I've got them altered, I LOVE them. They are very comfy and stylish. I had planned to take a couple of pictures and add them to my thread, but I never got around to it. :glare:

We were discussing Christmas decorations, and my kids tell me they want an "Elf on the Shelf" for a Christmas decoration. Apparently, several of their friends have one. I know about these only in the sense that I know they exist. I went to elfontheshelf.com and all I'm seeing is stuff to buy, nothing that explains what it is. Can someone please succinctly explain to me what the deal is? pretty please?

I did not realize we had such a problem down here! .... Let me rephrase that, I knew there was a problem w/ homeless pets, but I didn't realize how much MORE of a problem it was down here than other parts of the country.

Well, apparently the poster I made for Facebook has caught a lot more attention than the last few posts I've made! I posted to a homeschool group, and I've had several people contacting me showing interest. Now, on to the vetting process. Hopefully, one of them will work out.