I finally found pants I like that fit well for a decent price....and when I brought them home I noticed they are dry clean only! Ugh! I know I won't do that. So should I just return them or can I wash them? They are made of 58% Viscose, 37% Polyester, 5% Elastane. Should I risk it? I really don't even know what viscose and elastane is. Thanks for the help!

My dd (25) also bought from Home Reserve. She brought from there so she wouldn't have to have help getting the sofa up to her apartment, or have to be home for it to be delivered. It is shipped in boxes and has to be assembled. Like others have said, it's probably not the most comfortable sofa, but it works well for her. When she moves, she can detach the pieces from each other and it will be much easier...more like moving a few chairs instead of a full sofa. She liked the challenge of putting it together by herself. She said the hardest part was getting the cushions inside the fabric covers. Her cover is a darker brown microfiber.

We have a latex/hybrid mattress. It is 3" latex on top of 8" zoned pocket springs all zipped up in a mattress encasing. I have been having aches and pains in my hips, low back & shoulders. That's probably why I toss & turn so much. I wonder if I am sinking through the soft latex and feel the firm springs too much. Anyway, I am looking for ideas to soften without being too soft. I do not want memory foam. I am close to buying a latex topper, but it is expensive and I wanted to ask here for suggestions/recommendations first. Anyone have just a mattress pad that helps make your mattress more comfortable? Or any other ideas? Thanks! jakofin

My ds (27) is having deviated septum surgery and a tonsillectomy in about 1 week. The doctor says he has to sleep with his head at 45%. How is best to accomplish this? And inexpensively? I'm pretty sure the mattress we have will not bend, so a wedge under the mattress might not work if it is supposed to just raise the head. Should I get a wedge that goes on top, or lots of pillows...or..? Thanks for any suggestions. I am willing to buy a wedge pillow, but don't want to spend too much. If you have a suggestion, a link would be great, too! :) Thanks! jakofin

My DS (27) is having this surgery in January. Has anyone had this surgery? He gets sick a lot, snores, might have sleep apnea, and has enlarged tonsils, so that's why he is having It. I'm concerned for his recovery; I've heard it is pretty awful. Also, he is staying with us during recovery, probably 2 weeks while he is on pain meds. Any suggestions for what food to fix? Or anything else that could help with recovery? Thanks! jakofin

I just read recently that dry mustard can have gluten in it. Some brands use flour to keep it from caking. Could the honey/mustard flavoring use dry mustard? Could she have a wheat/gluten allergy? I don't have an allergy to gluten, but I avoid it for health reasons. That's why I even noticed that dry mustard could have it.

I don't usually do the grilling...my dh does it. What we have the most is bell peppers and zucchini and rope sausage or brats! I usually have all of these things on hand, so it's easy and fast.

Thanks for the suggestions! All of them sound like good options. Ah...decisions, decisions!

I am thinking about getting a convertible sofa, like a futon or something similar, which would be a seating area in that room most of the time, but converts to a bed. A daybed would work, but wouldn't be as comfortable to just sit on (for me, at least....I'm short!) Anyone have a recommendation for a futon that is comfortable to sleep on? I only expect my son (27ds..200+ lb) to sleep on it a few nights a year, but I still want it to be comfortable for him. And it needs to be reasonably priced, maybe under $400. The room is small and we have made it into a storage room and office, but still want to put a bed in there, too. Thanks!

I'm looking for a place to camp in Southeastern Michigan, Northeastern Indiana or Northwestern Ohio....ideally within 2 hours of Detroit area. We are empty-nesters at this point, so not looking for a campground that has a lot of kid activities. We love nature and quiet and shade! :) A lake would be great, but not essential. And we are not primitive campers...need my electricity, modern restrooms, and hot showers! Any recommendations? We haven't camped in Michigan or Ohio at all, so don't know the campgrounds. Thanks! jakofin

Kelly on the prairie, I have been looking at Arizona Mattress Company mattresses! Is yours all latex? I've been looking at their Ultimate Hybrid Latex pocket coil mattress http://www.mattresses.net/quulhypocola.html. How is this company to deal with? It looks like they have great prices. Mattresses.net is Arizona Premium Mattress online store. We bought a Brooklyn Bedding mattress in medium and have slept on it for 2.5 months. But, are returning it...it is just too firm. I've been waking up with achy back and shoulders. Here's a couple more I'm looking at: Flexus Comfort: http://www.flexuscomfort.com/Quadra-Flex.html ...They have all latex, too, but we are looking at the hybrid with pocket coils. Luma Sleep: http://www.lumasleep.com/mattresses/ - looking at the Latex hybrid slumber system.

I've just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and my doctor wants me to go on a gluten and dairy free diet. It's not the end of the world, but it IS overwhelming to change my diet so drastically and give up so much of what I love! I also am pre-diabetic and have high cholesterol and am in peri-menopause. Seems like a lot to deal with right now. Doctor says it's like the "perfect storm" of health issues, but I will feel better eventually. I love pizza and cheese and Mexican food and bread and ice cream......*sigh... On top of the GF/DF diet, doctor wants me to go on a Cardiometabolic diet, which is a heart-healthy Mediterranean type way of eating. Anyway, I would love some resources that have been helpful and recipes that you love. I feel like I will do okay at home, but dining out with friends and on vacation is what seems more challenging. Thanks! Julie

Lady Marmalade, Wow! That's a lot of tomato plants! Thanks for the suggestions! Talking about fresh home-grown tomatoes is making me crave them! Yum...so good! I hope I can find some of these varieties. What I usually tend to do is plant way too many for us to eat and then they go to waste. I don't want to can them, so 4-5 plants is about all we can handle.

I'm planning my garden today and am cutting down on how many tomatoes I plant. I'm definitely planting Sweet 100's...we love those! And I'm only planting 4 regular tomato plants. What is your favorite to grow?

We just bought Brooklyn Bedding's #BestMattressEver. We got a medium firm Queen. We've had it for about 2 weeks and I feel it is a little too firm for me...I would prefer it a little softer. I talked to the company through chat and they said they would send a gel memory foam topper to soften it if we weren't happy after 30 days. So I will probably ask for that. I really want to like this one...from what I've read it uses good quality materials...latex and high density foam. If we don't like the memory foam topper, we might try a softer latex topper. My son bought a Leesa and is happy with it. He said it did feel pretty firm at first, but he's used to it now and likes it. If we end up sending our Brooklyn Bedding mattress back, I think I will try another latex mattress, maybe through SleepEz. You pick each layer and pretty much build your own. It is more expensive, though. Good luck with your mattress search. The amount of choices is overwhelming!

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out!

We just bought a new mattress and want to keep it nice. Any recommendations on a mattress protector that doesn't make you sweat or sleep hot? I bought one with the mattress (online), but it is so crinkly and noisy. Pretty sure I will sweat on it! I'm looking at this one: http://danican.com/products/silvertech-ag4x-mattress-protector-queen-80-x-60-x-15 Has anyone used this one? Thanks!

Anyone have any recommendations? My dd just moved 5 hours away by herself. I worry and fear for her personal safety. She has a keychain pepper gel and a door alarm for her apartment. She is a smart girl with common sense, but has never lived alone before and might be a little naive. Any other tips or suggestions? This is the CC part: I fear for her and I know that I can't DO anything about it. I've been praying a lot and trying to trust God to take care of her. Do you have any Bible verses that have helped you with fear and worry? Thank you. This is really hard for me for her to be so far away.

I like Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn. It is worsted weight and $3.99 per skein, but they have it on sale regularly. I have used this for afghans, shawls, scarves, even a sweater. It is acrylic. If you are making dishcloths, I would use 100% cotton yarn, like Lily Sugar & Cream. I mostly knit, but the afghans are usually crocheted. I also like Vanna's choice. I bought some yarn on Knitpicks.com...Brava, worsted weight. I haven't actually crocheted with it yet, but it is soft and fairly inexpensive. It is also acrylic. I really love Ravelry.com for patterns! Happy crocheting! :)

So, I confess I am too impatient! I didn't get samples like suggested, even though it is a great idea. I ended up getting Sherwin Williams Dovetail. In the store, the paint chip definitely has tan undertones, but it looks gray on my walls. Yay! I am happy...I love the color! Thanks, again, for all the suggestions!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look at all the paint colors that were suggested. Gray is definitely a hard color to get what you want. I didn't realize that before I decided i wanted gray!

I'm painting my living room gray, but it looks blue/purple! Not at all what I wanted! I know it totally depends on lighting and furnishings, but anyone have a favorite gray paint that doesn't have blue/purple undertones? My dining room is painted french mustard, which is a med gold color. I have old hardwood floors. My couch is dark purple that looks brown sometimes, loveseat is a reddish/brown leather, and recliner is camel color that looks khaki sometimes. I'm painting all trim antique white. Any suggestions on a favorite gray?

Looking for earbuds or ear phones for my dd (24) for Christmas. She wants them to be compact, packable, good for travel, and comfortable. There are so many choices! I would like to stay under $40, if possible. Any suggestions? I saw these on The Grommet: https://www.thegrommet.com/gifts/her/redesign. They look interesting, but I don't know if they are worth $39.95 and if they will last. Has anyone here tried these earbuds?

I made this Curried Butternut Squash Soup in the crockpot tonight: http://littlespicejar.com/curried-butternut-squash-soup-slow-cooker/ . I'm not on a low-carb diet, but I think this would be low-carb. It is delicious! I left off the heavy cream and added a can of coconut milk. You could also make grilled chicken and salad to round out the meal.

I like to wear perfume, but very lightly scented kinds...and not much of it. Most of the time, though, I use scented lotions from Bath & Body Works. Full-strength, they are way too strong and will give me an instant headache. I mix a tiny amount of scented lotion with unscented (Cetaphil), probably about 5 to 1 and put all over after my shower. That gives a light scent that isn't too strong. I also have a friend who can't be around fragrance, so I just use unscented Cetaphil when I will be anywhere near her. I like citrus, white tea, sandlewood, cedarwood, cherry blossom, even evergreen etc. scents. I really can't stand heavy sweet scents....vanilla, fruity or food of any kind...in perfume or candles. Actually, I think I prefer scents associated more with man's cologne!