My anxious kid is allergic to lavender. I prefer jasmine and find it very soothing, but I don't think science backs me up on that one.

My favorite water bottle is a travel coffee mug. I just put water in it and I don't knock it over. I like being able to put it in the dishwasher. I don't hand wash if I can ever help it.

When I have company I do the whole warmed teapot and loose tea dance. Most days, however, I just make a mug of Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast tea from a tea bag. It's as good as Twinings but less expensive. I have a zojurushi water boiler that keeps the water at black tea temperature all day and sleeps at night. I brew my tea for five minutes. (Yes, I set a timer) and drink it with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of milk. DS and I have a cup like this at least twice a day.

I'm currently on the receiving end of the silent treatment and I'm really enjoying the peace and quiet. I don't think it works on me.

It's not about homeschooling. They didn't actually do it; just said they did. It's more about how a mentally ill parent can create a very chaotic family and how people can normalize almost anything . . . until they can't anymore.

If the tree is healthy and you have no reason to move it for yourselves, then It's reasonable to let them pay for it. If safety is not an issue, then you really have no obligation to pay half for your neighbor's peace of mind. In fact, it's nice if you let them do it because it's your tree and maybe you like it there. It sounds like letting her cut it down and pay for it is a win all around. Maybe you can just pay for the stump grinding if you don't want a stump there because that's often an extra optional fee. I'm saying this as someone who has paid to remove trees for my own peace of mind. A few have fallen. One crushed my house years ago. I just didn't relax in high wind until I had removed more trees. (We have a LOT of trees right near the houses.) It is very expensive.

I bought this book last night around midnight thinking I'd read a chapter before going to sleep. I stayed up until dawn reading it! I do not remember the last time I did that. it's been decades. I am a person who needs 8-9 hours. I could not stop myself. I got a few hours sleep, somehow pulled off my day, and finished the book this evening. The next logical thing to do is see if there was a thread here about it. Or even a support group. WOW! What a ride.

I billed my daughter for 20 years of support on Venmo. She declined the charge.

I know I need to get that ball rolling, but right now getting this kid through high school has me tapped out. He needs a great deal of support and accommodations. He uses a power wheelchair and we we have a rear-entry minivan. The ramp just folds down. I'm too afraid that something with a motor would die on me and leave me stranded at an inconvenient time. No available handicapped parking happens often enough that I'm grateful for rear entry. It does make city parking tricky, but we tend to use the metro in D.C. For transfers we use a pneumatic hoyer lift. We have a ridiculously redneck bath solution that involves a stock tank and an aquarium pump. I need to put a clawfoot tub in his room to spare me some hassle in that area, but he prefers a bath to a shower because it's easier for him to move in water.

I have a disabled child who is now 18. He has duchenne's muscular dystrophy. I completely have my head in the sand about any type of SSI benefits or home health care even though I could probably really use the respite. It's hard this year because all of the kids his age are launching and he'll never do that.

I thought of another space saver. You can get a double oven as a freestanding range. My kitchen wasn't designed for double wall ovens, but having two ovens is handier than I ever imagined. If I'm not cooking with both ovens, the unused one holds all of my cookie sheets and cast iron. Also, if you have a flat top range, it serves as extra counter space when you're not cooking.

If your grandmother isn't still living, can you locate a relative or gardening friend of hers who had an inkling of what she did out there? I think it would be extremely useful to have a knowledgeable person tour the grounds with you and tell you what you need to do and what you can put off. Is there a nearby neighbor who gardens who would be sympathetic? Could your local master gardeners' program help you? I'd start with pulling obvious weeds, planting a small veggie patch, and just watching the rest happen and take notes and photos. Maybe find a forum like this for gardeners to get help for your mission. I've recently begun binging Gardners' World, but that might be overload fresh out of the gate.

I think big kitchens are prettier, but small kitchens are better. I treat my kitchen like a workshop, not a decorative feature. I want to produce meals efficiently as possible. I'm not holding court in there or hosting cooking classes. I like having my tools within easy reach. I like being able to work at a table with a chair and not have stools be the only seating in the work area. I'm also too short to comfortably work with dough on a counter, so my table is a work space. If i'm entertaining more than a few people they're sitting in the living room or dining room and I'm not waiting until they arrive to prep food. My point is, you can be a streamlined MACHINE in a small kitchen. Think of it like you would a woodworking shop and just decorate with all of your wonderful tools. Line the walls with them! Julia did! https://lithub.com/how-to-arrange-your-kitchen-according-to-julia-child/

I am in love with my Ryobi cordless lawnmower. It's so lightweight. It feels like a toy and it sounds like a box fan, but it cuts and bags my grass with very little effort. My yard is only 1/5th of an acre. If I had a bigger lawn, I'd get a second battery so I could swap out when one died. My 70-year-old mom bought one after I let her play with mine (I'm generous like that).

Awesome! I'm 7a so I should be good to go!