Do you manage the laundry? If your husband is like mine, he always wears the same 10 outfits that gravitate to the top of various drawers. You may be able to get rid of the stuff he never wears without him even noticing. Put a box in the basement and move a few things at a time there. When it's full, date it. If he doesn't ask for anything in a year, donate/trash it.

SO TOTALLY STEALING THIS!!!! I can get some bins out of my bedroom if I can free up the shelves in the linen closet that hold sheets. (I'm working towards having nothing on the floor that isn't furniture.)

Letting go of that philosophy is what actually got my house into decent shape. I put stuff off until I had the time and energy to do it RIGHT. Once I had kids, time and energy went out the window. Now I do a quick crappy job on everything and my whole house stays neater. If I'm not satisfied the next day, I do another pass and go deeper. My new motto is "Strike while the iron is hot." This means I clean as fast as I can before I get tired :001_smile:

I've only ever heard of buffets prohibiting doggie bags. I think I missed something here.

I just downloaded it today. I've been chained to the kitchen all day so I haven't even played with it. I plan to use it to schedule 5th, 9th, and 2 co-op dance classes I teach weekly. I'll review it when I get to play with it :001_smile:

Refied beans? Can you pick another bean and make a dip from that? Lentils or white beans with some spices or tahini would be nice. Just choose a mild bean and add the flavors you want. Can you experiment with coconut milk, or even fluff? KFP

That's not the law where I live. We also have libraries near schools, but they're big enough to absorb a class using them without turning away the general public. This town is SERIOUS about it's library use. They wouldn't stand for such restrictions. I voted Yes above. If my kids WANTED to play with a larger group we certainly wouldn't leave the playground. KFP

:grouphug::auto::001_smile::001_smile: Awesome news!!!!!!!

I'm in central MD and a virus with these symptoms swept through early in the summer. It was oddly fast for a pukey thing. I think the first 3 or 4 friends who got it assumed food poisoning, but the bug made it's rounds rather efficiently. I never threw up, I just got fevery and exhausted. One kid threw up once, the other not at all. It was over in a weekend. KFP

Thanks a LOT. I looked at it, and can no longer proclaim that I have never paid for an app. ENABLERS!

:iagree: I thought this was the more common scenario.

You need STRATEGY!!! When you dine out, order a meal that you'll want again AND reheats well. This way you get 2-3 meals out of one order. Mexican food is great for this especially if you filled up on the chips. My mother goes so far as to order her steak rare with the intention of taking the whole thing home and re-grilling it. She gets full on her salad and half her sides. If you get take-out, it's nice because you can get one order for 2-3 people! Gotta WORK the system :-)

COMMUNIST! That's right, you're a French Communist. It must be a thing.

You are in my prayers. I understand your frustration. My husband was jobless for 2 1/2 years. It was painfully frustrating and financially devastating. KFP

Would his skills transfer to another delivery-type company like the post office or UPS? They're business MUST be increasing with all of the online shopping people do now? Can he think of a one-off business where his skills would transfer so that he can cast a wider net, or maybe even find work until a more suitable job opens up for him? $50 dollars for that many hours is insane. He'd make more in tips working in a restaurant AND he'd be inside. KFP

I take back everything I said. This IS dangerous!!!! My son can't be trusted with regular fire, much less French Fire! I change my vote. I want fries only and no snooty pyrotechnics. KFP

We're cheddar-beer fondue fans here :-) I find it quicker to melt the fondue on the stove and keep it warm in the fondue pot. Mine uses a gel as fuel, so it takes a while to heat from cold. KFP

If you want to make it to dessert, PACE yourself. Do not fill up on bread and veggies before the meat and chocolate even hit the table. I cope by skipping the veggies :-). I love 'em, but I can fill up on raw veggies at home anytime. It's a nice evening out, but after two visits I bought a fondu pot. Its just SO MUCH CHEAPER to do it yourself. We've made it our Christmas Eve tradition. KFP

We went to Vegas for a family wedding a few years ago. I was surprised at how much fun we had there. It was a CHEAP trip. Our hotel had a circus and an amusement park in it, and it wasn't even one of the 'good' hotels. I think it would be cheaper to go out there for for a weekend to see a show than it would be to spend a day in NY. You DO have to get past the risqué posters, but with older kids that might not be an issue for you. KFP

NANNY 911 is on Netflix streaming now. My 10-year-old son likes to watch it. Go figure. Anyway, it seems like half of any given show is dedicated to bedtime battles. The nanny tells the parents how to get the kids to bed, the parents never believe it will work on their children, the parents eventually try it, and the kids eventually go to sleep. I figure if it works on the crazed maniac families they find for the show it should work for anyone. Might be worth watching. KFP

I think homemade mac n cheese is just as fast as the boxed stuff. You can get the sauce made in the time it takes the noodles to cook. You've been given lots of choices for recipes, so I won't add another. I think mac n cheese is easy when you think of it more as a technique than a recipe. Learn to make a white sauce . . . Melt butter, add flour and stir til smooth then add milk. When it's all smooth and hot, just start adding shredded cheese . . . whatever you like! For my family, the magic combo is sharp cheddar, pepper-jack, and parmesan. You might like different cheeses. Just taste that cheese sauce and add cheese, seasonings, and milk until it is ever-so-slightly thinner and saltier than you want the final product. Pour it over cooked, drained macaroni and eat right away! If you want it a little fancier, undercook the macaroni a smidge before mixing. Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with shredded cheese and/or breadcrumbs. Then bake it until it looks all bubbly and nice. HTH KFP

I went in yesterday then promptly left when everything we wanted was only 10% off. I have my eye on an expensive French cookbook, but it only went down $5 :glare: Our Borders is being taken over by Books-a-million, so maybe they will get the truly good deals? I'm glad we'll still have a bookstore, but I wanted some true bargains. KFP

WAIT! This infringes upon my American right to just grunt a number when I order food. Should I really be forced to order exactly what I want in order to GET exactly what I want??? Shouldn't restaurants keep the same menus/policies for all eternity for my convenience??? If I unknowingly receive apples AND fries when I only wanted one or the other, I'm then faced with the IMPOSSIBLE task of going to the register to make an exchange and that's too much walking and communicating for me. So you see, it IS an evil plot to force me to eat apples cause I ain't gettin up to fix it! If I have to use my brain in McDonalds, the terrorists win.

:iagree: I wanted it to be a SERIES! "But I bought thus SUV. How can you not have room to park it????"

We have this kitchenaid blender. The vitamix sounded great, but I use my blender for lots of things that I don't neccesarily want completely smooth. I didn't want to pay that much either :-/ http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSB560OB-5-Speed-56-Ounce-Blender/dp/B000CSNVE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311733802&sr=8-1 It's been great for morning smoothies and crushing ice. It can handle frozen strawberries. I use it to puree veggie soups too. I killed my old, cheap walmart blender making hummus, but to be fair is did last 17 years. This sounds silly, but I really like that it has a wide base and you can use it like a regular pitcher once you've blended your drinks. No wobbly skinny bottom. KFP