Good question! I've been wanting to make my own but the elder berries are so expensive.

We are a family of four. I don't sort laundry. Each person has a couple of towels and his or her towels go in with his or her laundry. I'll wash my laundry when my basket is full (one heaping basket = one load of laundry) and dd's laundry when it is full, but I won't do both of ours on the same day because I hate putting it away. Ds washes his laundry whenever his basket is full. Dh washes his laundry whenever he can get to it, which isn't very often. He did 3 loads tonight- I don't think he had done laundry in two weeks. ETA: I prefer our system because sorting annoys me. Dh does his own laundry because lack of sorting annoys him. :-P

We actually have a couple of (empty!) bottles from antique stores that are labelled with things that are now illegal. I don't think we have those though. :D

These are fantastic! Thank you so much. I can't believe I forgot about the Vermont Country Store. :D

Lemon pepper crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale, and pineapple

Our basement half-bath is decorated in antiques and oddities, and I think it would be neat to stock the medicine cabinet with vintage-inspired products. It doesn't need to be complete, as we have a fully stocked medicine cabinet in the main bathroom, but it would be neat to have more than just empty tins. I'm looking for suggestions for usable products that have a vintage look. (For example: Salves like Prid and Watkins Petro-Carbo, bottles like Thayer Witch Hazel, Osma shaving alum, etc.) What do you recommend?

Yes, I would consider myself a happy person. I'm generally happy unless I'm sad. I thought everyone was that way, but I have found that many people have a kind of in-between mode with which I wasn't preprogrammed, apparently. ;) One of my children leans toward having a seemingly natural optimistic personality, while the other is (and has been as long as I can remember) very negative. Fortunately, the negative one has a sharp wit and great comedic timing so at least we get some laughs from that one's negative observations now and then.

New blender (old one finally died this year and I'm making our smoothies one at a time in a little $15 personal blender) Stand mixer (I finally have the counter space for one!) Slippers I probably won't get any of those things, but they would be nice!

I wait until it's relevant and generally try to avoid bringing it up with total strangers, for time-saving and awkwardness-avoiding purposes. I don't need to discuss my children's educations with every obnoxiously chatty cashier.

I want my daughter's future partner/s (hey, we live a long time; my great-grandpa remarried in his 80s and was married for 20 years to my step-great-grandma) to be respectful, witty, flexible, dependable, sensible, have the ability to financially support her 100% if that need should arise, and full of passion for her. I know dh would prefer she choose a non-religious partner, but matters of faith are really none of our business.

Dh and I have changed so much in the 11 years we've lived together, I don't think any initially laid "ground rules" would even be applicable at this point. I guess we did have a couple of unspoken rules that were important to us both (don't compare the other to his/her parents, keep at it - "it" being whatever hard discussion we're in the midst of- until you come to a resolution) but we didn't lay anything out in a "this is how it's going to be" way.

What a great idea for a thread! Nothing beats a good-quality down comforter. I hate that they aren't machine-washable, but they sure are wonderful on the cold winter nights. I don't know what brand ours are, but I think they came from Bergner's. ETA: I don't know about kerosene heaters, but we have a couple of Edenpures that we love.

Shop your local non-chain stores first. I've never regretted buying local. Right now, two of my dining chairs are being repaired by the same store that sold my parents the set 30 years ago.

I would start out with the Std. Ed. HIG, textbook, and workbook. After you get the hang of those, purchase the Challenging Word Problems. CWP is an integral part of the program, IMO, but you don't need to jump right into it. If your child can do the workbook problems easily, add the Intensive Practice (or- and this is probably controversial among Singapore Math users- replace the workbook with the IP. It's not a perfect fit, as IP was intended to be used with the U.S. Edition, but the combination of IP/Std Ed. has not been an issue for us.)

My dh has a fairly obvious physical difference (genetic.) I know he greatly prefers when children just come out and ask him what happened to his his arms or hands, but I think it would be awkward if an adult total stranger asked him. When we were teens, and way before we dated, I asked him all kinds of questions and he didn't mind answering at all. I don't think I'd ask (as an adult) about a child's or teen's disability, and I don't think I'd ask (as an adult) about another adult's disability. I think everyone has varying levels of comfort with the subject, and unless you know the person really well, I just wouldn't "go there." Kids, though? I don't think kids should be taught to "look away" or "act like you don't notice." Kids are going to have that natural curiosity, and there's nothing inherently rude about a child asking an adult or another child about his or her disability or difference.

Fablehaven or The City of Ember?

I made ours out of a cheap sketchbook. Here are pics (on my desperately-needs-updated blog. ;) )

We're reading The Swiss Family Robinson.

I don't think that has ever happened to me, unless you count the numerous times I think, "Hey, I need to call my mom" and my phone rings while I'm trying to find it in my purse or wherever and, of course, it's her. That happens fairly often. :)

A fantastic new pillow can do wonders for you too. As long as I have my Tempur-Pedic pillow, I can sleep ANYwhere. They're expensive, but they last 7-10 years.

Homemade salt or sugar scrubs, caramel dipping sauce, M&Ms & peanuts.. whatever Pinteresty thing I'm into that week. ;)

I don't think I have anything plastic, but I do keep glass Frog Ranch pickle jars and Kroger organic salsa jars because their lids are plain black and interchangeable. I also keep pre-made pesto (glass) jars because they're such a cute shape to use for little gifty items/jams/whatever.

Well, this job may not put her working with children directly, but (sadly) a legal advocate or paralegal at a not-for-profit legal service center will spend the vast majority of his or her time helping women and their children get out of abusive relationships/households/marriages. In some states you do have to have a degree to work in this capacity, but in some you do not.

I'm so excited for you! I was thrilled to get my OM package last month. (We're starting OM 3 and 5 after the move.) If you need the supplemental craft items or books, I have found many of them cheaper at Rainbow Resource than anywhere else.

That is fantastic!!! Yes, this needs to be framed and hung in my bathroom. :D :D