OK, so, no lie... My college roomie was Caucasian and Japanese and her mom taught her to make them with iceberg, bologna and cheese as a filling. LOL. Her mom adapted available ingredients (that her husband would also eat) to the formats she was used to. It wasn't half bad TBH. Personally, I like them the way my (blended family) friends had them. Shrimp, avocado, lettuce and cilantro or rice noodles with Asian BBQ pork, shredded carrot, cucumber and cilantro.

With the lowered price, I’d do it. I’ve been making changes to our place for the last six weeks and asked the seller *not* to do some of the things he planned. It’s nice to personalize the home yourself.

This. I watched one episode and couldn't figure out the appeal. I agree that moving regularly forces you to make tough choices about what's important to you. It makes the whole concept seem like...DUH? Every time we move, we start with a blank space and have to decide what to bring in and what needs to stay out.

I do not understand this, at all. Every wedding I’ve known or attended in the last 20 years was planned and/or dictated by the bride and groom who, as a couple, determined size and scope using either their own budget or one they’d been given by parents. This is like saying my parents, great aunts and uncles will determine the guest list, theme and/or vibe. Huh??

Yeah, 20K is s bargain wedding in Seattle. It’s also about what my 2004 anniversary weekend would cost in today’s dollars. We DIYd a lot too. No hair, makeup or car.

Yeah, there’s nothing especially noble about doing things for less money or no money. Spending (or not) doesn’t reflect the strength (or lack thereof) of the couple’s bond, their maturity, or the likelihood of long-term togetherness. This thread comes off as very, I don’t know, sour grapes or something? If what you do/did works for you, great! If what someone else chooses to do/did works for them, great! I’m reminded of that scene in Father of the Bride where Diane Keaton explains the unrelenting focus on ‘chipper chicken’ isn’t the issue, it’s second guessing/criticizing every decision the bride/groom makes ‘til you’ve managed to sap all the joy out of what should be a joyous occasion.

Yep. I also don’t begrudge people who host picture perfect affairs. In my extended family, our expression is ‘money or time’. We do a lot of the things that more comfortable people would pay $$$$$ for and have wonderful events but invest a lot of time instead. My cousin’s wedding (and his wife’s family insisted on a pre-nuptial agreement due to movie-related design proceeds/businesses) was fab and under 20k in Seattle. They did a great job with that budget b/c bride’s Dad was able to call in favors for letterpress invites and a chic boho/underground venue. Groom is a city bartender so low-cost help there too. There was a small wedding party and under 100 guests. I’m sure ppl might find that extravagant too but, to my mind, it’s high style on a dime. His sister’s wedding was comparable too and there were no crazy destination parties or shower fly-ins.

I use this pizza dough recipe. I have to take the dough out in the am and allow it to completely return to room temp before it’s ready to use but I have no complaints about it. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016230-robertas-pizza-dough Oh, and I usually triple the recipe to make 3-4 large, 15” pizzas.

We didn’t have a wedding. We did a big family destination reception...seven years later...after we’d eloped. So, in 2004, we spent $8500 of our own money. The bulk of that was the venue and food. My cake vendor was amazeballs and went on to be voted a regional fave several times over. My flower arrangements were silk and DIY but looked like iron urns. My hair dresser, a family friend, was a guest and did it for love. My sister did my makeup because she’s a guru. I paid a comms intern from work $250 plus dinner to take pics. I worked in comms/graphic design and DIYd the multi-part invites. My mom and grandma made my dress from a vintage 1954 pattern. I paid for the silk and DHs suit. I made welcome bags and gifts for our guests, breakfast the day after (combined that with DDs Christening). It was great. 75 ppl. If I had to pay ppl to do all that I did myself or had family do, it easily would have been twice as expensive but plucking vendors from relative obscurity and/or having talented family and friends made my event look like a million bucks when we had nothing of the sort to spend. I pray my kids will do the same. A) we’d know they’re in it for the long haul, B) our money can help with a first home instead and C) no gifts/showers required!!

The countertops we had in Bahrain were solid surface white, Corian or equivalent, including the sink. Tomato sauce, food coloring and turmeric stains were annoying but what bugged me even more was that the sink would not stay white. Every single pot/pan would leave grey smudges and grease stains. It was awful.

My kids are old enough to have *some* say in their own rooms although I do advise on furniture placement, wall colors and decor. In every other space (OK, save master bedroom paint), I decide but especially for the kitchen. I spend more time in there than anyone else so it needs to be functional for me. I do let DH organize his side of the bathroom vanity cabinet as well as his dresser. lol. In your scenario, particularly if the home office has a door (even one with panes of glass that I could frost would work), DH would be in charge.

I love granite and marble but wouldn't put light marble in my kitchen just b/c I dislike stains. The last house we rented had a corian-type thing that stained CONSTANTLY. A nice multicolor granite or marble slab will hide a multitude of sins and it's mostly indestructible. We've never broken a dish on it, only the floor, and it is plenty low maintenance enough for me.

I'm afraid I've set the bar too high. My usuals are fairly stylish so my performance garments up the ante considerably. No kidding, just mentioning these alternative items is enough to make DH drop hints...NONSTOP...all.stinking.day. Dude, I'm frying pork chops here!

Why yes, yes, they do. Not that I know from experience or anything. My DH, BTW, is totally entertained by this thread and seriously eyeballing each and every Amazon package.

Quality ‘stunt’ garments come from Nordstrom or Bloomingdales or Bare Necessities/Figleaves for me. Cheapie, one use items come from Amazon. I can’t believe I’m the only one who has some in the regular rotation! They’re not all floss-like. 😂