Simply White from Benjamin Moore is just perfect. It is fresh and lovely without being too stark. We painted our trim and doors with the Simply White and it is so lovely.

At that age, my boys really loved Fagus trucks. They are expensive but are beautifully made and last forever even through lots of rough play. We bought the Unimog first and it is still new looking even after eight years of daily play. My boys still love them.

I got the Compact C2 Electro+ as I have both carpet, hard floors, and area rugs. I needed the power head for my carpets. It is definitely an investment but I have burned through so many cheap vacuums. It works so amazingly!

A while back I asked you all about vacuums- especially Miele vacuums. I can't find the thread at all otherwise I would post there. Anyway, I bought a Miele about a month and a half ago and it has been the most amazing vacuum ever. I can hold our brand new baby and vacuum at the same time because it is so light and easy to use. Plus it is so quiet. And it picks up everything. The power head is amazing. My wonderful husband bought it for me for an early birthday present and I think it is my most favorite present ever. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it and am so grateful to you all because I never would have known about it had it not been for you all. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

Oh yes- definitely wood.They are so durable and look so much nicer. We have had ours for years and it still is played with daily and looks new! I purchased ours from AToymakersDaughter on Etsy. Ours is also in our living room. We had a plastic one that was a gift. After about six months it started falling apart.

Tea from Harney and Sons is really special

I love the Kind bars- the nut ones. Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt is my favorite.

My husband and I have always had thrift store/hand me down furnature. But when we moved cross country two years ago, we went shopping for what you are looking for- good quality couches that doesn't cost tons but will last and look nice. I really liked the items from Hickory Chair but couldn't imagine spending that much. Anyway, I looked online and a lot of people said that Flexsteel was a good brand and a place in town sold them. We went and looked and they are lovely so we bought two couches for our home. It has been two years with kids and the couches have been moved cross country again and they still look brand new. Even with our kids they still look perfect- they are still so comfortable and non of the cushions are saggy. I did pick a high performance fabric and not leather and that has been amazing. I also wanted a clean, classic look for our sofas and have been so pleased. Anyway, I love them and have been so happy with how they have held up.

If you are interested in other brands of dolls, there is a wonderful British online store called Petalina Dolls: www.petalinadolls.co.uk and she has wonderful descriptions of each doll and has such a variety. I purchased two baby dolls from her last year even though I am in the US and they are just of amazing quality and are just beautiful. Her prices were really great and shipping was not that much for both dolls. Anyway, I thought I would mention it as she has such lovely items and they are all high quality. She has this page on her website too: http://www.petalinadolls.co.uk/buyers-guide/other-information/my-daughter-would-like-an-american-girl-doll_1.htm

My 9 year old is like this- he ran through everything so fast. When we reached AOPS Pre-A he slowed down which was nice. However, right now he is about 3/4 of the way through Pre-A and is really starting to pick up steam again. When he was screaming through everything, I just tried to provide good quality materials and then made sure that he understood what was going on periodically. We would talk about whatever he was doing periodically and, if he understood it, I let him go at his own pace. I tried to provide all kinds of materials for him- workbooks/math curriculum, bios of math people, books about specific math topics, etc.

We are due to have our sixth baby soon- a little girl- and we are so excited. For reasons I don't really want get into, I am having trouble with baby names. I really like Odelia and think that it would be my first choice but I am worried it is too close to Adele and I don't want to get close to that. So I thought I would ask here. Do you think Odelia (pronounced O-dee-lia) is too similar to Adele? If I do choose this name do you think that spelling it Odelia or Odeelia is less confusing? I would appreciate any opinions you have. :) P.S. I really like more old fashioned, elegant girl names so if you have any other suggestions I would appreciate that too. Evangelina is also a favorite.

This does seem like making a mountain out of a molehill especially considering your daughters activity level and healthy diet. But some people are more prone to higher LDLs so maybe the doctor is being cautious. How much soluble fiber (not just bulk) is your daughter getting? Things like oatmeal and oat bran can help increase your soluble fiber levels which in turn decreases your LDLs. Maybe she could just try eating oatmeal (made with old fashioned oats) once or twice a week for breakfast? Is she getting enough good fat- like the fish oil mentioned above? Nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. are all sources of good healthy fats that are much better than saturated kinds.

Over the past 13 years of marriage I have killed so many vacuums- all upright cheap ones. One even lit on fire and many of them have started smoking. I take really good care of them- cleaning/changing filters, emptying bags/canisters, not vacuuming big things, etc. Thankfully many have been given to me. My husband calls me the vacuum killer and jokes with people that they are not safe in our house. :) I do vacuum at least once a week- usually twice a week. In areas of high dirt, I do it more. Is that unusual? Anyway, I know many people here recommend Miele and I was looking at the but feeling overwhelmed with all the options and the prices are so expensive. But I would much rather buy a quality item that will last forever and work well. I think I would like a canister and our new house has both carpet and hard floors. I looked at a whole bunch of threads here but thought I would ask specifically about the Miele ones. - What model do you have and does it work for your needs? - What don't you like about them (other than the price)? - Do you feel like the more expensive ones are worth it or do the cheaper Mieles work just as well with a few less features? - Did you buy yours on Amazon or locally? - Our new house has regular length carpet- medium pile I would guess- and I have a few lower pile area rugs. Is the power head thingy needed for that or will the regular head work just as well? - I found a website that compared Mieles and said that this one was the best bang for your buck. What do you think? - Someone said on Amazon that Mieles are now being made in China instead of Germany. Does anyone know which models? Anyway, I would appreciate any and all comments on what you think about Miele vacuums.

We don't school year around but have a regular schedule of school subjects during the traditional school year. In the summer, we do a lot of "non-school" learning to combat the crazy. Every summer my kids chooses a special subject to study in depth- for example my oldest chose amphibians. I choose some fun math materials to use. I pick out a giant stack of books for reading on a variety of subjects- some science, some history, some literature, etc. This allows summer to feel fresh and new and allows my kids to explore topics in depth more than our usual school year. They obviously have time to do their interests during the year but I actively plan and seek out new materials for their topic of choice each summer. Summer also gives me a little more time to work on any weak areas. Finally, I try to pick out some new skills or project that they learn over the summer- my oldest did woodworking last summer. This more free schedule works really well with the other stuff that goes on in the summer.This summer is a bit odd because we are moving so things have been even less planned than usual.

I used to have massive problems with my skin and have found some solution that work really well for me. - First of all, get yourself some really good fish oil supplements. They really help. - How is your diet? Are you eating plenty of good, healthy fats? Things like nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. - Secondly, wash your skin with really gentle cleansers, especially natural ones with glycerin in them if you can find one. I have seen the good stuff in health food stores. I actually make my own soap now out of coconut oil and olive oil and it is so lovely. It is so gentle and works wonderfully. If you want to give it a try this is my favorite and most easily understood recipe: https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-make-cold-processed-soap-v-2.html - Taking a shower with lukewarm water helps not irritate the skin farther - Finding a really good moisturizer helps too. I really like the Avalon Organics one with Lavender or the Unscented one. https://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Organics-Lotion-Nourishing-Lavender/dp/B0013ALGTA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499265162&sr=8-1&keywords=avalon+organics+lotion

Oh I am so very sorry. That happened to me once. My hair was so long and pretty and I just wanted some nice layers. What I ended up with was a very weird pixie cut with the layers all in the wrong places. It was so bad. I am so sorry and hope it grows out soon.

Throughout the year and especially when I am planning for the new school year for curriculum, I put everything I might want to buy into an Amazon wishlist. Then, as it gets closer to the fall, I go through and decided what I actually want to purchase. Then I try and find all the things that I want to purchase used in good condition. I try to purchase everything I can used. We set aside our tax refund for school expenses although I usually never spend the whole amount. So, I guess the amount of our tax refund is our budget. Some years are more than others depending on how many kids I have in school and what their needs are. For example this next year for curriculum for my three oldest, I know I need to buy AOPs Algebra, Beast Academy 3 workbooks, some French materials, two Latin textbooks, and some new piano books. I do have to say that when I am planning for each school year, I also spend some funds on our home library. The point made above about curriculum being more expensive than real books is really great. We don't really like online or device reading and the libraries here aren't that great. Plus, the nearest one is 30 minutes away. So, if I want my kids to read a lot we need to have a home library. Someone already mentioned this but the money I have spent on our home library has always been useful and never wasted. Especially when you can find used books, the money you spend on real books just goes so much farther than on curriculum. So, again as an example, this year I want to purchase some drawing and sculpture books, three biographies of artists for our collection, some geography type books, and a few new nature books on various creatures. This is part of my budget and as a result of this we have a wonderful home library. I do buy books throughout the year for our home library. I also plan on purchasing a few books each year for my own self- education. Finally, I take into account school supplies we need- pencils, notebooks,etc. This year I want to buy a nice whiteboard instead of the cheap little one I have. I also want to purchase a nice globe for our geography studies. I also need to get a few coloring books for my almost 4 year old daughter that wants to "do school" too. I might try to find a few special new picture books for her too. In the past I have purchased a used Brock microscope, art supplies, manipulatives, etc. I do try to be rather minimal with these extras because there is just so much stuff out there and it can be easy to go overboard. Putting stuff in my Amazon school wish list allows me to think about it for a while before I actually purchase it which helps me both with my budget and with clutter. And it is nice having a list for finding things used like at curriculum sales and such. For example, the only math manipulatives I have now are cuisenaire rods (we love Miquon) and base 10 blocks. I had more stuff that I found used and some stuff people gave me but I think I am becoming more of a minimalist so I got rid of everything else because we never used it. I think I am rambling now but I hope this is helpful.

I love her site too and always find her to be inspiring.

I just actually finished shopping for and purchasing a whole new "wardrobe" as I had no maternity clothes left after five kids- not even one thing. I also needed shoes too. Obviously I had to shop at maternity retailers but I did all my shopping online. Could you do something like that? I also did this last year when I needed a few tops (non-maternity) for summer. I waited until the online places have major sales and then I did my shopping. And I shop at places that have free returns- either by mail or store. Then I can order what I think will be nice, try it on in the comfort of my home without five kids, and return what doesn't work. It is glorious. I wait until places have their sale items 40-50% off and then I can find nice items for reasonable prices (like $20 for a good quality top). Obviously, these are not thrift store prices but our thrift store are hopeless here. So, last year I purchased three Ann Taylor tops for about $20 each and they still look brand new this year (except I can't wear them because I am pregnant so they will be nice for next year). I also started doing a "capsule wardrobe" a few years ago before it became a "thing" and that has helped too. I chose five colors (two neutrals, three accent) that I like and work well for me and twice a year (Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer- basically hot and cold clothes) I evaluate my wardrobe and see what I have and what I need (if anything). Then when I do go shopping, whether online or not, I know exactly what I am looking for. I try to buy the best quality I can but I am still on a budget. That is why I try and shop the sales. For my maternity capsule I had to buy everything so I purchased two dresses, three tops, two jeans, and two camisoles. Everything looks so pretty and fits wonderfully and will last me the rest of pregnancy and for a couple months of postpartum. Here are the online places that have free returns by mail: Nordstroms Amazon Ann Taylor Garnet Hill Gap Banana Republic Here are some places that have free returns in store: TJ Maxx Talbots Macy's DSW For more expensive items, try finding an item or brand you love and checking on eBay for a much cheaper price. I bought really nice, super expensive purse and boots for a fraction of the price this way. Finally, I just discovered a really nice consignment store called Style Encore. I don't know if you have that around you but the prices were really reasonable and the clothes were really nice- mostly all good quality and brand name. They didn't have much in my size when I went and had no maternity but they had a lot of nice things and I will definitely try them out again next time I need something.

Our previous house was 1,000 square feet with no garage and with 2 adults and 5 kids it was difficult. I think if the house was laid out a little better and if we had a garage it would have been fine. Trying to juggle all our garage stuff in our master closet with all of our office stuff and our clothes and shoes was a little crazy. And having all five kids in one bedroom was a little hard too. We moved last spring across country to an enormous house of 3,300 square feet. It has two stories and a basement. It has been really nice having so much space. The boys have one bedroom and the girls have one bedroom. We are expecting baby #6 and it is nice having space in our master to walk and have a baby cradle too. We have a LAUNDRY ROOM and a whole room for books and school stuff. It is glorious. I love,love, love having a laundry room. We also have a basement but don't really use it much. We just store camping gear and extra food down there so we could be really just as comfortable without the basement which would take the total square feet down to 2,300.

So, I regularly wear make-up. Not everyday but probably most days I do a "five minute face". For the past five or so years I have been using Mary Kay stuff because my MIL's sister is a Mary Kay Rep and she is the expert. I have been putting up with it mostly because I always get guilted into purchasing it every year "to help support" MIL's sister. There is one thing I liked from Mary Kay (MK)- the pressed Mineral foundation. Most of the other stuff works ok but not great. And a new mascara I tried was horrible this year. So, this year I am just so done with it. I am just going to ignore the guilt and find stuff that works better and that I actually really like. Earlier in the year, I got a free gift of Estee Lauder samples from Macys and my skin has just been amazing ever since I have been using that. I am amazed at how nice my skin is with this stuff. I used to have all kinds of trouble with my skin. So, I found my skincare and my mascara. I love that stuff and the free gifts keep me stocked. I ran out of mascara so I can just buy a tube of that and something else and get the free gift with the really nice skincare cream samples I like. This way it is pretty inexpensive. I also purchased a compact of Stila eye and cheek color and I love that as well. I don't really know that much about makeup and I know that a lot of you here know much more. I would love to go to Sephora or Ulta but we don't have either. So, could you help me out? I am fairly simplistic in that I don't want a lot of products since I am so busy and am really going for a very natural look. (For example, I really like this YouTube video although she uses more things than I have in the past: ) I am 33 and have a few wrinkles. My skin is pretty easy since using Estee Lauder but I do have blemishes every once in a while in the summer because of the heat. And sometimes I have dark circles under my eyes. Anyway, I do need to find some other things and thought you all might be able to help. Here is my list of what I need: - I need some sort of foundation. I have been using the MK Pressed Mineral powder and I like the smoothness of it. I apply it with a brush and it looks natural. It goes on really nice and covers ok. It does tend to wear off and doesn't cover when I have dark circles under my eyes. So, would a pressed powder with a concealer work better? Or do liquid foundations work better? MIL's sister said you need a liquid foundation and a powder to go over it. Is that true? Can you just have a liquid foundation without powder? I don't want to look like I have layers of makeup on like MIL's sister. I like to just feel fresh and pretty- like I am not really wearing makeup. Does that make sense? I tried a MK tinted moisturizer with SPF and a powder over it and I liked that a lot but I want to use the Estee Lauder moisturizers since they are so nice. Also, how is a CC cream different than a foundation? - I need new makeup brushes. My MK ones are falling apart. I would like to purchase some good quality ones that will last forever. And I am not looking for a lot of them. I think I really only use three or four brushes in the set I have. Are there any good ones you can recommend? If I use a liquid foundation do brushes really work better? I have only used my fingers. And here are a few questions related to the video above: - Do you all use eyeliner everyday? Recommendations? - What in the world is primer potion? Where do you use that and why? - What is bronzer for and why do you use it? I would appreciate your help so very much. I don't have a huge budget but if I could find some nice things that work I would be really happy. ETA: I forgot to add that now that I am pregnant I get a few very light brown spots on my cheeks and would like to cover those. There is some sort of special name for that but I forget what it is.

I don't know if it could be PTSD but I can definately see how she could be affected for a really long time. Something traumatic like that really changes you are a person. When I was 7 months pregnant with my oldest my DH and I had a horrible car crash. He broke his back and the doctors didn't think he would ever walk again. I went into labor and spent the next two months on heavy medications to not be in labor while trying to help and support my husband. My husband did learn to walk again with lots of work and I ended up having our son somewhat normally although doctors were worried about him and I had complications from birth. In addition, my parents and my in-laws (they stayed at my house with their children for a little while) and my sister got into a lot of fights with each other and I was trying to mediate all of that. But the weeks in the hospital and the months of slow recovery plus all the drama from family and the worry over my new baby really took a toll. It took me a long time to not panic about my husband or son and their health. Even now, 9 years later, I still think about stuff a lot. I was the "strong one" in the whole situation. I needed to be calm and not panic- to hold it together for my husband and baby's sake. Especially with all the drama of family, I also needed to kind of absorb a lot of the crazy so my husband could just focus on getting well and not on everyone's fears and doomsday predictions. And I needed to be his encourager and support for doing the hard work of getting better and not sinking into depression. Plus, then I had a brand new baby to care for with his needs. Trying to "stay strong" (and rational) for everyone was really hard. Thankfully I had one really great friend who helped me and just let me cry a few times. I feel like the whole thing really changed who I am as a person. There were a lot of good things- my husband and I grew so incredibly close, My faith as a Christian and my trust in the Lord grew exponentially as well. And I learned to treasure every moment with my husband and son. We learned to celebrate well, even little things. Doctors didn't think we would be able to have more children and here I am, pregnant with my sixth child. The Lord is so good to us. Even in the darkest days, the Lord's goodness was so evident. He always provided little joys we could celebrate each day and I am so grateful for His mercy. But there are still some hard things, especially in my mind, that I pray over a lot and turn over to my Savior. I don't really like driving very much still especially on winding hills. And I worry more about the health of my husband (he still has issues) and all my children. I felt really fragile for a long time mentally just because everything was so hard. And certain things bring back the memories still. But, my prayer life and dependence upon the Lord has comforted me and encouraged me so much- even when still dealing with drama from family or health repercussions. Anyway, I don't know if this helps but I could definitely see how she still might be struggling.

I also have a Brock and just love it. I purchased mine used on eBay and then bought some higher magnification lenses from the Brock website.

Of course I would. It is really important to me to be courteous and kind to others. I try to make a conscious effort to be extra polite and helpful, especially when I see a need, to everyone. Lots of people here in Indiana have also been really helpful to me as a mother of five kids. And I think it is a great example for my kids as well. Although, in this situation, I don't ever carry an umbrella even though it pours cats and dogs here because I am already trying to herd my little band of children and usually am carrying a carseat or baby and holding a toddlers hand while trying to make sure the three boys don't get squished while following me (and answering a thousand questions at the same time). :) But, if I had one, or was by myself I would totally offer to share.

I don't even know what a TAG group is but I am so very grateful for the group here. You have all helped me so incredibly much over the past four or so years. You have reassured me in the craziness and helped me so very much especially with math. I am so very grateful. I have noticed it being quiet here more than usual but I figured everyone is busy.