My iPod. Really. How did I ever homeschool w/o it? (Memory work, violin pieces, audio books, etc.) It sure would have made life easier while we built our house. Now, when I publicly declared my love for my iPod my printer went belly up. Now that I have its replacement, I must give my printer its props! And ITA about Billy bookcases. Don't ask me how many I have. Just don't. I won't tell you. You can't make me! And Pampered Chef timers. I'm sure there are cheaper ones available w/ the timer and count up features, but we use these (yes, plural!) in so many ways! Loving the dog bed idea! Fun thread.

Alton Brown's Buff Smoothie recipe calls for overight fridge time and just 2 minutes of blending the next am. Is that too much? Can you move the blender to a place where others won't hear it? Yum. Smoothies!

Hey, 2cents and mamaofblessings, that binder is about $20? The rebate for this laminator is $20. Just sayin'. ;) (Thanks to MeaganS for posting that deal!)

:lurk5: I've been disappointed time and time again. Yes, it's a cliché, but they just do NOT make 'em like they used to! Anxiously awaiting recommendations for a good, sturdy brand!

I can't get past this. The first thing Dave would tell you to do is to make your budget TOGETHER! We went through FPU last year and as things change, we continue to tweak our budget. (Ds made the all stars team, so we have expenses not budgeted for. For ex: the all stars uniform, more gas to drive to 2 weeks of daily practices, more gas needed to drive the 140+ mile round trip to the district tournament's location for a week, more pix, etc.) It's a team effort. We have to do it together. Dave does not waver on this. I'm *not* bashing your dh for having you draw it up. You have to start somewhere, but he needs to be involved in the process! As for the vehicle situation, you've gotten good advice. Get your EF in place and go to one car if you have too. Not fun, but sometimes necessary. Then save for a replacement. Our first step is always to PRAY for a replacement! ;) And last of all: beans and rice and rice and beans! Really.

VP = Veritas Press CC uses the VP history cards, but changes the order. You could buy the Foundations book for $50 and follow the plan, but again, you would benefit from the audios and memory work flashcards, which are available laminated or you can download it and print off and laminate your own. (Or make your own.) Have I yet mentioned that we've never enrolled in CC, but have loosely used some CC materials at home? So, please, ask someone who's *IN* CC. As for grades, I believe this how CC corresponds: Foundations: grades K-6 Challenge A = 7th Challenge B = 8th Challenge 1 = 9th Challenge 2 = 10 Challenge 3 = 11th Challenge 4 = 12th Aslo, I'd see if there is a practicum near you. They're free for parents and you could learn more about how the memory work is done. And a local one here has an open house, which would allow you to see it in full action. HTH. Angie who has never attended CC!

Just tried this today after ds's all stars game during which our team WHIPPED UP on the other team. Revenge for eliminating us at last year's all stars tournament! Oh, back to the topic. It worked great. I showed ds his pants and he said, "Did you buy a NEW pair?" (He's so funny. He gets that from me!) Thank you to the OP of that recipe! (Who, I realize, is not Baseball mom. Who has a board name I love!) Were we separated at birth? We're living parallel lives, I tell ya! ;)

That's great! Good news indeed. :)

:iagree: Exaclty what I was going to say! We hope our dc will attend Financial Peace University w/ their fiance/fiancee before getting married. SO IMPORTANT!!!

I've added vanilla to paint to help cut down the odor of the paint before. I haven't see the Arm & Hammer stuff. As for nonVOC paints, they were my first option, but buying those for the whole house was out of our budget. "Regular" paint off gases in about 3 months. We had our walls painted 3 months before moving in. (Long story about evil sub contractors!)

Oh, and if you can roll your r in the "ray" part of Pareja, that would be great!

Have an "h" sound (like in WHO) for the Juan part, saying WHAN, and instead of PAIR-A-ha, make it pa-RAY-ha. :) Hello, Kathleen! :)

We don't do CC but I'm gleaning much from The Core. HTH.

My sentiments exactly! The Core was a splurge for me (yes, even at that low price). I'm so glad I bought it, and I loved the chapter on geography too! Well said! :)

I'm guilty of this!

I'm a fiercely proud Virginian, but I will admit our faults! Humidity, lack of instruction driving in snow and ice, and the cost of northern Virginia to name a few! My advice to ANYONE moving to a new place ANYWHERE is to stay away from HOA's (Home Owners' Associations). I realize their purpose is to keep property values up, but that's a relative term for those of us who enjoy freedom! Museums, art galleries, monuments, pro sports teams, concerts...ah, DC and the surrounding areas. Fun!

I am SOOOOOOO happy for you! I'd love to come visit you and run barefoot on your acreage. We hope we're in our last earthly home now too. Happy moving. It's overwhelming to touch everything you own twice, but it's a good time for evaluation, purging, blessing others and re-organizing. *Checking this off the prayer list, but keep good renters on there!* I'm glad to see you stipulated use of the yard for the fair. Well done! :) Can you advertise your house for the faculty at the college (or is it a university)? Just thinking out loud. This makes me so happy!!!

Praying for you, love!!! (((Milovany)))

Do you mean Colin Firth? The BBC version, iow, the RIGHT version? :) Love that one! *SIGH* is right!

Thank you! That book was Snore City. I've met other users of SL who agree w/ me about that book.

I'm so excited for you! How many years have you and I been through house stuff together? (((Milovany))) I know your keen eye will know just what to do w/ your house! (And I vote for ditching that dividing stripe too!) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 :)

We looked into modular homes (among other options) before deciding to build an ICF house. We acted as our own GC (general contractor) and saved tons, and I do mean TONS. That savings is even after a few years of paying rent, since we had a terrible sub-contractor who held us up and added months to the process, and whom we had to sue (and won, but haven't gotten our settlement, so we have a lien on his house). We still came out way ahead of quotes for builders to build our home. It's cheaper to insure (fires, hurricanes, etc. Look here) and we've never had as big a house before, and never had lower bills for heating and cooling. Friends said some snide things about our taking so long (even church friends) but we did it and it was worth it. I think of those friends and their comments every time we get a LOW electric bill! :) HA! You pay more for the concrete v. stick built, but you start saving on bills immediately. We also oriented the house to maximize the winter sun and did some other energy-efficient things, so those features help keep our bills low too. :) ICF stands for insulated concrete forms They rock! Whatever kind of house you build/move into, consider how efficient it is and what it will cost to heat and cool. Long after a mortgage is paid off, you still have heating and cooling bills!

We once rode by a sign for a chiropractor whose name was Dr. Scott Pop. I begged my father to turn around so I could take a picture, but he wouldn't do it.

Praying accordingly! :)

AHEM! YOU GOT IT???? WOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you! (((Milovany))) Angie who decided w/ her Dh to build an energy efficient house and did, and didn't qualify for one single credit (homebuyer's, energy-efficient windows, doors, etc.)