:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I was off until the end of last week. No clue why. I hope your season brightens up. :) ETA: "off" as in feeling off, just for clarity.

Garga said it best, and I use a comma before the "and." A comma after the "and" would be completely incorrect, however.

You know I've been pretty darn curious what it was she said... If you're able to share. :D

I miss buttons. Like, real buttons. But I'm pretty disciplined with my smartphone, and it is super awesome for map and calendar access.

May his memory be eternal, and may the Lord have mercy on all of the bereaved. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

The risk is 150 divided by however many U.S. households put up a tree... hmm... That said, we unplug ours every night and if we'll be gone long during the day. :)

^^ Exactly what I was going to say. :D

1. Nope! I like basics, even when dressing up for church. And I don't buy beauty products at all, but if I didn't, they wouldn't be considered part of the clothing budget. Belts are included in the clothing category, though. But not purses. Nor jewelry. Neither of which I buy anyway. 2. I don't budget so much as have a quota, and once it's filled, that's it. I may buy the next size up, though, if I find a really good deal. And I try to shop sales, unless something never goes on sale--3 of us wear Carhartt jeans. Those are always $35. Two of us only have 2 pairs each, and they are very durable. I prefer to pay less than $10 for any other item of clothing. Shoes are the exception; we buy good shoes a size or two up for the kids, and keep a minimum amount of pairs. About $50/pair is the average; I give up on pairs only when they have irreparable holes in them, though. I probably have the fewest clothes out of everyone, DH has the most. For all five of us, this year so far we've spent $1,600. One year we spent $2,500. Drives me bonkers, but it could be a lot worse, I think. All new, no secondhand; DH banned secondhand clothes several years ago. HTH!

It could have been my inference; I'd have to go back and watch it again to see. The regulations inference is equally valid; I tend to focus on "what can I do now" lines of inquiry, though. I guess I don't feel my legislator (used generically) will listen, even if I took the time to write. I have no idea if it's enough--to protect an individual or to shift the system? I mean, I don't know either way, but those are two different goals requiring different steps and with different timelines.

I think the TED Talk lady was thinking more along the lines of end user changes, but I could be wrong. Less usage, different usage, ad blockers, etc. And general awareness to create general resilience.

I liked the article, actually. I saw it as some intentional boat rocking to get people thinking. But see, I was the LAC student who went because that's what you're "supposed" to do, who has never applied for a "real" job, who never intends to, who wasted a LOT of time in very unacademic pursuits, and I wasn't alone in that (though I may have been one of the more extreme examples). I feel like anything other than 4-year college was stigmatized, when that's really unfair. So with anything, I'm in favor of the right tools being used for the right job, whether that's tech school, vocational school, humanities degrees, seminary, apprenticing, or homemaking. Saying "go to school, go to college, and life will magically unfold" is just...wrong. We should be encouraging people from a young age to be considering what they'd like to do--how they'd like to work during their adult years. Then go and equip yourself for that. Have a plan B. If one truly just doesn't know and needs to do something, maybe try online courses and a part time job. Just my opinion though. ETA: it should also be known that my greatest hopes for my kids have almost nothing to do with jobs, so there's that.

I've had at least two people literally physically threaten me if I didn't stop apologizing. I wish I were kidding. It's kind funny and kinda sad. :o Thanks for the link!

This is why I've always made a strong distinction between tattling and telling. Tattling is trying to get someone into trouble when no one/nothing is being harmed. Telling is getting someone out of trouble when someone/something is being (or might be) harmed. Telling is good; always tell, no matter what. Tattling's just annoying. ETA: I didn't just come up with that on my own; I'm not sure where I first heard it, though.

Prayers and :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

To me a sweater is knit, as in, can be unraveled. A sweatshirt is thicker t-shirt type material. Both are pullover, neither have hoods. To me a "hoodie" is a hooded sweatshirt. If it zips it's a jacket, unless it's knit like a sweater, then that's weird and it should have buttons and be called a cardigan. Egad where did this come from?? :lol:

Hmm.. on a good day, the first two hours involve prayers, coffee, breakfast, and beginning chores or seatwork. On a "bad" day, those two hours involve coffee and our finances with the kids still in their rooms (DD on her 2DS and the boys playing pretend things). It varies between those two. Ideaaly I get the up at 7:00, but when I have spells of poor sleep (like this month), that's extra hard and I succeed less. Breakfast is cereal, granola bars, juice, and fruit. Sometimes scrambled eggs. They get everything else ready, but if we have eggs, I usually cook them. Occasionally DD does, though. They clean up afterward, too.

I'm more stressed now than when my kids were little, honestly.

We woke up to even more snow today! I'm thinking almost 3 inches. :party: I know the Northerners probably think we're nuts. :D It's melting now, but this morning was really pretty.

No it made sense. 1 hour there, 30 minute briefing, 8 hour shift, 30 minute (de)briefing, sometimes 1 hour workout w/friend, 1 hour home.

Yeah it's the "and more" bit that I'm trying to avert. We're talking Boar's Head vs. Land O' Frost; I can't conscience it on a regular basis. Though my budget is willfully tight, I admit.

Oh gosh. I try do 4 of everything, clothing-wise--1/2 week's worth, but you could go down to 2 and wash every other day. More for socks and underwear, though. Those tend to get used more quickly than pants or shirts. 2 pairs of shoes ideally (per season is ok, if summer is drastically different than winter). 2 light jackets (one that can get dirty, one to keep nice). 1 of seasonal items (swimsuit, heavy coat, base layer, etc.) Dishes are hard, because either you have a ton of dishes, or you keep the dish cycle going nonstop. This one depends on whether that would actually happen. But minimum, a place setting per person re: plates and flatware, 2 cups/glasses per person, 1 mug per person. One each: big stock pot with strainer, big casserole dish, oven-sized cookie sheet, 9x13 pan, big skillet, saute pan. 2-4 sauce pans, lids for everything. Only if needed: roasting pan, crockpot, bread pans, 9x9 pan, 24-muffin tin. Bedding: 1-2 sheet sets per bed, 1 comforter, 1 pillow per person. Little can have an extra blanket (ok, or two, I'm a sucker). I had to set a deadline for this one; it was hard. And I waited until youngest was not really preschool age anymore. Couch blankets...I just put over half of ours in storage. Kept 3, stored 4 or 5. Toys: only what they'll play with in a 6 month period. I struggle with this because I hate to just commandeer stuff I didn't even buy them (grandparents did, or occasionally, they did with their own money). Vertical storage & Sterilite boxes, with labels if necessary (can be masking tape & sharpie). The only thing I did do a couple of years ago was say, "There's ONE box for X type of toy, I don't care whose it is." Ownership and rights stayed the same, but the storage location was streamlined. ONE LEGO's box, ONE Matchbox car box, etc. When we get too full, things need to be weeded out and donated. Did I mention I love Sterilite?? Towels: at least 2 sets per person, hang to dry once (preferably spread out over the shower rod, not on a hook), throw in hamper after second use. Hand towels are changed daily here, though. They end up with a higher risk for mildew than the bath towels, for some reason. Used more often by more people, I guess. Books: Only what you love or want your kids to read. Period. Mine are more likely to pick up a physical book, so I keep lots and lots of books for them. My stuff I buy on my Kindle. But again, vertical storage. And we purge as they grow. You have a big spread so that's more difficult. I fyou have to pare down, I'd put the bigger kids' stuff on Kindles, by subject or person (if you can spend the $$; I prefer the old school keyboard Kindle). BUT for dishes and laundry, you have to stay on top of everything. The towels can't wait an extra day after they're due for a wash because you don't have extras. You have to wash the pots and pans from the night before if you're going to feed everyone tonight. That's the kicker. And please don't think my house even approaches something out of Good Housekeeping. The above keeps us saner than we would otherwise be. Or maybe I should say, less crazy... :D I just purged my kitchen, too. That was nice. :) I had like 3 Italian seasoning spice bottles... :confused1: Another and: take this all with a grain of salt. It would either work for you or it wouldn't. and it always comes down to what works. Good luck!! I'ma shaddup now... :leaving: ;)

We went the huge but minimal route this year, so I actually have two boxes in my bathroom, two in my closet. These are the only rooms in the house they can't see/go into. No other on-site storage, though we have a storage unit now, but that would require an after-dark run I'm not excited about doing.

I do like this, but I've personally forbidden DH from grocery shopping, ever. He'd kill my budget. :laugh: