[outfitting dorm room]

Laundry bag or hamper?

Cheap coffee maker (keurig knockoff?)

[Help name my new dog :) UPDATED!]

Maybe she's a Wembley? You did get her in May/June! 

[Help name my new dog :) UPDATED!]

I'm gonna go with my prior reference and say she'd make a good Baby Spice. "Baby" for short. 

(Unless you call your kids "baby", like I do, in which case it wouldn't work...) 😉

[Workout underwear?]

28 minutes ago, mmasc said:

Thanks! I’m going to get these. 

So here’s my question that goes with this, what shorts did you wear? I feel like I can only wear my Columbia Saturday trail pants in dark colors! I mean, seriously, I’d love to wear a pair of cotton chinos, but there’s no way!

I wore my {black} Columbia Anytime Shorts on the first day (went great with those underwear!) and a pair of Danskin Now capri leggings (Walmart) the second day. 

My SIL (who always looks so put together) wore a cute, flowy tank top and some cotton shorts. And sandals. (And I was there in my supportive sneakers and wicking underwear and workout top, haha. Gotta do what ya gotta do!) 😉

[Workout underwear?]

 OLD THREAD ALERT:

I went to the zoo with my brother's family for 2 days last week. It's a hilly, large zoo and the temps were mid-90s ( = lots of walking and lots of sweating!)

Anyway, knowing my propensity for "lower torso" sweating, I bought these underwear: https://www.fruit.com/women/underwear/briefs/womens-everlight-low-rise-brief-6-pack/6DULLR1.html

They worked amazingly well! Holding them, they feel icky (almost like nylons, plus the band feels stiff) but I could not feel them once they were on (and I'm picky). They didn't absorb sweat (so that when I took a midday bathroom break, I wasn't wrangling sweaty underthings back up). 

Don't know if they stay in place for workouts but I walked all day with no creeping or discomfort. I remembered this thread, so I  wanted to share. (Bought mine on Amazon.)

[What is normal for young teen?]

So... I totally remember sneaking adult-themed/racy novels as a young teen. (And I turned out pretty normal, maybe even borderline prudish, lol.) Maybe a frank conversation about why you think it's inappropriate or why you don't want her reading it? (You've probably done so; then I'd probably say "fine, read it...but only if you can read it out loud to memaw* and papa next time they visit...")

The food sneaking sounds like it's been ongoing? If so, I'd probably seek outside help. 

Phone: half my parenting battles are phone related. I think it's just a sign of the times. Agreeing with above that that doesn't mean there aren't rules/consequences...but the conflict seems to be common. 

*names changed to protect the innocent. {snort} 😂

[UPDATED with photo Inground pool: Repair or fill it in?]

13 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Definitely on the before and after! 

Yes! I love before and afters!

52 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

there is nothing so permanent as a temporary solution.

I may frame that and place it next to my most recent temp fix... (When we moved into this house, the plumbing under the sink was wonky. My dad rigged it up with some rope to hold things straight til we got a plumber in. That was, ahem, 13 years ago.) 

[this came over an autism feed today...]

I'm baffled by that teacher. Even if they were a bully to the student in class, at least most people are smart enough CTAs, right? Like who puts that out in front of everyone and thinks it's appropriate?   Perhaps they were looking to get fired, idk. 

I hope the child didn't understand the cruelty of that adult, and I hope it's not an indicator of what the school year was for him. 

[It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.....Not (snarkiness ahead)]

Wow. I seriously wonder about the lack of whackadoodles in my life. Every homeschooler I [casually] interact with seems relatively normal. Plus, I'm pretty antisocial and don't go around engaging strangers...maybe that's where the crazies come out?  

My life feels so boring. 😉

[soo....because I was sad about saying goodbye to the foster dog]

1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:

Doggo totally has a Baby Spice thing going on, haha. 

[Both kids want a birthday party, only one has friends]

My DD's birthdays are less than a week apart. We have always done a combined birthday/family experience. A trip to the zoo or a museum or the water park. 

[The new "chef" at my house]

38 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

Are you gonna be changing your username?

Haha. Maybe I'll change it to: "alisoncooks, doggone-it!"

FTR, I am not a fabulous cook...but I'm a *tidy* cook. He is not a tidy cook and he lacks experience on timing and seasoning.  Our hibachi shrimp and rice dinner was good but verrry garlicky.  He'll learn (and I can take a Pepcid tonight, lol.)

[How do you plan your school year?]

I'm not much of a planner. I planned extensively when my girls were little, but I never stuck with the plans I made, so that all got dropped. 

Pretty much, we just do the next thing. I buy curricula that require  very little outside prepping or planning. 

[The new "chef" at my house]

He's in the kitchen making garlic butter now. 😂

[The new "chef" at my house]

Someone in my home has watched too many YouTube cooking videos and *had* to buy a ridiculously large flat top grill. Fine. 

This someone had not cooked anything in the past 19 years of sharing a home. He's currently making lunch for the family; it sounds like a hibachi steak house out there, with lots of clanking of spatulas and scraping sounds. I now see smoke wafting by the window (that might be a bad thing, idk).

I'm trying verrrrry hard to remain hands-off and not cringe at the enormous mess in the kitchen. 

I will give him a chance to clean up after himself. This new hobby is a good thing. My way is not the only way. Repeat. Repeat. 😉

[soo....because I was sad about saying goodbye to the foster dog]

She is super cute and definitely looks like a Fraggle! 😄

[Broke arm, need gr8 book recs]

I just finished The Sun is Also a Star and I really liked it. Fun, quick  read. 

[Book recommendations for someone who loved The Blue Sword]

5 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I was obsessed with The Blue Sword as a kid. I'll strongly second The Thief series and also Jackaroo. Also all the Kristen Cashore has a similar feel.

Adding... the series that starts with Finnikin of the Rock is great and might fit the bill. Also, Seraphina and Shadow Scale are great and has a similar vibe in places.

I love the Lumatere Chronicles (Finnikin). It's top ten for me. It does have some mature themes (lots of rape and death). But it leans toward hopeful and redemptive (which allows me to get past the darkness).

[Book recommendations for someone who loved The Blue Sword]

As far as Cashore:  I really liked Graceling and loved Fire, but I found Bitterblue to be sooo dark and hopeless. I remember getting to the end and wishing I hadn't read it. (I can tolerate lots as long as it ends happily...but this was one case where I couldn't.)

[Book recommendations for someone who loved The Blue Sword]

More thoughts: Shannon Hale's Goose Girl (and sequels).

 

The Moorchild (by Eloise McGraw) - a little young but another feeling-out-of-place story, with Irish mythologies.

[Book recommendations for someone who loved The Blue Sword]

Maybe The Girl of Fire & Thorns trilogy? There is some romance woven in the 2nd and 3rd books...

Maybe the 3 sequels to The Giver? (Funny because The Giver is nothing like The Blue Sword - its sequels are set in different "worlds" and there is a magical aspect).

[Book recommendations for someone who loved The Blue Sword]

I've loved Robin McKinley since I was in 8th grade and read H&tC for Battle of the Books, lol. I've read all of her novels; Spindle's End is pretty good.

Has she read much Diana Wynne Jones?  Howl's Moving Castle (and its 2 sequels) is fun. I *hatehatehated* Fire & Hemlock (from the "gems" list above), but The Dark Lord of Derkholm (and its sequel, #13 on that link) are so clever. 

The Inkheart trilogy - might be a little young but has great world building like McKinley. So does Patricia Wrede (the Frontier Magic trilogy is a favorite of mine).

Jessica Day George: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. 

I'd recommend the Obernewtyn books but they do get into mature themes, plus the the later books had limited release in the US. 

[is anyone watching chernobyl?]

DH is watching it. He's really enjoying it (as much as one can "enjoy" that subject/content)...

[Yoga mat?]

I have two. One is thick (like the first rec) and it's great for Pilates, stretching, or yoga floor practices.  I also have a medium thickness for balance work or standing yoga (or other general exercises). It's a bit grippy-er (the thicker mat is too wobbly-making for this, makes my ankles sore). 

I don't care for very thin mats. 

[POLL: Did you smash cake in your spouse’s face at your wedding?]

8 minutes ago, BakersDozen said:

I had a very emphatic talk with my dh regarding cake smashing - as in don't even try it. Smart guy, he took me seriously. I would have been livid had he pulled a stunt like that.

Same here.