My 12 year old drags it out way too long. She has to be in her room at 8ish. She's free to read/draw/listen to the radio until 9:30. Then she comes out to use the bathroom, say goodnight, etc. This is the part that takes too long and annoys me. It's often around 10pm before she's in her room for the night. I go to bed at 10:30ish, and I know she still is awake after I'm in bed. (DH is up late.)

Five Below also has great candy - I get stocking stuffers there. The Dollar Store - movie theater box candy for $1. My Dollar store apparently had a frozen rib sandwich that tasted just like a McRib. There was a man in line in front of me who was stocking up on them.

Yes! I buy my girls birthday balloons from the Dollar Tree every year. They look great, last just as long as party store balloons...and they're $1!

Wow. We put in a low-end Kohler 6 months ago and have plunged twice in all that time. We were previously plunging ~2x a day (stunner!). But definitely -- if it ain't broke....!

Foam board and poster board. Gift bags and party supplies. Sometimes they have interesting snacks.

My kitchen walls are SW Accessible Beige. My cabinets are BM Caribbean Teal. Floors are "aged hickory" vinyl plank - light brown and gray. I just redecorated this spring/summer, going from warm tones (darker Beige walls, barn red cabinets) and I love the change!

Just don't get carried away with the exfoliation! DH had a coworker that got ahold of his wife's PedEgg. He thought he hadn't done too much and they looked fine...but then went walking across campus in his flip flops. His feet started bleeding partway. ?

I've learned that a toilet you don't have to plunge (2-3x a day) is worth its weight in gold. If I'd realized how stressful the constant plunging would become, I would've dropped the $300 (2 toilets) A DECADE AGO!

When I had ACL surgery 2-3 years ago, I ordered my groceries online and DH would pick them up on the way home from work. I never looked back. Now I order Saturday nights, and we pick them up on the way home from church. Totally worth the $5 fee. Totally.

I start off with socks on, but I don't leave them on all night.

O'Keefe's didn't work for me. It felt...nasty. Tacky? Idk. I use this on my feet in the shower, daily. https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/p/soap-loofah-pumice-foot-scrub/. It says "scrub" but it's a bar, a very scratchy bar. Smells nice. Then I use Gold Bond Softening or Healing on my feet at night (lotion + a pair of socks until it's all soaked in). If I'm consistent, my feet look normal. If I'm not, my heels are super super cracked and rough.

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My kids think we'd stay in our current house if we won the lottery. Um, no. 1100sqft of shoddy workmanship and builders grade materials. Nope. I told DH that we'd probably have to move to a gated community, so we don't get robbed/murdered in our sleep. But now, I like the idea of moving around and seeing places. Maybe a modest mountain cabin and ocean front cottage to "come home" to....but mostly, traveling.

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DH bought a lotto ticket last week (we never play). I enjoyed the fantasizing, lol. The easy bit was $1? million each donated to: DH's college, our church, and 3 specific ministries. The hard part was family. I was thinking: paying college, in full, for all nephews and nieces (with a $??k bonus upon graduation for getting a good start in life). Trust funds (several million) for my own kids. Major help for my parents/MIL. Then the day-to-day stuff. Functioning vehicle for DH. House that doesn't need work. Debt paid off. Happily signing the kids up for all the extracurricular things that they want to do, but we currently can't afford. Buying name brand clothes/shoes brand new! Trip to Universal to see HP! ?

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That one is classic. Did you see the next year's anniversary? The one with the sloth? ? https://thebloggess.com/2012/07/04/the-man-deserves-a-damn-medal/

I thought about starting a Go Fund Me to help with our medical bills (4 years of treating DH's cancer). I even started a thread here asking opinions about it. Ultimately, I decided not to follow through, mainly because I didn't want people judging me and my future finances. How long after accepting money is one free to return to normal, not-being-judged life? Can someone who accepts help spend money on anything frivolous? Ever? Starbucks? IDK. We are still struggling to pay down debt. But giving and receiving money is a loaded dynamic. I think the best bet is, if one cannot give freely, don't give. (However, I do think a good number of people misrepresent themselves on fundraising sites. That's a different thing altogether.)

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We've used this before, as well. Tasted fine.

Those are very, very shiny. To me, they look too dressy (like for a black tie event). If you like that style, what about something like these: https://m.zappos.com/p/dr-scholls-work-roberts-black/product/9068860/color/3 Or these look good for weather protection: https://m.zappos.com/p/timberland-pro-valor-duty-oxford-soft-toe-black-smooth-leather/product/8907982/color/104

A lot of good thoughts here! Someone mentioned looking at albums when they were younger-- yes! I have fond memories of flipping through old albums with my little brother. I used to keep some in our living room, and the girls liked looking at them, but I relocated them one Christmas and they never returned to their spot. I need to make an effort to have them accessible for my kids! Photo albums are bulky. Maybe print photo books are the way to go...but there is something about having an actual photograph to hold. Hmmm....

Are other kids given homework with similar stakes? If not, this sounds harsh for a child whose parent simply requested extra practice.

This is so pricey, but I just bought myself this Harry Potter funko advent calendar: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J3H1F3X I never spend that much money on silly stuff (skin care, yes...toys, no), but I saw it and had to have it.