Thanks for the tip on the museum - I like to know what to avoid as well as what I should see. And I'll keep in mind the AG store - my daughter has been wanting to go to one since she got her doll last year. Thank you for the list and the recommendation on where to stay. :) I can see I'm going to be spending some time going through everything. :) We may have to plan a second visit. Thank you!

This looks like something we definitely want to do. It's beautiful. I think the kids would love Storyland and the railway ride (our son is big into model trains right now). So many ideas! :) I can see we might need to make a second trip. We're planning to go this summer. And a scenic drive was one of the "must haves" on the list - thanks! Good tips about the food and attractions. I like knowing what to avoid as well as what to see. And the train museum sounds like fun. Thank you!

My husband and I have decided that we can no longer afford to make our big annual trek to WI. The drive is too far and the cost of staying in the North Woods has just climbed out of our modest vacation budget now that his family is no longer renting a cabin with us. Instead, we'd like to make shorter visits to the 13 original colonies (over several years, of course :)). New Hampshire was the first state drawn from the hat. We've never been to NH and don't know anyone who has, so what else could I do but ask the Hive? :D We're planning on spending 3 or 4 days in the state. We'd like to see some historic sites and do some hiking, canoeing and fishing. I'm interested in musuems and Nick likes looking around local shops. We like small towns and would like to do something the kids (ages 10 and 5) would enjoy. An overnight stop in a big city would be fun, too. I'd love to hear from anyone - travelers or residents - about some of the "can't miss" spots. We're open to just about anything. :)

Hits: Trio building set, blank books, reading books, AG accessories, Fluxx card game, Mario Kart wii Misses: Legos, crafting supplies (my mother sends tons to each child for birthday and Christmas and we have enough to supply a ps classroom for a month!)

We have 3 - one in college (20 yo) and two still at home (10 yo & 5 yo).

I've got my Knitting for 2010 list already made. :) Pedicure socks for me (they'll be my first attempt at socks) fingerless mitts for me hat for my husband hat for me hat for our daughter scarf for our son (he has informed me that he loves the first hat I made and doesn't want another) AG doll clothes (planning ahead for next Christmas, lol) finish a lace shawl I started 2 years ago :blush: hats for my nephews (Christmas and birthday gifts) legwarmers for our daughter and niece Hmmm...I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

Marine Corps wife, here! He's coming up on 22 years this month. He's planning on retiring in a couple of years - I can't imagine how odd that will be to stay in one place for more than a few years. :)

We keep it around 72 during the day and 68 at night. We're in an older house and some of the rooms are pretty drafty.

We got about 8 inches of snow Friday night. I posted the pictures on my blog: http://camprunamuk.wordpress.com/ .

We have eggnog french toast and sausage. I prep the french toast the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning. When we would travel to my grandmother's house many years ago, she'd have a breakfast casserole she'd make. It was bread, sausage, cheese, and eggs, and she'd make it the night before and bake it in the morning.

I don't think so. They're still in all the stores. Thank goodness, because I don't have a skinny jeans body. Land's End carries the *classic* styles and has never really had a big selection of boot-cut jeans.

Bread pudding? I'd eat it for Christmas dinner, too.

I would definitely recommend a cutting mat. It's much easier to cut patterns with a rotary wheel and mat. And it can protect your table top from pin marks, too. I third Sew What! Skirts. My daughter and I have used that book until it's dog-eared and ragged. :) Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol has some fun projects she can make. A storage box for her needles, tape measure and other small items. Storage boxes for thread and bobbins. A pin cushion (Etsy has a ton of cute ones). A journal to keep track of the things she's made - pictures, pattern used, fabric used, size made. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to make something again, but didn't remember what pattern I used or where I purchased the fabric.

I paid less than $100 for my dress. It wasn't right for me, but I was 18 and getting married at the JoP while home on leave at Christmas-time. We didn't plan for anything but the marriage license and the date, and I decided at the last minute I had to have a wedding dress instead of the casual dress I was originally going to wear. I found it on a clearance rack at a formal shop at the mall. I paid $97.

I thought it was pretty good, but my husband thought it was great. And so did the theater full of Marines we ended up watching it with. :)

We're hooked, too. We really enjoyed Rome and dh just put I, Claudius in the queue last week.

I'd rather have a gift than an errand - which is what a gift card is to me. This year, my sisters and I agreed that if we were only going to send gift cards to each other, we'd save the money and spend it on ourselves. Our daughter and her fiancee asked for gift cards this year. I told them I knew they could come up with something else - something for their home, books they loved but didn't own - or trust me to pick something. Having said all of that, I wish my mom would just give me gift cards. It would save me from returning things that don't fit or aren't appropriate.

He doesn't have much on his Christmas list this year: Leaf Blower (yes, he really wants one) slippers from Land's End new ear buds Mario Kart hand cranked flashlight a new hat (if I can finish it in time) an iTunes gift card

Being part of the military (Marine Corps) community, I've met quite a few children with unusual names. Rocket Diesel Gunner Fidelis Futenma (a base on Okinawa) Sara Bachi (after the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi) Sergeant Puller (after LtGen Lewis "Chesty" Puller) Tank (I think this was a nickname) I understand what they're doing, but I do feel bad for the kid who grows up with the name Tank or Rocket.

Our son was almost 4 when he finally started using the toilet. He knew when he had to go and would leave the room, go in his diaper and then ask to be changed. We put him in underwear, but he didn't make any effort to make it to the bathroom and would wet his pants. After several days of this, we had him change his own wet clothes and clean up any puddles he left on the floor. Within a 2 days he was using the potty. Making him responsible for getting to the toilet and cleaning himself up if he chose not to go was the key in getting him trained.

Our almost 10 year old is getting: Equate board game Percy Jackson books Bare books (several sizes and styles) American Girl pet and outfit clothes for other dolls travel chess game book light We're also refinishing a doll bed we got secondhand. I'm making some bedding for it and my husband is repainting it.

I have several sets of Addi Turbos, but I really prefer wood and bamboo. And I'd rather have circulars than straights.

I'll second knittinghelp.com. I've only been knitting for 4 years and I use it regularly. It's not that hard to retrain yourself, just don't try to do it with a difficult pattern. I knit continental, but used to purl English. I retrained myself to purl continental while I was knitting baby blankets for my sister's twins. P.S. Lucky you, getting the Harmony interchangeables - I've been wanting those for a while. :)

My kids have really enjoyed all of the books mentioned (especially the Sandra Boynton books). My son's all time favorite is Bear Snores On. He heard it so many times in the past two years that he's got the whole thing memorized.

We usually have a rib roast for Christmas, but it's just out of the budget this year. I think I'll make a pot roast with mashed potatoes, some roasted veggies and homemade dinner rolls. Our youngest daughter's birthday is the 23rd, so we'll have leftover cake for dessert.