This is a baby board book, but Everywhere Babies has all kinds of kids/families: biracial, same-sex, hadicapped, etc. Not discussed, just pictured and accepted :wub: .

I use Wella demi-permanent that I purchase at Sallys. Like a pp, I choose a lighter color and it covers the grays a different shade so it looks like highlights. I'm very pleased with the results. Used to spend $150+ at the salon for highlights. Now spend about $3. I do have to do it more frequently - about once every 3 or 4 weeks. But it takes about 15-20 minutes at my own convenience - no appointment necessary. Love it.

This exactly. I requested a book from the library. Saw that I was #19 on waiting list. No good. Went on Amazon and ordered hard copy book via prime so two-day shipping. The next day realized I couldn't wait even one. more. minute to get the book. So I ordered THE SAME BOOK AGAIN for my Kindle to get the instant gratification. DO NOT TELL MY HUSBAND - he won't care that I spent (wasted?) the money, but he will think that I've lost my mind as this is completely out of character for me.

I wasted too much time based on similar "advice." Our pediatrician had a bad experience accessing services for her own son and is very vocal about it, so I was hesitant to go to the schools. I wasted about six months contacting private speech therapists. Most of them worked for themselves and only called back sporadically. Then there was the one I mentioned who told me that they were in the process of getting approved by our insurance company and then it was "Not yet, maybe next month," etc. In the end, the school district was by far the most helpful. I don't think there's anything to lose from contacting the school district immediately. Also, don't expect instant perfection. DD is very motivated to overcome this and has worked hard on her own. She still pauses for a millisecond before using a word with the "th" sound. I asked the speech therapist about this, and she said it's completely normal and will resolve on its own eventually.

Oh, I will also add that what seems to have done the trick for DD was that the speech therapist had her look in the mirror while talking so that she could see what she was doing wrong. Simple as that. I can't believe I never thought of that before. May be worth trying at home?

DD9 did not stutter or lisp but she did say "th" as "f". I had her assessed a few years ago, and they said she'd outgrow it. When she was 9 I determined she was not going to outgrow it. Under the advice of her pediatrician, I tried to go the private route for speech therapy but found that insurance wouldn't cover treatment. I got strung along by a therapist for several months during this time about whether they were going to be accredited by the ins company or not. UGH. So much time wasted. Despite having been advised against it, I went to the public school for assessment. I hit the jackpot with the speech therapist who said that technically they don't need to treat her because it doesn't impact her ability to do schoolwork, but she thought that socially it would catch up to her. So she agreed to do a few sessions. I saw a huge difference after even just ONE SESSION. I couldn't believe it. After just a few weeks, she is A-OK. Unbelievable. I guess my point is that I'd get her assessed because it could be a really easy fix, as we were fortunate to have. We were lucky to get this with no out of pocket cost to us, but since it was so easily resolved it would have been worth whatever they charged, I'm sure. As for the stammer, my DS4 does that a lot in exactly the same way you described. I'd be interested to hear about others' experience with that. One thing I have observed, though, is that he tends to do it more when he's about to make a big developmental leap - either physically or intellectually. Good luck.

I have medium brown hair that I used to have professionally colored and highlighted. I now do it on my own and am happy with the results. One time when my stylist was selecting a color, she brought out the swatches. Imagine my surprise when the shade she chose was not brown at all but called "light blonde." But it came out brown. So now I used demi-permanent "light neutral blonde" and it comes out brown. Like a pp, I buy the dye and developer at Sallys, where I find the people to be incredibly helpful. The demi-permanent color turns my grays a lighter shade than the rest, so I actually come out looking like I got highlights for a fraction of the cost - and more importantly for a fraction of the time spent in the chair. Even my stylist agrees that this is the way to go. Not helpful advice to you for this go-round, but maybe useful if you try to color again.

I'd originally read Outlander (loved) and Dragonfly in Amber (didn't love but OK) and then trailed off from the series. I watched the Starz show and it rekindled my interest - actually may have inspired a bit of an obsession - and I re-read Outlander in about two days. Housework neglected, kids neglected, etc. So now I'm at a crossroads. Do I re-read Dragonfly in Amber hoping to like it more this time, or do I just skip ahead to Voyager? I could probably read a plot narrative for Dragonfly in Amber to refresh my memory and then forge on. Will I miss any enjoyment or key details if I take this route? I know this is a trifling question, but Outlander is nibbling at my brain cells and turned me into a lump of mush.

I'm not a great shopper myself but like you came to the realization I need to upgrade my look for fall. On a whim I walked into a Loft store, lured by a 40% off everything sign. Much to my surprise, I found a number of basic items that I felt could easily be mixed and matched to form a decent wardrobe for fall. I got a few nice blouses that could be either dressy or casual depending on what they are paired with, as well as some camisoles/tanks that will look decent under cardigans with a chunky necklace or scarf. Again, switching between jeans or dress pants/heels for the bottoms will allow these to work for just about any occasion. A couple of pieces I got: http://www.loft.com/textural-front-cardigan/333477?colorExplode=false&skuId=16984578&catid=catl000012&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=7301 (in gray) http://www.loft.com/floral-vine-bow-neck-shell/348429?colorExplode=false&skuId=17311663&catid=catl000011&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6600 (this one looks better in person than it does online) http://www.loft.com/rain-dot-tie-neck-blouse/347140?colorExplode=false&skuId=17148320&catid=catl000011&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=5539 http://www.loft.com/striped-floral-scarf/351111?colorExplode=true&skuId=16871953&catid=catl000025&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=9569

My dd has enjoyed many of the previous suggestions, but a couple of her very favorites haven't been mentioned: The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright The All Of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

I usually make mashed cauliflower from fresh, but I agree that it's much easier with frozen - and probably cheaper, too... I may have to switch to frozen. In any case, I've found it helps to add a good dollop of "Better than Broth" soup starter to the water that I use to steam the cauliflower (stovetop), and then steam the heck out of it. I can usually mash it with a hand held potato masher, especially if I leave a bit of the cooking liquid in the pot. I hate having to wash the food processor and am willing to put up with a few chunks to avoid it. I check the taste and may add a bit more Better than Broth for seasoning. Really perks up the flavor. If you can find frozen Birds Eye Lightly Seasoned Garlic Cauliflower in your local stores, they're worth a try, too. Very tasty. Never tried to mash it, but a good way to have cauliflower on its own.

Another Quest bar fan here. My favorite flavors are the coconut cashew and chocolate brownie. I heat them in the microwave to soften for about 10 seconds. Incredibly good. I've also been making a good dinner with chicken thighs that I marinate in some olive oil, fresh ground ginger, minced garlic, and soy sauce. Then just bake for 30-40 minutes. I don't measure, just eyeball everything and it always tastes good. For lunches I've been buying big boxes of pre-washed greens (sometimes baby kale mix and sometimes arugula) at BJs and throwing together a salad with cukes, red peppers, red onions, radishes, and mushrooms. I perk them up with jarred banana peppers - tangy and good - they actually transform the whole salad experience for me. For dressing I mix the brine from the banana peppers with minced garlic, mustard, fresh ground pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Add a couple of hard boiled eggs and it's a delicious and filling lunch. Roast veggies are my go-to side dish. No one in my house can get enough roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts. I also make a good medley of roasted eggplant, red pepper, red onion, and mushrooms.

I consider myself to be in with a pretty yuppie crowd and would consider $200 to be quite generous for a shower gift. Don't sell yourself short! That said, how about a gift certificate to a yuppy-ish portrait photographer for newborn shots?

I'm not doing 5:2 but am lurking here since I'm on another diet plan and am currently obsessed with all things diet. This was totally me for a long time. I cannot stand wasting food and would finish off the kids' plates as I cleared the table - after being satisfied with a full dinner myself. What's worse, after I started getting it under control for myself, I realized I was pushing my bad habit onto DD by saying, "Your brother didn't finish his ice cream; do you want the end of it?" or "Your brother opened this (little) bag of chips but isn't going to finish it; would you like the rest?" I was just setting her up to be in the same bad situation I was in (she's not overweight but neither was I at her age). I've had to change my way of thinking about waste. Now I think, hey, the food is wasted/exhausted as soon as it's cooked. Since I don't need additional nourishment from this meal, the only difference between whether the food winds up in my stomach or the wastebasket is my health and/or appearance. I know you're not having the same experience since a teenage boy is a totally different animal when it comes to food and metabolism. Just sharing since this is a relatively recent revelation for me and I'm still amazed that I'm just waking up to it.

DH has worked at Fenway Park as a second job for the past 8 summers (but this was his last season). It is a fantastic job for retirees. In fact, most of his colleagues are retirees. They have the chance to get out of the house, make friends with lots of people in similar situations and with similar interests, make a little extra money, and watch baseball for free! Best of all, there's lots of flexibility in terms of schedule, and it's relatively easy to get time off for vacations, etc.

We'll definitely downsize the house, as it's way too big for just the two of us. I'd like to think that we'd split our time between someplace warm (Florida or similar) in winter and Cape Cod (we're from MA) in summer. The reality is, though, that in my heart I just want to be near my kids all the time. I don't think I'd be good at not seeing them for several months at a stretch. Even monthly visits would be too few. Hopefully that's OK with them, too!

I took control of the drawer, but it's an imperfect system and needs an occasional reboot. This is mostly necessary when DH puts away the dishes and just throws everything in the drawer willy nilly. 1. I got rid of any containers without lids and vice versa, as well as anything that was stained or generally not desirable. 2. I place all lids in a large, rectangular container. Lids go in vertically like books on a shelf. 3. Containers are nested as best I can get them, despite being a mixture of brands, styles, etc. The bugaboo to this system was my recent acquisition of Pyrex glass containers which I adore (they just seem so much cleaner to me), but they don't really nest well, so it makes the drawer tight again.

I think some of it has to do with your 19 yo's plans upon graduation. If you want him to move back home (and he wants to as well), then I would give him the room. If he is planning to leave the nest permanently and you are OK with that, then I think it's reasonable to ask him to share with either the 10 yo or the 5 yo when he is home on break. As for disappointing the 10 yo, I know it's hard to do. But kids "get" seniority as an equitable way to determine things (even if they claim "it's not fair").

They started the process of requiring this at my alma mater (Trinity College) years ago (like 20 years ago!!). At the time, we perceived it as an effort to push the entire Greek system off campus. The plan was for the fraternities/sororities to lose their charters with their national organizations. The Greek system ran the social life at Trinity, which sounds worse than it was. Fraternity parties dominated the weekend's social events - but they were open to everyone and everyone happily went to all of them. Frankly, it was a total blast. I wasn't in a sorority myself, but I felt 100% comfortable in every single Greek house on campus. But the college wasn't comfortable with this, so they used the co-ed/sexism/safety route as their solution. We're a very traditional, conservative college, and the alumni groups went haywire over this. I think there was a definite financial consequence for the college as donations dropped. DH was in a fraternity that happened to be housed off campus anyway so wasn't affected. Their fraternity was not one of the most popular among the student population (had a community service focus and a bit of a nerdy reputation). However, they did see an uptick in students rushing after the other fraternities were required to go co-ed.

I just got DD some yoga pants at The Gap, and she loves them. Also, they have sweatpants and yoga pants at PS (the kids version of Aeropostale) that she really liked. I've found sizing to be inconsistent from store to store; DD is pretty curvy in the bottom so it's essential that she try them all on.

This was our experience with it, as well. Despite constant tweaking of the dosage, we were never able to get a good balance for DD, so we finally gave up on it.

I used to cruise a lot but have switched to all inclusives for my beach vacations. In any case, I always found the ship's dry cleaning services to be less costly than my dry cleaner at home. We actually used to just pack our evening wear dirty (suit, dress shirts for DH and a couple of cocktail dresses for myself) and then hand them over to the room steward on the first day. They came back fresh, clean, and neatly pressed the next day without having to pack a garment bag or dealing with wrinkles once on board. I think cleaning jeans and casual wear would be too costly, but it made sense for us for our formal wear. My other comment on what to wear is that everyone is so wrapped up in themselves that they don't seem to notice what anyone else has on unless it's incredibly gorgeous or hideously awful. I wouldn't hesitate to wear an outfit to dinner on two evenings.

These challenges don't consider that SNAP is an acronym for SUPPLEMENTAL Nutrition Assistance Program. It is not intended to serve as anyone's entire food budget. Whether or not that is how it shakes out for many families, the program is intended to supplement a family's food budget not serve as the only source of food.

I'd also encourage you to look into potential constipation even if it doesn't seem like an issue. Our pediatrician said even though they may move their bowels every day, they may not be getting enough out. Once we put dd on daily Miralax the wetting ended completely. All it took was a simple xray to confirm the constipation.

We went to a wedding this summer that had a few games: The bride and groom sat back to back and answered some Newlywed Game type questions along the lines of, "Who is most likely to pretend they don't know the dishwasher needs to be emptied?" No racy/inappropriate questions, so it was actually pretty cute. They did the pass the dollar thing that they often do for the centerpieces, only the "winner" had to bring the dollar to the bride/groom doing a funny dance along the way. No bouquet/garter toss but they had the men sing to the bride and the women sing to the groom. That one wasn't too fun. I'm a pretty traditional person. A few years ago I would have turned my nose up and thought it was tacky. But this was a pretty informal wedding of about 100 guests, most of whom were family. I had to get over my vision of a wedding as a formal affair and just think of it as a fun way for people to celebrate a very happy occasion. Then the games became rather fun! This particular wedding was very much centered on the marriage as opposed to the party. It was a very refreshing change from the last wedding I went to that was very formal, very elaborate, and not nearly as happy or fun.