:blushing:I've never had lentils. Do they taste like split peas? 'Cause they look really really similar, and I can't get my crew to *do* split peas!:tongue_smilie:

I'm looking for tried & true recipes that use dried beans. I'm trying to get my grocery budget under control, and with 3 teenage boys and 2 preteen girls, focusing on cheap ingredients is where I need to go! I need to be able to make meals out of mostly dried beans, and not just use the beans as a side dish anymore. Lay it on me, gals!:bigear:I'm listenin'! ~J~ Edited to add: I'll start. I use dried pinto beans to make refried beans, and then I cook a little bit of spanish rice, and we wrap it in flour tortillas to make burritos. I make the beans using either my crockpot or my pressure cooker. I don't soak the beans either way. For the crockpot, in the morning I fill the crockpot about 1/3 full with beans, and fill the rest of the way with water. By the time dinnertime rolls around, I just have to mash up the beans, add salt, onion powder, and a little cayenne, and we're ready to eat. For the pressure cooker, I put in the dry beans, water, and cook for about an hour. Then I just have to mash and season and the beans are ready for dinner.

I really like adding a little "cream of whatever" to my chicken soup. It feels a lot heartier and more filling, imo. I'm feeding 3 teenage boys and 2 preteen girls. Whatever makes it seem more filling works for me!

I'd get a second estimate on the cost of the dentistry. That just seems pretty high to me. I'd shop around and find an acceptable dentist who is willing to work with you on getting the price down. No way would I give up the ability to chew, though!! (Dave would tell you that you need to be able to eat!)

I like Parenting by the Book by John Rosemond. I've liked his other books too, but the others are free of Christian perspective in order to appeal to a more mainstream audience. ~Julie~

I'd just open the windows on the opposite side of the house and have nice fans at work, or I'd move. I don't think there's a great solution for this situation. I don't think they're going to quit smoking to please you, and I don't think they should smoke inside. Pretty much just leaves smoking outside as the option. Sorry, I'm sure it's really annoying! ~Julie~

I really like the size I have. It's half the size of a 3-ring binder, so I can fold regular sized papers in half and tuck them into the pocket part. It's really helpful when I'm at a meeting to be able to tuck handouts into my day-planner. I have another really weird reason that I like that size... I'm left handed, and I hate writing/taking notes on paper that's in a ring binder because I have to contort my hand to get around the rings. With my day-planner, I tuck the back cardboard part of the jr. legal pads of paper into the left side pocket of the day-planner. It's just easier for me to write with the paper on the left. The jr. size pads are also cheaper than the "special" day-planner paper pads, and I make a *ton* of lists. The size I have fits into most of my purses & handbags too, and is not so huge as to be totally obtrusive when I carry it around without putting it in my bag. I put a card holder inside, and my driver's license and credit cards, etc, are in my day-planner. My cash lives in an envelope inside the back pocket. It's pretty handy to be able to just grab my notebook when I rush into the store, and know that I have my I.D., my $, and my shopping list all in the same place. Lol, it also makes me *appear* very efficient when I see someone out in town, we decide we'd like to get together, and I don't have to try and remember to call them--we just make a date to get together then because I'm able to whip out my calendar in a single (well-worn) motion! My entire family knows that the main "control panel" is my notebook, so they consult that when they need to. Each of my dc has a calendar in their room, and I do transfer dates that will be pertinent to each kid onto their personal calendar. My kids (& friends) know that my day-planner is the final word on where we'll be at any particular time, and sometimes my friends will tell me, "go put me in your notebook for tomorrow at 2pm," etc. Because of the size of my planner, I'm able to easily make up my own specialized forms on my computer, print them 2 to a page on regular paper, and then just chop them in half--perfect fit. One of the best pieces of advice I've heard regarding day-planners is to buy one you think you'll like, open it up, and toss out half of the pages inside. Really. Only keep the ones you know will be useful to you, and toss the rest. Definitely don't keep carrying the extra pages that you don't need, they'll just clutter your notebook (and maybe your brain!) God forbid that I ever lose that thing...it has my brain inside! ~Julie~ p.s. Expect that there will be a "learning curve" in setting the habit of using the day-planner. It takes a little while. One thing I wanted to add: I'm kinda picky about the closure on my planner. I don't like the velcro or the zippered kind because they're a little loud to open sometimes, and I go to some city council/library meetings where I like to be unobtrusive. I like the magnetized closures or the snaps as long as they're loose enough to snap quietly. I never tuck things in between the pages of my planner, so I don't have to worry about things falling out that way. Whatever I need to tuck into my planner goes in either the front or back pocket.

I have Emerilware, and I do really like it. I'd buy All-Clad if I could afford it, but I like the Emerilware very well. It has the thick bottom of the All-Clad, and it has clear lids (which I really like), and the handles stay fairly cool. The only thing I don't like about it is that my kids turn the heat up a little too high sometimes, and the actual disk part on the bottom of the pan is kind of small on one or two of the pans. My dc end up burning the sides of the pan. It scrubs off easily with Barkeeper's Friend, and I still think that overall the Emerilware is way up there as a top choice. ~Julie~

I can't believe so many people have read this thread and not given you more replies! I *know* many people here have wonderful advice to give on this topic. I'm just trying to give you a "bump" up so that your post doesn't get lost. :) ~Julie~

I've been where you are, and you're right, it ain't pretty! It seems like you have a lot of separate issues here, though I confess that I read your post kind of quickly. *organization *time management *cleanliness *child-busy-ness First, I'll give you the moral support part: This is a season of life. (blah, blah, blah, but it's *true*) I think you're right in the thick of things, and it WILL get easier as your older kids become old enough to be much more independent. I gave birth to 5 dc within 7 years, and there were some years that are almost a complete blank for me. They were just hard. My oldest is 17 now, and boy...life is easier. There's light at the end of the tunnel, etc. (another *true* saying!) If you are a spiritual person, now's the time to strengthen yourself with prayer, and I mean many times a day, and in every single moment that no little person needs your attention. I think another great idea is to find a mentor. That would be a mature mom who's experienced in what you're going through and has already pretty much come out the other side. When I had all of my littles at once, I called a woman in my community whom I'd never met, but had heard about from several people. She had 10 kids, homeschooled them all, and had a reputation for being a faithful and great mom. I called her as a stranger, and just flat-out asked her for her advice. In a way, you're doing that by posting here, but it's much better if you can find someone in person. To move on to more practical matters, if I were you I'd: Google search crisis cleaning (I think it's flylady that has that posted), and I'd put the kids in pairs to help you carry out the cleaning. Divide up the list, giving yourself a section, your 12yo a section, and your 9 & 7yo a section. Either do it while your 1 & 3yos sleep, or you close them into whatever room you're cleaning. This is your chance to make things look much better very quickly, and this is the time to quickly tidy up any messes that make you feel like you're losing your grip. Next, I'd make sure that each of your dc have daily responsibilities around the house. I can't remember if you mentioned that they do or not, but now's the time to impose a chore system if you don't have one in place. Yes, it'll be more work to enforce the chores than just to do them yourself, but it's an investment that'll pay off over time. Pick the areas that annoy you the most, and see to it that either you or the 12yo have responsibility for those things. If having unmade beds is your "trigger to depression", put the 12yo on it and explain why it's so important to you (i.e. Mommy gets feeling really down when the beds aren't taken care of...). If you haven't done so lately, purge toys and clothes. My dh and I lived with our 5dc in a 1000 sq.ft. home for 12 years, and nothing helped morale better than getting rid of everything that wasn't nailed down or in current use. Make sure your dc have minimal amounts of clothes and toys. If all you own is 6 total loads of laundry, you can never get further behind than 6 loads, kwim? Even when I don't have the time to reorganize everything, I feel much better just making a list of what needs to be done/accomplished. At least take the time to make a list of what you'd like done around the house (in terms of bigger organizational jobs). Then determine which of those you can realistically get done, and which are top priorities. When you've decided which things are top priority, write down the steps to get them accomplished, and make up your mind to do just a couple of those steps per day or per week, or whatever you can handle in small steps. I didn't really intend to write you a book, these are just the things off the top of my head. Maybe something here is helpful, maybe not. Wishing you the best, Julie

It's too soon for me to declare what we're doing a success yet, but... Thinkwell is what we're using for our 3 high school-aged sons. Here are the features I like about it: *Video lessons by a teacher we think is a "hoot". The kids watch more closely because the professor is often very funny. *The problem sets are done via the Internet and the kids receive immediate feedback about how to do the problem if they've missed it. *If the kids score low on the exercises, you can click the button and get another problem set with all new problems. You can pretty much do the lesson (with new problems each time) as many times as you need to, and take as much time/practice as you need to succeed. *There are printable notes for most (if not all) lessons. My kids find it helpful to print the notes and refer to them as needed. They are very concise, and really provide just what you need to remember. *The checklist feature makes it easy for me to tell at a glance how far my kids have progressed through the course. *I don't have to think about testing, because it's included. *The courses are (I think) marketed more to colleges, and seem to be very rigorous, though I'm really not a great judge about that. *I don't have to worry about the series not being released/ready when we need them, because Thinkwell is already established beyond what my dc will probably need before just going on to math at the community college. ~Julie~

I will be spending about $3000 this fall. I will have 3 high schoolers, one middle schooler, and one still in elementary. I'm finding that the things I want for high school are pretty pricey, so I'm spending a lot right now, but most of it is non-consumable (i.e. Teaching Co lecture videos, etc) and will be used for all 5 dc in their turn. That $3000 will probably include the least expensive laptop computer I can find, since mine is dying and I have 3 dc doing internet-based math with Thinkwell. I'm not including the money I spend on music lessons in that $3000, because I don't necessarily consider that a homeschool expense. I'd be paying that no matter where my dc went to school.

I'm so *so* happy with Pantene!:001_smile:

I'm so thankful for the advice (and commiseration)! I really feel like an idiot for not asking the cost of each thing the doc was doing at that first appointment, and what the purpose was of the second appointment. I understand about the cost of his ultrasound and xray equipment figuring into the charges on my bill, but I think what made me a little irate was that he didn't even seem to refer to the results of any of those things at any point. It definitely seemed like just a way to add more procedures/charges in a short amount of time. I have tried a lot of the over-the-counter shoe inserts, but most of them seem like extra padding rather than true support. I have found one type that is helping a bit, but it's still not enough. The custom-fit would probably work better, I think, since I haven't found an easy solution at the store, but I sure don't want this doc to be the one to do it.:glare: Thanks again, Julie

During the season when I had a lot of little kids at once (5 dc aged 7 and under) I always shopped with my dh in the evening. He'd push one cart carrying the littlest kids and some groceries, and do crowd control with the other kids, while I pushed another cart with the bulk of the groceries and consulted the list. Sometimes we'd hire a sitter and go out to dinner and then do the shopping, and because it was only once a month, we could totally justify the cost of a sitter. Nowadays, I have 3 teenage sons and two pre-teen girls, and I take one or two helpers with me to push carts and load/unload groceries (still once per month). The amount of groceries we go through is *astonishing!*

I hesitate to answer this, because I don't want to sound negative, but my answer is: I wouldn't pay. Anything. The attitude in my family has always been that music lessons are a privilege. I rarely have to prompt my dc to practice, and if I did, I would not have them in lessons. I understand that many families stick with music lessons as a top priority, but if my dc didn't really have the interest, I'd take them out of the lessons and search for what would really be enriching, enjoyable, and take advantage of their individual talents and interests. It's really, really nice that your oldest is willing and able though!:) ~Julie~

I have an HP 7200, and it had the exact same problem. Mine was un-fixable. It was only 3 months old, so the store we bought it from took it back and gave us a new one. Sorry, Julie

After my foot pain became so severe that it was interfering with even getting through the day, I went to a podiatrist. I chose a doctor at random from my insurance's provider list and made an appointment. I was in the office for about 30 minutes, and the doc did one xray and one brief ultrasound of each foot, and then told me that I needed custom orthotics fitted. Ok. I'll think about that. Then he asked me to come back 2 days later for a follow-up appt. I thought the appointment was to examine the xrays, which weren't ready yet by the time my first appointment was over. When I went back for that second appointment, I was surprised to find that the appointment was just simply a time for the doc to tell me again how much I needed the orthotics. He didn't even pull out the xrays or even mention them until I asked. Well...by then I was pretty sure that he just wanted the extra appointment $$. So, now the bill has arrived, and I see that the total bill is $615 (without the orthotics). The ultrasounds were $160 for each foot. Seriously, it took less than 30 seconds, and wasn't really informative *at all*. My portion of the total bill is $305. I'm unhappy. I'm unhappy not only for myself, since I've now spent all of this money and still haven't solved the problem, but I'm also unhappy about the fact that my insurance is also forking over money to this doc that is clearly padding his pockets with unneeded appointments, etc. Yes, I'll pay it, though I have only $100 per month budgeted for medical expenses. I'm just so frustrated! I'm left feeling like I've been "taken" (and my feet are still SO BAD!). I still have to save up the $300 for the orthotics too.:eek: VENT OVER.

I think for tonight it'll be.....Love Actually. It's the first suggestion that my ds found in the video store. I'm making a list of movies for next time, though, so if you want to keep the list going, I'd appreciate it. Just--I'm sorry--no tear-jerkers! I'm easily depressed :crying:. Have any of you seen Catch Me if You Can? That one sounds good too.

Dh will be away tonight, and I can hole up in my room and watch a movie of *my own choice!*:D I need some suggestions. Here's a list (off the top of my head) of movies that I've enjoyed (in no particular order): *Suspense/mysteries* The Fugitive Witness the Bourne movies Entrapment *Romantic comedies* You've Got Mail How to Lose a Guy on 10 Days Dan in Real Life Hitch The Last Holiday Well, any suggestions? Thanks a bunch!

I will never *ever* go back to the skirted suits! I have always hated how the skirt floats up and shows everything I was trying to hide in the first place. I bought a tankini with swim shorts last year, and it stays put--not to mention the fact that it's just a much less "matronly" look than the typical skirted suit, imo.:)

I'm not asking whether *I* should do this...just whether you would or not. I've already decided for my dc, and I'm fairly confident about my decision, though I find it edifying to hear the viewpoints of others. I try to give my dc freedom to make mistakes (or not) and learn to be mature adults, but some things are just too important for half-measures. As long as those teen drivers are my responsibility, I'm going to do everything within my power to prevent them from killing themselves, or anyone else. As someone else mentioned, "Trust, but verify." There will (Lord willing) be plenty of years for them to drive without anyone looking over their shoulders, but it won't be happening on my watch. The stakes are just too high. Thanks so much for the ongoing discussion. :) ~Julie~

My oldest ds (almost 17) just got a speeding ticket. Although I'm highly disappointed, I can't say I'm highly surprised. My dh husband (who is an excellent driver, tho with a heavy foot) is not as phased as I am about ds exceeding the speed limit. I have 5 dc, all of them born within 7 years. We will have a *lot* of teen drivers in the next 5 years. I am considering a "black box" for my car. I don't know how to post a link here, but the one I'm looking at is manufactured by Road Safety (RS-1000 model). I'm quite open with my dc about the fact that they have no expectation of privacy until I am no longer personally responsible for their safety and well-being. Though in general, I trust my kids, I make it very clear to them that I freely check to "confirm that they're doing the right thing". I like the idea of knowing how fast my dc are going, and how quickly they're accellerating/braking, and how quick they're taking the corners, etc. As a mom of 3 teenage boys (and 2 pre-teen girls), isn't it worth the $300? Would it be worth $300 to you?

I don't know how to get those either, and I've always wondered. Maybe someone here can help (so I'm giving you a "bump" post!). ~Julie~

I've lost 12 pounds since January 11th. I know that probably doesn't sound like a lot, but I want to lose the weight really slowly, so that I never feel deprived, and so that it's a lifestyle and not just a diet. I like the suggested menus from SparkPeople. They're pretty much always something I'd really enjoy eating, and easy to prepare. I do go off on my own a lot though, substituting family meals and some frozen meals from the grocery when I feel lazy. When I think about doing this for another year, I don't dread the thought, as I have on other diets I've tried. 12 pounds down, 82 to go!:blush5: ~Julie~