The title says it all.

I don't mind the sex. I don't even mind the crass terms used to refer to sex. What I do mind is how prevalent the Photoshopped pictures are, and the fact that the media (including tv, magazines, etc) does it's very best to let my girls know that they are physically (and it's implied, sexually) deficient, because none of us are *ever* gonna look *anything* like those pictures. No woman in reality can ever match up to what many, many men now believe is the standard for beautiful. I'm pretty sure that the majority of men do not have any idea just how far even the models are from looking anything like the pictures.

Thanks so much. I'll give this a try. I can (and do) walk for 4 miles at a time, and I'm not *completely* uncoordinated, but learning the moves to begin with is daunting. Maybe "Walk and Kick" would be better. {off to Amazon}

I got a Kickbox Bootcamp exercise dvd from Netflix: http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Solution-Kickbox-Bootcamp/dp/B000A3DGG2 I think that kickboxing exercise appeals to me right now in terms of fulfilling my need for fitness as well as helping me feel stronger, and yes, maybe slightly more aggressive than I am in real life, lol! The problem is that I am both too out of shape and also too uncoordinated to learn the moves, even in the "teaching the newbie what to do" section of the video. It goes too fast, and I can't seem to be able to do a good job of pausing, rewinding, and replaying the dvd in order to learn each move. Is there a better way for me to try and learn how to do this? It looks fun, if I could just figure out how to become proficient enough to do more than the first 60 seconds before getting lost! :blush:

And have it holding a cupcake, lol?

Odd man out here, but I would not have reacted quite the way you did. If this is a restaurant that you have frequented in the past (and even if it was a new place for you) I would have allowed them to try and make it right. Unless I'm misunderstanding, the cook/chef in the kitchen undercooked two items of your order. You sent one item back, they cooked it more, and then you realized that the burger wasn't cooked enough also. They were so eager to make it right that they sent the managerial staff to try and make amends. If I have that right, then I think it was maybe a bit of an overreaction to deny them a second chance to please you and keep you as a customer. As someone in the foodservice industry, I cannot tell you how much it distresses me to make a mistake and have the customer not allow me to make amends. One unhappy experience would not make me write off a restaurant that I'd been pleased with in the past, if they were trying rather desperately to fix the problem. Oh, and the restaurant where I work would have also done everything they could to please the customer, and in restaurants where they care that much, your food is usually safe if you politely return it to the kitchen for a little more time on the grill.

*Premeditated* evil food? That *is* bad! At least I can say that I didn't *mean to do it!*. :laugh:

Mmmm....bacon.... :drool5:

Mmmm.....bacon....I have some applewood smoked bacon in the fridge. :leaving:

I am. Fried egg sandwich with {gasp} American cheese, on a toasted bagel. Make me feel better. Tell me you're eating something worse than that, lol! :w00t:

Yes, definitely this! -But prepared by my own personal chef, as someone else mentioned. :thumbup1:

That doesn't at all sound like the situation here, as the OP described it. It sounds like loving parents who are concerned about their loved ones and their wellbeing. The OP just doesn't want to worry them? Doesn't sound at all toxic to me. Of COURSE it would be the right thing to keep poisonous people out of the loop. :001_smile:

I've had a lot of foot pain over the last 5 years or so, and I tried Danskos and a couple of other suggestions. What really worked for me was Skechers. I was able to walk for miles & miles & miles on a Europe trip wearing Skechers, and my feet were fine. I now buy Skechers for daily wear, and though I haven't found a great solution for dressier shoes, I have some Aerosoles that have been really close to great.

I'm absolutely not trying to contradict you, but I'm not sure how you'd know this. If I were the parent in that situation, I would certainly deal with it as gracefully & graciously as possible. I would not act hurt at all, so as not to spoil your joy. Still, I'd be sad, even though I would never express that outwardly in any way.

Oh wow, you've been using the kind without removable plates?? If you like to cook on the GF, and all you hate about it is the cleanup, then definitely invest in a new one. I got one from Costco that is a Cuisinart instead of a GF, and it's waaay better than my old GF. The plates are removable for cleaning, and the Cuisinart gets SO MUCH HOTTER than my old GF. I can get a good sear on a steak or burger now--never could before.

While I agree with the idea that you have a right to privacy if that's what you wish, as a parent, I would be very very hurt if one of my dc kept a major life event from me. It would not be better for me to find out later, and I would be sad that I'd not been able to "be there" for them during a really emotional time. From your perspective, I understand what you're trying to do (I think), but from a parent's perspective, I'd be more devastated by the fact that I didn't seem to deserve to share in your life.

It's not been mentioned yet, I don't think, but one of our favorite days was when we went to Ostia Antica and brought our picnic lunch. Slow paced, yes, but still really cool to climb around the ruins and eat our lunch in the amphitheater there.

Does anyone else have such a strong emotional reaction to these pictures? Not sure why I do, since I'm not usually super-sensitive, but abandoned buildings have always made me terribly sad. http://pinterest.com/eunice_gentry/abandoned/?e_t=080e9906e8c04967b182ceb05891a954&e_t_s=boards&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly

I'll be the dissenter. Make it! Make it today. :drool5: I'm assuming this isn't something you're doing daily or even weekly, or you wouldn't be hesitating. Cut loose! Live with wild abandon! Don't make it again any time soon, and you'll be ok. :thumbup: ETA: I don't eat sugary treats at all, but if I did, I'd make that recipe.

The crying, I don't really know--I tend to look at that as poor sportsmanship, and deal with it as understandable, but still something they must learn to cope with in public. Of course, being sad isn't wrong in other contexts, and I'd make that clear. As for the crude humor, because I believe the Bible speaks clearly about that, we do not allow it. At all. At some point, after being corrected, it becomes disobedience, and I dealt with it as such. If they are still doing it, at least they are not doing it in my presence, lol!

I do salads in wide-mouth mason jars, and then I use a FoodSaver with this attachment to seal them up: http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-T03-0023-01-Wide-Mouth-Jar-Sealer/dp/B00005TN7H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362535510&sr=8-1&keywords=foodsaver+jar+sealer My favorite is a mix of romaine & spinach, with cherry tomatoes, green onions, and cheddar cheese. I also add a hard-boiled egg (or just the whites if you're watching fat). My salads easily last a week in the jars with absolutely no browning. It's a miracle, and it really works! :thumbup1:

Abrasive much? :rolleyes:

Are you gals sure that sequins are ok? I've never owned anything with a sequin on it in my entire life.

My ds is getting married in 7 weeks. I have no clue what to wear. The wedding colors are fushia and green, and it's an afternoon indoor wedding. The bride's dress is fairly formal, with a train, but the bridesmaids dresses are shorter, not floor length. The bride's mother mentioned that she has not found a dress yet because she's looking for a dress that's not super-expensive and hits her at or a little below the knee. I really need to stop procrastinating on this. I know I'll be relieved when I have something to wear. I wear a size 1x/16-18W. Here's the thing...because of my current personal situation, I'd like to look nice. Not showy, but also *not frumpy*. Is this anything like what I should be looking for? http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Lace-Cap-Sleeve-Dress-with-Sequin-S356930 I don't, as a rule, wear anything sparkly. I also don't know if the style is right, or if that color is ok. The bride is saying to wear whatever I would be comfortable in. If this one isn't right, give me some suggestions, ok? A very, very kind older lady from church who knows about my marital situation sent me a card with $200 in it. The note read: "Dear Julie, A beautiful lady should have a beautiful dress and accessories for her son's wedding. Buy something that makes you feel as pretty as you really are, inside & out." It feels funny to accept that kind of a gift, but when I attempted to tell her that she didn't need to do that, that it was too much, she held my face in her hands and told me that it was certainly the right thing, and that it would make her happy to see me beautiful and confident on that day. To dance, and to smile, and accept the joy of the day. :001_unsure: Not sure what I did to deserve that sweet of a gesture, but I do feel blessed and cared for during a time when that feeling isn't coming very often. Just help me find the right dress, ok?

Actually, I make a great bread pudding using sandwich bread, but then she'd have to go back to the store for cream, so that wouldn't help, lol!