I require them to drink juice (9/10 it is OJ), as we don't always have fresh fruit, at breakfast. Also, our breakfast time has significantly decreased, and it's much easier for me or them to pour juice than to cut more fruit. (A whole cantaloupe only lasts a few hours here once it is cut.) I have been making OJ popsicles a couple times a week these last couple weeks, and they have been enjoying that in the hot afternoons. I'd rather they enjoy that than another type of popsicle. ETA: Also, my youngest can drink juice throughout the day, as a way to increase her caloric intake, as water doesn't add calories.

I answered 1-1.5 hours, but it should really be 1.5-2 hours. Time is split up throught he day, so it doesn't seem like it really is that much.

Budget: $10,000. Needs to fit: 1 5pt harness (Radian) 1 backless booster (best if it can fit 2) Must be 2002 or newer due to LATCH. My rental is a Kia Soul, which is lovely. Doesn't fit 2 backless boosters, but the kids aren't squished in the backseat. The vehicle I am coming from is a 2005 Dodge Durango. I don't need anything that big anymore, and I'd love to have something that does much better on gas! If this were you, what vehicle would you be looking at? :auto: Additionally, I was told that I might be better off leasing a vehicle, but I'm not sure how leasing vs buying compares. Anyone have any thoughts on that? :bigear:

My husband always refused to lock all the house doors, as that would require him to remember where he put his keys when he got out of his vehicle, or actually pull them out of his pocket. His truck does this thing, where if you turn it off right (or wrong, maybe?) you can remove the key, but you can start the vehicle again without putting the key in. He often did that. Also, there is a shelf in his dash next to the ignition, and he keeps a key there. Then if he doesn't know where he put his keys, he doesn't have to be late for work. :lol: Me? I keep the doors locked to the house, often when we are inside, too. The vehicle is always locked, whether we are in or out. I've forgotten to lock it a time or two here at home, and have found children on the roof, as they have opened a door to climb up. :glare:

It warms my heart to hear all of these things! Thank you all for sharing! So many, many things to be thankful for, no matter how large or small. I know there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and I know we will find it!:auto:

My week has been filled with struggles and negativity. I am fighting back - with a postive, thankful attitude! :party:Join me!!!!!! 1) I am thankful for a place to lay our heads at night. 2) I am thankful for food to feed us. 3) I am thankful for online court documents, Google, and online white pages, and folks who don't block themselves, and therefore allow strangers to find them when in need. 4) I am thankful for friends who leave flowers on my doorstep, knowing that it's been a bad, bad week.

:lol: I have a mental ignore list, as I don't know how the real ignore list works. (But now I do!) But it's probably easier than the real ignore list, since I'd just click on the "view post" button, and that takes more work. :lol:

Think about it this way, would you wear a light/medium periwinkle top and deep tan pants? I would. But I'd look really fantastic with some jewelry or a scarf that ties them both together. ;)

I took most of it when we bought a house, when I was 22. There were a few odds and ends that were left behind, in my old bedroom closet. When they sold their house, I helped to empty their house. (Much to my mother's dismay my SIL and I felt like we were having fun on an episode of Clean Sweep!) However there are a couple things that are in my parents' storage unit, as I am preparing to move again, and packed up some things I don't need right now, and may not have room to keep myself, but can't part with.

I used to live down the road from Wegmans', and love it, except for the parking lot, which had the strongest winds around. Breathalizer alcohol dispenser is due to PA liquor control laws. Wegman's has been pushing the laws for years, and was the first grocery store to get approval to sell beer and wine and such because they have a "cafe." Not all the stores had approval, though I think they are increasing. Now, I thought the dispensers were coolers, but I never used one, so I don't know. You'd think since they were in a cooler, they'd be cooled. Yet, I don't like red wine chilled, nor all spirits. But yes, the breathalizer alcohol beverage dispensers were deemed not an effective measure, and are being removed.

:w00t::smilielol5:

11 acres. The 7 acres east of us has been subdivided off, and is under contract to sell.

At least we are all readers. :lol:

Welcome! We are about an hour away from you, even though I'm only 20 mins south of Hbg. Are you familiar with the children's museum in Gettysburg? It's a wonderful place.

A few years ago, at another house I created my own system, with help from FlyLady. It worked great in that house. I had a weekly routine, built around our outside obligations. I think what I did was take her weekly routine, and moved stuff around. (Then I made it all pretty on my computer.) I didn't do shoes inside, but I did put on slippers or socks. I did about 30 minutes in the morning, then another 30 minutes in the evening most days, with another one hour two afternoons a week. I think a major contributor to why it worked in that house, was that we had soooooo much space, that there was no clutter around. Everything was so easily put away, and therefore everything was so easy to clean. So now, I am working on eliminating more and more and more.

This morning I cleaned out the pantry (had to put the groceries away). I moved summer hanging clothes for all three kids into one closet, as preparation for moving them all into that one bedroom, and me into the smaller bedroom (thereby eliminating the need to use the bedroom that doesn't have access to a/c). I need to get outside to work on the pool, but it's much nicer inside, and the pool still looks like a pond (although it is MUCH better than when we took the cover off last Saturday). I'm not sure what I'm doing, and am frustrated with it, so I'm avoiding asking for help. So I should finish my laundry, work on the pool, and do some more in that bedroom before we leave for a picnic!

I have coffee filters- we use them for art, and I use them for greasy foods- better with bacon (and cheaper) than paper towels.

Woo hoo! Love your motivation! I think that is AMAZING. I originally thought about whether I could do half, and wasn't sure what that would exactly look like, and I got stuck in statistical and quantifying daydreams for a bit. :lol: Then I just started tossing! Hijack away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love how people can encourage one another. We moved from a small home to a large home, to a medium home. The large home had LOTS of space for all of the stuff from our small home, and I bought some more, too. I'm purging based on what we USE, and what we LOVE. Metal rooster sculpture? Love it - it stays. Coffee maker? Don't use it, it's gone, even against my mother's protests that it is useful to own one. Miscellaneous candle holders? Some are nice, but don't use them, don't love them, so they are gone. YAY! Power to the purgers! :lol:

I remember being newly married, and excited to be able to buy a large fry pan. (You know, the really nice big, heavy kind that you can cook a whole meal in.) I stood in line at some store, and due to my excitement, I commented to the woman behind me that my husband had finally cleared it for me to buy it. She responded by saying that she didn't need her husband's permission to buy what she needed. She thought I needed permission, but it was the cash that we had been pinching to save that was what dh and I had "cleared" for this purchase. That fry pan was not a need for me, it was a want. I was in grad school, dh was working, and we were trying to save for a house, so every purchase was evaluated. If I had needed to replace a damaged fry pan and not been able to, well, maybe then I would have felt poor. I've had numerous discussions with my children about what "poor" is. We have eachother. We have a place to sleep, a roof over our heads, and food to put in our bellies. We may not be able to purchase wants every week, but that doesn't make us poor.

I feel like I am getting somewhere! :party: I started with 40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent, and have kept going. It's averaging a small bag each day. The kids have been great about it, and I am finally feeling like the house is looking GREAT! I've eliminated toys, kitchen items, nick-nacks, clothes, PAPERS, PAPERS, and PAPERS. I've eliminated holiday decorations, keeping only those things that I love. (Still have Christmas to do, but all other holidays are done.) I've eliminated boxes that haven't been opened, but that we moved here over two years ago. Yesterday I eliminated much of my college stuff. I kept a few books that I have resourced over the years, but tossed the rest. I have spacious cabinets and drawers, I have spacious closets, and am thinking I will end up with some empty drawers very soon which can be used for out-of season clothing or active projects that can be put away (like sewing). (One of my secrets is that dh's things are all being eliminated from the house, at his request - so you may or not have that option. :tongue_smilie:) Ahhhhhhhhh........ I'm liking this. :D

So should food stamps be limited to musts? WIC is very limited to what can be purchased. Are you saying SNAP (Food Stamps) should have a very limited list as well? What would that look like, exactly?

From the article: I cringe when our right to self determination is trambled on in order to help us make the "right" choices. :iagree:

I am part of a very small group that meets in York Co. Group is inclusive, and some of the meetings are at the church of one family, but it's not a Christian group. There's a family very big on unschooling, there are cyber schoolers, I'm much more classical, but the focus is on getting together to do some fun things and to let the kids develop friendships. I don't look for a group of like-minded folks anymore, but look for a group of open-minded folks instead.

I think this is one of the main reasons why we end up with so much stuff. My dad says "You fill the space you've got."

Or maybe her dh is as technologically functional as mine - I saved all contacts into his phone, and keep a hardcopy for whenever he has lost his phone or has damaged his phone. (He's been through many, many phones.) Dh also gave me alternative work contacts for him in case of an emergency. A phone number like that would stick in my head, too. You may think she's weird, and I freely admit I let my freak flag fly - I meet so many interesting people this way. :lol: