No, but I want to come drink at your house. 🙂What are you planning to make?

Good job repurposing the old entertainment center! A large plant would be lovely, or books with bookends. If you are into seasonal decorating, that could be a good place to put a little Christmas tree or other holiday displays. I have seen a large, simple dollhouse repurposed to hold books. Something like that would fit nicely there.

Right?!? @Corraleno, you rock. You did an amazing thing.

I live in Indiana and pay $20 for overnight and $15 for day care from an absolutely amazing pet sitter (in her home). I almost feel guilty about how cheap it is, so I tip well. $150-$200 is just fine.

Thanks, I will look into these!

We have a heavy Solaron Korean mink blanket for her, but it can make her too hot. We might try an actual weighted blanket--thanks for the reminder!

Thank you! We definitely notice she sleeps better when she gets good exercise. We will be more intentional about that. I have done my best to be casual about her insomnia so she doesn't become anxious about it--that's a great point. She is definitely allowed to get up, get a drink, read for a while, etc. if she can't sleep. Unfortunately she doesn't regulate herself well--if she gets caught up in a good book, she will read for much longer than she should. She takes magnesium every night for restless legs and has been taking it for probably well over a year. We haven't tried melatonin yet.

Outside of our relationships with our partners and children, what are the most important, concrete, everyday things we can do to change the world for the better? Totally open question. I love and respect you all and want to hear from you. I need some focus right now.

From about age 3 until recently, DD11 was an excellent sleeper. Fell asleep quickly and slept 'til a reasonable hour of the morning. Recently she's had a difficult time "settling in," as she puts it, and going to sleep. She's too hot, she's too cold, she can't get comfortable. She's staying awake up to two hours later than she normally falls asleep. All of this is coinciding with some uterine cramping (which I also have right now), headaches, and occasional nausea (which I also tend to get before my period). I am pre-menopausal so my cycles are cray-cray. I haven't had a period since December, I think, but I'm guessing it's coming soon. I also often have insomnia before my period. She has been cramping when I do for about six months now, but hasn't actually started menstruating yet. She's had no recent trauma and seems generally happy, but the lack of sleep is causing meltdowns in the morning. How can I help my girl sleep better?

Maybe it's just one of those things that happens by chance sometimes. The mind notices patterns even when they are not significant, right? Don't worry! I think pretty much everyone loves you here. Except maybe [a certain unnamed person] during heated canine-related discussions. 😉 Drop Scouts! It's American to make the choices that are best for you! 🇺🇸

My 4-year-old pup still eats paper (and books, and cardboard, and Kleenex) if we don't watch her. It must be tasty. 🙂 We've found Hartz Dura-Play toys to be oddly indestructible. We've had the bone, jack, and turkey-leg shaped one for well over a year and they are still going strong. Amazing. I think she did destroy a Zoo Balloons one, though. She also loves the Hartz Frisky Frolic squeaky toys and we've never had to throw away one! Usually vinyl or rubber type squeaky toys are quickly shredded, but these last! As far as strictly chew toys go, my dogs have liked Nylabone Flex bones and they last weeks or months. They come in lots of sizes and probably a puppy version as well. I do *not* buy the Nylabone Power bones (they are much harder) because one of my dogs fractured a tooth on one. Kongs are definitely the most sturdy toy, but my dogs were never interested in them. Probably because I didn't want to stuff them and have food all over my floor. ☺️ Edit: fixed link

WTH does someone keep down-voting Katie's threads? If this is deliberate, it's not cool. At all.

No advice, Stella, just wanted to say I'm sorry. Hugs to you. ❤️

So fun!!! You both look fabulous (and so does that food...). Enjoy yourself! ❤️

Here's their open letter: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/us/boy-scouts-letter-victims-trnd/index.html I haven't been a fan in a long time, for a multitude of reasons.