I wish that this transaction went better. I didn't even get a signed email, no less a thank you for your $200+ order. And now my order is marked "shipped." Again, no tracking number. If I ever order again, it won't be in VA. I'll send it to someone in a different state so that I can get a representative that is going to treat me better.

I got my answer. They sat on my order since the 2nd. It hasn't shipped and they will not let me add to the order. I will need to pay shipping again, even though I was at 12%. I definitely think that I made a mistake going with this curriculum if this is their customer service. :glare:

My 15 yodd: 1. Her own cell phone YES 2. A t.v. in her bedroom : NO 3. A computer in her bedroom : NO 4. Hair that has been dyed blonde or any other color : NO She had her hair professionally highlighted, but didn't like it and had her hair dyed back to her natural color. 5. Ears pierced with 2 or more holes each (DD has one hole per ear) : NO, she just got permission to get the first (and only) holes on her 13th birthday. 6. Clothes of her selection from the mall : Not from the mall, but her choosing. She is very modest and appropriate clothing is so hard to find. 7. Makeup -- all kinds (not just lip gloss) : YES, but she just got make-up last year. She prefers a bit of mineral make-up, and maybe clear lip gloss. A touch of mascara for going out.

What to choose? What to choose? Other than the obvious HUGE pricetag of $180 compared to $30, does anyone have any opinions on either of these programs? I need help!! Thanks, Kim

I am switching over from Abeka, but only for my younger kids. Abeka just isn't working for my K student. He needs hands-on, so I am switching him, his 3rd grade sister, and we'll invite his 4yo brother along to glean what he can. We do use Teaching Textbooks for the older kids, though.

I must be in the minority here, but I do not allow my kids near any sort of fireworks. When I was 5, my adult brother lit a cherry bomb and threw it in the grass. The next thing anyone knew was me, screaming with blood gushing out of my leg. The cherry bomb had exploded and sent a rock flying through the air and into my leg. A emergency room visit, many stitches and a scar for 40 years tells me to keep myself and my children away from fireworks.

I had ds plant some zucchini seeds last week. They sprouted in about 2 days, and now the plants are 4 inches tall.

That's the one. And then we saw a chicken plucker in action, IRL. A sight to be seen.

We were looking at building a Whizbang. But it was still $500 with lots of work. That is a big commitment. But then we had someone take care of our Cornish X and they had the big time chicken plucker. Simply amazing. There is a video on YouTube of the Whizbang in operation, if you truly wanted to see a chicken defeathered in 90 seconds.

Where are you? I've got one for sale. It has the bench seat in the front, so it seats nine.

My order still says "processing." How long does this take? I figured that since I was ordering within my state, that it would process and the transaction would be great. I didn't get a thank you. I didn't get a shipping notice. Nothing. I dropped over $200 and got nothing. I buy a $15 cloth diaper from a WAHM and I get a thank you. I get a shipping notice. Why can't I get good customer service from a curriculum company? I'm beginning to regret my order. :glare:

You can buy a 1/4 pound of bourbon vanilla beans for $20.50. That would be 22-30 beans. That price is through Frontier wholesale.

We love Nutrition Now Rhino Beanie Vites. They are jelly beans and they actually taste just like jelly beans. Although, you have to like jelly beans. I am placing a Frontier wholesale order on Sunday and they are on sale this month. $9.99 for 180 ct. Two beans are the daily dosage for both child and adult, but only my 12 and olders take two. I'm stocking up. http://www.nutritionnow.com/rhinodaily.htm

I have an Aquasana filter on my kitchen sink. I have a shower filter, too. We have well water and it doesn't taste or smell bad. But, I even noticed a difference in the shower water. It was less sticky and soap cleaned away quickly.

I bought 18/10 from Oneida. I don't necessarily need 2 types of forks and 2 types of spoons, but like 48 spoons would be a good thing. So I checked out the clearance section and bought like 18 knives, 36 forks and 48 spoons. We never run out now.

And please help cool the kitchen by leaving both refridgerator french doors open.

I don't know why fruits come from China. And from what I've read, if it comes from China and says "Organic," you can forget about it being organic. They have no regulations in China about organic guidelines. And many organics fruits and juices come from China. I just signed up with Melaleuca for my laundry and cleaning stuff. I was going through ingredients of some things and I was pretty shocked. There is SLS in the antacid, sucralose in the vitamins and HFCS in the children's pain reliever. It never dawned on me to look at the Tylenol or Advil label. I should probably look at cough syrup, too.

Does it change at all or is it basically the blank calendar? Thanks, Kim

I used that Home Defense stuff and I found that it just moved the ants to a different entrance. I put some peppermint essential oil and water in a spray bottle. They aren't too fond of it. Every time I see ants, I spray them. It doesn't seem to totally get rid of them, but it slows down their progress.

I was using Ecover powder, but I have since switched to Melaleuca. I'm pleased with the results. Probably not as natural as the Ecover, but the dishes actually smell nice when you open the door. I've gotten rid of chlorine bleach and phosphates as well.

Funny thing about the maternity styles now is that loose is for non-pregnant and tight is for pregnant. Well, I could just wear my regular shirts and they would be tight and there was no need to buy maternity. But if you wanted a loose, blousy maternity looking shirt, look in the junior section at Kohl's.

If you go through TOG and buy the books that are used for more than 3 weeks, it is BIG BUCKS. I still have boxes of Y2 books that we never used because I sold my TOG and most are not called for in any other curriculum. I buy my books since we live far from the public library and I just don't have enough time in the day to keep up with that many books (and their fines). Granted, MFW for EX-1850 did cost around $600 as well.

Abeka math is just not working for my kindergarten boy. We are at the end of the K book, and he can sometimes add 2 + 2. Usually, he cannot. He has zero retention it seems. Some days he is great, and then he switches off. He is a very visual learner. We have to have our two-colored chips and our 100 chart out at all times. He does the same thing with reading. He likes to look at a letter chart before he writes a letter. I've never had a learner like this. We made it through the phonics part of MFW. Some days he knew his letters and sounds. Usually he just knew the sounds without the letter names. So I was thinking about switching over to SSRW. He loves cars and this might be what he needs. Would MUS fit? I haven't done MUS since the mid 90s, just when it was coming out. Or is there a better system out there for his learning style. On a positive note, though, his penmanship is better than any of his siblings at this age. Thanks for any advice, Kim

We like Wii Fit. My little ones love Indiana Jones Lego. They like Super Mario Galaxy, but sometimes, these games can be endless, and we just need some peace. At least with bowling, it ends at one point. They occasionally do Cooking Mama, but it isn't one that they grab for all that much.

Look into local buying co-ops. And then, buy in bulk. I buy mostly organics but since I buy in bulk, it it basically the same price as grocery store non-organics. Plus, I have a vengence against high fructose corn syrup. So if it contains HFCS, it doesn't come in this house. That eliminates A LOT of junk that you don't need. Don't buy what you can make. I can buy a dozen doughnuts for like $7 or I can bake a cake for less than $2. My kids are just as happy. I make my own butter and yogurt, too. Also, evaluate your non-food groceries. I don't buy anything disposable so that does free up money to go towards other things, like raw milk, CSA, half a cow once a year, and so.