I second the shower curtain rod idea. I'd done that before with a bunk bed. I would be careful about screwing anything into the wood of the bunk, as I'm pretty sure that would be against the policy.

Electricity: around $180-200 in the summer, around $140 in the winter. Gas: $40 in the summer and $90 in the winter (gas oven and water heater, gas heat with a heat pump) Cell: $230 (5 smart phones) No land line No trash fee (we don't have pick up, and our dump is free within our county) Water $40 No sewer Dish: $50ish. Internet: $145 (but it is business internet through Comcast and dh's company pays for it)

It would be a huge deal if my dh went to a strip club. It wouldn't matter the reason. It is pretty much deal breaker level of NO. Yes, I would think less of any married man that felt the need to go to a strip club.

I'm glad to hear your story Samba! I am pretty sure I'm getting varicose veins in a similar area. The inner side of my knee and just above. I can't see them much yet, but they ache when I stand (or sit for too long without my feet up) and I can feel the bulge. They run in the family too. I've been trying to decide if it would be worth having something done eventually.

My dd does. She finds a lot of hers at thrift stores and used bookstores. Although you can find pretty much everything digitally, there's something to be said about listening to vinyl. Just sounds different!

IF mine helped with laundry, we'd have the same problem. He will also grab a kitchen towel to use as a wash cloth. Nothing like finding a big ol, sopping wet kitchen towel in the bottom of the sink. Or stained with grape juice he decided to mop up. Etc. At least I got him to quit using them to wipe garage grease/dirt off his hands.

So sorry Scarlet :grouphug:

Meh.. I generally don't buy Velveeta, but occasionally I'm like your husband and crave the "real" thing. It has a taste and texture that is difficult to duplicate. I do buy it when my kids are wanting mac and cheese "like granny makes". Or for dips like that.

So. Much. Yes. :lol: :lol: :lol:

That's how it works here. We ask that our adult dd be home by 11PM. We have a dog that will wake the dead when ANYONE comes in the door. We are usually in bed by 10:30, and don't really like being jolted awake by a miniature Cujo. It is consideration for the other people that live here. She also knows that she is welcome to either get her own place, or make other arrangements for sleeping somewhere else if she doesn't feel like she'll be home before then. (and by this I mean sleeping over at a friend's house where it isn't a big deal to come in later) We also ask to be informed of when she'll be home, just like dh and I let each other know our rough schedule.

It is early. My 19 year old just nailed down a major (in her second year of college! ) Her long term goals at 14 were basically avoiding adulthood for as long as possible. I had some pretty awesome goals at 15. Not a single one came to fruition. :lol:

Back when I was pregnant with my girls, everything maternity had those AWFUL huge peter pan collars. And non-flattering print. They have such cute maternity clothes now.

I haven't had a solid night's sleep in over 16 years. What started as twins that managed to wake me up in the middle of the night, every night, for ten years, morphed into a husband that has sleep issues that keep me awake. Then throw in hormonal changes that make me wake up at 2-3AM every night feeling like I'm going to spontaneously combust...nah I don't get much sleep. I don't think I know how to sleep through the night any more. I generally go to bed around 10:30 or 11PM and get up at 6ish. I usually wake up every couple of hours in between. By 6 my shoulder or back aches so much that I can't sleep anyway, so I get up. If my dh is out of town, then I usually only wake up once at the 2AM mark. We have already discussed the fact that I'll likely be moving my bedroom upstairs after the girls move out. Naps? If I get still and warm, I'm out like a light. I have no trouble whatsoever FALLING asleep. It is staying asleep that is the issue.

It isn't a must. Two of mine will have entered college without taking a single online course. My oldest took one, but ended up dropping it because the format just does. not. work. for her. She just does much better in a face to face environment. I've taken several online courses the past two years for college. It is something that takes a lot of self-motivation, and it really isn't the best format for everyone.

My oldest just nods sagely, like she's totally on board with being the guardian of her sisters and the "estate" should something happen to us. Never mind that I still have to remind her to brush her teeth :/ (yes, she'd be responsible with the money part, she's 3/4 scrooge McDuck)

Ribeye is the best cut, IMO. Salt and pepper, maybe garlic. Sear it on a hot grill, then cook just until Medium Rare. Add a little butter towards the end of cooking. Try a local butcher shop for the best flavors.

Take it easy on yourself for the first few months. The transition can be exhausting, mentally and physically. Just being "on" all day wore me out at first. (I'm not working full time, but I did go from SAHM to full time student with a part-time job)

The listing I pulled up in my town was built in 1977, but had been updated. Nice neighborhood. It was listed for $230K. Sounds about right.

I agree with the pp that you should probably wait a few more years. That many small children will make properly training a puppy a bit of a nightmare. I love our dog. A lot. But she drives me insane with the shedding, and the weird medical issues she has. (allergies, anxiety, etc.)

My best advice? Skip the cheese. I have yet to find anything palatable. The only thing close is daiya cream cheese, and it is only good with lots of sugar .

I started all of mine out with just a savings account. It at least gave them somewhere to start. Once they started driving, we opened checking accounts with a debit card. I'm not sure about banks that open a checking account at 12...at least I don't know of any. What I found helpful is to set up online banking for our accounts and connect them. (I don't know how many banks do this). We all have accounts at the same credit union, and I can transfer money between the accounts online. I am joint owner on all of the accounts. This allowed them to save, but then transfer the money to my checking if they wanted to order something online. ETA: And now it is super helpful when I need the girls to pick up something from the store for me, or they need emergency gas money..etc.

When we lived in the city, my kids did walk to a few places that were close and safe (the library, Sonic, etc.). They were young teens/preteens at the time. Here? No. For one, we don't live close to anything. It would take an hour to walk to the nearest gas station. For another, the highway we live on isn't safe for walking/biking. (no shoulder, speeding vehicles, lots of large dump trucks, etc.) There is no public transportation. This is why we have four vehicles, soon to be 5, just so everyone can get to their job/school.

So, here's how it went with my mother's family and my in-laws family: Prior to 1950-60, all the food was obtained by the sweat of your brow, literally. Back breaking work in the fields and in the home. The food was pretty healthy, but labor intensive. These families were poor, but made out ok. Then suddenly things shifted. Work became available in factories, etc. Food preservation became mass produced. Electricity came through the area enabling refrigeration and freezers for the average joe. Canned food, TV dinners, food in boxes, etc. were all advertised as being WAY better for you, safer, and allowed mom to get out of the fields/kitchen. The food on the tables changed DRAMATICALLY. Even for those that lived in high agricultural areas. If you farmed, it shifted to mono-culture and food was shipped elsewhere. A farm didn't really mean a beautiful garden full of veggies for the table. By the time dh and I were growing up, our parents LOVED all things boxed and easy and had no clue about how unhealthy they were. I grew up on Chef Boy R Dee, sodas, and frozen dinners. When we did have fresh veggies, they were thrown in a pot and boiled to death. Now, many in my generation wouldn't know what roasted asparagus was if someone slapped them with it. Their kids are even worse off. There are people in my extended family that pretty much live off of pizza rolls and soda. And we live in a very rural area with produce available. There is also the attitude that if I am trying to eat better, then I think I am too good for my roots. I'm a food snob. I have really WEIRD taste. I'm torturing my kids by making them eat things like spinach and lentils. It is akin to abuse to not have soda and pop-tarts in the house.

It was hard. But it was all worth it.

Not enforced at all in the county, but is somewhat enforced within city limits. However, where I live, you can hear gunshots every day and often into the night from people just shooting for recreation. At least the fireworks are pretty..lol.