That sounds yummy! Green beans especially. Or Brussels sprouts. Mmm, with shallots... If you don't have any veggies to cook, just pour the grease into a glass jar and store in the fridge. :)

Chicken sandwiches and shaved Brussels sprouts. Strawberries for dessert. And maybe cookies after the kids go to bed. Shhhhh. ;)

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Amazon carries several brands. I always buy TJs.

The pollen is kicking my booty.

I just have my phone charger plugged in behind my night stand and use the phone as an alarm clock. Bonus is that it doesn't take up any space! :)

I get caffeine withdrawal headaches. Were you drinking a bunch and cut it out entirely? Pollen here is at ridiculous levels. I did not have seasonal allergies until around age 30, after having my second child. I'm miserable right now if I don't take something. They now keep the good stuff behind the counter at the pharmacy and you have to show your DL and not buy more than 15 at a time. (You know, because sudafed is more dangerous than machine guns...) I like generic Claritin-D, but there are several brands. Cheapest by far at the Costco pharmacy ($6.xx instead of $15), and you don't have to be member to use the pharmacy supposedly. I also have migraines (boy, I sound like a mess! Ha!). I am only nauseated with the worst of the worst. If I throw up, I know to batten the hatches. Ice packs, 2 Aleve, a Mexican Coke (real sugar + caffeine), and a dark room are my recipe for the regular ones. What you described does sound like a migraine. After a bad one, my head sort of feels sore/tender, almost like a sore muscle after heavy exercise. It's common to get a smaller, sort of echo headache after a bad one. I hope you feel better soon. Headaches are miserable!

We keep two checking accounts, one just for debit. It never has much in it, especially now that we can transfer money on our phones! The bank does have to refund your money...eventually. We do not have overdraft on that account. If we ever screw up and forget to transfer, it would be declined and we'd simply use another card. We don't even have checks for that account. We generally use a CC for the cashback, but if that's not working for you, a smaller debit account may.

She may only be interested in showing you rentals listed for agents that will pay her for placing a tenant. The usual fee around us was a month's rent or 10% of the monthly rent when we were looking a couple of years ago. We found our temp rental on CL and not one shown by our agent. She may be willing to look at CL rentals for you if you pay her a finders fee, and she may not be sure how to word that with you? Not responding doesn't seem professional though.

I don't know. It depends on the allegations and how crazy she actually is. If it's bad enough, you may want to get an attorney to send a cease and desist letter and mention that you will pursue any and all civil remedies including but not limited to libel/slander charges if she persists in making false allegations.

It was before we had kids, but DH told his parents never to contact him again. He didn't change any of our numbers. They never tried to contact him, which surprised me. His brother did not say it as unequivocally, and they sort of stalked him for a while. They went so far as to borrow someone's car to drive by his house. That stopped after he called the police for a suspicious vehicle and they got pulled over on his street, lol. (You have to laugh or you'll cry...) It has been 11 blissful years without their crazy! Our kids know his parents are alive but that they are not nice people and are not safe to be around. I would save whatever you have by way of threats from her, then block her email and phone number. Do you have a counselor you can talk to? I don't know any specifics, so I don't know if she's just crazy or violent and crazy--if you feel unsafe, by all means call the police. An attorney can advise you on stay away orders, etc.

I could see how your feelings would be hurt. Mine do when DH or the kids don't prefer the dinner I planned and made. Yet when I wind up not liking a new recipe, I will take a tiny serving and wait until the kids are in bed to have a snack. One new recipe was particularly horrid (stupid Pinterest), and I took one bite and yelled, "Don't eat it! Who wants eggs?" :) Our usual rule is that if you're still hungry after dinner, there is a multitude of fruit and veggies at your disposal. I do not have teenagers yet... Whether he broke a family moré would make his behavior "rude" or not. It was sweet that he returned to the table though!

A crock pot might be a good investment right now! Or maybe you could borrow one from a friend? I would probably do freezer cooking so he just thaws and heats. Spaghetti sauce freezes well. (He can boil pasta? ;) ) Soups Chili Taco meat Cheater lasagna: sauce + refrigerated or frozen raviolis, top with cheese and bake Lots of recipes here: http://onceamonthmom.com/ Label the ziploc bag before you fill it. Buy foil pans from the dollar store. I'd do a calendar with instructions for that day plus the next ("Move Chicken Poppyseed to fridge"), And pre-plan grocery lists for the weekends. My DH can cook (I've been training him since we were 19!), but he'd never plan and execute on top of managing everything with the kids alone + his job. I wouldn't want to handle it all alone either! :)

You called me deceptive and said I was setting a bad example for my family. I did not make any personal attacks against you. I made a suggestion for a way some have found makes it easier to seek treatment. I personally have sought treatment for depression through my health insurance, but I understand the concerns of people who do not feel comfortable doing so.

Buying medicine under the table? I didn't suggest getting a fake passport and going to Mexico and buying drugs off the street. These are licensed, above board physicians, using real prescription pads and buying real medicines. It's just not part of the same computer file with your sinus infections and hemmorrhoids.

How is it deceptive? There's no requirement that you seek all medical treatment through your health insurance. There's a whole discussion of not wanting your children's grades attached to their SSNs and permanent records. I think mental health treatment is much more personal! If people are willing to get treatment anonymously that they would not get otherwise, isn't that what matters? Is it deceptive to call an anonymous suicide hotline? The fact of the matter is that there exists a stigma against mental health issues. One of my good friends was raped and wanted to seek therapy but NOT have it part of her general health insurance file where pretty much everyone and his donkey can access it. She paid for it out of pocket. Was she being deceptive? If the fear of "someone" finding out keeps someone from getting necessary treatment, that is wrong. Wanting to keep the most private details of your life PRIVATE is not wrong.

What a great idea! I wish we had a professional scooper. :)

Depending on your financial circumstances, you could see someone and pay cash, and pay cash for your medication. Then it's not attached to your medical record through insurance. I know several psychologists and psychiatrists who don't even bother with insurance and cater to executive-types who don't want anything "on the record." Please go talk to someone. Your doctor may prescribe something "for stress" but whatever it winds up being called, you should take care of yourself.

Organic (non-GMO) soy Tempeh (which is soy but...) Nuts Seeds Beans + whatever to make complete protein Quinoa Non-dairy protein powder (rice, hemp, soy) for smoothies Selective meats that are higher in protein Sardines, wild-caught fish Eggs Avocado Oatmeal

I assume they also think premarital relations are a horrible sin. Once you've thrown that out the window, why not keep going? I personally know three couples who got married because they were pregnant. All are still married and seem happy. None is in an oppressive, meddlesome situation though. Only one is my age, and my mind still boggles at her explanation that she and her boyfriend couldn't use BC because it was a sin. But what about the s3x?!?!

Jockey has some options. http://www.jockey.com/Catalog/Product/Elance-Poco-Brief-2-Pack (Anyone else having Sears Roebuck catalog traumatic flashbacks?) Tell him guys in fancy black boxer briefs get invited to more tEA parties. ;)

They told everyone they paid for the honeymoon but did not. So... Nothing.

You can replace sour cream with Greek yogurt or blend/purée 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. That would add a little more protein to a creamy dip like spinach dip or caramelized onion dip or green goddess. :) Spinach dip: Knorr vegetable soup mix, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup mayo, 1 box spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), 1 can sliced water chestnuts, green onions if desired. Best onion dip ever: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pan-fried-onion-dip-recipe/index.html Guacamole

Apparently they weren't socialized very well for them to stick their noses so far up in your business! I certainly wouldn't try to justify my parenting decisions to random people, but if you feel the need to converse with them, I find reflective questioning to work fairly well on nosy nellies. "How do you feel your choice of public school assists in socializing your children?" or "What chores do your children do? Why do you feel that is more appropriate?" Your chores don't sound odd for those ages, homeschooled or not! Where else are children supposed to learn how to take care of themselves if not at home? One of my high school boyfriends literally had no idea how to start the dishwasher at the end of his senior year. I was astounded. I decided then that any future children would know how to cook, clean, do laundry, basic household chores well before it was time for them to go to college. My 9 year old unloads the dishwasher, helps with household laundry, puts away her laundry, cleans her side of the Jack-and-Jill bathroom, vacuums occasionally, sweeps, straightens the mud room, helps with dogs, helps with the baby, helps dust, helps cook, um... And she'd do all of those things if she were in school elsewhere.

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2012/09/my-favorite-brownies/ I halve that recipe and use a Ghirardelli mix from Costco. Swoon.

Holy wow. Yeah, that's creepy! Can you ask DS for permission to come drop off a few groceries and muffins the night before they arrive? So they'll have fresh juice and milk... Then put the mixer where obviously you haven't dug through anything!