Okkaaaay just after posting this I put IHeartRadio on and I DID get an ad. But I played the music for an hour with out another ad so.. It's a possibility.

Hmmm, mine might long...... Moisturize stuff, shave stuff, paint/trim nails, color hair/cuts, makeup, under eye creams, exercises, stretching troublesome muscles, foam rolling those muscles, pressure point therapy on them so I can function, occasionally a chiropractor, some supplements, cod liver oil, very careful choices in food (sourcing them takes more time). On the food note, I got a farm to trade work hours for organic/raw farm foods/dairy. From-scratch cooking and baking, soaking of nuts/grains before baking with them, gardening (i consider this part of self care b/c I garden organically purposefully to lessen chemicals for health reasons). Lots of research on how to continue to refine our health habits. Careful choices of EO's (had to LOL), fermentation to add beneficial microbes to guts, plus it's yummy. Coffee. Coffee IS one word that means........self care. :laugh: (Hmmm, wondering if I can grow coffee in my region.........)

We love IHeartRadio. I create my own stations and I don't believe I"ve heard any ads on them. I connect to my bluetooth in my kitchen and get my groove on while cooking. lol I do also stream radio stations from around the country, that is fun. The kids all create their own stations. I try to be vigilant about doing the thumbs up or down so that it tunes my station. So far, I like it. Pandora...yeah I couldn't figure out how they filtered your likes/dislikes. And I don't like ads.

We all hunt so our 3 freezers are usually holding around a year or more of meat. So I think we have the hunting/gathering thing taken care of. We live very close to mountains full...FULL of foraging possibilities and nice, juicy animals. I have enough space to grow a lot of food. I garden and provide around 25% of our fresh food. I have nothing pantry-related stocked up because I don't really believe in apocalypses. I live in the wheat capital of like...the universe...and I bake bread, so I feel like I we are good on grains/carbs if need be. We are also pretty good with guns, being hunters and all, so I think our defense is mostly in place if, by chance, my lack of belief in apocalypses doesn't work out and people want our supplies.

Haven't read everything (sorry!) but I said OTHER b/c it's different all the time. If I get in the kitchen first, I make something quick. If DS12 gets in first, he makes himself something. DD14 is NEVER in there before me or DS because she has to be pryed out of bed with threat of losing all privileges for eternity. (!) Also, me and DS are ready to eat first thing. DD can't take food too early. So, that changes the variables daily, as well. When I make bfst, I make hers as well, and she just eats mid morning or at lunch. I do ask her to have a glass of milk even if she doesn't eat her bfst because if not, she feels faint and gets a headache. Then she can eat her bfst when she's ready. When DS makes his, he only makes his because DD doesn't like what he likes to make. I feel like my DD is like your kids, OP. If I sat her down to eat when she wasn't ready, she'd pick and waste the rest, too. So i just wait till she's ready. I make sure WHEN she's ready that there are very healthy, nutrient-rich things available. Yes, she tries to eat from the pantry, and daily I point to the other stuff. I dropped my expectation of WHEN she eats and only kept my expectation of WHAT she eats, and she gets to choose what her body is telling her as to when to feed it. It seems to work for now. ETA: Because DS and DD feel like eating at different times, I also try to put a small plate of food out to graze on. Almost always it's fresh cut fruits or veggies.Sometimes it's small yogurt cups or cheese cubes. DD will pick at that too. She usually has a really strong appetite from about 11 to 6.

I don't have big problems with the MLM model in itself because I don't think it's much different than a lot of other business models that are in a different setting. **ANY** new upstart business owner is the lowest on the totem pole for profits. Don't we expect that? **ANY** time you start something new, don't you have to work your way up? Don't you have to bust your butt, usually? Anything worth having is worth working hard for? If I start a new business, say, a business downtown somewhere, doesn't my landlord make $$ on me? The place I buy my supplies? The equipment store I bought/rent my tables, computers?, etc? It's not upline/downline, so it's not always a constant or the same TYPE of relationship, but I still see some strong similarities. It's business...a thing created for making money off others. I think what I notice most about what bothers people re: MLM boils down to two things: PRESSURE and EXPECTATION, and more PRESSURE. After starting this post, I thought more about it and realized in all my years dealing with Avon, I've NEVER felt pressured. And I've at least 6 ladies through time. And no one calls me for another order. Ever.. No expectation. But I also disagree that MLM companies are disliked because of a poor product. It is my opinion that YL/DoTerra has a really outstanding product, and eh..I don't care about the business model. I get mine on Ebay mostly. Or I have a friend throw my order in with hers. Pampered Chef...love dearly anything I've gotten there. I do like Avon products, mostly. On and on. Some suck, but I have my loves of some MLM stuff. Just my experience, anyway. And, something else I've zeroed in on..........PERSONALITIES! I signed up for Mary Kay just for the discount, and just to make a little more $ and to make my super-typically-pushy Director happy, I held some parties. I mean........you ALL have met this Director because you have all met someone in MLM like her. The ones that make you RUN away, the one you can't get away from, the fakey cheerleader, extra, extra pushy type. But, I was never that way and did ok and had a small down line. I also know plenty of ladies who have done it for years that are the opposite of her and HATE how her type gives their business a bad rep. But who do I think of when I think MK? That horrible (though very rich) Director. And I think that's the case for so many who dog on MLMs. They've experienced a negative personality that they forever associate with MLM and that forever changes their mind.

On some if the latest MLM threads where people discussed their dislike for certain companies, I don't think I saw Avon mentioned. Granted, I don't know a ton about the business end, but I know there are a couple Avon products I seek out but I must find someone who sells it. Is it MLM? And even if not, just from what I know, it is one of those sales jobs where the sales person seeks out customers. My 'lady' still occasionally goes door to door for new customers. Locally, I have friends who don't like door to door sales people but also don't feel this way about Avon. So I was wondering why Avon doesn't seem to be grouped in with other similar compananies. Or does it?

Most people seem to have a thing or two they use that for them must be the name brand version or nothing at all. I found a new one yesterday.... Q-tips! Going back to the store today to do what u should have done to begin with and buy the Q-tip brand! Also for us, toilet paper, Viva paper towels, aluminum foil, coffee. Maybe a few others. You?

Rainbow looming is way different than using a loom. Plus there is no shortage of rainbow loom videos on YouTube. Dd has made loads of cool things. Duct tape crafts! Also no shortage of videos on that. Dd really loves her duct tape crafts. Oh, and around here if you say you're bored, you are put to work. ;)

Can you have coffee at all? Or plain nuts? I often use walnuts or almonds to curb hunger.

Yep I think all 4 of us would do.. ok, at least. We farm and hunt and camp.. The rough way..no RV. Both kids can start a fire with a flint, etc. Both target practice and have knife skills. They know how to purify water and ds knows how to skin animals. Although, ds at 12 is significantly more interested and better at this type of thing than did at 14 but she would be mostly ok. She just went through hunters safety classes and here in Montana it includes a lot about survival skills and she learned a lot. The loss of technology would actually be a welcomed loss for me lol. Its the one thing that might make the kids FEEL like they're dying but..they'd live lol

The only two I have read recently is: Steven Tyler's, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?". I'm a fan, not intensely so, but I found it fascinating, many parts of it. I'm not sure if my fascination was from the fact that he's still alive and of some sort of mental capacity, lol, or if I was more fascinated by the fact that his stuff hasn't fallen off yet. LOL I don't know if I should admit to even reading it, he was pretty trashy, but it was free on Kindle at one time so... I also liked Andre Agassi's book, "Open". Many things about him in there I would not have guessed. I used to have THE biggest crush on him in the 80's when I really kept up with tennis so some of the events in his life shocked me actually. Not sure if those are your cuppa, but there they are :)

See, this is an example of what I said in the "shoot me now" thread. A lot of people who complain about some of these companies before even knowing about the products don't get a shot at being helped because some sort of reputation precedes it. You were helped before you learned there might be a reputation attached. I see it all the time. It is what is is I guess. There has been a thing or two that I've come across that I've decided to find out for myself despite skepticism ..I'm stubborn like that lol. Most have worked out...EOs,Pampered Chef!!!!, lots more.... some have not..Mary Kay. I wish more people took fewer peoples word for things and experiment or try new things for themselves. I don't have a thing to sell but doing so has made *such* a difference in my life so I can't help but encourage it.

Makes sense. You sound like your approach is much like mine. They aren't a cure all but can assist some people. There are additional things that should be tried to help issues as well. Thanks for answering :)

Yep, work those fast passes! We've stayed on and off the site. First time we were pretty tight on $ so we found an expensive suite hotel room to share with my parents. For $30/a night (our half, dh had a military discount) it was worth the 7 min drive and navigating everything. Three yrs later I saved longer and stayed on site and ohhhhhh how much fun it was! Coming back to the hotel to wash cloth animals and other fun things left behind with the maids, the super cute themeing of that area of hotels, letting the Disney busses or other transportation offerings navigate everything for you, and the fun pools, having my purchases sent back to my room so I don't have to carry them around all day....etc etc...etc! Yes please! Plus since then they have added other free service to those staying on site. And,at that particular time if you booked 4 nights or more you got a meal pass deal for 4, so very often we ate free in the park! Worth every red cent to me. We chose one of the lower priced places and though inside was pretty basic we reasoned that we were only there to sleep. I'd vote that is worth it for sure. Now the price of the higher end ones......ermm...that's not my style or budget so I'd have to think harder on that one.

Experimenting with a new high intensity interval training on the treadmill. It was wonderful and I feel so gooood. From the amount of sweat on the treadmill I think I'm gonna like it. Lol. Got all my hip strengthening exercises and extensive stretchng session in.

Oh and I would encourage eggs shells to add calcium to your soil, but make sure they are finely ground so they can be used by the soil sooner. I also add various salts for magnesium :)

I was also going to suggest bokashi as a fantastic accelerant that also adds wonderful microbes to your soil. The kind that are necessary in our gut. Added bonus, the microbes are so busy breaking stuff down that they generate heat on their own from their intense activity,band there's no need to turn your compost bin if enough bokashi is in it. There's several ways to use it. I liked the bucket method off to the side in the kitchen. Layer kitchen waste with bokashivtill bucket is full. Let it sit a week..it won't stink but will smell vinegary because its fermenting. Bury in compost area and in 2 weeks there is no sign of food (except for corn cobs and the like), only rich black earth and ready to be used as fertilizer. Bonus for me was that as long as um using bokashi, I don't seem to have a non beneficial bug problem. Such a wonderful addition to gardening!

have you been looking on DisBoards? It is EXTREMELY helpful, but it's a huge time suck. Just set your timer before you click. LOL

I don't know for sure, but i have a suspicion.. I"ve observed a real spike in interest for a healthy more 'natural' lifestyle in the 3 areas I've lived in the last 10 yrs., in a very wide range of areas. I'm only speaking about my personal experience, but I 'think' this has happened nationally, too. I think EO's has become lumped into that because they can naturally do a thing or two. Even though I'm a long time EO user of various brands, I find it super annoying that so many that are new to EOs are going nuts over it because the emphasis has gone from something occasionally very helpful, to complete skepticism from people who....very honestly, know NOTHING about them...as is evident on this board. They only know that they are annoyed by something that has a particular selling practice or the pushy people selling them. I agree, THAT is a turn off. Too bad. I want people to have benefits from things like this and this is why I don't sell them or try to educate anyone else about them. I will only discuss them if someone finds out some other way I use them and asks ME. If they get bored with the discussion pretty quick, I totally drop it. I want to keep friends more than I want them to know about EOs. ETA: One of my friends has used EO's since the 80's. She hates that it's mainstream now because of what the attention does to the authenticity of it. She says, if you are one to think of EO users as freaks, you should have seen the EO users in the 70's. LOL And, I use YL for some things. But I buy on Ebay for a fraction of the price and I certainly think they could have done things differently along the way to help their image out, for sure. I think the same of DoTerra. But there are also a few other very worthy brands that are sold on shelves. And I'm not talking about the NOW or Aura Cacia brand either. ;) But some are just as economical, or close, and not diluted. I also don't like how so many people feel their only choice is YL or DT.

November. It starts to get pretty congested as soon as DEC hits

Im known for very healthy/chemical free living, especially related to foods, how to feel better/prevention using whole food based choices, fermenting, my knowledge on EOs (yep) ..including what they will NOT help you with ;), and anything and everything to do with bread making ..all sorts..from crusts to rolls to artisan breads. I sprout all my grains also. Bread is occasional here but when we have it, I make it. Friends come over for a kitchen day now and then and I teach them whatever they want to know about this stuff. I'm a DIYer with everything (i even hunt with dh for our meat) and cook everything from scratch. I also have some construction skills and have been hired for light work in this area before. When we remodeled our house 7 yrs ago I did all the Sheetrock, finishing/wall work inside. And I did all the landscaping including the sod. From when the dump truck dumped yards of dirt to the leveling to the cutting and laying of the sod, tree planting, etc. I was raised on a farm and my mom and dad both taught us all they know so.. Eta...spelling

So, how do you explain those who are getting relief or good results from them who don't sell them and/or buy from non MLM sources?

Poor OP...sigh.... FWIW OP, when the kids were in public school, in 6th grade, there was a quarter-long thing about where man came from that we definitely don't agree with but we didn't stop the kids from being in that class because it brought up AWESOME discussions about why we believe what we believe. It firmed up the kids' beliefs, actually. We also use this Usborne Ency. and discuss questions surrounding those pages/chapters that conflict with our beliefs. I'd much rather have them ask those questions and use them as research topics and communicate about it. My kids are bit older, true. But I ultimately think not addressing other viewpoints might not be a good thing. They are going to find out about things like evolution one day and I think that when you aren't transparent with kids, and hide pages, etc., it becomes enticing when it could have just been part of a discussion on beliefs of other. Just b/c they learn about it doesn't mean they are going to believe it. If you're like me, you've given them MUCH more knowledge already, on your own belief system. They will still have that to go on.

Moving Beyond the Page, Level 12-14. We advanced DD to 9th grade based on a few things, and her LA content was a factor as well. MBTP is for advanced/gifted kids so that level would be good for an extrmely advanced 12 yr old, a very advanced 13 or 14 yr old. DD is 14.5, has always been advanced in LA and it is making her work very hard. lol