For me it would depend on where and how the refrigerator stands. Is it on a wall or space by itself? Is it surrounded by cabinets? Is it sandwiched between a wall and cabinets? Really I don't think you'd go wrong either way. The stainless might be a nice break from all of the black. But I don't care for the look of stainless, nor the many fingerprints it shows :). I guess I'm no help LOL.

I told my ex-husband I need new tires for my birthday or Christmas - buyer's choice LOL. I told my kids for Mother's Day I wanted the garage cleaned and organized. Instead I got breakfast in bed and some coupons for foot rubs and extra chores. It's now on my Christmas list. And if I don't get it for Christmas, I'll have to clean it myself. It will still count as a gift, though. I'm going to toss their crap in the trash or take it to Goodwill. Voila, clean and organized garage. And I won't need to make the request again for a long while ;). My brothers and sisters know that I always like food gift cards, and they never disappoint!

Oh, just saw your signature with kids' ages. My youngest is nine, and I have nephews in your kids' age range. We're getting each family a tent - the kids love camping in our back yard, now they can do it in theirs. Each boy 6-10 will get a backpack filled with camping necessities :) age-appropriate. The younger ones will get little play sleeping bags, headlamps, and a book on shadow puppets. If I can't find a book, I'm going to make my kids make one LOL. My daughter is getting her closet re-do from us, but here's what she's hoping for from family: beads for crafting, fabric scraps, NERF guns and bullets, chip board and more acrylic paints. I still buy for my ex-husband's nephews, who are 4 and 6. I'm buying a karaoke machine, an extra microphone, and some karaoke CDs. I think they'll like it. If they don't get the songs right away, just messing with the mike will be fun :D.

My ex-husband and I go in on one big gift for each kid. And then they get a 1-2 small gifts from each of us, separately. We have big, generous families so the bulk of kids' gifts come from them. My daughter wants a new wardrobe - she's gone country and wants all western clothes. We're going to re-do her closet. It's 8' x 8' and I want to split part of it off into a dressing area. I picked a paint color and got a full-length mirror off of craigslist. I'm on the hunt for a vanity and chair I can fix up for her. If I find a cheap chandelier, I'll get one. And I'll make some fancy drapes to replace the closet doors. I'm on Pinterest trying to find the best ways to display/organize jewelry and hair crap. And we'll get her a few western outfits, with the promise to get more as she outgrows her current wardrobe. But we're not just tossing stuff that fits, no ma'am LOL. The boys don't really care, but they're older and easy to please. We're still undecided, but my idea is season tickets to our MLB team. Our small gifts would be a parking pass, some Visa gift cards for eating there and fan wear. My ex-husband wants to do a boys' trip, somewhere they can hunt and do man things. And if he can't get leave to do it, then new gaming laptops. We may end up doing rock, paper, scissors this year. It doesn't happen often, but some years we need to!

I think Pinky had a great suggestion to ask about their need. Is there any chance your husband would talk to his brother? Is she overwhelmed, maybe made worse by feeling isolated by the move? Is she working part-time but doesn't want her husband (or family) to know? Is there a medical issue the couple is facing, not ready yet to share with everyone? Her husband DOES know she's requesting the babysitting, right? If none of the above are true, maybe you can call her on your bad days. It doesn't need to be a one-way request. It may even help her to realize how often she is asking, and how off-putting it can be.

We watch a lot of sports - pretty much anything except NASCAR and football. Football bores me, and on the few occasions I get outvoted (bowl games) I do yell. But I yell at the universe how stupid football is, not at the players themselves. What kind of sport/game stops and starts itself every third second? YAWN. But no, I don't yell. I talk under my breath a lot, usually non stop LOL. When my pitcher winds up, I'm muttering "STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE ..." When his batter swings, I'm muttering "MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS ..." When the batter makes contact, it's "FOUL FOUL FOUL" or "CATCH IT CATCH IT CATCH IT." I think my family would prefer I scream. It'd probably be less annoying. And I can't sit still, either. I pace a lot. I jump, I fall to my knees, I'm very ... physical. I kick my imaginary soccer ball, tag out base runners, do lay ups in the doorway, and bounce waiting for a serve. But quietly! No screaming, no yelling - only the occasional grunt escapes my lips. But the same is true when I'm watching my kids, nieces and nephews play sports. I get really invested :lol:. My ex-husband only really watches football. He finds it more enjoyable now that I'm not yelling how stupid it is in the background. He isn't a yeller until about mid-way, which is when the alcohol starts kicking in LOL.

This was our kick off soccer weekend, so I'm right there with you! My plan for this week is to toss in a chicken, some broth, and whatever veggies are around. First night, we'll eat the chicken hot out of the pot. I'll shred the leftovers and freeze them in meal-sized servings (for quick thawing). Second night, we'll eat a serving of the shredded leftovers - chicken tacos, or something. Third night, we'll eat another serving of the shredded leftovers - chicken soup, maybe. I should still have 2-3 servings of shredded leftovers, which will stay frozen for down line dining. I'm sure after three nights of chicken, we'll be ready for something else to eat LOL. The next week I'll do the same with another meat. I figure I can get about 6 weeks of eating done this way. I have practice 6 nights a week, but only 3 nights have multiple kids' practices. Those are the nights I need easy eating. That should get me through half of the season. After that we'll go through the stockpile of 2-3 shredded leftover servings we've built up. That'll get me another 3 weeks of dinners. And by then we're nearing the end of season. That's about when I start wearing down, tired from running around, and we order out LOL.

I love Gap jeans, and my stores carry the short/ankle length. But they're too long for me and I'm the same height as the OP. I think they're made even longer now to account for heels or something. The length used to be a few inches too long, but now they're a good 5" long! I don't know if the same is true for other brands or petite lengths. But I gave up and now do a crude cut of the bottom hem of Gap jeans. They fit well everywhere else (I'm also an hourglass shape) so I just run with it. If the rough hem isn't good enough to wear somewhere, I skip the jeans entirely LOL. Gap is the only place that fits the rest of my body well. Old Navy, too, but the denim quality feels different so I don't usually buy there.

I don't have an ice pick, but I do have an ice mallet. I use it pretty regularly for entertaining (when we buy bags of ice). I'm able to drop bags of ice on the table to break them up, but the mallet lets me delegate the task. Mom and the kids generally need it. And I generally prefer it.

My in laws live about 1000 miles away - a 15 hour drive. They used to drive out in their RV four times a year for 2-3 weeks each visit. They never liked me, so every visit was tense and uncomfortable. Eventually my HOA told them they could only park the RV for 48 hours. :ph34r: Guess someone kept complaining ... My husband was TDY or a geographical bachelor most of those years. When I asked him to have his parents back off, he refused. He felt guilty for being a lousy (and now absent) son. His words, not mine, though I agreed. I just didn't understand why it was MY penance every third month . They sold the RV a few years ago. And my ex-husband is now a civilian. So now they fly out every 4-6 weeks for a quick visit, usually 2-3 days. Doesn't bother me any more because now it's my ex-husband's problem! He has had an opposite change in feeling about their visits :lol:. Karma - it's a good thing!

I liked that article, thank you for sharing it! There are very few pictures of my MIL because she's never been happy with how she looks. Her sister shared her physical "flaws" but was always just more comfortable in her skin. When her sister died, there was no lack of pictures - the family had tons, friends contributed even more. It really made my ex-husband and SIL realize that there were precious few of their own mom. In the few years since, my MIL has made more of an effort. She sees now how important pictures are - how prized they can be to the people who love her, warts and all.

I call it The Thingy, The mad pointing motions are silent. Mostly silent. We really only pay attention to it when we have an immediate need for something. Napkins for a messy sneeze, insurance and registration for the cop that pulled me over ... Same goes for the kids. If I'm distracted, everyone is YOU. No, not you - the OTHER you! Those mad pointing motions are much less silent.

Me, too! But I think my favorite Adam Sandler movie is Punch Drunk Love. I remember a good 1/3 of the theater walking out at various points as they realized it wasn't your typical Sandler flick ;). I just did a search for Blended. Okay, if you liked that and haven't seen Punch Drunk Love ... maybe skip it. Totally different vibes LOL.

Can your husband spend time developing an online ministry presence? A blog, podcast, e-newsletters, ... that sort of thing. He's doing fill-in preaching, what about being something of a Christian mentor? Or running workshops or talk series at area churches and organizations? It might not see an immediate profit, but it could work with his erratic work schedule. And it may give a little bit of supplemental income to help offset someone's tuition. Speaking of tuition, has he looked to his union for scholarships? My union offered some pretty significant scholarships. We were a small union, representing one work group at one company. Many of them required full-time student status, but not all of them did! How about scholarships through the church, especially if his degree can benefit the organization. It sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place. That always leaves me so overwhelmed, so I can't imagine how you're feeling. :grouphug: I hope things clear up soon, and you're able to put these challenges behind you!

Oh my goodness, how scary! That's both awful and hilarious. I live in sandals (what we call slippahs). I always worry this will happen to me. My driver ed instructor wouldn't let us drive in slippahs. I feel like this is a premonition or warning for me LOL. Like, tomorrow I should wear real shoes when I drive ... :driving:

:D How exciting! I remember moving away to college. All these kids from presumably small families complained about having to share a (dorm) room. I was, like, ridiculously excited because I was finally going to get my own BED!!! I shared a room AND a bed my entire childhood LOL. Enjoy your new, private space! Have fun personalizing and furnishing it :).

Target has some for something like $25-35. They have, I think, three styles? Various fits and rises. Each style comes in short, regular, tall. Perfect if you're like me and at Target every week any how! Not top of the line, but also not bottom of the barrel. I've had my favorite pair for going on 4 years. I wear them almost every day around the house. No holes and the only show of wear are the hems which drag because even the short length is too long for me. Oh, but they only come in the color black. If that matters to you LOL.

I wouldn't complain because I'd feel like the issue was on me (via my family). Also, that the waitress acknowledged and tried to rectify a situation out of her control would appease me. But I'm easy that way. Effort and attitude mean more to me than whatever the eventual outcome. But. Their tagline talks up their customer service. So I guess you could approach it from that angle. Mention that front of the house was great, but back of the house was lacking. To be fair I'd mention that the accident was mine, not the restaurant's. But by playing up their customer service they open themselves up to this kind of feedback. I'm sure you'll get a form letter and coupon in return. If that's worth your while, have a go at it. If not, I wouldn't waste the time on it.

I sure don't, but I've read some very talented writers on this forum so maybe someone will take a stab at it! I retired last year. I didn't necessarily think the moms who stayed at home or "only" worked part-time had loads of free time, but I never did understand why they seemed to think they had hardly any free time. After all, I did everything they did but also worked out of the home; I was a single parent whereas they were partnered; and my job was often several states away so I traveled half of each month. I did think that, gee if I can find time to meet you for a latte or sneak in a movie, surely you can find pockets of time here and there? But wow, this past year was an eye-opener! I'm doing all the same as before, minus the travel and the job. But good heavens, when you are home all day the house sure does take a lot more attention to get her looking right again! It's, like, never ending! And there are a million little interruptions all day long! I think that's the killer, if I could focus at home the way I was able to at work - I'd be unstoppable! Who knew?! (The other moms did, that's who LOL.) And I know now ;). I think it's a life that is hard for other people to get sometimes, if they're not living it themselves. Sometimes things suck that way. I hope you find that article, or someone to be inspired by your need for it :tongue_smilie:.

I like make-up and wear it in the "your face is a canvas, have fun with it" way. So I like the Ulta and Sephora makeovers :). If I were taking my young daughter, or if I were more of a "make up is to accentuate what nature gave you" person I'd probably hit up an Avon or Mary Kay consultant. They, too, can go a bit overboard just depending on the individual ;) but I bet they're more likely to understand and respect this point of view whatever their personal make-up personality type is. I've also heard good things about Merle Norman, but I've never seen one of those anywhere I've ever lived. You might also try a local day spa - it would be that fun mom/daughter experience and she'd probably get to meet a team of professionals (esthetician, make-up, nails, maybe even hair). Lots of times you can find detailed online reviews from brides, there are always those who want makeup only to enhance their look not overwhelm it. They'll let you know where to try and where to steer clear of!

Manic Panic isn't as harsh as regular dye, so bleaching before doing another round of color should be fine. My daughter is brunette. Most people think her hair is black but it's really a darker brown. We leave the Manic Panic on for 4-5 hours and get a decent color from it. It'll never be as colorful as my (blond) son can get his hair, but it's definitely noticeable. I have black hair. I've used Manic Panic for 25 years, and some colors just don't show up as well. Purple and blue, I'm talking to you. I can get a deep purple tint that's noticeable only in sunlight if I leave it on overnight (sleeping in it). But I can get a more noticeable pink or burgundy tint if I choose vampire red or hot hot pink instead. You can hit up a Sally's and ask there :) they'll tell you exactly what you need. I bet you can also search YouTube for tutorials on bleaching. You'll probably even find videos that talk specifically about bleaching before using Manic Panic.

We had spinach salad with potato and onion perogies. I have a hankering for some ice cream. I'm thinking about having the kids load up into the car ... if they complain, we'll fill up on gas then head back home. If they are don't, we'll stop first at Baskin Robbins. Actually, I may stop at Baskin Robbins either way. Complainers get to watch the rest of us eat dessert LOL.

I moved a nephew to private school this year. His brothers are still in public, and mine are still homeschooled. I figured not much would change, really, but things have changed A LOT. And not in a convenient, so glad I made this decision kind of way ;). My biggest fail is when I forgot to pick him up. Completely slipped my mind. I was used to him and his brothers walking home from the public school. The private school ends 30 minutes before the public school lets out. When my public schooled nephews walked in, it hit me that I had forgotten the one at private school. Thank goodness they have an after school program that they send everyone to after a set time. Poor kid, though, he had no clue why I wasn't there and no clue when I'd ever GET there! And it cost me only $10 for the time in after care, so I won't complain. At least I didn't get a speeding ticket like the mom up thread! But I do have a related gripe ... they won't let him walk home. He's 13 and in 8th grade. Their rule is that ALL students must be escorted by an adult on and off campus. And they define that as 18, so even his brothers can't pick him up or drop him off for me. I didn't know that when I registered him. I had assumed he'd walk, it's less than a mile. Our public school is all about kids walking or riding themselves to/from school. It's 2.5 miles away. But whatever! I set an alarm to pick him up every day so we're good. For now LOL.

Oh boy that sucks. If it's any consolation, we've done the same thing. Except both of our cars were the same height, so there was body damage :(. There are few things more embarrassing than taking two cars to the shop and explaining how you hit yourself LOL. I'm really bad about looking behind me if the garage door is closed. I just assume no one would park there :confused1: cuz .... why would anyone??? Hope the day picks up for you. No clue where you are, but here it's close to half over. Thank heavens.

American's 737 fleet has these seats. I flew that plane every month for three years before I retired a year ago. SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. I'm 5' so I don't need the leg room. I stow my bag at my feet, to prop them up so they won't dangle all flight long. But those seats are horrible - short hauls, longer hauls - they're always awful. And according to the travel blogs, I'm far from the only one to think so. They are one of those things that seem great on paper but bomb in the real world. I don't think the people who designed them flew with any regularity. And the airline personnel who OK'd them must have had a benefits package that included first class perks LOL.