I used to eat out a lot. As part of other positive changes I was making, I cut it out almost entirely. I now eat at home and carry my lunch to work. As I expected, I'm saving money, losing weight, and feeling better. What I did NOT expect is that now on the rare occasions that I eat out, I don't enjoy it. The food doesn't taste as good to me as it used to. I thought it would be even better since it is now a "treat" instead of routine. What happened?

who get up hours later than your family? Do you just wait and all have breakfast together once everyone is up, even if the early risers have stomachs growling? Do you cook twice? Do you let house guests "fend for themselves" if they are not at the table at your usual mealtimes? Just curious how other people handle this situation. I've been trying to take a middle ground by not cooking breakfast as early as I normally would. . .but still had the meal cooked, eaten, and the kitchen cleaned up this morning by the time the last sleepy-head arose.

I've been wanting to replace my old style Teflon pans with one of the newer/safer products. The ceramic pans have very mixed reviews as it seems like they work great at first but quickly lose their non-stick feature. Now I've run across the Stone Earth Pan by Ozeri and it looks a little too good to be true. The Amazon reviews are very good. So, I tried Google searching reviews and found quite a few blogs giving positive reviews. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who owns one of these pans. What do you think of it? It is more than I normally would spend for a skillet but if it successfully replaces Teflon, I'll consider it a win.

I was a bit flabbergasted recently to learn that DD16 dreams mostly in still pictures, with a smaller number of very short "moving dreams" (like video clips) and NO conversations/talking. She never mentioned it before because she thought everyone dreamed this way. When her younger sister mentioned a dream conversation, DD16 thought it was really weird that her sister was dreaming about talking to people. So, now I'm curious about how other people dream. Anyone like DD16?

Ah, I figured it was a long shot but DD would still be interested in a reply if someone sees this and is applicable and able. Thanks!

If so, would you be willing to answer some questions about your pet? My DD13 is doing an article as part of her Cover Story program and she has chosen to do it on Munchkin cats. I REALLY appreciate anyone’s time to help her out. I will let her type her questions below. More than one response is welcome! You can PM the answers to me if you do not want to post it on the message board. What is your cat’s name and age? Please describe your Munchkin cat’s appearance & personality: When did you first know about the Munchkin cats? When did you first get you Munchkin? Where did you get it? Can you attach a picture of your cat (optional)? Does your cat require any special care? Does it have any back/leg/hip issues? How do you feel about the controversy over breeding Munchkin cats? Do you have any advice for potential Munchkin owners? Would you own another Munchkin cat in the future? Do you have a favorite/funny story about your Munchkin cat? Thank you!! :hurray:

Wow! Thanks for all the information. I'll try to answer some of the questions and provide more information here. DD is 13 and has declined getting allergy testing and is not interested in pursuing possible allergy shots. Since she is the one who has to suffer from the allergy symptoms, I'm willing to let her decide on whether to pursue these diagnoses/treatments. I used "environmental allergies" to make it clear that I wasn't talking about food allergies. She definitely shows more symptoms in the spring and summer but has at least a low level of symptoms year round. Recently, she told me that she noticed that her symptoms are much better during the time she is at her dance studio. For this reason, I suspect she is also allergic to our cats/dog and possibly dust, etc. She was taking Clariten for years and we switched to Zyrtec to see if it would help more. It did seem to help more at first but her symptoms seem to be getting worse again. She's tried the nasal spray medication and didn't like it. I will look into all the suggestions provided. Thank you!

From the neighbor's perspective, she's probably "saved" the kittens. It isn't safe for young kittens to be running free by themselves. Your explanation that you had them shut in a shed doesn't make you look like a good pet owner, either. I wouldn't bring pets home if I couldn't care for them properly.

Is it possible to get an open-date bus ticket? If so, I'd get him a return trip ticket NOW and send it to him. He can use it when he's 18. . .or if things with his Dad go bad, he can escape back to where he has people who care about him.

Trying to decide what would be most helpful for DD. She takes Zyrtec (generic version) daily and did not like the trial of nasal spray meds the pediatrician prescribed. Here's what I'm thinking, please let me know what has helped most at your house: 1. Ban pets from her bedroom. We have a dog and 3 cats and she loves to cuddle them in her room. I'd let her 2 leopard geckos stay. 2. Allergy covers for mattress and pillow. 3. Rip out carpet from bedroom. 4. Air cleaner for bedroom (any recommendations?) 5. Add filter to ventilation vents in her room. Would this help? Would it make more sense to just change the whole house filter more often? 6. Other? Thanks.

My advice is going to overlap that already given (no real "secrets" being revealed here, just tried and true techniques): 1. Read the text prior to the lecture, but don't start at the beginning and plow straight through. First, do a quick preview, scan the section headings, read the introduction and the summary/conclusion sections. Read figure captions and study tables/charts. THEN, start back at the beginning and read through. Keep paper and pencil near-by to jot down any questions you have. If these questions aren't answered by the end of the chapter, you can bring them up to the instructor during lecture. 2. During lectures, sit near the front and near the center. You need to focus on the instructor and block out distractions from the fellow students. Take abbreviated notes during lectures. I created my own shorthand during college so that I could speed write. When a word comes up again and again in your notes, create an abbreviation or symbol for it. These notes can be messy. 3. This part is key, as soon as possible after class, RE-WRITE the lecture notes. This is where you should expand on your abbreviated ideas captured during lecture. Between the text and the lecture, you can really fill in the details. You could even use this step to type your notes if that would satisfy your perfectionist tendencies. However, studies seem to show that handwriting helps get the information into your head better than typing. 4. Before the next exam, use your expanded notes to create a study sheet or study cards, containing only the most critical information that you need to know/memorize. Then, review the sheet/cards frequently for SHORT periods of time. This is a lot more effective than a single long cram session.

I really enjoyed this! Thank you.

Yes, I've done this too! In my case, I'm actually trying to find my way home. :lol: One of my DDs has a great sense of direction. She's been helping me find the car in the parking lot since she was tiny. Unfortunately, my other DD seems to have inherited her lack of direction from me.

I also posted on your Gov't thread so you may be tired of hearing from me. :laugh: Oh well, here is the full syllabus for DD's economics course. She did it independently. The Federal Reserve Bank resources are free and provide a nice intro into a topic many find dull. Economics Syllabus Completion of this course will satisfy the ½ credit economics requirement for high school. It begins with a gentle introduction to several economic topics through the comic book style publications from the Federal Reserve Bank. Read 3 of the comic books from the Federal Reserve Bank: Titles Read 3 of the comic books from the Federal Reserve Bank: Titles Read 2 of the comic books from the Federal Reserve Bank: Titles Read 2 of the comic books from the Federal Reserve Bank: Titles The main text for this course is Economics for Dummies by Sean Masaki Flynn. It should be read for understanding. This means that you should not just skim the text without comprehension. Read carefully, stop to study the graphs and charts, flag any sections that you have trouble understanding for discussion. Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 1: What does economics study pp 9-22 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 2: Tracking consumer choices pp 23-34 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 3: Producing the right stuff the right way pp 35-44 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 3: Producing the right stuff the right way pp 44-54 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 4: Measuring the macroeconomy pp 57-66 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 4: Measuring the macroeconomy pp 66-76 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 5: Inflation frustration pp 77-87 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 5: Inflation frustration pp 87-95 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 6: Understanding recessions pp 97-111 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 6: Understanding recessions pp 112-122 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 7: Fighting recessions pp 123-138 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 7: Fighting recessions pp 138-148 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 8: Supply and demand made easy pp 151-164 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 8: Supply and demand made easy pp 164-174 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 9: Getting to know Homo Economicas pp 175-185 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 9: Getting to know Homo Economicas pp 185-197 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 10: The core of capitalism pp 193-207 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 10: The core of capitalism pp 207-218 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 11: Why economists love free markets & comp. pp 219-230 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 11: Why economists love free markets & comp. pp 230-242 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 12: Monopolies pp 243-253 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 12: Monopolies pp 253-263 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 13: Oligopoly & monopolistic competition pp 265-275 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 13: Oligopoly & monopolistic competition pp 275-286 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 14: Property rights and wrongs pp 287-298 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 15: Market failure pp 299-307 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 15: Market failure pp 307-314 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 17: Ten seductive economic fallacies pp 325-332 Economics for Dummies: read Chapter 18: Ten economic ideas to hold dear pp 333-337 The next section of this course will include listening to a series of lectures on microeconomics from Khan Academy. You should listen to a minimum of 30 minutes per day and TAKE NOTES. Taking notes will help you focus on the lecture and is a critical skill for college classes. Feel free to stop the lecture and back-up as necessary to take good notes. Production Possibilities Frontier (10:59) Opportunity Cost (5:48) Increasing Opportunity Cost (6:26) Allocative Efficiency and Marginal Benefit (14:10) Economic Growth through Investment (7:55) Comparative Advantage Specialization and Gains from Trade (8:56) Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage (10:16) Law of Demand (8:16) Price of Related Products and Demand (5:48) Changes in Income, Population, or Preferences (3:33) Normal and Inferior Goods (5:56) Inferior Goods Clarification (5:19) Law of Supply (8:24) Factors Affecting Supply (6:58) Market Equilibrium (10:17) Changes in Market Equilibrium (9:05) Price Elasticity of Demand (13:17) More on Elasticity of Demand (6:01) Perfect Inelasticity and Perfect Elasticity of Demand (9:41) Constant Unit Elasticity (4:37) Total Revenue and Elasticity (11:41) More on Total Revenue and Elasticity (8:25) Cross Elasticity of Demand (11:20) Elasticity of Supply (9:33) Elasticity and Strange Percent Changes (6:54) Demand Curve as Marginal Benefit Curve (5:53) Consumer Surplus Introduction (5:02) Total Consumer Surplus as Area (5:46) Producer Surplus (8:20) Rent Control and Deadweight Loss (11:27) Minimum Wage and Price Floors (9:06) Taxation and Dead Weight Loss (9:06) Percentage Tax on Hamburgers (5:40) Taxes and Perfectly Inelastic Demand (7:51) Taxes and Perfectly Elastic Demand (6:52) Marginal Utility (12:14) Equalizing Marginal Utility per Dollar Spent (7:42) Deriving Demand Curve from Tweaking Marginal Utility per Dollar (8:43) Budget Line (12:11) Optimal Point on Budget Line (9:24) Types of Indifference Curves (5:49) Economic Profit vs Accounting Profit (8:06) Depreciation and Opportunity Cost of Capital (8:10) Fixed, Variable, and Marginal Cost (11:49) Visualizing Average Costs and Marginal Costs as Slope (12:06) Marginal Cost and Average Total Cost (7:40) Marginal Revenue and Marginal Cost (6:10) Marginal Revenue Below Average Total Cost (5:55) Long Term Supply Curve and Economic Profit (8:26) Perfect Competition (10:17) Monopoly Basics (5:44) Monopolist Optimizing Price (part 1)- Total Revenue (7:11) Monopolist Optimizing Price (part 2)- Marginal Revenue (8:31) Monopolist Optimizing Price (part 3)- Dead Weight Loss.avi (5:57) Optional Calculus Proof to Show that MR has Twice Slope of Demand (4:56) Review of Revenue and Cost Graphs for a Monopoly (10:22) Oligopolies and Monopolisitc Competition (9:21) Monopolistic Competition and Long-Run Economic Profit (8:54) Oligopoloies, Duopoplies, Collusion, and Cartels (8:26) Prisoners’ Dilemma and Nash Equilibrium (9:21) More on Nash Equilibrium (6:31) Take the final exam. The exam is being given as an open book, open note test. It is meant to be a learning experience as well as documenting your level of understanding for this course. Some questions may require additional research to answer. To finish up and round out this course, you will read Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. It is a fun and interesting read. Enjoy! Suggested reading schedule is as follows. Freakonomics: Read Introduction and Chapter 1 Freakonomics: Read Chapters 2 and 3 Freakonomics: Read Chapters 4 and 5 Freakonomics: Read Chapter 6 and Epilogue Freakonomics: Read Bonus Matter

We used a combination of the following: 1. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to U.S. Government and Politics by Franco Scardino 2. Are You Liberal? Conservative? Or Confused? by Richard Maybury 3. Our Documents: 100 Milestone Documents from the National Archives by Oxford University Press 4. Political speeches and debates, news articles, etc. during a presidential election year We wrapped it up with a final exam that consisted of the government portion of the U.S. citizenship exam.

DD used the free online program at Money Skill dot org. It covers the basics and is very interactive. We followed it up with a self-designed project: Personal Finance Research Project Create a budget for a single young adult living in OurTown. She works full-time (40 hours per week) and earns minimum wage. While the situation is fictional, the budget will need to be realistic (e.g., you can’t say that she found a great apartment for $50/month). Provide sources for your information (e.g., provide a copy of the newspaper or internet ad for the apartment) and be creative (e.g., if she can’t afford the apartment on her own, she can have a roommate to share the costs). You are encouraged to seek guidance as you work on this project. It is likely that you will initially leave items off the budget that will need to be added (e.g., payroll deductions are quite a shock to many young workers). You can look for budget examples online but try to brainstorm first to see how many categories you can come up with on your own.

I am concerned by your description that your DD is running into concepts in the first lesson that she hasn't learned. It sounds like there may be a gap where TT pre-algebra ends and MUS algebra starts. Please consider having her take the MUS placement test. It may be possible that she needs to start somewhere in MUS pre-algebra. It is much better to start where the student is than for her to get so frustrated with not understanding. Also, consider the possibility of finding her a tutor. A local high school student should be inexpensive. Every math student should have someone they can seek out and ask questions of when they hit a bump. Best of luck. We've used MUS from K through pre-calculus so far.

I tried to include the link in my post but the message board removed it. I'll try again here: http://www.gpb.org/chemistry-physics/students/physics If the link still doesn't take, do a Google search on "georgia broadcasting company chemistry and physics" and click on the first link and then click on physics fundamentals. That'll take you there! These are videos from GPD and were not made to go along with Conceptual Physics. We just use them because they are free. We haven't used Physics Place.

Well, we have 39 weeks in our school year and I have no problem if a subject laps over into another year so I suggested an appropriate pacing and am allowing my DD to figure out what schedule works best for her. We are combining the GPB physics with the Conceptual Physics (high school text). Here's the syllabus I provided to her; let me know if you are interested in the table correlating the GPB episodes with the CP chapters: Completion of this course will satisfy 1 credit of high school science. The main text for this course is Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt. The text will be supplemented by a series of videos available online from Georgia Public Broadcasting (link provided). The following pace is suggested to complete this course in approximately 1 year. Read each chapter, completing all problems and exercises within the chapter. When lab activities are presented in the chapter, they should be completed as well, when possible. Answer assigned questions at the end of the chapter. [2 to 4 days per chapter]Watch the videos related to the chapter, completing all notetaking guides, worksheets, and lab sheets associated with the video. Each video is approximately 30 minutes long. [1 day per video]

Do you have inexpensive dual enrollment opportunities where you live? We had DD take a study skills class at the CC and it worked out very well. They required the students to seek out the various resources available on campus as part of their assignments. They had to visit the writing center, the library, the testing center, etc. In addition to study skills, they also delved into personality and interest surveys, plotted possible courses of study and career objectives, and had the students make presentations to the class.

I still need to do this. Thank you for the reminder. We don't emphasize cursive here but DD can read it and sign her name. I appreciate the heads up on the security statement. That's just the sort of thing that would throw DD for a loop if she wasn't expecting it.

In my opinion, you will want a separate writing program in addition to LL. We've used LL8 with Jump In. LL does not teach writing; it just gives writing assignments. My DDs still needed writing instruction. If the amount of writing seems overwhelming, let the student skip the writing program on the days they are writing for LL.

My DD used Jensen's Format Writing for 9th grade and did it independently. The book is written to the student. It is less than $20 and will last at least a full year. It's a good program, a bit cut and dried (not exciting), and teaches the different types of essays in an easy-to-understand style. Of course, it always helps with writing to have someone read your work and give you feedback.

My complete lack of a sense of direction has provided my friends with endless amusement. I can follow a map or careful directions to a new location, and then get lost trying to get back home. Folks with a good sense of direction do not understand how this can happen. When I was helping lead a Girl Scout troop, the girls starting calling me the "U-turn queen" for all the times I would turn around trying to get them somewhere. . .or home again! I also can't give directions. I hand the phone to my DH if someone is trying to find our house. I just can't do it.

My thanks again to everyone who gave me tips and support in the first early days when I was feeling so sick. It has been a month now that I gave up my vice, Cokes and other sweet drinks. I'm surprised that I so seldom crave one now! Here's my current status: 1. Water tastes better than it ever has. I've never really liked water and had serious doubts that I ever would. I was wrong! I do like it cold though so use lots of ice or keep some water in the fridge. 2. The scale shows an 8 pound decrease even though my diet hasn't changed, other than giving up sweet drinks. I want to work slowly on improving my diet as well but it is encouraging to see that this one change is having an impact. 3. I've stopped needing Tums or Rolaids. I was taking these several times a day. If you are thinking about giving up soft drinks let me encourage you to take the plunge! You will come out the other side better than ever. Pegasus