:iagree: True, I was a parent at 18 lol. Well, it's not like you told her she COULDN'T go, you just told her you were concerned, and she made the choice on her own. But you might want to tell her that you didn't mean it like that and if she wants to go you are okay with it. Like someone else said there will be TONS of people leaving at once, TONS of security, she'll be with a friend...she's not going to be alone. I think she'll be fine!

Sorry, I slacked again on starting this thread this past Sunday! This thread is supposed to run from Sunday, January 1st, to Saturday January 7th. Anyone have any acts of kindness to report yet for this week? We were driving home from my aunt's house in New Jersey on New Years Day, and when we crossed back into PA, we paid the toll for the car behind us! I hope it put a smile on someone's face that day! :)

My oldest, turning 20 tomorrow, has special needs and is not capable of driving. Next oldest is only 11, but I'll tell you what, I highly doubt I'll want her driving at 16. I don't mean to start a debate or offend anyone or stereotype or what have you, but generally speaking I don't believe that most teens are developmentally ready to drive at 16, I think that's inherently dangerous, to be honest. I don't think their brains are fully formed enough to be able to do so safely enough, I don't need that kind of insurance risk, and I just don't see the need!

On quitnet.com, some excerpts under "Methods of Quitting" say: "A panel of physicians and researchers appointed by the Surgeon General of the United States reviewed more than 6000 studies of quitting and issued a set of guidelines in June 2000.[22] They made some powerful conclusions and recommendations. They said "Use medicine:" Research has shown that Zyban™ and nicotine replacement therapy helped people succeed more than trying without medication. Nicotine replacement therapy comes in a number of forms: gum, a skin patch, inhaler or nasal spray." "Nicotine Replacement Therapy Nicotine replacement therapy is an effective way to “wean” yourself off nicotine. Although not the “magic pill” that it was thought to be when first introduced, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been shown to be very effective and is now recommended for all smokers attempting to quit (when medically appropriate). On average, all nicotine replacement products are equally effective, roughly doubling the chances of quitting successfully. The basic idea is to give you time to break the cigarette habit before attempting to actually get off nicotine. NRT minimizes withdrawal symptoms and helps control cigarette cravings to allow you to concentrate on using behavioral techniques to stay smoke-free. There are 4 different types of nicotine replacement therapies: the nicotine patch and nicotine gum are available over the counter without a prescription, while the nicotine spray and nicotine inhaler require a prescription from your physician. What NRT does not do: · It doesn't work equally well for everyone. · It doesn't eliminate withdrawal symptoms entirely. · It doesn't give you any more willpower. What NRT does do: · It does let you concentrate on your habit before breaking the physical addiction to nicotine." (I believe at the time this was written, the e-cig was not yet on the market, but I would assume it would be along the same lines as the gum, patch, spray, and inhaler. Anyone interested would have to research it for themselves and decide if it was something they were interested in. Like anything else, it's merely an option). "Other Approaches: Cold Turkey Some people swear by this approach. It’s a no-nonsense, low-cost approach… the “Just Do It” method for quitting smoking. About 85% of smokers who try to quit do it “cold turkey”; however, this strategy has been shown to be far less effective than active approaches like nicotine replacement therapy and behavioral counseling. The problem is that, for most people who quit cold turkey, nothing changes except the smoking. Daily routines are still the same, methods of coping with stress and frustration are still the same, and the body’s dependence on nicotine is still the same. With all these powerful triggers to deal with throughout the day, it’s no surprise why many people relapse within just 3 days after trying to quit cold turkey." Again, Elizabeth, research shows that using these nicotine replacements DOES help people have success quitting smoking. Yes, it makes the process last longer, but so what if that is what makes it effective for them in the long run? That's what made my husband (will have seven years quit in May) and my mother (will have two years quit next week) and millions of other people able to quit smoking. We're not talking about illegal substances. So I still really don't get why you have such a problem with someone making the suggestion? :confused:

A framed Paul Delaroche print, "La Jeune Martyr."

Just out of curiosity will they go into the home of a woman if it is totally impossible for her husband to be there? What if he's deployed? What if she's divorced or widowed? What if she's elderly? But wants to provide a meal or ask for help with something inside the house? Or do they only do outside service work? Just wondering!

I'm reading Envy by J.R. Ward, the third in her Fallen Angels series. I have to admit I had already started it prior to the official start of this challenge which may be cheating so I will have to see about making up for that somewhere along the way. ;) It's got some, er, adult, graphic themes and is about a guy who was "picked" by the "good" and "bad" sides as they both believed he'd be neutral and he died and came back as an angel of sorts (though he's ex elite soldier) to try to help win 7 souls over to his chosen side (he ended up going with the good side the demon Devina is his archenemy) and there's a romance theme in each book centering around the soul he's trying to help save, but a bit more graphic than your garden variety romance book... Ah, good old J.R. Ward lol.

Well, to be fair, while I quit "cold turkey," my husband quit using nicorette gum. I think my mother used the nicotine patch. The e-cig wasn't around back then but I don't see why it's not just as viable for those who don't want to or can't quit "cold turkey," and a lot of people can't. I've read a lot of people have more success if they do use some sort of aid like that. An adult who is looking to quit smoking should know what their options are and should choose the one they think will give them the best chance of success. I thought mine was to stay away from it entirely. My husband thought there was no way he could do that. We don't know the OP's friend, but I don't think we should jump down anyone else's throat for making valid, legal, alternative suggestions!

We had chicken breasts last night that were seasoned with just a little garlic and a few teaspoons of taco seasoning and cooked in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of black bean corn salsa. We cooked it in a skillet with olive oil and topped it with some cheese and sour cream and cooked some extra black beans and it was so good. You can also bake it in the oven so the cheese gets baked onto it or throw it into a crockpot. It was so easy and so good and easy to sub low fat cheeses and sour creams. None of us were ever fish eaters but have been enjoying the mild taste of tilapia broiled with a little garlic, salt, pepper, lemon, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and reduced fat Colby Jack cheese on it.

I usually refer them to quitnet.com for support (info, very active and supportive forums, resources, gadgets, etc). I tell them about how long I have quit and how it was the best decision I've made for myself. I tell them that it wasn't easy but that it can be done, and that the cravings are very hard at first but if you can just stay busy and distracted, they do go away and eventually become fewer and fewer and if you can just get through them, they will eventually get easier to deal with and less frequent and it's so worth it. Speaking of quitnet, I just signed on for the first time in a long time to take a peek at my personal stats, and here's what it says as of today for me! My Stats: Your Quit Date is: 1/18/2005 11:59:00 PM Time Smoke-Free: 2539 days, 20 hours, 28 minutes and 37 seconds Cigarettes NOT smoked: 88895 Lifetime Saved: 22 months, 19 days, 1 hour Money Saved: $13,335.00 It'll be 7 years for me this month. :)

Bump! :)

The ones that are for men, of course! Mach whatever with three blades and moisture strips and so on. Yes, I've taken over my husband's razor! :P (P.S. It is not battery powered like the one mentioned below, just a good brand)!

My kids are loving Skylanders. They each use their own figures and have used their own money to buy more and asked for more figures for gifts. They have it for the Wii and have gotten lots of enjoyment out of it, so while you have some valid points, it's still been a big hit over here!

Come check us out if losing weight is one of your New Years resolutions! :)

Here's a link to a blog post where I explained how I did my most recent portfolio (5th grade) step by step with what I put in it, a few pics etc, you might find it helpful. :) http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/226816.html

I have a friend who had two kids in public school. She pulled one out to homeschool because he wasn't happy or thriving in school. She left the other in because she enjoyed school and wanted to stay. (Of course, now that it's been several months and she's had a chance to see how many awesome field trips we do with our homeschool group and such she's been starting to reconsider that haha).

The first game I ever got completely hooked on was Final Fantasy 8. I played every one that came out since (except for the one they put out that was the multi player online one). I'm really looking forward to the one that's coming out at the end of January! Maybe you'd enjoy those!

Happy birthday!! :) :party:

And that was a worthy 1,000th post if I do say so myself! :D

LOL Jean! :) I'm thinking of making it again to bring to a friend's house on New Years Eve as our contribution as everyone is supposed to bring a snack, appetizer or dessert type thing.

Bump! :)

Yeah, we will be skipping that one. I read that the 7 y/o girl character also calls an adult a d**k and that the topic of the mom's death in the movie can be a bit intense for some kids. Not relevant to me but some of you may also want to know there's also an implication about the Easter bunny not being real during a scene where father and son are having an argument.

If so, you can join here, read through some of the old stuff to get a feel for what it's about, and anyone can feel free to post "challenges" to motivate each other: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/group.php?groupid=129

I will be participating on my own this year. Had fun doing it with my daughter last year (we did read alouds together as most of you know) which was enjoyable but VERY time consuming. We will continue to read aloud together for fun but on our own timeline and not as a challenge...it was just too much trying to cram in a book every single week for an entire year as a read aloud lol. So anyway this year I'll do it on my own reading grown up books. :)

I didn't at first, but it grew on me! And then I skipped the last FF game because it was one of those online multi player ones, so now I'm glad that they're going to have a regular one again, and it happens to be a direct sequel to FFXIII!