I've used HomeschoolBlogger, Blogger, and Wordpress. HSBlogger was the simplest for me to use, but not really very customizable, I thought. Blogger was very easy to use, but I ended up at Wordpress because I like their template selection better. Wordpress was a bit more difficult for me to figure out--for example, I wanted list options down the side of the blog, and it took a few hours of messing with it to figure out how to get them there, and then how to edit them. But once I figured it out, it was a snap. I'm a word girl though--I leave Photoshop to my graphics editors at work, LOL!

I have these too, and I really wish I hadn't read that, LOL! Eeew. I didn't know they had a name, but it's good to know they're relatively normal. I do notice they're worse when I have a head cold/runny nose sort of thing happening.

According to this page that I found, recommended storage times are for quality only. So I guess that means that we can eat them as long as the packaging is still intact. They're all packed in plastic, and have been well protected at the bottom of the freezer, so I guess I'll figure out some way to use them. Uh, I mean..we could eat them...they would be packed...wait, I'm confused. Shoot!

I didn't like Persuasion much, but I've really enjoyed Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park--then again, I also haven't read most of the books. I liked Billie Piper more as the movie went on and she gathered some vigor, but I gather from the book's description that that's not true to the story? I thought the scene in the garden where they first kissed was terrific :D, but I agree these feel like the Cliffs Notes versions of the books too. They definitely make me want to read the books even more, but I'll need to give that some time, or else I'll just be annoyed with the movies like many of you are, LOL!

Discuss!!! LOL! I really enjoyed that, but was a little bit lost. If Sir Thomas was Mariah's father, who was the woman who left to be with her?

Breadman bread machine (use every week) Some kind of juicer that we never use Rice steamer that we never use Toaster oven (couldn't live without it) Kitchen Aid hand mixer (occasionally use--mostly I use a fork :o) A small food processor that I never use (I have one of the those manual chopper thingies) Crockpot George Foreman grill that we never use because I hate cleaning it Blender that we use for smoothies often enough to keep it Hot-air popcorn popper than I hardly ever use but that I LOVE Oh, and our trusty little Mr. Coffee 4-cup Why do I still own three gadgets that I never use??? I have to clean out my kitchen :rolleyes: I desperately want an ice cream maker and a waffle maker, but can't bring myself to spend the money.

Oh, you've given me such hope! I could seriously cry. I thought I was going to need antidepressants last summer, the ants were so bad. And I'm not exaggerating. We have them from mid-April to mid-September--longer if it's a warm fall :( Thank you all!!!

Why would they put such a thing in anyone's food? It doesn't sound tummy friendly at all. Though, I guess, neither is bone meal, hmmm. Thanks for the link, though. I know we can get it at our pool supply store (we have an above-ground with a DE filter), but I imagine the mark-up there is crazy! Ah, thank you for all that. I WISH I knew where the ant mounds were. In reality, I don't think we have mounds. They seem to live underneath all the flingin' flangin' decorative rocks that the previous owners loved so much. We are infested, and every summer the problem gets worse :( I wonder if we just covered those rocks with the DE and let it work it's way down, if it would cut down on the population much. I'd be happier if we even had just a smaller number of ants! And the silverfish--I bet if I sprinkled it along the edges of the carpet where it meets the wall, I could probably do some damage. Interesting! I hate to be so bloodthirsty, LOL! But the darn critters just won't stay outside :rolleyes: Thanks again for the advice and the link. I'll keep my fingers crossed, because I really don't want to have to call in the big guns this year :(

And let's say, for the sake of argument, that they were 2-3 years old, but had been at the very bottom of the relatively new, very reliable chest freezer the whole time. Would you cook and eat said turkey and hams? Or would you leave them hidden at the bottom of your deep freeze and continue to pretend you'd never made such a grievous oversight in your food management? I'm not saying, of course, that I've done such a thing. I just wondered, if it were to happen, what the hive mind might do. :D

Dy, can you please tell me more about that? I know DE is often recommended as a...pesticide, I guess? But how exactly do you spread it around? I'm thinking about using it in the yard for the ants, but don't know enough. Where would you put it inside for the silverfish? Thanks!

...means we're going to be overrun with the hideous things in the spring and summer? I'm already freaking out about my ant problem. I really don't need an escalating silverfish problem too :(

LOL! I do hear you on that. (And that's how B&N is earning its incremental revenue, of course!) Sometimes I find it hard to wait for interlibrary loans. I've often contemplated driving all the way across the county to pick up a book THE SAME DAY rather than wait 3-4 days. I hope you get what you're looking for!

Hoo boy, that sounds good too...

Hmm, I've never done it with rice. I'd probably make that on the side with broth as the liquid and serve the finished crockpot stuff over it. If you're feeling experimental, you could probably put in a cup of rice and maybe a cup of water or broth, and see how that turns out. Otherwise, no broth in with the chicken. You'd be amazed at just how much liquid chicken produces when it's not boiling off in the oven! If you put the veggies underneath, they cook in the liquid from the chicken and are the best part of the whole thing *slurp*. Oh, and I'd use the same spices I'd use for a roast chicken--Adobo, pepper, rosemary, thyme maybe? We cook pretty simply here.

ROFL!!!

Ha! I was thinking as I read the first part of your post that they should read The Mixed Up Files, then I saw the last part! When I was little, I packed up my belongings in a little blanket, which of course I tied to the end of a stick, and told my mom I was hitting the road. She told they'd miss me, of course, but to have a good trip and to call if I needed anything. I made it to the end of my driveway before I decided hanging out in the backyard might be a better plan :rolleyes: If your kids don't mind scary stuff, have them read this before they head for the mall! I LOVED this book as kid, LOL! With a little luck, they may never want to go to the mall again :D

As far as I know, that IS the recipe: Take carrots, potatoes, onions, spices, salt, chicken, and toss in crockpot! LOL! No, seriously though, when I've done it, I just seasoned the chicken, put all the veggies on the bottom, the chicken on top, and put it on high for 4-5 hours (depending on your crockpot). It's been awhile since I've done it, but if I were to do it again (and writing this all out has made me want to--yum!), I would saute the onions and brown the chicken first, then put it all in the same way.

This is a kid who never stops talking, so I imagine it's very hard for her. Shes on the computer playing iSpy Treasure Hunt right now, and I can hear her mumbling to herself! When we read aloud, she interrupts at least once for every page I read. About 50% of the time, she's just observing on the page. Maybe 20% of the time, she's asking a question. And 30% of the time, she's making very astute connections between what we're reading and something else in real life, or making connections between points in the book. But the constant stream of interruptions makes me want to scream by about halfway through the book or chapter! I'm torn between wanting to tell her to continue making observations and thinking of questions but to keep them in her own head (and she'll forget the questions, which makes her extremely upset), and ignoring my own frustration in favor of encouraging her to continue thinking critically. Is there some way to mitigate the interrupting without squashing her thought process in the meantime? Is this totally age-appropriate, and I just need to ride it out? Should I just be happy that her mind is always on the move and shut up about it? I love that she's constantly thinking while I'm reading, I just wish she wasn't also constantly talking at the same time! TIA :D

You found this at the off-line store? I never buy anything at off-line bookstores (at least, not the big-name ones) anymore. The discounts are so much better online, and they're likely to have several versions of the books you're looking for. Definitely check bn.com instead. And with a $50 GC, you'll get free shipping too.

I've BTDT--not over having another baby specifically, but about other things. I was going to suggest fostering too, if your husband would be amenable. I also wanted to say, though, that I think you (anybody, really) could definitely benefit from counseling. No decent counselor will EVER tell you to just "get over it." That's not a counselor's function, at all. On a more practical level, someone recently recommended The Mood Cure to me, and I've read great things from people who've read the book and supplemented accordingly. I'm waiting for the book from my library, but I absolutely plan to try the supplementation if it's appropriate for me. Maybe that can provide some short-term help for you? (((HUGS))) to you in this difficult time.

Can you go download yourself a book or audiobook and enjoy that while you have some free time? I'll admit that I'm jealous--I've had DD5 in my face all day, and I've spent the whole day in the kitchen. Stupid home cooking! :p

That's what I was doing, but I guess I thought it was seasoned enough and I could stop. And come to think of it, the last time my DH used it, he cooked sausage, and it stuck horribly, so I think he scrubbed the heck out of it. I bet he scrubbed off all that seasoning, and then we didn't start it again. OK, see, I did not know this! That explains the state of my pan this morning :( Maybe this is part of the problem too--maybe I'm just not waiting long enough for it to heat up. So much good advice here. Thank you everyone! I'll start from scratch again, and then I'll be better about the maintenance. I really don't want to go back to nonstick if I can help it.

ROFL! I know, I almost posted that same exact thing. I can't do the timer thing, because that practically sends my 5-year-old into panic attack mode. She can't handle any kind of "race"--it makes her terribly anxious. I wonder if it would still make her crazy if I took her aside and said it was really just for the little one? Hmm, that's something to think about! And the 10-second tidy used to work, but not anymore--she's hip to my tricks, LOL! I think the counting/colors thing might work though, because it's new. Thanks! What do you do if they flat out say no? Because that happens fairly often too, and I feel like I'm setting a bad precedent if I let her walk away from that. But I don't know what else to do besides bring her back bodily, kicking and screaming, and that feels wrong to me :( Darn it! My DD5 was not like this at 2! Every day is a new adventure with this kid, I swear :rolleyes: Thanks everyone!

There are just no words for that. Honestly. I've heard of it happening, but thought it was the exception, rather than the rule. I agree with what Cadam said above, but man. There are no words.

In an effort to pull things together around here, I'm trying to teach my ornery li'l mess maker to clean up after herself--or at least participate in the group effort. She used to love to help, and would set to with gusto, singing the clean-up song. But she's since decided that cleaning up has lost its novelty, and when I instruct her to help, she says, "Almooooooost..." and runs off. I know I can't expect a whole lot from her, but I think she's capable of more than that! And my 5-year-old is relatively good with pitching in, but I hate making her clean up what turns out to mainly be her sister's messes all the time. Any suggestions?