Weather is always a concern when flying. All it takes is a thunderstorm over a major hub to cause rippling delays. Case in point: I needed to fly from NYC to Chicago in August. Our weather was beautiful. Chicago had a two hour thunderstorm right over the airport which means planes flying in and out had even longer delays. I waited in NY airport 7 hours before the plane even arrived. And, then, when it did, turns out that the flight crew would tick past maximum allowed working hours before our flight was finished, so no crew and therefore no flight. Finally, at around midnight, our flight was cancelled. Before that, it was merely delayed.... No idea how flight insurance works when a flight is delayed....

I would definitely take it out of the market if I wanted cash for this fall (probably August as many tuition bills are due then). If you know you want some for fall AND spring semester, I might stash some in a short-term CD. But, for savings that we need (relatively) easy access to, we use Barclay's Online which currently gives 1.5% interest.

Totally unacceptable. It blows my mind that it is even a debatable topic.

My son is now a PA from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT in Upper State NY) which does have a combined undergraduate/graduate degree program. It is a packed, defined program (very few electives). I believe it is fairly competitive (like all PA schools)--there were a total of 30 in his graduating class of 2017. He (and we) are very happy with the route he took. Edited to add: PAs have their own boards to pass (after graduation) and getting hired was a matter of interest and compatibility.

I second the NoS Diet.* I lost 50 pounds following it. At the very least, it will set you up with good eating habits. At the very best, you'll lose the extra baby weight in a satisfying, sustainable way. And, after you have good eating habits down, you can tweak your meals if you feel you need to lose more weight or eat healthier or whatever. *Note: while most NoS'ers eat 3 meals a day, there is nothing that *requires* that, and as a nursing mom, you might need 4 meals (possible the 4th being a light one). The main goal is to get the habit of regular meal times with occasional (S day) treats. And congrats on the baby!

Today was my weigh-in day. Down 1 lb which I'm very happy with as I'm eating all the things I love (in moderation). And, I have to say, that WW Freestyle has helped me to understand exactly what "moderation" means FOR ME. With wanting to follow a healthy, Mediterranean-ish diet, I made sure to start using EVOO on the veggies, nuts sprinkled on a salad/in bread/snack/morning oatmeal, wine with meals, etc. However, that resulted in a 15 lb gain over two years. With WW, I can now see the reality of why. Nuts? Yes, but NOT every meal. Wine? Yes, but not everyday. Homemade Artisan bread? yes, but not every meal (sadly). Fruit? Yes, and everyday! Fruit has become our go-to "dessert", a lovely, refreshing way to end a meal. The most important thing in changing one's WOE is to make sure you are changing it to something enjoyable as well as healthy (barring major medical issues). Because I'm eating what/when I want to eat, I'll be able to cheerfully continue on even as my weight loss slows (which I expect it to do rather quickly--1/2lb/week is more my norm....)

For the record: Today was my weigh-in day. Happily surprised to see that I'm down another 1.5 lbs. Surprised because I had two yummy ham&cheese rolls last night for dinner--thought the carb-ness might up my water weight. I am following NoS principles and Freestyle Tracking--with real food. I wondered if I would be able to follow without a choice of low-pt breads, cheese, desserts, etc (we live overseas--far fewer Frankenfoods), and am happy to report that I CAN. We ate well before but following Freestyle has upped the veggies and dropped the carbs and wine (not eliminated, only moderated).

I love delicious, gloppy, Mexican food, too. A couple of more zero point toppers that I might use: shredded lettuce, chopped cucumbers, frozen/heated or canned corn. And PLENTY of salsa. Bulked up in this way, I get a satisfying portion to eat while still staying within reasonable limits on the other goodies. And sometimes, just a sprinkling of shredded sharp cheddar on top (where I can see, taste, and smell it) is enough to make me feel "not deprived".....

Since I paid for a 3 month trial, I'm still using WW Freestyle (in conjunction with NoS principles), and I'm happy to report that I'm down another pound. :laugh: This despite celebrating our anniversary this week with champagne, wine, guacamole, and homemade carrot cake! As I've said before, I'm a committed NoSer, but for now, I am finding the WW Freestyle tracking a good reality check for just how much nuts, oil, cheese, wine, etc (the extras in life that I want) I can enjoy and still keep to a healthy weight. After six weeks, I can see that I usually eat slightly under my daily points, and then use up nearly all my weeklies (including carryover points) on the weekend--Sunday lunch with wine and dessert. And, important note re: tracking--I've find that by weighing the actual amount I use, I get more accurate point usage (often using less points than by the "1/4c of" or "1/2 of" measures). I don't weigh everything but only those things that I tend to overdo (nuts, cheese) or want my "full share"--(avocados and guacomole!). This way I'm able to have satisfying avocado toasts while still staying within my points.

As both a pre and menopausal woman who has managed to lose weight, a couple of observations. 1. I read (sorry, it was a while ago and no link) that for the first couple of years (2-3) surrounding menopause, it is very hard to lose weight. All those fluctuating hormones. Ugh. But, after a while, we get a new normal and it becomes "easier"/possible to lose weight again. This certainly happened to me..... 2. Even in those years when my waist got thick (double ugh! I had always had a waistline, even when overweight), I found it very helpful to follow good eating habits. I personally have had great success following NoS principles--simple principles, fairly universal until recently, of eating distinct meals which doesn't dictate which foods are "allowed." It is just the right amount of structure AND freedom for me. 3. Now that I'm a couple of years into this menopause stage, I have started to lose weight again. Yay! However, I've found that I *must* eat less than I use to, even with the same exercise and such. I most likely could muscle up but have too many injuries to do weightlifting, so eating less it must be. 10 pounds creeps on in an year with merely overeating a 100 calories/day. Not much! So, I have to be very mindful of those calories that I can easily overdo--bread, cheese, nuts, wine. I don't really have a sweet tooth. NoS keeps me from snacking. But, I really can't have even a small glass of wine *every*day, nor a sprinkling of nuts on *every* salad, nor slabs of cheese (sob!) as part of an evening mezze meal. I *can* have a glass of wine every week, a sprinkling of nuts every couple of days, and a modest amount of cheese in the evening, though. I'll take it!

Well, today was weigh-in day for me (at home--I'm doing online WW) and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I lost 2 lbs! I've been tracking points even as I follow NoS principles. It is confirming my suspicions that what I *really* need to watch are the extras: the wine, the cheese, the chips, the dessert--things that I *can* have but just not unthinkingly. Since I signed up for a 3 month trial, I'm committed to tracking until the 3 months is over. I suspect I'll just go back to regular NoS, using my new-found insights to moderate my meals slightly..... For now, I'm glad I signed up--got my stalled weight loss moving again. :-)

I would count just the corn tortilla and oil separately. Now, that is probably just a small amount of oil actually absorbed, so count as 1/2 or 1 tsp? The other thing I do, so I'm not run ragged by all this counting (something NoS doesn't strictly require) is that I'm aiming for a "good enough" count, not a perfect count. If I feel that by the end of the day, I have too many little things (like oil for frying the tortilla or maybe a larger spoonful of salad dressing or a teaspoon of XXX), I add my own JIC (Just In Case) item of 1-3 daily points to count for all of those in one fell swoop. Helps me to be honest and not worry too much about issues like the above. As long as I'm eating well and losing, "good enough" counting is not a problem for me.

I think this insight: Eat what you really love is the key to longterm weight loss *and* maintenance. I lost 50lbs. following the NoS diet (3 rules: No snacking, no sweets, no seconds except on S-days) by eating what I loved in reasonable portions--I never felt deprived. The only reason I've added WW Freestyle to the mix is that now that I'm 10 years older with ongoing health issues, I can't eat exactly the same way: 15 pounds creeped up on me and I'm determined to find the right balance. However, I'm committed to continue to eat the things I love--I just need to learn proper amounts in this decade-older body.... I already can see that my daily glass of wine needs to change--to either a half glass daily or a normal one less often..... And while I can freely sprinkle fresh, crisp veggies on my salad, I need to be much more mindful of toasted nuts and grated cheese....

I believe the blue dot challenge was implemented under the old SmartPoint system where tracking and eating your daily points was deemed "Very Important". IMO, though, with the freedom that Freestyle brings to eat an entire day's worth of healthy meals using hardly any points, the blue dot challenge doesn't make much sense. And, additionally, studies have shown that eating pretty much the exact number of calories everyday is NOT necessary to lose or maintain weight. In fact, daily fluctuations are normal and conducive to long-term success just because it allows "real life" living--the day we eat a dessert and/or drink a glass of wine (Hello, Anniversary!) is not necessarily the same day we want to really cut back. A feast day can be a good thing! The new freestyle system attempts to accommodate that reality which I think is a step in the right direction....

Quill, our family culture around meals is very similar to yours: I make a meal, the family eats it. I never had a child or family member make something different to eat--absolutely never crossed anybody's mind. So I hear you on that. I'm also the main cook with years of experience in our family. And I've come to realize that all that experience makes it much easier FOR ME (vs. other family member) to pull off placing a meal on the table consisting of main dish as well as a variety of sides. This point (of the level of skill/experienced needed to do what I regularly do) has been driven home repeatedly when others have offered to do what I do and can't do it. For example, we regularly have 8-10 people over for a festive Sunday Lunch after church. One year, I was gone, so our adult friends decided to keep up the tradition--and really struggled because while they cooked for themselves,cooking for a larger group, wanting to make several dishes (a main, a starch, a salad, and a veggie), getting down the timing, etc, was WAY more than they were used to handling--and that was with several people all contributing in a joint effort. Nice side effect: They appreciate the blessing of our Sunday Lunch tradition all the more! :closedeyes: My point: I think your hubby is doing pretty good to get one main and one side on the table. However, I do regularly want extra veggies for me (I like more of my plate to be veggie-centric than anyone else), when I cook, I nearly always cook extra veggies. I also prep stuff like carrot sticks, red pepper strips for a very quick "crisp" addition to a meal.... Some of my favorite ways of using them later: 1. As is--usually put into a small serving bowl and reheated in microwave/ 2. When putting away originally, adding some balsamic-type (or your favorite) dressing for an instant veggie salad. 3. Added to other meals--eg. making quesdillas, I'll put way less cheese and add my cooked veggies into mine or mixed into a modest serving of rice, to bulk that up. 4. Served with breakfast (favorite breakfast: egg, toast, veggies). 5. And, lastly, added to family meals: tossed into soup, added to family's salad, etc. Rarely do my "Extra Veggies" go to waste.... Perhaps, with planning aforesight on your part (prepped veggies, cooked veggies from your cooking days), your hubby could easily put them out for you on the days he cooks. HTH,

Do you think the online features would work well with ONLY laptop access? No smart phone here, so when you say "It's like Instagram" (which I think of as a smartphone app), it made me wonder......

Agricola is one of our favorites! No dice (looking at you, Settlers of Catan), with lots of variable play. Agricola is an excellent gateway game to worker placement games. When just starting, you play the "family" version of the game which is less complicated and has zero attack elements. Even after years of playing (with the extra minor improvement/occupation cards), we still enjoy the simpler "family" version. If you don't have anyone experienced to play with, watch a youtube video run through--that helps a lot. HTH,

I like this list and would particularly highlight: Apples to Apples Uno Pit as group games that work well with a wide variety of ages and skills and number of players.

Well, I never did before this year, but with our kids (grown and scattered at present) not going to be here for Xmas (we're overseas, they are Stateside), I went ahead and had them wrapped. That way each could take out their gifts and put them under the tree, over the mantle, w/e, and look cute. I valued the surprise on Xmas morning enough to pay for it. Definitely worth it this time!

Where we live, pork is THE meat of choice..... Two simple but yummy ideas: 1. Simple marinade of crushed garlic (2-4), 1 T. brown sugar, 1t+. ground/crushed coriander seed, a goodly amount of fresh ground pepper all dissolved in 3-4 T. soy sauce. Amts can be adjusted according to taste. Coat chops, let sit (30min-next day), and grill or pan-fry. AMAZINGLY good. 2. Mix favorite spice blend or other seasonings (salt, dijon, fresh chopped herbs--but ready to go spice blend is quickest!) with 1/4c. mayo (more or less mayo depending on number of chops) in a bowl large enough to hold the chops. Add chops, stir til all are coated. When ready to cook, lift out, coat in crumbs of choice (I've used Panko, ground almonds, crushed cornflakes, Italian-bread crumbs, they are all good) and pan-fry in oil of choice. Family favorite and works well with chicken, too.

I agree! And for a change of pace, instead of rolling in sugar, it is delicious if one end is stuck into dark melted chocolate and allowed to set. Very, very good!

If the Crossword person is at all computer savvy, I've loved my online subscription to the NYT Xword (it was gift to me from my grown daughter). I don't know how much it was (I'm guessing anywhere between $20-50???), but not only do you have access to a daily mini-crossword, the daily NYTimes Xword, some other logic puzzles like Ken-Ken, Sudoko, Set, plus an extra monthly-themed Sword, you get access to the archives going back years.... So, if they love a particular type of challenge (easy Mondays, or Tricky Thursday) they can puzzle and solve to their heart's content!

Be grateful--I think trumpets and other brass instruments are even louder than drums.... Two of my kids learned to play the trumpet and sometimes I made them go outside in the backyard to practice because my nerves couldn't take it.... :-)

Where we are in south central Europe, where people still get most groceries walking to the store and back (this is slowly changing, though), but few items come in LARGE sizes and many come in small sizes. Eg: baking powder comes in little packets which 10-12gr (1T), same with baking soda. And most of the spices.... I can buy as little as 50gr (@2oz) of mayo and mustard, and 100gr of ketchup. These come in metal pouches. Milk comes in 1ltr UHT packaging and doesn't need to be refrigerated until it is open.... We've just recently had condiments like soy sauce, BBQ, and Tabasco made available (woohoo!) but there is just one brand, one size (7-8oz). Plus, no, there is nowhere near the same number of items even available. Our largest "Hipermarket" (in the second largest city in the country) is about 1/6th-1/8th the size of Costco--most stores are about the size of 7-11 convenience store, some even smaller. I can walk up and down aisle of our Hipermarket, get fresh produce, stop at the butcher counter (no prepackaged fresh meat), and the cheese counter and do our week's shopping in @20 minutes or less. Can't do that when we visit the States.... Also, most people DON'T drink their drinks cold from the frig. I handed out some peach juice the other day and was asked to warm it up, to take the chill off. Which leads me to a funny story. When we first landed in Montenegro, we stayed with some distant relatives. The first morning, our hostess gave the children fresh (as in, she milked the cow) milk all heated up. They drank it but when the opportunity arose, we politely informed her that the children were used to cold milk and would that be a problem? Answer: Not at all. So, the next morning, we were disheartened to see her put the milk on the stove to heat it up. We reminded her and she replied: 'I know. But, you don't let the kids drink milk straight from the frig, do you?" And she was slightly aghast that, yes, indeed, we all drank milk very cold (and lived to tell the tale)...

Honestly, all the PPs have stated why Saxon can be a great fit.... I agree with all of them and will add two more points: 1. The B&W style of the textbook were WAY less busy than many other math texts which were littered with color, off set text, offset text in boxes, and more. The Saxon textbooks included actual text which could be read through without a lot of jumping around--a big plus for our family. 2. John Saxon originally wrote his books not because he loved math but because he needed math to do what he loved (engineering). You definitely feel this vibe in his books--compare his texts to Harold Jacob's books--Jacob's LOVED math and it shines through. My kids all enjoyed math and while they could appreciate Jacob's texts (I had his Algebra and Geo texts--I loved math and majored in it), they preferred to work through Saxon and retained more. PS. Three of my kids went on to STEM majors and the other two took Calculus in college just because they could. :-)