If you can get over the initial hump of no added sugar, I think you'll find that many foods you used to eat will start taste excessively and uninvitingly sweet to you soon. Restaurant desserts and boxed desserts will taste cloyingly sweet. You will just naturally eat very little of it b/c it all tastes gross. The hard part is adjusting your palate towards what vinegar and oil as a dressing, for example, is supposed to taste like without all the added salt and sugar. I had a Smore or two over the holidays, but it really tasted way too sweet and I really don't want them anymore. I stopped bringing the kids to Awanas because all the rewards were based on candy and cookies. Like by the handful. I couldn't let get into that habit so I explained and I think their Awanas changed over recently to points for non-food prizes. Maybe the women's group can meet at the library?

If I know about it and want to, sure! I wouldn't like someone taking my pic if I were crying, upset, had an expectation of privacy etc.

Do you enjoy polishing copper? As you may have guessed, copper won't look pretty unless you keep up with it. I gave up on my AllClad Cu Clad years ago and just use them as is. I'd opt for hammered copper to make small mug imperfections look less obvious. It I could afford them, I'd get double-walled mugs that are sealed really well at the rim. Whatever leaches out to the drink side will be whatever the insulative layer is made from. Non-insulated metal cups lose heat really fast.

I'd buy some small cute plants from Lowe's (rosemary perhaps) dress them up a bit and give those. You're nice to think of them.

There is a wooden box game based on sums and products called Shut The Box. The National Geographic Store sells a simple one based on sums that goes up to 9 (as a sum), but I've seen more fun (to me) ones that go up to 20 (as a sum and product). Youtube has lots of videos on different versions of of STB.

I've made two major changes since June 2015: People around here got used to eating unfussy meals. One bowl type meals and maybe a salad. Nutrient dense. I don't make any snacks or appetizers. That's what fruit and cheese are for. I declined invitations to perform (kids are musical) where I knew the performances involved a lot of group rehearsals. I just haven't got time to run to rehearsal for a 5-minute individual segment. Slowing down only means doing more of the things we want to do, less of the things society tells us we should do. I am not sure if in fact we are mellower, but it seems that way.

Even if pets were kept in a home like this, I am sure many animal lovers and advocates would have called already someone. (Do these people have any pets? Are they malnourished too?)

I'll bet Instagram has something to do with it.

None of these rather unhealthy interactions are lost upon the children in who are in theory just trying to celebrate a holiday with family together. How all you adults handle it is the most powerful modeling tool you are giving the kids to use deal with negative interactions. Cursing is bad one one. Dread of holidays is another. The alpha dog pack leader defense is reactionary but effective. Is this really the dynamic you want your child to see? Cousin would have to be a stupid to go at it again with you. I wouldn't appreciate her constant comments and would ask her to stop whenever it starts. Even if I were to relax my standards or change up anything for him, I would do it because I thought it best for my child, not because I felt bullied into it. Do you feel you are inherently wrong? I don't think you do. Really, I don't know if you child is fully potty-trained or not but I can imagine the cousin comments going off the charts if this milepost doesn't meet her expectations. Better to nip it right away.

I'd be uncomfortable with putting an infant on a bed and just leaving the baby alone in the room. Weird things could happen, and I wouldn't accomodate that request in my house. I was at a party at a giant house recently, think rooms upon rooms upon multiple floors, sort of house. There was pass-the-sleeping-baby and more than enough people willing to hold the baby who also had his lay-flat stroller there.

Brownies and choc chip cookies. They are the best. Appropriate for every holiday!

Have any of your dd's other doctors wanted to admit her into a children's hospital? Can issues-friend's husband somehow get dd in to see the specialist you want earlier than you can? If no to the second question, I'd starkly ignore "friend" completely and make sure she can't freely post on your Caring Bridge page. Don't engage further unless you want more charming visits or emails. Put beautiful stock photos of fish on there. (kidding) Breathe, and don't worry about her. She has issues. She thinks you are enabling a self-made disease. This is horrible of her and her future actions may become even more horrible if you engage her further. Best of wishes to your family and your dd.

I can't mass send cards. The only cards I do are the ones I physically hand to a person.

This person seems shallow and unfriendly. Because you even sent her email containing anything near an apology, she probably feels vindicated that you've come to your senses in restoring the proper "balance" to the friendship, yet scared that such departures may recur. Even so some sort of response is warranted. Such is the extent of how things have gotten skewed. Just ask yourself if continuing to serve as an unpaid therapist is really what you value in a friendship with her. Just embrace that you've been hurt, and let that vulnerable side of you come out and exist in the light as a valuable part of you as a whole. It's okay, it's nothing to feel ashamed about, and it's even less anything to do with her. You are a nice person, you have many parts (many wiser now) -- a good dear friend is able to meet with all parts of you.

I am trying to expand the range of grains that our family eats. In general we like barley, Israeli cous cous (big). I like brown rice though no one else does and I make b.r. only rarely anyway (w.r. even more rarely). We are equivocal on quinoa. I make it daily in a variety of ways and it is good but it is starting get boring and have a heavy taste. I extra rinse even the kind that comes pre-rinsed. I'm thinking of trying buckwheat next. Can you please comment on the following: millet, buckwheat, gamut, spelt, amaranth, farro, teff, freekeh, sorghum and if you like them (and if you think we would like them)? Thanks. Our favorites would rank like this Slow cooked barley Big cous cous Quinoa Little cous cous Steel cut oats Brown and white rice

:thumbup1: Hope you're doing better.

...

..

...

...

....

...

...

..

.....