I've got 2 big bottles of vodka brewing into vanilla right now for Christmas. It's not too late to get them started. I ordered the beans from Amazon and bought the cheap vodka. I think the vanilla was maybe $25 and the vodka was $9/each...maybe...something like that. I will still have to buy some little small bottles to package it, but I found some on Amazon pretty cheap. I will get at least 10 gifts for less than $5 each, and WAAAAYYYYYY better than what I would have bought for $5 for these folks. I'm super excited about it.:D Oh, good part is that I will have some left for me too!

500 vocab words is probably what she means. Is that what you meant by "really"? I just started teaching with it and it's no slouch of a text, that's for sure. I really like it.

This thread is unbelievable. And yet...I fully believe it. Mean people suck. Lori, the best thing you can teach your daughter is to protect her heart from mean people. I am so, so sorry this happened to you. Truly. I hope I am the friend that would get up and walk out of a party if they were talking about my friend that way. :grouphug:

:grouphug::lurk5:

What's that saying about being the change you want to see...or something like that. What I have found is that so many women's bible study groups kind of flounder into repetitive study of all these "how to be a better wife/mother" kind of thing, when what we really want and need is deep theological bible study. Maybe you can suggest some things to study that would mean more than yet another "how to have balance in your life" kind of study. Do a book study of the book of Romans, for example. There are SO MANY great resources for deeper study. I was getting really tired of those kids of studies I mentioned earlier in my group and suggested we do a systematic theology study. Everyone loved the idea. Especially because there is no homework, we can study what we want at home in our own personal quiet time, and come together to study theology. Maybe they would really love it if someone suggested something stronger to study, and you would really feel like jumping in again. Your time would feel better suited to the relationship building and doing it through deeper study. Just a thought. :grouphug:

It's always worked fine for me. I got the CD and loaded it on to my Mac. Since then I have moved the folder to a new Mac and it still works perfectly.

Tammy, those of us that were already on CCConected still are, but it was closed to new registrations while the IT team works on the new Portal. I understand it will be up and running very quickly. Honestly though, unless you are tutoring, you shouldn't need it much before the first few weeks. Oh, and no one posts materials for sale there. It's purely a forum for asking questions about how to use or supplement materials and largely it's for tutoring ideas. Sorry you have had trouble getting info!

I'll go join! I tried to participate at Low Carb Friends, but I'd rather talk to you all than on a brand new forum. Thanks!

That was a lovely book. I adore historical fiction. I have a thing for England and specifically the Tudors and their ilk. Some good ones I have enjoyed recently: The Illuminator Portrait of and Unknown Woman Innocent Traitor Wolf Hall by Mantel Have not yet read but recently rec by Randy Alcorn: Byzantium by Lawhead You may want to do a search because there have been a number of great threads with historical fiction mentioned.

We have filled 2 5-gallon buckets with the tears so far today. 12yo majoring the the dramatic arts, that's for sure. It always stems from attitude. Attitude is EVERYTHING! She does. not. get. it. She's 12 and her horrormones are doing a hostile takeover I think. This might be a long year. :glare:

Praying!:grouphug:

I pretty much have this type of a thing every morning. My recipe is: 1/4 c flax meal 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 egg 3 tsp heavy cream Mix and pour into a Pam sprayed mug or bowl. Mwave for about 90 seconds. I like it plain because I spread it with jalepeno cheddar cream cheese. Or onion and chive cream cheese. I usually eat 1/2 of one of these for breakfast and save the other half for dessert (frosted with cream cheese mixed with a little vanilla and stevia). These are great for keeping ya regular! Making it with heavy cream has been the best for me (tried with butter and coconut oil, both were too oily). Also, on the bacon, I fry up 4 lbs at a time but not all the way crispy. I store in a zip lock in the freezer and take out only what I need at the moment. Zaps nicely for 30 seconds (or 60 for extra crispy).

We did too! My kids were watching old episodes on a marathon today and it's been advertising. My 8 year old ds came running in "Mom! Mom!!! MOM!!! New Survivorman tonight!!!" :party:

We are! I'm making homemade donuts in the morning, and maybe we will go to the pool after school is done. Looking forward to it!

Sorry if this has been posted! New season of Survivorman starts tonight on Discovery. My kids are psyched! Also Wednesday night starts a new season of Dirty Jobs .... Down Under!!! :D

No way is that too much food. I mean, if it fits within your diet guidelines. I wouldn't eat the toast or the fruit and would probably have more bacon. It looks to me like a lovely well planned and balanced breakfast. And a burger patty with 2 c salad? That's a pretty typical meal for me on Atkins. Its fine for me but I do know plenty of people that would add cheese or 2 patties, etc. She must eat like a bird.

If Ryan Lochte can do it in the Olympic pool, then why not? :ack2:

:iagree: I'm down almost 18 pounds. This month. :001_huh: I lost 10 in the first 2 weeks, then stalled for about a week, and now it's coming off great again. :iagree:My hubby is a big eater, and not that big on veggies. To fill him up it'd be like 2 steaks and sprig of brocolli please. Can't do the cost of it. He doesn't realize it but I am limiting his carbs greatly though. The kids I am not really, although my tween needs to be careful with her choices. She has my genes. :glare:

:iagree: And I have asked if it's still available. Seems like lots of CL stuff gets snapped up within minutes. How else can I know if it's still available unless I ask? Almost no one removes their post.

WOW. That page is awesome! I am teaching biology for 7th grade this year. I have a feeling I will use this a great deal. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Do those of you doing LCHF keep your calories in check, or does that happen naturally? I am doing Atkins and I am stalled out. I had posted that I gained 4lbs, but that was a mystery as now I am back down 3 without really changing anything. But that's still up a bit from the low I hit initially. I have a LOT to lose, I am tired of jacking around with no losses!! My calories pretty consistently run 1600. But according to calculators I have seen, my BMR is about 2200. So I should be seeing losses. My carb intake is less than 30. Net. I try and try to get it closer to 20 but it seems impossible. With a bit of stevia in coffee, and a couple of eggs or cheese, in addition to the veggies, well it climbs fast. I track on My Fitness Pal, so I have a very good grasp on what I am doing. Here are my averages: 72% fat, 16% protein, 12% carb (pretty much all of that is veggies). Should I adjust the fat lower and the protein higher? I have been told to ignore the calorie factor, but I can't help but think that must be it. I am following the guidelines to a T. <4oz cheese, <4 stevia packets (in my coffee), no extra sodium, no forbidden foods, lots of water. I swear!!! :gnorsi: If you were me would you lower calories? I sort of feel like that is jumping back in to the cesspool of low calorie diets where I still had no success. :confused: I also should mention that I am not exercising but will. I had hoped to lose 20 or so before starting that so I would feel better. Oh, and I am hypothyroid and am on Armour thyroid - but I can't tell that that has helped at all. WWYD?

Who's speaking next year? I am so sorry I missed it. Unemployment sucks.:glare: I can't believe not only was SWB there, but I would have loved to hear Voddie Baucham!!

Rockin' the acid wash jeans with the high waist and pleats!!! :lol: Love it!!

Love Alton, so I will look for his recipe! I have a ton of bacon grease because I cook about 4 lbs of bacon at a time and keep it in my freezer so all I have to do is pull out a couple of slices and zap for 30 seconds. I am doing pretty well. I lost about 11 in the first 2 weeks, then stalled all this week. Woke up this morning UP 4 pounds. :001_huh: I did not do ANYTHING different. I did eat sunflower seeds last night, which are quite salty, in combo with not having all my water yesterday, so today I am watching the sodium like a hawk and drinking about a gallon of water. Nuts are not on Atkins Induction, but it was a good substitute for my beloved popcorn in the movie, so I don't regret it too much. I also had about 5oz of cheese yesterday, so that was likely too much. I just wonder if I am sensitive to sodium. It's something I crave, and eat too much of, but so many low carb foods are salty. Anyways, my new goal is to keep an eye out for the salt! Overall though, I feel fantastic. Sleeping better, no more low low energy in the afternoons. I am okay in the digestion dept because I take magnesium and also make flax muffins. My skin and hair have improved, and it hasn't even quite been 3 weeks yet! People eating chips and sweets are not bothering me at all any more. That's a big *wow* moment for me.

We love, love, love old movies around here. My DH especially. He really loves Film Noir and has tons and tons of them on disc that he's recorded. Many of my favs have been mentioned, and others I love: Philadelphia Story, Mr. Blandings, Shop Around the Corner, His Girl Friday, My Favorite Wife, Love Affair. It's really best to find a genre you like, or favorite actors. Then you can look on IMDB for their movies. I love Irene Dunn, Deborah Kerr, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant, and many others. My kids adore my DH's collection of Buster Keaton movies, and they really love Jerry Lewis too. Just for fun info, we recently showed my ds (not yet 8yo) The Great Escape with Steve McQueen. He's now watched it 3 times and whistles the tune, even built some of the things from the movie with Legos. :D