We generally wash once a day before dinner unless some activity has made our hands dirty (dirt, paint, etc). Anyone doing food prep also washes his/her hands. If we were around someone that might have been sick or if we were sick and needing to visit someone elderly, we would do it more or even use anti-bacterial soap if necessary. I think that would be not excessive and not too grubby.

I agree with previous poster- walking shoes, dark colors, and water proof. Also take dark color clothes - not pastels and bright colors (if you want to not stand out as a tourist).

I would buy a BP machine and take your own BP through out the day and daily. If it is consistently high, then I would call the doctors with the readings. I used to have low BP and then between adding weight, getting older, having a baby, it went up and now I'm on BP medicine.

The problem with windows is that they can get very hot when the sun is shining and cold when it isn't, so generally they are not a good place for most plants. Most people plant herbs - chives, basil etc.

I rarely use it, but I should put it on my elbows. They are always dry.

I've never heard of that book. I wouldn't normally post that, but it will help bump this up. Can you remember anything about the author - male or female? Sounds very contemporary - because of the reference to the Haiti earthquake.

My DD has been asking for them for a couple of years. We do SOTW as "fun" read aloud. So I finally broke down and got book 1 on CD. She was very happy. After the first CD she said "you never told me that there were Notes to Parents" Me: Of course, because you aren't a parent. "oh"

The only thing I can think of is a vegan chili. I don't have a recipe, but I'm sure that there are lots out there. To make it special, I would get things like sour cream (I think they make vegan version), grated cheese (vegan), sliced green onions, etc for people to top it with. Make up a nice salad, crackers or bread.

I made both my mother and sister knitted head bands (attached to those thick elastic hair bands to give them some stretch). They both seemed to like it. My sister wears these types of things all the time. My mom only does to keep her ears warm, so I made hers wide in the area of ears. So I'm planning on making my sister several over the next year. I received some beautiful yarn for Christmas. Since it was a gift, I think I should use it on myself. So I'm making fingerless gloves. One is knitted and the second one started. I'll have a fair amount of yarn left over. I think I'll make one SIL some fingerless gloves also. I need to make my Step MIL a scarf or something for next Christmas. That's all.

If you just want to warm up, you could drink hot water. Some people drink hot water with lemon. Or honey and lemon. Tea as already states has caffeine, which can be not good. Caffeine can be addictive. It stains. If you use sugar, then that could be bad. Also I read somewhere that green tea is not good for pregnant women. So depending on if any of these are issues for you, then it could be a bad habit. I think in moderation it is fine.

I would also look at the acceditation. Since there are not many classes of graduates to prove the school's worth, you need something else. Also I would consider whether your DS wants a job in Florida or elsewhere. If he wants to work locally, then a school that is locally known would be fine. If he wants to work for a company that is out of state, he needs to be more aware of what schools they typically hire from.

I just want to say that your kids might not always have fun with their cousins especially if their cousins start taking after their parents. I'd limit contact because of that alone. I wouldn't let my kids out of my sight with a socio-pathic uncle around. No kids off playing in the basement. No kids off in another room. You might be surprised how much your kids would prefer to stay home or only spend a short time with relatives.

A week is really only about 5 and 1/2 days when you consider jet lag. There is enough for about 3 weeks in London. Get a good guidebook and start planning. We were interested in the theater and went to 5 plays in 6 days including one at the Globe. Tickets were reasonable and we saw a variety of shows. There are tons of museums. Castles/Palaces. Bring rain gear and walking shoes.

Sounds like he was the ignorant one and you were the gracious one.

If you have a small crockpot you can do meatballs.

My mother has very sensitive skin. She does without soap as much as humanly possible. She does use soap and shampoo but in a minimal way (just enough to stay clean). She also has to be careful about laundry soap. She also doesn't use lotion or make up, because those can also inflame her skin. She has had products that she used for years suddenly cause a reaction. So I can sympathize with your plight. Whole foods has soap without a lot of dyes and perfumes. You can also make your own so you know what ingredients cause you problems.

Can they hold the money until your child goes to college and then pay the college directly? Otherwise I think you need it to go into a 529 account. Most of these accounts need a broker to set them up and they charge a fee for that. I think there is a website on line that tells which financial institution takes care of each state's 529 account. Then you can contact the financial institution to set it up. If you have a financial adviser they may know too. Make sure you are looking at current information, because it does change.

Usually with salt (salt water/ice cubes) or in a salad.

Mammogram every year. Doctor every 6 months - for medicine refill. Pap every 3.

there are some priority package rates that include Sunday delivery.

I know it is difficult, but I would not want to repeat a day like that. Every family has some dysfunction, but that sound miserable. Do you really think that is what your parents want? Were your parents embarrassed that your kids didn't get any presents? Could you do separate days with your parents next year.

I don't think you have to limit what you put into a hope chest. In the past, girls would make things for their future home. You (and she) can still do that. You can work on memory projects (pictures and scrapbooks) or craft projects together. I also like the idea of collecting ornaments or other keepsakes. I would let you FD take the lead about what types of things she wants, but if you want to give her something else tell her why you want to give it to her.

Thank you all for your ideas. I think it is the very beginning of dementia, but we are going to look into some other things (dehydration, UTI etc) just in case. It sure isn't fun to think about what this means.

I would buy 2 more to have a set of four. Since you will use them every day, you will get your money's worth if they hold up and you love them. Then I would find a plain white set less expense set that will go with everything and buy 8 or 10 place settings. If my DH and I agree on something and it is something we use daily, then I say it is worth the money.

You gave me the idea to put my goal in my signature. I'm bad about all the various options that are available, so I've never put in a signature line before. Let's see if it works. Yeah it worked. I challenge you all to do something to remind yourself of your goals through out the year (doesn't have to be your signature line).