Yes, the skin on the tomatoes. I washed the tomatoes, stuck them in a bowl, mashed them with a potato masher, and then thought about how dumb that probably was. Haha!

...should I start over or is it going to be just fine? Yeah..didn't think that one all the way through...

Yeah, I think I need to pop a big chill pill. It is just stuff anyway, so who really cares. But, somewhere deep in there, I seem to be paranoid of things not being kept the way we do in our home. Hmmm...something to ponder.

I desperately want to have an "open door" policy, especially once my kids are older. I want everyone to feel like my home is a safe and welcoming environment and for everyone to feel at home when they are here. I never stress about having people over, but as soon as people are here, I start to really care about small things---like my new rug getting dirty, or ingredients that I had planned to use in a meal being consumed otherwise, or dishes breaking, or things being taken care of differently than how we take care of things (different--but I instantly think wrong) I guess I am a closet type A person, but I really REALLY don't want to be. Any tips on how you just not care about the carpet getting stained or food disappearing that you were planning on using?

I actually opted to do my own "light" version, which consisted of me jogging on the treadmill on the odd days and doing the suggested cardio disc on the even days. In the end, I was doing 3 days of jogging and 3 days of some cardio (Kenpo, Yogo, Plyometrics or something else but I forget--not Stretch) and 1 day of rest. On the "recovery" week, I followed the suggested video program to a T. I didn't use the journal to track anything and made sure I was eating very sensibly and really made an effort to cut out sweets and desserts. It really worked wonders. In just 3 weeks, my legs were more toned and slender and my pants were very loose. I think it is really a fabulous program.

Yes and love them! :) I am not doing them now (14 weeks pregnant) but plan on doing them again when I am about 6 months post partum. They really do the trick!

This described me to a T (and still does!) and it took me quite a bit of searching to find a good reliable brand that fits my little waist and big hips with no gaps and a flattering look. Old Navy--not good at all. All of their cuts are too narrow in the hips. They aren't curvy enough. Teen sizes (odd sizes) are a no go. Women's sizes (even numbers) are the way to go. My ending winner--Gap Boot Cut stretch. Have fun shopping!

We LOVE Holiday Inn and would make it our top vote. Others include Elf, Love Actually, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Grinch cartoon, and The Nativity Story (though I was expecting Mary's labor/delivery to be a bit more realistic and it sorta threw me off a bit)

My 5 year old is obsessed with the proper way to set the table. My husband is frequently looking on the computer for the proper place for the glass, which orientation the salad fork should have during a multiple course meal, etc. all because my daughter is truly interested! I am trying to find an etiquette book for kids that is pretty straight forward with lots of pictures (like the layout of a table setting) and not overly daunting with paragraphs upon paragraphs of information...just the basics! I looked on Emily Post's website and couldn't find the sort of thing I was hoping for, so I turn to you and your hive wisdom! Any suggestions?

My metric--I would very happily pay someone $22 to make the illness disappear should anyone get sick. Since I would be happy paying the $22 bucks to make it go away, then it is worth it to me to chuck it. I knew that if I started barfing my brains out, saving $22 wouldn't be worth it to me without even thinking about it.

Try closing your eyes, stretching your arms out so you aren't curled up in an insecure ball, and telling yourself that no matter what, you are in control of this situation. You call the shots, you make the decisions, and you can get things back into some bit of order. I am really guessing the 2 year old senses your stress with the cooking and also feels a bit left out during school time. Between drawing the line with what you will allow and not allow as acceptable behavior and the stress level from the other things declining, he behavior should improve. Does he get any positive attention from you during the day? Maybe at some point during the day, each of the older kids can go to a designated spot and be instructed to read a book while you spend 20 solid minutes playing with your youngest. Just this last month, we entered the world of living with a severe (anapahylaxis) peanut allergy. It is so stressful and I can only imagine trying to work with multiple allergies. BUT, like others have said, there are lots of dishes you can make ahead of time that everyone will be able to eat. This might not be what you had always envisioned, but this is where you are now, and while it might be hard to see sometimes, it is a blessing! You can grab this sucker by the horns and drive it in the right direction.

Onceuponatime--I was thinking the same thing! I have been trying to perfect a sauce made from just tomatoes and it is tough! (and recipes without canned goods are hard to come by)

Would any of you care to share your wonderful homemade spaghetti sauce recipes? I have yet to find one that seems worth the effort, though I very much am wanting to leave the jar stuff behind.

Interesting and really too bad about the whole Amish deal. I would have just as assumed that they were true purists and would do their best to be the same with their food. Thanks for informing me! Gao--I will give the Annapolis folks a call and get on their mailing list. Thanks!

We have only claimed active duty pro gear, but it was really very easy and I assume the spouse pro gear is the same. We separated out all of the pro gear into the corner of one room. When the packers came, we told them this was the pro gear section and they peeked through for a second and then when they packed it up and labeled it on the inventory, they had some rubric for determining how much the weight was (and they were pretty forgiving about it) and that was that. Nothing else came of it and that weight was pretty much not counted towards our household goods shipment. It worked out great for us, because we were right at our limit for this past move. To be quite honest, I think it is all of the books we have!

Oh fabulous! Yay to ALL of you! I knew you would come through! Many many thanks! :thumbup:

Ohh I would love it! I am in Silver Spring, about a mile from the beltway. I am surrounded by exhaust fumes and city life! Oh I how I long for the country, or to just see an Amish buggy trotting along. I wonder how long of a trek it would be to go down to where you are though? Hmm?

I thought of all my friends to ask, you would be the ones to know... Where might I find some fresh local chicken, eggs, pork, and maybe even a side of beef in the Washington DC area? I am on the Maryland side, so that would be a bit easier, but at this point I am having a killer time trying to find any good recommendations for good wholesome food (without paying up the nose for it from Whole Foods and still not knowing exactly where it originated.) TIA!

I saute them and then mix them in with mashed potatoes with some garlic and thyme. Yummy!

We are not--far from it actually because we bought a house in Las Vegas on credit before the market tanked. Yeah. But, I do have a friend who is! They started out that way, from what I understand, and have made the decision to never buy anything on credit. They don't have credit cards, a mortgage, a car payment, anything. They save until they have enough, and then they buy only what they need. So, I think they are still renting and are saving and saving to buy a house even after 16 years of a career. They only own one car and I think when they bought it, it was the first new car they have purchased. Truth be told, I think they have made a mental shift to only desire what they need with minimal extras. They never feel like they are missing anything. :)

Birthday cake for breakfast the morning following anyone's birthday. It is a family tradition. :)

For me, I received the Wii Fit from my husband (I was excited by it because of the yoga and things it offered. Plus the hula hooping looked hysterical) and once I got on that thing and saw how much I weighed, I think I had enough. Something clicked in my head that made me unhappy with myself and I knew that I wanted to fix it. Unlike previous times, I wasn't doing it for my job (military) or because I thought it would make me look more beautiful for my husband, but because I wanted it for me. I wanted to be light and agile on my feet to play with my kids. So the Wii Fit became my new friend. The little character is very gentle when telling you how much you weigh and tips to follow (things I knew, like don't eat before bed, but they are nice to hear every now and again). I set a goal on the Wii to lose 5 lbs in a month and it was fun to hop on and see me reach that goal. (I did the couch to 5k program and stuck around week 3 or 4 because I like the interval training) Then I set another weight loss goal and it became a challenge to myself, for myself. It was fun! It became a game. After my 3rd baby, I started P90X light (only the cardio/yoga videos and jogging week 3 of the couch to 5k program) whipped me right back into shape. I haven't done any consistent exercise the past couple months, and I blame it on moving across the country and adjusting to a new routine with the hubby's new job, but I am hoping soon to pull out the Wii, set a goal, and then grab the P90X videos and laugh at the funny jokes the host makes while I bounce around the room. :) Hope this helps!

World of Pooh to my 5, 3, and brand new 1 year old. To answer the question as to how to fit in read alouds - I read to the kids a chapter a day during lunch, which sometimes spills over onto the couch to finish the chapter. The kids read to us at night before bed. (And I eat lunch when the baby is napping, the 3 year old is otherwise occupied with toys and the 5 year old is doing some copywork or worksheet of some form.)

Hana, Hey, that is great! You know what you are doing! :) Well then, I would say that both Artist's Point and Narcoosees are both fabulous (as is Chefs de France) and I could give or take the Yachtsman Steakhouse and the Flying Fish Cafe. Have you thought about the chef's table at Victoria and Alberts? It is one of THE best dining experiences in Disney!

Oh yum! So many of these restaurants are going to be fabulous, but if you really want good steak, you need to keep calling the reservations desk until you can get a reservation at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada in Epcot. People WILL drop their reservations (why, I don't know) but Le Cellier is to die for. Also, if you have some extra time to go to a resort and extra room in your belly, try Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is a buffet of African inspired spices. Delicious!