Science played a part.

This. And Tea High quality spices. I have socks that cost more per pair than I care to admit but not dealing with raynaud's in my feet is worth it. Shoes that fit my feet. This has become harder and harder with the gel insoles and shoe technology etc that make almost all brands of sneakers impossible for me to wear without extreme pain. Actually, I think this is more a splurge for my husband so he does not have to listen to my rantings about shoe manufactures. Sheets from this website: https://www.bedgear.com/shop/performance-sheets-and-blankets.html Massage and chiropractic care to manage my physical pain for an injury I sustained while moving. If I ever move again I will splurge on professional movers.

Different situation. After extensive testing the results are that they have no disabilities. We did not charge the adult step-children rent because like you I am not a fan of the idea of it. I am not sure how well that worked though, they did not look for a job or partake in job training, college, volunteering, or do anything outside of staring at screens. What we did was slowly increasing the things they had to pay for (cell phone, medical, etc) did not help motivate them. I stopped buying foods they would eat, which was easy as they would not put forth any effort to cook or prepare food. For example, instead of buying preshredded cheese and cooked flour tortillas I bought a block of cheese and uncooked flour tortillas. We stopped driving them places. We stopped waiting and found places for them to apply and made them go. No jobs but they found someone else to pay for them to have a place to live and to buy them food.

I do not cut my parchment paper, I let all the edges hang over the side. I did not even know it was a thing.

All of this and adding in to look at the website for Tesla solar roofs. We have talked to them and they felt they would be everywhere within 5 years and the deposit is 100% refundable if something happens.

This!!

Hmm, you must be nicer than I am, I would politely decline rummy and invite her to play the most complex game in my personal collection. Currently that would be Mage Knight with the two rules books and fairly steep learning curve for non gamers. It takes up the entre table to play, has a solo player mode, and if the person does not know the game they will have no clue what the objectives are or if/when they have been completed so the game can stretch for days and days. If that did not work I would start a Descent 2.0 (with all expansions) campaign and claim it cannot be stopped until every possible scenerio has been completed or I would borrow Diplomacy or the massive Axis and Allies with expansions.

Please teach me! I do some things already and have been able to cover domestic trips, but I am always open to other options. I know if I signed up for an instant cash back program and bought gift cards at stores I shop at I could gain more which is awesome, except I do not shop. Those I knew who were doing it and making the most shopped competitively. We are minimalists and I cannot tell you the last time I set foot inside a big box store except to buy dairy products. Even our groceries are not bought through chain grocery stores. Except the dairy, then it is Costco.

I wonder as well. We pay as much as possible with the credit card and then pay it off. I specifically asked if I could put the mortgage on a credit card and I was told it was not allowed. Same with insurance and something else I did not care enough about to spare the braincells to remember.

Great BBQ!! I need to get to Joe's again. Last year we discovered Burnt End Reuben's. I love Des Moines, it stole my heart years ago and is a great place and it is just a day trip to get Joe's.

I am not from Florida. I have never lived in Florida. The closest I came was when DH's employer was looking to move his job there. I visit Florida fairly often, more so than any other place. I have learned a few things, most important, there is no relief for those who suffer from enviromental allergies. I sneezed my way to a pharamcy on our trip in January when Florida was in the midst of a cold spell.

I am looking at my experience as a step mom and the hell I have gone through and am only starting to emerge from and I have to wonder what part mental illness plays in a successful blended family. My son had almost no trouble blending families. My step kids were adults when we blended, and by the accepted timeline of our society they should have long been independent and working full time with college behind them. That was not the case, both have significant mental illness and addiction issues. It was stepmom hell. No matter what I did, it did not matter. All the time and labor I put in to helping them fix major financial issues, or getting them jobs handed to them, or patiently explaining basic things that are preschool level life skills, it did not matter because mental illness. Now that they do not live here they have started treating other people as poorly as they did DS and I and crying to others about how horrible their family treats them and how we all hate them. This is not a result of blending families, this is a result of mental illness and addiction. It is very sad to watch young people with potential self destruct, but they would have even if DH had stayed single or if DH and his ex stayed married. And I am sad. This is not what is common in my family and social circle.

I have seen a divorce where the step parent kept in touch with their former step kids.

You missed the point then.