Mine was scheduled to be DD by May 9...

Mine informs me of these sorts of things all the time (sm) [2008-08-13]
He usually doesn't miss the actual entire holiday though -just goes early that morning or something. It is very aggravating. I don't know what to say because I end up arguing about it. If my husband was trying to be gone for the entire Thanksgiving holiday I would have a fit.

Mine does this too [2008-08-04]
And I am in my 20s. I have them sometimes many times a day for a week straight or so. I am going to my cardiologist again soon but I assume it is nothing to worry about because they dont seem worried. I have a feeling they will do a Holter or something, but it is so hard to catch them because it seems it essentially just does it when it feels like it.

I keep mine in the laundry room also [2008-07-25]
I also have a fat kitty who LOVES to get in there and pretend he's at the beach. I keep a tiny dustpan and broom in there and probably sweep 3 times a day. Sometimes there will be a huge pile of cat litter. Considering he's an indoor kitty and can't seem to find anything else to do, I just let him be and ask him if he had fun!

I pay mine $5 a week, they do a varietuy of things - sm [2008-07-21]
from helping me clean the house (vacuum and mop and pick up/put away), clean bathroom sinks, clean cat litter box, get paper towels, let dogs in/out, clean rooms, and basically anything I can think of that I think they will do an okay job of. I have 2 girls 8 and 9. I do let them buy on credit sometimes but they know they are not getting anything else until they pay off the first debt. .

I'd rather be where you are but here's mine: [2008-07-17]
http://www.arkansas.com/

Me neither - lol - I prop mine on top of the metal thingy lol (sm) [2008-07-14]
my husband fusses at me for not putting it on there right but he is actually a total he-man, hunter, fisher, manly man. So go figure - lol

Mine are older now, but I can sooo relate (sm) [2008-06-24]
Youearmuff looking things that block out sound. It is a thin line to tread because they see nothing wrong with this type of lifestyle when it is the opposite of what you would do. Unfortunately you may have a long battle ahead of you because I have. My children are now 8 and 11 and I have been labelled the overprotective mother the whole time. Too bad. I do pick and choose my battles with them but if something is unsafe it is unsafe and they will just have to not like you. What are they gonna do, kick you out of the family? lol - I think not. And they have to be nice to you so they get more baby time - use your leverage, but be fair and try to give a little too. Ask yourself it is is truly dangerous before you react - if it is, then don't allow it.

I think mine come out flatter when I [2008-06-18]

Didn't plan it, but seems I am spending mine with a SM [2008-05-25]
terrible head cold. UGH!

Got mine 5/16. Filed first part of February. [2008-05-24]
x

Yes, as scheduled on May 9th [2008-05-23]
Have you checked the IRS website?

A friend of mine is a chemist (Ph.D.) and specializes in solvents. [2008-05-15]
She knows exactly how various detergents work, and she says Tide is the best. I can afford to use Tide, because I use so little detergent. We have a front-loading washing machine and it uses much less detergent that top loaders. Rather than use detergents made specifically for front-loaders, I just use a very tiny bit (about the size of a quarter) of liquid Tide. I get a small bottle with coupons, and it lasts me months doing laundry for 3 people.

Ah HA! Went to Turbo Tax's web site; that's why I haven't gotten mine yet. [2008-05-14]
Now I know it Thanks for posting this!

With mine, you can set it up for monthly [2008-05-14]
or just a single payment and make the payment each time.

Mine has torn both knees [2008-05-12]
My cat tore the cruciate ligament in her left knee last summer. She started limping and the vet highly recommended surgery. I did the surgery and her left knee seems fine. Last week, she tore her right knee. She is in a lot of pain with this one. I hope to have her in surgery by the end of the week. It is not common in cats, so I'm not sure why her knees have given out. I estimate she's about 10 and she stays inside, so I'm not sure why her knees are so bad. I can't have her in pain and hobbling around, so surgery is my only option.

Mine is 06 and nothing in the mail yet. NM [2008-05-09]
XX

Mine was scheduled to be DD by May 9... [2008-05-09]
It was not. I looked and it said on there no later than May 9. Supposed to get $1300. Friend of mine said her sons was supposed to be in there the 29 of April but it didn't go in until the 30. So maybe tomorrow. Don't know.

mine to, DD supposed to be today [2008-05-09]
nothing yet

thanks, it's scheduled to be deposited tomorrow [2008-05-08]
the only thing that worries me is this little statement: You should receive a notice showing the amount of your payment. Please hold on to it because you will need it when you prepare your 2008 tax return.

Does anyone know how to find out about scheduled events SM [2008-05-06]
that I could attend this summer like you see on Animal Planet? There are the frisby competitions, agility events, etc. I would just love to take a chair out, sit back and enjoy the day watching these beautiful athletes in action!!! I would even take a few days off and drive to a larger event. Thanks for any help!

yes, I got mine on 05/02 [2008-05-03]
I was under the assumption that married people get 1200. Not true. We only got 600. The VA took 167.00 of it, so that left us with 433. Not exactly what I was expecting, but will come in handy.

Yep! Mine is pending now to go in tomorrow [2008-04-30]
I did e-file and direct deposit for my taxes and refund check, and my hubby's SSN ends in 03.

lucky stiff! Mine ends in 75 and due to be deposited by May 9 [2008-04-30]
since 75 is the very last number in that group i'm expecting it to be deposited ON May 9 *sigh* Igotta see it to believe it people so it's nice to know someone actually did recieve thiers!!

I raised mine and 3 nieces as one family sm [2008-04-21]
I did it alone with child support help and being an MT. You can only imagine the hours it took to support 7 kids!!!! Anyway, we never had money for fun stuff and if we had all the necessities it was a very good month. I finally told them: Look, I make $20-25 when I am working. Working means my hands are on the keyboard. I don Every time I have to take time away from the desk to do these things FOR YOU, it is costing YOU $20-25 for things you need/want. The more hours I can work, the more we have in the bank. I can They got to where they would name a price for a bigger job like cleaning the family room alone, doing all 3 bathrooms for me or cleaning the kitchen and then doing the floor in the kitchen and diningroom (it was huge). The price might be a movie ticket, a whole weekend with a friend, nail polish, large candy bars, a much-desired item of clothing. Small jobs could be added up and presented to me as a list and negiotations began. They worked, I paid and the house was no longer a mess. I also made more money under less stressful conditions. My own kids, now grown,have all come to me and thanked me for the way I raised them.I used to say, I know you don They were all 19 when the said they feel that they were raised better than all their friends and thank you for being a great mom.They marvel at the spotless house I now keep alone and that I am always to calm like I have no stress. I remind them, I onlyhave to take care of myself these days and you all were a LOT of work.

Wow - I'm sorry!!! Mine day improved some (sm) [2008-04-19]
My husband is turkey hunting all day!! Not working! He was also turkey hunting last weekend - and is leaving next Saturday to go do - guess what? - again - in West Virginia until Wednesday night! He occasionally does dishes and will sometimes fold a load of clothes but thatour goal is to get as much done in 30 minutes as we possibly can. After 30 minutes I will check and see what else needs to be done. If there is still a lot to be done, we will work for 30 more minutes..however if you are done in 30 minutes then you will be done for the day, if not we will keep working in 30 minute time frames until it is good enough. They busted their butts for 30 minutes...and did a great job. I had a few other things they had to do real quick and now they are outside playing and I am inside getting the other things done. So that worked well. As far as stopping the yelling - I donyou guys are getting me to the point where I want to raise my voice, so please do what I am asking you before I have to get my mean mommy voice out and then we Sometimes that works.

Alcohol...... [2008-08-20]
I personally don't drink with every meal but I do have wine now and then. A girlfriend of mine and her husband have a glass or two of wine just about every night with dinner and have for years, but I wouldn't say they have a problem. I suppose you need to ask yourself if you didn't have it, would it stay on your mind until you had it.??

Yeah! [2008-08-20]
Ya oughta try to find a 46D -- almost impossible. However, I do buy mine at Catos and at Lane Bryant. They have really pretty ones. My problem is I need an underwire for support, but they are the most uncomfortable things in the world I HATE BRAS!!!! I am from the bra-burning generation - - hee hee! Burnt a few in my time, and would like to burn a few more.

Bags/dark circles [2008-08-19]
Eyederma will definitely get rid of the dark circles, but it is expensive and it also dried under my eyes and made the wrinkles more noticeable. I tried Borba eye rejuvenator and love it. It definitely shrinks the bags and gets rid of the dark circles. I got mine from QVC, but if you Google Borba, they also have their own website. Hope this helps.

Homemade bread [2008-08-16]
Well, I'm old-fashioned. I've never used a bread machine in my life. But I do make four loaves of bread at least every week and my family can't live without it (I say in all modesty). I've won blue ribbons at the County Fair for it. This is how I do it - This may seem very long and involved, but it's because I'm trying to describe it really thoroughly. Don't let the length of the instructions put you off. Do try it! The initial makinag and kneading of the dough only takes about twenty minutes - the rest is waiting time, mostly. I start with dry yeast, one package in a half a cup of hot tap water, stir it up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. While it's sitting, I put three cups of hot water in a big mixing bowl with two teaspoons of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, and a quarter stick of margarine (or butter if you prefer). I heat that in the microwave for three minutes. Then I add two cups of flour to the ater/salt/sugar/ butter and stir it up. Youas a baby was how I was taught. Then I wash out the bowl and dry it with a clean dish towel, spray the inside with cooking spray, put the dough in, then thoroughly wet the towel (not dripping, but don't wring it out all the way either), and cover the bowel. That'll keep the dough from drying out while it's rising. Set in in a warm place to rise. In the summer I set it on my stove with the light on over it. In the winter, I'll put a pan of warm water in the oven on the bottom shelf and put the bowl on the top shelf. Let it rise to double its original size, about an hour. Can be more. Dough is very forgiving if you let it rise too much. Then fold it in on itself, recover it and let it rise again. I usually let it rise at least two or three times. The more often you let it rise, the lighter it will be. After the last rising, I spray my four loaf pans with cooking spray, then take the dough out, put in on the table and divide it into four parts with a large knife. Then, fold it in and under to form a loaf and put it in the loaf pan. Set that to rise to double. At about 45 minutes, start preheating the oven to 375 degrees. When the dough is the height you want (it will rise a little more in the oven), stick it in the oven for 30 minutes. It should be golden brown on top when it's done. Take the loaves out of the pans immediately and put them on a cooling rack so moisture doesn't accumulate under them. The family will attack the first loaf of bread immediately, be forewarned! The other three, when they are almost cool, put them in regular bread bags you have saved from store-bought bread. I freeze mine, because this has no preservatives and does get stale quickly. It's best eaten within a day or two of making it or thawing it. That's never a problem in my house. I hope you try it. It's a great feeling, getting all the accolades from your family and friends. PS - if you're lactose intolerant, like me, there are no milk products in it. I never eat store-bought bread anymore. It also makes the best toast in the world, and French toast?!? Wonderful!

Curious... [2008-08-16]
Why insulting? They aren't living off tips. Most of them are getting minimum wage if not 7 or 8 an hour to deliver pizzas...at least that is what a friend of mine was getting. Why is 2 insulting?

What are your favorite childhood memories [2008-08-15]
Watching the kids in the neighborhood play takes me back to my childhood days. Lots of people say they would never go through childhood ever again but I would in a heartbeat. I Mine were 1. Playing all day and night on weekends and after school. My only concern was getting in the house before dark (or by supper time). 2. Grandma Grandpa lived up the road so spent lots of time with them (they taught us how to do the polka to Lawrence Welk). 3. Didn Everything was prepared for me. And, no laundry. Always had clean clothes hanging in the closet. 4. School. Learning, learning, learning and being with friends. 5. Being free enough to have imaginary friends and nobody would tell me I was losing my mind (or were they really imaginary????) 6. Girl Scouts (need I say any more). 7. The idea that I could be a ballerina, movie star, singer, or anything I wanted to be when I grew up and my parents entertained that as though it could become a real possibility for me. 8. Mom and dad tucking me into bed and kissing me good night. 9. Thanksgiving with the whole family over. 10. Best Christmas gifts were Lite Bright, Easy Bake Oven, Feely-meely, Incredible Edibles, Frisbee, Slinky, dolls, and anything that was not mechanical or electrical. 11. Ice skating,sledding parties, and slumbar parties. 12. Being innocent enough to not know about all the kooks and problems in the world while I had the protection of mom and dad always. Well I could think of a ton of things, but those were the best times of my life. What are yours?

sm above right about blindness and [2008-08-08]
residual. If nervous or worked up about something, I still get little shooter type feelings across one cheek (mine started above my eye). Alice, you did not mention name of drug or if it is only for those who have never had shingles. Wonder if it can be used for prevention of future events even though one might have had an episode before.

Phentermine [2008-08-07]
I am working very hard at trying to lose weight. Has anyone been on, or are you on, Phentermine? A friend of mine suggested it. Does it make your heart race and make you feel jittery? I cannot stand that feeling. I want to find out all I can about this medication. TIA

Great advice. [2008-08-05]
I actually have told him that when he grows up and he gets a dog and hurts it, I will be the one to call the police because it is against the law. A friend of mine drove her three boys to the police station just yesterday and took all of them in, they were all acting up and out of control. She is a single mom. She asked them if she could spank her kids and told the officer what they were doing. He said YES! Bring Maybe a trip to the police station is enough to scare him out of doing it. Thank you for the advice about taking things away and such. I do believe I will try that fora while and if it doesn't work then to the police station and then on to counseling or something.

Standing up for myself. [2008-08-04]
I had to live with an aunt during my high school years. She always loved to keep kids but always had a problem with the mothers because she claimed they never disciplined their children. She is a firm believer in spankings and tries to enforce it into other young mothers. I always rolled my eyes ignored it because I figured the mothers would eventually find another babysitter. She also kept foster kids butgot them takenaway forsome reason.She said a kid claimed she was beating them too much and theblank blank State believed the kid over her. I was already in high school when I lived with her so she never touched me, just yelled at me a lot and I kept in my room until I was able to move out on my own. Anyway, H likes to talk to her husband and seems to like to go visit. We visit maybe once a month. We have 2 children ages 2 and 6. If they are talking loudly or laughing loudly she threatens them with a flyswatter.She has gotten the flyswatter out and gave it to me to spank them, which I did not. She also gets offended and threatens them if they sit on the couch too close together. She tells me that her kids never acted as bad as mine because she carried a hairbrush or a flyswatter everywhere they went and spanked them with it all the time. She also claims that her DILsare lazy, wimpy and stoopid because their kids misbehave and they donLazy, wimpy and stoopid is actuallya nicer way of putting it then what sheactually said.She started in on one of her DILs at a family gathering and got awhole plateof foodher face. She is so proud of herself because she raised 3 boys and spanked them all the time. Maybe they behaved well as children but the are now adults with issues. One is an alcoholic and never comes to visit, one isdead (car accident drunk),the otherdrinks a lot and cannot seem to wipe his own tail. What if the next time she hands me a flyswatter, can I swat her with it? Just tell her that she was the one who taught me how to handle people who get out of line. Seriously, I really should say something when it happens but I just leave, then go home and stew. I am way too much of a pushover and don Maybe I am out of line but I cannot understand why someone would take it upon themselves to decide how and when to discipline someone elsemethod parenting on someone else. H and I take full responsibility for our children financially,getting them to school, babysitters (which makes her mad, why pay someone else, she needs the money).We never depend on her for anything with the girls. My 6-year-old does not really get in trouble in school that much except for talking. The teachers say she at the top of her class and an advanced student. The daycare has yet to say anything negative about my 2-year-oldbehavior and she has been in there since she was 6 weeks old. They cannot be as bad as she is insinuating they are. Hjust says, well if it bothers youthat muchwe won it also bothers me that she is going around town telling everyone how mykids are unruly and I dondo anything to discipline them. My boss has told me how derogatory she has been toward us, her children and grandchildren that she does not even like to talk to her.

I am in no way a child expert but [2008-08-04]
What works with mine is taking privileges or toys away. I let her know that her behavior is unacceptable and there are consequences. Have you told him that that dog will bite him if he does those things? As far as Dr. Phil My bro and I were very cruel to cats when we were little, throwing them up in the air, on dogs, in water andneither one of us grew upto be serial killers. I am not saying it is alright for him to be mean to an animal and yes he certainly does need to be corrected. Bro and I got caught doing that and got in big trouble more than once. The only thing that kind of bothers me is this statement. need some great advice to keep him and the dogs, mostly the dogs, safe from harm. I sure hope I am misinterpreting this but it seems like the dog Could be the source of aggression perhaps? I do hope I am misinterpreting this. Name calling won My child went through that. I do know you are probably frustrated and boy do I know how that can be. My children push my buttons as well. But they are kids. Most grow up to be decenthuman beings. good luck.

kids and ghosts [2008-08-04]
Yes, my 7 year old always wants me to lay with him! People (including my family!) talk you-know-what about that, but I don I figure, you raised your kids the way you want, and I will raise mine, thank you very much! I look at it this way: they are only little once! There will come a day, when he does not want his mommy around all the time. I know this, because I also have a 14-year-old boy and he is just about to be a Freshman! We went a couple weeks ago to the water park and he forgot he had a family, because his teenage friends were there! Couldn't even get him to stick around to go on 1 slide with us!!!??? But...had his friends not been there, he would have been bugging us to go on slides with him! So there you have it! They grow so fast and I just want to be there for everything I possibly can! I am already upset that the older one will be gone in 4 years to college?! A little ahead of myself, ya think?! I too, am lucky with 2 good boys! Thank the Lord!

ok, good. :) [2008-08-04]
I try to make a habit of keeping my mouth shut on things if I don't agree. I don't think anyone comes here for negativity. :) I understand the situation with hubs. Mine is the same way and my family is very different. Mine lives 8 hours away and I talk to them more than he talks to his family who is 10 minutes away! All I can say is its his decision, not mine...crazy when I think about it though. Good luck with your son. I hope everything works out, I'm sure it will.

went through this too, but we lucked out [2008-08-01]
and the vet saved him. Did your vet say anything about parvovirus becoming resistent to the immunization? Mine did tell me that it was impossible to kill outside once it had been there, but that was 20 years ago.

Do you live next to my mom's neighbor's too? [2008-07-30]
My mom has had issues with her neighbor If they aren We have called the Humane Society. They don We have called the Sheriff We can Those stupid dogs have more rights than humans do it seems. If there dog is a big dog, I most certainly would not want it in my house. I have an Aussie that stays outside. When he barks, we don We do, however, tell him to knock it off and he usually does. We don We also don't have neighbors right next to us either. Irresponsible dog ownersare a pet peeve of mine. In fact, I've thought several times of writing a letter to the Editor of our local newspaper about irresponsible dog owners. Do the other neighbor

Thank you very much [2008-07-28]
I was able to find some excerpts from it online. I He definitely has more lows than he does highs and he can be very irritable and impulsive. As I said in my post, I had taken him to see a child psychologist, but I didn I I I just feel so defeated in trying to deal with him. I have 2 other children that don Yes, they can be trying, but not to this point. Sometimes, my son just gets so enraged that I I think part of it may be the middle child syndrome, but I try very hard to treat all of my kids equally. If anything, I give him more attention because he demands more. Sometimes, I feel like I The other 2 definitely give in a lot to him to make things easier, especially the older one. He The youngest is a typical 5-year-old, but he will listen to me when I mean business. I Once a child is labeled, that sticks with him throughout his schooling years. I His teacher last year was a close friend of mine and she was very helpful. She noted some problems, of course not to the extent that he causes at home, and she was able to deal with him. I think it Again, thank you for your helpful info. I'm going to look into this further.

what works for me -sm [2008-07-28]
I get a massage once a week NO MATTER WHAT! I have been going to the same lady for 5 years, who gives me a break on the price. For 30 mins it is $25, which is a bargain and SO worth it. I also schedule lunch every Friday with a friend of mine and go nearly no matter what else. You have got to make time for yourself and be selfish about it. Best wishes! :-)

Where do you keep your cat's litter box? [2008-07-25]
And what do you put under/around it to catch the stray litter that gets dragged out? Mine is in the laundry room which is in the back of the house. I'm not looking to move it, but I am looking for ideas to keep the litter somewhat contained. My fatkitty just gets in there and tosses the stuff around. He is sooo messy!

Martha Stewart [2008-07-25]
Another favorite of mine but I never get to watch or record her anymore because she is on the same time as my Y&R and...well...that out ranks Martha. I used to watch Martha so much my mom started calling me Martha and my hubs Stewart. LOL

I had a very strong-willed child. sm [2008-07-22]
For starters - if she does leave - I would call the police ASAP and report her as a runaway. Otherwise she is out of the house with your permission and you need to protect yourself from neglect charges. Mine ran away 10-15 times and he was finally taken into juvenile hall and then foster care as he was incorrigible and refused to stay home and we had no control - his choice. He had 3 other siblings who obeyed the rules. Remember you are also responsible for any trouble she gets into while she is out there - stealing, etc. It can get very complicated - not to mention dangerous - so do everytihng you can to protect her and you - the street is no place for a 16 YO

I was also wondering how she had $$ or if [2008-07-19]
she had a job. Another card to play, and its tough, but you can just throw it out there, is that if she does not straighten up, for lack of a better word, that you would speak to her employer. She Though that is what she needs as well.Sorry if they don They just didnI was slick. I still got straight Awant to be kids in the end. Also, I would not let her drive, as you had mentioned. So, dropping her off at work and picking her up - that will be a lesson in humility for her as well, but again, she needs not humility as much as being reminded that she is under YOUR authority and not the boss, and not an adult. As others have said, its tough love, and a hard balancing act. Know that youbluff your way a bit thru some of this hard stuff. I would bluff my way to hoarseness if I knew my kids were doing half the stuff that I did at 16. Please don Praying, praying, praying for you, too.

You're the parent, she's a minor child [2008-07-16]
This is sadly too common. Your daughter is pushing your bottons in a big way. I remember being that age and partying it up. One day it just became very boring and that was the end of it. Sadly, many people I knew didn't have it quite that easy. My first real love and a friend of his were killed from DWI at 19. Not only did they hit a car with a family of 6 (who managed to live), the rest of us had 2 funerals to go to. The priest for my boyfriend's funeral was actually his uncle! The pattern she displays is not good. Many good girls hit this age and venture into situations which they're ill-equipped to handle. My guess is that she's doing plenty more than she says. It's not that she doesn't love you. I have no idea how expensive it is to get a drug test done on her hair, but that may be one avenue. Of course, it'd be easy to get hair from a brush, etc. I have no idea how you could get a UDS unless you simply asked her point-blank for one (since she claims she has nothing to hide). I'm just not buying it, I'm sorry to say. About 2-3 years ago a friend of mine from high school was found dead in her apt. from alcoholism. This was one of the girls who had parties at her house in high school. She didn't even live to see 50 and died alone, sick, and miserable. When I found out from another friend I was surprised at first, but started retracing backwards and it was clear as a bell. Her father was an alcoholic. We didn't realize the significance of alcoholism in previous generations like we do now. I also agree with another post I read about that this is your home, so she needs to abide by your rules. Of course, Dr. Phil says that all the time, too. I can't have kids, but I remember being one. Speaking of Dr. Phil, maybe you could check his boards, too. It's so frustrating to get to this point, but just know that many here will support you and offer as much advice as possible, even if it may be from an MT without kids. Please keep us posted, and best of luck to you.

I have an LG and hubby has a Motorola.... [2008-07-14]
Mine's much, much better. BUT (big but there), mine was a much more expensive phone. He got the cheap one, and it's not very good but maybe a more spendy one would be. So, I guess I'm not that much help am I!!

Yes, I'm so glad I didn't listen to that vet.... [2008-07-13]
I wouldn't have my dog any other way! HE doesn't think anything is wrong at all! He definitely won't be felt sorry for! So your dog was born able to hear? Apparently mine was born deaf...he has what's called double-dapple in. It's what makes his eyes blue, so says a breeder friend of mine. He is also VERY intuitive to small little details. All I have to do is START walking towards the closet where I keep his leash and he is spazzing around because he knows it's walk time. Thanks for sharing!

I feel the same way about the dust bunnies. [2008-07-10]
They are easy to see and clean up with a quick vacuum or pass of a swiffer. I've heard that a carpet that has been in place for 15 years can weigh nearly twice it's original weight because of accumulated dirt that doesn't come up with vacuuming. Our 100-year-old house has original pine flooring. Pine is soft, and we've refinished it once in the 25 years we've been here. It's a more rustic look, and I've raised 3 boys in the house, not minding any little nicks and scratches along the way. Now that they are grown, we'll refinish again. Plus, I like the option of changing the look of the room with a throw or area rug, if I like. Our addition has a subfloor which we covered with carpet. It's our family room, and the carpet is always dirty. The other end of the addition has a wood laminate floor, which has been the best flooring we've had by far. It doesn't scratch, it's easy to clean, and it looks and feels just like wood. Some laminates are cheap looking, as though they were Xerox copies of real wood. We spent more money and got a nicer looking product. When it's time to replace the kitchen flooring, we're thinking of doing a semi-remodel to remove the old vinyl flooring (which is cracking and tearing after 22 years), installing in-floor radiant heat, and then wood laminate flooring. I think that will look great, plus we can find some greener or enviro-friendly recycled products, as well. Newer green construction is doing less and less carpet, because durable flooring can be made of recycled materials, is cleaner, and lasts longer. Oh, and a friend of mine just had a cork floor installed in her kitchen. It looks amazing! I thought it would like like a bulletin board, but it's actually really nice. Since it's brand new, I can't comment on the durability. But it is eco-friendly, wasn't terribly expensive, and it really looks great. You might want to investigate that.