Vacation ideas

some great ideas! [2008-11-26]
I just bought a brick of cheese so that is easy. also have some grapes, celery, carrots, and broccoli so I can make a decent veg tray with that and ranch salad dressing. i might just have to stop and get some crackers but i can get those at a gas station maybe. Like you said, I am the DIL! lol but I know I'd make her upset if we left early so I better have some food so we can stay. lol

These are good ideas, but how about [2008-11-24]
with a piece of turkey, some vegetables for eyes, etc. Maybe they Maybe some will say do not play with your food but it is a holiday!

Need ideas please [2008-11-24]
Hey everyone. I almost never do this, but I want to bake some things this year (like cookies, candy, etc) to put in Christmas tins to give to some people. I need some ideas on what things we (kids 8 9 and I) can do together. I already have this one chocolate cherry bars that my friend made last year and they were so good, so I am definitely going to make them, although they Would appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

Christmas candy ideas [2008-11-24]
My husband and I make about 30 tins of candy each year to give to family and friends. We make chocolate covered cherries (just dip cherries in melted chocolate), white chocolate covered pretzels with red and green chocolate drizzled on top, turtles (I buy a 5 lb chunk of caramel), buckeyes (peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate), peanut butter kiss cookies, mixed nut clusters dipped in chocolate and peanut butter fudge. All of it is pretty simple, just time consuming. My family really looks forward to receiving it each year. I use a double boiler for melting chocolate. I haven If you would like specific instructions for any of the above, feel free to e-mail me. I think the kids could do a lot of the dipping to help out.

Looking for Christmas gift ideas for [2008-11-19]
a 14 yo girl and a 17 yo boy. Any suggestions???

How about ideas for siblings and their families? Here's one [2008-11-19]
I have three siblings, with spouses and children. Not only is it expensive to buy for all of them, but it Last year I went to a craft store and bought cheap baskets on sale. I bought each of them a 2-month subscription to the movies that you get through the mail,NetFlix (can do Blockbuster if you want). I put the gift certificate in the basket along with the big boxes of candy that they sell at the show (.99 cents apiece at Walgreens), a few packets of microwave popcorn, and a 6-pack of their favorite soda. They loved it and everybody enjoyed the movies over the next couple of cold winter months. You can purchase the movie gift certificates on line at their website.

I think this would help anybody with ideas [2008-11-13]
thedollarstretcher.com

Ideas . . . thoughts on this? [2008-10-31]
Good afternoon, I am hopeful someone here can answer my question. Does anyone here type for a pediatrician? I was wondering . . . if a child bent all four fingers in a backwards position, would this action cause a lump to form on the back of the hand? Why do I ask? Well my daughter (in first grade) came home from school with a lump on the back of her tiny hand. At first she did not tell me what happened, but it has since come out that the bully in the class bent her fingers backwards. I I had planned to take her to our doctor to have it checked out, but today the lump is gone. I wrote a note to the school teacher asking that this child (the bully) be kept away from my daughter—now there seems to be this big coverup. This little boy was always in trouble in kindergarten and he was known to throw chairs etc.. .. you name it. As a matter of fact the kindergarten teacher couldn My daughter told me that when this finger bending/spitting occurred that her music teacher sent the boy to the office for punishment . . . now the school claims he was never sent to the office, like this never occurred. And no, I wasn Also, I should mention other parents found out there were coverups over bad behavior when this boy was in kindergarten. What should I do? Would a lump result from this type of bending of the hand? I guess I have to wire my daughter to find out what is going on in the classroom. Any suggestions or answers?

How about some ideas for a warm supper? [2008-10-28]
No snow yet, but howling winds and cold with a little bit of drizzle. Need some ideas to warm my little guys up when they get home from school. Not big fans of soup, though. Any other ideas?

warm supper ideas [2008-10-28]
How about some chicken and dumplings (easy) or homemade chicken pot pie?

See inside for more ideas........ [2008-10-27]
I usually make a diaper wreath to hang on the door for the shower, gift for parents, and can also be used on the hospital door. Very easy and some will use the diapers off of it, some will keep as a keepsake. Here is a link to how to make them and pics......http://entertaining.about.com/od/bridalandbabyshowers/ss/diaperwreath.htm I also like to get the fabric and make my own blankets/pillow to match. Those kind that you tie knots on the end. I even personalized one before. If I have the funds and it is someone close to me, I love to buy baby quilts as gifts. For my niece, I got one of those big moses baskets, put in the personalized blanket and pillow I made, and filled it with lots of little goodies also. Have you seen the gifts on the clothes lines? That one is always funny. I saw in Rachael Ray magazine that they used clear baby bottles for vases and put flowers in them for decorations. You could also give mom a gift of a photo session for belly art. Some of those are awesome if you get someone who knows what they are doing. Here is a link of some ideas.......http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Belly-painting--Art-on-board-1627.htm You could give mom a pampering gift certificate like for a massage or spa, food certificates, or house cleaning certificates. Something I could not live without.....burp clothes, diapers, diaper wipes, baby monitors, swing, sling to carry baby in. My favorite is the Maya wrap. http://www.mayawrap.com/s_distributors.php

Home Alone-1, & Christmas Vacation (with [2008-10-25]
Oops! Almost forgot the cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I LOVE that ol' green Grinch!

Frugal ideas [2008-10-21]
In this day and with this economy situation we are dealing with in American right now, I am trying to think of ways to save money. I am looking for frugal ways of cutting back. Any suggestions would be helpful. What are you doing to cutback and save money?

Any ideas for a coach's gift? [2008-10-12]
Soccer season is over in a month (U8) and I I know there are the standard team plaques, etc but I He The other parents haven't really come up with any ideas but are willing to split the cost of something within reason. Any ideas??

at least you got a vacation!! [2008-09-26]
x

No ideas but I like to [2008-09-19]
and when I hear about a nice place to visit I go online to try to find their city website or visitor's and convention bureau. Many of these will allow you to get on a mail list and send you tons of free info, brochures, MAPS, and COUPONS! I have family that lived in FL, but just moved back, and I had been collecting a lot of info for those areas in hopes of planning a trip to see them next spring so I know there is a ton of info for Florida. You just have to do some research and visit a lot of websites and give yourself time to get the info in the mail. Even did it for my local surrounding areas where I live and was amazed at what I found. Oh, and if you do think of camping go to the coleman website and those for other camping gear and many times they have checklists and such that you can download. Makes live MUCH easier, especially for first timers.

I love your ideas. I'm glad your family does too. [2008-09-18]
aa

dinner ideas [2008-09-18]
Google pasta faglioli - easy and delicious, also chicken divan. I just love the one pot meals!

Timeshare/Vacation Club [2008-09-11]
Last summer, my husband and I got suckered into one of those timeshare talks while on vacation. We ended up buying into the trial program. It wasnprice freeze should we decide to buy in after that. After returning home and reviewing the package a little more closely, we decided that we wanted to cancel the trial package. I did a little research online and found that we had 7 days to cancel a timeshare. I immediately sent a certified letter to the resort company requesting to cancel the purchase agreement. They never responded and I ended up calling them to see if they had received my request. They confirmed that they did but that it was non-cancellable. We stopped the autopay that we had set up on a credit card. From that time on, we began to get collection letters. I contacted the real estate commission for that state and asked for this to be investigated, to which I received a blanket letter from them stating that they tried to mediate but that the resort refused to resolve this. The resort basically stated that it was not cancellable and that we owed the money. What I am wondering is, what happens now? The resort said they would continue to pursue this issue through third-party collectors. If I legally am obligated to this debt, why wouldn Why would they continue to draw this out? What effect will it have on my credit score? Anyone ever been in a similar situation? I should also note that we never used this vacation package. It expires July 2009. The total due has now escalated to about $1500 due to their late fees. I don Any suggestions?

Ideas for Low Energy [2008-09-04]
hi, just wanted to offer some encouragement, if possible, to say hang in there and we all feel like that sometimes. I think it i know that when i started having perimenopausal symptoms, i wasn another option is an herbal infusion made of stinging nettle: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Energy_Stamina.htm having energy is a very multifaceted issue, imho, which takes into account one i give myself comfort foods, and yes, coffee.i do an email here and there in between notes or in the middle of one for a very quick break (case in point). if i'm low energy for too long, i ask myself why that might be, which it sounds like you're doing. sounds like you're overworked and worried too, which doesn't help. trying to find ways to reduce stress is key. sometimes for me it's a glass of wine, or watching my favorite show once a week for a treat. whatever is FUN for you is key. again, just my humble opinion, but itgratitude list on occasion, or a gripe list, whatever feels right at the time! Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your ideas - I will definitely try these things!! nm [2008-09-03]
nm

You're awesome! I love your ideas of [2008-08-24]
puzzles and games. Very inexpensive, can get games or puzzles according to their personalities and all of us love family time so that would be great. THANK YOU!!!

Gift ideas [2008-08-21]
We always give Bibles. I also like to give Piggy banks.

good ideas! [2008-08-21]
and less cleanup which is always a pain without a dishwasher. lol I wonder if there is a scouting cookbook...there probably is. I think I will look up under scouts too and i bet that will give some good camping ideas for kids activities too. Thanks!

Gift ideas [2008-08-21]
Check out www.Vermontteddybear.com -- GREAT website and they will personalize a bear for you if you wish, plus could be something that is handed down in the family etc.

HELP! Turkey Day dilema [2008-11-26]
We are going to MILs for Turkey Day. She made a big thing out of doing dinner and everything for her family this year. My husband just went to her house and comes home to tell me we are going to starve tomorrow. lol There are 9 people in the immediate family and she has invited at least 4 other people that we know of. She is makinga small turkey breast, 4 potatoes for mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls and that Oh, and an apple and cherry pie. Nothing else. Any ideas on how I can creatively make food to take without upsetting her. I am already bringing a pecan pie and pumpkin pie because I was in the mood. Any suggestions, ideas? We are expected to spend the entire day and evening down there. Already made plans to play cards, games, etc. and make a day out of it when I get off work.

LOL exactly. [2008-11-26]
and when young children are hungry, you feed them cause you never know when they are going to be picky and not eat. She sent a bag of sweet potatoes and asked if I would make them. Hubs was steaming them for me. I just went to check them - there are 3. For 14 people (that we know of), she has 3 sweet potatoes. It's a good thing I have some. Tomorrow should be fun. Maybe its an age thing. I know they talk about not eating as much any more, splitting meals when they go out for dinner, etc. Maybe they don't remember what the average adult or teenage boy eats? Who knows! I thank everyone for the brainstorming session though. I think I have some good ideas and will check back in the morning to see if there are more. :)

I think you hit the nail on the head. [2008-11-25]
I have also had a few more days to think about what the other posters said too. Whether I want to admit it or not, hormones do make the moment seem worse and make me want to snap into all or nothing. You have some great ideas. I agree that she didn't need to get me a gift if she wasn't coming to the shower, and probably would have preferred that rather than get me a gift of the wrong gender. At any rate, I will send her a nice thank you and call her to see how her wedding went since I was not able to be there for the big day. I will also make mention to her that evening before I leave that I would still like to see her, if even for a few minutes. It's a male/female shower at a sports bar so if nothing else I would like to get to know her husband better. I don't want this to ruin the small bit of friendship we still have left or my shower but she was honestly the only person I was really looking forward to being at my shower. but I must get over that and be greatful that we are still friends in some way.

Need ideas please [2008-11-24]
Hey everyone. I almost never do this, but I want to bake some things this year (like cookies, candy, etc) to put in Christmas tins to give to some people. I need some ideas on what things we (kids 8 9 and I) can do together. I already have this one chocolate cherry bars that my friend made last year and they were so good, so I am definitely going to make them, although they Would appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

Everyone seems [2008-11-22]
pretty happy. It doesn't seem prurient. I've been in favor of other situations in which people are free to develop on an internal time clock rather than one imposed externally & in that regard there's probably something to this, but the siblings following the first probably got the idea to continue for a long time from watching, so there's definitely a bias there. Would be interesting for someone to design a study comparing long-time thumb-suckers with children weaned at a later age. This woman would probably say that the experience of breastfeeding can't be duplicated or substituted with a bottle or a plastic nipple because the emotional part of it would be lost. I don't know. I guess it depends on the family involved. I remember on Six Feet Under, how Lisa & Nate were letting Maya sleep in their bed until she decided she didn't want to any more. I think there's just a whole movement out there comprised of people with similar ideas, & until someone does a long-term study, I guess I'd have to say any suggestion that it's out-&-out wrong is just conjecture or has a cultural bias.

Getting over holding onto your stuff sm [2008-11-22]
It is hard to part with things but sometimes (depending on where you live) you can buy a table at a craft show/bazaar, etc. Check the price - they go from $10 to $500 around here for a spot. Just check to see if you can go under their license and sales tax # and just sell. Once you sell the first piece, it will give you an incentive to sell more. Also, if you trust E-bay, some people will buy anything on there. I donbarter with others, i.e., they may like a Halloween craft and you may like a Christmas ornament, so you barter and exchange. After you make your first dollar, you'll be ready to get into it. My sister does very well. I am the shy one. Perhaps that's why I chose transcription, I am a listener. Hope others can help you out with ideas.

Christmas Gift for Boss [2008-11-19]
My other job is a legal secretary. I am looking for gift ideas for my boss that was not too expensive. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks!

tricky gifts [2008-11-19]
Whatever your specialty is in a nice bag or basket. Coffee mix recipes with chocolate and cinnamon are good. I made chocolate dipped plastic spoons and those came out good too because you can use really nice chocolate. There are a lot of ideas out there!

Pitbull Hero [2008-11-17]
Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from AttackerPet Pulse Staff Reports Browse NewsFront Page BY CATEGORY:Alerts Notices Animal Attacks Care Safety Crime Law Cruelty Abuse Deaths Accidents Entertainment Health Science Heroes International Lost Found New Trends Petlanthropy Strange But True Survival BY PET:Dogs Cats Fish Birds Horses Reptiles Small Pets Other Pets November 5, 2008 A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson) PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her guardian angel. The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as Angela, was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. I don Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. I don The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid, Jones said. He was like her guardian angel. After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners donAngel. Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. It Jones said of Angel's possible owners. For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. I don Angela told NBC2 News. For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot. The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake. It he said of the Gulf Coast town. And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired. Tell us what you think about Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204. Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.

a kid's point of view ...sm [2008-11-14]
I just had conversation with a fellow Sunday School teacher about what GIFTS would be good to give this kids this Christmas. At one point this gal asked her son (12 yrs. old) if he had any ideas what the kids would like to get. His response gee, mom, I thought Christmas was about GIVING, not getting. Out of the mouth of babes, right? !! Maybe it Bet your children are just glad to have a good mom !!

What we do - [2008-11-13]
I have always had a plan, but I am very cautious about money and always have been. We do not spend beyond what my hubby makes, which fortunately is plenty to live on because MT sure does not pay me what it used to. I save all my checks and then as much of his as I can each month. Cut out ALL extras if you have not already and save, save, save every little bit you can. If your cars are killing you, can you sell them (and not take a bath on them!) and get something cheaper? Either you or hubby may want to get a holiday job for some extra cash and a store discount for a little shopping for gifts. Hope I offered some ideas. I do not know a single person who is not nervous about money right now to some degree. Hang in there! :-)

Thanks for your suggestions and kind words. [2008-11-12]
I am a very old fashioned person and generally speaking have the ideals that you speak of above. Making gifts, thinking outside of the box because it means more, putting aside the cost and really putting effort and thought into the gift - for any occasion. I know I have a short fuse right now with the hormones and it makes me not want to even try. Really my MIL is the only problem. Everyone else would love a thoughtful, homemade gift. I guess you sort of have to know her personality too. Generally speaking, she rubs me the wrong way but I try to just let things go. I just get tired of hearing the we are really going to cut back this year! when they said the same thing last year and it was a normal Christmas, then when I offer a suggestion she looks at me like I just cut someoneretired and bored. I did stand my ground this year though and tell my husband to deal with her on the Christmas morning doings. In the past Santa only comes to her house...so all the kids and grandkids have to cart their stuff over there to put under the tree and then wake up and drive over for presents in the morning. Screw that. In what fairy tale book did they read that Santa doesn't come to the house where the child sleeps?! Crazy how different families can be. Oh well, I'm getting off subject here but I thank you for your kind words and I'm going to try to change my attitude. I can only do what I can do. I suggested my homemade gift ideas to my husband and he then went through a catalog and picked out gifts. Granted they were $15-20 a piece but still. Every dollar counts these days. HI'm trying to look at it as one less thing I have to do or think about - I'm sure that's where he is coming from anyway. Men just think backwards sometimes.

You are so good to think ahead! [2008-11-12]
We bought a PS2 last year...what were we thinking...now of course our son wants a PS3 for xmas this year. Go figure. I hope to start a xmas fund for next year but I always say that and never get my rear in gear to do it. Xmas just gets more expensive as they get older. I have only bought a few small things so far but trying to look at catalogs and get some ideas and things done now. It is right around the corner! Good for you to be able to get a big gift out of the way so early. I bet that feels great! Who knows, maybe this will be a great xmas memory for you and your son. :)

Considering my circumstances I am looking - sm [2008-11-11]
forward to the holidays. I'm the one with the mega debt who confessed to her DH a month ago, etc. We will have his debts paid off in full in about 10 days. I still have quite a mess though. We sold back 2 weeks of his vacation time (lucky for us his work allows you to do this) and half of that is paying for Christmas, the rest is being banked in our savings account which needs restoking (used to have $5K in it but only $200 now). We are taking a night and going to the beach to see the lights (free hotel stay due to his travel points) and a nice dinner-- all of this is his idea too--, and he suggested I go up (with the kids of course) and spend New Years with my friends/family up in PA so I am surprised about that. He is going to try to come too for a day or two to have a late Christmas with my family as well. Things are all roses, but considering everything I am looking forward to seeing my dad and one of my brothers, the other is in England and his family is going there to spend Christmas with him in Ireland with his wife's family there. But DH is trying really hard, he even bought me a dozen roses on my birthday a couple days ago and a really nice card, I couldn't have been more surprised....normally I get nada, not even a card. Granted my daughter told him to get me flowers, but still, he went over the top. But I digress as usual....everyone just needs to stay within what they can afford, we are cutting back some of course, but I have a bit more wiggle room now that I have that vacation money coming. Do it every year and it is a lifesaver.

I'm sorry [2008-11-08]
I didn't mean to make you feel like your opinion wasn't wanted or valid. Like you said, I believe the OP wanted both sides, just discussing an alternate view point and really looking for more info on your point of view. It's good to have info from people that have different ideas. Something like dosing is not something I have thought about and it completely makes sense. I believe as part of the vote it stated that growing it yourself, for medical reasons, would also be legal - unless I am remembering incorrectly and someone please feel free to correct me. That would bring a valid point of dosing and if you have family members whose to say they aren't going to take a little here and there without medical necessity. Overall I am basically just speaking from experience of watching a family member die of cancer and take all the meds possible without relief and often wondered if this would have been a viable option for their comfort. Had I known where to get it, I probably would have gotten it for them illegally - but I would have had no clue where to begin with such a search. Yes, that's a lot of emotion going in to a big decision but I think emotion is a big part of medical treatment too.

Thank you! [2008-11-04]
Thank you for your thoughts and ideas. I agree with you. Unfortunately, I think the school adminstrater is part of the problem. She has gotten kicked out of several schools and let boys beat up a girl on the playground not too long ago. She sits by and does nothing or covers it up!

When I first started out 20 years ago. [2008-11-04]
When I would tell the doctor I was a transcriptionist, he would ask if I wanted a job! I worked vacation relief and maternity leave in doctor offices, all the jobs gotten by a visit to the doctor. Wish it was that easy these days!

Yes. Sometimes I tell my best friend and maybe family [2008-11-03]
about the support that someone gave me, or just a laugh to two. They think it is good that there isa place where we can get ideas, share things, etc.

Cats throwing up - sm [2008-11-01]
Have 6 cats in the house, all on the same dry food. No matter which brand of dry food we use, the cats take turns throwing up their food usually just after eating it. Sometimes there will be a hairball within, but usually just the food. I put out 6 separate bowls as well as water. If anyone has had this problem and have any ideas to help with it, I would appreciate knowing. Thank you.

Fist anniversary confusion...sm [2008-10-31]
Me and my husband's 1st anniversary is coming up on December 15th. I want to do something special, i.e. mini-vacation, fancy dinner at home, dancing, etc. I can't decide on what we should do. Can any of you give me thoughts or ideas or even examples of what you did on your 1st anniversary? Any suggestions helpful and welcome!!! THANKS

How about some ideas for a warm supper? [2008-10-28]
No snow yet, but howling winds and cold with a little bit of drizzle. Need some ideas to warm my little guys up when they get home from school. Not big fans of soup, though. Any other ideas?

I've never made dumplings before, [2008-10-28]
but that made me think of chicken and waffles. My kids love that dish. I looked up a few recipes for dumplings and maybe I Thanks for the ideas! I Yummy!!!

My thoughts sm [2008-10-27]
I have seen corsages made of baby ruffled baby socks, which is not practical for a baby boy. I have seen where people make a christening bonnet out of a lovely antique handkerchief without cutting it at all so it stays a handkerchief that is later carried on her wedding day. Again, not practical for a baby boy really. I like your ideas. I'll share mom's favorite baby shower party favor: Pacifiers made of a mint lifesaver, a Necco candy and a jelly bean. She held them together with stiff frosting and they took a couple of days to make with drying time. These were part of other favors she didn't make, like triangles of flannel made into a diaper shape, pinned and dipped in wax so they held their shape for nut cups and baby bottles without the nipples, but with a straw for drinks. It is a very 50s and 60s thing, but then that is when my mom and her friends were having babies. I'll be remembering the blanket wrapping idea. Thought of a gift certificate to like JCPenney's Pixie Pinups photography? That is different at least.

Baby shower gift or shower [2008-10-27]
Anyone have some creative or unique baby shower gift ideas or shower ideas? or what is something that you couldn I have heard of giving a book instead of a card and signing the book. Also heard of wrapping the present in a blanket or crib sheet instead of spending money on paper to throw away. I have heard of charging an admission fee of a package or diapers or 1 package of diapers buys a raffle ticket for a prize.

how cute! [2008-10-27]
I'm old fashioned and I love your mom's ideas. I could see putting the pacifier on top of little mini cupcakes or just in candy dishes even. Certainly something kids could do too. The bottle idea could double as a gift for mom after the party. Gift certificate for pictures, fantastic idea for the practical person. I have 3 to buy for in the upcoming months and one is a very practical person. Plus, since I have to ship it, I would save on that cost too!