We always clean out our closets for Salvation

agree with the clean up, and remove programs not used. sm [2008-11-21]
research the computer site, like dell, etc. sometimes they have forums, questions and answer areas. sometimes they offer fixes if it was a company glitch. but first get your ducks in a row by defragmenting and freeing up space.

Good place to shop is Salvation Army Superstore. sm [2008-10-21]
Don't dump on me please. The store gets extra clothes from big department stores. It's better if you're a small size, but they have stuff for larger sizes too. I got INC Incorporated embroidered tunic and Eileen Fisher sweater for $10 each, plus 2 pairs of work pants at $4 each.

Have you tried your local Salvation Army, United Way, or places like that? sm [2008-10-15]
The town where I live has a place called Mell Trotter Ministries. You can donate your vehicles and then the people to live and work at Mel Trotter fix up the cars and are learining a trade at the same time. They then sell the cars to the public. The money they make on the cars goes back into the organization. Also our United Way has something called 2-1-1. You just call 211 and tell the person you talk to what you are looking for or need and they can steer you in the right direction. Good luck to the family you are trying to help.

Make sure you keep the brushes clean [2008-09-13]
My daughter couldn't figure out why her face kept breaking out. Turns out, she had never cleaned or replaced any of her brushes for a year! Ick! Once she got new brushes, skin cleared up right away.

I like clean but don't like to clean (sm) [2008-08-30]
My house is cluttered and it's hard to clean or dust. When I worked at home I would wash my hands every 5 minutes or so because I was always touching dust and the sink was so convenient. Now I work outside in the dirt and I go hours without being able to wash up. I hate touching trash cans without being able to wash, but I remind myself it's just potting mix and and plant material we put in there, so I try to convince myself it's okay, LOL. I do keep handiwipes on my golf cart to use after touching really stinky, rotten dead plants. There is usually a trace of dirt under my nails now - so weird. I have to shower twice a day when it's hot.

Ouch - my husband had to come clean to me too sm [2008-08-24]
I was very upset. Physically sickened, the whole range of emotional distress. Then I realized that it wasn't just about him or about me, it was our family. The kids would really suffer. Believe me, it was no easy thing for him either. I had helped him get out of a sticky financial situation before, right after his divorce from his ex-wife. I thought everything was all good. I could not have been more wrong. So after the initial shock of it wore off, we sat down and discussed the situation. There were still tears of frustration, anger, and all of that from me but there were also some tears from him too, having taken it so far and keeping me in the dark. He knew exactly what he had risked but realized it a little too late to fix it on his own. He had no choice but to come clean. He was absolutely drowning in it but he decided it was better that I hear it from him, rather than having collection agencies start calling constantly. Your husband needs to hear it from you. Maybe if you printed these discussions and had him read through them it might ease it just a little. I wouldn't expect miracles but wouldn't you rather hear it from him if the tables were turned? Our marriage was pretty rocky before this happened too. It's still not the best but we are trying to make it work. Financial infidelity is probably as hard on a marriage as cheating. The deception and sneaking around -- trying to cover your tracks. You may not realize the exact depth of stress you are putting on yourself with trying to hide this. You said you love him. That's the biggest thing. The crud will only keep getting deeper until you start shoveling. Come clean with him and let him help you figure out what to do. Telling him the truth is going to be the hardest part. Good luck to you.

How Clean is Your House, You are What You Eat, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares sm [2008-07-26]
I love BBC America! I also love Hell's Kitchen, Dr. G, Big Medicine, Little People Big World, Deadliest Catch, South Park, etc. I love Birth Day or any other birthing shows that aren't super happy-go-lucky shows. I need to turn the TV off!

Clean house [2008-07-21]
Almost forgot my other idea - to do as Neacy on Clean House and have the family sit down and make a list of the things that routinely get done around the house and assign tasks to each person.

Once took a bucket of soapy water up to clean baseboards, etc in my SM [2008-07-12]
bedroom. Being the dainty individual I am, I tripped over the bucket and a lot of the water went on the carpet. Later I blew a fusewhen I tried to wash the dust off of the light bulb in my lamp on the nightstand. Guess I forgot the bulb was hot. I called my friends and they came over to help me. While they were there my friend was helping me vacuum. She did notknow I spilled the water earlier. All of a sudden tons of bubbles came rolling out of the bag on the vacuum.It looked so ridiculous all three of us just howled and laughed. She said . . . ONLY YOU!

Salvation Army? [2008-05-06]
I'm not certain on this so you may want to do a little more investigating but I think the Salvation Army is sponsored by or maybe just has a large volunteer population from the military. if i remember correctly they are the ones who do the Toys for Tots too.

Underwear - clean or dirty, your choice. [2008-04-17]
d

How Clean is Your House? Your Microwave [2008-04-07]
You know that UK show that 4 - Clean, 5 - Spotless) Mine is spotless because I just cleaned it.So I'll give mine a 5.

I agree you clean up after yourself, but [2008-01-14]
to go BALLISTIC over it seems a bit much. Must be lots of other things going on.

Do you have a Spencers Gifts by you. Lots of clean, [2008-01-02]
x

Salvation Army, etc. [2007-12-15]
I give to Salvation Army every time I walk in a store. In fact, I quit shopping at Target years ago because they wouldn crap--well not for the unbornbaby!) Anyway, I make a point to go where the good people who give back are ringing those bells. All growing up we gave to SA, too. I know Catholic Charities is a biggie, too. My ma-in-law is big into that one. Hopefully you Good luck to you, my dear. PS: This is what I prefer to see on these boards instead of the bickering and picking over silly stuff. This is what we should all be concentrating on--those who really need us to be here for them. This msg and the one from the lady who found out her husband has been cheating on her speaks volumes as to the kind of humans who are really behing these messages. We have a wonderful, caringgroup of people here!

We always clean out our closets for Salvation [2007-12-03]
Army, and donate to the Toys for Tots. We also just gave a bunch of good furniture to hospice, and I always do their tree ornament angel thing as I've had hospice for my mom and dad and am ever so grateful for that help.

So put on some holiday music, clean house, and make some [2007-11-23]
s

It's time to clean out your refigerator...sm [2007-11-19]
so youon Thnxgvngaway....and don Cat

Time for me to clean mine out cuz if I don't [2007-11-19]
the health department is going to condem it.

Salvation Army....... [2007-11-18]
If they go to just one agency, such as St. Vincent DE Paul or Salvation Army, sometimes they can refer them to other agencies that provide help. In the area I live in, the churches have funds available to help people pay utility bills and such. We also have a Catholic college that assists people with food, clothing and toys for the kids. There also is Catholic Social Services, not sure if they have them in FL or not. Hope that helps. Prayers to the family that they find the assistance they need.

Come clean my house. I wiill give glowing [2007-11-17]
x

The people from Clean House on Style network. NM [2007-11-12]
x

Mr. Clean [2007-11-12]
Boy, do I have work for him!

Clean out your ears so they can crawl out. [2007-11-07]
x

How do you clean artificial plants? (sm) [2007-10-29]
Seriously - the green ones (not flowers) how do you get the dust off of them? LOL

fake since - sm [2008-12-01]
Christmas in ND in 1992 and cats not staying out of the tree no matter what, drinking all the water, chewing on the needles. Went to fake and up to 9 feet tall now and really no problems at all even if there is a kitten at Christmas time. Such a difference at our house going from real to fake. Plus, no zillion needs to clean up. I do miss the fragrance, but it was either the cats or the real tree and the cats won! :-)

Tinea Versicolor? [2008-12-01]
Three months ago I moved during a hot, humid 2-day period using a car w/o AC. I wore a very uncomfortable underwire bra because it was the only clean one that had not been packed up. I developed an irritation under my arms that I attributed to that irritation from the bra and being sweaty. It has itched and burned forall thistime, sometimes getting a little better. Now I I Is this what you think it is and is there some over-the-counter treatment (tea tree oil, Selsun shampoo/lotion, etc.) that would help this or should I just go on to the doctor? Thanks for any help or personal experience!

I can tell you they are defiant at that [2008-11-26]
age. If I were to tell my daughter to make her bed or clean up the house, she argued. Then when I changed my tune and said be a slob if you want and acted like I didn They really test you at that age. Now that I look back though, I realize there was never a dull moment and I miss those days. You have to keep thinking unconditional love to get you through the rough times with your kids.

Does anyone play board games or card games anymore? [2008-11-25]
My 7-year-old child was invited to a B-day party for a little boy that was also turning 7. Anyway, when it came to opening gifts, he got Wii game toys, the different controlers and games. I did not even know the kid had a Wii game, but it seemed like everyone else did. I bought him a race track and a game of Go Fish. The race track got an I already have that comment and the Go Fish was what the heck. He did not say that but he kinid of looked at it like that and put it back in the bag. I wondered if he even knows what Go Fish is. The only gamesmy child has are board games, card games, those free games you can play on the computer and 1 game that plugs into the TV. It looks like a joystick and it has 3 games in it. These games have helped her in her reading because she has to read directions. She can identify a lot of the ocean fish. I was treated like an outcast at the party anyway. Itried to join in conversations with the other mothers, I would get ignored or very short answers, some would actually walk away. Then one mother actually turned her back to me to talk to another so I would just listen. They were talking about building houses, they have lots of land blah blah blah. They were giving each other advice on what to do with it all. When the conversation turned to how their kids are struggling in this subject or that that is when I got up and left because they toned their conversation down and then shut it off completely when then thought I was listening, so I thought that was my cue just leave so they can vent to one another about it. Itwas moreabout the teachers expecting too much blah blah blah.I have known some of these mothers or their spouses since we were little kids. They really treated me like trash back then. I thought that now that we were in our 30s, have not had much contact with each other since HS until now that our kids are going to school together, it would be like water under the bridge. Guess not. The families were wealthier than we were (just about every family was wealthier than we were back thenlol)but I know theycan Well, actually I don The only thing I did have over them is my kid is not struggling in school. She is making straight As on all her subjects. The only reason I went was because my 7-year-old and the7-year-old boy are really good friends and Ithought thatmaybe me and the other mothercould find something in common.At school, they are in separable so I really wanted dd to go to help him celebrate his special day. I could not help but notice that dd played with him more and the others were playing among themselves. I do worry if that tee I worry that they are going to discriminate against DD because I was a poorlittle nobody back in school and they were popular.I worry that they are going to start refusing to let the little boy play with dd and it will break her heart and hate me. I take baths, I practice clean living, always have, no drugs, alcohol. I don I pay my bills. Everything I own, I got honestly, paid for it myself. Of course, it isn H is not from here, he went to school elsewhere. I used to worry about that too back when we 1st started dating..Him finding out I was an outcast, dork or whatever and hate me. Now I worry that my child is going find out and resent me.

Yes. My son's second wife never [2008-11-25]
cooked. It was always McD's, Taco Bell, Pizza, etc. She never cleaned either. All she knew how to do was spend the bill money. (She didn't work, BTW). Now my grandson is on a diet at 15 yo, 195 pounds.Thank heavens, my son woke up and got rid of her. My mom worked every day and when she came home, made supper and it was always on the table by 5-5:30. If my father was on the 2nd shift, she'd make him a hot meal, put it in a square metal container and I would bicycle it to his work. When I was old enough to use the stove, I would make supper once or twice a night. In the summer, I would clean the house so she would have less to do. I worked 2 jobs most of my life, but always had time to take my boys to their baseball practice, wrestling practice, and when old enough, to their PT joband pick them up at 10-11:00 when they would get off, went to open house every year to see how they were doing, etc. I also made sure their homework was done (not that boys really bring homework home in those days LOL), had a meal on the table for them every night, never had snacks like chips or pretzels in the house. The only thing they had to drink was water or milk. No soda. BTW, my husband during this time was away from home all week, so it was all left to me. The parents today are too pressured, as are the kids. Kids are not allowed to be kids anymore. They are 7 going on 70. I think it's time they get back to being normal kids. They need breathing room. I don't know who ever decided that the kids had to be in every sport, every club, every volunteer activity the school has, but it's crazy. Not all kids fit that mold and they shouldn't have to. Plus their grades are expected to be A's and B's, nothing less. Perfection is the norm and no one is perfect. What's wrong with this picture? I'll jump down from my soapbox now.

Sorry, cleaning all day, here is recipe sm [2008-11-25]
I would set the oven at about 350-375 degrees, no higher or lower, I add everything at once, the apple juice, the butter, etc., and cover with foil just so it wonnuke it on TDay to warm it up. My refrigerator will not hold all this stuff plus the turkey -- that I do a lot the night before or day before now, as I find if soaked in water on the stove, it isn't harming anyone, then just turn the heat on and cook, or even cook the night before, smash it up and nuke it to warm it up. It's all about SPACE!

What do you mean we Kemosabe? [2008-11-24]
Someone comes over to borrow something. Your spouse says, Sure, we have one, you can borrow it! The item is YOURS, NOT your spouse's. Now, if you say no, it makes you appear to be an utter witch with a capital 'B'.... The story? I have a good, heavy wooden rolling pin, WITH the good bearings inside. You CANNOT just throw that in the sink, I used that rolling pin for my first meal that I served company when I first moved out. I made a homemade chicken pot pie, and I used my rolling pin to make my crust. He loaned it out yesterday. It's not back yet.

It's not just about rolling pin [2008-11-24]
It's more about asking me first. What If I loan out his PS3 or baseball kit without asking him? Oh come on ... you can't imagine the fuss he is going to create over it. Furthermore, If it was something easy to clean, and such, I'd be more prone to loan it out. I haven't priced rolling pins in a while, but I know that it seemed steep when I bought it! (I kind of did my own hope chest. I had dishes, glassware, flatware, linens, pans and such before I moved out! I started buying in my teens.)

Wow! Was a nerve hit??? [2008-11-24]
I didnLeave it to Beaver. That's just not the case. By the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s the pendulum had started to swing so far toward women having careers that we were often belittled for choosing to be home with the children. Remember Hillary Clinton's cookie baking comment during her husband's first campaign? In fact, stay-at-home moms were the norm for only one brief period in our history right after WW II in the post war boom times. There was a pretty awful recession in the 1970s, and I remember gas rationing and long lines at the pumps. My mother had to work two jobs, and my father, who was in construction, was often one of the first to feel economic ups and downs in his paycheck. But we had dinner together every night at the kitchen table. Before the stay-at-home mothers of 1950's t.v. fame, most mothers worked. They had to. Only the very privileged stayed home and waited for Ward Cleaver to come home from the office. My grandmother, who lived to be 94, God bless her soul, was born in 1908. Her mother died during the great Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. My grandmother was the eldest of four children, and at the age of 10 she became the woman of the house. She stopped going to school so that she could cook and clean and took care of her father and siblings. And no one thought that was wrong. It was expected because there really weren't any government social services -- no welfare, no foster care. Eventually, when her father's depression over the loss of his wife became so great that he couldn't manage to bring home an income, people in the neighborhood just took over. The two eldest children went to live with other families. The two youngest went to an orphanage. My grandmother's father just drifted away and his children never saw him again. My grandmother married at age 20 and had four children during the depression. Talk about having it hard. When I was a young mother trying to make ends meet and I'd cry to my grandmother, she brought me around to reality. She told me what it was like for her to raise children during that time. Many a night she cried over whether or not she could even feed her children or if they would have a roof over their heads. And she wasn't alone. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was in the same boat. The Great Depression was enormous. She and my grandfather worked wherever and whenever they could. They brought home a dollar or two at a time and fed their children buttermilk and potatoes. They didn't sleep, they worried all the time. Today, my grandmother's washboard hangs in my kitchen on the wall next to my dishwasher. It reminds me that I have no right to ever say that things are harder on us today. They aren't. Generally speaking, most Americans have so many more advantages, choices and opportunities than those who came before us. Yet many in my generation and the one or two generations behind me are just whiners and crybabies who don't think about the big picture. They even dare to say they have a harder time as parents today. Please. Not even close! Every generation seems to believe that, but just a short trip through a history book proves otherwise. I'm not that very old. But I've raised my children and I raised them well. I know what it takes to do that. It takes self-discipline, sacrifice and consistency. And you know what? That's exhausting. Parents today are tired. So what? All parents are tired. Offer it up, as the old nuns used to say. The kids have homework an hour a night. So what? They should have homework, and parents should make sure that it gets done, because education is important. There are parent-teacher meetings to attend, coaches association meetings, scout meetings, dance lessons, school recitals, etc. etc. etc. So what? Balance it out, quit what can't be done, do what can. Work because you have to. The kids have to be fed. It's still easier than it was a generation ago, two generations ago, three and on and on. We're parents to young ones for only a short time. Which reminds me, let's not forget about birth control. Most of us have 2-point-whatever children these days. I'm the youngest of 7. Most of the families in my neighborhood when I was growing up had 4 or more children. Today women can choose to have as many or as few children as they want. That means that we parent for far fewer years than the generations before us. I'm done with day-to-day parenting after just 20 years, and in fact, it got much easier on my day-to-day schedule once my boys were in high school. But my mother had children at home for 34 years. Imagine the number of cloth diapers for 7 children for year after year after year. Yes. I had it far easier, and I know it. So when I was exhausted raising my two boys, I just sucked it up and kept at it. The OP, I think, probably didn't want to be as blunt as I'm willing to be. She IS helping by babysitting her grandchildren while her children work. I'm sure she loves her children and grandkids, but I'm willing to bet that if she dared to say to her children the things I've posted, her children would react just as you did and she'd end up cut off from her family. To the OP: I hope it helped to vent a little, and I want you to know that I understand.

From your end you could do a disk [2008-11-21]
clean-up and defragment it. Also, make sure you have all your updates and get a spyware/antivirus program to run. Many are free out there. I have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (you can Google it) and it seems to catch things my McAfee does not. I also run Spybot. A lot of times freezing up and running slow is caused by spyware, cookies, etc. Don't know if this will help any, but it is a suggestion. Also, I run AVG everyday.

Has anyone ever made any extra...sm [2008-11-19]
money selling things on ebay? I have went through the closets and have a lot of things I need to get rid of. I am posting them on ebay. After selling those things I may open an ebay store with things I may buycheap and resell. I even thought about making little throw pillows and throws and things. I can make pillows. My mom is great at sewing and I can sew some things. Just a thought. Anything to make some extra cash. Has anyone had success selling on ebay?

COF night [2008-11-18]
We do a COF night - clean out the fridge - where we just warm upall theleftover from the meals during the week. Usually was something leftover from every meal or frozen in containers to just microwave as all it takes isadding a bit to the weekly meals. Everyone seems to like it and finds plenty - just get out some applesauce or fruit to add and we are good. Sometimes throw in a batch of cornmeal muffins.

Oh, yeah, it's very nice and improved over the first models, of course. [2008-11-17]
It's roomier on the inside than you might expect. We bought the basic version, and it still has plenty of features. When gas was over $4.00 a gallon, my DH, who drives 50 miles round-trip to work each day, was saving $200 a month. Gas is lower now, but we still are saving money. Plus you never have to replace brakes on a Prius, and here in PA, I don't need to pay for emissions inspection since it burns so clean. We get our emissions sticker for free. There are a couple of other little perks like that with a Prius. And, of course, I just think it's fun. :)

I am so fustrated I am in tears...sm [2008-11-15]
Ok here goes...My husband has hunting beagles. He has about 5 of them. I love dogs and I love beagles. Well he drives an 18-wheeler and is gone a majority of the time. I take care of the dogs daily, i.e. feed them, clean their kennels, and put fresh water. It is a chore, but I love the dogs so I do it. It is for my husband anyway, and we are supposed to help each other. When he is home it is his chore. Well he has a buddy down the road who lives about 10 minutes away. They take their beagles out together and let them run rabbits. Well his buddy is bad about leaving his beagles over here and not coming to get them in a timely manner, and I have to take care of 5 more dogs. Food isn Well you have to make him come get them. A couple of weeks ago his buddy went on a hunting trip in Tennessee and needed someone to care for his beagles. Well I didn I was fustrated to learn though he brought them and left them in the kennels and left no food for them. I had to feed these dogs of his out of our food and there was 5 of them. I mentioned to my husband that I thought that was rude. I was nice enough to care for his beagles while he went away. He should have brought food for them. I felt taken advantage of. Well he came over last weekend and I thought good he has come for his dogs. Well he leaves without them. I said oh here we go again. I had forgotten to mention anything to my husband because I got busy working among other things. Well today when I went to feed the beagles I got really fustrated because he STILL has not come and got his dogs. So got downrightticked and called my husband. I said you call your buddy and tell him I am not in the kennel business. He can come get his dogs. I said first of all he is back in town and has been a week. Why hasn I said you should have made him before now. I said I was not asked do you mind taking care of these dogs for weeks. I said you should not allow your friend to take advantage of my niceness. He said well I just figure that if you are taking care of our beagles then why can What difference does it make? You are already taking care of these so what is so hard about putting a little more food out. I said I will tell you. It is twice the dogs to feed. I said he did not bring any food. It is twice thesh** to clean out the kennels, which is done, by the way, by spraying it off the concrete floors with a hose with a spray nozel. I feel like I am being taken advantage of and I think my DH should stick up for me to his friend.

You are definitely being taken advantage of [2008-11-15]
You You have every right to be mad. I would tell hubby that either his buddy comes and gets the dogs, and doesn It I think his friend is taking advantage of both of you and your husband is being wayyyy to nice about it. By the way, where I live the going rate of a kennel is about 25-30 dollars a night per dog. Maybe you should bill his buddy? Good luck.

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water? [2008-11-14]
Water or Coke?Could not believe this..... Very interestingWATER#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.(Likely applies to half the world population.)#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weakthat it is mistaken for hunger.#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangsfor almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University ofWashington study.#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses ofwater a day could significantly ease back and joint painfor up to 80% of sufferers.#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-termmemory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing onthe computer screen or on a printed page.#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk ofcolon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breastcancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to developbladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of wateryou should drink every day?COKE#1. In many states the highway patrol carriestwo gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood fromthe highway after a car accident.#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Cokeand it will be gone in two days.#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into thetoilet bowl and let the real thing sit for one hour,then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removesstains from vitreous china.#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of ReynoldsWrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Poura can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubbleaway the corrosion.#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Colato the rusted bolt for several minutes.#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola intothe baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing thedrippings to mixwith the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.#8... To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Cokeinto the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and runthrough a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosengrease stains. It will also clean road haze from yourwindshield.FOR YOUR INFORMATION:#1. the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid.It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoricacid also leaches calcium from bones and is a majorcontributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) thecommercial trucks must use a hazardous Material placecards reserved for highly corrosive materials.#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to cleanengines of the trucks for about 20 years!Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?

Depends on the shampoo I use sm [2008-11-13]
We have well water, and I buy a special shampoo for that. If I don't, I get an orangish tinge to my hair and it does not stay clean for even a whole day. Also, I can only use a tiny amount of conditioner because my hair tends to be oily. That said, I usually only wash my hair every other day, more because of my schedule than anything.

My new favorite is Vidalia onion cornbread sm [2008-11-13]
Vidalia Onion Cornbread (from Paula Deen) 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix 1/2 stick butter 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped 1 egg, beaten 1/3 cup whole milk 1 cup sour cream 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese, divided 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp dill weed (which I leave out) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until tender, but not browned, for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the muffin mix, egg, milk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the salt, and dill weed. Stir to combine. Pour into the prepared pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares. I double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 or even 11x15 pan and it comes out great. And to keep the cheese from getting too dark, I add it the last 10 minutes instead of at the beginning. So yummy! Second favorite is corn casserole, very similar to the onion cornbread. Corn Casserole 1 pkg Jiffy corn muffin mix 8 oz sour cream 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 egg 1 can whole kernel corn (do not drain) 1 can cream-style corn 1stick of butter Melt the butter in an 8x8 baking dish in a 400-degree oven. Meanwhile, mix the corn muffin mix, juice from whole kernel corn, egg, and sour cream until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients and pour into dish with butter. Stir slightly to mix in the butter. Bake 30-45 minutes or until set in the middle. Again, I have doubled this recipe and baked in a 9x13 pan; however, donot double the butter or it is too greasy.

If Somebody Gives You a Gift? [2008-11-10]
How do you react when somebody gives you a gift that is not to your taste? It could be something for the home that doesnEwww...what were you thinking?. I have one friend in particular that never, ever fails to give me something that I will either donate to Goodwill or re-gift to one of the relatives that I know would just love it.

nursing home - hardest decision ever sm [2008-11-09]
I had also made those promises to my folks, Dad was kept home on hospice 14 months, he had suffered brain damage from not being found for hours and was awful to all of us but we managed with a hospital bed, hospice and nurses, however, my whole family fell apart, fighting, etc., until he fell so many times and was so sick, we called 911 one night for help and hospice literally threw us out of the program. You are supposed to call them (in my state anyway) and they will sit with you while you watch them take their last breaths. Could not go through with that. Then we had no choice but nursing home, they took every cent they could get their hands on without touching my momshow up to check on them. Sometimes theyassisted living scenario, and after they clean out the bank book, they put them in a nursing home anyway, so thatsandwich generation between what to do with the parent and if you have kids, what is best for them. Itshow up and if you don it's tough to walk that walk. Take care, hopefully you will make the right decision. In some states you can have her in a nursing home and if she qualifies, you can also have hospice go in there for special care such as you desire for her comfort. Good luck, know we are all thinking of you.

lol I think I found my twin! [2008-11-08]
Same philosophy in my household. Donepisodes to prove the point. My husband and son like to play those games every once in a while but I toss them right back and now it is to the point where we don't even have to discuss it. They get the message through actions loud and clear. My favorite is when hubs does laundry and leaves all my clothes on the corner of the bed. Hahaha! First, folding is the hardest part...second, I have no problem doing only my laundry and no one else's. What's funny is it takes him a bit to catch on, usually when he runs out of underwear! lol What's good for the goose is good for the gander! Not to mention the kids too. At the age of 9 my son started doing his own laundry. Didnbut it :)

I used to be this way too! [2008-11-08]
It is very unnerving and no matter how much I would get done, I always found myself adding to the list of things to do! Below are my solutions to help me, some the same as other posters. Make a list. Put EVERYTHING on the list. I find a sense of calm and accomplishment on crossing off even the smallest task from the list. Use a calender. Break it out into 1 item (or 2 if they are small) per family member. Leave the general house cleaning (bathrooms, dusting, etc) until a few days before. If anyone doesn't help or gives you problems, well cut out a task that you usually do for them. Make them do their own laundry, if you pick up after them just toss it in their bedroom or somewhere they will notice making it an inconvenience for them, not you. Or if necessary, skip making dinner a few nights. Do pizza 3 nights in a row and I guarantee someone will notice and ask why! Before you start holiday decorating, eliminate as much other clutter/nick nacks as you can. I find that if I get rid of some of my day-to-day pictures and do-dads, coffee mugs, etc. hanging about that it makes cleaning much easier and really lets the special holiday items shine. Afterall, everyone has probably seen your normal daily stuff some time in the past anyway. After my decorating is done, I put these daily items in the holiday boxes so they are easily switched out again when the holiday is over. If you have a mother-in-law or aunt or someone who is overly helpful, let them help! I didnthat that he will help me every time. lol He knows she) If you have someone that you know likes to bake, ask them to bring something that you have had in the past. Tell them you or one of the kids just love it! and have a craving for it. It will be a compliment and they will look forward to bring it for you. and most importantly, think of what it is like when you go to someone elseShe I'm sure you probably do and remember these people think the same thing. They really don't care what your house looks like and I'm sure being that they aren't having many visitors, their house isn't that clean for the holiday either.

Has anyone here had the painful problem of having to place their parent in a nursing home? SM [2008-11-08]
My beautiful dad passed away last year. My mother and father were devoted to one another, my mother always taken care of by my father in every way, married 67 great years. My mom has always had excellent health, but after about 1-1/2 years, she has deteriorated to the point where I do not know her and I am scared, she is frail, not eating, almost unable to walk, struggles to dress herself or do for herself, will not accept a home health aide, we are trying to cook and clean for her at home but it is getting very scary, she just turned 90 and she seems to be failing fast. I am so sorry this is so long, but it is all so complicated, it is like she gave up the second my dad died. Anyone go through this yet????

I don't have a problem with long hair on boys [2008-11-07]
but I do have a problem with not keeping it nice. There are a lot of men and boys with long hair that looks good. His is all stringy and icky looking. My son has a longer hair style and thinking about going longer with it but we have had the talk about still looking nice and having some sort of style to it. The minute he doesn't, it goes. Kinda like wearing dirty clothes out of the laundry basket. Sure every kid wants to do it and you have to piok your battles but mine isn't going to walk out of the house looking like no one cares enough to make sure he is a clean, well taken care of, and well fed boy.

My teenage son has longer hair. [2008-11-07]
He keeps it clean and neat (right now he kind of looks like David Cassidy back in the day). When he starts letting it hang in his eyes, off it comes. With teenagers you do have to pick your battles. He says that in a few years, it's going to start falling out (he's probably right) so he wants to enjoy it while he can.