h_thur's Profile

I appreciate the good tips provided in the comments (meghan, suzenelson, and others).

Really, as others have stated, it's about communication and education. I'm happy to work around what I *can* work around (omitting eggs, dairy, etc.), but if it's something I can't (needs to be out of the house completely, like gluten or peanuts), please tell me in advance. And please educate me about your religious/personal eating preferences. I know there's much more to keeping kosher than just not serving pork.

Hooray for the small kitchen!!! I've always had small kitchens and prefer them over larger ones. My mom remodeled her kitchen a few years ago. It's beautiful, but cooking is a nightmare - walking all over the place to get from fridge to stove to sink to ovens to appliances and messes on all the countertops. In my little kitchen, I take a step or two and almost everything's within arm's reach. It just takes planning to get a small kitchen set up to be super efficient, and a little storage space (hall closet) for seldom used appliances. I keep the coffee pot and juicer out. And the microwave (which my mom insisted on buying to rewarm her coffee when she last visited) is about to go in the closet because I hardly ever use it, and mom hasn't visited in a year.
Love this post!

Good lists for daytime parties (when your kids' friends + their parents come over for the first time) or when you have guests stay. Estimated times are way off if your place is bigger (have more than one bathroom, lots of floor space, etc.), and the daily time limit is impossible unless you eat take out on paper plates (or are single with no kids).

I just did the big clean yesterday in preparation for my son's birthday slumber party/BBQ. Spotless bathrooms were at the top of the list with decluttering and dusting second. The kitchen was the last thing I tackled since I spent quite a bit of time in there baking and prepping for grilling. Even with strangers coming over (a few of the parents I had not met yet), my goal is for my place to be comfortable not spotless.

I hated the holidays for years because my mother is so fussy and everything has to be so perfect that everyone ends up perfectly miserable. I just can't stand being around her psycho-crazy whirlwind of perfectionism. If I go to Thanksgiving, I drive in Thanksgiving day an hour (at most) before the dinner starts. I learned years ago that if I spend the night, I get sucked into her last-minute preparations that last until 4am. (It's a potluck - she & my dad provide turkeys, everyone else brings a dish/drinks/etc.). No thanks. This year is my son's year with his dad (we're divorced), and I am so excited to have the option to stay home and enjoy time to myself!

Christmas is even more complicated with my parents wanting me, my brother, and my sister and their respective families at their house for two days at the same time. My mom has been the worst guilt tripper. My siblings and I sat her down and told her that she & my dad were welcome to come to one of our houses since it was just the two of them, and it was a pain in the butt for all of us to rearrange our lives around two people. She's simmered down and relented some. We're having our Christmas on Dec 27th this year because it's the only time all of us can get together on the same day. I'm looking forward to having a low-key 25th at home with my son doing whatever we want - probably sleeping late and watching movies. If he wants to go spend time with his dad that day, I don't mind at all.

I do NOT want my son to ever feel guilty that I'm alone on any holiday. I'm a grownup. I can choose to enjoy the time alone or I can drive to be with friends or family. I could also choose to whine and bitch and be miserable, but that's not me. He doesn't have to feel guilty about anything other than not doing what makes *him* happy during the holidays.

Actually, the post was on Tuesday.

There was a similar post that had more information on paint types last week.

Like Mel_Bell said, you can use placemats. I got some cute ones for cheap at Ikea to liven up my plain, off-white renter's kitchen.

I've got to echo what others here have said about training your cat. I used double sided tape (and sticky-side up contact paper) to train my cat to stay off the table and countertops. Took about two weeks to train her. Tape trick also worked to teach her not to scratch the furniture. She does have designated areas where she can climb, so it's not like she's not allowed to climb at all. I've even had success training her cat friends (stray neighborhood cats) to keep off the table and counters too.

@hippyvieja - I agree. I used to live right on S. Congress, but I've escaped farther north up Lamar. My old stomping grounds are way over my budget.

I think the owners are very brave to forgo curtains in the bedroom and living room.

What happened to the window? I wish the window sans the wooden dowels would have stayed.