hs's Profile

Awesome! My nephew's do this at school (in Japan), and there are some places, like temples and shrines, that also do this (with bamboo, as Jenzoe says).

I would love to NOT open presents, but it seems to be a BIG part of the party in my husband's family. I have tried to not open presents, but the guests complain and keep asking when they are going to be opened.

Unfortunately, the bigger kids feel it is their job to 'help' the birthday child, IE: by opening the presents, holding them up for photos and snatching them away and shoving the next one in the poor birthday child's lap. My daughter is usually too overwhelmed by older children swarming her to even know what is going on, and then she is upset that someone else is making all the decisions for her. She is turning 3 soon and I am agonizing over what to do about it. When I was a kid, we all sat quietly and waited for the birthday kid or his/her mom to handle presents if they were opened at the party.

For those of you opening presents, do you have a method of 'crowd control'?

I have received gifts from friends that use gift closest/boxes/whatever. Sometimes it works out well, but not always, although the same is true whether you have a gift closet or not.

Please be mindful that just because the giver likes the gift doesn't necessarily mean the giftee will. All those items that were purchased on sale months ago will no longer be returnable. If the person already has the item or finds it less than desirable or the wrong size, you have just burdened them with junk, not a gift.

I have a Peg Perego, one of the biggest high chairs out there, as does my sister-in-law. We both got ours used, at a consignment sale, which helps save on the cost. They have wheels, and the wheels lock in place. My daughter was never so industrius as to rock the chair, but if my nephew can't make it move or tip, it isn't going anywhere. So, although I've not tried other chairs, I'd say if none of the DIY tricks work, you might consider a bigger chair if it continues to be a problem for you.

As a side note, my sister used to make her crib move by standing up and shaking the foot end, and "walking" it around the bedroom. The only solution for that was to trap it in place, or take her out before she started moving it.

In the PI, I had cheese ice cream, which tasted like cheesy popcorn. Down in TX, I had a Guiness Stout ice cream for St. Patrick's Day, which was delicious.

I totally wash my mushrooms. I used to wipe them with a wet towel, but it took far too long to get them really clean. Plus, I found that it sometimes tears the tender tops of them, so it was just easier to dislodge all the dirt with a quick rinse and rub. I'd never noticed any difference in taste - just an absence of grit.

Well, I like them best as they are! Boring, I know. They are great alongside a traditional Philippino breakfast. I'd also like to try making them with bananas in turon (http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/lealea/recipes/classic-filipino-turon).

Due to pre-existing remodeling, we are lucky enough have two living rooms, side-by-side, one is a designated kid-zone, so we would put it there where our daughter can lounge or play. BTW, she loves kid-sized chairs, so this would be a fantastic addition to her play area.

Oh, I love that shine nursery lamp - it's so much cooler than the character themed ones dominating the stores around here.

Hmm. Guess I'm too cheap. I've just been getting the CDs from the library and importing them into itunes, then I can make my own 'playlist' just exactly like it was on the mixtape. Any CDs the library doesn't own I request through ILL. Granted, I only have a few mix tapes I didn't make myself. But, when I breakout the old roommate's (or high school bff or boyfriend) mixtape, I get the whole CD, so I'm getting extra music exposure to boot! A little more work I guess, but worth it.