NDprairiegirl's Profile

I'd have to agree with the first poster. I also have a child with severe food allergies, not just peanuts and tree nuts, but also eggs and beans. Neither me nor my husband had prior experience with allergies, so you can imagine our fear in caring for and protecting our child (so much so that I went back to school to become a RN). Whenever our son is invited to an event, particularly birthday parties at which we just drop him off and we do not attend, I try to put myself in the shoes of the host by remembering my initial fear. Many people do not know enough about these kinds of life-threatening allergies to be comfortable catering to their needs, and I definitely do not expect them to do so. It is their party, they can serve what they like.

So when we drop him off, we've made sure to have a quick face-to-face with the host, so we can identify what foods are off-limit. Many times, cupcakes or treats are out of the question, so he knows that if he missed out on "the good stuff" at the party, we'll allow him a little treat when we get home. We also hand over the emergency meds and information to the host. Most of these people we now know very well, but occasionally we still run into those who have the deer in the headlights look. It's a lot of responsibility to place on the host, and some people just don't have the confidence or want that kind of responsibility. That's okay with me - at least they're honest about it. There are plenty of non-food events where he can socialize with those people.

Having an understanding about these kinds of allergies makes me rather open to catering to others' needs when having my own events. I usually ask if there are any special dietary needs, and have a selection of options for everyone. It's not too difficult for someone like me who likes to cook and try new recipes anyway. :)

@jackied302 - I hear you about appreciating "too much", and how those people are indeed lucky. However, my mother-in-law falls in the category of giving what I always considered "too much" (I grew up in a family that gave much smaller, must less expensive, and often handmade gifts - all very appreciated, and we were always grateful for the thoughtfulness put into choosing the gift), and not in a lucky or good way... In the past decade, she gave a lot to her son and I, and when we had children, it only got "bigger and better" for everyone. We tried (unsuccessfully) to tactfully encourage focusing less on presents and more on intangible things. At first I chalked it up to her being a first-time grandmother, but then my husband and I realized that the months following Christmas were terrible. She couldn't pay her bills, she'd call us from the gas station asking if we could come pay for her gas because she hadn't gotten paid yet, and was asking for small loans that were difficult for us to provide, as well as making our relationship rather uncomfortable. Christmas was a financial distaster for her. Her gift-giving was more of an obsession with shopping and consumerism than it was giving thoughtful gifts. It actually hurt her and her family, so much so that my husband's parents are now divorced and the family is in shambles. I am wary just thinking about what this Christmas might bring... While I know this scenario is highly unlikely to be experienced by most of the readers here, I do want to point out that gifting needs to be realistic - by both the giver and the receiver. We try very hard to instill the spirit of the holiday in our children, and enjoy that twinkle in their eye. But watching my mil shop first out of excitement, then obsession about making sure her grandkids had "nothing but the best" and were amazed by an elaborate Christmas, has really taken a lot of fun out of this holiday, and has presented a huge challenge in teaching our kids to be grateful.

ANYway...done ranting. In our attempts to divert attention away from her antics, we have found that helping others (whether or not the help was solicited), making homemade gifts, participating in the Angel Tree, and writing thank-yous help with making sure our kids experience gratefulness. Our local Girl Scouts also host a Santa's Village day where the children can go in the "elf workshop" to "shop" for their parents and siblings. All items are donated by community members, and the prices are very similar to yard sale prices (or less!). The Girl Scouts help the very small children pick out a gift and wrap it, and then it's a fun surprise for Christmas. My oldest son loves this chance to find something for his family, and can't wait for us to open our gifts. We got even Halloween decor one year because he knew I liked Halloween...and I loved it! ;)

While there is no longer a complete china set in my family, at least not to my knowledge, there are numerous various beautiful serving pieces and silverware sets. I am lucky enough to have received my grandmother's silverware, and although it is not very old (bought in the 50s for her by my grandfather and their children), it is still special to me. I have several random teacups/saucers, small serving pieces, and cut glass bowls. All different and gorgeous. I am a teeny bit jealous, though, that my brother and his family will get a spectacular blue fruit compote set...
I still dream about happening upon a great set at an estate sale, thrift store, rummage sale, etc. In the meantime, we have pretty decent dishes! ;)

For some reason, it's not letting me vote, but here are my thoughts. I would NOT recommend Dill Pickle. I have an almost identical shade on my walls (open concept kitchen/living/dining), and it looks entirely too country for my tastes. I think Dill Pickle is one of those colors that I put up thinking it would be fun/fresh/youthful as another poster mentioned, but if you're not careful it can look dated and country very quickly! Alas, I'm stuck with it for a while...

I would choose a green with more yellow in it, like Sweet Vibrations. Much more up to date, and makes your artwork pop! The other softer hues are nice, especially Spanish Olive and Grege Avenue, but they seem to make the frames pop instead of intensifying the art itself, if that makes any sense. It would be nice to see furniture and more of the layout of the space, if possible.

I am one of the lucky few who live in a neighborhood with a wonderfully welcome attitude toward children and playtime. We live on a block with oodles of kids (all ages) - I think the adults might be outnumbered, actually. While very occasionally it is noisy, it usually is just normal play and an acceptable noise volume, so I haven't experienced the screaming that Annie-O speaks of.

I've long thought how fun it would be to host some sort of informal kids art camp, since there is nothing of the sort in our town and I have an art background. Seeing this painted sidewalk makes me smile. Taking a stroll through town should be an adventure (who doesn't like seeing what's going on and what is new?), and happening upon such a happy little project would make many other pedestrians smile as well. This post brings my previous ideas to the front of my mind again...maybe next summer I'll be organized enough to bring them to fruition.

I had the exact same couch a few years back. Makes me wish I would have had it reupholstered instead of selling it for a bargain price...which I'm sure the buyer did. Dang.

I've found the best way to guarantee memories is to be young at heart, or at least marry someone who is. My husband will likely never grow up - which I both curse and love about him! - so he is always outside getting all kinds of games going with our kids, and then before you know it, there's twelve more of our closest little neighbor boys wanting in on the action, too. Most often it's a pickup baseball game, but sometimes treasure hunts or water games. I like that he is so much fun - reminds me to take time for fun, too.

We recently semi-finished our basement (no trim, doors, or flooring other than concrete, but everything else is done), and were left with one white wall we intend to cover with reclaimed lumber eventually. Instead of leaving it sterile white in an otherwise inviting space, we let our then 4-year-old go to town with markers. His obsession at the time was drawing these cute little "monsters", and there are now several variations of the same style monster, along with pictures he and his little neighborhood buddies drew. I love this wall, and am actually thinking we might have to do reclaimed somewhere else so we can maintain this graffiti as part of our space. I will also be taking pictures of him and his little baby brother in front of the wall for a family photo. I love it!

We're lucky enough to live in a small rural town (a little over 1000 people), a town where everyone knows everyone (or at least has heard of them or their family name). Last year we had over 200 kids come by, and we're expecting even more this year! It reminds me so much of when I was little, and makes me thankful that my kids are also getting this experience. There is a large city not far away, and many people take their kids to the civic center trick-or-treat event that they hold indoors, where retailers set up and hand out candy at booths, but to me that seems just lame compared to running around a neighborhood in the dark. This year we're lucky enough to have nice fall weather, but honestly, who cares if you have to put a costume over a snow suit? Kids need fresh air, and it's part of the fun!

toraloraly - I just might have to use that idea! I love the thought of an evolving tablecloth. I also have many, many colors of embroidery thread that have been tucked away for ten years that are just dying to have a purpose!