gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 24, 2014 12:42:19 GMT -5
I'm in the Mid Atlantic, and I love flowering shrubs. In the mulched areas, I grow knock out roses, hydrangeas, rhododendron, azaleas, day lilies, phlox, other varieties of roses, mums and daisies. This time of year, I have geraniums in the hanging baskets on the porch and marigolds in the flower bed. In a month, I'll plant pansies and maybe some more mums to replace the ones that didn't do well. I'd like to start some black eyed susans somewhere. They look amazing in the shared HOA maintained areas. The shrubs and mulch areas are more work and require just as much water as the grass- if I want them to live and flower- which I do.
Also, just timed it...20 minutes to cut the front yard and 10 minutes to cut the back, which is half mulched and wooded. 1/2 acre lot.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 24, 2014 10:31:15 GMT -5
We have two little kids and play outside almost every day. I sit in the grass, they roll around in the grass, kick the soccer ball around, etc. Anything else would track way more dirt inside and/or be uncomfortable to sit on. But, I'm on the east coast and there is no drought. I grew a vegetable garden for a few years and watered it every day. Controlling the horn worms and wild life was awful, which made the garden super high maintenance. Getting a CSA box was cheaper and easier, so I ditched the garden. In comparison, it takes about 40 minutes to cut the grass once every 7-10 days from May-Oct. We water it twice a week for 15 minutes in Jun, Jul & Aug (edited to cross June out, since we did not even water in June, so two months of the year) and it's lush and green. The rest of the year it's is maintenance free. I love having a "lawn", but I just call it my yard.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 23, 2014 19:51:58 GMT -5
This is the part that bothers me most about the article "In the meantime, she went ahead with her new landscaping". She knew there was a rule, they told her no because there is a rule and she did it anyway. Why do people like this move into HOA communities. It just doesn't make any sense to me. That said, I agree that the HOA needs to realize the reality of the drought. Also, her lawn would piss off homeowners in my neighborhood. It looks awful.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 22, 2014 21:08:59 GMT -5
If you get it painted next to Robert Redford's car, it will increase the value of the car.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 21, 2014 15:20:18 GMT -5
Here's an idea that I've filed until my kids are around 5 or 6: Do a drive-in movie theme. You'll need a bunch of good size boxes (free from any big box or grocery store) and art supplies. Have the kids decorate their box for their "car", hang a big sheet in your backyard, borrow a projector, and show a movie at dusk. They can watch from their "cars" and you can set up a little concession stand where kids can come up and get popcorn, ice cream and cake. Parents can chill out with you. Their party gift is their car.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 21, 2014 15:13:22 GMT -5
This is very timely as I just decided to have my daughter's upcoming birthday party at our house. I'm so excited that I rented farm animals. There will be pony rides in my backyard!
I am not buying gifts, decorating or doing party favors. In the meantime, I will stay away from pinterest and the temptation to go over the top. I think I'll take a picture of each kid on the pony or with an animal as a parting gift. We'll do burgers and hotdogs on the grill. I don't consider that party costs though because I would like to have friends over and don't have parties often anymore. I'm just going to try to keep this simple and not stress over the details.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 20, 2014 14:18:59 GMT -5
Our grandchildren must really be deprived. None of the 3 (ages 16,14,9) have TVs in their rooms, and the computers are in the library where 4 desks arranged in a square. TV time and Xbox time is also limited. Consider me among the deprived, because there is no t.v. in my bedroom either. I had one in my bedroom starting at 16 years old and loved lying in bed watching t.v. But there was no cable hook-up in our bedroom of our new house. I don't miss it at all. If t.v. is still around in 2027 when my eldest is 16 and she wants one, I might consider it. But, I don't know. I definitely saw my family a lot less once I had that t.v. in my room.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 20, 2014 13:54:28 GMT -5
Yes, it is very important to me. If everyone is at home and dinner is cooked, it makes no sense to walk past the table to go sit in front of the t.v. If anybody wants to see me flip out, they do that. I don't want to be that family in the movie "The Beaver" where nobody talked to each other and just zombied out in front of the t.v. It's only 20 minutes to sit down and eat and then you can go do what you want. None of the bedrooms have televisions. I intentionally designed my family room with no coffee table and refuse to buy t.v. trays. Nope, not in my house.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 20, 2014 13:31:55 GMT -5
I'd probably have a big house even with no kids. I've been in this 5 bedroom 3 bath since 8 years before I ever had a child (although the lower level was just finished a couple years ago), so I don't really believe they are costing me more in housing. I doubt I'd ever buy anything less than a 3 bedroom even if it was just me, just for resale value alone. Plus, I think bigger is easier to keep clean...or at least hide the mess. LOL I agree with this. I went from a 1200 sq ft town house to a 4000 sq ft house with garage. Everything has a place now and there is no clutter. I love it and it is much easier to keep clean because I don't have to turn the whole upside down to vacuum or wipe counters. At 32K/year daycare is my biggest expense. My health insurance plan is $125/month for individual versus $300/month for family= $2100 + deductibles/medicines so we'll say an additional $3000/year for the kids. 529 plans get 5K/year per child. We wouldn't have purchased Life Insurance if it weren't for kids, so that's another $1000/year. So, I'm $48,000/year just for insurance, education and childcare. Fortunately I feed, clothe and diaper them for very little, so that cost is negligible, maybe $200/year. Entertainment is a wash because instead of paying for my own league fees (no time for that with a full time job and two small children), I pay for activities with them.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 19, 2014 21:00:01 GMT -5
I followed the instructions to program my comcast cable remote to work with everything. It was easy. The t.v., stereo and dvd remote controls have stayed in a drawer and haven't come out in years. My dad struggles way more with his fancy universal remote and is constantly pulling out his 3 other remotes. But, that thing does look cool.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 15, 2014 17:44:11 GMT -5
Holy shit... are their daycare providers also private tutors or something?? Nope, just your run of the mill accredited and licensed daycare program. All the teachers do have degrees in early childhood development and there are enrichment programs, but really- the price comes down to my zip code. That's how much they all cost in my area. The next zip code over is significantly cheaper. That's for 2 kids and it is pretty close to my take-home, but I max out my 401K, d-fsa and HSA. So, there is still something, I just don't get to spend it.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 15, 2014 12:02:30 GMT -5
Congrats, it sounds like your daughters are very smart and studious! If it makes you feel any better, 32K/year is exactly what I am paying in daycare and that doesn't include room & board. And, no scholarships or financing are available.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 14, 2014 14:39:28 GMT -5
I've used the bathroom floor before. I just make sure to put my changing pad into a plastic bag and wash it when I get home. She said she had a changing pad, so use it in private instead of right in front of everyone. Regardless, I think it's disgusting when people blow their noses at the dinner table (eww!), so I'd probably not like to see a baby being changed at the dinner table either. But, I don't think she should have been kicked out, either.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Aug 12, 2014 15:54:49 GMT -5
We hit 1MM at 31 and 2MM at 35. We're 36 and own 3 rentals and a primary, but the real estate market has been horrible to us. Their values peaked in 2006-2007, plummeted and are now pretty close to flat since purchasing within the past 10 years. All were purchased as primaries but we moved and rented them out since the market tanked. The stock market hasn't been much better. The only reason we're where we are is because we stock-pile money into 401(k) ~ combined 750K, keep our overhead low so we can stash more into brokerage accounts and other investments. No inheritances or snowflake money, just W2 jobs. I hope to achieve the 11% averages over the long run. 33k/year for 2 in daycare is our current money pit.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 21, 2014 20:52:43 GMT -5
Just looked at the YMCA camp daycare near me (MCOL). They offer 10 one week sessions from 7:00AM-6:00PM for $220/week per kid. That still leaves 2 weeks before school starts and let's not forget that McDonalds is open more than just 7am-6pm M-F. No chance is a McDonald's wage going to stretch enough to pay $953/month.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 21, 2014 20:24:54 GMT -5
I grew up really poor and no amount of explaining it will help somebody who's never been there understand. People always think it's easy to find affordable, reliable childcare for whatever random hours you need it.
I don't see this scenario as a big deal. I imagine they both arrived at McDonalds together, after an hour or two, daughter asks Mom if she can play at the park a few blocks away. Mom says okay, but be back here before my shift is over and call me if you have any problems. She's 9, not 2.
Like another poster, I also helped my 12 year old sister with her paper route at 9. She would give me a cut if she was too tired to get up at 4:30- which was at least 4 out of 7 days. My divorced mom was mentally ill and depressed. I was on my own all day if there was no school. I wasn't allowed to watch t.v. Bored, I would walk 2 miles to the bus stop, catch the city bus downtown and hang out at the mall. Again, I was 9. She never knew and nobody reported us to the police.
I find these situations today depressing. As a parent, I'm mostly motivated to follow the helicopter parenting approach because I'm scared to death of being reported for something that might have a very small risk.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 20, 2014 6:49:43 GMT -5
I never ate at McDonald's as a kid, so I guess I missed some sort of happy meal right of passage. When I got to college, I tried a big mac for the first time. Tasted worse than anything I've ever tried. No amount of beer or intoxication would have helped me choke it down. Not long ago, I tried a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. Tasted okay, but then my toddler took it apart. When I tasted the egg alone, it did not taste like egg. The cheese did not taste like cheese and the sausage was awful. Disgusted, I spit it out and threw it away vowing never to stop at McDonald's again.
Maybe it's an acquired taste.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 11, 2014 18:06:35 GMT -5
I looked at the shoes in the article and think they miss-titled it. Most of them look like geriatric shoes. It's okay to wear practical shoes. I'm wearing shorts with elastic, mom shorts if you will. I know there are cuter outfits, but I'm going for practical and comfortable whilst on maternity leave and up a few pounds. I'm owning it.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 11, 2014 17:52:39 GMT -5
They look "practical," but not cute.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 11, 2014 15:45:10 GMT -5
I'm seriously going to lose it if I have to keep reading ignorant Republican people parrot that Plan B is a form of abortion. It DOES NOT work if you are already pregnant or have ovulated or have conceived or have fertilized an egg or any other definition of pregnancy. If you have not ovulated already, plan b prevents it same as the pill and that's why you don't get pregnant. This is also why women sometimes get pregnant on the pill. The pill is designed to work on a 24 hour clock and if you take it late and have sex, you could ovulate and get pregnant or are on antibiotics or something that prevents the pill from doing its job. It just so happens that you can take plan b after sex because if you were going to ovulate in that 3 day time period where semen can live, it will prevent ovulation from occurring. Just because you take it after sex does not mean you aborted a baby!
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 10, 2014 13:45:53 GMT -5
We just met with a lawyer a month ago to write our last will and testament. He advised us to change all the beneficiaries on our accounts to our estate. It appears that this man did this and yet the claim here is that it's filled out incorrectly.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 10, 2014 12:35:42 GMT -5
It's a field full of women. Of course they complain, and loudly when they feel under-appreciated.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 7, 2014 21:16:33 GMT -5
If a teacher is doing the same thing day in and out for ten years they might have it good, but probably aren't doing it very well... There are pros and cons to every profession. I doubt that he's been doing the same thing day in and day out for 10 years. I've been fine-tuning my own profession for 10 years and am 1000 times better at it than I was when I started. I used to work 60-90 hours/week. Now I work 40. Years of experience have made me more efficient and better.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 7, 2014 20:52:20 GMT -5
I have a teacher friend who posted the link to the 10 common myths about teaching on his facebook. Number 2 was teachers have the summers off. His comment was "false, I'll be at the pool all day and the pub all evening." He's been teaching 10 years and also coaches. I could see the first few years being rough, but you get in a pattern and should be able to manage. I also find it refreshing when a teacher admits they have it pretty good.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 7, 2014 11:46:10 GMT -5
It seems like a win, win if you don't like hanging out with her. She gets to see her nieces and nephews, drop off the iphone and you don't have to see her. I don't see the issue.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 6, 2014 11:48:54 GMT -5
Just tie the table cloth corners to the legs to eliminate the problem. There are a variety of different ways to tie a tablecloth with ribbons so that it looks even better than if it were just hanging to the floor. You can probably see some options on pinterest.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 4, 2014 8:07:53 GMT -5
I wonder if those that work from home get reimbursed when working at a big company? I'm at a big company. Reimbursement for office supplies is not an option; however, ordering from the online supply site is an option.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 3, 2014 14:30:50 GMT -5
They both love to point out to me they don't know how to do laundry because I'd never let them. I am super picky about my laundry, true. I for sure failed there. Ridiculous. I never had to do a single load of laundry before I was 18. As an adult, I learned everything there was about textiles and laundry detergents- this is not due to anal tendency it is so I could get away with doing the minimal amount of effort to get clothes clean. I never let laundry pile up, clean clothes get folded/hung immediately (again, not due to anal tendencies but because it's an easier/faster task when manageable and when pulled out of the dryer immediately, nothing wrinkles and I refuse to iron) and not one cloth diaper is stained after 2 years of continuous use. I hate when people blame their parents for their own lack of self motivation.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 3, 2014 13:26:46 GMT -5
2 of us were super easy, the eldest- not so easy. My older sister really put my parents through the ringer and back. She's 39, homeless and continuously arrested for begging on the street. It's a really sad story. So, I tend to think nature has more to do with it.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Jul 3, 2014 13:07:46 GMT -5
Why? Do adults generally go around doing everything they are told? Do you expects adults personalities and desires and learned behaviors, etc somehow emerge/converge after their 18 th birthday? My inlaws do nothing that I ask of them, even if it's totally reasonable like using the front door when they visit rather than creeping around to the backdoor to sneak up on us. They are otherwise very nice people, so I don't get it. Sometimes I wonder if this is some sort of payback for their (5) kids not doing what they asked of them.
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