Midlife Crisis: Support for Left Behind Spouses
Archives => Archived Topics => Topic started by: Voyager on August 28, 2010, 01:00:08 AM
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Hi all,
Just been chatting with Dawnlight about a fantasy island idea someone had (might have been me, can't remember) where LBS's could go to relax, chill out and have fun.
So I decided to put my money where my mouth is and start a thread.
This is a fantasy island so your bit can have anything you like on it, whoever you like on it, and depending on taste it could be rocky, sandy, remote, or not.
steel band? Pino Coladas? Orange juice?
Food....burgers, steaks, sushi??
Dawn light wants David Beckham on hers (oh well...)
Would you live in a hut? Mansion? sleep under the stars?
Luxury or back to basics..(luxury for me)
It's a place to write about calming, soothing, fun things....no MLCers!! Just for us.
I think it would be fascinating to see what we each would want on there and if it takes our minds off grimness it would be worth a few lines and get some creative writing going. Some of you on here are fantastic writers......
I'm still working on mine, so far I've got a well stocked bar, Johnny Depp, some pirates (don't ask..) and my mate Jake, but it needs some other things to make it complete, I'll add things as I go along, you're welcome to join me, drinks are half price every other day!!
Lets see what happens! (LOL) :o :o :o 8) 8) 8)
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Drinks are half price every other day!!
So do I have to pay full price or 1/2 price today?
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Fantasy island for me is where we can be who we want to be and do what we want to do.
I suppose that we can't bring our H/W, can we, because we're GALing without them.
I will have a beautiful one level house made out of black slate, with a big covered verandah and a BBQ to invite you all, my LBS friends. There will be white hammocks slung between the pillars, and some low cushions on which the rest of us can recline, free from the pressures of thinking about our crazy MLCers. Laughter will ring out under the verandah, and in the distance, the gentle sounds of lapping waves from the sea that we can glimpse between the palms.
How will we spend our days? Productively, doing what we always (secretly) wanted to do. In my case, after a run and swim on the beach, a bit of Kayaking, I would then spend two or three hours writing. Lunch would be a light consomé and a sandwich, in the company of you, my LBS friends, and our children. Then I would go to the music studio to improve my jazz piano, learn a bit of saxophone and sing. My daughters would join me there.
A light walk on the beach would stimulate our appetite for dinner, which would be grilled over charcoal flames and washed down with a cool Vinho Verde. Someone would take out their guitar and sing (Johnny Depp has arrived), and we'd all join in. Suddenly, we'd all be able to dance the samba in perfect synchrony...
Lights.... cut... Take two...
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I like your bit of the island Mermaid, and OP it's half price today!
On my bit of the Island I would be in a small sandy cove, the sand would be white. Behind the beach there would be hills, not too steep and covered with tropical plants and bright flowers. There would be large exotic butterflies and in the evening fireflies, but no other flies!!
My House would be made out of driftwood and inside it would be large, but not huge, filled with big comfy sofas, large luxurious bathrooms and a log fire for chillier evenings.
Outside there's my bar, and a huge barbecue area. Hammocks of course and lots of big cushions to lie or sit on.
Music would be provided by an invisible sound system that you simply thought of what to play and it came on.
In my living room I would have a grand piano for me to play, and a writing desk made out of driftwood.
In the evening all my LBS firends would come over. Johnny Depp, Sean Connery and David Beckham (just for you DL) would serve drinks. Marco Pierre White would be in charge of the BBQ and we would have all the freshly caught fish from my cove.
Under a canopy further down the beach there would be a massage and yoga/facial/spa area which we could visit whenever we liked.
Moored in my cove would be little sail boat, for me to sail round to see my other LBS friends and the kids could take turns to learn to sail.
During the day I would swim, meditate, play music and write. I would have a library stuffed with books and games.
I would sing along with mermaid, I used to be a folk singer and sang sea shanties as my favourite, hence my love of pirates!
We would dance on the beach until sunrise and then have champagne and bacon sandwiches for breakfast!!
I haven't finished my house yet though, may have to come back and decide on paint etc....that felt really relaxing.... 8) 8) 8)
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OP it's half price today!
1/2 price great!
Can I have a strawberry daqueri please
with the little umbrella in it.
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Do you want canapes with that sir?? 8) 8)
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By the way OP, didn't have you down for a daqueri sort of guy?? Is that your fantasy drink, or real life tipple?? 8) 8)
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I am not the party animal, but on our island, there has to be an amusement park for our kids. I want our kids to get together and have a great time. Also, there would be an ice cream bar with all our favorite toppings (No charge of course). I love the BBQ and I would help grill the best steaks and chicken ever.
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Also, there would be an ice cream bar with all our favorite toppings (No charge of course).
Ooooooh! Can I have melted milk chocolate on mine?
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Melted chocolate on real vanilla ice cream, or caramel hmmmm
I don't think the amusement park would be just for the kids RTFMF, I'd definitely want to go on, I used to love the Ghost Train!! 8) 8)
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Oh, not me. I'm scared of the rides. Even bumper cars can be dangerous.
Give me saturated fat and sugar anytime. No danger in that.
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Mermaid, I'll join you in sitting out the scary rides -- but cocktails on the beach, yes please.
My island would have lovely sunshine, a light breeze, a steady 25 degrees Celcius during the day, cooler at night so we can sleep....
The house would have a wide wooden deck, long white curtains wafting at the (open) windows, steps down to the beach -- wide, flat stones..... there would be dunes as well as flat sand; Oh, I like this.
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What would we eat at your place TL, and who would serve the drinks?? 8) 8)
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Nice hard sand for a daily run. Nice clean warm water (with no sharks!). Seaside house with balcony. Ample supply of red wine, chocolate, sesame sticks, snacks etc. A good supply of really easy-read detective novels (all my poor brain can stand these days). Good company with all you fellow-LBS chaps.
And the piece de resistance, a huge recording studio complete with studio tech, engineer, producer and good-looking tea boy.
When does the plane leave? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? .......... ;)
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BH
Recording Studio!! wow, would you record my folk singing?? I'll pay you!! and the good looking tea boy, what will he look like?? 8) 8)
We can land whenever you want, guess we need a fantasy airport, or maybe you only get there by boat?
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So we'll go running together early morning on this nice hard sand (I might puff and pant a bit). You, me and Voyager can go off to the recording studio (do you sing? play something?).
Good looking tea-boy, huh? How old? 20, tanned, muscled? What's he doing serving the tea?
Yup, we're all agreed on wine, chocolate, ice-cream, cocktails on the beach, daqueris with umbrellas (just so we can joke with them. May be I'll jump out of a ground floor window and pretend I'm Mary Poppins).
Nearly there, BH. Put your seat belt on please.
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We'd eat the grilled fish that RTFMF said he'd do on the barbecue for us.... and lovely green salads. I'd have to think about who would be serving....
And there would be fantastic personal trainers to put us through our paces; I love the idea of running but can't really, so need alternatives. But exercise is essential.
I'll join in the singing; I come from a culture where song and dance is in our blood. If you can put up with my bad flute playing I'll try to accompany as well.... but I'd probably need too much practice.
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TL
As it's fantasy island your flute playing is brilliant as is my piano playing. I may go and sit on my hammock during the personal training bit though...I'll get in the warm tropical waters and swim!
The tea boy is there to do as he's told Mermaid!! 8) 8)
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Hey, and I can sing like Janis Joplin/ Ella Fitzgerald as necessary, play the piano like Diana Krall, and look 26 years old again.
The tea boy is there to do as he's told Mermaid!! 8) 8)
Well, hey. Young man!!! I'll have some of your Vichysoise!
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Oh well, I’ll start the day with a long swim in the cool crystalline waters, then I’ll lie down on the golden sand, drinking coconut milk and letting the sun gently dry me.
Then I’ll move to the amok under the palm trees and while I get absorbed in a page turning detective novel, I’ll get a foot massage by a David Beckham look alike 30- year- old man (It’s all right Voyager, isn’t it? he won’t have to speak…)
At lunch time, we’ll have cocktails (a mojito for me, please) with seafood and then grilled fish with chilled prosecco…
At night we’ll have big parties on the beach, with fires, music (provided by Mermaid and Voyager) dancing salsa…(of course I’ll be a perfect dancer, I might even venture tango!!!!)
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Sounds awesome. I have to have an elliptical. It is my exercise machine of choice and my daily meditation.
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Call me boring, but what I would love to right now is just lie in a hammock in the shade on a beach and watch the waves. And snooze.
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Sweet dreams, trusting!
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Thanks, Mermaid. I am going to think about that hammock and beach when I go to sleep tonight. :)
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LOL, I think I'm going to find a rock to sit upon, and watch for awhile while I drink some coffee! :)
Carry on! :)
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Of course I meant "hammock", not quite sure what "amok" means but somehow it doesn't sound appropriate to the atmosphere.....
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To add to my fantasy -- I would be able to sleep, really sleep. And wake refreshed.
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I don't know about everyone else, but I get fed up talking about MLC and I thought we were in need of a thread for anything but. Yes, anything (anything printable anyway, don't want RCR getting into trouble :o)
I'll start it off. Does anyone else's cat bring in earthworms? Our cat (kitten really, but she is big so she looks like a cat) is called Hope and is a tabby. One day we came in and found a worm on the kitchen floor. You might laugh, but we couldn't work out how a worm had got into the kitchen and were contemplating the cat might have worms and had sicked it up!
Anyway, we gave her some worming pills! OK, OK, those worms probably don't look the same, but this one wasn't very big. Next day, we saw her come through the cat flap with a massive worm dangling out of her mouth and mud on her nose! She now brings in a collection and we have to release them back into the wild. How on earth does she find them? I have never known any other cat do this. Unless of course, yours does .......................??
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True
I have a Cocker Spaniel who loves to bring in slugs and snails.
Very bizzare when I see them crawling up the kitchen wall. I also didn't know where they came from until she brought one in and sat very proudly in her box with it. Yuk.............
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You ladies more than likely already know this but I just learned that you must defrost your turkey in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
It is 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 lbs of frozen turkey!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.
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I have a Cocker Spaniel who loves to bring in slugs and snails.
Very bizzare when I see them crawling up the kitchen wall. I also didn't know where they came from until she brought one in and sat very proudly in her box with it. Yuk.............
I used to eat spiders when I was very little.................and soap, but not at the same time, that would have just been plain nasty.
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My cat brings it just about anything.....mice, squirrels, chipmunks, beetles, rabbits, bats.
A few weeks ago, he brought in a flying squirrel. They tend to stay in the treetops and he is a large cat who doesn't climb trees. Somehow he coaxed it down to his level.
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Still
An intelligent cat, not so intelligent squirrel............
V
Even as a child you were meant to wear a viking hat. I drank fairy liquid once to see what it tasted like. I felt very sick afterwards but I was squeaky clean inside lol
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Hey TTM my cat brings in earthworms too and here in the north of UK they are plentiful. She is very capable of catching all sorts of small mammals and birds as her weekly sacrifices will testify - so not sure what this one is about - why bother with these spineless creatures who are so obvious eh or is she giving me an mlc metaphor :D
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oops sorry TTM realised I was supposed to avoid the MLC word ;D
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No worries, fb. It's a bit like the yes/no game, where you can't use those words. Unfortunately you just got the buzzer but I'll let you piay again tomorrow!
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OK on a separate note I am in to the benefits of positive psychology which I believe - along with this site has really helped me with my current situation. It includes things like remembering the things each day taht I am grateful for - usually my kids, ,my froiends and family or ocassionally a beautiful sunny day ( I am in North of UK remember :)) anyway sure some of yoy will already know this but one of the ways to wellbeing-happiness is to make use of our character strengths. I have seen very positive evidence of strengths of all on this site. Idea behind character strengths for example is to try and use them as much as possible and in particular id how they may help us overcome challenging times. We all have "signature strengths" which are our top or so - mine include curiosity and humour for example, I believe the former led me to this site in first place and second allows me to experience the therapeutic effects of the humour of belly laughs of so many contributions here ;D. Anyway you guys in US have the headstart on strengths stuff with free accesto some really good resources. Take your free strengths survey at http://www.viacharacter.org/Surveys/SurveyCenter.aspx
tand lets talk about how these might help us in these challenging times. You are all the strongest people I have encountered ;)
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FB
I've just taken that survey, really interesting!!
Definitely worth a go.
xx
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Voyager, hopefully it is useful for validating who you are , if we can use our strengths on a daily basis then we will feel good, authentic and energised. If we are lucky we might get to do this through our work :) , if not we can make a conscious effort to use our strengths in our day to day lives and experience the benefits of being our best.
I posted the link because there is a suggestion that we can look to our strengths to help us overcome adversity, eg those of us who's character strengths include kindness and forgiveness could engage in acts of kindness with friends, family etc and foucus on forgiving the mlc spouse. someone else who had eg appreciation of beauty and zest could go running in the countryside :) the point is focusing on our unique strengths is the best way forward for us as individuals - so worth knowing what our strengths are.
I think it is some of your own posts Voyager which have appealed very much to my own Humour strength so thanks for that :)
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Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and that you are surrounded by friends and family who love and appreciate you!
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You ladies more than likely already know this but I just learned that you must defrost your turkey in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
It is 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 lbs of frozen turkey!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.
That seems like a long thaw! I gave my 25lb er 3 days in the frig and it was fine. One year I forgot to take it out of the freezer and put it in a bathtub of cold water overnight...no one got sick!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
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You ladies more than likely already know this but I just learned that you must defrost your turkey in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
It is 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 lbs of frozen turkey!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.
That seems like a long thaw! I gave my 25lb er 3 days in the frig and it was fine. One year I forgot to take it out of the freezer and put it in a bathtub of cold water overnight...no one got sick!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Well ours didn't thaw out after 3 1/2 days in the fridge. LOL
But we finally got it together, and it tasted great!
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Off Topic. I like it.
Got a new phone......
Got a new monitor......
Hooked up wireless keyboard, mouse and better speakers.
Makes the office nicer!
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Ha found it.......ok let rip with the fantasies if you feel the need!!
I'm fantasising about who I would like my father christmas to be............once he took his beard and hat off that is..... ;) ;) ;) ;)
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the MLCers are running "amok".. so no need for them on fantasy island
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L&L
Golden rule no MLC'ers running "amok" anywhere on this island. Still struggling with my fantansy father christmas, Jonny Dep is too thin......hmmmmmm..........
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hands down- George Clooney
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Maybe.....now I know this might sound a bit weird but does anyone remember Gerard Depardieu in Green Card. He had a face only his mother could love but there was something about him.....and he's not thin by any means!!!!
He'd make a good fantasy Santa, with all the french stuff as well and lots of arm kissing..i could go for that.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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well if Parisians are your thing- olivier martinez... but you're right Gerard Depardieu does have that gallic charm
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I don't get a Father Christmas (well, I could have one but that'd be kinda weird) so my vote is for Santa's Favorite Elf.
I think Maggie Gyllenhaal is very attractive and funny, but Olivia Wilde in the new TRON movie is really yummy... decisions, decisions...
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Brendan Fraser or harrison Ford slightly younger version although all that experience...
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Sean Connery!!! Despite his age, he's still lookin' good (but if I could have a younger version, so much the better)..
Voyager.... Gerard Depardieu? who "had a face only his mother could love" ... your silver tongue must get your H quaking in his boots...
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okay... I'll play along
Brad Pitt... pre MLC :o >:( ??? ::)
Mel Gibson.... pre..... wait a second, I'm sensing a theme here for me ??? ;D
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Mmmmmm...Tom Selleck when he was on Friends...delicious!
I can't wait to get to this island, lol!
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Add to the man some fresh seafood and fruit...
I don't drink anyone want to introduce me to something delicious?
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Here's a great drink... mulled wone!! After a couple of glasses you'll believe you're on fantasy island:
Ingredients:
•One bottle (750 mL) of red wine (suggestions: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot)
•One peeled and sliced orange (keep peel to add zest to taste into cooking pot)
•1/4 cup of brandy
•8-10 cloves
•2/3 cup honey or sugar
•3 cinnamon sticks
•1 tsp fresh or 2 tsp ground ginger /allspice
Preparation:
To make the perfect cup of mulled wine, combine all ingredients in either a large pot or a slow cooker. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat (avoid boiling), for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved. When the wine is steaming and the ingredients have been well blended it is ready to serve. Ladle the mulled wine into mugs (leave seasonings behind) and enjoy!
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I've done the above recipe with apple juice for the non-alcoholic version. Some call mulled wine "wassel" ..as an fyi
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Yum! The wine sounds good...I'll have to try it...and as for yumminess.....DAVID BECKHAM....married to Victoria...who is GORGEOUS...
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Colin Firth(Mr. Darcy) is there with me, gazing lovingly into my eyes, and holding my hand. We're drinking Margarita's and having Mexican food, too. There's big sea turtles in the water and they so friendly and give us a ride on their backs once in a while. There's monkey's in the trees, all colours of parrots, hibiscus in bloom all in the lush tropical folliage, and a waterfall, which we will partake in later. I look really great in my little bikini, he can barely take his eyes off me!
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truth be told, the actors that I posted before are nice eye candy... however, if I could REALY take anyone I wanted to a private island with me it would be the man I married...before alien took over. Sure, he may not be on the List for Sexiest Man Alive, but he was/is to me. He wasn't perfect, but neither am I....and knowing now, what I didn't then, I think we could work through some of the things that we glossed over...NOW THAT WOULD BE MY IDEAL PARADISE ;)
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Oooh colin firth oh yeah
SW in reality this is what we would wish our Hs back. But while they are out trying to love a fantasy I will have a bit of fun with fantasy as well.
Real life is hard on us at present.
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Wow this island's become inhabited again.... :) :) :)
Rememberer - right there with you with Colin Firth, especially in Pride and Prejudice..swoon....in fact i'll fight you for him. ;D ;D ;D and i like the sound of your bit of the island, i may move next door.
Voyager.... Gerard Depardieu? who "had a face only his mother could love" ... your silver tongue must get your H quaking in his boots...
Heehee, Mermaid I certainly know how to charm them, must be my Viking love language.......club them over the head a lot until they give in...always seemed to work for me....... :o :o :o
I guess the acid test for who you would like to serve you the drink would be what we expect them to wear on this island.
Some guys look fab in a waiter outfit with the little bow tie.....but on my island they would be wearing a little grass skirt....because it's hot, now that would influence the choice for sure.....certainly not Gerard Depardieu. :o :o :o
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yes, grass skirts are good, and they're very short! Those gorgeous waiters have to bend over to serve us our fancy drinks and so we get a little peek, once in a while....and then there's a bit of a breeze on the island that lifts the skirts at the front on occasion too! LOL! Oh, I'm going to need to take a cool little swim, soon.
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Rememberer
Don't forget it gets hot on this island, don't get yourelf over heated!! Maybe one of your sea turtle friends can take you off and put you under a nice cool waterfall!!
Now i think about it, what would we be wearing?? Not a grass skirt for me i think, not my helmet either, maybe a slinky deep red dress with killer heels....or a sort of floaty almost see through Kaftan type thing with pretty little beaded sandals.....hmmmm what to wear...always a problem. ;) ;) ;)
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Mmm watching Mr Darcy walking out of the waves wearing his jodhpurs, while lying in a hammock tied to a couple of palm trees.
Maybe Michael Buble serenading me and drinking a cocktail out of a coconut shell. And having the perfect suntan, without any red patchy bits.
Oh, and no such thing as MLC. All our Hs perfectly happy being at home with the kids, and telling us to take as long as we want to enjoy ourselves because we are worth it.
We can but dream!! ;)
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What to wear? On a fantasy island? Nothing at all. No pretence. No cold. No, errrrrr, spare tyres (it is a fantasy island).
On the other hand, my streaking days are over, so maybe a light kaftan for me. The men should be in boxers (got to leave something to the imagination).
Mr Darcy should be eternally emerging from the sea in a white shirt. Michael Bublé should stick to the singing.Sean Connery and Johnny Depp can be tender bar tenders.
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Hmmmm
I can dream
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I'm wearing a turquoise sexy bathing suit that shows off my glowing, tanned skin and lovely flowing scarf tied around my waist.
My H comes crawling along the sand begging me to give him another chance, how he's missed me and can't live without me...and I say, go away you crazy pathetic man, I've got Colin now and he's 10 x's the man you ever were!(sorry, so mean, but it just fantasy now) and me and Colin go walking along the beach hand in hand into the sunset.
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Rememberer
and me and Colin go walking along the beach hand in hand into the sunset.
I'll be holding his other hand. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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ok-V, I'll share-I've never been a selfish one! He's man enough for the both of us. ;D ;D ;D
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Mmmmmm...Mr. Darcy...DEFINITELY!! I'll be there walking with you all...and if you are both holding his HANDS, I will just find some other part of him to hold ;)
I watch that movie all the time while I sew...I've already worn out one copy. My daughter was AT "Pemberly" earlier this year...the actual place where it was filmed and I got chills just looking at her pictures...it was awesome!
Ok...back to the island...I agree...H should be there crawling in the sand while we walk away attached (somehow) to Colin, teehee!
I like this thread...
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Hi,
I'm asking my community of wise and knowledgeable friends for some help.....
Does anyone have any homemade recipes that help get rid of pet stains in the carpet? I have tried all the commercial stuff and they don't seem to work.... I want to clean carpets today and I have a carpet cleaner, but it doesn't seem to do the trick.
See there are other things to talk about..... but somehow it still revolves around getting the poop and pee stains out of your life. Haha.. had to tie it to MLC somehow... :-)
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Woolitr pet + oxygen isn't too bad but I have the same problem :(
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Ive tried everything too...
I dont know what actually gets out the Stain...but the urine smell can be taken out with
baking soda and peroxide. with a lil bit of lemon.
pour peroxide first on the spot with a few drops of lemon. then sprinkle baking soda let it soak up the peroxide.
then vacuum up...it may take a few times...
Hope that helps some.
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I have extensive experience with pet stains from owning rental properties....
Urine smells MUST be treated with alcohol.... saturate the carpet all the way through the carpet and pad down to the subfloor. When it dries, the odor will NO LONGER be there and will NOT return under any circumstances. If your carpet is over hardwood floors, any pet urine will leave a stain on the hardwood that cannot be sanded out. BUT, if you saturate with rubbing alcohol and allow it to dry completely, your pet will not return to the same spot. I also treat feces stains with alcohol so there won't be any odor, but after you've cleaned up the hard mess, and shampooed the spot, just treat the carpet part with alcohol.. you don't have to saturate down to the pad. You can also purchase enzymatic stain removers at the pet stores. It will say enzymes on it... but alcohol acts in the same way and is much cheaper.
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I'm TIRED OF SNOW!!!!!!!
Where is my GROUNDHOG?
I liked it better at 60 degrees last week.
Please come back, I am ready for SPRING!
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That's why living in Colorado is so great. We have more than 300 days of sunshine a year. More than Florida. We get all the seasons but when it snows..it's gone in a few days. Quite possible to ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon.
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That's why living in Colorado is so great. We have more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
Yes I lived in Colorado for 5 years and my sister lives their now.
You live in a great place for sun and snow!
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The only thing lacking is bodies of water (I love the ocean and lakes) and of course everyone thinks the Aspens in the fall are the be all but there is nothing that can compete with the fall foligae in the east.
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Went to an amzaing concert last night, saw guitarist Al Di Meola. He plays so beautiful.
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Made me and the kids some amazing dark choc brownies using dark belgian choc the other day. Having lost so much weight in recent months, for a reason not to be mentioned on this thread, I indulged myself and pigged out!
Dark Chocolate Brownies:
Quantity Ingredients
100g (3.5oz) unsalted butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
6 tbsp dark muscavado sugar
125g (4.5oz) dark chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp chocolate or vanilla essence
100g (3.5oz) plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Method
1. Lightly grease and line an 8 inch cake tin.
2. Place butter, sugar, dark chocolate and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently until mixture is well blended and smooth. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
3. Beat eggs and flavouring. Whisk in the cooled mixture.
4. Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the mixture using a metal spoon or spatula.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 (I did it 170 because I have a fan oven and I like my brownies a bit stodgy) for 25 minutes or until the edge of the cake is beginning to shrink from sides of tin. The inside will still be quite stodgy and soft to touch.
7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Then cut into squares
For extra indulgence top each square with melted chocolate.
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I like this thread...
Got me a new Android touch, but oh boy is it hard to figure out!
texting is not easy on that darn thing!
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I love Al Di Melo! Must have been a great concert!
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I find funny things in roaming round the internet.
Now be warned this site is funny BUT please note that it also has adult themes so if offended....
GO here (http://damnyouautocorrect.com/)
Hope it makes you smile.
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LOL! I couldn't even make to the second page without laughing so hard tears are running...and I'd always noticed my Iphone tries to auto correct; but I override it every time.
Oh LOL!! I see what you're saying about some of the content; but the mistakes are accidental; and they are funny as heck!!
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This site has some gems, her comments though are priceless.
When I first found it I couldn't stop reading it.
It's called cake wrecks BUT her sunday sweets are amazing
Here's the site (http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/)
and HERE'S (http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2011/03/seussical-sunday-sweets.html) my favourite Sunday Sweet, HOW do they do it? ou will need to scroll down to the fourth picture.
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Oh thanks for the laughs and the cake wrecks.
I make specialty cakes sometimes but I've never made a topsy-turvy like that Dr. Seus one. My daughter wants a Dr. Seus cake for my grandaughter's birthday.....maybe I'll try something similar! Looks like fun!
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And another
HERE (http://www.$h!temykidsruined.com/)
For those of you with children some i just nodded at. you'll know what I mean.
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Have been using skype to talk to my inlaws in Istanbul. Then I read that some of my fellow LBS'ers use skype so I thought why not see if anyone wanted to exchange their ids so we can talk on skype.
Not quite sure the rules here about using your true name so I will have to wait for clarification on that before Ican release my name for skype. I can send it thru personal message though if anyone is interested in chatting.
Here's to hoping that we all have a great weekend wherever we may be- we all know that sometimes weekends can be the hardest part of this MLC trauma.
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I can send it thru personal message though if anyone is interested in chatting.
DO this.
Don't post personal information on the board!
Thanks
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Anyone else using Mozilla?
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Yes I use it at my store, on my Linux system.
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Me
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I use it too
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Yep
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Nope
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Yep pretty much all I use
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So how does the Hero's Spouse home page work for ya'll?
I get this big box covering a lot of the text.
The forum works fine though.
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no problems at all. Nothing covered up.
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no problems either.
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I have never had an issue. If I use Google Chrome, the field is smaller but nothing covered.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfijvBN2GMM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eguPlDQUsYA&feature=related
D 18 found these. LOVE the one on it's stomach!!
They say they do this feeling the vibrations from the street..I think it's extra special sonar they have built in to detect sneaky LBSer's who drive by late at night in thier cars.
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Couldn't get the 2nd one to work, but the one on his stomach was hysterical. Looks like any MLCer to me. Moves forward and then flops down. How typical.
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OK, way off topic here but something I've been wondering about for the past several months. I've been seeing the number "11" repeatedly on digital clocks. It seems, 9 times out of 10, when I look at the time, it is "11" minutes past the hour, no matter what the hour is 6:11, 4:11, 11:11, etc.
I'm not really superstitous or anything but really have been finding it quite fascinating just how often this is happening. The only link I have been able to muster up is that it is 2011 LOL. Thought it may be interesting to see if anyone has insights.
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MMSAI,
Actually I'm a strong believer in "signs" and watch numbers as often I find they have a meaning to them or "messages" if you will. Whenever I see the number 11 it gets me to focus on my thoughts and if they are negative I make a conscience effort to re-change my thoughts to the positive.
I often see the numbers 444, 777 or combinations of 4's & 7's. Funny thing is I used to hate the number 4 but now I see I should've been happy and paid better attention. ;) When I first starting paying attention to them I began to do some research to see if there was a meaning behind them and came across the spirit library specific to numerology as messages from angels. The link is below.
http://spiritlibrary.com/doreen-virtue/number-sequences-from-the-angels
Great topic! I'd love to hear from others experience.
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Here is doreen virtue's explanation in brief.
http://www.activateabundance.com/Articles/Number.php
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I think that's the name of the show.
Anyone watch it last night?
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Hi Rebel
I watched it . She seems almost child like. Must have been hard living under the in laws rules and the world's constant scrutiny. Yet she does need to take responsibility for her actions and forgive herself and move on. Browbeating and feeling sorry for herself won't help Sarah find her self worth. I don't think she realizes that self worth isn't based on momey and what the world thinks of you. Self worth is just that-what you believe and feel about you.
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I truly would not be surviving MLC without this site, and I can't believe it took me so long to share. I never leave here without crying--the good tears...
http://damnyouautocorrect.com/
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LMAO! These are funny and I couldn't agree more. Laughing is truly the best medicine! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for sharing!!
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LMAO!!
I Love this site!!!!
Thanks for sharing the link!!! :O)
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I use these to perk my mood up throughout the day. I deal with customers on the phone...
http://cuteoverload.com/
http://squee.icanhascheezburger.com/
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Have you seen Kraft's new ad campaign? It runs through 23 August and it's disgusting.
It is a contest offering $25,000 in prize money to fund a wedding or divorce. Couples have to send in a video about Miracle Whip and how it influences their relationship--that's the gist.
There is a petition to sign against it here.
http://www.change.org/petitions/kraft-foods-stop-your-not-for-every-relationship-contest-2 (http://www.change.org/petitions/kraft-foods-stop-your-not-for-every-relationship-contest-2)
And this article explains it more--but wow those commenters are mean!
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/274704/take-stand-against-krafts-thoughtless-contest-beverly-willett (http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/274704/take-stand-against-krafts-thoughtless-contest-beverly-willett)
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And this article explains it more--but wow those commenters are mean!
I read the article, and this is my .02, :)
No, they're NOT being "mean" RCR; these commentators are telling it like it IS...and people should stand up in this way against something this thoughtless.
You should always be willing to stand up for what you believe; whether it's unpopular or not...it's a necessary part of who we should become.
It's NOT right what Kraft is doing; and they should be called to the carpet to account for themselves...maybe they'll start thinking once they're hit hard in the moneybags, because people can choose to not only sign the petition, but also boycott their products in retaliation.
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I don't know how many of you live near a Borders that is closing, but a lot of their self-help and relationship books are 50% off or more. My local Borders still has a good supply...
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Bumping to say that my local Borders is now up to 60% off on a lot of books, but the supply is starting to get a bit thin.
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Hey ... great thread, get so fed up with thinking about that other stuff.
I love music, it can lift me when I'm down, my favourite guitarist, who I've seen playing live 3 or 4 times now ... is Tommy Emmanuel, I've met him too and he is one of the nicest and kindest people, so humble too here's a link to listen to him play, I can't help but feel good when I listen to his music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhR04kmcSXU&feature=related
He wrote this song for his daughter Angelina who is 13 years old now. (same age as mine!)
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It's 98 sleeps to Christmas ;D
xx
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It's 98 sleeps to Christmas ;D
xx
How many shopping day is that?
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OP, 98 if you go to Walmart! :o :o
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.... and you get to dress in the most hidious Christmas outfit - hohoho :D
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Just a strange little story...
Many years ago, long before I met H, I started dating an engineer with a big bike. I had a huge crush on this guy, and was amazed that he even looked at me. My dad hated him, hated his bike, so I had to sneak out to see him. One fine day about 32 years ago, he took me on a picnic to a beautiful hill with another bunch of bike-lovers. I felt tongue tied and awkward, not only because the helmet had squashed my hair, but because they talked about nothing but their bikes, (or beer).
"did you hear the roar of that Bonneville?" "Yeah, he's put in an oil pump upgrade- blocked off the passages where the oil flows to the hydraulic tensioners, a great way prevent sumping..."
In the middle of all this, there was one engineer/ biker who was actually capable about talking about other things. I didn't even remember his name, and I think I would have forgotten altogether if my bf hadn't taken a photo of me talking to him.
But my romance with my bf was short lived, just 3 months, and I got my first broken heart. Actually, I was convinced that I just wasn't pretty or interesting enough. It took a long time to get over.
Fast forward to the internet age, FB, etc. I started to get in touch with friends from far away and long ago, and up popped the bf who had so carelessly tossed my heart around. After some friendly chats and updates (he's now happily married), he actually apologised for his dirty rotten scoundrel treatment of me so many years ago... well, even after 30+ years, that was nice, even if it doesn't matter any more. I sent him, at his request, that photo he'd taken of me and his unknown friend so many years ago, and he said "oh yeah, that's PK, I see him all the time." He also loved the photo, because it brought back such good memories of our day out. Really? I can't have been such a failure, then! Wish I'd known that 32 years ago...
Today I got an email from PK, this guy from the photo that I hadn't seen for more than 32 years, and that I barely remembered meeting more than once. Unlike me, he remembered meeting me several times, fancying me rotten, having great conversations with me, and I was apparently so kind as to invite him to dance once... everytime he hears "Layla", he thinks of me. He even advised my ex bf not to give me up...
So that one fine day from the photo carried memories for different people in different ways. I had thought that the day existed in my mind only, and was too insignificant to be remembered by anyone else. How wrong I was. And how wrong I was about how I was seen by the world, although I was so down on myself.
It also shows that even though our hearts are broken, that the outcome is not what we hoped for, it doesn't make us any less interesting or beautiful as people. We shouldn't let the situation tell us who we are inside.
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Made me and the kids some amazing dark choc brownies using dark belgian choc the other day. Having lost so much weight in recent months, for a reason not to be mentioned on this thread, I indulged myself and pigged out!
Dark Chocolate Brownies:
Quantity Ingredients
100g (3.5oz) unsalted butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
6 tbsp dark muscavado sugar
125g (4.5oz) dark chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp chocolate or vanilla essence
100g (3.5oz) plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
Method
1. Lightly grease and line an 8 inch cake tin.
2. Place butter, sugar, dark chocolate and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently until mixture is well blended and smooth. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
3. Beat eggs and flavouring. Whisk in the cooled mixture.
4. Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder together and fold into the mixture using a metal spoon or spatula.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 (I did it 170 because I have a fan oven and I like my brownies a bit stodgy) for 25 minutes or until the edge of the cake is beginning to shrink from sides of tin. The inside will still be quite stodgy and soft to touch.
7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Then cut into squares
For extra indulgence top each square with melted chocolate.
Like this. :)
I've eaten a great lasagna and read some more of tales of this wonderful tales book I'm reading.
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Once upon a time, a farmer's donkey fell down into a
well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the
well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began
to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
donkey realized what was happening and cried
horribly Then, to everyone's amazement he
quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally
looked down the well. He was astonished at what
he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his
back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel
dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it
off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey
stepped up over the edge of the well and
happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well
is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone.. We can get out
of the deepest wells just by not stopping,
never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less
NOW ............
Enough of that crap . The donkey later came back,
and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and
the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:
When you do something wrong, and try to cover
your ass, it always comes back to bite you.
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;D love it lpxpe
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Since a number of the responses to mlcer leaving the LBS and money becoming an issue because it is withheld, disappears in wild spending or income is lost to downsizing or being fired, or LBS having to be employed for the first time in many years or go from part-time work to full-time work, etc. etc. ....I thought it would be good to talk about how to save money.
Here's a few things I did to save more money now and into the future:
1) Reviewed my income and expenses (as in really wrote down the income and expenses for the last two months) and crossed off the expenses that were in hindsight probably avoidable or unnecessary> latte, dress on sale, etc. and circled the ones that I wouldn't have changed - seeing a friend for a movie, gas bill, etc. Much more careful with expenses.
I have 2) reduced the number of premium channels from cable bill, 3) called my utility companies to see what I can do to save more monthly each month (resolved to wear sweaters more this winter by reducing the heating temperature by one-degree (yes, still have to tell the children that I am doing this)), 4) gone to the library more instead of Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc., 5) called the insurance company and increased the deductible, 6) combined trips in the car for several errands, 7) reducing the budget allotment per person for the upcoming holidays, 8) stopped buying the packaging at the post office, 9) turned in travel miles on credit card to reduced credit card bill, and 10) religiously turn off lights in rooms where no one is staying in.
Any other ideas??? Please share - we all could benefit!
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Love the story, Ipxpe.
Good topic, SIP. It hasn't been a particular problem for me, but I like saving money. Apart from buying fewer clothes, sacking the maid, selling the country cottage and moving to the city to save on transport costs, I've come up with the following:
Money saving ideas;
1. Buy unbranded products at the supermarket
2. Shop around for cheaper car insurance
3. Travel by public transport whenever possible.
4. Minimize phone bills by using skype
5. Use up leftovers
6. Buy chicken and pork rather than beef, fresh veg rather than frozen,
7. Eat in rather than eat out
8. Cut out the gym and go for a run instead