Try You Look Fab and its forum. Also, Wardrobe Oxygen. On both you'll need to poke around in the best-of lists and archives but there's plenty of good tips with pictures of examples/info on where to buy. I found some great tops through the YLF forum that were from places I'd normally never even window-shop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:45 PM on June 24, 2008 marked best answer

I swallow my sneezes. It scares my husband a little - he says one day I will explode. It's definitely learned behavior. I have no idea why I decided to do this, but I do remember I used to sneeze out, instead of swallow them back. It's kind of like pressing down with your nose and jaw, and compressing the sneeze, as you do it. Clenching your butt and pelvis (Kegel) muscles helps with the compression.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:40 PM on June 18, 2008

papafrita, I neither pinch my nose nor clamp my mouth shut, as indicated to be "dangerous" in your link. I just sort of clamp down on it as it happens - it feels swallowed back. It still comes out and my mouth is open - the pressure of the sneeze is released.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 5:48 AM on June 19, 2008

I never heard of "stag and does" until I moved to southern Ontario. I thought at first it was some kind of joint bachelor/bachelorette party that was tamed down for the family. Eventually I realized it was a moneygrab (we got invited to four of them in one year, by people we weren't close to who weren't inviting us to their weddings). (They also advertise in the newspaper when and where the parties are; do people that don't know the couple ever go? I'm curious. I can see it maybe if... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:51 AM on June 10, 2008

When my husband had similar symptoms a couple months ago, we thought it might be a kidney infection or a kidney stone (it was persistent and after a while he was in a LOT of pain) but it turned out he had pleurisy. He just had major surgery, and apparently it is a common issue after that, but it struck us as strange at first, since it seems like a sort of old-fashioned problem! He's been on naproxen for it since then - they say it takes a while to go away. Here is another link about diagnosing... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 5:35 PM on June 3, 2008

ShitBegone. 100% recycled; union labor; the owner has this whole philosophy behind it, and tells you how it's made. It isn't fluffy, velvety, or "quilted", and it's kinda expensive, but a case will last at least a year and the shipping is free.

Also a vote for keeping a container of wet wipes in the loo. I can't believe I never thought of it before I had kids, but it just makes sense.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 4:08 PM on June 1, 2008

Haha, must remember if said kids distract me while I try to post, that preview is my friend.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 4:10 PM on June 1, 2008

There is a cognitive-behavior therapy workbook called Mind Over Mood that can help with identifying your feelings and the thoughts behind your feelings, figuring out why you react the way you do and what it's triggering inside you. It gives straightforward explanations, leads you through practice exercises, and offers coping skills to try out. It's worth looking into as a starting point since it provides a framework for analyzing your reactions and emotions; it's recommended both as an assist to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 9:27 AM on May 25, 2008

I had a lot of hurt and anger with my parents, especially my mother, from my childhood; for years I turned it inward on myself and I was depressed. I thought something was wrong with me, that I was fundamentally defective. Slowly, as I got older and had kids of my own, I realized it wasn't me, it was my childhood - I realized how uncomfortable and sad I was about my parents and how they had treated me and sometimes still treated me, that my feelings of being defective came right from their... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 4:23 PM on May 24, 2008

The guy who thinks he will be The One To Get You Off is one of the most annoying ever. (Often he's a package deal with That Special Move Which Totally Got His Last Girlfriend Off - heh.) Don't have painful sex, please. His ego is not more important than your needs.

1) Don't fake it anymore, ever.
2) Don't feel inadequate about it. It's more common than you think.
3) Communicate, communicate, communicate. Tell your partners that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 3:56 PM on May 24, 2008

E.M. Forster, A Room With A View
Edith Wharton, The Age Of Innocence
Noel Streatfeild, Ballet Shoes
old Agatha Christies can be good for this, for instance Murder On The Orient Express
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 3:19 PM on May 24, 2008

Seconding DJ Format/Abdominal.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 10:32 AM on May 23, 2008

I made an AskMeFi comment recently about "shoulding yourself"; it seems to apply to your question as well (procrastination, motivation, guilt). Here are a couple other thoughts:

*exercise, for me, works best if I take a class - the outside, visible commitment motivates me - I go to badminton once a week and the social aspect really helps; although recently I have been playing DDR every day at home and that helps since it is fun and doesn't feel like exercise (I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 2:15 PM on May 20, 2008

The bean salads I make regularly are:

*2 cans of black beans (drained, rinsed), a cup or so of frozen corn (thawed under running water), chopped tomato, chopped green onion, chopped cilantro; dressing is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced/pressed/crushed garlic clove, chili powder and cumin to taste; you can leave out the green onion and cumin easily; you can add chunks of avocado if you like

*black beans (rinsed, drained), leftover rice (a cup... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 1:46 PM on May 20, 2008

If she really wants to continue trying, she might do a lot better to stop pumping and nurse on demand for a while. She may be still oversensitive (it can be quite painful as you adjust as it is) because of the switching back and forth between nursing and pumping. In fact the pumping may be stimulating her to overproduce. In the first couple months your breasts are constantly adjusting their production to figure out what your baby wants and that's why it's important to have the baby nurse... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 1:14 PM on May 13, 2008

Actually, given what the OP describes (husband is telecommuting to a job out of the country? and she is on a working holiday visa), I don't think she's eligible for OHIP. If he is not working for a Canadian company he is a visitor, and if she is on a holiday visa (even if it's working) she is a visitor as well I think. If he is working for a Canadian company then he will get OHIP and you will also, for being his spouse.

Be aware if you want private health insurance in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 9:20 AM on April 24, 2008

This comment will be quite long, apologies in advance.

OHIP doesn't cost anything - as in, you don't have to pay a fee, like in BC (obviously it isn't free, it is paid by our taxes, etc.). (UHIP, which is the University Health Insurance Plan, is compulsory, but it only applies if you're a student from outside Ontario at an Ontario university, I believe.) OHIP is provincial insurance, covering the residents of the province of Ontario for free; private... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:21 PM on April 24, 2008

This is what I said above: OHIP doesn't cost anything - as in, you don't have to pay a fee, like in BC (obviously it isn't free, it is paid by our taxes, etc.). Here is more info on the Ontario Health Premium: Ontario Health Premium FAQ for employers. Quote: "Starting July 1, 2004, the premium is being deducted from pay and pensions of those with taxable earnings or pension income of $20,000 or more a year, as part of federal and Ontario income tax."... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:05 AM on April 25, 2008

Follow-up I have done so far at the OP's asking (I'm putting it in the thread as well so anyone that needs this info in the future can find the definitive answers here):

I have called OHIP and asked if the OP would be eligible in her situation/circumstances. OHIP says no. A working holiday program gives you an "open work permit", which does not specify employer, and an open work permit does not make you eligible for OHIP.

However, the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 1:59 PM on May 1, 2008

It sounds like you want a Reveal light.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 9:17 AM on April 28, 2008

I saw it (the Reveal Light) a while ago on Not Martha and it was also on Apartment Therapy... I thought it was lovely and bookmarked it. The price is a bit much for me as well so I was reading this thread to see if anyone had ideas how to duplicate the look for less!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 9:39 AM on April 28, 2008

I have a son about a year older than yours and another about a year younger so all the stuff you're talking about, we've run into as well.

I'd like to suggest AskMoxie as great reading for any parent with small ones. Her Q&As and discussions give lots of food for thought.

As for the picky eating, this is the method we've worked out to circumvent all dinner battles: serve dessert.

Dessert is something they really... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:53 PM on April 20, 2008

We've found that small phrases defining the rules work best so you can just repeat that phrase over and over until it sticks. "Use walking feet, not running feet!" Once they started going to playgroup and preschool we discovered the old standby "use your words". "We use our words, not our hands. If your brother takes your toy you say "give it back!" instead of grabbing it back." Show and model for them what you expect, they will copy you but they need to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 1:33 PM on April 20, 2008 marked best answer

I did this all my life; I have only recently (past few years) and slowly stopped this pattern. It takes a while, little by little, to readjust your bad mental habits. You have to start by accepting it won't happen overnight - and you will slip up. It's hard when you have the mindset that one slip-up botches the entire endeavor and you have to train yourself to allow yourself to fail sometimes - to understand that you can fail a lot of times but still reach the goal in the end.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 9:04 AM on April 20, 2008

I had the same issue as you before I had kids, so I used juice-box-sized containers of Parmalat milk (8 oz. of UHT, shelf-stable milk). They're not hard to find because they're made for carrying in lunchboxes - they were at the regular grocery store. They'll last on a pantry shelf for months, then after you open one, put it in the fridge, and it'll last a week.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 4:00 PM on February 20, 2008

Has he been seeing a counselor to help him transition to life by himself? That could be very helpful. Has he looked for widowed spouse groups? A month is not a long time at all. Has he looked for senior activities groups? Everywhere I've been, especially in a city, has TONS of resources for people over 55 - exercise classes, social groups, field trips and tours, sort of things.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:24 AM on February 14, 2008

I notice mistakes usually before I notice the things that are correct, and if I focus it on myself it makes me edit and re-edit so much sometimes I can't get anything done, or get words written out right. If I'm focused outside of myself it makes people accuse me of being critical and/or negative.

I notice babies, small children, and pregnant women all the time now. I never did before I had kids of my own.

I notice how locked into certain systems... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:10 PM on February 13, 2008

This is mostly what I've been watching over the past few months (TV series, on the computer).

UK series: The IT Crowd, The Office, Green Wing; Ab Fab also fits your parameters
US series: Freaks and Geeks (the season finale wraps it up fine), Arrested Development
CA series: Corner Gas (5 seasons, but each episode is only a half hour and self-contained), Trailer Park Boys (7 seasons, but again only a half hour long; 6-10 eps per season; each... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:57 AM on February 12, 2008

Eating more meat-free meals is great advice, and eating more meat-free meals isn't saying "don't eat meat anymore" so I don't see how it's a major diet change (vegetarian is *no* meat not *less* meat, after all!). You could talk about local farming/animal raising practices, how it's worth it to get locally sourced meat and the benefits of that to both the buyer and the local farms; and then how the energy that goes into raising and eating local quality meat means that you'll probably... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:21 AM on February 11, 2008

Oh, yes, the aloo gobi from Bend It Like Beckham is very good.

Cauilflower cheese soup (I make it with potato and carrots in the mix, just like broccoli cheese soup) is one of my favorite things to do with cauliflower.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:15 PM on February 7, 2008

One of my cats had an inappropriate peeing issue and after having her checked out and trying different things, the vet prescribed her Paxil. We had babies and this was happening at least once a week for a couple years, almost always on my clothes or my side of the bed. I did not feel right giving her away and I didn't really like the idea of dosing her but we had to do something, I was fed up. Well, it works. It was obvious at least some of the peeing behavior was anxious behavior. She is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 10:55 AM on February 4, 2008

Freaks and Geeks, The State, Upright Citizens Brigade, Due South, Eerie Indiana.... oooh, and Cartoon Planet!
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 5:49 PM on February 2, 2008

Board books! Some great ones for that age: look at anything by Sandra Boynton, she's very cute and witty; also Goodnight Moon; Shoes; Jamberry; I Went Walking; Goodnight Gorilla; adaptations of Richard Scarry, Dr. Seuss, Curious George. These would all be available at your local chain bookstore. You can get four or five of them for under $50 easily.

You can never get... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 6:50 PM on February 1, 2008 marked best answer

My first period was such a non-event that it made me a little sad. I would have appreciated my mother springboarding it into a bonding sort of thing, so I think it's nice that you are thinking of this. At 12, to me, a sort of "grown-up" treat like a pedicure, a slightly fancy lunch, or just a special going out together trip, along with a matter of fact we're-on-the-same-level talk about growing up or practical period advice would have been ideal and would have felt flattering and not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 6:27 PM on February 1, 2008

I had Nubain with my first labor. It damped the pain a bit and it took me into a sort of doze that I could still feel the contractions quite hard but I couldn't really react to them. I didn't like how it felt. It only lasted less than two hours. I wouldn't use it again. With my second labor, I tried for a homebirth, and I was offered nitrous at home and at the hospital. It did not affect me at all, but other women told me it helped them dull the edges of the pain effectively. It seems commonly... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 11:20 PM on January 27, 2008

I've made a book recommendation for similar cases before on AskMeFi (Dealing With People You Can't Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst) so I'll just link that answer here (dealing with poisonous coworker). It's a very useful book. There's a section on bullying types of bosses/co-workers in there and I think it might help you in dealing with this co-worker. Good luck! It sounds like such a crappy situation, I hope it resolves well for you.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 1:20 PM on January 27, 2008

What we've done since our first was that age is:

1) get a lot of bins or other toy storage; shelves of bins is what we do
2) sort all the toys by type into bins, culling/rotating toys as you go (all the Lego together, all the people figures together, all the stuffed animals together)
3) train child to clean up his/her own damn toys

We had a very small apartment when we had our first so it was absolutely necessary to keep... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:58 PM on January 24, 2008

More exercise, but not right before you go to bed; maybe when you wake up in the morning.
Don't go to bed until you're sleepy.
Don't nap during the day.
Don't drink caffeine past noon.
Don't read anything too exciting before you go to sleep.
Don't watch TV or use the computer for a while before going to sleep.
Establish a going-to-sleep routine and always do it in the same order (put on pjs, brush teeth, wash face, etc.)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:30 PM on January 20, 2008

Kegels (men can do them too).
Practice the Pilates core stabilizing "zip-up and hollow" move.
Leg lifts; lay on your side with the book in front of you, focus on form and do them slowly.
Sitting on a big exercise ball instead of an office chair while at the computer.
Ballet-style pointing and flexing your feet.
Squishing a squishy stress ball with your hand.
Chinese exercise balls.
Lay on the floor,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:21 PM on January 20, 2008 marked best answer

I've had pink eye. My mother's had pink eye. Wash it with baby shampoo. The other people that told you this are not kidding. It really works to clean up the gunk and the yucky feeling in your eye fast.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:03 PM on January 16, 2008

Fondue. Cheese fondue or chocolate fondue, but it's always struck me as a warmy wintry thing to gather around and dip snacky stuff in a shared hot fondue.

S'mores, roasted chestnuts, and/or popcorn made over a fire (if you have a fireplace).

Boiling maple syrup and drizzing it over snow to make maple snow candy! If you don't want to go outside to do it, you can bring in cookie sheets of clean snow and do it over those.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 6:46 PM on January 16, 2008 marked best answer

Organize your whole house. All the rooms. All your closets. Your office. Weed out your possessions. Go through all the boxes stashed in the basement/attic/under the bed. Put important papers in an important-paper file folder. Clean it all. Then make up some kind of weekly cleaning routine, whatever suits you, and write it down, just some guidelines to follow so you can stay on top of keeping everything in order with minimal effort. If there were one thing I could go back and make sure to do... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 6:35 PM on January 16, 2008

These are all things I did during my pregnancies to control nausea:
*ate ginger chews, drank ginger ale, ate pickled ginger
*took chewable kids' vitamins instead of prenatals
*used papaya enzyme pills on recommendation of my midwife (do not overdo these, they are a digestive aid but too much too often can give you diarrhea; I took one 30 mg pill if nauseated after eating or on waking up, once or twice a day. I am not a midwife, discuss with your medical... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 12:05 AM on January 8, 2008

I have had the same issue with movies... my boys are 4 and 2. So far the okay (repeats) list includes Mary Poppins, Babe, Charlotte's Web, Happy Feet, Surf's Up, A Bug's Life, Cars, Wallace and Gromit, and The Polar Express. They love Mary Poppins - they act out parts of the movie, and sing the songs; it's their favorite. They love Charlotte's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:04 PM on January 4, 2008

I spread it in a little bowl over some goat cheese and dip pretzels into it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 7:30 PM on January 3, 2008

I have a friend from Buffalo that calls Buffalo "Flubbs".

Cheektowaga, NY: Cheektavagus
Fort Erie, ON: Fort Bleary, Fort Dreary
Cambridge, ON: Lamebridge
former town Preston, now part of Cambridge: Depresston
Tallahassee, FL: Talla-assy
Long Island: Lawn GUY-lind (mocking local accent)
Hicksville, LI, NY: just add snotty jokes
NY State has two parts: NYC and "Moo"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 11:24 AM on December 17, 2007

I'm going to link to a previous AskMeFi answer that I've given. That question was about matching costumes also, so check out the whole thread while you're at it.

yeeeeeeeeeeeap yip yip yip yip yip uh-huh uh-huh
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 10:21 AM on December 11, 2007

She probably needs to go to sleep earlier. Two ways to reset sleep cycles are melatonin at night, and using a lightbox in the morning (this is great in winter anyway, for helping with Seasonal Affective Disorder, but it's good for just a few days if you're resetting sleep cycles). You can take a dose of melatonin to help put you to sleep when you want to sleep (and not when you feel like sleeping) for a couple nights to back up your bedtime from 11 to 10 PM and kickstart that routine. Or you can... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 10:06 AM on December 11, 2007

I bought some Chai Nog a few years ago at Xmastime and I quite liked it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 8:52 AM on November 29, 2007

A Riesling icewine will keep well (link) and is in your price range. It wouldn't be too hard to find something relatively obscure, that he won't have.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Melinika at 3:06 PM on November 27, 2007