Favorites from melissa
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first chapter books for 5 year old?
Could I have some chapter book recommendations for a inquisitive 5 year old who will be starting kindergarten this fall?
Her interests range from magical horses to robots, but she is generally open to anything that isn't too scary. The BFG was well received, but The Wind in the Willows doesn't seem to hold her attention.
Is the sawdust from composite decking safe for my herb garden?
I'm currently having a deck installed in my backyard - yay! We're using composite decking made from recycled wood and high density polyethylene plastic. I noticed last night that they are cutting the boards quite close to my herb garden and the dirt and plants are covered in sawdust. Will this sawdust make my herbs/tomatoes unsafe to eat?
I would like to stop feeling and living like this.
How does a constant hypochondriac and anxiety sufferer just live and feel like a regular person?
Tell me about your post-work rituals.
I'd like to develop a post-work habit or ritual for as soon as I arrive home. Something that will send a signal to my brain that "work is over, and now you're home." What habits, rituals or environmental changes have worked well for you?
I like my life, but I don't like myself
I'm a woman in my thirties, very happily married, in an interesting career. I love my partner, friends, and home. I have been treated for depression fairly successfully. So why do I feel like such a loser?
Please Help Me Fail.
I need to screw up a couple of times. Once I do, I'll realize it's not the end of the world, and I will be able to stop keeping everything on hold. But I've been on hold for most of my life, paralyzed and afraid to move for fear of not getting it perfectly right. How do I bring myself to put forth the effort to do the scary thing, even knowing that that's the only way I can make it stop being scary?
Why am I so fat?
I am a 40 year old woman. I'm 5'6" and weigh about 200lbs. I know why I am so fat; I eat a lot and never exercise. But what I don't know is why I don't look after my body the way I do the rest of my life. I have read and heard lots of times that a lot of weight issues are related to emotional issues but I'm happy. I don't have any major issues. If you were like this, how did you finally motivate yourself to lose weight and get healthy?
Helping an anxious kid
What are good strategies for helping an anxious first or second grader deal with their anxiety.
Oh hey, it's that guy!
I'm always delighted when reading to discover that an author has subtly written their books into the same quasi-real-life universe. Help me find more examples!
What are fun new activities my husband and I can try together?
Mr. Pterodactyl and I have realized we enjoy trying and learning new things together. We especially like it if we can take a short lesson or a few short lessons first. What are some (not outrageously expensive) things we could try?
Help me see the bright sides of parenting an only child
I always thought I would have 2 children, despite "unexplained infertility". My husband and I have the most wonderful 3-year-old daughter, who was conceived via IUI on just our second attempt. 18 months ago we started trying to conceive a sibling for her...and after 5 failed IUIs, a failed IVF and finally a recent failed FET, we have decided to stop trying and accept our situation. Please help me see the positives in our situation, and if you have an only child (whether by choice or not), tell me what you like/dislike about it.
Tub Time for Timmy
I have a huge 100+ gallon tub with jets and such. What are some fun things I can add to my bath time to make it more enjoyable? I already do bubblebath and salts, and have a few floating toys and a water pipe (pan pipes you can play in the tub)..
For various reasons I spend hours in there at a time. Generally I read beater books or watch Netflix on my otherwise decommissioned iPhone 4.
Assume I am bathing alone and am not afraid of anything
You're Not The Boss Of Me
What's the best way to deal with a bossy coworker who isn't, welp, the boss of me?
Please help me stop spanking my kid.
I'm having problems controlling my temper, every so often, with my child, who is increasingly pressing my buttons. I would like advice on how to not forget myself and spank this child when my temper is piqued (usually by hitting, kicking, or spitting).
Recommend your favorite garlic recipes
I'm looking for a really great garlic recipe to make for the next food day at work.
Alternatives to Tamora Pierce?
My 9 year old girl is obsessed with Tamora Pierce books. What are some other books she might like equally as well?
Is there such a thing as anonymous online counseling?
I find myself unable to be fully candid speaking in person with therapists and wonder if I might do better corresponding with a therapist online by e-mail or chat or something. Does this exist? Would you recommend it? Is there a better idea?
Moving from print to web design — helping someone start from scratch.
I need to advise a graphic designer whose skills are in print design only about expanding their skillset to include front-end web design work. At this time, the designer has a very, very basic understanding of web design.
What if I don't want to be a lifer?
How do I find a new job when I've only worked one place for the decade-plus since finishing college?
How dare I think I can do this
I want to write. But I have all kinds of Big Dumb Issues around it. Help me stop sabotaging myself?
Replacement for Facebook Events
Whenever I log into Facebook, I end up checking the newsfeed. Is there an app that allows my to view the events I've been invited to and RSVP without logging into Facebook?
If it isn't a web app, it needs to work on either Mac or Android.
If This Then That
I finally installed IFTTT but I feel like I'm not getting as much out of it as I could.
Have you transitioned successfully out of pink-collar admin hell? How?
I need to know how other women (or men) have crawled out of these jobs.
How do I get the curry smell out of my couch?
My couch smells like curry after staying temporarily in a home that smells very strongly of curry. What's the best way to get the smell out? Is Febreeze going to work?
Firefox 29: Please share your favorite extensions, themes, and scripts
Also Greasemonkey and Stylish
Springpad, I hardly knew ye...
After struggling with Evernote, I finally found my notetaking, task-tracking, save-everything soulmate in Springpad. But now it's going out of business! Please help me find a feature-rich alternative?
Please help me find a thank you gift for popcorn lovers in Toronto
They have a popcorn maker. They have popcorn buckets, bags, and scoops. But I'm in search of a popcorn-related gift I can get some popcorn-heads in Toronto, ideally by tomorrow. These people are popcorn purists and it's really hard to get them anything popcorn-related that they don't already have. Their holy grail is "savoy salt," which I've never even heard of. What do I get these folks? Where might I get it?
tell me about your loosest lightest summeriest pants.
You are like me, a curvy woman who likes to walk a lot and is too old for shorts. You know the secret of finding light, loose, possibly cropped pants that let you walk comfortably for hours and don't chafe or give you sweaty crotch; and which look cool and casual, not completely frumptastic. You are willing to share the secret of finding these pants.
So, uh, would you consider your organization a terrible place to work?
How do you tell whether an organization or company is functional and pleasant to work for during the job application process-- before you've committed to them?
Looking for a different sort of blog
I'm looking for blogs that are about the life of the person writing them instead of just a single topic. Like, maybe an author keeps a blog and writes about cooking and being an author and trips to Mexico, or a reporter in Germany talks about being a reporter but also their deep love of jazz. Something that's about the many things in a person's life. Caveat: Nothing too focused on a family, please - just individuals. Bonus points for people with super-interesting lives or for people in their twenties.
How to job-hunt after spending your entire adult life at one company?
My spouse has decided to look for a new job after working at the same (large, national) retail chain since high school. How do you hunt for work as a 30-plus-year-old who has never had to apply for a grown-up job, and who can't get a reference from any of your old bosses? Seasonally-appropriate snowflakes inside.
exercise double D painful
For a friend:
She has double d boobs and any exercise involving jumping is painful. Even if she wears 2 sports bra's to keep the ladies in check. She is in the US. What should she get so she can do insanity without too much pain?
How do I explain death to a 5 year old?
My father died a few hours back in India. I am trying to fly there tomorrow afternoon (after I get back to Dallas in the morning to pick up passport etc.).
I have been away a lot this past year on work (4 days a week on most week days; also been away the past 7 days on a large, crazy program going live on 4 days time). And now I am taking off to India for ... not sure how long (probably 2-3 weeks).
My son and I are very close. He is fond of his grandfather. We came back from a 2 week trip back home 2 months back. So he has fairly recent memories. I would like to be truthful to him and explain why I am going away for a substantial time. But I am slightly worried about him starting to brood about me when I am away if I do (he is only 5).
What is a good way to approach this? Is it wiser to lie?
Thank you.
pjsho.ws: Pearl Jam bootlegs and radio. For fans, by fans. Legally.
Pearl Jam allows fans to record concerts for noncommercial use under its open taping policy. pjsho.ws aggregates concert recordings from the taping community as well as official recordings that Pearl Jam has authorized for trade – about 350 so far – and packages them as high-quality mp3 torrents. The same recordings are available as a 24/7 streaming radio station. The site also features a listing of local fan groups worldwide and a feed of Pearl-Jam-related images posted to Twitter.
What clever relationship "hacks" have you come up with?
What clever relationship "hacks" have you come up with? I'm looking to build up my mental catalogue of examples of non-obvious solutions to relationship difficulties. Help me think out of the box better in the future!
How to tackle multiple large personal projects?
I need some advice on getting things done. I have several large personal projects I've been trying to work on for a long time, but I am having trouble making even the smallest dent in each.
Tofu Scramble!
I always have trouble finding good things to eat for breakfast, but I suddenly remembered tofu scramble! Lots of protein, not sweet, can be made ahead, and capable of many variations. Perfect.
So please tell me, what's your favorite version?
End of life planning
My brother and I are sitting down with my parents tomorrow to discuss specifics of what they've put in place for end of life planning. What should we ask?
I am afraid to write.
I'm a writer who doesn't really write anything...help?
What can I do with a lot of garlic?
The CSA garlic has been piling up. What sorts of things can I do with quantities of garlic? I think we currently have 10-12 heads of garlic. Bonus points if whatever it is will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for a couple of months. (I found this from previously but maybe there's more!)
Raising kids with "grit"
What can I do as a parent to help my child build persistence, self-discipline, high standards, and work ethic?
Strategies for quality time with my wife when life gets in the way
How does a youngish (36) married couple spend quality time together when demanding jobs and childcare responsibilities seem to make it nearly impossible? What are your strategies? How do you cope?
How to deal with an overbearing, perfectionsist boss?
I am from the United States and love my new job in a developing country. I believe in what the organization is trying to accomplish. There are two bosses. One is laid back and lets me do my thing. The other is a complete perfectionist who is so overbearing at times that I want to cry.
Daily writing practice.
I'd like to begin a daily writing practice, to be hosted on a semi-public blog (that is, it's public but not promoted, and not for anyone but myself).
How do I inspire a hungry imagination?
I am a relative to a youngster (aged 6). I want to inspire them. Feed their imagination, help them to discover the endless possibilities that exist in all corners of the world. My question is how best to do this?
Integrity 101
I want and need to have more integrity with myself.
Help me find a new perfect purse!
Did you ever own the perfect purse? I did, until it tore. I know it could potentially be repaired, but I am going to have to face the fact that one day I'm going to have to replace it. Problem is that I am in love with the open giant pockets on the front. Help me find a new purse!
Adobe Creative Suite: Long-term plans?
So, Adobe has abandoned retail versions of Creative Suite (and its component apps) in favor of Creative Cloud.
This terrifies me.
How do I stop being so negative and pessimistic at work?
Management told us that we need to be positive and upbeat at work. I can be fairly pessimistic and jaded. How do I reconcile these two things? Lots of snowflakiness inside.
Get Me Over the Hump
I have by all conservative measures the perfect life: two healthy, beautiful children, a wonderful husband and a good job. The problem? Neither job is making me happy right now. I can't change either, so I need some tips on how to find meaning again.