Moab - what to see and do

I'm headed to Moab with kids, young ones and am wondering what people who know the area well have to recommend. Any must see's or do's? Any input would be great!

April Fool's Day

What are some fun jokes you have played on your loved ones for april fool's day? Or what are some you have heard of people doing. I'm dying to get my husband good!

Issues

My husband and I have been married for 3 years now. From the very beginning we had a very honest relationship. We both had talked about pornography and how if effects peoples marriages. From there we both decided that we didn't care if the other person watched porn as long as they didn't hide it, they didn't lie about it, it didn't take over our sex life, and as long as it didn't become a problem. So we have never had a problem with it, until now. Saturday I found an email and I didn't know what it was so I asked him. He said that he didn't have a clue what it was. Well, it had his credit card number, our address, our email, a user name with his name in it, and a confirmation number saying that our credit card will be billed and showed what it would be under. I asked him about it then and there and he said he didn't have a clue. Well, when I was going to call the number that was on the email he finally told me. He had signed up for a membership at a porn site. This particular site is one that you pay to watch woman masterbate, you tell them what you want them to do, and you tell them what turns you on. You talk to them about sex and have them do it. I was upset. But the part that really really bugged me was that he told me that night when we talked about it that he had felt like he was cheating on me and felt guilty but continued to do it. Which makes me think that if he really was cheating on me he wouldn't stop. And that he wouldn't have a problem with it. We talked about it that night until 3:30 in the morning. He doesn't understand how I can feel betrayed, cheated on, that the trust is gone, and all that. He said that it isn't that big of a deal! I asked him if I had done the same thing if it would bother him and he said no. Which bothers me. He should care if I feel like I'm cheating on him! I don't know what to do. He keeps saying that he wants things to go back to normal. But I don't know if I can. I already said that there was going to be no porn in the relationship or in our home, on our computer or anything. But I don't know what to do! HELP!

Do you make any crafts?

Hey! I was wondering if anyone made any types of crafts or had any talents they could share? There is a new website one of my friends has put together where you can advertise what you do for free and people can link to your blog or Etsy site if you have one so they can buy items from you or use your services. I think it's pretty cool, but I was wondering if anyone had anything they could post on it so we start to get more variety?

http://advertise-everything.blogspot.com

where is the line?

My husband's best friend from birth is in an abusive marriage. He is 25 years old and has been married for only 2 years. He is constantly treated like a child, not allowed to go anywhere without his wife (and if he does anyway she threatens to leave him), and never allowed to come over to my house because she thinks I'm the scum-of-the-earth wife because I "let" my husband have friends and hobbies. Mind you, she and I used to be very close friends. In fact, it was KIND OF a big deal when two best friends married two girls who were friends...
They live in the city she grew up (where her family lives) in and his family lives in a small neighboring town about 15 minutes away. They never go to see his family. Maybe once a month. And when they do, she acts like a brat the entire time because she doesn't get along with his mom. They are probably at her family's house at least twice a week. He is the one with a job, but SHE controls the money and decides what he can or cannot buy. She is AWFUL! It breaks my heart to see how unhappy he is. He has probably packed on 60 pounds since they got married. She constantly tells him he is a loser and needs to get his act together (which is weird cuz he has friends, 2 jobs, goes to school full time, is very active in church and loves outdoor sports).

My husband says he used to be the type who ALWAYS stood up for himself, and NEVER EVER let anyone push him around. Ever. And now, he does. And he doesn't stick up for himself because he wants to avoid fighting with her. From what he tells my husband, who is pretty much his brother, all they do is fight. All the time. About everything. She is OCD about a clean house (as in, a napkin and a magazine on the coffee table and he's in for it)..I understand wanting a clean home. I'm that way too. It drives me crazy when my husband leaves a candy wrapper 3 inches from the trash can. BUT he will drop whatever he is doing with my husband and say: "Oh crap, "Morgan" is going to be home in like 15 minutes. If I dont have the dishes done by the time she gets home I wont be getting any this month and I'll spend the rest of the night fighting with her." How sad is it that he sneaks around behind her back to hang out with his best friend? And that she withholds sex from him when he doesn't get the house clean... I find myself canceling OUR plans because if it means my husband gets to hang out with him once this month, even for an hour, I want him to be able to. SHE IS SO CONTROLLING. Plus, she is mean to my husband, who has been there through 25 years of this guys life, and THAT is not okay with me. A few weeks ago she said this to him: "Why do you feel like you need to hang out with PEOPLE WHO DON'T MATTER?" Seriously. Right in front of his brothers and my husband, who are the ones he wanted to go to the gym with to play some ball.

My questions are.. Is my husband out of line to give him advice or suggest praying or thinking about divorcing her? Would is be wrong of me to talk to her and tell her she needs to ease up on him? My husband has already suggested counseling to him, but none of us think she will agree to go..including her husband... How can we help? Or should we? We love them and want them to be happy, but she is too dang proud to accept ANY advice. I know they love each other. I've seen it. Honestly, if I gave her a suggestion, she would tell me I don't know what Im talking about and she doesnt need my help because her marriage is PERFECT. Really. She puts that face on constantly. It breaks my heart.

How can we help them? My husband cannot stand to see someone so important to him suffer like this...and I wish I could have my friend back.

Good books?

I am always on the look out for a great book. I am not part of a book club or anything, but sometimes get my hands on book lists from other people's clubs, I am kind of out of books right now. Anyone have some great books? I read it all James Patterson, Jodi Picoult, Naomi Raegon, any to every as long as it is enjoyable...

Most exotic food you've ever had?

The title pretty much says it all.. what's the most exotic/strange food you've ever had? And if it's something popular, why did you find it so exotic/strange? This foodie would like to know!

Twilight?

Will someone please explain the allure of "Twilight" to me? I just don't get it. I've tried reading it, and - well, I don't want to make anyone angry, especially when I'm asking for their opinion - but I am absolutely baffled as to why it's been such a phenomenon. Suffice it to say that I do not like it, and cannot find any reason why grown women like it to the extent that they do ("Twilight"-themed parties, vacations, etc.). What makes this book so different?

(For the record, I am a voracious reader. I read a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction - and I absolutely love to read. So this request is coming from a "reader", as opposed to someone who rarely reads.)

Weeks vs. Months

I am 29 weeks pregnant with my first and every day someone asks how far I am. I know the answer in weeks but almost everyone wants to know in months. How am I supposed to answer this? I mean 29 divided by 4 puts me at just over 7, but I still have about 3 months left so I want to say 6. I realize this is silly but it comes up several times a day.

Travel

What websites do you use to find good travel deals? I'm on a fairly tight budget, but wanted to surprise my husband for his 30th birthday with a trip. Anyone know of a website/travel agency that can get you good deals? Thanks!!

For the Runners Out There

Now be honest here :)
What is your fastest recorded time for ANY of the following race.
State the race and your finishing time.

Marathon (26.2 miles)
1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles)
10k (6.2 miles)
5k (3.1 miles)

meal plan

I need some help creating a diet for myself. Those of you who are on diets, what do you eat? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack. Do you eat the same things everyday? What works best for you? I understand that we all are different body types, need different amounts of calories, etc. but I was just wondering. I am a 22 year old female. I weigh 120 lbs. and I am 5'4" just in case you were wondering...

Easter ?

I was just wondering if any of you have a really good Easter Holiday traditions. Besides dying eggs. I am kind of sick of the same old stuff that I did as a kid. Also if you have any good ideas for Easter Baskets.

Any good recipes for dinner or all the left over eggs. Any suggestions would help. Thank you!

Closet Smoker

I found out in my adult years that my dad has been a closet smoker pretty much his entire life. He's a member of the LDS church, and has remained active his entire life. I guess smoking is his vice. I don't really know what to do. He is not the easiest person to talk to (Or else the advice "Just kindly let him know you love him and are concerned about him" would be the easy thing to do.) He knows that I and my sibling know, but it's the elephant in the room we're too afraid to talk about.

I just don't know whether to throw my hands in the air and say "He is who he is, who he will always be, and he has not quit for his wife, his church, his testimony, his children, or his grandchildren, why would he quit now?"

Or to take some kind of action to help him. I just have no clue how I would help him. Has anyone been through a similar situation? Or what do you think is the appropriate thing to do?

American Idol

Who is your favorite American Idol contestant?

Right Username

Make sure when you sign in to post a question you use the right username- 2 a's aaskanythingblog. Someone has started a blog called Correct Temple Clothes under the other password and your question won't show up on ask-any-thing.

mas hair :(

this is an embarrassing question, but I am wondering if anyone else has had the same problem. after each of my 6 pregnancies, I have had an unusual overgrowth of body hair. It's all over my arms, face, chest, legs, and nether regions...even onto my quads. I've tried waxing, shaving, nair, and electrolysis but only gotten rashes, second degree burns, and MORE HAIR! Now my husband doesn't want to be close with me. Has anybody else had this or known someone who has? Please help!

Nursery Help!

My 18 month old recently started going to the nursery at church. It is NOT going well, and I'm not sure what to do. He has always been an independent and secure little kid, but as of the last few weeks, he is suddenly starting to have separation anxiety. There is nothing that could have caused this that I can think of, other than maybe it is just normal at this age.
When we leave him at the nursery, he just starts bawling hysterically asking for mama and dada. It is so sad! I was hoping that he would eventually get used to it, and he will calm down for a little while, but then he starts crying again.
How should we handle this situation? Should my husband or I stay in the nursery with him? Take him out? Let him scream for 2 hours? (I'm not a fan of that last option!) I don't want to traumatize him or anything. I want him to feel safe and secure in the nursery, but he doesn't know any of the leaders or kids, so I can understand why he's scared.
Oh, and another problem is that nursery goes from 12:00-2:00, which is when he eats lunch and goes down for a nap every day of the week (except Sunday of course), so he is hungry, tired, and grouchy!
I'm sure many of you have had to deal with a similar situation, so any advice is very appreciated! Thanks!

Animal Book

My 1 yr old loves Animals. Does any have a great Animal book they would recommend?

SECONDARY INSURANCE

Recently we added Aflac as our 2nd Insurance for extra coverage when I have another baby. Has anyone done this? If so was it all worth it? Did you make extra money? What was recommened for the hospital stay? Sorry so many questions. I'm just really curious how this will all work out. Thanks!

One thing

What is one thing you wish you could change about your marriage/family. Do you have any regrets, wished your spouse was more supportive, helped out more around the house, etc

$6000 credit

Has anyone heard of the additional $6000 credit the state (Utah) is doing on top of the $8000 credit from the fed for first time home buyers? If so, what information do you have on it, when is it effective, do you have to purchase by a certain time, what is the process, etc?
Thanks

Digital Scrapbooking

I am set up to start scrapbooking digitally but I just don't know where to start or even how to work it. I have photoshop 6 and I have started to download freebies but I just don't know how to organize all of my stuff. Does anyone know of a good website that helps you learn photoshop 6 and how to organize everything.

One wedding day do over..

If you could change one thing about your wedding, what would it be?? (big or small)

What to do

My husband and I have been married for 8 years, and we have two kids. For the past 8 years, it has been nothing but supporting him in his different endeavors (school twice, different jobs, etc etc etc), and he always, without fail, quits what he is doing and most of the time with out telling me I have supported him, encouraged him, and he gets mad saying that I am not doing that and that is why he had to 'quit'.

After 8 years of this, I am done. I am sick of it. I recently decided that in order for our family to succeed (get out of debt, buy a house), that it is up to me, so I started school. Now everything I do or say turns into an argument, even if I am *gasp*... right. Eventually he comes back to apologies, but it is after he has blown up. I am working, going to school full time and being a mom, not to mention different callings. He is working part time, and again, going to school, part time, but only because I am 'forcing him to' (this was news to me, and when I said, then DON'T, he got mad and stormed off).

I am done. I am ready to not be married to him. Suddenly the idea being together for Eternity is more of a threat than a warm fuzzy. He will not do counseling. He thinks it's all in my head and I am constantly 'PMSing'.

So now what? This may seem silly, but I am afraid to talk to my bishop. I love the callings I have. LOVE them. They are what help me get through things, and honestly, are helping me stay active. Also with these callings, I am interacting with my kids. All the more reason I love it! I am afraid the if I talk to my bishop, he will release me. I am afraid that if I leave my husband, how am I going to make it with my kids?

I understand there is no real question here, but anything thoughts, advice, etc you have would be great.

Thank you!

Tutorial

Can anyone tell me how to use HTML codes to bold, underline, etc.? Is there a good book or website that has a quick and easy tutorial?

Also, how do you post links without typing the entire address - such as when someone types "click here" and it takes you to the website.

Thanks.

Helpful

I don't really have a question, just some useful information. I noticed that a lot of people on here are pregnant (like myself) and my pharmacist gave me this phone number. It's called the PREGNANCY RISK LINE where you can ask questions about medication, drugs, exposures, and all sorts of things while pregnant. It's run by the Utah Department of Health. This saved me as I am currently suffering from pneumonia. (Any tips to get rid of a bad cough??)

Good luck!

1-801-328-2229

pregnant...

I am 6 weeks preggers, and just starting to feel the pangs of morning sickness, except i feel it before bed too... Nothing sounds exceptionally good to eat. (except french fries.) I cant (as in i want to puke when i do) eat sweets? honestly people how long does this last? Will I be able to eat normal again?

any tips on getting over this.

Also we have been trying to get pregnant for awhile now, and i feel so paranoid.(like this is a big dream) I just want to get to the 12 week mark so i dont have to worry (as much)

condoms

So I have a few personal health issues and I am going to go off of birth control. I have been on it for like 10 years now and I don't want to create any more problems and hurt chances of having a baby in the future and yadda yadda yadda...anyway. My husband and I ususally use condoms anyway...like. On top of being on the pill. Extra caution I guess. Which is fine. We don't mind them..in fact we have really goood thin ones so its kinda like its not there anyways...so.

My point of this post is...how many of you use condoms? And have you ever gotten pregnant using one that you know of? We don't want a baby probably for another 2 years but since Ive been on the pill since first starting my period at like the age of 12 due to health problems and such...I dont want to be on it anymore. It's been a long time!!! What are your thoughts? And do you have a favorite brand or type of condoms?

Messy Kids

How do you get your kids to clean their rooms? I have an eight year old, a six year old, and a four year old. I help the four year old, but shouldn't the older two be able to do it themselves for the most part?

Double Strollers

Will you please share your double stroller wisdom with me?

Which do you prefer--the side to side ones or the front and back ones? Or do you like the ones where the older child can sit or stand in the back?

Any brands you recommend?

HYRDROXYCUT

Has anyone ever taken the diet supplement HYRDOXYCUT/HYDROXYCUT MAX-actually any form of it for that matter and believed they saw results from it? does this diet pill really work?

Car Repo

I am just curious if anyone has lost their car back to the bank and how it was handled.

Karaoke

Guilty pleasure of mine... so what's your favorite song to sing at karaoke? What's the song you hate to hear at karaoke?
And for those of you who don't/won't sing... what's the best song you've heard someone sing? Similarly, what's the worst song you've heard someone sing?

Motivation, I don't have it

I don't know if this question has been asked already but I could definitely use some help. I can't seem to get motivated to stick to a work out plan. I always start with a plan and do it for a month or so and then quit. It always seems like something comes up that throws me off like my legs and knees start hurting really bad or I will have to leave town for a week and then I get in the habit of not doing it again. I really feel like I am not "fat" or anything but I do have some spots that I would like to work on because they bug me enough that I feel really self conscious about them. I even feel like my husband isn't really attracted to me anymore because of my body which I know is not the truth but it makes it where I don't want him to see me naked and so I end up not really wanting to be intimate. Obviously that reason alone should be enough for me to stick with a plan but it just seems like I never can. I am not lazy at all I am really busy with work and taking care of my 18 month old so if I were to have time to work out it would probably only be like an hour a day. Does anyone else feel like this? Have you tried any work out plans that you just loved and really stuck with? Does anyone have a suggestion of how to keep motivated?

Birth Control/ Pregnancy Question

I have a REALLY lame question that I'm putting on here because it's so stupid that I'm embarrassed to ask anyone I know. So from what I understand when you're on birth control it's kind of "tricking" your body into thinking you're pregnant so you don't ovulate. And that's also why some people get sick from birth control, because that's how they'd react to being pregnant too. So my question is, if I'm on birth control but take a pregnancy test will it come out positive from the hormones in my pills? Or will it only be positive if I'm ACTUALLY pregnant? I know this is dumb, so please no mocking!

Vacuum

Sorry for a boring question, but do any of you have a recommendation for a good vacuum? I want something that really works and I'm willing to pay up to $500. Or, if you know of one that sucks, let me know that as well so I know not to buy it. Thanks!

First time home buyer

For a first time home buyer do they require you to have a down payment when purchasing a house? I've heard both yes and no. I know I should check with the bank but I just wanted to see what you guys knew before I take the next step.

How to Help

I was wondering, with this economic decline, how you have helped (or tried to help) neighbors and friends who have lost their jobs and are struggling financially. I would like to know if your help offended them or if they were grateful for it.

If you are struggling financially, how have neighbors and friends helped you, and how did you feel about it?

Migraine Relief

I have a pretty big migraine. I usually just pop a couple Ibuprofen and that takes care of it. However, I might be pregnant, so I don't want to resort to that unless I absolutely have to. Does anyone know of any pregnancy-safe ways to get rid of migraines, just in case I am pregnant?

Sleeping it off doesn't work for me; without pain relief it just makes the migraine worse. That's actually why my migraine is so bad now - I went to bed without taking anything last night and woke up with much worse pain. Also Tylenol, generally considered safer for pregnant women, has no effect on my migraines.

It's a S-E-X question!!!

What feels REALLY good? What do you LOVE to happen in the sack?
I'm looking for new ideas and techniques...

Planned Gender

I can't recall if this has been asked before, but here's the background before the question.

There is a woman in my ward (LDS) that had 4 boys and then a girl. When she was getting ready to be pregnant with the 5 child, she told me that she took measures to be SURE she'd get her girl. I'm not entirely sure what "measures" she took, but I think it had something to do with having sex just before ovulation or something like that. I have heard some old wives tales about eating salty for boys and sweets for girl and stuff like that. I personally don't know that I believe any of it at all. I think the Lord sends you the children HE wants you to have.

So here's the question. Do you think that this is real or works? Is it possible to plan the sex of your baby by taking certain means? If you DO believe it, then what do I do to have a girl next time? And please don't tell me to read a book. Just tell me what you know.
(I ask about a girl because I want to hear about some of the means you know of plus if I try it and have a girl, it will make a fun update wont it?)

car shopping

I finally sold my car (yay) but now it's time to buy a new one. My husband and I are thinking of buying a Chevy Tahoe. Probably anywhere from a 2003-2005. We're very outdoorsy so we would take it camping and off-roading but still want it for when we start a family in about a year. I know the gas mileage is not great however it's better than what I was getting in my Nissan X-Terra. It is also what fits our lifestyle the best. Do any of you own a 03-05 Tahoe? Do you love it? Hate it? I need some feedback. I don't want to go into this blind. Thanks in advance!

Masons and the LDS

Ok, first off, this IS NOT a question about the differences between the two, who's right, who's wrong, etc. etc. I am just really curious something. I guess the title should be Mason, the LDS temple ceremony, and Ex-mo's.

So, I've seen in a number of posts, Ex-Mormons saying that the LDS Church stole and "bastardized" the Masonic ceremony. My question to ex-mo's is this:
-How did the Church "bastardize" (I've seen this word use several times) the ceremony?
-And, my the real point of my post, if you left the Church, you must generally not believe in the temple ceremony. However, you claim the Church has bastardized the Masonic ceremony, which makes it sound like you believe in that ceremony as divine/right/whatever have you. I don't understand this. Why do you still believe in the Masonic ceremony if not the Church's?

I'm LDS and endowed. I love the temple. I don't know anything really about the Masons, other than it's similar somehow. However, don't try to dissuade me from my belief, cuz you're gonna make me mad and not gonna get anywhere. I'm firm. I'm just sincerely curious.

-Peaches

Construction experts

Is anyone out there a construction expert (or has a spouse who is). if so, I've got a question for ya.

too many showers?

The "Baby Shower Ideas" post got me thinking about something...
I read The Meanest Mom blog, which often gets me laughing so hard I feel like crying. One of her articles written on Momlogic was about women who have a baby shower for every child they have. (If you don't read her blog, I recommend it. She is a hilarious, witty mother of four crazy children.)

My ward RS does baby showers every time someone has a baby. Do you think it's kind of...beggarish to have a shower for every baby you have and expect gifts and clothes?
She points out that it is NOT the same thing to throw a little party and maybe ask people not to bring gifts...just a little get together to celebrate a new baby is ALWAYS fine..
She says she feels like the point of a baby shower is to help a new mother out and give her things that a new mother cannot get for herself and that it is inappropriate for a mother to expect clothes, toys, car seats, etc. for every child she has...

So what are your thoughts?
Would you be willing to go to or throw a shower for every baby for a mother of say...5 children? AND bring gifts?
Have you had multiple showers? How do you feel about this?

Pregnancy test question

I took a pregnancy test last week and it was negative. Took another the next day and it was a very faint positive, so I tried again the next day and it was negative. A little confused, so I took another one the next day and got a pretty dark positive. Just to double check, I took another one this morning, three days later, and I got another negative. I am just wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else, and what their outcome was.

Questionable Dream

Sometimes I have dreams where although I don't see myself, I know it's me and I'm with another woman! I don't have these feelings consciously, but in my dreams it seems my partner is always female. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I'm straight and wonder why my dreams always end up this way.

Baby shower Ideas

Does anyone have any fun/cute ideas for a baby shower. I am throwing one for my sister and want to do an open house, but I am not sure what food to have or if I should plan to play a game or two. Any ideas?

HBO Big Love

So did anyone watch Big Love yesterday? I thought thats when they were going to air the episode where they showed the temple sealings/ceremonies. I did not watch, so I am wondering if they aired it. If so, what did you think about it? Was the info correct? Fill me in since I missed it.

Maternity Clothes Strategies?

I am 4 1/2 months pregnant and not really ready to start wearing maternity clothes, but I can see the time is coming. I have looked around a little bit for maternity clothes but there just seems to be nothing. I was just wondering what are your maternity clothes strategies? Where do you shop? When do you switch to maternity clothes? Do you buy maternity clothes or do something different?

Cha Cha

Have you heard of being a cha cha guide? Is it legit and is it worth it? Am I wasting my time? Is there anything I need to know or be concerned with?

gardening in spring

Have any of you planted anything in your gardens yet? I am planning on planting peas this week and was wondering if i'm too late/early. Has anyone has already done them? It's averaging 50'ss and low 60's where I live. I have also heard that carrots can be planted this early... does anyone know? Tell me all of your gardening in spring wisdom!

Frustrating!

PERIOD QUESTION!

So here is the story so far....every since about the starting of high school which was like 2000 or 2001, I have had an off cycle. Meaning, my period NEVER starts when it is suppose to. In fact, i had times when it would go months without it. Which, by the way, is fine with me considering I HATE HATE HATE them! But after a while of it so off course, i went to the doctor and asked him about it. He said its normal for some girls and they put me on birth control to get it back on track. I took that for a year or two. Then decided i didn't want to be on it anymore and so i got off it. About a year after that, it started being abnormal again. This time though, i would have my period for a MINIMUM of 6 weeks, then i would get a week off, then it would start again! This happened for three or four months. By that time, i was furious! So i once again got back on birth control. I got married last April, and since we didn't want kids right off, i decided i better stay on it. In December, i decided to get off of it, so that we could start having kids within the next year or so. But last month, it skipped my period. I was suppose to start on the 16th. I'm not going to say that i am surprised! It is now almost middle of March and i haven't started yet. I took a pregnancy test last month to make sure i wasn't pregnant. It was negative. Does anyone else have this problem? If you do, do you have to stay on birth control pills for it, or do you just let it go its course? Its frustrating, because now i don't know when it will start and that makes it inconvenient because i have to worry about it starting in the middle of the day while I'm at work, or somewhere else that would make it hard to get to a bathroom to fix it. My one year anniversary is coming up in April, and I don't want it to start then!

time to plan vacations!

My husband and I are planning a vacation to take before school starts, so we will probably go in like...August, since that's when I can get some time off of work. I know there was a similar post about a month ago, but what vacations have you been on that you enjoyed?

We live in Idaho so...pretty much anywhere away from the mountains and/or desert would be great!

I think we are most likely going to do something tropical where we can scuba dive and surf and stuff...
We have also not ruled out cruises. BUT we don't want to spend TONS. It is just the 2 of us...so pretty much anything goes.

Any ideas?

viewing blogs

After viewing other people's blogs do you ever feel discouraged and feel that everyone else's lives seem so perfect (except yours) and that they seem so happy. I feel like that a lot. However, I have pretty low self esteem as it is, but I sometimes wonder if people use their blog to try and brag or to show off or something.
Has anyone else noticed this?

reverence

I posted the question "RS and Primary" and now that I have some input from people (thank you, by the way!!), I need help with how to control VERY ROWDY inattentive children. The thing is, kids are kids. And they are 5 year olds. I don't expect them to be perfect...but I often have ten of them and as you can imagine...it gets crazy.

But I do wonder what YOU do or things you know of that can keep kids in their seats better, teach them to raise their hands when they want to say something, STAY on topic (you know how they are...you ask them about Noah and they go off about their Halloween costume from last year), and mostly learn to be reverent and pay attention during sharing time and SING during singing time.

Also, I have a few children who are sent to primary with TOYS in their bags, and they want to play with them the whole time and distract every other child. Would it be out of line to go to their parents and ask them not to send toys with them to Primary?

Kegels

How faithfully did you do Kegel exercises when you were pregnant. Some books recommend doing over 100 Kegels a day! Does anyone really do that? If so, do you think it helped you?

Sharing Time Help

I wasn't going to post this on here but then I saw the question about personal progress so I figured I would ask... Does anyone know of any good websites to help with Primary Sharing Time ideas? I know of sugardoodle.net, theideadoor.com and of course lds.org...which is probably the best help anyway...but I was just wondering if there are any other websites out there that you like that also have some good ideas?

"Love Story"

I'm really sorry because I KNOW this is retarded, but is anyone else SICK of hearing Taylor Swift? I swear, her song "Love Story" is on every blog and every radio station. I can't stand it! I'm seriously so tired of hearing it. And her song "Teardrops On My Guitar" was the same way.

Okay, she's pretty and she sings well if you like that kind of music but seriously...I can't stand her dumb songs. Isn't she a country singer? Why is she played on rock stations?

Haha you guys can laugh at me and tell me to get a life but I have this serious thing against Taylor Swift right now. I work in an office so I always have the radio station live listening thing up and I swear no matter what station I switch to, they are always playing it. UGH!

Are there any artists or songs that just DRIVE YOU OVER THE EDGE?!

Personal Progress

I am the Personal Progress leader in my ward. I was wondering if anyone has done any really fun activities or if anyone knows any sites that have ideas besides sugardoodle? Any help would be very much appreciated!

RS and Primary

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I think there was a similar post about this earlier on, but I couldn't find it.
My husband and I moved into a new family ward and were called into the primary as team teachers when we had been married about 6 months. I think I went to Relief Society maybe twice before we were given our calling.
It has been over a year now, and I feel like I DO NOT KNOW ANYONE (except those in primary)! I still have people coming up to me and introducing themselves to me every week! I go to Enrichment, I do my visiting teaching, etc. I mean... I am in church every week!

For the record, we do not have children. AND we DO enjoy teaching primary.

So recently I went to Enrichment with another young married friend of mine (who was also shoved into primary when they joined the ward) and when we sat down at our table...NOBODY sat with us. We sat alone at a table, and when older women would come in a little late, they would go to another table with 1 empty seat and say "is this seat taken?" Seriously.
Here's the thing. I KNOW I shouldn't let this offend me. It in no way affects my feelings about the Church, and I don't mean to murmur against anyone or complain..but I can't help but notice that EVERY young married couple in my ward (there are about 6 couples) have been tossed into primary the minute they step through the door. What the crap?
Also, I'm looking for some insight. I want to know if you are an "older" woman (and by older I mean not in your 20's in this case) if you have a hard time talking to and befriending younger women in your ward. And how do you feel about young couples being called into primary? And I want input from women (or men) of any age.
I guess I just feel cut off from my ward. I dont know the women, and my husband doesn't know any of the men because we spend our Sundays in primary. And because we both work and go to school, we are not always at Enrichment and Priesthood activities. And when we ARE (like my example above) we are ignored by anyone not in their 20's!
I mean honestly you guys, our ward is very "clickey" and very gossipy. There's like a circle of women including the RS Presidency, the Bishop's wife and her close friends....then there's the women in their mid 30's with young children (whom I teach in primary) and the list goes on and on...
It's getting old. I don't feel welcome in my own ward by anyone who is not close to my age.
* And for the record, we have been to a married university ward, and we HATED IT. We love where we are right now, with the exception of the little RS problem.) Have any of you ever experienced this problem or anything like it? I need some encouragement and reasons to not be PISSED at the caddy women in my ward.

Any insight?

Photography

Can anyone explain to me the difference between Photoshop CS3 (or CS4) and Photoshop Elements? All I'm interested in is editing pictures and I've heard that Elements is the photo editing part of the CS3 program.
Any input is greatly appreciated!

Movement

Hi! This is my first time posting on this blog and I had a pregnancy question. I was wondering how far along you were when you first felt movement of your baby. I'm pregnant with my first and can't wait to feel that!

How to stop people from viewing Big Love this week?

I'm wondering how to stop people from viewing the HBO show Big Love this week?

Pregnancy Stories!

So, my husband and I are excited because we have decided we're ready to get pregnant with our third child. I thought it would be fun, while we wait to find out if it happened this cycle, to hear some of your pregnancy stories - when you found out, how you told friends and family, any fun horror stories about morning sickness or other pregnancy aches and pains, labor and delivery stories, whatever you want to share!

Movies on digital camera

I have a bunch of little videos from my digital camera in .mov format. I want to create a dvd with all these using windows moviemaker but it won't let me in the .mov format. Does anyone know how to do this? Some way to convert it to another format like .wmv to make it work? Thanks.

I LOOOOVE YOU!

What do you guys LOVE about your significant other?
What endearing qualities does he or she possess?

House

How long were you married before you and your spouse were able to buy a house? We would like to buy one but it just seems like we will never have any money to get one. We try saving and something always comes up. So how long did you have to wait, and how were you able to do it? Did you save for years, did you just luck into it with no downpayment, how did it work?

Now is a good time to buy and I would like to look into it.

Healthy Eating

My husband and I have decided that from now on we are going to eat healthy!!

We both need to lose some weight, and in my experience, it is easier and cheaper to eat poorly and unhealthy. We exercise a lot, but we are in desperate need of a lifestyle change when it comes to our eating habits.

So, I need help. I need websites, blogs, or personal recipes for healthy meals. It is just my husband and me, and I want to get into the habit of cooking healthier meals so that we are completely in the swing of it when we have children.

Any help and/or healthy tips would be loverly.

I am appalled!!!

What is the world coming to? I just read something on facebook (I don't know if it's true or not), that the HBO show Big Love which is about a fictional polygamist family from SLC, is going to replicate sacred ordinances that happen in our LDS (NON POLYGAMIST) temples! With the full temple clothing. Supposedly they have an ex-mormon staff member who is telling them everything to do. This is so disgusting. Go ahead and make fun of polygamists, that's fine. Go ahead and make light of certain things about our church and culture. Whatever. But DO NOT take something so sacred, so near and dear to so many of our hearts and paste it on TV like it's a piece of garbage.

When is everyone going to get the picture that we stopped practicing polygamy in 1890??? If you're a member and practice polygamy now, you will be excommunicated!

The reason why I posted this is because A: I am appalled, and B: You can go to HBO's website and leave a comment asking them not to do this.

Whether you're a member, ex-member or non-member, don't you agree this is completely disrespectful?

I whole heartedly agree with the church's statement about the show:

"Despite its popularity with some, much of today's television entertainment shows an unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor, and four language. Big Love, like so much other television programming, is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds. (Italics added) Parents who are casual about their viewing habits ought not to be surprised if teaching moral choices and civic values to their children becomes harder as a result.

For that reason and others, Church leaders have consistently cautioned against such entertainment, joining with other religious, education and government leaders in inviting individuals and families to follow a higher road of decency, self-discipline and integrity."

If you'd like to learn the truth about our wonderful gospel that blesses so many lives, please go to www.mormon.org Please don't listen to the lies of filth displayed by such TV networks like HBO.

Update!

I made a post called ANNOYED awhile back. I thought I would let you all know that my friend and her husband are splitting up. She has left him for a married man she has been seeing! Ironic don't you think. I don't want say I told you so, but I new something was wrong with her behavior. I just think it sad that family's are going to breaking up over this. Thankfully it's not mine!

Slideshows on sidebars

I've seen a couple of people have a little slideshow of pictures on the sidebar of their blog. How do you do this?

I've tried before and only half of it shows up, like my sidebar isn't wide enough? I've tried posting a picture by itself, also, and the same thing happens.

How do I get the whole thing to show up?

Do I tell my spouse about something from the past?

I don't even know how to start this post. I was in a very serious relationship long before I ever knew my spouse. Something happened one time that I didn't consider "sex" at the time. Probably because I was somewhat naive until after I was married. Anyway, I repented for this and was so embarassed about it that I couldn't even tell my bishop. I had to write it down and sit there while he read it and guilt pulsed through my body (it was about 2 years after it happened that I went into the bishop) I remember how horrible it felt to admit something like this ever happened, especially to me because I consider myself to this day morally strong. I remember him asking if I had done anything like this with anyone else and I hadn't (I actually quit seeing the guy. He said he felt bad that I had carried all this guilt for so long and that because I hadn't done anything of this nature ever again that I could be forgiven. Anyway. I didn't think anything of it until yesterday it hit me like a brick. Until yesterday I had never considered something like this as "sex". I was married in the temple. Yesterday all of a sudden part of that Bishop's interview came into my head "penetration is penetration". I'd never thought about it again until yesterday. I thought I was forgiven and moved on. Ever since then I realized that what I did could possibly have been sex because of what the bishop said(though I didn't feel anything, and I was completely clothed... long story I don't want to talk about). I never considered this sex before. Now that I realize "penetration is penetration" do I tell my spouse? And if I do, how do I tell him?? He had a girlfriend that he date about 3+ years before he went on his mission somewhat seriously. When we first got married we had a discussion because I always wondered what he had done with her (not that it's any of my business because I'm sure he took care of it) and the exatc words were " Did you have sex with your ex?" and I told him no. And he said "neither did I". And then I said "Did you do anything you had to go to the bishop for?" and both of us agreed that we had. And he said "Well, let's leave it at that and move forward with our relationship." So my question to you, is now that I know what I know, what do I do? Do I tell my spouse, or do I move forward because I took care of it and didn't really know at the time of the question that this was considered "sex"? This is such a touchy subject for me, and I really don't want to ruin my marriage, though my husband is really understanding. What would you do?

Daylight Savings Time

Switching to daylight savings time drives me nuts. I think we should split the difference and stick to one time schedule. What do you think? Do you like switching every six months? Do you like it lighter earlier or later?

Oprah

A little while ago on Oprah there was a family who was all addicted to heroin. They profiled the family and the town where the family lived. The Oprah show arranged for the family to get treatment in rehab if the family wanted to. Just the other day they had a follow-up show to see where the family was now and how the treatment had gone. Did anyone see that? I just wondered how the family was doing and if they were all able to go through the treatment and stay away from drugs. Thanks!

Do you work?

I kinda feel like an odd man (woman) out on this blog. TONS of answers come from women who are stay at home moms. I work. And I will continue to work when we have children, because I will HAVE to. I don't want reasons why you stay home with your kids..I understand the SAHM thing.

I want to know how many of you women actually work? And what do you do?

(and I don't mean women who volunteer 2 days a week in their kid's kindergarten class. I mean real full-time paying jobs.)

I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'd love to stay home with my kids but it's just not going to happen. My husband has 6 years of school left. I'm all for the staying at home thing. I just want to know what the working women on this blog do for a living..

Sorry...

...this is kinda of a dumb question, but do any of you know were in the grocery stores you can find Panko Bread crumbs? I have looked at Wal-mart all over and can't find them. I have yet to look at Smiths or Albertsons, but I don't even know were to look. HELP, I really want them!

Sex Question

There was a post about how often people have sex and I was left feeling like crap. My fantastic husband is lucky to get it every other month. I have zero drive. I want to WANT sex. I just DON'T. I love my husband and want to desire sex with him. It's not that I don't find him appealing or anything, I just don't want sex. How can I desire it? I feel bad all the time for him. Help me please! I feel like the worst wife in the world.

Sweet deals?

In Idaho they have a couple websites where you can go online and see all the deals they have for entertainment, travel, etc. I was wondering if anyone knows any good ones in Utah. I'm not really talking coupons for stores but more like 1/2 off hotel stays, 1/2 off at restaurants, etc. In Idaho they advertise these websites on the radio and you can get online on a certain day at 10:00 am and a whole bunch of deals are posted. By 10:01 am they are all gone. I am talking the really sweet deals... Anyone?
Thanks!

Bridal Shower Ideas

Ok so my mother in-law asked me to give my sister-inlaw a bridal shower and I need help with THEME ideas... something fun and cute!

Anger Control

Do any of you have any tricks to keep your anger under control, especially with your spouse? My husband and I usually get along really well, but occasionally we get in big fights and I absolutely hate it. I think I just let my anger get the best of me, but I want to fix that. What is the secret to controlling your anger?

Looking Forward

We should all have something in our lives to look forward to. I personally am excited for summer concerts in a couple months. (Coldplay, No Doubt, DMB) I just can't wait! During each week I also look forward to my photography classes.

So what are you looking forward to in the next week, month, year?

Comment Moderation

I have a question regarding comment moderation for blogger. I don't have it on my blog, but recently I became "blogging buddies" with a girl in my ward (church) and I noticed she has it on hers. (For those of you who don't know what comment moderation is, all comments have to be approved by the blog owner before they're posted.)

I don't feel comfortable enough with this girl to ask her why she has it, so I thought I'd ask all of you. I can see why one would want it if they had a really high traffic blog that maybe stirred up some controversy, but hers is just a simple family blog that mostly revolves about her twin boys. Anyways, for those of you who have/had comment moderation, why did you have it? Why would a regular SAHM with a "boring" (you know what I mean) blog have it?

Thanks -- weird question, I know, I just don't get it!

Opinions

I'd like to know your opinion on the judge ruling for the murder (beheading) in Canada. Please read the most recent article HERE.

I'm especially interested in your thoughts about mental illness standing in the way of a fair ruling.

For the record, I'm enraged.

Cool Blogs

What blogs do you look at, or do you think are cool/fun?

Anyone Else?

For the first year or so that my husband and I were married, we weren't able to have intercourse. We were sexually intimate, but intercourse never happened. We tried countless times, but it always caused me so much pain that we were never successful. We finally went to an LDS family therapist where I was told I had a condition called vaginismus. It is caused by anxiety sometimes due to abuse, other times due to guilt, and other times there isn't really a known cause. (I was never abused, but I do feel I was undereducated about sex and had anxiety issues with it.) Vaginismus causes the muscles in the vaginal area to clamp down so tight that it makes penetration impossible. After several months and a 10 step program with dilators, I was finally able to overcome this condition. When we were going to counciling, our therapist told us that we would be surprised how many other couples deal with vaginismus in some form. I was just wondering, has anyone else experienced this in any form?

Arm Work Outs

What are some arm work outs you can do from home? I run on my treadmill everyday but would like a workout for my arms, any ideas?

Poll: Is Paula Abdul drunk or on drugs?

I have a confession to make: I'm watching American Idol.
(Moment of silence for my shame.)

But really, I can't decide: Is Paula Abdul drunk, or she on drugs? On one hand, vodka in those giant plastic Coke cups seems like the easy answer... but I would think eventually, someone would pull her aside or switch cups if that were the case. Prescription meds seem like the right answer, because then if anyone dared to call her on it, she could say the meds were for her back/neck/hip/ovary/fill in the body part.

PS - While I'm confessing, I think Simon Cowell is awesome. I love how he calls everyone on their bs.

How to wean from breastfeeding?

I know there was recently a post about how long is too long for breastfeeding but I am wondering how to wean my baby. He is almost 12 months and I really want to be done but I am just nervous. Right now he doesn't take bottles or sippy cups. He will drink from a cup but not for long so I am worried that he won't get enough fluids to stay hydrated when he is off. Also, how should I do it? I have heard not to stop cold turkey but to stop gradually. How have you done it? What would you recomend? Does it hurt? How long does it take to be completely out? Thanks!

Worry Wart

It is so true that you never know the love you could have for someone until you are a parent. I worry constantly about something happening to my baby and am wondering if that is normal. I have an aunt who lost an older child and I heard her say once that she always kind of knew that her child wouldn't be here for long. It makes me wonder, do other moms worry as much as I do? Everytime I read or hear about these kinds of things, it makes me worry more, sometimes to the point of being physically sick. Do you other moms worry about something happening to your children???

not my secret

I am questioning when and under what circumstances it would be ok to divulge a secret which is not mine.

Here are the circumstances:

I was looking at the sex offender registry website and found someone in my inlaw's family who is registered. This man has always made me uncomfortable and I have always found him creepy before I unexpectedly found his name on the sex offender list.  

I had my husband ask his mother about it and she played it off nonchalantly: "oh... yeah, it was a long time ago." I was shocked that no one takes this seriously! I have vowed that when my husband and I finally have kids (we are newly married) that they will NEVER be alone at his house or have any way to have alone time with him. 

He and my sister-in-law have a daughter who is the age of my other nieces.  I am not completely sure what my place is... should I tell my other sister in law about it? Her daughters have sleep-overs at the man's house to play with his daughter. Personally, that thought frightens me cause I have heard awful things about how young girls are molested at sleepovers. The other thing is that being newly married, I am not sure about how the family dynamic works.

What would you fellow mothers and fathers do? Would you tell the other members in my in law's family? Would you forgive this man for his past? What would you do to protect your kids and what about protecting this man's reputation? 

Annoyed!

I have this friend, She is really nice and I have only known here for about a year and a half and every time she see my husband she notices something new about him. Like one time we ran into her at the store and she notice his hair was darker and went on and on about how she liked it and how he should keep it that color because she thought he looked better darker then when he puts highlights in it. And She say stuff like "you look like you lost weight," and " you look different, in a good way! have you been working out?" and stuff like that every time we see her she has something to say about his appearance. He hasn't been doing anything different he hasn't lost any weight and he hasn't been working out. I don't know if it's because she goes a long time in between see him or what? I now it's probably nothing but it bugs me, and it's not every once in a while, It's every time she sees him. She never notice if I have done something different like cut my hair or change it's color and if she does notice she surely doesn't give me any compliments . So here is my question, should I say something to her or should I just give it some time and see if it passes? But I really don't know her well enough to know if she is some what hitting on him or what the heck she is thinking?

So Annoyed!

Paint.net

Has anyone ever used Paint.net? It is a free photo editing software, kinda like Photoshop, only free. I have heard about it from a few different places and want to try it out. Has anyone heard of it? Tried it out? Like it or not? Any input would be great and useful. Thanks!

bachelor

Has anyone been watching the Bachelor this season? What do you think about his decision and the twist? Do you think things will work out between him and Molly? Which one did you want him to pick?

how did you know?

I am wondering how you women (or men I suppose!) knew that you were ready to have kids?

If you WERE ready when you had one, that is...



My husband and I keep going back and forth about being ready to have a baby. We have only been married for a year and a half, but I keep getting the "baby bug" really badly. Some days I feel like we are ready...we have an incredible relationship, my husband is still in school but we both have steady jobs and we have enough room in our home. But I don't know if we are really ready. I pray about it a lot, and when I think we are ready, my husband says he feels that we aren't. Or vice versa.



I guess my question is how did you know that you were ready to start a family?



We do not want to be irresponsible about getting pregnant, but we also do not want to put it off for too long.

Sex question (you've been warned)

I don't know how to say this, so here goes:
DH and I are mismatched physically for sex. He's too big for me, or I'm too small, which can make sex difficult at times. Adding to this is that he also thinks he's fabulous in bed (I can tell he thinks this; plus he had a vast history before me), and while I think he's OK, I think he could use a little training (can't we all?). He's not my first, and though my history pales in comparison to his, I'm certainly no prude. He also likes to make comments about how he wishes he could give me Viagra or Cialis b/c he wants sex so much more often (I don't think he has a limit) than I do. When I try to tell him that sex isn't always great for me b/c of the size issue and b/c he thinks he knows all these fabulous positions (that make me feel like I'm trying out for the Cirque de Soleil) that actually just, well, rub me raw, he gets pissy. I should add that we get along wonderfully otherwise; we really are best friends, and I wouldn't want anyone else (except a couple of celebrities, ha ha).

So here's my question: Do any of you have a DH/DW who thinks they are *fantastic* in bed but they're not? How do you tell someone who is so close and intimate with you that they're just not getting it? (In a manner of speaking.) I've tried positively encouraging him during sex, but it's like his *other* head takes over and then there's just no discussion.

Anyone? Anyone?

Worst family dish ever?*

I was reading another blog about terrible dishes people were subjected to at family dinners, and it made me laugh, thinking of some of the food I've been exposed to, thanks to beloved's family:
"Ambrosia" salad - random canned fruits mixed with either Cool Whip, Miracle Whip, or a mixture of both (blech)
"Instant" guacamole - you cut an end off the plastic bag that it's sold in and squeezed out however much of this pre-manufactured "guacamole" you needed (just watching the "plating" was enough to make me gag; we also live in California, where real avocados are not hard to come by)
Various (savory) casseroles that involved terrible combinations of Jell-O (example: canned tuna with lemon Jell-O, bell pepper, and Miracle Whip, among other ingredients)

So - what's the worst family dish you've been exposed to?

*Note: I realize this post is shallow and maybe a little bit mean. We should all appreciate our family members, regardless of their cooking abilities, and I think most of us do. But maybe it would be better if some of them stuck to bringing the soda? :)

Breastfeeding - How Long is Too Long?

I recently read on AOL about an 8 year old who is still breastfeeding. This creeps me out. I also have a friend with a 2 1/2 year old who is breastfed and it's a little disturbing to watch.

This is a quote from the AOL story:
"Their reaction is uggh," said Robyn Paul, a lactation consultant and mom of three who was interviewed for a 20/20 story, "Breast-feeding Past Infancy." "But it's perfectly normal." When Tiernan, 6, needs comforting, he asks for "nummies." "We've had conversations about what it tastes like and he says it's very sweet," Paul said.

Sick. I think when they can ask for it and undo your bra it's time to wean. What do you think? And for the record, I nursed my daughter until she was 6 months, at that point SHE was done. I also beleive in 3rd world countries nursing longer is more acceptable.

Summer's coming . . . .

Where is your favorite place to vacation? How much does it end up costing you? Do you save up to go or charge it? Anyone been on a Disney cruise or to the Beaches Resort(s)? Thanks for sharing!!

Exercise Tips

I have always considered myself an active person that knows a fair amount about fitness. I have recently joined a gym after not going for about a year (I still worked out at home but I wasn't get a GOOD work out) Anyway so I'm in good enough shape that I can run for 30 min just fine or do the elliptical whatever. my question is I'm trying to lose five pounds and I have been going to the gym 5-6 times a week for four weeks now. Working out hard and eating healthy. Noting I haven't noticed a difference in my body at all. What the heck am I doing wrong? I want to exercise smarter I don't think it necessarily means I need to workout harder.

Is anyone a fitness guru or have any great tips to correct exercising. I really want to lose weight/get fit the healthy way.

Pregnancy weight gain

I don't know if this question has been asked yet... but how much weight did you gain with your pregnancy? I am just really curious to know!

How much did you gain?

I want to know how much weight you all gained while you were pregnant. I am 26 weeks along with my first and I've gained almost 20 pounds! I'm eating well and exercising regularly, and my doctor says I'm measuring fine, but I feel so huge! So how much did you gain?