I got a very nice email from a very nice lady who does the gulf-shores-alabama-condo-rentals website mentioned above. You might want to keep an eye on that site. She has some more neat printables in the works for the upcoming months: Mardi Gras scrapbook pages, recipes, etc. Plus contests for the Spring --just to enter, not necessary to vacation there. :-) Also, take a look at her other crafts, especially her mosaic work! She recommends some free- or share-ware programs to make that easier. A very talented lady! Thanks for writing, Lundy! :-)

Robin, I used to make conscious choices about what I wanted to do: "Should I mop the kitchen floor and arrange my cupboards and closets, or should I go outside and play in the pool/practice basketball moves/listen to my kids' problems? Since I had to work outside the home, my time with my kids was already limited and they won out every single time. I justified that by finally recognizing that they needed me more than they needed a spotless environment and that eventually they wouldn't need me so I'd better spend time with them while I could. After some mopping of floors at 3 a.m. when I had to be up at 6 a.m. and at work by 8 a.m., I decided that spotless was unnecessary, LOL. Then my family doctor told me that as a nation we were "sanitizing our children sick", and that by making everything so antiseptic our kids wouldn't build up the immunities they needed to survive and stay healthy outside our homes. That's when I stopped feeling guilty. I didn't want to make my kids sick by being too clean, you know. (grin) I do agree about some people being judgmental. The thing is, I stopped caring about their opinions too, and I sure stopped allowing/inviting them into my house. If they are so rude as to criticize my priorities, I don't want them as friends anyway. Annie

Anj, do you print them out on cardstock or what? I've never tried to print much before. Might like to try printing some of the free graphics out too--I like the can wraps and some of the other things. Luvs

I'm not in the age range considered 'older' yet, but we all get there at some point! I buy most of my clothing online, only items that have reviews (I look at the 3 stars, that's where I've found the most helpful and reality-based reviews on everything from electronics to clothing. If there aren't any 3 star and its all 5 starred reviews I look elsewhere just as I do when it's only 1-2 star). If you can take your measurements accurately (helps to have someone to assist in this) then you can generally determine whether a given article of clothing is going to fit. If looking for bras, check out the reddit /abrathatfits for a more detailed list of measurements you need to properly determine size. I do know how to sew, which makes it easy for me to alter instead of sending back. Mostly the issues are in the waist area - GG/H cup 32 band and junk in the trunk but only 5'1.5". Tunics to wear with leggings can be quickly altered with a couple well placed darts in the back so that I don't look like I'm wearing a tent but am not hiding my figure 'assets'. Ordering online has the benefit of finding clothing for little money - also spending less for something tends to make it easier to not freak out when the garment inevitably starts to fall apart. Do I wish that the simple cotton tees or knit dresses were made with the better, thicker materials like they were back in my not-so-long-ago college days? Absolutely. But wishing won't make it happen. We've traded more sturdy and long lasting retail goods we bought precisely because they would last for 'fast fashion' that meets customer demand for cheap and on trend with the disposable quality that keeps retailers in business. The same thing has happened in nearly every category of retail goods - appliances, home decor, etc...We've been convinced that we must consume and buy the latest tech, the latest trend. Sometimes I can still find high quality clothing, but it comes at an equally high price - my Lands End all-weather coat would be one of those purchases. Same for my skirt suits for work bought at Nordstrom (which I like because they will do free alterations on clothing purchased at one of their locations). When paired with my latest crop of trendy cheap knit tops, the fact that I only have a few of those more expensive components like the skirts/pants/jackets is unnoticeable.