<p>thanks so much for that link Kindred!! I have been wondering how to do all of those faces, especially the cool guy…lol 
</p>
<p>Swtcat: 
!!</p>
<p>welcome redbug!!!</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome!</p>
<p>Ks, I had forgotten the beany babies! Maybe they will pay for graduate school …</p>
<p>mpabon: If only! ;)</p>
<p>Shout out to jambaby: Just to let you know, I just got an e-mail that Banana Republic is having a 30% off sale on-line and in stores from today through Sunday. They also have a petite section. It’s on selected styles. On-line I did see some basic skirts and classic cardigans (though not what I would consider suit blazers/jackets). They may have more in the stores. Also if you can get a suit in an all-season fabric, it will be good for interviews any time of the year. And for any other shoppers out there, enjoy!</p>
<p>:cool: </p>
<p>also jambaby… spiegel.com has cute washed linen blazers (white/black/metallic) shorter length 39 boyfriend blazer (little longer) for 49. I bought one and its great</p>
<p>Good morning everyone! It is a lovely sunny day in SoCal. I had my oatmeal on the deck in the sun before heading to the office this morning which was delightful. </p>
<p>The big news today is that D and I decided exactly when we will be taking her to school so H is booking our flights today. We leave on August 27th and I return home the night of August 30th.</p>
<p>parent56 - We have Enid Blyton books at home that are 50+ years old with “gollywogs” in them. As my H went to boarding school in the UK and had a Scots father our girls grew up with books by many British authors. D1 has insisted she will take her teddy bear to school. The bear just sits on the shelf by her bed now, but for many years D slept every night with this special bear.</p>
<p>Morning. Is it morning? I had some Diet Coke with dinner so I was awake from 3-6 a.m. Went back to sleep and then rolled out of bed at 9. </p>
<p>Last night’s money discussion went great. Ds is SUCH a champ. Dh thought he wouldn’t hang but for about 15 minutes, but we talked almost two hours about a LOT of things. Now, ds and I have to-do lists to square stuff away. Will be a busy bee today!</p>
<p>Welcome, redbug. Maybe we’ll see each other in the Minneapolis airport!</p>
<p>SWT, I’ll PM you about when I’ll be there. It’s a little up in the air still. I’m excited to meet you and jc! And anyone else!</p>
<p>BUandBC - My family and I will also be vacationing on Long Lake. We usually are on Sebago but thought we’d try something different this year. :)</p>
<p>My girls each have at least 2 American Girl Dolls in the attic. Also 2 horses, Kit’s iron bed, and tons of clothes. I actually made a couple of things that I refused to buy. (A bed and the teepee!) Not as good as AG but my kids didn’t know the difference at the time. :D</p>
<p>Good morning!
I remember buying those happy meals for the beanie babies! It was hard to tell the kids not to play with them. D acquired quite a few of them and then they went into the attic for storage. When lil D came along, they were passed down to her. </p>
<p>Speaking of “treasures”, what have you found in your college freshman’s closet? So far, S has dug out a rock collection, Star Wars toys, and Pokemon cards.</p>
<p>I’m careful not to toss anything out. DH talks about the time his mother threw out his baseball and football cards while he was in college. She felt so bad when she realized how valuable some of those cards could’ve been.</p>
<p>I was never big on dolls, but did have lots of stuffed animals and ■■■■■■. I also liked legos and our favorite toy for a couple of years were the crates all our stuff was shipped in that lived in the back yard. </p>
<p>My older son was obsessed with trains for years - Brio, Thomas the Tank Engine and real trains. Then moved on to electronic kits and then computers and never looked back. Though he did play with Lego and K’nex.</p>
<p>Younger son was more into imaginative play - stuffed animals, Legos and Playmobil kept him busy.</p>
<p>True confession: I have boxes of unopened Beanie Babies and other toys from Mickey D Happy Meals. I would go there for the toys and order myself the Happy Meal. I expect these things to take off in value when states start outlawing them, and they’ll finance my retirement. ;)</p>
<p>Welcome to the new posters!</p>
<p>Our big family meeting last night was about a vacation - we’ve finally agreed on which week (the week before Labor Day) and where to go (the usual town on Cape Cod). Now to deal with finding a place, when the normal time to book is in the dead of winter. I think it will work out, though. We will come home at the end of the week just in time for me and S to turn around and fly out to Minnesota on Sunday, the day before Labor Day. Guess we will have to be very packed and organized for the college trip before we go off on vacation.</p>
<p>I will end up with two consecutive weeks of vacation from work. First week with the family, then off to Minnesota on Sunday and returning (alone, sniff, sniff) early Wednesday morning - just in time for Rosh Hashanah on Thursday and Friday. I can’t remember the last time I did two consecutive weeks.</p>
<p>showmom, glad you know what they are!!! someone told me you cant get them anymore…but my mother actually has a pattern to knit one and then stuff it</p>
<p>Both my daughters had pokemon cards (and still have them in their closets). My younger daughter has a collection of Teenage Ninja Turtles in the attic. Lots and lots of beanie babies but they actually played with them and are now worth nothing. But I don’t mind! I’m embarrassed to say I waited in line at a store on the day they received shipments of beanies to get a Princess Di one. I came home with three! 
Still have the wooden train set in the attic too. I’m sure that will last forever.</p>
<p>Alice - We just booked our place on a lake in Maine a couple of weeks ago. Pickins were slim but it worked out. We waited because of the unknown with college related things this summer. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>Back from some errands, including a trip to Costco where I had the brainstorm to buy some college stuff since everything is sold in bulk, and with twins going off at the same time…
I got a “twin pack” of contact lens solution, and some “pods” put out by Band-Aid. Each “pod” (I’m envisioning “Cocoon” here) contains some different kinds of fancy band aids with little individual packets of Neosporin. I resisted the urge to buy x-strength Tylenol since the bottles each held 290 tablets! :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Back to my DH and his obsession with “stuff.” He is wonderful about buying things on sale, but whenever he sees it on sale, he buys it. I had to ask him to stop buying packages of razors when I sat down one day and counted 250+ packages! I feel like an old Saturday Night LIve re-run. It’s not “Shave the World,” it’s “Save the World.” Oh, that’s quite different. Never mind. </p>
<p>Then again, a side benefit of this nuttiness is that on the occasion that my boys have thought that they needed a new shirt at the last minute, I have suggested that they just go next door and shop at “Daddy Gap.” ;)</p>
<p>Oh, momof3sons, you are a good woman. I couldn’t live like that, and, trust me, dh comes from a long line of packrats. I let him junk up his half of the garage, and that’s it!</p>
<p>lilmom and YDS: I also bought those Happy Meals for those “teeny beanies!” I’m sure there are several still in the packages in the attic. Though my kids did play with them as well. I’m sure I have multiples of many…I think we have all the bears (my favorites )</p>
<p>Re: Treasures found in my D’s closet…My favorite is her first pair of “jelly sandals” (rainbow tye dye color). I think she wore them when she just turned one! I am NEVER throwing or giving them away!</p>
<p>aliceinw: Your vacation sounds great!</p>
<p>YDS: Okay…Enough caffeine for you! ;)…Glad your conversation with your ds went well. It’s so nice when our kids rise to the occasion and show their growing maturity. Hope you are getting all your “busy bee” stuff done. :)</p>
<p>:cool: </p>
<p>momof3: LOL and amazing! :)</p>
<p>Thanks kindredspirit and parent56! It’s funny how you never in a million years think about something (for me, suit buying) until it suddenly pertains to you. LOL.</p>
<p>I had tons and tons of beanie babies… I remember we had to go to great lengths to find the raccoon! I also wore jellies constantly as a little girl. I think the Gap always had cute colors… My favorite pair was purple and sparkly!</p>