UO Thursday

Elinetrouwt · January 2013

bobcee:
The only part of this that annoys me is that my mom buys DD tons and tons of clothes. Not all of them are necessarily something I'd choose, so yeah I use them for daycare or whatever else - no big deal. It's awesome not to have to spend a fortune on clothes. But then I'll be out shopping with her and want to buy something and she'll be, "Oh, she doesn't need that, I bought her tons of such and such already." Well that's nice and all, but I like this, it's my money, my daughter and I'll buy it for her if I want to buy it for her. Or she'll ask me for some money for the things she's already purchased because she spent more than she meant to. Well if it wasn't something I would've chosen or spent money on in the first place, why, why, why would I give you money for it?

Oh my. That is so wrong!

luvmyducks · January 2013

I don't like animal print clothing. I cringe when someone buys it for DD. She just got a snow suit with a leopard print design on the coat. I'll put her in it bc we will use it only a couple times until she grows out of it, but I'm dreading taking pictures of her wearing it. It just screams WT to me.

KikiCohen · January 2013

khays8785:
I DO NOT like (and refuse to do) a cartoony nursery - will be painting over the winnie the pooh decals that are currently in the nursery (thanks to the prior home owners)

DH really wants primary colors and bright, and I'm fighitng him tooth and nail for a softer look...

I think too many bright colors and patterns would be overstimulating. We stayed at a hotel one time and I swear every thing was bright red (chairs, pillows, etc). It was way tooooo much. It actually made it hard to relax.

KikiCohen · January 2013

pepomntpat:
I think baby showers for second babies are fun. I am pretty sure no one will throw me one and it makes me a little sad since my sister got three showers. Yes, I probably sound bratty.

I don't mind showers for second babies either. If someone offers to throw you one, I say go for it.

Liz4444 · January 2013

KikiCohen:
khays8785:

I DO NOT like (and refuse to do) a cartoony nursery - will be painting over the winnie the pooh decals that are currently in the nursery (thanks to the prior home owners)

DH really wants primary colors and bright, and I'm fighitng him tooth and nail for a softer look...

I think too many bright colors and patterns would be overstimulating. We stayed at a hotel one time and I swear every thing was bright red (chairs, pillows, etc). It was way tooooo much. It actually made it hard to relax.

I've heard that red, white, and black are the "intellectually stimulating" colors for babies and actually the best colors for infant nursery and toys.

With that being said, Li's nursery is grey and pink and the new baby's nursery is turquoise and tan. I guess I am putting them at an instant disadvantage, oops.

dreadiemama · January 2013

BetsyD2010:
It makes me sick that everywhere I go I see children and toddlers with faces shoved into smartphones and tablets. I think it's ridiculous that parents aren't teaching their children to behave in public and instead are pacifying them with games and cartoons at every whim. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-tv for kids it's just saddens me that I see it everywhere we go. Prime example; last night at dinner the table next to us had 2 plugged in children and 2 parents in their own world. The children were both on their tablets the entire time we were at the restaurant with the exception of the 5 minutes it took them to woof down dinner and get right back to it. Meanwhile, my 4 year has ants in his pants because we waited over an hour for the food and yes it tried my patience but I would much rather have a present and engaged child than a game/cartoon zombie. Ugh... unplug and engage your children people!

This! I'm ALREADY fighting DH about this. My nephew is not even two yet and H thinks it's awesome that he knows how to play on BIL's phone or tablet.... or is fascinated by the little kids on them at the store. No, I would rather have a fussy, obnoxious kid then one who can't function without some electronic device.

Then again, I feel like I'm the pot calling the kettle black because I get sooo moody when my internet is down.

Elinetrouwt · January 2013

Liz4444:
KikiCohen:

I think too many bright colors and patterns would be overstimulating. We stayed at a hotel one time and I swear every thing was bright red (chairs, pillows, etc). It was way tooooo much. It actually made it hard to relax.

I've heard that red, white, and black are the "intellectually stimulating" colors for babies and actually the best colors for infant nursery and toys.

Yes, but I agree that when babies need to go to sleep 'soothing' (read: boring) is probably better than stimulation.

JennyLynne · January 2013

Speaking of showers (this may not be an UO--I haven't been to a lot of baby showers to know for sure), but I HATE shower games. We had a shower at work for a coworker, and my supervisor did the melted-candy-bar-in-a-diaper game. It was so f*cking dumb. She really thought it was just so hilarious that people would smell the diapers that looked like they had poop in them. It's not funny. It's just stupid. This is what I fear most about someone throwing me a shower. I know it probably sounds ungrateful, but if someone throws me a shower and there's dumb games, I'll be cringing until that part's over.

bobcee · January 2013

Elinetrouwt:
bobcee:
The only part of this that annoys me is that my mom buys DD tons and tons of clothes. Not all of them are necessarily something I'd choose, so yeah I use them for daycare or whatever else - no big deal. It's awesome not to have to spend a fortune on clothes. But then I'll be out shopping with her and want to buy something and she'll be, "Oh, she doesn't need that, I bought her tons of such and such already." Well that's nice and all, but I like this, it's my money, my daughter and I'll buy it for her if I want to buy it for her. Or she'll ask me for some money for the things she's already purchased because she spent more than she meant to. Well if it wasn't something I would've chosen or spent money on in the first place, why, why, why would I give you money for it?
Oh my. That is so wrong!

Yeah, it's wrong, but it's my mom so I've dealt with her for almost 35 years now and know how she operates. I know she means well, so I try not to get frustrated but it is really trying sometimes. If I really dislike something I just tell her to take it back or take it back myself.

Elinetrouwt · January 2013

dreadiemama:

This! I'm ALREADY fighting DH about this. My nephew is not even two yet and H thinks it's awesome that he knows how to play on BIL's phone or tablet.... or is fascinated by the little kids on them at the store. No, I would rather have a fussy, obnoxious kid then one who can't function without some electronic device.
Then again, I feel like I'm the pot calling the kettle black because I get sooo moody when my internet is down.

Yeah, I think this is one of the occasions where it is much easier to judge if you don't have kids yet (I know that is not the case for the one who brought this up) than when you do have them. I want my kids to be social and playful, but sometimes having an pacifier-with-screen can just be so... easy. We all need a break.

I want to limit our kids' screen time, but who am I kidding? I can't even convince DH to put his iPhone away most of the time.

Stina2012 · January 2013

etoille:
Stina you drive in today?

I did! As a CA girl I am not so good with this snow stuff, but I made it here without issue (for me or anyone else!). How about you?

PrimRoseMama · January 2013

sandraynic:
I would throw one myself! I had to throw my own bachelorette party because most of my friends are guys so they wouldn't get the fact that they should have done it... not because of that I renounced to it :P I guess I'll be throwing my own shower too, same reason!

I'll flame you for this. Its really tacky to throw your own showers. Just because your friends are dudes doesn't mean that you automatically get to throw your own shower.

lls31 · January 2013

It really bothers me that baby items, like high chairs for example, don't go with normal house decor. I've been browsing BRU and BBB and I see these items with rainforest prints and whatnot. My dining room is not rainforest themed, so why would I want a rainforest high chair? I get that the rainforest, jungle, etc themes are for the baby... but if the baby is sitting in said high chair, what is the point of the rainforest theme? It would just be an eyesore in my dining room when it's not being used. (Side note: I am well aware that plain colored high chairs do exist... I just don't get the themed ones and other such items.)

I'm all for toys and play mats and whatnot in miscellaneous animal themes, but not items that are basically a piece of furniture.

lls31 · January 2013

PrimRoseMama:
sandraynic:
I would throw one myself! I had to throw my own bachelorette party because most of my friends are guys so they wouldn't get the fact that they should have done it... not because of that I renounced to it :P I guess I'll be throwing my own shower too, same reason!
I'll flame you for this. Its really tacky to throw your own showers. Just because your friends are dudes doesn't mean that you automatically get to throw your own shower.

Agreed. If no one offers to throw one for you, you just don't get one.

Stina2012 · January 2013

etoille:
Yeah I saw no accidents this morning but a pick up truck was having a problem turning out of the subdivision - .....that every other car managed just fine. I was like WTF. It took my boss 2.5 hours to get here this morning though from Woodbridge. Allegedly. Can't trust a damn thing he says.
I sucked it up and came in today because if the snow is supposed to suck early tomorrow afternoon I'm going to work from home. I may work from home anyways if I get a repeat of this morning - I'm used to some bright red splashes in the bile which is esophageal irritation from throwing up but this morning (I hadn't eat anything yet either) there was some very dark brown traces of stuff in there. So whether there's something more serious going on in my GI tract that I need to have looked at I'm not sure. Going to see how tomorrow plays out.

Dude, bile? Get thee to a doctor-ey! I'm going to work from home tomorrow as well. It's my stupid project's telecommute day. In exciting govt contractor news...I get to leave this hell hole on 3/31. I am a sub for someone who can't even build F-35s (I know you will know who that is) and I HATE working here. Terrible. I don't do defense stuff, I do IT but man this place blows.

lnlaveque · January 2013

On economic policies I'm conservative. As well as how far the government comes into my life. I vote republican but I do believe that every woman has the right to choose and if gay's want to get married they should be able to. I mean at this rate fifty percent of heterosexual marriages end in divorce. So the argument that if gays marry they will somehow ruin what marriage means is crazy to me. I think both parties have gone to the extreme. And I'm so sick of all of them that I would like them all voted out. I'm for term limits, pay cuts, cuts to their benefits and their pensions. Up until yesterday I was also looking forward to Hillary running for president. But after her what does it matter rant I'm kindof over her. It DOES matter that they pushed a video saying that was what caused the attack when it it WAS NOT. there is way more to this and we aren't getting all of it. And we probably never will. PS I'm from MI and I can say with certainty I will not be voting republican in the next gubernatorial race. I'm so disgusted with our governor.

mytinc · January 2013

etoille:
mimi4347:

KikiCohen:
It really bothers me that most people divide everyone into Republicans and Democrats. Like there's no middle ground. I don't consider myself to be either one, but rather somewhere in between. I hate being labeled a "typical Republican" when I express my views on the second amendment or a "typical Democrat" when I show my support for gay marriage. It just makes me want to smack somebody.

I hope this isn't terribly unpopular. I think it's really dumb to blindly identify with a single party rather than considering individual candidates/issues. Not that it's wrong to identify with a party at all - but still use your brain, instead of agreeing with everything that party does/says/believes in by default.

I completely agree with this - my issue is that the republicans have gotten SO GD extreme and so intolerant within their own party of different views that I can't vote for a Republican until the get rid of that extreme element. There are some exceptions of course - I love Olympia Snowe for example and I dearly, dearly hope that Chris Christie runs in 2016 because I think he's the only person capable of saving the party from itself. And I don't agree with everything he's done (FTR I don't agree with everything any candidate has done that I can think of) but I do think he's the last hope that party has - and we need two parties in this country (or more) because discussion is GOOD. Its productive.

The problem is that one party has been hijacked by a bunch of extremists so you can't even have productive conversation anymore. Theres a war on facts and education and its sickening. That's why I straight ticket punch D even though I truly consider myself an independent and STRONGLY like some R candidates. Until the Republicans figure out how to deal with this by extricating it from the party its going to stay this way.

Disagree. I believe that BOTH parites have been hijacked and are controlled by a bunch of extremists... neither of which puts their party in a good light. The extremes are the attention whores and bring down/embarrass their parties as a whole.

KikiCohen · January 2013

lls31:
It really bothers me that baby items, like high chairs for example, don't go with normal house decor. I've been browsing BRU and BBB and I see these items with rainforest prints and whatnot. My dining room is not rainforest themed, so why would I want a rainforest high chair? I get that the rainforest, jungle, etc themes are for the baby... but if the baby is sitting in said high chair, what is the point of the rainforest theme? It would just be an eyesore in my dining room when it's not being used. (Side note: I am well aware that plain colored high chairs do exist... I just don't get the themed ones and other such items.)
I'm all for toys and play mats and whatnot in miscellaneous animal themes, but not items that are basically a piece of furniture.

I agree. The baby isn't going to be eating in his/her nursery. That's why we registered for this one https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11981516. It's about as "decor neutral" as I've seen.

lnlaveque · January 2013

mytinc:
etoille:
mimi4347:

KikiCohen:
It really bothers me that most people divide everyone into Republicans and Democrats.  Like there's no middle ground.  I don't consider myself to be either one, but rather somewhere in between.  I hate being labeled a "typical Republican" when I express my views on the second amendment or a "typical Democrat" when I show my support for gay marriage.  It just makes me want to smack somebody.

I hope this isn't terribly unpopular. I think it's really dumb to blindly identify with a single party rather than considering individual candidates/issues. Not that it's wrong to identify with a party at all - but still use your brain, instead of agreeing with everything that party does/says/believes in by default.  

I completely agree with this - my issue is that the republicans have gotten SO GD extreme and so intolerant within their own party of different views that I can't vote for a Republican until the get rid of that extreme element.  There are some exceptions of course - I love Olympia Snowe for example and I dearly, dearly hope that Chris Christie runs in 2016 because I think he's the only person capable of saving the party from itself.  And I don't agree with everything he's done (FTR I don't agree with everything any candidate has done that I can think of) but I do think he's the last hope that party has - and we need two parties in this country (or more) because discussion is GOOD.  Its productive.

The problem is that one party has been hijacked by a bunch of extremists so you can't even have productive conversation anymore.  Theres a war on facts and education and its sickening.  That's why I straight ticket punch D even though I truly consider myself an independent and STRONGLY like some R candidates.   Until the Republicans figure out how to deal with this by extricating it from the party its going to stay this way.
Disagree. I believe that BOTH parites have been hijacked and are controlled by a bunch of extremists... neither of which puts their party in a good light.  The extremes are the attention whores and bring down/embarrass their parties as a whole.

I agree. Both parties have extremists. And these extremists are what make it impossible to get anything done. Primarily because the extremists are the leaders of each party. I mean they get their money regardless of if the job is done or not. And that's a problem.

lnlaveque · January 2013

etoille:
lnlaveque:
I agree. Both parties have extremists. And these extremists are what make it impossible to get anything done. Primarily because the extremists are the leaders of each party. I mean they get their money regardless of if the job is done or not. And that's a problem.

Empirical research regarding extremism has conclusively proven the 'both sides are bad' argument to be false.  Harry Reid has very high marks from the NRA for example.

Obama's one of the most moderate Democrats of the modern era. 

Its just not true.  You're entitled to your opinion of course and how you perceive things but facts just don't agree with you.  The most left wing bill to be introduced into Congress is the guns bill and that was something GWB supported and said as much during the 2004 election season.

Obamacare was Bob Dole's plan.

The Patriot Act still has full white house backing and strong democratic support (Barbara Boxer I believe).

A lot of old school republicans acknowledge this and are outspoken about it (Chris Christie for example with the recent Sandy debacle).  Joe Scarborough.  Colin Powell.  Olympia Snowe.  VERY sadly - Richard Lugar.  The party then denounces such people as RINOs. 

These are the facts and they are indisputable.  And this is before we get to the research - which if you'd like to see I think we should have a book club on this book - written by two WELL respected names in political science - one of which is an ardent republican.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465031331/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01

We can go round and round on this but the core facts will not change.  They are well settled. 

As far as I am concerned there are extremists in both parties. And if the leaders in both parties would be more willing to compromise we would all be in a better place.

Stina2012 · January 2013

etoille:

Congrats!!!! I used to work for said F-35 fail builder before I came here (not in the aero div though).

I shortened but wanted to respond with a quote. No promotion...I just threatened to quit my company if they kept me here. My company tried some shady "You're pregnant don't you want to stay at a project you know for those last four months after March?". And I was like, "If you do that I will quit today." Two days later I have a roll-off date. This place blows big donkey balls and I cannot wait to get out of here.

Elinetrouwt · January 2013

KikiCohen:
lls31:
It really bothers me that baby items, like high chairs for example, don't go with normal house decor. I've been browsing BRU and BBB and I see these items with rainforest prints and whatnot. My dining room is not rainforest themed, so why would I want a rainforest high chair?
I agree. The baby isn't going to be eating in his/her nursery.

This. I'm looking forward to having a baby, but I'm scared to death my house (and I'm not one for sleek, expensive design) will turn into some colorbook cartoon that I won't be able to recognize.

ShayMB12 · January 2013

KikiCohen:
lls31:

It really bothers me that baby items, like high chairs for example, don't go with normal house decor. I've been browsing BRU and BBB and I see these items with rainforest prints and whatnot. My dining room is not rainforest themed, so why would I want a rainforest high chair? I get that the rainforest, jungle, etc themes are for the baby... but if the baby is sitting in said high chair, what is the point of the rainforest theme? It would just be an eyesore in my dining room when it's not being used. (Side note: I am well aware that plain colored high chairs do exist... I just don't get the themed ones and other such items.)

I'm all for toys and play mats and whatnot in miscellaneous animal themes, but not items that are basically a piece of furniture.

I agree. The baby isn't going to be eating in his/her nursery. That's why we registered for this one https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11981516. It's about as "decor neutral" as I've seen.

I agree too!! I had this space saver one for DS and loved it! It makes it so much easier and I hope I can get another one. The nuetral design made it less of an eyesore with my then-brand-new furniture. On a side note, My SIL bought one for my nephew without thinking about having a bar-height kitchen table. Putting baby up so high can easily throw off the center of gravity. It may have been perfectly safe but when we tried it out, it just made us too nervous! She wound up swapping the neighbor for her regular one then it was waaaay shorter than the table and too low to sit at the table to feed him. For this reason, I do not intend to purchase a tall table anytime in the near future.

lnlaveque · January 2013

etoille:
lnlaveque:
etoille:

lnlaveque:
I agree. Both parties have extremists. And these extremists are what make it impossible to get anything done. Primarily because the extremists are the leaders of each party. I mean they get their money regardless of if the job is done or not. And that's a problem.

Empirical research regarding extremism has conclusively proven the 'both sides are bad' argument to be false.  Harry Reid has very high marks from the NRA for example.

Obama's one of the most moderate Democrats of the modern era. 

Its just not true.  You're entitled to your opinion of course and how you perceive things but facts just don't agree with you.  The most left wing bill to be introduced into Congress is the guns bill and that was something GWB supported and said as much during the 2004 election season.

Obamacare was Bob Dole's plan.

The Patriot Act still has full white house backing and strong democratic support (Barbara Boxer I believe).

A lot of old school republicans acknowledge this and are outspoken about it (Chris Christie for example with the recent Sandy debacle).  Joe Scarborough.  Colin Powell.  Olympia Snowe.  VERY sadly - Richard Lugar.  The party then denounces such people as RINOs. 

These are the facts and they are indisputable.  And this is before we get to the research - which if you'd like to see I think we should have a book club on this book - written by two WELL respected names in political science - one of which is an ardent republican.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465031331/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i01

We can go round and round on this but the core facts will not change.  They are well settled. 

As far as I am concerned there are extremists in both parties. And if the leaders in both parties would be more willing to compromise we would all be in a better place.

Now this I can completely get on board with .  It was the 'both have been hijacked and are controlled by' that I took issue with.  But to deny that there aren't extremists in both parties would be nuts.  (Bernie Sanders I know you're not a democrat but you caucus with them and I am looking straight at you.)

I just feel like the leaders on both sides of the aisle have forgotten that they are leaders. I agree with you I believe Chris Christie is the only person who can save the Republican Party. Mostly because he's not afraid to tell them how it is. Just like how he ripped them for not voting on the Sandy Relief bill. However I'm sure the higher up's in the party aren't going to like someone who isn't a cement fixture of what they want.

Stina2012 · January 2013

etoille:
Do they have something else lined up for you already? (I'm assuming?)

Yup and it'll be private sector which will be fun! I am skilled in sales effectiveness and CRM so I can't wait to go work with sales people. There is such a difference between private sector sales people and the feds (at least the feds I've worked with).

oh_maria · January 2013

etoille:
mimi4347:

KikiCohen:
It really bothers me that most people divide everyone into Republicans and Democrats. Like there's no middle ground. I don't consider myself to be either one, but rather somewhere in between. I hate being labeled a "typical Republican" when I express my views on the second amendment or a "typical Democrat" when I show my support for gay marriage. It just makes me want to smack somebody.

I hope this isn't terribly unpopular. I think it's really dumb to blindly identify with a single party rather than considering individual candidates/issues. Not that it's wrong to identify with a party at all - but still use your brain, instead of agreeing with everything that party does/says/believes in by default.

I completely agree with this - my issue is that the republicans have gotten SO GD extreme and so intolerant within their own party of different views that I can't vote for a Republican until the get rid of that extreme element. There are some exceptions of course - I love Olympia Snowe for example and I dearly, dearly hope that Chris Christie runs in 2016 because I think he's the only person capable of saving the party from itself. And I don't agree with everything he's done (FTR I don't agree with everything any candidate has done that I can think of) but I do think he's the last hope that party has - and we need two parties in this country (or more) because discussion is GOOD. Its productive.

The problem is that one party has been hijacked by a bunch of extremists so you can't even have productive conversation anymore. Theres a war on facts and education and its sickening. That's why I straight ticket punch D even though I truly consider myself an independent and STRONGLY like some R candidates. Until the Republicans figure out how to deal with this by extricating it from the party its going to stay this way.

You're about as independent as Pelosi.

And you're saying the Left isn't crazy extreme? Pretty sure everything POTUS sang about on Monday was pretty lefty. Strong centralize government? Yea, totally not extreme. Compromise didn't exist in that speech.

War on facts and education, totally true for your Lefties just as much as the Right. Economics apparently don't matter... neither does the current plight of our nation's finances (Hi, Reid, budget much?). War on Education? Yea because the billions upon billions we've spent have done SO much to improve our students. Tell me, where are we ranked again in the world?

The only time a liberal won't tout a child for political purposes is a pro-choice rally.

My UO: People on either side who really believe their opinion is right. Voting straight down the ticket for a party only proves you're a sheep. Bah.

Erinm278 · January 2013

khays8785:
Erinm278:

I'm sure this isn't unpopular but I have to say it anyway.

DON'T TOUCH ME!

Now that I'm showing everyone thinks they can touch. I'm so annoyed with it already. Also, don't baby talk to my stomach..it's weird.

DH tried this the other night, and even HIM doing it was kind of weird... cute, but weird at first... I just told him they can't hear until 20w anyways. lol

DH touches my stomach and stuff now which doesn't bother me but he hasn't started talking to it yet.

Lolita0816 · January 2013

BetsyD2010:
It makes me sick that everywhere I go I see children and toddlers with faces shoved into smartphones and tablets. I think it's ridiculous that parents aren't teaching their children to behave in public and instead are pacifying them with games and cartoons at every whim. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-tv for kids it's just saddens me that I see it everywhere we go. Prime example; last night at dinner the table next to us had 2 plugged in children and 2 parents in their own world. The children were both on their tablets the entire time we were at the restaurant with the exception of the 5 minutes it took them to woof down dinner and get right back to it. Meanwhile, my 4 year has ants in his pants because we waited over an hour for the food and yes it tried my patience but I would much rather have a present and engaged child than a game/cartoon zombie. Ugh... unplug and engage your children people!

I completely agree!

blairwitch · January 2013

khays8785:
I DO NOT like and refuse to do a cartoony nursery will be painting over the winnie the pooh decals that are currently in the nursery thanks to the prior home owners
DH really wants primary colors and bright, and I'm fighitng him tooth and nail for a softer look...

Totally agree! DD did not own anything with a licensed character on it until she was old enough to tell me what she liked. Unless it was a gift. Winnie the pooh is so over done!

JennyLynne · January 2013

MrsErinH:
JennyLynne:
Speaking of showers (this may not be an UO--I haven't been to a lot of baby showers to know for sure), but I HATE shower games. We had a shower at work for a coworker, and my supervisor did the melted-candy-bar-in-a-diaper game. It was so f*cking dumb. She really thought it was just so hilarious that people would smell the diapers that looked like they had poop in them. It's not funny. It's just stupid. This is what I fear most about someone throwing me a shower. I know it probably sounds ungrateful, but if someone throws me a shower and there's dumb games, I'll be cringing until that part's over.

I've never been to a baby shower where they played that game. I think it's tacky and gross too. The showers that I have been to/thrown we did games like this: you bring out a tray of baby items and ask everyone to do something (I can't remember what) and then take the tray again and ask them to write down all the baby items they remember. It was cute. And we have done other cute games. They do exist; most aren't that bad And if you really don't want any games that's okay too!

You just made me feel better about games. Maybe I just hate ones that revolve around feces?

Stina2012 · January 2013

etoille:
Nice! I've had limited experience with CRM (until I figured out what to do with myself here I went into sales because I had a background in commission based retail) but of what I do know - if you have someone on your team who knows how to make your CRM work for you MAN does that make your job so much easier!
Does your commute change?

I think I'll be back at HQ which is in Tysons (I'm in Falls Church) so should be a shorter distance (but more volume) so maybe saves me 15 minutes. But I may also be able to work from home the last few weeks of this prengnancy which would be awesome!

In other funny political news....did you see Hary Reid try and steal the pen the POTUS used to sign the declarations after the inaguration? Hilarious! I think pelosi was looking down her plastic surgery nose at his uncouthness. It was great.

Mrs JillB · January 2013

etoille:
Stina2012:
etoille:
Nice! I've had limited experience with CRM (until I figured out what to do with myself here I went into sales because I had a background in commission based retail) but of what I do know - if you have someone on your team who knows how to make your CRM work for you MAN does that make your job so much easier!
Does your commute change?

I think I'll be back at HQ which is in Tysons (I'm in Falls Church) so should be a shorter distance (but more volume) so maybe saves me 15 minutes. But I may also be able to work from home the last few weeks of this prengnancy which would be awesome!

In other funny political news....did you see Hary Reid try and steal the pen the POTUS used to sign the declarations after the inaguration? Hilarious! I think pelosi was looking down her plastic surgery nose at his uncouthness. It was great.

Nice! That area's starting to get a lot of DC food trucks coming out to it (the Booz and SAIC buildings I think especially) so that will be EXCELLENT timing! If the DC Lobsterpound truck comes out there you TOTALLY need to try it. So yummy!! I actually think they come out to crystal city too but I think a lot of the trucks are starting to make Tyson's a regular stop.

I didn't see the thing about the pen. I have to confess if it was a nice pen I'd totally try to steal it too. I am an office supplies thief and hoarder. LOL You know the only time I actually liked Pelosi that I can remember in the last few years was watching Too Big to Fail on HBO when she was being played by someone else haha.

There's a lot of northern Virginia on this board. I enjoy it. Dh and I are barely in it anymore. We're out in aldie, but we've lived in Arlington (ballston), Alexandria, and Reston previous to this. Dh works out near Dulles now, so we're in the real burbs now.

Stina2012 · January 2013

Mrs JillB:
There's a lot of northern Virginia on this board. I enjoy it. Dh and I are barely in it anymore. We're out in aldie, but we've lived in Arlington (ballston), Alexandria, and Reston previous to this. Dh works out near Dulles now, so we're in the real burbs now.

If we both worked out there I wouldn't mind being near Dulles. The ILs are in Leesburg and we got married in Ashburn. I wish we had a big house. While I love the condo it'd be nice to have like a 4 bedroom with a backyard. Sigh, one day...

audbeach · January 2013

ShayMB12:
PrimRoseMama:

It bothers me when people get so stuck on baby things. Who buys them what, what type they buy etc. etc. I do get it that planning is part of the fun, but when you have people in your life that want to be generous to you then just STFU and let them do it. Yes, its a pain in the ass and they don't have the same taste as you. Big effing deal. If you really hate whatever the item is then keep it as an emergency item.

My IL's buy us tons of stuff. I'm not a fan of all of it and feel like I have to have a separate storage space for it all. However, I thank them and store it until DD can use it. They see it as doing right by their granddaughter. Its stuff. Who cares. I didn't pick it, but who cares. I see it as bad karma to look such generosity in the mouth.

Example: You HATE the carseat your FIL got you or the crib sheets your great aunt got you. They are the wrong color/theme etc. Well, keep the sheets under the crib in a basket for the late night poo explosion. You can change the sheets quickly and in the middle of the night no one is going to care. Keep the ugly carseat in the garage in the box. If you have a car accident (heaven forbid, but it has happened to us already) then you have a spare until you get a new one.

All this anxiety about STUFF drives me up walls. Yes its cute, and fun. However, always keep being thankful at the top of your list, IMHO. In the end your kid doesn't give a crap. Throwing fits or getting upset about baby gear is so futile to me.

Yes, I'm aware this will be unpopular.

I am right there with you on this. I bought a used pack n play/bassinet for $20 and sanitized it. I was so excited about my great deal(they are still on the shelves retailing at $200) that I took a pic of it all set up and sent to my MIL. Her only response was "What if it's a girl?" because it's brown, tan and blue polka dot pattern. So what if it's a girl? She'll be hanging out in a really good bargain. In my room. Where nobody will see it but me and DH.

It's just not that big of a deal for me. It wasn't even that big of a deal the first go around either. I actually did a full nursery the first time but just told everyone the theme was sports. When I got dinosaur baby blankets at the shower, it didn't phase me at all. I think a lot of these types of posts are more hormones than anything and I can promise all those mommies, it's not going to be a big deal in 6 months.

Agreed. Our DD had a gray and blue carseat and stroller because the style and fabric were being discontinued and we got an awesome deal on it. I never heard her complain about the colors.

Mrs JillB · January 2013

Stina2012:
Mrs JillB:
There's a lot of northern Virginia on this board. I enjoy it. Dh and I are barely in it anymore. We're out in aldie, but we've lived in Arlington (ballston), Alexandria, and Reston previous to this. Dh works out near Dulles now, so we're in the real burbs now.

If we both worked out there I wouldn't mind being near Dulles. The ILs are in Leesburg and we got married in Ashburn. I wish we had a big house. While I love the condo it'd be nice to have like a 4 bedroom with a backyard. Sigh, one day...

Yeah, we definitely woudnt be out here if dh didn't work out here. We set a 30 minute commute limit. It's just not worth it to me as far as quality of life goes. We have friends that commute almost 2 hours each way. I can't imagine. We only have 3 bedrooms though. Thank goodness we got them, though (see siggy)! We looked in ashburn too, but ultimately decided on stone ridge (aldie). Both of us grew up in this area, so we're used to all of that northern Virginia madness.

queenbone · January 2013

Elinetrouwt:
dreadiemama:

This! I'm ALREADY fighting DH about this. My nephew is not even two yet and H thinks it's awesome that he knows how to play on BIL's phone or tablet.... or is fascinated by the little kids on them at the store. No, I would rather have a fussy, obnoxious kid then one who can't function without some electronic device.
Then again, I feel like I'm the pot calling the kettle black because I get sooo moody when my internet is down.
Yeah, I think this is one of the occasions where it is much easier to judge if you don't have kids yet (I know that is not the case for the one who brought this up) than when you do have them. I want my kids to be social and playful, but sometimes having an pacifier-with-screen can just be so... easy. We all need a break.
I want to limit our kids' screen time, but who am I kidding? I can't even convince DH to put his iPhone away most of the time.

I have two kids and I judge the hell out of this. No computers/machines at the table period. DH recently got a smart phone and I have to constantly remind him of this rule, which he agrees with, but the phone turns his brain to mush. We have a friend with an 8yr old. I've never had a conversation with this kid, and we see them at least once a month, because he's had some electronic contraption in his face his whole life.

I guess my UO is my children have their whole lives to be in front of a computer. I'm not teaching them how to use one any earlier than necessary. So far we've made to 5 w/o one.

CarlaAndJames · January 2013

mystererae:
Elinetrouwt:

Yeah, I think this is one of the occasions where it is much easier to judge if you don't have kids yet (I know that is not the case for the one who brought this up) than when you do have them. I want my kids to be social and playful, but sometimes having an pacifier-with-screen can just be so... easy. We all need a break.

I want to limit our kids' screen time, but who am I kidding? I can't even convince DH to put his iPhone away most of the time.

I'm sorry, but I have to say my UO is that this one should be non-negotiable. It's one thing to use a tablet or phone to pacify a child occasionally, but to do it more than, say, 10%? of the time is cruel to the child. Children need to build focus, which takes practice. Without this crucial life skill they will be at a serious disadvantage in life.

I totally agree with the bolded. And I'm going to disagree that this is a "people without kids" thing. I have a daughter, she's 19 months, and she gets zero screen time. I don't care if other parents do, it's none of my business what you do. But I believe my daughter will be better off being able to live at least the first two years of her life without any screen time - TV, iPad, Phone, any of it. She catches glances here and there, but we purposely divert focus and don't let her look at it for more than a few seconds.

It's definitely possible. and really not all that hard to stay away from it when they are so little. We'll slowly let her have it some once LO2 is here, but it's not going to be our babysitter.

Mrs JillB · January 2013

etoille:
Mrs JillB:
Stina2012:

Mrs JillB:
There's a lot of northern Virginia on this board. I enjoy it. Dh and I are barely in it anymore. We're out in aldie, but we've lived in Arlington (ballston), Alexandria, and Reston previous to this. Dh works out near Dulles now, so we're in the real burbs now.

If we both worked out there I wouldn't mind being near Dulles. The ILs are in Leesburg and we got married in Ashburn. I wish we had a big house. While I love the condo it'd be nice to have like a 4 bedroom with a backyard. Sigh, one day...

Yeah, we definitely woudnt be out here if dh didn't work out here. We set a 30 minute commute limit. It's just not worth it to me as far as quality of life goes. We have friends that commute almost 2 hours each way. I can't imagine. We only have 3 bedrooms though. Thank goodness we got them, though (see siggy)! We looked in ashburn too, but ultimately decided on stone ridge (aldie). Both of us grew up in this area, so we're used to all of that northern Virginia madness.

Aldie is awesome!!!! Have you been to that British grocery store on 50? Everytime I pass by it I'm like dammit I want to go in there! DH and I were married at the Briar Patch B&B in Middleburg . Its beautiful out there! This is kind of why I like living in far west Fairfax county - hour east you're in DC hour west you're in BEAUTIFUL foothills of the Shenandoah valley.

We're in Centreville right now but we want to move into Langley HS district around west Great Falls along 7. Most of our friends are in Ashburn.

I haven't been yet, but I want to go! I usually have ds with me, so it would be kind of hard during the weekdays, but they also do tea there. My mil is always sending me emails from them. I do love this area. Dh and I went to Virginia tech and we miss the mountains sometimes. It's nice that if we drive 10 mins away, we feel at home. I grew up in Burke, so I'm pretty familiar with centreville. We looked there, but couldn't find anything in our price range that we liked.

luvmyducks · January 2013

lls31:
It really bothers me that baby items, like high chairs for example, don't go with normal house decor. I've been browsing BRU and BBB and I see these items with rainforest prints and whatnot. My dining room is not rainforest themed, so why would I want a rainforest high chair? I get that the rainforest, jungle, etc themes are for the baby... but if the baby is sitting in said high chair, what is the point of the rainforest theme? It would just be an eyesore in my dining room when it's not being used. (Side note: I am well aware that plain colored high chairs do exist... I just don't get the themed ones and other such items.)
I'm all for toys and play mats and whatnot in miscellaneous animal themes, but not items that are basically a piece of furniture.

We have the Eddie Bauer wood high chair--the pad that year actually ended up matching our decor and it is dark wood like our furniture. I was having the same problem and didn't want some ugly high chair in my dining room.

luvmyducks · January 2013

My other UO--but maybe not very unpopular??

I hate when religion and politics are brought onto TB. It's been kind of an unspoken/written rule since I started posting on these boards about 3yrs ago. Too many people get upset, too many things get said, and too much CRAP clutters the board that the majority of people don't care to read about.

I don't come to TB to read about this BS.

ETA: And it is hard to avoid it when it is in the middle of an UO or a FFFC which can usually be a lot of fun. If a post is titled and the OP is all about politics/religion, I'd just give the OP and responders the side-eye and then ignore the post.

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