Chickie

I am just wondering if any atheists (or people of other religions) have heard of the mystery of the Shemitah? The seven year cycle that is related to the Hebrew calendar? The fact that so many things in history have aligned with this 7 year cycle - everything from major stock market crashes and 9/11 (regarding recent history) and many more things I don't have space to mention here. We are currently in the middle of a Shemitah year that is to end September 13, 2015. Thoughts of how you can explain the Biblical preciseness of this as non-believers? (Please don't comment if you have no clue what I am talking about - but I do encourage you to do some research).

Read: The Mystery of the Shemitah by Jonathan Cahn for more information

I have a friend who told me about a local chiropractor who has some type of machine that they can hook to you (like a muscle test or something) and it diagnoses all kinds of issues. I hear it is a rare machine and only a few in each state. It is supposed to diagnose food sensitivities, allergies, deficiencies, etc. I don't know what the procedure is called or how reliable it is, but I am hoping there are others out there that can give me some info on this. (what is it called, how was your experience, how well did it work, was it painful? etc...) Thanks!

For a few years now, I have noticed a somewhat strong mildew smell in my house during summer when the central air conditioner is on. My husband claims he doesn't notice it, but I think he just says that because he is not handy around the house and doesn't know what to do about it, lol! Anyways, I definitely notice it and always feel kind of sick from it (headache, difficulty breathing, etc.) Does ANYONE know what can be done about this? I have looked online, but people who said they hired professionals to clean their systems, also mentioned that the smell quickly comes back. I don't want to pay for that!!! Any advice?

Right now, I currently use Purex. I have tried the different types/scents of Purex, and am currently using the free and clear because of sensitive skin. I am finding that it just doesn't do a good job at all of taking out stains! Even with the help of Borax! I refuse to spend the money on Tide even though I hear it is supposed to be a pretty decent detergent. What are some affordable laundry detergents that actually seem to help with stains? (I have 2 young children, so I need all the help I can get with stains, lol!)

My husband and I are looking to get new (much needed) siding on our house soon and we were advised to look into a home equity loan. We were told we have a little over $11,000 to use and from our previous estimates, that should more than cover it.

Problem is, I don't really understand a lot about home equity as we have never had to use it before. I was told that it is a 15 year loan with the first 5 years strictly paying for interest (yuck!!) and the last 10 years are a "pay off" time where you pay down the loan with like 7% interest. My questions are: first, are there any penalties for paying extra or paying off the loan early? I am assuming no, but I know banks always have goofy policies. Also, I was wondering if this is generally a good idea? From my research, I have found that it is advisable as long as the improvements being done add value to the home, which in my personal opinion, siding does!

Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

I want to get my husband a iPod Touch for fathers day and I am trying to decide if the light blue color is masculine enough. I am really drawn to that color, but I am wondering if he would like it. I don't want to ask him because for ONCE I want to actually surprise him, lol!

So, MEN: would you like the light colored one, or would you prefer a different color? WOMEN: would you get your guy the light colored one or go with the red, silver, etc.?

I am thinking about purchasing my husband an iPod Touch for fathers day. He/we currently have a small Phillips brand MP3 player that we can plug in our car and listen to our music downloads and he loves it, but it is starting to act up! I told him I wasn't going to get him anything because he purchased a somewhat expensive ticket to watch his favorite Major League Baseball team play, and I told him that would be his present, however, he is just such and awesome dad and father that I want to do something extra special for him. I am normally TERRIBLE at keeping secrets from him regarding gifts, but I intend to keep my lips sealed this time and make it a big surprise! Lol! So my questions are as follows:

Can he browse the internet on the iPod Touch? He always uses my Kindle to look up sports stuff or whatever, could he do that on the iPod Touch?

Also, totally random question, but I really love the light blue color option for the iPod Touch...is that color masculine enough? I mean it is blue, but it is a lighter, pretty blue and if I am going to spend the money, I want him to really like it, but I also don't really like the plain silver ones...just need some men's opinions on that one!

Last question, does apple ever do sales? Will there be any chance they would give me a discount if I ask?

Thanks ahead of time!

I am trying to plan a trip to Florida (from Ohio) for my family (my husband, myself and 2 daughters). I am hoping that we can go next year when my girls will be 4 and 6 because I think that will be good ages for them to really enjoy it. I am just wondering if someone can give me some insight as to how much money we will need to set aside for such a trip. We are only planning on staying for 3 to 5 days total to keep it practical and affordable. I want to do one day at Disney's Magic Kingdom, one day at Sea World and have an extra day or two to spend at the beach or doing whatever. We will need to plan not only for tickets, but also a hotel, flights, rental car, and any other expenses such as food, souvenirs, etc. I have been trying to look for ticket prices, and I just feel like it is kind of confusing to maneuver around and figure out exactly what we will need to do. Any feedback would be appreciated!

I am a stay-at-home-mom of two daughters and I babysit out of my home as well. I recently asked another question on here about if it is ok to ask parents of the children I babysit to pitch in on a large purchase for all the kids this summer. I was only going to ask (and NOT make it mandatory) for about $20 from each family toward the purchase of a large out door toy since all the kids will be using it and it would get extra wear and tear. Others commented that what I charge the parents should already be enough to cover extra expenses (like extra toys, supplies, extra cleaning / replacement costs, etc.) and I just find that crazy because I only charge the families $2.50! (per child). I ALSO provide almost all of the food, drinks, art supplies, toys, etc. and have had many things ruined and broken over the past few years.

My question is, what do some of you other parents pay your babysitters - and I am talking about babysitters who watch children out of their own homes...? I need some input because from what I understand, $2.50 is kind of the going rate around where I live. Any feedback and suggestions about my rates and what all I provide would be greatly appreciated. I just want to see how others situations are. Feed back from actual babysitters who babysit full time would be great too! Also if you could let me know a general idea of where you live (like large city or small town, etc.) that would help me understand the different prices in different regions. Thanks!!!

I have 2 daughters and babysit for several additional children (the amount of children changes depending on the season and the hours vary). This summer, I am going to have 5 additional children, making up to 7 children many days. (Ages - including my children: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 2).

My issue is, I want to buy a trampoline for my daughters this year for spring and summer (don't worry, I will by one with the safety net, and only allow 2 children at a time, or one child at a time if it is one of the younger ones). Like all our toys, they are shared by so many children and easily become broken or lost. As far as the trampoline goes, it is a somewhat expensive purchase, and with that many kids, there will be extra wear and tear on it. ***Is it appropriate for me to ask the parents of the other children if they would be interested in donating money toward the trampoline, just a small amount, like $20-$30, since all the kids will be using it?

There is part of me that says to myself "with all the toys, books, cups, etc. that have been lost or ruined by the other kids I babysit, and nobody ever offers to replace broken items, they should be willing to at least put some money towards a big purchase that their child will be getting use out of too!" But there is the other part of me that knows it will be awkward to ask and I don't want to put anyone on the spot. Suggestions?

Here is one more DIY question (some of you might have seen my floor question earlier), but when my husband and I bought our home 9 years ago, we put new drywall in several of the rooms. The guy that was helping us refused to mud the seams and my husband and I took a shot at it. We had no power in the house yet and some of it was a rush job done in the dark. It looked terrible and so my husband textured the walls, but they still were not done right. There were parts that needed to be sanded and a lot of parts that were not mudded thick enough, etc. My in-laws, also rushing for some reason, painted over it all before I had a chance to ok it. The walls have been bothering me for 9 years now, and I am planning on re-painting them this spring. How big of a job would it be to mud over them in attempt to get them straight and even before painting? Would it be a lot of money? It would be about 3 decent sized rooms and our stairway...opinions?

Ever since my husband and I have had our house (about 9 years now), I have always worried about the floors falling through to the basement. It is a 2 story house, plus a basement, and it is older. I love my house because it is practical, cozy and has a lot of charm, but it is very creaky. The bathtub especially worries me. When we bought the house, we remodeled much of it and where the tub is, there was a huge, heavy cast iron tub! My brother in law had to use a sledge hammer to get it out so we could put our new 3 piece tub / shower in, but I have a fear of being in the tub, and it falling through to the basement. I feel like this is irrational, but I am wondering if we should buy a few support beams for our basement as an extra precaution?

My husband and I have 2 daughters and due to health complications we are not able to have more. We have been considering adoption, mostly because we want to help children (or even just one child - better than none) in need. There is a Christian organization called Stella's Voice. They help orphans from Moldova. When orphans in Moldova "age out" they are put on the streets and many are kidnapped into human trafficking and die of diseases. I just read that Moldova is closing the orphanages and there will be 2000+ kids out on the streets. Stella's Voice houses these orphans and helps them in a lot of ways. My question is: if these kids are going to be put on the streets anyways and nobody cares if they live, die or even exists in the first place, why can't families who want them just have them? I understand the legal issues in most cases, but really, these kids are just being left to die. Can anyone offer any insight on something like this please? I just want to know how hard it would be to adopt a child in this situation...I have contacted Stella's Voice and have not heard from them yet. They are a fantastic organization and I am sure they will be able to give me answers, I just wanted to know if anyone else has some information they could provide. Thanks!!!

My husband works 50+ hours a week with individuals that have mental retardation and developmental disabilities, and has been for 13 years (so you would think he makes decent money, but unfortunately we are considered below the federal poverty guidelines). His employer is dropping spousal insurance in January and we were told to look into Medicaid. We applied and they told us that we all (myself, 2 children and husband) might qualify. My question is to anyone who has knowledge or experience with Medicaid: is the coverage pretty decent? Would it be better for just myself to get the Medicaid and my children and husband to stay on his plan? Or would it be better for us all to get on Medicaid and him bring home the extra approx. $200 a month that he is paying into insurance through is work? His current insurance is pretty good. It is an 80/20 % plan. Our co-pay is only $10. It doesn't cover eye-care...thoughts?

My brother and his wife are expecting their 2nd child in late winter. Their daughter who is 2 (almost 3) is the same age as my youngest. They are only 2 weeks apart as a matter of fact. I will call her Jane for anonymity purposes. Well, basically, I am concerned for the new baby because "Jane" is extremely rough and obnoxious. I hate to say that about my own niece, but they way they are parenting her is absurd. It is not so much my brother. I believe he would do things very differently, but his wife is constantly reading up on modern parenting methods and has some whacky ideas. She lets "Jane" sleep with her and my brother has to sleep on the couch. They don't discipline her and she is very aggressive. She usually pushes, strangles, bites, and pokes my daughters eyes. She has terrible tantrums. She is possessive. Recently we went to their house, and she took both my daughters stuffed animals out of their hands and threw them behind the couch. She wouldn't let them touch her toys. The mom doesn't believe in spanking. She knows that we choose to spank our children in certain cases and quite frankly, our children are much better behaved. We teach them respect, safety and manners. We only spank in cases of rebellion. Both my girls are extremely strong willed and persistent, but with consistent discipline and love, they are shaping up to be awesome little girls. Our niece on the other hand, no body wants to be around her. Everyone has felt it is not their place to say anything, but it is starting to get to the place where we are all concerned for the new baby's safety. I can see "Jane" being very jealous of the baby and hurting the baby. Any suggestions?

I am in the process of writing a book about Christian Parenting. I want the book to cover all the questions and concerns that are relevant today. I need Christian parents to give me input and ideas about topics that you want covered. I already know in my head what my main goal and objective is, but I want to make sure that I am covering all areas, possibly areas I have not considered yet. Please feel free to give me any input. Also, if there are any specific questions that you want addressed, please ask here. If you leave a question, could you please leave me your initials and which state you are from? Your question might make it in the book (and be answered in the book). Same with funny parenting stories. Leave me your stories with your initials and state. Thanks! :)

My husband and I (and 2 young children) currently own our home and live in a small village out in farm country. We are so used to living in a house and all the things that go along with owning a home but recently out utilities went waaaaay up! We just got city water in town and that made our bill jump about $100. Our electricity is outrageous (like $150 / month average) and we have to pay approx. $200 a month for propane to heat our house. Plus, our house is older, and while nice, it needs some work.

I have started seriously thinking about different options and I (just for fun / out of curiosity) was looking at luxury apartments in a local city (about 40 min) from where we currently are. I am not sure what all is included in the monthly payment (I am assuming they are all different), but are the utilities typically included? If so / not, which utilities are usually included? Some of the ones that I looked at have nice pools, club houses, fitness rooms, parks, etc. Also, I figure we would save on not having to mow our lawn, and other things like that. It would be closer to nice shopping areas and pretty much the same distance for my husband to drive to work because his work is located in the middle of where we currently live, and the city I am looking at. I am just torn because I don't want to go from home owner - to living in an apartment with young children, however the apartments are really nice and have a lot of awesome features. I just need to hear some arguments for and against this to help...

So my almost 5 year old daughter loves Barbies. She received an awesome Barbie Doll House for her 4th birthday and she has a lot of Barbies / accessories, etc. I know that amongst mothers of young girls, Barbie can be slightly controversial, and many moms worry about the dolls giving girls a false sense of body shape and practical looks in general. Also (my biggest concern) is the clothes for Barbie are getting skimpier and skimpier as time goes on. Most of the Barbie clothes that my daughter has are extremely short dresses, belly shirts, etc. I wish that were not an issue, but overall, I choose to let my daughter play with Barbie because I think that the make-believe and playing aspect is more important that the image of Barbie. Barbie is the ONE THING that she will actually play for long periods of time. The way I see it is: little girls love dolls and make-believe, and as she gets older, I will talk with her about body image and modesty. I will share with her that Barbie is only a toy and is pretend.

Just wondering about other mom's personal opinions on Barbie???

My husband mentioned that he really wanted an indoor electric grill, but I was looking on-line and also found the stove top kind of reversible grill / griddle pans. I think that those would work also, but I was just wondering if anyone would be able to tell me which would be better? I just didn't want to spend too much as I don't think we would be using it that often. Maybe once a month / every other month. Anyone have any suggestions???