Brown-Eyed Girl

We're looking to install ceiling fans in our family room and master bedroom. They would need to be low-profile or "hugger" fans, hanging somewhere between 12-14". All white or bronze (near black) with dark wood blades. When I asked the guy at Home Depot, he looked at me as though I were speaking a foreign language... :(

I've got a student in my fifth grade classroom with one of the most extreme cases of ADHD I have ever experienced. While there are a number of concerns regarding this 10-year-old boy, my greatest concern is his impulse control. Not only does it constantly disrupt the learning environment, but it is also seriously impairing his ability to make and keep friends. His parents are resolute in their belief that medication is not an option. But, I've exhausted my "bag of tricks"? Any suggestions for teaching/managing impulse control?

I have been working on the paperwork to officially change my name. I've been toiling over the decision as I love my last name. It is really unique and there are no men in my family to carry it on. I knew I wanted to include it somewhere in my new official name, but I've never liked the idea of hyphenating.

After weeks, I finally came to the conclusion that I would take my middle name (Anne) and tack it on to my first name. Anne seems to tack on nicely to just about anything. Then, I would take my maiden name and make it my middle name. Finally I would take my husband's name as my last name. It rolled nicely off my tongue and I was quite happy with it!

When I presented the option to my husband, he was pretty much appalled. He told me that I was trying to "have my cake and eat it too." He said I needed to either drop my middle name or drop my maiden name. He was quite serious about it.

Am I being unreasonable?

I am on the lookout for BPA free cups for kids that are hearty (i.e. they won't break when dropped on a hardwood floor or chip when banged against a counter top). Any suggestions? Thank you!

I work as a teacher and I love having plants in my classroom! However, my classroom is not the most plant friendly. The plant will be on a window sill nine months out of the year. It will have decent sun exposure, but will also need to be hearty enough to survive fairly cold weather. In the winter, the outside temperature ranges from 32 to 50 degrees, and the heating inside of the school is turned off on weekends and nights. When the heating is on, the temperature in the building is generally 68 degrees.

The plant will generally be watered 1-2 a week, depending on it's needs, except for a two-week stint in the dead cold of winter (Winter Break). It will need to be hearty enough to withstand temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees and no water for two weeks.

I can provide quality soil, occasional fertilizer, and pruning as necessary. For the most part, it will be tended to by nine and ten-year-old's.

Thank you for your recommendations!

I need a reality check.

My new husband and I are starting to think about trying for a baby. Before doing so, though, I want to do a gentle cleansing smoothie detox. I recently needed to take some medications and want to make sure my system was clean before conceiving. All of this has been run by and cleared by my doctor.

Anyhow, the issue arose at the grocery store. The detox required purchasing some items that my hubby and I do not usually purchase. Therefore, we had no idea where to find them in the grocery store. I did my absolute best to organize the trip, knowing that grocery shopping was not my hubby's idea of a dream Saturday morning. But, we did have trouble finding items and had to search around and double-back a few times.

He grew very frustrated and ended up yelling at me in the middle of the grocery store. When I tried to talk to him about it on the drive home (and then again at home), his anger persisted. He was really angry about having to double-back and search around for certain ingredients.

In my mind, whatever burden related to conception, pregnancy, and child rearing that CAN be shared between the mother and father should be. Both parties should be held equally responsible and should be equally involved, especially since the woman really carries the brunt of the burden during the early months/years.

What are your thoughts? How involved should the Daddy-to-be be? Am I expecting too much of him?

In my experience, grinding wasn't a thing until that late 90's and early 2000's. By grinding, I mean the rubbing of reproductive organs against other body parts (legs, bums, etc.). Anyhow, I was watching a TV show the other day that showed grinding at a high school dance in 1991. Was it really around that early? When did grinding become popular?

I'll soon be returning a Mac to my employer (I'm moving on to a new job). But, I don't want to lose all the documents I've created, the photos I've taken, or the music I've downloaded. I'd like to transfer or copy to files onto an external hard drive so that I can access them from my soon-to-arrive, brand new PC. So, I need a device that can work with both a Mac (at least once) and a PC. Any recommendations? I don't need anything super savvy or spendy! Thanks in advance!

I am looking at purchasing a set of durable dishes and glasses. I plan on using them for kids and outdoor dining (barbeques, etc.).

They need to be hearty enough that, when a child drops them on a hardwood floor or outside on the desk or patio that they will, more often than not, stay in one piece. They also need to be made of a healthy material... so, NO plastic. I'd like to be able to use them in the microwave without worrying about carcinogenic chemicals leaching into my children's food. :)

Any thoughts, tips, or suggestions? Thank you!

A few months ago, my boyfriend of five years and I got engaged. Just recently, we started working on our wedding registry. We tried doing it in store, but got totally overwhelmed! We realized... we don't know what to register for! Part of the dilemma is that we don't have a house... we don't plan to buy a home until after we say "I do." Therefore, we don't know what colors to look for or if we need specific decor items. Another part of the problem is that, between the two of us, we have a pretty well established kitchen. Were in our late twenties and so have managed to collect a good amount of kitchen gear through birthdays and holidays.

At this point, he and I are looking to (a) fill gaps in our collection and (b) upgrade the quality. So, here are my questions to you, Yahoo! community.

(1) What items in your kitchen -- small or large, simple or complex -- can you not live without?

(2) What items do you wish your current kitchen collection contained?

(3) If you could upgrade any of your current kitchen items, what would you upgrade to and why?

(4) Is there anything you suggest registering for that is non-kitchen related in preparation for eventually owning a home? We plan on storing all of the gifts until we purchase a home, so storage space is not an issue.

Thank you! THANK YOU! I really appreciate your advice!

Hey folks! I am looking for some inspiration. I am getting together with some coworkers tomorrow for a low-key get together. One coworker is brings Sangria and another is bringing nachos. I've been thinking about bringing another appetizer, but I am lacking ideas. I want something that is a real crowd pleaser. Any ideas?

My fiance and I have been house hunting for the last three months, trying to take advantage of the great, low interest rates. In the last few months, we have seen some doozies. But, last week, we found a home where we finally thought, "This could work." It met most of our requirements, was under budget, located in a good neighborhood with good schools, and would make for an easy resale. We even got the sellers to drop their asking price $4K, which is incredible considering most homes in the area are selling for over their listing price!

But, for some reason, my fiance and I are feeling gun shy. We just can't seem to pull the trigger on the house. Is it because this is our first house and we are experiencing completely normal cold feet? Is it because we are holding out for our dream home? If the latter, I'm not sure that exists within our current budget. Plus, the real estate market near us is crazy competitive... buyers frequently go $50K above asking price. My fiance and I can't compete with that.

So, here is my question: How do you know if you found the right house? Do the heavens open and the angels sing, or am I expecting too much?

My dream is to be able to hit the trails with both my dog and horse. However, my dog isn't quite ready for this and I am looking for some advice as to how to get her ready. My dog is obedient, but doesn't seem to understand that, were she to position herself wrongly, she could easily be hurt or killed by the horse. She thinks my mare is a giant couch and would love nothing more than to climb up on it and sit with me.

Without my lab getting hurt, I can't figure how to instill a healthy fear or sense of caution in her. She needs to understand that hooves are dangerous. Ideally, I'd like her to stay between 5 and 10 feet away at all times. Any ideas? Thanks!

Dressage saddle pads all used to look the same -- a virtually square cut with rounded corners... like this one: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.as... Now, there are swallowtail pads with the curved on contoured back corners: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.as... Or, the squared dressage pad with the sqaured back corners: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.as... The contoured dressage pad, which is similar to the traditional sheepskin pad used for huntseat: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.as...

I have a 15.1 hand, mutton-withered, long-backed Anglo-Arab... I want something that will create the illusion that she has more of your typical dressage horse build (short through the back, uphill and strong withered, and tall). Which cut or shape would help to accomplish this... or which ones should I stay away from? I guess I am sort of looking for a "What Not to Wear" for my horse. Ha, ha. :)

Please no lectures on my mare's conformation... we are doing just fine in dressage. We are just seeking some fashion advice. Also, the links I provided at EXAMPLES. I am not looking to buy the exact pads linked. Thanks in advance!

I just moved my horse to a new barn. It is a gorgeous facility, but the turn-outs are near some federal land that plays host to a wetland/creek and many, many mosquitos. My mare must have some tasty blood because she is getting eaten alive while she is out from 4pm to 7am (she is on night turn out). She wears a fly sheet, but still gets bitten on her neck and beneath the tail. I have let her mane grow long to help, but it only falls on the right, leaving the left side of her neck vulnerable. Her fly sheet covers her tail, but when she walks she lifts her tail, exposing the area beneathe.

Ideally, I would love to use an environmentally friendly supplement/spray/solution, but am open to all suggestions. Any suggestions?

Also, I spoke with my new vet and he mentioned that "she just has to develop an immunity." Has anyone ever heard this before? He is a wonderful vet with 30+ years of experience and glowing reviews from the sporthorse community, but I didn't know that a horse could build up immunity to mosquitos. It may be true, as none of the other horses at the barn have an issue... but then again, I know that certain ethnicities in humans tend to attract mosquitos, so perhaps it is the same with horses. She is an Anglo-Arabian, if that helps. :)

My Anglo-Arabian mare recently encountered some lameness issues. I have been managing them from afar, through my mother and barn manager, but from what I gather the mare torqued her heel at one point. There was heat and minor swelling. After a few days rest, the barn manager turned her out without longing and she let loose, running a muck in the wet, spring mud. Inevitably, she torqued her back. She was seen by a chiropractor and given a clean bill of health. The barn manager then noticed that the mare had a bone spur on the inside of her left hind.

I am unable to discern whether the spur is from her youth or a new injury, having been out of the state during this time. It is what the barn manager called a "blind bone spur," meaning it was difficult to see and she only discovered it while carefully investigating the previous heel injury. This mare is nearly 16-years-old and has been on a healthy dressage exercise and training plan since I purchased her at age 5. She has been lame once due to an abscess in one of her forelegs at age 7.

I did some research on bone spurs and read that they require a hearty rest and rehabilitation period. What I am trying to figure out, though, is whether the injury is new or old. There is no sensitivity to touch (at least today when I went out to see her), nor swelling or heat. According to my reading, those are dead give-aways that it is a new or current injury. Also, my second question is whether or not it is possible to "reinjure" a bone splint?

Thank you for any insights!

I've recently become enamored with the idea of owning a trench coat. I love to look of the classic, khaki/toast colored, double-breasted Burberry trenches, but I don't have $600 plus to spend on a coat. I've scoured the internet and found a few promising designs (London Fog and DKNY Abby Zipper Trench), but its a bit late in the coat season and no one seems to have my size (small) in the color I want (khaki/toast).

My mother suggested I look at QVC. Doubting the fashion sense of QVC, I begrudgingly poked around on their website. I found an Isaac Mizrahi design (http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.deta... that looked fairly similar to the Burberry design I loved so much. But, the buttons are gold! At first this was a huge turn-off, but now that I think about it, I am not so sure. I want this trench to last for years, unphased by the seasons' trends.

Are gold buttons classic or tacky?

How do you tell two of you dearest friends that you cannot afford both of their destination bachelorette parties, both of their destination weddings, both of their gifts, and the bridesmaid dresses? I am trying and trying to crunch the numbers and it just doesn't make sense! I have student loans to pay off and I'd hoped to start saving for my own house and wedding!

My boyfriend's skin is quite oily through the head, neck, and back. Subsequently, he stains all of my beautiful Supima sheets. I know how to wash the sheets to where most of the oil is removed (i.e. with vinegar), but I would love to preserve my sheets even further by lessening the amount of oil he produces. I have tried looking up treatment for oily skin and I know that you want to cleanse with a gentle cleanser that does not strip the skin of that natural barrier of fatty acids and moisturize.

I am having a difficult time finding a good cleanser and moisturizer for the body, however.

Thoughts?