?

I guess this is the perfect venue to ask this question. My wife and I just found out she is 4 weeks pregnant. We are not telling anyone until Christmas but I know my parents are treating her to a spa & massage on December 26th. She will be 6 weeks at that time.

Can she get a regular massage? Can she still sit in a hot tub or steam room?

My parents made the reservations but won't find out she is pregnant until the day before the spa. I can call ahead and make special arrangements if necessary.

I knew I was getting sick on Friday morning (it is currently Sunday evening). I used Zicam Nasal Swabs 3 times on Friday and 2 times on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon, we went to an amusement park and I could not smell a thing. It didn't occur to me until my wife said "those fries smell awesome". Now I am looking for it but can't smell a thing.

Even worse, I watched my dog get sprayed by a skunk on Saturday night (I thought it was a cat and called it to me - dog was in the yard, heard me and ran toward it). I did smell it a little bit but my wife almost passed out from the smell.

Anyway, I was sick all weekend and figured my loss of smell was due to the head cold.

Today is Sunday, my cold is gone and I still have very limited smell. I spent the day washing the dog (great Fathers day!) and thought he was clean tonight. My wife verified that he was NOT clean and still smelled of strong skunk odor. I could not even hint it.

I am so worried this could be permanent. I've seen the recent news about Anosmia (complete loss of smell) and it's freaking me out. In the name of sanity, I am assuming this is only temporary. I HOPE!

Any other experiences out there that want to be shared?

Our 18 month old has never slept on her own. We used to get her to sleep while in our arms and lay her down in the crib. When she'd wake, we'd bring her into our bed.

Recently, we opened her crib to a toddler bed and layed a mattress on the floor next to her for one of us. We read a book then lay her in the crib. She will lay there and fall asleep on her own but not if she hears (or thinks) you have gotten up and left. If she wakes and you are there, she goes back to sleep. If she wakes and you are not there, she screams and cries for us ("mamamamama, dadadadadad").

For 3 days, we tried the Ferber method. We failed because she was getting so scared, she would shake. We could not put her through that any longer.

It would be OK if she slept on a mattress in our bedroom. THE PROBLEM, is that she requires us to be there to go to sleep. So even if she slept on the mattress, we would have to lay there until she fell asleep, then sneak out.

It is hard on us because we are both working parents and she goes down at 8:00pm (we are usually up until 11:30pm).

Do you have suggestions?

Do you know of websites / forums where I can discuss this with other parents or professionals?

I have a toddler with sleeping problems and need guidance on how to handle it. It's not as simple as asking the question here and having you answer it. Are there any good (active) forums to ask this type of question?

Anyone out there want to coach me?

My daughter is actually 18 months but I am looking for outdoor toys to use in our yard. Maybe a playhouse, swing set, slide, etc. We have a flat 1/2 acre backyard with an above ground pool. We also have a sport court (small b-ball court). It is hurricane fenced the whole way around. She loves to climb and is very active.

We are working on getting a Water/Sand table but need something else.

What are parents buying these days? Links or product names would help.

I am putting in a few outlets in my basement for a new bar. I bought 14-2 because we are running several new lights as well. Can I use the 14-2 to run the outlets as well?

The heaviest thing on them will be a compact refrigerator or "bar fridge". I may also run the occasional blender.

Do I need to use 12 gauge?

I live in Pittsburgh, PA and am looking for a ski resort to make a week-long getaway next year. We will be driving and would like to keep it under 8 hours. We like l-o-n-g and steep slopes. We will have a mix of very capable snowboarders and skiiers.

I am already looking at Snowshoe or Killington but have never been to either. Wisp sucks and we frequent Seven Springs. Any other ideas?

This bothers me. I believe I am supposed to turn the wii remote counter-clockwise to switch to smoke grenade. When I do this, I loose my aim. By the time I fix my aim to throw the grenade, the standard grenade is selected again.

How the hell do you throw these things and still maintain accuracy?

Why cut supply to stabilize prices and keep them from falling too low? It is helping the economy and people have more money to spend.

Why keep big oil's pockets lined rather than allowing people to spend their money elsewhere?

My cat goes through phases where he doesn't use his litter box.

At a previous home, he was sneaking into a cubby hole under the stairs (right next to his box) and left about 50 poops in a 4'x4' space before I found it.

Last year, we realized he was sneaking into a closet and pooping and peeing in a rubbermaid container filled with winter gloves and hats.

Earlier this year, I found that he was going in the corner of our game room - on top of my snowboard bag that was laying on the floor.

This week, I realized he was using the same spot in the corner of the game room. I moved the table that was in that corner to open it up, cleaned the area REAL well and put some things there to block him from getting within 2' of the corner. This morning I found poop in that same spot.

His litter box is clean and in a private area. In between all of these events, he uses it exclusively. Then he goes on a tangent and uses the floor or something else.

He is a male tabby cat that I have had since he was 6 weeks old. He is an all INDOOR cat and is well fed and well cared for. He is now 6 yrs old.

HELP!!!

To the cat haters, I'm not going to shoot him or get rid of him in any way. I choose to care for him and have to live with my decision.

We have a 3-season (unheated room) and put in a wood plank ceiling. The wood is a very light color and we do not want to stain it darker. What should I use to finish the wood?

Polyurethane?

Also, how do I apply your suggestion?

I have a glass enclosed sunroom that has a metal frame. I would like to put an outlet box on the floor against one of the rails. The only thing I can find is a very unattractive metal box. it is not exposed to the weather but cannot be hidden in the wall.

Where can I find a more attractive box to put the outlet in?

This is similar to the blue box that most people install in the wall. I need mine to be screwed into the floor and hide the outlet.

OK, I have a small sunporch (12' x 12') with a gable roof (8' at high end, 6' at low end). 3 walls are glass from floor to ceiling. I am looking for heating options.

The floor and ceiling are hardwood.

Everything is unfinished at this point so anything is game. The 4th wall is between the house and the sunporch and is 12' long with a 6' sliding door on one side.

The options I have come up with are:

- a kicker heater hidden between the joists (leaning towards this)

- baseboard heater (ugly)

- ceiling vent heaters - like some bathrooms (no information on them)

- other ideas?

We have a glass enclosed sun room that is not heated and will freeze in the winter. It will NOT be exposed to rain or snow.

3 of the walls are glass, the 4th is against the house and has a sliding door (to the kitchen) in the middle of it. What material is best for this wall?

I do not want drywall or plaster in there.

We have a 3 season sun room (3 glass walls and a roof). I need to cover the 4th wall (against the house) and the ceiling.

It is not heated and will freeze. Also, it may get some occassional dew in the spring and fall months. I live in Western PA.

I am not sure if the 4x8 sheets will warp or bow with the temperature swings. Should I use tongue and groove, which is harder to install and more expensive?

Any other options out there?

I am about to purchase Sony Bookshelf speakers (model SS-B1000) - http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-5-25-Bookshelf...

These speakers do not appear to have a mounting system to secure it to the wall. What are my other options?

Would a speaker like this sound better if placed on a small wooden shelf rather than a wall mount?

The room is a glassed in sun porch with tile floor and a bead board celing (with one other bead board wall - where these will be mounted). I realize I am not going to get premium sound with the glass and tile but want to try my best. There will also be cushioned furniture and an area rug in the center of the 12' x 12' room.

Thanks.

This will be difficult but here we go...

I have a fully glassed in sunporch that is currently being finished. Currently the ceiling and floor are wood (subfloor). The room echo's intensly becuase the sound is bouncing off the walls and floors.

I wanted to put in tile floor and hardwood flooring for a ceiling. I am afraid the echo's will still be bad and am interested in other options for the ceiling.

Are their certain tiles that can be used for the floor? What else could be used on the ceiling to reduce the reverberations? It is a low ceiling and a drop ceiling is not possible. It has to be secured to the existing wooden ceiling.

Ok, I need advice on how to route water from a downspout on the corner of my house. It comes off a raised sunporch and is 12ft from the foundation of my home. The area is entirely flat. Currently, it runs off into the landscaping. I would like to divert it into an underground 'chamber'. How do I construct this?

My thought is to dig a 3 ft hole, fill with chips (driveway stone) and cover with soil. The downspout will end 1.5 ft underground in the center of the chips.

This gutter does not get much leaves and debris but does get some. I may install an in-line debris filter at the top of the downspout.

'A' speakers will cover a 12'x12' room.

'B' speakers are for outside parties.

'A' OR 'B' - one or the other will be on - not both at the same time.

Receiver is a Kenwood KR-V7080. According to the manual: "100 watts per channel minimum RMS, both channels at 8ohm, from 20hz to 20,000hz with no more than .06% total harmonic distortion."

What size speakers should I use for 'A' and "B'?

I have a set of 8ohm 70watt each speakers...can these be used?

Am I overpowering my little speakers? Is there a harm as long as I don't crank it up and blow the speaker?

If a husband packs his bags and leaves the house, wife and kids (15 and 22 yr olds), how is property distributed? They live in a fully paid-off house in Pennsylvania.

I believe this is referred to as "Actual Desertion". The wife wants him to stay but he left and basically abandoned everything.

Would he still have a right to claim 50% of the property?