Sunshine

Do save the dates and invitations go out to everyone? Is there any way to combine the two so we can figure out who is planning on going and who isn't? Seems like a waste of money to send both to everyone knowing that most won't be in attendance. Suggestions appreciated!

My daughter's birthday is coming up and there is a laundry list of allergies in her class. What are some snack ideas I can send in that meet the mentioned criteria? Thanks :) They are in first grade.

1. I am a nanny, technically self-employed, the family does NOT take out taxes. Where do I enter this untaxed income when filling out my taxes?

2. I am also a student who received both grants and loans. Do either of these get recorded on my taxes?

I am starting my path towards a teaching license and will be in classroom with various teachers throughout my next few years and would like some useful gift ideas to thank the teachers who will be guiding me along my way. I know mugs are over rated ;) thanks!

I am traveling to Mexico in two weeks. I have been trying to figure out my options for calling home to speak with my daughter while I am away. My phone provider (Sprint) has been less than helpful, so I have turned to you! I have several questions, if you can answer any or all of them, that would be very helpful!

*Sprint has informed me that I CAN use my phone in Mexico, I would need to add an International Plan to my phone which is very pricey. So I have a few options:

1. Add the International plan to my phone

2. Use a calling card

3. Buy a cheap pre-paid phone once I get there

4. Other suggestions? I have been told that some form of google chat might work?

*Calling card option: Would I use the calling card from my cell phone? Then do the International rates still apply to my phone bill? Would I use it from my hotel room? If so, how much on average does that cost? Do I attempt to find a pay phone? How inconvenient!

If there are other options that I am overlooking, please grace me with your knowledge! I probably seem like I am over thinking this, but I need to be able to talk to my daughter while I am gone :) Thanks!!

Creative caps on. Ok...go. I have a themed party to go to that is disco sombrero. I need ideas to get me started. Note: it is out of the country so large items may not be able to travel.

This isn't your average parenting question, so put on your thinking caps! :)

I am going to Mexico on a vacation in about 6 weeks. My 6 year old daughter is not coming and she will be staying with either my parents or her dad. This is the longest I have been away from her before and she is making a big deal out of it. She says things like, "I will cry the whole time you are gone because I will miss you so much." I will be able to call her, but I would like to make her something special to let her know that I am always thinking of her. I was thinking of writing her a letter to open each day.

I am looking for fun/interesting ideas to add to the letter. Something that makes it more than just a letter. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated! :)

My daughter is classified as "intense". She has very emotional outbursts and can not calm down. They start with the smallest things such as needing to do homework before watching a movie. I have followed the love and logic books and they work for a while and then it stops working. Here is my issue. When she gets upset, we do not call it a "time-out" we call it "quiet time" and she is expected to go to her room and calm down. It works about 50% of the time. The other 50%, she goes in there screaming and destroys, literally destroys, her room. I mean takes clothes out of the drawers, off the hangers, clears out bookshelves, rips the sheets off her bed...she even took the mattress off once. So when she is in this mood of destruction, how can I get her to calm down with out ripping apart her bedroom. If I put her anywhere else, she will not stay (sometimes she will not stay in her room either). I live with my parents and I am constantly on pins and needles trying to avoid these meltdowns because it makes everyone else uncomfortable. Please help me before I lose my mind!!!

My boyfriends mom is going through chemo currently. He is going home for Christmas and I would like to send a nice gift/care package. What kinds of things should I put in? Useful, cheerful, things to pass the time, things to help with the side effects...any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Penny Universities began in the 18th century and were places that socialites could go, pay a penny to enter then drink coffee and have access to all kinds of news and gossip. We are doing a mock penny university in my history course and we are being encouraged to bring in treats for our fellow students. The only information I find says that they just drank coffee. What kinds of treats could I make to share with the class?

My BF's mom just had pretty serious surgery to remove some cancerous tissue in her throat. She will be on a feeding tube for at least 90 days and starts Chemo and Radiation in about a week. He is traveling home to be with his family this Thanksgiving and I would like to send something with him to give to her. The kids are getting her an iPad since she will be chair and bed bound for a while. She likes to read but he said its usually the newspaper. I am not sure if she likes to do crosswords or soduko type games, but with all that time on her hands (at home, sitting in doctors offices and receiving meds) she might pick up some new hobbies! Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks :)

If your significant other addresses you through text or email such as "Hello Beautiful" or "Hello Handsome", does that count as a compliment in your book? Does it make a difference if s/he says it in person to you?

I am taking a history of dance class and I need some starting points for a recent assignment. We watched "The Catherine Wheel" choreographed by Twyla Tharp, music by David Byrne (from the Talking Heads). Now as much as I love dance and The Talking Heads, they are both a little out there so when it comes to deciphering what the underlying meaning and themes are, its difficult. If anyone has any suggestions, I would gladly take them! Thanks :)

The family I nanny for is adopting their daughter officially in a few weeks. I am looking for a small gift idea for both the 1 year old little girl and her parents. Thanks for your help!

I am going to an opera performance of The Marriage of Figaro hosted by CU Boulder. It is a requirement for a course that I am taking. I am not sure what to wear though. I know that generally opera is quite fancy but I am not sure if the same standards apply to a college production. I don't mind being over dressed as I was thinking of wearing a black dress (classic) but I do NOT want to be under dressed! Any advice is welcome! Thanks :)

I am looking for new crock pot recipes and would like yours! If you are willing to share your favorite crock pot recipe, I would greatly appreciate it :) Thanks!

We have a recently (3 months out) adopted almost 2 year old GSP. He has been staying with me for the last few months but has recently gone to live with my boyfriend full time as that was the arrangement. I kept him until my boyfriend was finished buying his house. Now that he has the house, he has gone to live with him. At my home, he was fairly well behaved and had another dog to play with. He was out in either the house or the yard unless it was bed-time, then he was kenneled. My boyfriend does not have another dog for him to play with and he is left alone while he is at work 8-9 hours a day. He has begun to be destructive when left alone in the house (tearing up carpet is the worst he has done so far). We need some solutions for him during the day as I would hate for him to be kenneled all day :/ In the backyard, he digs is left alone for too long because he is bored. Our neighbors also have chickens so we don't want him digging at the fence or barking at them. Any suggestions are welcome. We are aware that he needs exercise, and we do that, so OTHER suggestions will be very helpful! Thanks!

We just purchased a new house and once we got the washer and dryer in there, the closet isn't quite deep enough! It needs to be at least another 2-3 inches deeper. What can we do short of a small demo project! I just need an organizational idea...we are thinking of taking the doors off, but its on the main floor and I just don't want it to be visible all the time!

I have a recipe for an easy chicken pot pie but it only calls for pie crust on top. I want pie crust on the bottom as well since it is my favorite part! My question is, do I need to bake the bottom crust first to make sure it gets done before I put the filling and top crust on? Recipe only calls for it to be baked fo 25-30 minutes. Thanks!

My friend received a gift basket at her bridal shower that was themed "how to make a marriage last" and in it was a little letter and some household items that should help keep a marriage together. The only thing I remember is a stick of gum to help things stick together or something like that. Anyway, if anyone has something like this, I would appreciate it! Thanks :)