Jessie - I hear you about hating maternity jeans....they just don't fit right, and if they do fit the panel makes them ugly around the crotch area. The new secret fit belly panel from Motherhood is awesome, though. I have a pair of grey wool tweed trousers with it and they really don't look any different from regular pants...and COMFORTABLE! The belly panel doesn't roll or twist at all.

I had a pair of Seven for all Mankind maternity jeans with DS1, but my hips and butt are bigger now and they don't fit. I'm not about to spend $100 or more to get another pair, either.

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After dinner tonight, we're going to go to Barnes and Noble. DS has really been begging to go play with the trains lately, and I could use a cup of coffee and a good book. The last time we were there, there was a little bully playing at the table as well. Why parents just let their toddlers play at the table without supervision just blows my mind. Hopefully it will be better this time because it will be later.

Anybody have any ideas for cleaning and *keeping clean* wood stairs? I washed them with Murphy's oil soap this morning, but 5 seconds afterwards there were little footprints and kitty hair on the stairs again. I just wiped them down with pledge, hoping that it will make the kitty hair easier to pick up with the dust mop.

Wood floors are a LOT of work....especially when you are as neurotic as I am about clean floors.

Hey preggie ladies...

We have a Ross in town, and this one has an excellent selection of maternity clothes. Also finally found khakis for work at a burlington coat factory outlet.

Hope that helps a bit!

(and everyone says gap clearance online is great, but I was never tall and skinny for their regular clothes, much less their maternity clothes!!)

Twynn - I've tried Ross, but the store by us has about 4 maternity things. I like Gap as well. I really like their non-maternity jeans, I wonder what their maternity jeans are like. I really like to try on jeans before I purchase though. I wish we had a Old Navy or Gap that had maternity around here.

Zeff - I have wood floors too and we use hot water and white vinegar on them. The lady that cleaned my house said Murphy's soap isn't that great. She used the water/vinegar combo and my floors are the cleaniest and shinest that they have ever been. I used to buy all these different cleaners, spend hours and they never looked good. Now they look awesome!

Jen - thanks for that. I usually use water/vinegar on my non carpeted floors, but hadn't used it on wood. I would feel much better about using that instead of cleaners on the floors. I also thought to use Shaklee's Basic H and hot water.
Cleaning my floors with toxic cleaner is not my idea of clean

And you can't get much cheaper than a gallon of white vinegar! We use it on EVERYTHING!! Even takes out stains on my carpets. A lesson in cleaning for me! No more windex, carpet cleaners or expensive wood floor cleaners.

Zeff be careful with that pledge it can make things slippery! We won't ask how I know that ok?

I was thinking the same thing, my heart skipped a beat when I thought about her condition + stairs + pledge. White vinegar and water sounds a lot safer in more then one way.

Thanks for all the good wishes everyone.

My presentation was a breeze, didn't mean to make it sound scary I love talking about my new project.

Our day was a little crazy. The story about the local child care finally broke so we went into damage control/education mode. On the plus side we've had two weeks to really get ready and fine tune the important information to share. It's also a relief to know it's out and we don't have to keep waiting for it. Now we can move on and talk about the issues.

Cottage - Of course the answer is beans And Greek yogurt! I'm also a big seitan fan but that may be an acquired taste. This recipe is really good though, made it last weekend and loved it: http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum...p?id=15959&p=1

Marianna - I envy the runners too! I tried doing the C25K program and my knee immediately made like a balloon. My Dr. said no way. Sometimes I just want to move a little faster! Be careful what you say about your chest. I used to say those things too. Now.....

Heather - Isn't there a rule that, if you mention a halloween costume you have to post a picture?!

Have a good evening Chicks! I'm off to curl up with a good book.

eta: The Passionate Vegetarian is my other favorite cookbook but it's too big to read in bed

Cyndi - Didn't know that was a rule.....but you might be able to convince me to share a pic or two. I actually have two different costumes this year, one for school (conservative) and one for an annual party (not bad, but certainly not high school faculty appropriate). So we'll see

Thanks girls about the pledge worries...it is wax free so it doesn't make things slippery....but it also isn't doing what I thought it would about the kitty hair problem.

DH suggested that we shave the cat. Uh. no.

I have cleaning the floors with vinegar on the plan for this weekend.

Dinner with the family for SIL's birthday was good. They had a zydeco band playing at the restaurant and DS danced with his cousins for awhile after dinner. Afterwards, we headed to the local barnes and noble to play with the "choo-choos" and look at some books.