Maxwell 24: Juicing, Chiropracters, and Faux Insurance

[socalrules]

I bet they normally get together on Sundays and basically look for ways to make the breakfast or lunch more interesting. I know they post throughout the year about Mary and Anna buying out shoebox supplies when on sale. Where does that money come from? Who wants to bet it comes from what Anna and Mary earn working for the family? My guess is shopping to fill the shoeboxes is one of the few things they are allowed to spend money on. I can’t see either of them just strolling through the mall buying shoes or clothes on a whim like normal people. I would also bet no one at the fundraiser game more than $20 and that was probably more for the benefit of the little kids than Anna and Mary. 

[Dru]

1 hour ago, MamaJunebug said:

They’re dressed alike and I think it’s cute. Unlike the matching crumpets — FRUMPERS, autocorrect!! — I have a feeling this is something they chose. And Abby didn’t have to go along with it. 

#Melanie&NateStrong

Yeah, I think it's cute. And speaking of Abby, I can't believe how big she's getting! She looks taller than my daughter who is about the same age.

1 hour ago, usedbicycle said:

I also did a double take on those stupid glasses. I'm sure many of these kids actually need vision correction and have never seen an optometrist. Makes the pretend glasses seem dumb and rather insensitive. 

By the way, Google tells me there are the top recommended things to put in an OCC shoebox. Funny how we have this conversation every year...

Hairbrush.

Toothbrush.

Washcloth.

Bar soap (packaged and/or in a container)

Adhesive bandages. (Colorful ones can help a child be more willing to wear a bandage. ...

Reusable plastic containers: cup, water bottle, plate, bowl, blunt-edged utensils. ...

Blanket.

 

They definitely do water bottles every year and we've seen washcloths, toothbrushes, and plastic cups as well. I think those things don't make the blog so much because they're more necessary than fun.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

12 hours ago, Granwych said:

I'm curious to see how many of Ellie's pups get sold.  Poor dog, hope she doesn't get bred too often.

Maybe they are just re-couping the cost of buying her? I hope.

13 hours ago, Black Aliss said:

Apparently this year the "plastic crap" is glasses frames. Not sunglasses, which might actually keep children in the tropics from getting cataracts later in life. Just pretend glasses.

No, you're not. That's my everyday breakfast. I think "breakfast casserole" is what I know of as a strata. Cubes of day-old bread soaked overnight in a mixture of eggs and milk and grated cheese, then baked until it sets up.

 

Oh "fun" those glasses..... ugh.  They do send water bottles usually. That's a really good thing--keep water clean. And I think they've sent flip-flops which do help with parasites.  Having spent time in very, very poor villages in Malawi I can say the stuff will be well received. Even crap. The parents may wonder WTF but the kids will like it--they have nothing.

Yes on the strata/casserole.

[mango_fandango]

Seeing as Jesse has glasses and Tina has a pair (I assume for reading or similar), I guess they take notice of eye issues. After all, ya gotta be able to read the Bible!

[NeckPunch]

This breakfast fundraiser is something I would have planned when I was 10 years old. It is cute for the nieces to do it, but sad and pathetic for Anna and Mary to be doing it. Abby is borderline too old for this! They're grown women - be a bit more enterprising and sell homemade crap (Anna's baking, Mary's homemade cards, those little purses they make) to make money for this project. Why are you sending a 6 year old around with a box to aunts and uncles and her OWN PARENTS? wth? 

ETA: 

The more I think about it, the more I see this as a great home school project. When else will these home schooled Maxwell kids learn how to prep, plan, and execute a presentation in front of a group of people?

Except the school aged children did none of this. This is Anna and Mary's project. Anna and Mary came up with the idea. They planned the menu and prepped the 'example box'. Short of doing all the speeches, they did it ALL! And THAT is what makes it so sad and pathetic.

[Black Aliss]

22 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

I have a friend who does something she calls french toast casserole for holiday breakfasts, brunches, etc.

I would never touch it as it involved custard which I avoid like a Maxwell avoids fun, but it's a thing.  That said I'd be shocked if that's what they meant as it's very rich and wildly indulgent.

A frittata is kind of like a breakfast casserole, maybe they mean something like that?

Nope. Too many vegetables in a frittata!

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 hours ago, Dru said:

Yeah, I think it's cute. And speaking of Abby, I can't believe how big she's getting! She looks taller than my daughter who is about the same age.

They definitely do water bottles every year and we've seen washcloths, toothbrushes, and plastic cups as well. I think those things don't make the blog so much because they're more necessary than fun.

I noticed a few months ago that Abby is likely going to be tall. She looks tall to me in pictures and I guessing she will end up taller than her aunts and grandma.

[SPHASH]

Goofy Anna and Scary Mary are only doing this to make themselves feel good.  And why can't Drew and Ruthie help with it, they are old enough now.

[MamaJunebug]

I imagine Steve & Teri know about Franklin Gragam’s Purse from OCC and also about his misogyny and are fine with both. I, however, am enraged and repulsed.

Operation Franklin’s Cash

[mango_fandango]

Photos up of Jesse’s house remodel. Pretty boring as per.

[anjulibai]

They did a good job at least. The colors and design of the bathrooms are atypical for the Maxwells, which is nice. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

How hard is it to "hit" a deadline on a self-published mess of a book?

What we were shown of the remodel looks good.

[Dru]

37 minutes ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

How hard is it to "hit" a deadline on a self-published mess of a book?

Right? I'm sure Steve probably sets deadlines for her so she stays busy and gets to pretend she's a real author.

[petrushka]

45 minutes ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

How hard is it to "hit" a deadline on a self-published mess of a book?

What we were shown of the remodel looks good.

Christmas is just around the corner; that's why the deadline.

[Dru]

1 hour ago, anjulibai said:

They did a good job at least. The colors and design of the bathrooms are atypical for the Maxwells, which is nice. 

I agree. I love the blue paint and the floating vanities are a nice touch.

The one thing that really bothered me about this post was seeing Abby on top of that ladder in that big ass skirt. That has potential tragedy written all over it. All the same, I like that Nate seems to include his girls in construction projects rather than relegating them to home-keeping skills.

[Hane]

@Dru, I agree. Am I alone in preferring the pics in which they’re actually doing something to the ones in which they’re smiling big at the camera for no good reason?

[Coconutwater]

I really like what he did with the bathroom. 

[Foudeb]

So according to Sarah, Jesse has a great work ethic, taught to him by Steve, which revolves around using the unpaid labour of his female relatives to get things done. 

(Not counting his brothers as he'll have paid them in kind by doing work on their houses). 

Great, I guess? I mean there's no arguing slave labour isn't cheap. 

[catlady]

Quote

This was before Jesse invested in AirPods.

Dammit, Sarah, Jesse did not "invest" in airpods; he purchased a luxury item.  headphones are not a required tool for renovation projects; he might invest in a good drill or a tablesaw, but that's not remotely the same thing as listening devices.  

(yes, i know headphones can help make a tedious job more pleasant, but they're still not necessary to the task.)

[kpmom]

1 hour ago, catlady said:

Dammit, Sarah, Jesse did not "invest" in airpods; he purchased a luxury item.  headphones are not a required tool for renovation projects; he might invest in a good drill or a tablesaw, but that's not remotely the same thing as listening devices.  

(yes, i know headphones can help make a tedious job more pleasant, but they're still not necessary to the task.)

I had noticed Steve used the same terminology in his post about walking with Teri.  It's as if they feel they have to justify a purchase like that.  Who cares?

I'm thinking of asking for airpods for Christmas.  I love listening to audiobooks on my ipod while I clean the house and have a set of over the ear wireless headphones.  They get uncomfortable after awhile though, and also fall off  if I bend my head, so I thought airpods might be a good alternative.  They ain't cheap though, so I might have to tell Santa it's an "investment".

[church_of_dog]

8 minutes ago, kpmom said:

I had noticed Steve used the same terminology in his post about walking with Teri.  It's as if they feel they have to justify a purchase like that.  Who cares?

I'm thinking of asking for airpods for Christmas.  I love listening to audiobooks on my ipod while I clean the house and have a set of over the ear wireless headphones.  They get uncomfortable after awhile though, and also fall off  if I bend my head, so I thought airpods might be a good alternative.  They ain't cheap though, so I might have to tell Santa it's an "investment".

Ooh, I've been on the lookout for someone who uses ipods to listen to audiobooks -- that's what I'm trying to do but I'm failing at learning how to get the audiobooks from Overdrive onto my ipod which is quite old, a 3rd generation ipod Nano.  itunes doesn't recognize the ipod, and I have no idea whether they are just incompatible, or whether I'm doing something wrong (the more likely answer).  Or maybe there is a way to avoid itunes altogether?

Do you have any advice to offer?  Do I need an Apple help desk?  Thank you so much!

ETA:  I'm also looking to switch to wireless earbuds, so I look forward to your post-Christmas report on how well you like the air pods...

[kpmom]

2 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

Ooh, I've been on the lookout for someone who uses ipods to listen to audiobooks -- that's what I'm trying to do but I'm failing at learning how to get the audiobooks from Overdrive onto my ipod which is quite old, a 3rd generation ipod Nano.  itunes doesn't recognize the ipod, and I have no idea whether they are just incompatible, or whether I'm doing something wrong (the more likely answer).  Or maybe there is a way to avoid itunes altogether?

Do you have any advice to offer?  Do I need an Apple help desk?  Thank you so much!

ETA:  I'm also looking to switch to wireless earbuds, so I look forward to your post-Christmas report on how well you like the air pods...

I don't use Overdrive, but my husband does.  I will check with him.  He uses an ipod touch but I would imagine it would be similar.

I know Apple is not making the nano anymore, but I would imagine itunes would still recognize them.  I wonder why it doesn't?

I get my audiobooks from Audible.com, so I'm not familiar with Overdrive.

[Coconut Flan]

The Maxwell egg casserole has been mentioned on the blog before.

https://blog.titus2.com/2013/11/14/our-neighborhood-ladies-brunch/

They conveniently mentioned it had potato/cheese, but ignored the recipe request in comments.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

10 hours ago, Dru said:

Right? I'm sure Steve probably sets deadlines for her so she stays busy and gets to pretend she's a real author.

Tbf she is.  She writes books and there is a market for them as they sell, however large or small her numbers may be.

I think Danielle Steele writes crappy books but that doesn't mean she's not a real author...just not one I enjoy.

[Jana814]

10 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

 

I think Danielle Steele writes crappy books but that doesn't mean she's not a real author...just not one I enjoy.

My mother loves to read. Danielle Steele is least favorite she feels the same way you do.