Maxwell 26: The Toothbrush Thing Is Real

[PennySycamore]

2 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I've heard this before and want to contribute, but as a total White Basic Bitch, have to admit I am completely lost in the black hair care section. Does anyone have some suggestions for the most cost effective items to buy?

I'm white, too, but I am also a curly girl.  You want to look for brands that are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates and most silicones.  Some 'cones are water soluble and wash out and not all curly girls/boys are bothered by silicones.  Many curly girls/boys use cleansing conditioners instead of shampoos, but there are shampoos that are free of sulfates.  There are products meeting these criteria are sometimes found in the regular haircare section and Pantene and L'Oreal both make products for curlies/black women.  I like Renpure even though it does have 'cones in small amounts.  In the ethnic section, you might try Cantu (nice and cheap), Curls,  and Shea Moisture.  ECO makes some great cheap gels and Dippity Do for curly hair has a great reputation also.  

In addition to charities for kids, it occurred to me that battered women's shelters could also use donation of these products.

[Black Aliss]

15 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I didn’t find out the sex of my kids before birth and I was always looking for gender neutral baby clothing. I found a few but not a lot. Part of why that is hard is because it’s much more common to find out the sex before birth. I was in the minority by waiting until birth. So a baby shower is usually filled with gendered baby clothing. When you couldn’t find out the sex before birth, gender neutral baby clothing was common. 

I didn't have ultrasounds or amnio with my kids, but with the firstborn I did have a lot of hand-me-downs from a friend who had given birth to a boy about 6 months before I was due. So my daughter, who came out of me built like a linebacker, had a lot of one-piece stretchies with football motifs. It doesn't seem to have caused any permanent damage.

[Fun-Dee]

I didn't find out the sex of either of my kids, although they are 28 and 30, and it just wasn't done routinely back then.  I used to be against finding out, because I thought it was a nice surprise, but now I figure it's a nice surprise at whatever stage you find out.  I was with my daughter when I found out I was getting a grandson, and it was great to be able to refer to him by name, and buy gifts for him before he was born. 

[Hane]

@Fun-Dee, that was my experience, too! Ultrasounds were rarely done during routine pregnancies forty years ago when I had my daughter, so her sex was a surprise. She has twin friends who are 42; Adrienne was expected, but Amy had been hiding behind her and was a huge surprise!

I had never seen a baby ultrasound, so I asked my daughter if I could accompany her and her husband to one of her prenatal appointments. I got to see my grandson do a convenient flip and show us his equipment. We all cried out, “It’s a boy!” Then I said, “If the plumbing had been different, we’d have just as excitedly yelled out, ‘It’s a girl!’” The baby’s room would have been sage green with an adorable jungle animal theme either way.

[mango_fandango]

My mum didn’t find out with either me or my brother. If I have kids, I don’t know if I’d find out or not.

There are more girl names I like than boy ones, which is one of the reasons that the stories I write have more female than male characters in... (story-writing just being a hobby of mine.)

[IReallyAmHopewell]

In the new Mom and Daughter Time Post a crucial piece of information was left out: how MUCH time?

Plus, does anyone believe this line: "because of how crazy and complicated our schedules were, we scheduled it over a month in advance to get it to work"

Seriously? Let's see:

Mom: Look after Dad. Bible Time. Repeat.

Sarah: Whirlwind book tour [from garage to basement]. Bible time. Repeat

Anna: Defrost burrito filing. Bible Time. Repeat.

Mary: Let Arnold and Ellie out. Let them back in. Bible Time

I'm whipped just reading it all.

No coffee in that picture? How'd they keep going? Oh, right, I forgot...

[Jana814]

Do to my work (dog walker/ sitter) it’s hard for me to plan anything way in advance. I’m going to see a broadway show with a friend of mine on December 29. I hope for 2 things 1) no snow & 2) not having a client that day. 

I don’t get how the Maxwell’s have to plan something like having lunch together in advance. 

[Alisamer]

12 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

In addition to charities for kids, it occurred to me that battered women's shelters could also use donation of these products.

A club I used to belong to would once a year gather all those little makeup bags that seem to accumulate, and fill them with hotel-size toiletries, a toothbrush, floss, etc., all the basic stuff and donate them to the battered women's shelter so they could just grab a bag and give it to any women who come in to help get them through the first few days. They said a lot of time women would come in with only what they were wearing, but they'd then move on to a friend or family member's house, or leave the area, or whatever, so it was nice to have something small and portable they could hand them to help them out those first difficult few days.

10 hours ago, Hane said:

She has twin friends who are 42; Adrienne was expected, but Amy had been hiding behind her and was a huge surprise!

I know a pair of twins (around 44) who did the same thing - the parents were well off and did get an ultrasound, but they were so grainy and difficult to read back then that they thought they were having one large baby boy. Nope. Two fraternal twin girls! Also both with names starting with A.

@mango_fandango If I'd had kids, I had lots of girl names to choose from, but hardly any boy names I liked. For characters, though, I find it easier to name the boys! I have a doll head sitting around right now who doesn't have a name yet. I know she's a girl, her sister's name is Marnie Rose Thorne, and that's it! 

[Maggie Mae]

16 hours ago, nausicaa said:

I've heard this before and want to contribute, but as a total White Basic Bitch, have to admit I am completely lost in the black hair care section. Does anyone have some suggestions for the most cost effective items to buy?

I buy and donate Pink products because that's what my roommate in college used. If there's something better/has better value, someone please let me know. 

[usmcmom]

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

A club I used to belong to would once a year gather all those little makeup bags that seem to accumulate, and fill them with hotel-size toiletries, a toothbrush, floss, etc., all the basic stuff and donate them to the battered women's shelter so they could just grab a bag and give it to any women who come in to help get them through the first few days.

 

 

I LOVE this idea. I have way too many makeup bags, especially since I used to subscribe to the monthly Ipsy delivery. I'm going to ask my daughter if she'd like to spend a day filling those with me. She has a gazillion bags too. Thanks for motivating me  

Another "survival kit" we've thought of making is one to take to the ICU in local hospitals. We spent a lot of days in ICU waiting rooms last year and sometimes you get stuck there longer than you expect. Some wet wipes, a toothbrush, a granola bar, a couple dollars for the vending machine - things like that - would really be handy for people who are there day after day. 

[Dru]

16 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

@fundiefan Nathan is still in tech? They shut down the one ton ramp ages ago - what capacity is he working in?

He had been doing IT consulting for over 20 years. One Ton was a side hustle,

[HerNameIsBuffy]

2 minutes ago, Dru said:

He had been doing IT consulting for over 20 years. One Ton was a side hustle,

Is Christopher in that with him?  Curious as how Chris supports his family as his photography is so sporadic.

still hate their sexism in one ton ramp

[Dru]

4 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Is Christopher in that with him?  Curious as how Chris supports his family as his photography is so sporadic.

still hate their sexism in one ton ramp

It looks like Chris is working for Joe's company SwiftOtter. He's the one I can never quite figure out how he's making enough money to support his ever increasing family.

 

ETA- Joe's company seems to be doing pretty well. He's got 3 non-family employees now.

[nvmbr02]

5 hours ago, Jana814 said:

Do to my work (dog walker/ sitter) it’s hard for me to plan anything way in advance. I’m going to see a broadway show with a friend of mine on December 29. I hope for 2 things 1) no snow & 2) not having a client that day. 

I don’t get how the Maxwell’s have to plan something like having lunch together in advance. 

They only have to plan that far in advance because they over schedule and are completely inflexible about changing things such as when to dust the ceiling fans or cook up 5 pounds of hamburger with half and onion. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

2 hours ago, Dru said:

It looks like Chris is working for Joe's company SwiftOtter. He's the one I can never quite figure out how he's making enough money to support his ever increasing family.

 

ETA- Joe's company seems to be doing pretty well. He's got 3 non-family employees now.

My money is on both of those being unpaid interns from like-minded Gothardite families--hopefully being vetted as husbands for Anna and Mary?? And Steve is employed by him, too?? He is: "Customer Advocate. Internal communicator. Chief Officer of Synergy."

They don't mention the customer service agents/secretaries--his sisters.

[Maggie Mae]

3 hours ago, Dru said:

ETA- Joe's company seems to be doing pretty well. He's got 3 non-family employees now.

He'd better hope that he doesn't grow too big, he'll be forced to hire women. Or lie about why he's not hiring women. 

[Lisafer]

Considering how the Maxwells obfuscate and lie, half the guys could be working at McDonald's to flesh out their income. They'd never mention it on the blog.

[theologygeek]

New post up.  Teri spends time with her daughters, and it took a long time to schedule because everyone is so busy they barely have time to pee.  

For the love of all that is holy, would someone tell me what the purpose of a vest jacket is?  How does that thing keep people warm?  

[anjulibai]

2 hours ago, theologygeek said:

New post up.  Teri spends time with her daughters, and it took a long time to schedule because everyone is so busy they barely have time to pee.  

For the love of all that is holy, would someone tell me what the purpose of a vest jacket is?  How does that thing keep people warm?  

It keeps your core warm, which your body naturally tries to protect more than your extremities. If your core is cold, your body will contract heat to the core to save your internal organs, which you need to survive more than your fingers or toes or even hands and feet. If your core is warm, though, your body will heat the rest of you up naturally.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

3 hours ago, Maggie Mae said:

He'd better hope that he doesn't grow too big, he'll be forced to hire women. Or lie about why he's not hiring women. 

in Kansas that's 6 employees.

 

[Markie]

John sells tile drains or something, doesn’t he? Joseph has his Magento company. Chris does occasional photo shoots and works for Joseph. Jesse works for Joseph. What does Nathan do? 

[Lisafer]

49 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

It keeps your core warm, which your body naturally tries to protect more than your extremities. If your core is cold, your body will contract heat to the core to save your internal organs, which you need to survive more than your fingers or toes or even hands and feet. If your core is warm, though, your body will heat the rest of you up naturally.  

And this is why I never wear a puffy vest: I have a far-too-warm core and freezing hands and feet. It would just make the whole situation so much worse. I doubt the Maxwells have that problem, since they run around barefoot in the house all the time. Maybe they have low core body temperatures and the puffy vest solves the problem. 

[anjulibai]

33 minutes ago, Lisafer said:

And this is why I never wear a puffy vest: I have a far-too-warm core and freezing hands and feet. It would just make the whole situation so much worse. 

That's a circulation problem. My mom had the same issue. I tend to get over heated if I have too many layers on, but too cold if I don't have enough on, so I've found thin vests to be helpful, not like the puffy ones. 

[PennySycamore]

@Lisafer, as @anjulibaisaid, cold hands and feet are a circulation problem.  If your fingers and toes blanch when you get cold, and then turn  you might have Raynauld Syndrome.  I have it although I don't seem to be bothered by it as much as I used to since my blood pressure medicine is a calcium channel blocker which is one of the treatments for the condition.  I first noticed that my fingertips turned white after I'd gone for a walk one winter day. I thought I'd gotten frostbitten.  Nope, just Raynauld's.  Some mothers notice that they have Raynauld's when they're nursing.  Their nipples are white when the baby unlatches.  They can take Ca channel blockers and use a warm flannel or heating pad on their breasts when the baby is finished nursing.

This wikipedia article has a good illustrations of Raynauld fingers.  It's scary when you first notice that you have it.  You do need to keep your hands, feet and other extremities warm.  

Raynauld syndrome

 

[Maggie Mae]

Puffy vests are popular for style too, in the "Western States" - like Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana. Anywhere with hiking, really. They give a nice layer of warmth without being annoying like a coat can be.