This sounds very similar to something I always like to say. "You are who your friends are."

I'm Filipino, and the culture demands at least a first birthday party. I've gotten lucky so far and have done them on the cheap at parks — even for my oldest, who was born on New Year's Day (one of the perks of living in Southern California). The third will arrive in April, probably, so I'm thinking I can keep that…

OMG, excellent idea!

I think you miss my point. If I were to, for example, discover a box of 10 condoms in a guy's medicine cabinet or bathroom drawer, no big deal, right? But if I saw hundreds of condoms, that would definitely make me think twice about the dude. Plus, in general, pregnancy tests are usually bought on an as-needed basis,…

Yes, I realize that. But discounted pregnancy tests is better than having to buy 100 in bulk, in my opinion.

I don't know how everyone else's Health Savings Account works, but mine says I can be reimbursed for pregnancy tests. Also, I hate buying pregnancy tests — even though I'm happily married and love kids (I have 2 and another on the way), purchasing a pregnancy test has mostly been a filled-with-dread chore that I…

This has happened to me also, but as a result I discovered I would rather each credit bureau mail me their report, rather than have access to it online for a short time or print it out on my own printer, which then comes out formatted all funky.

Re: Frothing — I don't think that's true. I used to work at a Coffee Bean as a barista, and I had a coworker who used to rail vehemently about having to use skim milk for the health-conscious Santa Monicaites who would come in looking for a freaking caramel latte, or some other high-calorie drink that required…

I'm not sure why there are so many people dislike cooking — Thorin — since you get a finished product that you can see, smell, and eat! at the end at the process. Cooking, to me, is as easy as following directions. I know when watching, say, Food Network, that they make it look so easy and they seem to be throwing…

I think the trick would be to plan open-ended "fun activities" — for me, this would be, say, planning to take the kids to the park, or to the museum. From there, you don't know what will happen!

That's what I thought too. "How big are these people's freezers, dang!"

When my kids (4 and 2.5) refuse to eat dinner, they eat breakfast like they're starving. My 2.5-year-old more typically refuses to eat his breakfast, which drives me up the wall because we buy Eggo French Toast Sticks and Wafflers (fancier than my regular cooking, but much faster and convenient on rushed mornings).…

This face. This says it all.

I'm not sure you got my meaning. My father was a dentist, so in typical rebellious fashion, I got myself lots of cavities, and therefore fillings.

There's a fundamental flaw with lots of financial advice: it assumes you have money. For some people, post-bills income just doesn't exist (and that number is only growing). So, when hard times make a 401(k) a non-option, you just can't follow all the advice you get.

In totally unrelated news, I realize that both "preventive" and "preventative" are correct, but I really hate the use of preventative. Why add another syllable when you can just use preventive? It feels like one of those words you use when you're trying to make yourself more knowledgeable than you really are.

Heheh, this is the price of having the whole Internet be your editor.

Would your wife's grandfather like to adopt any other children? Ahem?

I swear that could've been my earthquake kit in elementary school (minus the Seagram's).

I still have a bottle of gifted wine in my kitchen. Trying to think of someone I can regift it to....