hee hee. I think you should send it too. Kind of depends on what , but if you would like two, I wouldn't woorry. Shaun sent me measuring cups in a swap. Of course I already had some, but hers get used daily - as that's something you need more (at least I did!) than one set of...:-) (She also sent me lots of other fun stuff, but you get the idea!) Stacy

So first please tell us a little about yourself and your eating and cooking style. Who lives with you, favorite colors, hobbies etc. (This will be my first swap and I am really looking forward to it so here goes: Love food of all kinds and love to cook. I like trying new and differant things, like to challenge myself in the kitchen, and enjoy cooking more gourmet style than just the norm. Love salads and veggies, and usually try to have those with every meal. Not so much of a fruit person during winter although I love mandarin oranges and fruit salads. In summer I love fresh berries! I have a husband who travels a fair bit and loves food and trying new things , as well as a fourteen year old son who is also quite the foodie. (he has a real knack for seasoning foods). We have a little rat terrier dog named Jet. My favorite colours are black, aubergine, burgundy, gold. I love to paint and do artwork, crafts, decorate, and although I definately don't love it I do do alot of gardening in the summer. Then, I would like to know your favorite cookbook. Types of cookbooks you always look at. Do you like to write in your cookbooks when you find you need to alter a recipe to make it work or do you believe books should not be written in? (This would be another hobby of mine. I love cookbooks! Love reading them, the way people read novels. I don't really have a favorite as I am constantly using all of them as well as new ones. I have hundreds! Had to stop collecting food magazines as I was running out of places to put them, and I hate to throw them away!. The librarian's hear know me on a first name basis, as when I am getting ready to do a dinner party I have been known to take out fifty books at a time, often ordering them in from other cities. I do write in my cookbooks, especially if I have altered a recipe. Although I always like to note whether the recipe was excellant, good or not worth making again. This is for for whoever inherits the books as I never forget a recipe once I have made it. I love scouring the internet for recipes as well and have collected thousands. Now a little canned goods questionnaire LOL, remember many folks in this swap can so even if I am not your partner this could be very important... Do you like jam? I love jam for ccoking or glazing, or using in a recipe, but no one in are family eats it on bread or toast. Do you like jelly? Use Jelly the same as jam. Do you like marmalade? Use marmalade the same as jam or jelly. We have a place near us that makes a large assortment of specialty jams and jellies that change with the seasons. She ships them scross Canada, and I go there quite a bit to pick up some gourmet varietes for cooking with. Do you like pickles? Love pickles Do you like spicy food? I love med spicy food, I don't like it when it is so hot it burns your mouth. What are your favorite fruits? Any you do not like? I like pretty much all fruits. Do you have a strong sweet tooth or you more of a savory person? I have a strong sweet tooth, and usually it is for something chocolatey. I love brownies and chocolate cake. Like cheesecakes, but I don't love them as I find they are usually a little heavy for my taste. Shelley

I visit Oregon whenever possible - it is defintely one of the most beautiful states. The cheeseboard is stunning, as is the quilting. Everything looks great. From what I can tell, the Ina Garten books will be fantastic also, although I've never seen her. I tried to get one of her videos for this swap on eBay but got outbid. The tooth pillow is too adorable! Lars

It really isn't about the gift at all. Your Ex is jealous because the boys really seem to like your partner. Whenever the boys say something nice about him, or about something he did, your Ex feels an ugly stab of jealousy. The trick is going to be getting your Ex to NOT ACT on that jealousy by saying destructive or competitive things about your partner, or to encourage displays of "loyalty" in your boys. Ex needs to be helped to realize that his position as their father is totally secure -- that nobody will ever take his place in their lives. He also needs to know how much better his sons' lives will be if he can encourage a loving and positive relationship with your partner, and how miserable they will be if the relationship deteriorates. He needs to really understand how selfish his jealousy is, and how destructive it would be to act on it. Now getting this message across to him may not be easy. My Ex wouldn't listen to anything I said, and our DS was too young at the time (not quite four) to understand the relationship dynamics and give his dad the emotional reassurance he needed. So my Ex deliberately poisoned our son's relationship with his stepfather (and with me) and "won" back our son's loyalty for a while. At the cost of our son's emotional health, but eh?... But your sons are older. Old enough to understand that sometimes people we love get jealous when we spend time with someone else. Could you talk to them about their father's feelings and suggest they let their dad know how much they love him and that he'll always be "Number One" with them? They could say something along the lines of "Joe is nice to us and it's good that we get along with him, but he'll never be YOU Dad."