Sorry.. posted this in Conversations in error.. have reposted in the Discussions section.

Thanks for the link. I had for gotten about Roger Whittaker. James Taylor does it well. Remember the Charlie Brown Christmas movie? Most of the music for Charlie Brown movies was done by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. Here is a clip of "Linus explains what Christmas is all about" linked below. Not a Christmas song, but very moving soliloquy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA Due to copyright YouTube can't show entire clips of the songs but here is a snippet Charlie Brown's Christmas Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBPcoI4OE9Y&NR=1 Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw6h4mZO1oU Here is a link that might be useful: Charlie Brown Christmas

My ex DH was married to someone who sounds a lot like that. She had two children of her own and she so obviously favored them and they were horrible, mean kids. It came to the point where DS and DD weren't going to go there anymore. Their stepmom was so mean to them and treated them horribly and so did her kids. There were times I just wanted to smack her and ask her what the h#ll her problem was. My DD would come home crying hysterically. Finally I told ex DH (we have a good relationship) that if this was how she was going to come home, she wasn't going to come over anymore. He finally stepped up the plate and took charge somewhat. He was always at work too so the kids were home stuck with her. They went to their grandparents house a lot or stayed with me just so they wouldn't have to be there with her. She, to put it simply, was extremely jealous of my kids and me for that matter because ex and I get a long for the kids sake and she just could not stand it. I am happily married and was no threat to her. If I wanted to be with him, I wouldn't have divorced him. We have remained friends for the sake of the kids. Thank god they are divorced now or in the process of divorce. She is dragging it out as long as possible. Now on the other hand, I have three step children and I couldn't imagine treating them like that. Two are older and have never lived with us but my DSD who is now 18 lived with us all through high school. There are times that I think I treated her more favorably than my own kids. We all get along so well and my kids and DH's kids love each other to death. We have been so fortunate in that department. I feel bad for your daughter. I can't remember how old she is now but it doesn't sound like your ex is doing her any favors by being the "nice" parent.

Technically speaking, it's not legal to change an addressee on a postage affixed envelope. In reality, the post office isn't too picky about it. Technically, you're supposed to take it to the post office and have it replaced. Like I said, I don't think they're too picky, and have done it before. But we are talking about an organization who sued the Boy Scouts for putting their fundraiser brochures on mail boxes! Ob $aver thought: My favorite is paying bills online. Between postage, envelope and check fees, it's realistically 50¢ per bill saved. I'm saving $25/year easily, plus the gas of going to a mail box. Another favorite is my little "pantry". I hate going to the store and people who have to run to the store every day for something are nuts. Worst case, I can always make a can of soup. Plus I have a few groceries in case of a storm. Another phrase I enjoyed came from one of the spouse-swap programs where the minimalist/frugal wife's motto was "Do I need it? Do I love it? Does it make me money?" If not, toss it. Oh, and I was proud of myself... My washer was dumping water all over the floor and I thought I'd have to replace a washer after only 26 years of dependable service. Hey Joyful, shouldn't that have been under warranty??? ;) Being crippled up like I am these days, I can't do too much but I was curious to see if there was a chance of it just being a hose or something, plus I couldn't really wreck it, so, after tearing it open, sure enough, all that happened was two hose clamps lost their tension. A trip to the auto parts store, 2 - 25¢ hose clamps, maybe an hour, well, couple hours of "work" (more play and confidence builder) and I saved the cost of a new machine and disposal of the old. So what would that be? Anywhere from $100-$500 per hour pay, tax free, and I'm washing away again. Maybe I'll get another 26 years out of it? Well maybe not, but I'd expect a couple years of use anyway. Oh, other little things, like making a non-electric humidifier out of an ice cream pail sitting in front of the heat register. Cut holes in the top to keep the cat from playing in there. Plus I had to set it into a dishpan because she got mad and tipped it over! There's so many things, I can't think of them. But I enjoy reading others ideas too. I guess I try to make money spending an investment. For instance the Frugal Gazette books to me are an investment since they give you ideas and motivation. Use the library for movie borrowing & rental. Bought a few dozen popular movies for $1 each and share them with a lot of people. Shop for things on the internet to see what they'll cost, then know if it's a good buy when you go out. I had to buy a new dryer and saved $200 by buying a floor model at the "BB" Store. Researched things I wanted and checked reviews and the like. My $5/mo ISP has paid for itself so many times it's hilarious.