Your mileage will vary depending on your skin profile and activity. However, some important mechanical things to remember that I learned many years ago from an L.A. Times article: - Mineral-based lotions such as minerals oils, petrolatum, glycerin or lanolin don't moisturize the skin, instead, they work by sealing moisture IN, by the same token, they don't allow new moisture in. If you use these products, use them on moistened skin for best effect. - Vegetable-based lotions actually help moisturize skin cells (note that dead cells are dead and no helping them, but you're still moisturizing hard, cracked skin so it can slough off and new skin cells can replace it). You know what these are, vegetable/nut oils, butters, etc. You'll find these lotions/butters work easily into the skin and aren't greasy. Personally, like Melissa, I'm at the point where I just like to use things I can mostly eat and I know what they are when I read the label. YMMV. I got on a tangent a couple of months ago after some comments on our mountain community forum regarding lip balm. You can make your own very easily and inexpensively by Googling "lip balm" but I found another link for Badger Lip Balm. I got the cocoa butter line that come in the large tube and really like them (Mocha, Creamy Cocoa, Mint...) Ingredients are all edible: olive oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, etc. I think they are yummy, so far my mom is the only one that doesn't (not a surprise ;-) That "drugstore online place" mentioned above was cheapest when I bought some. Any lip balm that has phenol, formaldehyde, salicylic acid, camphor will dry the top layer of skin and make your lips peal. That's why if you are a Carmex lover like I was, you keep having to put it on all the time. For skin, almond oil is great (Neutrogena makes a nice one) as is olive oil, tho' I haven't used the latter straight. You can make your own inexpensive lotions/butters with shea butter, olive oil, jojoba etc. The Body Works advertises butters like this but haven't been by yet to try - I think I'd like to try a couple different ingredients before I make my own. If you should want to make your own with shea butter, you should read this website first (yes, I DID get on a tangent ;-) because many sources don't sell either the correct product or it is inferior: http://www.sheainstitute.com/ If you look at reviews of different vendors on Amazon, you will see quality can depend on lot number even among the same vendors. Seeing as how I don't think I'll use it a lot, when I get around to it, I was going to order this one from Amazon as it's the only certified product I could find in the U.S. (you can find literally tons not certified, but then you never know about extraneous ingredients). Unfiltered is supposed to be superior as filtering takes out some of the good stuff. http://www.amazon.com/AAA-Shea-Butter-Premium-Unrefined/dp/B000GREPOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357863683&sr=8-1&keywords=aaa+shea+butter If you have sore joints, you can add Arnica, my friend swears this helps his arthritic hands and started to make his own. Two other ingredients I've actually been using are argon oil and seabuckthorn (seed) oil. If any of you has rosacea, seabuckthorn (seed) oil sounds like it's very, very helpful, read it on this Amazon review: http://www.amazon.com/review/RT9NTG9VWSTDC/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B003IU9HI0&nodeID=3760911&store=beauty I wonder if it would work for other dermatitis as well. Tangentially yours, Kerin ;-)

Thanks! Yes, we may add a shelves or an upper in the NW corner at some point---it's not in the plan for now because we're doing extensive HVAC work in that back corner and the contractors we've talked to have all been somewhat fuzzy on whether they'll need to steal wall space there or not, so it seemed wiser to see how it pans out first. Ideally we'd like to store dishes there if we end up with enough space, though. (Right now they're programmed for the cabinets directly across the kitchen from the d/w, which is okay but not ideal.) @arlosmom, we did look at putting a prep sink there when someone suggested that for an earlier version, but ultimately decided we couldn't sacrifice the counter space since the kitchen is pretty borderline on that already. Our household is also a little odd in that we try to save and re-purpose cooking water (we live in an area with no summer rain) so I am generally fishing pasta out of boiling water rather than pouring the water itself out---hopefully that will help! There will be a pot-filler over the stove, though, which will help a little, and this is also one reason we went with a larger sink than we'd originally planned.

Buehl is right about the overhang. For the longest time I thought you saved space by making it only 12" but you really don't because your barstools won't fit under it all of the way and really they are the space determiner. So, an 18" stool is going to project 6" from a 12" overhang and 3" from a 15" overhang. It's still going to take up 18" so you may as well have more leg and counter space. Also, like Buehl, we had our DW right next to a super susan and though, it was a breeze to put dishes away (no steps) and I fit between the open DW door and the corner, it was a little tight and annoying. However, if I had to choose between the extra prep space or standing space for emptying the DW, I think I'd choose the prep especially since it puts cutting boards in that area (if you're storing them in that cabinet). The only problem I see is that the sink won't be centered under the window. Am I remembering correctly that symmetry is important to you? One last word about the tray cabinet...there have been some recent posts showing them as pull outs and they look so much more functional. You can really use every inch of the cabinet depth. The bookcase looks great at the end of the peninsula but keep in mind that extending it along the overhang makes your seating space appreciably smaller. I learned this the hard way. It's one of the irreversible things we did in the remodel that I really regret. I still have 48" of seating space, but having that closed end makes it hard to get in and off your stool when two people are seated there. It looks great but doesn't function so well.

I used to have one of those plants, and I always stripped all but the top tiny leaves and rooted them in water. You just have to be careful to change the water daily, because they hate stagnant water. Tip cuttings 6-8 inches long can be rooted in soil, but again, take off all but the top two tiny leaves or they'll wilt. They usually come back after they wilt, but I've had to completely soak the whole stick in water a couple of times and let them soak overnight to perk back up. Good luck! My monarchs never liked mine too much, but it was pretty.