Happy Birthday to the lovely Matilda!

I'd probably suggest starting with the book ADD-Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life -- with the disclaimer that you don't have to be ADD to benefit, and that I'm not trying to diagnose anyone, but it's got a lot of quick and digestible tips without getting into a big you-must-be-a-productivity-ninja thing.

This is an EXCELLENT book. As someone without ADD, I've gotten a lot of helpful stuff from it. (You would never know that from looking at the house, but it's true.)

ION, it's my Friday off, and I have stuff to do (notably, re-attach the clothesline that the windstorm detached, go to the gym, get oil changed), but my guts are giving me massive grief.

However, Lyle Lovett just came on the radio, so I'm okay with staying put for at least 5 more minutes.

Are the plastic baby bath tubs useful.

We used ours for about 6 months, so yes, I'd say so. They're perfect for bathing newborns in the sink.

I think baby registries are the one situation where you can 100% ignore them when shopping for a first-time parent.

No way! They are totally useful. Especially for people who are not parents and may REALLY have no idea what a new parent needs while the new parent has probably at least done some research. (And, if nothing else, you can see where they would shop and get them a gift card.)

Well, its called "Bitches" because of a Spike quote it really has nothing to do with complaining. But, yeah, this is where the peeps are.

Oh, yeah. I was gonna say, and then I forgotted.

I've started taking friends who are expecting their first baby registering. By passing all the useless crap and saying, "No - get that. Get that. That's totally useless. Get that." and then at the shower, I give them a "grab bag" made up of the items I bought three days after we brought Em home and I realized I needed.

I appreciate registries. Once we get past "No power tools" I'm pretty blank on what babies and their new parents need.

We used ours for about 6 months, so yes, I'd say so. They're perfect for bathing newborns in the sink.

Good to know. Oh, and books! I always try to get the baby a book.

at the shower, I give them a "grab bag" made up of the items I bought three days after we brought Em home and I realized I needed.

That's awesome.

I wasn't clear before - I meant that parents can ignore baby registries because it's sort of the one time when the gift-giver really does know better than the recipient what they need.

[eta: Books are also awesome. Even if the baby won't care for the first year or so, it's nice for the parents to be able to read something besides Goodnight Moon once in a while.]

For one of my friend's baby showers I did a gift bag full of different sized batteries. Her husband declared it the Most Useful Gift Ever when they realized all the toys and crap that needed batteries.

I just got the book I Was a Really Good Mom Before I had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood. It's AMAZING and self-affirming in so many ways.

Well, that's ridiculous--what if you lived far away? What the hell are you supposed to do then, and why do you pay for the space if they can just coopt it??

they offer alternate parking. It's just almost as far as my house is. Seriously, one of the lots is a 10 minute walk. It's 15 from my house.

In good news, I was going to sneak out to get new shoes today, but it turns out that I have to run a work errand right near the store, so I can go mid afternoon when it wont be crowded, AND I can make the U pay for parking. Woot!