Thrall,
What she asked was... And both of those questions have been answered by the people who posted in this thread. Just as you answered it... but each answer is still each persons own opinions. Bottom line, we are sharing out experiences, which is what she asked for from my understanding of the above question. The nature of the topic will at times create a heated atmosphere but ultimately she has to decide what works best for her. No one can decide that for her. And there is no cookie cutter answer to her questions.
She seems to be holding her own so far... I would guess that if she wanted platitudes she wouldn't be here.