I was just thinking we might want to keep this thread going until Christmas. There are always good deals after Black Friday as well; sometimes even better than the Thanksgiving weekend sales.

Oh thank you, that's good to know. I'm making a point to shop at Target more often anyway. I'll make a trip to my local Target tomorrow.

Ddil (they hosted) set up an online sign up system this year. She used signupgenius.com but there are others. She listed all the items our family might want, signed up for what they would provide, and sent an email to everyone who was coming with the link to sign up. When creating the list, she also left it so that you could add something that wasn't on the list but that you wanted to bring. I think online sign ups are a great way to get everyone to bring something. It takes some of the stress off the host family, prevents duplicates, and leaves no room for doubt that everyone is expected to contribute and not arrive empty handed.

My IP will be here tomorrow. Yesterday I bought the one on sale for $69 at Amazon - the 7 in 1 model. I hope I love it as much as everyone says I will. In anticipation, so far I've joined a facebook group and have a membership request for another one pending. I've been scouring the internet for recipes as well. I'd buy a book if I knew it had recipes my family will like but for now I'm hoping to find much of what I need/want online. Any suggestions for websites, fb groups, blogs, etc?

^^^Yes!^^

This pretty much describes me, especially the last part about empty nest. My 7 in 1 will be here tomorrow. I hope I love it as much as everyone else does. (I don't make yogurt but I do make bread, and my understanding is you can proof dough in the 7 in 1 as well.

We cut the cord several years ago and they're still sending us "Please come back, we miss you" junk mail. And now that Directv is in bed with AT&T and our cell service is through AT&T they're both bugging us. Cutting the cord was one of the best decisions we ever made. We haven't once wished we had satellite or cable again.

It sounds mean, especially because it doesn't sound like family culture. It sounds like this kind of thing is only done to the "different" child. We sometimes joked with ds saying things like, "It's a good thing you're not the first born or we'd have to sell you." But - we only did that once we knew he was old enough to get the joke, and know that it was truly a joke. And we joked with his older brother (dss) about getting rid of him too. So, ds wasn't the only one on the receiving end of such jokes.

I read his Catherine the Great bio and really enjoyed it. I've never been into Russian history, but he made it quite interesting. And he made me want to read more.

Those all look good. Adding them to my tbr list. My brief brush with fame: Jeannette Walls (the author) is related to dh by marriage. Her current husband, not the one in the memoir - the good guy. :) My MIL and her MIL were first cousins. She and her husband came to a family reunion in Tennessee a few years ago. I had only recently read the book and found out about the relation, and I wondered how she felt about being in a small mountain town not unlike the one she grew up in. I didn't ask though because I didn't want her to have to be "the famous author". She seemed to just want to be there as one of the spouses. Just like the rest of us.

Here's a link to my biographies/autobiographies/memoirs shelf on Goodreads. Those are ones I've read. I'm currently reading Alexander Hamilton, the biography by Ron Chernow that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write the musical. He read it while on vacation one year. The difference between him and me is that he read it and immediately thought "This would make a great musical!" It's why he's famous and I'm not. ;) I've heard good things about the U.S. Grant biography referenced up thread. ETA: Oops. That's his autobiography a pp mentioned. The one I heard about recently is this one. Some on my to-read list are Infidel, Nicholas and Alexandra, and Lab Girl.

I've done that a few times since dss started hosting several years ago. He's always sent us home with leftovers, but I still made a mini Thanksgiving meal for us one day over the long weekend. That wayI had a carcass for broth and soup.

I love my Galaxy tablet. It's probably a little bigger than what you're looking for, but they make smaller ones. I have the Tab A 10.1. Any of the low to mid-range Galaxy tablets will probably fit your requirements. A 7 or 8 inch would be just right. I read mostly on my Kindle Paperwhite but when I want to read something with color (or a magazine) or something with photos or drawings, I use the Kindle app on my tablet. ETA: Before I got the Galaxy tablet I had a Kindle Fire. It just seemed too limited by Amazon to me. I wanted to be able to get more apps from more places without having to side load them. I don't know if the newer Fires are more open.

That was my first thought.

I just ordered one.

Dss and ddil hosted, and we got sent home with just the right amount of leftovers. The only thing I miss is the turkey carcass for soup.

It depends on if she wants an e-ink reader or a tablet Kindle. If e-ink is what she has and/or would like, then yes it's a good deal. In February of this year I got a refurbished Paperwhite for $119, which was a good price at the time. So, $99 for a new one is definitely good. You can also get a refurbished one for only $79. Refurbished comes with the same warranty, and sometimes it just means someone bought it and returned it so they can't sell it as new. It doesn't necessarily mean something was wrong with it and they "refurbished" it. There is also a newer e-ink Kindle called the Voyage and the newer Oasis, but they come with higher prices. If the Kindle she has now is an e-ink one and she's happy with it, go with the Paperwhite.

:grouphug: Margaret :grouphug:

Mostly big ticket stuff that I won't be getting - -A new laptop. My 7yo one still works but it's getting tired and at some point it's not going to be compatible with OS upgrades. I'd rather not wait until it dies to replace it. -A new dslr camera - preferably a Canon Rebel -Possibly and Instant Pot, I'm still trying to decide if I want one. -An adjustable dress form for sewing More realistic list items - -This Harry Potter board game. I played it at a friend's house and enjoyed it. I especially like that it's a cooperative game. I prefer cooperative over competitive games. -Sets of flameless candles -A ticket to see Wicked when it comes to Orlando in January (I've seen it and want to see it again) -Always Amazon gift cards -A mani-pedi gift certificate -A massage gift certificate

I hardly ever use my crock pot anymore. In fact, I don't cook big meals much at all anymore, so I can't decide if an IP is worth it. We hardly ever eat together now. Dh and ds have such abnormal schedules these days that I often make simply meals we can grab at different times. Soup. tacos, pulled pork, and other easily reheated dishes. Or main dish salads. Any thoughts on whether or not an IP is worth it for me?

:grouphug: Hugs to all dealing with this. :grouphug: I remember how difficult that first holiday season was. It can take several years of holidays before you're able to accept it. The pain doesn't go away but it does get easier to handle.

Yes, it was even on the nightly news all the way here on the east coast. This was before the internet and when CNN (the first 24 hour news network) was still weeks away from launching. And still the danger was known and reported. Plus there have been major improvements in both predicting and understanding volcanoes since then. I would agree with those who say earthquakes are more of a concern.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Wishing my fellow American BaW friends a lovely day today. We had our celebration yesterday because dss has to work today. We had a blast playing with the grandkids. We were sent home with leftovers (dss and ddil hosted) so we'll nibble today. Later this afternoon dh and I plan to go see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Ds hasn't decided yet if he wants to go with us.

I'd take all three actually - red wine, dark chocolate, and a good book. :) :grouphug: Rose and Mom-ninja :grouphug: Robin, I'm glad your dh is okay.

Happy Belated Birthday, Robin! Good books + good wine. Nothing else needed to make it a good day. :party: