I use bags that I've had sewn for years. The initial time invested making them is paid off ten hold each Christmas when it takes me about an hour to throw everything in a bag and tie it up. Depending on who is getting it, my knots are complicated enough to make it more challenging the wrapping paper.

It is located a couple of posts down in this thread http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498820-quivers-rolls/?hl=%2Bquiver+%2Bcinnamon&do=findComment&comment=5381995

If it was minor enough that they were able to extinguish without calling the fire department, they may not plan on filing a claim at all. If this is a branch of a chain, it might not even be reported to the main company (especially if the manager feels responsible for it). I strongly believe that the store is responsible in this case, but I don't think it is worth making her life harder at work by making an issue out of it.

My DD (15 yo) also had a good first semester of DE. She jumped through the hoops to be allowed in as a sophomore and took writing comp 101. She managed to pull an A (granted it was a 89.5 that rounded up). She can now say she out scored her dad in writing 101. She is taking 102 next semester.

I'll play. My word will be strength. I want to continue on improving my physical strength and start working on my mental and emotional strength. I know how to do the physical one, but have been really struggling with the other two this year.

If you can do a lot of the prep work tomorrow, I think it is doable. I totally get the hating having to cook something you can't/won't eat. I'm in charge of mac' n' cheese and I haven't eaten dairy since January. This isn't Kraft in a box style of mac either so it takes awhile.

Although I haven't talked to my MIL yet, I bet she is doing exactly that for lunch. With 7 kids ranging from 15 down to almost 6 to try and please (my nephews are very picky), she has given up on trying to make a big fancy meal.

With that travel schedule? Pizza! If you feel like you have to cook something, can you cook up a large pot of chili tomorrow so you can just hit the low button on a crockpot to warm it back up when you get home from your mom's house? That sounds good to go with cornbread pie.

I totally feel for you. I stupidly agreed to take my mom and sister shopping at the major mall in the biggest city around me and then we went to the other mall there. OMG!!! If my sister didn't need work shoes by Monday, I'd have left. Traffic was horrid, crowds were everywhere, and both my mom and sister have driving anxiety issues (hence why I was there at all), so they were gasping and carrying on while I was trying to maneuver in holiday traffic. I don't handle over stimulation well and I had to lock myself in my room after I got home for a little while. My DH may have received the brunt of some snippy comments as I made it from the door to the bedroom (seriously?!? like I wanted to deal with DD's C in math as I walked in). As for making it through Christmas itself, my Xanax will be used. I actually do have a prescription that is for situational anxiety (like when my DH is driving in large cities or high stimulation situations). My kids also know that between grandma's house with their nephews and grandma's house without their nephews, they are to be quiet. Mom HAS to have that or bad things happen (same as after really loud TKD practices). As for the IUD, take a pregnancy test ASAP. My youngest is an IUD failure baby and it was still in there. You are right that the miscarriage rate is much higher, but the sooner you know and can get the IUD out of there, the better. Not to mention, a negative should take at least one stress away.

I had a friend in college that drove his professors batty. He would come into class, barely pay attention, ace the exams, but skate by with a low B, high C grade because he wouldn't do the homework. He was brilliant in math and science (double majored in math and physics), but he refused to do busy work that is required in all the low level classes that must be checked off to get to the challenging work. One of his professors gave up on trying to get him to do the busy work and finally found a way to get him to be engaged with what he was learning. Instead of making him do the traditional homework, the professor made him write a computer program that would either demonstrate whatever they were learning or one that could solve the equation. My friend loved that professor because he was willing to acknowledge that he really didn't need to waste the time or effort to do 20 problems solving with the same equation when he obviously got it before the teacher even had a chance to explain it. My friend was still learning valuable lessons from the class because he knew nothing about computer programming. All that to say, in the classes that she is acing the exams and refusing the homework, she's bored and she probably won't outgrow it. If the teachers in the gifted program are not willing to work to figure out something to engage her with, it might be time to try something different for school. What level is she working in math? There is a big jump from elementary level math classes and algebra level classes and she might really need to have some sit down time with her teachers to get some help. It will not be easy for her to step up and ask for the help because she is supposed to be gifted and understand all of this (yeah, that was me). In 7th grade you should still be able to call her teachers in with for a parent/teacher/student conference so she can ask for help while not in front of her friends.

Did they drive or fly? If they flew, make sure the maple sampler bottles meet TSA carry on standards. I think it is sweet to include them.

We don't really use it, but I happened to have a large container of it sitting around. I was hoping this might work since it is a sweet item. Do you think that they coconut flavor would be strong or would the cinnamon and sugar cover it up?

I typically use Earth Balance when cooking for myself, but I don't have enough without going shopping. I'll add it to my list and hope they sell the sticks at TJ.

I was thinking of trying this recipe for Christmas morning if I can find some dairy free biscuits at Trader Joes tomorrow, but I need to sub out the butter. Do you think coconut oil would work? http://www.pepperminting.com/2014/04/18/best-ever-cinnamon-pull-apart-bread/

I know that I am getting new slippers and an AncestryDNA kit. That plus our cruise we got home from a week ago was supposed to be it (beyond small stocking stuffer items). Now he is insinuating that he has ordered me something. This is bad because he bought everything on his list for himself on Black Friday and I will wrap it all for him. He likes surprises though so I got him an automatic card shuffler (the man can't shuffle a deck of cards). It was all of $10 and he will probably roll his eyes at it. Now I don't know if I should go get him something else and how much to spend. I am glad that he ordered something though. I hope that means there will NOT be a massage gift card for me. You would have thought that after it took me 2 years to use the first one, that maybe it wasn't high on my priorities. Instead, he bought another one that year and I still haven't used it. I have touch sensory issues and he might as well send me into a torture chamber for Christmas.

I am related to Boots Randolph on my mom's side. My grandpa used to tell story about playing with his cousin Boots. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_Randolph My mom's side has never been traced and I don't know how much documentation could be found. We just jokingly call her an American mutt since they have been here long enough that no one knows where they came from. My dad's side jumps across the pond quickly as 3 of my 4 great grandparents were the immigrants that came and the forth one was first generation here. No clue if we are related to any famous Europeans though.

My DH works for the state and might occasionally get a small end of year bonus. Granted they've frozen annual pay raises for well over half the years he has been there and the occasional measly bonus (usually less then $500) doesn't really make up for that. For tax purposes, I would rather they pay him more throughout the year as all bonuses are taxed around 40% to the receiver.

After yesterday's shopping adventure, I have everyone done other than a stocking stuffer for the 3 boys.

I thought I only had my mom and dad left but DH just pulled the "what are the kids' Santa gifts" routine on me. I was happy giving them the Twins the Dungeons & Dragons items they asked for, DD a new set of headphones (these will be her Santa gift), and my youngest the illustrated Harry Potter book. My DH finds everything for the boys lacking in the Santa wow factor department. Now I am tasked to find them wow gifts when we honestly have zero room for such items. I should mention that Christmas is absolutely my least favorite holiday and I would skip it if I could get away with it, which makes this 10x harder.

I'd go with whatever you can rent from the rink you will be learning at unless she wants to learn to figure skate competitively.

You need to ask the mom which brands of sauce the kid likes. Different brands taste very different.

Look up the corporate number for Best Buy. Take a really really deep breath and call very calmly. Plead your case calmly to the person who answers the phone. We just went through with a similar nightmare with my MIL's fridge and Home Depot. They took two wks for the person to come out and see what was wrong, another week for them to get the part in, then the technician crimped the wrong something and left before they realized it wasn't cooling. They made her wait another 2 weeks to get someone out to look at it again and of course he had to order parts (at this point she had given up and just bought a new fridge). The parts came in and sat in the kitchen for a month before they finally scheduled him to come back. Then they scheduled it for the one weekend she said they couldn't be there (she told them so when they first called to schedule it but she was robo called as we were headed to the beach that someone would be there the next day). She called to have them correct it to the following weekend which is what she had been given by the scheduler and was told no, it would be 3 more weeks. She was livid to say the least. I actually felt for the lady she was going off on as none of this was really her fault. I took over and called corporate for her as her. The first one that answered immediately shoved me into the push button repair center so I hung up and tried again. Next lady was actually a mover and a shaker. She reached the scheduling manager and pled our case for us. She did so because I was sickly sweet and kind as I explained everything going on. I was able to be that way because I wasn't emotionally attached to the situation. So go over their heads and find a corporate number. Do not just call the help line and ask for a manager, as they hand the phone to the person sitting next to them. Then remember that you attract more flies with honey then vinegar.

I just signed up Sunday. I have to do something to clean up the diet and I'm hoping meal planning helps. It's hard to throw something healthy together when you don't even think about what's for dinner until 530. Eta: I am jennmomto4 there.

Thank you for the replies and clarifications about the soy proteins. I'm now sticking my fingers in my ears and singing loudly because I'm not giving up my cookies (Lenny & Larry's). They are my emergency rescue food when I'm somewhere I can't easily get something to eat. I think I am going to go with an everyone needs to eat better then we currently do. We did something similar to start this year as well, but I didn't eliminate the dairy and I really want to this time. I have dairy issues and went dairy free back in February and I feel so much better.

Would that be like the faux meats? I think I am going to insist on a 6 week diet clean up at the beginning of the year. DH is just gonna have to suck it up and eat it.