This is what I would do. One of our people used to like their meat a little more well-done than others, so we actually cooked to medium rare, which puts the ends at about medium (no pink). The no-pink person ate the ends; the rest of us enjoyed the med-rare middle. Leftovers made fabulous beef barley soup. I just put the cooked meat in the soup for a very few minutes, to warm it and cook it a little more so there's no pink. Pho would be a good use of it too. Or you can briefly fry thin slices in a bit of fat for a warm sandwich or even quesadillas. Every year our no-pink person has become more amenable to pink meat, so we've adjusted. It's not an economical soup or quesadilla meat, but since you have the prime rib, may as well make the best use of it. The bones will make good broth.

The Horrors of Dolores Roach? https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/07/11448427/amazon-prime-the-horror-of-dolores-roach-latina-representation

I've made this recipe for ham in the past. It's pretty good, but I've found I don't like a sweet glaze. https://www.food.com/recipe/montes-ham-80345

People can ask for whatever they want. It's up to the person who is being asked to determine how they should respond to the request. FWIW, My parents gave one of my siblings a lot more financial help than the other two, even after that person showed they were making bad decisions. It didn't result in any of the other siblings having to pick up for broke, elderly parents, but it did considerably affect the amount of funds left for all three to inherit. <shrug> Their money, their decision.

We don't have a standard. This year it's chocolate pots de creme, and some mince tarts I bought. I have fond memories of mince pie but didn't want to make a whole pie since it's likely I'm the only one who would eat it. Some years I've made cheesecake in various flavors, or a chocolate layer cake. When I was growing up, we always had cookies and homemade candy around, but my mother always had a separate dessert for Christmas day to keep it special. I was always a little disappointed at my in-laws at Christmas because at every lunch and dinner during our visit, including Christmas, my MIL would bring out the same tin of the same three kinds of cookies. By Christmas they were all bashed together, all tasted the same... And that reinforced my resolve that Christmas Day got its own dessert.🤣

At that age my daughter was reading Georgette Heyer's regency romances. Cotillion and The Grand Sophy are a lot of fun. (I should note that in Sophy there is an ugly ethnic stereotype. It's not a major part of the book at all, just one incident IIRC. At that age, my kid was able to recognize it for what it was, and move on in the book. I recall there being talk of removing it from any later editions but don't know if that was done. Just FYI.)

When my kids were babies and we went to the mall, I loved the women's lounge in Nordstrom. Couches, chairs, a changing table. Lots of nursing moms taking a break. It was a lovely place to stop. I still get nostalgic on the rare occasion I walk into a Nordy's restroom. (Nordstrom has changing tables in the men's rooms too.) (I was not against nursing in a more public place, such as a table in the food court, but it was just nice and peaceful in there.)

Hugs to you, OP. There are no guarantees with kids, no matter what form of education and/or parenting is followed. Says a mom with her own sort of heartbreak. 💗

ScoutTN is giving good advice, though I know it is not what you want. I just want to add: A smartphone is only the burden we allow it to be. Notifications can be turned off, no extraneous apps need to be installed. I understand budget issues and that there are many things more pressing. BTDT! Maybe try thinking of this as an investment in your future as well as your child's. 💗 Others have given you good information on what/how to buy, apps, etc. I don't have anything to add to that.

Same! I have loved hosting people but I always find a way to escape to the kitchen from time to time. And for me, a group is better than one-on-one as I do t have to carry the conversation so much. Hugs to you! I hope you have a lovely day!

This is not a dip, nor strictly a finger food - well, we ate them with our fingers but we are very casual and some people would be disgusted - but they are fun and very delicious. The recipe calls for sour cream but I am quite sure I have had beautiful sour cream substitutes in vegan restaurants, though I don't know what they are. Anyway... Indian-ish Baked Potatoes (NYT gift link). Oh, and this is another use for chaat masala which you will be buying (or making)! 💗 https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020153-indian-ish-baked-potatoes?unlocked_article_code=1.HE0.uUvm.C8C8yi5L0gWZ&smid=share-url

Sounds like chana chaat? https://www.madhuseverydayindian.com/chana-chaat-recipe/

Hummus seems to be a near-universally loved food and it seems to tick all your boxes. Maybe that is more mundane than you are looking for? We like roasted red peppers blended in, or cilantro. Muhammara is a delicious red pepper/walnut dip. Here is one recipe that is specifically GF. I've not made this one but it is similar to the one I have made. https://cuminandyin.com/gluten-free-muhammara-vegan-red-pepper-walnut-dip/

We don't have Disney Plus so we aren't able to watch it. I'm so sad. But we're not going to get D+ for this purpose. I'm hoping they may come out on DVD which I can get from the library, but I suppose Disney will not have that. We started watching Dr Who in 2005; I believe that was the start of the reboot. We loved Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, tolerated Matt Smith, and loved Peter Capaldi but not the stories... so then we stopped. I hadn't paid attention till the specials were announced.

My husband used to schedule our trips to his parents for 5-7 days to "amortize" the driving time. I finally convinced him that everyone was miserable and we had to drive anyway, so we cut the visit shorter. But in our case, he and I could take turns driving, it wasn't all on one person, so that helped. That also made it easier to take two days to drive. Same amount of time away from home, but less time in misery.

Agreeing that it is OK to feel crappy and be in a bad mood sometimes. Sounds as if you have been feeling sickly for a little while; that will make anyone crabby! FWIW, I have always given my daughters boyfriend a book. Every year, he has gotten a book from me. When I didn't know him, I got suggestions from her. Now that I know him, I can pick on my own. This year he is getting at least 2 books, maybe 3. He's been around 7 years now. I have never asked if he's read the books. (That is a general policy I have, so people don't feel pressure to read the dang thing if they don't want to or until they do want to.) Your DD's boyfriend can take the book home, read it or not, donate it or sell it or whatever. Just ask about some of his interests and there will be a book for it.

I'm going to start wrapping gifts today. I usually wait till Christmas Eve and then it is such a chore! I enjoy wrapping/filling gift bags and like making them pretty, but I usually wait too long and then they look like a 4-year-old did them. Taking one of my kids shopping for the other. My kids just exchange food treats but one has several allergies and the other can't keep track... so I help. Yes they are both adults. Buy the produce needed for the weekend. That will happen Thursday I think. Make a chocolate whisky cake for Christmas dinner, and think of another dessert for the kid who does not like whisky in cake. We'll have various cookies on Christmas Eve but I like a special dessert (or two) for Christmas Day. (For years, when we went to my in-laws, my MIL would bring out the same tin of the same cookie assortment every lunch and dinner for the days we were there, and there was nothing new or special on Christmas day. I always found that a bit... depressing.) Make some more cookie dough to freeze/bake as needed. Make my timeline for Christmas dinner. Make sure there is wine for Christmas dinner!

We had some similarities with my in-laws. They live an 11-hour drive from us. They live in a hard place to get to and the closest large airport was still 4 hours away. A regional airport that was closer was too expensive for my family of 4. The in-laws would not come to us. So, we made some changes over time to make the trip more bearable. - Took 2 days to drive there, 1-2 days back. Somehow coming home from the long trip was easier in a day than going. We'd plan a nice stop on the way down, stay at their house a maximum of 2 days, and then come home. If we had the time, we'd stop overnight in a fun town we like so we'd end the trip on a high note. - Started staying in a motel. The problem with their house was mold/mildew. It was so uncomfortable (I'd have a constant minor headache during visits, and my husband couldn't breathe well); the breaking point was when one of our kids had an allergic reaction that resolved with benadryl (so not super serious) but we weren't going to risk it another. We kept visits to their house to a couple of hours max, and sat outside when possible. My in-laws never believed their house was a problem even though we'd been telling them for years. - Brought plenty of food of our liking. Having a motel room helped as we could eat there. We kept snacks in the car and brought them into the house as needed. This was frowned upon but we stopped caring. - Ate breakfast before going to visit them, and insisted on taking them out for at least one dinner. Meals at their house were torture. My MIL was a horrible cook; she clearly hated it and hated to eat. She constantly talked about "fat people" and their bad eating habits. Fun conversation while trying to enjoy a meal! I could go on and on about that. It was hard; they were hurt/offended. They didn't understand us or our kids. We could tolerate their conversation OK (gossip about people we never knew, talk about their college football team which we don't care about) if we knew we could leave. At least the TV (weather channel) volume was kept low, so we could see it but not have to hear it. Our changes did affect the relationship. My MIL once told my husband not to come see them even though we had not been there for a few years. She died without them speaking much. My FIL has been more communicative since she died, though when he recently remarried my husband and his sister had to beg to attend the wedding. I was not invited nor were our kids. I'm sorry you are going through this. 💗

Nah. Child B cannot proceed in any way if Child A is at the bottom of the slide. In a parking lot, the equivalent of Child B can move along to find another spot. In a busy parking lot, such as in a shopping area, people are always coming and going. People who want or need to circle to find a close spot can continue to do so. Things may be different at, say, a train station on a busy commute day, where people park all day. (I have had to choose my timing and station carefully when I need to travel my train in my area because of this.) When you (general you) are driving through a parking lot, do you feel entitled to parking spots that are already occupied? Do you know all the reasons someone may sit in their car for a time rather than pulling right out as soon as they have completed their business? I do get annoyed when I can't find a parking spot, for sure. Annoyed with myself for not planning better, timing it better, etc. Crowded shopping centers the week before Christmas? Come on. This is not a surprise. I've no idea why this thread has captivated me so much, and why I'm (apparently) outing myself as an uncaring soul. But there it is.

Interesting. Where I live the handicapped spaces are almost never filled up. But I'm sure that varies a lot. FWIW, I park at the far reaches of any parking lot, always, because I don't like to be rushed to vacate my space. And it drives me crazy when people block a line of cars waiting for someone to leave their parking spot. I also dislike being followed to my car when I'm walking through the lot - that can be scary. When someone does that to me, especially at night, I take evasive action by walking between cars to the next row till the follower goes past. (Unless I'm at Costco and have a huge cart; then I can't. 🤣) Honestly, I think it's quite rude to walk up to someone's car and ask when they are leaving. That is, unless the lot has a time limit, of course. Bah humbug from me, I guess!

I loved Brazil nuts when I was a kid; they were my favorite when we'd get the bag of mixed nuts in the shell. I'd been noticing them in stores lately but hadn't bought due to expense. Now I wonder if I'd still like them. They definitely were not like tree bark to me.

Wow. I guess at least he asked instead of sitting there blocking the parking lot lane for who knows how long till you left? I hope I would have said "no, I'm not" but in reality I would probably apologized and hurry to leave. I'm very glad you didn't rush to leave!

Are all the young people in your family? Like, your kids? And they are the ones most likely to be uncomfortable? I read all the posts but am not sure of the demographics here. Depending on how old they are, I'd completely excuse the young people from the proceedings once they have exchanged niceties with all the guests. Or, as others have said, once dinner is over I'd offer a place to play games and those that want to can do that. Even polite young adults don't want to sit around with drunk, mean (even unintentionally), old people. I mean I don't either, but I can put up with it. I don't think the presence or lack of alcohol is going to make any difference. I might feel the need for a glass of wine myself under these circumstances.

Aw Laura, this sounds like a nightmare. Honestly I can't even imagine telling someone to meet me at the airport to get a cake because they don't have time to deliver it! You are such a nice person. Hope you feel well soon!

Nope. I don't have space to store extra things, and can usually pull something together easily for a white elephant or other gift exchange. My gift-giving list is small, and if I receive an unexpected gift from someone with whom I don't usually exchange, I just thank them for it and don't worry about reciprocating. (And if I randomly give someone a gift I don't expect reciprocation.)