Yeah, I wouldn't worry about diplomacy with someone who actively endangers my child. I would discontinue carpooling on dates she's signed up to do it and would let the coordinator know why. That is unacceptable.

I think stitch markers were day 2 this year. I wanted all of them.

The Yarn Harlot is in the midst of her daily "gifts for knitters" posts at yarnharlot.ca . She has a lot of interesting ideas over there.

I traded my Calphalon One collection (100% failure rate) in for similar stainless pieces a few years ago. They all still look new and work great and are in use every day, sometimes multiple times. There is a lifetime warranty but Calphalon was being a pain in the arse about the One failures. Bed Bath & Beyond offered to trade them even though I had no idea where they'd been purchased (as gifts, several years before).

Yorkshire gold is my favorite. But, then, I like a bracing cup of tea.

Yup. The recipe I use (gets baked in a low oven) keeps well in ziplock bags for quite a while in swampy Maryland summer. I imagine it would do even better in the dry winter.

What about jars of homemade hot cocoa mix, which is free of all those things. Homemade marshmallows to go with them would be lovely and allergen free, but would need your help with the syrup (and probably scraping out - I get sticky up to the elbow). Joyful Abode granola bars can be made gf by using certified oats and desiccated coconut in place of the wheat germ (omit the nuts, just use dried fruit). Orangette caramel popcorn is delicious even made without nuts and using microwave popcorn. My kids have made it with supervision cooking the caramel and stirring the popcorn periodically as it bakes. She could use gf pretzels and dip them in melted chocolate, then sprinkle with gf sugars and other decorative goodies.

Yes. Joint pain is one of the main indicators that I've been glutened. The joint pain sets in after the inexplicable anxiety and weepiness (which I still almost always only recognize after other things pop up) and before the DH flares on my scalp.

I liked Kiss My Face Potent & Pure until it became no longer guaranteed gf. I love the EO Everyone face moisturizer (which is gf) it replaced it with even more.

Same for me. In organizational psych, that person is known as "the troublesome other" and if they're left to their own devices, the make the whole group dysfunctional.

I have these split cuff snuggies or the regular ones (depending on sizing) on my Christmas wish list: http://www.sickafus.com/shearling/sheepskin-boots-slippers.html

Not bread, but Gluten Free on a Shoestring soft tapioca wraps are awesome for lunches when we pack for a day out. (Honestly, I haven't tried a single recipe of Nicole's that wasn't completely delicious.)

There are peel & stick dry erase panels on Amazon. I'm not sure how large they get, but they do exist.

I cut mine in half lengthwise, then roast them cut side down. That steams the skins off and the meat slips out cleanly. No need to peel or spoon/scrape hot sweet potatoes. (That's also how I roast them for eating out of the skins because it caramelizes the cut face in a delicious way). #toolazytopeel

Another vote for baking. Boiled sweets are bland and watery, and nuked ones are pasty IMO. And then, yes, take your knives for sharpening. I take mine to a tool sharpening place about once a year (should be twice, but I forget until they're unbearably dull) and spend about $2 per knife.

YES! I know they're with the socks. I found the nest of the sock-stealing gnomes under my 13yo's bed. Socks, pencils, little scraps of paper. Yup. They're totally with the socks, stolen by the gnomes.

I like Glutino Genius multigrain a great deal more than Udi's. Three Bakers and Canyon Bakehouse are good, too. Schar sub rolls are really good. If you bake, Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread has really delicious bread recipes, and Nicole (the author) has lots of great recipes on her blog. My family's quite fond of her soft tapioca wraps for traveling lunches.

I'm back to my regular wake up time (5:30). For about 3 weeks before any time change - spring, too - I start sleeping later and later. Then when the clocks change, I'm back to normal. It's weird.

This one is a favorite around here. I've made it vegetarian (no bacon) and vegan (coconut milk) before and it works really well. I usually use navy beans in it because I like them better than cannellini or other large beans. http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/butternut-squash-white-bean-soup

We also drive all over the place for activities, and recently had our boys' birthday party over an hour away, playing laser tag at a venue where they play indoor lacrosse in winter. Most of the party goers were lax chums, so I don't think the parents gave it much of a thought. 9 a.m. seems insanely early, though. Most parties are afternoon affairs, some evening. I guess the time wouldn't be insane if the venue/activity was obviously a morning thing, but I can't think of anything that would be firmly attached to 9 a.m....

When I found them behind the counter at the local Safeway is when I decided to go old school. I bought a 1950s vintage safety razor. Double edge platinum blades are about $5 for 10.

I missed that one, for the same reason, as well. And I was waffling between Iran and Saudi Arabia for the Shia/Sunni question and buggered that. I don't even know why... I know that. (And I'm not sure, honestly, why I know that) What's really sad is that I rarely listen to the news. Mostly, I only listen to Marketplace regularly. (Which is probably why I know about the oil boom, minimum wage, etc)

Please do not substitute herbs in this case (says the trained herbalist). Turmeric may or may not increase bleeding risk, but ginger most definitely does. Both are awesome for inflammation, but this is a specific side-effect avoidance and they are not going to help with that.

I've wondered about this. Specifically, I wonder whether our (societal) preoccupation with absurd levels of personal cleanliness is driving lice outbreaks in the same way as resistant bacteria. I might rinse it, but why use shampoo? KWIM?

Not here (because none of mine are in school) but I am always out of sorts when a kid is missing. It's weird and like there's something wrong in the house. Hate that. I'm sure it's made even worse when you also have to be time-conscious. Yuck. (* I do not misplace my children. But, you know, sometimes one or two of them go to a friend's house for a sleepover or something. Just so we're clear.)