Like I said earlier, I love that Bill Penzey can and does clearly state his opinions. But that doesn't mean that they are 100% valid. I haven't gotten emails from Penzey's in ages, so I took a look at that link. Once again, BP uses very broad strokes to paint a picture of voters. Voting choice is way more nuanced that he is letting on. I say this as someone who is married to a POC, has seen racism in action right in front of my face, and hates racism. ETA: I want to clarify that I use the term POC, although it is not a term I usually use or even like, as to not disclose too much personal info on a public forum.

When you do it in a sweeping manner that condemns those who aren't truly racist, then yeah, a-hole.

My son is a hard-core lefty, and he learned to play right-handed style. He is still very much a beginner so maybe he would have progressed faster if we'd switched it for him but he seemed to do okay learning that way. As far as sensory issues, my son had a difficult time with the fret hand. Pressing down the steel strings hard enough can get uncomfortable for him, especially after playing for 30 minutes.

I'm considering Mark Kistler lessons as a gift for our resident artist. She loves fantasy/Kawaii/manga. I'm only hesitating because his program seems a bit disorganized. One of her big gifts this year is a digital drawing pad (Wacom). She has also asked for a digital stylus to use with her tablet/drawing app. I also got her one of Kistler's books (the 30 Days one).

:crying: :grouphug: I am so sorry.

Bill Penzey has used his business as a soapbox for years. Has no one ever read their catalogs that they (used to?) send out? I don't agree with his opinions for the most part, and so don't care to buy from Penzey's with occasional exception made for their delicious Forward seasoning. But I don't begrudge the fact that he says what he thinks or that he uses his business as a platform. We live in the land of the First Amendment, and I love that all types of voices--even those I largely disagree with--are in the mix. We are fooling ourselves if we think any business is neutral or has no agenda. Just some companies are more public about it than others.

Bwahahaha!

We got a Rogue Starter Acoustic a couple years ago for a group gift for our kids. I'm not a guitar expert, but it seems to be well made, have a nice sound, doesn't go out of tune easily. My one regret is not getting a classical guitar rather than an acoustic, because I think my kids might have done better beginning with nylon rather than steel strings. One of my kids took casual guitar lessons last year and complained frequently about the strings hurting his fingers. He has eczema on his hands so that didn't help things, but I can see how until callouses are built up the strings could be irritating. We also bought a tuner, strap, extra picks, and a stand which are things that are necessary/useful but you might not think about.

The original "Tea" thread

Giant cupcake kerfluffle thread was one of my favorites

I like this marinade: 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 Tablespoon olive oil 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts Combine all ingredients from brown sugar to olive oil to make marinade. Put chicken in a glass bowl or ziplock bag and pour marinade over, turning chicken to coat. Let chicken marinate in refrigerator for 60-90 minutes. Remove from marinade and grill (or could probably bake with good results).

We bought a Scuttlebug (https://www.amazon.com/Schylling-SBBD-Scuttlebug-Dragonfly/dp/B005FP41BY/ref=pd_bxgy_21_2/151-1533114-5933704?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005FP41BY&pd_rd_r=QPT73ZP1PAV86PCDFT71&pd_rd_w=vBeiZ&pd_rd_wg=Miwvr&psc=1&refRID=QPT73ZP1PAV86PCDFT71 ) for our niece's 1st birthday. It has been one of her favorite toys. She's starting to outgrow it at age 2.5, so we bought her a no-pedal balance bike (the Kazam) for her 2nd birthday as the next step to grow into.

Usually I write "The Quimby Family" on envelopes, and then write the opening salutation on the inside as, "Dear Bob, Dorothy, Beatrice, Ramona, and Roberta". I might switch up the adult names if I know one better than the other, otherwise I put the husband's name first. I put the kids' names in age order.

I'm in. A group would be easier for me because one big thread can be hard for me to follow or keep up with, especially when I get busy and can't be online for awhile.

I know this thread is about the IP, but I have to interrupt to say using a larger Pyrex in your yogurt maker is genius! I like making the smaller jars to portion out for my son, but I've always wanted to do a larger batch for my husband while waiting for my son to get finished with all the jars. Great idea--thank you!

Don't forget the sale is today through Monday!

I think a big key is regular maintenance. In order for this to work you have to: (1) actually have places for items. (2) be willing and able to pick up items and reorganize them/put them away on a regular basis. If you have too many items to properly put away, then this will never work and you need to declutter to reduce. If you and/or your kids don't have or make the time to maintain order, then you probably need to declutter to a more manageable quantity. I give this advice as someone who struggles mightily with clutter but is capable of/likes organization.

Love the idea of rechargeability! Thank you for the suggestion.

My favorites are apple pie and my granny's chocolate cream/meringue pie. I'd like to trying making a Banoffee pie http://www.melskitchencafe.com/banoffee-pie sometime even though I don't really like those flavor combos, I think my family would love it. I used to be intimidated by making crust but it's really pretty simple . I use the Easy Pie Dough recipe from Serious Eats http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/10/how-to-make-pie-dough-step-by-step.html I've also used the Serious Eats Apple Pie recipe a few times, but I don't think its fabulous. In my opinion, it needs some tweaking (more spices added for flavor, apples cooked a bit more before adding to crust as I like a softer apple)

Someone gave my kids a set of walkie talkies as a gift years ago. They were cheapies so didn't work well at all and we assumed our kids were done with them, so when we were cleaning out toys awhile back one got thrown out. The big problem is that my son found the leftover one, not knowing that the other one is gone, and really wants to use them. All that to say I'd like to buy him a better set for Christmas. I would ideally like to spend less than $20, have decent range, and good clarity. Is this possible? Recommendations on brands, models, where to buy, etc?

I also want to add that these are over the ear "Beats" style headphones, not earbuds. The ear covers and headpiece are cushioned and comfy for me. The earpieces fold in to make for more compact storage. At that price point they're not going to be super high quality, but they're pretty substantial. They're sturdy enough that I can carry them in my purse without a case with no damage.

I got mine from the Dollar Spot at Target for $10. I can't totally speak to their longevity, as I've only had them for about 3 months. But so far, so good. The sound quality is pretty good; my only complaint is slight buzzing when they are on but I'm not playing anything. Once the audio starts playing the buzzing goes away. They have pretty good battery life and range, especially for the price. I like them well enough and they cost so little that I want to get a pair or two for backup in case I lose or break my originals.

I like my Travelpro carry-ons. I have two 22" Expandable Spinners (one is a Crew10, the other a Crew11 model). One I purchased last year, while the other was a recent replacement when the airline tore a wheel off my 12+ year old regular Rollaboard Travelpro when I checked it. These newer models fit into overhead bins easily, but they expand so if you need to pack more you can and then check it instead. We've used Travelpro for years--great products, can get repaired if need be (unlike cheaper brands that are trash if you break a piece such as the zipper or wheel), very durable.

These are the only two cooking blogs that I read regularly. Mel is the best. I've been following her for years and love her recipes, her tone, and her personality. Budget Bytes is fairly new for me. I actually found her book first at the library and started reading her blog after liking the book a lot. I love her cost breakdowns and how her recipes shows how she uses up larger items/leftover ingredients for less waste. I haven't read PW in years. The pictures and stories are meant to be the "stars" but they always felt overdone to me. I love reading about cooking when it's focused on technique or science, so I'm another CI/ATK fan. But the cooking as storytelling only works for me when reading someone like Ruth Reichl.

I would love if my MIL would ask me or DH, "Can I help clear anything?" or say "Let me know when you're ready to clear so I can give a hand," and then actually listen to our answer. It's not that I don't appreciate the help, but the taking charge in our house is what's uncomfortable.