Yes! That was it, thank you! We earned feathers for the headdress, and I remember songs around a campfire. And we did an overnight canoe trip. I’ll have to read up on what Adventure Guides is like now. Were you a Y-Indian Princess?

YASSSSS!!!! Thank you!

No reason to apologize for Jane Austin, as far as I’m concerned. That was the world as she knew it, and she knew it better than anyone. (Even Darwin married his first cousin.) That she left out rape and addiction is only because these were unpleasant topics, as they are today. The world as she described it would be…

I’ll have my first checkup on Dec 3, so I’m just hoping to deal until then!

I know gals who swear by baking soda but the idea of using it on my face makes me cringe. It just seems too abrasive. I live for exfoliation but I would never do it daily unless it was with something very gentle, e.g. a soft washcloth, brush, or product designed for daily use. 3 days a week is the max for me.

I don’t think the ingredients is the issue as much as the exfoliating daily. You’re only supposed to exfoliate once or twice a week. The coconut oil is probably making your skin feel softer because it’s laying on the surface without actually helping your skin to retain moisture.

Baking soda makes my skin super dry and tight. I use it when I’m having zitty issues but otherwise I feel like it makes my skin not hold moisture or something. But just like anything else, what works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you. Have you tried moisturizing right when you get out of the shower? I…

The coconut oil is fine, it’s the baking soda’s PH level that harms your skin. It is too basic and disrupts the acid mantle of the skin. I would recommend ditching it asap. Have you tried chemical exfoliation? Or just a retinol if fine lines are what concern you. Paula’s Choice have some good retinol formulas, and so…

I found this response:

I notice it around where I live some. It depends. I think you sound very non-judgmental and so maybe you don’t notice because, well, you can be happy for whatever people choose to do and so think other people are thinking in kind? But some people are assholes, and judge. :-/

I always thought of this as a class thing. My school got a lot of extra benefits because of the typical family income and they were grateful for any help from parents.

Nah, you’re right. Reality is more balanced. I do think moms are more sensitive to judgment (real or perceived) when it’s all new and babes are young - but it mostly mellows out. You find what works and get comfortable with the idea that ‘what works’ looks different for everybody. I’m pretty slacker in my parenting…

I don’t have kids (forever) and I have such a secret lurid fascination with stuff like that. The LA Times article about that couple that tried to frame another mom because they misunderstood the use of the word “slow” with regard to their kid, is pure gold. When these sites were making fun of the Brooklyn mommy wars 5…

I haven’t had any weird things like that either. I wish Bad Moms had been deeper. I like watching Catastrophe, I think that show gets it. I find most mums to be chill and nice to each other, and I have friends on extremely different parenting spectrums.

Oh, it definitely varies but I have experienced them. I remember my first baby group - some meetup thing. There were three normal people and then the rest were....interesting. I’m still friends with the normals. I’ve had the super crunchy mum act all horrified because I vaccinate and birthed at a hospital. Our old…

I think it’s more common when the kids are tiny. People chill out a bit as the kids age. I’ve definitely seen a bunch of it (my kid is two) but it’s more about attachment parenting vs not and breastfeeding hardliners. But as a teacher I don’t see it at school.

I think the focus with the movie and most TV shows is on upper middle class families. Middle and lower class families usually can’t afford a SAHM situation, whether the mom wants to or not.

This happened to me at 35, only it also involved the fun of barfing and diarrhea. Are you 35 or up and female? Sometimes your tolerance suddenly goes down around that age. I have to make sure I have a certain amount of food in my body, drink lots of water, drink slowly, and face the fact that 2 (maybe 3!) is my limit.…

Yup. I started having this problem a few years ago. The only thing that works for me is tequila. Mostly I just don’t drink as much anymore, which is okay. I found a local bar with a 10 page tequila menu for those rare times when I really do feel like having a couple drinks. I don’t know why but I suspect it has to do…