I have found the solution (besides the easy thing of water with lemon or lime)! I don’t drink juice, but do drink homemade smoothies (frozen fruit and milk, sometimes with yogurt, sometimes with cocoa powder). Blended fruit still gives you all of the benefits of whole fruits. My latest concoction is a cup or so of…

Yes!!! I’m from PNW and live near Philly now and they are almost nonexistent! When I was pregnant I craved them so bad I almost asked my mom to mail them to me. Nothing lives up to a maple bar, but I have found one single dunkin’ donuts that has maple donuts (the flavor is meh). I was so excited when I discovered…

That sounds like it was a horrible situation for you and everyone else. Unfortunately, your kiddo got used to one set of rules and toddlers do not like rule changes! Next time it might be helpful to go over the routine of what will happen every day for a few days leading up to the flight. She can pretend one of her…

This is excellent advice. I do think there is something about souvenirs that is so irresistible. Often they are just junk that you don’t need and just take up space. My solution is to collect pressed pennies. Super cheap (either $.51 or $1.01), fun, and easy to store and keep around for memories, especially if you…

Oh my gosh this! We still have trouble with this sometimes. There was one thing that did finally make a difference. One day after he “cleaned” the kitchen and I knew I’d have to go back over it, I dragged him in there. I said I won’t say a word, but that he needed to just stand there and watch. I then proceeded…

Sense of normalcy...I think there is a strong urge to let your kids do what every typical kid does, whether it is something that is well-suited to their needs or not. Sometimes a parent just wants to be able to share an experience that was important to them as a child, which is totally valid . Sometimes it is the…

I think you have to be a little careful about saying this is all down to parenting. Some of it is also due to a child’s temperament. My kid is definitely extroverted and wants to be where the people are at. He was the baby that wanted to be held and is the toddler, nearly preschooler who wants to be in the same…

I love your idea! That would be such a powerful tool for everyone. I definitely understand the pain of kids whose names don’t fit them. I was generalizing, which I know doesn’t fit every situation, but when talking about societal norms can be relevant.

I’ve got to jump in here. I think the last name thing is really a feminist issue. As a teacher, I’ve learned just how important names are to people. One of the most validating thing you can do for a child is call them by their name (and get it right, boy do kids love it when a substitute teacher finally gets their…

That’s funny. I specifically told my husband not to spend a ton on my engagement ring and not to buy a diamond. One, I don’t particularly like diamonds. To me, they are boring. Two, I work with kids. I didn’t want to have to worry about ruining it or taking it off constantly to avoid ruining it and then risk…

So what do you do if you need a shoe with very high arches? I pretty much stick to birkenstocks. It’s what works for my foot and after a bout of achilles tendinitis it’s more important than ever to have that support. I’m just getting started with weight lifting and am female. I’ve always had a hard time finding…

Yeah, I have the same problem. I’ve considered eshakti jeans too, but I also suffer from thigh rub which means spending money on any pants is a waste because no matter how good of quality they are, they aren’t going to last too long with that friction. I scored on some linen pants from LL Bean and was super sad that…

Yeah, I feel like a jerk when it comes to the younger 2 (his step-sister’s kids), the older two (his step-brother’s kids) I don’t feel so bad about. The one is super ungrateful and they don’t even try to interact with us, it just feels like we are only at their birthdays or holiday gatherings to give gifts. The…

Oh my gosh yes! My husband’s nieces and nephews have everything and anything they’d want is beyond our means. I hate the idea of giving crappy gifts and especially hate the idea of spending what little money we have on things that won’t get used or be appreciated. The worst part is we only see them on gift-giving…

When I worked in childcare, most parents did give gifts. It would either be a group gift that one parent would collect for or individual parents gave. I would only worry about the primary teachers of the room, although if there is a floater who spends a lot of time in the room that you’ve gotten to know, it can be…

You may be hit by a surprise illness in the future. Like my husband who rarely went to the doctor and then had cancer at age 32. Also, you can use the money for anything medical related. Glasses, contacts, dentists, therapists, etc. Plus the money can be withdrawn when you are retired as just cash, so i serves as…

I just wanted to say that you are not alone and you have allies. The election made me feel like my voice was being stomped on. That my equality was even less than I already knew it to be. And I’m just a white woman. I can’t imagine how women of color must feel. The other day, I decided to reclaim my voice. I…

That just sucks. I’m sorry. It really shouldn’t be this way and yet it seems all too common. Something in our society has shifted and it’s like adults have forgotten how to still be themselves when they have kids. I’ve always felt that kids get incorporated into your life, but the cultural trend has moved more…

You can go to the bathroom, alone, whenever you want! The statement isn’t about luxuriating in bed all day, it’s about not having to be considering the needs of another human being who is hell-bent on killing themselves every second before you consider your own. It is rather all-encompassing and overwhelming. It…

I’m always terrified my friends will see me this way bc my son adores them and is also relentless in his pursuit of their attention. I’m constantly telling them they can take a break or tell him no or to tag me in. We do really appreciate how much love and attention they give him.