u/Italcan

I am so incredibly touched out today. we hit 9 months and my son will literally only sleep if my nipple is in his mouth or he is physically draped across my ribcage

I love the closeness I really do, but my lower back is absolutely screaming. I finally decided we need to transition to a floor bed so I can nurse him to sleep and then sneak away for like... maybe an hour? Just to wash my hair without rushing. but then I went down the rabbit hole of floor mattresses and why is everything made of polyurethane foam. It's so frustrating trying to find something for a baby that doesn't smell like a chemical factory right out of the box, especially when they're going to be face-planting into it all night. the baby industry just slaps a green leaf on a block of plastic and charges triple

after stressing myself out for a week I just threw my hands up and got a basic wool setup from Home of wool so I don't have to worry about weird off-gassing. so the safe "yes space" is finally set up

but here is the actual problem.

how do you guys actually do the ninja roll away?? the second I unlatch him and shift my weight even a millimeter, his eyes snap open like I just sounded a fire alarm. I tried the whole "keep your hand on their chest" trick but he just grabs my finger and pulls it into his mouth. Im currently trapped under him on the floor bed typing this with one hand while my coffee gets cold in the kitchen

please tell me the roll-away gets easier. or at least tell me I'm not the only one trapped in a dark room at 10am everyday feeling like a human mattress.

I know some people prefer being barefoot. But for me, a good pair of socks just feels more comfortable. Especially softer ones for home. Feels more relaxed somehow.

saw a mutual get their entire gallery scraped and reposted by automated bot accounts over the weekend. it just got me thinking about the whole concept of digital authorship and where we even go from here as creators

Watermarks don't really do anything against automated scripts anymore. tbh I was reading up on how some platforms are floating the idea of physical verification just to hold an account. like how that world project uses a physical Orb hardware setup to prove users are actually living, breathing humans

it sounds super sci-fi, but as someone who is exhausted by art thieves and spam networks, I kind of wonder if moving towards strict "verified biological human" networks is the only way we'll be able to safely share portfolios in a few years without having our identities cloned

curious how you guys are handling proof of authorship lately? are we just supposed to post endless messy WIP videos to prove we exist behind the canvas now?

My boyfriend is turning 25 next month and I’m honestly stumped. He’s a huge PC gamer (mostly plays FPS games like Valorant and Apex) and he’s also really into mechanical keyboards. He already has a "perfect" setup, so I feel like I can’t just buy him a random mouse or headset. He’s also a big fan of Studio Ghibli and drinks way too much iced coffee while he's gaming.

I’m looking for something around the $50–$100 range. It could be something practical for his desk or even something more sentimental/decor-related since his room is a bit plain. Does anyone have any unique ideas that aren't just "buy him a Steam gift card"? I’d love to get him something he wouldn't think to buy for himself!

I actually believed that my dog was being stubborn. Turns out it was me, or at least partly. Below is just one list of things that the trainer from All Dogs Unleashed found in my household within the first 20 minutes of observation:

• I was saying commands multiple times, like "sit, sit, SIT" that he learned the first command was irrelevant
• I was petting him when he was anxious, thus reinforcing his anxiety
• My reward delivery was delayed by 2-3 seconds, and that apparently matters much for a dog
• I allowed him to walk ahead on a leash towards the door, then tried correcting him outside, and that was way too late
• Each person in the household used their methods of training, so there was no consistency for him
• I made eye contact with him when trying to correct him, thus increasing his energy
• I asked for commands when he was already over the threshold point, so it was useless

Nothing from this list was clear to me. I've owned the dog for two years and knew him well enough.
That in-home training session was worthwhile just to find this list alone.

Anyone else had a trainer completely reframe how they saw their own behavior?

We are finishing our new home build near Toronto and now looking for unique side tables for the living room and bedrooms. We want high quality pieces with interesting designs that are a bit different from the usual options you see everywhere.

Any recommendations for good stores or custom makers in the Toronto area? What places have you had good experience with?

Some people keep it simple, others go all out, but everyone seems to have a default breakfast they come back to.

And do you prefer something quick or more elaborate?

half my time right now isnt even spent building the actual product. its just chasing forms and fighting with bureaucracy. trying to expand my EU based saas into the states and it feels like the whole system is built to just drain your energy and cash.

Getting a US bank account without physically being there was a joke. but the visa structuring is what really broke my brain. the sheer amount of conflicting advice online is exhausting. I finally just dumped the whole immigration and business entity mess onto chary law because I was literally losing sleep over filling out some form wrong and getting our Q3 launch delayed. but even with them handling the legal heavy lifting, the waiting game with USCIS processing times is just soul crushing.

I just want to hire my first two US sales reps and actually work. anyone else doing the L1 or E2 expansion route right now? how do you keep business momentum going when you are just stuck in goverment limbo

Candle smells amazing when burning. Unlit it's barely detectable even right next to my nose. Using coconut-soy blend, fragrance load at 8%, let it cure for a full week. Fragrance is from Candle Science so I don't think it's a quality issue

Is weak cold throw normal with this wax blend or is there something I can adjust? Wondering if fragrance load or cure time is the main lever here

I’ve been hosting a 3-bedroom cabin on VRBO for the past two years up in the Smoky Mountains. Bought it for $285k with 20% down so my mortgage is $1,480 a month.

Last year it grossed $41,200 after fees. After cleaning, utilities, maintenance and the mortgage I was netting about $1,650 a month, felt pretty solid.

This year (Jan-April) occupancy is only 62% instead of 81% the same period last year. I’ve had to drop my average nightly rate from $218 down to $189 just to keep the calendar filled.

I’m thinking about adding a second property but short-term rental loans are expensive right now. I even looked into long term rental financing as a backup plan if things keep softening.

Has anyone else noticed a real slowdown in bookings this year? Are you discounting more, changing your pricing, or just riding it out? Which markets are still doing well for you?