Looking for a few simple gifts for my daughter’s 16th birthday, unfortunately she doesn’t use most stuff like shoes or clothing gifted.
She’s a girly girl who likes country girl style, artistic and enjoys drawing, reading and doing her own lashes. Enjoys music, trying trendy viral snacks but I don’t have TikTok or IG so idk what’s trendy?!
Some sourdough bread baked with nutritional yeast, garlic and Italian herbs. Side of pesto for dipping
Bluebs.
Whole milk smoothie with an insane amount of peanut butter, smidge of honey, full fat yogurt, & chocolate protein powder.
My guy is 28 months and struggles with weight gain/ low appetite but this smoothie is honestly the one safe offering I can count on being drank.
First time growing any flowers ever, from seed. Cosmos & bachelor buttons are thriving! Still waiting on my warm season snaps, zinnias and dahlias .
What summer sandal are we using for our busy toddlers?
Does anyone here compost chicken manure/ pine shavings ? I’m very new to composting and would like to start but also would like to add in my coops clean out. Is this frowned upon and should be done separately?
Currently I have a huge pile bordering the woods where I dump manure weekly and their pine shavings monthly, same pile has about 2 years worth of stuff just aging/ breaking down.
Can someone explain this to me in very simple terms?
Looking for ideas on how to celebrate a 16th birthday that feels sweet, important but not over the top $ wise. My daughter is about to be 16 and isn’t really throwing out any real ideas for how to celebrate so I’m looking for opinions here.
Edit to add: budget is about 500$ I should have added that originally
Snapdragons growing at very different rates. Johnnys early sunrise and Potomac (sp?) grown from seed. Interestingly enough the ones in the ground were my smaller runt like seedlings but now are surpassing the ones in my raised beds. I’m a little surprised that the raised beds ones aren’t growing much.. zone 5b/6a
I’m kinda sad because I think my mom friend is breaking up with me so to speak. We met at our midwives through a program and have known each other for 3 years with our kids being like 2 weeks apart. Over the years I’ve vented about my teens and some of the shenanigans they pull and she’s always defended them instead of recognizing that some of the behaviors are actually not okay. She recently told me that she can see how mistreated my teens are and I took offense and responded that mistreated is a very bold word to use. She asked me if I was actually offended and I said yes.
My kids have simple chores like empty dishwasher and take out trash, they have freedoms to hang w friends, 1:1 time w parents and so much love/ attention that I know they aren’t “mistreated” . She tried to correct it that she meant in the eyes of teens they probably feel that way, but I didn’t text back. A few days go by and she texts me that things are rightfully weird between us and that I must have been out for blood when I took offense to her remark and completely took it the wrong way which makes her feel unheard and not trusted and basically we are too busy for a friendship that makes someone walk on egg shells.
This is the first time there’s been hurt feelings and I tried to explain I believe her intent was different than the delivery. I don’t think she was trying to be rude but mistreated is a big deal and to make that criticism is harsh. Sometimes we accidentally hurt people’s feelings but it’s disappointing we can’t talk through it and move forward.
It makes me really disappointed because our kids would always FaceTime and we just shared so much of our lives with each other that I’ll genuinely miss hearing from her and it feels like over something stupid
How did you know when it was time to move up from your toddler balance bike to the next stage with pedals? We have a WOOM go and our 27 month old has been asking for pedals, we go on 3 mile rides about three times a week and he’s proficient at riding at this point. 27 months feels really young to transition to pedals . Looking for others experiences
How did you know when it was time to move up from your toddler balance bike to the next stage with pedals? We have a WOOM go and our 27 month old has been asking for pedals, we go on 3 mile rides about three times a week and he’s proficient at riding at this point. 27 months feels really young to transition to pedals . Looking for others experiences
Started from seed inside mid March, johnnys seeds.. haven’t had really any growth but color changing in the leaves… statice
I just need a place to vent this mornings shenanigans.
My son (almost 15) woke me up at 6:56 that he missed the bus because he was cleaning dog vomit up; we have an elderly dog who sometimes will get sick. My eldest (almost 16) walked right past it and texted me that she didn’t see it but I found spots my son missed cleaning so I know there was a fair amount and she was probably on her phone instead of out of her room getting ready for school.. or she completely ignored it.
I’m without a car for 3 days so I had to call the taxi service to take my son to school, where he gets out of the taxi and WALKS THE OTHER WAY! The principal called me to update me and asked me to contact him.. my son wanted to get a snack so he was walking to near by gas station all the kids go to. WTF!
Then he texts me that he left his LAX stick in the taxi and can I call them to get it back ? Well! The owner said they will put it in the lost and found until I can get it. Problem there is anyone can take it and I’m without a car for 3 days, LAX gear is expensive. He said for a fare they can drop it off…
I am so mad at the laziness of my eldest, the walking the opposite way to get a snack so casual of my son and now having to be out 100$ total for taxi and returning the stick.
In case anyone asks, because it’s Reddit .. my toddler was up most of the night so we were cosleeping downstairs that’s why I didn’t hear any of this happening or be upstairs, cars in the shop and hubby is gone 14 hours a day with our other car for these 3 days.
In zone 5b/6a first time grower. Would it be too late to start these snaps for a fall harvest?
Transplanted from ziplock baggies about 2 weeks ago and now it looks like this.
My 14 year old son recently had a new girlfriend and I just learned some frustrating information. I try very hard to give freedom, and trust but also hold age appropriate boundaries. We had met his gf a few times before he asked to go over to her house, I followed up with her parents that I didn’t want them/ him unsupervised or in bedrooms. I know we all were teens once upon a time but it’s actually in our court order to confirm plans with any adults who’ll have general supervision. I don’t want to go into details as to why but let’s just say despite being 14 he has a lot going on and has certain diagnoses that impair his judgement.
The relationship didn’t last more than 6 weeks and fizzled out but I learned that gfs mom allowed them to go have sex in her bedroom and even at one point was texting her daughter (the gf) making jokes about how loud they were. It was an agreed upon thing between the 3 of them that they would lie to me and fabricated stories.
It’s been a few months and I really want to say something to this woman because that’s gross and so disrespectful but also feel like I need to just take a breath and let it go. Unfortunately this also reaffirms that I just also can’t trust my teen, but I also expect my teens to lie and test boundaries, I never expected another mother to.
This was a new relationship, we do keep condoms in our bathroom but idk her birth control status. There’s other factors that I’d really like to not go into but let’s just say my sons judgement is impaired, he engages in high risk behaviors and per psychiatrists he needs an extra layer of supervision so it’s hard to not be “controlling” while also giving opportunities and freedom.
Would you say anything to this mom?
I want to vent about something but am very hesitant because I don’t want it to be offensive or misconstrued. So I’ll preface this by saying I have two older kids who I utilized daycare / preschool for and couldn’t have survived without it. Zero shame.
My husband and I planned our baby, lost a daughter before our son was born and from day one planned that I’d pause my career and be a SAHM. Unfortunately it’s now looking like I’m going to need to return to the workforce but the thought of placing our toddler into daycare fills me with dread. We probably wouldn’t have had a child if it meant they sit in daycare all day and we basically just see them in the evening while they’re overstimulated and exhausted, and on weekends.
The last two years have been filled with trips to the beach, the library, music classes, swim lessons, mastering our balance bike and hiking. Every day I’ve made it a point to get out and do something enriching with our toddler, to parent presently and with patience. Because of how fast my older kids grew up, I know I’m going to blink and he will be in kindergarten. I have lived the “you’re going to miss this” with my older kids and it’s helped me be calm and focused in motherhood with our toddler.
I know life changes and I need to just be grateful that we’ve had an amazing two years together. I just need some place to share how sad this is making me because this was something we never wanted for him. I don’t want someone else to be my child’s primary caregiver, I want that so badly to be me. For US - just seeing him 4:45/5pm - bedtime and on weekends doesn’t feel like parenting, it feels like visitation and I’ll be missing out on his life. It makes me sick to my stomach stressed.
This isn’t any shade to those who utilize daycare; some parents love it, some use it purely out of necessity and hate it as well. I’m just trying to offload the deep sadness that I’m experiencing and hope to connect to other parents who felt similarly.
To me it doesn’t feel like parenting and I’m filled with such dread over it. Like our beautiful life is changing and I just don’t see how it’s “better”. It’s something we never wanted to have to utilize and it just sucks.
He is our last child and the moments I’ll never get back will be the ones where he’s overstimulated before bed, and the weekends. That doesn’t feel like
Life.
Editing to add: Stop downvoting because a mother feels fulfilled as a SAHM and doesn’t want to utilize daycare. We post all the time about how hard motherhood is and how women are always shamed in their choices, why is this any different? I literally prefaced how critical daycare was for my older children and that I couldn’t have survived without it… I know all benefits of daycare. But is that something women aren’t allowed to share? Women can rant on here about how they hate parenting on the weekends and can’t wait to send their kids back to daycare and the comments are 100+ of echoing the same sentiment but a woman can’t say that daycare feels like a loss of time together and it’s causing sadness? What even is this nonsense
This is my first year doing a cut flower garden and it’s been full of trial and error. Now I have a silly question; Is anyone getting seedlings from a local nursery or big box store like Lowe’s for their cut garden? If so, how do you know that they’ll be of proper size and not “fed hormones to keep them small”?
I have purchased two different seedlings, at different times from different places just to learn on here that they’ll likely stay petite and not actually work for cut flower gardens. How does a buyer/ grower know this when purchasing seedlings ? Or is this just common knowledge that you must grow from seed on your own?
These are from Lowe’s. Can I pinch them or no? They’re already blooming but pretty short., maybe 4 inches or so. I’m in 5b
Some of my seedlings look a little lime green/ yellow green and I’m wondering if that means they need a fertilizer? Pictured here are Sweet Peas (we just passed our last frost date, but now are going to have three days of heavy rain. They will go out on Sunday.) strawflowers, snapdragons, bachelor buttons, celosia and cosmos.
Not pictured is 50 cosmos under the grow light in my storage “grow” room. I am in the process of hardening these seedlings off and just brought them inside, they aren’t living here by the window. I’m doing a dance of outside, inside , outside inside.
Zone 5b/6a
I’m looking for validation from parents on a situation.
I have two teens who play the same sport, different schools, the younger one has played for 3 years and the older one it’s their first year.
On the days they’ve had games at the same time/ near by fields, I’ve spent first half at one and then the second half at the others game.
Today they have a game in completely different towns and I have to pick who’s to attend. I did attend the younger ones yesterday so I think it’s fair and the “right” thing to attend the older kids today.
This is where I’m caught up. The older kiddo told me they sincerely don’t care and to go to the younger siblings game. My eldest doesn’t get a ton of playing time and mostly stands there, the field isn’t as great for me to entertain my toddler while watching my eldest play so it does come with some “cons”. As much as these are downsides my gut says it’s not about the field, or the playing time it’s about showing up for them so they know they’re important.
My heart really wants to watch my younger kiddo because they get a ton of playing time and are a great player, the field they’ll be playing on is easier to manage my toddler , it’s just an open space where he can run where the other is just incrediblly tall bleachers which let’s be real, I can’t watch a game and keep eye on the toddler equally. But again at least I’d be showing up which is important.
I should go with my brain here and attend the oldest on the bleachers even though they said they truly don’t care, right?
Eldest is almost 16, second is almost 15.
We don’t have family nearby and my husband is their step dad but he’s a coach for a different sport that also has a game in case anyone wants to ask where my spouse is to help.
Edit to add: I just looked at the calendars for both teens and I have only one more game I’m available to attend for my younger teen, and like 4 more for my eldest. So I’m going to the younger teens game even though I was at one yesterday, and will miss the oldests today . While it feels really crappy today, it will work out in the long run to attend the next 4 for the oldest.