u/OrangeYouuuGlad

It’s my first trip and I can only be there for 3 nights (I arrive very early on a Tuesday next month and leave late on Friday evening) and Monet’s house and garden in Giverny looks like a lovely place to visit (if I go, I’ll set off on my own and get there early in the day, already have a first entry ticket just in case).

But I’ve been seeing advice to avoid squeezing in this place for shorter Paris trips, especially for first timers, as it will make the trip too rushed. I thought it might make for an interesting experience out of the city on a September morning. What do you think? Would you recommend making the time for it? Is it worth it?

Hello! I had booked a 9am entry ticket to the Louvre for my visit in September and just booked one of their guided tours later that morning. The only available slot for the tour on that date was 11am -- two hours after i'm already supposed to be inside the museum. The meeting point is "group reception area," and appears to be next to the Pyramid.

My question is -- since the Pyramid seems to be located outside the actual museum, i'm thinking i can't go in at 9am with my ticket, and then come out to meet up with the tour group at 11am, since re-entry isn't permitted? Not sure how to swing this -- do I try emailing someone at the museum to see if i can meet them *inside*?

I live alone and would love to have friends over a lot but I don’t know if it’s okay to just invite them over for drinks and snacks/nibbles, as opposed to making them dinner which does feel too complicated as I don’t have a lot of time and don’t cook a ton 😅 I really want to invite a couple of them for something lowkey (one just had me at hers for a dinner party!) but the thought of cooking a proper meal because they might be expecting one stresses me out! Would love any suggestions ❤️

I live alone and would love to have friends over a lot but I don’t know if it’s okay to just invite them over for drinks and snacks/nibbles, as opposed to making them dinner which does feel too complicated as I don’t have a lot of time and don’t cook a ton 😅 I really want to invite a couple of them for something lowkey (one just had me at hers for a dinner party!) but the thought of cooking a proper meal because they might be expecting one stresses me out! Would love any suggestions ❤️

I hate vacuuming. I hate it so much. Getting it out of the utility cupboard, untangling the cord, dragging it from room to room. Then
taking it out and putting it back into the cupboard. It’s a fucking nightmare. Especially when it’s hot weather and I end up sweating buckets by the end of it. I also shed a lot of hair and my bedroom has carpeting, which meant that by the time I got around to vacuuming every two or three weeks (if that) the flat would end up looking so unclean. And it would lead to this domino effect where because the floors weren’t clean, I wouldn’t bother tidying up the rest of the stuff around the house because what’s the point and then it would just keep getting worse and worse until I finally cracked and did a big deep clean that was exhausting and lasted like two whole days.

Robot vacuum cleaners didn’t work fro me either. They would keep getting stuck, and I would have to run over to put them back in the right position or they would just keep banging into the furniture.

I got a Shark handheld cordless vacuum cleaner when I saw it on sale online and it was still a little pricey, but I decided to give it a shot. This thing has changed. my. life. Vacuuming is so easy now. It needs like four hours to charge, so I just keep it plugged in next to my desk, and then every evening I do like a quick vacuuming journey around the flat (no more than 10-15 minutes because that’s how long the charge lasts lol) and empty it out (SO EASY and not messy like my usual big vacuum) and then plug it back in for the next day. And that’s it. It has attachments that works in crevices and also on carpeted floors.

I’m still planning to use the big vacuum every couple of weeks, but what has changed is that these micro cleans every day keep the flat looking so tidy and clean. It doesn’t let the mess build up to the point where it’s overwhelming. I can just grab the vacuum cleaner now and tidy up an area if I see it needs it. And I feel like if the floors are clean, the rest of the place automatically looks much better.

Just wanted to share this here because I am absolutely thrilled about how much less painful the prospect of vacuuming feels now!!!

Edit: typos!! used voice to text for this 🫠

After a lifelong fear of water, I finally worked up the nerve to learn swimming with private lessons last year in my 30s. I was so proud of myself and was doing pretty okay for the first 3-4 lessons but then had to take some time off my classes because of work and travel, and when I got back to it, it felt like I had kind of regressed in my progress. And the whole thing just felt so hard to catch up so when I hit a wall, I got discouraged and stopped again.

This has happened two more times. It's like I go back for a lesson or two, manage to start catching up, promise my coach i will be back the following week, and then cancel/pause my lessons because i feel like I'm not making any progress or because it feels too difficult/stressful to keep going to the pool consistently. I keep procrastinating on it.

I've just finally rejoined the classes AGAIN (they are one-on-one lessons and the coach is lovely). I start next week.

I can float on my back etc but breast stroke is difficult to do. I really struggle with the breathing, and that's a big part of why I have quit these classes in the past. It feels hard to get the hang of and like an uphill battle.

This time I've also signed up for additional group lessons at the local leisure centre because I finally want to learn to swim once and for all. I'm tired of giving up on myself. I'm really embarrassed because I feel like my coach is going to think, oh, there she is again, the person who keeps starting and quitting. Except this time I really want to stick with it! I'm simultaneously embarrassed about going back and worried it will take me much longer than other people to learn swimming, and also that I will end up giving up on it again. Sorry about the rambling, I have just so much anxiety about this now. Any words of encouragement or tough love or any suggestions would be incredibly helpful <3 Thank you so much.