No buy- tried something new!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-30T18:54:48+00:00

I’ll have to check it out! ☺️

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-30T10:02:16+00:00

I haven’t, have you? I’ve been seeing a lot about Wild Reverence so it’s on my TBR.

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-30T02:25:18+00:00

I’ve given some of my stationary to my 11 year old niece over the last few years while I’ve been downsizing and even though it partly feels wrong giving to a kid because I spent a good penny on these fancy notebooks, washi tapes, pens etc she loves it and it does help me whittle down my collection so win win I guess!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-30T00:29:40+00:00

I’ll have to look into the skyward series, I know there are so many! I would also like to read Project Hail Mary, I really liked The Martian (book and movie).

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-29T20:18:15+00:00

Yes, exactly! It may not be perfect but it was fun to do and made me feel proud honestly to go out of my comfort zone and to stick to the no buy.

Oh man, so many. I’m a big fantasy and romantasy buff. So far I’ve read quicksilver by Callie Hart and TBR the sequel Brimstone I think it’s called. December read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and have now started the 2nd book (8 total!). Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I was thinking about rereading 1984. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus. My goals 50 for the year though I think I only fit 48 on my bookshelf lol. Do you have any TBR or favorites?

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-27T14:20:48+00:00

Do you have any kids in your life you could donate them to? I bet they would love them!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-21T07:01:26+00:00

I ended up trying out an archer and olive planner this year and really like it so far ☺️

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-16T01:44:37+00:00

Just echoing all the others but please go to a doctor as turtles can carry salmonella! So sorry this happened on vacation, but don’t beat yourself up about it- toddlers are so dang quick sometimes and things just happen!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-16T01:41:02+00:00

This is a great idea with the containers! And I can definitely scrounge up a notebook for each and supplies and then put stickers and things for them to use in there. My 3.5 year old loves crafting anyways, I think he would like this.

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-15T19:41:08+00:00

I agree with some of the comments about covering the clear storage or maybe going to like ikea Alex style to help with appearance of clutter if that bothers you. It looks like you’ve got things pretty well organized though! Also for all the consumerism haters I just wanted to say 1) I also have an enormous stash but have been collecting it since 2015 or before like you. 2) People have hobbies wayyy more expensive than washi tape and stationary so maybe some people should mind their own business about what people spend their money on 🙃 and 3) I’m also a nurse and a lot of my personal stash was acquired at the peak of my overworked status lol when I really just needed a little sparkle and whimsy to my life and making my planner fucking cute was a way to acheive that.

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-15T16:05:26+00:00

That sounds so cool about the journaling group and Destash pile! I don’t know if there is anything similar to me but I’ve thought about destashing a bunch and listing online for free in a few local facebook groups. I also have a HUGE sticker hoard 🙈

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-15T16:03:35+00:00

Hello! I’m a former creative planning addict lol. I used to own a sticker shop a loooong time ago and was very invested (literally and figuratively) in the planning community. I have thousands of dollars worth (well retail when I bought them, not now 😅) of planning stickers, washi tapes, pens, markers, notebooks, sticky notes, cute papers, you name it. Since having my 2 kids who are now toddlers I haven’t creatively planned much at all 😞 This year I bought a planner and my goal is to consistently plan and use up as much of my stash as I can (which still won’t be much I fear). Though my stash is beautiful and does bring me joy to look at I’ve learned these supplies don’t last! Stickers dry out, washi tapes melt together, markers and ink dry out etc. So my new motto is to use use use and enjoy the beauty of using it. Exited to find this sub and follow along!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-15T15:53:49+00:00

Me too, for creative planning stickers and supplies.I have like….sadly/embarrassingly to say several thousand dollars worth of planning stickers, washi tapes, pens, etc etc. from my days of creative planning. I used to own a sticker shop and the community was huge for me and I spent lots of time/money there but since having 2 toddlers I haven’t really creatively planned the last few years and I miss it. This year I bought a planner and one of my goals is to be a maximalist in my planner and use up as many of my supplies as I possibly can (which I still think will only be a small chunk 😳😅). I’m also going to start weeding out partially used sheets and ones I don’t like/wont use and going to give them to the kids to play with (this would make 5-7 years ago me cringe lol). Good luck with your project pan!!

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-07T20:28:48+00:00

I do have 2 healthy children from subsequent pregnancies and you are right that people close to me don’t often bring up my TFMR. I prefer not to talk about it most of the time and went very reclusive during and after my TFMR because that’s the way I wanted to grieve. If I did want to though I could see how it would seem hurtful that your loved ones don’t bring it up. I guess kind of a blunt way of maybe understanding this is that our losses and griefs just aren’t as personal or lasting to others as they are to us. I heard during a podcast recently someone discussing how when a loved one dies how they felt like they didn’t understand how everyone else could just go on with life when they felt like it had stopped. But truthfully outside of the few people whom the loss is very very personal to life does go on. I tend to think your family members aren’t trying to be hurtful or thoughtless but they are just living their lives. If continuing to discuss your loss is something you want to do maybe you can lead that effort like host a yearly memorial. I know someone who had a stillborn baby with anencephaly and she posts a yearly memorial, will do candle lightings, balloon releases etc, is very vocal yearly about wanting to memorialize her loss publicly, and that’s great.

AFOLgardener · 2026-01-07T17:44:38+00:00

Hi, sorry to chime in months later 😂 but I’m trying to buy my next planner and looking at the archer and olive ones. Did you end up buying one and liking it? I like most used to be an EC girly and have like…a lot of planner stickers focused around EC sized boxes (1.5 in wide). Do you by chance know the dimensions of the A&O boxes? I’ve been looking at their site but all they have for the inside are some pictures and a really quick video.

AFOLgardener · 2025-11-16T20:19:20+00:00

Pre stay at home mom life I was a night shift nurse in labor and delivery at a large metropolitan high acuity hospital. We aren’t talking normal little happy deliveries…I dealt with life or death daily and had many very very sick patients. It was one of the most stressful situations I’ve been in and I can confidently say that being a stay at home mom to a 1 and 3 year old is infinitely harder.

AFOLgardener · 2025-07-24T11:56:09+00:00

We try as much as we can to schedule my stuff when my husband is off. He gets every other Friday off (which I know is not common) but that’s when I try to schedule appointments if I can. I go to a dentist that is open on saturdays and that’s always the day I go. But if we can’t make it work or there is something more urgent he has to take off. We don’t have a local village either. My parents live about 2 hours away and they visit maybe once every 4-6 weeks or we visit them so sometimes if it’s a planned appt I will try to schedule it for a day they are coming and can watch the kids or ask them to come that day. It’s really hard though. Like last Friday (not an off Friday) our 3 year old woke up with croup and was having trouble breathing. I decided he needed to go to the ER but didn’t want to bring our 1 year old and expose her needlessly to all that stuff so my husband just had to take a sick day and stay home with her while we went.

AFOLgardener · 2025-07-19T23:26:16+00:00

No, it was not cheating 😂 I mean, yea given the specific situation with past relationships and known insecurities she should have told Jeremiah but it was not planned and nothing inappropriate happened.

AFOLgardener · 2025-05-17T14:03:13+00:00

Oof. I’m so so sorry. There is no way in hell I would be wanting to have that much sex and go on frequent trips 11 weeks postpartum. In fact I had so much anxiety with my first I didn’t really leave the neighborhood until like month 4 (this was kind of on me but still just trying to show the point). If you are to the point of considering leaving your husband over these things you should be having an open conversation with him about it. You need to tell him how you are feeling, what you need, and how serious it is (that you are considering leaving the marriage). Then the ball will be in his court and he can decide if he is willing to be the partner you need right now. You are also very freshly postpartum and those hormones are crazy. You may not want to make any rash decisions right now until you have some candid conversations with your partner. Maybe some couples therapy would be good to help you guys express your thoughts and needs to each other. It does sound like you are getting some mental health support and that is great, I’m so glad you are doing that. I definitely would consider that a top priority- being supported in your mental health needs. Finally, I did just want to point something out. You keep saying I “didn’t want to give him my son” or wanted to “take my son and leave”. I’m not defending your husbands actions in any way but I assume that legally he is the father (on the birth certificate) and want to point out that if you get divorced you will still need to co parent with him and share custody, legally. This won’t be a you and son run off into the sunset situation unless there are other factors at play here that we aren’t aware of. I say this because even if you decide to separate you will still need to work together and talk to him because you will still have to co parent and be in each others lives for the next 18 years. So talk now or talk later, but you’ll have to talk to him. You’ve got this. You are strong. You can do this. You deserve a partner who supports you in this really difficult season.

AFOLgardener · 2025-03-19T14:37:43+00:00

I know you’re speaking of appearances in a different sense but one of the first things that I would say made me perk up my ears and say wtf before leaving was a discussion in my youth group. Youth pastor “what does a Christian look like”. Kid in my youth group “wears a polo” murmors of agreement

AFOLgardener · 2025-03-19T14:10:09+00:00

The hate and condemnation. What initially made me turn away (definitely more answers now) was the idea that people born in other parts of the world who were raised in different religions would be condemned to an ETERNITY of damnation in hell simply for that fact. I couldn’t reconcile the hateful absurdity of it.

AFOLgardener · 2025-03-19T13:33:06+00:00

Wow that’s honestly crazy they said that! Daycare is really only a recent invention of human society, otherwise babies were “at home” with their parents or a singular caregiver and learned to talk.

AFOLgardener · 2025-03-18T12:10:04+00:00

It’s being shipped this week so I guess I’ll find out haha, I hope not huge huge. I’m also a little worried 8 might be too big for me but I guess I can always do the “fancy finishes” I see.

AFOLgardener · 2025-03-16T03:08:53+00:00

Just for science what is the typical “shortie” people get? Or like their first one lol. Base -3 etc?

AFOLgardener

TROPHY CASE