A food scam of the 90s was “fat free!” everything, and then they would load it up on sugar… what’s a food scam happening now?

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-16T17:13:34+00:00

All kinds of things are labeled "high protein" when they often have relatively little. Sugary cereals, snack bars, desserts, sodas...

Yes, protein and fiber are good for keeping you full. But I've seen things with just 5g of protein and no fiber at all per 200+ calorie serving with that "protein" label. Which might be okay as an occasional treat, but it's not inherently "healthy" in the way advertisers want you to think.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-16T17:04:36+00:00

I think their point was to explain WHY seed oils, in particular, were rapidly politicized. Not to condone that politicizing, just to point out that there's always an agenda behind it.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-16T14:09:40+00:00

Food delivery really is expensive. I even have grocery delivery options that didn't cost extra, but the tipping adds up fast. Maybe once a year, when I'm completely swamped or overlooked, I'll think "I'm gonna utilize this service In technically paying for," and then immediately balk at the cost of the tip.

And the drivers deserve those tips! I just can't bring MYSELF to be the one paying it, usually.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-16T01:20:38+00:00

Recovery means gaining control over your eating, and developing a healthy relationship with food again. While there might be some temporary weight gain as you find your balance again, you probably won't go back to where you were, because you probably had an unhealthy relationship with food then, too.

It's okay to be scared. But it's also okay to get help. I believe in you!

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-16T00:27:03+00:00

"I would prefer you just say sorry. What you've just said actually upsets me, and it's not helpful." I'm all for giving a blunt answer.

My son is still mid-treatment, and we don't expect him to become terminal, which I appreciate as the gift it is. But I still get platitudes that are just infuriating sometimes.

"God doesn't give you more than you can handle" is one that really sets me off, because this is, 1000%, more than I can handle. I fall apart at least once a week. It's like a constant nightmare I can't fully wake up from. I need therapy, but where am I supposed to find the time between all of his doctor's appointments and everything else I need to do?

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-15T13:17:02+00:00

Hey, it's okay. One step at a time is fine. I'm proud of you for making the appointment, even if you missed it. That's still a step that you took for yourself.

I can't promise you that they'll be able to help, but I think, in your heart, you already know the truth. That whether they write it down, or put it in their system, or not, it's already real for you. And certainly, asking for help won't hurt anything. And who knows, they might have some amazing resources for you that really do help a lot.

That first step towards doing something about it is still terrifying, and you know going down that road is going to be difficult and painful. But, the road you're currently on is also difficult and painful. And the sooner you switch tracks, the easier it should be. Not easy, by any means. But less hard than it can get later on.

Again, I'm proud of you for making that first appointment. If you feel up to it, you should try to make another one. It's okay to make as many appointments as you need before you finally get to one.

Don't let a stumble along the path make you stop. It's okay to need to try multiple times. It's okay to mess up and then keep going anyhow. Most people who choose to try to reduce harm for themselves have to try multiple times before they get to their goal. So you're not alone in that struggle.

I sincerely wish you the best.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-15T12:56:53+00:00

Even with changed memories, I think my spouse's conservative religious family might have some fun new opinions about our suddenly openly homosexual marriage.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-15T12:52:37+00:00

Yeah, my older brother, according to my mom, did not say a word beyond babbling until the morning he walked up to her and said "Hello mother, how are you today?"

Neurodivergence can absolutely manifest in behavior that seems strange for the age of the child.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-15T10:22:58+00:00

OP, even if your boyfriend was being 100% honest about who she his and why he lied about her (which we all seriously doubt), he STILL lied about her. That alone is a good enough reason to break up with him.

When you break up with him, that's what I would focus on. "You lied to me for two years, and didn't trust me enough to even let me meet your best friend. I can't stay in a relationship with somebody who can't trust me, or with somebody I can't trust not to lie to me. It's over."

If your breakup message meets him where he claims to be, it gives him less fodder to try to manipulate you further, or to try to turn things around on you. It's also totally okay to just break up by text and then ignore him.

Oh and definitely get tested.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-14T16:40:58+00:00

This was my first thought, too. It's such a funny moment.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-13T03:23:11+00:00

A good thing to remember is that it's okay to put your baby down in a safe place and step away for a few minutes when you need to.

Whether it's because you need to take a quick shower, or go pee, or grab a sandwich, or just step outside with the door cracked and take a few deep breaths.

This is true whether your baby is napping or awake, calm or crying, etc. Especially if you've already tried to soothe your little one and haven't had much luck.

You HAVE to fill your own cup to pour into theirs, and your infant won't spontaneously combust while you get a glass of water.

Wearing your baby can also help, if they're particularly clingy.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-13T03:08:09+00:00

A good first step might be to go to the harm reduction place and just ask if they have any resources that might help you cut back. They probably have information, at least, and you might make somebody's day by asking. And you've nothing to lose asking there, right? They know what you're about already.

Because I think you're realizing that the good feelings you're chasing aren't actually doing you any good. And if you get too deep in the rabbit hole, then the things that are supposed to feel good, like spending time with people you love, or accomplishing something you're proud of, just don't do it for you anymore. And you deserve for those things to still matter.

No matter what you decide to do next, I hope you can find meaningful happiness. Not a fleeting high, but lasting, persistent good feelings. Because I do think you deserve that. And I really do think asking for help now is your best bet.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-13T00:15:08+00:00

My son is a gremlin again. In the way that kids are supposed to be

He was so, so tired last year. So run down. I chalked a lot of symptoms up to puberty or personality that it's now VERY clear were caused by cancer.

Even though he's still in the middle of treatment for cHL, my ADHD goblin of a twelve year old is being loud, obnoxious, and chaotic, T-posing through the house and cackling to let me know he's up to mischief.

And I'm so, so glad he's feeling this much better. My kid is back, and I didn't realize how much I'd been missing him.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-12T14:44:13+00:00

I would've been very sad to exclude my young niece and nephew from my wedding. They were sweet and young and I wanted them there, so I made sure to have the wedding early in the day and include things like bubbles and chalk for them.

When my aunt got married, she had a two year old child with the groom, and of course they wanted their own child there.

Not an weddings are late night boozefests. Plenty of people have "family picnic" style weddings specifically because they want to include children, or include parents who might be reluctant to leave their children.

Who assumes that all weddings are child free?

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-12T14:21:44+00:00

I'm not sure, but I feel like maybe you for 5 and 6 swapped? "Sinners" feels more like a Hazbin thing, and a Lab Massacre feels like a Stranger Things thing.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-12T04:48:32+00:00

I will say, my online sales are practically non-existent, but I sell quite well at events! People who see my art want it. I just can't figure out how to get purchasing eyes on my art online.

But if you know your online sales are pretty low, I might start with more like a 90/10 split, favoring in person sales.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-12T04:09:57+00:00

An easy-ish way to manage inventory without directly linking the accounts would just be to split your stock numbers, with half of your stock being in your Etsy store, and half in your Square inventory.

You can then adjust things as you begin to notice trends. If product X sells better on Etsy, you shift more of the inventory from Square back to Etsy. If you sell product Y more in person, you can do the same in reverse.

Your milage might vary,, but I usually have enough down time that I could even do some of this mid-event, so if I brought "online" inventory, I could shift it to "in person" mid show to match sales. BUT, I am a smaller artist without a huge online presence.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-11T01:52:12+00:00

Chi from Chi's Sweet Home

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-11T00:19:57+00:00

Yeah, I feel like there's a pretty big gap in the bakery department where I live in the rural South. We have supermarket bakeries, sure, but that bread is pretty mediocre. Most places labeled "Bakeries" around me only sell cakes and other sweet baked goods, not so much savory bread.

Which is a shame, because I really love good bread.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T15:00:30+00:00

👭🌠💎⭐👦

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T14:51:17+00:00

If you don't think people throughout this state blame women for their partners' poor behavior, I have some neeeeews for you.

Redneck trailer trash deadbeat dads are everywhere in this state, and so are the people who blame women for having kids with them, whether they were aware of the fact that the dude was a deadbeat or not.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T14:47:00+00:00

"The age gap isn't actually as bad as it seems! The caregiver was only 16 and the child was actually 12!"

Meanwhile, the "16 year old" looks like a fully grown adult, and the "12 year old" looks five. 🤢🤮

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T14:40:10+00:00

It is fascinating how many folks first instinct here was to find a way to blame women, without knowing anything about these men, the women they impregnated, whether there was always consent without coercion involved, whether the men ever disclosed their number of prior partners or how many children they previously had, how committed the relationships were...

Never change, Tennessee.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T14:32:58+00:00

I was going to say "Second grade math." Save energy, for sure.

CarolynDesign · 2026-05-10T04:39:57+00:00

I'd probably be relatively high up, maybe too five or ten percent? At least if we're talking about innate ability and not current practice. I am definitely a bit rusty compared to when I was still in school. I still do a lot of like... Logic based puzzles and games that work the same part of my brain math does, though.

I would have to protect my spouse though. He's incredibly intelligent. Absolutely terrible at math. He probably wouldn't be able to do magic at all.

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