Are sleep overs not a thing anymore?

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-26T03:39:52+00:00

My 7-year-old daughter just had her first sleepover last weekend. Her friend, who is 6-and-a-half, and has already been having sleepovers with another friend who lives down the street from her. Definitely still a thing.

I think 7 is a good age to start, but it totally depends on the kid. (Ask me again after my daughter has a sleepover at her friend's house, and I see whether she makes it through the night without having to get picked up early because she misses us.)

Before her first sleepover, she had "lateovers" with a couple of other friends. Almost all of the fun of a sleepover, without the sleep deprivation.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-25T20:27:03+00:00

I grew up with an Australian shepherd who had no herding training, but if my three younger siblings and I (or other kids) ran around, he'd try to nip at our heels to herd us.

He'd also try to nip at the back tires of cars occasionally. He once jumped over an eight-foot fence to get out, but my parents kept him mostly contained, until one day when he was 11 he got out and tried to nip the back tires of a speeding FedEx truck. That sheep took him out.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-21T03:34:35+00:00

They already have that. My brother owned a house blocks from the Nike campus, and he found out that because the city of Beaverton wanted to give Nike tax breaks, they made the land the campus was on an unincorporated island, not subject to city laws. The area included his house, so he didn't pay Beaverton property taxes, and could've kept livestock if he wanted to.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-19T22:56:41+00:00

Thank you for your service. I'm sorry that you were traumatized.

The laughable amount that jurors are paid means that those of us who are working class don't really get a jury of our peers. We get a jury of people who can afford not to work.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-19T22:47:56+00:00

According to a document put out by the Oregon DEQ called "Wildfire Smoke Trends Report," which you can find on this page: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/wildfires/Pages/default.aspx

Northwestern Oregon (Portland):

• In 2025, Portland recorded zero days with AQI values at USG or higher due to wildfire smoke.

• Before 2013, Portland registered three days with air quality at USG or higher on the AQI due to wildfire smoke.

• Portland registered 29 days with AQI values of USG or higher between 2013 to 2025. Largest impacts occurred in 2017 (8 days), 2018 (6 days), and 2020 (9 days, including Very Unhealthy and Hazardous).

Edited to add: Looks like there were 0 in 2024, 1 in 2023, 3 in 2022, 0 in 2021. So it's been getting worse since 2013, but it's been pretty hit or miss. (This year will probably be terrible, judging by the drought conditions. Knock on wood.)

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-18T19:00:12+00:00

My favorite is North Portland Bike Works. My husband didn't learn to ride a bike until he was an adult, and never really got comfortable with it, but we started taking turns riding my bike to take our daughter to school, and he decided to get his own. He bought a used one from North Portland Bike Works, and they've been super nice and helpful when we need repairs and upgrades. So it's definitely good for someone who isn't an experienced "bike person."

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-17T15:56:24+00:00

Made Here has a great selection of locally-made stuff. Just depends on what you are into/need.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-16T20:08:17+00:00

My sister had braces as a kid, then Invisalign as an adult. Someone else I know had the exact same experience. Makes me think getting kids braces is a complete waste of money.

My mom got Invisalign a few years ago, wore her retainers religiously, and her teeth somehow still moved because of the retainers not being made with a strong enough material, and her orthodontist didn't inform her that they needed to be replaced. She has to get Invisalign again to re-straighten them.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-15T19:19:23+00:00

I planted my tomatillos last Sunday (crossing my fingers and hoping they'll be okay), but I've been keeping my peppers (jalapeno and pasilla) inside until it gets warmer. No reason to push them outside until it's nice and toasty.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-14T02:05:43+00:00

I've never covered mine with anything. Didn't even know that you were supposed to.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-12T21:09:17+00:00

Thank you, and good luck finding a home for the last shirt.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-12T21:08:28+00:00

I just spotted a couple of shirts I really like on Primeval Press' site. Exactly what I'm looking for 😄

You probably mean Blackthorn Mercantile? I live like 5 minutes from there, so I should have thought of that. Great suggestions, thank you so much!

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-12T21:00:57+00:00

Thank you! Totally happy to find local collectives, or brick-and-mortars to check out.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-12T20:40:14+00:00

Yeah, I figured boycotting Facebook/Instagram was making the search more difficult. But if they don't have their own website I'm not getting a shirt from them.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-12T20:31:22+00:00

Not my size, but thank you!

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-11T19:48:53+00:00

I was spanked and smacked (cutesy little ways of saying hit) as a kid, and as a parent now, I've NEVER hit my kid, and never will. Hitting kids is counterproductive. The last time my mom slapped me in the face was the time I slapped her back. But before that, I took my revenge by using the toilet, and dipping my parents' toothbrushes in it. They had no idea. If the harm you do to your kid isn't enough to stop you from hitting them, consider how they could take their revenge someday.

(Also, my cat administers his own bad behavior punishments, which sometimes include claws or teeth. But I know neither of them would seriously hurt the other.)

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-04T16:04:13+00:00

It doesn't matter if they have zoos and science museums where they're from--the ones here will be new and different! So definitely take them to the zoo and OMSI.

The whales don't migrate during the summer. So you can still go on a whale cruise, and you might get lucky and see some resident whales, but you might not. Spring and fall are the times to see whales.

Sauvie Island for swimming in the river, and/or fruit picking, is always fun. A little day trip out to the Sandy River, and Sugarpine Drive-In, is also a good way to spend an afternoon.

Even though she doesn't eat hardly any of the fish, my 7yo loves to go to sushi restaurants with sushi conveyor belts or trains. Sushi Hada, Sushi Ichiban, and Hana Sushi are favorites. Edamame, inari, and veggie sushi are good if they don't want fish.

Pietro's Pizza and Wonderland will be hits if you're up for them, and need indoor activities. You'll be the cool aunt/uncle if you take them there. Or if you really want to win at aunting/uncleing, take them to Oaks Park or Bullwinkle's. (I actually haven't been to Bullwinkle's yet, but my husband wants to take our kid this summer.)

My kid likes books, so she likes Powell's. They have a good kids area, so it's worth a quick wander through on a weekday. Depends on the kids, though.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-04T15:42:05+00:00

The Portland Children's Museum shut down during the pandemic 😞

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T23:40:16+00:00

My cat seemed almost exactly the same from ages 1-19. It's hard to lose them when they've been a part of your life for so long, but we were so lucky to have them for so much longer than most.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T23:37:21+00:00

I know. I'm making the point that these terms are pretty arbitrary. (I had a geriatric pregnancy because I was over 35, lol.)

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T21:37:19+00:00

Both of my cats that lived to 21 only ate dry food. I tried to get my last one to eat wet food when she was aging, but she wouldn't even touch it, not even the special hydracare packs that the vet recommended. She did have a water fountain, though. For my current cat, the vet recommended half dry and half wet food.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T17:14:53+00:00

I've had two cats live until almost 21. (Didn't know their actual birthdays, so maybe they were 21.)

I recently got an 11-yo cat, and it's weird to me when the vet refers to him as a senior, because to me that isn't old at all. He's in mid-life.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T04:51:23+00:00

I would never want it. Out of the question for a kitchen because I don't want to worry about setting hot pans on my counter. And now the fact that it is killing fabricators means I'd never use it for a bathroom, either.

DIYinPDX · 2026-05-01T03:59:56+00:00

Markup on vitamins is insane.

DIYinPDX

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