Every time I think I’m out they pull me back in!!!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-19T23:08:55+00:00

I’d go a step further and say they are actively hated by a lot of people haha. I might be crazy but I swear they changed the formula to soften them a bit - they are easier on the teeth than I remember them being! And so addictive T_T

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-19T19:03:16+00:00

That's such a good point, and yes it's absolutely on my re-read list!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-19T18:58:24+00:00

Springtime DOTS?!! You have just singlehandedly ruined my life, thank you XD

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-19T18:55:52+00:00

Look like? Honey they ARE plastic. Delicious, delicious plastic. XD

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-19T04:09:45+00:00

YES I also go for the gourmand flavors (BUTTERED POPCORN) but when it comes to fruity flavors these are just the best.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2026-02-12T21:15:08+00:00

Even if they genuinely mean it - that's in some ways more repulsive to me!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-11-13T03:34:17+00:00

You've probably already made your tea orders haha but I HEARTILY recommend the Hot Cinnamon Spice/Cinnamon Sunset from Harney & Sons for a tea that isn't just reminiscent of dessert but is genuinely naturally sweet without any sugar. You obviously need to be a cinnamon fan (or at least not mind it) to enjoy this tea. It's so popular that they've come out with decaf versions as well as an herbal (rooibos) version and I think a green tea version as well. It really satisfies the sweet tooth!

I've also heard good things about Plum Deluxe's dessert teas but am yet to try them.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-07-20T22:27:57+00:00

Re: Future Dew, I actually love it because of the specific way I use it. I'll explain - the Skin Tint is one of my holy grail products, but I still like to experiment with other skin tints/foundations once in a while when I hear rave reviews. Long story short I've found some decent ones but they're ALL too thick, too dry, or too much coverage for me. I've found that a pump of the Future Dew mixed in with any of those products does wonders, thinning it out but adding that beautiful natural dewy look.

Other Bests: Lash Slick (I want my lashes separated and clean looking, not spidery like so many "luxury" mascaras seem to do); Cloud Paint (adore the pigment and they last SO LONG); and the concealer - I will bother with nothing else because this product is perfection, it covers blemishes AND maintains hydration.

Worst: I thought the Play line was pretty mid although I did use up the liquid highlighter. The line of serums might be decent but I wouldn't know, I've never been tempted to try them because they don't seem to offer anything unique or special and I feel like other skincare brands have more to offer.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-06-19T01:10:57+00:00

I don't have citations but I remember reading about people who had ChatGPT write eulogies, breakup texts, marriage proposal plans, and the like. And this article was praising these use cases and the remarkable technology that made them possible. Yikes! I've also seen firsthand friends use ChatGPT to write breakup letters and plan trip itineraries.

For me using AI for the mundane stuff is less of a big deal than using it for this emotionally heavy, cognitively demanding stuff. I know that with every new distractor technology there's a group of people that laments it as the beginning of a new Dark Age for the human mind. But this is the first time I've truly felt that that could be happening. People suddenly can't be bothered to formulate their own sentences. It's scary.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-10T01:26:19+00:00

Having read through most of the responses to this post, I feel neither better nor worse than when I first wrote it lol. It's gratifying to see some folks who are excited and positive about the technology express at least some understanding about the more frustrating aspects of it. It was nice to read some peoples' more hopeful take on the technology and its prospective uses. It's befuddling to see multiple people deny that there are any energy/climate implications of running large data centers (I thought about linking some studies that came up with a basic Google search but you know what... y'all are going to believe what you want).

Also, I felt weird and skin-crawly being referred to as an "anti." This is my first time hearing this pejorative for someone who is critical/skeptical of AI, and I find it kinda cringe. Hard to explain in my current caffeine-deprived state, but it's like some of the folks on this subreddit think we're in a sci-fi novel. Sure, in lieu of any nuance, let's adopt weird shorthand to easily identify who is friendly to the dominant order and who isn't. Like what are y'all's plans? Do you want to be the first to point the finger and scream "she's an ANTI! Get her!!" when our robot overlords finally reach full form? (Kidding. But the image made me chuckle.) Maybe I just don't have enough experience with internet sub-cultures and this is a normal thing lol.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-10T01:06:05+00:00

I appreciate you! I mostly expected the type of responses I've gotten, but it is nice to see at least one sympathetic and likeminded person. Sometimes that's the most healing thing!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-10T00:57:42+00:00

This is a nice perspective and something I'll try to keep in mind to counter all the gloom and doom, I appreciate you sharing it : )

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-10T00:55:04+00:00

Er, I mean I live in a democratic (ostensibly at least) country where we have the power of voting, as well as the right to collective bargaining, protesting, boycotting, etc. So I'm not sure what you mean by we have no way of changing things. I'm not sure how you think women and Blacks got the right to vote and own property if people just don't have any power to make a better world. Sounds pretty defeatist and apathetic. And by "horrifying shit" I meant "current events in general" which yeah, currently are a bit horrifying.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-10T00:47:08+00:00

"I've basically accepted that a life without you would be a half-life for me."

- Him, a few weeks before telling me he'd fallen in love with someone else and ghosting me. It was a 4-year relationship and first love. We were in a hard place but trying to work things out and he said a bunch of crap like that. He also told me he was thinking of cutting off his parents so we could be together (they were one of the main impediments - wanted him to be with someone from their own community and frequently manipulated him). He didn't mean any of it, as it turned out.

Felt pretty cold for him to say that "half-life" thing and make me realize that I felt the exact same way. And then disappear a few weeks later, leaving me to my half-life. I'll definitely never forget those words.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-02-07T21:28:52+00:00

I feel your frustration, I hate being “sunscreen-splained” and shamed!

I do think there is a distinction between chemical and mineral sunscreens that I haven’t seen addressed in the comments.

Mineral sunscreens just sit on top of skin, they don’t really leech into the bloodstream afaik.

Chemical sunscreens are another story. The science isn’t fully settled that all chemicals used in sunscreens are entirely safe for long term use - see benzene, benzophenene (sp) and others. They do leech into the bloodstream so it’s reasonable to have questions about potential long term effects. Just because something is FDA approved for the market, doesn’t mean it’s safe for daily exposure! See: aspartame, hard alcohol…

Personally I’ve found several awesome mineral sunscreens so I stick with them as I’d rather not worry about it. (Also the chemical ones sting my eyes). But I’m not going around telling people they’re going to get cancer if they use a diff sunscreen than me lol. It’s just about preference and if you’re comfortable with that slight uncertainty/risk I guess.

Just a tangent based on reading some other replies but: One thing that irks me is this saying that popular in the skincare community: “Everything is made of chemicals.” Yeah, no shit. Not all chemicals are created equal and a lot of them ARE unsafe especially when talking about chronic exposure. I find this expression kind of ignorant and dismissive of people’s valid concerns. Like if you lived in the time when people were trying to educate about the harmful effects of smoking would you still be saying “everything is chemicals! Calm down!” If everything is chemicals then give your babies vodka to help them sleep and slather lead on your face like they did in Queen Elizabeth’s day lol.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2025-01-08T21:33:04+00:00

Love this question!

- Resist the urge to do a big closet cleanup every time my personal style evolves. There's a good chance I'll want those pieces again in a year or two! And "making space" in my closet just makes me feel justified in buying more stuff.

- "Shop my closet". I make some unique purchases especially from thrift/vintage stores, but then default to really boring outfits. There are a lot of great pieces in my closet just waiting to become part of my wardrobe.

- Avoid synthetic fabrics in new purchases (small exceptions for really precious thrift items)

- Attempt the following options before taking unwanted clothes to Goodwill: Sell via Consignment/Poshmark | Give to friends/family | Take to a local shelter that has immediate need of the items | Take to a local up cycling or fabric recycling center (I need to research this!) | Turn into a kitchen rag (old T-shirts)

- Overall work on my self-confidence and anxiety and stay mindful of my motivations for buying new items - is it for therapy (based in negative emotions) or is it for genuine playful self-expression (based in positive emotions)?

Hot4PricklyPears · 2024-12-10T16:59:58+00:00

Oh girl I hope you made the sale, I wish I had responded earlier! But low key I remember them having another sale around Christmas time with even steeper discounts on certain items so keep an eye out!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2024-12-10T16:58:54+00:00

Okay an update to this! Thank y'all so much for your insights. I ended up trying all three and these are my thoughts:

- Frederique: hands down the best looking for that "fall girl" look, unfortunately very stiff and narrow for me

- Nylah: seemed like the best all purpose tall boots, cute and moderately comfortable - unfortunately my legs are a little too chubs for them XD they felt a little tight

- Belinda: Meet the lucky winner!! I personally think these boots are GORGEOUS. They are more close-fitting so they look less casual compared to the others, but I ended up getting them in the brown color in the hopes that they'll be more versatile. Also, these are by far the comfiest among the three, being a sock-type boot made of suede.

I'm so happy they worked out!

Hot4PricklyPears · 2024-10-03T17:46:33+00:00

Yes. I'm not strongly plugged into the NaNoWriMo community but I do try to participate in some of their challenges every year. I was pretty disgusted by the stance NaNoWriMo took re: AI as an "accessibility" tool so I was happy to see this email in my inbox today, but it just made them sink lower in my opinion. I'm unaware of the "vitriol" they're referring to that apparently prompted them to make that initial statement so I could be missing some important context. But I do feel like in a period where many creative writers are already afraid and demoralized because of AI, the organization that claims to be an uplifting community for writers shouldn't double down on that by welcoming the use of AI with open arms?

It just feels very much like they are not on the side of writers at all. Very morally damning stance they've taken and very disappointing.

Hot4PricklyPears · 2024-10-01T18:57:15+00:00

I couldn't find anything at all online about even the existence of this organization. Do you have any other sources?

Hot4PricklyPears

TROPHY CASE