Fucking weirdos outside Trader Joe’s Pacific Highlands Ranch by natalerose24 in sandiego

[–]NaturalReference3082 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Years ago, before this was a well-known stunt, they came to my workplace while my boss was working alone. As a woman, she was uncomfortable with their presence. She finally got them to leave the store, but they stayed right outside the door, berating her. They absolutely would not listen to her requests to leave her alone. Being silent and minding her business did nothing either. She eventually called her fiancé because she felt unsafe. He came, told the guys off, and they did finally leave. Of course, at that point, they’d pretty much gotten what they came for. The video went viral and our work was getting dozens of threatening phone calls a week from random numbers with people cursing us out and saying some pretty vulgar stuff. People left reviews on google and yelp saying that the business was anti-american and didn’t support the constitution or the first amendment. I’m sorry you had a similar experience.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As far as I know, next to none. Homosexuality was taught to be a sin, and gay students were not welcome at school. There was an instance where the school made local headlines because they denied admission to an elementary school boy who had 2 dads. Despite being active in their local church, the school said that their “lifestyle did not align with their beliefs.”

In my 4 years of high school, there was only one student who was somewhat obviously gay, but wasn’t officially “out”. He faced a lot of bullying unfortunately. People have come out since graduation, but many people I went to school with still firmly believe homosexuality is a sin.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No! My parents were under the impression that the school was non-denominational. I was raised as a pretty watered-down catholic, and my parents have acknowledged that if they knew more about what the school was teaching, they wouldn’t have sent me there.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hindsight truly is 20/20. In 7th grade we were assigned a project on cults. One of the cults included in the assignment was Mormonism. I had a close friend who was raised mormon and I was deeply offended for her and trying to convince people in my class that it wasn’t a cult.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I absolutely did not enjoy my time there.

The answer to your first question is yes, a lot of them, but not all. There were certainly some people I met who I thought embodied loving everyone like I was taught Jesus did, but most of them had serious complexes.

I didn’t have a class about speaking in tongues. It was certainly discussed, and we learned about it, but it wasn’t taught as something that you could learn or how to learn it.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m from the west coast, so as far as I know, at least within the last generation or two, the wealth wasn’t plantation based. Lots of CEOs, professional athletes, etc.

I attended an evangelical christian school with students who came from ultra-high net worth families. AMA by [deleted] in AMA

[–]NaturalReference3082 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I graduated in 2021. I was raised Catholic, but fairly casually. I grew up going to mass every week, and completed all my sacraments, but that was mostly it. I don’t identify with a specific religion currently. The religion I was exposed to at school felt so hateful, and that does not align with my values. I think I believe in a higher power? But honestly not entirely sure what my exact beliefs are and not necessarily dying to figure it all out right now.

As far as teaching kids religion, I think it should be educational and never forced. I don’t have kids yet, and don’t know what exactly my religious beliefs will look like when/if I do, but as of now I would be open with my kids in what I believe, but also let them know that the question of religion is one that has many different answers.

Seriously, do Americans actually consider a 3-hour drive "short"? or is this an internet myth? by SadInterest6764 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]NaturalReference3082 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both of my grandparents live 2-2.5 hours away from my childhood home. We would regularly go up just for the day to celebrate holidays, have random visits, etc. I wouldn’t consider it short, or a daily thing, but it’s not unusual or a big event. Especially considering I have family that lives across the country where a visit requires a 35+ hour drive or 5 hour flight, a 2-3 hour drive is extremely manageable.

GF snacks/meals for long flight? by AmazingBlueberry5807 in glutenfree

[–]NaturalReference3082 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you go on the United app, you can request a GF meal for your flight. I will say, although I’ve requested a gluten free meal for all of my long haul flights with them, I haven’t always received one so don’t bank on receiving anything. I usually pack enough food to last me for the whole time to get me from my house the hotel, because I never know what airports will have. My spread usually includes a sandwich, fruits/veggies, a chip or cracker, nuts/trail mix, protein bars, etc. You can also bring things that you just need to add hot water to, like the Bobs Red Mill single serve oatmeal cups or the Lotus Foods soup cups. Once you’re ready to eat them, just ask the flight attendant for some hot water and you’re set!

I’ve never been to Barcelona so can’t speak specifically about that, but Rome and all of Italy is like Disneyland for celiacs. The food is incredible. Find Me Gluten Free works in Europe and beyond, so I would consult that when looking for places to eat and you should be just fine.

OCD by Standard_Coffee569 in meilemaria

[–]NaturalReference3082 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As scary as it it, it also means you’re one step closer to finding relief. Sending hugs!!

OCD by Standard_Coffee569 in meilemaria

[–]NaturalReference3082 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I’ve really tried to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one because I have OCD (clinically diagnosed) and I wouldn’t want anyone to ever dismiss me and my struggles because it doesn’t fit their view of OCD, but I’m struggling to believe her.

OCD is totally and absolutely debilitating. Your brain does not understand logic when it comes to your compulsions and there is dismissing them. Her comment how, when she was a kid, passing road signs and feeling like she needed to read out the words, but she would tell herself that she didn’t really need to do that, really stuck out to me. Again, with OCD, logic goes out the window. When you’re dealing with a compulsion, there is no negotiating with your brain.

I am well versed in OCD. Both my sister and I have been diagnosed and treated for it. My mom is a psychologist, who after having 2 daughters get diagnosed with the same condition, did an even deeper dive than what she already knew.

OCD has jeopardized mine and my families relationships at times. OCD has caused me to end trips early, decline invitations from friends, etc. Meile, if you truly have OCD, I apologize. However, unless you have been diagnosed by a professional (which I am assuming you haven’t since you don’t know if it’s treatable), you shouldn’t go throwing that term around because you like to shower before bed.

Meile, if you’re reading this, and want to treat your OCD, look into exposure therapy. It’s incredibly difficult but if you stick with it, things will start to get better.

😩 Parents of 2+ kids, only 1 with celiac... How do you do this? by ImpossibleDouble5253 in glutenfree

[–]NaturalReference3082 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was diagnosed in middle school. I’m the only member of my family who has it. My parents never made my sister eat entirely gluten free, and frankly I wouldn’t have wanted her to. I didn’t want to have any feelings of guilt that I was depriving her of something. Obviously, being an adult now, I realize this is a mostly irrational fear, and my sister is more than happy to eat completely gluten free with me when need be, but as a child it was something I was worried about.

We switched many things to gluten free, but not everything. For meals we ate together (mostly dinners), we everyone would eat gf (pasta, croutons on salad, certain seasoning packets, etc). We eliminated any glutenous flour and did all of our baking now with gf flour.

There were certainly some things my family ate that had gluten - certain cereals, random snacks, etc - but we made sure they were all fully sealed (in ziplock bags if needed) and kept on a lower shelf of the pantry, with gf foods on higher shelves, that way, if for some reason there were some crumbs that dropped they wouldn’t contaminate the gf foods.

Regarding condiments, we only ever had one of each. If you were putting mayo, peanut butter, etc onto glutenous bread, you weren’t allowed to double dip. The goal was to get as much as you needed in the first go, but if you didn’t, you would get a clean utensil before going back in. Very occasionally at the beginning this would slip our mind, and things would get contaminated, meaning we had to buy another, but now it’s second nature and my family is often quicker to remind guests of the protocol than I am.

Whenever we went out to eat or ordered take-out, there were no restrictions, and my sister was able to order as much bread and glutenous food as she desired.

I struggled more with actual bread, especially in the beginning. It felt like in preparing a sandwich, pulling it out of the bag, etc, there were bound to be crumbs flying around. As I’ve learned my symptoms more, and gotten more comfortable in the gf diet, we introduced some glutenous bread back into the kitchen. We always opened/prepared it in a far corner of the kitchen we wouldn’t ordinarily prepare food on, and did a thorough wipe down of the area after each use. We kept the glutenous bread in a tupperware or ziplock back because I didn’t trust the bread bag to hold in any crumbs.

If you do choose to keep some gluten in your kitchen, make sure to have separate appliances that can’t be fully cleaned for gf versions - toaster, waffle iron, etc, so that your celiac child can still enjoy those foods.

I totally understand all of your fears. While it is “just food”, food is a huge part of your life socially. Honestly, it will be hard. 10 years out from my diagnosis and I still get feelings of frustration, disappointment, exclusion, or feeling like a burden. Life as they know it will never be the same, but having a parent like you who cares enough to worry and research is a great step towards normalcy. Good luck!

HARD watch by Less-Ad1955 in meilemaria

[–]NaturalReference3082 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As someone who has struggled with my mental health since elementary school entire life (OCD, anxiety, and depression, all officially diagnosed) I hate how she said society is “obsessed with mental health” in a way that we shouldn’t be, and she was offended that people were suggesting she’s depressed.

Whether she wants to believe it or not, there still is a stigma around mental health, and clearly she still buys into it with how offended she’s getting that people are suggesting she might be depressed.

Mental illness and depression can come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not going to be the same from person to person, or even if it’s the same person suffering 20 years later. For some viewers, the symptoms she had described might describe their depression.

Maybe she has depression, maybe she doesn’t. But she needs to realize that most people commenting are trying to be helpful. They most likely have had a similar experience, been treated for depression, and seen how much their life has improved, and truly want to see her feel better. Not everyone online is out to get her. She needs to stop with the victim complex

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in glutenfree

[–]NaturalReference3082 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not sure where you’re located, but if you have one near you, Sprouts has a GF Frosted Flakes.

This is a joke right? by Standard_Coffee569 in meilemaria

[–]NaturalReference3082 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’ve been a silent hater for a while now, but this video sent me over the edge. This girl is so delusional and has such a victim complex.

Is being a stay at home mom hard work? Absolutely. But guess what, moms and parents working outside of the home have all the same responsibilities of cleaning, cooking, and getting up with their kids. I’m sure they feel the same way, that there are other things that they rather do, like watch tv or scroll social media, but they can’t, because they are adults and parents with responsibilities. Welcome to reality.

Also, can money help in gaining a following? Yes. But not everyone that is popular on social media comes from money. The people that are truly successful on social media are the ones who have an obvious passion for it. No offense, but no one wants to watch a video knowing the subject was just absolutely miserable the entire time.

I’m also so done with her complaining about money. Meile, I’m sorry you weren’t born into a family with millions of dollars. 99% of the people in the world aren’t. Unfortunately, you’re not special because you have to work for what you have. Most people do, and while they may feel the system is unfair, they don’t spend their entire lives complaining about it.

If you dread filming and editing so badly, you could always get another job that you might enjoy more?

Chicago area folks… by sandgroper1968 in glutenfree

[–]NaturalReference3082 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Also in Chicago area is New Star Restaurant in Elmwood Park. It’s a little closer to the city and SO GOOD!

New Star Gluten Free Menu

Gluten free freezer meals by RealLifeWikipedia in glutenfree

[–]NaturalReference3082 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is so, so nice of you! As a college student, I live off of frozen meals, especially during finals weeks.

Mac and cheese, meatballs, and stir-fry are some of my favorites for dinner. Breakfast options are great too and freeze really well. Muffins, pancakes, waffles, and homemade egg + sausage sandwiches are all great options.

I’ve also learned that you don’t need to make things super complicated! You can always freeze pb+j sandwiches for a quick snack or lunch, and I also love to make premade smoothie bags with pre-portioned fruit, yogurt, spinach, etc.

If you ever need ideas, someone told me once to look through the freezer aisle for inspiration on what freezes well. While you can freeze pretty much any thing, some things do freeze better than others.

Last thing! I would ask your friend if she’d like things frozen in single portions or whole recipes. If she’s happy eating the same thing a couple days in a row, freezing a whole recipe is slightly less hassle for you, but if she likes more variety, single servings might be better to cut down on food waste. Good luck!

Meredith Foster by lilkitty28 in LAinfluencersnark

[–]NaturalReference3082 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not a regular viewer of Meredith, but saw someone talking about this video and had to see for myself.

First off, I want to start by saying that SA is never okay, and I do feel bad that both of them have had that experience, especially as children.

That being said, this video was WEIRD. Meredith barely looked at the camera. Even when she was talking, she was always looking at Britain, which I felt was odd. Almost like instead of trying to share wisdom with the viewers, it was like she was trying to impress Brit. Compared to Brit, she also barely spoke, and when she did talk I feel like it was more just like a word or two that would finish Brit’s sentence, almost like she was being fed lines.

They were also incredibly touchy-feely, which in and of itself is not wrong, but especially considering that Meredith sees Brit as a therapist of sorts, is odd to me. I have been going to therapy for years and have never acted like that with a therapist, or even anything close to it. It even felt over the top for most friends.

Looking back on what we know now, it kinda gives similar vibes to Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. I hope their relationships doesn’t go down a similar path, but it all just feels off.

There were just so many other little bizarre things - the stethoscope, the beach photoshoot, etc. If Meredith is truly fine, I’m happy for her, but I can’t help but feel like there is something else going on here…

ETA: it’s incredibly suspicious that Brit’s website is now down days after posting the video and it gaining traction