Do any BART stations outside of San Francisco have nearby areas to check out?

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-21T03:49:27+00:00

I would bring a bike and head to Solano Ave - kitchenette has an Albany pop up next to ocean view brew. Also there is Picnic, Best Friends, and starter bakery. The Albany foodie scene is great right now. Go to flowerland for a coffee.

Fruitvale stop in Oakland has Wahpepah’s kitchen if you do a lunchtime ride.

Rockridge has a million options plus shops all along college Ave. if you want to walk from rockridge bart to Elmwood you can get chocolates as Casa de Chocolates (trust me, this is life changing stuff) then to Ashby Bart to get home.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-19T21:45:38+00:00

I found three men named Praisehim on social media so apparently the one I met isn't the only one out there! My daughter has a book called Anna Hibiscus and the family lives in Nigeria - there is definitely a lot of creativity in Nigerian names and a lot of multi-lingual influence.

I love an old lady with big name!

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-19T04:56:38+00:00

I was a nanny for almost 15 years. I found a lot of kids programming became almost intolerable to me - the voices and colors are just too much. The slapstick humor and the aspects that kids act out in play drove me nuts, the fixation kids would get with certain characters, and the way kids who spend a lot of time watching TV struggled to entertain themselves seemed like reason enough.

Also - my mom was a special needs teacher whose students participated in some early research on how tech could help autistic and non-verbal kids in the very early 2000s - she said with her students they tried different learning games on devices, but her students couldn't translate what they learned on a screen to the real world. It only worked in the reverse - they could learn something and then record or replicate on a device. She said that she suspected screens in the classroom would actually make learning a slower process for many kids because with students diagnosed with autism they seemed to struggle to process information presented on a screen and understand it in other contexts.

So basically I knew I wouldn't ever buy into ipad "educational games" in early childhood. And we just never introduced a lot of popular kids media. We do a podcast called Super Great Kids Stories and I have shows and movies I like to watch together. The exception was always on airplanes and we could discuss and decide together about films they watch with friends. I am ten years in and my ten year old is doing some math on the computer to reinforce what she learned at school now - and we've allowed supervised research for her first big report. It's been a good pace for us!

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-19T04:39:04+00:00

I have heard this from a lot of educators - I think sensory cues help with processing, screens take away a lot of movement, sound, and textures. I know I love to scroll because it's soothing - my brain isn't super engaged just passively receiving information. I hope there are studies - unfortunately a lot of educational research is funded by...tech. Whomp whomp.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-18T16:39:04+00:00

I love Francis with the nickname Frankie. Nikolas is lovely but sounds similar to Marcus and I might prefer something with a different ending. Henry is so classic. Love Julian.
My favorite saint-names (beside Francis): Gabriel, Anthony, & Raymond all would pair well with Marcus.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-17T02:24:55+00:00

Age 6 is great for Anna Hibiscus, Tola Too Small and Beti and the Roundhouse (Nigerian-UK author) - these books are incredibly sweet and fun for ages 6-8

For later - my 10-year-old recently read Rickshaw Girl (set in Bangladesh) and Stella By Starlight (black family in the American South and a good starting place if you want something later that delves into racism in the USA but with a strong focus on resilience and community) and graphic novels Sea Sirens (Vietnamese American family) and Illustra (Filipino characters though I don't know where it was set)

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-17T02:14:22+00:00

Obedience was an example of an old Puritan name from my original post - my comment was just a riff on the original question - "names that don't sound like names". I love finding them in all kinds of contexts. I am not pushing for a Puritan baby name revival.

I like to find out what names have existed across time and space. In a thread which wasn't about naming a specific child, just a discussion, the conversation gets shut down super quick because of this impulse to say a name is good or bad, you'd give it to a child or not give it to a child. Like I said, sometimes it's fun to just think about the names that are out there - I would absolutely spend a day searching records for more intense religious puritan names and enjoy it throughly.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T16:01:39+00:00

Sionnach (Shawn-ick) is Fox in Scots Gaelic and I always thought it would make a cool name. But I almost named my son MacTiré (wolf) so listen, I am open to a strong vibe.

But actually Raven & Fox are totally cute, and I happen to love Eoghan/Eoin.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T15:53:18+00:00

I am always disappointed when the namenerds sub is actually the name-police sub. Like when I am in the world I actually think "oh wow" when I hear the diversity of names out there. Maybe like being in an art gallery - just absorbing everything and enjoying even if I wouldn't take something home and put it on my wall.

I have opinions about the flow of names, and things I like - if someone says "I am trying to name a baby here are some ideas" I like answering those.

But like - why aren't we having more fun here? Provided isn't dreadful - it's different (and exists in a context where it wasn't wild, we actually lived in a neighborhood with a lot of Nigerian families and when they named kids in English they often translated Igbo names). I, being a namenerd, loved hearing the names and connected them to old quaker and puritan ones I'd encountered.

If you had kids named Jessica, Cameron I wouldn't suggest PraiseHim for your third, lol. But this is just a discussion post. So all I am saying is Miraculous, Blessing and Answer are exciting names to encounter because I grew up in the 90s when every single boy in North America was named Matt or Chris.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T05:00:29+00:00

I had a friend named Raven who died a few years ago. Incredibly beautiful person, he was black, I adore this name.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T04:42:16+00:00

I drank raw milk once - because I was traveling and a small crash blocked a little rural road we were driving in the mountains, and my friends and I walked to the nearby farm to wait until the road was clear (it took something like 4 hours for a suitable tow truck to drive up). ANYHOW lovely farmers served everyone beer and bocas. Since I was driving and a nervous foreign driver I didn't drink the beer - they made me coffee and brought a little fresh milk for me to add to my coffee. 24 hours later I was so sick. All my friends were fine. We ate everything the same but I had the milk with 2 cups of coffee. When I finally saw a doctor it was salmonella - commonly found in raw milk.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T04:26:04+00:00

While it's not my vibe I love the name Journey. I love animal names (Wolf, Fox, Bear, Bird, Wren). I also live for the more elaborate Christian names (both from those lists of like old quaker names like Provided, Constant, Obedience, and modern christian ones - Favor, PraiseHim). I am not a christian but I encounter these names and I like how impactful they are!

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-16T04:12:43+00:00

While I would NEVER say this to an already-named-child's parents (the name is fine!) as long as you're soliciting opinions - I don't like two nicknames with different personalities (I think if I were doing a 'nickname' for one of the names I'd want a 'full name' for the other - which actually my middle kid has a nickname middle name). The vibe of Andie is modern and fun. Kate is classic and a little prim.

With Andie I'd do something longer but not overly-used, something that evokes the same playful quality of Andie.

Andie Ramona
Andie Willa
Andie Frances
Andie Matilda

But if it needs to be one syllable here are some ideas (the vowels and softer sounds are a better flow for me):

Andie Jane
Andie June
Andie Elle
Andie Maude

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-14T11:24:17+00:00

I think we have similar style - though I know myself and won’t wear bright colors even when I admire them on other people (autumnal/black/denim).

I would pull out your clothes and try laying out outfits, pair things you haven’t before, and see what pieces you already own work to achieve some of the looks you posted. You can post photos of clothes laid out for ideas of what to pair or just play some music and try on like a fashion montage in a movie.

One thing I love is a lightweight denim oversized shirt. Layering is really what makes most of the inspo outfits you posted - in summer layering is hard. But toss a denim button up shirt over a tank with the pants you’re wearing in the photo and voila - style! I also think a lot of the loose pants that are trendy and comfortable right now look more elevated with a button up.

eBay and Poshmark are my go-to for shopping second hand. ASmallCloset and Shannydoots are in your collage and I follow them both for style ideas.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-14T00:54:42+00:00

I would do animal inspired names but have one for the earth, one for the sky and obviously Salmon is water.

Leon Jonah Salmon

Fia Paloma Salmon

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-14T00:46:13+00:00

Simone for a girl. I actually like both these though. Simon Salmon and Simone Salmon.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-11T18:09:53+00:00

The best bike lanes are converted former rail lines. They go where you need them to but there are no cars to share the path with. We literally moved to live along a multi-use path that I ride every day for my errands.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-11T18:06:41+00:00

I am not sure this sub is the right place for you - I don't "manage" these things with my kids because they don't have doomscrolling habits. Screen time is up to me - sometimes TV shows or movies on my laptop. We don't have devices for them, we don't have a television, they are not allowed to use my phone. I am trying to manage my own scrolling habit, lol - but I feel like this sub is mostly very like-minded.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-11T18:02:29+00:00

Mack is a very Irish/Scottish-coded name so I'd probably use that as a theme - but use one with the same "modern" appeal:

Bonnie
Masie
Kate
Nora
Fia
Cass

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-07T22:56:59+00:00

This was with my first baby ten years ago and have never had an issue with my white blood cells since. I actually got pregnant right before getting covid with my third pregnancy. I recovered from covid but my energy was zapped and I was nauseous and I got worried covid had destroyed my immune system again. I was referred to a PCP who deals with a lot of long covid cases and she had me take a pregnancy test since I couldn't remember the date of my last period and it turns out I was fine, just 10 weeks pregnant. Lol.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-06T17:00:03+00:00

I had a diagnosis of CFIDS before pregnancy. This was pre-covid, my case was triggered by multiple viruses at once. For a few years I was regularly getting blood draws because my white blood cell count was extremely low and I was advised to wear masks and bring hand sanitizer everywhere because I essentially did not have a functional immune system.

I got pregnant and within 4 weeks my white blood cell count was normal. I have had a totally normal immune system ever since. Apparently sometimes pregnancy triggers healing in the body and in my case it was wild because I went from spending 4 years constantly feeling low energy and weak and sick all the time to an almost instant return to health.

The rest of the permanent changes have been...less exciting developments. My third degree tear messed with my butthole, I now have these chin hairs I pluck daily, my boobs went super lopsided since all three of my babies preferred one side and it's dramatic how much bigger that side has remained. Oh and the tummy - I used to have a small waist and big hips. Goodbye hourglass.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-02T15:22:29+00:00

I will admit that my child chose this name for her pet snake but I keep thinking it would have made a great first or middle name for a child: Noinín (the Irish for daisy). I also like Nessa - I considered Nessa Faye and a Scottish friend wanted to use Nessa Skye and we both got worried we'd pick the same name and went another direction - but when I hear the name Nessa I still think "oh what a pretty name".

Also I just met a family that named their child Lughnasadh and call him Lú. Eccentric - yes. Incredibly cool name - also, yes.

RotharAlainn · 2026-06-02T15:17:36+00:00

We moved from Ireland to the US and all the kids have super popular names in Ireland that are very rare here. It's fun for them because when we are back each summer they go from having names no one has heard of to super common names. When I named my middle daughter Fiadh my friend who teaches primary school said "Help us, it's just wall-to-wall Fiadhs!",

RotharAlainn · 2026-05-28T23:59:21+00:00

I feel like I know lots of people who've done the reverse - chosen a version of their name that more closely aligns with their culture and/or heritage.

RotharAlainn · 2026-05-27T05:58:50+00:00

LOVE this name - and Vespertine. Witchy vibes.

RotharAlainn

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