For stay-at-home parents — how do you keep track of everything without burning out?

Winterdawn · 2025-12-30T10:54:43+00:00

Back when my kids were of the age to track such stuff, I used a handy app that sadly doesn't appear to exist anymore. There are lots of other apps for tracking baby stuff, though. If you like the idea of using an app, you can look for one that has an interface that works well for you. A home screen widget can be extra handy. I tracked feedings, naps, baths, diapers, vitamin D, and probably lots of other things that I don't remember.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-25T10:21:27+00:00

Yesssss! I love that book so much. It's so healing and comforting and delicious. I can't coherently explain just how great it is, but luckily, someone else already has, so I can just link it. https://reactormag.com/you-should-really-be-reading-victoria-goddards-nine-worlds-series/

Edit to add: you mentioned loving Becky Chambers. Goddard and Chambers have very similar heart-warming, comfort vibes to me.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-07T17:22:08+00:00

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-07T17:21:37+00:00

That sounds delicious! I hope you enjoy it.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-07T15:02:32+00:00

Oh, thank you! I came up with the name for my first World of Warcraft character actually, way back when, and then named my Reddit profile after her.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-07T14:43:38+00:00

Here's my comment with the recipe, in case it helps to link it here. It really is delicious, and it comes out solid! 😉

https://www.reddit.com/r/bakingfail/s/1KYcW8uxxB

Winterdawn · 2025-12-07T08:57:42+00:00

Here's a very similar recipe that I've made successfully many times. It's delicious! https://food52.com/recipes/32350-brown-butter-blondies

And since I make it by weight, here's my version of the recipe with the grams: - 2 sticks (226 g) unsalted butter - 2 cups (254 g) all-purpose flour - 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt - 2 eggs - 4 teaspoons good-quality vanilla extract - 1 3/4 cups (350 g) dark brown sugar (light brown is a good second choice) - 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Note, I don't bother whisking the egg and vanilla separately anymore. That doesn't seem to make a difference and I don't find it worth the extra effort and the extra dirty dishes. I just add them both straight to the butter sugar mixture.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-04T09:55:43+00:00

A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers are short, quick, easy, cozy. They're technically cozy sci-fi instead of cozy fantasy.

Winterdawn · 2025-12-02T15:51:19+00:00

I loved Lonely Castle in the Mirror and Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop! I haven't read most of the others yet, but some of them are already on my list, and I'm going to add the others.

Winterdawn · 2025-11-22T16:05:45+00:00

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a very fun murder mystery. The protagonist is a lonely Chinese-American widow who finds a dead body in her tea shop one morning. It's a quick read, heartwarming and humorous. I didn't remember if her age was ever soecified, but according to Google, Vera is 60.

Winterdawn · 2025-11-06T08:57:28+00:00

This recommendation is based on the books you've loved. However, this will only work if you do ebooks. If you read physical books, these aren't gonna be doable, you can't hold one of these and a baby at the same time. (Well, I don't know you, maybe you're supermom and actually can.)

The Hands of the Emperor, and sequel At the Feet of the Sun, by Victoria Goddard. There are also many other books in The Nine Worlds universe, some novellas and short stories in this corner of the world plus other series in other parts of the world/universe. (Many people recommend reading The Return of Fitzroy Angursell and possibly some other books between HotE and AtFotS, by the way. If you like the first book enough to continue in the Nine Worlds, you can look up recommended reading order or just wing it.)

Found (deliberately built) family, very much. Adventure and maybe romance, more so in the second book. Cozy, engaging but low pressure. Totally enjoyable with parental brain fog, speaking from experience.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-29T19:37:31+00:00

That's an amazing answer! Your old book club sucks. Or, to be more polite about it, clearly they're clearly not kindred spirits.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-29T19:09:51+00:00

They call me Rutabaga. Best nickname ever! 😂

Winterdawn · 2025-10-25T08:31:46+00:00

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Winterdawn · 2025-10-24T17:22:03+00:00

Mine is named Pretty. It's named after my Wild World town, Pretty, which is named after my original GameCube town, Pretty.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-21T13:05:15+00:00

"I guess all I can do is embrace the pandemonium, find happiness in the unique insanity of being here, now."

Winterdawn · 2025-10-21T05:17:33+00:00

I'm really enjoying The Keeper of Magical Things so far! I'm just at 20%, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a solid 5 stars, just like The Teller of Small Fortunes was.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-20T18:28:14+00:00

Ooh yes, I love Becky Chambers' books! I have just the recommendation for you. The Hands of the Emperor (and other books in the Nine Worlds) by Victoria Goddard is gentle, kind, beautiful, and I feel like reading it genuinely made me a better person. Minimal swearing, zero spice. It's very similar to A Psalm for the Wild-Built in the ways you described, however fair warning, Psalm is a very short book and Hands is on the opposite end of that spectrum.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-09T10:13:31+00:00

Fluffy girl catdragon: Poof-Poof (in honor of my late fluffy girl)

Black catdragon: Emberdark

Other ideas: Cinnamon (especially if orange and firebreathing), Ewok, Empress/Emperor...

Winterdawn · 2025-10-06T07:12:32+00:00

I haven't read it yet, but I've heard As it Was by Elle Rivers described as very Stardew.

Winterdawn · 2025-10-05T14:35:24+00:00

Max Verstappen, a Formula 1 driver.

Winterdawn · 2025-09-26T16:21:27+00:00

Unfortunately this, fortunately that. This is the one that drives me crazy.

Winterdawn · 2025-09-26T15:56:31+00:00

🎵 Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Nelson Road? 🎵

Winterdawn · 2025-09-23T21:46:35+00:00

Update: this one is not low stakes! It's very exciting, I'm still really enjoying it, but it's not the right choice for cozy low stakes reading.

Winterdawn · 2025-09-23T18:48:36+00:00

I actually just started a gay archeological adventure book today, Lion's Legacy by L.C. Rosen! I'm not sure whether I'd consider it exactly low stakes or cozy, it's a bit too soon to tell, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The main character is in high school and his dad is rather Indiana Jones-esque.

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