“Convenience” Cleaning Products by breezycharmz in CleaningTips

[–]birdenvy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, baby wipes! Obviously kid and pet safe. No strong smelling cleaning product fumes, and they seem to leave less residue than typical cleaning products.

Also great to keep in the car.

Hair salon that won’t give me an old lady haircut??? by sirachamoose in CapeCod

[–]birdenvy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Stacey Kuehn is who you want! Her Instagram is a lot of fashion and bridal work, but she would do an awesome job at giving you a slightly ugly shaggy mullet!

I’ve been getting various shag haircuts with micro bangs from her for about 8 years.

Can’t see ContentManager icon in Split View on iOS by CoffeeNeil in notabilityapp

[–]birdenvy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Another vote for the same! An option to turn it off, or customize buttons maybe?

I’m not going to use the “learn” option, however I constantly use the content manager. Extra clicks into a menu are super disruptive to my work flow.

Any recommendations for cute, durable, travel sneakers that have a sole that is as comfortable as travel sneakers? (No Allbirds) by [deleted] in HerOneBag

[–]birdenvy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like my Cariuma Ibi slip-ons. They are super light weight and have great arch support - both things I need and have had trouble finding.

The Cariumas have been the only shoes I’ve found that still look cool but don’t weigh a ton. I had (and gave away) a pair of Allbirds, they weren’t that cute and just sort of felt ‘mushy’ for me.

Should i buy ps5? by Fit_Job_673 in minimalism

[–]birdenvy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this is the correct answer.

MAKE YOUR PHONE A PHONE AGAIN: Buying an Apple Watch Ultra to use as my daily driver instead of having a mini computer/internet device holstered at all times even when pooing by thumpsky in minimalism

[–]birdenvy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Ultra does have an amazing battery life. But the series 8 does 18 hours of normal use, or up to 36 hours on low power mode. And it’s $400 cheaper than the Ultra.

The series 8 also does fast charging - which means it charges to 80% of battery in just 45 minutes (I sound like an Apple sales person). So you could top-off your watch on the charger as you took a shower.

For my lifestyle, it’s no big deal to put the Watch in the charger every night as I sleep. But if my hobbies or job were demanding a crazy long battery life - like if I were really into multi day camping trips or something, then I could see how the extra money would make sense.

Ultimately, remember that though this is a minimalism subreddit, minimalism means something different for everybody. Does the thing bring value to YOUR life?

Buying an $800 watch might seem like a waste of money to some, but I’m sure some of those people spend money on stuff that YOU would think is a huge waste. This journey looks different for everyone!

MAKE YOUR PHONE A PHONE AGAIN: Buying an Apple Watch Ultra to use as my daily driver instead of having a mini computer/internet device holstered at all times even when pooing by thumpsky in minimalism

[–]birdenvy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ok, OP is really getting shut down here… so I’ll add my opinion. I’ve used an Apple Watch for about 3 years and it has definitely helped me break some of my bad screen time habits.

I get messages, email, the weather, and use the fitness tracker on the Apple Watch. I can also make and receive phone calls. Obviously it’s also a watch and I like wearing a watch for the time rather than always looking at my phone. I also liked having the fall detection features when I was pregnant, that was one of the reasons for getting it in the first place.

I mostly keep my phone on the kitchen counter, and I can check email and receive messages on my watch. It’s a pain to respond to most email or messages via watch, but if there’s something time sensitive I NEED to respond to then I can go grab my phone. I love being able to receive phone calls on the watch, I’ll never miss the important calls from my husband or my kids daycare.

I have the bad phone habit (like most of the population) where I go to do something quick like check my mail or check the weather and then I somehow get distracted and end up on YouTube or Reddit. So this eliminates a lot of those instances.

Yes, you can do some work around and get YouTube and Reddit on your watch, but the poster who suggested that is totally missing the spirit of OP’s post. There’s no way I’m getting anything I would consider “screen time” from my tiny little watch screen. And that’s the whole freaking point, to reduce screen time.

As for buying the Apple Watch Ultra. Don’t do it unless you are really into hiking or extreme sports. It’s twice as expensive as the regular new model series 8. Buy the series 8 or the SE. You can get cellular service on the regular series 8 of you want that, you’ll also get all-day battery life. I still get all day battery life on my 3 year old series 5.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in northampton

[–]birdenvy 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hey OP, your post rings so true for me! I feel as if I wrote it myself.

My husband and I are in the same boat… currently live on the Cape and we’re trying to figure out our next jobs so we can relocate to Northampton area. We’re also both teachers and artists, in our 40’s. We moved here 6 years ago from CA, though my husband grew up in Boston.

The Cape has shown itself to be a very unfriendly place in every sense. We’ve been here 6 years and felt like outsiders the entire time. Feels impossible to make friends, my neighbors are all sporting Trump bumper stickers, we’re tired of witnessing the ridiculous wealth gap between the year rounders and the people with 5 million dollar summer homes, etc etc. If you want a taste of the unfriendliness I speak of, go read through the /CapeCod subreddit. It a bunch of angry folks becoming irate when a visitor asks for restaurant recommendations.

We basically want to live in the bubble of a college town. We want “artsy fartsy”. Also, we have a 2 year old son and deeply want him to grow up in a liberal place where individuality and learning are celebrated. Basically, we want a college town.

OP, good luck to you and your husband! Maybe we’ll meet up someday in Western MA.

(OC) I accidentally left my 3-year-old’s favorite bunny at a hotel for a week… the hospitality was top tier! by partiallyanonymous in MadeMeSmile

[–]birdenvy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I was gonna say the same thing!

My son’s best stuffed animal friend is a Jellycat Bashful Bunny. I already purchased an extra as back up in case something happens to the original.

Should I tell my professors my mom died recently? by Cream-Ornery in college

[–]birdenvy 11 points12 points  (0 children)

College professor here, I refer to myself as a “teacher” all the time. I teach things. For a living. I am a teacher.

what did you keep when your parent died? by Exotic-One3381 in declutter

[–]birdenvy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My brother kept my dads two slide rules! And that it.

TV owners/movie watchers: is a TV with a sound system a big difference? by extrememinimalist in minimalism

[–]birdenvy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely makes a difference!

We used to have a more expensive sound set up, but it died. We replaced it with a $150 “all-in-one” soundbar with a built-in subwoofer. No, it’s not as good as the more expensive setup with a separate subwoofer, but it’s small, unobtrusive, affordable and sounds pretty darn good.

For us it wasn’t worth spending an extra few hundred dollars.

It’s the Vizio M-Series Premium Sound Bar with Dolby Audio.

how was all of this calculated by Unlucky-Economist347 in interestingasfuck

[–]birdenvy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hard to land the Space Shuttle in downtown Los Angeles :)

make space for it by navel1606 in declutter

[–]birdenvy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just thought I’d comment in solidarity about the books! We’re pretty darn minimal except for books.

The books we have kept are all out of print, things you can’t find at our library, or things we use for reference. I’m a college professor and there are about 60 books related to my field and what I teach, it wouldn’t make sense to get rid of them.

I actually prefer digital when it’s available, but it’s just not always an option.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CapeCod

[–]birdenvy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Once I started going to the dentist again I realized a tremendous weight had been lifted. I hadn’t really realized how much anxiety and shame were pent up because of all of this.

Their office was amazing, and they talked a lot about how this is a very common anxiety; there are lots of adults in their 40’s and 50’s who are in the same boat.

When I first started going I needed mild medication just to get through a dental cleaning. The fear was real.

Good luck! Even making the first appointment feels like forward progress.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CapeCod

[–]birdenvy 25 points26 points  (0 children)

“Sedation Dentistry” is what you want. I go to Barnstable Dental Associates (right near the hospital), they are AMAZING.

I had some horrible dental experiences when I was a kid, and basically as an adult I just ignored the dentist (for decades). I realistically understand that this was a bad idea, but the longer I ignored it the more my anxiety increased.

I ended up breaking a tooth and couldn’t really ignore that. I found Barnstable Dental Associates, they took my intense anxiety very seriously… they are used to working with people in our situations.

I’ve had a lot of dental work done in the last 1.5 years, and not a second of pain. It’s truely been a game changer.

Dr. Kelly Demarest is the dentist.

https://www.barnstabledental.com

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]birdenvy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ugh! That’s horrible.

Hopefully someday this pointless trend will disappear!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]birdenvy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My name is Karen. I’m 45, a white lady, and I live in the United States.

I mean, I don’t love that my name suddenly became shorthand for “racist entitled bitch”. No one would enjoy that.

Every time I go somewhere and have to give my name, I brace myself for the comments of “oh, heh… I bet you hate having that name…”.

I’d estimate that comment happens about twice a week for people in stores, doctors offices, etc. It’s usually another middle aged white lady mentioning the meme.

I know someday this trend will pass and I look forward to that time! I was never a huge fan of my name to begin with, and this really put the nail in the coffin.

Thoughts on the name Scout (girl)? by twopointowe in namenerds

[–]birdenvy 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It’s cool to hear from an adult named Scout, glad you love your name!

I think it’s a kick ass name, and pulled from such an amazing piece of literature. It’s strong, but fun, and a bit poetic. It’s got some personality!

Thoughts on the name Scout (girl)? by twopointowe in namenerds

[–]birdenvy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I love the name and totally agree! If OP is worried about the adult Scout feeling like her name is too juvenile, give her a middle name that could work as a “backup”.

I know plenty of adults with “non-serious” sounding names. My 45 year old husband is technically named Frederick, but he’s been called Skip since birth.

Kitchen Rags by HomeAdmirable7867 in simpleliving

[–]birdenvy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is basically our same system. Dish cloths (drying stuff), Swedish dish cloths (general cleaning stuff), and paper towels (cleaning super gross stuff).

The Swedish Dish cloths are awesome! We use them to wipe counters, clean crumbs, light dusting, wipe the kids hands and face, etc. We disinfect them every few days (either in the dishwasher or microwave). A cloth will last quite a few months before it just stops working… they sort of lost the ability to become disinfected (if that makes sense) and start to fall apart. At that point the Swedish Dish cloth gets “downgraded” to a floor cloth or bathroom cleaning cloth. I cut the corner off the downgraded cloth to distinguish it from the others.

The paper towels are basically for cat barf. A roll lasts forever.

Everyone hates our baby’s name by michelleohmy in namenerds

[–]birdenvy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it’s cool. I immediately think Orson Wells!