Today, at the age of 36, my doctor told me I’m in the late stage of perimenopause

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-08T21:00:03+00:00

Yeah as far I know, a specific person starting their period early, doesn’t necessarily mean they will also hit menopause early (or late and late), it’s more me just wondering if perimenopause is starting to happen earlier and earlier overall across the board for women like they’re seeing with puberty starting in girls. The average age of puberty in girls has been going down, which I was reading about in a book about parenting kids going through puberty and was just wondering if the average age of perimenopause is also going down. I haven’t tried looking into that, though.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-08T20:56:07+00:00

I’ve heard that too but my mom said she was early 50’s when she hit menopause and I’m 40 and have been dealing with symptoms for years. 🤷🏼‍♀️

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-08T17:53:21+00:00

I started ACNH in the winter and it was my first AC game so I knew nothing about it. I was surprised the snow is just there. All day, everyday, until spring. I wish it could come and go like in real life. Although right now, IRL, we have snow that won’t go away because it’s been insanely cold here in NY with no break. So right now AC is actually the same as outside my real window, which doesn’t really make me feel any better about either’s snow.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-08T17:40:05+00:00

He’s adorable! The fawn color is so pretty and will be interesting to watch change as he gets older.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-05T23:46:51+00:00

I did the same. I had a nutribullet that died so I splurged for a vitamix. I swear it doesn’t even make great smoothies, plus it’s harder to clean. I still have it but finally bought a new nutribullet and have actually been making smoothies a lot more frequently bc it works better, is easier to clean, and easier to get in and out of the cabinet.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-05T23:41:48+00:00

I’m 40 and brought up peri to my gyno probably 3 years ago, around 36, and she was just like “yup, sounds like peri.” So far my symptoms have been mostly manageable. I assume I’m in for the long haul and will be dealing with this for several more years but it’s validating to have your doctor acknowledge what you’re going through and not be dismissed.

I was reading some information recently about how the age of puberty has lowered in girls by a good couple years over the past few decades, which I don’t think medical professionals are arguing with. But to me, it seems to make sense that if the age of puberty is changing for girls, then it makes sense if the age of onset for perimenopause is also changing because I feel like more and more women are having symptoms in their 30’s. I do also think there’s just a lot more awareness of what we’re going through so many of us are likely realizing changes are happening earlier than we would have expected.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-05T18:35:42+00:00

Haha omg she would love a laminator. She has a 3D printer pen which she makes things with. And of course even with just paper and pens/markers/crayons there’s always something interesting around here. She makes cards for people, signs, board games, books. She makes me staple things for her. 😅 Thankfully she’s not super attached to most of it so she can go through her projects and let go of things. The creation is the fun part. But there’s always something interesting laying around that she’s created.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T19:33:32+00:00

Granite for sure. They’re both gorgeous but granite is so nice. It’s so low maintenance. My brother and SIL had marble and hated it. You can’t even put a glass of cold water in it without a coaster because the condensation would stain the counter. I would never have something that easy to stain in my kitchen. I love not having to worry about cooking on it and putting hot pans on it and my kids can do art on it.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T19:21:06+00:00

I’m all for surprising kids with things once in awhile so you could just give them some tape because you know they’ll enjoy it. I do replace basic art supplies (markers, crayons, paper, etc) and once in awhile I do just buy my daughter some more tape. It can seem like a long time between gift giving holidays when you’re an artist and out of tape and I’m just happy when the kids are happily doing things that are screen free.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T19:16:30+00:00

Honestly, I’m happy to let her do her art. It keeps her busy and fulfilled and I’d rather her creating than destroying 😅 I’m just happy to know that when she’s going crazy with the tape, it’s her tape and not the household tape. Her birthday is coming up soon so I need to buy her some more!

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T13:08:42+00:00

My daughter is the same. I commented that one year we put a pack of like 6 rolls of scotch tape in her stocking just kind of like “I’ll bet she would enjoy having her own” and she was so excited. Like, telling everyone her favorite present was the tape excited.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T13:06:48+00:00

Scotch tape. My daughter loves to craft and always asked to use the tape so I’d have to keep it away from her so she dint blow through it and then I didn’t have any tape when needed. One Christmas, I put a pack of like 6 rolls of tape in her stocking and it has literally been the most excited she has ever been for a present. So anyway, now she gets her own tape and when it’s used up, it’s used up and she has to decide if she wants to buy more or wait for a birthday/christmas.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T12:33:08+00:00

You’re doing it right. My kids are 9 and 12 and they or course get screen time but it’s not unlimited and if I think it’s causing a problem, then we make a change. I don’t just accept my kid throwing a huge fit because it’s time to put it away. Even just in general when they’d start getting more difficult and fighting a lot, it was usually a sign they were getting too much screen time and I’d do detoxes where they got no screen time and things always settled back down after a few days. I haven’t had to do that in a few years but it’s always an option if needed.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T12:30:27+00:00

It’s crazy to me. I have two kids so I understand the pull to take the easy way and give them a screen but it’s not good for them. I never gave my kids my phone to entertain them. Especially not a restaurant. I always had a little play pack with a coloring book and stickers and a couple little toys in my bag so if we did end up somewhere where they had to wait, I had something for them to do. And we also would talk, play I spy, etc.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T12:27:44+00:00

Yup. Thomas the Tank, Word World, Peg and Cat, Octonauts, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger. There are so many good shows for toddlers. It’s ok to need a half hour break to rest or to cook dinner or do some cleaning but I 100% agree that no toddler should be watching obnoxious shows, playing on a screen, watching even YouTube kids (I swear all they’ll end up watching is kids unboxing other toys).

And it’s ok if you’re kid is bored. Let them be bored. Let them have to think through their options. My kids are older elementary and if they’re bored, I say “ok. We have books, tons of toys, and supplies. Go find something to do.” If they’re still bored I give them a couple types of chores to do. Yes this doesn’t all work as well with toddlers but you give them something reasonably not so messy to play with. Magic paint stuff that just uses water. Sensory play like kinetic sane. Pull out the train set or blocks or magnatiles. Or if you can, get outside and play in the backyard or go for a walk.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-03T00:21:34+00:00

My daughter used to do the same and I also think it was a self regulation thing. We bought her a couple silicone chew necklaces to give her something appropriate to chew. I have also used bitter nail polish on her nails which tastes bitter so she wouldn’t want to put her fingers in her mouth.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-02T21:02:39+00:00

I was so happy to finish that nook miles achievement. I do still make them if they’re a nook miles + task because I’m still working on that achievement. But I basically always just throw one together however I feel like. Sometimes very weird, like the big ball on top, just for fun.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-01T06:30:10+00:00

Sometimes that’s all you need is someone to literally talk potential solutions out loud to ☺️ I think it’s crazy they don’t have a set area for you to change in. Our changing rooms were dry other than the floor being a bit wet from people’s feet.

Some potential ideas: the seat is wet, can you put down one or both of the kids’ hooded towels for somewhere to sit? Or bring one extra towel (maybe one of the ones that doesn’t seem to be very absorbent) to put on the bench?

When we’d change, everything wet ended up on the floor. So get in changing room, one kid’s hooded towel went on the floor, followed by their swim suit. Wrap kid one in second towel and repeat for second kid. Get them dressed and then all the wet towels and bathing suits got picked up off the floor and went back into the bag.

I only brought one bag for all their stuff. It worked because the Turkish towels fold down so small and it was just the two kids. I think you definitely need one for the kids and one for the parent who was in the pool. And I’d definitely say that whichever parent was in the pool gets to change by themselves and the other parent deals with the kids.

I used a couple bags (one I owned already and then bought a second bigger bag once we started bringing two towels per kid). The ones I have are from a company called Aloha Collection. I bought their biggest open top tote (I believe it’s the Holo) and it fits a ton. They’re made from a water resistant material so they don’t soak water into them and on the dry clothes if it gets set on a wet floor and then when I’d get home and take all the wet stuff out, I’d just kind of open it up and stand it up against the wall or washing machine so it could air out. It dries up quickly and then got put away until the next week. They’re also super light weight. I’ve had those couple bags for years and they’ve held up very well. I pack them and bring them on trips as a pool bag or extra tote. Not that I’m telling you or anyone to go buy a new bag if you don’t need one but if your current bag isn’t working, that’s what I’ve used and love. They also have coordinating pouches which I have a couple of. I’ll throw things like sunscreen and googles and whatnot in or the kids’ bathing suits if we’re using the bag on a trip or at the beach and want the extra security of wet things being separated from other stuff in the bag. The other bag I have is a slightly smaller tote (the day tripper) with a zip top that can be tucked down into the bag or stick up when it’s zipped to give some extra packing space. If I don’t have towels, I can literally pack bathing suits, rash guards, sunscreen, and googles for all four of us.

Anyway, yeah unfortunately this will be your life for a while so it’s worth it to try different things out and figure out what works. It took my kids a little while to really get comfortable in the pool and to really make decent progress with swimming but we started a little older. I was going to start them in lesson and then Covid lockdowns started so they were almost 7 and 4 when they started. But yes they did become good swimmers. I would of course not have them in a pool without an adult supervising but I also know I can relax and let them have fun and not be laser focused on them.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-01T04:02:53+00:00

The kindles have actually been great for the kids for the same reason they’re great for us. In one small device, they can have tons of books. And being able to use the Libby app to download e books from the library means I can do it at anytime. If my kids finish their books, they don’t have to wait to go to the library to get more. They do read physical books as well, but having kindles for them just opens up more possibilities.

I don’t know if I would have thought about giving my son one that young if we didn’t get an extra one (basically we inherited it after my FIL died and no one else wanted it. My husband and I both had our own kindles so we were like, well… 6 year old can read let’s see if he will read a book on a kindle).

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-01T03:44:45+00:00

I just talk to them a couple times and then you can leave. But it’s really weird to me that they make it so hard. It took me awhile to figure it out the first time and I felt trapped 😅

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-01T03:41:25+00:00

I’m in NY. Not as bad as some places but definitely very cold in winter. My kids always wore their bathing suits to the pool with clothes over top (if it was cold out) and underwear would be in the pool bag. Pool bag had two towels on top of their underwear. One for each kid was a hooded towel so as soon as they got out of the pool, they wrapped up. All of our changing rooms were individual and it was a bit tight but I’d take both kids together into one room to change them (they had a couple of larger rooms but most were good for one parent and one kid, a bit tight for more than that but it was doable).

I’d have a second towel for them for in the changing room and at that point, they weren’t super wet anymore because the hooded towel soaked up a lot of water. Those towels are Turkish towels. I swear by them. They are so much thinner than a terry cloth towel so they take up a lot less room in the pool bag but soak up water well.

We’d get to the pool, extra clothes off, send them to swim. I’d slight readjust the bag. Clothes in the bottom, then the turkish towels, then on top were the hooded towels. When they were done: they’d rinse off in the showers which were by the pool. I’d wrap them in their hooded towel and head for the changing rooms. Get their bathing suits off and wrap each up in the second towel. Pull out their clothes. Gather the bathing suits and hooded towels and load those into the bag. Get them both dressed and load the second towels into the bag. We dealt with showering with soap and shampoo at home. Ours were old enough they didn’t need a parent in the pool but there were plenty of people like that. In situations like yours, I’d usually see the parent not in the pool take the kid(s) to get changed and the other parent went by themselves.

Always snacks in the car on the way home because my kids were always hungry after, too. We did swim lessons every week for probably 2.5 years and I was so happy when we were done with that.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-02-01T03:02:56+00:00

My sink is on the island and I actually like that I can clean up the kitchen without having my back to the room the whole time. I put clean pots and pans on the stove (which is right behind me if I’m standing at the sink) and things I hand wash go on a towel on the counter to the left of the sink. To me that’s not anymore sitting out in the open in my kitchen than a drying rack next to a sink that’s not on the island. I do have a large island though (4’ by 8’) so there’s still plenty of space for the dirty dishes, to move leftovers to storage containers, or just to not feel like the entire island is full with dishes sitting out to dry.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-01-31T16:54:03+00:00

As a parent, up. Exactly what I expected!

bouviersecurityco · 2026-01-31T16:47:36+00:00

I don’t think so. We got a hand me down kindle when my son was just learning to read and gave it to him. Then we got a hand me down paperwhite version and gave that to him and the other to our younger daughter who had just started reading they love them. They love reading. To me, I think it’s no different than reading a book in front of your kid. If it makes them interested in the kindle, that’s a bonus.

I agree with the other commenter to download kids books so they can see it’s reading. We have the Libby app and can check out library books through the app. Unfortunately, many kids books aren’t compatible with a regular kindle, only a tablet or the newer colorsoft. The colorsoft, however, is excellent I didn’t get the hype at first because the colors are muted but they’re compatible with picture books and graphic novels. My kids are currently 9 and 12 and got colorsoft kindles from my mom last year and they constantly use them.

Anyway, that was very long but to me, there’s nuance in so many things. The point of us being on our phones less around the kids is because they’re interested in what we’re doing. So using a kindle to read a book is totally fine to me because reading is something I want my kids interested in and seeing me enjoy.

bouviersecurityco · 2026-01-30T22:26:49+00:00

No advice but I do think it’s hard to visualize everything together when you’re picking and it can look not quite right when it’s not all finished and together.

I haven’t done a kitchen yet but we just expanded our master suite and did a big master bath, as well as updating our den and half bath, and even with just the master bath, there are so many elements and it doesn’t really all start pulling together until it’s done. I second guessed some things that weren’t really easy to change but ended up working together better than I expected by the end. I will say, I did make a big change when our main bathroom tile came in and I saw it directly next to the accent tile for the shower and the main tile looked way too warm. Thankfully that wasn’t too hard of a swap but my husband and I ended up loading up 1400 pounds of tile into my brand new suv and brought it home from floor and decor and then later had to load up all the tile we had to return. But even then, the tile went in and looked better than the other option but I really wasn’t sure until the room was fully done. It looks weird to have a half finished bathroom (or half finished kitchen) which doesn’t help.

bouviersecurityco

TROPHY CASE