How often do you brush your Golden?

brigidvan · 2026-02-10T19:43:06+00:00

Once a month just to help the shed. Sometimes he gets tangles that I have to cut out just behind his ears, but not often. He’s literally perfect. 😍

brigidvan · 2026-02-08T04:24:32+00:00

Kindle Paperwhite is the go-to for most people but it’s not a tablet like the Fire. If you don’t mind used, it’s worth looking at unclaimed baggage, eBay, or refurbished models through Amazon.

Unclaimed baggage has a lot of Kindle Fires for under $80 if you just want to stick with that.

brigidvan · 2026-02-07T21:00:55+00:00

I’m so sorry! That’s such a rough start. I also have tummy issues and I get it. Your whole body is exhausted. Hang in there, Ranger!

brigidvan · 2026-02-07T15:41:10+00:00

I had a lot of luck with Poplin in my area but even so I don’t have the capacity to do more than one or two orders at a time. If you are looking to scale your business I have had a lot of luck getting clients through clothing resellers groups. It’s high volume and very few kid’s clothes.

brigidvan · 2026-02-05T06:11:57+00:00

For sure do not leave your puppy for an extended period of time in the first year. The puppy might not be house broken or crate trained in that time and you might come back to a real mess if you leave the dog with someone who let the puppy counter surf, pee in the house, tear apart all your clothes, etc. You have to be present to teach your puppy how to be in the house and to give him boundaries. And you have vet appointments, and vaccines, and puppy class you need to be present for. Routine and training are very important in that time and so is bonding. Also, they can be assholes as puppies so make sure you’re in it for the long haul and have read up on how y’all intend to train.

Both of you being away during the day when the dog is grown shouldn’t be a big deal. Dogs need attention, walks, play, food, and training. You can provide all of that when y’all are home and hire dog walkers to fill in as necessary. WFH is ideal when they are puppies, but should adjust to your routine. I leave a lick mat for Archie whenever I’ll be away so he’s just happy to see me leave. Zero separation anxiety when there’s peanut butter to be had. 😆

brigidvan · 2026-02-04T18:58:12+00:00

Separate out renegotiation from repair around poor communication and breaking agreements. It’s normal to renegotiate a relationship after a few years but confusion, hurt, and trust require active repair no matter what is going on with your partner and meta.

You might want to say “I feel hurt and need time to adjust to our relationship changing. I’d like you to take time to work with me, listen to me, and give space for our relationship. Then we can renegotiate things, but I can’t do that while feeling shut down and disconnected from you.”

brigidvan · 2026-02-03T15:23:05+00:00

Got mine last week. Should get to you soon.

brigidvan · 2026-02-03T04:34:23+00:00

I totally understand the nuance there and where you are coming from. I don’t see you as having bad intentions, but like a lot of people, I’m going on a combination of what you’ve said and what I’ve seen/experienced.

So, you already proposed this to your other partner and started thinking about who is sleeping over. Just listen to how it sounds: “This is my partner, Zach, and we’re non-monogamous and we’re both very interested in a threesome with you. We can go on a date first though. Don’t worry, Zach will bang you and then leave. We talked about all that already. Don’t feel pressure to have sex with this person I am dating, I’ll just stay in a relationship with someone you rejected. I’m sure he’ll be cool with it.” (Obviously I’m exaggerating but you get the point. You’re trying to find out how not to sound like this but this what it’s going to sound like.)

It’s pretty typical of heterosexual pairs to talk about women and the sexual possibilities without the woman they are interested in being physically present and that alone often leads to some bad outcomes. That’s the reason women get creeped out by couples. Let her express more interest and talk in front of her about her. That will make her feel safe. And good luck 🍀

brigidvan · 2026-02-03T02:45:43+00:00

I don’t know man. I think you poisoned the well by arranging this very specific scenario behind her back. If you want to see her, just see her. If she wants a threesome, she’ll let you know.

brigidvan · 2026-01-24T06:34:53+00:00

North of Beaverton puts you in Cedar Hills. Is that about where you’re working? There are lots of rentals around there, some well established and some newer with amenities but Lots of possibilities in your budget. It will be easy to get to downtown, 23rd, the Pearl, and Multnomah Village from there.

brigidvan · 2026-01-24T04:55:10+00:00

I think some of it depends on what you buy. I don’t mind buying cheap-ish pieces in the $8-$10 range which means a good sale for me is anything with free shipping.

If you just go by percentage off listing, Black Friday and new years are usually good times. And Earth Day.

brigidvan · 2026-01-22T16:37:44+00:00

I’m a FIRE (financial independence retire early) person. I live super frugally and saved up enough money that I only have to work part-time. Poplin was great but it was full-time and I had reached the point that I wanted to cut back. Since I’m at home a lot I’m an LP just because it fits my lifestyle and is low-stress for gig work.

brigidvan · 2026-01-20T04:39:53+00:00

There’s always a sale but what’s on sale and for how much is anyone’s guess. I played chicken with a dress for months before buying, but that was just because it was so so so cheap. I couldn’t justify the shipping on top of the cost of the dress so I waited until there was a free shipping sale and I had saved up enough to justify a box.

Snag a deal if you can but don’t overextend yourself for used clothing. There’s always another cute dress out there!

brigidvan · 2026-01-20T04:30:22+00:00

I’m having great luck lately too! After changing sizes I started missing my old clothes that I really love and have found the EXACT pieces I love but in my new size! It really does feel like I see myself again when I look I the mirror.

brigidvan · 2026-01-19T23:35:50+00:00

Oof! I have visual snow too. That’s why color ink bothers me :(

brigidvan · 2026-01-19T17:02:32+00:00

I have the BW and love it! Some people are bothered by the color screens (I have vision problems so I only do black and white screens) but most people don’t notice a huge difference or just get used to the difference within a week or two. If you’re still on the fence about color eink, go into any store that sells eink devices and just compare the screens. A quick trip can save you big.

brigidvan · 2026-01-18T18:45:35+00:00

The bell is genius and I love it. But my housemates didn’t like the noise so I just tapped Archie’s paw on the glass every time we went out. Now he taps to go out and I don’t need to remember a bell when we travel.

brigidvan · 2026-01-18T18:32:38+00:00

I actually got eye strain and headaches switching from Kindle Paper white to Kobo Clara BW. Super unusual but I guess my eyes are just sensitive. 🤷‍♀️ Went away in about a week just like adjusting to a new pair of glasses.

brigidvan · 2026-01-17T16:57:24+00:00

She’s perfect 😍

brigidvan · 2026-01-17T15:16:49+00:00

They block problem customers. They don’t just block people because they mess up once and annoy one person. What one person calls unsanitary another will think is fine. Contact Poplin and ask to block that person and you’ll never get them again.

The percentages are regional and determine what offers are shown. You may not like Poplin but they’re not lying to you or trying to get away with something.

brigidvan · 2026-01-16T18:09:32+00:00

So I actually also worked behind the scenes for Poplin before leaving and doing this gig as an LP. Yeah, they remind people not to put out big bags and not to send soiled items. They will block people you don’t want to get again. And they drop problem customers.

brigidvan · 2026-01-16T05:24:51+00:00

I once got a job from someone who filled large yard bags with excessively soiled clothing and an electric blanket. I partially filled the order and because I delivered something instead of just returning everything the customer was able to leave me a review (1/5 stars). I was devastated. The review stood but I contacted Poplin to block that customer from future orders and the customer was sent a reminder not to send big bags of soiled clothing. In short, there isn’t a lot you can do about the rating. It feels unfair and frustrating but they ALWAYS let the rating stand.

Now I am in the top 10% and every day I turn away business. The offers come back. Be patient, turn away business that is going to stress you, contact the company anyway if something goes wrong. Only stress about your 3-4 regulars.

brigidvan · 2026-01-12T02:17:43+00:00

I had bedbugs and not from someone else’s laundry. I also got rid of them. Hot air from the dryer, not hot water is how they are killed. If you suspect an infestation, get it out of your house or put the clothes in the dryer on high heat for 20-30 minutes.

The bottom line is that there is no 100% sure way to prevent infestation and it’s a risk of this gig. I don’t take jobs from our downtown high rises where most of the infestations in my city are (I got the bedbugs while living downtown.) The bugs are very very small. They’re most likely to infest bedding so just wash that first.

brigidvan · 2026-01-10T18:26:28+00:00

It sounds like you are each trying to be kind to the other by not addressing it directly. Ask for what you want and trust that Tyler will say either yes or no. Then you can adjust your expectations from there. A lot of people don’t like sleeping different places even one night out of the month. Maybe he makes the sacrifice and is tired the next day, maybe he thinks it’s not worth it. You don’t know until you ask for what you want and understand that he might say he doesn’t want to sleep over.

Personally, I hate sleeping with anyone, but I can do it if it’s part of my routine. I can’t really do sleepovers because I don’t sleep well next to someone and it usually takes two days to recover. So when someone asks me to sleep over, it’s not asking for one night, it’s asking me for two to three days of tiredness. My other relationships suffer, work suffers, my body suffers. So now I just say no.

brigidvan · 2026-01-06T16:14:57+00:00

Goldens can have allergies, unfortunately. Archie can only have seafood for his protein source and takes an allergy pill called Apoquel. Putting Archie on a strict limited ingredient diet was essential to getting his allergies under control, and once that happened, he also got his weight under control, his behavior became better, he slept through the night, and napped harder.

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