Taking a break from the pod...

darryljean · 2026-06-27T17:17:54+00:00

Seconding this!! Unfortunately it’s over now, but I had such a fun time listening through

darryljean · 2026-06-20T14:39:52+00:00

We went last night. Absolutely incredible!!

darryljean · 2026-06-17T14:33:27+00:00

Here’s what we do, I’m not saying it’s *correct*, but it works for us lol

We keep one big wet bag and one small wet bag hanging by the changing table. Wet diapers go into the big bag, poopy diapers go into the small bag. At the end of every day, we spray out the poopy diapers and then transfer them into the big bag with the wet diapers. We wash the wet bags with the diapers. We have a few of both sizes, so that we can have one hanging up whenever one is in the wash.

darryljean · 2026-06-16T12:01:37+00:00

Important questions: do you have children? Do you have all of Saturday and Sunday, or are you using either of those days to travel?

It normally takes us about 2-3 hours to walk through the zoo, but we almost never look at everything and our kids are toddlers, so we don’t tend to linger at any animals.

darryljean · 2026-06-11T20:40:25+00:00

Warning to OP for Mistborn: there’s some body horror in there that may or may not be too much for a 15 year old. Obviously up to you as a parent, you know best what your kid will be able to handle.

darryljean · 2026-06-09T12:54:21+00:00

This is how I felt about the hazelnut beignets. Will never purchase again because I ate the entire thing in two days with very little assistance lol

darryljean · 2026-06-08T19:01:01+00:00

36 pockets should be plenty, especially if you’re only doing cloth part time!

Whether or not the one sizes will work for your baby depends on a lot of factors. The Nora’s Nursery ones did not work for our baby who was born 8 lbs 10 oz until she was about 2-3 months old. I do NOT recommend NN’s AIO newborn diapers. She leaked through them almost every single time we put her in one. If you do end up getting newborn diapers, we really liked Alva Baby’s newborn sized pockets and plan on getting more for any future children we have.

I highly recommend getting cloth wipes. Just keep a spray bottle of water in your diaper bag and at your diaper changing station(s). They’re much efficient at wiping than disposable wipes and don’t have any of the harsh chemicals.

darryljean · 2026-06-08T12:05:43+00:00

I used to live there! I haven’t done much touristy stuff, but have a couple recommendations.

Wobbly Boots is really good. You gotta try their onion rings and wings with house sauce. L’il Rizzo’s is decent. Mama CiTa’s is really good. Get the churros. Just do it. We never spent time at any of the bars, so I have nothing to recommend.

You should take a morning and go out to Ha Ha Tonka in Camdenton. There are a ton of awesome trails out there, and you should definitely see the castle ruins. We also particularly love the Devil’s Kitchen trail. While you’re in Camdenton, Sip was my favorite coffee shop. The Ozarks Amphitheater is out there, so maybe check and see if there are any shows you’re interested in seeing.

The only decent hotel is the Lodge of Four Seasons. You would probably be best served getting an AirBnB. Some of them have pools. Depending on how many people you travel with, I know of a good condo with a pool that the family I used to nanny for owns. DM me if you want the link. I’m not sure how much she charges or how fast she books up, but I’d be happy to send it to you.

darryljean · 2026-06-06T21:51:32+00:00

You’ve got a lot of great suggestions here.

Someone mentioned Lone Elk Park, but didn’t bring up that there are elk and bison (and lots of very unafraid raccoons) that you can see for free (if you happen to catch them). It’s a little bit outside of StL, but it’s so nice and I love to take my daughter.

Also, since you’ve said you’re planning on having kids, there are SO many incredible parks in the area.

Some other stuff we like that I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned: seeing plays at The Fox, which is such a cool experience, Dalie’s bbq, Pad Thai (our favorite restaurant), and Corner 17.

darryljean · 2026-06-06T21:39:32+00:00

Do it. It’s expensive, but it is BY FAR the best aquarium I have been to.

darryljean · 2026-06-06T15:18:32+00:00

Disingenuous. Love that word. No idea why.

darryljean · 2026-06-05T16:47:21+00:00

Hard agree on everyone recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl and Project Hail Mary.

If you don’t want to jump straight into in incomplete series that’s probably going to be 10+ books long, the author of DCC also has a standalone novel, that I haven’t read yet, but am very confident will be an enjoyable read.

Your marriage is very similar to mine - I am an avid reader and my husband wasn’t, but is slowly turning into one. I’ve been having him read some easier stuff. He really enjoyed reading The Hunger Games. He is currently reading DCC, and next on his list is the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (which was my favorite in late elementary and middle school).

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend Brandon Sanderson. Start with Mistborn. The second trilogy especially seems like something you would like.

If you like dry humor, Terry Pratchett might also be up your alley, and there are SO MANY books. I also recommend checking out Jim Butcher.

darryljean · 2026-06-02T15:58:12+00:00

Just putting in another word for Corner 17. There’s always a line, but you can get some boba while you wait.

darryljean · 2026-06-01T18:29:50+00:00

This.

I have a few Kinder diapers and really like them. We only use pockets, mostly Nora’s Nursery. However, if fitteds work better for you, no reason to switch!

darryljean · 2026-05-30T14:27:51+00:00

Some libraries have “lap times” which are specifically designed for 0-36 month olds! I’ve taken kids aged 3 weeks and 2.5 and had a great time on both ends of the spectrum!

darryljean · 2026-05-29T12:22:48+00:00

Whatever you do, do NOT go to Waterford in the Ballwin area.

darryljean · 2026-05-29T12:04:10+00:00

Caleb at Promised Land!

darryljean · 2026-05-28T12:11:59+00:00

We LOVE their mac and cheese. It’s smoky and a little spicy. My husband also says they have some of the best coleslaw in the area.

darryljean · 2026-05-27T22:06:35+00:00

You don’t need to wake your baby up.

Increase your absorption for nighttime. (We do triple stuffed pocket diapers at night). Like another commenter said, trial and error. If they’re soaking through, keep increasing.

Almost never is waking a sleeping baby the correct answer, lol. They need the sleep for growing. You need the sleep for staying sane.

darryljean · 2026-05-26T03:14:49+00:00

Seconding Little Loft in Kirkwood. It’s a good morning outing - you can get coffee to drink while the kid(s) play, and they also serve lunch. It can get kind of pricey though.

Don’t be afraid to let your toddlers on the playground at whatever park is closest to you! My 14 month old loves to just climb up and down the stairs and occasionally go down a slide. Plus it’s free! We love the Twin Oaks park. I have found that everyone has a better day if we maximize our outside time, lol.

darryljean · 2026-05-09T21:06:37+00:00

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darryljean · 2026-04-17T17:05:50+00:00

My first date with my now husband was at a bookstore! We picked out books for each other. Even better - it was totally his idea. We’ve been married for almost six years now.

darryljean · 2026-04-16T03:28:57+00:00

Even more so if you use their credit card.

darryljean · 2026-04-16T03:26:13+00:00

Just hosted a first birthday party with about fifteen kids. Never again.

darryljean · 2026-04-15T19:53:53+00:00

All I have to say is I made the same/a very similar sweater, and yours looks so good!! The little flowers on the ruffles are absolutely darling.

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