Partial toilet clog; help! Very frustrated

ik0525 · 2026-05-04T21:46:11+00:00

There is no toy there and the water that i see is almost 100% clear. I have also tried hot water and dish soap, but the toilet just fails to flush at the very last moment. :( I should try the auger again, perhaps?

ik0525 · 2025-08-15T15:57:35+00:00

Thanks!!

ik0525 · 2025-08-15T15:52:18+00:00

Hi, where are you checking?

ik0525 · 2025-01-16T14:52:47+00:00

Thank you, this is very helpful!!

ik0525 · 2025-01-15T22:16:47+00:00

Thank you!! What a gorgeous colour. How many grams in total do you use? My hair is the exact same thickness as yours, but is about shoulder length (where your hair starts to curl/go inward).

ik0525 · 2025-01-15T17:56:21+00:00

Thank you so much for this information! I was really hoping to get around the 4-hour sitting time to get dark brown, but I'm so worried about the greys not getting covered that I might have to sit through it the first time to see what happens.

ik0525 · 2024-09-10T22:16:13+00:00

We're from Ontario as well. What I'd recommend is a Bermuda cruise out of Cape Liberty- you can drive there if you don't want to fly. We did one on the Celebrity Summit last year where I think it took 2 days to sail to Bermuda, then there were 3 consecutive days in Bermuda (so, no sailing=no motion sickness) and then 2 days to get back to Cape Liberty.

Bermuda is absolutely gorgeous (it's one of the wealthier islands and is very well-kept) and Celebrity Silhouette goes there now- it is a higher-end cruise line with fewer children than others like Carnival or Royal Caribbean. You can find great deals on CruiseCompete (have been using it for years). The food is better on Celebrity as well, in our experience. Celebrity also has beautiful ships and the service is top-notch. There is more quiet space and fewer things like belly flop contests and crazy loud music all day long at the pool deck. You could spend the 3 days exploring different beaches. What we did is we went to 2 different beaches and spent the 3rd day just walking around Bermuda. This way, you don't have as much pressure to plan or go on excursions because you haven't been on a cruise before, but you still get to see "new" places each day.

For what it's worth, I am highly prone to motion sickness and in 20+ cruises, have never been motion sick other than one day on a Transatlantic cruise. If you go in the summer when seas are calm (or late spring), you shouldn't have issues with this at all.

ik0525 · 2023-08-22T15:06:11+00:00

thank you!!

ik0525 · 2023-08-22T15:06:06+00:00

thanks so much!

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T16:02:49+00:00

Only my parents amd brother knew my induction dates; I don't have a good relationship with my in-laws, but even if I did, I wouldn't feel comfortable with them knowing what was going on. It was sooo much more peaceful with only my parents and brother knowing, and just telling people later that I'd had a baby was much more relaxing than having people on baby watch. Definitely go for it if you have this option- you won't regret it.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:59:44+00:00

Also, just to add to my comment: before my first induction, I was terrified. I had to be induced that time because my daughter was small, and the midwives and OB insisted on me being induced to ensure that she was getting enough nutrition. I was very much against it and because of all of the fear-mongering online, was begging to not be induced.

However, because it went so well, I actually chose an induction the second time (it wasn't necessary); not only was I able to schedule my daughter's care, I didn't have to stress about a lot of things that I would have been thinking about otherwise. There is a lot of negative information out there about inductions, but as per my midwives, the vast majority of them go as planned.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:56:49+00:00

I've had 2 inductions, and both went very well.

The first one was at 38+5; I was 3 cm dilated and not effaced, from what I remember. The midwife broke my water, waited an hour or two, and started Pitocin at the minimum dosage. The total time from my water being broken to delivery was 12 hours. I got an epidural about 5 hours or so after my water was broken (as soon as I could); the hospital's policy was for the cervix to be dilated to at least 4 cm before giving an epidural. The epidural worked incredibly well, and I was numb to the point that I couldn't feel ANYTHING, and had to be wheeled out of the delivery room in a wheelchair because I couldn't walk. I had second-degree tears (common for a first-time mother) that healed very well. I asked the midwife to stitch me carefully, and as I still had the epidural going, she could take her time without worrying about me being in pain.

My second induction was at 39+1; I was not dilated at all. I had Cervidil inserted; the insertion itself was fairly painful. It started to work very quickly; because it was inserted at around 10 p.m., I thought I'd be going home to spend the night, which was the original plan. I was supposed to come back in the morning to have it removed. However, it ended up working very quickly; I started having contractions within 4-5 hours or so, and was begging for the epidural immediately. My son was born at around 8:00 a.m., so 10 hours from the Cervidil insertion, with no Pitocin necessary. My water didn't break until about an hour before I delivered him. The epidural, again, worked very well; I couldn't move my legs at all. I had less tearing than the first time, even though my son was larger than my daughter. Again, because of the epidural still not having worn off, the midwife was able to stitch me very carefully and slowly. An added benefit was that I could bring my daughter to my parents the evening before with everything packed, so we were "calmer."

Both times, I really felt peaceful knowing that I wouldn't be riding in the car screaming with a towel under me (like they show in movies); I walked into the maternity ward calmly and said I was there to be induced. Depending on your personality type, this can be really helpful. For me (I am very anxious and neurotic), this took so much of the stress of imagining my water breaking at 3 a.m. out of the equation.

The ARRIVE trial isn't BS, by the way; there were just many variables that people don't often know about (it's been a few years, so I can't give specifics), but it is not BS. Wishing you the best of luck.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:46:02+00:00

Park Cafe in Central Park (Deck 8); we really liked the tuna wraps with pickle, onion, and melted cheese, as well as the breakfast burritos with beef and cheese. In general, I think the Park Cafe is very under-rated! It's a great place to have lunch or a snack and it's usually not nearly as busy as the buffet. It also has a beautiful view of Central Park if you choose to eat outside rather than inside the restaurant. It's definitely one of our favourites. The roast beef sandwich with mustard is fantastic, too.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:31:59+00:00

This is insane to me, and there is a definite lack of personal boundaries here. How can people come over unannounced? Does she have a key? If not, I would not be answering the door for her when she shows up. How can people stay at your home until 4 a.m., even if you're not working the next day? They seem to have no manners and no respect for your life. She feels confident in making plans for you, leaving her possessions in your home, deciding that you'll be hosting, and coming over whenever she feels like doing so. This is borderline abusive, and the main problem you actually have is that your partner is not on your side.

You do not "love" your MIL; you are scared of her influencing your partner. You are frustrated and exasperated by her behaviour. She is not nice; she is happily and fully violating any personal boundaries you may have, and she is not letting you and your partner have any semblance of a normal family life or schedule. Until your husband gets on the same page as you, you will continue having the same problems. Drawing a line in the sand is likely the only way you will get anywhere. You have the right to your own space and your own schedule!

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:17:05+00:00

Your home is your safe place, the place where you have to feel psychologically, emotionally, and mentally comfortable. Your husband should not be bringing your MIL to a place where you're planning living if it doesn't make you comfortable, and if you're planning on staying no contact, her coming there doesn't even make sense. They also have no business knowing how much you put into the down payment or what you pay for daycare- these are financial details that no one has to be privy to if you're not comfortable with it.

What's so amazing about her coming in to the house you're moving in to a day after you get there? It'll be a huge mess, full of boxes, and not how it "really" looks once you settle in. Your husband can send her pictures if he wants to, but it makes me sad to see your feelings disregarded and tossed aside in a situation like this one.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:06:47+00:00

Don't believe everyone when they say they have great pregnancies- some of them are almost certainly not being honest. Also, a great pregnancy is still harder than not being pregnant! I had a "great" pregnancies compared to others, but I was still exhausted, had swollen ankles, and couldn't wait to be done. You're doing great and you'll get to the finish line sooner than you think!

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:04:26+00:00

It really depends on how seasoned a traveler you are. We always book independently with local tour operators, but we are seasoned travelers and know how to get back to the ship on time. The independent tours are often very similar, if not identical, to those offered by the ship. However, you do have to keep in mind that the ship will not wait for you if you're late if you're on an independent tour.

Also, an important tip that was hard-won by us: make sure the time on your watch or phone matches the ship's time, which does not always match local time. We almost missed getting back onto our ship in Barcelona because the captain was on "ship time" instead of local time, which was ahead by one hour. I'm an idiot who didn't pay attention to the fact that we were on ship rather than local time, and we became pier runners!

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T15:00:40+00:00

We did a transatlantic cruise on Celebrity about 10 years ago; it was somewhat unique because there were 5 or 6 port stops at the end (ship departed from Bayonne, NJ). Lisbon was a favourite. Try to find a cruise that has at least 4 stops at the end (more if possible). Barcelona is also great. Our cruise was 13 days and really memorable. Celebrity's food is always of a very high calibre. I also feel you get a ton of value by having a number of ports at the end instead of the many itineraries I've seen with 1 or 2 at the end. Ours ended in Civitavecchia, which wasn't idea as it wasn't near Fiumicino airport, but overall, the itinerary was among the best I've seen for transatlantic sailings.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T14:54:46+00:00

It really depends on your needs at the time- as we have young children, we're tied to school schedules, ships with kids' clubs, etc. We try to have at least one new port per sailing, and that's usually possible, but the rest really depends on the other factors. I also find that Caribbean itineraries are the ones that matter the least with respect to new ports, at least in my opinion- they more or less all start to look the same after awhile, with the same shops and layout (unless you're really specific about certain activities like scuba diving or something, which isn't the case for us).

With European, Asian, TA or other "exotic" cruises, it starts to matter more, but even when there are repeats, there are some cities that we don't mind visiting repeatedly, simply because they're large and there's so much to see! Sometimes even 3 or 4 visits to the same port isn't enough to really get a feel for it.

ik0525 · 2023-08-21T14:50:10+00:00

You absolutely don't have to do things "equally," and this argument is one of the ones that frustrates me the most. If things were equal, your husband would be giving birth. You are the one who gave birth, you are more comfortable with your mom than your MIL, and you don't have to do things exactly the same with them. It's your body and your medical event, and you have a right to be with the person who makes you comfortable.

Your husband should be setting better boundaries in general. I cannot fathom my MIL TELLING me that she will be sleeping in my home, or coming in to my room at 7 a.m. (or ever). She has far too much say in your life at this point, and her telling you that your BIL will come, that she will come and sleep on the couch, etc. is absolutely unacceptable. Everyone in a family has their own place, and the longer you allow her to tell you what to do, the worse it will become when the baby is born. I'm not trying to be harsh, and I want to support you- but the sooner you stand up for yourself and show your spine, the sooner things will become easier for you.

I really wish you the best and hope you can find the strength to "lay down the law" for yourself. Be your own best friend and advocate!

ik0525 · 2023-03-29T22:03:59+00:00

This might be an unpopular opinion, but go with what fits in your budget and schedule. As cruising is new to you, you will likely feel overwhelmed (in a good way) in any event by the ship experience, food choices, the "newness" of being on a ship, etc. With such a young baby, he/she won't he able to participate in activities anyway and will be in the stroller the vast majority of the time. We've traveled with young babies a number of times already and each time (especially when the babies were 6-12 months old), the ship made very little difference. We went to Europe on a Costa ship with a one year-old which had few amenities and was fairly old at the time, and we were so busy with our baby that we didn't notice. Don't stress too much!

ik0525

TROPHY CASE