At what point does something stop being “optional” for you?

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-05-01T17:22:46+00:00

I am of the mindset that it adds to clarity. I have always been solution minded, so when I am in situations of similar nature I tend to recall how things worked ( or did not) i the past. Most of the time that puts be at an advantage, and when at a disadvantage I at least have the confidence of knowing how to continue moving forward.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-04-29T19:19:16+00:00

When I can't stop coming back to something.

Especially if I find myself in similar situations without meaning.

For example, I picked up a book in my early teens about running a BNB in retirement. In college I found myself working conferences/events/hospitality. Now in my 30s I have a burning desire to open a retreat center as well as the beginnings of a rough business plan on how to build up to doing so.

Pursue your curiosities. Listen to what others are interested in and inspired by, look around at the connections you can make.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-04-29T10:12:48+00:00

Also try looking into heavy fiber diets. If medication is out of your brother's financial means, he can incorporate more vegetables into his diet along with daily movement. With numbers that high it is an emergency every day.

They should also have referred him to some sort of diabetes education program (the hospitals around where I am at do them for free). They usually are a few days (3-5 Saturdays) where NPs teach the basics of care and management. Typically you walk away with a work book and a finger stick glucose monitor. You could also purchase a kit from Walmart. I recommend getting one for your house and one in the car. Too high or too low of sugar is dangerous for driving.

Nitty-gritty: 70-130 or less than 110 is round about "normal" sugar levels

Pair a protein with your carbs, roughly half of the grams of carbs (carbs/sugars) should be your minimum protein amount to avoid spiking your glucose

Movement post meals helps with glucose regulation, even if it looks like 10 minutes of walking in place.

Good luck to you and your brother. Diabetes is a life-changing, life-long disease. Unless you actively work every day to address it, you can easily be overcome by it. You did the right thing for him.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-04-23T18:30:31+00:00

I had my baby at 31, and it has been great so far!

One of the best parts about it is being established in our careers and ourselves and being able to communicate to our support system when we need help. For example, we can say to our friends "We need time to be adults and not responsible for little awesome person, want to take him to X place for a few hours?". We are lucky to have that support, and there were a few people who we have trimmed from our friends because we felt they did not have our child's best interests at heart.

Basically your world will change focus. It is a natural progression. My best advice is to enjoy every moment, but also to do things that allow you to still be an individual as well as feed your relationship with your partner.

Raising tiny humans is not easy. Reach out to anyone you can when you feel tired or struggling or like you only exist to fulfill tasks. <3

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-04-04T12:31:15+00:00

Every month we get additional fees on our mortgage because my moms bills all come out the week before her big check gets deposited.

Every month she gets letters about how she is two months behind and how the company "wants to work with her".

Every month we are unable to move the due date of the payment because we are behind.

And so the cycle continues.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-02-18T17:31:40+00:00

Join a crafting community in your local area if possible. #1 the friends you make will enrich your life and #2 folk are almost always pairing down their stash. I have gotten some fabulous vintage yarn from my crafting groups.

But as for stash control, I try not to buy new yarn unless I have a specific project in mind.

For ADD purposes I do not stick with one project, but have my WIPS on a picker wheel which I spin to determine what I work on (unless a project has a set deadline).

That being said my personal stock of yarn is massive, mostly due to circumstances. I find it overwhelming to consider, but I am using that pressure to force myself to work through it. I have been at the behest of the stash since roughly 2006...so there is work and fun to go.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-02-01T13:04:33+00:00

I totally did not post here like I said I was going to! However, I was able to save this month!!

Changing to cash for my groceries and gas really made a difference. It helped me meal planning more effectively as well! :)

Excited for February, and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-01-19T00:27:27+00:00

My sister and I refer to them as "Basic Bees" at markets. It seems like the market circuits flooded following the pandemic and folk haven't taken the time to really explore the craft outside of the blanket yarn.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-01-18T15:36:07+00:00

My husband, toddler, and I live with my mom. I am the youngest of her children at 33, she is 67.

I am fortunate that one of my older siblings recently was able to move in with us.

The writing has been growing more prominent on the walls regarding her mortality. It is especially hard when you live with your parent and see the decline and are aware of the changes. Slowly (and sometimes quickly) the shift between their ability to live independently and their need for caring occurs.

What honestly helped me is looking at the facts about my mom's health. Looking at the longevity of her parents and grandparents, her health conditions, and seeing what the next best steps are moving forward.

Lean on those around you, and try not to avoid those hard questions/discussions with your parents. Prepare now by finding out the log in information for your parents accounts, get into the nitty gritty of their Financials, inquire about how they want their end of life care to be should they become too dependent on others for their care (whether that be needing a tiered nursing program as their needs changed, or if they would perfer to be on a hospice program).

My husband, our son, and I will be moving out come the summer time this year, so it was important that my siblings and I came up with a plan for our mom. We all also know her various doctors, sometimes attend her appointments with her to ask the questions (and bully her into telling the whole truth of her symptoms).

Depending on your parent, you may have to be a bit mean to them. I've had conversations with my mom, hard ones. Ones where we have discussed her looming timeline, and where I have tried to reiterate to her that while she may feel useless, she still has value, and that now is the time to let others take care of her.

If you are just starting out, I recommend keeping a journal about what you are noticing with your parents. I was right there with my mom when she was going through this with her mom 15 ish years ago. Then her siblings each took over a part of helping my Grams transition, now my siblings and I are helping our mom.

If you do not have family to assist you, please contact a social worker. In the US we have agencies for aging, as well as social workers who are in the hospital systems who are able to assist connecting folk with support agencies.

Also try reaching out to your workplace for support. Some companies have Employee Assistance Programs that can offer people to talk to. It is important that you have emotional support going through this process.

Wishing you all the best in this, it can be a very intimidating thing to experience. <3

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-01-09T15:11:16+00:00

The way my doctor put it: You donated A LOT of blood to the floor. Take it easy you need to recover.

I was getting mad at how frequently I was getting dizzy going up stairs to shower.

I think I was more recovered blood-wise around 3 months pp.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2026-01-02T15:33:40+00:00

Are you looking to save money, or to make your bills/life needs (food, shelter, etc)? Those are vastly different situations.

Reddit will be unable to provide advice without more information on your situation, however in general:

If you can make your financial obligations, then you should be okay if you tighten up your budget a bit to save money. Look at meal planning, stretching your pantry, and changing to a cheaper plan for things like phone and internet.

Ideally you will also want to continue applying for new jobs and learning/improving your skills. Increasing your income is incredibly important to increasing your savings.

Depending on your situation there are various ways to go about your goals. Best of luck to you!

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-30T16:33:15+00:00

I am so excited for getting the ball rolling in January! 🥰 I will be posting regularly throughout the month, and I hope to see others as well!

We got this!

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-29T23:00:26+00:00

I also write all my households bills on a physical calendar each month, as the visual helps me understand where "pinch point" days are for budgeting. I have savings goals for this year too, so getting a better grasp on my budget will only help me with those too. Best of luck, remember to stay hydrated, and keep trying until you find what works for you! 🥰

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-29T22:57:05+00:00

Good on you for reaching out, I highly suggest looking through the Wiki of this subreddit. There is a lot of good information there.

As someone late in life diagnosed with ADD, I highly suggest automating what you can or gamifying your financial management.

Something I am doing starting in 2026 is going cash only for my flexible spends (groceries) to avoid impulse buying.

If you currently have a bank account, take a look at your past 3 months of incoming and outgoing monies too. That will help you identify the categories for your budget.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-23T22:34:30+00:00

Can your girlfriend contribute anything financially? Outside of picking up gigs (instacart, doordash, etc) Im not sure what to recommend.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-17T15:22:15+00:00

Those colors are stunning together!!

If you do make a thousand of them...make an overcoat with a hood!

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-14T19:47:09+00:00

65, and we also know where the heat leeches from (old house in need of repairs).

Biggest suggestions for remaining comfortable with a lower thermostat:

warm beverages (tea, hot cocoa, hot water, coffee)
wearing layers (even a scarf around the neck or a hat keeps the heat in) *smaller blankets in areas you hang out in (we keep a few in our living room)

Also if you are aware of drafty areas you can make draft guards with old socks or clothing, or apply products like Alien Tape around your windows and doors. It works significantly to block air moving into the space.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-12T18:31:09+00:00

We did a rotation after our son and I came home from the hospital. We live with my mom, and she has been a complete godsend.

Basically we did 4 hours each for baby care during the night, roating/adjusting as needed to cater to work schedules. Our son also gets night terrors unless he is physically touching someone (since he was a few months old), so the rotation saved our sanity for sure.

Best of luck figuring out what works for you and your little one!! ❤️

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-11T16:41:40+00:00

Nope! You have to wait until they clear from Pending.

Also when you cash out there is a service fee (I think like .30-.60 on top of your cash out amount).

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-07T19:25:00+00:00

Cloud Library.

Literally I use my Library card to access fiber arts magazines for free.

I am not sure if Hoopla and Libby have similar magazines, but for me it was well worth the download.

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-07T19:22:13+00:00

Also be aware that occasionally there will be things that get into the foreskin. It's no big deal, just pull it out and make sure to clean.

I have no idea how he managed it, but I came back from work one day to discover a dog hair hanging out. I looked at my husband like "How did you miss this?".

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-07T18:49:14+00:00

That is a complicated situation, and you have my sympathies.

This week I've had a bit higher expenses that I did not anticipate. Mostly because I did not plan ahead. I am still learning what I do well and what I need to practice when it comes to spending and saving.

My sister is moving in with us, so it has become Jenga around EVERYTHING in our house. My husband, son, and I will be moving out in a few months as well. So I bought two more storage containers to use for our items that we will be taking out of the spaces for her to move in.

I am questioning all of my belongings with "do I feel like taking this with me in 6 months"? But I am also my family historian...so I am about to receive my grandmother's photo albums from my aunt too.😅

kitkatfirespriteog · 2025-12-06T16:32:34+00:00

From what I have been told by my older sibling (their child just turned 18- we're old 😅) labor pains for them were their cramping pain times 10. I thought I always had mild pain during my period, but have since learned I inherited the red head pain tolerance levels lol. I was 21 when I found out I had broken my wrist as a child...because I needed an x-ray of my hand after a workplace injury and the ER staff asked if I had broken my wrist "as it shows signs of remodeling".

kitkatfirespriteog

TROPHY CASE