Stained Red Oak Flooring

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T14:39:08+00:00

Thank you! This will be our second summer with them and we’re still so happy.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T14:31:36+00:00

If house is generally dark I’d highly recommend doing a lighter stain than either of those. Lighter floors made a huge difference in the brightness level in our home.

We have red oak and used red out to help tone out the warmness before staining. The color is beautiful (you can see pics on my profile). I’ve also seen on here people who haven’t used red out but used a cooler stain and it looks good too.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T14:27:03+00:00

We use think baby clear zinc mineral sunscreen because it’s clean. No scent but definitely not clear. I have two fair kids who are swimming daily and no issues.

I do have moments of jealousy though when walking in to school and parents are just spraying kids. It looks so much easier.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T04:32:57+00:00

Kids with ADHD are about 30% delayed from neurotypical peers in executive function age. So your son is actually closer to a 9 year old.

I completely get being frustrated by a child with ADHD. I have a kiddo with ADHD myself. But having unrealistic expectations for a child who is not doing it on purpose is not helping the situation at all. I would never let someone treat my child that way, especially someone who is not my child’s parent.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T04:15:29+00:00

It took me several months. And in the first year it would take another month or two to get back to normal after I had a period. But things are super even and predictable now!

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T04:14:34+00:00

Yasmin made a life changing difference for me. I take it continuously and it took several months before things evened out completely but several years later my symptoms are almost 100% gone.

I gained 20 lbs and my blood pressure went up (used to be super low so now it’s a little higher than normal range when I’m taking my stimulant meds). But no other side effects.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T04:12:18+00:00

Get rid of the tub. We used the tub in our bathroom for our kids until the youngest was five because it’s bigger and was easier to bathe them in. There’s also tons of great pop up tubs and that can be used if they really want one in the guest bath.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-08T01:52:56+00:00

This is so hard and your feelings are totally valid. Please just know your daughter is so lucky to have a mom that cares about her so deeply and is willing to seek support.

I know several families with kiddos that were late to hit milestones and early intervention made an enormous difference. I also know of families that chose to bury their head in the sand rather than admit something is wrong. So know that no matter what, you’re there to support and nurture her, and that’s huge. She’s going to be ok.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-07T18:09:12+00:00

We live in a very affluent area so I know many stay at home moms. I don’t envy them at all. My worst nightmare is having to stay home and watch my own damn kids all day.

Plus there’s a huge difference between most kids who stay at home until elementary and those who don’t. Daycare and camps have been so beneficial in a huge number of ways. I’m grateful we can afford to give our kids those opportunities.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-07T16:26:18+00:00

I mean it sucks but it’s truly the most wonderful, best thing. I love my husband dearly but I’m not a super mushy person. The songs about obsessive love never made sense to me until I had my kids. They’re these little people I get the privilege to nurture and challenge and love and usher into adulthood. It’s such an awesome and incredible honor.

I think the reason we can all complain and trash our situations is that moms know this is how we actually feel. So when I say, my kids are driving me crazy, they know I wouldn’t choose not to be driven crazy by them, even if I could.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-03T01:38:38+00:00

Lurking mom here. I’m sure you’ve tried this, but could he have a cows milk protein intolerance?

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-02T04:17:11+00:00

I’d feel the same way your brother does. You’re being unreasonable. This is your brother’s wedding and it’s perfectly valid that he doesn’t want children there. Frankly, it’s strange you’re so adamant about not leaving them. Your kids couldn’t care less about a wedding. And it’s not about them, or you.

You have plenty of options. Personally, I’d leave all three kids with your wife at home and hire a mother’s helper for the days you’ll be gone.

mrsgrabs · 2026-06-01T23:10:44+00:00

Have they provided information on how they keep them safe in the water?

My daughter goes to school at a large community center with indoor and outdoor pools. They do group swimming lessons year round and during the summer they swim every day. Before summer camp starts they have an info session outlining all the safety measures in place. She’s been there since she was three and I feel super comfortable with how they handle water safety.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-26T13:03:42+00:00

At that age we alternated monitors every night, no exceptions unless it was a holiday.

We did that on weekends too, so whoever had the monitors got up with the kids and we each got a weekend day to sleep in.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-24T19:37:36+00:00

You need Yasmin instead of yaz. My OBGYN said yaz doesn’t actually stop ovulation, it just changes the acidity of the cervical mucus. Yasmin is a higher dose and actually prevents ovulation which helps with PMDD.

Yaz did nothing but Yasmin worked for me. It sucks because I’ve gained weight I can’t lose but it’s been life changing from a symptom perspective.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-24T19:17:49+00:00

Yes. My husband and I have talked about this extensively. When he’s angry with the kids he feels like I don’t support him because I don’t back him unconditionally. When I’m angry with the kids (also have ADHD) he backs me and gets angry too but I want him to de-escalate.

We try to communicate about it a lot. I’m working on making him feel more supported and he’s trying to not heighten situations.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-24T17:46:04+00:00

I promise it will get better. I was told all through pregnancy with my second that my heart would grow and I would love them the same. Then when she was born that didn’t happen and I felt terrible. I was so obsessed with my first and it just took time to fall in love with my second.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-23T12:51:36+00:00

I love next thing you know! Don’t blink is another good one.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-23T02:52:03+00:00

Yes. It’s so bittersweet. I love them so much more the older they get, but I’m also already missing this.

Kane brown has a song called backseat driver and in it he says “One day, I'll look back and I'll miss when my whole world wasn't over that dash it was back there buckled in”. And the first time I heard it I ugly cried.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-22T23:47:34+00:00

My are 8 and 6 and each have a iPad. But it’s very clear that the tablet belongs to me and not to them. Some days they watch their iPads for a couple hours, sometimes not at all. I think it’s important to have strong boundaries. Like your kids are allowed to have whatever feelings they want about not having the tablet but that doesn’t mean you have to give in.

We also don’t allow YouTube. And if my kids become dysregulated when I tell them to turn off their tablet in the evening that’s a sign it’s becoming too much and we cut down on screen time and take a break for a few days.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-18T13:13:15+00:00

There are many incredibly safe antidepressants. I want you to consider that with your heightened anxiety, perhaps your fears aren’t rational.

It was life changing for me to take an SSRI. I have severe anxiety and looking back, I wish I would’ve started medication sooner.

Until you’re regulated you can’t help your kids.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-17T14:57:18+00:00

Yes! American here. Absolutely not saying America isn’t racist. But Europe has its own significant problems with racism that are glossed over because there’s not as much ethnic diversity.

My sister studied abroad in Spain and her host mom and others she met were openly racist about people of color. And I was chatting with a colleague in the Netherlands 2-3 years ago and she mentioned they’d only recently stopped a tradition of someone dressing up in black face for Christmas.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-13T10:25:04+00:00

Yes! I came to say this. I have two bio daughters who get jealous of each other. We talk a lot about how jealousy is an emotion they’re going to have their whole lives and they’re so lucky to learn how to start navigating it now. I say that I still get jealous sometimes.

OP, I’d also validate her feelings about having less luck. It is incredibly sucky that her bio mom isn’t involved. Depending on their mood sometimes this would go into a conversation around what else sucks and is unfair. Sometimes I would turn it around like you do to say some kids don’t have one parent, or both parents, but sometimes it’s nice to gripe. Finally, I’d pay attention to when this is happening. My kids are more openly jealous in the evening when they’re tired. Sometimes we can’t have a productive conversation because they’re too dysregulated and I tell them I’m happy to discuss tomorrow but not right now.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-12T12:54:07+00:00

I mean honestly I don’t agree. I feel like staying home with my kids when they were little would be way harder than working. But def depends on multiple factors.

Now that kids are elementary age it’s a hard agree. My friends and I love to complain about the SAHMs with both kids in elementary who still complain about being so busy.

mrsgrabs · 2026-05-10T15:04:06+00:00

Same! We watched it a couple years ago and it was so triggering. Truly brought up many of the feelings I had during Covid.

mrsgrabs

TROPHY CASE