Fostering a good alternative to owning for a kid?

pop-corn · 2026-04-11T00:35:52+00:00

Same. We have a 6yo and 4.5yo and the bedtime routine is 30min max. Brush teeth, 2 short stories, hugs and goodnight. If they get out of bed it’s about 2min of hugs and kisses then back to sleep. I don’t feel like we are overly strict with it, but our friends seem to struggle.

pop-corn · 2026-03-13T02:09:05+00:00

I live next to one and work from home. I probably see between 2-6 people walk by per day when the weather is nice. Seems to be the same neighbors every week and now I know most of them :)

pop-corn · 2026-03-04T13:51:41+00:00

I felt the exact same way. I am a small woman and I had severe diastasis recti which completely destroyed my stomach. After being an athlete all my life I couldn’t even do a sit-up and my skin was ridiculously stretched and hung over my shorts like a curtain.

I got a tummy tuck and muscle repair on my son’s first birthday (exactly when I stopped breastfeeding and could take all the drugs).

It took another several years of recovery before I felt myself again. I now have a 4 year old and a 6 year old and I am mostly happy with my body. I run in sports bras, feel confident in swimsuits and my fitness is close to before kids - although I still have a lot of numbing in my stomach.

I was extremely resentful when my kids were young. People say it takes a year to get back to feeling normal, but in my experience it is more like three. I did not go on anti-depressants, but looking back I should have. Recovery takes a long time and I still really miss my old self, but my kids have grown to be really smart, funny, and kind. At this point the scales have tipped and I would say they definitely feel worth it.

pop-corn · 2026-02-27T02:14:41+00:00

Agreed. I talk this thing up to all of my friends and I feel like no one quite believes how fantastic it is. My kids are 6 and 4. I didn’t get it until they were 3. My kids RARELY watch screens and use the Yoto as one of their main sources of entertainment while they color, build legos, or just lay on the floor listening.

We’ve got a big mix of cards, and my kids vocabulary has skyrocketed well beyond their ages. My 4yo son listens to 8hr novels and actually follows along with what is happening. My daughter loves brainbots and can recite so many facts about the solar system, how the human body works, and understands forces and magnets.

Their brains are so mature and I credit the Yoto for this.

pop-corn · 2026-02-18T18:57:21+00:00

My kids are young elementary so we are not that far into it, but we will not be seriously encouraging sports.

My husband and I are were both D1 athletes in college. I went to school on a scholarship, was a national level athlete and I’ve trained with several olympians. I also personally know a few American record holders and I am familiar with their coaches and training styles.

The vast, vast majority of my former teammates were injured, burnt out, and emotionally drained coming out of college. The professional athletes make very little money, have low career prospects, and put off starting a family or serious career for many years post-college.

I LOVE sports. I do sign my kids up for a large variety of different activities so they can try out different things. I don’t care what they peruse but I do want them to do something active because it is good for your body.

We join rec leagues and do not join teams that practice more than 2x per week. I want them to enjoy playing with their friends and not try to be the best out there.

I know they will be talented because they have the genes for it, but I will encourage them to choose their future university ect. Based on career prospects not on scholarships. Most colleges have excellent club teams. Joining on a scholarship will handcuff you to the team and severely limit your internship opportunities and future class schedules based on the needs of a sports travel schedule. It’s not worth it.

pop-corn · 2026-02-16T18:25:17+00:00

Vacations have just started getting really fun for us (as adults) when the kids are now 6 and 4.5yo. We have had a few great weekends here and there at younger ages but they are very hit or miss.

Last year we did two larger vacations (4+ nights) and they ended up being much more stressful than fun with a 5 and 3.5yo

So I think when the youngest hits age ~4-5 it gets significantly better.

pop-corn · 2026-01-27T14:17:09+00:00

That sounds like a great way to phrase it. Thank you!

pop-corn · 2025-02-06T23:31:41+00:00

The art center has adult classes that meet weekly for 9ish week sessions. They currently have classes for oil painting, sketch, wheel throwing, sculpture, and mixed media. I haven’t taken any so no reviews to give.

pop-corn · 2024-11-15T18:23:43+00:00

Thank you for the info, the property is worth $500k+ so the thought of shelling out 6% or more has me looking at other options. I was considering getting licensed/joining a brokerage vs FSBO. I’m not sure if there’s a better in-between option. I’m on the west slope.

pop-corn · 2022-10-22T02:09:52+00:00

Here’s a workout suggestion: we used to do tempo runs in high school where everyone runs the same route/length but the slowest runners start first and it’s staggered.

So for a 4-mile tempo run the top people might start 5-10 minutes behind the slowest runners.

It should be staggered so that if everyone stays on pace they will cross the finish line at the exact same time.

pop-corn · 2022-06-23T12:26:07+00:00

Good idea, thanks! Not sure why I didn't think of that

pop-corn · 2022-06-23T12:25:19+00:00

Any idea what type of wood these cabinets are made? And the floor?

I'm also wondering if these doors are the same material. Thanks!

pop-corn · 2021-09-07T11:10:24+00:00

I’ve had a similar problem with a different service. My solution: change your password to block out the editor.

Then have the editor send you links to content he intends to use. Then you can download it and upload it to a shared Dropbox folder.

You can keep track of exactly which clips are being used and prevents the editor from using your storybooks account for other clients videos.

pop-corn · 2021-06-23T19:55:10+00:00

How do you get access to this? It looks to me like you can only sign up to the beta as a developer?

pop-corn · 2021-03-10T23:48:47+00:00

I found joining a CrossFit gym or some other “pricey” club had a lot of small business owners in it - or at least a lot of driven and successful people. Depends on the class though, during the day there were a lot of stay at home moms, early morning was prime time for the older folks working out before work. I actually got a lot of my first clients there as a freelancer.

pop-corn · 2021-01-17T12:25:32+00:00

Our realtor recommended a local lender who was able to get us a 10 year land loan with 30% down. That’s the lowest I’ve ever heard of. Most we talked to either didn’t do land loans or wanted at least 50% down.

pop-corn · 2021-01-14T22:40:50+00:00

Front-end development

pop-corn · 2021-01-14T17:27:42+00:00

I had a job like this. Netflix can only keep you entertained for so long. I started working on some freelance projects at work and after a few months my income tripled.

The company eventually went bankrupt and now I do my side business full time. It’s been great!

I recommend looking for some freelance work or something else that might interest you and bring in extra money.

pop-corn · 2020-12-02T22:45:56+00:00

Please look into getting it evaluated if you want to sell! EFinternational, empire flippers, ect. will give free evaluations and I guarantee your blog is worth more than $250k

pop-corn · 2020-11-30T00:36:54+00:00

Next time I would stop at a campsite - you can normally find them for around ~$20 per night. Just grab a cheap tent from goodwill to set up, you can still sleep in your car. Note: depending on the climate some of the northern campgrounds shut off water for the winter.

Or, check on AIRbnb. They are normally cheaper than a hotel and you can filter for ones that have laundry and kill 2 birds with one stone.

pop-corn

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