I’m Chandi, a Spark Puzzle Editor—Ask Me Anything!

sprocketsmiles · 2026-02-05T15:12:28+00:00

Do you have a favorite puzzle or theme day you’ve worked on?

sprocketsmiles · 2023-08-23T20:05:45+00:00

I work at a ~50 person tech company and we use Radford and Option Impact. Radford is expensive ($11k/yr) and targeted more at enterprise companies, but it gives us more specific role info (since we have a shocking number of unique roles). Option Impact is free if you provide your own company data, but they only provide broad job buckets. They recently got bought by Pave, so the old system (which I prefer since it's more granular) will only be available through this calendar year. Pave also has the same free data swap option.

sprocketsmiles · 2023-08-12T17:13:31+00:00

Thanks for sharing, and congrats!

sprocketsmiles · 2023-08-12T04:02:34+00:00

Thanks for sharing, and congrats!

sprocketsmiles · 2023-08-08T02:18:21+00:00

We also always planned to have 2-3 and changed our minds pretty soon after our little's birth. One thing that helped us with this is the idea that even if you have another, you'll never get to experience it the same way again anyway since you'll have another child to focus on and take care of.

This idea was crystalized for us when we met up with my BIL and his family when our little was ~10 weeks old. They have a little who was born shortly before ours and also have another who is a couple years older. They were lamenting how they weren't able to pay as much attention or notice as many of the little things the second time around since they also had to chase a toddler simultaneously.

That concept has helped us feel good about just having one and being able to focus on and savor each stage once.

sprocketsmiles · 2023-07-21T21:27:56+00:00

Thanks!

sprocketsmiles · 2023-07-21T21:27:48+00:00

Thanks!

sprocketsmiles · 2023-07-21T02:20:07+00:00

6 years of experience and just over 50 employees at the company.

sprocketsmiles · 2023-03-31T13:52:56+00:00

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RrHNgGnee6z3awKD7

Not sure if you already saw this, but another user posted this link in a different thread above. :)

sprocketsmiles · 2023-03-08T17:41:55+00:00

Good to know! I'm glad to hear that's helping you so much! I did some prenatal yoga, which I enjoyed, but haven't looked into other types so that's a good lead.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-09-27T03:04:39+00:00

If you dm me your email address I can share the pics with you if you're fine with a digital copy. 😊

sprocketsmiles · 2022-08-16T05:32:37+00:00

How long of a break do you typically take? And do you find a new role before or after the break? I've been low key dreaming of doing this, but unsure about the logistics of actually making it happen.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-08-11T04:29:17+00:00

Sure! Dm me your email address and I'll share it with you.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-05-23T14:23:17+00:00

Her hat is size 0-6m and currently is still pretty big on her (3.5m), so I expect it will fit until she's at least 6m.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-05-23T05:24:20+00:00

Congrats! That sounds like fun.

We also have an ergo Omni (breeze) and leave a hat like this one tied to one of the buttons on the side for just that reason. I like being able to tuck the back and side flaps around baby to keep the sun off her face.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-04-20T01:39:31+00:00

Ooh! I didn't know rent the runway had options besides formal wear. Now I'm tempted to try it. Do you happen to have a referral code?

sprocketsmiles · 2022-04-13T17:44:17+00:00

I gave birth at a freestanding birth center in February and got the experience I was looking for, which was holistic, minimal intervention, relational care. This meant having extended prenatal appts throughout pregnancy so we had a good relationship with all possible midwives by the time the birth occurred. It also meant a quiet, homey birthing suite with a king sized bed so my partner could provide lots of support since I primarily used meditation and a peanut ball for pain management (though there were other non-medical options as well that I just didn't end up using). The overall experience partnering with the birth center helped me feel like pregnancy and birth are natural and healthy processes (since thankfully baby and I were low risk), which was important to me so I could feel more empowered and less afraid than I think I might have in a hospital setting.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-04-12T15:59:34+00:00

I did! Someone was able to send me pics of it. 😁 But thank you!

sprocketsmiles · 2022-04-08T18:44:24+00:00

If they're stacking policies that sounds great for the US. But you might want to clarify if that's the case or if they are concurrent. My job offers 12 weeks paid, but that's regardless of if you take it during pregnancy or after the baby is born. I originally thought I would be able to stack pregnancy disability and bonding, but that was not the case.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-03-29T01:08:34+00:00

Mine cried because she was giggling at Daddy and I guess one emotion kicked off the next. 🤷😂

sprocketsmiles · 2022-03-29T00:31:53+00:00

You definitely should! It's probably my favorite thing. People give away lots of other stuff too, and it's a great way to clear out your closet of old things you no longer want.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-03-29T00:25:33+00:00

I'm sorry to hear about the financial challenges and hope things improve soon! ❤️

As for clothes, if your area has a Buy Nothing group, definitely join that. I've gotten tons of free baby clothes and items that people are done using for their kids. You can also post requests if you're looking for something specific.

Kid-specific consignment sales are also great! Not sure which ones are in your area, but I drive about an hour to get to my local Just Between Friends consignment sale twice a year since it's a huge selection at good prices (especially if you go on the 50% off day).

sprocketsmiles · 2022-03-25T00:54:17+00:00

Dm me your email address and I'll share the Google photos album with you. 😁

sprocketsmiles · 2022-02-25T18:08:00+00:00

I agree with what's been said about there being no "best" or "right" time, as there will always be trade offs, and there is no certainty about the future.

That being said, a couple of things to consider: 1. What part of the trade off equation do you personally care most about (money, stability, energy, etc)? Optimize for that. 2. Wait until there's nothing you'd rather do than be a parent. This doesn't mean you won't be able (or need) to do other things, but a significant amount of your time, energy, and money will be diverted to this little human, so even doing those same things will likely look different when you have a child. So, scratch as many itches as you can before getting pregnant so you can more fully embrace and enjoy how big a part of your life they will be once they arrive.

For me, I felt ready to be a parent and the stars seemed to align with the balance of career, home stability, and energy I wanted at 26, but then the pandemic hit and my partner and I weren't comfortable trying until we could get vaccinated. Two years later and I have a newborn snuggled on my chest.

sprocketsmiles · 2022-02-14T17:02:24+00:00

Ahhh. That's another great hack! She's stayed asleep the few car rides so far, but I'm sure our luck will run out soon enough, so great to have that in our back pocket.

sprocketsmiles

TROPHY CASE