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The problem is you will need an account for any charger you use. So your options are to either return the car and eat the fee, find a charger, download the app, open an account and charge, or go to the hotel and see if they'll let you charge somewhere with a plug - you should have a level one charger/cord in the trunk of your car that you can plug into a regular plug. If your car needs an adapter, it should also be in the trunk of your car.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 4:42 PM on June 6, 2024

You have a beetle infestation in your trees that the wasps are taking care of for you. You can treat for the beetles, but don't harm the wasps, they are doing you a favor.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 11:01 AM on June 3, 2024

I'd stock up on the things that were hard to get early in the pandemic: toilet paper, masks, soap, hand sanitizer, flour, name-brand anything. also consider your current set up for working from home/schooling from home.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:33 PM on May 27, 2024

You've had a lot of time to prepare for and process this separation. How long did it take for you to get to this point? Expect then it will take your child at least that amount of time. Also, if you don't have a friend network with divorced parents, please, please find your child friends with divorced parents. My friends with divorced parents were my guide to life and gave me candid advice that I still think about and value to this day. We also validated each other's experiences and feelings.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:19 AM on May 26, 2024

This sounds unfortunately typical for a kid with asthma from my experience. A couple thoughts in addition to what you are doing:
1. Warm/hot bath or shower EVERY night can help with congestion right before bed. Similarly first thing in the morning as well can also help.
2. Does she mask? Can she at least part of the time in public spaces?
3. Any chance you'd consider moving to a climate that is more mild year-round so it lessens indoor time? It's a pretty… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 6:10 PM on May 21, 2024 marked best answer

Research says "no" it does not help reduce risk of long covid. However, I was just at a superspreader event and those of us infected who started Paxlovid the day we tested positive for Covid are doing great, those who didn't are still recovering and in a lot of pain and discomfort, and based on what I've seen from others in recent months - it'll take them several weeks to fully recover. So, I'd recommend it anyway.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:38 AM on May 21, 2024

It tracks female to me, but Cam tracks male. I think whether bullying will be an issue is dependent on the area of the country you live in. Where I live, with a strong anti-bullying, pro-trans-rights curriculum in the public schools, this would not be an issue at all. Where you live? I don't know - Americans are kind of jerks. Even in liberal communities. And based on this thread, it seems like most people agree.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 6:33 AM on May 21, 2024

Double pane windows and insulating the walls helps, but doesn't eliminate it.

A few additional ideas:
If these are city-designated events, there should be some advertising somewhere as to what is happening - the city must advertise? Maybe put a google alert on the name of the park? If they are not city events, then does the park require a permit? Perhaps engaging with the permit office to either post the permits in advance (my city does that) so you know what… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 12:09 PM on May 20, 2024

Typically registered sex offenders have restrictions on where they live and their interaction with children. I don't know where you are located, but I'd look into that first and then report to the appropriate body. If you can get video to document, it'll just make it easier.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 6:17 AM on May 2, 2024

Being good parents and making good money doesn't mean that you won't fall behind on a mortgage or rent (particularly in a high cost of living city). I wish people wouldn't make those assumptions, they aren't aligned with reality. The idea of going to the teacher and/or school counselor is a good one. They can check-in with the family and provide resources. My school district actually has an associated non-profit that raises money to help cover rent/mortgages for families who fall behind - check… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:17 PM on April 22, 2024

"I want to come prepared" or "Is there anything I should be prepared with?" when asking for a meeting agenda in advance of a meeting (that may or may not have an agenda, be organized or have a plan around it).
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 5:09 PM on April 16, 2024

Right to disconnect.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 1:01 PM on April 5, 2024

Fan + incense will cover it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 5:31 PM on April 1, 2024

I got my mom a Bird Buddy and it works great. I live far away but have the app on my phone and am buzzed every time a bird stops by. It even IDs the birds for you. The photos and videos are REALLY good. The company has one now for hummingbirds and I'm very tempted to get it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:22 AM on March 31, 2024 marked best answer

I think you are not getting a lot of "I had this conversation and it worked" answers because it doesn't. I don't have kids this age, but I have a lot of people this age in and out of my life, and in my experience they have a lot more "adult" involvement than anyone ever likes to admit. I even took a 20-something early career staff member to a Target her first day of work because she didn't own a comforter and it was 40 degrees outside. I've taken younger adults to grocery… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 3:58 AM on March 23, 2024

20 days vacation - they accrue over the years but cap out at a certain point
2 weeks of sick days + unlimited covid days
5 Floating holidays
Close between Christmas and New Years (and be paid)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:25 PM on March 14, 2024

#4 because it will end up with the voter's child who will then remind them to vote. Really.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:30 PM on March 13, 2024

Congrats! And eat that pasta!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:25 PM on March 13, 2024

There are a lot of ways to be a good manager, and they are based on a good fit for your personality, what your team needs and what the role needs. You should do some reading on different manager styles because it may give you insight into your situation. Based on the description of your situation, you have smart and experienced people working for you, whose work needs a proofreader. Consider looking into the term "snowplow parenting", yes it is a style of parenting , but parenting is a… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 3:44 AM on March 2, 2024

I know the urge is to have more clothing so you have to do laundry less often, but the benefit of a capsule wardrobe is you do one small load more often and just keep wearing the same clothing. Consider having two laundry nights a week, with something that you like - a tv show you like to watch or a video game with treats - and do one night for just one load of clothing and one night for two loads: clothing and sheets/towels. Use a timer for when to change the loads. Change your sheets once a… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:19 PM on February 27, 2024

Level 1: Blue food dye in the milk. Say nothing. Wait for discovery.
Level 2: Gross flavored jellybeans with one flavor that is delicious mixed in, so you can sample one to show that they are delicious!
Level 3: Get baby food, ideally prunes, and leave a big pile on your kitchen floor or in the walkway to your house. Then ask your kid what kind of animal would leave that poop there - then poke it with your finger, smell it, and take a lick. Trust me - good prank.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 3:45 PM on February 27, 2024

So many good books about being bad! And then doing better. Or when doing bad is being better:
We don't eat our classmates
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks
What the Dinosaurs did at school
17 things I'm Not Allowed to Do
A rule is to break
It Came in the Mail
And all the Pigeon books.
The Bad Guys series.
Circle
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:23 PM on February 26, 2024 marked best answer

Menopause! Sounds like maybe menopause or perimenopause causing hormone fluctuations leading to edema, that has now come to the end. Congrats!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 3:46 AM on February 25, 2024 marked best answer

I was at my office this week on a call with my door closed, and my boss urgently banged on my door, forcing me to stop my call, mute myself and answer the door to which my boss said she wanted to make sure I knew there were bagels in the lobby. Was I not going to answer my door when my boss was urgently banging on it? Another time a courier came mid-call and I had to go down several flights to hand him secure documents. Another time I was working from home and my son started screaming because… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:41 PM on February 16, 2024

I report illegal dumping while I'm on long walks. I probably cover 1-2 miles a day and end up reporting 5-10 items a day.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:22 PM on February 16, 2024

I couldn't tell 100% what your question is. Is it: How should I treat it until I can see my doctor again? or Is this in a pharmacist's wheelhouse maybe?

For How should I treat it until I can see my doctor again?
I'm not sure how to answer this without giving acne advice, but maybe you want advice on how to handle your skin more generally with this flare up? For this, I think there is a lot of… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:57 PM on February 6, 2024

Honestly, I'd get a Subaru- they make an EV hatchback, Solterra, which basically looks like their typical Subaru. AWD and Subaru's handle well in bad conditions.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 6:24 PM on January 27, 2024

Definitely therapy for her, maybe for you. But step back a bit - is your lifestyle, her school, community etc. really a good fit for her? It seems like it's creating a lot of anxiety and she is failing at it. I don't think more tutors will help. This might be an opportunity to think if another school setting/environment/community might be a better space for her to thrive. A therapist could help you better understand this.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:51 PM on January 19, 2024

WTF? Totally offensive and inappropriate.

Was it impolite of her to reference the urban dictionary as well as make such a crass generalization in such a glib fashion?
Yes!
Why am I offended so much by this?
Because it was offensive!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:56 PM on January 17, 2024

Just to validate why you would find this offensive. I just googled "vending machine job" and a list of jobs stocking vending machines came up, not the urban dictionary definition. I also got a description of what one does with that job - stock vending machines. There is no way she could have been confused about this.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:39 PM on January 17, 2024

A couple thoughts. Carpenter ants aren't harmful to you, they are harmful to the house. They aren't interested in you and they can't hurt you, so hopefully that will bring down some of the anxiety you are having. Second, they build nests is rotting wood. After the exterminator came the last few times, was there any repair done on your window? Most likely water is getting in and the carpenter ants are reentering into the place they were before and picking up where they left off. Your window is… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:17 PM on January 13, 2024

A couple thoughts without seeing your house. The first, cheapest way might be to try to fill the holes with caulking. I did this with carpenter ants on a porch and it worked ok. I'd also take a look outside and inside if there is a place where water might be coming in or the insects might be coming in. A handyman might be able to change out the sill if you see rotting or make a recommendation on who you should bring in.

150 year old houses are great - I've lived in old… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 10:15 PM on January 13, 2024

Since you want specific examples and anecdotes, I can share that Partner B changed jobs to a more flexible one and now takes PTO when emergencies arise to share the burden with Partner A. Partner B also has every other Friday off to take care of household chores, medical appointments, shopping etc.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:56 PM on January 11, 2024 marked best answer

Pizza and juice boxes for kids. Coffee for the adults who stay. A bowl of hand fruit for those who might be interested.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:52 PM on January 11, 2024

Congrats! There is a lot to share, but to focus on your questions specifically:

1. Splitting time between "classic needs", for ED's is pretty much 100% all of these things, all at the same time. This is why there is a lot of burn-out in non-profits. Do you have staff/contractors that you can contract some of this out to (like HR or finance)? If you have a supportive Board, there should definitely be an "HR committee" with a lawyer (ideally) on it and… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 11:28 AM on January 10, 2024

I did this. My diet is oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, brown rice and tofu for lunch, and whatever (mostly) for dinner. The mostly whatever for dinner is complex carbs (no white rice, pasta etc.) and a protein OR just salad, lots and lots of salad. I mean, all the salad you can eat. Exercise is good, but I don't get as much as I should. Snacks are fruit or vegetables.

We stopped eating out and that helped A LOT and helped our budget - the food at restaurants tastes… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 10:38 AM on January 7, 2024

I got an alarm system after my house was broken into. It's a big bummer and super stressful, so my hugs to your friend.

Since then, I've always had conventional ADT-style security alarms. I pay $50/month for the service. They typically have sensors on the doors and windows and then one on the hallway with a keypad you use to turn it on and off. They can adjust it so animals don't set it off. You can set it when you are home or away, and it calls the police if there is a… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:28 PM on December 29, 2023

I would look at the cost of health insurance at your new job vs your current one. My last job only covered health insurance for myself, my current one pays 100% for my whole family. Honestly, the difference in cost to me is like having a whole other paycheck.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 4:59 PM on December 28, 2023

From TV, Ross and Rachel from friends. Ross was very organized and had his sh*t together. Rachel was disorganized and a mess. If you went to their house, Ross would have known where the dog walking stuff was.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 6:15 PM on December 25, 2023

Google "pumpkin hat baby" - every baby needs one. Hats can be better because though their heads grow, the hat just fits differently as they grow, and they can wear it for a year plus, at least.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:49 AM on December 24, 2023

I've done this game, Fungi, on date nights. Super fun!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:53 PM on December 19, 2023

Rice cooker - we use ours everyday now and love it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 3:48 PM on December 15, 2023 marked best answer

Space heaters or fans for the desks, so people can have better temperature control where they sit. A couch. Weekly snack or fruit deliveries?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 10:19 AM on December 14, 2023

I'd leave the in the packaging in the fridge - maybe in the crisper box if your fridge has one? Green beans should last a week without getting weird, unless they were already on their way out when you bought them.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:27 AM on November 20, 2023

I have been following your posts and though there is nothing at all wrong with your bear, your family is....tough. I suggest protecting yourself, which means tucking the bear away and reducing the risk of their unnecessary comments. I appreciate those who say to tell your dad to stuff it, but reading your posts, I don't think that's who you are or that you'd feel comfortable with that. I think instead you'd spend a lot of time feeling bad about having done that, churning over the judgmental… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 7:04 AM on November 18, 2023

We did this. I'd rather not share specifics on this forum, but you are welcome to message me if you want to see how we made it work. For what it is worth, I am forever grateful that my husband wanted to do this and our lives (all of our lives - adults and kids) are better for it.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 5:43 PM on November 17, 2023

Maybe in the "artificial flavor"?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:45 AM on November 12, 2023

If you have some flexibility in your schedule, consider your timing of when you go to the gym. I found that the morning/evening crowd is definitely more type-A power yoga types. But 10am or 2pm? Even after 7pm? Postpartum mom bods, older saggy bodies, everyone there to be kind to their bodies and each other. I took a "healthy women" class which was for older women to build bone mass, and the women there were so nice and supportive, and definitely NOT judgmental. Would recommend!
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 9:43 AM on November 12, 2023

I switch from Mint to YNAB a year ago on my own and find it a much better budgeting app.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 1:06 PM on November 11, 2023

Those upthread making suggestions are trying to be helpful, but I'm familiar with WCCUSD and these options aren't going to work where you live, sorry.

There is no state agency that is responsible for traffic or student safety in relation to pick-up/drop-off around the school in California. The local police force in your area is not going to give this their time. Similarly, your school board and city council should be interested, but it sounds like they are not, and… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Toddles at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2023