Where should one store cherry/grape tomatoes? They need to be left out on the counter, but they're too small to put in a fruit bowl. They'd get smushed. Should I designate a smaller bowl just for tomatoes? Should I put them in the cupboard inside their ugly plastic container? But then I might forget about them.
How long is a manicure supposed to last, honestly? I don't get them often, but when I do, my nails only seems to look nice for 2-3 days, max. That seems absurd. Do ladies with nice-looking nails get them done twice a week? Or are they just really good at doing them themselves? Or do I do something odd that ruins my manicure faster than the average person?
Do most Americans get their Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving? Growing up, I don't think we got our tree on a specific day. We went when it made sense, and timed it out so the tree would be alive and thriving for Christmas and maybe a bit afterwards. In fact, I think we tended to decorate our tree relatively close to the 25th. Once I was in college we definitely did the tree once we were home for break. But judging by social media lately, it seems like many many people already have their tree. I feel like I'm learning about this tradition quite late in my life. Perhaps we'll adopt it someday. But probably not. I need a week or so to digest Thanksgiving before diving into Christmas. I actually always thought the Canadians got Thanksgiving right by having it a bit earlier in the fall. But oh well, what can I do about that now?
How on earth does one get their baby/toddler to sleep on the plane? Try as we might, we've had extraordinarily limited success getting Willa to nap on a flight. When she was really little, Dan got her to sleep once or twice by pinning her arms and legs down so she couldn't move and letting the other passengers hear her cry for a bit before she finally fell asleep. (As I write that out, it sounds pretty awful. But that's how she is. She thrashed about when she's tired, she doesn't snuggle in or just start dozing off.) When I flew alone with her, I nursed her to sleep. But now, she's weaned, and I've got nothing! On our flight home from Thanksgiving, she was exhausted and we did a whole bedtime routine thingy which got her into a calm and snuggly state. But she never fell asleep. Come on parents, what are the tricks? I don't get it! How do you teach a kid to sleep upright in your arms on a plane packed full of people when they're used to their crib? We have some longer flights coming up so really, please, I need any and all tips!
Why is the jicama I bought today coated in thick wax?
Is there a relationship between the number of toys a toddler has and their ability to play independently? Willa doesn't have many toys. She has toys. A few bins full. But not that many. We go to the toy library at least once a month to get some new things, and we've borrowed a few toys from friends. And the thing is, she doesn't play independently very much. Actually, she does play by herself, she just doesn't play independently with toys. She spent at least 20 minutes today putting her hair barrettes in and out of a plastic cup. Sometimes I worry that she doesn't ever play with toys because she doesn't have the "right" toys or "enough" toys, but then I remind myself that that's just silly. Right? I recently came across this blog post which confirms my own beliefs, but I'm still find myself thinking a lot about toys and what kids really "need."
