Colin from Accounts is hilarious!  I’ll also add Schitt’s Creek as one of my go-to shows when I’m feeling low 

I could have written this myself.  I used to consider my partner someone with flexible attitudes, and a critical thinker.  He was open to both sides of an argument and was inclined to lean in to where the strong evidence is.  He was pro-vax, and didn’t let things that didn’t affect him bother him.  But since listening to Joe Rogan, he has become someone who doesn’t even really resemble the man I met in many ways.  Everything that challenges old views, or is considered progressive is “woke”.  He’s verging on conservative now.  He drinks Joe’s kool aid regarding COVID and vaccines.  He’s obsessed with Elon Musk and thinks he’s a genius and doesn’t believe he’s problematic in the slightest. In fact, he drinks Joe’s kool aid on pretty much everything that Joe discusses and never challenges it.  My partner doesn’t listen to or watch the news and JR is literally the only podcast he listens to and where he gets all his information from.  Joe’s views are so strongly entrenched in my partner and I do not like the person he has become as much as I used to.

Have you seen the “how I look in the mirror v how I look in photos” meme with Selena Gomez and Tom Holland?  That’s what iPhones do to me.  I have a 13 Pro Max and still have PTSD from accidentally seeing a myself in a selfie when checking out the new iPhone 15 in store.  Quelle horreur 😳

So glad that you’re on the mend Jessie, and that bub is safe from both viruses.  I also had insomnia when I had COVID and it was next level mind f**ckery 😵‍💫. I recently received my 3rd COVID booster and this story also serves as a great reminder to get a flu shot soon

I’ve been leaving my son at home since he was 7, but it’s only if I need to go somewhere that’s 10 minutes away or less and never longer than half an hour at a time.  We had a spare mobile phone that he’d have by his side if either of us needed to call (he now has a kids smart watch).  He was under strict instructions to never answer the door no matter what (we ran through various scenarios), and to stay away from sharp things, hot things, and to not climb anything.  It’s very dependent on the child’s personality and concept of responsibility, but for us built a real sense of independence and trust.

These photos just ooze joy and love.  Thank you for sharing and congratulations to the happy couple! 

Buccal fat removal at a young age is a bad, BAD idea.  I’m 46, and had a round, baby face all the way up until my mid-30s when I lost it through the process of ageing.  I have naturally very well-defined cheekbones now.  If I’d had buccal fat removal, I’d look like a corpse.  Don’t do it!

I can't imagine how hard this must have been (and still is) having a relationship breakdown play out in the public gaze.  My most painful breakup was much the same (but without public speculation).  We were deeply, deeply in love, and I was utterly devastated when we broke up.  He really was the love of my life.   

I much prefer your look over Chloe's and Jessica's!  It looks great and a very natural.

These are wonderful examples of mature adults moving on, and in some cases, co-parenting brilliantly . My partner's ex-wife has frequently put me down over the years to their children, and it comes out in the little comments they make that have clearly been regurgitated.  I don't react to them, but it's also meant that I haven't been able to get as close to my step-children as I'd like because she clearly resents my presence and I don't want her to take it out on the kids.  Kudos to all these couples for rising above any bullshit, creating loving families, and displaying emotional intelligence in the process.

@gu3st yep.  Also, the fake eyelashes look ridiculous on most people, as they've now gone from natural-looking to spider eyes

I know first hand how painful this is. My first love died unexpectedly in a terrible accident in 2019. We hadn't seen each other in 15 years, although I thought of him frequently. 

As much as I hated all the unsolicited advice I received from the moment I announced my pregnancy, my one piece of advice will only ever be - if people ask me - "You do you". No-one has all the answers, you don't need to have answers, and all babies, and parents, are different. It's ok to do what feels right for you and to ignore what doesn't feel right.

Yep.  Had mind removed early this year after 20 years.  The only reason I got them in the first place was because I let an ex-boyfriend make me feel insecure about their size (a full B cup).  They served me well for a while, yet I always hated not being able to hug someone tightly, hold my baby close to my chest, or lay on my stomach properly.  

This. For me, the first 12-weeks post-partum felt like the longest time of my life and OMG GROUNDHOG DAY. I was overwhelmed, tired as phuck, had more hormones pumping through me than a classroom full of teenagers and I had no freakin' idea what I was doing. It wasn't until my baby was about 4 months old that I realised, "Hey, I think I've got this". I also had the support of my partner and family, but I wasn't prepared for how isolating it could feel at times, especially when everyone was working and I was home alone struggling to figure it all out with my eyes hanging out of my head. I suck at newborning, but I love every other stage.

Of course she can be proud of her body, I didn't say she couldn't. But posting photos of an near-perfect post-pregnancy body does nothing to stop vulnerable women judging and comparing themselves and feeling that somehow they don't measure up (because let's face it: social media is saturated with post-pregnancy "look at me" shots, almost as if it's the norm when it's not).

I believe Lauren when she says it was a big deal to feel like herself again after having her beautiful baby. That's only natural. But posting a picture on social media? It just comes across as bragging to me.