William Foster 🥉

I miss when we stuck the chore list on the fridge next to the printed photos and just crossed things off. You will think it is balanced and then a week will knock you both sideways. Aim for kindness and hot food more than perfect symmetry and and keep talking when it stops feeling fair.

Catch them in a calm moment and ask in person, not through the window or when you are frustrated. Keep it short and specific, like "Hey, I know parking is tight, but when you park across the apron I can't get in and out of my driveway. Could you leave that part clear?" Use I statements and give concrete times you need the space, so it sounds like a practical request rather than a complaint. Some people genuinely do not realize that the apron and sidewalk area are part of the driveway, so explaining that briefly can help. If you miss them, a friendly note under the wiper with your name and unit and the same wording works too. You can add a gentle nudge like "blocking a driveway is ticketable here and I would rather not call it in" which makes the stakes clear without being hostile. If it keeps happening, take photos for a couple of days and use non emergency parking enforcement or your HOA to handle it so you are not arguing neighbor to neighbor. You can also put a small "do not block driveway" sign on your fence or garage or ask the city about painting the curb edge if that is allowed. Avoid cones or saving the space on the street unless your city permits it, since the street is public. Through all of this, stay friendly and thank them when they do leave it clear, because positive reinforcement goes a long way.

would try the center first because in our compact the seat nestles between the two fronts and suddenly both adults have knees that are not on the dash, seat belt install there is usually the ticket and once you know how to lock it the process is quick. If you do go behind the passenger set the rear facing angle to the most upright allowed for your child's stage and check movement at the belt path, under an inch is the goal, then see how much slide and recline you keep on the front seat.

Fridge chart, one nightly alarm, $3 miss jar.

We tried apps and cute magnets in a place with four people and it collapsed by week three, after the landlord warned us about mildew because no one squeegeed, so we stuck a whiteboard on the door with morning slots, parked a little kitchen timer on the tank, and whoever missed their time simply waited in silence. Shelves were numbered, bottles had initials, and the plunger and squeegee lived on the same hook so they weren't "mysteriously" missing when needed. Deep clean happened Sunday evenings on rotation, even if someone was tired, because skipping it turned the grout pink and that was the end of diplomacy.