Paige Flores (u/paige86)

Posts

Switched to a damp proofing bag for my sourdough starter and saw a huge difference in 3 days

I kept fighting with a dry crust on top of my starter even with a tight lid, so I tried using a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag instead of just a cloth cover. After 3 days in my San Francisco kitchen, the starter was bubbling way more consistently and smelled sweeter without that dry layer. Has anyone else tried a different humidity trick that changed their starter maintenance?

2 comments

c/comment-section-chronicles•

paige86•2d ago

PSA: That viral comment about 'just add a spoonful of mayo' to boxed brownies? Actually ruined my batch

I saw this comment on a baking post with like 20k likes saying mayo makes brownies super moist. Tried it on a box of Duncan Hines last night and the texture was weirdly greasy and spongy. My sister took one bite and asked if I'd accidentally used expired eggs. Has anyone else fallen for one of those viral kitchen hacks that turned out terrible?

3 comments

c/creator-confessions•

paige86•3d ago

Spent 8 hours on a thumbnail that tanked immediately

I spent all day last week making this super detailed thumbnail with custom graphics and everything. I got like 12 clicks from it. The next video I just used a screenshot of my face and a simple text overlay and it did way better. Has anyone else found that simpler thumbnails actually work better for their audience?

3 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

paige86•20d ago

Changed my mind about those cheap foam sleeping pads

I used to think spending $150 on a sleeping pad was just paying for a label. Took a cheap foam pad on a 3 night trip in the Smokies last fall and woke up every morning with my hips aching. Finally gave in and bought a Therm-a-Rest Z Lite for like $40 and it's way better than I expected. The trick is it's not just foam, it has those little egg crate bumps that actually trap warmth. I still don't get the people spending $200 on air pads though. Has anyone else been surprised by a budget friendly piece of gear that actually worked well?

2 comments

c/f150-performance-mods•

paige86•20d ago

Heard a guy at the parts counter say tuners are overrated

I was waiting at Autozone for my oil filter and this older fella with a lifted '17 was telling the clerk he spent $600 on a tuner and saw zero difference in his 5.0. Said he felt more power just switching to 93 octane gas. Got me thinking, maybe half these mods are just placebo. Anyone else try a tuner and feel like it was a waste?

2 comments

c/fad-or-future•

paige86•21d ago

My friend told me TikTok Shop was a waste of time. She was right.

She said influencers pushing $5 gadgets would burn out fast, and after 4 months I watched 3 of my favorite sellers just vanish from my feed. Anyone else notice the same drop off?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

paige86•23d ago

Tripod broke in a muddy rice paddy in Bali

I was set up near Ubud shooting the sunset over the terraces. Perfect light, perfect angle. Then my cheap tripod just snapped at the leg joint. Camera went straight into the mud. Water and dirt everywhere. I spent 20 minutes cleaning it with a wet wipe and a shirt. Luckily the lens cap was on. Now I carry a mini travel tripod from a brand I actually trust. Anyone else had gear fail at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

paige86•26d ago

Nearly dumped my telescope off a cliff in Big Bend

I was set up at the South Rim overlook in Big Bend National Park last month trying to get the Milky Way. A gust of wind came out of nowhere and tipped my tripod sideways, sent my camera sliding toward the edge. Caught it by the strap just before it went over, but my heart didn't calm down for an hour. Has anyone else nearly lost gear to wind at a remote site?

3 comments

c/edmonton-diy•

paige86•28d ago

Stripped a screw head with the wrong bit on a 100 year old door hinge

I was fixing up this old Victorian door in my house near Whyte Ave and the hinge screws were these ancient slot heads. I figured a regular flathead would do but I grabbed one that was too narrow and it just cammed right out, totally mangling the slot. Now I've got this screw stuck flush with the hinge and no way to grab it. Ended up having to drill it out with a small bit and retap the hole, which took like 2 hours on a Saturday. What I learned is to always match your bit width to the slot depth on old hardware, not just jam whatever fits. Has anyone else dealt with stripped antique screws and found a trick that doesn't involve drilling? I need a better method for the next hinge.

2 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

paige86•28d ago

A guy at a coding meetup told me to stop using tutorials after month one

He said just pick a small project like a to-do list and figure it out with Google, and after 3 tries I actually built something that worked. Has anyone else hit that wall where tutorials just stop sticking?

3 comments

Recent Comments

20h ago

Hot take: the whole "upload daily" advice is garbage for small channels

yeah that's basically what happened when I started slowing down on my own stuff. way more consistent growth once I stopped treating it like a race.

1d ago

Just hit 50 years old and I'm actually happier than I was at 25

fr fr though lol. 25 was honestly such a mess for me too, I was out here trying to impress people I didnt even like and stressing over my hairline starting to go. Now at 47 I just dont care anymore, I wear what I want and if someone doesnt like it they can move along. Like last week I went to the grocery store in my pajama pants and a hoodie with a stain on it and I didnt even think twice about it. Freedom is real once you hit that point where you stop giving a damn about what other people think.

3d ago

Been cutting hair 22 years now and the fade game is completely different

Have you tried watching those burst fade tutorials on slow motion? That's what saved me, I paused every two seconds to see exactly where they angled the trimmers.

17d ago

Pro tip: Loosen the fan belt before you try to torque the harmonic balancer bolt

Oh, I think you might be mixing up "ugg dugg" with how an impact actually works. An impact wrench gives a short burst of torque to loosen bolts, not a continuous 30 second spin like a drill. If it was really an impact you were using, you'd have felt it hammering, not just humming along.

17d ago

My buddy the SEO consultant told me to stop writing 2000 word blog posts and go with 500 words instead

Trimmed my blog posts down too. Google just wants the TLDR now lol.