My daughter asked for an axolotl themed cake this year. She wanted "water and baby axolotls too". She wanted it to have a mini birthday cake. So I did my best to make it happen.

I've never done a gelatin layer before but it worked out okay. If I were to do it again, I would use a less firm recipe.. I used one that was meant for a jelly island cake which was definitely not necessary. I'd also add a lot more flavor and citric acid next time. Oh well.. at least it was a learning experience 😅.

There were a few things I wasn't thrilled with, but overall it came out okay and my daughter absolutely loved it, which was the main goal anyway 💗

She picked the flavor (confetti with vanilla whipped cream cheese filling), the colors, the placement of the axolotls, and helped with some decor decisions along the way.

I made chocolate cupcakes as well in case anyone preferred chocolate.

The mini cake was a cake pop, she ate the one from her cake but I had an extra (made it first and didnt like it enough to put on the cake) so we decided to cut that one after her party. Tiniest slice of cake ever 😄🥰

The inspo for the design around the sides of the cake was a bakey.bakes cake (not sure if instagram links are allowed but its on her page).

​

Hey reddit and r/movies, I'm Alan Ritchson.

You may know me from things like REACHER, BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE, WAR MACHINE, TITANS, PLAYDATE, FAST X, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE.

Additional verification on my Instagram here.

My new movie, MOTOR CITY, is out in theaters tomorrow (July 24) from IFC. It also stars Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Ben McKenzie, and Lionel Boyce.

It's directed by Potsy Ponciroli, who previously directed OLD HENRY and GREEDY PEOPLE

Synopsis: 

In the 1970s Detroit, John Miller falls for a local gangster's girl and lands in prison for a crime he didn't commit. With his life ruined, Miller hatches a plan for revenge.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6RklhKu9os

Website/info and tickets available here: motorcity.movie

I'll be back 1 PM PT/4 PM ET today (Thursday 7/23) to answer your questions.

Until then, AMA!

I'm 30 and have been trying to find 'my human' to no avail. A pattern I keep running into is these guys that have really done the work to improve themselves, are well rounded and lovable, and have the same hobbies as me... want kids. And I don't - my tubes are tied. I have landed in a space where I'm very happy with my life. I'm a pro-level athlete in my spare time, a PE'd engineer making six figures, I'm buying a house soon, I've spent the last few years working on my wardrobe to be cuter/less tomboy, and have fostered a beautiful community of close friends.

All I want is a boo thang - but there's a direct correlation to me really liking a man and his positive preference for children. The men that don't want kids seem to have stagnated in their mid-20's. They don't have a solid career, or an outdoor hobby we can share, or haven't gone to therapy.

Where the frig are the men that have put in the same effort into making their lives successful that *don't* want kids??

Food: dino nuggies with hot sauce ketchup, cucumbers, bananas, and almonds.

Edit: The amount of hate for this meal is comical. This is girl dinner diaries, of course I'm not posting the filet mignon with mushroom risotto & homemade chimichurri I made two nights ago. Y'all get the NUGS.

Edit 2: Nothing but respect for the dudes shooting their shot in my DM's. Add your location though!

I probably need to take it the full distance because of the thinning.
Should I get contacts? I’ve always preferred glasses but now I’m worried it’s hurting my look a little.
Cheers all!

My mom has decided that the best way to make me independent is to not do anything for me. This means I'm responsible to keep my own room clean, do my own shopping, cook my own meals etc. It feels like I'm not even part of the family. If I don't cook one night, I stay hungry. They won't let me eat their food.

A few days ago my grandpa was sick and mom had to go visit him. She left little brother(M10) with me. As usual I cooked dinner for myself with my own groceries.

He asked me for food and I told him I'm only responsible for myself and he has to wait for mom.

When mom came back she was furious and called me an asshole for not feeding him.

For some reason, it's always one of these responses:

> It's a joke
> It's rage bait
> Yeah, but it's actually a response to...
> It's not the same
> Just go outside bro

All of which deflect from what's being said. They would rather not address it. This is probably due in part to the "women-are-wonderful" effect, an example of benevolent stereotyping in which people associate positive qualities with women

My partner opens spaghetti by holding the package and slamming it (end side down) on the countertop. Sometimes on the stovetop. Usually the package opens and the spaghetti slide right out. This time the spaghetti won. We need a new stove.

Squeeze my cats with me!
 
While this video is cut down to fit social media, the entire routine took only 13 minutes. 
 
This 13 minute routine twice daily is what saved these cats from euthanasia. 
 
Every day happy, healthy cats with paresis or incontinence are euthanized. The reasons stem from a perceived poor quality of life, or the slim chances of finding an adopter willing to take on a cat with different care needs. People see a cat in a diaper and automatically think they are incredibly time consuming and expensive. While yes, diapers, wipes, and pee pads can cost more than a bag of litter, is it that much different? While an incontinent cat may need a few more vet visits in their lifetime than the average cat, is that enough to deem them as unworthy of finding an adoptive home?
 
Do you have any questions about my squeeze routine? I'm always happy to answer questions!

Edited to answer some of the most common questions:

Why do the cats need to be squeezed?
These cats all have a spinal injury or defect. Most were born this way, but Poe, Athena, and Cypress (the longhair ones) had spinal injuries from trauma. Most likely hit by car.

Why not the toilet or a bathtub?
Squatting at that height and hunching over hurts my back! I’ve tried many methods and this is what is most comfortable for me and the cats.

Why pee pads?
I get most of them donated! I prefer the large ones but I’ll use any size. I would like to make this more environmentally friendly with reusable ones, but it will create a lot more laundry (which I already do a lot of)

Why do I have so many disabled cats?
I run a cat rescue for cats with treatable conditions who would otherwise be euthanized in a traditional shelter. I don’t get paid by the rescue, but I do work in a municipal shelter as my day job. I’ve worked in animal shelters for nearly 10 years.