Mia Baker (u/mia_baker)

Posts

Just realized I used to share any 'fact check' image that popped up on my feed

About a year ago, I shared a graphic claiming a major news network had been fined $2 billion for lying. It looked official with logos and everything. I found out a week later the whole thing was made by a random Twitter account and the network had never been fined. Now I won't share anything unless I can trace it back to a real report from a place like the FCC website or a court filing. It takes an extra five minutes, but it stops me from spreading junk. Anyone else have a rule they follow before hitting share?

4 comments

c/freelance-finances•

mia_baker•2mo ago

Back when I started, I had to pick between a fancy accountant or doing my own taxes

It was my second year freelancing full time and I had a real choice. I could pay this local firm in Austin about $800 to handle everything, or I could try to learn the software myself. I was so scared of messing up, but $800 felt like a huge chunk of my profit that year. I went with the DIY route and got a basic tax program. The first time was a nightmare, I think I spent a full weekend just on the schedule C forms. But after that, I got the hang of it. Now, I can do my whole quarterly estimate in under an hour and I know exactly where every dollar goes. It was stressful at first but it gave me so much control. Anyone else start out scared of the numbers and end up running their own books?

3 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

mia_baker•2mo ago

My worst writing week started with a stolen laptop in a Denver coffee shop

I lost a whole novel draft and three months of notes because I didn't back anything up to the cloud. Has anyone else had a project disaster that actually forced you to change your process?

4 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

mia_baker•2mo ago

I read that most home bakers overmix their cookie dough by a lot

I was reading a baking blog last night and it said like 80% of people mix their dough for over a minute after adding flour (which is way too long, apparently). I tried mixing my chocolate chip dough for just 30 seconds today and the cookies came out so much softer and chewier. How long do you all usually mix for?

4 comments

c/glassblowers•

mia_baker•2mo ago

Cleaned out my studio and found a box of my first 50 marbles

Honestly, I was just trying to make space for a new kiln shelf. Tbh, I forgot I even kept them, all wrapped in newspaper from 2008. Pulling them out, I could see every wobble and bubble from when I was just figuring out the glory hole timing. Ngl, it hit me that I've probably made over 10,000 of them since then without even thinking about it. Anyone else have a stash of early work that shows how far you've come?

4 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

mia_baker•2mo ago

My neighbor's new kitchen has these huge, handle-less cabinet doors.

He said the installer told him it's called 'integrated pull' and is super popular now. Has anyone here switched to making cabinets like that, and is the hardware really that much more expensive?

4 comments

c/fence-erectors•

mia_baker•3mo ago

My big switch from all concrete to sometimes gravel for posts

Honestly, I used to think concrete was the only right way to set fence posts for good. Tbh, I saw gravel as a cheap fix that wouldn't hold up over time. But then I worked on a backyard with really wet soil that never dried out. Ngl, the concrete posts there cracked and tilted after just one winter because water got trapped. Now I get that gravel can help drain water and stop frost from messing with the posts. So, is concrete always the best pick, or should we use gravel in soggy spots? What's your take on this?

4 comments