Mom of Older Kids Refuses to Be ‘Stroller Shamed' at Theme Parks
This mom is proud to use a stroller for her 'big' kids.
'Why would I worry about what other people think?' Nicki Marie, a Massachusetts mom who does not share her last name online, tells TODAY.com.
Marie sold her point in a TikTok video, wherein she pushed a double stroller containing her children, ages 8 and 10. 'Moms with grown-a** kids in strollers at Disney,' Marie captioned the video.
The video voiceover stated, 'And she gave no f----.'
Marie recorded the video during a two-week trip to Disney World, an annual vacation that she says is a 'milestone' after her 2019 divorce.
'When I got divorced, one of the first things I thought was, 'How will I do Disney with just me and two kids?'' says Marie.
Enter 'Kim,' Marie's nickname for her double stroller, a 'co-parent' since 2016 that she says, now represents her 'empowered single mom' identity.
Marie explains that she chose the name 'Kim' because, 'We all know the stroller isn't a man.'
According to Marie, no one in public has shamed her for using a stroller for her older kids, however, 'I'm making fun of myself before you point it out to me.'
'Kim' is popular on MomTok, as some wrote.
'I hate when people shame you for using a stroller when you're walking like, 20 miles a day.'
'A stroller is sometimes the difference between having an amazing day and having everyone crash way too early. This is PRO behavior.'
'The stroller is just as much for mom, if not more, than for the kids. I don't want to hold my drink, carry a backpack or have nowhere to put my snacks. Stroller for the win!'
'This also helps normalize kiddos that need strollers/mobility devices. My kids do this and this would help them feel more at ease instead of sticking out.'
'My daughter is about to turn 7 and has low stamina due to having a tethered spinal cord until she was 3.5. Nicki and 'Kim' are giving me more confidence in continuing to use our BOB until over 8.'
'The stroller helps the children not complain but also gives you peace of mind knowing where they are in a sea of people. Imagine always panicking if they walk five feet away.'
When a parent wrote, 'Absolutely not. My kids very rarely used a stroller and had no problem walking, including at Disney when they were 3. Hauling a stroller sucked,' the responses included a sarcastic, 'Congrats!' and 'Great for you!'
Marie doesn't understand the big deal about strollers.
'Since when is vacation a competition to see how bada-- you can be?' Marie tells TODAY.com. 'I'm trying to let down my guard so my kids see me having fun. I bring a stroller because I'm anticipating what could go wrong that day.'
Marie says her 'very active' kids like resting in the stroller and do not care whether it's 'age appropriate.' Marie relies on the stroller at theme parks, airports, or at home, where she sometimes uses it as a laundry basket.
The children do not use their stroller to traverse the entire theme park. Marie says when they are exhausted from walking or waiting in line, they plop down for a rest, including during Disney's evening fireworks display.
Marie says the stroller lets her be a present mom and still 'shut my brain off,' knowing her kids are safe.
The mom appreciates the TikTok posts in which she is tagged by moms revealing their strollers. 'People say, 'I use a stroller because of you — and I named her Kim,'' says Marie.
'If parents can get more out of an experience by using a stroller, it's not going to ruin anyone's life,' Deborah Gilboa, a family doctor and resilience expert tells TODAY.com, emphasizing a 'more interesting' question: Why do we shame parents at all?
Gilboa says the instinct to meddle precedes thousands of years, when family systems and communities needed to toughen up to survive.
'Matriarchs did it all the time,' says Gilboa. 'Now, we do this to strangers ... who we will never meet in real life.' Some parents judge, she says, 'to take the pressure off themselves by saying, 'At least I'm not as 'bad' as that person.''
Gilboa adds, 'Parents should be strategic and use whatever accommodations exist.'
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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CNN
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36 relaxation-inducing products that help our editors wind down before bed
The products that help us wind down at the end of the day are an important part of our bedtime routines, which is why our team of editors wanted to share some of the beauty, home, tech and wellness products we rely on for a good night's sleep. From a luxe pillow spray to a white noise machine, these products prep us for bed and add a sense of calmness to our night. Looking for some inspiration for your own bedtime routine? Keep reading on to see our editors' picks. Smell House Work From Home Candle I reach for this candle whenever I need to wind down. The scent is subtle but soothing, and it instantly makes me feel more relaxed. It fills my entire apartment with a warm and inviting scent. I love pairing it with a nice warm bath after a long day. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator The Laundress Beauty Sleep Fabric Spray I'm all about scents when creating my sleep routine. There's nothing like laying my head down on a luxe-smelling pillow to help lull me to sleep. I love The Laundress' Beauty Sleep line, which includes this spray I keep on my nightstand, along with a laundry detergent made just for your bedding. It has notes of lavender, jasmine and sandalwood, just to name a few of the soothing smells. — Tamara Kraus, senior lifestyle editor Honeywell HYF260 Quiet Set Whole Room Tower Fan I initially bought this affordable tower fan a few years back to stay cool during a brutal summer, but it's since doubled as a handy white noise machine to help me doze off at night. Its five speed settings include Sleep, Calm and White Noise; the latter two do a great job lulling me into a restful state while also drowning out the ever-unpleasant sounds of my dog licking herself. — Mike Andronico, senior tech editor Aura Cacia Essential Oil in Uplifting Vanilla I'm a big proponent of the scent-memory connection, so much so that I have a self-care scent in my nighttime routine. As I wind down for the night, I put a little bit of this vanilla essential oil on the pulse points on my wrists and neck. Is this completely unnecessary? Yes. But the warm, sweet and familiar vanilla scent helps calm my mind and cue my body that it's time to settle down for the night. My theory is that over time, my brain will link the comforting vanilla scent with the comforting sensation of curling up in my beloved bed and help me instantly relax as soon as I catch a whiff. And if nothing else, it's a nice act of self-love to smell something delightful before I close my eyes. — Jillian Tracy, associate editor Naturepedic Organic Travel Pillow While it's technically a travel pillow, I sleep with this pillow every night. For as long as I've remembered, I've needed to hold a small pillow while sleeping for comfort and support. And since I've been using this one for a year, I'm not looking back. — Tamara Kraus, senior lifestyle editor Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser While lighting a candle can set the mood, keeping a flame burning at bedtime is not the safest choice. Instead, I use this aroma diffuser for a hit of aromatherapy to help me unwind at night. It has several timer settings so you can choose how long it runs for, and then you don't have to worry about turning it off. It also has a built-in light so you can use it as a night light. I love using it with a couple of drops of Muji's French Lavender Pure Essential Oil for a relaxing, spa-like effect. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor Casper Dream Hybrid Mattress Winding down is one thing, but staying there is a whole different problem, so I must give credit to my evening MVP, Casper's hybrid Dream mattress. It basically killed off my lower back pain late last year, and it's been a great enabler of my side sleeping ever since I unboxed it. Its three-section design means it's supportive of my head but provides enough sink for my body for me to relax. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer Mrs. Meyer's Daisy Room Freshener Since I spend most of the day working at my desk — which just so happens to be located 18 inches from my bed — I find that winding down at the end of the day requires a more intentional vibe shift. Mrs. Meyer's products have long been staples in my kitchen and bathroom, but now I've found an essential for my bedroom too. I like to spritz my sheets and pillows a few times before getting under the covers. Words cannot express how good this room spray smells (I highly recommend the Geranium scent too), and the scent lasts without being overly potent or perfumey. — Caroline Curran, former deals editor Vitruvi Stone Ceramic Diffuser I'm not really a candle person, so I love firing up my gorgeous ceramic stone diffuser from Vitruvi each night before bed. I rotate between the brand's signature essential oil kit (Sleep is my favorite), and while it actually works to help me fall asleep faster, it also just doubles as a chic-looking piece of decor when I'm not using it. — Stephanie Griffin, director of social Disney Lotso Scented Plush Yes, it's a kid's stuffed animal, but winding down sometimes means leaning into comfort. This Lotso bear from Disney is super soft, weighted just enough and smells like strawberries, which always helps me relax before bed. I sleep with this every night. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator Nodpod Gentle Pressure Sleep Mask I have bouts of insomnia sometimes, especially when my brain is still active a couple of hours before bed, so I always need a proper wind-down routine. When I don't get around to that, however, this weighted sleep mask from Nodpod is the first thing I grab. There's something about the gentle pressure it applies to my head and eyes that's so relaxing. The first few times I used this, I didn't even realize I was falling asleep. Next thing I knew, it was daytime. — Michelle Rae Uy, testing and updates writer Intelligent Change 'The Five-Minute Journal' When my mind is racing or I feel like I'm in a rut, I reach for this journal to help me wind down. Writing down the highlights of my day and what I'm grateful for really helps me relax right before bed. You're also supposed to take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts in the morning, but sometimes I forget. I keep it on my nightstand so it's always in my line of sight, but the pages are undated, so I don't have to stress about missing any days. — Amina Lake Patel, home and gifts editor L'Beauxtique Aromatic Eye Pillow This lavender-scented eye pillow feels like heaven after a long day. I try to avoid looking at my phone or electronics right before I go to sleep, and this pre-bedtime eye mask helps me unwind. You can put it in the microwave if you want a heated mask or pop it in the fridge for some cooling/depuffing action. — Hayley Saltzman, former social lead Vicks VapoShower Soothing Vapors Tablets I've been using Vicks VapoRub for years and recently discovered that the brand offers non-medicated shower steamer tablets. Needless to say, I've been using them at night to unwind and always feel extra refreshed after hopping out of the shower, thanks to the amazing blend of eucalyptus and menthol. It's such an easy way to create a spa-like feel in my bathroom, and I only wish I'd discovered them sooner. To get the most out of the tablet and prevent it from dissolving too quickly, I make sure to place it in a spot where the water is not directly hitting it. — Rachel Dennis, associate editor Alo Reset Magnesium Body Spray I've been struggling with staying asleep since I've gotten older and have tried just about every sleep gummy and hack in the book. While some gummies work, I have to wait to brush my teeth until I take them. Enter: Alo's Reset Magnesium Body Spray. I recently got a mini sample at an Alo workout event, and the two times I used it (I sprayed it on the bottom of my feet before bed), I had some of the highest Oura sleep scores I've ever seen. — Tamara Kraus, senior lifestyle editor Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream I always reach for this when I want my skin to feel deeply moisturized before bed. The texture is rich but not too heavy, and it absorbs surprisingly well for how moisturizing it is. I notice the glow right away, but it's not greasy, making my skin feel cared for after a long day. It's become a staple in my nighttime routine, especially when I want to wake up looking refreshed. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator Dermal Collagen Essence Face Masks, 16-Pack I love winding down at night with one of these face masks, which are not only soothing to the skin but also frequently on sale — even at full price, it works out to just 75 cents per mask! As someone with sensitive skin, I've never had any problems with these, whether I wash my face after removing the mask or not. Plus, they're great to throw on the pillow of any guests who stay with you. — Daniel Toy, copy chief RéVive Melting Cleanser/Makeup-Removing Wash There's no better feeling than taking off your makeup after a long day. It feels a lot less like a chore with this remover. It's gentle, doesn't sting my eyes and actually leaves my skin feeling soft instead of stripped. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator Thisworks Deep Sleep Body Whip Although I have an extensive facial skin care routine, I'm not so diligent when it comes to body care. Usually, I slather on some body lotion after a shower and that's it, but in the dry winter months, my skin is flaky and parched by the end of the day. This light yet creamy body whip helps keep my skin soft, all while promoting relaxation. Thanks to its calming lavender fragrance and a formula made with hemp seed extract and magnesium (which is supposed to improve your sleep quality), this body lotion has become integral to my bedtime routine. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor O'Keefe's Working Hands and Healthy Feet Night Treatment I usually have the driest hands and feet in the world — itchy, cracked, you name it. But applying O'Keefe's Working Hands and Healthy Feet Night Treatments when I get into bed has made a huge difference. My skin feels softer and smoother, and is visibly more hydrated when I wake up. Not only that but the lavender scent is calming and helps me relax as I try to fall asleep. — Danielle Poiesz, copy editor Amika Frizz-Me-Not Hydrating Anti-Frizz Treatment Before bed, I love putting in a leave-in treatment so that my hair can transform overnight. This leave-in treatment from Amika is one of my favorites. It leaves my hair frizz-free without weighing it down and also smells amazing. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator Clearstem Hydraglow Stem Cell Moisturizer Packed with stem cells, squalane and bakuchiol (a nontoxic and natural alternative to retinol), my favorite moisturizer, Hydraglow, quite literally trains my skin to look younger while I sleep. It's hands down my No. 1 secret sleep weapon to waking up with ultra-hydrated, plumped, youthful-looking skin. — Stephanie Griffin, social director Biossance Squalane and Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum When my skin feels tired or dull, I reach for this. It sinks in fast and gives a noticeable hydration boost. I apply it every night before bed to get that glowy look the next morning. The formula combines squalane and copper peptides, which help smooth and strengthen the skin over time, but what I love most is how fast it works. — Gabriella Triolo, social coordinator Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask A lot has changed about my sleep schedule over the past few years, but one thing that's remained consistent is using the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask every single night. I swipe it on before I get under the covers, and it signals to my brain that it's time for bed. As a bonus, I wake up with super-soft and hydrated lips. A little goes a long way, so the jar lasts so much longer than you'd think. — Amina Lake Patel, home and gifts editor Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm I swear by Aesop skin products, and this body balm is no exception. I love this rind concentrate scent. It's the perfect combination of fresh, citrus smell with nourishing powers for softer hands. One small dollop, and I feel immediately relaxed. — Emily McNutt, former senior travel editor Clearstem Sulfur Spot&Mask Given that this spot treatment is bright purple in color, I only ever use it at night. It's packed with clay, zinc, sulfur and glycolic [acid] that actually zap whiteheads and bacteria while I sleep. Oh, and to all my acne-prone girlies out there looking for affordable yet effective overnight skin care, I've tried every single spot treatment under the sun, and let me tell you, this one is hands down the best! —Stephanie Griffin, social director Starface Hydro-Stars I love a beauty product that works overnight, and these cute pimple patches help banish breakouts by the morning. The star-shaped hydrocolloid stickers absorb the fluid and gunk within the pimples, reducing the inflammation and size of the zits. While I've tried several brands of pimple patches, I always come back to these because they're honestly a joy to put on, they come with a fun case that has a compact mirror inside and there are limited-edition drops of the stickers, so you can mix it up with new colors. — Sophie Shaw, beauty and fashion editor CosRX Low-pH Good Morning Gel Face Cleanser More often than not, my best sleep starts with my evening skin care routine, which doesn't happen unless I use CosRX's gel face cleanser. It's so neutral and cleansing that my skin is left feeling and looking great, which is a neat little part of my path to sleep. So don't interpret its 'Good Morning' name as a sign that you should use it when waking up but, instead, as a sign that using it at night will enable you to wake up well rested. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer Amazon Kindle This got me through major jet lag when I was in the Philippines for a two-week vacation. I'm a purist when it comes to books, but the need to travel light outweighed my desire to smell the pages of a book. This one is so thin and lightweight that it is truly the best travel accessory. I love that its glare-free display still makes everything readable even when the lights are off but not too bright that it disrupts my wind down. It also handles better than a book when you're reading in bed. — Michelle Rae Uy, testing and updates writer Headspace I have a hard time falling asleep. On those nights when I'm tossing and turning and I just can't turn my brain off, I love turning on the sleepcasts on the Headspace app. They have a short meditation exercise, where you either focus on your breathing or 'turning off' your muscles one by one, then they launch into a cute and relaxing story. They've definitely helped me calm down at night and get better sleep when I'm stressed. — Kai Burkhardt, outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor Sony WH-1000XM6 Over-Ear Headphones We're in that busy part of the early summer, which means I can always hear partiers in my building and neighborhood, regardless of how much I don't want to be involved. This is why I'm thankful to have tested and reviewed the new best noise-canceling headphones: Sony's new XM6 over-ear cans. From that moment on the couch when I'm just trying to focus on my book and I use their superior noise cancellation to block out the world, to later in bed when I finally remember to do my evening guided meditation, these super-comfortable headphones stop me from getting distracted and allow me to actually focus on the things that help me sleep. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writer Read our review Soundcore Sleep A20 Wireless Earbuds I don't mind some noise like the faraway sound of cars on the freeway or people talking on the street. In fact, I prefer it over total silence. But the obnoxious sound of a plane engine or the loud chatter of passengers on an early-morning ferry ride vex me. Good thing I discovered the Sleep A20 from Soundcore. These sleep earbuds don't offer active noise cancellation, which I prefer, but they do offer a library of relaxing white noise sounds that help put me in a stress-free space so my brain and body can relax enough to sleep. — Michelle Rae Uy, testing and updates writer Hatch Restore 3 When I'm not using the Headspace app, I'm using my Hatch Restore, which offers a plethora of meditations, sounds and sunrise/sunset calming lighting options to help me fall asleep (and wake up). It's simple to set a routine, and the brand even makes similar models designed for kids as well as an on-the-go, AirTag-shaped device for babies called the Rest Go. — Daniel Toy, copy chief Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe I can't remember the last time I went to sleep without this 3-in-1 Apple device charger by my side. The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe has all the nice little touches like vegan leather and a slim profile, so it fits onto my slightly small bedside table. And its multi-device charging lets my phone show the time in a warm, lulling red in the evening on Standby mode, makes it easy to find my charged Apple Watch when it's time to track my sleep and puts my AirPods within reach in the morning when it's time to go to the gym. — Henry T. Casey, electronics writerRead our review Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit Getting out of bed early in the morning is so hard when it's still dark out. These smart lights are the only reason I'm able to wake up on time, especially in the winter! I have them set on a schedule so that the lights gradually turn on in the morning and automatically dim when it's time for bed at night. And if I get under the covers without flipping the light switch, I can just ask Alexa to 'turn off all lights.' They also come in handy when I'm on vacation — I can set a schedule so it looks like someone's home. — Amina Lake Patel, home and gifts editor Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) When my dog inevitably wakes me up too early to go outside and I need to catch some extra zzz's, I hop back in bed, pop in my AirPods Pro 2, play my trusty aircraft noises from the Calm app and usually manage to get a bit of bonus sleep. Their fantastic active noise cancellation helps block out my dog's aforementioned mouth noises and also works great when I'm trying to snooze a bit on airplanes. — Mike Andronico, senior tech editorRead our review CNN Underscored has a team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this article, associate editor Rachel Dennis rounded up some of our editors' favorite products to use before bed.
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Day of firsts, records and change: Stage set for epic Comrades 2025
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WIRED
an hour ago
- WIRED
Tech Up Your Sourdough With These Upper-Crust Baking Gadgets
Sourdough bread is one of the most wonderful things you can make with your hands, but it can be fussy and hard to get consistently right. These three new devices eliminate most of the guesswork. Courtesy of Sourdough Sidekick All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. I love making sauerkraut. I've almost always got a batch actively fermenting and another in the fridge, ready to eat. It's a project that can take a week or two, almost entirely hands-off once the veggies are cut and salted. To keep the active batch happy—it likes hanging around between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit—I typically I keep it near the slider by my desk on the shady side of the room, closer to the glass if it needs to be cooler, a little farther away if it's cold out. Making sourdough bread, however, is a much more complicated process that involves different stages of fermentation that tend to like it hot. When you're starting a new batch of starter—the yeasty mixture that gives the loaf the bubbles to rise and the tang to light up your taste buds—it likes temperatures in the mid to high 70s to low 80s, what's affectionately known as the Goldilocks zone, not too hot and not too cool. Temperature control is key for the sourdough making process, and a group of new, recent, and forthcoming products that help coddle your starter and dough might just be enough help for people on the edge to become full-fledged sourdough people. In your home, finding consistently warm-enough spots can be daunting, especially for those of us who are newer or more casual sourdough bakers. While sauerkraut is pretty simple and forgiving, making sourdough is not. It is variables galore as you work to coax flour and water from separate states into a delicious risen loaf. This is particularly noticeable when you're in the week-plus project of creating starter, then keeping it happy for months or years. The variables of making and maintaining starter include weights of water, one or two kinds of flour, and the starter itself. It involves the temperature of that water and the temperature you store it at. Once you're ready to make a loaf, sourdough bread making is often a two-day process with multiple steps and techniques, wherein temperature control is critical in keeping the dough happy. A perfect sourdough boule. PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES Bread making isn't one skill or technique, it's a bunch of them, and each step depends on the success of the ones before it. Somewhere in there, insert a problem, or just a little doubt about what you're doing. Maybe your starter smells funny, or the dough doesn't look like it does in the recipe photo. Then what? Some problems could be the result of the last thing you did or a skipped starter feeding from a week ago or something else entirely. Happy troubleshooting! When you're an amateur or parachuting into it for the first time, failure or at least disappointment is part of the game. If this both heightens your desire to make sourdough and spikes your anxiety, you'll understand why pegging any variables in the process can help eliminate confusion. The first product that caught my attention is the Sourdough Sidekick, a collaboration between King Arthur Flour and FirstBuild, GE Appliances' prototyping and product development lab. The countertop device is available for preorder and is due out early in 2026. Keeping starter happy means feeding or 'refreshing' it, which requires you to combine a tiny bit of the existing batch with water and flour to keep the bacteria and yeasts in the mixture happy and well fed. Some experts even recommend doing this twice a day … forever … which is fine if you bake on most days and is way too much if you no longer work from home, are a busy person, or would just rather not be beholden to a little jar of yeasty flour and water on your countertop. The Sidekick's schtick is that you can program it to prolong the time between your interactions with it as it automates the feeding. It even has a mode where you tell it when you'll be baking and it will make sure that your starter is timed out perfectly for your dough and make a little extra to keep your starter refreshed in perpetuity. (Non-nerds, skip the following sentence: It can even turn your starter into levain for your bread and leave enough at the end to keep the starter rolling.) It also cuts down on waste and time spent cleaning by using tiny doses of flour and water during the refreshments. The Sourdough Sidekick Courtesy of Sourdough Sidekick I got a Zoom call walk-through on this from Rick Suel, engineering director at FirstBuild's Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters, and it's easy to see how the Sidekick could make bread making and starter maintaining easier. The machine looks and acts a bit like a fully automatic coffee machine with a flour hopper up top and a water tank in the back. The two ingredients are stirred together in the fermentation vessel, and the amounts are adjusted depending on ambient temperature. It's pretty slick. Brød & Taylor takes a different tack to achieve a similar effect. Its Sourdough Home ($119) looks like a shoebox-sized countertop fridge and it can hold starter anywhere between 41 and 122 degrees. For me, this meant I could hold my starter at 80 degrees, the recommended temperature in the recipe I used, and keep it there during the 10-plus days of starter creation. I wasn't finding anything warmer than 77 degrees next to my fridge, so when I was troubleshooting on day six or seven, I stuck it in the freshly arrived Home and didn't have to worry about the temperature being a factor anymore. The Sourdough Home Courtesy of Brød & Taylor The Home also has the ability to space out your sourdough refreshments, not by Sidekick-style microdoses but by cooling the temperature of your starter. Fermentation will happen at preferred speeds, but cooling the starter slows the process down, allowing you to refresh less. The first time I tried it at a lower temperature, following two weeks of daily refreshments, I set it to 50 degrees and walked away, sort of stunned to see it bubbly and happy 48 hours later, compared to how spent and flabby it would have been if it was held that long at 80 degrees. It was easy to see how something like this is appealing to both beginner and experienced bread bakers. Controlling the temperature is also extremely helpful once you start making bread. SourHouse, which came out with the starter-coddling Goldie a few years back, just released the DoughBed ($280), a heated, happy place for dough to rise, if you can afford that hefty price. Sourdough loaves often have two separate fermentation periods. The first, 'bulk fermentation,' is where the dough rises and develops flavors. Later, after a bit of shaping, it proofs in a vessel—often a basket—that helps it rise and ferment a bit more while formed in the shape of the loaf to come. The DoughBed is a pill-shaped glass bowl that fits over a heating pad and under an insulated cork lid. It helps keep bulk fermentation on track by holding the dough between 75 and 82 degrees. The bowl's long, flat bottom allows for more dough to be as close as possible to the heat. I usually do bulk fermentation in an eight-quart Cambro container, at which point it's either at the mercy of the ambient temperature in my house or I tuck it into that warm spot next to my fridge. I call it ready when it is notably risen and is both a bit smoothed out and bubbly. If you like that readiness on more of a schedule, the DoughBed's consistent temperature helps get the dough where you want it, when you want it. If you are on a schedule, you'll appreciate this predictability. The DoughBed Courtesy of SourHouse Of course, I put this stuff to the test, following Maurizio Leo's starter-creation instructions and his beginner's sourdough recipe. It really enveloped my life, becoming an oddly emotional roller coaster for someone like me who was not on the lookout for new hobbies. Leo breaks bread making down into eight main steps, in addition to the daily care of your starter. There is a lot to learn for each part of the process. When you're busy learning or getting better at a bunch of consecutive new steps, errors can compound, potentially not even presenting themselves immediately. Controlling a few variables helps keep you on the right path and I appreciated both the Sourdough Home and the DoughBed because they clearly helped keep things moving in the right direction. In the end, it was not bakery-quality bread I made, but it was surprisingly good and something I was happy to share. I have no doubt that using both helped make for a better final product. It's definitely possible to approximate the temperatures you're looking for with these new devices by putting your starter in a warm spot in your home like on top of the fridge, next to the rice cooker, or, the herpetologist's favorite, on top of a $13 reptile heating pad. (Hat tip to Paul Adams at America's Test Kitchen who turned me on to that one!) If you can get the right temperature consistently using one of those options, go for it. But if you are new to the game, like the process, want to keep some uncertainty out of it, and are perhaps on a bit of a schedule, you might want to take a closer look at them. They will take some of the guesswork out of your baking and get you to better bread sooner.
