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I’ll be honest: even though HATCH is one of the darlings of the “chic casual” maternity-wear scene, a lot of their stuff just seems too… unflattering. (In the non-maternity scene, I have the same problem with Everlane.) But: this soft maternity blazer really does look lovely, and wearable before and after pregnancy. I love the allover slub look, as well as the fact that it’s lined. There are matching pants but… well, let’s not get into those. The blazer is $268. HATCH The Blazer (L-all) Building a maternity wardrobe for work?Check out our page with more suggestions along both classic and trendy/seasonal lines.Sales of note for 3.28.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything plus extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off 2+ items; 40% off 1
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- Lands’ End – 10% off your order
- Loft – 50% off everything
- Nordstrom: Give $150 in gift cards, earn a $25 promo card (ends 3/31)
- Talbots – 40% off 1 item; 25% off everything else
- Zappos – 37,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off entire site
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all swim; up to 30% off HannaJams
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; 50% off select swim; 50% off kids’ styles
- Old Navy – 50% off Easter deals
- Target – 20% off Easter styles for all; up to 30% off kitchen & dining; BOGO 50% off shoes & slippers for the family;
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
HSAL says
Postpartum pants alert! I went back to work a couple weeks ago at 10 weeks pp, and although some of my pre-pregnancy pants fit, they’re all tighter through the stomach and not super comfortable. So I bought these knockoff Betaband “dress yoga” pants from NY&Co: http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/prod/sale/suits/7th-avenue-design-studio-knit-pant-signature-fit-bootcut-petite/A-prod4550056/#.VpPE7fkrLcs. I’m obsessed. I’m going to get them in all the colors. Totally fine for my business casual office. For sizing, I was a 12-14 before pregnancy and the XL fits well, with room for a few extra pounds.
Pigpen's Mama says
I’m going to have to check these out — I had two pairs of NY&Co pants about 10-12 years ago that were AMAZING — they felt like sweatpants but were acceptable business casual wear. I haven’t seen them there since — but these look pretty similar.
Anon says
I just bought two pairs. Thanks!
POSITA says
Oh my gosh. Those pants. Ick.
And they also sell a maternity jumpsuit. Oh my. Oh my. It’s like a big mommy onsie.
Jackie says
Couldn’t agree more. I tried so hard to like Hatch’s stuff through both my pregnancies. Ordered and returned several items. They were ridiculous.
NewMomAnon says
Just went to the HATCH site – I didn’t realize that a pregnant woman has to put her hand on her belly at all times. So that’s what I did wrong while I was pregnant….
Betty says
For those of you who have hired someone to clean your house, how often do you have the person come? I loathe spending all weekend cleaning but am not sure whether having someone come once or twice a month would even make that much of a dent in my to-do list? For reference: I have two kids, two dogs and a cat and the kids are home with the nanny/soon-to-be-au pair during the day.
Anonymous says
I do every second week but that’s with no pets and three kids in daycare/school all day. I’d recommend weekly if you can swing it. When on maternity leave, I used a service that was 5 people for 1 hour vs. 1 person for 5 hours because it was awkward to wrangle the kids to keep them out of the cleaner’s way. YMMV.
Spirograph says
We have had a cleaning person both weekly, and (currently) every two weeks. I rarely do any vacuuming, sweep, or clean bathrooms between her visits beyond spot cleaning. I don’t think once a month would make a dent in your to-do list, but for me with a biweekly schedule, I consider all of those big cleaning chores crossed off, which definitely frees up my weekends.
As a bonus, your nanny/au pair will probably do a fair amount of tidying, or at least keep the toys under control. My biggest time sink is putting everything away the night before the housecleaner comes… but I shudder to think what might happen if I didn’t have a biweekly deadline to clear out clutter.
Spirograph says
oh yeah, 2 kids in daycare all day, 2 cats. If we had a dog, I could probably skip the spot vacuuming — 90% of that is under the ids’ seats at the table.
Betty says
We currently have a nanny who we agreed would do some housekeeping/tidying while the youngest is napping. By house keeping and tidying, I mean clean up after the kids, their laundry, help keep the playroom organized. She did… for about a week. Now, toys are thrown in a pile (or dumped into a central bin) at the end of the day, kids’ clothes are in the dryer on Friday afternoon and she flat out refuses to watch the kids when they are ill. I’ve tried to do some correcting course but there are so many little things that there is no way to address them all. It has been a huge lesson learned for my husband and me. We saw so many red flags while interviewing and early on but overlooked each because we were desperate to find someone (had two weeks’ notice after our prior nanny’s husband lost his job and they had to move states) and we knew this nanny through social circles. Ok, sorry for the rant. I’m done.
Anonymous says
wow, that stinks and is completely unacceptable. One of the best parts of having a nanny was the clean house I came home to every day. And a huge benefit of a nanny over daycare is that you have care even when the kids are sick. I’m sure you know this but the only way to fix it is to fire her and find a new nanny.
Spirograph says
Ugh, sorry to hear about your nanny troubles, that is really frustrating. I had a lot of issues with our former nanny, but I will say she was awesome about cleaning up. Granted, my kid was <1 and probably slept a lot, but the house was always cleaner when I came home than when I left it. It is the main thing I miss about having a nanny (but doesn't outweigh everything I love more about daycare).
Jdubs says
Had a similar issue with a nanny a few months ago… so glad that we found someone new. We literally cry on Fridays now sometimes because we are so happy that the place is neat and tidy and the small housekeeping things are done for us already. Oh and the new nanny is so much better with the kids than the old one too…
Betty says
Additional question for those with nannies: Anyone think this relationship can be salvaged? I’m ready to throw in the towel and am really excited about the possibility of an au pair, but have some family members (not my husband) pressuring to try and save the relationship.
pockets says
Nope. I was complaining about how my former nanny was always late once to my physical therapist and he said, You can teach people how to do a lot of things, but you can’t teach someone to be responsible. And it was like a lightbulb went off because it was SO TRUE. I was trying to “teach” my nanny to be on time but the fact was that being on time wasn’t important to her, and I wasn’t going to be able to make it important to her. Similarly, you can’t teach your nanny to care about cleaning up. You need someone who walks into a room and immediately starts making it cleaner as a reflex. My current nanny is like that – she walks in, I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and when I come back out 5 mins later the shoes are all organized. Your nanny is not like that – you either need to accept that, or if you can’t, find someone else who is.
JJ says
Our housekeeper comes twice a month. Two kids, three dogs (ahh!), and two adults in my house. We do have a Roomba that runs each day while we’re at work, so that cuts down on the vacuuming. The kids’ bathrooms can get a little grody in between visits, so (if I’m motivated), I’ll wipe the sink and faucets down with a Lysol wipe.
Anonymous says
Two kids in daycare, one dog. Cleaning person comes every other week. There is maintenance in between, but not having to do heavy cleaning or bathrooms makes a big difference in our lives. I’m considering upping it to weekly, but every other week is certainly better than never!
ANP says
We have 3 kids and a dog and our house cleaner comes every other week. I always joke that if we win the lottery I’ll splurge on weekly cleaning service! Would love to have it that often but it’s just not in the budget.
TBK says
I would so love to have weekly cleaners. My au pair’s friends work for richer families and they all have weekly cleaners. I also have a friend/mentor who was in big law her whole life until she recently retired and she has a full time housekeeper — THAT is what I ‘d splurge on with a lottery ticket! She not only keeps their house constantly and perfectly clean and tidy, she also runs errands, does the grocery shopping, does some light cooking, does the prep for parties, keeps track of and re-stocks everything the household needs, etc.
ANP says
Changing my lottery dreams: FT housekeeper for sure!
Betty says
Oh that is my dream too!
NewMomAnon says
One aggressively messy toddler in daycare, no pets, cleaning every other week. Totally worth it. I clean up big messes and things that might harden (spaghetti sauce, paint) and have to do a de-clutter a few times between cleanings, but I consider the “big” items done with an every other week deep clean. And my cleaner also dusts the ceilings and baseboards and does a systematic dusting of all surfaces, none of which I would do on my own. My old house cleaner also changed all the sheets, washed and dried them, and then folded them. It was amazing. In my current house, it probably saves me 5-8 hours, as well as the money I would otherwise spend on cleaning supplies/paper towels/dust rags/etc.
I second what someone said about a service that provides a team; my old service would send 3-4 people and they were usually done in an hour or two. In my new setting, it’s one person, and she can take 3-5 hours depending on the level of dirt we have accumulated. It’s not a problem for me, since we are out of the house anyway, but it would be a pain for an au pair.
mascot says
That’s a good point about a team vs an individual. I like having an individual/slower cleaning because it gives enough time to get the sheets/towels laundry washed, dried and folded. When we had a team, they usually were done much faster than the laundry process.
We have weekly cleaning and it is amazing. It keeps the clutter from piling up and we really don’t have much in-between spot cleaning that needs doing.
Maddie Ross says
I have exactly the same setup as NewMomAnon, except that we have a dog as well. New housekeeper comes every other week, and I lurve her. I also do maintenance cleaning during the week/over the weekend, and do all laundry that I worry about (so any delicates and my husband’s no-irons), but she handles the major lifting when she’s there (so I basically never vacuum or clean bathrooms anymore – heaven!).
We also used to have a service that set 2-3 people and they took about 2 hours, maybe less sometimes. New cleaner is solo and she takes about 4-5 hours. She frankly does way more tidying that I would ask of her (example: organizing my LO’s playroom), but I think she is waiting out loads of laundry while she does that stuff.
In sum, she is worth every penny. I would sooner give up cable than my housekeeper.
FVNC says
My cleaning service comes every other week, which works well for us. We have one kid in daycare and one dog who sheds like crazy. The only cleaning I do between visits is sweep floors and wipe counters/stove. An every other week cleaning crew would probably significantly decrease, but not eliminate, the amount of cleaning you have to do. I’d definitely go for it if it’s in your budget!
TK says
1 toddler in daycare, 2 cats, I have someone come every 3 weeks. It gets pretty bad by around week 2.5, but the cost differential between once every 2 weeks vs. once every 3 is significant enough that I’ll just live in the gross for a couple of days. They usually send 2 cleaners but it doesn’t really matter for us because no one is home during the day. I do very little cleaning in between – other than laundry, dishes, kiddo’s high chair tray (cats take care of food on the floor.)
TBK says
I’ll admit we have cleaners come only monthly and I do very little housecleaning in between. But the au pair vacuums the living room and nursery, does the kids’ laundry, and cleans up the kitchen after baby dinner each night. Plus I do a wipe down of the master bath (with, yes, baby wipes if that’s what’s at hand) a few times a week, mostly just floor and sink. The au pair will often sweep the kitchen if the dog hasn’t gotten all the dropped kid food and I’ll do a sweep a few times a week after cooking, too. I also wipe down the kitchen surfaces once or twice a day (after breakfast and after dinner). But I never vacuum the basement (fully finished/wall to wall carpet), rarely vacuum our room, never wash floors, never do a thorough bathroom scrub, never clean the oven, never do more than a quick dusting, etc. So definitely cuts down on my to do list. And it does get a bit nasty by the last week, but that’s all that’s in our budget right now. Oh, and it’s three adults, two toddlers (home with au pair all day), and a large (non-shedding) dog.
Quail says
This is our plan too. One kid and a very furry cat. I’d prefer every two weeks but it’s not in the budget. Monthly is definitely better than nothing that’s for sure. I sweep and vacuum our small first floor daily( kid is still putting all crumbs in his mouth) and wipe down kitchen and baths as needed / to avoid utter embarrassment. Still way better even for maintainance things like the shower walls, ceiling fans, etc that would otherwise get so bad it would become a real pain.
Mary says
I actually loved Hatch! On sale, of course. I found the winter stuff to be super cozy. I only got a couple pieces but they were workhorses for me at the stage where I was super pregnant… (Just a counterpoint!)
If you’re in NYC you can go try things on in the showroom and I think that makes all the difference in the world.
BKDC says
I’ve had to return a number of Everlane purchases in the last few months. The proportions were all off for me (I’m 5′), even though I purchased an XS. But I’ve had luck with some of the sleeveless tops. Hatch doesn’t seem very appealing to me at all, but at least it’s an alternative to all the maternity body con dresses.
nice cube says
Didn’t get any sleep last night – our 16 month old screamed most of the night. We did sleep training a couple of months ago to some success, but then travelling and sickness got in the way and we have hit a major regression. The other problem is that I am still nursing 2-3 times a day (morning and bedtime) and when baby cant sleep she demands to be nursed. Any words of wisdom before I lose hope?
Meg Murry says
Send daddy in to her instead of you so that she knows nursing in the middle of the night just isn’t an option?
Ibuprofen in case it is teething or low level earache? Or try giving something to suck on (soft spout sippy of water perhaps?) and hold in a nursing position?
Otherwise, cold turkey weaning?
I’m sorry, this kind of regression sucks. But with my kids it was often a precursor to being sent home sick from daycare, so you may want to mentally prepare for that just in case – or prepare to take your own sick day to stay home and get some catch up sleep!
Anonymous says
I second Meg Murry’s advice to send in Daddy. I nurse morning and bedtime and I don’t nurse overnight. DH went in the first 4-5 nights after I stopped nursing at night. Baby was not impressed but settled much better than he would have for me.
I also have a 14 month old and I generally babywear (ergo back carry) while preparing supper etc. I find baby really wants the physical contact time, not just the interaction time – he’s happier being worn vs in the exersaucer in the kitchen with me while I prep supper.
If you don’t want to CIO again, I recommend the No Cry Sleep Solution by Pantley.
Anonymous says
sorry if it wasn’t clear from my comment but I babywear in the evenings because i find baby is less anxious at night/sleeps better when he has lots of physical contact.
just Karen says
Second Meg Murry’s recommendations, but also eager to hear others – our daughter is just shy of 16 months and we had some really rough nights recently. My neighbor with two year old twins swear it has to do with planetary alignment…I’m hoping it is over soon! We aren’t breastfeeding, but teething, sickness, and Christmas got us off our schedule that she has been on since sleep training, and I am fairly convinced that deviation from the schedule more than once or twice a month spells serious trouble for us. She slept well last night after going to bed half an hour early – maybe some catch up sleep if she is overtired?
TBK says
We’re attending a prospective parents session next week for preschool (it would be 2 mornings per week starting this fall for our twins who’ll be 2 1/2 by September). What should we be looking for/asking about? Honestly what we care about is pretty basic: socialization with kids other than each other; exposure to people (including adults) outside the family; exposure to some germs (they’re otherwise home with the au pair all day); and some clapping/singing/arts & crafts. As for school-type learning they get enough of that at home — nothing structured, just playing with alphabet blocks, singing the ABCs, counting things and naming colors — but plenty for toddlers. I was a little put off by the fact that when I emailed the director to ask about meeting teachers she said that that wasn’t possible but that she would be able to answer all our questions at this January meeting. I don’t want to overthink this and make it higher stakes than it is — 6 hours per week of clapping and singing with other toddlers — but don’t want to miss any red flags either.
Meg Murry says
If it isn’t until September, and especially if they have more than one classroom and this is your first interaction with them, I think not yet meeting the teachers is actually pretty typical. Every daycare walkthrough I did was with the director or enrollment coordinator, and my extent of “meeting the teacher” was basically just the person giving the tour saying “that’s Miss So-and-so over there” pointing toward a person holding an infant or “there’s Ms. Whosit, the lead preschool teacher” with a nod toward a teacher reading a story to 3 year olds – but I didn’t really get any interaction with the teacher beyond a head nod and maybe “hi” – because the teachers were actively involved in taking care of the kids, and that was enough for me.
I suspect a prospective night 9 months out is this same kind of cursory once over, and you can probably schedule a more detailed visit once you’ve narrowed down your search. I imagine a decent number of people who attend these prospective nights do not actually intend on enrolling (or vice versa, they all go on the wait list so it doesn’t matter) and therefor it isn’t worth putting the teachers through a meet and greet just yet.
Questions:
-What is school calendar (are they closed all the time for every holiday under the sun)?
-Cost, is there a discount for have 2 kids?
-How will they handle twins, to make sure they are interacting with other kids and not just each other?
-What is the phasing in process? Is it just a quick “parent or au pair come with kid for a day or two and that’s that?” or is there an elaborate “phasing in” process like I read about in NYT where it takes up to a month before you can drop off your kids and leave?
-Does this feed into a program for more days a week/longer days if you wanted to transition from au pair to daycare or part time preschool/part time nanny once your kids get a little older?
-Any specific philosophy the school subscribes to? Montesorri, Waldorf, Emilia Regia , learning through play, academic focus, etc? Will you have to buy any “stuff” to support this philosophy/classroom style or have any “homework” (nap mat, lunch box, indoor shoes, worksheets/reading homework – I’ve seen some common things and some real doozies).
NewMomAnon says
Can you drop in to observe some class time, preferably during the time your kids would usually be there? The teacher interaction with the kids is so important. I would ask if there are other students on a part-time schedule; a friend took his daughter to my kiddo’s daycare on a very part-time basis, which is unusual for our center, and the teachers had a hard time with it.
It sounds like your kids won’t be napping or eating at school, so those aren’t big issues. Look at the walls; is there kid art relevant to this season? Are there teacher certification calendars/reminders prominently posted? My kiddo’s teacher also updates the wall postings monthly for new vocab words, new sign language signs, and new concepts, so look for those to see what kind of things are being taught.
Notices about disciplinary investigations and contagious illnesses need to be posted, and can be a red flag – our infant room had a ton of the infectious illness notices for a while, and then we had some teacher turnover, and since then there haven’t been many at all. There shouldn’t be a ton of illnesses (we get about one a month now in toddlers), and there shouldn’t be any recent licensing violations at a reputable school.
TBK says
Just to clarify — this is a church preschool not a daycare. So there are no “full time” kids. It’s 2 3hr mornings per week for 2 yos, 3 3hr mornings per week for 3yos, and 3 4hr mornings per week for 4 yos. That’s all the kids there are. No babies. No longer programs. No full time.
Meg Murry says
Ok, then to piggy back off this:
-How much does church influence the curriculum? And when you look around, is all the artwork/decor/arts and crafts/books religious? I think this has come up before that everyone has their own line in the sand as to how comfortable they are with kids experiencing religion at preschool
-What is parent commitment? Are you expecting au pair to be able to drop off and then have those 3 hours free (and not count toward your 45 weekly max, possibly?) Or is there a volunteer component that you or au pair will have to do? Same Q’s as below – will you have to make or bring in snacks or craft supplies, etc?
-Approx ratios of kids there with a SAHP vs kids being dropped off/picked up by nanny/au pair?
-Is there outdoor play or walking field trips or is it all classroom based?
-Do kids have to be potty trained to move up to 3 year old program?
-Is there a wait list where you have to give them money now, or do you have time to make a decision between now and Sept?
-Is there one 2 year old classroom or more and would your twins be together or separated (pros and cons to both)?
In House Lobbyist says
We got to a similar mommy’s day out program which is funny to me since my husband is the one at home. But to your question- they have an open house a week or so before “school” starts where you meet your teacher for about 30 minutes. One thing that I love about our place is that everyone has been there for at least 10 years but many have been there 15-20 years. I feel like all the teachers and staff really love what they do and this isn’t just a job to them.
Betty says
Can you obtain a copy of the handbook or any policies they have? The handbook should answer the logistical questions. I second dropping in to see if you can observe: are the teachers engaged and on the floor with the kids? Are they separated and just overseeing the play? Finally, a weird thing I have about preschools (as opposed to a daycare) is to see how working-parent friendly they are: What time are school events? How often are you expected to participate and how so? Are you expected to make things at home (meals, snacks, birthday stuff)?
PregExec says
I have a similar situation. I have a kid who will just miss the cutoff date in the fall and will be 2 and 9/10ths in September. She’s in daycare now, but we have #2 on the way and are moving her from daycare to preschool + nanny (or au pair, TBD).
We have been through 2 rounds of shopping for daycare (moved) at this point so it was pretty easy to make the call on preschool. I had about 6 options, ranging from going part-time at her daycare to a church preschool like you describe, to more or less college prep programs! We picked the school we did because:
1. it goes 2.5-5 so she could go for 3 years and have 3 classrooms/teachers (major points)
2. awesome facilities- just a happy place to be.
3. Great outside programs- music, dance, etc. They have “after school” programs where you can pay to extend the day with these activities, which we thought would be great for when she gets sick of the baby/nanny.
4. Promiximty to house (we have several close by)
5. Huge school community. We wanted–but haven’t gotten- this with our current daycare.
6. Alignment with our town’s kindergarten curriculum and teaching methodology
I will note that what truly sold me is turnover. After being in the daycare world where 1 year tenure is a big deal, going to a place where they literally never have job openings and had two last year because 2 ladies retired after being there for TWENTY FIVE YEARS, I knew the place must have something good going for it.
TK says
Yup, turnover was one of the big things that made our decision for us – we asked about employee tenure, and when the answer was ‘average of 15 years,’ we were sold. (Assuming, of course, basics were also met – no big red flags with review of state regulatory agency, hours / price were compatible with what we wanted, location, they provided food, etc.)
Msj says
Giving notice to nanny. I’m really not looking forward to this but we are planning to let her know Friday giving her about 6 wks notice. We do need her to stay to the end of her period and will give her an additional 2 wks severance payment if she completes the term. She’s full time and has been with us a year.
We are moving to an au pair instead. I plan to offer her references and post to the local parents group about her availability to get some leads.
Sound okay? Anything I’m missing or you wished you did differently. I do trust her to remain professional with the kids, but I’m not looking forward to the awkward in btwn stage after giving notice and before she leaves. I just can’t swing more than two wks severance and think she deserves a longer lead time.
sfg says
Are you prepared for the possibility that she will leave you as soon as she finds a new job? We had to let our first nanny go unexpectedly and we were in a bind for two weeks. Also had to re-key our locks because we did not have the opportunity to collect them from her and had to change garage and alarm codes.
sfg says
them = house keys
Betty says
No advice, just commiseration. We are headed down the same road with our nanny and looking to transition to an au pair. We have begun the au pair process but not yet matched yet. I want to give our nanny lead time (despite her performance) but know that the additional lead time brings its own issues.
Msj says
I’ll let you know how it goes. I don’t think she’d up and leave because when we hired her we waited a few weeks while she honored an existing commitment. And from the feedback of another family. But I am building in a “bonus” severance to act as a carrot. She’s not perfect, but she does feel like part of the family and is in my house 50 hrs a week. It feels insulting to say, today is your last day, leave now.
How’s your au pair search coming? I’m excited for ours to come but feel I can’t really start planning until I let our nanny know what’s up
Betty says
Have you matched? If so, when does your au pair arrive?
We are still in the process of looking. Our current nanny situation is a bit of debacle, and, as a result, I have lost a lot of my confidence in choosing a caregiver. I feel like I am being really cautious and taking my time. I have a family member who is very concerned about us hiring an au pair, and that is giving me pause, but I think it could be absolutely wonderful!
Msj says
Don’t know if you’re still reading , but yes, we matched around Christmas and are waiting for her arrival. We signed up with two of the large agencies to get a huge pool of candidates. We ended up choosing someone from a country we didn’t originally target, but her profile just stood out. We reviewed hundreds of profiles and skyped with about ten.
I found a super helpful Facebook group to be the best resource and I also had our LCC vet profiles.
I feel like an au pair can be superlative or awful. Hopefully we fall in the former camp.
RDC says
Vacation suggestions with an 18-month old? DS is 13 months now, so would be around 18-20 months around summer time. Looking for a destination where we can have one “home base” for naps and early bedtimes (rather than changing hotels) with lots of kid-friendly museums, parks, etc. nearby. But I’d also like it to be close-ish to outdoorsy places we could visit, like a national park. We could do anyplace within 8-10 hours flying time of the east coast. Suggestions? Seattle came to mind. I’ve always wanted to go Iceland or Alaska but I fear those would be boring for the baby.
We do lots of travel with the baby to see far-flung relatives, so I’m not as concerned with the logistics of it, just trying to find a destination that has “something for everyone.”
lucy stone says
Alaskan cruise! You won’t get to do the hardcore hiking/glacier excursions with a kid that little, but there’s tons of fun stuff to do and you get the advantage of one home base.
RDC says
Interesting – thanks! Do kids this small often go on cruises? My only cruise experience was spring break in college and I don’t recall seeing many kids.
Anonymous says
We went to Italy with our 2 year old and really liked it: http://www.roccamare.it/?cookieChecked=true
I’ve also heard really good things about this place in Portugal so it’s on my list to try : http://www.martinhal.com/quinta/en/ because it’s in the middle of a national park I think
shortperson says
i’d look into a nice hotel in costa rica
pockets says
I need to second Costa Rica. I went last year with a 10 month old and I’m going back this year with a 2 year old because it was so darn easy. The entire country is designed to be tourist-friendly, and almost every place caters to families. I never realized how un-kid friendly the US is until I went to Costa Rica and instead of being treated like an annoyance to be tolerated my kid was treated like a delightful special snowflake.
Anon says
Montreal? We’re in Boston and have wanted to do Montreal with our going to be 2.5-year-old for the past 2 years. My husband wants to do PEI/ Newfoundland via boat.
Anon says
Corporette in Newfoundland here – feel free to post with questions if you decide to come :)
Travel ideas says
I wouldn’t do Iceland — I went solo a few years ago, and while beautiful, I don’t think there’s enough to do in Reykjavik to make it worth spending more than 2-3 days there and traveling out of Reykjavik to see the amazing scenery would be a PITA with a toddler.
What about something more metropolitan elsewhere in Europe? We just booked a week trip in Amsterdam this summer for my husband, teenage step-daughter, and by then almost 2 yr old. I read some good things about Amsterdam and toddlers, but we’ll see.
RDC says
Good idea on continental Europe – we did Barcelona a few years ago and loved it. Something like Amsterdam could be fun.
Berlin! says
Berlin is the easiest imaginable place to go with a kid. It’s all set up for you.
Betty says
If you would consider spring or fall: New Orleans.
Quail says
I have to share my good news because you all have been so supportive and informative: I’m done pumping at work! Kid turns one in a few weeks and I dropped daytime feelings this weekend. So happy to not disrobe at the office anymore! A little sad about weaning in general but not sad at all about not pumping…freedom!
OCAssociate says
Yay! Congratulations, it feels so good to have your days free. I always find weaning sad, but nothing but relief when pumping is done.
RDC says
Congratulations!! It’s a great feeling. Congrats on making it to a year!
Meg Murry says
Woohoo! I had fantasies about re-enacting the Office Space printer scene when I was done pumping – I never did, but I thought about it more than once.
Congrats!!
Anonymous says
Way to go!
Quail says
Thanks, all. I will say that a recent article made me think twice about pumping so long if I ever do it again – I can’t find it now, of course, but this article is similar: http://www.vox.com/2016/1/11/10729946/breastfeeding-truth. Basically, pumping accommodation is used to not fix the real problem of insufficient maternity leave and places a double burden on us pumping, working moms. Still glad I did it – and still glad to be done (it sure would feel good to smash that pump with a baseball bat…)
Meg Murry says
maybe we should plan a pump smashing party! Ok everyone, on [date] we’re all going to smash our pumps, while being recorded, and we’ll post them all on YouTube. Who knows, maybe we could all become minor YouTube celebrities for a day or so :-) Anyone got any good hashtags for this?
AEK says
#dumpthepump
AEK says
Hurray for you! I totally understand your joy; we just hit 1 year, and I am about to be right there with you. Down to pumping 1x per day. It will be Such. A. Relief. to stop pumping!!!
PregExec says
I’m in an exec role at my company and SURPRISE pregnant (now 3.5 months along). This is great for me, but the last time I had a baby was when I was in middle management at a very casual business casual company (so, maternity t-shit and jeans was passable, Maxi dress with sweater was VERY passible) and I need some new maternity wear.
I know this site posts a plethora of maternity wear but I’m hoping for someone to repsond with their workhorses (or link me to a post where people do)?
Specifically, I need 2-3 outfits for Big Meetings I have with clients and business partners in the next few months. Because of my prepreg shape, dresses tend to fit better than pants but I suppose I’ll have to wear pants in the next 6 months. A suit is both unnecessary, and too formal for my tech-based org. If I need a suit, I can wear my black maternity pants, structured cardi and shirt in a pinch and play the pregnancy card without issue.
So! Send me your recs. I’m a pre-preg pear and will not/cannot wear skinny jeans (sadly, unless there are miracle maternity skinny jeans that accommodate my generous calves and thighs)
Kim says
Pants from wherever (mine were from Motherhood?), and tops from Gap (drapey modern shirt and drapey butterfly shirt). The tops from Gap lasted me through two pregnancies and were still my favorites. I like dresses in general, but being pregnant means you need hose and a full-body slip because the fabric is paper thin and clingy, and growing larger means panty lines, hose lines around your prominent lack-of-waist, and bra lines (of your likely OMG I have huge b**bs) are harder to hide. So, I stuck to pants and tops, with a cardigan or one of my normal-sized blazers.
Kim says
And PS I am an in-house attorney where everyone else at my level wears suits.
Onlyworkingmomintulsa says
Wrap dresses from Pea in a Pod, Olian makes really cute dress too. Nordstrom has a nice selection of workwear.