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Here’s a question that I don’t think we’ve talked about: once you’re past the diaper bag phase of things, what bag do you think is the best? Do you prefer a huge tote bag? A small crossbody? A hobo? When my lower back was killing me and I was in PT I was using my old convertible nylon backpack again, and was surprised how much I really liked it, perhaps because I’m in the “mom why do *I* have to hold [insert list of 15 things he’s insisted we bring, none of which we need]” phase of things. In any event — backpacks ARE having a moment, and there are a ton of great options right now — so I’ve been eyeing something like the nylon version of this very popular Rebecca Minkoff bag. The nylon version is almost sold out over at Zappos, but there are a TON of leather options still available at the usual spots like Amazon, Nordstrom, and Zappos. Rebecca Minkoff Julian Nylon Backpack Psst: here’s a link to our post on what to carry in your diaper bag, and if you’re looking for a backpack big enough to replace your work tote, here’s our last post on backpacks for work on Corporette. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ 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 – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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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
I like backpacks for casual travel, but for being out and about I want a crossbody that I don’t have to take off to get into. I’ve recommended the Baggalini Everywhere bag as my weekend “mom purse.” I store an extra diaper/wipes in the side, and it fits my normal purse stuff with room for a sippy and all the snacks. Love love love. I like it so much I’m thinking about getting a tote for travel.
shortperson says
for travel w post diaper kid i like the cuyana oversized caryall tote. for around town usually i just use my tiny pre baby cross body bag w wallet and phone and keep extra clothes etc in my car. she’s starting to learn that mama doesnt always carry her water and sunglasses, she can deal.
CPA Lady says
I have a small pliage purse. I ditched the diaper bag as soon as I could (somewhere between 18 months and 2 years, I think). At this point I have a spare diaper in my purse and the huggies wipe clutch. I am about to ditch the diaper, but I think I’m going to keep the wipes indefinitely. Those things have come in handy so many times. I force my kid to carry her own stuff or leave it in the car, because I’m a monster. I keep meaning to put a change of clothes in the car, and really need to get around to doing that.
Also, thank you to everyone who offered advice or commiseration on my kid’s toilet struggles. I decided to back way off and not mention it to her. Then she pooped in the toilet last night and again today at daycare. I probably just need anxiety pills, since she’s clearly got this figured out, and I’m over here a stressed out basket case. Yay parenting.
shortperson says
ha i happened to have one wipe a couple weeks ago when she got her hands sticky and she was SO EXCITED!
she finally got to have a wipe when she wanted it! she carried the used wipe around for a while and proudly showed it to confused third parties.
Crystal Ball/Accidental VBAC says
I’m 37 weeks and up to 4 centimeters. After the last several days of feeling like complete garbage, I feel great today! I hope that’s a sign, but so far my signs are failing me. No question, just some light whining.
Redux says
For those of you who combo fed, were you able to EBF on the weekends or did you need to supplement with a bottle then, too? I just started sending one bottle of formula to daycare along with two bottles of bmilk. This weekend was our first weekend after implementing combo feeding and I wasn’t sure if I should give him a bottle those days, too? I guess I would prefer to EBF on the weekends, but am concerned about whether I am making enough and if I am sending mixed signals to my body on how much to produce. What did you do?
Anonymous says
Just EBF. It will help keep up your supply as often supply responds better to nursing vs. pumping. You may find you get more milk when you pump after the weekend but that’s likely to be the only effect. Assuming that baby is older than three months and no growth issues that would affect feeding (e.g. prematurity or other need for higher calorie intake). I generally nursed on the weekends more than I would pump at the office.
Anne says
I did the same combo feeds on weekends as I did on weekdays (I did AM and PM nursing, two day pump sessions on weekdays/nursing sessions on weekends, and one afternoon formula bottle both weekends and weekdays). It’s what worked for me physically.
AwayEmily says
I was really stressed about this question when I started combo feeding and it went fine. Like you, I sent one bottle of formula and two of milk, and then I EBF’d on weekends. I never had a problem with my weekend supply. My sister did the same thing and didn’t run into any issues. It might depend somewhat on how old the baby is and how well-established your supply is — I started this at around 8 months when she was also already getting some solid foods, which also helped. With the next baby (due in January) I’m going to start much earlier.
I also nursed her slightly more often on the weekends once I switched to combo feeding, since I figured she may not have been quite as much per feeding as she would have previously.
And like Anonymous said, I found that it helped with my supply — I’d consistently get more milk on Monday/Tuesday than towards the end of the week.
Anonymous says
Ditto on all of this.
CPA Lady says
At first I nursed more on the weekends, but the farther we got into it, I started supplementing on the weekends too. It was really helpful for my husband to be able to take over everything and me not have to worry about pumping or doing anything extra.
Cb says
I’d like to babywear as much as possible to avoid the buggy on the bus but curious about bags. I ordered a fjallaven kanken as I thought the skinny straps would be better.
Clementine says
I have a kanken and it’s just fine for babywearing. What I really like about it is the snap on the top handles that mean I can snap it to a stroller handle or even another (larger) backpack.
I’ve also found that the smaller size means that I don’t bring too much junk with me and I can find whatever I did bring with me. They also fit a surprising amount of stuff! Four star- would fully recommend.
My BFF’s big backpack diaper bag (I think it was a Jeep branded one) exploded in an international airport and they had to run for connections while holding it together. After that, she went with a Kanken and is very happy.
EB0220 says
When I got to the point of wearing them on my back, I started using a Timbuk2 messenger bag. A cross-body bag isn’t the most comfortable but it can be used whether you’re back- or front-wearing.
Strategy mom says
We had preschool meet and greet today and my 2 yr old son was a disaster. I need ideas for how to deal with some of the behavior…. I have a strategy for sharing, but what do I do about respect? When I ask him to say hello or goodbye, half the time he’ll say “I can’t say hello”. It was cute at first, and people who don’t spend time around toddlers think it’s cute, but no one at preschool is going to think it’s cute. How do I deal with it and explain why he can’t say that?
Anonymous says
I’m super confused. A 2 year old not wanting to talk to strangers is completely standard and age appropriate behavior. If the preschool made you feel weird about this, it’s a bad school and you should look elsewhere.
Two Cents says
+1 I would be very surprised if a 2 year old didn’t behave like this. :) Very normal.
NewMomAnon says
Meh, he’s 2. Preschool is used to 2 year olds being disrespectful because they are shy, scared, overstimulated, tired, hungry, hot, cold, angry, wet, etc. If it’s a problem for them, a good preschool will have a strategy to handle it. I either wouldn’t worry about it, or would do a cursory, “We say hello to our friends, kiddo” and then move on.
EB0220 says
I agree with the previous responses. He’s 2 and he has no empathy at this point. He doesn’t care about politeness or respect because he doesn’t fathom anything beyond his own needs. Just remember that! It’s completely age-appropriate. Empathy doesn’t develop until somewhere between 3-4.
Anon in NYC says
I sort of think that’s normal for a 2 year old. My 2 year old forgets her manners all the time. I have to specifically prompt her to say thank you and please (if I just say “manners” she’ll say “please” even if it’s not correct). She often gets shy and won’t say hello and will bury her face in my leg. I think repetition (on your part, of asking) is key. Eventually he’ll get it.
Also, my kiddo is an only child right now and does not like to share. Preschool has been SO GREAT about teaching her skills on that front. Like, actual phrases to use. She’s still not great about it, and melts down if someone doesn’t want to share with her, but she uses her words with strangers on the playground.
anon says
No toddlers like to share. It’s not because he’s an only child.
Anon in NYC says
I know that. The obvious inference from my statement was that nobody is at home stealing her toys or forcing her to share her stuff. This was not a dig on only childs.
anon says
I’m sorry. I’m oversensitive. I’m just so used to hearing people blame all character shortcoming of only children on the fact that they are an only.
Redux says
What phrases does your preschool teach them to use?
Anon in NYC says
“Can I have that?” is her current favorite, lol. Also, “can I ask?” is another one.
For example, we were at the playground this weekend and she saw a kid with a toy that she wanted to play with. So she asked me, “can I have that?” and I told her no, and she asked, “can I ask?” I told her that she could ask the kid, so we approached the kid and she asked him “can I have that?” instead of just trying to grab it. Then she offered to share her bubbles as a trade. The other kid wasn’t having any of it (he wanted his toy!) and my kiddo got upset, but hey, it’s a start.
Anon in NYC says
Caveat that these are all things that other people may teach their kids – we just hadn’t yet! And, her teacher talks up sharing. At the end of the day, my daughter will tell me, “I share with X!” (and at the beginning of every day she tells me, “I won’t share with X!” so…).
Blueberry says
Aww, I love “Can I ask?” That’s sweet.
A pet peeve of mine (which I noticed more when I lived in Manhattan for some reason?) is when my toddler wants to take another kid’s toy at the playground, and the other kid’s parents immediately make their kid give it up. I’m like, my kid doesn’t deserve that toy — he needs to learn how to handle being told no!
Strategy mom says
Thank you! I think I was probably playing the comparison game a little too much, and all the other kids seemed so polite (which could also be because they are slightly younger and a lot less verbal – so they can’t say rude things even if they wanted to). I think he and I were both pretty overwhelmed…
Anon in NYC says
FYI – the nylon version of the Julian is on sale at Nordstrom Rack right now for $99 (cheaper than the Zappos price). It’s a flash sale, so no guarantee it’ll be there.
PregLawyer says
After 2 years of waiting, my kid finally got into our top choice for daycare! This place is like a little heaven. It’s also great timing, because we have a second one on the way, so now we have preferred sibling status for the waitlist.
My 2-year old will probably start next week. Is there anything we should be doing or thinking about for the transition? He’s been in the same facility since he was a baby, and has seemed to adjust pretty well for each of his room changes. Should I block off some time next week to be at the new daycare with him while he adjusts (they allow parents to do this)? My mom usually picks him up early once or twice a week for grandma time – should we cut this out for a while so he gets used to the new place?
NewMomAnon says
I found that it was really helpful to spend some time in the new place with kiddo before she officially transitioned. Do they have outdoor play time? That was a great, easy time to introduce her to new friends and teachers while I was also there.
Also, Llama Llama Misses Mama became a Very Important book during daycare transition. There are probably other books on the same topic, too.
Choosing babysitters says
Is it traditional preschool (a few hours a day, a couple days a week) or daycare?
We’ve done both. If it’s full day preschool/daycare (ie 40 hours a week type setup), they are 1000% used to it. You drop the kid off, they do their thing, your kid magically develops social skills and you buy the teachers all kinds of gift cards around the holidays, thanking them profusely.
See if you can do some “shadow” days, volunteer in the classroom, etc. You can work with the teachers on behavior you don’t like and ask their advice on how to fix it. In a part time program, you can work with the teachers to understand best practices, see if they have tips, and implement them at home.
DO NOT WORRY. THIS IS WHAT KIDS DO.
PregLawyer says
Thank you! He’s going from full-time daycare to full-time daycare, so he’s used to the routine of being at “school” all day. I love the “THIS IS WHAT KIDS DO” sentiment.
jen says
This is normal. My almost 4 year old has transitioned 3 times: to daycare A at 12 weeks (:( ), to daycare B when we moved at 18 months, and to preschool at 2.9.
A to B was hard, but fine. We went together twice and played for an hour (I took one day off and my husband took the other one off; i think we might have had a sitter too?). She was TOTALLY fine at first, but after a week she got mopey at dropoff. Then she got better, then we potty trained at 2 which was tricky, but we muddled through. She doesn’t really remember A or B now (she does wave to B when we drive by it, and since we are sending her sister she came along for a tour and said OH YEAH i remember this place) so we didn’t scar her too badly!
FOOTBALL says
So football season is finally starting. Does anyone take their baby to the games? If so tips? Am I crazy for thinking we can make this work? We will be in covered, climate controlled seats for all games FWIW, and baby will be 7 months at the start of the season.
mascot says
We did a couple of major league baseball games when my kid was a little older than that and I grew up going to SEC football games. In addition to to normal clothes/bottles/food, I’d add some over the ear hearing protection in case it gets loud. You can’t bring your stroller to your seats usually, so baby wearing may be easier than carrying baby the whole time. Are your seats bleacher type or fold up seats with backs? If bleacher type, taking one of those padded seat backs will make you much more comfortable and also define your space on the bench which is helpful in a packed game. Generally stadiums are noisy so if baby fusses they will get drowned out. You may also want to look into which bathrooms have changing tables or if there is a family restroom that you can use.
LHW says
I would double check the stroller rules. I sat in a box at a D1 ACC game with my friends baby. It went great, we went in early so we could get the stroller in. Sounds like you will be in a similar environment.
Delta Dawn says
We do this– my best suggestion is be willing to cut your losses and leave if necessary. Have an escape strategy. It’s usually fine, but when it’s not, it’s not. Be prepared to bail out, and be pleasantly surprised if you don’t have to.
Choosing babysitters says
I’m hiring a part-time sitter for the fall. I spoke with 2 great candidates and decided to have them over for a “paid interview.” I paid them their rate, worked from home, and had them do a trial run with the kids.
Babysitter 1 is about 15 minutes away from us, straight shot, no traffic and only available until November. We only need coverage until November, and she’s very flexible on timing. She also babysits her nieces regularly who are the exact age as my kids, so she’s very plugged into what 18 month olds and 4 year olds like and can do.
Babysitter 2 is 30 minutes away on a good day in no traffic. She said it’s not a problem. She’s taking night masters classes about 20 minutes away from us (in the same direction- so we are sort of on the way). Her schedule is wide open all semester and she could pretty much do whatever hours we wanted. She’s an teacher taking a year off to switch specialities, and teaches dance on the side. My daughter (4) loves dance.
I think we’re going to go with Babysitter 1, having met them both, but I really did like #2. The reason I like #1 better is because she’s closer. I grocery shop near her house. The other sitter is a ways a way but it feels awful to say “even though I know you think it’s NBD, I think it will be.” Less important is that #2 was awesome with my older one, and perfectly fine with my younger one, but often the job will be for my younger one only. I have no concerns that she’d be a bad sitter, just that she doesn’t hang out with 18 month olds regularly and therefore might not be quite as good. [and I was a babysitter myself and was much better with older kids].
How do I tell #2 we are going with someone else (even though we really liked her!)? Do I mention why? Should I see if she’d be OK with occasional sitting, or if I could reach out for backup jobs? Or is that like a pity 2nd place offer?
FWIW my younger one was kind of a pain on the day #2 was sitting- completely not her fault that it was a teething day after a night of cr@p sleep. I don’t want her to think that’s why.
SC says
Keep it short and sweet. I wouldn’t give her a reason, especially if you may want her as a backup. I’d say something like you said here: “We really like you, but for this fall, we are going with someone else who is a better fit right now. Would you be interested in occasional sitting for us in the future?”
Em says
I agree on not giving a reason and just saying its a fit issue. I think asking about occasional sitting, particularly if you follow up on it, will reassure her that you didn’t hate her/think she was horrible, since you are still trusting her with your kids.
blueberries for strategy mom says
I agree that it’s normal for a kid that age to not want to say hello. My preschooler is a lot happier signing when he’s a little uncomfortable than speaking. Therefore, I’ll say something like “you can say hello or you can wave.” He also tends to prefer signing “thank you” to saying the words to people he doesn’t know well.
Strategy mom says
Great idea!
blueberries says
Kat, over the past month or so clicking on “reply” within a thread just leads the page to refresh. I’m using Safari on an iPhone. Doesn’t happen as much on the main site.
Anonymous says
Yes, and the page will sporadically refresh when I am in the middle of the comments. Yesterday I lost my place so many times I gave up and didn’t come back.
Anon says
Yep, this happens for an Android using Chrome, too.
RDC says
Are there any books to help toddlers with coping with friends moving away? A couple of my son’s daycare buddies have changed schools recently for various reasons, and son has been asking “where is friend?” We’ve explained they went with their family to a new house, or a new school, but he doesn’t really get it. Any tips? Son is almost 3, for reference.
Anonymous says
I haven’t read it, but look at Jessixa Bagley’s “Before I Leave,” which, according to the internet, is about friends moving away. Warning that it’s probably a tearjerker. I found it when I g00&led the author after checking out Boats For Papa from the library because my daughter liked the cover art. Nice book, especially if your child is missing someone important, but don’t read it without kleenex!
Redux says
My 3-year old really likes the Berenstain Bears (plus bonus nostalgia points for me!) and there is one called Moving Day where the bears move away from their old house and bring their things but leave their friends. It really helped my kiddo understand what was happening when we moved away.
There is an annoying internal inconsistency in this story, though, because the Bears buy the treehouse and have to fix it up, whereas other stories say that Papa carved the tree himself. Stan and Jan, please!
EB0220 says
Adult me notices many inconsistencies in the Berenstain Bears universe! My personal favorite is how mama pops out sister bear while brother and papa are out making a bed!!
Redux says
We have that story, too! Like, what???
AwayEmily says
Had my 19-week ultrasound yesterday. Everything looked fine with one exception — apparently there was something odd about the place where the baby’s umbilical cord attaches to his body. The doctor reassured me that it’s probably nothing, but referred me to a perinatal center for additional counseling. They can’t see me for another two weeks, and I am terrified. The early blood test (I’m advanced maternal age) I had at 12 weeks was fine, but I’m so scared this means something is super wrong with the baby. Not sure what I am asking for…reassurance? Sympathy? Advice? My husband knows, of course, but we’re not telling anyone else about this.
Blueberry says
Hugs! Is there another specialist who can see you sooner? No advice, just empathy… I had an ultrasound scare with my first, and it’s such a terrible feeling, especially the waiting. Sending you good vibes! (And FWIW I doubt the doc would have said it’s probably nothing if it were not probably nothing.)
Rainbow Hair says
Hugs. I think that there’s probably a triage-like approach for stuff like this. If it wasn’t ‘probably nothing’ they might be rushing to get you seen. It’s a terrible wait, though. I’m sorry.
NewMomAnon says
No advice. Just hugs. I second Blueberry though – in my experience, serious pregnancy issues result in very quick specialist visits. Did your OB sign off on the 2 week wait? If not, I would call your OB’s office and talk with your OB (not a nurse and definitely not the receptionist) about whether the 2 week wait for an appointment is appropriate, whether he or she sees any need or benefit to getting in sooner, etc. That could either get you some comfort or a sooner appointment.
anon says
More hugs. My only advice is if you have any doubt about what the concern is, you could ask the original doctor for clarification while you wait. I had to wait a week for a follow-up ultrasound following what I thought was some concern about my son’s heart on the 20 week scan, only to find out when I actually arrived for the scan that the initial problem was just that they couldn’t SEE the heart properly due to the way the baby was positioned the first time around, or something like that. In my case my midwife was interpreting someone else’s notes, which were unclear. So if there is any potential confusion you could try to eliminate that, or ask the doctor what the best and worse case scenarios are so you have a better idea of what hypothetical scenarios you are worrying about – it could be they are worried about a potential problem that is important to catch but 100% treatable.
AwayEmily says
Thank you, so much. This all made me feel immensely better. And I just left a message with my OB’s office — they should be calling me back soon so I can get clarification on some of these questions (and maybe an earlier appointment).
AwayEmily says
Following up — it was very good advice to call the OB. They confirmed that yes, my appointment was on the later side because the perinatal folks looked at my records and decided that this wasn’t an emergency. And also that it *may* be a cyst or something but it also may just be a shadow, which is better than what I had thought before.
NewMomAnon says
Oh, that’s so good. That will make the next two weeks much easier.
Blueberry says
Oh glad to hear! It’s hard enough not getting super anxious during pregnancy without these little bumps in the road…
Diapers says
What is the most economical way to buy diapers? I’ve been buying them at Target when they offer the $10 giftcard when you buy two. Then I realized that the largest box is the same price as the medium boxes when they offer the giftcard– i.e. the giftcard is not worth the trouble, because I could have just been buying the biggest boxes for the same price the entire time.
We don’t have Amazon Prime, but I would pay the $100 for it if I saved more than that on diapers. That is the only thing I would use it for. I’m not going to clip coupons (I just know myself and I won’t bother with it), but if there is a consistent way to buy diapers for less money, I’d love to hear it.