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I love this new sweater from H&M. I’ve been seeing larger collars as a trend for the winter, and I like that this one isn’t over-the-top big, but just slightly oversized. Of course, I love that it is outlined with large pearls with smaller ones on the inner row.
I think this top would look great on a Zoom call; it adds decoration without anything that would catch the light in a distracting way. I like how the pearls match with the heathered gray and the wider sleeves to balance the collar. I would wear this with any style of black pants, or even a fun color.
The sweater is $29.99 at H&M. Collared Sweater
Update: Unfortunately, this sweater has now sold out online — but it’s still in stock in some stores.
A plus-size alternative is from CeCe; it’s on sale for $26–$44 (depending on color) at Belk.
Sales of note for 5.5.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase (ends 5/12); $50 off your $200+ purchase (ends 5/5)
- Banana Republic Factory – Spend your StyleCash with 40-60% off everything, or take an extra 20% off purchase (ends 5/6)
- Eloquii – $19 & up 300+ styles and up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Shirts & tees starting at $24.50; extra 30% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – 40% off full-price styles & extra 15% off; extra 55% off sale styles
- Nordstrom: Nordy Club members earn 3X the points on beauty; 30% off selected shoes
- Talbots – 40% off one item & and 30% off everything else; $50 off $200 (all end 5/5)
- Zappos – 27,000+ 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 – 40% off everything & extra 20% off select styles with code
- Hanna Andersson – Friends & Family Sale: 40% off sitewide
- J.Crew Crewcuts – tk; extra 30% off sale styles; kids’ styles starting at $14.50
- Old Navy – Up to 75% off clearance
- Target – 20% off women’s clothing & shoes; up to 50% off kitchen & dining; 20% off jewelry & hair accessories; up to $100 off select Apple products; up to 40% off home & patio; BOGO 50% off adult & YA books
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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?
Anon says
I feel like my 2.5 year old often tells me what I want to hear, even to the point of suppressing her own emotions. The other day she said she had a sad day at school and I didn’t really hear her that well so I said “you said you were sad at school today?” And there was a long pause and she eventually said “No, mommy, I was happy. Don’t worry!” I told her she could tell me if she was sad and she eventually told me the full story (about falling down, crying, etc., it wasn’t a big deal). This isn’t the only time she’s said something like this. I fear we’re too effusive with the “that’s great! We’re so happy you’re happy!” when she tells us she’s happy, and now she thinks she has to be happy to please us. Any advice on how I can encourage her to be more honest about everything she’s feeling, good and bad?
drpepperesq says
does she watch daniel tiger? there are so many episodes (pretty much all of them) that talk about feelings and how it is ok to have them, no matter what they are. in our house we frequently reference “…like daniel said…”
Anonymous says
At dinner every night we go around the table and everyone tells their best thing in the day and their hardest/worst thing in the day. Usually DH or I start unless one of them asks to start. The kids really like it and DH and I enjoy it now as well. It’s great insight into what is important/not important to them in their lives. We also don’t try to ‘fix’ all the bad things. It’s good for their resilience to have tough/bad things happen and for them to be okay.
DH/I try to use it to talk about our work as well because it’s important for them to know what we do when we are not with them. So my worst thing might be ‘I did lots of typing but I forgot to save it the right way and it disappeared so I had to do it all over again.” or “my meeting took longer than I thought so I was late getting home and I missed a half hour with you guys.”
Spirograph says
We used to do the best and hardest thing at dinner, but it feel off in the last couple months. thanks for the reminder to bring it back!
OP, it’s OK to tell your child that you’re happy she’s happy! Kids should know that their parents want them to be happy. But you can also tell her you’re happy she shared what made her sad, because it’s important to share big feelings. I think the key is to show equal interest and engagement with good and bad news.
Similar — I asked my 4 year old yesterday if he had been a good listener at school, which would have earned him a privilege he really wanted. He burst into tears and said, “I was on yellow most of the day!” Obviously, I would prefer that he was acting “green” but I praised him for being honest, and then we talked about how it feels to have a hard day, and still did a fun thing together.
Anonymous says
We’ve worked to model expressing our own negative emotions with our young kids. E.g.: “I’m feeling sad. Dad, (husband) will you give me a hug? That might help me feel better!” “I’m feeling frustrated so I’m going to go take a break. I’ll be back in a couple minutes (or, “take some deep breaths. Want to help me count them?” Etc.)
At dinner, we all take turns talking about the best parts of our day and also mention any rough times we had.
Cb says
Oh that’s really good! I told my son I was feeling sad one day and he told me “I’ll give you a cuddle, cuddles are the best medicine!”
anne-on says
Yes – this is a good one. We talk a LOT about feelings and appropriate ways to express them. My son is older but there was a LOT of stomping/yelling/’I hate you!’/etc. when he was mad/frustrated between 6-7 I think? We had (and have) sooooo many conversations about how there are no bad feelings, but there are bad ways to express your feelings, brainstorming ways to express sad/mad feelings safely, how it’s not ok to make other people feel sad because you’re upset (name calling, etc.).
I also feel like it’s good to get in the habit of expressing (calmly!!) ‘you are allowed to be upset, you are allowed to ask to be alone, but you are not allowed to yell/slam doors/say mean or hurtful things to mom/dad/friend’ when dealing with an angry/upset kid. I have a feeling I will need to have that down pat before the teen years hit…
Anon says
i like the suggestions you’ve gotten so far. maybe also being a bit less effusive when she tells you she is happy, and when she says she was sad, by responding with “you said you were sad at school today?” without adding something like – “i like it when you share your feelings with me. can you tell me about what made it a sad day? or, “sometimes i have sad days too. when i have sad days, it helps me to talk about what made it sad. can you tell me about it?” ,- she might have misinterpreted your follow up question
Anon says
I find a ton of success with “I feel embarrassed sometimes, too. Remember when the lady at the ice cream stand asked me not to remove my mask? I was embarrassed that I made that mistake. And I apologized and put it back on.” (This is a true story!). It usually gets my son to open up and tell me what’s going on (usually after some questions about my story. I try to use things he saw when possible.
Anonymous says
I would avoid dramatic reactions to either positive or negative emotions. Just acknowledge the feeling without overdramatizing. If you are prone to disproportionate reactions either way, she may not want to share anything but her most extreme feelings.
anon says
I think at 2.5 they can have a hard time processing and labeling those sad feelings too. At that age, DD went through a period of labeling everything as happy. Now at 3.5 DD is much better at labeling feelings, and I try to help by asking more open ended questions (“how did that make you feel”) rather than labeling them for her (“Did that scare/upset you?”).
Melanie says
What am I supposed to do after being “boo”d? We moved into a new neighborhood with lots of kids a few months ago and yesterday I found a bag of candy with a note that said “you’ve been boo’d!” on the doorstep. No name or anything. I guess this is a thing. Am I supposed to do it back to someone?
I am so not this mom.
Eek says
I would take it as a cute little welcome to the neighborhood gift that requires nothing in return. Eat the candy and enjoy!
Anonanonanon says
I think you’re supposed to Boo someone else. I live in dread of being Boo’d
Redux says
“I am so not this mom.” HAHA, I feel this all. the. time.
Anon says
Our neighborhood is organized about it. You get booed with instructions that tell you to put up a “we’ve been booed” sign in the window (included) and ask that you make copies of the instructions and sign and boo two other people in the neighborhood who haven’t been booed yet. Ours was a bucket with silly string, glow necklaces, a mug, pumpkin stickers and a halloween coloring book (I suspect whoever booed us knows we have a toddler). What I am giving (assuming my target order ever arrives today after being a week late) is a boo bag with some halloween themed sprinkle confetti cookies I made last night in a cellophane goodie bag, some extra halloween candy, little mini orange chalkboards, some extra glow bracelets from our halloween handouts and a cloth halloween tote bag.
I am also so not this mom, but leaning into it since I’m WFH and have a little extra time for this nonsense (and toddler thinks it’s fun).
Anonymous says
This is a really cute idea for neighborhoods where trick or treat is not happening.
Toddler climbing strucuture says
I have an 18 month old who loves to climb and live in a city where playgrounds are still closed. We live in a condo without sufficient outdoor space for any kind of play structure and somewhat limited indoor space as well. I’ve suggested a collapsible pikler triangle to my husband; he’s concerned about falling dangers and countered with the Nugget (he likes that it’s softer). I think the Nugget is just too big for the space we have, and the fact that it’s out of stock at the moment doesn’t help either. Any recommendations?
Anonymous says
I really wouldn’t worry about an 18 month old falling off a Pikler triangle. I think they’d be much more likely to get hurt at a playground. I’ve seen 10 month olds use them. Maybe show him some YouTube videos? I’d get the attachments like rock wall/slide too.
I think nuggets look cool but we don’t have space for one, my kids just use the couch cushions instead to build forts/tunnels.
Anon says
fisher price slide. we live in an apartment with no outdoor space and this has a small footprint, though we actually keep it in the closet.
AwayEmily says
+1. Even my 4.5yo still loves our fisher-price slide. Actually, this makes me think we should move it inside for the winter…
Anonymous says
Don’t get a Pikler triangle! I spent $250 on one near the beginning of lockdown and my 2.5 year old has used it I think three times total. And she loves to climb on couches/playground equipment/etc.
Anon says
Nuggets are fun and it’s possible to find a way to make them function as furniture when not in use – we don’t have a coffee table and fold ours up as an ottoman. That said…if your kid is into jumping and being wild (like mine) you do need sufficient space for them not to land on something or crack their head on a sharp corner. I also have a crash pad for that reason, which also takes space. Ours gets a ton of use, though – even as a ramp for cars – and they will be restocking this month
I also wouldn’t worry about getting hurt on a pikler; they are meant for kids to test and learn their limits, and minor falls won’t be very far.
Anon says
Does anyone have a good solution for storing Christmas ornaments? I have a lot of wooden carvings and fragile stuff and have been just wrapping them all in tissue and putting them in old cardboard boxes (often from old laptops). There are hundreds of items, and this gets tedious and I’m always worried things will get lost or crushed. Does anyone have a good solution for these types of ornaments?
Anonymous says
The container store has ornament storage boxes.
Spirograph says
I use quilt batting between layers of Christmas ornaments, and store them in long flat-ish plastic storage containers (like under-bed boxes). So, batting on the bottom, then ornaments, then another layer of batting and so on. Like ornament lasagna! I can fit maybe 2-3 layers in each box, and while I tend to put heavier things on the bottom and fragile stuff on the top, the padding and minimal layers keeps anything from getting broken.
Anon says
I wrap in tissue and package in smaller cardboard boxes (usually 5-7 per box) and then it all goes in a giant rubbermaid. I also store in the original packaging as long as possible where I have it (a number of the waterford ornaments we’ve gotten as gifts have nice boxes with padding). For ones where I don’t have the original boxes, packaging similar ornaments together and adding the smaller boxes gives some structure to the giant bin. The commercial ornament storage boxes seem focused on round balls to me, and I have very few of those types of ornaments.
anne-on says
+1 – our attic has a weird curved staircase so the fewer boxes I have to haul up and down the better. Giant rubbermaid with as much original packaging as possible, delicate things get wrapped in tissue paper and put in a quart slider ziploc bag. Knowing that is the ornament box ensures anyone taking it down is gentle with it and the hard sided rubbermaid is much easier to stack and protects the stuff inside better than cardboard boxes would. We only have a 6 ft tree but so far all the ornaments fit in one box.
Mary Moo Cow says
After Christmas 2018, I bought a few dedicated storage ornament boxes and they were a gamechanger for Christmas 2019. They aren’t cheap, but they are worth it. Mine are from Target, but Container Store is having a sale to compete with Prime Day, so you might check them out.
Anonymous says
My parents always used liquor/wine boxes, which have bottle dividers. Plus tissue wrapping. Cheap and festive! You can get them from your liquor store.
Anonymous says
Any advice on how to not spend so much on takeout? One problem is my husband doesn’t cook at all, so if I don’t feel like cooking we have to order. But also, since we’re all stressed and it’s Pandemic Times, dinner feels like the only time we can indulge in something fun and nice, so we are tempted by fun restaurants a lot.
Anon says
We defined once a week as takeout night. And then we subscribed to a 3 meal a week meal delivery kit (hello fresh). My noncooking husband has been able to manage the recipes with only a little assistance (stuffing burgers was confusing to him, so I just told him to put the cheese on top and it would be fine, he asked that I shallow fry the pork chops the other night, etc.), and it has made a huge difference. I am a picky eater, so being able to pick the meals from their list of 20 or so is a huge plus, and for the fun factor, it’s a lot of stuff that is not in my natural cooking repertoire so it feels a bit like a restaurant in that it’s nice and different. Particularly because they include garnishes, and I’m the type of practical, homey cook that usually doesn’t bother with garnishes for every day cooking unless absolutely necessary. And it helps with the mental drain of meal planning, because the shopping and recipe picking is already done once I pick the recipes!
Boston Legal Eagle says
Can you batch cook on the weekends to avoid the nightly cook sessions and still have enough food? Or get premade meals delivered for some nights, which is still cheaper than takeout (we do Freshly). I wouldn’t cut out takeout entirely but maybe you can limit to once a week and then do the above for the rest of the week? Note that I’m the non-cook in our family, but we do the pre made meals and once a week takeout to help with the dinner struggle. Kids typically get something easy like pb&j/chicken sticks/yogurts and side of veg/fruit. Yes, I would like us all to eat the same thing one day, but that’s not a battle I’m fighting now.
AwayEmily says
I think figuring out a system that works for your particular family and not trying to do more than you really can. For us it’s totally unrealistic to make homemade food every night, so our meal plan looks something like the following — note that we really only “cook” for real on one night. But having this meal plan (I write it on the whiteboard) makes it MUCH more likely that I will follow through rather than resort to takeout. I tried the meal kits and found them way too stressful. On most days I need meals I can prepare in under 20 minutes….at this point in my life I’m just not that interested in cooking, and that’s okay.
our half-assed meal plan:
Monday – a big homemade meal (eg chicken pot pie) that will produce leftovers
Tuesday – pasta and ready-made salad
Wednesday – sandwiches and soup from a box
Thurs – leftovers
Fri – stuff from the freezer (eg frozen pizza)
Then Saturday and Sunday we do takeout, leftovers, fish sticks, whatever. We grocery shop on Sunday night.
Anonanonanon says
My suggestions below assume that your husband is physically able to cook and is not. My apologies if that is not the case.
Frozen/prepared meals from the store?
Stouffers lasagna, frozen garlic bread texas toast, bagged salad,
Microwavable pulled pork, put it on buns, side of prepared slaw
Trader Joe’s orange chicken… you just bake the chicken on a baking sheet and mix it with sauce after. They have microwavable bags of frozen rice. Even your husband can do that.
Does he know how to make himself a sandwich or a bowl of cereal? If takeout is becoming a financial issue, I’d imagine he’s going to be more motivated to prepare himself a meal if there is not takeout.
Anonymous says
Tell your husband to be an adult who can boil pasta and add sauce from a jar. Stock up on Easy frozen meals. He can cook a frozen pizza surely. Or a frozen dinner from Trader Joe’s.
SC says
Back when I did all the cooking, the key for me was to plan to cook 3-4 meals at home each week. The other nights were leftovers or a quick meal made from leftovers, freezer meal, and takeout/restaurant/meal with friends or family. (I realize now that last category may just be takeout. It is for us.)
Most weekends, I would make a double batch of one meal that froze well, and automatically put half in the freezer. That gave us a decent rotation of freezer meals without creating much extra work. I’d also make sure we had some staples on hand that are easy to use up leftovers with–eggs, beans, pasta, tortillas, bread. Most weeks, one leftover night was “pull everything out and fend for yourself,” and the other was, “we’re having frittata/tacos/sandwiches out of whatever’s left in the fridge.”
Last, we have some go-to prepared meals from the grocery store for when we don’t feel like cooking or don’t have time to cook. That can be supermarket rotisserie chicken and sides, soup/stews, sandwich platters, quiche, frozen pizza, local dishes, pasta with jarred sauce, etc. If one of you can swing by the store, picking up prepared food costs less than half of what takeout costs.
I really enjoy eating out and takeout too. We still get takeout about once a week because it’s fun. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with allowing yourself the indulgence if you can afford it. If you want to cut back there, maybe get creative about how to mix it up. We learned how to make pizza at home during the pandemic as a family project, and even took a virtual pizza making class offered by our alma mater. Our pizza is now better than any local restaurant (we’re not exactly in a city known for its amazing pizza). We also have indulged a couple of times with expensive ingredients–steak, scallops, even black truffles brought to us by a family member. I occasionally pick up a fancy dessert after work, which is an indulgence but $20-25 instead of $40-80. Sometimes, the indulgence we need is permission to eat pita chips and hummus or cheese and crackers on the couch instead of eating a real dinner at all.
Anonymous says
You’ve gotten good advice about how to cut back on takeout, but I also just wanted to say that it’s ok to give yourself permission to get takeout regularly if that’s what keeps you sane. We’re easily 3 times/week takeout people now, which is much more than we ever ate out pre-pandemic. I know it’s not healthy, but it’s something that brings us a small amount of joy and relaxation in these horrible stressful times, so I’m ok with it. And even if your takeout budget has gone up a lot, I’m guessing you’re making up for it with savings in other areas. For us the lack of traveling and the ~6 months of no childcare costs has gotten us so far ahead financially the takeout is just a blip.
rosie says
If it’s out of budget for you, that’s one thing, but it’s not a strain, just feels frivolous, I agree to give yourself permission to get takeout more often.
Realist says
We do take out once a week, have a meal kit for three other nights, and have a frozen dinner thing from Whole Foods another night that we usually supplement with a fresh salad or veggie side dish. So we make dinner from scratch only twice a week, and we usually keep it simple (stir fry, tacos, etc).
Having some sort of plan helps. Decide how many times you want to have takeout. Pick the days you will do that. Then fill in the other days with a menu plan. It sounds silly, but it can help to always have things like “Taco Tuesday.” It alleviates decision fatigue when you already know that you are making tacos on Tuesday. So you keep the staples on hand and just buy a different protein each week.
I would also suggest building a go-to roster of family favorite recipes. Each season, we have about 5 to 6 recipes that we make ALL the time. They are easy, we like them, they fit the season, and I don’t have to look at the recipe to make them.
Anonymous says
So he would just eat take out 24/7 if you didn’t cook? I’d push back on that. He can learn how to cook two meals. You cook 4 times a week, he cooks twice and then take out weekly.
Super easy meals – (1) Pasta – boil a pot of water, add pasta, set timer, drain. Empty jar of tomato sauce into saucepan, heat on low, microwave frozen meatballs. Add meatballs to sauce, stir. Add sauce to pot of drained pasta, stir.
(2) Frozen veggie Lasagna – preheat oven, take out of package, put on baking tray, set timer, bake.
(3) Chicken fingers and fries – preheat oven, put on baking tray, set timer for ten minutes – flip, ten more minutes – serve. While they are in the oven, he can microwave steam prepackaged veggies or serve a costco salad.
(4) Hamburgers – put premade burgers on grill or in frying pan. Flip, check temperature for doneness. Serve on buns. Add costco prepackaged salad for side.
If my 8 year old can make these meals so can he.
DLC says
If you are looking to cook less yourself, are there no cook meals that your husband can/is willing to prepare? My husband does cook, but he tends to decimate the kitchen, so when he does weeknight dinner it is usually sandwiches (in the toaster oven or grilled cheese if he’s feeling fancy), or smoked salmon and bagels. Or frozen tortellini with jarred pasta sauce.
On the other hand, if you are looking to cut costs but still have the fun food, sometimes we will order so that the take out is only part of the meal. So for example, we order a pizza or fancy sandwiches, and make a salad or veggies at home. Or we will get french fries or dessert to eat with whatever main that I’m making.
anon says
I have to say, I’m the one who doesn’t cook at all. For me, it’s really hard for me to wrap up my day at a time when I can prepare dinner and not be super stressed out about it, or super late. My husband is fine with it (he likes to cook), but if I *have* to cook (he’s traveling or working late), it’s almost always take-out (which I’m fine with – it’s the cost of my job and my sanity). But, if you don’t want to rely on takeout, I would stock the pantry/freezer with some simple things to heat up. For my family, I can usually cobble together dinners like: pasta (we almost always have leftovers) sautéed in olive oil with Parmesan (plus bagged salad for me), rice with packaged daal from Trader Joe’s, a nice loaf of bread with cheese and fruit, scrambled eggs, frozen pizza etc. The key for me is always having bagged salad and baby carrots, and some fairly easy to prepare frozen meals (because I can work while making them).
SC says
+1. DH and I have lived together for 15 years, and there have been times when we both cooked together, when neither of us cooked, when each of us cooked on certain nights, when we mostly did meal kits and takeout, and when one of us cooked almost all the meals from scratch. Right now, I don’t cook. I can cook, but there are a lot of logistical barriers. It’s hard to leave work early enough based on when we need to eat for Kiddo to go to bed on time. DH has a different (more spontaneous) approach to meal planning and grocery shopping, which makes it hard for me to say I’m going to make X on Thursday and arrive home to ingredients and the dishes I need cleaned on Thursday. (But DH can magic some stuff out of an empty fridge and figure out what to make based on what’s available.) I’ve floated the idea of me cooking a few nights a week, and DH has told me it would be more work for him. When I am responsible for a meal, I buy prepared food at the grocery store. Most days, I just do the dishes.
anon says
Ooh, yes. Rotisserie chicken is my BFF.
Anonymous says
I have no idea if this is a thing for anyone outside of my husband’s family, but DH has a specific dinner called “French Canadian.”
1. Grocery store rotisserie chicken
2. French fries picked up from McDonalds on the way home (or sometimes we bake frozen ones)
3. Microwaved frozen peas
4. Brown gravy (the poweder kind you just add water and boil on the stove for 30 seconds)
5. Vinegar for serving, optional
My kids think it’s the best thing ever. I was mortified a few years back when my son took french fries and gravy as his contribution for “culture day” or whatever in preschool, but apparently it was a hit with all the other kids, because the teacher *specifically requested we bring french fries and gravy* for every potluck after that.
Anonymous says
We do Friday night pizza and a movie with frozen pizza. We started during the spring when lockdown started. At that time we weren’t comfortable with takeout. We are now, but we really enjoy the tradition (and get nicer frozen pizza). It feels like a good break from cooking. We round it out with some cut fresh fruit and a lettuce salad (could do bagged, but I cut a big one early in the week and that actually lasts much longer). Otherwise, I do what others have recommended. Only cook meals with leftovers. Sometimes DH grills a one night meal, like steak, that we don’t like reheated all that well. I also don’t “make” sides other than cutting up things. Or opening a bag of frozen veggies to go in the microwave. Main + fruit + veggie (usually salad). If it doesn’t feel like enough food or we really want a grain, then we make toast.
Anon says
We started doing Freshly meal delivery to cut down on our takeout spend and eat a little healthier without actually having to cook. We get 4 meals a week, so 2 dinners total. It’s surprisingly good and DH and I can each pick what we want to have that week.
Anonymous says
Maybe it depends where you live, but I can get decently healthy, tasty takeout for significantly less than $12/serving (a restaurant meal is typically two servings for me) so this doesn’t seem like a very cost-effective option to me.
Lily says
I am feeling down today. I had a baby in March. My parents are on the other side of the US and have not been able to travel to meet the baby or see other grandchild. They were supposed to visit two weeks after baby was born so it has now been over a year since I’ve seen them. If we are still in this mess, we will probably travel to see them in the spring by whichever way is safest at that time. It is crazy to think baby will be over a year old.
I am seeking recommendations of things to send my parents and my 96 year old grandmother that will brighten up their day over these next few months since everyone is isolated. My one idea is a photo puzzle of the kids. What have others done to help keep connection with family far away and bring in some cheer? We do phone/video calls and I think actual mailed things might be nice.
Mary Moo Cow says
It is so hard. I’m sorry you’re feeling down today!
For my parents, who are out of town, we FaceTime at least once a week. I text or email pictures of the kids a few times a week. We occasionally send drawings or cards through the mail, and my mom will text a picture of it hanging on the fridge so I can show my kids. My mom is wonderful about sending periodic care packages of stickers, candy, etc. We use that as an excuse to send a thank you photo or card. I’ve sent her flowers and probably will again. I’ve also tried to call her more often, something she said she really appreciates, more than a text.
I think a photo puzzle is a great idea! Food treats (homemade or delivered from the vendor) and flowers are classics, but know your audience.
Spirograph says
I love the photo puzzle idea! I send kid artwork to grandparents, which has the fringe benefit of getting it out of my house without the kids seeing it in the trash/recycling bin. I usually write a letter on the back or stick one in the envelope, too. Actual paper mail and letters always brighten my day, even if they’re from people I talk to on the phone or IM semi-regularly, so I’ve been trying to send more to other people this year.
DLC says
+1 to mail! (and to getting it out of the house!) my parents have loved getting mail and actual photos, and then they send our kids mail back, which is nice. I think encouraging them to write back is a great thing too in terms of fostering connection. If they aren’t into writing, maybe send them a prompt? I know your kid is still a baby, but it might make a nice memento for them to have pandemic letters and pictures from their grandparents – almost like asking them to contribute to a time capsule. My husband’s parents are both dead and it’s sweet to have the collection of birthday cards that they had sent over the years.
Hugs! It must be so hard to isolate with a new baby!
Lily says
Thanks! I have a four year old too so he definitely gets the concept of mail. And he’s very into drawing random stuff these days…send it to the grandparents!
Anonanonanon says
What about one of those electronic photo frames that you can send pictures to remotely? I think the surpise of new photos being added is fun. Could she set that up, or is there someone who could help her?
Crafts that involve kiddo’s handprints? (hand turkey for thanksgiving, etc.)
blueridge29 says
I like the Touch Note app. You can send postcards of photos you take directly to your relatives. It is an easy way to shoot off a postcard of baby doing cute things or wearing an outfit that was gifted.
The quality is pretty good and it works really well for older relatives that don’t check e-mail or wouldn’t enjoy an electronic picture frame.
Lily says
Oh this is good! We have a shared photo app for family that we keep updated but Grandma in particular enjoys physical things.
Anonymous says
+1. Postcards are a huge hit with our older generation and other extended family. (They never use the electronic picture frame.) I used a different one (Postcardly), but I think many are similar. You can even do it all on your phone
Atlien says
We do a similar thing with Ink cards for great-grandma who probably doesn’t even have the wifi to use an Aura frame. She loves it and writes letters back to baby like they are penpals :)
Also hugs to you being postpartum during this incredibly isolating and difficult time, feeling like nobody is getting to see and enjoy your baby while she is tiny is so hard and frustrating.
Anon says
My in-law’s like their Nixplay that we got them as a gift.
Anon says
A photo calendar? I’ve started making one for my parents each Christmas featuring all their grandkids and they LOVE it. Or maybe a photo mug – something they can look at each day. Do you use Chatbooks? You could get copies of the books made and send to them
AnonATL says
We made this for the great grandparents last year and they loved it. I included pictures of all their grandkids and great grandkids. There are some basic ones on shutterfly etc, but I’ve also seen some really nice metal framed type ones with easels
FFS says
I must have missed the Daniel Tiger episode that addressed toddler boners.
Anon says
Bahahahaha. Sorry. This just cracked me up.
Anon says
Hahahaha. I’m so glad I have girls!
Anon says
+1 million
Anonanonanon says
This will probably out me if anyone knows me, but I freaked out the first time this happened and called my mother, who used to be a school nurse. She told me to make sure he knew it was “normal” and didn’t freak out (he was freaking out screaming I NEED A BAND AID in the background). So I kept going “It’s OK! It’s normal!”.
He ended up calling it his “normal” every time that happened… “Hey look! There’s my normal!”
Anon says
Haha mine both say “Mom! My p*nis is too long!”
lsw says
I am laughing so hard at this. We’ve had to redirect a lot of improper p*nis handling with “this is something for the bathroom and the bedroom” with various success. However if he gets a boner, he tries to “make it go down” with his hands which, you know, does not work. I’ve even heard my teenager repeat what she’s heard us say a million times, “If you stop touching it, it will go down.”
Mostly it’s pretty funny but sometimes totally annoying. I’m really trying to dance along the line of no shame but also understanding that it’s private.
The other day he was taking a bath with my husband and laughing hysterically while saying “I’m putting the pee pee on you!” as he tried to naked hug my husband, who said, “Your peepee is just for you” and my son looked so crestfallen and said, “I want the peepee to be for ALLAbody.” (everybody)
Anon. says
Bahaha. Yep – best quote ever from potty training. “It’s so big! Look! It’s so big!” Glad my husband was in the room with him, but I could hear the commentary from down the hall.
Switching to formula ... help? says
My freezer supply of breastmilk will end in the next week to ten days. I umm … just realized it this morning and am scrambling to find a formula for my 10-month old. We supplemented with formula at the hospital when she was born and during her first 3-4 weeks, and Enfamil seemed to agree best with her, so I guess I will start there (looking at Enfamil Enspire unless someone suggests otherwise?) but how do we do this – mix 1/2 breastmilk and 1/2 formula in a bottle? Mix formula powder in breastmilk? Do some feeds formula only and some breastmilk only? Switch cold turkey to formula? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I feel like an idiot for not figuring this out sooner. Also, any tips on formula feeding in general? I feel like I’m starting over from scratch.
Anonymous says
If baby is healthy, can you go straight to cows milk?
Switching to formula ... help? says
Our pediatrician said to switch to formula if our breastmilk stash ran out before 11-11.5 months. (I really thought I would get to 11 months but she’s growing through a growth spurt and we’re going through the milk faster than expected). I guess I could call and ask.
Anonymous says
This. FWIW, the official public health advice in Canada from pediatricians is that cow’s milk is fine instead of formula from 9 months onwards if baby is eating solids regularly.
Anonymous says
We switched cold turkey to all formula bottles when I stopped pumping around 7 months (I didn’t have a freezer stash). I still nursed morning/evening/weekend. It was completely fine, although I realize some babies are more particular. Fwiw, my kid ditched bottles completely not too long after that and has never really drunk milk since. But I don’t think it had anything to do with b-milk vs formula vs cow milk, I think she just decided that solid food is tastier than milk, and I can’t really blame her – I’ve never really liked the taste of milk myself.
DLC says
you are not an idiot- I feel like ten days out is plenty of time! Feeding is always such a fraught and stressful thing.
I’m not a professional by any means, but we did combo feed – I would start with a bottle of just formula so that you don’t waste the breastmilk if baby mysteriously starts to refuse the formula. If they refuse the formula then gradually start mixing it, maybe 1/3 formula to 2/3 breastmilk and increase proportion gradually as baby gets used to it (kind of like you do when introducing milk). On the other hand, I feel like if baby is taking both breastmilk and formula well, then there is no wrong way to do it.
Also, you can ask your pediatrician if they have thoughts? Or do you have a lactation consultant you can ask? At my hospital, they have a line you can call to talk to a LC for advice, or the LC I saw privately will do quick phone consults for free if you’re already a patient.
Boston Legal Eagle says
+1 Try just formula first, and then if baby doesn’t take it, add in some bmilk to mix with. With my kids, I stopped pumping at around 9 months, so they got straight formula during the day and then I nursed mornings and nights. You can use up the bmilk first, but after that go with all formula unless you’re still nursing sometimes. As the above posters mention, cow’s milk should be fine as well, at least in the next month or so – I’m not sure if there’s much of a difference between 10/11 months and 12 months.
AwayEmily says
Definitely try straight formula first. My kids never required any mixing, they just went back and forth between formula and breastmilk depending on what was available.
anon says
+1
Anon says
I felt the same stress but it turned out to be a simple switch. My baby accepted formula readily and I just nursed when we were together and used a formula or breast milk/formula combo when I had some from pumping during work. Don’t worry about the brand of formula too much unless it becomes an issue with your baby rejecting it. My pediatrician basically recommended all the big-name brands and wasn’t concerned about us using a certain one. Every change seems scary but sometimes it turns out not to be a big deal :)
anon says
Has anyone ordered dresses from Eleanor Rose? What’s the quality like? It seems expensive (well, more than I’m usually willing to spend on kids’ clothes), but my daughter fell in love with a Thanksgiving turkey dress that she saw in a Facebook ad. Mom of the year for mindless scrolling.