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I lived in sweats for most of 2020, and that likely will continue well into 2021. Matching sets, both sweats and sweaters, have been all over my social media feed. Perhaps they’re a way to stay comfortable while looking (and feeling) more put-together.
The Tamara Draped Top from Gravitas is definitely a glamorous upgrade from what I’ve been wearing — it can be worn two ways (as a tunic or tucked-in with an asymmetric front panel), comes in nine rich colors (I love the burgundy), and has two matching pants options (a wide-leg and jogger). Did I mention it’s stretch velvet?
It’s also made in New York City with all of the production costs going directly to local workers.
Gravitas’ Tamara Draped Top is $108 and comes in “Go-Getter” (XS/0) to “Success Story” (3X/24W). The Jeanne Wide Leg Pant is $128 and the Dian Jogger Pant is $118. Both pant options are available in the same range of sizes and colors as the Tamara.
If you’re looking to build an entire stretch velvet wardrobe, there are also two other tops: the Molly Wrap Hoodie for $128 and the Sarah Sweatshirt for $118.
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?
Pogo says
Never heard of this brand before but can’t wait to wear it in the After Times! I love that they show how the dresses look on models of different sizes.
Anon says
My boss (in-house legal) just added this to her email signature, and I really like it, and wanted to share.
(I support flexible working and do not expect a response outside of your normal working hours.)
Anonanonanon says
oooo nice! Good for her! I love it!
Anonymous says
That’s awesome.
Anonymous says
I love this. My grand boss put this in his signature block last Spring: “My working hours may be misaligned with yours, please respond when able on your time zone and working hours.”
He has young kids and his wife is a SAHM, and while he’s never been a jerk, I feel like he’s gotten much more overt about supporting work-life balance in the last year, which is really nice to see.
Anonymous says
Love this.
So Anon says
I’m senior in house counsel, and I have this in my signature line as well: I do not expect a response in the evenings, early mornings or over the weekend. I frequently work at odd hours around my kids’ schedule, and am in a position where people will jump to answer my questions. I want it to be clear that I am working at 9pm because that’s when it works for me, and that I do not expect a response if you happen to check email before going to bed.
Anonymous says
Really? All of that in your signature line?
So Anon says
Nope just one sentence backed up by actions .
anon says
Love it.
anon says
love it! just added that to mine, thanks :)
Realist says
I love this and added something similar to my email signature. I was already doing this on a case-by-case basis in the body of the email, and I make heavy use of the delayed send feature so that, for example, all the emails I draft over the weekend actually do not get sent until Monday morning (or whenever would be most appropriate for the recipient to pay attention to the email.)
AnonATL says
Thinking ahead to this summer and literal gardening, what are some good easy vegetables I could plant and tend with the family?
I have a 4×4 bed I’ve used in past years with mixed success. It’s not currently assembled in our yard, but I was planning to put it in a full sun spot.
GCA says
Our tomatoes, thyme and rosemary went great guns outdoors last summer, but something ate all the basil. If you have good sun, peppers and eggplant!
Mary Moo Cow says
We’ve had good luck with jalapeno peppers and bell peppers, cilantro, and basil. We had some success with tomatoes. (It was a summer of fajitas.) Marigolds encourage pollination and helped the tomatoes. Literal gardening is on my to do list this spring/summer, too!
Spirograph says
I’m guessing the ATL is Atlanta, so do NOT try broccoli. If you haven’t already started it indoors by now, it won’t head before it gets too hot. I planted seeds outside last Feb (DC) and all the plants bolted in April. My 3 year old ate broccoli flowers every time he went outside, though.
Good, forgiving, beginner plants:
Bush beans
Carrots – make sure you have nice loose soil so they’ll grow straight. They take a while, but so good
Radishes – grow fast so they’re fun for kids to watch grow and pick, but my kids don’t really like the taste
Cherry tomatoes (don’t forget cages)
Bell peppers
Zucchini
I usually do a container of salad greens, too.
AnonATL says
Yes, hi from metro atlanta. Heat and potential drought is a major factor in my garden’s success especially if I forget to water for a couple days…
cbackson says
I planted cherry tomatoes last year, neglected them shamefully, and had BUCKETS of tomatoes. Delicious and awesome.
Anonymous says
We had a cherry tomato plant spring up under our water spigot the first year we lived in our house. I did absolutely nothing to encourage or care for it, and that spot doesn’t even get a full day’s sun, but it still produced a ton. They are very, very forgiving.
anonymommy says
I plan to plant some asparagus because it takes a few years to get a good harvest, but nothing beats fresh asparagus!
Anonymous says
Tomatoes (cherry and regular) and basil, but you need to watch a few YouTube videos on how to cut basil. And do it regularly whether you need it in the kitchen or not to keep it from flowering, which will turn it bitter. We have really good luck with lettuce, but it does better in cooler weather, so you could probably start it now in Atlanta.
anon says
Tomatoes, basil, and zucchini are very easy. The zucchini will take up a lot of space, though, so plan accordingly!
anon says
Our low-maintenance/fun for kids/will get used easily things are herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, sage, oregano,mint), lettuce (slow bolt varieties), and cherry tomatoes (much easier than big ones because they don’t split nearly as easily). We’re also planning peas and beans, but those are a little more work to trellis. Basil is great, but flowers super easily, so you need to keep on top of it.
No Face says
I got a book from the library about gardening in my state specifically. Maybe there is a resource like that?
AnotherAnon says
I grew up in Zone 8 and my dad normally planted: tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkins (mixed success), watermelon, snap peas and okra. My dad always let us kids be in charge of the sunflowers: super easy, love full sun, attract birds. I wish I could plant them with my kid but I don’t think our yard gets enough sun.
Anonymous says
Snow peas are soooooo easy and can be very prolific! They just need a trellis. They don’t love heat but mine so continue to produce a bit even after it’s hot. Easiest thing to plant and for us, less bothered by slugs than other green vegetables. Someone else mentioned cilantro and I would note that is a cool season crop- bolts quickly.
Anon says
My cucumber plant last year was insane. I got so many despite my neglect and my kid loved it.
Realist says
I have been really into the “You’re Wrong About” podcast recently, specifically the Princess Diana series and the Jessica Simpson episodes. I love how their episodes about Jessica Simpson’s autobiography are putting these pop culture moments of my teen years/young adulthood into a whole new light.
What podcasts are you into right now?
Anonymous says
That sounds interesting, just subscribed!
My perennial favorites are Make Me Smart (Marketplace) and Her Money with Jean Chatzky
Realist says
Oh, Make Me Smart looks interesting. I had been listening to Planet Money but got bored with it and haven’t in awhile. So I think I would like listening to Kai and Molly.
Anonymous says
I love them! It’s like if my friends and I still had substantive conversations instead of just commiserating about how pandemic exhausted we are. The daily shows are 15ish minutes and my turn-my-adult-brain-on switch during my commute walk in the morning. Tuesday is the OG show, a deeper dive into one topic with a SME guest.
BabyBoom says
I love You’re Wrong About so much I actually joined their Patreon! In the last bonus email they said they would discuss Britney Spears this year. Which, if anyone can really try and explain that situation with compassion, I think it would be Michael and Sarah.
My other top two really aren’t similar to YWA, but I really love the NY Times podcast Sway. I also enjoy Reply All. Although upon further reflection I think Reply All is similar to YWA in that it handles things with compassion – which apparently is what I need right now.
Realist says
Yes, the compassion and emotional range and maturity! I think that probably nails why I like YWA. I should really join their Patreon, thanks for the reminder.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I subscribe to a lot of podcasts. My regular ones now are: The Mom Hour; Up First; Planet Money’s the Indicator (a finance one); Planet Money; Death S** and Money; Her Money; Code Switch; Best of Both Worlds (I know I know, I still like SHU though); Matt & Doree’s Eggcelent Adventure (IVF focused, but also now parenting focused, I like the hosts); In Loco Parentis (thanks to whoever recommended this!); Unruffled; the Double Shift.
Realist says
I have a lot of overlap with your list so I should probably try the ones I haven’t listened to. You also might like Forever35 if you are Doree fan. Their podcast pops up too frequent in my feed for me, but I really like it when the episode subject is one that sounds interesting to me, so I listen to 1 in 3 or 4 episodes. Thanks for the list!
AwayEmily says
I adore Pop Culture Happy Hour. The hosts are funny and kind (especially Linda Holmes) and they always manage to find something interesting to say about everything, even shows/movies I would never watch.
Realist says
Oh, I especially love podcasts about things I have already seen when I am trying to fall asleep. The content is just new enough that I can listen, but my brain can turn off and go ZZZZ. This looks like a good one to have in my playlist.
AnotherAnon says
I used to listen to JRE but I’ve cooled on him lately. I frequently try to catch: EconTalk, The Drive (Peter Attia),Unlocking Us (Brene Brown) and a bunch of political podcasts you would not be into.
Realist says
Unlocking Us is great
Anonanonanon says
I’ve been enjoying that podcast, too! The Beltway Sniper one was SO interesting, even my husband wanted to finish it!!!
I like Who?Weekly for funny pop-culture/low-level celeb content.
Scam Goddess is one I just started this week and am loving (I’m obsessed with Scams) and I’ve been lol-ing at it
I love Noble Blood, history of bloody noble/aristocratic situations.
Realist says
I haven’t listened to the Beltway Sniper episode, so now I am going to put that one next in my playlist. Noble Blood is one that I had not heard of, but now that it appears twice in this discussion, I think I need to check it out. Scam Goddess sounds good too.
ALC says
I just started checking out Noble Blood, based off Dana Schwartz’s appearance on the You’re Wrong About on Anastasia. It’s interesting! More of a straight up history podcast. I also like Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. I also like the You’re Wrong About spin-off on dieting culture, Maintenance Phase, though it can be a bit depressing.
Realist says
I’m checking out Noble Blood. Maybe Maintenance Phase when out of regular pandemic life, which is already depressing enough!
Redux says
I ate up The Dream season 1, about MLMs. I started season 2 which is about the “wellness” industry, but am only half an episode in and cannot comment. But if you are skeeved out by MLMs and want to deep dive, season 1 is awesome and talks about all the gender and class stuff I knew, and all the political stuff I did not and was super scandalized by.
Realist says
Oh, this sounds really interesting. I would love a deep dive on MLMs. I wonder what I would think about the wellness industry one. As someone with a hard science background that has had to rely on some of the more woo woo things to help treat a very under-served and poorly understood medical issue, I feel like I just want to yell at both sides of the medicine and wellness industry about how terrible they are in how they treat/take advantage of women.
Spirograph says
Oh thanks, I didn’t know there was a season 2, but I did enjoy season 1 about MLMs! Similar long form single-topic is The Dropout, about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.
SF says
RomComPods. It’s like candy.
Realist says
This looks perfect for when I feel like I hate the world and everything in it and just need to escape. I’m sort of getting a Scandal vibe in the 20 seconds I have taken to read the episode descriptions for recent episodes, so that is a winner.
Realist says
I think I have some comments stuck in mod, but thanks to all who responded to this thread! Lots of great podcasts to check out.
Night Light says
Pretty top!
Does anyone have a night light that you love? I’d like something with an automatic shutoff after 30-60 minutes and a easy button my 4 year old could use to turn it back on himself if he’s still awake. Google/Amazon are showing me lots of color changing and star-projection ones, but I think that would distract my kid into playing rather than sleeping.
TheElms says
You could do this with a Hatch. You would program the night time routine to turn off at a certain time and then if it turns off per the routine and 4 year old is still awake he just touches the top to turn it back on.
Anonymous says
We have a couple Lumi Pets ones. They can change colors, but you can also just set them to white light, set the timer for 30 minutes and take away the remote.
Anonymous says
We love the munchkin owl night light. The only thing is is shuts off after 20 min, not 40, but it’s easy to turn on for a 2 year old and you can fall asleep with it, bring it bathroom trips, etc. We even travel with it.
AwayEmily says
+1 — each of our kids has a munchkin owl light and they love them.
Night Light says
This sounds like a great option. Thanks!
Burnout says
It’s been a month. In-house and have been working until midnight at least 1-2x/week this month. I’m exhausted and feel bad complaining because I know everyone is doing it. But I am burning out and feel like I’m on the verge of tears. It’s hard not to be like “at least at a firm I got compensated for the banana hours”
Anonymous says
I hear you! From someone who went from IB to in-house BD / finance, it is frustrating when you feel that it wasn’t what you signed up for. It sounds like this is transactional if everyone is working late? and it is still your first month which means everything takes longer (you don’t know who are the best internal resources etc)?
While this does happen in house – the real beauty of in house is that for the most part you have a much higher ability to predict when this will happen (e.g. for me: annual report / strategic planning sessions with the board etc). You know when you are going to be busy and less busy and can both plan for it and psych yourself up for it. Then it is only something transactional that can throw all your plans for a loop. Generally those times are interesting.
Hang in there. It will get better.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Yes, this has been my experience too. I generally know my busy times and for extra extra busy times, I rely heavily on outside counsel for support (sorry, I know it sucks for those in Biglaw, I don’t know how to change that). I hope the working until midnight is not typical for your group, OP, and that this is just a one off project.
Burnout says
You know, I have no idea. Out of the past 6 months, 3 have been like this. The other 3 have been quiet. (Litigation, not M&A). The two things I can’t tell is: (1) Are my expectations out of whack? Like, is this just what it means to be in-house litigation? (2) Is this typical of the team or did I just draw a bad straw?
So Anon says
Like the others have said, I hope this is a one -time or predictable thing that happens. In my experience, what I do like about the nature of in-house work is that the more you get to know the business, the easier it becomes to predict when these stretches will occur. I also find that I now have a better sense of what is a true emergency versus people who tend to panic and can be talked into a more rational approach to issues. Also, if everyone is in it at the moment, I have found that when it does quiet down, everyone legitimately goes into their corners for a while and lays low to recover.
Redux says
Yes, this was my experience, too. I work for a state agency and EVERYTHING needed to be done yesterday. Some are true emergencies, some are political emergencies, and some are just people who operate as if everything is an emergency but can actually wait. It took me months to figure out the differences and when and how to protect my time (and that of my staff). It helps to just straight-up ask: is this a tonight assignment? Sometimes just flagging for the person that you/staff are working super late hours or weekends helps to settle expectations back into the normal range.
TheElms says
I don’t miss much about being in the office, but a little thing I miss is jewelry. I don’t wear my wedding/engagement rings at home (toddler constantly wants them and its not a good idea to give them to her and that causes endless meltdowns) and I don’t wear earrings because my toddler likes to randomly grab them (ouch!!). Anyone else have a random small thing they miss about office life?
Anonymous says
Seems like you should wear your rings? And never ever give them to her and she’ll get over it
TheElms says
Well I did try that for about a month and it was endless tantrums over my rings and it just wasn’t worth it to me. I can of course try again in a few months when she’s a bit older.
Anon says
I haven’t taken my rings off since I got married, other than a handful of times when I was working with sticky dough. I wear them in the shower, cooking, cleaning…They still look great. Wear them!
TheElms says
I’m not worried that my toddler will damage them. She is far more likely to hide them / throw them away or eat them!
Anon says
I am the same. I think the only time I have taken my rings off is going in the ocean and for my c-section. For sticky dough (or raw meat or super saucy things) I use a glove (like the doctor’s office ones, but I make sure it says food safe on the label). Spares me from having to scrub all the crevices in my ring.
However, I no longer wear necklaces of any kind and only wear my diamond stud earrings. All dangly things are reserved for the time (maybe kindergarten?) when my child no longer uses me as a human climbing gym or aggressively cuddles.
Doodles says
I miss the view from my high rise office window. Downtown buildings and a little bit of lake. It was relaxing and helped me focus/think. I’m so sick of looking at my long driveway and the neighbor’s yard. I’m constantly distracted by all the delivery trucks. My dog has learned to ignore them but I still haven’t.
Anon says
I’ve been remote/WFH for 4 years, but I used to travel ~1-2 times per month. Combo of companies becoming more casual and now pandemic, and I just stare at all of my Jcrew double-serge wool pencil skirts in my closet and wonder when/if I’ll ever wear them again. My cold weather uniform was blazer, sweater/fun blouse, pencil skirt, tights, boots.
AIMS says
I miss people. And going to lunch. And wearing shoes.
Pogo says
Shoes, especially heels or nice wedges. I also miss travelling and expensing sushi & wine, long hours on a plane in dead silence getting work done or listening to podcasts.
I put my jewelry on after dropping the kids off and take it off when they get home. It’s kind of pointless to wear but I like how it makes me feel. Same with makeup. And I do go on video about 50% of the time.
TheElms says
Oh maybe I could try this while my toddler is with the nanny! Zero idea why this didn’t occur to me before :)
GCA says
My pre-flight work-travel ritual was (don’t laugh) a poke bowl and a glass of wine at the airport Legal Sea Foods before getting a solid six hours of sleep (having infants sleep-trained me to sleep in economy) all the way to London.
Anonymous says
That sounds amazing. Legal is my favorite airport restaurant in the US; I would always go there for clam chowder whenever I was passing through an airport that had one.
Pogo says
Not laughing I’m there with you! I also always went to Legal’s before flying out.
Anon Lawyer says
Legal Sea Foods is so stupidly expensive but I, too, liked ordering a glass of wine and some over-priced seafood before a work flight and having someone else pay for it.
EB0220 says
OMG yes. A glass of white wine and a bowl of lobster bisque at BOS. And eating it all while reading a book and not being interrupted. Heaven.
Anon Lawyer says
I was just thinking I miss expensing those ridiculously over-priced room service breakfasts you check off on a card the night before.
Anonymous says
I miss small talk with co-workers (introverted me would never have believed this!). Getting dressed in cute clothes. Going out to lunch, especially with my husband who works for the same org. Sitting at my desk drinking coffee and savoring the quiet early moments of the day.
I’m never going back to the office, but I’m really looking forward to occasionally working from a coffeeshop or library after I get the vaccine.
Realist says
My wedding band accidentally got destroyed in the garbage disposal. I will have it remade in the After, but I ended up getting a plain dainty band to wear around the house and walking the dog. It seems dumb, but it makes me feel better, and I do wear it pretty much all the time. I really wanted something to wear that wasn’t my diamond engagement ring. So if you think you could get the toddler to leave it alone (hard boundary and redirection), I think you should buy yourself something that fits your current lifestyle.
Anonymous says
I have a set of stacking silicone rings that I used to wear to the gym in place of my real rings during the Before Times. I’ve been wearing those around the house a lot. I find metal rings annoying and used to take them off as soon as I got home. The silicone rings are more comfortable but make me feel a little more “dressed” during the day than going without.
Realist says
I actually looked at the silicone rings before settling on the dainty band. I definitely agree that it is nice to have something that is comfortable but also makes me feel dressed/human.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I miss casual chats with my co-workers. I also miss my sit stand desk – I could get one for home, but I’m not ready for that investment yet.
Anon says
Miss my lunchtime walks with 2 of my female colleagues. We work in a mid-sized college town and it was fun to chat and admire all of the unique houses. We met up at a park for a masked walk in the fall and it was so much fun.
GCA says
I’ve been remote/ wfh for years, but I do miss going to a coworking space and sitting in silence with other people who are also working (but who are not my husband – nothing against him, just that coworking with one’s spouse is companionable but strange ). Oh, and occasionally going out to lunch. My only other coworker nearby was a pandemic parenting casualty – she left to homeschool her kids.
Anonanonanon says
I’m still frequently in person but we’re in response mode and I miss nice business clothes. I miss heels, I’ve always liked heels. I miss pencil skirts with a cashmere sweater. I miss it mattering if I brushed my hair or put on makeup before I went in. I miss seeing peoples’ faces and not masks and eyes.
I had a Rent the Runway subscription and I miss having/needing one. Renting fancy coats, work dresses, etc.
I miss being in front of big meetings, speaking at conferences, traveling. I miss planning big meetings. What I wouldn’t give to worry about who was assigned to handle sign-in and hand out name badges.
I miss going out and meeting with people one-on-one.
Clementine says
I miss the really good copier and scanner always being right there. My home printer/scanner is no comparison (actually this one is so bad I need a new one).
I miss getting lunch and every couple weeks getting my guilty pleasure of chicken tenders with ranch dressing from the place by my office.
(What I REALLY miss is only RARELY being expected to combine childcare and work… like on a once in a great while sick day for a kid. Versus now where a stuffed nose means multiple days out of school.)
Pogo says
OMG yes the copier/scanner!
So Anon says
I miss my drive – sitting in a warm car, sipping coffee and listening to an audiobook. I worked in the office three days per week and would generally get through an audio book every few weeks. I’ve tried to replicate it, but it just isn’t the same.
Anonymous says
I miss taking lunch breaks to wander aimlessly through Target and then eat takeout in my car while listening to the radio.
Anon says
Just an idea: due to a thing I added to my ring to keep it facing upward, and some abnormally large knuckles relative to my inner finger, I can’t take my rings off. Can you just tell your toddler that’s the case? I suppose maybe too late since they know you could, but maybe say your fingers grew? (This would require the commitment of wearing them all the time though).
Anon says
I clicked on this as I was considering lounging around swathed in velvet and the size names on this item are cracking me up. It’s marketing gone amok.
Anonymous says
That is insane. I don’t need a pep talk from the label on my shirt.
Anonymous says
ha! I hadn’t noticed, but that’s hilarious.
I dunno, I don’t need a pep talk from a label, but I remember hearing about a study a while back that people who made their computer passwords some kind of words of affirmation were happier and less stressed. So maybe if you see “Achiever” out of the corner of your eye on your shirt tag, it might give you a little dopamine hit? There’s no harm in it, at least. I wonder if the labels are printed with the sizes in parentheses, or if you just don’t know the size unless you go back and compare with their size chart.
EP-er says
We moved to pass-phrases a few years ago for work systems. All of them are pep talks for me, which I have to type in to do work. It helps!
GCA says
I think it’s amusing, but what I really want in a shirt is an accurate and consistent size chart.
Pogo says
Ha I didn’t see that! Agreed that’s kind of… a lot.
Sf says
I’m sure this has been asked before but pant solutions for a kiddo with a 2t waist and 4t length? Thanks!
Anonymous says
Primary runs pretty skinny. Their jeans have also adjustable waists so you can make them tighter or looser.
Pogo says
I have a similarly sized kiddo (a little shorter than 4T) and primary is still not the right combo for him. Even with the drawstring the 3T’s (correct length) fall off him.
Anonymous says
Hmm I have a chunky kid and Primary is the only brand that doesn’t fit her for pants. H&M is ok and Old Navy is cut very generously, imo.
Anonymous says
My proportional toddler (87th%ile for both height and weight) fits really well into primary’s joggers. So I don’t really understand the “primary is for tall skinny kids” unless pants are an outlier? (I haven’t tried much else from primary yet.)
anon says
Leggings and adjustable waist jeans are hits here. Girls sizes will run slimmer than boys. Also, Cat&Jack girls skinny jeans are the only brand we’ve ever found where we actually need to let out the waist elastic the whole way; usually the legs are too short and the waist is still majorly cinched in.
AnotherAnon says
I had to measure his inseam and shop that way for a while, but +1 to sizing up and using the adjustable waist bands. Any pants that don’t have a drawstring should have these: Carter’s Target, Old Navy, etc. Old Navy slim fit pants were miles too long for my 2T kiddo so you might try those?
BabyBoom says
Size up and get a dapper snapper. It’s like a back belt for kids pants. My explanation is not good, but once you see it, it will make more sense! It holds pants up, but unlike a traditional belt the kid can’t take it off.
Also 2nd for primary on tall and skinny. Gap pants for boys tend to longer and skinnier (not to mention apparently they don’t make pants for girls, just leggings?)
Leggings are marketed for girls, but my son loves them. He thinks they are ninja pants.
SF says
Thanks – he is potty trained (he’s 4, but skinny), so I try to avoid buttons. But some good ideas here.
Anonymous says
Adjustable waists are the way to go. Lands End, Gap, H&M usually have options and they have hook/eye closures instead of buttons for the little kids sizes. You can also get magnetic elastic belts that are easy for kids to use.
anon says
We use pants with buttons and zippers but just keep the waist at a tightness such that it stays up on their hips but can be pulled down to pee without undoing anything.
Skinny Kiddo says
I’m here with a kid who’s 6-7 for length and 3T for width. H&M, Cat & Jack Slim sizes, and Cat & Jack girls sizes are all too wide for him. Children’s Place Slim and Land’s End Slim are working okay for us. (CP has a smaller waist which is helpful but they seem to use the same leg cuts as their straight sizes so the pants are kind of balloon-like. Land’s End are better proportioned as a garment but are borderline too-wide and borderline too-short for my kid.) His best fitting pants are a pair of Hudson girl’s skinny jeans in 6X that I got at a Nordstrom Rack and have not been able to duplicate. In winter sometimes he wears the too-big Cat & Jack jeans over a pair of leggings or PJ pants for warmth, pockets, and staying-up.
Anonymous says
Old navy or H and M are slimmer cut and make sure to get the ones with the adjustable waist
Pogo says
I also find H&M to be cut slimmer. That’s probably my go-to.
Anonymous says
Adding to ask – specifically recommendations for sweatpants that are small I’m the waist? Kiddo has a 4T waist and 6-7 length and only wears sweats, which seem to be less adjustable. Primary size 6 is the only one that really works and it’s honestly too big in the waist.
GCA says
My 5yo is shaped like this. He is about to outgrow his 5-6/ XS sweatpants in length without ever having fit into them in width. Primary, Children’s Place and Old Navy joggers with real adjustable drawstrings work best and even then they are a little saggy. When he first sized into them I would fold the waistbands over to make them stay up…
Anonymous says
Size 4 slim from Gap kids.
Anon says
H&M has some pants that have adjustable waists.
Forward facing car seat says
When did you move your kid’s car seat to face forward? Kiddo is 29 months and 30 lbs. We just changed his seat to forward facing. But I then read a post on the Car Seat Lady’s blog that says kids should be rear racing until the seat’s max weight limit, which for our Britax is 40 lbs rear facing. Looking for anecdata.
Anonymous says
Past age 3. Daughter was 33lbs. It was more of an issue of getting her into it. We have a Graco Extend2Fit. I think the general recommendation is to keep them rear facing as long as possible with your car seat. Minimizes risk of fatality during a crash.
Anon says
We moved our daughter when she was close to 3 and about 30 pounds. We had a second child and basically had to turn her front facing so her seat could safely fit behind the driver’s seat without touching when my husband was driving. I probably would have waited a little longer but safely fitting the infant seat into the car forced our hand a little bit.
Pogo says
We just turned our son around, right at about 3.5yo and ~33lbs. He could have been RF longer technically but he kept wanting to climb in himself which was not conducive. It was also getting harder for me to lift him in.
AwayEmily says
Older kid, when she turned four. Younger is 3 and still rear-facing. That being said, we have a really short commute and average-sized kids, so it is easy for them to stay rear-facing. There are LOTS of good reasons to turn kids front-facing sooner than we do (carsickness, new babies, tall kids, kids who just hate rear-facing).
Anon says
18 months (major vomiting).
anon says
A little past 3 and around 28 lbs–this was when COVID started and they were rarely in the car except for a long summer road trip where having them ff was vastly easier for providing entertainment.
safety nut says
I’d recommend checking out SafeintheSeat on instagram/facebook for additional resources. She’s also a Child Passenger Safety technician and has really great videos and resources to explain a lot of things in car seat safety.
Scilady says
My 28 month old/ 36 lb daughter is still rear facing in her Britax. Due to safety, I’d rear face as long as possible. We have a second who might take over that car seat and we might get another so she can rear face until 50 lbs.
Anonymous says
I am totally in favor of extended rear facing but kiddo might reach the height limit before the weight limit. My almost 6 year old just height-outgrew the forward facing harness system of his booster so we have to switch to belt positioning, is like 49” tall (tallest kindergartener in the school) and still not 50 lb. At this point rear facing would definitely be a challenge for those legs!
CCLA says
3.5, I forget how heavy she was but it wasn’t bc of weight, she technically still fit RF but it had started to get really uncomfortable and while I recognize discomfort is better than a major injury or fatality, we decided at that age and size the risk/benefit margin was diminishing and so we flipped. We also occasionally did FF starting at age 3 when traveling so we could use the immigo seat.
SC says
That’s about when we did it, but it was before the guidance changed. We didn’t change it back. Kiddo is 5 now and still not 40 lbs.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I doubt my kiddo will be 40 pounds when she hits 6. And some of her friends are in boosters. We switched around 2.
Anonymous says
My daughter is 3 in February and still rear-facing. I’m not militant about extended rear-facing, we just decided we would switch her when we had a reason like motion sickness or her complaining, or she hit the weight limit, and none of those things have happened yet. My daughter is very tall but all her height is in her torso so she’s still ok rear-facing. We debated flipping her forward before a recent 12 hour road trip, but decided against it and she did awesome with the long drive even rear-facing (we did have an adult sit in the back with her).
Anecdotally, she seems to the only kid in her class of 2.5-3.5 year olds who is still rear-facing.
Anon says
Almost 4, 40 lbs for the first, almost 3.5, 40 lbs for the second (mainly because we’re adding a baby and it’s easier to fit when the orders are FF). Their bones are still fragile (not fully ossified) before age 4-5, so I’d definitely keep RF as long as you can
oil in houston says
4.5 years-old, when I had #2. She kept her legs crossed as she’s very tall and was quite happy
Leatty says
Around 2.5.
anon. says
We left ours in until his 4th birthday. Based on advice I read on this blog YEARS ago to look at Car Seat Lady – who said it’s the safest thing you can do as a parent.
Friday says
I just looked up a recipe online that I’ve made before and wanted to make again tonight for dinner. I found myself wondering how/if I will share recipes with my adult children. It didn’t make me sad or anything, it was just interesting to think about how that might look in 20 years. I have a few old cookbooks but I don’t use them. My mom was very into casseroles but also low fat cooking, so she and I rarely make the same things. I normally just google “recipe with main ingredient x” and make the one with the most reviews. If it’s a hit, I will screenshot the ingredients and instructions and save to a note on my phone. Maybe I’m the weird one and everyone has their family’s spaghetti and meatball recipe memorized. Are you more of a family recipe or this recipe brought to you by Blue Apron type?
Anonymous says
In addition to her cookbooks, my mom had a binder full of recipes she’d clipped from magazines. When I moved out I photocopied a few favorite recipes from her collection and started my own binder. Over the years it has grown into two fat binders full of recipes I tore out of magazines, printed from the web, and obtained from family members. My cooking style has evolved a lot over the years, but I still keep old favorites just in case I ever want to go back to them.
Anon says
My mom had my great grandmother’s recipe book copied and rebound for each of us, which was very sweet and has her handwriting in it, which is a nice touch. I also have a card case full of recipe cards from my bridal shower with handwritten family favorite recipes. But the most used is the three ring binder filled with page protector sleeves filled with a mix of printed off the internet but cook it all the time, scanned and printed from some of my mother’s recipe books, well loved Hello Fresh, typed up and printed family/friend recipes (e.g., my sister’s stuffing recipe is just a printed out email with her directions), or recipes I’ve developed over the years (either retyped from my I totally have time to blog about cooking insanity period (newsflash, I do not) or my handwritten comments on the printout itself detailing swaps, measurement changes, etc.). As our tastes and my cooking have changed, it’s very easy to pull out the recipes that haven’t stood the test of time, so it is my core cooking book and likely what will be passed on if my daughter one day chooses to cook her childhood favorites (you know, if she ever deigns to eat my cooking rather than subsisting off of 5 foods).
Anonymous says
We have one of these too! My husband’s mom made it originally with their family recipes (lima bean casserole, WOOF), and we’ve added to it stuff i’ve pulled out of magazines, printed, or blue apron recipes we like. I also have a gmail folder- maybe someday if I’m trying to pass it down I’ll print the best ones from there too and add them.
SC says
On an everyday basis, DH and I either cook without recipes or cook from recipes we find from the internet or magazines or cookbooks. There are a few things DH picked up from his family, like a dressing for steamed artichokes, though the “recipe” was never written down. We each have a few recipes that are important to us at holidays or other celebrations :-)
Booster seats says
The carseat question above jogged my memory: When are ya’ll transitioning from the 5-point harness to the high-back booster? The 6-year-old in question is 48″ tall and weighs 45 lbs. We’re using a Graco 4ever. The manufacturer says it’s fine to switch, but I feel like others have recommended staying in the harness as long as possible? We’re barely going anywhere these days, so this is one of those things that’s been on the back burner. It would be much easier to have her in the high back and she seems awfully tall for the harness, but if there’s a real benefit to continue using one, I’m listening.
octagon says
My 5 yo kiddo is 49″ tall and 43 lbs and we are still in the Graco 4Ever too. I want to keep the 5-point harness as long as I can and he’s not complaining yet. It is better at restraining kids in an accident. I’m going to stay in the 4ever until it becomes an issue with complaining or actually sizing out of it.
Anonymous says
My petite kid stayed in the harness until she was around that size and was nearly 8, when she switched to a backless booster. We kept her in the harness longer than we otherwise would have because the high-back booster made it difficult to reach the seat belt buckle.
Spirograph says
We moved all of them sometime between 4 and 5, but my kids are also big. My 4 year old is the size of your 6 year old and uses a booster for most of our driving around town. We still have the 5-point harness seat in the car in case we’re going on a long drive, because he will get either wiggly or sleepy and a 5-harness is better for both.
5 point harnesses are definitely safer, if you need a reason to stick with it. My main reason for switching was convenience. We moved my oldest to a booster when kid #3 was born (he was 4 at the time) because I didn’t want to have to climb into the back seat of the minivan to buckle and unbuckle a car seat. Middle child probably also switched around 4, but I don’t remember specifically.
Anon says
My 3YO is 42 inches and 48 pounds, so I guess I might need to start thinking about this sooner rather than later. I just checked and her current seat goes to 49 inches and 65 lbs, but she has a super long torso so we might hit that sooner rather than later. We drive so little these days I haven’t really been focused on this big kid question.
Redux says
We just converted our 5-point Britax Pioneer to a booster for my 7-year old, who has been asking for ages for a booster. Sometime back when I was better versed in carseats I was aiming for age 7 as a high-sign of safety, and now that we actually made it to age 7 it seems pretty arbitrary. My kid complained mostly because her friends have had backless boosters for ages. I agree with the post above that says the carseat booster makes the buckle hard to reach, but I paid for this functionality so we’re using it!
Anon says
Once the child can sit straight and not slouch out of position (even when sleeping) they can move to booster mode. Or, if they outgrow the harness and the straps are no longer coming from above their shoulders. I’m thinking that’ll be at least 7 for my kids
Anon says
School was the factor for us (which is the majority of our time in the car, honestly). Our elementary school has an aggressive drop off line where parents can’t get out of the car to help. So in the winter of first grade, after a week of tears at the honks because she couldn’t work the 5 point harness red button with gloves and I couldn’t reach her behind the drivers seat, we switched it to the high back booster. She was just turning 7.
Assuming we go back in person in the fall, I anticipate the same for my youngest when he starts first grade and is newly 6, as he still can’t even work the red button without gloves.
(We have the Britax Frontier for both kids, which I don’t think they make any more.)
Booster seats says
Ugh, yes, I can definitely see this being a thing!
Anonymous says
What’s the best kind of doll for a 3 year old? I feel like she might be aging out of the newborn dolls without any hair, but I don’t think she’s ready for a classic American Girl doll. Is there something in between that’s good for this age? No TV/movie characters (I don’t care, but this is a requirement of the relative who would be buying it).