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Winters where I live aren’t particularly snowy, so a boot like this one from Sorel is perfect for the occasional soggy commute.
You could get away with wearing this cute and comfortable boot at the office — this classic, wedged Chelsea boot has elastic sides for easy on and off, a cushioned footbed for all-day wear, and lugged soles for traction. It comes in seven colors, and both medium and hard-to-find wide widths.
Sorel’s Joan of Arctic Wedge III Chelsea is $161.99–$199.95 at Zappos depending on the color. It’s available in whole and half sizes 5–12 (for some colors, lucky sizes only).
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?
WWYD? says
Another round of the endless COVID WWYD? We had plans to visit triple vaxxed, but slightly frail grandparents in NYC for Christmas. We’re triple vaxxed with two kids one vaxxed, one too young — both in in person school this week. NYC seems to be contagion central right now and we know several triple vaxxed COVID cautious people in NYC who have tested positive this week. Said grandparents have been indoors with triple vaxxed people recently. As have we. Everyone is in possession of rapid tests they could use and we have PCR tested ourselves and the kids. Do we? (1) cancel and regroup in March; (2) ask grandparents to rent a car and come to us five days after all of our last indoor gathering; (3) go pick them up and bring them to us after that period (long day of driving but doable); (4) something else? I’m so sick of this but the number of COVID cautious people testing positive in NYC right now is giving me pause.
Anon says
I’m not sure what your original plans were but I’d just do that, with the addition of rapid tests when they arrive and maybe a couple days later.
NYCer says
+1. If it were my parents, they definitely would not want to preemptively cancel and reschedule for March.
If you are specifically concerned about being in NYC, you could ask the grandparents to rent a car and drive to you.
Anon says
Have they given any preference? We’re super covid cautious as well but I’d probably defer to whatever the most at risk people would feel comfortable doing (sounds like everyone is as protected as they reasonably can be).
Anon says
i’d defer to whatever the most risk averse people prefer. you could all take rapid test right before visit, but what are your NYC plans? are you staying with grandparents? what are you planning to do there? bc even if none of you have covid right now, NYC does seem like a hot spot right now. is the idea to avoid NYC or to avoid contact with grandparents until everyone has been home without contact with others? if it is the former, then i would have grandparents come to you without waiting 5 days. if it is the later, then do options 2 or 3. i mean you could always regroup in March, but that is really only a decision you can make.
No Face says
I would stick to your original plans, given this fact pattern, as long as the grandparents are comfortable.
The “grandparents” in my family have made it abundantly clear that they are willing to take on some reasonable risks for that precious grandbaby time.
Anonymous says
Take rapid tests and visit.
GCA says
Cities, even Covid-cautious ones, are always going to be first hit because they are so dense and so reliant on public spaces/ infrastructure that it’s basically impossible to distance. I am watching omicron blaze through my vaxxed and mostly-boosted colleagues in London right now.
For me, it would be zero fun to be physically in NYC and not be able to do NYC things (museums, ballet, walking around downtown and popping in and out of stores or restaurants) – so I would go with some combination of rapid tests, (2) on your list, and whatever the grandparents are most comfortable with.
Anonymous says
+1 to your second paragraph. I would not want to be stuck in a tiny NYC apartment with kids for several days right now. Have the grandparents test and come to you.
Anonymous says
NYC is also the top US landing point for international travel, so probably had omicron introduced earlier. That said, the number of people testing positive here right now is unreal – in my circle at least, I know many, many more people with COVID than I did in March-April 2020. The number of Broadway shows that have shut down due to multiple breakthough cases is astonishing. Everyone involved in these shows is fully vaccinated and many are probably boosted. If I were you I would focus on who are you trying to protect the most – e.g. your parents or unvaccinated kid, and what would you do with them if you came to the city? It is cold and public transit and crowds are unavoidable, so if that doesn’t sound fun I would meet up outside the city if you meet up at all.
We live in Brooklyn, which is not as bad as Manhattan (yet) but have almost definitely cancelled our trip to see my parents in VA because we think THEY actually have covid (positive rapid test but minimal symptoms and no PCR confirmation yet), and even if they don’t, we’re betting one of us will have it by Friday. That’s how ubiquitous it is. Given that omicron is now the dominant variant across the US, I think things are going to look similar elsewhere in another week or two.
AIMS says
To your point about knowing more people, isn’t that because of the availability of testing? I know more people with Covid right now too, but they are all doing fairly well and the people I knew with Covid in spring of 2020 were much more touch and go. Not saying anyone shouldn’t be taking it seriously, but this is just not the same as it was and I think any comparison needs to take that into account.
Allie says
I don’t think it’s the same in terms of severity but anyone I knew who was sick in March 2020 later did antigen testing and most of them indeed did not have COVID antibodies.
Anonymous says
I’m in NYC. Everyone is testing positive left and right. While we have no know exposure, I’m sitting in my office right now where I had to take public transit to get to, and I interact with members of the public in my job. Kid is in school. We were going to have out of town family visit for Christmas and we all canceled by mutual agreement. Everyone is sad about it, but it’s for the best.
That said, if both you and the grandparents aren’t going anywhere between now and then and everyone can test, I would lean towards going. Avoid the touristy stuff, though, I had to go near rockefeller center the other day for work and it was incredibly crowded and I did not feel “safe” despite being outdoors. After today I can WFH through the end of the year and plan to mostly hibernate.
Realist says
Epidemiologists that I trust and follow on social media are suggesting daily rapid tests for visits, and to also go off of symptoms. So a positive test or any cold symptoms on any day means to cancel the visit. I would do the tests and then come pick them up and test daily after that if you have the supplies to do so.
Anonymous says
But what happens if someone tests positive – do you have a way to isolate if they are staying with you? It is the logistics of isolating that throws me.
Anonymous says
I think you would have to send the visitors home, which only works if they drove.
Realist says
Hotel or basement suite would be the answer for us, but agree that you would need an isolation logistics plan for a positive test or if anyone gets symptoms.
Anon says
I do not understand fashion today. Or these boots. That’s it. That’s the post.
GCA says
I would immediately sprain an ankle in these as I am a huge klutz, but my younger and much more fashion-savvy SIL loves her Joan of Arc wedges and says they are extremely comfortable.
GCA says
*Joan of Arctic wedges, typed too fast and now I am imagining a very different historical reenactment
So Anon says
I needed this laugh this morning! Thank you!
Realist says
Maybe I have a crappy monitor but when I first loaded the site today, the boots looked like some type of leather bra to me, instead of shoes. And I was like “Hmmmm….this site just got more spicy for the holidays than I would have expected.”
Anonymous says
The hidden wedge looks odd to me–they just look like weird old-fashioned orthopedic shoes.
For some reason one group of people I spend time with likes to comment on how I am “so tall” even though I am not quite 5’6″ and never wear heels over 3.5 inches. I can just imagine the comments I’d get wearing shoes like this that will not read as high heels to some people.
AwayEmily says
Deliberately wearing heels (even wedges) in icy/snowy conditions is not a choice I would make.
AnonATL says
I have a colleague in detroit that swears by these shoes, but it looks like a quick way to turn an ankle in winter weather.
Anonymous says
I dunno: I like these. I also live somewhere it doesn’t snow so can’t speak to that at all.
Briar rose says
These shoes are incredibly common here in MN, they are practical and comfortable,
If you go anywhere you will see multiple people wearing them including the most stylish women of most ages!
Anonanonanon says
These boots would make me feel like the cartoons of Frankenstein’s monster stomping around.
Anonymous says
I am working today and my husband is off. So far he has let the kid skip breakfast and two other important time-sensitive parts of the morning routine. I reminded her to do them and she yelled, so I asked my husband to make sure she ate and did her tasks. His response? “Why didn’t you tell her to do it?”
This is going to be a long and unproductive day.
Anon says
This is the kind of stuff I’m reading Fair Play for. Feels like even as partners we’re on different planets sometimes.
Leatty says
Same! I bought a paperback version of it so my husband can read it too (he won’t do so voluntarily, but I WILL make him read it if it is the last thing I do).
No Face says
When you delegate, you gotta delegate. Close your door, turn on some music, and do you work. Let your husband handle the kiddo and her routine, or lack thereof. He can deal with the consequences.
IHeartBacon says
This.
Anon says
This this this
Anon says
yesterday i was working, DH was off. he took one kiddo to the doctor (both have been sick, fortunately not covid). at the doctor they recommended some otc medicine which DH said he was going to go get at CVS after brining kiddo back home to our nanny. I guess somehow it completely slipped his mind, but he managed to find time to take a nap, watch tv and go to a liquor store. He woke up with the sick kids last night and is now off to CVS
Anonymous says
What?! Stop. You’re working. He isn’t. So let him parent. No reminders to him or your kid.
Anon says
This. Why aren’t you in a room alone with the door closed? How do you even know what they’re doing?
Anonymous says
I am in a room with the door closed. I checked on Important Thing that would derail the entire day if not done on time, and it wasn’t done. This led to the revelation that breakfast, etc. had also not happened.
Anon says
Don’t check on the important thing. They’ll deal. Men like this suck but they are also enabled by their wives. My husband figures stuff out because I’m not there to do it for him.
Anon says
If he derails the day, it’s now his day to manage on his own. I have to remind myself of that so that I don’t step in but it works.
Anon says
+1 Unless there is a medical reason things need to be done a certain way, let them be. It’s okay if a spouse parents differently (as I remind myself of the same thing)
Anonymous says
There is.
anne-on says
My kid and husband are both off this week and yet somehow I’m still cruise directing the sitter and husband for activities. I’m shutting my door and putting on headphones in a minute. I miss being able to decamp to the local library and work (or clear out inboxes) in peace without doing the covid risk analysis of ‘is it really worth it to be indoors in a public space right now?!?’ (no, it is not but ARGH).
Anonymous says
I miss being able to sit outside at the local coffee shop for two hours clearing my inbox. I actually like winter, but being stuck indoors during a pandemic is no fun.
AwayEmily says
What gift are you most excited to give to your kids this year? (or what gift were they already most excited to receive?)
My 3yo loves jewels and anything sparkly and I got him some actual “jewels” (fake, obv), plus a glitter unicorn shirt. I think he is going to flip. Also, a whole boatload of candy in his stocking — kid is a sugar fiend and I plan to let him go nuts on Christmas morning. The 5yo is getting a marble run.
I’m also planning on holding a few presents from distant relatives in reserve to parcel out over the course of the vacation week…we’ve done this the last few years and the kids seem to enjoy the presents a lot more when they don’t get them all at once. My dad got them an enormous fort-building kit that I think is going to be CLUTCH after six days of “family time.”
Anonymous says
I’m giving my 6 year old a box of legos and I’m hoping she dumps them all over the table and then loses interest in about 5 minutes so I have an excuse to play with them :)
avocado says
The fort kit sounds amazing!
My teenager actually got her big gift this summer because we wanted her to be able to use it while she had free time, but she still ended up with a bunch of surprises that will go under the tree. Nearly all of them fall into the category of “something you need.” She is obsessed with crepes, so the “something you want” is a crepe pan with a crepe cookbook and ingredients. I think she will be surprised and delighted, and if all goes well I won’t have to cook breakfast for the next several days.
anonamama says
A Bruder cement mixer!!!! I found one at Home Goods after a challenging day at work. I embarassingly cried when I spotted it (though I’m sure this was due to other things). I’m hoping its a huge hit for our 2YO, too. :)
Also bought our 14 yo niece some Glossier beauty products. I heard from someone else that they are tres chic these days, then later found out from her mom that they were on the top of her list. Seriously, the commitment to skincare she has at this age makes me think she’ll be looking 14 forever.
Anonymous says
DH happened upon a Bruder truck at TJ MAXX when our kiddo was two and they’ve been our go-to gift ever since. He’s four now and is getting a ladder truck this year. I think he’s going to love it. MIL also bought him a helicopter and the wrapping ripped a bit in transit. Watching him try to peek at what it is has been really fun for me. I’m planning to wrap some empty boxes for the twins. They got about 40 hand me down toys from their cousin but their current favorite toy is a Tupperware lid. They seriously fight over it at ten months of age. Kids are so funny.
Anon says
i thought you bought your kid an actual cement mixer and was thinking that you have a lot more patience for mess than i do….
EDAnon says
We have 1,000 Bruder trucks. We got a bunch off Craigslist when a big kid was selling his. It was amazing! I also cried (due to many things).
anonamama says
Wow – what an amazing find! I love that you also shed some tears. Our first was a $10 find on a neighborhood resale page, which yielded HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS of play!! Can only imagine the fleet you have!
AwayEmily says
I have never heard of Bruder trucks but now I’m going to keep my eye out…they sound awesome.
So Anon says
I got my 10 yo a 3D printer. He is going to be soooo excited, and I am so nervous that I’m on to help him figure out how to make it work. I’m envisioning tantrums on both our parts but then feeling so excited when we get it to actually make something. I also bought him all of the parts to make his own RC vehicle. My 8 yo has a bunch of craft projects that will be fun to do together, and I bought her a light table thing for drawing.
Anonymous says
Ooh! He’ll love it. We have one and my 8 y/o is printing a unicorn chess set right now.
Anon says
There’s 3D printing Facebook groups that love giving advice
Cb says
My son asked for this random animal rescue boat he spotted in TK Max 3 months ago and luckily I found it on eBay (hot wheels brand) and a Lego ocean explorer set, a big set. He also has a replacement scooter as he’s outgrown his micro mini and a tball set because I need him to have some American skills :)
DLC says
We got our kids a Swedish Ladder, which I think I originally heard about here (thanks, wise hive!). I am so excited! I am not looking forward to assembling it, but I am super stoked for the kids (and let’s be honest, for me) to play on it. I’m hoping this will help curb the two year old’s counter climbing antics.
Anon says
My brain confused that with Jacob’s Ladder (the little handheld toy) and I was so confused, lol.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Hot wheels for my 4 year-old from Santa :) He had a hot wheels bandage after his flu shot and the interest stemmed from there. It’s so 90’s, I love it.
Not excited about making sure the 1 year old keeps said hot wheels out of mouth.
Anon says
My 3.5 year old’s favorite Hanukkah gift was a small puzzle set we bought for another kid’s bday and didn’t use and then gave to her as an afterthought. It has provided many many hours of solo entertainment. We had no idea she liked puzzles so much!
Anon says
Not for our kid but for my husband: I just spent the morning picking up the assembled Traeger grill I bought him and coordinating the removal of our old grill + moving the new one into our backyard. Hopefully he loves it and doesn’t look out on our patio for the next week. I’ve never once been able to surprise him with a gift though (he’s like a bloodhound this time of year and I have no poker face).
Anonymous says
One of my girls is getting a hot pink nerf archery set and I think she will FLIP. If not, at least DH and I will have fun.
We got my youngest some Gabbys Dollhouse stuff that I know she will love.
My kids and I found a really absurd piece of gift for DH that suits one of his esoteric hobbies perfectly, so that will be fun to watch.
Boston Legal Eagle says
The nugget! My kids are really into playing the floor is lava right now so hopefully they can jump on this instead of our actual couch.
My 5 year is also getting a ton of legos – we set up shelves in his room so now they’re on much better display.
Anonymous says
So far we have needed PCR tests, so we haven’t been using the at-home rapid test kits. I just tried to pick some up at the public library. They were out, but they said the tests they give out must be used within two weeks. This seems odd to me. Is this normal? I was going to try to stock up on enough kits at the drugstore to test my kids daily during the upcoming January surge, but if they expire that quickly it doesn’t make sense.
Anon says
we couldn’t find the tests we wanted at the drug store, so got a different brand than the one i wanted that don’t expire until 2023. that seems odd. maybe this is an older batch that they were giving out.
EDAnon says
They might be giving out older ones. At work, Abbott accidentally sent us ones that expire in Jan, so I know they have a bunch expiring then.
However, they may also be trying to get you not to stock up since the supply is limited.
anon says
I bought a ton of Binax in the early fall and the batches I bought had expiration dates 3-6 months out. I’ve experienced farther out expiration dates with the ones I ordered from Walmart than CVS, but all were reasonable.
Anon says
My Binax tests that I’ve bought this fall have expiration dates in mid-late 2022. I wouldn’t be surprised by two months, but two weeks seems crazy to me.
anon says
Talk to me about Tiktok. I know what it is but have never used it. My 11-year-old stepdaughter is desperate to have it. Her mom is in favor of letting her have it but restricting her to a private account (which I guess means she can’t have friends/get messaged or make posts others can see?). Me/husband are concerned that she is still going to get algorithmically served videos that might be problematic (see: the WSJ article today on Tiktok and eating disorder videos) even if creeps can’t message her or see her videos and would prefer that at a minimum she wait until 13 (which I think is the minimum age under their TOS in any case). That being said, I recognize that I am extremely wary of social media based on my own years of heavy usage (and how negatively I think it affected me) and my husband has never used social media at all, so I’d appreciate hearing from other moms on what might be the right middle ground here.
ElisaR says
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-algorithm-sex-drugs-minors-11631052944?mod=article_inline
i don’t know if that’s helpful or not but i just saw it. my 10 yr old niece accesses the app on her mom’s phone. she can kind of experience it that way but only with adult supervision. i think your concerns are valid. my boys are too young though so i can’t comment personally.
Anonymous says
My daughter doesn’t have TikTok but manages to find an awful lot of the videos on YouTube.
If you are the stepparent, I’d stay out of it and let the parents decide. Your role as a caring adult is to invite open-ended discussion with your stepdaughter about the issues surrounding TikTok.
Anon says
My husband is looking for my input on this as he figures out his view on the right approach. Our position on this type of parenting issue is almost always jointly developed even if he’s the one who actually has the discussion with her/her mom.
Anonymous says
+1 this is up to the parents.
EDAnon says
My 14 year old niece says that a parent should watch over. She said there’s a lot of inappropriate stuff on there. She says you can have joint accounts and the parents can verify before posting and stuff. (Those are direct quotes). I hope that helps.
My husband and I don’t use social media and will cross that bridge when we come to it. But I agree that a lot of social media had a negative impact on my life until I quit using it.
Anon says
Can anyone recommend Christmas gifts for a 1.5 year old and 3.5 year old? The parents have every toy imaginable, and I’m always really at a loss as to what to get these kids. Yes i know I’m late!
Anon says
Easy to get last minute- flashlights, small (but real) shovel, kid sized broom. The mess free paint/marker kids from target.
Anon says
Books are always welcome at our house.