Family Friday: Eric Carle Sock and Book Gift Set
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Both my kids loved Eric Carle’s books. Next time the toddler in your life needs a gift, consider this sock and book set from Bombas.
This gift set includes an Eric Carle board book and four socks inspired by his books. The socks are made from a lightweight cotton blend, and like Bombas’ other socks, feature a seamless toe, arch support, and stay-up technology.
This gift pack is $48.
Sales of note for 9/23/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off tops and sweaters
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 15% off
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles with code
- J.Crew – Extra 30% off sale styles, plus up to 50% off layers they love
- J.Crew Factory – 40-70% off everything + extra 60% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Nordstrom – Fall savings event! Also get 15% off select beauty items and 6x points on beauty.
- Talbots – Anniversary event! 25% off entire purchase, plus fresh fall classics from $34.50
I’m really struggling with sleep. I’ve had on and off insomnia over the years, but it’s really bad right now. This week I’ve decided to try keeping my phone downstairs at night for the first time–which means I need an old-fashioned alarm clock, because DH is weird about alarms and we’ve all been late now for two days in a row! So:
1) Do you have a favorite alarm clock? There are all these digital ones now, but I think I want old-fashioned so that it’s not another situation that requires screens?
2) Are there other behavior changes that have helped you with insomnia? I’ve tried a lot of the basics and in general have pretty good “sleep hygiene” (no afternoon caffeine, etc).
3) If you’ve worked with doctors on sleep, what was most helpful?
We signed our son (6) up for a day camp for days when his public school is closed, at the same daycare where his younger sister goes. He doesn’t really like it and keeps begging to stay home with me instead. We sent him yesterday and he spent the whole day sitting in the corner, telling everyone his mom was going to pick him up soon and we were going to go to the park. I felt really bad that he hated it but I do have to work most of the time! Should we try to get a babysitter or find a different camp, or should we make him tough it out? There are a lot of holidays and in-service days in the next few months and I don’t want to take leave for all of them.
Math help?
I have a 4th grader who is bringing home papers with scores like 17/25 or 19/30. These papers are “knowledge checks” which are essentially checkpoints during the unit. She is both gifted and has mild ADHD so she tends to do things like hyperfocus on a piece of the problem that way, way overthinking it, or get so stuck in what she thinks is the approach that she doesn’t realize there’s a much more straightforward way that she zoned out on in class and didn’t learn. My husband was the same way his entire life.
I have an older daughter and am fairly familiar with the curriculum-but not how to help. Oldest was always one of those early finishers that got 24/25 on everything.
We have a meeting with her teacher next week, scheduled at my request, and I’m wondering what to ask for. One of the things we were warned about when this kid was tested by the neuropsych is that she will “never look like a problem on paper” because she’s smart enough to scrape by, but actually, she isn’t learning. I’m worried we are starting to see that here. Last year we had similar issues and her teacher brushed it off. She wasn’t bad enough to need summer school so in his opinion she was just a B/C student- which we know isn’t the case. Also, she knows it.
What I think would help her the most is some 1:1 time, either in school or at home (she would be fine working with DH or my oldest), but we need some guidance on what to actually do with her. Do we ask for homework (or work to do at home)? The district doesn’t allow it in elementary school but I think this is exactly the role having homework could fill- working alongside parents or a sibling to figure out tricky problems after school. Something else?
I am CRUSHING IT with my 12 year old and she doesn’t even know it. Here to mom brag, feel free to scroll on by. This week I scored her tickets to this concert she’s been really interested in going to, but knows how hard tickets are to get. I messed up the presale but managed to get them during the general public sale and not only are they tickets, they are GOOD seats. Unfortunately, her b’day is in November and the concert is January so I have to wait at least a month to tell her that my 2+ hours invested in getting these tickets paid off!
Also, I got her into this program that sells out in seconds this morning. I was in, signed her up, and checked out within 40 seconds of when the program opened and by the time I went back to the main site, it had sold out! But she got a spot and so did her BFF.
It’s a no school day for us here so i have 6 little girls over to play with my twins for a little Halloween party. I’m so bad at listening to kids arguing and not interfering, but I’m resisting every urge to intervene. Also, they were invited at 10, most arrived at 10:15, we had two arts and crafts projects, outside play and cookie decorating which they were done with in like 40 minutes.
Public Transportation Tips:
My employer is moving to a new building next month that’s in the heart of some really heavy commuter traffic in my metro. But I found out there is an express public transit bus that starts not too far from my town and goes directly to the transit hub a block away from my work’s new building.
I know I’ll just need to try this out and learn with trial an error. There is enough frequency in the bus schedule, I think I’ll be fine navigating the logistics.
But I’m having a tinge of Mom guilt as I am typically the go-to person when daycare or elementary school calls about any sort of illness or issue with my kids. Taking public transit and given the distance of my new office, it probably wouldn’t be feasible for me to get back to daycare within an hour at any given moment. But there really is no reason my husband cannot take that reasonability when needed. He rarely travels and is only 20 minutes away.
I’m secretly looking forward to having some downtime riding the bus in the morning and afternoon to catch up on emails and make a dent in my TBR pile of books.
Any tips or tricks for public transportation commutes?
Any moms here who have found good solutions for forgetful kids? My kiddo is 11, and has always been a bit of an absent-minded professor. Nose in a book, head in the clouds, that sort of thing. (Has been tested for ADHD and does not qualify despite having some markers.)
His schedule this year means that we are doing more carpooling with other families and we are running into repeated issues where he leaves his belongings places. Left a bag with his school uniform in a friend’s car after soccer practice. Left his ball on the field one day. Repeatedly forgets to bring home his homework. We are on our third water bottle and it’s the fourth week of school.
I’m about to lose my mind, and as the weather turns cold, I am worried that he is going to forget his expensive winter coat or boots somewhere. So far the impacts have been relatively small (and generally fixable) but they are happening with such frequency, multiple times a week, that I just don’t know what to do and how to get ahead of it. I’m also tired of dealing with the frequent mental load of all this when other kids seem to be able to keep up with their things. Willing to try anything!
PSA for those with limited ebook selection at their local library. We spent 50 bucks on Queen’s Public Library non-local membership card and the audiobook and ebook selection is incredible. Cheaper than a year of audible, and supporting public resources. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to use it internationally but they were very happy to take my money. Going to buy a card for my mom for Christmas.
A few days ago I posted here asking for advice on how to make my hair less puffy. Several of you recommended a round brush, and someone suggested a Bumble and Bumble product. I used both for the first time yesterday and my hair looks great!
I still need some practice with the round brush but even my very novice first attempt made a huge difference. I’m really happy. Thanks, internet strangers!
I actually have a sock question. My 3.5yo currently wears almost exclusively toddler Bombas, with the grippers. I love them because they don’t fall down and the grippers are hardcore (covering the whole bottom of the sock). We have very slippery wood floors/stairs. But she is now growing out of them (she’s a size 8 toddler). Does anyone have recommendations for socks with a LOT of grip to them? Target and Old Navy, my go-tos, are pretty minimal grip.