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This is probably the ugliest but most useful accessory that I own. I am high-waisted, with not much of a butt to speak of, so almost every pair of jeans that I own slips down on me. Not only is the slipping uncomfortable, but it creates a muffin top. Instead of constantly hiking my jeans up, I bought this belt to be invisible under shirts. It’s hideous and elastic, but it has a flat buckle so it really is invisible and you can’t tell I’m wearing it. The belt is adjustable and it really is strong enough to keep my pants where they should be. (Editor’s Note: I also happen to have this not-exactly-stylish belt and wear it all the time to combat the dreaded waist gap. –Kate) Now to just continue closing my eyes and pretending this crop top trend doesn’t really exist…. The belt is $14.95 at Amazon in several color options and is eligible for Prime. Adjustable Stretch Belt With No-Show Buckle This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
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- 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
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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 am in a dinner rut. What are your home run recipes? I hate doing meal prep on weekends and I usually make dinner when I get home around 6pm, so I need fast and easy.
Winners for in our house with a 2 year old and a 5 year old have been:
Soba noodles with stir-fried veggies,
Spaghetti and meatballs (frozen turkey balls from Trader Joe’s)
Cheesy Eggs with a veggie on the side
Turkey and cheese rolled up in tortillas
Black beans and rice
Naan pizza
Anonymous says
In summer we BBQ a lot so chicken/steak/sausage with grilled veggies (e.g. corn or green peppers) or frozen veggies (frozen peas and brocoli I always have on hand) or just chopped fresh veggies. I use guacamole. hummus or tzatiki as dips because I find the kids like something to dip stuff in.
In winter I do sheet pan dinners a lot – cut up chicken or sausage or beef, with 2-3 veggies and roast at 400F for 20 mins or so. Precut carrots and mini potatoes are useful for this and save some cutting.
Cb says
Quick pasta and chickpeas from Smitten Kitchen – but I swap the chickpeas for cannelloni beans.
Fritata with veggies – cook the veggies and most of the egg on the stove and crisp it up in the stove
Anonymous says
This summer, we’re really into NYTimes’ Roasted Chicken Thighs With Peaches, Basil and Ginger. It’s one of those recipes that tastes like you put much more time and money into it than you do. Serve with bread for sopping the juice!
Spaghetti with egg– While spaghetti cooks, saute garlic and red pepper flakes to taste in EVOO, add eggs and some salt, cook until eggs are slightly undercooked. Combine egg-spice mixture with hot drained spaghetti until eggs are cooked through, serve with a glug of EVOO, lots of fresh black pepper and parm. So good, cheap, and simple. We serve with veg side (usually roasted frozen broccoli).
And lots of grilled chicken + asparagus.
ElisaR says
thanks this looks like a great suggestion!
NYCer says
Taco salad (could be deconstructed for the 2 year old). Brown some ground beef or turkey (add some taco seasoning), serve over chopped lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, shredded cheese, and avocado. We just use salsa as the dressing. Super easy and always a hit at our house!
TX-IHC says
+1 taco variations–another great lazy version is salsa chicken in the crockpot (literally dump frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot with a jar of salsa, shred when finished)
NYCer says
We do this too! Delish.
Redux says
When I really have no ideas left, we make eggs with whatever vegetable and cheese we have around. This frittata recipe is perfect every time:
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/ultimate-easy-frittata-recipe-article
Anon says
Crispy Tortellini with peas and prosciutto (we use bacon instead) from smitten kitchen. Creamy orzo from the kitchen (add a small or finely chopped vegetable the last few minutes of cooking). Pan fried frozen pork and vegetable dumplings. Frozen pizza and a side salad. Breakfast for dinner (waffles or pancakes, eggs and bacon). Risotto with white wine, parmesan and diced asparagus (recipe is on the back of the risotto jar).
Anonymous says
Summer rolls — chopped up veggies, basil, and tofu or chicken in rice paper, dipped in peanut sauce. We just make them at the table as we eat them.
Anonymous says
Looking for tech material dresses. I’ve looked at Athleta and Lulu, but am I missing lower cost options? Thanks!
ElisaR says
it’s kind of local to me but they sell them online. I wear Jude Connally dresses constantly. They are washable and never wrinkle. I think they would be considered tech material.
Anon says
I don’t think you’re missing lower priced options, unfortunately. If you know your size, you could try poshmark. Other brands to try: prana, patagonia, marmot, toad and co You could see whether any of these are on sale at backcountry or REI.
anon says
They aren’t really low-cost, IMO. That said, this is the time of year when they go on sale. My favorites are from Toad & Co and Prana.
A says
Costco has some right now if you’re a member!
anon. says
TASC Bamboo clothing is wonderful. They’re local to me (New Orleans) but sell online and on the giant online seller too.
OP says
Thanks, everyone! I wouldn’t mind higher priced if I really actually liked the dress, but I’m not thrilled with the options I’ve seen. Hopefully I’ll run across something soon that I love or that is inexpensive enough not to care so much ;-)
Anon1234 says
Such a silly non issue but I can’t seem to find a solution?
There’s a nanny that I keep bumping into. At first I thought she was the mother of a child in Kid’s preschool class but turns out she’s the nanny. I pick up two days/week and see her there. Now seeing her at local playground, on the street, at coffee shops. My natural thing is to say hi to anyone I recognise. Not hello and long conversation but just say hi. If we’re waiting at the slides or traffic lights together I’ll do small chit chat. And from previous experience, parents and nannies alike seem to do the same, hello if you don’t really know each other or chat if you do/like each other.
This nanny never says hello. When you do she’s friendly enough but she never says hello. It’s like she has some blinkered vision which fine whatever. But it’s getting awkward. Today at coffee shop I was going to bathroom as they came in. I passed right by her, passed again on way back and finally on my way out had to pass her again and said hi, to which she had usual slight surprise response hi.
I can’t tell if she can’t recognise me, is just very in her world of pay attention to child only, or just doesn’t want to interact, which again, fair enough we’re not buddies. But what would you all do? This is last week of preschool, then both the kids will be going to same school in September and presumably we’ll have a good summer of passing each other on the street. Can I just ignore her or carry on saying hi to blank face?
(Like I said, just a silly non issue.)
Anonymous says
I would just say hi. I don’t have an explanation. But a lot of times I fail to recognize people in unexpected places. Now I have no shame saying “hi we met at such and such a place.” What I have low tolerance for is when I see people at events on a monthly basis, have in depth conversations, and they still can’t be bothered to remember my name. I’m pretty sure “I’m bad with names” is turning into a societal excuse for plain rudeness.
Anonymous says
Probably just a combination of shyness and facial blindness – some people are the worst at recognizing people out of context.
Anon says
I err on the side of friendliness/ outgoing-ness so I’d probably make a comment like “Geez, [kiddo] and [kiddo] must be on a similar schedule, I feel like I’ve been seeing you guys a lot lately! I’m sure we’ll see you at [September school] too, have a great summer!” and then be on my way. That way I’m reminding her why I’ve been saying hi, and making the link to why I will continue to say hi. (I’m of the “it takes a village” approach so I try to be friendly with as many kid-parents/nannies/caregivers as I can, esp if I know we’ll likely be running in similar circles for the next few years.)
Jeffiner says
A very friendly woman said hi to me in the post office the other day. It took me about 5 seconds to realize she was the mom of a kid in my daughter’s preschool class, and that we’ve spoken at school, birthday parties, etc. I have stared at people before realizing why I recognize them. I do try and smile or even say hi when I see other moms/nannies, but as an introvert I’m not going to initiate much more conversation. At the coffee shop scenario I would be struggling internally with “Ok, we passed by each other, but it was at an odd angle to say Hi from. I don’t want to distract her or make her think she should come talk to me. Do I say Hi now? We passed again, do I say Hi again? Say Bye? What if I say Bye but no one leaves and we pass yet again? Can I get away with just smiling?”
I think smiling and saying hi to a blank face is less awkward than ignoring someone.
govtattymom says
Would love some insight on a potty issue! My daughter (almost 3yo) is fully potty trained at daycare and at our house; accidents are very rare. Over the past several months, she has been refusing to use the potty at her grandparents’ houses. We are currently staying at my parent’s house for a few days (I can work remotely), and she is having several meltdowns and accidents per day. Do I continue to force the issue? Put her in pullups? Stay at home? Thanks in advance!
Anonymous says
Is there something she doesn’t like about the bathroom? My kids hate the loud bathroom fan that automatically turns on with the light switch at my parents place so I bought a plug in nightlight to leave there. It’s bright enough so they can potty but not obtrusive for my parents. I also picked up an extra of the same target potty seat we have at home to leave at my parents place.
Cb says
Or a weird toilet seat? My grandma had one of those squishy ones and I found it horrifying as a child.
anon says
GAHHHH, THE WORST! My grandparents had one, too. I’m shuddering just thinking about it.
Anon says
+1. My kids hated other toilets. Grandparent houses were differently shaped bowls than ours so they felt like they were falling in. Public toilets have that loud auto-flush which scared them. My beloved aunt had a knitted doll toilet paper cover on the back of the seat that scared them. A friends’ house had “scratchy” toilet paper. A neighbor had a bathroom with two doors so they worried a monster was behind the other door.
Maybe try going in with her and asking her to point out what’s different from your house. She’ll point out things you may not have noticed, and see if you can strategize with her on how to “fix” the issue. Maybe you sitting with her will be enough to fix it for now (which is annoying, but not nearly as annoying as cleaning up accidents.)
Annie says
Do you have her same potty there? Might be worth buying it if not. Can you use painters tape and tape up lots of printed out pictures of her favorite character (elmo, moana etc.) right by the potty to make it a fun safe area?
Birthday present help says
Birthday present ideas for a 3 yo boy? We already have a balance bike and scooter and magnatiles. I’m weirdly stumped.
octagon says
Soccer ball and backyard goal?
Slip & slide?
More magnatiles — esp if you get a set with some odd pieces like the car bases
ElisaR says
a big hit for my 3 year old was Melissa and Doug dress up costumes (construction worker, police, fire)
Anonymous says
vehicles vehicles vehicles. This is a prime age for wooden trains (Thomas, Brio, etc). Plastic trucks that you can use in the sand -we loved the CAT Tough Tracks ones, or the CAT mini ones (great to keep in a playground “go bag”)
Pogo says
+1, my 2yo is getting a big plastic truck for outside that he can actually carry stuff in (all his precious rocks, for example) from in-laws.
I’m also getting him a doll with clothes that you can take on and off – he really likes taking care of his other ‘babies’. This one has a hat, shoes, bandanna, etc so he can disrobe and dress it to his hearts’ content.
anon says
Does he have a scooter?
Emily S. says
Stomp rocket is a big hit for my own (now) 4 yo daughter and nephew. Also, pool toys if you have access to a pool (squirters, pool shoes, etc.); beach bucket/sand toys if you have a sand box or a beach trip planned; books about vehicles, construction, favorite characters are big hits with my girl and my nephew.
OP says
Love these ideas – I think he definitely needs some dress up clothes of his own and more trucks. And stomp rockets. Possibly pool toys. Thanks all! We do already have a balance bike and scooter and way too many trains.
Anon says
Our Generation dolls (aka the Target version of American Girl) have several boy versions. My 3yo son adores his doll (and doll’s pet dog) and spends lots of time setting up elaborate train tracks or hot wheel courses so they can “play” together. You can buy clothes there or off Etsy – I found some matching doll-and-me Batman pajamas on Etsy that they MUST wear each night.
shortperson says
that is sooo cute
shortperson says
dollhouse
Sippy Cup Weaning says
15 month old DD loves her sippy cup for water – cannot get enough of it and its novelty. She’s been using it for a few months. At the suggestion of daycare (which we welcomed), last week we began to transition off bottles for milk using the same sippy cup. She instantly took the milk and did so for a few days. Then in a moment of working mom sheer exhaustion I forgot about the transition and fixed her a bottle. Since that single bottle she’s on a milk-sippy cup strike (still takes water). Daycare wants to work with us but I don’t really know what to do next. It’s been about 6 days since she’s gotten the pedi recommended 16-24 oz of whole milk per day. She eats cheese and yogurt daily so we think we’re ok on calcium for the moment but at some point she probably needs to get milk again. It’s a war of wills and it’s impressive how strong willed my little lady is (but I also kind of love it).
We’ve tried milk in a straw cup (which she equally loves for water) and no luck. We’ve tried two types of straight sippy cup for milk – the Munchkin 360, which she can’t seem to figure out – wants to drink from the center not the edges, and the Nubby sippy cups that we get from Target and she took to instantly for water. Nubby is the one that was working for a little bit at first.
My first and foremost concern is nutrition – should we be concerned she’s not getting enough nutrients due to the lack of milk? I know at this age milk becomes less critical for nutrition. She’s plenty hydrated because she guzzles water. If nutrition isn’t’ a concern, is it just a matter of seeing who holds out the longest while also trying different cups? I’m confident it’s a cup aversion and not a milk aversion. She signs “please” and nods yes when we ask if she wants milk. She also gave us a moment of hope when she did have exactly one 8-oz pour of milk from a sippy cup earlier this week – allegedly she chugged it. TIA!
Everlong says
My now 22-month old tried very hard to get rid of milk altogether at 6 months. He had minimal milk between that point and 12-months, and at 12 months, we gave up. He is fine, healthy, and thriving. Since that 12-month mark, he has had maybe 4 ounces a week of milk and it’s all completely random. You are fine! :)
Anonymous says
There’s no magic in milk itself. As long as she’s getting cheese and yoghurt she’s probably fine on the calcium/vitamin D etc.
We always did a specific milk sippy and a different one for water so little ones knew what to expect to taste from each one. Unless the containers are clear, it can be confusing for kids when not knowing what drink will come out. I would just continue to make it available, but don’t push it. If she wants it, she’ll drink. Confronting it too much makes it a battle of wills.
Anon says
My 16 month old has never drunk cow’s milk and stopped drinking formula when she was 11 months old. I assumed it was milk refusal, not sippy refusal (since she drinks water out of sippy cups just fine). She does still nurse once/day and eats lots of yogurt. She is following the 90th percentile height and weight curves and our ped has no concerns. There’s nothing magic in milk that you can’t get through other foods.
anne-on says
My son haaated milk in sippy cups and we literally had to take every single bottle out of the house before he’d even try it in a cup. The one that worked best for us at that age was the ThinkBaby straw cup that was designed to convert from a bottle to a cup. It ‘looked’ like a bottle, and had the softest straw.
https://www.amazon.com/thinkbaby-Thinkster-Straw-Bottle-Pink/dp/B00KM8YI4Y/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1VBRA70QPYVJI&keywords=thinkbaby+straw+cup&qid=1563461039&s=gateway&sprefix=thinkba%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-5
I wouldn’t try it now, but at about age 3 we just offered milk in a real glass with a metal straw, something about the cool special straw I guess made it intriguing enough to try.
Anonymous says
Milk in a grown up glass with a metal straw is also a hit with my kids. Milk with breakfast and dinner with just water at daycare. Saves on scrubbing milk out of sippies as well.
Pogo says
Oh yes, I feel this. We used the Tommee Tippee First Sips Transition for wayyyy longer than prob necessary because I was worried about his sippy hatred/milk refusal. He chugged warm milk in this thing like it was his job.
At nearly two years, I FINALLY got him off it and onto regular ol take n toss. We have also gradually reduced milk temperature. He dislikes it cold, and drinks slower, but he does drink it. Daycare still has better luck, I believe due to peer pressure (sees other kids drinking out of their sippy direct from the fridge). He drinks about 12oz/day at daycare, and maybe an additional 4-6oz at home.
On weekends he might only drink those 4-6oz. He also eats 4oz of yogurt every day. I have made my peace with this level of milk ingestion, rather than caving and going back to a bottle-adjacent delivery and body-temp milk (but still think about it every day! because mom guilt!) – good luck!
Callie says
Unless there is some other calcium concern unique to your child and her diet, I’d just let go of milk. My son doesn’t like it and my daughter does. Been that way since I weaned them around 10 months. My daughter would drink as much milk as I let her and my son may have at most 2 ounces a week of milk (and only with cereal in it). I don’t think that there’s anything special about cows milk (past the age of weaning) and I’d just look at whether you feel she’s getting calcium.
IHeartBacon says
We got some fancy crazy straws that had animals on them when we ran into this issue. They were only used for drinking milk. This let them feeling new and exciting. I would ask which animal LO wanted that day and let him pick it out.
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t worry yet. DD had a hard time drinking milk after we stopped the bottle and the Ped said “no worries, she’ll prob go back to it just serve cheese and yogurts and veggies in the meantime.” She started loving dairy again after 2 and now we have to LIMIT her milk so she doesn’t get constipated.
IP Attorney says
My DD hated sippy cups for milk (fine for water) so we found one that had a silicon straw and she immediately loved it. Still drinks milk out of a straw cup (makes going to restaurants easy too) – she’s 20 months now and made the transition around 12 months.
Anonymous says
We got invited to a “no presents” first birthday party. Please assure me the right thing to do is to just bring a card? With a $1 birthday scratch off inside this NJ after all :). Thanks!
Anonymous says
Yes. I’m firmly team you say no presents, I listen and don’t spend a minute worrying about it. Other people bring them? Totally cool nothing to do with me.
Anon says
I would bring a board book, but I’m unable to show up to birthday parties without a gift.
Anonymous says
Maybe work on that
Sasha says
Snort, seriously.
Anon says
Just to clarify – if this was a close friend and I knew the ‘no gifts’ was a genuine request, I would absolutely respect it. This isn’t about my own desire to give a gift at all. However, at least in my city, it’s now very standard to say ‘no gifts’ even when you don’t want/expect people to follow that. Almost all guests show up with some kind of gift and you look like an a*s if you don’t have one. I’m saying I would bring a board book in that instance. I would be thrilled to leave it in my bag if most people had actually respected the ‘no gifts’ rule. But they don’t, and they aren’t expected to, at least in my circles.
ElisaR says
no gift! some people will bring them but that’s because they can’t follow instructions. (sorry that sounds harsher than I meant but I stand by it)
Anonymous says
No you’re correct. They’re insecure and ultimately selfish.
Anon says
Oh geez. I don’t do this but this response seems excessive.
Anon says
I should clarify that I mean the insecure/selfish comment is excessive. I agree that it’s not following instructions.
Anonymous says
Please don’t troll on here.
Anon says
Don’t bring anything! These people do not want any more stuff! Especially if it is a second kid, they probably have a ton of toys, books, etc.
anon says
it was hard for me bc i’m a person who usually can’t show up without a gift…but as ElisaR said – follow instructions! the parents genuinely don’t want anything.
AnotherAnon says
Just want to pile on that I don’t bring gifts to “no gifts please” parties.
anon says
I usually stick a couple of stickers in the card for a 2 yo or older. I probably would just do a card for a 1 yo.
GCA says
yes please, no gifts! If your love language is gifts, and because we have all been socialized to feel that stuff = caring, it will feel weird at first. but you are right, just bring a card and show up.
lsw says
I was about to post that. My love language is gifts and it is really hard for me not to bring gifts. It also makes me sad. But obviously it’s about the parents and what they want so I honor it. For a dear friend I called and asked if I could bring a book that I thought her daughter would enjoy, but otherwise, I read it as a request I have no real reason to go against for my own feelings.
Anonymous says
I appreciate that you honor it. My mom’s love language is gifts and she does not respect that constantly giving me or the kids stuff is so stressful. It literally feels like she cares more about giving ‘stuff’ than my mental health. My life is so hectic, I don’t have time to manage toy rotations, two playrooms full of toys in addition to their bedrooms or culling old toys without her noticing, or washing the million outfits she buys that the kids will never wear. I now associate gifts with stress. I literally dread the Christmas season and can’t wait for January. Talking to her about it doesn’t seem to make a difference. DH supports me by only giving a birthday gift and a Christmas gift. We don’t do anything other than flowers for anniversary, mother’s day etc. Sorry for the tangent but I wanted to share an example of why it’s so kind to respect when people say ‘no gifts’.
lsw says
I appreciate your response!
Anonymous says
I feel the same way about Stuff. As someone else mentioned, it’s emotionally difficult for me to get rid of gifts, and clutter = stress for me. As a potential solution to holiday gifts for kids, I recently learned that my state’s 529 plans have an option for a shareable gifting link. I haven’t tried it yet, but the FAQ indicates that it’s free to use and there don’t seem to be any strings attached. I don’t mind if people want to give my kids something homemade, a small toy or a book because the kids like to unwrap things, but for family members who want to know what “big gift” to get, one of my suggestions this year will be that they consider a contribution to kiddos’ future education costs. There are a couple websites that do something similar (collegebacker is one, also have not tried it) if your state’s plan doesn’t have this feature.
Anon 1:16 says
I find that for people whose love language is gifts, they really want to give an openable physical gift – and preferably multiple large ones. Many times every thing is wrapped individually to maxmize the amount of ‘gifts’ – like literally each pair of socks when the three kids are each getting 4 pairs of socks. I’ve tried suggesting education fund contributions, museum memberships, passes for amusement parks etc but it’s always treated as though I’m rudely asking for cash handout.
Redux says
I always have my kid draw a picture, and I write “Happy Birthday, Friend! Love, my kid” on it. Serves the function of a card, and personalizes it a bit to make it feel more like a gift. Definitely do not bring a present.
Spirograph says
This is how I usually do it, too. Definitely no gifts. Anything you can tuck inside a card is acceptable. If I have a real, store-bought card, I’ll usually put a sticker sheet inside or something. I’m sure the parents hate it because stickers are the worst, but kids love them and my kids enjoy picking out stickers from our stash to give to their friends.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Please don’t bring gifts! We put a “no gifts”note on our 3 year old’s birthday party invitation but we still ended up with half the people bringing gifts. It didn’t make me like them (the parents) more, it just kind of annoyed me that we got a bunch of extra stuff (including some gift duplicates!) and I wish people would just follow the instructions. We never bring gifts to a “no gifts” party, just a card if we remember.
Pogo says
I would still bring a card, but no gift if it was explicitly stated.
Buddy Holly says
To be the counterpoint, my daughter’s best friend said “No gifts” on the invitation and EVERYONE still brought a gift. I felt really bad about it, especially considering that the girls are close. So apparently, in our social circle, the no gifts language is meaningless. Which is silly because all the kids have what they need and more.
Anonymous says
Nope nope nope. Hold firm.
Anon says
Bottle of wine for parents!
Anon says
Please don’t bring a gift. We always throw no gift parties and end up with gifts and it makes me so mad. We seriously do not want gifts. And it stresses me out to deal with the ones we get. There’s a lot of emotional baggage involved with getting rid of gifts even when you expressly asked to not get them. Maybe I’m just ungrateful but I personally find it rude to bring a gift when asked not to. You are doing the family a favor by following directions.
Anon says
Everyone who is saying it’s just about “following directions” is oversimplifying this.
There are plenty of cultures where “no gifts” is code for “give cash” or where it’s understand that everybody ignores it and the party host just says no gifts to be polite. If you know this family well and know they truly do not want gifts, yes, of course you should respect their wishes. But it’s not unreasonable to think you can’t always take a “no gifts” statement at face value. Most of the parties I attend are for my kid’s daycare classmates. I don’t know them or their parents at all and don’t know if they mean “no gifts” sincerely or not.
Anonymous says
“There’s a lot of emotional baggage involved with getting rid of gifts even when you expressly asked to not get them.”
+1 million
anon says
Cosign. Gifts honestly stress me out. I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist by any means, but I am mindful about what I bring into my house BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH LOTS OF STUFF. I just culled my kids’ toy room and felt so guilty about selling/donating stuff that the grandparents bought my kids. Even the stuff they’ve outgrown, that we truly have no use for anymore. Am I supposed to save that until *I* have grandkids? No way.
DLC says
i will often just bring a card. A light up singing card if I want to spend a little money. (My 7 year old still loves the light up singing monkey card she got for her first birthday)
If it’s close friend, I will offer to take the kid out to a museum or puppet show or something at a later date- so I feel like I’m giving a token of celebration but also not bringing more stuff into their house.
Anonymous says
Yes it is the right thing! You can even skip the scratch off, as far as i’m concerned. I wrote that on the invite for all of the birthday parties I planned, and I truly mean it- we have plenty of stuff! Just your presence required!
shortperson says
if you must do something, make a donation in the amount of $$ to a childrens charity or food bank or something in their childs name.
shortperson says
i will add that we did no gift parties that were ignored, so now we ask for diaper donations for the local food bank instead of gifts. that way people are bringing something, and we get way fewer gifts. and my kid loves coming along to donate all those diapers so she’s ok with the no gifts policy.
Sasha says
I’ve also seen an invitation soliciting donations of pet food in lieu of gifts for an animal-loving child, which was a cute idea, and all the attendees actually listened to the instruction!
Sasha says
Joining the chorus to say, if the invite says no gift, I bring no gift. I do have to shake off feelings of guilt/cheapness/awkwardness when there is nonetheless a gift table piled high with presents from others who either didn’t read the invitation closely or ignored the instruction.
I will say that my girls love getting birthday gifts, so I am happy for them to get gifts at their parties. However, in our social circle, the “no gifts” thing is becoming so common that it almost feels greedy NOT to say “no gifts.” I’ve split the difference by saying, “No gifts necessary,” rather than “Please no gifts.” The former still leaves open the possibility that we welcome gifts, but of course, as etiquette would dictate — none is required!
And as a final thought, as a parent hosting a birthday party with 20+ guests, I honestly cannot keep track of which kids attended or didn’t, let alone who brought a gift or didn’t. I always text or email a thank you to the kids’ parents once we open a given gift, but if there was no gift from a particular family, I most likely wouldn’t notice. No one is as focused on what we are doing as we ourselves are!
Anonymous says
Your splitting the difference approach is worse. Gifts are never necessary.
FP says
I say no gifts because my kids have enough things! Many people ignore instructions, and that’s fine – it’s their decision. I follow the directions if we are invited to a no gifts party and instead have my kid bring a card that they color / write in. If you REALLY have to bring something and don’t want to add a pile of toys, sometimes a $10 gift card to a local ice cream shop is a fun treat.
Redux says
Playground/ pool/ beach “go bags”
I really like the idea of having a tote ready-packed with the things we need to grab and go to the pool (or playground or beach or whatever). As it is now, it takes us 45 minutes to go anywhere, between finding the stuff, prepping the snacks/lunch, and getting the kids pottied and ready to go. Help me streamline what can be streamlined– what do you pack in your go-bag(s), and do you have different bags for different activities? Do you use a canvas bag? A rubber bin? Do you keep them in the car? Tips please!
ElisaR says
i use a mesh bag for the pool stuff! that way you can throw wet stuff in and it dries. you can get a cheap one on amazon.
Anonymous says
My pool tote has sunglasses, hats, books and magazines, sunscreen, and the pool passes. I add towels on the way out the door and use a hideous faded tote bag I got for free.
Anon says
I totally use this concept. I have a few “go bags”. For context, it’s just me, husband, and 4.5 year old son. So no need for diapers.
Pool, which is close to our house so we get ready at our house: Bag for pool toys and goggles (I got a plastic one with holes so water can drain out from target), 2nd cloth bag with 3 towels, water bottles, sunscreen, phones, keys, hat for me. Maybe some snacks if we’ll be there for a long time.
weekend: If we’re out and about, we pack a weekend bag with water bottles, sunscreen, hats, to go coffee mugs in case we decide to get coffee, light jacket for me in case the AC is blasting. I leave a change of clothes and wipes in the car at all times for my son in case he has an accident. We typically don’t carry the go bag into places. We’ll just use what’s in it. I also carry my own purse with my own incidentals. If we’ll be walking around a lot and need these things, I put them in a backpack and carry it.
Son has swim lessons once a week. That bag just has a towel, swimsuit, and goggles. I just change him back into the clothes he wore that day and we take a bath at home afterwards. The bag I use is lined with nylon which is helpful when I put his wet towel in it.
For son’s daycare – On Mondays we bring a reusable grocery bag with a blanket, sheet, pillow, and water bottle. I take all of these things home on Friday to be washed and repack the bag Sunday evening. Daycare provides lunch.
I have some hooks in the hallway by the door to my garage where I hang up all of these bags. Then I can just grab the one I need.
anne-on says
LL Bean boat and tote bag is for the pool stuff. That has backup sunblocks (stick and spray) goggles, pool toys, sunglasses, hats, and a full change of clothes for kiddo. Unfortunately snacks/clean towels/grown up change of clothes still take 5-15 minutes to put in there, plus the full slathering of sunblock. If it takes us 30 minutes or less to get out the door to the pool I’m happy.
Sports we absolutely have go bags by season (ice skating, lacrosse, etc.) and those live by the back door for ease of parent/au pair/child grabbing and stowing after those games and practices.
anon says
We use an LL Bean tote for a pool bag. We keep a few pool toys, a plastic bag with our goggles, and a couple of sunscreens that stay in the bag until they’re gone. (I’m all about having multiple sunscreen options stashed in various locations.) Pool shoes/coverups/swimsuits stay in the kids’ rooms until we’re ready to get dressed. Clean towels also stay in the tote. I put them in there IMMEDIATELY after they come out of the dryer. Snacks and water bottles don’t get filled and packed until right before we leave.
Keek says
Same, went so far as to have ours monogrammed “Pool”. Towels match the bag color and are different from the other towels in the house, so everyone knows they go back in that bag once cleaned. Lifechanging.
Buddy Holly says
We live near the beach, so in the summer I always have an umbrella, a few folding chairs, and sand toys in the back of my car (a small SUV). The sand toys go in one of those cheap reusable grocery store bags. If we go to the beach, I leave the toys out on the porch to dry, then put them back in the grocery bag in my trunk for the next time. Inside, I keep reusable ice packs in the freezer for the cooler and I have a tote bag that hangs up next to our beach hats. The tote bag has sunscreen, a hair brush, hair ties, and baby wipes in it. Going out the door, I add towels, sandals, swimsuits, and cover ups or spare clothes, as needed.
Anonymous says
Family pool go bag is a giant free reusable bag of unknown provenance, lives in the closet by the front door (along with a plastic drawer full of hats, so it’s easy to throw one of those in on our way out) during the summer, and includes
-puddle jumpers
-goggles
-sunscreen
-pool toys
When we get home, I hang the puddle jumper(s) outside to dry, then put them back in the bag.
Our pool towels are in constant rotation at the moment because one kid is at swim camp and the other two have pool time 2x per week at daycare, so for family trips to the pool I just grab towels from the laundry room on our way out the door. I fill water bottles and add snacks before we leave, so that still adds 5 min, plus 5 more for initial sunscreen application. We wear our swimsuits to and from the pool because it’s <5 min away and too much bother to deal with locker rooms. (For school/camp, each kid has a swim bag, and a pair of goggles – we have lots of goggles – just lives in there. Kids wear swimsuits to school/camp in the morning and are responsible for packing their clothes to change into afterward. I make sure the towel gets in there the night before.)
For everyday: I keep a bag with seasonal accessories in the trunk of my car. In the winter it has hats and gloves/mittens for everyone. In the summer it has baseball/sun hats and a couple sweatshirts for overzealous AC or chilly nights. I keep sunscreen in the cool box (yay, minivan!) because we have street parking in the sun and hot, melted sunscreen is the worst. Bug spray lives in the linen closet around the corner from our front door, and I grab that if we'll be out in the evening. I have a stash of extra sunscreen and bugspray/bug wipes in a box in the laundry room labeled "Summer" so we never have to waste time searching if the current bottle wanders off.
We have sports-specific go bags during the season, and those live in the basement laundry room.
anon says
Why have I never thought of using the cool box for sunscreen? Brilliant!
Sasha says
My swimming go bag has: my swimsuit and cover up, and a swimsuit for each of my two children. The pool we go to provides towels and has snacks/drinks available for purchase, so it makes prep very simple. I used to pack their cover ups and swim shoes, but now I’m fine with them walking in the parking lot with their bare feet and sitting in their car seats with their damp swimsuits. They’ll survive.
If we use the go bag, that night I’ll take it inside and put the street clothes we changed out of into the laundry then restock the bag with three dry swimsuits (I have about five swimsuits for each kid, and they can share, so it ends up being cumulatively about ten that can be in various stages of drying/in the laundry/ready at any given time.)
CPA Lady says
I have an LL Bean boat & tote. I keep a zipper bag with coins in it for the snack bar, goggles, sunscreen, my hat, a bunch of cheapy pairs of sunglasses, pool passes, a couple bags of snacks (those rice cake cracker thingies). I have an organizer in my trunk where I keep the puddle jumper and extra towels. The pool noodles live in my trunk too during the summer.
CPA Lady says
The pool is a few streets over from my house, but in a non-walkable neighborhood, so we just wear our swimsuits in the car and don’t change until we get home. I use one of those pee pad things to keep my daughter’s carseat from getting wet. It lives in the trunk organizer too.
EB0220 says
I use a Longchamps Le Pliage with a broken zipper. Hilariously enough, I always thought it was called “La Plage” aka “the beach”. French fail.
Anonymous says
LL Bean for casual dresses—love them? Hate them? How do they run?
I’m in desperate need of a wardrobe refresh! Particularly interested in their sleeveless summer dresses.
Thanks!
Buddy Holly says
I usually hate how LL Bean clothes fit me but I ordered two dresses on sale this year and have been happy with them. One is a black cotton maxi dress and the other is a short empire waist dress with a blue pattern. Both are cotton and easy to clean and wear. I have not tried the sleeveless but based on my experience with the two cotton dresses I would be willing to try it. I think their stuff fits boxy, though, so don’t expect a super fitted look
Anon says
I prefer the fit of Land’s End to LL Bean. Love the LE knit fit and flare dresses (especially when I can find the elbow length sleeve ones).
IHeartBacon says
This belt is exactly what I need! As unattractive as it it, I think I’m going to buy it.
anon says
Strongly considering it, too. I have wide hips but not much of a butt. The slippage issue is real.
Coach Laura says
I bought one from a different brand but from amazon too. It works well and solved the problem of too-large pants (after unexpected weight loss) that I didn’t want to have to replace.
Jeffiner says
I got one to wear on a long flight, and I’ve ended up wearing it all the time. Its very comfortable on the weekends when I’m moving a lot playing with kids. Its also perfect for work pants by laying flat under un-tucked blouses. It was also very comfortable on the flight, and I didn’t have to take it off to go through security.
EB0220 says
I have a similar one and I love it.
June says
Need some advice on planning/timing for a second child.
My firstborn is going to be 2 in September and I’ve finally come to the point where I think I’m ready to have another baby. Ideally, I would like them to be 3 years apart so the first is more self sufficient and potty trained, and also, I enjoyed having maternity leave in the fall/over the holidays and don’t think I would enjoy maternity leave in the summer (being stuck inside). But I’d also like the second to make the September 30 school cutoff so they would be 3 years apart in school.
I had no trouble conceiving with the first and have no history of miscarriages, but obviously, that may not be the case with the second. Should I start trying early at the risk of having a summer baby and having them closer together in age, or wait to try and risk having an october/november baby that wouldn’t make the cutoff?
Also, what are some bucket list items to do before going from a family of 3 to a family of 4?
June says
Also, I was a preemie, my brother was a preemie and by son was 5 weeks early, so that’s something I am also factoring in to when I TTC. I am definitely more likely to have an early baby than a late baby. Not sure if anyone here has experience with having multiple preemies.
EP-er says
Not sure what your question is, but I had two preemies, 31 wks & 35 weeks (with medication to prevent preterm labor.) We elected not roll the dice on a third NICU baby. That said, kids ended up being 4 years apart — a little father than I was hoping for but really, it is quite nice so far! They get along well & play well together.
I did not try to time my babies’ birthdays because of school cut offs or whatnot — for me, you get pregnant when you get get pregnant, hope you don’t have another miscarriage, and they come when they come. There’s just so little control, even though we like to have the illusion of it.
Anonymous says
I don’t have much advice on timing – but I know anecdotally a lot of people don’t love have a child be the youngest in a class (vs the oldest). DH and I were both very young for our classes and found the social issues in elementary school hard to navigate. Not so much middle school/high school. But I’m also glad my mom didn’t hold me back (which we actually asked me about since it was such an issue in Kindergarten) so I’m not a year “behind” in my life. In general I don’t think there’s a bad time for a baby. There’s def. a lot of self-sufficiency that develops from 2-3, but child may still regress in potty training when new sibling arrives
We’ll be going from a family of 3 to 4 in a week (DD is 2.5). We took a beach trip together this year and we’ve done a lot of local adventures that will be doable, but a little trickier, with a baby. Petting zoo, National Zoo, hikes in the backpack, etc…Something simple we enjoy is nightly walks with her this summer (where she walks, not in the stroller).
Anon says
As a counterpoint, a lot of kids who are advanced academically do better as the youngest than the oldest. If they’re the oldest, they’ll get really bored and there will be more pressure to skip a grade (which is a mistake for most people, I think). I was older for my grade and ended up skipping a grade, which then meant I was the absolute youngest (as opposed to just one of the younger kids) and also the weird new kid, which was much harder socially. I think if I’d been young for my class, I would have been more challenged academically and there wouldn’t have been as much pressure to skip. A couple of my close friends have similar stories. To the extent I could have chosen, I would have chosen our kids’ birthdays to be just before the school cutoff (it didn’t work out that way, but they’re not the oldest either, at least).
June says
I have the same experience. I was a September baby, youngest for my class, and was always bored in class and started college early. My mom red-shirted my August brother and he then had to skip a grade. So for now I’m counting on not red-shirting but I really don’t know until the time comes. It did suck being the last to get a driver’s license and turn 21.
Anonymous says
Thanks for this. My boys are bright and near the end of the cut off. They don’t like being almost the youngest in their classes but this makes me think it is a good thing.
Anon says
I know this is not what you want to hear and this is coming from a super type A planner but you should start trying knowing you could get pregnant the first month you try, but that you also might not and it might take longer. That saying we plan and god laughs tends to be especially true when it comes to family planning.
My kids have late spring birthdays which is my bday as well. Where I grew up my bday was the middle of the year bc the cutoff was Dec 31 but where i live now the cutoff is in August, so my kids will be on the later side. While you might have no plans to move – you have no idea where life might take you or your school district could change the cutoff. You have no idea. My main point is that you can try to plan all you want, but this is not something fully in your control.
Nan says
Honestly, I think you’re over-thinking this! This is one area where it’s really impossible to plan when it’s going to happen. You might get pregnant right away, so don’t start trying until you’re prepared for that fact. But obsessing over the right time for mat leave and the school cutoff is a little silly in my view given that it can be totally normal for TTC to take up to 6 months or a year even if nothing is wrong.
Anon says
Agreed.
June says
I understand. I’m just saying my ideal would be 3 years apart; aug/sept baby again, but since there’s probably a slim chance of getting the exact timing I want, is it better to have the kids closer or further apart? More looking for feedback on spacing kids 2.5 years v 3.5 years and if anyone has a strong preference for timing of maternity leave.
I love being in the heat and sun all summer and also don’t mind being a hermit in the fall/winter, but maybe someone has a good reason for wanting a summer maternity leave?
Missing the school cutoff means they won’t be in high school together and another year of daycare costs. So with that in mind, maybe I’m convincing myself to try sooner rather than later.
Nan says
If having them in school together is important to you, I’d start trying sooner rather than later. I’ve give up on trying to plan the ideal season for mat leave.
Anon2 says
2.5 years will be harder for the first year; 2 is still such a baby and so needy. That said, you may be glad that they are “closer” once you hit the 1.5 year mark or so and start to be little buddies who can play together. My kids are 25 months apart and wooow was it tough to parent the older one like he needed – in my mind he was now a “big kid” and I regret I didn’t have as much patience for him as I should have. I’m aiming for a 3 year gap for my next one. Honestly, I think it will be just fine either way. If you are feeling antsy to start TTC, I’d say go for it, instead of holding out for an arbitrary date in your mind.
June says
Thank you, this is helpful! yes, I’m wondering if my first will benefit from being an only a little longer, but on the flip side, as time goes on the closer gap may be better.
Anon says
This. We got pregnant the first time around on the second try. Trying for #2 now and it’s been 7 months so far with no luck. My planned “end of year” maternity leave I had hoped for like last time is a lost dream (unless it takes another 4-5 months and then it’ll be perfectly timed again (and our kids will be 3 years apart rather than 2)).
Boston Legal Eagle says
There are so many things you can’t control here that I would just start TTC when you’re ready to have a baby in 9 months. It could be instant or it could take a while. The only birthday I might avoid is around Christmas/end of year, but lots of kids are born then and are perfectly fine, so I would try not to put too much pressure on yourself for having the perfect birthday. I personally like my summer birthday so summer seems great for a baby!
anon says
Summer mat leave was nice for us, early July baby. We were stuck inside for a few weeks due to heat, but I’d rather that than worrying about bundling up a newborn in the winter and cold/flu season. What was really nice was having Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays so soon after returning to work in early October, made going back a little easier because I had time off to look forward to.
Also being the most pregnant in May/June seemed perfect because I could only wear open-toe shoes with my swelling feet, didn’t need a maternity coat, and it wasn’t so unbearably hot yet.
Anon says
Agree with this – I had a January baby and because of cold/flu the ped recommended avoiding enclosed public spaces until her 2 month vaccines. It isn’t warm enough to spend time outside in my area until late March/early April at the earliest, so that meant we basically didn’t leave our house for two months. Summer is hot, yes, but at least you can go walk around the mall or something. Plus it’s usually nice after sunset (when my newborn was always screaming) and it would have been really nice to be able to do walks to calm her down.
I didn’t think maternity winter clothing was a big deal (I ran super hot so I usually just wore a regular coat unbuttoned) but I did really worry about falling on the snow and ice. On the other hand, I used the treacherous conditions outside as an excuse to WFH a lot at the end of pregnancy, which was very nice!
There are good and bad things about all seasons for sure.
anon says
I say this gently, but I think you need to release the idea of a perfect month of season to have baby #2. You’re kind of setting yourself up for a lot of unnecessary stress and worry, particularly if it takes a while to conceive. Which can happen, even if you already have a kid. Ask me how I know.
SBJ says
To comment on the preemie question: my first was also 5 weeks early. For my second, I had a lot of extra scans in my second trimester to determine my risk of preterm labor (looking at cerv!x length specifically)-I think it was once every two weeks from ~week 16-24 or something like that. I was also prescribed Makena (a progesterone formulation) labeled to prevent preterm labor. Ultimately I was induced at 39.5 weeks. One thing to note: Makena recently failed a confirmatory trial testing if it’s better than placebo in preventing preterm labor. There’s also some research that suggests it can promote gestational diabetes (which I had with #2). If I were to have a third pregnancy, I would be grilling my OB about whether or not it made sense given the new data, especially if the scans showed a low risk of preterm labor.
As for bucket list: napping while your kiddo naps, enjoying how easy it is for one parent to manage the kid while the other one takes a break. I often felt like we had to do everything as a family when there were 3 of us. Now I wish I’d been better about enjoying the fact that one parent could have downtime. With four, you’re generally always on, at least in the beginning.
ALC says
How long did you have cramping after a cervical check? Had (my first) one this morning and have been on and off cramping since. Not really getting worse, but hasn’t gone away. Thanks!
Anonymous says
It’s usually 24hrs for me with pink discharge that changes to brown (old blood). The first time I bled after one I was so freaked out, but the nurse actually laughed and was like oh no that’s normal.
anon says
You can refuse cervical checks. I never had one until I got to the hospital when I was in labor (at a 6), though I only had to refuse one because I gave birth at 38 weeks. My OB’s office said they wouldn’t really try and persuade me to get checked until after 40 weeks.
Anon says
+1 My OB did one at 36 or 37 weeks. I found it quite uncomfortable because the baby had dropped but my cervix was still high & posterior so she had to do a lot of digging. I told her I didn’t want any more and she respected that. I didn’t have another one until I was in the hospital being induced. That was one excruciatingly painful and I bled all over the place, but I later found out it was because the doctor on call not only did a check but also stripped my membranes without telling me/asking for permission. I’m still mad about that, since I really did NOT want that done because of the risk of infection (fortunately baby and I were fine).
Pumping with older baby says
For those that have continued breastfeeding past one year, at what point did you start cutting back on pumping at work? I have an 11 month old and am still doing 3x a day. I don’t want to wean yet but wonder if 3x a day is really necessary at this point.
DLC says
I nursed til 25 months but stopped pumping at 13 months. After the first year, I was mostly nursing in the morning and at night and on demand whenever my kid wanted (which ended up being 2-3 times at random points throughout the day- I think he was mostly comfort nursing.)
no pump says
+1 this is exactly what I did. weaning now at 25 months
Anon says
I’m a weirdo in that I’m doing extended BFing but never did much pumping at work. I went back to work at 4 months and pumped once/day (made up the difference with formula) until maybe 7 months when my supply dropped a lot (due to other health issues) and I stopped pumping at work completely. We switched to 100% formula during the workday at that point, although I continued BFing a lot in the morning, evenings and weekends until about a year. Around a year we started gradually dropping nursing sessions. She’s 16, almost 17, months now and I’m typically down to one nursing session/day, but when she’s sick she will nurse more.
I definitely don’t think multiple workday pumping sessions is necessary at 11 months, and would start dropping them gradually.
Anonymous says
YMMV but it’s super common in Canada to not pump at all during the day when we go back to work at 12 months. Half the lawyers I worked with are moms and I don’t know anyone who has pumped at work. Most moms I know were about to continue to BF a couple times a day for another 6 mths (or more if they wanted) without pumping during the day.
Dropping all three pumps at once would cause your supply to dive but I’d expect you can cut back to once a day over the course of the next month and then drop thereafter if you want.
And pat yourself on the back for pumping 3x a day until 11 months, that’s an amazing accomplishment!
Lana Del Raygun says
idyllic tbh, I should move
Anon says
I dropped to 2x a day at 9 months and 1x-stopping at 10 months when DD started refusing pumped milk. She reverse cycled for a month and then we switched to WCM at 11 months with ped’s blessing and continued evening and morning nursing until I (finally!) succeeded at weaning her at 17 months. I was so, so glad to quit pumping by that point!
anon says
I stopped at 11 months, when I had enough freezer stock to make it to 12 months. After that we did sippies of milk, but continued nursing morning and night for a few more months.
lsw says
+1, I did this exactly.
IP Attorney says
This! Same – stopped nursing at 13 months but definitely stopped pumping at 11 months.
Anonymous says
I stopped pumping at 13 months and kept nursing at home (mostly just morning and night, and then later only at night) for another year.
GCA says
With my first I went to 2x/ day at 10 months and stopped pumping at 13 months; he was transitioning to cow’s milk at daycare. Continued bfing till 18 or 19 months. I traveled for work when he was 16 months and was surprised how much I had to pump (once in the morning, once at night) to relieve pressure and how much I produced from doing so.
Redux says
Anyone have a good family-friendly hotel recommendation in midtown manhattan?
Anon says
What do you mean by family-friendly? I can’t think of any hotels in Midtown that don’t allow or aren’t welcoming to families. If you’re looking for more of an apartment-like setup, with a full kitchen and separate bedrooms, we stay in Affinia Hotels when we go to NYC. The one we stay at is at 64th & 3rd but I think they have one in the high 40s or low 50s. It’s not an especially fancy place and I don’t think that much of the staff, but it’s clean and comfortable and you get a lot of space for your money, especially for NYC.
Redux says
Oh I have definitely stayed in places that are not welcoming to families! (though none that disallow them– that would be illegal in NY). I’ve definitely had places that cater to business travelers who give the side eye when you show up in the hotel restaurant or pool with kids!
I will check out Affinia, thanks!
Anon says
Why would it be illegal? Age discrimination? There are definitely adults-only hotels in New York state, but I don’t know of any in the city.
Redux says
Familial status discrimination in public accommodations. I think this is covered in the NYC Human Rights Law, but I could be wrong!
shortperson says
rooms at the benjamin all have kitchenettes and fridges. (and pillow menus)