CorporetteMoms

Updated: Nov 10, 2022 80 Comments · by

Family Friday: Appliqué Tulle Top

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Pink Tulle Top with pink stars design

It’s almost party season! While my oldest isn’t into dresses anymore, she still wants something festive and fun for gatherings with family and friends.

This fluttery tulle top is scattered with colorful appliqué stars. It’s made from 100% cotton, including the lining. Just add bright leggings or a shimmery skirt and tights for a fresh, celebratory look.

This Appliqué Tulle Top from Boden is $40 and available in sizes 2-3y to 11-12y. In addition to the pictured pink, it also comes in blue with appliqué hearts.

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

About Ann

Ann is a working mom, a longtime reader of Corporette and CorporetteMoms, and has been writing our morning fashion advice for working moms since November 2020! She has a daughter (born winter 2014) and a son (born fall 2019) and is a public interest lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Comments

  1. Anon says

    Another gift question. Santa is planning to bring my almost 4 year old either a Tonie or Yoto speaker for Christmas. I’m leaning toward the yoto due to the per story costs for the Tonie. Looking for feedback on either! TIA

    • Anon2 says

      We love our Toniebox, but IMO it’s best for ages 0-5/6, and the sweet spot is toddler and young preschoolers because it’s easy for them to choose their own content (my 1.5 yo plays music all day and switches the Tonies on his own). It also seems better for music; the available stories are typically short stories vs kids novels, but they do make blank Tonies to which you can add any content you want.

      We don’t have a Yoto, but if I were getting something for an older kid/longevity I would probably get that. I think they are more portable, too (eg in the car) since the Tonies fall off when jostled.

    • Anon says

      We love our Yoto player. We bought it for my daughter when she turned 4 and she still uses it daily a year later. There’s music streaming/podcasts with kid-friendly content, so you don’t have to keep buying cards. We did sign up for the card club which is a good value for the # of cards you get, though. Highly, highly recommend it. We’ll be buying a second for my son when he’s a little older.

    • Lily says

      We have 2 tonie boxes for our 4 and 1.5 year old girls. I think the figurines are so cute, and they look forward to getting new ones as little gifts throughout the year. The younger one also enjoyed just playing with the figurines before she was really interested in playing the music/stories.

  2. anon says

    Tops like this ends up looking very “drowned rat” after just one wash. They don’t seem to hold their shape or continue to look as expensive as they are. The appliques get lumpy or frayed and can’t be ironed with the tulle. Hard pass from me.

    • Spirograph says

      They’re so cute, but you’re right that tulle + appliques is a tough combo in the wash. I love the look of so many Boden girls clothes, but I just don’t have time in my life for kids clothes that require any care more special than getting thrown in mixed loads of laundry on cold and then in the dryer. (I clicked through to the Boden s1te and my daughter would kill for that gold dress + tulle cape)

  3. Flying while 30 weeks pregnant says

    I have a short, overnight work trip next week (US domestic travel) and I’m 30 weeks pregnant. I didn’t think to get a note from my doctor to show the airlines if needed. Do you think it’ll be necessary?

    • Pogo says

      I highly doubt it. They may ask and you can say you are 30 weeks. I think they just don’t want people who are past 36, and the doctor’s note is to certify that.

    • TheElms says

      No, I wouldn’t think so. I flew internationally at 30 weeks with my first and didn’t need to show anything and I’m short and carried pretty large. If you want to be extra cautious, do you have anything that shows your due date from the doctor? If so, you could put that in your bag or have a screenshot on your phone.

    • Atlien says

      No. Flew to Europe at 32 weeks, no note (Delta). Just drink water and wear compression socks

    • Anon. says

      Nope. I did frequent business travel up til 36 weeks with both pregnancies and was never once asked for anything.

  4. Anonymous says

    Did we ever get a solution for the disappearing comments? It says 6 comments at the top but I only see 3. Using an iPhone and safari, if that matters.

    • Anon says

      Same. They seem to be showing up pretty fast now though. They used to sometimes disappear for hours and now it’s more like 5-10 minutes.

  5. Compression socks? says

    To spin off the flying question, I’m in my 3rd trimester and need compression socks for a couple trips. Any specific recommendations of good brands? Hoping for something easy to order online (eg. target, Amazon)

  6. anon says

    WWYD? My MIL/SIL watch my one year old one day per week. Baby attends daycare the other 4 days. Baby care is too much for MIL, which is why I think SIL always comes too. (SIL works part time and I think she recognizes that baby care is too much for her mom to handle solo, but doesn’t want to say anything).
    I WFH and have noticed that my MIL is rough with her. I don’t think it’s intentional, I think she does not have the muscle strength to carry a 20 pound infant. For example, I saw her carrying baby by the arms awkwardly and trying to use her stomach to balance her. She also dropped her in the pack and play kind of roughly. Again, not intentionally but more like she couldn’t hold baby anymore and just kind of dropped her when she was close to the floor.
    Would you say anything to her in the moment? Something to my husband about how I noticed it? MIL desperately wants to babysit a LOT and would be really upset if we eliminated “her” day. I want to be tactful but also keep my child safe. I’m not sure if this problem will improve or worsen when baby starts walking independently.

    • Anonymous says

      Nope nope nope. Put your baby in day care on that 5th day and visit more. She’s not capable so she can’t and it’s not a discussion.

      • Anonymous says

        Harsh, but this was also my reaction. If she can’t physically lift/carry her, this is only going to get harder and become more dangerous for both of them. Find care for your daughter and invite grandma over every weekend. This is what we did with my mom too. I know it isn’t easy but you need to keep both of them safe: what if your MIL fell and broke something?

        • Anon says

          Sorry, but agreed. This will just get worse as the baby gets older, because they will be much bigger and wigglier but definitely still need picking up at times for years to come. And it’s not just the strength issue, that combined with the competency to a level that your SIL needs to come every time??
          Your baby’s needs and safety trumps you MILs wishes and feelings. Sorry, that sucks.
          Can you come up with a white lie? Like maybe daycare decided they will only allow kids in 5 day full time care for monetary reasons (which is actually true for a lot of daycares)?

        • Aunt Jamesina says

          Yes, and your husband needs to be the one to do it unless he absolutely refuses. Safety and well-being of your child comes first, no matter MILs feelings. This sucks but it won’t be the last time your kid will need you to speak up for them. It’s also unfair to your SIL who did not sign up for this.

          My MIL has back issues and we don’t leave my 10 month old alone with her after seeing her avoid picking her up when she was born. I know she’s envious that my mom watches our kid one day per week, but we just invite MIL over to hang out with us frequently.

    • An.On. says

      Is it a problem with grip strength or arm strength? I.e., is she having trouble holding onto baby, or is it a problem holding baby up for longer periods of time? I would talk with your spouse first about whether and how to raise the subject, and then come up with solutions.

      FWIW, mine (1.5) started walking a few months ago, and we’re still doing a lot of short distance carrying (in and out of bed, highchair, bath, etc), but kid will frequently ask to be put down now that they’re pretty steady on their feet and have developed Opinions.

      • Anonymous says

        Some of those Opinions include being carried as a 43 lb 4 year old, FYI.

    • anon says

      Children only get harder to handle as they become bigger and mobile. I’d get a 5th day of daycare ASAP and limit MIL to fun visits.

      I’m team prioritize child’s needs and adult wants are very much secondary.

    • Anon says

      I’ll dissent and say I don’t really think this is a huge safety issue. Not being able to carry a child is mainly an inconvenience to the caregiver (e.g., they’re at the park, kid throws a tantrum about not wanting to go and MIL can’t carry her home and has to wait out the tantrum). Inconvenient, yes; dangerous, no. The only situation in which I think a child has to be carried for safety reasons is like if the house is on fire or something, and since SIL is always present when she babysits I wouldn’t worry about a true emergency like that. I’m also not sure I agree kids get harder to handle as they get older. Emotionally, yes, but physically things got a lot easier for me when my kid started walking (giant baby, and walked late, so it was a real physical struggle to be carrying her everywhere by the end).

      Full disclosure – my 5 year old is still giant for her age and my very capable parents who babysit for us all the time (including overnights and vacations) can’t lift her. I can barely lift her. Sort of, if she’s cooperating. Not at all if she’s fighting. My super athletic husband can carry her when she’s mad but estimates he probably only has another year or so before it becomes too difficult even for him. There comes a point at which not being able to lift your child is inevitable for every caregiver. I realize 5 year olds and 1 year olds are very different in their ability to understand and follow directions, but 5 year olds are definitely not always great at it (ahem, had to literally drag my child out of daycare yesterday). Personally with another adult always present I wouldn’t be worried about this. I would probably be hesitant to have her babysit alone.

      • Anonymous says

        I disagree on the safety issue. With preschoolers, you absolutely need to be able to chase them down and pick them up if they try to run into the street, etc. If you try to hold them by the arm while they are struggling you can actually dislocate their elbow. OP’s MIL cannot even pick up a 1-year-old and put her into the playpen without dropping her. It’s only going to get more dangerous as the baby gets older and stronger.

        • Anon says

          I agree about needing to be able chase after and restrain a child, but I think that’s an entirely separate issue than lifting. It’s certainly possible MIL has problems with both, but the OP didn’t mention it. As I noted, I can’t really lift my child anymore but I can still restrain her.

          • Anon says

            Easily? Hold onto their body or sort of wrap them in a bear hug to prevent them from moving. There’s no lifting motion at all.

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      It will get worse as kid becomes a toddler. Babies around 4-9 months are some of the easiest to care for, as they’re able to keep their heads up and sit up usually, and are immobile (and don’t have opinions). Toddlers often yell no loudly, are bigger, but still need to be carried around (and be chased after!) MIL can be close to baby without being the primary caregiver.

    • Anon says

      Nope. It’s a safety issue.

      Our daughter just turned 2, and no grandparents live locally, but my mom will frequently take over childcare while they’re visiting. However, our daughter is off the charts for size (she’s the size of an average 4 year old girl), and my mom can’t lift her in and out of crib or carry her for more than a few seconds, so they never watch her alone. My husband or I are always home to do the lifting (she’s been walking since 9 months but still in crib, high chair, needs diaper changes etc., so lifting still has to happen).

      This is why, when we have our 2nd child in a few months, my parents will stay at the house in case of overnight emergency, but our nanny will do all childcare during waking hours. My mom can’t do 100% and that’s okay (and she’s also not offended, though). It’s not worth risking an injury to her or our daughter, or the stress.

    • Anon says

      I would privately talk to you SIL and see if she can take over lifting, etc. Honestly I used to do the same thing before I had kids – I’d always babysit with my mom because she wasn’t really capable fo caring for a child despite her desire to babysit. There is another capable adult there, she just needs to be a little more forceful.

      • anon says

        I don’t think it’s totally fair to put this on the SIL. Who knows, maybe the SIL has already tried this and the MIL isn’t having it! OP, I’m sorry to say, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with this situation at all.

    • EB says

      This comment may be too late, but I want to add something that hasn’t been mentioned. My kids are older now, but when my oldest was an infant, my MIL did something very dangerous while she was watching him that if not caught could have resulted in very tragic circumstances. I decided after that that she was not competent to watch him anymore and never left her alone with him again. However, my opinion of her was forever changed after that incident and I never got over it (even though he was completely fine). I have resented her ever since, which is sad to me. So…I would not allow your MIL to babysit like this anymore for two reasons – the first being that she is showing signs of not being competent and it only takes one little incident and the second being that you will forever regret not taking action sooner if something does happen.

    • Celia says

      Your MIL is going to injure herself. You are doing her no favors if she ends up with a hurt back, and especially if that hurt back is accompanied by an injured grandchild. Sometimes we have to be the adults in the room for our aging parents.

  7. Isabella says

    LB is 8 month old, I’m still EBF and no period. We are hoping for a second, and my doctor says the sooner the better, but she’s (appropriately) only talking about maternal medical concerns, not the whole picture.

    I know EBF isn’t for everyone, but it’s been great for our family and I am very conflicted about introducing formula now. My ideal would be tandem nursing 2 under 2, but my body says it won’t do that. Do I wait for the situation to settle naturally, knowing it might mean one-and-done? Do I try to cut down on BF? Do I lean in on pumping a freezer stash for awhile and then wean quickly? WWYD?

    • Anon says

      How old are you? Unless you’re pushing 40 I’m surprised your doctor encouraged you to space your kids very close together. Generally a longer spacing is better for the mother’s body (my doctor recommended 18 months from birth to conception as “ideal” at least as far as the mother’s body is concerned) and I’m not sure why you’d think waiting another few months to TTC would make you one and done.

      • AIMS says

        This. Also 8 months PP and no period is kind of just normal? You may get your period before you wean – I did. You may even get pregnant without getting your period – I know several “surprise” babies that way.

        • SC says

          I know 2 women who got pregnant before their period returned. And my dad and his brother are only 11 months apart, so I’ll count that as a 3rd.

        • Anon says

          Yeah I think it’s pretty common to get it back in the 8-11 month window when solid food consumption typically ramps up and breastmilk consumption goes down. I know a number of women who nursed well beyond a year but all of us had our periods back before we weaned. Nursing after a year is typically more about comfort than nourishment.

          • Anon says

            +1. Mine came back both times between 9-10 months. Is the baby sleeping through the night and eating people food? If so, it probably won’t be that much longer.

        • Spirograph says

          Yeah, just as more anecdata, my period came back around 9-10 months PP with each of my kids, and I got pregnant again each time around a year pp. I have a friend who had her first child in her late 30s and still nursed through her second pregnancy. It’s totally possible, but every body is different.

      • Isabella says

        Yes, I’m very late 30s and have known fertility issues. I 100% trust my doctor on the medical questions.

        • Anon says

          In that case if you want a second child I’d follow your doctor’s advice and wean asap. That context about your age and know fertility issues is very important.

    • Anonymous says

      If I wanted a baby and my doctor said time was of the essence I’d wean tomorrow.

      • anon says

        +1. and in fact I was in this situation and it was not even a question for me; I weaned and got pregnant about five months later. It was more important for me to give my child a sibling than to BF for a year. YMMV of course.

    • Anon says

      Is your plan to try and nurse for a year and then switch to cow’s milk, or nurse as long as possible?

      If the former, I’d just wait the 4 months and then start weaning. If the latter, and time is a factor in attempts to conceive a second, then it sounds like you need to think about what is more important to you – EBF as long as possible or having more than 2 child?

      FWIW, I EBF and my period returned at 9 months. Supply dwindled after that but had enough of a freezer stash from early oversupply (and baby also LOVED solids once she started, so drank less and less breastmilk) that we still made it to almost 14 months before weaning, no formula needed. Our plan was to wean around then since for us, children come via IVF, so I needed a few months for my body to reset before we started our next transfer cycle.

    • Anon says

      It’s hard to say; some women don’t get their period back until they wean entirely, others have a natural time when it comes back whether they are nursing a ton or a little (my period came back at 14+ months postpartum with all three of my kids while I was still nursing variable amounts).

      Personally, I would not rush it because nursing is very special to me (and sounds like to you, too) AND I would hate to be pregnancy sick while caring for an infant. Maybe you could start to wean at 12 months, and give more table foods/cow milk as you decrease breast milk?

      [Also, two under two is tough; my first two are 25 months apart and even that made me feel like I couldn’t give either kid proper attention and was constantly frustrated with my toddler acting like a toddler. Not to say it can’t be done or that you don’t have important reasons to try that…but you asked for opinions and I wouldn’t plan two under two.]

    • SC says

      This is a very personal question, and I don’t think anyone can decide this for you. But, given your doctor’s advice and your apparent desire for a 2nd child, I’d probably compromise and wean/switch to cows’ milk at 12 months so you can TTC. At that point, babies are getting a larger percentage of their calories from foods other than breastmilk/formula/milk, so it may be easier to transition when you’re not the sole or even main source of nutrition.

    • Anonymous says

      One of your questions suggests that you need to figure out which is most important to you: having another child quickly or EBF the first until age 2.

      • Anon says

        Is it even EBFing if they’re having solid food? I thought that term only applied to children under six months who only consume breastmilk. Once they’re eating solids, it’s just breastfeeding. There’s nothing “exclusive” about it.

        • Anon says

          +1 Though I agree that extended breastfeeding vs another baby is the decision to make. My non-medical opinion is that waiting four months until baby is 1 is a good compromise, and many women’s periods come back between 9-12 naturally so maybe it won’t even be a decision by then!

        • HSAL says

          Yes, that was going to be my comment – if it helps with the mental block of saying you’re EBF, you’re not anymore. Introducing formula isn’t that different from introducing any other food. You might still be able to nurse, just not as much.

        • Isabella says

          At this age if I cut back on BF he would need formula. So yes, I think there is still a choice between feeding styles even though we’re introducing some solids.

          • Anon says

            I guess I don’t view formula any differently than solids or cows milk, which most breastfed kids start having by 6 months and 12 months respectively. Formula isn’t toxic, it just doesn’t have the same benefits as breastmilk. Using the term “exclusive breastfeeding” as a way to indicate you’re zero formula when your kid eats solids and/or cow milk seems silly.

      • Anonymous says

        I got my period back at 6 weeks PP while breastfeeding exclusively. I was also able to keep nursing some for another year after I stopped pumping. It’s really hard to predict how individual bodies are going to react, so I think OP needs to decide which is more important to her – breastfeeding longer or conceiving. In hindsight, the amount of time I breastfed is not a big deal to me, but maybe it would be if I’d had to cut it shorter. It is still hard for me to imagine I would care more about that than whether I had a 2nd baby though.

        • SC says

          +1. I have a 7 year old. I exclusively used breastmilk until 5-6 months, then used a combination, then used formula only until 12 months. I can’t even tell you exactly when I introduced formula, when I lost supply, and when we ran out of the freezer stash. It’s all a bit hazy. Big picture, these types of decisions are monumentally less important than the size of your family.

          I suggested above that you compromise at weaning at 1 year. But if time is really of the essence, I change my mind and say go for it now.

    • Anon says

      I know this doesn’t work for everyone but before you quit cold turkey I would at least try combo feeding and giving baby formula during the work day. My period came back as soon as I did that around 7 months, but I was able to continue morning/evening/weekend nursing until 18 months (and only quit then because my child decided she was done).

    • Bette says

      Just one more data point for you – my period came back around the same time my kid’s teeth came in and he started actually eating more solids successfully. I want to say around 8 or 9 months? I continued to BF until around 15 months. So maybe if you’ve already introduced solids, you could try to lean into that more and upping his solid intake? Based on this thread it sounds like there’s a very wide range. Ultimately you might have to decide what’s more important to you, BF goals or a second child. Also your child may decide to wean from you at some point before two anyway… all of parenting is just an illusion of control :)

    • Pogo says

      I’m assuming you have some ART treatments involved? I know they usually want you weaned for 6mos at least for those. I would plan to wean around 10mos and intro formula then (which I did w/ both my kids, because I wanted to stop pumping at work; I was able to keep bf’ing morning and night but in your case, you would cut that down) and plan to be done around 12mos; many kids self-wean then and yours might surprise you! If not, that’s only 4 mos from now anyway, I don’t see much of a difference in waiting unless you’re talking about delaying treatment for your own health condition (like cancer) that 4mos really could be life or death.

      If you were picturing bf’ing your little one until they’re 3, then yeah, I don’t think that will happen with the timeline you’re talking about if you already know you need to wean to TTC.

  8. Anonymous says

    Low stakes question, but Google is failing me – are there any letter magnets that aren’t choking hazards? It’s hard to tell from online pictures if the actual magnets are enclosed. Bonus if the set has multiples of some letters so kiddo can see her name spelled out.

    Related – any stocking stuffer ideas for a 2ish-year-old who’s gotten very into letters lately?

  9. Anon says

    My daughter is wrapping up a session of dance class soon – the first extracurricular she’s actually finished, lol. Do we get a gift for the teacher? Is $25 Target gift card about right? LCOL area if it matters. I like the teacher a lot, she seems great with the kids and has been very proactive about reporting the cute/well-behaved things the kids do to the parents which I like because so often teachers only talk to parents if there’s a problem.

    • Anon says

      No. You could have daughter draw a picture and write her a kind note if you want to do something

      • Anonymous says

        This is the answer. I give big at day care but IMO it would be weird to give at an extracurricular because they’re already charging me out the ying yang. From fees to uniforms to competitions, they should be giving me a gc.

        • Anon says

          I’m not sure I understand this logic. This was like a $50 class at the Y and there’s no recital or competitions so no extra fees. The teacher is paid but I imagine quite poorly. Personally our somewhat bougie daycare seems way more overpriced to me than this extracurricular does, although the teachers there are also underpaid and I’m happy to give to them at the holidays, year end etc.

          • Anonymous says

            I was being facetious. I still think a note from kiddo is more impactful than a gc.

    • Meg says

      I have never given a gift for a PAID POSITION extracurricular. I think they are important to do for the volunteer parent roles (sports, scouts)

    • DLC says

      if the teacher is part of a larger school/studio, it might be nice to write a note/email the head of the school with your praise. Often it’s just as important to let their boss know that they are doing a good job.

    • Anon says

      As a Park & Rec ballet teacher, end of session gifts are very much a thing. Gift cards from $10-$15 are normal range and sometimes flowers or card from the student

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