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My kids love playing in a backyard wading pool on a warm summer day. I’ve never had luck with inflatable models (they always spring a leak), but foldable models like this one have worked well.
This multipurpose 20-gallon kiddie pool also doubles as a playpen. It comes with an SPF 50+ sunshade, mosquito net, and even stakes to hold it in place if you take it to the beach. It also folds right up into its own bag. Its diminutive size is perfect for introducing babies and toddlers to water play and the beach’s sights and sounds.
Babymoov’s Aquani Marine Playpen & Kiddie Pool is $99.99 at Nordstrom.
Sales of note for 8.30.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 20% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lands’ End – 40% off sitewide; 50% off backpacks, 40% off kids’ apparel
- Loft – Summer sale, 30% off new arrivals; up to 50% off much more
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- Zappos – 28,000+ 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 – 50% off everything
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 40% off everything
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 50% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 50-60% off; 50% off pants for the family
- Target – 20% off select clothing for all; up to 50% off home; up to 30% off select nursery furniture; up to 30% off kitchen & dining
Tongue Tether says
Do you have any experience with releasing a tongue tether? My son is almost 6 years old and has never had any of the symptoms associated with a tongue tether (difficulty nursing/eating, drooling, snoring, speech) but two dentists took a look in his mouth and stated in absolute terms that he has a very pronounced tongue tether. His pediatrician is of the mind that this is not a medically necessary procedure, so we don’t need to snip it. One dentist said that the rest of his mouth “compensates” for the tight tether and the other said that the bottom of his mouth is really tense from working so hard. He has never complained or mentioned anything, but its all he knows and he is not really a complainer. I am concerned that if we decide to not release it, will there be an issue as his mouth grows? Any advice or experience would be super helpful! Thank you!
Anonymous says
1) my husband had one and got it clipped at age 18 when he had wisdom teeth out. Everyone was shocked he had no speech difficulties. He wished it had been done years earlier- he couldn’t lick ice cream properly as a kid and kissing was super awkward.
2) all 3 of our kids had one when they were born. We got them all clipped immediately. For 2 of them they were “moderate to moderate/severe” and one was “mild/moderate”. They can all now happily lick ice cream. It took all of 10 seconds.
FWIW we chose to do it as newborns bc they don’t need anesthesia at that age. One baby cried and it was bc the doc was all up in her business. Docs were on the fence about one kiddo but recommended it for the other two.
anon says
Same here. I had it done when I was 16, and they could have done a better job. It was quite a pain, and my speech never caught up (for example, I can’t roll my r’s). We did it at 6 weeks and NB for my three kids, haven’t looked back. I was convinced when I read that in the Middle Ages, midwives would keep a sharpened nail to just knick the tongue at birth.
Anonymous says
Yes! DH can’t roll his Rs. He dropped Spanish for Latin ;)
anonamommy says
My daughter had one that was released after birth and then grew back – apparently that’s pretty rare but not unheard of. She had speech difficulties that therapy couldn’t solve around age 4-5 so she had another surgical procedure to get it released. The procedure itself was extremely quick and made immediate differences in her ability to pronounce certain words. We had it done by an ENT because that’s where our insurance benefits covered it, but a pediatric dentist is an option too.
Seafinch says
I have had my own done, my husband has as well and four of five kids. I did my oldest when she was nine. I was completely asymptomatic until my thirties and then devastating issues which has seriously impacted my life. It’s a minor, fast procedure that makes you sore but isn’t painful. I just had my newborn done for the second time because the dentist didn’t do a complete release the first time and he couldn’t transfer milk well. I could write a book about ties. I am evangelical about dealing with them as soon as possible. I have a note saved on my phone I will paste below. I get asked about it all the time.
Seafinch says
I have had chronic back and neck pain and forward head posture which has resulted in a distinct dowager’s hump. The FHP results in a pinched nerve which renders my arm numb and creates shooting pain into my thumb. I grind and clench so badly I have snapped two night guards in half. I have lost three teeth and two more are imminent, probably more. My teeth started to twist and misalign in my late 20’s after being perfectly straight. I have had teeth rebuilt every couple of months for years as they chip and break. My arches have fallen and the physio thinks my near constant nausea is a result of restriction on the vagus nerve. I have TMJ. I mouth breathe because my sinuses are chronically inflamed and congested. I breastfed fine despite being a six week early preemie. I ate everything and had zero speech issues. My teeth were straight and I did not need any orthodontics. As a desperate measures I asked a foreign dentist who had some experience with a laser to revise me despite doing no body work. The procedure was not entirely complete but I did do some stretching and exercises afterward. I was able to instantly correct my resting tongue position for the first time in my life and I have successfully expanded my palate just by consciously correcting my resting tongue position. The procedure took 40 seconds and did not hurt. I was sore afterward in the same way you would be after a good workout. My husband had a complete revision with myofascial work and instantly stopped snoring, slept better, eradicated sleep apnea and wakes up better rested and without any bad breath. He has stopped mouth breathing. He also didn’t have any pain. I did a second release with myo and it resolved 70% of my clenching but I have a lot of residual issues with TMD that will plague me for life. Nausea is gone.
Elle says
I’m newly pregnant with my first and I’m a little confused about dressing during pregnancy. I’m hoping to buy a few pieces for the summer but I I’m not sure if I should go ahead and size up or just order my normal size because I don’t know how I’ll carry? Currently 8 weeks fwiw
Clementine says
at 8 weeks, buy a couple flowy shirts or dresses in a forgiving fabric. I also bought a Seraphine capsule kit and it was the foundation of my wardrobe for all of pregnancy. I would go for a loose fit or even size up and lean in to the oversized vibe.
I’d 100% pick up an oversized gauze shirt (mine is from JCrew Factory) as this would have been great when pregnant and nursing.
Anonymous says
Do you mean you want to buy maternity clothes and don’t know if you will be the same size in maternity as you are in non-maternity? In my very limited experience, the answer is generally yes. A lot of maternity clothes are also cut in such a way to accommodate a range of sizes – they aren’t very fitted. I spent the most on bras. My size kept changing there and it started right away.
GCA says
This. Buy your normal size in maternity clothing and wear it till it doesn’t work for you.
IME there is a sweet spot where maternity clothing drapes right and fits right. For my first pregnancy, that was early 2nd trimester to middle of 3rd. Prior to that I wore my regular pants with a belly band, or stretchy/ flowy non-maternity clothes. After mid-3rd tri, well, all bets are off and you just wear whatever is most comfortable and weather-appropriate!
TheElms says
I think the answer to this depends a little on how you end up carrying, a little on how tall you are, a little on what style of clothes you usually wear, and a little on when summer ends in your area. Generally speaking I think there isn’t a great way to know how you’ll carry as it can differ pretty substantially even in the same person between pregnancies. But how you carry can definitely affect whether you need maternity clothes at all (some friends have been fine with non maternity styles in 1-2 sizes up) or if you are unluckly like me you need two maternity wardrobes because at 34-36 weeks you discover you basically need a new maternity wardrobe because none of you maternity clothes fit anymore! If you are short or have a short torso you are likely to show earlier or need clothes in a size up or maternity clothes sooner, possibly as soon as 12 weeks or earlier if you are bloated. If you tend to wear a lot of fitted clothes you’ll also likely need to size up sooner, but if your style is a little loser and includes some elastic waists you’ll probably be fine until you actually pop (which on average seems to be like 16-22 weeks for a first pregnancy based on friends, so ymmv). So if you tend to like fitted pieces I would definitely size up. If you tend to like more loose styles you might be ok with your current size, but even so, by mid August you’ll be about 20 weeks or so and at that point most everyone needs at least a size up and many need need true maternity styles starting around then. So if its hot through September in your area I would definitely get some size up pieces.
Anonymous says
On the “whether you need maternity clothes at all” question, this depends on how you carry and your pre-pregnancy size. If you are small you will definitely need maternity clothes, regardless of height or torso length. On a small frame there just isn’t anywhere to put a baby where it will fit into normal clothes! Everyone I’ve known who’s been able to wear non-maternity clothes into the later stages has started out at a larger size and has also carried flatter so the belly was sort of distributed, if that makes sense.
NYC says
I would say I’m a long torso medium size (4-6) and could wear a lot of my non fitted clothing through 6 months in both pregnancies. Having a strong core and long torso goes a long way if you are medium sized
An.On. says
If you’re ordering maternity wear specifically most places usually tell you to order your normal size. Most first pregnancies take a while to start showing so maternity wear may not be needed at all until months 4/5 or later. Wearing your looser clothes should be fine for most if not all of the summer.
Anonymous says
I found that maternity clothes were designed to accommodate the bump plus quite a bit of weight gain in other areas, so I wouldn’t size up from your pre-pregnancy size early on. I actually had to size down from my normal size in some brands for the entire nine months. Your size and what styles work for you may change during pregnancy (e.g., demi panel v. full panel pants), so I’d buy just a few things now with a plan to buy different stuff in the third tri if necessary.
AwayEmily says
Also, if you haven’t already — ask people who have fairly recently been pregnant and are the same size as you if you can borrow their maternity clothes! I had a box of maternity clothes that served seven different pregnancies (for four different people), and I just put it in the mail for a fifth person (goodbye forever, box of maternity clothes! Fare the well!). Because you wear the stuff for so little time, relatively speaking, it tends to stay in pretty good shape (with the exception of some t-shirts which do get stretched out).
AIMS says
I think you just have to wait and see? It’s hard to predict even between pregnancies sometimes. For summer I would just get a few comfy maxi dresses and not overthink it until you have to. FWIW – I was pregnant with my first around the same time table as you and wore most of my regular clothes that whole summer. I didn’t really start needing maternity clothes until 6 months or so.
Anonymous says
On the other hand I was pregnant at almost the exact same time as OP and was in maternity pants by 12 weeks despite having hyperemesis and not gaining any weight.
Anonymous says
There’s no right answer. The main thing is to buy stuff as you go, so you can adapt to your body in an organic way. It can be tempting to think ahead and buy something that will be seasonally appropriate for when you’re 8 months pregnant, because it’s on sale, but everything I bought way in advance backfired on me. For example a dress I bought for a wedding looked terrible by the time the wedding rolled around. Think giant blueberry. I should have just waited until closer to the date.
anonM says
Don’t wear your favorite shirts/dresses if you don’t want them to become maternity shirts, as they might stretch out more than you realize. For now, I’d get some maternity tanks (I thought this was crazy/a gimick until I realized that normal tanks get too short for most people by the end of pregnancy, and that having a tank made me personally feel more comfortable) and a Bella Band and see how far you can go with that. To get the most out of maternity stuff you do buy, and you plan to nurse, you can also try to get things that are both maternity and nursing friendly, and/or things you could wear into the fall with some layers.
Anonymous says
I had some leggings and dresses from a size up from losing weight in the year before getting pregnant. I only bought one item of maternity clothes – a pair of leggings. Otherwise I carried small enough that I could get by. I also worked from home though, so I didn’t need to look professional, just covered enough to feel comfortable.
Anonymous says
Any tips for making chores fun? Or at least getting compliance? My six year old is sweet but very messy. When I try to get him to pick up his clothes and shoes off the floor and put them in their designated spot, it creates a big fight. I probably shouldn’t do it at the end of the day when we’re all tired and grumpy.
Anonymous says
How did you and/or your partner celebrate your 40th birthday? Or 50th?
DH’s is this year and I need inspo. Our kids are all in elem. we’ve been to a couple fab 40th parties, have also had friends that took big trips.
Anon says
My 40th is in a couple years. Hoping to do a local-ish weekend away with my BFF and our spouses on the actual weekend although I just realized my birthday is Mothers Day that year so maybe not. We have two big trips tentatively planned for that year, but they won’t be near my actual birthday. I’m an introvert so don’t want to celebrate with anyone outside my immediate family/close friends, and I love to travel and would always rather do a trip than get a physical gift.
AwayEmily says
Mine was during the pandemic, so nothing. But a year (well, a year and few months) later we took a trip to the Adirondacks with our kids and some friends, and one day was dedicated to Celebrating my Birthday. I went on a long hike with my best friend, my husband arranged for a standup paddleboard rental and hunted down my favorite beer (which I drank on an afternoon boat ride), someone cooked me a steak dinner, and we let the kids stay up late and make smores and look at the stars. It was honestly the best birthday I’ve had in a long, long time. So I guess I’d just say think about what would make you feel joyful and loved, and do that! Whether it’s a quiet family thing, a big party, a trip, etc.
Mary Moo Cow says
That sounds lovely!
Boston Legal Eagle says
We like to do couples trips around our birthdays, so will probably do bigger trips when the 40th bdays come. I may do a girls trip for mine in a few years. I hate being the center of attention so would not like a big party or dinner or anything, but am happy to go to others’.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I turn 40 this summer! I’m celebrating in a few ways but still trying to think about what I’d like to do. I think it will be a mix of things vs. 1 big thing.
I have 2 girls’ trips planned for the year (one occurred, one forthcoming), I plan to purchase jewelry and/or some type of luxury/designer good to commemorate, I’m going to take the day of my birthday off, and the next day for a long weekend and go to a Korean Spa for one of the days (maybe with DH, maybe alone). Birthday breakfast with the fam (we do breakfast tacos or donuts).
Things I’m kicking around: I’d like to organize (and pay for) a fun girls’ dinner in for my local BFFs, OR overnight at hotel or nearby beach for myself and/or 1-2 BFFs.
DH turned 40 earlier this year, so I’m hoping this Fall we can sneak away for a trip just us two.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Ohhhh and going to the Beyoncé concert with a BFF!
Mary Moo Cow says
Mine is next month, and I waffled on what to do, when, with whom, everything. I settled on an afternoon drop in at our neighborhood pool. I invited all our friends in the neighborhoods (friends, their spouses, and their kids) and a few outside friends with their families. I’ll serve cupcakes and chips. The smaller group of outside friends are coming over to our house after swimming to have pizzas and good champagne. I did buy some big, sparkly, “40” earrings to wear that day, but otherwise, it’s low key. This is the weekend before my birthday, and on the actual day, I’ve told DH I would like a family dinner and cake and a big bunch of flowers.
DH spent his at a glow run at our kids’ school. We had a cake for him at home. It was pretty sad.
I’ve been invited to one big dressy, catered party where kids were welcome for a 40th and two small, women only nice dinners to celebrate 40. For me, at this stage in life, getting babysitters on the same night so everyone can get together is difficult, so I chose a family friendly gathering. DH and I also have our wedding anniversary 2 weeks later, and that feels more fitting for a couples trip. We’ve decided that either for our next milestone anniversary (20) or joint 50th birthdays we’ll do something big, together.
Anonymous says
Turning 40 later this summer and trying to figure out plans for a party – where did you find the earrings?
FVNC says
We generally prefer trips for big milestones, but we had a newborn at the time my husband turned 40, so travel was not really an option. I bought him a “flight experience” in a WWII era biplane. He’s adventurous — likes skydiving, that kind of thing — and he really enjoyed it. For my 40th during covid (but post-vaccine), we went on a local trip with the kids to an expensive resort for whale-watching.
anon without my normal handle says
For my mom’s, my parents went on the biggest trip they ever did, even though it was definitely not their normal trip or budget. Three couples, all friends, rented a chartered sailboat in the BVIs. If you can do something big, go for it. Hate to make this so sentimental, but my dad died at 55 years old, and one of the other two men on the trip died the next year around the same age. I’m SO glad that they splurged and did this trip as my mom and her friend hold those memories so dearly. Take the trip if you can.
Anon says
My mom and I did this (well, USVIs because of Covid) for her 70th! It was so so special and by far the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever taken. She’s promised to take me to the BVIs for my 40th because we both really want to do it again. I recommend sailing charters to anyone who can afford it, and it didn’t cost as much as you might think (comparable to a week at a pricey all-inclusive like Beaches or Grand Velas).
Anonymous says
Can you post which company you used?
Anon says
We booked through Conch Charters and had a smooth experience. But pricing is highly variable depending on size and type of the boat. The charter company is just a broker who connects you to the yacht owner, so they will have a range of options at different price points.
The boat we ended up chartering is available to book direct: https://www.charterkai.com/
Crew, food, boat were all awesome. Our 7 day USVIs itinerary was epic and we went to four islands and some great beaches and snorkeling spots that aren’t accessible from land. We had fantastic open water sailing back and forth to St Croix. Highly recommend them!
Anonymous says
– DH wanted a party for turning 50. I rented out a local bar and invited 100 people. No cake, just booze, food and friends. He loved it.
– My sister hates parties. She went to CO and hiked up mountains for a week when she turned 50. She loved it.
– As him what he wants.
AwayEmily says
I’m impressed by your/your husband’s social life! I do not even think I know 100 people in my city, much less 100 people I would want at my birthday.
Anon says
Same! I don’t think I know 100 people regardless of location.
EDAnon says
My husband is 40 this year and we are going a multi day bike trip while my sister watches the kids. It was something we’d planned for retirement but we know not everyone makes it/can physically do that, so we decided to do it now. If you have something you’re waiting on, I would do it as the celebration.
Anonymous says
Twice now I’ve posted a question and it has never appeared. I’ve been using the same handle and email for years.