This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This is a cute blouse that has a lot of on-trend elements. There are two parts of this shirt that are totally in my wheelhouse: (1) stripes, and (2) the tie neck. I really like how the stripes are only on the top and the sleeves. I also like how the rest of the top hangs, at least on the model. The description says that it has a “flow[y] silhouette” and slightly stretchy material, which means it is probably extremely comfortable. I’m not a huge fan of puffed sleeves in general but have come to accept that it is difficult at the moment to find a long-sleeved blouse that doesn’t either have a puff sleeve or puff shoulder. On this blouse though, it seems to work! It is $25.99 at Amazon, available in plus sizes 16–24. Bow-Neck Blouse Amazon has a similar top in regular sizes for $5.99–$24.79. 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 4.14.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – Mid-Season Sale: extra 40% off; extra 20% off sale styles; 40% off new spring styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 40% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50-60% off select styles; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – 40% off dresses; 30% off your purchase
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Cyber Spring: 50% off everything & free shipping
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time; 30% off select shoes
- Talbots – BOGO 50% off everything, includes markdowns (ends 4/14)
- 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
- Hanna Andersson – Buy 3+ get 30% off forever favorites
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 30% off your purchase
- Old Navy – Up to 70% off clearance; sales on shorts and polos
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event; BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture;
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
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?
Anonymous says
Love this! Especially for casual Fridays- I’m always looking for interesting tops to dress up jeans.
anon says
Agree, it’s so cute!
Anon says
Arrrgh, I’m so annoyed at my ped’s office. They scheduled my daughter’s 18 month appointment wrong (slightly too soon after her 12 month appointment) so she wasn’t eligible to get her second dose of Hep A then. Just the fact that I have to take her back to the doctor just to get this one shot is incredibly inconvenient as a working mom. But on top of that, the soonest they could get her in for the immunization appointment was the end of September and OF COURSE there’s a major Hep A outbreak in our town right now.
Anonymous says
Can you call to see if you can come in now? My pediatrician sets aside time for sick visits. If there is an outbreak maybe they will let you use one of those slots?
Anon says
It’s a big hospital system so you have to schedule appointments with their central scheduling system and those people have no medical training and basically just follow a flow chart as far as when to schedule appointments – routine immunizations don’t have priority. I was contemplating calling the ped’s office and asking to speak to a nurse but gahhh I already spent 25 minutes on the phone with central scheduling this morning.
Anonymous says
I’d call the nurse. They can get you in.
rosie says
I would also call the nurse. Or are you able to email with the practice? I would just say that she is able to get the shot on x date based on when she got the 12-mo one, so when can you bring her in that week to keep her close to schedule. Sorry, super annoying.
Anonymous says
Call and ask if there is a “nurse treatment room” or “nurse treatment center” you can go to. We have kaiser, which sounds similar, and for vaccines already ordered by the doctor every medical office has a nurse treatment room you can drop in to just a nurse give the shot without a whole pediatrician visit.
Anon says
Allegedly, this is a nurse-only appointment. But the central scheduling person seemed really confused so who knows.
PCV13 says
I just read through yesterday’s comments and saw a reference to the PCV13 vaccine for adults. How do you actually convince your doctor to give you this vaccine? I have asthma and have had pneumonia within the past few years, and my doctor still refuses to give me the pneumonia vaccine because “it’s not proven to work in adults under 65.”
Anon says
CDC says you should get it:
“CDC recommends it for all adults 65 years or older and for those 2 years or older at increased risk for disease.” The page for “increased risk” includes asthma.
I would show this to your doctor and if they won’t give it find a new doctor.
rosie says
Agree. Kind of reminds me of the dr who told me that he didn’t really support the flu vaccine for pregnant women because eh. May be time to move on.
Anon says
What??? The flu vaccine is extra important when you’re pregnant (for both mom and baby). That’s insanity.
2 Cents says
Yeah, definitely time to move on!
rosie says
Yes, it was super ridiculous. It was a dr who was covering for my dr, and I told my dr what he had said and mine was like, “um, no, I get special supplies of the vax for my patients when there is a shortage, this is not a gray area.” One of the many ways in which that practice functioned…
Coach Laura says
I get flu shots annually at my drug store and this week got the PVC13 at my local drug store via the pharmacist. I’m not 65 but I do have a CDC factor that says I should get it at my age. Didn’t need doctor’s permission and insurance coverage was automatic.
Storq says
Has anyone gotten any maternity/nursing clothes from Storq? Some of their stuff looks appealing, and thus far I haven’t had the best luck with finding maternity clothing that lasts even beyond a month!
rosie says
I don’t know about Storq, but I’m on my second time around with my Pea in the Pod, Old Navy, Gap (jeans), and Target stuff.
DC Anon says
I only have their skirt, but I love it!
Anon says
Just a PSA, because I’ve seen it recommended as a gift here quite a few times – the Highlights Magazine family (Hello!, High Five, etc) subscriptions are a b!tch to cancel. They automatically enroll you in a renewable subscription, and you have to call and wait on hold a while to cancel it, and then they argue with you about why you shouldn’t cancel it. I expect that BS from Comcast but not from a kid’s magazine. Pretty disappointing.
Anonymous says
All magazines are like this now. The only way around it is to buy a “gift” subscription.
Anon says
Ironically, this was a gift. Perhaps I missed the option to buy a “gift subscription” though.
lsw says
Yeah, I got a lot of super aggressive mailers from them about “past due” balances too. Sticking with only the Cricket family from now on.
SC says
I bought a bunch of “gift” subscriptions last year, so maybe that’s the difference. I was able to cancel the auto-renewal online. I didn’t receive the promised confirmation emails, so I called to confirm. Hold time was not long, the person was nice, and she confirmed my subscriptions had been canceled without trying to get me to renew.
But I had a horrendous experience with a different Highlights customer service rep earlier this year, which is one of the reasons I canceled. I purchased 6 gift subscriptions across 5 families (including mine) living in 2 counties in our metro region. Everyone received their first issue. Nobody received their second issue. About 3-4 weeks after it was supposed to arrive, I called to check on it, and the customer service rep was SO condescending and basically blamed me for providing the wrong address–even though everyone had received their first magazine! Then she blamed our mail service. I escalated to her manager, who was much nicer but started out blaming the mail service. I asked him if they’d received similar complaints from our metro area, and he said he wasn’t aware of that. So I asked him if it was statistically more likely that the USPS in 2 different counties decided not to mail Highlights magazines to these 5 specific families (but not all the other subscribers in our area), or that there was a problem with their system or in their distribution center. He admitted the latter was more likely and just had the magazines “re-sent” (I never received the original copy, which I doubt was ever sent). So, yeah, I knew in January that I wasn’t interested in renewing.
Anon2 says
You can just send an email through their website and they will cancel and refund…I just did this, it was easy.
HSAL says
Same, I had no problem canceling and customer service was also really prompt when my daughter got the same issue of High Five twice.
Daycare sleep says
My 16 month old started daycare a month ago. He goes 3 times a week. His teachers are saying that he’s not napping well. He wakes up before the others and cries. They sit with him and comfort him but he rarely falls back asleep. They give him books. He sleeps about an hour. The are four kids in the class and they sleep on cots on the floor. They’re asking us for suggestions but I have no idea how to help. He’s a great sleeper at home. On days he’s home, he does solid 2-3 hour naps in his crib. And sleeps 7:30am to 7:30pm at night on weekdays and sometimes until 9 or 10am on weekends. He doesn’t take a pacifier. Any suggestions of how to help? Should we introduce a lovey?
Anon says
My daughter is similar, right down to the 12 hour nights and 3 hour naps before starting daycare. Unfortunately, she rarely naps for more than an hour at daycare. I think it’s just too stimulating an environment for some kids to rest well. We’ve had to move her bedtime up, so she now does 6:30/7 pm to 7:30/8 am for a total of about 13 hours. She seems well-enough rested and wakes up naturally unless she’s sick.
It sounds kind of harsh, but ultimately your only worry is that your son is getting enough sleep. If he’s getting that sleep through a longer night and not napping at daycare, it’s the teacher’s problem, not yours. He may be the only kid not napping well right now because it’s such a small sample size, but I’m sure in a bigger classroom there would be other kids not sleeping that much. My daughter is in a classroom of 8 and I know there are several other kids that don’t sleep more than an hour. My daughter has a little buddy and the teachers say one of them is always up after no more than 60 minutes and then wakes the other one up – sometimes it’s my daughter waking up, sometimes it’s the other girl but once one is up, they’re both up and “talking” to each other.
Anonymous says
Agree with this. My daughter barely sleeps at daycare, too. It hasn’t been her thing since she started at 12 weeks. Sleeps great at home. You can tell if your kiddo is getting enough sleep and adjust what you can control as necessary. If kiddo seems fine, don’t sweat it.
Daycare sleep says
OP here – Thanks for the advice. Should have been 7:30pm to 7:30am obviously lol. Should have also added that he’s in daycare all day (until 5:30) so he’s ready to fall asleep as soon as my husband picks him up. I have a longer commute home so moving his bedtime up is tough because I’ll barely see him. Plus my husband would have to do the pickup, dinner, bedtime, and dog care alone on those days. So I think moving the bedtime will be a last resort. I’d really like to see if we can get him sleeping better at daycare. They use blankets at daycare so I’m thinking of trying a blanket at home (he’s in a sleepsack at home). Or introducing a lovey. That’s all I thought of so far.
And the teacher’s concern stems from the fact that they’ll be adding more students to the class soon and they don’t want him waking the others up. She doesn’t seem to have the same attitude about it as your daughter’s teacher haha
Anon says
It sounds like he’s higher sleep needs (like my daughter) and I understand your desire to make sure he gets enough sleep, but there are plenty of toddlers that just don’t need more than a 1 hour nap, especially if they’re sleeping 12 hours at night. So I think the teachers just sort of have to deal with it. It would be amazing if all children took a 2+ hour nap every day, but they definitely don’t and it seems weird to me that the teachers would assert that only napping one hour is some kind of problem (beyond the concern that your son is getting enough sleep).
Anon says
My toddler (not in daycare but for context) has never napped more than an hour unless she was sick in her entire life. So this seems a little unreasonable to me.
Anonymous says
Yep, my BFF’s son has never napped for more than one hour. He’s happy, healthy, growing well. This is not a problem unless it’s impacting your child’s health or behavior.
shortperson says
my kids are always fried at the end of the daycare day. i think that’s normal. i reframe the morning to be our main quality time.
AnotherAnon says
My son has been in day care since he was 6 weeks, but he had a hard time napping from 18 months to about 24 months. Do they keep it dark and cold enough in the room where the kids nap? TBH I think an hour is fine if that’s all you can get. My son is 2.5 now and he regularly naps 2 hours at my house but never longer than 1.5 hours at day care (he goes 5 days a week). I think he just has FOMO.
Anonymous says
Can they try moving him to a different corner of the classroom? Making it darker? Playing music or white noise? When they comfort him do they try rubbing his back while he’s lying down?
Also, it may just take time; a month of 3-days-a-week isn’t actually that long. My twins are also high-sleep needs and have been in full-time daycare their whole life, but just transferred rooms a few weeks ago and yesterday was the first time they slept the full 2 hours.
Anon says
Random, but does anyone have a link to a school picture collage frame that has several openings for daycare/preschool pictures? The only one I can find is this one: https://www.amazon.com/PersonalizedbyJoyceBoyce-com-Eighteen-Preschool-Kindergarten-1st-11th/dp/B01HK457F6/
and it’s expensive and also I don’t like that it has an opening for both 4 and preschool, since 4 IS preschool and I expect my child to be in kindergarten by the time she’s 5 (yes, I’m obsessed with details). I don’t know why frames with openings beyond K-12 are so hard to find, all the daycares I know take school pictures so it seems like there should be more of a market for this!
Anonymous says
Because day care isn’t school. What about just a normal frame?
Anon says
Rude! I know it isn’t school in the academic sense, but she gets an annual “school picture” just like she will in K-12 and I think it would be nice to have all of them in one place showing her progression from birth to 18…
Anonymous says
Ok hon but you’re weirdly obsessed with a mass produced product
Anon says
“Weirdly obsessed?” I asked once if anyone had a recommendation for a certain kind of product. Sorry you woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.
Anonymous says
Here you go:
https://www.arttoframe.com/30.5×24-Satin-Black-collage-picture-frame-18-opening-Super-White-and-Black-mat/1987/FRBW26079?page_type=G
You aren’t going to find a cutesy labeled one because school is only a standard thing from K-12
Anonymous says
I’ve never heard of a daycare that takes school pictures! It’s amazing how different things can be in different areas.
HSAL says
Ours does them twice a year, which is fully insane, but I appreciate it because I’m too lazy to get their pictures taken otherwise.
Anon says
That’s interesting. Based on my FB newsfeed (I have friends in the Northeast, California and the Midwest) they seem to be ubiquitous.
Turtle says
Our does. We’re in Greater Boston. They did pictures with some tasteful holiday backgrounds as part of the fall (October?) picture day so we had a holiday card picture, too. I have a lot of grievances with my daycare, but wowza that was amazingly convenient for this overworked working mom.
Anonymous says
I’m in the Bay Area and our daycare does back to school pictures in the fall. They’re a lot nicer than elementary school photos, or at least than elementary school photos were in the 80s. They bring in a professional photographer who poses the kids really nicely and has all kinds of cute props and backdrops, not that boring blue screen. There’s pressure on the parents to buy them, but I don’t mind since it’s a chance to get professional photos done without paying the sitting fee.
AwayEmily says
Good question! I would just abandon the “school” search term and look for collage frames that have close to the number you want. Maybe this:
https://www.target.com/p/gridart-multi-photo-display-white-umbra/-/A-52909234?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Home%2BDecor%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Home%2BDecor&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9005169&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBOScbaj2GmaXH23g4Yh7JBLsXvOovZT04qkja4S2f09DPvfbrgLCzoaAjWyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Also fwiw I think your request makes perfect sense! Our kids got daycare “school pictures” and then moved schools and I’m sad we won’t have the continuous series.
Anon says
Thanks! This is a great suggestion that seems so obvious now that you say it, but I hadn’t thought of it. I find the labels a bit cheesy anyway.
shortperson says
i would turn to etsy for this.
Anonymous says
Good things to bring to the hospital for labor? My sister has asked me to be with her during labor which of course I’m happy to do. She has all of her essentials packed but I’m wondering if there’s anything useful I should tuck in my bag. My thoughts were snacks for Dad, cell phone charger with the long cord, and those nice fancy wet wipes?
octagon says
A sleep mask was my mvp. That way I could rest in the middle of the day.
Coach Laura says
Yeah sleep mask and noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs for sleeping. I never go to the hospital (or any trip) without. Also a cell-phone battery pack in case the outlet is not close or usable.
I’d also suggest a cozy long cardigan instead of a robe (or in addition to) I liked having cozy things on top when I was in bed and had visitors. Robes can be uncomfortable when laying/reclining in bed.
Anon says
I’d ask her about snacks for dad. Most hospitals don’t let women eat and I would have killed my husband if he’d been eating snacks in front of me. Snacks for right after she gives birth is a good idea though, since the cafeteria may not be open or may take a while to get food.
Anonymous says
Our solution on the snacks for Dad was to pack things for DH that I find gross so I wasn’t appealed/jealous and he ate them quickly when I was occupied by my doula or a nurse.
Anonymous says
He can step out of the room and eat a granola bar if he needs to. She doesn’t expect the man to not eat for a 24 hour labor.
The things on my list are things she has said okay to. Looking for ideas of other items.
Anonymous says
Be prepared to run out and get her something to eat after she delivers. Investigate 24-hour options nearby in advance. I delivered at 10:00 p.m. and the only food I got until breakfast the next day was two graham crackers with peanut butter.
Anonymous says
A brand new, unopened tube of her favorite chap stick.
Anonymous says
And a standing offer to bring her Starbucks (or other coffee of choice) after baby is born while she is still in the hospital.
Anon says
One thing I wished we’d brought this last time (and had family stop at our house to get later) was a Bluetooth speaker. It was nice to have some music in there.
Emily S. says
This! We brought an ipod and speaker to the hospital with both babies. It was nice to have some music, because the other option was having the TV on all day. We got known as the nice couple with the music.
anon says
A surge protector with multiple plugs (in addition to the long phone cord). My delivery room only had one plug, and we had multiple devices we were trying to keep charged (2 phones, a laptop, a camera). We actually were using various devices a fair amount in the delivery room. My water broke 1 month early, so we went in at 6 am, and I sent a bunch of “I’m having a baby now, see you in 3 months” emails. Also, out of the 12 hours I spent in the delivery room, I was only in labor for 4 of them. DH and I killed about 4 hours waiting for Pitocin to be ordered and then to kick in by watching videos on his computer and calling people and sending emails and texts. After DS was born, the recovery room wasn’t ready, so we had about 4 more hours, which included taking pictures and videos and Face-timing and texting.
anon says
ear plugs for sleeping and a speaker for background noise—an unmedicated labor elsewhere on the ward can be really loud, even with doors closed
Anonymous says
I always pack a few Advil for my husband just in case he gets a headache while we’re there. He’s not prone to headaches but you never know! Definitely chapstick, nice hand lotion. Maybe pack an extra shirt and undies for yourself in case you’re there a long time? And toothbrush!
Anon says
Baby nail clippers or a baby file – my kiddo had talons and the nurses wouldn’t give us anything (not sure why and never did get a good answer).
rosie says
Meds for you, dad, etc. — hospital is not going to give you anything, even tums, motrin/tylenol, etc., as you’re not the patient. I think fancy face wipes could be refreshing (I think I had yes to carrots or burt’s bees or something with me). Clear liquids of choice for her — coconut water, veggie broth if applicable (my hospital only had chicken broth, which I don’t eat), etc.
Anon says
A pretty robe for after she gives birth.
Anon says
As a counterpoint, I bled all over everything after I gave birth and didn’t want to wear anything remotely nice or pretty. I’m pretty sure I stayed in the hospital gown until the morning we left the hospital and then changed into old (black) sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
Anon. says
My average height two year old with a super long torso has outgrown the Cosco Scenera NEXT. What’s my next step for a budget-friendly, lightweight car seat? This seat is used in our second car and for occasional airline travel. I’m fine with going either to another convertible or a forward-facing only option. (Yes, I know he’s generally safer rear-facing, but I’ve done the personal risk calculus and am fine with forward-facing in this car.)
Anon says
Following. We’re flying next month with my tall, very long-torsoed 19 month old and I think it will be our last trip in the Scenera. :( She fits pretty comfortably just buckled into the airplane seat (and there’s the harness thing too), so I don’t think we need a carseat on the plane, but I’ve heard very mixed things about renting car seats with rental cars.
anon in brooklyn says
We went with the Evenflo Maestro Sport after outgrowing the cosco Scenera. It’s bulkier than the Scenera, but not much heavier.
Anonymous says
How heavy is he/she? The Cosco Finale is going to be the lightest of the FF-only seats, but it has a minimum weight requirement of 30 lbs. Otherwise there’s the Evenflo Maestro Sport suggested above (pretty no-frills, like the Next) or the Graco Tranzitions, which is slightly heavier than the Maestro, but transitions to high-back and no-back booster, so would be good until your kid grows out of carseats.
If you want one that rear-faces, I’d look at the Graco Contender, since it has a taller torso limit than the Next. Heavier than the FF-only options, though.
Everlong says
Will someone please tell me what specific color to paint the kids’ bathroom? The last few rooms that have been painted have come directly from recommendations here, so I’m not even trying on my own anymore. The bathroom is only used by the kids (boys – 4 and 2) but it is at the top of the stairs, so it’s hard to miss. I want something light and timeless. We have too much gray in the house as it is, so gray is out. The nearby hallway color is SW Sea Salt (I think) and that’s pretty representative of our aesthetic. The other decor in there is blue – blue hippo rug, blue hippo guy on the water spout, and a shower curtain that’s multi colored animals from Target a few years ago. Very standard. And I imagine it will get changed out a few times. :) Thank you!
Turtle says
Ha. I got really excited to recommend Benjamin Moore’s Bermuda Teal for a fun kids’ bathroom because we just did that, but you’re clearly going for a different vibe ;)
Anonymous says
I actually like teal with blue …
Everlong says
Actually I’m not! Good clarification! I want FUN in the kids’ bathroom and Sea Salt is everywhere in my house. I actually love this recommendation. This might be it!
anon says
I would probably use Sea Salt in the bathroom, too. It is such a versatile color; I have it in two rooms in my house.
Anonymous says
+1
wedding gift - charity donation says
Hi guys, for a wedding where the couple has asked only that donations be given to a particular charity – what are the logistics? Would I give them a card and some sort of indicator that a donation has been made?
Anonymous says
Most charities will give you an option to donate in honor of someone, and they then notify the honoree if you provide contact info for that person
Anonymous says
Very helpful, thank you!
Anonymous says
I do a card and usually write something like, “Congrats on your wedding and best wishes for continued happiness. We have donated to xyz charity in honor of this special day.”
Anonymous says
I love this idea, thanks!