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This awesome, machine-washable dress comes in 11 colors in sizes XS-XL. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: A print hides a multitude of spills and stains (including those from work pumping mishaps), and a wrap dress is very helpful to have in your wardrobe if your size is fluctuating, either because you’re gaining or losing weight. For $45, this is a great option. Classic Cap-Sleeve Wrap Dress Here’s a washable plus-size alternative. Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. 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
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- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
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Kid/Family Sales
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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?
Legally Brunette says
Any ideas for a end of year teacher’s gift that is not money/gifts but rather something more personal? We just gave a very generous gift a few weeks ago for teacher’s appreciation as well as a generous wedding gift, so I’m thinking something besides a gift card. I’m the room parent for my kids’ school, so this would be a gift from all the parents. I was thinking some kind of photo book of all of the kids but I ran out of time and don’t have time to put this together (last day of school is next Wednesday). I’m looking for something more personal than just a signed card and flowers. Suggestions appreciated!
rakma says
Gifts my friend who is a teacher has appreciated: 1)Gift cards that showed the giver knew something about her (The very large Dunkin Donuts gift card from a class because they noticed her coffee cup every morning was a huge hit, and got her though half of the next year) 2)gift cards she could use for classroom supplies because she always ends up spending her own money at some point in the year, and 3) heartfelt thank you notes.
Things she has too many of and feels guilty about : anything with apples on it. Mugs. Very large crafts that kids spent a lot of time on but what do you do with a thank you poster?
One class mother got her a gorgeous pair of earrings, because the mother noticed that she wears earrings that coordinate with her outfit. If you’ve noticed something like that, go for it. It might be too late for a photo book, but could you do a class photo printed and framed? Maybe with the card ‘signed’ by the kids?
Cornellian says
Rakma’s 1 and 2 sound great, as the daughter of a teacher. My mom dutifully saved every gift from her classes, but after 20 years of teaching they were sort of taking over her life. She also spent probably 500 dollars each year on classroom supplies, so I think a staples card may be appreciated. Maybe you can pair it with something more personal?
anon says
Can you ask each parent to have their kid write their favorite thing about the teacher, or 1 thing they learned, or to draw a picture of the teacher? It is along the lines of a heartfelt thank you note, which I think is ultimately a really great teacher gift. My husband teaches high school and appreciates the food and stuff he gets, but I cannot imagine him appreciating anything more than comments from students and their parents about his impact. One does not go into teaching due to a great love of material objects (or if you do, you are seriously ill-advised).
CLMom says
I’m tired of having so many clothes. I’ve accumulated a fair amount of work attire over the years. I’m tempted to give my work wardrobe away and just buy five pant suits with shells and call it a day. It’s probably more money than I want to spend, but it would free up some closet and mental space. Less is more, right?
Anon says
Do you stay the same size? My weight fluctuates a fair amount in a 2-3 size range, so while I wish I had fewer clothes, I keep the size ranges so that something always fits.
Having a very limited maternity wardrobe (2 pr pants, maybe 7 dresses, 2 pr jeans, a pr of shorts and 10ish tees/blouses, plus two cocktail dresses acquired last minute for a reunion that will be repurposed for summer associate events and a few “normal” blazers from my existing wardrobe for the rare occasion I have to see clients in person) has made getting ready so much faster. I started with about half that but came to the realization that I do not do laundry frequently enough for a 1 week rotation and I need a full two-weeks’ worth of clothes plus extra margin. So, think about how often you do laundry/go to the cleaners as well.
H says
I had the ultimate capsule wardrobe when I was pregnant, which definitely made it easy and didn’t hurt the wallet (most things came from old navy), but I got so bored!
Anonymous says
I’ve often thought of doing something similar, especially having just had a much reduced maternity work wardrobe. I think my ideal would be 4-5 pantsuits, 8 shells, 3-4 sheath dresses, and a couple basic cardigans because I don’t need the jacket on in my office. I figure this would be about a 2 week rotation.
EB0220 says
I’ve mentioned before that I have really minimized my wardrobe since my kids were born and it’s wonderful. I have 2 black dresses, 3 blue dresses, 1 gray dress. Blazers and tights for winter. It’s great and the dresses accommodate weight fluctuations better than pants in my experience. I also have 2 pairs of skinny jeans with a few flowy tops that I wear on more casual days. I don’t use the Marie Kondo rule everywhere but I definitely apply it in the closet. If doesn’t spark joy, it’s gone.
Huh says
Is this your entire work wardrobe? No pants or skirts? I definitely try to keep my wardrobe with only items that I love but I would get hopelessly bored wearing only 6 dresses.
Sabba says
I’m impressed. Sounds so easy to get dressed with your capsule wardrobe.
EB0220 says
I do have some suiting pants and skirts. I tend to mix it up more during the winter with some skirts and sweaters. I usually wear my jeans twice a week with a fun top so that keeps it from getting toooo boring. My suiting pants almost never get worn, so they could probably go. That being said, I feel GREAT in my dresses and have never been that into fashion. It works for me, but I’m sure that someone more fashionable would be very bored with it.
HSAL says
I wouldn’t say that I occasionally wish I’d lose all of my clothes (and nothing else) in a freak fire that made me replace everything…but I do.
What I did was make my own summer capsule. It’s still a decent amount, but it’s saved my brain the last couple months. I’ve tweaked it a little but it’s 12 tops, 6 cardigans, 6 pairs of ankle pants, and 3-4 dresses. It’s a solid 4 week rotation for me with some mixing and matching. I’m going to change it up seasonally and see what I haven’t worn at all a year from now, then do some serious culling.
CLMom says
I’m pretty consistent in my size (16). And, when things start to get a little snug, I try to cut-back where I can to help maintain. [Someday I’ll drop the big pounds and truly reward myself with a shopping spree.]
I do not enjoy laundry, and I usually wait to do it until it’s overwhelming. If I had less, I would be forced to do the little of it more frequently. This theory works in my head, but may not in practice.
I’m thinking suits because I just feel more put together. I feel more frumpy than I want to feel, even though I dress better after baby than I did before.
Anon says
Make sure you factor in the dry-cleaning costs if you’re not currently wearing suits every day. My husband is in court nearly every day and wears suits to work (and he only has 3 or 4 he rotates, but is a heavy sweater), and the dry cleaning costs can add up. He switched to zips for cost reasons, and the quality is not great, but given that he is shutting down his practice in 4 months, he is over caring at this point. I hate having to take stuff to the dry cleaners/pick it up more than I hate laundry, but that is me.
Walnut says
I own basically five dresses, two jackets, two cardigans, and two pairs of shoes for work attire. It’s super easy. There are still a few random things in my closet, but I’ve been slowly purging everything else over the past two years.
YouTube Recs? says
Any recommendations for fun things I can watch on YouTube while pumping?
Cornellian says
No, but I’m sitting here pumping and wishing I had a white noise machine, so thanks for the idea!
Anon says
Primitive Technology
Every Frame a Painting
Cinefix
Rosanna Pansino
Kurt Hugo Schneider
YouTube Recs? says
Love Every Frame a Painting and Cinefix – excited to try the others. I watched some beauty videos yesterday and they were only kinda fun. I am not a makeup kind of girl but secretly want to me.
GCA says
How about TED Talks? Or listen to podcasts – I love things like No Such Thing as a Fish.
Rainbow Hair says
“Just the Tips” is a video where two best friends try out ridiculous internet tips. Caution you might laugh too loudly.
Paging Pogo (from Cb) says
How are you feeling? It’s crazy to think we’re in the homestretch. I suspect I won’t make it to 40 weeks (baby measuring 2 weeks ahead and my platelets are droppings) so I’m trying to figure out what is nice to do versus what must be done in the next 3-4 weeks.
Pogo says
Ahhh!! I am measuring right on track luckily so hopefully baby stays tucked in there nice and snug for at least a month.
I wrote out my hospital bag list but need to actually buy some stuff and you know… pack it. Husband has been doing a lot of IKEA assembly late at night…
I’m in the process of setting up a shared document location for my boss and keeping my “active projects” really up to date. There is so much I want to get done before I leave but who knows. I do find it is a motivating factor in getting people to move on stuff!
Keep me posted!!
ElisaR says
kind of just venting here: currently 14 wks pregnant (2nd pregnancy so starting to show) and still wearing normal clothes but not well…..yesterday my brother (who i work with) told me my outfit looked like it came from the hillary clinton collection….. don’t get me wrong, we are both HRC fans in general but not of her clothes…. now I feel even more frumpy than i did before and can’t get past it! UGH
Blueberry says
I feel you. 14 weeks here too. I look so frumptastic all the time, although my tummy seems to be on the verge of looking like a baby bump as opposed to like I ate a big hamburger. I will definitely take it as a tradeoff for no more nausea though — hopefully for you too!
Anonymous says
Maybe he meant powerful/bad*ss? I tend to agree her clothes are frumpy but I also think she looks powerful and strong. Anyway if he did mean frumpy, this stage won’t last long and soon you’ll have a real bump you can show off in maternity wear.
ElisaR says
thanks for the positive spin – she is powerful/bad*ss!
EB0220 says
Moms of school-aged kids, need opinions. My kiddo is starting kindergarten in August. She’ll take the bus in the morning. School gets out at 3:45, so I’m thinking she’d get back to the neighborhood on the bus around 4:15. I’m home by 5:30. I’m thinking of a mixed bus pick-up plan, something like this: Monday – babysitter, Tuesday – grandma, Wednesday – babysitter, Thursday – grandma, Friday – daddy. Would this be too confusing for a 5 year old/for the bus driver (along with all of the other stuff they have to figure out)? I’d REALLY love to make this work so I don’t have to go pick her up from aftercare, but I don’t want to make the logistics too hard on anyone. Would appreciate thoughts.
avocado says
Not too confusing, especially if there is only one non-family member in the mix. For the first few weeks you can remind her who is meeting her at the bus when she leaves each morning. If you don’t make a big deal about the number of different people meeting her at the bus, it will quickly become normal for her. The main challenge will be coordinating communication when someone has a conflict or school has an early release. One parent needs to be designated the point person for all communication regarding schedule changes and for maintaining the pickup calendar.
Our school district requires parents to fill out a form with the transportation plan for every afternoon of the week (ride bus, day care van, pickup. It is very common for kids to use different modes of transportation or to be picked up by different people on various days. They don’t care who meets the kid at the bus stop as long as it’s an adult. For school pickups the parent must specify who is authorized to pick up in general, but you don’t have to say who is doing pickup on which days.
NewMomAnon says
FWIW, my custody arrangement alternates between parents dropping off and picking up from daycare. I have a big calendar with pictures of mommy and daddy showing who does pick up and drop off on which days, but kiddo doesn’t really need it because she has it memorized. As long as the bus is dropping the kid off at the same spot, and the relevant adult is standing in that spot at the right time, kiddo is going to be fine. You may have more issues with adults forgetting their days…
Mrs. Jones says
This sounds totally fine. Good luck!
EB0220 says
Awesome, thanks all! I was thinking of making a picture calendar, NewMomAnon!
Baby name etiquette Q says
I’m looking for some advice on baby name etiquette. My favorite boy name is also the name of the one-year-old son of some friends of ours. DH likes the name but says we can’t use it because they already did. The name is a common one (in the top 10 for 2016).
The other couple lives in the same city as we do and are in our “friend group” from college. The other dad was a groomsman in our wedding 10 years ago, but DH was not a groomsman in the other dad’s large wedding party, if that makes sense. The other mom and I get along, but we don’t really click on a personal level. So, I suspect that part of the disagreement is that DH thinks we are closer friends than we actually are with this couple, if that makes sense.
What do you all think? We need to resolve this soon, because I’m almost 38 weeks….
(was) due in june says
Name the kid your favorite name. You aren’t going to be friends with these people for the entire life of your son, and the silliest thing would be to not name your son the name you want because you were friends with these people for the first two years of your life. And it’s a top 10 name last year. They don’t get to own it.
(was) due in june says
*his life, not yours.
SC says
+1. Nobody owns a name. If you pick a top-ten name, you should expect that your child will know other children with the same name. If you pick a family name, you should be OK that other family members have that name.
Anonymous says
+1 million. If you name your kids Liam or Emma, you’re going to have to accept that some of your friends, co-workers and acquaintances will be using the same name.
Em says
+1 the only time I would give deference on a name is if my niece or nephew already had this name. I would probably extend that to my cousin’s kids, as I am close with my cousin.
SC says
I might give deference if a sibling used Liam or Emma, but not if a sibling used a family name. Each sibling has equal right to name their child after Grandma. If it gets confusing, at least one child will probably get called by a nickname or a middle name around family. I say this as someone who has the oldest grandchild and named him after a family member.
Em says
I LOL’d at this because I initially typed up close to what you put then decided to delete that part. We have a handful of family names such that all the 11 female cousins in my family have some version of Marie/Mary, Catherine, or Grace as their first or middle name. My family doesn’t repeat first names, but middle names are fair game.
Anonymous says
I think if it’s a popular name it should only be avoided if a sibling uses it or maybe a super super BFF who lives nearby and whose kid will be like a cousin to your kid. These people definitely don’t sound like close enough friends to avoid using a common name. It would be a little weird if they picked a very rare name and you chose the same one, but since you say the name is very common and popular I say go for it.
Anon says
This may out me, but all three of my kids share the same names as the kids of our very closest friends. They don’t all go by the same names (some have shared middle names, etc.), but two do. Our kids have gone to the same daycare, and will attend the same public school until they all graduate. We have embraced it and love it. It is a source of closeness and fun for us and the kids. The kids pair up with their name buddy for pictures, and we have little jokes about them. The first time it was a fluke, and the second/third times, it was acknowledged beforehand. Something silly and lighthearted, like “turns out you are really good at naming babies, soooo guess what we intend to call this one….” Everyone has good reasons to use the names (both families have a history with the names), and let’s be honest, they are all great – also very popular – names :) Like a lot of stuff, it only matters if you let it matter.
OP says
Thanks! Now just to get my husband on board. :)
Pogo says
Sounds like you got good advice, but yes, just go with it. My favorite name is in the top 20, and a coworker named his kid the same thing (different spelling tho). I’m not going to let it stop me; the kids will interact so infrequently and they won’t go to the same school.
Momata says
Any tips on encouraging a 3.5yo to go to sleep / shifting her schedule earlier? We try to put her down around 8:15 with a consistent routine she’s had since she was 2: a little bit of tv, followed by pajamas, 3 books, and a couple stories. She has white noise and listens to a little song on her baby monitor. But then she putzes around her room for almost an hour almost every single night. This has been going on for months. I’m afraid she’s losing the ability to put herself to sleep. Should we just let her stay up later? Selfishly, this would be pretty disruptive to my husband and I, as we use the time after she goes to bed to make our own dinner and get ready for the next day, and have half an hour of couch time. If she’s up until 9pm that leaves us like 45 minutes before our own bedtime. Kiddo has to get up at 6:45 to go to daycare at dad’s work and she is ALWAYS in a horrible mood when she wakes up; she sleeps until 7:30 on the weekends. Her natural schedule seems to be going to bed at 9 and waking up at 7:30, so it’s only 45 minutes on either side, but those are 45 very important minutes. She still naps at school and at home and needs the nap. TIA!
Anon says
I think this may be the case with my 2.5 yr old, but there’s a chance you are putting her to bed too late. I was about to post last week that my 2.5 yr old has been struggling with falling asleep at night — in bed at 7:30 and he’s up until like 8:45 or 9 every single night — but is exhausted and cranky all day. His natural wake-up is 6:45, and I didn’t know what to do. Also, still takes/needs a nap.
My husband worked from home a few days last week though, and was able to get him in bed by 7. He was sound asleep by 7:10, and got up at his normal wake-up time but happy and cheerful all day.
This is a source of stress, of course, b/c it’s really hard to get him in bed BY 7. There’s some magic window that closes after 7:20, and he’s going to be awake for an hour or more if he gets in bed at or after 7:30. It’s been really hard to hit 7, so I’m still struggling with how to get him down earlier.
Anyway, back to you, starting bed at 8:15 sounds like it’s too late and you have the same issue of missing the window. maybe eliminate TV and see if you can get her down by 7:30?
Anon says
I’m guessing it is the nap. We determined that this was the cause of our 3yo staying up later (they start needing less sleep, but are still taking a daily nap). Daycare won’t drop the nap, but we dropped it on the weekend for an earlier bedtime. We still put him to bed around 8 on weekdays, but are fine with him putzing around in his room (without us present) so long as he doesn’t wake his brother. Sometimes he’s asleep by 8:15, other times it is close to 9:15, but we aren’t having to micromanage it anymore.
The caveat to this is that neither my husband nor I have strict start times, so we all linger in the AM until the kids wake up and then get ready for the day, so we can live with the going to sleep later.
One thing I would try that also made a difference for us without changing schedule: Lots of outside time when you get home, no sugar in the afternoon/evening, and no screen time. I can tell a major difference in my son’s ability to go to sleep when he has had sugar or watched TV in the evening.
anon says
+1 – I think this will resolve itself eventually. She is probably almost ready to drop her nap, and when she does she will go to sleep earlier. She is probably putzing around because she just isn’t that sleepy until later. When my son was 3.5 he was in daycare 2 days a week and preschool the other 3. He always napped at daycare, never at preschool, and rarely at home. It took him MUCH longer to fall asleep on nap days – like an hour or more longer. But he was alone in his room putzing around, so I mostly just ignored it. You could try shortening the nap or moving it earlier. Also, this time of year it gets dark later, and she may be responding to that too.
ElisaR says
is it so bad that she putzes around for almost an hour? i mean, maybe that’s part of her winding down process…. if she isn’t crying/trying to spend time out of her room maybe just let it be? if she’s tired she’ll cut down the putzing?
Momata says
Thanks all. It’s not bad – she usually calls out once toward the end of the Putzing Hour for water / because she pooped, and then we resolve that one issue and she goes to bed. It is only concerning because she wakes up so cranky that I think she needs the extra sleep.
I have considered stopping TV. But it’s the only TV she watches all day and I sincerely think it helps her calm down. It at least stops. the. running. (She is an extremely physically active child; I know they all are but LIKE WOAH.)
I think it’s the nap too. But if she doesn’t nap on the weekends she is a holy wreck in the afternoon. Like, nonfunctional. So I’m not sure she’s ready to drop it.
I realize I’m shooting down all of your thoughtful suggestions, and I apologize for that!
P says
Hmmm, I know it’s counterintuitive, but I think the running in the evening would actually help her go to sleep. My 2 year old needs to get a couple laps up and down the hall every night after the bath. It’s like the Sandra Boynton book…when the moon is on the rise, they all come out to exercise! LOL. For all that, though, my 2 year old still takes a while to fall asleep in her bed after her 8:30 bedtime. I think she gets it from my husband, who also takes a while to fall asleep.
Anon says
If she’s not pooping until 9pm some/most days that’s probably why she’s still awake. It’s part of her natural rhythm. I’d actually try changing meal/snack times (and eliminating TV) before trying to get her in bed earlier.
anon says
I posted about the nap above, and I think this may just be a phase you have to get through. She may absolutely not be ready to give up her nap, and also may not be able to fall asleep before 9 with a nap. So it just may suck for a little while, like most nap transitions.
Sabba says
It is funny to read this because my kid is the opposite. Her natural sleep schedule seems to be 5:30pm to 4:30am. As I am a night owl, this is horrendous. I really think it is affecting my health to be so off my natural schedule. Anyway. We do everything we can to get my daughter to bed between 6:30 to 7:30 and hope that she sleeps to at least 5:30, or to 6:00 or 6:30 on the days we are lucky. It really seems to be genetic, as nothing that I seem to do helps her stay up later and sleep later. On the plus side, she is really easy to put to bed and is usually asleep with 15 minutes, tops.
Sabba says
I forgot to add-solidarity on the schedules! It is really hard to change a kid’s natural tendencies and I’ve finally given up on the change part and just focus on the coping part.
Rainbow Hair says
Hey, is Care dot com a scam or what? Like I’m trying to hire a babysitter and it seems like I have to pay to use basically any function?
Anonymous says
Not a scam, that’s how they make money! I posted for a date night babysitter on care and had hundreds of responses across the “how much would I trust you to watch my child” spectrum, FWIW. We ended up hiring one of DS’ daycare teachers.
SC says
I don’t know that it’s a scam. We found our former nanny (who was amazing!) through care.com. But I probably wouldn’t use it for a babysitter because you do have to pay.
Also, our former nanny said that now the applicants have to pay to use the service, which was not the case when we hired her. She didn’t use it to find her next job because she didn’t want to pay. So, there’s a chance that you may not find great people who can otherwise get gigs via word-of-mouth. But I haven’t tried and can’t speak from experience.
Cornellian says
Not a scam, just a business model. I’d be willing to pay if I were looking for a long-term engagement like a nanny, but not for date night babysitting. Parent listserves have served me well.
anon says
I’ve had good luck with Chime by sittercity (app or website) for booking date night babysitting.
Rainbow Hair says
OK great, thanks. I’m willing to pay for a service, of course, but not necessarily to sign up for a recurring thing when I need a sitter for one night. And the interface was baffling to me and it was frustrating to use and every option I tried to access was behind a paywall… maybe I’ll check out SitterCity.
Sabba says
Our local nanny agency sells a “babysitter list.” I trust it more than Care, but not sure if that is available in your area.
Anonymous says
Hi ladies, I know this has come up a few times recently, but looking for an umbrella stroller to buy for our toddler for a summer trip to Europe. We’re going to two cities– one I think will be more metro and baby wearing (Paris) and limited stroller use, the other we will be doing lots of walking on modern sidewalks. I don’t want to spend a ton, so avoiding the G-Luxe and most of the MacLarens. Right now I’m eyeing the Inglesina Net and Summer Infant 3D-One Convenience. There’s about a $40 price difference between them; the Inglesina stands on its own and the Summer Infant fully reclines, which I’d imagine would be really helpful for napping. Anyone used either of these? Or have a *perfect* other suggestion? Trying to stay below $150 but happy to spend up to that for a good product.
anon says
Are you near a major city? If so you might be able to buy a used Maclaren or something nice for very little $$. I gave ours away.
H says
I think we have the Summer Infant one, but it’s a couple years old so might be slightly different. We’ve used it for trips before and it worked really well. When LO was a baby, he slept it in (reclined), but I’m not sure he would now as a toddler. But it is light weight and seems more sturdy than a lot of umbrella strollers. And I like the cover on it to block the sun.
H says
Oh, and also? You can use the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons at Buy Buy Baby if they aren’t expired.
AIMS says
We got the Summer Infant 3D lite for travel on the recommendation of someone here and it has been fabulous. Lightweight, easy to fold/carry, great for naps. I really like it. I don’t think you’ll go wrong, esp. for the price ($62 on amazon right now).
NewMomAnon says
I have the Inglesina Net and I really like it. It does recline part-way. I thought it was easier to fold than the Summer Infant and lighter (but not a lot lighter, just a bit). It also has a decent-sized basket and the handles are comfy to use; they are right at the top of my comfort zone and I’m short, so they would probably be good for a taller person too. The sunshade is big, the cup holder is helpful, and it’s easy to clean (kiddo had an accident in ours early on).
The mechanism to fold it up is not intuitive, and a little difficult if you aren’t wearing shoes. But once you figure out how to do it, it’s easy and you can do it with one hand and one foot. I felt like the folding mechanism was more solid than the Joovy I tried; I worried that I would break the finger pull on the Joovy.
Anon says
I have the Summer Infant — the brake position is sh!t for curbs and stairs. The carry strap, however is great. I’d look for a used Maclaren if I had to do it again. (Kiddo can climb into other kids’ Maclarens, but the SI is too narrow I think.)
Anonymous says
Thanks all. I have a habit of over researching and getting decision fatigue. I think I need to just pick one and do it! Appreciate the input.
Ai says
Can you get a used stroller from your local facebook buy/sell group? People sell them on mine for under your $150 all the time.
Daycare opinions needed... says
I have a four year old and a four month old. We leave in a MCOL city and total daycare expenses for the two total $3,000/month (does not provide food). Our current daycare is fine. It is at the high end in our city and includes some nice benefits for our older child – think weekly swim lessons, indoor play spaces, etc.
We moved to this city 18 months ago and I preferred our center in our old city. I felt like our child was an individual there and that we had partners in rearing her (we don’t have family in either place). Part of the change may be a culture difference between the two cities.
While we can just swing the cost of our current center, it is tight and limits our savings opportunities. Pros include convenient to home and both offices, clean, known entity esp for older child, provides some social outlet for us, swim lessons, both kids in the same place. Cons include cost, not sure if we are getting so much more bang for buck, lacks the warmth I want.
Older child will go to kindergarten in fall 2018. Our school district only offers half-day K so we will either need a wrap program or need to do private full day kindergarten.
Option 1: Leave both kids in current center and explore k options (wrap or full-day) as needed for next year.
Option 2: Leave younger child in current center (or alternate place) and move older child to 3-5 classroom at Montessori for next two years. No Montessori option for younger child currently.
Option 3: Move both kids to a new, less expensive center and explore k options (wrap or full-day) as needed for next year.
Option 4: Quit job, stay home with baby and enroll older child in part-time preschool. (Ha – I could never hack it.)
HSAL says
I think it’s worth at least exploring Option 3. See what the other possibilities are and how they’d work with your life – your commute, if you’d be providing swim lessons anyway, etc. A place not providing food would be a huge downside for me so between that and cost it wouldn’t take much for me to switch. I would not split the kids – two separate dropoffs/picksups would be my nightmare.
anon says
Are nannies a lot more than 2 kids in daycare in your area? I might vote for nanny plus part-time preschool for older kid, and later nanny plus half day K. In my very HCOL area this seems popular for families with 2 kids and would certainly make your life easier.
(I should add that you are blowing my mind with daycare that offers swim lessons. In NYC I was happy to have a tiny outside play space covered in astroturf).
Daycare opinions needed... says
I should look into the nanny option. My husband is home a lot (most of the summer, a few days a week during the academic year) and I think he would prefer to have the kids out of the house. I am going to bring up the option, however. He can’t have everything! I think having a nanny would save us money.
Anonymous says
I actually just went through this (literally have children the exact same age – it’s almost spooky). After touring the Montessori option and thinking through all options, we are going with Option 3. It’s only marginally cheaper, but it is way more convenient. It has the benefit of both being in the same place (because frankly when it got down to it, the benefits of other centers to my older child were wholly mitigated by the stress and annoyance to me of two drop-offs and pickups prior to starting K). We haven’t yet switched as the new center doesn’t have a spot for both until July, but I’m basically at the point where since I don’t love the current place (it’s fine, but like you we had a previous center which I pink puffy heart loved so the being kind of “meh” about it isn’t my preference), and I decided I just need to do something different. Better the devil we don’t yet know than the one we do.
Daycare opinions needed... says
So helpful! Thank you. I hope the new place gets pink puffy heart status soon.