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There have been a lot of cool beauty innovations recently, but here’s an eyeliner update I never could have imagined. It’s a Revlon liquid liner, and when you take it out of the tube, there’s a tiny circle at the bottom (it looks like a mini pizza wheel) that you use to “wheel” the eyeliner onto your upper lash line. Not only does it have a novelty factor (which after several uses still has not worn out), but the liner formula itself is great. It’s very dark and stays put all day; most of my eye makeup ends up under my eyes after a long day, but this did not budge. This is not an entry-level liquid liner — I would not choose this type of applicator to learn with, but for all of you cat-eye professionals out there, this liner is worth a buy. It’s $11.99 at Ulta and also available at Amazon and your local drugstore. Revlon Colorstay Exactify Liquid Liner This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- 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 – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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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?
Water Bottles says
Water bottle suggestions? My 18 mo is really ready to move on to a new water bottle. He used a friend’s Contigo and seemed to like it but I looked it up and the mold reviews are scary (and I’m NOT a germaphobe). Thermos Foogo? Thermos Funtainer? Other suggestions? Thank you!
(I know this has been discussed before but I’ve searched and can’t find it, so…. sorry)
Cb says
I think Lucie’s List did a round-up of these?
Redux says
We have a toddler Klean Kanteen at home and at daycare and really like it. When it was time for us to buy one for our second kid, I asked our daycare provider if she had a recommendation– all the kids at daycare are required to supply one so I imagined she had a lot of experience with leaks, washability, durability, etc. and she said she always recommends the Klean Kanteen to parents who ask.
I am not a germaphobe but kid water bottles get grody. My strategy was to buy one with the fewest parts, and to avoid pinch straws or other mechanisms that trap moisture. In all honesty I wash them way less frequently than I should.
Anonymous says
I am eager to see what others recommend. We have a Nalgene “Grip and Gulp” that is really easy to clean, but it does drip if held upside down. Kleen Kanteens were popular at our preschool. Both may be better for slightly older kids. I think at 18 months we were using an Evenflow or Nuk sippy.
SC says
+1. I love the Nalgene Grip and Gulps, and I haven’t had any problems with leaks as long as the rubber seal is in. Also, Nalgene sells replacement seals, so you don’t have to replace the whole cup when you lose one.
lsw says
We use the Contigo water bottles and have since about 11 or 12 months. (Son is now 21 months.) We actually recently had some mold for the first time but it was very easy to clean – hard to describe where it was – and now we’re more vigilant about letting it air out and whatnot. You might still not be ready to take the plunge but I found it worth the price of admission for the convenience factor AND the fact that due to the design, you can instantly see even an inkling of mold.
lsw says
I should note we only use this for water.
J says
We have some Avent’s we like around the house. It would be impossible to have hidden mold in them – they come all the way apart. They do leak a little, though. For outside the house, we have a Thermos one we like. It is definitely leakproof so far (3 months). The part under the cap is clear, so I think you’d see mold if it built up. We bought it to go on vacation and it is great for that – leak proof and very sturdy for getting tossed around. If I was worried about mold, I’d spend the $20 just to use it just for vacation, to be honest. So far I’m not too worried about mold issues though.
avocado says
We used the Thermos Funtainer straw thermoses for several years and they got perfectly clean in the dishwasher as long as the straw was completely disassembled and removed from the lid. I also liked the fact that you can purchase replacement straws separately.
We did not have the same success with Contigo–those things are nasty.
avocado says
P.S. The Funtainer is 100% leakproof and keeps milk cold until lunchtime.
GCA says
+1 to the Thermos Funtainer; we have one and love it for hot weather.
anon says
I like the Funtainer a lot for my preschooler, but it’s heavy enough that it might not be great for an 18-month-old.
Anon says
We have done really well with Camelbak Eddy kids which is also really popular at our daycare. Never seen mold, minimum parts and cleans easily.
Anonymous says
We have used and loved klean kanteens for years, since my first was about 12 months. Just the regular sport caps…we’ve replaced the caps once for the kids who like to chew, but for the most part, these are just fantastic all-around bottles. DH & I use the same but with the twist off caps
I should say we are on the SAME bottle for kid 1, who is now 9 years old, and though it’s a bit dented and had one replacement cap, it’s still going strong.
We use Planet boxes for lunch kits and I’m intrigued by their bottle rocket but since our Kanteens are still working for us there is no need to switch.
CPA Lady says
Nothing like starting the week by being reminded just how far you leaned out. Got my first administrative professionals week gift. Yay.
Mama Llama says
Ugh. What a stupid holiday in general.
NewMomAnon says
Lol. I am a “staff attorney” and it is “staff appreciation week,” but I was specifically told that it doesn’t apply to me. Apparently I am not low enough on the totem pole to be appreciated, but not high enough to participate in profit sharing. Modern working woman problems.
Anonymous says
Royal Baby name guesses? My pick is James.
AIMS says
Arthur.
Cb says
The bookies seem to think Arthur.
Anon says
Arrrrrgh, I hope it’s not Arthur. I’m delivering my son in a month and that’s our name (it has a family connection). I’ll still use it, obviously, but I really don’t want people assuming I jumped on the royal baby name bandwagon. Fingers crossed for the other top choice, Albert!
Anonymous says
I’m hoping for Albert Phillip!
lala says
James
AIMS says
So this is a bit random and trivial but here goes. I decided to get the Spectra pump this time around and so far really like it except that the bottles that came with it have the most impossible to read measurements – they are basically just raised indentations and not in color and when filled with milk, it takes me way too long to figure out how much is inside. Does this just magically get easier? Are there different bottles (my medela bottles don’t fit)? Do you think I can just write with a sharpie over the numbers? This is such a small issue but it’s so annoying every time I use it. I’m tired of squinting.
lsw says
Do you need to read it at work or at home? I ended up using a food scale and it made my life way easier.
AIMS says
Work. My goal is to never bring the pump home this time around and I only use the bags to take the milk home so would like a measurement to put on the bag. I think I can just use a sharpie to outline the numbers on the outside of the bottles just hesitant for some irrational reason and wondering if there’s a better solution.
Anonymous says
Do your storage bags not have measurements? My lansinoh ones have markers for ounces.
I have the same complaint about the Spectra. I’ve learned to eyeball it to be close enough.
NewMomAnon says
It’s been a while since I dealt with this, but I remember being confused by the measurement marks on the Lansinoh bags, because the bags squished and the measurements could be off significantly as a result. I always measured in bottles and then wrote the measurements on the bags. My reading of the bag measurement was usually at least a half ounce off from the bottle measurements.
AIMS says
Yeah, I can’t say that I find the bag measurements very reliable. I think there is a way to do it more or less accurately, but I don’t like relying on it. I know bottle measurements aren’t always exact either but at least it’s more consistent from feeding to feeding.
lsw says
Yeah, this was exactly why I used the scale at home. I used Kiinde bags and it was impossible to tell how much I was actually putting in them.
Anonymous says
My research leads me to believe that Philips Avent bottles work with the Spectra. I bought a Spectra for my upcoming #2 and hope that’s the case since I have lots of Avent bottles
Anonymous says
Yep, the wide-mouth Avent bottles fit great and don’t require an adapter! I used those for the year I EP’d, because the Spectra ones were annoying. Otherwise, though, it’s a great pump.
AIMS says
Good to know, thanks!!
Anonymous says
There are Medela bottle top adapters that fit with the Spectra flanges :) They are available from ama*on. I used them for a year and they worked fine.
HSAL says
This is what I’ll be doing so I’m glad that people have had good luck with them.
Anon says
+1 THIS. SO much better. The Spectra bottles are terrible and melted on me during sterilization. Get the adapter. I used Evenflow glass bottles and loved them but maybe too heavy for on-to-go pumping. Any standard plastic bottle will fit too. Also – the Ameda tubing fits Spectra if you need a replacement. For some reason Spectra parts were impossible to get when I was pumping. Medela tubing is too rigid and basically hurts because it doesn’t amortize the suction as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Maymom-Breastshield-Connects-Backflow-Protector/dp/B072LV9Q61/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1524510806&sr=8-3&keywords=medela%2Bspectra%2Badapter&dpID=212tF-Ju0dL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1
Moving says
Seeking general advice from anybody who’s been there. We’re relocating across the country (new job for husband) in June. Baby will turn 1 at the end of June. Any advice for moving with an 11-month old? Because it is corporate relocation, we’re set up pretty nice with professional movers for packing and moving. But just curious about any trips & tricks to make this process even remotely easier. Any way to make the transition easier for him (or do I even need to worry about that since he’s so little still?).
Anonymous says
We moved cross country with a 16 month old and it was seriously no big deal for him. We explained what was happening, but he just took it in stride- way easier than if he’d been older. 12-24 mo is my least favorite age to fly with kids so just have lots of little toys, snacks, and I recommend the Video Touch app (short videos of cars, planes, animals, etc).
J says
We moved across our state when our baby was 10 months. I was surprised at how the move affected her sleep. It lasted a while, so maybe it was just a regression or developmental and not related to the move. Honestly, our bigger issues were less about the logistical move part and more about getting settled in our new city (hating our first day care and switching mainly). We did set up a bunch of her toys first in a room with a door. It was nice that she was less mobile during that time. My mom also stayed with us for the first few days. That was nice because I could unpack essentials and set up bedding and stuff.
You’ll be fine. You’ve got this!
anon says
I’m intrigued by this eyeliner, but I am SO BAD at applying liquid eyeliner. I feel like I’ve tried all sorts of options, from the marker-like tip to more a gel situation. I have a really hard time getting a straight, even application and don’t even get me started on cat eyes and more advanced techniques. HELP.
Baby Monitor says
Could anyone recommend a good baby monitor. Expecting my first in a few weeks and recently started thinking that I should get the kind of monitor where I can view the baby’s room from my phone. I registered for and received the Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor but it doesn’t have that feature. It’s a traditional video monitor. We have a pretty big house so the nursery is far away if we’re on the first floor in the kitchen or family room or in the yard. I could also see having the Wifi capability be useful to check in when we’re out of the house too.
Any suggestions? Should I stick with the one we got or get one with the phone feature? If so, which one (under $200 preferred)? Any reason to have both types of monitors? Thanks!
ElisaR says
I thought the monitor-from-phone thing sounded awesome at first…. but then I realized I wouldn’t like it. Mostly because now that I have 2 babies, my phone is never as handy as when it was glued to my hand pre-kids. It’s also not always charged. And I can’t leave it with my mom when she’s over. I have a traditional monitor that I love. When I finally get to sit down at night, it is propped up next to me so I can just glance over — with the sound off and has a light that goes on when there is sound in the room. I really like that my monitor is not on my phone.
You’re right, the signal might not work in the yard. But I find the trade-off isn’t that big of a deal.
ElisaR says
PS Mine is the Levana Astra PTZ
Anonymous says
I have never seen the appeal of having the monitor on your phone. I intentionally sleep with my phone nowhere near my bed. We had a basic summer infant video monitor that has been by our bed for going on 3 years now.
camera says
We have the infant optics and use it religiously. It is amazing.
I also just ordered the $20 Wyze Cam, this is AMAZING quality. We plan to use this when at grandparents, travel etc.
Hand-me-downs says
We have a summer infant one but we are expecting our 3rd and it’s really not as reliable as I need for a newborn (it’s fine for it’s current use, which is with our 2 year old to make sure she’s not climbing out of the crib, but will often reset/ go out of range for no reason). Do you like the infant optics? Does it have decent reliable range? We have a 2 story 3000sq ft house with lots of walls, so the
camera says
I do like the infant optics. We’ve used it every night for the past 11 months and leave it on all night, but just now have started having the issue with out of range. I’ve found turning the camera on and off and the recieved on and off often fixes the issues.
ALso, someone posted on amazon to just take the battery out and put it back in after 5 seconds, that fixes the issue of the battery draining quickly if you do have that issue.
We live in a 3 story 2200 sf house and I’ve found range to be very good, sometimes my husband and I will sit outside after the baby sleeps and there’s still range from the baby’s room through the exterior walls.
Katala says
Not to be alarmist, but we had a wifi to phone one for our first and replaced it with a traditional video monitor after seeing videos online of people who hack into the wifi type and watch (and talk to!) kids. There are sites out there with the IP addresses for baby monitors. It freaked us out enough to stop using it. That said, it did work a lot better than our Hello Baby video monitor. I do not recommend that brand.
J says
I agree with this. Most people I know who do a wifi option are experts at home networking and have a closed circuit design that you can’t access outside the home.
Pogo says
I have the Nest cam and love it. However, I do sleep with my phone on my night table so if I need to check the Nest I can see what he’s up to.
One caveat though is that our LO is pretty ‘regular’ in his sleeping habits – so I rarely need to check in on him. If it’s getting close to the two-hour mark for a nap, I know he’s probably going to wake up soon so I just listen for him. What I love about Nest is being able to look back at the “events” (when it detects movement) to see when he actually fell asleep. Sometimes he rolls around babbling to himself for awhile, so I check to see when he finally passed out and then add 2 hours to that to see when I should expect him to potentially be up.
Because it is wifi we can check it anywhere in our yard.
We have an extra old iPad that I set up for my parents when they are watching him, and just leave the Nest app full screen.
Jeffiner says
I had a Foscam camera set up in her room so I could use my phone, because I did not want any more devices that I had to keep track of. We put the app on both mine and my husband’s phones, so either of us could watch her.
For security reasons we didn’t connect it to Wifi, but we were still able to get a signal anywhere in the house and about half of our yard. It has a two-way microphone, but we were never able to speak into her room clearly, it only sounded like static. We had no problem hearing when she cried, though.
anon says
I’m one of the posters who commented recently on enjoying the week in the life posts but feeling that I don’t relate to them. I’ve realized as a I look more in depth at my time that I cannot seem to be productive in the evenings compared with most posters. I’m just usually so exhausted from the day and eager for some time with DH that we just veg on the couch, which is nice, but I feel like I’m wasting so much time. Does anyone have any tricks or tips for getting more done in the evening?
Clementine says
Somebody commented a while ago that they have a 3:00 espresso and it really helps… After that, I noticed that an afternoon cup of coffee or tea really gave me a boost to do all the things when I get home.
I also am a big list maker and a big ‘maker of plans with other people so I have to do things’. I mean, I’m not always 110% productive… last night I definitely didn’t watch old episodes of CSI while sitting on my bed adjacent to a basket of laundry that needed folding but is still only half folded…
I try and limit the mindless scrolling. It’s amazing how much time I found when I stopped staring at BuzzFeed or Schmacebook (which I only use for events at this point) mindlessly in the evenings.
Mama Llama says
Do you actually have things that need to be done that aren’t getting done, or do you just feel bad for veg-ing? If it’s the latter, let that go and enjoy!
Anon says
Two things:
1) Limit your phone/ tablet time as Clementine says. Set a limit or a timer that allows you to spend 30 minutes there – 10 min for anything actually pressing, 20 min for mindless scrolling, and then be done. You don’t truly NEED to see which meme your cousin posted or pictures of your college roommate’s kids or reach the next level in your game.
2) Decide what you want to do with your time, and create a schedule for yourself. Sundays – date night at home. Mondays – hobby. Tues – veg. Wed – clean a shelf or corner. Thurs – make your weekend plans. That way you still have time to veg, and once you get your “thing” done you can veg some more, but you’re also being productive. DH and I cleaned/ organized our entire house in a year by assigning a room to each month, and then spending every Thursday cleaning a shelf or a corner or a pile in that room. Between the two of us, we usually could get a room done in 3 weeks and then have the fourth Thurs as a date night with a babysitter.
mascot says
This is good advice. I do much better when I have a task/activity planned instead of letting might night devolve into watching crap tv while playing on my phone all in the name of spending QT with my husband. Not sitting down until the activity is done is also key.
J says
I can rarely be productive in the evening. I’ve always gotten tired early my entire life. When it is nice I have some luck doing outdoor tasks or opening a window. Sometimes I am happy to do some meal prep because I do genuinely like cooking. But my biggest “hack” is to be productive in the early morning instead of the evening and recognize that the evening will be my time to take it easy. And then go to bed early because I get up int the 4:00 hour every weekday.
Anonymous says
This, for me too. Once the kids are in bed, I am there within an hour. I spend that hour having a snack or a seltzer, reading (for fun, not work), chatting with DH, and maybe packing up a bag for the next day (like corraling pump parts). Any real work gets done the next morning. I’m a morning person and that just works better for me, and I learned to let go of the guilt of seeing DH start cranking out housework and work-work, because he relaxes more in the mornings.
avocado says
I don’t know how people have time or energy to be productive in the evenings. I have about two hours between arriving home and bedtime, which barely gives me time to cook dinner, eat dinner, sit there waiting for the kid to finish eating, clean up, and then bug the kid to hurry up in the shower before I pass out from exhaustion.
Two Cents says
I’m trying to get better at this too, although I don’t think of it as being productive per se, just that I want to spend less time aimlessly looking at my phone after the kids are in bed. I generally set a 30 minute timer to browse the Internet. After that, I load the dinner dishes and tidy up the kitchen (about 15-20 minutes), write in my journal (15 minutes), do a workout video (30 minutes) and do some leisure reading (anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour). I only pick books that I really love (I’m re-reading the Harry Potter series now) so I know I will stick with it. My kids are in bed by 8 pm and I go to bed around 11 pm so I have a decent chunk of time to get all of this done (and I’m a night owl).
I can’t get on board with doing any deep organizing or cleaning at night. Let’s be honest, I can barely stomach doing any of that during the day.
Anonymous says
i find that if I don’t turn on the TV after the kids go to bed, I’m way more productive. I’ve taken to walking straight into the kitchen and turning on some low music on our echo. I’ll clean up dinner, do dishes, actually talk to my husband, deal with laundry, and often sign back on to work, all from the kitchen island. If I go into the den with the TV, it sucks me in and all of the sudden I’ve sat there for 2 hours playing on my phone and watching bad TV.
Em says
I don’t sit down in the evenings, except on our uncomfortable bar stools to eat dinner. If I sit on our couch, I get tired and nothing will get done.
Anonymous says
I mean, is it really unproductive if you’re vegging to unwind and recharge? I have realized I feel like a bum if I watch a hours of TV, so I’ve taken to reading or playing the piano most evenings and reserve TV for folding laundry. Both are just as useless as far as “productivity” goes, but they are more palatable to me as a way to kill time, so I get all the mental health benefits of relaxing and none of the guilt. Once the kitchen is clean and the kids are in bed, I feel like I’ve earned a break for the rest of the night. I say, if you’re getting everything you need done, just veg on the couch and own it!
Anonymous says
I’m not super productive at night, but my only tip is don’t sit down after your is in bed until you’ve done what you need to get done. For me this is usually just cleaning up the kitchen and packing lunch for the next day; occasionally I cook something.
Hand-me-downs says
I am about to have a 3rd girl. I’m trying to figure out my hand-me-down strategy (at least until they age-out of liking the same clothes/wear what is in their closet). Kids are all 2 years apart.
I’d like to do things like buy a Patagonia winter jacket. Do I buy new, and expect to get 2-3 kids’ worth of wear out of it, or buy used/2nd hand assuming it is only good for 1-2 kids?
Hanna Andersson has historically held up well for pajamas– do other Hanna clothes hand down well? My 2nd daughter is already wearing some of the dresses my oldest wore.
What other brands are good for handing down? How many kids can I reasonably expect to get out of this type of thing?
I’m already learning it’s not a perfect science, as my oldest has totally different shaped feet than my second, so my second can’t wear any of the shoes I splurged on and saved for #2 (yet). At least there’s hope for #3? :)
MomAnon4This says
For something like the Patagonia jacket… just don’t. My 9yo first child has lost every single winter jacket since kindergarten (he’s now in 3rd). He goes to public school and the teachers don’t keep up with the kids’ stuff in general. We live in Southeast (still cold in winter times/and early spring, but obvs. not Minneapolis) and once he loses the 2nd part of his 3-in-1 zip-in jacket & fleece combo, and if it’s close to spring break, I just stop buying him new jackets, even if it’s down to 40F. Kids are dumb.
Pajamas are whatever.
Also for a girl… skirts and dresses might be ok to hand-down? My son tears up the knees in his reinforced old navy pants, so who knows.
Hand-me-downs says
My kids are younger– so my oldest is 5 and hasn’t lost any clothing yet :). My second has already used 2 of her old winter coats and one of her rain jackets. But neither of those coats (one is LLBean and the other is I think Lands End; raincoat is Boden I think?) are going to make it to #3– two is their max for handing down.
Maybe my oldest just isn’t that rough on clothes? Or maybe we have lots in rotation so the wear is less? Because I’ve only bought “fun” things for my second; everything else has handed down really well.
I sort of figure by the time my second is in beyond early elementary, she’ll have her own Major Opinions anyway.
August says
Certain brands have definitely been worth it for us… Patagonia coat, Bogs boots are like new. I have stuck with Stride Rite shoes (and also buy them when they are in the $15-20 sale range) but not sure how that will work with 2nd kid (they are fine quality in holding up so far). My son is 2 this summer and have another boy on the way, due around the 2nd bday.
Tshirts and stuff that has more wear/prone to stains, not so much… I try to keep an eye on sales from some of the facebook deal groups and scoop stuff up when they are on sale and marked down.
For PJs the fleece carters hold up really well. Cotton stuff not as much, but it depends on your cost per wear. We’ve accumulated a TON of pajamas so my son go almost 2 weeks without repeating a pair.
I haven’t really thrift ed much but if you are selective and pawn through it you get the good brands marked way down.
EB0220 says
I have two girls and you are so right on the shoes! The only shoes we’ve been able to hand down are Kavu rainboots and snow boots. Patagonia, LLBean, REI and Columbia have held up very well for us. I’ve also been able to pass on Primary leggings and dresses. My oldest isn’t that hard on clothes, either. We implemented a good reminder system for her when she started kindergarten so she’s only lost one good coat.
Anon says
My sisters wore may Hanna 4 and 6 years later, and I was a rather rough and tumble kid. I don’t think the quality has gone down since then, and my mom keeps buying my DD Hanna.
AIMS says
Hanna still has its money back policy, no questions asked. I bought some holiday PJs that tore at the feet after a few wears and they gave me a full refund. I asked the customer service rep if this was a common issue and she said they wouldn’t be in business if it was, given the policy.
To the brands above, I’d add Gap. I’ve had fairly good experience with 90% of their kids’ stuff. The only exception being pajamas for some reason and actually PJs are the one thing I find to be consistently good at Carter’s whereas most of their leggings and tops don’t wear well at all, imo.
J says
I say this very gently with great admiration and respect for everyone who has done the Week in the Life series. I’ll say it now: nearly every one of you is very likely more organized than me with a cleaner house, more vegetables in your fridge, and a more demanding job. But, I’m getting a little bothered that I’ve seen a lot of comments lately from people who feel disorganized or like they don’t use their time wisely after reading the posts. The posts certainly do have great ideas that I’m sure many of us can benefit from. However, I think the nature of the posts with the sometimes minimal level of detail might have the unintended consequence of giving a higher level of togetherness.
For example, if I think about some mornings in my house, one entry might look like “6:45-7:30 – nurse toddler, change toddler’s clothes and diaper, give toddler a small snack (she eats breakfast at school), and help husband and toddler out the door for husband to take toddler to school”. What I would have omitted is the 5-10 minute disagreement I have with my child every morning about getting her diaper changed and clothes on (even though she picked them all out) that probably results in a meltdown and a meltdown because I wouldn’t let her have chips. Also part of her snack includes two chocolate chips she gets to take in a bowl in the car on the way to school every day as a compromise when she asks for all the other snacks in the house.
In the evenings, I try to go to bed around 9:00. Toddler’s bedtime routine ends around 7:30. An entry might look like “7:30 – 9:00 – wipe down table from dinner, pick up any stray dishes, pickup our bedroom floor, sign permission slip for daycare, watch tv/talk with hubby.” But honestly, the tv/phone time is probably 60+ minutes of that chunk. The other stuff takes like 15 minutes.
I don’t think it is healthy to do so much comparing. It’s great to get ideas and learn and all that, but find what works for you!
AIMS says
This is such a good point. Also, maybe it’s just me, but if I was doing this for a week I’m pretty sure I’d be way more organized/motivated that week than I might be on any given week. It’s like keeping a food diary, you’re not going to want to put down that you had a bag of doritos and cheese dip for dinner.
avocado says
Alteration of behavior in response to observation is called the Hawthorne effect, and there is evidence that it’s a real thing.
Amen says
Irrelevant to the original subject, but this is what I always think when I watch videos of reporters interviewing someone on the street or some other “reality filming” situation. (Almost) no one acts like that in real life without a camera and a boom mic in their face.
CPA Lady says
Hahahaha to the doritos and cheese dip comparison– that’s a good point.
I’ve considered volunteering to write one of those posts but haven’t because “6:00 pm – let kid eat Wendy’s kids meal in front of tv while I drink boxed wine and eat over the sink in the kitchen because it’s only April and DH is on his 15th week long business trip of the year and I am unbelievably tired, the weather is terrible, and have zero coping mechanisms left” seems like it would be frowned upon at best and ripped apart at worst. So there may be some self selecting out of authors.
All that said, I think I’m doing a pretty darn good job. Maybe that’s denial speaking, but I go to work every day and do a pretty good job, my house is reasonably clean, my food is generally reasonably healthy, my kid is a normal 3 year old so there are tantrums and stand offs, but she seems pretty happy. I do my best to do fun little things for her. I call my mom and I make my bed. I’m doing great in a difficult situation.
avocado says
Oh, please do one! I am certain you’re not the only one eating over the kitchen sink, and you’d probably get a lot of solidarity.
Two Cents says
I think a submission like that would make my week. Please do it!
Anon says
I had cereal for dinner 3 nights last week, standing over the sink while unloading the dishwasher with the other hand in between chews….
J says
I would love this!!!
But that’s exactly what I’m talking about! See how easily that could just be “6:00 p.m. Kiddo and I eat dinner”?
Em says
Having done one, this is completely true. I mentioned it in the comments on mine, but for me at least, I realized it also doesn’t show when I am insanely stressed, tired, and frustrated. Yes, I got a crazy amount accomplished on some days, but I was also exhausted at a few points.
Kindergarten says
Hi Ladies,
My kid is turning 3 at the end of this year and it looks like we have to apply for Kindergarten almost a year before she actually goes. So we would apply in Jan 2019 for school year that starts in Sep 2019. The caveat is that she won’t be quite 4 in Sep 2019. She turns 4 at the end of 2019. The school accepts children who are 4 ON Sep 1 of the school year. We have an optional K-early-placement program which allows her to take a test. What I don’t understand is – if she takes the test when we apply (which is Jan 2019) she will have just barely turned 3 so of course she will be at least 9 months behind what is expected from a 4 year old. Do you have any experience with these weird timing issues and what the expectations are around these? Any advice in general on how to navigate this confusing system?
To be clear, I am not trying to push her into a K class if she’s not ready. I just want to give her a chance to stay with kids approximately her age if it is appropriate for her. If she waits another year, she would be older than 75% of her class (assuming even birth distribution throughout the year and that everyone born Sep 1 2019 and prior actually went to last year’s class). I realize if she goes early she would be younger than 90+% of her class so there is no perfect plan, it just depends on her. It seems crazy to have to think about this when she is only 2 but I don’t want to miss the window to have choices!
The other question I have for you all is just regarding school schedule. Our local school/K ends at 2pm. Of course neither parent can get off work this early – so do you hire a babysitter for those after-school hours? Do you trust them to drive your kid? What do you expect them to do with your kid after they pick up and before you get home? It just seems weird to have someone spend this much one-on-one time with your child (I’m sorry if all of this sounds naive, I grew up in another country where things were completely different so I am really unclear on how this is supposed to work in the US. For all the emphasis on children’s safety, it seems like there is not much help for parents overall here).
avocado says
The timing doesn’t sound right here. Typically K requires that kids be 5 on or before the cutoff date, not 4. This would mean that for early placement she would apply in January 2020 to start in September of 2020. She would be 4 at the time of application and nearly 5 when she started, and that would still be a year early.
Is this public or private school?
Kindergarten says
I may be confusing my terms and it is really pre-K but this is the age limitation. It’s a public school that has a fee (they call it “option” school).
avocado says
I would find out what assessment is used and what score is required to pass. If they are testing 9 months early, the expectation may not be the same as it would be if they were testing right before school begins. Some of the assessments used are very simple. For kindergarten, my daughter only needed to take the Bracken assessment, which asks kids to identify shapes and colors and match pictures.
After-school care may be offered at the school, perhaps through the YMCA or your county parks and rec department. There are also after-school programs at day care centers, the YMCA, the JCC, sports facilities, etc. that will either pick kids up at school in a van or meet them at the school bus. An after-school nanny can be a convenient option once your child is a bit older and needs help with homework and transportation to activities, but nannies can be expensive, difficult to find, and sometimes less reliable than a formal after-school program. You can use a nanny agency to recruit candidates, conduct background screenings, and handle payroll and taxes.
Anon says
This has been a hard concept for me to grasp too. I have a June birthday and was younger than nearly everyone in my class growing up, graduated high school when I was 17, etc. My husband was the same with a July birthday. Our daughter is an October birthday so on the older side of her class. It’s weird to think that she’ll basically be a year older than me when she goes through all the grades and stuff. But that does seem to be the trend now – start later. So I think it’ll be okay.
mascot says
Agreed that this sounds like a pre-K program. Someone is always going to be the oldest and someone is always going to be the youngest in the class. It seems a little weird when they are still at the age where milestones are measured in months and there is a big difference between a 12 month old who isn’t walking and a 14 month old who can now run. By the time they get to be school aged, development is much more spread out and nuanced. Unless your child shows you that they need to be placed differently, I think you should always start with the default position and put them in school based on the regular age cut-offs. And I say this as a parent who’s child turned five 2 weeks before the kindergarten cut-off and who then repeated that grade. It’s all turning out just fine.
As to after school care, the local Y and JCC in our area offer before/after school care, as do several daycares and martial arts studios. They also handle transportation to and from the school. The private schools offer before/after care on their campuses for their students. Ask around and see what’s in your area; you may not have to get a sitter if you have some of these options.
avocado says
+1 million to making the decision based on your child’s needs and not worrying about whether she will be the oldest or the youngest. Age 3 may also be awfully early to tell what she’ll need at age 5. If you decide to put her in pre-K a year early, I’d keep a flexible mindset and be prepared to have her repeat if needed. You could also skip public pre-K if it’s a logistical hassle and keep her at day care, then go straight to K when she’s about to turn 5 (a year early) if that’s what she needs. As long as she can function well in a group setting, hold a pencil, and use scissors and a glue stick, she may be just fine going straight from preschool to K. We did not do pre-K and it worked out just fine.