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I’m a big fan of MZ Wallace for intelligently designed handbags — as are the readers — and this quilted design seems lightweight but durable. It’s 13″ x 9″ x 2″, which puts it on the slightly larger side, and it looks like a great choice for a crossbody. It has the options of a chain shoulder strap, an adjustable leather crossbody strap, and an adjustable webbed strap. The bag only has one review so far at Nordstrom, but it’s very positive, and I think this would be ideal for running errands, or if you’re OK with a crossbody for work. It’s $295 (backordered, available late next month). Crosby Quilted Oxford Nylon Crossbody
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Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ 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 – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Turtle says
A coworker I’m close with just had her first baby and I’d like to get her a gift. I was thinking a PB Kids personalized blanket, but thought I’d query the crowd here first. Any recommendations for something nice <$50, give or take? Is there a higher quality option than PBK? The gender was a surprise, and I know she doesn't have any traditionally 'boy' colors/items, hence my leaning toward a blue blanket of some kind. TIA!
Anon says
That sounds nice! We received a Little Giraffe blanket as a gift and I/my kid is obsessed with it, but not sure you can personalize and I think they are a little pricier…I’m sure she’ll love a personalized gift.
AwayEmily says
Counterpoint, I am not the biggest fan of personalized stuff because it limits my ability to hand it down (either to future kids or to friends’ kids).
octagon says
We got one of the PB personalized stroller blankets and it’s fantastic. Great weight, easy to care for.
avocado says
We had one of the PB stroller blankets, not personalized. We used it in the car for years on days when it was cold enough for a coat but the kid couldn’t wear a coat because of the car seat straps. It still looked brand-new when we had to let it go because she was too big for it..
JP says
As a counterpoint, we got a ton of blankets. One thing we needed and LOVED was the PB Kids critter wraps towel, personalized or not. They are such high quality and also adorable. The dinosaur one is especially cute
mascot says
I vote for towels too.
SC says
LOL, we got a ton of towels. But that may have been because early in my pregnancy (maybe Thanksgiving), DH went on a huge rant in front of his family about how babies and kids don’t need special towels, and it’s all a conspiracy to make people buy more stuff. Maybe he has a point, but several members of his family bought us hooded towels for Christmas. And d*mn if a hooded animal towel isn’t f*ing adorable.
2 Cents says
+1 to your family. No, kids don’t need special towels, but they are adorable! And hoodie sweatshirts and hats with little animal ears :P
NOVA Anon says
Plus one to the critter wrap towels from PB – they are my go-to baby gift.
TTC vent says
Are the PB bath wraps worth the cost? We’ve had a cute hooded towel from Target that’s ripping and resisting being mended (after 1.5 years use), so I was thinking of replacing it with a PB one. But is it really worth $40 more?
Anon in NYC says
We have PB hooded towels that are still going strong 2 years later.
biglawanon says
Yeah, I’d stay away from towels and blankets. A lot of people prepare for their kid by buying these things in advance and don’t need this stuff. I would honestly give a gift card and a nice card.
TBK says
Our go-to baby gift is a Lands’ End fleece throw with the baby’s name on it. People seem to like them (we started buying them after we got some for our own kids and they drag these things around with them everywhere — they love them).
bluefield says
For a first time mom I would get SwaddleMe swaddles, size medium. They come in 3-packs for about $30. Tell her not to dry them.
There are a few Little Giraffe blankets on Nordstrom Rack that I would also recommend.
anon says
You could also get something nicer for the mom/family (gift certificate to grocery or meal delivery) and a token item for the baby. Or do an engraved silver frame with the baby’s initials or something similarly keepsakey, like an engraved christmas ornament.
October says
We received a personalized blue “stroller blanket” from restoration hardware (I’m stopping myself from googling the price) and I LOVE it. We got a lot of small receiving blankets, but nothing like this. It’s a nice size and weight, cozy on one side and satin on the other.
BabyBoom says
For Christmas I would like an initial necklace with 3 letters (first letter of names for spouse + 2 kids, so not monogram). I looked on etsy, but I am a little overwhelmed. As for jewelry, I tend to wear the same thing everyday so nothing too flashy or big. Any suggestions? And should I be looking somewhere other than etsy?
Clementine says
If you want to wear it every day, I would start with a couple decisions:
-What material do you want? If this is something you’re going to wear daily, it’s probably better to get it in something more durable (I would go with gold).
-Do you want a simpler look, e.g., simple circles with each initial, or something a little artsy a la each initial in leaf and a tree branch like pendant attachment.
I would go to etsy knowing what you want out of those two items. If I were to just throw a blind guess, you want ones like Liz Lemon wore on 30 rock (actual Tina Fey may wear them in real life as well) which are by Helen Ficalora and look quite nice.
Anon in NYC says
Personally, I really like the look of bar necklaces (you can find examples on etsy).
Em says
I just bought myself a necklace with my son’s initials and was really happy with the quality of the one I got, although the shipping took awhile, likely because it came from Canada to my Midwest city. I will link the shop in a reply.
Em says
https://www.etsy.com/listing/222616720/hand-stamped-gold-initial-necklace-gold?ref=shop_home_active_4
EB0220 says
I really like this! Thanks for the rec.
anon says
Let’s talk about death! We’re going out-of-state Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. One of her two cats recently passed away and three year-old kiddo will notice. Kiddo has already been asking for kitty on FaceTime. We are non-religious, but are open to saying that kitty is in a better place if that helps ease kiddo’s feelings. I haven’t thought about how to handle this at all, so all advice welcome!
avocado says
This is really the perfect opportunity for you to explain the concept of death. Kitty was very old and her body wore out and stopped working, so she died. This is natural and happens to all animals and people. It usually doesn’t happen until we are very old, much older than mommy and daddy and grandma. [Insert explanation of what happened to kitty’s body.] We can’t see kitty anymore, but we can remember how much we loved her.
Religious or non-religious, I would never say that kitty is in “a better place.” I also would not say anything that conflicts with your family’s beliefs about happens to human souls after death. If this fits with your belief system, you could say that kitty’s soul/spirit went to the Rainbow Bridge where her soul will play happily with the souls of other pets who have died.
avocado says
By “explanation of what happened to kitty’s body,” I mean buried/cremated/etc.
Anonymous says
Just tell the truth, in as simple terms as possible. “Kitty was very old [if true] and got very very sick. Her body stopped working, and she died. Dying is when your body stops working. She can’t run around or eat or play with us anymore since her body doesn’t work anymore. It won’t start working again. It is very sad, because we miss kitty a lot. It is okay to feel sad and miss kitty.”
Expect your daughter to ask the same questions over and over again. She is not going to really understand and will need to talk it over repeatedly to process it. Depending on how your mom is doing, you might want to try to sets some boundaries around talking about it with your daughter, like, “grandma feels very sad right now when she thinks about kitty because she misses her so much. So you can ask me questions about kitty but grandma needs a break from talking about kitty right now.”
You should also anticipate her asking if this is going to happen to you, the other cat, her, grandma, etc. I tell my son that bodies usually work until people are very very old, we go to the doctor, take medicine, vaccines, and eat healthy foods and do other things to try to take care of our bodies, and a grown up will always be there to take care of him.
anon says
I’d get the book The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.
A says
We just recently went through this with my three-year-old daughter after our (young, beloved) cat suddenly died a couple months ago. We are also not religious and didn’t want to focus on the afterlife, but she still picked up on the notion of heaven after talking with my in-laws.
The conversation is ongoing, even months later, although she has stopped asking about it as consistently. We have had to repeatedly say that he got very sick and that the doctors tried to help him, but they couldn’t save him. She asked if he would come back when he got better, and has pretended a few times that her stuffed animals have died.
Good luck! It’s a challenging topic, but being as straightforward and simple as possible seems to help a lot.
NewMomAnon says
Agree with all the suggestions about how to discuss. Also, don’t be surprised if your kiddo processes it by applying it in morbid or semi-shocking ways at odd times; kiddo will randomly announce to strangers that the dog we had years ago died because her body got too old. It’s usually followed with a hilarious little kiddo shrug and her stating, “I don’t know, it just happens, dogs die and people die.” I’ve taken my job as an adult to be letting her say it without an adverse reaction…it’s how she processes things.
dc anon says
ooh, on the topic of jewelry, where do you buy your fine jewelry? I am south asian and all of my fine jewelry is pretty elaborate and given to me from my mom. I have never purchased any on my own and I don’t even know where to start looking? I would like a couple of small pieces, maybe a modern take on pearl studs.
Anon says
a local jeweler or bloomingdales typically. Sometimes department stores have amazing sales and if you know you are going to be purchasing something special you can also open a credit card at the store and get an additional discount.
anne-on says
For pearls I really like pearl paradise online. For bigger purchases I’d suggest scouting out some local fine jewelry stores, we now have a relationship with a great local jeweler who has an amazing estate case. You can find some wonderful deals and unusual pieces that way!
Knope says
Ordinarily I’d say Blue Nile or the like, but some of the department stores like Bloomingdale’s may have even better deals for the holidays – make sure to look on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Anon in NYC says
This purse has been on my wish list for a while.
TBK says
Au pair is working late (until 9:30) tonight and so husband and I have time for date night ahead of the holiday craziness. Suggestions? We typically just go out to dinner but honestly the last thing I need during Thanksgiving week is a big heavy meal. Is there anything else to do? We often get stumped, especially since it’s now dark and cold by the end of the day.
Anon in NYC says
Maybe a spin/yoga class or a gym date + dinner? Or, museum + dinner? Or, dinner at a place or cuisine that is very out of the norm for you guys. Movie + dinner?
rosie says
Eat at the bar–you can sit closer together, try to order a little lighter–then go for a walk together.
Anon says
get drinks somewhere fun or wine bar? a bar that has board games? bowling? go look at holiday decorations? this is a bit nerdy, but even wandering around a barnes & noble together with a holiday beverage from starbucks
SC says
DH and I thought about going to one of those escape rooms a few weeks ago, but the timing didn’t work out.
We also sometimes go to one of our favorite bars and order a couple of drinks and a light meal.
Do you have time to look around and see if any of your favorite museums are having a special event that looks interesting, or any local bookstores are having a signing or speaker that you’d want to see?
anne-on says
Drinks and appetizers? Or go see an early-ish movie and then grab a quick coffee after?
Em says
Arcade? My husband and I took our toddler son to one and were able to squeeze in a couple games for ourselves of air hockey and the basketball shooting thing. It was a blast.
NewMomAnon says
I would probably go bowling. But I’m a geek…
avocado says
Ice skating!
anon says
couples massage or body scrub
nanny bonus? says
What is standard for year-end nanny bonus? Would you pro-rate if nanny has only been working a few months?
Anonymous says
Look at the park slope parents annual nanny survey for market research
D. Meagle says
We usually give just over a weeks’ pay as a bonus. Plus a present that my kids pick out. Plus some alcohol.
How much do you like this nanny? If the answer is “A LOT!”, and you can swing it, I would give a full bonus and earn the good will.
AIMS says
Question about toddler sizes. My kid seems to be quickly growing out of her size 2 clothing but size 3s are still huge on her. What am I missing here? Do kids not grow at the same rate at 2 and so I can keep buying her stuff that “just” fits now and assume she’ll make it through winter? Just deal with the bagginess of 3s? I really wish there was a 24-30 months size I could order.
Anon in NYC says
Mine too! She has a pair of 3T pants that look ridiculous on her. I’m not quite sure what to do, but I’m leaning towards buying a size up.
Anonymous says
I feel that way at every size – she starts to grow out of one size but the next is still huuuuge! It seems like the clothes fit properly for a very very short time.
Marilla says
I’ve switched to 3T since 2 is definitely too small by now (my daughter just turned 2) but the pants are often still too wide, even with the adjustable waist. When I have a half an hour of energy I plan on sitting down and putting a couple stitches in the waistband of all her legging-type pants. This solves the pants falling off issue and is easy to pop out when she grows a little (although she usually gets too tall for the pants before they get tight). It also totally depends on the store.. I have Joe Fresh size 2 pants that are still perfect while the Carter and Gap ones have been out of the running for weeks.
Anon says
Both of my kids outgrow the length, but the next size up is wayyyy too big in the waist. So I buy those pants with the hidden elastic in the waistband and cinch it as far as it’ll go (Children’s Place has them, so does Kohls and some minimal amount at Target). It looks ridiculous but it’s warmer than wearing flood-pants all winter long.
NOVA Anon says
I just dealt with the bagginess of 3s, with some stitching in the waist for certain pants (and trying to buy other pants with drawstrings – but I have a boy, so that may be easier). Bonus is that this year, almost all of it still fits and so I’ve had to buy far fewer new clothes!
October says
My kid’s wardrobe is a mash-up of different brands so he has some things that fit at each stage of growing. I’ve found Children’s place and Carters are on the small side, while Kohls and Gap/ON run bigger. So, while he’s outgrowing his 2T clothes in the former, he still fits in 2T (and even some 24 mo) clothes of the latter brands. Maybe head to Kohls for some cheap items that will help bridge the gap?
AIMS says
Thanks all! I know brands play a big role but sometimes it varies within the brands, too, which makes online shopping tough. Maybe I need to just go to actual stores (no Kohl’s here unfortunately). I was just surprised because I received two orders this week from Gymboree and Carters and I specifically ordered next size up because she barely fits in their 2 sizes now and yet some of it was just enormous. Most of it I can deal with by just rolling sleeves/pants (maybe I’ll get creative and sew on some cute buttons and flaps this weekend) but wanted to get some footie pajamas for the winter and seem to be stuck in no man’s land there.
after-school nanny says
Cross-posting from the main page . . .
Y’all: I need help after school. I’m in a big SEUS city (kids school/activities are out more in the burbs and they have camps in the summer).
For my job, we will have to pay on the books. I’m thinking 18/hr * 4 hours/day (school 1 gets out at 3, I’d like to have to get home by 7) * 4 days/week.
We live close to a college (but those kids go home for school breaks and the summer) and a community college (where I think this may be better b/c everyone is local).
I work mainly with guys and the few people I know who have nannies stole them from a day care gig or got them from a family who no longer needed a FT nanny, so I have no idea what I’m doing.
Anon says
Not entirely sure what your question is, but my first question would be exactly how much driving are you expecting from the nanny? If it’s 4 hours a day, but 2 of those are going back and forth city to suburbs, that seems like it’s a tough sell. You’ll want to be upfront about the amount of driving, and the nature/timing (is it right in rush hour??), and whether it’s your car or their own.
Otherwise post on care.com or your local Facebook moms group and see what kind of reaction you get.
after-school nanny says says
No — probably no more than 1 hour driving (and then, not every day). The sort of stuff you could do yourself for your family if you were a SAHM or had a more flexible or PT job.
Years ago I posted an ad on care.com and the responses were overwhelming (even though I thought I was being very picky) just to sift through. Sort of like bad online dating?
What is a local FB moms group? I have school aged children and haven’t heard about these. How do you find them?
I feel like this is where it shows that my life is 100% work (99% with guys) and 100% of my nonwork time is spent within my family or with people I know who aren’t quite in my shoes (older/younger kids/ flexible job/ local grandparents).
Anonymous says
To find FB moms group, just search on facebook either Your County Name Moms Group or Your Town’s Name Mom’s group.
Anonymous says
How are they, generally?
I ran away in horror at moms groups on the interwebs when I was pregnant b/c the most vocal people seemed to be nuts and/or trying to shill oils or MLM products and/or it was all “if you love your baby you will stay home/nurse until they are 7/attachment parent/ferberize” in the most truly unhelpful way. I was never more grateful to work mostly with bros or older men with SAH wives.
EB0220 says
My local group is pretty helpful. I live in SE US, but my city has a lot of transplants from other parts of the US and international.
Anonymous says
Consider an au pair? Germans are supposed to be excellent drivers. Yes, you’d have far more hours than you need most weeks during school, but you’d also have back-up care for school holidays, summers, evenings when you’d like to go out, etc. And the cost would not be all that much more (somewhat more, but only if you don’t count any other babysitting needs you might have).
after-school nanny says says says
I’d love to. DH is opposed (in fairness: house setup would offer us no privacy, as our headboard of our abuts the very small non-accoustically ideal extra bedroom in our house (our children share the remaining bedroom)).
If there was a way we could have a live-out au pair (which completely misses the point), I’d be in. I think that a live-out au pair is basically my afternoon driving helper, non?
avocado says
How about a nanny service? I used one (for temporary nannies, though, not for after-school) whose rate and minimum hours for after-school nannies would fit with your projections, and they took care of all the payroll, tax, recruiting, and background check stuff. For after-school nannies they would vet candidates and then present you with a few options from which to choose. You would also have to reimburse for gas, but this particular agency had parents handle that informally directly with the nanny and did not have nannies track their mileage.
Maternity Sleepwear says
Any suggestions for sleepwear? I can tell I’m beginning to stretch out of my regular stuff, and planning to watch for sales this weekend. Wondering if I should just get additional loungewear (yoga pants + camisoles?) so it can be more versatile than just sleeping. I usually run cold, but understand that may change. Bonus points if it’s nursing compatible.
bluefield says
I got pajamas on Asos that I was generally happy with. Otherwise I wore bigger tshirts that I don’t really care about and my regular pajama bottoms under the bump. But that’s what I wear generally to sleep.
rosie says
I liked Old Navy’s maternity flannel pants. I think sleepwear is their 50% off deal today.
Edna Mazur says
Husband’s boxer shorts and T-shirts. But that’s just me…
Blueberry says
I got a nightgown slip type thing from Soma. I think the brand is Bella Bum Bum or something? Nursing compatible. I normally run cold, but I prefer this type of thing during pregnancy because I get hotter, and for extra ventilation down there.
leatty says
I bought a lot of pajama pants and shorts from motherhood maternity and they are SO comfortable that I am still wearing them 5 months postpartum. For tops, I just bought a bunch of v-neck ruched tees from MM. They worked for the gym and for sleeping, and the shirts are stretchy enough that I can easily nurse in them.
Anonanonanon says
I ordered some sets from a website called “baby be mine” which honestly looked not very legit but I’m so happy with everything I’ve ordered from there. Bonus: you can order matching gowns/hats for babies if you’re so inclined (which I was). THey also allow you to mix and match, so I have pants/tanks that are maternity/nursing compatible for now, but also have a coordinating nightgown for the hospital (when I wont want pants on) but my robe matches both, if that makes sense. I highly recommend and they’ve held up well to frequent washing.
AIMS says
I guess it depends on what you like to sleep in. I like loose nightgowns mostly and found that they generally work through the whole pregnancy in my regular size (and I buy more freely knowing I’ll wear them after). They also work well for nursing because you can just slip off your shoulder.
But if you want something more lounge-y, I posted yesterday that I was super impressed with how soft the uniqlo maternity leggings are. I’ve slept in those a few nights now with a maternity tank and have been very happy.
Nursing wise, I also really liked button down PJs in soft jersey cotton (Cosabella or Ralph Lauren) because it was easy to wear with a soft nursing bra and somehow feel put together at 3 am, which was a help in those first few months.
Anon says
Gap’s maternity sleepwear has been my favorite, and I think they’re running like 40-50% off this weekend.
Also, my husband’s undershirts and my own boy short or brief underwear has been another good go-to for me.
Anonymous says
Just found out my friend had her baby two days ago. Best foods to drop off for the new parents? Wife is fairly flexible on food; husband tries to eat Paleo. My recollections are mostly about what was NOT helpful (things that were complicated to put together, things that were messy, things that had to be eaten with a knife and fork). What were the best things people brought you when your baby was born?
AIMS says
Granola bars. Truly! I was always hungry at odd hours and these were a big help. I think anything you can eat one handed is generally good. My best friend really likes giving/getting soups – anything pureed that you can basically drink from a cup. Freezer meals are also great (I tend to make a baked quinoa thing with tomatoes, zucchini, and goat cheese that freezes and reheats well). They probably have lots of food help now but in a few weeks it will be nice to just be able to pull something out of the freezer to put in the oven.
Blueberry says
My go-to is an enormous pan of lasagna, but it sounds like that it not ideal. Maybe some kind of paleo-friendly casserole, if that exists. Otherwise, maybe just a big basket of carefully chosen, healthy snacks, since breastfeeding makes you so ravenous.
Anonanonanon says
I would love for someone to bring me a giant pan of lasagna.
Cornellian says
Are nuts paleo? Anything high calorie you can eat with one hand would have been helpful as a mom to a newborn.
anne-on says
Anything you can eat quickly and with one hand. An enormous platter of whole fruit or a Harry and David basket would be amazing – we got A LOT of pastas/heavy meals.
Alternately – healthy(ish) muffins or a basket with fresh juices, granola and individual yogurts would have been amazing.
Anon in NYC says
Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes, gravy + a vegetable was heaven postpartum. You could swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes. I’m not sure what you’d use as a binder for the meatloaf instead of breadcrumbs, but I’m sure there are paleo-friendly meatloaf recipes out there.
Bean-less chili could be a good one too.
I also wanted fruit. I’ve given the Harry and David’s gift boxes w/ pears to friend’s before, and they liked them — so much so that they sent them to other friends who had a baby.
AwayEmily says
Rice Krispie treats (my go-to for all new parents…I make the salted brown butter version from Smitten Kitchen). Cut up fresh fruit or berries. Giant bag of homemade trail mix (homemade is nice because you can get the “nice” version of everything — fancy dark chocolate chips, dried cherries instead of raisins, cashews instead of peanuts, etc). Healthy-ish muffins made with almond flour and carrots and nuts (these are amazing: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/shalane-flanagans-superhero-muffins/).
I actually did not love getting frozen stuff because my freezer space was so limited, but others may have different thoughts.
mascot says
Breakfast foods , anything made with oatmeal, “dump” meals that they can throw in the slow cooker.
rosie says
I really like good apples with good cheddar. Slightly more filling, not too hard to prepare, and a nice alternative to granola bars, carbs, etc. that I found myself eating all the time.
SC says
I loved trail mix as my middle-of-the-night fuel–granola, chocolate chips, almonds, and dried cherries.