Weekend & Family Friday: Embroidery Starter Kit
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I have vivid memories of an after-school class I took in elementary school that taught me embroidery. In all honesty, that was the last time I did embroidery, but I remember loving it. The mix of art while still following a pattern, keeping your hands busy, and coming away with a finished product was and is so appealing to me.
After a few weeks of staying at home, I needed an activity to keep my hands busy that wasn’t scrolling Instagram. I bought this starter pack on Amazon, and I’m already on my last pattern. I’ve had to watch some “how to” videos on certain stitches, but if you’re fairly dexterous with your hands you can catch on quickly.
The three-pack is $14.99 at Amazon. Embroidery Starter Kit
P.S. You may also want to check out our Corporette posts on cross-stitch for stress relief and coloring books for adults!
Kat also mentioned some embroidery options (for kids as well as adults) in her post on low-supervision activities to keep your kids busy while you’re working.
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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
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- 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?
Finalizing terms with our nanny in the next few days. She’s incredibility flexible and we just want to be fair. I was very caught up in what nanny’s take home pay will be, which I was struggling to think through (“How much is enough really??”), which fueled a conversation about paying over/under. DH suggested we think of it as employers do – as a gross salary and not get caught up in the net take home. Does anyone else think about their nanny pay this way?
With that mindset, I think we’re for the moment settled on a $45,000 salary for our nanny, for 9-5 hours/40 per week while we’re WFH (which is at the moment without an end date). We have one two year old. When we do go back to work we’ll make it 8-5/45 hours, and if we have OT hours above 40, we’d pay on top of the $45,000 at a fixed hourly rate.
None of us care about over vs. under in general, and frankly we had settled on under until we realized that would screw her on health insurance. This is a bridge position between her former daycare job and future teaching job while she goes to school at nights for the next ~2 years, so plenty of time for SS contributions and whatnot down the road. However, with $0 reported income she doesn’t qualify for anything but awful health insurance (she’s 26 in a few months and single). $20k reported gets her a few solid insurance options. Would you do all on? Half on half off? Way over thinking this?
FWIW, the incremental cost of going above table isn’t that material to us so not a driving factor in decision making – mostly just logistics and wanting to help her out. I officially have analysis paralysis. First nanny for us and first full-time nanny role for her.
Any suggestions for what to do with postpartum hair growth around the top of my head? I have tons of little 2-inch hairs that stick straight up and I can’t figure out how to look presentable without tons of straightening and product. Husband has suggested getting bangs … Other ideas?
Paging the poster from a few days ago who wanted to live in walking distance of Grand Central.
There are totally options! Tudor City, Turtle Bay, the midtown east avenue east of 2nd ave. generally – I have friends who grew up there and/or live there now. The public schools (elementary) are good! Yes, it’s not the most family friendly neighborhood but it’s fine. Lots of other trade offs like lots of international people etc.
We are going camping (“glamping,” really) for the first time with our 1.5 year old. DH and I were avid tent campers before becoming parents— very bare bones, pack-in, pack-out camping at state parks. We are booked for a stay at a glamping area (a “glamp-ground”? Eeeeshh….) with our toddler and I am SO excited, but have very little idea what to expect, either from the higher-end glamping experience or bringing a toddler. The setup includes a tent on a platform with a bed, and they even have a travel crib. There’s a separate bathhouse. The resort provides basic breakfast stuff that I think our toddler will eat, and we are on our own for food for the rest of the day (with access to a grill). There are hiking trails and general ability to run around outside.
What should we bring that’s maybe not obvious? We are bringing our playpen so we have somewhere definitely baby-proof if we need to set her down but have our hands free (it’s the big pop-up kind, not a pack n play), a ball to kick around, baby carrier for hiking, lots of kid-friendly snacks in addition to typical grilling food, ultra-pasteurized whole milk. Any unsung heroes of family camping trips at that age I’m overlooking?
I know this question has been asked here a billion times. We’re TTC (our third) and so far not having luck (has only been three months but I’m 37 and anxious) – I don’t particularly want to start taking my temperature regularly, I feel like my temp is often all over the place! Would an ovulation tracker kit be the next obvious step? Anything else you’d recommend?We’ve been trying the EOD method but sometimes missing a day here or there. I realize this is silly to be getting anxious about already, but I also like collecting data and trying to figure things out.
Any recommendations on where to vacation in Colorado for a week in August with a 4 year old? She is closer to 5. Hoping for the eastern half of the state because of where we are driving from. Is 4 too young for YMCA of the Rockies? I’d prefer a hotel/resort, but if kiddo will be in heaven there, we’d consider it for at least a portion of the trip. Hoping for primarily outdoor activities. Thanks!
Seeking car seat advice. We have a Ford Fiesta and twins, 18 months old. They outgrew their little graco seats so we got some Diono car seats (the radian 3RXT) which are so big they touch the backs of the front seats even when we move either front seats up quite a bit — they just don’t fit.
So then we bought a Graco Milestone All in 1 car seat. It fits a little better but it’s top back still touches the seat back in front of it. I have the impression that this is a big safety no-no but maybe I am wrong?
Do we need a new car? I have been holding out to (1) win the lottery so we can buy a Tesla and (2) until husband gets a job and we really need one. I have a work issued car so we’ve been getting by with just our little fiesta for family use and I’d prefer to not have a car payment.
Any suggestions for super small rear facing seats?
I am extremely disturbed by the assumption that of 200K, 90K is the mom’s salary. Why not assume evenly distributed?! We’ve discussed this a zillion times on this board, and PP outlines the points more rationally than I will but UGH.
Anyone want to help come up with some creative explaining to my 8 year old? She just lost another tooth. Last month, when she lost a tooth, my mother (unbeknownst to me or my husband) crept into her room and left her ten dollars. We typically give $1/ tooth. So now I have to explain to 8 year old why a) she is not getting $10 again, and b) why the tooth fairy still hasn’t come (real answer: your parents are tired and fell asleep before you did. And then forgot). I feel like she doesn’t truly believe in the tooth fairy, but we all like to play along with the myth. Possible scenarios I can tell her?
Talk to me about your thoughts on trusted, used carseats. My sister has been using the infant seat that we used for my first. It’s now been used by 3 babies between the two of us, and we’re expecting again later this summer. It isn’t expired yet, and I know that it hasn’t been in an accident or anything like that.
Would you be comfortable using it again (so fourth baby on the same carseat), or should I just replace it?
I need a gut check – I hired a daytime sitter temporarily for a couple of weeks while our regular one is unavailable. The amount that she asked to be paid is less than I expected to pay, only slightly above minimum wage. Do I pay her what she asked even though it seems low to me, and then figure I can always pay her more than what we agreed if I really lik her? Or do I tell her now that I’ll pay her a higher rate that seems closer to what I expected? Or is this all ridiculous and I should just pay her the rate she asked for and move on?
I know I’m overthinking this; I want to be fair but I don’t have a very good sense of what people pay in our area.