Family Friday: Take Along Toy Set
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My parents and sister live a plane ride away, and when we see them, they love to shower our kids with gifts.
Since we enjoy traveling, my sister just gave me this Take Along Town Set from Melissa & Doug. This colorful, 18-piece wooden set includes a storage case that unfolds into a small town complete with road tracks for the included police car, fire truck, and ambulance to race to the rescue. There’s even a monorail that slides across a bridge piece. Although a bit large to drag onto a plane, it’s perfect for road trips.
This Take Along Town Set is $44.99 at Target.
Sales of note for 5/14/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Beauty Deals up to 25% off (ends 5/17)
- Ann Taylor – Suit Yourself! 30% off suiting (ends 5/16) + 25% off your full price purchase (ends 5/18) + extra 60% off sale (ends 5/14)
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything + extra 60% off sale + $1 shipping on all orders
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off long-weekend styles + 50% off select swim and coverups
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance + extra 15% off $100+ + extra 20% off $125+
- M.M.LaFleur – Lots of twill suiting on sale! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 40% off all markdowns (ends 5/18) + 30% off dresses, skirts, accessories, and shoes
Favorite winter coat for a 2.5-year-old playing in the snow in the upper Midwest? Car seat safety isn’t an issue – she can wear a fleece – but I’m having a hard time finding something she can move her arms in.
Help me solve my screen time problem.
To be clear, the kids aren’t the problem. I am. I’m embarrassed to say it, but my evening phone use is out of control. Setting limits on my iphone doesn’t do anything because it’s easy to bypass. I think my problem is the lack of substitute activity. I’m scrolling insta or FB while my kids are playing or doing homework, knowing that I don’t want to get engrossed in my own activity, like reading, because I’ll either be interrupted at some point or need to be more hands-on. It feels “not worth it” to get started, which I realize is a very limiting thought. Sometimes I just don’t want to do more chores, I want to relax, and the phone is a quick and easy fix. I have occasionally signed out of the most tempting accounts, and that works for a while, but I’ve been through several cycles of this. I really don’t want my kids to see me zoning out on my phone all the time.
Due with my first at the end of October. I work in the office full time about 45 mins away from home/the hospital where I plan on delivering. What do you do, just work in the office until you go into labor? What happens if labor starts at the office, can I still drive home? Should I propose a different solution? I’m the first attorney at my small firm to have baby. I have 12 weeks of leave and would prefer to save it for after my baby is born.
I’m currently 31 weeks pregnant. I’ve had elevated bp readings at my prenatal appointments this entire pregnancy, but my readings at home have been perfect. (I had a late second trimester loss last year and am completely traumatized/hate being back at my obs office; my own bp cuff has been calibrated so I know it’s accurate.)
They have been watching me closely just to make sure nothing funky pops up. All of my labs are great, but a 24 hour urine test came back with high protein levels. I am so devastated and stressed out. They’re having me do the test again because all of my labs are coming back perfect and I have no symptoms. But if it’s high again, I’m looking at a preterm delivery or inpatient monitoring.
I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Commiseration? “Been there done that and we’re both ok” stories? This isn’t my first, but my two living children had very uncomplicated deliveries, so this is throwing me. Also, already traumatized and stressed out. Sigh….
How do I help room-sharing kids who have different sleep needs? My 4.5yo rarely sleeps for more than 10 hours (about 8-6). His 6yo sister would ideally get closer to 11.5 hours. Right now they are lights-out at 7:30 and their Hatch light turns green at 6:45, but this means the 4.5yo is spending a fair bit of time awake in their room. He does the best he can at being quiet, but frequently ends up accidentally waking up his sister/preventing her from going to sleep (dropping his book, taking a bathroom trip, etc). At this point splitting them up isn’t an option — the baby is in the guest room and she sleeps 6-5:30. They also both like being together. Eventually I’ll put the baby with whatever one of them her sleep matches better with, but that’s at least a year down the road. I’m just wondering if there’s some trick I haven’t thought of, or if this is just the way things go with room sharing. The 4yo has a Munchkin owl light and is allowed to read (“read”) quietly in the bed if he wakes up.
Ugh venting here. My strep infection was followed by bronchitis which it now turns out is pneumonia. Talk me down here though – pneumonia isn’t that bad right? Have any of y’all had it as adults? I’m staying home from the office today. I mostly have a bad cough and feel fatigued. I’m just not sure how I ever get better! Am on alll the drugs. But I already did antibiotics earlier for the strep so not expecting a quick fix.
Also supposed to fly for both of the next two weekends. And we have young kids.
Remember that Vicks commercial about how moms don’t get a sick day? I feel like that. DH is doing his absolute all but moms don’t get sick days.
Parenting books for five year olds? He’s an angel in kinder and exhausted by the time he’s home. Acts out during dinner, brushing his teeth and the bathroom is a fight. It’s exhausting for us and winds up being yelling and tears too often. I know the status quo isn’t working.
My 8 year old loves to read, yay! But, she stays up super late reading and is a monster in the morning. She is plenty tired after a full day of school, 1.5 hours of sports practice, but then still musters up enough energy to stay awake and read till 11pm, if we let her. I do not want to discourage reading, but I do want to encourage healthy habits, like getting enough rest. For bedtime, I read with her and her sibling for about 20 minutes and they are both allowed to read in their beds with their nightlights. Younger one reads for about 10 minutes, turns his light off, and goes to sleep. I tell 8 year old that its lights out at 9:30pm, but sometimes she will stay (just one more chapter pleease, or I just got to the good part!) and its hard to stay firm. This makes it hard for her to get up in the morning, and she’s just a grumpy, tired mess. With school and sports schedules this year, its hard to fit in free reading time. Advice? Commiseration?
We had a little parent-teacher conference at my son’s (3-YO) daycare this morning. The teacher said he’s doing great in everything, but he lacks social skills, in that he almost never plays or interacts with the other kids. He is the youngest in the 3s room. On the weekends, we’ve had a few playdates with a kid that’s exactly the same age as him, and he does seem to interact there — share toys, name them, ask if he can have a turn, etc. Also, when he comes home he talks to me about the other kids in his class like he likes them (saying things like “I rode bikes with Jack today”). Please help me out with a gut-check — is this normal, or something we should work on/ask our ped about?
What would be a good under-$20 gift for:
Two year old who loves art and animals?
Two year old who is obsessed with how things work?
Books are a great choice if you have recommendations!
What are your best ideas for a 7 year old girl’s birthday party at home with four girl guests? So far I’m thinking maybe spa or a craft?