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The cardigan-as-a-shirt trend doesn’t seem to be abating. If you want to try the look, consider this fitted, rib-knit version from & Other Stories.
This simple cardigan is perfect on its own, over a classic shell blouse, or under a jacket. Elegant details like the subtle puffed sleeves, closely spaced buttons, and slits at the wrist take it up a notch.
This cardigan is $99 at & Other Stories and comes in khaki (which looks more green on my screen) and cream. It’s available in sizes XS–L.
Here’s another option from Gap that’s on sale for $26 — it comes in regular, tall, and petite sizes and four colors.
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.
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
Shapewear says
I’d like to buy some shapewear. I’m 11 weeks postpartum. I had a c section and feel like everything is just … loose? Must more so than with my first. I’m a size 14 anyway, carrying weight almost entirely in my midsection and rear, so this new presentation is visible with certain pants and dresses that definitely “fit” me, but…yea.
Any good and specific suggestions? I’ve heard of Skimms and obviously Spanx. Open to suggestions for something that I can wear all day when I’m back to work. TIA.
Anon says
Absolutely get some shapeware if that makes you feel good! You deserve to feel good. But also…you had a baby 11 weeks ago. Be kind to yourself.
I had my 2nd baby in January 2023. I probably lost all of the “baby weight” within the first 2 months (not deliberately – that is just what my body does), but my stomach will always look like I’m in early pregnancy. I have never had DR, but the skin is stretched out and I have a layer of fat there that I didn’t have before. I’m very active and fit and I’m guessing this is here to stay unless I pursue surgery (which falls into the category of “good for her, not for me”). I like the Jennifer Garner approach (paraphrasing) of “Yes, I have a baby bump. There’s no baby. But I do have three children and there is a bump!”
Anon says
I moved out of my 6 month old’s nursery and back into my room about a week ago. His sleep has been going great, now waking up just once a night to eat (yay!) but mine is still awful. I feel like I’m on high alert all night and keep startling awake, having problems falling back asleep etc. Has anyone had this problem before and did anything help?
Anon says
I was a wreck and could not sleep well for the same reasons when we moved my son out of our bedroom at about this age. One of the only things that helped was putting my husband entirely in charge of night feedings and sleeping in our spare bedroom with a noisemaker on for a few nights in a row. My brain knowing I was ‘off’ and that my husband had feedings covered was enough to start the retraining my brain process.
AwayEmily says
Yes, this exactly. We didn’t have a spare room but I bunked with the big kids (who have a noise machine) to “reset” myself after sleep training.
Anon says
Depending on your comfort level — a dear friend struggled so much with this that she checked into a hotel for two nights. Said the expense was absolutely worth her mental health, and that it was not until the second night away that she really felt “off” enough to sleep. She said three nights would have been ideal, but couldn’t swing it.
Anonymous says
I agree with this. If I know I’m going to be awakened I can’t fall asleep.
anon done with nursing says
+1 on putting spouse in charge of baby’s needs at night. It’s especially great once you get to the point where baby doesn’t need to nurse for nutrition, but likes to for comfort/habit. I totally forget what age that is, but I’m sure your pediatrician can advise.
Anony says
Yes. I think it’s super normal, and it just takes some time. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly how long it was for me, but maybe a few weeks?
Anonymous says
I did and for me it was a symptom of depression/anxiety, but YMMV. Definitely give it some time!
Anon says
I did– taking magnesium helped for me.
ANon says
i sleep with ear plugs whenever DH isn’t traveling for work and the monitor goes on his side of the bed
An.On. says
I got a presciption for xanax and used as needed until my body was able to “reset” and not stay on high alert all night. I was the primary caregiver at night, and I still woke up for cries, it just helped me go back to sleep after waking up instead of having insomnia for hours.
Anonymous says
1 Tylenol PM (or the like) also works well for this. Makes me sleepy but not knocked out, so I was still able to wake when the baby needed me. (I was also primary nighttime caregiver, independent of nursing.)
Anonymous says
Yup I think it just takes a few weeks. I take 500mg magnesium (for migraine prevention) and herbal tea.
Non-Crafts for Kids says
I’d like to pick up some indoor activities for my non-crafty kid (1st grade, 6.5 years old.) She doesn’t love arts and crafts, which seem to be the bulk of the kits I’ve found. Any suggestions?
Anon says
Kiwi Crate has some more building type activities, like making a robot or things like that. I also like the national geographic science experiment kits.
Spirograph says
Does it have to be a kit? Lego / duplo / other blocks. Snap Circuits. Board or card games. (Set is a great game that can be single or multi-player.) Teach her to play Solitaire — my kids were obsessed with it for a couple weeks after I first taught them! There are lots of build-a-robot type kits for various ages.
Anonymous says
Any interest in painting her nails? Home depot DIY kits, Planting seeds, coloring, Lego, science sets (we haven’t weird science, let gooey science), make your own (lip balm, squishies, bath bombs, etc), cooking/baking, video games (roblox, Mario kart), puzzles.
Anonymous says
There is some fun stuff in The Daring Book for Girls–codes, etc. My daughter loves the Klutz cat’s cradle kit. Cooking and baking are also hits.
Anonymous says
Board/ card games? Quick ones like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Sleeping Queens, Cinco Linko, Logic Land.
How does she feel about puzzles? Baking/ cooking kits? Kid 1’s friend had a spy kit (invisible ink, codes, etc) that they enjoyed on a playdate around that age.
NYCer says
Legos and puzzles are always a hit in our house.
AwayEmily says
Any specific puzzle brand recs? They seem so hit and miss — my kids get really frustrated when the cardboard is, like, too bendy and they don’t quite fit together.
Anon says
Ravensburger ones are the best, really, but we’ve also had surprisingly good luck with the cheap Chuckle&Roar ones from Target.
Mary Moo Cow says
Same, we have Ravensburger tray puzzles and box puzzles that have lasted, have neat designs, and come in 100 pieces so kids aren’t graduating from 50 pieces to 200.
Anon says
Ravensburger is what my friend with puzzle-obsessed kids has requested.
Anonymous says
Crocodile Creek
NYCer says
We like Mudpuppy a lot. They have a good selection of different levels for different ages.
Anon says
Does she like pretend play? My 6 year old and her friends are obsessed with dolls and their various clothes/accessories.
Big kid bed question says
I know there have been several thread lately related to transitioning to a big kid bed. I have 2 follow ups:
1) where do you buy your kids mattress? I’ve seen some in the $500 range for a twin which sounds crazy high
2) for those that have a convertible crib where the back could be used as a headboard for a full, did you hold on to the rest of the pieces and later donate the whole set? Seems super wasteful to toss out perfectly good sides. I’m not sure if we are going to even go to a full before my kid is a teenager. His room isn’t huge, and I’d rather keep a twin as long as possible.
Chl says
We get kids mattresses from Costco and they’ve been fine.
AwayEmily says
We also got ours from Costco and they’ve been fine.
anon says
+2 for Costco.
Anonymous says
We got the Zinus Green Tea foam mattress on Amazon.
Anonymous says
For kids’ beds I prefer a good mattress and a slat roll foundation instead of a mattress + box spring. This allows you to set the rails higher for more underbed storage. We bought our kid’s mattress from Saatva and it’s very nice but so incredibly heavy that she cannot change her own sheets.
Momofthree says
We bought a thin mattress from Amazon. Since then we have added those bumpy foam inserts to give them more padding & we haven’t heard any complaints from the kids. We still have occasional bed wetting, so I don’t want something expensive that I’d be upset will get stained.
Cb says
We have an IKEA daybed and just got the standard stackable mattresses. I find it a bit uncomfortable on my hips but kid sleeps fine.
Mary Moo Cow says
We’ve bought two kids mattresses from Allswell and they’ve good. I think we used a promo code and a twin was about $200.
We did the transition crib for about a year and then bought a real twin bed. I don’t exactly remember why, but I think it was higher than the crib as a bed and maybe newly minted Big Kid recognized this was her old crib and asked. We had kept the parts and so gave the whole thing to a friend, but I only kept everything because I had people in my life who made it known they were TTC and would accept a hand me down crib.
Anonymous says
Linenspa mattress from Amazon, buy the thickest option (like 12” or 14” deep). It’s surprisingly comfortable and we’ve had one for 4yrs that is doing great.
Anonymous says
Ikea for mattresses + waterproof mattress cover until well clear of any night accidents. the upgraded in upper elementary. Oldest kid’s crib became the headboard in guest room. Double bed instead of queen also prevents over long MIL stays. Young kids cribs were sold.
Kids have all preferred to keep a twin as they got older to have more play space in their rooms. They each have a desk plus armchair rocker as well. We have an inflatable double mattress we use for sleepovers.
OP says
The spare bedroom headboard idea is a great one. We have a plain metal frame in there now.
I have some sentimental attachment to this crib. He’s our only and it was a gift from a now deceased relative. I either want it to go to a very good home or keep it around in case he wants the headboard.
Anonymous says
I would definitely do the guest room option in that case.
Purely ancedata but friends who went with a double bed in their kids rooms got a lot more pressure to lie down with their kids for falling asleep. We had armchair rockers and sat in those for snuggles or to sing to sleep, they were cozy if we need to stay and comfort kid but easy to sneak out because not actually in bed with kid.
Anon says
Same!
Anonymous says
+1 Ikea mattresses. I find them comfy enough when I’m in bed with my kids, but I haven’t done a full night. No complaints from the kiddos.
Anon says
1) We got a twin mattress on Amazon. I think it was about $250. We use it with a steel bedframe so no need for a box spring.
2) We just donated the whole crib once we set up the twin bed. Like you, I’m not sure when/if ever we’re going to upgrade to a full (my kid’s room is not huge and currently she really values floor space for playing) and I feel like a headboard is more of an aesthetic thing, so we won’t necessarily need one even if we do switch to a full bed.
oil in houston says
I got a ‘mattress in a box’ from overstock and i was impressed, we have guests occasionally sleeping in it, and they all said they slept well in it.
we’ve kept all the other pieces, I’m not 100% we can give it to others due to the teeth markings on the sides, bit I figured it can always be sanded …
anon says
Travel car seat and Boston airport experts, please! I’ll be traveling from Europe to the US with my 2 year old twins. We don’t have a car where we live, and don’t currently own car seats (but will need them while we are in the USA since my family lives in a rural area). Question 1 – can anyone recommend an inflatable car seat for 2 year olds, that we could pack and bring with us? I think I saw an ad for something like that, but now can’t find it again. Alternatively, how would you handle the car seat problem? Question 2 – we’ll be flying into Boston, but then need to get to Connecticut, near an Amtrak station. Google maps makes it look like we could fairly easily take the subway to an Amtrak station, and then take Amtrak the rest of the way. Is that true? My family member has also offered to do the long drive to pick us up, but I’m thinking that taking the train might actually work better (the last time we were in a car one screamed the whole time).
Anon says
The silver line (which is actually just a fancy bus) will take you from the airport direct to south station, which is where you’d pick up Amtrak. It is actually quite easy. Anyone at the airport and point you in the right direction. They leave frequently from baggage claim area. There are a few stops (3?) between airport and S Station but it’s very easy.
Cant help on #1, sorry!
Scilady says
So if you wanted to take the Amtrak from Boston to Connecticut I think this would be a very reasonable thing to do (and with a 3 and 5 year old myself, I would likely do in lieu of renting a car and getting car seats and then driving). The only question I have for you is if you need a car at your destination/ you might still need car seats for US traveling.
You can take the MBTA silver line from the Boston Airport to South Station where you can then board an Amtrak train to go from Boston to Connecticut. Acela trains are faster. If you need car seats for travel with your relatives in Connecticut, I would do one of two things 1) ask if they have any friends/ family who could loan you rear-facing car seats for your time there or purchase two Cosco Scenera Next Convertible Car seats for your children to use while you are in the US (and have them shipped to your relative’s house ahead of time). These are most commonly purchased from Walmart, and are the lightest/ cheapest car seats for that age group that I am aware of (although they are a slight pain to install – have your relatives bring a towel or pool noodle you can cut for each so you can get it rear facing at the right angle.
Anon says
There aren’t any inflatable/easily packable carseats that are going to work for your situation, sorry. I agree with the above comments that your best bet is to ask your family to pick up two cheap carseats that you can use while you’re here. Either the Cosco Sceneras rec’d above, or the Cosco Finales (also from Walmart) if you want to forward-face your kids.
Anon says
On carseats, the travel safe vest works great if your kids are big enough (I’m not sure it works on a 2 year old?), or the depending on how much you are willing to spend, we used the WayB pico folding seat for our 2 year old twins.
Anon says
I don’t think inflatable car seats are a thing until you get to the backless booster stage. I third the recommendation for Cosco Scenera Next or Cosco Finale depending on the size of your kids.
Anon says
I think you might be thinking of the Nachfolger HY5 seats. We‘ve had our eye on one, but haven’t actually bought one yet, so no experience sorry. We did a trip with our oldest from Munich to Chicago when he was 18 mo and relied on public transit and the rare uber. I do not recommend, especially jetlagged and coming off a transatlantic flight. Order two of the cheapy Cosco seats to your relatives‘ house and have them pick you up.
OP says
yes, that was it! But, dang, for $450 * 2 we won’t be getting them. Thank you very much for the suggestions.
Anonymous says
The Amtrak is really bumpy- I’ve taken it from south station in Boston to NYC as an adult and I drive with my kids because it’s just a lot for 4 hours. If your kids are really used to trains maybe it’ll be fine.
That said, you can make easy connections from Logan to Amtrak via the mbta (silver line bus —> red line/south station).
OP says
Thank you all very much for the specific suggestions and info. This helps a lot!
Parenting Books says
Has anyone read a good parenting book lately, particularly aimed at elementary and older? I love to read across genres, but parenting books seem a little like professional development for me, lol, and my kids are entering new phases and stages now that my oldest is 8.5.
I recently finished “The Gift of Failure: How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed.” It was interesting, 4 stars, and made me think a lot about the kinds of conversations we have here.
I have on deck: “Advanced Parenting: Advice for helping kids through diagnoses, differences, and mental health challenges” (recommended by a friend) and “Hold on to Your Kids: Why parents need to matter more than peers” (another frequent rec).
I know books and “experts” aren’t the be-all end-all, but I like to have some idea of where I’m headed and key points to keep in mind. (I’ve always been a bookish nerd, can you tell?)
Anonymous says
Sounds like you’ve read quite a few. Any recommendations for the toddler phase?
Anon says
I have :) My favorite toddler resource is Janet Lansbury; she has a podcast, and also a short book called “No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline without Shame.” Some people find her tone a little off-putting, but I found it calm, soothing and encouraging, and her advice was so helpful with my first toddler when I felt over my head.
There’s a series of old books by Dr. Louise Bates Ames, one per year (“Your One-Year-Old”, etc). They are short and give a snapshot of what to expect at that age, mentally, physically, etc. They were published in like the 70s or so, and some references are slightly outdated, but overall the information is still very solid. She makes every age seem exciting.
There’s also a book called “The Montessori Toddler.” Even if you aren’t a Montessori family, it gives lots of information about the developmental stages from 1-3, and ideas of activities and to do together to give toddlers the independence they crave without driving either of you crazy.
Then I liked How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, The Whole-Brain Child and No Drama Discipline (they are kind of a parenting gold standard trifecta), but they may be best for preschool age and above.
Anonymous says
Anything and everything by Lisa Damour.
OP says
Ooh good call. I love her podcast
EP-er says
Not sure the personality of your kids, but the last one I read was “That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life” — This was good for me (who is terribly organized) to understand/try to help my son (who is very much like his father.) As the kids get older and have more independence/agency in turning in school work, I don’t want to be the micromanager of assignments. This helped think of different scaffolding to put in place to grow the independence. Looks like it is free on audible right now, if that applies to you!
OP says
Sounds great! I have three boys, and at least one definitely struggles with exec functioning right now. My husband also recalls his middle school days as being very disorganized, and he still resents micromanaging.
Chl says
My sorority sister wrote that book and I think it’s great! She also has books about girls, social media and the college rat race. Ana Homoyoun FTW!
EP-er says
Thank you – I haven’t read anything else by her, but I will check out her other titles! My daughter definitely has different issues than my son.
OOO says
Highly recommend “How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t @-holes” by Melinda Wenner Moyer. Her Substack is great, too!
EP-er says
Okay, I am checking this one out. One of the conversations we regularly have with our high schooler is that teenagers are selfish aholes, and part of growing up is figuring out how not to be that way. :) Almost all negative interactions he has can boil down to one person is only thinking of themselves. (And sometimes that is him!) So much teaching about how to consider events from the other person’s perspective….
DLC says
I really liked
-Playful Parenting – i really like the approach of connecting to your child through joy and laughter.
-The Opposite of Spoiled- made me really think about how I want conversations of money to happen in our family.
– The Self Driven Child and What Do You Say (both by Johnson and Stixrud- great for actual scripts on how to build self reliant children)
– I also really like Megan Leahey’s book Parenting outside the Lines for recognizing there is no one way to parent.
OP says
I had not heard of these, thanks!
Anon says
For an upcoming work event, I have to tell a “funny, interesting story” about myself to a big group of people. I’m very reserved and although I think I’m a reasonably good public speaker on work topics, I don’t like talking about myself or making myself the center of attention so this is basically my worst nightmare! Also I feel like there’s nothing funny or interesting about my life, certainly not if I exclude my kids, which I don’t want to bring up at a work event. (It’s a very male-dominated environment and I think it would stand out in a negative way if I mentioned my kids.) Anyone with a similar personality have to do something like this? What did you do??
Cb says
Ugh, I hate this for you. I’d just make one up. You lost your passport while travelling and had to hitchhike across SE Asia, etc. Got stuck in a life with a celebrity.
AwayEmily says
YES this is a sucky assignment and I”m sorry you have to deal with it. I am all for MAKING IT UP, at least partly. I would take a story/theme from when you were a kid and just embellish a little. Like, if you were in the school band, make up a story about how your pet gerbil once hid in your tuba the night of a big performance. Or if you liked to create, make up a story about how you painted a mural on the living room wall when you were five (without permission) but your parents liked it so much they kept it for years.
anonymous says
How about something from the past? I always like to tell the story of “failing” a polygraph test when interviewing for a government job that required top secret clearance. Not too embarrassing because I passed the second time and got the job offer, but in my circles most folks have never sat through a polygraph test so it allows for lots of follow up discussion.
anon says
I am also reserved with colleagues and we have a practice in my company where we need to create a personal slide to introduce ourselves to other groups when we are doing inter-department work. People share info about their kids (fortunately we are very kid-friendly), pets, favorite sports teams, etc. I was totally dreading mine, but decided to own my boring life by getting a little specific and it ended up being a big hit. I am a big reader, so I shared a few favorite recent books and let others know I’d love their suggestions. I also noted that my kids love to visit zoos. My presentation ended up being one of the most engaging, with everyone chiming in to share about the hippos or whatever at their local zoo.
This is all to say– define for yourself what is “funny” or “interesting” and own it, and it will be fine. Where did you go on your honeymoon, or another big trip? Did you ever study abroad? What was your first job? What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? If you cook, what is your specialty? Or what would you choose for your last meal? Did you have a childhood pet that leads to any stories?
anonamommy says
This would also be my worst nightmare. Some neutral topics to consider:
-When I was a child, when I grew up I wanted to be (connect any similarities to what you do now)
– The worst (or best) gift I ever received was …
– my first job was …
– The best vacation I ever took was…
Stroller? says
Any stroller recommendations for a taller kid? Mine is 3 years old and already over 40” tall. He looks cramped in our Vista these days. We walk a lot and I’d like to find something we can use for the next year or so until he can handle longer distances (or at least not take 20 minutes to walk half a mile). Only child, so we don’t need a double stroller. He has a scooter and bike but hasn’t shown much interest in them yet, plus those wouldn’t work well when there is snow on the ground.
Anonymous says
Do you haul a lot of stuff? You could do the Evenflo wagon. It’s designed for two kids but it makes it easy to bring a lot of toys/ groceries/ etc along if you have just one. I find it super comfortable to push and our kids like the independence factor of not being strapped in (though it does have straps).
AwayEmily says
this is a great rec. Wagons are the best.
Anon says
I got the lightweight Ergo stroller for this pupose. Still use it with my 5 year old for a 35 min walk to ballet class (we live in the city to explain why we’d walk 35 mins).
Anonymous says
Single Bob. Wagons seem so unwieldy to me
NYCer says
We still use our yoyo with our almost 5 year old. She never buckles in, but she fits fine. She is tall and skinny – I think the upper weight limit is like 49 pounds (she is nowhere close).
Anon says
BOB if you don’t live in New York City or a tiny apartment. Yo-yo if you live in New York. Buy it used in fb marketplace.
Anon says
I feel like I see a lot of tall/older kids in yoyos or bike trailers.
Anon says
We had an umbrella stroller from Target that was fine for my super tall kid. We stopped using it right after she turned 4 though (it was destroyed and we didn’t replace it). But I think she was already around 44-45″ at that piont.
Anonymous says
Just a tip for when you CAN use a scooter – if you attach a short strap or leash to the stem/handlebars, it makes it much easier to tow your child without stooping over when they suddenly announce that they are too tired to scoot. This was key to life in NYC with a 3-5 year old.
Anony says
Hey, just wanted to thank you for this one! My 3-year old newly loves his scooter (and is very very done with strollers). We live in a small town where he generally just walks, but I was hoping to start taking the scooter as our transport mode for weekend city trips.
Anonymous says
Uppababy G-Luxe is great for my tall kids.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the gentle nudging yesterday about keeping up with friendships. I have a couple of brunches and phone calls planned now and I’m excited to spend some time with people other than my immediate family! It was helpful to hear that it’s necessary to prioritize friendships and put in the work, even in a busy season.
Anon says
Don’t internet strangers have great advice.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the nudge. I feel like I’m always the one messaging to organize in my brunch group but everyone always says yes immediately so I should just do it.
Anon says
Recs for kids iPad covers? Will be used mainly in a plane
Anonymous says
We have an Adocham one from Amazon. It has a top handle and two side handles, which has made it easy for my son to manipulate and carry around when needed. It also has a built in stand for helping it sit at an angle on a table and came with a strap (what we have not used) where in theory you could start it around a headrest of a car seat or plane seat. I bought it in 2020 and it’s going strong. I will offer the disclaimer that my son is pretty gentle on things. I am not gentle on things, so my iPad has an otter box case (which is far more money).