Maternity Monday: Floral Maternity Sheath Dress
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Ever have one of those days where it feels like you’re moving underwater? Yeah, that’s my Monday. So: Macy’s has a ton of cute maternity dresses on sale (plus free shipping over $49, which is better than their usual minimum, I believe) — this gray and blue floral one seems interesting and fun while also being work-appropriate and versatile. It was $88, but is now $49, available in sizes S-L. Maternity Sheath Dress
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Building a maternity wardrobe for work? Check out our page with more suggestions along both classic and trendy/seasonal lines.
Sales of note for 1/16:
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
- AllSaints – now up to 60% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles with code — readers love this blazer, these dresses, and their double-layer line of tees
- DeMellier – Sale now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
- Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off — reader favorites include their scoop tee, Dream Pant, ReNew Transit backpack, silk blouses and oversized blazers! New markdowns just added
- Hannah Andersson – Up to 30% off all pajamas;
- J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
- J.Crew Factory – 40-70% off everything
- L.K. Bennett – Archive sale, almost everything 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Tag sale for a limited time — jardigans and dresses $200, pants $150, tops $95, T-shirts $50
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – 50% off + extra 20% off, sale on sale, plus free shipping on $150+
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?
I know this is super petty… My SIL is pregnant, and her shower is coming up. I went to her registry to shop for a gift, and it seems like everything on there is super expensive. For example, she’s registered for a $770 stroller, a $300 infant carseat with a $120 base, the “premium” rock-n-play that’s $120 instead of $40-60 (what does it even do?), a $115 bouncer, a $200 bassinet, and the $286 mammaroo (why does the baby need so many expensive places to be?). It seems like every single thing is a “deluxe” version of that type of item. She and her husband are not at all wealthy, and it rubs me the wrong way that everything on the registry is so expensive.
I’m sure I can find an assortment of small stuff to buy. But I wanted to buy something nice that I know she’ll actually use because I know they’re struggling financially. Grumble, grumble, grumble.
Does LO fall asleep while nursing? Or does she just do really short sessions, always? Does she bottle strike at daycare?
I think at 5 mos every two hours is a bit much – she should be able to eat more and sleep longer. As others said tho how much you pump is not necessarily indicative of how much LO gets while nursing, and since she is gaining well, I wouldn’t worry about supply – but never getting a long stretch of sleep is hard on you!
If sleepiness is the issue, try burping/changing between b0obs, and also compressions to keep the milk flowing to encourage her to eat more.
If she bottle strikes, she might be looking for the comfort of nursing too – can you try wearing her in the evening so she gets that?
Could you try to encourage a cluster feed in the evening? Hang out on the couch and let her snack continuously (so even if she only does 5min per b0ob, you keep rotating her back from one to the other to try and get her to tank up?)
Could also try topping her off with a bottle if you’re able to pump extra and she will take a bottle in the evenings.
Hugs. Baby sleep is hard.
What do you say to an astute 3-year old when their Dad has been admitted to an inpatient program for alcoholism? I’ve already tried, “Daddy’s sick and needs to spend some time with some special doctors,” but that hasn’t sopped the “why,” nor provided an adequate response to why DS’s “favorite friend” isn’t allowed to see or talk to him right now.
I’m so glad DH is finally getting the help he needs … and I obviously can’t explain the complexities of addiction and recovery to a toddler … but I also don’t want to perpetuate my own pattern of covering up for / lying about the reality of living with an addict. Are there books or resources out there to help with this conversation?
Can’t thread from phone — It may not be a supply issue. I have a definite over supply and my bub has been falling asleep independently after sleep training for 3 months and still wakes up usually twice to eat at 8.5 months. The main recommendations I’ve received — 1) space out feedings during day so they are used to going longer in between feedings and eating more at each feeding and 2) move up nursing to beginning of night time routine so there is at least a 20 min gap between nursing and falling asleep. I’ve done both and he still wakes up to eat 2 times over 12.5-13 hours of sleep so take all that for what it’s worth.
Wrote a long post but it got eaten — apologies if this double-posts. Anyone have any tips for pre-family trip anxiety, specifically about the kids falling apart? I do not have any other kind of anxiety so this is new to me. This weekend we went on an overnight adventure. Kids are 3 and 2. The plan was for them to take their naps in the car. When this did not happen (because toddlers) my anxiety spiraled totally out of control and I was convinced the trip would be ruined because they would be overtired disasters, ruining both the activity and the accommodations (for both us and everyone around us). I really flipped out on my 3yo and was convinced we should forfeit our deposit and cancel the trip. Husband was justifiably upset and put my problem in terms of “optimism.” It hit me that it is anxiety like nothing else I have ever experienced. I don’t have a therapist and (honestly) don’t think I need one in any other area of my life. So helpful hints from you all would be greatly appreciated.
(In just the time I’ve tried to post this, so many have posted about flipping out on kids and anxiety . . . thanks for making me feel less alone and incompetent.)
Does anyone else suffer from anxiety about family outings? We took the kids (3 and 2) on an overnight adventure this weekend. The drive there was TERRIBLE because the kids didn’t take their car nap like I had intended, and my mind spiraled out of control to the point of certainty that we should cancel the (nonrefundable) trip because they would be overtired in the afternoon, not sleep in the strange place and disturb all the other people there, and be disasters the following morning. This caused me to be very harsh with my 3yo who was crying in the car and not napping. (The kids ended up doing great.) Husband was (understandably) upset with me. He told me he is just more optimistic than I am — this made me realize I actually am having horrible anxiety about these things. I do not have a therapist right now and am not sure that this small issue merits taking one on. I do not have any other kind of anxiety. So I am hoping you all have some tips for dealing with this issue. I do not want my anxiety to make these adventures horrible for my family. Thanks in advance!
UGH. Super bad, screamy morning with my 4 yo who blatantly didn’t listen (did something she knows she’s not supposed to do) and then lied about it. I flew off the handle. I know it’s in part because I’m stressed about work and in part because I am PMS-ing (which shouldn’t be an excuse, but darn it I don’t feel good), but I am sitting here at work now just feeling terrible. And even worse because we have a sitter coming tonight because H and I both have work events that cannot be skipped. Just UGH. I want to run home and scoop her up and hug her.
Favorite toys without small pieces for two year olds? I just realized my son has been playing with the same toys he got for his almost a year ago, and with his birthday and Christmas coming up, looking for ideas to send to family who want to gift him something. We live in an apartment, so not a lot of free space, and have a sibling on the way, so trying to avoid choking hazards. Magnatiles, a play kitchen and balance bike are on my list (I realize play kitchens are huge, but he loves playing in the real kitchen, so I think it’d be worth it). Other ideas? Less expensive ideas for rounding out the price bracket?
Can we talk about the article on Oprah about the New Midlife Crisis (link to follow)? It’s such a depressing read and yet so accurate. Born in 1981, so part of the Oregon Trail combo generation. I’m particularly hit by this quote:
“And 24/7 they’re on their smartphones (which, remember, have only been around for 10 years), flooded with friends’ Instagram-tastic vacation photos and Twitter posts by frenemies bragging about promotions. They’re watching breaking news alerts of nuclear threat escalations, end-times weather catastrophes, terrifying mass violence. They’re waking up to see what else has gone wrong and wondering how to help. They’re fielding long 10 p.m. emails from bosses that end with “Thoughts?” The cumulative effect is the feeling that they will never catch up, on any level, ever.”
I believe I literally said those words to my DH this weekend. I will never catch up at this point, ever. I will die with so much still on my todo list. And that is just an awful awful feeling.
Hi everyone, I am experimenting with a new dinner routine and thought I would share how it is going. This may not be relevant to most because of the way our household is set up but could be fun.
I enjoy cooking and meal planning but in this super-busy phase of life I kept running out of ideas and energy by Wednesday. I tried to make Wednesday a theme night (breakfast for dinner!) but that was tough also. My other thought was to have Thursday be the kiddo’s night–he helps plan the menu and cook. (He is 12.) Over the summer he let me know he wanted to do Blue Apron for his night. It turns out you have to order at least 2 nights. So here is our plan:
Sunday–husband cooks, often a roast chicken. I may help with a salad or a side.
Monday–something easy since we have to leave the house at 640 to get to Scouts by 7. I make burritos, taquitos, soup, pasta or something in the slow cooker. (Tonight it is chicken tikka masala.) Somehow having that short list of options has been super-helpful. It narrows down the universe of choices just enough. Hubs works late on Mondays.
Tuesday–I am at the soup kitchen. Husband cooks. They often have burgers or pierogi or leftovers from Sunday. Sometimes they go out.
Wednesday–Blue Apron #1. Since the lad picks I have no idea what is coming. The lad may help me cook, and we make the 2 servings stretch to 3. We have to work fast since wrestling practice is at 630. Hubs again works late this night each week.
Thursday–Blue Apron #2. Some combination of all three of us work on the cooking.
Friday–We make or buy pizza. I’ll make the dough, they help spread it out and do the toppings.
Saturday–I make whatever I feel like. (My favorite!)
I have enjoyed Blue Apron more than I expected. It takes away a bunch of decisions around menu planning and shopping. It is great to come home and have every single ingredient for the recipe in the house. Because the lad picks the menus he tries everything, and we have found a few items he likes.
Last minute request – anyone have a sitter they can recommend in the Alexandria, VA area? We need someone this Friday night. It is my brother’s wedding, and the child care that was arranged fell through. It would be for one 15mo in our hotel room. If you have any leads, I would be really grateful! You can email me at the following address.
Reposting from weekend thread!
We sleep trained (Ferber) this past Friday. Our baby girl is almost 5 months old. She’s 67% for weight and 90% for height and our pediatrician recommended we try.
It went remarkably well in terms of crying. She cried for 15 minutes the first day, I went in at 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and she was asleep before I could go in at 10 minutes. She cried for 30 seconds the past two nights, so that piece, where she’s learning to sleep independently, is fantastic.
What has been still hard is that she’s getting up every 2 hours throughout the night (better than the 45 minutes before), but still 2 hours. Last night was every 1.5 hours. I think it’s because she’s not eating enough during the day and I feel bad letting her CIO if she’s actually hungry. She’s EBF. She only drinks about 3 oz at a time. I basically feed her on demand, which ends up being a little bit basically every hour when I’m home. She eats for <5 minutes each time night and day.
I'm not sure if my B**** just have low milk storage capacity or if I just need to really get her on an eating schedule, so she will nurse for 10-15 minutes and hopefully drink closer to 6 oz each time during the day, so she eats less at night.
I know she's too little to night wean, but I'm hoping for maybe 1-2 feedings rather than 4-5? Unrealistic? Any and all advice is appreciated!