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The Gemma wrap dress has been around for several seasons now, and it’s a reader favorite over at Corporette — and it’s machine washable. BR has it in 11 colors and patterns, all marked between $58-$98. I particularly like this diamond print wrap dress, which strikes me as flattering but fun. It’s $89.99. Gemma Diamond Print Wrap Dress If you’re looking for a more affordable version, little sister brand Old Navy has a ton of wrap dresses in fun prints, as well as maternity and plus sizes, for anywhere from $11-35.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
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Contracts says
I have the Gemma in a cobalt blue color, and I love it. It needs a good ironing after you wash it, but I can get multiple wears out of it before the next wash. I don’t have a problem with wrinkling once it’s on. I got it during a regular sale on the site.
Older kid Q / I want to kill my TV says
The good: I have a pretty flexible work schedule b/c I can work from home whenever I need to if I have a sick kid.
The bad: Over a long illness, the older one learned how to work the TV all by herself while I was working in the dining room. At first, I was grateful: uninterrupted work! Getting up just for mealtime / vomiting. [I know: horrible childcare by me, but that’s just me trying to do two things at once.]
Now: I have a six-year old in love with the TV. She’d watch it 24-7 and is a zombie when it’s on. It’s sad. I thought about having an after-school nanny now that she’s in kindergarten, but reconsidered on the likelihood that in our house, she’s likely to watch TV (or just whine all the time for it) (which might not be a problem on days when the park or friends are options, but there’s always the rainy / dark / lonely winter to deal with).
Any advice for weaning a child from the TV most days? Especially when your spouse / inlaws (many are failure-to-launch folks overly wedded to their TVs) (which colors my opinion immensely)? Right now, it’s afterschool care at her school (which is mainly sports clubs / activities / reading / art) which some of her friends go to. I wish I lived in Mayberry right now so I could push her out the door and tell her to go play with her friends next door or ride her pony (we have no friends nearby at home and the nearest children are across a busy street from us and I think most of those moms work, too).
Spirograph says
I haven’t faced this as a parent yet since my son is only a toddler (although I was horrified when I turned on the TV while I was folding laundry the other day and my son instantly stopped playing with his toys and plopped himself down in front of the set…), but I remember my mom was very big on keeping me and my siblings from turning into “vegetables.” She just hid vital components of electronic devices; the cord was missing out of the TV/computer pretty much as a default. If we asked for it, 90% of the time, she’d remind us that there were toys, board games, and a box of craft/art supplies in the closet, plus an overabundance of books we could read. We searched the house (and occasionally found the cords — I think that might have been its own game?) and I’m sure we whined quite a bit, but it was very effective.
CHJ says
Admittedly I have a much smaller child and don’t know how six year olds operate, but could you get rid of the TV? Or cancel cable? DH and I did that because our cable bill was ridiculously high, but it’s been great. We hardly watch any TV at all now, and when we do, it’s all Netflix streaming, so we have to consciously choose what we are going to watch instead of flipping through the channels mindlessly. Could you cancel cable but let her pick 1-2 shows that she can watch once a day via Netflix?
Older kid Q / I want to kill my TV says
Thanks. She has figured out NetFlix. And I could get rid of a lot of this if I were single, but DH would have to see something like failing in school / severe behavior issues before he’d go along with getting rid of DirecTV (NFL Sunday ticket due to being out-of-market fan of team where he grew up).
I am a remote hider. I think I can become a “earn screen-timer” and have made coupons so that they can watch one TV show each (the problem is enforcement: if I am working when they start the TV, I need to get myself up to police that and often get wrapped up in something).
If I could unplug from work and if they weren’t sick, I’d be outside with them or out doing something (or getting them to help make dinner). I wish I had a babysitter to play with them if I am working from home, but if I’m not actively supervising, TV happens (and that wouldn’t even be a problem if it didn’t happen for hours on end). This is when I wished I didn’t work (or my days off weren’t days working from home) — the problem is that I can’t be attentive enough to a problem on the home front b/c I am having to do what pays the bills. :(
But at the end of the day, is it my house and I’m in charge and if I’m the Bad Guy / Enforcer, so be it. I’d rather use the carrot and not the stick and just retrain the habit gently (so Artic Blast: you are not helping!). But I expect I’ll stumble a few times before getting this right.
greenie says
I love your coupon idea!
On my days like this (I don’t work from home, but do schoolwork at home on weekends) I also like to set out “stations” for them. A craft station / dress up station/ library station etc. just like they have in school. This way they can see activities right in front of them and that might be an easier/ more appealing option than tv.
Good luck!
Meg Murry says
We did something similar to coupons with poker chips for a little while – my son got 1 week’s worth of screen time chips at a time. Each chip was worth 30 minutes, and I gave him 21 a week (I think). I used them for TV AND tablet screen time, because he quickly learned that when I told him to turn the TV off he’d just watch the same shows on the PBS app on the tablet. I also allowed him to earn more with chores or physical activity since that’s something we struggle with. However, it fell by the wayside since I’m not great at enforcing, and we got back into a pattern that I was ok with – less than 1 hour in the morning, and less than 1 hour while I was prepping dinner or before bed – so overall less than 2 hours per day, most days less than 1.
I think you also have to consider that on staying home from school days, especially ones where the kid is sick and you have to work there is going to be more TV – and worry more about the quality of what she is watching as much as the quantity. If my kid is sick and watches 4 hours of Curious George or the DVD of Frozen again, ok fine, not ideal, but its only one day. Any amount of SpongeBob Squarepants or Disney shows full of tween-agers mouthing off to their parents = NO.
I think for us the key rules are:
1) They have to ask to watch a show, they can’t just turn it on
2) We watch shows recorded on the DVR or Roku, so it doesn’t just turn into one show blending into another for hours
3) We pick what shows are and aren’t ok and stick with it (for us right now with a 7 year old we allow PBS shows, some cartoons from when we were kids like Animaniacs and Duck Tales and a not totally idiot shows watched with us like Mythbusters)
4) We reserve the right to take away screen time for the next day or 2 as a punishment (“talk back to me/throw that ball/hit your brother one more time and no TV or tablet for the rest of the night and all of tomorrow” works really, really well)
Anonymous says
We don’t have a tv and I use MLB TV to watch my team’s games, but could you just have a tv in your bedroom for your husband to watch sports and get rid of the tv in the common area?
TVs says
Yes. I grew up with 3 siblings, all 3 TVs were in the common areas, my mom insisting that even if the 4 kids were fighting over the TVs, at least we were interacting. The TV was always on in the background.
Now I have 1 kid (6yearsold), and 2 TVs – one is in our bedroom with no cable, and the 1 with cable/internet hookup is off the main floor in the basement. Going to watch that TV is An Event. We don’t have the TV going as background noise.
I KNOW this solution doesn’t work for everyone – I used to work for sanctimonious nonprofit and I would freely discuss with people who’s more annoying – the people who humblebrag about not having a TV or humblebrag about not having a car? And I think the Not Owning a TV people are worse, because at least the car people know that their lifestyle won’t work for everyone. But the not having a TV people think They’ve Found The Answer. There is no 1 answer. Whatever works.
greenie says
Our 6 y/o daughter knows how to use the remote so we just hide that/ leave it up high so she can’t get to it herself. She also knows that we have screen time limits… she gets 30 minutes on school days and an hour or so on weekends (we are flexible with this if we want to do a family movie etc.). This includes her computer games – but she can earn more time for that because all of her games are pretty educational. We also always have music on in the house when we’re home because sometimes I think my girls want something to hear as they’re playing. I think the music helps with their imaginations and physical activity levels. If it’s silent in the background I also get a lot more distracted by them when trying to get stuff done.
Beth says
Is there a way to configure profiles for your TV so that when she logs in/turns it on, nothing of interest is on? Or will she just sit there happily watching QVC?
Older kid Q / I want to kill my TV says
Not with DirecTV and a DVR (I’ve tried that. And you can screen out by ratings, that only works to get rid of adult content. Not to get rid of kid-apprpriate content. NOTE TO APP DEVELOPERS: I would pay money for something like that or that just limits all TV to The Weather Channel.]
She clever enough to figure out most everything, so I think that the habit retraining is key (do not want a 12-year old on TV or doing something like Second Life unless I am actively interrupting / hovering). [There is a family member who probably does 12 hours of Second Life a day. In the back of my mind, that is the battle I’m fighting. I am not a TV hater, just a “screen time keeping you from real experiences / friends hater”.]
Kim says
I’m not trying to be snarky, but you seem very committed to there being no possible solution; is it possible that you are really looking for people to just tell you this is OK? If you’re seeking validation, give it to yourself! You might decide that it’s just not worth the time/effort to solve the problem, and as the parent, you can permit your child to do this.
Burgher says
All my 2 year old wants to do is watch TV every night. I initially felt horrible about it, but he watches no other TV for the entire day while he is at daycare, and it’s basically like a preschool. I don’t think an hour or two of educational TV per night when they are actively engaged in other activities for the entire rest of the day is a horrible thing. Kids should be able to have some downtime, too.
Beth says
What about letting her invite friends over for playdates? Then you don’t need to so actively supervise, just be within eye/earshot, and it isn’t leaving her to play by herself?
Alternatively, what about taking her out to the library or somethign like that where you can do work and she can hang out in a non-TV centered place?
Could you both be together (even though you’re working) in a level of the house that has no TV (upstairs bedrooms/ playroom basement type thing)? So remove yourself AND her from the TV?
If she’s sick at home, I think TV is fine. I have TV, but if I’m vomiting, it’s all Price is Right, all day long ;)
TVs says
I don’t think she’s there yet. Deal with the problem you have now; not the problem you’ve imagined the slippery slope will lead to in 10 years.
Diana Barry says
If working from home, I would get a babysitter or have afterschool, that way they are occupied. I can’t get any work done if I am WAH and there is no nanny unless the TV is on – have tried, it doesn’t work.
pockets says
I agree with this. You might be fighting a losing battle. You’re asking a 6 year old to entertain themselves when TV is much more entertaining and requires much less effort on your child’s part. Hire a babysitter and be very clear that TV is not an option.
It takes a village. says
I agree. Maybe even just a neighborhood high schooler who can keep her busy for an hour or so each day after school?
It takes a village says
I agree. Maybe even just a neighborhood high schooler who can keep her busy for an hour or so each day after school?
Nonny says
Yes, my younger sister did this for years as her part-time job, and loved it. I am sure there are lots of teenagers who would go for it. Just make sure they have had their Red Cross (or equivalent) babysitter’s training, and know basic first aid. Maybe ask around your local Girl Scout troops?
ANP says
I feel you! Sometimes my five-year-old watches the screen saver on DH’s work laptop — that kid loves a screen of any size.
It stinks that you and your husband aren’t on the same page, but my spouse and I have somewhat differing views on TV as well and I don’t think it’s a total deal breaker. First, I think you have to set limits — so, she can watch one program after school (or when she gets up, or whatever), and then you turn it off (set a timer or whatever to remind yourself — I have the same issue about remembering to do that if I’m working/in another room).
I also agree with the poster who said to set out stations — give her immediate alternatives to TV. I think the idea of “earning” more screen time is a good one, too, although developmentally I’m not sure my 5-year-old is quite there yet. We’ve gotten away from it somewhat, but I see a lot of value in the shows on PBS vs. mindless Tom & Jerry cartoons. I think there are degrees of evil here that you can perhaps try and reconcile with yourself — is 30 minutes of Wild Kratts really all that bad? IMHO, probably not, although you are of course entitled to your own opinions and I TOTALLY get not wanting your kid to turn into a spaced-out vegetable!
One thing we’ve done — and I don’t know if this is brilliant or terrible — is load up a 1st generation iPad that we no longer use with educational games, PBS, numbers/letters stuff, etc. I’m willing to let my daughter play on this for a lot longer than I am to let her zone out in front of the TV because I know what’s on there and that she’s getting at least something out of it. You can probably pick up a tablet fairly inexpensively and that would probably knock her socks off! Again, this solution isn’t for everyone but that’s what’s worked for us.
Anonyc says
I might be the outlier here, as I’m not sweating TV time too much with my kids (six and under). They can watch a bit of TV in the morning while they wake up slowly and eat breakfast (mostly Sesame), they are allowed to watch on weekends, and we definitely have movie nights on the regular. On the flip side, they are in school and afterschool programs from at least 9-5 every day, and there’s no TV at night. On balance that works for us. I know that if they were home with a nanny or one of us there’d be more TV, and I also know that it’s really close to impossible to cut the cord entirely. My kids are told (repeatedly) that TV is a privilege and like all privileges it can be (and has been) take away for bad behavior. We do plenty of reading and non-TV activities on the weekends as well, so often our schedule means there’s little TV time, and I try to impose limits if it feels like there’s been a few too many hours of watching going on over the weekends.
Still, I grew up in a house where there was no cable and not a lot of TV and I know this made me someone who desperately sought out all the TV/cable stuff I perceived to be missing at any opportunity. I’ve also spoken with parents who severely limit their kids’ TV time and it sounds like those kids are hyper-sensitized to TV in a way that our kids are not. Essentially I’m trying to do the “everything in moderation” route, and (so far) it seems to be working. YMMV, as with everything.
JJ says
This is our approach, as well. I just don’t sweat TV time, because I know my kids are not watching it while they’re in daycare all day. They watch a program while we’re getting ready in the mornings and they eat breakfast, and we let them watch on Saturday and Sunday mornings during breakfast (and family movie times). My kids’ favorite show is Bubble Guppies, and they have actually learned a lot from it, so maybe that’s how I feel better about it.
Both of my kids also love “reading” and books (as do my husband and I) and the kids want us to read to them all the time. Maybe I’d feel different if that wasn’t the case, though.
RR says
I have two six year olds who would happily watch Netflix on iPad all day. I don’t mean to sound overly simplistic, but I just set limits. They have to ask first. If they start watching without asking, they lose privileges for the rest of the day. Then there are limits–a half hour at most, and it has to be turned off when we say, immediately. If not, they lose it for the rest of the day or for the next day depending upon timing. If they ask and I don’t give permission and they persist in whining, they lose it for the rest of the day or next day depending upon timing. They are pretty good with it now. I just tell them to go find something else to do. As much as I hate the “punishment” aspect of it, the “punishment” is generally that they go play some fun game, or read a book, or go outside.
mascot says
My child is 4 so he can’t figure out the tv remote by himself. But, he can navigate his Kindle fire. If given his druthers, he wants one show on the tv and simultaneously will play around on his Kindle. The whole thing was turning into such a struggle during the week, we just went cold turkey on all screen time on weekdays. He’s allowed to have screen time on the weekends. The Kindle doesn’t leave the house except for road trips (so no tv in the car during errands). It was really hard during the firs week or so, but now it is his new normal. He’s gotten pretty good about finding something else to do and not whining.
I am not a fan of the tv being on as background noise. We’ve started putting on music instead and everyone seems to like that.
Nonny says
Like Spirograph, I haven’t had to deal with this as a parent yet, but we had very strict TV rules when I was growing up. I think the trick is having enough “other” things to do that TV becomes an afterthought rather than the default. Also, when I had sick days home from school, I was not allowed to watch TV. I could read, colour, play, whatever, but my parents enforced a strict “no TV during the daytime” rule. This was also effective in motivating us not to have any fake sick days.
Of course, they also resorted to hiding the cord occasionally, and once my sister was about 8, my dad even installed a separate switch in the basement for the electrical circuit that the TV was on. Sneaky, sneaky.
I am already dreading having to deal with this as a parent. Honestly, I would just eliminate cable quite happily were it not for PBS, the Food Network and my SO’s addiction to golf and football tournaments. At the moment I am starting slow by enforcing no TV (even as background) during meal times. Eventually we will get to no TV in the mornings (including news) as well.
TVs says
One last one: my kid loves video/computer games. We found out about Code.org and how they have programs online for kids to learn to code. Yes, even 5-6 year olds, with some help reading. We told him, if you want to learn to play video games, we’ll help you learn to write video games! He loved it.
Give your daughter a cheap camera- even for $30 they have video now. Tell her to make her own shows. Teach her to code. Then she learns stuff, plays, you remove your guilt.
NewMomAnon says
Having a really tough morning and could use some encouragement. My husband and I recently separated and he asked for some overnights with the baby (9 months old). Last week I was able to do the tradeoff without tears, but today I dropped her off at daycare (and he’ll pick her up so I won’t see her again until Friday. I am just bawling in my office. Does this get easier? I did learn from last week that I need to make plans on the nights I don’t have her, so I’m meeting a friend tonight and yoga class tomorrow (probably just outed myself, but whatevs). But it feels like I left my heart at daycare this morning…
JJ says
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Perhaps focusing on this extra time to yourself as a positive might help? I like the idea of drinks with friends and yoga. Are there any chores or projects around the house that need to be done and you never seem to get the time to do them? If you belong to a gym, maybe make standing appointments with a trainer on those nights, so you know you’ll be committed and occupied?
(former) preg 3L says
Oh honey I am so sorry. I am right there with you. It’s only two nights! You can do this. Also, as soon as my H picks up the baby, I frantically text all of my friends and spend absolutely as much time as possible out with them. I relish sleeping through the night, I spend spare time at home cooking and cleaning, and try to get chores out of the way so that when I get DD back, I can just relax and play! Big hugs, it will get easier.
KJ says
I’m sorry, that sounds really rough! I agree with the advice to keep busy while she is gone. Maybe it would also help to remind yourself that one of the best things you can do for your daughter is to help facilitate a close relationship between her and her dad. (Even if you don’t have a romantic relationship with him yourself.) Picture the relationship you would want them to have when she is older, and tell yourself that you are putting yourself through this as an investment in that future. And I hope it gets easier for you.
oil in houston says
maternity jeans question – I thought I could do with my dresses with tights and jumpers until the baby come, but with this polar weather we’re having, I need a pair of jeans to keep me warm for the weekends.
I don’t want to spend more than $50, and would prefer being able to go to a physical place to try them on (I find that a lot of places like Target or Old Navy only do online). Does anyone have any recommendation for good jeans? I’m curvy/pear naturally if that helps.
thanks!
(former) preg 3L says
No brick & mortar stores to suggest, but a plug for Gap maternity jeans – WAY superior to Old Navy maternity jeans!
JJ says
Agreed that Gap is far superior. They may do free shipping both ways for styles sold only online, I think. Otherwise, I know Nordstrom now carries maternity clothes. Perhaps they have some in store?
ANP says
I actually had good luck with both Gap and Old Navy maternity jeans. They have free shipping to you for orders over $50 and I believe now all mailed returns are also free — so, some hassle but at least not too pricey.
CHJ says
I agree – I loved my Gap maternity jeans. They were some of the most flattering jeans I’ve ever owned. If you have a Gap with a decent maternity section near you, they should have a few varieties in stock to try on.
Katarina says
I liked Motherhood Maternity jeans, and they have a wide selection of fits in store. Pea in the Pod may also have some in your price range on sale. I think they are around $30 full price, but they have lots of sales I also got a pair from Ross, which I did not like quite as much, but they were really cheap ~$10.
Anonymous says
FYI, ON does sell regular length jeans in certain stores. For reference, there are 3-4 in my smallish metro area. You can find the one nearest you with their store locator.
Every target I’ve been to also sells them, but I think they are way worse than ON, which are already fairly unimpressive.
I’d look at consignment to easily get Gap maternity jeans in store and under your price point. FWIW, I’m curvy and normally gap jeans don’t work well for me but they fit fine for maternity.
Pest says
I recommend going to Macy’s maternity section.
noob says
Ditto — they have several different lines (e.g., Pea in the Pod, Motherhood Maternity) and have a better selection.
Also, I’m two months postpartum and still wearing my maternity jeans sometimes, partly for size reasons but also because I had a c-section and couldn’t handle a waistband until about week 8. So you may get more use out of the jeans than you think .
In House Counsel says
Check Amazon.com — I got a pair of DL 1961 (and saw several other “designer brands”) at GAP prices
ELL says
I have this exact dress. I bought it one size up from my prepregnancy size to wear in the months postpartum. The pattern is very flattering, it doesn’t need ironing, and the fabric is a nice weight.
Maddie Ross says
I love the Gemma dress and have 4 of them in different patterns. I bought originally to wear in the early stages of pregnancy, but have continued to wear now afterwards, too. I would NOT buy the ON version as a reasonable substitute. I like the GAP version, but the ON one is shorter (by a fair amount) and is thinner material.
Anonymous says
FYI, Kat, The moms site isn’t loading correctly for me. The main site looks normal, but the moms site isn’t formatted, images aren’t loading, commenting is weird, etc. I’m on IE10.
Anonymous says
started being like this for me sometime yesterday.
Anon1 says
Same thing happened to me starting last week on both the regular and mom’s site. It’s happening on both IE and Mozilla. I thought it had something to do with viewing the site from my work laptop so I didn’t mention anything.
Anonymous says
OP Anon and it’s working again for me now. Same computer/browser as before.
KJ says
Have you guys seen this article? http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/our-real-mommy-and-daddy-problem-your-children-are-your-problem/?smid=fb-share&_r=1
As Carolyn Hax would say, I’m standing and clapping.
(former) preg 3L says
holy h3ll, me too.
anne-on says
Oh my god so true. And not to get sanctimonious, but this is why even though I can afford to stay at home with my son, I work. Because if women opt out of mid level and high level jobs instead of pushing for policies and changes that are working family friendly, who else will advocate for those changes? Employers don’t do this stuff out of the goodness of their hearts, they do it to retain valuable employees who agitate for change and hopefully those policies trickle down in an organization to the admins/newer employees who didn’t have the leverage to force the change.