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Right now, my wrapping paper is stored in a paper shopping bag — clearly, it’s time for an upgrade.
This simple, clear vertical wrapping paper box is what I’m looking for — it will neatly corral all those tubes of wrapping paper for the next occasion. The narrow shape means it doesn’t take up much floor space, and the handles make it easy to move around the house. Now if it would only wrap those presents for me.
This gift wrap box is $12 at Target.
Sales of note for 8.30.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 20% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lands’ End – 40% off sitewide; 50% off backpacks, 40% off kids’ apparel
- Loft – Summer sale, 30% off new arrivals; up to 50% off much more
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- Zappos – 28,000+ 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 – 50% off everything
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 40% off everything
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 50% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 50-60% off; 50% off pants for the family
- Target – 20% off select clothing for all; up to 50% off home; up to 30% off select nursery furniture; up to 30% off kitchen & dining
anon says
MIL gave my one year old a big bright pink and purple plastic rocking horse. I don’t want to be that snobby ~aEsTHetIc~ mom but this thing is UGLY. Bubblegum pink, has fake eyelashes. The unwanted toys are easy enough to hide in the attic until MIL forgets about them, but this is meant to be on display. MIL is over pretty often. I don’t want to hurt her feelings but I also don’t want to see this monstrosity every time I’m in my daughter’s room. Any ideas? The only thing I can think of is telling her baby fell off and is afraid of it now so we have to put it away for a while.
Anonymous says
There is no room for it at your house so it lives at MIL’s house.
anon says
Haha she knows we do have plenty of room though! And she’s a borderline hoarder so we don’t allow our child to go to her house for safety reasons. Sorry, should have added those details in my original post.
Anonymous says
I’d probably just leave it in her room. It’s not part of your decor forever – she’ll outgrow it by this time next year.
anonM says
+1
Anonymous says
+1. Your child will probably love it. Let go of decor control early!
Anon says
Yeah sorry, I think this what you have to do. The window of time when you can control your child’s aesthetic is short anyone. By age 4 or 5 they’ll likely have their one strong opinions.
Anonymous says
+1 I’d leave it in her room. It’ll be a funny thing you laugh about two years from now, and I bet your kid loves it.
NYCer says
Agreed. Your daughter will probably love it.
I personally wouldn’t lie about your kid falling off it and being scared, but YMMV.
This says
This. We were gifted a gigantic stuffed animal that is weirdly lifelike—every time I walked for a month in the room I jumped. But my kiddos love it and over time I’ve come to love it too.
Anon says
I bought my daughter a human-size stuffed sloth for her second birthday and I kind of love it haha. She’s 5 now and doesn’t really care about it, but I don’t want to get rid of it.
Anon says
Seems like a perfect time to use “toy rotation”. Baby can enjoy it for a period then when she “starts to get bored” it can go in the attic for a little while…then out to the curb…
That said, if baby really DOES enjoy it and it gets regular use I would probably leave it out. Sounds like it could be fun for that age
AwayEmily says
I think your idea is great! Seems very plausible to me, tbh I too am kind of afraid of it and I haven’t even fallen off it yet.
Anonymous says
I don’t think those types of little white lies ever work out. Easier to tell a diplomatic half-truth than something totally made up. “Oh, we put it away until she was ready for it.” “I was always tripping on it.” Etc.
Anon says
Agree.
Anonymous says
Perhaps it is an outdoor rocking horse?
Spirograph says
While all of these are good ideas, my question is — does your daughter like it? If she’s at all interested, I’d just leave it out. Your eyes will learn to glide over it without being affronted by the obnoxious ugliness after a week or two. Or at least mine do. I don’t see all kinds of imperfections in my space unless I’m looking for them.
If your daughter is indifferent, though, I like the “put away until she’s ready for it” excuse the best. But you will need to bring it back out in 6 months or so unless your MIL forgets (which she probably won’t).
Cb says
Yep, my son had an obnoxious Thomas train set that he LOVED. I thought it was hideous but it was a brief period. And then made the mistake of taking it to the charity shop on the bus… it sang all the way there while I pretended the noise wasn’t coming from my bag.
Pogo says
yeah we have this terrible ride-on train that sings alphabet songs but the kids LOVE it. when we get really sick of it or it is used improperly it gets hidden. Once it was in our downstairs shower for weeks until I noticed that was where DH had stashed it lol
Anonymous says
Can you play “pony and stable” with your daughter and convince her the pony needs to live in the stable (aka closet)?
Do you have a basement you can throw it in?
Walnut says
Dude, my kids love the most garish things and my mother knows it. She smiles so innocently when I shoot her a “are you serious?” look. Reality is, this isn’t the battle I pick and is why I spend as little time as possible in their toy room.
Anon says
Someone posted the other day that they recently bought a dress from Tuckernuck that they have been wearing a lot. If that was you, would you be able to share which one it is? I’ve been tempted by some of their things but have never purchased. Thank you!
Anon says
Not that persons but I have some clothes from Tuckernuck. They’re ok. It’s pretty pricey and I don’t think the quality is amazing in general (may vary a bit by brand – Tnuck is a boutique not a brand). It tends to run small.
Fair says
Yeah, I find it hit or miss, but when it’s a hit it’s a hit. I also have a blackwatch plaid tunic that I’ve pulled out every holiday for three years. This dress was only $178 which feels very reasonable to me for the quality.
Pogo says
Yes I was waiting for the link too!
the link says
https://tnuck.com//products/black-marissa-dress?variant=43479229956318&gclid=CjwKCAiAnZCdBhBmEiwA8nDQxZ8OJRONp3Pr41E4i-9TTfNJjnsm63Fh5oJ7gmmXY3-HJa3r8ZTJZxoCe9QQAvD_BwE
that was me says
that was me! it was the Marissa dress and I don’t think the link ever posted. It looks more expensive than it is and dresses both up and down easily. I recommend it if you think it’ll work on your body type!
OP says
Thank you! I was hoping that would be it since that’s the one I had my eye on… :)
Anonymous says
We were all set to have our first big family Christmas gathering since 2019. One relative just tested positive for COVID and is still planning to host, despite the fact that this person will not even be to day 5 and their spouse and kids will all probably be coming down with it at that point. What is wrong with people? Cheers to yet another quiet Christmas at home for us. Blergh.
Anon says
I’m sorry. There has been some seriously bad behavior this year. Rationality left the building for a lot of people I know.
Anon says
That stinks, so sorry.
Anne-on says
What on earth? I guess at least they told you?
My side of the family is big on telling you as you enter their houses ‘oh the Grinch has a stomach flu and cindy lou who has green snot and has been coughing for days but don’t worry, they’re in another room’ (10 points if you guessed that they did not, in fact, stay in the other room). It’s now our holiday tradition to load up on airborne, zicam, alcohol wipes, and cross our fingers we don’t get infected. The year I was pregnant I got a cold from my nephew that turned into a sinus infection necessitating a week of antibiotics, that was fun!
I'm the problem it's me says
Ha, this might be us. We TRY. We really do. But we have four kids seven and under so if we actually only had people over when there wasn’t anyone sniffling we would be literal hermits. My rule is if I’d send them to school, I’ll still see people. We would not host with stomach flu! But sniffling and cough? That’s every day this fall for us.
Anonymous says
You should be warning people so they can make their own decisions, though. I have asthma and every little cold turns into months of bronchitis, so I do not appreciate it when my SIL hands me a snotty drooling baby while her toddler coughs in my face.
Anonymous says
That’s nice, but I’d be really annoyed if you didn’t tell me ahead of time people had a cold so I could make my own choice. I get it, I have kids, a cough that’s been happening for two weeks following the flu isn’t the same as a new illness, but I don’t need more flu and bad colds than we already have.
Anon says
+1. You absolutely must tell people and let them make the choice to come over or not. I can’t believe that even needs to be said.
Anon says
+2 that you really should tell them and let them make their own choice. We’d probably come if you had a negative Covid test and didn’t have any reason to believe it was flu, but I think you should let people make an informed choice.
Anonymous says
Yeah I’m surprised they tested and told you! People this careless about Covid usually aren’t even bothering to test anymore.
This will out me to anyone who knows me, but my FIL showed up at our house for Thanksgiving with a “bad cold,” refused to take a Covid test for several days despite us asking nicely and providing the test, got sick enough to go to urgent care….and tested positive for Covid there. Fortunately no one else got sick, but he recklessly exposed everyone by his refusal to take the test and so he’s no longer allowed to stay in our house.
OP says
They told us because they know we would not be happy if we found out on the day of. But they were still trying to convince us to come!
Anon says
I mean, I might still go? And ask the person with covid to mask? We’ve all been vaccinated and boosted and had covid at least once. I’m assuming my kids were exposed to it at school this fall. Flu and RSV were so much worse for us. I think there’s a lot of untested covid going around, so at least they know? Not trying to start another covid war, just being realistic here. Spoke to some cousins about it this week and it’s funny, the vaxxed ones are all getting used to a world with covid. Our anti-vaxxer extended family have gotten it and been really sick and are much more nervous about it because they won’t vax (not calling anyone here an anti-vaxxer, that’s just starting to be the feeling among the parents of elementary age kids)
Anon says
School exposures are kind of different than household member exposures though. The duration and closeness of the contact matters a lot. We haven’t had it, but I get what you’re saying about you being exposed any time you go into the world, even masked. There is a risk anywhere you go. But I know lots of people who have had dozens of casual exposure without getting it and then got it from a much closer contact. I would never knowingly have close contact with a Covid positive person. Even if you’re not worried about the virus itself, testing positive will mess up school and work and life for at least 1-2 weeks, potentially longer if you have several kids.
Anonymous says
Right anon @ 12:06. I would think twice about it only because we have vacation plans shortly after Christmas that I don’t want ruined with illness. Otherwise… we’re all current on flu and covid boosters and have each had at least one mild covid infection already. If we weren’t traveling we’d have plenty of time to mask in public without inconvenience & test before school or any other activities re-start
Anon says
I mean, we’ll be showing up at my parents’ with my coughing and snot nosed kid, but she’s negative for Covid, doesn’t have (and hasn’t had) a fever and now that she’s in kindergarten, it’s like year 1 of preschool again and I can count on one hand the number of days she hasn’t had a runny nose or cough since August (but not, knock on wood, covid). We’ve also per school attendance policy, regularly sent her off to school since “cough and cold symptoms without a fever that are not Covid are not grounds for failure to attend.” Such a brutal year. I do warn people before they come over or we visit though, and anyone else with elementary school kids takes the same approach we do (good for school, OK to see people).
Anon says
Exactly! I think I got yelled at above for this. We tell people in advance “someone will be sick” because I’m honestly not even sure which kid these days. Or tell them which one but caveat, another kid will probably be sick the day after!
Spirograph says
I am probably in the minority, but I don’t think this is egregious at this stage. They’re did the right thing by being up-front about the illness so people can make informed decisions, and of course it’s a perfectly good decision for you to stay home, but I know lots of people (even in my blue bubble) who might still go, especially if they’re recently recovered from their own bout with covid. I do hope they’re staying home & the family members are masking when they’re out… inviting people into your covid den with full disclosure doesn’t break the social contract for me the way that it does if you go out in public and spread illness to people who didn’t sign up for that.
I’m sorry covid ruined your holiday plans, though. I hope your Christmas is nice, even though it won’t be what you planned.
Anon says
+1 to all of this. And I am sorry your plans were upended yet again.
So Anon says
I’m hitting the road for the holidays with my 9 and 12 yo for a 9-10 hour car trip. Any recent audiobooks that have been hits with the entire family? (We’ve done Harry Potter.)
Anonymous says
Empire of the Summer Moon might be too graphic, but it’s good. DH and I also like A Confederacy of Dunces for road trips.
Cb says
Phillip Pullman’s novels. The Giver? There is a bbc fiction podcast called “the dark is rising” that sounds really good.
Pogo says
omg, the Giver makes me cry just thinking about it.
DLC says
These are recent books, per se, but recent listens that we’ve all loved.
For something Seasonal: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever narrated by Elaine Stritch is hilarious, we listen to it every Christmas. Also Patrick Stewart’s version of A Christmas Carol.
Not recent, but The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz is wonderful – three kids, on a medieval adventure. My kids like anything by Adam Gidwitz – he does a bunch of twisted Fairy Tales that are really funny.
My ten year old really liked the The Aru Shah series by Roshani Chokshi as well as Kelly Yang’s Three Keys series, both very different books with Asian heroines.
Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass Series – a little dense, but gripping. We didn’t quite understand all of it, to be honest.
Hatchet by Gary Paulson. Nail biter.
The How to Train Your Dragon Series. Probably skews younger, but very funny and there are a ton of them.
Would your kids be up for Ready Player One?
Spirograph says
ooooh Ready Player one is a good one. Maybe Enders Game, too? I have never listened to the audio book, but the story seems like it would appeal to those ages.
Anonymous says
Ready Player One has some more mature content that a 9 yo might not be ready for, and that a 12 yo might not want to listen to with mom in the car.
Anonymous says
does it? I honestly don’t remember. I know there are a few deaths that I didn’t find overly graphic, Parzival has an awkward crush on Art3mis, and Halliday was in love with his best friend’s wife, but I can’t think of anything that was mature.
anon says
Besides a fair amount of cursing, there’s a relatively small part that details the MC’s masturbation habits. The overall outlook on women isn’t great either. I think it’s fine for a 12 yo, and probably some 9 yos, to read. I was reading VC Andrews in middle school, and that is much, much worse. But listening in an enclosed space with mom is a whole different dynamic.
DLC says
TBH, I haven’t listened to Ready Player One with my kids yet; I listened to it on my own and thought my eleven year old might really be into it. I guess the controversial parts didn’t stick in my head? I guess I should page through the book before listening to it with them. We have definitely listened to books where I will fast forward if clothes start coming off. I usually say, “Your little sister isn’t ready for that yet.” And I do get loudly opinionated if a book has objectionable parts so my kids know that I find that part not okay, or what not.
Vicky Austin says
Patrick Stewart reading A Christmas Carol sounds like exactly what I need in my life today!
Spirograph says
The Princess Bride or As You Wish, the Cary Elwes making-of memoir, if they know and like the movie.
I assume they’ve already read Percy Jackson, but audiobooks for 1-3 are decent. I found them very tedious after that.
We all liked Infinity Blade: Awakening by Brandon Sanderson until the end, when we realized it was the prequel to a video game and the next book did not pick up where the first left off, but rather after the storyline of the game (which none of us had played and is no longer sold/supported).
Anon says
I really liked the “Al Capone does my…” series.
Anon says
Holes is pretty good.
We also enjoyed Gregor the Overlander series on audiobook. It’s very immersive.
Pogo says
For anyone struggling w/ last minute gifts for your partner, I leaned in to the experience gifts after a friend mentioned snagging a reservation at her city’s first 3-star Michelin restaurant next year to gift her husband, and another friend talked about getting box seats at some special sportsball game for her guy. I got us Hamilton tix for February and just booked a semi-private omakase dinner for NYE!
Anon says
Hamilton is so great. We went to a touring production right before the pandemic started and both loved it, even though my husband isn’t a theater guy at all.
Anon says
Just wanted to say I’m really sorry for everyone whose holidays plans were impacted by illness or winter weather! I hope you can find some joy in being cozy at home, but I know how hard it is to not be where you wanted to be.
Daycare opened today, which amazed me since they always seem to jump the gun on winter weather events…
Anon says
Same. I hope everyone can pivot and find something really fun and special to do – even if it’s simply building an epic snow fort or having a snow angel contest with your kids. I’ve found that introducing ANY novelty into the day can really prevent a lot of the negativity that I’m prone to when my plans get canceled during the “most magical time of year.” Had to get really creative during endless hazardous smoke conditions in the west during the summer and luckily it made me better off…
Cb says
Yep, I thought this week at home would have been awful given the fun things we had planned but we’ve had a great time. It’s my birthday and husband and kiddo have made me a cake, with candy Lego decs for added 38-year old glamour. And I’ve even got reading done because I sneakily extended afternoon quiet time to 90 minutes.
Anne-on says
This. We declared Christmas Day a ‘no rules day’ during Covid and my son enthusiastically voted it the best Christmas ever. Basically we all stay in PJs, there’s unlimited screen time, everyone feeds themselves whatever they feel like, and dinner is breakfast for dinner. It’s delightful – I usually build a lego set, read, and nap. Kid and husband play nintendo and then we all snuggle and watch a holiday movie before bed.
FVNC says
Thanks for posting this. I needed to hear it.
Husband down with covid and isolating. First time it’s hit our house that we know of, and so far the rest of us are healthy, but it’s been a struggle balancing work and the kids with no outside or family help (flashbacks to 2020/2021 shutdowns…!). Bummed that Christmas is going to be a time to mask up, but I guess we were very lucky to avoid disruptions until now! So many colleagues are sick with sniffles/cough/general gunk. Hugs to everyone in the same situation!
Anon says
We were there in August. It was weird and hard and definitely brought back some of my spring/summer 2020 PTSD. We never did end up getting sick. Hope the same for you guys and husband is testing negative and out of isolation soon!
Anonymous says
Last year the omicron wave upended our plans, and we stayed home and did almost nothing at all. Christmas day was kind of depressing, but then I leaned into sleep, watching Netflix, and unlimited screen time for our 9 year old. And it was so, so restful.
Anon says
I have 10 days off from work at the holidays and kid is home from daycare. We don’t celebrate Christmas so we rarely travel, but we have local grandparents who spend a lot of time with kiddo. It’s very restful and I look forward to it all year.
Anon says
I’m so glad it worked for you (everyone is different), but if anyone else reading has struggled with Netflix not being as restful as it sounds, I’ve found that the key is getting out and trying something new, even if it’s modest – a walk in a different park, a day at the beach even if it’s cold, ideally a tough bike ride or ski day…all of that helps me feel SO much more rejuvenated and refreshed, even though it does take time and effort to plan. I still watch Netflix, but only in the evening after the adventure. The enjoyment of the Netflix increases by a thousandfold if I’m tired from a fun day.
Anon says
Getting out is really not an option in a lot of the country this weekend…windchills down to 40 below, which can give you frostbite in a couple of minutes.
Anon says
There are indoor options too – baking something interesting, learning to knit, really anything that is just a tiny bit out of the norm. It helps a lot.
Anonymous says
I mean I think we still took walks, but by last Christmas I had OD’d on “a new park in the winter!” and “having ideas!” And we were working in person all last fall, so being at home was more novel. Also, we were in NYC, where omicron really peaked early.
anonM says
Where do you all like to buy your own sheets/duvet covers? Tempted to try Boll and Branch but can’t get past the cost. I also don’t want to go super cheap and have them falling apart quickly. What’s a good mid-range brand you trust? (I need both a new sheet set and duvet cover. Don’t want flannel because DH runs hot at night.) TY!
anonM says
Or, if you love Boll and Branch and they’re worth it, let me know! TY!
Pogo says
Ditto – I like our LL Bean and Company Store but I’ve had my eye on Boll and Branch. I think these were the ones Mothercould was raving about, or was that another fancy sheet brand? She had a discount code and I almost pulled the trigger.
Anon says
I just got a duvet cover from Garnet Hill that I’m pleased with. I used to buy from The Company Store, but their duvet covers have gone downhill lately – maybe not all the different types they carry, but the basic one I tried was HUGE, way oversized, and I had to return it. Other ones I bought from them four years ago were sized better, but have totally worn out with tons of holes in that time. I’m hopeful that Garnet Hill will have more longevity.
Anon says
Interesting. My Company Store ones are holding up well (some bought 10+ years ago and some within the last 3-5 years). I usually get the mid or premium grade ones though, usually in a wrinkle free cotton sateen or I love (and think it is so classy but I’m sure you’ll tell me it’s stuffy and out of date) the tonal weave stripe ones (in white, because DH isn’t a big pattern guy) now called “Dobby Stripe” (used to be called something else).
AwayEmily says
Target Threshold has been a workhorse for us, actually. We’ve had ours for almost a decade now with no rips.
Anonymous says
+1, I don’t have them for my bed, but we have twin sheet sets from Target Threshold that have been surprisingly durable
Anonymous says
Counterpoint, we have had several sets of Threshold sheets rip and stopped buying them.
Anon says
Team Target here too.
Allie says
Yup – Target sheets are still going strong a decade later while the two very expensive sheet sets we bought have both ripped or gotten big holes.
Cb says
I’ve bought really nice linen sheets from laredoute. Held up really well to two years of regular use (I don’t dry them so they get used every other week). I’m also slightly obsessed with the secret linen co.
Spirograph says
Ours are from Lands End. Not exciting, but comfortable and they’ve held up well the last few years.
Anon says
I have one from land’s end in their cotton sateen that I love! The fitted sheet ripped about 5 years in, but the duvet is still holding strong at 10 years (5 years on a primary bed and the last 5 on a guest bed).
Anon says
I have Lands’ End duvet covers from the mid-late 1990s. They are a cotton poly blend, not the absolute softest but they still are in amazingly good condition. I have 2 sets and cycle through them.
Anon says
Company Store. Make sure you get a duvet cover with ties on the inside (apparently other brands don’t always include and we have one without ties and I hate it every time it comes up in the rotation, but because DH bought it, it hasn’t been able to make it to the donate pile yet. It does get “lost” in the back of the linen closet for sure though.
Also when I bought two identical duvets for our master bed during the co-sleeping years, it made my life so much easier when they were getting washed for various kid gunk nearly weekly.
Anne-on says
The hands down softest sheets we have are like an 800 thread count italian cotton set from Restoration Hardware. They were a wedding gift and were $$$ but they are truly amazing. In the summer/fall we swear by the LLBean Percale sheets – crisp and very cool for my husband who runs super hot. We have a Boll and Branch set that is soft but discolored super quickly (it was a light grey but somehow turned an odd shade of cool beige?). Customer service was useless so I refuse to give them any more business.
Anon says
My favorite sheets are from Costco.
CCLA says
We love Brooklinen. We like cool and crisp for our sheets though (they are smooth, but I wouldn’t describe them as “soft”) so if you want something soft and cozy look elsewhere.
Anon says
For anyone who runs hot at night, bamboo sheets are amazing. Mine are from Cariloha and I’m obsessed.
Anonymous says
Bloomingdale’s house brand…Hudson something or other!! Much nicer than the ones we have from Nordstrom’s, Macys, and Costco; and FAR superior the ones we tried from Target and Quince. Have not tried the ultra luxe brands (Sferra, etc). Bolle and Branch has to many influencers endorsing them for me to trust them.
Anon says
Gift ideas for a new baby and a 3 year old big sister? Budget is maybe $50 total. I don’t know the parents super well so I’d really prefer to get toys/books for the kids vs something for the parents.
Anon says
My 3 year old loves water wow books and little sticker activity books.
Allie says
Jelly Cat stuffie for the baby and activity book that includes stickers for the three year old.
anonM says
beach towels with names embroidered
DLC says
My daughters, five years apart, love having matching outfits with each other. It kind of melts my heart when they put them on.
If you look on Hanna Andersson or Tea or Primary you can find outfits for all genders in the same patterns, or unisex outfits.
AwayEmily says
Any suggestions for picture books about siblings looking out for each other? We just got “Julius, the Baby of the World” from the library and my 4yo LOVES it — it’s about a big sister who is super jealous of her baby brother until a cousin criticizes him, and then she stands up for him. We had another book with that theme recently, too, and while reading it my 4yo and 6yo spontaneously embraced. I think it’s really resonating with the 4yo, who is dealing with a lot between his cute baby sister and much more competent older sister. It helps for him to see that you can be upset at or jealous of your sibling but still love them.
Anon says
Not a book, but the Bluey siblings have a very positive relationship. Bluey made my only child very sad she didn’t have a sibling, and it took actually going and visiting some siblings who fought a lot to get her out of a state of constant jealousy over everyone with a sibling.
Anon says
Little Miss Big Sis is super cute. It follows another book that’s similar. Sounds super twee but it’s really not.
DLC says
Some thoughts off the top of my head:
Maple by Lori Nichols is one of my favorites- it involves two sisters, and there are several follow up books.
Lift by Minh Le is great- a sister and brother and fighting over an elevator.
It’s not specifically about siblings but Joanna Ho’s Eyes that Speak to the Stars has a great big brother/little brother moment in it.
How to Grow a Dinosaur is about a dinosaur and how (s)he discovers how important it is to be a good role model to the baby dinosaur. My five year old requested this one every night for a year.
Pogo says
is there anything more precious than a kid requesting the same book over an over <3
Thanks for these – mine fight constantly but what I love is that whenever they are apart for some reason, both will always ask where their brother is. Like every morning they argue over who gets to snuggle more with me, but this morning 2yo woke up first. He enjoyed the solo snuggles for about 5min before he starting asking, "Where brubba? My want brubba snuggle."
FVNC says
I feel like I remember some of the vintage Berenstain Bears may touch on some of that? I’d check, but our Berenstain Bears collection is in the basement with the covid+ hubs.
We randomly got a book at the library called “The Crimson Comet” that is about a brother and sister going on an adventure together. And the book “How to Raise Mom and Dad” is a funny (somewhat annoying) book about an older sister teaching her little brother all about mischievous things to do with parents.
anonM says
Just an FYI- some vintage Berensain bears did not age like I thought they would have. Some are great and super sweet, but one in particular shocked me with its fat-shaming language (the junk food book) so def take a quick look before buying.
Pogo says
I feel like in the Berenstein universe they were not problematic, but sadly we are not there now. Someone gifted us one a year or two ago and I had to disappear it (Halloween one, and it was promoting scaring people with pretend violence!).
FVNC says
Yikes, never mind! We have some very sweet ones like welcoming Sister Bear, a Halloween one where the bears tick-or-treat (but no violence, pretend or otherwise!), one about a ruined vacation (kind of appropriate, these days) and others about bullying and cliques, etc. We haven’t pulled them out in years so I may not remember all the details!
SBJ says
Super late to this, but The Amazing Adventures of Bumblee Bee Boy-older brother doesn’t want younger brother to join in his game but eventually realizes that it can be more fun with two people. Really sweet. (Also, The Monster Next Door by the same author isn’t about siblings but does have a great friends fight and make up theme.)
Venting says
Just venting into the ether here. I decided to work from home today because of bad weather expected, and husband took a half day so we could get the kid from daycare before it gets bad, but was going to watch the kid while I worked. So of course, as soon as the kid wakes up from their nap, now husband needs to eat. And once that’s done and I finally get half an hour in, calling clients and responding to emails, I come out to the two of them watching tv because he’s so tired. And now he’s napping on the couch while I rage type this with the baby in my lap. ARRGH.
Anon says
Hand him the baby and lock yourself in your home office with noise canceling headphones. Your husband is behaving like a child and it’s not going to get better if you let him get away with it. You want to get out of this pattern before your child gets much older, trust me.
Anon says
Omg chill out. Men are human too.
Anon says
The garbage women here put up with from their husbands is honestly insane to me. Taking a half day off work and then expecting your wife who is working to simultaneously watch an infant and work so you can nap is not “being human,” it’s being an absolutely terrible parent and spouse. And as someone whose kids and friends’ kids are all older, I can assure you this will get worse and not better unless you actively work to change it. I didn’t say “divorce him immediately” but this is very far from ok and unless you want the rest of your life to be working fulltime and default parenting while your husband indulges in self-care, you should nip it in the bud.
Anonymous says
Agree. I’m a lot older than most of the moms here – after 30+ years of marriage, I’m seriously considering divorce because of resentments over issues like these that never got better. I wish I had had the backbone to stand up for myself sooner.
Anonymous says
He can’t supervise a child while eating?!? Moms can make a sandwich and eat it with one hand while holding a child on the other hip, and can pee in 30 seconds while wearing a baby in a carrier.