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We talk a lot about wristlets at the main site — great for lunch runs, and digging in a huge tote bag — but mamas, I think this idea was made for us. It’s a great way to transfer the few personal items from your diaper bag to your work bag — take it with you if you want to leave the diaper bag unguarded on the playground while you run around with the kiddos — and more. I like the look of this bright HOBO clutch — it was $98, but is now $73.50. Use code HOLIDAY25 to bring it down another 25%, to $55. HOBO Vintage Vida Clutch
(Through 11/28, Amazon is offering an additional 25% off shoes, boots, and handbags — tons of great selections for moms, kids, and, hey, Daddy too.)
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ 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 – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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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?
ANP says
Love this wristlet!
What’s everyone doing for the holiday? I’ll go first with my sob-story-turned-happy ending. My family is…challenging. Against my better judgment, last week I agreed to host my mom and a younger sib (both live out of town) for Thanksgiving but, in the last 48 hours, both cancelled — my mother because our youngest came down with pneumonia and she’s worried about catching it, and my sib because she plans to adopt a not-potty-trained shelter puppy today and wanted to bring it along. I was unenthusiastic about hosting the dog — it was a last-minute request on her end, we just moved into a brand-new house with carpet, we have little kids and the dog has never been around children, yadda yadda. So my family stinks and they all cancelled.
BUT: bright side! We’re now hosting Friendsgiving tonight with three couples and their kids. I’m inordinately excited to cook for these (grateful) people and we still get to spend the actual holiday with my husband’s family on Thursday. This time of year always has me wondering why I don’t make these amazing sides (I mean, turkey is good and all but the side dishes are what make TG for me) year-round.
KJ says
Sorry your family stinks, but it sounds like now you get to have a fun, relaxing holiday with people whose company you enjoy. yay!
Feeling like cruella de vil says
I had a baby a couple months ago, and since then I just really hate my needy, loud, clingy, high-maintenance cat. When it’s the middle of the night and he’s wandering the house howling incessantly, despite having plenty of food and water, and despite me offering to pet him, I just want to kick him down the basement stairs. I wouldn’t do that, of course, but I picture it. Is this normal? Will it go away eventually? Am I a terrible person? I’ve always been a cat lady so I’m really shocked that I feel this way.
POSITA says
My baby is 15 months and I’m only just starting to warm up to my cat again. Before I had her I was super attached to my cat. I was surprised at my feelings, but they totally changed. I think it’s normal, though I have residual guilt.
greenie says
This happened both times I had a newborn. I love my cats, but tending to the neediness of a newborn PLUS my cats was just too much the first few months. Both of my daughters LOVE our cats and are so entertained by them / caring to them… I love the cats once again as well (thank goodness).
CHJ says
I think it’s normal when you are exhausted and emotional while taking care of a baby to get annoyed by another creature that is also being demanding and needy of your time. In my case, that creature is a 35 year old man!
greenie says
So my husband just found out he has to continue working 72+ hour weeks up until New Years. He has been working this all of November and it’s been awful. I know plenty of people do this, but its causing such commotion in our family. We are very 50/50 when it comes to careers and parenting and I feel like I’m falling short at work because of this. I also feel like I’m falling short at home and my older daughter (6) seems to be acting out a lot more. The thing I’m most upset about is all the holidays he’ll miss. He can catch a meal here or there but he’s exhausted when he’s home… which usually means he’s grumpy. I also end up feeling guilty that it’s hard on me, because I can only imagine how hard it is on him.
I know I need to be happy he’s employed, be grateful for the overtime (hourly state worker), and somehow make the most of it. I’m just finding it really hard right now to appreciate the positives in the situation.
Meg Murry says
Ugh, that sucks. Can you use some of the overtime to throw money at the problem, at least a little? Get yourself a thorough housecleaning for the holidays, pay for a babysitter/mother’s helper to do something fun with your daughter on a weekend day or after school, buy some pre-made meals from the grocery store or one of the home delivery services, send out your laundry? When I was working like a crazy person, one of the first things to go was eating halfway decent meals instead of going through the drive thru 2 or 3 times a day – and eating that much crap always made me feel even worse – so helping him find some healthier easy choices might make it less bad.
Feel free to vent here, so you don’t vent to him – like you said, it sucks for you, and it sucks just as bad or worse for him.
greenie says
Great idea with the food / cleaning. I’m usually a pretty frugal person… but in this case I think our sanity is worth the money, especially around the holidays. I also forget how easily processed/ fast food can affect my mood and energy level… I need to keep this in check.
ANP says
Yeah I second this idea — even pre-prepped stuff from the grocery store can go a long way towards sanity for me when times are tough. If there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I’d just try to focus there — a few more weeks and this will hopefully be just a distant memory. But ditto to what Meg Murry said — vent away!
NewMomAnon says
That is really hard. Hugs to you. I have some awesome memories from childhood of doing holiday things with just my mom and brother – getting a Christmas tree, decorating cookies, driving around to look at lights. She recently explained that those were from a year that my dad worked crazy hours and couldn’t be around during the holidays, so she took some extra time off to spend with us. I don’t remember it being stressful or feeling like less of a holiday. So maybe take comfort in the possibility that you can still create a happy holiday by being close with your daughter, even if dad can’t be around much?
greenie says
Thank you for the reply. I also remember my dad NEVER being home one year around the holidays due to Y2K, but my mom made sure to make it extra special. I also was older so understood why he was gone so much. I spoke to my boss about taking a few random days off in December so I hope that will help me keep my sanity and plan some fun activities with my daughters. I think my older one is sensing my stress and feeding off of it, so if I’m happy and calm she will hopefully follow!
hoola hoopa says
I am so sorry. This happens at our house, too.
I fully agree with suggestions to outsource (I’m generally a frugal person, too, but outsourcing goes into my mental figures of his overtime) and vent here. My father was also gone and working most of my childhood, but we still had tons of fun with my mom. I know how exhausting it is, but even 15 minutes for cocoa or cuddling with a holiday book is a good experience and memory.
Do you have family nearby? During times like this, the kids and I spend a weekend or two with my parents. Visits with grandparents feel like “we’re doing something fun and festive!” when really I get to crash on the couch for two days. If not, go to an event with family friends or invite over neighbors/nieces for playdates. Playdates are a good distraction for the kids and I find playmates and/or extra adults eases the stress.
The “good” news is that it will be long enough to get into a routine/rhythm. The first week is the hardest, IMO. GL!!!
MomAnon4This says
I have absolutely no advice, only empathy, because I’m there with you, as we’re a Modern Couple who splits stuff, and he’s working too much (not 72+, but even 55-60 is a lot for him & us).
It takes a toll on BOTH spouses AND the kid(s). Sadface.
EB0220 says
For those of you with a cleaning service, how often does your service come? We have our people clean every 2 weeks, but the house really seems to get away from us in that second week, so it’s a lot of effort to clean it up before they come. When we’ve had our houses on the market, we’ve had them come every week and keeping everything clean seems so much easier…it barely has time to get messy before they are coming again. That being said, I’m not sure I want to spend the extra money to have them every week. Would love to you know your approach! We have two children, but only one who is old enough to make a mess.
Spirograph says
We used to have the housecleaner come every 2 weeks, but switched to every week a couple months ago. Our housecleaner works alone and schedules only 2 or 3 houses per day. When we asked her to switch to weekly, she was dubious that there would be enough for her to do and asked for me to identify something for her to focus on each week. So now every week she does all the normal stuff, but also pays extra attention to one room or does some special project. e.g, last week she cleaned the oven and the fridge. It’s fantastic. And having her come every week forces me to pick up the clutter more often, too, which is its own reward.
Most services I got quotes from have a slightly lower ($20-30ish) price for weekly cleaning as opposed to biweekly. Our housecleaner is a steal anyway, so I didn’t try to negotiate a lower weekly rate with her, but the price difference might not be quite as big as you think.
EB0220 says
Thank you! I will ask about her rate. My first cleaner did have a lower rate for coming weekly. My second, like yours, was such a steal that I didn’t ask her for a discount. This service has a higher price so perhaps they can give me a lower price for coming every week. I totally agree that having a reason to tidy up every week is key.
meme says
We have 4 kids under age 12, who all know how to make a mess. ;) Our cleaning service comes every two weeks. Like you, the house is definitely looking worse that second week, but we manage to keep everything mostly tidy and de-cluttered because my husband has OCD-ish issues that pop up when the clutter gets out of control. We have the kids completely clean up all their stuff at least once per day. Still, it takes several hours the night before the cleaning service comes to get everything back in its place. If I had unlimited funds, I would probably have the cleaning service come every week. We could afford it, but I can think of other ways I would prefer to spend the money. I’m open to the idea of changing my mind about it later though.
POSITA says
Gah. Biglaw. Just got handed a project to finish before Friday morning. So not happy.
sfg says
I am so sorry – I hate asshole partners who pull this shit.