Family Friday: Kiwi Co.
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My younger son, H, got a subscription to Kiwi Co. for Christmas — it sends age-appropriate STEAM projects every month, and it seems really cool. We haven’t done it yet, but it would make a great gift, and you can choose different subscription lengths for $16.95 to $19.95/month. Have you guys done any subscription services for toys or projects or crafts? I’d love to hear about them. Kiwi Co.
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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?
Chiming in super late on the thread about the good things about motherhood. First, CPA Lady’s comments about “pay offs” were beautiful and brought a tear to my eye. Second, my son is 10 months and my favorite thing about motherhood so far is that quiet moment as I’m putting him in his PJs after a bath and I’m singing Twinkle Twinkle to him so softly that it’s not more than a whisper, and he is staring into my eyes, and I can actually see his little soul.
For the slightly older group, we got and loved the Magic School Bus monthly package. It’s science experiments to do with household items. They’d send you an email before the package came (padded envelope, so not very big, which we loved, as a few of them inevitably piled up when we were extra busy) so if you needed something that they couldn’t send (vinegar, or seltzer, or whatever) you could pick it up before you knew you needed it. Nothing worse than a child getting something wanting to use it and not having all the items. It was science based, but really easy and fun for kids. http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/ I recommend ages around 6 or older, unless they’re super into science already. Happy Friday y’all!
I think one of our favorite babysitters just asked for a raise in a weird way. She agreed to work Sat night, but then a few minutes later texted a statement that her fee for the night would basically be 1.5 times the rate we usually pay her. I told her we would stay in rather than pay that amount. It made me wonder if I am underpaying my babysitters? My wife was offended and doesn’t want to ask her to babysit again (wife has also had some minor issues with this babysitter in the past). I’m inclined to ask again, but be upfront about what we are willing to pay. For context this is a woman that is 40 plus, not a teenager. It was a bit odd, but I’m also mindful that asking for a raise is not something most women feel comfortable doing/ know how to do. I admit there is a little bit of me that admires her boldness.
Room transition question. I have 2 girls, and one on the way this summer. When baby arrives, big siblings will be 23.5 months and 4.5. Right now, 4.5 y/o is in Room A, toddler is in Room B, and room C/D is a suite of two joined rooms with C being the office and D being the guest room (you have to walk through C to get to D).
Eventually, the plan is to move the two older girls into C/D, with D as the sleeping room and C as the playroom. The baby will be in A and the guest room/office will be in B.
My question is, right now, my toddler wakes up at 6am (or earlier), but my 4 y/o sleeps until 8. I was hoping to get the older girls settled in their new suite well before baby comes, but am really worried that my 4 y/o will lose 2 hours of sleep every morning (toddler is also a screamer/shrieker). Do I:
(1) keep everything like it is, put the baby whereever makes sense (our room or C/D) until toddler sleeps better
(2) move everyone, but put toddler in the C part of the suite and let preschooler sleep in D (I think the door between the rooms will be enough to keep preschooler asleep)
(3) move everyone into their final destinations and let preschooler and toddler work it out
For now, toddler is still in a crib. we have a bed ready for her when she needs it, but she isnt’ getting booted out for baby. She *is* getting booted out of her current bedroom, but it’s because it’s tiny and loud and cold and will be a much better guest room/office. Baby is getting preschooler’s room.
We have a week in March for a family vacation. We have done disney cruises the past few years and would like something different. Preferably it needs to be all inclusive (so my husband is less stressed about watching money all week long, which is a problem we have had in the past). So, what fun, but also relaxing, vacation should we do with our two girls – 5 and 7? Beach is fine, but preferably not all beach. I was thinking Costa Rica, but am really open to any suggestions. We are in the Southeast US and have an airport an hour away that has direct flights to basically anywhere. Thank you!
I’d do a happy medium and find some pre-packaged snacks that are slightly healthier and still easy to pack. Fruity pebbles seems really sugary for a kiddo every day. Maybe some of those pre-packed sliced apples, whole grain Goldfish packs, string cheese? There are definitely things you can get that are not hard to toss in the bag since you’re already packing breakfast and lunch.
WWYD — Lil bud is moving to the next room at daycare, and I can either provide two snacks a day (I already must provide lunch and breakfast) or let him eat what they serve. Menu for this week includes but is not limited to nutrigrain bars and fruity pebbles cereal. I know objectively he will survive and likely thrive even if he eats two sugary snacks a day. I ate almost exclusively cocoa puffs until I was in college. Also not sure about his willingness to eat something that his classmates aren’t at this age (1-2). So extra packing or just let go and let live?
Speaking of Kiwis, and in case it’s any encouragement to anyone, New Zealand’s recently elected prime minister managed to hide her morning sickness for several months while, you know, establishing a government. (And here I am, barely surviving on Sour Patch Kids and iced tea; fortunately my default behaviour is ‘constantly hungry’ so no one bats an eye when I start in on my lunch at 11am.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/19/new-zealands-prime-minister-is-pregnant-i-am-not-the-first-woman-to-multitask-she-says/?utm_term=.30c8a26018aa
Hi – Any recommendations for a milk sippy cup? My very picky 16 month old happily drinks water out of the nuSpin KiZoomi Straw Sippy Cup, but it’s too drippy and straw’s fairly narrow for milk. She is very loathsome to give up her bottles, and could not figure out the munckin 360, she’s warily drunk from the Dr. Brown’s Baby’s First Straw Cup, but the lid hits her in the face. Any other things to try that don’t involve biting down, which I just don’t think she’ll get right now?
I woke up with a cold, forgot my wedding ring at home (and was terrified I lost it), and somehow managed to trip up the stairs at work spilling my blended coffee and breaking the cup. I chugged the remaining coffee so it wouldn’t leak out and got an ice cream headache and cleaned up the stairs. Then, my phone wasn’t working properly when I tried to call my husband to see if he could locate my ring. He texted me later that he laughed super hard at my message, that I didn’t know I was leaving. It was basically muffled moving, followed by me muttering f***ing stupid piece of s*** phone.
BUT, it is Friday. We get a weekend!
Ever since I got married and had my first child, I’ve had the thought that 90% of success as a wife and mother is managing my own emotions appropriately. (This is certainly influenced by growing up in a family where people did not do that. YMMV.) So what do I do now that I’m pregnant again and feeling incapable of managing my emotions at times? I’m not just getting weepy and sad, there have been a couple of instances lately where I’ve all of a sudden gotten extremely angry, like racing heart, shaking hands angry, at someone I care about very much and I’ve snapped or yelled at them. In all of these instances, I was able to see just a few minutes later that these were massive over-reactions. Thankfully, my child has not been the target of this, but she did witness one when I briefly yelled and then left the house, and it really scared her. I feel/felt awful. I apologized. But is there anything I can do to keep this from happening again? In the moment I feel like I’m outside of my body, so I don’t know that stopping and counting to 10 or anything would help. Has anyone experienced this? What did you do?
Ladies, I’m not a mom yet but we’re getting ready to take that step. Of the women in my friend group who have had babies, one has decided to stay home, one has cut back to 20 hours/week, and one went back full time only with the help of two nannies. I’m looking for stories of BigLaw associates or women with other jobs that require lots of hours that successfully went back to work and did well in the year after their baby was born. Is it possible without hiring round-the-clock care or having a stay-at-home husband?
Any baby/child-related companies that have blown you away with good customer service? I have recently had post-on-their-social-media-worthy experiences with:
Water Wipes
NoseFrida
I love to support companies with great customer service, so I’d be glad to hear about other ones.
Since its Friday, I want to share a craft project success. Last weekend my 5 year old son and I made this puffy paint and used it on paper plates since that was the most cardstock-like thing we had around.
https://artfulparent.com/2014/12/microwave-puffy-paint-art-winter-christmas.html
You use the microwave to make it puff, which also dries the paint immediately (!!!). Honestly I think my son’s favorite part was getting to use the microwave, but it was seriously easy and high reward. We stored the paint in the fridge and have used it over and over all week.
Note that I did happen to have squeeze bottles on hand [leftover from ill-fated adventures in yarn dyeing pre-parenthood] but I think you could use a ziplock with a whole cut in it to apply the paint. And I did use our mini chopper to blend the mixture as she recommends so it was really lump-free.
My oldest got the Little Passports box! The activities are done as a family (a little hard for her to do by herself) but she loves it!