Budget Thursday: Knit Muscle Stripe Tank Top
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I’ve been hearing great things about the Universal Thread line from Target. The designs are cute for the summer and on trend without being too youthful. I love a good striped shirt, and this one gets good reviews for its length and soft fabric. Even though it’s only $10, I can see it being something I reach for over and over on summer weekends when I don’t want to put too much thought into what to pair with shorts. Bonus points to Universal Thread for also having an amazing shoe line, which I’d love to get my hands on one of these days. Universal Thread Knit Muscle Stripe Tank Top
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Sales of note for 5/8/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Up to 50% off select styles + 15% off fragrance (exclusions apply; ends 5/11) + give $150 in gift cards, earn a $25 promo card (ends 5/13)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your full-price purchase + extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% everything + extra 25% off
- Eloquii – $25+ select styles + extra 45% off all sale
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off must-have styles + extra 50% off select sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off all tops, pants, jeans, and shorts + 25% off all markdowns
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?
My sister is a SAHM and she has either my mom or her MIL come over almost every day so she can exercise. I’m jealous of that. I love exercising but have been finding it so hard to fit it in lately. I wish I could exercise in the middle of the day and not have to squeze it in at 5 am or 8 pm. Also would be nice to do activities for myself on the weekend without the guilt that I need to spend time with my kids since im not with them much during the week. SAHM are probably happy to unload their kids on their spouse etc. when they can. I feel like if I’m not working I should be with my kid.
The posts today have me dreaming of cleaning help twice a month. I feel completely unjustified in this because my husband does at least his share of the cleaning, if not more. He is very opposed to hiring help for something we can do ourselves, and our toddler truly likes helping us clean. It’s the deep cleaning that I would just love someone else to do. I don’t think I’m looking for anything here, just a vent. I don’t dream of SAHM-ing, I dream of relatively minor cleaning help.
Can anyone recommend favorite children’s charities? My workplace does fundraisers in the summer and I’d like to suggest something related to childcare, early childhood education, or improving maternal health. TIA.
How often do you have thoughts of becoming a SAHM? I have a 13 month old (didn’t get maternity leave), just took a stretch assignment at work, and DH wants to sell our house. I am completely exhausted. DH invited me to do yoga with him and I told him I literally cannot take on one more thing right now. I think it’s kind of insane that I get stressed when asked to attend yoga class. I know I need a break but I think I want a total lifestyle change. Advice? It gets better right? I don’t have the energy to cook dinner most nights; I can’t imagine having another kid.
Maybe this is a ridiculous question given my son’s age, but I’m wondering if there is some way to help my 13-month-old be a little more self-confident. He seems to always want me or my DH to help him do things that I know he is capable of doing, and reluctant to take risks. The biggest thing right now is that he still isn’t walking. He is super physically active, crawls and climbs everything, and will walk if we are holding his hands or the tips of his fingers are on furniture, but if we let go he will immediately sit down. If he’s playing with a toy or puzzle and is having trouble getting a piece to fit, he will literally grab my hand and have me do it for him. He even did the grabbing-my-hands thing when he was as young as 6 months – before he would clap on his own, he would grab MY hands and clap them together :) It’s very cute in a lot of ways, but I don’t want his progress to be stunted because he won’t try things on his own! Also I promise we are not the types to swoop in and do things for him whenever we see he is having trouble – he gets plenty of independent play time, and he will literally crawl across his room to me and grab my hand to help with a toy! Any thoughts? Or am I nuts to even be worried about this?
Does anyone have advice for transitioning from toddler to girl-sized clothes? My DD is too tall for toddler sizes, but swims in sized clothes from the girls section. Size 4T seems to fit her best around the waist and through the shoulders, but she’s too tall for the dresses and pants. Size 5T seems too wide and boxy, while being too short. Even the smallest sizes (XS or 4/5) from the girls section are huge everywhere. The shorts and pants fall right down to her knees. The shirts are huge through the chest, neck and shoulders, though they are the right length.
Previously I had shopped for her at Gap, Old Navy, Carters and Osh Kosh, but these aren’t working. I’ve found most Hanna Andersson to be cut way too wide. Any suggestions where I can find slim girls clothing or tall toddler sizes? Where else should I be looking?
Thanks!
I have a tall, skinny toddler. She just turned 2, and according to size charts is 3T height, but 18M weight. Does anyone here have suggestions for good brands of pants that might work for her? She’s potty trained, so she doesn’t have that bulk anymore either. Everything she has seems to either be really baggy at the waist (even the “adjustable” one) or short in the legs….which can be OK with leggings, particularly in the summer, but I’d still like some options that actually fit. ;). Thanks!
Just a reminder not to feel guilty or apologize for taking as much parental leave as you want/your employer allows (I’m only posting this because I felt guilty asking for a slightly extended leave last year): a coworker is suddenly and unexpectedly out on medical leave for two months. No transition planning, no nothing. It’s fine; his work will be covered, but it’s much more of a disruption than any parental leave situation I’ve covered for, which involved weeks of transition planning for coverage!
I know people say not to make any big life changes or decisions about work in the first year after you have kids since your hormones are still settling, you are adjusting, etc. but I am about 4-6 weeks away from having my first two (twins), and a really interesting opportunity has popped up at work.
The new role would be a promotion and part time, which really appeals to me, though there is a chance that it could be made into a full time role (I like the idea of it being part time), but there is a lot of uncertainty as to if/when that could/would happen. It could be in 2 months or 4 years. Pros about the new role: (1) it’s a promotion, (2) opportunity to expand my skillset, which would probably make me much more marketable in the long term, (3) part time (which really appeals to me). I work in a very flat office with few opportunities for advancement, so this is a unique opportunity. My hesitations are (1) I am very good/comfortable in my current role, but I don’t know if I will be as good at the new role, (2) uncertainty of role potentially becoming full time. It has been a while since I’ve had a role that really challenged me and a part of me has become accustomed to not being challenged at work – is now a bad time to be challenged? The new role will also involve more face-to-face interactions and I am more of an introvert, so I do not know if this kind of role will be too draining? There is a part of me that really wants to go for it and do not want to let my fear/risks of the unknown hold me back, but there is that other part which is thinking, what if I don’t like it and I’ve made a huge mistake. I will not really be able to slide back into my previous role, or at least not in the short term.
I don’t want this to sound braggy, I am just really excited and looking for next steps! My daughter just turned two a couple of weeks ago. She knows all her letters! She picks them out on signs/posters/books/etc. and says “A for apple!” “B for bumblebee!” “D for daddy!” When I learned all my letters at three, my parents taught me how to read. She obviously isn’t ready for that… I don’t think she has a big enough vocabulary yet. She really just knows one or two words each letter is “for,” and she certainly doesn’t know what “rat” or “hen” means or whatever words they start with in the old timey books my parents taught me with. So I’m just looking for tips to grow her interest in letters/words without explicitly cramming academics into a two-year-old. I think we’ll start saying other words that start with the same letter when she points one out, so if she says “A for apple” maybe I can say “yes, what other words start with A? Avocado! Ant!” but that’s all I’ve got. Any other way to build off of this that you ladies can recommend? Maybe videos? We haven’t really done much TV at all yet, but I’m open to expanding that.
It has been a long winter here in Scotland and it is 70 and sunny today so I came home at 2 and hung out in the garden with baby CB. Loving academic flexibility today.
Hi All. This is kind of an embarrassing topic, but it seems like the ladies here are really helpful for this kind of stuff. Since having our daughter 2.5 years ago, I have very little gardening drive. I’m wondering to what extent this is normal or if I should bring it up at my next physical. I nurse my daughter. From her birth until I got my period back when she was around 13 months, gardening hurt pretty badly but I could make it work. It definitely doesn’t hurt anymore, and it is certainly enjoyable, but I don’t feel like I have a need for it. Right now my daughter nurses once per day when she wakes up. We just dropped the bedtime nursing. I am hoping we’ll be done entirely early this summer. Regarding gardening, I can take it or leave it. I don’t really like that. I think my husband wishes I would be more into it but doesn’t seem too hung up on it since we still are gardening. It just isn’t the same as before. It’s starting to bother me because I don’t want it to hurt our relationship, and I’d really like that passion/desire/healthy part of our relationship and my life back. I guess I’ve sort of answered my own question. It is important enough to me to talk to someone about. But I have zero idea what the recommendation from my doctor or a professional would be. Can anyone weigh in on that? Does anyone have any recommendations that might help me? To what extent is it normal for things not to be the same as they were before? Thanks in advance!
Okay, sorry to bring this back up. But I keep thinking about the comments about yesterday’s blazer. I realized this whole line from Athleta really reminds me of the Zenergy stuff from Chicos that my mom and aunts and their BFFs all wear. They have pants, skirts, jackets that are a step up from hoodies, vests, etc. in a bunch of different colors that are all in a nicer looking casual, wrinkle free material. They all wear it to travel or when they need a comfortable outfit for running around. It’s their age’s answer to athleisure that isn’t leggings, I think. I feel like this Athleta stuff is maybe directed to having a similar purpose in a younger age group?
I also think a stylish person could definitely figure out how to wear yesterday’s blazer similar to the model for weekend wear that is also a step above a hoodie.