Maternity Monday: Large Flip Flap Suede Tote
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A well-designed diaper bag can make or break a day out with your baby. If your tastes run more luxe than little lambs, consider this roomy suede tote from Bottega Veneta.
A favorite of well-heeled moms everywhere, this Italian-crafted tote has it all — a structured base for stability (nothing worse than having your diaper bag fall off the changing table), an outside pocket for things you needed five minutes ago, and a 10-inch drop strap.
The soft, “rugged” suede will look even better over time — any spilled juice, leaky bottles, or crushed Goldfish crackers will only add to its unique patina.
Bottega Veneta’s Large Flip Flap Suede Tote is $4,400 at Nordstrom.
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
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- 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
Help me figure out kid logistics.
8 year old gets off the bus at 4:15/4:30. Chills with magical au pair until 5. Normally our schedule is that we eat dinner around 5:15/5:30 and then the bedtime train starts with the youngest at 7. 8 year old generally is in bed by 8, asleep by 8:30/8:45.
We are starting sports practice season where kid will have sports practices every Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday from 6-7:30. Kid’s teacher really gives quite a bit of homework – minimum 20 minutes of active work + 20 minutes reading per night and yes, it does feel like a lot for 2nd grade and kid really REALLY needs his sleep to be able to be functional.
Right now the plan is for parents to alternate which day we take kid to practice and hang close and read a book or catch up on work. Eventually we’ll be able to drop and go but I think we’ll start by just being available.
We’re going to have magical au pair pick kiddo up so he gets home at 3:45, then he will be able to chill for 20 and start on homework and get that done before 5 (magical au pair will happily do this). We’ll feed kid first dinner at 5, then get out the door by 5:45 to be to practice on time, then we’ll feed him second dinner on the way home from practice. He’ll get in the door by 7:15, we’ll throw him in the shower and then he’ll have dessert/parent chat time, brush teeth and still be asleep by 8:30.
How would you tweak this? Should we give him a snack at 5 and then real dinner at 7? Kiddo is tall and lanky and very active so we really do need to get enough food into him. And for those of you who think I’m insane – Yes. But also, this is my ADHD kid who does SO WELL with outdoor sports and lots of movement. This is absolutely worth it to me at this phase in life… I would not have thought this when he was 2 but times change, lol.
AITA? DH is the oldest of four children, and his whole family is local. We are the only one with kids so far (we have a 2yo). In-laws really like to schedule family events in a way that doesn’t work for our family. For example, they like to have Friday night dinner, but to accommodate BIL’s job, it starts at 7-8pm. My kid goes to bed at 7:30. MIL has suggested keeping him up a bit later and then putting him to bed in the guest room, but honestly this is a recipe for meltdowns and we either have to wake him up at 10pm and transfer to the car, or let him sleep there and pick him up in the morning. I have done that on occasion for important holidays, but it’s just a hassle for a random Friday night. This weekend, they planned an Easter lunch at 12 on Sunday. That’s nap time for my kid. Every time, we politely decline, saying oh that won’t work for us, have fun. DH is always the messenger, but MIL clearly thinks I’m too inflexible with the schedule and using it as an excuse to avoid them (and if I’m completely honest DH may be more inclined to bend the schedule than I am, but he has also acknowledged it’s a recipe for a cranky kid).
I used to think I would be the kind of parent who always goes with the flow and isn’t a prisoner of the schedule, but then I had a child who does better with structure and sleep. And I’m a little salty because my family (admittedly not local so we see them less) automatically work around LO’s schedule and never schedule stuff that’s not going to work for us. Brunch? Sure! Afternoon walk or early dinner? Great. But in-laws are constantly scheduling things that don’t work for us and then making comments about how they never see us. How do other people handle this?
Who else is working today and annoyed that they didn’t take the day off?
Any cute Easter stories? Anything your kids got in their baskets that you’re excited about?
This feels like such a silly question, but my 1 year old’s hair is getting in her eyes. I think I need to start pulling it back but she’s in daycare so anything I put on her needs to not be a choking or strangulation hazard (either for her or for other babies if it fell out). She’s in the infant room at daycare for a few more months, so lots of little crawlers. How do I do this?
Our living room and dining room rugs are both so gross from kids and dogs. I don’t want to spend a ton of money (see above, kids and dogs still live here) if I can help it. Is ruggable a good option? Or are the rugs flimsy and annoying since they are washable?
Is it too early to talk Mother’s Day plans? Especially curious about how those of you with local moms or MILs balance your celebration with theirs since this is my first Mother’s Day with a local mom. My mom is a huge help with my kids, which I really appreciate, and of course I’m grateful that she’s here and healthy, but she can be difficult and we don’t have a whole lot in common and I’m having a hard time coming up with anything that sounds fun for both of us.
Has any tried Honeylove bras and recommend (not not)? They seem like exactly what I’m looking for as someone still wearing nursing bras 3.5 years after my only was born (lift without underwire, supposedly no bra bulge), but a bit pricy and the their digital marketing presence makes me question whether they’re the real deal. Would love to know if anyone here has tried them. Thanks!
Anyone have thoughts on prebiotic drinks in pregnancy (like Poppi, Wildwonder, etc.). I have been enjoying them as a special drink instead of a cocktail/wine, but wanted to check if there might be any contraindications (I’m not pregnant yet but TTC).
Can anyone recommend a dishwasher model? We currently have a GE that is about 5 years old and has had issues for the past year. Have a toddler and infant so we are pretty heavy dishwasher users, running it every night.
Would like to spend under $1K. TIA!
If DH has norovirus, what are the odds I and children (4 mo old and 6 year old) get it? Is it just a given, aka no amount of handwashing can actually spare us all if DH isn’t isolating fully (fwiw, he is not/will not)?
I think I’ve only ever had it one time (#blessed) and it was in my 20s. I don’t recall DH getting it then. Maybe it was just terrible food poisoning? So I have very little point of reference to work off of here. Not trying to get too far ahead of myself, but also need to be strategic with some big work stuff in the midst of getting scheduled for this week so contingency planning is already playing out in my brain…. TIA.
Reading about difficult in-laws, I always think, “how do I make sure I am not difficult when I am the mother-in-law someday?” And so I wanted to share about what my mom does, which is wonderful (and which I am writing down so I can pay it forward for my own kids someday).
There is no pressure to go to every single family event. Typically the family with the most naps hosts (so that those kids can stay on their nap schedule at home). But my mom 1) comes over beforehand to help clean and set-up, 2) brings 80% of the food, and 3) cleans up after people leave.
So for instance I “hosted” Easter for 17 people yesterday. I currently have a baby taking three naps and a toddler taking one nap, as well as two older children, and my sister has a toddler taking two naps and a newborn (so *someone* is napping from 8:30am-5:00pm). My mom came up on Saturday with food, games and Easter baskets, cleaned my kitchen and helped get set up. Yesterday she brought all the food (she had given me options earlier for things she could bring) except bread, salad and drinks.
My kids took all their naps at their normal time; the newborn napped in his crib at home and then in someone’s arms for the rest of the day, and my sister’s toddler had a slightly short morning nap at home, and a slightly late afternoon nap in the stroller while we hung out (but not so late that it would throw off bedtime).
Before my mom left in the evening she made sure everything she had brought was cleaned up and the dishwasher and washing machine were going. (Everyone helped with this but my mom made sure it happened and did the majority). So despite hosting a bunch of people I did almost no extra work and all my kids got their normal naps and a regular bedtime, and my sister’s kids got very close to their normal naps and a regular bedtime. (My brother’s kids are older and don’t nap, but did not come this time due to conflicting plans on the other side of the family, and it was fine).
So I’m halfway through The Anxious Generation and can’t recommend it highly enough. Really making me think hard about our kids and smartphones.