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These bags are perfect for washing clothes you know you should wash by hand, but don’t have the time/patience/energy to do so. My old home had a stackable washing machine that ate clothes, so I started using mesh laundry bags like these when washing my favorite knits and workout wear. I even bag up my son’s tiny socks so they don’t go missing in the wash.
They come in a range of sizes to fit anything from sweaters to underwear and feature a zipper-lock that will prevent your bag from springing open in the laundry. Now if they only folded the laundry for me.
These laundry bags are available on Amazon. The price varies depending on which set of bags you buy. For example, a set of five bags (1 large, 2 medium, and 2 small) is $9.99.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ 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 – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
anon says
I am looking to buy a convertible car seat in the next few months. I spent so much time researching infant car seats before baby was born and in retrospect, it was a waste of my time and any car seat would’ve probably worked with our car. I am wondering if this is the same for the convertible car seats, or if I should try to find one that “fits my lifestyle/car” since we will be using it for longer and is more $$.
I’d love to hear any thoughts on what to look for in a convertible car seat or considerations you wish you had made. FWIW I drive a Honda CRV, hope to have another kid in the next 2 years. By the time if/we have a 3rd, I’m sure I will be driving a minivan, so am not sure if I need something that allows for 3 across. My gut tells me I will not be a fan of built in cupholders since it seems like a black hole for crumbs, but what do I know when my kid is only 10 months? TIA
Cb says
We have different options in the UK but for us, a 360 car seat was so much easier for strapping kiddo in. We could also flip him front facing if we were waiting in the car (on the ferry, etc) without actually uninstalling the carseat. We switched to a high back booster as kiddo reached the weight limit over the summer, and it’s such a pain in comparison.
anonamama says
Safe in the Seat (on Instagram) just came out with a buying guide, but also covers this topic on the page. I also have a CRV and ended up with the Chicco NextFitZip (lower priced, general ease of use) but wish I had gotten something slimmer, like a Clek (ruled out initially due to price.)
OP says
Thanks! I will check that IG out. I’m also leaning towards ruling out the Clek because it is expensive…
Anonymous says
I can’t compare it to anything but we bought the Britax Advocate, and I really like it. It is a beast — feels very safe, but very big. We don’t take it out of our car ever. It was really easy to install, though! I feel like it will last us a long time — we have a 2-YO who is not even close to outgrowing it for rear facing.
Leatty says
I’m a big fan of the cupholders (although the ones in our Graco 4ever all in one are removable) because they give my kids a place to put their water bottles and snacks. When they’ve tried to hold them in their laps, they inevitably fall on the ground and then I’m listening to a screaming child until I can stop the car and hunt for the water bottle. We’ve been happy with the Graco 4ever all in one, but my youngest has the Slimfit 3-in-1 in my husband’s car (it has to go in the middle seat since my husband needs to push the driver seat all the way back).
One thing you should consider is how much space you have in the second row. Convertible car seats take up so much space, especially when rear facing. I’m not particularly tall and drive a mid-size SUV, and we have to have our rear facing one on the most upright angle for rear facing car seats so the car seat and driver’s seat don’t touch. It’s even more of a challenge with tall drivers or cars with less second row leg room.
AnonATL says
We have this exact same combo. Graco 4ever in my pilot and the slim fit in my husband’s car. I like both of them. They are both a little tight to the front row, but it works. When I ride in my husband’s car, my knees are practically in the dash, and I am not tall.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We also have the Graco 4ever (across all cars, and even in my parents’ car) and are happy with it. I too like the cup holders a lot and use them all the time. It’s messy, but kids in cars are just messy.
Anon318 says
I am also a big fan of cupholders for these reasons plus I don’t have to reach back to hand off a cup, snack, or whatever other object is absolutely necessary before we get to the destination to avoid a meltdown! They definitely collect crumbs, crayons, and small toys of questionable origin, but so does the entire carseat and the plastic cupholders are very easy to clean.
I had two Graco Extend2Fit seats in a CRV for two years and now have them in a smaller HRV. They fit well, but leave space only for a small person to sit in the middle between them. This doesn’t bother me because the need to have a larger person sit there has never arisen. The Extend2Fit are extremely easy to install and adjust. They also pop up on Amazon Warehouse pretty regularly, so they can be very affordable.
Anon318 says
Oh! I forgot to mention that the Extend2Fit also has adjustable recline settings which has been clutch for road trips. You can recline the seat when you expect your kid to nap to prevent his/her neck and head from bobbing back and forth. I don’t know how common this is in other seats.
Mary Moo Cow says
I was the same, so I went with what my sister bought, since she actually did the hours of research on a convertible car seat. We went with the Evenflo SureRide. It was cheap enough to buy 2 (one for each car). We used it for one kid for 5 years; she just converted to a booster this year. The other kid is still in it after 3 years of use. My only complaint is that the cupholder can sometimes fall off, and once it hit the garage floor and the attachment mechanism snapped off, rendering it useless. The cupholder was important to me, as we sometimes had car picnics during the pandemic and kids couldn’t hold their own milk or water cups and eat at the same time.
Anon says
My criteria were rear-facing for as long as possible and not too big front-to-back. All the major brands seemed fine. Ended up with a Nuna Rava – expensive but I got it during the initial Covid panic sales so it was a good deal. If you want an expensive seat they’ll likely go on sale for Black Friday. Bloomingdale’s also sometimes has promotions that apply to expensive baby stuff like strollers and car seats.
DLC says
We do have to fit three across and we have Diono Radians and a Graco SlimFit. The nice thing about the slim fit is that the cup holders rotate so you can have them or not whereas the Diono cup holders come off so we either have to stick them on or they get lost in the wilds of the car. The Diono also takes up a lot of front-back room when rear facing… like my husband won’t ride in my car because he can’t move the front seats back.
We pretty much just chose a mid priced one that was slim and had good padding for a comfy ride. But then again we very rarely take the seat out of the car.
TheElms says
I did a ton of research. We have the Britax Advocate, which as the prior poster said is enormous side to side but not too big front to back so it fits in our small SUV rear facing on the most upright setting, but even so it doesn’t fit behind the driver seat when my 6’2″ husband is driving. It would probably work in a CRV which is similar in size to our small SUV. If you have a tall driver, the seats that are the most compact front to back are the Graco Extend-2-Fit and the Nuna Rava. Both are good options I think.
I chose the Britax because it allows for tall kids with long torsos to stay rear facing longer (which is my kid). In the end we have flipped to front facing because my kid gets severely car sick, even on 10-15 minute trips. I also liked that it had the option of a machine washable cover and how easy it is to install (with the car sickness issue we are taking it out to wash covers at least weekly). It is very heavy but I can get it in and out at 22 weeks pregnant so its not that bad.
We have a Graco Contender as our second seat which is no frills but works fine. It doubles as our travel seat too because its a lot lighter. It does have a cupholder and now that kiddo is 2.5 I think it would be nice to have a cupholder on the Britax but we manage.
Anon says
Even if the cup holders are removable, many manufacturers require them to be installed, as that’s how the seats were crash tested (like most Graco models).
I also drive a CRV and was pleased with the Chicco NextFit Zip (for sure get the Zip for ease of washing). If you have a large kid, the Graco Extend2Fit has higher rear-facing limits than most seats (50 lbs vs 40 lbs)
Anonymous says
I did various research and got a Britax (Marathon? cannot remember) and dislike it so much. I find the clicktight system hard to use although I know it’s supposed to be easy. Ended up replacing with a Graco Extend 2 Fit and it’s so much better. Seems more comfortable for kiddo, easier to buckle, straps get twisted less, easy enough to install. If you plan to rear face as long as possible & your kid is taller, highly recommend it (and the limits are something that varies a lot, so you need to look into that before you buy, which I didn’t with the Britax).
Get the cupholders, the kid will like having easy access to water and snacks and it might prevent some spills. My kiddo has started rubbing in her hand sanitizer over the cup holder so it even catches any drips.
Anon says
We have the nuna rava in our second car but are still using the chicco fit2 bucket seat (I think that’s the name) in our main car. I hate getting my kid into the rava. Compared to the bucket it’s so much harder. Is this a thing for convertibles? I think it’s due to less incline and higher sides I suppose? I’m on the hunt for the second convertible for our main car once the chicco bucket is outgrown but don’t think I want another rava even though I originally envisioned it as the splurgey nice seat we’d eventually use in the main car!
SC says
I don’t think you need to do a ton of research, and any car seat you buy will be safe. But I think it helps to consider your lifestyle, how and how often the car seat will be used.
We have 2 car seats. One is the Evenflo Symphony Elite, which is huge, has built-in cupholders, etc. That goes in DH’s car, and it rarely, if ever, gets uninstalled. DH drives a large SUV and does 95% of kid-related driving. We take that car on road trips because it’s newer. Personally, I like the cupholders, especially on longer trips. We pass the cups back, and we don’t have to worry about it falling and rolling all over the car.
The other car seat is the Evenflo SureRide. It’s installed in my car, which Kiddo is in only occasionally. It’s lightweight and slim enough to fit on a plane seat (not that we need that anymore), and easier than the Symphony Elite to install and uninstall. No cupholders and less padding, but Kiddo has never complained.
Anonymous says
I had a longer post that disappeared, but I suggest considering if you want to extended rear face your kid, or if your kid is on the taller side, you will need to take that into account. Highly recommend the Graco Extend2Fit for rear facing a taller kid, it also seems very comfortable. I find it easy to buckle and install as well.
CCLA says
Like a few others above, we got Ravas, but we also have Cleks and like both for different reasons. Agreed you don’t have to do a crazy ton of research, but consider whether you need something that doesn’t go too far front to back (I love the Cleks but they would not have fit RF in our prior sedan without making it impossible to sit someone in front of them), or side to side (the Ravas are wider than the Cleks – we can get two Cleks and an adult in the bench of our SUV, but 2 Ravas would not leave that extra seat available).
OP says
Thanks everyone! Some of your posts alerted me to car seats I hadn’t considered (britax Advocate) and the fact that leg room might disappear if we put it rear facing!!
anon says
Fair warning about these bags. The bags themselves are great, but I have owned them and every single zipper has broken, rendering them unusable.
AwayEmily says
Any recs for kids crew or knee socks in cute colors? For a 5yo (almost 6). Ideally I’d love ones with grippers (our stairs are slippery!) but that seems rare in bigger kid socks so not a requirement. Old Navy and target are my usual go-to’s but they seem to have mostly ankle socks and I want ones she can pull up over her legging for some extra warmth.
FP says
Bombas makes some with grippers (though definitely at a price point higher than Old Navy or Target). I do like the quality – very thick compared to our ON socks.
Anon says
are these socks to wear under shoes or just around the house? if just around the house, gap has some cute ones
Anon says
Both expensive, but Bombas (don’t work well with shoes) or Polarn O Pyret. POP has a lot of the same things available in toddler sizes up to size 6. Primary also has them I think. Maybe Hanna Andersson is worth a look too.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I also like Bombas for both myself and my older kid for the winter. They sell socks that are long and warm, with grippers, which I think will work well for you in a cold climate, AE. They have some fun colors too (my husband laughed at me when I got these for my kid). Primary’s socks are much thinner IMO, although nice for fall/spring. I like primary’s ankle cut socks for the summer. Apparently I’ve become a bit of a kid socks aficionado.
AwayEmily says
These would be for wearing under shoes, to school (and then home after school, which is why grippers would be nice). We got some Bombas for Christmas last year and they are indeed nice quality but both kids complain that they are too thick under their shoes.
Anonymous says
No sock recs but the previous owners of our house used double sided tape to secure rattan runners on each stair. It was for their aging dog, but the kiddos and I have benefited from these a lot. You can get them on overstock.
anon says
Children’s place has some cute socks with grips – I got some toddler boys ones in the uniform section and they seem like good quality so far.
Anonymous says
We only have kids socks from gap—comfy (says my 1st grader) and long lasting (we size out before they the wear out…shocker). Their color and print selection cycles throughout the year. Wait for gap cash and stock up on the big packs.
anon says
I love the idea of putting all the little socks in these bags, but we are a house where laundry gets sorted after it comes out, not before it goes in.
Separate question – has anyone figured out a good template or service for creating a somewhat complicated family tree? I’m looking for an easy way to show my kids how their different second cousins/great-uncles/etc. before holidays and thought there must be something, but my five minutes of googling just shows ways to make a tree that only shows the direct line of descent. They know who their grandparents are/were, it’s how to explain how the three sullen teenagers who are the kids of my uncle’s second wife’s second kid are related to them that’s the problem.
Anon says
i’d also ask this on the main board. seems like somoene over there might know
Cb says
My husbands family tree is messy, more of overgrown ivy than a tree. I wonder if something with circles, like there is core members? But in general we try not to make distinctions between step siblings or degrees of cousinhood.
CHL says
Visio?
Anonymous says
Or Lucid Chart! But yeah, we use “cousin” as a general term for people related but not one of the nice, easy things like grandpa/grandma, aunt/uncle. My kids have occasionally asked things like “wait, is Sophie MY cousin?” and then I’ll clarify, that no, Sophie’s mom is my cousin, because her dad is pop-pop’s brother. And they kind of glaze over and say “OK, I like Sophie!” and everyone moves on.
Anon says
There are a few companies that do it based on Ancestry.com data. Maybe investigate that angle.
Anonymous says
Super late to this but this question reminds me of the youtube video “The Complicated Chinese Family Tree” by Off the Great Wall. (And this video doesn’t even go into what you would call your great-grandparents on either side, or your great uncles or great aunts in Chinese!)
Anon says
I had a bit of a wakeup call at the doctor’s office yesterday. I’m at the very tippy top of normal bmi and I’ve steadily gained about 5 pounds a year for the past three years. This can’t continue. How can I turn this around? I have 2 small kids, full time job and a partner who is gone about 70% of the time. In before times, my gym offered child care, but that’s no longer an option. Any ideas or things that have worked well for you as a working parent? I’ve also found my older body just doesn’t bounce back as quickly as my younger one. I honestly feel a bit ashamed about the weight gain. Thanks
Anon says
Unfortunately…(or fortunately depending on how you look at it) I think weight loss often has more do to with eating than with exercise. Especially if you are working out less due to lack of time, you need to really reduce your calories to match how much less you’re expending. Try a calorie counter app (noom, my fitness pal, etc.). I was surprised to realize how far off I was from how much I needed to eat to maintain my goal weight. Also getting older lowers your metabolism. It was a sad moment for me to realize that I couldn’t eat the same way I did 10 years ago. :(
Anon says
Not the OP, but what do you do when the calorie counting apps set your target calories so low? Apparently to lose any weight (I’m in my 40s and quite short) I need to eat between 1000 and 1200 calories. Everything I read says that’s really unhealthy, and quite honestly I can’t maintain that for very long. Are the apps not very accurate or applicable when you’re older or shorter or both?
Anon says
I think they’re trying to get you the most bang for your time because people get impatient it takes two months to lose 5 lbs. Eating 1200 net calories isn’t unhealthy, though, especially if you’re quite short. You just have to eat well so that you get a balanced diet and aren’t hungry. I
Anonymous says
When I count calories I use MFP but set the calorie goal using the NIH Healthy Weight Planner. MFP thinks I should eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. The NIH says maintenance for me at my goal weight is 2225 calories a day, which seems about right. Under 1700-1800 calories my body and brain pretty much shut down and I can’t function as a human being or lose any weight. Note that I am on the small side, so most people will have even higher calorie needs for maintenance.
Anonymous says
I get feeling ashamed but there is no reason to. Aging is hard (but beats the alternative), 2 small kids and not putting yourself first (or second, third, etc.) is hard, pandemic is hard. I’ve found that trying to do any exercise I can — a walk, 10 minutes of core stuff, etc. — is what I should strive for, otherwise it’s easy to let perfect be the enemy of the good. And then whatever you can do to be more mindful about your eating — trying to make sure that if you’re having sweets or more servings of food, it’s because you really want and will enjoy.
Anon says
If you use a calorie counting app and track accurately (like, weight your food kind of accurately), you will lose weight eating 1300-1500 calories a day. The issue with apps is that most people way underestimate what they are eating, don’t count accurately.
Maybe even get something like freshly, snap kitchen, or trader joes salads for portion control and accurate calorie counts.
Anonymous says
I had to admit that exercise had to happen at home. The gym was a bridge too far with childcare and work and life. First, I did yoga online, then I morphed to weights. Then I had knee issues and switched to barre. Finally, this summer I got an exercise bike to add in sweaty cardio. When I was 100% remote, I tried to something every day. Now, it’s more like 4-5 days per week.
For calories, I try to limit snacking and that goes a long way. But the exercise has helped tremendously.
Anonymous says
I find it easier to focus on the quality of my food than the amount of food when counting calories. Dont get me wrong, I know that amount matters when counting calories. But it is much easier to feel full when you’re eating quality food versus processed foods.
Anonymous says
This. If you’re aiming for basics like plate half full of veggies at every meal, then you don’t crave junk food in the same way if you are full on good stuff. Figure out if you are an abstainer or moderator. I’m an abstainer and can’t keep junk food in the house because I cannot just have one scope of ice cream or one bowl of chips. So for family movie night, we buy the bag of chips that gets used up if we each have one smallish bowl, not the Costco size bag. And we do butter free popcorn every second time.
Anon says
Satiety is a much better goal for me. I get health issues if I under eat, so I can’t count calories and ignore how I feel; I’ve actually lost weight by adding fat to my diet before.
Anonymous says
I like the WW app. Tracking water, sleep, activity and food in the one place works for me. You can link your Fitbit too. Use the recipe inputter thingy to get the values for meals you normally make and then think about how you can make swaps. Like I’m still making chicken fingers, fries and veggies for dinner some nights but I’m serving myself a lot more veggies and a lot less if any fries. Or I still make pasta and frozen meatballs and a jar of sauce as a quick meal on busy nights but now I use lean turkey meatballs and serve more sauce and less pasta. It helps me pay attention to portion sizes but not in a ‘count every calorie’ way. You can preset meals as well like ‘Thursday pasta and meatballs’ to track quickly.
Anonymous says
My mom commented once that she does the first 2 weeks of South Beach Diet if she feels like she’s gotten out of her comfortable weight range. I had the same wakeup call a couple months ago, so I tried her tactic. Just being more intentional about my eating did the trick. I really only did one week of “Phase 1,” then added back fruit because I love fruit. Once I got out of the habit of yummmm, toast! it’s been easy to just limit the refined carbs I eat. I load up on the vegetable part of dinner, and only take a small spoonful of the rice or pasta. I’m down 10 lbs with very little effort, just sticking with my normal 30 min max, at-home workout routines, and walks in between zoom meetings.
govtattymom says
I feel your pain! Before the pandemic, I loved barre workouts at the studio and going to the gym. I’ve come to the realization that just isn’t going to happen for a while. I now have to involve the kiddos in my workout. For example, I will take my younger daughter on a walk/jog in the jogging stroller or play soccer in the yard with my 5 year old. There just isn’t much “me” time anymore so I have to build exercise into “mom” time. It’s kinda a bummer but at least I’m still getting some exercise!
Mary Moo Cow says
I overheard at the gym, “weight loss happens in the kitchen, getting in shape happens at the gym.” That has rung true for me. Not eating kid food has helped me keep my weight gain down: friends who complain about weight gain also complain about sneaking food off their kids plate when they’re fixing snacks or clearing the table and so I just don’t. When I feel my weight creeping up or my pants don’t fit as well, I stop buying the stuff I like to snack on and deserts for a few weeks. Working out at lunch during the work day and once on the weekend has been the only way I’ve been able to keep workouts up. We set up a weight rack in the garage so on Sundays, DH and I work out and the kids play in the garage or in the yard or get an hour of TV. I also force them outside on daily walks (it’s not very cardio intense, but every little bit helps.) I don’t have the energy to exercise after kids’ bedtime, so it has to get done during the day.
Anonymous says
I gained over 50 lbs my last pregnancy. I’ve lost about 40 of it, and right now I’m trying to regroup to get rid of those last 10 before the baby turns 1. It’s hard. What I find works for me is:
– paying reasonable attention to portions
– alcohol and sweets only on weekends
– exercising at least once a week during the workday (barre or cycling at home)
– incorporating walking into my daily routine (school pickup)
– and making lunch more of a snack (usually an apple and some cheese).
Hope that helps, good luck!
AwayEmily says
My only recommendation would be to set very realistic goals, and if possible to have goals that add things in rather than subtract things.
So, last January I made it a goal to lose seven pounds by July. That’s basically a pound a month, which is not exactly super rapid weight loss — but it made it much more attainable. Also, losing that seven pounds put me at a “happy weight” that is 10 pounds more than the “happy weight” I had when I was 20, and I am very okay with that. It’s just not realistic for me to be in the shape I was when I was just out of college with no kids and going to the gym every day. Maybe once my kids are older and it’s not a pandemic I’ll get back to Crossfit but for now I just want to be healthy.
My “addition” goals were: eat full meals, with both fat and protein, for breakfast/lunch/dinner (this makes it MUCH less likely that I snack), get 10k steps a day, and drink a cup of mint tea as soon as I put the kids to bed (if I do this I’m less likely to open a beer instead).
but again, know yourself — some people do great with super intense goals and huge lifestyle changes. I do not. I like small changes around the edges that are very sustainable. I also find calorie counting incredibly stressful and triggering, so I avoid that at all costs (but I know it works well for some).
Unpopular Opinion says
Unpopular opinion, but I gave up focusing on weight altogether and I’m so much happier and healthier. I exercise eat well because I feel better when I do. When I don’t, I give myself grace, figure that was what I needed in the moment, and move on.
I’m not as thin as I was when I counted calories and worried constantly about gaining weight, but I’m so much happier when I don’t spend any time thinking about how to make my body smaller.
Maybe all of the “anti diet culture” influencers I follow have gotten in my head, but it has been really such an amazing change for me.
anon says
Unpopular Opinion, I so agree! Honestly, the idea of calorie counting sounds to exhausting to me. I think diet culture encourages women in particular to have really unhealthy relationships with food. Good for you on changing your mindset. And cheers for doing the hard work so we can raise a generation of healthy kiddos who don’t spend this much energy on “weight loss.” That’s my goal anyways!
And, to OP – my tip is to find a form of exercise you somewhat enjoy and feels good to you. I got a stationary bike for the basement because I had to accept that if I waited until I did enough PT to run again (yay pelvic floor problems due to traumatic birthing….) or time to go to the gym, it could be a long time until I exercised regularly. I set a low bar – 15-20 minute cycling videos a few times a week. It’s helped so much, especially with anxiety/stress. Good luck OP!
Anon says
Has anyone had Costco prepared meals, and are they any good? Any that you really like? It has been so busy that I am seeing if they can make dinner-time easier.
Anonymous says
We often get Costco prepared meals. They aren’t the healthiest things, but I really like just being able to throw something in the oven sometimes. Our favorites are the meatloaf and the chicken pot pie, but we also have had good luck with some of the other things that they’ve put out with their chicken like the chicken street tacos and the chicken soba noodles.
Anonymous says
We’ve only used them for parties, but the chicken Caesar salad and the mac and cheese tray are reliable crowd pleasers. Skip the tortellini pasta salad, it’s way too salty.
RR says
They are decent. They have a taco one that is a big hit at my house. It comes with the ingredients and people put together their own in a little taco bar.
FP says
Their stuffed peppers are great and we get those a lot. Other success meals: taco kit; stir fry kit; asian chicken salad wraps; cobb salad kit; and their chicken noodle soup. The chicken alfredo was pretty heavy for my tastes. Last year I also remember a white bean chicken chili that was solid (we froze half of it and it did well).
No Face says
I like the giant taco salad, the stuffed peppers, the meatloaf, and the rotesseries chicken the best.
Anon says
We like the stuffed pepper and the ravioli lasagna. The ceasar salad is nice too for filling in around other meals.
Spirograph says
There’s a chicken alfredo penne bake one that is a hit with my kids, and I think some enchiladas as well. Agreed, they’re not the healthiest things, but they’re generally pretty tasty.
Anon says
yesterday there was a side discussion about when it is time to stop requiring masks. curious as to people’s thoughts. to me, at a minimum it has to be when there is a vaccine available to all, so that includes kids 0-4. In addition, in terms of a school environment, I think masks should be required until vaccination is mandatory for students and staff. and i don’t think it should be mandatory until the vaccine has full approval from the FDA (bc i understand why that makes things easier) thoughts?
Anonymous says
Unfortunately I don’t think your logic is great. Available to all and mandatory for all are very different things, and politically fraught. We need to de-escalate the situation and simultaneously give people the normalcy they crave/ need—and fast, or we’re looking at a Republican takeover. The best way to do that safely is to link mask requirements to community spread. If spread is above a certain threshold, the requirements kick back in. A vaccination incentive becomes built into the model in that situation, because communities with high vaccination rates will have lower spread.
Anon says
It really is such a shame that masks were made so political by our former president and i wonder if things would be different had the attitude towards masks been different. Do i enjoy wearing a mask. Absolutely not. Do i think it’s as big of a deal as some people make it out to be – no. There are people who have to wear all sorts of extra things in life from leg braces, to ostomy bags, to insulin pumps etc. I’m just grateful that the only thing i have to wear sometimes is a mask
Anon318 says
I live in Florida [I’ll pause to allow you to groan – I promise there are very few of us who share our governor’s stances. He was much more sane prior to election!] in a densely populated county where mask mandates were tied to community transmission after CDC initially said that masks were not required for vaccinated persons. Hypothetically, everyone should have masked up again during the most recent wave and our summer wave. In reality, there was no enforcement, so only a small percentage of people continued to mask (and most of those were vaccinated!). Now, apparently, there is no COVID in Florida, so there are no mask mandates anywhere. I think your strategy could work, but there would need to be enforcement in all indoor spaces and to do that you would need buy in at the local, state and federal levels. I wish I had a solution…
Spirograph says
I’m happy to defer to my local health dept on this. When community spread is below a certain threshold for a certain # of days, mask requirement for vaccinated people goes away. Businesses and schools can keep theirs in place if they want, and I’m happy to keep a mask in my purse so I can comply with those. I do not feel the need to performatively wear a mask in situations where it’s not required and I feel safe (which is any uncrowded indoor or outdoor space, given that vaccine uptake is high in my community, I am fully vaccinated, and my family is not high risk). My kids wear masks in public because they are not vaccinated. I would wear a mask around a 0-4 year old if I were in close contact and their parent preferred it, but I disagree that masks should be required all the time for everyone just because there aren’t vaccines for 0-4 year olds, yet.
Re: schools, I expect the requirement in elementary school will go away sometime next spring if cases continue to decline and the vaccine is widely available for anyone who wants it. I’m not going to go yell in a school board meeting either way.
Anonymous says
I agree that mask mandates should be tied to the level of community spread, but I don’t think it’s practical to have different rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people. I also think there needs to be a vaccine mandate in schools and other close-quarters environments that people don’t have much choice to avoid.
TheElms says
I think we are in the same or very similar counties. As the parent of an unvaccinated 2.5 year old I would like the mask requirement to stay in place until the community transmission is low (as opposed to moderate which is the current requirement) or a vaccine is available for 6 month-olds and older. With the mask requirement in place that makes it much less likely that currently unvaccinated kids will get Covid and then put me, a full-time working mom, in a tough spot with respect to childcare/work. I realize the mask requirement can’t and shouldn’t stay in place forever, but moderate transmission is still a fairly high level of community transmission.
anon says
I’m really hoping elementary schools in my area keep the mask mandate until 2-4yos can be vaccinated, which I hope is by next spring but who knows. My <5 kids are in public preK so masks are what's continuing to keep them safe until they can be vaccinated.
Boston Legal Eagle says
My K-er kid complains about a lot but I haven’t heard him complain about mask wearing. The teachers I’ve talked to say that the kids really don’t mind wearing them. So I would be fine with masks in school for a while and, honestly, my kid has not gotten sick in a long time so if it prevents other viruses for the foreseeable future, I’m all for it. I will probably wear a mask on public transit for a while, for the same reasons of preventing catching other viruses!
Anon says
I’m hoping that my daycare’s mask requirement gets lifted once the 5-12 age group has had some time to get fully vaccinated. Masking is good but my toddler isn’t one of those magical kids that doesn’t mind. I’ll probably still wear one for a while but I’d rather follow WHO guidance for little kids.
Anonymous says
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I have never understood why OSHA has not made regulations requiring that employees doing most types of work cannot be exposed to unmasked coworkers or customers. Such a regulation could be tied to community spread at the county level. Employers would be on the hook to enforce the mandate. This would in effect require masks in schools to protect teachers and staff.
Anonymous says
I think masks should already be optional everywhere except public transit, schools, and medical setting. As soon as we hit January and 5+ can be vaccinated no more masks in schools.
I’m sorry you think there is any chance this country is going to keep wearing masks until newborns are vaccinated. That’s very clearly not happening.
Anon says
i’m the OP and I fully recognize that there is no chance at all that the country will keep wearing masks until newborns are vaccinated, but i wish that wasn’t the case because i think it is selfish and wrong. lots of school aged kids have younger siblings. i do not enjoy wearing a mask at all. it’s annoying and would be much easier not to where. do i think it is as big of a deal as some people make it out to be – not really. there are many worse things i could have to wear for other medical conditions and i’m just glad i dont need to wear/use any of those.
Anon says
Yep, agreed. The WHO doesn’t recommend masks for under 5, and no where in Europe do they implement masks for under 5. Now that 5+ can be vaccinated, get rid of the mask rules except in high risk settings (hospitals and the like). I’d remove them from schools as well. If people want to wear them, great, but make it optional.
Anon says
why should WHO be the governing body for the U.S. vs the CDC or American Academy of Pediatrics? Maybe neither set of guidelines is right vs. wrong, but since at least I live in the U.S. I am comfortable deferring to the CDC who has definitely screwed up a lot during the pandemic, but I am ok with listening to the public health experts here. also – i think you definitely need to wait a couple of months to eliminate them in schools so that kids have time for the vaccine to take effect. no 5 year old is fully protected unless they participated in the trial
Anonymous says
The WHO also doesn’t want rich countries to be giving out boosters, but everyone here seems to be falling all over themselves to get one.
Anonymous says
This idea that once people have the option to be vaccinated we can drop mask requirements is another example of the “every man for himself” philosophy that is so uniquely American.
Anonymous says
+1.
Anon says
Yes, even if you want to keep with the WHO recs of only masking for 5+, why can’t the 5+ crowd keep masking until a vaccine is available for the under 5 crowd.
Anonymous says
@Anon 3:33 : because it is counter to 200+ years of American culture. You don’t have to like it, but it’s not changing. If screaming into the void makes you feel better, by all means go ahead, just know that that’s what you’re doing. Serenity prayer.
Anon says
our synagogue just made masks optional for fully vaccinated individuals. i understand that people are tired of wearing masks, but it seems so unfair, confusing and not the safest for any events that include children, particularly in the 0-4 age group who still can’t get vaccinated. and as soon as there are more kids in the 5-11 group who are fully vaccinated, it will be very fun to explain to my 3 year old, why other kids aren’t wearing masks (yes, i realize that in many contexts you can explain this as different families do different things, and i am good with that explanation in most contexts, but it just feels unfair from both a psychological and safety perspective- and yes i know life isn’t fair)
Anonymous says
Man, my synagogue is still barely having anything in the way of in person services :(. I’m very cautious but do think masked services with vaccinated attendees are probably fine- our shul is very cautious and it’s been such a hard year and a half.
Anonymous says
Our church has been mask-optional for vaccinated people since the summer. In practice, it’s only the old people who are not masking. Nearly all families with kids and teens are masking, even when the whole family is vaccinated. This is in a red county, so I’d expect more masking in a less conservative area.
Anon says
I’m outside of NYC and our church community is not great at masking, either. Even young kids who definitely are not vaccinated are unmasked, and for sure all the old people. Even though my husband and I are vaxxed we’ve kept masks on 1) for solidarity with our kids and 2) because vaxxed people can also spread delta
Anonymous says
Oh, I’m saying that families in our church actually are masking. It’s just the old people who refuse to mask. A lot of the middle-aged folks who don’t think they need to mask to protect themselves are still masking just at church to protect others and make them feel more welcome. It’s just a few die-hard conservative families and then the old people who won’t mask. I see a much higher proportion of people masked in church than anywhere else I go except the school and my office, both of which still require masks. So I predict that OP’s kids will see plenty of other masked kids.
Anonymous says
This is so interesting! My church is still masks-required, and primarily for the benefit of the elderly members of the congregation. I was thrilled to see that the sanctuary choir is back and singing again, although I can’t imagine breathing well enough to sing while wearing a mask. The soloist got to go maskless last week, and so do the lay readers and pastors while they are in the pulpit. Otherwise all masks all the time. We still take the communion elements home “to consume reverently and safely”
anon at 1:25 says
I sing in a mask and it is hard. It’s difficult to make the phrases because it’s hard to take a full breath quickly enough and it takes more air to project from behind a mask. It’s also harder to hear yourself and blend, especially if (as in our choir) the more skilled singers are all wearing masks and the less skilled ones aren’t. It’s worth the annoyance just to be back singing in person, though! Virtual choir was the pits. I never want to hear another click track again.
Anonymous says
I’m sorry. The synagogues in my area seem to be vaccine required (for those who are eligible) and masks required for 2+. You would think they would really lean into the Jewish value of protecting those around you.
OP says
yes, this is what bugs me. seems wrong given the context
Anonymous says
I’m sorry I just don’t find it unfair at all?
Anon says
kids of all ages stayed home for months to protect us adults. can’t we return the favor. i think next time we have a pandemic (which is hopefully never), we should actually a vaccine for kids first even if it is virus that primarily impacts adults, so that adults can see what it is like to be on the other side of things. also, how is it fair for a 6 year old not to have to mask, when a 4 year old does. it isn’t like the 4 year old (or that kid’s parents) are choosing not to vaccinate their child
Anonymous says
That’s all so stupid.
Anonymous says
Yes, life’s not fair. If you want your under 5 kid to continue wearing a mask, it is a very easy thing to say that you have to keep wearing a mask until you get your vaccine, and we all hope that’s coming soon! Preschoolers can understand the basic concept of if/then. My 4 year old son happily chatted my ear off one day in a gas station about how he had to wear a mask because he didn’t have a cowonaviwus shot yet, but some grownups don’t wear masks anymore because they already have their shots, and when he gets his shot he won’t have to wear a mask anymore but there aren’t shots for kids yet and he hopes they’ll make the cowonaviwus shots for kids soon, but it’s OK because his mask has DINOSAURS! but scientists are still working really hard on making shots for kids and that’s great! The lady working at the register stood there smiling until he paused to take a breath because she didn’t want to interrupt.
(And hard disagree on spitefully refusing to take a risk-based approach in order to show adults what it’s like.)
Anonymous says
That masked 4-year-old can still catch the virus from an unmasked unvaccinated person. Masks are more effective when worn by the infected person than when worn only by the person trying to avoid infection. It’s impossible to police masking of unvaccinated people only, and even vaccinated people can have breakthrough infections. This is why masking should be universal regardless of vaccination status and should be tied to community spread.
Anonymous says
Yes, life’s not fair, so let’s expose all the unvaccinated kids to COVID?!?
Anonymous says
Can we please stop living in this fantasy world where a universal mask mandate is possible? I understand how masks work and agree that it’s the ideal from a public health standpoint, but it will never happen in the US. It just won’t. You can think it’s unfair and whine about it all you want, but at the end of the day you can’t put a mask on everyone’s face. You _can_ give your 4 year old a logical explanation why she still needs to wear one.
Anon says
Your synagogue understands the science better than you do. You do get that no where else in the developed world requires masks for under 5s? The WHO doesn’t recommend it. It’s just us. For all the talk of the GOP politicizing masks (totally a major issue), I’m getting sick of liberals (which I am) doing the same in the opposite direction, especially for kids.
Anon says
except in this case kids under 5 will still have to wear them, only the kids over 5 who’ve had access to the vaccine will not. your argument would make sense if no one had to wear them.
Anonymous says
What is so terrible about putting masks on kids? There is no science that says they are harmful for kids under 5. Kids themselves are by and large unfazed by masks. It’s just whiny, high-maintenance parents who can’t deal.
Anonymous says
Right. My 3 year old and 6 year old do not mind masks at all. They barely notice them at this point (and ask for them to keep their faces warm if it’s cold out).
Anon says
Ok so why don’t all the people 5+ mask until a vaccine is available for the under 5 crowd?
Anonymous says
Because there’s zero evidence that babies are ever going to get a vaccine. Because kids are not high risk. And because outside of this bubble we are already maskless.