This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
It’s only October, but I’m seeing holiday gift sets everywhere! Since I don’t wear makeup often, makeup sets have the perfect amount of product for me.
This mini lipstick set from Givenchy is an easy way to add a little couture to your look. Included are two shades of Le Rouge Sheer Velvet Matte Lipstick — a buildable sheer formula — and two shades of Le Rouge Interdit Intense Silk Lipstick — a pigmented, satin-matte formula. It’ll be hard to choose amongst these hydrating, long-wearing colors.
Givenchy’s Mini Le Rouge Couture Lipstick Set is $50 at Sephora.
P.S. Happy Diwali to those who celebrate!
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
Anon says
Kids are finally healthy (knock on wood)- at least as of this moment but of course i wake up in the middle of the night with excruciating ear and throat pain, so I’m off to urgent care even though i really need to take my car in bc a light came on yesterday and DH is on a work trip in Europe. Definitely a case of the Mondays over here, so please share your weekend win to help turn my Monday around
Cb says
Oof that sounds so rough.
My husband and son were at my MILs and I was home alone (well, me and the plasterer). I got so much done – several hours doing an autumn clean up of the garden, laundry zero, narrowing down sitting room paint colours to two, etc. I’m away til Friday so I was happy to leave them a neat and tidy house.
So Anon says
Our middle school does an annual trip to Space Camp with a small group of 6th graders. The students have to submit an application, obtain recommendations from their 5th grade teachers and agree to help raise funds for the trip. My oldest applied and was selected to go! I am so excited for him! He also found out that one of his buddies is going too.
Anon says
Whoa that is a very cool school trip! I went as a kid (not with school) and it was wonderful. Hope your son has a great time.
OP says
congrats! given everything you’ve shared about your son’s struggles and the recent events in your town, i’m glad he has something positive to look forward to and feel proud of (and you do too!)
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
DH was fighting a cold this weekend (#victorianinvalid) and I was pretty much on kid duty all weekend (with help), and I managed to get everything together to host our Diwali celebration.
Granted it was just my immediate family + our household, and I only made two dishes…but hey, the kids were happily in their festive clothes, decorations were out, and fun was had.
Also both kids are having their own Diwali fun at school today with classmates. DS #1 wore his favorite kurta, took some Diwali books, and then another mum is sending some crafts for the class to do, and some sweets for the class to share. DS #2 is wearing a Diwali t-shirt I bought on etsy (don’t want him to ruin his festive clothes…), sharing a Diwali board book, and another parent is sending a sweet for the class to share.
Growing up, this time of year was just so fun – Diwali, Halloween, and then a bunch of family birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. And now that DS #1 is almost 5 he really shares that excitement, which I love!
GCA says
Aww, I love this! Happy Diwali! My family’s fun season runs through Lunar New Year + Valentine’s Day, which often occur around the same time. So much food. And I only have to get one set of red clothing for both festive occasions, lol.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Thank you! How fun, love sharing these “fun seasons” and seeing how they differ across families.
I never thought about the red clothes on repeat – I love that so much and will remember that! Also will happily find any excuse to eat dumplings…
Anonymous says
Solidarity from another mom with a DH in Europe for work this week! Hope you feel better soon.
Anon says
We’re in the same sick boat. Kiddo slept over at my parents Friday night and they called us at 6:30 am to let us know she woke up crying and pulling on her ear. Turns out she has an ear infection for the first time in 3 years.
OP says
and i have strep. glad its something i can take antibiotics for
Pogo says
and you found out by 11:43 a.m.! (assuming you’re East Coast). That’s not bad as far as urgent cares go.
SC says
We had a very nice trip to a state park about 6 hours away. We saw some fall foliage, had a couple of great hikes, slayed it on cooking, and built a couple of campfires and made s’mores.
Kiddo got sick during the trip. This morning, he woke up coughing a lot and climbed into bed with me. Then he threw up on me.
Anonymous says
Fun weekend win- both kids are finally confident on their scooters (have preferred bikes for a few years) and we got to take a scooter trip with all three of us on our scooters. I love my scooter but don’t use it much and it was so fun to go all together!
Cornellian says
So I’m due with my second child this week, and can’t kick this gross head cold. I’m not looking forward to labor when I can’t breathe. Any ideas???
Alternately, anything I should try to get set up/prepped/purchased that I’ve forgotten about? My eldest is 5, so it’s been a while…
Anonymous says
So sorry about head cold. Drink as much water as you can and rest!
Regarding hospital bag, bring baby wipes, dish soap for breast pump parts, breastfeeding pillow with extra cover, lots of newborn outfits and swaddle blankets that are labeled, pumping bra, and nursing tops
Cornellian says
Oh labeling! I didn’t think of that…
Anon says
Extra long charging cable, mine was 15 ft.
Warm socks in larger sizes. I was hooked up to an IV for 24 hrs and my feet could barely fit into my husband’s extra large wool socks.
Anonymous says
And shoes for going home in that will accommodate very swollen feet!
Cornellian says
Ugh I’m already down to like one pair of shoes, ha. Good idea though!
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Best thing I did for #2 delivery (for me) was to buy a very comfy jersey cotton robe from Amaz*on in a print I loved, and I lived in that for the postpartum part of the hospital stay…and lets be honest, I still do.
I also had 0 hesitation to send DS #2 to the nursery so I could rest. And yes it was a “baby friendly” hospital.
Bette says
I’d neti pot like crazy (with distilled water) and spend time in a hot shower to clear out your congestion.
Good luck!
Anon says
Yes, this. I had a sinus infection/head cold when I delivered my second baby in June 2022. Saline rinse helped so much considering there’s little medication you can take.
AwayEmily says
Your own preferred swaddle so you don’t have to deal with the swaddle origami in the middle of the night. More pajama pants than you think you need.
Anon says
Not at all helpful, but my hospital was dry AF and I had strep when I was in labor with my third. We left a day early because I was miserable.
Anonymous says
SO DRY. I remember sending my husband to get saline nose spray both times I delivered (you’d think I’d have learned…). Lip balm and eye drops, too, would be good. And some vaseline or aquaphor to put around your nose if you’re wiping/blowing it a lot.
Ashley says
I took a little portable humidifer for this reason. It seemed to help.
Anonymous says
Extra pants. With my first I peed my pants right as we were about to leave and had to wear my husbands home. With my second I think I had to leave in my nightgown…I forget why.
GCA says
Charging cable, lip balm, large water bottle, and all the snacks! And a couple of the little premade formula bottles if you need or want them (we advocated strongly for supplementing to manage kid 2’s jaundice, based on our experience with kid 1). Some hospitals will give you more but YMMV. Hope you’re over the cold by the time you go home with baby!
Anon says
Ok weird rash/bump question: my oldest has had small, red, kind of shiny bumps on his feet the last few days that are itchy and seem to be spreading. Now my youngest has them on his feet, hands and around his mouth. I know the first thought is HFM…but they aren’t painful and there’s no fever or other signs of sickness. Any ideas? Could it be HFM and going to get worse?
Cb says
I’d think HFM. My kid wasn’t that bothered by it, a bit of a temperature eventually. Versus me, I was down for more than a week.
anon says
Totally HFM. Mine had those tiny bumps but never a fever or fatigue or anything else.
anon says
Same for my two. They had the rash and we knew it was HFM because it was going around their daycare class, but neither toddler ever had a fever or seemed to feel ill at all.
ElisaR says
HFM. i’d bring them to the ped but it’s probably not totally necessary.
Anon says
Yes unfortunately I think it’s HFM. Your kids probably won’t get much sicker though.
Cornellian says
Still sounds like HFM to me, mine never seemed bothered or particularly sick with it (although I know that’s not universal).
Anon says
Interesting! Thanks for chiming in. Now that I think about it, both kids were mildly ill (low fever, malaise) for a day before the blisters popped up. I guess I’ve only heard the horror stories of kids being in so much pain they can only eat popsicles. My oldest is 7 and we’ve managed to avoid it so far (until now, perhaps)
Anonymous says
When my son had it I didn’t realize it until I got a few sores in my mouth after he recovered. He had no rash or symptoms that I noticed other than being mildly ill.
Anonymous says
HFM is definitely going around in my town.
Anon says
My kid didn’t have fever with HFM either. Just rash and runny nose. Rash was confirmed by pediatrician to be HFM.
Anon - OP says
Yep, I now see that my toddler has sores in his mouth and the spots on his hands have turned very blistery. He doesn’t seem bothered, though. Too bad it took me this long to put it together (day 7 for my oldest and day 5 for the toddler)…we stayed home on the initial fever day (and toddler is home today) but have been living life as normal otherwise. Oops! I’ll keep a close eye on my middle guy now
Anon says
I’m pregnant with my second (third trimester) and have a toddler. I’ve been really scatterbrained recently. Ive forgotten kiddo’s flu vaccine appt TWICE, backed out of my driveway into a parked car (omg and I’ve been driving 20 years without a single parking ticket or accident?!), and the list goes on…
Is it the weather? Being pregnant? Being a mom? I used to be so *with* it and now I feel like a mess.
Cornellian says
I’m not sure, but around month 6 or 7 I was a mess. I was constantly nearly hitting columns in the parking garage or forgetting important items. Famously, my husband told me he was going to take a shower, and I promptly forgot and freaked out when I couldn’t find him, and he found me outside panicked and looking for him in the yard.
For me I think part of it was that I was severely anemic, so you might want to get that checked out. I also suspect just sleep deprivation will do that. I hope it’s just pregnancy and will pass after birth and the newborn haze!!
Anonymous says
Thank you for sharing the shower story!! I am laughing with you in the best way.
Boston Legal Eagle says
You just have more on your mind now! And not sure it will get “better” with 2 kids – I still feel like I forget a lot of things, mostly because my brain is holding on to so many other things to do with work, kids, house, etc. I try to write everything down and set reminders – if you have an Alexa or similar, ask it to remind you to go to the appointment. Google calendar reminders.
Anonymous says
(1) sleep – how are you sleeping? I notoriously lost my work iPhone many times, lost my wallet, lost my jacket with my car keys in it and was stranded at work, lost a valuable heirloom ring, all in my second child’s first year of life when I was barely sleeping. (2) even if your child isn’t born yet, you may find you just have more things going on in your brain between the toddler and the pregnancy. (3) for some people, not all, I think this is also caused by hormones.
EDAnon says
I broke two iPhone beyond repair when my second was born. I was just so tired and kept dropping them.
Anonymous says
When I was sleep deprived after the birth of my second I got into three car scrapes in a span of two months. I had perfect driving record prior.
Anon says
Thanks everyone for sharing that it’s not just me…have been particularly sleep deprived recently (pregnancy insomnia plus toddler sleep woes?) and maybe that’s it?! Ha ha..
Anonymous says
After #1’s birth I forgot my zipcode and couldn’t buy gas.
Anon says
What are some of your favorite recipes that work for the whole family, especially if you have picky eaters? We really struggle to find things that everyone likes.
Anon says
My go-tos are pasta (can add meats, vegetables and sauces for adults), homemade pizza (kid’s third is just tomato sauce and cheese, adults get more interesting toppings) and quesadillas or empanadas (different fillings for each person). If your kids eat eggs, I think you could also do quiche and only put the vegetables/meats on the adult side, but my kid acts like eggs are trying to kill her.
anon says
+1 to dishes where each person can choose more or less adventurous flavors. Tacos, quesedillas, pasta, pizza, rice bowls, etc.
Pogo says
Other than this list, the only one that consistently works for the whole family is salmon with rice/veggies.
PinkKeyboard says
Mine love stir fry (with soba noodles and I microwave edamame on the side), tacos (skirt steak or the american style ground beef) which I serve olives with and they will eat refried beans, homemade chicken pot pie is a hit, pretty much any sort of meatball (chicken sage, curry, etc), fried rice (can hide a ton of veggies), lasagna, meatloaf or salisbury steak (you can hide a bunch of grated veggies if yours will decline broccoli), grilled chicken wings, homemade pizza (kids do pickles, pepperoni and black olives, and pineapple and ham respectively-the baby can’t eat pizza yet), my fiance smokes meat so pulled pork with homemade mac and cheese as a side is a hit, bulgogi, breakfast for dinner, PF Changs knock off lettuce wraps, beef balls in red wine sauce, banh mis (kids skip all pickled toppings and opt for american pickles and plain carrot), pot roast with mashed potatoes and carrots, smothered pork chops, pork chops with apples and onions,
anon says
Grilled cheese.
Anonymous says
Breakfast for dinner, tacos, crock pot chicken (DH and I dress it up but kids like it plain), grilled salmon (my kids are weird), and burgers are on constant rotation at our house. I keep telling myself it’s temporary, but maybe twice a week I’ll serve the toddlers (sometimes all the kiddos) something I know they’ll like, then make separate “fancy” dinner for me and DH. But that requires more planning, which you may not be able to swing rn. I’ll admit I’m not killing it. Sometimes we have cereal for dinner. Sometimes my toddlers eat a banana before bed. Fed is best.
Anonymous says
Rice bowls. Picky kids can eat the components they like separately. Grown-ups who require flavor and texture can eat them normally.
Roasted veggies are great for accommodating different veggie preferences. Carrots for kids, brussels sprouts or broccoli or asparagus for parents, on different ends of the same pan.
Anon says
My preschooler has an issue with jeans where they often reveal too much of her butt (to be graphic, you can sometimes see crack) when she’s sitting or lying on the floor to play. Does anyone know what this means size-wise? Are they too small? Too big? Is this just a thing that happens with little kids because of the weird positions they get in for play? We’ve tried a variety of different brands and sizes. She is pretty tall and about average weight for height. My husband thinks she needs to wear a belt but I’ve never seen a little kid using a belt as anything other than decoration. We normally dress her in leggings for this reason (which there are no issues with) but she has been asking lately about wearing jeans.
Anon says
If a belt would solve it, what about jeans with the built-in waist adjusters?
Anonymous says
Is she a small kid who is wearing underwear in a size designed for diaper-wearers? If so, check Gap and some of the other brands that start kids’ sizes at size 4.
Jeans and other hard pants are just difficult on tiny kids because there is so much stiff fabric and the sizing is so fussy. The adjustable waists are bunchy and the width and length of the pants just never fit at the same time. Would she go for jeggings or the type of jeans with the knit elastic waist?
Anon says
Not a small kid at all. Very tall and not skinny. She is 4 and wearing size 7-8 in most clothing brands. I think her underwear might be size 6 (since it’s her height that necessitates sizing up in most items) but it doesn’t seem too small.
Anonymous says
I think many parents just don’t care.
anon says
I’m guessing they might be too big around the waist. But also, with little kids, this just happens sometimes!
rakma says
Still having this problem with my almost 9-yo, and the answer was jeggings. The cut of traditional jeans just does not work with her proportions. Target has some right now that have a snap and back pockets, but are stretchy enough to move with her, don’t know if they’ll work for you size wise yet.
GCA says
We have this problem with my string bean kiddos. It happens! Little kids are often built straight up and down and sometimes they like to wear things below the belly. It sounds like the rise is too low for her, and you may have to size up and cinch the waist with the built-in adjusters (or look for pull-on jeans) to get enough rise. And instead of the 4T/ 5T sizes which are built for diaper-wearers, go for little kids’ XS.
DLC says
I think it means that companies suck at making jeans that fit toddlers.
You could try boy sizes- I mostly shop in the boys section for pants because find those tend to have more coverage. And better pockets. Also try thrift/consignment for older pants- I feel like companies these days tend to make pants less generously.
Anon says
Had this problem nearly 20 years ago, my daughter as an adult is pear shaped (she probably was back then too but it’s not like I spent a lot of time thinking about what “shape” my kids were!). Basically, she constantly needed to be pulling up her pants. As an adult, she fixes this by buying curvy pants but I don’t think they make them for children? So, a belt is probably a good solution.
Anon says
We have luck with jeans that have a fabric waistband. They seem to stay up better and fit over toddler/little kid bellies. Primary, Jcrew and Gap make them.
Anon says
My oldest wore a belt when she was a preschooler. Now I have her wear leggings and a longer top because she uses the bathroom independently at school and I don’t want her to struggle with a belt.
So Anon says
I want to thank everyone for your input last week on attending the celebration of life for the teen who passed away in my town. My kids and I went yesterday. It was gut wrenchingly difficult – both as a parent myself and to parent my kids through it. I doubt that the family noticed our presence, but we were present as part of the community and so many of our neighbors, teachers, friends, etc. were there.
Mary Moo Cow says
Thanks for posting the update. I thought of you this weekend.
Parttime says
Anyone here who has gone part time and regretted it? Lawyer here, not biglaw, opportunity to make a move to a role with less hours, less stress, and of course less pay. Part of me feels like I’m somehow giving up on my ambitious career self by doing this, but flexibility is more important than money right now for our family situation.
Pogo says
Was travelling Friday but to the poster asking about second kid and pumping etc – lean into the combo feeding! I started off with overproduction w/ my second, and had to actively control supply. Then he went through a growth spurt and I had to pump 3x/day to keep up. I slowly weaned myself off pumping sessions (I also got pretty frequent clogged ducts) and continued to b-feed him morning and night until around 15 months. If I didn’t travel for work I probably would have kept going, but I still had to lug all the paraphernalia onto the plane just for the morning and evening pumping sessions, even though I was dumping the milk. Sweet little munchkin loved his milky and it was still hard to wean, but at least we kept it going way longer than if I had pressured myself into an all or nothing mentality! I credit this community with helping me on combo feeding – search the archives and there are some great tips :)
Small Pickler says
Any specific pickler triangle recommendations for a 2 year old that don’t take up too much room (or at least fold up well)?
Anon says
We have the one from Montessori Climber. It’s not very small but does fold up for storage. We have the triangle and the ramp (not the arch).
Anon says
I’ll add that my very tall 2 year old still climbs and enjoys it (some of the triangles sold are almost too small for large toddlers). It’s also really nice quality.
Anonymous says
Suggest looking for used ones on fb marketplace, CL, OfferUp, etc. They were super in demand during the lock-down and people are starting to sell of theirs as kids age out. Looking at my west coast city’s marketplace— lots of foldable to ones for sale.