CorporetteMoms

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 60 Comments · by

Washable Workwear Wednesday: Nisa Dress

Machine-Washable Work Clothes· Recent Recs

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.

Washable Wrinkle-Resistant Dress: MM.LaFleur The Nisa Dress One of the great workwear brands making washable workwear is MM.LaFleur — it’s so important to their mission statement that they even say on their “shop” page (not just the product detail page) when a dress is machine washable. Huzzah! I like this Nisa dress — great neckline, hem length, and general style. It’s $195 at MM.LaFleur. MM.LaFleur The Nisa Dress Two plus-size options are here and here. (L-4)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

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

See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:

Click here to see our top posts!

And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    I have this dress in three colors and it is my go-to. The neckline is relatively high without looking like it’s choking you. It did not look totally fabulous straight out of the box and required extensive tailoring in the side seams and back darts. Sizing is on the smallish side. The dress is made to be relatively fitted, so don’t size up too much or the shoulders will look oddly pointy. For reference, I take the same size in MM LaFleur as I do in Classiques Entier and similar brands, and one size up from BR/AT/J Crew.

    I send the dress to the “organic” dry cleaner and have never put it in the washing machine. Even with the sleeves, I can wear it two or three times between cleanings. The fabric seems like it might pill or lose its finish in the washer.

  2. Pumping Question says

    I pump three times during the day. I need to get around an extra 1/2 ounce from each pumping session (so 1 – 1 1/2 ounces per day) to meet my baby’s current feeding needs at daycare. Am I better off adding in an extra pumping session or just increasing the time I pump at each of the three sessions (currently 20 minutes)?

    • EB0220 says

      When I was in this situation, I did a few things: 1) Active pumping 2) more hydration 3) mother’s milk tea 4) added a short pumping session at night after bedtime

    • Anon in NYC says

      Oatmeal increased my supply *just enough* to cover this sort of amount.

      • Anon in NYC says

        Also, this is TMI (sorry), but about a week before my period, my supply would drop off a fair bit and then pick back up once it was done. So if this is a very recent thing for you, that is something to consider.

    • Anon. says

      All these suggestions a two notes. (1) Ensure that day care doesn’t just “want” more milk rather than actually “need” it. It’s common for care givers to want to give more to help make naps easier. If there’s no other reason for this request (decreased supply? Signs of hunger? Definitely consult with your pediatrician for good guidance), you may want to push back. Consider the bottle size and n*pple size. BM changes its nutrients to account for growing babies, not its volume. Some care givers have a really hard time understanding that. (2) Being a working mom who pumps is hard work. You’re doing a great job. If your supply is decreasing, problem solve to the extent you’re sanity can handle it. But the reality is some mom’s can’t keep up the supply no matter what they do. Some moms can. And g*d bless them, I wish that were me. 1 month into working I was pumping 5 times a day (AT WORK) for 30 min each, eating a ton of oatmeal, drowning in water and mother’s tea, and rubbing essential oils on my chest to increase supply. The relief I felt when we just subbed in two bottles of formula was visible. Everyone was much happier.

      • Anon says

        Thanks for this, and I am almost positive they just want more milk (about once or twice a week they don’t even use the third bottle I send), but I have a very slight oversupply and a super easy, flexible job with an office with a door that closes and locks, so I am willing to make minor accommodations to slightly increase my supply. My gut reaction when I saw the note was “OMG I am doing something wrong!” Then it was “Sure let me just run to the BM store and buy you an extra ounce of BM for every bottle!” Yesterday was a rough day so this was just the icing on the cake ;) When I had a moment to process it, I figured I would be willing to pump a few extra minutes or throw in one more pumping session to attempt to increase my supply, particularly since I am hoping it may help my baby sleep better at night and not wake up to feed eleventy billion times. But since I know this is a “want” and not a “need,” that is about where the effort is going to stop.

    • AIMS says

      I think this is highly individualized so take this and all suggestions with a big grain of salt. Based on my body, the easiest way to get an extra 1.5 oz would be to pump a little right before I go to bed, after baby has gone to sleep but before she wakes up to eat again. And even if she wakes up relatively soon after, if you only need 1.5 oz, you should be good to go. That said, I like to leave my pump at work during the week so what I did when I needed to increase output because she started taking bigger bottles is pump more frequently at work to get the extra amount, which increased my output generally. When I wait 3 hours or more, I get less than if I pump every 2.5-2.75 (up to a point, obviously). I also noticed that my supply would drop off every Monday so now I make it a point to pump once on Sat and Sun and that’s solved that problem. FWIW, I don’t pump for a long time, maybe 10-15 min. This is probably different for every woman, but for me, I have what I have and pumping longer doesn’t add much in volume and just hurts. If I’m having a “low flow” day, I just increase the number of sessions, not the duration of each.

    • Anonymous says

      Do you only pump at work? I had the most luck pumping at home in the morning after baby’s first feeding. I agree that more frequent sessions are more useful than longer sessions.

      • Meg Murry says

        Yes, I got the most bang for my buck by pumping every day (including weekends) after the first morning feed – by doing it daily I increased the amount I got every morning, and I got an extra 4-6 oz every Saturday and Sunday (so 8-12 extra each weekend) to boost the freezer supply or carry me over any spills or under productive days.

        I did that first morning pump on my car commute though, so that might not be so appealing to you if you take public transit and/or don’t haul your pump back and forth.

        Are you trying to get work done while you pump, or are you taking a break? Taking a few minutes to close your eyes and/or massage while pumping might help your output a little bit if you’re currently trying to multi-task. Alternately, if you can multitask effectively and privately, turn off the pump after a regular session but stay hooked up, then turn it back on 10-30 minutes later for another session might get you the extra 1-2 oz you are looking for.

        If daycare doesn’t always use the 3rd bottle, could you leave a couple of oz in the freezer there, frozen in 1 or 2 oz bags? I found that was a good compromise, because it was just enough of a pain for them to defrost that it only got used when they felt my son really needed it (as opposed to just giving him another oz already in the bottle) but it was there on days when he was a bottomless pit.

    • Butter says

      One more thing to try – hand expressing for a minute before and after you pump. I think it helps with letdown faster and just promotes better output (see Stanford video on it for more info). I also do a middle of the night pump to meet bottle needs. It’s a PITA, but baby only wakes up once to eat during the night so I do it after that. Can’t pump after first morning feed bc my commute is too short (and I can’t take the time to pump at home in the morning), so for now I do this.

  3. Daycare drop off says

    I am not sure if I am looking for advice or hair pats, but man, I find daycare drop off to be hard. My son is 17 months and he is hysterical when I drop him off. He just does not want to let go of me. It breaks my heart. Anyone else going through something similar?

    • Anon says

      Hugs. I don’t normally do drop off, but I had to today because my husband had a meeting and it sucked. And my kid is pretty chill at drop off.

    • Anonymous says

      1- it’s the age. 2- can your partner do drop-off? 3- I give my kiddo “mommy kisses” in her palms, and tell her to put them in her pockets, so she can have them whenever she needs them during the day. She looooves that and it usually gets her giggling, which allows me to hand her off to her teacher.

    • Jen says

      Is this new behavior or did something change (new daycare, new room, new routine,?)

      Fwiw my daughter has been in daycare since 3 months. We moved and she transitioned daycares at 18 months and drop offs because a nightmare. It took 3 months to fully get her acclimated and I think this was partially just a tough age, partly due to the move, and partly due to the new place (and frankly, I wasn’t impressed with how the new teachers handled things).

      Only now, at age 3, does she tell me she doesn’t want to go home! From 2-3 it was an ok drop off (her 2 year old classroom teacher was MUCH better than her 18 month old one about drop offs) and big smiles/run and hug me at pickup and ready to go. Now I’m boring mom and the daycare books are better :-)

      • Daycare drop off says

        That I know of, nothing has changed. He has been at this daycare since he was 6 months old. He got a new teacher in his room a couple of months ago, but he was doing well with drop offs until about a week ago. He has been sick, so I do wonder if maybe that’s playing a role.

      • Preschool Bad! says

        Ugh, hugs. My 3yo just moved to his preschool classroom (a different building than where he was as an infant and toddler). He HATES it- “preschool bad! have a bad day!”. He has friends he knows in the class, but he is not having it. Today his teacher told me she nearly cried herself yesterday he was so inconsolable. It’s harder for me now that he can very much articulate how much he dislikes it. I do the pickup and dropoff every day and it’s killing me.

        It sucks but I just remind myself that we have no choice but to move forward and dealing with change is simply a sh*tty part of life. I’m such a fun mom

    • Anonymous says

      Hugs – it’s a hard age. DH is a SAHD and my little guy still cried this morning when I left.

      Definitely listen to your gut though if he’s moved rooms etc at daycare and is having a hard adjustment.

    • Shayla says

      It’s so hard. It’s the hardest way to start the day. I don’t care how hard husband thinks night time routine is (it is hard) it’s emotionally draining to begin your day by doing a crying and tearful drop off. Hugs. Internet high-fives. You’re an awesome mom. Go get yourself your treat of choice.

    • Elle says

      We switched to a Montessori center/school at 2, and went from no problems to super sad drop offs. I’m hoping like Jen said that it will improve with age and time (it’s only been a few weeks). I underestimated how much the change would impact her. I did request that I get to pick her up once a week or so, that way I can see the “happy” side that Dad sees when he picks her up. Every day (except yesterday) she cheers up shortly after I leave. So, I think making a point to switch it up occasionally will help me since the sad drop offs put a damper on my mornings/day.

    • TBK says

      It will get better. One of my sons would scream and cry (and yell “good bye good bye good bye!” to the au pair when she came downstairs since he knew that would mean I’d be leaving soon) every single day from about 19 mo onward. Now at 2yr 3 mo, he literally glances my way, says “bye mom” and goes back to his dinosaurs. (Anyone else’s toddler call them “mom”? He skipped right over mommy and it’s all “mom” now. Is he 12?). I have to steal a good-bye kiss these days.

      • Daycare drop off says

        Thank you so much ladies for all of your kind words. It’s good to know that this too shall pass.

      • Closet Redux says

        My kid is the same age and also calls me “mom”– it’s hilarious and weird!

    • ChiLaw says

      UGH it’s the worst. My girl has been going to daycare from about a year old (she’s about 16 months now) and there have maybe been two days (? maybe just one?) when she didn’t cry a LOT at drop off. The funny thing is that she loves her daycare! She chatters about her friends there all evening, she learns a ton, and when we arrive in the morning she runs to play or eat breakfast or say hi to her classmates. But she *hates* it when I leave. I take comfort in some passing comments other parents and the teachers have made to me, that my kiddo has usually stopped crying before I’ve made it to the outer door. I also remind myself how happy she is there except right when I leave. It’s really tough, but ultimately being there is so good for her.

      • Beth says

        How is your 16-month old chattering “about her friends there”? Genuinely curious. Chattering I get, but I have never been able to understand what it is “about”!

        • ChiLaw says

          She says their names and then mostly just says that they’re nice? Like, I’ll say, “who will you play with tomorrow?” and she’ll say “Mo-Mo, niiiice” and do the sign language for ‘nice.’ Or when we sing songs where you can sub in the names of people you know (like Wheels on the Bus) she asks me to sub in her friends’ names and tells me what they say (usually “no no no!” or “ha ha ha” or “hi!”) and then sometimes she’ll just randomly bring them up, like “blah blah blah Anaya happy!”

          It’s not like I get the full scoop on what they’re up to at school each day, but I think I’ve got enough info to know that they play a big part in her internal life.

  4. Another Daycare Question says

    Is there a secret to good daycare naps? My little guy recently started a new daycare so he is certainly still adjusting, but he is flat out refusing his first nap of the day. I’m trying to do some investigative work and find out what his teachers are trying and exactly how he is acting. Any thoughts or tips? Are daycare naps just a crapshoot?

    • Anonymous says

      IME, daycare naps are a crapshoot. If your kid is tired enough, they’ll sleep. I have a secret theory that second babies are “easier” because they’re periodically ignored, when we have to care for the older sibling. Babies will figute it out. They might be cranky for a while, as they figure things out, but they’ll get there.

    • Anon in NYC says

      How old is he? Is he in the process of dropping a nap? Our daycare says it’s normal for kids to not sleep as well there versus home because there is so much going on.

    • RDC says

      My kid was a horrible napper in the infant room at daycare, I think because it was all chaos all the time. It has gotten much better since he turned 1 and they switched to a set nap schedule – everyone lays down, lights out, much quieter, and he sleeps for 1.5-2 hours pretty consistently.

      • CPA Lady says

        The same thing happened with my daughter. She’d take terrible random intermittent 30 or 45 minute naps throughout the day in the chaotic schedule-free infant room, but as soon as she got into the 1 year old room with the one afternoon nap, she start napping like a champ for 2-2.5 hours every afternoon.

      • NewMomAnon says

        Third. My kiddo rarely slept more than 30-45 minutes at a time in the infant room and is a finicky sleeper in general, but somehow her toddler teachers get a solid 1.5-2 hour nap out of her every single day.

      • nap says

        Same thing happened to mine. He was a horrible napper (exactly half an hour per nap), but when was forced to consolidate his naps into one, he did so much better!!

      • Another Daycare Question says

        It is really good to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel. They have just one quiet period in the room per day which I find bizarre for infants, but maybe that is the only time that all the babies take a nap at the same time. He’s probably ready to drop to two naps, but two 30-minute naps just won’t cut it. He is super active (*this close* to walking at 8 months) and wears himself out. Thanks for the war stories!

    • Meg Murry says

      How close is that first nap to when you drop him off/breakfast? They may be trying to keep him on the same schedule as other kids who are getting up earlier and are ready for that nap while he isn’t yet.

      How old is he, and how long have you been there? It takes a little while for daycare to learn the trick for each kid, but I’ve found that once they do my kids are far more consistent at daycare than home.

      What do you do for naps at home? Do you cuddle until he’s drowsy or asleep? Does he fuss for a minute then conk out? Does he want to have his head of back rubbed to calm him down or does he want to be left alone? Sometimes it helps to let daycare know what works for you at home – or sometimes the kid wants the opposite of what you do at home, just because kids are weird and like to keep you guessing.

      As long as you aren’t bringing home an overtired fussy baby every day I wouldn’t stress about it – it will probably work out.

      • Another Daycare Question says

        Unfortunately I think he is the only kid ready for a nap early. I try to let him sleep as late as possible in the mornings, but he is coming home overtired in the evenings resulting in restless sleep and early wake ups. He is eight months old and has only been there a week, so I am working with the teachers to sort out what works for him. At home we turn the lights off and sound machine on, I rock him for 2-3 minutes, put him in bed and walk out and he puts himself to sleep within 3-5 minutes of crawling around the crib and getting comfy. I’m afraid all the activity in the room is what is causing him problems. I almost want to ask if they can pin up a sheet around the sides of his crib so he can’t see what’s going on! I suppose it is just a part of the transition and we will all figure it out eventually.

  5. Summer camp help - follow-up says

    Thanks for the reassurance yesterday. Things seem to be improving as last night he said camp was “only a little bit bad.” And drop off this morning was much easier because he saw two of his school buddies playing soccer and couldn’t run away from me fast enough to join the game. So hopefully the worst is behind us. It’s the first summer we’ve had to deal with real summer camp (last year he just went to the school’s camp, so it was helpful to hear from people who have been through it.

    • SC says

      :-) Progress. I went to sleep-away camp every summer for 9 years, then was on staff for a year. The girls who clung to their parents the most at drop-off were usually the same ones hugging the counselors and crying when their parents picked them up 2 weeks later. I have a feeling that at the end of 6 weeks, your little boy will have had so much fun that he’ll be sad that he can’t go to camp anymore until next year.

  6. East Coast West Coast says

    Mamas! I need opinions! I’m trying to figure out where to go on vacation this summer with my husband and LO (18 months old right now). We are more into outdoorsy things like hiking rather than big city stuff like museums and fine dining (not good for toddlers anyway). I would like somewhere in the continental US where we can hike (we have one of those kid carrier things), hang out at the pool, and go out for a casual dinner. At the moment, I’m contemplating Palm Springs, CA (never been) and Asheville, NC (worked at a summer camp there a long time ago, haven’t been back since) but am open to other suggestions. I would prefer not to have to drive for a few hours after flying. Thanks for the suggestions!

    • Beth says

      We are looking for almost the same thing! I was also considering a condo in Puerto Rico, but now am scared of Zika. I’m not pregnant or trying but apparently there is now a link to Guillaume-Barre and neurological problems in adults?!

    • Anonymous says

      I would never want to go to Palm Springs in the summer–it is HOT. We have found Asheville to be very family-friendly.

      Where are you located? If you are on or near the East Coast, I’d suggest Shenandoah National Park. You may still be able to get a room at the lodge for this summer. There are plenty of good day hikes off the main road, Skyline Drive. We have done many of them with the kid backpack. Just south of the park is the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is also fun to explore. If you are in the west, though, there are other places nearby with bigger mountains.

      • Summer camp help says

        Agreed re Palm Springs. We were there over Memorial Day weekend and it was too hot to do anything other than sit in the pool all day. I can’t even imagine how hot it is now, especially given the overall heat wave we’ve had in SoCal this week. If you are looking for a ski week or spring break trip next year, Palm Springs is lovely in Feb and March.

        What about Portland? I haven’t been but it is on my list and it seems like there is good hiking near the city. We’ve also considered doing a hiking vacation in Washington State.

        • Anon in NYC says

          Yes, PNW is gorgeous in the summer. You could go to Olympic National Park.

          • PNW says

            Sunriver, Oregon meets all your goals, and it’s fantastic with toddlers. Lots of hiking. The SHARC pool is great fun. Plenty of dinning in Bend (and some good food in Sunriver). Lots of condo/house rentals so you’re not stuck in a hotel room.

            Technically there’s an airport in Bend, but really you’d land in PDX and rental car to Sunriver, which isn’t such a bad thing.

    • Whitney says

      Love Asheville! The Biltmore is a great day of activity too. I’ve only been for a long weekend – not sure if I’d stay busy for a full week, but there are endless hikes, etc. Air bnb should have great options for places to stay. But that might limit pool access. There are several really nice hotels that are throwbacks to the 1920s

    • Navy Attorney says

      Resorts in Colorado; they have decent rates to attract people in the summer. Though I’m not sure if they’d have pools!

    • CLMom says

      Palm Springs will be HOT in summer. I, personally, would not want to hike then. It will have nice pools, golf, spa access.

      You might want to consider Mammoth.

    • In House Counsel says

      Have you considered Minnesota? Beautiful weather during the summertime, lots of hiking and lake activities and no risk of Zika

  7. OCAssociate says

    My friend pulled her child from preschool after ongoing incidents with another kid (biting, scratching, etc.). She had been meeting with the school for a few months to discuss, they tried to separate the kids, but it wasn’t working. The school has a 30 notice policy – parents are contracted to pay for the last month after they give notice. Obviously, my friend doesn’t want to pay. The school director wrote her a letter, claimed to “clarify” the incidents (apparently incorrectly), and demanded the last tuition payment.
    I told her to write back, say the “clarifications” were incorrect, and that she doesn’t have to give 30 days notice when her child is in danger of being harmed again.

    Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for something like this?

    • MDMom says

      No experience, but 2 suggestions. First, is there a contract or other policy she signed when kid started that applies here? Second, does she care if they sue her? If not, then go ahead and refuse to pay, tell them why, and wait to see if they take her to small claims court. There’s a good chance they won’t. If they do, she can just pay then or actually fight it out and gamble that a judge might be sympathetic. It’s not worth hiring an attorney. Worst case, at least in my state, she loses and has to pay what she’s owed anyway plus like a $100 court fee. If she’s worried about them reporting her to a credit agency or something like that, she can probably pay and then sue them for a refund. I guess it depends how motivated she is.

ABOUT

WORK WITH US

SERIOUS STUFF