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.
For any fancy evening events you have coming up, here’s a sculptural clutch that looks like a work of art.
This clutch from new-to-me brand Ambush is made from draped and folded soft leather. But it isn’t just looks — it’s topped with a convenient wrist strap, and has a top zip closure, cotton-twill lining, and interior pocket.
I’m partial to the bold “Bordeaux” color (looks more like a dark coral), but it’s also available in black for a classic look.
Ambush’s Nejiri Pleated Leather Wristlet is $1,080 at Nordstrom.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 40% off everything
- Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
TTC Anxiety says
TTC #2 and I already feel myself getting obsessed anxious about the process. #1 took four months and I was so stressed about it even then. No reason so suspect that it might be harder this time but at the same time convinced that it will be. Any ideas (other than therapy) that would help me relax?
Anon says
TTC #2 I had a much better grasp on the ovulation testing, gardening timing, etc., that was required, so I really took charge a lot more than for #1. Kind of the opposite answer to your question in that I did not really *~ReLaX*~ about the process at all.
AwayEmily says
+1. With my first I was still trying to figure all that out. When we started trying to TTC my second I immediately started using the ClearBlue Advanced Digital. It is not cheap but was worth it to me. Owning the process deliberately (rather than “seeing what happens” and/or doing a haphazard combination of ovulation tracking apps and temping) was good for my mental health.
anon says
Well, you could think of the worst case scenarios. You could try for several months and either never conceive or have multiple miscarriages. Then you’d be sad and after each negative test or loss you’d have to decide if you’re strong enough to continue or if you’d rather stop trying. After a year or so of that you’d decide if you want to spend a ton of money on painful fertility treatments that might not work. That’s what you’re worried about, right? I have gone through all of that and survived so you probably can too.
NYC says
…
anon says
NYC, why the ellipses? It’s actually very helpful to think the worst case scenario to help mitigate anxiety.
Anonymous says
I am so sorry you’ve been through this, Anon.
This is actually a very solid recommendation. I find that gaming out the worst-case scenario and how I’d react helps me deal with uncertainty. You can’t actually make some of those decisions ahead of time, but even planning “OK, if this happened then we’d have to decide this and these are some of the factors we’d consider” can be calming.
Anon8 says
No tips, sorry. But I think this is normal. I was very anxious trying to conceive (possibly because I was 38 and worried about age-related issues). We ended up seeing a RE after 6 months and, as it turned out, we did need to do IVF (although not b/c of me – my numbers were shockingly good for my age, but my husband had a blockage).
I will say that “gardening” was much better again once we weren’t trying to time/plan everything around conception. Obviously only my experience, but I’m guessing I’m not alone in this.
Cb says
Kid wins?
My son has been at holiday camp next week (at the seabird centre) and he’s the youngest there and didn’t know anyone and he’s handled it like a champ. He’s declared every day the best day ever!
He’s off to London with my husband tomorrow to visit my MILs and I get two days at home by myself. I’m away a lot but I’ve NEVER stayed in our house overnight by myself. Looking forward to dying my hair and doing facial treatments, eating cereal in bed, and getting rid of stuff.
Anonymous says
My daughter started a new school this year, leaving behind her 3 BFFs. She’s been complaining that she misses her friends every single day. This morning I went into her to room to grab something, and saw that she had made a book labeled “friendship book” and wrote a list of her BBFs which included the 3 original ones plus 2 from the new school! There was also a list of “other friends” which included like 1/3 of her new class. This reassured me that she is in fact making friends and having fun…
Anonymous says
My middle child (6), who is somewhere between spirited and ADHD and has had serious sleep issues since birth has been in a 5 day streak of excellent sleep, excellent behavior and 100% participation in all activities.
She was seated next to a child in class with severe emotional issues and spent Monday with him screaming nonstop until “two grown ups came in to take him out of the room and into a calm classroom.” I spoke with her teacher, who is a saint, and also my daughter. I think one day sitting with this kid (seats have since been moved) has shaken up her perspective on tantrum throwing. We talked about what set off her classmate and also how she has those same feelings sometimes and also finds herself loosing control (“never at school though mom!”). It was a VERY mature discussion.
Goes to show that integrated classrooms really do benefit everyone (which I know but haven’t really had direct experience with). The classmate would have been in a separate classroom when I was a kid but instead is in a classroom with 1-2 aids.
avocado says
This will reveal my identity in real life, but whatever. During the first two years of the pandemic my daughter decided she was done with the sport and other activities she’d invested her entire childhood in and took up all new interests, which put her several years behind her peers who had been involved in these activities all along. One of her new loves is singing. She just began voice lessons with a teacher who’s wonderfully encouraging but also quite serious with high expectations, which is the Goldilocks situation for my daughter’s personality. This week my daughter gave her first-ever solo performance at a school fundraiser. She had a blast and was gushed over by her friends, their parents, and her teachers. Today she and a handful of other students were asked to perform at another organization’s fundraiser. It is so gratifying to watch her finally come into her own and enjoy a normal high school experience. We are planning college visits and she is imagining her future and it’s all so exciting after the brutal slog of the past 2.5 years. My biggest wish as a parent was to give her the kind of support and opportunities I wanted as a teen and didn’t get, and it looks like some of this may actually come true for her even though the pandemic and life threatened to spoil it.
Vicky Austin says
Oh, that absolutely warms my heart. Things find a way to work out, don’t they? Good for your daughter! And you must be so proud of her for starting over and sticking with it.
Spirograph says
I love this so much! Good for her, and for you for supporting her choosing a new path
GCA says
Oh, this is lovely! I’m so glad this is working out for your daughter.
Anon says
Not exactly a kid win, but my 16-month old has decided he doesn’t like raspberries but he realized I like them. So when I put a raspberry on his tray he gets so excited to feed it to me (he insists on putting it directly in my mouth, haha) and then we both go “yummmmm” together. He gets so happy doing it his whole face lits up. Moments like this just make my day.
Anon says
Camp at the seabird centre sounds amazing!
anon says
Etiquette question: is it expected that the parents of any kid who participates in a trunk or treat also sign up their car and pass out candy? Or is it okay to drop in, take a young toddler around for 10 minutes, and leave? This is my local park district event in the northeast, fwiw, not my neighbors or anything. But we’ve never done one of these before.
Anonymous says
IME trunk-or-treat is run by volunteers whose own kids have aged out of trick-or-treat, for the specific purpose of creating a fun no-hassle event for parents of young kids. It would defeat the whole purpose if you were expected to hand out candy all night.
Anon says
I’ve taken my kid to trunk or treats and never given out candy.
Anonymous says
I think trunk or treat is intended for kids who are kind of too little to actually trick or treat, though in my circle everyone is welcome. In our neighborhood, the older people enjoy hosting: they like to see all the littles in costume. I don’t think candy recipients are expected to also have a station.
Liza says
I think you can just show up! If only the trunk families’ kids participated, the ratio of trick or treaters to candy givers would be all askew. Enjoy!
Mary Moo Cow says
I’ve run a trunk or treat, and no expectations that guests would also be volunteering. I look to families with older kids to host trunks for the families with little kids. Go, have fun, don’t feel guilty!
Anonymous says
You can just come and take candy, you don’t have to give out. That said, depending on the group organizing, sometimes they take financial donations to pay for candy. Our church actually sets up table in the parking lot and much of the candy is given out by seniors who live in seniors complexes that don’t get many trick or treaters.
Most attendees are little kids, or families where a parent or grandparent has mobility issues and can’t go house to house with the kids in a traditional way. Also great for parents who are working on Halloween and can’t take their kids out on the day of.
Anon says
My soon to be 2 year old loves to write numbers and letters. I don’t know why. But he loves it when I guide his hand to write. I want to encourage his interests but want to tread carefully bc I don’t want to be pushy about it.
Are there workbooks out there for kids this small? Tracing workbooks? I’ve seen stuff for preschoolers at Costco but nothing for a 23 month old. Help?
Anonymous says
The Kumon tracing and writing workbooks are good. Simple mazes and connect the dots (if he can recognize numbers) are also great.
NYCer says
+1. My kids like(d) the Kumon books too.
Cb says
Oh I got a magnet board, so it has letters with little dots, and you use a pen with a magnet in to trace over the letters. I think it would be appropriate for a 2 year old as the magnets are tiny and fully stuck in. It’s the Magnetic Alphabet Letter Tracing Board.
Anon says
You can look for sandpaper letters, or let him use his fingers to draw in sand, shaving cream, etc
AwayEmily says
Is it possible that it’s not the letters per se that he loves, but rather he is picking up on the fact it’s something you approve of/like, and plus (with the hand-guiding) it’s something that you do *together*? Rather than tracing workbooks, I’d focus on finding more ways to do creative stuff together — painting, coloring, etc. Bonus: it will help him with his fine motor skills, which he will need if he does want to do more letter-writing. I liked the book The Artful Parent (i think recommended here) for a good range of art activities that are appropriate for a wide range of ages.
Anonymous says
Some kids just get interested in writing or reading early and that’s OK! Creative activities are great, but OP can offer those in addition to what he’s interested in. There is nothing wrong with letting a kid trace letters if he wants to.
The amount of judgment the parents of early readers and writers get is ridiculous. My kid learned to read basically by osmosis very early and I found myself trying to hide the fact that she could read lest other parents label me a tiger mom. When I got comments I would protest, “Oh, she just kind of picked that up!”
AwayEmily says
Are you responding to a different comment? I’m so confused. What in my comment suggests I am calling someone a tiger mom or judging them? The OP asked for stuff to do that her small kid (who sounds like he has great fine motor skills for his age) might enjoy, so I offered…stuff to do requiring fine motor skills that a small kid might enjoy. It was not a specific link to a tracing workbook, no, but I think in general people tend to answer questions somewhat more broadly than that. For example, someone on here might ask something like “what warm leggings do you like for kids?” and someone else will reply “I don’t have a leggings rec but I really like these joggers!” I would not personally read that as “judging” someone for letting their kids wear leggings.
I’m really sorry having a kid who could read early was so tough for you. Sounds like a lot of the people you hang out with are not very nice! But most of us on here actually are, it turns out.
Anonymous says
The judgment was implied in the idea that OP’s son was only interested in writing letters because she was encouraging him to.
Anon says
Not the Anon at 11:58 and my kid is not an early reader or good at writing letters, but I also got the impression from your comment that you didn’t think a 2 year old should be tracing letters. I think your response makes sense and is helpful if someone asked for activities to build a 2 year old’s fine motor skills. But when someone asks specifically for workbooks for tracing and you say their kid may only like tracing letters because they’re getting parental attention and approval and here are some creative activities to do instead, it definitely sounds judgy. The joggers analogy you gave is not on point. A better analogy would be if someone asked for leggings recs and you said “are you sure your kid wants to wear leggings? Maybe they’re only wearing leggings because you give them lots of praise when they wear leggings. Joggers are so much more comfortable, here are some links.” And yeah that would be a pretty strange comment…
AwayEmily says
Well, as I often tell my kids, it doesn’t matter what my intention was, if you hurt someone you should apologize. So, I obviously hurt you and made you feel judged and I apologize for that. For what it’s worth I think early readers (including your kid) are amazing and you sound like a very supportive parent.
Anon says
yes, i agree with this. and if as part of this he wants to draw more letters and numbers great, but just focus on having fun together
GCA says
I feel like there are a whole lot of different skills you might want to encourage here. (Yes, there’s writing a number or letter…but then what?) There’s letter and number recognition. There’s connecting a word or number to a meaning. And there’s general fine motor skills/ pre-writing, plus of course the element of doing something fun together. I’d look for activities that encourage each of those in an organic, fun way. You can point out letters and numbers as they show up in the environment — street signs, speed limit signs, etc. and sound out the letters. You can use counting cubes or something similar – okay, this is the number 2, what does it signify? And for strengthening fine motor skills, dry-erase mazes, busy books/ boards, connect-the-dot workbooks, pulling and squishing playdoh is actually great for that as well.
Anon says
OP here. Thanks for all the great ideas and suggestions, especially ones that helped me consider non-tracing activities that use very similar skills and promote creativity. FTM here and kiddo is in daycare all day plus I have zero craft/art skills, so really appreciate this board and the suggestions.
So Anon says
I would truly appreciate your thoughts: As I’ve written about in the past month, a young teen died in our small community. The search for the teen was widely publicized. His public memorial is this Sunday. There is a capacity limit of 800 people, and they anticipate that there will not be space for all who want to attend. They are opening doors at 1:45, with the service to start at 2:30 and end at 3:30. My oldest is friends with the teen’s younger sister. The loss truly hit our community hard, and my kids and I felt the loss. I would like to go but I’m weary of being packed in with others, waiting for 45 minutes. My oldest is autistic and struggles with waiting and crowds. I think showing up for memorials/funerals, being part of the community, and a sense of closure are all important. What would you do?
Anonymous says
Given this fact pattern, I would not take your children. In my experience no one actually notices whether you show up to a large memorial anyway, so you aren’t really showing support in a way that the family will perceive except in the form of crowd size. You do not want to risk having to disrupt the service by taking your child out if he gets overwhelmed. Even if he makes it through, the stress of the situation will probably detract from the experience of collective mourning for both of you.
Are there plans for overflow viewing, or will the service be streamed? I missed an important funeral in my community because I had a non-negotiable work commitment that day, and watching the video on line afterwards helped me feel at least a little more connected.
Anon says
“In my experience no one actually notices whether you show up to a large memorial anyway” I actually don’t think this is true, particularly when there’s an actual relationship. The deceased’s younger sister would notice if her friend was there.
Anonymous says
At big memorials there is often no receiving line or other way for mourners to interact with the family. It’s really hard to pick out individual people in the back of a crowd of 800 if you are seated at the front, facing away from the crowd. It’s possible that the sister might notice some people while processing in or out, but that would be her only opportunity to notice OP’s son and she’ll probably be pretty caught up in her own thoughts and the moment.
The place where you interact with people is at the reception afterwards.
Anon says
Like you said, showing up is important. No one likes crowds and many (like your son) struggle with them for medical or personal reasons, but you can show up in time for the service, leave early, sit in the back, or manage it in some other way. Showing up is important and this is the only time to do so.
Anon says
I think your kids are old enough to have some say in this. What do they want to do?
Anne-on says
+1 – I’d ask the kids. Also, will there be a memorial service at their school? That might be a good compromise. If the kids decide not to attend, one of the things I try to do when someone I know has passed is to write a letter to the family. Instead of trying to comfort them they can simply say how they are sad and miss their friend. The important part is to share what they loved about their child, memories they have, stories of silly things they’ll remember. Having a tangible letter (and any photos your family has) would likely be a comfort to the family moving forward, and is something they can re-read when they’d like in the future.
Spirograph says
Do you have to go inside the building? I would expect there to be some kind of gathering outside as well, especially if they’re expecting the indoor capacity will be exceeded. You could show up on time and get the sense of community and closure from being present with those outside, plus be able to make an easier exit if your oldest is struggling.
Anonymous says
If there’s a risk of your child being disruptive don’t go.
Anon says
I disagree. Most people fully understand that kids can be disruptive. I would far rather a friend show up to a funeral for my loved one and step outside if needed than to not show up at all.
Anon says
+1
Anon says
Perhaps you can reach out to the funeral director or another point person (not the parent unless you know them very well) and ask if there is a plan for including children or people with disabilities?
Many years ago my family suffered a similarly public loss in a small community and the funeral overflowed the church. The mom insisted adults get up and move to the back or leave to make space for teens who had lost a friend. They did mostly sit on the floor in front of the pews, but that’s kids. At the time it was controversial and the funeral director objected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if attitudes have progressed in the decades since then.
Anon says
editing to add: Having attended that funeral and seen the community recovery since, I think it was absolutely right to prioritize the kids’ emotional needs over the decorum of the service. Those kids needed to be there. I don’t know if your kids are that close to the family, but from your comments today and earlier, it sounds like you think they are.
Redux says
Oh man, this got me in the feels. I love that mom, and the love she had for the kids of that community. What a good and loving thing to do despite what funeral director convention may have dictated.
I tend to agree that a funeral experience is a really important part of understanding and healing after a loss, and that might be especially true for children as they are still figuring out the world. I think the suggestion to go with a plan for the possibility to leave if you need to is fine. I think that’s good advice for anyone, really, regardless of disability. In your situation, I would probably go on-time, try to find a seat near an aisle, and let kiddo dictate if they need to get up, move around, or leave. It’s thoughtful of you to want to create an opportunity for your child to support their friend. There is no one playbook apart from leading with love.
Anne-on says
+1 to leading with love but telling them what to expect. Sadly, I have had more than a few friends/family members/colleagues die unexpectedly and at young ages. Having a parent talk me through the rituals around funerals/grieving and offer suggestions of things to do for the bereaved helped when I was younger, it made it seem more of a part of life (albeit a very sad part). It also helped me to be a better more supportive friend and family member for when other people close to me passed and I had concrete ideas of what to do.
Anonymous says
agree. I lost a friend to suicide as a teen. The first row was his family. The second and third row were his close friends (including myself) and his younger sister’s close friends (she was 11).
A few Parents of close friends sat behind us, then the rest of the main part of the church was packed with. classmates. Adults (friends and colleagues of the family, parents of other high schoolers) mostly stood or went up to the choir loft.
anonM says
So Anon, I’m so sorry for your community’s loss. I agree with a lot of these other comments, but wanted to add that for your oldest, this is a time to learn what it means to really show up for their friend. Many people don’t know how to do this well, for many reasons. Just some suggestions, but I’d very directly tell your kid what to say at the funeral (IMO, try not to cry at the immediate family, just say sorry for your loss that day esp. if crowded, respect if the immediate family doesn’t seem to want hugs, try to avoid saying things like “they’re in a better place now” when talking about an untimely death, etc.). Can kiddo drop off a package ahead of time to the friend/little sister with some tissues, black tea bags, a shake etc? (With a note that the tea bags help with puffy eyes, and a protein shake to take to the funeral home for something easy and quick to eat). Help your kid remember to check in AFTER the funeral too. Some of my best friends at various stages of life, including when we were kids, became that because we supported each other through grief.
Anon says
+1. This is not only an important ceremony that may provide helpful closure for friends and family, but an opportunity to teach your child norms that many overlook. I think you should all go.
anon says
My parents didn’t allow me to go to a schoolmate’s funeral when I was in elementary school and I still wish I’d had the opportunity to be there. It would have helped in terms of processing what happened. If your older wants to go, take him, and just plan your best to help him deal with the crowd and the wait. The funeral director may be able to hold a seat for you all as well.
Nina says
A close family friends son died and the family was really touched that so many people from their small community, even people who didn’t know them super well, came. The deceased’s younger brothers friends (age 11) and their parents were front and center. You can see if there is something else, like a wake or something, but I think your kid should go.
EDAnon says
I think you should go if your kiddo is close with the family. If they are classmates, but not close, you can decide what is appropriate. I had a friend (but not a close friend) die in high school. I went to the wake and not the funeral. Her close friends all went to the funeral (it involved missing school). I think that was appropriate given our relationship.
I will say I wish I had attended the funeral and not the wake because it was open casket. I can still remember my friend (so young) dead and so odd looking with all the makeup. It was very difficult to see.
New Mom says
Hello! I have a 5 month old daughter who is learning something new almost every week. For example, she recently started rolling over from her back to her stomach. Is my role as a parent to help facilitate these milestones? Like now I need to start showing her how to roll back the other way? Or use cushions to help position her to do it herself? There’s apps that list daily exercises for you baby physical and mental development. It’s a lot to fit into one day. Are other parents doing these to help their normally developing children, or are they letting them figure things out themselves as long as they’re in the normal age range for a particular skill? Thanks!
startup lawyer says
I think tummy time is literally just put them on the floor and let them be free as much as possible and avoid “containers” like jumpers and bumbo seats as much as possible (though obviously you use those as needed to contain them to do stuff). I didn’t do anything to help. they figure it out. I really encourage you to let her be and reduce the pressure on yourself to always be interacting.
Anonymous says
I mean, don’t just leave the kid in a car seat all day – make sure they have opportunities for free movement- but free movement and tummy time is really all they need unless your dr tells you otherwise for specific reasons.
Aunt Jamesina says
I would delete the apps, I think they just capitalize on and increase anxiety about milestones. I’m also unconvinced that any exercises in the app will actually help anyway.
Aunt Jamesina says
And unfollow any parenting/milestone influencers while you’re at it!
Anon says
Typical children meet developmental milestones like this without parental intervention. Your ped will ask questions about milestones at each appointment and if there are any issues they’ll let you know.
GCA says
humanity has survived and adapted to our surroundings for millennia without apps prescribing exercises for normal infant development. i recommend spending that time snuggling the baby and playing with her instead!
Anonymous says
Oh dear, yes, delete these apps. Your parent spidey-sense will tingle if something feels worrisome, and your pediatrician will help trigger it by asking about milestones. You do not need to manage a normal baby’s development like this. Just interact with your baby and give her time to wiggle around on the floor and test out how her body moves.