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Even though I have a ton of skincare samples that I’ve slowly collected from Sephora orders, I haven’t been in a hurry to try any of the high-end moisturizers because I’m sticking with my budget option: this SPF 15 moisturizer from Neutrogena.
I’ve been using this product for years, and I’m very happy with it. I never go out in any season without sun protection on my face (I’m not great about remembering to include my neck — need to get better about that!), and this product is lightweight, oil-free, non-greasy, and fragrance-free. (Well, it definitely has a sunscreen-y scent, but it’s not super strong.) And it’s definitely popular — with more than 2,000 reviews at Amazon, the vast majority are 5-star.
The moisturizer is $9.58 at Amazon (with an extra $1.25 off applied at checkout) and $9.99 at Target and is also available at drugstores, etc. The 4-oz. bottle lasts a long time. Oil-Free Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 15
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
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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
Thanks for the earlier post today!
Present idea for a 3 and 4 yo? They love books, dress-up, imaginative play, climbing on things, and coloring (but have plenty of art supplies at the moment). Preschool is remote probably until next September, so they spend lots of time at home right now.
Cb says
Maybe some cool hats or those Etsy capes with their names? Sylvanian families or little people?
I’m struggling with my 3 year old, and will probably go pretty minimalist this year. It seems like there aren’t a lot of ‘big things’ he needs. We’ll add a few trains to his Brio and some more magnatiles.
OP says
They have a ton of little animals (we got a handmedown box of probably close to 100) but no sets of play people, so that’s a good idea. They would 100% adore personalized dress-up clothes like capes, so I’ll definitely look into that!
Anon says
imaginative play in what sense? Do they have a play kitchen? You could always get food for that or aprons with names. Not sure of your budget but my bf’s daughter with similar interests just got a few diff play sets from Learning Resources for her bday. One is with mermaids and the other with animals.
OP says
Yeah, they have a play kitchen and food. By imaginative play I meant they like setting up elaborate scenes with the animals and other toys (blocks, duplos, magnatiles) and playing “school” or “vet” or “restaurant” or “bus ride”. I’ll look at Learning Resources!
Anon says
Do they have a doctor set? The fisher-price one gets a lot of use in our house. Everyone gets a check-up (Doc McStuffins is very popular here).
Anon says
They have a M&D vet set and a Doc McStuffins set which are definitely among their most-used toys!
Anon says
You can also play doctor with things you already have – I guess the stethoscope is something most people don’t have lying around, but we let our kid play with old thermometers, plastic syringes, popsicle sticks, etc. and she finds random household to use too (like her striker from her musical triangle is used to probe baby doll’s eyes and ears to determine if she’s “fected”). I think to some degree it’s good to force them to stretch their imagination even more by repurposing other things.
Anon says
My 3.25 YO’s favorite things right now: play kitchen, lots and lots of play food (particularly the kind with velcro you can “slice” and the melissa and doug slice and bake cookie set), the marble run (needs assistance to build but can put marbles down it for hours), remote control car.
katy says
+ 1 to all these suggestions – my son doesn’t love the kitchen but the “sliceable” good is great. He also loves his apron (he bakes with me fairly regularly so we mostly use it for actual cooking). He has recently got into action figures. Batman (larger – the size of a small doll really!) does all kinds of stuff. He is finally getting decent at driving his remote control car himself (“big kid one”)
Also my husband bought walkie talkies last Christmas “for the family” – ha! we will get them going this year over xmas break. My husband’s family is big into quantity of presents. He gifted me Zoku popsicle molds last year. Not seasonably appropriate, but they are AWESOME. A good example of a useful but fun gift.
Anon says
They sound similar to my almost 3 year old. For the holidays this year I’m buying:
1. Cupcakes for the play kitchen (she loves to bake with me)
2. A fireman costume
3. The M&D tabletop two-way easel
4. A design & drill kit
5. A crib for her baby doll
6. Books
Our family/friends send a ton of stuff too, so we’ll probably save some of this for her January birthday. She likes Lego (Duplos) but has enough of those and I’m really hesitant to invest in another building system. She isn’t into board games or puzzles.
ElisaR says
our fireman costume gets a TON of action! melissa and doug have a bunch of different community figures (police, construction, chef, fireman) and my guys have been playing with them consistently for 2 years now (bought for 3 yr old birthday)
Walnut says
The M&D astronaut costume is a huge hit at our house.
Anonymous says
My kiddo has really gotten into putting furntiure in her magnitile and other creations to play house with action figures she has. So she’ll build a house with magnatiles and then put the furniture in. Maybe some simple dollhouse furntire? It can be useful without a dollhouse!
Pogo says
Duplos are huge at our house; cooperative games which were discussed earlier this week; puzzles. I’ll link to a cool puzzle that’s been a hit with the 3yo.
Pogo says
https://www.target.com/p/melissa-38-doug-see-38-spell-wooden-educational-toy-with-8-double-sided-spelling-boards-and-64-letters/-/A-10244292?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012544494&CPNG=PLA_Toys%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Toys&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=1018334&targetid=pla-887637457167&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAiAzNj9BRBDEiwAPsL0dzyWDoRfi7WNtvMmghvPBKvl0FKVou2YH-QqizWx2kg5rQJE-RCfThoCXaYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
AIMS says
Fort building kit. My kids (almost 3 and 5) love this.
https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/products/ca/p/HH938/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcyygI-P7QIVgeCzCh3nFQ_-EAQYASABEgJEOPD_BwE
OP says
Thank you all!!
Anonymous says
I prefer the Olay sensitive skin SPF 15 formula. It doesn’t contain any “benzone” ingredients, which tend to stain my white clothes yellow.
Anon says
My daily is the Neutrogena healthy defense sensitive skin moisturizer, which has all mineral sunscreen. The chemical sunscreens in the above pick make my psoriasis flare. And I cannot sing the praises enough of the Neutrogena Hydroboost extra dry gel-cream for extra nighttime moisture in winter.
Cb says
We’re moving in 2.5 weeks – I don’t need to Daniel Tiger style prepare for this, right? We’re moving from the city to the country but nursery will remain the same (commute will be a bit brutal but our nursery is amazing and I want to settle in and do some research). My 3 year old seems excited, but also a bit confused, he asked if our neighbours were moving too.
Anonymous says
I don’t think Daniel Tiger is a good idea unless a kid has already expressed anxiety or fear about an upcoming experience. To avoid signaling that this is something he should be upset about, just explain in very factual terms what will happen. Showing photos or taking him to see the new house will make it more concrete.
Cb says
I do think Daniel Tiger made my kid afraid of the dark. He seems pretty enthusiastic, we went and saw the house (and met the owners, which I think was confusing, think he thinks the house comes with elderly people) and he seemed excited by the prospect of a larger garden.
Anon says
This is adorable and made me smile this morning, so thank you!
Cb says
He is just the sweetest, funniest kid. Yesterday he told us that he needed to make an important phone call and got bananas out for it. “Hello, it’s me, I’m alright, I’m studying…but I don’t know how studying works!”
Anon says
Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about preparing overly for it. Make sure he knows that his bed and all his toys will be coming (or whatever he might be concerned about) and try to set up his room as soon as you get there. When we moved with our 2yos we did it while they were in daycare so they came home to their bedroom all ready, which I think made the transition easier.
SC says
+1. When we moved, Kiddo was 3 yo. We moved during the day while he was at daycare. We color-coded boxes. The first thing we did at the new house was set up Kiddo’s room. He came home from daycare to the new house, but with his bed and furniture and toys and books.
Boston Legal Eagle says
The hardest part of our move last year for our then 3.5 year old was saying goodbye to his daycare teachers and starting at a new daycare (which he of course eventually got used to), so I think yours will have an easier time already. I would play up the great things about the new house and get him excited to decorate his new room, etc.
Anonymous says
We moved when oldest kid was 3. She did great with it. We didn’t super prepare but we did paint her room the same color as her old bedroom and placed her bed in the same position relative to the door and window as it was in her old room. That seemed to help things seem more familiar. She had a playdate with friends on moving day and her bed was set up when she came to the house around supper time (first thing we set up). We walked her through how to get to our bedroom a few times as she was concerned how to find us if she needed us at night and we slept with both doors open for a few nights so we could hear her.
DLC says
Has your child visited the house with you? When we moved into the currant house, we got to spend some time there before the actually move because we were painting and doing some house projects. That way it wasn’t a sudden relocation, and there was a sense of anticipation and excitement. The kids love running through the empty house.
Also we have a tradition (if you can call doing it twice a tradition) that the day we close, we go over to our new house and order pizza delivery and eat it sitting on the floor. I think it’s a nice way to think of moving as an arrival rather than a departure.
BabyBoom says
We moved with a 3 and 4 year old last year. As we started packing they got very concerned that their stuff wasn’t going to make the move. We got a box for each of them that they could put their stuff in (this ended up being favorite lovies, toys, and blankets). We packed all of their other stuff. Each kid’s box went in their room about a week before the move (when they started noticing boxes and things getting put away). For that week, their favorite things went in and out of the box a lot!
We were fortunate enough to also stay at the same daycare. So day of the move, they woke up at old home, they put favorite stuff in box and went to school. Moms (well the movers really) moved boxes and furniture to new house and set up the kids’ rooms before pick up. We left their box packed so each kid could go through an unpack their favorite stuff. It wasn’t flawless, but I think this helped ease fears about moving. We also let them tour the house before we moved.
British Jemma says
We spoke about it matter of factly and nonchalantly. Toddler also helped us “pack” some boxes, which was cute. We’d say “we’re moving to a new house soon and are so excited!” It helped to have his room be the first to be unpacked and set up. We also made sure to unpack and set up the kid areas and things too (kid bathtime toys, etc.).
But toddler handled it like a champ. We were excited and not apprehensive–kid picked up on that and it all worked out. Best of luck and congrats on the move!
anonymommy says
Just moved with at 2.5 yo. Ordered the Daniel Tiger book about moving, and watched the episode about starting school because we did have to switch daycares. I think it helped. In your packing, keep your diaper bag in the easy-to-access pile, and put whatever night light/sound machine/blanket they are used to so the first night can go as smoothly as possible.
Anon says
Has anyone had to have surgery while pregnant? Obviously the surgery is urgent and unavoidable but I’m devastated to have to do this. I’ll be under for about 15 minutes and the doctors say they can do it safely but I’m just a mess. Surgery is tomorrow.
Anon says
I haven’t, but I’ve had two friends who have (one had her appendix taken out and I can’t remmeber the details of the other) and both went on to have healthy full-term babies. Good luck!
Spirograph says
No experience, I just wanted to send some good wishes your way. I hope everything goes well!
Anon says
I didn’t have surgery, but I did have to have a special lung scan with radioactive dye via IV at 36w. I had a high degree of confidence in my doctors, but what really threw me were all the waivers I had to sign because I was pregnant and the test is obviously not generally recommended for pregnant ladies. So just be prepared for that, take a deep breach, and have faith that all will go well.
anonymommy says
Not while pregnant, but had to have emergency D&Cs right after both deliveries. It was terrifying. I kept repeating to myself that I’m glad I’m in a place and means for access to healthcare and an OR. I didn’t stop it from being scary, but helped me calm down a bit. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Anon says
Two of my friends had to. I remember her doctor specifically saying it was far more risky to her baby for her to be in severe pain and that she needed to take a few doses of narcotic pain killer post surgery.
Both babies turned out amazing and both moms were fine. One was an appendix issue and one was a kidney issue.
Listen to your doctor’s advice and do not torture yourself trying to avoid pain meds. That will spike your BP and heartrate and that is worse.
Anon says
Okay my 4 yo who is the size of a 5 yo really wants a motorcycle for Christmas? He saw the Stacyc ones this summer but I do not want to buy anything that expensive! Agh. But it’s his number one. He said “don’t worry mom it can be a toy motorcycle” but not sure what’s big enough for a toy for a five year old. We’ve tried to discourage this request but I think it’s going straight to Santa – any suggestions?
Cb says
Motorcycle, absolutely not! Get him a remote control one. Or a bike that has the plastic casing that looks like a motorcycle?
OP says
Hah yes, I guess my question was, is there like a bike of that type that anyone knows? or a remote control one? totally agree that ithis is a bad idea, just trying to think of how to creatively check that box on behlaf of santa!
Spirograph says
I’d ask some more questions about this request. Does he really like motorcycles because they’re interesting vehicles, or does he want something to ride? Does he already have a balance bike or a regular bicycle? Could you make one look like a motorcycle, or does it really have to be self-propelled? Could you get away with a hot wheels style motorcycle or dirtbike? A lego kit to build a motorcycle? I know sometimes my kids get fixated on something but are perfectly happy with a much simpler interpretation. For example, last year my daughter insisted she wanted a walking talking unicorn. Grandma managed to find one, but I don’t think daughter’s played with it more than 2 hours total in the last year. Her cheap little unicorn stuffy, though, gets ALL THE LOVE.
Anonymous says
The stacyc bikes actually look more like a rugged balance bike than a motorcycle. Would a balance bike fit the bill?
TheElms says
Would he play with a lego motorcycle? https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Stunt-60255-Building-Pieces/dp/B07WHFDKW3 I think I saw some by Playmobile once recently as well.
Or would something like this work (assuming he’s not too close to 50 lbs)
https://www.target.com/p/step2-toddler-child-manually-operated-motorcycle-tricycle-ride-on-kid-toy-red/-/A-76125255#lnk=sametab
Ashley says
Would something motorized but less powerful (and cheaper) fit the bill? Granted my kid is 3 but our neighbor has something like this that they kids fight over: https://www.amazon.com/DTI-Direct-Chopper-Style-Orange/dp/B07SZKSVDK/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=12v+motorcycle+for+kids&qid=1605800964&sr=8-10
OP says
Ah I love that but he’s around 45 lbs :(
He does have a balance bike already. This is a challenge!
Anonymous says
Just get the 12V version which has a weight limit of 66lbs!
OP says
This is it!!! THANK YOU! It even comes in his favorite color!
SC says
Commiseration on a kid who is asking for something really impractical. My 5 yo asked for a toy train that knows where it’s going (not remote control, so AI?) and flies. Umm… I guess he’s getting a regular toy train. Which he has plenty of.
Last year, he asked for grippy socks to run around the house in. It’s a big jump from socks to a magic, flying train.
Anonymous says
My daughter’s friend in preK had one like this. It’s just a powerwheels type deal.
https://www.amazon.com/Fit-Right-Pink/dp/B086VZQCTD/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=12v+motorcycle+for+kids&qid=1605804664&sr=8-15
If that’s not in the budget then I’d go for a lego one.
OP says
Yup, perfect! Thank you!!!
OP says
Also thank you so much for finding that for me! You all are THE BEST!
And really appreciate everyone who weighed in for me – this one had me stumped!
Weaning tips? says
Has anyone ever successfully cut down to nursing to only once a day before age 1? My second is 8 months and I am feeling ready to be done. Definitely ready to be done pumping. My supply hasn’t been great, so baby has been combo fed about 60/40 formula/breastmilk while with the nanny for the last couple of months and it’s been so nice not to stress about milk math, drink gross teas, fit in extra pumping sessions, etc. If she seems hungry we often mix up a bottle of all formula on evenings or weekends and she happily drinks that. Baby is eating a ton of solids and I can tell my supply is dropping even more. The only reason I don’t want to fully wean is that she still wakes once overnight, usually around 4 am, and a nursing session reliably gets her back to sleep til 7. Without it she’ll be awake on and off and then up for the day around 6. My older kid dropped this early morning feed by herself before 1 year and I’m content to let it ride a few more months to see if that happens. But is it feasible to cut down to only this one nursing session, or will my supply disappear completely?
Anon says
I think it varies from person to person. I stopped pumping around 6 months and we used formula, but I didn’t fully wean until almost 18 months, so for me pumping and nursing were not very linked. But I nursed a lot when I wasn’t at work (usually 3x/day on weekdays and more on weekends) and I had oversupply to begin with. IIRC, the progression from dropping the morning feed to weaning completely (bedtime was the last session we gave up) was pretty quick, like a month or two at most, but my kid was older and clearly just ready to be done.
Boston Legal Eagle says
With my kids, I stopped pumping at around nine months, and then still did morning and nighttime nursing sessions for a bit – about another month for the first, and until age 1 for the second. I’m not sure how much less he was getting at that point, but it seemed like enough so I think you can give it a try, and if your supply does stop, then could you try a formula bottle for that 4am wakeup?
Anonymous says
It varies from person to person. I was able to chug along at two feeds a day (morning and night) for a long while but my supply tanked pretty quickly when I went to once a day. I’d cut the pumping, nurse after work or before bed, and keep the morning nursing session and then re-evaluate in a few weeks.
FWIW – it’s super common in Canada not to pump after coming back from maternity leave (most people take a year), but to just nurse morning and night or just once. Most women seem to nurse at least a few more months before weaning completely.
Katala says
I stopped pumping around 7 months with my second, used a combo of frozen milk and formula while trying to continue to nurse while we were together (so mornings, most evenings and on the weekend). That didn’t last more than a month or two because baby was just getting more active and didn’t want to focus on BF when his brother was doing interesting things. He was perfectly happy with formula. This was different than my older who nursed when available until 15-16 months, long after I stopped pumping, and never had formula just went from EBF, then solids, then cows milk and nursing. So I think it’s a combination of your body’s response to cutting down and your baby’s personality/interest in continuing. Your baby sounds happy and well fed – you’re doing great whatever you choose going forward!
Anon says
It’s hard to know for sure. If your supply hasn’t been great, it might continue to slide. Pros and cons, whatever you decide to do. I would vote weaning if you long for that, but I get that the 4 am wake up is tricky.
Pogo says
My limited near-the-end-of-nursing supply held up until literally no nursing and then even then, I had milk probably for a week that I had to express for comfort. I think the middle of the night feeding should be fine to continue.
ElisaR says
i went down to night feeding only with both my boys at 6 months. i’m sure everyone is different but give it a shot! i only had supply on one side (even when i exclusively b-fed prior to 6 months) and it was fine feeding once a day. i’m sure someone with typical both sides would be even better shape for it.
Anon. says
I currently have a 10 month old at home. I gave up on pumping and mostly stopped nursing on weekends too a while ago. We’ve been at one nursing session a day (first thing in the morning) for at least 2 months now. I don’t know how much she gets, but enough that she’s still interested in it. Mine dropped the middle of the night feed a while ago, but I’d bet she doesn’t need a ton at that time of day anyway. If your supply dips it may help naturally eliminate that wake up some too.
And another present question! says
Separate question from mom whose DS wants a motorcycle just because I didn’t want requests to get confused – he’s also asked for a skateboard (seriously, this is the kids whole list, not sure what’s going through his mind right now). Are there skateboards appropriate for a 4.5/5 year old? Lots of pads obviously? Terrible idea?
Cb says
Skateboard, yes. He’ll probably just scoot around on his bum on it.
Anonymous says
Definitely. Lots of pads + helmet, and find safe places for him to ride, but this is a totally reasonable idea. Especially compared to a motorcycle!
OP says
Oh good -any pecific recommendations? I feel like a larger one would be more stable but I THINK they make kids ones? I have never tried a skateboard…
Anonymous says
To me, the stability seems to depend on how much play there is in the trucks rather than the size of the board. There are kids’ skateboards with a removable scooter handle that might be just the thing.
Anonymous says
I saw a 4-5 year old killing it on a skateboard in a little plaza the other day while we were having an urban picnic. A bunch of teenagers had set up some cones and small obstacles to work on their tricks. None of them was very good, but this little kid was zipping around with them and was the only one I saw successfully hop anything. Of course now my kids want skateboards too.
https://www.bamargera.com/best-beginner-skateboard-for-kids/
Anon says
My then-4yo, now-5yo played a ton with his skateboard this summer but more to scoot around on his belly or bottom. I think next summer it will get a lot more “real” play. We got him the Meketec 22 inch retro one that you can find on the River, with a set of wrist/knee/elbow pads from the same place.
Anonymous says
sure! or you could get neither and get a hoverboard, which is not really either thing but the same category of fun ride-on. My kids and their friends started playing with those around age 4.5/5.
AnonATL says
Your kid sounds like an awesome daredevil.
OP says
Haha he’s definitely an awesome daredevil in his head. He’s way cooler than we are!
drpepperesq says
i don’t know if they make these for kids, but my husband skateboards (or did skateboard, as a younger person- lol), and it seems like a “longboard” type skateboard is more stable and easier to ride than like a classic skateboard that you imagine like bart simpson riding. a longboard is heavier, wider, and the wheels are sturdier… it’s made for cruising not really tricks or anything. maybe start there!
Knope says
I’m on the hunt for a durable, large, cute monogrammed tote bag for a holiday gift. Bonus points if 1) it has a few pockets and 2) if it’s from a small business in the US. Any ideas?
Anne-on says
Any reason you wouldn’t do llbean? Otherwise I really love my Lo & Sons totes and I think Dagne Dover is US made (not sure they monogram though).
Knope says
LL Bean looks perfect, thanks! Didn’t even think to look there. FWIW this is for my nanny, so doesn’t need to be a professional-looking bag, just something cute and sturdy to carry around her stuff.
Anon says
+1 I have multiple boat and totes of all sizes and they are extremely durable (and I put them through a lot of abuse).
Anon says
+1 I’ve had one that’s lasted me twenty years!
Pogo says
we use the boat & tote as our daycare bag with LO’s name on embroidered on it. It’s so rugged.
AIMS says
I just got a huge LLBean Tote and couldn’t be happier with it.
anonamama says
Just a note on L.L.Bean vs Lands’ End – I have both, and I like the stiffness of the L.L. Bean bags for easier packing – that feature goes a long way in corralling items. But the pockets, size and price of Lands’ End are great, too. I think they make a tote organizer for L. L. Bean on Etsy.
Anon says
If you’re looking for pockets, go with Lands End over LLBean. Basically the same thing but with good interior organization and an exterior pocket, neither of which you get with the LLBean version (that I know of). I use one as a diaper bag and love it.
Mary Moo Cow says
I have 4 Lands’ End totes! And they run more coupons than LL Bean.
Anonymous says
What did y’all do at the 1-2 year old stage with Christmas trees? I’m leaning towards not having one this year but my husband is disappointed by that idea. Our house is too small to baby-gate all around the tree. Maybe we get a wreath or a table tree as a compromise?
DLC says
We’ve always had a tree, but kept the breakable ornaments up top. The one thing we did run into was the babies loved to crawl underneath and play in the water.
I talked to a babyproofing professional once and their suggestion was to put it in a different room, one with a door that closed. That seemed a little extreme to me, but they said to remember that it’s just one year, not a forever position.
Spirograph says
We had regular Christmas trees. We put fragile ornaments up high and left the cheap and/or durable ones at kid height. There was one incident where son and his friend (1.5-2) were taking the little balls from Target that I thought were plastic and dropping them on the bricks of the hearth while the grownups were chatting in the next room. They killed a handful of them before we realized what was going on, but at least they didn’t cut themselves on the shards, and no one ever tipped the tree over.
Anonymous says
adding — our cat is a bigger risk to ornaments than the toddlers ever were, even with the incident above included. Use a tree skirt to cover the water, and be very clear that the tree is to look at, not to touch. You’ll have to remind them the whole time it’s up, but it’s no different than any other hazard.
Ashley says
I have no personal experience but I’ve seen people recommend using a metal trash can around the bottom instead of a tree skirt (weight it down to avoid tipping, of course). It keeps the actual tree a little higher off the ground, and fewer ornaments are within reach.
Anon says
Our tree goes against a wall, so we put three sides of a fence around it to discourage (she could totally reach over the fence, it was more signaling than anything). Non-breakable ornaments on the bottom two thirds (our kid is tall) and the fragile ones at the top. We have a super sturdy base too, all metal square external base, round internal base unit you screw into the bottom of the tree and then 4 adjustable prongs holding it in. My mom also got a felt tree cut out that has velcro spots for different felt pieces, and we hung that in a different room, so I think having a felt tree that was “her tree” helped.
Anonymous says
Basically this. Tree in a corner, no presents under it until Christmas eve, baby fence around as much as possible.
SC says
We’ve always had a regular tree. We swapped out our glass balls for plastic ones from Target, and we kept any other fragile ornaments up high. We didn’t baby gate around the tree, but we put the tree in a corner and arranged the couches to discourage walking up to the tree. We demonstrated being gentle with ornaments. It was fine.
Pogo says
Yeah I literally don’t remember it being an issue. I think now at age 3 he’s more likely to want to yank something off because it’s in the shape of a cat or a train or something else he enjoys playing with and thinks the ornament is a toy. At 1-2 he didn’t seem interested.
ElisaR says
same.
CCLA says
We also swapped the glass balls for the target plastic ones and think they look great. We did away with all breakable ornaments for now, just soft or plastic, though really our kids have never showed an interest in pulling down the tree, though I’m told that my parents used to secure ours to the wall with fishing line or twine up top so that it couldn’t easily be pulled over.
AwayEmily says
Yeah, this.
Anonymous says
We had a three footer that we had on our sofa/console table. It was very inexpensive and now kiddo gets to put it up in her room.
blueridge29 says
We did this as well for a few years when our kids were small.
Anon says
A small-ish tree with only the kid-safe ornaments. Kids do play with and move the ornaments all day. We only have one living space so putting it in a different room isn’t an option. I really don’t think it’s a big deal…maybe get it close to Christmas so it’s not up for too long, and realize you’ll need to supervise a bit more closely while it’s there. Don’t skip if it’s important to your husband!
Mrs. Jones says
We’ve always used a regular tree. When son was young, we put kid-friendly ornaments at the bottom and breakable ones up higher.
Anon says
We did a regular tree, no gates or changes to ornaments. But we got some Little People Christmas-themed playsets to set under the tree. They played with those constantly and left the actual tree/ presents alone. They’re in elementary school now and still set out the Little People under the tree.
Anonymous says
We don’t do anything special. We have a 3.5yo and 16 month old. It’s never been an issue with the older one except for some gentle reminders of “look with your eyes don’t touch with your hands”. Jury is out on how the younger one will do since he’s a bulldozer.
katy says
At just shy of 1.5 we decorated the tree after the LO was asleep one night and left 2 ornaments out for him in the morning. My logic was that he won’t get the concept of stuff coming on / off the tree. His wide- eyed delight when he came down in the morning was amazing. (i had dressed him in xmas jammies) For whatever reason he only touched those two ornaments pretty much the entire month. it was way less of an issue that i expected.
Last year at a little shy of 2.5 he helped us decorate. We talked a few times at the beginning about ornaments staying on the tree. Again there were about 2 – 3 that he liked to carry around but that was it.
All the ornaments below 3 feet are soft / very durable.
Also – i wouldn’t say that this is a particularly obedient child. My point is that, with any luck it will be way less of an issue than you think. We do not have the space to gate the tree if we actually want to sit in the living room.
anonamama says
After much internet shopping, I settled on the Guidecraft brand learning tower for LO’s Christmas gift. However, they are sold out everywhere! Anyone been through this? Do they restock frequently? Thanks as always.
octagon says
We’ve been sending kiddo to preschool throughout the fall because his class is pretty small (6 kids) and we know the families, the kids and teachers all wear masks. I just learned that another family is planning to travel by plane to a hotspot for Thanksgiving. I’ve asked the director whether they plan to do anything about this but UGH, I don’t want to have to pull my kid out for 2 weeks to be safe just because another family is taking a trip. Preschool is pretty much the only risk we are taking and all of a sudden it feels like a much bigger one.
Anonymous says
Even if the school decides to require the traveling family to quarantine, what about all the other people having local family gatherings? Preschool is just going to be a much bigger risk after Thanksgiving than it has been thus far. Only you can decide whether it’s worth it.
NYCer says
+1. Plane travel itself hasn’t really been a major source of spread, especially now that everyone has to wear masks. I would be more concerned about the mixing of households and gathering with extended family/friends indoors, which is a risk with the families who are staying local too.
Anon says
well was there some sort of contract or policy put in place at the beginning of all of this? like Ivanka & Jared withdrew their kids from their school/were asked to leave bc they couldn’t comply with the school’s covid policies. i know someone whose kids are at a school where if you go out of state or have visitors from out of state you have to quarantine for 2 weeks before returning to school.
Anon says
I work in public health. Plane travel has not really been shown to be a major source of spread, especially once the airlines put mask mandates in place. The problem here is gathering with non-household members, not out of state travel, and unfortunately I think it’s very likely that they’re not the only ones gathering with family members over the holiday (40% of Americans are planning to have more than 10 people at their Thanksgiving dinner!). So I understand being anxious, but I think you’re focusing on the wrong thing. That said, if your state has a quarantine policy and they’d be violating that, I think it’s fair to point that out and ask that they be excluded from school until they’ve complied with state law.
Re: school risk in general, we’ve always assumed the risk of exposure at daycare was quite high. We live in a red state and in seems like many teachers and staff have been going about life as normal, including attending weddings. We went back to school because 1) we hope that the masks and other precautions would prevent our child from getting sick even if she were exposed – I know daycare is different than K-12 school, but there have so far been zero incidents of classroom transmission in our public schools, despite lots of community spread – and 2) we’re low risk enough that we feel that even if we did get it, the benefits of in-person daycare outweighed the risks. Unless you’re in a state like Vermont that has kept community spread very minimal, I think it’s naive to assume you won’t have any exposure at school/daycare.
Anonymous says
You can’t control what other people are doing, unfortunately. And you can’t keep tabs on everyone’s behavior or stalk them on social media to see who is quarantining best. With sending your kid to preschool you accept that risk or you pull them out for 2 weeks or stop sending them. We send our 3.5yo in MD. We have accepted that the risk of her getting COVID and giving it to us is lower than the risk of her suffering psychological damage (and frankly doing bad things to my mental health) due to her being home/not socializing for a year or more. We are keeping DD home for a full week after thanksgiving so it’ll be 10 days by the time she returns.
Anonymous says
I don’t know if this makes you feel better or worse, but for every reckless Covid decision you know about, there are many more you don’t know about. I promise you it’s not just this one family doing things you wouldn’t be comfortable with. The bottom line is you can’t control other people’s lives. If your school has a policy that addresses travel, the other family needs to follow it, but otherwise it’s on you to keep your kid out of school if you’re uncomfortable with the post-Thanksgiving risk.
Anonymous says
+1. Restrictions only on those that travel does not eliminate the risk. It ignores the families that have visitors travel to them or simply are not social distancing/wearing masks on a daily basis.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Our daycare requires those who travel to a non-approved state (again, pretty much all of them now) or have visitors from these states to quarantine for 14 days or show a negative Covid test before returning. Does yours have this requirement in place? For us, it’s a state licensing requirement.
Anon says
According to a WSJ article from October: “Children in day-care programs present virtually no risk of transmitting Covid-19, according to a new Yale University study of more than 57,000 U.S. child-care providers.”
I think you can relax a bit about this.
Anonymous says
COVID was much less prevalent in the community over the summer than it will be after Thanksgiving.
Anon says
If the risk of daycare kids transmitting COVID was virtually zero when the study was conducted, how much do you think it will rise over Thanksgiving when the community spread is higher? It may rise some, but it’s not likely to be a hugely transformative difference. It’s been shown time and time again that young kids aren’t affected by COVID the same way adults are.
Anon says
I think the point of the study is that kids in daycare haven’t been shown to spread Covid very well even when they have it. Presumably among these 57,000 providers there were enough Covid cases over the summer to get a sense of how well kids are spreading it. Also it’s simply not true that all states are worse now – AZ for example is still nowhere near as bad as it was over the summer. That said, I do know of a couple instances of daycare transmission but in both cases the daycare’s precautions were seriously lacking (no masks, etc.)
FFS says
Though I do agree with this as a general rule, it was pretty insane when our state health commissioner got it from her grandson who was in daycare.
Anon says
I’m in the same state. Apparently patient zero at the daycare was a teacher and there was no mask requirement for staff at that daycare, so this is not evidence of kids transmitting it (although I agree there have been documented instances, though rare, of that happening). But yeah, that was….something. I’m glad she’s ok but our elected officials are not modeling good covid behavior, that’s for sure. Although to be fair, I think that’s true in a lot of places.
Anonymous says
Maybe it was a teacher and not another kid who gave it to the grandson, but the grandson was a child who then transmitted it to an adult. This is exact the scenario I am worried about.
Anon says
Unclear – it’s possible that the mom was infected by the teachers too, especially since it sounds like they were lax about Covid safety preacutions and let parents come in and chat with mask-less teachers. It sounds like the grandchild did become symptomatic a day or so before his mom, but my understanding is that younger people often have shorter incubation periods for this virus, so I don’t think that’s proof the grandson gave it to mom when mom also likely had exposure to the infected teachers. And the grandma (our state health commissioner) could have gotten it from her adult daughter, not her grandson. Either way, not disagreeing with the point that it’s possible for kids to transmit it, it’s just not clear to me that it’s what happened in this case.
Anonymous says
Our schools (i have 3 kids in 3 different schools- daycare, PK, and elem) all have policies that they’ve emailed this week regarding out of state travel. The general consensus is that when you get back, you need a negative covid test and 72 hours, or a 14 day quarantine before coming back.
Anonymous says
I would encourage your preschool to put in place some guidance around negative tests/ quarantining, if they haven’t already. Our daycare has a 14 day quarantine requirement for any out of state travel, and that will definitely apply post-Thanksgiving. You may still want to keep kiddo at home, but they should be setting the overall tone.
This will be an issue after Christmas as well, so I think it’s worth putting up a fight now, even if you don’t win the immediate battle.
Anon says
That’s silly. It’s social gatherings driving the spread at this point and it doesn’t matter if they’re local or if you have to travel for them. Responsible vacations (masked, distanced from people outside your household) are MUCH safer than inviting a few local friends or neighbors over for a holiday dinner where you all remove your masks to eat. Most travel restrictions are hygiene theater at this point, given that virtually every US state has significant community spread.
AwayEmily says
Yeah, this is how I feel. I am strongly considering pulling my kids out after Thanksgiving, not because I think people are traveling out of state, or even that people are making hugely dumb decisions, but if everyone relaxes the rules just a tiny bit, it adds up. A teacher has her college-aged kid home for Thanksgiving. Another family invites one extra friend to Thanksgiving. Someone else gets together with family in the area who they rarely see. None of those decisions are inherently dangerous, but when EVERYONE at daycare is making them…chances increase a lot.
Anonymous says
Exactly. This is why we are putting a stop to all distanced outdoor get-togethers, quick masked runs into the store, dental appointments, etc. after Thanksgiving. The risks are going to go up exponentially.
Anonymous says
CDC has now officially strongly recommended against travel. I’d ask the daycare to require that anyone who has traveled quarantine for two weeks prior to coming back to daycare.
Purge Toys says
Any recommendations on how to purge toys? I have a hard time letting go. Any advice greatly appreciated!!
SC says
I purged 6 boxes of toys and books this weekend! I went methodically by category/location in our house. The main thing that helped me was to relentlessly focus on who Kiddo is and what he’s interested in right now. That helped me let go of what I wish he’d play with, and what is sentimental to me. There are a few things I think he’d like again (tent, easel) that I’m planning to rotate to more accessible places, but if he still doesn’t play with them by his birthday in April, I’m donating them too.
Anon says
We haven’t really done a toy purge yet, because my child is barely 3 and we didn’t really buy toys for the first couple of years (we just used random things we had already for entertainment), but I’ve done several successful book purges. I involve her and then we donate the books to her infant classroom, which is nice because I know they’re going to a good home and she feels like she’s not fully parting with them since they’re going to teachers and a school she knows and loves.
Anonymous says
Hide them for awhile before you actually get rid of them. If you/your kid has forgotten about them by the time you look at them again, time to get rid of them!
Mrs. Jones says
+1 to this. I take away toys and hide them for months and then get rid of them.
DLC says
+2. I put toys in a box and the box goes into the attic. If no one remembers after a while then it goes in trash or Goodwill. I find it works well for non toy things too. Some how thinking that i’m just putting them away for a little bit helps loosen the sentimental hold. A big thing for me, though, is to not open the box before getting rid of it- if see things I make excuses to keep them.
If i’m Really struggling, I listen to a few episodes of the Minimalist podcast – they are really ruthless about possessions.
Anon says
I try to think in terms of ages and only keep one or two toys from each age. The idea is I would keep them for cousin visits or someday grandkids (maybe?) so they should be durable and universal.
Babies – a couple classic toys like a shape sorter and a pull back car
Toddlers/Preschool – Little People and Duplos
Early Elementary – a few Barbies and superheros
Older Elementary – we’re still here, but probably Legos and Magnatiles
strollerstrike says
Is the current 50% off and free shipping on cards as good as it gets? Or should I wait until black friday?
We just took christmas cards pictures today and I want to get it off my to do list.
strollerstrike says
Sorry, to clarify: Talking about shutterfly.
Anonymous says
You mean Shutterfly? I’ve never seen better than that.
Anonymous says
Yup. I got codes in the mail and got 50% off my order plus free shipping. Took $70 off my order. Shutterfly shipping takes a while (I self address the cards so I need them to me first) so I like to check it off my list
Anon says
It’s pretty good. I can’t say for sure it won’t get better, but I’d jump on that, especially since shipping will probably be delayed in December.
GutCheck says
Looking for a reality check. We are in NYC, our schools just closed but in our area the positive rate is still low and even the city wide average is under 3 percent (weekly, though, it’s at like 3.1 %). I realize things are not headed in a good direction and everything can quickly change but let’s assume they stay on this course.
My kindergartner has a birthday in 2 weeks. Is it a horrible idea to invite some kids from the class to the playground for pizza and a hang out? I assume not everyone will feel comfortable but I figure a few families will come and it would be a nice celebration.
Second question, who would you invite in this situation? We have 3 groups in the class – 2 alternating in person ‘cohorts’ and an at home group. My kid only knows 1 cohort in real life. I hate to exclude anyone but given the current situation, can I just invite my kid’s small cohort? Between the kids there and a few other friends from the neighborhood I feel like we will be at capacity and I really don’t want to overdo it.
Anon says
I gather this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m fine with outdoor gatherings with people we already have exposure to, and would have happily attended outdoor birthday parties for daycare classmates this fall. We weren’t invited to any though and I probably won’t have one for my kid next spring because I doubt anyone would show up (unless things change dramatically for the better between now and then). I would definitely only invite the cohort – I can’t imagine anyone feeling “excluded” under the current circumstances. I would probably even be inclined to omit the neighborhood kids or do a separate small outdoor gathering with them. If I were a parent of a child in your child’s class the presence of kids outside the cohort would give me pause. The kids in the cohort all already have quite a bit of exposure to each other, you know? But introducing new kids changes the analysis a bit.
AnonATL says
Kid is about to be 4 months and has started trying to sit himself upright in his bouncer. What sort of kid container can I keep him in once he starts sitting up? We have a high chair that reclines a bit, but I’m thinking for the times he is hanging out in our office or the living room when we don’t want to be holding him.
Not a fan of the seated walkers because of the safety and hip concerns, but a similar activity center would work.
Anon says
Fisher-Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat! It’s better ergonomically than a Bumbo and my kids would happily sit and chew on toys while watching things going on in the house before they could sit up completely independently.
Once he can reliably sit up, you can just put him on a quilt or blanket (to soften the landing if he topples).
Anonymous says
We got the most mileage out of a hexagonal plastic pen and a rotating selection of toys. A bonus was that an exhausted parent could sit inside the pen and interact with baby without constantly having to chase after her. One of those little plastic activity tables would be great in the pen, as they are built to encourage pulling up. An exersaucer or jumper is fun, but the recommendations seem to be to limit them to 15 minutes per day and they are really only safe and useful for a short period of time between the sitting up and standing up stages.
AnonATL says
We are going to have to get one of these sooner than later. Our dogs relish the opportunity to lick him when he’s at ground level. Usually we avoid this by putting the bouncer up on a tabletop or bed, which I know you aren’t technically supposed to do. It’s part of the reason that trying to sit himself upright is becoming an issue.
Anon at 1:52 says
Ha–the original reason we got the pen was to keep the baby and the dog separated. It served the purpose well and was also useful for gating off the Christmas tree.
AnonATL says
We do have a pack n play we can stick him in as well.
Anon says
You can safely sit babies on the floor with minimal supervision until they start crawling. I think most of the baby containment devices (except a playpen) are considered not great for development and you’re supposed to limit how much time they spend in them.
Anon says
+1. We did have a baby Einstein jumpy bouncer that was beloved by my babies from about 4-6 months, but they only went in for 15 min at a time. Blanket on the floor is great!
Anonymous says
I just put mine on a blanket on the floor when they could sit but not yet crawl