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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 58 Comments · by

Washable Wednesday: Jersey Shift Dress

Machine-Washable Work Clothes· Recent Recs

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A woman wearing a black Jersey Shift Dress Sometimes, you just want a machine washable basic black sheath. Old Navy has delivered on this point in the past — I don’t think this is the exact dress that I had a few seasons ago, but it’s very close. I like that it comes in regular, petite, and tall — whereas with Lands’ End I tend to get petite sizes (at 5’4″), at Old Navy I sometimes get tall sizes so they’re the length I want them to be. This dress comes down to $18ish with the “take an extra 15% off” sale going on online today (no code needed); it’s also available in a fun blue striped version and a pink striped version. Old Navy Jersey Shift Dress

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

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Comments

  1. ANP says

    Love this. And at 39 w 1 d, I cannot WAIT to wear normal people clothes again!

    Anyone out there had their membranes stripped as a way of prompting labor? I have a doc appointment today and I’m pretty sure it’s going to come up as an option. For context, my first child was 8 days late and came on her own; my water broke at the hospital. Kid #2 was 8 days early and after a day of laboring, they broke my water and he arrived a few hours later. I don’t love pain (drugs! ALL OF THE DRUGS) but part of me wants to get this show on the road. Thoughts?

    • EB0220 says

      I did. Causation is hard to determine, of course, but I had my membranes stripped at 39w3d and she came two days later.

    • Anonymous says

      I had my membranes swept twice and it didn’t do anything for me. But a friend had it done and went into labor that evening. It’s really a toss up.

      • JMDS says

        Had it done once, and it did nothing, and I found it very painful. I agree it is a toss up.

      • JEB says

        I had it done twice, and nothing happened. I found it to be quite painful and had to ask the doc to stop the second time.

    • Liz says

      Had it done and I went in to labor that night. Baby arrived the next morning.

    • Samantha says

      The Emily Oster book looks at/summarizes peer-reviewed research on this and many other topics (other ways to start labor). It’s been several months since I read it, but I seem to recall that there was no conclusive finding that membrane stripping in any way causes labor to begin.

    • Annoy Law Mom says

      I had it done twice. It didn’t seem to help, but it also was not painful at all. I didn’t even know the doctor did it the first time it happened.

  2. NewMomAnon says

    In the same vein, Already Pretty had a run down of knee length dresses with half sleeves this morning. Will post the link in a reply.

  3. Travelling with an infant says

    I am planning on traveling by plane by myself with my 6 month old son over the holiday weekend. I am planning on taking my car seat and stroller. I am planning on buying a pack n’play and having it shipped to my destination. I have so many questions I’m not sure where to start! If you breastfed, did you take additional bottles with food for the flight? If not, where did you nurse at the airport? Any tips for flying or traveling with a baby?

    • EB0220 says

      Did you purchase a seat for him or will you be checking the carseat? I think that makes a difference!

      • Traveling with an infant says

        I will be checking the carseat. He will be flying on my lap.

        • EB0220 says

          In that case – here is my method! Usual caveats, of course, that YMMV. My first time flying with my first baby (alone and she was 6 months as well), I gate checked stroller and carseat. It was really hard to fold up the stroller by myself and get it and the carseat in gate check bags while holding her in the carrier. Never again! I honed my new method on many subsequent trips with my first. I was almost always alone (husband is a consultant so we were usually flying to a destination from different locations). I wear baby in a carrier (e.g. Ergo) in the airport. Super easy to get through security and less stuff to juggle. At that age, baby rides in front, so backpack for carry on. Rent a carseat from car rental, borrow from someone you trust at destination or have someone at destination buy a cheap one from Walmart. Ditto stroller. I usually go without a stroller entirely but I know many people like to have one. I usually nurse baby in the carrier or with a cover at the gate. On the plane, I nurse exclusively because I care more about making my life easier than about my seatmates’ sensitivities. I have never had any issues or had anyone complain about nursing. I do recommend asking for some blankets from the flight attendants to wedge under your elbow. The plane arm rests are not comfortable when holding/nursing a baby for long periods of time. Good luck! My kids have done so well flying and no one has ever been anything but pleasant to us. Especially when you are alone, you will really see a great side of people.

          • EB0220 says

            OK – I should have added the caveat that I am on my second bf kiddo now so I’m very comfortable nursing in carriers, in public, etc. I understand that not every nursing mama is good with this!

          • Meg Murry says

            Yes – with EB0220’s caveat – how are you at nursing in places other than in your own house in just the right chair with just the right pillow, etc, etc? I never really got the hang of bf in public with kid #1, so for kid #2 I made a point of practicing in places with a minimal amount of “stuff”. Honestly, the best place to practice nursing in public for me was the fitting room at Target or Old Navy if there was a bench. You hand to do it without all your props like nursing pillow so you got good at improvising with things like my hoodie, and with the mirrors there you can see if you are giving the whole world a peep show or if you are pretty well covered up.

            Don’t forget, if you take bottles of milk there and wind up using them on the plane, you will probably also want them on the way home, which means dragging your pump, and so on and so on, ugh.

            and +1 to EB’s recommendation to check as much as possible – don’t try to haul all your luggage AND baby all over the airport. I agree that a backpack is the way to go for carry on. Don’t forget spare clothes for you as well as baby in your carry on in case there is a blowout disaster that gets on you AND baby.

            Assuming you are going to visit family, don’t forget that there will be Walmart’s and Targets there, so you can always buy a small pack of diapers, etc if you don’t have everything you need or you forget something.

          • Thoughts says

            Also, how is your kiddo at nursing?? At 4+ months, mine were both starting to get super, super distracted, and probably would not have stayed latched on, given all the exciting noises/sights. They did better with the flow from a bottle.

            Just to reiterate – I always, always, always underestimated how much milk I needed when flying with my kiddos. For whatever reason, my kids ate tons on the plane. If you are supplementing, toss a few of those single serve formulas in your bag, just in case. I also usually had a bottle with pre-measured formula in it, so I could just add water.

            ETA: some people wouldn’t be comfortable doing this, but I also pack a ton of nipples and re-use the same bottle over multiple flights with a clean nipple at each new feeding. Also, pacifier wipes can be a lifesaver for dropped bottle parts, pacifiers, toys, etc. etc. etc.

    • NewMomAnon says

      I nursed my kiddo when we flew at 4 months – I just found a quiet seating area in the airport and used a nursing cover, but hear that airports are starting to build nursing rooms. I would got to the airports’ websites (both of them) and check for accommodations. Some people on here have also suggested getting a one day pass to the airline’s traveler’s lounge, so you might look at that.

      I brought a couple bottles of bm for the flight, and we burned through them far too quickly so I eneded up nursing on the plane. It’s challenging, since the seats are small and you’re basically in your seatmate’s business….but it worked really well if you are comfortable with it. Kiddo fell asleep while nursing and slept under my nursing cover for the whole flight. For that reason, I would suggest getting a seat for your kiddo on the plane. Not only can you stick kiddo in the car seat on the plane, you can also get a little elbow room for nursing if you need it.

      If you bring bottles of bm, they will do a special screening (they don’t open the bottle, just put the whole thing in a tube for 30 seconds). Just make sure you let security know. It was no big deal.

      And if you forget something, traveler’s services in the airport has extras of a lot of things – formula, diapers, etc.

    • Manhattanite says

      Extra bottles are just one more thing to lug around. You’ll probably want to bf on takeoff and landing to make sure his ears don’t hurt. A baby carrier can be really useful in the airport and the plane.

      • Traveling with an infant says

        I have a silly question. Are you allowed to go through security while wearing a baby carrier?

        • EB0220 says

          Yes! Don’t let them tell you that you need to take baby out! They just do an extra swab of your hands to check for explosives residue. Just don’t use a ring sling with a metal ring because that will set off the metal detector. A soft structured carrier (like Ergo) is easiest by far.

          • DC Mom says

            I brought bottles because sometimes the kid doesn’t nurse, so I wanted to have options. FYI, if you bring bm through security, some TSA agents will give you guff – extra screening, pat down. They all handle it differently, so I would suggest going a bit early. I have always had them open each bottle and hold a test strip above it.
            I also hold on to my car seat in hopes of grabbing an extra seat if one is available. If not, I gate check the car seat. Like others have said, feed upon ascent and initial descent (about thirty minutes before landing) to help with ears popping.

          • anon says

            +1 to this – I once flew with my 3 month old (and my 2.5 y/o), and took him out of the carrier – the only way to put the carrier back on was to stick him in one of those grey security bins. I should’ve taken a picture.

    • k. says

      I don’t think anyone mentioned this either–nursing during take-off and landing on the plane helps babies with ear pressure–which apparently is hard for them to deal w/ otherwise and can result in a very fussy baby. The sucking helps them. I just nursed next to complete strangers with a nursing scarf. I don’t think anyone knew I was nursing–I think they thought the scarf was the help the baby fall asleep! I traveled with an 8 month old and it went fairly well. I second everyone’s recommendation to use a baby carrier instead of stroller–it was much easier going through security that way.

    • Traveling with an infant says

      Thanks, ladies. All of this information has been extremely helpful.

    • Lorelai Gilmore says

      Tripswithtykes.com just did an amazing roundup of all of the details of flying with a carseat in case it’s helpful.

    • anon says

      If you use a sling-type carrier in the airport, they’ll usually let you wear the baby through the metal detector — we used a k’tan recently and it couldn’t have been easier.

  4. sleepovers says

    My 6-year-old has started asking to have a friend sleep over. I am thinking that at this age, that entails (on a weekend night): dinner (pizza or other kid-friendly fare), some sort of movie or fun activity (late night at the pool or mini golf), some sort of splurge dessert (ben & jerry’s run), staying up a bit too late, changing into PJs and brushing teeth, sleeping in, breakfast, and then a parent picks the friend up. [So: no baths, friend packs an overnight bag.] We have an extra high-back booster car seat.

    What am I forgetting / getting wrong? The last sleepovers I remember were junior high parties or in high school where I am relieved that there was no facebook/instagram back then.

    One factor will be for 5-year-old sibling to be occupied a bit and fussed over (as the envisioned friend is a mutual friend, but not coming primarily to visit her).

    • Meg Murry says

      If you want to do all those fun activities, that is fine – but honestly, the sleepover IS the fun part. My son just had his first sleepover at 7, and it was dinner, running around playing with his regular toys and videogames, TV (we offered a movie but the kids just wanted episodes of Curious George, so whatever), teeth brushing and staying up a little late and then bed in sleeping bags on the floor. Next morning – sleep in, breakfast and pickup around 10.

      Things to keep in mind:
      -Friend might want a night light, or might absolutely want it dark while your kids want night lights. Be prepared for a compromise
      -Cut off drinks early, take to bathroom often and make sure where they are sleeping has a clear path to bathroom, becuase you don’t want any middle of the night accidents
      -Be prepared for a possible freak-out and kid wanting to go home. We all framed it as “Friend is spending the night IF HE WANTS TO, but if not, no big deal we’ll call the parents and try again another time”.

      I would recommend NOT having the first sleep over be with 4 kids like my kids was – there was way too much arguing, sniping, and 2 kids wanting to stay up and talk while 2 other kids whined and yelled at them to shut up and let them sleep.

    • Thoughts says

      Somewhat related, but I’ve seen a number of articles on my Facebook feed (reliable source, I know) regarding prohibiting sleepovers at other homes for safety reasons. Mostly due to concern for risk of exposure to graphic or dangerous materials (maybe the other kid found a hardcopy stash or has lax Internet controls or knows where parents/older sibling keeps the fireworks?) and/or the possibility of exposure to abuse from older siblings or adults present in the house. It’s not something I’ve considered, but I guess it makes sense if you don’t really “know” the other family. Of course, the comments after these articles should not be read under any circumstances – everyone details personal horror stories – but thought I would put the issue out there. Anyone against sleepovers completely? If so, have you tackled the issue with your kiddo?

      • TBK says

        Oh my god I hope we don’t all ban sleepovers for everyone always because DANGER. Seriously I am so over this stuff and my kids aren’t even two yet. Can we please stop? I’m not exaggerating when I say that I am honestly worried about CPS taking my kids at some point in the future because people have gone totally 100% crazypants. Please let’s just stop.

        • Thoughts says

          Hmmmm, I certainly wasn’t suggesting that we ban sleepovers completely; I was asking whether anyone has decided to take that step. It’s not something that I’d thought about prior to seeing the articles, and I was wondering whether any of the readers here have given it consideration and reached the conclusion. If so, why? And what impact did it have on your kids?

          I agree that the fear-mongering has reached epic levels, but at the same time, I’m not inclined to ignore anecdotes about others’ experiences and think about what makes sense for my family.

          • Famouscait says

            I would equate this to the rules my parents had when I was growing up regarding driving and/or riding with friends. It was simply not allowed. Even though I had my driver’s license at 16, I wasn’t allowed to drive solo until about 17. I wasn’t allowed to ride with friends until about the same time, either. It meant a lot of grief for me and more driving around for my parents. I think a no sleepover rule is similar in a lot of ways.

      • sleepovers says

        I would worry more in middle and high school, just because the stakes are so much higher (and right now my children have no verbal filter). Plus, this would be at my home (and with the friend, we know the friend well and have known the parents for years and they live in our neighborhood). I do make a point of getting to know my children’s friends’ parents (more for the sake of friendship; if they were older, I’d really want to know who has the pain meds not locked up and shares their weed freely and has the creepy BF who is a bit too friendly). I think I have a good read on things now (but who really knows), but have read The Gift of Fear (and the other book written for parents) and believe a lot of it to be spot on.

        • pockets says

          Is parents sharing their weed freely an actual Thing You’re Concerned About? Because…that seems kind of silly. I am incredibly lax in that department (I just don’t think it’s a big deal and when the time comes I think my attitude will be, As long as you’re safe and you keep up with school) and even I wouldn’t share my stash with my kids or my kids’ friends.

          And if this really is A Thing, then where were these parents when I was 15??

          • PEN says

            As someone who works with high school students, this is totally a thing.

      • anonymom says

        With regard to the risks you cite, those are risks for regular playdates as well as sleepovers. The chances of trouble may be somewhat higher during a sleepover, but kids can still find dirty magazines and guns during an afternoon playdate. We always do the awkward gun conversation before a playdate with a new family. We also remind her of safety rules regularly (if you see a gun leave the room immediately and tell an adult, don’t touch anything that looks remotely like a gun even if someone tells you it’s a toy, if you feel uncomfortable for any reason call home, no Internet without adult supervision, etc.). If you keep a child locked up at home until she graduates from high school, she will be woefully unprepared to navigate the world on her own when she leaves for college.

        • TBK says

          Yep. So much better to talk about dangerous things and work through how to handle them than to “protect” kids from them entirely. Kids will wind up in situations you can’t foresee no matter how hard you try. So much safer to equip them to protect themselves –including keeping lines of communication with you wide open — than to rely on sheltering them from everything.

        • pockets says

          I never even considered the gun thing. Living in NYC the chances of my kid coming across an unattended gun is pretty low, but that’s a very scary possibility to think about.

        • anne-on says

          I don’t know if its a side-effect of superhero mania or what, but my 3-yr old suddenly started playing ‘guns’ and asking what they did. We had lots of repetitive conversations about how guns are only for policemen and soldiers (i know, i know, in an ideal world) and they are very very dangerous. If you see a gun you do not touch it and tell a grown-up, etc. We don’t live far from Newtown, and I think most parents up here in CT (a very liberal state fwiw) now have the ‘do you have guns at home’ conversations before play dates.

        • Meg Murry says

          FWIW, do you also do a (possibly) awkward swimming pool conversation? Because there is a far higher rate of children wandering into a pool and drowning than finding a gun and having an accident. I don’t have time to find the articles right now, but its something to consider.

          I agree with others that I’m fine with sleepovers at this point (my son is 8) because I know all the parents and I don’t fear anything at a sleepover any more than I would in a playdate – but I know we got up to some capital-T trouble at sleepovers in middle school and high school, which is where I would want to make sure I knew the parents and the general parenting style. Oh, and whether the sleepover was actually happening, because my best friend and I definitely lied about sleeping over at each others houses when we were actually going to a party or to spend the night with boyfriends ….. oh goodness, I’m not even going to start borrowing trouble worrying about teenager problems yet.

          • TBK says

            The teen thing strikes me as very different from not allowing sleepovers because someone’s older brother might have a p*rn stash. (Which is quite different from a p*rn ‘stache, btw.) Or because there might be a pedophile in the house. I mean, yes, there might be pedophiles in lots of places. But I suspect they’re rarer than the internet click-bait would suggest. And basic due diligence on the family should clear up who might be in the house with the kids. Plus you really never know so it’s much better to teach kids how to handle inappropriate adults than to prohibit sleepovers because someone might have a creepy uncle.

            As for the p*rn, I realize what’s available on the internet is much more graphic that what was in our dads’ ’80s Playboys, but a little sneaking R rated movies etc. at least for the 8-9 yo and up set is part of growing up. When I was 11 we dared each other to buy a Playgirl at the local 7-11 then hid in the girls’ lockeroom to look at it. I realize 11 is older than 8, but I don’t think it was the first time any of us had seen at least something we shouldn’t have. We were fine. We thought it was all a bit weird to be honest (but then who actually likes d–k pics anyway, no matter what the age?).

          • anonymom says

            Where we live, unsecured guns are in many homes but the pool thing is not an issue since nobody has a backyard pool. I am pretty sure most of the neighborhoods explicitly prohibit them, but I definitely have not seen a single one. There is just no need for anyone to bother with one because each neighborhood has its own very nice community pool and there are also a number of private recreation associations with pools. Before my daughter could swim, I would definitely not have been comfortable with her being at a home with a pool or spa. Even now that she can swim, I will not let her go to the pool without me unless I know there will be an adult watching her like a hawk at all times, not just the lifeguard.

      • mascot says

        Not old enough for non-family sleepovers quite yet. We’ve already started with the personal safety lessons mentioned above. If you see a weapon, don’t touch and find an adult. Same goes for snakes. We only play with our clothes on. People’s swimsuit areas are their private areas and we don’t touch them there or let others touch us there. We’ve also talked a bit about secrets and tricky people.
        My parents had some tough driving rules too, but I think they were good (my state has enacted curfew and passenger restrictions). I wasn’t allowed to have anyone in the car with me for the first 6 months, including my sibling. I had to call when I left and when I arrived to let them know where I was.

  5. MSJ says

    I’m weaning from the pump this week after 10+ months of EBFing twins. Great, right?! However, it is hard to get myself over the “wasted milk” as I reduce the length of my sessions and taper down. I am mentally fine to switching to formula as my rapidly dwindling freezer stash runs out, but it is hard not to, quite literally, squeeze out every last drop since it isn’t an issue of supply (just time!)
    In terms of a real question – Would you recommend using a bottle this first weekend vs nursing on demand? Will it ruin the taper (which started in force Tuesday)

    • Anon says

      if you are stopping pumping but continuing to nurse (as in not pumping at work anymore but still nursing before work/ at bedtime) then I would nurse during the times when you plan to continue nursing and maybe at one or two other times in the day but otherwise just give bottles.

    • buckeyeesq says

      FWIW, I tried to stop pumping for twins at 6 months and the taper lasted for about 3 weeks before I could go for a whole day without pumping or feeling really uncomfortable. I honestly think I would probably still have some milk left now (they’ll be 8 months this week) but I start taking BCP. I would think if you just started weaning this week, maybe you could BF for every other feeding? I think it probably would mess up the taper to nurse on demand, and I don’t know about you, but when I was done, I was ready to be done.

  6. PregAnon says

    I like it! I ordered the similar maternity version, and found an additional $15 off coupon…if you type in “nature” it is $15 off orders $50 or more. Yay! I needed some tops to wear to work with the maternity pants I finally broke down and bought, since it’s been 80s / 90s here!

  7. Momata says

    For those of you with multiple kids — what gift for the third kid was appreciated? I’m leaning toward bibs/burp cloths, as perhaps they haven’t endured as well as other items. Hooded towels/blankets? Anything else I’m missing?

    • JJ says

      For our second, we had someone give us burp cloths that were monogrammed with the baby’s name. I already felt so guilty that everything he owned was a hand-me-down, I appreciated that these would be “his.”

      Obviously, he was a newborn and didn’t know the difference and it’s not the most rational position…but having a newborn is not a rational time.

      • FWIW says

        I was the gifter, not the giftee, but I gave a friend having her third a blanket embroidered with baby’s name. I wish I could say I made it, but I just ordered it from Pottery Barn Kids.

        This is the only time somebody has actually cried when I gave them a gift – and that includes handmade quilts, touching thoughtful personalized etsy gifts, big things on their registry, etc.

    • meme says

      I really didn’t need much. A basket with consumable items like diapers, wipes, baby wash, diaper ointment, etc. would be nice. Mine are all boys, and the first two had worn through the knees of nearly all of the size 18 month-4T pants, so pants in those sizes were appreciated. It was nice to have a cute little something just his to bring him home from the hospital and same for christening. I had a few friends ask me what I needed/what had worn out/been lost, and that was nice. Board books are always good.

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