Organizing Thursday: Pack-It System
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Here’s another packing/traveling recommendation from me as spring break and summer travel are approaching. My husband swears by these compression bags when trying to pack everything and save space. What you do is fold your clothes inside, seal them up, then roll the filled bags slowly to let out all the air. No vacuums or other small appliances needed. While writing this, I asked my husband if his clothes come out wrinkled, and he said no. The bags are $29.95 for three (but you can save $3 at checkout) and are eligible for Prime. Eagle Creek Pack-It System
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Did anyone who wasn’t a yoga fan before end up liking prenatal yoga? I am a total yoga beginner, and am not very flexible. Plus I’ve been having a rough pregnancy, very exhausted and uncomfortable. My friend has been raving about prenatal yoga — should I check it out? I’m at 24 weeks now, if that matters. Thanks!
I’ve used (and reused) two and one gallon Ziplocs for this before. Especially when sharing a suitcase with kiddo to keep organized.
Third time mom so not a newbie but in light of recent stories about the rock n play trying to move away from my reliance on it for daytime naps for a newborn. Or just a baby docking station! Where did you all put your baby down when you needed to? Especially those short naps in the early days between feeding every 2-3 hours? Do I need a dock a tot? She sleeps swaddled in her pack n play in our room at night.
Prompted by a comment yesterday: what age did you potty-train your toddlers? First time mom here and I feel like I hear everything from “18-24 months is the only possible time, otherwise it’s a power struggle” to “you’ll ruin your kids by doing it too early, better wait until 3.5 and they’ll train themselves!”
Next week is April break in New England. I took February break off of work to take my kids skiing, so I signed each kid up for a program next week. My youngest is doing a program through our local rec department, and my son is doing a program at a local farm (his sister is too young). I failed to realize that Monday is Patriot’s Day, so the local rec program only runs Tues-Friday. Argh! I am taking tomorrow off because our school district decided to add an extra day to April break this year.
I work from home on Mondays, so I could swing, kind-of, my daughter hanging around the house with me while I work. She is not the most independent, so it would not be a very productive day for me, which I desperately need.
My other option is to reach out to my ex. Our daughter was sick earlier this week, and he begrudgingly watched her for a day. She came down with a fever when she was with him over the weekend, but he didn’t notice the 100.2 fever and that she was a puddle. Instead, he said that she had been tantruming and was in a bad mood. When I say he begrudgingly watcher her on Tuesday, I mean that I texted him the night before and said, “If [Daughter] is still sick tomorrow, can you watch her for all or part of the day? I will not know whether she can go to school until between 7 and 7:30 when she wakes up.” He said yes. He texted at 6:45 asking how she was (I was in the shower). At 7:02, he texted that he was leaving for work. I panicked, woke her up, and had to call to ask him to please watch her because I had a meeting I couldn’t miss. He did, but after dropping her with the babysitter at 2 on Tuesday, he has not asked how she is, whether she is still sick, etc. UGH.
Does anyone have recommendations for a fridge to keep in my office for pump parts and milk when I go back to work? There’s a communal fridge on our floor so I don’t need extra space for lunch etc. but I do want to make sure two days worth of milk bottles would fit in case I forget to bring it home one day. Thanks!
Has anyone ever rented any baby stuff from BabyQuip?
I’m just getting caught up on yesterday’s comments. When I read the comments from people who have older grandparents that can’t keep up physically with the toddlers, it made me wonder if you have ever considered using harnesses/leashes/back packs with tails for the little ones when they go on outings with the grands. I personally have never understood why people have such a negative visceral reaction to them. They keep children safe. I get that people make comparisons to dogs, but to me, the reasons we use a leash on a dog and the reason we would use it on a toddler are the same. Both are unpredictable, fast, and one misstep could lead to very serious injury. One of my friends has 3 kiddos and one is a serious runner that has had a few close calls. She can get out of her stroller herself. She can wiggle out of the best hand grip and the alternative to the leash is arm bruises from trying to keep her from killing herself. I know the topic can cause a $h!t storm on certain blogs but I’m hoping we can be kind and practical here. Even if you don’t use it yourself, it could be a good tool for the grandparents who want to take the kid on an outing.
YMMV, but I used one of the desktop/soda can ones and it was good (although tight) for bottles and pump parts.
My spouse, who has 10 years sobriety, came home last night after drinking with a colleague. We have two kids.
I’m devastated.
Not sure what the point of this post is. Just needed to tell someone, I guess.
Recommendations for storing breastmilk for air travel? I’m traveling for work for 3 days next week and would like to bring back the milk I pump. On the way back, I’ll have about 100 oz of milk to transport home. I need to buy more bottles or storage bags now anyway, so am wondering if anyone has any suggestions that make traveling with the milk easier. Thanks!
Cross-posting from main page. I am headed to NYC for training in a few weeks.
1. The training venue is way downtown, near Battery Park. Should I stay downtown or stay somewhere else and take the subway? I am not terribly familiar with that part of the city. My evening plans consist primarily of eating and walking around. Was hoping to walk on the High Line, try out Los Tacos No. 1, and maybe visit Blue Ribbon Sushi if I can figure out how to do it without making the rest of my family angry for going without them.
2. What passes for business casual attire in NYC these days? I am thinking of skinny pants, Rothys, a nice tee, and either the Going Out Blazer or a long cardigan. I usually wear sheath dresses for business travel and just-barely-business-casual in the office, neither of which is appropriate for this occasion.
Easter baskets! What is everyone doing? I’m feeling completely uninspired this year. I have a preschool girl and a boy in middle elementary. We have enough sidewalk chalk and bubbles for an entire daycare, so I’m trying to switch that up a bit.
So, here’s another “what would you do?” job conundrum. I am an attorney currently working in local government, having escaped midlaw life after 10 years and when my 3rd kid was on the way. My local government job is not technically an attorney role, so I’ll call it akin to a “J.D.-preferred” gig in the private sector.
This job was just what I needed when I needed it, but I’ve been here about 4 years and I’m happy with what I’ve done, I’m bored, and I’m underpaid.
I’ve been looking for a new job in the private sector off and on for 2 years but nothing’s working out so far.
A new position has just opened up in my current local government in a different department, dealing even more directly with the courts and the legal system. It’s a promotion in title and responsibilities from where I am now, it only pays about $5k more max, but I keep all my benefits and I move from non-exempt to exempt, which in itself would be great (I have lots of time off, but I also hate not being able to work from home when I could, for example).
I’d eventually still like to move back into the private sector, and I feel like if I stay in my current role much longer the job hunt will only get worse. I feel like I have to force my career progression somehow at this point, even if it’s still in local government. I’m disappointed that I haven’t been able to find anything I really wanted, and at the pay increase I’ve been hoping for, but at least this could be a new challenge for a year or two while I keep looking.
Thoughts?
Here’s a random one. We run around as a family a lot on weekends. We’re usually out doing fun stuff all morning and it’s way too tempting to stay out for lunch rather than go home and try to prepare something. I now have a dream of packing a huge picnic basket on the weekends, even if we’re just doing things like Target runs, so we can easily stop and eat lunch when everyone is hungry. Does anyone have recommendations for a picnic basket? If it has accessories, I’d want everything to be washable. Kids are 1.5 and 3.5, for what it’s worth, and then my husband and I. Thanks!