Make My Life Easier Thursday: Portable Wash Bag
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We are a carry-on-only family of four, and this is only possible because we do laundry if we’re away for more than a long weekend. Instead of the hotel sink, I’m considering this portable wash bag.
This washboard-in-a-bag lets you do laundry anywhere you have water. Weighing just over five ounces, this wash bag also folds down to pocket size. You just fill it with clothes, water, and detergent, then scrub, drain, and refill with clean water to rinse. It seems to work best for small things like underwear, socks, and tees given its compact size.
The Scrubba Portable Wash Bag is available at Amazon.
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
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- 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
I think there are some Boston metro west families here: any recommendations for home inspectors covering Weston, Wellesley, Newton, Needham area? Our realtor has recommendations too of course but want to consider a few options! Thanks in advance.
Does anyone do geocaching with their kids? My 6yo has expressed some strong interest and I think it would be a great activity for him — he is firmly against all sports but loves being outside. Looking for any beginner recs you have (including for GPS devices)…I’m totally new to this world.
Can we talk about friends?
Just realized that I’m down to 2 I see (separately) about once a month and then otherwise haven’t kept in touch with anyone else. Oops.
I’m fairly introverted and have 2 under 3 so it’s not really a problem per se, but also I’d like to keep my friends!
How do you maintain friends at this stage?
How long did you experience bleeding after a D&C? I unfortunately had to have one for a missed miscarriage and the bleeding is going on 10 days now (not scary heavy, but a lot longer than after my previous D&C for an incomplete miscarriage). I guess part of the difference could be that the incomplete miscarriage had heavy bleeding beforehand, but still. This is getting old, it keeps getting better and then worse again right when I’ve let my guard down, and it makes it hard to move on! Please tell me the end is near?
I read an interesting article and was curious what other moms may think about it: https://issuu.com/alleghenycountyms/docs/acms_bulletin_january2024_issuu/14
When I was pregnant, there seemed to be a trend where the discussion of childbirth-related complications was avoided – “your body was made to do this” was/is a popular phrase. Talking about complications or side effects seemed to be discouraged as needless fearmongering. After kids, I was genuinely surprised by some of the complications I had and how common they were. I feel weird bringing it up in casual conversation because it seems so taboo to discuss, yet is it really? Do you think people are open to those kinds of discussions? On the political side I was always pro-choice, yet I never really thought much about how having a child can affect your health for the rest of your life.
Question from Potty Training world. Thanks in advance for reading my novel…
We tried no-pants on DS #2 on Saturday – he started to run a fever so we stopped. Before the fever, he let me know he was about to do #2 so we sped to the potty (we did not make it in time…the joy).
On Sunday, we went pants-less in the AM and DS had a few accidents…I decided to try just underwear in the afternoon, and DS was able to communicate when #1 was coming and had less than a handful of accidents. Monday and Tuesday was the same – 2-3 accidents, but he was able to hold for a long time. He finally went #1 in the potty before his PM bath on Tuesday. (He has also done #1 in the potty several times before this weekend of fun).
Since we’ve started he’s only done #2 in his diaper overnight and during naps so I figure this is all progress.
I (finally) got on the same page as daycare, and he’ll arrive to school in a pull-up (he’s in a floater class until he moves into his class for the day), and once he’s in his actual class change into underwear and they’ll take him every 30 minutes to try. Some background – they started putting him in underwear after the holidays, but we never synced on a plan/discussed what was going on at home, terminology, etc.
My questions:
1. AM and PM at home on weeknights – what to do? Undies right before leaving to school/as soon as we get home to practice, or just offer the potty a few times in the AM and PM, and leave the pull up on? The latter is the “easier” option given the compressed time.
2. Weekends – What do I do now? At home – do I keep taking him/offering like every 45 minutes? Do I just keep him in a pull up when we are out and about and just keep offering the potty at intervals?
3. When DS #2 says he doesn’t want potty or doesn’t want to sit – do I just let it go? DS #1 put a HUGE fight for sitting on the potty and I remember very unpleasant power struggles…
DS #1 was trained in March 2021 so we weren’t going anywhere besides daycare and home, and I completely forgot what we did in the AM and PM.
Any recs for soft baby toys that clip to a car seat? We have a 5 hour drive coming up with a 4 month old. With my first child we always left after dark so she slept the whole way but for this trip we need to leave early in the morning.
Has anyone been with kids to the Ritz at Key Biscayne in Florida? If so, thoughts or tips on things to do/places to eat outside of the resort with a 4.5 year old who loves just about every activity ever any eats basically anything (except for fresh fruit, it’s bizarre and the opposite of every other kid that I know)? Is the “club level” room worth it? Looking into this for April and planning to spend most time just at the pool/beach, but wondering what else folks like outside of the resort. Thank you!
At what age did you leave your kids go on trips with relatives and for how long? My parents are renting a beach house this summer. I’m going to be 8 months pregnant, and they offered to take my then barely 2 year old for a week. I suspect I could really use a break by then, and she would love the beach. But a week feels like a long time to leave her – the longest we’ve done so far is one night for a quick getaway. My parents live out of town, so she sees them every 2-3 months. They’re great with her, but she takes about 24 hours to warm up to them again. The beach house is a 5-6 hour drive away, I’m high risk so DH would have to drive her there and back, I can’t go (unfortunately – I would love to!). Just wondering what everyone’s thoughts and experience were on this.
Has anyone moved for a lower cost of living? Currently in a DC suburb and brainstorming what our next move is going to be if interest rates come down a bit.
Any recs for a hotel in San Diego? I’m traveling with my active 70-something mom and my 6 year old daughter. We’re going to do one day at Legoland but otherwise are going to be in San Diego/La Jolla. I’d prefer to keep it under $500/night so no Hotel Del Coronado.
I found out yesterday that my kid (3), interacts but doesn’t really speak in class in the larger settings, and in small groups will whisper or speak very quietly. At home they are LOUD and speak in phrases and sentences. They do have a minor speech delay and we have weekly ST for language and articulation.
This just made me…really sad. I flagged it to the SLP and she wasn’t surprised but…I dunno, it just got me really down, especially after seeing all the progress they’ve made the last few months.
Any empathy or positive stories around similar welcome. I’m really struggling with it.
I was knee deep in a work spreadsheet when I realized I need to look at summer camps…the mental load never ends.
for those of you who don’t travel frequently, when you do travel, how far in advance do you tell your kids? i have twin 5 year olds who are total mommy girls and i’m going away for 3 nights the first weekend in feb to meet up with my college besties. DH travels for work all the time/they don’t care where he is quite as much, but the last time i went away for that long was in March 2021. DH will also be on a work trip for the sunday – Wednesday of the week i leave and i leave thursday.
seriously, a 1 day school week? If I didn’t have a big work deadline, I would take snow days too, but now I just have a big work deadline and kids at home. sigh