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My jewelry collection skews subdued (think pearl pendants and simple gold chains), but this fun necklace made me smile.
The aptly named Lollipop Multi-Stone Necklace has colorful bezel-set gemstones in a sterling silver 18” necklace. The pretty spring colors from gems like blue topaz, mother of pearl, and lemon citrine complement both neutral suits and floral dresses.
This necklace is $995 at Bloomingdale’s.
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
Anon says
I know this has been covered in the blog before, but does anyone have any advice on getting through early pregnancy at work? I’m 11 weeks and feel unbelievably exhausted and constantly nauseous. I don’t want to share the news yet, but I just feel so grim and I know I’m not performing at my best.
Anon says
Have you been taking unisom + B6? It was a lifesaver for me. Before starting it I literally had to lay on the couch until noon, too nauseated to move. The meds took the edge off. I was still sick (tbh I’m still on them now at 24 weeks because this pregnancy is rough) but I was able to walk around and function and eat enough to quell the nausea (that’s the other tip: constant food. I like cold dairy and had a lot of yogurt and chocolate milk.)
Anon says
Honestly, I hid in my office for the most part. My “morning sickness” was an all day, low level of nausea (I only threw up a handful of times). I somehow managed to not have to lay on the floor, but it was a close call more than a few times. I did the bare minimum of work quite frankly. If you are already 11 weeks, the end is hopefully near for the exhaustion and nausea! I used ginger candies and preggie pops as well to help with the nausea.
Anonymous says
You just have to ruthlessly prioritize. Pick the meetings where you want to be perky and prepared. Focus in the evenings on taking care of yourself and getting rest. It does generally get better!
Vicky Austin says
I literally would go to the bathroom, set a five-minute alarm on my fitbit, sit on the floor and close my eyes. May depend on your work bathrooms (we had single-occupancy ones in each team pod and I trusted the cleanliness, fortunately). I also literally sucked on peppermints or lemon drops ALL DAY.
You’re very close to turning a corner, I promise!
Anon says
i took meds, but also continuously snacked on cheerios. outside of work i dropped the ball on everything
a says
I ate all of the crackers. I’m not sure I recommend it.
Anon says
Advice needed. Our toddler attends a daycare we really like in our area. She is in the 1s class, and all her teachers are wonderful. Recently, one of her teachers was away for two weeks and was temporarily replaced by another teacher from the 2 class, let’s call him Julio. I’ve noticed Julio before because he happens to be a man, which is unusual in the world of daycare teachers, and he seems like a really warm personality and the kids love him. I have also run into him smoking (tobacco) outside the daycare. He always follows the rules and smokes far away from the door. But when he was in our daughter’s class, we noticed that his clothes reek of smoke. We didn’t say anything for 2 weeks, but there is a possibility that our daughter would be moved into Julio’s class in a few months. In that case, would you say anything? I realize there’s no law about smoking outside on breaks, but if you teach at a daycare… I guess I’m concerned about secondary smoke exposure, and the smell is just super icky to me. But Julio otherwise seems very nice and I don’t want to create trouble.
Anon says
It would bother me too (thirdhand smoke exposure is a real thing) but I doubt there’s much you can do about it, if the daycare doesn’t have a policy about smoking on breaks, and he isn’t smoking in front of the children.
Anon says
I would absolutely bring it up and request that your child does not go to his class. Secondhand smoke exposure is no joke. They should not allow smoking during the work day, period. Some industries just aren’t amenable to that.
And honestly, don’t let female socialization stop you from speaking up.
Anon says
It’s thirdhand smoke, not secondhand. Secondhand requires being in the presence of the smoke. Still not ideal but much more minimal risk from brief exposure.
Anon says
But all day 5 days a week for a year or two when a young child’s lungs are developing isn’t a brief exposure. I would speak up and ask that your daughter not be in his class and be specific about the reason so the school knows the issue.
Anonymous says
+1, this would infuriate me. Second or third hand smoke, whatever – neither is acceptable when your job entails being around young children. This is not a moral judgment of anyone who smokes; it’s common sense.
Anonymous says
Could the daycare ask smokers to wear a coat over their clothes so the smell is reduced? That and washing hands when coming in should help reduce.
also anon says
I’m super sensitive about thirdhand smoke because of my own medical history and I’d ask the director if it’s a possibility to try something like this. It might not work to my satisfaction, but I wouldn’t want to give up on having someone who is otherwise a highly qualified early childhood educator without seeing if there was a solution short of him quitting smoking (which is incredibly difficult for most people).
Lydia says
I think it’s great for kids to have caregivers who aren’t exclusively women, so I wouldn’t say anything — for me, at least, it would be worth having a diversity of teachers for your daughter to learn from. But if it will make you crazy and there’s an option for another class, probably better to mention it to the director now and see if there are other possibilities — in that case, I would frame it as you or your family have a smoke sensitivity, rather than blame him.
Anon says
I mean, I get it – smoking is gross – but he probably makes 15 bucks and hour and otherwise seems great … how much personal behavior policing is really necessary? Someone here recommended he maybe wear a coat or something, which seems reasonable, but unless your child has asthma or some other condition I’m not sure I’d want to shame someone over this kind of thing or insist my kid not be around him.
Anonymous says
Smoking is not a “personal behavior” because the smoke residue has a real effect on other people. In most places no one actually smokes anymore, and most employers do not allow it on their property. We live in central VA, which used to be overrun with smokers, and we rarely encounter people smoking on restaurant patios anymore, even though this was common just 5 years ago. Nicotine addicts vape or use patches or lozenges. For a while my husband’s employer was even charging anyone with nicotine in their system more for health insurance. Smokers should not work in day cares, period.
Anon says
“ most places no one actually smokes anymore”
Uhhh I don’t think this is true. It’s uncommon among the highly educated and affluent types these days, but the majority of blue collar workers I know smoke.
Anon says
Yeah excluding even smokers who go off elsewhere to smoke is a diversity fail anywhere I’ve ever lived.
Re. thirdhand exposure, how about the daycare work on improving indoor air quality? Running a HEPA filter or opening some windows is a good idea anyway.
Anonymous says
All the blue collar workers I know vape or chew those little tablets. The only place I’ve seen people actually smoking tobacco lately is Texas and it was actually jarring because it’s been so long.
I still notice plenty of people smoking other things, which seems kind of ironic.
Anon says
I live in the rust belt and plenty of people here smoke. Our dog sitter smokes several packs a day and our dog always comes home smelling awful and we have to give her a bath. It’s annoying but not worth (to us) giving up a trusty, reliable sitter.
Anon says
It’s already an understaffed profession and OP says this teacher is great with kids. LIf you have “no smokers in daycare” as your baseline, you’re going to disqualify a lot of otherwise really excellent qualified teachers. Would you extend this prohibition to people who live with smokers, too and may have the smell on their clothes, or is anyone with a connection to smokers too stinky to work with the kids of white collar folks?
Anon says
Yeah, I’m frankly shocked that people think “no smokers can be employed at a daycare” is a reasonable policy!! Maybe in super affluent blue bubbles that could work, but I’m in the Midwest and I’m sure our fancy (by local standards) daycare had smokers on staff, although the parent handbook says they’re required to fully change their clothes before returning to the classroom.
Anonymous says
Anyone who smells like smoke should not be around any children regardless of any party’s SES. I would in fact argue that children of low SES are more in need of strict protections against thirdhand smoke in child care centers because their parents tend to have fewer child care options and might have a more difficult time getting them out of a smoky center than rich children’s parents would.
Anon says
Not wanting someone’s smoke rubbing off on your child isn’t “shaming” anyone. Smoking is deadly serious and kids (due to their smaller body size) absorb far more chemicals in the environment than adults do (not to mention immediate respiratory effects). I would not want my kid exposed to that five days a week, every week.
If he’s such a nice guy, he will remedy the situation. If he doesn’t, maybe he’s not that nice and he’s just getting praised for being a man.
Anonymous says
If he were a nice guy he wouldn’t smoke at all.
anon says
Do you not know any smokers? I’m not sure how this is tied to being “nice” – you do know that smoking is addictive, right? I wonder how you judge anyone with any other vices.
Anon says
Wow that’s really judgy! I hate cig smoke (I have asthma and am especially sensitive to it) but it’s an addiction and I don’t think smokers are terrible people.
Anonymous says
Smoking is kind of like drunk driving. It’s an addiction that puts others at risk. If you care about others but can’t kick the habit, you use nicotine patches or find another coping mechanism that doesn’t involve exuding hazardous chemicals for everyone around you to breathe.
anon says
Smoking is NOT like drunk driving. The largest risk is to yourself. Rust belt here, and most of my in laws smoke. Saying it is the same as drunk driving is such a false equivalent. Yes, smoking in a room full of kids is not ok. But posters are acting like smoking itself is a moral failing that disqualifies one from ever being allowed to provide childcare. This is nutty. Ask the person to wash their hands and change shirts/use a cover-up of some kind before holding babies and move on.
Anon says
The drunk driving analogy is absurd. I don’t smoke, I don’t have any family or close friends who smoke and I hate smoke and wouldn’t want to date a smoker, but the judgment here is insane.
Anon says
+1. This isn’t a hill that I would have the privilege to die on. If Julio was let go or quit, would your daycare be able to find someone to hire immediately to cover that class? Or would you be faced with a lack of care for your child because daycare can’t find a replacement? A lack of daycare workers is a significant concern where I’m at, and I would not be able to readily fine alternate care if my daughter’s class was without a teacher/provider. FWIW, my husband and I decided together that third hand smoke was not something that we were going to police strictly (he has relatives that are smokers that we are close with).
Anonymous says
Buy him a vape? jk jk
Anon says
I’m surprised by these responses. Your child’s exposure to third hand smoke in this situation is negligible. If she were exposed to third hand smoke from a parent that they are in close proximity to every day for years that is a different situation. Even then, there is almost no evidence that third hand smoke causes harm to someone your child’s age. Emily Oster did a roundup of the evidence on third hand smoke. I would happily send my kid to P2 knowing she will have a great teacher.
Anon says
I agree.
Anon says
If he reeks of it, does she smell too? We have a wonderful babysitter who smells so strongly of fragrances and my son smells like her after he’s with her.
If your daughter smells like it, I’d say something. Id be bothered by it also but you’re in a pickle.
Anon says
OP here. Thanks for the responses, although the divide is interesting and I guess there is no clear answer for stuff like this! I don’t know if the daycare has a specific policy on this, I could either look at the documents I was sent or ask the director. I don’t judge people who smoke, I don’t know their circumstances, but I obviously do want to protect my daughter’s health. I’ll think about it and talk to my husband if and when she’s assigned to Julio’s class.
Anon says
I just commented above, but check your parent handbook. Ours specifically says smokers can smoke on breaks but have to wash their hands and fully change their clothes before re-entering the classroom. I’m sure our daycare had smokers on staff (I don’t think expecting a daycare to hire only non-smokers is realistic in most places) but we never noticed any smoke smell, presumably because of this policy.
Anonymous says
This. Changing clothes makes a big difference. In Canada so staff mostly dealt with it by having a ‘smoking jacket’ for winter and a lighter one for spring/summer. There was a closed closet separate from other clothes where they hung smoky clothes.
Anon says
wow lots of Karens on this board
Anon says
If caring about my child being exposed to carcinogenic smoke daily is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I’d rather speak up for my child’s safety than be a pushover to avoid confronting a man.
Anonymous says
This. The “Karen” trope is a strategy to discourage women, particularly middle-class white women, from standing up for themselves and their children. The facts that the smoker is a man named Jose and OP is presumably a relatively well-off woman because she posts here don’t make it wrong for OP to speak up.
Anon says
Julio, not Jose. But they are all the same, right?
Anon says
Yeah that casual interchanging of male Latino names was big yikes.
Anonymous says
To the finger-pointers, would you still be OK with the smoke exposure if it were your child? There are a lot of people here who think Goldfish crackers are toxic.
Anon says
I don’t think it’s silly to be concerned about the smoke exposure and OP’s question is totally reasonable, but 1) it’s pretty wild to me that some people on this thread are saying “nobody smokes” – plenty of people smoke, 2) smoking is an addiction, not a moral failure, and I’m not sure how judging smokers helps resolve the situation for OP or her child; 3) it’s impractical for daycares not to hire well-qualified people who smoke, although there are precautions that can be taken to minimize secondhand and thirdhand smoke exposure to children. And calling a guy OP had identified as “Julio” “Jose” is definitely casually racist.
anon says
+1
Anon says
I’m hearing conflicting things about “bumpy” exercise in early pregnancy – that on the one hand the uterus and embryo are very well-protected and that on the other, you want to avoid “jarring” exercises. I plan to ride my mountain bike (on trails well within my skill level) in the first trimester and it can be bumpy at times. Is there anything that’s actually evidence-based out there? I feel like there are so many outdated bits of advice that just get repeated.
Anonymous says
I would be worried about falls.
Anon says
+1. Much more worried about falls/crashes/etc. If you had serious injuries, your treatment options while pregnant.
FP says
Take this with a grain of salt, but my surgeon brother in law advised me to not ski while pregnant (early first trimester was when I considered it). It wasn’t necessarily the risk of bumping / falling but the effect on the baby with surgery and meds if I did fall and have a serious injury. His suggestions otherwise really lined up with being more lax (eat any food you want as long as it’s fresh) so I chose to follow his advice and not ski even in my first trimester. I’d guess mountain biking would be a similar risk.
Anon says
OP here and I actually skied one day before I knew I was pregnant :) But for the reasons you mentioned, I’m not going to again. Skiing is harder to control than mountain biking (not least because so many other people are out of control on the slopes) and the risk of a collision is significantly higher. I do know plenty of women who skied during pregnancy, even up to 40 weeks, but that’s outside of my risk tolerance.
Anon says
Yeep, yes – I’d avoid for this reason too. Granted, I’m a skier, not a biker, but I skipped skiing while pregnant despite being a highly technically skilled skier because (1) I can’t control other people on the mountain, and (2) my sense of balance — even before I gained any weight — was different while pregnant.
Also, I did fall during a pregnancy, and ended up with emergency surgery to stabilize my femur at 8 months along. Do not recommend. I took very, very, very few drugs, so I was in a ton of pain for a long time, and I will also (secretly) never not wonder if my now 12 year old’s pretty severe ADHD has something to do with the drugs I did end up taking and/or side effects from the stress of being in pain for a prolonged period of time.
Anon says
How did you fall? That sounds awful!!
Anon says
Tripped on a sidewalk, and fell down an embankment next to the sidewalk :( I was very unstable from a big pregnancy belly, and have had osteopenia since I was a young teen, so it was just a really unfortunate set of circumstances.
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t do this? Though I was risk-averse after pregnancy losses.
Anon says
OP here and I’m coming off two pregnancy losses as well – but they weren’t due to mountain biking (I biked in both pregnancies until the losses around 10 weeks) and it has helped me heal. It does so much more for me than any other exercise and that has to be weighed against the other factors.
As for falls, the risk of me falling on these trails is low, but if it were to happen, it could certainly have consequences. I’m taking extra steps to avoid that, including going on easy trails with great visibility only (so there’s essentially no risk of a collision with someone else – which has never happened to me in my life anyway), not going past about 10-12 weeks, slowing down from my usual pace, not going if I feel particularly tired, etc. This worked out well in the previous two pregnancies. I only recently read something about avoiding “bumping” that made me wonder what that was about.
FWIW, I totally respect anyone who chooses not to take those risks. Everyone should make their own best choice – although I do think it’s a great thing for women to find exercises they love.
Anon says
Honestly, it sounds like it’s important to you, and it’s within your risk tolerance, so I’d go for it. I ate a deli sandwich every week from my favorite Italian deli, also regularly ate oysters and sushi from my favorite restaurant. I don’t have a sensitive stomach, nor am I susceptible to food poisoning, so these felt low risk to me. I also drank coffee throughout bc it was one of the few things I could stomach. As I mentioned above, I didn’t ski, but I fell and broke my femur while walking, so, if it’s important to you……go for it.
Anon says
I don’t have studies to point to, but my doctor was comfortable with me continuing to race my gravel bike in early pregnancy, for reasons you mention.
Anon says
Horse rider here – my doctor said there was no absolute answer. She strongly suggested not riding after about 14 weeks after my stomach popped and was more at risk in case of a fall, although I know people who rode up to 7 months or so. She said before that, the risk is pretty low, but yeah, if you end up in some situation where you need medical intervention, it might not be great for you or the baby. I ended not riding at all because I had losses and just didn’t want to risk it, but again, I know plenty of people who did and have happy and healthy babies.
Anon says
This makes sense to me. I do know people who rode through pregnancy but (as a former rider myself), I think I’d do what you did and just not. When there’s an animal with a mind of its own involved, the risk becomes harder to predict.
Anon says
I agree it’s a no absolute answer. To chime in on the other side, I rode my horse until 26 weeks and didn’t ask my OB. I acted within my risk tolerance, have ridden for 25 years, was riding only my own horse of 5+ years. I knew my mental health would severely suffer if I gave it up entirely. I know lots of riders who kept riding (some for their entire pregnancy), and others who quit immediately. It comes down to personal choice.
Anon says
Reasonable to me. It’s not risk-free, but neither is taking the mental health hit. I know plenty of women who have done far more than OBs would recommend and they came through it ok, so it’s certainly not a 100% guarantee that if you sit on a horse or get on a bike that you will have bad outcomes.
anon says
I rode until around 5 months. My doctor was OK with it since it was something I have done my whole life. I scaled it back and only rode a very trusted horse, and on cold winter days when he seemed a little more alert than normal, I would either lunge him first or just have my trainer ride him. After 5 months I was no longer comfortable sitting the trot, so I took a break.
I also skied and ice climbed until around 5.5 months, but I scaled it way back and only did easy runs and top roped mellow climbs (no leading, but I can’t do that anyway, lol). I had hyperemesis and gestational diabetes, so getting outside and being active was crucial for me.
I’m a mountain biker too but didn’t do much of that while pregnant, just tooling around town on my mountain bike since it’s pretty upright and gave me room for my belly (as opposed to my road bike).
Anonymous says
I just want to echo the other poster who said this seems important to you, so I would check with your provider and go ahead with it if she didn’t have major reservations.
anonchicago says
What does a toddler wear to a Purim party? I’m not Jewish but husband is and we’re raising our daughter Jewish, so this is a learning curve for me. We have an elephant costume from last Halloween and a dress or two. Please don’t tell me I need to go shopping for a costume before Saturday.
Anon says
nope. any costume is perfect. whichever she prefers. we have a purim carnival on sunday and one kid is going as cinderella and one as sleeping beauty. we typically rewear our halloween costumes or grab stuff from our dress up bin
Anon says
Rewearing old Halloween costumes or dress up clothes is perfect! That’s what we do.
anon says
The Purim carnival we were at last weekend had costumes ranging from dinosaurs to Elsa to random things teenagers through together to “on theme” costumes like Queen Esther. Basically anything goes.
Cornellian says
A couple Orthodox Jewish coworkers and I used to have a costume rotation where they’d get my halloween costumes since they didn’t celebrate, and I’d get their Purim ones when it was over. I think basically any goofy costume works, it seems to have more of a “grab bag” feel to it than halloween does, but I think anything will work for your toddler.
NLD in NYC says
Any thoughts on how to make sharing a hotel room with a 4 year old less terrible? Lol. Trying to find some last minute options for spring break. I’m looking at resorts Great Wolf or an all-inclusive in DR, but DH is not keen on sharing a room with DS. He’s been spoiled by AirBnBs. Thanks!
Anonymous says
Have you shared a hotel room with DS before? I would stay home before I’d spend another night in a hotel with my kids, but if you’re dead set on it, put the PNP in the bathroom or a closet if you have one.
Anon says
A 4 year old is probably too big for a PNP.
NLD in NYC says
We have, when DS was ~7 months old, and I think it scarred him. Ha! Definitely too big for a PNP.
Anon says
7 months vs. 4 years is night and day! I’d definitely encourage him to try again. It really shouldn’t be that bad unless your kid has a lot of sleep issues.
Anon says
Caveat that my kid is a good sleeper, but sharing a hotel room with her was pretty easy once she got to be 4 or so and didn’t need naps. You just get two beds or a sofa bed. What exactly is he worried about?
TheElms says
Can you get a junior suite or something similar so DS has his own physical space? Or perhaps look into one of those large pop up tents to put over a floor bed so kiddo can have darkness and sound insulation between DS bedtime and adult bedtime. If those aren’t possible I’d try to get a room with a balcony and a view so you can sit outside on the balcony between DS bedtime and adult bedtime.
TheElms says
A tent like this: https://www.amazon.com/EighteenTek-Blackout-Lightweight-Portable-Breathable/dp/B0C2T5SWYP/ref=sr_1_15?crid=21JS68SR00ETR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZLcNHTXdNhFwXgV_emAkvMLCQNv80Um_mHCThTw-p1D35b7pNJdfgtb33ql_OQLzxSHqxfV7fMjU7O9Rox1ZNjsRA9CaEl8zW2zgnnt_XMKMLD6MV_ntr-iADDhBB81p45Xvz_Ad7wjPEj6hgJvpuJG9hOedKatV09xMA-Go6SqdvswrxIkdguGK5uK7yJwtnbRJ26nvwtqMea0HP-pXRkvYJmLoQBpxDHEwQnmOvdk.UXKRdtfTxRpsiySM9iusg08ykESzqzmdudVcme3UnbI&dib_tag=se&keywords=blackout+tent+amazon&qid=1710860531&sprefix=blackout+tent+amazon%2Caps%2C54&sr=8-15
Anon says
We always get a room with a balcony for this reason and it’s been fine!
Anon says
I love a balcony, but in the tropics mosquitoes can be an issue in the early evening. We went to the Caribbean recently and I got eaten alive the first couple of nights sitting on the balcony after kid bedtime (even though we were at a big resort that sprays) and after that I gave up and just started reading in bed.
Anon says
A lot of all inclusive resorts have “family rooms” with a separate sleeping space for the kids.
Anon says
I usually make sure to have a good book loaded on my phone or bring my kindle and just be mentally prepared that at kiddo’s bedtime. I just need to relax with the lights off and read my book.
For my 4 year old, I’ve really liked finding suites (aka typical hotel room with a small kitchenette and table). Makes it a lot easier to bring color books or have snacks/meals in the hotel room if we need to.
Anon says
Yeah I normally read in bed after kiddo goes to sleep, and really enjoy it. I also sleep more on vacation so often end up falling asleep not too much later than my kid.
A balcony can also be a good space for adults to hang out after kid bedtime.
Cb says
I really like the reading in bed and early bedtimes when we’re sharing a room. But my kid sleeps like a hibernating bear, so we could definitely have a quiet chat once he was asleep.
anon says
Same. I love an 8PM bedtime on vacation with my kid and my husband’s a night owl. He will stay up and watch a show once kid is fully asleep or mosey around by himself out of the room.
We try to get two queens. We take turns sleeping with the kid each night. I wear ear plugs primarily because my son sucks his thumb and grinds his teeth in his sleep which drives me nuts. He’s 3.5 and we travel quite a bit.
Anon says
Ha, um, we had a room snafu last week and had one night where we shared a singe room with a king bed with a 9, 7, 4 and 2 year old so this sounds like heaven. Go to bed when they go to bed if you can and just read or watch a movie. I’d probably have them just share a bed with one of you.
Anon says
Yeah, my husband, 6 year old and I have shared a queen bed in a pinch and it was fine. If the room has two beds, it’s even better. I actually find it easier to sleep if I’m sharing a bed with my kid rather than my husband. She’s much smaller and doesn’t snore.
Anonymous says
We try to budget for suites so that we can hang out in a living room area after our kid’s bedtime. Or if not a whole suite, at least a balcony/patio room so we can hang out in a different area that’s not the bathroom. Other than that, we haven’t had any issues sharing a room to sleep in — we aim for 2 queen beds or a king + a pull-out couch.
Anon says
What is the main issue you’re worried about? I don’t find sharing a hotel room too bad, and I have three kids. Parents split up and each sleep with a kid, and our kids seem to sleep pretty well that way. We do try to keep to a similar schedule, which means kids stay up a little later and parents go to bed a little earlier, but we’re usually all tired from the day. Sometimes we’ll put on a movie for the kids so the parents can chill. And I’ll read in bed with my phone light if I’m not sleepy enough yet.
NLD in NYC says
Thanks for the comments so far. So DS isn’t the best sleeper, especially in new spaces. Usually takes him a while to fall asleep. DH is more of a night owl and probably doesn’t want to have to tip-toe around the kid. But I realized I haven’t directly asked him what he doesn’t like about room sharing. I shall inquire.
Anonymous says
For me, kids are just noisy sleepers and loud breathers. If the kid cot can be across the room, maybe that would help. Have him bring an eye mask and ear plugs.
Anonymous says
Get a suite or a room where there is very clear separation. I have 3 kids and we only do places that have a door between sleeping areas- or adjoining rooms. GWL has the “bear suite” which is a 1BR with a door and there are 2 additional beds in the main area. That’s the minimum room we stay in.
You might be able to get away with putting DH on a cot or air mattress in a giant bathroom, if you can find a room that has one. One of my 3 kids would roll like that, no chance with the other two.
Anonymous says
can i just weigh in that if the options are an all inclusive in the DR or GWL with a 4 year old you would be insane to go to GWL.
Anon says
I don’t think it’s insane, assuming cost is less for GWL and the money saved could be out towards another trip or something else. But I enjoy GWL.
anon says
Bring a sound machine.
anon says
Can you share a bed with the 4yr old and let DH go down to the lobby for drinks/reading? Then he can sneak back in and sleep at a later time. Assuming you’re ok with that or you each get a night doing that. Another thought is adjoining rooms where the adult has the 2nd room.
I will say, 4 yr olds tire out pretty quickly on vacations and mine tend to fall asleep quickly, even though at home bedtime is a pain.
Naples says
We will be going to Naples, FL to visit my parents for Easter. Looking for fun things to do with our 7 and 2 year old. Thanks in advance!
anon says
We did a pirate ship “cruise” out of a different Florida city, but I’m sure most of the larger costal cities have something similar. It did book up in advance. Ours was 2 hours, which was enough time for us. They did cute kid activities, there were plenty of bathrooms, the adults enjoyed the ocean views/breeze and complimentary wine/beer. And, they had enough water/lemonade for the kids/nondrinkers The boat also had high sides so I wasn’t worried about a kid falling off. Was one of those activities I felt actually lived up to being “fun for all ages.” The exact company/staff matters a lot for the “fun” factor, but I was impressed that the young adult “pirates” got the teens involved as well as little little kids, AND were non-pressure about about kids who wanted to observe rather than participate. I thought it’d be cheesy but it was really a highlight and the kids still talk about the pirates.
Conjunctivitis says
First time here with conjunctivitis with Mom and Dad – I used my daughter’s left-over medicine from a couple of weeks ago. Going to the Dr this afternoon. Anyone have anything that worked well for them?
Spirograph says
I would not have used leftover antibiotic eyedrops, but that ship has sailed! Just wait and follow the doctor’s advice. Antibiotics help (obviously only if it’s bacterial, but IME doctors always prescribe them because you can’t really tell whether it’s viral or bacterial), and then you just wait it out. If your eyes hurt, a cool washcloth can help. Avoid doing anything that normally might cause eye strain like looking at screens; it won’t make anything worse, but it will make you more uncomfortable
Anon says
Most cases of conjunctivitis are viral, and even the bacterial cases usually clear up on there own in a week (antibiotic overuse is a soapbox of mine, lol, though I know schools require it for kids). I see a marked improvement after about four days. You can use warm compresses. As long as you wash your hands frequently and always after touching your eyes you aren’t likely to spread it and can continue with normal life.
Anon says
Unfortunately most pink eye is viral, so there isn’t much to do except wait.
Anon says
Yes, unless you have other concerning symptoms (like swelling, extreme pain) I would not go to the doctor this soon. If it doesn’t clear in a week then go in (or if you need a doctors note and drops for some external reason, I guess)
Mary Moo Cow says
Ugh, my sympathies. I got it for the first time when I was 40. My doctor thought it was bacterial, so gave me antibiotic drops; I couldn’t wear contacts for ten days, and I had to wash my hands very thoroughly after touching the area around my eye. I found that frozen wet washcloths or extremely hot wet compresses helped relieve some of the itch and discomfort.
Anonymous says
Wash your hand often to avoid passing it on. When you have to be in public, wear sunglasses! It’s so yucky. Do not like at all, but I’ve only had it once. It did last well over a week and is probably viral :( Mine was not painful, but I hated the annoyance of a partially shut eyelid. Good luck!
Anon says
Has anyone done a Royal Caribbean cruise with kids? I’m looking at one out of NOLA for next spring break. I’ve been on Royal Caribbean before so I’m familiar with food, etc., and specifically looking for thoughts on the kids club and kid-related stuff. We’d get at least a balcony room, possibly a suite. Disney is not in the budget, it’s almost literally 10 times as expensive.
Anon says
We haven’t been on RC since before the pandemic, but really liked their Jr. Suite with kids. It had a curtain down the middle so you could separate the sleeping area, a giant walk in closet that we used to change and the kids used as a fort, and a bigger bathroom than balcony rooms. It also allowed you to eat dinner in the suites-only restaurant, which was lovely and quiet compared to the cattle call feeling of the main dining, along with much, much better food and service. I’d upgrade if you can afford it.
Spirograph says
Yes, and it was great. I’ve never been on Disney for comparison (for the same $$$ reason), but 10/10 would recommend Royal Caribbean. My kids were between 5 and 9 at they had a blast at kids club, and made friends there that they ran into all over the ship and played with in the pool/arcade/sportsplex/whatever. I’m sure there are capacity limits, and therefore this *may* change depending on the size of the ship and how many kids are on it, but we were always able to drop the kids off for kids club when we wanted to. (Contrast with Norwegian, which was a NIGHTMARE – you had to use their virtual queue, and DH and I spent the whole trip with alarms set on our phones so we could register the kids one-at-a-time as soon as the it unlocked an hour before the session started. 5 minutes late, you’re wait-listed.)
Caveat that the facilities are extremely dependent on which ship you sail. We were on Anthem of the Seas, which is new-ish, but not one of the MEGA ships that have launched recently.
anon says
Advice needed please. I was blessed with a child who was very good sleeper, right until a few months ago, shortly after she turned 2.5. We went on a trip and both got sick, and at the same time she learned how to climb out of the crib (at the Airbnb, so far not at home, thankfully). This seems to have completely upended our sleep harmony. We were sick for weeks with a series of bugs, and my pediatrician advised to just let her drink milk if that was all she would take (she lost her appetite and didn’t even want to drink juice or pedialyte for rehydration). She started waking up at night asking for warm milk while coughing, and I gave in to keep her comfortable and hydrated. Now she’s better, but she has gotten into the habit of waking up and demanding warm milk. I tried to go cold turkey and she spent 2 hours between 2am and 4am the other night screaming and screaming for milk. I tried other ways to soothe her, but as soon as I caved she drank the milk and fell back asleep. I’m a solo parent with a demanding job, and also still struggling with post-viral fatigue, so not sleeping through the night any more is really taking a toll. Any tips? I’ve started diluting the milk with water to make her lose interest. I’m concerned about the waking up (she’s cranky and tired during the day, she clearly needs more sleep), and also her teeth (letting her have a bottle in bed is such a bad habit). But I’m also desperate for sleep. Help!
Anon says
There was a post a week or so ago asking about bedtime snack. I think this is 100% a case for a good, solid, protein filled bedtime snack. Milk, yogurt, yogurt smoothie worked for us, but there are a lot of other things that can help. Also, you said “bottle.” Are you still giving her the milk in a bottle? I’d be sending bottles to the bottle fairy for all of the babies to use. The switch to an open cup or to a straw cup might diminish her interest in it as well.
anon says
Yes, still a bottle and I know I have to retire it. She gets so mad when I hand her a cup instead. Any tips for the bottle fairy ceremony?
Anon says
big little feelings has a pacifier fairy ceremony idea you could copy. does she also have a bottle during the day or only during the middle of the night? my DD protested milk in a cup (munchkin straw weighted cup) at age 1, but after one day, she drank it from the cup. at 2.5 she is also probably old enough for you to discuss during the day that there is no more milk in the middle of the night and that she can have some before bed, and have water in the night. also – if you need to, you have this internet stranger’s permission to at least give yourself a few more days to feel better/wait until a weekend
Anon says
I used this with both bottles and the pacifier: We talked A LOT about the bottle fairy coming to take her bottles away for all of the other little babies to use before we actually did it. We repeated that she is a big girl now and big girls use an open cup/straw cup (whatever you decide). We literally brought it up multiple times a day for days before we actually did it. We went with straw cups, and I bought a variety for her to try out. We also told her, and followed through with, the fairy leaving a big girl toy for her when she took all of the bottles (I’m not above bribery when needed). We threw all of the bottles away on the night the fairy came to visit. So, even if we wanted to cave (which we did for a day or two with the pacifier), we didn’t have any to give her. Also, we talked so much about the big girl toy being left that she wanted it badly enough to wish that the fairy came earlier than we had planned.
anon says
(OP here) This is great. She is fascinated with “real money” (as opposed to her play money) and wants to try out buying something for herself, so I think talking about how the bottle fairy is going to come and leave some real money would work. I just have to buckle up and do it.
anon says
Favorite Easter traditions? We are hosting the family this year. 11 kids, ages 2 to 14. There will be an egg hunt, but I’d love to have another cute activity for at least the younger ones.
Anon says
Target’s Mondo Llama brand always has cute crafts that are good for the 3-8ish age group. Looks like they have lots of Easter themed things.
Anon says
yes or Michaels. I like ones that do not involve paint, or i hide the paint and put out markers. i also like to print out some pictures to color from my computer, another idea is egg shaped cookie decorating, pin the tail or carrot on the bunny, easter themed bingo, a spoon/egg race with plastic eggs
Mary Moo Cow says
Second the egg and spoon race. My kids each just did one in PE and came home raving about it. Who knew? You could also have a sweet treat to decorate (little kids could add jelly beans to a coconut nest and older kids could decorate sugar cookies.) You could also put out the Easter edition of Taco Goat Cheese Pizza on a side table for the older kids.
Vicky Austin says
I’ll probably post again in the morning, but DS is going to be a year old in a few weeks, I’m trying to wean from breastfeeding sometime before June, and I just…want anecdotes. He doesn’t nurse very often during the day, but it still feels like he wants to nurse ALL NIGHT. Would just like to hear how it’s gone for others, especially around this same age. Thanks, friends. <3
Anon says
Night weaning is tough for the first couple nights, there’s no getting around it. But then it gets better. I like reading the book “Nursies when the sun shines” for a week or two beforehand. Then at night, you can either 1) send dad in for all wake-ups, or 2) comfort him with cuddles, offer water, and repeat that there will be “nursies when the sun shines”. Wear tight pajamas with no access.
My third was tough and really cried for hours the first night, slightly less the next couple nights, and then finally got the message that we were done. You just have to mentally steel yourself and do it.
anon says
Partner handles all wake ups during night weaning. Be aware that weaning-related depression is a thing that can happen, but gets better in a few weeks.