I’ve mentioned before that when I was pregnant, I received a few big black garbage bags filled with maternity clothing that has been circulated among my group of friends and their sisters. A lot of the jeans in the bag were maternity jeans from H&M, and I was impressed with them. After having a baby, I bought a non-maternity style on sale there and was similarly impressed with the quality, style, fit, and price. When I was at H&M recently, I tried on a pair of jeans in an impulse (big mistake) and couldn’t not buy them because they were so soft, comfortable, and flattering. I’ve been trying to transition away from super skinny denim, and the name of these jeans says it all for me: Straight, Regular Jeans. Love it. They’re available at H&M for $39.99 in sizes 25/30 to 36/34. Straight Regular Jeans
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Sensory Processing says
Someone posted yesterday about a very challenging 3 year old. Came across this article in another group and though it might help. I never really understood what Occupational Therapists for kids did and this certainly opened my eyes. CHEO is the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario so it’s a reputable source
http://www.cheo.on.ca/en/sensory-processing?fbclid=IwAR2zXj5MLPYebbw5Axe1lMwrX25uowRPXSAjOznC7yYk_D8I3ZdvoJF9vCI
Anonymous says
That was me- thank you!
I read Spirited Child cover to cover and while the occasional part resonated, she actually doesn’t have most of the characteristics described. We are nearly certain she has middle child syndrome + inherited a double dose of stubborn from both me and DH (we are both extremely pig headed) + really bright. What we need to nail is how to lean into her personality and work with her vs fight her at every turn.
My older kid has always been one you can talk to/through things. Even when she was an irrational toddler, we could connect with her. And our baby has a calm, chill personality like our oldest.
This middle tho…little spitfire. And it doesn’t help that she’s cute as all get-out, tiny, and speaks like a 80 year old granny with a PhD.
rosie says
Amtrak with a young toddler? Thinking about doing some upcoming travel on the east coast by train (aka “choo choo!!”). It would be about a 6-hour ride each way. We’d probably need to check a bag (is this a thing on trains even? we’d be starting at a major station but not sure if the other end has that red cap service, or maybe that has nothing to do with checking bags?). 2 adults, so we’d have 2 seats for the 3 of us. Advice?
Other ways to travel would be driving — we haven’t done that many straight hours in the car with her, though, she is ok in the carseat but a little restless. Or we could fly, which is how we’ve done this trip previously, although I’m less enthusiastic about that & the locations of various airports are not super convenient.
Anonymous says
Unlike planes, Amtrak has kids fares that are quite a bit cheaper (50% I think) than the adult fare. I’d definitely buy her her own seat.
rosie says
Fair enough. That also means that whichever parent is not sitting with her (unless we got the 4 seats facing each other) could get some work done or have some quiet time, not a bad thing!
Anonymous says
If you use the red cap service you get to board first and can probably get 4 together, and sometimes there’s even a weird three together configuration at the end of the car. The red caps will hook you up.
rosie says
Red cap is free, yes? (but tip the individual)
Anonymous says
Yes.
Anonymous says
I love train travel with kids. Being able to get up and walk around it so nice. And unlike airplanes, there’s always something for them to look at out the window.
Anonymous says
Jumping off this question: will it be easier to drive or take Amtrak with a 5-month old from DC to Connecticut? If Amtrak, we’ll have to change trains at Stamford.
rosie says
Are you familiar with this drive (know the potential for traffic, etc.)? How is your baby in the carseat? How long are you willing to take to do the drive (w/stops)? Are you splitting the drive w/someone & how well-rested are you feeling given that you have a 5-mo? Would you need to change to Metro North at Stamford or something else?
Knope says
With the caveat that I have not been to the Stamford station, I think it’s likely easier to take the train. If you are nursing, I think the train is much easier – having to stop every time your baby wants to nurse, or having to pump and then give your baby the bottle, is a HUGE pain. But even if you are not nursing, having to stop for diaper changes and such is rough, and a lot of babies aren’t too happy to be in the backseat alone, so you may need to sit back there and entertain (or deal with a lot of fussing). That said, the train announcements can be loud and may wake your baby if s/he is a light sleeper, and having to haul a lot of stuff can be a pain too, so I understand why some might opt to drive.
Anonymous says
Ever since we had kids we always choose to fly between DC and New England, because traffic in that corridor is horrible, esp. on holiday weekends (when we usually travel). So if flying isn’t an option, I vote train so you can feed baby, walk around if she’s cranky, etx.
anne-on says
Where in CT? Do you mean you’d have to change from an Acela/Amtrak to a Metro North train? I’d say it would be highly dependent on where your final destination is. Acela/Amtrak on the Northeast corridor is awesome, but the commuter rail is similar to what you’d have in DC for your commute – can be crowded on the weekend and there really isn’t a ton of space for bags. That being said – I’d still likely take Acela/Amtrak to either Stamford or New Haven and then uber from there.
Lana Del Raygun says
Amtrak does let you check bags, although not at some smaller stations. I *think* you can still check bags TO those stations, just not FROM them. I’ve ridden the Capitol Limited (DC-Chicago) a lot and you get 2 checked bags, 2 carry-ons, and 2 personal items free. Red Cap is separate.
Riding the train is awesome!
Pogo says
IIRC, “checking” just means they put it in a special luggage car – so no reason why you can’t get it at the smaller station, unless that car is inaccessible due to the size of the platform.
Anonymous says
Amtrak is so easy and convenient with kids. You may not even have to check a bag–you can bring a full-sized suitcase as part of the generous carry-on allowance. And you will save a ton of time and hassle avoiding airport security.
I would definitely purchase a seat.
So Anon says
I have found Amtrak with little kids to be wonderful! Definitely buy a seat, and seek out a red cap before they start boarding. The red cap can help you load your bags and will let you “pre-board,” which helps with finding great seats. I found the train came with great, built-in distractions (maps! the dining car! generally a little kid can get a sticker from the conductor!). On the off chance that you have a potty-training toddler, the bathrooms were very tricky and scary for my oldest even after he had potty trained.
Re: The drive from DC to CT v. taking the train. I would go for the train. The traffic in that corridor can be horrendous, and there is nothing more miserable, in my experience, than being stuck in traffic with an upset baby. On the train, you can hold the baby, nurse/feed/bottle as you need to. I traveled solo with both of my kids when the youngest was 3 mos and the oldest was almost 3 on the train. I put the baby in a carrier on my chest, and the motion kept her happily asleep for a long time.
Anonymous says
Definitely train.
SC says
I’d take the train. We had a great experience on a short (1 hour) train trip with my then-2-year-old, and we had no idea what we were doing (didn’t know how to check luggage, I have know idea what a red cap is). I will say that once we got settled, Kiddo needed an activity, just like he would on a plane. We purchased a seat for each of us, and it was nice to have so much space compared to an airplane!
Anonymous says
I may be the voice of dissent, but with regular Amtrak I have gotten delayed so many times, hours and hours of delays. It would be miserable with a child. Shell out extra for the Acela if you can. Acela is also nice because there are lots of seats configured so that they’ll face each other. Also on regular trains I *think* the seats may flip depending on how new the train is, so if you want to face each other you still can – may need to ask the conductor.
octagon says
I love the leg cut of these jeans but the rise is so high! Really not ready for high-waisted jeans to be back.
Anonymous says
I have, like, no torso. They’d come up to my boobs.
anon says
Me too! I can’t do high rise and low rise is so hard to find!
9:48 Anon says
I think all my jeans are Old Navy. Either Rockstar low-rise (they usually have a black and dark wash available) or Rockstar mid-rise. I’m fine with the mid-rise, but they’re more like a high rise on me and sit right at my belly button.
avocado says
Why can’t they ever just make mid-rise jeans? Low-rise jeans make me worry about plumber’s crack, and high-waisted jeans make me feel like I never made it out of the 1990s.
Anonymous says
I don’t mind the high rise because I never tuck anything in when wearing jeans.
anon says
I sort of lucked into this, but I have a jeans recommendation for those with muscular thighs: Old Navy’s Curvy Skinny. I even found two pairs in store with long inseams, woo hoo! They were separate from all the Rockstar jeans at the front of the store. (Rockstars are generally too skinny through the leg for me.) Anyway, I was super impressed. They are regular jeans with just the right amount of stretch, not jeggings. The rise hit just below the belly button — not a true high rise, but high enough to keep the pouch contained.
AwayEmily says
Oh wow as a fellow thigh-haver this is a great rec, thanks!
Anon says
+1 for the old navy curvy skinny.
Thick thigh person here and these jeans somehow miraculously fit through the hip and waist and they put them on sale all the time.
Tetra says
I’m 21 weeks pregnant and finding it hard to concentrate at work. A lot of times it’s because I’m hungry, so I’m keeping more snacks stashed at my desk, but I also just feel distracted and tired. Any tips?
Anon in NYC says
Sounds pretty normal! Maybe get up and move around, if you can. Laps around the office to get the blood flowing. And try to get some extra rest this weekend.
Anonymous says
No advice but I’m 22 weeks with my second and Pregnancy brain has really just returned in the last week or two. So I’m right there with you!
Day Care Germs says
When do the constant illnesses for a day care kid end? My daughter has been in day care since she was 4 months old. She is now almost 18 months old and since then she is sick probably every 3-4 weeks. I’m talking about “qualifying events” that require staying home (vomiting, fever, diarrhea) and not just a cough or a runny nose. They are typically (and thankfully) short lived and mild (I don’t know if I can attribute this to still breastfeeding or pure luck) but they do require time off from work. I was anticipating the pace of illnesses to slow after her first 12 months in day care but so far no luck.
When, if ever, should I expect her to get sick less often? For what it’s worth, she is at a big center day care so there are lots of kids and their germs.
Anonymous says
That sounds like a lot. We had one stay home level illness per month for the first 10 months but pretty rare since then, maybe one-two a year? Most (but not all) illnesses were colds not stomach issues. Frequent illness with vomiting or diarrhea would make me concerned about their cleaning practices and food prep/service practices
Anon says
It’s actually not uncommon for babies and toddlers to vomit with a cold or other respiratory infection (the mucus from the nasal drip irritates their stomach). I agree that more than 1 or 2 stomach bugs/year would be unusual, but really young kids can vomit without having a full-blown gastroenteritis.
Anonymous says
Agree. I wasn’t clear above but vomiting related to a cold isn’t the same. My youngest was frequently vomited when he had too much mucous for a head or chest cold.
Anonymous says
Our pediatrician told us to expect two illnesses per month for the first two years of day care or school.
Anonymous says
Two winters (cold and flu seasons) is what I’ve always heard, and it was true for us.
Anonymous says
I think it depends on the kid, but usually 1-2 years. We had a ton of sick days my twins’ first winter in daycare but we haven’t kept them home for illness since last March (knock on wood). Our same-aged neighbor is slowing down his sick days compared to his first year, but has still been out about once every 4-6 weeks this winter.
SC says
We had a ton of sick days my kid’s first year of daycare, but he started around 18 months. He had croup, HFM, 3 ear infections, surgery for tubes. The next year (and really after tubes) was better. The 2-year-old classroom had better hand-washing procedures (because of food allergies in the room), and I think the kids weren’t putting as much in their mouths at that age. This year, in the 3-year-old classroom, Kiddo has missed very few days–maybe just 1 or 2 all year. One was for a weird rash and limp that suddenly developed, and which the doctor decided was an immune response to… something. And one was just a regular cold, where mucus led to vomiting overnight, and we could tell he felt bad and needed a recovery day.
Day Care Germs says
Thanks all! This is super helpful! To clarify, she is not vomiting with every instance. It just has happened a 3-4 times over the last year and often accompanied with a host of other symptoms so I think it’s a response to the mucus The diarrhea doesn’t seem to follow the vomiting, just the lack of food intake and the heavier liquid diet.
Daycares says
Can you tell me a little about how you set up daycare tours / got information? I don’t know if I’m using the wrong magic language or what. We are in the process of adopting but not yet placed but our social worker wants us to have an idea of what daycare we are going to use. I have reached out to 4 day cares for information and have received nothing back. One of them my husband reached out to instead of me. We have tried phone, email and the contact us forms on the web. I understand that there may be waitlists but one in particular advertised that they had current infant availability. Should I not be saying I want information? Should I just say I’m calling to sign up to get a call back? I even put flowy info in one of my emails about why I thought their facility would be a good fit for us. Radio silence. Do I just have to stop by?
Also, if the admins are reading, the current ads are slowing down the page such that typing is very difficult. The cursor isn’t keeping up.
Anon says
In my experience, if the daycare has long waiting lists a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” attitude is very typical. It was a shock to me that people wouldn’t even deign to answer our calls or meet with us, but the reality is that if they have a long waiting list they don’t have to be great at customer service. I don’t think it’s necessarily reflective of how they care for your kids or communicate with existing parents. They just have no incentive to try to attract new business since they’re already so in demand. It’s odd that this happened at a daycare with no waitlist, though.
Anonymous says
I’d call or stop by to request a tour/appointment. I don’t think many have “information” beyond a tour and the handbook. The “information” gather needs to be in-person and not over the phone. So you’re looking to schedule an appointment, not a long telephone discussion.
anon says
That has not been my experience. In my suburban part of town, I think the daycares are wanting business so they’ve been prompt at getting back to me. Maybe it’s different in a more urban area where it’s harder to get a spot?
Anonymous says
We live in a DC suburb with pretty high daycare demand/long waitlists, but even so all the places we contacted were happy to give tours. I think we just called and said we’d like to set up a time for a tour, so maybe that’s different from requesting information?
GCA says
Using tactics from my past life as a journalist…I would stop by and politely ask about availability, tours, etc. Especially the one that had current infant availability. If they’re not a big corporate chain, they might not have time to respond to all of the emails, but they might have time to respond briefly to a walk-in and at least set you up for a proper meeting and tour.
11:14 Anon says
I agree with this. At our daycare, everyone is constantly in a room/floating/etc. The director and assistant director always carry a cordless phone on them but are rarely in the office. They’re floating in and out of rooms, helping in the kitchen, doing laundry, being another set of eyes for outdoor play, etc. Everyone is nearly always on-duty.
Daycares says
That’s why I feel rude just dropping by. If they are too busy to email me or take my phone call wouldn’t they be too busy for a drop-in visit? What time would I even go by?
11:41 Anon says
You’d be dropping by to set up an appointment for the tour, so that couple of minutes shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience. I’d try to drop by during the early afternoon, maybe between 12:30 and 1:30. That will be naptime for most rooms (basically all but infants), so things will be quieter.
Anonymous says
I think it depends where you are, but in general my experience is that the very pleasant squeaky wheel gets the grease. Most of the daycares near us (Brooklyn) were “in-home” (not really someone’s home but small businesses in converted apartments), and most had minimal administrative infrastructure. Stopping by and talking in person may help.
anon. says
Try the 9″ rise at Madewell – it’s a great medium rise.
RR says
I just want a pair of jeans (heck, a pair of pants) that are not ankle pants! I don’t have slim ankles, and ankle pants are horribly unflattering on me. But the entire world is ankle pants right now. Even the bootcut jeans are short. My kingdom for a 32″ inseam!!
Anon says
32″ would be ankle length for a taller woman, so can you just buy “tall” ankle pants?
RR says
In theory, and I’ve done it, although I’m also plus, so looking for tall, plus size pants is a little difficult.
Anon says
I like the gap real straight and I think I also have the curvy boot. I’m a 34 inch inseam but wear flats all the time and I get their long (tall is too long, but the long is just right). I also find that the express editor pants are cut longer (I definitely have those in a barely boot) – not sure if they make a jean version.
Anon says
Also at land’s end you used to be able to order pants hemmed to whatever inseam you specify, and I think they have more inclusive sizing. You might check to see if they still have that policy and it extends to jeans.
CPA Lady says
Where do y’all shop for non-work clothes? I’m in such a bad mood when it comes to the clothes that have been in style for the last several years– high rise light was jeans, anything in that tannish light pink color, ruffles, cut outs, cold shoulders, etc. I hate all those things. I just want to look cute and not dumpy. But then I keep shopping at Talbots. Which has some stuff that is cute, but not like, trendy cute, more like “classic and solid”. Meh.
I like the look of some J Crew stuff, but the proportions do not work for me. Same with most of Old Navy.
Is the answer Loft?
Anonymous says
I would suggest you send those parameters to Stitch Fix stylist and see what they can come up with.
Anon says
Loft is where I buy work clothes (I’m tall and generally slim, although I have hips). Their stuff feels too nice for me to wear on weekends (I have a 16 month old), and I’m not sure it would work if you feel like J. Crew and Old Navy don’t fit well, because J. Crew is where I buy my jeans, and Old Navy is where I buy all my athleisure and sweaters. Those are my three go-to stores.
Anonymous says
Boden?
CHL says
+1 Boden
Anon says
Caveat that I haven’t been doing a lot of buying, but my staples are gap (mostly), loft (sometimes) and land’s end (sometimes).
avocado says
I have the same issues with weekend clothes, except that I love that particular shade of pink. My non-work clothes mostly come from Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and manufacturer websites (Splendid, AG, Rag & Bone, Wilt, Current/Elliott, etc.). Shopbop, Evereve, Anthro, and Free People sometimes have a few nice things hidden among all the cold shoulder tops. Amour Vert has a lot of stuff that looks nice in the catalogue, but sadly doesn’t seem to fit me well. I can’t wear Old Navy pants or tops, but I love their jersey swing dresses. At J. Crew the jackets fit me, but nothing else.
Wherever I shop, I sift through a lot of unsuitable items to find the few good pieces, and I do a lot of waiting for promo codes and sales. When I find something I really like, I will often buy it in multiple colors. My casual outfits consist mostly of good basics; I haven’t found many interesting tops I like lately. A typical spring weekend outfit consists of J. Crew utility jacket + loose tee from Wilt or Splendid + AG skinny jeans + Fryes, flip-flops, or Vejas depending on weather. For summer, it’s some kind of t-shirt dress or cutoffs + loose tee or tank with Birks or flip-flops. I cannot get behind the supposed return of flared jeans–I still see everyone in skinnies.
avocado says
P.S.: I find The Mom Edit to be a reasonable source of weekend fashion inspiration. I am somewhere between Shana and Laura in terms of style, but a bit more subdued than either. Once in a while I’ll pick up an interesting idea for an outfit combination or identify a specific piece or brand I hadn’t heard of before. My go-to “dress-up” dress for everything from piano recitals to weddings to the theatre (which sadly just wore out) was a Shana recommendation from Anthro.
ElisaR says
i’m unfamiliar with wilt t-shirts but I just looked them up and i feel like i need one! or 2. any pointers on their cut and/or sizing?
avocado says
They run a little large. I order down a size in tank tops to avoid armhole gaping. For t-shirts, I usually go with the “shrunken” styles in my regular size for a relaxed fit.
IHeartBacon says
You might want to try using Nordstrom’s Trunk Club. Unlike Stitchfix, your Trunk Club stylist will send you a preview before everything ships and you can delete stuff that you don’t like.
shortperson says
ihave been using trunk club this year for non work clothes. beware, they are not cheap, but you can give stylist a lot of direction and im very happy with what ive received per minute ive spent on the process. moderaltey ok with what ive receved per dollar ive spent. if i like something i do buy it but often look a few months later for similar items on nordstrom rack.
Anonymous says
I recommend trying JCrew Factory. The sizing isn’t totally on par with typical JCrew, so the proportions may work for you. It’s cheap and cute, but you will tend to get what you pay for quality wise. Well, I guess I recommend their shirts. I’ve never tried the pants (team Old Navy and Lululemon). I don’t like the dresses – they’re fairly short.
Anonanonanon says
I haven’t had great luck with Stitch Fix in general, though I actually had GREAT luck with Stitch Fix and jeans! Which I find interesting because it’s so hard to find jeans!
I haven’t used Trunk Club but it seems like a better option than stitch fix. I’ve taken to using Rent the Runway for non-work clothes. It’s fun, and that way I’m not wearing the same thing every weekend! Having new outfits for weekends has also inspired me to get out more
GCA says
I wonder if the answer is in fact Loft on eBay or ThredUp, because you’re more likely to find recent past seasons’ clothes that are still in good condition – say spring ’15 t-shirts rather than spring ’19 cold shoulders.
(Caveat: I’m not the most fashion-forward person. My weekend uniform is the same few pairs of Athleta Metro leggings and Madewell jeans with sneakers and a rotation of t-shirts + sweaters/ open cardigans, depending on weather. 100% about comfort.)
anon. says
I like a flowy button down. Madewell or Rails have good ones – and they look cute with jeans or shorts.
SC says
DH and I have decided that, for Kiddo’s 4th birthday, we’re going to host a small party (4-5 friends and their parents, none of our extended family) at our house. We’ll get a bounce house, mainly because last year we paid a deposit (about half the cost) on one and got rained out. I’m hoping the weather will cooperate, and the kids can play outside.
Does anyone have any suggestions for activities–especially if we get rained out and have to stay inside? The party will be in the morning, probably 10-12. We plan to have some snacks and cake, but don’t plan to serve a meal.
anon says
Time of year? We did a backyard four year old party and put out every water toy we owned and that was a hit, but it would have to be warm enough!
shortperson says
do you have a theme? we are all about the crafts at this age. if you dont want to create crafts from scratch we like the kits from teatotspartyplanning on etsy.
Anonymous says
We just did pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs, to great enjoyment.
Aila says
Hi,
Do you have any Friday night/ weekend routine or tradition for your family? My husband,s family ( not from U.S.) went out for movies every Saturday. My family didn’t have any weekend routine. Weekends were for running errands and prepping for next week.
Just curious to know if anyone else had these routines.