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With all the focus on our shoulders upward thanks to Zoom, bold earrings are a chic way to make a statement. Although my own ears aren’t pierced, I’d consider piercing them for the Briar earrings from M.M.LaFleur.
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The Briar earrings are $50 and come in indigo blue, jasper (dark red), julep, and turquoise.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
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- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ 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 – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Number Two says
Talk to me about potty training for #2. DD was #1 trained in basically a day, a few weeks ago, 6 weeks before her third birthday. Easy breezy, to be honest.
#2 is killing us slowly. I recognize they’re different skills, so I never expected they’d be at the same time. She’s not afraid of the potty or of going. She’s well hydrated, no signs of constipation. She knows she should go in the potty but just doesn’t. It’s very obvious to us when she needs to go – she has a set of actions she takes ahead of going (most of the time) and when we pick up on it, we know it’s coming. But if we whisk her away to the potty and put her on it, she just doesn’t go no matter how long we leave her on it, it seems. Things we’ve tried: (1) treats (2) major celebrations/excitement (3) daniel tiger/other children’s programming to normalize it (4) tablet, which she just gets lost in and doesn’t go.
Thinking we should reinvigorate the general celebration/treat-giving which worked like a charm for #1. Also wondering if we should just leave her on the potty with the tablet for as long as it takes…. but then we could be talking about 45+ mins. Any other ideas?
anon says
If she’s three, you could try offering her a big reward. If she goes #2 in the potty for a week, she gets to go to Target to pick out a toy. You could even go browse so she gets in her head what she wants. Put stars on a chart every day she is successful.
Pogo says
We did a sticker chart and I think it helped. But I know this can be a REAL struggle for some kids, I think we lucked out because we waited til LO was 3.5
anon says
If she’s having trouble going on a big potty, you could try on a smaller potty where she might be more comfortable. The low to the ground kid potties may put her in a more familiar position.
Mary Moo Cow says
I was in your shoes for months. We started DD 2 when she was 3 and it didn’t take for 6 months. We tried bribes all of all stripes, pull ups, underwear, and in between, rewards charts, stickers, peer pressure, consultant with a potty training expert…nothing worked until she decided she wanted to do it. The constant conflict was putting a real strain on my marriage so I wanted results and fast but I couldn’t force it. So, no help here, for which I’m sorry, but a reminder you’re not doing anything wrong.
OP says
She’s currently just going in her underwear. We’ve been able to salvage most but some have also been a total loss. I’m afraid if we put her in a pull up she’ll revert to using it like a diaper for #1. Is that a rational thought/concern? She currently only uses a pull up over night (which is wet every morning) and when she goes to gymnastics 1x/week for an hour (which stays dry).
We’re in the middle of some other Big Life Stuff as a family, and it’s definitely causing meaningful strain. I appreciate the reminder we’re not doing anything wrong.
Mary Moo Cow says
Yes, our pediatrician said a pull up will just enable her and you’ll have to train her to get over the pull ups again. She recommended just buying the cheapest underwear and throwing them away. Letting go of trying to salvage underwear and embracing the character underwear that falls apart after a few washes anyway was a sanitary saver for me! Good luck!
Anon says
I would take off the undies and have her go commando
Anonymous says
Oh, no. Then her pants and the floor will get wrecked.
anon says
If there is a kiddie potty nearby and they are not wearing pants or underwear, most kids will go in the potty instead of the floor. It’s worth a try on a weekend.
anon says
My mother trained my brother by letting him pick out his favorite character underwear. If it got soiled, he’d have to switch back to boring underwear. He felt very strongly about getting to wear Spiderman on his bum. Worked almost instantly.
OP says
We did this for #1. Elsa cannot get wet under any circumstances, but evidently that’s where the desire to protect Elsa stops. Sigh.
Good news is this thread has me realizing we’re legitimately doing everything any other person would, including kiddie potty and other things mentioned here. We may try to more consistently Big Praise, add a sticker chart and try elongated potty sessions without tablet (doubt she’ll stay seated, but worth a shot).
Clementine says
Not advice, just… a comment that kids are SO different.
What works for one might do absolutely nothing for another. If you’ve had an easily potty trained kid… or a kid who slept with no problem, it’s so easy to think that getting a kid to do the THING is easy… when really it’s just that particular kid who was easy.
Anonymous says
Our kiddo was the same way – #1 potty trained around age 3, and he just now – 6 months later – is consistently going #2 in the potty (for the last week and a half!!!!)
He would always wait until naptime or bedtime and use his diaper (or have an accident in underwear at nap). We ended up leaving a small potty in his room so he can use it, alone, and that’s what he prefers. He needs privacy and the little potty (and maybe he needed the extra 6 months of maturation).
ifiknew says
Our DD had SUCH an issue with this as well, except DD was in diapers and would wait for naptime or bedtime to go #2. We completely took away the diapers (in your case, can you keep her home for 3-5 days and take away the underwear?). We also gave miralax for about a week, so that it wouldn’t get painful. She would tell me “mom, I can only go in my diaper” – she believed it so strongly, but after about 10 days of no other option, she got it and never looked back. It was SO SO hard and it was so frustrating when she was so old and verbal but #2 is really different from #1 and it can be hard for some kids. Hang in there, i would DEFINITELY deal with this #2 issue sooner rather than later. Like everything in life, the younger they are, the easier it is to break a habit.
LittleBigLaw says
Have you tried leaving her without the tablet? We’ve had good success with putting our kiddos on the potty and then just leaving the room until they’ve finally gone #2 (or had a reasonable opportunity to).
We hover nearby pretending to be “busy” picking up toys, etc. but don’t go back in unless kiddo really needs us or it’s been more than 5 min. or so. We had a similar experience with the tablet and found that the only thing that really worked was just relying on boredom to motivate kiddo to do her business and move on!
Anonymous says
Is DD in school/ daycare? If yes make sure you’re on the same page with them and sending the same messages. The peer pressure of seeing other kids go in the potty can also be useful.
We’re navigating all this right now ourselves. Lots of #1 accidents, so much laundry. We have noticed that the tablet is a bad influence–it is so engrossing that LO has accidents while watching, or alternatively can’t focus on the task at hand.
Jeffiner says
Just wait for her to be ready. My daughter was very much like yours, and honestly, she won all the potty training wars both with me and with daycare teachers.
The one thing that hastened my daughter’s decision to start using the potty was putting a new toy on a shelf above the toilet for when she finally went. It took a few weeks of her looking up at the toy, and even longingly stroking the box while sitting on the toilet. It was part of a set, so she got the first toy after using the potty once, then a toy at the end of each day of full potty usage for the next 5 days.
commando says
I 2nd the commando suggestion, underwear feels like diapers too, that’s literally all she knows so it’s more of a feeling than a motivation thing. unless she’s closer to 3, then maybe she’s playing you. We had about a week of poo in pants from the daycare and lots of time on the potty at home, but then she got it down and we put her in underwear. yes it was gross, but it was only a week of gross, not months.
Anonymous says
I have posted (asking for help and providing advice) before. I know this is not exactly what you described, but hope that it could help
Initially #2 was a breeze (at 2.5) when we were all home in lockdown last spring. BUT it turns out that he had a complex going number 2 “in public” at daycare or school. This resulted in him basically training himself to go as little as possible and a habit of not emptying his bowel – which is a special type of constipation. This messed up his ability to understand his body’s signals. He ended up having lots of “starts” of poops in his undies, although very rarely did he fully go poop in his pants.
Basically, i didn’t really realize he was constipated because he was pooping regularly, but we had to treat it similarly.
Things that worked to resolve this:
– reading to him on the potty until he went (quite literally 30 – 45 mins some days)
– laxative regularly initially, now being managed with lots of dried fruit in his diet (incrementally to the fruit / veggie he was already eating). The initial goal with pediatrician was to get him pooping 2 – 3 times a day. We didn’t quite get there…. but we made a lot of progress.
– he is now on a very regular schedule of pooping right after dinner (when he is home).
anon says
My 6 year old came down with a stomach bug over the weekend. Fever from Sat afternoon to Sunday evening, throwing up Saturday afternoon, headache, etc. I took her to the doctor yesterday, who confirmed it was a stomach bug. She’s been drinking fluids pretty steadily, but is barely eating. Since Saturday morning, she’s had a piece of toast, a banana, two popsicles, and a few bites of this and that (rice, PBJ, applesauce). Not very much food for a three day span. The doctor said, well, she’ll eat when she is hungry, but I’m worried anyway! I don’t see how she can get better if she doesn’t eat at all. She has been resting mostly, but still . . . am I worried about nothing?
Spirograph says
Yes, you’re worried about nothing. My husband had a stomach bug recently and ate half a baked potato and like 5 crackers over the course of four days — it just takes a while for your body to be up for food after a lot of GI distress. As long as she’s getting fluids (Gatorade or Pedialyte would be good for electrolytes, or even just ginger ale for some calories), you’re fine. Trust your doctor. :)
Anonymous says
+1.
Pogo says
Keep pushing the popsicles! I also was nervous about allowing milk when mine was recovering from one of his early bugs but he really preferred milk at the time, so I went for it. He was fine. Let her have whatever liquids she wants and the food will come.
AwayEmily says
Yes, trust your doctor — my 3yo had a stomach bug lately and was even throwing up liquids. That seriously worried them, and they gave him some anti-nausea medication immediately. Avoiding dehydration is the most important thing. Her appetite will come back.
GCA says
Agree with everyone and also your doctor! Avoiding dehydration is really the most important thing. Her solid food intake actually doesn’t sound bad for the last few days. (I once had a really bad stomach bug in college and couldn’t eat anything more than chicken soup and jello for two weeks. To this day I can’t look at a Campbell’s chicken noodle soup cup.) To keep her energy up, let her have fluids with calories, like Gatorade or flat ginger ale.
anon says
OP here: Thanks all! I appreciate the support. :)
Anonymous says
I have a Mockingbird stroller, and part of the frame broke so they are sending me a new one (great customer service!). They now offer a single-to-double convertible frame, along with a single frame. They’re offering to upgrade me to the convertible for free. I have only one kid, and we likely won’t start trying for a second for a bit. What I’m asking is, should I go ahead and get the double convertible even if I’m not sure if/when we’ll have a second, because you never know and also for resale value?
Spirograph says
Tagging on to the clutter discussion yesterday… one mantra that helps me is “store things at the store.” You don’t need to keep stuff around just in case you’ll need it some day. You’re not pregnant, and you don’t know whether you will ever have two stroller-sized kids at the same time. Get what you know works for you now.
Katala says
I think for this particular stroller, going with the convertible frame makes sense. It’s not significantly different from the single frame, and it doesn’t sound like they’re offering her the actual second seat set up, which would just be clutter at this point.
OP- I’d go for it. I ordered a single (slightly cheaper and zero chance my 4-year-old will/could ride in a second seat) and it’s been backordered for a while. Hopefully it gets here before baby arrives! But you might be able to get the convertible now vs. waiting for the single frame.
Do you otherwise like the stroller? I had a hard time finding real reviews.
Anonymous says
I like it a lot! Very smooth ride, looks good, easy to adjust and clean. It’s not quite as easy to push as the UppaBaby, and it’s fairly heavy to throw into the car trunk, but we’re in the city and don’t often need to transport it folded so it’s fine. And the customer service has been really great (as noted above).
Katala says
Awesome, this is what I was hoping. I am still a little jealous I never had an UppaBaby. Although I’m in the burbs now and will need to put it in the car so that’s something to test out during my return window.
Anonymous says
Is there any downside to the convertible? Is it substantially larger or heavier?
Anonymous says
Looks like the double is not significantly larger or heavier (less than 1 inch / 1 pound differences).
Anne says
Hi – can anyone recommend a good vacation destination for very young kids for this summer coming from DC area? Here’s what we want: (1) able to social distance (so not Ocean City); (2) little kid friendly swimming at either a chill beach or lake; (3) a two hour drive or under from DC area; (4) ability to rent a house or condo. Thanks!
Pogo says
Rehoboth Beach? Or less crowded, Cape Henlopen?
Anonymous says
I have never been to Lake Anna but have been considering it this summer. That seems to check your boxes.
Anonymous says
We’ve gone to Rehoboth every year since my youngest was 1. It’s a little over 2 hours from DC, but not bad. It’s much more chill than Ocean City, but any beach town is going to get a little crowded in the summer. If you stick to the state park instead of the boardwalk, it’s a lot more relaxing.
Anywhere on the Chesapeake Bay would probably work, too. There are a lot of vrbo and airbnb rentals all around the Bay. We rented a house with a private dock outside of Cambridge, MD a couple months ago and it was nice. I wouldn’t say the *swimming* was good, but my kids had fun splashing in the water by the soft launch.
Much closer: friends have recommended Greenbriar State Park as a relaxing place with a swimming lake. I think that’s more camping or cabin rentals than house/condo, though.
Anon says
We have a great time with our little ones every year at Smith Mountain Lake. It’s nice not having to deal with sand or salt like at the beach. The kids swim off the dock and go on boat rides.
I’m not sure if houses are left at that point, but it is a very chill way to spend a week.
anon says
SML is more like 3.5 hours, but worth the drive.
anonamama says
What about Deep Creek MD area? No boardwalk/mass gathering area, weather is enjoyable, lake and boating activities, etc? I know rental market is tough but you could cast a wide net and do some short drives to lake/beach. We recently went to Rocky Gap state park and really enjoyed it with kids. Good luck!
AnonATL says
I tripped and face planted this weekend while doing yard work and scratched up my forehead pretty badly.. just in time for a ton of client video calls early this week. Hoping my makeup trickery and hair covers it up until I can be a hermit again for it to heal. So my week is off to a great start.
Anonymous says
ouch, I’m sorry! I’d let the forehead scratches fly and just use it as an ice-breaker for pre meeting chitchat, but you know your clients best.
Patty Mayonnaise says
Any tips for a low key covid safe bday gathering for a 2 yo?
My daughter’s bday is coming up and I’d love to organize a little something for her at a local playground with daycare friends. We’ve been SO cautious but this feels relatively safe now that we (and most of the other parents) are fully vaccinated and the kids are together at school anyway.
Any tips? What type of treats make the most sense? I’d normally go all out but want to keep it low key and avoid unnecessary germ issues. (So no candle blowing!)
Would love to hear how others planned similar gatherings.
Anonymous says
Mini cupcakes.
NYCer says
+1. Mini cupcakes would definitely be my first choice for the 2yo crowd. If you’re going to meet in the morning at the park, you could do sprinkle donuts or donut holes (munchkins) instead.
Other options: cookies, popsicles, cake pops
Anon says
Honestly, as long as it’s outside I think you’re fine.
Anonymous says
Somewhat relevant – interesting NY Times article opining that the CDC is overstating the risks of outdoor transmission. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/briefing/outdoor-covid-transmission-cdc-number.html
Anonymous says
Similar parties in our area consist of indivudally packaged chips (costco carries a big variety box), individual juice boxes then individual cupcakes for all kids. Weighted balloons as decoration on picnic table and each kid takes one home.
Anonymous says
You can’t go wrong with giving kids that age a balloon! Something I learned when my kid was 2: you can get a little helium tank from target or costco. Non-helium balloons are also entertaining, but more likely to accidentally pop in playground mulch.
I’d do donut holes over cupcakes, just because cupcake frosting is suuuuuch a mess. Other faves are applesauce squeeze packets and individual goldfish cracker packs.
AnotherAnon says
Just curious, about how much is expected to gift your cousin for high school graduation? My mom said she thinks her dad gave me $200 for my graduation, which of course I don’t remember because it was 15 years ago. I was thinking I’d send her $50 but not trying to be a cheap skate.
Anonymous says
I’ve given my cousins gifts of around $50 for HS graduation. I’m sure my grandparents gave me (and their other grandchildren) more.
Anonymous says
I should clarify that this was for cousins I’m close with and who invited me to their graduation parties.
Anonymous says
In my family, nothing.
Anonymous says
+1. Gifts flow down through the generations, not across within a generation. The exception is wedding gifts.
Anonymous says
This is how my family works too. I’ve given gifts to my cousins’ kids, but not to my cousins, themselves (except the one whose wedding I was invited to). I’m not particularly close with any of my cousins, though.
Anon says
I’ve never given a cousin a graduation gift, nor received a graduation gift from a cousin. I do give wedding/baby gifts depending on how close I am to them and what stage of life I was in at the time (no one got presents from me when I was a student—I was included in the gift from my parents).
I do think it’s nice to give gifts to nieces and nephews, though even that can depend on if you’re close (I have a lot of nieces and nephews, some of whom I barely know).
Anon says
+1 Unless you are an adult and attend a graduation party for a younger cousin; in that case, I would give a gift
We do send checks of about $100 to nieces and nephews
Anonymous says
Nothing
SC says
I’ve given to cousins’ graduations when they are much younger than me, more like a niece or nephew (so at least 15 years younger). In each case, I’ve given $75-100.
DLC says
I’ve given gifts to my all my younger cousins- they are 10-15 years younger than I am. (I don’t give to my cousins who are my own age). I feel like it’s one of those adulting things I tell myself to do, particularly since my uncles and aunts had always been generous to me when I graduated. I usually give between $50-80 because that’s what I could reasonably afford at the time. College grad gets $100. Preferably all in cash.