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This teal blazer looks lovely, and I like the polka-dot lining. Try it with a navy sheath dress and a pop of red (necklace or heels), or if you’re in a casual office, try it with dark rinse denim. It’s $69 (was $99) at Limited (online only) in regular, petite, and tall sizes. Limited Soft Topstitched Jacket
(L-2)
Sales of note for 12.5.23…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Holiday sale up to 50% off; 5x the points on beauty for a limited time
- Ann Taylor – 40% off your purchase & extra 15% off sweaters
- Banana Republic – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 40% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything & extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – Extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off your purchase with code
- Lands’ End – Up to 70% off everything; free shipping (readers love the cashmere)
- Loft – 50% off your purchase with code (ends 12/5)
- Summersalt – Up to 60% off select styles & free scarf with orders $125+ (this reader-favorite sweater blazer is down to $75)
- Talbots – 40% off your regular-price purchase; extra 50% off all markdowns
- Zappos – 34,000+ women’s sale items! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- Crate&kids – Free shipping sitewide; up to 50% off toy + gift event; free monogramming for a limited time only (order by 12/15)
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off your purchase with code
- Pottery Barn Kids – Up to 50% off toys, furniture & gifts
- Graco – Holiday savings up to 35% off; sign up for texts for 20% off full-price item
- Walmart – Up to 25% off top baby gifts; big savings on Delta, Graco, VTech, Fisher-Price & more
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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?
EB0220 says
Paging Anon who asked for wrap recommendations yesterday: it can definitely get overwhelming. A 100% cotton wrap is a good place to start. Size 5 if you’re petite, 6 if you’re average, 7 if you’re plus-sized. I’ve liked Didymos the best for all-around use, but Ellevil Zara is fantastic for babies. Join The Babywearing Swap on Facebook (buy and sell used wraps) and Babywearing on a Budget (carriers and wraps < $100) for a good view of what's out there. You can also buy new but it's nice to get a wrap that has already been broken in – they're much softer and easier to use!
Sarabeth says
I didn’t see this yesterday, but I highly recommend the Wrapsody Hybrid as a starter wrap. It’s somewhere in between a stretchy Moby/Boba-style wripe and a true woven wrap. It has a bit of stretch, which makes it more forgiving for a learner and very comfy for baby. Unlike a Moby, though, it is strong enough to keep using when your kid is bigger – it only stretches in one direction, so it won’t sag the way a Moby does.
Agree that if you are buying a true woven wrap, used is the way to go. Won’t be a ton cheaper, but it will be softer and nicer.
EB0220 says
I have heard good things about the Wrapsody Hybrid, too, especially for summer. I also think the Ellevil Zara is a great beginner wrap for a “true” woven. Local Babywearing International groups often have lending libraries, too, if you want to try first.
NewMomAnon says
How long can you use a wrap? My kiddo is 19 months old and about 25 pounds. The Ergo is comfortable but hard to transport with all the straps and padding, and (selfishly) I’d like something more colorful. I know I probably only have another 6 months or so of baby-carrying anyway (I’m very short and kiddo is tall), but would a wrap lengthen or shorten that time?
EB0220 says
As long as your kid will tolerate it! I don’t wear my three year old much anymore, but I hike her up in the wrap occasionally.
ANP says
Piggybacking off of this: what’s your favorite source for interesting (not part of a suit) blazers? I’ve had good luck at JCrew and Talbots, but need to expand my wardrobe in this area. I’m looking for items similar to what’s featured: on the biz casual side, good on their own with an outfit or punched up with fun accessories.
anon says
I have had surprising success at H&M. Following this to see more suggestions!
anne-on says
Its a hard to find piece. And when I do find those kinds of blazers I notice they sell out very quickly. My go to stores are usually Banana Republic (fall and spring are usually best), JCrew (their collection line on sale is great) and Brooks Brothers.
NewMomAnon says
Zara! I just checked, and they have so many right now that I want for fall. Cool shapes, interesting fabrics, nice details. I’ve also seen some on Boden but I feel like all Boden’s clothes read really boxy on the website so I’ve never pulled the trigger.
TK says
I usually pick up 1 or 2 whenever Nordstrom Rack has one of their ‘clear the rack 25% off clearance’ sales. Because its Nordstrom most are of good quality (and far outside my price range except on clearance.)
CPA Lady says
Goodwill. A lot of goodwill shoppers are not looking for blazers so the section isn’t very picked over. You have to weed through the atrocious dated seafoam-green poly blazers, but I’ve gotten 5 or 6 blazers at goodwill, usually for under $10 each.
octagon says
My favorite blazers have all come from Ann Taylor, but I can’t reliably go there and find cute ones…. it’s like a needle in a haystack. A haystack that changes seasonally.
Butter says
Hi all. Just sharing that I ordered a few Belli facial products (scrub + cleanser) and have been really pleased with them so far. I’m just over four months and didn’t realize until recently that facial cleanser ingredients were a(nother) thing I had to pay attention to. In case anyone is one the hunt for preg-friendly cleansers, so far so good.
Maddie Ross says
I liked the Belli cleanser and used the acne treatment when needed (though it didn’t work as well IMO as the normal benzoyl peroxide stuff I used pre-preg). I hated the lotion though – I thought it was too runny and did seem to keep me moisturized. I used regular old olay instead.
Anonymous says
Where did you get your Belli products? For my first pregnancy, I got them through Amazon. I’m recently pregnant again, though, and Amazon doesn’t seem to have them anymore.
Butter says
Oh, I just got them through Amazon a few weeks ago. Hopefully you can find them again!
Anonymous says
If you were going to be a SAHM for a year or two, what would your wardrobe look like? I’m going to take a long break from my demanding job when I have my last baby in a few months, and my casual wardrobe is in bad shape. I live in a 4-season climate with a long, snowy winter. I think I’ll stock up on jeans, sweaters, and flat boots. Any suggestions for flat, weather-proof, somewhat stylish boots?
Meg Murry says
I like wearing washable knit skirts with black cotton thick leggings underneath and warm socks. Comfy as wearing pjs but looks like I actually care what I look like, and the leggings tuck into boots so I don’t have wet cuffs from the snow. If planning to bf, t-shirts plus cardigans or hoodies instead of bulky sweaters.
(former) preg 3L says
Boots: I’ve heard La Canadienne or Aquatalia are excellent. Both are pricey.
Casual wardrobe generally: I’d start with super comfy yoga pants, nursing tanks, and tshirts. I’d transition into other stretchy pants (maybe corduroys?) before jumping back into jeans. I’d want a few soft dresses (wrap/ponte/knit) for dressier outings. Maybe a waterfall cardigan over jeans? Also, check out baby teething necklaces. Amber necklaces are great (or so I’ve heard) but there are also rubber ones.
Anonymous says
I’m on month 4 of my mat leave and I’ve found that pockets are a necessity! So def pants and shorts with pockets. Jeans aren’t that comfortable for me when I sit down on the floor so I would get comfy or stretchy jeans/pants. This summer I’ve been living in bravado nursing tanks (they come in so many colors!) and then I can throw a cute kimono over that.
Anonymama says
The new jogging pant styles are amazing because they have pockets, I’m starting to like them better than yoga pants.
OP says
Yes, I am planning to bf, and thanks everyone for all the good ideas so far. I especially like the skirt with leggings idea – I’ve been living in knit skirts as an alternative to shorts this pregnancy, and it’s like wearing pajamas all the time. I don’t want to devolve into wearing pajamas all day every day, but comfort is definitely a priority!
Sarabeth says
I don’t stay at home, but I do work from home 3 days/week and so my wardrobe is mostly weekend, kid-chasing wear. Lots of leggings. Real winters can be tough. I do wool long underwear under skinny ponte pants, and wool knit skinny pants (from Ibex – not cheap, but amazing quality and very warm). Tunic length sweaters help me feel like I’m not just wearing pajamas. People have different BF strategies, but mine was to wear a nursing tank under a tee shirt or sweater. Tank goes down, shirt comes up, only a tiny bit of boob is exposed (and view is blocked by the baby’s head).
Ciao, pues says
Any tips for getting through an all-mommy-all-the-time phase of toddlerhood? My almost 2-year old has a strong preference for me to the point of throwing little tantrums when my husband tries to pick her up. She’ll scream and hit him and struggle to get down and throw herself in my arms. It’s exhausting for both of us. We spend equal time with her, and have regular alone time with her (during which she’s apparently super happy to be held). Other things we can do? We have a very equal parenting structure and this is throwing it off both practically and philosophically.
KJ says
I have no advice, just commiseration because we are in the same boat with my 16 month old. Basically, I can only get a break when she’s asleep or I’m out of the house, so it sucks for me. And of course it sucks for my partner to feel like his baby doesn’t like him. Let me know if you find any good coping strategies!
TK says
Commiseration here too. My 18 month old is doing this and it hurts his dad’s feelings. I try to give them as much ‘alone’ time as I can – kid is fine with Dad if I’m not around – and that seems to help.
We’ve also tried to shift certain parenting tasks associated with things the kid loves (breakfast, sprinkler time) to dad while I take charge of things he likes less (bedtime, putting on shoes.) Not sure how much that has helped, if any.
What DOESN’T help is insisting on trying to force kid into doing things with Dad when I’m in the room and also available – for instance, Dad will offer to read him one of his favorite books, and kiddo will take the book and bring it over to me. Trying to hand him back to Dad again at that point results in frustration and tears.
It’s a hard age. They have such strong opinions and ideas about the way things should be, but can’t articulate why.
mascot says
It gets better, but it may take a while. My guy didn’t outgrow this phase until he was 4.5. Now he thinks daddy is pretty cool and they do fun things. DH had hurt feelings for a while which was hard.
JMDS says
I am in this boat, except my son prefers his dad. Dad spends more time with him, and I am pregnant so just not as energetic or fun. From this side, my advice would be to try to do anything to not make your partner feel worse. It is disheartening and makes me so sad, so I’d rather we acknowledge it, appease my son as much as good parenting allows, and move on. And please don’t endlessly point out every time I have a win (i.e. my kid runs to me rather than dad for something). It just hurts my feelings more, and points out even more the preference.
PEN says
I could have written this!! My 16 month old has had a daddy preference ever since weaning.
HowToStaySane says
Advise needed! How did you manage to keep your sanity (and peace of mind) while TTC? Especially if you feel that you/ DH might not always do everything possible?
GD, JD says
We tried to just enjoy the process. Eat good sushi, drink good wine, make plans you won’t be able to make if you were pregnant/had a baby, have s*x before you’re ovulating, don’t make it a chore and try to have fun with it. I also stayed away from the TTC blogs and books because I found all that lingo and hyper detail stressed me out. It took us about 15 mos. to finally get pregnant and there were certainly months where we kind of didn’t try that hard because of whatever was going on that month or next, and months where I felt like it really should have happened and I’d panic that it wouldn’t ever, but then it happened the one month where I completely didn’t think about it at all. Like, full stop, my period was late, it was rarely more than a day off, and I still thought, ‘nope, not it.’
We did go to the doctor after about a year just to make sure anything obvious could be ruled out and I took my temperature in the mornings at some point to make sure I was ovulating.
MDMom says
Agree with prior poster about enjoying the process as much as possible. In addition, though, just know that it can be hard when it takes longer than you expect. Especially if its something you really want (as opposed to being more ambivalent). It’s something that is completely out of your control even when you control all the factors you can (temping etc). Temping drives some people crazy, but is comforting to others because you can verify you are ovulating and know you’re maximizing your chances each cycle. So you may want to try it, but drop it if it becomes too stressful. I liked it most of the time because I thought it was cool to know what my body was doing and found comfort in knowing we were maximizing our chances.
Don’t talk to your friends about how long it took them. Once you pass those markers, it will be hard not to compare yourself to them and that is the path to crazytown.
Take comfort in the statistics. The vast majority of people do eventually get pregnant.
It took us 6 months, which wasn’t that long in retrospect but felt insanely long at the time. There were a couple of “chemical pregnancies” along the way (definitely one, maybe 2). I diagnosed myself with every fertility problem in the book. I cried a few times convinced it would never happen. And this was only 6 months! I’m not even generally a Type A kind of person so it wasn’t so much the control thing for me, I think I just wanted it so bad that I was terrified it wouldn’t happen. I’m sharing this just to commiserate with you– it can be a really anxiety producing time. You aren’t the only one who feels that way.
As for your spouse not doing everything he can… a lot of men don’t feel the same anxiety about it (I think because women are more likely to think they are “defective” for a variety of cultural reasons). Again, statistically, it probably won’t matter. That’s why accidental pregnancies happen all the time- though I remember when TTC it seemed inconceivable (pun!) that anyone could accidentally get pregnant.
Good luck!
Butter says
Ha, I had such a similar experience to MDMom. Agree with all. Go to happy hours. Drink strong beers, enjoy the wine, foie gras, sushi, soft cheese. Take crazy exercise classes on surfboards and trampolines and aerial yoga. Treat yoself.
For me, I kind of liked using one of those app things to track our attempts (if only I had one to track veggies eaten each day!), but the pressure each month could get a bit ridiculous, and can make you crazy both when you do everything you’re supposed to and when you don’t.
And fwiw, the month it “worked” for me was when I exercised more than usual for fun (running & yoga). I like to think that my circulation was better, or maybe it just relaxed me more.
MDMom says
The month it “worked” for us, I got myself a one hour massage as a special treat. Maybe there’s something to the circulation theory.
Jen says
seconding not to compare yourself to others. I got pregnant the 2nd month of really trying (making an effort to know when I was going to ovulate and have s*x accordingly) with my first. We started 4 months ago really trying for our 2nd, and no luck yet. I am only SLIGHTLY nervous about potentially having a baby that is a boy in July/August/September because it will mean all kinds of decisions about redshirting down the line since our cutoff date is 10/1. There are worse issues to have to face.
EB0220 says
Has anyone ever ordered kids clothes from primary.com? I am thinking about placing an order but wondering if anyone has feedback on quality.
blueridge29 says
Also curious about this company and would love to hear any reviews.
GD, JD says
So I was told that my glucose screening test came back elevated and now I have to take the 3 hour test to see if I have gestational diabetes. Any comforting stories about false positives? I am really bummed that I have to deal with this now and I really don’t want to take this 3 hour test and just generally feeling very sorry for myself even though I know this is normal, and women often test positive for the one hour test and then are negative for the three hour, and even if I do have GD, it’s manageable and because my diet is already largely sugar free and healthy I don’t have to worry about too many drastic changes to manage this… but WAH!
rakma says
I’ve been there, I got a slightly elevated result for my 1-hour, perfectly normal results for my 3-hour. Sorry you’re dealing with this, but hopefully it will be over soon.
The 3-hour test isn’t fun. Sorry, I can’t lie to you. Bring something light to read that will take your mind off feeling icky, and bring food, real, high-protein food, for the end. Your doctor should give you instructions for the days before the test, but you want to make sure you’re eating a good amount of carbs in the days before the 3-hour test, so your reaction to the glucose isn’t more drastic.
GD, JD says
Do you recall what slightly elevated was for you?
rakma says
Sorry, I don’t. It was around 2 years ago, and there have been so many numbers in those past two years, I’ve probably forgotten my birthdate too!
Meg Murry says
With both my kids, I failed the 1 hour test and passed the 3 hour. Be aware that a lot of people feel sick during the 3 hour – empty stomach plus big sugary beverage is just gross. Unfortunately, if you throw up you either have to repeat the test or you have to be treated for GD.
When I had to have the 3 hour test it with my second son, the lab tech was super kind to me – she set up a little bed in the corner of the waiting room for me with blankets and pillows, and told me to just doze or relax through it. She said in her experience, the people that try to sit up and read something serious or do something productive are more likely to get sick – the people that sit back and close their eyes, or flip through People and fashion magazines do better. I could not concentrate at all on even the lightest, fluffiest of books, my brain felt so fuzzy for most of the time. I flipped through the out of date fashion and gossip magazines, listened to some music on my phone, and napped to kill the time.
Take a fully charged phone or a watch or timer – both times I had it I was responsible for going up to the lab window at the 1, 2 and 3 hour mark for the blood draw, no one came to get me.
If you are like me, you will probably feel like crap all day after having the test, so I’d suggest taking the whole day off so you can just go home and sleep, or working from home if all day off isn’t possible. I had my husband pick me up after the test, with food – which I highly recommend.
Bloom says
My one-hour test was also elevated. I don’t remember the numbers, but high enough that I remember thinking the three-hour results weren’t going to be good. I was wrong, my three-hour test was perfectly normal. And honestly, I don’t get all the complaining and whining about how awful the three-hour test is. I was a little hungry and didn’t feel great, but it was only. three. hours. I alternated between getting some reading done for work and reading magazines. I brought a couple granola bars so I could eat immediately after.
Bloom says
I should add the whining and complaining I’m referring to was from a couple of very dramatic irl friends, not from here :)
Meg Murry says
I whine and complain about it (still!) because it was a pretty awful experience for me. I felt like my head was spinning and I was going to vomit for most of the 3 hours. I still felt pretty crummy for the rest of the day after that. I also had very limited PTO and I was trying to save as much as possible for after the baby was born, so I was grumpy that I had to do it (and that I had to do both the 1 and 3 hour – I asked the doctor if we could just skip the 1 hour and go right to the 3 since I was pre-diabetic already pre-pregnancy, but he said no, insurance wouldn’t cover the 3 hour unless I failed the 1 hour first, so I lost a morning of work to the 1 hour and then a half day to the 3 hour).
Glad it wasn’t that bad for you, but I’d rather warn people it could be awful and then have them have an ok-to-blah experience than say “It will be fine! You’ll be able to get some work reading done” and then have a terrible experience.
Chances are it will all be fine. The 1 hour threshold is set pretty low so that they don’t miss anyone who should be having the 3 hour. But plan for the worst (feeling like crap for 3 hours or more) and hope for the best is my opinion.
Anonymous says
I failed the one hour and had to take the three hour. Then I threw up after drinking the drink at the three hour…I asked to be able to track my blood sugar using the pin prick/strips and was allowed to do so. Over the week it became clear I didn’t have a problem. I was actually much happier to do that than suffer through that awful drink and the three hour test. So make sure to ask if that’s an option for you if the three hour is too rough. Good luck!
Anon S says
This sounds weird, but I liked the 3 hour test b/c I had that much time to just chill out and read a book and not have to worry about work, ha! I actually ended up having GD which was so shocking to me b/c I’m thin, petite and I eat healthy, but it really has nothing to do with your current diet and more about how your body processes sugar (or something like that!)
GD, JD says
Thank you all for your stories. I feel a little better knowing it’s not just me.
Follow up – did you do anything to prepare for the 3 hour other than fasting?? My doctor’s instructions before the 1 hour were simply “don’t eat for 2 hours” and for this 3 hour, “don’t eat after midnight, minimal water intake, if any, before the test.” But looking online I see all this other stuff – eat carbs that weekend, eat protein before the one hour test so you don’t have a false positive, walk around during your test so you process the sugar, etc. I’m wondering if there is other stuff I am supposed to be doing.
TIA!
Carrie M says
I would just follow your doctor’s instructions and ignore all the noise online. False positives are very common on the 1-hour test, according to my doctor.
kes says
Replying late to add- my hospital specifically told me not to walk around any more than necessary bc it would skew the results. Also even though they don’t allow you to eat/drink anything during the test, I found it really helpful to rinse my mouth out with water at the drinking fountain from time to time – helped reduce the nausea for me, at least. Good luck!
GD, JD says
Thank you!