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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
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- 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
Anonymous says
How do you fit exercise into your schedule? I have an almost 4-year-old and a one-month old and would like to incorporate some exercise in the next couple of months. I will be working full time starting in the fall. Both kids are in a school-schedule-based care program M-F, and we are in the process or hiring a “flexible nanny” for schedule non-holidays off of school, some evenings and to help with housework. I live close to a few gyms/the local YMCA and am open to getting a membership at one of these and/or incorporating home workouts. Currently while on leave, I try to walk with the stroller several days a week either outside, weather permitting, or at the local mall, and I really enjoy this.
Cb says
I do lots of practical exercise – I cycle everywhere (which isn’t possible for awhile yet for you) and walk, but if you had a gym with a childcare option, I’d do that.
When I was in the office everyday, I’d go to hot yoga en route home 1 night a week, aiming for a 7pm class so I could work a bit late + skip bedtime. Now we’ve moved, so I go to yoga when I’m in work city, or when I’m home for a longer stint, on the weekends.
busybee says
Our local Y has childcare. My daughter goes there while I work out. When she was younger (she’s 20 months now) and we hadn’t yet joined the Y, I did YouTube videos at home during naps or after her bedtime.
govtattymom says
I’ve gone through so many phases! In the hardest parts of baby/Covid, I pretty much exercised with the kids. We would go on long walks and I would play soccer in the yard with my older daughter. Once normal childcare resumed, I got a pure barre membership and attended classes during lunch or in the evening. Then we joined a fitness center so my daughter could attend camp there. I dropped the PB membership and now work out while the kids have fun at the gym’s kidzone. I honestly think that the last option (gym with childcare) is the best as you aren’t as dependent on spouse or breaks in the work schedule. I hope you find something that works for you!
anon says
You have a 1-month-old, so this suggestion may not apply for a good, long while, but after my youngest turned 1, that’s when I transitioned to early morning workouts. Trying to fit it in after work was too much for me, and I would bail every time. And it had nothing to do with my husband not being supportive or that nonsense, but after being at work all day, I wanted to be at home and not at the gym. So. That’s how I became a runner because running doesn’t require another place to be. I can walk out the door and just do it. I’ve alternated with at-home yoga routines, walking, and the occasional exercise video. Our family has a Y membership for pool and childcare access, and I do occasionally go to a Y class or use those facilities on the weekend when my schedule is more open.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Any movement is good, especially when you have an infant!
anon says
(When I’m talking about childcare, I’m talking about reduced fees for our before/after school program and various summer camps. A family membership is well worth the money we save on both fronts.)
Anonymous says
+1 to almost all of this, although I didn’t really reliably get back into it until my son was 2.5. I did some exercise before that – occasional weekend classes at the gym, riding my bike to work when he was old enough to do his daycare commute in the back – but I wasn’t really consistent until then. I just needed that extra 30 minutes of sleep. Then I started waking up 30 min earlier and doing FitnessBlender’s under 30 min workout series in my living room. Often he was awake while I did it. After I dealt with my pelvic floor issues I got back into running. It gets a lot easier as your kids get older – you are still in the trenches!
OOO says
+1 to early morning workouts. Even though I work from home and have lots of flexibility in my day, I find early morning while everyone else is sleeping to be the best time for me to work out. I meet a personal trainer at a gym twice a week and work out at home the other days. But during the infant years my workouts were primarily walking, with or without a stroller. I try to walk wherever I can.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Counterpoint (gentle) – I am NOT a morning person. I’ve tried. I tried before kids. I tried with one kid. I tried with two kids. I envy those of you who are, and wish I could wake up early for some exercise. I’ve even tried waking up early just to lay in bed with a book. But I cannot.
The best time for me is afternoons – so I use WFH for this purpose like 2x/week. I block 12-1 or 4-5 for exercise. I would let the time slip away and get taken over by work, but since I’ve realized my job doesn’t love me back, I’ve been much more disciplined. So those 2 blocks + weekend workouts = gets me to 4 workouts a week.
When DH is on travel, I typically get a sitter for a weeknight, and use that time to go to the Y or a workout class.
I also love the peleton stretch videos for after kid bedtime if I don’t get to my afternoon WFH workout.
anon says
Hey, that’s totally fair! I thought it was worth throwing out there because I tried and failed to stick to an exercise routine later in the day. You have to do what works! Honestly, I don’t know that I’m a natural morning person but I’ve made it work because I’m not a night owl, either. I’m basically a grizzly bear.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Come sit next to me, fellow bear!
Vicky Austin says
Another bear, reporting in!
Anon says
Yeah not a morning person either. Sleep is way more important to my mental health and happiness than exercise (and probably similarly important to physical health?) so fighting my body clock for morning workouts has never seemed worth it to me.
REAtty says
I just have to jump in and say yes x100 to ‘don’t let perfect be the enemy of good’. Sometimes I only stream a 10-minute Obe workout (props for the Obe app – I love it!) and/or do a 10-minute stretch, but even just getting to that a few nights a week after bedtime has done wonders for me – both in terms of confidence and just mentally.
Anon says
I have two children – 6 months and turning-3-in-October.
I’m up at 5am every day and workout at home between 5 and 630am (not that whole time – I do a 30 minute workout and the rest of that time is feeding baby when he wakes up and then misc work/household/getting ready).
The toddler is up for the day around 730am and baby sometime after that, so early morning is my me time. But always was pre-kids too, and I’m an early bird.
Exercise is non-negotiable for my mental and physical health, so I generally workout every day and take 2ish days off per month. I also take a long walk with the dog daily.
Clementine says
I do a few things – I have a Peloton and frequently do workouts after kid bedtime. It doesn’t work for me to workout in the morning because my kids wake up early. This is my ‘I don’t have someone to watch my kids or any free time and just need to move my body’ workout.
Second, I love running and often run with a jogging stroller and kiddos. When I’m WFH I will run either during my lunch break or right before I do kid pickup.
Third, I use childcare to go to my very favorite workout classes (barre or boot camp). I religiously go to a boot camp that’s every other week on a weekend morning and prioritize that as a use of childcare. Boot camp, a coffee, and a solo unhurried shower? Better than a spa day for me.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I love the framing of the “I-just-need-to-move-my-body” post-bedtime workouts – will use this.
I find that I have enough energy to do something (and NEED to) after kid bed sometimes, but it can’t be, like HIIT or anything with too much strain – and this is where I do a peleton stretch class. And man do I feel so much better afterwards and in the morning.
I also basically use Sunday mornings for a workout class (DH takes the kids to breakfast + outing). So it’s unloading grocery delivery, workout class, coffee/reading/shower until they are back. I am always re-energized for the last stretch of the weekend.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Join the Y! So many options, even if you just want to walk on the treadmill while watching a TV show. Ours offers up to 2 hours of childcare/day, and you better believe we use that on weekends and other off days when needed. I feel like just having the membership + childcare has made DH and I much more likely to workout, take the kids swimming, etc.
Also, please be kind to yourself. If youngest is still 1 month old, it’s so early – you’re great to get it in where you can.
Anon says
I fit it (walking and yoga) into my work day, but my job is less intense than many. I have a gym membership because my kid loves going to the childcare program there, but when I take her there on weekends I usually bring a book and just read.
Anonymous says
I have one 9 month old child. I have been experimenting with a mix of things to figure out what works for me so here are some suggestions from my experiments:
– If you work from home, workout from 9-9:30 and then shower and logon. Eat leftovers for dinner and finish any work after bedtime.
– Joining the YMCA. Utilize childcare or child activities (they have lots of kid classes) to workout while the kid is in class.
– My husband and I made a deal that we can each have one non-negotiable thing we do each week. His is a different hobby. I go to my favorite yoga class or a tennis lesson and grab a coffee on the way back.
– Home gym, so you can Peloton (or whatever you enjoy) when its convenient.
Anon says
Before my baby could run/crawl away, I exercised while she did tummy time. I liked exercises where I was mostly on the floor. I did a lot of nourish move love videos on YouTube , she has a postpartum series.
Anonymous says
I think this comes through in the comments but what I’ve noticed in terms of my own habits is that exercise with little kids is all about finding a routine that allows you to be CONSISTENT. if there’s some barre class you love but you realistically only get there once a month, it’s not the right thing for you right now. the best option is the consistent option. for me right now, that’s a peloton ride/ peloton pilates right after the kids go to school. good luck!
Anonymous says
PSA- my kid finally has a face big enough for Costco kid glasses (age 6) and the savings is INSANE. I’m going from paying about $400 a pair to $90 (most of this was/is covered by vision insurance, but the many times the frames broke was not). Lens are only $50!
An.On. says
This weekend was the absolute pits. We were trying the Oh Cr*p potty training method and the first few days went okay, but by day 4, our kid was crying anytime we went near the potty, even if we weren’t asking them to go themselves. Got minimal sleep because of the fireworks going off every night, and this morning got four tantrums before we even made it to kitchen for a cup of juice. Earwigs have infested our trash cans (just outside, but still so so gross). I am so freaking exhausted and feel like we wasted a whole holiday weekend for nothing.
Anonymous says
Oh hugs! You at least learned something about what does and doesn’t work for your kids right now. We had to quit potty training and try again in a few months with our son, and he was already 3. I promise they will get it eventually. Parenthood involves a lot of trial and error; book authors project supreme confidence because that sells books, but there is no one true path for any of this hard stuff.
anonM says
+1. We had to stop and restart much later with DS. It’s ok to do that and I’m glad we did. Hope your week gets better.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
You’re doing great.
If it helps, I started potty training DS #1 at 3.25, and I feel like after a few painful weeks he “got” it and was sorted – no accidents while awake – by 3.5. I don’t even think I’ll start with DS #2 until at least 3 (he’s 2.5).
anon says
I have two awesome tween stepkids and my husband and I have a 3 year old together. We are (after a lot of losses) more expecting a boy in January. I’m excited but it’s also just settling in that we’re going to be a family of.. SIX. Three kids hasn’t seemed like a “big family” (and is pretty common here) but four really does. Any tips from moms of larger families? I know we’ll need a bigger car (we literally can’t seat six people in either of our current cars) but it’s like my mind is a blank beyond that in terms of practicalities. We both work full time (he’s big law; I’m in-house) and have a full time nanny for the little guy who also keeps with laundry, shopping, etc.
Clementine says
It’ll be amazing! The other major logistics issues I can think of are travel related: hotel rooms (you’ll need 2 adjoining rooms or a suite at this point, can’t just cram into a single room with a cot), rental cars need to be bigger, you may need to sit in multiple rows on a plane. I do think that the age gap is going to work to your benefit here.
Congrats!
anon says
Congratulations! I am not a mom of a larger family, but I grew up as the oldest of 4 kids. I think you have to be okay with a bit of controlled chaos. For us, having consistent meal times helped in terms of making sure there was at least one point where we were all doing the same thing. And I recall my mom doing laundry daily just so that it didn’t get backed up. I also recall doing a couple of bigger shopping trips 1-2 times a month to stock up on basics and filling in with smaller trips as needed to replenish perishable foods or address immediate needs. (I have only 2 kids and still do that!)
anonM says
My DH was one of 4, and there were large age gaps between the older two and youngest two. He really enjoys his relationship with the much younger siblings. His parents gave them a lot of responsibility and independence in part out of necessity with two tween/teens and two little kids, and he looks back on that very positively.
Mary Moo Cow says
I know one mom of 4 and she’s a rockstar. Her kids are closer spaced than yours will be and the youngest are twins, so YMMV, but one thing I’ve seen them do is not be afraid to separate the kids. They took just the older two on vacation one year; she routinely has outings with just one, two, or three kids. They also seem to lean on family (adult sibling with kids and in-laws) for childcare but also fun: birthdays, holidays, and vacations usually are group affairs, in part, I think, because many hands make lighter work, but also to offer a chance for the kids to hang out with people other than their siblings or parents and get some individual attention. I suspect they have also leaned into big family realities. I know they had staggered meal times until the youngest could stay up for dinner, for example.
Anon says
I would be a little careful of this with step kids though. You don’t want the steps to feel like they’re not really part of the family.
Pregnant Anon says
Just found out I’m pregnant. Obviously it’s super early, but if this sticks my kids would be 18 months apart. I’m a little in shock because it took a year of intense trying to conceive number one, so I honestly wasn’t expecting this, although we also weren’t doing anything to prevent it either. Parents of two under two, please share your wisdom? Or horror stories? IDK. We want at least two and I have fertility issues so this is obviously great, but also we have some major life changes coming up and I’m freaking out a little .
anonM says
I had two justtttt shy of two years apart. Now at 3.5 and 5.5 they are best buddies. They play pretend together and, while they do argue sometimes, largely like having the other around! Right when #2 was born was really hard, especially when we moved with a baby and toddler but it was also covid so that was part of my stress. As for advice – don’t try to potty train the older one while you’re on maternity leave before they’re ready but because you think it’s efficient. Ugh, that was horrible. And, just think ahead a bit on all the appointments you’ll have given the age gap, and come up with some strategy with your partner. It can be a lot with work obligations if you do every OBGYN pregnancy appointment plus every well-visit and sick visit for the toddler, then for the baby AND toddler. DH and I did and still do trade off getting up at night and in the morning, as well as taking turns taking naps on the weekend when we can. Our kiddos share a room, and sleep training was not nearly as bad as I thought with an older kid in the room. Overall, it might be a tough stretch but when they are so close in age a few years down the road, you’ll love being able to let them play while you SIT down! It will happen eventually!
Anonymous says
My brother and I are 18 months apart, and my kids are 22 months and I love it! The first year was hard, no doubt- do what you can to put your life on autopilot. But they are close friends now and it is great. They share many of the same interests which makes activities easy because they are almost always both interested and have the ability to do what we’re doing. They spend a lot of time playing together which makes it easy for my husband and I. Good luck!
Spirograph says
Congrats and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy and baby!
I had two under two back in the day, and also three under four. I was 29 and healthy, but it takes a physical toll to carry two pregnancies in three years, and more if you BF. Definitely talk to your doctor about what kind of nutrition and supplements might be helpful for you. Once the baby’s here: The first year is exhausting (but that’s any infant), but it gets better. I know everyone has different opinions on this, but I think the close age gap is a good thing. It’s easier to find things to do that are interesting/age-appropriate for both kids, and sometimes you really luck out and can just put them in the same soccer club or gym class or whatever. Also, more years in the same schools, which makes logistics easier!
My original two under two are now 8.5 and 10 and they have been happily hanging out together all day since we don’t have camp lined up for this short week. They get along really well 80% of the time, and especially when they don’t have any other options :)
Vicky Austin says
Oh, congratulations!! I don’t have advice about two-under-two, but as far as life changes go, I’m right there with you. We’re about to move across the country for the 2nd time in less than two years and we have a 3 month old. This is why they tell you there’s no such thing as “ready” to have kids, I guess! Report back and we can commiserate about doing big life things with small kids.
Mrs Luke Danes says
Mine are 20 months apart, and I told myself the first year would be hard, and then it would get better. And I was right. What I was wrong about, though, was post-partum depression hit me like a ton of bricks at 8 months and it was scary and I was pissed because I thought things should keep getting easier. The youngest is 13 months now and things are easier.
So I guess my two big tips are: (1) post-partum depression/mood disorders do not have timelines; and (2) try to plan one-on-one time with your older kid – you both need it even though it is hard. My PR statement (i.e., what I tell people when I don’t really want to get into it but want to be honest) is: “The highs are very high, and the lows are very low.”
The silver lining at is even at 13 months and not-quite-3, they crack each other up.
Vicky Austin says
I have access to a pelvic floor therapy benefit free of charge through my insurance. I’d jump at it, but it uses an intrav@ginal biofeedback pod connected to an app, and that gives me pause – that’s personal data I *really* wouldn’t want hacked! What would your comfort level be with this? Would the PF therapy benefits outweigh the privacy concerns?
Anonymous says
Oh, h3ll no, for so very many reasons. I would look into one of the noninvasive core strength programs.
Anonymous says
Invasive is the word I wanted! Tell me more about these core programs.
Vicky Austin says
oops that was me. Can never get my name to stick around on this page.
Anonymous says
Restore Your Core is one. And I had good results from practicing yoga 2-3 times a week for about a year–it was a surprise side benefit I had not even been considering.
Anon says
I totally get your visceral reaction, but what are you actually concerned about? In the event that a hacker got and then sold the data, or even in the wildest scenario it was published somewhere, what would happen? It’s fine if that’s just a no for you, but it’s a pretty great benefit so if really think about it.
Anon says
+1
Anon says
Also adding that exercising the wrong way can make pelvic floor and diastasi recti problems actually worse, so I’d be VERY wary of any home fitness program.