Family Friday: Toddler Hartley Water Shoes
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Every summer means a new pair of water shoes for my growing kids.
This comfy pair will last from pool opening to pool closing. These lightweight, slip-on shoes have a textured outsole for traction and a velcro hook-and-loop closure for a secure fit. The fabric upper dries quickly so they’re ready for summer’s next adventure.
Sun Squad’s water shoes are $10 at Target and come in sizes 5-6 to 11-12. They’re available in green and yellow.
Sales of note for 6/12/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals up to 25% off + designer clearance up to 60% off
- Ann Taylor – 30% off pants + skirts + extra 40% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything + extra 20% off
- Eloquii – 50-60% select styles + extra 45% off all sale
- J.Crew – Extra 20% off 3+ styles + up to 60% off everything + extra 50% off clearance
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off 3+ styles + up to 60% off everything + extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – 30% summer essentials with code + try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Free shipping on everything
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale: Extra 60% off 3+ markdowns, 50% off 2, 40% off 1 + 30% off select travel must-haves
Crowdsourcing some ideas for a birthday party where the main activity was going to be the pool, but it’s going to be kind of rainy and cold. It’s at a pool club, not our backyard. Ideas: hair and tattoo stations, whiffleball, re usable water balloons, chalk. Other ideas? Don’t over think it because there’s also a playground at the pool club?
How do you guys navigate moms who are having a bad time *and* want you to be having one, too?
I have a lot of mom friends who sometimes vent and sometimes gush and are generally happy to be supportive of whichever mood I’m in, too. But I have one friend who is straight up having a bad time all the time. Which would be fine, except it’s like she wants me to be having one, too. If I say anything positive about motherhood, I hear “but how are you *really* doing?” or “oh, that sounds like such a big load on you”; there’s no “oh, that’s great for you!” It kind of feels like she wants me to feel negative about things she feels negative about. And if I do complain about something minor, the response is overly validating, like “yes, motherhood is all just soooo hard and burdensome.” No, the carpool falling through last minute is annoying, but it is not anything I can’t manage!
Basically – she matches my energy (and then some) if I have even a minor vent but invalidates anything positive I have to say.
Her kid is lovely, and this isn’t health or behavioral stuff; frankly, it’s bad marriage stuff that she is blaming the kid for but that was there prior to the kid. She’s a good, long-term friend, and I don’t want to end the friendship over this. But I could use a script for how to handle the negative nancying. I feel guilty for even bringing it up, because maybe I should just be okay being a venting space for her? But I just wish she would let me have my emotional experience without trying to mold it to be like hers; I really try to do that for her.
I surprisingly have found myself pregnant with a 3rd at almost 39. I’ve always dreamed of 3 kids but now that I’m pregnant I’m a little freaked out how I’ll manage it all! I work full time and have an almost 5 year old and 2.5 year old. I would appreciate any positive stories
Reporting back from the dental procedure for my 4 year old where he had to go under. He did great and it was a good experience overall.
I consulted with a few other adult dentists AND when they were inconclusive, ultimately had another pediatric dentist contact review his x-rays before proceeding.
Things I learned through this process, sharing for others:
1. Crowns for baby teeth are a thing for a reason. They protect the tooth from further decay which can have impact on the gums, adult teeth, jaws, etc. Essentially it’s preventative now to avoid further intervention in later childhood (e.g. extractions) or after.
2. If your kid has to go under, they will likely offer/try to do more aggressive preventative treatment to avoid them going under again. Kid ended up having more work than I would have liked, but I also trust our dentist (esp after getting the 2nd pediatric dentist’s review) and don’t want to go through this again. Caveat she showed me what she was seeing on the xray, explained to me that kid was at higher risk for further intervention, etc. Kiddo probably inherited the same teeth as my mom and sibling. My 2nd opinion also confirmed this is all standard best practice.
3. Kids going under for dental work is pretty common and has really great outcomes overall when it occurs. The negative outcomes have occurred when the staff doing the work isn’t the at the top certification (e.g. a CRNA administering anesthesia vs. a pediatric dentist anesthesiologist or pediatric anesthesiologist).
Need some advice on paternity leave. I’m currently 8 months pregnant. DH started a new job a few weeks ago (he was unemployed, I’m not happy about the timing but that’s another post). It’s a government job, unionized. He’s not eligible for paternity leave until he’s been with his employer for 12 months. I asked him to negotiate unpaid time off before he started – he requested 12 weeks – but they didn’t respond to the request and he started anyway.
He has continued to follow up with his supervisor – who is also the union rep – but keeps getting brushed off. He has told them that he will be taking leave when the baby comes but not a specific amount of time. They said they’ll figure it out when the time comes.
This is very stressful for me. We do not have any local family. No one is coming to help. Our friends all work. I can hire help if absolutely needed (have a night doula/nurse already, but my L&D doula can take care of baby during the day if needed), but I need to let her know soon if and when I need her. I would vastly prefer for DH to be there — it makes much more sense emotionally, physically, and financially (he makes less than I’d pay the doula). I’m worried that he’ll take 1-2 weeks of unpaid leave and then go back to work. Is it reasonable for him to insist on longer? Is it reasonable for me to insist on longer? And if so, how long?
What are your thoughts on bringing kids to political rallies?
My daughter is 7yo and having challenges similar to others here with 7 year olds lately (emotional regulation, some sensory) – solidarity y’all. We’ve done play therapy in the past and she loved it, but it didn’t really do anything. I’m looking into OT. Anyone do OT for this sort of thing and have it move the needle?
Does anyone have the LL Bean lunchbox? Does it for a Bentgo box? TY!