Budget Thursday: Waist-Defined Faux-Wrap Jersey Dress
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Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine’s Day!):
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
- Boden – 15% off new season styles
- Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
- J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
- Rothy’s – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Anyone have thoughts on job changes in the first year as a parent? I’ve been with my company for almost five years but might have left earlier if I hadn’t been trying to get pregnant, pregnant, and then on leave. I’m about four months back from leave and simply do not have the motivation I once did. When combined with simply working less, I think there is a definite slip in my performance.
The real push is that I don’t think this place is the right fit for me — I don’t share leadership’s vision and as a very senior person in a small organization this creates some issues for me, I have trouble implementing and the role is very “manage up” which means a lot of energy spent on making simple decisions.
Mr. Laura is also looking and we are thinking about moving back to my home state. This would be big and disruptive and not easily reversible, and my worry is that I will get there and find out that my lack of motivation and patience is more related to motherhood (maybe PPD?) and that adjustment than my work.
Did anyone make a big career move the first year post-partum? Would love to hear stories of what worked, what didn’t.
I agree — something like this. Or maybe daycare + a nanny who also does housework and maybe lives in or is at least okay staying overnight from time to time. I would say this person could be an au pair, but note that au pairs aren’t really supposed to do general housework, and definitely not deep-cleaning, etc. I also note that au pairs aren’t supposed to stay overnight with the kid when there is no parent home. You could maybe do this once or twice if it were really an exception, but I wouldn’t count on it. The benefit of the daycare + arrangement is that if and when baby gets sick, the nanny could just watch the kid and you could let the housework stuff get undone for a time. On the flip side, if nanny gets sick, you don’t have to scramble for coverage during the working hours. You could also do daycare + au pair + additional household cleaning, etc. help, but hiring that number of people seems like it could get unmanageable. Given your situation, I recommend buying more childcare than you think you need — worst case, you send the nanny home early from time to time if work is lighter than expected (or not heavier than expected!). I also generally recommend spending more than you currently are on household help, which is probably obvious.
The first week of Kindergarten went really well. My daughter was excited about school, and tired, but happy about things at the end of the day. The second week (all two days of it) has been pretty awful. She’s had crying jags and everything was the ‘worst ever.’ She’s also convinced she’s the only one making mistakes at school.
Logical me says this is normal, since the adrenaline from the first week has worn off, and we just need to get into a new routine. I just need assurance from someone who’s been there and done that.
We’re looking at a move to Philly in the next few months (with 2.5 yo and infant) and just wondering if anyone has any experience or recs on good neighborhoods and childcare? It’s overwhelming! We’re thinking of Fishtown, but Center City seems to have many more daycares, though it looks to be more expensive…
Any ideas to help baby get enough sleep?
Baby (12 mo) recently had to switch to daycare that offers only one nap. For a variety of reasons it is by far the best choice and switching daycares or to a nanny is not an option. Baby was doing great with two naps of 1.5 h and was sleeping approx 7-7 at night- occasionally had to settle her around 5:30 but usually not. With the switch to one nap, baby is waking at 5:30 and will not go back to sleep. This morning my spouse gave up and gave her milk at 6:15 and then she did go beck to sleep – hasn’t had a night bottle in months. Nap is 2-3.5 hours at home, 1.5-2 at daycare. I hope that will extend as she gets used to the daycare. We are putting her down between 6:30 and 6:45, which is realistically about as early as we can — could try 6:15 but we only get home st 5:40 and need to eat. Is there ANYTHING we are missing here?? Daycare is not able to put her down for a late afternoon second nap.
Who do people list for references for their next job when they are working at their first job with relevant experience? I’m currently at a 20 attorney firm and interested in applying for a legal position at a local university. The online system requires me to list all contact details for three references (so I can’t say they’ll be provided later), but I do not want my current firm to know I’m looking. There are partners who’d give me a good recommendation, but I don’t want to ask them unless I’m very far into the process. I’m a senior associate– can I list associates I’ve supervised? I’ve been out of law school for 8 years and didn’t keep in touch with professors, so I’m not sure who else to ask.
I bought some ON wrap dresses when I became pregnant about 4.5 years ago. The quality and material were just horrible. Hopefully it is better now, but I doubt it.
I dunno, the shape of the neckline looks to me like you bought a dress you thought was too low-cut and then safety-pinned it.
I would love to find the Reformation original, but the link goes to a long list of dresses, none of which is a blue floral wrap.
I’m due with my first child early next year, and H and I are both biglaw partners. H travels a lot (avg. once a week for two days, but could be gone an entire week) and I travel maybe 3x/month. No family nearby. Live in big Midwest city in an apartment with our dog.
If money were no object, what would your ideal care and housekeeping situation be? We’d both like to maximize baby time versus housework/errands, and I’d like to make sure I have enough coverage with his travel so that me/my career doesn’t suffer at the expense of his.
We’ve contemplated a lot of combos – daycare + pickup nanny (get baby from daycare, feed baby, stay an hour while one of us is home to do light cleanup work and pack baby’s things for the next day), full-time nanny + part-time housekeeper (laundry, errands, light cleaning), one of the above plus a weekend sitter (for either a date or work). Currently have dog walker and every other week cleaner and will keep both. Open to any thoughts or ideas on this – we have some time given maternity leave but it’s difficult to figure out what will work best since this is our first time.