Family Friday: Warmies

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My sister got me a Warmie like this one as a gift since I’m always cold. My kids fight over it, so (shh!) she’s getting them their very own Warmies for the holidays.

This soft, heatable plush toy (just warm it up in the microwave for 45–60 seconds) has a relaxing and soothing lavender scent. I warm mine up right before bed and put it under the covers like a modern hot water bottle.

Amazon has many different animals available, including the pictured elephant, in a range of prices.

Sales of note for 9.10.24

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs
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How many professional slights would you take before making the choice to disrupt your family’s life for a new job?

We just went through the first phase of this year’s review cycle and it’s clear that my manager and leadership team doesn’t have my back. I’m just so hurt. I had a big project read out this year that culminates many years of work and I’m not getting credit. There will never be another opportunity for that credit–it’s years of earned recognition just missed.

Think: there’s a big award that’s given annually for the top new product launch, a 3-8+ year effort, but this year my manager agreed with leadership that instead of recognizing me it was okay to recognize everyone who worked on a product that launched this year so I technically still get an “award” but with 25 other people instead of solo. That’s never been done before and I’m being asked to be grateful that I was recognized at all. I was told privately that I would have won if it was a solo award this year.

I probably need to go on the job market, but there aren’t good options in my area. A new job will be a huge family disruption, possibly requiring relocating my family or a ton more travel to work remotely for a company located elsewhere. Ugh. I mostly like my job (something not to be under appreciated), but I also want to be treated fairly. I’m not being pushed out, but am being actively overlooked.

Do I need to do any activities/structured games at my kid’s 4th bday party this weekend? There will be 10 kids total. I asked about game ideas a few weeks ago and everyone suggested Pass the Parcel, which was a GREAT idea but I haven’t had a chance to get organized around that and am thinking it might not work because of the number of little siblings involved in this party (it’s about 50% 4-5 year olds and 50% 1-2 year olds). I’m very burnt out this time of year and just am crossing my fingers everyone will play and enjoy the pizza and cake.

Okay team, I need some help reframing this so please truly throw some toxic positivity my way.

My husband’s family does a huge, elaborate white elephant type gift exchange every year on top of their normal gift giving. I hate it. Everyone has to buy 5-7 crude joke gifts (like Spencer’s type stuff) and receives 5-7 of them in return. We always spend a significant amount of money on it and always automatically donate/throw away the junk we receive. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

My husband loves it. Spends a ton of time choosing gifts, wants me to actively participate and chose “good” gifts, is texting me at work about ideas rather than doing other tasks that I’ve asked for help with.

I’m so frustrated and I just need to suck it up and stop being a spoilsport about it. Truly, it’s one of his cherished Christmas traditions. He honestly doesn’t ask me for much. I really need to get over myself and fake some enthusiasm.

Help please!

Where do you buy photo frames?

Job transition anxiety advice?

After eleven years in my current government job, it looks like I am likely getting an offer for a private sector job. The job is really what I was looking for, and yet, I am having severe severe anxiety over leaving my current job and starting a new one. It will be very different, and I’m worried I won’t like it, or won’t do well, or will be bored, or will have to work too many hours. But, I decided it was time to leave my current job like a year ago, and I do feel like this job has run it’s course. And yet…..yelp!

Argh, I’m crawling over the finish line here – we leave for the airport hotel on Wednesday PM, for an early AM flight the next day. Before then, I have to mark 15 more essays, deal with multiple instances of chatGPT essays, prep evidence, go to London for the day and give evidence, and finish edits to a 10,000 word report in which the editors have un-capitalised all proper nouns….and host a cinnamon bun open house on Sunday (if I don’t have Covid – colleague I had dinner with on Monday tested positive Tuesday).

Aaaannnd…. aftercare decided not to pick my son up today because he wasn’t on the list? He got rescued by his best friend’s dad/little sister, and is now home and has cried because he can’t make an origami boat and we have the wrong type of apples.

Just going to collapse on my parents’ doorstep.

Some Friday solidarity?

We have one of these (we call him “hot-hot”) and it really is lovely. Works well when my kids have a cough to hold on their chest and loosen phlegm, too. But be prepared for your house to smell like buckwheat when you nuke em (i don’t mind but to each her own..).