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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 75 Comments · by

Washable Wednesday: Taylor Suit Pants

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A woman wearing a Taylor Suit PantsAs the weather gets warmer (huzzah!) you can start to put away your wool, dry-clean-only trousers and transition to lighterweight, washable pants for work. These well-reviewed Halogen pants (with a matching jacket) come in regular and petite, and are $79 new; there are even some colors and sizes on sale for $39 today. Halogen® ‘Taylor’ Stretch Suit Pants Ladies, which are your favorite brands/styles of washable pants? Here’s a link to our last roundup at Corporette… (L-all)

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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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!

Comments

  1. Preemie Mom says

    Planning a full kitchen remodel this summer – still in the early stages, so not sure how long we’ll be without a kitchen, but looking for any tips from those who have BTDT about how to survive without a kitchen and with a 1.5 year old. No family in the area, so moving out not an option, and a hotel or similar is not in the budget. We should be able to hook up fridge, microwave, and possibly dishwasher (looking into that) in unfinished basement, but let’s not count on the dishwasher for argument’s sake. Kiddo will be off bottles but is very attached to his milk in a particular (non disposable) sippy cup. Thanks in advance ladies!

    • Carrie M says

      Oy. I don’t envy you. But you’ll get through it!! We did this pre-kid, but here are things that helped us:
      – our small appliances were: mini fridge, microwave, toaster oven, slow cooker, steamer, and single electric burner (to boil water, warm soup, etc.). Those are listed in order of most-used to least-used during the renovation. Definitely do a toaster oven if you don’t have one already. But see below re dust and the difficulty of keeping things clean.
      – you will eat take out for dinner a lot. It gets old. To help save on money, we committed to not eating out for breakfast and lunch (and it was easy enough to keep deli meat in small fridge, yogurts, etc.).
      – pack away all your dishes and eat/drink off of paper and plastic utensils. the level of dust will be unreal. we hesitated to do this because it seemed so wasteful. but honestly, every night I came home, everything was covered in a new layer of dust. No need for a dishwasher if you do this. You’ll only have to clean sippy cups and what you cook in.
      – for the paper products and sippy cups you do need: keep them in closed zip lock bags (like the huge ones) and put those inside a rubbermaid container. I am not exaggerating about the dust!
      – put a make shift dishwashing station wherever your sink is. we had a little box with dish soap, sponge inside a ziplock bag, and dish towels. if you use paper products, you will only need this for your cooking instruments.
      – if you do cook at home, spend a little extra to cut down on prep steps – like buy precut, prewashed veggies, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, etc. Yes, you’re spending a bit more, but probably still less than you would on takeout.
      – when you do takeout, try to order strategically so you get stuff that can be used for a meal the next day.

      Good luck!!

      • Carrie M says

        Now that I think about it, we also had a small electric skillet that was pretty useful.

        One other tip: insist that your contractor use the super duper door opening covers that have zippers and that s/he takes all appropriate steps if there’s lead, asbestos, etc. For our first reno, I was not aggressive about trying to minimize the dust, and my husband actually went out and bought additional supplies to tape over the door openings. We recently had some work done in our new house, and the contractor used this awesome hospital-grade cover that contained SO MUCH of the dust. It was a huge difference from our first experience.

    • NewMomAnon says

      My parents did a full-kitchen reno when I was a kid, and they set up the temporary kitchen in the unfinished basement like you are proposing. My favorite memory of that time was that they also put down a carpet remnant and set up kitchen furniture AND a couch/TV set up, so we could hang out while they prepped food. I think they also taped some posters to the walls to make it feel more like home….

      When I did a two week kitchen “face lift” as an adult, the thing that saved my sanity was the outdoor grill. You can make almost anything on a grill that you can make on a stove or in an oven (seriously; garlic bread, sautéed veggies, baked potatoes are all possible), and you don’t have to keep it free of all the reno dust (there is a lot).

      Finally: change your HVAC filters FREQUENTLY and plan to have your ducts cleaned, carpets cleaned, and your house professionally cleaned after the reno is done.

    • Anonymous says

      This is all great advice. We had no kitchen for two weeks when my son was around that age. We survived with only a fridge and microwave. My mom cooked us some meals, but we did a lot of gerber microwave meals, quesadillas, oatmeal, deli meat and cheese, dole fruit, pouches, annie’s canned pasta, and whatever else we could microwave. Whole Foods actually has a decent selection of microwaveable toddler food. It was not healthy (especially that gerber stuff, which my son would grossly shovel down), but we survived.

    • lsw says

      I agree the advice here is good. We had a similar situation to Carrie M. We plugged our fridge into the dining room which really worked for us. We did the reno in the summer so we could eat outside on our patio quite a bit – and we grilled a bunch of meals. We had a toaster oven, toaster, and microwave in the dining room as well. We washed dishes in the basement (utility sink). We also used a fair amount of paper plates and cups, which I don’t love, but it was necessary. I found it helpful to keep a container of Clorox wipes and a container of baby wipes handy for spills and/or quickly cleaning hands. We tried to stock things that were easy to eat straight out of the fridge or container and kept a plastic bin of foods like peanut butter handy.

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      Regarding that sippy cup – do you have a bottle sterilizer? Maybe chucking said sippy cup, along with toddler utensils in the sterilizer after washing would help with all the nasty nooks and crannies those things have.

    • MDMom says

      Maybe you could use the medela steam cleaning bags to clean sippy cups in microwave? The wipes may also be useful.

    • In House Lobbyist says

      I keep putting off a renovation for many of these reasons with little ones. And we cook at home – ALOT so I am living with the ugly kitchen. We did this pre-kid for several months once and we used a hot plate quite a bit. I lived at home during college so my husband introduced me to the dorm room staple. As for the special sippy cup – can you buy extras for those days you don’t want to wash it 22 times? And I have been seeing my FB friends rave about this new instant pot that is a rice cooker, crockpot, best thing ever so it might be worth looking at one of those.

      • Katala says

        We LOVE our instant pot. Cooks stuff super fast, if you want it to. Randomly one of my favorite things to use it for is “boiling” (really, steaming) eggs. Shells come off so easily.

    • Preemie Mom says

      Thanks for the awesome suggestions, everyone! Lots of things I didn’t think of – printing this for future use. :)

  2. Anon in NYC says

    Just an update on the daycare/chicken pox/2 week closure (for those of you interested) – I spoke with the director last night and apparently the 2 week closure is not standard procedure. He said that a parent was unhappy with how the illness was communicated to parents so reported the facility to the department of health. I’m not sure if the parent was part of the infant room or the broader daycare list. The DOH investigated and found that everything done was okay, but apparently issued certain mandates that included closing the affected rooms for 2 weeks.

    I’m still not entirely clear on what the standard protocol would have been and if non-infected children would have been quarantined for some period of time, but at least I know that the 2 weeks is not normal for the facility!

    • mascot says

      Good grief- what a complete goat rodeo on everyone’s part. Does the DOH normally issue such mandates? That seems like a bit of an extreme response if everything is “just fine”

      • Anon in NYC says

        I agree that it seems really strange and heavy-handed. I didn’t get a complete answer from the director, in part because I asked him during pickup, which is obviously a crazy time. I can look up violations online and I don’t see anything related to this. The DOH regularly inspects the facility, and has in the past issued mandates regarding various violations (like, not having complete staff immunization records on hand) which the facility has roughly 2 weeks to fix (and always does). I don’t know if the DOH has ever instructed the facility to close a classroom for any period of time.

      • Anonymous says

        Certain illnesses have to be reported to the DOH and they will frequently step in even if not called. A local to me high school was closed for 1 week following a norovirus outbreak. This was a DOH mandate. A local nursing home is on “lockdown” for norovirus as well. No visitors. I’m not even sure if the medical staff is coming and going or having to stay there.

        • Anonymous says

          Oh, by mandate I mean DOH mandated it in that situation. Not that they had written policies and procedures on the issue. Too many people had the disease and it wasn’t being contained so they thought shutting it down was better before it became a community wide outbreak.

      • Anon. says

        As someone who deals with NYC DOH on a semi-regular basis…welcome to bureaucracy and unpredictability!

    • Spirograph says

      Wow, if I were a parent in one of the closed infant rooms and I found out who complained, I would be at that house with a pitchfork demanding that he/she cover my backup care costs.

      That’s really interesting — thanks for the update!

    • Anonymous says

      Curious if the rooms had to be closed or if the kids in those rooms couldn’t come in. Two different things if they could just absorb the kids into other class rooms.

      • NewMomAnon says

        Agreed – my daycare had a leak in one of the classrooms, and made it work by rotating the kids through the playground and the empty “overflow” room. But it would be challenging for a smaller center, because states mandate a certain number of square feet per child and certain resources be made available to different age groups (infants need a mirror and hand rails, toddlers need a “sensory table” and music player in my state, etc). It could be hard to replace items that are in a quarantined room.

        Regardless, that’s a rough situation for everyone.

      • Anon in NYC says

        The kids in those rooms can’t come in and they can’t use backup care at another facility. So basically… the parents are stuck and have to scramble to find alternate care.

  3. CHL says

    TJ — am faced with severe parenting indecision and need some advice from the Hive. My 3 year old got into a fancy private school where we get discounted tuition from my husband’s job. It’s the kind of thing where you either get in when you’re 3 or it’s hard to ever get in again. DS He’s currently in a daycare close to our home run by a woman who used to teach pre-K and Kindergarten at a different fancy private school and now runs her own center which started with babies and is now expanding to pre-school. Our tentative plan was to keep him there until he goes to kindergarten and then move to the suburbs. I didn’t really expect DS to get into fancy school and now have to pull the trigger! Discount makes total cost of care/school for the year only *twice* what we’re paying at daycare, not *three times.* Logistically it would be a big hassle as my husband would have to start driving to work and deal with having a 3 year old stuck in traffic with him. We’re leaning towards declining the spot, but it is an AMAZING school – like Obama and the Secretary of Education sent their kids there. Any advice? Will I screw him up forever by just sending him to a “good” school instead of amazing, fancy school?

    • NewMomAnon says

      I have never quite understood the big city/East Coast competition regarding fancy preschools, so this is fwiw – if you like your daycare and it’s convenient for you, I would stick with it. If you don’t like your current set up, then think about the fancy preschool. But your kid is not going to make any irreplaceable neural or social connections in a couple years at a super fancy preschool. I would save the money for high school or college, when the connections are far more likely to give your kid a social/career advantage.

    • Maddie Ross says

      Would this new offer make you change your plans to move to the suburbs and keep him there throughout the rest of his schooling? Then yes, probably worth making the move now. If you’re still set on the plan to move, then I probably wouldn’t even bother. Honestly, I cannot imagine a preschool so good that the hassle would be worth it if only for a couple of years. The only caveat to that being if you need this insanely good preschool on his “resume” (ha!) to be able to transfer into another similarly prestigious school in the suburbs. But if you’re thinking of public school or a private school with less rigorous admissions, then just keep him where he is.

    • Anonymous says

      So I do send my kid to a fancy preschool, but that is because it is the closest school to my house. We like it, my kid is certainly getting a fine education with some benefits that were not available at the other schools we considered, the facilities are lovely, the teachers are great, and it helps streamline my life in a number of ways, and we’ve met other parents we like a lot, but it hasn’t changed the entire course of his future. I firmly believe that the primary purpose of preschool is socializing. Thus, if I were in your shoes — going to fancy school would make life harder rather than easier — I would not do it.

    • ECR says

      I know which school you’re talking about–I actually went there myself, nursery through high school. So admittedly I’m biased. I totally agree with comment above that if you are planning to move to the suburbs anyway, don’t bother. But if you would consider staying in the city so that your son could go there for high school, it’s worth it to preserve the spot. You’re highly, highly unlikely to get him in for high school alone–as you note, it’s now or never. The high school is truly special and worth it. It’s not just another “fancy” private school; the university connections really enrich the educational experience, and the teachers are phenomenal.

      • NewMomAnon says

        Oh, I didn’t realize that preschool admission gives access to premium high school admission. That would change my advice completely. I went to one of the top high schools in my area, and it did totally change the course of my life. In that case – I would buck up and make it happen for preschool. I wouldn’t inconvenience myself for just a few years of a premium preschool if I was planning to take the kid to a different kindergarten, though.

      • TheElms says

        I also went to this school for high school. I got for high school so its not impossible, just really hard. Although this school has a lot of name recognition, the other top private schools give a similar quality education.

    • Carrie M says

      Tough one. What’s your gut feeling?

      I don’t think you’re dooming him to a life of mediocrity by declining the spot. There are many great public school options in the greater DC area. Also: declining this spot may mean it will be harder for him to get in later on, but it doesn’t foreclose all opportunities for private school if that’s what you end up wanting to do.

    • kc esq says

      What is the downside of each choice? If you do the fancy pre-school and find it isn’t worth the hassle, can’t you just go back to your original plan, i.e., there’s no barrier other than a lack of stability in sending her back to her current preschool? Whereas it’s now or never on the fancy school. I am generally anti-fancy school, but I see the value going down this road will give you in choices in the future. Of course know that you will find an appropriate path for your child even if you choose “never” on the fancy place now.

    • CHL says

      Thanks, all for the thoughtful replies. I guess there’s no “right” answer. We will probably not change our desire to move to the suburbs for other, non-school reasons, but there’s part of me that feels like I’ll always wonder “what if.” To ECR’s point, I truly believe it’s an amazing school in the long run, and different from some other fancy options. But if we don’t want to live close by, it probably doesn’t make sense. I need to check on if we could go back if we tried it and don’t like it (our daycare has like an 18 month waitlist, but maybe she would work with us on that). I suppose we could even put down the deposit and gain an extra few months to think about it. Appreciate everyone’s thoughts!

      • Anon in NYC says

        Just from a logistics standpoint, I think your husband can continue to commute via public transportation with a 3 year old (if that’s what he’s already doing). It’s not the easiest, even with an umbrella stroller, but it can work!

      • ECR says

        One other piece of advice–take a tour of the suburban schools before making a decision (I assume you’ve already toured the private school as part of their admissions process). Sit in on a class and talk to some of the teachers. My DH wants to move to the suburbs, so we’ve been touring some elementary schools in his desired spot, and I will tell you that the differences between the suburban schools and private city schools are striking. Not necessarily good or bad, just very, very, different. (E.g., suburban high school is enormous, lots more tracking than private school, elementary and middle school are broken up into separate schools). It’s hard to make a choice in the abstract, so I would really be sure that you are in love with the suburban options before declining the private school offer.

      • NoVa says

        Pay the deposit for the peace of mind! If you guys are dead-set on the burbs, I know of several families in my suburb (McLean) whose kids still go to that particular school. If your kid loves the school, but you still are ready to move, you actually have lots of options. You can always buy a more affordable home in a closer-in suburb, but in a “less desirable” school district (not touching this issue with a ten foot pole). There are some beautiful homes and great neighborhoods in parts of Arlington, where the public schools are ranked slightly lower, and thus do not traditionally cost as much as the North Arl or Falls Church City school districts. You are also still very close to the city. The families who have continued to make the school work simply commute with their kids. I’m sure this is also all true with MD – I just don’t happen to live there.

    • Anonymous says

      Do you plan to have more kids? It’s one thing to commit to a horribly expensive private school for one child, but it’s another situation if you’re looking at a horribly expensive school for two or three children. In our neighborhood, it’s $30,000 for private schools. I’d rather throw that money into equity on my house and buy my way into a good public school.

      • Anonymous says

        All good calls — FYI, it’s the Chicago Obamas, not the DC Obamas:) Also factoring into this is that we’re then basically making bets on whether my husband staying at his job or another at the university for the next …15 years, or potentially work part time or contract which was something we had been thinking about to allow me to “Lean In” a little more. It’s hard to envision all the possibilities now. Being a grownup is hard sometimes!

        • Aunt Jamesina says

          From a former educator’s perspective, U of C’s lab school is phenomenal. That said, if you’re still planning on moving to the suburbs in a few years, I don’t know if the hassle is worth it for preschool.

  4. Betty says

    Can anyone recommend a book or website on child development for the kindergarten-ish age? I did a great job of keeping up on what to expect developmentally when my son was young (until 3ish), and I have recently realized that I have no idea what is developmentally appropriate for his age now. Thanks!

    • Carrie M says

      I really like Touchpoints (birth to 3), but he has an age 3 to 6 version too that might be worth checking out.

  5. Anon says

    Tried the Taylor pants but they fit too high waist and boot cut for me. Vince Camtto makes a very similar straight leg pant that works for my body type. The VC pants have held up great to multiple washings. I think both the Taylor and the VC trousers are regularly sold at the Nordstrom anniversary sale which is when I’ve tried them and stocked up on the VC pant.

  6. MDMom says

    I’m looking for ideas for good finger foods for an almost 10 month old. He has good pincer grasp but no teeth. I just feel like he isnt getting much variety. I would also like ideas for finger foods I can send to daycare because he loves to feed himself but most of what he eats at home isnt practical to send for day care (scrambled eggs, chunks of avocado or banana) so he’s still entirely spoonfed there. He has had black beans, pieces of bread, chunks of oranges, bamba (for peanut exposure), cooked cauliflower and squash. I haven’t done too much with berries but I think that is next step. Also havent tried cheerios yet. Any other ideas?

    • NewMomAnon says

      I don’t remember if this is a choking hazard at 10 months, but my kiddo loved dried cherries and golden raisins (soft ones) from a pretty young age. Also, pickle chunks, chunks of pineapple/melon, clementine segments, peas (overcook them if daycare will serve cold), shredded cheese, and hard-boiled eggs broken into little pieces. My kiddo also loved toast and dense crackers to gnaw on, even before she had teeth.

      At home, I tended to make a lot of slow-cooker shredded meat, because it was easy for baby to pick up shredded chicken or pork and gum it into submission. Noodles were also popular (but messy); we ate a lot of little raviolis or the long spaghetti noodles (I broke it into smaller lengths before cooking).

    • Anon in NYC says

      My daughter (9 months and also toothless) loves peas and carrots (defrosted/warmed), beans, small pieces of beef or chicken, cucumber spears, and pear spears. She does not like green beans, but I think they are also a food finger food. We cut up grapes into tiny slivers, and she seemed to enjoy them. I think hummus on toast is a good one too (although my LO doesn’t really seem to like bread, so we just spoon feed her hummus). She has occasionally eaten pasta, like holding a piece of penne and chomping on it.

    • Jen says

      my kid didn’t get teeth until she was 13 months old, and even then it was just a front one! She gummed EVERYTHING though corn on the cob was not possible :)

      I mean everything- steak, all kinds of meats, vegetables (well steamed since she couldn’t crunch them), everything. We did try and make sure she had easy foods when she had some harder to chew/gum ones since gumming tiny bits of steak takes a while. She’s 3 now and still doesn’t have her 2 year molars…

      • ChiLaw says

        My girl is 13 months and just grew her first tooth. It’s pretty amazing what she can eat. We’ve had to put a lot of thought into this because she insists on self feeding. She can gum cheerios, crackers (like saltines broken into 1/4 size pieces), french toast and grilled cheese (ripped up kinda small, but she can take “bites” out of them too), bagel pieces (girl loves her carbs), hamburger patties (we had a celebration and she got to try in’n’out last night), pancakes, string cheese, graham crackers (a big favorite!), veggie patties (wholesomebabyfood has recipes for broccoli cheese nuggets and zucchini pancakes that we always have in the freezer for easy daycare lunches), cut up meatballs, jarred fruit cut into bite size pieces, etc.

    • anon says

      Ha, I have sent scrambled eggs, avocado, and banana chunks. Does daycare not want to feed them? I don’t see the problem. If I’m not sending leftovers, I send beans of all kinds (smash or halve chickpeas), cut-up toast with spreads (mashed banana, peanut butter if they’ll let you, refried beans, hummus, cream cheese etc.), small pieces of cheese, defrosted frozen berries, cooked apple pieces, well-cooked vegetables (broccoli is the biggest hit, should be fine with no teeth if you really cook it — also green beans, peas, sweet and regular potato, cooked spinach, cooked carrots, cooked frozen corn…). Now that our kid has teeth I also send things like grated carrots or cut up non-cooked apples. Mostly though we send leftovers cut up into small pieces.

      • MDMom says

        I guess I thought banana and avocado would get brown and icky if pre cut. I don’t have time to prep in morning so would have to be night before. I’m not sure they’d microwave scrambled eggs in infant room but I haven’t asked. Also seemed weird to pre make but I guess not.

        Thanks for all the ideas everyone!

    • Tigermom says

      avocadocubes dipped in nutritional yeast- still a big hit with my 3yo
      flakes of salmon or any fish
      overbooked broccoli florets and cubed broccoli stem
      zucchini noodles

      I really liked the baby-led weaning cookbook. Lots of great ideas!

  7. Anonymous says

    I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in over a year recently. The first thing she said to me was “Your eyes look so dark! Can I get you some vitamins?” Seriously, THE FIRST THING she said. Like, hug, sit, comment on my dark eyes. Does this strike you as super aggressive, like she’s trying to knock me down a peg? She’s gone through a real rough period lately and I’m doing well in areas she’s struggling in (relationship, family). I suppose its possible my eyes look darker (I have a toddler after all), but who says that right out of the gate? This is no friend, right?

    • Clementine says

      She just sounds clueless to me.

      Re: dark eyes though… So I thought I’d just gotten really bad under eye circles/darkness until I realized that it was my new waterproof mascara that wasn’t coming off with my regular cleanser (like the old mascara always had). My sister hint-gifted me new mascara and new eye makeup remover and magically I look refreshed and well rested now, even with a baby!

      • Anonymous says

        could you share what brands you use? I’m wondering if this is happening to me as I’m really bad at forgetting to take off my waterproof mascara before bed.

        • Clementine says

          I was using the Maybelline mascara in the pink and green tube (trying to save money! drugstore brands! stop buying such expensive mascara!). I switched to Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara- it coats your lashes in little tubes that sort of flake off when you remove them and doesn’t melt down my face. For eye makeup remover, I started using the Almay eye makeup remover pads. I was loathe to use a pad I just threw away, but previously I kept telling myself I’d just use coconut oil and my fingers but I never actually did. These make it so easy, I actually use them.

    • Anonymous says

      Is she selling supplements for a MLM or something? That would be my first guess… Thank gawd my friend who sells Advocare confines most of her “try Spark, I have toddlers and I can’t sleep, but it keeps me chipper!” to facebook and doesn’t say it to me in person.

      • Anonymous says

        Ha! That had not occurred to me. She didn’t try to sell me anything on the spot, but maybe that’s because I reacted coolly (I said, Nope, this is just what my face looks like.)

  8. Nanny Taxes & Family says

    So, for a stint this year, we will be using my mother as our nanny. We’ve never had a nanny before, and in October, we’ll be using a nanny and paying her over the table.

    This summer, however, my mom will be staying with us for 4 days/week and watching our kids. We want to pay her or in some way compensate her for what she’s doing. Initially, I was thinking I’d just write her a check for some discounted version of nanny pay– after all, she’s doing this out of the desire to see grandkids, but also giving up her traditional summer job (she’s a teacher with a side business). But I definitely don’t want to do that if it puts us in a weird tax situation where I have to become my mother’s employer. I’m also willing to do things like buy her groceries, gift her (under the maximum) some money, or whatever. But I don’t want her to go un-compensated.

    Any thoughts, ideas, or experience? I’m not in a job that shines a spotlight into the tax situation of one’s nanny, but I do plan to pay the non-family nanny on the books.

    • Maddie Ross says

      Don’t quote me on this, but perhaps could you just “gift” her under the maximum for gifting as a “thank you” for watching the children, as opposed to as her employer?

    • Anonymous says

      You should look up the IRS guidance on household employee taxes on family members. I believe they cover this situation.

    • Anonymous says

      I would probably do a gift either as one or two lump sums. It sounds like she would be doing it even if you didn’t pay her so she’s not really an employee IMHO.

    • LSC says

      We do this. You don’t have to worry about taxes for a family member. It’s an amazing perk! Check out the IRS regs.

  9. 6 months preg interview outfit says

    I have an interview in a few weeks and I will be six months *very* pregnant (this is not my first). I have suit pants and a suit jacket as well as a few blazers that can work, but the pants have a full panel so I cannot tuck any shirt in.

    Any ideas or links to a good shirt to wear under a blazer and over my bump? Or even a good site with maternity formal workwear? None of my maternity dresses are quite dressy enough to wear with a jacket for an interview.

    This is in New England, if it matters for color/trend reasons, and not law.

      • mascot says

        I think it’s the crop jacket/long shirt peeking out that’s an issue more than the untucked shirt. You can’t really see that the model is pregnant in the picture so this may look completely different in person Could you find a somewhat plain shell that’s not longer than your jacket to wear under the suit?

        • ChiLaw says

          I agree with this suggestion. Also, since lengths might be tricky, you might want to have less contrast between the color of your shirt and the color of your pants and jacket. Like a muted wine, instead of a bright white?

      • Sarabeth says

        A dress+blazer combo might be a better suit that avoids this issue (assuming you can find them in matching fabric).

  10. searching comments? says

    Any help with searching the comments? I know there was a post recently about a registry and I wanted to check it out, and I swear I did this before, but I am only coming up with posts that are themselves about registries.

    • Anon in NYC says

      Well, there is the registry series, which would probably be helpful to you. But search for your search term plus “site:corporettemoms.com” (so, for example: registry and site:corporettemoms.com).

  11. NewMomAnon says

    GRR….I have a very junior colleague who uses our firm instant messenger program ALL THE TIME when she is working with me, and it’s driving me crazy. I like IM when I need to do a quick back and forth that would clutter my e-mail but doesn’t rise to the level of a phone call, but this colleague uses it like people did in college – a running, constant flow of comments and questions that continues throughout the day until the project is done. Unfortunately, I can’t disable the little sound that signals a new message and can’t disable the flashing icon, and I’m just too distractible to work through it…..

    But I don’t know what direction to give her other than “STOP DOING THAT” which is not a helpful message for a junior person with so many questions. Any advice would be appreciated. I like this young woman and want to keep working with her, but I just can’t deal with the IM interruptions.

    • Maddie Ross says

      I think you just directly tell her (in person) that you appreciate her questions, but you don’t love using IM and would prefer she send you an email or come see you/call. Your the senior here, in my opinion, you get to dictate (gently, but still dictate) how you want to communicate on a matter.

      • SC says

        Agreed. I’d also suggest asking her to write down her questions and save them until you have time to meet, unless it’s urgent or she can’t move forward on the project without an answer. You can either schedule check-ins (“Let’s touch base at 4:00”) or tell her that you’ll check in with her in a couple of hours/at the end of the day/whatever is convenient for you.

        • Katala says

          Agree too. As a junior myself, I can see where she’s coming from – could be thinking she’s showing initiative/interest/that she’s working on your stuff, that she’s not cluttering your inbox or bugging you with the phone, etc. or she could just be accustomed to it and doesn’t realize not everyone is that way.
          I always appreciate seniors explaining their preferred method of communication. It’s my job to make your job easier, but my assumptions of how to do that are just that – my assumptions. I will always do it your way if I know what that is! Hopefully your coworker is the same way :)
          Btw, I may be junior but I also find the IMs irritating. I usually figure out a way to hide the icon/try to ignore but then I miss messages I should respond to, which is not good either..

    • Clementine says

      Can you put it to ‘do not disturb’ or ‘presenter’ mode? Most IM programs have a setting where it won’t pop up if you’re doing a webinar where people can see your screen or are projecting your desktop in front of a room…

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