CorporetteMoms

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 105 Comments · by

Washable Workwear Wednesday: Adele Knit City Wrap Dress

Machine-Washable Work Clothes

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washable wrap dress for workI’ve said it before, I’ll say it again — if you’re looking for a professional, polished option while you’re getting back in your pre-baby clothes, a wrap dress is great. We just rounded up some of our favorite wrap dresses for work over at Corporette (including some plus size picks), and this Adele dress is one of them. I like the subdued colors, the pattern — always great for hiding stains! — and the fact that it’s washable. This particular dress is $198, but you can find other prints and patterns as low as $54 at Amazon. (Whoa, there’s even a maternity option left in lucky sizes.) BCBGMax Azria Women’s Adele Knit City Wrap Dress Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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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Comments

  1. anon says

    Is there a way to child-proof window AC units? Both to keep the kids from pushing buttons and to keep the unit from being pushed/falling out of the window?

    • lsw says

      Do you take them out in the winter? We only have one in our master bedroom, but it is permanently installed. Doesn’t help with the buttons, but should help with pushing fears.

    • stroller? says

      Hi – we’re deciding between the Uppababy glite and the summer infant 3D strollers for an umbrella stroller (we already have the citi mini for our main stroller and love it). Price isn’t at all definitive for us, but it is a $100 difference and I’m not sure the slightly better maneuverability, and the ability to stand the stroller up folded, makes the glite worth the price difference. Any thoughts on anyone who has either stroller or has compared the two? Our LO is a year old if that makes a difference. TIA!

      • Anonymous says

        There are a lot of summer infant models at varying price points. We got the “3D-One Convenience” for just over $100 for a trip. Unfortunately, it got a broken wheel when we gate checked it, but we still really liked it for our trip. This one did stand on its own (although it was a bit precarious and wouldn’t stand alone on slanted sidewalk, on a bumpy metro, etc.), and had an awesome shade cover and reclined well. I don’t know how hard it was bumped to break the wheel, but that might mean it doesn’t hold up well long term, I’m not sure.

      • bluefield says

        I never had the Summer Infant but when I went to a local baby store to compare them, the owner told me that the Summer Infant was good as an occasional stroller but wouldn’t hold up to a year of near-daily use. Because we’re city people and used the stroller a lot, we opted for the uppababy. Uppababy also has amazing customer service – they sent me a whole new stroller when my old one broke in a weird way (probably my fault) and send us a new seat pad when I complained that my current one was dirty (called to ask how to wash it and they just sent me a new one)

      • AIMS says

        I have an UB for our “big” stroller and the Summer Infant 3-d Lite for the umbrella. I think for the money, the SI is a much better stroller. We’re in NYC and walk everywhere and have taken the SI on many trips, for reference. It’s held up great. I initially considered getting the UB for the umbrella but things that turned me off – 1) it’s a bigger price difference than $100 if you want one that reclines. We travel with ours so naps in the stroller were important (we also paid about $60 for ours at BBB with a 20% coupon). 2) I find it obnoxious that UB doesn’t come with a cup holder and the one that you can buy is complete crap (I love the cup holder on the SI). 3) the UB big stroller has not held up that great after a year and a half of constant use – our wheels are all damaged, the canopy ripped from something super basic, etc. I know I can call customer service but honestly I’m so pressed for time it’s just too much for me. So bottom line, for the money, I figured I can buy the cheaper stroller and if I hate it, I can always leave it as an extra at my mom’s house and get a fancier one, but I really just like it.

      • lsw says

        Yes ^^ that is how ours is installed (inside of the window, screwed into the window frame)

        • Anonymous says

          Ditto to this (one of our AC units has a bracket — the other is installed in a window behind a radiator, which is a whole other issue).

          For button pushing behavior in general, I gave mine a large format solar calculator. Button pushing heaven!

    • Sabba says

      We have these window wedge things from Amazon that are actually super easy to install and seem to keep the window from opening past a pre-determined position. It may take some time to get the positioning right, but maybe you could use them to keep the window from opening far enough so that the AC could be pushed out? I will link them in a reply. We purchased from Amazon as a temporary solution for childproofing a window, but I’ve been so happy with them that we will likely keep them.

  2. Paging CPA Lady says

    How is kiddo? Thought of you this morning on day 2 of my weekly solo stint, at 4am, when kid had some tummy trouble and a bad poop, and again at 7.30am when he was bouncing off the walls and eating an enormous breakfast, and again when I debated whether or not to keep him home like a responsible human being. Le sigh.

    • AEK says

      Not CPA lady, but my morning sounds very similar to yours. Never knew blowouts could be an issue at age 2.5! And mine has a bad cold but I made the bad-mom decision to send him to daycare. Not to mention said cold kept us both up most of the night before last because poor thing couldn’t breathe. Sigh indeed. How do solo parents do this full time?!

    • CPA Lady says

      She woke up at 6:45 this morning howling and puked her way down the hallway to my room. Puked again an hour later. Since then she’s been totally fine. No fever, good mood, eating and drinking with no problem. She’s currently napping and I’m lying on the couch with an ocular migraine having a huge self-pity party. DH comes home late tomorrow night. I’ve eaten random foraged pantry garbage for the last two days (didn’t grocery shop planning on eating lunch at home) which isn’t helping matters. I need a shower and a salad. Provided the toddler wakes up in good spirits, I might pop into the grocery store for a minute so I can make that happen.

      Thank you for checking on me!

      • ElisaR says

        hang in there CPA Lady! (I had to chuckle at “I need a shower and a salad.” because that sounds like it could be my mantra lately)

  3. lsw says

    That is CUTE. I’m not going to spend $200 on polyester, but if that print goes on sale, I’m in.

    • AIMS says

      It’s cute but it looks like a very cute bathroom to me. Not sure why, I normally like dresses like this.

  4. Finance Wednesday says

    I have a handful of financial planning questions. Happy Wednesday morning!

    This started because a close friend unexpectedly has a large sum of money coming to her that warrants a financial advisor. I sought recommendations on a financial advisor for her from several people locally, and a particular national financial planning company was recommended twice. I am hugely skeptical of the company after a quick internet search and my gut that hearing “he’s great, he hosts dinners quarterly at a nice restaurant and you can order anything you want!” is not actually what I want to hear about a financial advisor. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a recommendation came up for a person who operates privately. This person offers clients the opportunity to buy into an investment partnership but also offers management services for other financial vehicles such as 401(k) savings. Who do you choose?

    The second part of this is I’m now questioning everything about my financial standing. My husband and I make a modest but comfortable income. We each have pensions that I find hard to quantify, he saves additional funds in a 403(b), I have a 401(k) from a previous employer and contribute sporadically to a Roth. We also contribute to a 529 for child 1 and we plan to do the same for child 2, arriving shortly. Other savings is all in a savings account. Nothing huge, several months of living expenses. We have a mortgage, a small car loan that will be paid off in a few months, and 3 other interest-free financing type arrangements for home improvement projects that will be paid off within the next 1-3 years. My question is whether I’m doing what I should be doing for shorter term investments. Where should money live? We’re saving for some other big purchases and I’m thinking it’s silly to have money sitting in a savings account. Do you invest in index funds independently or another option? Do you engage a financial advisor? Do I really need one?

    Also, life insurance. I never worried about it. I don’t have much through work. Now that I have 2 dependents and a mortgage, I probably need it. Advice?

    Thanks for all the collective wisdom!

    • avocado says

      I would choose a fee-only financial advisor who operates under the fiduciary standard.

    • AIMS says

      I can only speak to the third question. But yes, definitely get life insurance. A good rule of thumb is to have term life insurance to cover your mortgage plus the other person’s salary/your living expenses for however many years it takes to get to college. Term life insurance isn’t very expensive. You may want to wait to get yourself insurance until you’ve given birth but you can get your husband insurance now.

      For question 1, I’d at least meet with both people.

    • SC says

      (1) Neither. I’d keep looking for an independent, fee-based investment advisor who didn’t offer products that s/he made money from.

      (2) What type of short-term investments? How much? What’s the purpose/goal? We have a short-term investment (think, saving for a down payment in 5-10 years), and we invest the money in some lower-risk index funds that should average about 5% (lower initially, higher recently). We didn’t engage a financial advisor, but we discussed it with a family member who is a certified financial planner but doesn’t actually do that for his job.

      Also, yes, get term life insurance. I have a 20-year term policy that would be enough to replace my income, pay off our mortgage, and pay for Kiddo’s education. We have some life insurance on DH, but less. He was more expensive to insure because of some travel history, and I’m the primary breadwinner anyways.

      • Kim says

        All of this. I’m currently looking for a fee-only because husband’s new job comes with a significantly higher salary. I want fee-only because I can pick a combination of EFT and bonds (or pick a retirement date fund to do that for me!), I just need to know where money should go, tax-wise. If I had a large sum of money, I still would probably place a lot of it into an EFT.

    • NewMomAnon says

      You should get life insurance, and you should price out policies that aren’t through your employer. Term policies were half to a third the cost of my employer’s policy and offered much higher coverage amounts, and the price doesn’t go up as you get older. I think I pay $100 a month for $2.2M in coverage. A trust for my kiddo is beneficiary of the bulk of it, but I made my brother the beneficiary of $200K thinking that if I predecease him while our parents are still alive, he might need to either hire help or reduce his workload to care for them.

      And fee-based independent advisors are great. Mine has been an active participant in helping me build a book of business through referrals, networking connections, and invitations to networking events, on top of investment advice, risk mitigation, and overall financial planning. I don’t think a product-focused advisor would have the same investment in me.

    • ElisaR says

      I think the best thing you can do when choosing a Financial Advisor (disclosure – I am one) is to meet with the person. If all he/she does is buy dinner once a quarter, then obviously that isn’t a good reason to go with them – but that may just be what is top of mind for that reviewer and not why they are happy (we do not do any group client dinners). I agree – you want an advisor who operates under the fiduciary standard – but that’s just a given. I do not operate on a fee only basis but that’s fine if you want to go that way but I don’t think its the only way to get good advice…..

      as for the cash in savings – i would keep about 3 months worth of spending in savings and then invest the balance depending on your comfort level (I personally do 50% in an S&P 500 index and 50% in a muni (tax-free) mutual fund.

      as for life insurance – term life is the cheapest and what I did after the birth of my son. we insured both myself and my husband. everytime I see a GoFundMe with a tragic parent story attached I wonder why (if) they did or didn’t have life insurance — if tragedy strikes I will be really thankful to have it. The life insurance you get from work is just gravy – not a replacement for term life. You could lose your job, you could quit, it’s just not a great long term solution.

  5. JP says

    Do wrap dresses accentuate anyone else’s postpartum pooch? I have the dreaded c-section shelf and I love wraps, but unless I’m wearing serious spanx, they’re not a good look anymore. Maybe a busy print like this would help?

    • Macademia says

      That is my concern also although it is more of a pre-menopausal pooch at this point.

      • Kim says

        My 2.3 year post-baby pooch says no to wrap. I can kinda do a pencil skirt, and definitely A-line.

        • D says

          I am not a fan of most wrap dresses. However, the only ones that I have found that DVF silk jersey printed wrap dresses are amazing. The print is helpful, but the silk jersey is even better.

  6. Anon mom says

    I can’t remember if this has been covered recently- c-section vs laboring.
    I’m due with my second in a couple of weeks and had a c-section nearly three years ago for failure to descend.
    Current baby is big (as per the OB guesstimate) prob 8+lbs. Right now I think I will labor and be open to surgery earlier in the labor process. I was 2weeks late with the first and I am struggling with what to do if I have to do be induced, should I just go for c-section? I am with a very supportive midwife practice that totally supports me either way.
    How did you decide?

    • layered bob says

      I’m with a very crunchy midwifery practice but they will not induce for a birth after a cesarean, although they are all for spontaneous VBACs. I am hoping to wait it out as long as I can for spontaneous labor, but if I get to 42 weeks I will plan a “gentle”/family-centered cesarean.

    • Anonymous says

      Keep in mind that the weight estimates aren’t accurate. I was told I would have a big baby, and she weighed 7 lbs 2 oz at birth (but was 20.5″ long).

      • Cornellian says

        Agreed. At 41 weeks I had to start going for growth scans because my baby was measuring under six lbs. He was born 12 hours later just under eight lbs, and is now a gargantuan 22 lb six month old.

        • HSAL says

          This makes me laugh because mine measured very large, was born just under 8 pounds, and is now a tiny 22 lb twenty-one month old.

      • Anonymous says

        I think the growth scans are almost inversely related to the baby’s actual size. They were worried my baby was going to be a 10 pounder and she was under 8.

      • Anonymous says

        Just to play devil’s advocate, our baby was measuring large and I didn’t believe it…until we had a 9lb 6oz baby! I was induced after some pre-eclampsia signs, labored for 32 hours, making it all the way to 8 cm, and then had to have a c-section anyway. For baby #2 (if we have one), I’m going straight to the c-section.

    • Anon says

      We’re deciding c-section vs. induction. Either way it will be 38.5 weeks because of some other high risk issues that preclude spontaneous labor. At 36 weeks she was measuring 8 lb 3 oz and has been growing rather rapidly (no GD, just a big baby). I asked the tech and she said they can be off by up to a pound or so with a slight tendency to overestimate. But given her straight-line bone measurements are also huge (99%), we’re thinking the weight may be correct and are leaning slightly c-section, to be discussed with the doctor this week or next. I really don’t want to be in a situation where I labor for 12 hours on pitocin and then have to go into a c-section because she won’t fit or won’t descend given that my mother’s inductions also failed and my body does not seem primed for labor. So, no recommendation, just the thought process we’re going through.

  7. Rainbow Hair says

    Washing a toddler’s hair. Is it even possible to do it without making her hate you forever (for 3 minutes)?

    She doesn’t want water on her face. I get it. I *still* don’t like water on my face. But she freaks out and writhes so much that of course it gets on her face! I offered to let her dip her head backward into a bowl of water, held by me, behind her neck, and she was having none of it. She won’t let me use a washcloth to scrub her head either. I am considering one of those ridiculous visors but I am afraid she’ll just panic if I put it on her.

    Help?

    • JP says

      My kid’s only 7 months so things could change, but we got this skip hop whale thing that is shaped like their forehead and prevents all drips to the face. I rolled my eyes but it works so well.

    • GCA says

      Wish I knew! Following as someone here is doubtless more creative than I am. Someone recommended holding toddler upside down to brush their teeth, and it worked! Who’da thunk?

    • anon says

      See if you can get her to try lying down in the water. Keep the water in the tub really shallow so it won’t go up to her eyes, and let her lay there and relax for a while to get used to it before trying to wet the front of her hair. And try using a wash cloth to wet it. Also, I rarely use shampoo – just a rinse seems to work fine – which reduces a step.

      • Anon says

        Yes this. We tell her to lay down and “be a mermaid” while I wash hair. Now my son “be’s a mermaid” when I wash his hair too.

    • Kim says

      We have toddler lie down and swish her hair around. That way she’s in control. Also I second the not mnuch shampoo – they get sweaty but their hair is usually so fine that dirt washes out easily.

    • NewMomAnon says

      I have kiddo lay back in the water so her hair is under but her face is out of the water. If I have to pour water over her face, she likes to have a washcloth to hold over her eyes. When she was closer to 2, we used to play peek-a-boo with the washcloth before and after hair washing.

      Also, the soft Munchkin bath pitcher they sell at Target is helpful for directing the water out of her face.

    • bluefield says

      Is there a spray attachment in your bathtub? We’ve been using that for hair washing. She still get upset but her hair does get washed a lot faster. And I let her pick out a shampoo that she wanted (consisting of us scrolling through amazon until she found the “castle shampoo.” Whoever thought of putting a princess castle on shampoo is a genius).

    • rakma says

      This got better for us only recently, when DD1 was about 3.5, and could 1) hold a facecloth over her face 2) look up up up! all the way at the ceiling when I rinsed and 3) spit out any water that got in her mouth. It still requires a long, serious conversation about me not getting water in her eyes and her not moving too much. This is a big reason she gets hair washed once a week.

      For a while it worked if she was the one to do the rinsing, we had a variety of plastic bottles she could choose from and wet her own hair. I’d do a final rinse for the spots she missed, but after 3-4 bottles full over her head, most of it got rinsed. For another while, I could use the detachable shower head, but that now elicits panic.

      But yes, she hated getting hair washed, we fought about it every time, she lived through it and does not hate me most of the time.

    • Rainbow Hair says

      Oh I should’ve said that I have the squishy cup but it’s just a disaster because of the writhing.

      I don’t have a spray attachment but I wonder if a thing like that exists … something I could attach to the tub spout.

      And yes, lying down! I wonder if I could convince her to do it!

      And hmm, fancy baby shampoo….

      (Also she is 2.5 and still has cradle cap… or maybe this is just “a gross head” by now? sigh)

      • AIMS says

        Spray attachments do exist. You can also get a showerhead that comes with one. Agree that all the cups in the worlds wont help when writhing is a problem. But I can recommend a shampoo for cradle cap – the Mustella newborn foam shampoo is magic (and washes out easily). I give it to every new parent as a baby gift now.

      • NewMomAnon says

        My kiddo has cradle cap at 3.5 and it’s worst behind her ears. I had it behind my ears into my teens….joy! I think it’s called seborrhiec dermatitis when it persists past infancy, but I might be wrong.

        For the stuff behind her ears – I rub it off with my fingertips while I’m bathing her. She doesn’t like it. I probably would just let it go, but mine was so bad as a kid that hair stylists used rubber gloves to wash and cut my hair, and it was super embarrassing.

      • Marilla says

        We have a spray attachment but it only semi helps, because our daughter refuses to look up. On the cradle cap – my daughter still has it at over 18 months. Massaging with olive oil and then brushing it is the only thing that helps.

      • Anon in NYC says

        TBH, this only got better when my daughter took swim lessons and learned how to “blow bubbles” in the water. We tell her to close her eyes and blow bubbles. That said, it’s still not great. I’ve found the easiest course of action is to just warn her, dump water on her head really quickly, and then wipe her face with a washcloth so the water is out of her eyes.

        • AIMS says

          I think when they’re old enough you can also let them hold washcloth over their eyes. That works but my kid is too young to do it so she just screams bloody murder and we power through.

    • BTanon says

      We use a squirt bottle to rinse off. It still gets in his face sometimes, but it’s another way to direct a stream of water vs. a cup or shower spray attachment.

    • Anonymous says

      Can you train kiddo to like showers? Mine hated them, but we started swimming lessons and they have ADA compliant showers (no step/ledge/doors) in the locker room/family changing areas. I put her towel outside the shower for her to sit on and then took a shower myself (mostly ignoring her). The second time she got in and out of the shower happily. By about the fifth time she was hogging all the water.

      Still not swimming, but showering with her at home (and washing hair and bath time) have gotten SO MUCH BETTER.

      • Rainbow Hair says

        Ugh I tried to get her to shower with me and … maybe one of my worst parenting moments? Holy cow it was ugly.

        • Anonymous says

          Yeah, any showers we tried before this were disastrous. I think the in and out and being in control at the gym made all the difference.

  8. Marilla says

    From past discussions about traveling/renting carseats, I remember a lot of commenters recommending just buying an extra Cosco Scenera and traveling with that one instead of renting a car seat with your car. Is that still the consensus here? :) Any other tips? Is it crazy to check car seat and pack and play and gate check a stroller? Our daughter will be about 21 months when we fly.

    • Clementine says

      We have an Evenflo Tribute that I bought on Amazon for like $50. It’s 9 pounds (as compared to my 28 pound Diono) and we also use it as our ‘sure we can pick up your kid’ carseat. I also install it in granparents’ cars and it is so easy and handy.

      We generally gate check carseat + stroller (it’s free) and then bring our Guava Lotus crib as a carryon and just use a backpack as baby’s ‘diaper bag’. My only suggestion is to get gate check bags from Amazon to keep everything clean.

      • Marilla says

        Prices in Canada are double what they are in the US for car seats sadly – the Cosco is $100. I’ll look into the gate check bags :) Thanks for the tips!

      • octagon says

        We also have an Evenflo Tribute and it’s been fine. A tip: If you have a gate check bag, you can stash a mirror (if your kid is still rear-facing) inside the bag too. We’ve also included a towel to level if we are going to be renting a sedan — we’ve had challenges getting the angle right in non-SUVs.

      • Kim says

        Why do you gate check? Then you have to lug it through the airport. You can check at hte ticket counter. It’s also free.

        • LaLa says

          We gate check because it is easier on the carseat. There is a much higher liklihood of damage from the check-in luggage process vs the gate check process.

        • SC says

          If you fly Southwest, they will often let you use an unsold seat for your infant if you have a car seat with you. And if you still have the travel system (which OP wouldn’t at 21 months), it’s easy to take the car seat with you through the airport.

    • AIMS says

      We’ve done car seat and stroller, though back when she was little enough that car seat could be one with stroller so being in the airport pre-flight was not a hassle. I can’t imagine having all those things to gate check will be comfortable for getting through security/waiting for take off. I would just eat the cost of checking at least the pack-n-play or not bring it altogether. Where are you traveling to? Most hotels have them if you ask and if it’s staying with family, maybe you can borrow one or just buy a super basic one to leave there (we did this with our relatives, it cost $40 and I figured if we used it on two trips it would be well worth skipping the hassle).

      • Marilla says

        I would plan on checking the pack-and-play and the car seat and gate checking the stroller, so we’d only have stroller plus carry-on backpack to deal with past check-in. We’re staying in an Airbnb so nothing available there (in the past we’ve stayed at more family friendly places or with actual family and haven’t had to bring anything except the stroller, so this is a new one for us).

    • Rainbow Hair says

      Did you buy kiddo a seat on the plane? If so, you can (and should, in my experience) install her car seat on the plane. We have one of the Cosco ones and I installed it on 34284392 planes and cars in our two-week trip to NY this summer.

      • Marilla says

        Nope, we’re squeezing her in as a lap child since she’s still under 2 :) Did you find it was easy enough to install?

        • Rainbow Hair says

          Yes, very easy. Due to a bunch of barf incidents, I got very adept at taking the seat out, breaking it down, washing the cover, re-threading the straps, and re-installing it.

          My tip for lap children is to bring the seat with you to gate check but also to approach the people at the desk by the gate and ask nicely to be seated next to an empty seat so you can put kiddo in that seat if possible. Then you can bring your seat on and strap kiddo in, yay!

      • Anonymous says

        +1 to all this. We flew with a Cosco seat we bought for that trip (8 hour flight each way, plus train and cab rides) and DH found it a breeze to install both on the plane and in cabs. And it took him a long time to install our infant seat in our car (Mesa), so it’s not just that he’s an excellent seat installer.
        Personally, I wouldn’t check a car seat, even gate check. I posted above, but our stroller was broken when we gate checked it. You would have no way of knowing if the car seat was damaged when you checked it, and then it wouldn’t be safe for use.

    • Jeffiner says

      We have an Evenflo carseat we bought specifically for travel and we always put it in her seat. Its smaller and lighter weight than her regular carseat. Its very easy to install, you just put the airplane seatbelt through the back of the seat, as you would a car seatbelt. We also have a Gogo Babyz wheel-handle-thing that straps onto the carseat so we can drag it through the airport like luggage. Our daughter likes to ride in it through the airport, too, making walking to the gate a breeze. I wouldn’t recommend it for a stroller replacement though.

      If we are going to a place with a lot of walking, we’ll gate check a stroller, but half of the time we leave it home. I prefer trying to carry as little as possible through the airport. One trip required the all-terrain stroller rather than the umbrella, so we checked it as luggage. It was free to check either a carseat, stroller, or pack-n-play.

      We’ve never traveled with a pack-n-play. We either ask hotels to provide a crib or rollaway bed, or we let our daughter share the bed with us. We have a pack-n-play that stays at the grandparents’ house.

      Definitely get bags for whatever you do decide to check. Things won’t be protected, but at least they will be clean. I’ve also seen luggage carousels shut down because loose car seat straps get caught in the conveyor belts.

    • Anonymous says

      Depending on where you are going — just get the car seat sent there. We’re visiting my parents this year with our 2 year old and are just going to buy a Scenera for them. (We gate checked her infant seat both ways last time because it’s impossible to get a cab with an infant car seat so we needed it to get to the airport.)

  9. K. says

    My just-turned-three-year old daughter refuses to go to the bathroom in public places and she tells me it is because they have big potties there (she means the extended oval ones–I think the gap in the lid is a problem too). I’m planning on getting one of those fold-up travel potty seats to help, but any other ideas? She will hold it for about six hours until she can’t anymore but just refuses to go in public. Thanks in advance for any ideas!

    • AIMS says

      Can you bring your own? If you’re using a car, it seems simple enough to keep a small plastic one in the trunk. My parents took me camping a lot and this is what they did when I was little.

    • Pigpen's Mama says

      I’d recommend the Potette ( https://www.amazon.com/Kalencom-2-in-1-Potette-Plus-Red/dp/B0016KV73W?th=1) over any of the foldup ones. Bonus feature, it can be used when your kid decides 5 minutes after leaving the house on a ten minute trip that she has to poop. Good times.

      We had one of the fold-up ones (I think this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J1P2Q38/?th=1) and there was an ‘incident’ where the thing collapsed in one of the longer oval toilets when my H was taking the LO to the bathroom. Ooops.

    • Pigpen's Mama says

      I had a reply that was eaten — maybe too many links?

      Google Potette — it’s a pop up potty that uses plastic liners – -good for car use and can be used as an insert (although we haven’t used it like that, just as an emergency potty when driving).

      Avoid the foldup kind — we had one. There was an incident that involved it collapsing in a longer oval toilet while my LO was using it. I’m just glad that neither she nor my husband are permanently traumatized from that. Whoops.

    • Tired Mommy says

      Can she sit backwards on the seat? That helped my son stay on the potty + he thought it was so fun/funny to sit backwards he would actually go!

    • anon says

      We used a potette but when I would forget it in a pinch I would sit down on the toilet, scoot myself way to the back, and put my son on the seat in front of me. He seemed to accept this.

      In case this didn’t already occur to you, also consider whether automatic flushers and/or noisy hand dryers are scaring her. My son is mollified if I show him I am covering the flusher sensor so it won’t flush before he’s ready.

  10. anne-on says

    For those of you based in Boston (or who’ve visited before) – any suggestions for child friendly activities for the Boston/Cambridge area? Staying in Cambridge, but open to taking taxis/T to go visit. Been there many many times as an adult/for work, but first time bringing our 5-yr old. Thinking the Harvard museum, Gardens (Swan boats!) and the Kids Museum – any other must see spots/activities? Is the kids museum a total nightmare? Any good spots for family lunch/dinner?

    • avocado says

      My kid absolutely loved the duck tour. They let the kids “drive” the boat.

    • GCA says

      The children’s museum is pretty fun if you can go at an off-peak time (I guess that means not-summer-holidays, sadly). +1 to the aquarium! And the science museum! Duck tours are like 90 minutes – be warned that kid may enjoy it only for the first 10 minutes and it’s all downhill from there.

      We don’t eat out a whole lot, but have successfully carted a 2yo to Thelonious Monkfish (sushi/ Thai fusion – noodles and fried rice are always a hit with kids) in Central Square, Santouka Ramen in Harvard Square, and Friendly Toast in Kendall; Mr Bartley’s Burgers always seems to be full of families, too.

    • Pigpen's Mama says

      The Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library. It’s not a bad walk across the Harvard Bridge from Cambridge, depending on what area you’re staying in.

    • anon says

      If you want something a bit different, candle pin bowling is great for kids – the balls are small and light.

    • shortperson says

      make way for ducklings statues in boston public gardens (read the book ahead of time!), the harvard peabody museum, and the curious george store if you are in harvard square anyway. but my suburban child’s favorite part of our whirlwind weekend was taking the T and a lot of buses.

  11. Anonymous says

    1. You seem to be doing great managing your money on your own. I don’t think you need a professional and neither of the 2 you mentioned pass my test – if you really think you want a pro I second the suggestion for a fee only planner. But really- you got this! Check out bogleheads dot org for a great community of do it yourself financial help – lots of collective wisdom and people w lots of experience willing to give you their perspective w/o selling you anything (except the idea that you can do this yourself!)

    2. If you have plans for the $ and can’t take risks then a savings account or CD is where the $ needs to be. It’s not silly even if you have low interest because it’s protecting the capital you will need in a short timeframe. If you can afford to lose some of it (ie you can put off the repairs or car purchase or whatever) then sure put it in a riskier investment to try to get more $…a bond or stock fund. But only if you can afford to take a hit.

    3. Definitely get life insurance. I used an online broker – I think selectquote – recommended on bogleheads and was really happy. They found DH and me good rates from different top rated companies (diff bc each company rates things in the application differently). I debated the amount for a long time and ultimately went w 10x income for each of us, for me 30 years (I was 32 at the time) and DH for 20 years…his policy costs twice mine even w lower time frame. Anyway a sales agent can help you figure things out and a broker is motivated to get you a good deal by shopping around.

    After you do all this spend the $ on an estate planning attorney and make sure you have wills and trusts and whatever legal documents you need. For reference DH and I paid a flat $1700 for all our docs in DC several years ago. We’ve since updated dependents and addresses at no cost.

  12. Anonymous says

    Black w kids

    – Harvard museum would rank lower than the children’s museum, aquarium, and the science center for a 5-year-old
    – aquarium + lunch at legal seafoods across the street = great day
    – children’s museum + lunch at the seafood place on the water in front of the museum = another great day (book reservations in advance- it’s not fancy just crowded)
    – Boston common & park + picnic = great day! Carousel and swan boat and awesome playground and in summer The pond is open for swimming
    – the library near the common is pretty amazing and they do great story times if you need someplace calm (also all the shopping is there so adults could take turns…)

    • GCA says

      Harvard natural history museum is where the ‘real’ dinosaurs are though! Mileage may vary depending on whether kid is an animal fiend :)

    • Kim says

      Hah! I’m black and was trying to figure out if there was something I didn’t know!

    • ElisaR says

      haha, i was like “wait did somebody make “black with kids” their username? I guess its an accurate description but kinda weird”

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