This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Something on your mind? Chat about it here.
I always used to wear dresses in the summertime before I had kids — but now it seems like with all the bending and squatting and picking up, I’m more comfortable in pants or shorts for lazy summer days. I like these chambray crops from Vince — pricey but they’re cool enough to wear with heels for a date night, a pretty pair of sandals for brunch, or, hey, low sneaks or flip flops for running after your kiddo on the playground. The pants are $195 at Neiman Marcus. Vince Chambray Cargo Pants
Here’s a more affordable option.
(L-3)
Sales of note for 9.10.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Zappos – 26,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
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
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
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?
Lorelai Gilmore says
Can you wear sneakers with crops? I always feel like that looks terrible, but maybe I’m not styling it right. I really need more outfits that I can wear with super comfortable sneakers – I’ve decided that wearing cute shoes sometimes prevents me from really playing with my kids and that seems stupid. Must reform.
FVNC says
I just bought these Toms, and I have to say — I love them. Love. I’ve worn them with leggings, skinny (ankle) jeans, and shorts so far. They’re comfy and cute (or at least, I like to think they’re cute!).
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/toms-avalon-nylon-slip-on-sneaker-women/3863052?cm_em=&cm_mmc=email_tran-_-051315-_-ship_confirm-_-proddescr1
Lyssa says
I would say yes to sneakers, but no to athletic-type shoes (i.e., the ones on the weekend thread on the main s!te). They’re too bulky looking, IMO. (that said, I sort of hate those types of shoes with everything.) But something slimmer (I’m thinking Keds, but, you know, not early 90’s) works.
Meg Murry says
I do, but I prioritize comfort over style slightly. I wear the cute casual sneakers, not heavy duty running shoes – so basically the same thing I’d wear with skinny jeans. The key for me is no-show socks – I don’t like wearing sneakers sockless.
I also like a mesh shoe or closed toe sandal to wear sock less, along the lines of these, which I will also wear with a skirt (sometimes with Capri length leggings under so I can still play on the playground)
KJ says
Yes, I think having no visible sock is the key. I like slip-on Vans myself.
anne-on says
I realize I’m in a New England city and they’re pretty preppy, but I wear Sperry’s almost exclusively on the weekend. They’re light, comfy, and I can easily run around in them, plus they’ve got great traction in the rain or on sand. If those aren’t your thing, I think Keds or other low-profile sleek sneakers with crops look fine too.
I sometimes feel bad about not looking as cute as the other moms on the playground, but I think my kid would rather have a mom who can go down the slide and chase him than a mom wearing heeled sandals at a park filled with wood chips who can’t do anything other than sit and watch.
due in june says
I’m going out on leave sometime next week from biglaw as a midlevel, nearly senior, associate. What should I do to make things easier on my colleagues and clients while I’m out? What should my out of office message say? Change my voicemail?
I can’t quite wrap my head around the idea that I won’t be coming to the office for a while. The last time I was out for more than a day or two was when I went on my honeymoon years ago.
Maddie Ross says
I put up an out of office message on my voicemail and email, but I didn’t say why I was out or give a return date. Other people have different opinions on this, but for me (also a senior associate in mid-law when I had my baby), I wanted to do as little as possible to draw attention to the “why” of why I was out. I was out, my assistant could take my calls and forward things as needed. I also checked my email pretty much every day and forwarded what was needed around or responded if I could.
The most important thing I did (to me) was make a chart of all my cases, where they were pending, the status, the expected next step and the contact person both at the client and in the firm. I have kept this up for myself since coming back. I find it invaluable and know it was useful while I was out. I now consider it my “if I get hit by a bus” list.
Annoy Law Mom says
I did a memo with a case status and expected next steps for everyone to refer to. On my first leave I did an out of office message with dates for my email. On my second, I didn’t bother. I knew I’d be able to check it while nursing and triage as needed. Never changed my vm.
Anon S says
Hello ladies! I’m a new mom (baby girl is almost 5 weeks old). My husband has a nice paternity leave (he’s taking a little over 6 weeks) so I’m a little anxious for him to go back in a couple weeks. One thing I’m worried about is when will I be able to shower? Now he watches the baby when I shower, but what are the logistics of showering when you’re on mat leave with your LO?! I would definitely wait for her to sleep, but then how close do I need to have her near the shower?
rakma says
I would put DD in the swing (we had a MamaRoo, loved that thing), or the rock and play, or other similar confinement device. If I timed it right, she’d fall asleep in there, and I had a few extra minutes after showering.
When she was a little older, I’d put her in the bumbo on the bathroom floor. She found the whole shower routine hilarious.
CHJ says
Before DS could crawl away, I would bring a bouncy chair into the bathroom and he would hang out in that while I showered. If he started crying while I still had soapy hair, I could usually calm him by pulling the curtain back and talking/singing to him.
Anne says
A couple of options. One, become a bedtime shower-er, so you continue to shower when DH is home. Two, exactly as you say: Wait for her to be asleep. Much will depend on her sleep preferences each particular day, week, etc. My DDs usually fell back asleep after a morning awake time, and that’s when I jumped in for a quick shower. They’d sleep in the swing, bouncer, whatever, just outside the bathroom door. My bathroom is small! By the time they were reliably crib-napping, I was back at work. For me, the big thing was to prioritize that first morning nap as my shower time. Not nap-time for me, not dishes time, not internet time — shower time. Things always seemed to get much iffier trying to fit it in later in the day! And starting the day with a shower was important to me, helped me feel some semblance of normal. Third option is: if she’s happy — or at least secure — in the bouncer, swing, etc., just bring her in the bathroom, even if she is awake. Showering produces a lot of white noise: the water, the exhaust fan (just mine that roars?). Might even drown out the crying, which is not always a bad thing (Parents of Fussy Babies, represent!).
anonymous says
I am a committed daily morning showerer, and cannot properly function without a shower in the morning most days. With DS, ideally I would shower when he took the morning nap. If there was no napping, I’d bring the bouncey seat into the bathroom with me and when he was too big/active for that, I’d put him in the crib. One thing I realized/concluded is that it’s generally not the end of the world if a baby is crying for 10 minutes while I shower. I knew DS was alive, and I was much better if I was clean than cranky all day and feeling yucky.
OTOH, I suspended my morning shower rule for a summer baby–I was running all over with baby in a carrier/ergo during a hot day, so morning showers were a bit of waste because I was immediately in a flop sweat. Switched to evening showers then.
Liz says
Yes, shower while baby sleeps. Google EASY schedule: eat, activity, sleep, YOUR TIME. Having this routine helped me (a planner) structure my days on maternity leave.
anon says
My baby is now 11 weeks, and my husband went back to work after 6 weeks as well. By 6 weeks, or shortly afterward, the baby could handle sitting by himself for a few minutes in the rock-n-play in the bathroom while I took a shower. Now he’s happy to sit in a bouncy seat or even just lie on a towel on the floor. Sometimes we also bring the baby into the shower in lieu of a bath, but he still has to sit on his bouncy seat while I do my shower first.
Nonny says
The only way I got showers during my mat leave was by showering either at night while DH was at home, or in the morning, first thing before he left for work. As a baby, my LO didn’t like to be put down for more than about 5 minutes.
rakma says
After many years of avoiding them, I purchased shorts for this summer specifically to run after DD. It would be nice if they were cute, but they are assuredly ‘mom shorts’. I’ve come to terms with it though, because they were 10 bucks, they’re comfortable, have usable pockets, and for the most part won’t make it out of the backyard. DD doesn’t give a cr*p about what I’m wearing, as long as she can wipe her hands on me after ‘gardening’ (aka pulling handfuls of dirt out of the flower beds)
meme says
I like 12-inch inseam stretchy “skinny” shorts. Like skinny jeans that end above the knee. I have a couple pairs from old navy in dark wash and white denim. I think they’re not too “mom shorts”( but maybe I’m kidding myself?).
meme says
Also, I like stretchy knit pencil skirts with bike shorts beneath for chasing kids around in summer.
Anon says
Just learned that I am in the running for a visiting assistant clinical law professor position. Totally new arena for me. Wondering if any legal academics/ clinical profs or those in the know can tell me about what to look for in terms of: salary range, benefits, vacation, family friendliness/ maternity leave policies (not preg but hope so soon; have older children). Would be so grateful.
Spirograph says
Piggybacking on the car seat discussion earlier, we bought an FAA-approved kid harness thing from kidsflysafe (on amazon) for an upcoming flight with 2 year old. I’ll update after the trip with a review, but I figured I’d rather carry an extra seatbelt in my bag than lug a car seat through the airport with me (still have the rental car seat problem, though), so it seems promising!
West Coast Lawyer says
I think you are talking about the CARES system. We have it and generally like it. It’s definitely better than lugging around a car seat (many of which I’ve found don’t really fit in airplane seats). BUT, unlike a 5-point harness in a car seat it doesn’t have a strap between their legs, which means that if they don’t want to buckle up they can try to wiggle out of it and it’s not pretty. Both of my kids screamed like crazy and did their best to squirm out the first time they used it. I’d suggest talking to them about the flight ahead of time and how there are certain times they will have to buckle up (maybe even practice using it on a kitchen chair). Also, lots of distractions for takeoff and landing (books, food, etc.). Not to scare you, both kids used it without incident after the first time so don’t give up if you have a rough first flight :)
West Coast Lawyer says
With all the focus lately on fast fashion and the poor conditions it’s often produced in, does anyone know of good places to buy kids’ clothes that make an effort at responsible manufacturing? I’m fine paying more for my clothes, which generally last a while, but I have a hard time spending a lot on clothes that are going to get spilled on/torn/etc. but I also don’t want my cheap kids clothes made by someone else’s kids in a sweatshop somewhere. Any recommendations?
anon says
Goodwill
Scandia says
An extra benefit from letting your kid wear clothes that has been used before,
is that all the chemicals the clothes are sprayed with against bugs and all extra dye has been washed out.
NewMomAnon says
I looked into this recently and didn’t find any great resource, which is a bummer. Oddly, H&M was the most transparent about their labor practices, so I’ve decided to stick with them for new clothes going forward. But I second anon; used clothes are the way to go. Have you seen Kidizen? It’s an app for selling used kid’s clothes, if you don’t want to pick through the Goodwill racks.
layered bob says
depending on how responsible/accountable you’re looking for, Primary might be a good option – check out their answer to “where do you make your clothes?” here: https://www.primary.com/help
Burgher says
Oooooh thanks for the rec!
Love this: “He’s already AWESOME!!! You don’t need all his t-shirts to tell you that.”
www.youtube.com says
Consulte, el momento de actuar es siempre ahora.