Coffee Break: Under Eye Brightener

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1. We haven’t had Indian takeout in a while and we want to order it tonight. Suggestions for a curry dish that is likely to be mild enough for a toddler? He’s old enough to eat more things now and so far likes curry, but we want to avoid spice for him and I can’t recall how spicy the dishes we had last time were (it’s been maybe six months?). The restaurant we like is described as “known for north Indian dishes” in a local paper.

   1. IDK if it is a curry or even authentic but “butter chicken” has always seemed to have a pretty mild sauce. For kids, you could just pull out the chicken chunks and cut up and put over rice vs layering on a lot of sauce.

      1. +1. My kids prefer paneer makhani (butter cheese), and for our little one, I pull out the chunks and cut them up. They also prefer roti, which is mild!

   2. If toddler is ok with green things, Saag Paneer is normally not spicy. But, at least in my area, if you call the restaurant, they can normally make some toddler safe butter chicken or chana masala.

      1. I was going to suggest saag paneer. Though it is Very Green.

      2. I was going to suggest chana masala as well! I’m a bit biased as it is my favorite, but it’s usually pretty mild unless you order it spicy or it’s described as having heat to it.

      3. That’s interesting! I make my own, and the authentic recipe I follow is very spicy, about Madras level.

         For a toddler, I would go korma (unless nuts is a problem) or a creamy daal.

   3. Chicken korma is usually quite mild. It does typically have nuts (I think usually cashews?) and raisins in it if you have any allergies.

   4. Our toddler loves chicken korma and paneer tikka masala. They’re some of her favorite foods. At our local place, neither of these is spicy. The saag paneer is too spicy for her.

   5. Chana masala is my go-to beginner Indian dish.
      Samosa or aloo tikki chaat is also beginner friendly.
      I’ve never had anyone turn their nose up at onion pakoras (especially with tamarind chutney).

   6. I am Indian and my kid is a picky eater. Things that your toddler will probably like: butter naan, plain dosa, dal tadka, dal makhani, butter chicken, matar paneer, tandoori chicken, kheer, and mango lassi.

   7. My kids always liked chicken tikka masala. The indian place down the street knew my kids were eating it so I think they made it mild for them.

      They didn’t eat the chicken very much. They just liked dipping naan in the sauce.

      I always order shish kebab for myself, with raita. My kids liked to dip into the raita too.

      So that’s what I suggest! Mild tikka masala, naan, and raita.

2. Has anyone been to Rome since new restrictions on tourists visiting popular sites (Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc.) went into effect? I heard a piece on NPR interviewing a local resident who said that the new rules were NBD and they didn’t affect her enjoyment of these spaces at all. But then there was a WSJ piece claiming that the rules have really wrecked the carefree enjoyment that people had previously enjoyed and it’s just endless queues of misery now. I think that the NPR piece doesn’t matter — I’m glad that locals can enjoy their spaces, but I would be coming as a tourist (and bringing an older parent who doesn’t have the youthful feet to stand in lines after what is likely a day of walking). Is it just not the Rome I went to before for carefree strolling and looking at beautiful things and planning the day as I go (vs having timed entry for every last thing)?

   1. I haven’t been to Rome since whatever the new rules are, but “carefree strolling” / not purchasing advance tickets, AND also not waiting in long lines at popular tourist s-tes, is not really a thing I’ve ever experienced in major European cities.

      1. I was in Rome a few years ago and it was so crowded that carefree strolling wasn’t really a thing. So I can’t imagine the new rules would make it worse.

         1. yeah same – we had timed tickets for the Vatican museum, Borghese, Colosseum, and the lines to buy tickets (if they were even still available) would have added a good 1-2 hours to each place. Having tickets for your must-sees actually leaves MORE time for carefree strolling!

      2. Agree, you’ve always needed advance tickets for the Colosseum and Vatican.
         I think we did walk up to the Borghese day of, but we were there in early May so still kind of shoulder season. Getting advance tickets for major attraction in peak season is not a new thing.

   2. I think having to have timed entry for everything would negatively affect my enjoyment. I don’t mind it for one special place but not for all major attractions.

   3. I went to Rome a few months ago. We didn’t have any trouble with the Spanish Steps. We went to the Trevi Fountain after 9pm and still had to wait in line, maybe 15 minutes. If you just want to look at the fountain without taking a photo directly in front of it the line doesn’t matter though. The Pantheon had lines all day long and there’s no way around it.

      I highly recommend booking “skip the line tours” for the Vatican and Colosseum first thing each morning. They’re more crowded and hot (literally) as the day goes on, and your feet will already hurt by the time you get there.

   4. Imo, it wouldn’t be “carefree strolling” without the timed entry either – just a mob
      You can absolutely go to Rome without reservations and have a great time if you want a “wandering around Rome” vacation though! It just won’t involve the Trevi fountain
      (I was in Rome for a few days in May – literally the weekend of the new Pope’s installation, so extra crowds for that – and did that that and had a great time. Did not do any museums but did go to St Peter’s in the last hour before closing, and the lines were pretty short by then).

   5. Stay in a nice hotel and ask the concierge to get you skip the line tickets. So, so worth it.

   6. I was just there in late September, and will echo what others have said re get the timed entry tickets/skip the line tickets, and try for first thing in the morning. Plan on endless lines regardless. Skip the line tix still require waiting in mandatory security lines. I also would book only one popular site each morning, because there will be a lot of standing/walking for any popular site…then let the rest of the day unfold how it will. We did a timed entry ticket/tour for the Coliseum…but the tour group met a few blocks away, so first you’re standing around waiting while gathering the tour groups, then walking over to the Coliseum, then entering. (Also, and not that you asked, but it was a very rainy day, and the Coliseum and surrounding ruins are almost entirely exposed to the elements…so it was a wet day, and the crowds make umbrellas kind of difficult…I would bring one, but also maybe plan on hooded raincoat and sturdy footwear.) We walked past Trevi Fountain and observed it from afar but did not wait in line to get up close, and skipped the Spanish Steps.

3. FYI this product is available on Woot.com for $2.99 right now

4. if you have to get to $50 for free shipping, it’s insane to buy an extra $44 worth of stuff because you don’t want to pay $6+$6 shipping for one thing. right?

   1. If that’s all you need, yes. But if there’s other stuff you’ll need in the near term, and buying it a month early saves you shipping costs, then whatever.

      I’m with you though. I hate paying separately for shipping! Price it in!

   2. Does that $44 of stuff comprise items you would buy otherwise? Or would you be willing to pay $12 for the thing you need? Can you buy the one thing elsewhere without the shipping?

   3. If I’m like $10 away from free shipping I will add stuff, but getting from $6 to $50 is a step too far. I’d just pay the shipping.

5. I wanted to love this but found it looked patchy :( I do like the Milani Conceal & Perfect in Rose.

   1. Interesting. I just started trying it this week and I like it but I think I need to up my under eye moisturizer to keep my eyes from looking creepy. But the brightening is great. I’ve experimented with both a brush and a finger and I think I prefer using my fingers for application.

   2. I tried it and found it very sticky. It required “baking” with powder to make it stay in place, and then it immediately creased. I tossed it.

6. Travel insurance! I have a big family trip coming up and am in the market, but have no idea where to start. Anyone have advice/warnings/etc.?

   1. are you talking about medical / evacuation, or trip cancellation? tbh we’ve found trip cancellation policies to be so rife with loopholes that we’ve never bothered…

   2. Are you trying to insure the trip – ie. recoup the costs if something happens and you can’t go; or trying to insure yourselves (ie. emergency medical, evacuation)?

      Imo the first only sometimes makes sense – eg. very expensive non refundable reservations, and it’s worth checking to see if it’s cheaper to “self insure” by simply paying slightly more for refundable reservations

      The second is always a good idea and imo the three big things to look for are: check the limits on activities/get the extreme sports waiver; get a very high overall coverage limit (I get $1mil/individual) – you’re trying to cover unlikely terrible events); and you want the kind that covers evacuation to a country of your choice (ie back home), not just to the nearest medically suitable country (if you’re facing 8 weeks inpatient rehab, you want to get shipped home for that)

   3. I used insuremytrip.com to compare policies. And I agree with the other comments about medical insurance being worthwhile (depending on your health circumstances and destination anyway), and cancellation/interruption coverage, maybe less so. Like I really wanted good medical coverage when we were going to Morocco, especially as my husband has some serious medical issues, but I never consider it when travelling domestically.

   4. book through your Airline or hotel. They have the best rates. It’s the same coverage but the travel insurers give big buyers like United and Marriott their best rates.

   5. I used Allianz to insure a trip a few years ago. I’m going to to continue to this for out of country trips for medical etc.. Their website was easy to navigate.

   6. I agree with Cat that things sold as “travel insurance” are often expensive with a lot of loopholes. I self-insure as much as possible.
      Flights: if you book a trip originating in the US with the big 3 airlines, and avoid purchasing a basic economy, you can get a refund in the form of travel. I travel enough that United credit is as good as cash to me.
      Hotels: I almost always book refundable hotels, and will pay extra to do so. In some very limited circumstances where a refundable hotel truly isn’t an option (e.g., safari lodge in South Africa), I take the hotel’s insurance plan if available, or confirm with the hotel they’ll give you credit to a future booking if you have to cancel. Many will do that even if they won’t give you a cash refund.
      Car rental: I have really good car rental insurance through my credit card. I drove over some potholes in Spain and the car got scratched and they said I owed over $2k (!) and the credit card insurance paid everything, no deductible or anything.

      1. I have worked on a large body of travel insurance claims as a consultant. I’m not employed by an insurance company. I was brought in to do objective work.

         Trip cancellation / trip interruption is why most people buy and make claims on travel insurance. But anyone reading this and planning to travel should think about what they would do if they had a medical emergency while traveling. For me, personally, I could handle the trip cancellation or trip interruption aspects via careful planning, but the medical emergency coverage would be worth a few bucks to me. Being able to find medical help by contacting a concierge line would allay some of my worst travel fears. My travel destination would influence this purchasing decision.

         1. Yes, the one caveat I would make is that generic “travel insurance” products often have pretty weak medical coverage! You want to search for “travel medical coverage”/”Medical evacuation coverage” etc; not just buy the “insure my trip” option that pops up when you book flights

7. I was sick last week and am now behind. So behind. Law firm partner, my primary associate is out on maternity leave. Suggestions for how to dig myself out of a 1000-item inbox and a to-do list that’s a week backed up? I have no pending court deadlines; but definitely blew some client expectations on research (they knew I was sick but now I have zero energy and the list is so …. Ugh)

   1. chunk it out into 15 minute tasks?

   2. Delegate some of your projects right now. You will feel WAY better after you do and if you’re anything like me, you’ll feel more like you can tackle the rest of your work. Also that means that multiple projects start moving right away. Send to a law clerk or borrow an associate, or whatever. But that always makes me feel better when I start feeling overwhelmed because I have a tendency to think no one can do the work but me, and it’s usually not true. Other things I like to do when I feel overwhelmed is split my list into small projects versus big ones, and knock a few small ones out right away. I also like to prioritize them in order and decide which I will work on first. It makes me feel like I have some control.
      Hope one of these helps you!!

   3. Do the easy stuff now. I don’t care if that’s just deleting all the free CLE emails. Knock it out first. Build momentum and get done what your energy permits.

   4. My inclination in these situations is always to first sit down and make a huge to-do list so that I don’t miss deadlines and can delegate and feel like I know what needs to be done.

      9 times out of 10, this approach is terrible because it takes so long to get through the email and figure everything out, and lose momentum and get sucked into new fire drills.

      What works better, I think (maybe? IDK honestly), is to just jump in and start doing things. Just open up an email at random and take care of that task (sort your inbox by sender so you can see if there’s follow-up to that item). Do it, delegate it, whatever. Then do the next one, whatever occurs to you or catches your eye.

      After you’ve spent a day or so just randomly attacking various tasks that are in there, THEN make your list, which will now be much shorter, and start actually prioritizing, delegating with some kind of plan, sending updates on timing, etc.

      Sorry, this sucks and is among my least favorite parts of being a law firm partner.

      1. Yes, exactly this. When you can’t see the forest for the trees, cut down the easy trees.

8. Olympics Alert: tonight’s ice dancing competition has a ‘90s theme. Recommend it if you need a pick me up.

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