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Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: Louie Stripe Cowl-Neck Halter Top

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A woman wearing a multicolored striped top and coordinating balloon pants

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I recently started watching Shrinking on Apple TV (late to the party, but it’s fantastic), and I’ve really been loving Gaby’s (played by Jessica Williams) outfits. She wears colors and patterns that I wouldn’t necessarily have thought to put together, but are absolutely working on her.

I tracked down the costume designer, Allyson Fanger, on Instagram and found that many of the best pieces are from Christopher John Rogers. Most of the items actually used in the show are sold out or available in limited sizes only, but this gorgeous scarf-neck blouse still feels Gaby-inspired. Pair with an embellished blazer or some bright pants to really round out the Gaby look.

The blouse is $695 and comes in sizes 2-14. 

Sales of note for 4/24:

202 Comments

  1. Not to clutch my pearls, but a halter top for work? The side/back view of this seems ill advised.

    1. I agree! While under a blazer (as suggested) I love the colors… I only ever wear a layer that can stand on its own, since I run hot and therefore ditch the blazer whenever possible.

    2. Agree. No way am I wearing a strapless or complicated bra on a random weekday.

      Something about cowl necks feels really dated to me. They were never flattering on my frame. But they always look so beautiful in pictures I felt drawn to them again and again. Is this the latest attempt to make this unflattering neckline happen?

      2. I think cowl necks are very flattering on small busts and very not flattering on large busts. Models usually run small, so of course the pictures look amazing. I love them and snap them up whenever they’re around, but if they aren’t for you, trust yourself.

      3. Cowl necks are very flattering on me. They look too fussy and dressy for my taste, so I don’t wear them. But they are objectively flattering and a good style for me.

  2. Does anyone have any good recs for a product that fades sun spots on your face? I do use a daily sunscreen but aging is catching up with me. TIA for any recs!

    1. I’m freckle-y from childhood and although most of my pigmentation is true freckles, not age spots, it definitely looks less appealing as you age. I’ve tried pretty much all the products, including European and Asian products that aren’t sold here, and nothing really worked.

    2. I just spoke with my dermatologist about this – she prescribed a compounded cream that mixes hydroq and tret (that’s what it says on the label, assuming second is tretinoin) but warned me only to use it for 3 months. She also said there are studies showing tinted sunscreen with __ (iron oxide? Titanium oxide?) help, like the brand TiZo. Haven’t tried it yet since I’ve got a bunch of Japanese sunscreens to work through first.

    3. Vitamin C and retinols will fade things slightly but for significant freckles/red spots you’ll need a laser. I use both VItamin C/retinols and really a laser is the only thing that’s gotten me the results I want (pigment almost entirely gone) vs. lightened with OTC creams/serums.

      1. +1 with the caveat that you must be VERY diligent about sunscreen use forever after because any sun exposure will bring them right back, unfortunately.

    8. Intense pulsed light, not laser. Also a prescription compound with hydroquinone. Someone. posted saying you can only use it for three months. Adding to that, after three months, you should take a one month break and can then resume it if needed.

    9. I had great results getting rid of a large blotch of sun damage (left side of my face from too much driving) with the Bright Skin line from Eminence Organics. It has a hydroquinone (if that’s what I’m thinking of) alternative. I used the daytime moisturizer with SPF and the night cream and it worked very well (but was pricy, for me). I bought it from Buy Natural Skin Care.

    10. The best treatment I have found is with a Pico laser. These are the same lasers they use to remove tattoos. The nasty age spots on my cheeks (that first appear 30 years ago in my early thirties) were gone after 3 treatment. Previously, I had tried hydroquinone and other products without much success. IPL laser treatments had faded my age spots and diminished my slight rosacea, but nothing worked on the age spots like the Pico. There is some downtime, though. I had big purple welts for a couple days after each treatment. After that, I could cover them with makeup but they weren’t fully gone for about 12 days. I had to call a lot of medspas to find one that offered Pico.

  3. Does anyone else feel like the new iOS update makes typos worse? I know the WSJ said it fixed the typo problem but I’m not seeing that.

    2. Yes. Sometimes I intentionally type a less-common word, and it corrects it to two shorter more-common words. It’s enraging.

      1. something i do is type an extra letter on the word and then delete it (so like wordd) – and it will leave the word as i typed it.

        WSJ was saying that you can hit the right letter and it will input the wrong one. The predictive text also sucks. and some typos never correct. how often am I typing “im” vs “I’m”?

    3. My understanding is that there are issues both with autocorrect and the keyboard, and that ios 26.4 improved one (autocorrect I think?) but not the other.

    4. Yes, and it’s become so much worse than it used to be that it causes real issues. I will type a text or an email, proofread to confirm it says what I meant it to say, and THEN as I hit send autocorrect will change entire words and phrases, sometimes with horrible effect.

  4. Talk to me about microneedling.

    I’m 45 and have been doing a Moxi laser twice a year for about 4 years to just help keep my skin looking young. I’d be looking for the same benefits from microneedling – either as an addition or as a replacement. I will also talk to my derm about it.

    1. I use Dr. Pen items 4-5 times a year with a Dr. Braun microneedling serum. I have no idea if I’m getting results but I’m decently happy with my skin. I’m 43, don’t wear makeup, and have year-round freckles, so some of the finer lines are already hidden.

    2. Meanwhile I’ve been considering lasers as I’m 40 this year but have been overwhelmed by the options and all the info out there. How do you like what you’ve done so far? TIA!

      1. I’m happy with what I’ve done so far. I’m doing it in a derm’s office. After my first two treatments, my mother who can be quite critical was very complimentary of improvements in my skin texture/fine lines/plumpness. I am Caucasian and was not yet seeing sun spots show up although I’m sure they would have or will because I’ve had so much sun exposure in my youth.
        A friend who is also mid-40s and more medium skin toned has had a lot of successes getting rid of sun spots with the Moxi laser.
        I primarily WFH and do not have to do video conferences. I plan to stay home for about 2-3 days after the procedure because my face is red and flaking off and it’s hard to put on the sunscreen I would need to go out.

  5. Has anyone done or looked into skin tacking? Or maybe had a mom do it? I have bulldog-trending jowls, per the genes from dad’s side of the family. I understand that skin tacking is like a micro lower facelift (rest of face is fine and I wouldn’t touch it). I feel that I know people who have done a full facelift or lower facelift but not this.

    1. Is that the same thing as those threads that go under the skin? I’ve seen the results from some Z-list celebrities/realty TV stars. They look great at first but it seems like you start to see the threads a couple of years in.

  6. I’m quite fit and strong (just did an impromptu 6 mile run yesterday, lift 2-3x a week with muscles that feel rock hard, cardio a few times a week)… the issue is that I’m fat. My muscles aren’t visible because they’re covered under a layer of fat.

    I would LOVE to go into the summer feeling good about my body which requires losing body fat. For hobby/ fitness (and self confidence) purposes, I can’t lose my muscle or cardio base.

    Any tips on dropping some of this fat in the next ~2 months without using a GLP1?

    I’m decently knowledgeable about nutrition but putting what I know into practice is where I struggle.

    1. go you for being strong! you can do this!

      I have 2 ideas:
      1) intermittent fasting
      2) the no S diet (its not a diet!) book is available in the library. Eat 3 meals a day with each meal fitting on a single plate. no snacks or sweets except for S days~ Sat/Sun/special days ie; birthday etc

    2. Losing weight isn’t easy but it’s pretty simple. Keep your blood sugar stable and eat less. That means fewer simple carbs, more protein and fiber. Put more vegetables and lean protein on your plate, eat them first, and you’ll naturally eat less of the carbs. Then slowly cut down the starch portion size.

      Drink lots of water. It reduces cravings and that “I feel like I could eat” sensation. Don’t eat late at night and avoid alcohol. The biggest thing is accepting that you’re going to be a little hungry if you want to lose weight. Frankly you’re not going to feel completely satisfied as your body adjusts. If you keep eating until you’re full at all times you’re not going to get results.

      1. Not necessarily true. If you’re eating decently clean you can eat a LOT and be in a deficit.

        If I’m eating healthfully it’s hard for me to hit maintenance without a few treats.

      2. I agree about blood sugar stability.

        Eat less doesn’t always work since what we eat and what we burn aren’t independent variables. I know if I eat a lot less, my TSH tends to shoot up, my metabolism tanks, and I burn fewer calories while also feeling tremendously fatigued. I’ve been losing weight lately by increasing calories (adding an entire fourth meal on top of my regular diet) which seems to help keep my metabolism up even if I skip exercise.

    3. What exactly do you struggle with? When do you get hungry? What do you eat when hungry?

      1. My problem is 100% consistency. With my ADHD, I don’t get normal hunger cues so some days I eat once and some days I eat normally and some days I don’t eat til 3PM but then I’m suddenly starving and eat junk.

        1. Consider treating the ADHD more aggressively?

          Consider a meal subscription and using reminders?

          Or if you end up only eating once, consider limiting how much sugar/starch you’re eating at once so it doesn’t hit your blood sugar all at once (I guess maybe that means having something on hand to eat that isn’t “junk”).

        2. It may help to see a dietitian even if you’re knowledgeable about nutrition generally. One of the few things I got out of seeing a dietitian that I hadn’t already internalized from knowing a lot about nutrition was an explanation of how exactly erratic eating schedules were working against me, so I could work on mitigating that.

        3. OP your irregular schedule can definitely be fighting you here. I gain when I only eat one real meal a day. You just have to start a routine. I think you know that. Then of course have real foods in the house and avoid the empty calories with lots of vegetables and fruits. Keep it simple. The same things for breakfasts and lunches work fine.

        4. I agree with the dietician comment. I was similar to you and working with a dietician really changed how I approach food. I lost 40 pounds over 2 years and it was easy to do and maintain with her advice. I focused on eating more regularly and keeping my blood sugar stable as others have suggested.

        5. Why are you eating junk – because it’s fast and there? I used to make myself eat real food instead first (by which I mean not snack foods, usually frozen microwaveable meals). I lost a decent amount of weight all thanks to frozen food from Trader Joe’s.

        6. I am similar to you with forgetting to eat. Each weekend, I do a daily meal plan (and generally get my meals as prepped as possible) and set reminders (both phone and watch) to eat at the appropriate times each day and only eat was is in my plan (making sure to get enough protein, nutrients, fiber and calories). It has really helped. Turned out that I wasn’t eating enough to lose weight — sounds odd but that was the issue. For the times I am suddenly starving (which can easily happen on hard lift days or extensive cardio) and don’t have time for real food, I keep my favorite protein shakes with me at all times so at least I am not getting an insulin spike like I would from junk food and getting protein to keep muscle. It can tide me over until my next real meal.

        7. I have had similar issues. I now start with a protein shake shortly after I wake up. I also have more luck with snacking when I have healthier snacks available. When I travel, I’ve been stopping at Wawa for fruit or cheese instead of fast food. Still wants sweets at night!

        8. This seems like the perfect case for meal prepping. In addition to ensuring that you have easy access to healthy food, it helps with portion control.

    4. Calorie counting is my superpower for this. Download an app (I like LoseIt) and start counting calories. The app will guide you with your height, weight, goals, and activity level to pick a reasonable number of calories per day. You may need to weigh your food or measuring with measuring cups for a couple weeks to get your portion sizes down. But eating fewer calories than you burn is what you need to do!

      Caveat, this is NOT SAFE if you have ever struggled with disordered eating. But it is a powerful tool if you can use it safely.

      I feel this strategy is freeing, I can eat whatever I want! I just monitor my daily calorie intake. If I want pizza and doughnuts, I eat them, just not a ton and I’m mostly having veggies and protein the rest of the day.

      Good luck! And kudos on your fitness!

      1. Calorie counting works wonders for me as well. I also use LoseIt. I always dreaded counting calories like it was the worst idea ever, but it was one of the top ideas recommended by a renowned dietician whose book I read who had a really wise, balanced approach, so I gave it at try. But calorie counting actually isn’t that hard with an app and helps me make much better choices. I like that it allows you to make the choices about what foods to eat without following a specific plan (so many diets seem unappealing, arbitrary, and extreme to me), but still helps you lose weight.

    5. For me personally exercising less was really helpful in being less hungry and most importantly having less cortisol and that’s what really helped moved my needle wrt weight loss.

      1. Things like this is one of the reasons I’ve come to terms with being fat. If I want to be strong, I have to be fat. And I’d rather be strong and fat than weak and skinny. And I just feel healthier and better with a little extra weight!

    6. Can you see your doctor and get some labs done? At least in USA, 1/3 adults (and a larger percentage of overweight adults) has some degree of metabolic syndrome or prediabetes or fatty liver, and it’s helpful to know if that’s a factor or not.

    7. Eating real foods as close to their unprocessed form as you can get will get you there. It’s not complicated, but it is time consuming and boring.

    8. Not wanting a GLP1 makes zero sense to me, you’re the perfect candidate for it based on your description. The hardest part for some is incorporating muscle building. Why white knuckle something when you don’t have to.

      1. I just don’t like being on unnecessary medications!

        My labs, etc. are totally fine – this weight loss desire is purely cosmetic.

    9. Basically what you’re looking for is a strength training “cutting phase” diet, it sounds like?

      For me logistically, I switch to a more “food is fuel” mindset, and specifically not all my food needs to “go in a meal”. If I want more lean protein, I give myself permission to just eat a tuna packet straight out of the closet, without worrying about whether I plated it nicely or made it tasty or whatever. Some people really get into planning and cooking great macro meals; for me that’s too much to think about. So dinner is whatever I’m planning, and I fix the macros without trying to work it into a meal.

      Second practical tip: if you have a sous vide, just cook up some chicken every weekend. Can be eaten plain or dumped into any meal. I never regret having precooked chicken ready to go!

    10. How much are you trying to drop? Losing only fat without losing muscle is quite difficult, so being reasonable about how much you’re trying to lose and over what time horizon.

      One tactic is to reduce the fat in your meals, and just eat clean carbs and protein. It’s possible to get a ton of volume but not a lot of calories with this approach.

      So brown rice, chicken, and a bunch of roasted vegetables is a massive plate of food with 40g+ of protein, but only ~400-500 calories. You’ll feel full and fueled for your workouts, but it you’ll stay under your calories.

      The other suggestion is to add a mix of different cardio options. High intensity interval training (HIIT) 2x-3x/week for 20-30 mins, and walking at a sustainable pace for 30 minutes 5x/week.

      1. I don’t understand how you would eat a lot of protein without also eating a fair amount of fat unless you were eating processed junk like protein powders. Many of the good sources of protein, like salmon, eggs, cheese, nuts, and chicken thighs, have quite a bit of fat. I suppose you could just eat chicken breast and egg whites, but ew.

        1. Yep, chicken br3ast, egg whites, white fish and seafood (tuna, tilapia, and shrimp are all high-protein, low-fat/carb options), 93/7 ground turkey with any grease drained.

          Personally, I eat all of these^^ and I think my meals are delicious. I make spaghetti, stir fry, Thai curry, Greek bowls, tacos, Indian curry, breakfast burritos and scrambles, etc.

          This person specifically asked about dropping fat, and these are my recommendations. Eating these sources of lean protein is a lifestyle for me, so I’ve learned to make flavorful meals without adding a ton of extra fat. If you don’t want to eat these items, that’s fine, but scoffing at the strategy to eat whole foods that are naturally high in protein and lean in fat doesn’t make any sense, given the context of the conversation.

        3. Protein powders aren’t “junk” & the impact of the processing on nutrition isn’t well studied

          But yeah, there’s a reason weightlifters like chicken breasts – much higher protein:fat ratio than other meats

    12. I think you know what you need to do. You have to eat normal meals of real food, at normal times, and not skip meals and pig out on junk. It’s not that complicated.

    13. I was in this situation and lost some body fat by working with Chat GPT, the InBody measurement system (your gym probably has it), and a sleep tracker because sleep makes such a difference for muscle. I started by telling GPT the basics about my goals and current situation, then took a snap of my most recent InBody and had it extract information from that. Then, I worked with it every day about what to eat, what my sleep looked like, how my workouts went, etc. It turned into an iterative and ongoing conversation, and it’s been really helpful. There are times I have to push back on it and remind it of things, but with that caveat, I think you’d like it. It’s easier to use than a traditional weight control app because you don’t have to pick through lists and choose items you’ve eaten–you just tell it what you ate. It’s SO MUCH easier.

  7. i am so sick and tired of coming into the office and being asked about my “easter weekend” or “christmas plans” i work at a university that emphasizes diversity, etc. and it just drives me crazy that people assume everyone else celebrates those holidays

    1. I’m Jewish and I could choose to get offended by this but I don’t. They’re the dominant commercialized holidays and typically works slows to accommodate them. Just engage in small talk and save your energy for things that actually are offensive.

      1. My family is half Catholic half Jewish and I take the opportunity to talk cheerfully about both sides, especially my Jewish holiday traditions whenever I can. Visbility is important and this feels like an easy way to gently remind people that not everyone is Christian.

      2. I had a Jewish colleague who was always quick to remind people that he did celebrate Christmas, just at a Chinese restaurant. I think this worked because it was 90% pleasant relay of pleasant plans and maybe 10 “hey bozo not everyone is Christian.” It worked for him; not everyone.

        I agree with trying not to find offense where not was intended. I generally do that. But given the rhetorical efforts by federal government officials against religious pluralism and any kind of separation of church and state, the context in which this stuff is said has changed for me in recent years. I’m fine with firm pushback on the assumption that everyone is, or worse should be, Christian.

    2. I’m also Jewish. I don’t mind it so much when it’s strangers or even acquaintances. Realistically in the US most people celebrate Christmas and Easter at least in a secular way, so if it comes up in casual chit-chat it’s not a huge deal to me.
      However I had a boss (also in higher ed!) that consistently wished me Merry Christmas and Happy Easter despite yearssssss of me talking about Hanukkah and Passover, requesting time off for Jewish holidays, and telling him very directly multiple times that I don’t celebrate Christian holidays even in a secular way, and that really bothered me. It felt like it a very blatant lack of interest in my life. I can’t imagine working so closely with someone and having so little awareness of the major holidays they celebrate.

    3. On the flip side, I get annoyed when everyone (including me!) asks about “holiday” plans when everyone knows what holiday you’re talking about. At least over Christmas I can ask about your day off. I didn’t get any extra days off for Easter. So really I’m asking, “how was your Easter or Passover if you had your Seder over the weekend because that works best with everyone’s schedules?”

    5. I think everyone I know in the US, including those who are practicing other religions, observe secular Christmas in some way. I am realizing that I do not know anyone who is serious about her faith who is not Christian (I don’t know any Orthodox Jews, for example). I assume being asked about Christmas plans is basically asking what are you doing for the next couple of days while we are off of work because everyone does something with friends or family. The people who do not do something for Easter are engaged in other religious traditions; even non-religious people like me seem to get a chocolate bunny or two.

      1. Jews generally don’t. We’re a little different than other minority religions in that way. I think it’s partly because a lot of other people in the US who are members of minority religions are still relatively new immigrants and have adopted this holidays as “American” celebrations, but Jews have mostly been here longer and aren’t trying to assimilate this way. It’s also a religious doctrine for observant Jews not to celebrate non-Jewish holidays, and while most Reform Jews in the US are not very religious, it seems to carry over in the culture. At our Reform temple, I can’t think of anyone who celebrates Christmas or Easter, except people with a non-Jewish spouse and I would describe those families as interfaith, not fully Jewish.

        *Caveat that no religion is a monolith and I’m sure someone will chime in saying they know a Jewish person who does secular Christmas or a Hindu person who doesn’t, but from what I’ve seen being Jewish and knowing a lot of people from other minority religions, especially Muslims and Hindus, it’s FAR less common for Jews to do secular Christmas and Easter.

        1. All of my Reform friends celebrate Christmas (tree, gift giving, etc). One of these friends married an Orthodox man, which created some awkward moments during her family’s Christmas!

          Frankly, as a C&E Christian I think it’s kind of weird to celebrate a holiday of a religion you’re not part of – I’d happily go to a Jewish friend’s house and celebrate Hanukkah or Passover or Purim *with* them or join a Muslim friend’s iftar but I wouldn’t celebrate it without being a guest of a friend who is of that faith. I am obviously not Christian enough to care if non-Christians have Christmas trees or egg hunts, but I do think it’s a little odd.

          1. My Jewish family always celebrated Christmas and Easter. I don’t think it’s odd in the context of their history: they were the only Jewish family in our town for several generations. It wasn’t like there was a fun child- friendly Jewish alternative to the town egg Easter hunt or tree lighting. Of course they celebrated. They just wanted to be included and didn’t see these things as particularly religious. It’s probably worth noting that my family is older Jewish immigrants from Germany, rather than Eastern European immigrants who came later and whose cultural experience, at least in my area, became the sort of default of Jewish American culture. If my father’s grandfather had grown up on the lower east side I don’t think he’d have shown up to Easter brunch in pastel green pants carrying a ham but we’ve been doing that for generations too.

          2. As a Christian, I don’t consider the Easter Bunny, egg hunts, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus to be religious–they are purely cultural. And because they are part of the dominant “American” culture, it’s not cultural appropriation for anyone living in the USA to enjoy the secular holiday fun if they don’t see a conflict with their own religion. As a member of a mainline protestant denomination I also welcome any Chrisitian or non-Christian who wishes to participate in services at Easter, Christmas, or any other time of year because, in imitation of Jesus, we welcome everyone.

        2. Interesting, I have lots of Jewish friends (I’m in NJ) and all of my Reform Jewish friends do secular Christmas. The Conservative and Orthodox do not.

          However, my Muslim friends do NOT celebrate any non-Muslim holidays. I saw a meme about how a Muslim family celebrated Christmas for their pets (because who could say if the pets were Muslim) and shared it with a Muslim friend. He was like no, my pets are Muslim – they get treats at the iftar and we make sure they do not eat any pork!

        4. +1 one of my good friends is an immigrant from China. I’m Jewish and had a hard time explaining to her why we celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving but not Christmas and Easter. To her these are all secular, commercialized American holidays. To me, and I think to most non-Orthodox Jews, Christmas and Easter are Christian holidays and Halloween and Thanksgiving are not.

          1. Eh my husband grew up conservative and his synagogue viewed Halloween as Christian.

    6. Meanwhile, I was talking to my Jewish coworker about Passover and she’s like eh we don’t really do that, but we do celebrate Easter. So, I think it’s safe to assume Easter has been secularized the way Christmas has.

      1. My husband is Jewish (family is conservative). I am not Jewish. We go to a reform synagogue, and I would consider us interfaith. Most of our friends at our synagogue celebrate Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur and Hanukkah but do not really do much for Passover. Like our preschool spring break is during Passover, and most of the Jewish/interfaith families go on vacation. We were in the minority in that we actually traveled to go to a family seder.

    7. I don’t celebrate Easter or Passover. I just take it as “what are you doing this weekend since we have a little time off/less work this weekend/kids have Good Friday off” and just share whatever it is… went to a baseball game and went out for brunch. Totally secular. No issues. Maybe in some places it comes with more expectations?

    8. Jewish here. I don’t get offended because I understand that the majority of people celebrate Easter. But I am also lucky enough that I’ve only encountered people who are respectful of my celebrating Jewish holidays instead. I recently started working with someone who is of one of the Christian denominations that does not celebrate birthdays (?) and other holidays that most other Christians do (can’t remember which…). So I try to be respectful of her and avoid small talk that assumes she’s celebrating holidays that are not hers. It’s good to have practice being respectful of different people.

      1. Jehovahs Witnesses are pretty fringe – I wouldn’t lump them in with other Christians

          1. I’m not saying to not respect their practices, but I am saying to not lump them in with other Christians.

            They’re somewhere between “wacky fringe of the religion” to “not Christian” to “a cult” depending on who you ask.

            They’re somewhere between “wacky offshoot group” and full blown cult, depending on who you ask. Many also don’t consider them Christians since they’re non-trinitarian.

        2. I belong to a denomination that’s about as mainstream as it gets (Episcopal) and don’t really think of any Christian-identified denomination as “fringe” unless they are living on a compound in the woods.

          Jehovah’s Witnesses participate in the wider world, and they are pretty numerous in some areas (lots in Southern CA). I profoundly disagree with their theology, but they were some of the first people to challenge compulsory flag salutes and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools on religious grounds. That was a brave decision and one I respect very much.

          1. Jehovah’s Witnesses think of you as following an entirely false religion though. Since the break with other Christian groups is generally mutual, I think that makes it feel more like a separate religion than other denominations that aren’t as adamant that they’re the only ones who are Christian at all, not just that their theology is correct.

            I don’t think they participate fully in the outside world either; there are a lot of limits placed on how much they can participate, and consequences people can face if they’re perceived as straying.

          2. Honestly, that’s fine with me. People can think whatever they want about my religious beliefs, the JWs I know are far too polite and kind to bring it up. I had a whole childhood of kids from other denominations crapping on my mainline church, I’m happy with my choices as an adult.

            Frankly, I always feel bad for the JWs standing out in the sun with their rack of pamphlets, but I’m not going to engage with them other than a polite smile.

          3. I think a lot of their theology makes them fringe (views on the resurrection, the trinity, the afterlife) as it’s not aligned with most Christian denominations.

            Also, the religion is very high control and while yes the participate in society as in they have jobs and dont live on communes, theyre “in the world” not “of the world”.

          4. There is a point where the theological divide becomes so great that you can’t consider the other group part of the same religion. Not every group that calls itself “Christian” is actually Christian.

    9. Eh. I don’t get offended, but I do wish people a happy passover & happy hanukah just as a small, little counter. But there is something irritating about the American problem of insisting that it’s a secular democracy and seeing itself as a Christian nation at the same time.

    10. “Oh I don’t celebrate Easter, but I did enjoy the spring weather this weekend. Did you have a nice weekend?” and move on. Assume the person was making nice chit chat, gently remind them that not everyone is Christian and give an opening to redirect the conversation.

      I think the world would be a better place if we all assumed good intentions and focused our outrage on the huge number of actual outrageous things going on.

    11. I don’t observe religious holidays, but I also realize they exist and that particular day is commonly labeled with the holiday name. I just assume if someone asks what I did for Easter it’s basically the same as if they asked what I did on Sunday, and so I answer it in that light.

    12. Are you an atheist? If so, when you die, that’s it. That’s all the life you’re ever going to have experienced. Is getting worked up about this a good use of that time?

  8. i really cannot believe that they still have nothing on Savanna Guthrie’s mom. My heart breaks for her family.

      1. Even high visibility people need to earn a living. I hope she’s doing as well as can be expected.

      2. Why? Maybe she needs normalcy. Maybe sitting around isn’t great for her. Maybe things move fast in that business and she doesn’t want to be out of the game for too long. Maybe she is running out of leave (paid, unpaid, FMLA).

        1. The most likely outcome is that her mom died because she lacked her medications after being kidnapped. Savannah shouldn’t give up her life/career waiting for an answer that may never come. She has kids. She probably needs to provide for them, and if she backs out of a high-profile role for too long, she might never have a similar opportunity again.

      3. I don’t think this is different than any other missing person case other than her fame. Think about the number of cases where people never find the person or learn what happened. Those people all have to continue on with their lives too. I would assume you have to grieve like the person died. And she has kids and needs to provide them with some normalcy.

        On the positive side though, if there is a chance, her being on television is actually probably better for the case. Most families never get any press on their case or very little. She will be a visible reminder that may lead to tips at some point.

    2. I posted here about a month ago, wondering whether/how she could come back, regardless of the outcome. Saw a clip of her this morning and mad respect to her for holding it together so well. I’m not a big fan of hers or that show, but she is a real testament to strength and I usually attribute that to a strong Mom.

  9. Help! I’ve been WFH since the pandemic and my office was exceedingly casual before that (when I interviewed, our CEO was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt). I’ve also since had a baby. All that is to say that I have no professional clothes that fit for a conference I’m attending in June. I’m absolutely fine not being fashionable but I do want to look nice and put together. Where would be a good store these days to get an affordable pair of pull-on dress pants (more flattering in the stomach for me), a basic shell with sleeves and ideally a scoop neck, and a sweater blazer? I’m looking around and mostly seeing really expensive versions of these items, but I’m obviously out of the loop. I have local access to a Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Talbot’s.

    1. Talbots, 100%. I just pulled a pair of straight leg washable wool slacks from Talbots out of my closet for a conference this week and was thrilled they still fit and the cut is perfect for a work event(straight leg, hitting just at the top of my foot). It’s not the most groundbreaking look but these pants work great with the Belleville tops from the Fold.

      1. Those tops would be super flattering for me but they’re a little out of my price range. Does anyone know if there’s a good duplicate out there somewhere?

      2. A couple of thoughts on Talbots:

        1. Talbots stores vary tremendously in what they carry, so your local store may or may not have many work-appropriate items. I would just go in, try on things (even if they’re pink and paisley and ruffled) to get a sense of how their clothes fit you, then order online.

        2. They always have some work-appropriate items online, but you may have to dig around for them.

        3. They have a slightly different sale approximately every other day. I wouldn’t buy unless items are at least 30% off.

        1. Wit & Wisdom
          Eileen fisher (check Nordstrom rack)
          Vince Camuto
          Halogen has been hit or miss for me lately but it’s a good option

        2. caslon. but honestly i would start with pants or the blazer and then search sweaters or tops to coordinate with what you found.

    4. any of those work. Nordstrom probably has the most “on trend” options if that’s important to you. any of the 3 would work. Someone here once recommended (and I think its genius) go through the website, order anything you think looks interesting in several sizes and then have it shipped to the store so you can return whatever doesn’t work while you are there.

    5. I’ve always liked Uniqlo for basic shells and tops. Solid colors and very basic. I’ve gotten a ton of mileage out of them over the years. My fav sweater blazers are from j.crew or j.crew factory. They seem to have the best cut for me. I haven’t bought any this season though.

      1. Any suggestions for specific shells? I’m having trouble navigating to work-appropriate ones on their website. Sadly we had a Uniqlo in town that closed!

    6. Goodwill in the rich part of town is the place for this if you’re on a budget. Talbots from 5 years ago (or 10+) fits the same as Talbots today, and their basic pieces really haven’t changed.

    7. I recommend requesting a Nordstrom virtual stylist board (or two) based on your personal preferences: budget, body type, favorite colors, etc. It’s free and you don’t have to buy anything but it can be good style inspiration to help you piece together outfits.

    8. Macy’s is going to be the most budget friendly. I would walk around Nordstrom for style inspiration, and then look for less expensive versions of those outfits at Macy’s.

    9. In case Talbots doesn’t work for you (I feel so frumpy in their cuts): do you have a Banana Republic, J Crew, Ann Taylor, or any of the Factory/Loft iterations near you? I love the way BR/BRF trousers fit me (and they usually have an elastic waist style or two each season). Ann Taylor/Loft have really cute tops, and JC/JCF have amazing blazers and sweater blazers.

      If those are out of budget, I still recommend trying on different brands until you find what fits, then note the style and size and search places like Poshmark for gently used versions at significantly better prices. You have time between now and June to put together a decent couple of outfits that way.

    10. Lululemon daydrift pants, unless you are very short. CRZ Yoga also has a dupe for the wide leg, and I find their pants pretty good (order from Amazon because the CRZ brand’s own site doesn’t have good customer service).

      However, the lulu daydrift come in wide, straight and tapered so you will definitely get more options there.

      https://www.amazon.com/CRZ-YOGA-4-Way-Stretch-Pants/dp/B07T11NRSS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GSFQ7Z3RO34S&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fu_oXqjLl4IZ_LZ7Go2vpxgVEmm8CmMcDsIoa5_MC9NHfGVkikkmYzVNdtCgHk7ZVaM2nfY8rKOFxUj15vh7PgD3d5RAboA7cWXt7bOMm0k1TebTCDKM8OKDQ1pVXeOhqU8JrKx74bxVIsGaytnsSN1MIrVasIs_pL5F_D1VwR3giK2J5vxRvAqsTWHgmcKYrfVG0IaqViwQP0-EVM3CgP3AbPAGFfGnvREK8rvkymyts4H-5iA8enhNrrWx2cS87qc8P5gVdPgitk-TU_M1PVpgoqfriYEWWU1rrHyXQ1o.7bSfAL7CW3pXyEXLUORVBx71UupSHN7KDMQNfSZZc00&dib_tag=se&keywords=crz%2Byoga%2Bwide%2Btrousers&qid=1775494557&sprefix=crz%2Byoga%2Bwide%2Btrou%2Caps%2C478&sr=8-1&th=1&psc=1

    11. BR Factory:
      https://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/shop/elastic-waistband-pants-0aaz16a
      https://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/shop/knit-blazer-0zaz02c
      https://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com/browse/product.do?pid=887183031&vid=1&pcid=1091674&cid=1091674&nav=meganav%3AWOMEN%3AWOMEN%27S+CLOTHING%3ATops+%26+Blouses#pdp-page-content

      Quince:
      https://www.quince.com/women/womens-100-organic-cotton-sweater-jacket?srsltid=AfmBOop_dP8ws8vjKfxdGVpAHzU5ZsYbgsZozTGciJWdKbfwu-iJIpjT
      https://www.quince.com/women/knit-blazer?srsltid=AfmBOoo7VRsFM3SiWN1etKATtwN4A7AdpcAjgS1IqqqAHaBkhyNPtgr1
      https://www.quince.com/women/silk/silk-tee?srsltid=AfmBOophxlVmp_yp8IiOYKR-x9aS5IhQVICnk2iOXprRCley8NY5g69E

    12. I find pull on pants from Quince to be flattering on my postpartum body. Also Nic and Zoe, but they don’t work if you’re too tall.

    13. Honestly, pants that fit were hard for me to find initially. I would also suggest going to Target and trying on their work adjacent lines for pants. If you have a decent top and jewelry, no one will be looking much at a pair of black pants.

    15. JCrew factory is your friend here. Buy a sweater blazer and a couple pairs of pants in your current size and call it done!

  10. How do you think about whether to mend fences with a friend who was once close to you? How do you decide whether to trust again after she hurt you? Do you require an apology? Does the passage of time help or hurt or both — can there be too much time between the hurt and the olive branch?

    I can’t frame a more specific question because I’m still wrapping my head around everything. But I’d love to hear others’ stories about broken friendships and the decision to accept or not her attempt to repair the friendship.

    1. It depends on what happened, but in general, I definitely need an apology and an explanation if someone truly wronged me and then decides to try to mend the fence. I’ve tried just “letting it go” and it doesn’t work for me – and that’s OK.

    2. One exercise I like is imagining yourself at the end of your life. What do you look back on and either regret, or are proud or yourself for?

      Alternatively, who is the person you most trust and admire in the world? Imagine making choice A and explaining it to her. Then imagine making choice B & repeat. Which feels better?

    3. With the huge caveat that I don’t tend to have the dramatic friendships I often read about here, I’ve recently reconnected with an old friend. She didn’t do anything specific to hurt me; we were just very different as new moms which we both became at the same time a decade ago. I kind of distanced myself because I got the feeling she was always trying to sort of knock me down and it felt bad. My kid and my parenting were not ok to mock, even in the sarcastic way that the two of us tend to approach life. She did sort of obliquely apologize when I reached out after a long distance mutual friend said she was going through a rough patch.

      It’s nice to be back in touch. I genuinely like her and want good things for her. We have a shared past and that’s something i value and frankly can’t recreate. It very also quickly became clear that’s she’s still trying to humble me. My mom has this saying: “when you get too close, she bites.” It’s just a theme in certain friendships. And it’s exactly correct with this friendship. I like spending time with this friend. I do. She’s smart and funny and beautiful and stylish. We have a lot of common interests. I can’t share everything with her and something is a little broken in her that makes her kind of look down on me and sort of want to sabotage me. I’m ok with that but I have to be mindful of it because it’s kind of a governor in what I share.

      I guess my long winded point is: I can count on one hand the people that are absolutely 100 percent true blue. I thank my lucky stars that my mom and my husband and my long distance bestie are on that list. But sometimes I just want to grab a drink with a friend who is funny and who I’ve known forever and that’s ok too.

      1. I like this point of view. I try not to take too much personally, and to genuinely understand the type of person I’m dealing with so that I can respond appropriately.

      2. I have a friend like this too – she’s the queen of the little put-downs (always with plausible deniability). But it’s a character flaw in her (she treats other people the same way) and also has a lot of amazing traits. I’ve decided it’s worth it since we’ve been friends since birth and have so much shared history, but I probably wouldn’t make a new friendship with someone with the same trait.

    4. Can you predict her behavior? And is there a depth of friendship you’re willing to maintain given her flaws? If you know you can’t trust her with X topic but you could use a buddy to go biking with then sure.

      In my case a friend revealed all the horrible things she secretly thought of me. Not in relation to one issue, but what she thinks of me as a person. She reached out years later. I decided I can’t be casual friends if I wonder whether she’s judging every conversation.

    5. One of my closest friends is by many metrics not a very good friend. Perhaps sometimes I’m not either. But we have been friends for a very long time, we “get” each other, and with every passing year it is harder and harder to acquire new friends. My strengths fill in her weaknesses, and vice versa. She has hurt me over the years. I have hurt her over the years. But a little time passes and we are back to where we were. I think it helps that neither one of us is a score keeper or expects perfection or even anything close to perfection. YMMV.

  11. The spring is doing a number on my hair: poofy, frizzy, and just big. Some days a blow out will last, others it wont. Air drying went from being fine to being an absolute NO overnight.

    Any tips? Products? Assistance? I”m about to buzz my hair off.

    1. Hello fellow poufy-haired person–

      If you want to air dry: when your hair is sopping wet put air dry cream in it root to tip, then scrunch with curl gel and don’t touch it until it’s dry, when you should scrunch again. I like Curlsmith products for this but honestly haven’t used many others. I get wavy/curly hair from this method. After day 1 I dampen and scrunch with a little more gel to refresh it.

      If you want the blowout to last: use Color Wow Dream Coat on it while it’s wet. Make sure you use a ridiculous amount of product, way more than you think you should, then blow dry (it’s heat activated so important to blow dry). This will keep the pouf/frizz mostly at bay even when it’s ridiculously humid.

    3. I have 2a curls and am Caucasian (may be relevant for hair type). I use conditioner in the shower. After the shower I use enough leave in conditioner to make my hair feel like sea weed (I use Aussie Miracle Curls Leave-In Detangling Milk Treatment). Then I brush while wet. I will often then use the Aussie frizz cream, which makes my hair shiny with defined curls when it finally air dries. Basically, if there is an opportunity to add moisture to my hair, I will use it. It’s the only thing I’ve found that keeps down the frizz. At one point I tried a bunch of leave in conditioners. Most did not work well for me – hair is so different, I think you have to try 4-5 to find a good match.

  12. Any tips for styling a long black linen dress to look more Spring-like? So far, I’ve thought of straw/rattan bag and belt but wondering what other options I have.

    1. I think linen automatically reads spring/summer even if it’s a dark color. Sun hat, sandals, rattan bag.

    2. I think cognac would look great and the contrast would match very the black into a more springy look. Also, you might find a bandana that would lighten the look while being on trend.

      1. Disagree. Cognac and wine are usually fall or winter. I’d pair with something straw colored or maybe a baby blue.

    5. Sezanne usually has great choices for summery earrings. I’d see if you’re into any of their jewelry.

  13. What would you wear to an MBA admissions meet & greet event? I’m the one thinking about getting my MBA. Top 30 MBA program. It’s a networking event at a brewery with 30 minutes of open networking, a 30 minute panel with admissions staff and graduates, and another 60 minutes of open networking. The location of brewery is throwing me off and I’m not sure what to wear.

    1. i don’t know how old you are or your style but i would wear jeans, cute sneakers, and my veronica beard blazer w hoodie

      1. I can’t imagine this outfit, honestly. Jeans, sneakers and a hoodie, really? I’d find that a very odd choice.

        I’d advise to err on the side of business casual for this.

    2. Is it in the evening? If so, I would wear something business casual. I would assume most people will be coming from work, and just wearing what they wore to work that day. Fit that vibe

    3. I would dress like I would for a professional networking event in the job I want post-MBA. So, business casual, looking smart. (Caveat: I would not dress in a suit at this event even if I planned to go into Investment Banking or other similarly conservative industries.).

      I’d wear some non-denim pants (wide-leg navy dress pants would be my choice), a casual blazer and a coordinating top/blouse that you can wear on it’s own if you remove the jacket.

      That being said, can you look up pictures of similar events on the school’s homepage? What do people wear at those mixers?

    4. T10 MBA grad here and went to a bunch of these back in the day. You’ll see people wear a range of outfits but imo business casual (despite the location) is the way to go. Any pants that aren’t denim and a blouse or t-shirt with a blazer will do the job, with loafers or flats. You don’t need your outfit to be memorable for this.

  14. Just a vent/complaining.

    I have been in a casual, once-a-week, situationship for about 8 months. It’s no longer serving me and I need to end it. I feel badly bc I do not think he sees it coming despite things being a little off for a bit. For example, he just suggested coming to my town to take me out for my birthday in three weeks – which is the first time he has ever offered to come to my town (we live 40 mins apart and I accepted early on for reasons that I was always going there which worked until it didn’t) and is more actively texting me today than he usually does. I know the kind thing to do is call tonight and end things, but it’s so uncomfortable and I feel bad. I obviously know I need to suck it up and do the right thing, but blerg.

    1. Is it no longer serving you because it’s once a week or because you aren’t compatible long-term? If the former, ask to cement it, and if that can’t happen, end it.

      1. The latter. We were not LT compatible from the start and I am no longer interested in being physically intimate.

      1. You’re probably right, but I for some reason feel like I owe it to him to at least call.

        1. Once a week for half a year is pretty often. He may even think you’re Dating even if you haven’t defined the relationship. I think a call would be kind.

        2. Yes, this is still the decent thing to do.

          I mean, he was planning a special trip for your birthday.

    3. Isn’t it the worst when men don’t do X until they know you’re ready to leave? It shows that they could’ve always done the thing. They just chose not to. It’s only when you’re about to leave that they’re willing to inconvenience themselves to make your life easier.

    4. I think it’s common and intuitive that texting more and making more plans comes with a risk of the other party in the relationship drawing back or ending things or realizing it’s just not what they want. That’s partly why it’s scary to make a bid for more in the first place! So even though this isn’t really what’s happening here (you’d already made up your mind), I think he at least knows he was taking a risk. I know it always makes me feel guilty to respond to attention and kindness with “no thank you,” but it does make sense.

    5. Is it he doesn’t see it coming or he realizes he’s at risk of losing a reliable situationship and started to put in relationship level effort?

    6. it sounds like he senses he’s about to lose his no effort hookup so he’s started to try a tiny bit. Come on, he never bothered to drive 40 min for gardening over 8 months? you can definitely end it over text.

  15. Adjacent to the friend issue, does anyone have a friend who you know is only being friendly because they need/want something? I have a family member that I can clearly see is only befriending certain people because they can use their help with something. It is really hard to watch because I’m pretty sure that when the situation they need help with is over or the other person needs some help this person will not be there for the other person. I guess I just need to leave it alone, but wondering if anyone else has seen this happen and what you did or didn’t do.

    Thanks

    1. You could offer advice if it was your kid acting that way, but you probably don’t want to give that kind of feedback to another adult.

    2. Yes. It’s not something I do anything about. It becomes obvious that they’re like this pretty quickly. And a lot of people don’t actually mind all that much.

      1. I’m one who doesn’t mind all that much. I am fine with you asking for my help, but less fine with you trying to have coffee with me once a week to just chat.

    3. Generally, people are pretty good at seeing through someone who wants something from them. I might intervene if this was happening to someone vulnerable. Otherwise I’d trust my friends/family members to have good judgment about who they let into their lives.

    4. OP here. Thanks for the feedback. I guess I have just seen this play out in a disingenuous way, like asking plumber “friend” to help you with a plumbing issue for free or extremely reduced expense, but only talking to them/needing them when there is an issue. Good to know that some may just be ok with this.

      1. A lot of people live in a broader reciprocity network where the person who returns a favor isn’t always the person who received the favor. And yes some people take advantage, but most don’t. And even most who do have something going for them that makes them valued in a community, even if they’re just fun or connected or whatever it is. I don’t mean to say it’s just totally AOK, but it’s people and it’s life, and definitely there are people who are aware of what’s going on and figure it’s just good karma for themselves or price of admission or whatever makes sense to them.

  17. How are my “well educated”, experienced, white collar coworkers so bad at writing? It’s honestly embarrassing

    1. I feel the same. I’ve posted about this before but we had an employee who would write like this: “Therefore: the best policy solution would be, require hospitals to submit updated Paperwork.” She had a master’s degree from UCLA.

    2. Some of them weren’t properly taught to read and write (Sold a Story, three cueing, etc.), and neither were some of the instructors they encountered over the years. Others can genuinely read but were never really taught writing or grammar, so they’re winging it and going by vibes.

      Better universities don’t always want to be seen as providing remedial instruction (or hesitate over prescriptivism when it’s seen as more important to help students find their own voice).

      1. This is my experience. I went to private K-12, university, and law school, and writing instruction was either poor or absent at each school. Law school had writing instruction, but it was how to do legal writing rather than how to construct a sentence or paragraph.
        When my parents realized how bad it was when I was in middle school, they hired a writing tutor for me. Between tutoring, forced summer school for writing, and being an avid reader, I am a great writer. Otherwise, people my age are not impressive writers, including the teachers who are now teaching kids to write.
        Also, have you listened to the grammar people use, including teachers? If people don’t know when to use I or me in a sentence when they speak, do we think they will do better when they write?

        1. I think speech can be different (a lot of people speak dialect or code switch), but grammar instruction is actually discouraged at many schools. I know an older public school teacher who says she teaches it on the sly, with actual subterfuge.

          I never wondered whether I was wasting students’ time teaching them a dead language when I was a Latin instructor; so much of beginning Latin was introducing students to grammatical concepts (or correcting what they’d been previously taught) that I knew they were at least getting something out of their language distribution requirement.

        2. The number of English teachers I know who use phrases like “Here are some cute photos of my family and I” instead of “my family and me” is staggering. I think it might actually be 100% of the English teachers I’m connected to on social media, to the point that I joke that mixing up I and me in this way is a requirement to teach high school English. Both private and public schools, fwiw.

          1. I confess this bothers me because it’s so unnatural that it feels pretentious, like only someone who thought they knew better than the rest of us would be wrong in quite this way.

    4. 09′ high school grad here – I honestly learned most of my writing skills in AP high school English classes. I took three of those. I can imagine if you didn’t have any higher-level writing instruction at the high school level how that could set you up to limp along in college and beyond, especially if you don’t have a writing-heavy major or career.

    5. I have a reputation at work for having the most well-developed writing skills and am the de facto ruler for all things grammar-related. This is due almost entirely to a lower elementary public school teacher who had my class diagram sentences every week for the entire school year. Even through college and beyond, I thought this was a normal part of the basic education everyone received. It took years in a white collar profession for me to realize how very unusual that exposure and training was.

    6. I am frequently amazed at the lack of care for producing grammatically correct writing with all the words used and spelled correctly. Just recently I was discussing this with someone and explaining my fondness for Garden & Gun magazine – that it wasn’t quite as niche as it sounds, and how the writing is good such that I read long form articles on subjects that don’t especially interest me just because they are a delight to read. The Oxford American is my other choice for writing good enough to make me read about things not in my wheelhouse. As I type this out I wonder if part of the problem is that most people no longer read long things that are properly written and are no longer acquiring good writing habits by osmosis.

      1. +1,000 to Garden & Gun. It’s the only magazine I still get in hard copy and I treasure it!

        1. It and Architectural Digest are my only remaining hard copy magazines. Regarding G&G, it is such a delight to get a beautiful magazine on good paper dropped in my mailbox!

  18. What are your favorite meals to make with frozen food like chicken, ground beef, fish, etc? I guess I’m mostly asking about crock pot recipes but we also have an air fryer. I keep doing the thing where I take out stuff to defrost and then we throw it away a few days later because we’ve forgotten about it.

    1. Do you mean things you can cook from frozen food without first defrosting the food?

    2. Just lots of different chilis and stews in the crock pot. Fish cooks all right from frozen in an air fryer so long as it isn’t too fishy. I like fish with cumin, garlic, salsa verde, and shredded cheddar cheese. I also like Chinese buffet style fish casserole (fish and seafood with cream cheese and cheddar). Okra or goat fish stew with red palm oil. Coq au vin, caldo verde, soup joumou, borscht, sundubu-jjigae… there’s usually a way to make any meat based soup or stew in a crockpot by withholding any ingredients that can’t be slow cooked to the end.

    3. When you pull something from the freezer, do you have a recipe in mind for it? If so, set a reminder for yourself to actually make that thing. If you don’t have a plan for it, pick a recipe that day, and then remind yourself to make it.

      If you have meat that needs cooked or tossed and haven’t picked out a recipe, you could cook the meat and then find a use for it. Sauteed chicken breasts can be diced up to go on salads, shredded for BBQ chicken, sliced and put on sandwiches, etc. Cooked ground beef can go in chili, turned into sloppy joes, added to spaghetti sauce, etc. Fish can be roasted with a little seasoning and served with steamed veggies and rice.

    4. I do a lot of sheet pan meals — protein + veg + seasoning for 20-30 minutes. Sometimes, I’ll turn them into a bowl with rice.

    5. Salmon filets from frozen in the air fryer. Yes you can make better salmon with more effort, but cooked from frozen in the air fryer is pretty decent for nearly no effort. Smear some teriyaki sauce on it, or Dijon, lemon, and pepper.

      At my house it will most likely go with boxed Near East rice pilaf cooked in the rice cooker and frozen broccoli run through the microwave with a pinch of salt and generous squeeze of lemon. It’s not a restaurant quality meal but it’s tasty and as close to zero effort as I’ve found for a home cooked meal.

      I’m also a fan of thawing some cooked shrimp, pouring out some cocktail sauce, running frozen garlic bread through the toaster oven, and making a super basic green salad to go with.

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