Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: Winona Leather Midi Skirt
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I don’t have any logical arguments for purchasing this leather skirt from Stouls, but the heart wants what the heart wants. (Note that we've discussed leather at the office.)
Orange isn’t a color that I normally gravitate towards, but I would love to see this with an ivory blouse and some great brown boots this fall. If you need a topper, I would add a navy or camel blazer (avoiding black because I can’t be looking like a jack-o'-lantern).
The skirt is $2,255 at Net-a-Porter and comes in sizes XXS-XL.
Sales of note for 7/29:
- Nordstrom – The Anniversary Sale continues! Here's our big roundup of the best workwear, as well as everything we've selected thus far. Don't forget to check to see if their daily beauty deal is a good one for you –- e.g., 7/29 up to 40% off select lip products; 7/31 Bobbi Brown; 8/1 Jo Malone
- Ann Taylor – 50% off summer styles + 60% off clearance — readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it's a great separate)
- Banana Republic – 30% off your purchase (ends 7/31)
- The Fold – Up to 50% off, further markdowns + extra 10% off
- J.Crew – Up to 30% off
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off sitewide
- Me & Em – Sale! Up to 60% off (new lines just added, exclusively online)
- M.M.LaFleur – End of season sale! (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Nordstrom Rack – Clearance, new markdowns up to 75% off! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
- Talbots – 25% off your entire purchase
- Theory – End of season sale is on!
I know nap dresses have been popular and I see similar dresses a lot in the summer. Today, I was social media stalked by ads for a shirtdress from HHH that I could wear with the skirt fully unbuttoned but with matching mini-shorts. This seems very costume-y, but what do I know. Do people actually dress like this?
No one I know IRL dresses like that, but I would not be surprised to see something like that in an insta feed.
The Ellie style nap dress (smocked bodice with the ruffly shoulders) is kind of over IMHO, at least in my area.
I know the shirtdress you’re talking about. I have seen people wearing similar styles only buttoned from b–b to mid-thigh, worn with a woven belt, as the alternative to where they would have previously worn the Ellie, but the peekaboo shorts look seems best left to the ‘gram.
i agree re the Ellie, but honestly they are so comfortable and practical in my very very hot and humid climate, that i have 3 that still get a lot of use. black, navy and one patterned.
I have one friend who would wear this. But then again, another friend mentioned to me that she saw this other friend out and about wearing those trendy micro shorts. We both agreed that the friend would/did look great in the micro shorts so it wasn’t judgy, but it was something noteworthy.
It’s festival season. What you’re describing sounds like an updated version of the ubiquitous bathrobe-looking topper everyone used to wear at music festivals.
I have a shirtdress I wear belted and unbuttoned from the waist down with (full length) leggings underneath. I get compliments every time I wear it. I think it’s fun.
Looks cute, I’d wear it.
Starting to think about a winter getaway to Florida for DH and me- no kids. Our main attraction is being able to walk on the beach uninterrupted for long stretches, and a view of the ocean from the balcony while we read. In other words, extremely low key. First dilemma is location. Considering northern FL (like Destin, Ft Walton Beach) – we prefer temps closer to 60 than 90. Any experience with those locales? Second, would prefer to avoid VRBO or Airbnb, but need a kitchen as we will probably go for two week stretch. We aren’t timeshare people, but are there ways to rent timeshare type locations other than through Airbnb or VRBO? Appreciate help from the travel savvy!
When in winter? Highs in the 60s and 70s aren’t hard to find if you’re talking Jan and Feb – like we avoid the Atlantic coast in general for reliable beach weather that time of year.
Cat, am thinking last two weeks in February, although we can be flexible…
St George Island, Cape San Blas, Port St Joe, St Teresa Beach, Alligator Point, etc on the Gulf Coast are what you’re after, but depending on what time of year, it can get cold. Destin/FWB is a lot more peopley that what it sounds like you’re after.
Different part of Florida, but you might enjoy Amelia Island. Very close to JAX. I’ve stayed at Omni condo rentals with kitchens (like the owner tells the Omni when they want it rented and then Omni rents it out) and the Ritz on the island may have something similar. Also, it’s easy from there to go up to Cumberland Island, GA for a day which is a very cool place for some long island walks and cool history.
I was also going to suggest Amelia Island, but I am not familiar with condo rentals there (only hotels).
Definitely seconding the recommendation for a day trip to Cumberland if you like nature. And winter is actually the best time to go in my opinion–fewer bugs.
We went to Destin twice in December. We really liked it at that time of year – it’s pretty quiet because a lot of people go further south for warmer weather. I think we got pretty luck with weather but it was in the mid-upper 60s most days, so really nice for walking around and doing outdoor activities, and the ocean takes a while to go cool down so it was still pretty warm and we swam a few times (we swim in Maine in the summers so have a decent tolerance for colder water, YMMV).
We rented our house through Emerald Coast by Owner, but the same house was on VRBO and Airbnb, so I don’t think it’s fundamentally any different. We strongly prefer hotels to house rentals in general, but this seems like a place where you’re better off renting a house. If you can live without the kitchen, Henderson Park Inn is a hotel to look at. It’s adults only and beachfront.
Anna Maria Island! We went for a wedding a few years ago and I still think about it. It had what I love about the panhandle area – white sands, warm waters – without the crazy crowds. It was all beach houses and 2-3 story hotels, not crazy tall condos.
We were there in November and they happened to be having a heat wave so it was hot but not totally unbearable.
I think Sandestin would be perfect for this. easy trip with lots of options. it’s like a resort community with hotels, condos, etc. some on a lake, some on the ocean with free shuttles to all. like 20 min from airport. Or you could go farther down to Seaside/30a area. We loved Blue Mountain Beach.
I would look at Amelia Island
Northern FL is lovely and peaceful that time of year, and it’s pretty inexpensive compared to summer. If you look at Silver Shells in Destin, I know their management company handles rentals directly. The balconies also tend to be very large compared to hotel balconies, with plenty of room for loungers. I’d stay in St. Maarten, 8th floor or above, for the best views. The condos are still individually owned, though, so finishes, furnishings, and cleanliness will vary, and I’d try to check reviews on individual units. The resort itself is really lovely, with tennis/ pickleball courts and a spa. There are a million grocery stores and restaurants nearby, and Ruth’s Chris steakhouse is inside the Silver Shells area.
How does everyone here approach flying when you’re concerned about climate change? I know so many people who say they’re concerned and yet jet back and forth to Europe and Asia multiple times per year. I would like to do that and have the funds but climate change makes me pause.
I avoid it as much as possible for this reason. But this page isn’t the best for climate change concerns–the fast fashion impact is real and no one here cares much about it.
No lifestyle choices I make will ever offset the damage being done by politicians, billionaires, and corporations.
I, of course, do what I can. I am against over consumption (I don’t buy much, and the vast majority of what I buy is second hand), I don’t eat much red meat (virtually no pork, red meat maybe 1-2x a month), I don’t use generative AI when I have a choice, when I make big purchases I use them til they die (20 year old car, 4 year old phone, 10+ year old laptop). I try to have my investments in ETFs that invest in greener funds.
But, I also travel internationally annually.
I’m very close to this as well.
I want to push back on this. Corporations damage the environment making products and services that people buy. If no one bought them, they would quickly stop polluting. Supply and demand are linked. So, yes, while individual impact is tiny we can’t just pretend it’s the evil corporations and we’re sitting here innocent as angels.
So, so much is military.
+1000. The evil corporations that everyone loves to hate still exist because people still demand their products in everyday life- gasoline and jet fuel, plastics, processed food. Corporations are not their own living entity without consumers.
No, this is an oversimplification. People do not have a meaningful choice to simply stop consuming products and services. The point is not that individual choices have no impact and that deliberate overconsumption is never problematic. The point is that individual choices do not outweigh the impacts from entities and institutions that wield power, and placing the onus on individuals to make changes at the margins — plastic straws, one fewer flight– are not going to solve the problem and take the focus off of corporations, where it belongs.
Trade-offs. We travel like that… but are city dwellers living in a 1200sf rowhouse who drive their 20yo used car less than 1,000 miles per year. No one is perfect.
Also, while individual consumer behavior 1000% makes a difference, realizing that regs on industrial behavior are by far and away what will truly move the needle here. Looking at the plans for data center expansion makes me ill. I came across a nature documentary that Obama narrated and miss the days where our leaders seemed to give a sh-t.
+1
While I pay attention to my own actions, individual actions are a drop in the bucket compared to what companies are doing that pollutes the earth. That’s where I feel powerless.
I guess I just don’t understand this argument. Aren’t companies responding to consumer demand? Is there something else I’m missing? I get that we can subsidize electric vehicles etc but that doesn’t really help if plenty of people are still buying big ol cars and flying everywhere etc. Are we just wanting to regulate things until they become expensive so that consumer demand will go down?
Yeah, you’re missing quite a lot. You’re underestimating the role that companies have in creating “consumer demand” for their terrible products. Through advertising and also through a lack of alternatives. And also ignoring that at least some of these products could be made in a way that is less environmentally damaging but corporations have, for decades, engaged in extensive and highly successful campaigns to weaken existing regulations and prevent strong regulations from ever coming into effect. You don’t really seem to have much of an idea about how regulations work. It’s not just about making things expensive so that demands come down. There’s so much literature out there on this topic. If you are really interested, I suggest you google it. It’s eye opening.
Maybe? IDK, I’m not the person to ask. I fly maybe once every two years.
Many people need cars because car manufacturers influenced urban design and bought out and shut down public transportation alternatives. So they created the demand in the first place!
But isn’t it clear that flying is the worst thing (or at least one of the worst things) the average person can do for the environment?
It also concerns me that everyone says regulate companies! while still buying plastic crap constantly and flying everywhere. So are you just saying you want the flights to cost more? Like what regulations would help with flying?
Yeah, exactly. If everyone flew like many of the people on this board, it would hugely outweigh all of the other things people are complaining that companies do. The only reason emissions from air travel aren’t globally that large is that it’s too expensive for most people to do it that often (even the average American only flies 1.4 times per year). There are lots of things that aren’t super practical to change as an individual, but excessive personal travel isn’t one of them. It’s your decision to fly that’s creating the emissions, not anything a company is doing. There’s no real alternative to fossil fuels for long distance air travel, at least for now.
Isn’t it substantially subsidized?
I feel like the pandemic years taught us that a lot of business travel (not all) could be phased out.
“If everyone flew like many of the people on this board, it would hugely outweigh all of the other things people are complaining that companies do.”
Do you have the stats to prove this claim? I’d love to see how you came to this conclusion and the numbers you’re using.
Same here. I don’t drive, I don’t eat much meat, and I live in 600sqft. I’m going to fly. I’ll do something, I won’t do everything.
All of this. I don’t have kids. That’s my major contribution. I keep most other consumption pretty low.
All of this. I don’t have kids. That’s my major contribution. I keep most other consumption pretty low.
Yeah, I live in 900 square feet, don’t drive, and buy 80% of my purchases secondhand, so I feel like some of that offsets my (primarily inter-Europe) travel. However, I am trying to cut back – as I had 2 years of 60 short-haul flights. I no longer fly within GB, we take ferries when we can, primarily use public transport, etc.
Similarly – we only have one kid, don’t eat much meat, drive our cars into the ground, and have a smaller and older house than we could afford in an area where new construction is super common.
I will say we’ve started doing fewer longer vacations. We still go to Europe for 7-10 days but if we’re going to Asia or Australia we’re going for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Lowering your carbon footprint requires sacrifice and inconvenience. There’s no magic solution that lets you keep your lifestyle the same. If you feel guilty about flights then adjust your habits in other ways (eat less meat, buy a hybrid or electric car, stop ordering stuff online). But frankly travel isn’t a necessity, especially if you’re taking multiple flights per year. There’s a ridiculous amount of social media influence and keeping up with the Joneses. You can just…take fewer trips.
I have friends who take BIG trips several times a year with lots of flying and usually at least one cruise. Given how they live the rest of their lives (drive EVs, recycle), it actually shocks me.
I pick my battles. I live in the city, walk and drive cars sparingly and into the ground. My house is relatively energy efficient. Not going to sweat a trip or two a year on a plane that was going to go that route regardless of if I am on it or not.
Individual action doesn’t matter. If you want change then advocate for change with whatever large orgs you’re part of. I’ve been advocating for my employer and nonprofits I’m involved in to limit in person meetings and shift toward remote. I do my best to address the “it’s not the same!” complaints by tracking engagement across remote events. I host a few small group remote events a month and encourage others to do the same. If I can get a business to eliminate even one in-person inter/national meeting per year, that outweighs the impact of my entire lifetime of vacations.
Honestly, with as awful and snarky as everyone has been on this board the last few days, maybe it’s ok that we’re in humanities final days.
Flying is expensive so we never did it when we were younger and broke. Now, it is still expensive. While we have more disposable income, we place higher value on enjoying more frequent vacations semi-locally than we do on taking one big vacation further away.
Yes, that means there are vacations we don’t take and places in this world that we don’t see. We have made peace with that. There are plenty of amazing things to see and experiences to have closer to home.
We also don’t attend family events if they would require flying. We drive cross country to see close relatives every couple of years, but we don’t fly to attend the second cousin’s wedding, don’t fly to see a new baby, don’t fly for graduations. We send cards and text, we just don’t go in person.
I think it’s a mistake to think about air travel primarily as a leisure activity. When I travel for work, which is frequently, my flights are filled with other business travelers. The baggage holds are topped up with FedEx shipments and other freight, not to mention the actual cargo planes that fly every day. You would have to reorganize the world’s commerce in order to reduce air travel, not just convince people to vacation nearby.
I just don’t work myself up over things like this. You going to Europe once a year is not a big deal
+1
I fly a handful of times a year (1 international trip, a handful of domestic trips to see friends in other cities, and a TBD amount of work trips).
But, I also thrift 90% of my clothes, my furniture is entirely second hand, don’t do much unnecessary shopping, live in a city apartment and walk/take public transit as much as I can, when I do drive it’s a) only places that aren’t transit accessible and b) in my 23 year old used car. I eat red meat rarely. Plus the basic: using reusable travel mugs/water bottles/utensils rather than plastic. Reduce, reuse, recycle as much as possible.
Admittedly, half of these decisions are as much for budget or health reasons as they are for being environmentally friendly.
Currently no kids, but that’ll hopefully change.
I can’t afford vacations. Most of my flying is for work so I have no choice. I suppose the smug childless vegan tr0ll will tell me to get a different job.
I don’t worry about it. The problem is that Russia benefits from climate change (or at least its leadership thinks it will – more usable land, plus destabilized enemies) and can just open up methane vents any time the rest of the world makes progress on climate goals. The problem is so, so much bigger than personal consumer choices.
Turning 45 in a few months and interested in investing more in improving myself/my life after years of putting myself last. Willing to drop cash as needed.
What things have you bought/invested in lately that have improved your life or appearance.
Is getting your colors done worth it?
personal trainer+gym membership that I use – best money I spend every month
On a deeper level, can you identify 2-3 things that bring you joy? If not, start there and enjoy exploring!
If I wanted to improve myself and my life I wouldn’t waste time on doing my colors or my appearance! I would figure out a way to get back into my hobby and get a subscription to the ballet.
A journal to prompt some self-reflection? I don’t think throwing cash around without a strategy is going to get you where you want to go
Only get your colors done if the person you go to requires you to take all makeup off. Preferably, even ties your hair back with a headband first. (You may have colored your hair, etc.) The number of friends I have who go and have bright lipstick sold to them after is sad.
Seek expert help for any medical issues you’ve been putting off, whether that’s sleep or your diet or aches and pains.
Get a good skincare routine, if you don’t have one, based on active ingredients that are proven to make a difference, like Tretinoin and vitamin C serum.
I have thick hair and get my eyebrows and upper lip threaded every month. I think it makes my face look better.
You can DIY the color analysis and the Kibbe body type analysis.
The biggest improvement to my life in my 40s has been investing time and some $ in developing a serious hobby.
Just turned 40. med spa stuff for me. botox, a little filler, and a vanity-sized portion of tirzepetide. I spend a lot of money in the contemporary section at Nordstrom. And finally, we started traveling more. Maybe b/c my kids are a bit older so it’s easier? But if we want to go somewhere, we go. And we spend money there and have fun. Eat well, buy souvenirs, make memories.
Hi! I’m 44. How much money are we talking here? For my two cents the things that a really worth it are the fancy gym that I love to go to, Botox and hair. I dabble in skin care treatments but nothing moves the needle like a great hair and eliminating the wrinkles in my forehead.
As for colors? I’m meh on it. At 45 you know what colors you like to wear. If they tell you to avoid black are you really going to? I’m not. I’m also building a wardrobe based more on what I like at this point. My pieces need to be the right shape, fabric and price. I’m not adding in the requirement that they be a particular shade of yellow that’s not easy to find. I’m pretty sure you’re better served just reflecting on the colors you already gravitate towards than trying to build a wardrobe based on the exact shade of berry that’s perfect for you but that no on sells.
If you really want to move the needle on your personal style the only thing that’s worked for me was practice. Try and wear a cute outfit every day. Sometimes that means cute loungewear or a cute sweats. Or or bras. Have you been neglecting your bras and under things? Because that really does make a difference.
I DIYed my colors and am extremely happy with the results. I would not want to spend money on that part.
However, I would happily throw funds at figuring out my hair.
+1. It took awhile, but I figured out my colors on my own. Several years later, and I have a closet full of clothes that suit me, and everything mixes and matches so much better.
I have done regular hair appointments for a long time now and recently added eyebrows after doing them myself for years. I still keep it natural, but I can’t deny that the professional results are just … better.
Beyond appearance, is there an area you’ve been struggling with that you want to work on addressing?
LASIK and a GLP1.
This skirt is heinous.
I can hear it squeaking!
and squelching as I stand up from my leather desk chair!
Haha, I once had a colleague who had the loudest wardrobe, including several leather skirts. I could tell which one she was wearing by the different ways they squeaked as she walked down the hall.
That’s hilarious.
Interesting – I have leather skirts and they do not make any noise. I wonder if it is dependent on the type of leather? Does anyone with expertise in this know?
A lot of leather is plastic/vinyl reinforced. I assume that makes some difference.
Not sure. I have a pair of fake leather leggings that make the strangest loud swish noise and I cannot figure out why. It isn’t the chub rub squeaking, more like the material moves internally against itself, even though it isn’t lined. They were purchased for a themed costume and I only break them out for kitschy events.
Leather squeaks always seem to either be leather-on-leather (like seam allowances rubbing against each other) or flapping of the material itself in the case of looser garments.
I have random grays that I have been dying at a salon mostly because I am too lazy to do it at home and don’t really want to try to figure out at home dye. But I don’t always love the results. It feels a bit too dark or too auburn if it’s not too dark when what I want is just my natural medium/dark brown hair back. I never thought it would be so hard to achieve but go figure. I’ve been to two different places – Madison Reed and a real color professional and both have been variously disappointing (though not always). Is there something else I should consider? Is this why so many women go lighter as they get older? Is there “gray blending” for darker hair colors? My one hesitation with highlights is my hair is wavy and looked a bit messy when I previously had balayage; this was pre-grays. All ideas welcome!
It’s likely turning dark because of the products used to achieve gray coverage. Or, if your stylist is “pulling through” the color every time, that will also make it go dark. I’m now 50 percent gray and beginning to see why so many women go light. I don’t plan to do that because blond on a (former) brunette often looks really wrong, and the blond usually isn’t even a good blond.
How much gray do you have? That will sort of guide your options going forward.
The problem is most likely that you are using a single color all over. If you don’t want highlights and most of your hair is not yet gray, you could try a semipermanent or demipermanent color lighter than your natural color to turn the grays into highlights. This is what I did at home when my hair was less than 30% gray or so. For highlights, balayage tends to look messy. I would try traditional foils and specify that you want very narrow highlights. I would also avoid too much contrast between the highlights and the base color.
I like this skirt and assuming the orange is as shown, actually like it with all black.
Any recs for a last minute vacation webs*te? Thanks!
I like searching through the travel portal on either costco or my credit card depending on my points balance. Often one or both will be promoting a ‘last minute special’ – if you don’t have a huge preference for location you can get some decent deals.
We use Google Flights for this as airfare is usually a tiebreaker among spots that are on our general radar for the trip. Put in your home city and leave the destination blank, filter by airline and stops, and then if you get some intriguing routes, do a quick check of hotel pricing before you buy.
This is what we do too. You can also put in general destinations like “Europe” or “Caribbean” if you have an idea of the type of trip you want to do, but want to be flexible on the exact destination.
Happy Monday to you all. Skip this if you don’t want to read a novella on a low stakes question. I’m looking for some wallpaper decorating advice. It’s unusual for me as I normally know what I like and what I don’t. However, through all my previous homes I have not used wallpaper.
I have an 800 square foot condo in an old building – hardwood floors, plaster walls, baseboard and crown molding, defined rooms instead of open plan, and big windows and lots of them for the square footage. Trying to give you the feel of it. The circa 1930’s building is in the SEUS but would drop into Midtown Manhattan and fit right in.
There is a tiny entry hall, about 4′ x 7′. Turning left there is a door to the living room, and directly opposite that across the living room is a door into what I would call the bedroom hall. It’s a standard width and about 7 foot long hall proving access to bedroom, bath and linen closet. You can see a bit of the bedroom hall from the entry hall as it sits crossways and you’re looking at a part of one of its long walls. My question is this: would it be weird to use the same wallpaper for both entry and bedroom halls? The rest of the condo is nearly white, creamy walls, furniture that is either large brown wood antique or modern upholstered in white linen, with color and pattern provided by textiles – art, rugs, pillows, and throws. For what it’s worth, the wallpaper I am considering is Zoffany’s Iliad in fossil. It would be the only wallpaper in the condo, and the only pattern outside of textiles. If you’ve got time for an opinion, I’d love to hear it, pro or con.
My boyfriend and I discussed engagement rings over the weekend and now I cannot focus on work and just want to look at pretty rings all day!!!! That is all.
Congrats!!! I loved the ring shopping era, it was so fun. Definitely go to some stores to see all the shiny in person – I definitely wouldn’t buy from Brilliant Earth but we had a great time going to their showroom, saying we weren’t planning on buying that day, and just getting to try on a bunch of types of rings. The engagement ring subreddit is also fun, many are not my style at all but that was helpful to know as we were figuring out what to buy.
anyone have a rec for reusable bags for the grocery store?
I have a collection of totes that were either freebies from various events (our library’s summer reading program, work conference swag, etc.) or that were given to me as gifts. They work great, didn’t cost me anything, and were otherwise going to be donated or tossed out.
If you don’t have freebies on hand already, I would get something large and made of a cotton canvas. It’s strong and you can toss it in the washing machine. Not the cheap plastic things from the checkout line.
Baggu are still my favorite washable, foldable all purpose totes.
But you may be able to find better options if you want a backpack style or something that works as a cooler.
I like Baggu and also those old fashioned string bags. Both don’t take up much space when not in use.
This. I have 3 Baggu bags in my purse – 2 regular size, 1 mini – and use them all the time. One is 12 years old and still going strong.
I like the big canvas ones from Trader Joe’s. Several of mine are more than 20 years old and they’re all still in good shape.
I’m also a big fan of trader joe’s canvas totes. I have lots of reusable bags from various grocery chains, and these are the best. And if you can actually manage to get one of the mini totes (which are weirdly popular and get snapped up for resale), I love that size for small number of heavier items, like juice/milk cartons, so you don’t overload the big bags.
I have these and I feel like such a bougie little baller when I roll up to TJs with them.
Depends on what style you prefer. I have a different (older) version of this IKEA bag and it’s great for stashing in your bag and pulling out as needed. I also like the two different straps and the option to carry over your shoulder. I have a fancier version from a few other brands, but the IKEA is the only one where the pocket you fold into is still fully functionable after many years of near daily use.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/skynke-shopping-bag-pale-yellow-multicolor-50624784/#content
If you like the kind of bag that has a stranding bottom, the TJ bags near their counter are pretty good and nearly indestructible. If you’re shopping with a car this may be a better option for standing up in the trunk. I’m in a city where I walk everywhere so this isn’t a priority vs. how much space they take up in my tote.
All I know is that if I ever become a wizard, the first spell I’m going to cast is the one to magically transport my reusable shopping bags from my kitchen back to the trunk of my car!
Also Trader Joe’s has the best reusable bags.
As soon as I unload, I walk them back out to my trunk. It’s literally the only way. Otherwise, they accumulate in my kitchen.
Trader Joe’s has some large reusable bags that are basically collapsible boxes.
The Trader Joe’s bags are my favorites. Not the cooler bags, the regular ones. They’re sturdy, not oversized, and last forever.
I have some mandatory drop-down menus that want a “title” on web forms of no consequence (museum tickets, etc.). Today, I opted for “countess.” FWIW my job does involve counting.
I love this. Makes me want to create drop-down menus so people can have fun with titles!
this reminds me of when the FB relationship status options were all ironic. it was like, ‘married’ (used only for best friends) ‘it’s complicated’ and ‘r-dom play’
“its complicated” is still an option I think!
I was married to my best friend until I got a FB divorce to get real life married.
I very much want a padfolio with a planner in it. I’m a bit overwhelmed with all the options and would appreciate stationery store recommendations!
We recently bought a top load washing machine but we’re not satisfied with it (doesn’t get the clothes clean) so I’m going to reluctantly admit that we need a front loader again. Anyone have a recommendation for one that does its level best design-wise to avoid the nasty odor build-up? I really don’t want to add cleaning a gross gasket every day to my to-do list, so if there are any machines that have solved this problem, willing to throw some money at it.
Have you figured out why it’s not getting the clothes clean? (Not enough water? Wrong detergent type?)
It does better if we select the deep fill option, so I suspect it has to do with the water amount, but things are still coming out not looking as fresh as they did in the past (same detergent).
Personally, I would troubleshoot the top loader thoroughly before I opt for a front loader.
Water: is there a filter (or should there be), and is it clean? Is it hooked up to softened water or not (and should it be)?
Detergent: are you using the right amount? Caps are absurdly sized and if you are filling them you are likely seeing leftover residue that doesn’t get washed out. You only need a tablespoon or so for a full load. Skip any fabric softener.
Load size: everything should be free to move about when fully submerged. If that’s not the case, you need to select a larger load size with more water or put fewer things in.
Clothes themselves: do they have buildup that needs to be flushed out? Have you washed things in warmer water without detergent and checked part way through to see if there are leftover suds or grime coming out of them? If so, run things through a few loads like this without any detergent until the water is clear.
You just need to leave the door to the washer cracked after running it and occasionally run a cleaning cycle with citric acid. We have had two sets of LGs and never had a smell problem doing this.
Yeah, I know about that guidance, but it’s been very inconvenient to leave the door ajar everywhere I’ve ever lived (in our last place, it would block the (only) narrow entry to the kitchen). The place we just moved will be SLIGHTLY better (laundry room!) but opening the door will bang into a ajar washer door. I’m prepared to make my peace with that but I think it’s such a terrible design flaw that hasn’t been addressed in decades.
Hopefully a fun question for a Monday:
I’m hosting book club next week. My pick was Yesteryear, so I’m expecting some great discussions!
The host also provides dinner (+ wine). Dinner ideas? Would love if I could connect it to the book somehow…for example, last year my pick was The Maid and I did a vodka pasta, Olive Garden salad dupe, and breadsticks as an ode to the character’s love of Olive Garden.
I’m expecting 7-8 people. One is vegetarian. While I like cooking, I get nervous cooking for a large group…also have to go to the office that day, so that eats into my prep time. I expect it to be hot, too. I thought about a tortellini salad, grilling some chicken to have on the side that people can add if they like. In the past, I’ve done a taco bar, ordered pizzas (when I was just too busy to cook/plan), white chicken chili (clearly in a cooler month/before the member went vegetarian).