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Weekend Open Thread

woman wears navy polo top with white buttons and a blousy look

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

I'm really liking this blousy version of a polo top from Ann Taylor — it looks just a bit more elevated than the golf shirt/popped collar versions.

I like the shirred sleeves and the gold details on the buttons, and I think the point collar looks cute here but would equally cute sticking out of a sweater vest, cardigan, or sweater as the weather gets colder.

The blouse is machine washable, and available in sizes XXS to XXL in both navy and white for $74.50.

Another cute blouse from the “new” items: this plum rose one with a fabulous ruffled stand collar; also in this pretty teal and blue print.

Sales of note for 12.5

169 Comments

  1. I have some silk versions of this kind of shirt (the Juliette from Ravella and a version from Brooks Brothers available on Poshmark.) They’re cute w a pencil skirt if your workplace warrants a dressier business casual.

  2. Paging LLC OP from yesterday morning! Pompom here. I work with Amy at My Accounting Ally (dot com), and I believe she and her partner work nationwide. Good luck!

  3. Has anyone purchased one of those Murphy beds from like Wayfair or Amazon? If so, has it worked for you? I have a guest room/office that I’d love to make more into an office instead of desk in a guest room, but we have guests often enough that I don’t want to lose the bed (or swap for a pullout or air mattress).

    1. We have one from wayfair that my soon to be ex has been sleeping on for the past several months, and he seems to have no complaints. no link to avoid m o d but it’s called Murphy Bed with Storage Drawers and Mattress by Latitude Run on wayfair. I’ve tested it out and it seems comfy enough; add a padded topper and it’s be golden.

    2. I have not, but my toddler is obsessed with murphy beds and we spend a lot of time watching murphy bed videos on Instagram, lol. (Is that a bed? YES it is!) His favorite ones are from a company called Monarch Murphy Beds. That’s a review from a 3 year old, so take it for what it’s worth.

      3. i love all the strange things that toddlers get obsessed with! with my older one it was this weird thomas the train youtube content with people shouting in a foreign language.

  4. Low stakes weekend question inspired by the post earlier today: what’s your favorite grain salad?

    I do a farro, goat cheese, basil, strawberry salad with a balsamic drizzle that is killer, but would love other ideas!

    1. Farro, radicchio, kale, walnuts, and shaved parm with a lemon-miso dressing. The recipe is from Run Fast Eat Slow.

    3. We like Bobby Flay’s shrimp and orzo salad. Orzo, Dijon mustard, vinegar, red onion, English cucumber, feta cheese, dill and grilled shrimp (though you could leave them off if you want a simple side).

  5. What is your go-to lunch during the week? I work from home and used to have eggs every day but I’ve gotten away from that and really need to get back to something easy to make or prep.

    2. Tacos: Gardein crumbles in a pan with taco seasoning. Throw into shells with spinach, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado.

      If I prep or buy the pre-made hard boiled eggs: curry egg salad from Run Fast, Eat Slow.

      Quesadillas or grilled cheese.

      Huevos rancheros.

          1. That sounds very strange to me but I’m going to trust a fellow ‘rette and give it a try!

          1. Me too! I’ll put apple slices and the tiniest skim of apricot preserves on a grilled cheese sandwich.

      2. That’s under 300 calories if you use 2 T of peanut butter – it was a request for lunch ideas, not snacks.

        1. And sometimes that’s all I want. Keeps me from getting hangry and tides me over from elevensies until afternoon snack.

        2. If you can halve an apple and get one tablespoon of peanut butter spread to cover one half I salute your vastly superior to mine peanut butter spreading skills. I probably end up using about 4 tablespoons or maybe a smidge more. As someone who could stand to drop a few pounds a 500 calorie lunch is exactly where I need to be.

    4. If I’m home, hummus, veggies and cheese in spinach wrap, leftover pizza, or egg sandwich.

    5. I try to get enough protein. A lot of soups or salads won’t do that enough on their own. So these days, I do a lot of salmon patties/burgers, chicken breast with veggies (sometimes in a wrap), chicken nuggets (I buy a GF brand that’s pretty decent and doesn’t have a lot of preservatives, store-bought soup with rotisserie chicken added, and nothing wrong with an omelet. Somedays, I’ll do a yogurt breakfast with protein-heavy topping and switch eggs to lunch so I don’t get sick of the eggs.

    6. A simple sandwich, sliced apple, and some chips if I have them always hits the spot. I also do simple black bean burritos, tuna melts, and smoothies.

    7. Usually leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. I intentionally make enough dinner to have lunch leftovers. Example: grilled chicken for dinner, leftover grilled chicken on a salad for lunch the next day.

    8. Grains and beans. I cook them on Sunday and then take a scoop of each, add some veggies and toppings. Some days they are salad, some days they are casserole.

    9. Substantial salads, leftovers, and some selection of cheese/crackers/olives/pickles/fruit /hummus/veggies are my go-tos. I’ll do an egg sandwich or an omelette occasionally on WFH days.

    11. Smitten Kitchen farro and tomatoes linked in grain salad thread above.

      Sandwich on sourdough. I prefer roast beef but ham will do. Pickle rounds make all the difference for me.

      Leftovers. Sometimes served on greens to make a salad. Add whatever salad type veggies I have – grated carrot, cucumber, halved grape tomatoes, maybe black olives or sunflower seeds.

      A takeout California roll, if I’m being honest.

      1. Here are my salad dressings, in case you’re interested –

        Vinaigrette:
        Mince one shallot and let sit in about a tablespoon lemon juice or red wine vinegar or a mixture.

        Add 1 t Dijon mustard, then whisk in around 2-3 T olive oil, until it’s the way you like it. Salt, pepper, and dried herbs to taste.

        Ranch:
        1 c mayonnaise, 1 packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Recipe ranch dressing mix (buttermilk recipe is key), 1 c buttermilk or plain yogurt (not Greek)

        I know that’s not much of a recipe but it’s the most delicious ranch you can make. Ranch makes everything better and that is the hill I will die on.

  6. Vacation advice wanted, please! I am going to a conference in DC at the end of Sept. I’d like to add a few days onto the trip to meet up with a friend who would be traveling from the west coast. I’m looking for recs for transit accessible towns outside of DC with maybe a spa and or boutique/luxury hotel, some interesting sites, maybe some easy hikes. bonus if there are tasty restaurants and a used book store. Hotel/spa recs for DC proper are welcome too. TIA!

    1. While there are exceptions, the area around DC isn’t the greatest for hiking. The topology just isn’t right for it. Old Rag Mountain is probably your best bet.

      1. I haven’t done it, but isn’t Old Rag considered a relatively challenging hike, not a good one for someone looking for something easy?

        1. I guess it depends on what easy means, but the local middle and high schools routinely send kids on it for field trips. That’s how I climbed it the first time, in middle school with my classmates.

        2. Old Rag is a really fun hike. It has challenging scramble sections, but they’re not exposed on the side of a mountain. You go around a corner, do a little scramble that feels like a puzzle, take the trail around another corner, another little scramble.

    2. The Salamander in Middleburg is probably what you want. It’s not terribly far from hiking in Shenandoah, maybe an hour or so. Nothing outside DC is really transit-accessible, though – you’d need to rent a car.

    3. Charlottesville or Harper’s Ferry – HF is small and not luxe but it is interesting and close to other interesting sites. Both are reachable by train.

    4. I’ve taken Amtrak from Union Station DC to Williamsburg VA and Harpers Ferry WV. Both are lovely small towns with good food options, nature and hiking, and probably spa options too. My only concern is whether you will want a car for ease of getting around, but I think you could manage to do without it.

      1. You could do Colonial Williamsburg without a car if you stayed at the official Lodge and were willing to do a little walking. I think it’s maybe a mile from the train station to the Lodge and half a mile to the DoG Street and downtown area. I like the Illy Caffe for coffee and pastries, Aromas for lunch, and the Amber Ox for dinner. Barrett’s Seafood, the Fat Canary, the DoG Street Pub, and the Blue Talon are also popular for dinner. The tacos a Precarious Brewing Co are just okay but the outdoor seating is nice. The Cheese Shop has excellent sandwiches at lunch. Get the house dressing and call ahead for pickup at the side window to avoid the crowds of tourists.

    5. Even if you can get to a town via transit (a train?) the hikes themselves will require a car. That said, I love Charlottesville for a weekend getaway in the area. If you want a very high end resort, The Keswick is expensive but nice. I personally choose to go to the spa there, but stay at The Boars Head (which also has a nice, adults only spa pool). We love to eat at Alley Light, but there are many other good restaurants – I think it really punches above its weight for a town of that size. Wineries, Monticello, and the UVA campus and all good to visit, along with hiking.

      If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend/high end hotel only, The Salamander in Middleburg has a cute town nearby, but not really much hiking or a lot of other things to do. Goodstone Inn is also a nice, smaller hotel in the area.

    6. Sugarloaf Mountain was not a tough hike
      You could just bike or walk around DC – I am thinking of the bike paths that go by Reagan airport but now I can’t recall their name

      Frederick Maryland is a cute town that is cheaper than Alexandria and farther out but not sure what to do that’s hiking there

      I recommend Harper’s Ferry or if you want to drive to Gettysburg it’s not far

  7. Any ‘rettes going to be at the Raleigh, NC rally next Thursday for Kamala Harris? I’m driving up from Charlotte for it! None of my friends have been able to join in so I was thinking we could all try to meet up? Could be fun!

    1. I’m gonna try to make it. I live in Cary and have a toddler but she’ll stay back with DH. Need to know the exact time and place before I truly commit. If it’s in east Raleigh at 6pm, prob not.

        1. I know, I registered last week. I’m just not sure I’ll actually make it without knowing the time and location.

  8. I rarely buy new dresses for special occasions. And when I do, I usually compromise on price and refuse to spend much on something I don’t get to wear that often. But my BFF is having a tiny outdoor wedding on Sunday afternoon and I didn’t have anything that felt quite right for the occasion (too casual, too business-y, or too dressy), so I decided to go shopping. What do you know, a Nic and Zoe dress I had seen online was in stock in a local department store. I tried on the dress and it fit like it was made for me, which RARELY happens. And the color palette is perfect for a casual summer wedding and makes my skin tone look fantastic. So I bought it, even though it’s much more expensive than what I’d normally buy.

    I don’t know what the lesson is here, other than sometimes it’s worth treating yourself to something great. You’d better believe I will be looking for other occasions to wear this!

    1. I love just about everything from that brand, and if this helps, everting I’ve bought has been full price (really hard to find a sale!) and has held up beautifully.

      Enjoy the wedding!

      1. I will definitely pay more attention to this brand now! It checks a lot of boxes for me.

  9. Has anyone tried Musely The Spot cream to treat melisma/dark spots? I’m 40 with olive skin and prone to hypopigmentation when scars (loss of pigment.) Have some dark sun spots on my face and above my lips but am afraid of causing hypopigmentation. Thanks and would love to hear your product recommendations.

  10. Has anyone watched the Brain Health series on MasterClass? I’m not a MasterClass subscriber but could benefit from that class, though the $120 price tag seems steep. What other classes do you like on MasterClass?

    1. I have three guest passes to masterclass if you want to post a burner! It gives you 2 weeks free access. Have to start before August 6.

  11. Looking for inspo for a fall wardrobe refresh (3-5 items)
    – southern city
    – executive in very biz casual and hybrid work setting
    -little kids
    -solid wardrobe already with all the basics and lots of great pieces
    – tall, athletic build, like classic and structured items even though I can dress more casually
    So far, looking at chunky loafers…what else?

    1. One blog I check on trends is WhoWhatWear. Today they had a post for fall trends and a burgundy bag seemed like a fun refresh to me.

  12. what vacations are you planning right now? trying to get my act together and plan something for a family getaway. is something before xmas doable?

    1. um, 4-5…
      -September Europe trip (essentials are booked, now working on dining and excursions)
      -Thanksgiving family trip (family prefers a warm getaway to gloomy NE weather)
      -New Year Caribbean trip
      -Feb ski trip (nabbed flights when the price dropped, picking lodging)
      -Helping in-laws pick FL snowbird rental, which we’ll visit during their stay

    2. This is a good time to book a winter trip.

      I’m working on researching next summers vacations right now but won’t book plane tickets for a couple more months. Also finalizing details for fall break. We’re doing a couple’s trip next week but that trip is fully planned.

    3. Christmas – Hawaii
      January – Orlando for Disney
      March – Caribbean cruise

      Why yes, I do spend a crap ton of money and all my PTO escaping winter. Thanks for asking!

    4. Long weekend in Cedar City, UT in a couple of weeks (for the Shakespeare Festival)
      Mexican Riviera cruise in September
      Morocco/Paris in October
      Maybe NYC long weekend in November
      Puerto Vallarta in January
      Northern Lights cruise in March (London to Norway)
      Australia in May/June
      Calgary in June (Rotary International Convention)

      2. We’re planning more trips as retirement is approaching & our health/earnings are good. Do you plan to keep traveling monthly (?) indefinitely … any thoughts or tips for those of us about to retire? We’re thinking extra vacations for a few years then settling in a lower cost of living area. Idk if there’s ever really a time to stay put until you have to though. Even though we will want to set new roots.

        1. I guess this question is really open to everyone about thoughts on retirement travel. What’s good?

          1. We travel a lot now (8-12 trips per year) and I don’t expect to travel more in retirement. If anything, possibly slightly less because right now a decent chunk of our travel is to visit friends and family and we won’t be as motivated to visit those people when we and they don’t have kids who are growing fast. What I do expect to do in retirement is upgrade my travel budget and buy business class flights and luxury hotels a lot more often.

        2. At this point we are roughly aiming for one big trip per quarter and smaller trips as the urge arises. Basically our philosophy at this point is “say yes” to anything anybody asks us to do. We have a big volunteer commitment in the spring and we work around that, obviously. We are spending crazy amounts of money but who knows how long our health and mobility will hold out, so we are going big on travel while we can.

        3. I retired at the end of 2020 at age 58. I plan to travel all the time forever! Since I’ve retired, I’ve been to Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Oaxaca, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Turkey, and Serbia, plus destinations in the US. If you want to keep costs down, Asia is really great. Uzbekistan was amazing and I highly recommend it. I always get travel healthcare insurance now that I’m older, and I’m at some risk for a detached retina so I always research where to go for that.

      3. We’re planning the northern lights cruise for 2026, Norway to London version. I would love to hear how you like the cruise, especially any day trips/Tours By Local-type excursions if you like them.

      4. Senior Attorney has been around along time here, and she has great ideas. I think she has a husband but even if she doesn’t she knows alot about alot of things. I’d love to hear what kind of frequent flier miles she has. Of course, she is living her life the way I want to also. I just need a husband to help pay the bills for me! My ex walked out about 3 years ago so I have been sledding it alone, paying all the bills. If he ever comes back, the answer is: “Sorry, Wrong Number!” Keep on Truckin’ babe!

        1. We don’t really do much (as in, we don’t use miles at all) with frequent flyer miles at this point, although I do make sure to sign up for the FF program with every airline I fly. I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card and charge all my dining and travel on that, and we get enough points to pay for at least one rountrip airfare for the two of us every year, plus some smaller weekend trips.

          And yes, it’s nice to have a husband to help pay the bills! But the second best thing is to be by yourself without a bad husband making life miserable!

    5. British Virgin Islands sailing trip with my mom in January
      Cruise with our kid’s bestie’s family in March
      Long weekend with mom friends at a local-ish spa in April
      Long weekend in Napa w/my husband in May
      Family trip to Switzerland & France in June (husband has a work trip to Switzerland and my high school best friend lives in France and will have a new baby)
      South Africa including safari with my mom and daughter in July/August
      Bermuda with my BFF and her family next October

      We travel a lot, but this is excessive even for us. My husband, closest friends and I all turn 40 next year. The safari was the original “40th birthday trip” but then my mom wanted to take me sailing (I took her sailing for one of her milestone birthdays), husband wanted a couples trip and my BFF wanted to go to Bermuda for her own birthday, so it spiraled…

    6. Baby is due in November and we’re hoping to go up for an overnight or two-night ski trip in February or so – something mellow/cheap while we’re both on parental leave and can take cute pictures of the baby in the snow. If I feel up to it, I can’t wait to ski again. Can’t think beyond that point for specific trips yet, but we have a LONG bucket list that includes New Zealand, rafting in Norway, a week at a Swiss mountain bike-focused resort, and much more.

      1. Congrats!! Keep traveling with your little one. It’s different but still so much fun.

        1. Thank you! We’re looking forward to it – a friend just completed a multi-week sailing trip with her 2-year-old and 5-month-old so I feel confident we can handle a day in the snow and then eventually more. Gotta approach things positively, right?

    7. I have just 10 days per year PTO (who said higher ed was generous with PTO?!?) and a kid starting college who has dibs on all our time and money, so currently our planned trips are:

      College drop-off (1300 miles one way in a rented minivan yay!)
      Parents’ weekend
      College Christmas festival weekend

      Bonus points if you can guess the college and the kid’s major. IYKYK.

      1. St Olaf? If so, great school, congrats to your kid! One of my high school bffs went there and loved it.

  13. I want to treat myself to new workout outfits. I have been working out consistently for the past few months while dealing with pretty bad depression. I want to recognize my efforts with an outfit or two. I am midsize (12), short, and curvy. Where should I look?

    1. I have tried Alo and Lulu and other high-end brands, but I think quality-wise you get the same bang from your buck from Old Navy PowerSoft collection. Wait for it to go on sale (you can get leggings for less than $20 a pair).

      I also really like Spiritual Gangster for soft knit activewear.

      1. ON makes my eczema worse in a way Lulu doesn’t. It’s noticeably less breathable. But OP, if that’s not a concern for you, then ON has some really cute stuff and your budget will stretch there!

    4. I have always had good luck with the workout section at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, so that’s where I go. Obviously it’s hit or miss, but they usually have a good mix of brands, colors, etc. I’m a curvy 10/12. Not fancy but I love the Danskin 3/4 leggings for both running and the gym. I’ve found some great Spyder shells/light jackets for cold weather workouts. They usually have a good mix of Nike/Adidas/other classic brand gear as well.

    5. Sweaty Betty power leggings or sculpt leggings. They are so flattering on curves and last forever.

    6. Confession time: I’m actually a big fan of Walmart Athletic Works, particularly the knit pants for actually working out & hiking in hot weather. They’re more breathable than a yoga pant (since they’re slim fitting but not fully stretch pants), have pockets (okay for keys but too lightweight for a phone), and I have a dozen since they’re affordable (so always have a clean pair).

    7. The stock seems to rotate regularly, but whenI can find them my favorite fit in l are the high waisted Tek Gear ones from Kohls.

  14. I’m enamored with the below bag (link in comments) but it’s well out of my price range. Does anyone know of similar style bags that are $300 or less?

    3. I just ordered from Coccinelle for the first time, they are having a summer sale, and the quality is excellent.I ordered last week and got my package today, even though it shipped from Italy. Link to follow for a black tote bag that you might like.

  15. Advice on how to spend a period of un/underemployment while job searching?

    My former company is winding down and I have only a few hours of work per week in addition to networking and job hunting. Over the last month I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my kids on their summer break which has been wonderful, but I am definitely not called to be a SAHM! I expect the job search will take another 2-3 months and kids will be going back to school soon, so I’ll have time on my hands. How would you structure your days? Any advice on how to make the most of this time?

    1. I’d read a ton, volunteer a lot, exercise every day, schedule coffees and lunches with friends and cook elaborate meals.

    2. Oh fun! Is there a time intensive hobby or thing you’d like to learn (new language? watercolor lessons? musical instrument?)

    3. Or different direction – a physical hands on project? Job searching is as lot of delayed results /things that you don’t know if will pay off; and I’ve noticed when I have a lot of that in my “day job”, I start really craving yardwork/woodworking/physical projects where you can see the progress as you make it. (Complete wild card idea, but once when I had time between jobs I built a simple sailboat and it scratched that itch perfectly – and a very approachable project, there are great plans online)

    4. If it were me, I’d start the day with a long fun workout/ bike ride/ swim, then set aside midday for meeting up with working friends/ networking lunch, etc., then for the balance of the afternoon, undertake whatever project sounds most appealing. Are there new skills you’ve wanted to pick up? Writing fiction, new language, grow some vegetables, take some online courses on coding, build something? Good for you for being so strategic with your time!

  16. I’m new to getting highlights and something I saw in comments prompted me to ask this. If you get highlights, how often do you get them redone / touched up? I find that after 6 weeks mine are way too blonde, but I have been waiting longer to get them redone. I thought I was doing something wrong. But it looks like folks are getting retouched at the 6-8 week mark. Is it just roots? Or a full redo? Or just toning? Or do you wait longer? I will ask my hairdresser next time but I’m curious what others do.

    1. how often you need to go depends on what you get. Mine are all-over fine highlights and I start feeling mousy around 7 weeks thanks to root growth, but I go every 2 months.

      if you get more subtle balayage style that’s not too different than your hair color, you can go longer between appointments.

      1. oh and it’s just roots, but occasionally if I get TOO light, I’ll ask for lowlights throughout to bring it back down a little.

      2. I’m the IP and I get all over, done highlights that is not too different from my hair color but fades in about a month to a brassy blonde all over. I’m a brunette and they start out as a light brown.

        They become super blonde and stark quickly and I like the more subtle color.

        The roots aren’t actually the issue, it’s the lightness of the faded highlights. Maybe I need to go more often or get retoned in between or switch to a balayage style.

        1. It’s the bleach they use to lighten your hair. That’s what leads to brassiness as the light brown dye fades away. Have you tried shampoo & conditioner that is meant to tone down brassiness? It might be purple shampoo for brassy blonde.

    2. I get a full usually once or twice per year depending if I get lowlights in the fall/winter. In between that, I typically am getting a “crown” touch up or face frame every 8 weeks or so depending on hair growth. Partial highlight are in there sometimes too. I have a good relationship with my stylist and she is honest when I can do less or need more. I use a purple shampoo from Target once/week that helps keep them looking fresh. I have done balayage in the past but now I have more grays that I want to cover up so the regrowth bothers me more.

  17. Am I the only one who literally never goes on vacation? Vacation, to me, means staying at home and relaxing. I travel domestically for work every few months and that’s more than enough for me. I find travel exhausting and have very little desire to do it on my off time. It’s also expensive (maybe I’m cheap)? The amount that travel is discussed here, on dating apps, etc makes me feel like I’m the only one.

    1. I think you’re probably seeing selection bias — folks who don’t travel much aren’t going to pop up with “actually I don’t have any” when someone asks for suggestions.
      iirc there was a thread a while back, should be searchable, along the lines of “at what point in your life were you able to take an annual vacation”, with tons of responses along the lines of never, or not until mid life or even retirement (even on the board which skews quite wealthy, even for the US)

      1. There’s definitely an element of selection bias.

        I do think people travel more now though. Growing up my family did at most two plane trips a year, one of which was always to my grandparents house. We were at the high end of the travel spectrum and I knew plenty of people who graduated high school never having been on a plane. My daughter goes on 8-10 plane trips a year and will probably have visited all seven continents by high school graduation. We travel more than most but we know a lot of people who are in the same ballpark and it seems like everyone we know takes at least one plane trip a year.

        1. oh yeah, as a change over time I agree with you. It also seems like flights are a lot less expensive than inflation-adjusted 20 years ago, and definitely 50 years ago

    2. I mostly don’t. It is expensive and when I had more disposable income I had so many experiences when I had to cancel a trip either because my superiors simply did not respect my vacation time or I just couldn’t make it work due to a work obligation (litigator) and lost so much money as a result that I mostly gave up. Nowadays the only time I travel is to help a parent. That eats up any travel budget I would otherwise have, esp as when I visit one parent I have to rent a car and get a hotel room.

    3. I do a ton of traveling now, but I didn’t travel at all for maybe 20 years when I was raising my kid and building my career. And then the exchange rate was so bad with the Euro that it was 10 years after that before I made it to Europe. I agree that you just hear more from the travelers than the non-travelers.

    4. I mean, when someone asks a travel q, of course people who travel are more likely to respond! If you don’t like it, you do you.

      That said, the annoying parts of travel get a lot easier the more you do it, like you get your jet lag cures down pat, know how best to navigate flight issues, generally get more nimble and savvy in unfamiliar environments, pack well for any climate, etc.

    5. No, there are many folks like you. Travel is often expensive, time consuming, uncomfortable, exhausting, and difficult if you have an issues with sleep/routine/health. I was also much more game for traveling anywhere anytime on a shoestring when I was in my 20s (and no problems sleeping on trains/hostels etc..) and things could be crazy affordable sometimes as a student. But as life gets complicated, you get older, you find there are a lot of folks that are more comfortable at home and/or visiting family/friends and doing local hobbies/life stuff.

    6. I do go on vacation regularly! But none of it involves a plane trip. We go to the same mountain/river every summer for a week and tend to go for a long weekend in the winter, plus a “spring break” week tied to my kids’ school calendar, most often at a beach that is a road trip away.

      I even did this when I had a 75% work travel job. It’s different than just flying to another city and having meetings. It’s vacation!

    7. I’m with you. My idea of a vacation is for everyone else to leave. A few years back my spouse and the kids went to my ILs while I stayed home (prior commitment on my end conflicted with a late-breaking visit from his sibling) and it was the most relaxing weekend in ages.

      1. I love to travel and do it frequently, but agree solo time at home is amazing, especially once you have kids. I actually have not been alone overnight in my own house since my 7 year old was born (I’ve traveled solo and with girlfriends but haven’t stayed home while DH & kiddo traveled). I was supposed to have a few days alone last fall and then a friend’s father died and I had to travel for the funeral. I need to nudge DH to do it again.

      2. I love to travel but I also love time alone at home. Sadly after 8 years I have yet to spend a night alone at the house I share with my husband.

    8. When I am being petty, I side eye people who travel a ton – like what about your daily life are you escaping? You know travel isn’t a personality trait, right?
      I love my daily life and am not interested in escaping it all the time!
      I have traveled a good amount – multiple latin american and European countries plus a ton of US travel for work and fun – and I have zero plans or expectations that I will see the whole world. Especially anymore, where most travel means covid, awful flying experiences, way too many crowds – it’s just way less interesting and enjoyable now…

      1. Side-eye me all you like. I’m out there having fun even though I, too, have zero expectations of seeing the whole world. It may be more challenging to avoid the crowds but believe me, there is still lots of interest and enjoyment to be had.

        1. +1 absolutely love my life but I also love traveling. My travel was severely constrained by budget in my teens and early 20s, then by time in my late 20s and early 30s and then I had a baby and there was a global pandemic. Now that I have both time and money and travel is open again and my kid is school age and fun to travel with, I’m seizing the day. Tomorrow is never guaranteed even if you’re relatively young.

      2. I’m escaping the USA. I’ve put serious thought into just never coming back, but right now it feels like it would be a selfish move vis a vis family and other obligations.

      3. Wow. Did you ever consider that it’s not about escape, it’s about doing something enjoyable and experiencing something new? May be YOU were trying to escape when you traveled, but don’t put that on everyone else. Eww.

  18. Ugh, Target and Walmart seem to be going the way of Amazon – everything I’ve tried to buy online lately comes from some “third party seller” instead of directly from the store. If I wanted to run a higher risk of bad quality and counterfeits, I’d just stick with Amazon.

    1. I’ve noticed that – when I search for something I filter for “Walmart” or “Target brands”

    2. For Walmart, you can also filter for “available for pickup” and you’re getting basically their physical store contents

      1. You can do this at Target too. Although I will say that there are Target brand things that aren’t available for store pickup, at least in my area, so that may be overly restrictive.

    4. My last Walmart order arrived in 3 parts – one from Walmart delivery, one from Home Depot, and one from Amazon. I was scratching my head when I saw the packages, having ordered nothing from HD or Amazon lately, until opening them!

    5. We switched to only doing curbside pickup at Target for this reason. So annoying — hey retailers, if we wanted to shop on Temu, we’d shop on Temu.

    6. I made a return to Bloomingdale’s today in person, it was giving the salesperson trouble even though I had the receipt and she said “oh this was a third party seller” so she had to ring up the return differently. I had no idea it would be an issue at Bloomingdale’s too!

    7. Stores that do this are diluting their brands. I shop at Target because it has a better curated selection of higher quality stuff than other discount stores, and it saves me a lot of sifting through junk. At Target I have stopped shopping on line unless I already know exactly what brand I want and am ordering for pickup. To actually shop I go into the store.

    1. You haven’t said very much about your coloring — without that information, I’m drawing a blank on options beyond the white shirt you suggested. Maybe a print that includes the color of the suit in very small quantities?

      Have you considered how you could wear the pieces separately?

      1. Yes, your coloring matters a lot. Also, how bold are you in your color choices and how much tolerance do you have for strong color pairings?

        Lots of blues will work, from a very pale ice blue to a strong navy. Green and pink are classic pairings. You could play with anything from a pale green to a darker green that matches the color strength of the suit. Some yellows will work (I love citron and hot pink together), as well as orange and some reds. The entire black / gray / white scale works. And of course, lots of prints or stripes would work.

        But what pairings you choose will depend a lot on your coloring and personal level of contrast. It also depends on how classic you are vs. how creative/bold.

        1. Yes especially to classic vs bold. Bold: pair with any color you would find on a Lilly Pulitzer dress.
          Classic: any neutral except tan.
          I would love it over a dark navy dress, with a scarf that tied it together, but then I like scarves. If you don’t want to actually wear the scarf you can tie it to your bag.

        2. Good point about coloring – thank you. I have dark, almost black hair and light skin with some olive tones. I generally wear jewel tones and darker neutrals, with the exceptions of white/cream/ice blue. Hot pink, especially in a full suit, is a bit of a departure for me but I wrecked and miss a hot pink shirt and I have been lusting after this suit, so here we are.

          Some other context: the vast majority of my nicer clothes are for when it’s <70 degrees out. I’m trying to up my hot weather wardrobe. The dress code does not strictly require a suit but I prefer them. Most people dress somewhat less formally when it is hot; so ‘tis the season for a fun suit.

          Thank you both! I might get a grey shirt; I’ll also try various blouses (black, olive, blue) and as separates with various darker neutral pants.

    2. Navy blue cami under the full suit; or separate & wear the blazer with navy blue pants, gray pants; a cream pleated skirt; wear the pants with a camel sweater; chambray shirt; navy & white Breton top; white t-shirt

    3. Grey, or the orange they showed paired with it in the photo in a sleeveless shell.

      Navy and pink are classic.

    4. I like to wear my hot pink suit with a black and white gingham shirt or a navy-and-white striped Breton knit top. I also have a couple of print blouses that pick up the pink and those are fun.

    5. Somehow I forgot about Navy blue, despite owning decent amount of it. Thanks for all the great ideas!

    6. I find dark olive very versatile as a neutral these days. As opposed to black it allows the colours to shine instead of deaden them, and lower the contrast. Variations of teal would be great.
      I’ve seen some lovely linen olive with a hint of gold to them. Would be great in a dress.
      I also like orange and red – preferably together in a pattern (stripes!) to lower the contrast. Burgundy is good, but may take the outfit into a more autumnal direction.

      Not grey, not black.

    7. I think an unusual color might be really cool–like a bright warm red or cerise, citron, bright yellow, or take inspiration from 2000s J Crew and go with tomato red, pistachio, soft peach, baby blue, etc.

  20. I’m interested in taking my teens to a couple Asian countries before they leave for college. We’ve never traveled internationally so the planning is very daunting. I’m open to tour companies or other tips to make the planning and travel enjoyable. We are looking for a good balance of cultural immersion and creature comforts (we are Hampton Inn type travelers in the US so doesn’t have to be fancy).

    1. Why Asia? I think Europe is generally easier for those who are new to international travel and would suggest starting there. But if you specifically want Asia I suggest Japan. It’s super modern, everyone speaks English, very easy to get around, amazing food and culture, tons to do with teens and right now the exchange rate is very good for Americans.

    2. Friends have used and loved Intrepid tours for families. You might take a look at their itineraries – either to book a trip or just for inspiration.

      I would love to go to Japan – it’s high on my list.

    3. Thayland,
      super easy to navigate and you will have a balance between culture&beach&nature for all the budgets. Enough different but with super friendly people. The second one in easynest will be Vietnam (that was my choice for my first really solo backpacking trip, Thayland seamed too turistic for me at that momment)

      1. Vietname and Cambodia are fantastic and you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Fair warning, though: You may find you leave your heart behind when you leave. I certainly did.

    4. I suggest you consider booking a tour with Overseas Adventure Travel — they do small group tours that are a nice mix of organized touring and free time. Their specialty is to be flexible and meet the requests of the group, particularly if rthere is some cultural or historic experience you would like. Enjoy!

  21. If you’re still interested in checking out master class, I have a two week trial membership you can have if you post a burner. (I have a couple if anyone else wants one.)

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