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Thursday’s TPS Report: Linen Edge to Edge Blazer

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. linen blazer Continuing with the collarless jacket trend (I promise, no more collarless jackets this week!), we have a linen blend blazer from ASOS. I do wish the front pockets were real rather than faux, but in general I like the modern look, and like I've said before, I'm a fan of cropped sleeves. The blazer is $76.36 at ASOS. ASOS Linen Edge to Edge Blazer Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

187 Comments

  1. Reposting from yesterday to hopefully get more responses:

    Does anyone have any suggestions for good legal recruiters or advice on how to start a job search for a relatively junior attorney looking at both in-house and firm jobs in the US and UK? I’m a US trained lawyer with EU citizenship (so opposite issues/challenges in each country for qualifications and immigration). I graduated from a top 10 law school in 2010 and have worked in-house at a well-known global company since then. My specialty is drafting/negotiating contracts but I also have experience in a variety of other areas, from M&A to HR. I need to change jobs within the next few months for reasons beyond my control and am not sure how to approach my search. Should I use a recruiter or apply directly? Any recommendations for good recruiters? Any other advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

    1. I would definitely use a recruiter AND apply directly. Because you are NOT a citizen, mabye you should write to the law firm’s that have European conections, like Linkletter’s and Clifford Chance and some other’s which do the stuff that you do. Unfortunatly, our firm does NOT do anything in Europe. You probabley know more about Immigration and VISA’s, so mabye you can also apply to firm’s that do that for companie’s.

      Roberta has alot of peeople in her company that she has to make sure are LEGAL b/c they are NOT US Citizen’s so she uses another FIRM for that. I told the manageing partner about that and he said I should get up to speed on that and GET the business from ROBERTA, but I asked Roberta and she just said it is VERY teckhnical, and I would NOT want to be doeing that in addition to all of the WC cases for her. For some reason the manageing partner says everything is easy, but it is ALWAYS ME that has to do it. I am the WC, PI and Anti-trust expert, and now this? Forget it I said. Even if I was a PARTNER, which I am NOT, I would NOT be abel to be an IMMIGRATION EXPERT, I told him. FOOEY!

    2. I recently (very recently) worked with Lateral Link and had a really good experience with the recruiters there (my resume is good but has a few oddball-ish parts to it, and the recruiter did a great job of matching me with a firm that was into the oddball-ishness). I can’t speak to their immigration experience though.

      1. Thank you. I think I can handle the immigration angle if they can handle the recruiting angle. Do you know how easy/difficult it is to transition from in-house to firm when you’ve never had a firm job?

    3. I would definitely use a recruiter if you are interested in big firms in the states. Almost everyone I know who has lateraled (between big law firms at least) has used a recruiter.

      In which US city are you looking?

      1. I’m pretty open to cities. I prefer the East/SE (NY, DC, Atlanta) but am open to other locations as well. Any suggestions for a good recruiter?

  2. What do y’all think of the collared button-front with this jacket?

    I am not sure I can do a collared shirt with a no-lapel jacket. I could do a collared shirt with a cardigan, but I think I’d throw a blouse or shell on under this.

    I often struggle with the details even if I like one or two pieces, somehow I struggle at the outfit level to make it all work.

    2. I don’t mind the collared shirt with the collarless jacket on the model but have found that wearing a shirt buttoned all the way to the top just does not work for me. It is a nice look for straighter figures though.

  3. How hard would it be to turn a strapless dress into a skirt? I have a bunch of great dresses from college that I love the prints of, but have since realized that strapless is not the best look for the big of bust – I am constantly pulling them up because they just don’t stay up. Is this something I could take to the tailor and they could just hack the top of and make it into an awesome skirt? Or am I daydreaming?

    1. I don’t see why not – it seems pretty simple. You may need to reconfigure the zipper if there is one, but it’s a fairly straightforward task.

      1. about how much do you think it would cost to do this at the tailor? more or less than $50?

          1. You have given my wardrobe new life! I’m now imagining all the outfits I can make with my beautiful new skirts!

          2. I’d love to hear how it works out! It’s such a great solution. I have done it in the past in reverse – dress to shirt and it was awesome (I sat on something that ruined the bottom of a really cute dress).

    2. What about turning it into a halter top or adding straps?

      I think that it would be hard to take the chest area and make it work as the new hip area.

      2. Why would the chest area be the new hip area? I think you’d just be chopping the top off

    3. I have done this with a sheath dress that came with a suit jacket. Just more cash for the new zipper. I’ve also bought dresses on deep discounts with great prints (oh boden…) and had them made into skirts. Finally, you can think about using different fabric/solids/prints to add straps or even sleeves. Sometimes I’ve successfully changed necklines as well (goodbye boatnecks, hello scoops and vs). Don’t let the dress determine and direct you – you direct the clothing! Good luck. Let us know.

  4. So – I was just reading through the “bandage” thread from yesterday (very funny ladies – very funny.)

    And I got to the part about who does the bulk of housework in a couple. And I have a question. My husband has always done the bulk of the housework in our marriage/living together life….because PigPen from the comic strip is my spirit animal. (When we moved in together I made him promise me a “messy room” – he has since reneged and looks sad until I clean up.) But I want to be of help and so I MADE him make a chore chart and assign me stuff, because without it written down I wasn’t gonna do it. Both because I hate cleaning, am a 13 year old boy in side, plus the pigpen thing.

    So now I want it to be hung up somewhere in our house (I’m thinking white board or chalk board maybe) but somewhere guests won’t just happen upon it and thing the two of us are children or something. Any ideas (both on how to display it and where to put it?)

    Second – I want a gold star when I do all my chores for the week (I know the Happiness Project says don’t expect gold stars but if I’m cleaning I want gold stars gosh darn it) – so I’ve looked at purchasing ACTUAL gold stars but I’m thinking a metaphorical reward would be better. But my doctors have recently put me on a gluten-free, lactose-free, and low reside diet, so most baked goods are out (or else I’d get a cupcake and this would all be taken care of). Any advice on a (cheap!) gold star I can reward myself with (not alcohol, also can’t drink…god my life sounds a bit sucky right now) each week I do all my chores.

    I promise my husband is not at all controlling or anything (I know this would be a symptom of DV if I was assessing a client – but its REALLY not) – I just really function better under deadlines and with a schedule.

    1. Can you make a good space for it in the laundry room, or in the area where cleaning supplies are kept? That way when you’re doing your “chores”, you’ll see all your past gold stars and get a little kick of motivation.

      1. If you want to be true to the behavior charts they make for kids, you don’t get a treat for every gold star; you have to build up a set number of stars that you can trade in for treats.

        1. Oh – I was planning on like weekly or something. Not for everytime I do something. Or do you mean more than weekly?

    2. At work we have a white board with our deals and when they close we get to cross them out. I get a crazy amount of satisfaction about crossing something off a list–would that work instead of an actual gold star? I like the laundry room idea. Or what about behind a basement door or something? I like the idea and I understand being messy too :) As for other rewards, what about a pedicure or after a few months of regular chores a massage, etc.

      1. +1 for sorbet! Mmmmm, blackberry sorbet… the perfect summer treat…

        This post made me litterally LOL in the office. I think Mr. TCFKAG and Mr. Toews would have a lot of material to commiserate on.

    5. What about the inside of a pantry door or some other cabinet/closet that you open frequently but guests would not?

      For rewards, I like Diana’s manicure idea – you could also buy a fun nail polish or lipstick at the drugstore or something along those lines. Or maybe a trashy magazine (I know I always feel like I shouldn’t want to spend $3 on US Weekly)… or there is always flourless chocolate cake…

    6. No suggestions for a chart/rewards (but I like A’s dollar-value per star, cash in later idea), but I’m the same way! I just hate cleaning and have poor discipline around it (though I’m not a slob, I clean the bathroom and sweep and such regularly, I just end up with clutter) – so it gets to the point where my girlfriend comes over and directs me on what to work on first – breaking it up like that helps.

      Also, have you checked out UFYH (Unf*ck Your Habitat)? It’s a website that provides humorous motivation to do simple cleaning tasks. There’s even an iPhone app for it. That might help you contribute, in addition to a chore chart and rewards!

    8. What about the inside of a cupboard/pantry door to store your chart?

      As for rewards, some of the non-food items I rewarded myself with when I was losing weight were magazines, nailpolish, hair accessories, socks, lipstick/gloss, paperback romance book. All of these items can be under $10, as long as you don’t pick Chanel. Or what about $2 or $3 dollars towards something you are saving for? It could go in a clear jar so you can actually see it building up?

    9. My personal chore chart lives on the inside door of a kitchen cupboard. I give myself actual gold star stickers. They make me really happy!

      2. +1000 gold stars for actual gold star stickers! They are FUN, why would you not want fun!?! ;o)

    10. Seconding the “put the chart inside of a cupboard” recommendation. The inside of a drawer could work too (I keep my calendar inside of the desk drawer that’s meant for keyboard storage, since my computer is a laptop and I don’t keep a keyboard in the drawer).

      As for rewards, what if he buys you a weekly manicure? Or a weekly 15 minute massage? Or you could build up for monthly rewards, like a monthly hour-long massage or something. (Gee, I wonder if I need a massage right now?)

    11. I have rewarded myself with a sushi lunch for doing certain chores that I really hate.

    12. This is my life. My SO frequently gets on me about picking up after myself. We live in a one bedroom apartment and I dream of having a “messy room.” While it does sound kind of infantile, I really like the idea of a chore chart and think that might just help. My mother had one for us as kids and it worked quite well.

      As for a reward, I would think you might want to do something together, rather than get a gift for yourself. It could just be some small activity that you both enjoy, but don’t do often (or it could be something you enjoy that he doesn’t like so much if you can swing it). For me, it would be taking a walk and getting coffee one weekend morning. It’s a nice experience and it would reinforce the idea that you’re doing these tasks to make your husband happy and this is improving your relationship.

    13. So gladI am not the only one who thinks this way. I gold star myself all the time. I started fit bit and if I do 10,000 steps a day for a week=new lipstick or new nail polish or new mascara or new handlotion, etc. It’s small, but it makes me happy. Been doing it since the end of March. (And have purged most of my old toiletries.)

    14. OMG – thank you ladies for not just telling me to be a grown-up lady who should clean up without needing a chore chart or rewards. (Oh…and I totally think I’m getting real stickers – by concern is I think I need something reusable (as in like a white board so I can just wipe it down every week) so maybe a gold star marker for a board? That would be AMAZING.

      As for the metaphorical gold star – I like the idea of a manicure – but I’ve sort of made home manicures a hobby so I think maybe a new nail polish color might be a good idea. And maybe once a month a new scarf or new cheap piece of costume jewelry (most of my jewelry is costume jewelry – I have no shame.)

      :-) Mostly I just appreciate that I’m not the only person who wants a messy room. I’m still a bit grumpy that its been stolen away – I think his vision of what a “messy room” meant and my vision of what a “messy room” meant might have been *slightly* different. I think his idea involved unmade beds. Mine involved never putting my clothes in drawers.

      (OH! Question as an addendum – we want to have a built in closet built in one of our bedrooms – so like a closet where right now there’s just a flat wall) b/c there’s just not quite enough storage for my clothes in the chest of drawers and our house is 100 years old – anyone in the Boston area got a rec. Or has anyone used California Closets – can they actually build out a whole closet (or I guess this might be more a wardrobe). Are Ikea’s nice? I don’t want it to look too modern – our house is 100 years old and I like it that way.

      1. Can I just take a second to gloat about how GOLD stars are clearly superior to any other type of star? Hmmmm? GOLD GOLD GOLD.

        I am a mostly sentimental person but I also love charts and spreadsheets. Maybe Mr. TCFKAG can come up with a calendar based chore sheet that can build up stars and when it’s done (say it’s a monthly chart or whatever), you can store all of those sheets in a binder or scrapbook so when you’re feeling down, you can remind yourself that you’re capable of doing these things.

      2. My SO and I have vastly different levels of cleanliness and we each have a room to ourselves — when I’m feeling stressed about the cleanliness of our house I go to my room where it’s all neat and hide out, and when I’m cleaning I just take his junk from around the house and drop it in his room. It works so well. I’d highly recommend a messy room where you can pig pen it up and your SO never has to even set foot in the door!

    15. I don’t know if you’ve ever used Joe’s Goals – it’s a website that functions a lot like a chore chart. I like it for things I want to keep track of but don’t really want laying around. You can also put more than one person on it and make “positive” goals (i.e., sweep floor) and “negative” goals (no throwing clothes on the floor. Or whatever).

  5. I’m newly pregnant (6 weeks) with my first. I know the time is coming when I will need to create a wardrobe for this. I work in a conservative business casual office – I generally wear dress pants and skirts with nice blouses or cardigans. I’d like to put together a decent selection of medium quality pieces that I can mix and match to see me through this and any future pregnancies. I’m fashion challenged – can someone create a rough plan for me? Extra points for inside information – I’m so confused by all the maternity waistband choices. Do I want the adjustable band? The partial band? The full band? A combination?

    1. I found that I needed a full band at the end otherwise the bump pushed my pants down. I couldn’t make the bands work very well — they looked odd hanging below my other clothes, but some people make it work.

      Where you live may have a maternity consignment store or a Junior League thrift store with a maternity section. I’d check them out — I found that better maternity clothes were still cheaply made and were very expensive. And I had to try on everything — some brands’ maternity L was for a small-person-great-with-child and sometimes a maternity L was the only thing that fit (including the post-partum maternity shorts I wore for all of my maternity leave with #2). What works today may not work tomorrow, so you’re never really done.

      This is what worked for me:
      My clothes
      My fat pants/skirts
      Maternity pants with regular tops / jackets (but only if the jacket were on)
      Maternity everything
      Maternity pants with low waistbands got pushed down by baby — switch to full-panel pants or tents
      Post baby — maternity leave and weekends:
      Maternity bottoms and nursing friendly tops
      Post baby — back at work:
      Maternity bottoms + pumping-friendly tops
      Fat pants / skirts + pumping-friendly tops
      Normal pants / skirts + pumping-friendly tops
      Normal clothes 24/7

      I was just rotating stuff in and out of rubbermaid tubs for a years until I was done nursing #2.

      1. Not pregnant, never have, been, but just had 2 really close people in my life have babies almost simultaneously…

        I would also suggest if you have friends who have had babies recently or are currently pregnant to do a clothing swap. I think part of what happens with maternity clothes is that they are so expensive you tend not to buy a lot of them, and then you are left with the same 5 pieces or whatever you have for a long time. It makes you feel like you don’t have any variety and is just depressing (from what I hear). I facilitated a swap between my sister and my friend for clothes that they were tired of but still in good shape/cute, it infused a bit of newness into the whole process without breaking the bank.

        Also check out ebay, that is where my sister got a lot of cute stuff on the cheap. She also liked Asos Maternity clothes – they were cute/trendy without being too expensive.

        This also makes me think that I could make BANK if I just opened a Forever 21 equivalent of maternity wear. I don’t understand why there isn’t something like this since a large number of women get pregnant, you would think it has a built in market and constant demand.

        1. Seriously. And if you live where there are seasons, you have to throw that into the mix, too. So I had maternity clothes, but pregnancies where I was merely stout that I only had OMG ABOUT TO POP-sized maternity clothes from before. Waah.

          *** And if you wait until you need clothes (so needing maternity pants in January when it is cold), you can only buy them resale b/c the stuff in non-retail stores is for the coming season (so they are selling stuff for 70-degree spring days when it is freezing in January). Retail fail! ***

      2. +100 to all of this. I have a TON of rubbermaid tubs and they are labeled “big clothes, size L/12” and “big clothes, size 10”, and then “maternity clothes”, and then “maternity clothes” (that still fit after baby), and then “nursing bras and tops” in like 1000 different sizes. Gah. Plus my hanging maternity suits. I can’t WAIT until I can get rid of all of this stuff – waiting until my sister gets pregnant and then I can say, here, ENJOY YOURSELF. :)

      3. Some of my most used pieces were stretchy dresses one size up from my pre-pregnancy size, especially paired with a blazer (even when I couldn’t button them anymore).

    2. I think the thin band (about three inches wide) is a total waste of money! It becomes extremely uncomfortable shortly into your pregnancy. I would just go ahead and buy full panel items from the beginning because it’s cheaper in the long run.

      Not to be a shameless self-promoter, but this is just so timely: I just posted a blog entry about a transition wardrobe for the first few months on my blog (linked on my name). It’s part 1 of 2; the second part will go up next Thursday. I hope it’s helpful!

      1. I just realized the band I’m referring to is called the demi panel. I just wore shorts with one last night and swore them off FOREVER. So incredibly uncomfortable when you start getting bigger.

        1. Agree, boo to the demi panel. I’m about 26 weeks now. I wore my regular clothes until about 16 weeks (exception: maternity jeans with a demi panel almost immediately. My jeans dug into my stomach in just the wrong way from week 4 on). Weeks 12-18 or so I wore been pre-preg wrap dresses and larger sized skirts (I’m a pear shape, so all the skirts with slightly looser waistbaids finally paid off!) paired with maternity shirts OR flowy shirts.

          I bought 1 pair of black full panel maternity pants, 5-7 dresses, and 1 full panel denim skirt. I’m now almost entirely reliant on the matenity pieces, and the maternity jeans I bought no longer fit well, since my bump is pushing down the demi band.

          I work remotely and/or in a biz casual office, so I’ve got a bit of flexibility. If I had to be in the office every day, I’d buy the pants i have in black in 1-2 more colors, and a bunch more tops. H&M has a LOT of long t-shirts/tops that aren’t maternity but have worked well for me so far (their days are now numbered as I’ve gained about 15 lbs and it’s allll baby in the belly…). I’m still able to wear last summer’s maxi dresses, though…so I wear those on weekends, and as the summer goes on, I may slap a jacket or cardi over them and wear them to work. It’s a little more casual than is typical, but we don’t have clients coming in or anything.

    3. Just to contrast with the other comments, I swear by the demi-panel maternity clothes and can’t stand full-panel. So try things on until you find what you like. (For reference, I’m 6′ tall, so I don’t know if the length of my waist/torso has anything to do with my hatred for full panels).

      If you’re just pregnant now, you’ll be getting biggest when it’s cold. That’s the same way my first was. I bought a few pairs of black work pants (skinny and boot cut) from Gap that were my maternity work horses. I’d buy maternity shirts to wear with those, and then wear my pre-preg cardigans, either with one button done or just wear them open (or only wear my flyaway cardis).

      I found maternity (and non-maternity wrap) dresses to be the most versatile pieces in my wardrobe. Target actually has a decent selection every few months, and I’ve gotten some good pieces from Gap, as well. Maternity pencil skirts are great in the early/middle part of the pregnancy when you’re bloated and feel sick and don’t want a band constricting your midsection, but I’m 7+ months pregnant now and even my maternity pencil skirts aren’t fitting…which is a great confidence boost, btw.

      Finally, I swear by those Bella Bands and wore them a lot in early pregnancy (and one is holding up a mostly-unzipped pencil skirt now). It’s really a lot of trial and error.

      1. Interesting . . . I can see your height having something to do with it because perhaps there is more room between your belly and your . . . I don’t know what. Why don’t you like the full panel shorts? They are hotter, but I just fold the panel down some to alleviate that some; that’s especially possible when you’re just barely pregnant.

        1. I don’t know what it is – maybe because I’m tall and therefore there’s more room to grow up rather than out, I never got big enough that the full panel wasn’t falling down, moving around, flopping everywhere, etc. I just wear demi under my bump and make sure to wear stretchy maternity t’s that go below the demi-panel. No flashing of bump yet (knock on wood).

          1. Idk, i’m tall (5’10) and hate the demi panel. After about 12 weeks it just didnt’ fit right anymore and when i bent over, everything slide down! So I was busy trying not to flash the bump, and starting showing off my bum!

      2. I’m a little over 6 months (27 weeks) and have recently switched to mat clothes most of the time (a few non-mat shirts still work).
        I would say not to buy anything until you need it. You kind of don’t really know what will look/feel good until your body really changes. i always though that dresses would be great when preg bc i wear dresses pretty much all the time anyway, and find them really comfortable, and they are more likely to stretch with you. However, I’ve actually found that I much prefer skinny/slim pants and slim pencil skirts. I think it’s because then I feel like a smaller bottom half creates a better proportion and makes me feel like at least one part of me is still normal looking.
        I’m still wearing one pair of slim regular pants unbuttoned, and i have two pairs of skinnies, one ith the full and one with the demi panel. So far I really prefer the demi panel. The full panel is hot and tends to slide around. I have some great demi panel shorts from old navy that are super comfortable.
        Tops: i was getting by with my larger tops for awhile, but recently went out and bought some maternity tanks. These are great- you can layer under cardigans or blazers at work and wear under tops that are a little too short to be worn on their own.
        I have one maternity dress (from target) that I wore for the first time recently. Its really comfortable but I feel like maternity dresses definitely make me look bigger than regular clothes. So, there’s that.
        The work horses for me so far have been a couple of slim cut pants (regular and maternity), a stretchy mat pencil skirt, a couple of mat tanks, some regular but looser tops, and an assortment of regular cardigans and blazers.

      3. Agreed – I hated full panel through my entire pregnancy – folded it down to make a demi panel. I also hated the belly band.

      4. I second this. I’m 5’10, and I loved the demi panel. I hated the full-panel thing. I do have a very long torso, so that may have something to do with it.

    4. Congrats to you! Full panel. I didn’t like the sight of my protruding belly button. Full panel helped smooth it down a bit.

    5. Congrats on the baby! My advice is pretty simple-

      Do not buy your entire maternity wardrobe in one fell swoop. Your body will be in a constant state of change and you won’t know how your body will put what extra weight where.

      Think super basics- black wrap dress (more forgiving and make sure it’s long enough that when your belly grows its not suddenly too short to wear to work) black skirt, neutral pair of pants, and a few tops will go a long way. You might be able to find non maternity clothes that work just as well. I found a few dresses that were a size up but were made of giving fabric so I could wear them longer.

      Accessories are your friend! Bright scarves, necklaces, ect let you recycle outfits and you can keep wearing them no matter how pregnant you become!

      On the panel pants- early in my pregnancy I thought the pants with the high waistband were so hideous but man were they comfy 7+ months pregnant!

      Good luck with everything

      1. My take on the panels is that the demi-panel was easy at the beginning and as fat clothing.

        The full panel worked at the end and just after, but didn’t work as fat clothing because eventually there is no much panel to hide under the tops you’ll wear (so even folded over, it got lumpy).

        I owned so many slightly-different black Target or Gap maternity pants in those days. But it was the only time I ever did the capsule 10-item wardrobe successfully (and then I changed size before I acquired massive quantities of anything).

    6. My best maternity clothing advice for you is don’t buy too much too early. I was not expecting to gain so much weight in my bottom and thighs (I have a pearish body type anyway), especially in the 3rd tri, and many of the maternity pants I bought in 2nd tri didn’t fit. I’m sure it didn’t help at all that I carried all of my babies really low (strangers would argue with me that the baby had already dropped when I was only 7 mo – I also never ever got kicked in the ribs), which just added to the number of inches below my waist.

      Next best advice is stretch is your friend! I agree with everyone that full panels are the most comfortable, but especially when the rest of the pants have some stretch so if you gain weight like I did it’s not cutting off your circulation. My favorite maternity pants were ponte knit pants that had no panel at all – just adjustable elastic. I found skirts like this as well. They were by far the most comfy.

      Of course, I was last pg 8 years ago, so I’m not sure what’s available now, but the don’t buy too much too soon is still important, imo. Buy what you need as you need it so if your needs change later in pg you still have some maternity clothes budget to spend.

    7. I am almost 18 weeks with my first, but started showing pretty early (12 weeks) because I am short. The Be Band ($16 at Target) has been great. Although none of my work pants zip up anymore, they are wearable with a Be Band. It does cause some odd lumps around the button/zipper, but I’m willing to live with those.

      I stocked up on 4-5 stretchy non-maternity dresses from Loft ((the cap sleeve, side shirred style) in my regular size, and 1 size up that I am hoping will get me through the summer. Not sure if they will at the rate my belly is growing! So, that makes me think a buy-as-you-grow approach is better if you are a normal size and not ridiculously short and small like me. So far, I have a pair of maternity jeans and 2 pairs of maternity shorts from Old Navy, a pair of Gap maternity pants, and a pair of Motherhood Maternity pants – all full panel. The MM pants are polyester, unlined and cheap, but they are black, and look ok. I have also bought a few flowy non-maternity tops. I’m a little worried about fall/winter clothing, but I think I’m all set for the summer.

      1. I have had good luck (29 weeks with #2) with non maternity dresses in a stretchy fabric. I got several at Ross/Marshall’s that were cheap but look work appropriate. You will find that maternity clothes are cheaply made but expensive. I am just now fitting into a maternity dress for work from Motherhood that isn’t too bad even though I bought it months ago. I like Target or Old Navy votton dresses for casual and just got a size bigger. I am also smaller this time than with the first so each pregnancy can be different. I have moved on to mostly all maternity shirts for the length and still wear my regular jackets and cardigans.

        You also have to think about workout clothes, swimsuits, lounge wear and panties. Lounge wear and bigger panties are on my weekend to do list. If you wear hose, I got some maternity Berkshire ones on amazon that I loved this winter, I think I may even wear them not pregnant since they weren’t binding.

        1. YES- maternity undies. Can anyone recommend? I typically wear thongs, which are no longer comfy, and I broke down and bought a giant pack of cotton underwear from wal-mart out of desperation. And promptly threw them away because they were itchy and gross.

          1. I liked the cotton maternity hipsters from Gap. In fact, they are so comfortable that I’m still wearing them (and my baby is a toddler now). :/

          2. I thought the ones from Gap were the best. I also got some from A Pea in the Pod that were supposed to be pregnancy versions of the cotton underwear from Victoria’s Secret, but the leg holes were a little too tight for me.

    8. Oh! And don’t forget to follow the new blog by one of our sisters in [this siting] – Work that Bump – that has good pregnancy fashion advice.

      I would also say, never having been pregnant myself, that my best advice is to pick a few colors that coordinate well together, try to keep your purchases within that color family that fits within your wardrobe, and try to make it work with other layering items in your wardrobe you can still wear. So that you can create a variety of outfits from fewer items – thus not having to spend as much money on clothes that you won’t need in a while.

  6. So we’ve had lots of posts about how to use LinkedIn to job hunt on the sly, or how to job hunt period without work letting on. But I want everyone in the world to know I’m job hunting. How do I use LinkedIn to network beyond my geographic area without becoming that person who has a ton of absolutely meaningless contacts? Do I add a personal note to invites? Do I try to start a conversation and send a resume to people who accept (even though the info is on my page)? How can I make myself a “real” person who they want to help out without becoming a real annoying person who they want to help out the door?

    1. Don’t do it on linkedin? Reach out to people you know and can meet and discuss your goals/hopes/skills with first?

    2. I think the best use of LinkedIn is to figure out who you know, not to actually interact with people. If there’s an employer that interests you, do a search and see if anyone you know (friends, family, classmates, other alumni from your schools) works there. Then use LinkedIn to reach out and request an informational interview. The most low-key way to do it is to say “I’ve been working in [your field/specialty] for X years now and am thinking it’s time for the next step. I’m thinking that [other person’s field/specialty] might be a good fit for me. Would you be willing to meet for a quick coffee, or take 30 minutes for a phone call just to talk in general terms about your work?” Nine times out of ten any person you talk with in this situation will ultimately ask to see your resume. They may also offer to introduce you to other contacts. If they don’t, at the end of the call/meeting, you should say “would you be willing to take a look at my resume and see if there’s anything I should bring out, or anything someone in your field would be looking for?” Also, ask if they can recommend anyone else you should be talking to.

  7. Costco favorites? We finally got a membership and I’m strangely excited for the inagural trip this weekend.

    1. Not a Costco member, but these are things I think are worth buying at bulk membership type places (and from what I hear Costco has the awesomest of stuff):

      Lettuce – dude you have no idea how cheap you can get organic lettuce at these places. I get Taylors (I may be wrong here on the brand) Organic Lettuce for $4, the same price I would pay at Target for example, but I get 3x the amount of lettuce. Perfect for salads and the like.

      Produce in general is good and well priced. I love getting 3# of bananas for $1.50.

      Assorted other stuff:

      I also buy underwear for my husband here because it is cheap. I have heard great things about the Costco brand of men’s button downs.

      I have also heard great things about the Costco brand of sheets – I can’t remember exactly which kind, but they are suggested here all the time.

      Costco specific:

      Costco is like the Nordies of giant membership stores. I have heard from friends who bought a vacuum cleaner that they bought 5 years prior going back to Costco – they gave them what they paid when they bought it to buy another one, even though the price had changed in the mean time. Or taking back lettuce that went bad because you didn’t eat it in time and getting a full refund. Best Customer Service EVER!

      1. the costco sheets are the best sheets i own, by far. They are way less expensive and last way longer. I have sheet sets that are over 10 years old that are from costco and they are still great

    2. Coffee (they usually have a “fancy” kind with Starbucksesque pictures of a foreign country on them)

      Dog food (the Kirkland brand with a picture of a wolf/husky on it is very high quality and much cheaper than most grain-free dog foods)

      Dog treats (chicken strips, dental chews, rawhide)

      Flea and tick treatment (yeah, we get a LOT of dog stuff there)

      All shampoos, conditioners, etc. They also have some fairly high-end cosmetics. It’s hit or miss whether they’ll have them when you go there, but it’s worth looking because they’re cheaper.

      Socks. Seriously. I bought some wool trail socks there in the fall that were my favorite item of clothing all winter.

      Small household electrics (our coffee maker, coffee grinder, and toaster all came from CostCo)

      Wine

      Deli meat

      Giant packages of fridge-to-freezer pre-portioned boneless skinless chicken breasts. These things are fantastic. They come in packs of six, with enough chicken in each pack for about 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 smaller kids. Each pack can be cut away from the others. You can put the whole thing directly into the freezer then cut away packs to defrost as needed. They do chicken thighs this way, too. And they’re about $3/lb, which is pretty good.

      Paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, napkins)

      Cleaning supplies (dish liquid, wipes, bleach, detergent, etc.)

      Snacks — not to take home, just to eat there. They’ll have a dozen or more sample stations set up throughout the store during a busy shopping time like Saturday afternoon. It’s like a whole meal.

      Also, their slices of pizza at the cafe at the front of the store are surprisingly good. Like really good. And cheap.

      I love CostCo, but be forewarned, it is a total zoo. The carts are huge and people are crazy with them. Plus every cart has like five kids in it or on it or hanging onto the back of it. (I’ve even seen families with dad pushing a cart full just of kids and mom pushing another cart full of food.) I wish they were open until like 10:00pm so you could go later with all the young single people, but they close at like 8:00 on weekdays and 6:00 on weekends, which is the one thing I do not like about CostCo.

      1. Um, am I 14? What is with all the “likes” in my comment? I’m sorry. I promise to act my age the rest of the day.

    3. Last time I was there they had dried cherries at a really reasonable price. So delish!

    4. Frozen antibiotic free chicken breasts. Frozen wild Atlantic salmon. Cereal. Cleaning supplies. Apples. Greek yogurt. Coffee K-cups. Costco is dope – enjoy!

      1. The fresh salmon really is also a good deal (I’ll have to try the frozen one, 2013). There’s no skin to cut off, so you get to eat what you pay for. Second the Greek yogurt too – 2 containers basically for the price of one. And LOVE the frozen tilapia – great for when you want to eat something healthy but want to do nothing except turn on the oven. And cheese. Oh my word. Bigger quantities but good prices on high-quality cheeses.

      1. I kicked off that post, glad it was helpful! We have loved our Costco membership, particularly the big bags of frozen chicken breasts, big packs of Activia yogurt, razor blades, dog food, kitty litter, Kirkland trash bags are decent but not as good as Glad or Hefty, and so on. We did not find the ground beef to be as good as our grocery store’s, so that’s one we’ll stay away from. Oh, and the bagels are excellent — I think they are Einstein’s!

    7. I swear by their sheet cakes for parties. Nothing fancy but they are delicious and cheap.

      1. OMG I love their sheet cake, although I wish I didn’t have to get an entire 1/2 sheet because I want to eat it all!

    8. As a Costco loyal, welcome! I’m excited for you!

      A few things to keep in mind:

      Costco’s store brand is called Kirkland, and it is AMAZING. I’ve literally never had a bad experience with Kirkland brand (from suitcases to shampoo to organic maple syrup). Best store brand I’ve ever encountered. I trust it above most “known” brands.

      The customer service and return policy rivals Nordstrom. Yup, you heard me. If an item fails to meet your expectations, just tell them so and they’ll make it right. Be aware that the return window is much less lenient with tech items like TV’s than with any other items.

      Weekend mornings can be a real zoo there. My SO and I really try to get our shopping done on the weekday evenings and it is so much more pleasant.

      Some items I recommend/always buy at Costco:
      – high quality workout gear (yoga pants, workout tanks, tech jackets) for super cheap
      – staple clothing items like mens undershirts, camis, socks. Really nice mens dress shirts.
      – any tech item (cameras, tv’s, stereos) — great prices and rebates, and an excellent return policy
      – cleaning and household supplies — tp and paper towels, disinfecting wipes, trash bags, soap
      – amazing prices on personal care items — Amlactin lotion, Strivectin age treatment, hearing aid batteries, ibuprofen, hydrocortizone cream, tampons, razor blade refills.
      – cut flowers! Amazing quality for the price — I think I’m going to do my wedding flowers through them.
      – kitchen items — from small appliances to tupperware and serving trays. We even got our Vitamix there, and I love that it comes with Costco’s amazing warranty.
      – car tires! amazing prices, free rotation.
      -booze! Depending what state you’re in. California is a dream — Kirkland brand Vodka comes from the same distillery as Grey Goose and tastes exactly the same! We did a taste test with friends and were amazed — their bourbon and tequila are also our favorite. Beer and wine are a killer deal too.
      … I’m going to stop, but the list really goes on and on. (Sheets and towels! pharmacy prescriptions! dog food!)

      For food, it’s important to assess what your family eats a lot of, and not get caught up in the deals. The quality of the food is extremely high — great brands, lots of organic options. We buy all of our baking staples, canned beans and broth, eggs, grains (quinoa, couscous), most sauces and spices, and coffee at Costco. We invested in a food-saver shrink-wrapping machine (from Costco…) and now we buy all of our meat (chicken, sausages, steaks) and lots of our produce there too. We flash freeze things on cookie sheets and then seal them in individual packages.

      More than anything, I would advise you to just keep your head. It can get overwhelming with the sheer quantity of everything, and the prices (even while a great value) add up FAST. We joke that we can’t spend less than $300 there in a visit. Have you seen the Modern Family episode where Mitch goes to Costco for the first time? So funny and true.

      1. My mom loves costco. My favorite thing that she gets there is these jars of marinated mushrooms (they only have them in the summer months I think). They are so, so good!

      2. You’ve gotten great advice already, but here’s another tip. If you see something you really want, get it. They will always have milk, eggs, bread, etc (and to some extent will always have certain clothing items – esp. kirkland brand), but if you see a great deal on a blender you’ve always wanted, or patio furniture, get it. You will go in two weeks later and it will be gone! If you end up not needing it, you can always return it.

    10. 365 pill packs of all of the OTC allergy companies in generic form, for the same price as a 30 pill pack at a drugstore!

    11. Their Kirkland brand cleaning products are great! They smell good and are usually cheaper than the name brand stuff, even when CostCo has coupons for it. Ditto the fridge to freezer packs of chicken. We also buy trail mix, olive oil, frozen berries and my husband loves their white cotton tees.

      My caution to you would be that CostCo isn’t the place you buy a 6-pound bag of whatever because you’ve been meaning to try it. Sticking to the things you know you love or don’t care if it’s different from what you’re used to (cleaning supplies mostly for us) is where you’ll save money. We bought a couple of different food items that we didn’t like but then felt bad about trashing so lesson learned there.

    12. If I write everything in giant letters will you judge me?

      Underwear and camisoles definitely (agreed above), towels, bathmats, random things like that. At christmas time they had beautiful scarfs and I got two. Favorite foods – they have amazing steak (really amazing if you grill – its the place to be), they carry a ginger-lemon cookie that I’m no longer able to buy because I’ll eat three whole boxes worth in a week, the Ghirardhelli triple-chocolate brownie mix is divine, the cream puffs in the freezer section are GREAT for parties. Vegetables are good quality but generally sold in too large quantities for just DH and I. OH! Almost forgot, they sell a large container of buffalo mozzarella at MUCH cheaper than you can get in anywhere else.

      And this is going to sound weird, but they have salt and pepper grinder things (you know, the whole salt and pepper you grind) that are way cheaper than we’ve found them elsewhere. Also whole vanilla beans (not saffron so far, but I’m holding out hope.)

      Flowers – their flowers are quite cheap and sometimes very nice.

      Snacks. They have a wide variety of snacks.

      And anyone who frequents Costco knows I’m just going around the store in my mind. (One other thing – we buy electronics there a lot, but its not as much cheaper than other places as you would think – have your phone there to price check larger or expensive purchases.) OH! And I almost forgot, they have the best deals on random books/movies/video games – but with not a huge selection and they are SO random, but if what you want is there and you are me, you will happy dance. Okay – thats it. For now.

  8. So my laundry is just not getting done these days and staying home on a Saturday night just to get a free machine is so not fun. I’m considering giving washnfold a chance since I’m in NYC and they’re everywhere, but how does it work? Do you separate colors for them? Separate towels from clothes? Bring your own detergent? Or just hand over your whole basket and let them have at?

    1. I drop me off in the morning, pick it up in the evening, and its awesome. You just need to take your bag (you can probably buy one at the laundromat), they weigh it, and give you a slip. I don’t separate anything and you don’t need to bring detergent or anything. I do wash my towels and sheets separately though on a different day from the rest of my clothes. It is worth every penny to me and winds up not being that much more expensive than doing it myself.

      1. That is my fantasy. Doesn’t exist in my town (at least at afforadble prices), sadly.

        1. This is what we do, too. Between buying detergent and paying for machines in our building, it basically is really isn’t much more and it saves so much money/hassle.

          The only things we don’t send are things that need special care/can’t go in the dryer and bathmats. For some reason they charge us $5 per bathmat. Supposedly, because they have to wash them separately from our clothes (which is valid) but this is the case even when I send multiple bathmats (not valid @ $5/ea.) … But it is so much easier to just do a small load once every few weeks of things I care about and bathmats. Highly recommend this route if it is an option.

    2. You can do whatever you want. Lately, I’ve just been giving them the bag of everything and then picking it up when it’s done. Previously, I would separate things into how I wanted them washed – hot water, cold water, hang dry, etc. – but some places charge extra if you separate things. I think bringing your own detergent is a mtter of preference: i.e., if you don’t like the way your clothes smell because of the detergent your washnfold uses, bring your own, but you certainly don’t have to. You should be able to drop it off in the morning and get it back that evening, so check for one with hours that are convenient to you and reasonably quick.

    3. I only drop off things that I’m okay washing together in warm water/full drier but I’m probably being too picky.

    4. I used to do drop off, and would separate everything that I wanted washed cold/delicate cycle into a small bag within the bag. It was fantastic, and totally worth the price.

  9. Does anyone know how to shop for Pippa Jean jewelry in the US?

    I bought a pair of green teardrop earrings at a sample sale during an out-of-state trip and recently lost one earring. A google search showed a German website that looks like the company does jewelry parties, like Mary Kay for jewelry.

    Thanks in advance!

  10. What is your frequency of personal care activities – i.e. how frequently do you get waxed (legs, brows, nether regions), how frequently do you get manicures/pedicures? How frequently do you get your hair done? How frequently do you get massages? How frequently do you get facials?

    Instead of waiting until I really need them, I feel like I shoud be more proactive about them, I’m trying to automate booking appointments, etc., so that I don’t have to think about it anymore.

    1. I can only speak to hair and nails since I don’t do the others, but for maintenance on a bob I went every 2 months; now that my hair is a little longer I’m going to switch to every 3 months I think. Manicures weekly unless I’m having a very wallowy Saturday where I’m too lazy to even put on real clothes to go to the place down the block, in which case I break out my bottle of Sugar Daddy at home. Pedicures every three weeks in summer, skip them in winter and pumice at home.

    2. Hair cut 3x a year (long layers)

      No manicures/pedicures unless I’m going as part of a group (ie bachelorette party activity)

      No waxing

      No massages/facials

      1. Almost the same, but I get a (rare) massage or facial now and then. As in one massage or facial every 1-3 years.

    3. Waxing (I do just brows), maincures (I get the shellac gel), and pedicures (regular) happen once every two weeks, and I keep a standing Sunday morning appointment at my nail place, where they do all three.

      Hair used to be once every two months, but I switched to a higher-maintenance cut recently and it’s looking like once every six weeks is going to be necessary going forward. I make my next appointment at the end of my current appointment, which makes it easier to stay on top of.

      Sadly, I’ve let facials and massages slide due to budgetary concerns, but once I change jobs (and get the pay bump that comes with it), I’ll probably try to do facials once every six weeks or so, on the opposite schedule from my hair (so I’ll get my hair cut, then three weeks later will be my facial appointment, then three weeks after that, my next hair appointment), and I’ll schedule my next appointment at the end of the current one – it’s the only way I stick to the schedule. Massages are only an occasional treat for me, so those I just schedule on an as-needed (or as-wanted) basis.

    4. I get my hair cut every 3-4 months, with a bang trim about halfway in between. I get pedicures about every 6 weeks during sandal season (and not at all once socks/stockings season starts). I get my brows threaded about every 4-6 weeks (I just go to a shop in the local mall so if I notice they’re scraggly, I stop in whenever I’m in the mall next). And that’s it. I don’t do other waxing (although I should just, ugh, I hate everything about it), I don’t do manicures, and I do massages and facials as just a special treat (maybe once or twice a year for each) although I wish I could do them more frequently.

    5. Waxing – when I have to go to a pool. LOL. I started waxing 11 yrs ago or so and my hair growth has REALLY thinned out, so I don’t have to go often any more. I get brazilian and lip.

      Hair – every 7 weeks now that it’s short.

      Pedicure – when it grows out in the summertime (every 3-4 weeks??), otherwise when I want to. Manicures, not often (I and the kids are hard on my nails!).

      Massage, when something hurts. Facial, never.

    6. Waxing: never

      Manicures: I do them myself when I’m bored

      Pedicures: every 2 weeks in summer

      Haircuts: every 6 months

      Facials: never

      Massages: when I really really want them

      I try and not automate these types of things. They’re expensive, so I’d rather think of them as fun splurge than necessary maintenance. I also don’t like the implications of considering all of this necessary.

          1. I don’t think I think of any of this stuff as “necessary” – it’s more of a case of wanting to make sure I take time to “treat myself” on a regular basis. I guess I don’t see the point in holding out for a special occasion just to have freshly trimmed bangs and manicured nails, when it’s something I enjoy and can afford to do for myself regularly. If I miss a manicure or a haircut or a wax, it’s not the end of the world, and I know I can – and do – look professional and well-groomed without any of those things, I’d just rather have them than go without them.

            That said, I don’t have kids, or pets, or really anyone other than myself to look after right now (my husband’s pretty low maintenance :)), and I don’t have any obligations outside of “go to work, hang out with husband/friends/family”, so I don’t really need a lot of “treat” or “escape” time, since I like most of what I’m doing most of the time. That may very well change once I have pets/kids/a home/elderly parents/whatever to look after.

            And my eyebrows are giant evil caterpillars when left to their own devices, so that’s why I keep the regular waxing appointment. If plucking wasn’t an hour-long trauma every time I tried it, I’d be happy to ditch the waxings (seriously, I sneeze every time I pull out a hair, there’s lots of hair to pull, it turns into a whole thing where I look like I’ve been crying by the time I’m done).

    7. I’ve honestly never understood the concept of getting most of these things done on a regular basis. I don’t wax (I pluck eyebrows just whenever I notice that it’s needed.) I’ve only ever gotten my nails done for a special treat/occasion. I do trim and file my fingernails every Sunday night like clockwork (otherwise I absolutely can’t type). I polish my fingers when I think of it and get a chance (not lately, since baby picking up would certainly ruin not completely dry polish). I keep my toenails polished, but just replace/touch up as needed. I get my hair cut/trimmed probably about every 4-5 months, again, just when I decide it’s needed. I’ve never had a massage or facial, though, given the state of my skin lately, maybe I should give the facial a shot.

      I’m not a non-girly-girl – I wear make up and shave my legs every day and blow dry my hair and wear dresses. I’m not sure whether I’m just a lot sloppier at this stuff than others, or if it really just really doesn’t matter all that much. :)

      1. How can you not understand the concept of getting these things done a regular basis?

        Hair grows (everywhere)
        Nails grow
        Cuticles grow
        Polish chips
        Callouses grow

        If you care about being shaved, trimmed, colored, polished, etc., it has to be regular.

        Its one thing if you don’t care if your eyelashes are untrimmed or your feet aren’t buffed, but if you care, then it requires regular maintenance. Believe me, I wish once was enough for a pedicure. I hate them (they are a huge time suck, imo). Or a bikini wax. But my eyebrows grow in and my hair gets grey with split ends and my feet get gnarled looking and my fingernails look ratty, so I have to keep up with it.

    8. – Waxing (arms & brazilian): every 5 weeks

      – Haircuts: every 10 weeks (I have long hair so I don’t need frequent trims)

      – Mani/Pedi: I do both of these myself, while catching up on my DVR. Mani every week, pedi every 2-3 weeks depending on the shape my feet are in.

      My hairstylist and waxer both book up very quickly, so I always book my next appointment before I leave the salon. You could check schedulicity dot com to see if any of your current service providers offer online scheduling.

    9. Haircuts depend on hair length. After some trial and error, I get mine cut every 6 weeks and book when I’m leaving the salon.
      I don’t wax. I shave every day.
      I hate massages so that’s out. I’ve never gotten a facial because I have good skin and it’s so sensitive that it would probably be killed by a facial.

      1. And I should have said, I do my own manicures weekly. I don’t have time to go to a salon and I’ve gotten so good at it, the ladies at the salon think my nails are fake. I go to a salon for pedicures but that’s about once a month.

    10. We get periodic mini-bonuses and I invested them in laser for the places where the lady-fur required daily maintenance and figure I have a few extra hours a week now that I’m not slashing my legs or doing weird things to my lips / chin.

      For manicures, I just don’t. I’m all about buffing my hails though.

    11. Hair cut and highlights every 8-10 weeks, eyebrow waxing when I can get there, which is usually every other month or so. I pluck in between, but it’s tough for me to see the really light hairs. I do my own mani/pedis but I make a point to go in when the cuticles get beyond what I can take care of, which is every 2-3 months. I’m also trying to do mani/pedis more often as a way to catch up with a girlfriend or two that doesn’t involve food or alcohol.

      I had to stop getting a bikini/brazilian wax because I just can’t keep up with it. For my skin at least, there’s a pretty short window (about a week) where the hair is long enough to get waxed but not so… tough? deep? not sure how to describe it… that it still comes out relatively easily and won’t cause ingrown hairs and a lot of irritation. I just can’t consistently find an hour in my schedule that also works for the salon and that’s within the magic window.

    12. Interesting question!

      Eyebrows: I get mine threaded and do it about every 4 weeks
      Waxing (Brazilian) – usually about every 6 weeks but it can vary depending on my social life/level of busyness
      Pedicures – usually every 4 weeks in the summer, not in the winter unless it’s a thing with a friend or I’m going to an event or something. I usually do my nails at home once or twice a week but the place I get my pedicures done will do the mani/pedi for $35 so I’ll get a manicure if/when I’m getting a pedicure.
      Facials – I’ve never had one
      Massages – usually when I feel particularly sore or my shoulders feel really tight – it usually ends up being at the end of a very stressful period at work or sometimes once every couple months.

      I see the eyebrows/waxing/pedis in the summer as essential maintenance so those are more automated. Massages are a treat so I’ll try to do them when work settles down.

      1. Oh and I get my hair cut every 8 weeks and my bangs trimmed (free at my salon) every 3-4 weeks. I always book my next haircut at my appointment so I can make sure I get the day/time I want.

      1. Yes, heaven forbid you should look like a grown woman.

        (not hating on anyone who chooses to get a brazilian, that’s your choice, I just don’t like feeling like I “have” to get one).

    14. Brows: every 6 weeks or so (they don’t grow fast, unlike all my other body hair)
      Other waxing: eh, mainly shave, though I will wax two or three times over the summer, simply to save shaving every day, but it’s not a common thing
      Hair: every 6 weeks
      Mani: I love doing my own!
      Pedi: every 3-4 weeks in the summer, in the winter, I don’t really need them, my heels only seem to get rough when I’m wearing flip flops
      Facials/ Massages – as needed, usually quaterly

      I usually book brows/hair/pedi as I’m leaving my last appointment.

    15. Facials as a treat (two in my life?)

      Manicures and pedicures as a treat (twice a year?)

      Haircut three times a year with shorter hair, twice with longer hair.

      Brows every two months (i have strawberry blonde hair and not much of it)

      nether waxing rarely (maybe every 3 mos previously), now trying electrolysis (oww!).

      1. also, I don’t dye my hair, which probably helps the every 4-6 mos thing.

        Massage maybe once a year?

    16. Waxing: never (I had laser hair removal — went every 6 weeks for 12 visits, no maybe once every 6 months)

      Pedicure: Once a month or so? Sometimes less frequently in the winter

      Manicure: Infrequently

      Haircut: Every 6 months (long layers — I will sometimes trim the bottom myself)

      Facial: Once a month

      Massage: Varies — when I feel like going I guess

    17. Waxing: Never (used to do brows every two weeks or so, but just do it myself now)

      Manicure: Weekly (DIY)

      Pedicure: 2 – 3 weeks (DIY)

      Hair: 8 weeks (color and layers)

      Facial: Never unless it’s a gift

      Massage: Never unless it’s a gift

      1. * For waxing, never is not exactly accurate. I meant I never go get it done, I just pluck and trim at home as I need to.

    18. Haircuts – every 4 months.
      Manis and pedis – very rare, I paint my toenails every month or two and touch up occasionally, do not paint my fingernails.
      Hair removal – I do get waxing (legs, arms, underarms) done every other month and this reduces the amount of shaving I have to do (weekly-ish). I do have coarse hair and it’s gotten thinner over years of waxing.
      Eyebrows – never wax, maybe pull out strays every couple of months.
      Facials and massages – never (unless someone gives me one as a gift!).

    19. Hair – color and cut – every 3 to 4 months. Depends how it looks.
      Pedis – every month during the summer
      Waxing – never
      Manis – never
      Facials – never
      Massages – occasionally

      1. threading eyebrows—about once every 6 weeks, I pluck odd hairs in between times
        pedicures—every 4-6 weeks in summer, 6-8 in winter
        manicures–mostly Shellac the past couple years, they last for a little over 2 weeks, right now taking a break so i do my own regular mani once a week.
        facials-rarely
        massages-about every month or so, as needed (or as a reward!)
        hair cut every 5-6 weeks, with color every other time
        no lady area waxing, but depilatory in summer
        shave legs every day

  11. Another Mia question- so I have large pores, and they are always( sorry this is kind of gross) filled with gunk on my nose and sides if my nose. Would the mia be good for this, and if so should I be using the regular or deep pore brush heads? I tried the Mia before but didn’t see a huge difference but I wasn’t very consistent

    1. I have a similar problem. The clarisonic has helped somewhat, but if I feel like I really need to “purge” stuff out (gross, I know), I wash with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, take a long steamy shower, and use an extractor tool on the affected areas. Doing that once a week and using the Clarisonic every day in between has yielded the best results for me.

    2. I think you have to start off using the clarisonic somewhat consistently to see results. I don’t think the deep cleaning brush is meant for every day use so I don’t use it anymore (when I tried it, didn’t notice it doing more cleaning so much as my skin got a little rougher). I mentioned this yesterday, but the brush head comes apart and using just the inner part is the best way to clear your nose. If you’ve got a lot of pore congestion you may also want to start off with a thorough facial. My dermatologist has someone in her office that does an “acne surgery” facial that’s basically a really thorough cleaning out of all of your pores.

      1. I took my brush head apart last night on your advice–so much better to get the nose! Thanks!

    3. Try doing a clay mask. You can get bentonite clay for about $5-10 on Amazon, the brand is called Aztec Indian. It’s very good at deep cleaning but can be drying. Try leaving it on for less time or mix half and half with something else like say cornstarch which also makes a paste.

    3. I just wore a dress very similar to that to an event and i wore a pair of flower printed shoes and got tons of compliments. Ill find a few pairs and post.

  13. I’m thinking of getting a larg barrel curling iron but I’m not sure what size I should get. My hair is just past shoulder length, layered, fine, and naturally curly although I blow dry it straight. I was thinking of using it to add some wave/bounce back into my hair after I blow dry it. Is this the right tool for that? If so, should it be 1 1/2″ or 2″? I feel like all the reviews of 2″ curling irons I read talk about how great it is on really thick hair. If my hair is finer, do I need a smaller barrel?

    1. The Beauty Department did a post on this recently (with pictures). I’ll post the link in the reply to avoid mod.

    2. For my (very similar) hair, I’ve tried both of these sizes and prefer 1.5″. The 2″ waves seem to fall out more quickly.

    3. I would go for the 1.5″ over the 2″. I have long thick hair that goes to about the middle of my bra, and a 2″ iron doesn’t really do much for it. If you want waves, use the smaller iron and finger comb through your hair to tousle it up a bit. If you just want bounce/volume, maybe try large hot rollers?

    4. I have long fine hair and find 1.5″ is much better if you want it to do anything besides make the ends look good. I recently switched to hot rollers because my hair turns out consistently better with them and holds curl longer.

      1. +1 to rollers. I use Velcro rollers on my fine, wavy hair after I blowdry it to get some wave and bounce back in there. I have trouble getting a curl to hold with a curling iron.

  14. Pumping moms – I will need to pump on an international flight (10 hours) tomorrow. I have a window seat, which should help. Any other advice? Also, TSA doesn’t give much advice in terms of how much milk I can take with me on the flight for the baby. I’d like to take somewhere around 15 ounces. Does this seem reasonable?

    1. No advice beyond obvious stuff I’m sure you know already. Hope your pump is battery operated and the batteries are fully charged. Try to use a thick towel to minimize the noise from the pump which I think is the biggest giveaway. I’ve nursed on flights but not pumped, but window seats are definitely more discreet. I would just wear my pumping bra beforehand so that I don’t have to deal with changing. Hopefully you can find a seat without anyone next to you, or switch to one just for pumping. Avoid the area near the restrooms since that tends to be high traffic and people are usually standing up or waiting in line and have better visibility (at an angle that is unfortunate). Good luck and don’t be daunted by these (minor) challenges!

    2. I couldn’t tell — the baby isn’t going with you? Or is? Would make a big difference in my answer (pumping to dump v. bringing back final pump for a baby). Also: are you going to be sleeping for any of this? And do you know which seat / plane type you are on and if your flight is completely full?

      At any rate: recomment sports bra + nursing pads and gym-sort of attire (you can push up a sports bra much more easily than you can unclip nursing bras) (also, you can make a MacGyver pumping corset by just cutting cone holes in a sports bra) including a zip-front-type fleece or jacket.

    3. Not to discourage you, but I would have been too uncomfortable/self-conscious to pump in the seats – not just because of the noise but also because you don’t have a lot of space to do anything privately in a seat. The only person I know who pumped regularly on flights always pumped in the bathroom wearing her backpack medela pump and with the battery pack.

      If you can nurse your baby using a nursing cover, that would work well – I did that all the time and it helped my babies to all sleep during flights. And it sounds weird, but most people understand what nursing is all about, but the pumping noise and process will be a completely foreign thing to non-parents.

      1. I never had any problems on traveling domestic flights with more milk than that. Pleasantly and thankfully I never had the TSA say much ad all about my milk – other than the men who wanted to chat about their wives breast feeding. If I recall, their regs say a “reasonable amount”.

    4. You can take as much milk as you need for the baby. I usually take a little cooler and take it out of my bag and put it in a bin for security. I do that with my little bag of diaper cream etc. This way you can take more than the normal amount of liquids. They might screen it, but it should be fine. For pumping, do you have a hands-free bra? Also, if you have a nursing cover that might make you feel more comfortable. Good luck! You’ll be fine!

    5. I pumped on a cross country flight a few weeks ago and was surprised how easy it was. I had a winDow seat and I’m nearly certain the only person who noticed I was pumping was my DH sitting next to me. The airplane engine completely masked the pump noise. I just put on my pumping.bustier, threw on my nursing cover, then adjusted my shirt and bra to attach the pump parts. I just pump-and-dumped, so capped the bottles when full and then dumped them in the bathroom at my next opportunity. Good luck!

  15. fun prob – i have a gift certificate to go to bliss spa and not sure which treament i should get. ive never had a facial so i was thinking about getting that, but i have pretty clear skin, so im not sure if it would make much of a difference. i was also thinking about getting a massage. any one have experience with bliss’ spa list? im in dc.

    2. Love the Bliss Spa in DC; the 75 min massage is my special treat to myself when I feel down and need a pick me up. You get a paraffin wax of your feet w/ the massage, so it’s a double treat. I’ve had two different masseuses and they’ve both been excellent. It’s a tiny spa though – two treatment rooms for massages and two treatment rooms for waxing – so you will need to book in advance (esp on the weekends).

  16. Hello all – I am going to the beach on vacation in a few days. I need a new sunscreen for my face. I have super sensitive, acne prone skin, would like at least SPF 30 and would like one that doesn’t make my eyes burn or leave that white residue all over my face. Any recommendations?!

    1. Paula’s Choice. It ships via Priority Mail from Seattle, so I usually get my order the next day if I order before noon.

    3. Skinceuticals (get the 50 that has some tint–it goes on invisible). It’s a physical sunscreen so much gentler on skin–I have rosacea and it’s the only thing that works for me.

    4. I just bought Neutrogena’s dry touch spf 55 for my last beach vacation and loved it.

    5. Do you read The Cut (from NY mag online)? It’s Sunscreen Week over there; they have lots of great product reviews.

    6. I use Clinique City Block. SPF 30, built in tinted color. I have acne-prone skin and try to avoid sunblock + makeup…this was a great compromise. It doesn’t get all oily/gross, either.

  17. We have the same hair! Just wanted to chime in with an idea you may not have considered (or maybe dismissed as dated like I did)… hot rollers! I got a set two months ago after asking my bombshell little cousin what her secret is, and my hair has never looked so consistently fantastic in my life. And easy. You have to try them! I’ve tried lots of different curling irons, and either 1.5” or 2” should do it for you, BUT it gets so tedious to curl your whole head that way… I always end up taking short-cuts on the bottom and the back (using larger sections of hair, not holding it as long, etc) and my end-product showed it.

    The trick is to use big rollers. I have the Conair Instant Heat rollers that have 8 jumbo and 4 super sized rollers. Find them on Amazon, and while you’re ordering, get two sets of Conair’s “super clips”. They are claw-style curler clips that go a long way toward easing frustrations.

    I blow-dry my hair and run a straightener through it quickly to keep the frizz away. Let your curlers heat for 20 mins, while you’re showering or doing this (the “instant heat” is a myth). Look up youtube videos to learn how to section the hair. I spray each section with Elnett Unscented Extra Strong Hold hairspray (the.best.ever.) and roll it up in curlers, securing with the “super clips”. Then get dressed, do makeup, eat breakfast, etc. Leave them as long as you can (at LEAST until they don’t feel warm anymore… say 15mins). Unroll them gently, starting at the bottom, and give your whole head a good spray of Elnett. Then tousle with your fingers or even brush… and be amazed at your movie star hair! Now that I’m practiced, it takes me 3 minutes to put the curlers in, maybe 2 mins to take them out, and the rest is passive time that I can spend on something else! Game-changing.

    2. +1 I have fine straight hair and hot rollers are the only way to get any body/curl for me. Plus they are so easy! I am way too impatient to use a curling iron (and always seem to burn myself) but I can just pop in the hot rollers and let them sit while I do my makeup. I also have been liking the John Frieda fine to full spray for a little extra volume.

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