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As part of my yearly review of the posts, I was looking over comments for the one on hair accessories for grown women, and was intrigued to see a reader strongly recommend this really affordable line at Amazon that I'd never heard of: Parcelona. Sure enough, they've got a ton of basic, classic beak clips (like the one pictured), barrettes, claws, and more. While nothing has 100s of reviews, the reviews they do have are almost entirely positive — and if you're looking for a great beak clip for work that's a bit more affordable than the splurge-worthy Ficcare beak clips, this one would be the first I'd consider. It's $10 at Amazon. Parcelona France Toucan Large Celluloid Tortoise Shell with Crystal Secure Grip Side Slide In Salon Style Beak Jaw Hair Claw Clip Clamp Clutcher
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Sales of note for 9.30.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Fall Cyber Monday sale, 40% off sitewide and $5 shipping
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anon
I have seen these types of clips but don’t know how to style my hair with them. Any tips? I have a below chin length bob with bangs. My main issue is that the hair around my face drives me crazy when I’m stressed out at work. I know I could do better than my claw clip.
Sarah
Ditto!
Anonymous
Any good Disney tips? Going for the princess half with a girlfriend. We’ve been before and don’t need to maximize Disney but would love to know what other people have particularly enjoyed lately!
Elsa
Avatar Flights of Passage is amazing! Definitely get a FastPass if you can. I always enjoy the dinner at the Polynesian hotel. Also, had dinner at California Grill (on top of the Contemporary) last year, and everything was delicious!
K
You can get a Fastpass 60 days in advance of your trip if you’re staying on Disney property and 30 days if you’re staying off-site. Highly recommend getting the Fastpasses as soon as you are able for Flights of Passage.
K
Went to Disney World last year. TBH my favorite part was doing the Lilo and Stitch Character Breakfast at the Polynesian Resort. Lilo and Stitch is my favorite movie and I completely LOST IT when I saw them there. The food was expensive for what it was, but meeting my favorite characters (even as a full grown lady) was amazing.
Anon
A long time ago, when my now 16 year old son was about 3, we went to a L&S character breakfast at Disneyland. Stitch came over and played with my son – stole my son’s cap, tried to put it on his big character head, got my kid to chase him around the table to get it back. It was one of the best moments I’ve ever had at Disney – my son and all the kids nearby were enthralled – so I feel you on loving that character breakfast. I’d do it again today, kids in tow or not.
Anon
Tips for keeping mind occupied and thoughts positive while running? I’m trying to incorporate a moderate amount of running into my workout routines. I’m fairly fit, have decent running shoes and I’m not in any real physical discomfort other than the exertion it takes to run, but I develop a terrible mental attitude towards running more than 3-4 minutes at a time. I’m rebooting couch to 5K, which I have completed before, but once I get past the first few weeks, I fall into this trap and stop enjoying it. I try to listen to a funny podcast – Wait, Wait or My Dad Wrote a P**no sometimes work, and I don’t like to run to music. I can cycle for hours without ever encountering this problem. I’m not going for marathons, but I’d like to be able to run 20-30 minutes with a positive attitude. Help?
LAnon
It’s important for me to have an interesting route that requires a bit of concentration so that the running itself occupies my mind a bit. I get bored very quickly running on a bike path or even on a long, un-interrupted sidewalk. I’m much more engaged with the run when I’m either running on a trail (and having to keep an eye out for roots, rocks, etc) or on an urban route where I’m watching for traffic every block and not just running in a straight line.
Also – I have to remind myself every single run that the first half mile always sucks! ALWAYS. For me, there is no way around the fact that I will feel weird and off-rhythm initially, and fleeting aches will present themselves in every joint in my legs. I usually hit my rhythm about a mile in, and I’ve just come to accept that I always want to quit in the first 4-5 min, and then things get better.
mascot
Agree on your second point. I think that running is one of those things where you have to embrace the suck for the first 5-10 minutes or so until you get into a rhythm and warmed up. I used to think it was just me as an inexperienced runner, but then the more runners I talked to and the more I ran, the more I realized that the first part of a run is hard for most everyone.
Anon OP
OP here – thank you both for this, and you’re totally right. Even just doing the W1D3 run the other day, my final 3 1-minute runs were my strongest and felt the easiest.
LAnon
Just adding one more thing onto this – if you’re running outside, plan your route so that there isn’t anything extra sucky about the first mile. Even a gentle incline that you would barely notice later in the run can make things feel extra hard, so be kind to yourself and set off in a pleasant/easy direction at first – hills, wind, sun in your eyes, etc, can all make things difficult and give you another excuse to stop.
nona
The only way you keep me on a treadmill for 20-40 minutes (and run any amount of it) is to have both the TV (with captions) to watch and music on my headphones. I figure whatever keeps me moving – and I don’t try to make myself love the process. I just want to like the end results.
Which is to say – distract the hell out of myself until its over and don’t even try to pretend to have fun.
Anon OP
Yeah, this is somewhat how I feel – I like how I look and feel overall when I’m incorporating running, just not the actual running part. I’m going to invent an app that narrates a bear chasing me as I run, which, as I’ve emphatically told many people, is the only time I would willingly run.
Anon
Might be too late for you to see this, but there actually is a semi-similar app called Zombies Run! Basically, you’re running for goods/supplies after the Zombie apocalypse. There’s a whole plotline and every now and then there’s a zombie chasing you to get you to run faster for a brief spurt. I think there’s both an open running app and a couch to 5K version.
Anon OP
Looking this up right now!
Anonymous
If it’s an option for you, I find running with a friend way more enjoyable than running alone.
Anon
+1 The only way I can tolerate it is to run with friends. We talk the whole time.
Anon OP
This is a good idea – I have a close friend within walking distance who does a lot of sprint tris, she would probably be game. It would also be a good incentive for me to finish C25K so we could do a 30 min run and then grab coffee on the weekends.
Anonymous
You can talk and run at the same time? I’m super impressed!
Anon
We probably run slower than you do – about a 9 minute mile at the fastest. And, technically, we pant our words and things get quiet on the hills. :)
anon a mouse
I feel like a moron for asking this, but how? Every time I go for a run I am winded and there is no way I could talk unless I slow to a walk. I’m a pretty slow runner and I have respiratory issues, so maybe this just isn’t an option for me, but I feel like I have to concentrate so hard on my breathing. I’d love to be able to chat with friends while I run.
Anonymous
I run walk. 60 seconds running 30 walking. 12:45 pace.
BB
I genuinely never understood how people are able to do this, but maybe I’m in worse shape than I think? I feel like there’s no way I could talk to someone with the level of panting I do while running.
Anonymous
For me it’s more of a jog than a run, and we talk more or less depending on the current level of exertion. We get really quiet when going up a hill, for example, but then can chat a bit when the route gets easier.
Shopaholic
Commiseration? I usually hate running but decided I’m going to get back into it because the last time I was running regularly was the last time I liked how my body looked. It sucks but it works is essentially my mantra.
anon
Just remember that the first mile always feels like a**. I personally feel like it takes several months of REGULAR runs for workouts to feel anything resembling enjoyable. And even then, the first mile usually feels like a**.
Source: 3x a week runner who isn’t speedy, but has built some impressive stamina.
I don't
Once I found barbell sports, my running went out the window. My body looks even better with HIIT training. I mostly do Crossfit and I only run longer than 800m for Murph once a year, with the occasional casual mile that gets programmed every once in a while. In those rare “long” runs I focus on my breathing and getting it done because I’m not going to quit, so I have to push through. Feeling like a BA after doing Murph or running a mile is awesome, so that also helps.
Adding my two cents because it sounds like you like the results, but not the actual running. Some other things may be more fun for you and give you awesome results.
Anonymous
Is there any reason not to do a walk-run intervals routine? I hate everything about running, but interval running doesn’t bother me as much (and it seems to be beneficial if your goal is health/fitness).
Small Firm IP Litigator
I feel like these have been out of style for a long time, and I haven’t seen anyone wearing them for years. Are they coming back or something?
Anon for this
What would you ship to your best friend if she got engaged? She’s not a big drinker so I’m hunting for some half-bottles of good champagne to send to her apartment…
Delta Dawn
My far away bestie had a little ring dish made and sent to me– I still keep my rings in it every night, years later. I think she had it made on etsy.
Anon
This is perfect.
another anon
I’m probably too late for you to see this, but just in case: I am recently engaged and I probably got 3-4 ring dishes. Seems like a very common gift and no one really needs more than one! Gifts that I got that I loved: mini bottle of champagne, matching mugs for my husband and I, dinner gift certificates, really nice card expressing how excited my friend was for me and the things she really liked about my fiance and how happy they hoped we would be, and flowers (always love flowers)
Anon
Yep I have four. It’s a sweet idea but way too common now. I like to give bridal magazines (fun to look at even if she doesn’t really use them), champagne or sparkling cider, and a bottle of sparkly nail polish that coordinates with her rings (may be just my circle, but a lot of friends have non-diamond gemstones, so it’s fun to get them a color that coordinates).
Cat
I agree with this. Manicure gift certificate is my favorite gift to give — it seems to go over well…
Anonymous
I’m a big APW fan and a well-known super planner. I give newly engaged friends a copy of the second APW book, which I find is more practical than the first one. It’s basically a wedding planning organizer with lots of helpful tips.
Eva
I have a clip like this and love using it to keep my messy bun secured at work. Sometimes if I’m going to be active (walking for a long time or on my feet all day) I have to stick another one in there to make a little X shape to keep the bun in place, but it works great!