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Updated: Apr 14, 2021 202 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Arizona Big Buckle Slide Sandal

Coffee Break

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I mentioned in our post on 30 random work-from-home tips that wearing something on your feet while working from home is a good idea if you have hardwood floors. So if you need to refresh your Birkenstocks anyway — if that's your preferred sandal — now is a great time to do it, because you can still wear your new shoes around the house before summer comes. This beige-y, big-buckle slide looks like it could be the new “It Girl” sandal of the moment — does anyone else remember the crazy white ones that were so in a couple of years ago? I've always been a Gizeh girl, but something about this style is calling my name. It's $150 at Nordstrom and Zappos. Arizona Big Buckle Slide Sandal

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Comments

    • Anon

      Don’t knock ’em till you try ’em! I’m so thankful to work somewhere (even pre-COVID) where Birks & socks are acceptable work attire.

    • No Longer Anon

      LOL I’m in Seattle and Birks are the summer weekend footwear of choice for 60% of the population.

    • Cat

      I think what Anon meant is that worn-in Birks = the best Birks. They only get better with time! It’s worth it to pick up the cork sealant, though, to keep the structure from crumbling.

      • Anonymous

        No, that is not what I meant. For my particular foot issue, those things are torture, so there is nothing to trick my mind into thinking they are not hideous. But I do like your take on it!

    • Anon

      I don’t love this style but I really like my Birkenstock Mayaris, and my feet do too! They look a little more delicate on the foot, like normal sandals.

      • Anon

        Ps in terms of “refresh” did you know Birkenstock will re-sole them? I had one pair done last summer and I don’t remember the exact price but I was pleasantly surprised. Particularly because the cork footbed was already perfectly broken in for my foot, and I wanted to keep it.

        • Anonymous

          Good to know — I wear the outside of my heels horribly and am always re-heeling my work shoes so that I don’t ruin them. I didn’t know that I could do that with Birks. They are preppy — LL Bean has sold them since I was a kid. I didn’t know that there was a counterculture connection with them until high school.

      • Anonymous

        I am a Mayari devotee and normally detest the big buckle style even more than the regular Arizonas, but the blush color is calling my name. I think I might need them just as house shoes.

    • Anon New Yorker

      Mine are falling apart after 8 years! Every summer I think this is the year I’ll get new ones… and then I don’t.

    • Anonymous

      Hideous. But they’ll look great with the skorts people keep trying to make happen.

    • Anon

      PSA I’ve posted here before. The Birkenstock rep comes to my local shoe store every summer. She advocates a 2-4-6-8 breaking in of the cork footbed, where each number is the # of hours you wear the shoes on successive days of breaking them in.

      It really worked for me, didn’t hurt at all.

    • Anon

      Ha! I just ordered a new pair last week because it was definitely time for a “refresh”. My feet were hurting after wearing my old pair even for just a short while. I wear Birks all day every day, you can pry them from my cold, dead feet :P

    • Ellen

      Yes, I look clunky enough with my Crocs; these take clunkyness to the next level. If I were svelte, I could probably get away with wearing these with skinny jeans, but not with my tuchus in it’s current condition. I have literally put on 10 pounds, 8+ of which is between my belly and my thighs. FOOEY !

  2. anon

    is Kat reading my group chats?! I just had a conversation with friends about Birkenstock’s this morning and ordered a pair of the Arizona EVA in white! I love the above pick as well. I’m quarantining away from my regular home and so don’t have my usual clothes, but miss my birks as it’s getting warmer. the $45 price tag for the EVA sandals made me pull the trigger and I’ve also been curious about them for a while!

      • Anon

        I carry the EVA ones in my suitcase to be used as slippers/ pool shoes/ hotel fire alarm in the middle of the night shoes. (The latter is a true story)

        I like them for this because they weigh next to nothing and are very squishable.

        • anne-on

          Oh my gosh – the hotel fire alarm in the middle of the night is the reason I was given as a baby consultant to always, always sleep in clothes that you’ll be decently covered in and to keep socks or comfy shoes stashed near your door. It has happened to me twice at conferences and I have been grateful each time for that advice…

    • anon

      I love the EVA style for pool shoes, but for anything else, they make my feet so sweaty! I do like wearing them around the house, though (with socks).

  3. Anon

    Poll: did you get dressed today and if so what are you wearing?

    I would give myself 1/2 on that first question because I didn’t get dressed till noon but I finally did it. I’m wearing a very old dark red bead-embellished 3/4 sleeve tee, stretchy no-waistband jeans (the Levi’s that have been featured here a couple of times), an ivory wool cardigan, and very low wedges from Fly London. I put on earrings and lipstick too! (Lipstick for me makes all the difference in zoom meetings).

    What about you?

    • Senior Attorney

      Still going to work, still getting dressed even though nobody sees me. Today I look like a real estate saleswoman: Blue ponte dress, blue/pink/teal Madras plaid blazer, bone pumps with a peacock feather motif on the toe and teal heels. Gold and pearl earrings.

    • cat socks

      I admit I spent the first part of the day in my robe and t-shirt I slept in. I had a busy morning and changed around noon. But now I’m wearing leggings and a t-shirt so I can work out in a little bit. I haven’t worn jeans in over a month. I haven’t moved out of the leggings phase of quarantine yet.

    • sleep

      I dressed up today. I had to go out to get a curbside pick-up from our Co-op.

      Black Athleta joggers
      Black and white snakeskin print shirt, long sleeved pull over, vintage. Was my Mom’s from the 70’s.
      Black drapey Bobeau cardigan that everyone bought a couple years ago
      Black leather booties
      Black bomber jacket

      It was in the 30’s today, but beautiful and sunny. Felt so nice to be outside just for a few minutes.

      • sleep

        And a French blue large cashmere scarf. So I didn’t look like death. With no make-up on.

      • Anonymous

        That made me chuckle — these are my office “colors.” My home wardrobe bottoms are olive/gray/black or wild; tops are colored shirts with words.

    • Anon New Yorker

      Gray leggings with a couple of holes — they are the super thin kind that should not be worn as pants. Faded black vneck t-shirt with some holes in it. Thrift store flannel shirt originally from LLBean in a Christmas colors.

      Thankfully my job doesn’t do video calls!

    • Anonia

      Fitted t shirt and elastic waist linen pants. I’m so over my winter clothes, which include my leggings, so I’m making do until I can move into capris and shorts. High is 45 today, 70 tomorrow!

    • Z

      I did not get dressed. I’m telling myself I’ll shower and get dressed after I work out, which will be as soon as I’m done working.

    • Anon

      After a rough week last week where isolation was really getting to me (too much sleeping, all day pjs), I’m doing much better this week. Exercised, showered, makeup, “easy hair.” Ran to the store, so I put on jeans and a cute sweatshirt – came home and it’s back to leggings on the couch with the dog :)

    • anon

      I put on workout clothes and went for a four mile walk, which is better than the past few days when I’ve been working 15 hour days in my sweatpants all day!

    • Anonymous

      I changed my shirt, does that count? I slept in sweatpants and am continuing to wear those, and a random work out top from costco. Side note, I ordered a couple of “lounge sets” from Uniqlo. Very excited for my new work uniforms to arrive.

    • KS IT Chick

      I get dressed every day. Today, I was presenting in our staff meeting about changes to an education system, so I put on navy pull on slacks, a medium blue T-shirt, and a yellow cardigan. Most days, I am wearing jeans & a long sleeve T-shirt.

    • Amberwitch

      Orange linnen dress with check ruffles at the asymmetrical hem and creme fitted blazer with a shawl collar. And silver birkenstocks:)

    • Daffodil

      My WFH outfit is black leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt. Comfortable, but not pajamas, so makes me feel like I’m still marginally ‘getting ready’ to go to work. Had a VC earlier today, and put on earrings and a slightly nicer top- then changed right back into my T-shirt.

    • Anonymous

      Jeans, black long sleeve Halogen top that’s poly but looks nicer and lipstick. I think I overdid it though. Was on a call with colleagues earlier where they all were in tees and sweatshirts with their hair looking crazy. Someone asked me where I thought I was going.

    • Finally Made a Name

      T-shirt, waterfall cardigan, and wide leg athleisure pants. Pretty typical outfit.

    • Nina

      Joggers and a sweater. Not dressed up really but my office is pretty casual anyways. Did not get around to putting on makeup but I’m not sure I believe in putting on make up for work anymore anyways

    • anon

      My spouse and I agreed early on to make sure we each had time to shower and dress (ALONE, no kids) before 9am. It helps. Today I’m wearing the leggings with pockets that were featured here a few weeks ago and a zip up running top. At least it has a collar? I sometimes do a tank plus wrap instead for more of a blazer-like look on Zoom. But always the leggings.

    • Is it Friday yet?

      I’m about as dressed as I have been any time in the last month – athleta leggings and comfy sports bra, t-shirt (repping KEXP today), plus I threw on a Marmot full-zip fleece because I was chilly. I haven’t even worn jeans in at least a month – I’ve decided I’m team elastic pants only/no underwires until the situation improves. Simple joys.

    • Anon

      Nope. In my PJs but I added a bralette so my boobs wouldn’t hurt. Oh, and deodorant.

    • Pink

      AE jeans, Orvis t-shirt, Sperry’s b/c my Allbirds are in the wash. Accessories: SPF 50 sunscreen, wedding ring and navajo leaf earrings.

    • Anonymous

      I am wearing my favorite jeans (Mother Looker Graffiti Girl, with cute little holes and not big giant gaping knee holes), a slouchy gray v-neck tee, a thin black cocoon cardigan, and my taco socks because today is Taco Tuesday. No makeup today, but most days I’ve been wearing a little CC cream, bronzer, eyeliner, and mascara. It makes me feel more human when I look in the mirror. I have also been wearing my watch, which I don’t ordinarily do at home, because it signals “time to work” to my brain.

    • pugsnbourbon

      Black skinny jeans, tank top, oversized gray Tencel button-up from Old Navy. Sorel booties for when I have to go outside. Small peridot studs, a little more eye makeup than usual (wearing glasses today).

    • Anon

      Working from home, 12 weeks postpartum, so I’m wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt from a marathon I ran last year and sweatpants. I usually have a much better WFH game, but the combination of returning to work, caring for an infant, and getting back into running (managed a sub-30 5k last week, yay!) is quite enough.

    • Pure Imagination

      Fresh pajamas (at least 10 years old), Patagonia fleece, mountaineering slogan T-shirt. I always change into fresh lounge clothes in the morning.

      • Small Law Partner

        Yeah, this. Law school tee and PJ pants, fleece robe over top and socks/warm fluffy slipper socks with grippers on the bottom. I can’t imagine getting dressed more than that. Although I think it is critical to brush my teeth and wash my face.

    • Anonymous

      Didn’t get dressed til 4 because I kept telling myself i would work out and never did. Finally gave up on that and feel much better after a shower and putting on the very exciting outfit of running shorts and an old race tee. I’m 18 weeks pregnant and recently realized I gave away all my maternity clothes and have very little that fits. Whoops.

    • Coach Laura

      I’ve started “dressing” for work and then changing into “weekend” clothes when I’m done with the workday. After a month of wearing yoga pants and a zip up jacket I got bored, so I put on something that I could possibly wear to work. Tunics over skinny pants, sweaters, cardigans. Earrings like someone else mentioned. And then when I’m done for the day, change into shorts or athletic stuff for a bike ride or walk or even kayaking, like I’m doing today after 3.

    • Anon

      By get dressed do you mean am I not naked? Because I did at least achieve that milestone today. Wearing my boyfriends t-shirt with no bra, jacket, and my own sweats. I am not having a good day. On better days I put on jeans and wear a soft bra.

    • Not that Anne, the other Anne

      I’ve been getting dressed this whole time, but that’s also because my partner is essential and I take them to work every day (which gets me out of the house and keeps them off public transit). I suppose I could drive in my pjs a la Scarecrow and Mrs. King, but … nah. My parents were of the “You don’t stay in your pjs all day unless you are sick” school of thought, which is probably influencing this.

      So today is a pair of ancient, super soft jeans and a Life is Good tee.

    • Lan Jevinson

      I got dressed in a green tank top, blue leggings, and a blue sports bra, all from Fabletics. After I work out and shower at 6 pm, I wear sweats for the rest of the night.

    • No Longer Anon

      Gap Sky High skinny jeans, Puma sneakers (with velvet laces!!!!!) and a Harry Potter “When In Doubt Go to the Library” shirt. When I was outside I added a zip up hoodie.

    • CountC

      I put on cotton lounge shorts, knee high navy blue socks with white and hot pink skulls on them, a slouchy tank top, and a thin/comfy long sleeve shirt over that. I didn’t feel like wearing pants today.

  4. Anonymous

    Birkenstocks are not sold legitimately through Amazon, so expect a fake knockoff if ordering there. Kat, Elizabeth, moderation — if there’s anybody out there — it’s a poor recommendation.

  5. Anonymous

    I’ve been getting blonde balayage highlights for the past 1.5 years, had “virgin”, very healthy hair prior. It just occurred to me that my hair has become damaged, as evidenced by how tangled it becomes when wet, and how much hair is left behind in my brushes. I use a wet brush and this wasn’t a problem before. I am starting to do Olaplex treatments at home. Any favorite leave in masks? Deep conditioners?

    • eertmeert

      The fekkai PrX Restoratives Intense Fortifying Masque is one of my favorites. It’s in a blue tub – better than the Fekkai hair mask in the pink tub. It is fragranced, and sometimes I am not in the mood for that. I also like the Biogio Don’t Despair, Repair mask.

      • eertmeert

        Just remembered – I use L’Anza Healing ColorCare Trauma Treatment post-shower on towel dried hair. I mix it with a hair oil and then a leave in hair conditioner.
        I have fine, dry hair prone to damage from coloring. This doesn’t weigh my hair down, and really helps tame the damage.
        I really recommend the Trauma Treatment!

    • anne-on

      Olaplex worked wonders for me (just the deep conditioner, used my regular color safe shampoo/conditioner). Do you also use a heat spray/protectant if you style? That was really key too. Once my hair got way more trashed than normal after balayage (summer chlorine probably) and doing the wet hair + olaplex + shower cap thing for about 30 minutes or so helped a ton.

  6. anon

    What other basic summer wardrobe purchases are people making? My summer style tends to run toward the classic/preppy/basic side — think tees and chino shorts — but I’m pretty sure that look isn’t doing me any favors. Or I need to find versions that are cut for 40-something with hips and thighs without being mumsy. Boden, maybe? Lands End looks suuuper matronly on me. Gap/Old Navy are cut too narrow through the legs.

    • Anonymous

      You need linen shorts with a drawstring waist. They are cool, comfy, and universally flattering. The solid colors are not mumsy at all. Prints, especially stripes, are more risky.

      T-shirt dresses and the Old Navy jersey swing dress are also great. Again, go for solid neutral colors and avoid prints for the lowest risk of frump.

    • Pink

      I’m on the hunt for the perfect white cotton tank top. So far, no dice. But I caved and bought some chinos from J Crew since they’re having a sale (PSA). I have some very, very old ones that I love. I’m not hopeful that the quality of the new ones will match, but we shall see. Definitely try Boden for shorts. Do you ever shop at Orvis? I’ve had some luck with them lately, but I’ve only purchased shirts.

      • Vicky Austin

        Let me know when you find it…everything I’ve tried is see-through.

    • Alanna of Trebond

      Ah this is such a great topic! I have been unable to wear my regular clothes and have been dying to wear new clothes for months. I bought two dresses, including one with polka dots, from Zimmermann. I bought some clothes from the H&M/Johanna Ortiz collaboration. I bought some bathing suits, including one with polka dots, from Boden. I have no idea if I’ll be able to wear any of them anywhere since we will probably still be locked down.

    • anne-on

      I found the 5″ shorts at Jcrew to be both long enough and generously cut enough to not look too ‘young’ but also not quite as mumsy as the to the knee chinos.
      I try to wear slightly ‘dressier’ tops with shorts or I feel a bit schlubby. I wore last year’s version of these all summer (without the buttons) and liked them a lot:
      https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/short_sleeve_tees/textured-tiefront-top/AJ092?color_name=burnished-copper
      That or something like this – a top that’s still washable, but just a bit nicer looking than a t-shirt
      https://factory.jcrew.com/p/womens-clothing/knits_tees/tanks_camis/textured-tank-top-with-scallop-trim/AJ095

    • Small Law Partner

      I’m a forty something. I wear mostly casual sundresses in the warm weather and some tees/tanks and shorts. For the past few years, been liking Rails, Stateside, Wilt, and Cotton Citizen for casual and comfy yet stylish clothes. Bonus that these brands are made in the US.

    • Anonymous

      If you’re looking for some inexpensive but somewhat fashionable items, H&M and Target have designer collaborations that are better than expected. They tend to be highly fashionable, affordable, and some of it can last quite a while with proper care. Not preppy but they are basics that are a little more fun than tees and chinos, especially some of the midi dresses that can better hide hips and thighs in more flattering silhouettes. If dresses aren’t your thing, they also have cute capri pants and knee-length shorts as well.
      If you’re looking for something that lasts a little longer and higher quality with higher price tags, Lacoste has preppy to sporty basics that are nice as well. Ralph Lauren does almost exclusively preppy, and the Lauren line has more affordable options in tees, shorts, and basic dress styles. They also tend to last a lot longer than the other brands mentioned.

    • HW

      I have hips and thighs and have had luck finding cute shorts at Loft, like chinos with a scalloped hem, and drawstring shorts with embroidery.

      I’ve been wearing black leggings every day for the last six weeks and am considering a capsule wardrobe built around black pants when I go back to work. I’m currently scheduled to go back end of next week and am not ready to give up the simplicity of my lounge clothes.

    • No Longer Anon

      I bought some Targe tie-front shorts last summer on impulse and wore them almost every night for my after-work walk for the entire summer. Super comfy.

    • Anonymous

      I got these through a CapHillStyle post, but I swear by the North Face 6″ shorts that you can get on zappos. I am a short-waisted pear, so getting over the hips while fitting in the waist is key. The shorts are perfect — I have 3 and would get more. They (to me) run non-vanity sized — 40ish, out of shape, 5-4, 130# and a medium fits (a small was a NOPE NOPE NOPE even though I can get by with smalls in places like Athleta). And they have pockets! I will probably never buy another kind of leisure short. I tend to go to woodsy breweries where people wear Tevas in the summer (or prior summers) and I’d wear these shorts to something sporty but not otherwise out. 99% of my days they are perfect for.

  7. Anon

    Y’all, I have LOST my motivation. I know I’m lucky to have a job that I can do from home. I know that I need to keep billing so that we can keep paying our staff. I just have lost all desire to keep doing my work. It’s now a slog. I am not feeling like an over achieving chic. I feel like a chic that wants to get back to cuddling her dogs and watching Idol.

    • Wendy Davis Byrde

      I hear you! I am working for my fully funded mat leave and basically nothing else.

    • pugsnbourbon

      I had that last week (not a lawyer, though). I felt like I’d lost the thread – had no real idea how I needed to be spending my time, and couldn’t really make myself care.
      Last Friday I sat down with my project list and hammered out really detailed to-dos for each one. It’s helped me get a better start this week. Otherwise I’m pacing myself, reminding myself that even a little progress is better than none, and avoiding too many external stressors (haven’t read the news in a couple days).

    • Shopaholic

      Yep. Me too. It’s so hard for me to motivate myself to do even the most minor/basic tasks and I’m seriously struggling – it started on Thursday and I’m trying to stay off the couch until 5pm even if I’m not getting much done.

  8. Lilliet

    Mitch Daniels, Purdue President, I think concisely summarized some feelings that are circulating here about society closures. His entire (lengthy, 17 email paragraphs) statement is in regards to planning on keeping campus open in the fall with tentative ideas on how to manage the spread of the virus and knowingly accepting some risk to do so: Closing down our entire society, including our university, was a correct and necessary step. It has had invaluable results. But like any action so drastic, it has come at extraordinary costs, as much human as economic, and at some point, clearly before next fall, those will begin to vastly outweigh the benefits of its continuance.

    • Anon

      Oh heyyyy do you work for Purdue too!? Or was it posted publicly somewhere? I have a lot of issues with Mitch but I thought it was an excellent statement. I think he’s absolutely right that it was necessary to shut down completely in March/April and also right that we have to begin to move toward a new normal by the fall. He laid out a lot of steps that may be taken next fall, including having some classes online, reducing class sizes, testing everyone when they arrive back on campus in August (Purdue is setting up its own testing lab, which seems smart) and allowing anyone older or with underlying health conditions to isolate from the campus community (which I assume would mean teaching online for faculty and working from home for staff). It all sounded really level-headed, and a good balance between public health and economic/social concerns. Reading his letter was the best I’ve felt in a long time and I never say that about his letters :P

      • Anon

        Ah nevermind I see the link above to the Exponent. I didn’t think that was read outside of the campus community so I wondered if it had hit the Chronicle of Higher Ed and thought, wow, that was really fast.

      • Lilliet

        I’m an alum! It was an email blast and then after I posted here figured I would see if I could get the entire context without copy/pasting into a comment. I too have issues with him, but also this is the first reasoned reaction I feel good about through all of this, so good job Daniels (on this)!

  9. Bonus - Save or Spend?

    After a delay, my 2019 bonus is finally being paid in full in the very near future! 2019 was a very difficult year for me at work but I knocked it out of the park and my bonus reflects that, so I want to get at least some reward for getting through the year. However, given the economy right now, my question is whether I should save it all for a rainy day (partially in cash but also putting some in the market) or allow myself a splurge purchase of some kind. My splurge was going to be a designer bag (around $2300) or some nice kitchenware (espresso machine, new knives, etc. totaling around $2k). Quarantine has made me want some better housewares considering I am home 24/7, but this is my dream bag.

    For perspective, I’m not expecting my bonus to be as large for 2020 given the economy, but I work in a counter-cyclical role so my job seems safe for now.

    • Anonymous

      How long have you wanted the bag? I’m not buying any bags right now because I don’t see myself carrying one that can’t go into the washing machine for the next couple of years, maybe ever. I’d be worried that by the time I was going to use the bag, I wouldn’t love it as much.

    • Anon New Yorker

      How much is your bonus or how big of a percentage of the bonus is the $2k? Personally, I feel incapable of spending money on anything but absolute necessities right now but that’s not great for the economy. Personally I would spend 10% max on some housewares and save the rest.

      • OP

        As a percentage, $2,300 would be 1.5% pre-tax (so around 3% post-tax). Just nervewracking to drop that much in dollar terms on something that feels very indulgent!

        • Anon

          Nice six-figure bonus!! Those bags are meant to be bought by people at your income level. Save most, but a 1.5/3% splurge is totally legit.

        • Pure Imagination

          OK, given that context, I would say do whatever you want and also consider whether it was the right time to post this question here.

          • Good for you!

            Wait -like it’s insensitive to post about a big overdue bonus? If that is what you mean I disagree! I’m happy for you op!

          • Anon

            ??? I mean I get why you’re saying that, but also we anonymously celebrate people’s accomplishments all the time. OP, post and celebrate away. That’s a giant accomplishment (especially in this environment). Assuming you don’t have massive student loans or credit card debt of any kind, I’d buy the bag, commit to saving the rest.

          • Pure Imagination

            43% of Americans have lost their jobs or taken pay cuts in the last few months. Yeah, it’s great to get a bonus for hard work – I’m sure it was well-deserved. I do think that it is perhaps not the right way to share the news (e.g., sharing the dollar amount, debating whether a bag that costs more than most people’s rent but don’t worry, is only 1.5% of the total is worth it, etc.). One woman’s opinion.

          • Anon

            Yikes, Pure Imagination, just let her have her bonus. You take a lot of things here very personally, she’s not having it at you, and I can’t think of a better place on the interwebs to ask this question.

            OP, buy your bag and don’t feel guilty about it.

            – Signed somebody making annually less than half of what your bonus was.

          • Pure Imagination

            It’s not taking it personally to leave a general comment about how it seems like a bad time to post a question. When you post on a public forum, you’re going to encounter different opinions – isn’t that why everyone posts here, to get advice or thoughts from a variety of sources beyond our own families and social circles? I’m sure the OP is strong enough to disregard my opinion if it doesn’t work for her.

          • anne-on

            Uh, what? It’s a fashion blog, she’s asking about fashion. Not everyone is going to be laid off, even in a downturn. It’s not like she’s screaming from the rooftops about how the president is the best because OMG my stocks are all up and damn the consequences!
            Good for you OP – enjoy your purchase and congrats on the bonus!

          • Anon New Yorker

            I’d also like to point out that OP didn’t talk about the amount of her bonus until I asked! She kept her question pretty general and totally appropriate and on topic for this blog. I didn’t read any bragging in there at all.

          • Anon

            For what it’s worth, I make less than $50k and expect to lose my job in the next couple of months due to covid and I thought OP’s comment was fine. It’s hardly a shock to me that some people are much wealthier than I am, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being proud of hard work that resulted in a big bonus.

        • Anon

          You’re getting a $150k bonus and you’re worried about buying a $2300 bag? WTF – are you just trying to humble brag here?

          Buy the bag, save the rest, maybe buy some stocks while the market is down.

          • Anonymous

            Agreed. This question is so dumb to me, that it is calling into question how you earned that bonus. $150k bonus and you are asking if you can spend $2k on a bag? You have bigger problems than what you realize. Like you don’t understand money.

        • Never too many shoes...

          I would buy the bag and the kitchenware – spending $5K of that bonus is not a big deal. Congratulations, OP – this is supposed to be a community for high achievers, so I would not feel bad at all for posting here.

          • anon

            I’m all for OP posting her bonus (which sounds as though it’s as much as my salary), but let’s be real, most high achieving women will never make this much money.

            And yes, if I was OP, I’d buy the bag and the kitchenware.

          • Anon

            I don’t like that language AT ALL. High achieving doesn’t mean rich. Just because you’re not getting six figure bonuses doesn’t mean you’re not achieving a lot in life. (And this isn’t a knock on OP; girl go get your bag!)

          • anon

            I didn’t take this to mean that high achieving means high earning just that a board for high achieving women should be a place where women should feel comfortable talking about big achievements (such as getting a bonus, but also a promotion or getting great feedback on a project or landing a dream job)

          • Anon

            Yeah, OP’s comment was fine and there’s nothing wrong with being proud of a bonus, but I find your attitude that high-achieving = high-earning really gross. It’s not the first time you’ve said something like that. The smartest people I know, as well as the people who are doing the most good for society, are mostly not big earners. In fact, many/most of them don’t even earn six figures.

          • Never too many shoes...

            Anon at 615 pm – thank you. You said it more clearly than I did. It was not about the money, more that she should be able to feel proud of herself here.

      • BB

        +1 I mean, if $2K is like 10% of your bonus, definitely go for it! If it’s 50%+…I’d probably reconsider because at that point I would also assume that it means $2K is a good enough chunk of your regular income that it would come in very handy if you did need it as an emergency.

    • Anon

      Buy the espresso machine (presuming you do not have one already), save the rest. If you get a decent bonus next year and the economy has improved, consider the purse.

    • crim lawyer

      If you could spend some of it on gift cards to small businesses that’s always a big deal to them.

      However as we have learned life is short and if you want the bag, get the bag.

    • The Original ...

      *It’s already raining for many of us and storms seem likely for most of us. With that knowledge, if you think you have enough saved for all of the tarps and umbrellas you need, then I guess go stimulate the economy and try to spend locally or with small businesses. If you think you may get wet, consider whether a handbag or kitchenwares will keep the rain off your head if it begins to pour for you too.

      *This message is brought to you by my love of metaphors and my lack of desire to do productive things.

    • Pure Imagination

      Save, 100%. We don’t know anything else about your financial context, but it doesn’t seem like the right time for luxury purchases. A lot of jobs that are thought to be safe right now might not be in a few months.

    • Anon100

      I think if the 2k isn’t more than 10-15% of the bonus, I would treat myself to a small indulgence and save/invest the rest. You’ve already had a rough year in 2019, and 2020 is now rough on everyone. From a practical standpoint, spending it on upgraded kitchenware probably makes more sense right now for cost per use basis, but I also understand the want to have something nice to look forward to having (the purse).

    • Senior Attorney

      My only concern is whether there will even be such a thing as a “dream bag” in the new world, you know? I might set the money aside and see if I still want the bag once the dust settles.

      And congratulations!

      • Senior Attorney

        But for sure I think it’s reasonable to spend 1-2% of that bonus on something fun at some point!

        • nutella

          Agree no issue on the amount, good for you! As a bag lady myself, my one question is if you think your job will be WFH for the foreseeable future, then maybe something other than a bag (art, jewelry?) bc I would be so sad to not be able to wear it out!!

      • Anonymous

        Yeah, I don’t think we will be carrying bags after quarantine. We already knew they were covered with germs.

          • Anon

            Maybe she means we won’t be carrying nice leather purses? I plan to switch to cloth totes that can be washed.

    • Anonymous

      I’d say get the bag, but I’m the type of person that will always choose apparel and accessories purchases over housewares since I hate being home. You need a little fun in your life, and it’s a nice little piece to remind yourself that all this ridiculous talk about quarantine as normality will seem ridiculous in a few months. Plus, you can always run down to your local coffee shop for a nice espresso, and they’ll appreciate your business more than you’ll likely appreciate making espresso (they’re nice machines, but the steps to make it are a pain in the ass as far as I’m concerned).

      Congratulations on your bonus! Your hard work as recognition is fantastic, and it’s not your fault that there’s a pandemic that has those less fortunate in worse conditions. You still worked hard, and you can’t let anyone take that away from you, so celebratory treats for yourself ARE in order, regardless of what you decide to buy.

      • Anonymous

        +1 congrats on the bonus and enjoy the bag!

        I’d say let us know what it is but that would be a whole new storm ;)

      • Anonymous

        Donate! At the amount of money at least give 10% to charity. And get the bag.

      • Anonymous

        The highlight of my day each day right now is my latte but I have always been obsessed with my espresso maker. I would go with the kitchenware now as you can enjoy it while you are stuck at home. I would wait on the purse till you are back to work. For me, it would be harder to look at the new purse while I am stuck at home than waiting on that purchase.
        Also, congratulations on the bonus

  10. Anonymous

    I need advice in communicating with my mother. I’m having a tough time right now. My mother is a huge nag, but she sees it as “helping” or “expressing interest.” Every conversation with her involves endless follow up questions about whether I’ve done XYZ yet, and if not, why not you should’ve done that it’s very important I can’t believe you haven’t done it yet etc. It’s basically a cross examination. It could be something I mentioned in passing (friend and I are trying to set up a zoom call), something I said to placate her (yes mom that book sounds interesting I’ll have to look it up), some home maintenance thing (have you scheduled your annual HVAC tune up), or anything else under the sun. I already have her on an information diet about ongoing projects or goals because I can’t stand the follow up.

    It’s stressful in the best of times; right now, I’m feeling overwhelmed and I can’t deal. I end up snapping at her – “you need to stop with the cross examination” or “I SAID I DONT KNOW SO STOP ASKING” – and basically hanging up on her. Then she feels hurt because “I’m just asking questions.” Is there a constructive way to communicate that the endless questions are not welcome or a better way for me to cope?

    • Anon

      So, I have a slightly different problem, it’s that my mom stresses and gets anxious about every decision regardless of its significance. I decided in my early 20s that I couldn’t deal with her stress, in addition to my own. My solution to the problem was to stop sharing decisions I was considering. I will tell my mother after the fact that I did something or made a decision, but never before hand. And even then I probably share less with her then a lot of people share with their parents.

      IME, Nothing you say to your mother is going to change her behavior. You have to decide either to manage it by not sharing things that you’re planning to do until they’re set in stone/done or to accept it as a cost of the relationship. But hoping that there’s some magic words that will make her stop will just drive you crazy.

    • eertmeert

      Captain Awkward has a bunch of scripts for dodging conversational quicksand. I can’t point you to one post that is perfect for your needs, but cruising through the archives there will get you the gist of how to move forward with your mom.
      My main takeaways from this is that 1) you are in the beginning of setting boundaries, and going to go through an experimentation process, so expect hiccups and pack your patience; 2) your mom may get increasingly difficult as she adjusts to the new boundaries; 3) this is totally doable.
      In the short term, when she starts going into the inquisition after you’ve tried to redirect the conversation, you can have a reason to get off the phone (need to go to the bathroom, getting another call, etc), and congratulate yourself on not getting hooked.

      • eertmeert

        To be clear, your goal is not saying one thing once that stops your mom from going into her follow-up questions. Your goal is to create an arsenal of diversion tactics that create a boundary around you – which includes having an initial conversation or set of boundary setting statements, then removing yourself from boundary crossing exchanges after that.

    • Anonymous

      What about if you re-frame it to yourself? For instance, “my mother is super loving and helpful, always has some helpful advice to offer and she worries about me quite a bit. Sometimes, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about but still wants to help so she makes some odd suggestions. Going forward I’m not going to tell her certain things in my life. Other times, she doesn’t have much going on in her life, so she’s pretty focused on making sure I’m okay.”

      And what about if you get her hooked on something you can have in common and talk about as a long-term theme? A tv or book series or video game? Maybe playing an on-line game (words with friends?) or a virtual game? Maybe come up with things she’s good at and ask her advice about?

    • Anonymous

      Always pivot to questions about her ‘I will add HVAC to my to do list but I’d much rather talk about something more interesting, tell me about your lunch with Susie, how are her kids?’
      Always pivot to asking her questions.

  11. crim lawyer

    I know some of you likely completely disagreed with everything I had to say regarding teenagers yesterday.

    Somehow yesterday happened to be 4/20 (what are the odds right) and I had a large number of teenagers calling me from in custody (not for pot though the kids can’t legally have it, for other things relating to the general party time atmosphere of 4/20). Calls started around 1 AM and didn’t end and haven’t stopped. Had court for some of the kids this morning and am still getting emails and calls from parents. So my response definitely had a lot to do with that.

    School provided many of these kids with so much more than just classes. All of that is gone now. I email workers for my kids to find they’ve been laid off or are on leave and there’s no one replacing them. I have a number of clients released from custody due to COVID-19 who were abruptly released without good plans in place. I worry greatly about their safety.

    I appreciate this isn’t the way some of you lived your lives or the way your kids behaved. However I deal with a lot of kids (almost none of whom are staying home) and some of whom don’t have the capacity to practice social distancing. I had an email today from a parent of one of my clients who tells me that she can’t even get her kid to wash his hands let alone practice any of this other stuff.

    The world is a complicated and sad place sometimes, if you can spend more time with your kids and teenagers please do.

    Stay healthy everyone.

    • Anonymous

      I am apparently the one who touched off the firestorm and got accused of having a “brat daughter.” I wasn’t saying that teenagers should be left home alone 50 hours a week. I was saying that teenagers* are capable of doing on-line schoolwork without a parent in the same room cracking the whip every second, as is necessary with many elementary kids. If it’s not safe for kids to be in school, and we have every indication that it will NOT be safe for anyone to be in any type of group setting during the next academic year, then they should be doing real on-line school instead of the mindless worksheets they are currently getting. At the very least, for the next year parents should be offered a choice between in-person and on-line instruction, and the on-line instruction should be of the same quality and variety as the in-person instruction.

      *Those without special needs. Kids involved with the criminal justice system or with special educational needs obviously need alternative accommodations. The vast majority of teenagers do not need such accommodations.

      • No Longer Anon

        I think that whole thread was a sh*t show but the “brat daughter” comment was just beyond the pale awful. It would be awful no matter what, but especially in response to your comments.

      • anon

        I don’t agree with you but I just want to say how completely inappropriate and uncalled for the comment about your “brat daughter” was and I’m really sorry you had to read that. You seem like a very caring and conscientious parent and I’m sure you’re raising your daughter to be the same way.

      • Anon

        Just curious, are you willing to pay for the expertise and time and resources it will take to come up with online education that meets your standards?

        • Anon

          Excellent online schools already exist, so no one should be reinventing wheels. Stanford has one that was originally for so-called gifted children that has become more of a normal prep school. When I was in graduate school, I taught part time at a different online prep school, and some of my students went on to very desirable colleges and universities. It is easier to teach advanced students online, since they are often strong readers and highly motivated. But I know some online schools that are just classic parochial Catholic schools, and they seem to get by too, even in the younger grades. A lot of what works is the same as what works in person (a mix of synchronous discussion and assigned work, a low student to teacher ratio, assignments that encourage cooperation, building a sense of community). Worksheets, online correspondence courses, and MOOCs are not the same.

          I agree that it’s not for every child (though I would emphasize that this has always also been true of classroom instruction, however sincerely they try to accommodate). But text-centric, asynchronous, flexible, and low distraction environments can be quite a good fit for some special needs students, depending on their needs.

          • Anon

            This sounds like something that would be good for your child. If schools are open and you don’t feel comfortable sending her, I’d suggest paying for such online programming yourself. It’s ridiculous to ask schools to completely retool because you don’t want to send your kid who would do well in an online environment when your kid is a sample size of one.

        • Anonymous

          Yeah teachers actually have spent a ton of time learning in person instruction. The means and time to switch to meaningful distance learning is staggering. How do you provide meaningful learning to a kid in a home with a TV constantly blaring no food or internet and drugs and hookers? That’s reality. I don’t give an f about the privileged kids of moms on this board. They’ll be fine. Homeschool if you want.

          • Anon

            Yeah, I’ve been reading here for a solid decade and I don’t think anything has driven home how out of touch a lot of the people here are quite as much as the recent discussions about school closures. Kids who have a safe, quiet place to do schoolwork, a fast internet connection and parents to supervise them and make sure they stay on task and don’t get into any trouble, let alone educated parents who are willing to invest time and money to supplement online lectures (which is necessary for real learning for most kids that age), are such a small minority. I doubt it’s even half the kids in my community and we are way above average for the US in income and education level. Of course the privileged kids will be fine, but we have to worry about all the kids.

      • Anon

        I think the brat daughter comment was uncalled for because your daughter wasn’t the one posting here and didn’t deserve to be called names. But your comments on yesterday’s thread were absolutely selfish and entitled. It’s wildly unrealistic to expect teachers to deliver both in-person and high quality online instruction – that would require all of them doing two jobs simultaneously for the same salary, which is a horrible thing to ask of a population that is already overworked and underpaid – and it’s also unrealistic to expect society to cater to your (frankly, irrational) fear of sending your daughter to school. Society is designed to provide the greatest good for the number. None of us have a crystal ball to the future, but if in late summer, the public health and education experts consider all the factors, including academic education, social and emotional development, and safety (not just safety from COVID but also keeping kids safe from abusive homes, off the streets and the like) and believe that the benefits of opening school outweigh the risks, then that is a fair judgment, even if you feel like it’s not the best decision for *you*. If your daughter has special health conditions that make school less safe for her than the average child due to COVID (although I would point out the risks of a child dying from COVID are less than the risks of the same child dying from flu, even for those children with chronic health conditions), you have every right to homeschool her or hire private tutors for her. Absolutely no one was taking you to task for wanting to homeschool your own child. People were quibbling with you saying the schools should remain closed (and not just closed next year, but closed until there’s a vaccine!!!! which as people explained could be decades away, or literally never even happen) because you’re scared of your kid going to school. You expect everyone to accommodate what would be ideal for your family, but you’re giving absolutely no thought to the way literally millions of other children will be suffering if school remains closed for years.

      • Anon

        I’m mostly amused by the fact that you were dying on the hill that the school day modifications some people were proposing (like longer lunch periods) were impossible, but you’re soooo confident teachers can do a great job teaching in person AND delivering real-time online instruction, apparently during the same time period. You realize that schedule modifications are about 10 billion times easier than asking teachers to teach in two completely different ways, right?! But sure, let’s just assume all the teachers can figure out a way to teach online and in person at the same time. Let’s get them all those time-turning devices from Harry Potter.

        • Anon

          Why would it be the same teachers? I never thought this was the idea. Maybe I didn’t understand.

          • Anon

            Who else would it be? Different teachers? Where are all of these online only teachers going to come from and who is going to pay them?

          • Anon

            Many schools, including my highly-regarded local public high school, don’t have multiple subject matter experts in each subject. Sure, there are several teachers who can teach Algebra I but there’s only one teacher for AP Calculus so I don’t see how they would have any choice but to have the same person teach AP Calculus both online and in person if it was offered both ways. Teachers qualified to do AP classes aren’t something you can suddenly hire on short notice, either.

          • Anon

            The thing about online classes is that the teachers can be almost anywhere.

            I know that students at public schools have enrolled in online courses during normal school hours in order to take AP classes not offered locally, but I honestly don’t know what kind of arrangement was made; I could guess that their parents were just paying tuition, and the school was giving them a free period. But it isn’t a new problem that some students need online education provided through their schools. I know this already happens as an accommodation when needed.

          • Anon

            Ok but the question still stands who is going to pay for this or arrange for this on a much much larger scale? Also the focus on AP coursework really highlights the position of privilege this is coming from. If you want to pay for your kid to take AP classes remotely for the next year, no one is stopping you but I’m far more concerned about the broader population for which online schooling isn’t really a viable option for a variety of reasons: no access to a computer, no access to reliable internet, no safe or quiet space, having to takeover childcare and household duties because parents have to continue to work so family can eat, no stable home environment and school provided that stability, hunger because school normally provides breakfast and lunch, special needs, etc. Schools need to be open. If you don’t want to send your kid, feel free to homeschool but don’t deny kids basic education because you’re scared of sending your kid back and want to shift all focus to developing an expensive model of online learning that has only proven to be effective for hyper privileged kids like yours.

          • Anon

            I am discussing the proposal to open the schools but lower the threshold of access to distance education alternatives. I thought of AP classes in part because there was a question of whether teachers can do more than send a bunch of worksheets (they can; I suspect that’s a school admin issue where it’s happening). And online AP classes a are way to make AP classes more broadly available, not less. I know there are kids whose medical risk factors are going to keep them home even when the schools have reopened (as in, their doctors have already told them they’re waiting for herd immunity or a vaccine). I’m not familiar enough with education law to know what their 504s are going to look like. Some are already homeschooling, but “tough luck, homeschool” is probably not going to be adequate for every family in this position, even if it’s hard to imagine what the solution will be.

          • Anon

            I don’t believe lots of pediatricians are telling children who normally attend regular school that they are personally at risk and need to stay home from school until there’s vaccine or herd immunity. For one thing, any medical professional knows that both those things are a matter of if, not when, and isn’t going to condition their advice on an event that they know may never happen. For another thing, if a child has an immune system that is healthy enough to fight off the flu and colds and normal bacteria, COVID-19 poses no serious risk to them. COVID-19 death rates are markedly lower than flu death rates in children under 18, so why would this virus require school districts to make so many new individual learning plans, when the flu already circulates every year? The (very, very few) children who have conditions like a recent bone marrow transplant that make them susceptible to everyday germs aren’t enrolled in schools or already have special accommodations in place.

          • Anon

            Many families have special accommodations in place for missing a lot of school (this was me as a kid). It’s still different to make up homework at home than to self isolate and never show up at school to begin with!

            I honestly had the same thought about this being less severe for kids, and I wondered if there’s also a concern about children bringing it back to high risk adults in the family (since that’s the situation for the people I know who have an inherited condition). There’s also no way to mitigate the risk as with the flu shot. And we don’t know how to treat it, even compared to the flu. (I personally think people are often too cavalier about the flu and put more faith in the flu shot than is necessarily scientific, but they also want to leave their houses, as we’re all learning now.) And then there are some specific conditions for which COVID theoretically poses higher risk than the flu, and the data is still coming in.

            It’s also entirely possible the doctors are overreacting, but if your doctor tells you, “your child must never catch this,” and your doctor has already been helping you get through CF, CVID, an organ transplant, or whatever is going on, you’re going to listen.

            I don’t really want to engage in arguments about numbers (why does it have to be “lots”? maybe a school district requires exactly one online education plan–shouldn’t it still be a good one?). This is an unusual situation with a novel virus. If only very few students end up needing to be educated in isolation to protect themselves or their families, I don’t think it would be an outrageous expenditure of resources to provide them with a better education than some asynchronous worksheets.

          • anon

            You seem sooooooooooo worked up about these worksheets. People have painstakingly pointed out all of the harms that schools being closed are causing people that pale in comparison to “my kid is bored with these worksheets and I don’t think she’s getting a rigorous enough education at the moment”. I don’t disagree, in a perfect world, yes, we’d have better online programming but something has to take priority and I’m sorry but making perfect online resources for the small number of kids who need to (or parents feel that they should) not return physically to school is not the priority over the millions of kids who vitally need school.

    • Anonymous

      Yes people are super out of touch. At the schools I work with no school means drugs violence hunger and risky sexual behavior.

  12. ipsy trial

    I got one of those offers from Ipsy that I can send a free trial bag to 3 people – they’ve made the rounds in my friend group already so I don’t have anyone else to gift it to. If you want it, post a burner, happy to pass it on. I think I get points if you eventually sign up for them, but I’m sure no one actually does that so no obligation!

  13. bored

    I am 30 years old and used to subscribe to Cosmo and now I just feel like I am too old for it and it’s full of garbage. I would love to subscribe to a monthly paper magazine and having a hard time finding one. Can anyone suggest anything? Looking for anything light that wouldn’t be embarrassing to read in public. Cosmo was dirt cheap hence the subscription.

    • Pure Imagination

      What about something related to home interiors? It’s light and fun to look at, but not embarrassing like Cosmo (no judgment for women having options for reading about s*x, but do they HAVE to have such screaming headlines??)

      • Senior Attorney

        Those are the two I was going to suggest. Also if you like cooking, I enjoy Gourmet and Food & Wine.

        • Senior Attorney

          You’re right I meant Bon Appetit! D’oh!

          Also highly recommend Save Me the Pears, Ruth Reichl’s memoir of the last days of Gourmet!

    • No Longer Anon

      I wish Glamour still did a physical copy, I loved picking it up at the drugstore every few months.

      I agree with possibly a home magazine. I know it’s OTT perfect Pinterest Life-y, but I’ve always liked skimming Real Simple. I also like House Beautiful, Travel + Leisure, and People.

    • Anonymous

      I like allure, Marie Claire and town and country. None of which I’m ashamed to be seen with in an airport (I still but cosmo’s in airports but just for the novelty lol).

    • Housecounsel

      I actually really like O, Oprah’s magazine. I know she has her critics and I really wish she were not aligned with Weight Watchers or whatever it’s called now. The magazine, though, is good. It’s got fashion and makeup for those of us who aren’t 22 and working at a punk rock art gallery, if that is a thing. It has advice columns, which I love, and personality profiles of celebrities and regular people who have done cool things. My favorite thing about it is the book recommendations. I also subscribe to People and Real Simple.

  14. buying property in another country?

    Do any of you have experience purchasing/owning property in another country, especially if you aren’t a citizen? My husband and I have spent extended time living in another country over the last few years, and we’ve been debating about buying property there. We have a couple of acquaintances in the location that own property and they said it was a fine experience and has been fine so far. Our biggest concern is the upkeep when we aren’t there during the year. There are some management companies that we think we could use to make sure the property is safe from weather, wildlife, and intruders, but we need to do more research. Basically, we’re in the very beginning stages of starting to understand the implications, so mostly just looking for resources or pros/cons from anyone who has done it.

    A few more details:
    – Location is a short flight/3-day drive from our current residence
    – We are both American citizens, so no dual-citizenship benefits in this country
    – Current plans to spend 2-3 months/year in the location and seems like this would be the case for at least the next 5 years
    – Not a significant financial hardship/we wouldn’t be expecting to make a profit if we put the house in the rental pool when we aren’t using it

    • Anon

      This will totally out me to anyone who knows me, but oh well. Also, I present this anecdotal evidence as a true worst case scenario, and I acknowledge that there were serious logistical and (let’s be honest) common-sense/intelligence problems with this situation.

      My husband’s parents bought land and built a house in Honduras. They split their time between the US and Honduras just like you’ve described. It was fine for a few years but turned into a nightmare when his father, who was living there for several months at a time, unexpectedly had a heart attack and died. I’ll spare you the logistical issues associated with that – suffice it to say that he is buried in Honduras because they could not manage to transport his body back to the US. They hired a management company and a “security” company that were both worthless. The house was burglarized and vandalized repeatedly until they eventually sold it for a fraction of what they had in it. When they did sell it, they had to rely on a probate attorney to help them with documents that were in Spanish, which neither he nor his mother read or spoke.

      Bottom line: if you are going to do this, buy a condo in a secure building with reputable management. Make sure you can read your deed. It was awful.

    • anon

      Only shallow 2nd-hand stories fromfamily members: They haaated trying to do maintenance on house in country A while they lived in country B for 3 seasons a year, and thrn trying to deal with RE to sell it. OTOH, apparently they did not hate it enough to avoid it, and currently own houses on 3 continents, soo…

    • Anonymous

      Your much much better option is to find a rental or air bnb you like and rent it every year. This is what we do in DH’s home country. They have a duplex, one half they live in and one half is an air bnb. We get it for half the air bnb rate or less as we rent for 3wks- 2 months at a time depending on the year. They actually generally take their vacation when we are staying there because they don’t worry about leaving us with the place. That means we have the whole garden and pool for ourselves. Work your connections in the country to find a similar set up.

    • buying property in another country?

      These are helpful stories, and exactly the kinds of concerns that we have! The positive anecdotes tend to be from more extremes, like they bought the property and then moved there full-time within a year, or they bought land and just keep an old RV on it until they’re ready to build and move there permanently. We had property in another state and used a management company to handle it, and we sold it within a few years because it was a hassle to deal with, even domestically. We’re trying to keep our feet on the ground and not get excited about the possibilities, but it’s quite tempting and we’ve gone down similar rabbit holes before without making a purchase.

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