ByKat Hours Updated
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Coffee Break: Sydney Waterproof Boot

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Nov. 2024 Update: The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is over for the year, and we don't yet know when the 2025 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will be. Stay tuned for their Half-Yearly Sale, which usually starts around Dec. 23. (Unfamiliar with the NAS? Check out this page for more info on why it's the best sale of the year.) Sign up for our newsletter to stay on top of all the major workwear sales, or check out our roundup of the latest sales on workwear!

The below content is about the 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Just an FYI — the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everyone! I updated our big roundup yesterday. (I don't have confirmation on this but I think I noticed some items back in stock — not sure if that's due to returns or more inventory.)

Anyway: Blondo waterproof boots have been reader favorites for years for the nice balance of style/function/comfort — these Sydney waterproof boots look like they'd be fabulous with everything from dresses to jeans. They're currently marked to $99, but after the sale ends they'll go back to $149. They're available in sizes between 5–12. 

(If you're looking for a slight upgrade, Aquatalia and La Canadienne are always great bets for waterproof shoes — these similar boots are priced at only $260; they'll go back to $450 after the sale ends.) 

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 12.5

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:

167 Comments

  1. I feel like I could never keep it together in somewhere like LA with monster commuting times (with kids and a working spouse). I know that people do it, but even in my medium-sized city, I prioritized a lot to be within 20 minutes of work (car commute) and even that is pushing it now that we have (in non-COVID times) school commutes and activities / camps in the summer. Advice?

    1. It’s perfectly okay to opt out of the commute. I did and it made me so happy. (10 minute walk each way – in my previous life I spent at least 55 minutes each way, sometimes more, depending on the state of the buses)

    2. What do you need advice about? It’s perfectly ok to feel this way. I’m the same. I live in the Midwest and my entire life is in a 5 mile radius. I could never go back to even a modest commute.

    3. Prioritize a short commute. If something else comes up that might make it worth it to commute more, weigh your options and then frame your decision in terms of what is important to you. “45 minutes in the car each morning is worth it so that Susie can do the violin camp she loves”, “That daycare in the next town is so nice, but being able to take the morning routine slow before dropping Davie off at the one next to my office is even nicer”, etc. If it’s something that you have some level of control over, own your choice.

      1. +1. Commutes can be a huge source of stress, but as with anything there are trade-offs. I have a 10-15 minute commute but I also live in Indiana. Indiana is fine, but the last time I was in CA I walked around with my mouth open at how beautiful it was out there.
        As for making commutes less cruddy – get the interior detailed and invest in a car trash can. Also HEATED SEATS.

        1. Ha, I moved from California to Indiana and I never ever ever want to move back. Life is so much easier and cheaper here. CA is beautiful but when I lived there I never enjoyed it because I had to work crazy hours and everything was hours away with traffic. Indy and Chicago aren’t much farther apart than SF and San Jose when you factor in the traffic. Plus now I have money to travel all over the place, at least in normal times. ;) Also I do NOT miss earthquakes or wildfires!!

    4. In a most areas it’s a trade off between having a smaller space with a short commute vs having a bigger space with a long commute. It depends on what you prioritize.

      I personally ended up with an expensive closer in living situation, then commuting 22 miles out to the burbs. At least it was reverse commute. I did it for four years but fortunately I had a lot of business travel to break it up.

      A 22 mile commute didn’t seem so bad to me after commuting cross country for the prior four years.

      Apparently I do everything in four year increments.

    5. I have a longish commute (@1hr each way in the Before Times) in a big city but it’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make because 1) I really do love my job and 2) I have no interest in living in the area where I work. I do have a nice car which helps a lot, but it’s not the deal-breaker it is to some people.

      1. If my kids really want to do an activity, we make it happen, but I’m not always the one driving them there. I’ve also fully embraced being free-range, so if my kid can walk home/bike over/carpool, then they do. I can’t helicopter effectively from 20 miles away. My husband picks up the kids and works literal blocks from our house, so that is also helpful.

  2. Recipe stuff.

    I made this recipe last night and it was really good. I was tempted to add more veggies but 1) a pound of celery is a lot of celery, and 2) I decided I wanted to try it verbatim to really appreciate what Bittman describes as a “silky” combination of leeks and celery.

    I’m glad it didn’t mess with it. It’s perfection on its own, and a great and easy thing to do with a package of skinless, boneless chicken thighs.

    https://www.markbittman.com/recipes-1/stir-fried-chicken-with-celery-and-leeks

    1. Good grief! How did I not know that Mark Bittman has a newsletter? Thanks!

      1. I found the recipe index on his site really easy and none of that “blah blah blah family, blah blah blah amusing anecdote” you have to wade through on a lot of cooking blogs.

    1. I wear more jewelry than I did before covid and I don’t even do that many video meetings.

      1. This reminds me: can earring holes really close up? I’ve had my ears pierced for 10+ years, but probably haven’t put any in in . . . a month? I guess I should do that ASAP.

        1. Anecdata — I have a cartilage piercing in HS, then took the ring out in my mid-20s. Around 10 years later, I decided I wanted it again, but it seemed to have closed. I went to a piercer who said that it wasn’t really closed and was able to re-pierce it and put jewelry in it, for the cost of the jewelry and a nominal fee. No pain, no healing time. I think that is your worst case scenario. A month won’t matter.

        2. Yes. Granted I haven’t worn earrings in years so I don’t know when exactly this happened but mine have definitely closed up.

        3. Yes, but I don’t think they would grow back together after a month. I had my ears pierced at thirteen and had to get them redone for senior prom after not wearing any earrings for probably two years.

        4. I put earrings in today because I was worried about the holes closing up. I have nickel allergy so generally I can only wear french wires and dangly earrings, even with hypoallergenic earrings. Now whenever I wear dangly earrings, I nearly tear them off wearing a mask and so I stopped wearing them. My hairstylist suggested posts. Then earlier today before I saw this post, I ordered some small cz posts on the Nordstrom’s sale – they say that they are platinum over a base metal which may work. Only $20. I feel bad if I have to return worn earrings but Nordstrom’s will take them back if they make me break out and get painful ulcers from them.

        5. They definitely can close up! Happened to a friend in high school when she got mono and didn’t wear earrings for a couple months. Perhaps young ears heal faster but it’s a thing that happens.

    2. Aaaaalll the scarves forever. I’ve also gone back to wearing stud earrings and my watch everyday.

  4. Are there any fashion sneakers that are actually comfortable? And that fit triangular feet (narrow feel; ball of foot is M; high arch)?

    I think that may be all I need now as fashion pics on the interwebs show all manner of clothing being worn with them (and upside of the Golden Goose pricey sneaker trend). This I can get behind.

    1. My daughter (19, west coast, v fashionable) says bulky white sneakers. Reebok, Nike, New Balance.

      So basically dad shoes to wear with your mom jeans.

      2. Is the Nike Cortez in this group? I used to love them as a kid in the (gulp) 1980s. I wore then with old-school tube socks, matching the stripes to my shorts in the summer.

        And other related Q: do you wear socks? Hidden socks? Low-cut athletic socks? Perhaps this look is already Too Complicated for me.

        1. I asked my daughter about the socks and it didn’t seem like there was one answer. She said it depends on your style.

          From my observation of her only, it seems like she wears no show socks or no socks with her sneakers. She reserves the sock wearing for her Birkenstocks (yes) and Blundstones/Doc Martens. She dug out all these colorful wool socks I knit for her dad in the early aughts and wears those … not in August, of course.

          1. What.

            I can’t wait to see what my now-5 year old daughter wears when she’s a teenager.

          2. I was only ever able to dress my daughter on the first day of school and picture day. The rest of the time she chose. And boy there were some combinations!

        2. I wear Nike Cortez’s! I also wore them when I was in middle school (I’m 37 FWIW) so it is just nostalgic for me haha. I also wear old-school adidas (white with black stripes, I have both shelltoe and non-shelltoe) and always get compliments on those.

        1. I (just a smidge shy of 30) personally wouldn’t dare wear them, but I will chime in and say that a few of my stylish friends in their early 30s are all about that white bulky sneaker look. I will say, these particular friends dress “younger” than I do in general. But, for what it’s worth though, they always look cute!

        2. Maybe. As her mom, I think she looks super cute. If I wore the same look I’d look like an escapee from a retirement community. But I’m 55, not 30.

          I said what about Adidas and she gave me the side-eye. Apparently Adidas is not cool anymore.

          1. That is hilarious. But what about Adidas slides? Those were huge in the mid 90’s PNW – and you wore them with socks pulled up to the calves. Possibly with sports gear, but also with long boot cut jeans with the back hem completely worn away so the front hem laid on your mid-foot and bunched at least 3 times over your shoes.

      2. I love Cole Haan, but they run a bit narrow and many/most styles don’t come in wide. I don’t have a wide foot but Cole Haan is too narrow in the toe box for me.

      4. Grandzero sneakers are lovely. Although I found the knitted grandzero knitted sneakers (in a magical coral color) to be so tight on the top of my foot I sold them on Poshmark.

    4. Not necessarily what you are asking, but I just purchased ecco leather sneaker shoes on sale in pale pink, and they do look good with my casual skirts and dresses. They come in a variety of colours as well as neutrals and I have narrow heels and wider front of foot. I haven’t yet returned to work, but my workplace is super casual and a wear whatever you like type of place.
      Colleagues wear everything from jeans and runners, to jeans and heels, to dresses to everything. I stand most of the day and have foot issues, so I’m always trying to figure out shoe looks that work with Dresses and skirts, which I mostly wear. I also have back pain if I go above an inch heel. In fall and winter I do boots with tights( I have the blondo Liam which is a lower heel than the one featured here, and they are ok for comfort, but not amazing) I suggest purchasing la canadienne on sale— I have a small fleet of la canadiennes going back over five years, and they are warm, comfy, and last a looong time.
      I struggle with finding cute and wearable for me shoes for spring and fall. I have naot sandals, which are casual (some women at work wear Birkenstock’s but I like my toes covered). I have my eye on vionic flats due to the arch support, but I am in between sizes in that brand, and I either slip out of their flats or they are too small. Between my foot issues and love of dresses and skirts, I find I’m always on the hunt for a cute comfy flatfish shoe!

      1. I have eccos and really like them — can replace the insole with one better suited to my foot etc. I’ve also worn aetrex and vionic — some cute style runners and comfie!

      1. Alas, All birds are lovely, but even with my custom orthotic they don’t offer enough arch support!

  5. If anyone has driven into NYC (or knows someone who has or just has knowledge on this topic) and you’re driving a car with plates from one of the quarantine states — how is that handled? Are you pulled over when approaching the Lincoln Tunnel? Live in NJ but my car has Va. plates and I have a Va license (rented a place in NJ 2 months ago so that’s where I’m living now but my residence permanently is Va). Va is a quarantine state on NY’s list. Should I expect to be pulled over? What do they ask? FWIW I’m not staying in NYC — driving in and picking up an older relative (who has done all the requisite staying in for 2 weeks etc.) so that she can get out of her apartment that she hasn’t left in 5 months and come stay with me in the suburbs; so I’ll be in the city for like a half hr.

    1. That’s actually insane if they’re pulling people over for that. The New York Times had an article about this on March 28 regarding Rhode Island pulling the same thing on New Yorkers. An excerpt:
      “Legal experts said that states were on shaky ground pulling people over just for their license plates. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday that Rhode Island’s action was “at the point of absurdity.”“If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island, because that clearly is unconstitutional,” Governor Cuomo said on CNN, though he added that he didn’t think it would come to that. “We’ll work it out amicably, I’m sure,” he said.

      My how the tables have turned!

        1. Multiple news outlets have reported that NYC will be pulling over cars with license plates from certain states solely because of the license plates. So I’m not sure why you would say that they are not…

    2. You might just make a copy of your NJ lease and keep it in your glove box. I don’t live in NYC, but I do live in a state with restrictions on out of state visitors. Lots of people have moved this summer and DMVs are even slower than usual, so I guarantee you wouldn’t be the first person with plates/license that don’t match where you live. Make it easy for the people enforcing the quarantines and have verification ready and they will most likely let you go about your business.

    3. I heard they were *thinking* of doing some random pullovers at entry to the city, but it’s definitely not a thing that every car with out of area plates is being pulled over (and maybe none are currently). Even under lighter covid driving volume, this would be a traffic nightmare.

    5. I think you’ll be fine. They may randomly pull you over and tell you about the quarantine. It won’t be a big deal.

    6. I did this on Sun., 8/9 coming from MA via the MA Pike in a rental car with RI plates. RI is part of the travel ban. MA, CT, and NY are not. We only passed through those states. I had my rental car paperwork and my MA driver’s license.

      I was traveling with a friend who had to pick up items from her office. She’s been WFH and will be remote for the rest of the year.

      There were signs indicating checkpoints. We were not stopped at her office in downtown (Columbia) nor at her apartment in Queens. NYC was very vacant, per her assessment, everywhere except Harlem.

      1. To clarify- I picked up the rental car in MA. It happened to have RI plates, as rental cars often have random plates from other states. We did not go through RI. I was moderately concerned we’d be stopped because RI is part of the travel ban, and any cop would think we’d come from RI. That didn’t happen.

        1. Today in MA, there’s still signs all over the freeway saying to visit a website with info about the quarantine if you’re traveling from out of state. I haven’t seen any checkpoints in MA, though. I suspect there’s little enforcement of the travel bans.

  6. I want some slippers for the winter/fall WFH life because my apartment is freezing. I like shearling lined or otherwise warm and cozy and would like moccasins or low booties. I would like something hard sole so I can take the dog outside in them at night. No slide type slippers. I’m willing to buy the Ugg Ansleys but wanted to see if there are any that others like that are similar but cheaper. I had a pair of Minnetonka moccasins and the leather strap/bow thing broke within a couple of months of buying them and they stretched out massively.

    TIA!

    1. I adore my Acorn Faux Chinchilla booties, I’m on my second pair. The first pair lasted almost five years of daily use.

    2. LLBean. They have one version with a hard sole

      I just keep rebuying these when they wear out after a few years.

      1. Second the LLBean classic slippers with the hard sole. Love them and they last like 3 to 4 years for me.

      2. Another vote for LL Bean. I live in my Wicked Good slippers from the moment the leaves start to get crispy each fall until I am forced to turn the a/c on the next summer.

    3. I don’t know about alternatives, but I have a pair of Ugg slippers (the slide kind), and they may be my favorite possession. I vote for splurging on the Uggs!

    4. Not what you asked, but my apartment is also freezing and I bought a pack of merino wool socks from Costco last fall that I wear whenever I’m hanging out in the apartment. They’re super soft, warm without making my feet sweat like synthetics, don’t get smelly (bc merino wool), and cost around $3 a pair. Might be a good companion to your slippers.

      1. I agree. Rosa got a pair like you and her feet usually smell really bad in the winter b/c of her being inside and then having to go out all the time so she cannot take her shoes off; therefore by the end of the day, when she finally takes her shoes off, she has to wash her feet right away, or Ed will not let her into bed. So it actually was his idea to find these for her so that her feet do not stink and she no longer has to wash her feet before going to bed. Personally, I also have a foot odor problem, but since I have no boyfreind, it does not matter if my feet smell bad, b/c it is only me that has to smell them.

      2. +1
        I have picked up a pack of these from last three years. They are warm,soft and durable. I wear them with both for walking (which is my workout) as well as with boots (for work and going out).

    5. No suggestions, but just a heads up to other considering Minnetonka styles to always size down, since they always stretch a lot.

    7. Sorel has several styles of slippers and slipper boots with indoor-outdoor soles. I have the Out N About booties and love them. No itchy wool, and unlike Uggs they have a little bit of arch support.

    8. I have these and they have been the MVP of quarantine:
      https://www.amazon.com/TOMS-Womens-Bootie-Adult-Natural/dp/B07T9NJ64X/ref=asc_df_B07T9NJ64X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=398697598685&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4728413923324367946&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032015&hvtargid=pla-842892078956&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=87371740071&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=398697598685&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4728413923324367946&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032015&hvtargid=pla-842892078956

    12. Thanks all! Bunch of options to look at. I also am a big fan of merino wool socks. Bought some before I went to Iceland this year (in the Before Time) and wore them all winter and spring.

    13. I thought you were staying with your parents? (Just curious – not a stalker. Feel free to ignore. )

  7. Has anyone tried any products from thrive causemetics? I keep seeing their ads and the eye brightener seems intriguing to me. Also, separately, does anyone here use dr. perricone’s no foundation or no eye shadow?

    1. I use No Eyeshadow Eyeshadow. (Real eyeshadow never stays on for me, even with expensive primer.) It’s good for evening the skin color around my eyes, namely eliminating redness.

    2. I tried the No Foundation and did not like it. It has a disagreeable fishy smell, goopy texture and offers no coverage.

    3. The Thrive eyeliner is the best I’ve ever used–it stays on like nobody’s business and it doesn’t irritate my eyes. I wasn’t wowed by the eye brighter–maybe I just picked the wrong color. It’s really close to my natural skin tone and is a little more sparkly than I like. The mascara is good–doesn’t flake or irritate my eyes, but I think my lashes look thicker with any of the tube options Ive tried elsewhere. The BB or maybe it’s CC(?) cream is fantastic. It doesn’t transfer on to other things and is a nice consistency (thinner than Super Goop’s and thicker than most of the other brands I’ve tried. Nice tint that isn’t the least bit chalky even though SPF is high(35 SPF I think?). It’s kind of expensive though for the size. I don’t like ordering online. But overall, I’ve been pretty happy. The eyeliner is seriously best ever.

  8. If bulky white sneakers are in style, next up are black platform Steve Madden slides. Which are comfortable and make you taller, so that doesn’t actually sound too bad.

  9. Good fashion news — fashion bloggers are wearing bandanas and what looks to be very pretty scarves over their masks (you can tell b/c the ear elastics usually peek out). This I like! I have some pretty scarves and bandanas and don’t want my mouth gunk on them. And I want a protective face covering. Mask + something pretty over top I think may work for me. I know it is complicated, but would be at least a relevant way to use accessories now.

    1. Hmm, it sounds very overdone and fussy and like a shameless ploy to get you to buy more items (mask plus scarf). Also, more reasons to touch your face with potentially unclean hands and more material to suffocate under. Hard pass.

      I’d much prefer the simplicity of an attractive mask.

        2. It’s essentially spam, obviously, so I’m not taking it seriously at all. Why are you?

    2. Look at eShakti. They have some masks that have a scarf part attached. They look better than I’m making them sound. If you don’t need the mask on you can tuck it under and it looks like you’re just wearing a pretty scarf. My boss has a few and I really like them.

  10. I’m steaming. Spouse and I are under contract in a hot real estate market in New Jersey. We knew the appraisal might be an issue and are okay financially with the appraisal report we received (we will have to pony up some extra money).
    Am I being unreasonable — our mortgage broker did not send us the appraisal report immediately when it became available. Broker communicated the appraisal outcome with our real estate agent (buyer’s agent) asking for additional comps… attempting to get a second review on the appraisal issue.
    Our real estate agent didn’t tell us this was happening. Agent did not disclose to us until we prompted. I was waiting on news about appraisal and finally like “hey, the appraisal should be here. where is it?” And agent said “broker is trying to get this fixed, and so I didn’t tell you because the broker asked me ‘not to worry you'”.
    Is this standard practice?

    1. I’d say it’s standard practice to try to “get it fixed,” maybe less so to no communicate, but not completely beyond the pale. I think many if not most buyers would expect the broker to try and get the appraisal increased.

      Why are you steaming? Are you worried that the delay might crater the deal?

    2. It’s weird that you didn’t get a copy automatically, since you presumably paid for it! We just got an appraisal for our refi and it came in pretty low (though the appraiser did ask if we needed a number which we said no to). I think everyone is appraising low right now.

    3. Eh, nothing to be furious over. More like mild annoyance. (But I totally understand if it’s the nth thing this agent has done and you’re predisposed to be annoyed – bad agents are the worst.)

    4. Nope. They should have sent the appraisal straight to you, esp if you’re on the escrow clock.

    5. I’m not practicing but I am a licensed salesperson. Agents do this fairly regularly, especially if you are using a mortgage lender/broker that is a good friend or referral of your agent. Did that come in to play here? I’m team Everyone Should be Independent when buying a house – brokers, insurance agents, attorneys, lenders, inspectors, absolutely everyone. It’s insane how many behind the scene referrals go on that are in direct conflict with you, the buyer (or seller). Yes you have to disclose referrals that are compensated officially, and sometimes they are in teeny tiny language somewhere deep in all the paperwork, but everyone’s end goal is to get you to close on your purchase at the highest price, whether it’s in your best interest or not…. I digress.

      I would be incredibly annoyed just from an ethics perspective, but I would not blow the deal up over it. I think a lot of agents overreach and I don’t enjoy being left out of communication as a buyer (maybe extra so in my case as I am licensed). Personally, I wouldn’t use the agent again and I wouldn’t refer the agent to anyone else. Also, the appraisal technically belongs to you (once ordered by, delivered to and accepted by the lender as required by FIRREA) – you pay for it! Your agent literally has no legitimate say over it (good luck convincing a bank to change the appraisal – it can happen but incredibly rarely) and in my opinion should not be handling it or trying to change it without you.

  11. Can you cook rice in a crockpot? I know you can in an instapot, but I don’t have one. I like rice, but tending to it is not zoom compatible (for me) as it seems to boil over at inopportune times. I have a zoom that will end probably when I will be most hungry and am plotting away right now.

    1. I haven’t done that but you can cook rice in an oven. It takes longer because instead of quickly bringing it to a boil and then reducing to a simmer, you are basically cooking it at a simmer the whole time. There are lots of recipes for this. You just need an oven proof pot that has a lid.

    2. You can cook it in the microwave, and its very easy and mine usually comes out just right. One cup of rice, two cups of water. Microwave on high power for 5 minutes, stir. Microwave the rest on 50% power for 15 minutes.

      1. I do full power for 11 minutes. This is the only way I cook rice, I don’t have time to be bothered doing it on the stove top.

        1. When I cook rice on the stove top, it takes about ten minutes. I don’t understand all these supposed time savers that really don’t seem to save any time.

    3. If you like rice and eat it regularly, a rice cooker is a very good investment.

      2. I didn’t realize until I was a freshman in college that you could cook rice in other ways besides a rice cooker…

      3. I have a rice cooker, but I much prefer to bake it in the oven in a glass pan for easy cleanup & free counter space.

      4. i totally agree, and if you get a zoijurushi one, it sings a little tune cheerfully to you when the rice is done! i love it

        1. off topic but I love appliances that sing at the end of their cycles! Our dishwasher sings and I love it.

          1. Yeah my washer and dryer sing songs when they’re done. I keep asking them to teach the dishwasher to sing instead of beep, but so far no luck.

    4. Cook rice like pasta, then you don’t have to tend to it. Bring a pot of water to boil, toss rice in, let boil 2-4 minutes, drain, put rice back in hot pot and let sit for 20 minutes off heat. Perfect rice every time. If using basmati, rinse a few times before adding to the boiling water.

  12. Job interviewing question: Just before we all went remote in March, I was in the process of scheduling an in-person interview, after an initial HR screener. Then everyone went WFH and the company said they were suspending interviews for the time being and would keep me posted. I had done an initial follow-up email around April, but did not receive a response then.

    Is there a scenario where it’d be appropriate to follow up and see if the company is interested in interviewing? I’d still love to interview with the company, but it’d be an opportunistic hire, they’re not advertising for a position (and weren’t at the time either). I think this company’s industry took a slight hit but not materially–it’s an industry that would be quite busy right now (think, restructuring / litigation crisis work).

    1. It sounds to me like the ball is very much in their court. They told you they would keep you posted, have not contacted you at all, and didn’t reply to the attempt you made already.

      Even if they have consistent business right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re unable to hire, especially for a position that would have to be newly created. I’m sorry.

    2. No it’s not appropriate to follow up. If they’re still hiring, they’ll reach out. I suspect they’re not.

    3. I had that happen – I just didn’t get the interview is how it all landed (saw that the position had been filled).

    4. I’m in the same situation but I figure the company knows who I am and if they were still hiring, they’d reach back out. It was kind of hard to get all excited about the job, picture myself in it, etc, but it’s the pandemic, it’s not me. It’s tough for everyone now. It’s not personal.

      1. (Just to add, I did the final interview stage, then the company put everything on hold.)

  13. I’ve put on 5 lbs during covid (fit perfectly into pants the next size up, which were a little roomy, and pants the size down were a little tight ). Apparently all of this weight went to my hips because I hate how ALL of my underwear fits! I’ve never had so many VPLs!

    Sigh. Rant over. Heading over to Soma or Target or aerie to buy a size larger in a few styles.

    1. I hear you! I am not a L in Soma Vanishing Edges because I am busting through the seams. I bought the Ls when I started busting out of the Ms. Ugh. Also up a bit, but not yet the full COVID-15 :(

    2. Commiseration! All my weight goes straight to my hips/belly/thighs. I notice weight gain first in how my underwear fits (or, well, doesn’t fit).

      You’ll feel better when you size up, though. Glad you are treating yourself to some new pairs!

  14. I think I’m burned out. I’m a lawyer in a covid-heavy area and March 10-July 20 was insane. Busiest I’ve ever been (18 hour days, coupled with several clients worried about failing businesses, layoffs, AND people dying). Oof.

    In the last few weeks, life has…smoothed out. Fewer deaths in my area, still high risk, but clients are less panicked (for now). I have billed next to nothing the last few weeks. Have zero motivation to work at home, in my new ‘home office space’ (where I’ve worked for months now but didn’t have a dedicated desk, etc.). A colleague remarked my structure to working at home before was simply urgent/fire mode – the routine was, constant work. Now, I need to find a new structure. And I – don’t want to? can’t? have no motivation? I read Kat’s post on WFH but admittedly didn’t glean a lot. Anyone thriving at home who can talk me through the adjustment period and some ways to accept this?

    1. I have no advice – just commiseration and following to see what others say…

      Is it possible you’ve hit burn out? Are you in a position to take a few days off?

      I try to set up deadlines for myself to trick myself into that “this is urgent!” feeling. But, admittedly, it doesn’t always work… Wishing you luck and space to be gentle with yourself.

    3. First, take some real vacation days. If you can’t travel, try to come up with something that gets you away from screens. (I painted my bedroom when I took a few days off work.) When you’re recharged, come back with set work hours, and use the Pomodoro technique or other productivity techniques that have helped you in the past. I also find that a good morning routine helps me. I don’t start work until 9, but I like to wake up in time to enjoy my coffee and either read or do some yoga before starting work.

  15. We will be moving to the Detroit suburbs in two months. Husband and I are locked in a debate Ann Arbor VS Birmingham.Nice house, good schools and a liberal minded diversy community are important to us.

    one of us will be working downtown; the other in Dearborn.

    1. aw hi welcome! Ann Arbor to Detroit is a pretty far commute (min 45 minutes without traffic) but I suppose compared to Birmingham, it’s not a huge difference. Birmingham housing market is a little more expensive than Ann Arbor. Both have great schools, Ann Arbor maybe a little better, but in Ann Arbor you also have to consider the fact that it’s mainly a college town. I think Ann Arbor tends a little more liberal and diverse.
      If you’d like to chat offline you can email me at abbycorporette at gmail!

    2. In my experience, Birmingham is more conspicuous consumption and has more of a veneer of polish – the upscale store and restaurants. Ann Arbor is more diverse, has more variety of incomes, restaurants and lifestyles. But, Ann Arbor in a normal fall could be hard to take if you’re not a football person (and specifically a U of M football person. U of M people can be…a lot.).

    3. Ann Arbor is not really a Detroit suburb. It’s a separate city almost an hour away. I like college towns but they are not suburbs and have all their own pros and cons. Pros being things like diversity due to the university and great educational opportunities for kids (summer camps, etc), cons being tons of drunk undergrads everywhere, not being able to go anywhere on certain weekends (home games, graduation, parents weekend etc.) without waiting hours for a table. Also real estate there is pretty insane, although maybe less so if you don’t need to be close to campus. Friends live there and had a very hard time finding a decent house under $1M but they wanted to be walking distance to campus. As someone who bought a beautiful house in a less trendy Midwest college town for $300k, there was a lot of sticker shock when I checked out Zillow in AA. But it may be comparable to or even cheaper than some Detroit suburbs, I don’t know.

      1. Yeah… Ann Arbor is definitely not considered a suburb of Detroit. It’s a separate city all on its own. I can’t imagine commuting between Detroit and AA on a daily basis.

      2. +1 to everyone above. Ann Arbor is it’s own small city/college town, not a suburb. I wouldn’t call either that diverse after moving from Ann Arbor to Houston… but both are very nice

        1. Diversity in a college town usually means cultural/nationality diversity, not necessarily racial diversity. In my kid’s daycare class of 20, less than half the parents are US natives and there are kids whose families are from China, Iran, Korea, Switzerland, Russia, Colombia and Honduras. But racial diversity, particularly in the sense of Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans, can be really lacking. There’s also not much socioeconomic diversity, although I think that’s a problem in a lot of cities.

    4. Where are you moving from?
      Ann Arbor is definitely it’s own city – not really a suburb of Detroit. It’s a long drive on the highway to get to Detroit- you’ll encounter traffic around Plymouth, and in the snowy weather I’d worry about the emptyish stretch between the airport and Ann Arbor. If I were you, I’d consider Northville as a nice option.
      I grew up in Birmingham and my parents are still there- it’s a lovely place to live and work, but it’s not really diverse at all.

      1. Grew up in nearby Bloomfield Hills and spent a lot of time in Birmingham … Agree re: the Northville recommendation (although I will note people say Northville is even snobbier than Birmingham which I’m not sure is possible but *shrug*)

  16. I am hoping for advice from this savvy group of ladies.

    I was a practicing lawyer for ~10 years in a very male-dominated field. A few years ago, I was able to make the jump from counsel to client. I am in a business role with a large organization. My law license is inactive. My boss and many of my colleagues are recovering lawyers too. Yet I find myself alone with the following strange problem:

    Counterparties look me up on LinkedIn, see that I was a lawyer in a previous life, and essentially refuse to deal with me as a business person. They do not listen when I inform them that I am not licensed or authorized by my company to negotiate legal issues. They claim they need counsel on our calls, they do not return my calls but have their outside counsel call me back instead, etc. It is downright bizarre, and it puts me in the position of not being able to do my job – which is to essentially conduct early-stage business discussions. My company doesn’t want to waste money on lawyers if there is no deal to be had.

    My ex-lawyer boss has never dealt with this. My ex-lawyer colleagues have never dealt with this – and some of them practiced way longer than me, including an ex-partner from Medium Law. It makes me wonder if there is a gendered component, e.g. I’m a woman so I cannot possibly be the business owner; I can only be support staff, e.g. legal.

    Any advice? I feel like I am being frozen out from my job and I want to keep it!

    1. Can you take down your LinkedIn profile for a few months and see if anything changes?

    2. Are you signaling that you are a lawyer somehow (e.g. you add a JD to your signature Can you add a non-lawyerly title (e.g. Director, Business Development or whatever) instead? Can you leave the degrees blank on your LinkedIn or just describe your workplaces without the lawyer title? I suspect there may be a gendered component to them not taking you as seriously, but this is still weird. What field/industry are you in?

      1. My title is non-lawyerly and I definitely do not add a JD to my name.

        Interesting idea to delete all my education and prior professional background. I will give it a try.

  17. Would love to get the hive’s take on something. For various reasons (major untreated anxiety/depression in my 20s and early 30s paired with a belief that I wasn’t the kind of person who would ever find love), I do not have a ton of long-term relationship experience. I am trying to date online, mainly video chats at this point since it’s a pandemic. If I met someone I liked, I might be open to meeting up outside in a park with masks. Maybe.

    But I haven’t even gotten to that point. I am surprised at how many men ask on the first date about my relationship history or ask how long I’ve been single. Sometimes it’s one of the first questions they ask me. It feels so personal and awkward. We’re still trying to figure out if we like each other, and won’t that information come out if we continue dating? I always feel like I have to defend my lack of relationship history or come up with a cheery answer that changes the subject. I end up disliking the guys who ask this question because it makes me feel like they can’t read the room, but I’m wondering if I’m the one that is wrong for feeling this way.

    What do you think?

    1. It’s normal to ask but you don’t have to go into a lot of detail. ‘Never married, a couple longer relationships but no hard feelings in the break ups – just not the right people. How about you?’ or whatever vaguely describes your history.

      1. Yep. I think they might be trying to see if you’ve been divorced and are carrying around lots of baggage…which is a totally legit concern for men and women in their 30s+. This vague answer ^ is a good one.

    2. I think they’re probably just trying to make conversation. It probably seems on point to them because you’re on a dating site and it’s also a segue to see what you’re looking for. I totally get why you might feel judged but a lot of people have never had a serious relationship, more than you think. Nothing wrong with saying that you haven’t been too seriously involved with anyone in the past but are looking for something more serious now.

    4. I can relate! My now-fiance was my first-ever “official” boyfriend, though I went on plenty of dates beforehand and tried my darndest to “put myself out there” for years and years ha. We’ve been together a little less than 2 years now, but I still vividly remember how weird and jarring it was the first time I actually shopped for a Valentine’s card and present for him. I kept thinking, “Who the heck am I and when did I become someone who shops for her BOYFRIEND? Since when am I someone why says things like, ‘My boyfriend and I’?”

      My advice is just to be yourself, be honest in your answers to potential dates, and trust that the right man won’t consider your lack of relationship experience a deal-breaker. My now-fiance was shocked when I told him early-on that I’d never had a boyfriend before. But he didn’t hold it against me.

      If my experience feels too anecdotal, I can attest that two of my close friends also got their first official boyfriends in the past 2 years. One couple is on the brink of getting engaged (he just bought a ring) and the other couple is planning to get engaged next year.

    5. “I’ve done a bit of dating but it has been a long time since I’ve been in a serious relationship. How about you?”

      If you’ve never been in a serious relationship, this is an OK white lie for you to tell until you get to know someone better.

      I find it’s worse when they want details about your s3xual history. No one is entitled to that other than whether you’re clean and what the birth control situation is. No one is entitled to that.

    6. Eh, I think it’s totally normal and something I was mutually interested in finding out when I was dating. There were a ton of “just broke up last week” people online dating and I wanted to suss our rebound from really looking. I think it’s a natural segway into talking about what you’re looking for/basic aim is (fun, for now, serious relationship, etc.). It’s hard to remember sometimes but it is a date, not a job interview and you’re going to get personal in that setting.

      1. Again with the moderation for nothing! My TLDR is normal, and I wanted to know too so turn the question back

  18. Anyone else swinging wildly between extremely productive days where you feel on fire with creativity and progress, and intense depression/lack of being able to do anything? Just me?

    Sometimes I’m like, “look at me! I have all this time at home and I will MAXIMIZE every second!” and I’m cleaning between meetings, getting in two workouts a day, and cooking healthy meals.

    And then it hits me that there is a pandemic and I have not been in a group setting or public place in over five months and I honestly still feel like I’m in the middle of a bad dream because if I swear if I woke up and told my friends that I dreamt this, no one would believe me!

    I never know when one mood or the other will hit. All I can do is ride them out as they come, I guess. Anyone else in the same boat?

    1. Yup. No idea what to do about it but yeah, it’s a bit of roller coaster.

      1. I felt like this before the fires and now I cannot concentrate at all. And I work with a bunch of guys who say they have outsourced dealing with the pandemic to their wives and are boasting about how busy they are. Do you think it’s all B.S. and they are secretly also googling how fast the cases in our area are doubling?

    2. Oh, yea; I’m with you. I’m either super productive, energetic, and focused or I’m a bump on a log. There is no in between. Some days I’m like “I’m going to come out of this a published author and prolific painter.” And other days, I’m like “I have no idea what day it is, when I last washed my hair, what are we talking about…?”

      1. I put off showering for at least 2 hours today, and said “I’m just about to take a shower” to various family members at least five times during that period.

        My husband ran an errand and when he left I told him ok, I’m going to hop in the shower. I was still sitting on the bed when he came back.

      1. Guess it’s not as obvious as I thought – Vicky is my (chosen) screenname, not a real name, and I’d never come across anybody with that name in real life before, and realized that I’d kind of gotten used to it meaning me!

          1. Yes – Madeleine L’Engle. I figured somebody had already used Meg Murry. And I always related to Vicky more anyway. ;)

          2. There used to be a Meg Murry who posted here, but I haven’t seen her in a long time. We do have plenty of literary and TV characters in the community!

  20. I’m a convert to Birkenstock Mayari sandals, and would love to get the same sort of support this winter. Their clogs are really not my style, and I can’t see myself changing that. Do they have other options I’m missing? Or is there another brand with more stylish options I should look at? I’m open to lots of styles, just not clogs…

    1. I think it’s just the clogs unfortunately. I wear them as house slippers but understand how you feel about wearing them out and about.

    3. It doesn’t work in wet weather, but Arizonas and wool socks are my go-to winter footwear when it’s dry out. The winters are fairly mild where I live (some nights in the 30’s, but few frosts). I have clogs, but I don’t wear them often. They’re not as comfortable to me.

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