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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 146 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Walcot Bag

Coffee Break

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Boden walcott bagI love a good roomy hobo, and this one from Boden looks fantastic — and really intelligently designed. I like the pocket on the outside of the bag with a “magnetic dot closure,” as well as the “feature flap” and fun lining. I even like all five colors the bag comes in — we've pictured it in navy, but there's also a black with a leopard print flap, a red (with a red printed flap), as well as a mustard and gray iteration. The bag is $230-$250, at Boden. Walcot Bag Psst: two sales of note, namely the Stuart Weitzman flash sale happening at Last Call, as well as the Lo & Sons warehouse sale, with final sale prices up to 70% off. 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 9.16.24

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Comments

  1. Senior Attorney

    This is fab. I love the look of a flap but I hate having to deal with an actual flap. Also PSA: 20% off with coupon code AAAO98458K.

  2. BabyAssociate

    Anyone own a Suistudio suit? It’s Suitsupply’s women’s line. They have a nice variety, natural fibers, and reasonable prices.

    • givemyregards

      No, but thank you for bringing this to my attention as I’ve been looking for something to fill the j. crew super 120s gap in my suiting life. Not sure I could get away with some of their bolder options in my office, but the classic ones look really lovely.

    • Anon

      Not me, because their sizing is LIMITED. But my husband has been SUPER happy with the Suitsupply suits he has, and will probably only buy suits from them going forward.

      • BabyAssociate

        That’s what I’ve heard from men too, so I figure it’s worth a shot!

    • NYNY

      I’ve been to the store in Brookfield Place and got a great dress. I’m thinking of ordering a custom suit, because the jacket quality is incredible, but I’m not a fan of pantsuits, and their only skirt suits are off. They told me they could make a custom pencil skirt for me.

      Customer service is fantastic, and they did a great job tailoring my dress.

    • Ms B

      Someone order from them and report back. I am totally intrigued because the suits come in short and may actually fit (or at least be alterable for a reasonable amount).

    • Suited

      I ordered a Suistudio lavender wool blazer that was part of a suit, but the jacket only. It fit well and was attractive, especially given the reasonable price. It’s really hard to find classically styled blazers these days in anything other than black or navy. I like to pair different colored blazers with black pants as a change of pace from full on matching suiting.

      I then ordered a gray blazer with the matching pants. I did not like the pants at all — they are cut on the skinny side and did not fit well. I would stick with the jackets and only more classic styles. Worth tying for sure. They come in a really nice box and a nylon suit bag.

    • Tina

      Wow, love these suits.

      I’m going to start interviewing. Would the Cameron Midnight Blue suit work?

      How about similarly styled (with a nicer blouse) than the model has?

      I am tall, pretty slender, and mid-30s. Would be interviewing for senior management positions in aseveral industries.

  3. printed dresses?

    I was at a conference where a lot of women wore patterned/printed dresses, sometimes with a blazer over. The dresses weren’t true sheaths, but it was more of a loose sheath than an a-line or shift shape dress (also: they weren’t shirtdresses). I thought it was a sharp look with the dresses solo (often with slim (not bell/ruffled) longer sleeved) and under a blazer (often colored; good b/c the room was freezing).

    The patterns were often geometric (not floral) or otherwise inobtrusive.

    Any thoughts on places to look? I have some Leota wraps, but the shapes didn’t line up with what they have (I love Leota b/c they are washable and pack well, but don’t want to have so much of my wardrobe from one place like this or DVF or somewhere else recognizable).

  4. metoo family update

    I asked earlier this week for opinions about getting together with DH’s relative who was accused of se*ual misconduct. Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I decided not to go. The accused’s partner left him awhile ago – so it was just him and DH. Apparently they discussed the allegations, and he expressed no remorse (aside from the personal impacts of his fall from grace) – it seems that he truly does not seem to understand what he did wrong. Which is amazing to me given the misconduct allegations, as described by several women, provided in news coverage. I would consider having a relationship with someone who was regretful, sorry, or at least willing to reevaluate his actions. The absolute blindness to wrongness, however, makes it impossible to move on at this time. How should we deal with these individuals who are just so oblivious – will they ever understand the implications of their actions?

    • anon

      I’m really sorry; that is a very disappointing outcome.

      As far as your question about how to deal with oblivious people? I have no idea, and it’s weighing heavily on my mind lately.

      • Ellen

        I agree. Unremorseful men are not men at all. We, as women, ought to disasociate ourselves from such slobs. I had a boyfriend like this, and he never even realized I think that I was being misused by him. FOOEY on all men who do not respect us as women. After all, they DO want us for s-x, so why can’t they respect us? DOUBEL FOOEY!

    • Anonymous

      I think you and your husband should cut him out of your life and write him a letter/email explaining why. Do your best to make him understand that there are consequences for his actions and his lack of remorse – if you just ghost or fade out he might suspect but will probably be in denial, this way you can confront him on some level about it. He might never understand, but at least stating straightforwardly why you are cutting him out will leave less room for denial.

      • Anonymous

        This a thing you can do if you want, but I don’t think there’s any reason to think that you “should.”

        Practically, the most likely outcome is you are seen as the bad guys (no matter what the letter says), and he can get more sympathy from the people who stick around (people who support his behavior).

  5. Everlong

    Anyone have recommendations for a waterproof running jacket that can handle being outside in rain for 4+ hours? I have been a distance runner for years and can’t believe that I don’t have this figured out. I have a marathon coming up, I feel like it’s always raining, and the forecast for now is rain. Temperature will be in the 50s. I like to be on the cooler side when I run. I have always just gone with regular moisture-wicking clothes in the rain but recently ran a half where it rained the whole time and the moisture-wicking materials just got wet and bothersome. Thank you!

    • Anonymous

      i got a good one at the nike outlet, but cant remember what ur was called

    • Monday

      I have a rain jacket from Lululemon with mesh vents that zip open and closed. It’s great, though I confess I’ve never run in it for 4 hours of rain–more like 30 min.

    • BB

      You want a light gore-tex jacket (or one of the private-label “breathable membrane” fabrics). They will work as long as you’re not in heavy pelting rain for 4 hours. Thicker gore-tex will stand up to hours of heavy rain, but will also be less breathable and heavier.

      • Ms B

        Make sure that you get one with pit zips in case you need the venting. Another nice feature is one with a back that also vents.

    • Anonymous

      Honestly I’d just run in a sports bra/crop. It’s what I did for my last marathon in rain and 40 degree temps. Even a lightweight jacket is going to feel stifling in 50 degree weather (if it’s truly waterproof, it’s not breathable) for marathon running. Sports bra will be soaked, but no more soaked than running on a hot day and getting soaked with sweat. And you’ll have nothing wet clinging or hanging.

      • Katie

        Would you consider a vest rather than a jacket? I had a Pearl Izumi jacket with zip-off sleeves that was excellent for running in the rain, though most of the time I didn’t use the sleeves. Not sure how it would hold up for 4 hours, but was great for 1-1.5 and would keep your core warm. For me, waterproof sleeves in 50 degree weather would be too warm.

      • Runnah

        I’d second this. I’ve never done 4 hours in rain – but 2+ hours in a warm rain and I was SO HOT with my very light Brooks jacket that I thought I needed for the rain. If you’re comfortable rocking bra/crop only I would go for it.

        on top of all this – adding a new piece of clothing to your routine this late in the game could turn out to be a disaster. Who knows where that jacket could end up chafing or being annoying/tight/etc

    • Anon

      4 hours in the 50s in the rain, you’ll be hot in a jacket.

      Do you have a short sleeve shirt that’s comfortable to run in when wet? I’d wear that and maybe some armwarmers that I could strip off after a few miles.

      I tend to run on the cold side, and even I’d be hot in a waterproof jacket in the 50s.

  6. In House

    Some of the morning posts on in-house jobs were interesting so I wanted to continue that discussion. I am thinking about finally starting an in house search. I practice in a specialized area that lends itself to in-house roles in that area (think something like employment or IP). The things that worry me are:

    (1) finding the right environment – I’d like to work somewhere with a really team oriented environment as I have seen some in house environments from the law firm side where specialized counsel is not really valued/used only for discrete questions and not looped into ongnoing strategic projects even where it would make sense to bring them in,

    (2) room for growth given that the first in house role will be specialized,

    (3) possible narrowing of my practice area to something even more specialized if the role ends up being more limited in scope than advertised, and

    (4) stepping into a more junior role at first and hoping to expand/grow over time.

    Any thoughts on any of these concerns based on your experience would be appreciated.

    • Interviewing in-house

      Slight threadjack but along the same lines. I am a mid/senior associate and, similar to OP, I am in one of those specialized areas that lends itself to a specialized in-house role. I am interviewing at several places and have a final round interview lined up for mid-October, after which I strongly believe I will be get an offer. In addition to the concerns noted by OP above, I would also have to move to another city for this job, so I want to do what I can to make sure it’s the right fit.

      For those who have gone through the in-house interview process, what were the most useful questions that you posed? I have a long list of questions that I use, but would be very interested to hear what others found the most helpful in their own decision making process. Thanks!

    • Scarlett

      A few thoughts – I’ve been in-house for 10+ years. On the right environment, this is often luck & can be tough. I took the approach of taking the first in-house role that was offered to me to get out of the firm (the bias against firm lawyers is real) & then moved a few years later to another company where the environment is wonderful. Having the first in-house role made the second possible. Part of the environment/growth potential will depend on the culture of the organization – hard to fully assess unless you know someone inside. In general though, there’s a lot more legal issues than specialized lawyers to handle them. If you’re up for learning new things, that’s often welcomed. Along those lines, it’s unusual for your specialty to narrow in-house – it usually gets broader. I was a specialist too & now I do that plus a handful of other practice areas. You often become a specialist plus generalist. I wouldn’t worry too much about the role being graded as junior – that’s pretty common, and if you have more experience you don’t have to adjust your level down. It usually just means you won’t get paid as much or that there’s others in line in front of you to lead the department/practice area. For an initial role, I think getting in is more important than the level. You will have an easier time changing to another company once you have in-house experience. On interview questions – pay attention to the company in general, what the culture is like, and try to have an extra interview with your counterparts as part of the process if you don’t know someone on the inside. Try to find the person you think you could bond with to get the scoop and have a more open conversation about your concerns.

  7. Anonymous

    Anyone have recommendations for a waterproof running jacket that can handle being outside in rain for 4 or more hours? I have been a distance runner for years and can’t believe that I don’t have this figured out. I have a marathon coming up, I feel like it’s always raining, and the forecast for now is rain. Temperature will be in the 50s. I like to be on the cooler side when I run. Thank you!

    • Anonymous

      Have you looked at Columbia or REI house brand? I’ve found their stuff to be a good price point while still being high performance. The Columbia Caldorado waterproof shell might work.

    • EM84

      I had one jacket from Columbia, bought 5 years ago, but no longer remember the name of the model. It definitely withstood a few rainy marathons and kept the wind and cold away.

  8. Cuba?

    Has anyone traveled to Cuba in the last year or two from the US using one of the travel groups like Insight Tours? I’m doing research now and considering going the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The companies seem very similar in terms of where they go, but prices vary wildly. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

    • Anonymous

      I went with InsightCuba over New Years two years ago! I’m not a big group tour person, but I can’t say I recommend that company – they were incredibly disorganized and not very knowledgeable about the area. Some of that is the nature of travel in Cuba, but some of it was definitely their fault. A lot of stuff on our itinerary was cancelled, which left us only with arts stuff (paintings, music, dance, etc.) It was fine, but too much focus on that aspect of the country, with nothing about cuisine, history, sports, etc. I went with my dad and we actually ditched the tour one day and explored Havana on our own and that was the best day of the trip. The restaurants the tour took us to were uniformly terrible and we both got violently ill from one of them (and I’ve traveled to rural Thailand and Botswana without getting ill, so I don’t have a weak stomach). They put us up at a decent hotel, but it wasn’t the famous Hotel Nacional (I would look for a tour that puts you up there because that hotel is so cool).

      Keep in mind that New Years is a bigger holiday in Cuba than in the US – most restaurants will be closed. That was our “paladar” (independent restaurant) night and we had a really hard time finding one that was open. Our hotel eventually got us a reservation at one, and it was very good.

      Overall, I didn’t love Cuba or the experience of traveling there as an American – the anti-American sentiment is very strong and we met all these people that were clearly government props. They would say “Cuba is wonderful! We have complete freedom of speech!” but they looked like they were in a hostage video and terrified of getting killed. BUT Havana is absolutely gorgeous, it is like stepping into a time capsule and it’s a photographer’s dream. I’m glad I went but have zero desire to go back (unlike most of the places I’ve traveled, fwiw).

      • DCR

        I went on an InsightCuba tour in January 2017. In contrast to the prior poster, I had a good experience. Nothing was cancelled, the food was decent, and I liked the places we stayed. There was a government props feeling to it, but I don’t think you can go to Cuba legally (i.e. on a tour) and not have that aspect. I did meet some people who would speak semi-openly about the downsides of the country, including our Cuba-assigned tour guide. Overall, I’m very glad I went but don’t have a desire to go again anytime soon.

      • Anon

        The restaurants in Cuba were all uniformly awful. I did once find a “restaurant” that was actually somebody’s house that had pretty decent food, but nowhere else.

    • Anon

      i personally have not been, but my parents went a few years ago with National Geographic and they had a positive experience with the company, even though they are generally not group tour people. similar to the previous poster, they had the same overall sentiment about their trip – interesting to go, but no desire to return

    • Anonymous

      I know a bunch of people who have gone independently, no tour group (including someone who ended up being there during Castro’s funeral!!) and had a great time. I don’t think its a country where an organized tour is necessary tbh. Of course there’s anti-american sentiment! That’s normal in many many countries, we’ve bombed/invaded/sanctioned so much of the world at this point. There’s a huge amount of anti Russian, Iranian, Saudi, etc.etc. sentiment in the US. If that ruins an otherwise lovely trip for you ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess don’t go anywhere outside western Europe? A lot of non-westerners have anti american or anti-western world sentiments and I don’t blame them.

      • anomanom

        The restriction have changed in the past year or two where my understanding is getting a visa to visit outside of an organized tour can be really difficult from the US. I know lots of people who went in the small window you could get tourist visas, but that has been pretty locked down now.

        • Anonymous

          Oh that’s really unfortunate :/ In that case my advise would be to make sure you do a tour that isn’t just in Havana, everyone I knew who has been said that the other parts of the island are beautiful and worth checking out, and that the beaches are amazing.

        • Anon

          It’s always been difficult/impossible to get a visa from the U.S. if you’re an independent traveler. That’s why you go through Canada or Mexico or somewhere else.

      • Anonymous

        I’m the poster above who said there is a lot of anti-American sentiment in Cuba. I’ve been to every inhabited continent and 50+ countries, including several we have bombed or invaded post-WWII (Vietnam, Panama, Nicaragua), to say nothing of the countries we fought in the world wars, and the hatred of Americans in Cuba is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else. There may be similar anti-American sentiment in North Korea and Iran, but it’s not as simple as “duh everyone outside Western Europe hates Americans.” Individuals in many places may despise the US government or hate obnoxious “ugly American” types, but there isn’t the same kind of institutional hatred in countries that we have normalized relations with (which is all but a handful of countries). It didn’t “ruin” my trip and I didn’t say the Cubans aren’t justified in feeling this way, but I do think it’s something to know before you go.

      • Anonymous

        It’s illegal for Americans to go to Cuba except as part of a group tour. And lots of posters here are lawyers who could lose their professional license if they broke this law, so it’s not something to be flippant about.

        • Anon Cuba

          It is not illegal to go to Cuba on your own. You just have to go under an authorized reason. Trump changed these after Obama expanded them, but you can still go as a private person.

          I went in May under “support of the Cuban people” which is probably the same as going with these tour groups (unless they are for example religious groups). You have to keep an itinerary showing you spent your trip “full time” in support of the people of Cuba, not the government, by having meals at independent restaurants, going to museums, experiencing art / dance / culture, etc. Exactly what I’d want to do on any trip there.

          We spent a few days in Havana and a couple days in Vinaces. Both were beautiful. The Cubans we met were not anti American. Even cab drivers would talk to us about how excited they were when Obama came. Cubans do have good reason for feeling conflicted about the US which was apparent, but the frustration went toward all govts (theirs and ours) and it was not directed at us as individuals.

          We want to go back soon. Loved it.

  10. Non-Legging Workout Pants

    Repost from this morning:

    I’ve realized that for working out, I strongly prefer a bottom that isn’t a legging. A few years ago, I purchased several pairs on my perfect pants from Lucy – it was a capri length relaxed performance jersey pant with ribbed cuffs at the bottom – the name was the dance something. They are now needing to be replaced, but everything I’ve looked at is a legging.

    I’ve tried a number (at least a dozen) jogger pants, thinking that was similar, but the ones that fit like I wanted were sweatpant material, and the thinner ones weren’t the right shape.

    Has anyone seen anything like this they can suggest?

      • Anonymous

        I just looked last week, and saw nothing – do you have any links or item names?

    • ANON

      Yes, I love it! It is best removed with just plain old warm water. The mascara sort of slides off of your lashes, if that makes sense. That was the only weird part to me but I have since learned about “tubing masacaras.” You aren’t supposed to use eye make up remover with this kind.

        • ANON

          Don’t know, I’ve never used Blinc. I’d actually never heard of tubing mascara and didn’t even realize the Thrive mascara was one until I did some research.

  12. Anon

    In need of a gift idea. Partner starts a new job next week, and for the first time in 10 years has an office. Looking for a small little gift for her office. Thoughts?

    • Anonymous

      -something pretty to sit on her desk
      -a small tube of fancy hand lotion
      -a simple frame or two preloaded with office-appropriate pictures (family, pets)
      -something to fiddle with at her desk, especially if others will be stopping by her office
      -some fun paper products
      -a kit of personal items to keep at work (search the archives for a list, but things like a nail file, an extra cell phone cord, an extra set of headphones, etc.)
      -a personal coffee mug to keep at the office
      -a small potted plant
      -It’s budget dependent and a “know the office” thing, but perhaps flower delivery on her first day. Or save it for the first birthday she has at the office.

    • Marshmallow

      A pretty desktop set with a pencil cup and paper sorter; business card holder; calendar; small potted plant?

    • Anonymous

      A gift certificate to Society 6 so she can get a pretty print for the wall or a nice tray?

    • eertmeert

      My brother gave me a magic 8 ball for my desk years ago, it is a beloved office staple for me.

  13. Miz Swizz

    The Calia brand by Carrie Underwood and Reebok both make non legging pants. You can find them at D*ck’s Sporting Goods if you want to go try them on.

  14. Jules

    Heidi Heitkamp just announced she is a no vote on Kavanagh; I hope this will help bolster the spines of the other undecided senators. I made a small contribution to her campaign, hoping that those who support her decision will show her, and her colleagues who might make the same decision, support in return.

    • Anonymous

      I’m happy to hear that but I still think it’s 99% he’ll get confirmed.

    • Sam

      Thank you. I did the same as a thank you. I know he will get elected anyway but I appreciate her for standing up for her beliefs.

  15. Super Anon for this

    I’m not sharing this with people in my life yet since it’s not a done deal and it’s politically divisive but I just found out that a book proposal I submitted has been approved and the small publishing house is going to be sending me a contract in the upcoming days. There’s no advance, just a percentage of the profit, but I’ve spent my whole life wanting to write a book and it seems so surreal right now.

    I have no idea about what a fair contract is to know if this is what they’ll be sending, I don’t know about so many things, but right now, I just want to say that 4 year old me put this goal on my life goals list and now I’m going to get to do it.

    My budget is too tight to splurge big but I DID buy myself a donut today in celebration… and I’m sharing it here which also makes it feel more real.

  16. Evening showers

    I want to switch to evening showers but am not sure what to do about my hair afterwards. It is very thick and probably takes two hours to fully air dry. It is also easily dented. How do evening shower people avoid wet pillows and misshapen morning hair?

    • KonMari Addict

      I french braid mine – usually the outside part dries enough between that and bedtime that my pillow doesn’t get wet. In the morning, I let it out and it finishes air drying as I go about my morning.

    • KW

      I…don’t? You can either blow dry it a bit at night before going to bed to avoid wet pillows, or shower early enough in the evening that it’s just damp by bedtime. In the morning, you can spray it with water and blow dry to add some volume or use product or a curling iron or flat iron to style it as usual. I think it depends on your hair’s texture and typical style.

      • Anonymous

        +1. If I shower at night (which I do about 50% of the time), I blow dry at least enough so I’m not going to bed with wet hair. I carry my stress in my shoulders and sleeping with wet hair just makes the knots in my shoulders ten times worse for some reason (plus the pillow feels gross).

    • Anonymous

      I have what sounds like similar hair. I give it a cursory dry at the roots to avoid the worst of the wetness (towel and, ideally, a couple minutes with a blow dryer). Then comb out tangles and sleep in one of those twist up towels. Usually by next morning it’s still marginally damp from being in the twist towel, allowing for easy touch up styling. I also don’t wash my hair more than about twice a week.

    • NJ

      Your hair sounds like it could be similar to mine. Here’s my routine, if you are okay with an imperfect result.

      1. Shower early in the evening
      2. Hair turban for 5 minutes
      3. Wide tooth comb, maybe some light hair product
      4. Cold blow dry to tolerable level of dampness with attention to the front of hair (usually 5 minutes)
      5. Air dry

      In the morning, I usually brush my hair and shape with water if needed.

      I think the reason why I can get away with a minimal styling routine is because I have a good in-shower routine (focused on moisturizing to minimize frizz).

    • Scarlett

      I put it up in a tight bun on top of my head – it dries about 40% overnight and I blow out the rest in the morning. The damp pillow doesn’t bug me but YMMV.

  17. Dishwasher?

    Has anyone recently bought a dishwasher they’d recommend? Sounds obvious, but we’d really like one that cleans well — even if the dishes aren’t perfectly rinsed off beforehand. I usually use Consumer Reports for this type of thing but didn’t find their buying guide very helpful.

    • Anonymous

      Not a viking. We’ve had them in our last two homes and while they’re fine and nice looking, they’re a pain to service, and the service guys recommended at that price point to get a bosch instead.

    • Anonymous

      Just bought a Bosch in May. After 24 years, the old Maytag dishwasher was on its last legs! I don’t know the model # of the Bosch but it has a stainless steel interior. It’s incredibly quiet compared to the old one. We’re still getting used to the racks; dish placement is very different. But I love not having to talk over it when it’s running.

    • Lilly

      Bosch. Does a good job cleaning and as noted above, you can stand beside it while it’s running and have a conversation at a normal volume. I find that the spray holes on the spinning arms tend to collect stuff and clog, and I routinely check them all about every 2 – 3 months. Not a big problem, as the arms detach and reattach very easily.

    • AnotherAnon

      When we remodeled our house (that we just sold) we bought the Samsung Front Control Dishwasher with Stainless Steel interior. I super loved it; it would clean a meal’s worth of dishes for 8 people without being rinsed well AND it was pretty quiet. My favorite part was that it had a 3 second “kid lock” function that kept my toddler from turning it on/off all the time. Now we live in a rental with a Bosch and I’m sure it’s just that it’s old and a rental but this dishwasher does not get my (pre-rinsed) dishes clean at all.

      • Anonymous

        I got the Samsung that comes with the appliance package at Costco and love it. It’s two of us and we don’t do the best rinse job but they get clean. they don’t dry the dishes that well, but I think it lacks the heated dry, which I don’t mind. It’s so quiet we sometimes can’t tell if it’s running or not (other than the light that shows it’s doing its thing).

    • Anonanon

      I don’t have a specific brand recommendation, but do not buy one that has the silverware divider in the door. Try to find one where the silverware rack is in the bottom part . Our silverware never comes clean because the water never truly circulates around it.

  18. anon

    Oh man, I LOVE this bag. I spent 45 minutes last night drooling over the Boden catalog.

  19. Anonymous

    I’ve learned that my local animal shelter needs foster moms for kittens who are too young/small to be spayed/neutered. What are the downsides of fostering such young kittens? I’m told they can be in a large crate most of the day and should be fed wet food (which will be provided by the shelter) 2-3x/day. Has anyone done this?

    • Shananana

      main downside , you may end up with 3-5 new cats and be a failed foster… Seriously kittens are adorable and can sucker you into keeping them all :) As long as they are past the bottle stage though, fostering is pretty easy/fun. Once they break about 3 months, they start to get wild and hard to contain in a kennel though, so it ‘s a small super adorable window.

    • Foster Mom

      I fostered a mama and kittens for a month and while it was *fun*, it was also *exhausting*. Kittens are messy! They’re messy eaters, they’re messy when they’re learning how to use the litter box, mine had diarrhea for a few days…it was an endless cycle of cleaning and doing laundry. Also, they are ACTIVE! It’s super cute to see them running and jumping and playing, but it’s also pure chaos. I also have 2 cats if my own so I was worried about everyone getting equal attention, so I felt like I was with cats 24/7 rather than having my own time.

      I loved it though. I got so much joy when my babies learned to eat solid food for the first time or learned how to properly chase a toy or use the litter box. And the cuddle puddles/general kitten adorableness made me happy daily!!! Definitely make sure that the shelter covers food costs; mine did not and I probably spent about $300 on food and litter for the month since nursing moms and kittens eat a ton.

    • Anon

      Follow @foster_kittens on Instagram and check out her website! She’s an expert on this and frequently posts tips and answers questions in the comments.

    • Saguaro

      I have been fostering kittens for 2 years now and I love it! It’s my form of volunteering. In fact I have 4 babies right here in my home office with me now! I keep them contained in a large pen or a large dog crate, and then at times let them have free roam of a large bathroom or a fenced pen in the yard.

      I don’t feel like it’s a ton of work, since feeding and litter box scooping is the majority of the work and that’s not time consuming. I do have to bring them to the shelter for their shots and spay/neuter, but that’s not all that frequently that I need to make a trip to the shelter for these things.

      It is such a pleasure to be able to socialize these little cuties and then see them adopted. It is sometimes hard to give them back for adoption, but I remind myself I can’t continue to foster if I keep the babies for myself.

    • Anonymous

      The worst part is that sometimes they die. It’s no one’s fault, it’s just because they are so young and without a mama. But little cats are very rewarding and you will fall in love.

    • Pale Girl Snorkeling

      I know I’m a day late, but in case anyone is still reading….

      I foster kittens, both motherless babies and moms with their babies. I absolutely love doing it. My laundry room is my kitten foster room now and they stay in there for at least a week full time and then I gradually let them explore my house and interact with my cats (two are super friendly and LOVE kittens) and my poodle. I also try to introduce them to anyone who visits me so they are socialized to other animals and other people. I did spend all of Labor Day weekend force feeding a baby who had been found alone and then got really sick and nearly died, He’s fully recovered now and races around the house all day until he falls over asleep. Hands down, this is the best volunteer/community work I have ever done. I used to regularly volunteer at a shelter and I may do that again some time, but right now taking care of baby cats in my house works best for me.

  20. Anonymous

    What does an average day of eating look like for everyone? Realizing my “perfect day without alcohol” is really low on calories so trying to rethink.

    • Anon

      Breakfast: Homemade muesli (oats, coconut flakes, raisins, cinnamon, almond shavings, sunflower seeds) with almond milk + at office coffee

      Lunch: Lean cuisine, or salad + protein + some kind of oil and vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette

      Dinner: Usually random assortment of protein (chicken, turkey, tuna, beef or egg) paired with frozen microwave steamable veggies, possibly a starch like potato, and top off with a low cal low sugar lime popsicle (the tartness of the lime allows for less sugar to make it tasty)

      Snacks: Apple or orange, handful of almonds that I keep at my desk if I’m really hungry

    • anon

      B: Two boiled eggs, one piece Dave’s Killer bread toast, avocado, coffee with almond milk
      snack: banana or Grab the Gold bar if I ran in early AM
      L: salad with protein and nuts, cheese, oil & vinegar dressing OR plain Greek yogurt w almond butter & Au Bon Pain Harvest Pumpkin soup
      snack: popcorn or baked chips
      D: protein with salad, brown rice/potatoes/cauliflower etc.
      snack: raw oats stirred into choc chips melted w touch of almond milk or Blue corn chips w yellow mustard (so odd, I know)

    • DCR

      My average day if I’m not having a meal with friends is pretty boring –
      Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with peppers and a banana in the late morning
      Lunch: a salad, the ingredients will vary but often it will have peppers, corn or peas, cheese, an egg, and maybe beans
      Mid-afternoon snack: some type of fruit and maybe a yogurt
      Dinner: varies more, but is often pasta with some type of vegetables or bean and pepper tacos or an omelet or sometimes a frozen dinner or a pb&j sandwich with some vegetables or chili

      Sometimes I’ll make something on the weekend to have all week, like a hot dish or turkey meatloaf. But it depends on how busy. And I’m just not willing to spend a lot of time cooking every night for just myself.

    • Anonymous

      B: Two small homemade fruit and/or chocolate muffins (banana chocolate chip, pumpkin, blueberry etc)
      L: A frozen lunch (usually Amy’s) if I’m at work, or lunch out.
      Snack if I didn’t eat lunch out: could be banana, pastry, string cheese or hummus and crackers.
      Dinner: We eat a lot of baked fish or chicken with a side of roasted veggies and sometimes starch. Eggs with veggies maybe once a week. Pasta (with veggies) usually once a week also. We do 1-2?restaurant meals per week, but dinners at home are usually pretty healthy.

      I don’t drink alcohol or soda, but I eat dessert after dinner every day, and not that “one square of dark chocolate” nonsense ;) Real desserts, like brownies, ice cream, cookies or cake. I’m pretty good about portion control and I don’t consider a life without dessert worth living.

    • Anon

      Breakfast: varies, most often a yogurt and granola bar with hot tea at work, but if I can spend extra time at home I will make a couple of eggs over easy with either gluten free toast or frozen hash browns. I love breakfast.

      Lunch: most often at work, either terrible crap from the vending machine like potato chips and m&ms, or if I have time, a trip to the cafeteria for a salad or a bowl of soup.

      Midafternoon: Maybe some hummus and string cheese. Maybe no snack.

      Dinner: a lot of Asian takeout (Vietnamese or Thai) or basic family favorites like taco night or some kind of roast or baked chicken pieces with a side veggie and starch like potatoes. I like to cook but have no time.

      Other than the vending machine lunches when I can’t get away from my desk, I don’t snack much.

      I definitely get enough calories. Too much, clearly. I really only drink socially so that is pretty much weekends only, and not every weekend.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t eat breakfast, but drink coffee with cream. Then at lunch I typically eat a yogurt, an apple, and some peanut butter. Snack a little later of crackers and nuts, sometimes another piece of fruit. Often a cup of tea. Sometimes I take leftovers instead or make a salad. Dinner is whatever I have made for my family–so varies to include grilled chicken and vegetables, spaghetti, stir fry, enchiladas, mac and cheese, etc.

    • Anonymous

      Breakfast: latte at home, oatmeal with banana at my desk
      Lunch: eat out with friends/coworkers and get whatever sounds good – sushi, pasta, Thai, Indian, grilled cheese and soup
      Midafternoon: pastry and another latte
      Dinner: cheese and crackers, cereal, peanut butter sandwich, whatever the nanny made for the kids, or leftovers; a few times a week I’ll make pasta, Thai veggie curries, enchiladas, Korean bbq, or grilled salmon and some type of grilled or roasted veggies
      After dinner: wine and ice cream

      I need to eat more fruit I think.

  21. Yearbooks?

    I’m moving next month and diligently trying to downsize (2 BR apt. to 1 BR). I have three of four high school year books. Had a fine HS experience, no regrets or sadness, still talk to 3 classmates on a daily or near-daily basis ten years after graduation. I’m tempted to donate the yearbooks to a Goodwill in the area – I don’t have any handwritten signatures/etc. (we got them in the summer when I worked and just never did it), they aren’t engraved. I’m single, no kids, and FWIW, not expecting to have children due to some medical issues.

    For those of you who are older and wiser, is this something I might regret in 10-25 years? They are small, but I don’t want to keep everything just because it’s small.

    • Pompom

      I’m a little older than you by 5-6 years and I threw mine out (ok, recycled them), no regrets. Married, no kids, never having any, have done a few big moves that really distilled down my possessions and keepsakes to a tiny amount, and I just don’t care about the yearbooks. Obviously, ymmv, but I tossed them without regret.

    • Anon

      They take up very little amount of space, goodwill has absolutely no use for a yearbook (it’s personal to the attendees, if they took it at all it would be a shame if it ended up propping a table leg somewhere), and ime, people start to get nostalgic as they get older, so it’s nice to have things like yearbooks to browse through to help jog your memory of that stage of life. I’d keep them.

    • Anonymous

      No advice on whether to get rid of them, but why would you donate them to good will? No one wants that sh*t.

      • OP

        I grew up in an area where a lot of people didn’t have money to buy one, but most people stay in the region. I “got away” but still have family there who I will visit before moving. My thought was perhaps someone who couldn’t afford it back in the day would want it :)

        • Anon

          Yeah, nobody is going to want your old yearbooks. You’re just going to make Goodwill throw them away for you.

        • SC

          You could ask your local library before throwing them away. I wandered around the special collections at my library the other day and noticed they had a lot of yearbooks in the section with the genealogy, cemetery records, etc. If the library doesn’t want them, recycle them.

        • Original Moonstone

          They show up on Ebay, too. If you want to get it into someone’s hands and don’t really want to make money, you could list is there for 5 bucks plus shipping. I like the idea of donating to the local library.

    • Anon

      I do have kids and my daughter has loved looking through my old yearbooks since she was a preteen. My son couldn’t care less. If you’re not going to have kids, I can’t think of anyone else on earth who might be interested, ever. Toss away

    • Anonymous

      I didn’t especially like high school but I love having my yearbooks. They’re signed though.

    • Anon

      I keep those things in a box, and generally never look at them. But once every 5 years or so, often when moving, I’ll spend an afternoon looking through my old yearbooks, pictures from high school and college, and my dance pictures and other stuff from elementary school. It is necessary? No. Is it a fun way to spend an afternoon every few years? yeah. Given how little space they take, I just keep that stuff.

  22. Hawaii Recs

    Paging the poster from this AM who wanted Hawaii recs for a large fam:

    I stayed recently at the Honua Kai Resort on Maui that I booked through Maui Resort Rentals. Booked a 3bd, 3ba fully furnished condo with washer/dryer for about $550 per night. Each bedroom had a king bed and was very nicely appointed, and the kitchen had Viking appliances. There’s a grocery store just down the road (walking distance) so you can grab food for the room, and there are communal grills on the property you can use also. Resort has a pool, restaurants, and coffee shops. All that is exactly why I picked this place – had a family group with three couples and wanted a place to cook breakfast and snacks and the ability for folks to do their own thing (pool, beach, gym, whatever). Hope this helps!

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