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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 256 Comments · by

Wednesday’s TPS Report: Split Sleeve Stretch Silk Blouse

The Personal Shopper (TPS)

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Classiques Entier Split Sleeve Stretch Silk BlouseThis silk tee from Classiques Entier looks perfect — a flattering, interesting pattern, a versatile palette, and available in sizes XS-XL. For some reason I'd love to see it with a navy suit, but that's just me. It's $158. Classiques Entier Split Sleeve Stretch Silk Blouse Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

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Comments

  1. Sydney Bristow

    I think this top looks nice. I’m attracted to tops like this but they always seem to be the ones that I buy and then never wear so I must resist.

    • Monday

      Want to do some fashion therapy and explore why you’re not wearing them? People may have suggestions once we know…

      • Sydney Bristow

        Hmmm hard to say. I think loose short-sleeves bother me because they move around toouch when I walk. The other reason is that they seem to be shapeless on me, which I think makes me look bigger. I normally wind up realizing all of this only after spending the day wearing one. They seem to look ok when I try them on at first.

        • Fiona

          I have the same problem with these types of blouses. I love the prints but then when I put them on they just really do nothing for me. The only way I can make prints work is to find them with some sort of shaping – like a faux wrap or cowl neck line. Something other then a boxy top with a great print.

    • Aggie

      The sleeves on this blouse would bother me too. I’m afraid they would bunch up under a blazer. I prefer a more fitted short sleeve – or ideally an elbow length sleeve.

  3. Paging Allergies PSA and Godzilla

    As well as any fellow allergy sufferers. My allergist wants me to get a “nasal allergen challenge” test done and I can’t for the life of me find any place that does it on the East Coast. For those of you with severe allergies, have you ever had this done and, if so, WHERE??!?!

    Thank you so much

      • Paging Allergies PSA and Godzilla

        For long complicated reasons, due to some freakish skin issues on my end, the skin prick test doesn’t work on me and my blood tests came back negative. It’s not uncommon apparently to have the skin prick test work and the blood test negative, but since my skin won’t cooperate (partly due to my allergies) the skin test is out. The nasal test is where they make you inhale it.

    • Godzilla

      Huh, I’ve never even heard of that. I’m kind of intrigued and terrified.

      I will say that this non-spring weather is furiously agitating my nasal allergies.

    • "Allergies" PSA

      I have never heard of the nasal allergen challenge. It seems strange to me that your allergist would suggest it but then not be able to tell you where.

      I had the skin test in my allergist’s office. For the penicillin challenge, she referred me to a different allergist who is affiliated with a local research university hospital. If you have any teaching or research hospitals near you, I would check there. I might also ask the American College of Allergists (or whatever they are called).

      My only real advice — and I am NOT a health care worker — is to continue going until you get to the root cause and can then address the root cause. I spent way too much time d*&#ing around with my ENT, eventually ending with sinus surgery, and he never suggested that I try to figure out what was creating all that mucus in my sinuses in the first place. He just wanted to scoop it out, so he did, and then it started all over again. So you are wise to do what you are doing.

      • "Allergies" PSA

        One other thought: ask your insurance company. You may need to speak with several layers of people (and I can practically guarantee that it will be aggravating getting to someone who knows what they are talking about), but once you get someone knowledgeable they are almost always super helpful with this stuff.

        Also, Chair of the Allergy Department at local medical school?

      • L

        He did, but they no longer do it. he’s looking into it and I figured I’d ask in case anyone else had it done before. None of the large institutions here do it and a few of the chairs are calling around to see. Short of emailing places that have done clinical trials (which I’m doing too!) I’m just sort of on hold.

        Insurance won’t help until I pick a facility. It’s apparently reserved for freak shows, which my sinuses are.

        And thank you for the comfort of the ENT. I went to one who basically wanted to hack my face open and another who said she could but it wouldn’t do much, though *could* help, but recommended I started with allergy issues first. The thought of getting scraped and still having the same problems makes me want to curl up in a ball.

        • Godzilla

          Ditto to what Allergies PSA says. I went the opposite route – allergists who kinda gave up, onto ENT who thought hacking my face could help, to a second ENT who said hacking was unnecessary but thought an allergist could help, to another allergist who did some more testing and switched my allergy meds. That helped A LOT.

          The diagnostic process is rough. Hugs and rawrs.

  4. CE & Halogen

    How does CE fit compared to Halogen? Halogen really fits me well. Doing my mental prep work for the Nordstrom sale that I recall happens in May.

  5. Lyssa

    This seems really pretty, but it looks really big on the model. If she weren’t doing that half-tuck thing that no one does in real life, it would look completely shapeless on her. I assume that they put her in an extra-small, and that she’s probably about like me up-top, size and shape-wise (skinny, no curves), so this is definitely not for me. Too bad.

    • TheElms

      I do the half tucked thing in real life! Am I not supposed to? My version tends to look a little more like a blouse tucked loosely (like if you tuck in your blouse and then pull it out so the fabric folds below the tuck — does that make sense?)

      I started doing it because I have a long torso and the back of my shirts / sides of my shirts never stay tucked in to start with.

      • Senior Attorney

        Real-life half-tucker here!

        Although I haven’t ever been able to wear tops cut like that because in order to get them big enough to fit over my chest, they always end up gigantically blousy in the torso.

      • zora

        I think by half-tuck people mean how she only has a few inches of it tucked in and the rest of it is loose. This look only bothers me with button-front shirts, when they tuck one half of the shirt tail and leave the other half hanging. I don’t know why but it drives me nuts.

        • Cb

          Apparently shops do this to show the details of both the top and the trousers. Fashion bloggers stole it from the jcrew catalog but really, things were never meant to be worn like that.

      • KinCA

        I, too, rock the half-tuck on a regular basis. It is a godsend for those of us with long torsos who still want to wear the longer, blousy tops that are currently in style without looking like our legs are approximately 6 inches long.

    • Monday

      I’m similar, but I think oversized tops can look good either tucked in to a pencil skirt (work) or with tight pants (non-work). I also have a shirtdress whose top looks like this, but it has a belt and the bottom fits well, so it’s a similar effect.

      The billowy top can be especially helpful in the summer if you’re worried about sweat marks: looser top, less likely to catch sweat.

      • emeralds

        My uniform is an oversized blouse over tight pants, sometimes loose and sometimes half-tucked. I love the billows. I have very slim shoulders and no boobs, but ahem, childbearing hips and an athletic rear, so for me having the extra volume on top helps even things out.

        • zora

          yeah me too, i like the flowiness on top. Also, I like the look of a top like this with a cardigan over it, because the shirt isn’t tight so doesnt show my tummy, but then the vertical lines of the cardigan compensate on top and give me more of an hourglass shape.

        • hoola hoopa

          I also like this top. It looks like it would have good drape to compensate for the unstructured cut. After a couple of kids I wear this style a lot to cover the pouch. The pattern is not my style, but I like it for someone else.

    • Orangerie

      Yeah, Classiques Entier runs large. Every piece I own from them has been heavily tailored.

    • Hollis Doyle

      I agree with you. I love tops like this, but I can never make them work for my body unless I tuck them into a pencil skirt. I’m tall and thin but have broad shoulders and a 34D chest, so I usually have to get a L to fit my chest/shoulders. Then the rest is way too big over my torso. I think they look best on ladies with narrower shoulders and/or a smaller chest because the allover fit is better. I really like this pattern though. Bummer.

    • CKB

      I’m curvy, and sometimes these blouses look good on me because, despite their looseness, they still catch on my curves, if that makes sense, so you can see that I have a waist. Not as flattering as something cut more fitted, though, but they are nice to change things up sometimes. If the fabric is too stiff, though, I look like I’m the same size from my wide shoulders to my wide hips, and that just isn’t a good look.

  6. Purple Tote?

    Hi !

    Thinking about mother’s day in advance.

    I’d like to find a purple tote. Ideally,

    – with feet
    – via amazon for easy mailing
    – $50 to $75

    It’s for my mom, so if there’s a print or pattern, it’s ok.

    I know we talk about about professional-looking totes, so I’m asking about this sort of thing to stretch us away from “work” stuff.

    TIA!

      • Gail the Goldfish

        It went well! I’m really liking NC. Thus far the only thing about New York I’ve missed are the halal street vendors because the one place I’ve found near work that sells gyros was hilariously slow. Also, the highs this week are in the 80s. So it’s good:-)

    • Anon NC

      I like Dr. Alsphaugh at Blue Ridge Dermatology. I see her for yearly body scans after having had a basal cell, so I can’t speak to how she handles cosmetic issues. The office seems to run mostly on time, too, which is a huge plus for me!

    • JNC

      Dr Tuveson at Wake Dermatology off Lake Boone Trail is great. On time, efficient, cautious but not overly-so.

  8. Killer Kitten Heels

    Threadjack – Basically, for myriad reasons that don’t warrant explaining here, I finally have the time/money/freedom to start really traveling (something I’ve been dreaming about for years, but unable to do), but lack a willing travel partner, at least for the relatively near future. I’m tired of waiting around to see the world, so I’ve decided to just go solo, but I’m not sure where to go. What I’m hoping the lovely commenters here can help me with is recommendations for a European city that would be safe/friendly/doable as a solo female traveler.

    Ideally, I’d like to go to a city/town/region that can be “seen” in a 4-5 day trip, using public transportation. I’m planning to travel in the late spring, summer, or fall (basically, any time within the next 6 months), my budget’s pretty wide open, and I have no language skills. Thoughts? Alternatives to Europe that I haven’t considered? (And please no US recommendations – I’m fairly well-travelled within the US, and have almost no international travel experience, so I’m really focused on seeing places other than here right now.) Thanks in advance!

    • Rachelellen

      I’ve travelled on my own a lot and I think most of western and Central Europe should be just fine. But if it’s your first time and you don’t speak a foreign language fluently, why not do London? There is more than enough to do in the city and things like Windsor Castle and Stonehenge are day trips…

    • Brit

      Any interest in London? When I was there on a school trip a few years ago, I was able to wander around and feel pretty secure by myself the final day. Didn’t take any buses while I was there, but the tube system is easy to navigate and takes you pretty much everywhere.

      Also, just putting my ear to the ground because I’m interested in what others more well-traveled than I have to say.

      • emeralds

        I’ll +1 London. It’s a great city and feels super-European, but obviously, no language barrier! There’s so much to do that 4-5 days probably won’t feel like enough. If you’d like to try a more training-wheels international experience, have you considered Montreal or Ville-de-Quebec (or both) in Canada? Both are lovely in the summer and early fall, and don’t feel like being in the US at all.

        And I’m so glad that you’re doing this! It can be daunting to travel by yourself for the first time, but it usually ends up being 100% worth it. Go you!

        • Brit

          +1 to Canada as well. My roommate had a great time when she went to Vancouver for a summer program. Absolutely loved it and can’t stop talking about it, even 2+ years later.

          • Anon

            Another Montreal and Quebec City recommendation. Especially in QC, I had to keep reminding myself I wasn’t in Europe.

      • LizNYC

        Plus, many people in touristy facing operations have at least a smattering of English, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting by. I went waaaay back in high school (90s) as a French student and was amazed at how much English there was.

        At the moment, I’m totally obsessed with Paris and would love to travel vicariously through you, KKH! I suggest David Lebovitz’s blog about Paris (he leads tours for Americans) and his book “The Sweet Life.”

      • SD Girl

        I loved Paris each time I was there. This would be my #1 vote. Last summer I took a trip on my own to Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan and thought it was pretty safe. I did not speak any of the language in my travels to Asia or Europe and it was never a problem, except maybe China. Have fun!

      • CKB

        I did Paris last year on a work trip and explored the city in the evenings on my own (as well as on my arrival day, and an extra day I took after the training) and loved it. I had no issues getting around (although I do have high school french, and I’m sure that helped) and felt safe.

    • anne-on

      What about Amsterdam and the Netherlands? The city is lovely and very easy to navigate using public transport. if you stay out of the super touristy red-light district the food is amazing and the art is great. There are also a bunch of biking tours around the Netherlands or you can hop a train pretty easily.
      I also found Dublin incredibly friendly/easy as a single female tourist, very walkable and again lots of trains.
      My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Spain in late April and it was a great time to visit, quiet, good weather, and lots of Easter festivals going on.

    • Orangerie

      Paris! So many day trip options, or you can spend all of your time in the city. Either way you’ll feel perfectly safe as a solo traveler.

    • prof on a bike

      I agree with the commenters above that pretty much any major western European city is going to be fine safety wise and public transportation wise. Can you tell us a bit more about your personality/what you think you might enjoy? For example, I really enjoy the alone aspect of traveling alone (going to art galleries and being able to contemplate quietly, sitting by myself at a cafe), so I would tend to recommend places like London where people are not likely to chat you up — but perhaps you want to meet strangers and have a whirlwind adventure!

    • Lydia

      I would recommend Paris. It is such a beautiful city. The subway system is very easy to navigate and I think you can get by ok even though you don’t speak French. There is plenty to do even if you don’t have a traveling companion. Another idea is Prague. I didn’t use the subway there, but everything is walkable. Again, language shouldn’t be a problem. (Honestly, I’ve traveled extensively in Europe, and I don’t think I’ve had any issues getting by without knowing the native language.)

    • Moon Moon

      I traveled solo in southern france/Provence and loved it. I did wine tours with groups, where I had interaction with folks from different backgrounds. If you find a rental house/B&B in any town in Provence you can rent a car and drive from town to town (Arles to see bullfighting, Aix to explore the fountains and university, Avignon to dance on the bridge alone without judgment, St. Remy to see where starry starry night was painted). I flew in and out of Nice and spent a couple of bookend days on the beach/shopping. It was one of my favorite vacations ever. Mostly I found people spoke English, and I speak enough “French restaurant” and “vacation phrases” to get by where they did not. Driving the winding country roads was actually part of the fun part, and not too different from driving in the US (and I got a car with a built in GPS).

      • Moon Moon

        I forgot to mention that I made sure to research the towns, and was able to cater my trip to catch festivals/markets. I saw the “running of the sheep” in St. Remy, where shepherds run sheep through the small town similar to the running of the bulls. I also caught an olive oil festival and market for shopping of Provencal goodness (truffle oil I brought back, olive oil, sweets, linens, all the goodness of France)

    • Anonymous

      So, you’ve narrowed it down to nearly every major city in Western Europe.

      • Killer Kitten Heels

        Oh look! It’s the requisite rude anonymous posting that appears to be required at least once per thread around here lately.

        • Anonymous

          How is that rude?!? You asked where would meet your specifications, and the answer is dozens of places! That’s exciting info. Not rude.

          • Killer Kitten Heels

            It read as really sarcastic to me (along the lines of “duh, all of Western Europe, idiot”). If that wasn’t your intent, then I guess I misunderstood.

          • Olivia Pope

            It definitely read as rude. The question is which European (or non-European) cities would be the best. She is explicitly asking for help narrowing down her choices.

        • Victoria12

          Yep, comment did appear sarcastic to me as well. Completely unnecessary.

    • Shay-La

      I vote for Prague! It’s a more condensed city, with great public transit (&food, &wine, &beer!). I studied abroad there during undergrad, and have been dying to go back. Day trips to Berlin, Krakow, and fun Bohemian cities w/castles. I think a trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau could be a day trip, but it’s emotionally exhausting and I was thankful to rest up in Krakow for a night. The language would be a small hurdle, but just like most European cities English abounds, and knowing your Ps & Qs natively goes a long long way.

      • Fiona

        Prague is wonderful and very walkable! But it’s also easily day-trip-able from Vienna which I would vote for as another wonderful base city!

        Vienna is a beautiful, walkable city with easy transit options and lots to see and do. I was there as a single female years ago and found English to be common and always felt safe (on that same single trip excursion in Vienna, I day tripped to both Prague and Salzburg).

        Budapest is another easy day trip from Vienna. Another option (in the opposite direction) might be the very beautiful Salzburg.

        Paris, London, and Dublin are also fantastic, as are Rome, Milan, Florence, and Venice. But the larger the city, the more you might feel like you’re missing. For your first and shortest trip, you might consider the smaller ones.

    • DEAttny

      I just got back from Thailand/Cambodia on a group tour and loved it. I could easily see Bangkok as a place to get around as a solo female with no issues. I spent several free days wandering around and loved it. Food is great, taxis/tuk-tuks are super cheap, and I always felt safe. Let me know if you want more info.

      • Senior Attorney

        I know you said Europe, but I have to echo the recommendation for Southeast Asia. I didn’t make it to Thailand, but I completely left my heart in Cambodia.

      • Anon

        I’ve done some touristy things on my own in Bangkok and while I enjoyed it, I felt like it was a struggle to avoid being scammed. Even catching a taxi was challenging – I had to pull aside a policeman once to help me flag one down that would actually use the meter instead of trying to scam me with some flat rate. I did feel safe, but I found it to be annoying.

    • Killer Kitten Heels

      Thanks everyone.

      TBH, I have basically no international travel experience (as I thought my original post made clear, but rude Anonymous posters missed it, so I guess it needs clarifying?), so I wasn’t really aware of the safety level throughout Western Europe. Considering how much safety levels vary within the US in major metro areas, I was figuring I’d have to think more about this issue than it sounds like I actually need to, so that’s great information.

      Since it sounds like I’ll be safe wherever, I’m going to start focusing more on which activities/sights/etc. are most appealing, and choose from there. Thanks again!

      • BB

        One thing I would advise: Be comfortable with “paying your way out” of bad situations. You don’t sound like you’re a backpacker, and are probably not on a super strict budget. If you end up lost, use a taxi even though it might be more expensive than spending 30 minutes frantically looking for the metro stop. If you get pick-pocketed, don’t sweat it if all they took was money and you still have your passport. If you’re horribly tired, pay for that $5 cup of coffee to take a break. Not that you have to be going to five star hotels and restaurants, but that extra couple of hundred bucks might make a big difference and let you spend the time enjoying the place instead of worrying about getting around.

        • Senior Attorney

          This is great advice. I do this, although I hadn’t ever thought of it as “paying you way out of a bad spot.” But yes — if you’re lost, hop in a cab and you will get where you’re going. And buying the (more expensive) meal where you are when you’re super tired or hungry is totally worth it, rather than trudging on in search of the cheaper one. And I wish I had back the two hours I spent trying to recover my stolen camera in Ho Chi Minh City — just say fooey and move on!!

        • Former Partner, Now In-House

          Excellent point. If you’re out and about for 10-12 hour days, that $5 isn’t for the coffee, it’s for a place to sit quietly and collect yourself for 30 minutes and use a clean bathroom.

          Related idea: carry a business card from your hotel (and enough cash in local currency to pay for a cab ride there from anywhere in the city) in your pocket. If you can’t give directions to the driver in the local language, you can give him the card so he can see the address. Worst case: he can call them and get directions.

          • Pip

            The desk clerk at the hotel often gives you a free map of the city, with the hotel clearly marked, and they can also help you with public transport tickets. There is usually some kind of short-period ticket that’s good value for money but the tariff systems can be tricky to figure out on your own.

            I’ve travelled solo to Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Brussels and Amsterdam. I do speak German, but most (younger) Germans speak good English. No problems in any of the cities. People are generally friendly and polite if you are.

            The red light districts (usually by the central stations) can be pretty sketchy.
            Every guy I know who has ever been to Paris has been mugged, but none of the women. Might be because women are more safety conscious in general, I don’t know.

            In many museums an audio guide in several languages is included in the entrance fee. They’re usually really interesting, and geared towards a general audience.

        • emeralds

          That is such great advice!

          And KKH, one really nice thing about traveling to Western Europe is that violent crime rates are a tiny fraction of what they are in the US. Obviously there are parts of every major city that you should avoid. I’ll offer an anecdote from studying abroad in Lisbon, Portugal, that I think really illustrates the difference in mindset.

          Portuguese Dude: Never go into that part of the city. It’s not safe.
          Me: Oh, why not? Like what stuff happens there?
          PD: Horrible things.
          Me: Like…say I walked in. What would be the worst thing that would happen to me?
          PD: It’s awful…but someone might steal your purse.
          Me: ……would they have a gun?
          PD: (horrified) Never!
          Me: Would they knife me?
          PD: (still horrified) I can’t imagine that would ever happen. But still! They’d *steal your purse*!
          Me: K. Thanks for reminding me that US-style violence is not the norm.

          • Katie

            Hah, I used to live in a smaller city in France, and the residents still tell you to avoid a particular neighborhood because that one time in the 70s a guy shot somebody. Yeah, doesn’t scare this Chicago girl!

          • Killer Kitten Heels

            Love this, thanks.

            Love this whole sub-thread, actually. (And I’m more than happy to “pay my way out of a problem” in every day life, so I definitely tend to travel the same way.)

    • Montreal

      I know: not Europe. But look at it: it could be Europe. And it’s right here! Your time zone and lots of people speaking English. Probably lovely in August (when I don’t like to go to Europe).

    • Former Partner, Now In-House

      I traveled alone a lot internationally until my early 40s. I won’t comment on the safety issue because I see that’s become a thing. Two ideas:

      1. You might go to the travel section of a large bookstore (or, if you are in NYC, in the East 30s there is a great travel bookstore called the Complete Traveler (?)) and spend a couple hours browsing through guide books. You’ll need one (or ten!) anyway, so page through them to see what strikes your fancy. Do you gravitate toward the pages about food or museums or shopping or nature or history? What interests you: France or England or Turkey or Greece or The Netherlands? Also, which books’ layout do you like. Don’t underestimate this if you are traveling alone. I used to keep the books in the hotel and use a razor blade or knife to cut out the chapter for the city/portion of the city I was in that day for my backpack.

      2. I think it’s nice to learn the three critical words in the language of the country I’m visiting. IMO, those words are: Please, Thank You and Chocolate.

      Have Fun!

      • Killer Kitten Heels

        I actually am in NYC and love bookstores, so I’m definitely going to check out Complete Traveler. Thanks!

        • Former Partner, Now In-House

          I just looked them up. Madison and 35th (SE corner). When I lived there, it was current travel books. It appears that they have become an antiquarian travel book store. I was there in the pre-Internet age, so perhaps they have adapted? Or maybe they still have current guidebooks? At the very least, it would be a fun visit and they can tell you which bookstore in town have what you are looking for.

        • Anne Shirley

          Idlewild is a great travel bookshop in the city. Guides, maps , novel and non-fiction organized by country.

    • Bonnie

      I have traveled solo through Europe and some of my favorites were Prague, Budapest, Krakow, and Vienna. If you do decide on Europe, I’d suggest getting a eurorail pass and traveling by train. I always felt safe but made sure not to be flashy and to never get drunk. If you’re considering places outside of Europe, I’d recommend Argentina. It’s a huge country with a low crime rate and many exciting things to see, including Iguazu Falls (amazing waterfalls in a rain forest), Buenos Aires, Mendoza (the wine region), and Ushuaia (the southernmost city of the world where you can watch whales migrating).

      • MJ

        Cosign that Krakow was fabulous. You can day trip to Auschwitz (which was really centering to help me get over whatever slump I was in, in my personal life), the Welischka (sp). salt mines and bike to Tynizc. The city was incredibly safe and easy to navigate. It’s small and CHEAP.

        I also did Budapest with a friend for a few days and alone after that. The baths are so relaxing–it’s like having a spa day EVERY DAY.

        I’ve pretty much traveled in many Western European cities alone or in small groups, and if you don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at night in a U.S. city, you should be fine. Pay attention when Lonely Planet tells you if a neighborhood is rough at night and don’t book a hotel there or be there alone past a certain hour. All places are a little dangerous, and you need to use your common sense.

        Also, if you are “learning” how to travel, you might want to check out Rick Steves’ guides on how to do Europe or Frommers guides. Their guides are basic but very instructional. Lonely Planet will assume you know how to figure it out. Most guides have suggested itineraries.

        Also, note that you should think about how long being away from home or living out of a suitcase will cause you travel fatigue. Sometimes a few weeks of travel is enough for me (and of course, when I’m working, a few weeks of travel sounds like a dream). You need to gauge your tolerance for jaunting before you book an epic journey.

        • Cb

          Krakow is fabulous! I lived there and definitely doable without speaking the language.

        • emeralds

          +1 for Rick Steves! I’m a traveling veteran but his guidebooks are still some of my favorites. He makes travel seem accessible and doable.

        • Katie

          I love Krakow and Budapest! So much fun, and a bit cheaper than other parts of Europe since neither country is on the Euro.

    • DontBlameTheKids

      If you are looking outside of Europe, I have a friend who is going to Jordan solo for the second time this Spring, and she highly recommends it! The photos were breathtaking, and it certainly looked like an adventure!

      • Blonde Lawyer

        I would be a little cautious going to Jordan solo as a woman. There are some laws there that I am not comfortable with. For example, a male family member or a husband can put a “travel hold” on a woman where she can’t leave the country. My brother did a semester in Jordan and loved it. I was considering visiting him there but read too many things that concerned me to travel there without my husband. I might just be totally paranoid but I could imagine a crazy scenario where someone claimed I was their wife or carrying their baby and it would be on me to prove I wasn’t while being unable to return home.

        • Em

          Eh, I’ve spent some time in Jordan as have some of my female friends – I wouldn’t be worried about this. Too much of their economy depends on tourism for them to be interested in trapping American women in schemes like that.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      It is a really long flight but a good intro to Asia is Singapore. Four official languages lets you experience other cultures. One language is English so you can still communicate. Orchard Road is kind of like Fifth Avenue shopping wise. Little India is a great cultural experience. The only trouble I had in Singapore was getting comfortable saying things in “Sing-lish” so I could be understood.

      I stayed at the Good Wood Park Hotel and if I said that to a cab driver they had no idea what I was saying even though they spoke English. Someone politely informed me I had to say “Goo Woo Pah.” I felt so uncomfortable, like I was mocking them, speaking like that but it worked. I would only do it if saying “Good Wood Park” failed.

    • KinCA

      I’d suggest Paris – the city is beautiful, easy to navigate, and pretty safe. I was there late last year and was pleasantly surprised at how many people spoke fluent English (though they were more than willing to indulge me and let me practice my terrible French if I wanted to speak French). Also, there are so many great day trips to take from the city (Monet’s Gardens, Versaille, the Loire Valley, etc.). We had no trouble renting a car there and driving outside of the city and the surrounding areas was really easy. I believe there’s also trains that will take you to these places as well.

      • KLG

        It was like 15 years ago but we took the metro/train to Versailles from Paris when our flight out was cancelled and rescheduled after we’d turned in our rental car. It took like an hour but was easy to do. We were there on a really nice day and the gardens were lovely.

    • New Girl

      My suggestion would be stay in London and take the Chunnel to Paris one day.

    • Iceland

      How about Reykjavik? You can easily see it in 4-5 days by car or by public transport. Everyone speaks beautiful English in Iceland. I mean everyone. Literally, you can walk up to anyone on the street and speak English. The people are very friendly and it’s a beautiful country. It’s very safe as well.

    • Thistle

      Hiya, I’ve spent some time visiting several Spanish cities solo. Madrid is really nice and I love Barcelona but I have a real soft spot for Andalucia in the south. Seville is a wonderful city and I never had any trouble as a lone woman. Ditto Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. Infact the only time I did a fast getaway was in Madrid (and even then it was just to get away from a sleezy proposition…). I booked travel and hotels in advance so I could concentrate on sightseeing and ticking off all the items on my to-do list.

      I did make sure I had read up on the places in advance, had studied the maps and read a few blogs before I went. I knew which areas were to be avoided at night (esp. in Barcelona), but thats kind of standard even if you aren’t going on your own. Taking a book with you at all times so you can look busy (if trying to fend off unwanted attention) can also help. Also, you need to be a little more careful about things like pickpockets as you don’t have anyone to watch your back/valuables.
      I also made friends with the receptionists/doormen who kept an eye out for me (and could make good recommendations for eating etc).

      It was strange sometimes not having someone to talk to about what I was seeing and experiencing, but you do see a totally dfferent side of a city – in a good way.

  9. Pants for spring

    Help from the hive please…I’m pear shaped and 5 ft tall. I generally wear pants with a boot leg, straight, or trouser cut for work (in a business casual environment). With spring just around the corner, I really would like to try ankle length pants (maybe even as short as calf length) but I’ve been burned in the past and never really liked anything I’ve tried on. But maybe I just haven’t been looking in the right stores…

    Any advice on which ankle length or brands are good for short, pear shaped body types?

    TIA!

    • Killer Kitten Heels

      This isn’t a brand-specific recommendation, but as a pear-shaped person myself, I recently discovered that slim-fit pants (including ankle-length pants) work a lot better for me when I get the pockets sewn shut. My Nordstrom personal stylist recommended this after I found a pair of ankle-length Michael Kors pants with her that I loved except for the dreaded pocket bulge, and it transformed the pants into one of my favorite things ever.

    • PolyD

      I’m not that pear-shaped, but definitely heavier in the hips/thighs compared with my waist. I really like the Banana Republic Sloan fit ankle pants, and they come in 3 lengths. I am not quite 5’4″ and I buy the regular length, but cuff them under (fabric is heavy enough to stay) because I feel like the short length is a bit too short. Loft’s Julie fit and Curvy straight also work well, although I’m not sure if they have ankle pants in those fits.

      Another thing to consider is shoes. I think ankle pants look better with shoes that have at least a bit of a heel and also a more pointed, rather than rounded, toe. Or with booties.

      Took me forever to find skinny/ankle pants that I liked, but I do love the ones I have now. Good luck!

      • Charmed Girl

        Agree on the Banana Republic Sloan Pants. 5’2″ and curvy. I have the ankle slim pants and I think they are magic!

    • Bonnie

      My favorite skinny pants are from the Limited. I’d stay away from calf length and look for pants that end just above the ankle as IMO pants that end in a wider part of the leg are less flattering.

    • hoola hoopa

      I’ve found that my 5’1” large thigh/bum/calf self looks best in essentially a cropped boot cut. The slight flare below the knee is flattering for my not-so-slim leg. Hemmed about halfway between my ankle and the thickest part of my calf.

      I love ankle pants. The right pair is very flattering.

    • Carine

      I’m 5’2″, pear-shaped with short legs. Based on commenter recommendations I bought a pair of the Fit 1 Ankle pants from Lands End last fall and I really like them. I have the cords, and while they seem to have shrunk up just a tiny bit, they truly are ankle length and the perfect width through the calf. I also recently purchased a pair of the Gap ultra skinny pants on a whim and they are really flattering, surprisingly. I can’t remember whether I bought petite or not, but I want to say they’re regular length because I was in store and the petite sizing is usually pretty limited there.

  10. anon

    I’m a junior associate in biglaw. I feel like I am constantly realizing that I’ve missed something or that I’ve misstated something, and I feel like I am constantly operating in a state of fugue because it takes all my energy to create this non-excellent work product (in addition to the fact that I need more sleep). And yes, I get it, I’m probably not organized and detail-oriented enough for this work. I’m not worried about losing my job imminently (we are a fairly lean group), but I know that I will never really excel here. I do think I could be doing a much better job if I slept more, but, y’know . . . couldn’t we all. . . This job makes me feel exhausted, but I just don’t know that it would be that different with any other job. Or that I would necessarily excel in some other field. (I’ve always been one of those people who was sort of good at lots of things but not really good at anything).

    Anyway. I guess I’m interested to know if people have felt like this in this job and what people have moved on to from here. What makes it better? Is it the hours? Less responsibility? Something more “enjoyable”? Better people? (I generally work with nice people). I don’t know that I’m one of those people who will ever do something that I LOVE for a career, but certainly there are things I care more about than corporate clients.

    Or, are there people who have just gotten more comfortable with being just mediocre? I know that people like this exist (some of them end up making partner). Do they know that they are not great, but not care? Or do they think they are doing a great job? I don’t need to be the best, but I do want to be able to be proud of whatever work product I’m creating, and I’m not sure that this job allows me to do that.

    • CHJ

      When I worked in Biglaw, I used to always say, “this job would be a lot less stressful if I were better at it.” The thing is, you will get better at the job. Everyone feels incompetent and overwhelmed as a junior associate. With time, practice, and (let’s be honest) incessant criticism, you will eventually find your way and feel more competent at the job.

      That said, I found the demands of Biglaw to take too much out of my life, and I left for a small litigation boutique. I love it. It’s basically the same job, just a lot less of it, and very few nights and weekends.

    • L

      I asked around here awhile ago about a sun lamp/vitamin d lamp and have started using said item at work. If you’re trapped in your office all the time with no sun, you might be exhausted partially due to lack of vitamin D. Maybe try and see if that helps any. If you can’t sleep, blasting yourself awake with a bright light does help!

    • ac

      How junior are you? There is a HUGE learning curve at the beginning that most people come out of around 1-2 years into practice in BigLaw. If you’re still in that range, I would stick it out and see how you feel in 6 months. There is a great “HEY! I actually know how to do the thing that was asked of me because I did it once before!” realization that tends to hit around that point.

      If you’re already 2.5+ years in, it may be that the demands of biglaw aren’t the right fit for you — no shame in that. Honestly, I’m nearly a decade in at BigLaw firms, and while the work changes over time, the expectations will always be high.

      To your question about mediocrity, I think as you gain experience, you learn what you SHOULD spaz out about (i.e., what’s important) and what’s not. There will, unfortunately, always be things to freak out about.

      • SD Girl

        Thanks ac for this piece of advice. I am also a junior associate in biglaw and I can commiserate. There were moments when I was working on ten different deals, had no idea what I was doing, everyone always wants things now but I always got enough sleep. I would sacrifice everything else in my life just so I can sleep enough hours. I think it really helps when your mind is rested. Whenever I start to panic, taking a short walk outside also calms my nerves. We also junior associates, we are bound to make mistake. Just fix it, accept it, and move on. Best of luck!

    • RR

      You are a junior associate in BigLaw. If you didn’t feel mediocre, I’d be worried. You are supposed to feel like you have no idea what you are doing when you are young. You are going to make mistakes. The practice of law is still heavily an apprenticeship career. You don’t say how junior you are, but if you are a first or a second or even a third year–hang in there. It will start to click. You will start to feel less like you don’t know what you are doing all the time.

      My two cents as a BigLaw partner who does LOVE her job. Love. Serious, “I get excited about going to work on Mondays” love. You will learn, you will improve, you will have more control over your schedule, you will start to understand what you like and don’t like, what you excel at and don’t excel at and be able to direct your activities to those things you like and are good at and delegate other things. It’s never a perfect job. It’s stressful, and I still feel like an idiot on occasion because you never really know everything in this job, but it is possible to be happy.

      • Senior Attorney

        When I was a junior associate, feeling the way you do, a juniorish partner told me, “The best associates are the most paranoid.” Meaning they could see their mistakes, they knew how much they had to learn, and they knew they weren’t quite “there” yet. I held on to that for YEARS and it really helped me cope with that steep learning curve people are talking about.

        I’d say it takes at least 2.5 years to stop feeling like a complete idiot most of the time. And, as others have said, there’s no shame in transitioning to a job with a slower pace. That’s what I did and I neer regretted it.

        • Senior Attorney

          BTW, just coming back to note that KLG makes a good point — even MidLaw, which is where I spent my career after a brief stint in BigLaw and before going to the public sector, is quite demanding. It’s just not a unrelentingly completely utterly insane as BigLaw. There really are no slow-paced private practice law firm jobs, I don’t think.

        • Further

          I agree with that. I was a paranoid Biglaw associate for 5.5 yrs, and did very well there. I was in commercial litigation, so it wasn’t exactly rocket science, it just required a crazy attention to detail (checking, re-checking rules, local rules, calling clerks for judge’s preferences, Blue-Booking, etc.). I was hyper-vigilant, hyper-responsive to any and all emails/requests, and hyper-hyper-sensitive to errors (catching, correcting, and never letting it happen again). In part b/c I was hired from a lower-ranked school than many of my peers, I felt like I had more to prove. I outlasted most of them because again, my practice was not rocket science, but turns out an imposter syndrome work ethic was really what my partners wanted.

          Of course, this approach turned me into a nervous wreck and the anxiety was killer. I got to a point where I would start dreading filings days in advance b/c I knew I’d find mistakes as soon as the pleadings were filed (that red “Attention!” in Pacer gave me nightmares). I probably could have toned it back at the job and been a little happier, but I actually left for a different job in a much different environment. I’m MUCH happier. The change in my overall health is kind of mind-boggling.

    • Bonnie

      You sound burned out. When is the last time you took a vacation? Even taking a few days off will make you much more efficient at work.

    • KLG

      I was never in biglaw, only midlaw, but I still had decent hours requirements, needed to check my email after hours, work late, take work home, work weekends, etc. and the lack of sleep definitely hurt the quality of my workproduct. I really liked the people I worked with and I really liked 50-75% of the work I did, but after 4 years I realized I would never be happy or non-stressed in that environment. I fled to the federal government for a low paying 40 hour a week job that is totally nonstressful by comparison. Yes I have deadlines, but there’s so much less on my plate that it’s comparatively easy to meet them and my bosses think I do excellent work. It’s easy to do excellent work when you only work 8 hours per day. My job isn’t “exciting” or prestigious, but I don’t mind coming to work at all and I absolutely can leave work at work. There are definitely people here who aren’t happy in this position, but for me it’s been great.

    • same boat

      No real advice, but I feel the same way. I think you might be being too hard on yourself, though. I don’t think you are destined for mediocrity. I think that you have just made the choice to put yourself in an environment (big law) where expectations are abnormally high, time is extremely scarce and good teachers/mentors are hard to find. It is very hard to deliver consistently “excellent” (i.e. perfect) work product in those conditions.

      As a third year in big law, I feel MUCH less clueless than when I was a first/second year, but as I’ve progressed, so have my responsibilities, so I am stuck with the same feeling of being under-qualified and slightly confused. I am, however, beginning to get more comfortable with that feeling. So maybe that’s progress?

      I’ve also come to the realization that some people have a very high threshold for what it means to be good at something or to truly “get it.” I am one of those people and you probably are too. Some people can feel like they are good at what they do without being perfect 100% of the time or receiving glowing praise every day. I think I’d be happier if I were more that way, so I’m working on it.

    • 3 years

      Not in biglaw, but I think for any law job in a new practice area it takes at least 3 years to have any idea if the job is a good fit or if you will excel at it. In my experience, during the first two years, you will often feel as though you are on the edge of committing malpractice, and it is not until the third year you can begin to really assess your competency at the job. Also it is at that point you can start to decide if you genuinely enjoy the work you are performing.

    • First Year Associate

      I am in the same boat. I always feel like I am incompetent and just deadweight for the firm. Hopefully it will get better like everyone says!

  11. gref

    TJ

    Tips on avoiding the office goodies when you’re trying to lose weight? I can avoid temptation but I have a hard time resisting it–I do a good job of keeping only healthy food in the house, but I can’t control what food gets brought into my work environment. Today is a co-worker’s birthday and there will be doughnuts, cookie cake, etc.

    I’ve pretty much lost the weight from the baby I had in September, now I’m trying to tackle the 10 lbs I gained when I started this job.

    Looking for support, advice, words of wisdom…

    • Orangerie

      Not a ton of advice here, just commiseration. I try to keep lots of healthy snacks for myself at work (fiber one bars, organic peanut butter, apples, carrots, almonds, cheese sticks), but sometimes I give in and enjoy a donut/bag of chips/whatever.

      I’d recommend stocking up on alternative snack options, and maybe getting a bigger water bottle so you don’t have to go to the kitchen as often to refill.

    • mcmc

      I find that if I pop in to celebrate and then go on a brief walk I can avoid over indulging. Its not as fun as eating cupcakes but celebrate and then get out!

    • Killer Kitten Heels

      A few options – (1) Just stay out of the kitchen, as much as humanly possible. I keep a 1L water bottle at work so I only have to fill up on water once or, max, twice a day. (2) For birthdays, grab something with a strong taste (like peppermint tea, or strong-flavored herbal tea, or even coffee) and take it with you to the “celebration” part of the day – it’ll give you something to do instead of chow down on the baked goodies, and the strong taste of the drink will (hopefully) make the baked goodies less appealing, since the tastes don’t really go together. (3) Find a buddy in the office who would be down with splitting things in half with you, so you’re mitigating the damage if you do choose to indulge – half a donut’s much better than all of the donut, and as a bonus, having a buddy will help you stay on track better.

      • LizNYC

        #3 usually works for me, or deciding what I’m going to indulge in ahead of time and that’s it. Period. Like yesterday, I knew there would be a work party, so I knew I could eat X and Y, but after that, I was cut off. I made X and Y last and then nursed a drink (also planned for) the rest of the time. It’s not a perfect system (nor am I a pro at this), but it’s helping.

        I also do #1 — even though my desk is really close to the kitchen. I’ve also played mind games like, “I’m sure those brownies are poisoned” so I won’t eat one.

    • Anonymous

      The Beck Diet Solution (book) is all about challenging the pattern of thoughts that leads to accepting food we don’t truly want to eat. Some of it was a bit too much for me, but I recommend it for dealing with this particular issue.

    • Godzilla

      Thank you for reminding me that someone brought in donuts today! (not what you were looking for but my chompers are happy)

    • Baconpancakes

      This is super hard. I’ll admit, I caved yesterday and ate a handful of mini Midnight Milky Ways. But I resisted the doughnuts on Monday! That mostly worked by drinking a ton of water, until I felt way too full to want doughnuts. When I did actually start to get a little hungry, around three, and there were still three doughnuts left in the box, I had the cucumbers and dressing I’d brought as a snack.

      For a birthday, if there’s an actual gathering, I’d take a tiny piece of cake or a cookie, enjoy it, then rinse out my mouth and drink extra water. Eating plain yogurt also tends to kill my tastebuds, so that I stop craving anything else. Something about the sourness. Good luck! I’m 10 lbs down, 13 to go!

    • mascot

      I do better with abstinence over moderation for any food/candy that is just lying around the office. Once I have one piece of candy, it becomes too easy to have another one. So I just say no. For planned celebrations, I go for a moderation approach. Perhaps you can volunteer to bring a healthy item like fruit or veggie tray with a dip. That way you know there is something there you want to eat. Or, you can decided to have just one item, like one cookie or one cupcake. Savor that item and don’t feel like you have to sample everything.

    • Anon

      I feel like I recommend this all the time, but what works for me is using myfitnesspal to keep track of calories. If I know I have to log that donut, I think twice about eating it! Or, I arrange the rest of my daily calories to account for it if I really want to eat it.

    • gref

      You guys are great.

      The problem is it’s not in the break room, it’s in the area right near where I work! I think willpower is a muscle that gets exhausted. I’m great at saying “no thanks” in the morning, but after I’ve walked pasted it on my way to the printer 20 times, it gets a little harder to say no.

      Do you think I’m a jerk for suggesting we move everything into the break room after say, 3 pm?

      • Baconpancakes

        Nope, that’s perfectly reasonable. Not sure if you want to, but you can also joke about it, since pretty much everyone is kind of trying to lose weight. “Hey, do you mind if I move this to the break room? The first fifteen cupcakes were ok, but if I eat the sixteenth my diet is just ruined.”

      • Parfait

        I have the same issue. My willpower muscle is a lot stronger if all my actual needs are being met. If I’ve had enough sleep, enough real food, etc, then I am much better able to resist the donuts. If I haven’t slept enough, and I was running late and didn’t get any breakfast and I’m totally stressed and trying to keep it together and there isn’t enough coffee in the world? Yeah I am so having that donut and I’m probably going to have two.

        Oh! The other tactic I have learned is a delaying tactic. This one goes, “I only have to resist the donuts until 10:30. If I still want one then, I will have one.” This works well because sometimes all the donuts are gone by then, or all the good kinds are gone.

      • lent is almost over, right?

        i tend to mindlessly take food when it is offered and the only thing i’ve found works is to snack on something else, so my hands are full and my mouth is full and neither can hold more food. this means A LOT of baggies of carrots, green beans, and red peppers at work, and any time I head to a meeting where I know there will be food, I bring my own food and then sit out of reach of the sweets.

    • Cornellian

      I try to avoid snacks more for general health reasons (I know that the cupcake will make me feel like hell in 45 minutes), but I find going in with a coffee or tea in hand makes it easier to resist, and people are less likely to insist you put down what you’re consuming in order to consume something else.

    • NOLA

      I generally don’t eat those things and I just tell myself “I don’t eat that.” Unless it’s a really special treat (like donuts from one of the specialty places, etc.) I just tell myself that it’s not worth it to splurge on something that just isn’t that good. It helps that I really don’t like white cake or sweet yeast dough items like cinnamon rolls.

      • Katie

        Yes, I only ever eat treats brought in from really good bakeries(and I mean PHENOMENAL- I’m a pretty good baker, so I figure I’m not going to waste calories on anything I could make as good or better on my own) or from my one colleague who used to be a chef. Grocery store cake or generic doughnuts? No thanks. Macarons from that one French patisserie? Yes please- but just one!

    • Anon

      What was helpful for me is asking myself whether I wanted to stick to my weight loss plan/lose weight or if I wanted a snack. I’m sure many people can consume junk food in moderation, but I can’t. I either eat it or I lose weight. It’s also helpful to think about how you’ll feel afterward – will you be glad you ate a doughnut, or kicking yourself? If you abstain, will you wish you hadn’t? I kind of had to strong-arm myself into a pattern of healthy eating, but once I got in the groove it worked for me.

      • roses

        +1 to this. Before you reach for something, take 20 seconds to consider what will happen if you DON’T reach for the extra snack. How will you feel later on? I’m actually not trying to suggest that there’s an obvious answer to that question. You answer could be “I will feel deprived and miserable and I’ll end up binging,” in which case you SHOULD take the snack and make up for it by eating less later on or working out more. But if your answer is “I’ll feel good about myself,” you should keep repeating that over and over and walk away.

    • anonness

      When I’m feeling the urge to not chow down, I bring it up with a nearby coworker and share … usually they’re more than happy to split something vs. eating an entire thing.

    • CKB

      First off, I love bakery treats. Seriously love them. They are my biggest weakness, especially cake. When I was loosing weight what helped me was having a small helping (because I know I just can’t turn it down, unless it’s cheap grocery store cake that I know is chemically tasting) and then drink mint tea or chew gum & drink water. I also need to keep myself distracted so I don’t go for seconds later in the day. Also, if I knew in advance something was coming in I adjust what I eat for breakfast or lunch or both (depending on the timing & the treat). So, for example my current office brings in cake every 2 months for whoever has had a birthday. It’s always in the afternoon. So, I eat a lighter lunch, only bring veggies or a 80 cal portion of beef jerky for my afternoon snack, and then I can indulge without feeling guilty. And thank goodness the leftovers are 19 floors and 2 elevators away from me. It’s harder to resist when the leftovers are in the kitchen across from my office.

      Also know that a small piece of cake with a bit of icing is really not that high in calories, not very nutritious (total empty calories), but not blow your calorie count for the day high.

  12. Weight Loss

    I have good news to share!

    I’ve been on an eating plan since the end of December/beginning of January. Though I don’t know the exact amount of weight lost, today I am wearing jeans that used to cut in at the waist and three sizes smaller than what I was wearing at Christmas (and feeling really uncomfortable in). I’m guessing I’ve lost about 35ish pounds?

    I still have a long (long) way to go, but yay!

  13. Baconpancakes

    The purple tote question upthread got me thinking about Mother’s Day. Does anyone have suggestions for a luxurious, small gift for a mom who likes to feel fancy, but wouldn’t actually wear or use anything impractical? Perfume’s out due to allergies, and she has enough scarves to keep a giraffe warm. Around $50.

    • Orangerie

      Fancy hand cream is always a winner with my mom. She loves it, but rarely buys it for herself. L’Occitane sells some nice gift sets around Mother’s day, and the original shea butter formula is unscented as far as I know.

    • Killer Kitten Heels

      Would she use a really luxe wallet? Or a fancy pen, if she uses pens? A really pretty bracelet watch could work too (watches are practical, yes?).

    • anne-on

      Fancy robe or slippers? Pretty nightgown? My mom won’t ever buy this stuff for herself so we usually get her nice slippers/spa robes/nightgowns for gifts every few years.

      • Diana Barry

        +1, my mom will wear this stuff out but always appreciates it when we get her a new one.

    • KLG

      This might be out due to her allergies but I buy my mom nice hand lotions or face cream. Sometimes organic stuff, sometimes L’Occitane type stuff. She likes it because she wouldn’t spend that kind of money on those products, but she does use hand lotion and face cream every day. Fancier sunglasses if your mom is the type to wear sunglasses a lot?

      • Baconpancakes

        I like the fancy hand creams suggestions – they’re not her allergies, actually, but my stepfather’s, so hand cream is fine, but perfume has to be tested. Any suggestions on brands, other than L’Occitane?

        Keep the ideas coming, thank you!

        • AIMS

          My mom is very practical usually but is obsessed with Sheseido hand cream. She washes her hands a lot and she said this stuff is just magic. I usually get it for her for random little occasions like Mother’s Day.

          I also really like Crabtree & Evelyn for this type of thing.

    • Eleanor

      If she likes to cook (or eat), would she like high-end food products? Like really nice chocolates, or cheese, or fancy jam or flavored olive oil or something.

    • In the Pink

      Can’t say enough about angora rabbit socks from Iceland – the brand is VARMA.

      Also, something about a fancy pen. Bought myself several last year. From Levenger and the ACME brand (I know; it is not by the warner bros’ coyote) via Amazon. Makes the writing so much nicer!

    • Senior Attorney

      If she’s not the one with allergies, how about a gift certificate for a mani-pedi or a massage? And if you’re nearby you can go with her and make it a girls’ spa day!

    • hoola hoopa

      Your mom sounds like me!

      My mom and I always give each other really nice socks. It’s the kind of thing that neither of us splurge on for ourselves but always appreciate.

      Someone gave me cashmere gloves and I looooove them.

      I wouldn’t do hand cremes etc if allergies are involved. My husband is allergic to lavender, chamomile, many flowers… which excludes the vast majority of products. I give away 99.9% of those types of gifts. They aren’t my thing anyway.

  14. Sydney Bristow paging A Nonny Moose

    I finished reading The Minds Eye this morning based on your recommendation. It was super interesting! It’s amazing the ways we can adapt to such drastic changes in our lives. I found out that there is a movie called Awakenings based on one of his books, which is loosely based on the author himself. It’s now on my watch list. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • A Nonny Moose

      I’m so glad you liked it! After my post I realized you were probably looking for something more education related rather than learning in the general sense, so I’m happy it was interesting anyway :)

      • Sydney Bristow

        I totally meant learning in the general sense. :-) I’ve read some really interesting stuff about education too but I find the whole subject of how people learn completely fascinating.

  15. anne-on

    Dinner with kids question. For those of you with small children and two working parents, do you generally eat dinner with your children during the week? My son is entering a picky phase and the prevailing advice seems to be involving him in shopping/cooking and to eat dinner as a family together. Unfortunately, if he doesn’t eat by 5:30 at the latest he just melts down. And even if I’m home by then, my husband certainly isn’t and I definitely don’t have the time to start cooking only to eat at 6.
    We do eat breakfast/lunches/early dinners as a family on the weekends but it just seems impossible for two parents in corporate jobs to possibly get home to prepare and eat a dinner before 6:30 every night and that is just too late for my son to wait. Any advice? I’m leaning towards picking my battles and asking his sitter to have him help prep his snacks/dinner during the week but curious how other working moms handle this.

    • Orangerie

      I wonder about this all the time. (no kids, not sure if I want them)

      When my brother and I were growing up, we were super fortunate to have my grandmother living with us and cooking dinner on the weeknights. We’d eat earlier and my parents would eat whenever they got home from work. No idea how my mom & dad would have managed this without grandma’s help.

    • tesyaa

      Definitely worth having him eat early if that’s what he needs, especially since you have the family meals on weekends. I wouldn’t lose a minute’s sleep over this.

      • hoola hoopa

        This.

        We eat together, but we’re all home in time for a 5:30 dinner (which is equally critical for our kids). Some days it’s later and we push through, but I’d do separate dinners without a drop of guilt if it were routine and we had another option (ie, your nanny).

    • Anon

      No kids yet. However, when we were really young, my Dad was rarely home in time for dinner (physician) so we ate while my mom kept us company (sometimes she also ate, sometimes not). As we got older, we ate later (730pm/8pm) so that we could all eat as a family. My siblings and I all grew up to enjoy sharing food together with our families and love cooking, and both of my formerly-picky-eater siblings outgrew the pickiness as they grew up, so I think that any decision you make will be just fine.

      I’d encourage you to do whatever causes you the least amount of stress :) two working parents plus small child is a juggling act at its best, so be kind to yourself

      • WestCoast Lawyer

        +1 Dinner as a family is a great goal (one we achieve primarily through eating out), but you have 18 years to eat dinner with your kids. Right now if they need to eat earlier just go ahead and feed them and don’t feel guilty about it. Also, do what you can to offer a variety of foods, but most kids will go through a picky phase. Try not to stress yourself out about it too much. I read somewhere that you should try to make sure your kids get a balanced diet over the course of a week, but it doesn’t matter so much day to day. So if you have more time on the weekend to pump them with fruits and vegetables (or whatever they are currently refusing) it will make up for a less varied diet during the week.

    • mascot

      We eat dinner with our child(3.5) maybe half the time and don’t stress that it isn’t every night. We do try to make up for missed family time at breakfast during the week or one the weekends. If you really want to have him eat with you, can you break up his meals so that he has a healthy snack (raw veggies, cheese, etc) around 4:30 or 5 and then you can have him eat some of the family meal? For when he gets a little older, the Dinner A Love Story blog/books have some great tips and meals.

    • Montreal

      I’m in BigLaw (branch office though, so nominal commuting time). When my older child was that age, they are very hungry very early, so we’d walk in the door and I’d hand out a banana or two and some milk. That would buy some time for them to have a smaller taste of what the grownups would have. But I wouldn’t expect them to eat a full dinner on top of that, more like practicing eating at the table and asking to be excused when they are done. My husband is gone a lot in the evening, so I will sometimes have a snack with them while I reheat my leftovers / etc. I will usually let them be curious and sample what I’m having, but I don’t wind up cooking two meals.

      Now that they’re older, we’ll grab a pizza or something the nights when we’re all home so that we don’t lose “together time” to cooking.

      I’ve found that family meals are so simple and low on the hog that it makes the whole fancy kitchen thing seem beyond ridiculous (i.e., if I work from home, I’ll try to do it on a family dinner day so that I can roast a chicken, but then the oven is doing the work and not me; then we have leftovers; maybe I’ll roast a chicken on Sunday and then not have to cook on Monday). FWIW, I never thought about roasting a chicken until I read this blog and the many proposal chicken references.

    • Diana Barry

      We do, but my flexible schedule means I can get home at 5 and eat at 530. (Sometimes they get hungry at 430 and we feed them their veggies then or a fruit while I am making dinner.) When DH has a meeting or something I eat with the kids. But plenty of families we know have kid dinner at 5 and adult dinner at 7 since the parents don’t get home until then.

    • Working Mama

      This is so not ideal for everyone but it works for me. My toddler needs to eat as soon as we get home from daycare at 6 pm. I’m fortunate to be able to leave work every day at 5 pm but even then it takes me an hour to get to daycare, pick her up, and get home by 6 pm.

      Believe it or not, I wake up every day at 4 am to get her (and our) dinner ready for the day so when I come home, it takes me about 5 minutes to get her food ready and sit with her at the table while eats. I don’t eat dinner w/her but will have some tea, coffee, whatever with a snack so she has some company. My DH joins us when he can but he has bedtime duty so it’s ok if I handle dinner.

      • Working Mama

        I should clarify – after getting up at 4 am, I get our food ready for the day, check email, get to things I wasn’t able to do the previous day at work, etc. so it’s not just for meal prep but that’s one of my tasks. Makes my evenings so much easier but that’s because I’m a morning person and would rather be in bed by 10 most nights!

    • Yep

      I have a guy who just entered a picky phase, and I would lean towards feeding him earlier with the sitter. My guy gets really, really hungry/frustrated if I try to wait for my husband to get home to join us for dinner. I’ve found that he’s (a) less picky, and (b) will eat MORE if I serve him on the earlier side. If I wait until my husband gets home, he’s tired and too over-hungry to really focus on eating, and dinner turns into more of a battle (food thrown at the wall! at the dog! tears galore!). So, I guess my experience is trying to create a perfect family dinner ends up making the evening harder on everyone.

      I still have “family dinner” guilt (grew up in the Midwest with everyone home at 5:30 for dinner!), though, so my compromise is to sit down at the table with him, and eat something – preferably whatever he’s eating – with him. I read something that encouraged parents to feed their kids whatever they are eating, and to “model” eating it with them, and that seems to get our guy to try some different foods if he sees us eating too (of course, every kid is different here). I’m currently pregnant with terrible nausea, so my ability to stomach his dinners has decreased, but I still try to turn on music, and try to keep it fun and festive. My hope is that we’ll be able to push dinner back a little later as the kids get older, but that the “rituals” will be in place.

      Maybe you can encourage your sitter to do the same, and try to get her to set up a little plate for herself -so that your kiddo sees that during the meal, everyone who is home eats at the same time. This would be consistent with what you guys are doing on the weekend, as well. Also, it means that he has the same schedule for eating during the week and the weekend.

    • Anono

      We do the simplest dinners imaginable. For example, last night it was toast with avocado smashed on it with veggie burgers. Or grilled ham & cheese sandwiches with a side of apples. Maybe when our guy is a bit older dinners will be more fancy, but that’s all we can manage now.

    • DontBlameTheKids

      YES!! The time table is impossible. I make dinners in advance (usually weekends or after kids are asleep) and freeze them. Then I just defrost, and boom! Dinner in five minutes. I seriously could not swing the whole working parent thing any other way.

    • KLG

      I don’t know how most people do it. We only make it work because my husband gets off work at 4:30-4:45 pm most of the time and is home 30 minutes later, but even then we don’t eat at 5:30 pm because I don’t get home until 6 pm. He does do snacks immediately upon getting home (usually cheese sticks, yogurt, or apple with peanut butter-soemthing quick and easy with a little protein). We do a lot of frozen food so that he can just turn on the oven and pop something in there when he gets home. On weekends, I’ll make lasagna or other casseroles or freezer-friendly dishes. You could ask your sitter to pop one of those in the oven at 4:45 pm and it would be thawed/reheated by 5:30 pm. Then when you and your husband got home you could try sitting him back down with you and if he seems interested in eating more, let him.

    • anon-oh-no

      we try to eat with our kids most nights. but we have decided that is what is important to us, so we get home to do it.

      They get healthy snacks earlier and then we eat around 6:30 on most nights. in fairness, we now have a nanny who cooks dinner for everyone, so i don’t have to do the prep work. But when i used to do the prep work, dinner was a little less healthy (ie, more processed and able to be cooked in a microwave) because it basically had to be ready in 20 minutes. towards the end of doing it myself, I discovered a local company (like blue apron or plated, both of which are national) that does most of the prep work so i can just do the cooking part quickly. we still use it a few nights a week and its awesome (but the nanny makes it)

      i also will do prep for one or two meals on the weekend — like cut up the veggies and meat for stirfry so i just have to cook quickly (like 5 min) when i get home. trader joes makes a microwaive brown rice this is pretty good for 90 seconds. Or make pasta and add trader joes turkey meatballs and a bottle of pasta sauce.

      it takes a little planning, but it can be done.

    • Carine

      Like most of the earlier commenters, it’s a struggle for us, too. We have an almost-2 year old and both work, with the same close-of-business timing. I am coming off a period of trying to make dinner for all of us most nights, which wasn’t really working because she gets too hungry or fills up on snacks and won’t touch any of the carefully planned meal anyway. The other complicating factor is that she’s in the bath at 7 and in bed by 7:30, so even if she eats early I don’t really want to waste that little bit of evening playtime by cooking our adult dinner. And I’m usually exhausted by the time she’s in bed so I don’t feel like cooking then. Last week’s attempt at trying a few 30-minute meals from Ellie Krieger’s Weeknight Wonders cookbook was such a disaster–not Ellie’s fault, just too hectic–that I actually put PB&J on the meal plan for last night. My husband reported (I was staying late at work) that it went swimmingly. So that gives you an idea of how we’re doing on that front, ha. We can manage PB&J!

      All that is to say, I obviously am no help but I can commiserate! I have not yet figured out how to have that post-work rush hour go smoothly. Simpler, quicker meals? Cook in advance and reheat when we get home? Find a sister wife?

      We do eat breakfast together on weekdays, and every meal on the weekends. I tell myself that’s probably good enough for now and it will be different when she’s older.

    • Anonymous

      We get home at 7 and eat with my 2.5 year old then. His daycare feeds a snack at 5:30, so he isn’t ravenous by then. We do our cooking on the weekend, so we just reheat when we get home.

    • Coach Laura

      Anne-on, my suggestion is to be easy on yourself as whatever you choose – it’s not going to ruin things if he eats ahead of the family some/all work nights. We used to call 5:30-6:30 “The Witching Hour” at our house because everyone was starving and low tolerance.

      Some strategies I used were to do the prep ahead of time and then have the sitter/nanny do the finish work. For example, prepare a casserole the night before (or on the weekend) and have nanny put it in the oven to be ready at 5:30. Your son could help you after dinner to do the prep so he would be involved that way. Or have him help prep all the ingredients for a crock pot meal and then in the morning, just dump it all in and turn it on.

      We had family favorites like enchilada casserole, chicken/wild rice casserole, baked penne with sausage, chili, barbecue pork, beef pot roast, jambalaya, etc., all things that are good made ahead and baked or put in the crock pot. Get his favorites and develop a schedule, which may help you relax and enjoy.

    • Anonyc

      I’m late to this, but my confession is that during a regular work week we never eat with our kids because the earliest someone gets home is 7:30ish. Usually I’m home 7:30-8 and DH is home sometimes by 8:30. Kids are home from school/aftercare around 6, and no way could they wait, so they eat dinner with the sitter and we do books and milk before bedtime when I arrive. So far this is not killing anyone, kids are good eaters, etc. I’m sad we’re not all eating together but there’s no way we could do our jobs and be home by 5:30 (ha! I usually eat lunch at 3 or later these days). If our sitter is out–rare–and I’m picking up the kids, I’ll nosh while they eat but I prefer to relax and enjoy my food after the kids are in bed (so usually eat around 9:30-10). On the weekends we do have dinner together, however.

    • darjeeling

      we usually eat with our 2 young kids, but it’s generally 7 or 7:30 by the time we’re all home and the pasta is ready (or – let’s face it- the takeout arrives), and then they pretty much go straight to bed afterwards.

    • Michelle

      The nanny fed the kids dinner early but they would sit with us and eat a little at our dinner, usually 7:30 or 8:00, then bath/bedtime… Best of both worlds in my opinion. They weren’t starving or cranky for the evening time, they tried new foods with us (while getting child friendly nutrition earlier), and we didn’t live on grilled cheese and chicken nuggets.

  16. SH

    Advice – I just got a quote from a career counselor/coach for $300 for 90 min sessions (no testing required for my situation). I’m an attorney, in the DC area. Is this reasonable? I never did this before and so I’m not sure if this is on the way high end or reasonable. Is it reasonable to ask for a sliding scale for those of us paid below market? Or should I chalk up the ramen I’ll eat for the next couple months as an investment in my future? :-)

    • Anon

      SH, just curious – What would a career coach do? What are the benefits you see from employing him/her?

      • SH

        I’m not sure what they do normally, but I want some insight. I’ve been trying to go from in-house into a firm, looking for more than a year, and haven’t had any in-person interviews. So I need to figure out (a) what I’m doing wrong and how I can market myself better, (b) where would be a better fit, and (c) what do I really want to do with my life. And I need some help figuring all that out from someone who isn’t close to me.

        • MJ

          Honestly, I’d save my money and go for coffee with a good headhunter. A HH can tell you whether your coal is common or realistic, whether there’s buried red flags in your resume and which firms would be more receptive to your plan. A life coach is likely interested in more life coaching. A HH is interested in placing you and getting a fee. I’d like to believe that life coaches are really working in your own best interest, but…the incentives are better aligned with the headhunter.

          Also, in terms of what do you want to do with your life…enlist a good friend for that. It’s cheaper. I recommend the book The Authentic Career by Maggie Craddock too. Good luck!

          • Wildkitten

            I felt like I had been job searching ever since college, because even when I had jobs I was always looking for the next one, and I needed someone to talk to besides my friends who I felt were burned out on job talk. I also was in a long period of unemployment and my career coach really encouraged me that it was okay to want the things that are important to me, rather than just being desperate for any job. I found her completely worth the money and am now very happy with my career.

    • Mary Ann Singleton

      Sorry, accidentally reported you. I don’t know what’s a reasonable cost for this but I’m about to look into the same thing for SF, so I’d be interested to hear what people think.

    • Anony

      Thank you all for your responses. Feel 100x better. You know… one of those days when you find others dressed really well and then you look at yourself in the mirror and find little miss frumpy on the other side. I’m definitely going to check all the recs out.

  17. Mountain Girl

    Does anybody wear the Perfect Form pencil skirt from WHBM? I’m curious about the fit.

  18. anne-on

    Thanks everyone for the responses. We do a lot of soups/sauces/stews on the weekends so my husband and I can quickly reheat dinner later on but I think for now I just have to accept that true family dinners can’t happen most nights while we still have a kid who is ravenous at 5 when we’re home at least an hour or two later.
    I just have to get over the guilt of ‘my mom cooked a family dinner every night, so I should too’ and remind myself that their jobs ended much, much earlier.

    • Anon

      And your great, great, great, great grandmother probably grew or raised most of her own food, too. And started cooking dinner first thing in the morning over a slow fire.

      Times change :) it sounds like you’re doing just fine.

    • Elizabethmac

      I know this is probably too late for you to catch, but in case you do and it helps: My family grew up with a focus on family dinner where conversation etc was more important than the food. So, for example, if us kids had to eat first because of music or sports or because our parents were working late we re-convened before kid bedtime when the parents were eating. If we were ready for a bedtime snack we could eat that, otherwise we had juice and conversation. The teachers in our extended family always spoke about the difference in literacy (I think this included speech/language) for children who were exposed to family conversations about thier days and current events etc. and it really seemed to matter to our parents that we were all able to hang out and talk. I remember “dinner” fondly even if we weren’t eating (also, sometimes we weren’t eating because of pickiness, but we still had to sit and engage)

  19. Anony

    I’m in desperate need of some plus size (or size L/XL/14-16) inspiration for work wear. I’ve been assessing my work wardrobe and realized I’m wearing a lot of sweaters (esp longer lengths to cover my behind).
    I just haven’t been feeling good about myself and need to get some pieces which can make me look a little put together. I’m in an investment bank setting and holding a VP role (but probably dress like an admin assistant) and 30 yrs old. Any advise from the hive?

    • Anon

      Get a solid blazer and get it tailored to fit. You can wear it with dresses or blouses.

    • Clementine

      Have you considered getting some good, structured jackets and getting them tailored so that they perfectly skim your frame? Having a more substantial fabric tends to lay better and putting a jacket over a top, sweater or dress can add polish instantly.

      Also, Belle at CapHill Style always posts plus sized options (and petite options) on her blog. I like this blog for the comments and that one for the fashion-

    • cbackson

      Structure, structure, structure! I know that may seem counter-intuitive at a time when your instinct is to hide your body, but go for structured pieces that will play up your figure and will help you to project authority.

    • Lady Tetra

      Ann Taylor carries up to size 18 online, and I’d say sizes 16 and 18 run a little big, so you might need a 14. But they have some great structured jackets, dresses and suits you might want to look at.

    • LawyrChk

      This would be a fantastic opportunity to use a personal shopper. You have a specific look to go for and presumably a healthy income and career that would permit some investment pieces. Nordstrom’s are known to be good, but I’m sure you can find many if you’re in a decent sized town.

    • Sydney Bristow

      I agree with everyone else. Focus on pieces with structure that actually do skim your body. It might seem like an uncomfortable idea at first but I think it is a more flattering look.

      I’m in a similar size range and tend to buy things from JCrew, The Limited, and NY&CO.

    • Susie

      Have you checked out the blog wardrobeoxygen? The blogger is plus sized and covers both work and casual. I’m not plus-sized but I love her sense of style.

    • LizNYC

      I’m plus size too! I know how you feel. It’s easy to get stuck in the sweater-and-pants rut, especially when you’re feeling self-conscious about a body part/area. (Mine is the tummy/hips area.) The most important thing, no matter what size you are, is to fit the body you have now. It makes me feel better when my clothes fit for right now and not when I’ll be 15 pounds less or when I was 15 pounds heavier.

      What outfits make you feel your best? Is it a wrap (faux or not) dress? Is it that v-neck sweater with a belt over top to show off your figure-8 waist? Or those heels that show you’ve got fab legs?

      I personally avoid Lane Bryant, since I find their clothes give me curves where I don’t have them. I’ve had luck at JC Penney’s for quick outfit refreshers. I also LOVE Macy’s, especially their Inc. line and Alfani. I have had great luck with Lands End too (a fave on thissite as well). I personally gravitate toward:
      –v-neck or cross-over(?) tops (with a contrasting cami underneath)
      –pants that fit me well, usually tailored at the dry cleaner (Talbots –if you live by one of their “clearance” outlets, you can snag awesome deals)
      –well-fitting blazer or cardigans in a range of colors to put over silk shells
      –faux wrap dresses that hit mid-knee
      –great shoes (I need to wear flats, but no matter what I’m wearing, I make sure that I loved the shoes I was wearing.)

      I hope some of this was helpful. Just wanted to let you know that there are other plus sizes on here. And you rock if you’re 30 and a VP! (I’m about the same age.)

    • Anony

      Thank you all for your responses. Feel 100x better. You know… one of those days when you find others dressed really well and then you look at yourself in the mirror and find little miss frumpy on the other side. I’m definitely going to check all the recs out.

  20. Anon

    Every week we have a staff meeting where the office orders breakfast burritos and we discuss workload and eat our burritos. I’ve recently been trying to eat a lot better (I’ve always been a pretty healthy eater but I’m trying to step it up). Anyway, when asked what type of breakfast burrito I wanted I declined ordering one because I’m trying to not to eat that type of stuff. I was eating two hard boiled eggs this morning in a bowl while everyone else was eating their breakfast burrito. One of our administrative asst. said “Oh so all you’re having is hard boiled eggs” and rolled her eyes at me in front of everyone. I was pretty embarrassed and said “yep”. I didn’t really think anyone would notice if I was eating something different. Maybe I should’ve waited until after the meeting to eat in my office?!? I was hungry.

    • Senior Attorney

      She was totes inappropes and I thing you handled it just fine.

      I swear, it never ceases to amaze me how ridiculous people can be about what other people are eating!

    • NOLA

      You did nothing wrong. The person who called you out in front of everyone was inappropriate. Unless you’re eating something offensive and foul-smelling, you have the right to eat anything you want in a situation where everyone else is eating. This kind of thing makes me crazy.

      I don’t drink during the day. It’s just not something I want to do. I either work out or sing in the evening and neither of those goes with drinking in the late afternoon. So I am always a party pooper, even though I say nothing about those who do. Except for the one time when I pointed out (in advance and privately) that it was inappropriate to serve alcohol in a meeting where one of the team members was an alcoholic who was a chronic relapser and in danger of losing her job because she could not stay sober at work.

      • BB

        I HATE the late afternoon happy hour drinking! I usually order a soda water or something to make it look like I’m drinking. I’ve also ordered a glass of wine and just held onto it before without touching it. And then I always get the “Oh, you don’t drink?” questions. I get that some of these may be somewhat well meaning, but ugh.

        • NOLA

          Yeah I’m supposed to go to a provost’s wine and cheese thing and I know I’m not going to drink. Or eat. I guess I’ll just get some water and shmooze.

        • anonness

          When the drinks are on the employer, I’ll happily go for happy hour … just for a soda. :)

        • Anon

          Always makes me think of the comedian Jim Gaffigan bit where he talks about how he doesn’t drink and always gets those questions. He wonders why people don’t get the same questions about other things.

          “Oh you don’t eat mayonnaise? Why?! Are you addicted to mayonnaise?”

    • Wildkitten

      Extremely rude but I wouldn’t dwell on it. People are weird about food.

    • Orangerie

      Your coworker was rude but I’m not going to lie, hard boiled eggs SMELL. Maybe that’s part of why she said something? Again, her behavior was uncalled for but I think it’s also kind of rude to eat smelly foods in an office around other people.

      • NOLA

        It may be true that hard boiled eggs smell, but if everyone is sitting there eating burritos, I’m pretty sure any smell of hard boiled egg would be masked.

        • Anon

          Yeah it wasn’t a smell issue from what I could tell – it was more of a “that’s ALL you’re eating” kind of thing. She always talks badly about people that eat healthy. I think it makes her feel better about herself.

          • zora

            yeah, well then CLEARLY just ignore anything this woman says. It was not inappropriate for you to bring your own food when everyone else was eating in the meeting, you should not have waited, you can eat whatever you want if everyone is eating. Don’t think about her another second.

            and I will go a step further. It is completely unprofessional to ever visibly eyeroll at a coworker in ANY context! So, I think you should write this woman off as rude and unprofessional and never worry about anything she says to you in the future. Her problem is her, it has nothing to do with you.

          • Orangerie

            That certainly is frustrating, but you’re correct in that it sounds like she’s trying to make herself feel better by putting you down. A woman who used to work at my firm would always comment on how much dressing I put on my lunch salad, of all things. Just ignore her and move on.

    • Susie

      Sounds like you have a choice in the burrito contents so you can get one reasonably healthy (no sausage, no/lite cheese, etc.) Eat only half at the meeting you’re still concerned.

      • zora

        what? why?? If this is a meeting where everyone is eating she can eat or not eat whatever she wants. If she doesn’t want to eat breakfast burritos and wants to bring her own food, that is totally up to her. There is no reason she has to do something she doesn’t want to just because some other coworker is being a food bully.

      • Anon

        These breakfast burritos are not in the range of “healthy”. The eggs are drenched in bacon grease to make them tastier. Even if you get plain burrito with no cheese it’s still not great for you. Plus I know myself….I’ll eat the whole tortilla, etc. It’s better if I just don’t go there.

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