ByKat Hours Updated
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Coffee Break: Backstage Rosy Glow Blush

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Oooh: I mentioned this blush a few weeks ago when I talked about my favorite cream blush (great if you feel like you're waiting forever for sunscreen to absorb into your skin). This is my favorite new powder blush, but it's been sold out for weeks (and weeks, and weeks) — and it's now in stock at Sephora! Gogogo!

My brief review: it's such a pretty pink. Bright but subtle, very much a natural, youthful kind of flush. Love. It's $39 at Sephora. (They're offering free shipping today — is that a promotion or a new policy?)

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Sales of note for 3/21/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off: Free People, AllSaints, AG, and more
  • Ann Taylor – 25% off suiting + 25% off tops & sweaters + extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – $39+ dresses & jumpsuits + up to 50% off everything else
  • J.Crew – 25% off select linen & cashmere + up to 50% off select styles + extra 40% off sale
  • J.Crew Factory – Friends & Family Sale: Extra 15% off your purchase + extra 50% off clearance + 50-60% off spring faves
  • M.M.LaFleur – Flash Sale: Get the Ultimate Jardigan for $198 on sale; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Buy 1 get 1 50% off everything, includes markdowns

150 Comments

  1. wise hive

    i have a mom. nelly out pooch. without it I’d be a size 8 or 10. However I’m a 14 now to accomodate it.

    have any of you had the surgery for this? any ways of dressing to look better?

    1. I’ve thought about it (but nothing more). Have you ruled out fibroids? We have a family history (and I’d do something proto about that — based on my mom and sister’s experience, they only get worse).

    4. Ok, I’m an 8 (former 6) with a mom belly and I’ve got to say, if you’re wearing a 14 to accommodate a pooch, I think there’s something else going on there. I’d go see someone about fibroids and/or diastasis recti. That’s like a 7 month pregnant belly.

      1. Yep, this. There’s something else going on here if you’re having to size up that much.

        1. Do you mind me asking how you found a good surgeon for this, and how much it cost? I don’t know anyone IRL who has had it done, and I can’t tell who is reputable based on my online research. If you can rec a name in DC, that would be particularly awesome, but I’d be grateful any guidance.

          Thank you!

        1. The recovery was not horrible but it took a couple of months to be 100%. First week was the hardest. Had my mother stay with me to help with the kids

    7. I had near constant belly bloating that I thought was normal aging and turned out to be colon cancer (only symptom). Especially if you are 45 or older, you should get screened (age just lowered because it’s happening in younger folks). It’s not all that bad (they have pills now) and seriously important. There is no big flashing red sign that you have cancer. In my case, it was something subtle like this and it was caught when my survivability was above 80 percent. A month or two more would likely have cut that in half.

      2. So glad you caught it on time and that you’re doing well now! Thanks for this reminder.

    8. Has anyone done it when older and after a big weight loss? None of my excess skin is going to go anywhere but the belly is really getting on my nerves.

  2. Fun afternoon question: Suggestions for a karaoke duet for a 40-something mom and teen daughter? Broadway or movie musical songs preferred. Both mezzo-sopranos, but mom’s voice is higher than daughter’s. All we can think of is “Sisters,” which would be really weird.

    1. It makes no sense, but I sing the Javert-Valjean duet (both parts). 2 singers would be too easy, but I think it’s such a good one.

      I know it’s a song for men, but I am such a rotten singer that that doesn’t stop me.

    2. I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher. I don’t think it matters that the original features a man and woman, although you may want to review the lyrics. I think it could be taken as a general two people who love each other song, but I don’t remember if it is more explicitly a husband and wife type of song.

      Or the song from Wicked, For Good.

    3. “The Stepsisters’ Lament” from Cinderella is a great female duet and super fun to ham up. Other options: “For Good” from Wicked, “Nowadays” from Chicago, “For The First Time In Forever” from Frozen,

      Some tenor/tenor male duets would work as well: “Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton (would be poignant to do as parent & child), “The Ballad of Guiteau” from Assassins, “What You Own” from RENT

    4. Yeah I’m not seeing any female-female proper duets that would work… probably your best bet is to just take any song and divide up the verses.

    6. Marry the Man Today from Guys and Dolls
      I Know Him so Well from Chess.
      It isn’t for two female voices un context, but I love Dear Theodosia from Hamilton, and think it could work well.
      You’re the Top from Anything Goes
      Anything You Can Do from Annie Get Your Gun.

        1. A brother and sister did a duet to that in an ice show I was in and it was adorable.

      2. Marry the Man Today is such a good suggestion, and you can really ham it up! Hilarious song.

    7. I don’t really care about the gender so much in duets, so my daughter and I like to sing songs like “It’s a quarter after one” by Lady A and just work out our harmonies, but we are also playing guitars and not doing karaoke.

      There are lots of great duets from Mamma Mia and Grease to choose from that everyone will know and will be fun. Maybe even Hairspray the musical or songs from Glee, if you’re that generation.

    8. My duet of choice will always be “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy and Monica but that might be weird. Or hilarious, depending on the crowd.

    9. What is this feeling or defying gravity from Wicked? Not sure about range, but DD and I sign those together all the time. Also Encanto – Look what I can do

    10. I Will Never Leave You or Who Will Love Me As I Am from Side Show. If you don’t know it, get thee to youtube right away!
      For Good from Wicked.

      Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner have a GREAT album of female duets.
      Take Me Or Leave Me from Rent.

  3. Ugh. I just cannot with some people. “I can’t make it then” is fine as a reply. A paragraph about how you are very busy with very important things . . . just don’t bother.

    2. Eh, I can see that being taken as rude, there’s a lot of pressure to explain why you can’t do something.

  4. SOS. I had a role for 10 years that was 75%+ at my desk. I am an inherently organized person and I had a system that worked incredibly well. Fast forward, I’m 30 days in to a role that I’m out – meeting clients, touring buildings, coffees, drinks, etc – 80% of the time. My desktop to-do list that was iron clad/organized does not cut it when I’m on the fly.

    Currently taking notes in a spiral bound notebook, which works well, but the to-do list portion of it gets lost among the pages as I scribble throughout the day. I intended to consolidate the list at the end of the day, but sometimes my days end well after 8pm and it just gets lost in the shuffle.

    So, I ask…. what do you do? Is there an app? Some other method? I did use an ipad for a while but I much prefer the paper note taking, I learned. I’d love to be able to make 3-4 lists at a time (something with tabs?) – stuff my analyst owes me, stuff clients owe me, to dos for myself and then transaction related lists. Needs to travel well with me. Maybe just a second notebook altogether for the to -dos, but then how do you section it out so you can make multiple living/growing lists. Halp.

    1. I would save the first third or so of the notebook for my to do list and use a sticky or flag so I could easily flip to it and add to my list while taking notes.

      Or keep a separate list on a legal pad or notebook and as I take notes during meetings, star or circle or highlight the action items so I can easily find and add them to the list later.

    2. Get a notebook with numbered pages and a table of contents. Bullet journals work for this. To do lists up front, notes in the back. Add tabs if you feel like it helps.

    4. I was Instagram influenced to buy a Remarkable 2, and I’ve been working with it for the last few months and I love it! You can have one “notebook” with different sheets for to dos vs. client notes by client, etc. It can export into word easily and there’s an app that works great on phones and computers. It’s not cheap but I really think it is perfect for my life (lobbyist in a million meetings in and out of the office working with different clients) and might be yours.

    6. II have a 5×7 spiral bound notebook that is pretty thick. I leave the first 30-ish pages open for to-do lists and use tabs on pages to keep them easy to find, Currently, my current to-do list , an older big overarching to do list, and three points for three different projects all have tabs on them. Green tabs for to-do lists and yellow for projects.

      It’s not fancy or techy but it works for me.

    7. I am a paper notes person also. This method has been the only one that works for me, mostly because it’s so specialized to me, so I’d recommend starting with something simple and adapting to your personal preferences.

      Every Monday morning I create a master task list. This includes things that might not actually happen that week, but I don’t want to forget. More on how I carry over items from week to week below.

      Each morning I start a new page with today’s date as the heading. Under that I put two columns– to do and schedule. I copy my outlook meetings into the “schedule” section so I have an at-a-glance view of my day. I put my top priorities for the day and add smaller items as they pop up throughout the day.

      I take meeting notes on the next blank page in the notebook– I don’t sequester the daily list from the ongoing notes at all, it just doesn’t work for me. I put an asterisk next to items within a meeting that are takeaway tasks for me.

      The key to this system working is the weekly review. On Monday when I create my weekly task list I flip back through the weeks notes and cross off anything that I already did (e.g. Item A was on the list for 3 days in a row, so I cross it off on all 3 days it appears). Any to do list item or starred meeting note that hasn’t been done yet goes on the list for the week. Occasionally I’ll flip back farther for say a whole month to make sure nothing gets through the cracks.

      Maybe this seems cumbersome but it’s honestly very quick for me and is the only method I can stick with after years of trial and error. For context my role is project based, lots of large and small items, no two days are the same.

      1. I should also add that I put anything that’s more than a couple weeks out on my outlook calendar. E.g. something I have to do every May goes on the calendar rather than the notebook.

        …I’m also realizing after I typed all this out that it may be more chaotic than what you’re looking for lol

      2. My wife has ADHD and does something similar.
        I find it really helpful to use graph paper for notes/to-do lists. I’m really visual and need to be able to literally draw lines around my to-do list.

          1. This notebook looks like what I think you’re explaining!

            https: / / www . amazon . com/dp/B09W4DMLLT

      3. This is also pretty similar to the original ryder caroll version of the bullet journal, with daily rapid logging and migration. I use something similar. I think its a shame this version of the bullet journal has gotten lost in all the arty versions. Less welcoming to someone looking into the idea to see all the beautiful but un-useable pages.

    8. Ooh, this was a challenge for me as well when I started travelling for work more often. And like you, I prefer pen and paper. What has worked best is dividing the notebook into two sections, one for notes and the other for my running to-do list. You could buy an actual two-subject notebook, but I prefer to put a sticky note into the last third of the pages, since I need more paper for notes than for the the running list. And although it sometimes feels inefficient, the process of going through the notes and re-writing the list every week keeps me on top of things. If you are terrified of losing everything should you misplace the notebook, a quick iphone photo works as a back up, or you can make an actual running to-do list back up in one note, google docs or whatever. I hope that helps!

    9. Bullet journal method, but not fancy. Every day starts with a list of to-dos. Then you make notes subsequent to that list. The journal is not pre-printed with dates or anything so you make your own list and notes format, which helps me as some day are half a page, some days are 3 pages. When you start tomorrow, you look at yesterday’s to-do list and transfer anything that wasn’t done.

      My bullet journal is messy and a tool just for me. I’m not color coding anything or making cutesy drawings. I have no plans to put it on instagram. But the advice on how to format it (yearly plan, monthly calendar, daily notes) has really helped me and I’ve stuck to it for 6 1/2 years now.

    10. I have a Rocketbook, which you can scan and erase, and I like it – mine is full size but if hard to carry around I think they make smaller ones. I scan my notes to myself and then keep them in my inbox unless I have taken care of all the to-dos in those notes.

    11. Tabbed dividers sound like they would work well but if you just want something now, try using the paper notebook you have traditionally with the front half for your daily scribbles, then flip it upside down and use that half (i.e., starting on the last page) for your running to-do list. If you know the thing you are writing down is a to-do, this means you only need to write it once but you don’t need any separate tools or systems to do it.

    12. I use post it notes to create tabs, just position them so there’s a few mm sticking out over the edge of the notebook. I write a description on that visible edge. Can use different colors, cut them in half for different sizes, move them easily.

      I also draw a slash through each page when it is done, or pull out the page if it is trash. That way my “live” pages are easily found when paging through.

    13. I am a paper person and use a notebook for notes and then a big lined post it note (or more than one) that I use for my to dos that I can then move around to different pages or park on the inside cover. At the end of the day, I process the post it notes into my normal /master to do list.

    14. I have a notes notebook and a small to do notebook. I only have one to do list though. Everything goes on it and use different colors/highlights and add notes to the list as needed to keep it updated and prioritized.

    16. I’m a paper person as well, but I’ve become a huge fan of my ipad with pencil and the paperlike screen protector that makes it feel more like writing on paper. In the notes app, I keep running note for each client with my handwritten notes, then I have a note that contains my to-do list. it has bullets that will reorganize when you mark something done, so the incomplete tasks are at the top of the list all the time.

    17. Rocketbook if you like something physical (you could do 2, a larger for notes and a smaller for to do lists. I haven’t looked at them in a while, but they may now have something with tabs or planner style), remarkable if you’re ok with technology.

    18. Since you aren’t finding time to transfer things off paper, you need to get off paper (that will also help make your lists more responsive to later changes that will happen while you’re in transit and improve search-ability). I would start by using a basic task management tool that allows you to make notes and assign deadlines to your lists–something like Teamwork or even simpler like SmartSheet. Hell, even a google doc with dates would be better. Future you will thank you for all the time it will save in needless transferring off of paper and trying to track who was doing what and what your follow-ups need to be.

      Two notebooks is banana cakes.

    19. I draw a box next to the items in my notes that are action items. Then I put an X through them as I complete them. It’s not super elegant and you have to keep checking that nothing got left behind, but it’s straightforward and works for me.

      Big items go into Outlook if needed, especially if there is a critical deadline.

  5. Do you think the ecru color for the Cuyana easy tote is ok for fall? Or is it too summery? Can’t decide what color to get and this is a tote I plan to use year long.

    2. If it helps, I have the stone color and carry it year round. I’m in the bay area. I also bought a merlot bag with a zipper, thinking I’d use it in cold/rainy weather, but I tend to just use the open tote in stone. I love that it’s absolutely neutral and works with everything.

  6. What was up with the repost on wide heels earlier this afternoon? I was super-confused by comments from old-time posters like Sydney Bristow and references to Ivanka Trump shoes, but then I saw that all the comments were from 2014. Is there a glitch in the space-time continuum?

    2. Ha! I didn’t even notice it was from 2014. Was excited to see Diana Barry posting and was similarly baffled by the Ivanka Trump shoes references. Kind of wish we could get 40 eager comments about wide heels still.

    3. There was nothing to indicate it was updated, that I could see. (But I don’t wear a wide size, and a two-inch heel is high for me, so I didn’t read that carefully.)

    5. We’re trying to assess how best to handle older content that is needs to be updated. Historically I’ve done entirely new posts every year but having 14 posts about black heels dilutes the SEO, so I’ve been advised to focus on the one with the best SEO, update that one, and redirect all the older posts. I can steal the URL from the older post and do a completely new one, but there is SEO benefit to having 40 on-topic comments, so it’s a pity to lose that — I also feel like it’s beneficial for readers who care about the subject to have the benefit of all the comments, even if they’re slightly outdated – people might know to look for specific brands on resale sites or whatnot. (Plus, newer Hunts don’t tend to get many comments if any.)

      Thank you for reading!

  7. I often use a little dish soap to wash out food grease spots from my pants. I just did this for a pair of Old Navy pants and the dye washed right out with it. My khakis now have a little white spots here and there. Whoops! So that’s why the Gap pants cost twenty bucks more…

    1. The last time I bought old navy pants, maybe 10 years ago, they were a maroon/red and I remember the color came out some in the wash.

  8. For those who’ve traveled a lot especially in London and major EU cities, is there such a thing as audio self guided tours. I’m a big fan of walking tours normally, so instead of that I’m envisioning something where you turn on a podcast type of recording on your phone, put in your headphones and go and then you can pause if you see a cool place you want to eat lunch or skip past something that doesn’t interest you.

    I feel like the only self guided tour options I’ve seen anywhere end up being when you go to a tourist location and you can either pay for a guided tour or the audio tour and they hand you the rented headphones. In this day and age of pandemics I feel like I don’t want to do groups of tours worrying the whole time about who is coughing or how long we were standing in the cramped historic sight and no one masked. I feel like self guided makes more sense and I guess I assumed that the zillions of travel influencers on IG would have something – yet I’m not seeing it? I mean it’s not the end of the world to not have but then I feel like when I’m in Europe I just end up admiring pretty buildings not knowing what they are or walking up to each doorway being like oh ok this is their tax ministry it’s beautiful.

    2. Rick Steves may work for you. I haven’t used his audio tours, but he offers them and I LOVE his guidebooks.

    3. I haven’t been to London in years, but I feel like one of the museums or churches (I think maybe Westminster?) had a really, really good self-guided free audio tour for inside the building. It was on their headsets, if I recall, but free. And yes, Rick Steves.

    5. Yes, this is a thing, or rather it was a thing 10-15 years ago, I’ve not seen new podcasts, but early enthusiasts did this when podcasts were new.

      My favorite London podcast has been discontinued, but try searching for “live walks”, “real time” and words like that.

      You might find be more lucky on youtube. Sounds weird, but there are guided video walks. Try John Rogers for London, his channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/fugueur/videos

  9. Interested in any opinions from people who’ve done in-home euthanasia for their pet. In my case, we are talking about a 12 year old cat newly diagnosed with cancer of the jaw, which has a poor prognosis regardless of treatment, and we’ve opted not to put him through it.

    My vet doesn’t do the in-home service, and my cat hates nothing worse than being put into his carrier and taken anywhere in a car, so that is not how I want him to leave this world.

    If you had in-home euthanasia, how did you know when it was time? Can you share how much it cost and what you opted to do with the remains?

    I’m calling around to a list of referral vets that provide this service, and I really want to know what to ask.

    1. We did this for our beloved dog, who had an unexpected, massive stroke during the worst of the pandemic when our vet was not allowing people in the clinic with their pets. MCOL midwest and the cost was ~$700 all-in, which included the home visit and cremation. We are still looking for an appropriate urn but have not found one yet that speaks to us, so we have the tin from the vet for now.

      Everything went as smoothly as it possibly could have, but I wish I had known before the visit just how quick it would go. The vet who came was very compassionate and kind and described for us each step along the way, but in my head I imagined it would be slower. Once she got her bag out it was maybe 5 minutes from start to finish, and I expected to hold him longer.

      1. I posted below, but the Lap of Love information says that they will give you 15 minutes alone with the animal, so it may vary by provider.

    2. This may not work for you, depending on your vet and your relationship with them, but some years ago when we had a cat who was wasting away, and who was absolutely terrified of cars and the vet and strangers, our doctor gave us meds to inject when we thought it was time. (Ex-H is the type who struggles with the decision to euthanize so we waited until it was 100% time, I would have done it earlier.) I don’t remember what was in the hypodermic, I think just a very strong sedative that would take out an extremely frail animal, and I didn’t have to find a vein to do it.

      I know how hard this is, sending you hugs.

      1. hmmm I have a bottle of a liquid oral opioid I’m supposed to give him for pain. I wonder if I could figure out how to peacefully OD him when it’s time. He doesn’t really like taking the drops but I’m sure he’d prefer it to a stranger and a needle.

        1. oh, nvmd that, “overdose is rarely fatal” so that won’t do. What a macabre idea of mine! Sorry. We have been weeping about this since he was diagnosed Saturday.

    3. We did this for our 18 year old cat. It was absolutely the best choice. She also hated the vet although I think the day we did it she was pretty far gone and wouldn’t have really noticed. But it still meant a lot to us that she was able to die on her favorite couch with us privately. She had gone to the emergency vet earlier that day and they told us it was time but it wouldn’t be putting her through too much suffering to wait the few hours and take her home. If they’d said she’s still suffering, I would have done it at the vet.

      We used a company called Lap of Love. They were wonderful – easy to book and the vet who did the procedure was very kind and understanding (and listened to our blubbering stories about her during the process). It cost us about $500 and we opted out of any special burials or getting the ashes back.

      1. With a very heavy heart, I made an appointment with Lap of Love this week and asked for private cremation with the ashes returned. The cost is $750 for my medium-sized dog. I think a smaller animal.would be a bit less. I wish I could say how to know it is time. Since making the appointment, I have wavered each day on whether to cancel. My girl wasn’t eating on the day I made the appointment but has had a voracious appetite each day since. No medical diagnosis, just old age and physical and mental deterioration. It’s so hard.

      2. I should add that they said that if we didn’t want the ashes, they take the body, cremate it with other animals and the mixed ashes get scattered in a cemetery. They also offered (for no additional cost) to do a paw print impression and a keepsake lock of fur. We didn’t do either of those, but totally personal preference.

        I am also so sorry that you are dealing with this :(

    4. I can’t help with how to know bc I always just do and never waver. However, multiple friends and mt mom have used at-home euth services and it had been so much less stressful than doing it at the vet’s office. You should be able to get a rec on a service from your vet but Google should also turn some up for you in your area!

    5. We’ve done this a few times. It is truly worth it. It goes super fast.

      Generally, the mobile euthanasia service will ask about 1) your pet 2) the medical issues 3) your vet’s info 4) discuss cremation/other options 5) explain payment (all handled in advance and not by the vet who comes over).

      It helps to create an area where your pet can lay down and your vet can work unimpeded by other animals, children, or furniture. Setting up a cozy blanket on the floor works well. This blanket may disappear with your pet’s body. The process is very, very fast. The pet will get one shot of something that prevents movement and chills them out (ketamine??), then they get the euthanasia and this process is almost instantaneous. I like to have my hands on the pet during this time, but the vet may not want your hands anywhere near the needles.

      The vet will then most likely give you a few moments with your pet and then come back in and gather the body (and the blanket).

      Compared to in-office euthanasia, it really is so, so much more pet-friendly. Having done both, I don’t think I would ever choose in office again, unless it was required due to a medical emergency where the pet was already in the vet’s office.

    6. I’ve done it twice for dogs, in home. Much, much, much better than going to the vet as I did with prior dogs and cats. For the same reason – my dogs usually knew it was the vet before they got in the car somehow. Both times, the vets that came were fabulous. We laid the pets on a blanket that we were ok to part with. The vet took the body wrapped in the blanket and we picked up the ashes later. I don’t remember how much but it was comparable to in-office care.

      With both of our dogs, it was clear. The most recent had cancer throughout her belly (hemangiosarcoma) and $15,000 chemo would only last 2-3 months and she was in pain, wasn’t eating much and didn’t want to go to the park, her favorite activity. She was a border collie and didn’t want to give up but eventually she couldn’t stand and we had the vet there in a few hours, as we had prearranged to have them that day or the next.

      My sister is almost to that point with her border collie (but no cancer or emergency) and has talked to the mobile vet and the vet even came for a visit/checkup. Maybe your mobile vet could do that?

      I’m sorry. It’s so hard. But I’ll never do it except in home from now on, unless it’s an emergency.

  10. I’m just curious because I haven’t traveled all that much, is there visible homelessness in the major European cities like London, Paris, Zurich, Rome like there is in US cities like NYC, DC, SF? I work in DC and as I see city workers clearing a tent city for the third time that has popped up repeatedly near my office, I know lots of people in DC say well housing is so expensive that if a bad circumstance happens causing people to lose a home, it’s almost impossible to get another. Which caused me to think – well Europe is really really expensive especially in urban areas. Do the European governments do more to keep people off the streets? Is there subsidized housing or government housing or anything?

    1. I just got back from Belgium and the Netherlands, and in Belgium, at least, not only is there subsidized housing, but it’s in the nicest neighborhoods (like, literally canalside next to a four-star hotel in Bruges) and it’s also open to the public (at least the common areas are) because it belongs to the taxpayers so the theory is they should have access. (Also those countries have much more open cultures in general, e.g. nobody closes their curtains and everybody just looks into everybody’s windows.)

    2. The social safety net in many European countries is much more robust than in the US.

    3. I’m from Paris and while the social safety net is better, there absolutely is homelessness. There are often homeless people in the metro and certain parks/areas under bridges become de facto camps, often for recent immigrants. There are a lot of great things in Europe, but we aren’t exempt from social issues quite similar to what happens in the US and by no means perfect.

    4. Based on traveling, I remember a lot of visible poverty and apparent homelessness in Italy.

      1. Really? I haven’t traveled in rural Italy (especially the south, which I think is generally poorer) but I don’t recall seeing homelessness in the cities.

    5. I remember being a young teen and surprised by the homelessness in Paris and Prague. I used to live in Skopje and street begging (tbd if homeless or not) was very prevalent

    6. I remember seeing a homeless woman and her baby begging for money in downtown Stockholm about five to ten years ago.

    7. I was thinking about this the other day when I saw a tent city in Seattle that reminded me of nothing more than slums in India. What does it mean when one of the wealthiest countries on earth can’t build affordable housing?

      1. Also, I lived in subsidized housing in the Netherlands that was just fine. I don’t remember homelessness in Rotterdam.

    8. As others said, social network & care is quite developed, even in my Central & Eastern Europe countries. We don’t have tent cities and I tend to think that those who are begging in streets or are homeless choose this. It is easy to get emergency and social housing (state, charities, church) as well as entry-level jobs. We have random homeless/anti-social individuals in some areas of parks/under bridges/similar spots.

    10. Yes, there is homelessness in major European cities, but not like in the US with big camps or whole downtown areas converted to outside living. Refugees, migrants and poor families are all at higher risk.

      Where I live in Norway, recent stats show that 3325 people in the whole of the country have not got a home of their own (rented or owned), the majority of them are in temporary accommodation of some kind. But about 430 of those people are the most vulnerable, living at single night emergency hostels from day-to-day, and a few are sleeping rough. Their income is generally from social welfare, or health based welfare. Helping people away from this kind of living is a priority on the municipality level, and the stats get better every year.

    11. Yes, at least in London and Italy – I was just there. London was similar to the US (I also live in DC). They have more housing problems than we do actually – housing there is so so expensive, especially compared to their lower salaries. Italy was less, but similar. I think what was so striking about Italy was the racial dynamic – I never once saw a homeless white person, only people of color, who often were not speaking Italian (recent immigrants). Not that homelessness here doesn’t disproportionately affect people of color, but it’s absolutely not abnormal to see a white homeless person in DC.

  11. Any tips for getting a city/by-law to enforce the law? For context AirBnBs are illegal in my city, I’ve reported several on my block and the city doesn’t care, I had an officer literally tell me ‘they pay their taxes so it’s not an enforcement priority’. Is there anyway to peacefully deal with this? Otherwise where I live is one party consent so I’m going to go full scorched earth and record the calls from my next complaint, but I really don’t want to escalate it that far if I don’t have to.

      1. I’ll send it to local news, which will get the issue dealt with promptly. My city hates a scandal and having an officer on tape saying they don’t enforce the law for tax payers would be very bad, especially since I’d wait to send out the tape until I got the corresponding written report that says ‘no infraction found’.

      1. This is it. No one will care unless you make it painful for them and council has to get super annoyed by you before they do anything to increase enforcement.

        But even then, you’re probably not going to get the result you want. It sucks.

      2. I have already emailed my city councillor, unfortunately no response yet but it has only been a few days. They’re usually great about being community focused so I’m hopeful.

          2. This and try to get your neighbors to take the same action. Email, attend city council meetings, be vocal on social media and in any local Facebook groups.

    3. Totally different issue, but in my city, getting a low priority ordinance enforced involved:
      -organizing residents
      -residents going to office hours for city council members to talk about the problem
      -even more residents writing in and speaking at city council meetings

      This was for an ordinance that had no real opposition and some residents who really cared about enforcement. It might be significantly harder if those illegal Airbnbs are owned by city residents who will lose out.

      Maybe reach out to whomever lead getting the ordinance passed?

    4. Honestly, I’d seriously rethink whether this is the hill upon which you want to die. AirBnBs are fairly accepted and even if technically illegal in your city, as you learned, no one is going to put much effort or funds into enforcing this. If its anything like where I live, there are 5-10 priority 1 calls holding at any given time so an AirBnB complaint is going ot be no one’s concern. You can wage your war but I wouldn’t expect to win.

      1. By-law and police officers aren’t the same where I live therefore these calls do not compete with priority one calls, different people respond.

      2. This. I also don’t get why you’d expend so much mental energy on something that won’t change and will just make you bitter. Choose where you use your energy wisely.

    5. have you tried reporting them to Airbnb? I’m not sure if the platform itself does anything about it, but if you find the listing, you could tell “corporate.”

    6. Start badgering your city council members.

      I don’t think recording the calls is going to accomplish anything.

    7. Just be sure recording calls in legal in your state! Recording a call to law enforcement in my jurisdiction would be a one-way ticket to a major fine.

    8. Have you tried contacting AirBnB? I don’t know much about this area, but I’m surprised they’re allowing listings on their site in cities where short-term rentals are illegal; seems like a significant risk to the company. Presumably you have to register the address with the site?

  12. Random cute thing today:

    A fairly new client contact who I don’t know well – have never met, have had maybe half a dozen phone calls with, plus emails – answered an email today and said he couldn’t take a call because he was out of the country with only text and email access. I said, hope you’re someplace nice, have a good trip and we’ll talke later. He responded that he and his wife are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary in Antigua, where they honeymooned – and he sent pictures! One of them as young newlyweds, one at their rose-petal-strewn anniversary dinner table. It was so sweet.

  13. Will Disney be horrible over Labor Day? All the parks have openings and there are cheap flights so we’re considering it…

    2. Crowd-wise, I have no idea, but weatherwise, early September is not a time I want to be outside in Florida. There’s a reason Florida is cheap July-September.

      2. if you have a high tolerance for muggy, sticky, swamp weather and pop-up thunderstorms, go for it :)

    3. I don’t feel like it’d be as bad as it would be NOW. I feel like nowadays the only schools that go back after Labor Day are in the northeast. South has been back in school for 2-3 weeks by the time Labor Day rolls around, and rest of the country has been back for a week or so, so parents aren’t really contemplating vacations. Even for the areas that go back after Labor Day, not very many parents want to vacation the day before as they are getting everyone settled back into a fall routine. So I feel like unless there’s some major international crowd, you’ll really just have locals there doing a day or two at the parks, which means WAY less crowding than summer.

      I think the weather is likely still pretty awful then but I assume you’re fine with Florida heat if you’re willing to go in early Sept.

      1. I’m not so sure. Midwest here, school starts early-mid August and plenty of people still travel for Labor Day. The Disney calendars online show it very crowded that weekend.

    5. I was just at Disneyland on Friday and it was at capacity (no reservations available). And miraculously it was not all that crowded. Certainly it was much better than pre-pandemic summers. So the reservation system seems to be working.

      It was however very hot! And the extra charges they are adding on (Genie+ and individual Lightening Lane) definitely grated.

  14. Has anyone tried that “nail dip” manicure system? It’s all over IG where you dip your nail in a colored powder, then the top coat (very basic description). It’s supposed to be better/last longer than a gel manicure. I’m wondering if anyone has tried it and whether it destroys the natural nail. TIA!

    1. It creates a hard shell that can pop off, which leaves you with an unsightly bare nail. It’s also rough on your natural nails.

    3. Haven’t personally tried it, but my very good nail salon said it’s really tough to remove, goes on thicker than gel (which I would hate) and they only offer it because some people with very weak nails like it.

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