These shoes are newly on sale at Nordstrom, and I like the look — they look like a great comfortable heel for work. I like the walkable height, and readers have always sung the praises of Linea Paolo as a brand.
It’s great to see extended sizes (although not widths) being offered — the shoe is generally available in sizes 4.5–12. There are a TON of colors, also — 15 by my count!! The shoe is $60–$66, marked down 40% from the original price of $99–$110.
This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Psst: hunting for other low heels? These are some of our favorite comfortable low heels for work as of 2021! one / two / three / four (also Ferragamo, MMLF, and Sarah Flynt!)
Workwear sales of note for 9.24.21…
- Nordstrom – Earn 3X the points through September 26. Some reader favorites are here.
- Ann Taylor – $30-$50 off select full-price styles
- The Outnet – tons of great deals on Furstenberg dresses and tops.
- Loft – 50% off your purchase + free shipping
- J.Crew – 30% off your purchase or 40% off $250
- Talbots – 25% off your entire purchase
- Brooks Brothers – Sale styles up to 70% off
- Lands’ End – 40% off full-price styles
- Eloquii – 50% off everything + extra 10% off $125
Anon B
Where do you like to go “wild swimming” in the continental US? I’m daydreaming of swimming off of an uncrowded and clean beach or a desolate lake that’s not so cold that I would need a wetsuit. Happy to hike up to 5 miles to get to such a paradise. Does it even exist anymore?
Anonymous
Sure! Maine, Cape Cod, loads of lakes and river’s
Anon
East Beach in Chappaquiddick – not technically “wild” since it’s managed by the Trustees, but it’s a beach that is literally empty on the hottest weekend days of the summer and feels very untouched. Probably should be a little thoughtful about sharks, but that is true throughout New England (even up to Maine these days).
Anon B
Hi! Any specific spots come to mind? I’ve had a bit of trouble finding good access points outside of the obvious places like Nickerson State Park on the Cape.
Anon
Did I miss your geographic area? There are lots of rural swimming places along the Chesapeake Bay that are rarely crowded, but you have to look for RURAL, so you’d be driving a couple hours from a major city to get to them.
Anonymous
The beach in northern California or alpine lakes anywhere in the west. You have to embrace the cold.
Anon B
Agree and I have been embracing the cold and hiking with a wetsuit on hand! That said, it would be glorious to swim in a warm place and find an alternative to heading out to Kauai for hike-to swimming given sensitivity around covid on the islands right now.
Anon
Theoretically I could walk to such a beach from my house- at least early in the morning there’s pretty much nobody there, though it gets a little busier later on. That’s actually true of a lot more of the CA coast than you’d think, but I don’t think most of it meets the warm enough to swim without a wetsuit qualification, unless you’re hardier than I am. I like walking by the ocean, but almost never go in it!
Anon
In the south, the answer is no, due to alligators.
Gail the Goldfish
Beaches would be ok on the alligator front, though (occasionally you’ll find one on a beach, but it’s pretty rare). Uncrowded is challenging, but they do exist, you just need to pick the beaches that are harder to get to (think ferries)–Cumberland and Sapelo in Georgia come to mind, or some of the NC beaches that require a ferry. If I had the money, I’d go spend a week at Greyfield Inn on Cumberland.
Anon
It’s been a while since I lived there, but there are tons of lakes, streams, and rivers in VT and NH. Many are publicly accessible and might get busy on weekends, but won’t be crowded early in the day or during the week.
Anon
Eastern Washington or Oregon
Sloan Sabbith
There are a LOT of little lakes in northern Idaho that warm up by early August. Rent a (reasonable sized) boat from Harrison, Idaho (which is a bit of a drive from anywhere, but worth it) or Coeur d’Alene (although you’re then boating for two hours down the lake to Harrison, where you absolutely need to fill the boat with gas) and take it up the CDA river to Killarney Lake or Black Lake- both are 30-90 minutes up the river but they’re both almost empty during even the busiest days of summer and they’re small enough that they’re warm enough to swim comfortably. Both of them are a little bit sketchy to get into with a boat so you really want a small pontoon boat to get into it and you need someone who has driven a boat before, but absolutely 100% worth it for how gorgeous the lakes are. Killarney Lake has an island on it, Popcorn Island, that’s adorable and was the island of my 90s adventure book dreams. And then on your way back out to Harrison stop and get ice cream. If you wanted to make a weekend of it, get an AirBnB on Lake CDA and rent bikes from Harrison. Bike down to Chatcolet Lake Bridge, at the mouth of the St. Joe river. Bring a picnic and then bike back. I did it as a 12 or 13-year old who was not particularly athletic and it’s totally doable. If you like biking, you could also go bike the Route of the Hiawatha which is absolutely gorgeous- it starts with a 1.6 mile long train tunnel and has 10 train tunnels and 7 “sky-high” trestles. Almost completely downhill, totally safe for kids- we had kids from 5-12 do it one summer. .There are shuttle busses at the bottom to take you and your bikes back to the parking area. Then go to Wallace, ID for antique shopping and dinner.
Idaho sucks politically but it’s a really, really gorgeous area.
Both of them are technically driveable too but they’re LONG drives from anywhere.
Sloan Sabbith
Oh and you could also go up to Schweitzer in the summer, which is super pretty and then spend time in Sandpoint, a cute little mountain town. To do any of this, you’d want to fly into Spokane and then rent a car. Either stay in Coeur d’Alene or get an AirBnB on the lake. Rockford Bay is incredible and not that far from Harrison, although it’s pretty far from CDA by boat (only about 40 minutes by car). You really want to either rent or go somewhere where you can rent a boat because everything is prettier in the summer when you’re on the water. Fair warning, there’s a HEAVY concentration of Trump flags (and F Biden, and MAGA ,and confederate) flags on boats on the lake. And on houses. This is also 150% a post-COVID trip.
I have more ideas if anyone really likes my Idaho/E Washington travel ideas, email me. My name+e t t e at gmail.
Anon B
Sloan Sabbith, Thank you for these suggestions!! We’d be driving from Jackson, WY, so ID/E WA are super accessible!
Kat in VA
For North Idaho (formerly lived there), between Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, if you go north on 95 out of CdA, there’s also Kelso Lake (Careywood), Round Lake (just south of Sagle), Priest Lake (north of Priest River) and of course Pend Oreille (Beaver Bay in Farragut Park on the south side, Sanders Beach in Sandpoint on the northern side, PO is an ENORMOUS lake). PO is big enough that if you rent a boat on the southern tip or the northern tip, you can literally spend all day hunting for coves and remote beaches (source: used to jetski there every summer).
Don’t bother with Twin Lakes or Cocolalla, the former is kinda gross and the latter doesn’t really have a public beach.
There is a small lake (Colburn Lake) up at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, but the hike down/up can be onerous if the lifts aren’t running (and they aren’t, always). I haven’t swum in it because I was only up there in the winter, when it was frozen solid and you could snowboard across it! Also, summertime = huckleberries = bears and moose. Be aware of your surroundings in north Idaho, particularly if you’re going out into the woods!
Anonymous
There are a million lakes in the Sierra Nevadas that fit the bill, including in the Emigrant Wilderness and Yosemite.
Anon
Russian River. But I’d rent a kayak at Johnson’s beach in Guernville or the beach in Monte Rio and kayak to one of the many many river beaches that are only accessible by boat. In fact, we do this every summer, and I could point out our beach on a map but couldn’t tell you the name. We have a thing about swimming across the Russian River and back every summer.
Horse Crazy
What would you make for heavy appetizers for about 15 people? No dietary restrictions, needs to be either really quick or make-ahead.
Anon
Heavy apps as a meal? Little cocktail sandwiches using Sister Schubert yeast rolls (they’re frozen rolls that are kind of like mini Hawaiian rolls) and whatever your crowd might like – pork tenderloin, really good fresh deli meat (I like Dietz & Watson at Safeway). You can just cook the rolls in the advance and slice them and have people make their own sandwiches.
Frozen quiches? Spanakopita?
Smokey
would do some combination of the following: a large tray of veggies and dip (could use a nice salad dressing as the dip); a Mediterranean tray with store bought hummus, pita style crackers, a chunk of hummus and nice olives; an assortment of cheese and crackers, with a bunch of grapes; store bought chicken salad, shrimp salad and/or tuna salad served on small size “party rolls”;
a store bought tray of steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce; or taco style dip with tortillas. Also Trader Joe’s has some good frozen appetizers such as the mini feta and carmelized onions pastry bites and “Parmesan pastry pups”. If you have Covid concerns, you would want to do single serve options only and skip any shared dips.
Smokey
Meant to say “I would do…” To do single serves, make multiple tiny cheese or hummus plates, put sandwiches on small individual plates, etc.
Smokey
Tortilla chips, not tortillas.
Veronica Mars
Baked brie – crescent roll dough, wrap it around a hunk of brie (remove the rind) add a couple spoonfuls of jam and bake at 350 for 30 mins. Heavenly. Other options: buffalo chicken dip in the crockpot. Hummus and baby carrots. Mini meatballs skewers (crockpot or cook to direction from the bag, add a sauce and toothpicks).
Anon
pimiento & cheese spread; Hawaiian rolls
Another anon
At a recent party the mini pigs in a blanket went first.
Anon
Please don’t invite my 18 year old son to your party unless you want all of the piggies to be eaten by one guest.
I do these too with lil’ smokies and crescent roll dough. I put out a ramekin of mustard for dipping.
Senior Attorney
I have had great success with mini meatballs (I buy them frozen at Trader Joe’s) in the crockpot with a jar of grape jelly and a jar of chili sauce. Old fashioned but people love it. Have some mini Hawaiian rolls on the side if you like.
Anon
Agree 100%.
Anonymous
https://www.totinos.com/products/takis-fuego-mini-snack-bites/
:D
Anonymous
One of my go to appetizers is ham and cheese sliders using Kings Hawaiian rolls. I use the recipe from Everyday Annie.
Anon
Borek! Like spinach/feta, meat/onions/potato, veggie combo in puff pastry spirals.
Anon
A cheese plate with 3-4 cheeses I bought from a local cheese store. I ask them what I should buy and they’ve never steered me wrong, but it tends to be a soft cheese like brie, a hard cheese like a manchego or similar, a blue cheese or stilton, and maybe a goat cheese chevre. Maybe some quince paste/membrillo to go with the manchego, but not always.
Crackers, baguette slices, a little bowl of roasted nuts, a little bowl of mixed olives (with another bowl for the pits) and some good wine. Everyone’s happy. I’ve been doing this since 1993 when I moved to a house a block away from the cheese market, and no complaints yet.
Sloan Sabbith
Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are always popular at any party I bring them to. Because they’re crunchy-bacon-maple-glory.
Anon
Looking for anecdata on dating apps. I have a theory that Hinge has changed such that if you don’t pay the $75 or whatever for premium, the algorithm makes your experience on the app terrible so that you feel like you need to pay for it. I’m on and off these apps frequently, and the past few times I’ve made a hinge account (with months in between deleting and making a new account) it’s SO bad on there. I don’t get any likes except from a few people that I would never ever consider matching with (not in a mean/stuck up way – I’m talking the accounts with the weird pixelated pics seemingly from the early 2000s or no pictures at all, with fake names such as LaDyKiLlEr…that level of awful). I use the same pics on Bumble and Hinge and the bio information that I fill in is substantively the same, with the exception of being forced to tailor the information so that it matches the awful prompts you’re forced to use on Hinge. On bumble I get tons of matches – I just made my profile yesterday and everyone that I have swiped “yes” on I have matched with. On Hinge when I send likes I never get a match/response – it feels like I’m sending them and the people aren’t even being shown them, and I feel like my profile isn’t being shown to anyone at all. Anyone have a similar experience, or maybe this is a city-specific thing?
Anon
OP again – forgot to add: Has anyone paid for Hinge and found it better than before when they were on the free version?
Anon
I had a similar experience with Hinge and hated it. Deleted it and went back to Bumble. If you’re getting matches on Bumble I don’t understand why you would continue to use or pay for an app that isn’t meeting your expectations.
Anon
I also disliked Hinge – I deleted it fairly soon after I tried it. Never paid, so I’m not sure how a subscription compares to the free version.
Anon
I can’t say I have had this problem – dating in my area sucks regardless of the app you use – but I didn’t like Hinge at all bc of the limited likes on the free version and being unable to actually say anything useful about what you are looking for. Just give me a box to type what I want please!
Anonymous
I concur with what everyone else has said. I’ve been on the free version of Hinge since May and probably gotten four conversations total. In the same time on Bumble, countless conversations and at least ten first dates. However, I will say, the only person I’ve gone on multiple dates with was from Hinge. Most of the Bumble guys I’ve met were nice, but not for me.
Also agree with the poster who said the Hinge prompts are generally useless. I get much more info upfront from Bumble, which also makes it easier to start a conversation.
Anon
Counter-anecdata: in my mid sized Midwestern city, I had much more luck with Hinge (free version) than other apps. It seemed to have the most/best guys in my preferred age range (mid 30s-mid 40s). Almost all my actual dates came from Hinge, including the one that led to my current serious relationship. At least where I’m located, the Bumble guys were usually too young and too hook up oriented for my taste.
Anon
I am genuinely curious about the outrage this morning re on-the-fly scheduling for low-wage workers. I see so many grocery-delivery users, door dashers, uber eats drivers, ride-sharing app users, Amazon shoppers and that is what drives all this. We are the on-demand users who create a mess for on-demand workers. I am shaking my head a bit.
Anonymous
I am outraged by this scheduling but I’m also anti-amazon et al. because I think it’s important to put my money where my mouth is. There are lots of us who constantly mention the abuses of fast fashion, champion local delivery, and recommend responsible alternatives. However there’s a lot of defensiveness on this board and pro-whatever is easiest irrespective of the impacts folks.
Monday
+1. Money where my mouth is as much as possible, and full-time job where my mouth is (which yields less money). I’m not much fun in these discussions.
Anonymous
Haha I’m so used to being a ‘buzz kill’ I don’t even care anymore. Doing the right thing should always come first.
Anon
Me too!
I do think that I’ve influenced some IRL friends to rely on amazon a bit less…
Anon
So, I lived this for a while. When I started in retail, one was either on the morning or evening stock crew. The days of the week you worked varied, but your hours were either 3AM to noon or 2PM to 11. That left plenty of time in the day for trading off caregiving with a partner, having a 2nd job, going to school, etc.
Several years in, that changed, and all full timers were required to have totally open availability, 3AM to 11PM. We’re not talking private equity or something where that kind of availability is well compensated. These are folks who put groceries on the shelf. Suddenly, they can’t plan more than a week ahead if they’ll be needed in the morning, evening or sometime in between and they’re not getting paid any more. By this point, I was in management and was the one making the schedule. I did my level best to keep people to either one or the other, but staffing levels were also cut back to the point that it was sometimes impossible – corporate was designing their labor models for floaters.
A large part of the reason I left, in addition to my own burnout (I was doing these hours and more) was that I was not allowed to take care of my staff in the way they deserved. The company did not treat them with respect, as professionals at what they do. Professionals, you ask? Yes, professionals.
Anon
And, I had a reading comprehension fail. I thought you were asking, ” Why would anyone be outraged by this practice?”. I get what you’re saying now…. and I agree. I don’t use any of the just-in-time delivery/Amazon type services, and am also no fun in these sorts of conversations.
Anon
If you’re “genuinely curious,” what is your question? I just see a (judgemental) statement in your comment, there doesn’t seem to be a question there.
Anon
Dynamic scheduling does bother me, but I also don’t use grocery delivery, door dash, ride sharing, or Amazon – so I realize I’m a bit of an anomaly by your definition. It is used plenty of places I do shop: in particular most retail and restaurants. I wish there was more I could do to work against this but I’m not sure what actions I can or should take. I do think dynamic scheduling contributes to continued income inequality – which I view as a big problem that we should be working on solving – since it prevents people from working multiple part time jobs (which they may want as they are unlikely to get a full time schedule given employer efforts to avoid providing benefits).
Curious
There are a variety of organizations pursuing legislative solutions. In Illinois, Women Employed is one. I haven’t been focused on this issue lately, so I apologize for not knowing more, but labor law is likely where it’s at for this one.
Anon
My given example of OTF scheduling was when working at a sit-down restaurant.
pugsnbourbon
When I worked retail the store’s hours were the same 7 days a week (barring holidays), so theoretically they should have been able to provide associates with regular schedules. Of course, their goal was always to have the bare minimum of staff on the floor to keep costs low, so it was in their best interest to schedule week-to-week. They could also cut hours at any time. They held all the cards.
Anon
When I worked retail we had weekly schedules generally the TH prior to that week. You might get a call if someone called in sick or whatever but otherwise, the schedule was the schedule. Retail is kind of predictable as to when people come in and when it is slow. Back to school shopping and sales and the annual sidewalk sale were the known outliers, along with xmas.
Anon
I think you have this backwards; it happened the other way. If you’re waiting tables and the schedule is completely on the fly and outside of your control, you need your second job to be flexible as well, but you need to be able to have control over its flexibility. The jobs you just listed are jobs that people pick up in their time between their shifts at the jobs that call them in at random hours.
It used to be you could work two part time jobs with opposite shifts (neither will hire you full time since they’re not about to provide benefits). But it’s hard to have two part time jobs that are scheduling on the fly, because you can’t protect hours (and yes managers will interrogate you about your availability and your other commitments).
But even when your manager is communicating about the schedule same day, you can squeeze in some Uber rides or grocery delivery trips on the fly.
Anon
My understanding is that in entry-level jobs, the most reliable year-round workers get scheduled first and the most often (even up to a 30 hour limit). And the teen with no ride gets scheduled last for the weirdest shifts / peak demand / hated shifts. That’s just how it is. Businesses don’t want to lose good workers b/c they don’t get enough hours or the hours they want. As a teen worker, I knew this. There is a big hidden calculus, but it’s not random or arbitrary. With Obamacare, getting to 30 hours is often a hard stop. I had a relative work for Amazon unloading trucks and that was a random 20-hour job, but when people flake out, managers still have a preferred list of shift-fillers and if you’re not on it, you know your other shifts will likely be bad. Also, savvy managers realize that they have less drama if they schedule around city bus schedules (the bus goes to the very large Amazon stop b/c it is next to the airport) than if they try to schedule in spite of them.
Anonymous
In my mind it is two separate issues – I may be wrong but this is how I view it.
1) Low wage workers at traditional chain stores like Walmart, Target, mall stores, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Subway, etc and 2) gig workers who work for instacart, doordash, uber, etc. I’m personally outraged at unpredictable shift scheduling if you work for a traditional chain store, because those stores have set hours and know when their peak hours are. Of course there will be days when you have to cover for someone who’s out sick, but on the whole, shifts for those can be set pretty well in advance in my opinion instead of this “dynamic” scheduling, which is only good for the software and not for actual workers. For gig workers, the unpredictability is their pro and con, and I think people know that unpredictability is part of the gig whereas with traditional stores the unpredictability of shifts is not the cultural expectation (quite yet).
For myself, I sparingly use Amazon, I try to do my own meal or store pickups, and try to use public transportation when traveling and use ride sharing sparingly. otoh, I drive a lot where I live, so from the eco point of view I’m not doing that well…
Anon
There’s a big difference between on-the-fly scheduling that the manager determines, and on-the-fly work where the workers choose when to work at their own discretion.
Monday
I think the OP was just saying that so many apps that are “on-demand” from the perspective of the user, contribute to a consumer culture of “on-demand” expectations, which OTF scheduling of W2 employees reflects. I think everyone’s clear that Uber drivers et. al are independent contractors who choose their own hours.
Anon
But it doesn’t benefit consumers in any way to have restaurants and retail store staffed minimally and at the last minute. Everything was fine, from a customer perspective, back when workers knew their schedule a week in advance and sometimes staffing was generous.
Monday
Yeah, but generous staffing means higher overhead means higher prices. Or, if that’s not actually true in every case, it still means higher profit margins, and it’s hard to put that toothpaste back in the tube now that this is a normal practice.
No Face
I missed the earlier discussion, but I remember learning my schedule the week beforehand when I worked retail a million years ago. You got the schedule, and then you planned your life around it.
Gig-economy apps are different, because the worker is choosing to be available. The rideshare driver isn’t “scheduled” by anyone.
Anon
These days, a lot of workers learn their schedule the morning of. There’s software that facilitates this (to minimize “over” staffing). So people can’t plan their life around the schedule (they may even get a call part way through the day!).
No Face
Yeah, that stinks. Even the weekly schedule thing was too obnoxious.
Anon
Does it work? I get it is something a software company could sell, but I have a feeling that in a seller’s market for cheap labor, people are voting with their feet.
And in a small town, my guess is that you don’t need scheduling software at a Dollar General. There aren’t that many workers and they know each other and their busy / slow times. Maybe a WalMart Super Center is different, but I don’t think so really, it’s just more people. In M&A, “workforce in place,” even at a WalMart, is a thing of value that something like this could easily wreck if those people start working somewhere else (like doing drywall where you work all the time and is predictable now where I live).
Anon
Anon at 4:39, I’m not sure what you mean by “does it work,” but many, many, many people have to deal with this form of scheduling; it’s not just a software product that somebody is trying to sell. I know a lot of people who work in these jobs, and whether they will be able to show up at gatherings is always up in the air because of this form of management. And it can make it difficult to “vote with one’s feet” and find different work, even if you want to change lines of work, when your schedule is tied up this way. It also makes it harder to attend school while working.
Anon
Anecdata, but my sibling worked at Home Depot about 5 years ago and they were batched into three 4 hours shifts, and you didn’t know until a few days before which shifts you were assigned to. There was no rhyme or reason for which shifts people worked, so there were times when someone was on the early shift, then 4 hour break, then late shift, then early shift again the next morning. It was pretty terrible for mental health for someone who was young and didn’t have responsibilities outside this part time job; I cannot imagine it would be doable for anyone with caregiving responsibilities, school or other work.
Anonanonanon
Yeah, it doesn’t work that way any more. That’s the point of this discussion.
It bothers me a lot that people will speak from “their experience” of working a job, taking a class, exploring a career, being a kid, being a parent, dating, etc. when their experience is over a decade ago and it should be transparent that the entire world has significantly changed since then. Example: I haven’t dated in over two decades so I stay out of the vast majority of dating threads – especially the ones that talk about apps and such – because I have no recent relevant experience to share and whatever I could add to the discussion probably wouldn’t help the OP in the thread very much. Similarly: being a kid in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, early 2000s is different than being a kid now; being a lawyer in 1990 is different than being a lawyer now; being a new mom in 2002 means you had a different experience than someone who is a new mom in 2021, etc. etc. Technology changes; culture changes; data changes; attitudes change – the world moves forward and it doesn’t take long for that to happen. I am not saying there’s never a connection or someone couldn’t come up with a useful nugget to share, but I wish there was more awareness that just because someone did something “a million years ago” does not mean it has any connection to the current state of affairs someone is asking about right now, today, in August 2021. Awareness would be good.
Anon
Back in my day, if they overstaffed, some of us (kids working for cash vs adults using it to pay the rent with) would get sent home. I guess that is no longer an option? I didn’t feel that it was unfair that my friends and I would get sent home vs the adults.
OTOH, a woman I know has a retail shop and she just does the scheduling herself. So her workers aren’t like this. Maybe that is the answer, just support smaller businesses?
Monday
Yes, I have never heard of this used in independent stores. Kronos is a software program that costs a lot of money (my hospital uses it too). You can probably avoid supporting it by avoiding large chains when you can.
Anon
A lot of independent stores are just as bad, they’re just manually putting off their decisions about the schedule until the last minute.
Anon
I totally agree with you. All the “kids these days” posts are really grating and just an opportunity for humblebragging.
“Kids these days” are under tons of pressure. I was a hard working kid from a trailer trash family and I worked part time as soon as I was old enough to get hired all the way through college. I did not have any pressure to volunteer hundreds of hours while taking five APs and playing both school and club sports and being a leader in three or more philanthropy focused clubs. I got into a decent college with a B average and got full financial aid. Not possible today. My part time job allowed me flexibility to participate in my one extracurricular activity, and they would take my hours whenever I could get them. Not possible today.
My kids are late teens and I have been through this with them. It is really really hard to get a job that is workable around all of the required commitments for getting into college. Employers don’t want to hire kids for their part time positions any more, because the kids aren’t flexible enough with their hours and *news flash* a lot more adults want those jobs flipping burgers than they did when I was a teen. My teenage part time job at JC Penney would be heaven to a lot of low income adults today. This should not be a news flash to anyone, because pre-pandemic this was well documented in many, many news articles in the debate about raising the minimum wage.
Anon
The people who use those services aren’t necessarily the ones complaining about on demand scheduling. Women on this site are not a monolith.
Anon
Are you talking about the part time work for teenagers post from this morning where everyone got to talk about how perfect they were and what’s wrong with kids these days, as if that conversation hasn’t been happening since Plato.
Anon
Yup, that would be the one
Anon
I know several people who have these kinds of jobs (Amazon delivery and Uber/Lyft drivers) and for them the “on-demand” part is a feature and not a bug. That is why they work for those companies and do those jobs. And it generally goes both ways: you can chose to work or not. Uber might offer more money to work high demand hours (or at least they used to) but they are not going to kick you off the platform for not doing it. So my friend who is disabled and has good days and bad days can work the good days and take the bad days off.
The problem with restaurants/retail jobs is (1) that is not why people do that work and (2) when they send the email or text saying “we want you here tomorrow from 7-11”, you cannot say no and not get fired.
Curious
I disagree that we create this mess. We 100% can legislate better labor laws that deliver the same services without locking people into low wage work.
Anon
I cannot believe that Delta hasn’t gotten any vaccines for COVID approved for kids aged 5-11 who are back in school. I get that there are some dosing concerns, but the delta between me and my XL sized husband (same dose) is 3X greater than it is b/w me and my kid old enough to get vaxxed. And the delta between kids is about 10 pounds (both over 100 pounds). My one concern is that I need to tick “no insurance” to avoid them importing my kid’s birthdate from our insurance and if I tick “no insurance,” then the government gets billed based on my false no-insurance rep. I don’t want to get involved with any fraud, and I’m happy to pay, but I just want to get my kid a shot and not have that kid be one of the unvaxxed ones who gets it and winds up in the hospital. Stabby mad right now.
Anonymous
It’s not just weight – children are not small adults. They are still developing into adults and so the impacts may be very different. See for instance the myocarditis that young males are seeing that isn’t being seen in other groups.
Anon
Thank you.
Anon
Are you imagining that dosing is based on weight??
Anon
I don’t know. I just don’t know why this is so delayed when it was expected before kids went back to school. Eventually, I will have 6 months of data on my own non-materially older kid before it’s authorized for my younger kid. And if I wait long enough, kiddo will just age into eligibility.
Anon
You don’t understand how research works. It’s not delayed, it is faster development than any other vaccine. We accept less risk with kids, so that is why adults were evaluated, then when it was found safe and effective, older kids were started, then when that data is in start the trials with younger kids. There are physiological differences between the groups. And your older kid being vaccinated without issues is not data, it is antidote.
Cat
I thought part of the reason to wait was maturity of the immune system? In that case there is a difference between a younger kid and an older, even if their weight is similar…
Anon
I think that if you have a very large 10 or 11YO, they are not that different from a kid that just turned 12 (vs an 18YO or an 80YO), all of whom are currently dosed the same.
Anon
You may think that, but the experts would disagree with you. See the AAP recommendations for off-label use in kids.
Anon
Do you honestly think that the immune system of a 100 pound 10-year old is the same as an 80-year old?
Anon
But apparently the 12YO is close enough to the 80YO to get the same dose? That I don’t get. 4 –> 8 is materially different. At one point, 16+ was in but not 15. 15 –> 16 seems immaterially different (and is now dosed the same, same as the 80YO).
AugNon
This is what I’ve heard to – that weight is irrelevant as the concern is maturity of the immune system.
anonymous
Vaccine side effects pose a greater risk to children under 12 than Covid. That’s why the FDA hasn’t approved an under-12 vaccine. I’m 100% pro-vaccine, and every age-eligible member of my family was vaxxed at the earliest opportunity. But you need to “follow the science”, as we say.
Your being “stabby mad” about public health officials’ reasoned determinations is no better than a Trump voter who refuses to get vaxxed. And it sounds as though your (unjustified) fury means you’re willing to violate the law and public health measures and endanger your child. Get off social media, listen to the public health officials, and get some fresh air.
Anonymous
That’s completely false. Or at the very least, complete speculation. There is no evidence that side effects from the vaccines pose a greater risk to kids under 12 than COVID. We don’t have the trial data in yet so you have no way of knowing this, but nothing from the earlier studies on adults have indicated that the risk of side effects is significant, while we KNOW that children under the age of 12 have a 1-2% chance of hospitalization with delta. That may sound like a small number, but this year should have shown us all that it’s not. That means 1 or 2 out of the 100 kids in my kid’s kindergarten class would end up in the hospital if they all got COVID. And that doesn’t include the risks of kids getting long COVID, which are much higher. I’m so tired of hearing people downplay the risks to kids.
Anon
Agree that COVID risk > vaccine risk, even to younger kids. Before Delta, we didn’t worry about them getting it. With Delta and schools reopening, it just seems to be a matter of time.
Anon
Wrong. Kids are in the hospital because RSV has “exploded.” Some of those kids also have COVID, but it’s RSV that puts them in the hospital.
anon
In New Orleans, children are in the ICU with Covid. The doctors say that at least half the children were perfectly healthy before contracting Covid. One of those children was a newborn. Research is underway to determine if the delta variant is more virulent and more dangerous in children, but the infectious disease doctor says, “We don’t have definitive evidence. But the people on the front lines — I’m an infectious disease doctor, I’ve studied pandemics my whole professional life — and I think most of us are convinced this virus is more virulent for children than anything we’ve seen previously.”
https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_d825ffa6-01fd-11ec-87ee-4bfe78df90b9.html
Anon
Yeah, this is not correct. Please share your data that shows the vaccine side-effects are a great risk to the under 12 than COVID is. This is unknown and why the research is being done. You do not seem to understand the science.
Anon
Nonsense. I feel the same way as the original poster. Honestly, I’d like to take my chances with the tiny possibility of vaccine injury versus the pretty darn large possibility that my unvaccinated kid gets COVID. He’s a pretty solid little 10yo who probably weighs the same amount as his 13yo sister. I just don’t know anyone who is prescribing it off-label.
It just doesn’t feel like the approvers feel any sense of urgency with respect to kids because hey, this is America. Before having kids in America, I should have anticipated a global pandemic! /sarcasm
Anonymous
I feel your frustration. I don’t know anything about the authorization process, but as a teacher and parent of a nine year old, I am so frustrated that we are starting up the school year without an option for younger kids. With all the (valid) uproar about the importance of in-person school, vaccinating school-age children should be the utmost priority.
Anon
So basically even though you admit that you nothing about the authorization process, you are still going to complain that it is too slow?
Anonymous
Now that the drug has FDA approval you CAN get your pediatrician to prescribe it for “off label use.”
I’ve heard not to do that though — that we’ll have the correct dosage and testing within a month. I’m trying to sit tight and have spent about $600 in different mask purchases because there’s no mask mandate at our stupid school.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/08/23/covid-fda-cautions-against-off-label-use-of-pfizer-vaccine-in-younger-children/
Anon
I had thought about it. Our peds practice is not on board.
Anon
I doubt my kids’ pediatrician is either – it’s fancy but not a concierge practice.
Anon
Vaccines are not weight-based. There is a lot more than size that goes into determining the appropriate dose (which is why you and your husband received the same dose). The studies are being done, but there is only so much the timeline can be compressed. We need to make sure that they are safe and effective in this population.
EB
A neighbor has a 4.5 year old son who is very ill in the children’s hospital. I would like to take something by their house and leave it on the step as a sign we are thinking of them. They have LOTS of support in town, so I do not think food is the answer here. And it’s not my skillset. Was thinking some thoughtful toys or games for the boy to play and read during what is an extended hospital stay. Does anyone have any recommendations? I’ll probably include a food delivery gift card as well, but need help with something tangible.
Anon
Are you wedded to tangible? Because if this were my son, a donation to an organization who helps families who have hospitalized sick kids would be the most meaningful to me.
Elderlyunicorn
How thoughtful! I have a couple of links that I’ll add a separate reply …
– A fancy sticker book
– a plush animal that you can put a warming pack inside
– A nightlight that glows or project stars or something for the hospital room
– A digital picture frame that friends/family could email pictures to
– A cozy weighted blanket
– Slapzi is a super fun card game that is snap to learn and you don’t even need to be able to read to play
Elderlyunicorn
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Acorn-Wood-Sticker-Book-dp-1529023629/dp/1529023629/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1523511176?tag=fatherly-sticker-books-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
https://warmies.com/collections/supersized-hand-warmies%C2%AE-16/products/supersized-puppy-hand-warmies
anonshmanon
mow their lawn or sweep their curb?
Anonymous
As someone who has been sick and a caretaker, some sort of cash equivalent gift. Uber gift card for when they don’t want to drive; takeout gift card; grocery gift card; Amazon gift card for ordering books/movies/things they need.
The best gift I got was an Amazon gift card + a list of book, audiobook, movie and TV recommendations and where I could find them (e.g., Hulu; Amazon; Netflix). All my coworkers contributed to the list and it was great.
Anon
Those pop-its someone recommended a week or two ago might be nice for kid and parent to do something with their hands during long hospital hours–like the silicone shapes where you push the buttons in and out.
anonn
They toys listed above would be good. Don’t forget the siblings, if any. A Starbucks gift card for the parents would never be bad.
Sloan Sabbith
See what coffee shop is in the hospital for gift cards!
Anon
So… I had a child in this situation many years ago. We didn’t appreciate food so much because we were basically living at the hospital with our child. We finally sent out an email to the many people asking what they could do and we asked for children’s movie DVDs as there was a DVD player in the hospital room and a lot (A LOT) of hours to fill. Our child wasn’t unconscious, just not well enough to do anything but lay in bed.
We also received many toys (beanie baby type things, this was a while ago) and that’s all good, but what was most helpful were toys that could be wiped down with soap or hand sanitizer. Not possible with plush toys. Fisher Price Little People toys are good for this, and perennially popular at my local Children’s Hospital. Hope this helps.
I’m sure you are not so inclined, but for anyone who happens to be reading this, please resist the urge to give a sick, hospitalized child any hand-me-down toys or other used items. They can’t be cleaned and they generally go right into the bin at the hospital’s insistence.
Sloan Sabbith
+1. Stuff that can be done with essentially zero concentration is best for anyone hospitalized. Movies that can be easily paused. Sticker and coloring books. Arts and crafts project that can be put away easily- nothing with tiny rolling parts (i.e. necklaces or beading). I liked having my own blanket in the hospital (still do, f hospital blankets) as well as fuzzy socks with grippy things on the bottoms. As a teenager I REALLY liked gift cards to Starbucks because I hated hospital food ( still do, f hospital food) and could go get Starbucks and have a slight bit of normalcy. Probably good for the parents if there’s a coffee shop in the hospital you can get food for. Offers of things that are hard to do while hospitalized (like laundry for them or their kids) would be helpful, more helpful than food since most of the time parents are at the hospital or going to work or on their way back to the hospital. Things like pet care can also be helpful if they’re more or less living at the hospital. I saw a story one time about a group of friends who came home and meticulously scrubbed the house top to bottom before a very immunocompromised kiddo came home so it was a sterile space because they’d just gotten a stem cell transplant and had no immune system. the parents didn’t have to figure out how to do it or hire someone.
Anon
I was unfortunately in this situation as well. You have received some good advice above, but my daughter really liked to be read to while in the hospital, so an age appropriate story in a chapter book is a thought too. She was 8 at the time, and we worked our way through some of the Harry Potter series. She did not have much energy to do anything, this will obviously vary based on the circumstances.
Anonymous
I have an appointment with my eye doctor (in 2 months, ugh) but I’m hoping for tips to tide me over. Ever since returning to the office, I’ve noticed my eyes have been pretty bloodshot. I wear contacts but I wasn’t wearing them as often or for as long when I was WFH. A few years ago, I was switched to some kind of special contacts because my eyes were itchy; the doctor said it might be an allergy or it might be lack of oxygen to the eye but either way these were supposed to help. And they did help! But I guess after months of not wearing contacts for 8+ hours a day, my eyes are rebelling. I suspect my doctor will tell me to just wear contacts less, but I notice that even if I take them off as soon as I get home, my eyes are still a bit bloodshot by morning. Has anyone else gone through this? What did you do? I take allergy meds daily for my “seasonal” (year round) allergies and I’ve been using otc eye drops but I thought you weren’t supposed to use them daily? I don’t have Rx sunglasses and my current rx glasses don’t fit very well so I can’t just not wear contacts until my appointment.
Anon
Are you using the allergy eye drops or anti-redness drops? If you have itchiness and/or allergies, you should definitely try the allergy drops. There’s no reason you can’t use those daily- my eye doctor told me it’s fine if I take them every day for the rest of my life. You could also try systane lubricating drops in addition- I find that they really help my dry, itchy eyes, though I don’t have redness. Otherwise, wear your contacts as little as possible- I assume you already have daily disposable ones? If not, switch to those as soon as you can.
Anon
Unless your drops are free of benzalkonium chloride, I would be cautious about long term use personally.
Anon
Yep, rebound redness is a thing!!
Anon
Yes, obviously if the drops are making it worse because you develop an allergy to them, don’t use them or switch to preservative free versions in single dose packs. But for now the drops are clearly helping me and there’s not much else to do about my allergies (I already barely wear contacts). Preservative allergies are different from the other reasons people might be told not to take different types of eye drops long term, which apply to steroid drops or vasoconstrictor eye drops for redness, not to allergy eye drops.
No Face
My allergies have been worse this year. My eyes are the first signal that I need to up the ante on my allergy regimen. I started a prescription allergy med on top of Zyrtec, flonase, and allergy eye drops.
You mentioned that your glasses don’t fit well. Can you get them adjusted so that they are more comfortable? I go to a cheap eyeglasses chain and they would do that without an appointment.
Smokey
Redness could be caused by dry eyes, for which you need eye drops. Or you could have developed an allergy to your contact lens solution. Many years ago I had to switch to thimerosal free solutions.
MJ
It is insane to wait two months for an eye appointment. Go to Costco and get an appointment ASAP. They will have one–you can still see your doctor in two months.
If your eyes are as itchy as you say, definitely switch contact solution to opti free and see if that helps.
Anonymous
If you could buy any body wash and body moisturizer, regardless of cost, what would you pick? I’ve been fantasy shopping Jo Malone and Molton Brown, but there must be other luxurious options available. I currently use Dr. Teals, but have been day dreaming about what I’d have if my shower was like an expensive hotel.
Anon
I love the L’Occitane almond oil body wash
Anonymous
Aveda is my favorite.
I also really like Codage, for Paris luxury. Beautiful bottles.
Both are SLS-free.
The Bulgari green tea toiletries are also lovely. Sisley is very nice. Lots of the French drug store brands are great, like Caudalie and Avene. I don’t like Nuxe, though, can’t stand the smell. Alpha-H shower gel would be a true indulgence.
CB
The Aesop bergamot soap. We used it in an art venue and my husband trotted off to the gift shop to buy some and came back horrified about what they were charging for soap.
Anon
Le Labo body wash is divine.
Anon
I just need to put in a plug for bar soap over body wash, because not only is it far less wasteful in terms of packaging, but it’s often better. I like Dove bar soap a lot. It’s moisturizing and non-irritating and honestly, what’s not to like?
That said, Atelier Cologne started making hotel toiletries, and their shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion in the Pomelo Paradis scent are freaking divine. I saw that they sell full sizes at Nordstrom but then I also saw the prices and noped on out of there.
Anonymous
I like lots of bar soaps, including some shampoo bars, but I can’t stand Dove! My skin dries out and I don’t enjoy the smell at all. I can’t even use it on my hands. Can’t have their lotions either, same with Nivea, so I guess it depends on your skin.
You might like the Compagnie de Provence pink grapefruit, as an alternative to Pomelo Paradis. It comes in a bar soap as well as gel and lotion. Excellent quality, and 5 euros for the bar. Not cheap, but cheaper than Atelier Cologne. :)
Anon
Thanks for the Compagnie rec, I will check it out! Does the Nivea bar smell like the Nivea hand cream? That’s one of those scents that I can’t stand….. (yes, I know everyone’s nose is different)
Blackberry Farm
The entire body line from Blackberry Farm–a dream!
A
L’occitane lemon verbena
Lush ….I love the lavender
Anonymous
I’m in my first year of partnership and it is HARD. I am on track to make about 10% more than I did as an associate, but after taxes and mandatory deductions I will make less. I’m ok financially for now, but am really hoping things will get better the next couple years. Anyone have any success stories after a slow start they can share?
Anonymous
YES. I made equity partner 5 years ago. The first two years were really weird – the timing of the tax payments, especially, made cash flow feel so strange. Now, five years later, I make 7 figures and more importantly, I have a clear understanding of how much of it goes to taxes and how much is “mine.” (Answer: a HUGE AMOUNT goes to taxes! I’m buying a lot of civilization here.) It feels more predictable and secure.
Anonymous
Commiseration. It’s annoying to make less than I did as an associate. When I’ve raised this, I get waived off like it’s nbd. I’m not an equity partner so it’s not as if I can be sure it’ll all even out eventually, either. Ever feel like you should’ve just stayed an associate?
Diana Barry
Same Q as other posters re: handling anxiety (I have the physical anxious feeling more than rumination/panic loops), but what about when exercise isn’t an option? I have various tendinitises (arms and one knee) and so I can’t really even go on walks right now. What meditation apps/schedules have others found useful?
Anon
Swimming, recumbent bicycle.
Anon
I like Calm. I do the 10 minute one from Tamara Levitt every morning before work. I also use her sleep ones as needed.
Anon
+1 to Calm. Tamara Levitt’s voice is so soothing. Also, there is a sleep story by Priyanka Chopra and I pass out like 5 minutes in!
Anonymous
I like Faith Hunter’s Body and Soul Chakra Healing (on iTunes). It has nine different meditations and each one is about ten min long
Anonymous
Is there any chance you could swim, float or do some physical therapy in a warm water therapy pool?
I really like heat when have tendonitis, but I know it’s not recommended for all, or very recent, tendonitis cases, so check first, but it might be an option.
Anonymous
I like Headspace, but I think the most helpful thing is just picking something and doing it reliably. I’ve also heard good things about Insight Timer, which is free.